A/N- Wow! I still can't believe the response this story has gotten! To everyone who has left a comment, I DO read them, I just don't respond as often as I should I suppose so I apologize! I still don't own anything but my imagination. The plan is still to post on Wednesdays, though I might double post depending on the length of the chapter. You all are absolutely amazing! Thank you for your support!
Chapter 3: 'Surprise'
Emma looked up at the name of the flower shop she had been dropped off at and suppressed a laugh. "Game of Thorns...that's clever." She hefted her rucksack over her shoulder and headed inside to pick out some flowers for Lily.
"Can I help you, young lady?" An older man with graying brown hair was behind the counter tending to some flowers when he noticed Emma.
The blonde's face lit up brighter than the sun. She couldn't wait to see the look on Lily's face when she arrived with flowers. Absolutely nothing could put a damper on her day. "Can I get nine red roses, please?!"
The man nodded and began gathering the flowers while he spoke. "You know, nine roses is a symbol of eternal love."
"I actually did know." Emma had done a little bit of research about roses and their meaning in preparation for this.
The man, Moe, his name tag said, smiled kindly. "Did you also know that, traditionally, the man is the one giving flowers."
A small, secretive smirk graced Emma's lips, though she wanted to shout her love of Lily from the rooftops, she still didn't want to mention anything if her love was still hiding in the closet. Lily never had mentioned one way or the other on whether she was out and they had always met up in Boston when she was on leave. "I know, but I am anything but traditional."
Moe handed her the bouquet and wished her luck when she was done paying. "Thank you!" She gave him a wink and a wave before she ventured back outside feeling like she could take on the world. She settled her knapsack once again before she quickly pulled up her fiancé's address and began walking towards her future. Her heart skipped a few beats at the thought of seeing her lovers face again. It had been almost six months since they'd last seen each other, six months since Lily had proposed and had made her happier than she'd ever been. She had to suppress the urge to dance when she finally came to the door. She reached over to ring the bell and waited as patiently as she could, fidgeting with the flowers in her hand.
The door finally opened revealing a man wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer shorts. He blinked at her in confusion before running a hand through disheveled brown hair, his mouth was surrounded by scraggly brown bristles in the beginning of a goatee. He quickly peeked out of the door in both directions as if looking for someone else. "You're not the pizza guy."
Emma just stared at the man in growing bewilderment. She quickly glanced down at her phone before taking a step back in order to look at the numbers on the side of the house just to be sure she was at the correct address. "Umm...I was looking for…" Before she could finish the sentence a new voice sounded from behind the man, a voice she knew very well.
"Babe, is that the pizza?" Thin arms wrapped around the man's waist from behind and then a familiar set of brown eyes glanced around his body to see who was at the door. The arms immediately fell away upon seeing Emma's face. "Emma…." Lily breathed in disbelief. "What are you doing here?!"
"Surprise….?" She managed to stammer out, but now that Lily wasn't hidden behind the man, Emma could see she was wearing only a crop top shirt that was cut so high it showed the underside of her perky breasts and black lace panties. Her mouth gaped open in shock as the realization hit her like an anvil to the chest.
The brunette man stepped back and looked back and forth between the women. "You know this chick, Lil?"
Emma suddenly couldn't breathe. She had been thinking about this moment for months, literally dreaming about it, and not one scenario had ended like this. She dropped the bouquet of roses before stumbling backwards off the porch where she turned and fled. The rucksack that had felt like it weighed nothing while she was riding the high of seeing her love again now suddenly felt like she was hauling a ton of bricks on her back. "Emma, WAIT!" She thought she heard Lily shout behind her, but she didn't stop or turn around, she just ran. It felt like her mind completely shut down to everything going on.
She ran as far and as fast as she could away from her fiancé….former fiancé….she didn't even know what they were anymore. The blonde had no idea where she was going since this was her first time in Storybrooke. She rounded a corner and collided with a firm body. Hands reached out to steady her and a now familiar husky voice rang out. "Watch where you're going you clumsy idi….Miss Swan?" Regina's anger dissipated in the blink of an eye when she realized just who had crashed into her and took in the devastated look on the blonde's face, a look she knew too well.
Emma was only vaguely aware of smacking into someone and hearing words out of the person, but right now it was unintelligible gibberish to her. She just blinked at the Mayor trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall.
Regina turned to the young boy standing just behind her. "Henry, dear, would you mind heading into Granny's and grabbing our usual seat? I'll be in shortly." She turned towards him and flashed a smile to let him know it was okay.
"Umm...okay, mom." The young boy quirked an eyebrow that just screamed Regina. Brown hair hung wildly over his forehead and bright brown eyes shone with curiosity at the gentleness his mom was currently displaying towards this stranger. He had heard the beginnings of a verbal flaying in the making, but then his mother had suddenly changed her tone. With a mental shrug he turned the corner that Emma had just rounded and headed into the diner to grab their regular table.
"Miss Swan?" Regina's voice remained soft. It appeared the woman in front of her was in shock. She reached out and placed a hand on the blonde's arm in a gentle but firm grasp trying not to startle her. "Emma?"
That finally got Emma's attention and green eyes blinked in surprise when the blonde suddenly saw the Mayor standing in front of her. "Regina? What are you doing here?!"
Regina's brow arched in amusement. If this had been anyone else she would have laughed in their face and called them an idiot for being so unaware of their surroundings. "You crashed into me rounding the corner here, Miss Swan."
"I….what?" Emma glanced around herself. She had absolutely no idea where she was or how she had even gotten here. It seemed the last few minutes had been skipped over like one would skip over commercials on their DVR and her mind was slowly catching up to what had happened in between seeing Lily and now.
Regina donned her ever present smirk, but it was softer and without any hint of malice. "Very eloquent, Miss Swan." She was very careful to keep the usual bite out of her tone considering the fragility of the situation. Emma opened her mouth to say something before Regina cut her off. "My son and I were about to have dinner, would you care to join us?" She held her arm out to the side indicating the building beside her.
An angry rumble from the blonde's stomach was answer enough for both women. The younger woman sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping in defeat as if she were carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. "Dinner sounds….good." Emma sounded so lost and confused. She dropped the rucksack down to her side before following along behind the Mayor who held the door open for the blonde. A bell jingling overhead alerted the staff and patrons that someone else had arrived. Most of the customers paid them no mind, though a few cast hateful glares in the Mayor's direction while others appeared curious at the new arrival before returning to their meals.
Regina placed a gentle hand in the middle of Emma's back and guided the brokenhearted woman to a booth in the back. Henry hopped up when he saw the two women approaching. He quickly shoved his hand out towards the blonde stranger. "Hi! I'm Henry!"
"Hi, Henry. I'm Emma." She somehow managed to force a plastic smile onto her face before she reached out and took his small hand in hers. Even for a child, his grip was strong and firm, just like his mothers. "You've got quite the handshake there, kid." Emma made a show of shaking out her hand like it hurt. The resulting grin on the boy's face was worth the bit of acting. Behind her, Regina watched the interaction between her new friend and her son with an unreadable expression. The blonde hefted up her bag and placed it on the bench seat before sliding in beside it. Two pairs of brown eyes watched her from across the table. She quickly picked up the menu and started reading through the options, using it as a makeshift shield to hide away from those curious stares. She forced herself to pick up the shattered pieces of her heart and shove them into a dark corner, at least for a little while. She would have plenty of time later to break down when she was away from prying eyes. For now, though, she would put on a brave face and pretend that everything was fine. She could do this.
A waitress appeared from behind the counter. The woman was rather tall wearing a much too short skirt and a too tight shirt that left very very little to the imagination. A few streaks of red stood out amongst the brown of her hair. She approached the table and her gaze immediately fell on Emma. Brown eyes quickly raked over the blonde before she introduced herself, more for the blonde's benefit than the others considering they all knew one another already. "Hi, my name is Ruby and I'll be your waitress for the evening. Madam Mayor, Henry, stranger...can I get you all something to drink?" She grinned wolfishly, her eyes remaining glued to Emma who hadn't even glanced in her direction.
"I'll have a water with lemon please, Miss Lucas." Regina snipped, not missing the appreciative gaze of the waitress upon the blonde.
"Can I have a cocoa, mom?! Please?" Henry beamed at his mom in that way he knew was her kryptonite.
The Mayor kept trying to instill healthy eating upon her son, but considering she had just returned from a three day conference and was just happy and content to be home with her son, she relented. "I suppose."
He bounced up and down in his seat before his mother gave him 'the look'. He immediately calmed down and looked up at Ruby with a sheepish smile.
Ruby turned her attention back to the blonde who had stayed silent so far, her eyes still scanning over the menu. "And what can I get you, hon?" The brunette didn't see the near snarl on Regina's face at the term of endearment she used.
"Cocoa actually sounds amazing. Would you mind putting some whip cream and cinnamon on top too, please?" Emma kept her nose buried in the menu still hiding behind it. The less she had to look at people, the less likely she was to break down and cry. 'I just need to make it through dinner, just a little bit longer.' She kept thinking it over and over again, she absolutely refused to let others see her so weak and vulnerable.
Henry sat up and looked at his mom. "Can I get whipped cream and cinnamon too?"
"You've never had it like that before, Henry." Regina was a bit surprised. Her son was a creature of habit and very very rarely tried new things. To hear him ask for something different was a bit of a shock to her. She briefly glanced to the still distracted blonde before returning her attention to her boy who just shrugged. "That's fine, my little prince."
His face lit up. "Ruby, would you mind putting whipped cream and cinnamon on mine too just like Emma's pleaaaaaase?!"
"Of course I can, Henry! I'll be right back with your drinks." Ruby took one last glance at the reclusive blonde before turning back towards the kitchen to put in their drink orders.
Once Ruby left, Emma no longer had an excuse to keep the menu up. When she lowered it, those two sets of brown eyes once again honed in on her. "Hi." She forced a smile and fidgeted with the menu, her discomfort was palpable.
"So, Emma, what branch of the military are you in?" Henry decided to break the increasingly awkward silence. He didn't know what was going on with either his mom or her new friend, but he had never seen his mom act so kind towards anyone, much less a complete stranger. Granted, his Aunt Kathryn and Aunt Zelena were treated better than most, but not like this.
"I was in the army for ten years." She responded softly, her eyes staring down at a spot on the table so she didn't have to meet those small brown eyes, so like Regina's.
"Was?" Henry tilted his head to the side not missing the past tense.
"I decided not to re-up once my enlistment was over so I could…." Her voice cracked ever so slightly. The thoughts of 'Get married...start a family of my own' replayed over and over in her mind. All of those plans that had kept her going these last few months, all of her hopes and dreams had come crashing down around her when she had seen Lily with, well whoever the hell that was. Her gaze fell to the hands in her lap unsure of how to finish it. She had left the army behind to be with Lily, but now, she had no idea what she was going to do. Fortunately, she was saved from having to try and finish what she had started to say when Ruby stopped by the table to drop off their drinks.
The young woman carefully set down the cocoas and Regina's water before winking at Emma who just smiled sadly at her. "Have you all decided what you want?"
Henry immediately piped up from beside his mom with barely contained excitement. "Can I have a bacon burger with fries, please, mom?" The kryptonite smile came back into play and yet again Regina found herself ready to give in.
"Good choice, kid! Yes, mom, can we please have a bacon burger with fries?!" Even though Emma was having the worst day of her life, she still couldn't keep the small, mischievous smile off her face at the boys enthusiasm.
"I wasn't aware I had two children, Miss Swan." A perfectly manicured finger pointed at Emma. "YOU may get whatever you want. YOU on the other hand…" Regina gazed over to her son who shifted into puppy dog mode like he was a transformer. That soft look once again settled over her face and she sighed. It was hard enough to deny her son when he gave her that smile, but it was nearly impossible to deny him when he wielded the puppy pout like a weapon. "Fine, just this once only because I just got back, but we will NOT be making a habit of this, young man."
Beside the table Ruby was watching the incredibly strange scene going on before her. She had never known the mayor to be so….so playful with anyone but Henry, and she had known the woman for what seemed like decades. Her eyes kept darting back and forth between the two women. She still didn't have Regina's order, but she didn't want to interrupt the….whatever this was going on in front of her so she remained silent. She backed away from the table slowly and retreated to the kitchen to place the burger orders and to just place the Mayor's usual order in the hopes that she didn't decide on something different.
Henry flashed his mom a thousand watt smile before picking up his mug of cocoa and sniffing at it before taking a small sip. Both his mother and Emma were watching him to see his reaction to the improved drink. "Ohhhh, you gotta try this, mom!" He shoved the mug over towards his mom who, rather than take his mug, reached across the table and grabbed Emma's mug instead.
Emma's jaw dropped ever so slightly at the brazen theft. "Hey! That's mine!" Her mouth dropped into a pout.
"I assure you, Miss Swan, that I do not have cooties. Besides, you wouldn't want me to deprive my son of any of his cocoa now would you? What kind of mother would I be if I were to do that?" Regina looked the blonde straight in the eye while she took a sip of the cocoa, a dab of the whip cream adhering to her upper lip. She hummed at the taste. "That's….actually quite good." She took another sip of it all the while maintaining eye contact with those green orbs across from her.
"Am I going to get any of MY cocoa any time soon?" The blonde's eyes dipped down to the cream on the other woman's upper lip where she saw a thin, faded scar she hadn't noticed before. "Umm...you got a little…" She lifted her hand and gestured at her own mouth in an approximation of where the whip cream was on the other woman.
Regina's cheeks pinked ever so slightly, her tongue darting out and licking her lips in a vain attempt at removing the white fluff. She couldn't help but notice green eyes following the movement causing her to flush a bit more.
"No, it's just…" Emma wanted to reach across the table and flick her thumb across the Mayor's upper lip, just under her nose, but grabbed a napkin instead and handed it to the Mayor who quickly wiped across her mouth and chin.
"I have two bacon burgers with fries and a chicken caesar salad." Ruby appeared with their food interrupting them and laid it out before them. "Is there anything else I can get you?" Once again her gaze was directed solely at the blonde in an attempt to meet the woman's eyes.
"No thank you, Miss Lucas." Regina's eyes narrowed briefly at Ruby, but when she saw that Emma was paying absolutely no attention whatsoever to the waitress she relaxed. She looked down at the salad that had been placed in front of her. She knew she hadn't ordered anything, too distracted with harassing Emma in an attempt to make the blonde feel even a slightly bit better. Not that it mattered, this is what she would have ordered anyhow.
"I'm all good, thank you, Ruby." Emma dove into the burger, only now realizing just how hungry she was; her pilfered cocoa now forgotten.
Henry was busy devouring his own burger and fries like he'd never been fed before and Regina was daintily eating her salad while trying not to stare at the blonde across from her.
"Emma…" Everyone had been so focused on their food and one another that no one had noticed Lily approach the table until she began speaking.
Emma's eyes grew wide at the sound of the voice, she dropped her half eaten burger back onto the plate and clenched her fists, dread pooling in her stomach. "What do you want, Lily?" She had to fight the overwhelming urge to lash out at the young brunette, especially considering there was a child sitting with them.
Regina was just this side of frothing at the mouth with anger at Lily. She adopted the cold, hard, unforgiving persona of the Evil Queen that everyone called her behind her back. "Miss Page, whatever you have to say to Emma can wait as we are currently in the middle of dinner." She clenched her own fists tightly in her lap so that no one could see just how pissed off she was. She wished she had some kind of superpower from Henry's comic books, maybe the ability to throw fire so she could incinerate the younger brunette since it appeared her eye daggers weren't quite getting her point across.
"No offense, Miss Mills," Lily's tone absolutely dripped condescension. "This is between Emma and I. I just want to talk to her."
The Mayor opened her mouth to rebuff the annoying woman, but Emma waved a hand and cut her off. "It's fine, Regina. I'll be right back." Emma got to her feet but turned back to point at Henry. "Don't you dare touch my fries, kid!" She winked at him but even to him it looked forced.
"You should be more worried about my mom stealing your fries!" Henry flashed a lopsided grin at Emma before batting his eyes innocently at his mom trying to alleviate the tension that hung heavy in the air.
Lily grabbed Emma's wrist and led her out of the diner, two pairs of brown eyes following them until they were out of sight, one full of curiosity and the other full of murderous rage.
"Mom, how does Emma know Lily?" Henry had been looking back and forth between all three women. He could hear the anger in his mother's voice, in fact, he hadn't heard her that angry in quite some time. He knew Lily was with Neal Gold, EVERYONE knew, so he wondered how the two knew one another considering he'd never seen Emma around town before, nor had he heard anything about her from anyone.
The vein on Regina's forehead was pulsing, her blood pressure was likely through the roof. She wrangled in the anger, shoving it back into the inner recesses of herself. "It's a long story, and no, it is not one I will be telling. Now, finish your fries, dear." Still seething at seeing Lily drag Emma away she reached across the table, stole some of Emma's fries and shoved them in her mouth.
