So this is actually one of my favorite chapters. It's just kind of cute and a little bit of fluff and a lot of happiness! Which we are going to need to hang on to for later chapters... (no spoilers!) Hope you guys like it, and I'll get the next chapter up asap. Just as a forewarning the next few chapters are going to cover a large time span. This and the next two are all Christmas break but then I'm going to skip some time and then start back up. Not like years or anything, but like this one is a couple months later from the previous chapter. That kind of thing. Just so nobody is confused! The Chapter titles will give you the hints.
PS: Next chapter will have a bit of smut so if you've been waiting for that then it's almost here!
Enjoy!
Christmas Break
"You have everything?" Emma grunted as she pushed herself through the threshold of Regina's front door and dropped two suitcases on the front porch. They landed with a heavy thud causing Regina to give Emma a stern look.
"Be careful! That has delicate things in it." Regina hollered from inside. Emma rolled her eyes and stepped back inside picking up another bag Regina had just placed in front of the door, signaling it was ready to be put into the car.
"We are only going to be gone for a few weeks. How much stuff do you need?" Emma sighed before having to take her fourth trip from the house to the car. She hoped all of this was going to fit in her little yellow bug, and she was sure Henry was going to suffocate in the backseat before they even made it to their destination.
"Mom, can we leave yet?" Henry shouted from out of the back seat window. He had been patiently waiting while he played his Gameboy, but this was taking much longer than Emma had suspected and she knew he was probably growing impatient.
"Regina, come on. We needed to leave an hour ago." Emma picked up the last bag at the door and headed for the car. She opened the trunk and shoved them in as best she could. She awkwardly shut the door hoping she wasn't smashing anything important.
Regina finally came out, shutting her front door behind her and locked it. She slipped a spare key under one of the flower pots sitting on her porch and then hopped over to the bug.
"Okay, I think I got everything. You guys ready?" Regina fumbled through her purse as she spoke. When she looked up she saw Emma leaning against the car with her hands folded over her chest and Henry giving her a funny face. "What?" She smiled awkwardly. "Aren't we on a schedule. You two are just standing around and we are already late." She hurried around the car. Emma looked down at Henry and they both just shook their heads coming to the same conclusion.
Emma plopped down in the driver's seat and started the car. Regina was busy checking her make-up and hair in the mirror, obviously flustered at their lack of time management. She still needed to call Ms. Bell to make sure she would take care of the house while they were gone.
Emma stared at her for a moment. They had made it to Christmas break, and almost every day since the morning in Graham's office, Emma wondered how she got so lucky. Now, watching Regina primp herself in her mirror made Emma uncontrollably happy. One, because it was just cute, and two, because she knew that no matter how much Regina thought she had to look perfect all the time, Emma thought she looked perfect all the time anyway.
"What?" Regina looked over at the blonde when she realized they hadn't pulled out of the driveway. "Did I forget something?" She quickly grabbed for her purse, checking it for the hundredth time to make sure she got what she needed.
"No, no, I'm sorry. We have everything, don't worry." Emma grabbed Regina's hand and pulled it up to her lips. Regina let out a relaxing smile allowing Emma to hold her hand.
"Oh my gosh, can we go? You guys are making me sick." Henry complained from the back seat.
"Hey, if you are not careful I'll make sure we accidentally leave you in Tallahassee." Emma eyed him sternly through her rear view mirror. Henry rolled his eyes and immediately went back to playing his game.
They pulled out of the driveway and headed out of town. She promised Henry she would take him on vacation, and she was keeping her promise. Little did she know, they would have good company along with them.
"I figure if you want to drive until we get to Philadelphia, we can stop there and we can switch so you can rest." Regina eyed the map spread out across the front dash trying to figure out a good plan for stops and bathroom breaks.
"That's fine with me." Emma took a sip of her coffee.
"You know they have GPS's on your phone now. You can just plug in where you're going and it will tell you how to get there." Henry chimed in from the back, seeing Regina's obvious struggle with the map in her lap.
"A GP what?" Emma winked at Regina, playing dumb.
"A GPS mom. It's like a map on your phone." Henry sat up so his head was between the two women. "Let me see your phone." He reached for Emma's phone, which she quickly snatched away from him.
"Sit back, put your seat belt on. I know what a GPS is." She laughed. Henry huffed back in his seat. Regina tried to hide her smile but she couldn't. Regina was very happy that she was allowed to come on this vacation. Not only did she need it, but she wanted to spend time with Emma and Henry. She had to make up for everything she had missed since she was gone.
The drive was tiringly long, and Emma regretted scarfing down her coffee within the first hour. She tasted a sip of Regina's tea as the woman dozed off, but quickly decided that was most certainly not what she needed. How that woman made it through the day on tea was beyond her.
Philadelphia came and went, and before Emma knew it she had been driving for almost eight hours. Regina and Henry both were asleep when they got to Philadelphia, and Emma hated to wake them up, so she just kept going. They looked so peaceful. The sun was setting on Regina's side of the car and the orange glow lit up Regina's features. If Emma didn't have to keep her eyes on the road, she could stare at the brunette till her eyes fell out. Every curve was perfectly designed, her lips slightly parted open and her eyes closed to the awful things of the world. She looked so peaceful and relaxed, and it made Emma's heart flutter at the sight.
A stray piece of bang had fallen in Regina's face just barely touching her top lip. Emma smiled and reached over, gently tucking it behind her ear. The brunette opened her eyes at the sensation and sat up tiredly, blinking the last of the sun rays from her sleepy eyes.
"Did we make it to Philadelphia yet?" She asked through a long yawn.
"Yeah, about three hours ago." Emma chuckled a little.
"What? Why didn't you wake me up? You must be exhausted." She sent a worried look at Emma.
The blonde shrugged and shook her head. "I'm fine really. I could go for another hour or so." She admitted.
"Well don't push yourself too much. We have a long way to go and you know how much I worry." Regina pulled down her mirror and checked to make sure her makeup wasn't smeared under her eyes or she didn't have any slobber stains on her mouth.
"Yes, ma'am." Emma teased her.
"Is Henry out too?" Regina turned to see the boy stretched out across the backseat, his Gameboy sitting on his stomach and his legs propped up on the bags that had overgrown in the back.
"Oh yeah. He clonked out pretty soon after you did." Emma turned to check on him.
"He'll be happy when we get there. I guess I could look up some fun stuff to do while I'm awake. Did you have anywhere specific you wanted to go?" Regina asked pulling up her purse from under her feet and digging out her phone.
"Not really. I never got the chance to really sit down and plan anything out over the summer." Emma said turning up the air after she saw Regina shiver a little.
"Well, we'll be decently close to the beach. I'm sure Henry would love that. It looks like there are all kinds of parks and museums to go to. Here it looks like you can go paddling down some of the rivers. And we can always go shopping." Regina smiled. "I guess we can just play everything by ear if you want."
"All of that sounds good to me. As long as we can keep him entertained for the next couple weeks I'll be happy." Emma motioned to the now snoring boy in the backseat. Regina laughed at her, then quickly covered her mouth so as not to wake up Henry.
"It's been a long time since I've taken a trip out of Storybrooke for something other than business." Regina looked out the window at the trees lining the highway and sighed. "It's so beautiful out here."
"Hey." Emma caught Regina's attention back to her. She offered her hand and Regina gladly took it. They laced their fingers together, and Emma held on tight. "I'm really glad you came with us." She saw the brunette blush a little and smile.
"I'm really glad I came too." Regina looked up at Emma. When the blonde turned back to watch the road, they kept their hands together and Regina's stare lingered. She really didn't think she could be any happier right now. She felt like she was exactly where she wanted to be. She wanted to spend every waking moment with Emma and nobody was going to convince her otherwise.
It wasn't until they reached Fredericksburg that Emma let go of Regina's hand, and by that time the sun had set and Emma was about at the end of her rope for driving. They pulled off the highway and stopped to stretch their legs and Henry was about to burst because he had to pee so bad. Emma decided getting another coffee wasn't such a bad idea, and Regina got a few snacks for them to share.
When they got back to the car, Regina and Emma had switched sides so the blonde could get some rest. Coffee or no coffee, Emma was going to pass out. Once they got back on the highway, within thirty minutes, both the blonde and her son were out for the count. Regina felt pretty good after her short naps in the passenger seat. Her neck felt weird though, probably from the awkward position she had slept, but other than that she was ready to go.
Pretty soon they were just about the only cars on the road. The inside of the car was as dark as the outside and Regina only knew her passengers were alive by the obnoxious snoring coming from both of them. Like mother like son she supposed. It wasn't all bad though. She was just happy to be there with both of them.
She was also glad to be done with that last semester of school too. She was counting down the days till Christmas break along with all of the other teachers. Her tutoring project for Mr. Gold turned out pretty well, and hopefully would keep the man off her back for at least the rest of the school year. She had finalized all the paperwork between her and Daniel, and he moved out shortly after their initial confrontation at the Sheriff's station. The last time she had gotten any news of him, he was making himself busy at the base. He was apparently staying with a friend of his somewhere in town, but if he was around any, he made sure to steer clear of her because she never saw him.
"Mom?" Henry's voice from the backseat interrupted her thougts.
"She is asleep, dear. What do you need?" Regina answered.
"I gotta pee again." Henry sat up, his head poking out from the backseat. His eyes were hazy with sleep and he yawned real big before wiping some slobber from his cheek.
"Can you hold on just a little bit, I think we are just a few minutes from the next town." She looked ahead hoping to see a sign for the next town because she really wasn't sure how far they were from the next city and she could use a bathroom break too.
He spoke as he yawned again. "Yeah I think so." He propped his elbows up on the center console and then rested his head on his hands. "How far are we from Florida?"
"I'm not quite sure. I haven't looked at the map to see. Probably still have a ways to go though." She admitted. She wanted to get there too. The sooner they got there, the more time they could spend together.
"Regina?" He turned his head toward her.
"Yes, dear?" She kept her eyes on the road lit up ahead of her.
"Are you going to come live with us when we get back?"
The question threw her completely off guard. She hadn't really thought about that, and it was strange that he was even bringing it up.
"Well, I have a house of my own. I haven't really thought about moving." She admitted without saying no. She really didn't know. If anything she figured they could come live with her, since her house was much too big for just herself, and it would be ridiculous for her to sell her house and live with them in an apartment.
"Can we move in with you then?" He asked plainly, not realizing the seriousness of his questions.
"Um… well we haven't really talked about it. Your mom and I. I guess if you two really want to I wouldn't have a problem with it. But we would have to see what your mother says before we decide anything." She was confused on how they even got on this conversation, and was suddenly glad that Emma was asleep so this wasn't one of those awkward moments. She would never say no to the idea of them moving in, but she had no idea how Emma felt about the subject and working it out right now was not really something she wanted to do.
Henry yawned again. "Okay. I would like that." He sat back and laid down in his seat still very much exhausted.
"I would too, dear." She admitted.
Little did Regina know, Emma was awake, and she heard what she said. The blonde smiled through the darkness at what she had just heard. Moving in with Regina? This was getting serious, and she didn't care. She liked serious. She liked knowing that every day she would be able to see Regina at work, and at home. Some people may find that an overload, but not Emma. The more time she spent around the beautiful brunette, the happier she was. And she was sure Regina felt the same way, or else she wouldn't have said what she did.
Regina found a rest stop just off the highway with bathrooms and a couple vending machines. Henry nearly fell out of the car trying to hop over the bags to get to the bathroom. Emma had woken up as they pulled in and stepped out of the car to stretch and walked over to the driver's side where Regina had gotten out to stretch as well.
"How are you doing?" Emma asked mid yawn.
"Doing fine. How about you?" Regina asked. Emma stepped up closer to Regina and grabbed ahold of her hips, pulling her into her waist. Regina wrapped her arms around the blondes neck and smiled.
"Better now." Emma answered, feeling the brunettes warmth close to hers. Regina smiled and her eyes fluttered down to Emma's lips. The two women were apparently thinking the same thing.
Their lips met quickly before Emma moved down to Regina's chin and even further to her exposed neck.
"Emma! Not here. What if Henry comes back?" Regina protested, but did not pull away. Her back felt the cold metal of the yellow beetle behind her, and she moaned at the soft lips tracing her jaw.
"He'll get over it." Emma spoke between kisses. Their lips found each other again and they lingered together. Emma pressed harder into Regina, nipping at her lips between kisses. Regina found herself getting heated and wasn't sure where this was headed. She felt her skin raise in little bumps as Emma's hands found the warm skin of her stomach. Emma traced her hips, and let her hands pull the brunette closer to her by the curve of her back. Emma had never wanted to kiss her so bad in her life. She pushed herself harder into Regina, allowing her tongue to explore her mouth.
"Emma." Regina let out a moan. "Save some for later." She smiled. Regina knew Emma had a hard time keeping her hands to herself, which was one thing she loved about her. But it would also get them in trouble if they weren't careful. As much as Emma couldn't control herself, Regina couldn't either. She had a hard time saying no to Emma Swan.
Emma pulled back from Regina. She placed her hands on either side of her on the car, trapping the brunette between her arms. Regina smiled as her fingers danced along the front beltline of Emma's jeans. Her fingers looped around her belt loops and pulled the blonde close to her. Emma smiled.
Emma planted one last long kiss on Regina, the two women fighting the urge to rip each other's clothes off.
"I can't wait to get you alone." She whispered in Regina's ear. Regina's stomach leaped into her throat, and she felt a deep rise of heat inside of her.
"Ms. Swan are you trying to get me into bed?" Regina whispered, allowing her lips to find Emma's again. There was never a 'one last kiss' between the two of them.
Emma smiled through the kiss. "That depends. Is it working?" Regina's lips were soft on hers and she didn't want to pull away.
"I guess you'll have to wait and find out." Regina gave her a devilish grin before ducking under one of Emma's arms and heading off to the restroom. The cold air rushed over Emma's body at the departure of her warmth. As the brunette rounded the corner into the women's restroom, Henry came sleepily out of the men's room. He stumbled over to the car and stood next to his mother.
"Feel better, kid?" Emma leaned back on the car and stuck her hand sin her pockets.
"That depends, are we nearly there?" Henry joked. Emma laughed and pulled him into a hug, replacing one warmth with another. She hugged him tightly and even though she didn't want too, she let go. He hardly even put up a fight as he struggled to hold his eyes open.
"Why don't you go back to sleep." She opened the door and let him crawl over the luggage. He stretched out across the seat and was out almost before she could get back to the passenger side. She was still pretty tired from driving before, and she figured Regina probably had another few hours left in her. She yawned and leaned her head on the window. She looked up at the sky and saw the stars burning bright above them. She always loved being away from the city because you could always see so many stars. The same stars she used to wish upon as a child, wishing for a better family, a better life, someone who actually loved her. Now, she had realized she had gotten almost everything she had wished for. She had a kid who she loved more than anyone, and Regina, who loved her for who she was, and not who she used to be.
She smiled and closed her eyes. "Tallahassee, here we come."