Another installment for you!
It was Winter Break. Fortunately Mary-Margaret was a teacher and for the eighth year in a row she had the pleasure of keeping Henry for Regina while she worked. This year, she also had the company of Roland. It was early in the morning when Robin had dropped the boys off. So early in the morning that they were still very sleepy boys. Mary-Margaret placed Roland in her bed next to a sleeping Neal and Henry slept on the sofa. David was getting dressed and she headed over to the kitchen area to make him some scrambled eggs and toast. She plated the food on two plates, one for her and one for David. She didn't always get to eat breakfast with him due to her school schedule. She sat down at the table and started eating. David would be out soon.
"Hey, breakfast with my lovely wife! To what do I owe this honor?" David asked as he leaned over for a bite of toast before sitting down.
"Well, I was just thinking how we don't always get to have breakfast together. I was up to receive the boys from Robin and thought, wouldn't it be nice to have breakfast with my husband? Especially since everyone else is asleep?"
"Mmm, I suppose you're right, we don't really get to do this too often. How did you manage to get everyone back asleep?"
"Magic. A sleeping curse that will hopefully last for a few more hours. I love kids but even I would like a break from them on my Winter Break," she chuckled lightly and took another bite of her eggs. The pair ate in silence until it was time for David to head. How he wished he could spend a day with just him and his wife. Mary-Margaret was going to watch the kids this week and Regina was going to keep them the next. Perhaps he could persuade Regina and Robin to keep Neal for them too and he and Mary-Margaret could have some much needed alone time.
"Hey Mare, do you think you could convince Regina to watch Neal for us one day next week? I'll check the schedule and see about getting a day off." Mary-Margaret looked up at David with a slight smile.
"Oh, I'm sure that could be arranged. She totally owes us for this week, doesn't she?" She walked over to David and gave him a proper kiss good-bye. He closed the door behind him and headed off to another day of patrolling empty streets in the sleepy little town in which the only scandalous thing that happens is someone thinking they can beat Regina in a pie-baking contest.
Mary-Margaret turned from the door and surveyed her sleeping brood. Other than watching movies all day she wasn't in the mood for vacation lesson plans. She hoped they would sleep for a little while longer before needing her attention because as wonderful as it was to share breakfast with her husband, it was still early in the morning and there was nothing more she wanted to do than to sleep. She approached the Queen-sized bed and looked at Neal and Roland. She wondered if she were stealthy enough to shift her sleeping son into his crib. Sometimes their co-sleeping arrangement often interfered with couple time. It was always a massive undertaking to put Neal to sleep in his own crib. A lot of their couple time was planned out; there was no romantic spontaneity about it most of the time. She really hoped Regina would be open to keeping Neal for a couple of days next week. She knew Regina was feeling a bit overwhelmed with adjusting to her new family and keeping her pregnancy a secret. Mary-Margaret certainly didn't want to add to her stress, especially given how freaked out her friend was about the possibility of losing the pregnancy like she did all those years ago. Mary-Margaret pushed back the hair of her still sleeping son and sighed. She picked him up and he unconsciously grasped her tightly as she carried him over to his crib and placed him down. He only stirred for a brief moment. She headed back over to her bed and climbed in next to Roland and slept.
She awoke with a start, feeling a bit dizzy and out of sorts. She rolled over to check the time on the clock on her nightstand. It read ten o'clock in the morning. She briefly shut her eyes again and checked to see if Roland was still sleeping soundly next to her. He wasn't. She quickly sat up and threw off the covers. She knew Neal would be cranky and hungry and couldn't believe she hadn't heard his cries. She padded over to his crib only to discover he wasn't there. She heard the low hum of the tv coming from the living area of her loft. All three boys were camped out in front of the tv watching Finding Nemo. That was Neal's favorite movie and she was a bit touched that Henry would allow the youngest one to watch his favorite movie. Then again, Roland didn't like Finding Nemo as much as Robin Hood so Henry probably still had a tolerance for it.
"Morning boys! How did you sleep?"
"Hey Mary-Margaret. Slept great! Hope you don't mind, but Neal woke up and you looked like my mom does when she's had a stressful day at work and comes home to take a nap. Thought you could use more sleep."
Mary-Margaret chuckled. Henry was quite the responsible older brother. He's had a lot practice and has grown quite responsible in the past year.
"Oh, now worries. Thank you for taking him. I don't always get the luxury of sleeping with a two-year old. Is he hungry? Are you guys hungry?"
"No, Henry got us cereals! Didn't you Henry?"
"Oh, you did? Thank you, Henry. Did Neal eat okay?"
"Yeah, he ate with us and then picked out Finding Nemo for us to watch. It's almost over though. What else can we do today?"
"Well, I was trying to think of what else we could do today and I'm afraid I'm fresh out of ideas. Maybe we can go to the park?"
"Can we see if Emma is up? I haven't seen her since Thanksgiving."
"Uh, yeah sure. I'll see if she wants to meet us at the park or maybe she can join us for lunch, at Granny's?" Granny's was a treat for the boys. It was greasy gross food and Regina strictly forbade the fare. It was Mary-Margaret's week to watch the boys and if Regina had anything to say against what she decided to feed them then next time Regina could feed them herself. She picked up Neal and changed him into clothes more appropriate for outside play. Henry and Roland picked up the toys they'd pulled out in order to keep Neal entertained and put on their coats. Mary-Margaret packed a few snacks and soon they were all headed for the park.
The sun was brightly shining, but it was still a bit chilly. Mary-Margaret took Neal over to the playground while Henry and Roland headed over to the swings. Neal was quite adventurous and managed to climb the steps over to the slide. It took Mary-Margaret some coaxing, but she was even able to get Neal to go down the slide all by himself. Once he landed at the bottom, he hopped up and clapped his hands, exclaiming 'YAY' before rounding back around for another go. After a few more slides, Mary-Margaret was confident that Neal would be okay on the slide by himself and she went to sit down at a nearby bench to wait for Emma. She watched carefully over her little boy and even managed a glance over in Henry and Roland's direction. The two older boys abandoned the swings and were now playing a game of tag. It was a wonderful morning. It was nice and relaxing and not terribly stressful. It was moments like this that made life bearable.
Mary-Margaret was skimming through a newspaper while keeping an eye on the boys by the time Emma plopped down next to her on the bench.
"Hey what's up? Having fun watching the munchkins?"
"Oh, hey! Yeah, they've been great! Haven't had to fuss and keep the peace. It's great when the kids get along with each other."
"Yeah, not like when you have twenty something kids to keep track of and you can't even coerce them to behave with a gun."
"Emma. Not. Funny."
"Wha? It's how I relate. I don't teach and I don't have any kids."
"Yeah, so how's it going with Killian? You've been spending so much time with him that Henry's a little starved for attention."
"It's…it's going great, I think. Henry's been starved for attention?"
"You didn't answer the question, yes, Henry begged me to see if you could hang out with us before going to the office. Poor kid has to share his mom with Robin and Roland and how do you think he's gonna feel when he learns he's going to have to share his mom with yet another person? His life has taken a big turn in the last year. You were his constant."
" I see, yeah, I mean – well. Hmmm."
"You're like his big sister. He talks to me about some stuff, David a little bit. But I see the way you two interact. He's himself when he's with you – you take the pressure off of him having to be a more mature person. Now answer the question."
"Oh, um yeah, I suppose I have been spending a lot of time with Killian. Regina hasn't scared him off. You haven't scared him off. I think he quite enjoyed himself at Thanksgiving. I want to enjoy this for as long as I can. You know me and my track record with guys." Mary-Margaret rolled her eyes for she certainly did know Emma's track record with guys. Emma was too afraid to let guys get close out of the simple fear they would eventually leave her. It was somewhat an abandonment issue from growing up in different foster homes. Mary-Margaret certainly sympathized with Emma and felt a little sad she couldn't be more helpful.
Emma stared off into the distance considering that fateful day when she met Henry – and Regina. It was a much warmer day at the park than their current day and Emma decided to explore her new town. She'd just moved there from New York. Henry was around seven years old, going on twenty-five. Emma chuckled at the thought. He was a mini-man, she even used to call him that. Emma was sitting down on the very same bench she and Mary – Margaret were currently occupying wondering if her move to this small never heard of town was the right one to make. Her life in New York was good, but she just wanted a change of pace. She wasn't exactly running away from her problems, per se, but her problems were definitely a major contributing factor in her move. Her contemplation was interrupted by a soccer ball whizzing by. It startled her a bit. Her gaze shifted to the young boy who came charging after the ball. Emma stood up from the bench and rushed to get the ball before it went into the small lake in front of her. She tapped the ball and turned towards the boy and started off with a slow dribble so he could catch her. A woman's voice called out.
"Henry! I told you to be careful and to not kick the ball towards the lake!" A brunette woman came charging up behind Henry just as he reached Emma.
"Hey kid, is this yours?" Henry looked up at Emma and grinned widely shaking his head. They danced around each other as Henry tried to steal the ball from Emma. No such luck. The brunette had finally caught up to the pair and offered a small smile with an apology.
"I am so sorry he bothered you. He's just started out with soccer and I brought him here so he could kick the ball around a bit," Regina turned to Henry, "now Henry please apologize to the nice woman for bothering her. I think you've had enough for today." Henry dropped his head a mumbled an apology. "I'm sorry, I don't think she heard you."
"I said, 'I'm sorry for bothering you.'"
"Oh, it's no bother, honest. I love playing soccer. Maybe I'll see ya around sometime and we can play?" Henry looked up at Emma and his mouth spread into a wide grin.
"Hmm, Henry, please go gather your things so we can go home," Henry bent down to pick up his ball and solemnly headed over to where they had set up a small picnic area and he began repacking the small basket with their food items while Regina lagged behind. "Hello, I am Regina Mills. That was my son, Henry. I don't believe I've seen you around town before." Regina folded her arms in front of her while she waited for the blonde woman to finish out the introduction.
"Oh, um, I am Emma, Emma Swan. I just moved here from New York."
"Oh, New York? Storybrooke is quite a change of pace for you then, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I suppose."
"And how are you finding things here?"
"Uh, well, I haven't been here that long. I guess they're okay."
"Hmmm, well Storybrooke is a bit quaint. We don't get many new people here. They don't stay very long. Thank you for saving my son's ball. Had it gone into the lake that would've been the end of his soccer career."
"You're welcome?"
"Indeed." And with that final exchange Regina walked off to ensure Henry had picked everything up from their picnic and they headed off down the road. Emma supposed they didn't live far. Nothing was exactly spread out that far in Storybrooke. Emma went back to her bench and considered the lukewarm welcome from the brunette and her son. Perhaps the New England atmosphere made everyone a bit sour no matter what part of New England you went. Perhaps she should have moved South.
She gazed out at the lake, soaking in the mild weather. It was a welcome peace; the silence. It was almost a little unnerving for her surroundings to be so quiet, much unlike the hustle and bustle of New York. That might take some getting used to, but she was up for the challenge. She was startled out of her reverie, again, but this time by a cute, adorable couple. It appeared they were out for an afternoon stroll. The woman appeared to be pregnant from Emma could tell as the woman leaned into the man. They were laughing lightly. They looked up and saw Emma. The woman's smile faded, just a little bit as they came to a stop. The woman leaned up to the man and whispered in his ear. He shook his head slightly and glanced back down at the woman. She turned her head towards him, looked back at Emma and let go of the man's hand as she started a walk towards Emma. Emma became a little worried and stood up at the woman's approach.
"Hi, I'm Mary – Margaret and this is my husband David. We're the Nolans. Are you new here in town?" Emma was a bit taken aback with how everyone appeared to know she was new in town.
"Well, um, yeah I am. Do I have a stamp on my forehead that says 'New in town'? Mary-Margaret and David both laughed. Perhaps humor was the way to go about greeting the people of this town. Given her encounter with Regina, it must be a pretty depressing little place.
"No, you just look a bit out of place. It's a small town, everyone tends to know mostly everyone and we can't say that you're a terribly familiar face."
"Yeah, I kinda get that feeling."
"Oh, you do, do you?"
"Yeah, I had a rather strained run in with a mom and her kid. I'm hoping she's not actually on the town's Welcome Party. You'd definitely get no one to stick around here."
"Awww, we're sorry to hear that. Who was it?"
"I think she said her name was Regina maybe? And I think she called the little boy Henry?" Mary – Margaret and David exchanged glances that Emma couldn't quite figure out what they might be thinking.
"Oh, well, Regina's, she's been through some tough times. She really is a sweetheart once you get to know her, and get around that tough exterior she likes to put on. She's all bark, no bite. But I think she likes getting to the new people first – helps her establish her alpha female persona," Mary – Margaret finished off with a smile.
"Alpha female persona? Does she run the town?"
"Between, us, yes. But the mayor of the town is Cora Mills – Regina's mother. Regina's a book editor at Mother Goose Publishing, but the fruit kinda doesn't fall far from the tree," David whispered conspiratorially followed by a light laugh and a smirk from his wife. Emma didn't quite know what to make of that.
"David! David's just teasing. Regina is a dear sweet friend, a lot nicer than her mother. She's tough, but she means well. She doesn't make friends easily, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone as trustworthy as she. We're gonna head over to Granny's for lunch. Wanna join us?"
Emma sat with her mouth open. "Uh, yeah. So, Cora Mills is Regina's mom? And she's worse than Regina?"
"Well, if you want to think of it that way, sure, why?"
"She does the hiring for the Sherriff's department, yeah?"
"She signs off on appointments. Were you here to apply for the open deputy position?"
"Yeah, it seemed like it be a nice change of pace from what I did in New York. And it seems I didn't make a great first impression with her daughter. And from what you're telling me the fruit didn't fall far from the tree." Emma's face soured. Mary – Margaret offered another a small smile.
"Don't worry about it. Come on, let's go to Granny's. Her food is certain to put a smile on your face." Emma cocked her head and stood up to follow the Nolans to Granny's. It wasn't a very long walk by the time they reached the quaint bed and breakfast. Judging by the number of clientele, Granny's was a very popular place. The trio managed to find a quiet booth in the back of the diner and settled themselves in while a scantily clad waitress came over to take their orders.
"What's good here?"
"Oh, um everything! I have yet to find a dish I haven't liked. I'm kinda in the mood for grilled cheese and tomato soup today. It warms the soul."
"Hmmm, well I have always like grilled cheese. It's kind of a comfort food. And hot chocolate."
"Alright, got your order Mary, new girl and David? What are you gonna have?"
"I think I will have a big and greasy, with cheese, all the way. And fries, all the way!" David shut his menu and passed it over to the waitress.
"Oh, one more thing," Emma called out to the waitress before she got too far away, "could you sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the hot cocoa?" The waitress shrugged her shoulders and headed off to place their orders. David and May – Margaret began telling Emma of all the wonderful things they loved about the small quaint little harbor town. The woods had nice walking, hiking and biking trails that boosted their tourism during the spring and summer months. The local library had a clock tower that Mary – Margaret and David would sometimes borrow for things other than reading books. \David blushed at Mary – Margaret's admission. Emma thought they were the cutest couple and decided that perhaps moving to this town was a good thing. They seemed to have found happiness, maybe should could as well. The waitress, whose name she came to find out was Ruby, brought their food and they quickly dug in and ate for a few silent minutes before the bell tinkered overhead. Emma looked up to see that same brunette and little boy walk into the diner. Emma slowed the chewing of her food. Mary – Margaret and David noticed Emma's actions and turned to see what caught her attention. Mary – Margaret dabbed her lips with a napkin, stuck out her hand and waved.
"Hey Regina! Henry!" Emma sunk into the booth. Mary – Margaret sure was friendly. Regina turned towards Mary – Margaret's voice and let out an exasperated sigh that made Emma think Regina might be just as unnerved with Mary – Margaret as she was. Henry's face lit up with a smile. He tossed a 'come on, mom' over his shoulder before jogging over to their table. He leaned into the booth to give Mary – Margaret a hug and scooted in to sit with her. Regina stood before the table.
"Oh, I see you've found our new arrival. Should have known. Mary – Margaret, Storybrooke's welcoming committee."
"Yeah, this is Emma. She says she's already had the pleasure of meeting you and Henry!"
"Yeah, she says she's here to apply for the new deputy position, whadya think?" David chimed in. Regina, for a moment, was taken aback. No one dared to apply for that position since Daniel's passing. It was a small town, so the only people who really knew about it were the townspeople. They felt so sorry for Regina that they didn't really feel right applying for it, so the position was never filled.
"Regina? David asked what you thought about that? Isn't it good that someone finally applied? We could use fresh face around here, don'tcha think?" Mary – Margaret was infuriatingly sweet. After Daniel's passing Regina adopted a closed off personality to protect herself from getting too close to people, but since Mary – Margaret was somewhat of a close friend before, she tolerated her. Regina considered Mary – Margaret's words for a moment. Deep in her heart Regina knew she was right, it was time to move on. Perhaps it was a sign that this Emma person was meant to have the job since she was the first person to ever apply in the five years it had been posted. Regina clenched her jaw tight before responding.
"I suppose you're right Mary – Margaret. We could use a fresh face around here. I'll even put in a good word with my mother. How does that sound? Now, come on Henry. We've stayed far longer than I wanted."
"Awww, mom! Can I stay with Mary – Margaret and David? They'll bring me home in a little while. Maybe David can take me back to the park and practice soccer with me?" Regina pursed her lips. She hated to let Henry out of her sight, but the Nolans were always very good with him, she supposed.
"Alright, you can stay with them, but I want him back at my house at 6 o'clock in the evening, no earlier, no later. Do you understand Mary – Margaret?" Mary – Margaret shrunk back into the booth. Emma got the feeling that Mary – Margaret had gotten that speech on more than one occasion. Henry let out a yippee and then excused himself to the restroom. "I do hope you enjoy your time here Miss Swan," Regina offered up the platitude and headed towards the take out counter to place her order. Emma leaned into Mary – Margaret.
"She's gonna talk to the mayor for me? Here I thought she was kind of a bitch." Mary – Margaret leaned back a little and her face seemed sad. "Oh, I'm sorry, is she a friend?"
"Well, yeah. Her husband died a few years ago. The position you're looking to fill was his. It's been posted ever since he died. She never really recovered from the loss. She kinda just shut people out. You just gotta give her a chance. She really is a great friend! And mother, she adores Henry so."
"Oh. Well, Henry seems pretty well adjusted."
"That he is. We made sure of that – kind of 'It takes a village to raise a child.' David was Daniel's partner. We were all really good friends. Regina doesn't take much time for herself, so she's a bit socially awkward."
"That's one way to say it." Henry popped back from the restroom and Regina headed back over to the table to tell him she'd ordered him a salad with chicken tenders and to consider that a treat. She also warned Mary – Margaret against buying her son ice cream as was her want whenever Henry was in her care. Mary – Margaret solemnly swore she wouldn't get Henry any ice cream while she offered a wink to Emma. Emma got the feeling she was suddenly made a conspirator to get Henry ice cream despite what Regina said. Emma really needed to stay on Regina's good side, if it existed so she could get the deputy position.
"Did you have a nice talk with my mom?" Henry asked as he dug into his salad.
"Uh, yeah sure."
"Great! You can join the mission!"
"Uh, what mission?" Mary – Margaret chuckled.
"That is a great idea Henry! It's called Operation Friendship 1."
"They're trying to get Regina more friends so Henry can have more fun in his life. If Regina's occupied with other friendships then she won't keep as close an eye on Henry. At least that's the theory they're going with. I hope it pans out for them," David offered. Emma's mouth made a silent 'oh' and looked down at the boy with the goofy grin on his face. Sure, Emma could play along with this mission. She was new in this town and she didn't really have friends in New York and she did decide a change of scenery is what she needed in life and supposed that new friends was definitely a part of that changing scenery.
"Alright then, Operation Friendship 1' is on. Now let's finish up this food and head back to the park."
Emma was startled out of her reverie by Henry and Roland running up to her and throwing their arms around her in a hug.
"Emma! You came!"
"Yeah, Emma came!"
"Of course kid! I wouldn't miss park time for anything!"
Hope you guys enjoyed it!