Waking up in the morning, Regina Mills did not understand immediately where she was. The events of the past evening seemed so far-fetched that in the morning she couldn't completely fathom them. And the whiskey she drunk over the whole evening and night after she walked around the house, played a role. She slowly sat on the bed. Looking at herself, she noticed wearing cream-colored silk pajamas. The room, decorated in light beige and white colors, was bathed in sunshine, generously pouring into it through light organza curtains. Having lowered her legs to the floor, the woman was on a fluffy white carpet with a thick silky pile. A little further from her, on a mirror table, stood a vase with white and yellow tulips.
Sliding out of bed, Regina went to the window, behind which the snow-covered Central Park was spreading as far as the eye could see. She opened the window and fresh frosty air poured into the room, mixed with the smell of coffee beans and gasoline from the street under the window. After sitting still there for a while, she walked away, found a robe in the closet and went down to the kitchen, where the Queen was already preparing breakfast.
"How did you sleep?" The mistress of the house looked at her over her shoulder.
"I think well." Regina sat at the table, next to Gideon, who was already eating porridge.
"You think?", she asked.
"After having all that whiskey yesterday, I'm not sure of anything.", the Mayor smiled. "Even if I'm really here."
"You are really here.", the Queen smiled, pouring her coffee. "And that's good."
"You have a beautiful house." Regina said after a pause.
"Thank you." She turned several pancakes in the pan. "But it's not only my merit. Much remain here from the previous owners as it did to them from even older ones. This house is one hundred years old."
"It's quite modern for a centenary." The Mayor sipped coffee from a cup. "I saw the pool in the basement."
"This is the Golds' purchase, before us it didn't exist."
"Trully?" Miss Mills was surprised. "And you were allowed to carry out such a massive redevelopment in this house? This is probably some kind of historical monument."
"Are you sure you know Rumple?", the Queen laughed.
"Well, I'm not so sure anymore." Regina drank some more coffee. "I didn't know he was such a sports fan to build a pool here."
"Not him." the Queen gently stirred the apples with sugar and cinnamon in the second pan. "His orthopedist."
"Orthopedist?", Mills asked.
"Well, you are aware of his problems with his leg." She put a couple of pancakes on her sister's plate, pouring apple caramel sauce on top of them.
"I thought Dark Hook had healed him." Regina said in surprise.
"So it was." the Queen nodded. "But it turned out it doesn't work outside Storybrooke. And he would have walked with a cane and constant leg pains if we hadn't found Dr. Stern who reconstructed his ankle entirely. A few more months of rehabilitation and his leg will be like new."
"Well, you clearly are adapting well to a world without magic." the Mayor muttered. "Who would have thought."
"It's not always easy,." the Queen sighed. "We both love magic and suffer from its absence. But this world has its advantages. Here, I will be able to have my own child any day now. Could I have dreamt of such a thing in our world? There was no magic to fix what you and I did back then. And you know, it turned out that life in New York is much more interesting than in Storybrooke. The islands in the Caribbean are more picturesque than the Enchanted Forest. And the magic of money works great in every realm. So it's not so bad. Oh, by the way, about the islands: perhaps you and Henry should start from there. We have a house on Saint Bartholomew, first row on the beach. Fly there for a couple of weeks and live together, away from everything. It really clears the mind. Only you and the ocean just a hundred meters away. We also have a yacht. If you sail away from the shore at night ... it's like being all alone in the universe. There are only stars around you. The jellyfish are glowing in the depths of the sea, it's full of them. You swim and they spread out in wide stripes around the yacht. It's beautiful. Mesmerizing."
"Well, how can I persuade him to do such a thing?" Miss Mills grinned. "You understand yourself that he will not go anywhere now. When those three are in jail and Gideon is with you. He needs justice as he sees it."
"I don't know." the Queen shrugged. "Think about it, I just suggested it as an option. Oh and coming back to our house which you kind of liked: you can live here for a while. While you look for an apartment. If you want to."
"The matter is not what I want." Regina sighed. "Hey, let me feed him." she nodded at Gideon. "He is already a mess."
"And then how will he learn to eat by himself?", the Queen smiled.
"Well, you and I fed Henry." Regina answered.
"Yes", the Queen agreed, "and we fed him with a spoon for up to three years and we dressed him fully until five because it was faster. I don't know about you but I don't agree with this anymore. Anyway, with Henry we didn't really succeed. But what can we do, the first child is always training. With the second, you already roughly understand how to do it."
"And what will we do with training Henry?" Regina asked. "Do you also roughly understand how to do this with him?"
"No." the Queen shook her head. "I still don't know what to do with Henry. Gold wants to send him to England, to a good private school, at least for a year. This is probably the way to go."
"Seriously?" Regina snapped. "To just get rid of him."
"No, what does that have to do with it?" The Queen frowned. "Only to give him some idea about another kind of life, about discipline. In any case, this is simply one of the suggestions. If you have any better ideas, we are ready to listen. We will solve everything together in some way."
"Perhaps this isn't such a bad idea." the Mayor suddenly agreed. "We were not always so successful with discipline."
"Who is good with it?" She took a silver tray from the shelf above the stove, put a pure white plate on it with pancakes and apples, a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice. "I'll be back soon."
"Really now?" Regina asked ironically.
"What "really now"?" the Queen asked bewildered.
"No, nothing." She returned to her plate.
"Oh please, just don't." The Queen straightened her hair before picking up the tray in her hands.
"I'm silent." Regina nodded.
After some time, the Queen flushed returned to the kitchen.
"I'm still silent." Regina caught her slightly embarrassed look.
"Good." the Queen smiled. "Where did we leave things off?"
"Housing and discipline." Regina answered. "But there is another question: what will I do here? I used to be a Queen and up until now I've been a Mayor. Not a very diverse work experience."
"Well, next year, one of Gold's friends is going to take over the post of Mayor of New York, who would be so… kind as to single out our family for one good position in the city hall."
"And you won't take this good position, because…?, the Mayor asked.
"I'm not interested.", the Queen replied.
"Really?" Miss Mills raised her eyebrows in surprise. "The Evil Queen does not want to rule this city?"
"The Evil Queen perhaps would like to." She finally sat down at the table with a cup of coffee. "But Mrs. Gold, no. I don't want to rule anything. I simply want to go out with my children and cook my husband breakfast."
"Unbelievable!" Regina gasped in amazement. "Which of us needs to be saved here again? Is your happy end a man? Really? What happened to you? Where are your ambitions?"
"Oh, please!" the Queen grinned. "I have ruled our kingdom for ten years and Storybrooke another thirty. In addition, I am one of the most powerful witches in all magical worlds. My ambitions are fully satisfied. I know who I am and I know what I am capable of. But I also know that I like being Gold's wife, this is what makes me happy. And since I am a free person, I can live the way I like, without proving anything to anyone or even explaining it."
"Still, unbelievable…" The Mayor took the Queen's hand. "Do you really love him so much?"
"So much." she smiled. "And I am certainly not interested in ruling New York City. If I wanted to rule, I would return to our castle. In this world, I need nothing but Gold. So, if you decide to stay, the position in the city hall is yours. And it's a little more glamorous than being Mayor of the provincial Storybrooke."
"What is Gold doing here?" Regina asked.
"The same as Storybrooke.", the Queen replied. "He owns a lot of real estate here on the East Side, which he is renting out favorably. Although not without problems. Since these are all historical monuments, the city authorities periodically try to chop off something from us, that's how it is now. But in general, everything is fine with us."
"Good morning!" Gold peered into the kitchen. "I'm leaving." he nodded to his wife.
"Already? So early?" The Queen got up from the table and went to him. "What time is your hearing?"
"At three o'clock." Gold answered. "But I need to meet with Trenton before that."
"So, you won't even go to the pool?" the Queen specified. "Don't complain to me in the evening that your leg hurts."
"I won't be complaining." Gold quickly kissed her cheek. "Come, show me out and I'm leaving."
Regina Mills, sitting in the kitchen, watched in one of the mirrors at the hall as the Queen slowly untied Gold's tie and just as leisurely tied it back again, with a more elegant knot, clinging to her husband. She brushed the dust particles that were invisible from afar on his coat. She kissed him for a long, long time. And after that she stood at the door for quite some time. Then she returned inside.
"I have to go, too." said Mayor Mills reluctantly. "Do you have Uber here?"
"I'll take you.", the Queen dismissed her.
"There's no use, I'll get a taxi." The Mayor gathered the dishes from the table.
"Either way, I need to get Gideon to have a vaccination now." The Queen stood at the sink. "Gimme, I'll wash them."
"Don't you have a dishwasher?" Regina was surprised.
"No, I'm against such innovations." the Queen smiled. "I believe that dishes should be washed manually under running water."
"How have you endured our dishwasher for so many years?" The Mayor grinned.
"With difficulty." the Queen replied seriously. "You can tackle Gideon for now." she nodded at the child, stained with oatmeal. "The nursery is on the second floor, the third door to the right of the stairs. Change him into something clean, okay?"
"Mama!" The boy reached for the Queen when Regina took him in her arms.
"Aunt Regina will dress you up and bring you to me." The Queen smiled at him. "And then you and I will go to the doctor,all right?"
"He looks like Henry." The Mayor examined the child in her arms.
"Well, Henry is his nephew." The Queen replied, already immersed in washing dishes. "No wonder they look alike."
"Come, let's wash you and dress you." Regina smiled at Gideon.
"Mama!" the boy protested.
"After that you will go with your mother wherever you need." Regina said conciliatorily, leaving the kitchen.
The Queen's Mercedes stopped near the hotel. "I hope you will be back soon." The Queen reached out and kissed Regina on the cheek.
"I hope so as well." Regina quickly hugged her and got out of the car.
"Did you and Gold kiss the same way too?" She heard a displeased voice when the Mercedes was out of sight.
"Henry!" The Mayor turned to her son who was standing behind her. "We need to talk."
"There is nothing to talk about!" The young man spat out angrily, turned sharply and quickly walked away from his mother.
"Henry!" Miss Mills rushed after him.