A/N: I'm so grateful to everyone who's read, reviewed and followed this story! And I know you're waiting for Regina to show up, so I decided to update sooner than I intended to! :)


The movie was ending when she returned downstairs and leant on the back of the couch. "Come on, kid… kids, multiple… we're going to Granny's for dinner."

"Why?" Henry asked immediately, tilting his head to one side as he surveyed his mother.

"Because your Grandparents want the apartment to themselves and I, for one, don't wanna stick around and find out why." Emma told him. Immediately the boy and the teenage girl were on their feet and heading for the door. "Coat, kid. Liv… you can borrow one of mine."

"Nah, you're alright, Em." The girl replied, plucking at the front of her hoody. "This is fine."

"It's raining pretty hard out there."

"I'll be fine."

With a shrug and a look that clearly said that if the girl got sick she'd have to deal with the consequences, Emma led the way out of the building and out into the street. She hadn't been lying about the weather and, by the time they'd piled into her old yellow bug, they were all soaked. Glancing sideways at the teenager, as though telling her 'I told you so', the blonde drove them the short distance to the diner.

They ran into the building, standing dripping on the floor for a moment, before Emma led the way over to a booth at the back of the diner. She smiled up at Ruby as the waitress handed round menus. She was about to say something, when Granny called her. With a roll of her eyes and a flip of her long hair, the young woman stalked away muttering under her breath.

"What d'you fancy?" Emma asked, looking at Henry and Liv who were sitting side-by-side across the table from her.

"You're paying, right?" The teenager checked quickly.

Emma nodded and smiled, remembering what it had been like for those first few years after leaving the system. "Of course; although we'll have to find you a job at some point. I wonder whether Granny's got any shifts going?"

"I was a waitress for a while last year… it didn't work out so well…" Liv informed them with a shrug, keeping her eyes on the menu in her hands.

"What happened?" Henry asked, intrigued.

"Let's just say there was a slight disagreement between me and the manager about what the phrase 'the customer is always right' actually means."

She glanced up and met Emma's eye, smirking slightly as the blonde sighed and shook her head. Then Emma shrugged. "I think you'd be OK working for Granny… as long as you don't try anything like short-changing the customers or stealing."

"Like I would." The teenager snorted, too used to hearing such accusations because of her past to get offended. "But I thought you wanted me to be all Nanny McPhee?" She glanced hopefully at Henry, who shook his head and smirked, causing her face to fall slightly.

"I told you, it's almost only fairy tale characters."

"And Frankincense."

"Frankenstein." He corrected quickly.

She shrugged. "Whatever."

"Ah, Sheriff Swan." A rich voice said, preventing Emma from reigniting the employment conversation. "Henry…"

"Hey, Mom." The boy replied with a small smile, which the woman returned wholeheartedly.

Liv stared at the Mayor carefully, slightly dazzled by the blindingly white teeth that are bared in a wide smile. There was no doubt in her mind that Ruby's earlier comment that she probably wouldn't get on too well with this woman was perfectly accurate. She was just so… immaculate. Emma was beautiful in a slightly chaotic, dishevelled, not smack-you-on-the-face obvious way. This woman was just flawless. There wasn't a hair out of place and her makeup appeared to have been fixed permanently in place because, despite the terrible weather outside, it was perfect. Then again, the teenager supposed, she was the Evil Queen.

"Can I help you?" Regina sneered, looking the girl up and down disdainfully.

Realising she was gawping Liv jumped slightly and closed her mouth. "Huh?"

Regina rolled her eyes and sighed. "I do hope, Sheriff, that you are not planning on entrusting my son to the care of this halfwit."

"Hey!" The girl complained. "I'm not a halfwit."

"No, she's a troll." Henry joked, giggling to himself.

Liv jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, grinning. "Shut it, village idiot."

The Mayor looked as though she was about to explode with irritation. "Don't you dare–"

"It's OK, Mom." Henry cut in quickly, seeing his mother's eyes flashing angrily. "It's just a joke about something we were talking about earlier."

"Well, Miss…" She looked pointedly at the teenager, waiting for her to supply her name.

"Reilly, Liv Reilly."

"Miss Reilly," Regina continued, looking as though even the girl's name was offensive to her, "who exactly are you?"

"She's…" Emma started when she caught sight of Liv staring at her helplessly.

"She's my big sister." Henry announced, making all three females turn to look at him quickly. Liv raised an eyebrow in amusement, while Emma looked totally confused and Regina appeared to be on the verge of a breakdown of some sort.

"Did you get the wrong end of the stick or something, kid?" The blonde asked, shaking her head. "Liv's not my daughter."

The boy shrugged. "Yeah, I know. But if my Moms are the Evil Queen and the Saviour and my Grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming, then why can't Liv be my sister? It's not like we're a normal family, is it?"

No one seemed sure how to respond to his reasoning. In the end, Regina settled for changing the subject completely. Running a scrutinizing eye over the girl sitting beside her son, she frowned.

"You are aware that it isn't actually raining inside the diner, Miss Reilly?"

"Of course… I did work out what roofs are actually for some time during the last seventeen years."

"So why, may I ask, are you wearing that ridiculous hood inside?"

Liv shrugged. "Because it hides my halo pretty well."

The Mayor frowned, pressing her lips together tightly in a grim line. "Are you under the impression that you're funny, dear?"

"Alright, you got me. It's the devil horns I'm trying to hide."

"Miss Reilly, perhaps you're not aware that I am Mayor of this town and you would do well to stay on my good side." Regina snapped, trying to ignore the fact that her son was doing his best to stifle his giggles and Emma was resolutely staring down at her menu while biting her lip. "I do not appreciate being mocked."

"Oh… I didn't mean… it was only a joke." Liv told her quickly. Usually she wouldn't care if someone thought she was being rude, but this was the Evil Queen; Henry's mother. "Sorry, your… Mayorness?"

Regina rolled her eyes, wondering whether this girl was the stupidest she had ever met. If she wasn't, she was certainly doing a very good impression. Shaking her head slightly, she turned to Emma. The distain was suddenly replaced by something that looked strangely like hope.

"Miss Swan… I was actually wondering whether… well… Henry, would you like to come for dinner with me tomorrow evening?"

"I don't know, Regina…" Emma said slowly, her brow furrowing as she considered the request. "After… my Mom…"

The brunette sighed softly. "I could have killed your Mother when she came to see me and I won't deny that it was extremely tempting. But I chose not to, Miss Swan. Your Mother is… well, as you know, I can't stand the sight of her, but I still chose not to harm her. Henry is my son and I would never… I could never… hurt him."

"I know that. I just…"

Liv glanced at the boy sitting beside her and saw the slight glimmer of hope in his eyes as he gazed between the two women. When his eyes settled on the brunette, the teenager kicked Emma under the table and glanced towards Henry, causing the blonde to do the same. She sighed as she saw the look on his face and relented.

"Alright, if he wants to, it's OK with me." She agreed. "But you can come to Granny's for dinner. I'll drop him off and pick him up from here."

"Henry?" Regina asked, almost as though she didn't dare hope he'd agree.

The boy nodded eagerly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The Mayor beamed. Suddenly she looked nothing like the fairy tale character she was supposed to be. Liv glanced across the table and saw that Emma was smiling too, her eyes drifting between the brunette and their son. The teenager smirked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

After a moment, Emma seemed to pull herself together. "So I'll drop him off at half six?"

"Perfect." The other woman agreed. She paused for a moment, before looking directly into the blonde's eyes and smiling softly. "Thank you."

Emma looked taken aback. "It's fine…"

Then the Mayor left, stalking out of the diner without looking at anyone. Ruby appeared beside the table moments later to take their order and the evening returned to the direction it had originally been taking. Liv sent Emma several knowing looks throughout the evening, trying to work something out. The blonde looked confused each time she caught the almost glazed, faraway look in the teenager's eyes, but didn't mention it.

"So, you survived your first meeting with the Evil Queen." Emma joked as they lay side-by-side in bed later that night.

"She wasn't that bad… a bit bitchy maybe and she definitely needs to lighten up and learn to take a joke, but she wasn't… evil." Liv replied, stifling a yawn. When Emma just shrugged and made a non-committal sound, the girl smirked. "Clearly I'm not the only one who thinks she's not all bad."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Liv rolled over onto her side with her back to the blonde. "Nothing… night, Em."

"Night, kid…" Emma responded softly, frowning as she tried to work out what the teenager had meant.