You've Got A Friend

Regina was feeling restless lately. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Henry had long forgiven her and accepted her back into his life. Having her son with her once again should have been all she needed. Deep inside of her was a voice that she was desperately trying to ignore. That voice was a familiar one she had shut out a lifetime ago.

Love. You need love.

Regina shook her head with an aggravated sigh. Love was the last thing she needed. Love was weakness. Henry was the love of her life and he was all she needed. Henry was more than enough. She smiled at the thought of her sweet boy, memories of his childhood playing out in her mind like a montage of pure bliss. Underneath the joy of those memories was still the hint of emptiness inside of her. Something was missing. What do normal people do in these instances? She wasn't the Evil Queen anymore so she couldn't just go on a dark magic spree. Even if she could, what would she do? With a heavy sigh she realized normal people would usually talk to a friend. Regina wasn't great at opening her heart to people. She had been betrayed too many times. She hadn't been great at making friends either. The thought of seeing Dr. Hopper again crossed her mind, but the thought of more therapy exhausted her. She felt that going back to talk to the cricket would signify that she hadn't come very far at all from where she had been when she realized she needed Henry. Did she need another child? Did she need another child whose mother certainly wouldn't be coming back to take them away from her? No. Henry was her son whether Emma was in his life or not and she always would be. That much was clear and she finally felt confident in that.

So who could she turn to? The first person that came to mind surprised her and she dismissed it with a shake of her head. Why in the world would she turn to Emma Swan of all people? Though, she couldn't help but give it a little more thought. Emma Swan had caused plenty of problems for her in the past. It was no secret they had a complicated relationship. She wouldn't call them friends or family necessarily. They happened to share a child together. Co-parenting Henry and protecting the town was as far as their bonding had ever gone if you could even call it that. Regina couldn't help but think about the fact that Emma was the Savior, responsible for happy endings. When Regina had needed someone to love and give her purpose, it had been Emma that had inadvertently given that to her through Henry. Perhaps she could help her now. It wasn't like she had anything to lose, Regina had told herself. She picked up her phone and dialed the Sheriff's number.

Emma had been absently snacking on a bear claw while sorting through a stack of paperwork when her phone buzzed. When she saw who was calling, she let out a heavy sigh. Picking up the phone, she said a silent prayer that nothing was wrong with Henry and that Regina wasn't angry or bearing bad news.

"Hello?"

"Miss Swan. How are you?"

Emma gave her phone a confused look wondering if this could really be Regina starting a conversation with pleasantries and small talk. The mayor was known for being direct and to the point. Her time was valuable after all. "I'm um..I'm fine, thanks. Just doing some paperwork. H-how are you?"

"Fine, thank you. I was wondering if you would like to join Henry and I for dinner tonight. I know he would love to have you."

Emma's brow raised in shock. Was she really inviting her for dinner? She settled into her chair determined to find Regina's ulterior motive that she knew must be hiding somewhere. "Of course, I'd love to have dinner with you guys. Thank you for inviting me. Do you…need something?"

"Oh, no you needn't bring anything. Just yourself. Can I expect you around 6?"

"Uh..sure. That sounds good. Are you sure I can't bring anything? Bottle of wine?"

"Not unless you feel compelled to do so, dear. I'll let Henry know you'll joining us."

"Okay. See you then."

"Goodbye, Miss Swan."

Emma laid her phone on the desk and stared at it in confusion for a moment. Taking a deep breath she shook her head and decided she'd have to wait to see how the evening would unfold. Her curiosity was peaked, that much was clear. It made it somewhat difficult for her to push through her paperwork. Emma found that she had to re-read several pages over again before she was able to focus and complete the files. It frustrated her. Taking a glance at the remaining pile of work she had before her, she sorted out the most urgent tasks and completed them as quickly as she could before calling it a day. She knew she'd never be able to focus fully with a mystery dinner with Regina looming ahead of her. After locking up the station, she headed to the liquor store to find something Regina might deem suitable. Emma knew that the mayor was a fan of both wine and whiskey. Those seemed to be her drink of choice, yet she seemed to leave whiskey for occasions when she really needed something stronger or her company preferred it. If Regina was inviting her to dinner, maybe something was wrong and they'd both need whiskey to help them through the evening. Things had been going well between them though. Emma didn't want to offend Regina by assuming the worst. They were past that and Regina had more than proven herself to Emma and Henry. The rest of the town was catching up, but she knew who this woman was. She could see the efforts she'd been making. This thought narrowed her selection to wine. Would Regina prefer white or red? Emma thought for a moment and knew she'd prefer something that paired well with dinner. Emma pulled out her phone to send Regina a text message.

Hey! What's for dinner?

Hey yourself. I was thinking of making lasagna. Henry's favorite.

Emma smiled. Yum! Mine too!

I'm glad you approve. Any other requests, Sheriff?

Just trying to decide on what to bring tonight. Thanks!

Don't trouble yourself too much. I'm sure I have everything we'll need. Though I don't allow soda in my house, Miss Swan.

Emma rolled her eyes and smirked. Oh come on! Give me a little more credit than that. I was trying to pick the right cool-aid.

I do hope you don't fill our son with that sugary nonsense. I don't want his insides to look like a rotting rainbow.

Emma's breath caught and she re-read the text. "Our son." Regina had never acknowledged the fact that he belonged to both of them so casually. What was going on with her? All Emma knew was that she couldn't wait to find out.

No worries. Cool-aid isn't a great mixer with whiskey. He knows how to make sour mix. Too young to drink it straight and all that.

You're so CHARMING.

What can I say? It's in my genes.

Don't be late.

Don't worry. I will always find you.

That's it. You're uninvited to dinner.

Tell that to Henry. See you soon, Madame Mayor ;)

Regina had noticed that between her eye rolls at the Sheriff, she was smiling at their interaction. With the excepting of the underlying excitement for the change in her dinner routine tonight, her day had been pretty mundane. Her interactions with Emma had been a much needed, carefree distraction. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard a voice admonishing her for entertaining such childish behavior with the woman. Though, as quickly as she'd listened to the voice, she pushed it away. When had she become so stale? Regina remembered a time in her life when she used to be able to laugh, tease, and have fun. She remembered a time when she could be free and lighthearted. That's when she realized when it all went away. Her mother had not only taken Daniel from her, she had taken the last of her joy and freedom away as well. Any propensity for happiness and light in her had been systematically destroyed by Cora. Her eyes welled up with tears as she felt the anger rise within her. Taking a deep breath, Regina pushed away those feelings with all the strength she could muster. This was her life and she had been in command for a long time now. She had been fighting her mother her entire life, but Regina hadn't realized until that moment just how deep and how long her mother's control had taken root within her. Regina decided that was all going to change. Old habits die hard, she knew. But Regina wanted to be free again. If having a ridiculous text conversation with the Savior was going to help her feel that lighthearted again, then it was a step she was going to take. Perhaps she did still need Emma after all. With a smile on her lips, she anxiously put away the rest of her work for the day and left the office with the exciting promise of the evening ahead.

…..

Regina waited eagerly as the children began to pour out of the school's entrance. Her heart was close to bursting with joy as she saw her son's smiling face. His expression only brightened when he took in the noticeably bright energy his mother was radiating. Her arms opened to him as he ran into her embrace.

"Mom!"

"Henry! How was school," she asked as she placed a kiss to the top of his head.

"Good! How was your day?"

"Good. I have a surprise for you," she said with an excited smile.

"What is it!?" Henry was practically bouncing with energy.

"I'm making your favorite for dinner tonight."

"Lasagna!?"

She laughed. "Yes. And I've invited a surprise guest to join us."

Henry's eyes widened. "Who!?"

Regina wrapped her arm around him and led them to begin their journey home. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Henry ran ahead to face her, walking backwards. "Come on, Mom! You have to tell me!"

She laughed as she turned him around and held him to her side once more. "Turn around before you run into something. It's a surprise. I cannot tell you."

"You're smiling. Do you have a new boyfriend!?"

Regina's eyes widened as she swatted his shoulder in horror. When did her son become old enough to think about those possibilities? "No! And stop asking. I'm not going to tell you. I need you to get your homework done as soon as we get home so you can help me get ready."

"I don't have any homework today," he announced proudly.

"Oh?" Regina raised her brow and eyes him skeptically.

"Nope! Finished what little I had in class. So what do I need to do?"

Shaking her head with a sigh, she wondered where her son's boundless energy came from. "You'll need to set the table."

"Easy. What else?"

She thought for a moment. "Help me cook?"

Henry smiled brightly. "Yes! I'm you're sous chef once again!"

Regina smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek before wiping her lipstick off his face. "The best sous chef a girl could ask for."

That phrase has been uttered to him countless times as he grew up. Henry had always loved helping his mother in the kitchen. Before he realized she was someone who could use real magic, he had always thought of his mother's culinary skills as magical. He imagined her pots and pans as cauldrons and all the ingredients magical things that only she knew how to expertly combine to create an enchanted masterpiece for their consumption. She always moved about the kitchen with such grace and ease. It was the one place he knew she felt most comfortable. Cooking was one of her favorite, most relaxing activities and she prided herself in it.

On their way home, they stopped inside the market where Regina told Henry he was to pick out any dessert he wanted for dinner. He was surprised at how cool she'd been this afternoon, but wasn't about to question it. He skipped down the aisles of the store to gather ingredients before she had cause to change her mind. Regina watched him with a soft smile on her face. Staring off for a moment, she realized she felt something she hadn't felt for decades. She felt peaceful. She felt content. The beauty in the simplicity of this day was so rare for her, but why? Because she had been standing in the way of her own happiness. She had neglected to enjoy so many of these precious moments for what they were. For the first time in a long time, she was free to enjoy the moment without the underlying concern for vengeance and plots. Today, she wasn't an evil queen or an imprisoned young girl. She was merely a mother planning a dinner with her son. Her expression faded to sadness and anger with herself for realizing how many of these moments she missed with Henry by focusing on securing her revenge. She realized that she could have lost any chance to have these moments with him ever again for something so useless. The cost of Snow's happiness would always be the one she loved most. It had already cost her Rocinante and worse, her father. When that cost had risen to the price of losing her son, she knew it had to stop. He was growing up so fast and she'd wasted so much time.

Henry notice the distant look in her eyes and the trace of sadness. He walked over to her and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. Regina sighed and brought her attention back to the boy in front of her. Henry held up two boxes of brownie mix. "Chocolate fudge or cheesecake swirl?"

"What do you think?"

Henry looked back and forth between the boxes and then smiled. "Fudge it is!"

Regina giggled as she watched him return the other box to its shelf. She was grateful he had brought her out of her reverie. She was grateful to him for bringing her back from everything. Henry had brought her back from the darkness, from evil. That boy was undoubtedly the light of her life. She was her best self with Henry. In that moment, she was overwhelmed with love for this special being that had been brought into her life. It no longer mattered that he may have been manipulated into her life just to aid in breaking her curse. She was happy for that very reason. Henry didn't just orchestrate the breaking of the dark curse. He was her redemption and salvation. This boy, her son, was her life. She knew if she had to relive everything, all the pain all over again, to have Henry she would. She wrapped her arounds around him tightly and pressed a few loving kisses to his forehead.

"I love you so much, Henry. I don't ever want you to forget that. I have always loved you and I am so thankful that I got to be your mother. Thank you for seeing the best in me. Thank you for believing in me and giving me my best chance. You're my light in the dark."

Henry gazed at her seriously knowing that whatever was going on with his mom, it was deep and she needed him. He hoped she was growing and healing. "I love you too. Thanks for being my mom."

Tears spilled over her cheeks as she held him for a few more minutes. Soon enough, they were home and Henry ran up the stairs to put his school bag and coat away. Regina followed him up the stairs to change her outfit. She found herself standing in her underwear in her walk-in closet completely lost as to what to wear. Normally, if anyone were coming to dine with them, she would be seen in the same semi-formal attire she wore to the office. However, this was Emma and Henry. She wanted to make this day about being easy and carefree. She wanted to relax for once in her life. After a few moments of consideration, she asked herself what Emma would wear. Regina laughed to herself as she noted that she didn't own a red leather jacket or a white tank top. She decided to put on the one pair of dark jeans she owned and slipped on a fitted red t-shirt. She donned a pair of black ankle boots to complete her outfit, ran her hands through her hair, and made her way down to the kitchen. Henry nearly bumped into her in the hallway as he exited his room and stopped in his tracks taking in the sight of her. Henry rarely saw her dressed so casually. This was an especially surprising turn of events since they were expecting a dinner guest. If he wasn't dying from curiosity before, he was now.

"Mom!"

"What? What is it," she asked nervously.

"You…look great!"

Regina blushed furiously. "Henry, it's just jeans and a shirt."

"Yeah but it's nice. It's casual. You look cool, Mom. You should wear stuff like this more often."

"You think?"

He nodded with an approving smile. "Yeah. Let your hair down a little."

Shaking her head with a laugh she draped her arm across is shoulder. "Come on, let's prep for dinner, Sous Chef."

"Yes, Chef! How should I set the table?"

"You are the sous chef, my dear. I trust you to prepare the table as you see fit tonight including centerpiece. This is your dinner, my sweet. We'll need three place settings."

"On it!" Henry jumped excitedly.

….

Emma found herself standing anxiously at the front gate of the mayor's mansion. She took a deep breath and shook her head. Why in the world was she nervous? It was just Regina and Henry. The fact that they had never done this before left her wondering how she should act. What were they doing? Taking another deep breath, she reminded herself just to go with the flow and be there for Henry. Making her way up the walkway, she shifted the brown paper bag to her other arm and rang the doorbell.

Regina glanced up from the stove as her heart jumped at the sound of the bell. Quickly, she clamped down on her feelings and calmed the butterflies in her stomach. Honestly, it was just Emma. Henry jumped up and down next to the island.

"Can I answer the door!?"

"I need you to keep an eye on the stove. I'll get it."

Henry gave her a disappointed look, but went to man his post anyway. "Okay."

Regina gave herself a quick once over in the mirror before rolling her eyes at herself, continuing on to open the door. As soon as Emma laid eyes on her, her jaw dropped. She had never seen Regina dressed so casually before. There was no question how beautiful the mayor was, but seeing her this way, she was almost unsettlingly beautiful. This was a different Regina and suddenly she had no idea what to expect. She felt as intimidated and unsure as she did the first time she laid eyes on the woman.

"Hi," Emma said in that familiarly awkward tone.

"Hi. Come on in. I decided to keep your arrival as a surprise for Henry. You're our mystery guest tonight."

Emma laughed, amused and delighted. "Mystery guest, huh? I'm honored!"

"Can I take your coat?"

"Sure!"

Regina helped Emma out of her coat as she shifted the bag between her arms. After hanging it in the closet, she led Emma towards the kitchen. "I can't wait to see the look on his face."

Emma blushed. She was more than a little flustered at how welcoming and complimentary Regina was being. When they entered the kitchen, Henry's back was to them as he hovered over the counter chopping the last of the vegetables for the salad.

"Something smells good," Emma announced. Henry spun around on his heel. His jaw dropped and his eye widened.

"Mom! What are you doing here," he exclaimed as he ran to crash into her arms.

"Careful, Henry," Regina chided lightly, "you don't want to assault our dinner guest."

Emma laughed and hugged him close. "You're the mystery guest!? You're staying for dinner!?"

"Yeah, kid. Your mom invited me over," she said as she ruffled his hair.

Henry turned to Regina illuminated with joy, "You did!? That's awesome!"

Regina blushed at Emma's wink as he hugged her tightly. "I'm glad you like your surprise, sweetheart. Now why don't we finish getting dinner ready?"

"Yes, Chef!"

Emma laughed watching him skip over to resume his duties. "Chef?"

"Yeah! Mom is the chef, of course, and I'm her sous chef. I made dessert," he announced proudly.

"That's awesome! I can't wait to taste everything. It smells great."

Regina raised up for checking the lasagna in the oven. "It's nearly ready. What did you bring," she asked gesturing to the bag still cradled in Emma's arms.

"Oh! I brought wine and some sparkling grape juice for the sous chef," she said with a wink. "We should put the juice in the fridge."

"Of course. Thank you, Emma. That was very thoughtful."

Emma blushed a little. "It was the least I could do. I hope you like the wine. It's a cabernet. I don't know a whole lot about wines but I heard this one was pretty good."

Regina looked at the label. "I haven't tried this one either, but I'm sure it's lovely. Thank you."

"I'll put it on the table with the salad," Henry said before disappearing into the dining room.

The three of them navigated around each other, their comfort level slowly growing as they sat down for dinner. Regina opened and poured the wine for Emma and herself as Henry enthusiastically filled his own goblet with juice. Emma watched as Regina expertly swirled the wine around the glass. Carefully, she brought the glass up to her nose and slowly inhaled the aromas. Emma's lips parted mesmerized as Regina let out a soft, slow exhale with her eyes still closed. She delicately took a sip of the wine and worked it around her mouth with precision and poise. With a purposeful gulp and a satisfied sigh, she ran her tongue along her lips and slowly opened her eyes. Emma let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and quickly blinked away the intense stare she'd been holding as Regina met her gaze.

"This is exquisite, Emma. Thank you."

Her voice was a little weak as she replied. "I'm glad you like it." Taking a gulp from her own glass she was relieved to find for herself that she had chosen a good wine. She just hoped her company hadn't noticed how enthralled she'd been with Regina moments ago.

Their dinner had been filled with lighthearted conversation and laughter. Regina found herself smiling as she observed the casual interactions between Emma and Henry. Before, she would have been upset to see how bonded the two were and how like her Henry was. In this moment, however, she realized there was a lot she could learn from Emma. She was enjoying her company and the energy she brought to the room. Henry had been even more inclusive of Regina with Emma there. At Henry's request, the three of them gathered in the living room to watch a movie together. One of the biggest exceptions she had made to any of her rules was allowing them to enjoy Henry's brownies in the living room during the movie. That act hadn't been so easy for her and Henry knew the monumental change that had been for her. She observed as he ate his brownie with extra care not to make a mess so as not to ruin any future chance to enjoy this freedom again. As paranoid as the potential mess made her, she smiled at how thoughtful her son was. She had done well with him. When the movie was over, Regina observed the time and instructed Henry to shower and prepare for bed.

"Will you wait to tuck me in," he asked Emma.

As she fumbled for a response not sure if Regina wanted to be stuck with her alone, Regina answered for her. "Of course! Emma, would you care to have a drink with me while we wait?"

Emma was more than a little surprised, but grateful and happy she was so welcome. She had to admit she wasn't ready to leave just yet. "I'd love to. Go on and get ready, kid. I'll be here when you're done."

Henry bounded up the stairs with joy and Regina laughed. "Would you care for some more wine or would you like something else?"

"Whatever you're having will be fine," Emma replied as she followed Regina into her study. "I remember the first time you gave me a drink in here."

Regina poured another glass of wine of reach of them and offered her one. "So do I. We've come a long way since then, don't you think?"

Emma nodded and gave her a soft smile. Each of them settled into a seat as Regina tried to find a good way to start her conversation. "Thank you for having dinner with us. It was nice having your company."

Emma couldn't hold back the look of surprise and pure joy from her face as she blushed. "Thank you for inviting me, Regina. It means a lot. I had a wonderful time with you both."

"Maybe we should have dinner like this more often? I know Henry would love it."

"That sounds really nice. I like the idea of having some family time like this."

Regina smiled before a distant gaze took her into her thoughts. Family. Emma was calling them family. Maybe she did have someone after all. After a few minutes, she realized Emma had been talking to her. "I'm sorry what?"

"Regina, are you all right? You looked so far away just now. Where did you go?"

"I…I'm not sure where to start."

Emma reached out to put her hand over hers encouragingly. "You know you can talk to me about anything. I want to help if I can."

Regina gave her hand a grateful squeeze in return. "I've never really had a…friend I could just talk to before. I was never very good at opening up. I didn't have many opportunities to do so."

"And when you did, that trust was broken," Emma said knowingly. " Regina, I hope you know I would never hurt you or break your trust on purpose. I do care about you, and so does Henry."

Regina's eye filled with tears. "I'm not used to having someone to care or to trust. I've been feeling so restless lately, like something is missing and I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean? What do you feel is missing?"

"That's just it. I'm not sure. When I felt this way before, I adopted Henry and it filled such a huge void in my life. He's been everything to me."

Emma moved toward her fully engaged now. "Regina, I know you love Henry more than anything in the world, but even Henry can't give you everything. There are things in life people need that our children just can't fulfill."

"I know. I just don't know what to do."

Before responding, Emma thought for a moment. "Is that why you invited me for dinner? Because you needed to talk to someone?" Regina nodded silently staring into her glass. "Well maybe it's as simple as that, Regina. Maybe you just need a friend. I know Henry makes you happy and you love being with him. So do I. But even adults need time just for them to be with other adults. You know that."

"Maybe. I don't know how to do that though. I was the Evil Queen for so long. The only company I had were my guards or people I was using in some way. I haven't connected with a single adult I could really depend on since I lost my father. The closest I've had to that is Rumplestiltskin and he obviously wasn't the greatest choice."

"You made a great start today! You invited me for dinner and we had a great time! We're talking. You haven't called me an idiot yet," she said as she nudged Regina's shoulder. Regina laughed gratefully.

"I suppose. It has been really wonderful today having a change of pace and company. I wasn't always this…"

"Stuffy," Emma offered.

Regina raised her eyebrow and rolled her eyes at her. "I suppose. I just want to feel free. I want to be able to laugh again and…I don't know, have fun?"

Emma smiled. "Well that is something I can definitely help you with. You know, I know what it's like to trust people and have them betray you. I didn't make friends very much growing up and everyone I let in let me down too. Maybe we can help each other learn how to be good friends? You can teach me what it means to be a princess and I can teach you how to loosen up a little. What do you say?"

Regina's heart swelled with love and gratitude. It had been so long since someone had been genuinely kind to her. "I would love that."

In that moment, they heard Henry calling for them. Both of them smiled up at him from the foot of the stairs. "Hey, kid! You ready for bed?"

"Yeah! I just need a mom to tuck me in."

Regina raised her brow. "Just one?"

Emma looked at Regina with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "I'll race you!"

Just as Emma began to bound up the stairs, Henry squealed and ran towards his room. When he jumped into bed and turned to see who would arrive first, Emma caught herself on the frame of the doorway. In the same instance, Regina appeared right next to Henry in a cloud of purple smoke with a triumphant look on her face.

"Hey! That's not fair! You can't use magic! That's cheating," Emma yelled.

Regina draped an arm around Henry protectively. "You never stated the rules, Swan. It's not my fault I'm a bit more resourceful than you are."

Henry was overjoyed at the energy his mother's were emanating. "I say we have Emma over for dinner again for a rematch!"

Emma smiled as she caught her breath. "You're on! And this time, no magic!"

Regina chuckled and kissed Henry's cheek. "Goodnight, my little prince. Sleep well. I love you."

"I love you too, mom," he said as he smiled.

Emma walked over and ran her fingers through his hair before kissing his forehead. "Goodnight, kiddo. I love you."

"I love you too."

Regina watched them with a smile and waited for Emma to exit the room before she turned out the light and pulled the door shut. As Henry settled into his bed, he decided that he wanted many more days like this with his moms together. He wanted them to be a happy family. This was going to be the beginning of Operation SwanQueen.