Hello again! Sorry for the long wait. this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I had expected. Hopefully chapter 8 won't be as long and I can finish it quicker. Also, thanks again for the reviews! I love hearing your feedback!
Oops. I had to adjust some of the formatting... when I posted this earlier, I did it from my iPhone so it didn't format correctly. Now it's better. Easier to read. =)
What Lies Beneath Her Smile
Regina fell back with her eyes shut against the pillow, trying to catch her breath. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she pushed her fingers through her hair. She shivered as the cool air in the room dissipated the fine layer of sweat that had formed during her lovemaking with Emma. Regina opened her eyes as she placed a hand against her breast in an attempt to slow the beating of her heart. Emma crawled up across the bed from her spot between Regina's legs and laid down, placing her head on her lover's stomach. Regina smiled softly and brushed her other hand over Emma's blonde hair, pressing down on the soft curls.
Emma chuckled against Regina's skin, sliding her hands along the woman's waist. "Your body is still shivering."
"Don't consider for a minute it's because of you, Miss Swan. It's cold in here." Regina teased. Emma looked up at her and smiled. "What?"
"Sometimes it's kinda hot when you still call me 'Miss Swan.' It gets my blood going and..." Emma was interrupted by the ringing of her cellphone somewhere in the room. "Hang on a second." She jumped up off the bed, scrambling to her jeans where she had left her phone in the back pocket.
Regina rolled her eyes and scooted around on the bed until she was comfortably beneath the sheets, draping the white fabric over her waist as she leaned against the pillows and headboard.
"Uh huh... okay. Well, it doesn't sound like much, Mulan, but at least we're getting some kind of response from the emails I sent. I guess just keep me posted. I'll follow up when we get home. Forward it to me and I'll take a look at it. Write it down: ." Emma said, but her voice was clearly displaying disappointment. "You did what? Mulan, you don't have to pull people over for not buckling in a dog." Garbled noise came out of the phone, causing Emma to wince. "Okay, okay. I get it. Fine. I guess in that damn town, you can't really be sure... although I'm pretty sure Pongo has and always will be a dog. All right, well you and Ruby go have fun. Try not to pull over anymore people... on Mushu. See you Monday, Mulan."
Emma hung up the phone and left it on the top of the dresser. She moved quickly across the room and crawled into the bed with Regina, snuggling against her and wrapping her arms around her waist.
"Did something happen?" Regina asked.
Emma nuzzled her face into Regina's neck and mumbled, "It's just Mulan. I guess we got an email at the station from Harvard University. It's about Alice."
Regina sat up, letting Emma fall into the pillows. She folded her arms and scowled, covering her breasts so Emma would remain focused. "You're going to tell me right now what that email was about."
"It wasn't anything, really. Mulan said it was just about how their foster child outreach program caught wind of my searching and they're following up. Nothing solid yet." She stretched her arms out to Regina, inviting the woman back.
Settling into Emma and allowing herself to be wrapped around by her arms, Regina sighed, "I'm really hoping that nothing comes out of that. What if she really does have a real family? Why do you think she was out in the woods?"
Emma shrugged, "Could be anything. I was guilty of running away from foster families several times. Every time I got caught, I got thrown back into the system. Sometimes back to the family I ran away from or just to another orphanage until I could be dropped off to another family."
"How many families did you go through?" Regina asked softly, treading carefully on sensitive waters.
"Six. My name changed every time, but I insisted on keeping 'Swan' as part of my name until I turned eighteen. I kinda used it as my middle name when I was in a family. I was 'Emma Swan Walker' in New Jersey, 'Emma Swan Stevens' in Kentucky. At one point I was in California as 'Emma Swan Hsu' and then in Santa Fe as 'Emma Swan Rodriguez.' I've been all over the place and none of it felt like home." Emma let out a ragged sigh, as if a troubled sob were trying to escape her chest. There were good memories, but they were very few and far between. One or two of the families were abusive, especially as she got older. They didn't want to deal with an orphan with a troubled and broken past. She was nothing more than the piddly $500 subsidy the families got paid for taking her in. Emma never asked to be an unwanted expense or a burden. All she wanted was for someone to show her real love and care, the kind of love that she got now from Snow, David and Regina.
"Emma Swan Hsu? Really?" A curious eyebrow crept upwards on Regina's brow as she pressed her body closer to Emma's.
"They were all right. Chinese couple in San Diego. They took me to Disneyland once. I might have been... probably Henry's age. But then they ended up having to move to Hong Kong for work and I couldn't go with them," Emma said a bit sadly, placing a kiss on Regina's forehead.
Regina's face scrunched up slightly in thought, "What is Disneyland?"
Emma blinked a few times realizing the hilarity of the existence of Disneyland. She thought her answer out carefully. "Well... it's a theme park. There's rides and shows and places to eat. It's a big resort in California. There's one in Florida, too. But..." she stopped, stifling a laugh. The glare coming from her girlfriend was burning a hole into Emma's neck, "What's so funny?"
Emma burst into laughter, no longer able to contain herself. She caught her breath for a moment to continue her explanation, "Well..." she chuckled again, "So imagine that there's a cartoon version of you, my mom, my dad, your mother, Sydney, August and okay, pretty much everyone in Storybrooke except me and Henry. Cartoon versions of yourselves featured in movies and television and kind of... existing in a theme park. Henry's book isn't the only one of fairy tales."
"I know that," Regina retorted, "I'm quite aware of the films. Henry used to enjoy watching some of them when he was smaller."
"Okay, but there's a whole theme park dedicated to those movies. The Hsu's took me around Halloween. It's funny now when I think about it. See, there was a woman dressed up as the Evil Queen. I was a little scared of her back then, but she was... I guess I thought she was pretty in a way." Emma grinned.
"Oh really?" Regina scowled again, feeling a weird sense of jealousy for a woman in a costume.
"Hey, I was a kid. I thought she was the real thing. I didn't think... I mean, how could I have known that the real Evil Queen was so damn gorgeous and hardly 'evil' at all? Or that she'd end up actually taking my heart?"
Regina sat up and scooted away from Emma, flopping down on the bed with an overdramatic flourish of the sheets. "That was rude, Miss Swan. I don't do that anymore...and I'm not evil."
Holding back another laugh, Emma slid across the bed and held herself over Regina, straddling the irritated woman beneath her. She planted her hands on either side of Regina's head, smiling down at her. "No, you aren't. Maybe you're a little mean, but you've got too much love to give for you to be evil. But you did take my heart... and I don't want you to give it back." She leaned down and kissed Regina's lips softly before leaning on one elbow to nip at her earlobe. "I never said you took it forcefully. I gave it to you and I want you to keep it. My heart belongs to you, Regina. Willingly."
Try as she might, Regina couldn't resist Emma's sweet words. Her heart beat loudly, echoing in her ears as she bit her lip and then gave Emma quick kiss, "That's cheating, you know. Trying those sappy lines and love coated promises on me."
Emma's phone buzzed on the dresser again and she rolled her eyes. She ignored it purposefully so she could focus on biting at Regina's ear again. The phone became insistent, the buzzing constant. Regina tried her best to ignore it as well, letting her hands wander up Emma's back and into her hair. After her own phone buzzed on its perch on the bedside table, she withdrew her hands and growled, "What the hell? I thought we had the afternoon to ourselves." She reached for the phone as Emma rolled off of her, sighing loudly. "Don't pout, dear."
"I'm like a waterfall over here and you're telling me not to pout? I'd like to know what's going on between your legs that you can just waltz away from this." Emma whined. She watched Regina's face as she read the text messages that were being sent to the device. Her expression moved from slight annoyance to blown out worry. "What is it?"
"It's your mother. She said we need to talk about Alice... something about a painting?" Regina shrugged as she got up from the bed, "I'm a bit worried, but I think your mother exaggerates sometimes."
"Tell me about it," Emma sighed. "Like the time she thought there was a dead body by the docks and she insisted that my dad go out there and rescue it? Then it was only some discarded clothes stuck on a bunch of sticks?"
"Discarded clothes from Hook's ship," Regina reminded her, "That loathsome pirate had some kind of party and someone lost clothing." She moved about the room, picking up their clothes and hanging them up, trying her best prevent any more wrinkles from forming.
Emma smirked as she went to get a clean pair of panties from her side of the dresser. It was a good thing she knew to over pack the essentials. "Yeah, I think it was Belle's. Don't you remember? We were at that party. Your mother discovered good wine. Not that swill that was all over the Enchanted Forest."
"Emma, you were there once," came the sharp retort. "Not everything there was so horrible."
The blonde shrugged as she pulled on her jeans, "The wine was horrible enough for me to remember. The beer wasn't any better. I was kinda hoping for something that I read about as a kid. Mead and loud brazen huntsmen and sultry serving girls."
"Were you planning on doing anything with said huntsmen and serving girls?" Regina glared at her as she buttoned up a deep purple blouse.
"Gross, no!" Emma replied, yanking on a grey t-shirt. "Trying to take a bath out there was like trying to ask for magic over here. It's just not going to happen. I can't even begin to imagine the layers of dirt built up on those people."
Regina primped herself in the mirror, making sure that her hair and makeup were impeccable as always. Sex with Emma didn't mean she needed to look like a hot mess. That was just how her insides felt when they were done. She snuck a glimpse of the blonde in the mirror as Emma hopped around the room pulling on her boots. A small smile made its way from her heart to her lips, stifling a giggle as Emma clumsily achieved the difficult task of getting dressed. Regina wondered how she ever fell for Emma in the first place. She wasn't particularly gorgeous, but she was pretty, and Regina was known for bedding handsome men and the occasional beautiful woman. But Emma... Regina rolled her eyes at the thought. Emma was unrefined, careless, childish, whiney, annoying and not to mention that she was the offspring of Regina's greatest enemies. But as her eyes fell on the strong shoulders of the clumsy blonde woman, the sway of her long curly blonde hair, and the curve of her hips, she was reminded that Emma was so much more than her faults. She was honest, caring, the mother of their son, and the one person who truly showed Regina what it meant to be in love and what it meant to be loved.
Emma was checking the messages on her phone when Regina finally pulled away from the mirror. "Hell, she sent me six texts. Sounds like Alice is an artistic prodigy or something. Listen: Need 2 tal about Alice. painting is pro quality. Something wrong. Cora involved. Meet in resort bar. David taking Henry n Alice out for a walk."
"Your mother isn't very bright sometimes. All this modern technology and she didn't think to take a picture of what she's talking about and send it to us?" Regina smirked. "But what's that part about my mother?"
Emma shrugged, "Don't know. But I'm getting the sinking feeling that Alice is really the Alice from the story."
Regina pulled on a black blazer over her purple blouse and black skirt, then slipped into her Nine West heels. "Whatever it is, we better go meet her. She's probably halfway to tears by now."
With a slight snicker, Emma grasped Regina's hand and led her out of the bedroom. "Try not to tease her about it. My mother is a sensitive woman."
"Don't I know it." Regina replied. She rolled her eyes as she followed Emma out of their room, a slight nagging feeling of dread creeping up her spine.
Snow sat at a table in the resort's bar, nursing a glass of white wine. Her hands felt cold despite the room being quite warm. She wrung them together, her face reflecting the concern that was drowning her heart and mind. Why did she paint that? I can't... Why does she know Cora? Or how? Is that even possible? I know magic is inexplainable sometimes, but this is just crazy. She glanced at the painting next to her. Alice had agreed to leave it with Snow when she left with David and Henry, but begged her to not show it to Regina and Emma yet. She wanted to surprise them with her work. After all, Regina had asked Alice to paint her something nice and to a little girl, painting her heroes defeating her enemies was possibly the best thing she could do.
At first Snow was shocked at the content of the piece. The quality of it was astounding, as if Alice were able to convey all her thoughts and feelings onto the canvas in professionally engineered strokes of the paintbrush. Subtle details that most 9-year-old children would miss certainly did not go unnoticed by the little girl. She wondered if Alice had been in a good family at one point that taught her art. Snow's mind drifted to her daughter. What was Emma's childhood like? Did she have a good family sometimes? It was no secret that Emma wasn't happy with her childhood, but weren't there some good memories? A sharp pang of regret danced around Snow's heart, waltzing against it and reminding her that she had lost so much time with her daughter.
Things had moved so fast after Regina and Emma broke the curse that Snow hadn't really found the time to sit down with Emma and really talk to her. She wanted to. God, she wanted to find out everything she could about Emma. But her daughter was so closed off that it was almost like trying to talk to Regina at times. She never noticed it before but Regina and Emma were so similar that it was a bit frightening. She had resisted their relationship at first, but over time she knew that rejecting their love would only push her already estranged daughter further away and that was the last thing Snow wanted. But getting Emma to actually sit down and want to talk about a past she was trying to run away from was near impossible. Regina clearly had some sort of magic left if she had been able to get Emma to stay in one place for a conversation, let alone build a relationship. Snow chuckled to herself, Well... their relationship was almost literally forged in the heat of battle. It just wasn't a traditional sort of fight. She shook her head, remembering just how much trouble Emma had stirred up when she first came to Storybrooke. That blonde haired thunderstorm was most obviously hers and David's daughter.
Snow lifted her glass to her lips, catching a glimpse of Emma and Regina approaching the bar. From her seat she could see them crossing the lobby. Glancing down at the portrait next to her on the empty seat, she felt her heart race. I can't show them this... I promised Alice. She trusted me and... no, this is important. If they want to take her in, they have to know. Especially if Cora is a part of this. Snow quickly stood up from her seat and snatched the portrait, hiding it underneath the window's curtain behind her. She'd return it to Alice later, but she didn't want Regina or Emma reacting to it before she had a chance to explain. Both of them had a habit of jumping to the worse conclusion possible.
Emma veered off from their path to Snow's table to go get drinks at the bar. Regina somehow found a way to hop up on the tall barstool while still looking unbelievably regal. She narrowed her eyes at Snow, glancing at the half finished glass of wine in front of her. "So, what is it that you want to talk about? Where is Alice? Emma and I left her with you."
Snow laced her fingers together and placed her hands on the table. She felt nervous under Regina's scrutinizing gaze. Over the years, Snow had gotten used to it. Whether she was Queen or Mayor or parent, Regina was constantly judging everyone around her and criticizing their very existence and Snow was quite used to it. But this time was different. This time, Regina's eyes were worrisome and irritated, not because of anything that Snow did, but because in her mind and in her heart, Alice was already Regina and Emma's daughter.
"She's with David. I asked him if he could come pick her up. I wanted to talk to you and Emma first." Snow admitted.
Regina folded her arms and scowled, even as Emma joined them and set a glass of scotch in front of her. "So what's going on, Mom?"
"It's about Alice," Snow began. Regina made a loud scoffing noise and threw her hands up. Snow shrank back slightly, watching the woman's face distort into a sneer.
"Yes, we got that, Snow White. Get to the point."
Emma gently placed a hand on Regina's knee. "Hey... relax, Gina. I know you're worried, but snapping at my mom isn't going to help." Regina huffed again, snatching up her glass and taking a large swig of the otherwise quality scotch. She regretted it as soon as she did it. She hated wasting good liquor.
Snow shifted in her seat, unable to look at Regina or Emma in the eyes. She took a nervous sip of her wine before she set the glass down. "First, I want you to promise that you'll act like you're surprised when Alice shows it to you. She begged me to not show you because she wants to do it herself. But when I saw it, I couldn't help but become worried." Regina narrowed her eyes at the woman across from her. It took every bit of resistance she had in her to not reach over and shake Snow.
"We promise," Emma assured her mother. She didn't need to get confirmation from Regina, her girlfriend would do anything necessary for the children. Henry and Alice were a soft spot for her. Although she had little tolerance for their parents, even Grace, Hansel and Gretel easily got into Regina's good graces.
Snow hesitated a minute before getting off the seat and going to the curtain. She took out the small canvas, just barely larger than a notebook and slowly turned it to them. Brown and green eyes widened as they observed the painting in Snow's hands.
"It's... well, frankly it's incredible." Regina whispered. She got down from her seat as well, reaching her hand out to the painting. "That really does look like me... and my mother." She suddenly snapped her hand away and straightened her back, "It's only a painting, Snow. Why do you look so frightened?"
"What if she really is Alice? What's going to happen when your mother comes back to town?"
Regina shrugged, "I think we should be focusing more on her talent. Considering that you're Snow White, the chances of her being the Alice who threw my own mother into a rampage makes it all the more important for her to stay with this family. Do you really think someone on the outside is going to understand? But I really don't care if she is Alice or just a little girl named Alice. I love that child. So no matter what happens in the end, it's not going to change the fact that she has a family here. I'd like to know how a girl with an ability like that has gone so long without being adopted by a family."
A small huff of consideration came from Emma as the blonde woman folded her arms, staring intently at the painting. "I'm worried, ya know? Her art is... really violent." She tore her eyes away from the canvas to look at Snow, "Mom, was Alice angry or anything when she was doing this?"
"No, not at all. In fact, she was very calm and focused." Snow answered as she sat back in her seat. She set the painting down on the chair next to her, making sure it wouldn't slide off or fall.
"It's not so much the content of the piece that's got me worried, it's the purpose. If that's really supposed to be me and Regina, then it seems like Alice expects us to be heroes or destroyers. I'm not sure which one, but either option leads to... I mean, look at it! I've got a sword in a monster and no matter what way you look at it, Regina has cut off that woman's head." Emma turned, now to face Regina. The woman met her gaze and frowned slightly, "It might be a good idea to take Alice to Archie next week. I really want to help her, but we can't help if we don't understand what's going on with her."
Regina sat down on the bar stool again and sighed, looking rather distraught. She gave Emma's request some serious thought, weighing out every possibility and situation in her head. She had hoped that just between her, Emma and Henry, they would be able to open up Alice's world. But even Regina knew that there were things that required a lot more effort. Slowly, she nodded her head, "I suppose I can make an appointment with Archie on Monday."
Emma gave a relieved and thankful sigh. "Thanks, Gina." She glanced at her mother who was still nervously pawing at her wine glass. "What is it, Mom?"
"Hypothetically... if she really is Alice... what will you do?"
As if it were the silliest question in the world, Regina smirked and placed her hand on Emma's arm, "We would still do the same thing. We're a family, Snow. You should understand that as well as anyone else." Emma suddenly felt nervous, a creeping fear crawling through her chest. She glanced at Regina's hand, as if the gentle touch was the source of her fear. It was, in a sense. The hesitance she felt the first time Regina had asked her to move in came flooding back. Emma knew what it meant for her to accept that she would be a family with Regina, Henry and Alice. It meant finally having a real home. But it also meant that she was rooted in a way that was foreign to her. A million thoughts ran through her brain. Emma felt a cold sweat forming on her skin. What happens after we adopt Alice? Do we have to be married to adopt her? What if we can't? Wait, do I have to be married to Regina? I don't... dislike that, but I don't even know if I want to get married. Does she even want to move this relationship further? Maybe she does... is she waiting on me? Oh christ, I'm freaking out. She nervously pulled her arm away from Regina, causing the other woman to glare at her in the corner of her eye.
Regina brushed her tongue against her lips before casting her eyes in any direction except towards Snow or Emma. That wasn't the reaction she was expecting out of Emma. She thought that they were getting past Emma's issues with settling down. But Regina knew not to expect too much. It had taken a lost foster child and some classic deal swindling to get Emma to move in. She would've made herself look like a complete fool if she expected Emma to easily slide into the family setting without the option to leave when she felt confined. To be fair, Regina knew from her few conversations with Snow, that Emma wasn't immediately keen on bonding with her parents in the beginning either. She would let it slide for now, but like with any important detail, Regina filed it away in her thoughts for a future conversation. One she definitely intended to have with Emma sooner rather than later. A nagging thought settled in her brain, causing her to stand on the precipice of fear. If she had loved Daniel once and she loved Emma now, what would stop that love from just disappearing over time?
Snow finished the last bit of wine in her glass. "Sorry, for pulling you two away from your afternoon. How was the spa?"
Emma shrugged, "We didn't go yet. Got up to the room and napped. Riding that horse really took a lot out of me." She stretched, emphasizing the soreness in her body that came from riding and rolling around the sheets.
Shaking herself from her thoughts, Regina finished her drink and moved off the chair. "But perhaps the spa is a good idea now. Emma, shall we?" Regina held her hand out towards the blonde woman and smiled when Emma gratefully took her hand. "Thank you, Snow. For telling us about your concerns with Alice. We'll be sure to keep everything in mind, but it doesn't change how I feel about the issue."
Snow nodded, as if Regina's affirmation were all she needed to stop worry about everything. She'd still be worried, but Snow felt she had done her part both as grandmother and as a leader in making sure that the situation would be handled. Although a small part of her still feared for the moment when Cora would return to Storybrooke. She had seen what had happened to Alice when she encountered Jefferson. If the Mad Hatter frightened Alice... then what did the Queen of Hearts do to her to make the child wish for her death?
David was silent during his walk with Alice and Henry. He sat on a stone bench, watching the children run in and out of the hedges of the garden.
"Henry! Don't run too fast, Alice can't keep up you with you!" he called out to them.
Henry skidded to a stop, grinning at his grandfather for a moment before looking over his shoulder. "If I slow down, she'll catch me, Grandpa!"
Alice ducked behind a hedge, hiding in the shadow knowing that Henry would come around the corner again. He had been letting her chase him in a loop, using the turn of the pathway to get ahead of her. She poked her head out cautiously. Henry was barreling down the path at full speed, taking advantage of the straight length between the hedges to run without reservation. He was a blur as he passed her, but she was just as quick, jumping out after him and reaching desperately for his shirt. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed as she touched Henry's arm.
Henry shrieked in response, laughing as he slowed down to catch his breath. "I think..." he started as he tried to catch his breath, "You might be faster than Gretel."
Alice huffed as well, brushing the leaves from the hedge off of the new Lucky Brand jeans she was wearing. "I'm really good at running."
"Hey, how come you didn't talk before?" Henry asked. He stood up, tilting his head curiously at the girl.
"Cause..." Alice began, shuffling her feet slightly, "Adults get mad at me when I talk. They said I make things up and that I'm a liar. Good kids don't lie. But your moms are nice to me and so are your grandparents. I don't think they'll get mad at me."
Henry nodded, offering his hand to Alice, "Adults say that when they don't believe anymore. Even Mom and Emma. You just gotta help them believe again."
She took his hand and nodded in agreement as they started walking back towards David, "Did that happen to you, too?"
"Kinda. Mom thought I was having problems so she made me see Archie, he's the town shrink. He believed me, a little bit. Mary Margaret, I mean, Grandma Snow really helped, too. She didn't know she was helping put everything back together but she helped." Henry stopped and looked at Alice with a lost expression. "That's really confusing, isn't it?"
Alice's shoulders raised slightly, "A little bit. It's okay." Henry wanted to ask her more, but it seemed as if Alice's eyes were focused on the ground ahead and her thoughts had long left the conversation. They just walked together in silence back to David.
The prince smirked as the children approached him. "Tired yourselves out, did you? How about we head back?"
"It's still early," a voice said from down the pathway to the estate. Snow smiled softly as David and the children looked up at her. "I think we have some time to go to the archery range."
Henry grinned, "Yes! Grandma, can you show me how to split an arrow?!"
Snow laughed as she reached them and placed a hand on his head. "Well, you can certainly try. Alice, I put your painting in your room. You can give it to Regina and Emma later, okay?"
Alice nodded with a small smile. Snow offered her hand to Alice, who took it slowly while still holding Henry's hand with her other one. David laughed softly, watching as Henry, Alice and Snow formed a hand linked chain. "Hang on a second... we should get a picture of this." David pulled out his phone and glared at it, "Why can't this thing have a timer?"
Henry broke away from Alice and hurried over to his grandfather, "Wait, there's an app for that, Grandpa." He held his hand out and waited for David to hand him the phone. After tapping away at the screen, he handed it back to David and smirked. "Just put your password in so it can download."
Sure enough, the app downloaded quickly and David took a moment to maneuver through it. Once he was sure he had figured it out, he propped the phone on the stone bench where he was sitting. The timer beeped loudly. "All right, 15 seconds!" He rushed to crouch next to Henry, pulling his grandson in front of him and Snow with his other arm. She crouched down as well, nudging Alice to stand in front of her as she held the girl lightly in her arms. Fifteen seconds felt like a long time, but after what felt like an hour, the phone beeped again and the picture went off. When David picked up his phone again, he smiled happily at the picture of himself and Snow with their grandchildren.
Snow peered over his shoulder and looked at the screen, "Aww, that's cute. What are you doing?"
"Sending it to Regina and Emma," he answered. After the phone swooshed the picture to the abyss of shared media in hopes that it would at least reach his daughter's phone, he continued to tap away at the screen.
"Now what are you doing, Grandpa?" Henry asked curiously.
"Sending the picture to people at home. Leroy, Marco, Granny Lucas, Ruby, Belle, Archie... Oh! Mother Superior and Astrid, Tiny, Sleepy, Doc, Dopey, Happy, Bashful... how many people can you send messages to?" he wondered aloud.
"If you run out of space, you can always just send another one. Do nuns even have cell phones?" Snow shrugged. "It really is a cute picture. We should get Regina and Emma to take one with the kids, too."
Alice looked up at Snow and tugged at her sweater, "Can I be in that too?"
Snow's face contorted into one that was desperately trying to hold back tears. Alice's pure honesty was endearing, but what hurt Snow was that it always seemed as if Alice felt like she was intruding in on their family. She bent down and hugged Alice, brushing her hand over the girl's ragged blonde hair. "Of course you're going to be in that picture, Alice. We want you to be in that picture and every single one we all take as a family from now on." Snow placed her hand on Alice's cheek, giving her a hopeful smile. Alice sucked in an excited breath before she threw her arms around Snow's neck in a tight hug. Snow realized then that Regina was right. No matter where Alice came from or who she really was, all that mattered at this point was that she belonged here.
"What the hell was that?" Regina snapped as soon as the door was closed. Emma had strode in ahead of her, heading straight to the bedroom and kicking off her boots. Regina followed her in and leaned against the door frame.
"What?" Emma asked, tilting her head curiously. She struggled with her second boot for a second before it came loose with an oomph.
"When your mother asked what we would do about Alice. I said we'd still be a family and you pulled away. You pulled away from me, Emma." Regina replied, emphasizing her words. She was fuming with irritation. "Is there something you want to tell me?"
Emma sighed and stood up. She crossed the room to Regina where she met her gaze hard with dark green eyes. "I just got a little scared."
"Scared?!" Regina hissed sharply. She threw her hands in the air and pushed past Emma into the bedroom. "What the hell is there to be scared of now? We've been dating for over a year, we have a son and from what I gathered, you wouldn't mind taking in Alice as our daughter." She stopped halfway through the room and folded her arms, glaring at Emma.
"I... it's not like that, Regina," Emma replied softly. She shifted her gaze to the carpet, staring at some swirl of color near Regina's high heel. Shuffling her feet nervously, she slowly raised her head to meet the hard gaze of her girlfriend. "It still freaks me out sometimes, this whole 'settling down' thing. I'm not used to it!"
Regina narrowed her eyes more, eyeing the blonde woman who still refused to come back into the room. But she wanted her to. Regina desperately wanted Emma to take her in her arms and reassure her that everything was all right and that she would stay. She wanted the unspoken promise of solidarity in their relationship. Without it, she knew she could lose everything in the simple gust of wind that might pass by. "Why don't you want to be a part of this family?"
"I do!" Emma answered quickly. She wondered if it was too quick as she felt Regina's stare burn holes into her chest. "Look, I've never stayed too long anywhere. Because whatever was keeping me there went away. Families, friends, even fucking Neal. All of it disappears. I... sometimes I think that this will disappear too. I'm scared because one day I might come home and you decided that you don't want me around anymore." Emma slid down the door frame and sat against it, curling her knees to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs and stared into the other side of the door frame.
"Emma..." Regina began softly. But the blonde suddenly looked up at her, soft green eyes brimming with tears.
Emma shut her eyes tight, willing the tears away and took a deep breath. "Everyone abandons me, Regina. That's how it's always been. Even when I think things are going to be okay, something happens. Everyone always leaves me. I'm scared of settling into this because I know as soon as I do, it'll go away. That's my curse."
She should have felt compassion and a bit of sympathy for Emma, but Regina felt herself becoming angry. She hated how Emma doubted herself, doubted her love and even the love of Henry or her own parents. It may have taken her 28 years to find it, but she finally achieved it. Her parents, Snow and David, were in her life and they supported her, loved her, and wanted nothing but the best for her. Henry, the child she gave up, loved her unconditionally. It angered Regina, seeing as how everything had fallen into place for Emma. She had to work for it, Regina didn't remember a single moment where she didn't struggle to achieve the love she had. Daniel had been ripped away from her. She sacrificed her own father for vengeance. Henry had adored her until Emma had come along and Regina had to fight everything she knew within her to win his love back. Even with Emma, she had to struggle with her own conflicting emotions to really see the woman for who she was and allow herself to fall in love with her. The more she wanted Emma to stay, to solidify their relationship, the more Emma pulled away and it was eating at her like a disease. It scared her and angered her in a way that Regina was familiar with.
"How dare you..." Regina sneered. Emma looked up to see the tears freely falling from Regina's brown eyes. "How fucking dare you, Emma. You have no idea how lucky you are. I've seen it all from the other side of the window. How your parents loved you, how Henry loved you... how I saw myself fall in love with you. It all just happened. You didn't sacrifice anything to have that love. It all just fell happily into your lap! But you have no idea how I had to fight through all of this!" Regina's shoulders began to shake as sobs took over her body. She wrapped her arms around herself, unable to stop the tears as they poured from her eyes.
Emma scrambled to her feet and crossed the space between them in just a few steps. Pulling Regina into her arms, she hugged her close and buried her face in the other woman's shoulder. "Regina, please... don't cry, please..." she begged.
Angered, Regina pushed Emma away. "No, you don't get to tell me how hard it is for you. You don't know how hard it is for me! Everything I ever loved has been taken from me! They didn't just waltz away into another life away from me, they were taken! Either by someone else's or by my own hand! No, you're not allowed to feel sorry for yourself when you can't even begin to understand what I suffer through." Unable to control herself, Regina walked away from Emma and sat on the bed, covering her face in her hands. Emma knelt in front of her, gently placing her hands on Regina's knees. She thought the woman would move away from her again, but she silently breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't. "Every day I wake up, scared that this won't last. I know your history. You never stay in one place. I'm terrified, Emma, that one day you'll be tired of me. That you'll decide that you don't want this tired woman who's always been the villain in everyone's minds. You won't want to deal with it anymore. That you won't want me. Do you know how hard that is? I love you, Emma. But I don't even think you really understand what that means."
A small smile appeared on Emma's lips as Regina sighed tiredly and put her hands down. She took both of Regina's tear stained hands in hers and raised up on her feet to kiss her cheek. "I do know what it means, Regina. It means we're both scared. I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose Henry or my parents or Alice. I want all of this to keep going, just like it's been... I want to see you every morning next to me. I've never wanted anything as much as I want this, but that's what scares me. I want it so bad that I'm afraid it's some kind of lucid dream."
"Tell me that you love me." Regina said quietly. "This is all a some kind of hallucination to me and I don't want to wake up from it. If I do, I might still be in a cold, dark castle. Alone and broken. Tell me that this is real and that you're real."
Emma stood up and cupped her hands around Regina's face. She leaned in a kissed her softly, just slightly brushing her tongue against Regina's dark red lips. When the woman gave way, she slipped her tongue in and pressed herself against Regina, lowering her onto the bed. When Emma raised her head for a breath, she felt her heart flutter as her eyes met Regina's. "I love you. I love you so much that it hurts me, Regina. I've never been so in love that I was scared. The fact that it frightens me only tells me that it's really real. I don't want to lose any of it."
Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's neck and pulled her down into another kiss. Her hands worked their way into her hair, stringing blonde strands between her fingers. "Don't leave me, Emma," she whispered into their kiss.
Emma lifted her head again and smiled softly. She shifted her body to lay next to Regina and wriggled her arm under the other woman's waist, pulling her close. "I won't. I can't leave you. I'm sorry if I upset you, I just... It'll just take some time for me to really let this all sink in. I'm not used to someone wanting me around."
As she shifted in Emma's arms, Regina felt her heart beat loudly, echoing in her ears. The closeness, the sincerity of Emma's words were both painful and welcoming. Regina knew Emma would struggle with having a relationship that was more than casual dating. For a short time, Regina was fine with it. But she discovered that the more she fell for the blonde Sheriff, the more she wanted to keep her close and ensure that nothing could destroy the happiness she finally had achieved. She felt Emma's breath on her hair as she wrapped her arm around her waist and pressed her body closer to the younger woman.
They lay there silently for quite sometime, mulling over the argument in their heads. Regina decided it was best not to push anymore, for now. She knew that if she questioned her girlfriend further, Emma would shrink back as if Regina were made of fire. Emma had become so quiet that Regina wondered how upset their argument had made her. It wasn't until she heard Emma breathing softly in her ear that she realized the blonde had fallen asleep.
The warmth of Regina's body against hers made Emma relax. Her heart was pounding after arguing with Regina. Her whole body felt like it had been stretched to its limit and all she wanted was to relax. It wasn't long before exhaustion took over her body and she fell into a light sleep, holding Regina close to her.
It was the loud chirping of Emma and Regina's phones that shook them from their de-stress nap. Emma jumped up to scramble for her phone. Her body was shaking from having woken up so quickly as she grabbed her phone. Regina rolled on her side and sighed tiredly. Lifting herself from the bed, she slowly walked to her purse for her phone as Emma was staring at hers.
"This..." Emma muttered. She turned with her phone held in her outstretched hand. Regina tapped on her phone just as she looked up at Emma's. "This is why I can't leave you or Storybrooke."
Regina looked at the image and felt the tug at her heart again. The text below read "Em and Regina, Snow and I want a picture with you two and the kids before we leave tomorrow." She smiled softly and shook her head. "You know, Emma... sometimes your parents are just too much."
"What do you mean?" the blonde asked. She tapped at her phone, saving the picture in her photo album.
"They irritate me to no end, but once in awhile they do something like this..." Regina shrugged. She saved the photo in her own phone and looked up. "I think they could use some time alone. They've been with the kids all morning. I've calmed down, but that massage you mentioned earlier would help. Let's go relax for awhile and then release your parents from babysitting duties."
Relieved that Regina was feeling a little better, Emma smiled brightly. Her heart felt lighter as well, having voiced her frustrations earlier. "Sounds like a plan." She followed Regina out of the bedroom once they were ready to head out again. Emma reached out and grabbed Regina's wrist as she turned the doorknob. She pulled the older woman to her and hugged her close. "I'm sorry, Regina."
Wanting to throw up her defenses as normal, Regina held her tongue for a moment. She carefully considered her response before kissing Emma's cheek. "Stop. We'll cross that bridge when we get there, Emma. Now, let's get going. I have a feeling there's a large Bulgarian woman with strong hands I want all over my back."
Emma's jaw dropped as Regina slinked away from her and out the door. The blonde followed, still wearing the shocked expression on her face. She was silent until they got into the elevator when it finally passed through her brain, "I'm starting to dislike the idea of this massage." Regina laughed, linking her arms around Emma's before kissing her softly as the doors closed.
Mulan had proudly finished her report on the very first incident she could write about in the police department activity log. It would have been better if she had a ticket written for Archie's transgression. She was positive she would earn the Sheriff's respect as an employer and commanding officer.
Her phone beeped from her pocket. It was a photo message from Ruby. Mulan wondered if her friend was going to try and tease her again with another photo of bacon. Not just bacon, triple stacked bacon weaves on a burger. She was slightly relieved when she opened the image and found the picture to be of Snow White, Prince Charming, Henry and the young blonde girl that was with Regina the first day Mulan had encountered the woman. Although lunch was not that long ago, her stomach grumbled at the thought of bacon. She sighed, "I am pleased that they are enjoying their weekend. In that case, I must ensure that I perform well this weekend. It will not be satisfactory if I cannot maintain this town while the Sheriff, the Mayor and the Prince and Princess are away." With renewed vigor for her chosen career path, Mulan sat down at the computer and continued with her search for Alice's family.
Further up the road from the Sheriff's station, Ruby, Aurora and Granny were enjoying a quiet lull in the diner. They were crowded around Ruby's phone to look at the picture David had sent. "That's the kid Emma picked up outside of town, isn't it?" Granny asked. Aurora smiled as the picture showed up on her phone. It seemed that David did not have her number, so Ruby decided to share it with her and Mulan.
"Her name is Alice," Ruby replied, smiling as she rolled her eyes. "They're cute! Look at them! Wherever that private resort that Regina found is at, it's really gorgeous."
"She looks like Emma's kid," Leroy grumbled from his bar seat. He rested his head on the bar counter, staring at his phone in front of him. "How many illegitimate children does that woman have anyways?" Leroy lay his head down on the bar counter, encouraged by the alcohol in his system.
"That was rude, Leroy. Don't make me kick you out of here," Ruby growled. "How'd you get a picture of them, too?"
The little man shrugged, "The Prince and I are buddies. Got a problem with that? Ya know, his wife lived with me and my brothers for awhile? You couldn't have forgotten the story already, Red."
"Ugh, shut up and pass out already, Leroy." Ruby rolled her eyes again and made a point to ignore the drunken man.
Aurora sat back on the bar seat and smiled, "What a handsome family. But where are Regina and Emma?"
A playful smirk grew on Ruby's lips as she put her phone away, "I have a pretty good idea, but I'd rather not think about it." She laughed as Aurora continued to stare at her with confused eyes.
The bell on the door chimed as Mother Superior and Astrid walked into the diner, holding stacks of flyers. Astrid frowned at the sight of Leroy leaned over on the bar. Ruby reached over and smacked his head, jolting the irritable man from his stupor. Leroy snapped his head up and glared at Ruby before following the path of her gaze. He turned in his seat and saw Astrid standing there with a rather disappointed look on her face. Too drunk to really assess the situation, he disappeared into the men's restroom to hide until hopefully the nuns would leave. He really wasn't in the mood to have to explain himself to a nun. Especially not to one he thought was attractive. Damn fairies.
Astrid sighed as she followed Mother Superior farther into the diner. The redheaded nun set down a small stack of flyers on the counter in front of Ruby and Aurora. "Good afternoon, ladies. We were wondering if you'd be kind enough to distribute some of these during your business hours. It's for the upcoming Storybrooke Orphanage Fundraiser that we're holding at the church."
Granny shrugged, "Do what you like as long as it doesn't get in the way of business. Ruby, better get changed and hurry on to the station. You promised Mulan you'd pick her up."
"Oh, shoot. That's right. Okay, I'm out. Aurora, you'll be all right on the dinner shift?" Ruby asked as she removed her apron.
"I will be fine, Ruby, thank you." Aurora turned to Mother Superior, "What is it exactly you'd like for us to do with these?"
"Oh! Just...leave them out so people can pick them up. Maybe put one in the window?" Astrid offered quietly. Her eyes drifted towards the men's restroom where Leroy was hiding. "Is...Leroy all right?"
"He'll be fine!" Granny grumbled from the kitchen. "I'll drag his ass onto the street if he passes out in there. Whatever, you ladies just leave those flyers there. But we've got a dinner rush to prepare for."
Mother Superior and Astrid understood that it was their cue to leave. Astrid looked back towards the restroom one more time before turning towards the front sadly. Mother Superior turned her head to see Aurora pull out her phone again to make sure she saved the image Ruby had sent her.
"What's that you have there, Aurora?"
"Oh, it is a photograph from David and Snow from their vacation," Aurora answered. She held up her phone to show Mother Superior. The woman glanced at the photo, then smiled softly. Aurora beamed, happy she could share the warmth that the picture had brought her. "It looks like they're having a lot of fun."
"Indeed. Thank you for allowing us to leave some flyers here." Mother Superior nodded before she turned away towards the exit. "Come, Astrid. We have several more shops to visit." She swept past the other woman to the door, causing Astrid to double her pace to catch up with her.
Granny sighed from the kitchen, "Good afternoon to you, too. These religious types, I tell you..."
The bathroom door creaked open as Leroy poked his head out. Ruby passed by, dressed in her street clothes and smirked. "She's gone now, Leroy. You can come out of hiding."
"I'm not hiding," he grumbled. He shuffled back to his seat and picked up his glass again. Leroy turned to look at the front door, then sighed and spun around in the chair to face the bar. "I just had to use the restroom."
"That's an awful long time in the bathroom, you grumpy fart," Granny laughed, sticking her head up to peer at him through the kitchen window. "If you've blown up my restrooms, I'm making you clean it all with a toothbrush." The custodian groaned and downed the rest of his whiskey. It was moments like these that he missed the Enchanted Forest. Things weren't as complicated there. But he had to admit, the booze wasn't half as good as it was in Storybrooke.
After a light dinner, Regina had suggested that Snow and David have some time to themselves. The twilight ambiance of the apple orchard was too enticing to resist, so she had asked Emma, Henry and Alice to walk with her. David and Snow were more than happy to agree. They had spent the entire day with their grandchildren which was delightful, but they had hoped to have some quiet time together.
Alice had presented the painting to Regina and Emma at dinner and was pleased that they seemed excited by it. Henry was equally impressed, insisting that it should be a comic book. Alice could only smile happily. The first few times she had painted or drawn anything from her dreams, she was quickly deposited back into the system or into a therapist's chair. This was the first family that applauded her artwork. Regina kissed Alice on her cheek and promised to hang it up at home. Once Emma put the painting away in their room, the family headed out to the orchard's walking trail.
Emma grasped Regina's hand as they walked down the lit path through the orchard with Henry and Alice walking ahead of them. The children darted back and forth between the trees, observing everything they could find, from the leaves to fallen sticks and little bugs. Regina smiled, occasionally admonishing Henry or Alice for running or picking up something strange.
"Relax, babe. They're kids. If they don't get into stuff like that, they'll never learn." Emma laughed.
"Books would provide enough information."
"Books won't scrape your knees and feel like slimy worms or dirt," Emma pointed out.
Regina let go of Emma's hand as if it suddenly was covered in dirt and worms. "That's disgusting. Why on earth would anyone want to touch that stuff or hurt themselves? Henry's scraped himself enough growing up. We don't need to encourage anymore."
"It was only one time, Mom!" Henry called out to her from several paces ahead. He had a long stick in his hand that he was using to poke at a cicada on a tree.
"Henry, put that down. Someone's going to get hurt with that," she scolded. Henry sighed and dropped the stick.
Emma laughed again, then looked up towards the trees. "Huh... wow, their apples are really big. I'm surprised there's still some on the branches. It's getting kind of cold for them, isn't it?"
"Haven't you learned anything from being with me, Emma?" Regina smiled as she followed Emma's line of sight towards the apples. "Harvest season usually goes until the end of October, dear. They do look good, don't they?"
Alice turned back from where she was with Henry to join Emma and Regina in their gazing of the apples in the tree. After a careful moment of thought, she hurried over to a tree with low branches. Glancing at the branches, she jumped up, trying to reach for the lowest branch. Finding that she couldn't catch enough air, she frowned and sighed in disappointment.
Suddenly, Alice felt herself being raised in the air. Emma's arms were around her legs, lifting the little girl above her shoulders so she could grab the branch safely. A sharp gasp came from Regina as Alice climbed up into the tree. "Emma! What are you doing?! She could get hurt!"
"She'll be fine," Emma assured her girlfriend. "Right, Alice? I'll climb up with you."
"I'm okay," Alice answered. She shimmied across the branch to reach for the apples.
Henry joined his mother as he watched Alice climb the tree. "No fair, Mom. I never got to climb trees..."
"Alice wouldn't be up there either if I had any say in it." Regina replied, glaring at Emma.
The Sheriff stood beneath Alice, watching her carefully. "I'm right here, Regina. It's fine."
"What if she falls?!" Regina snapped back, her face fully of worry. Alice reached for an apple and plucked it off with a smile. She threw it down to Henry who caught it with a smile. Scooting forward on the branch, she pulled off another apple, shaking the branch and causing some leaves to fall. Regina nervously watched as Emma stayed below Alice to catch her. Emma grinned, impressed that the little girl she had discovered in the woods earlier that week had granted them enough of her trust to climb a tree in their care.
Another branch on the tree shook as Henry quickly shimmied up into the foliage. He snatched two apples as he straddled the branch. "Mom, over here! Come catch these!"
"Henry Mills, you come down here this instant!" Regina shrieked, her eyes wild with fear for both of her children. "Emma, you are not helping!"
"All right, fine," Emma replied with a pout. "Come on down, Alice. You're going to give Regina a heart attack. You, too, Henry." Alice nodded and swung down off the branch, dangling for a second before releasing herself into Emma's arms. Henry slowly descended from the tree, but lost his footing halfway down the trunk. He slipped, ripping a hole into his jeans and landing on his rear with a thud. Emma spun around and set Alice down, running to her son, "Henry!"
"Oh my god..." Regina ran to their fallen son with Alice close behind her. Henry was looking away sheepishly as he covered his leg where the denim ripped. "Henry, are you all right?" Regina fell to her knees beside him and immediately began inspecting her son for any scrapes or injuries.
"I'm okay, Mom... sorry. My jeans ripped," the boy's face was downcast and apologetic. As much as Regina wanted to scold him for deliberately disobeying her, she realized that punishing one child for climbing a tree meant punishing three people: Henry, Alice and Emma.
"Well," she said with a composed smile, "It's just clothes. As long as you're not hurt. But don't do that again. You scared me, Henry."
Henry looked down at the ground, unable to look his mother in her eyes. "Sorry," he apologized. When he looked up, Regina was eyeing Emma and Alice. The two blondes were also holding their heads down shamefully. The boy wanted to laugh a little, seeing his other mother hanging her head down like a child.
"Really, Emma, what sort of example are you setting for Henry and Alice if you encourage this kind of behavior?" Regina stood up and put her hands on her hips, looking rather exhausted. "Alice, please don't do that again. I don't want you getting hurt either."
"Sorry," Alice apologized.
After dusting the dirt and leaves off of her skirt, Regina sighed and looked at the three apologetic faces in front of her. Realizing that she may have scolded her family enough, she smiled slightly and walked away from them. She took off her jacket and went about collecting the apples Henry and Alice had harvested and put them in her jacket like a basket. Returning to where they stood, she put on a bright smile as Emma tended to the dirt that had built up on the children. "Why don't we take these back to the estate and see if the kitchen will let us make something with these? I think there's a guest kitchen we can use."
Henry and Alice's heads snapped up. Emma chuckled slightly, "I vote for pie."
"Turnovers!" Henry said excitedly.
Handing her jacket to Henry, Regina took Emma by the arm. "We can make whatever you want. You'll be the ones making it."
It wasn't until they were done with dinner at the Atrium before the could get started on the treats. A small guest kitchen was available for use. Emma found it odd that there would even be one there, but Regina explained that the orchard and baking in the guest kitchen were some of the most popular activities on the estate.
David and Snow had excused themselves after dinner with Snow using the excuse that she wanted to pack early and be ready to go in the morning. Henry had tried to tell her she'd be missing out in the guest kitchen, but Snow adamantly refused to be anywhere near Regina and a handful of apples.
The marbled counter in the large guest kitchen was tidied and all the ingredients they had used were put away when Alice, Henry, Emma and Regina stood in front of their work with satisfied smiles. As promised, Regina had helped Henry make a turnover. She and Emma were somehow able to bake a small pie without getting flour on each other. Alice and Regina had worked on making a single cinnamon apple tart. Emma was surprised at how well Regina moved in the kitchen between the three of them, giving instructions and helping wherever necessary.
Henry was staring at the turnover intently. He wanted to eat it and it had cooled down enough for him to pick it up. But the conflicted look in his eyes made Emma tilt her head curiously. "What's wrong, kid?"
The boy folded his arms and stared harder at the pastry. "I helped Mom make it and I saw everything that went inside it... But I'm still kind of scared."
"Of what?" Emma folded her arms, mirroring her son's stance. Regina suppressed a small giggle.
"Last time I are a turnover like this, I woke up in the hospital."
Regina glared at Henry and sighed in frustration. "That wasn't for you."
"No, it was for me," Emma replied with a smile. "So that's why I'll test your turnover for you!" Her smile grew as she reached over for Henry's turnover and took a large bite and placed the pastry back on its. Henry watched with trepidation, although his common sense told him that it was just a simple turnover. He had done most of it himself. Regina had only helped him organizing his ingredients and giving him instructions on how to prepare the apples or mix the flour and eggs. The rest of the time she was busy with Alice and Emma.
Henry's eyes nearly bulged out of his head as Emma dropped to the ground. "Emma!" He stepped forward slowly towards her body, nervous and scared that his other mother had reverted back to her devious habits.
Regina dropped the kitchen rag in her hands and rushed to Emma's side, falling down on her knees beside the Sheriff, "Emma! Emma, wake up! What happened?!" she frantically lifted the younger woman into her arms and kissed her hard, praying that whatever had befallen on her lover would be cancelled out by true love's kiss. When Emma didn't respond, Regina felt the sting of hot tears behind her eyes. She looked up and saw the fear she felt mirrored in Henry and Alice's eyes. "Alice, Henry, go find David and Snow! Tell them Emma's collapsed! Hurry!"
Although she was trying not to laugh, Emma suddenly sat up and grabbed Henry's wrist, "No, don't! Sorry! I was just pulling a prank!" Regina stood up with a huff, dropping Emma unceremoniously out of her arms. "I'm sorry..." Emma apologized as she sat up.
"That was mean!" Henry scowled. Alice looked up at him, feeling a bit of pity at his sensitivity. She thought it was a little funny, not understanding the history behind the prank.
"I agree, that was a terrible prank, Emma." Regina glared at the blonde as Emma picked herself up off the floor.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you guys; I was trying to teach Henry a lesson."
"What kind of lesson was that supposed to be, Emma?!" Henry grumbled, sounding very much like Regina at that moment. "Troll Parenting 101: How to Make Your 12-year-old Son Afraid of Pastries?"
Emma's eyes widened at Henry's attitude, trying her hardest not to laugh. "We really gotta restrict your internet allowances, kid."
Finding the situation funnier than she had a moment ago, Regina smiled and hugged Henry tightly, "I love you, Henry." Emma shrugged as she watched their son return the hug although his face was showing the pre-pubescent irritated reaction to his mother's affections.
Alice shuffled to Emma and tugged on her sleeve. When the blonde looked down at the girl, Alice smiled. "I thought it was funny."
With a laugh, Emma lifted Alice up into her arms. "I'm glad one of you did."
"Really Emma, I'd like to know what you were trying to accomplish with that prank just now," Regina insisted, finally letting Henry go so he could finish the rest of the turnover Emma had left him.
"That not everything is as bad as he makes it out to be. It's just a pastry."
"Faf's nof wha hapfend lash time!" Henry argued with his mouth full of flaky turnover. Regina scowled. He swallowed hard and looked away. She had raised him with good manners that seemed to fly out the window the moment Emma was around.
"First, don't talk with your mouth full, kid. Second, I'm sorry I tricked you. I guess it was kinda mean." Emma apologized again for perhaps the fifth time in the last fifteen minutes.
"You're like a child," Regina sighed. "All right, let's finish off these desserts and clean up, then it's off to bed. We have to head back tomorrow morning so Emma and I can go to work tomorrow."
It didn't take them long to devour the baked goods. Although she could have made her own, Regina enjoyed stealing bites of Emma's pie and Alice's tart. Alice was more than happy to share, but Emma pouted every time Regina snuck her fork into the pie. Regina had even made sure to add in extra cinnamon for her girlfriend.
The day had been long and the family was exhausted. Once Henry and Alice were in bed, Regina and Emma returned to their room where they both lazily undressed for the evening and collapsed beside each other on the large mattress.
Emma smiled as Regina curled up against her and pulled the Sheriff's arm across her waist. She kissed her shoulder softly before Regina reached over to turn off the light. "I'm sorry about earlier."
"Are you still on about that turnover, Emma? I get it, you were just acting like a child. I've gotten used to that kind of behavior from you," Regina smirked in the darkness, feeling the warmth of Emma's skin against hers.
"No, I meant what we were talking about earlier today."
"Oh... that. Well, we can always talk about it later. Just promise me that there will be a 'later' for it."
Wrapping her arm tighter around Regina's waist, Emma felt a familiar tugging in her chest. She had never wanted to be close to anyone and yet now, as she laid in the dark with her skin pressed against the smaller woman's body, she felt that she couldn't get close enough. She placed one more light kiss on Regina's shoulders before allowing sleep to take over her body.
It was nearly ten in the morning before the large family was packed and ready to go. After checking out at the desk, Regina instructed the bellhops to retrieve their car and load up the luggage. She decided that they could have just a few more hours before departing back to Storybrooke.
Alice eagerly tugged on Emma and Regina's sleeves, dragging them into the maze garden. David smiled as they returned and pulled out his phone. "Ready for that picture, Alice?" She nodded quickly. "All right, Henry, Regina, Emma and Alice... right in front of the rose hedges."
At first the family stood awkwardly together, not sure if they should be closely squshed together. Emma rolled her eyes and threw both arms over Regina and Henry's shoulder and pulling them down with her to Alice's height. David grinned as he watched, holding up his phone to take the photo. He turned after it was saved and showed it to Snow who nodded in approval. After a few moments, Emma and Regina's phone's chirped simultaneously as copies of the picture had been distributed.
"Wait, one more!" Alice insisted. Emma shrugged and crouched down next to Alice and pulled the little girl in front of her. "Wait, everyone should be in this, please?'
"Sure thing, princess," David replied with another warm smile. After the day before, he knew exactly what to do with his phone. After setting the timer, he quickly ran to the group. Emma stood in the middle with Regina next to her, one arm around her lover's waist. Snow was next to Emma, both her hands on Henry's shoulders in front of her. Emma's other arm went around Alice's shoulder as she stood in front of Regina and Emma. David hurried and slid into place next to Snow with his arm around her waist. The phone beeped three times signaling the end of the timer. The photo was saved to the phone before David set to work sending it out to everyone he knew. The former Prince knew it was kind of arrogant of him to keep sending his friends in Storybrooke, but he hadn't heard any complaints for the texts and he wanted to share the family he's always waited to have with his friends.
After a quick walk around the garden and allowing Henry and Alice to play a bit more, Regina announced that it was time to go. When they returned to the front of the estate, the black M-Class Mercedes waited out front. With nothing left to load up, Emma accepted the key from the valet and made her way to the front. There was a flash of black passing by her as Regina snatched the keys from her and smiled. "Thank you, dear."
"What? Again?! Regina, just let me drive."Once they were piled in, Regina grinned as she turned on the stereo. The soft sounds of a saxophonne that echoed through the car, effectively making Emma slouch in her chair. "No... I can't take three hours of Kenny G, again!"
Snow laughed, not even bothering to correct Emma on her seating this time. She felt happy and content watching her daughter and the people around her. "Thank you, Regina, for the weekend out here."
"Of course, dear. We are a family, aren't we? Family trips include everyone," Regina answered as she pulled out of the cul-de-sac. "I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend. It's back to our little corner of Maine."
"I enjoyed it until all this Kenny G," Emma grumbled. She hit 'next' on iPod and smiled when Alicia Keys came through the stereo. "Much better, I think I can handle this."
Regina rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you've approved it, dear." She smiled after that and turned her attention to the road home. A warm feeling spread throughout her chest as she came to the realization that her home was not the big white house with the brass 108 on the door. Home was with the five people in the car and for the first time, Regina was happy with it.
Whew! Lots going on with this family! Did anyone catch euro with what Mulan and Ruby have been up to in Storybrooke?
Keep the reviews coming, guys! What do you think is going to happen now that Alice is opening up more?
