Title: I Said Maybe, Baby, Please [1/5]
Author: jowritesfiction
Rating: G (for this chapter)
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Characters: Regina Mills, Emma Swan, Henry Mills (eventual Swan Queen)
Summary: Regina Mills is acting out of character, so her son seeks out help from a very hesitant and slightly awkward Emma Swan.
Notes: This is an old piece of fic that I have revamped and (finally!) finished. It takes place way back in season 1, just after 1x07, and goes completely AU from there. Season 1 Swan Queen =D
Wrapping the robe tighter around her body, Regina quickly tied the belt, before running her fingers through her messy hair. It was two days after Graham's funeral, and it was obviously taking a toll on her, as she grabbed the small piles of discarded dirty clothes from her floor. She heaved the piles into her hamper, chancing a glance at her alarm clock to see that it was almost time to wake up Henry for his first day of school for the week.
With her mind still somewhere else, she lifted the hamper, before taking it down the hall to the bathroom. She picked up her son's dirty clothes, tossing them into ever-growing pile of laundry, before she paused. Wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, she sat on the edge of the bathtub, her free hand clutching the sink to hold her steady. She inhaled slowly then, ready to be over the obvious bug she picked up over the weekend.
"You don't look so great." A voice called from the door, startling her from her thoughts.
"I'm fine." She said dismissively, pushing herself to stand back up.
"Mom, I think you're sick." Henry pointed out, taking in her less than stellar appearance.
"What are you talking about? I'm fine." She almost snapped, careful not to lash out at him for his concern. She offered him a forced smile that couldn't quite make it up to her eyes before gesturing to his pyjamas. "You need to get ready for school. I don't have time to walk you today, so I'll see if Mrs. Nolan can take you. She was going to stop by for a coffee anyway…"
"Okay." He replied carefully, a hard to read expression on his young face. She placed her hand on his cheek for a moment, searching to see if he had caught the same flu or whatever she had. It was with a calm exhale that she brought her hand back down to her side, noting that his temperature seemed to be normal.
"And Miss Swan will pick you up from school. I'll give her a call. You can meet her for hot chocolates or something, okay?" She added, this time getting a bright smile back from him.
"Really?"
"Yes. I have an appointment later tonight, so I won't be free until just before supper."
"Thanks mom!" He exclaimed before he wrapped his hands tightly around her torso.
Henry sat at their booth at Granny's, using his spoon to stir the remnants of his hot chocolate, pursing his lips in a way that Emma couldn't help but admit made him look exactly like his mother. She watched him, wondering just how much Graham's death had affected the kid. Offering him a small pat on his shoulder, she gave him the most reassuring smile she could muster when he looked up at her.
"Emma, I'm worried about my mom." He said suddenly, as she could only open her mouth wide in response.
"What do you mean?" She asked, clearly not the response she had expected to get from him.
"She just… she hasn't been herself." Henry admitted, as though he was mulling over his words.
"Well Graham's funeral was only a few days ago." She pointed out, noting the near blank look from him, before she decided to continue. "He was… important to her." She answered, her voice tight as she tried to be careful with how much information she was giving him.
After all, she didn't want to scar the poor kid.
"It's not just that. She's been really tired and she hasn't made breakfast once this week. I've only had cereal. And we've only been having take-out for supper… I don't think I've even seen her eat anything but her apples." He went on, this time his wide eyes staring up at her expectantly. "And she hasn't taken me to school once this week. I mean Mrs. Nolan has been driving me, but still…"
"Maybe she's just sick."
"I asked her and she said she wasn't."
She knew that Regina had been close to Graham… closer than she particularly liked, but doubted that it would have had that much of an effect on her. However at the same time, she couldn't help but agree with Henry's argument as their mayor hadn't exactly been the same woman that Emma had been first introduced to. It was only on Monday that Regina called her, granting permission to pick Henry up from school for every day of the week, and now as Friday rolled on, Emma hadn't even seen her since the funeral – even when she dropped Henry off each day.
Emma sighed, wondering what she could say to reassure him. For ten years she hadn't been responsible for his upbringing. Hell, for twenty-eight years she hadn't been responsible for anyone's upbringing except for her own and she didn't know what the situation called for. She wasn't good with her emotions or letting her guard down, and she certainly wasn't good when it came to anything with Regina.
"When you lose someone close to you… it's… it's hard Henry." Emma confessed then, before she took a sip of her hot chocolate.
"Can you just… I don't know…" He stopped himself then, going back to stirring his drink absently.
"…What?" Emma asked, cocking her head to the side.
"Can you check on her?" He asked suddenly, before going on. "She won't even return Mrs. Nolan's phone calls anymore."
"Okay." Emma said finally, unable to say no when he looked at her with those puppy dog eyes.
It wasn't until after he left for the bathroom that she let the groan out from her lips, wondering exactly she was getting herself into.
"Hello Madam Mayor…" Emma began, switching her weight from her right to her left foot as she stood awkwardly in Regina's front foyer.
Henry at least had the decency to run up to his room, but with him gone Emma felt suddenly unsure in the other woman's presence.
"Miss Swan…?" Regina barked back, a tired expression spread thinly across her lips.
"I… I just wanted to see …how you're doing." Emma admitted, fumbling over the words and mentally kicking herself for it.
"Why?" She asked then, her eyes glancing up from the newspaper clutched tightly between her hands.
It was then that Emma took in the other woman's appearance, noting the dark circles under her eyes and the fairness in her skin and what she was wearing. Or not wearing. At four o'clock in the afternoon, the Mayor of their town was wearing her pyjamas (as Emma could see the flannel pants) and had a robe wrapped tightly around herself. Either Madam Mayor had come home and changed into her pyjamas, or she was still wearing them after a full day spent at home.
"What do you mean why?" Emma replied then, her voice sure as she took a couple steps closer. "You haven't been around. You don't answer the phone if anyone calls... I've dropped Henry off every day after school and this is the first time I've seen you since the funeral. And our – your son… he's worried about you."
"He doesn't need to be worried, and you should just go." She replied softly.
Regina folded her newspaper tightly, placing it on the table before she glanced up at Emma. With a slight roll of her eyes she stood up from her chair, before she felt her legs weak beneath her. She grabbed for the table, clutching it for support, as she felt a new wave of dizziness seep around the edges.
"You just… You look pale. Are you okay, Regina?" Emma asked, her hands reaching out to catch her if needed as she dropped any kind of formality between them.
"I'm fine, Miss Swan." She shot at her between clenched teeth as she straightened her legs. "Why don't you leave and actually go do your job. You're sheriff now, right?" She practically hissed the last part, glancing at the shining badge attached to her hip. "You're wearing that badge like you think you deserve it anyway. So why don't you prove to this town that you can actually do it half as well as Graham."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Emma snapped back, suddenly not caring if she was going to hurt Regina's feelings.
Emma was furious, her cheeks flushed as she clenched her fists at her sides, taking a final step closer. She was sick of being treated like some kind of second class citizen and she was just as affected by Graham's passing, but she had been doing a damn good job trying to fill his boots. And she wasn't about to let the woman tarnish his passing by making a mockery out of her.
Regina laughed then, cold and bitter in the dimly lit room.
"I'm pregnant." The brunette offered, before she sat back down on her dining room chair.