A/N: And this is why I shouldn't have tried to do anything industrious when I had a final paper due in two of my classes. I am so sorry about the wait on this chapter and the others, but I will be publishing them all today. I hope to get back on the regular track by Sunday or Monday at the latest. Sorry for the wait, and I hope this chapter makes up for it.
The temperature had gone up slightly after the family had gone to sleep, a fact that was indicated by the slight melting of the snow. The winds were still biting, yet the sun was beginning to poke through the clouds that were hanging in the sky. Regardless, it had allowed the plows to get to work on clearing the roads.
Regina pushed the comforted off before she laid on her side and gently kissed Emma's cheek. The blonde stirred, but made to true effort to actually wake up. The brunette slid her hand to Emma's hip and gently rubbed the skin there with her thumb. She pressed another kiss to the blonde's cheek before her lips found the corner of her mouth.
"Come on, Emma," she murmured. "You need to get up."
The blonde mumbled something incoherent before she turned to face Regina. "Fine, I'm up."
Regina looked over at Emma as the blonde sat up. "Good morning, sleepyhead," Regina said with a smile.
Emma groaned and pushed a hand through her hair before she looked at her girlfriend. "What are we going to do for breakfast?" she asked as Regina swung her legs over the side of the bed.
"I figured we could get something from Granny's before we go to the park," Regina suggested with a glance over her shoulder.
The blonde sprang out of bed at the simple prospect of going to the diner for breakfast. A smile settled on Regina's lips as she got dressed in more casual clothing.
The tugged on a pair of dark jeans that Emma had given to her as a slight joke on her last birthday. Yet, once she had worn them for the first time, Regina wondered why she hadn't worn jeans before. The brunette finished getting dressed and sat at the end of their bed. She slid her boots on and fastened them before she stood up, her gaze landing on Emma.
How ready do you think Henry is?" Emma asked as she made her way over to Regina.
She held up her hand for a moment and the sound of laughter and barking greeted their ears. Regina laughed softly at the noise and she gently reached for Emma's hand. Their fingers brushed against one another as they left their room.
The sounds of Henry's laughter and Fenrir's yipping became more evident as they made their way down the staircase. Regina had hoped that creating Fenrir would end up being a good decision, but she couldn't fight the joy she felt when she learned that she was undoubtedly right.
"Can we go to Granny's for breakfast this morning?" Henry asked with his usual grin.
Emma and Regina looked at one another as they pretended to come to a decision on the matter. Henry looked between the blonde and the brunette as Fenrir sat happily at his feet with very little else to bother him. After they had waited long enough, Emma gave Henry the cheekiest grin that she could muster.
"Yes, we're going to Granny's for breakfast," Emma responded.
Regina looked down at Fenrir as she added, "I just have to put this little guy out first.
The pup practically ran into the door as Regina walked towards it. She waved her hand and the door open just as Fenrir would have connected with the door. She cleared a patch of snow away and food appeared for Fenrir under one of the trees. Regina knelt down near him and wrapped her arms around his neck. The pup licked her face in return, sharing in the connection.
"Mom?" Henry asked from the back door.
His question nearly broke the moment that Fenrir and Regina had before the pup whimpered. Regina gently kissed the spot between his ears before they looked one another in the eyes. "No one is going to hurt you," she whispered before she rose.
The brunette made her way back to the mansion and her hand settled on Henry's shoulder as It had so many times before. She could almost hear the silent question and she bit her bottom lip as she grabbed her purse. They joined the blonde and the two women exchanged glances.
"Do you think the town is decorated again?" Emma asked.
Regina chuckled softly before she nodded. "Storybrooke has quite a festive spirit. Granny usually has a tree in the diner and Ruby helps with putting garland on the bar and near the windows."
Henry grinned. "What are we waiting for, then? I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving."
Henry walked in between his two mothers as they made their way to Granny's. Their breaths formed puffs of smoke as the temperature remained well below the average that had been expected. It had been like this for as long as Regina could remember, but some years were arguably far worse than others. The brunette had found that the chilly temperatures were easier to handle when she was with Henry and Emma.
"Can we look around after breakfast?" Henry asked with a grin.
Regina pretended to think for a moment. "Well, Emma did wonder if places in town decorated for the holidays."
Henry brightened even further at the response and he added, "We could also go to the park. I think there was a display there last year."
"We could also let Emma decide," Regina reminded as they got closer to Granny's.
Satisfied with the tentative plan for the day, Henry walked forward a little as he saw the sign for Granny's. Regina and Emma moved closer to one another, yet they still maintained some distance between them. The space between them almost allowed enough space for either one of them to back out of the situation. Yet, neither wanted to move. They had finally found a happy medium between the relationship and how people would view it. Regina walked ahead of Emma a little and her hand found Emma's as she pulled her forward a little. The grasp was soft and kind, something that was only used for Emma and Henry.
Henry held the door open for them once they got to Granny's. A smile had settled on the teen's face as the three of them entered the diner. Whereas a hush would have fallen over the occupants a year ago, no conversations stalled when Regina's presence became known. The three walked over to a booth and Regina and Henry sat on one side while Emma sat on the other. The blonde smirked as she gently tapped her foot against Emma's own.
"What would you like this morning?" Red asked with a grin.
Henry looked up first and said, "I'd like French toast and hot chocolate."
"I'd like apple pancakes and coffee," Regina added.
The blonde offered, "I'd like pancakes and hot chocolate."
Ruby took down the orders and countered, "Regina, you should try the hot chocolate. Really, it's good."
The brunette thought for a moment before she responded, "I'd like the hot chocolate to go, then."
Ruby nodded before she walked back to the kitchen.
Henry nudged his mother before he asked, "Do you think it's going to snow again?"
She hummed before she responded, "It smelled like it would snow when we left the house this morning. So, yes, it could very well snow again. Fenrir would like the snow a lot, actually."
"So, why exactly did you create Fenrir?" the blonde inquired. "There has to be more than just the fact that you met him."
Regina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before she explained, "I've always liked wolves. The hunting of wolves was outlawed in my kingdom after I met the Huntsman; it was the only condition that he had when I asked him to go after Snow.
"Fenrir was a wolf I had met after the Huntsman let your mother go. Fenrir could become human when he wished, but he was far from being a werewolf."
Henry brightened slightly as he asked, "Isn't Fenrir from Norse mythology?"
The brunette nodded.
An almost contented silence fell over Henry before Emma looked at the Christmas tree at the front corner of the diner. There were ornaments hanging from the branches of the tree and, as Regina had said, there was garland strung about the windows and the door. Emma grinned and nudged Henry, getting a grin from the teen. Regina chuckled before she reached for Emma's hand, their fingers intertwining at the surface of the table.
"When are we going to get a tree of our own?"
Henry and Regina exchanged glances before the former explained, "Well, we go to the fundraiser held by the nuns every year. They sell Christmas trees there and we always buy one. After that, we go back to the mansion and decorate it while watching a movie."
Emma brightened at that notion and offered, "Maybe we could roast chestnuts or something like that."
Regina quirked a brow before she nodded and explained, "That is one thing that we do, Emma. Henry practically begged me to start roasting chestnuts two years ago after he saw it in a movie. I had tried to start it as part of the tradition when Henry was younger, but we just strung up popcorn and put it on the tree."
"Is a live tree good for Fenrir?" Henry asked
Regina nodded. "He quite likes to lay under trees."
"I heard you talked about your new pup," Ruby offered as she set their orders down in front of them. "If he likes to run around, try taking him to the park."
The mayor nodded and a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth as her hot chocolate was set in front of her as well. She gently moved it to the side as she doctored her coffee how she liked it. The three at their respective breakfasts in a moderate silence except for some short remarks that had some value. Regina sipped at her coffee and finished her apple pancakes before she looked up. Her gaze found the window and a small smile pulled up at the corners of her mouth.
Henry put his hand over his mouth and burped before he ducked his head. "Can we go outside now?" he asked with a glance between Regina and Emma.
Regina nodded before she said, "I'm finished. I know we should try to get as much in today in case the weather changes again."
Emma's brow furrowed before she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out some money to pay the check. Regina grabbed her to-go cup of hot chocolate and scooted out of the booth after Henry. Once the blonde joined them, the three walked out of Granny's and made their way down the street.
"Have you ever seen a tree that big?" Henry asked as he looked up at the decorated tree.
The tree, a new addition to the town square, towered above them all. Henry, who had to step back to see all of it fully, was purely amazed by the decorations and lights. Regina, standing to his right, brightened at the simple opportunity to see her son so happy. Emma grinned wider as she nodded at Henry's question.
"I've seen the tree in Rockefeller Plaza. That tree is huge. Like, taller than the clock tower."
Regina quirked a brow as she remarked, "I can't actually be that tall."
Emma chuckled. "It is."
The brunette turned her attention back to the tree before she felt something land on the top of her head. She looked up and laughed as a snowflake fell right on her forehead. She turned to face Emma and a smile spread across her face as the blonde pulled her into an embrace. As snow fell around them, Regina and Emma exchanged nothing less than the kiss of True Love.
A/N: I swear that I will not take this long to upload chapters again.
P.S.: Reviews will help with writing