Chapter Seven
"SHIT!" Emma yelled. Henry and Regina were just setting breakfast on the table and chuckling as they heard Emma rushing around upstairs. They heard the shower go on in the guest bathroom, and then shut off not even two minutes later.
"Regina I'm stealing a shirt!" Emma yelled.
"You didn't give back the last one!" Regina called back as they laughed at Emma.
"You said I could keep it!"
"I did no such thing," Regina told Henry as he dug into his pancakes. She drank her coffee as Emma came thundering down the stairs and to the door as she tugged on her boots.
"Emma, come sit down and have breakfast," Regina said. "You're not late."
"How can you say that, I was supposed to start at seven, David is probably so exhausted."
"Emma sit down," Regina ordered as she was going on and on what a crap Sheriff she was. Emma paused and did as Regina said. Regina piled her plate high with eggs, pancakes, and sausage. "Eat."
"But David…" Emma started but a snap of her fingers and Emma's fork and scooped up eggs and shoved it into her mouth.
"Now as I was saying you're not late, Ruby went in for David so you could sleep till eight and have a proper breakfast this morning with your son." Henry gave her a big smile. She smiled at him back as she chewed her eggs.
"So that's why you didn't wake me?" Emma asked.
"Well I was on my way up, I thought you'd be happy to have breakfast as soon as you were awake since we skipped dinner."
"You thought right my stomach would have protested later," Emma said.
"I know, now did you sleep well?" Regina asked.
"Like a baby," Emma said. "When did we get home, I don't even remember going to bed."
"Oh, like around twelve in the evening, Snow wanted me to wake you up for that awful chicken, it's been soaking all weekend so it's probably gone bad." Emma made a face.
"Ugh thank you for bringing me home with you, much appreciated."
"Yes, well it was for the best, she wanted to wake up Henry make him have a second dinner of her crap and you. I had to tell her we'd come over tonight, but I am conveniently working super later already I can tell," Regina said. Emma chuckled.
"You have no idea how good Carol has been with the work load though," Emma pointed out.
"Of course, I do, Carol has never been less efficient," Regina told her. Emma and Henry snorted as they silently called bullshit, but they understood what Regina was doing.
"When do we go on our weekend?" Henry asked them.
"Good question, why don't we decide tonight after dinner, I really want you to see Boston where I used to live, I'm sure they have a great Korean BBQ place there too."
"Oooh that reminds me I got you a pastrami sandwich for your lunch today, you're going to love it."
"Extra pickles?" Henry asked excited.
"Baby come on you know the answer to that is always extra pickles," Regina told him. He smiled.
"I almost can't wait for lunch, how was the drive back?" Henry asked.
"Long, but good," Emma replied digging into her food without prompting now. She noted Regina herself was skipping the pancakes preferring to eat eggs with spinach and her sausage alongside a cup of coffee. That's when Emma noticed her eggs had mushrooms and spinach. "Wait why don't you have mushrooms?"
"I'm allergic," Regina said.
"That's not true, she just hates them," Henry loud whispered across the table. Regina glared at him.
"Hmph telling things now, maybe I'm allergic to pie too," Regina said.
"I'm the liar Emma," Henry said making them laugh.
"I'm only kidding love, you were very well behaved and earned your pie." Henry looked so relieved to hear this.
"Oh, good I thought I might die," Henry replied.
"Anyway, I thought we could talk about it after dinner, your mom and I need a rest before we leave Storybrooke again, plus give Carol or David some time off first." Henry nodded as they all finished up their breakfast.
"Come on, I'll drive you to school today, I'm pretty sure even with Carol's efficiency I will be working late from home," Regina sighed. Henry nodded as he headed upstairs to brush his teeth. Emma helped Regina clear the breakfast and put it in the dishwasher, while Regina packed their pastrami sandwiches.
"This one is for you," Regina said. "I thought we could get you an adult lunch box later, but right now I think Henry's old Ninja turtles should be sufficient."
"Oh, Cool Ninja Turtles, I always really wanted one as a kid," Emma said.
"In that case I think it will work out just fine," Regina told her.
"You're the best babe," Emma said taking her thermos of coffee as well. She kissed Regina's cheek and Henry's in the foyer on her way out. Regina smiled at them as she grabbed her things before both her and Henry left the house. She dropped him off at school before heading into the office, where Carol was already preparing for the day.
"Morning Madam Mayor, I trust you had a wonderful week away."
"I did Carol it was absolutely spectacular, thank you so much for taking over. Now how about you get me up to speed and then take some time off?"
"I dare not while you have so many meetings," Carol told her. "After we've settled them, then I will go." Regina nodded. Carol told her how she had hounded David for the police reports on time, she had completed most of the paperwork, but it needed Regina's signature, and what was left was simply meetings and decisions that should have been taken care of last week but weren't. Carol had sent plenty of people packing including the Blue Fairy who was looking for funds to update her convent.
"I videotaped that one," Carol told her. They took ten minutes to laugh at Blue fuming when she found out she was out of the town with Emma. Regina's hand was cramping by lunch, not that she got to enjoy her sandwich as she had meetings, but as it was getting close to Henry's school day being finished. She rescheduled the afternoon for Tuesday, which she expected to be in meetings all day to catch up.
"Look I understand your concerns, your part of a group of people that want to stay in this world and not go back should Snow and David find a way. Only time will tell if the block for you leaving Storybrooke will stay there. And personally, I don't care to go back either, so Storybrooke will stay here." They nodded.
"Good knowing the Evil Queen would rather not live in Squalor that was the Enchanted Forest is actually rather comforting," He said. Carol and Regina glared but he didn't see as he stood up and put on his jacket. They shook hands before he left.
"All right, so two piles this tray here, put anything I need to sign, I will do that tonight, and this tray here, put anything I should work on for tomorrow." Regina ran her hands over it and it glowed purple.
"That will allow me to work from home, and please Carol take the rest the day and tomorrow at least off." Carol nodded.
"Would rather have the Thursday, Friday off, there's a ball," Carol told her.
"Of course, take the entire week," Regina told her. Carol smiled at her before she got her things together and left after putting a few things in the tray herself that she wanted to take care of. She went to pick Henry up.
"Mom can I stay and play soccer with the other kids?" Henry asked running up to the car.
"Sure honey, come home after, I don't wanna be forced to eat dinner with Snow." Henry laughed and nodded as he put his backpack in the car already. He gave her a kiss before running off to play with some other kids. That made her smile, before he had always gotten in the car sulking that he had no friends, but now that he wasn't pushing them away because they didn't grow, they were letting him in again. She went home and changed clothes into booty shorts that she worked out in and a sports bra. She got a workout in as well as cleaned her house.
"Henry is that you!" Regina called out over her music when she heard the front door. She was in her closet going through it and packing away things to donate. She was on her hands and knees reaching for a pair of shoes in the way back she had forgotten about.
"Holy shit," Emma said gulping as her mouth immediately filled with water.
"Jesus Emma!" Regina exclaimed jumping. "Why didn't you reply when I asked if it was Henry?"
"I wanted to surprise you, but I'm the one with the surprise," Emma said her mouth suddenly going dry as she thought back to Regina's ass in booty shorts. Regina rolled her eyes.
"Don't tell me you can't control yourself around a little tiny booty short," Regina chuckled as she bent over again, but it really didn't seem to be a reason for her too. Well Emma knew there was one reason and she was it. She swallowed hard.
"Oh, you are a temptress," Emma said. "Mom wanted me to come over and ask you what time you'd be over for dinner since you drove off too fast and then didn't answer your phone this afternoon."
"Can't that woman take a hint?" Regina asked with a huff as she placed some shoes into a box.
"Jesus woman how much clothing do you have?" Emma asked.
"A lot, I'm donating them to this charity that gives professional clothes to working women or women just out of jail etc…."
"That's very generous of you," Emma said. "Can I help?"
"Yeah, I've taken out everything that no longer sparks joy. If you could move all these boxes to the garage that would be wonderful." Emma nodded. She did as Regina asked realizing too late that a side door let her into the garage. She shrugged and went back upstairs to where Regina was separating out all the clothes she bought. She easily recognized the Henry pile on the bed, neatly folded, but there were two piles on the floor, one mostly compiled of jeans.
"Wow you really are making a change, you got so many jeans for yourself, did you even own a pair of jeans before now?" Regina looked up confused.
"Those are your jeans, what are you talking about?" Regina asked her. Emma's eyes went wide.
"What do you mean my jeans I didn't buy anything!" Emma exclaimed.
"Why did you think I had you modeling all those clothes?" Regina asked her. "And asked you if you would wear it?"
"So, you'd always look nice for me, not to say that you don't always look nice, but I just thought you wanted my opinion. And to look at my ass in jeans." Regina rolled her eyes.
"While I did look at your ass in every single one of those jeans, they were all for you dear," Regina told her. "You can take them home after I get them all washed, but this pile of shirts here, you always bring them to me to clean, I don't want them going in the washer, they need to be dry cleaned."
"I can dry clean my clothes, and I can wash them too, you don't have to add to your work, and I'll pay you back."
"Get all your reports in on time is enough for payback," Regina told her.
"Regina, I'm serious," Emma said. She picked up a shirt intending to look for the tags. "Where are the tags so I know how much I owe you." Regina shrugged her shoulders delicately.
"I couldn't say Ms. Swan, maybe they're currently being thrown out in New York, maybe I made them disappear with my magic, no one can really say," Regina told her as she stood up from her pile and bent down to pick up yet another bag. She heard Emma suck her breath in hard.
"So evil!" Emma cried as Regina just laughed, evilly, she might add.
"And I know you are capable of dry cleaning your own items; it would be cheaper for you if you just added them to my monthly dry-cleaning bill. I take suits in weekly, and just pay at the first of the month."
"Great, how much will I owe you?" Emma asked. Regina waved her off.
"I don't know yet, let's just decide when I know how many stains you get on these shirts," Regina replied. Emma blushed.
"Fair enough," Emma murmured. "So, what next?"
"You can place this pile of dresses in those black bags over there," Regina said as she put Emma's pile of dry-cleaned shirts into a square black bag alongside some other items. She added in Henry's shirts as well. Emma took it all down to Regina's car just as Henry was strolling up to the house all red faced and cheery.
"Hi Emma," Henry greeted. He gave her a big hug before she locked the car and they went back inside. As soon as they were inside, he smelled the polish Regina had gone over the hardwood floors with.
"Awww I have to clean today," Henry grumbled as Regina was bringing laundry down the stairs.
"You don't have to clean anything but your room, mister and I need you to give me a pile of clothes you either can't fit or no longer want to wear, suits included. I went shopping in New York and well Emma left me unsupervised." Emma bawked at her.
"I can't believe you just blamed me for your lack of restraint," Emma laughed as did Henry. Regina chuckled as well as she headed for the laundry room. "Maybe you should put some clothes on now that the kid is home."
"Why, he's seen me in less?" Regina asked.
"Yeah Emma," Henry said as he skipped upstairs to do as his mother asked. It was thirty minutes later when Henry had apparently emptied his closet of everything but his school uniforms. He had grown out of nearly everything when he had been in her care except his school uniforms which Regina had given him room to grow in.
"Henry is that how we pack things for children less fortunate than us?" Regina asked him when he brought it all downstairs and stuffed in boxes.
"That's how we always got clothes," Emma shrugged not seeing anything wrong.
"Which is exactly why he should fold them neatly and with care," Regina reminded Henry. Henry nodded and took it all out.
"Oh, my fucking god, kid are those pink booty shorts?" Emma asked. Henry stood up halfway and looked behind him at Emma with a grin.
"Yeah, you like them, right?" Henry asked. Regina burst out laughing, she was sure when she bought those shorts, they hadn't been booty shorts on him.
"Regina this isn't funny, what if he wants to go out of the house like that," Emma cried. Regina shrugged.
"I go out of the house like this in the summer, besides there are no pedophiles in Storybrooke, I cursed them to die immediately."
"The hell you will, not anymore," Emma cried.
"Emma I will be hot as it is during my work out, I don't need to get heat stroke," Regina told her.
"You won't, I'll carry extra water," Emma insisted. Regina waved her off and helped Henry as Emma's cell rang.
"Yeeah, Regina had to go back to work tonight, and the kid already ate apparently, maybe tomorrow mom." Regina chuckled as she heard Snow crying over the phone. Emma looked distraught as Snow demanded she at least come home for dinner. "No Henry has some things to complete that Regina asked him to do in reorganizing his room before she's back. I will come alone." Emma grudgingly left saying she wasn't done talking to her family about their use of booty shorts.
"Pizza for dinner and send Emma pictures?" Regina asked. Henry grinned and nodded. They finished putting stuff away and placed it in the garage. They had pizza in their booty shorts making sure to get that in the picture along with their pizza.
"Mom you got a tattoo!" Henry exclaimed after one picture. He touched it.
"Ow, Henry be gentle it's still quite tender," Regina told him.
"Sorry, it's so cool, when did you get a tattoo, did Emma talk you into that too?" Henry asked.
"She didn't talk me into it, I was never brave enough to get one before now even in the Enchanted Forest, so I finally got one," Regina shrugged. "I drew it myself, Emma liked it so much she got the same."
"Cool is that why you put a swan design in the crown?" Regina nodded. "Cool can I get a tattoo too?"
"No, darling, you are much too young for a tattoo, we'll see when you are thirty."
"Thirty!" Henry cried. "Aww so much stuff can't happen until I'm thirty." Regina chuckled and kissed his cheek. They spent some time together before he had to go to bed and she really needed to get some work done. She went to bed late and got up early, for her morning workout, breakfast, dropping off Henry and their dry cleaning. Then it was to work where she was in meetings all day, and all the work from that didn't have her doing anything different for the rest of the week, except sending Henry to Emma by Wednesday.
"Oh my God Snow fine, fine I will come to dinner today," Regina said to the crying sobbing mess that was Snow White in front of her. How did she ever become her archenemy this was ridiculous?
"Oh, thank you Mother." To her annoyance Snow sat humming in her office without Carol to make her go since she'd given the woman the week off.
"Should have got a temporary guard," Regina grumbled. Regina finished up grateful that her willingness to put in the extra hours now meant less work next week and back to a normal schedule. If she hadn't had so much fun, she might even swear off impromptu weeks away, but it was worth every headache she had this week.
"Let's go Snow," Regina snapped as she grabbed her coat and put it on, and she left her office. Snow hurried after her. Regina paused to lock up and Snow was waiting by her car. She grimaced, she didn't want to be stuck in a car with her. They drove over to the loft where Henry was jumping on the Charmings bed while David set the table.
"Henry get down you know better and with your shoes on?" Regina scolded. He jumped down looking sheepish.
"Sorry mom."
"David his shoes were all muddy," Mary Margaret told him. David shrugged.
"Boys will be boys, he's just having a little fun," David said. "We can wash the sheets."
"No boys will not be boys, they will be respectful of other people's homes when they are guests in them, grandson or not," Regina snapped at him, but she was glaring at Henry.
"I'm sorry grandma, grandpa, I should have taken my shoes off at the door and not jumped on your bed with them on. Mom raised me better than that," Henry apologized.
"Apology accepted Henry," Mary Margaret told him.
"Oh Regina, you're being too harsh, boys get dirty," David argued.
"Not my boy, not my prince, maybe shepherds do," Regina told him crossing her arms. David frowned.
"No fighting!" Snow cried. "I just got Mother here for dinner be nice." David sighed.
"Not right, mother to my wife, wife to my daughter, how can I ever win," He grumbled. Regina chuckled.
"You can't Shepherd," Regina said. "That being said where is that daughter of yours?"
"Still at the station trying to finish the reports no doubt," Snow said as she made Regina sit and brought over cheap wine in a normal glass. Regina rolled her eyes at it, but it would have to do for the night. Henry busied himself with stripping the bed and mopping the floor of mud under her watchful eye. Snow went on and on about stuff while Regina made noises that said she was listening while she checked some work emails and texted Kathryn who wanted to know if she had plans for Saturday yet.
"Snow, David I'm heading to Regina's for dinner with Henry, she's going to kill me, I didn't make it in time with the reports!" Emma was calling before she paused in shutting the door.
"Hello darling," Regina greeted.
"Oh my God you are out for blood aren't you, I'm sorry about the reports I swear," Emma said gulping. One thing she had realized about Regina on their week away if she truly wanted you got; she was going to get you.
"Actually, I forgot you hadn't turned them in. Snow came in sobbing about me avoiding dinner with Carol not being on guard, and then she sat there until she was on my last nerve and I agreed to leave the office," Regina told her.
"So, I would have been on time if she hadn't come," Emma said trying to save herself. Regina snorted.
"Not at all dear, we will talk about you bringing your paperwork late again another time," Regina told her. Emma nodded.
"Hi Ma," Henry greeted as he picked up the laundry basket.
"Hey kid, what are you doing with the laundry?" Emma asked him as she kissed Regina's cheek tentatively and then Henry's.
"I was bad and jumped grandma and grandpa's bed with my muddy shoes on and now I'm going to do the laundry."
"Henry put the basket down, I told you, you aren't in trouble," David reminded him.
"David, yes he is, he knows better, I mean what the hell, were you jumping on my bed too?" Emma asked him. He shook his head.
"No, we sleep there," Henry said. Emma frowned at him.
"And your grandparents sleep there," Emma told him. "We are going to have a long talk mister about respect."
"Emma boys will be boys, leave him alone," David said.
"And I kindly reminded your deputy, Ms. Swan, that boys will not be boys especially when they are my little prince and not common shepherds."
"Henry forget the wash, dinner is already ready, I just want a nice family dinner okay," Mary Margaret said. "Mother please come to the table, my need for this dinner to go well is bigger than my need for Henry to put those sheets in the wash." The three adults backed down in their standoff and Henry put the basket by the door. They all sat down at the rickety table in Regina's opinion and Snow had knitted ugly pillows with no cushion, she was thinking about how the girl had never picked up well on knitting and embroidery. It was a woman's most basic skill in the Enchanted Forest.
"So of course, dinner is the food menu from the apple cinnamon theme, do you still have the binder, I'd like to go over it with the boys," Snow said. Regina and Emma looked at one another clearly remembering burning that thing on their last night in New York page by page.
"We…uh…we…"
"Took it to New York," Regina finished for Emma who nodded.
"And?" Snow asked sensing more.
"We gave it to a wedding planner," Emma said. Snow squealed saying she was so happy there will be a wedding. David looked grim at the idea and Henry wasn't buying it his own internal lie detector going off.
"She hated it," Regina told Snow with a grin as she watched her face crumple. "She said that whomever had made these wedding plans had some of the worst taste she had ever seen. She said the binder should be burnt to a crisp and then the ashes of that should be burnt again. And that we should then shoot those ashes into the sun so that it would burn to nothing because the paper that the plans had been written on didn't deserve to return to the earth and pollute our soil." Snow was in absolute tears.
"But you told her you had no need for her services that you loved my ideas?" Snow asked trying to look brave.
"Hmm…Snow look let's be clear I am not nor have I ever been your father, not everything you do gives me pleasure just so you will smile. You need to put some effort into the things you do. What will make me happy is if you show up to work and update your teaching plans so that the schoolboard will get off my back, because they're afraid to fire the White Kingdom Princess. You have enough knowledge from the curse to make a decent teacher I suggest you start doing so. Now as for your wedding plans, they were absolute trash and there is no way you are going to get me, my son, or Emma to put your undercooked chicken in our mouths. None of us want salmonella. Now it's been a lovely dinner, but I need to go home now. Henry you put the laundry on and meet me at the car, we'll talk about your punishment later." He nodded and hurried to do as his mother said. Regina stood up and gathered his stuff as Snow was crying into a glaring David's arms.
"Emma you liked the plans, at least didn't you?" Snow cried. Emma went red in the face as she tried to figure out how to ask Regina if she was welcome to come along. If she were honest, she hadn't even been thinking about her mother after Regina announced she was leaving. She hadn't seen her girlfriend all week and she just wanted to spend time with her. Hell, she hadn't even texted out of anxiety and then when Regina hadn't texted at all just sent Henry to her with no message, she was even more anxious.
"Um…no actually, I just it's too early for me to be thinking about wedding plans right now, you know me I can't commit to anything," Emma said nervously as she was glancing at Regina who was giving another cursory glance for the items Henry brought between their homes, rather than the things that stayed here.
"Oh um… Regina I have some of Henry's regular clothes he can't fit anymore to be donated," Emma said.
"I will wait for you downstairs," Regina said no longer wanting to be in the apartment anymore. She left out. She was texting Kathryn about the day's events by the trunk when Emma finally came down with a small box of clothes, that she noted were folded. Emma, she saw was tense and nervous as she shuffled her feet clearly not sure if she should go back up or stay outside until Henry arrived.
"What's wrong dear?" Regina asked putting her phone away.
"Wrong, why would anything be wrong?" Emma asked hands in her back pockets.
"Darling, you look like you don't know what you should be doing right now," Regina pointed out.
"It's just I hadn't heard from you all week, this is the first I am seeing of you," Emma murmured as she blushed. "I don't want to be clingy." When she looked up Regina was giving her a big smile. She pulled her close and kissed her softly and deeply until Ruby ran by and gave a wolf whistle.
"Ugh I should have put manners in that pup," Regina groaned as Emma chuckled.
"But it wouldn't be Ruby then," Emma pointed out.
"No, I suppose not," Regina conceded. "Anyway, I am sorry I didn't make it clear, but you are welcome over any time even if I don't text during the day, this week has been absolutely hectic, I am constantly in meetings, and working late into the night, at some point I barely had energy for Henry. Brightside about you being in town I don't have to do this alone and I can make you entertain him and love him and all the other things I want to do for him even though I really needed to sleep."
"Glad I could help," Emma said unsure.
"A major help truly, it meant the time I usually spent on him, was working time so I could go to bed a little sooner. And yes, I am upset you didn't have your reports in on time. You do understand that when you bring them so late on Fridays that either I must come back to the office and stay late or work from home late every time, or if I put it off it's more work on Monday or extra work Saturday morning. It takes away from your son."
"Oh, shit Regina I am sorry, I guess, I just assumed that like me you spent time waiting around for stuff to happen, and that you hounded me about paperwork to annoy me."
"No, annoying you is a solid bonus, but especially during the curse it really pissed me off when I'd have rather been spending time with Henry instead of wondering if he was running off to see you without permission. Or skipping school or whatever it was he was doing." Emma nodded.
"I am sorry I will try to be better about getting my reports in on time." Regina nodded.
"Thank you, now are you joining us for dinner, I'm making lasagna." Emma nodded her head vigorously. "Are you sleeping over?" Emma's eyes lit up.
"I would like that more than anything, I slept so badly without you, did you sleep badly without me?" Regina smiled.
"I did until I grabbed my Evil Queen plushy, and she was a nice substitute for you, maybe I need to get you an Evil Queen plushy?" Emma chuckled and kissed Regina in response.
"Eww moms," Henry groaned. "Are you gonna do that a lot now?"
"Sure, am kid for as long as she lets me," Emma grinned. "I'll get my overnight bag." Regina nodded as she closed her trunk. Emma practically skipped up the stairs before joining them in the car.
"Was she still crying?" Regina asked as they drove. Emma nodded.
"You know she was," Emma replied. "I will never understand how that was your archnemesis."
"I thought about that too, and I realized we aren't seeing my archnemesis, we are seeing Princess Snow White before all the upset."
"This is what you dealt with day in and day out before you got mean?" Emma asked. Regina nodded.
"She's preferable when we hate each other honestly," Regina sighed. "I did you a personality favor if not a life favor."
"I'm starting to agree, God knows how David would have been, if boys will be boys, then what about girls?" Emma asked.
"Delicate little flowers obviously," Regina scoffed.
"Girls aren't delicate flowers, today Tommy told Laura that girls weren't tough, and she pulled out her tooth. A tooth!" Henry exclaimed. Emma and Regina laughed.
"I like Laura, you should invite her over for a playdate, you can be best friends with her," Emma told him.
"I don't know, I got enough tough women in my life," Henry said making a face.
"No such thing; invite her over," Regina insisted. "If not for you, then for me, I want to know her." Henry groaned as his mothers' laughed. At home, Emma set about roughhousing with Henry while Regina got started on dinner. The sounds of laughter coming from the den was just pure magic to her. She would never get tired of listening to her family. Once the lasagna was baking and she had made a side salad, she called Henry to set the table already.
"Do you want a beer, Emma?" Regina asked coming into the living room.
"Yes, please and thank you," Emma said as she bounced after Henry tickling him along the way. Henry laughed and Regina smiled at them as she poured herself a glass of wine, and Emma a beer.
"Where are the police reports?" Regina asked. She wanted them done tonight, she didn't want any work this weekend.
"Oh um…back at the station," Emma said.
"Pick them up, I want to get it done tonight, I just really need the next two days without work stress." Emma nodded.
"I'll run over and get it." Regina nodded and gave her a kiss. Emma literally ran to the Sheriff's station because she didn't bring her bug. She thankfully always carried her keys though, so she grabbed the bug for the way back. She parked next to Regina before she went in as usual the door was unlocked. She locked it behind her though as she didn't trust people even if Regina said they were afraid. She got her shoes off and put them in their spot as well as her leather jacket. When she entered the kitchen Henry and Regina were staring hard at two cheerios.
"Uh…should I come back?" Emma asked seeing they were really concentrated. Regina gave a growl of frustration.
"Move dang it," Regina told the cheerio. Henry chuckled and then his cheerio moved, just ever so barely in front of Regina's. He screamed in delight as he cheered.
"I win, I beat you at magic!" Henry yelled. Regina pouted.
"Henry has magic?" Emma asked as Regina scoffed.
"I guess he has the ability to learn it if he wished, but not surprising you are a child of true love, some people like my mother have a natural ability to learn. I was born with mine, because my mother was a magic user. But moving an object, very slightly I might add could be done by anyone really. Even people born with magic sometimes never move the object with their mind but do other great things. And sometimes you get a slight movement and you never do anything again. Usually this all only occurs as a child, and not an adult."
"So, you couldn't move it cause your too old now?" Henry asked. Regina flicked her cheerio at him.
"I am definitely not old mister," Regina pouted as he laughed. "Anyway, this is child's play and I assure you I moved my version of a cheerio across the entire table and it was a long table." She stuck her tongue out at her son.
"Pictures or it didn't happen," Henry told her.
"That's not fair you know there are no pictures," Regina argued.
"I guess it didn't happen," He shrugged as he mirrored Regina's best evil grin.
"Oh, all right I see you Mister," Regina told him. Emma laughed at them both.
"I love you two, the sass that gets thrown between you is just magical," Emma laughed.
"All right enough fun, now that Emma is back, we really need to talk about your behavior at the loft," Regina told him sternly as she looked serious. Henry looked serious as well as they all stood around the island. "What possessed you to leave your muddy shoes on and jump in the bed?"
"Grandpa," Henry said. "He said I wasn't dirty enough, or I didn't get dirty enough I don't know. Maybe he meant I was too clean. I was going to take my shoes off outside the door and he made me keep my shoes on. So, then I just stood at the door not wanting to get mud everywhere until Emma came home. He put my stuff everywhere and said I was too neat that boys lived in chaos. I swear he made me jump on the bed. I wouldn't go on Emma and I's bed, so he made me do it on theirs to make sure I was doing it right. But you know I love jumping on the bed, I can't help myself and started to have fun despite the mess."
"Of course, he uses your kryptonite," Regina grumbled.
"Ugh, I can't believe him, there is nothing wrong with the way you are, or being clean, your future roommates, friends, girlfriends, or boyfriends will appreciate it."
"Boyfriend," Regina corrected teasingly.
"Mooom," Henry whined blushing. Regina chuckled.
"What?" Regina asked innocently. "I didn't mention Gabe." Emma stifled a laugh as she watched Henry get redder.
"Who's Gabe?" Emma asked not caring if her son liked boys or not.
"Henry's boyfriend, actually a real shame he's still five years old, but they have been dating since Henry was three, it's cute, Gabe still has a crush on him, and Henry still meets him for ice cream every Wednesday on the playground." Henry blushed hard.
"Um…won't that make Henry a pedophile."
"No!" Henry cried. "I grew out of my crush, but Gabe didn't, he was good friend."
"Yeah, he's more into Caleb if that's the right name I saw scribbled on your notebooks," Regina teased.
"Mom!" Henry cried covering his face and she knew she was right. "Can I just have my punishment now please." He was whining now just wishing his mother wouldn't embarrass him further.
"Yes, darling, you are on dusting duty for the next week," Regina told him.
"Thank you," He said as the oven timer went off. Soon they were at the table enjoying dinner, Regina gave Emma two helpings of salad to her displeasure, and Henry as well because he'd had granny's two days in a row.
"Henry, why didn't you ever tell me you were gay?" Emma asked wondering if something about her made Henry think he couldn't tell her. Henry shrugged.
"We don't use labels for Henry, he's also been interested in a girl before, maybe he's bisexual like you, but Henry has neither confirmed nor denied the liking of girls completely or just out of curiosity."
"No, I just like Ava as a friend, I think. When I see Caleb, I get all nervous, but with Ava, she's nice but I just can't imagine being around her the same way I want to be around Caleb. Is that okay, do you think she likes me, will she still wanna be my friend?"
"She will understand honey, you are eleven years old, crushes are natural, but they also usually go away after a while."
"Aww but I don't think I just have a crush on Caleb," Henry pouted. "I mean I don't want it to go away."
"I know, and maybe it won't like me and your mom. My crush didn't suddenly go away," Emma pointed out smiling at him. He nodded. "Maybe you want to ask him out, you helped me ask your mom, maybe I can help you ask him." Henry blushed hard and shook his head.
"No Emma I couldn't, he's I don't know and I'm me," Henry said.
"He should be flattered, you're the Queen's prince," Emma told him firmly. He smiled at her.
"That's right, you are not below anyone, you are equal," Regina told him. Emma smiled that Regina wasn't teaching him that he was above anyone, Snow had tried telling her she was above the people of Storybrooke, even Regina once or twice.
"Maybe I have to think about it, I don't know if he even knows who I am," Henry grumbled.
"Oh, everyone knows who you are Henry, you just don't know if he is gay," Regina pointed out. Henry nodded.
"Can we talk about something else now?" Henry asked. They nodded and Emma talked about her week, it was the usual although Monday was busy as David still had some paperwork left that he had hidden from Carol.
"She's going to go after him when she finds out about my day to day with all that extra paperwork," Regina laughed. Wednesday morning, she'd found that stack on Carol's desk obviously having been brought in after she was gone.
"I told him as much, he's been avoiding her ever since." They laughed. After dinner Emma insisted on cleaning up with Henry while Regina relaxed. Regina didn't relax long as she stared at the reports from Emma. Once everything was clean, they had some family time with Henry begging to stay up a little longer. She obliged but missed out on her documentary. Not that she would have had time anyway.
"Did you have anything planned for us tomorrow, Kathryn is hounding me to know if I have time for a mani-pedi tomorrow," Regina said.
"Nope, you've had a long week, Henry and I will get his homework done and his dusting done while you go relax with Kathryn." Regina smiled and kissed Emma.
"Thank you, I could really use the time to myself." Emma nodded. Regina texted Kathryn as Henry called down that he was ready for bed. They kissed him goodnight and he begged a story out of Regina, she told him a story from the Enchanted Forest, the lesson being about keeping promises, she later told Emma considering the entire thing was in Spanish. Afterwards it was taking care of the reports in the office while Emma pouted around that Regina wasn't giving her any attention.
"Maybe now for your sake you will get these reports in on time," Regina told her smirking.
"You know I will, I wanna make out before the fire." Regina chuckled and thankfully was finished at eleven thirty. She was officially free. She shut down her laptop and moved to Emma's lap. "Yay." They didn't talk as they made out, Emma tasted like her apple cider.
"Em-ma, I'm getting super turned on, we have to stop," Regina whispered.
"Don't wanna," Emma pouted.
"I don't want to either, but you haven't told me you were officially ready yet," Regina reminded.
"I am more than ready, my Queen, but I do want to make it special for you," Emma said. Regina was about to protest. "Shs I know it's not your first time ever, but your first time was ruined by a member in my family. So, I think it's right to come full circle and make it everything you ever dreamed of. So, I want us to have a nice night not an ordinary night. And I need you full of energy, not running off minimal sleep. Because I intend to keep you up all night my Queen." Regina grinned before she had to laugh at herself.
"I'm sorry for laughing it's not at you but me, I just realized that the thought of staying up all night right now even for good sex, was a daunting one. Like I just thought to myself where I was going to pull the energy from just to remain awake after the first orgasm. And not for lack of wanting, because God if you'd let me, I'd take you now, but your right that tonight is too ordinary. It will be my first time exploring your body and I want to take all night to memorize it so that when we do have an ordinary night, I rock your world every time even if we aren't up all night." Emma chuckled with her.
"If I am honest too, I had to chase Pongo multiple times today and am just so over it. One time it was through the damn woods, like I got my cardio for the week." They laughed together before they went up to bed. They both got changed and showered in separate bathrooms. Emma was glad to see the plushy she had bought tucked into the middle of Regina's bed.
"Not worried about the kid seeing the tattoo, I'm surprised he hasn't said anything."
"He knows already, he likes it, is dying to get his own tattoo, but I told him not until he's thirty and he is upset that so many things can't happen until he's thirty." Emma laughed. They cuddled up together and Emma for the first time in a week slept like a baby in Regina's arms.
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