"Hey Emma, what's this?" Henry held up a plastic child's toy locket as Emma turned around. "Hey, kid! Why are you going through my stuff?" Emma tried to take the locket from Henry but he ducked and ran past her to the other side of the room.
Henry held up the locket with a mischievous grin. "Let's see what's inside. Picture of your first boyfriend or something?"
Emma looked on with a smile as it took Henry a couple minutes to figure out how to open it. When he finally pried it open she laughed at the utter confusion on his face.
"Is this a piece of macaroni? Why do you have a noodle in a locket?" Henry was utterly perplexed.
"When I was six-ish I sneezed so hard at dinner that a piece of macaroni went flying out of my left nostril. While most of the kids were laughing, one of the older kids managed to convince me that it was my 'lucky nose noodle' and that according to tradition I had to keep it in a locket until I found my true love, and present him with it. If he rejected it he wasn't my true love."
"Okay, but why do you still have it? I'm pretty sure it's not actually a magical noodle."
"Only 'pretty sure'? Not certain?" Emma teased. "I don't know. I mean, it didn't take me long to realize it was a load of bunk, but I kept it anyway. It was funny, I guess. Besides, when you're a kid you sometimes almost want to believe things even when you know they're crap."
"Yeah, but a magic noodle?"
"Hey," Emma defended. "You believed your fifth grade teacher was Snow White, your grandma."
"Well I was right, wasn't I?"
Emma laughed. "I guess so. Hey, let's go visit Little Red Riding Hood and get some dinner. I bet David wouldn't mind a night off from cooking."
"And the wolf," Henry pointed out as he put on his coat. Emma's confused expression told him that she needed further clarification. "Ruby is Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf."
Emma shook her head as she grabbed her keys. "This town is weird."
Henry looked at the locket he realized that he was still holding. "Hey, can I hold on to this?"
"Sure, I guess. Come on, let's hurry before Mary Margaret can veto pancakes for dinner."
"Let's sit at the counter!" Henry didn't give Emma a chance to respond before hopping onto one of the stools and grabbing a menu.
Emma sat down next to him and tried to catch Ruby's attention.
As Emma was ordering her chocolate chip pancakes the bell over the door dinged, signaling another customer. Ruby watched over Emma's shoulder as Regina started to walk towards her usual spot, but headed towards the very end of the counter when she realized by whom it was occupied.
"Mayor alert, nine o'clock. You're sitting in her usual seat, by the way." Ruby whispered to Emma before heading to the kitchen to place the order.
"When?" Henry asked, perplexed.
"She means to your left. Over there." Emma nodded her head to where Regina was sitting alone, staring into her coffee as she waited for her apple pancakes. Henry looked over as Regina stole a glance at her son. They shared a brief moment of eye contact before both looked away awkwardly.
"Hey," Henry whispered to Emma.
"What?" Emma whispered, playing along.
"You should give her your nose noodle," Henry suggested with a grin.
Emma looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Henry, your mother can throw fireballs. Why would I do that?"
"I dare you."
"No way."
"Triple-dog dare you."
"I'm not eleven, kid."
Emma sat up straight with anticipation as she spotted Ruby bringing over their dinners.
"Now shut up about noodles and eat your pancakes, kid." Emma ruffled Henry's hair, much to the chagrin of the eleven-year-old.
The pair kept up a friendly banter as they ate. Henry pretended not to notice the long glances Regina took their way. Emma sent Mary Margaret a text letting her know where they were, and promptly received an e-lecture about nutrition.
As Emma was paying Henry stole a glance over to his mom. Emma noticed and followed his gaze. She placed a hand on his shoulder as she made a quick decision.
"Hey kid, still have that locket with you?"
"Yeah, here." Henry pulled it out of his coat pocket. "Why, are you taking the dare?"
"Maybe I am eleven," Emma answered as she took the locket and strode towards the back of the diner. Regina looked at her with surprise as she walked up.
"Here." Emma stood an arm's length away and held out the locket. She could feel her heart pumping as confusion and wariness played across Regina's face.
"What's this?" Regina made no move to take the proffered object as she studied first it, then Emma.
"It's a gift, for letting me sit in your seat." Emma shrugged, gesturing to where she'd been sitting.
"For me?" Regina tentatively took the locket and gave Emma a small, but confused smile.
Emma turned and hurried back to where Henry stood in the doorway, ushering him out before any fireballs could be conjured.
Regina set her elbows on the counter as she inspected the locket, running the crude plastic beading of the "chain" through her fingers before opening the locket. She was somewhat taken aback by the oddity of what she found inside, eyeing it with utter confusion before closing the locket on the lone noodle and inspecting the tacky plastic decoration on the outside, looking for any sign of a hex or curse. It glowed momentarily as she magically probed it, but she found nothing.
Regina continued to inspect the locket as the bell above the door announced Mary Margaret's entrance. Snow went straight to the counter to talk to Ruby.
"Emma said she and Henry were here."
"You just missed them," Ruby responded as she wiped down the counter.
Mary Margaret left Ruby to her work as she quickly scanned the diner. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed Regina at the end of the counter.
Regina didn't look up as Snow approached.
"What are you doing?" Snow was blunt as she eyed the piece of jewelry that looked as if it belonged at Dollar General.
For once Regina met Snow's gaze without hate in her eyes, only confusion.
"Your daughter gave me a noodle."