I finally finished this chapter! I still haven't really figured out where in the series this story fits which is sloppy of me but I hope it makes some sense. Thank you for reading and feeding back, and I hope this doesn't disappoint.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Once Upon A Time.
Waves crashed and tumbled over each other, lapping at the damp sand and occasionally washing up smooth pebbles. The scent of salt hung in the air, and seagulls flew over head, cackling and screaming as they soared.
Regina Mills sat back in a deck chair on the sand, a book in her hand and a pair of expensive sunglasses sitting atop her head. The book had long since been abandoned, and the woman now watched her son and the blonde Sheriff dash about in the shallow water. Emma was just a big child in some ways, and it made Regina's lips curl into a smile.
The dark-haired boy barreled down the beach, splashing through the waves when they rolled in over the sand. He yelled something at the pursuing blonde, who shouted back before chasing after him even faster than before. They laughed as they ran, the picture of holiday happiness.
Once, such happiness might have made Regina turn away bitterly, angry that she couldn't find joy, jealous of those that could - maybe she still would have if it was anyone other than Henry and Emma; now she just smiled, slightly saddened that her son couldn't be that relaxed around her, but pleased he could be relaxed and happy, and had not followed her lead.
Catching up to her son, slightly deeper in the water now, Emma lunged to envelope him in a rough, playful hug, but he ducked out of her reach at the last second. The Sheriff fell forwards into the water with a loud splash, soaking her white tank top and denim shorts. She stood up, clothes dripping and heavy with water. She grinned widely, shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm so gonna get you for that," she promised.
Henry grinned, no doubt about to come out with a witty comeback challenging Emma, when the blonde bent down and stuck her arms in the water, sweeping the cold liquid up into the air and all over her son. He yelped when the cold water hit him, somehow getting his clothes almost as wet as Emma's.
The two played in the water for a while more before finally trudging up the beach, sopping wet, to where the Mayor had parked herself. Regina couldn't stop her eyes from wandering over the Sheriff's toned body, more visible due to the wet clothes that clung to every curve, and the white top that had become extremely see-through; it showed off the blonde's plain bra and stomach muscles that rippled irresistibly as she moved. She hated Emma most of the time but, God, she was attractive.
"Hey, mom!" Henry said gleefully.
Regina quickly took her eyes off the boy's other mother, hoping her arousal wasn't obvious, and smiled at her son. "Hi, Henry," she greeted happily. "Emma," she added with a nod in the woman's direction, forcing the friendly smile to remain on her face. "Are you having a good time?" the dark-haired woman asked Henry.
He nodded enthusiastically. "The best!" the boy exclaimed, making excited gestures with his small hands.
"What have you been up to?" Regina asked animatedly, only looking away to open the picnic basket that sat beside her. She put it in the middle of blanket laid out on the sand, making a gesture that said, 'help yourselves'.
Emma plopped down on the soft blanket, sensing Henry was going into story-telling mode, and helped herself to a triangular sandwich from the wicker basket. Her eyes moved between her ecstatic son and his adoptive mother, watching as he explained everything that had happened with a wide grin on his face to the dark-haired woman who paid close attention, apparently enraptured.
The woman who once went by 'The Evil Queen' gazed up at Henry, eyes hazy with adoration and pride, lips parted in a perfect smile. She listened intently, occasionally making the appropriate approving sounds and prompting further conversation. In the warm, exotic sun, Regina's skin seemed to glow in a way it didn't when they were back in Storybrooke, surrounded by people who only thought of the Mayor as what she had once been, and a threat, something to fight against.
The Sheriff thought it was terribly unfair how everyone only saw the defensive, snarky side of the dark-haired woman. Yes, she had done horrible things, and, no, that was not something to be taken lightly, but the woman was more than hatred, bitterness and bitchy remarks; this cheerful, loving side of her was rarely seen, but it was there. It was there, as was the part of Regina that was willing to fight for redemption, to separate herself from the Evil Queen and become a hero, even if it was just for her son.
A small smile spread across the blonde's face as she watched the two, tucking into the sandwich she realised she hadn't started, too busy staring in awe at the mother of her son. Hazel eyes ran over the rest of the woman's body; silky hair that fell in all the right ways; smooth, unblemished skin; dark, chocolate coloured eyes gleaming with affection for their son; womanly curves in all the right places, hugged by the luxurious fabric of a dress that surely wasn't practical for a beach. Regina's body was surprisingly toned, considering her job had her sitting behind a desk for ten years. Emma found herself wondering if the woman worked out, imagining it in an absurd amount of detail and suddenly very aware of how revealed she herself was after splashing about in the cool water.
As if reading her mind, Regina's eyes left their son for a second and swept over the Sheriff's strapping form. Emma's mouth went dry as she swore she saw the dark-haired woman's pink tongue peek out to wet painted lips and a flicker of something other than love or hate in her eyes. Before the blonde could be sure, however, Regina had averted her eyes and turned back to her son with a sparkling smile on her face.
"Sounds like you had quite the day with -" Regina paused for a second and tried to gulp inconspicuously, arousal still burning inside her from checking Emma out again. "- Emma," she forced out, a politician's smile on her face as she turned to the blonde and gave her a small, almost respectful nod. The Mayor cringed internally at how off her voice sounded as she strained to sound normal and respectful rather than sensual and turned on. She wondered absently whether she would have made as much of an effort to hide her lust if it were just the two of them, and something in the back of her mind told her she wouldn't have.
Maybe she would have let her arousal seep into her voice, low and raspy, and leaned closer to the blonde woman, close enough to smell her, close enough for her tongue to snake out and taste her. It would send shivers down the Sheriff's spine and it would turn out that Emma wanted Regina as much as Regina wanted her. Then the Mayor would lean in and take what she wanted; dominating the blonde, touching all the soft skin, running her hands over taut muscles, making her lose control. She imagined it would be rough between them, all fire, frustration and passion, all the anger that had been between them pouring out to create explosive pleasure and sensations that would over-stimulate them both.
Regina had to bite her tongue to contain the groan that threatened to roll off her tongue due to the scenarios floating around inside her head. No, for now, she would have to make do with being friends with the Sheriff and take advantage of any chances she got to gaze at Emma's fine form; they had a child to care for together.