Just a Normal Friday Evening

Emma looked down at her watch. Regina was late.
"Hey Emma, where's my mom?" Henry asked as he looked up from his book.
"I don't know, Henry. She's never been late for anything…ever…"
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Henry got up and began running up the stairs to get his backpack. Emma walked over to the door and opened it.
Normally the Madame Mayor looked almost on the extreme side of business professional from her perfectly done hair to her powerful high heels. However, here stood Regina as Emma had never seen her before.
"What the…" Emma started
"Don't ask." Said Regina sheepishly and rather firmly as she stormed into the apartment. She went straight to the bathroom and shut the door.

Regina looked in the mirror at her reflection. Sticks were woven into her hair. Her cheeks were flushed and her lipstick was smeared. Anyone that might've seen her at that moment would've known immediately that she had just had some of the best sex of her life.

Regina and Robin were taking Henry and Roland camping for the weekend in the woods outside Storybrooke. Regina had told Henry that she wanted he and Roland to bond because Roland had no brothers, let alone someone close to his age that he could look up to.
"Mom, he's four. That isn't close to my age." Henry had said when Regina had told him this.
"You're closer to his age than his father or any of the Merry Men."
"True" Henry replied.
"Besides, Robin will be there and he told he me would love to teach you some basic archery skills." Regina said, hoping to win the boy over. Camping wasn't her thing, but it was Robin's.
"Whoa! Awesome! Do you think he'd let me try shooting his crossbow?!" Henry said excitedly.
"Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves." Regina had replied.

Regina had told Henry this trip was for he and Roland to bond, but it was really because she and Robin wanted to tell the boys about their big news-they were engaged.

Outside the bathroom door, Regina could hear Henry bounding down the stairs. She began to pick the sticks out of her hair.

"Is my mom here?" Henry asked Emma as he slung his backpack over his shoulder.
"Yes she-she had to use the restroom. She will be out in a minute. Do you have everything? Did you remember to pack your toothbrush?"
"Yeah, I remembered. I also packed the compass Hook gave me for my birthday, you know, just in case we get lost or something…."
"I don't think you can get lost in Storybrooke." Emma replied as Henry took the compass out of his pocket and started playing around with it.
Emma went back behind the counter and started loading dishes into the dishwasher. She was almost done as Regina emerged from the bathroom looking much more like her usual self.
"Mom!" Henry said excitedly as he got up from the table and went to give her a hug.
Ever since the curse had been broken when the wicked witch was killed and Henry got his memories back, Henry had been more than excited to see Regina because he had missed her, even if he didn't know it.
Regina returned Henry's embrace and asked if he was all ready to go. When Henry confirmed that he was more than ready, Regina told him that she needed to talk to Emma about "Mayor Stuff".
"What "Mayor Stuff?" nothing happens in this town, Mom. I know something has to be up." Henry said
"Nothing like that Henry. The sheriff's station needs a new roof and Regina needs to sign off on the financial paperwork before she leaves for the weekend. It'll be boring. You could see if Archie is out walking Pongo while you're outside. Its about that time." Emma said as she picked up Henry's bag off the floor and made to hand it to him.
"Good idea! Yeah, I'll go wait by the car, mom." Henry replied to Regina as he went to give Emma a hug goodbye.
"You'll be okay while I'm gone, right Emma?"
"Yeah kid, of course. And if I run into any problems, I've got your grandma and grandpa right up the street to help me."
"And Hook!" Henry said excitedly. "You know he said that when school lets out for the summer that he will take me sailing with him on the Jolly Roger!"
"Did he now?" Emma asked with a cocked eyebrow.
Henry only smiled and began running down the stairs.
Emma turned to Regina without much change in the attitude that she had just given Henry.
"First, I would like to apologize for barging into your home like that, but I couldn't have Henry seeing me like that." Said Regina.
"And may I ask why you looked like that in the first place, or do I have to state the obvious? Emma asked.
Regina took a sharp inhale and tried not to show her surprise.
"What's obvious?"
"You and Robin." Emma replied.
"What about it?" Regina asked, trying to sound cool and composed. On the inside, she was panicking.

"The fact that you two are practically undressing each other with your eyes at Granny's every morning during the coffee rush. I see his car more often than not at your house when I go to drop off Henry, and I saw you two outside the Rabbit Hole practically having sex against the wall last Friday night. That might've given me the first hint."
"I thought no one saw that?!" Regina's panic was now showing.
"I am the sheriff of this town, Regina. It is my job to patrol the streets at night and I just happened to be on duty that evening. Just be thankful it was me and not Sidney Glass who saw you. It would be all over the papers by now."
For the first time in forever, Regina was actually happy that Emma had won that little spat. But Emma knew about her and Robin. She knew. Nothing Regina could say that this point could hide the truth now.
"Please don't tell anyone." Regina seriously pleaded.
"Don't worry. I won't. Your business is your business. Just don't let Henry get hurt in the process, please. But I don't have to tell you that."

Regina shot Emma a look of disdain, and then resumed her normal "mayor" persona of professionalism.

"Robin and I are taking the boys camping this weekend so we can tell them that we're….together. And so that the boys can bond. Robin took me out to the campsite today after he got everything set up. I wanted to get the cloaking shield up. I'm not taking any chances out there."

After the flying monkey incidents, Emma didn't blame Regina for wanting the extra protection. The flying monkeys had been turned back into their human form a while ago, but no one could ever be too careful in this place. And Regina had obviously had…fun…in the process.

"I'm happy for you Regina, really I am." Emma said with honest sincerity.
"Thank you." Regina said with a small smile. "And thank you for giving up your time with Henry this weekend. It really.." she inhaled sharply, "means a lot to me that you would allow this. Maybe I can make it up to you when you and Henry go sailing with Hook…"
"Yeah. We'll see if that happens." Emma said while rolling her eyes. She couldn't believe that one-handed pirate sometimes.
"All right, well, I better be going." Regina said. "Nice cover with the roofing papers. I have them sitting on my desk in my office."
"Don't worry about it." Emma replied. "I don't need those papers for another two weeks anyway. Have fun on your trip!"
"Thanks! We'll be back on Sunday night. Around eight. I'll drop Henry off here and you can take him to school in the morning?"
"Sure, no problem." Emma replied as she opened the door for Regina. Just as Regina started down the stairs, Emma yelled, "Good Luck!"
She got a wave in response as Regina disappeared. Emma shut the door.
"Took her long enough to leave." A low familiar voice said.
"Geez Hook! Why do feel that it is okay to just sneak up on me like that? In my own house! How did you even get in here?"
"Pirate." Was his only reply.
Emma sighed in frustration as she walked toward the pirate. He was smiling with that ridiculous grin on his face.
"What are you so happy about?" Emma asked,
"Well, I have just realized that Henry and Regina are gone for the weekend. Your mother and father don't live in this loft anymore and You do not have to work at all this weekend. May I ask how you are not working if Robin is out of town? Isn't he your…first mate…or whatever you call it?"
"Robin is my deputy. And Charming just wanted some time away from the house. Ever since the baby arrived, he hasn't left. He wants to get back to work, so I told him he could have this whole weekend if he wanted. He practically jumped at the chance." Emma explained
"Ah. I see." Hook replied "So what were you planning on doing with this whole weekend to yourself?"
"I don't think it is a question of what as much as it's a question of whom…." Emma replied as she took a step closer to her pirate.