It had been a week, and there was no sign of Jefferson what so ever. They searched his house. They searched the woods, but they saw nothing that showed that the man was still in Storybrooke. Henry insisted there was no way he had been able to leave because of the curse. Emma warned the family of the young girl about the situation in case Jefferson went after her. Emma promised to patrol by their house daily. Regina wanted Emma to stay with them after that so that the blonde would be protected. Emma's solution was to get an extra bolted lock to put on her door at Mary Margaret's. Besides, she carried a gun everywhere else she went.
Ruby approached Emma sitting in her booth at the diner. It was a Saturday, and Emma was sort of working. She was always sort of working since she was the sheriff. Calls were always forwarded to her cell phone, but the only time she was woken up in the middle of the night was when teenagers were acting up.
"Want the usual?" Ruby asked smiling down at her seated friend.
"I'll just have a coffee for now. I'm waiting on Regina and Henry." Emma answered.
"Oh, family lunch?" Ruby asked raising her eyebrows suggestively.
"Sort of. It's complicated." Emma said with a shrug.
"You mean you haven't weaseled your way into the mayor's bedroom yet?" Ruby asked with a smirk spreading across her face.
"It isn't like that." Emma said look frustrated. Ruby didn't say anything. She was about to turn to talk away when Emma sighed. "And no, I haven't. Let me tell you though it hasn't been for a lack of trying." Emma sighed again looked defeated.
"How have you tried?" Ruby asked sliding into the seat across from Emma. Granny shot the waitress a look, and Ruby just glared right back inclining her head towards Emma to let Granny know this was important.
"She has been letting me and Henry spend a lot more time together. It's been really cool actually. He has gotten much better at sports from the practice, and he is even considering playing baseball this summer." Emma answered initially. "Regina is there a lot. We talk without arguing most days except when I curse in front of Henry." Ruby laughed. "Last night though she finally asked me to stay after dinner for a drink. I guess I got over excited. We were talking in the study, and I tried to kiss her."
"She stopped you?" Ruby asked surprised.
"She said we can't. We can't go there because it would make everything confusing for Henry." Emma answered with a sigh. Emma looked up then to see Regina and Henry enter. Ruby got up from her seat. She shot Emma a sad smile before taking their drink orders.
"Would you rather have lunch with Miss Lucas?" Regina asked.
"No." Emma answered softly.
It didn't take long before Henry had launched into story after story about things that were going on at school and with his baseball practicing. He'd found a friend that liked to come over to play catch with him, and he was ecstatic about it. Apparently Henry hadn't had any real friends prior to all of this. He didn't say a word about the curse or fairytale characters and Emma found herself slipping into easy conversation with the mayor and Henry.
After they finished their lunch, Regina agreed to let Emma pay after quite a bit of back and forth over the topic. Emma walked the two to the mayor's Mercedes that was parked just outside.
Henry was already in the car. "Can I take him to the batting cages tomorrow?" Emma asked.
Regina looked down at Henry in the car before looking back at Emma. "Yes on one condition."
"What's that?" Emma said stepping closer. She wouldn't deny how much she enjoyed flirting with the mayor.
"I get to come to. I don't know anything about baseball, and it is all he talks about lately." Regina admitted looking down.
"Of course." Emma responded with a smile.
"Come over at noon. I'll make lunch and then we can go." Regina said opening the car door to slide into the driver's seat. Emma stood in the street watching the car drive down the road with a smile on her face. This would be slow, but she knew eventually she would get Regina to be hers.
That night Emma sat on her couch drinking a beer with Ruby. Mary Margaret was on another pointless date with one of the many single men that seemed to exist in Storybrooke. It was the same story every single time since Emma had been there. Mary Margaret came home on cloud nine thinking she had met the man of her dreams. Then, she would go on date number two and realize that she actually didn't like them at all. Then she would be sad for two days before she was asked on another date.
"Thinking about your girl?" Ruby said with a smirk.
"I don't have a girl." Emma answered taking a long swig of her beer.
"Then why do you keep looking at your phone?" Ruby asked.
"Because you aren't entertaining enough." Emma said with a laugh.
"Oh I could be Emma." Ruby smirked. "If you were single our time together would be a lot more interesting."
Emma laughed. "I am single."
"Let me rephrase that. If you were available we'd be having a lot more fun." Ruby said getting up to grab another beer. Emma watched her hips sway as she walked away in a tight pair of leather pants. She shook her head cursing the fact that she was so into Regina. She laughed then. She was happy that she was into Regina, but Emma wasn't used to moving slow. She didn't date people, and she was constantly at a loss for how exactly to impress Regina. It had never been this hard.
"I have a question." Emma said when Ruby sat back down. "I'm taking Henry to the batting cages tomorrow. Regina is coming to. What should I do?"
"Well, you could show her how to hit. You know, hands around her touching her. That usually works on me." Ruby answered.
"All someone has to do is teach you how to hit?" Emma asked.
"No. I mean I know someone is interested when they get close and touch me as much as possible. So, do that." Ruby answered. Emma wondered if that would work. She decided she would test the waters and see how it went.
"Regina is pretty different than you." Emma said.
"Oh I know that, but I think that both of us can appreciate the attention from a hot sheriff." Ruby answered.
Emma smirked before draining her beer. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.
She felt weird showing up at Regina's empty handed so she opted for buying an expensive bottle of wine from down the street. The store owner had been shocked when Emma stepped up to the counter with wine instead of beer. She knocked on the door slowly.
Regina answered and smiled at Emma. Emma walked into the kitchen behind her. Henry was upstairs finishing his homework before their outing. Regina had promised him that Emma could stay for dinner after if he was able to complete it correctly.
Emma handed over the bottle of wine with a sheepish smile. "I hope I'm not being presumptuous by bringing this. I thought we could drink it when we got back."
"Of course." Regina responded. "I told Henry you could stay for dinner if you'd like."
"I would." Emma said with a smile.
Lunch was uneventful with Henry talking non-stop about his new baseball bat that Regina had gotten him the day before. Regina left the room to go do the dishes and then change leaving Emma with Henry.
"I need you to do something about the curse." Henry stated. Emma almost sighed, but she listened anyway.
"What is that?' Emma asked.
"You need to cut a limb off of Mom's apple tree." He answered.
Emma looked at him wide-eyed. "You have lost your mind." Emma started. "I don't have a death wish."
"Here is the deal." Henry began. "That tree came here from the enchanted forest. The apples on it are poisonous."
"And what will cutting limbs off of it prove?" Emma asked.
"The book says that squeezing a poisonous apple will make it seep this black ooze. It's kind of gross, but if you cut the limb down the entire tree will dissolve into the ooze." Henry said like it was the most logical thing in the world. "I know you don't believe me." Henry continued. "Just do this Emma. You'll see. If I'm wrong I will never bring it up again."
As he finished talking, Regina walked back in the door. Emma almost gasped she her eyes roamed over the mayor's body. She was wearing tennis shoes, tight black yoga pants, and a baseball shirt with blue sleeves. It looked so different on her. It was so casual and so hot. Emma just stared.
"Ready to go?" Regina asked with a smirk appreciating the way the blonde's eyes raked over her.
When they got there, Henry was buzzing with excitement. "Calm down kid." Emma said with a smile. "Let me swing at a few before you go in."
Henry was about to object before Regina placed a hand on his shoulder. "Emma just wants to show you how to do it properly."
Henry calmed down then. She pulled the batting gloves over her hands. It was chilly in Maine that day, and she didn't want it to sting her hands. She showed Henry how to stand and how to hold the bat. She talked to him about how to watch the ball. She showed him the strike zone, and she showed him how to swing.
Regina smiled as she watched her son watch Emma eagerly. She had always envisioned finding someone that could be another parent to Henry. Before Emma came to town she knew it would never happen. Every single day the blonde was growing on her. She shook her head at the thoughts. If her curse broke, Emma would find out all the awful things she had done. Emma would hate her.
Emma took a couple of swings making it look easy. "Looking hot sheriff." Regina heard someone say behind her. Regina's eyes narrowing as she took in the approaching waitress.
"It's chilly today. I thought you guys would want some hot chocolate." Ruby said handing the three cups to Regina who sat them down.
Emma smiled at her. Henry did too. Regina wasn't smiling. "Thank you Miss Lucas, but we are having a family outing today." Emma smiled at Regina's answer.
"Sorry for the intrusion Madam Mayor." Ruby answered. Emma shot her an apologetic smile before Ruby headed back down the few blocks to Granny's.
"You've got an admirer." Regina said looking at Emma.
"Can we talk about Emma's love life later?" Henry asked. "I want to hit."
Emma and Regina both smiled at him as Emma switched places with him. She sipped her hot chocolate while the boy took his first swing. Emma spent the next ten minutes telling him to swing later, swing earlier, swing harder, keep his back foot still, swing level, and a thousand other critiques. Henry had yet to make contact with the ball, and he was getting frustrated. Finally, Emma stepped in to stand behind him. She guided Henry hitting a couple of balls before she stepped back out.
She grinned from ear to ear as Henry hit the next ten pitches. The final one he made contact with flew all the way to the back of the net. Regina clapped easily at the boys triumph. He looked so happy. Like any eleven year old, he got bored after about ten more minutes.
"Your turn Mom." He said as he stepped out.
"Oh no. I don't need to do it dear." Regina answered.
"Don't be shy. Emma can show you." Henry answered with a shrug bored with the argument already.
Regina stepped in. Emma stepped in tentatively behind her. She started giving her pointers like she had given Henry. Emma felt the spark as soon as her arms wrapped around Regina's to rest on the bat. Emma's front was flush against Regina's back. Regina's breathing was uneven as the first pitch flew by them. Neither one even attempted to swing the bat. Regina shook her head to try to focus before hitting a few with Emma. When Emma walked back she smiled as she made contact with a few more. Henry was cheering for her. Regina was so happy in that moment.
They headed back to Regina's house. Henry was sent to shower and cleanup for dinner while Regina and Emma prepared it. Regina only let Emma do meaningless tasks like pealing the potatoes and cutting up the tomatoes for the salad. Emma followed Ruby's advice and touched Regina as much as possible. Simple touches like brushing fingers as she passed something to her or a hand across her back when she walked by her. She felt Regina's intake of breath each time they touched.
They sat down for dinner while Henry ranted and raved about how much better of a hitter he was than Regina and Emma. Emma promised repeatedly before they finished dinner that she would take him again. Like any eleven year old, Henry shot upstairs after dinner to watch TV for two hours before his bed time. Apparently Sunday was the only day Regina let him watch TV, and he had a two hour limit. He made sure to take advantage of it.
Emma and Regina moved to the study with glasses of wine in hand. Regina took a sip first and smiled at the taste.
"This is very good." Regina told Emma sitting across from her on another couch. Emma frowned at this.
"I'm glad you like it." Emma said with a smile. "I need to tell you something." Regina looked up at Emma curiously.
"Henry wants me to cut a limb off of your apple tree." Emma started. Regina almost chocked on her wine. "He said that his book says it will turn into black ooze, and that will prove to me that you cursed them."
The sad look appeared in Regina's eyes. After having such a good day with Henry she assumed they would be able to move past this whole thing. Emma moved around the table to sit next to Regina. She placed a tentative hand on her knee. "I won't do it." Emma said.
"You should." Regina said with a sigh. "Show him that it doesn't happen, and he will finally believe that this is crazy."
"I don't want to mess up your tree." Emma said looking up into dark brown eyes.
"I will pick the branch." Regina smiled then. "You can cut it down tomorrow afternoon in front of him. He never has to know that I know you did it."
"If you're sure." Emma said finishing her glass of wine.
They shared another glass before Regina went upstairs to tuck Henry in. She yawned when she got back downstairs. Emma met her in the foyer knowing that the yawn was her cue to leave. Emma stood close to Regina.
"You really do look good in those clothes." Emma said with a smile.
Regina smiled too. "Thank you." She said. "Thank you for today. I actually had fun. Henry and I don't have many days like that anymore."
"Well hopefully I can change that." Emma said stepping closer still. She let her arms snake around Regina's waist and pulled her closer. Regina resisted at first before letting her arms drift around the sheriff's neck.
The stood there for a second holding each other before Emma leaned in. Before she got close enough to make contact with Regina's lips Regina moved her head to place a kiss on the sheriff's cheek.
Regina noticed the frown on Emma's face.
"Just give me time Emma. This is all I can give you right now." Regina said with a sad smile.
"It's alright." Emma said stepping back. Regina smiled before placing a final sweet kiss on Emma's other cheek. The sheriff beamed then.
She walked to her car with her hand over her still burning cheek.