A Frozen Heart

Perfect Day

Emma didn't know why she suddenly wanted some contact with the beautiful brunette that had refused to let her drive. Something about the woman let her mind wander to places it never had before. Emma had always been attracted to men, and the wrong men at that. Her thoughts drifted to her past choices, and her hand fell to Regina's knee unconsciously.

Regina's eyes narrowed down at the woman's hand on her knee, slightly confused. She didn't know what was going on in the blonde's mind, but she didn't question it aloud, not wanting to draw Henry's attention. Instead she shot the woman on of her infamous glares, to which Emma responded with a silent grin. A short time later her hand was removed and Regina thought nothing else of it.

Their son, Henry rode in the back of the car with a silent grin, just like Emma's, at the gesture between his birth mother and his adoptive one. They thought he didn't notice the way they reacted to each other, but he always noticed. He loved the idea of the two of them and always held on to a little hope that they would find their way to each other. Soon enough the boy drifted off to sleep.

"Henry, wake up sweetheart. We're home." Regina nudged him as spoke softly.

Emma smiled at them. "Let the kid sleep, I can carry him."

"You can carry him all the way up the stairs to his room?" The mayor's voice was full of doubt as she looked at his other mother skeptically.

Green eyes rolled as she responded, "Of course I can. I thought you'd learned not to underestimate me." She was already reaching for the boy. She was determined to prove Regina wrong. They walked up the path in silence, and Regina opened the door for her. Henry was heavier than she thought and her muscles ached to set him down. She groaned at the sight of the stairs, but started up them with their son anyway.

Regina heard the groan escape Emma's mouth and turned to watch the blonde carry Henry up the stairs. She immediately knew she shouldn't have. Emma's muscles bulged under his weight and Regina's mind started to wander. Why did this beautiful woman have to be Henry's birth mother and how had she come to be in their lives? The truth was it didn't matter anymore. This blonde woman, with the most striking green eyes, had been pulled into their lives, and nothing had been the same since. It had been a long time since Regina had actually wanted to be rid of her, if she ever really had. She couldn't remember much except that she loved the challenges the sheriff presented.

Emma placed their son in the bed gently, trying not to wake him. She smiled down at the boy. They'd had the perfect day. She and Regina had taken him to the Miner's Day festival together. They hadn't even argued. Well, not seriously, just their usual banter. She heard Henry mutter in his sleep and thought about how every day should be like this one. She made the decision right then, and knew she had to do it before she talked herself out of it.

A few moments later Regina heard Emma coming back down the stairs. She turned and smiled at her former enemy, "Thank you Miss Swan."

"How many times have I asked you to call me Emma? I call you Regina, don't I? What's the difference?"

"I suppose there isn't one. Alright, Emma."

The blonde grinned at her. "About time. Hey, I had a lot of fun today."

"Me too," Regina admitted. "I haven't seen Henry smile so much in a while. It's nice to see him happy."

"I agree, but I wasn't just talking about our kid. I had fun with you too." She shifted and placed her hands in her back pockets and she looked back over to make contact with brown eyes. "In fact, I was thinking we should spend more time together."

Regina's eyes widened. "You were?"

"Yeah," Emma was blushing now, but she kept eye contact while she pushed on, "and maybe sometimes without the kid. Would you maybe want to go to dinner with me tomorrow? Just me?"

"Are you asking me out Sheriff?" Regina was smiling despite herself. She didn't want to look too eager.

Emma blinked and blushed deeper. "No.. maybe… alright, yes. Will you please join me for dinner tomorrow night, Your Majesty?" Now she was grinning.

Regina tried to make herself be very business-like. "Alright. Be here at 7 o'clock on the dot, and you had better not be thinking of taking me to Granny's."

The blonde broke into a full smile. "You've got it. Granny's is a no and I will see you at 7. With that, Emma turned and left the mansion with somewhat of a spring in her step. She'd actually succeeded in asking the former Evil Queen out.

Meanwhile the brunette was left standing in her kitchen wondering what on Earth she had just gotten herself into. She decided not to worry about it for the night and went straight to bed.