"Why is it I feel just as anxious now, as I did meeting you this morning?" Regina asked Aldara as they sat at the counter in the kitchen. Emma had picked up the ingredients on the way home. She had told Regina and Aldara to sit in the living room but Regina had said back.
"I'm not missing an opportunity to see you cooking with our son, these are priceless candid moments," Regina said to her as Emma had started getting ready to cook. Half an hour in and Emma, to Regina's surprise, was doing well. She had everything cooking in time and it smelt delicious. Roni had even managed to sneak a taste at the sauce when Emma had her back turned and it tasted amazing.
"Who knew you could cook this well dear," Roni said she might have to get the blond to cook for them more if this is how it tasted.
"Didn't I tell you, but noo... Why would Emma need to know how to cook. Truth is I'm an independent woman who has survived this long...by eating" Emma said making it obvious that all though she might not have cooked in Storybrooke she had managed to survive in the world by herself for a decent length of time, providing meals and such, for herself. Sure she would skip out and have takeaway most nights, but that was usually because she couldn't be bothered to cook anything.
" I'm just pleasantly surprised, I think you might have to start cooking more baby," Regina said. Emma looked down embarrassed into the saucepan and looked at it more intently than she needed too.
"Awe that's so cute, look she's blushing and everything," Aldara said to Regina who was chuckling at her. Henry who had been solely focused on dicing. He heard his Mom and Aldara laughing. He stopped cutting and looked at them to see what they were chucking at. They were both staring at Emma who was staring at the soup.
"What happened?" He asked Emma, who glanced at him sideways. She was still red but she was smiling.
"Nothing Kid, your Mom, and Aldara are just getting along really well. There teasing me together." She whispered to him, Henry just nodded not wanting to intervene.
"Awesome!" He whispered back, smiling at Emma passed her the garlic and chives. She quickly prepared her garlic bread and chucked it in to cook.
"Love your parents will be here any minute, shall I go let them in?" Regina asked Emma who was tasting the sauce. She nodded at Regina, then sprinkled parsley on the sauce, grabbing the bottle of olive oil and drizzling it on the top. Regina got up and went over to Emma. She went up close to Emma and put a hand on the blonds hip. "Just so you make a sexy chef" She whispered into her ear. Emma looked at her with dilated pupils, the blond kissed her then rested her forehead against Regina's. She turned back to the sauce and brought the spoon up to Regina's mouth who tasted a piece of linguine. Her eyes went wide and she smiled at Emma.
"Good?" Emma asked her. Regina nodded and smiled at her.
"You coming over to cook more often. That is just..." Regina shook her head and walked off lost for words. She heard a knock on the door, she went to answer it knowing it was Snow and David. She pulled it open to reveal them stood there holding a bottle of wine.
"Hey, Regina what smells so good? " David asked both him and Snow sniffing at the air.
"Your daughter has cooked courgette & tomato linguine, It's delicious," Roni told them and invited them it, Snow handed her the bottle.
"So did you help her after?" Snow asked Regina if Emma could cook how come she never cooked before.
"Barely, her and Henry are a good team," Regina commented as they walked into the kitchen. Snow and David stood dazed watching Emma and Henry interact about their dinner. Until Emma noticed Snow and David were there.
"Hey, Mom, Dad. I think This is almost ready so you guys can go in, Regina and I can dish up" Emma said to the three guests and Henry.
"Hey, Emma, It smells amazing, I can' t wait to try it," David said grinning at his daughter.
"Thank's Dad," Emma said grinning back at him. The small group shuffled into the dining room which Regina had set out earlier. Snow, David, Henry, and Aldara took their seat at the circular dining table.
Emma and Regina got the food ready and went to serve their guests. They placed the large bowl of pasta and the garlic bread on the table. They took their seats and all dug it.
"That was incredible Mom," Henry said to Emma who smiled at him.
"Thanks, kid, I try my best," Emma said chuckling at the boy whose mouth was smeared with sauce. Regina was giggling at him also and used a napkin to clean him up.
" Mom!" Henry said trying to make her stop. But Regina who had years of practice managed to wipe it off anyway. Henry pouted at Regina. Who just tap her finger on his forehead playfully.
"Cheer up, we still have dessert yet, Give me two seconds to digest," Emma said leaning back. Regina stood up to clear the dishes, and Henry got up to help her. They quickly cleared the table and took the plates into the kitchen. Regina came back in.
"Um, Emma could I ...Talk to you a second? If you'd like you can all go sit in the front room with Henry, We will be in there in a second." Regina asked Emma and directed the others towards the front room. They nodded and stood up. Aldara was the last out of the room.
"He wants to play a board game doesn't her" Alara said to them, Henry had told Aldara about his plan to get his one of his games out for them to play, he thought it would help Aldara get to know them more and for Snow and David to not be so awkward about coming over to talk to Emma and Regina. The Charmings hadn't mentioned the reason for the dinner yet, so maybe a game to get them talking would be a good idea.
"Yeah, he does... He was petty adamant that it would get David and Snow to open up. I think he's picked Monopoly." Regina said smirking at them. " I think he's really excited about it"
" Yeah he is, I don't mind I'm great at that," Aldara said grinning at them.
"Can't be as good as me Al, I'm a street buying machine!" Emma said to her. Regina burst out laughing and shook her head.
"Babe, I've beaten you at this game every time we play it?" Regina said to her remembering that last time they played Regina had pretty much bought out the board before Emma and Henry had even gotten a street.
" That's just luck, you always get the good dice rolls" Emma pretended to sulk. Regina chuckled at her and the three of them walked into the front room.
"Go on Henry, go get the game," Regina said to him. Emma had bought it him for Christmas and the three off them had played together quite a lot. It was usually Emma and Regina who won, but once or twice Henry had been able to win.
Henry ran upstairs to get the game and came bombing back down holding it. he placed it on the coffee table and set it up.
"Ok everyone has their money and everything is sorted now we just pick out pieces and play." He said smiling at them. Snow and David who had never played the game before looked at Emma and Regina confused.
"Basically we all pick one of these, we each roll the two dice whoever has the biggest number goes first. Don't worry guys I'll talk you through it as we play, It's easier that way." Emma said to her Parents they nodded at her and picked their pieces out of Henry's hand. Snow choose the rubber duck and David picked up the racing car. Henry offered his hand to Aldara who took the penguin and then to His moms. Emma swiped the hat and Regina shook her head at her girlfriend and lifted the cat from her son's palm.
" We all start off with $1500 dollars and we all try to buy all the properties on the board. You buy properties to go on your spaces but you have to buy up the street. aka the color. There also other parts but I tell u about them when they come up.
They began to play. Snow managed to Roll the highest number and moved eleven spaces landing on St. Charles. Regina looked at Emma and rolled her eyes. 'Well this is going to be fun' Emma said to herself knowing how competitive Regina and Snow got with each other.
Snow continued to win with Regina close behind her fighting to overtake. She had managed to stay close behind her but barely because by now Snow had bought up most of the board. Emma had gone out first and had been helping Regina to try and beat Snow who had David helping her once he had gone bankrupt. Henry and Aldara had decided to pool their properties together. Regina tried to stop them saying it wasn't official rules, but Emma convinced her it was ok. Henry hadn't managed to get many properties and Aldara and him had the full set of blue properties, so they were starting to catch up, They had splashed out a little and added The odd house and by the time the came was coming to a close it was them against Snow and Regina who had decided they need to join up. The two made are a surprisingly good team and managed to bankrupt the younger team pretty quickly.
"YES!" Snow shouted when Henry had to hand them the last of their properties over to the back. He was okay with losing because Snow and Regina had been beating him and he didn't think that they would be able to do it without arguing, but they had. In fact, Regina had even let Snow decide how to spend the money. She had just help Snow come up with their best players.
"It's alright Kid, We'll smash 'um next time, How about, you and I go sort out the dessert and these guys can clear up the game," Aldara said standing up. Henry followed his sister into the kitchen happily, excited for the brownies that Emma and Regina had made earlier. He had helped with making the sauce. Well, making sure the sauce was tasty enough.
Aldara thought they could use some time to chat alone. Knowing that that was the reason they had come.
Regina and Snow started to pack up. Whilst Emma collected the money and David put it away as Regina instructed him too.
"So are we going to talk about you guys?" Snow asked not really know how to breach the subject but knowing it might be there only time alone with the two woman.
"Yeah, sure Mom ask away," Emma said handing David the last of the money. He quickly sorted it and Regina placed it all away.
"When did you both... notice?" Snow asked them watching them intently.
"I think we kinda...always had a sort of... chemistry. But I guess I realized I liked her when Ishe started to open up more. We had a lot more in common than I thought we would, like our love of star watching.." Emma said smiling at Regina.
"I fell in love with her because she introduced me to Mario Kart," Regina said and Emma and she started laughing. " No in all seriousness. It when she came in the middle of the night when I had the flu and couldn't get up off the bathroom floor. I realized how stupid I had been trying to lock myself away. Noone had been had done that for me before. I just realized I wanted her there." Regina said going over to Emma and sitting on the blond's lap. "It wasn't until I knew she liked me back through that I truly started to fall for her." She kissed Emma's smiling mouth lightly. " Now she's not leaving my side"
"Promise" Emma whispered to her. Forgetting her parent's were present for a second she kissed Regina hard. Regina, who was taken by surprise by the passionate kiss also forgot. David and Snow left them to it. They didn't need to ask any questions. They could see that they were true love. Even if it had taken them four years and few curses to realize.
Emma pulled away and realized her parents where gone.
"I guess we answered the questions," Emma said giggling both of them a little out of breath. "Do you think we scared them off"
"No, I think they thought we might need space" Regina chuckled. They both went quiet. Regina rolled over the events of the past couple of months. The idea had been floating around in her head since she had stayed with Emma at Snow's and David's apartment. She was a little nervous but it felt right at that moment.
"Emma, could I ask you something...really Important?" Regina said her voice giving away her anxiousness a little. Emma nodded wondering why Regina was so fidgety all of a sudden...
