Chapter 6

Henry walked quickly out of school following the bell signalling the end of classes. A classmate named Grace walked next to him. He canted his head toward her curiously. She smiled at him. He quirked his lips back.

"Glad you're back, Henry," she said.

"Thanks," he replied.

They walked on a few more steps before she spoke again. "If you need help with your makeup work…" Her voice trailed off.

"Nah, I got it."

For a moment Grace looked like she was in pain. Wondering if she had turned her foot on the loose gravel stones between the sidewalk and the parking lot, Henry looked down at her feet. When he saw no limp, he lifted his gaze back to her face. Grace shook her head and walked off.

"She likes you." Hansel nudged him from the other side.

"She what? No," Henry scoffed. "She's just being nice since I helped her reconnect with her dad." The father in question, Jefferson, aka the Mad Hatter, was just lifting her into his arms and giving her a hug.

"Why else would she offer to help you - the class brain - with your work? You should be offering to help her."

Henry shrugged. He doubted Hansel. Henry had seen plenty of Grace's spelling tests and math tests over the years. She didn't need his help.

Hansel rolled his eyes. "Henry you may be smart, but you are so dense."

"Better dense than -" Henry cut himself off when he spotted Emma crossing the street. Ma high-fived kids walking past her. "Ma!"

"Hey, kid." Emma hugged him back when he wrapped his arms around her. "Have a good day at school?"

"Yep."

She bent down, to heft his backpack on her own shoulder. "Oof. What's in here?"

"Make up work." He groaned, but smiled. Having Emma pick him up from school was a treat.

"Make up work? Geez, you'd think being kidnapped to Neverland would rate a break on the homework." She laughed, shouldering the backpack anyway.

Henry spotted his mom walking toward them, also through throngs of children. Unlike with Emma, however, most of the children gave her a wide berth. She smiled at them, but it was clear she was searching for him. Especially when her eyes lit up when they located him. "Hey, Mom!" He waved.

"Henry," Regina greeted effusively. "Emma," she added, with a more subdued tone, but Henry could see Mom's eyes become a soft caramel color when she looked at Ma. It was so different from the way they had been around each other for the last year, all hissing and threats. He had no idea how anyone could miss the way their feelings had changed.

"How was George after I left?" Emma asked. Henry wondered what that was about.

"King George was his usual scheming self, but I managed to head off any power-grab plans," Regina replied easily. She brushed Henry's shoulder and met his eyes. "Would you like a snack at Granny's before we head home?"

"Really?"

"Well, nothing too big to spoil dinner," his mom corrected. "Just cocoa or milk and cookies."

"Granny's just put out a fresh batch of chocolate chip," Ma informed him.

"You've already been to the diner?" His mom looked sideways at Emma.

"Making the rounds," came the explanation over Henry's head as the three of them walked down the sidewalk toward the diner.

Henry felt Emma's hand join his mom's on his back. He looked up at one then the other. His mom's cheeks had heightened in color and the caramel shade still dominated her eyes. He rolled his eyes then pulled away from his mothers' touch. "Race you, Ma!"

When he turned back to see if she was chasing him, Emma was still walking sedately next to his mom. She had closed the space vacated by Henry and was looking down at their fingers entwined. After looking up at Henry, Mom said something quietly to Ma. When she looked away, he ran on again.

The rapid patter of Henry's sneakers on the concrete walk brought Regina's head up. "Henry's run ahead," she said to Emma.

"We're in Storybrooke. He'll be fine," Emma replied. "Besides it gives me a chance to ask how you're feeling."

"I'm better. The ginger ale was very helpful."

"Good. They call it morning sickness, but honestly, I had it many different times of day. No real rhyme or reason. We'll look up more remedies, and information, tonight on the internet, okay?" Emma squeezed her fingers and Regina met her gaze. "I have to get back to rounds, but I'll be done at six."

"Dinner will be at seven. Though I have no idea what to make."

Emma's smile was gentle, but her tone was serious. "Pay attention to your body. If something doesn't smell or sound appealing, it probably won't do well for you."

Regina scoffed. "I can't survive the next nine months on just ginger ale and oranges."

"You didn't eat the muffin?" Emma stopped in mid-motion of opening the gate leading into the courtyard at Granny's.

Regina shook her head. "You'd already left, but... no, it… I used my magic and it gave me an orange." She frowned. "Usually those are too tart for my taste."

Emma's quirked smile turned into a chuckle. "Cool." Regina frowned. "I happen to like oranges. Maybe this kid will be a mini-me. It'll be a nice change since Henry's a mini-you."

Regina huffed. "My son is perfect."

"See? That's all you." Emma's fingers in Regina's twitched and Regina felt her cheeks warm under the blonde's green gaze.

"I'll see you about six-thirty?" Emma said.

"All right." Regina turned to watch Emma walk back to the street. "Be safe," she said, the words forming before she could think about them.

Emma turned. "I will."

Regina shivered slightly; the blonde's warm smile and even warmer gaze had touched her as tangibly as a caress.

Inside Granny's she was assaulted by the cacophony of plates and silverware, conversation and clomping shoes on the tile. She blinked and looked around for Henry. Finally, she located him at a booth far to the left near the front. He sat on the window side, and she guessed he'd been watching her and Emma in the courtyard. As he turned around, she slid into the bench opposite. "Did you already order your snack?"

"I waited for you." Regina felt her heart thump harder. She smiled and nodded to avoid the moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes from dripping down her face. Damn.

As if on cue, Ruby stepped up to the table. "Ready to order?" she asked.

"A glass of milk and cookies," Henry said.

"Regina?"

From behind a napkin, used partially to cover her eyes, Regina queried her stomach. Finally feeling centered, and not about to openly tear up, she lifted her gaze to Ruby and asked, "Is there any of the quiche left from breakfast?"

The young woman quirked her eyebrow but then shrugged. "I'll check. You want anything else?"

Coffee didn't appeal, and she had never liked tea. "Do you have a diet ginger ale?" Regina tried not to ignore Ruby's surprise but she did feel her face tighten when Ruby did a double-take.

Finally, the younger woman managed to nod. "Okay. We've got some of that."

When Ruby left to put in their order, Henry asked, "Are you okay, Mom?"

"Yes, dear," Regina said. "I just wanted something different."

"Okay." His smile was still edged with concern, but Henry said nothing else.

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