A/N: I couldn't sleep so I decided to write. I fear I may be spoiling you all with such frequent updates. ;) Also, the reviews and follows are very much appreciated. I wasn't expecting such a good response; It makes my muse happy.

The jersey was a little bit big on him and Henry tugged uncomfortably at the shoulders as he stood in front of the bathroom mirror, taking in the big white number eleven on his chest and the messy hair that wouldn't quite lay flat no matter how he combed it. He wasn't the shortest boy on his team but he was definitely on the smaller side, still waiting for that pre teen growth spurt that seemed to have hit up everyone but him.

"You can do this." He told his reflection, trying on a smile. "Emma's going to be there."

Just the thought of her filled him with warmth. He could be brave and strong, just like her. If she was there with him, he could do anything.

"Henry! Come on, we're going to be late!"

"Comeing!"

He bent to give the laces of his sneakers one last firm tug before thundering down the stairs, shoulders set with determination.

He was going to do fine at the game and his plan was going to work. It had to.

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Emma was standing at the foot of the bleachers as they weaved their way through crowds of families into the gym and he saw Regina immediately tense beside him, expression falling from almost content to murderous glare. Her usual swagger, though muted by her jeans and a casual blouse and flats, turned to an almost predatory stalk and Henry briefly feared his plan might unravel before it had even begun.

When she stopped, just on the line of being too deep in Emma's person space to be decent, he carefully stepped in between them, turning himself into a buffer.

Henry felt his mother's arm settle around his shoulder and stiffened. Then, he surprised them both by allowing it, though he couldn't quite bring himself to relax into her embrace. He hoped the gesture, so rare these days, would make her more amicable. After all, this first step forward hinged on getting her to not be a jerk tonight. Somehow he had to break open her shell. Emma could never love Mayor Mills, the hardass. She might, however, fall for Regina the mother, the kisser of cuts and bruises, the woman who liked to tell bedtime stories and Sunday morning snuggles. He hadn't seen that woman in a long time but if any of her was still in there somewhere, if any of it was genuine and not an Evil Queen's farce, he had to dig deep and exhume her.

"Miss Swan. What are you doing here?"

Emma shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans, a posture Henry recognized as defensive even after knowing her for such a short stretch of time. "Henry asked me to come."

'I thought it was just going to be me.' remained unspoken but was evident in the brief, green eyed glare she shot his way.

Henry gave a subtle, apologetic shrug and tilted his head back to look up at his mother. Storm clouds brewed in her dark eyes as she warred with her need to snark and belittle and ultimately send the other woman packing and her want to maintain this fledgling connection being offered up by her son. Henry reached up to grasp the hand on his shoulder, giving it the most fleeting of squeezes.

"Very well." She dropped a brief kiss to the top of his head and withdrew. "Good luck, Henry."

Emma watched the Mayor ascend the bleachers before turning on Henry, hands on her hips in a gesture that was more surprised than angry. "You lied to me."

Henry flashed her his most endearing smile, scuffing the toe of one of his sneakers against the smooth gym floor. "Not really. I never actually said she wasn't coming."

Her mouth hung open for a moment before she recovered, shaking her head. "Great. Has anybody ever told you you're too smart for your own good?" She reached out to ruffle his hair and he had the good grace to look contrite.

"I'm sorry. I just really wanted to share this with you. With both of you."

Green eyes softened and he knew now was the time to hit her, just when she was feeling a little bit guilty and a little bit warm fuzzy from his admission of wanting her here, ensconced in every aspect of his life. "Would you sit with her?" He lowered his voice, conspiratorially, "You know, so she doesn't do anything... embarrassing?"

Regina wouldn't, Henry knew. She would sit, surrounded by a personal bubble of space so impressive one might think she had an invisible shield, stoic and regal as always. She wouldn't interact with the other parents, wouldn't clap or cheer or holler or any of the upteen other mildly annoying habits parents indulged in when watching their child at a sporting event. The only way to know she was even paying attention at all would be in her rapt, unwavering gaze.

But Emma didn't know that. He could see by the set lines of her face, an expression somewhere between determination and 'I'd rather be getting teeth pulled' that she didn't like it but was going to do as he asked. It was hard to hide his relief and growing feeling of victory. He let himself think, just for a moment, that this thing might actually work.

"Yeah. Okay, kid." She raised a hand to point at him sharply, mockingly stern. "You owe me one."

"Deal."

"Better hurry up. Your coach is giving us the death glare."

Henry glanced over to see coach Frederick waving him over, already surrounded by the rest of the team. He flashed Emma one last winning smile before jogging over to join them.

When Emma reached the top of the bleachers where Regina had situated herself, surprisingly alone given the massive throng of people, the Mayor immediately scowled, mouth opening no doubt to tell her to buzz off, in less polite terms. Emma held up a hand to stall her, silently willing the woman to shut up for once and just listen.

"Look, I don't like it either but the kid obviously wants us here. Both of us. To support him. Whatever you may think of me, this is important to him. So can we just be civil for the next hour-" She hoped it wouldn't be longer than that anyway, she'd never actually been to a basketball game before, "and let him have his moment?"

Regina's ire didn't lift but she inclined her head in stiff necked concession. "A truce then, for now. But if you were planning to sit with me, think again."

Emma plopped down on the bench beside her, leaning back to stretch out her arms on the seat behind them. "It's all full up everywhere else anyway. Lucky you're scary enough to leave us some room."

Regina folded her arms across her chest, poised even when pouting, and leaned as far away as could possibly be done without toppling over. She didn't leave, however, and Emma waved cheerfully down at Henry, who'd turned to look up at them.

'See, kid? See the things I do for you?'

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Throughout the course of the game Henry stole furtive glances at his mothers (An expression he had decided to try out in his head, just to see how it felt. It was strange to contemplate the possibility of a dual parental unit), relieved to see that they were coexisting peacefully. Even conversing at intervals, though briefly. It was more than he had dared hope for, so early into it.

In the end, his team emerged victorious, though it wasn't so much due to his personal contribution. Basketball was clearly not a sport he was destined to (There was too much Emma in him, fast but prone to bouts of clumsiness), but it had been fun, perhaps for the first time ever since he had started playing.

They were both waiting for him when he burst from the locker room after the coach's pep talk. His grin stretched from ear to ear, sweaty and tired but happy. He was pleased enough to try and press his luck just a little bit further.

"Can we go for ice cream mom?"

He didn't directly ask if Emma could come along but he reached out to take her hand, making it implied.

Regina eyed the two of them, grinning at each other in such a similar impish way that it was almost endearing, with distaste. "If Miss Swan is agreeable then... I don't see why not."

He swept her into a hug that took her off guard, and she carefully placed her hands on the backs of his shoulders, smiling in spite of herself.

The expression was the purest, most open thing Emma had ever seen cross the Mayor's face and she couldn't help but wonder just how long it had been since the boy had voluntarily hugged her.

Then Henry grabbed them both by the hand, one on either side, to drag them out of the school and she realized she had somehow just been pulled into spending more time in the volatile woman's presence.

Crap.