Chapter 4

As Henry looked at the bouquet of flowers in his hand he was starting to think Emma didn't know what she was doing. The flowers were all different shades of red, orange, and yellow. No two flowers looked alike, but they all had the same spikey petals. It sort of looked like she had gone out to a field and picked the blooms off of some thistle plants. Not very pretty. When he told Emma this at the station she told him to just be quiet and take them home to his mom. So here he was for the second time that week standing on his own porch drumming up the courage to go inside.

"Hey Mom I'm home! Where are you?" Henry yelled from the entry way.

"I'm right here, what have I told you about yelling in the house?" Regina said as she came out from her office.

"Sorry-I have strict instructions to follow. Emma told me to hand this over to you immediately when I got home. Don't want to disobey the law." He said this while shoving the ugly bouquet and another cream color envelope at her.

"Well thank you. Dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes." She said to Henry's back as he ran up the stairs and to his room.

Two flower arrangements in one day was certainly surprising. Although she had told the Sheriff not to include their son in any more of their personal interaction. This envelope had Protea printed on the outside. As Regina made her way back into her office to open it she studied the flowers. Not exactly the prettiest things she'd ever seen, but definitely something she had never received before.

She placed the flowers on her desk and made her way around to sit before she opened the letter. With another glance at the strange arrangement she sliced the flap open and removed the single sheet of paper inside.

Regina,

This is an arrangement of Protea. The flower means "courage." It's something that I have always admired in you. It is also something I appreciate you passing onto our son. I know you told me to leave him out of this and that he wasn't supposed to be privy to any details, but what can I say? I didn't have a better way of showing you the courage you instilled in him other than having him deliver a bouquet of flowers to his own mother from her admirer. That takes cojones and he definantly got them from you. Sorry, I hope you weren't expecting me to be sappy in all of these little notes? To put your mind at ease just know Henry isn't aware of the details in this letter, he only knows that I am very much interested in you.

Emma

PS-Remember that time I volunteered us to be chaperones for Henry's first middle school dance? And I bought you a corsage that you threw away immediately because it had witch hazel flowers on it and you thought I was trying to insult you somehow? That was supposed to be our first date but I figured after you got done yelling at me it wasn't the best time to tell you. So I'm telling you now. I had planned to dance the last dance with you and take you to get pie at Granny's after we cleaned up.

Regina was stunned. She remembered the dance very clearly and she had been pretty rough on the Sheriff when she had shown up with the corsage. Thinking back now she realized that Emma really hadn't understood that giving a witch witch hazel was an insult back in Fairy Tale Land. If she had been trying for this long to get her to go on a date, how many other times had she unknowingly thwarted those plans? Time would tell. Emma was taking her on a little trip down memory lane and slowly changing her perception of the past.

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"So what's for dinner tonight Snow?" Emma said, thinking for the 1000th time that she wished Mom rolled off her tongue a little bit easier. She knew her mom still took it personally every time she called her by her first name.

"Pizza. I went with something easy and I figured it didn't matter what I set in front of you, you'll just inhale it anyway. I wanted to have plenty of time to talk to you tonight." Snow said as she began making the dough for the crust.

"You've been talking to Ruby. I don't know why I tell her anything…"

"Honey, when you ask out your baby mama in a public place people talk. Especially when that person happens to be the Mayor."

"Don't say things like baby mama, it doesn't sound right coming out of your mouth."

"I'm sorry. When you ask out your son's adoptive mother in public people talk. Now tell me what happened."

"Well I'm not really sure. I had tried another one of my little plans but it backfired on me like all the rest have and I guess I just got tired of trying to ease her into liking me. I decided I was just going to ask and hope for the best."

"Well Ruby didn't say anything about you getting slapped so I assume that's a good sign right?"

"Time out for just a second. Are you really ok with this? I mean I know we've talked about it over the years, but since it might actually be much closer to happening now I just want to make sure."

"Emma, your father and I were there that day. I can't deny you your True Love just because Regina and I have a bad history. What I will say though is if she hurts you she's gonna wish she had cursed me with no arms, 'cause I will cut a bitch."

"Seriously, what have you been watching on tv? I'm going to ignore the cut a bitch comment and "bad history" is kind of an understatement don't you think? I just want to make sure everyone is ok with this because if I do get her to go out with me I will have my hands full trying to deal with her. I won't be able to do damage control on any other relationships for awhile." Emma said laughingly. She would more than have her hands full if she was dating Regina. Hopefully in more ways then one.

"Your father and I are ok. Have you thought about when you are going to tell her what really happened the day we finally got rid of Cora for good?"

"Later always seems like the right time." Emma said with a sigh. "This is going to blow up in my face isn't it?"

"I think so honey, I think so. Maybe sooner is better than later in this situation?"

"Part of me wishes that she didn't believe me when I told her she had just been knocked out, but another part of me knows that neither one of us could handle anymore at the time. I just haven't been able to figure out a great way to say 'Hey you died when we were trying to kill your mom but no worries I kissed you and you woke up."

"I don't think there is a great way to tell her. Just don't say it that way."

"Got it. Any other words of wisdom?"

"No, I think you can handle it. Just don't do anything that would make me glad I missed out on your early dating years."

"You mean like accidentally crashing my dates car when she didn't know I was coming to pick her up for a date or that I had her car? Been there, done that."

"Yeah, Regina sure wasn't fun to deal with until Michael finally got her baby fixed up. Please just try and keep the town safe from her wrath with whatever little scheme you have going now."

"Got it. Can we eat yet? I really am pretty hungry."

"You're always hungry. I just have to put the pepperoni's on and it will be done in about 15 minutes. Why don't you go track down your father and give him a heads up on what ever phase this is of Operation Tame the Dragon."

"I TOLD everyone to quit calling it that. Someone is gonna say it in front of her and then I will have to add it to the list of Awkward Things I have to Explain to Regina."

"Sorry. No I'm not. Go get your father."

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Four days. For 4 days straight she'd received 2 bouquets of flowers a day. Then suddenly today there was nothing from Emma. What was going on? Did they stop just because she didn't respond with something to each and every one? Or was this just another trick-Lure in the Evil Queen and then pull the rug out from under her? Well there was no way she was going to sit around and stew about it the rest of the day. She was going to get some answers.

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"I'm sorry we're closed. I was just getting ready to lock up." Belle said from the back when she heard the bell above the door chime.

"Actually I just came to see you Belle. Do you have a free minute?" Regina said in the sweetest voice she could manage at the moment.

Belle groaned. She knew what this was about and she had told Emma it had been a risk to try and get the purple phlox in by the fifth day. It wasn't an item that she just had laying around the shop and she had to order it in. Emma told her not to worry, she would take the heat. Well, it looked like the Mayor had come here looking for answers instead. Emma had said she would take the heat. Hopefully, that meant willing to be thrown under the bus like she was about to be.

"Coming, just give me one minute please." Belle said as she frantically texted Emma the bad news and walked back out to the front of the shop. "Okay what can I help you with Madam Mayor?"

"Please, call me Regina. I was actually hoping to help you out and save you a delivery trip tonight and just pick up whatever little flower arrangement Emma has for me. I was nearby and figured she had something planned."

Emma really had not paid her enough for this. There was going to be a hazard charge on her next bill. "I'm sorry Regina, Emma didn't order anything for you today." She was probably going to hell for lying but she wasn't about to tell her that she just didn't get the order in on time to be able to deliver the next little note. And she couldn't give her the note without the flowers.

"Oh. Well, I don't suppose she has anymore of those notes for me then either?" Regina had spied a cream envelope behind the counter while Belle was still in the back. She just didn't have enough time to grab it before she had come up front.

"No, no more. Maybe she just ran out of money? Tomorrow is pay day after all." She really was going straight to hell.

"All right, I'll just be on my way then." As Regina turned to leave her purse "accidentally" hit a shelf that had several arrangements in glass vases knocking them over and causing them to shatter on the floor. "Oh no, I'm so sorry! I would help you clean this up but I have to get home to Henry. You understand right?"

Oh she understood. You could take the Evil Queen out of Fairy Tale Land but you couldn't totally take the Evil Queen out of a woman. This was going on Emma's tab. "Of course, I'll just have Ruby help me clean up when she comes to pick me up. Have a nice night Regina."

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When Emma got Belle's SOS text she panicked. She didn't really think it would be a big deal if she skipped a day. Regina hadn't even acknowledged getting some of the flowers so she didn't think she would be counting on them. Belle said she was at the shop so it gave her a few minutes to figure something out. She quickly googled patience and flower. A picture of a cute little daisy popped up and she hit print. Praying that she had a pen in the bug she raced down the stairs hoping to beat Regina to her house. At the stop light she scribbled a little note on the back and hoped that it would at least be enough not to ruin everything.

She went speeding around the last corner and parked in front of the white house. There was no sign of mercedes anywhere. Now she just needed to get the note in the mailbox and get out of here. Getting out of the car she tripped and went to brace herself with the hand holding the little picture of the Oxeye Daisy.

"Well I guess real flowers would have had water too. Just makes seem more authentic." She said to herself as she held up the slightly damp, now torn picture.

She quickly made it up the path, folded the note and stuffed it in the mailbox. As she turned to leave she saw Regina getting out of her car. Crap.

"What are you doing on my front porch Miss Swan?" Regina said with a slightly anger tinged voice.

"Um…"