Okay so it's been a while since I've posted a story. I may be a bit rusty and if you've read my other stories they tend to have similar "dialogue" in them. What can I say? I'm partial to certain phrases… as is the case with most writers. *shrugs*
This is a light hearted comedy that came to mind. It is a story about a shared situation between David Nolan and Regina Mills long before the curse broke. SEASON ONE… You still with me?
Anyway I just got to thinking about it out of the blue in a day dream and thought… Emma finding out about that could go one of two ways considering how her relationship with her parents is growing and her friendship with Regina was just starting EARLY FOURTH SEASON.
It could be negative and horrible and people would fight but then it could also be quite entertaining and maybe even funny.
All innocent humor I promise… and I'm sorry for those wanting something else. You could always request something different though. My writing tends to vary in style, mood, and genre. :D
Want a time line for your imagination? I guess its early season 4b. Regina has sent Robin over the town line with Marion and Roland.
I apologize in advance for slipping back and forth between the name David and Charming but that's what I do… sorry.
Those Charming Fools
PART I
"So how's Regina doing?" David asks of Emma as she comes in to the apartment not even bothering to hang up her coat.
"She's… well…" Emma shrugs not sure how to go about describing the current state of the once Evil Queen. The woman had been doing her best to put up a front after having to let the love of her life cross the town line. She was getting pretty good at it actually but Emma could still see the pain etched in her features each day she paid a visit.
"At least she has Henry." He points out picking up on her lack of words.
"Yeah. That's… something." She offers with a frown. "I mean I can't even imagine. You know she's… gone through… all of that." She splays a hand in the air while leaning on the kitchen island. "She managed to get over her whole quest for revenge on…" She does air quotes, "Snow White, and she managed to find her true love. She had him for what surely felt like two seconds before he's gone taking with him his long lost wife that I brought back from the past and their son. I mean Regina is… she's a survivor I'll give her that. I just… it's hard watching her pretend she's okay when she's not. It's like… you look at her. You catch her for a few seconds when she's quiet and you can see everything written in her face. She's… well at least she looks like she's… " Emma shakes her head unsure of what word to use.
"Lonely?" David offers.
"Yeah. I mean like you said she has Henry. She has… well… us I guess but it's not the same. There's this… pain. I mean she even invited me to stay for lunch." Emma's eyes widen comically at the thought. "I sort of thought I had heard her wrong." She laughs. "But she let me stay over and Henry and I talked… and you could see how she looked at us. She sort of watched us talk and even then she was in this daze. It's just crazy watching her feel so alone when she's surrounded by everyone."
"Yeah. I've seen her like that before… although I didn't realize it at the time. We had dinner…" He starts to say and then he catches the confusion etched on his daughters face. "I mean…" He coughs trying to think of how to quickly steer away from this conversation.
"When did you have dinner with Regina?" She asks, and taking in to account how her father suddenly wants to avoid the subject, a faint smile appears on her lips.
"No… Not dinner…" He starts shaking his head again grasping at straws trying to find a way to navigate the situation.
"Does Mom know about this dinner?" Emma teases.
"Anyway." He says trying again to steer her onward though he's at a huge loss for words which only leave this current subject up for further discussion.
"Oh no come on." Emma says as she takes a seat on a bar stool at the kitchen island. "You're gonna have to do better than that."
"You haven't even let me get a word in edgewise Emma." He grumbles angrily.
"If this story has you this flustered… you had better start over." She nods at him. "Go on."
"I don't remember much anyway. We were cursed you know?" He offers weakly.
"You and Mom… We were cursed…" She mimics. "Just tell me." She grins baring her teeth and all.
"Fine. It was just… when I was still David Nolan… before the first curse broke." He says pausing more to stall rather than for effect. "I… was leaving the animal clinic after work. I saw her across the street. She had the hood of her car propped open and it was evident that she was having car trouble." He shrugs and meets his daughter's gaze when she coughs out a tiny chuckle. Emma's grin only grows brighter and this in turns makes him feel uncomfortable.
He clears his throat once more and looks away, "I went over to see if I could help her and somehow I end up offering her a ride home. When we got there I helped her with her groceries. It was all very innocent." He purses his lips not liking how scandalous this story is already starting to sound. "Well she… she found a note from Henry saying he wasn't going to be home for dinner or… something to that affect." He swallows nervously. "Well… she invited me to stay for dinner but I declined at first. Then after she told me Henry had made other plans I sort of felt bad for her and ended up staying behind anyway." He raises his eyebrows not daring to look at the young blonde who is watching him intently.
"Right. So…" Emma starts, her smile reaches her eyes at this point. "So Regina invited you to dinner?" She questions with a knowing nod and she doesn't bother hiding the surprised grin from her face. "Then what?"
"Emma…" He calls to her in exasperation though it's all for naught.
"Then what?" She questions again trying to squish her grin with a frown. She fails.
"Then nothing. We had dinner. She made her infamous Lasagna… which… apparently is her specialty. We talked. It was nice. I did the dishes for her like I should be doing now." He rushes out before he turns back to the kitchen sink where he had left some dishes unattended well before his daughter's arrival.
"You are so lying!" Emma cries out happily. "Something happened!" She declares. "Tell me." She urges nearly giggling at the reaction the man is having to her teasing.
He tilts his head back to stare at the ceiling for a moment. "Nothing happened Emma. Will you just drop it?"
"Daaaaad…" She nearly whines.
"Don't you Dad me." He grumbles throwing a glare over his shoulder and then he rolls his eyes as he realizes how she still smiles menacingly.
"Just tell me. Who am I going to tell? I'm not my mother. I can actually keep a secret you know?" She announces cheerfully.
"Hey." He warns pointing at her. "Don't talk about your mother that way." He's putting up quite the front but catching sight of his smiling daughter gets him flustered once more so he goes on to declare, "Nothing happened. I mean nothing of consequence."
"Really?" Emma deadpans. "Then what's with all the panic?"
"I just don't know how I feel telling my daughter that my wife's… former stepmother… tried to make a pass at me." He blurts out and though it seemed like a coherent thought it was never meant to be said so casually. He drops the dishrag on the countertop and slowly turns to find Emma staring at him, quite stunned at that.
"She what?" Emma then asks in a whispered squeak, her brow nearly touching her hairline from the shock.
"She TRIED." He emphasis. "Nothing happened. Like I said. She was… well she was lonely I guess. I don't know!" He barks out anxiously. "I was talking to her while I was doing the dishes and… She just kept looking at me. You know… that look? Then she… well she leaned in… I might have led her on. I don't know…"
"Oooooooooh….. my god." Emma utters disrupting his trail of thought. The grin appears once more on her face. "Oh my god!" She repeats. "That's so…" She shakes her head grinning all the while. "Weird." She shakes her head again. "I mean you could do a whole lot worse but oh my god… Regina… Regina Mills?"
"Emma." He warns. "You… you can't go around repeating any of this to anyone. I haven't… I have never told anyone. I hadn't even thought about it until today. I mean who has had the time to really think on those things. Nothing happened anyway. I had no interest in the Mayor." He points at her, his eyes pleading. "Please Emma. I told you. We were cursed. It's not like I had a one night stand."
Emma laughs out loud at hearing this reference to her mother's own behavior before the curse broke. She inhales and exhales in a sigh as she stares up at the ceiling like her father had done not minutes before. "Am I too old for therapy?" She questions jokingly
"Emma. Look I promise that's it. She… made a move but that's it. I stopped her. I offered her friendship and nothing more. We were cursed. I didn't know who she really was."
"It's funny though. Regina wasn't cursed was she?" Emma then ponders aloud.
"What?" He asks in confusion.
"Regina." She states again. "She wasn't cursed like the rest of you. I wouldn't think." Her eyes squint as she takes a moment to think back. "I mean how did she know I was a threat if she didn't have her memories? She knew who you were."
"Now you just make it seem like she was using me to get back at Snow." He points out.
"Well back in the day… it fit her M.O." Emma shrugs.
"No. I don't think so. She really did look lonely. I'm pretty sure that's all it was." He offers.
"Hmmm." Emma shrugs again. "If you say so." It isn't but a few seconds later that Emma then breaks out in to a hearty chuckle while stuttering out. "Oh… my gosh… Dad."
"Emma Let it go." He pleads before getting back to the dishes once more.
"Alright alright." Emma mutters. "I'll leave you alone." She laughs before making a move to head to her bedroom. She stops in her tracks as she thinks on what the point of the story was. "Though… you say she was lonely and you didn't take advantage of her in that state. That's…" She shrugs and turns to him. "That's pretty amazing. It's really… prince like behavior." She smiles at him. "Charming even."
He only smiles at her as she finally takes her leave but she manages to say under her breath. "The Evil Queen put the moves on Prince Charming. Who knew?"
"Emma!" David calls out in warning only to hear the sound of muffled laughter from upstairs.
PART II
"Emma, would you like to stay for dinner? I'm making lasagna this evening for me and for Henry. I might even have to send some home with you for your…" Regina's eyes finally land on the blonde who seems to be holding back a smirk. "What is the matter with you?" She asks narrowing her eyes on Emma now.
Emma's shoulder's shake a bit as she suppresses some giggles but the death glare she's receiving almost starts to burn. She clears her throat, "Oh… uh… sure. I'll… Dinner sounds nice thank you." She offers what she hopes is a polite smile.
Regina's brow furrows in frustration as she takes a few moments to stare at the blonde once more. "Alright." She decides to say as her eyes still linger questioningly on the blonde before she gets back to her task of collecting the proper cookware.
Emma for her part seems to break in body language, a goofy grin on her face as her shoulders drop in relief from not being obliterated by the other woman for acting strange. She turns to make her way back out to the foyer with every intention of hanging out with Henry in the den but as she mutters under her breath, "Must have a thing the Charming's…"
"Excuse me?" Regina calls out stopping the blonde in her tracks.
"Uh… what?" Emma asks doing her best not to look too surprised by being overheard though the color on her cheeks is a clear giveaway.
"What did you mean by that?" She appears to be a bit offended.
"Uh… nothing." Emma tries with a nervous smile.
"Right. Do you want to try again?" The older woman asks unconvinced.
"Just… well…" Emma stutters out.
"What makes you think I have a thing for you Charming's? Why would you say something like that?" Regina asks crossing her arms over herself in challenge as she waits for an answer. She does not look as angry as she sounds but clearly she is not going to let the subject go.
"I just meant you... well… you have a thing for feeding us. You know… Henry… Me…" She trails off. "My mother with the poison apple thing." She shrugs and as she puts a closed fist to her mouth she coughs out, "My father." She coughs again and turns quickly in an attempt to flee, "I'm just gonna go…"
"Your father? Tell me… when have I ever fed your father?" Regina asks with a raise of one brow in challenge.
"You had him over for dinner that one time…" She's not sure how to go about explaining. It was meant to be a secret wasn't it? After all, she did brag about being able to keep a secret to her own father. It wouldn't be good to continue on this path with the very woman in her father's story. She should just head on out before she said something she would later come to regret. "Uh… you know what? I think I'll pass on dinner. I'll see you Regina." She rushes as she makes to walk out of the kitchen once more but then the door magically shuts on her before she has the chance to step through.
"Nice try Miss Swan but I do believe that I have asked you a question. You say that I had your father over for dinner and I want to know when you think this occurred. I have no recollection of…" There it was. The usual trigger that got Emma defensive. The "Miss Swan", the haughty tone, which is almost always accompanied by some form of degradation.
"Oh cut the crap Regina." She offers in the heat of the moment. "He told me how you invited him to stay for dinner one evening, prepared your infamous lasagna for him… which apparently is your specialty..." She says throwing her hands slightly about in the air for affect before finishing, "And then you put the moves on him here in this very kitchen." She announces while pointing to the tiled floor. She is quite proud of herself for all of two seconds.
"What?" Regina whispers. The shock on the woman's face is priceless but Emma isn't able to enjoy that as she suddenly feels a sense of dread for blurting that out.
Gaping in a shock of her own Emma tries to retract. "Uh… You know what? It's none of my business. I really should just…" She throws a thumb over her shoulder to indicate she is headed out.
"Why would he say that?" Regina asks now with a painfully embarrassed grimace on her face.
"He… didn't mean to tell me but it just sort of came out and I kind of… pushed him for the rest of the story." Emma offers her own version of that grimace.
"That isn't something that just… casually pops up." She declares adamantly with a stern shake of her head.
Emma shrugs. "Look I honestly don't care what happened between the two of you back in the day. Like I said… It's really none of my business. I mean… it's not like you had a lot of men to choose from around here right? The pickings were slim. I get it and everyone was cursed right so..."
"I wasn't trying to seduce him Emma." Regina is quick to warn though it doesn't sound to be the truth. "I don't know what he told you but know this. I was NOT trying to do THAT." The woman is pointing at her to drive that information home.
"Right. Uh…." Emma just keeps nodding her head unsure of how to change the subject. Damn that slip of the tongue. It must be hereditary.
"What did he say exactly?" Regina then asks as she somehow manages to tap in to her regal-ness.
"Regina. He… Oh god." She sighs in defeat swiping a hand over her face. "I wasn't supposed to… he told me not to…" she tries and fails to explain but then Regina is laughing at her and Emma stops speaking. She stands there gaping at the woman.
"You're just like your mother. You can't keep a secret." Regina finally says though she doesn't seem angry.
"Ha…" Emma laughs awkwardly. "Yeah." She mutters in shame. "Damn." She says soon after.
"Well let's just forget this whole conversation shall we? I can see you're uncomfortable with it. I really have nothing to hide but I'd hate for our newfound friendship to be thrown away because of something trivial from our past."
"Trivial. Yeah. Okay." Emma nods humbly.
"You should really learn to keep your thoughts to yourself though Dear. We both know this could have gone a lot differently in the past." She continues with her work in the kitchen. "Do refrain from sharing this story further. I'd hate to scar Henry for life. Not to mention it wasn't your story to tell. You weren't there so you know nothing of it." Regina warns as she sets to work on dinner smiling all the while.
"Right." Emma nods again watching the woman a moment before supplying, "and anyway it's not like he slept with you." Regina meets her eyes at that. Panicked at yet another misstep Emma goes on to explain herself. "Well I mean I told him he could have done a lot worse than…" She pauses a moment, "You… Oh my god why do I keep talking?" She mutters angrily to herself as she finally exits the kitchen to the foyer. She leaves behind the resonate chuckle of the brunette woman who thankfully makes no further comment.
PART III
A short time later there is a knock on the door of the mansion followed by the doorbell. Emma rushes out of the study where she had been talking to Henry but she meets Regina in the Foyer. "I've got it." She mutters though Emma lingers.
Regina pulls the door open to find Snow with a book bag in hand and Charming standing behind her. Her eyes drop to the book bag and then raise to meet Snow's. "Henry texted. He forgot this at our house. We were headed out to get something for dinner and decided to bring it by on our way out." The younger brunette explained. She sees Emma over Regina's shoulder and smiles at her.
"Thank you for bringing that by for him." Regina says with a polite smile. Snow simply nods at her before turning to walk away. "Um…" She mumbles out awkwardly. She turns around to look at Emma before turning back to address Snow. "Emma is staying for dinner. I was…" She stutters a bit. "I was going to send her with leftovers… but if you haven't had dinner yet you are more than welcome to stay."
Snow manages to cover her shock pretty well, her shocked gape fading to a polite smile in a matter of seconds, though Charming is standing slack-jawed behind his wife.
Emma catches a glimpse of her father's expression and has to cover her mouth to hold in her laughter though Regina hears her breathing through her nose. She turns to playfully glare at the blonde and then turn back to await a proper reply from the younger brunette.
"I… we… would love to stay for dinner." Snow nods in acceptance and she turns around to look to her husband for confirmation. She takes note of his shocked expression directed in Regina's general direction. "Charming?"
"Uh… what?" He quickly focuses on his wife.
"Regina asked us to stay…" She goes to explain.
"For dinner." Emma finishes with a grin on her face.
An awkward smile starts to morph the gape in his mouth. He clears his throat. "We don't want to be a bother." He says laughing nervously as he looks to Regina and then he quickly looks to his wife taking hold of her arm as if to pull her back.
"It's no bother." Regina says with a knowing smile. "I made more than enough. Come in." She says as she starts to head back in the direction of the kitchen but not before smirking at Emma who laughs out before coughing in to her hand to try and contain herself. "Emma and Henry can entertain you both until I call for you."
"Right." Emma agrees as she ushers her parents in to the foyer and in to the study. She manages to wrangle her mother into the study but her father of course lingers.
"Emma…" He mumbles as he walks beside her.
"What?" She questions with a happy grin.
"Emma…" He mutters out a bit angrily this time.
"Daaad?" She plays innocent still smiling all the while.
"What did you do?" He then asked in as hushed a tone as he can manage.
Emma presses her lips together to stop that infernal grin from reappearing and noticing how panicked her father is looking at her she looks hesitantly in the direction that her mother and Henry are. The two are engaged in happy conversation so she turns back to her father. "Okay…" She whispers. "I think I agree with Regina..."
"What about?" He asks narrowing his eyes on his daughter.
"That I'm just like my mother… and maybe I really can't keep a secret as well as I thought I could." She then grimaces and attempts to smile soon after to lighten the mood.
"Emma." He angrily whispers.
"It just… sort of… came out." She shrugs awkwardly. "Obviously I've been spending too much time with you if I'm letting stories slip out all the time."
He glares at her for her comment. "What did she…" he starts to ask.
"What are you two whispering about over there?" Snow finally asks garnering the surprised attention of both blondes.
"Nothing…" David frowns and shakes his head. "Just… uh…"
"Sheriff talk." Emma supplies quickly.
"Right. Sheriff talk." David agrees as he turns to glare at his daughter before joining his wife and grandson at the small table in the study.
"Alright everyone. Dinner is ready." Regina calls out some time later and soon everyone is heading toward the dining room.
"Can I help at all?" Snow asks cheerily.
"Oh I did leave the bread sticks on the counter." Regina offers politely.
"I'll get them." Snow announces happily.
When Snow has gone Regina then calls to her son. "Oh Henry… I miscounted on the silverware do you think you can fetch just one more set from the kitchen?"
"Sure mom." Henry follows after Snow. Three sets of eyes watch him leave and once he is out of earshot Regina's eyes land on David.
"Regina…" David tries to sooth what he thinks to be a woman spurned. His hands are up in defense should she decide to strike him down.
"Interesting stories you tell your children." Regina offers with a sly grin. Her eyes squint as she zeroes in on the nervous man.
"It was said in confidence. It's not like I sat everyone down and told them the story." He nearly growls out throwing a glance to his daughter.
"Right… you do realize you had a child with the only person in this town who can't wait to tell a life altering secret right?" Regina says, her grin ever present.
"Listen… I didn't…" David tries again to explain but she is very persistent.
"Why did you even think to tell her that?" Regina asks knowing this might be interesting.
"I didn't purposely think about it. It just… came up." He says lifting a hand in the air as if to offer her a visual answer.
"Why? What were you two talking about that had anything to do with that?" She says finally turning to Emma, hands planted on hips.
"We…" Emma starts to say.
"Thought that you were lonely." David finishes that sentence with a grimace.
"Lonely?" She questions with a laugh. "I'm constantly surrounded by the lot of you and you think I'm lonely?"
"No... but… apparently we both know you so well. I mean at least I know that you miss Robin." Emma says.
"You both know me so well?" Regina repeats but quickly decides she'd rather not address that comment further. She takes a turn on a new tangent. "So you're saying that if I really did try to seduce you that it was because I was lonely?" She looks to both blondes and when they go to great lengths to avoid eye contact she decides to end it. "Give me some credit. I think we all know I could have done a lot better for myself if I were merely trying to cure my loneliness."
"Rude." David mumbles as they all move to pick out a seat at the dining room table.
"And anyhow, that had nothing to do with anything so let's just drop it shall we?"
"Right." Emma nods as thankfully Grandmother and Grandson reenter the dining room. "It's about time you guys showed up."
"I distracted him. I'm sorry." Snow says as she sets the basket of bread sticks on the table. "I'm looking forward to this." She says pointing to the casserole dish filled with the main course. It was an odd thing to say in that Regina had not anticipated having dinner guests.
"Are you now?" Regina asks with a well-practiced hostess smile.
"Well I just heard… you're an excellent cook." Snow says with a shrug. The compliment is innocent enough but leave it to the former Evil Queen to jump to an outlandish conclusion that this was all some sort of practical storytelling joke gone awry.
"Did you now?" Regina asks sitting up straighter in her chair. Her brow furrows as he eyes dart directly to meet David's. She watches him swallow nervously and assumes that this validates her suspicions. "What else have you heard I wonder?" She asks then and it almost comes out as a growl.
"Uh… what do you mean?" Snow asks looking around the room not understanding where the sudden onslaught of anger is coming from. She hears the tone. She recognizes the body language. Something was amiss.
"About my cooking?" Regina asks and her face suddenly takes on a menacing grin as she waits.
"Only good things…" She says carefully still not understanding the older woman's line of questioning. "Your lasagna is rather infamous I suppose. I've only had it the one time but it's your specialty isn't it?"
There are those key words being casually thrown around today in the retelling of the would-be seduction story. "I knew it!" Regina shouts accusingly as she suddenly stands from her chair. Everyone's eyes go wide for completely different reasons. She looks to Charming and then to Emma before she points in their direction. "Said in confidence my ass!" She announces. She turns back to a gaping Snow. "Alright so maybe I did try to seduce your husband. Is that what you all want to hear me say? That I tricked David into coming home with me. I lied and said that Henry left that note behind about not being home for dinner. Yes I made lasagna okay? Then when he decided to do the dishes I might have made a pass at him. It was a long time ago. I was willing to do whatever I had to just to make you miserable but it didn't work." She says pointing to Snow. Her arms finally cease their moving as she had been using them to retell the story. "He didn't know our past. He was still cursed with the memories of David Nolan from this world. Why is this a big deal now? That was then… this is now. Can we all just move along please?"
The room is silent save for Regina's heavy breathing. Snow's eyes squint as she tries to process the story and Regina's sudden outburst but when she finally manages to speak up it is not a very eloquent statement. "I'm sorry… what?" Then there is a gasp coming from the end of the table. "Emma?" Snow questions as she was the person who originated said gasp.
Emma looks to her mother but does not offer her a reply. Instead she turns to the woman who still stands at the table fuming from what she thought was a taunting. "Regina…" She says while trying not to laugh. David grits his teeth together in an odd sort of grin staring at the table while listening to his daughter. "We didn't… uh" She pulls a hand up to scratch at the back of her neck nervously. "She's not talking about…" Emma lowers her head and stares at the table as well. "That." She clears her throat.
All the anger drains from Regina's body in to a cold sort of sweat. Her lips part as she realizes what she's just shared with the entire room. "I… "
Snow grimaces, she watches as the discomfort washes over the woman before her, and she quietly asks, "You tried to seduce David?" It's not an accusing tone. It's more along the lines of confused shock.
Regina purses her lips and then presses them together while her eyes roam from one side of the table to the other.
"I'm confused…" Henry says as he leans back in his chair to try and process everything.
Regina sighs dropping her head so that her chin nearly touches her chest. She really needed to learn not to jump to conclusions.
"Yeah now who can't keep a secret?" Emma sarcastically questions with a tilt of her head as she meets eyes with her friend.
Snow turns to David then with a sly grin on her face. "So you want to hold the Dr. Whale thing over my head but you went and had dinner with the Mayor?" David's Jaw drops open at the sudden accusation. "You looooove to throw that at me every chance you get… and you? You had dinner with the mayor?" She says splaying a hand in Regina's direction.
"I…" David can't seem to find the words. "We were cursed!" He finally sputters out.
At hearing that familiar excuse Emma bursts out in to a fit of laughter. Hugging her abdomen she bends over in her seat.
"And anyway she made a pass at me!" David shouts angrily as he too points to Regina who merely raises a brow at him.
"Oh nice try… Charming. Anyone who looks at her can see she's gorgeous. If anything she was doing you a favor. Pretending to come on to you like that. I'm not sure it was will power but at least you had the decency to snub her advances."
"Yeah well…" David loses his momentum.
"I can't believe I didn't hear about any of this." Snow huffs out.
"I know! I for one would brag about Mayor Mills putting the moves on me." Emma says with a smile as she catches her breath from laughing so hard.
"I wish I could unhear this whole conversation." Henry mutters with a grimace on his face.
"I'm sorry Henry." Regina offers sympathetically as she reaches out to grab his hand.
"Well your Mom did tell me not to say anything to you…" Emma speaks up to put in her two cents. "But it's nice to know this part wasn't my fault."
"Do shut up." Regina offers with a roll of her eyes.
"Yes. Do." David speaks up bitterly.
"Hey… let's not forget who spilled the beans here." Emma laughs as she points at her father for affect.
"Yeah and then you ran straight to your B.F.F." David points back at his daughter in challenge.
"But… I'm still not the one who traumatized Henry." Emma laughs pointing to Regina.
"Your food is getting cold." Regina grumbles and everyone laughs.
"Who knew we'd be sitting here for dinner today?" Snow ponders aloud with a smile on her face. It was ridiculous how she was able to let this all go.
"Yes who knew?" Regina repeats the question. "That I'd be sitting in my own mansion surrounded by a bunch of Charming fools." Everyone in the room spares a smile for each other in that moment as the woman continues. "Now… I didn't slave away on what you have all deemed my specialty to have it go cold. Shall we continue with Dinner?" She tries to sound angry but the smile on her face was quite telling.
"What Dr. Whale thing?" Henry questions causing an eruption of simultaneous sighs and groans from the adults at the table.
THE END