A/N: Props to those that keep catching my mistakes involving Regina responding to noise. Writing this story made me realize how hard it is to completely eliminate sound from daily interactions. Really makes you admire those that do it every day. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Regina and Emma lay in Regina's bed snuggled so close together that their outline above the blanket looked like one. Despite their currently peaceful state, Regina had been nervous and fidgety all night. It was extremely unlike her, but Emma attributed it to mayoral stress.
The town had decided it was a good idea to throw a winter festival, and it was. The only problem is they had left most of the organizing to Regina.
So now Regina was scrambling around to make sure vendors, parking, supplies were all taken care of. It had put Emma in a "take care of the house and our son" kind of position, but so far it had gone well.
Her and Henry had made dinner together most of the nights and there hadn't even been one fire. Overall, considering the stressful situation, it had gone pretty smoothly.
Unless, Emma thought while laying in the dark, It's not going smoothly and she's trying to break up with me. The thought filled her with dread. She had all but formally moved into the mansion and the thought of breaking apart the perfect life she was currently living now caused her stomach to sink.
Regina interrupted Emma's thoughts as she brashly leaned over and turned on the light. Emma blinked her eyes to adjust to the brightness and looked over at the brunette.
'I need to talk to you' Regina signed nervously, her heart beating in her ears. However nervous Regina was, Emma was ten times more so. She had gotten herself so worked up that now she was all but convinced that Regina was ending things with her.
'Sure. What do you want to talk about?' Emma responded casually, hoping that Regina just wanted to discuss coordinating rides when it came to picking up Henry from school, or something as mundane.
'I have two things'
'Okay.'
Regina replied by signing something extremely fast. So fast that Emma didn't catch it.
'What?'
Regina tried again, slower this time.
'Will you move in with Henry and I?' Emma's mind froze. That was not at all what she expected. She smiled at the fact that Regina had gotten so worked up over this simple question.
'Regina, I'm already kind of moved in. But to answer your question formally, yes.' Regina smiled, relieved that she had gotten half of the stress that had been bothering her for a week now off her chest.
'Are you sure?'
'I'm sure.' Emma moved closer to the woman that lay next to her and rested her shoulder's on Regina's chest. She looked up from her chest and kissed her. It would never get old.
'What's the second thing?'
'My mother invited us for dinner' Emma shot up from her position on Regina's chest.
'The mother you haven't seen in four years?' Regina pursued her lips distastefully.
'Yes, that one'
'And…'
'And what? What do you think?'
'Why now after all these years?'
'Henry wants to meet his grandmother and I've learned that keeping him from family doesn't work out the way I want it to,' A small smile quirked at Emma's lips remembering the first time she had met Regina.
'So you want me to come?'
'Of course I do.'
'Then I'll come' Emma signed resolutely, catching the grateful look on Regina's face.
'Okay' Regina couldn't stop her body from visibly relaxing at the released stress. They kissed once more before turning the light off and finally went to sleep.
"Emmaaa. I can't tie my tie." Henry ran out of his room, his eyes in a panic as he looked up and down the hall for his mother. Emma heard the boy and walked out of Regina's room in middle of putting on her earrings. Apparently, a trip to Regina's parents house meant a pearls and cocktail dresses.
"Come here" Emma said as she pulled the earring back to look at it, before attempting to put it in her ear again. This time it went in and she slid the back on. She kneeled down to Henry's level and began to knot the tie.
"How ya feeling kid?"
"Nervous" Henry admitted while looking down at his too tight shoes. They were pinching his toes, but his Mom said they went with his pants so he wore them anyway.
"Your Mom's really nervous too. So we have to make sure she knows we're by her side. Okay?"
"Okay," Henry agreed with a sharp nod. For once, he was going to be a model son. Emma finished with Henry's tie and patted it twice.
"Looking sharp"
"Thanks Emma."
"Now why don't you go downstairs and wait while we finish up."
"Alright." Henry was unusually quiet today. Probably his nerves, Emma thought.
She returned back to Regina's bedroom and leaned against the doorframe while her girlfriend raced out from the closet and in front of the mirror. Regina was, if Emma was being honest, completely freaking out. She had been getting ready since three in the afternoon and it was now almost five.
Regina looked at herself in the mirror. Nothing was going right. Her dress didn't look good so she had to change it, she couldn't find the earrings she wanted to wear, and now her l ipstick was missing. She rustled around her armoire, knocking some things over in the process.
A hand tapped on her shoulder, Emma's hand, in it held the lipstick she was looking for. Regina twirled around and looked at the woman who had dealt with her in her crazed state.
Emma held out her arms when she saw the stressed and overly nervous Regina. Regina leaned into them, hugging Emma tightly and sighing when Emma's arms wrapped around her. She pulled back moments later.
'You look beautiful' Emma signed to Regina, who just gave her a skeptical look.
'I didn't even put my lipstick on yet.'
'I don't care, you still look beautiful'
'Well thank you dear, you don't look so bad yourself'
Regina turned to the mirror and put her lipstick on finally. She did a quick look over, checking to make sure everything was ready before swiftly grabbing her purse off a chair and following Emma out the door.
The only sound that could be heard was the quiet rumble of the car engine. Regina had insisted she drive to Portland, where her parents lived. The ride was filled with a tense silence. It seemed everyone was waiting in suspense.
All Henry knew about his grandparents was that the last time he met them he was a baby. He knew that his Mom doesn't talk to them really, but he had no idea why.
All Emma knew about Regina's parents is that they were high class, prim, proper, and very strict. Regina had told her some stories about how her Mother had driven her out of the house by forcing her to live a life she didn't want.
Apparently, they had been such a strong force that for awhile they made Regina go to business school, despite the fact she had no interest in it. That was right before Regina moved away, and into a small town where she could start her life over.
When they pulled up to the house, Emma and Henry lookd out their windows in awe. Regina already lived in a huge house now, but that house looked like quaint in comparison. Regina stopped the car in the middle of a half circle driveway and got out quickly, swaying a little on her heels.
Emma and Henry clambered out a second later, still staring at the house with open mouths. Emma watched as Regina handed her keys to a man, who got in the car and drove away.
'Your parents have valet for their own house?'
'They like…the finer things in life.'
'Yeah I can see that…' Emma grumbled as she signed. This was definitely bound to be an experience.
The three made their way to the front door which also managed to somehow be intimidating where Regina flipped her hair, touched up her lipstick and flattened her dress before ringing the doorbell.
Just before the door opened, Emma reached her hand over and interlaced her fingers with Regina's. Regina shot her a grateful look and squeezed Emma's hand slightly.
The door swung open seconds later by a tall man who looked exactly how a butler should. The man had worked there for over twenty years and Regina was convinced her parents hired the man simply because he looked the part with his slicked back grey hair and lanky body that stood tall.
The man nodded when he saw Regina and she smiled politely back at him. He stepped out of the way and held the door open for the trio.
"Hi, I'm Emma."
"I'm Henry!"
The adorable mother and son said to the butler as Emma stuck out her hand and Henry waved. The butler's face remained passive and he just nodded uncomfortably at the two.
Emma slowly put her hand down, realizing she wasn't going to get a handshake while Regina just chuckled at the two loves of her life. Today was definitely going to be interesting.
Regina strutted through the cathedral like house as if she'd never left. Meanwhile, Henry and Emma just stumbled behind her, their eyes glued to the ceiling where a giant chandelier hung.
They spun around slowly, taking in the marble floors and giant pieces of artwork that hung in gold trimmed frames. There were statues that sat in the corners and furniture dispersed among the walls. It was legitimately difficult to tell if they were in a fancy art museum or a house.
After minutes of gazing, they both realized Regina was no longer with them. Emma scrambled ahead where she remembered seeing Regina walk and dragged Henry along by his hand. When they had passed through a doorway into another room, they halted suddenly for Regina stood there with her parents.
'And this is Henry and Emma' Regina signed to her father who whispered the message to Regina's mother. Emma found this strange, but was too overwhelmed by the almost tangible stiffness that surrounded the three people.
Regina stood awkwardly, her hands crossed against her chest.
Her father was a short man, he looked weathered, but nice.
Her mother, on the other hand, must have had a metal rod up her spine, because her posture was perfect. Her lips were pursued in a way that Emma had seen Regina's and her eyes, well her eyes were something indescribable.
Henry knew exactly what his grandmother's eyes looked like. They looked like at any moment a red laser beam would come shooting out of them, ready to destroy anyone in sight.
"Oh nice to meet you Henry! Finally." Regina's mother threw a pointed look at her daughter, whose faced had not moved since Emma had walked in the room. Henry did his best to smile, although he was still slightly afraid of the laser beams.
"And you must be Emma, Henry's mother. You can call me Cora."
"Nice to meet you. I'm also Regina's girlfriend." Emma responded while signing for Regina's sake before by sticking out her hand. She wanted to make sure Regina knew she was there for her and she was going to back her up one hundred percent of the way.
"And you sign too? How pleasant…" Cora replied unconvincingly while her lips pursued again in distaste. Emma had to fight from keeping her eyebrows from rising to her hairline. Was this woman serious?
Emma glanced over at Regina who was giving her the most guilty look she had ever seen.
"I just learned a little while ago. For Regina." Emma replied while Cora nodded stiffly.
"And you say your dating?" Again, nothing but judgement was written all over Cora's face, obviously displeased by her daughters sexual preference. Or maybe just displeased that Emma had been a result of it.
'Mother, please. Henry, this is your Grandpa. His name is Henry too' Regina signed, while Henry Sr. repeated the message to Cora. There was a lot of translating and untranslating going on and it seemed quite exhausting. Maybe that's why they never talked, Emma thought to herself.
Henry Sr. leaned down to Henry and shook Henry's held out hand. Henry Sr. smiled and Emma's own smile soon followed. However awful Cora seemed, Henry Sr. seemed as much the opposite.
"Well. Time for dinner? I had the chef make filet mignon especially for tonight" Cora said abruptly, breaking the moment between the two. Regina, whose hands were now stuck stiffly to her sides, lagged back with Emma as Cora led them to the dining room.
'She doesn't sign?' Emma couldn't get over that Regina's own mother didn't sign. She had only known Regina a couple days before she felt drawn to learn so they could talk more. How had this gone on Regina's whole life?
'She thinks its…peasant like.' Regina signed while rolling her eyes. Being back in this house for mere minutes already made her remember why she had left. Emma was speechless. How could the beautiful woman in front of her come from Cora?
'I'm really sorry I made you come. It's already awful,' Regina worried her bottom lip with her teeth. She would be making it up to Emma for this for years.
She knew her mother was brash, intimidating, and judgmental, but she had thought the woman would be on her best behavior. The night so far proved that she was not planning on it.
'I offered to come. I'm here for you.' Emma kissed the woman quickly before pulling her hand to catch up with the others.
Whadja think? Shoot me a review as always!
