"Wh- what- why would you choose her!?"

"Why not?" Regina asked innocently.

"She- she's so uncouth!"

"In what way mother?! She answered every question like a lady. She didn't say ANYTHING wrong."

"Elizabeth Hades was much better." Her mother replied bitterly.

Regina stood up angrily. "No. No she wasn't. I couldn't stand her."

"Regina! Don't say things like that! And sit back down."

"No." She turned around and walked out.

"Come right back young lady! Or so help me-"

Cora shouted after her daughters retreating back.

"It seems the teenage stage has hit my daughter at last." She muttured to herself.

Instead of going to her room, Regina walked straight down to the cellar to tell the Swans the good news.

Henry leapt up when he saw her. "Wegina!? Did Mama get it! The job?"

"Wellllll." Regina pretended to contemplate.

"You said she would!!" Henry fretted.

The brunette dropped onto her knees and ruffled the boys hair.

"I'm just messing with you Hen. Emma got the job."

The next thing Regina knew was that she was being squeezed so tightly, she could barely breathe. That was when Emma broke in. "Kid let her go. She can't breathe!"

But she was also grinning, and she pulled Regina into a hug herself. Regina melted into it, unbelivably relieved that at least this part of her life had worked out.

After about five minutes they seperated. Emma looked oddly flushed, and Regina felt quite flustered herself.

Emma tucked some hair that had come loose behind her ear... for some reason Regina found it endearing.

"So... Gina. How did your mother react?"

"Not too well." She chuckled. "But I don't care. Not today."

"When do I start?"

"I suppose... tomorrow..."

"What about me?" Henry spoke in a small voice.

"What about you?"

"Where will I go?"

"Ah yes. Henry. You will live with the rest of the servants! And play, and grow, and... just be a child."

"Really?!" He said breathless. "Will I also read!" He spoke wide eyed.

"Kid..."

Regina interrupted. "Perhaps I can teach you Henry."

The next few weeks went by rather quickly. Cora and Regina both avoided eachother- still wary. As a result of that, there was hardly any mention of Leopold.

Gina spent most of her waking hours hanging out with the Swans... she felt as if they were almost a family. Her new daily routine went like this;

Emma would wake her up with a cup of tea. At first she attempted to make it herself, but after one too many disasters, she employed Granny to do it for her.

She would 'help Regina get dressed.' At least... thats what she was supposed to do. But Regina refused. So Emma just lay on Reginas bed talking a dime a dozen. About nothing. But Regina loved it. That precious time lit up her life.

Then Gina would do embroidery or watercolours for a few hours by herself. Before lunch she would go on a walk with Katherine. After lunch she sneaked down to the kitchens where Henry now hung out and teach him to read. She had a much more busier, and enjoyable day than she used to have.

Emma couldn't belive how much her life had changed in the space of just a couple months. She had gone from living in the cold and damp streets with a son at deaths door, to living in a cellar, with a slightly better son, to having a proper shelter, a job, full meals, and most importantly... a healthy Henry. Before she hadn't belived in a G-D. Now she said prayers nightly. She would cast her mind back to when everything was a haze of... fear... depression... even anger. To when she was surrounded by dirt... smells... starved people. And she'd count her lucky stars. That she and her kid had a savior. Then she would drift off to sleep. With thoughts of Regina sending her off.

Henry also loved his new life. He'd had it too hard for a nine year old. From the age of six he'd been living in the gutter. It was a miracle he'd survived that long, with no food most days. Now he had as much delicious meals as he wanted. He had four great outfits. Before that, he'd worn the same clothes he'd used since he was five. He had toys. And friends. During the day he would play with the other servants kids that lived in the house. There was Neil, and Roland, and Alexandre. The best thing about his new life though, was learning to read and do maths. He could never do that before. He loved Regina. She was always so patient with him, even when he could never remember how to add numbers. Or what the letters looked like.

It was about three weeks after Emma had joined the staff, when Cora visited Reginas room. Emma had been slung across Reginas chair, trying her best not to fall asleep. Regina was having fun waking her up.

Every five minutes she leant over the other woman and shouted her name in her ear. Emma would yelp, mutter some choice curses at Regina, then go back to the land of dreams.

"Why are you so tired anyway Emma?"

"It turns out Henry is a big snorer when he has a bed." She mumbled.

"Wait- you share a room with him?"

"Yeah"

"That's not right, I-"

That was when Cora made her grande entrance.

Emma leapt off the chair, and stood to attention. Regina curled her lip as if to say "oh now you're awake." And then turned to her mother.

Cora looked at Emma. "Perhaps instead of being a lazy so and so, Miss Swan, you could actually do your job."

"Oh no, mother she was. Don't worry. We were done anyway."

"So why is the bed not made?"

"Um."

"I... was just about to do it!" Emma interrupted, and busied herself with pillows and blankets.

"So what can I do for you mother?"

"I just stopped by to tell you we're having a dinner party tonight."

"We are?" Regina sighed.

"Yes. And you could sound more excited."

"Oh- well- I am. Very excited." She lied.

"Good. Leopolds coming."

Oohhh suspense... thanks so much for the kind reviews ive had so far;)