"Sorry I'm late!"
Regina looks up from the sauce she's stirring and smiles as her eyes land on the harried blonde who's just blown into her kitchen. Kathryn offers her a tired smile in return; she's been working long hours at the DA's office since Albert Spencer was discredited and thrown in jail for trying to frame Ruby for murder. While one might think a lawyer's office in Storybrooke, Maine would be relatively quiet, it's Kathryn who has to deal with the bulk of the paperwork generated by the sheriff's office.
"No matter, dear," she assures the other woman. "Did manage to pick up the tomatoes?"
"The store was closed by the time I left the office," Kathryn says, but holds up a bag triumphantly. "However, since I am incredibly resourceful, I swung by Granny's and sweet-talked Ruby into giving me some."
Regina shakes her head. "Poor Granny is going to go bankrupt if that girl keeps giving things away to anyone she takes a liking to."
"Pretty sure Granny's doing okay," Kathryn says, placing the bag on the counter. "Everyone in town eats there at least once a day." She walks around to stand behind Regina, slipping her arms around her waist. Regina leans back into the embrace and Kathryn rests her chin on her shoulder, sighing.
"Smells good," she murmurs, pressing a kiss to Regina's neck.
"Me or the sauce?" Regina says, tilting her head to the side, enjoying the attention.
"I was talking about the sauce," Kathryn admits, earning a little huff of displeasure. She smiles against the exposed skin under her lips. "But you always smell good."
"Acceptable answer," Regina concedes. She picks up a spoonful of fiery red sauce and blows on it to cool it before offering Kathryn a taste. The blonde leans forward and takes the spoon into her mouth, humming her approval as it slides back out from between her lips.
"Tastes better than it smells," Kathryn says, in the voice that always causes something interesting to happen in Regina's gut. "And before you ask, yes, that applies to you too." Blood rushes to Regina's face. Kathryn laughs and hugs her tighter. "I just love making you blush." A final kiss to her burning cheek and Kathryn steps away. "What can I do to help with dinner?" she asks, slipping out of her suit jacket and draping it over the back of a chair. "Or is procuring the tomatoes out of hours enough of a contribution?"
"Because I'm sure gossiping with Ruby was such a hardship for you," Regina says, but her smirk shows there's no malice intended. "You can chop up your ill-gotten gains for the bruschetta if you like."
"Speaking of Ruby," Kathryn says, rolling up her shirt sleeves to wash her hands. "Guess what she told me?"
"You know how I feel about guessing," Regina says, checking on the vegetables roasting in the oven.
Kathryn carries on as if she hadn't spoken, choosing a knife and getting to work. "She says that a couple of sisters have reopened the old ice-rink down by the docks."
Content that all of her ingredients can be left alone to cook, Regina stands up and wipes her hands on her apron. "Yes, I remember seeing the planning request a few months ago. It's those girls from Arendelle. What of it?"
Kathryn halts in her chopping. "You knew? And you didn't tell me?"
"We don't generally talk about my planning committee meetings, dear," Regina says, confused by Kathryn's reaction. "I prefer to keep you awake when we manage to get some time to spend together."
"I love ice-skating," Kathryn says, as if this should explain everything. "I thought you and I could go this Saturday."
"You do?" Regina says, wrinkling her nose. "Why on earth would you enjoy such an awful pastime?"
"You don't?" Kathryn counters. "But it's so…exhilarating! There's no feeling like that cold breeze on your cheeks as you glide along. It's where I feel free."
"I fail to see how strapping a blade to one's foot before standing on an unpredictable and slippery surface could be viewed as enjoyable," Regina says, genuinely horrified at the notion.
A knowing smile creeps over Kathryn's lips and she nods. "Ah, I get it. It's a control thing."
Regina frowns at the top of the blonde's head as she returns to chopping. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kathryn shrugs, but keeps her face hidden behind a curtain of hair. Regina suspects it's because she's still smirking. "It's just…I know that you like to be in control. I can see how ice might make you nervous."
"I'm not nervous," Regina says, too quickly. "I just…don't see the point in putting oneself in dangerous situations needlessly."
Looking up – and yes, still smirking – Kathryn tilts her head. "So climbing onto the back of an animal that weighs a thousand pounds and galloping across uneven terrain doesn't strike you as risky?"
"That's totally different," Regina states, folding her arms over her chest. "When I get on a horse, I know its personality and how it responds to my commands and my movements."
"But it's still an animal with its own brain and its own will, which inherently involves a degree of risk. Your knowledge of horses and riding mitigates that risk," Kathryn argues. "Just as my experience of skating allows me to read the ice and know what certain movements will result in."
"How do you even know how to skate?" Regina asks, throwing her hands up, frustrated by Kathryn's insistence on using logic to argue with her.
Finished with the tomatoes, Kathryn rinses off her hands and comes to stand in front of Regina.
"Blame your curse, darling," she says. "I have many lovely memories of skating at that old rink before it closed down." Her smile grows wicked. "In fact, that's where David and I had our first date."
"David can skate?" Regina scoffs.
"Not well," Kathryn admits with a chuckle. "But he tried."
Regina narrows her eyes. "If this is an attempt to make me jealous so that I'll come skating with y-" Kathryn cuts her off with a chaste kiss pressed against her lips.
"I wouldn't dream of such underhand tactics which you'd clearly see right through," Kathryn says, her eyes wide and innocent. "If you hate the idea that much then of course I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."
Regina watches the blonde cross the room to retrieve her discarded jacket and briefcase. She's unsure whether this is one of those situations where Kathryn is saying things are fine, but they really aren't. She doesn't want a repeat of the time Kathryn said it was fine that Regina had forgotten their first anniversary, when really it was very far fromfine. Regina still hasn't fully recovered from having to ask Charming of all people for advice on how to fix that. He was the only one she could think of who would definitely have experience of making up for romantic ineptitude.
"Really? It doesn't bother you that I don't want to go?" Regina prods, trailing Kathryn as she heads out of the kitchen and into the hallway.
"I'd love you to come," Kathryn says, casting a smile over her shoulder. "But I don't want to force you to do something if it's not going to be fun for you." She stops at the foot of the staircase, turning slightly to face Regina. "I promise, Regina, this isn't a big deal."
"If you're sure…" Regina says, searching the other woman's face for a sign that she's perhaps missed. "We can do something else instead?"
"Oh," Kathryn falters. "Well, it was Ruby who invited us and I accepted…so I was just planning to go with her." She tilts her head and pushes out her bottom lip. "I really want to skate."
She hadn't considered the possibility that Kathryn would go without her. It's not that they haveto do everything together. And they don't. But a Saturday is usually their date day as Henry goes to stay with Emma on the weekends. She hates to admit it, even to herself, but she's a little hurt that Kathryn is skipping out on it. But she paints on a smile.
"Then you should go," she says. "Though I find it difficult to believe that Ruby possesses an outfit suitable for any activity involving ice."
Kathryn laughs at what she knows is a good-natured jibe. "I guess all that wolf-blood keeps her warm," she says. "Now go check on your garlic bread and I'll go change into something more comfortable."
Standing at the bottom of the stairs, watching the other woman's departure, Regina wonders whether she should just have agreed to go in the first place. Then she imagines putting a foot onto that shimmering, white surface of death, and she knows why she didn't.
Saturday afternoon finds Regina seated on the couch with a book in her hand and Kathryn's head resting in her lap as she watches some documentary on the History Channel. Her fingers sift through the blonde's hair mindlessly. The peaceful picture is interrupted when a horn sounds obnoxiously in the street. Kathryn pushes herself up and grins.
"That'll be Ruby." She stands and makes her way into the hall, where her bag and her skates are already laid out. Regina follows behind, trying not to look as forlorn as she feels at the prospect of a Saturday afternoon spent alone. She watches as Kathryn carefully hangs the skates around her neck by the laces and picks up the bag.
Regina heads to the door and opens it, returning Ruby's wave. "Tell her to drive that deathtrap carefully," she murmurs as she accompanies Kathryn up the walk.
"Regina," Kathryn says with an indulgent smile. "The highest speed limit between here and the rink is thirty five miles per hour."
"Well…make sure she adheres to it," Regina says, as they reach the sidewalk. She takes the hat that's dangling out of Kathryn's pocket and pulls it on her head. She lets her hands slide to the other woman's cheeks and they let a moment pass just staring into each other's eyes. The moment is, of course, broken by Ruby's horn. Kathryn laughs and shakes her head, turning to the source of the noise. Regina does likewise, though her expression is a little different. Ruby's practically hanging out of the driver's window.
"You know I hate to get in the way of good eye-sex, but we gotta go!"
Regina sighs and curses the blush that darkens her face. She nudges Kathryn. "Tell your friend that I might just take another look that proposal to reintroduce wolf-hunting that's sitting on my desk if she doesn't keep her voice down," Regina tells her. The woman in question just lets out a laugh.
"Madam Mayor, one of these days you're gonna have to admit I'm your friend too," Ruby says, raising her eyebrows and showing off too many teeth to be natural. "And I really hope I'm within earshot when it happens."
"The day that happens will be the day I join both of you to skate across hell," Regina tells her, with a broad smile of her own. Kathryn looks between the pair and sighs.
"I do love your little chats," she says, leaning in to peck Regina's cheek before making her way to the passenger door of Ruby's car and getting in.
Ruby looks up at Regina as Kathryn gets comfortable. "Sure you don't want to come with us?" she asks. "Or are you worried you'll be more Bambi than Evil Queen?"
Regina glares at the younger woman. "One signature on that form is all it takes, Ms Lucas."
"Yeah, yeah," Ruby says with a dismissive wave. "You need some new threats. That one's getting old. Ow!"
Allowing herself a small smile as Ruby rubs her leg where Kathryn smacked her, Regina bends to catch the blonde's eye.
"Have fun, okay?" Without me, she almost adds.
"We will," Kathryn assures her. "I'll see you later."
Ruby guns the engine and the old car shoots off down the street. Regina grinds her teeth as she watches it go. Perhaps she'll spend the afternoon coming up with creative threats to use on Ruby. That might be fun.
It's barely been ten minutes since Kathryn left with Ruby when she hears the front door open. Frowning, she puts down her book and pushes to her feet, wondering why they're back so soon.
"Mom?"
The unexpected epithet startles her and she hurries on her way.
"Henry? Is everything okay?" She finds him standing in the middle of the hallway with Emma Swan, both wearing woollen bauble hats – Granny had knitted one for everyone in the town last Christmas – which seem to accentuate their similarities to Snow White. Henry grins at her. It occurs to her that he used to grin up at her, and he no longer needs to. It adds to the moroseness that's been plaguing her all day.
"We came to take you out for the afternoon," Henry tells her. She glances at Emma, who shrugs.
"You know how he gets when he wants something," she explains. "He's pretty set on taking you skating."
Her gaze immediately switches back to her son. "Oh, Henry…you know I don't enj-"
He puts a hand on her shoulder. "Mom, you've been moping around the house all week. You obviously want to go." He cuts off her denial with a sharp nod of the head. "So we're taking you." She opens her mouth to refuse, but he dips his head and looks up at her. "Please?"
She closes her mouth and sighs. "That's not fair." His grin is back, and this time it's victorious.
"All's fair in love and ice-skating," he tells her. "Now hurry up and get some gloves and a hat or we're gonna miss the session."
"Fine," Regina concedes, poking his nose. "But I'm only coming to watch. Is that understood?"
"Sure thing," Henry says. "But you gotta get moving!"
Regina sighs, looking at Emma. "I blame his genes."
"I blame his upbringing," Emma says with a wry grin.
"You're both right," Henry tells them. "Now go!"
It's not long before Regina is trudging behind Emma and Henry as they enter the newly refurbished rink. A slightly garish sign depicts pink-cheeked, smiling skaters on a pond beneath an ice-castle. Regina rolls her eyes; they've conveniently left out the traumatic brain injuries and broken limbs from the touching scene. Pushing through the door, she immediately collides with a young redheaded woman who appears to be carrying at least a dozen pairs of skates. They all end up on top of the woman as she lies spread-eagled on the floor.
"Why would you stand directly behind a closed door?" Regina asks, holding her hand out to help the woman up as Henry and Emma rush over to assist.
"It's, uh, usually open," the woman says, rubbing her head. Then her eyes light up.
"Oh my gosh! You're the mayor! I've seen you in the paper!" She starts pumping Regina's hand vigorously. "I'm Gerda. Or Anna. But mostly Gerda."
"How…lovely for you," Regina says, faking a smile.
"My sister and I just opened this place and we're so honoured that you've come to visit us. I just love having so many people here…I was alone for a long time during the cu-…" The redhead giggles nervously. "Well, you know." She turns to Emma. "And this must be your lovely partner Kathryn." She frowns. "You look a little different than you do in the newspaper…"
"This isn't Kathryn," Regina interjects. "This is Emma. We're just here t-"
"Oh!" Gerda exclaims. "Say no more, Madam Mayor. You'll find no judgement from me. I know what it's like to feel a connection and then find out it's not all it cracked up to be. If you're trapped in a loveless relationship, then who am I to judge you for continuing to look for your one true love." She indicates Emma with a flourish. "Though I have to say you seem to have a type…" She taps a finger against her lips. "Maybe you should meet my sister…she never seems interested in men and spends a lot of time on the internet talking about television shows I've never hea-"
"Okay!" Regina holds up both hands in surrender. "Not that it's any of your business, but this-" She points at Emma. "-is most definitely not my one true love."
"Harsh," Emma whispers to Henry.
"Kathryn is already inside," Regina continues. "We're just here to meet her."
Gerda is not deterred by Regina's interruption, nor her correction. "Okay, so let me get you set up with some skates, admission's totally on the house for all of you!"
"I'm not skating," Regina tells her.
"Size seven okay?" Gerda says, holding out a beautiful pair of white boots. "Wait…what?" The girl looks like Regina just asked for a puppy to kick. Emma reaches past her and takes the boots.
"Seven's fine for her. I'm an eight and the kid'll need a nine."
Gerda scrambles around in the pile of fallen skates to locate the sizes. Regina frowns at Emma. "I'm not skating," she whispers, loudly.
"I never said you were," Emma replies in the same tone. "Just take the skates." She holds them out for Regina to take.
"What's the point if I'm not skating?" Regina argues, pushing them back.
"Just take the damn skates so that we can get in," Emma hisses, shoving the skates at Regina again.
"Fine!" Regina huffs, taking the boots. They turn in unison to see Gerda looking at them with a knowing smirk. She raises an eyebrow.
"This is so sweet. I totally know what all this simmering, argumentative tension leads to…" She gives them a slow, exaggerated wink.
"Murder?" Regina suggests at the same time Emma pipes up with "Therapy?"
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," the young redhead tells them.
Regina resists the urge to groan. "Come on," she barks at her companions. "Let's get this over with."
Henry obliges her by pushing through the heavy door that leads into the rink itself. Immediately the cold hits them. And this is no synthetic air-conditioning. This is real, authentic, winter's day cold. They all put on their gloves and Regina brings out the hat she hoped to avoid wearing - her own present from Granny – and pulls it down over her ears.
"Regina!"
She looks up and locates Kathryn skating across to her at an alarming rate. Unconsciously, she moves to the barrier, both hands grasping the wooden partition in worry.
"Kathryn, be careful!"
The blonde executes a perfect stop, her skates throwing up some ice-shavings as she turns to the side to slow her progress. She leans on the barrier from the opposite side, her gloved hands covering Regina's. Kathryn's cheeks are pink and her face is glowing with cold and happiness. She looks like one of the little people on the sign, Regina thinks, idly.
"You came!" Kathryn says, leaning in to press a cold kiss on Regina's lips.
"I did," Regina confirms, though it seems fairly obvious that she came.
"I had a feeling you might," Kathryn confides, with a smile.
Regina's brow creases. "I had no intention of coming here today," she says. "I was practically kidnapped by my son and his mother."
Shrugging easily, Kathryn keeps smiling. "So you haven't been moping around the house since I arranged to come here?"
"Why do people insist on saying that?" Regina says, her eyes straying to where Henry and Emma are sitting, lacing up their skates.
Kathryn's bubbling laugh gets her attention back on the blonde and she can't keep up her scowl for long.
"Fine, so you're here under duress. And you have a pair of skates with you which I'm guessing were also forced on you?"
"Yes!" Regina exclaims. "That is exactly what happened."
"Uh huh," Kathryn says, shaking her head. "Put them on."
"Absolutely not," Regina says, taking a step away from the barrier. "I'm here to watch."
Leaning her elbows on the partition, Kathryn holds her eyes for a moment of silence. "I'll hold your hand," she half-whispers. "You won't fall, I promise." She seems to reconsider. "Well, you might fall. But I'll fall right alongside you and we'll get back up and keep going."
"That's supposed to fill me with confidence, is it?" Regina asks, looking past Kathryn at the dozens of skaters of varying levels of competence. Ruby Lucas, of course, is gliding around like she was born to do it, skating backwards and forwards and twirling. And, really, who wears shorts to an ice-rink?
However, Kathryn's words do speak to her at a deeper level. Having a constant and steadying presence by her side is something Regina has always craved. And now she has someone who is that and more. And if falling on her ass once or twice is the cost of showing her appreciation, then it's a small price to pay.
"Kinda," Kathryn says with a nod. "Is it working?"
Regina sighs heavily. She keeps her eyes locked with Kathryn's as she moves to a nearby seat and sits down, unzipping one of her boots. Kathryn doesn't say anything, but her smile speaks volumes. She's halfway through lacing the first skate when she decides that it's far too laborious and a wave of her hand leaves her feet clad in the pristine white skates. She stands slowly, adjusting to her weight being distributed along a single blade.
"I knew you'd cave!"
She turns to where Emma and Henry are awkwardly making their way towards her. She glares playfully at her son. "Well, it seems everyone knows me better than I know myself."
She walks, uncertainly, to the barrier once more.
"Oh God," Emma murmurs, her eyes focussed on something at the other end of the ice. "Is that my parents making out over there?"
"The answer to that question is almost always 'yes'," Regina says, without bothering to look
Emma sighs. "I better go say 'hi'." She holds a hand out to Henry. "You ready for your first go on the ice, kid?"
"Absolutely!" Henry takes the offered hand and Emma leads him to a gap in the barrier. Regina watches as she steps on first, clearly confident on ice. And then her baby boy takes his first step onto the slippery substance. It's unsteady and awkward, but he's beaming. Kathryn turns to watch with her as the pair slowly but surely make their way around the edge of the rink, Henry's movements are nowhere near as coordinated as Emma's, but he's doing it. Kathryn turns back to her.
"So, how about you?" the blonde asks. "You ready?"
"Absolutely not," Regina says. "But I suppose I'm here now."
Kathryn holds out a hand and Regina grasps it tightly, even though she's still very much on solid ground. Regina walks to the gap, and she can feel Kathryn's smooth movements as she glides alongside her. They meet where the barrier ends, Kathryn holds out her other hand and Regina takes it. She glances down at her feet and briefly considers casting a spell on the skates to ensure she keeps her balance. One look into Kathryn's eyes dispels that notion. Her mother removed her own heart to protect it against hurt, but it also prevented her from loving. Giving herself an unfair advantage in this situation would feel the same; hollow and without risk. She needs to be brave, like her son, and trust in Kathryn to hold her up.
With a deep breath, she takes that first step. Placing the blade of her skate on the ice, there's an immediate feeling of loss of control. She wobbles slightly and starts to panic as her foot starts to slide forward without her telling it to. Kathryn pushes gently on their joint hands to right her, tightening her grip to support her. She brings her other foot onto the ice, letting herself get used to the different centre of gravity.
"You wanna move?" Kathryn asks.
"Not really, but this looks ridiculous so we'd better," Regina says, eyes trained on her feet.
Slowly, gently, Kathryn starts to move backwards, pulling Regina with her. Again, there's a flutter of panic in her chest as the blades of her skates seem to want to move towards each other instead of in a straight line. But, with a little concentration and willpower, they soon start obeying her commands.
"You're doing great," Kathryn says. "You can look up, you know."
Regina looks up for a split second before her eyes go back to her feet. "There. I looked up."
"Okay. We'll work on that."
It turns out that it's not all that difficult and soon she and Kathryn are skating along side-by-side, holding hands loosely. Henry is a natural and is happily skating around on his own, chatting with the various adults he knows. Kathryn squeezes her fingers.
"So? Are you going to admit it's not as bad as you thought?" she asks, an eyebrow raised in a challenge.
"It's…not quite as bad as I may have suspected," Regina says. "But it's still a ludicrous way to spend an afternoon, in my opinion."
"And yet here you are, partaking in this ludicrous activity," Kathryn says.
"Yes. Well, I suppose I must have a compelling reason to do so, mustn't I?" Regina squeezes the other woman's fingers for emphasis.
"I guess you m-"
There's no reason for her to stumble, no obstacle for her to overcome. But, for whatever reason, her feet seem to be taken from under her and she can gain no purchase on the slippery surface. She can tell Kathryn is trying to keep her up, but to no avail and she feels herself start to descend. She braces for the impact, but it doesn't come. A strong arm wraps around her waist and she's being pulled up and propelled forward. Without thinking, her feet find their rhythm again and she's back to gliding over the ice. A quick glance to her right reveals a very relieved looking Kathryn. She sighs and looks to the left, already knowing who's there.
Ruby grins at her. "As hilarious as it would have been to see you fall on your ass, my conscience wouldn't allow it."
"Well…give my thanks to your conscience," Regina says, her heartbeat almost back to normal.
"I'll do that," Ruby says. "Will you be okay if I let you go now?"
"I'll try to cope without you groping me, Ms Lucas," Regina replies, unable to resist a sarcastic response.
Ruby laughs and shakes her head. "You're welcome, Madam Mayor." She feels Ruby's grip loosen and then disappear and she tightens her grip on Kathryn's hand without realising it.
"You know, it wouldn't kill you to be nice to her once in a while," Kathryn says, slowing their pace slightly.
"I'm perfectly nice to her," Regina argues. "If I was any nicer to her, people might think I like her."
"God forbid," Kathryn says, turning suddenly and skating backwards, pulling Regina towards the barrier.
"What are we doing?" Regina asks.
"I think that's enough for your first time," Kathryn says, gradually bringing them to a halt before carefully stepping off the ice and helping Regina to do the same.
She breathes a sigh of relief as the surface under her feet becomes reassuringly solid again. Kathryn smiles at her.
"Thank you for coming here today," she says, her voice soft. "It means a lot to me."
"I told you, I was made to come," Regina protests, but the quirk to her lips shows she's not entirely serious.
"Well, I'm glad you were made to come here today," Kathryn says. "But I know, from vast personal experience, that's it's damn near impossible to make you do anything. So thank you."
Regina makes a sound that's somewhere between agreement and a sigh. Kathryn laughs and leans in to rub her nose against Regina's, both freezing cold.
"C'mon," Kathryn whispers. "Let's go home and I'll warm you up."
"Now that does sound promising," Regina murmurs. "But since you came in the deathtrap and I came in Emma's monstrosity, we'll need to find another way home."
Kathryn grins and wraps her arms around Regina's neck. "I love travelling by cloud of purple smoke."
"It is terribly convenient," Regina agrees, winding her own arms around Kathryn's waist. Their lips meet just as the smoke engulfs them and whisks them away.
A few minutes later, Regina's boots disappear in their own little puff of smoke, and are replaced by the skates she borrowed.