DISCLAIMER: Not mine. But I love it just the same.
Regina Mills was experiencing several different emotions.
Anger, at the fact she was spending time with her son only because Emma Swan had deigned to let her. There was joy, because Henry was sitting across from her and even though she could sense the wariness threaded underneath his skin like armour, he'd looked at her several times today and smiled. And so there was fear, because the moment she put a foot wrong the delight in her son's eyes would fade and Emma would whisk him away, quick as a candle-flame blown out.
She had been on guard against herself all day; against the thought she would fail in this endeavor to be lovable. She didn't know what to do with that despair except let it course through her while she smiled, too-bright, and offered drinks every half hour on the dot.
She sneered at herself inwardly. Being the perfect hostess is certainly the spell that will save you. Idiot.
Regina fists clenched tight around the dice she was holding as she contemplated her next move. Hastily rolled the dice when she noticed Emma watching her. She rearranged her features into a pleasant smile as she moved her marker across the board, kept her voice even as she landed herself in jail for the third time.
"Darn." She met Emma's eyes across the table. "Jail seems to be the best place for me."
Emma frowned at her. "Regina, I..."
She cut off any platitudes the woman was going to offer. "You guys carry on, I'll just check on the cookies."
She gave them both a bright smile and pretended not to see the glance they exchanged as she turned to walk into the kitchen. Willed herself not to give in to the urge to run.
She closed the door quietly behind her and took a gasping breath. Viciously pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes.
She didn't know how to be herself. No. She was too afraid to be herself under the beady eyes of one Emma Swan.
A knock sounded on the kitchen door and she hastily swiped at her cheeks, fixed a smile in place as she turned around. Let it slide from her face like water as Emma Swan stepped into the kitchen. She raised a brow towards the back wall. "Nice cupboard."
Regina rolled her eyes. "Yes, I was planning to put a feature wall there, but the cupboard serves there better."
Emma smirked. "Bet it's heavy."
She didn't like being laughed at, period, let alone in her own home. About to snap a response, she jerked her control back into place. This was about Henry, and point scoring wasn't on the agenda.
"Yes. I appreciate the help moving it, Miss Swan."
Emma studied her, the mischief fading from her face. "This isn't a test."
"Isn't it?" Her voice was ice, the tone one she used to make men cower and bend to her will. The other woman just contemplated the ceiling for a moment before scowling at her.
"Jesus, Regina, it's a few hours to spend with the kid. Take it for what it is."
"And what is that?"
"A step in the right direction. A chance for you to spend some time with your son where you're not trying to kill someone and I'm not trying to stop you!" Emma glared at her, and she noticed for the first time that the other woman's jaw was tense, her posture defensive.
So she's not exactly loving this, either. She sighed. "I don't want to feel like if I set a foot wrong Sheriff Swan will come out to play, and either put me in jail or refuse to let me see Henry. I don't like being held to ransom by my love for my son."
Emma Swan laughed. She didn't like that she was thrown off-balance at the sound. "Sheriff Swan is off-duty, and has been thinking about those cookies in the oven for the better part of the afternoon. Refusing to let you see Henry is not conducive to getting my hands on those. Also, you're already in jail. For the third time in like an hour."
Regina fought the urge to curl her lip. "That dice is loaded. And you aren't taking me seriously, Miss Swan. I do understand your penchant for avoiding grown-up conversation but..." She spread her hands, knowing her was smile tinged with darkness. Felt the magic rising with her distress. "...If you could indulge me."
Emma studied her for a moment. And then went right to the heart of the matter. "I have news for you, Madam Mayor. If you think that anyone in this town hasn't been held to ransom by their love for someone at some point, you are sadly mistaken. I was up at some god-awful hour this morning because Henry had some burning question about whether or not we should bring you food and could I make anything that doesn't involve eggs or a microwave." She rolled her eyes. "If that's not being held to ransom I don't know what is. The question is..." She raised a brow. "Do you want to be a willing prisoner or are you going to bitch about it all evening?"
She tried to hold back the smile that came as she realised her son had been just as nervous about this as she had. She let it slip through anyway as she ignored Emma's question. "Can you make anything that doesn't involve eggs and a microwave?"
Emma smirked. "I can make waffles. And French toast."
"Putting French in front of it doesn't make it better, Miss Swan."
"Only if we're talking toast, Madame Mayor."
She stared at her. "What are you talking –" Emma's gaze dropped to her mouth, back up. "Oh." She noted Emma was struggling not to make her smirk a full-blown grin, and resolved, jail or no, that she wasn't going to let the woman win this particular game.
She tapped a finger against her lips, saw Emma's gaze sharpen. "Actually, I can think of something else that's better with French in front of it."
She sashayed up to the Sheriff, saw Emma tense, deliberately relax. "What's that?"
She leant over, and purred. "Vanilla icecream. Tell me, Sheriff. Do you like it vanilla?"
Emma opened her mouth. Closed it. Then glared at Regina, a faint blush colouring her cheeks. "We should get back to Henry."
"So we should." And feeling more like herself than she had all night, she swung gracefully out of the kitchen.
Henry eyed them both as they returned to the table. "Everything okay?"
She smiled at him. "Of course. Whose turn?"
"Yours." He handed her the dice, and her heart dropped again at the hesitation in the gesture.
Emma saw it too. "No one is going to jail, Regina."
"She's already in jail, Emma." Henry piped up.
She shook her head, understanding the message and trying not to let it warm her. She blew on the dice, and grinned at them both. "I believe you're mistaken, Henry."
She rolled the dice, and two sixes came to a stop on the table.
Emma's jaw dropped. "Cheat!"
Henry just grinned. "It's her trick. She used to do that all the time, before the curse. It's not magic."
Emma's gaze came to rest on her. "Remind me not to play Yahtzee with you."
She just moved her marker, came to rest on Chance. "Take a chance... Oh, look. I can buy a Utility. That means I own two...I wonder whom I need to finagle the other two out of."
"That would be her." Henry pointed at Emma.
"Henry, what happened the last time we played Monopoly?" Emma asked, still watching her.
Henry rolled his eyes. "You took all my houses and my money."
Regina raised an eyebrow. "How motherly of you."
"Hey, you used to beat me at Guess Who every time!"
She switched her gaze to Henry. Narrowed her eyes. "You weren't supposed to tell her that."
He shrugged, deliberately casual, but she caught the smile he was hiding and her heart beat faster. "Give me an extra cookie after dinner and I won't tell her about the victory dance."
She closed her eyes, then looked at Emma, who was looking at her like she'd just been informed that all her Christmases had come at once. "What are you so thrilled about?"
Emma shrugged. "Nothing. Just contemplating the YouTube possibilities and how much I should charge you for not revealing this information to the town."
She cocked her head. Looked between them. Henry tense and hopeful, Emma just watching her with an infuriating little smirk.
No jail tonight. Please.
She drew herself up, and snarled. "Emma Swan, should you breathe a word of the fact the Evil Queen has a victory dance there will come a day when you rue the day you met me. And revenge will be so very, very sweet." Through her glare she saw Henry pale. Play the game, Miss Swan.
Emma put a hand on Henry's shoulder, winked at him when he looked at her. She tried and failed not to mind that he relaxed at her silent reassurance, and genuinely glared at Emma when she leaned forward so that they were eye to eye.
The other woman held up three fingers. "Three cookies, and my lips are sealed."
She sniffed, feeling the relief surge through her. "Two, and we'll all be grateful I didn't ask you to make French toast."
"Three, and I'll bring French vanilla next time."
She pretended to consider. "Done." She extended her hand, and they shook. She ignored the tingle as Emma's magic slid along her nerves at the contact. Ignored the urge to hold onto her hand, prolong the feeling of power that no doubt would come with a price.
Henry frowned. "You're not mad." It was a statement, and she thanked whatever power existed in this world that his fear of her wasn't constant.
She grinned at him. "Nope. Just hungry. You can have a cookie now if you run and put the trash out for me."
He studied her for a minute, then smiled. "Can I have two if I help you beat Emma?"
Emma swatted the back of his head. "Go, traitor."
Her eyes followed Henry as he left the room, then flicked to Emma. "Thank you, Miss Swan."
The blonde looked at her, and something she couldn't read flickered across her face. She held out a hand to Regina. "Emma, and I'll let you beat me at poker sometime."
She looked at the offered hand, clenched her own. She scoffed. "I hardly think that sometime who can't even strategise what she's wearing in the morning can beat me at poker."
Emma lowered her hand, gave a half-shrug. "You might be surprised." She fiddled with the cuffs of her jacket, looked towards the kitchen door that Henry had disappeared through.
I already am. I'm surprised I noticed that I just hurt you.
She searched for a way to get them back onto familiar ground. "Emma."
"Yeah?"
"This is nice. But don't think for one minute you're going to get a victory dance out of me."
Emma gave her a half-smile. "It's a long-term game, Regina. I wouldn't be so sure."
The worrying thing was, she wasn't.
A/N: It's got to be interesting, having someone under your skin that you're not entirely sure you want there. Thanks as usual for all the reads and lovely reviews, they are much appreciated. Have an awesome week.