A/N: I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers. My dream is to write (television, movies, novels) and really feel a lot of fulfillment in entertaining you with my work. If you have any requests or think someones out of character please let me know! I hope all questions are starting to be answered, and this sort of story line isn't boring, I have a personal weak spot for day-to-day fics so this is my attempt at what their "normal" non-crisis sort of days would look like. Now I'm rambling...On with the story!
Alone in her office, Regina wondered just how she came to be sitting in a well tailored pant suit behind a antique oak desk with a stack of paper work and a broken heart. Well she did know; that Ms. Swan had rescued that pesky Maid Marian from the past and brought her to Storybrooke. Pesky? More like unfortunate, for Marian and her both. Both we're victims of circumstance. Well, maybe not Regina, but she did feel regret. Henry had forced her to watch Star Wars one rainy Saturday and she found a weirdly profound admirable for Darth Vader, what does that say about her as a person? That she's emotionally complicated and you shouldn't be quick to write her off as wholly evil. Her heart may be spotted black but it was still capable of beating.
And now her and Robin we're still friends at the very least. He had spent the night at her house the day before, but most of that night was spent passed out drunk on the couch in her den. It was Robin who was the one appearing at her door step the night before, tears in his eyes.
Regina pulled him through the door, as he wiped away at his embarrassingly pitiful red eyes.
"I don't know why I'm here, but I don't want you to think I'm attempting to put your reputation into question."
"My reputation has long ceased to be a question Robin."
Robin regained his composure as they sat alone in the den, Regina offering him a glass of scotch to calm his nerves.
"I just wanted to see you. We can be friends after all."
"Being friends isn't exactly ideal."
"We aren't teenagers. I'm sure we can hold a conversation without it getting to heated."
"But of course..."
"MOM WHEN'S DINNER AND WHERE'S MY HOMEWORK I CAN'T FIND IT." Henry called out from his room, without so much as attempting to get up from behind his computer.
Regina and Robin, seated across from one another in her den, burst out into laughter that broke the tension between the two.
"Half and hour Henry." Regina responded and suddenly remembered the casserole slowly burning in the oven, having become distracted by her surprise visitor.
"Oh shit." With an uncharacteristic swear, Regina burst from her seat and ran to the kitchen closely followed by a concerned Robin. Pulling the oven doors down, the smoke bellowed from the burning pot pie, filling the kitchen with motherly failure. Without thinking, Robin grabbed the smoldering mess with a tea towel and tossed it in the sink, filling the basin with cold water to calm the sad dead pie.
"That was suppose to be dinner, and now its just a trophy of incompetence. I blame you."
Regina threw Robin a sly smile as they returned to the laughter from the den.
"Well you have at least attempted something, my repertoire of culinary arts involves a take out menu from Granny's. Why do you think I keep Little Jon around, because it isn't to just wake up to his beautifully bearded face every morning."
"Now I'm sure Marian can teach you a few tricks."
"I do think you attempt a joke, poor Marian can barely boil a pot of water for tea. Though that is not why I married her."
The stab of the reminder of him being married hurt, but this was Regina and the pain was covered with a wide smile and a bouncy retort.
"Since it was you who ruined dinner, you can be responsible for feeding my son." Regina handed Robin a menu from the local pizza place that was tucked under the kitchen phone.
"Well you are in for a treat, I can dial for takeout faster than any man or woman in this town."
They may have finished a few bottles of wine as Robin entertained Henry with stories of the Enchanted Forest, and he promptly passed out on the couch. She'd left a message to Little Jon to pass on to Marian so she didn't need to worry. How gallant of her, she would prove to Marian that the Evil Queen was dead, all that was left was Regina Mills.
Regina sipped at her tea, though it was colder than she remembered leaving it, the jolt managed to send her back to the office and away from the memories of yesterday.
She would make Robin just her friend if it was the last thing she did. Regina rolled her eyes at that thought, 'God Regina, you even make friendships some sort of devious campaign.'
"Well, well, well, look who decided to sneak back into town in the middle of the night, like a couple of eloping teenagers." Neal quietly stepped into the still library.
Belle blushed from behind the book case where she was sorting a new delivery of novels. She picked up one she had been meaning to ask Neal about and ran over to hug him.
"Neal! So happy to be back. And you brought lunch! Did your father happen to put you up to this?"
"Maybe, but I would have despite his offer to pay the tab."
"Let's go back to my office, I'm expecting a group of first graders in soon to get a behind the scenes tour before we open again so we can't dally too long."
Neal followed Belle to the back of the library where she carefully cleared some books and index cards from the top of her desk and spread out a napkin to put the food on top of. She excitedly took the burgers from Neal and opened the bag to dig out the greasy goodness hiding inside. However, looking inside, she frowned.
"No ketchup?"
Neal smiled and pulled out a few packs from his pocket, "I did not forget your rather weird obsession with condiments, and also..." From his other pocket he produced two cans of cola and plopped them on top of the desk.
"Never will I doubt you again."
"Ha!" Neal took a seat at the desk, unwrapping his burger and readying for the first bite. Belle looked down upon him with a concerned grimace as he launched into lunch.
"You okay? Seem a bit ashen."
"Just tired, up early for the shop. Not exactly a morning person."
Belle would have non of it, as he could tell from her concern fading to disbelief as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Just ran into Emma at Granny's on the way here."
"Oh." Belle finally sat across from him, taking greater care in preparing her precious treat with the right compliments of condiments.
"Yea." Neal took another bite and looked down at the floor, avoiding Belles eyes which would only implore him to dig dipper into issues he had not the energy to get into. Though they probably would.
"Still haven't talked to her about the whole dead thing?"
"The whole dead thing, the whole True Loves Kiss thing, the whole going out with my mothers ex-fling thing."
"Wait...she doesn't know about Hook and your mother?"
"I'm afraid to say anything. I don't want her to think I'm telling her to break them up. She knows that Hook wanted revenge from my father for killing Milah, but Hook conveniently left out the part about Milah begin my mother."
Neal eyed Belle's untouched burger and looked back at her, "Your lunch is getting cold."
"This is far more important. You are now my step-son Neal, and I want to make sure you're alright."
Neal fought back possible tears of endearment by sipping at his coke and swallowing hard.
"I have Henry, my father and you. I'm a happy man Belle, thought I appreciate your concern. It's nice to have someone worried about you, but I can tell you right now its not needed."
Belle ignored Neal's polite way of changing the subject.
"This is more about telling Emma you hate Hook because he represents the crack in your family that eventually turned into a canyon."
"Been reading more psychoanalysis books I see. Just stay away from Dr. Phil, okay?"
"Is he related to Dr. Freud because I find his research a slight bit far fetched in terms of female psychology...Hey, don't change the subject!"
Smirking his wide eyed smirk Neal couldn't help but see her point.
"Okay, okay. Look, what do you suggest, because I can't helped but feel like I am trapped in a damned if I don't sort of situation here. And I don't want to jeopardize my relationship with Henry."
"Of course that is a concern. We must tread delicately. But Neal why is she ignoring the fact that you shared true loves kiss?"
"Because all the true love in the world doesn't change the fact that I had a chance to either hold her hand or let go. And I let go."
Belle felt defeated and bit into her burger, hoping it would lighten her mood. As she was lost in thought she eyed the book she meant to ask Neal about earlier sitting alone at the edge of her desk.
"Neal, I think I may have an idea. Henry going to be round tonight, because we may need his help."
School was over for the day, Emma deduced. Though it wasn't the super sleuthing skills of a small town sheriff that brought her to this conclusion, it was the children ambling down the sidewalks in their little disheveled uniforms from a day of playing. She panicked for a moment picturing Henry sitting alone on a bench waiting for a ride and realized that Neal was getting Henry. A turn of emotion from panic to sadness rolled in when she realized that Henry was definitely old enough to make his own way around Storybrooke after school. Sure, he could go thirty blocks on the subway no problem but for some reason the idea of crossing a few streets in a small town gave her heart palpitations.
Emma looked up over to her father to interrupt her thoughts, "David, you should go home early. There's only a few hours left."
"Was thinking of making a round, like to make sure all the kids get home safely."
"Just because you have a baby doesn't mean you need to parent the whole town."
David stood up from his desk and threw on his jacket, taking a moment to refill his thermos with slightly burnt office coffee.
"Very funny. I know your meeting with Regina this evening, but will you be home in time for dinner with your folks?" David smiled hopefully, edging up his eyebrows.
"Not making any promises. Never know how long she'll keep me or a long lost relative shows up to kill us all."
"That's not funny. Don't make me worry, and don't talk like that around Mary Margaret."
"Well you shouldn't let her watch so many family dramas, she never watched this much TV before she got a nursing schedule."
"Yea, your right. Maybe well go for a walk tonight, its not to cold."
"Good, great. Now leave before I give you some files to alphabetize."
"You know technically I'm sheriff now."
"Curse Sheriff. I'm elected, if I do recall. Not sure if there is a by-law or statute for a cursing wiping out previously elected officials standing."
"Okay okay, I'm leaving. We will leave you a plate of something in the fridge."
David grabbed his keys and ran out the door. A few seconds later Emma heard the truck start up and drive off.
With a smile Emma turned on the speakers to her stereo and hit play, the sounds of "Pocket full of sunshine" blasting her ears. She frowned, "Oh David, really?" She hit skip and found the song she wanted. The Used always seemed to make her smile.
A sudden ring disturbed her ambiance, but a job is a job.
"Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Swan speaking how can I help you?"
"Yes Sheriff Swan, this is Mr. Bernard from the school."
Emma's heart leapt up to her throat, but she didn't want people thinking their Sheriff could easily be rocked and kept her composure.
"How may I help you today Mr. Bernard (OH MY GOD IS HENRY ALIVE WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG)?"
"Well Sheriff Swan, as you know Henry is recently transferred back to school, and has been having some issues with bonding with his fellow students. We have a class camping trip scheduled that he never brought the permission form back for, and I was wondering why he won't be attending."
It is rather hysterical how fear can switch so fast to anger.
"As you know Henry is being co-parented by myself and Mayor Mills. Perhaps the Mayor did not want Henry to attend."
"Funny you say that because that is what the Mayor told me just a few moments ago, so I thought I would call and double check with you."
"My answer would have to be yes the, being outside is good for kids, right?"
"Great to hear, since I already have you on the phone, would you be interested in chaperoning? The Mayor was quite open about disliking the smell of forest."
Emma laughed in her head, 'Of course you'd leave me with all the dirty work.'
"Well I guess it saves me the pain of having to stalk the forest all weekend to make sure he doesn't run off."
"Ha, yes, I have seen his attendance record. Great, I'll send off the required information home with Henry tomorrow."
"Thank you Mr. Bernard. Have a good evening."
Emma hung up the phone and turned the music back on. Her and Henry were going to have words.