Glancing up at her rearview mirror, Regina scrunched her shoulder length tresses and pursed her lips, fixing the dark red gloss painted across them. She tied the scarf hanging around her shoulders loosely around her neck and admired its silken sheen, which matched perfectly with her purple silk blouse and black pencil skirt. Her reflection was the epitome of control and confidence.
But despite her perfect façade, Regina's stomach churned nervously.
"I need your help," she practiced in the mirror, trying several different inflections as she repeated the phrase over and over again.
Not too desperate, not too harsh.
She sighed heavily through her nose and cracked her neck.
Regina Mills wasn't one to ask for aid. She'd learned from an early age to only rely on oneself and that others would only let you down in the end. So the few times where she had desperately asked for help – Archie during her redemption, Gold to save her son from his torturous dreams – she felt overcome with weakness and an uncharacteristic vulnerability.
So when it came to asking Emma Swan for help…well, she felt absolutely mortified.
Exhaling slowly, she grabbed a store advertisement from her passenger's seat and stepped out of the car. Wispy flakes of snow fell softly in her hair and peppered her black coat with tiny white dots before melting into the warm material. Gusts of icy wind prickled her cheeks and nose, giving her tanned skin a snow-kissed hue of red. Regina shivered and pulled her coat tight against her body.
Throwing open the doors to the Sheriff station, Regina flicked her windblown hair out of her face and jutted her chin out confidently, sauntering down the hallway to Emma's office with a confident sway of her hips. Dark purple heels clicked melodically against smooth linoleum.
Halfway down the hallway, Regina caught sight of a blue leather jacket and washed out skinny jeans peeking through the door. "Ms. Swan." Regina stopped abruptly, or at least attempted to, but the flooring was slick with sleet and snow. Without much friction on her towering heels, she slid forward and lost her footing, falling roughly onto her tailbone with a loud "mmph".
"Regina!" Emma called, rushing down the hall. "Are you ok?" She wrapped an arm around the brunette's shoulder and beneath her armpit and gave her a little tug.
Shocked and embarrassed, Regina recoiled from Emma's touch and stood. After brushing off her blouse and skirt, she replied, "Yes, I'm fine." She sniffed and ran her fingers through her hair. She straightened her spine and winced as her lower back throbbed; there would no doubt be a large bruise there tomorrow.
"Yeah, you look fine," Emma scoffed, trying once more to wrap her arm around Regina for support. "Come on, come sit down for a minute-"
"I'm fine." Twisting from the blonde's hold, Regina bent down to retrieve the advertisement that had spread in all directions as a result of her fall and threw it open to the electronics page. "My son would like some sort of Gamebox for Christmas." She turned the pamphlet so Emma could see it.
Emma's eyes lit up. "An Xbox? Sweet." She nodded. "He'll love that."
"Yes, that is the point of the gift, Ms. Swan."
Emma rolled her eyes.
"The thing is, though," – Regina swallowed a lump in her throat. "I know absolutely nothing about these sort of devices. I've permitted Henry to play them with you from time to time, so I am going to assume that you know at least something about them." She paused and sucked in a much needed breath.
Emma smiled. "So you're asking for my help?" The blonde crossed her arms over her chest and smirked.
Regina narrowed her eyes and bit back a growl. "Yes, Ms. Swan, I suppose I am asking for your help."
Shrugging her shoulders and digging her hands in her jean pockets, Emma nodded and smiled. "Ok."
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Arriving at the mall a few hours later, Regina was perturbed to find that the only parking space available was halfway across the lot, nowhere near where the main entrance was. Tugging her coat closed, she braved the cold and cursed herself for wearing four inch pumps. Several times she half slipped on hidden sheets of ice and sleet, only to fall into the arms of an amused Emma Swan.
How appropriate.
Storybrooke's mall was absolutely mesmerizing during Christmastime. A fifty foot tree decorated the center of the shopping complex while ten foot tall gifts surrounded the trunk of it. Dark green garland hung from the second floor in crescent moon shapes, adorned occasionally with little sprinkles of holly and ribbon.
The crowds, however, were not quite as captivating. They huffed and yelled and pushed and poked. Sandwiched between two particularly large men, Regina let out a frustrated growl. 'For Henry', she kept reassuring herself, plastering on her best Madame Mayor smile while swimming through the masses.
"Hold my hand," Emma yelled, lacing their fingers together to help pull a hopelessly overwhelmed and uncomfortable Regina from the throng of people.
Regina gasped as her palm met a significantly sweatier one. "This is highly inappropriate," she grimaced.
"Get off your high horse, Regina," Emma grumbled.
Before Regina could respond, Emma stopped abruptly in front of the store "Gamestop", causing the brunette to crash full force into the body before her. She dusted her blouse off once more and followed Emma inside.
"The consoles are behind the counter," Emma explained, rising on her tiptoes and craning her neck to catch a glimpse of the stack of boxes behind the checkout booth. "There seem to be a lot of them left, so we're ok."
Regina simply nodded in response, having no real idea as to what Emma was talking about.
"He'll need games, too. Have you checked out any games?"
Setting her jaw tight, the brunette crossed her arms over her chest. "I suppose that's what I have you for, Sheriff."
"Ok, well," Emma took Regina's hand and led her to the side of the store where the video games were perched on display. "The most popular games are Call of Duty and Halo." The blonde pointed to one of the cases and the little description tag that hung from the shelf.
At the sight of the soldiers with their impressive array of guns and weapons, Regina shook her head vigorously. "Absolutely not. I will not have my son playing such games, and I'm appalled that you would even-"
Emma threw her hands up in defense. "Alright, alright. You asked, I told. Let's look at something more kid friendly." The pair stepped over to the next section of cases. "Aww, sweet!" the blonde exclaimed, pointing to another game. "The next Final Fantasy is out." Emma turned and grinned excitedly at the brunette.
Regina rolled her eyes. "Ms. Swan, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"It's a game series that goes waaaay back. There is fighting-"
Regina raised a brow.
"-but it's much more stylized, and there is little to no blood. It's more about honing different skills and powers. Plus the storylines are really great."
Curious, Regina stepped forward and began to read the description card. Despite her reservations that Emma was tricking her into buying her ten year old son a violent video game, she nodded and pointed at the game case. "Yes, I suppose this one is appropriate. I-"
A rough jab in the shoulder caused her breath to hitch, and she scrunched her face up angrily at the offending man now standing in the space she'd just been. She watched as the man – blonde haired, medium build, approximately six feet tall – reached forward and grabbed the last copy of Final Fantasy XIII-2, the one she'd been looking at only seconds before.
Regina cleared her throat. "Excuse me," she began, flashing a pearly white smile and sporting her best politician voice, "but we were just about to purchase that particular game. If you would be so kind as to-"
"Screw you, lady," the man grumbled.
"Hey, now," Emma intervened, stepping between the blonde haired man and Regina. "Come on, it's for our son. We'd really appreciate it if you-"
Stepping forward, the towering man pressed his index finger roughly into Emma's chest and pushed, barking, "You dykes can go find this game for your son somewhere else."
Regina saw red. How dare this man not only jump to conclusions about the manner of her relationship with Emma, but he had also assaulted the blonde. Despite everything, Emma was Henry's birth mother, and she refused to let any harm come to her. Regina took a large step forward and gently pulled Emma aside before approaching the man once more. "Now you listen here, Sir," she hissed, dark eyes swirling black with rage, "I don't think you realize who you are dealing with here. Not only did you just assault a local Sheriff, but you're playing with fire now." She gestured toward herself before taking yet another step forward. "You will hand over the video game, and you will leave this store immediately. Because, Sir, you have no idea what I am capable of." Wrapping her fingers around the smooth case of the game, Regina yanked it from the man's grasp and grinned. "And if you so much as lay another finger on my Sheriff," she snarled, "I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do."
"Ya'll are nuts," the man exclaimed before stomping out of the store.
Regina grinned in satisfaction.
Emma stepped forward, eyes wide and cheeks flushed.
The brunette turned. "Are you alright?" she asked.
Emma simply nodded, in a state of almost shock.
"Good, well…let's go check out, then." Regina moved away from the blonde and joined the long checkout line, biting the inside of her cheek nervously as conflicting thoughts swarmed around her head. So many nights she had dreamed of Emma's demise. She'd considered her an adversary. And yet, when the brute force of a man had threatened the blonde, she'd felt almost an obligation to protect her, to save her.
Maybe the whole 'enemies' thing had developed into something…well, more friendly?
Once the console and game had been paid for, the pair left the store and headed to the center kiosk to have the gifts professionally wrapped.
"I'm gonna go get a coffee," Emma explained, pointing toward the Starbucks in the center of the mall as Regina approached the kiosk.
Regina nodded in understanding.
After picking out the color of the paper and bow she desired, Regina allowed herself to once more get lost in thought.
Why had she done it? Why had she come to Emma's aid? Emma had saved her countless times. Perhaps it was just her unconscious' way of evening the score? The adrenaline had hit her with such force, she hadn't even had the time to think before she'd approached the man.
Was she just turning soft, or was there something more there?
She turned and caught a glimpse of Emma who was waiting impatiently at the counter for her coffee. Hands buried in the pockets of her winter jacket, the blonde fidgeted back and forth.
Regina shook her head. Now she knew where Henry got that bad habit from.
"Whose name would you like written on the tag, Ma'am?" the woman at the kiosk asked, lifting up the neatly wrapped gifts for Regina to see.
"To Henry, from Mom."
Regina looked over her shoulder and saw Emma once more, smiling wide with two coffees in hand.
"From Mom and Emma," Regina added. "To Henry, from Mom and Emma."