So this is a bit different. Still based off of the show and the curse and all but this time Emma is a tattoo artist and she and Regina meet in a much different way.

Enjoy :)

Swan Feather Tattoos

Emma Swan had grown up an artist. In high school she had the guys and some girls wanting the her to draw up tattoos for them and draw them on with sharpie. Of course she obliged because anything was better that paying attention in a boring class.

That was how it all got started. 'Swan Feather Tattoos'. Emma had a couple other artists working for her, Billy and Jason. She loved them like brothers and honestly couldn't wait to get to work every day. Well, all she really had to do was step out of her apartment door and poof there she was. The woman lived right above the shop. Very convenient.

Working at the front desk, she was on the phone when a gorgeous woman with short brown hair walked in. Emma actually paused in the middle of a sentence the moment she saw her and had to smile. "I'll be right with ya." She whispered with a wink.

Regina Mills didn't return the smile. Just nodded. She was only here to prove a point to her son: that she wasn't always uptight and a complete snob. She figured something as drastic as a tattoo would help prove that. Though, really, the royalty in her said to turn around and avoid marking her nearly flawless flesh. She wandered the shop, looking at photos of other tattoos that'd been done as she waited for the blonde to get off the phone.

Only about a minute later, Emma was walking up to Regina. "Hi, sorry about that. Another potential client on the phone." She smiled. "I'm Emma." The blonde offered her hand. "What idea brought you in here today?"

"That's fine. You certainly can't put one customer over another." Regina replied as she turned to the blonde, taking her hand after a moment. "I'm Regina Mills. And I was thinking of getting a monogram of my son's name."

Emma smiled. "Ah one of the only ways getting someone's name is acceptable." She smirked. "Well..." She grabbed a note pad and a pen. "Write down his name and I'll get started on a design for ya."

"Okay." Regina took a seat and then pulled the notepad closer to herself once Emma had retrieved it and set it on the table. She wrote down Henry's name and then explained that she wanted the monogram to reflect both her father and the son she'd named after him.

"I like that. I'll make sure I draw you something up that you are sure to love." After thirty minutes give or take, Em came back with a design and sat down next to her. "What do you think?"

Regina pulled the piece of paper closer and looked it over carefully. "I have to say you're quite good, dear. I like it." She looked up at the blonde then. "I'd like to get it on my wrist."

"Thank you. I've had A LOT of practice." Emma smiled. "Just follow me." She patted the arm of the chair in her private office. "Take a seat. How is your pain tolerance? Because honestly the wrist is going to hurt."

"I have a high threshold." Regina replied, recalling all the times her mother had used a willow switch on her for "misbehaving." She sat and extended her right arm. "I'm sure I'll be able to handle it just fine."

"Alright Imma hold you too it, Ms. Mills." Emma smiled and laid down the stencil on her wrist then pulled it back. Once she got the go ahead she began to work. "So, are you a tattoo virgin?"

Regina nodded as she watched the artist work, leaning a little closer to get a better view. "This is my first, yes." She grimaced slightly as the blonde hit a sensitive spot, but other than that, kept relatively stoic.

"Well you're a trooper." Emma smiled. "I usually like to carry on a conversation with my client to get their mind off the pain so tell me a little about yourself."

"Well, I'm the mayor of a small town not far from here. I have a son who's 10-years-old. I honestly never thought I'd get a tattoo." Regina started off with.

"Oh yeah? So let me guess, the kid thinks you're too stuck up to do anything out of the ordinary, and you set out to prove him wrong. Correct?"

Regina chuckled. "You nailed it." She smiled at the blonde then briefly. "It's probably the dumbest thing I've ever done. Inking myself permanently but I always prove my point. Always."

Emma smiled. "Well at least you aren't like one of these women that get some stupid tattoo. For example, I've tried to talk this girl out of getting one above her ass crack that says 'Enter at your own risk'." Em shook her head." She'll regret that when she's 60+." She laughed. "Or the all famous getting your boy/girlfriend's name. The relationship is sure to end after that. Its the 'Name Tat Curse'."

"There was actually a person who got that tattooed above her ass? That's idiotic." Regina replied, biting her lip when the needle hit another sensitive area. "I don't have a relationship to ruin with the Name Tat Curse."

Em's eyes looked up into Regina's. "A gorgeous woman like you? Single? That's something I can't believe."

"I can be... difficult." Regina replied, her eyes locked onto Emma's. "I don't put up with anyone's crap and I have very little patience."

"Ah, sounds like my type of woman." Emma laughed as she concentrated. "So tell me about your kid."

"Do you date women, Emma?" Regina asked in a husky tone before talking about her son. "His name is Henry and right now he's convinced I'm the most evil person in the world."

"Most of the time yes. Men are over rated." She glanced up and smirked before looking back down at the woman's wrist. "I'm sure its a phase. Pretty sure all kids go through thinking their mom or dad are completely evil. I thought that about my foster parents but it helps that they were pretty evil." She laughed.

"Yes, most men are over rated." Regina agreed, watching Emma work. "I'm sure you're right." She sighed. "Henry started acting out when he discovered he was adopted. Perhaps it's easier to think of me as evil while he daydreams about his real mother and what she's like. And I'm sorry about your foster parents. It sounds like you had a difficult childhood."

"Eh, it was a childhood. I don't know what a good one is so I can't compare it." She smiled slightly. "I bet you and Henry will get close once he passes this phase."

Regina nodded and said nothing more about Emma's childhood, surprised at herself for being so nice. It wasn't her style. "I hope so. My son is the most important thing in my life. I love him very much."

"Its nice to see an adoptive mother actually love and want the child. Not many kids are lucky enough to have a mother like you." Emma smiled before pulling back and wiping the last bit of ink off and smiled. "All done, beautiful."

"Thank you." Regina replied softly, glad someone else could see she wasn't completely cold and dark. She looked down at the tattoo and smiled. "You do very good work."

"Thank you." Emma smiled and rubbed some lotion on it before placing a piece of plastic wrap around it. "I've heard that people get addicted after breaking their tat cherry so when you find out you are..." Emma pulled out her card. "My business phone is on the top and if you can't reach me there..." She wrote her cell on the back. "I hope I hear from you again."

Regina took the card and flipped it over, smiling at Emma's cell number. "I'll be sure to give you a call when I want my next one, Ms. Swan. Thank you." She paid the blonde and gave her a good tip.

Emma watched Regina leave and smiled brightly, just watching the door replaying that ass in her mind multiple times. "Damn..." She whispered.

Billy came up next to her and chuckled. "Got a hard on for that one don't cha?"

"Shut up." Emma laughed and shoved his shoulder. "I did get a fifty buck tip on top of the one-seventy for the cost of the actual tat. I call this a very good day."

"Hell yeah it's a good day. A great day, actually. It'd be a perfect day if you'd gotten to bang the dame. Did ya at least get her number?" Billy asked as he took a seat.

"No, but I'm sure she'll be back. She has my number... and did you just call her a dame? Did you really use the words 'bang' and 'dame' in the same sentence?" Emma laughed

Billy chuckled and then smirked proudly. "Oh yeah. You better bang that dame." He winked before standing and heading for the waiting area to grab his next customer. "Or I will!" He hollered.

"Something tells me she wouldn't be interested in your appendages." She laughed.

"Damnit! Why must all the hot ones be gay!?" Billy lamented.

"Oh shut up. I'm bi!" She called out with a laugh then went to clean up her station for the next client.

"I wasn't talking about you!" Billy laughed, getting back to work.

Regina picked Henry up from school shortly later, the boy climbing into the front seat. "How'd your day go?" She asked.

"It was fine. I got most of my homework done already." He said as he set his book bag down in the front seat.

"That's good. Perhaps we could go to the park for a bit today then. Maybe grab some ice cream afterwards?" She asked as she glanced over at him.

Henry looked over at his mother with wide eyes. "Really? You never want to do stuff like that." He said then glanced down at the wrap on her arm. "Mom you've got trash... wait... Is that...?"

"You were right, Henry. I have been very uptight and of little fun lately. I thought I'd start trying to make up for it." She glanced down at her wrist when he pointed it out and showed him the tattoo. "Yes, it's what you think it is."

"Wow. That's really cool mom." Henry grinned and ran his finger beside it. "My initials?" He questioned with a certain brightness in his eyes.

Regina smiled as she watched him. "Yes, your initials. And an 's' and 'f' for son and father. It's for both you and my father. You were named after him."

"Your father? Why haven't you ever told me about him?" Henry asked. "What was he like? Is he still alive?"

"No, he passed away long before you were born. I don't talk about him because it always makes me sad when I do." Regina said softly.

"Oh. Sorry." He looked at the tattoo again. "I didn't know we had a place to do those around here."

"We don't. I made a little road trip. Once I made up my mind, I was determined. The artist was quite talented." And beautiful, but she wasn't about to say that part out loud.

"Really? That's cool. Are you going to get another one? Can I pick it?" He asked excitedly. "I wanna watch. Can I go?"

Regina smiled brightly, glad she had engaged her son in a conversation that lasted more than just a few minutes. "I just might get another one. We'll see. But if I do, you can help me pick it out. And you can go with me to watch."

"Cool!" Henry beamed."Can I get one too? I want a knight on my back." He grinned with his puppy eyes, knowing it was a looooong shot.

Regina shook her head. "I don't think so, young man. When you become of age, you can get one then if you so choose. But you're too young for that sort of decision making now."

"Eh, never hurts to ask." Henry smiled. "When are you going back?"

"I don't know yet. I'm going to give this one some time to heal and then decide if I really want to get another one. Now, how about we head to the park?"

"Okay." He said excitedly.

:D

What do you think? Reviews are awesome!