As she loaded her purchases into the trunk of her yellow beetle Emma looked over the hood and through the windshield at Henry, Lucy and the little black puppy they'd just adopted. Their little plan to show Lucy how hard it was to take care of pet had backfired. For a month Lucy got up early every Saturday and without a single word of complaint spent the day helping James at the animal shelter. Just to show them she was serious she even put in extra time taking care of her horse at the stable. Then there were the conveniently left post-it notes with little facts like "Medical doctors believe that owning a pet is good for mental health.", "Studies how that having a family dog makes children healthier.", "Dogs increase family happiness." , "Owning a dog can prevent heart attacks." And Emma's favorite, "Dogs offer free entertainment that keep kids out of their mothers hair for longer than five minutes." With a campaign like that they really had no other choice but to let her get a pet. Even Henry got in on things by showing he was willing to help his little sister out. So they gave in and agreed to adopt a puppy.
"Got everything?" James asked as Emma slammed the trunk closed.
"I think so." Emma replied. "If not I'll call you and you can bring whatever with you when you come to help them build the doghouse. Which, mostly likely, I'll be sleeping in."
James nodded and then gave his daughter a knowing grin. "Good luck."
Emma groaned. Slipping into the driver's seat she twisted so she could look at the kids and their new puppy. They all looked so ridiculously happy it wasn't fair. "Your mother is going to kill me, then she's going to kill you, and then she's going to kill me again."
"Momma's going to love him." Lucy insisted. "Look at him. He's very charming and regal. He's perfect, he's meant to the be the dog of a queen."
"Yeah, well, lets hope she thinks so." Emma said, smiling because the three of them really did look too happy and cute not to smile at.
"Regina." Archie said softly. "You've had something on your mind for awhile now. Why don't you talk to me about it?"
Regina sat on the sofa in Archie's office picking at the decretive strands on the end of her scarf. She did have something weighing on her mind. Something she'd been trying to work out on her own for at least a month now. Something she really did want to talk about which is why she was here and not at the animal shelter 'helping' to pick out the 'family' dog. "Emma's been dropping hints."
Archie listened and carefully asked, "Hints about what?"
It took several minutes for Regina to finally look up at him and say, "Marriage."
"You think Emma wants to get married?" Archie asked, knowing that would be a huge step for both women.
Regina nodded.
Archie picked up on the insecurity. "But you don't?"
"I'm…" She hated saying it. It didn't matter the situation that brought it on, she simply hated saying it no matter what.
"You're what, Regina?" Archie prodded gently.
She felt the coolness of her queenly façade slip over her like a security blanket. She held onto that aloofness the way Lucy held on to her baby bootie and Regina's old hair ribbon. Reaching up she took Emma's swan pendent between her finger and thumb and rubbed it as she said, "I'm afraid."
Archie gave her a reassuring and proud smile. "What are you afraid of, Regina?"
"Everything going to hell." Regina answered honestly.
There was more to being together then just being true loves. Being with her true love was just the foundation, she and Emma still had to work at their relationship everyday and that wasn't always easy. They were two very different people with very different pasts and even though she wouldn't say things were fragile, Regina still didn't want to disturb what they had together. Things were good, they were together, they were a family, but over the last month she was starting to understand why Emma might be thinking about marriage. How much more secure would they both feel with that kind of promise made to each other? She couldn't deny that the thought of knowing she and Emma were bound together would be a comfort. But how long before Emma started to feel restricted by that bond? Yes Emma had put down roots here, but it still felt more like she was a potted plant rather then strongly rooted tree. And what about herself? What did she know of marriage? She had been forced into her last one, forced into the roll of wife in every sense of the word. For her marriage had been a prison.
"Why don't we start with you telling me about your marriage to King Leopold?" Archie said gently.
Dark eyes went wide and than narrowed. "I don't think that is a very wise idea."
"Why not?" Archie asked, and then before Regina could answer he reassured her fears. "I hold no allegiance to him. But I do to you. You are my friend, Regina. You have placed your trust in me and that is where my allegiance lies. You can be honest with me, Regina. I will not take offence, nor judge, nor reveal anything you say to anyone else. You know this."
It was a struggle. Regina had always held everything about herself, about her past, so close and tight that every time they broached a new topic like this it was a struggle for her to let go. She sat there looking at Archie knowing that she could trust him, knowing that he had in fact been a great help to her since the curse broke, but for now her desire to cling to her secrets won out. Getting up she grabbed her purse and coat. "I need to go. I let Emma be in charge of supervising the children while they picked out the puppy you helped convince me to let them have. I need to get home and see what terror they've brought into my life."
Archie knew by now when to push and went to let go and wait for her to come back. "Alright. We'll talk again soon. And do try and embrace the new addition Regina. Having a pet can be a wonderful joy."
The moment Emma heard heels on marble she held her breath. As the clack of Regina's shoes changed, singling she'd left the foyer and was now making her way through the house, she closed her eyes as if waiting for a blow. Sure enough moments after the sound changed to heels on kitchen tile, faded a little as she made her way towards the mudroom off the kitchen, the blow came.
"EMMA SWAN!"
"Damnit." Emma mumbled as she slowly made her way to where she would find a furious Regina. "I'm gonna end up on the couch."
As soon as she saw Emma Regina pointed at the puppy in the mudroom. "What is that!?"
"That is our new dog." Emma explained. "His name is Regal."
Regina glared as she crossed her arms. "I agreed to a small dog! A companion dog!"
"I know but…"
She threw her hand out pointing at the little beast. "That's a Great Dane puppy!"
"I know but…"
"It's going to get massive!" Regina snapped.
"Regina just shut up and listen!" Emma yelled back and then sighed before explaining. "Lucy's been doing research for weeks and she came up with this little fact that certain royals in this world have been known to favor Great Danes because they're majestic or something."
"And what does that have to do with this future monstrosity living in my house?" Regina demanded.
"She named him Regal, Regina." Emma snipped. "She picked him because she thinks he's the kind of dog a queen would have." She paused long enough to let that sink in. Lucy knew Regina wasn't completely into the idea of having a pet around the house so she was very mindful of picking one that would appease her mother in someway.
"Oh." Regina said softly.
"Yeah." Emma replied. "And they both totally feel in love with the little oaf the moment he stumbled into the room."
"Stumbled?" Regina asked. "You didn't let her pick a sick dog did you? It's bad enough you allowed her to pick such a large one. They don't have very long life spans, Emma."
"He's fine, perfectly healthy, he's just all gangly and big puppy-ish." Emma reassured.
Regina pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned out a long sigh. "Oh Emma."
Before the blonde could say another word Lucy and Henry came in from the backyard. "Momma!" The girl said excitedly. "Momma have you met Regal yet! Isn't he handsome?"
Regina put on her best smile as she turned to look at her children. "I was just about too my darling." Reaching out she unlocked the puppy gate Emma had put in and stepped into the mudroom. The moment she crouched down and Regal looked up at her with those big onyx like eyes, she was a goner. "He is a rather dapper looking boy."
"Do you like him Momma?" Lucy asked with a flicker of hope and worry.
"You know sweetheart I think I do." Regina said reassuringly as she screeched behind the puppy's floppy ears, making his tail thump and wag in delight. "I'm sure with the proper training young Regal here will live up to his name rather nicely."
Emma leaned against the doorway smiling. When Regina looked up at her the look on Emma's face said it all, they were both total suckers and they knew it.
They'd taken a family picture. Everyone was dressed in cozy sweaters, couched on the ground with the yellows, reds, and oranges of the fall leaves, Henry and Lucy each with an arm slung around Regal. Seeing it printed out and framed, sitting proudly on the mantel, sent Regina back to Archie. "You want to know what it was like being the captive young bridge of the king? Fine. I'll tell you. Just sit down shut up and let me say this or I leave."
Archie simply nodded, took his seat and listened.
The moment she got home that night Emma could tell something was wrong. "Hey." She said gently as she moved closer to Regina. "Baby, you've been crying. What's wrong? What's happened?"
Regina simply shook her head, to raw and tired to talk anymore.
"Ok." Emma said in understanding. "Ok, come on. I'll draw you a bath and you can just relax."
Emma didn't push she didn't need to. She knew that when she was ready Regina would talk to her about whatever had upset her. She knew that right now what Regina needed was simply her, so that's what she gave. She held her love in her arms all night, protecting her from bad dreams, or forgotten memories, or charlie horses, whatever might plague her through the night. It was just a little over two weeks after that night while they were walking Regal that Regina just happened to mention, "I read in the paper this morning that Maine is likely to pass an equal marriage law this election."
Emma was a bit taken off guard by that. "Really?" She replied. "Um, well, cool, I mean, that's kinda pretty awesome if they do."
Regina simply smiled. "Yes, it would be." Then she huffed slightly playfully and slightly vexed. "And they say fairytales are out of date. At least we've never judged based on such things as this."
Emma looked as if she where listening but her head wasn't in the conversation. Had that been Regina's coded response to her coded hints? Was she letting Emma know she was open to the idea of getting married? Now what? Now she would have to think, have to plan. Regina was independent and confident enough to ask Emma, but deep down Emma knew she was still that young girl looking for her fairytale happily ever after, and in the storybooks it's always the knight who asks the princess right? Or in their case it would the princess asking the queen. No, Emma thought, no this was simply Emma asking Regina, but still, how to go about it?
"Emma, are you even listening to me?" Regina asked as they turned the corner on their street, heading back to the house.
"Hmm? Yeah, of course, barbarians, idiots, worse than common peasants, I heard you." Emma said with a grin.
"You seemed a million miles away." Regina commented.
Emma smiled brightly. "Na, closer than you think."
The first thing Emma knew she needed to do while she worked towards her end goal of asking Regina to marry her was talk to their kids. So after school one afternoon she drove them out to where Regina had rebuilt Henry's castle, on the lakefront. She sat there with Henry like they had so many times before only now she had Lucy on the other side. Her son that she shared with Regina, and Regina's daughter who she shared with her, had so easily and so simply become their kids. And deep down Emma knew that getting married wasn't just something good for her and Regina but for them too.
"What's on your mind, Ma?" Henry asked knowingly.
"Well," Emma replied as she took a moment to look at them both. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
"What?" Lucy asked.
Emma took a moment to gather her thoughts and then just came right out and asked, "How would you two feel if your mother and I got married?"
Henry's excitement was immediate. "That would be awesome! That's how the story is supposed to go. True love finds each other and then they get married and live happy ever after."
Henry's happiness made Emma smile; it left her feeling reassured that this was the right way to go. Lucy's quiet stillness beside her however caused a little concern. Turning to the dark haired little girl Emma asked, "Lucy, honey, would you be ok if your Mom and I got married?"
Lucy looked up at Emma and smiled softly. "It would make Momma very happy."
Emma smiled back and then reached out to put her arm around the girl. "So if you're ok with it, what's on your mind?"
The girl was quiet for several minutes before she looked up at Emma and her brother and said, "You and Momma are both Henry's real moms together because you're Henry's birth mom and Momma's his adopted mom. But I only have Momma for real cause she's my birth mom and…"
"Hey." Emma said cutting the girl off. "Lucy, look at me." She said as she titled the girl's head up. "You have me for real too. Always. You are just as much my kid as Henry is, whither I marry your mom or not. We're a family, the four of us, and your mom and I getting married its just making that stronger. It's us making a promise to each other. So, you know what, I get it. I do. So why don't we talk to your mom about letting me make a promise to you? If that's what you want Lucy, I'll talk to Regina about doing an adoption."
Dark eyes went wide as Lucy looked up into Emma's eyes. "Really? Then you'd be my mom for real too?"
"I would love to be your mom for real too." Emma replied.
The smile on Lucy's face as she threw her arms around Emma's neck was so bright Emma was fairly sure they could see it in town. She promised Lucy that she would talk to Regina about it soon, that if she brought it up now it might spoil the surprise. They sat there until their cheeks and hands were numb talking about how this would and wouldn't change things. Then they went to Granny's for hot chocolate and warm cookies. With the kids blessings Emma felt that much more secure in what she was going to do. Though before she went through with it there were two more people she wanted to talk to.
Sitting at the table in her mother's apartment Emma looked up and caught Snow's gaze. How would her mother feel about this? After what happened on the street with Cora, with Regina having her heart latterly ripped from her chest and dying, only to have Emma and her love put the heart back and bring her to life again, it was pretty impossible for Snow to deny what Emma and Regina were. But there was a lot of toxic water under that bridge and even though Snow and Regina were working towards some kind of peace, how would Snow feel about her daughter marrying her evil-ex-step-mother.
"How's Regina getting on with the puppy?" Snow asked gently, trying to break the tension between herself and Emma.
Emma smirked. "She's totally in love with the little beast. She's hired a trainer, and in her head that means he won't be a messy slobbery nuisance, but at the end of the day he still manages to find his way onto the couch with his head in her lap."
Snow chuckled softly. "I kind of figured she would give in. I remember she had this beautiful pair of deerhounds when I was young that she simply adored. She would let me come along with her and them for these long walks around the castle grounds."
The smile on Snow's face gave Emma hope. "So, that's a good memory? Of you and her?"
"They're few but yes I do have good memories of Regina from my childhood." Snow admitted.
"Good, that's good." Emma said with a nod of her head. She bit her lip while she gathered her thoughts and emotions.
"Tell me what you want to tell me, Emma." Snow said gently but firmly.
Emma took a deep breath and said, "I want to marry Regina." She admitted. "And I'm gonna ask her soon. The kids are thrilled with the idea. And I'm not looking for a blessing or anything but I wanted to tell you, ya know, just because, well…"
"I'm your mother and this is the kind of thing your share with your mother." Snow said gently.
"Yeah." Emma said with a nod.
Snow was quiet for a moment as she thought about how she felt and then she said, "I'm not going to lie and say this isn't a little odd, a little strange, even a little uneasy for me, because it is. Regina and I have a lot of painful history. That being said, it is our past, and we're both trying to move on from that. I love you, Emma, and I want you to be happy. And a part of me wants Regina to finally get her happiness as well. So, if the two of you getting married brings about that happiness, I can be ok with that."
"Really?" Emma asked, a little doubt still clinging on.
"If you would have asked me a year ago I would have forbidden it and gone after her with a sword." Snow said honestly. "Heck, six months ago I would have still thrown a fit. It has taken a lot for me to get where I am right now when it comes to her. Part of it has come from watching her with you, with Henry, and Lucy, and the people in this town. Part of it has come with me looking at things, looking at myself, with more mature eyes. There may never be total forgiveness, Emma. I don't know if I can do that. But as long as she never hurts you or Henry or Lucy, I can at least be willing to try."
Emma practically leapt from her chair so she could pull Snow up and hug her. "Thank you."
"You never have to thank me for loving you, Emma." Snow said as she held her daughter tight.
Her father, who'd come around regarding Regina sooner than her mother had, had pretty much the same reaction. So everything so far was lining up. She had her support in place and now all she had to do was do it. But how, how to ask a woman like Regina to marry her? Simple? Showy? Romantic? Traditional? When? Where? And than it hit her, the perfect, when, where and how, she just hoped Regina would think so too.