A/N: written for wolfandkoala who responded to a meme by asking for Swan Queen + New Neighbors. Unedited so I apologize for any mistakes. Enjoy!
She's pulling the freshly baked apple pie out of the oven when the front door slams shut. She decides not to scold him this time, knowing full well how uncharacteristically lenient she's been with him the past few weeks, but he's back in her life now and it means so much to her that the trivial things seem less important. She hears him call out for her, that three letter word making her heart swell and tugging her lips into a smile. She calls back to him and soon he's running into the kitchen. His shoes are still on and she gives him a mildly scolding look to which he bites his lip before panting out a timid apology. He doesn't move to rectify his mistake, however. Instead he's hunched down, hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath, so she silently offers him a glass of water which he accept gratefully before practically downing it in one gulp. She suppresses the urge to roll her eyes, one year with his blonde mother has surely affected him.
She doesn't ask him about what had him in such a rush nor why he seems to be so excited, but rather waits with her arms crossed and a raised brow for him to tell her. He catches the hint quite quickly as he straightens up and sets his glass down on the counter. "Someone's finally moved into Miss Bleakly's old home, right across the street!"
She had indeed noticed the small U-Haul outside the old home, it had been up for sale for several months now, ever since the elderly woman had opted to move in with her new-found lover. She hadn't, however, known that the place had finally sold, let alone to whom, so she is quite curious herself. Though why her son is so excited by the prospect of a new neighbor is quite the mystery. "And?" she questions cautiously, masking her own curiosity with a somewhat disinterested tone.
"And we should go see who it is! Like a welcome to the neighborhood thing!" He exclaims excitedly, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.
She doesn't answer, simply chooses to study him silently, her brow still cocked in question. There is more to this story, she suspects, he's wearing that wide eyed wonder that typically graces his features when he's hit a breakthrough on one of his infamous 'operations'. The problem is, if there is a new operation underway, and she suspects now that there is, she hasn't a clue as to the context of it. So she says nothing, forcing him to let out a defeated huff as his shoulders relax, further displaying his exasperation.
"Come on mom, you're the mayor, mayors do that, right? They want all their constituents to love them, or at least vote for them again, or like… I don't know…" he's just barely keeping himself from whining, knowing how improper such actions are. He's still a child though, no matter how intelligent and well mannered, and there's that hint of a whine laced within his desperate words and those beautiful hazel eyes of his. But she knows that look, she knows that he's aware of the affect it has on her, and although she knows she will most likely succumb, she won't do it without making him work for it.
Oh, and does he ever. His eyes grow wide and just a little watery, his lips forming a pout as he tilts his head to the side before softly pleading, "Please mommy." He's older now, the look slowly losing some of it's charm and the worst part is that he knows that, knows that she often manages to resist it but not quite as often lately as she had before her curse was broken all that time ago. Manipulative boy as he is, he doesn't miss much, which is clearly why he's unnecessarily addressed her as 'mommy', because he hasn't done that since he was eight and decided he was too old to use the term.
It works, of course. She shakes her head in feigned disapproval, because as hard as it is to deal with the boy at times, she can't help but be proud of his persuasive techniques. "Fine." she sighs, "I was making this for dessert," she gestures toward the fresh pie, "but I suppose that now it shall be used as our welcoming gift to our new neighbor."
He makes a small disgruntled noise, knowing this means that he won't be having dessert tonight, but he does nothing more in protest, which in itself is quite interesting.
She's not quite sure how, but they do make it to their neighbor's door together. He'd been practically jumping out of his skin in his excitement on the walk over, so much so that she's amazed that he didn't sprint ahead of her the moment they reached the other side of the road. He looks up to her, one finger raised to ring the bell, and only when she nods in approval does he press his skin to the button. He grins up at her and shoves his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth in his impatience.
When the sound of a lock turning reaches their ears, he straightens, hands still in his pockets, and she lifts the pie up slightly as she plasters on a politician's smile. The door swings open then, revealing a mess of long blond locks over a woman clad in jeans and a white tank top. Their new neighbor's face brightens when she lays eyes upon her visitors. She parts her lips, ready to greet her guests, but of course, a certain brunette beats her to it.
"Miss Swan?" It comes out as more of an accusation than a question, which just manages to surprise both the blonde and their son, but she does nothing to rectify it. She vaguely registers her son's birth mother choke out a timid, questioning "hi", which, had she been paying proper attention to, might remind her of their first meeting, as the puzzle pieces fall into place. Realization dawns on her as she stares into the other woman's blue-green orbs and she tightens her jaw to keep from cursing them all. This is why Henry was so excited, he knew. She shoots him a look and he simply shrugs innocently before quickly looking away. She turns her attention back to the blonde and instead of lashing out she settles for a retort that falls somewhere between muttering and chastising (which somehow manages to feel more threatening than yelling). "I know we've all been getting along seemingly better these days, but I swear, if those two idiots have taken it upon themselves to become our new irritating, cheery, half-witted neighbors I'll —"
"Woah," the blonde cuts her off, hands raised in defense, just in time to stop the mayor from dropping the pie and conjuring a few fireballs in its stead. "Regina, relax, my parents aren't here, it's just me."
"You're saying that this hasn't now become the Charming residence, correct?" the mayor asks carefully, narrowing her eyes at the blonde.
"Yep. Definitely not the Charming residence. Promise." She grins a little sheepishly, hands still raised in the defensive position until the queen's posture relaxes (as subtle as the change may be), at which point she lets her arms fall back limply at her sides.
"Ah. You're here then to assist the new inhabitants, I take it?" It's less of a question than it is a statement, and it's absent the typical condescension that would normally accompany such a phrase. "Always the white knight," she adds, her tone a little softer, as though it were a thought she hadn't intended to say aloud.
"Nope." The Savior answers childishly, smirking at the apparent confusion on the brunette's face. "Well… actually…" her smirk falters and her brows furrow as she tries to work through it, "technically, yeah, I guess you're right… but not really… I mean—"
"Miss Swan." the queen warns.
She clears her throat then and pushes back her hair as she blushes "right, sorry." She pushes back another lock of blonde hair before straightening her posture and regaining her composure. "But I'm not just helping," her confidence visibly grows as she notes that she's peaked the mayor's interest, "I'm moving in. Welcome to the Swan residence, your majesty." She's smirking again as Regina's lips part ever so slightly in surprise, which only boosts her ego so she takes the opportunity to bend into a mock bow.
"But how did you afford such an estate on your own?" She can't help but ask, it's much larger than anything she'd expect the blonde to choose and she knows her salary at the Sheriff's station couldn't possibly cover it.
"Isn't it obvious?" Henry finally decides to join the conversation, and oh, she will most certainly be having a talk with him later tonight about all the secrecy and this whole situation. "She's the Savior!"
Emma chuckles at that before explaining, "well, yeah, the Savior thing didn't hurt, it got me a pretty good discount, actually. Not enough to buy the place on my salary, though. I'm surprised you'd forget, Madame Mayor."
"I'm afraid I don't follow."
"Well, once upon a time, a powerful queen cast a spell, granting her son and hisgorgeous, totally awesome birth mother new memories and an incredibly loaded savings account." She's beaming like a child on Christmas as she retells a tale they're all far too familiar with, albeit with a playful, ridiculous twist. But Regina can't fault her for it because unfortunately (yet fortunately for the blonde), Emma happens to share quite a few features and expressions with their son, which is all too clear in this moment.
"Well then, princess, welcome to Mifflin street." She smiles as she hands the apple pie to their new neighbor.
Emma then proceeds to usher them into her new home, looking forward to the night to come; all smiles and excitement with a hint of banter with her son's other mother. And, of course, some hot cocoa to compliment the mouth watering pastry.
As Regina makes her way into the foyer, she fails to ignore the warmth that swells within her. Emma Swan living across the street, now that, she could certainly live with, especially considering how close Henry would be to her, even on his nights with his birth mother.