Hello again...
Yes, this is an actual new chapter. Let me start with apologizing for the insane hiatus of this story. I'm a jerk for leaving this one neglected when it was so many people's favorite of mine. I got anxious about potentially screwing up the feel of this story that I couldn't bring myself to touch it. This update has been sitting in my documents for months and I decided to post it for those of you who have so loyally read and reviewed this story.
To answer a few of the questions in reviews:
Enchanted Forest is endgame as that was the core of what made this story unique. They'll get back there but I wanted to explore their age difference in a modern realm (cause it's hot) and give Regina a chance to catch up with David a little in terms of independence, self assurance, and life experience. This will help their Enchanted Forest dynamic evolve.
No, David and Zelena have not and will not do the deed. If you caught when David said he didn't remember the last time they'd had sex, it's because the curse just recently started and they haven't. They have not been in Storybrooke for 5 years but rather the curse started about 5 years ahead in time. Where I started is just long enough into the curse for Zelena to find things didn't end up like she planned and for trouble to start.
Why is Violet the name for their daughter? Well, Violet was my original EC baby in Alternate Endings and I posted that story/character before the actual show introduced Henry's girlfriend. She was named Violet because having her changed Regina's color/brand of magic in that story. She became such a fanon character in my stories that it just kind of stuck. You'll find out how/why she was named it in this story, too.
More about the time jump/curse/memories will be answered in some dialogue between characters. Please don't compare it to the technical aspects of the canon curse because I have about 2% of the material in this story compared to the background that went into the plot for S1. This one is just for this story and not as intricate because I don't have time to write that much and would rather focus David and Regina.
Oh and the knight Neal that Emma mentioned is not Bae but a separate character. In this story Rumple still loses Bae to another realm and getting to the 'land without magic' to find his son is still Rumple's motive for the curse.
Lastly, I know this plot twist wasn't for everyone and it's been a million years since the last update. I don't know if this story still has an audience. I also have a million ongoing stories because I'm flighty and have the attention span of a gold fish. BUT this one is special and I really went back in forth with bringing them Storybrooke, but the idea feels right and I think some of you will enjoy it. The thought of never finishing this one made me too sad not to give it another go so if you would like to see it continue drop a review and I will post the rest of what I have written.
Much Love,
HG xxx
"You have some explaining to do," Zelena burst through the door of Gold's shop and stormed the counter, sneering at the antique he carefully polished, "Out of all of the things you could've been and you chose pawn shop owner? You certainly are a weird little man."
"Can I help you, Madam Mayor?" His eyes rolled up to meet hers in annoyance, placing his dust rag onto the glass counter with a sigh.
"You can, actually. Make yourself useful and tell me what I need to do," She replied with a smile that barely masked her snarl, "She managed to sell her house before I could make a bid on her property."
"I'm quite sure I have no idea what you're talking about, Dearie."
"This is your curse you can't just sit back and watch it unravel. You said you would help me fix this," She glared at him through clenched teeth, leaning across the counter. "She's managed to sell her farm privately for enough money to move and keep her business instead of being forced to sell for next to nothing. I wanted her and that brat out on the streets! Not in town closer to David!"
"So the harmless single mother you have a vendetta against managed to avoid a bit of your torment? I hardly think that's reason to throw a tantrum, Zelena. I'm sure there will be plenty of other ways you can make her life hell."
"Why are you acting so clueless? I know you're awake, Rumple. You have been ever since you learned that bloody child's name!" Zelena glowered in distress, "Regina and the girl went to the diner while David was there and now the clock tower started working again. I hardly think this is a coincidence."
"Ahhh," Rumple nodded and Zelena could tell that he was already aware that time was no longer frozen, "And you're concerned that King David and Regina's little product of true love is starting to break the curse."
"Of course I'm concerned!" Zelena snapped. "We set this curse in the future so their child didn't exist. That clearly didn't work considering she's not only here but ended up with her dear mummy! But what about the false memories?! You said giving people false memories would ensure they'd never question anything. Yet on their first day after moving to town, Regina and the child see David and that goddamn clock starts working again. What do you suggest?!"
"False memories did work on those we planned for in this curse, Zelena. Advancing time would have worked to erase the child from existence had we cast the curse before she was born. If you do recall, it was not me who confronted your heavily pregnant sister and sent her into early labor," He sighed at the memory of her sloppiness. "We had your dear mummy's heart and could've enacted the curse before the kingdom even knew what was coming. Yet you thought it more important to gloat beforehand and it gave your dear sister time to give birth to The Savior. The Savior we did not have time to include cursed memories for. The Savior who is now weakening the curse. You're lucky everyone believes her to simply be a confused child. If she were older she would've found a way to convince everyone of the truth by now."
"I am well ware of how this problem started. You were sure to rub my nose in my mistake as soon as you were awake!" Zelena grit out, anger bubbling in humiliation at her own carelessness. "Now tell me how to fix it!"
"Impose another regulation to sink her business or condemn the apartment building she's living in. You're a smart woman. You'll think of something to get she and the child away from town and your sheriff."
"You're the one who wanted to get to a land without magic," She glared at his lack of urgency over the matter, "If this curse fails you'll be back in the Enchanted Forest where you started. I suggest you become more invested in getting rid of this problem with me."
"It is you who wanted her on the streets after finding the child made its way here with her-" Rumple gave a bored sigh, "You should've left them be. You still had her husband."
"She was supposed to be living in isolation with a sinking business, completely alone and scraping by while her husband slept in my bed!" Zelena laughed bitterly, "Instead she ended up with a bloody child who adores and keeps finding ways around everything I put in her path."
"Fate is a tragic thing, is it not?"
"What you got there, Violet?" Emma smiled as she saw the small brunette perched on a haystack, entertaining herself with a storybook after school. She spent the evenings at the stables with Regina and Emma while they worked, playing outside or busying herself with books and toys. Or more recently, pretending she was a princess from a magical land.
"A book," Violet chirped and looked up from the hardback in her lap that was nearly bigger than she was. The young girl was intimidatingly sharp for her age, already reading years above her grade level and consuming any children's literature she could get her hands on. Emma felt sure the younger girl could probably tutor her at this point.
"What kind of book?" The blonde smirked at the quiet confidence and maturity that exuded from the five year old. There was no denying she had inherited all of her mother's personality.
"It's about fairytale characters," She tilted her chin up with a matter-of-fact smile as Emma made her way over and plopped down in the hay beside of her, "Well, I guess I should say it's about my mommy and daddy and me. And you. You're in it too."
Emma stifled a laugh at the girls imagination, her eyes widening as she looked at the front of the book, "Once Upon a Time...huh, you say I'm in it?" She asked, interested to see what her colorful explanation would be.
"Yes. You're my sister," Violet nodded, opening the book to somewhere in the middle and pointing at the young blonde girl who was dressed in knight's armor, "Dad was married before he met Mommy and he had you. But your mommy got sick and went to heaven and then he met my Mommy and they had me."
"Oooh, interesting," Emma played along, seeing the blonde that was supposed to be her and understanding how Violet's imagination would associate the two of them. She guessed she did resemble her a bit and it didn't take much for a five year old to draw that kind of comparison. "So your Mom's in this book too?"
"Yeah, she's Queen and she does magic," Violet looked up at her with excited blue eyes before her focus dropped back to the book, pushing through the pages until she found whay she searched for, "See, it's mommy!"
Emma's eyes fixated on the page as she studied the fairytale character, struck by the raven hair and the full lips and dark eyes that were oddly similar to Regina's. "Let me see that, kid," She reached over for the book and began to flip through the pages herself, feeling goosebumps briefly graze her arms at the illustrations.
"That's the Wicket Witch," Violet's eyes grew wide when Emma landed on a page showing a woman with green skin and red hair, "She's really bad. She casted a curse on us!" She exclaimed, her sense of urgency to inform Emma causing her usually impressive grammar to slip in an endearing manner.
The cute slip was lost on Emma who could only stare at the book and force a distracted response, "Uh huh, I see," She mumbled, unnerved by the familiarity the brunette and blonde to she and Regina.
"That's my Dad, he's the King-" Violet nodded, pointing to the picture of the man leaning over the Queen's bedside to look at a baby, "And that's me. That's when I was born."
"Kid, who gave you this book?" Emma glanced at the child who was utterly convinced the story was real.
"My teacher, Miss Dorothy," She nodded, "She has books in the classroom that she lets us bring home to read. It's a good thing she did too or we wouldn't know we're cursed by the bad witch."
"You do know that this is just a book, right?" Emma raised an eyebrow and gave the girl a weak smile. "That it's just make believe..."
"Not this one," Violet shook her head with such conviction that Emma couldn't bring herself to argue.
"Right..." She sighed, handing the book back over to her, "Well, you let me know what we need to do to break this curse and take the bad witch down, okay?" She said as she stood and brushed the straw from her clothes.
Violet nodded adamantly, "I will!"
She laughed to herself at the girls enthusiasm as she walked out of the stables, seeing Regina dismounting from one of the horses she'd taken out to exercise, "You know your kid thinks she's a princess now and that we're all cursed?"
"Not that again," Regina sighed and gathered the reins in her hand, raising an eyebrow at the younger blonde, "You know we met the sheriff at the diner last week and now she's convinced that he's her father and the King from the book."
"Oh god," Emma's eyes widened with a chuckle, "Isn't he married to the bitch that keeps trying to take your business down?"
"Language, Emma. But yes, that's the one... I think Violet is just trying to make sense of things. She's going to school now and starting to wonder why the kids there have a mommy and a daddy and she doesn't," Regina smiled weakly and began unbuckling the saddle from her horse, "I think this is her way of creating that for herself."
"I get that. I used to make up stories about my birth parents and who they were and how I got in the system. I didn't have either of them but Violet has you and you're like...a really good mom," Emma shrugged with a frown, "So don't go feeling guilty and beating yourself up about it. She's gonna be okay."
"What's this? Is Emma being nice to me?" Regina smiled genuinely, laughing at the eye roll the immediate blonde gave her in return. "No...in all seriousness, I appreciate that Emma. Thank you...and don't worry. I won't tell anyone that you're secretly kind," She added with a grin at the way Emma squirmed over the compliments.
"Ew, don't call me that-" Emma smirked and shook her head, coming over to the other side of Regina's horse to help her undress it.
"It's getting pretty late. I can finish up here so you can make curfew," Regina nodded, glancing at the sunset. "Isn't it at seven?"
"Yeah. I was just finishing up some things first," The blonde gave a shrug and quickly hoisted the saddle off of the mare, turning away from her to go hang it on the stand, "It'll be fine."
"Are you avoiding going home again? Because I know you don't really want to do any extra work around here," Regina joked before glancing up to watch Emma more closely when she didn't respond. She studied her as the teen sat the saddle up before going over to grab her red jacket from the hook on the wall and Regina sensed she was dodging her gaze. "Emma..."
"I'm not avoiding anything-" Emma's tone came out defensive as she shrugged one arm into her jacket before lifting the other to do the same.
"What is that?" Regina asked firmly, spotting the fingerprint bruises on Emma's inner upper-arm. She watched as Emma glanced down to see what she meant before her lips parted, "Uh-that? It's nothing," She looked back at Regina, schooling her expression and shaking her head, "-I must've hit my arm off of something."
"Don't lie to me," Regina shook her head with a firm look at her. Emma had always avoided talking about her foster parents which already made her suspicious of the circumstances in her foster home. "Who did that to you?"
"No one," Emma lied and pressed her lips into a firm frown, attempting to look Regina in the eyes as if she had nothing to hide. "I bruise easily, Regina. Don't make a big deal out of it-"
"Emma," Regina pushed, seeing the teenager shifting on her feet in a telltale sign there was more to it. "Those are fingerprints..."
Emma held her gaze with a hard, defiant expression before it faltered and she swallowed thickly, "I just...I had an argument with my foster dad-"
"And he put his hands on you?" Regina's eyes widened, "Has he done this before?"
"Uh...I mean, it's not-" Emma stuttered with a frown and shook her head, taking a step back, "It's not that bad...sometimes he just loses his temper."
"That doesn't give him the right to put his hands on you!" Regina closed the space between them, looking her over for any other marks. "Has he done anything else to you?"
"No, no god, nothing like that," Emma shook her head quickly and Regina let out a breath of relief, "It's only when he's upset and I'm in his way or said something shitty to him. It's not that bad if I keep a low profile. I've been in worse homes."
"But why would you want to stay there at all?" She asked the teen in disbelief. Emma had always presented as a proud and headstrong personality that Regina could never imagine her bowing down to anyone. "Surely another home would be better than that..."
"I don't want to leave. I don't want to be placed anywhere else," Emma shrugged and shoved her hands in her jean pockets. "I like it in this town. I like working here and...being around you and Violet. If I report him I'm going to be placed somewhere else. Maybe not even in this town. I won't see you guys and it could be with a family that's even worse..."
Regina gulped at the knot forming in her throat over the younger woman's explanation, "God, Emma. I'm so sorry," She shook her head, "But we have to report this. If I knew about this and something worse happened, I would never forgive myself for letting you stay-"
"What? Regina, no! Did you not hear a word I just said-"
She shook her head, reaching to give Emma's hands a squeeze and get her attention, "Emma, I heard you. We have to report him," She repeated firmly, "Then I'm taking you home with me."
"Sheriff Nolan," Regina opened her apartment door and looked up at him with an expression of relief and a soft smile that had him smiling in return. "Thanks for coming so late in the evening. I didn't know who else to call. Please, come in."
"Of course," David nodded, stepping into the apartment when she moved to the side. The place was noticeably cozier and better decorated compared to the drafty, run down feel it had when he'd made prior calls to the building. She had clearly worked hard to make it feel like home for her daughter here.
Regina led him towards the kitchen area of the loft, motioning for him to follow, "Can I get you a drink?" She attempted another smile but it looked rather timid. The brunette only seemed to become more frazzled when he made eye contact with her but he knew she was likely still reeling over Emma's situation.
"Uh, I'm good, thanks," He nodded reassuringly, wanting to put her at ease, "So...You said you have a foster child here?"
"Yes, Emma Swan. She's upstairs with my daughter," Regina nodded quietly with a glance towards the loft. "She was expelled from school and works for me through the job shadowing program for troubled youths...I noticed today she had...bruising on her arm. She admitted that her foster father is abusive and that it wasn't the first time."
"I'm sorry to hear that," David frowned deeply and shook his head, reaching for his notepad from his work phone from his back pocket. "I'll have to look up who her social worker is and we will investigate. You were right to call me."
"What do we do in the meantime? How long will it take for her social worker to look into this?" Regina questioned and concern marred her features at the possibility of a delay in action, "I can't let her go back there."
David heistated for a moment, seeing she was adamant and considering what the law would entail, "I'll need to get a statement from her before I can legally agree to leave her here as a temporary placement. Any idea who her foster parents are?"
"Albert Spencer and his wife."
"The district attorney?" David exhaled through his nose, pinching the bridge of it with his fingers as his other hand came to rest on his hip. Zelena was well acquainted with Albert, both of them doing each other favors when needed. It told David everything he needed to know about the man's character. He was calculating and well aware of the law, which would make this even harder. "He's a powerful man."
"I don't care," Regina replied firmly and gave him a shrug as if to say she wouldn't be intimidated. "She has no one but me looking out for her and I'm not going to let her go back to that."
"I understand that, but there's a process you would have to go through, a long process, to even become a foster parent. Even then, it's not a guarantee that the system would agree to place her with you..." David replied carefully, seeing the younger woman bristle. She had appeared so docile and reserved until now that he found her sudden streak of defiance endearing despite the circumstance. He needed to focus.
"You don't think I'm a good fit for Emma?" Regina raised a challenging brow, frustration growing within her and making her chest feel tight. She knew what he was thinking without him having to say it. It was the same thing everyone else in this town thought and she was growing rather tired of it. "I'm not some helpless single mother struggling to get by. I take care of my daughter and I saved my business. I'm not going to sit back and let someone I care about be abused just because it might be a challenge to do otherwise."
"Ms. Mills, I never meant to insinuate-" David realized he had offended her without meaning to and immediately began to backpedal. "I'm only saying that this is going to be difficult to get her removed from that home and with you, if that's what you're seeking. It'll involve a whole investigation, paperwork, getting you registered as a foster parent. It's a huge commitment and I just want to be sure you're prepared."
"Are we ever really prepared for anything?" She rolled her eyes then and he had to suppress the urge to smile when she crossed her arms and stared him down across the counter.
"I see you've made your mind up," David glanced towards the loft before looking back at her and nodding slowly. "I'm here to help you."
"I just can't let her get hurt. She's important to my daughter and I."
"I understand. No kid deserves that," David agreed before his attention was stolen by the sound of small footsteps. He turned to look behind him and saw Regina's daughter reaching the bottom of the steps in a matching set of pajamas and messy dark hair.
"Sheriff," Violet murmured, voice barely audible as she looked at David with wide eyes.
"Violet, what are you doing up?" Regina raised an eyebrow, glancing at David apologetically before looking back at her pajama clad daughter.
"Emma fell asleep watching the movie-" She glanced at her mother before looking back to study the man in their kitchen, padding over to him on her bare feet. "Did you know you're my Dad?" She tilted her head to look up at him with a matter-of-fact expression.
"I, wh-" David's mouth fell open into a confused smile, glancing at Regina quizzically as he sputtered for something to say. Her eyes were wide and embarrassment tinged her cheeks.
"Violet!" She said in a hushed tone, rounding the counter island to come pick her daughter up onto her hip, "Now is not the time for your storybook-"
"I told you it's not a story it's real!" The child's dark brows furrowed in frustration and she looked to David adamantly. "You are mine and Emma's dad. We all lived in a castle until the bad witch put a curse on us-"
"I am so sorry- she got a storybook from school-" Regina scrambled to explain, feeling the heat in her neck and cheeks as she looked at the man who sat looking bewildered but amused. "And everyone she sees she thinks is a character from the book. She has, uh, well - quite the imagination-"
"Mommy!" Violet pouted, wiggling in her arms in an attempt to get down. "I'm telling the truth-" She insisted with a fury that was similar to the defiant streak of her mother's just moments ago. As they rounded past him the child leaned over in Regina's grip, grabbing David's jacket sleeve and pulling it up before either one of them could respond. "See! I knew it!" She pointed to the scar on David's forearm, "You got hurt in the war with King George-"
"Violet you can't just go around grabbing people," Regina pulled her back, now truly mortified by her daughter's behavior. "I am so sorry, Sheriff Nolan. If you'll excuse me I'll be right back-" She said with wide eyes, quickly carrying her daughter across the loft and around the brick dividing wall into what he assumed was Regina's bedroom.
He frowned, still processing what had happened as he ran his finger over the scar quizzically and tried to remember how he had acquired it. His mind was blank as he tried to recall what had happened to cause the scar and a strange sense of worry flooded him briefly. He heard Regina talking in hushed tones to her daughter as he glanced around, unnerved by his sudden lack of memory. The girl had known which arm and the exact placement of his scar but he had only met her once before in the diner and his forearms hadn't been exposed.
"I'm sorry again," Regina said after a few moments, coming back into the kitchen area, "I think she...she's craving a father figure and her imagination is getting a little out of hand," She admitted with a weak smile.
"It's-it's fine, honestly," David nodded, forcing a friendly smile as he looked up to her and pushed his sleeve back down, "You're doing a great job with her. I can tell."
"That's kind of you," Regina shook her head and avoided his eye contact, still seeming embarrassed by it all, "So you need to get a statement from Emma?"
"Uh, yeah, I hate to have to wake her but it is necessary that I document a statement before I can legally make the call to allow her to stay here temporarily," He nodded.
"And then what's next?"
"Well, I will notify Emma's social worker and Mr. Spencer. Her social worker and I will work together to investigate the abuse. Then if it's determined she needs a replacement, we will hope her case worker and judge have the good sense to let her stay with you."
"How do I become a foster parent?" Regina frowned.
"If there's a time that's good for you this week we can meet and discuss the application process and I can give you my contacts at the system," David replied, not knowing why he felt the urge to help her. His protocol only required that he report all of this to Emma's caseworker, but he couldn't seem to leave the woman before him to handle this all on her own.
"That would be great," She looked up at him with relief, her gratefulness for him evident, "Thank you so much, Sheriff Nolan."
"Please, call me David."
She gave somewhat of a shy smile as she nodded, "Thank you, David."
"Where have you been?" Zelena raised a questioning eyebrow as she came down the staircase. David barely glanced in her direction as he shed his jacket and hung it up, throwing his keys in the bowl by the door.
"Got a call," He nodded, unbuckling his gun-belt and putting it on the side table. "What are you still doing up?"
"Just wondering where my husband is. You weren't in the guest room," She shrugged and he could feel her eyes studying him even when he looked away from her. "What was the call?"
"Foster kid being abused," He frowned at the thought of Emma and taking her statement. She had downplayed most of the abuse, clearly expecting that this would backfire on her and she's end up in a worse home than before. Thinking of what she must've been through to make living with Albert seem desirable left him angry and feeling protective over her in a way he couldn't seem to shake.
"Who?"
He glanced up at Zelena with a frown, knowing concern for others was out of character for her, "Uh, Emma Swan...Albert Spencer's foster kid."
Zelena's expression changed but she masked it before he could truly tell what it was, "Please. Albert is a snake but he's too smart for physical violence. Did the kid come to you with this story herself?"
"No," He narrowed his eyes at her, "You know I can't discuss details with you. Especially not when you know Albert personally."
"Isn't that kid doing her juvie program with the owner of the Colter Stables?" Zelena's tone was tight, making David's suspicion of his wife's interest in that farm and business increase. "Was it that stupid Mills woman that put the idea in this child's head?"
"What's with your interest in this?" David eyed her.
"Forgive me but I'd like to know who my husband is out making house calls to until midnight-"
"No, I think it has to do with the same reason you wanted the town to buy that farm and nearly killed Sidney when he didn't make it happen for you," He said pointedly.
"I told you that it was for a park-" She narrowed her eyes, "I would advise you to steer clear of trouble with Albert Spencer."
"And I would advise you that it's my job not to when it comes to this."
David met her cold gaze as she narrowed her eyes before turning and retreating up the stairs. He was tired and didn't have the patience he usually did to avoid conflict with her. Especially not when she was expressing such a strange interest in his business with Regina Mills.
Regina glanced at the time on her phone before putting it back into her riding pants, brushing the hay off of her as she made her way to the door of the stables. She ran a hand over her hair to make sure it wasn't sticking up and considered checking her makeup before inwardly cursing at herself to get it together. The sheriff was coming here to help her with Emma's situation,not for her. They had only met a few times since and for brief periods of time but still she found herself stifling butterflies at the thought of his arrival.
He had been so kind and good with Emma when he took her statement, had endured Violet's incessant ramblings about the storybook, and had helped her during every step of this process. It had been a long time since she'd had someone looking out for her in that way and it was likely the cause of her strange pull to him. At least that's what she told herself.
She saw his yellow pickup truck turn into the gravel road leading to the stables and busied herself with putting bridles on the wall tacks so that it wasn't entirely obvious she had been standing and waiting for him. His truck pulled up just outside of the building and she only allowed herself to look up when she heard his truck door open and shut.
"Sorry I'm late-" David smiled at her and held up a brown paper bag, "But I think it'll be worth it. I was starving and thought you may need lunch too, so I stopped by Granny's Diner on the way."
Regina's chest warmed at the gesture and an appreciative smile graced her lips, "Thank you. I was busy and hadn't even considered what I would do for lunch yet-"
"Good. I brought you some paperwork but let's eat first. I hope you like burgers and cheese fries-" He grinned and her stomach quickened in response. He was handsome. Alarmingly so. She hadn't found herself attracted to anyone since Daniel and her physical reaction to him startled her. Of course the first man she noticed had to be a married one.
"I do. Too much," She laughed and motioned for him to follow her into the stables, stifling her desire to flirt with him, "Is this okay?"
"Perfect," David nodded, setting the bag down on the small table just around the corner before reaching to pull out her chair for her and turning to his own. "So, good news. I turned in your application to my contact in the foster system and got some paperwork for you to fill out. I explained everything and they're going to try to expedite the process so that you can get approved a little faster-"
"Really?" Regina's eyes widened as she took her seat, smiling brightly at him, "That's...that's so nice of you. You're really going above and beyond. I'm grateful."
"It's nothing," David found himself grinning stupidly in response to her radiant smile. He cleared his throat when he realized his stare had lingered and moved to busy himself with unpacking their lunch, "I haven't been out here before. The farm is beautiful."
"Thank you," Regina began to help him get their makeshift picnic out, ignoring them desire that slivered through her at the grin he'd just given her, "It's not easy to maintain but I do my best."
"It's impressive," He nodded in agreement, "What prompted you to move into town? I don't imagine I'd ever want to leave this place if it were mine."
"Well, it's a long story," Regina hesitated and glanced up at him before she continued, "The mayor issued a new small business regulation that made it costly for me to keep the stables open. I needed money to pay for new licensing, fees and taxes under this new regulation. I didn't want to give up our livelihood, so I decided it would be best to sell the farmhouse and a portion of the land around it in order to keep the business afloat."
"God, I'm sorry," David frowned at the actions of his wife and for some reason felt like he needed to apologize for her, "The Mayor...sometimes she makes decisions without really thinking how they're going to effect people."
"I didn't mean to speak poorly of your wife," Regina gave a shake of her head. "I was just explaining. I understand that she has a job to do and it calls for these kinds of decisions."
"I know you didn't mean anything by it. Still, I would like to apologize on her behalf," He nodded once and averted his gaze with a sigh. "This job has changed her quite a bit. I...I have a hard time recalling what she was even like before she became mayor. It's like I hardly know her sometimes..."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Regina frowned and tugged her bottom lip between her teeth at how blatant of a lie she'd just told. She wasn't sorry in the slightest. Maybe for David that he was unhappy, but she did not care for the Mayor and after getting to know him she couldn't understand how the two of them had ever made a match. Still she swallowed her jealousy and forced a thoughtful response. "I haven't been in a relationship since Violet's father...We were so young, I'm afraid I don't have much experienced advice to give."
"You've certainly been through more than I have. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm complaining-" He frowned and shook his head at how trivial his problems probably seemed.
"No, don't worry," Regina reassured and reached out without thinking, touching his hand with her own. "Everyone has their issues. It's good to have someone to talk to."
"Yeah, it is," He agreed, feeling the warmth from her hand as he met her gaze. She seemed to realize she was touching him as her own gaze shifted down to their hands and pinkness appeared in her cheeks when she withdrew hers. He gave her a quick, reassuring smile when her eyes flickered back up to him to let her know he didn't mind. "Anyways. Hows my kid?"
Regina let out a laugh, grateful to him for breaking the tension, "Still rattling on about a magical forest and castle and our life there. I have to say, it does sound like we were very happy."
"I'll have to do a home visit with Emma soon so maybe Violet can tell me all about it then."
"Don't worry I was going to have my friend Ruby watch her when that happens. You're already doing so much for us. Humoring my daughter's imagination is not what you're there for."
"No need. Honestly," He looked up at her sincerely, "Your daughter is great. I don't mind her big imagination. It's kind of refreshing after dealing with criminals and red tape and headaches all day."
"If you're sure," Regina nodded with a hint of a smile, "She seems to have quite an obsession with you. I don't want her to make you feel uncomfortable, but she is utterly convinced. I'm sorry, I know it's strange."
"Like you said she probably just wants a father figure," He shrugged and her heart threatened to burst at his thoughtfulness towards his daughter, "I don't mind spending some time around her if it will help her."
"Maybe I can cook dinner or something to repay you," Regina suggested with a hopeful smile. "I mean obviously Emma and your home visit is the focus, but while you're over we might as well eat."
"That seems to be our theme," He grinned and held up his burger with a playful wag of his brows, "That sounds great."
Regina ignored the voice inside of her head that told her she was borrowing trouble. She felt too giddy at the prospect of being around him for an entire evening to give a damn at this point, "I hope you like lasagna."
"You're really going all out on this dinner," Emma raised an eyebrow at Regina, watching her buzzing around the kitchen as she prepared their meal for later. She was wearing a fitted sweater with dark jeans and more makeup than she usually did. The blonde had always envied how naturally beautiful the woman was without trying but she had clearly put in more effort to her appearance tonight.
Regina glanced up from her task of dicing tomatoes and shrugged at Emma, "I don't know what you mean."
"You're making lasagna and you made an apple pie for dessert," The blonde's lips turned up into a smirk and Regina rolled her eyes, seeming to know she was about to be teased. "And lasagna is like, your move."
"What?" Regina scoffed and she let out a laugh, turning back to the stove to take the noodles off heat and avoid Emma's stare. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"It's your best recipe and you know it," Emma smirked, continuing to goad her as she sat watching the brunette. "And you hardly ever make dessert because you know Violet goes bananas when she has too much sugar. You're trying to impress Sheriff Nolan."
"Are you serious?" Regina sputtered and turned, holding the pot of noodles between her oven mitts and she sat it on the counter between them. "I am in no way looking for that sort of thing right now and even if I was, he is married."
"So you've at least thought about it-" She smirked and slapped the counter at the fact she'd called it. "I mean, if you hadn't thought about him in that way then you wouldn't of added the part about him being married."
"I added that part because he is married and it is inappropriate to talk about him in that manner," Regina scrambled for a defense. Emma was intuitive and could easily get the truth out of her but she would never admit to this. Though it seemed the harder she tried to spin it, the more obvious she became. "He is helping us and if a rumor like that were to start it could hurt his reputation."
"Oh dear god, Regina," Emma laughed with a shake of her head, "Who am I going to tell about your crush on David Nolan? The horses?"
"I don't have a crush on David-" Regina argued, throwing her oven mitts on the counter with a huff. "Will you stop harassing me now?"
"I guess," The blonde grinned, "I just like winding you up."
"I'm aware."
"Are you sure you really want me around full time?" Emma asked in a joking manner but Regina could see a hint of seriousness in the blonde's question.
"Of course," Regina raised an eyebrow, "You belong here with us."
"I just don't want you getting into any kind of trouble with Mr. Spencer," Emma muttered and looked at the counter in front of her, "You've been through enough lately with selling the farm."
Regina leaned her hands on the counter and met Emma's lowered gaze with a firm expression, "Look at me. We won't be intimidated by a man like that."
"You never told me how he reacted when David broke the news to him I wasn't coming back-" Emma's forehead creased with worry.
"The Sheriff said he was eerily calm and agreed to cooperate with the social worker's investigation so far," Regina let out a breath and gently shook her head, "He's too smart to give himself away, but the truth will come out. Regardless, you're out of there for now and we will fight like hell so you don't have to go back."
"Thanks, Regina," Emma frowned and nodded seriously, ducking her head at the display of vulnerability.
"Mommy! Emma!" Violet bounced through the front door ahead of Ruby, backpack bobbing on her small frame as she ran across the apartment to them. "Look what I made at school today!"
"What's this?" Regina's mouth dropped in awe, crouching down on her level as her daughter presented the finger painting.
"That's you and me and Daddy and Emma in front of the castle," Violet said proudly, craning her neck to look as she held the painting in one hand and pointed with the other, "And look it's Grandpa in the window," She giggled and pointed to the castle window, "And Granny."
Regina took a deep breath and forced a smile at her excitement, not having the heart to address her current obsession but finding it troubling nonetheless, "What a good job you did, sweetheart. We'll put it on the fridge, okay?" She smiled as her daughter nodded in approval.
"Go change out of your school clothes and you can help me put together the lasagna," Regina added, watching her bolt for the stairs and letting out a sigh.
"The family has certainly expanded since last time," Emma raised an eyebrow as Regina put the picture on the refrigerator with magnets.
"Yeah, sorry about that Regina," Ruby came over, leaning her elbows on the counter, "Dorothy said she had everyone draw their family portraits today."
"It's not her fault," Regina shook her head, glancing at the both of them, "I don't know what to do. I thought it would just be a phase but it just keeps getting more and more detailed. She won't quit talking about it."
"Have you seen the book? I mean the pictures are pretty spot on," Emma shrugged with snort, "I can see where she could get the idea. She kinda had me believing it for a minute."
"I haven't really looked at it," Regina groaned under her breath and ran a hand through her hair, "She keeps going on about having this family and I guess I didn't want to look at it because I feel guilty. I mean she's so desperate for a father and siblings that she's associating us with fairytale characters. It's clear that I'm not giving her what she needs and I feel like a failure."
"Hey," Ruby frowned, straightening back up from the counter and pressing her hands against it, "Trust me I see the parents that Dorothy deals with as a teacher. You're more dedicated than all of those idiots combined."
"Yeah Regina, you have nothing to feel guilty about," Emma raised an eyebrow, "I know what shitty parents are like and you're not it."
"True," Ruby shrugged in agreement as they ignored Regina's squint of disapproval over Emma's language.
"Oh, back to our past life-" Ruby grinned and glanced between them, "You'll never believe who I turned out to be in this fairy-tale book. Violet filled me in on the car ride over."
"Oh god-" Regina tilted her head back with a groan.
"Who?" Emma smirked and leaned in.
"A fucking dog," Ruby deadpanned, causing Emma to laugh and Regina's mouth to drop in amusement. "No, I'm serious. Out of all the things your kid could've made me, I'm a werewolf. Like an actual animal."
"No!" Emma gasped for breath, leaning back against her stool in laughter. "Seriously?!"
"Yeah and apparently you all used to lock me in a fucking dungeon so I wouldn't eat people at night," Ruby crossed her arms, jutting her chin up at Regina accusingly, "You get to be a Queen and I'm a fleabag."
"Sounds about right," Regina smirked, allowing herself to find the humor in Ruby's attempt to lighten the mood.
"Oh suddenly she has jokes," Ruby said dryly with a glance at Emma who was still catching her breath. "Anyways. What's the big dinner for and why weren't Dorothy and I invited?"
"Sheriff Noooolan," Emma smirked at Ruby knowingly, "She made pie, too."
"Pie?" Ruby's mouth dropped, "Holy shit, Regina has a crush."
"Oh no, I'm not doing this with the both of you-" Regina's eyes widened and she pointed her stirring spoon in their direction.
"You know the Mayor's secretary comes into Granny's all of the time," Ruby began with a smug smile that alluded to the juicy gossip she'd heard. "She knows everything that goes on."
"Oh don't bother, Regina doesn't want to know-" Emma shrugged and squared her shoulders to mimic Regina, "David Nolan is married and discussing his private life is inappropriate."
"It is," Regina reaffirmed with an annoyed frown, though her eyes shifted to Ruby who wore a cat-like grin. She did want to know more about the status of David's marriage and she hated the fact.
"All right, I'll keep it to myself," Ruby shrugged and turned to Regina's fridge, making a show of deciding what she wanted to drink.
Regina frowned and watched before breaking the long silence with a huff, "Oh alright. What do you know?"
"Knew it," Emma muttered with a grin, laughing when Ruby spun around and braced against the counter to them once more in a dramatic manner.
"She says they hate each other," Ruby pursed her lips theatrically, "She hears the Mayor yelling at him on the phone about coming to events to make her look good. Apparently their marriage is for show at this point and he sleeps on the couch."
"That's all hearsay," Regina frowned and shook her head, trying desperately to snuff out her own intrigue on the matter. Regardless of the state of their marriage, it was a marriage, which meant he was off limits. "He wouldn't stay if he didn't still love her."
"Or maybe he's never had a reason to leave," Ruby shrugged and tilted her head to the side. "Some people don't realize how miserable they are until they get a taste of what their life could be like."
"He seems like a good guy. That's probably why he stays-" Emma added.
"Which doesn't make sense how he ended up with her," Ruby shuddered, "I try to give people the benefit of the doubt but I have yet to see any of her redeeming qualities."
"Alright, maybe we should change the subject," Regina gave a pointed look to both of them when Violet started down the staircase.
"I'm ready to help!" She announced, hopping down from the last step before coming over to the kitchen and grabbing her stool to stand beside Regina on.
"Right, I should get going," Ruby smiled and rounded the counter to pick Violet up and put her onto the stool, kissing her head once, "See you later munchkin."
"Bye Ruby!" Violet chirped and grabbed the nearest utensil, eager to start helping Regina.
"Thanks for bringing her home," Regina nodded with a smile at the taller brunette.
"See you," Emma waved.
Ruby grinned and grabbed her keys from the counter, turning for the door and throwing up a peace sign, "Rube-dog out!"
David smiled to himself as he sat in the sheriff's station, thinking about the dinner at Regina's the night before. He had been slightly nervous to spend that much time around her, finding himself increasingly attracted to the younger woman and not wanting to come off as unprofessional...Or an old married creep.
If he wasn't mistaken he had caught her looking at him a few times over the course of the night and considered that the pull between them may be mutual. Still, he couldn't allow himself to even entertain the idea of anything other than helping them. He was probably a decade older than her, not to mention married,and needed to keep a friendly distance.
There was something about Regina that he couldn't quite place, but he felt drawn to her in a way he'd never experienced before. He certainly didn't feel that spark of familiarity with his own wife and it troubled him that his feelings were so displaced. The entire evening spent with the little family made him crave that for himself and he had allowed himself to stay longer than he probably should've.
The whole point of the visit was protocol to ensure Emma's safety in her temporary home and that typically involved asking the foster child questions and inspecting the conditions of the household. He had already known walking into Regina's home that Emma was being cared for, yet he stayed most of the evening.
She had prepared a delicious dinner followed by dessert and they'd been entertained by Violet's imaginative stories of their life in another land. He enjoyed the child's enthusiasm and had to keep himself from laughing at the temper tantrum the mini brunette threw when her mother told her it was bedtime and too late to get her storybook out.
Emma had offered to take the child up to the room they now shared for bedtime and he was left with Regina who smiled apologetically. He reassured her that he was used to temper tantrums, thanks to Zelena, and insisted on helping her clear the dishes. It was oddly domestic between the two of them as they worked in the small kitchen. Conversation flowed easily between them and he found himself soaking up the warm energy she radiated. It was such a stark contrast to Zelena's and he avoided the flicker of guilt he felt for enjoying Regina's company so much.
"Young man," The familiar greeting of Henry Mills brought him from his daydream and he looked up to see the gentle older man coming into the station with files under his arm and unkempt gray hair. "You looked awfully deep in thought," He added with a curious smile as he plopped down in the seat nearby David's desk.
"Sorry, you caught me by surprise, Henry," David smiled with a shake of his head and sat up straighter in his seat, watching the man set a file down on the desk that had Emma Swan's name on it. "Thanks for coming and helping out with this one."
"Oh, it's not problem for you, Sheriff," The older man shook his head. "Especially not when I found out that Abigail was this child's caseworker," He gave a shiver of distaste that let David know he was not a fan of the other social worker, "That woman has about as much compassion as a rock."
David gave a chuckle and shook his head, "But you were able to take Emma's case as your own?"
"Yes, well, it did take a little persuading," Henry nodded with a roll of his eyes, "The woman has no real connection to any of the homes or children she visits, but for some reason she didn't want to give up Emma's case so easily. God knows why, it's not like she's done any of the required visits this year. It's no wonder the poor child was being mistreated. Without our check-ins the foster parents have no one to answer to and unfortunately for Emma these people should not have been approved to foster to begin with."
"What do you mean?" David shrugged and watched the man open the folder and start sorting out his paperwork on the desk, making himself right at home after how many times he and David had worked together.
"I mean that I've been through all of Emma Swan's records," Henry raised an eyebrow as he pulled his dated wire rim glasses from his forehead back onto his nose, "Every child's file should have the documentation for the foster home they're currently in and their certifications that prove this family went through the proper vetting process. There's nothing for Albert Spencer or his wife. So I went into our system at work to see if maybe it just hadn't been printed and placed in the file."
"Did you find anything?" His forehead creased with concern and his pressed his forearms on the desk, leaning into the conversation more.
"Nothing, there had been no background check, no home visits, no application process for Albert Spencer," Henry frowned deeply.
"What does that mean? How would he of been able to foster Emma, then?"
"That I don't know," Henry sighed and shook his head, "It may simply be another overlooked detail of our broken foster system, but I also have other theories."
David eyed the man before rolling his eyes impatiently, "Oh come on, Henry. You know I'm not going to repeat anything you say here."
"Well, you're quite young compared to me but you've been around long enough to know that people with money or in positions of power look out for one another," He nodded, "I'm suspecting that someone Albert does business with was able to pull some strings to help him skip any real application process."
"But why would that be necessary?" He shook his head.
"Various reasons, I suppose. A couple wanted a child desperately or someone wanted a child placed in a specific home for one reason or another," The older man shook his head, "Do you know if Emma Swan has any relatives around here? Any connection to her biological parents?"
"As far as I know, no," He played back the conversation he had with the teenager in his head for a moment, "No, she said she never met her real parents or knew of any relatives. She didn't even keep in touch with any of her previous foster homes. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I've seen it with rich or notable families a lot. A wife or a daughter has an unwanted pregnancy and they give the child up to save the family's reputation. They pull strings to be sure of who the child is placed with - sometimes to keep the child close and sometimes to keep them away from the family," Henry sat back in his chair and frowned, "But that is just one example. A person could want a child placed in a specific home for various reasons, and if you have the money or power to ask for favors it is possible."
"I don't know of anyone that would be connected to Emma in that way," David shook his head, "Still, it doesn't make sense why Albert Spencer would be a foster parent. I mean if they were so desperate for children that they were willing to cheat the system, wouldn't someone like that go for a younger child? A baby or a toddler instead of a troubled teen?" He frowned at the cruel notion but knew what Albert was like, "People like that want the best, they would look at a troubled teen like damaged goods. They want an infant they can raise as their own and mold into their own kind with ease. Not a grown kid who can call them on their bullshit."
Henry nodded at David's train of thought with an expression that told him he'd already considered it, "Like I said, it took a little talking to take Emma's case from Abigail. When I started questioning her file and the placement, she didn't have an answer. I wouldn't be surprised if whoever pulled the strings here has an influence over Abigail."
"It concerns me," David let out a breath, "Not only for Emma but for Regina Mills. The young woman who wants to take Emma in. She's a single mother to a five year old and she's fiercely protective of Emma. She's a good person and if there's something underhanded going on with Albert, I worry she's being pulled into something she's not equipped to handle."
"This is why we must do everything by the book," Henry nodded, "I'll introduce myself to Emma as her new caseworker and we will begin the process of documenting everything that Abigail failed to. We'll build up enough evidence for any judge to clearly see she shouldn't go back there and we will have this Regina Mills properly vetted and approved for a placement."
"Thanks Henry, again," He nodded and let out a deep breath at the hope the older man gave him. He wasn't sure when he became so invested in this but he was, "I don't want to let Regina or Emma down. Say, are you any relation to Regina?"
"Not that I'm aware of, no," He shook his head, "We've never been introduced. It is a rather common name, though."
"I know, it's just a small town, thought I'd ask," David shrugged and knew it was a long shot, "She just seems like she could use some family around."
Henry nodded and looked up from his notes, "You sound fond of this Regina Mills."
"What? No, I mean yes I suppose she's...well...she's a good person," David sputtered over the question and felt like an idiot for doing so. He hadn't done anything inappropriate with Regina yet he acted like Henry had caught him with his pants down at the mere question of her. "I'm just doing my job and I suppose I could consider her a friend now..."
"Oh yes, yes of course," Henry nodded, both of their gazes being pulled towards the direction of the station doors to see Zelena pushing her way through them, "How could you possibly even consider straying with such a lovely wife at home."
David's eyes nearly bulged out of his head and he glanced between them as Zelena walked closer, wondering if she'd heard anything he said.
"Excuse me?" Zelena tilted her head as if she suspected they'd been discussing her but didn't know for sure.
"Oh, I just said to David there's his lovely wife," Henry gave a kind smile that his wife simply sneered at and David had to bite his lip not to smirk at the older man's snark. Henry was on the town council and he and Zelena had a long history of butting heads over nearly every subject discussed during meetings. The older man constantly made remarks to David that he was much too kind to be married to that woman.
"I should've known you'd be here putting your nose into other people's business, Henry," Zelena smiled though her expression looked more like she'd just tasted acid, "More digging into Albert Spencer, I'd imagine? That's been your little hobby of late," She snapped her head towards David now, her cold eyes giving him a warning glare.
"So you're aware of this? Interesting," Henry said casually, arranging the pages back into the folder before closing it.
"I'm aware of everything that goes on in this town, Mr. Mills," The redhead snarled, "Which is why I came to warn you two against this investigation."
"I'm afraid that's not possible once a report has been filed, Madam Mayor," Henry stood and picked up his file folder, "I'm going to proceed to the diner, you can head that way when you finish up here," He nodded at David in reference to their scheduled meeting.
"God if I wouldn't known what a nosy pain in my ass he was going to be I would've never put him in the position he is," Zelena grumbled angrily, snapping her head to make sure the older man had actually left the station.
"Town officials are elected, Zelena," David raised an eyebrow at her and watched her shift on her heels.
"Obviously, David. But thank you, dear husband, for reminding me of the political structure of my own town," She sniped, "What with all of your great knowledge and education that resorted to you being a cop. I'm well aware of how town council works, but you're a fool if you don't think I have the final say."
"Did you just admit to manipulating this town's government?" He shook his head, scoffing slightly in disbelief at how callous she was. His patience grew thinner with her each day, no matter how much they avoided each other. He was almost ashamed at the hatred he felt in his chest when she appeared and he wasn't quite sure when things changed or if they ever were happy.
"I haven't admitted to anything, you nitwit," She grit out and he felt his temper flare. It was clear she thought he was stupid and useless, making it harder for him to be the bigger person with each fight they had when she constantly spoke down to him. "Believe it or not I came here as a favor to you."
"Oh really?" He smiled sarcastically, putting his hands on his hips, "Please explain to me why you have any connection at all to this foster child's case. Or to the Coulter farm."
"I don't," She rolled her eyes, "Other than the fact that the Coulter farm was bought out from under me, which I'm still looking into on if that sale was handled properly. I have no interest in that foster brat or the teen mom who runs those godforsaken stables."
"Then why did you just come in here warning us against getting Emma placed in another foster home? Why at all do you care?" He shook his head and stared at her for an answer.
"Because, you fools are playing with fire. Albert Spencer just purchased the apartment building Regina Mills and her daughter live in," She shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest. "It seems to me that if you keep accusing Albert Spencer of child abuse he will likely retaliate and you'll have three children you'll need to find a home for," She gave a smile that let him know it was a dig at Regina being a young mother.
"Are you...are you seriously coming here and delivering a threat for your buddy Albert?" David let his mouth drop, a laugh escaping him though there was absolutely no humor in the situation. If he hadn't laughed he probably would've slapped her and his pesky conscious wouldn't allow for that.
"Well you can hardly blame him for dabbling in real estate. And he is the new owner, which in some cases can void apartment leases," Zelena pressed her lips into a line, feigning a worried look, "What's worse for children, David? Strict discipline or being homeless?"
"That's an empty threat and you know it. Even if he does evict them out of spite, Regina can find a new place," He rolled his eyes, "And Emma will be placed in a new foster home."
"Oh, you mean with Miss Mills?" She smirked and gave a rueful laugh, "What judge do you know will allow a foster child to be placed with someone who doesn't even have a stable residency? It's a requirement. Foster parents must have a good record with no evictions, have been renting the home the child will be in for at least six months, or own their own home."
"Who the hell even are you?" David spat back at her, his chest heaving with anger as he glared at the woman he was somehow married to. "Why do you care about any of this unless you have some ulterior motive?!"
"Albert Spencer is a friend and a trusted member of this community," Zelena spoke through clenched teeth, her neck turning pink from anger, "Do you know how much property he owns in this town? The legal influence he has? The reputation? If he is accused of something so heinous that he's taken down it will hurt this town financially. Deals will fall through. People will be hurt," She looked up at him with a glint in her eyes that made him feel it was a threat, "And Regina Mills has done nothing but conduct underhanded business for her profit and, I suspect, even willfully ignored proper real estate regulations when selling her home. If you think I'm going to let my friend be taken down by some conniving twit my husband has a crush on, you're sorely mistaken."
"I don't want to be your husband anymore," He blurted out, glaring back at her as he clenched his fists to his sides. Anger coursed through him at her threats, her sheer disregard for compassion and decency, her complete and utter lack of any inner goodness or warmth. She was cold and bitter and the evil glint in her gaze made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.
"Excuse me?" She had the nerve to smirk at the knowledge she'd gotten under his skin and stepped up to him slowly. "You're not stupid enough to believe I'd ever give you a divorce, are you?"
"I do not want to be with you. I do not want to be married to you," David spoke through clenched teeth and a hard stare. He had nothing to remind him of the way things used to be between them. There were no good memories to pull him in, nothing familiar about her or their relationship. Only this volatile, toxic exchange. "I've tried to find the good in you but I can't see any. You're enraged constantly and cruel to everyone who doesn't serve a purpose to you. You care about no one but yourself. You're arrogant and selfish in everything that you do. I can't fathom what motive you have to behave like this, as if there could be any real excuse for how you treat people, but I tried to figure it out. I tried because I thought if I had once cared for you enough to marry you that there had to be something."
"I am so sorry to disappoint you," She snarled back at him now, jaw clenched in a way that let him know he'd actually gotten to her. "But I will not be made a fool of by you leaving me. I am the mayor and you are the sheriff. We have a reputation and public offices to uphold. I won't allow you to drag us through the mud with threats of divorce."
"I mean it. I am done with this marriage, Zelena," He replied more calmly than before but just as intent, reaching for the keys on his desk. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting I can't be late for."
"Grandpa?" The tiny brunette slapped both hands on the table in front of her and stood in the booth, peering up at the older man when he walked up to them.
"You must be Henry Mills," Regina smiled apologetically and stood from the booth to shake his hand, trying to put herself between him and her daughter's sudden fixation, "You'll have to accept my apology for any...strange behavior. She has recently acquired a new storybook that has her somewhat...imaginative," She explained quietly, not wanting to hurt her daughters feelings but needing to forewarn him knowing her daughter.
"Oh, don't you worry about that," He smiled kindly and Regina appreciated the fatherly response he gave as he patted the top of her hand and then turned to Emma in the booth, "And you must be Emma Swan. I'm Henry, I'll be helping you from this point on."
Regina smiled at the way Emma responded to him rather openly, reciprocating the handshake he gave her. Emma was typically wary of most new people and it was a relief to see that she seemed to approve of the older mans gentle demeanor. She turned to sit back down beside of her daughter when Henry took a seat on Emma's side of the booth across from them. She nudged Violet with a quiet request for her to sit back down but she merely lowered to her knees, hands still planted on the table as she stared at Henry.
"And who might you be?" The older man gave an amused smile and held out his hand towards Violet and Regina winced. Dear god, what a loaded question for her daughter.
"I'm Violet," She grinned, reaching out to shake his hand enthusiastically, "Your granddaughter."
"My grand-" Henry glanced at Regina in amusement before letting his mouth drop and looked back at her, "Granddaughter? Well, how could I forget. It's lovely to see you again."
Regina smiled warmly at the way Violet's eyes lit up with joy over his reaction, putting a hand on her back to remind her to sit down and quit leaning over the table. "Henry is going to help Emma live with us, sweetie," She explained, hoping that it would take some of Violet's focus off of the storybook and their family tree long enough to distract her.
"Of course Grandpa will help!" Violet nodded adamantly, causing Emma and Henry both to chuckle and Regina to let out a nervous breath at what was next, "The bad witch tried to keep us all apart with the curse but we have the book now. We can break the curse!"
"Well, aren't you a spirited one," Henry marveled at Violet with a chuckle under his breath as Grannys approach interrupted the exchange.
"Coloring pages and crayons for my best customer," Granny winked and placed the welcomed distraction in front of Violet as Regina gave her a thankful expression. "Can I get you all something to wet your whistles?" The older woman asked the rest of the table, peering over her glasses.
"Black coffee, milk and cherry cola?" Granny named off Regina, Violet and Emma's usual drink orders and they all nodded in unison, "And what can I get for you Mr. Mills?"
"I'll take a black coffee as well, thank you," He replied and Granny nodded, turning on her heels to head back to the kitchen. "The sheriff should be joining us any minute. I asked him to be present in case we need him to witness at any point."
"Oh," Regina nodded quickly and looked up to see the subject of their conversation come through the front door, bells jingling to announce his arrival. His forehead was creased and he appeared tense in the way he walked compared to his usual gentle swagger. She scolded herself for having ogled him enough to know his usual body language and busied her hands with scooting their silverware down to make room.
"Sorry I'm late," He forced a smile as he pulled a nearby chair over to the end of the table and sat down too close to Regina for comfort.
"Entirely understandable, sheriff," Henry raised a brow that told Regina something had happened prior to this she was unaware of. One more glance at David confirmed it for her and she instantly wondered what had happened to have him so aggravated. She'd never heard him raise his voice or even seen him become visibly irritated before.
Henry must've caught onto his mood and quickly filled the silence with the reason for their meeting. "Well, I thought we'd start by all getting to know one another a bit."
"Thanks so much for picking her up," Regina said after gently passing her sleeping daughter from her shoulder to Ruby's, "I should be home soon, but you know how she gets when she's bored."
"It's not a problem, Regina. I'll let her get her nap out and she'll be pleasant for dinner, at least," Ruby laughed, "You should've had me watch her all day, I didn't know you all were having a meeting."
"Emma's new social worker," Regina nodded in explanation, "He's having some one on one conversation with her now so I was able to step out and give you a call to pick up the sleeping princess."
"She's still on the fairytale kick?" Ruby smirked and shifted the sleeping five year old in her arms for a better grip.
"The new social worker is her grandfather," She sighed with a nod, "Anyways, I'll be home right after. Do you want to take my car?"
"Regina you live like two blocks over, I'll be there with your kid, stop worrying," Her friend laughed and turned to start down the sidewalk.
Regina let out a breath, knowing she could trust Ruby to handle Violet but still feeling a bit overwhelmed with worry over what would happen with Emma. Henry Mills seemed nice enough but Emma's foster dad had influence in this town and it was going to be difficult to get her out of his care. She glanced into the diner and saw Emma and Henry still in conversation, figuring it best to leave them to it as Henry suggested it was often easier that way.
She turned for the alley where her car was parked, deciding to at least wait where it was somewhat more comfortable than pacing the street. Her eyes caught the sheriff then, stepping out of one of Granny's motel rooms and locking the door. His gaze caught hers when he looked up to find her watching and she pressed her lips together at the knowledge she'd been caught.
"Hey, sorry, is it time for us to go back in yet?" He asked, walking towards her as he shoved the room key in his pocket, "I was just getting some things sorted during our break."
"Uh no, actually, my friend just picked up Violet and I was killing time-" She explained, eyeing him curiously, "Is everything okay?" She couldn't help but glance back to the motel door, wondering if another woman would be coming out of it soon.
David's eyes followed her gaze before he turned back to her, his expression clear he had caught on to what she was thinking, "Oh, yeah..." He frowned hesitantly and ran a hand over the back of his neck, "I kind of...left my wife earlier and I need a place to stay," He admitted and troubled his bottom lip when he made eye contact with her again.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Regina frowned and immediately felt like an ass for prodding, "I'm sorry, that was none of my business-"
"What did you think that waitress at Granny's would be coming out of there or something?" He grinned jokingly.
"That waitress at Granny's is off shift today and also gay, so no it wasn't her specifically," Regina quipped and they both laughed then, relieving some of the tension she felt about overstepping. "I am sorry that you're going through that, though." She was truly sorry for him but her heart pounded furiously at the thought.
"It's been a long time coming, if I'm being honest," He let out a breath, "But I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone. I have a feeling it's going to be difficult to get the divorce I am asking for and if people know something is going on it will only add fuel to the fire."
"Of course," Regina nodded before frowning back at the motel. "But here? Do those rooms even have a kitchen?"
"Not quite. I'll be eating a lot of Granny's," He grinned, "Which I don't mind, but my waistline might. Promise not to make fun of me?" He patted his undeniably toned, flannel covered stomach and gave her a playful smirk that made her own abdomen quicken. Was he flirting with her?
She forced herself to smile and roll her eyes at his self-deprecating humor instead of melting into a puddle like her instinct had urged her to, "Well, if you ever need a real meal you do know where I live."
"Are you asking me on a date?" David joked with a mischievous crinkle in the corners of his blue eyes. He was flirting with her, oh god.
Regina's insides screamed to play along but she knew she had to set the boundary between before she dug her grave any deeper, "David...you're still married. I offered a meal. Nothing more."
"Oh..." David's eyes widened at her response and her stomach swirled with attraction over how he stuttered at the realization he might have offended her. "I didn't mean to cross the line. I'm sorry, shit-" He frowned and ran a hand through his hair, "It's been a really long day and I'm...I'm an idiot. I'm sorry."
"Hey, I get it-" She reaches out to touch his forearm briefly and stop his rambling, "I'm not offended. We can be friends. Truly. But you leaving your wife is very new and I didn't want you to get the wrong idea."
"No, no. Please do not say anything else," He gave an embarrassed smile, "I wasn't trying to insinuate anything or trying to...you know. I just feel oddly relaxed around you and it came out. I would like for us to be friends, too."
Regina couldn't help but smile at the way he sheepishly tried to put her at ease and appear as non-threatening as possible. There was something incredibly endearing about a man over six foot trying to make himself seem smaller for her. Most men reveled in the thought of pushing their limits but here he was, apologizing for saying something so harmless for fear he'd overstepped. Keeping a respectable distance from him may require more willpower than she initially thought.