Ladies and gents, so sorry for the long wait, but I wanted to get this chapter right. Thanks for being patient with me. If there's anything you'd like to see happen in this story, shoot the idea my way in a pm and I'll check it out. YOU HAVE A VOICE! ;)
*Reminder: William Brewer= Sheriff of Nottingham*
Hope y'all like Snow and Regina friendship and Henry and Grace/Paige, because there's a lot of that in this chapter.
Also, I encourage you to put on Chopin's Op. 9, No. 2 in E-flat major while reading this chapter. It's nice.
Disclaimer: Not my characters. *sigh*
Henry must have been staring at Grace for quite a while when she finally caught his eye. "Hi," he said with a grin, hand propping up his chin. "Hi," she blushed from her desk cattycornered from his. The boy laughed and shook his head slightly, "I'm sorry I'm staring, but I can't stop." Grace placed her hair behind her ear and giggled. "Are you doing anything after school? Emma and Killian are taking Roland and me to see a movie. Would you want to come with us?" She straightened her posture and cheerfully replied, "Sure! I'll just have to tell my pa-"
"Get in your seats, children." She was abruptly cut off. "My name is Mr. Richard, and I will be your substitute teacher for the next couple of days while Mrs. Hall is out sick." Henry shrugged and turned back around to face the front of the classroom.
"Snow White!" Regina busted through the Charming's apartment, causing the younger brunette to slosh the water out of her glass. "Regina! You just scared the living daylights out of me," Snow exclaimed as she picked up a towel to clean the water from the floor. "What did I do this time?" The mayor took in her stepdaughter's appearance and promptly changed her tone, "What, dear, are you wearing on your head?"
Snow turned beat red and took off the helmet-like contraption, "It's a head massager. I have a horrible headache that I can't get rid of. That's why Charming took Anagail out for a while." Regina regarded her for a moment before opening her mouth, "You look ridiculous." Snow rolled her eyes and set it down on the counter, "Weren't you about to yell at me about something I did? Of course, please don't yell," she winced.
"Right," the queen blinked out of her daze. "You and David keep talking about Anagail and how wonderful she is to Robin!" Keeping her voice strong, but quiet. Snow's face took on a confused expression, "Well, of course. She's our daughter and she is marvelous. I thought you felt the same." Regina sighed and collapsed on the couch, "You know I think she is perfect and I adore her, but you're giving him ideas. I can see it in his eyes every time he plays with her."
"Ah, so that's what this is about," Snow White moved to sit next to her friend, "Is it really so bad having him get ideas about a baby? He is a wonderful father." The older woman laid her head back and glanced at the younger, "Yes, but I'm a terrible mother."
The man watched Robin Hood's possibly future stepson as he worked with his partner on their history assignment. From the looks of things, the boy was flirting shamelessly with the blonde. The kid would rest his chin on his hand and just smile everytime she explained something, the girl would giggle in return. Most would find this type of interaction sweet, however, Brewer found it annoying. Bringing him from his thoughts, the bell rang. The substitute teacher made his way over to the young teenagers as they started to clear away their books.
"I think Roland wants to see 'How to Train Your Dragon 2'. Is that okay with you?" Henry looked to Grace for confirmation. "Ahem," the kids look to the man hovering behind them, "Mr. Mills, if I could have a word?" Henry nervously glanced at Grace who started to walk away, and then back to the man, "Uh, sure."
"Emma should be here already. Since the whole snake thing, her or my mom has been here before school lets out to make sure we're safe." Henry's hand brushed against Grace's as he moved to open the door for her. He pulled it back with a blush, "We just have to go get Roland from his classroom."
The teens rounded the corner to Roland's room and the younger boy ran to jump on Henry's back. "Hey man, did you learn anything cool today?" Roland excitedly squeezed around his friend's neck tightly, "YES! I learned how to fold paper and make a bird! Wanna see?" Henry gasped a bit, "Can't-breathe-Kid." The five year old loosened his chokehold and apologized.
"You can show me how to fold the birds later, when we're on lock down. As for right now, are you ready to go to the movies?" The young prince coaxed. "Are you coming with us, Grace?" Roland asked with hope alit in his eyes. "What do you think," she asked him as she tickled his sides.
As the three made their way outside the front of the school, Henry was the first to spot the yellow bug. Upon seeing Emma, he asked if it was alright to bring Grace along. "The more the merrier, right? Do you need to call your father and ask him?" The girl smiled and nodded her head, "Yes, please. May I borrow your phone?" Emma smiled and handed her cell phone over to Jefferson's daughter. "Thank you."
By time Grace got off the phone with her father, the yellow bug was pulling up to the tiny theatre. "I have been waiting forever to see this!" Roland exclaimed. Killian couldn't contain his laughter, "Lad, you only saw the first one a fortnight ago." The youngest boy hopped out of the car, "That's a really long time!"
There were only a few people in the theatre, leaving all the good places to sit open. Emma and Killian wanted to sit a bit higher than the kids so they could keep an eye on them while not making them sit with the 'lame' adults. Not to mention, the couple wanted their own alone time.
Half way through the movie, and Emma could focus on nothing else, but the fact that her son had so boldly grasped Grace's hand, lacing their fingers together. "Are you seeing this?!" Emma harshly whispered to her boyfriend. Killian chuckled, "Yes, love, I see it. Your boy is becoming a man, get used to it." Emma could have died at that last statement. It seemed like just yesterday he was pounding on her door claiming that he was her son. He was so cute and tiny. Now he is so handsome and not tiny. In fact, it looks like he's been doing a bit of weightlifting. This is so not okay.
The whole way to Grace's house, the older boy couldn't keep his head from spinning. Should I kiss her or is it too soon? You haven't even talked to her about being your girlfriend, yet. Don't kiss her, you dolt. But what if she-
A pair of soft lips on his cheek interrupted his thoughts. "Thanks for inviting me, Henry. I'll see you at school tomorrow." The young prince could hardly breathe; much less speak in coherent sentences, "Y-yeah. I-I'll see you."
As soon as the girl was out of the car, Emma squealed with delight, "Henry, why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?!"
"Regina, don't ever say that again. You have come too far to doubt yourself now." Snow grasped her stepmother's hand in her own, "You are an amazing mother."
Regina felt a tear escape, "A good mother doesn't make her child feel as if he's crazy for two years, or try to keep him from those he loves, or swear to destroy her happiness if it's the last thing you do." She dropped her eyes to their joined hands at the sharp intake of Snow's breath. She knew it was bold admitting that some part of her saw Snow as her daughter, but it had slipped. "I am no good at being a mother," she said in a defeated voice.
Snow tightened her hold on Regina's hands and pulled her closer, "All of that was before you knew how to love properly. Think about when you sent Henry back with David, when you knew it wasn't good for him to be with you at that point. That is love. Or that time in the Enchanted Forest when Roland was almost taken by that monkey and you protected him. How about that time when you put yourself in between your own mother and myself to protect Anagail and me? I will never forget that, Regina. Even now, when you even have a thought of the Sheriff of Nottingham, you want to do your worst to him for even attempting to harm your children. You are a fantastic mother. You are fierce and you love deeper than anyone I have ever met. You are a changed woman, Stepmother." Regina sniffled and chuckled, "You haven't called me that in so long." Snow smiled, "You wouldn't have accepted it, but now I trust you do."
"Indeed," Regina pulled her stepdaughter in for a tight hug. "I'm still not ready for another child, yet." The younger woman pulled back, "As long as you will be in the future." The queen brought the princess back into the embrace, "We shall see."
"How was the film?" Robin asked quietly with Regina quietly snoring across his lap. "It was so good, Papa!" Roland exclaimed as he plopped down at the queen's feet on the couch, the excited movement causing the woman to awaken with a smile. "Hello boys," she sat up and allowed Henry room to sit, "Did you both have fun?" After Regina left the Charming's apartment, she realized how much the talk she had with Snow emotionally drained her. Upon her arrival home, she found Robin sitting in her den listening to her Chopin nocturnes collection with the fire burning. The atmosphere was heavenly and just what she needed to clear her mind. Wordlessly, she laid her head in his lap as he started running calloused fingers through her dark locks. That's the last thing she remembered as she regained full consciousness.
Henry's face lit up, "Like Roland said, it was awesome." Roland jumped on Regina's lap, "Grace came too and Henry held her hand!" The mayor's eyebrows rose to her hairline, "Oh?" Henry turned scarlet as the younger boy nodded vigorously and went on, "And when we brought her home, she kissed his cheek! Emma called Grace his girlfriend." Regina sat up straighter with a smirk and looked to her son's blushing face, "Is that true, Henry? She is quite a lovely girl." Robin leaned forward to watch the boy, "Yes, lad, have you a fair maiden?" If Henry got any redder, he'd be mistaken for a tomato, "I don't know. We haven't really talked about it." He looked between the two adults, suddenly remembering something; "Actually, I had something weird happen to me today." Robin and Regina seemed to move closer to him at his words, "What happened, Honey?" Henry scrunched his face as he thought back to when Mr. Richard asked to speak to him.
"Ahem," the kids look to the man hovering behind them, "Mr. Mills, if I could have a word?" Henry nervously glanced at Grace who started to walk away, and then back to the man, "Uh, sure."
Once the two were alone in the classroom, Mr. Richard sat behind the teacher's desk. "I have noticed a crush between you and young Grace." Henry was most confused at his statement. How was any of this his business? "Y-yes sir." The man curled his lip up in a smile that didn't really feel like kind gesture, "I've been told that her papa is a mad man. You should be cautious of him." The boy took a step forward, ready to defend Jefferson, "He's not mad! My- my mom kind of kept Grace from him and he just did what he needed to do to get her back." The substitute raised both of his hands in front of himself, "I only ask you to be aware and to be cautious. I wouldn't want anything to happen to the queen's son." At that, Henry turned and left the room.
"What did he want?" Grace was standing outside the door waiting for him. "Nothing much, just wanted to get better acquainted, I guess." Grace creased her eyebrows, not really believing him, but decided to let it go.
"That is strange," Regina said, "Also, I've never heard of this substitute teacher, Mr. Richard." Henry shrugged, "Maybe he came over with the second curse. I don't know, it was just weird. I mean, what does he care about what happens to me? He doesn't even know me." Robin stood up and helped Regina to her feet, "You are a very special kid, lad. Many people care about your well being." He placed a laughing Roland on his shoulders, "Now, how about some dinner?"
"I would say that's the best thing I've heard all day if it weren't for hearing about Henry's first kiss." Regina pulled her son off the couch and pulled him to the kitchen. "Mom! It was just on the cheek!" Regina turned and gave him a wink, Henry's blush only increasing as he thought about it more.
Remember, you have a voice, so tell me what you want! ;)
