Disclaimer: I do not own the Once Upon a Time franchise.
Chapter Thirteen
Emma chuckled as she sat across from Regina and Tink at Granny's. She was off for the day and decided to have lunch with the girls. It made Emma happy to have the plans. She never thought she'd be one to not only be excited about having plans with two women, but to be the one to suggest them. "So," Tink took a bite of her club sandwich, drawing Emma out of her thoughts of how easily she seemed to fall into a friendship with the two women, "how was your first full week of work?"
Regina grimaced, "Ugh, Tink, chew, swallow, and then talk!" She chastised. "Even Roland knows that."
Emma smiled widely at them as Tink maturely stuck her tongue out at Regina, "It was wonderful actually. It felt good to be working and it was nice that I wound up with a job I have experience in."
Regina rolled her eyes at Tink before focusing in on Emma, "Well, I'm glad to have a female in that station. Maybe you can convince those men to finally do something about Scarlett then. He's a menace." She stabbed angrily at her salad, taking her frustration out on the helpless lettuce on her plate.
"Regina is mad because he picked a bunch of apples off of her apple tree two years ago. The one behind City Hall." At Emma's furrowed brow, Tink continued, "Well, after he picked the apples he declared they were the best he'd ever had so he came back the next day with a chainsaw and hacked off a couple of branches to bury them and grow his old tree." Tink snickered at Regina's look, "He buried the branches at the beach. And Regina is very protective over that damn tree so to say she was furious is a vast understatement. And that is why she is stabbing her lettuce. She's pretending it's Scarlett."
Emma snorted and choked on the bite of grilled cheese she'd eaten. She took a few sips of water to clear her throat, "I'm sorry, but what is that guy on? And I'm kind of thinking I want to try it out myself. What a world he gets to live in!" Regina was still glaring at the two of them, "Oh, come on, Regina," Emma was laughing again, but this time at the look on Regina's face, "it's funny!" Emma found that the stories about Will Scarlett actually made her kind of like the troublemaker more and more. Besides, she liked that he was the worst this town had to offer.
"He destroyed city property!" Regina was indignant. "My father and I planted that tree when I was a child and he'd first been elected to the city council as a gift for the town. Then Scarlett just comes in with a saw and hacks it to bits."
Tink rolled her eyes, "He didn't 'hack it to bits,'" She continued to ignore Regina's glare, "besides, it's been two years now and tree is back to normal."
"Because I have a way with plants." Regina protested.
"More so than with people it would seem." Emma muttered under her breath. She let out a squeal as a crouton from Regina's salad flew across their table and into her lap. "Very mature, Madam Mayor."
"I prefer, Your Highness." Regina snapped back archly.
"Your Highness." Tink gave the woman a mocking half-bow from her seat.
"You're an insufferable little fairy." Regina grumbled before turning back to her salad. Emma was trying hard not to laugh at the two women, so she studiously focused on her grilled cheese and onion rings as she got her face back under control.
Once Emma felt she could speak without giggled erupting, Emma looked up, "So, I was talking to August and I was thinking about having a picnic in the park tomorrow and inviting everyone. Henry would love that and the weather should be super nice."
"I love that idea, Emma." Regina agreed, "And afterwards the kids could sleep over at our place if Henry would like. We have the room and Roland has been begging to have everyone over." She ignored Emma's hesitance and continued, "They build sheet forts and watch movies and eat popcorn and then stay up past their bedtime reading their storybooks. They think we don't know but we do." She only paused for a moment, "And the girls sleep in one of the guest rooms and the boys in Roland's room."
The thought of Henry sleeping over at someone else's house made Emma nervous, but she knew she had to let go of a little bit of the control she'd taken since leaving Walsh. Finally, Emma said, "I think I could twist Henry's arm into agreeing to a sleep over with Roland and the other kids at your house."
"What can we bring to the picnic?" Tink asked. Emma smiled at her enthusiasm.
Shaking her head, Emma replied, "Honestly, nothing but yourselves. I'm actually excited to do all of the prep work. August and Henry are going to help, though they don't know that yet." She paused, "I am going to ask Ruby to make lemonade for the kids."
Regina rolled her eyes, "They would be distraught without the lemonade. I really want to know what she puts in it that they love so much."
Emma snorted, "I believe it's called 'sugar,' your highness." Emma gave Tink a wink as Regina grumbled unhappily at them complaining about conspiring women.
Emma bustled around the kitchen the following morning as Henry and August worked at their stations. She hovered slightly over August, who was dicing up the hardboiled eggs for egg salad, "No, August, smaller pieces please." She corrected. August made a face at her, even as he did as he was told and began chopping the eggs into smaller pieces.
"How is the cookie decorating going?" She moved to Henry, wiping her hands off on her apron. She'd never owned an apron before, but she'd decided buy one from the home goods store they'd gone to a few days before and she'd enjoyed breaking it in.
Henry grinned up at her. She chuckled and swiped some red icing off of his nose. "Yummy!" He took a big bite out of one of the cookies and she couldn't help but shake her head.
"Okay, no more cookies, though, Kid. Everyone will want some and we still have lunch in," she glanced down at her watch, "two hours. Okay, let's get a move on!" She settled herself on the other side of the little island to cut up the watermelon.
"Is Ruby brining lemonade?" Henry asked. He was bouncing a bit from the sugar high from too many cookies. It was good they'd be heading over to the park soon so he could run it all off.
Emma's smile was fond, "Yes, Henry, Ruby is bringing lemonade, Regina insisted on bringing apples," she rolled her eyes as she thought back to the story of Will Scarlett nearly destroying her tree, "and Mary Margaret is bringing brownies." She sighed, "I told them not to bring anything, but they insisted."
August put all of the cut-up eggs in a big bowl for Emma to mix with mayonnaise and mustard. "That's a nice thing, everything isn't on you. In fact, in this town, I'd say things aren't ever going to be solely on you anymore, Ems."
Emma, August, and Henry arrived at the park before anyone else and claimed three picnic tables. Emma spread out the red and white checkered table clothes. On one table, Emma set out the platter with egg salad sandwiches, the bowl of watermelon, the platter of cookies, and some bottled water in a small cooler. She also set out disposable cups, plates, napkins, forks and knives.
Just as she stepped back, she saw Grace fly into the park. She immediately tugged Henry to the swings to push her as Jefferson came over with a small basket, "I brought chips." He told her, "I know you said not to bring anything, but I bake them myself." He set the basket on the table with little baggies filled with homemade chips.
August held out his hand to shake Jefferson's, "Thanks, man!" He picked up a bag and immediately began munching on them. "Oh, these are awesome, Ems, try one." He shoved one in her mouth before she could even respond. "You should always make these." August wandered off with his bag.
Emma swallowed the chip and shook her head, "They are good, Jefferson. Thank you for bringing the chips, Henry will love them and clearly August does. In fact, we should probably hide them so August doesn't eat all of them."
"I heard that!" August called out from by the swings where he was now pushing both Henry and Grace.
Emma chuckled as she and Jefferson sat down at one of the tables with their bottled water. Before they could start catching up, Killian wandered in with a cooler, "I brought some ale for the adults if they'd like it." He told them.
Within the next fifteen minutes everyone was there, and everyone brought something. Brownies, more fruit, lemonade, a veggie platter. . . even though Emma had originally wanted to do it all on her own, it was nice that everyone brought something. Watching the kids play, Emma thought that picnics on Saturday in the park might be a good tradition for the group to start.
Simon Sanders held a slim file in his hands as he sat across from Walsh and Conrad West, "Well?" Walsh asked impatiently.
After a moment of forced anticipation, Simon pushed the file across the table. "So far I've tracked Emma and Henry to Denver, Colorado." He told them, "And I heard a rumor, that I'm still working to verify, that August has taken a job in Colorado regarding the state government."
Walsh glanced at a still from the Denver Bus Station security office, "So, she got smart." He murmured, showing the picture to his father. "She's changed her hair to blonde and cut it."
Conrad West took the photo and studied it. It was indeed Emma and the little boy clinging to her was Henry. "We're one step closer, my boy." He turned his gaze on Simon Sanders, "Find out where they are in Denver." He instructed.