AN: We don't own the show or the characters... we just enjoy playing with them from time to time.
Enjoy!

A month or so had passed and Regina was very fond of the tattoo. It was quality work and meant a lot to her. She was staring down at it, running her fingers over the monogram when Henry walked into her study. She looked over at him with a smile. "So, how about you help me pick out that next tattoo."

Henry grinned. He had had a rough day at school but this made it seem like all of it washed away. "Really?! Cool I was thinking about it and I drew a few designs up." Pulling them out of his pocket, the boy put the paper down on the desk. "I tried to think of girly tattoos..."

Regina brought the piece of paper closer and looked it over. "These are all wonderful, Henry. You certainly have a talent. Your artwork has improved over the years." She smiled and pointed to a crown he'd drawn. "So what's the story behind this one?"

Henry smiled. "Well I thought since your the mayor of Storybrooke... you're kinda like a queen of her own kingdom. You make the rules and people listen to you. I thought the crown fit you most of all."

Regina smiled, though she feared he might've drawn the crown because she was the Evil Queen of his storybook. Still, she liked his reasoning. It seemed genuine. "Well thank you. I like it. A lot. I think it'll be my next one. Would you like to go tomorrow since you don't have any school?"

Henry nodded excitedly. "Yeah! How far away is it? Do you think she'll let me watch how she does it?"

"I think she will. And it's only about an hour or so away." Regina smiled.

"Cool." He smiled and sat down on the edge of her desk. "I think its really cool you like tattoos."

"I'm surprised I do, actually. The tattoo artist was telling me that many get addicted to them. I guess it's true in a way. Though I don't think I'll be getting any sleeves or anything like that." Regina smiled at her son.

"Nah, Sleeves are kinda weird. I think someone like you is okay with a few nice ones."

0.o

That next day, Emma was in her office when Billy came in and grinned. "Hey, hot stuff. Someone's in the lobby for you."
With a furrowed brow, Em got up. "I'm not expecting anyone for the next two hours." Walking out and to the lobby her face brightened up. "Well hey, beautiful. I didn't think I would get to see you again."

Regina smiled. "I wasn't so sure I'd come back myself. But you did excellent work. And Henry helped me decide on my next tattoo." She tilted her head to the side and the little boy stepped out from behind her with a smile. "Hi."

"Hey, kid." She grinned. "So you getting one too?" She joked and fist bumped him, to help get the boy used to her. "Alright, Ms. Mills, what shall it be today?" Emma asked. Her eyes then fell on Henry as his own eyes trailed up her left arm, following the falling light blue feather tattoos on her arm starting from the back of her bicep and to her wrist. Since she had a tank on, you could see they were leading to something on her back but he couldn't see.

Regina explained that she wanted a crown tattooed between her shoulders and gave Emma the drawing Henry had done. The little boy observed for a moment before finally asking Emma the question he'd been wanting to. "Where does your tattoo go?"

Emma smiled. "It goes to a set of wings on my back." She motioned with her finger for both to follow her. "Let me concoct a stencil then I'm going to get you, gorgeous, to lay down on my bed-uh table."

Regina gave Emma an amused look and would've commented if her son hadn't been in the room. Instead, she just nodded and pulled off her jacket to expose a sleeveless black top underneath, planning ahead to give Emma better access. She took a seat to wait and smiled at Henry. "So what do you think of the artwork in the shop so far?"

Henry smiled. "Everything is cool." He looked up at Emma's board. "You do all those up there?" When he got the nod as she continued to concentrate on the crown, he looked back up and tilted his head. "Mom, those sketches look like you."

Emma froze.

She had been sketching in between customers, lately. She mostly sketched Regina's eyes and lips on one sheet of paper, making it into a collage of sorts then put it up on her board by the desk.

Regina turned her head in the direction of the sketches and then focused her eyes on the tattoo artist. "They do. Scar and all."

Emma smiled and looked at the drawings. "Im kinda embarrassed now, but yes those your features." Emma turned and looked at Regina. "I found your eyes and lips, scar and all, to be inspiring so after you left... I sketched. Hope you don't mind."

"I..." Regina hadn't had a true admirer of any sort in years. Not since she'd become known as the Evil Queen. Sidney didn't count. And she certainly didn't inspire anyone. So... it was nice. "I don't mind." She finally finished with a soft smile.

"Good and I swear I'm not a creeper. I just find womens' features and bodies a work of art." Emma smiled then finished up. "I am assuming you want this crown in color." After the nod the artist finished it up and showed the mother and son. "What do you think?"

Regina definitely enjoyed the piece of art that was a woman from time to time. She and Henry both moved closer to get a good look at the sketch. "I like it. Just as well done as the first." Regina replied as she looked up at the blonde.

Emma smiled brightly. "Awesome. Now if you don't mind, climb aboard." She patted the table and ran her hand over Regina's back, once she had, and circled a place between her shoulder blades. "About right here?"

Regina nodded. "Yes. Right in there." She turned her head so she could look at Henry, the two exchanging a smile. A part of her couldn't believe she was doing this AND had brought him along. Another part of her was glad they were spending time together and he was happy.

Emma smiled and looked at the kid. "You may want to hold your mom's hand because this spot will hurt some."

Henry nodded. "Okay. Can I watch how you do it?"

She nodded. "Of course."

Regina winced a bit but didn't complain any. Henry seemed to be having a lot of fun observing and asking Emma questions, intersparsingly asking how his mom was doing. When Emma was finished, Regina walked over to the mirror to get a look. "Wow. You do exceptional work, Ms. Swan."

"Thank you. This tat seems to fit you very well." She rubbed some of the cream on the art and smiled. "So, I was about to head to lunch. Would you two like to join me?"

"I don't know. What do you think, Henry?" She asked her son as she glanced down at him.

He smiled and nodded. "Sure. Sounds fun."

Regina turned to Emma then. "Lunch it is then."

After telling Jason she was headed out for lunch, the three walked a block away and into a large chain deli. "This place has the best subs."

"I'll take your word for it." Regina replied, looking over the menu, glad Emma picked a place with healthy options.

"I want a chicken Parmesan." Henry said, Regina glancing down at him and smiling.

"Alright. Go ahead and order it."

After ordering from Sadie, Emma smiled up at her with a wink. "Thanks sweetie." Turning her attention back to Regina she smiled. "So, you think we can maybe see each other again without having a tattoo being the main reason?"

Henry raised his brows and looked up at Regina, nodding.

Regina caught Henry's look and then turned her attention to Emma. "I think there's a very good chance of that, yes." She said with a small smile.

"Yeah?" Em asked with a smirk, silently thanking the kid. "Maybe I can take you out to dinner one night. Do you live around here?"

"Dinner would work. But we live about an hour away so one of us would have to make the trip. And I have come here twice for your tattoos..." Regina started with the hint of a smirk.

Emma smirked. "I'll definitely make the trip then. I do appreciate you coming to my shop even if it is an hour outta your way."

"Well, you do excellent work so I didn't see the need to go anywhere else. That and you were one of the closest tattoo shops to me." Regina smirked. "But I reviewed each shop in the area carefully and you were the highest rated."

"Nice to know I have high ratings." Emma smiled.

Henry looked at the blonde. "How did you know you wanted to ink people?"

"Well I was always good at drawing and kids started asking me to draw on them with sharpie. Since then, I knew what I wanted to do with my life."

"So you were inspired at a young age. How long have you actually been tattooing? And did you start with your own shop or did that come later?" Regina asked as they got their food and then took a seat at a nearby table.

"Yeah, about middle school." She smiled. "Professionally I've been tatting for seven years now. Started out in Mr. Shorty's parlor and after four and a half years I graduated into starting my own shop up. Which is what you see here." She smiled. "I'm one of the few in this world that is actually living their dream and I love it."

Regina smiled. "That's true. There aren't many who get to follow their dreams all the way through. And it's extremely difficult to start up a business and keep it going let alone be very successful with it. That's admirable."

Emma smiled. "Thank you. So kid, what do you wanna be when you grow up?"

"Hmm..." Henry thought for a moment. "I think I wanna be a pirate." He replied with a smile. He was thinking of the fairytale world, believing all the Storybrooke residents would go back there one day.

"A pirate?" Emma raised with a brow. "Well I haven't heard that one before. What inspired you to want to be a pirate?"

Even Regina was intrigued about his answer.

"Well, pirates live as they please. They don't have to follow rules and they're not snooty like some royals. But I'd be a good pirate. Kinda like Robin Hood with a ship."

"Ah as long as you're one of the good guys I don't see a problem with being a pirate." Emma smirked and took a bite of her sub. "What about you, beautiful? What did you always want to be?"

Regina looked up at the blonde and as soon as she'd finished chewing, she answered. "I wanted to travel with my horse and perform in shows. I had him trained very well. We were like one."

"Wow. So you ride?" Emma smiled brightly. "That's awesome. I grew up with a pony. So what stopped you from going to the shows?"

"My mother did. She had different ambitions for me than I had for myself." Regina replied with a hint of sadness, quickly changing the subject so her son didn't notice. "So dinner. The next one. When should we have it?"

Emma felt the need to bring the topic back up at a later date. "Hm how about Saturday night?" She asked. "My treat and where ever you want to go."

"I could stay with Graham." Henry said.

Regina thought for a moment then nodded. "Okay. Saturday night it is. As long as Graham is okay with it." She added. "I could call you to confirm."

"Yeah, that would be great. Let me know tomorrow." Emma smiled. "What time do the two of you have to get back into town?"

"Just as long as we make it back in time for Henry's bedtime."

"Ugh. I hate going to bed early." The boy whined with an eye roll.

"You wouldn't perform as well in school if you didn't."

Listen to your mom on that one. I stayed up to midnight and later as a kid and I didn't even graduate high school. Made bad grades every year since middle school."

"Really?" Henry and Regina both asked at the same time, even tilting their heads slightly in the same direction.

"Yeah. I regret not doing better but I didn't have anyone to push me to become more. Instead of being a tattoo artist I could have become a multimillionaire." She shrugged. "But I'll never know, because I never gave my all in school. So when your mom pushes you to be better... listen, because she's only doing it because she loves you."

Henry nodded and then looked up at his mom and gave her a small, but sweet smile.

Regina returned it. "She's right. I do it just because I love you and want the best for you." She then turned her attention back to Emma. "But owning your own tattoo shop isn't a bad way to end up."

"No, its not. I was one of the lucky ones. I... my friend, Vernon wasn't so lucky. He dropped out in his sophomore year and joined a gang. Two years later, he was shot and killed. Life can be a hell of a ride."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Regina said kindly, genuinely.
"I'm not ever gonna get involved in that, though." Henry said. "So don't worry, Mom."

Regina looked down at her son and ruffled his hair. "Good."

Emma chuckled. "Yeah, he's just going to be a good guy pirate." She smiled. "You'll have to take me on your ship some day, Capt'n."

Henry smiled widely. "That I will. You too, Mom."

"How thoughtful of you, Henry." Regina chuckled. "Thank you."

Emma grinned. Looking between the two as she ate, she thought of Henry being very lucky. She didn't know who Regina really was but it seemed that she was a good mother and that's what mattered.

When they had finished lunch, the three walked back to the shop and Regina had Henry go on to the car. "So, we should probably exchange numbers so I can call you about that dinner on Saturday."

"You have my number, but I would love to have yours." Emma smiled and pulled out her cell so Regina could program it in.

Regina did just that and then handed it back. "Well, hopefully, I'll see you on Saturday. I'll give you a call tomorrow afternoon."

"Sounds good." Emma smiled. "Can't wait." Stepping forward, Emma kissed her cheek and pulled back with a light smile. "Have a safe trip back."

"Thanks. We will." Regina smiled. "Talk to you tomorrow." And with that, the mayor made her way back to the car and got in, giving Henry a warm smile before starting the car up. "Did you have fun?"

"I did but I think you had more fun. She likes you." He chuckled and waved to Emma as she waved goodbye to them.

"My day is always better when you're having fun." Regina smiled, waving to Emma quickly, too. "And she appears to, doesn't she? I suppose that's why she asked me to dinner."

Henry laughed. "I think you like her too. I haven't see you smile that much in a long time."

"Who says I wasn't smiling because I got to spend the day with my son?" Regina asked. "You haven't been exactly thrilled to spend time with me lately."

"Well you haven't really been trying..." He said quietly. "Usually you don't get me. But today and last night you did and it was nice. I like this side of you. Can you keep her around?"

"I'm sorry, Henry, if you feel like I don't get you or that I don't love you because I do. Very much. I'm going to try harder to be the mom you deserve. But yes, I think I can keep Miss Swan around. At least for awhile."

Henry nodded and kissed Regina's cheek. "I love you too ya know?" He smiled softly. "Where are you going on Saturday?"

Regina smiled. "I know. And I'm not sure where we're going to go yet."

Billy grinned when Emma walked in.

"Oh geeze. I can't wait to hear what you have to say." She laughed.

"That went exceptionally well. She likes you, and so does her kid. That's a good combination. Don't screw it up, Em. That woman is fine." Billy grinned.

Emma laughed. "I didn't expect to ever see her again, actually. But I do have her digits and we could possibly have a dinner date on Saturday."

"Awesome. I do hope you plan to get that hottie in bed. I mean, it's obvious you've been thinking about her lips." He said as he pointed to the sketches of Regina's lips and eyes.

Emma chuckled. "She has the most perfect eyes and lips I've ever seen on a person. Regina is just.. absolutely perfect."

Woot! Chapter 2 is done ;)

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