A/N - Just a short fluff piece for now! Hope you enjoy!
The day had started off innocently enough. She'd woken up, gotten dressed, made breakfast— the usual. Emma hadn't planned for any of this to happen. In fact, it hadn't even fully sunk in until she got into her car and started towards the Mayor's Manor. She wracked her brain for any plausible explanation she could summon, something that could justify what she'd done.
Her hands gripping the wheel of her clunky Bug as she putt-putted down the street, Emma drove with the windows open and Bad Moon Rising blasting through the speakers. A gust of wind blew through and sent the trees rustling in excitement. As she passed over leaves scattered through the road, they leapt into the air and danced gracefully in a blithe spiral.
Having texted Henry that she was on her way home from shopping, Emma pulled up to the large house to find the front door propped open for her. Closing the windows just a crack, allowing just enough air to circulate through Bug, the blonde turned off the ignition and made her way up the front porch. Her hands shoved into her back pockets, she took a deep breath and counted to eight before willing her legs to carry her forward.
"Hey Mom!" Henry greeted as he slid down the wooden bannister.
Nodding to her son, Emma cleared her throat. "Where's your mom?" she asked as Henry knelt down to tie his shoes.
"In the study," the boy replied nonchalantly. Standing up to his full height, just an inch taller than Emma, he noted her slightly unhinged jaw. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, he folded his arms over his chest. "What'd you do?"
Before she could feign offense, Emma tensed up when she heard her name echo down the hall. "Emma?"
"Yeah?" the Savior squeaked.
Regina's shadow stretched across the floor before she herself appeared. Emma wondered if she had enough time to run before the woman got to her. "Did you remember the mushrooms for the lasagna?" Regina asked as she sashayed towards her wife, her dark, brown hair tucked behind her ears. When Emma merely stammered something unintelligible, Regina sighed tiredly. "I know you have the taste of a child, but I can't make my lasagna without them," she huffed. "Well, how long are we going to leave the door open?"
Together, Regina and Henry started towards the divide between them and the outside. But, before they could step onto the porch, Emma raced to block their way. "Wait," she sighed. "I, uh, there's something I gotta tell you."
Regina exchanged a curious expression with her son and raised an eyebrow at Emma. "What did you do?"
Wringing her hands nervously, Emma began, "OK, look, here's the thing—"
"Uh-oh," Henry hummed. "That doesn't sound good.
Emma glanced back over her shoulder at her car, as if to make sure it was still secure. When she turned back to Regina and Henry, she felt as though she were shrinking under their inquisitive stares. "Just know that I totally didn't mean to do it. It just sort of happened," Emma warned as she moved aside. Too afraid to follow after them, Emma stayed behind and watched as they cautiously approached the Bug. Cringing slightly, she braced herself for what was about to come.
At first, Henry couldn't find any clue as to why Emma was so antsy. But then, he saw it. Or rather, he heard it: a high-pitched barking. "No way!" he exclaimed. Rushing to open the passenger door, it was only a matter of seconds until a tiny brown creature leapt into his arms and licked his face affectionately. Her legs sprung gleefully as she jumped out onto the yard and started running around, sniffing anything and everything in sight as her tail wagged wildly. Henry watched in amusement, mesmerized by the reflection of the sun bouncing off of her chocolate coat.
Slowly, Regina spun around and starting walking towards Emma. The closer she got, the faster Emma's heart beat in her chest; it wasn't long before she launched into a sudden ramble. "I know we never talked about this before and I should've have called you, but she was just sitting outside of the store eating some scraps under the dumpster and there was no collar or owner so I thought that maybe we—" Emma was interrupted by a nudging at her leg. Peering down at the small animal vying for her attention, she hissed, "Not now!"
Hands outstretched and a kind smile spread across her face, Regina scooped up the dog and cradled her close, though not close enough to be slobbered on. "Is that anyway to speak to this little one?" Regina cooed as she scratched behind the pup's ears.
"You're… not mad?" Emma asked after scanning the yard for hidden cameras.
As she hugged the dog, Regina chuckled dismissively. "Oh, no dear, I'm furious. I just don't want to frighten our newest member of the family."
"Does that mean we can keep her?" Henry wanted to know, his eyes aglow with euphoria.
As she squirmed in Regina's embrace, the brunette gently let the dog back onto the grass where she gleefully sprinted towards Regina's rosebush, her ears flopping and tongue hanging from the side of her mouth.
Almost as though she could sense the importance of the floral arrangement, the yet-to-be-named canine veered off course and ran back to Henry. Despite her best efforts to be the reasonable parent, Regina couldn't help but smile at her son laughing with the dog.
"You'll walk her?" said Regina. Henry nodded eagerly. "Feed her? Clean up after her?"
"Definitely! Yes!" Henry promised.
"If she makes a mess in the house—"
"You won't even notice she's here!" the teenager quipped.
With a sigh of concession, Regina put her hands on her hips and, with a pointed glance at Emma, said, "Well, go on. Show her around her new home." Without wasting a single second, Henry guided the dog into the house and started explaining what each room was.
Still rather skeptical, Emma turned back to Regina and searched her features for a hint of the fury she'd been informed of. But alas, whatever anger Regina possessed was undetectable. If anything, she appeared more amused than upset.
"OK, let me have it," Emma stated flatly.
"Have what, dear?" Regina asked, though she was clearly taunting the woman.
"I just brought home a dog and you didn't even blink."
Regina took one step forward, her arms new folded over her chest. "I couldn't very well say no. Anyways, I think it'll be good practice for all of us."
Now, Emma was completely perplexed by her wife's calm demeanor. "Practice for what?"
With a wry smile, Regina said, "For next year, of course." Leaning closer to the blonde, Regina came to a halt when she was cheek-to-cheek with Emma and whispered in her ear, "You're in charge of the three a.m. feedings."
And with that, Regina began walking back towards the door, as Emma stood as still as a statue, attempting to connect the dots in her mind. Dogs ate twice a day, in the morning and the evening. And unless they had to go outside, she was sure they slept through the night.
Once she realized what Regina was trying to tell her, Emma reflexes kicked in and she chased after the brunette. "Wait… what?!"
As Henry continued to bond with his newest companion and as Emma twirled Regina in her arms, the Swan-Mills household resumed their day just as it had started. Except now, it was a bit fuller in the manor than it had been before.