A/N: So, I'm not sure how I came up with this new idea for this new fic. And I know, "Why does she keep coming up with new stories?" Right? LOL! Well, one thing you have to know about me, is that when I get an idea in my head, there is no stopping my hands from wanting to write it down and share it with you all. :) This is something different that I hope you all will enjoy as I write it and so you know, a lot of you won't like Mary Margaret in this fic. I wanted to change things up. This will be a story completely out of my own creation. Happy reading!
Life was never easy for Regina. At least not at first. With her mother living back in Boston and her father gone when she was just a teen, to thinking she had found a good man to marry, who only married her because she became pregnant. To taking a night job at a bar until she was able to go back to school once Henry was born and study what she was truly passionate about. Photography.
She was an excellent photographer, not wealthy enough but it was enough for her and her son, who was the light of her life.
Henry was what kept her moving forward, even when things were bad with her (thankfully) ex-husband, Daniel.
They ended things well, for Henry's sake. Despite him and Regina never working out, she was thankful he still wanted to be a part of his life.
Now after gaining a career she dearly loved, Regina was able to find a stable apartment for her and her son to move into in a great part of New York city. And, eventually, she found love again- just when she had given up on it- that last bit of happiness she needed to feel complete happened just last year, when she met Emma Swan.
Who changed her life for the better and showed her what it was like to be truly loved day by day.
And the best part of it all was… Emma and Henry, got along famously.
And for Emma, making the decision to move to New York and taking a chance with Regina was the best one she had made. She loved her and Henry and wanted to have more. A lot more. After seeing each other for an entire year, she wanted to take the next step.
Henry tied his shoes, looking out the window as he saw his father's vehicle parallel park beside the street.
"Dad's here!" He shouted, running towards the door as he pulled it open, not waiting for his mother to finish gathering her things. His smile only growing as he opened the door, "Hi, dad. Are those for me?"
Daniel chuckled, looking down at his nine year old son, holding a couple of dozen roses in his hand, "No. They're for-"
"Henry." Regina held out her son's backpack, "You can't leave without your backpack. Now, remember, I am picking you up early today, I'll have your suitcase packed."
"I remember." Henry strapped his backpack around his shoulders, looking up at his father, "Ready dad?" He smiled up at his father.
"I'll be right there, Hen. Why don't you go wait in the car for me?" Daniel smiled, placing his hand against his son's back, urging him out the door.
Regina drew in a silent breath, waiting, knowing well she was about to be interrogated by the man about her personal life with Emma. It was no secret that he disliked her girlfriend, weather it was jealousy over that Emma got along with Henry so well, or that it bothered him that Regina finally found happiness with not another man but a woman- she wasn't sure nor did she care. She was happy with Emma, even if she didn't have two cents to rub together.
Not that she didn't. Emma made ends meet, lived comfortably as she so would state- selling her art work here and there to various galleries. It was a job Emma was content with, seeing as she was free to have her own hours and spend all the time in the world with the two most important people in her life.
"Going somewhere?" Daniel asked, the dozen Rose's cradled within his forearm.
Regina nodded curtly, "Henry and I are going away for the summer, as I've repeated to you for the last month- Emma invited us to spend the summer with her back home where she was raised."
"Ah. Emma." His brows raised, a hint of clear jealousy in his voice, "Things seem to be moving along pretty serious with you two. Next thing you know, she will propose to you."
"Hi, Emma!" Henry's voice was heard from the outside, seeing as the door had remained opened through the remainder of Daniel's visit.
"Hey, kid! You ready?" Emma asked excitedly.
"Yeah! Can we leave now?" The boy's reply was filled with even more excitement, leaving Emma to laugh and reply back with soon.
A pearly white smile flashed before Regina's lips, while Daniel's eyes rolled in annoyance with the woman's presence.
Emma walked right in, already familiar with the brunette's home, just as if it were her own, cupping the back of the older woman's head with her hand, a smile spread across her lips.
"Hi, baby." Said Emma, her smile matching the brunette's as their lips pressed together in a quick greeting kiss. "Daniel, hey!" The blonde beamed with happiness.
A sight that annoyed the man to his very core every single time. But, he smiled anyway.
"Emma." He curtly nodded, "Cute. That's all you could afford, huh?"
The blonde's eyes moving down to the flowers he had cradled in his arm, then to a single rose she held in her hand.
"Daniel." Regina called out her ex's name, throwing a glare his way.
It was no secret to her he wanted so desperately to patch things up with her. Nor to Emma, who simply smiled at the man's attempt to bother her.
"So, vacation time, huh? Introducing her to the family?" He asked, dropping his previous topic.
Emma's smile grew, her eyes glowing with pure happiness as they locked on the beautiful brunette before her, "I'd say it's about that time, yeah. We'll be spending my birthday over there."
Daniel smiled, sarcastically no doubt, matching both women's smiles, "How nice. And, just where is this place you call home?"
"Daniel."
"What?" His eyes on Regina, "Just making innocent conversation."
Emma's hand worked it's way into Regina's, fingers intertwining as she raised the brunette's hand, placing a delicate kiss on top of it. A lovely gesture that wiped the smile off of Daniel's face.
"It's called a surprise." Emma stated, giving all of her attention to her beautiful girlfriend, "Are you ready? I don't want you to be late."
"Yes." The brunette smiled at her, her eyes on Daniel next, "We must be going, I have some pictures I must turn in before we get everything prepared to leave. Thank you for the flowers, just leave them anywhere, and thank you for taking Henry to school this morning. Be sure to lock the door behind you."
Emma waved at a gawking Daniel who stood inside the apartment, while the blonde was almost dragged out the door by Regina.
She needed this vacation. It was their first summer vacation together as a couple and Emma's first vacation with the two people she loved as a family of her own.
"See ya later, kid!" Emma waved, her smile matching Henry's who waited in his father's car to be taken to school.
"Bye, Emma!" Henry waved back, equally excited- if not more about their family trip.
Others were excited, while Daniel's insides turned inside out as he walked out of the brunette's apartment complex, witnessing the two women holding each other in their embrace, sharing a few peppered kisses before departing.
The single rose now held by the smiling brunette, her eyes locked on Emma's.
"You know, this is just one rose." Said Emma, "But, once we arrive where we'll be staying this entire summer, I'll have a room filled with fresh roses, just for you."
"Emma," Regina chuckled, "Spending a summer with you is more than enough for me. You don't have to buy me more roses just to impress me."
The blonde's brow raised, "Impress you? No way, I don't want to impress you. I just think you deserve every flower that blooms. I spoke to my parents, our room is all set up for our arrival."
"Are you sure it will be fine with them for us to sleep in the same bedroom? I really don't want to cause them any discomfort."
Emma smiled at the worried and nervous look on her girlfriend's face, capturing her lips in another quick kiss before providing her with an answer, "Yes. It'll be fine. They're actually excited to have you and Henry come along."
The brunette's brow raised this time, "Even your mom?" She asked her.
Emma's eyes squinted, knowing that her mother always liked making things a little difficult for her, "Yeeeah." She replied, determined to not allow anything to spoil their vacation. Her arms wrapped around the brunette's form even tighter as Regina just glared back at her silently. "Look, don't worry. My parents will love you, they'd be crazy not too."
Regina's own hand cupped the blonde's hand, while her thumb lightly brushed over the scar resting on her upper lip. Another reason that made her love Emma so much. She always grew up hating that scar on her lip, but Emma could easily take away that feeling with just a stroke.
"Well," Regina sighed, "You met my mother, so I guess it's only fair I meet your parents. As long as they like me."
Emma smiled her most genuine smile, "Trust me. You'll be treated like a queen."
The brunette shook her head, a smirk displaying on her lips, "Let's get going, Swan. We're going to be late."
If there was one thing Regina loved about Emma, was that even when she didn't have much riches, she always found a way to give her the world.
Just across the street, while Henry sat patiently in the back seat of his father's car, reading his favorite fairy tale book of knights and dragons, Daniel was watching how gallant Emma held the door open to her yellow bug for Regina.
"Henry." Daniel called out to the boy, who's eyes looked up at his father from reading his book, watching him nod towards his mother and her girlfriend. "Do you think Emma and your mom love each other?"
Henry's head tilted upward, wanting to get a better view of his brunette mother and the blonde. A smile on his face, "Well, yeah. They say I love you all the time."
"Do they?" Daniel's brow raised, his head turning over his shoulder, looking at his son as the boy was now leaned up against the back of the seat. "And do you think… they'll ever get married?"
This time Henry shrugged, still with a bright smile on his face, "I don't know. I hope so! I like Emma, she's nice. She makes mom smile a lot, she even sings in the shower."
"She sings in the shower?" His father asked, surprised, never having a memory of the brunette ever singing in the shower before when they were together in the past.
"Horribly." The small boy sat back in his seat, his eyes focused on his book which he held on his lap while Daniel finally drove off.
Emma parked her bug just outside the photography building, a smile displaying on her lips while looking over at the brunette. Her arm resting against the back of the seat, cradled just behind her girlfriend. "I'll pick you up by 11:30, we'll both pick up Henry and head on over to the airport."
Regina smiled, leaning in just as the blonde did, sharing one last kiss before parting ways for a couple of hours.
Emma was happy to be going back home for the summer, seeing her family again after not seeing them for so long. But she had responsabilites back home, she knew that. And she wanted for her family to meet her own little family. She wanted to take that next step. She would miss New York for the remainder of the time they would be away, because it was thanks to her rebelling in coming to live in this city, that she met the love of her life. Well, two loves of her life, because of course, Henry came above and beyond their love. He was the son of the woman she could see spending the rest of her life with, and that to Emma meant everything.
That morning, after dropping her girlfriend off, and after dropping off a few of her art pieces at a nearby gallery, Emma took a moment of her busy day to relax over a cup of coffee, just outside her favorite corner bakery.
Another memorable spot for her and Regina.
A smile flashing over her lips at the memory of how she and her met, fighting over the same type of ordered coffee. Just as she sat down at the same table, which luckily was always empty every morning she would arrive there. The same table where both women sat after their argument as to who would drink the coffee. A bear claw resting on a napkin in front of her.
"I have an iced cinnamon honey latte!"
A pale and an olive toned hand both reached for the latte that had been placed on the counter, clashing together, with the tips of their fingers touching.
"Oh." Emma stood by the counter, gawking- literally gawking- at the brunette standing before her. Struggling to find the right words to say to such a beautiful woman. "Sorry." She smiled, her eyes locking into the woman's chocolate brown ones.
Regina's eyes locked in, in awe by the beautiful woman standing before her. Swearing to herself that never in her life had she ever seen such a woman as her. Her eyes quickly taking in the golden color of her hair, hanging over her shoulders, resting on her red leather jacket. Her green eyes looking into her very soul as she stared, while her smile paralyzed every inch of her.
"Excuse me." She called out to the blonde, snapping out of her many thoughts about how attractive she was, now bothered that she just felt free to take her coffee. "I believe that's my order."
The blonde's eyes looked down at the cup she held in her hand. Another smile stretching on her thin lips as her eyes looked back up at the woman before her.
"I'm sorry. You must be mistaken, this is my order." Said Emma, to which Regina chuckled.
"I don't think so."
"Oh? And why not?" Asked Emma, her brows rising up to her hairline. Already loving the woman's persistence.
"Because I always come here every morning at 9am and order the same latte."
Emma smirked, "Really?" Her head looked over at the guy behind the counter, who gawked in awe, "What a small world. I do the exact same thing."
Regina's brow raised in question, "Is that so?" She continued as Emma nodded her head in confirmation, "Then why is it that I've never seen you here before?"
"Maybe because I just moved to this city." She shrugged, still holding onto the cup of coffee.
Regina's arms crossed over her chest, "So, you're saying you come here at 9am every morning, and order an iced cinnamon honey latte?"
"I do." Emma nodded, "It's like Christmas in a cup. But, hey- if this is your order…" She held the iced drink before the brunette, "Please. I can always get another one."
Regina's head turned to look at the clerk still behind the counter, gawking their way, interested to see how this discussion would end. "Is this latte already paid for?"
The kid nodded in confirmation, "Yes, ma'am, it is."
Regina's eyes turned back to look into Emma's own, "In that case, she can keep that one. I'll just have another iced cinnamon honey latte, please."
"Coming right up."
Emma smiled, her eyes never leaving the woman before her, "I like you."
"Do you now?" Regina's brow raised, gathering cash from her purse.
"Oh, very much so." Emma beamed, "I like a woman with a strong head on her shoulders who doesn't just accept any strangers latte. You never know with people nowadays."
"Let me guess," Regina sighed, unimpressed, "This is the part where you offer me to sit with you, right?"
"The thought did cross my mind." Emma shrugged.
"Well, my answer is no. I have a very busy morning ahead of me, but I appreciate the offer." Regina reached for her coffee from the clerk, paying for it in return and accepting her change back before walking away.
Emma's smile only grew, instantly following the woman out the door, pushing it open for her before stepping out herself. "A busy woman as well, what do you do? If I may ask."
"More than you apparently, seeing as you are following me." Regina chuckled, "I'm beginning to think you are the dangerous one here."
"Oh, I am completely harmless, I assure you." Replied Emma, stopping in her tracks as the brunette did the same, turning to face her now.
"Are you?"
Emma nodded, "In fact, I am so harmless, I probably shouldn't tell you that ever since I came to live in this city and found this cozy spot, I would see you arriving here every morning at 9am sharp, ordering the same iced cinnamon honey latte. And that ever since the first time I saw you, you captivated me and I've been trying to work up all my courage to even say one word to you."
Regina couldn't help but burst into laughter. Not that she was making fun of the crazy blonde, but she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"You're good, I'll give you that. You almost had me convinced."
Emma flashed her own pearly white smile, not being able to help it after seeing the smile flashing before her. She loved this woman and she would spend the rest of her life with her. Of that, she was sure.
"Do you want to sit?" Emma motioned towards the empty outdoor table beside them.
Regina's brow raised, "Just like that? How do you know I'm not dangerous?"
Emma pretended to look around, before the brunette, studying every angle on her, "Do you have a poisoned apple on you I should worry about you gifting me with?"
Regina's brows furrowed, "A poisoned apple?" She chuckled.
"You know, Snow White."
"I'm aware of the cartoon, dear." Her brows furrowing once again, "Wait, are you saying I'm the evil queen?"
"Are you?" Emma smirked.
Regina scoffed, "No."
Her smirk turned into that genuine smile Regina loved so much as soon as she laid eyes on it, "Then, you're not dangerous."
The brunette chuckled, her eyes following Emma's hand as it pulled out a chair for her to join her. And she did. Without any hesitation, both women enjoyed hours of endless conversations. Regina wasn't sure what it was yet that pulled her towards this stranger she had never seen before, but she liked feeling what she was feeling.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Emma's eyes blinked, her mind being ripped away from her favorite memories. Her smirk gone at the sight of a handsome, green eyed, scruffy bearded man standing before her. A smirk displaying on his lips, "Your majesty." His head tilted in a curt nod before her.
Emma's eyes remained on the man, wide in shock at his presence. What was he doing here? He wasn't supposed to be here. Not that she wasn't happy to see the man, just surprised.
"Last I checked I wasn't royalty here, Graham." Said Emma, sipping on her coffee, her eyes watching the man as he joined her, taking a seat on the other chair.
He chuckled in response, "Last I checked, your majesty, a princess is always a princess, here, and in every part of the world."
Emma glared at the man before her, taking in his suit which went well with his handsome appearance.
"I have to say, I am quite surprised. The King and Queen will have a field day when you bring home your future queen and her little prince." He chuckled again, "Especially her majesty."
"What's to be surprised about?" Asked Emma, "These are different times, Graham, and princess or not, I am free to love who I chose to love."
"That is true." He nodded, "However I must encourage you that before you come back home for the summer, you come clean with your family here in New York."
"I intend to." Emma took another much needed sip of her coffee, "In fact, I was planning on telling her on the plane ride home. Which brings me to my next question, what are you doing here, Graham? Did my mother send you to keep an eye on me?"
He smiled, knowing well he couldn't keep anything from Emma. He never could.
"Something like that. You know she misses you terribly since you left. Your bedroom is practically intact."
"Believe it or not, I've missed her too and my father. You. Home in general." Emma gave him her most honest response.
"But, this is home." Graham finished her sentence, to which Emma nodded.
"This is home." She paused, her eyes connecting with his, "How many days have you been in New York, Graham?"
"Not many. Two at the most. Enough to see how happy she makes you."
Emma could always tell when Graham was being sincere, just by looking into his eyes was enough confirmation. Having grown up together, being that his father worked for the Swan's for many years and growing up in the Swan estate alongside his favorite princess. Practically treating each other like brother and sister over the years.
And she knew that he would never wish her ill.
"You are great with her son. I always knew you'd make an excellent mother."
Emma chuckled, "I know what you're thinking. Don't."
"What?" His brow raised.
"Don't be like my mother, wanting to push me into marriage, just so I can rule all of London."
"I'm not."
"Because yes, the thought of marrying Regina has crossed my mind, but it's a big step and the day I make it, I want it to be almost as perfect as she is to me."
Graham smirked, to which Emma took notice.
"What?" She asked, holding the cup inches away from her lips.
"Who would have thought… Emma Swan in love."
The grin on the blonde princess' face only grew at the man's words. She was in love. Since the first day she saw Regina, repeatedly every morning, just thinking about how to approach her- she had fallen stupidly, utterly and devotedly in love.
