Snakes and Tales Part 10

A/N: Thanks for reading! This will be the second last part. Happy holidays :)

Storybrooke Hospital

"How are you feeling?" David kept his voice soft. He leaned over to stroke Mary Margaret's dark bangs back off her forehead as she became awake.

The maternity ward was dimly lit since it was after dinner and nearing the end of visiting hours. He wished the time would pass more slowly, not wanting to leave his wife and baby son so soon. The rest of the ward was quiet with only the muted sounds of a television down the hall.

Earlier the baby had been taken away to join the other newborns in their array of clear plastic portable cots. But Mary Margaret was distressed at the idea of him being out of her sight, which was understandable given that she'd now had two children ripped from her arms shortly after birth. So the nurses brought Baby Charming back to his mother's room where he was now sleeping peacefully.

David noticed his wife stirring awake even though the baby wasn't crying. "Do you need me to call the nurse? Are you feeling alright, my love?"

Mary Margaret still had her eyes closed when she smiled. "I'm fine, just a little sore. You're still here. Aren't visiting hours over?"

"Nearly. I plan to hide under the bed when the nurse comes to check so that I can stay with you."

"David, you should go home and get some sleep. You're going to need it."

"I want to be here for you," he said with concern. "You shouldn't be alone after what happened today with the baby."

"He's right over there, sleeping like a log. Just like his Daddy."

"We nearly lost our son-"

"But we didn't." Mary Margaret gave him a significant look and grasped his hand. "He's safe."

He sighed. "Thanks to Emma."

"Thanks to Regina mostly. Our daughter is more street smart than strategic and her magical training hasn't been easy. It sounded like all she did was lead the cheer squad for Regina and give her the strength she needed to break the curse and fight Zelena herself."

"Somehow I can't imagine Emma as a cheerleader and I doubt Regina cares about anyone's opinion of her, let alone Emma's."

Mary Margaret opened her mouth and then stopped. "Ah well… there you'd be wrong. Regina cares a lot about what Emma thinks of her. That tends to happen when you fall in love."

David spluttered out a response before his brain could fully process the shock. "W-what? You don't mean 'in love' in love, do you? Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm the only one alive who remembers what Regina is like when she's in love. I'm also the one who had to listen to Emma's two-hour-long rants about every single thing Regina has said or done every day since they first met. Don't you remember it? They were obsessed with each other."

"Hmm."

"The past is in the past," Mary Margaret warned in a sing-song voice. "If I can move on and be ok with the Evil Queen dating my daughter then we all can. She really has changed. Have you seen Emma after they've been together lately? She's actually looks almost happy! That's all I ever wanted for her."

"Me too." David brushed his hand through his hair in frustration and looked down at his feet with a frown. This wasn't exactly the kind of news he was expecting. Emma and Regina? He tried going over the past in his mind to look for the clues that he had missed.

He ought to hate Regina after what she'd put Snow through. At times he had been angry enough to kill her. But there was something about the former evil sorceress that triggered his protectiveness, especially after his old memories came back. She seemed like a genteel lady (more like how she must have been in her youth) whenever she dropped the Evil Queen persona. It was better for everyone if she was able to turn her life around. That was great. But did she really have to find her happiness with Emma, his baby girl?

He'd never really considered the idea of his daughter as a real adult. To him she felt like a larger, talking version of the infant he'd placed in the wardrobe. It was odd to think of her dating, having a romantic relationship and… ahem, participating in everything that was associated with that.

Every father of a daughter knows that one day someone will come along and sweep his little girl of her feet. He had assumed that it would be a Prince who captured his daughter's heart but that wasn't the main cause of his concern. David felt like he was losing Emma without ever really getting the chance to be her Daddy. She had grown up having to get used to him not being there for her. She was someone else's to protect now. She didn't need him anymore. He had let her down.

"Regina was right," he murmured. "I don't even know my daughter. She chewed me out earlier today about it."

Mary Margaret sighed in exasperation. "Oh, David, Regina was just stirring you up. Emma knows how much you love her."

"Maybe she doesn't. No, please listen. It's different with me and her. You two are mother and daughter, you shared everything for the first nine months of her life and even though she may not remember it, you do. That's the kind of connection that lasts. You two were close friends from the moment you met in Storybrooke. I don't have any of that with Emma."

"You are her father, it was you who saved her by getting her to the wardrobe in time. But now we have to accept that Emma's childhood is over, nothing can change that and as hard as it is to know what she went through alone we can't go back. But Emma still needs you. One day she's going to have a fight with Regina - probably soon - and she's going to storm over to our place and say 'Dad, what do I do? She's driving me crazy!' and then you two will bond over Ikea furniture to take her mind off of things. You two are so alike sometimes."

David wasn't entirely convinced and he was resolved now to try harder to bring Emma out of her shell around him. She was independent and hard to get to know. It wasn't her fault of course - but he wanted her to be able to come to him with anything.

He was so out of touch with what was happening in her life that it was a surprise to find out that she was not only seeing a woman but that it was Regina. Apparently it was serious too. Had she dated women before? Had she gotten over losing Neal? How long had she been feeling this way about her son's mother? David knew almost nothing about his daughter's past and little about her present.

Despite being an adult it must have hurt her on some level to be displaced by a sibling. Normally adults had well and truly gotten over any sibling rivalry. But in a way Emma had lost her status as their only child almost as soon as she'd been returned to them.

"I think we should ask Emma if she wants to name the baby," David announced after thinking about it for some time.

"That's a great idea!" Mary Margaret smiled and nodded. "It can be her first Big Sister Privilege. Maybe it'll help her feel more included."

"I should probably take her fishing too."

Mary Margaret laughed and then quickly checked to see that she hadn't woken the baby. "Is that something Emma has expressed an interest in?"

"I… don't know actually."

"It sounds like Regina has been riling you up again. Henry is the one who likes fishing."

"Then I will take them both. In a few weeks, after we get the baby settled at home. I'll take Emma and Henry down to the marina. It'll be great."

"Take Regina too."

David gave her a look of disbelief. He couldn't imagine the prim and proper Mayor doing anything so messy and outdoorsy. "Are you sure?"

Mary Margaret's smile twitched as she revealed something she had known about her former Stepmother for quite some time.

"Where do you think she got the idea from? Regina's father used to take her fishing when she was a little girl, that is, until Cora found out about it. I believe Regina used to take Henry down to the marina sometimes too. She's quite scary with a filleting knife actually."

The baby woke up for his feeding just before visiting hours were over. David managed to convince the nurse to let him stay for a few minutes longer by using his Charming smile. But after a while it became clear that he was wearing out his welcome. He kissed his wife and baby goodnight, reluctantly leaving them for only as many hours as necessary.

Mary Margaret reached into the basket of baby things Regina brought earlier and handed David a blue teddy bear to take home with him.

"Oh, David!" she whispered as he was walking out. "Can you put the crib together and the change table, please?"

"Sure." He gave his wife a lopsided grin. "I might call Emma to come over and help."

"No! Don't call Emma. Not this time."

David was confused. "Why?"

"Just don't." Mary Margaret sighed with a smile. "I have a feeling she's got her hands full tonight."

Driving home to 108 Mifflin St, earlier that evening.

Once the three of them were bundled into the car Henry asked the question again. "When are we going to move in?"

Regina assumed the worst when Emma didn't answer straight away. She couldn't understand what would make her hesitate about moving back. There was nothing waiting for her in New York, all of her family was here, they were starting some kind of relationship together weren't they? What was there for her to think about?

Neither of them had said anything to each other since Henry brought up the topic of moving to Storybrooke, which made for a tense silence in the car on the way home.

Henry had been a little overzealous that they all move into the same house right away. They certainly weren't ready for that. But Regina had assumed that her son and his mother would at least move to town. She knew Emma's original plan had been to return to New York after they defeated Zelena but Regina was reluctant to ask now in case she didn't like what she heard. Unlike her, her son was not going to put up with the lack of an answer.

"You guys aren't fighting anymore are you?" said Henry. "Mom? Emma, when we move to Storybrooke where are we going to live?"

"Uh kid-" Emma shot her a glance, obviously uncomfortable. "We have to talk about this."

"What's there to talk about? We're home."

"There's a few things to work out."

"Like what?"

Regina stared straight ahead. "Yes, Emma. Like what?"

She knew she was being snippy but she couldn't help it. Emma's hesitation had her on edge. Having Henry on her side was an added bonus even if she could tell that Emma must be feeling ganged up on.

Knowing that Henry's grilling session would continue once they were inside the house, Emma asked if they three could all sit down as a family in the lounge room to talk. Regina took a seat on the couch and Henry crawled up next to her, leaving Emma to sit on the coffee table in front of them. The boy seemed to know that the topic was in danger of becoming adversarial and was making his position well-known.

"Um, so I think-" Emma paused nervously. "Henry, I was going to talk to your Mom about this first. But I figure that you deserve to know what's going to happen to you so we should discuss it together as a family. You ok with that?"

Henry nodded cautiously. "Yeah. As long as you listen to what I want."

"Yes. I want to do what's best for you. That's why I think you should stay here while I go back to New York by myself."

Regina startled. "You what?!"

"Nooo," Henry complained. "You have to stay too, Mom - Emma. We have to stick together."

"Guys, it's ok, I'm coming back. But first I have to go cancel the lease and pack up the apartment, then finish up some work things and go to the school to cancel Henry's enrolment. I can't afford to keep paying for all that stuff if we're not there. I'll only be gone for a short while."

"Oh, that's ok then." Henry breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll stay with Mom until you get back. I guess I'll be going back-n-forth a lot after that. Are we getting an apartment here?"

"Yeah, about that- I'm not sure what kind of place I can afford here, especially since I'm technically unemployed. Are you ok with living between places? Or would you rather stay with one of us? You don't have to decide right away, just have a think about it."

Regina smoothed her son's hair and spoke gently. "I care about what makes you happy, Henry. This will always be your house too and you're welcome here whenever you like. But if you want to keep living with Emma I'll understand. We'll still get to see each other all the time. I promise."

"Same here," Emma surprised them both by saying. "If you want to move back in with your Mom I'm ok with that. Even though I'll miss you like crazy every day."

"You promise you're not going to fight like before?" said Henry. "You're not going to take me back to New York?"

"No. I'm not going to try to take you away. I want you to be close to your Mom and I have a feeling that she's given up trying to stop you from being with me too. We're a team now. So it won't be like before."

"Good, because I don't want to choose."

They listened to Henry explain that he didn't want to have to make the decision at all. He didn't want to choose one of them because he'd feel guilty about hurting the other one. He knew how much they each wanted him to choose her but he also didn't want them to fight over him any more. He didn't want the other Mom to be sad or lonely. The grownups tried as best they could to reassure him that those days were over.

Secretly they were both amazed that a compromise was reached so easily. But it seemed effortless now in light of how they felt about each other, as opposed to when they were fighting over parental rights as well as repressed sexual attraction.

Emma and Regina had been exchanging longing glances the whole time, which brought Henry to his next line of questioning.

"So." Henry gave them both sly looks. "You're dating aren't you."

"Uh well-" Emma seemed flummoxed by the directness of his question.

"There haven't been any actual dates," said Regina. "But there will be. Isn't that right, Emma?"

"I hadn't really thought about it yet-"

Henry cut in. "But you're in love. So one day you're gonna move in together right? Maybe even get married? That would be cool. We should live here because it's bigger and it's got a yard. Hey, can we get a dog? Or maybe even a baby brother or sister! This is gonna be awesome."

"Slow down," Regina laughed. "I think you've succeeded in terrifying the Saviour. Look at her face."

"Very funny," grumbled Emma.

A series of rings came from nearby.

"Was that my phone?" Henry leapt up and ran out of the room to go find wherever he had managed to toss his phone on the way into the house.

Regina shook her head at her near-teenage son's boundless energy wondering where it had come from and yet she was pleased to see him so happy. It was definitely a relief to know that he wanted to stay in Storybrooke. No matter what living arrangements the three of them came up with she would still be able to see her son every day. As hard as it would be to let him go sometimes, it would be an infinite improvement upon last year.

Her life was so empty without him in it. If there was one thing she ought to thank Zelena for it was for distracting her from ending her life long enough to find a way back to her real reason to live. Now, she had not only her son but perhaps a chance at a real happy ending as well. She had Emma, someone who was strong enough to see through her evil past and to love her back.

Henry seemed to be more than ok with the idea of his mothers getting together as a couple too. She had wondered what his reaction might be, since as a child he had never known her to seriously date anyone.

Henry was going to be fine but Regina wasn't so sure about Emma right now. Her son's mother looked panicked, she was chewing on her lower lip. What was going on inside her head? Something would have to be done to distract her...

Regina put on a stern voice. "Do you make a habit of sitting on furniture not designed for that purpose, Miss Swan?"

"Huh? Oh!" Emma jumped up from the coffee table off the coffee table to her feet. "Sorry."

"Who are you and what have you done with Emma Swan? Since when do you apologise to me for anything? I was expecting you to say 'got a better place for me to sit, Mayor?' or something of that nature."

The innuendo had the desired result, although it didn't help Emma's ability to form sentences at present. Regina was inordinately pleased to see the effect she had on her. From her position on the couch she let her eyes rake over Emma's form, down slowly and back up again, with nothing innocent about it.

Emma's lips twitched into a grin and she propped her hands on her hips. "That's… You are so unfair."

Regina opened her palm and pretended to study it. She blew a puff of air and a large round vegetable appeared. It was a rutabaga, the same thing Emma's troubled magic produced aplenty this morning.

"This is for you. As a symbol of my affections."

"Now you're mocking my magical ability?" said Emma.

"You're the one whose magic thinks rutabagas are more romantic than roses. I only want my intentions to be clear," Regina replied, paraphrasing Emma's words from that morning.

"Oh, really? What intentions are those."

"The same ones you have I imagine."

Emma opened her mouth as though she was going to describe exactly what situations she had been imagining. Their banter got interrupted when Henry ran back in holding his phone and backpack. Maybe he didn't notice the sexual tension in the air but if he did he didn't say anything. He walked in them just as things were about to get interesting.

"Hey, Moms," Henry waved. "I'm going over to Archie's tonight. Love you both. Bye!"

"Hold your horses." Emma trotted after him and grabbed his sleeve before he could get away out the front door. "Where are you going?"

"Archie got a new telescope so we're going to go into the woods and try it out. It's a clear sky. He said we'll be back late and I can stay over. So I'll be gone all night ok."

Regina got up from the couch to follow them. "Henry, who's idea was this? Did Dr Hopper say it was alright for you to come over? I hope you were polite and waited to be asked… or did you invite yourself?"

"No-ooo. Archie asked me."

Emma gave him a parental look. "You only got your memories back today and your Mom's missed you a lot over the past year. Maybe you should spend some time with her?"

"I'll be fine, Henry," Regina smiled and reached out to stroke his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow. Go. Learn some astronomy, have fun, and give my regards to Dr Hopper."

"Cool. Thanks Mom!"

For once Emma was being The Strict Mom, she reminded him to thank Archie for the invite and to be a good guest. Then instructed him to stop by Granny's and get his toothbrush and PJs from the room on the way. The boy accepted a hug and kiss from Regina and after finally shrugging Emma's questions off he left them with a wave.

Henry was halfway to the gate when Emma called to him. "Hey, do you want us to drop you off?"

"Mom, it's Storybrooke not the Bronx. I'll walk."

The two women watched their son down the street in companionable silence. Regina was perfectly comfortable with him venturing around Storybrooke on his own. He had been riding his bike to the Main Street shops by himself since he was ten. It was one of the niceties of living in a small town that was safe. In addition to the advantage the Mayor had always had, which was knowing in detail the identities of exactly who lived in the town.

There weren't many who would dare to endanger the son of the Mayor and there were even fewer who were willing to risk the wrath of the Evil Queen.

Emma gaped as she came to a realisation that they were now alone for the night. "I think we've just been set up. Sneaky little so-and-so..."

"What are you going to do about it, Saviour?"

Regina's voice was suggestive and flirty but she wasn't content to wait for what she'd been imagining for some time now. Never let it be said that the Evil Queen shied away from going after something once she decided it was what she wanted.

Regina leaned in close and placed her left hand under Emma's jaw, letting her thumb graze over the skin of her cheek. They locked eyes in a stalemate, waiting to see who would be the first to cave in to what the anticipation promised. Emma's eyes were the first to close. Her lips parted teasingly as she drew in and then paused a millimetre away. The desire to taste her became far too strong. Regina couldn't wait any longer to close the gap herself and as soon as their lips met the newness and wonder of it overwhelmed her. She stifled a moan at how perfect it felt and then scrunched the shoulder of Emma's shirt in her hand to pull her closer.

I never thought I'd have this...

The past, the future, and the rest of the present floated away as the lovers kissed on the very porch where they met years ago.