Two brunettes stand on the sidewalk, looking to the opposite side. A new addition has been added and they are taking notice of it.
"No way! This is not happening!"
"Regina, calm do-"
"No! Look at this, this, this,"
"Regina!"
"Ruby! It's yellow! Bright yellow!"
"I have eyes Regina."
"It does not go with our colors! Black and purple tattoo shop does not go with a yellow flower thing!"
"I agree, but we-"
"What kind of person does this kind of thing?"
"Happy people."
Regina sends a glare to the girl with red in her hair, who raises her hands in surrender.
"They must have worked all night to get it done. It was white less than 48 hours ago," Regina observes.
"Yes, because we care so much how much work they put in," Ruby scoffs, looking to her side and noticing a blonde walking towards them.
"Blondie at 9 o'clock," Ruby whispers, drawing the brunette out of her head.
Dark eyes glance at the blonde, but don't linger as she goes back to thinking about how she can fix the yellow mess.
"Hi. What are you guys staring at?" the blonde questions the two women.
Regina turns, facing the blonde. Her dark eyes rake over the lean body. She make mental notes on the girl, noticing no tattoo's. She takes in the red leather jacket, disliking it immediately, and noticing the black bra visible through a white tank-top. Finally her gaze ends looking deep into light blue eyes.
"Well, I own Royal Tattoo's, that nice shop right there," Regina says, pointing to the black and purple shop, "I have spent years here designing the outside to bring in people. Some new perky girl has moved into the shop next door and ruined it."
They both look to the yellow and white shop.
"Yellow does not go with purple. You see our problem?"
Emma bites her bottom lip, letting her eyes wonder the backside of the brunette before answering.
"Yellow and purple are complementary colors, which means they stand out from each other. I think they play off each other, making both shops stand out," she says.
Regina purses her lips, thinking about what the blonde said and looking at the shops again.
"Damn Blondie, you're right!" Ruby says, giving the blonde a smile.
"Thanks... Um?" Emma questions, fishing for a name.
"Ruby! I'm a part time artist and piercer. If you ever need something to eat you can stop by Granny's, it's my Granny's dinner just down the road," Ruby gushes.
"I'm Emma. Nice to meet you," Emma says, shaking her hand.
After a firm shake blue eyes turn back to the slightly darker woman, still offering her hand.
"And you are?" she questions with a charming grin.
"Regina Mills," Regina purrs, taking the pale hand in hers.
"Well I hope to see you sometime soon," Emma purrs back, letting her eyes drift down the Latin body before continuing her walk.
Regina's eyes follow the tightly clothed ass of the new blonde.
"She likes you!" Ruby all but sings.
"Shut up Red!" Regina orders, a slight blush across her cheeks.
"You like her?!"
"I said shut up Miss Lucas," a glare is sent.
"Should've gotten her number Boss," Ruby states, walking across the street and into Royal Tattoo's.
"That yellow thing is a monstrosity," Regina states to herself, walking into her royal place of business.
"Hey Belle, can you do me a favor?" Emma questions, walking inside the yellow and white building.
"Yes. What do you need?" the brunette questions, jumping from her spot behind the counter and placing a book on it.
"Can you take these to all our neighbors? I've got a few things I need to set up for the opening," Emma says, walking into the back room.
"You got it Boss," Belle says, grabbing two of the vases and walking out the door.
"Flowers?" Ruby questions.
"They're from my boss, Emma. She says she hopes you can take some time out to come and see us or something," Belle says, handing the darker haired woman the vase.
"I highly doubt we will do such a thing, but thank you dear," Regina says, walking around the desk and stopping next to the small woman.
"Oh, and here's the card," she fumbles, handing the card to the new woman.
"Thank you...?" Regina questions for a name.
"Belle. Oh and my boss is Emma."
Regina nods, letting her eyes wonder the small woman, noticing the lack of tattoo's and her bookwormish outfit.
"I'm Ruby. She's my boss, Regina Mills. See you gotta say her full name 'cause she's fancy and shit," Ruby says with a smirk.
Belle gives her a small smile while Regina gives her a look that could kill.
"Anyways, I better get going. Emma wants all our neighbors to have a vase before tomorrow," Belle says, looking at the floor.
"Very well dear, goodbye," Regina states, walking away.
"I hope to see you soon," Ruby says, a huge smile on her face as she runs her eyes over the shorter woman.
"Yeah, maybe," Belle blushes, almost running out of the building.
"Mommmmmm," the thirteen year old whines.
"Henry, you know what coming here consists of. Please stop whining," Regina scolds the boy.
"I didn't know you didn't have any clients! If I did then I wouldn't have come!"
"Well you didn't ask, so now you are going to stay."
Henry rolls his eyes, "I just don't understand why I can't walk to Granny's."
"I have told you before, you are not old enough."
"I'm thirteen mom, not five," he scoffs.
"Oh no, trouble in paradise?" Ruby questions as she walks in.
"Ruby, tell mom I'm old enough to walk to Granny's," Henry orders.
"I'm not about to tell your mother anything kid. She's my boss," Ruby says, sitting down on the couch next to him.
"Very good response Miss Lucas," Regina says.
"What are we doing with the flowers? They look weird out there."
"We are going to send them back. In fact, you can go take them over there right now."
"What?" Ruby screeches, "I can't give back a present!"
"I'll do it!" Henry volunteers.
"Yeah, let the kid do it. They can't get upset with a kid," Ruby exclaims.
"I don't know," Regina prudes her lips.
"Come on Regina, it's only next door. He's a teenager, he can go next door alone."
"Please Mom! I won't complain for the rest for the day!" Henry begs.
"I suppose you can return the flowers. There and back, nowhere else, got it?" Regina questions.
"Thanks Mom," Henry says, throwing an arm around her midsection and squeezing before running turning the corner to the front entrance.
Henry is out the door before he realizes he forgot the flowers. He quickly grabs the off the front desk and continues as fast as before.
He enters the newly painted shop and gasps, his chocolate eyes filled with wonder.
"Hey kid," a blonde says with a smile from behind the counter.
"Hi," Henry says, not bothering to stop looking at the flowers.
Emma chuckles at the brown haired kid, letting him take in the hundreds of flowers.
"Alright," he whispers to himself, pulling himself out of the wonder and walking over to the counter.
"I'm here to return these flowers," he says, setting the vase down.
"What?" Emma questions, raising an eyebrow.
"My mom sent me to return these," he says, gesturing towards the vase.
"I don't do returns kid," she says.
Henry sighs, "please? Mom sent me to return them," he pleads.
Emma chuckles, "what's your name kid?"
"Henry Mills," he states, offering a hand like his mother taught him to.
She chuckles again, "I should've guessed she was your mother. I'm Emma," she takes the offered hand in hers.
"What do you mean?" Henry questions, not liking the tone Emma had when speaking of his mother.
"You're mom's kinda stuck up kid," she states.
Henry shrugs, "people call her the Evil Queen, so I guess."
Emma laughs, sending Henry into his own fit of giggles.
"I need to meet this woman again. She sounds like fun," Emma jokes.
"Oh no. Mom's not fun. In fact I'm here because it was so boring over there. Sometimes it's cool to watch her work but when she doesn't have any clients it-"
"It gets boring fast, right?"
"Yeah, really fast," he nods.
"Well if you want you can start coming over here. Water some of my flowers," Emma offers.
"There are a lot," Henry says, looking around again.
"Yeah, a little under a thousand total, but most are in the back. It just means I can use all the help I can get."
"A thousand? That's a lot of flowers," Henry says.
"Yeah, they go faster than you'd think though. If you want to come over some more I can teach you some-"
"Henry!" Regina says as she enters the store, scolding the boy.
"Shit," he mumbles, not loud enough for her to hear but loud enough to send the blonde into a giggle fit.
"I said to return the flowers and come right back! It's been half an hour."
"I'm sorry Mom. Emma said she doesn't do returns so I-"
"So you should've come back. I didn't raise you to talk to strangers for so long," she says, sending a glare to the recovering blonde.
"Hey now, the kid didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry, I should've kept an eye on the time," she interrupts the mother.
Dark mocha eyes snap to light sky blue eyes, making the blonde lose her train of thought. Luckily for her, she wasn't the next one expected to talk.
"Emma. I should've known it was you who owned this monstrosity."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" she questions.
"Nothing," she turns to her son, "Henry dear, can you please go back to Regal Tattoo's? Ruby should be starting on a tattoo soon. I will collect you when I am done here."
"Alright," he says, walking out.
"Please don't take it out on the kid, I distracted him," Emma says as soon as the boy leaves the store.
"I sent him over to return flowers, I don't know how you distracted him from his simple task, but worry not, I will take it all out on you."
Emma smirks, "oh what? Are you going to punish me?"
Regina rolls her eyes, crossing her arms, "I do not know what you are insinuating Miss...?"
"Swan."
"Miss Swan, but I can promise you, you have no idea what I'm capable of."
Emma snorts, "I'm sure I don't Miss Evil Queen, but the fact remains, I do not do returns."
"What kind of establishment doesn't do returns?" she questions with a glare.
The blonde scoffs, "I bet yours doesn't."
"I make art. You pull vegetation out of the ground."
Emma laughs, "I make art out of pretty weeds and you make art from permanently scaring people. They're both a little fucked up."
Regina scoffs.
"Just take the flowers. If you want you can pick out other ones that suit your taste a little better. Here's my card for when you want more," Emma slips her card into the stem of a flower.
Regina stands up straighter, grabbing the vase and walking out the glass doors. She makes sure Emma can see her throw the card to the ground before depositing the flowers in the trashcan.
"Evil Queen is right," Emma chuckles, her eyes picking up traces of tattoo under her long sleeve.
A Week Later
"Hey Belle?"
"Yes boss?" she questions, looking up from her book.
"Can you take this next door? Over to Regal Tattoo's?" Emma questions.
"Didn't she throw the other one out?" Belle questions, grabbing the vase.
"Yeah," she nods, going back to watering the flowers.
"Okay boss," Belle says, walking next door.
"Belle, didn't think I'd be seeing you again," Ruby says from behind the counter as the small woman walks in.
"Me neither. Emma sent these," she sets the vase down next to the taller woman.
"Oh god," Ruby rolls her eyes, "Regina?" she calls.
"Yes dear?" Regina questions, walking from behind the corner, Henry trailing her.
"Emma sent more flowers," Ruby says, pointing to the flowers.
"I'll take them back!" Henry says, grabbing the vase and out the door before anybody can stop him.
"What is wrong with that woman?" Regina questions.
"She likes to test boundary's. It comes from her being an orphan. She likes to know just how far is too far so she knows what line not to cross before she was sent back to get a new foster family," Belle states.
"Holy shit," Ruby says, eyes wide at the smaller woman.
"I believe that I wasn't supposed to say that out loud," Belle blushes, "I'm going to go."
Belle shoots out the door as fast as Henry had.
"Well that's some deep shit," Ruby says, looking at the shorter woman.
"It doesn't affect how I treat her," Regina says, walking towards the door to go next door.
"Hi Mom," Henry says as he walks back in, stopping the brunette.
"Mom, you know I love you right?" he says, walking over and hugging her.
"What do you want Henry?" Regina questions, but allows herself to hug him back.
"Emma said she could use some help over there and I was wondering if I could help her? She even said she'd pay me and everything, like my own little job. I know you don't like her but please Mom? You said that once I turned fifteen you'd let me get a job, but why can't I start now?"
"I suppose you could help her. Only one day a week though. I'm not about to break any child labor laws," Regina says.
"Thank you Mom!" he says, pressing a kiss to her cheek in gratitude.
"Wow, I need to do that when I need a shift off," Ruby states, having watched the 'Evil Queen' cave in under five minutes.
"I'm going to tell Emma, then I'll be back, alright? Love you Mom!"
"I assure you that if you were to do what my son just did you would be fired and in jail Miss Lucas."
Ruby laughs, knowing Regina is telling the truth.
By the end of the week the one day a week deal is broken, Henry conning his way to the flower shop almost everyday, except when Regina isn't working, which is only on Mondays and Sundays.
Months pass and Henry learns everything about those who work at the shop, which is easy considering it's just Emma, Belle, and Mary Margret, and their regular customers, all three of them, August with his single rose, Mulan, who works with Regina, buys two violets and Peter, a teenager, buys whatever's cheapest.
All is perfect, until it isn't.