Here is the second Chapter, currently working on the 3rd, will post if there is a good amount of request for it...oooor of course if I just get bored and want to entertain myself :)
The next day around 8am Regina had woken Henry abruptly and told him he'd be spending the day with his grandparents. Henry knew something must be up, because if he ever spent time with his grandparents it was due to some form of scheming on his part. So why would his mother have planned for a trip to grandmas house? None the less he combed his messy hair, made his messy bed, and brushed his sleep ridden teeth. He grabbed his backpack, and stuffed it with all the things a little boy considers important items to take, on an adventure with his troll slaying gramps, and bow wielding g-ma. Fond nicknames he'd dubbed them in his head. Finally a chance at real excitement, his stories of knights and dragons he'd played out on his ceiling had gotten rather tedious. Henry was down the stairs waiting at the front foyer before Regina even had time to finish painting her lips crimson.
"Oh, alright. Ready then, we're off I guess!" She grabbed her keys and locked the door behind them. "I should only be but maybe an hour Henry, so don't get too involved. I'll be back before you know it." As soon as she had said it she could feel her gut fall into recess. She could see through her peripherals the visible, to even blind eyes, fall of her sons already sunken smile. She heard what could have been heard, even to deft ears, the sigh of a thousand 11 year old boys sighs. She wanted immediately to take it back, even at the expense of having to let her nemesis' enjoy a few more hours with her precious prince. That however, would mean she'd have to withdraw her statement and give in. Something even at her gentlest state she was not, just NOT, ready to do. "I'm sorry, I know you have been bored lately dear. But I promise we will do something fun soon." The end of her sentence rising in cadence, a tone of hopefulness. "Would you like that Henry? A day, just us?" Henry shifted in his seat, visibly uncomfortable, but with a perfectly scripted voice he said.
"Of course Mom. That sounds nice." His shockingly peppy sounds and naturally gifted acting ability scared the shit out of the normally very poised woman. How had her darling little boy, who had only a few short years ago considered her his hero. Who had run to her in the middle of stormy nights, or giggled with glee every time she'd splashed him with suds during bath time, managed to craft and manufacture such a magnificent facade. A porcelain faced mask of happiness, that she was all too familiar with. Yet again, she chose to ignore it, and just finish the drive silently. Miss Swan would have something that could remedy this ruin her little family was crash landing into.
Once Henry had been dropped at the door of her currently placated enemies home, Regina made her usual stop at Granny's for coffee and a morning fruit salad. With a moment of human decency she decided to grab a second cup, iced coffee instead, and a deep fried donut of death and heart disease for the sheriff. When she pulled up to her driveway, that obscene, yellow, scrap-metal cage on wheels, was parked destroying the integrity of her front yard. Emma had the passenger door wide open, her feet resting on the top of the frame, an arm lazily tossed above her head. The other crooked across her eyes, a grossly inadequate substitute for Regina's designer D&G shades. Regina using her free hand, unceremoniously pushed Emma's legs from their perch.
"Good morning, Miss Swan. Glad to see you're awake now." As Emma shuffled to a seated position, clearly pissed and ready to attack. Regina extended her arm, holding in front of the disheveled blondes face, a cup and a bag. Which could only contain a scrumptious bear claw, as the scent was threatening to cause rabid salivating on Emma's part. "Here, gifts of breakfast and clogged arteries. Don't you find it rather cliché to be eating the cuisine of your professions most stereotypical brood?" Regina shot an eyebrow high enough to shake hands with god, and plastered a cocky little smirk on the side of her mouth. Emma took the high road, shook her head and snatched the bag. Ripping into it like a ravenous wolf, taking a sloppy bite, and said.
"Not at all! Now, shall we operation "Henry Smiles" oooor did you wanna keep verbally bashing me some more? If that's the case I'll sit back down."
"No, no. Though I'd love to keep bemusing myself with your misgivings, I'd also like to have this settled by Fall." Emma smoothed her face into an over done smile, and gestured her counterpart to lead the way, in an over exaggerated bow and hand rotation, the other hand shoveling more bear law into her squirrel-like cheeks.
"Your majesty." Regina turned on her heels, letting Emma follow the sound of their clicking all the way up the walk. The women took their business to Regina's office. A suitable place, much more formal than her sitting room, and not as comfortable as chatting over breakfast in the kitchen. Regina sat motioning for Emma to do the same. She gracefully started taking small, almost beautiful bites of her fruit. Emma couldn't help but look on in awe, at the way this person in front of her could make even eating just breakfast look chic and dignified. Regina looked at her over her fork with the remains of pineapple chunk still on her lips.
"What? You can't possibly want my breakfast as well? You're outstanding."
"Ugh, no! I was just waiting for you to get this going. Ya know shout at me about how many ideas I should have by now." She spat, trying to shake her mind of her strange thought and skirt the conversation back onto Regina.
"Yes, well. What have you come up with then." Taking another decadent bite from her fork. "Something good too Miss Swan, I don't want to be here all day. Henry is off with those idiots and I don't want their influence effecting his personality anymore than it already is genetically."
"Fuck, Regina seriously!" It was an accident. She knew better then to use more than the gentle four curse words she'd ever heard the queen use herself, but...it was too late. She said the word, and worse, she'd followed it with her damn name to boot. She could see through her hair the way Regina's face heated, and the tip of her ear that was poking from her hair matched the shade. Her eyes narrowed and she swallowed angrily. Emma put her hands up in protest but, to no avail. She could not shield herself from the wrath that was to undoubtedly unfurl.
"Look here you pompous little urchin. I've done nothing, but put up with, and suffer through, you, and your disreputable charming family." She paused and then added. "For more decades than I've technically been alive. So please, if you insist on tarnishing your vocabulary with such degradation. Then do me one little courtesy and leave my name out of it. And yes, seriously!" Regina turned back quietly to her fruit and casually shuffled a few papers back into her desk. "Now go on, what are your ideas?"
"Kay, so here's my list; Take him to the park and play on the climber thing? I know he's getting older, but he'd probably think it was funny that you were playing too. Uuuh, horses, you like em so he might like em. Three, how about you take the kid swimming? Like the ocean maybe? Or you could take him on vacation, but Regina...I gotta be honest here. Why don't you just ask Henry what he wants to do. Maybe he will buck up a bit if you talk to him about what's wrong?" Regina sat quietly chewing on Emma's suggestion, and her breakfast. She didn't want that woman to be right. But dammit if she wasn't so right it stung. Regina nodded gathered the remains of her food and put them in the To-go bag. She crumpled it tightly and stood to exist. Emma followed in her wake. "Regina, I...I didn't mean to offend you with that. If I did I'm really sorry." Emma also found it hard to insult this woman without retorting just as quickly as she'd flubbed. Again Regina just nodded and silently led Emma to the front door.
"I thank you for your advice Miss Swan, it's been enlightening. I shall just simply ask him what he wants. That's what parents do I assume, though I've been one for the past 11 years I know very little of what it requires." She extended her hand to see the blonde out and closed the door behind her. She didn't know why she was always having to oppose Miss Swan, even when she knew she was right. It just felt easier. And more to her nature than anything else. Something inside her secretly longed to just be sweet. She'd almost venture to say "Mary Margret-esque" but it pained her too much to go there. Emma was absolutely right, and in no way was what Emma said tactless, but Regina couldn't let that guard her mother built down. She couldn't just thank her genuinely and take her advice with a smile. She stood with her back pressed against the door letting a heavy sigh escape on her breath. "Guess I should talk to Henry."
Hoped ya'll liked it...excited to keep writing!