Author's note: I am so sorry for the long wait. I don't why, but this chapter has been so hard to write. Thanks to MonkeyLovr for finishing this ch.

Chapter 12

"Gold, what did you do?" Someone muttered. It sounded like Granny.

Everyone sat around in the pitch black dining room, seemingly rooted to their seats while Regina and Graham searched for flashlights and candles in the kitchen drawers. The once drunk party had suddenly become sober.

"I was here with the rest of you," Gold responded. "so don't look at me, dearie."

"We can't." Leroy responded. "In case you haven't noticed, it's dark in here. I can barely see a thing."

Someone, most likely Emma, burst out laughing.

"How's it going in the kitchen?" Ruby called. "Find any candles yet?"

"Yeah." Leroy added. "I think Emma's getting scared."

"I am not!" Emma said. "I'm not a baby." It sounded as though she was sticking her tongue out, though of course nobody could see it.

"It's kind of hard to look when it's dark." Regina huffed, but moments later there was the scratching of a match and then she walked out, holding a tall candle. Graham was close behind, candles in each hand.

"Why did the lights go out?" Emma asked.

Graham scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure, I think we just blew a fuse."

"Oh. What's that?"

"Kind of hard to explain."

"Well," Mary Margaret began. "you know that the lights are powered by electricity so-" She was rudely cut off by Regina.

"The fuse box is in the garage. Who wants to go look at it and fix this?"

"I will." Graham volunteered.

Regina smiled gratefully at him. "Anyone else?"

"Here, take Leroy." Gold spoke up. "He can help hold the flashlight."

Leroy glared at Gold. "Why me? Why not you?"

"Because," Gold began. "I'm not the one who got turkey in the salad."

"Still on about that, I see." Leroy grumbled as he followed Graham into the garage. "You're more immature than Emma."

"Hey, I heard that!"

"Well," Granny said. "we might as well clean up. Early day tomorrow and all."

Working by the flickering candlelight, everyone worked to stack the dishes and bring them into the kitchen.

"Make sure you don't break my plates." Regina snapped to Mary Margaret. She just couldn't help getting in jabs whenever she could. "They cost more than your apartment."

"Yikes." Ruby squinted at the table. "There's glass everywhere."

"That's going to be hard to clean up without light." Mary Margaret said worriedly.

For the first couple minutes, they transported plates to the kitchen without too much arguing, though Regina did make a comment about the decorative birds on Mary Margaret's plates (her exact words were "do you own any plates without any birds on them? they are so sweet they make me sick").

But then Ruby stopped suddenly, a handful of silverware curled in her palms. "Do you guys hear that?"

"Hear what, girl?" Granny snapped. "Are you trying to get out of working again?"

"No, Granny. Listen, there's a weird noise coming from the garage."

"Oh, and I suppose that when you stop to flirt with the customers you're just 'trying to make them feel welcome'?"

"Yes, because that's exactly what you say we should do."

"Hey, who wants to play a game?" Emma interrupted.

"I don't know…" Regina started. "I'm sure everyone's tired. And it's already past your bedtime, Emma."

But they didn't seem to hear her.

"That's a good idea." Mary Margaret responded. "I think after everything everyone's had to drink we should all take a break before driving home."

Regina shot her a scathing glare.

"Sure, a game sounds fun." Ruby agreed. "What shall we play?"

"How about headbands?" Emma offered. "Regina and I play it all the time."

"Headbands?"

"Yeah, it's real fun, isn't it Regina?"

Regina forced a grin. "Um, yeah, I guess it's fun."

Ten minutes later, they were seated in the middle of the living room. It seemed they were all part of a kindergarten class getting ready for story time.

"Now, lets pick teams!" Emma said cheerfully. "I want to be with Ms. Blanchard and Regina."

Regina rolled her eyes. Great.

"I'd love to be on your team." Mary Margaret smiled.

"Ok, and Graham, Mr. Gold and Leroy on another."

"And Granny and Ruby can take their pick." Emma added.

In the end, Ruby had chosen the guy's team, and Granny had gone with Emma.

"Ok, me first. I'll go against." Emma tapped her chin as she looked at the people in front of her.

"Ruby." She finally decided.

"Alright." She smiled. "But how exactly does this game work?"

"Here, put this on your head." She handed her the headband.

Emma took one of the many cards and placed in on it. She then took another one and placed it on herself.

"Ok, now you have to ask questions, and try to guess the card on your head. It could be a fruit, animal, anything. Only yes or no questions though." Emma added.

"Ok. I think I get it. Would you like to go first Emma?"

Emma nodded. "Am I am animal?" She asked.

Ruby shook her head.

"Can you eat me?"

"Yes."

"Am I a hamburger?"

"Not quite."

"Am I a hotdog?"

Ruby smiled as she nodded.

"Yay!" Emma squealed. "One point for us."

Regina marked a tally mark on the paper in front of her.

"Your turn Ruby!"

It started to go downhill from there, though.

"Regina your turn!" Emma stated.

Regina sighed and rolled her eyes internally.

"Ok." She grabbed a card and placed it on her forehead.

"Mr. Gold, you too."

As if it couldn't get worse.

"Alright."

"Regina, you can start guessing now."

"Am I living?" She asked.

The answer to this would narrow down her results immensely.

"Yes."

"Am I a four legged animal?"

"Yes?"

"Can I be kept as a pet?"

"Yup."

"Am I a cat?"

Gold sighed. "Yes."

Regina smirked. "Another point for us."

Emma smiled. "Ok Mr Gold. Your turn."

"Let's get this over with. Am I an animal?"

"Nope."

"Am I an object?"

She shook her head.

"Am I a fruit?"

"No."

"What about a vegetable?"

"Yes."

It seemed like hours that Gold spent naming all the vegetables known to man. And to each and every one of them, she'd simply shake her head 'No'.

Gold was about to shake her head off her body completely, if this stupid little round didn't end soon. "I've literally names every single vegetable known, to exist." He announced angrily.

"Gold, I knew you aren't very bright, but to not name one of the most common vegetables, that's just sad."

"I can't think of anymore. I give up."

He sighed, yanking the band off his head.

"A tomato?" He yelled, his face almost turning into the same shade of red of the tomato.

"Yeah, don't worry, we all knew you were an idiot. Don't feel bad."

"I'm the idiot?" He asked.

She nodded.

''That's where you're wrong, dearie, because in case you didn't know, a tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable."

The smirk on Regina's face fell.

"Who's the idiot now?"

And just like the argument, many more followed. Who knew that a simple game of headbands would cause all this arguing?

An hour later, the girls were in the lead 25 to 15.

"Ok, Graham. My turn to guess." Mary Margaret stated.

He nodded.

"Am I a reptile?"

"Nope."

"Am I an insect?"

He shook his head.

"Am I some sort of furniture?"

"Nope."

"Can you eat me?"

"Yes."

"Oh good." She said cheerfully.

She listed off a long list of foods, along with desserts, and pretty much anything that could be consumed.

"I give up." She sighed. "What am I?"

"You're a cow, which in fact, you can eat. In many different ways." He smirked.

You could almost see the smoke coming out of the girls' ears.

"That wasn't funny." Regina argued.

"We had to get payback in a way." Leroy stated.

"You broke the rules." Emma argued.

"No we didn't. You can eat a cow, in a burger, in meatballs, you name it."

"But it wasn't fair." Emma argued back.

"Sorry, Kiddo."

"Leave them, Emma. Don't worry, we're still winning, we'll score the next point. But it seems like Graham won't be scoring anything for some time." She locked eyes with Graham, and smirked as she watched his own smirk slowly disappear.

"Oooh, burn!" Cried Ruby.

Graham cleared his throat as broke his gaze from Regina's, his face uncharacteristically pink. "How about we just give you this point, and we call it a night?" He suggested. "It's getting late."

"No. You can't just give them the point." Gold and Leroy argued.

"Keep your point." Granny said. "We won anyways. But Graham's right, it's getting late."

A second later the lights came flooding back on.

"Just in time." Leroy said sarcastically.

Coats were collected, leftovers spread all around, and pretty soon everyone was clustered around the door, ready to leave. Gold looked like he couldn't get out of there fast enough as he said goodbye hastily over his shoulder and quickly walked towards his car. Seconds later his car was heard zooming down the street and away.

"Thanks for a lovely evening." Granny said as she and Ruby hugged Emma goodbye. Leroy followed behind them, as he was a little too drunk to drive himself home.

"Bye!" Emma waved as she watched the cars drive away.

"I should be going too," Graham said. "early day patrolling all of the Black Friday sales tomorrow." He tried to give Regina a good night kiss, but she shoved him out of the way.

He shot her a fake wounded puppy expression. "Are you still mad about the game?"

"Maybe." Regina replied. "Try again tomorrow."

"I'm still invited for dinner?" He asked hopefully.

"Maybe," she repeated. "if you're good." And then she shoved him out the door. "Good night, sheriff."

Regina turned back to Emma, who was struggling to hold back a yawn. "Time for bed, dear."

Emma didn't protest as she allowed Regina to lead her upstairs and into the bathroom. It was already three whole hours after her bedtime, and she clearly wasn't used to staying up that late.

"I"m sorry about all of the arguing." Regina said as she slid the ribbons that held together the rather magnificent array of braids in the little girl's hair.

"Are you kidding?" Emma grinned. "This was the best Thanksgiving ever." Her next words caused Regina to groan loudly. "We should do it again next year!"

Author's note: Next up...Black Friday shopping