A/N: It's my birthday today (well, yesterday, in terms of when this has been posted) and I planned my day to give me a few hours just to write for you lovely peeps! Simply because this is what I love to do!
The cursor flashed steadily on the blank page, taunting her. Daring her to start. She narrowed her eyes at it and tapped out her name, just to prove a point. Then she deleted her marital surname, typed on autopilot and replaced it with her maiden name instead. But then she stopped. What next? What other information did she have to share? Did she put the address of the shelter? The number for the shelter? She had no cell phone. Her email address? No, she'd need a new email, for sure. Anything related to her ex needed to be removed from her life.
Minimising the word document, she clicked on the internet browser. The tab displayed at once, informing her that the laptop wasn't connected to the internet.
"Emma, what's the Wi-Fi password?"
The blonde looked up from her own computer. "Why?" Regina arched an eyebrow at the woman sat on the opposite side of the desk in the counsellor's office. "Sorry, it's a security thing. We don't tend to give the Wi-Fi password out to guests in case dangerous people in their past lives are looking for the women or they're thinking of contacting their ex."
"Well, I'm not doing that," Regina assured. "I just need to make a new email account. I don't want to use my old one for exactly that reason."
"Oh, right, sorry," Emma said, reaching for a post-it note stuck to her computer and handing it over.
"Trust me, I'm not going to contact Leo," Regina said as she typed in the password to the shelter's Wi-Fi connection.
"I know," Emma admitted. "Sorry."
Regina shook her head. "No need to apologise. You're just looking out for me."
"Always," Emma smiled.
The two women returned to working in silence, Regina setting up her new email account and Emma replying to some emails which had built up through the week. Two new guests had arrived in the shelter and settling them in had taken precedent over paperwork and other administrative tasks which, while necessary, Emma deemed less important than her work directly related to the women.
Regina sighed, looking at the document which now held her name and new email address and nothing more.
"Are you ok?" Emma had looked up from her screen to see creases on the forehead of the woman before her. She had invited Regina to come to her office to work on the document following their conversation on Monday night. The two of them had looked over several resumé examples from a folder Emma kept for that exact purpose before Regina had been given one of the communal laptops to get started.
"What am I even supposed to write on my CV?" Regina asked. "I've never had a proper job."
"Never?"
Regina shook her head. "Aside from a couple of summer jobs when I was in college. I got married straight after graduation. Leo didn't want me to work. He said I didn't have to. So, I didn't. It wasn't really a choice. I was expected to become a Stepford wife as soon as I returned to Maine. I did become one. Just like my mother, although she was perfectly content in her role and was devoted to my father in a way I never was with Leo."
"But you went to college, right?
"Yes, I studied English literature at BCU."
"Seriously? You went to BCU and then your husband didn't want you to work? What a waste."
Regina flinched. "Yeah, well, I didn't exactly think my life was going to work out like this. It wasn't planned."
"I'm sorry," Emma said quickly, realising that her words had hurt the brunette. "I didn't mean to insult you. But you've had a fantastic college education and I'm confident we can find a job where those skills are put to good use."
"Maybe, but that still doesn't help me when it comes to what to write on my CV. Housewife?"
"Start with your education. High school grades, college. Maybe write a little about what you wrote your thesis on to flesh it out and show an area of study in more detail. Plenty of people take time out to have a family and then return to the world of work. You're not alone in that, Regina"
"I didn't take time out by choice. I wasn't allowed to work."
Emma reached over her desk and placed her hand over Regina's. "And now you get to live life on your terms. So, let's live the best possible life we can."
"I want to," Regina whispered. "I just can't imagine that future because I don't even know where to begin."
Henry raced across the playground that Friday afternoon, colliding with his mother's leg where she stood chatting to Marian. Over the week, Roland's mother had started to talk a little to Regina on the walk to school and while they waited for their sons. The conversation was interrupted as Regina's knee buckled and she struggled to stay upright.
"Henry, be careful please," she scolded before thanking Marian who'd grasped her elbow to keep her from falling.
"Mom, can we go to the zoo tomorrow?" he asked, ignoring the fact that he'd almost sent his mother crashing to the ground.
The promise of a trip to the zoo which Regina had referenced several times during their first few days away from Maine had settled on the backburner recently. With Henry starting school and Regina accustoming to life in the shelter, psychological sessions and now CV writing and job searching meetings with Emma, the time for excursions had disappeared.
"The zoo? Yes, I suppose so."
"Roland says they have monkeys like Mike and an elephant like Eddie. Can we go?"
"I'm pretty sure there aren't elephants in Central Park Zoo," Regina frowned.
"No, this is at the zoo near here, right Mommy?" Roland piped up, having appeared at Henry's shoulder.
"It's true," Marian said. "Bronx zoo is huge. One of the biggest in the US. And they do have an elephant although there's been some recent media attention about the fact that she's living alone. They think she needs to be with her own kind. Frankly, I'd rather live alone than with Keith."
"Who's Keith?" Roland asked.
Sometimes it was a blessing that young children didn't learn the first names of their parents, Regina mused as Marian quickly changed the subject away from her abusive husband. "So, do you want to go to the zoo too, Roland?"
"Yes please. I want to see the monkeys. And Mike wants to come and see the monkeys too. I'll hold him up to the bars so he can see his real brothers and sisters."
Marian turned to Regina. "Do you have plans tomorrow?"
"No, I'm happy to take them. Are you busy?"
"I have a trial shift at that new hotel a couple of blocks away. Receptionist gig. But I can reschedule."
"Oh, don't do that. I'll take them myself," Regina assured. "Is that ok with you, boys?"
Judging by the shouts of glee and bouncing up and down, it was a fair assumption that Roland and Henry were on board with the plan. Followed by their parents out of the gate onto the sidewalk, the boys chattered away, trying to list as many animals as possible which they hoped to see at the zoo the following day.
"Does Roland ask about his father often?" Regina queried quietly as they walked back towards the shelter. She knew very little about Marian's past but figured now was as good a time as any to ask.
"Every day," Marian nodded. "Before bed, usually. Keith used to read his bedtime story. What about Henry?"
"Often enough. I've told him the basics of why we're here but it's not really stuck. Not that I want him to hate his father but the questions are hard and there seems to be a disconnect between what happened a few weeks ago and our new life. I just don't know how to answer him and be fair but also honest."
"I know what you mean," Marian said, lowering her voice in case the boys in front could hear their conversation. "I'm running out of answers that he'll accept, without just repeating myself and he doesn't seem satisfied with what I've been telling him recently. But I can't tell him the truth."
"Is he here? In town?"
"No," Marian said, shaking her head. "Keith's a sheriff out in Nottingham, this small town in New Hampshire."
"He's a cop?"
Marian nodded. "Yeah. So it wasn't as if I could go to the local police and file assault charges against him. I wouldn't even dare do so here. As soon as my name entered the system, he'd find out. I bet he's set up alerts to try and find us."
"Wow, I'm sorry, Marian, that's really hard."
"It is what it is," Marian shrugged as she unlocked the front door to the shelter. "Nothing I can do about it but keep my son and myself safe."
Regina knew that feeling. But she wasn't hiding from someone whose job and training included tracking down missing people. Sure, Leo could pay a private investigator to try and find Regina, but he didn't have an entire police force at his disposal. She couldn't imagine how nervous Marian must be, never sure whether she was really, truly safe.
"Emma! Mom's taking us to the zoo tomorrow!" Henry exclaimed as he entered the shelter and saw the blonde stood behind the desk with Ruby. "Can you come with us?"
"Hi Henry. Hello Roland. How was school?"
Excellent deflection, Regina mused but Henry wasn't to be deterred. "Can you come to the zoo with us. Mom wants you to come."
Regina's cheeks flushed. It was a mixture of the truth of her son's words combined with the fact that he had made such an assumption himself and yet somehow made it appear as if they'd been talking about Emma.
"She does, does she?" Emma asked, glancing at Regina and cocking her head.
"I mean, you're welcome to join," Regina offered.
"Marian, don't you have that trial shift tomorrow?" Ruby asked. As Marian's case worker, she had been trying to get the woman a job opportunity for weeks and knew the following day was important in terms of moving forward and finding some sense of independence. She and her son had been at the shelter for almost two months and there was no sign of her husband which meant, with Belle's assessment, the woman should start looking for her own place and begin to set up her new life.
"Yeah, I'm not going to the zoo. Regina's kindly offered to take the boys herself."
"So can you come, Emma?" Henry asked again.
The blonde glanced sideways at Ruby, feeling her friend's eyes on her. "Well, I'm supposed to be working here," she began but Ruby held up her hand.
"I'll take your shift," she announced. "Em, you covered for me last weekend so it's only fair. You go to the zoo. Enjoy a day off. Hell, you're not even supposed to be here today."
"Yes, but I have lots of paperwork to do."
"I can do that for you or it can wait until Sunday," Ruby insisted. "You've done more than enough. There's nothing urgent waiting. You deserve a break."
Emma turned back to Henry. "Looks like I'm coming to the zoo with you, kid."
"Yay!" Henry exclaimed. "We're going to see elephants and monkeys and giraffes and lions and snakes and birds and tortoises and …"
Continuing his list, more to himself than anyone else, Henry walked to the door heading to the back of the shelter and Marian let him in. The six-year-old set off down the corridor still listing animals, Roland chipping in every now and then.
"See you later," Marian said to Regina before following them.
Regina watched Henry and Roland turn together into the common room before closing the door and walking back to the front desk. "Um, sorry about that ambush," she began. "I had no idea Henry was going to invite you."
"It's fine," Emma assured her. "The zoo is great and I haven't been for a while. I'm sure we'll have a great time. And Ruby, thank you," she added, turning to the redhead.
"Yeah, well, if you guys are going to date, may as well try and do so outside of this place and make it vaguely normal, right?"
"You know I hate that word," Emma frowned.
Ruby shrugged. "I just mean, dates in your office aren't exactly normal or romantic. At least you can get out and about every once in a while and spend some time away from this place."
"Is a zoo romantic?" Emma asked.
"Not the point and you know it," Ruby smirked. "Anyway, like I said, you did cover for me last week when Granny was sick, so I owe you."
"How is your grandmother?" Regina asked.
"Better, thank you for asking," Ruby smiled. "I went to see her last night and she'll be released from the hospital some time next week."
"Good, I'm glad to hear that. And thank you, for covering Emma's shift. I think some time away from this place might be just what we need."
"You mean those CV writing sessions Emma's been organising haven't been wooing you?" Ruby grinned.
Regina laughed and shook her head. "No but they've been very useful. I think I'm almost ready to start applying for some jobs."
"Well, I'm glad they've been useful but I'm sorry I'm not really a woo-er," Emma mumbled, gaze dropping to a pen she was holding and clicking repeatedly in and out.
Stepping up to the desk, Regina reached over the large wooden structure and cupped Emma's cheek. "Yes, you are. You woo-ed me."
Green eyes rose to meet Regina's earnest smile. Her heart fluttered at the look the brunette was giving her. Intense and emotive and scary and oh so good.
"Ok, gross," Ruby said, picking up a folder from the desk and moving to sit down by the computer, distracting herself from what she was witnessing with the paperwork she and Emma had just been discussing.
Regina smirked. "I'd better go and check on Henry anyway. See you tomorrow, I guess."
"See you tomorrow," Emma nodded. "I'll get here at nine but we can head off whenever you're ready. The zoo opens at nine and it's a seventeen minute drive from here. We can take my car or your car. I'll put gas in mine tonight to make sure we have enough. I have two umbrellas and there's supposed to be a forty percent chance of rain tomorrow afternoon. And we should make sandwiches before we food at the zoo is expensive and also I don't like it and … why are you laughing?"
The brunette couldn't help it as Emma went off into her monologue. She struggled to regain control over herself but the hurt look on Emma's face quickly sobered her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you."
"Why did you?"
"It was just the way you were talking. You like to plan, I can tell. It's cute."
"But you laughed."
"I know, I'm sorry. It's just that the way you were talking reminded me of Henry sometimes."
"I remind you of a six year old?"
Regina shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I think that sounds like a great plan. We'll meet here at nine and then we can make a picnic. I have bread and cheese and some salad, so bring anything else you want to include. I'm happy to drive; the car should probably go out anyway to keep the engine ticking over. And umbrellas sound sensible."
"It's the autism," Emma said quietly. "It makes me plan stuff."
"Planning is good," Regina assured her. "I like to plan too."
"Not like me. I have to plan and then I find it really hard when plans change."
Ruby, who had been listening the whole time, had to bite her lip to stop herself making a comment about the changes to their Monday nights which had happened ever since Regina had arrived at Swan's Shelter. She knew now wasn't the time to tease her roommate and she was also, in her role as Emma's best friend, interested to hear how Regina handled the conversation.
"Then let's not change these plans," Regina said softly. "But if anything does change, we can deal with it together, right? And I'm not just talking about tomorrow."
"Ok, yeah, ok we won't change tomorrow's plans," Emma said, nodding her agreement. "And if anything does have to change, that's ok. We can work it out. Change isn't always bad."
"No, it's really not. I think the two of us are living proof of that."
Emma smiled. "Yeah, I guess a lot has changed for both of us, not just since high school but in the last two weeks. And I accepted those changes. Those changes make me happy."
"Me too."
There was a long pause. Ruby could tell, without looking that the two women were gazing at one another.
"So, sorry but I need to get some paperwork done. I've got to do a few urgent things here and then I'm meeting my parents for dinner. But I'll see you tomorrow morning at nine."
"Ok," Regina agreed. "I can't wait."
"Me neither."
Regina glanced at Ruby, who was still sat with her back to them, before her eyes dropped down to Emma's lips. Eyebrows raised in surprise but the tingling in her stomach overrode her surprise and Emma found herself leaning across the desk and meeting Regina's lips in a soft kiss.
"Get a room," Ruby teased, looking over her shoulder when she heard the unmistakable sound of kissing. The two women pulled apart, Emma shooting her friend the death glare before turning back to the brunette.
"Have a good evening," Emma said to Regina.
"You too," Regina smiled, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth in a coy smile. "See you tomorrow."
Emma watched Regina walk away before turning to her friend who was smiling smugly. "What?"
"I like her."
"Really?" Emma hadn't meant to sound so surprised but she knew how protective Ruby was of her and had feared the redhead wouldn't be on board with the relationship in quite such a positive manner.
"Yes. She makes you all goofy and she seems to understand your autism. Ironic, I guess since she bullied you about exactly that when you guys were at school but you've clearly moved past that. I can too, if she's going to be that compassionate and accommodating."
Emma leaned down and wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Thank you," she murmured in Ruby's ear. "That means a lot."
"Yeah, I know. I'm awesome. And in exchange for being the bestest ever best friend, I want to hear all about the monkey business you two get up to in the monkey house tomorrow evening."
"Firstly, bestest isn't a word. Secondly, there won't be any 'monkey business'," she added the air quotes, "because Regina and I aren't teenagers and also that would be unhygienic and publicly indecent. The monkey house smells and there'll be lots of children there and I don't think monkeys are romantic."
"Well, that's one of the most fabulous things you've ever said," Ruby chuckled. "No, monkeys aren't romantic but you and Regina are mad for each other so I am predicting something happens, just saying."
"Well, I think you're wrong. We're adults. We've only just started dating. We can control ourselves."
"Judging by what you've told me and what I just saw and heard, I'd wager otherwise," Ruby said before turning back to her computer and resuming her work, leaving Emma to wonder whether her friend might be right.
A/N: shout out to my proud Bronx readers who informed me of their zoo. Aside from Happy's plight, it sounds like an awesome place! And what do we reckon? Is Ruby right about our ladies?