As the Evil Queen, Regina Mills was used to getting what she wanted. As the Mayor of Storybrooke, Regina Mills was still used to getting what she desired, mostly. As Regina Mills, she was used to the things she wanted being torn from her in the worst ways imaginable. That is why, after the trouble with Peter Pan, her half-sister Zelena, and the Ice Queen Elsa was over and Storybrooke had time to breathe, when she realized that she wanted something, she approached it with pessimistic resignation. After all, her destined happiness with Robin Hood came to an end. How could she expect this to work out?
However, no matter how hard life got, Regina never gave up. That is why she possessed the most resilient heart. So fearing the worst, Regina prepared to go after what she wanted. Because she knew, no matter how slim she thought the reality of achieving her goal was, that the slight possibility she did get what she wanted would be more than worth the effort. Since, what she wanted was more a who than a what.
Seduction was an art she became well-versed in as the Evil Queen. And while parading around in the attire she did in the Enchanted Forest, which did wonders for her cleavage, would be unbecoming of a mayor, she realized that this world had more than enough options to suit her means.
Of course, she really did hate leaving the haven of her town. She'd only done it on a handful of occasions since enacting the curse, and aside from the one time, when she was privileged enough to adopt Henry, every time carried with it a bad memory, including the time she almost gave Henry back. Yet there were no options in Storybrooke that would cater to her specific needs. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and while she would not exactly call her quest quite desperate yet, she was prepared to be ready for when it became as such.
So she had arranged for Henry to stay the day with Emma Swan, his other mother, while she went out to Boston to go shopping. Quite meeting her expectations, she met with resistance from the blonde.
"Don't you have enough clothes?" the sheriff regarded her with a raised eyebrow as she gesticulated to Regina's current ensemble, a simple black pencil skirt, a pair of Jimmy Choos, and an off-white silk blouse.
Regina fixed Emma with a practiced, mayoral smile as she answered, "A woman can never have enough clothes, Miss Swan. Something I'm sure you wouldn't know, as you seem to have quite the attachment to that one red leather 'jacket' and those jeans of yours."
Instead of getting offended, or worse, bringing up her past as a foster kid who didn't exactly get her pick of wardrobe, Emma just shrugged, "They're comfortable. Something, I'm sure, Mayor Mills, you know nothing about."
Her patience was wearing thin and she once again doubted all of the reasons she had mentally worked through to convince herself that her goal was worth suffering through this. She huffed, "Are you going to watch Henry today like you agreed or not?"
At this, Emma lit up. "I've got a better idea. Why don't Henry and I go with you?"
Regina's first instinct was to immediately reject the blonde's proposal. She had planned to do this alone, to get what she needed and return home as swiftly as possible. But then an idea occurred to her. She wouldn't give in to the blonde straightaway, of course. She had learned through years of parenting Henry, who was much like his other mother, that giving in immediately would only prove to be a mistake later.
"Why would you want to go to Boston with me to pick out clothes?"
Emma rolled her eyes, "It's not the clothes, really, Regina. But I think it'd be good for me and the kid to get out of town for a while. You know, he and I do miss the way it was in New York."
At this comment, Regina faltered. And Emma picked up immediately on her warring emotions.
"Hey," she soothed, "I didn't mean it like that. Just that, you know, New York was simple and happy. For the most part. I do think Henry and I felt like something was missing." At this, Regina received a small smile from the blonde. "But if we all go to Boston, the kid, me, and you, nothing will be missing. Hmm? It'd be like a family day."
It was ridiculous, Regina knew, to feel the way she did when Emma had used the word 'family' and included her, but she couldn't quite help herself. And she was very near tears, of happiness, but Emma misinterpreted.
The blonde moved to embrace Regina in a sort of half hug as she continued to try to placate her emotions, "Regina, I'm sorry. I don't know exactly what I said, but I didn't want you to cry. I can stay here and watch Henry. You can go have fun on your shopping trip. Just, uh, watch out for yourself."
"I'm more than capable of handling myself, Miss Swan" Regina said, but her attempt at sounding imperious was abysmal, considering she was still sniffling in an attempt to hold back her tears.
"I know. God, I know," Emma laughed. "But you won't have magic out there, Regina. And a pretty woman like you in a city like that? I'd feel better if I could keep an eye on you, is all. And I still think Henry would like a family day out of town."
Regina wasn't sure if it was Emma calling her pretty, of all things, or her insistence that Henry would enjoy an outing that included her company, or the fact she had already made up her mind to let the blonde and their son accompany her on her trip out of town, but Regina found herself readily agreeing.
"I suppose that your company wouldn't be completely unbearable. And of course, Henry is welcome to spend time with me whenever he likes. And considering you used to live in Boston, you would know the area better than I."
Emma snorted, "You don't have to sound so regal, Regina. And, really? Could you sound any more offended that I might know something better than you?"
"Do you want to come or not?"
Regina had already started walking out of the police station. She had not planned on a 'family' trip and she would have to reorganize her car, because there was no way in hell she was getting in that yellow deathtrap Emma insisted on calling an operating vehicle. What she missed, in her hurry to prepare for the upcoming excursion, was Emma Swan blatantly staring at her ass as she exited the station and muttering under her breath, "More than you know, Regina. More than you know."
The drive to Boston was quite uneventful. Henry had just started entering the moody teenager stage, and even though he was clearly excited about the prospect of getting away from Storybrooke for the day and getting to spend time with both of his mothers, it was clear that part of him was clearly embarrassed by this eagerness to hang out with his parents.
Emma, for her part, had chattered incessantly. It was clear that she was trying to make the trip fun for Regina and Henry, for which the former queen was grateful. Emma had come up with various 'road games' which Regina was proud to say she won, most of the time. The blonde had also regaled the two Mills about the various fun things in Boston that they could see and do, as well as providing entertaining anecdotes about her life there.
"We are," Regina reminded her, "going out to Boston to obtain new clothes. Do remember that we won't have nearly enough time to do all that you propose."
That didn't stop Emma's clear excitement, however. She just answered Regina with a smile and said, "We'll just have to come back sometime then."
Henry had murmured his agreement. The excitement radiating off the blonde having been infectious. Regina stayed silent and smiled at the two, her family.
At the mall Emma had sworn up and down was the best, Regina decided it was high time to put her plan into action. While she did enjoy spending time with Henry and Emma, she had a goal to achieve and she would not be put off. Of course, the art of subtlety was a talent hers and she knew not to expose too much right off the bat. So she invited Emma and Henry to the first few stores she had perused, trying out several pairs of shoes and outfits in front of the pair. Henry had squirmed and fidgeted, but been complimentary, nevertheless. Regina was positive Emma would have been much the same, had the blonde not been completely captivated by Regina modeling the various outfits like she was on a runway.
This was good news, Regina decided. It meant her outfit choices would be suitable to seduce and she presently dismissed Emma and Henry.
"You guys can go browsing the mall yourselves," she had said, outside of a Victoria's Secret. "I need to go in here to pick up a few things, and it is no place for Henry."
Until then, Emma had not been aware which store they had stopped outside of. At Regina's remark, she looked and Regina was certain her jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Victoria's Secret?" Emma had choked out. "What do you need here?"
Regina was certain she heard a tinge of jealously lacing Emma's voice, but if so, she could not place what Emma was jealous of.
"If you need to pick up certain items yourself," Regina began, "you most certainly may, after I do. I'd like you to take Henry away from this store, however. He is too old to accompany the both of us in there." At this, Regina gestured to the few women who were brave enough to bring their toddler sons into the lingerie store. "And he is too young to have his mind filled with these images."
Henry had started to protest, his attention being taken with a particularly attractive ad with a model clad in a very skimpy black lace ensemble clearly meant to tie-in to the upcoming Halloween holiday, but Emma had covered his eyes and turned him around.
"Yeah," Emma agreed. "Uh, take your time. I don't need anything. I think I'll take Henry to GameStop or something. Meet you at the food court?"
"Certainly, Miss Swan," Regina said. "That sounds agreeable."
Emma quickly let go of Henry for a second and went up to Regina. "Hey, let me get these for you."
The blonde gently took the bags containing the purchases of the afternoon away from Regina without protest from the brunette, which surprised all three of them.
"Thank you," Regina said.
"No problem," Emma smiled, her arms now full. "Come on, kid. Let's go see if they've got that new game you've been bugging me about."
After Henry and Emma had left, Regina had made short work of Victoria's Secret. She really only needed a couple things, after all. She picked a very nice blue-green panty and bra set, as well as a matching one in red. She also picked out the perfect red negligee. She was certain the object of her affections would absolutely drool over it when the time came. Much to her chagrin, she had to avoid all of the black offerings, since the ensemble in the ad Henry was staring at was apparently the current style and she could just not bring herself to purchase it knowing her son had found it appealing in the least.
Once finished at Victoria's Secret, she had went back to the few stores she had visited with Emma and Henry in tow. The pair had been quite troublesome to shop with. Henry had looked entirely uncomfortable and Emma had a weird habit of touching everything. It was like shopping with two children.
Alone now, Regina had time to really decide what she wanted. A few of Emma's earlier suggestions had been ignored, mostly because they had been utterly ridiculous. But a few of them were quite nice, actually, and Regina had not missed the way Emma had held up the outfit in front of Regina and then slowly checked out her body as she determined that the articles of clothing would look good on the brunette.
Plucking a few of these suggestions up, as well as a few of her own, she went back into the dressing room. Regina made quick work of trying on the clothes and deciding which ones to keep. It was a lot more efficient, and incredibly less fun, to do this without Henry and Emma sitting outside the dressing room, waiting for her.
Once she was satisfied, she quickly texted Emma that she was on her way to the food court and headed out of the store, loaded up with all of her new purchases.
Her phone vibrated almost instantly, G8 w8i chinese line kid said wz ur fav
Regina rolled her eyes at the blonde's atrocious spelling and grammar, but she smiled anyway as she made her way back to her family.
