Chapter Two
"Here you are Henry, Regina are you sure I can't get you anything?" Ruby chimed, placing Henry's famous cinnamon and whipped cream beverage in front of him before turning to the Mayor.
"Not for me, thank you Ruby, I actually have..plans for breakfast" Regina lowered her voice so Henry would be less likely to hear.
"Okay Madame Mayor, enjoy your day!" Ruby winked before turning back to grace another customer with enthusiasm that was way too much for anyone to possess at this time of the morning.
Ruby had known about Regina and Emma since the start, working at Granny's was a great place to over hear and observe everyone and their private lives.
The two women knew that Ruby knew for a while before they told her and revelled in the satisfaction of her face turning as red as various strands of her hair as she realised that for days before, the two had enjoyed describing the intricate details of what they were going to do to each other that night, knowing full well that one, the red clad waitress was listening and two, they wouldn't actually get to do those things because of their promise to each other.
They made her swear not to tell anyone until they were ready. Especially not Henry, they weren't sure how he would take it and decided to wait until he was older before they told him.
"Can you tell Emma that I'll be staying with you tonight to finish my project for school?" Henry put down his hot chocolate and smiled at his Mom innocently.
"I..um- well yeah I will" The brunette shifted in her seat and fiddled with her napkin awkwardly "if I see her that is"
"I know you will..oh bus is here, gotta go to school Mom, love you!"
Henry picked up his bag, wiped whipped cream off his nose and jumped up to the door.
"Love you.." Regina called after him, trailing off. "That little-"
"He's a very observant young boy that one" Ruby appeared with her tray at her side, causing the Mayor to jump a little.
"What? I have great hearing." She smiled and walked off.
Regina rose to her feet and straightened out her skirt.
Breakfast with the Charmings wasn't exactly at the top of her bucket list and after she spent years of her life back in the enchanted forest trying to kill them, she assumed that it probably wasn't in their top 10 either.
Emma had announced that she wanted to tell her parents that she was dating the ex Evil Queen, over a meal. Regina had chosen breakfast because there was no way she was going to waste the whole day worrying about her inevitable death, when she could just be murdered by Mr and Mrs 'not-as-charming-as-their-name-suggests' earlier in the day to spare the stress.
Now Regina was crawling her way along the path of redemption, she figured that maybe she would have more luck convincing the pair that she did have good intentions and she really did care for their daughter.
Leaving money for the Henry's breakfast, she inhaled - This is it, once we start telling people there is no going back. Emma Swan is my girlfriend. Emma Swan is my girlfriend. My girlfriend. Those words sounded so good inside her head, she could only dream of the pleasure it would bring her to finally say them out loud. - When she let go of the breath, it hitched as it left her.
During the short walk from Granny's to the Charming's loft, Regina felt her heart rate double with each step. As she climbed the stairs to the door, she was actually beginning to worry that it was going to leap right out of her chest and present itself for crushing at the hands of her girlfriends parents.
The brunette took a deep breath and held it as she knocked on the door.
"Hi" she breathed as the door opened to reveal Emma standing there in her beautifully tight tank top and black sweatpants.
"Hi" came a similar hitched-breath-heart-in-mouth reply. "You look..wonderful" The blonde eyed Regina's white blouse tucked into a short black pencil skirt and knee length boots. She stepped forward and put her hands on Regina's waist.
"Miss Swan.." Regina shifted to peer around the apartment, checking for signs of lurking Charming. "What are you-"
"Cut the crap Regina, they've gone out. No one is here" Emma pulled her body closer to the brunettes.
"Well, that's okay then Miss Swan, please feel free to resume your exploration of my waistline"
Emma placed a quick kiss on her cheek and held onto Regina's hands. "As much as I would love to let my hands free roam, my parents could be back any moment"
"Ah yes, where are my two favourite people?" Regina asked, allowing Emma to lead her into the apartment.
"Oh I don't know, David got a call, then they said they had something they had to take care of, so naturally I just nodded along and prayed that you would come earlier so we could have more time alone. Tea?"
"Coffee, thank you." Emma smiled and pulled two mugs out of the cupboard. "You should really think about putting a tracking device on those two, and set a curfew, who knows what trouble you let them get into by allowing them to go out alone again" She rolled her eyes and sat on the couch, beginning to unzip her leather boots.
"I think I will be the one having the curfew after we have told them..about us. Damn machine just. Work!" The coffee machine was not allowing the coffee sachet into the slot, prompting Emma to bash at it repeatedly with the palm of her hand.
Regina rolled her eyes again and waved her hand. The sachet slid itself snugly inside the machine and the cup began to fill up. "You aren't a child, they cannot simply force you to come home at 8pm for cookies, chocolate milk and a bedtime story"
"Oh for the love of God don't put that idea in their heads" Emma's eyes widened causing Regina to imagine what childlike activities the two had already subjected her to.
"I'm not even going to ask" She held up her hands and walked around the island to collect her coffee. "Thanks" Emma nodded. "What are we having for breakfast?"
A smirk crept across the blondes face "well..I'm glad you asked" She waved her hand over the kitchen table and Regina's jaw relocated itself to the floor.
"You've been practicing, you little..the coffee machine.."
"Yeah, well I wanted you to have a go before I did my bit" she poked her tongue out.
"Emma really, how did you-" She stared at the plates of pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, sausages and croissants, all neatly laid out on the table. Even the napkins were folded obnoxiously perfect at each place setting.
"Remember when you told me about Rumple teaching you magic and how it came from emotion? Well after I started having serious feelings for you, my magic was getting easier and easier to control. So I used that to my advantage, did some practicing and tah dah!" She waved her hand again and a chair un-tucked itself from the table.
"Wow Emma, you sneaky bitch." She winked, setting herself down in the chair and pushing herself in.
Emma smirked and proceeded to fill another coffee cup. The sound of footsteps on the stairs caused both women to look up and lock eyes for a moment. "This is it" Regina breathed fixing her hair in the reflection of a teaspoon.
"Regina they are my parents, they have seen you as the Evil Queen I don't think they-" She broke off as the door opened and a slightly damp Mary Margret and David trudged in through it looking slightly traumatized.
"Hey Emma" Mary Margret's face lit up at the sight of her daughter, "Regina" she nodded to the brunette who greeted her with a cheery "Good Morning"
David let go of his embrace of Emma and turned to the Mayor, "Who are you?you didn't make a threat or a sarcastic comment, are you feeling okay? Where's Regina"
"Charming" Regina mumbled with an eyebrow raise.
"There she is" David pulled off his boots and shrugged off his coat.
Emma noticed the building tension and decided she could wait no longer before telling her parents of her and Regina's relationship.
"Mom, Dad. Regina and I made you breakfast, why don't we all sit down and eat it together?" She suggested, motioning toward the table currently drowning in all kinds of breakfast edibles.
"You two did this?" Mary Margret asked quizzically.
"Yes well it was mostly Emma but-" Regina started but shook herself and focused on the task at hand "That's not important, anyway, we both have something we need to tell you and you need to listen because-"
"Speaking of news" David interrupted.
"Every time" Regina mumbled, holding her head in her hands.
David paid no attention to Regina and continued "We were called by Grumpy and the other dwarves to the well, the one which Gold used to bring magic to Storybrooke right after the curse broke, right?"
"Spit it out Charming" Regina spoke through her hands, clearly bored already, the weight of hers and Emma's secret on her shoulders, her body screaming at her to get rid of it.
"Well.." David hesitated "we don't know how to tell you this but-"
Regina couldn't hold it in anymore.
"We think Cora is back"
"I'm dating your daughter"
"What?!" Emma yelled, her elbow that's she was leaning on slipping off"the counter. "What?!" Regina stood up sending her chair tumbling to the floor.
"WHAT?!" Mary Margret and David shouted simultaneously.
"You first..?" Regina scratched her head awkwardly. Emma crossed the room to lie full length on the couch and covered her face with her hands.
"I don't think so, your mother can wait. Hell, she can destroy half the town and I would still rather hear what you have to say right now."
Regina tried to make desperate eye contact to Emma across the room.
No going back now.