A/N: Thank you to all my followers for joining me on yet another crazy story of mine. I know I have a lot of get done and I give you my word it will get done. Now, before you get to reading, I warn you here and now that this will be a totally different story, compared to my others. This will be a story that if written right by me, will tug at your heart strings until they break. And before you freak out regarding the summary, no character in this story dies. SQ will have a happy ending, regardless of the rough patch they will be going through. With that being said, enjoy the first chapter along with a prologue. :) If this story isn't at all to your liking, the solution is simple. Stop reading. Any rude comments regarding this story will be ignored and deleted.
PROLOGUE
Every family has a story to tell. Every family is different and all have their ups and downs. For Henry, growing up in a loving family of two hard working mom's was everything. Both had been there since the day he was born, teaching him how to ride his first bike, or taking him to his first beach outing, on their family trip to New York city. His most favorite memory. Endless birthday parties in their backyard, to going through the passing of his first dog ever.
He always felt fortunate to have two mom's. Special, even, because he could never ask for two better women to be in his life.
He never thought he would be one of those kids, just at nine years of age to see the day where their perfect, happy life would crumble.
He never imagined the day, where he would hardly get to see one of his mother's due to her job keeping her constantly busy.
Both women busted their asses hard each day to provide for him and his little sister Hope. He knew that.
His mother Emma worked part-time as a substitute teacher, (when needed) not minding not having any health insurance, since her wife's insurance was enough to cover each member of their family. And she loved spending as much time with their kids as possible. One of them had to, ever since his other mother, Regina took on a new job at Boston's best recruiting agency- a job his mom Emma has been proud of her for and thankful that she enjoyed doing for over two years now- she couldn't complain. She didn't want to, but lately, sometimes it was hard not to want to strangle her for working her ass off so much- literally seventy hours a day, seven days a week, and sometimes weekends as well, that she would miss out on a lot that was going on in their lives.
Now, don't get the woman wrong. Regina adored her kids, and her wife. Henry being their first adopted child, was the apple of her eye. Hope could make any bad day she had at work transform into a fit of giggles. While Emma, she absolutely loved her. Sure, lately she's felt like they have been lacking that spark as a couple, but that's just because of their busy schedules.
Emma knew she loved her, and she knew Emma loved her back.
They had been together since their High School years, married for twelve, practically during their college years. Both starting up with very little in their pockets, eating pizza on the living room floor of their one bedroom apartment, to Regina taking a great job offer in New York for a year until they were able to move back to Boston and finally have enough for a better house, and providing only the best for their new addition to their small family.
No couple could go through all that and just stop loving each other the next. Even if sometimes, it felt like so.
Neither of them ever imagined what big lesson life had in store.
Chapter 1
Phones rang off the hook in the so-called "boiler room" of Blackridge Recruiting Agency. Cubicles were brought together into one big round table, everyone with their daily tasks of answering phone calls, calling clients up and other agency's in hopes of getting their recruits new job offers. And at the end of that round, circle of trust, in that huge office building- that by the end of the day became such a headache- on her very own desk, sat Regina Swan-Mills. Answering phones, and guiding others on how to do their job right, to their boss' liking.
"Yes, of course I can vogue for him." The brunette spoke over the phone, "Mrs. Kelson, your company appreciates employees who are big on family, who know the importance of it, correct? Well, I can assure you that Mr. French knows that very value." She sat back in her chair.
"Do you?" The woman's voice was heard over the phone.
"Me?" Her head slightly tilting at the question, brown eyes focusing on the family picture that had a place on top of her desk, drinking in the smiles of each of her two kids and wife. "I am proud to say I have a wife and two beautiful children. What do you think?" She nodded, a smirk appearing on her lips, "You won't be disappointed, Mrs. Kelson. Have a lovely rest of your day."
Hanging up the call, the brunette stood up from behind her desk, in nothing but a white buttoned up shirt, with the first two top buttons undone, and black pencil skirt. Her suit jacket laid out on the back of her chair. Her hands fanning a brush of air to her face, already feeling a re-touch of makeup being in order. They didn't call it "the boiler room" for nothing.
Heads turned, watching the woman walk up to a giant white board that was part of a wall inside the office space. Pulling apart the cap of a black marker, marking down another successful earning for the day. $200,000. Her hand reached up for a piece of cord that hung just underneath a bell that hung beside the whiteboard. And at the loud two dings echoing the room, so did everyone's cheers from another successful job well done. A pearly white smile overtaking the brunette's happy features.
Like every other month of this year, this was hers.
A glass door to the boss's office swung open, Gold standing just outside of it, his eyes on Regina, who stared at him mutually across the room, while everyone still cheered and high fived one another. Light pats being delivered to the brunette's back as she made her way inside Robert Gold's office after he beckoned her.
Regina did a quick run through her hair with her fingers, straightening up her surely wrinkled shirt before entering the man's office.
Her and Gold knew each other from way back, normally she knew he would never give her any fuss about her appearance. Especially when, no matter what she wore, Regina always looked her best, even on her casual days. Which lately, were very rare for her. And even though she loved looking her best and giving her hundred percent on a great day like today, that is one thing she envied on her wife. Emma, being a teacher, was always casual. Sometimes she would get dressed up too, but it was very rare.
"Have a seat." Gold motioned towards the empty seat on the other side of his desk, joining her, sitting behind it. He smirked proudly, "Another job well done and another month gone. In comes October."
"Which, I promise you, Robert…" One leg rested over the other, her posture regal, "I will own October as well."
Gold grinned, "Why is it I never dare to doubt you?"
"That's because it would be a crime." She grinned, mirroring his.
Gold chuckled, letting a pen fall from his hands, casually dropping it on his desk on top of all his paperwork, "Did I ever mention that I love your confidence?"
"Ass kissing will get you nowhere, Robert."
The man let out a laugh, his body bending down behind his desk. Brows on top of brown eyes furrowed at the sight of a long alcoholic beverage bottle of Don Julio 1942. It was elegant, smooth looking, yet bold. Dark brown bottle, with gold letters and numbers.
"Why, Robert… drinking on the job?" Regina asked sarcastically, her head tilting, "Really?"
Another chuckle, his hands motioning towards the bottle, "Call it a gift. You've earned it."
Regina's brow raised, her body stretching before his desk to retrieve the bottle in her possession, "Mexico?" Her eyes met his after reading the label. "When did you ever go to Mexico?"
"Two years ago, I believe," Gold adjusted himself in his seat, "If you haven't taken your wife and kids, I highly recommend that you do. Acapulco is nice. My wife quite enjoyed it," A smirked creeped up on him, "We drank until we shit our shorts," He held up his hand, hearing a scoff from the brunette, "Not literally."
Regina chuckled, looking down at the bottle that was gifted to her.
"Now, let's talk October." The man cleared his throat, straightening out his gold tie that went beautifully with his black suit, "We'll need to make more than 200,000."
"I'm aware of that." Confirmed the brunette, her brows creasing, "Is that lack of confidence I hear in your voice?"
Robert stood from behind his desk, facing out into the city of Boston from his office window before staring back at the brunette. "I have complete confidence in you, Regina. But, there is some tough competition. You yourself trained everyone in this office, I hear Zelena has her eye on you, she is looking on giving you a hell of a competition with recruits this upcoming month."
Regina chuckled, picking off an imaginary lint off of her skirt, "She's had it in for me for years. No surprise there. I have Locksley on my team and with him, we're guaranteed to get new recruits for this entire month."
"It's going to be a busy month." Gold's head tilted, "Think you can handle it?"
Regina didn't take but a minute to answer, "Without a doubt."
Gold smirked proudly, knowing that no matter what type of curve ball he threw her way, she was always there to catch it for him.
"Arms, make your last embrace! And lips, you are the doors of breath. Seal with a righteous kiss and deal I have made with death forever."
Emma walked around the isles of desks in her classroom at Fenway High School, opened book in hand, sitting right on her desk. Her green eyes glancing towards her students for the day, "Anyone who did their reading assignments, care to tell me what Romeo's last lines are before taking the poison?"
"Come, bitter poison, come, unsavory guide." A female student quoted aloud, bringing a smile to the blonde substitute teacher's face.
"That's exactly right." Her eyes moved to another female student, who raised her hand. "Yes?"
"Were people really that romantic then?"
Emma placed her book aside, careful enough not to knock over the picture that sat upon it, just behind her, "Well, what do you think? Would you consider William Shakespeare a romantic?" She asked.
"Not really." The teenager chuckled, her fingers dancing her pen around, twirling it.
"Why not?" Emma's head tilted.
The girl scoffed, her eyes looking around, catching a glimpse of her classmates prying eyes on her, "Well, he wrote many love stories, for sure but… there's always tragedy at the end. That's not much of a romantic, if a couple can't stay together." The cap on her pen snapped shut.
"True, but what his stories also portray are the sacrifices one makes as a couple. And what mistakes can make you do," She motioned towards the book on her desk, "Take Romeo and Juliet for example, they loved each other so passionately-"
"Don't you mean stupidly?" A male student asked, getting chuckles from everyone in the classroom, including Emma. "I mean, she took poison to be with him, when she should have just checked his pulse first. She literally made him commit suicide." He shrugged, "Why don't we just read Nicholas Sparks while we're at it?"
Everyone laughed, while Emma shook her head, another chuckle escaping the back of her throat, "Alright, alright. However it may be, that's what a good story is known for, to create conflicts, and different views on the subject. While 99% of you think that Romeo and Juliet did it all for love, Mr. Jones here thinks they did it out of stupidity."
Laughter filled the classroom once again just as the bell rang, indicating everyone to get up off their seats, gather their books and bags and head on home for the day.
"For those of you who didn't read, be sure to do so this weekend, a quiz will be given on this book!" Shouted Emma, gathering up her book and family picture, placing it inside her own bag. Her head turning towards a soft knock just outside her door.
"Heading home?" Mary Margaret, a fellow teacher asked her, welcoming herself inside the classroom.
"Not just yet," Emma smiled, "I still have to pick up my kids from school and daycare."
The pixie haired brunette took Emma's family picture, observing it, drinking in all the smiles of her picture-perfect family on a picnic outing at the park. She handed it back rather quickly, "You're so lucky. They are very beautiful kids." She sighed, "No matter how much David and I try, we just can't seem to ever have any luck."
"Don't give up. I mean if for any reason you can't ever conceive, you could always do what Regina and I did- adopt." Said Emma, bringing a smile to the teacher's face.
"Have you ever considered coming back full time? I miss our chats, you always know how to lift my spirits." Asked Mary Margaret.
Emma drew in a sharp breath, letting it out in one big sigh, "I would love nothing more, but with Regina's job right now keeping her so busy, I… someone has to be home to be with our kids."
"Well, if you ever do wish to come back full time, let me know." Mary Margaret smiled, waving her off as she made her way out of the classroom. "Have a good weekend, Emma."
"You too." The blonde smiled a rather sad smile, her mind swimming back to that day at the park, enjoying a perfect picnic with her family. Her eyes drinking in the brunette's smile.
It pained her to say the least. Because they were far from a perfect family. Well, no one was, but once upon a time ago, Regina wasn't afraid to be romantic, and she could always be romantic with her. Nowadays, either they were too exhausted or too caught up in their own worlds to even notice each other anymore. She honestly couldn't even remember the last time they said an 'I love you,' to each other. Of course it didn't mean Emma didn't love her wife, because she did. Regina was everything to her. But like any woman, she missed having to say it and hear it.
"Yes, I understand. Yes, of course, I understand that, but-" Regina paused, her lip twitching in anger and a hell of a migraine coming on after her most desperate client was being rejected once again. "Alright. Thank you for your time."
Regina squeezed on a stress ball, the shape of an apple for the fifth hundredth time today. Her free hand rubbing at her temple as she hung up the phone, her chest puffing up with an intake of breath that was heard right across the office in a sigh. Her tired, brown eyes glanced up, feeling the presence of someone standing before her.
"Boston Hall turned you down again, Mills?" Asked Mal, a blonde woman, as elegant as Regina herself, and with a stare that could kill millions.
"It's only a matter of time." The brunette assured her, glaring her way. She pulled on the drawer of her desk, a rattling of pills being heard as the brunette popped the cap off the aspirin bottle, taking two into her mouth and swallowing them down with an almost empty can of red bull that sat by the phone on her desk.
"Tsk, tsk," Mal tisked, her eyes drinking in the brunette's stressed out state, as it usually was by the end of the day, "Word outside this office says Booth is growing impatient."
Regina sighed, throwing a glare at the woman sitting before her, "Yeah, well good things take time."
The blonde shook her head, "Poor Regina. Always so stressed. Tell me, getting a little personal here," She cleared her throat, her legs crossing one over the other, "When is the last time you've had an orgasm?"
A brow lifted up the same time a pen was heard being dropped on the desk, "I'm sorry, what?"
"My dear, Regina," Mal chuckled, "Has it been that long that you've completely forgotten what an orgasm is?"
Regina glanced down at the woman's perfect smirk. It was sad to admit, but she had forgotten. Not what a great orgasm felt like, but what it was like to actually make love to her wife. Out of a blink of an eye their kids grew and their lives just got so busy, she realized that her and Emma hadn't really made time for an occasional love making session. Really, it had become a tag game between them, whenever she was in the mood, Emma was either too tired or in the lack of to not want to have sex. And exactly when she was the one who was too tired, that's when her wife wanted to try for it.
It had all become bad timing.
Her eyes looked up to the woman sitting before her, a quick smile tugging at her lips, remaining completely silent on the subject.
"Well," Mal sighed, feeling let down by the brunette once again- because it was no secret she had a thing for Regina, even if she was wearing that wedding band on her finger- it wasn't her first failed attempt to want to bed her. "I'm heading home for the day." She stood to her feet, "You should head on home as well, your wife must be expecting you by this hour for dinner, shouldn't she?"
"Hm?" She looked up with creased brows, having blocked her voice out from being focused on the computer screen before her. Her eyes looked over to the clock on the wall, just ahead of her. 5:46p.m. "Shit." She mumbled under her breath, papers before her shuffling, being stuffed into her briefcase as quickly as possible.
Mal watched the mess of a woman Regina Mills had become as she gathered herself up, along with the coat on her chair. Her eyes taking in the quick glance at her legs and ass, focusing on her already frustrated features that were written all over her face as she walked past her. "See you tomorrow, Regina." She voiced, going ignored by the brunette, causing a smirk to appear on her lips.
The wheels to the brunette's black Mercedes screeched as she came to a stop, right into her driveway. The lights to their home were lit, including the kitchen's, which there was a good view from in front of the house. Only a single tree was planted in the middle of the lawn, while the rest of it was a field of green grass, followed by a row of different colored flowers and roses.
She remained seated in her car for a short minute, taking in the sight of Emma, Henry and five year old Hope, all three engaged in a conversation she had missed being a part of, over their family dinner.
Regina released a sigh, her head leaning back against the leather seat of her car, eyes closing on her for a short moment. She would surely hear this from Emma later on in the bedroom, she just knew it. Have it as it may, she decided to face the music and not be another minute late. Exiting her car, she walked her way in between it and her wife's yellow bug that was parked right on the other side of the driveway. Her heels clicking against the pavement, all the way up to her front door, until the jingling sound of her keys rattled, followed by the click of her lock and creaking of a now opened door.
They had a beautiful home together. Two story house, windows on every end, with big rooms for each of their two kids and a master bedroom for them. The outside of it, made out entirely of a white brick, with a wooden door with an oval glass window right in the middle. White wooden window frames and shutters. Inside, the stairs were made of the same material of dark brown floorboards for each of the stairs. Same for the floorboards on the entrance of the house, following into the hallway. A white carpet over taking the living room, which was painted completely white, big shelves making a part of the giant tv stand. Glass, wooden doors straight ahead that overlooked into their backyard. No pool, but they did have a garden, which Regina used to tend to but now was tended to by Emma. A single big tree grown out in the back, which held a tree house for Henry. Hope was not yet allowed inside. Further to the right, was the entrance to the kitchen.
As it was always her daily habit, before entering the rest of the home, Regina removed her jacket off from her body, hanging it over the coat rack that was placed by the door. Her keys clunked inside a glass bowl that was stationed on top of a wooden table, just to her left. Individual family pictures placed around it that just by glancing at them every time she came in through the door, brought a tiny smile to her face.
The brunette's heels clicked along the hallway, muffling against the carpeted living room, but continuing on her way into the kitchen, where her family happily ate dinner. She released a sigh, placing her briefcase up on one of the bar stools, "I'm late, I know." She beat her wife's glare, being given to her anyway.
"Hi, mommy!" Five year old, blonde, pigtail Hope quickly left the dinner table, running up to her mother's legs, hugging her tightly around the waist in greeting.
That action from her daughter always brought a smile to the brunette's lips. A smile she always caught Emma looking right into.
Regina's arms didn't waste time in wrapping around the girl's form, the rest of her body bending down so her lips could place a kiss on the top of her head. "My goodness, who is this beautiful little person?" She grunted, lifting her daughter off of the ground, the scent of her shampoo hitting her nostrils once she placed another kiss to the girl's temple. A chuckle released from within her, taking in her daughter's messy corners of her lips, coating in tomato sauce.
She missed her so much, she didn't mind if some of that sauce got on her white, clean shirt.
"I'm not a person, mommy!" The little girl's brows furrowed, very much like her mother Emma's.
Regina gasped playfully, "You're not?" She reached for a napkin on the table, wiping away the corners and cheeks of her daughter's tomato sauce covered little face, "You must be right, because a person would not be this messy, would she?"
"I'm a princess!" Said Hope.
Emma walked from within in the kitchen, having stood up to serve the brunette a plate of spaghetti. She rushed over to their daughter, carrying her out of her brunette's mother's arms, "Come on, your highness, let's get you cleaned up. You still need to finish your dinner." Emma groaned as she placed her on the floor, "At least you didn't get your pajamas dirty this time."
The brunette leaned in, placing a kiss to her son's cheek, wiping away the smear of her red lipstick from his skin.
"Mom, can I have some more bread, please?" Henry asked Emma..
Regina looked over at her son, "Henry, you really should lay off the bread."
"I want more bread!" Hope beamed.
"No, you've had enough," Emma told Hope, glaring up at her wife, who walked past her to get to the fridge, pouring herself a glass of red wine for the night. "How was your day?" She asked Regina.
The brunette sighed, leaning up against one of the kitchen counters, "Busy as sh- hell." She quickly corrected her vocabulary, given that Hope was in the room.
Emma chuckled, "That's not at all better."
Regina took a sip of her wine, savoring the alcohol for a minute before swallowing it completely, "I helped out another recruit today. My last one of September."
Emma's eyes followed her wife, who made her way to join them at the table, a smile tugging at her lips, "That's great news!" Her smile growing more, especially at the sight of her own wife's smile, "So, now for October can you take some time off? You Henry and I were talking and we were thinking that maybe a trip to New York would be fun. Especially for Hope. And, I could teach more too."
The brunette's brows furrowed, "Hold on a second, Emma."
"What?" The blonde asked, her face already falling with disappointment.
Regina chuckled, while Henry's eyes moved back and forth from both his mother's in silence, "We can't just pack up and leave for New York. Not yet."
Henry's face fell, his fork clanking loudly against his plate as it dropped from his hand, "But, mom… you said we would."
"Henry…" Regina sighed.
"You did promise, Regina-" Said Emma.
Regina glared her way, "And I am keeping that promise. All I said was 'not yet.' I didn't say we weren't going at all."
"You specifically said we would go at the end of this month." Stated Emma.
Once again, the brunette sighed, "Do you really want to do this in front of them?" She asked, her eyes looking at her two kids, who remained quiet, "Listen, we are going, okay? Mom just closed this big deal at work today and my boss is so happy that he wants me to help more people get jobs during October, but I have an idea." She smiled at her kids, "What would you say to spending Christmas in New York this year?"
While both siblings shared an excited glance with one another, Emma ate the rest of her dinner quietly.
Regina sat at the edge of the bed, rubbing lotion over her legs and arms, her eyes closed as she took in her wife's angry tone fill out the room.
"Christmas in New York, Gina? Are you insane? Do you know how much that will cost us for a round trip?" She asked, sitting up at the other end of the bed, already in a pair of pajama pants and tank top.
Regina quickie looked over her shoulder, her brows furrowed, "What are you so worried about? It's not like we can't afford it."
Emma scoffed, "It's not about not being able to afford it, Gina. It's about pushing back on your promise."
"Which will happen in December." She sighed, caressing her wife's forearm as Emma simply sighed, "Emma. I'm sorry. But, please try to understand me a little bit, I've been going through a lot at work, it's getting very competitive around this time of year and I can't just ask for days off now." She paused, "People are without jobs and the more people I get hired, the more money comes in for us."
She glared, "That's what this is about, isn't it? The money."
Regina groaned, rolling her eyes a little, "No, no, this is about giving you, our kids- my family the very best I can possibly give. After this is over, I promise you I will constantly be up Gold's ass, demanding a week's paid vacation. And we can go anywhere- anywhere you choose."
Emma could never stay mad at her wife for too long. That and she didn't like the idea of them going to bed angry. No matter how bad their fights would get at times, she would always try to wipe the sleigh clean before bed.
At the first sign of a smile tugging at the blonde's lips, Regina took it as a good sign to make her move. Her arms wrapping around her wife's form, their bodies colliding into the sheets of the bed. One of her favorite feelings in the whole world, along with feeling their kid's bodies press up against theirs in a tight hug, was feeling Emma's wrapped up in her arms.
Sure, things might be rocky between them sometimes, given the circumstances at her work right now, but forgiving and forgetting each night when she settled into bed, in her silk pajamas, with her wife holding her, she had the moment of peace she struggled for during her entire day.
As for Emma, she loved nothing more than to feel her wife's embrace. It was a feeling that brushed away all her doubts of still being loved by her.
Their lips collided against one another in a quick kiss goodnight.
"I'm sorry for being late for dinner." Regina murmured, brushing back a strand of blonde hair.
Emma chuckled, her thumb caressing the scar above her wife's lip, "You're lucky I like you."
Regina's brow raised, "That's it? You just like me?" Her grin grew as she heard Emma release a laugh. Her laughter still being her most favorite sound in the world.
"Stop!" Emma laughed, feeling her wife's fingers tickle at her ribs, her body squirming underneath her, "Stop, don't do that!"
"Shhh!" Regina chuckled, covering her mouth to muffle her laughter, "You're going to wake up the kids." She whispered, removing her hand from the blonde's mouth.
"Well, then don't tickle me." She whispered back, her green eyes locking into brown ones, which even in the dim lighting of their bedroom, looked absolutely stunning. Just like the first time she laid eyes on them.
The next thing the brunette felt were Emma's hands pull her down by her pajamas, their lips pressing against one another in a few peppered kisses that soon turned passionate. Her arms finding their way around the woman's form rather quickly.
It was a night of many, where they would make up and shower each other with kisses all through the night. But, nothing more beyond that.