Chapter 11

Emma leans against a tree and nonchalantly gazes into the back window that looks into the kitchen. She can see Regina and Ingrid moving around, busy cooking dinner. She feels so much better since their hike in the mountains. So much calmer, so much more at ease. She knew she'd never be able to relax into this place if she and Regina were at each other's throats. So knowing that everything was okay now… Well, it's safe to say Emma felt like a million dollars.

"Hey, catch!"

Emma looks up as a basketball comes whizzing towards her and catches it just before it slams her in the face. "Jesus, Rubes!" she shouts while laughing. "What the hell?"

"Come on. Play with Henry and me."

"Yeah, Emma, show us what you got."

Emma dribbles the basketball twice and walks over towards the three point line. "You know this is dangerous, right?"

Henry laughs and says, "Oh, sure. Like when you tried to beat me at chess that one night?"

Emma raises an eyebrow and raises her arms, her form perfect as she shoots the ball. It swishes through the net and bounces off to the side. "You were saying?" Emma asks, an air of cockiness to her voice. She jogs over to the ball, picks it up and bounces it to Henry and he shoots it from the free throw line at the outdoor hoop. It swishes through the hoop causing Henry to throw his hands in the air and shout.

"Woohoo!" he says loudly, running around like a wild man.

"Don't get too cocky," Ruby laughs as she rebounds the ball and throws it at Emma. "You know Emma here never misses a shot, right?"

"Hardly," Emma replies as she dribbles to the three point line spins around and shoots. It also swishes through the hoop and Emma smiles. "I do have a killer shot from behind the line."

"I can still hit a bull's eye before you can," Henry teases as he runs up and steals the ball away from Ruby.

"With what?" August asks from his seated position on one of the homemade wooden chairs around the makeshift basketball court. The buff and brown cocker spaniel, Lady in his lap. He pats the dog on the head, rubs her ears as he raises his beer to his lips and takes a long swig. "Surely not a knife," he starts. "Emma can hit a man in the back -"

"August!" Emma shouts, cutting him off. She shakes her head at him. Henry doesn't need to know all that.

"With an arrow," Henry says, walking over towards August. He crosses his arms and taps his toe on the ground. "Should we have a shoot off?" he asks Emma with a grin.

"We probably should," Emma replies, her eyes shining. She nods her head at Henry. "Let's get the bows."

Henry follows Emma over towards a shed on the side of the house, practically giddy with excitement. "This is so fun," he says through a laugh. "I thought the ranch was fun; I was wrong. This is way more fun!"

Emma chuckles as she does the combination on the lock to the shed. There are two bows and two quivers with arrows hanging on the wall. She takes them down, hands a set over to Henry, then turns to look at him. "You know you're going to kick my ass at this, right?"

"Oh, I know," he responds, laughing as he slings the quiver over his shoulder and head. "Are you and mom okay?"

Emma does the same with her quiver as they step out of the shed. "Well, I guess you could say that," she answers, looking down at him as they make their way over towards where August and Ruby have set up a target on a pine tree about fifty paces away.

"Good. You guys fighting was the worst. Not that I love that lovey-dovey stuff," he scoffs, his nose wrinkled.

Emma laughs. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," Henry comments. He glances up at Emma. "You realize she would ask me every day if I had talked to you and if we had talked, what we had talked about and how you were doing and man, it was such a drag. Like, come on. It was so crazy. She has never been like that before."

"Well," Emma starts, "She's definitely the most stubborn woman I've ever met."

"You mean besides yourself?" August asks from next to Ruby, Lady on one side, Pongo stationed on the other.

"Zip your lips," Emma scoffs. "I am not stubborn."

"Uhhhh," Ruby says with her hand going in the air.

"You realize I have a bow and arrow and could shoot you both, right?"

Henry starts to laugh. "Don't worry, guys, she can't hit you if you get far enough away!"

August and Ruby both descend into a fit of laughter as Emma stands there with her hands at her side. "What the hell?" she asks, trying not to laugh with them all. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"You beat her, huh?"

Henry slides an arm around Regina's waist as she stands at the counter in the kitchen. She was helping chop vegetables for the salad when Henry and Emma burst in through the door, Henry laughing and Emma hanging her head in shame. He looks over at Emma and smiles. "Yeah, but I think she let me win."

"No way, kid; that was all you." Emma puts her hands in the air in mock defeat. "I swear."

"She's not lying," Ingrid says as she stirs the spaghetti sauce on the stove. "She was never a good shot with the bow and arrow. She was more of a knife and gun girl."

"See?" Emma prods with a laugh. "Knives and guns. Total mountain man material."

"You always could hit the wild game with that old rifle. That's for sure." Ingrid smiles at Emma as she turns around and slides a loaf of bread towards Emma with a large bread knife. "Prepare this," she says softly.

Emma does as she's told, slicing the loaf of Italian bread lengthways and then spreading a garlic butter concoction that Ingrid makes all over the soft bread. "I haven't hunted in years," she finally comments, walking a cookie sheet with the halves of bread over towards the oven. "350?" she asks.

"Yes," Ingrid answers, with a smile, and gently lays her hand on Emma's shoulder before the younger blonde bends down and slides the bread into the oven. "It's been awhile for me, too. But my aim is still good."

"So is Emma's," Henry says from his now seated position on one of the stools by the center island in the kitchen. "I used to watch her shoot targets at the ranch with Archie."

"Henry," Regina chides. "I hope you were a safe distance away."

"Geesh, mom, yeah. I'm not a child, ya know," he responds with a wry smile.

Regina points the end of her knife jokingly at him and raises an eyebrow. "Watch it, mister. I can still ground you, regardless of where we're calling home."

Ingrid's eyes catch Emma's and the two exchange glances.

Home.

Emma's heart is in her chest when she looks at Regina and their eyes lock. "Yeah, kid, don't sass your mother," she says playfully with a gentle elbow nudge to Henry's arm. He looks lovingly up at her and then back at his mom before Emma finally says, "Why don't you go clean up for dinner?"

"Oh, I know what that means. Time for some adult time," he replies, sliding off the stool. He strides out of the kitchen, his hair bouncing with him, when the three women hear him start laughing and then August shout and chase after him.

Emma shakes her head and smiles. "It's kinda weird being all together like this again."

"It reminds me when we were a big foster family," Ingrid responds, her voice so sincere and sweet. "Before the two young boys, Jake and Tyler were adopted and the other pair, Joseph and Luke moved to another home. Remember how crazy that all was? We were a full house."

Emma scoots the stool out where Henry was sitting and brings a knee up to kneel onto the soft leather surface. She glances at Regina and then at Ingrid. "It was more fun when it was just you, me and August."

"Well, of course," Ingrid says with a laugh. "Especially when we were up here and you two had your own rooms and everything."

Regina gently clears her throat and says, "It sounds like you all had a great relationship," before she finishes scooping the vegetables into the salad.

Emma lets out a laugh and responds with, "Not really. I hated Ingrid to begin with. I mean, who likes their foster mom?"

"Yeah, she was a real spit-fire."

"I almost ran away and August talked me out of it."

Regina smiles, her wine glass now in hand, and raises an eyebrow. "You mean to tell me this stubborn streak has been present for a while now?"

"Oh, yes, for as long as I've known her," Ingrid confirms, a smile across her face. "Thank goodness she finally came around."

Emma can feel the heat in her cheeks as she looks down at the countertop. "Yeah, well, I'm glad I did, too," she says in almost a whisper. She feels Ingrid walk up beside her and wrap a strong arm around her waist and then kiss her on the cheek.

"Mule."

"Nag," Emma replies, softly, her voice almost cracking with emotion. She glances up at Regina and is definitely surprised by the look of love displayed on the woman's face and the slight shine in her eyes.

Dinner at Ingrid's hasn't been this packed with people for a very long time. And the meal is absolutely delicious. The spaghetti is fabulous, the garlic bread is spectacular and, "Regina, this salad is perfect," August says with a smile, his mouth full of lettuce from his third helping.

The brunette smiles at him from across the long, reclaimed barn wood table in the dining room. "All I did was cut it up," she replies, feeling Emma's hand slide onto her thigh and squeeze lightly.

"Yeah, but the dressing. That was really great," Ruby says around a mouthful of bread.

Mary Margaret lets out a laugh at Ruby's lack of couth. "It really is the best dressing, Regina," she says from the opposite side of the table. She's seated next to David and when she looks at Emma and then Regina, her smile is almost too much to handle.

Emma leans into Regina and whispers, "I think Mary Margaret found her Prince Charming finally."

"I see that," Regina says quietly, her head turned towards the blonde. "It's about time."

"So, how long have you had this place?" Archie asks Ingrid. He pushes his glasses up on his nose with his forefinger and smiles. "Looking to sell? I could get used to it out here."

Ingrid smiles as she leans back in her chair at the head of the table. "This house has been in my family for years. It was my grandfather's and then my parents' and then mine. And while I'm not looking to sell, you can always move in, Archie. I do love the company."

Archie's cheeks blush a deep red and the table all laughs at his apparent embarrassment. "Well, I appreciate the offer," he replies with a shy grin.

"Henry, honey?" Regina asks softly with a smile. "Have you breathed at all during this meal?" She runs a hand over his hair and he beams.

He wipes his mouth with his napkin and then takes a long drink of the Coca-Cola that Regina allowed him to drink. "I've been conserving my energy by taking as little breaths as possible," he finally answers.

Ingrid laughs as she goes to stand up to gather the plates. "Whoa, there, little lady. Let the men clean up," August chides, holding his hand out. "And then it's time for fire. And beer."

Emma laughs when Regina looks over at her. "It's a tradition."

"Beer around the fire?"

"Yes," Emma replies. "I'm sorry." She feels slightly bad for the amount of craziness that she has thrust Regina into in the last few hours. She's used to August and his nutty comebacks and alcoholic tendencies. But no one else really is. Not even Ruby or David, who spend as much time with August as Emma does these days.

The brunette's face softens and she slides her hand over Emma's. "Don't be sorry. I am loving every second."

"Here are the Coors Lights," Ingrid says as she passes along a string of beers. "And a PBR for me." Everyone looks at her and she just smiles. "What? I like it." She sets the beer can down next to her seat and then hands Henry a cup of hot cocoa complete with whip cream and cinnamon. "And hot cocoa for Henry."

"Is this cinnamon?" he asks.

"It sure is," she answers, whisking back into the house.

"Mom, she does cinnamon, too," he says with a smile. "Just like you."

Emma nudges Regina who is sitting next to her on the outdoor blanket on the ground, leaning against the giant log that surrounds the pit. Lady is sitting next to her, the dog's face propped on Regina's lap. "You do cinnamon?"

"Always have." Regina runs her hand over the dog's head and down her back. The cocker spaniel breathes out and Regina chuckles at the adorableness.

"So do I," Emma says quietly. She smiles when Regina looks over at her.

"Emma, honey, it's time."

Emma looks up at Ingrid as she's carrying out an old, ornate chess board, the pieces still standing on it. "Oh, man," she whispers. "And it begins." She gets to her knees and scoots over towards where Ingrid sets the chess board on a small table. She also kneels down next to it, a grin on her face.

"This again?" August whines from his Adirondack chair.

"Always," Ingrid replies. She takes a long drink of her now opened PBR. She slaps Emma's hand as she tries to pick the white side of the chess board. "Hey, that's my side! You know that. You're the black side."

Emma chuckles and rubs her hand. "Geesh, are you sure?"

"Yes! My last move I took your rook with my bishop right there," Ingrid argues, pointing.

"Goodness," Mary Margaret says as she leans forward, seeing the dust on the chessboard. "How long has this been going on?"

Emma locks her eyes onto Ingrid's and then back onto the board. "Three years."

"She almost beat me the first year," Ingrid comments softly.

Emma hears Henry clear his throat from behind her and she smiles. "See something?"

"Knight to King 4."

Emma lets out a puff of air and shakes her head. "City kid," she scoffs with a smile, until both blondes lean forward to get a closer look at the board. "Well, shit." And with a fluid move, Emma moves the knight and topples Ingrid's king.

Ingrid's eyes go wide and Henry smiles at Emma. "Henry, honey, why don't you come sit by me?" Ingrid asks and everyone starts laughing, including Emma.

"He did beat me at chess," Emma calmly remembers out loud. She looks back at Regina who looks like she's about ready to pass out. She reaches back and lays a hand on her knee. "You okay?"

"Yeah, but if you all don't mind, I think I'm going to head to bed."

Emma stands up abruptly, holding her hand out for Regina to grab onto it. Lady stirs from her slumber and gets to her feet, wagging her butt and looking up at Regina. "Looks like you have a new best friend."

Regina slips her hand into Emma's and looks back at the rest of the company. "Good night, everyone," she says with a wave as Emma starts to walk her towards the house, Lady hot on their trail.

Emma lays down on the bed next to Regina, Lady curled up next to her, and smiles. "You comfortable?" she asks before she reaches over and brushes a strand of hair away from the brunette's face.

"Yes, I am, actually." Regina lets out a deep breath and closes her eyes. "I'm so happy here."

"Good," Emma whispers as she leans in and places a kiss on Regina's temple. "I'm glad."

"Kiss me on the lips, Miss Swan," Regina demands, her voice low and thick with sleep. "Please?"

Emma chuckles as she leans down and places her lips on Regina's. She kisses her deeply before she lets go and smiles. "That better?"

"Yes."

"I'll be in here shortly. Gotta start out separately, okay?" Emma explains as she starts to get up from the bed.

Regina sighs and then closes her eyes. "I feel like a high-schooler again."

"Right?"

"You sneaking into my bedroom, not wanting to wake anyone up, hoping that we won't get caught. It's all very exciting."

Emma walks over towards the door and reaches out for the handle. "As long as you're quiet, I'm sure we won't get caught." She laughs when Regina's head flies up from the pillow and a gasp shoots from her throat. "Sleep tight, Miss Mills."