Chapter notes:

I don't own anything from OUAT.

Chapter 4:

The impossible mission

Emma had just finished her second helping. She really wanted to take another one but didn't want to seem 'barbaric' in front of Regina, so she just put her fork down and eyed the leftovers.

"Take... if you must." Regina said after she saw how the blonde drooled at the dish.

"You sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. It's just going to go to waste if you don't eat it." Emma immediately dished herself her third portion and perhaps even a little extra.

"You don't want any?" The blond questioned Regina that had been sitting with an empty plate.

She just took a sip of her cider and delicately folded the napkin on her lap. "I'd like to be able to still fit into my clothes, thank you."

"Or you could just forget about clothes." Emma regretted saying it as soon as she did. Regina gawked at her in surprise but then her shocked expression turned into a smile. "I...I..." was all that Emma could say as Regina started to slightly blush.

"I think I'm going to start washing up." Regina got up and started taking the dishes to the kitchen. Emma wanted to help but she was still stunned in embarrassment, so she just sat there with a half full plate and waited until the brunette had left. A sigh escaped her and she fell her head into her hands. 'why did I say that?'

"Henry wrote you a letter." Emma said as she snuck her empty plate into the sink. "I don't know if I should give it to you now or if I should rather let him give it to you."

"I think Henry wouldn't be too happy if you gave it to me."

"Right." She sighed, still feeling very awkward.

"Would you like some cider Miss Swan?" Regina asked as she finished packing away the last of the dishes.

"Sure." Was all Emma could say. She went red when she suddenly remembered the first time the two of them met. She remembered how Regina wouldn't even let her finish her drink before throwing her out of the house. She also remembered how stunning the Mayor looked when she stood outside, bathed in moonlight...'no no no stop it' The blonde thought.

A moment had passed when Emma finally snapped out of her thoughts and realized she was standing in an empty kitchen. Regina had walked to the study and had left her alone in her daze. She rushed to the study but just stood in the doorway not knowing what to say.

"I would prefer it if you could get back your concentration Miss Swan. I don't want you messing up tonight." Regina said when she realized the blonde had been lingering in the doorway.

"I'm sorry. Must have been the lasagna."

Regina got a playful grin. She found it extremely complimenting to see the blonde act in this manner. Emma had taken her regular seat in the study and just sipped at the cider the Mayor had given her. Regina did the same and both sat there in silence as they watched the minutes tick by.

Midnight.

They were sure that the diner was closed and that the last of the patrons should have left. Regina had excused herself to change and left Emma pacing up and down in the foyer. When the Mayor finally made her appearance, Emma was the one who started giggling.

There stood the mayor, dressed in a black turtle neck, black slacks and probably the only pair of shoes she owned that didn't go well with anything. Emma found the whole attire very amusing.

"We're not robbing a bank you know." the blonde finally let out. Regina, still standing at the top of the staircase, just put her hands on her hips and did her signature eye roll.

"I don't want us to get caught."

"And dressing like a secret agent is supposed to stop that from happening?" Emma giggled.

"Well I'd rather be safe than sorry." Regina said as she folded her arms.

"You seem to forget that I am the sheriff."

"So is your father."

"Right." Regina was right. The last thing she needed was David showing up and finding her literally with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Shall we go Miss Swan?" Regina grabbed Emma's arm in a not so delicate manner and they both disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

They re-appeared inside the diner. It was empty and dark. Not a sign of any life other than the hum of the fridges. Emma gave a disappointed sigh when she noted that they were in the front of the diner.

"You do realize that they are probably keeping it in the back right?" Emma whispered to a very stressed out brunette.

"I don't know what it looks like back there. Would you have preferred I teleport you into a set of carving knives?" Regina said as she fixed the collar of the turtle neck she was wearing.

"Are you telling me that you designed this town and the one place you don't know, is the place you eat?"

"Can we just get on with it?" Regina whispered and motioned towards the back.

They had tried to open the door to the kitchen but it was locked.

"Now what?" Regina asked. She was clearly getting very agitated and Emma knew she would have to watch what she said or the queen might actually teleport a set of carving knives into her. She decided that the best way to go would be to not say anything. Instead she just got out her lock picking kit and got on her knees in front of the key hole.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked but Emma didn't say anything. She concentrated on the sounds and feel of the tiny mechanism that stood between her and a wedding cake. But she couldn't get it to open.

"Some thief you are." Regina stated and Emma was the one who did an eye roll even the mayor could be proud of. Emma knew there was one other way into the kitchen and that was through the order window. The shutters were closed but Emma knew that this lock would be an easy one so she got right to work. When she felt the lock open she gently pushed open the shutter to make as little noise as possible. She easily jumped through the window and motioned for Regina to join her.

"What?" Was all a surprised Regina could say when she realized that Emma wanted her to climb through.

"Oh come on Regina. The cake isn't going to fit through this so you have to come back here."

Regina protested at first. She thought she wasn't going to be a circus animal and jump through hoops for the blonde. But when Emma just continued to stand there with an outstretched hand, she relented. She grabbed unto the hand and climbed as gracefully as a queen ever could through the window.

They both took a quick peek around but couldn't find the cake.

"Where is it?" Emma said as she closed another fridge.

"Are you sure it's here?" A frustrated mayor asked.

"Yes." Emma whispered as loud as she could.

But then there were footsteps. They heard it get closer and without thought Emma grabbed Regina and pulled them both into one of the storage closets.

They both stood in silence as Emma peered through the key hole. It wasn't long until the light went on and a half asleep Ruby made her appearance.

"It's Ruby." Emma whispered.

"Oh great we woke up the guard dog."

Ruby didn't notice them at all. She went to one of the fridges and pulled out a jug, then proceeded to pour it into a giant glass.

"I think she's just getting a beer." Emma said but didn't get an answer.

Regina, who had got frustrated, decided to browse the contents of the closet they were in. She spotted something under all the Tupperware and had continued to try and remove it. It was only when Emma got up that she saw that Regina was trying to remove the dish that once held her lasagna a few nights before.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked as the mayor gently lifted off the plastic containers.

"Getting back my property." Regina whispered. "Don't worry."

"Don't worry?" Emma rolled her eyes and peeked again to see if Ruby had left, but she hadn't. Instead she was clearly in the process of making herself a midnight snack. She had laid out all the ingredients and had started buttering her sandwich. "She's still here. She's going to hear us." Emma pleaded to the mayor, who was dead set on getting back what rightfully belonged to her.

But Regina didn't pay her any mind, and she successfully pulled out the bowl without causing any sound. Emma sighed in relief.

"See I told you..." Regina said, not in a whisper. Emma covered her mouth before she could finish her sentence and then quickly took another peek through the key hole. Ruby heard them. Damnit. The waitress had armed herself with a frying pan and was slowly walking towards the closet.

Emma grabbed hold of Regina. "Get us out of here." She commanded in a whisper.

It was only a few seconds before they were back in the mansion. Neither of them said anything as Emma just stomped off to the study. Regina followed her and watched as Emma cradled the small wooden boy.

"I'm sorry." Regina said still clinging to her reclaimed bowl.

"You're sorry?" Emma wasn't impressed with Regina and every muscle in her face showed it.

"We'll wait a few minutes and go back."

"Fine." was all Emma said before she left the room heading towards the main hall. The last sound that Regina heard was the bathroom door slamming.

Regina stayed in the study for a few minutes longer. The house felt empty even though she knew Emma was still there. It reminded her of when Henry had found the book. How he barely spoke to her. How he ignored her even if she was trying her best. How he chose Emma over her.

She was about to go and tell Emma that they needed to leave when she spotted the giant bag in the foyer. Emma had told her about the letter and in that moment all she wanted to do was read it. She unzipped the bag and started to look for it.

After digging for a while she managed to find it. It was sealed in an envelope and it was addressed to her. Only it said 'to my other mother'. Regina gave a sad smile at the thought that Henry still considered her to be his mother. She went back to the study and gave the wooden boy a look before sitting down and opening the envelope.

To my other mother.

Yes you are my other mother, but still my mother. I have forgiven you for everything as I now understand better. I was mad at you because you treated me like I was crazy but I now know that you were afraid. You were afraid that you were going to loose everything that you worked for. I just wanted everyone to have their families back and I hope you understand that Emma is also my family. I am sorry if I made you feel like you lost me because I chose to stay with Emma. But please understand that I am still getting to know her and she has a lot to make up for. I am sorry for destroying your happy ending. I hope that some day you will find it again and that this time it will be real.

Love

Your son Henry

Regina gave out a smile but couldn't stop the tears from forming. She was about to put the letter back in the envelope when she saw a photo still in it. She smiled when she saw the photo. It was of Henry and Emma sitting in the diner. They were sharing a milkshake and they were all smiles. Regina realized in that moment that it is as much her fault that Emma had to give up Henry as it is Emma's fault that she now had to eat breakfast alone.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she understood that it was still her fault that they didn't get the cake. She messed up, again.

Emma had finished brooding in the bathroom and came to talk to Regina. She found the mayor in the study, still staring at the picture Henry's letter had given her. Emma felt her heart sink when she saw the tears in Regina's eyes. Something didn't sit well with her whenever she saw the mayor cry. She gently took a seat next to Regina and waited for some remark. But it never came.

"You know...I took him out for milkshakes that day because I thought that you would never let him have it." Emma said as she stared off into the distance. Regina gave her a disdainful look but the blonde didn't see it and she just continued with her story.

"I thought that the woman that made him run from home probably forbid him from trying anything that had sugar in it." Regina didn't say anything. She just watched as the blonde lowered her head. "But I was wrong. He already had a favorite flavor. He couldn't stop talking about how you would make it for him yourself if they ran out of stock. Recently he has been talking more about you. Telling me stories of how he wanted to be the mayor of a town one day, just like you."

Regina couldn't hold back the tears any more. "I'm sorry." was all she could say.

Emma hated seeing her like this and wrapped her arms around the sobbing brunette. She remembered that it was the second time that day this had happened. "We'll fix it." she comforted the mayor.

Once Regina had regained her composure and had fixed her makeup they were ready to go back. This time Regina gently took Emma's hand and teleported them into the back of the diner. The lights were still on and for some reason Emma didn't like it. She cautiously checked around every counter for something but there were no one.

"Maybe the guard dog thought she might come back for another beer." A confused brunette said. Emma knew that this wasn't the case and when she saw the cake sitting there in the open she knew something was up.

"This is very suspicious." Emma commented and Regina had to admit that it was. They waited a few more seconds and when nothing happened Emma decided to take her chance. But just as she was about to lift the cake, the door swung open to Ruby and a crossbow wielding Granny.

"We knew you were up to something." Ruby said. "When Snow told me what happened earlier, I knew it was you Regina."

"Me? What about Emma? She's also here you know." The queen said with her hands on her hips.

'We'll thanks for covering for me.' Emma thought.

"I don't care about Emma. You clearly have her under some kind of spell and I promise you, you won't get away with it." Ruby mimicked Regina and put her hands on her hips.

"I'm not under any spell. Just listen..." The blond started but before she could finish, Regina grabbed her arm and the two of them disappeared. Without the cake.