Authors Note: Okay, this is my first ever Swan Queen fic. I was hoping to write a story that would fit convincingly within the show. It takes place after season 5 (not yet screened at time of publish) with Regina returning to her role as town Mayor and Emma as town Sheriff.

This is a Swan Queen fic all the way, however, there are mentions of Outlaw Queen and Captain Swan again to ground the fic in reality. I have taken artistic license with a few things. I wrote this in about 2 days and like I said, this is my first fic so reviews are appreciated.

Rated M for sexual content in later chapters. Short snappy, easy read chapters completed and uploaded in one big ass dose (because I hate waiting for a story to be updated!) Please review if you enjoyed reading it and there may be a sequel in the works...

BEATING FATE

By

Red Andraste

Chapter 4

Regina was in her kitchen making coffee to ward off the tiredness she felt from her lack of sleep when she heard a soft knock at the front door. She opened the door to see Emma dressed in her back up blue leather jacket, the red one now lying in tatters on her living room floor from the fight with the beasts. A picnic basket was in hand.

"Emma?, I didn't expect to see you until this evening"

"Yeah well I figure instead of having Henry for the night, we'd all go for a picnic up at the lake. You, me, the kid, Robin and Rowland" "

"As nice as that sounds, Robin won't be joining us" Regina said sipping her coffee

"Oh...everything OK?"

"We had a talk last night when I got in. I told him I needed some space to figure some things out. He's gone out to the woods to be with his men"

"His men huh?, sounds a little gay to me..." Emma says and smiles

"Emma...".

"Kidding! Anyway, you and Robin, is this something to do with what Gold told you?" Regina didn't offer her an answer; she just stood aside and beckoned Emma into the Mansion

"OK, sore subject. So I got grilled cheese for me and Henry and a kale salad for you, fresh from Grannies"

Henry came bounding in from the Kitchen "Hey mom, did I hear something about grilled cheese?"

"Your mother is taking us on a picnic" Regina said as she ruffled his hair affectionately

"Cool, let me just go grab my comics".

A half hour later, Regina pulled in to the gravel parking lot of the lake on the border of Storybrooke. Emma got out of the car and looked at the vast lake in front of them. "Wow!, I knew this place was up here but I didn't know it was quite this beautiful. You build this into the curse your majesty?" Regina smiled.

"Hardly. I enacted the curse but Rumplestilkin conceived most of it, including some ridiculous little caveats"

"Caveats huh?..." Emma began

"Moms!, less yapping, more eating!"

"Henry, you've only just had breakfast" Regina said

"Yeah, but I'm a growing kid!" Henry replied before grabbing the picnic basket and vaulting out of the car towards the grass bank. Henry laid out the picnic blanket haphazardly before grabbing his grilled cheese and running off to a tree that overhung the lake.

"Be careful sweetheart" Regina called after him as he climbed the tree, grilled cheese between his teeth and comic books tucked under his arm.

Emma shrugged off her jacket before straightening the blanket and sitting down crossing her legs. She watched as Regina kicked off her heels smoothing out her black dress trousers before sitting down primly with her bend legs tucked behind her. She looked at Emma who was smiling at her "What?"

"I don't think I've ever seen you take your heels off, I was convinced you slept in them" Playing tapping Regina's foot with her own.

"Yes, well, appearances are important dear"

"And why are you sitting like someone in a Jane Austin novel?"

"I'm a queen dear and I'm a little more refined"

"Refined but hardly relaxed. Come on just chill OK, it's just us three and a couple of ducks"

"Those are Canadian geese"

"OK, just us and the geese" Regina rolled her eyes and moved her legs out in front on her "There you go, root beer?" Emma said offering a bottle to Regina

"Sure".

A couple of hours later found Emma dosing on the picnic blanket and Henry skimming stones across the lake. Regina for her part was lost in her thoughts. The conversation with Gold kept replaying in her mind. What if this is always the way it was meant to happen?, what if her fate was written from the very start?, what if she couldn't change it?. The thought of being on a trajectory that she could neither change nor control sacred her more than anything. Sure she and Emma had become very close over the years, closer than most families, but true loves?, was that even possible?. Did she love Emma more than she was even willing to admit to herself? And what of Robin and Henry and the un-Charmings?, how would they all react to this.

And Hook?, Captain Guyliner, she hadn't even thought how this would affect Emma's relationship. Hook was supposed to be Emma's Prince Charming so how the hell was she fated to be with Queen Snarky?. Shaking her head she looked at Emma sleeping soundly on the blanket with her back to Regina.

"You know Emma" Regina said in whispered tones "I couldn't have become the best version of me without you constantly pushing me and challenging me. You gave me every opportunity to change for the better and saved me, mostly from myself, more times than I can remember. You put everything on the line to save Robin for me. I owe you everything Emma, and you, you owe me nothing"

Regina sighed getting up from the blanket brushing crumbs from her trousers before walking towards Henry at the lakeside. Emma cracked an eye open and watched Regina move towards their son.

A few hours later, Regina pulled up outside Emma's blue boarded house and looked to see Hook's form silhouetted against the tasteful curtains adorning the sitting room window.

Emma got out of the car and walked around to the driver's side. "Thank you for a lovely afternoon, sorry I slept through most of it"

"That's ok dear; coming back to life can take its toll"

"Yeah...about that, you never told me how you managed to do it"

Regina smiled and gripped the steering wheel a little tighter before looking back at Emma "Magic" she said simply before pulling out into the road.