"Uhhh…"
Henry glanced up and over at Emma, then with a shake of his head went back to grooming one of the horses.
"Did I miss it? I beg you to tell me that I missed the lesson?"
Regina picked up a travel mug and handed it to Emma without a word. Emma braced herself for it to be cold since it was 7:30 and Regina had said that she and Henry were going to be at the stables at 7. She blinked and jerked to full awakeness after she took the first sip, "It's hot," she looked up at Regina, "How?"
"Magic."
Emma frowned, "But, doesn't all magic come with a price or whatever?" Regina took a hold of Emma's hand and Emma jumped, "Whoa, cold hands…"
Regina let go, "When using the grey or dark magicks, yes, there is almost always a price, even the smallest of ones."
Henry left the stall he'd been in, "They're all ready."
Regina turned to her son, "Are you sure? Because sometimes even the smallest thing can turn into something big in no time."
Henry nodded, "Yes. I'm sure."
"Good. Now we learn how to properly get them ready to ride."
Emma groaned, "We're not going to shoe them too?"
Henry seemed to bubble with an enthusiasm that in the previous year had been reserved for video games and some of his school work. "No. We already did, we were up early, so we got here early and Mom showed me how. It was- it was totally amazing."
Emma shook her head, "Ah, right. So, do I at least get the nice one?" Regina and Henry's gazes met and they both smirked just a bit. Emma just groaned again.
oOOOOo
Emma slowly and ultra carefully led her horse until she was riding next to Regina. "He's a natural. Maybe Snow and David's genes skipped over me and got him."
Regina glanced over at Emma, "Even as a little boy he loved reading about knights and horses. Before your mother gave him the book. I've also taken him out on a horse before, though I'm not sure he remembers it, he just didn't get to ride his own." Regina looked forward again, "Nurture is just as important as nature."
"Oh, right, yeah, no, I know that."
Regina shook her head, "I don't think you do…" She shook her head, "Here we are."
Emma frowned, "In a field?"
Henry was already off his horse and was turning in a circle. "Why do I?" He stopped his turn and stared at a tree that was up small rise. "Our picnic place. O- wow- we haven't been here since… since…"
Regina dismounted as well, "Your sixth birthday. It was your only wish. You rode here in my arms. I thought you'd levitate off the horse you were so happy."
Henry blushed, "I- ah- it was fun."
"Uh- is someone going to help me down from this very, very, large animal. If you guys remember, I got on with the aid of a stool."
Regina glanced over at Henry, "We could just go have our picnic. She probably won't starve, right?"
Henry laughed as he shook his head, "Nah, we should be nice and help her Mom."
Regina sighed, "You're right Henry. Good guys have to be nice." She went to Emma's horse, "Okay. Take your foot out of the stirrup then…"
Next came chaos. Emma started to do what Regina said, or thought she would say, before Regina said it, and all of a sudden Emma was falling. Regina threw her arms up and somehow managed to catch the blonde and hold them both up.
Emma made an oof noise when they collided, and she could have sworn that Regina swore under her breath. Regina helped Emma stand up straight as Henry came running over.
He hugged Emma, then pulled back a little, "Are you okay?" Emma nodded. "Okay. C'mon… 'll show you my tree." He paused, and looked over at Regina, "Oh- is that okay Mom?"
Regina nodded, "Of course. I'll get everything out." After she'd gotten the sandwiches, bottles of water and everything else out she sat back and watched Emma and Henry interact. If she went through with her search for answers it would rip both Emma and Henry's lives apart again.
Regina shook herself out of it as Emma and Henry started back towards her. She would put off the decision. She'd already given her son a new toothbrush to use and stashed the old one safely away, she'd decide what she was going to do later. When Snow appeared with Emma's toothbrush.
She looked up as Henry flopped down, "Mom…"
Regina answered his question before he asked it, "Yes. I made Fluffernutters."
Henry smiled, "Cool. Can…" Regina raised an eyebrow at him and he started over, "May I have two?"
Regina inclined her head, "Yes, you may."
Emma's face lit up just a bit, "Really? Aren't they horrible for you?"
Regina held out a sandwich to Emma, "I also have a Chicken one."
Emma shook her head quickly and took the remaining Fluffernutter. "Nope. Nope, I'm good, oh, uh…" The sandwich was halfway to her mouth before she paused and spoke, "You don't want this, do you?"
Henry answered for his mother, "Mom thinks that Fluff tastes like plaster."
Emma bit into the sandwich and moaned, chewed and swallowed, "Nope. Definitely- Not plaster."
oOOOOo
The two women were alone by the now very empty picnic basket. They both watched as Henry tended to the horses. "Regina."
Regina interrupted Emma, "I'm not stupid, or slow. You want to go back to New York City with Henry."
"Regina…"
Regina turned towards Emma, "I'm not finished. For once in your life, listen. I will not let that happen. Because I've actually spoken with our son. He… Henry… doesn't want to go back Emma."
Emma shook her head, "He's my son now. I mean, legally. When he changed school last year I found a birth certificate."
Regina nodded, "Yes, I have one as well in the safe in my house." She paused, "They're both basically fake." She gestured to the field around them. "This is all fake."
Emma bristled. "All the more reason for me to take Henry back to New York. It's not fake."
Regina started putting things back into the saddlebags. "No." She stood, "Henry."
Henry looked up and made a face, "Really?"
Regina glanced between Emma and Henry for moment, "No… Stay here with Emma for awhile if you wish." Regina retrieved her horse, put the saddlebags on him, and in one move was on his back. "Don't stay out too late."
Emma frowned as at first the horse seemed to be going the same pace as they'd all used to get to the picnic place, and then it was like it was going warp speed and Regina and the horse were out of sight.
Henry sat down next to Emma with a drawn out sigh, "She's mad."
"Really? You can tell?"
Henry gave Emma a look, "Uh, yeah, can't you?"
Emma shook her head, "These days my memories are so screwed up that…" She paused, "If it helps kid, I'm pretty sure that she's mad at me, not you."
"I know."
Emma glanced over at him and Henry smirked just a little, "Funny kid. And I take it you know why she's mad too."
Henry shrugged, "You want to take me back to New York. I don't want to go. I told her that, so she's going to ruin everything that she has here for me." He stared down at his hands for a long moment, "So. I'm gonna tell her I changed my mind." He looked up and over at Emma, "Tell her that I want to go back with you."
Emma stared out where Regina had disappeared over the horizon, "You really think that'll mean she doesn't put up a fight."
Henry nodded, "If I tell her that, yes."
Emma blew out an annoyed breath, "Henry. This town isn't safe, especially for you. Here, every crazy with an axe to grind with me or Regina will go after you over and over and over. But in New York. I can protect you in New York."
Henry glanced over at Emma and waited until his mother's gaze met his, "Who will protect my Mom here though?"
oOOOOo
There was a knock on the door. Regina opened and stepped aside so that Snow could enter the house. "I have the toothbrush."
"I don't know if…"
Snow looked a bit surprised, "Do you believe you're wrong?"
Regina stared at the toothbrush in a bag that was labelled with her son's birth date, April 21st, 2001. The one in Snow's hand had Emma's birth date, October 23rd, 1983. "No. No I don't."
Snow held out her hand, "Who do give them to at the hospital?"
Regina stared down at the two toothbrushes for so long that Snow started to pull back her empty hand. But, before she could Regina put her son's
"Nurse Louise Ratched. She's discrete."
Snow nodded and took the other bag, putting them both in the same hand. She put her free hand on Regina's shoulder, "Emma wants to stay too Regina. She won't pull Henry away from you like that. Not after all you two have been through. Our family will stay whole."
Regina watched her go, and glanced at the clock in the hallway. It was getting late. She wondered where Emma and Henry were.
