AN: Hello! This is a sequel to my fic 'An Untimely Illness' and while it is not entirely necessary to have read it (it consisted mainly of Emma looking after Regina and fluffy stuff) it would be slightly easier to understand if you did. This fic is mainly SwanQueen friendship, but it could also be interpreted as a strange 'getting to know you' kind of relationship. I also apologise in advanced for the timeline issue since the first fic was a one shot I didn't really give it a specific time frame. So try to imagine this is early season 2, but they're not in the enchanted forest yet.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, but let's not dwell.
Emma Swan rolled down her windows to let some fresh sir into the bug. It had been a week and a bit since Regina and Henry's illness and both were fully recovered and everything was back to normal.
Well sort of.
Two days after the 'lap sitting incident'
[Madame Mayor 09:30]
Miss. Swan, Henry would like to know if you want to come for dinner tonight. Would that be quite alright?
[Miss. Swan 09:35]
That sounds great Regina (you can call me Emma you know, it's not a chicken pox taboo or anything). What time's good? Grannies or yours?
[Madame Mayor 09:36]
My house, approximately 18:30. I shall be cooking, is that okay?
[Miss. Swan 09:38]
Sounds gr8 'Gina. I'll be there, Ur cooking's the best and 'course can't wait 2 c Henry.
[Madame Mayor 09:40]
Okay Emma we will see you then. Have a good day, (and try not to let your grammatical errors rub off on our son).
[Miss. Swan 09:45]
Wht u mean mi grammar's not Gd? Bai, 'Gina bae, loolll. (Have a good day also your highness) ;)
[Madame Mayor 09:47]
I'm going to end this conversation now Emma…
{Miss. Swan 09:48]
Spoil sport…
Regina's house the same evening
Emma knocked at the door. She had arrived promptly and had with her a bottle of wine that she had spent over half an hour trying to find (she had once overheard Regina saying it was her favourite). Emma wasn't quite sure what had made her buy that specific wine, for it was not cheap and since when had she thought about what kind of wine she should bring anywhere? It was a most peculiar feeling as she waited for someone to open the door. It was only tea with her son and his mother.
The door open and Emma found herself staring at a very different Regina Mills to the once she was used to. Whilst her hair was still coiffed it had a little less lift, it looked more natural as if framed her face thought Emma. Her makeup was simple and her lips a lighter shade of pink that usual. However, Emma did not stop to linger on her face (though it was a lovely face) her subconscious supplied.
Emma's eyes travelled down Regina's body and she could not bring herself to tear them away. The dress ended just above the knees to leave a lot of leg which ended in a pair of large black wedges, she had obviously removed any blazer or jewellery she had been wearing so she was able to cook, but Emma thought that this was the most beautiful she had ever seen Regina look.
Her mind did a double take. Since when had she started referring to her son's mother as beautiful?
"Regina, you uh... You look lovely. I bought wine." Emma thrust the bottle towards her and tried to stop the semi-blush that threatened to appear as the woman in front of her raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow upon seeing the wine. Emma mentally face palmed, what was she thinking? Her relationship with Regina barley constituted as civil at some point and yet hear she was handing over a bottle of wine. "I just thought that uh..." Emma stuttered going redder still.
"Thank you Miss... Uh Emma. Please come in, Henry's in the sitting room if you would like to join him." She smiled at Emma and headed towards the kitchen, before calling. "I call you two when it's done."
After the bizarre chicken pox escapade Emma knew her way around Regina's house quite well and had no problem finding Henry.
"Hey kid." She greeted him plonking herself down on the sofa.
"Hi ma." He looked up at her briefly before looking back at whatever was on his computer screen.
"Henry." Emma prodded the boy with her foot, but only got a mumble in reply. "Henryyyy." She drew out his name sounding like a whining child. "Watcha' doin'?"
"One second ma." He clicked and tapped the screen once then twice and then a third time, before turning to his birth mother. "I'm playing chess." He smiled at her proudly.
Emma looked puzzled and the amused. "You play chess?" She tried to hold in a snicker. "When most boys your age are playing war games and the like, you play chess. Christ Henry you are your mother's son aren't you."
Henry looked deflated. "You think that it's lame don't you."
Trying to recover her giggles Emma gave him a warm smile. "I don't think its lame Henry, I'm just surprised that's all. I don't even know how to play." As she said this she saw Henry's eyes light up.
"I could teach you!" He exclaimed enthusiastically, "and then we could play together all the time!"
Emma was pleased that her son was so enthusiastic about something, she was however torn. She was please Henry had found something to enjoy that was not plotting against his mother or being glued to the television, but, at the same time she felt that the chess thing was Regina's bag and for some unknown reason she could not bring herself to take that away from her.
"How about we start small? We could play drafts and then after dinner maybe you and you mom could teach me how to play, if it's okay with her." That seemed to please the boy and he ran off to go and grab the draft board.
They had almost finished the game when Regina came to get them for dinner. She now wore a black apron over her dress and Emma thought that seeing her this domesticated just made her even more beautiful. God, she had to stop thinking thoughts like that.
"What are you two doing?" Regina's tone was polite and inquisitive and quite different from the demanding manner Emma was used to.
"We're playing drafts mom, because Emma can't play chess, but she said we could teach her later. Can we mom, please." Sorry 'Gina, Emma mouthed over to the woman, worried she had crossed a line by inviting herself to stay after dinner.
"That's fine Henry, after dinner we can all sit down properly and see if we can teach Emma a few things. If that's okay with you, Miss… Emma?" Regina gave her another very un-Regina like tentative smile.
"I'd love to, thank you."
"Ugh, you guys are so weird." Henry barged passed them both and called out, "so what's for dinner mom?" Both women laughed at the young boys antics and headed towards the kitchen.
Dinner was a pleasant affair, Regina had made seafood spaghetti and apple pie (courtesy of Emma's request), and they all talked about their days and various things that had come up since the chicken pox incident. Emma didn't quite know when she started calling it an 'incident' but she felt that, considering the circumstances, it was a good a description as any.
Emma and Regina drank the wine Emma had bought with her, it was a potent red malbeck and Emma found it was actually very good.
Emma and Henry had insisted on clearing up and washing the dishes and had practically push Regina away. It was a strange site. Emma and Henry trying to wash and clear while Regina kept interjecting where things should be. An outsider could've easily been forgiven for assuming this was a regular family occurrence.
Once the dishes were done they all sat down in the sitting room and Emma was educated in the rules of chess.
She finally left when Henry fell asleep during her and Regina's 5th game at approximately 21:34.
Regina bid Emma farewell with a promise of her having Henry to stay at some time in the next few days.
Over the next week Regina and Emma saw a lot of each other. They went to grannies diner with Henry, Regina made them all dinner again, and when Henry stayed at Emma's they were on the phone to Regina half the time arguing over what constituted as cheating at chess. They spent so much time together that week that people even started to pick up on it.
It was Ruby that noticed it first.
Emma walked into Grannies diner to get her usual morning hot cocoa and was promptly accosted by one very bouncy Ruby Lucas.
"Emma, Emma! Is it true?" Emma frowned.
"Is what true Rubes?" Her tone was questioning.
"That you... Ya' know, are friends with the," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "evil queen!" Again Emma frowned.
"Well yes Regina and I have a mutual understanding, I guess you could say we're friends." Ruby snorted with laughter.
"Come on Emma, the whole town can see that you two are spending an abnormal amount of time together for people who have a 'mutual understanding', so what's the deal? Why the sudden change? It's obviously not just for Henry so what's changed?"
Emma sighed, she didn't really understand it herself. So little time had passed since the two women could barley hold a civil conversation, and now, because of an unfortunate bout of the chicken pox they were beginning to have some kind of friendship. She found that she had a surprising amount in common with the mayor and former evil queen, what with that and herself, Henry and Regina's new chess obsession it really was quite a quickly developing routine. She had spent the past four nights in the company of her son and his mother and had really enjoyed it (more than she would admit).
"I just enjoy Regina's company that's all and if it means I can see my son at the same time then even better. Now Ruby, I better get going, I'll uh... I'll speak to you later." She grabbed her cocoa and threw a few dollars towards the smirking waitress.
"Oh she is so whipped. "'Ruby spoke to no one in particular.
The second person to bring it up was Archie.
"Regina, how are you?" Archie spoke to the woman who was sat in his office as per usual for a Thursday morning.
"I'm fine thank you. And you?" Regina was in fact better than fine. Since spending more time with her son (and Regina hated to admit, his mother) her mood had improved dramatically as well as her personality.
Archie's face displayed a multitude of emotions, first one of confusion and then one of a surprised nature and finally he settled on one of happiness. "I am very well Regina. I've noticed that you've been in a much better mood than usual. I don't like to pry but may I ask if this is a result of the recent time you have spent with Henry and Miss. Swan." Regina hesitated, contemplating whether or not she should disclose some of her more personal emotions with the man. Deciding that there should be no immediate problem with discussing a few of her thoughts and feelings, maybe then she could understand what in god's name seemed to be happening to the evil queen inside her.
"I guess it has been pleasant spending time with both my son and his… Uh mother."
"I must say you are making fantastic progress Regina. This is the first time I have ever heard you accept Miss. Swans position in your son's life."
"Emma and I have a mutual agreement, we've spent three days of the week altogether and then Henry will spend one day with me and one day with Emma. It works well, Henry let me teach him how to play chess." Regina gave the psychiatrist a genuine smile as she divulged the information with him.
"A mutual agreement. Regina, listen to yourself. I think you've made a friend." Regina blushed slightly as it dawned on her that she had genuinely enjoyed Miss. Swan's company over the last week. Flustered and feeling quite hot she started to go on the offensive.
"Archie, I must insist that you do not try and 'guess' what I do and do not feel about my sons other mother. Now hoe about we discus my current position as mayor and how it will affect the towns people." Archie just gave the woman a wry smile, though she might not be able to open up fully quite yet he hoped silently that maybe, just maybe Regina Mills was changing.
"Are you even listening you stupid Cricket!" Or not…
Maybe sort of normal wasn't the word.
In a 'sort of normal world' Emma Swan wouldn't be cooking for her son and his mother. On a normal day she wouldn't kick Mary Margret and David out of the house under the pretence that she wanted a quiet night to bond with her only son.
She parked her car and unloaded the shopping from the boot. She had bought the ingredients for lasagne with absolutely no idea how to make it and then she had bought a kids cupcake cooking set where the mix came in a bag and you stuck Spiderman faces on the top.
It was certainly going to be an interesting evening.
"Mom!" Henry called up the stairs impatiently. His mother had supposedly been getting changed for a good hour and if she didn't come down soon they would be late.
"Just a second Henry." Regina assured her son, when, in reality her bedroom was awash with various items of clothing and shoes. This was the sixth outfit she had tried on and still she wasn't satisfied. For some reason she could not decide on a good style. It wasn't like she was trying to impress Miss. Swan… Maybe come across as endearing… Oh screw it she would wear the third dress.
Unfortunately Emma wasn't having any luck with the cooking.
"Bugger!" She cried as the smoke alarm went off. She extracted something from the oven which she wasn't sure would pass as edible, let alone a lasagne. Maybe she had been a little optimistic…
She had just found a way to turn off the incessant ringing of the alarm when the doorbell rang.
"Crap!" She pulled up her hair in an effort to cool down her face and she wiped the sweat off her forehead as she grabbed the door.
The door swung open and Regina was met with a very sweaty and warm Emma Swan.
"Emma, you look hot…" All eyebrows rose and a blush crept up Regina's cheeks (something which was happening more and more often). "I mean uh as in the heat sense… Not that you don't look nice and I uh…" The blush deepened significantly.
"Chill Regina, and do come in. I've um… I may need some help with the cooking… Maybe, I might've set fire to the lasagne." This time it was Emma's turn to blush. Henry just look at his two mothers like they were the weirdest things he'd ever seen.
"Mom's do you think we should, ya' know. Go in?"
"Uh. Yes sorry, um food… Les' go."
After an awkward start the evening had continued quite nicely. Regina had saved Emma's cooking by making omelettes for them all and Emma had been given chopping and egg cracking duty.
They had eaten in pleasant companionship as was now the case, engaging in all kinds of conversation. As they had grown more comfortable with one another they had begun to divulge in more than just trivial matter and it was because of this that they decide to arrange a routine that would suit the three.
In the week henry would stay at Regina's, he could have tea with Emma three times a week as well as seeing her on weekends, and Henry and Emma decided that in any of these cases Regina was more than welcome to join them.
"So ma?" Henry looked hopeful. "Does this mean that you and mom are friends now?"
The two women exchanged glances, both subconsciously wondering if a week of dinners and talking and minimal fighting put them in the 'friendship' category. Surprisingly Regina was the one that spoke.
"Yes Henry, I guess Emma and I are friends. What do you reckon, Miss. Swan? Should we start over?"
Emma smiled enthusiastically before getting up and grabbing Henry by the hand.
"Regina stay there and answer the door when I ring the bell."
"Emma, what on earth are you doing?" Regina's eyebrow rose quizzically, contemplating the woman's antics.
"We're starting over. Come on Henry." So Emma dragged the boy outside and shut the door behind them.
"Ma. What are you doing?"
"I'm officially starting operation Remma."
"I'm sorry? Remma?" Henry looked at the woman like she had gone mad.
"Yeah, Regina and Emma. Remma."
"We are going to have to come up with a better name later. I mean come on ma, even you can do better than that."
"Be quiet kid and ring the doorbell."
Henry pressed the bell and waited for Regina to come to the door. It opened and the women look at them as if they were both quite mad.
"Hello?" Regina looked at Emma. "I'm uh… I'm Regina Mills, I am the mayor of Storybrooke which is a town of fairy-tale characters who have been cursed a couple of times, it involved a major bout of amnesia, but now they're all back to normal. Did I mention I am also a reformed evil queen and I am Henry's mother." Regina held out her hand, pleased with her introduction.
"It's a pleasure to meet you mayor Mills. I am Emma Swan, I was an Orphan, then a convict, then a bounty-hunter and now I am the Sherriff of Storybrooke. This is my biological son Henry. I am also the daughter or Snow White and Prince Charming and am unfortunately related in some way to a large proportion of Storybrooke." She took Regina's hand and shook it.
"A pleasure Sheriff Swan."
"You two are both idiots." Henry interjected, trying to supress his giggles.
"Hush kid, you're ruining the moment."
"So Miss. Swan, despite this being your house, would you like to come in and make cupcakes with our son?" She held out an arm for Emma too take, the younger woman promptly took it before replying.
"Indeed I would love to Miss. Mills." The two wandered into the kitchen arm in arm with a very confused and very surprised son still in the door way.
Emma lent into Regina, holding the small of her back so as to prevent Henry form hearing them, and whispered into her ear, the contact causing the older woman to let out an involuntary shiver.
"I think we broke Henry." Both women chuckled and watched their son as he slowly realised quite how bizarre the situation was.
They all stayed like that for a few seconds more, before Regina realised the position Emma's hand had slipped to, seemingly of its own accord.
"Emma dear."
"Mmhmm." The woman mumbled.
"Do you think you could refrain from grabbing my bottom?"