A/N: Okay so I have this up on Ao3 (it's been there for a while) and I just decided to post it here too because I had time today. I want most of my stories in the same places. Idk why I'm like this. Okay this is an AU that takes place in NYC so no curse, no magic. Emma is a Marine Biologist and sea lion trainer. she works at a zoo, I don't specify which because it's not a specific NY zoo. Instead I combined some of my favorite things about different NY zoos to make a mega zoo. Also Emma is a bit different here. For one instead of her signature golden locks she has her hair dyed pink (if that turns you off from this story I will not be offended). She also has a bunch of tats and piercings. She looks a lot different than ONCE Emma but she's still our lovable dork but also sort of a super genius. Snow and Charming didn't raise her in this either. Emma is basically a free spirit.

this is solely for entertainment purposes. I did research a lot but some things are just for fun and the story. I'm taking a big ass risk posting this and it's my baby so please don't tear it apart.

I don't think there are many notes about Regina except that she's Henry's biological mom and she's a bit younger than canon.

Chapter One

"Look Mommy!" Henry exclaimed over the chatter of the other voices.

Regina had her eyes on him the entire time but he had his back to her so he didn't know that. When their eyes met, the four-year-old waved at her then he turned back to the glass barrier and peered in. Regina pulled out her camera and snapped a few pictures of her baby boy. The little boy was ecstatic.

This made Regina smile. She was just as excited as he was. It had been so long since she's spent time with him. Her work hours had been so demanding these days and she had barely gotten to see him. She was fed up with missing her son and missing out on him growing up so, she took a day off and declared it their day. Henry was too happy when he awoke and found his mother making him pancakes instead of his grandmother or his aunt. He loved his grandmother and his aunt but he wanted to see his mother more so he was excited for their day together.

Eventually the little boy settled down and Regina set about feeding him his favorite animal shaped pancakes. Now that was something that took her forever to master but Regina is nothing if not determined to do anything for her son so, she kept trying until she learned. Henry was very encouraging along the way and that was one of his many incredible traits. He was always her biggest cheerleader and she was his. At such a young age, Henry Mills already understood what family was and how it worked. Maybe because he was surrounded by such a close knit one.

The first part of business for their day together was deciding what to do. Regina was hoping for a trip to the movies or even the park. Something relaxing but nope, Henry shot for the stars and declared that he wanted to visit the zoo. Now Regina despised the zoo. She hated the way that it smelled, the heat, the crowds, the noise. The animals were cute but it was the things that came along with it. It was Henry's day though so Regina sucked it up, put on some denim shorts, sneakers and a tee and the two of them were on their way.

Once they entered the zoo, Henry began dragging her all over. They went from exhibit to exhibit until they came across the gorillas. The animal's antics impressed her son so that's where they've been for the last ten minutes. Regina didn't particularly mind because her son was enjoying himself. That was all that mattered.

Henry giggled. "Hi monkey!" He squealed waving frantically.

Regina chuckled. "Those are gorillas, dear."

"Hi gorilla!" He said again, correcting himself. The animal looked at him and simply continued to chew on it's bamboo stick. Henry giggled. Regina simply smiled with a small shake of her head. It was an adorable sight. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a smaller gorilla approaching the glass. It eyed Henry for a movement before just giving in to its curiosity and going up to the little boy.

It only took a moment before her son spotted it and squealed with delight. The animal appeared excited by the boy's excitement and came even closer to the glass. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, Regina pulled out her phone and snapped a photo before she began recording. The animal placed its hands on the glass and Henry began making faces at it. It leaned in closer and tried to smiff the odd little creature. Henry giggled at the fact that he managed to baffle the little animal.

Regina smiled as Henry played a moment before he was joined by two little girls. They looked like perfect clones of each other. Twins. They stood on either side of Henry and began making faces as well.

The other gorillas gravitated towards them to watch the small humans. Henry giggled and put his hand on the glass and the baby gorilla moved closer and made a show of kissing the glass. The little boy giggled and turned back to his mother.

Regina chuckled. "I saw!" She called to him and he grinned. He turned back to the glass.

"Cute." Someone said beside her. She looked over to see a man standing beside her. He gave her a kind smile. "How old is he?"

"Four." Regina answered and turned back to Henry.

"Oh, I'm not a creep." The man laughed. "Nah. Those are my girls. They're five."

"Oh." Regina smiled. "They're adorable."

"Thank you."

"My girls seem to like your boy." The man mentioned as the two of them watched their kids play with the animals. She smiled.

"Yeah, they do."

"I'm Mike by the way." He said offering her his hand. Regina accepted it out of politeness because she was not in any way interested.

"Regina." She said with a forced smile. "That's my son Henry."

"Hank." The man chuckled. "Those are my girls. The one on the right is Jessica. The one on the left is Jennifer."

Regina smiled and turned her attention back to the children who now had placed their hands on the glass, looking closely.

"Is his dad here?" Mike asked glancing around but not suspiciously.

Regina frowned and shook her head. It had always just been the two of them. His father walked out when he found out that she was pregnant. It wasn't her proudest moment but she got Henry out of it so she was content. "No. He's not actually."

"Oh, is he at work?"

"Probably." Regina replied coolly. "I haven't seen him in over four years so." She hadn't spoken to him since. He's never asked to see Henry so there was nothing to be said.

The man's brows rose and his mouth fell open. He shook his head quickly and began apologizing, clearly realizing that he had been rude. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. I just think you're so beaut-"

Regina cut him off. "It's quite alright. No need to apologize."

"No it's not." The man protested. "I got in your business. I didn't mean to."

Regina forced a smile. "You couldn't have known. It's just Henry and me."

"Ah okay, cool beans." The man nodded. "I'm divorced. We have been since they were three. I get them two weekends a month and two holidays a year."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No. It's fine." He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his tight jeans. "It's better for the girls that we aren't together."

Regina nodded but said nothing. That sounded like her own parents. They separated when she was twelve. They fought a lot and would often go weeks without saying a word to each other. When her father moved out, it was like a weight was lifted in the house. She missed him but she understood that it was better for everyone that way. She wouldn't dare say that to this man. She didn't need him thinking it was an invitation to flirt, so she remained silent.

In a flash, a crowd of children wanting to see the silly primates consumed their children and she couldn't see Henry for a moment. Regina had a small bout of panic. She started to head over to them but then she saw Henry pop out. He looked back at the crowd who had taken over the glass and shook his head before brushing off his clothes and heading towards his mother, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. The tall man beside her chuckled.

"Hi mommy." Henry said with a pout on his face.

"What's wrong, sweetie pie?" Regina asked softly.

Henry pointed at the children who had basically pushed him out. "Look mama."

Regina nodded and Henry huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I know, sweetie. I'm sorry. Maybe we can come back in a few?"

Henry wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "Nah." He sighed. Regina playfully pouted then.

"Why not?"

Henry huffed with a raise of his little shoulders. "I don't know."

"It's okay, buddy." Mike said beside Regina. He offered his hand and Henry looked up at Regina. Regina raised a brow silently reminding her son to be polite. He slapped his hand, low-fiving him. "Nice. I was just keeping your mom company while you and my girls were playing."

Henry raised his brows and nodded. Regina could tell that Henry couldn't care less but was too nice to say it. "Cool."

The man smiled.

Henry looked at his mother. "Mama, can we go look at something else?"

"Of course, honey." Regina said. She bent and put her hands under his arms and lifted him into her arms. He put his arms around her neck and hugged her, keeping a watchful eye on the man who had taken an interest in his mother. "Say goodbye, Henry."

The little boy waved. Mike waved back and Regina turned to leave. He looked like he wanted to protest but the look the four year old gave him over his shoulder caused him to recoil.

"I love you, mama." Henry said softly.

Regina turned to him as they walked down the hall that had pictures of various animals hanging on the wall with facts about each. "I love you too."

"Do you like Mike?" Henry asked curiously. Henry watched a lot of Disney movies so he knew more about relationships than Regina would have liked.

Regina was surprised by that question. She looked at her son for a moment before responding. "I only met him. Why?"

Henry wrinkled his nose in a way that her mother always says that he had gotten from her. "I don't want you to like him," he said honestly. Regina nodded and kissed his cheek.

"I don't. You're the only man I need in my life."

Henry giggled. "And grandpa?"

"Of course," Regina said with a smile. Henry was very close to his grandfather. The pair often spent time together and now that he was retired, he would sometimes take Henry to pre-school and pick him up. The two of them would bake and watch action films together. He was attached to the man just like Regina was.

She kissed Henry's cheek and the little boy giggled. "What do you want to see next?"

"Dragons." The little boy giggled. A woman held the door open for Regina. Regina smiled and thanked her as they stepped out.

"Henry, if I could take you to see a dragon, I would." She joked. Henry grinned.

"What about in there?" Henry pointed to a wildlife trail. Regina shrugged.

"Whatever you want. Come on."

She set Henry down on the ground and he ran inside. Regina followed behind him and they began following the trail. Leave it to Henry to pick such a warm day to visit the zoo. He ran over to the first exhibit which held a couple kangaroos that were sharing their space with wallabies.

"Kanga." Henry giggled and waved at the animal which was a bit distracted by her busy little joey. "And Roo."

Regina smiled. "That's a joey, honey."

Henry grinned up at her. "That's a Roo!" He giggled then at his own silliness.

Regina nodded. "Right. Pardon me."

"What does this say?" Henry asked seriously, pointing at the plaque with a picture of a kangaroo with words next to it.

Regina began reading it. "Kangaroos are marsupials. Do you know what marsupials are, Henry?" The little boy shook his head. She explained a bit in a way appropriate for a toddler then continued reading, "These are Eastern Gray Kangaroos. They can jump up to thirty feet."

"I bet. Look at those feet! They should be able to jump to the moon!" Henry said. The little girl and her mother giggled beside them.

"Henry," Regina chuckled. "Alright, let's go look at something else. You are just too much."

She ushered him to the next exhibit which contained emus. He wasn't too interested in the large birds so they moved on fairly quickly. They peeked in on the porcupine then breezed over to the red pandas.

That's when Henry lost it.

He let out a little shriek and ran over to the glass. He looked back at Regina and pointed. "Mommy, look! They're so cute."

"Adorable." Regina said in agreement.

"What are they?"

"Those are red pandas, Henry." She explained.

One of the small, red and black, balls of fluff was sitting on the ground and the other was hanging out in a tree.

The little boy's eyes widened and glazed over and Regina was sure that she was watching her son fall in love for the first time. He finally tore his eyes away from the creatures. "I want one." He said seriously. "Please mommy?"

Regina laughed. "Oh honey..."

"Mommy, look at how cute they are. Don't you want one?"

"I do but I have the cutest panda!" She said as she tickled his sides. He giggled and he wiggled out of her grasp.

"Well played," the little boy said giving her a look. "But I still want one."

Regina smiled. "How about we talk about a bunny or a kitty?"

Henry's entire face lit up and she knew she had him. "Okay!"

"Excellent!" Regina said. Henry smiled and looked back at the pandas.

"I'm ready to see something else, mommy." He said after a moment and offered his mother his hand.

Regina took it and began leading him away from the enclosure. They came across a pond where there were otters floating on their backs. Henry was amused by that and pointed out swans and ducks swimming around. He was bored shortly and they moved on.

Further down, near the end of the trail, Henry almost died of excitement. The prairie dog enclosure. He played with them for a while before asking about the petting zoo.

Regina nodded. She, however, was not looking forward to the smells of the animals there.

They headed for the exit which led to another building. They stepped inside. There was a large room, painted a soft green, with a table in the middle. Children sat around it coloring away at coloring pages. There were zoo employees hanging around watching the kids. Henry looked at Regina and she nodded.

The little boy gasped and ran over to the table and sat next to a little girl. The child smiled at him and handed him some pictures. Henry thanked her and picked up some crayons.

Regina took a seat on a bench where the other parents were hanging out. The older woman beside her smiled and she smiled back.

"Such a handsome young man and very polite," she said.

Regina's smile grew. "Thank you very much."

"I see where he gets it." The woman chuckled. "How old is he?"

"Four." Regina answered. "He just turned four actually."

"I love that age. So cute.."

Regina nodded. "Are any of these yours?"

"My granddaughter." She pointed to the little girl beside Henry that was coloring away.

"She's lovely."

The woman nodded. "Thank you. How is he enjoying his time here?"

"Oh, Henry is having a blast. This is one of his favorite places other than the beach."

The woman laughed. "My granddaughter loves the beach and never wants to leave." She rolled her eyes fondly. "But we always have a nice time."

"The beach is nice but it's the clean up."

"Oh god, tell me about it."

"It's worth it though to put a smile on their face." She said softly as she watched her son work. He was so engrossed that his tongue was sticking out on one side and his eyes were glued to the page.

"What we wouldn't do for our little ones."

Regina couldn't think of a single thing in this world or any other that she wouldn't do for Henry. "You're so right."

After some time, Henry looked up at her and his brows were furrowed. He got up from his seat and ran over to her. "Look." He said as he stopped in front of her. He held the picture out to her.

Regina gasped. There was an image of a penguin. It was colored red and blue with a little top hat drawn on his head. That is so Henry. Also the little bow tie and monocle were hilarious.

"This is amazing, Henry!" Regina whispered with a big smile. "You're so talented!"

"What a little artist." The woman beside her exclaimed. Henry beamed at her.

"What do you say, Henry?" Regina prompted.

"Thank you," Henry said sweetly before climbing into Regina's lap.

The older woman chuckled. "You're welcome." She turned her attention back to her granddaughter to give them a moment.

Regina looked at the drawing in Henry's hands again. "This is seriously good. Where should we put it when we get home?"

Henry looked at her. "Um... fridge!"

Regina smiled. "I agree. This is some refrigerator quality work."

Henry giggled. "You say that about all my drawings."

"It's because it's true."

Henry nodded. "Thank you."

Henry had gotten his art skills from her. She herself was a painter and her mother thought she was going to go places. Her work was featured in galleries and she had even sold some of her work. She had a promising career, then she fell in love with a street artist. They had a whirlwind romance. After one mistake, she became pregnant. She was horrified so she told him, hoping he would ease her worried soul but instead of consoling her, he told her he couldn't be a father and disappeared into the night. She never saw him again. The heartbreak took her talent from her and she hadn't picked up a brush since. But she was glad that Henry had developed their talents. She just made sure to raise him to be a better man than his father was.

She kissed his cheek. "Come on, you still want to see the sea lion feeding?" Henry's eyes widened and he gave her a big nod. She checked her watch. "It's almost time."

He jumped down from her lap and offered his hand. Always the little gentleman. She smiled and accepted the offered hand as she stood.

"Is the feeding now?" The kind woman asked. Regina checked her watch again.

"In about ten minutes, but if you want a good spot..."

The woman nodded. "Yeah, I understand. Allow me a moment to grab Paige and we will walk over with you. Is that alright?"

Regina smiled. "Sure." She didn't mind this woman. She thought she was sweet.

The woman returned the smile and scurried over to the little girl. The child smiled up at her and nodded at her question. The woman took her hand and headed back over to Regina and Henry.

"Shall we?" She asked.

Regina nodded and they were on their way. They stepped out into the day again and Henry giggled when saw the sea lion's den there in the middle of the zoo. He pointed and looked up at her.

"I see, Henry."

"Did I mention how lovely a name Henry is?" The woman asked. "I don't hear names like that anymore."

"He's named after my father."

"Grandpa is Henry Senior and I'm Henry Junior." The little boy added.

Regina laughed. "Yes, Henry." She then addressed the other adult. "My father never had any sons. All girls. He and I are very close and I was the first to have a child so I decided..."

The woman nodded. "That's sweet. Is he..."

"He's alive and well." Regina said quickly. "He's fine."

"Oh." The woman chuckled. "That's good. I wish him many more years of health and happiness."

"Thank you." Regina said brightly. "I wish the same for you."

"Oh, I don't have a choice." She smiled. "I'm Paige's last grandparent. My girlfriend passed last year and my husband passed before she was even born."

"I'm so sorry." Regina said quickly.

"Thank you, sweetheart. It's just me, her and her father. Her mother died when she was a baby as well."

Regina felt her heart growing heavy with sympathy but the woman stopped her. "No. None of that. We're alright. She didn't even know my daughter. She died in childbirth. You remind me of her though. She was beautiful, smart and compassionate. I'm sure she would have been an exceptional mother like yourself."

Regina's heart filled with adoration for this woman. She was so kind. She didn't deserve the heartache she's endured. "Thank you. You're too kind."

The woman squeezed her hand. Her touch was so warm. "I feel terrible. I've been all up in your business and I've been telling you all of mine and I don't know your name."

Regina chuckled. "Regina Mills."

"It is very nice to meet you, Regina." The woman beamed. "I'm Gladys."

"It's very nice to meet you, Gladys."

The woman dipped her head in acknowledgement. The kids were jogging ahead of them and pointing this way and that. They giggled when they came across the peacock that's known to roam the premises freely. Henry squealed then ran back to Regina. She thought for a moment that he was afraid and started to tell him that it was okay but instead he asked if she could take a picture of him and Paige with it.

She and Gladys shared a smile and followed him over to the patch of grass where the animal was. The children stood on either side of the bird and smiled wide. Regina and Gladys snapped a few pictures, then the kids took off to the sea lion enclosure.

A few people were standing around but everyone was spaced out which proved that they were still early. Regina checked her watch. They had a few minutes. Henry held onto the railing that surrounded the giant pool that the animals were in. Henry and Paige peeked their heads through and watched them swimming around. In the center of the enclosure was a giant rock that was made to look like a cave. It had different levels on the platform for each of the animals to be able to sunbathe and play.

Henry and Paige would squeal whenever one would hop up on the platform and stare at the people.

Regina and Gladys chatted behind them about the zoo and their day so far. She found that Gladys was very pleasant and warm. Regina's own mother loved her but she was not warm nor affectionate. She tried but that just wasn't who she was.

"Hey!" A familiar voice said from beside her. She tried not to groan or roll her eyes. She turned around slowly and found Mike standing there with a big smile.

Regina tried not to grimace. "Hey... you."

"Hey, how has your day been?" He asked seeming genuinely interested. Regina sighed.

"Pretty good. Henry is having a wonderful time." She answered. "And your lovely girls?"

The two little girls had joined Henry and Paige. They were all giggling at the animals. She could feel Gladys watching the kids and trying to listen in on Regina's conversation. Regina laughed at that in her head.

"They're having a great time." He answered. Regina nodded.

"That's good." There was an awkward pause before he spoke again. "Hey Regina, do you think-?"

He was cut off by someone's voice coming through a mic. By this time the crowds had filled in. Regina hadn't even noticed.

"Hey guys!" The voice said. Regina was relieved as her attention as well as Mike's turned to the platform.

A woman emerged from the cave. She had a hands free mic attached to her face. She waved at the audience. From what Regina could see the woman was very fair and dressed in the standard zoo uniform of a short sleeved tee shirt with the zoo's logo and green cargo shorts. She had on high fishing boots as well. Her long pink hair set off the outfit. She could make out traces of tattoos. A sleeve to be more specific on one side of her arm and the same was on her leg on the opposite side. It made her stand out for sure.

"It's that time again, guys!" The sea lions began jumping onto the rocks to meet her and the man standing beside her. He was dressed in a similar uniform but it wasn't as appealing on him. "I'm Emma and these are my friends." She raised her hand and made a line with her finger. At that, the sea lions lined up and waited for further instructions. She threw a fish in each of their mouths. "I do believe that introductions are in order."

The sea lions waited and she fed them again. "This is Nala," she said. One of them turned around and Emma stepped beside her. She made a gesture with her hand and the animal waved her flipper at the crowd. "Nala is sort of the mama of the group. She's sweet and caring but she doesn't take any nonsense from the others. Am I right?" The sea lion barked in reply and moved closer to her. That got her fed. The man had stepped forward and was feeding the other two.

Emma tossed her another fish then made another gesture with her hand to stand up. Nala did what she was told which was apparently waving again. She lifted one of her flippers and waved to the audience again. Henry screamed and started jumping up and down, exciting the other children.

Emma did another gesture with her hands, said something to her, and the animal leaned forward lifting her tail. The sea lion did a few more tricks until she was full, then Emma thanked her. The sea lion barked again in reply. "Let's give her a round of applause. She eats it up."

The crowd began clapping and Nala clapped her flippers. Emma laughed into the mic. "See." She pointed to the animal's flipper, then Nala waved and jumped back into the water. "Thank you, Nala! Such a diva."

Emma gestured to the smaller sea lion and she came over to her. "This is Buttercup. Yes, as in Princess Buttercup. She's ten months old and is already making a name for herself." Emma leaned down with her hand flat and the sea lion laid out flat. Emma chuckled. The animal got up and Emma tossed her a fish. "Sea lions can eat their weight in fish and squid and other sea life but I think Buttercup can eat twice her weight."

The kids giggled at Emma's joking.

"Okay so Buttercup are you going to say "Hi?" The sea lion nodded her head, went to the edge of the rocks and waved. "Awesome! Good job." The animal came back and was rewarded with food. Emma pointed to one of her feet and she lifted it. She did the same with the other and then her tail. Emma rewarded her again.

"Buttercup!" The animal looked up at her. "Do you think they followed us?" She asked in a hushed voice. She then did a gesture with her hands and the animal dropped to her belly and rolled this way and that. Emma tiptoed to the mouth of the cave and peeked inside. The sea lion followed hopping behind on her belly. It waited then Emma turned back around. "I think we're safe..." she paused, "or are we?" She raised her fingers like a gun and said, "Bang!" Buttercup acted like she had been shot and fell flat on her tummy again.

The kids squealed and giggled, clapping. Emma tossed her another treat. The animal stood up. "She survived! That's cause for celebration."

Emma made a movement as if telling her to watch her. She began shaking her hips from side to side. That's when the sea lion started doing a little jig as well. "See, she's all good. Great actor though."

Henry turned to Regina and his eyes were wide with amazement. "Mommy, she's dancing."

"I see, Honey." Regina said. He grinned then turned back.

"She's a good dancer, huh?" Emma asked and the kids giggled. "Way better than me. Hey Buttercup, looks like you got some fans." The animal went to the edge of the rocks and bowed her head. "She took a bow. Another diva." Emma chuckled. "Thank you, Buttercup." She made a gesture as if to say 'no more'. The animal accepted this and Emma leaned down and she gave her a kiss.

"Awws" came from the audience. Emma waved and so did the sea lion before returning to the water. Emma clapped as well. She saw the sea lions swim over to another trainer. The other woman made a gesture for them to hop up on the edge. They did and waved.

Henry began jumping up and down and waved back. "Hi!" He screamed at the animals. The sea lions jumped back down and swam around waving their flippers.

"This is my partner Killian and his girls Jill and Pearl." The sea lions waved before the man went on to do a few more tricks with them as well. By the time he was done, Henry had just about fainted.

Killian did the hand movement to tell them that he had no more as well. The sea lions returned to the water and joined the other two in swimming around the pool and waving at them.

"Well, everyone, that's all for our sea lion feeding. Thank you for coming and the terrific energy. We hope to see you all again soon."

At that Emma waved, so did the other two handlers, then they were on their way, disappearing back into the cave. The crowd began to disperse then. Regina knew that Henry would want to watch the sea lions a bit longer so she let him. Mike hung around for a while before his girls got impatient wanting to see the red pandas again.

"Okay, okay." The man said. He looked at Regina. "I'm outnumbered." Regina smiled but said nothing. He looked at his girls. "Look, gimme a sec." The little girls looked impatient but nodded. "Hey, so, Regina, do you think that me and you can-"

Regina raised a hand, cutting him off. "No thank you. I need to focus on raising my son right now. I don't have time for dates."

Mike shrugged. "Anyone could use a little fun. What do you say?"

"I still have to decline. Thank you for the offer though." Regina said plainly. Henry glared at the man.

He started to say something else but must have realized that he was being pushy. He nodded instead and smiled. "That's fair. I'll see you around."

Regina dipped her head. "See you around." Not if she could help it.

The man's daughters took his hands and began leading him away. She turned back to Gladys and blew out an irritated breath.

"Oh the burdens of being so young and beautiful." The older woman teased. Regina laughed a bit. The joke easing a bit of the tension. "You aren't married, Regina?"

"Nope." She said with a shake of her head. "I fell in love with the wrong guy, got pregnant and now, here I am."

"I take it the dad's not in the picture."

"The bastard fled all of the way to Chicago in order to avoid the child support that I was not going to ask him for anyway." She shrugged. She never opened up like this but there was just something about this woman that made her feel comfortable enough to just speak freely. "It's better this way. He wasn't the best influence for Henry and he wasn't healthy for me."

"I hope you have loads of family support."

"I do." Regina replied. "My mother has been a big help with him, as well as my sister and of course, my father."

Gladys nodded. "Good. That's good, dear. That's all you need." She made a face. "You don't need a man."

Regina laughed then. "Oh my, I couldn't agree more. Everyone thinks I'm broken because I don't want one."

Gladys scoffed. "You're sane, girl, and you know exactly what you want. Right now that's putting your son first. Nothing wrong with that."

Regina smiled. "Thank you."

Gladys started to say something but she was interrupted by her granddaughter.

"Grandma." Paige said sweetly. Gladys looked down at her. "Henry and me want to go to the petting zoo before it's time to go."

Regina looked over at her son who was grinning up at her and nodding. Regina looked back to Gladys and they exchanged a woeful look. Neither of them were looking forward to that especially not in this weather.

"Alright then, come along." Gladys said ushering them ahead. The kids giggled and ran off. She looked at Regina as they began following them. "Ready?"

"For that?" Regina asked. "No."

Gladys laughed. "Suck it up, girl and come on."

They quickly located the petting zoo and by this time the crowd had thinned out meaning that Henry and Paige could move around freely. They darted over to the pellet dispenser. Henry looked up at his mother with the biggest puppy dog eyes. Regina chuckled and put two quarters in the machine that Henry was standing in front of and two in the one that Paige was standing in front of. Both children squealed happily and turned the dial. Regina helped them to gather the pellets then they were off again.

"You didn't have to do that." Gladys said gently. Regina furrowed her brows.

"Do what?"

"Buy Paige the pellets."

"Oh." Regina gasped. "Did you not want her to-"

"No... it's fine." the older woman laughed and patted Regina on the shoulder. "Thank you." Regina's brows came together and she frowned. Her confusion was interrupted by Henry's voice as he giggled.

He was feeding the sheep in the pen. They were all crowding him, trying to get some of the food in his small palm. She excused herself from Gladys and pulled her phone out as she headed over to Henry. She snapped a few pictures.

Henry looked so happy and she knew that her family would just eat these pictures up. He patted the sheep on the head then ran off to play with the cow that Paige was feeding. He petted her snout as he gushed about how cute she was.

They moved on to the alpacas and llamas then to the goats. Henry was so tickled when one of the animals head butted the barn door. Regina's personal favorite were the pigs, she always thought they were adorable. After playing with the miniature horses, they had seen everything.

As Gladys and Regina were assisting the children to get cleaned up at the little sink, there was an announcement on the loudspeaker stating that the zoo was closing in fifteen minutes.

"Well," Gladys said as she watched Regina help Henry and Paige dry their hands. She grabbed Regina's arm and pulled her closer to her so that she could lower her voice. "Do you want to do the gift shop?"

Regina nodded. "Yes, why not."

"Alright come on."

Henry did pretty well in the gift shop and so did Paige. Henry emerged with a stuffed sea lion and Regina could tell that it was now officially his favorite animal. He also got a stuffed red panda, claiming it was a gift for Regina but she knew better, and a tee shirt. He skipped along happily with the stuffed animal pressed to his chest as Regina carried the bag with the other items.

They stepped out of the zoo onto the sidewalk. "I guess this is it," Gladys said sadly. She seemed to really enjoy spending time with Regina and Henry.

"I guess it Is."

"Regina, take down my phone number. Call me or text me if you need anything or if you would just like to say hello." Gladys said as she fished out her phone.

Regina nodded. She wouldn't mind speaking to Gladys again. She pulled her own phone out as well. The two women exchanged phone numbers and promised to talk soon. Henry hugged Paige goodbye and waved at Gladys. The older woman waved them off. Regina smiled and took Henry's hand, then the two of them headed off in the opposite direction.

They walked down the street on the lovely sunny day as Henry talked about their day. The little boy was still full of energy, probably still on a sugar high from the ice cream. She knew that he would come down soon and hard. It was too late for him to nap but hopefully that meant an early bedtime. He skipped along side her and chatted away. She listened with a small smile. She was just glad that he had a good time.

About halfway to their car, Henry stopped short. Regina looked down at him with a confused expression. The little boy pointed ahead of them. A few feet away stood a woman by a motorcycle. Gold pink hair that flowed down her back in waves, a skin tight tank top showing off her defined muscular arms—one of which was covered in a sleeve tattoo. She was in very short denim shorts and Regina could make out tats going down her leg as well. Regina recognized her easily even before Henry announced it.

"Mommy, look, it's the sea lion lady." He squealed happily with a giggle. The woman looked up from where she was, leaned up against her yellow and black Harley.

"Henry, she has a name."

"Yeah, it's Emma." The woman said with a chuckle. "But the Sea Lion Lady is pretty cool. Um... yeah, I'm Emma and I handle the sea lions."

Henry looked up at his mother for permission and when Regina nodded, he let go of her hand and skipped over to Emma. Regina followed so she could keep an eye on her son.

Henry grinned up at Emma. Emma smiled back before glancing at Regina. Regina got a good look at her then. The girl was covered in piercings. A septum piercing that featured a huge detailed ring, and a lip ring sat above her top lip. Her eyebrow was pierced as well.

Emma lowered herself to one knee in front of Henry and tucked some of her bright hair behind her ear and Regina could see the earrings going from her lobe and up her helix.

Henry reached out his hand and traced the image of the lion on her arm. From what Regina could see, there were lions, tigers, elephants, rhinos and a few other animals surrounded by a brightly coloured jungle going down Emma's entire arm. Her opposite leg however, was dedicated to sea animals from dolphins to whales to sharks and seahorses. She even saw a clown fish, surrounded by a blue sea.

"Henry, no." Regina said. "You can't just touch Emma. That's rude, sweetie."

Emma looked up at her and smiled before looking back at the little boy who was still mesmerized by her body art. "You like my tats, buddy?"

Henry nodded. "Yes. Do you put them on every day? My mommy bought me Spider-man tattoos like that once."

"That's so cool!" Emma said and Regina couldn't help but think she sounded genuinely interested in her son. "Aw, now I want Spidey tats!" She exclaimed. Henry giggled. "But nah, these are permanent, man."

Henry titled his head adorably. "What do you mean?"

Emma shrugged. "Like I went to a place and a dude drew it on me with permanent ink." She explained. In that closer proximity Regina could see the tongue piercings as she spoke. There was a ring going through one side of the tip of her tongue to the other. Then there was one smack dab in the middle of her tongue. They were distracting.

Henry made a face. "Mommy says you shouldn't draw on yourself. Especially with permanent ink."

Emma laughed and looked at Regina again. "She's right. Your mom is a very smart woman."

Henry nodded. "She knows everything." He looked up from Emma's tats into her gentle green eyes. "Where are the sea lions?"

Emma grinned. "Back at the zoo hanging out."

He looked like he didn't like that very much. "Do they get lonely?"

Emma scoffed. "Never. They have each other."

He accepted this. "Do you miss them when you leave?"

Emma nodded. "All the time."

Henry smiled. "It's good you take such good care of them."

"Thanks bud." Emma said with a smile. "Did you enjoy your day at the zoo with your mom?"

Henry nodded. "I had a great time."

Emma's smile grew. "That's good."

"Do you have any pets at home?" The child inquired.

"I do," Emma said excitedly. "A red retriever."

"What's that?"

"A dog. It looks like a golden retriever except it's a bit darker and is a reddish color."

Henry nodded. "What's his name?"

"Her. Her name is Rocket."

Henry grinned. "That's a good name." He nodded. "How old is she?"

"Six months. She's just a baby."

Henry's eyes grew two sizes. "A baby..." his voice rose a few octaves which Regina didn't even know was possible.

Emma chuckled. "A puppy." She reached back into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She showed Henry her lock screen. There was an image of a puppy looking at the camera with her head tilted and a huge doggy smile on her face. "That's Rocket."

Henry completely lost it and began emoting. His hands were flailing and Emma smiled and wasn't alarmed as Regina expected. "He loves animals." She provided.

Emma nodded. "That's awesome. It's our job to protect them and take care of them." She said as she put her phone away. "Be kind to them always."

Henry nodded. "I will. I'm getting a bunny."

Emma gasped. "That's awesome! Bunnies are sweet."

Henry beamed. "And cute."

Emma waved a finger at him. "That's true."

"Where are you headed?"

Regina gasped and Emma looked surprised. "Henry." Regina hissed.

"It's cool." Emma chuckled. "Home to grab Rocket, then she and I will go for a run, then we'll have dinner."

Henry absorbed this information. "Will you come back tomorrow?"

"Yup." Emma nodded then she grinned. "Why? Will you come to see me again tomorrow?"

"I have to ask Mommy and see if she's selling houses tomorrow."

Emma nodded then looked up at Regina. Her soft green eyes locked on hers and Regina froze. "Real estate?"

"Y-yes." Regina said softly. She cleared throat. "Yes."

Emma's eyes held hers for a moment longer before she nodded. "Nice."

"Is this your moto-cy-cle?" He spelled out the last word carefully. "It's cool."

"The Wasp?" Emma asked with a grin. "This was a birthday gift from some friends of mine. Bikers."

Henry giggled. "Cool."

"Okay Henry," Regina said gently. "You've taken up enough of Emma's time."

Henry looked back at her with a pout. "But mommy!"

Regina fought back a smile at his whining. "Emma has been working hard all day. I'm sure she will like to rest."

Henry blew out a breath and rolled his eyes. Emma fought down a grin as well. "Hey buddy, your mom wants what's best for you. I'm sure we'll see each other again and you can ask me some more rapid fire questions. What do you say?"

That turned Henry's frown upside down. He gave her a big nod. "Okay Emma."

"Sweet." She offered her fist and Henry bumped it with his own. "It was nice meeting you." She gave Regina a smile then. "And you... Miss?"

"It was nice meeting you." Henry said. "And that's mommy."

Regina chuckled. "Well, I am. But I'm also, Regina."

Emma chuckled. "So that's a no-go calling you 'Mommy'?" She smirked. "That's too bad." At Regina's shocked expression at that, Emma's smirk grew into a grin. "I hope to see you around. Both of you."

Henry nodded and gave Emma a wave. "Bye Emma." He walked over and took his mother's hand again then they continued on their way. They passed Emma.

"Thank you." Regina said softly before they continued on to their car. Emma dipped her head with a small smile.

Henry stopped and pointed at something. Regina turned around to see Emma climb onto her bike and put on her yellow helmet. She then took off down the street. Henry gasped.

"Mommy!"

"I saw." Regina chuckled. "Now come on, let's gets you home."

She walked Henry over to the car and ushered him inside. He climbed in and she strapped him in the car seat before getting in on her side. She checked him through her rearview. Henry yawned.

Yep. They had a great day but she couldn't wait until they both got home so they could rest. It was a perfect day and she knew it would be a while before they had another like this.

She sighed deeply at that thought and pulled off, heading for home.

oh and I know what all of the piercings are called but it was from Regina's pov so she wouldn't know. You can google gold pink or rose gold hair (the lighter ones are closer to Emma's hair color). It's a soft pink that sort of just blended with her goldish blonde hair. It's not jarring at all.