Do You Hear What I Hear
A/N: I apologize for the delay in updating and the post-Christmas timing of it. Luckily now that the holidays have passed I have a bit more time to write. Thank you so much for all the reads/reviews/favorites/follows. I have been so thrilled that people have enjoyed the story! Thank you to lupwned, my incomparably talented beta-reader for her feedback. Please read and review!
Emma woke stretching her fingers out over the most exquisitely soft sheets she'd ever felt. Between the sumptuous thread count and the faint smell of apples and spice she knew that she was not in her own bed. She sleepily grinned recalling the events of the previous night and felt fingers trace over her lips. She raised her eyelids to view an unfairly gorgeous Regina smiling softly at her.
"It's not right that you look so beautiful when you first wake up."
"Well, dear, we can't all pull off the charming drool on the pillow look."
Emma's half-closed eyes shot open as she thrust her fingers at her mouth only to realize by the chuckle emitting next to her and her own dry hand that she was being teased. Her eyes narrowed and she playfully pushed Regina's shoulder away from her.
"What time is it anyway?"
"Nearly seven"
With a loud groan Emma sat up saying "Oh no…I better hustle, I'm supposed to meet my mother for Breakfast and a talk." She began hastily collecting her clothes and dressing.
"That sounds like it should be…cozy." Sarcasm dripped from the mayor's tongue.
Emma grimaced and shook her head saying "I'm not even sure what to tell her. I'm not used to having a parental type hovering over me and expecting me to be accountable."
"Accountable for what, dear? Surely you haven't violated your curfew."
A scowl crossed Emma's face as she laced her boots, "It's just…this is a situation where I would really like to talk to my best friend, Mary Margaret, and everything is so much more complicated now that I have to deal with her being my mother and fricking Snow White."
"What exactly do you wish to discuss with her?"
"This. Us. I don't even know exactly what that is, but it would be nice to be able to confide in my friend without judgment or parental scolding. Not to mention that she's got an antler up her butt about Christmas being family time and I don't know how to explain that I want to spend time with you, too. Plus, I want Henry to be with you for Christmas, you're his mother."
Regina was momentarily quiet as she contemplated her own discomfort with defining this burgeoning relationship between herself and the sheriff while simultaneously feeling touched that Emma had stated an intention to include her in Christmas with her and Henry. She took a moment to collect herself before swallowing her own misgivings at the proposal she was about to make.
"Well, dear, perhaps there is a way to ensure that everyone gets their family time for Christmas. You could invite the Charmings for dinner here. That way Henry could celebrate at home as he traditionally has done and your parents can be included."
Emma paused, unsure whether to feel reassured at the gesture or unsettled by the picture of a big family Christmas. "Um…are you sure that wouldn't be too much of a burden? I mean, I know that the relationship between you and my mother has not always been great."
"I think I can put aside my own dislike for one meal for Henry's sake…and for yours."
Emma pressed a quick but deep kiss to Regina's lips before beaming at her and saying, "I'll talk to her and I'll call you later, ok?" Reaching up for one more kiss, Regina nodded and smiled before nudging the sheriff toward the door.
"Good luck, dear."
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As Emma walked into Granny's ten minutes later, Mary Margaret was already sitting in their usual booth with two cups of cocoa in front of her. She looked as though she had barely slept and her impatience at Emma's late arrival was ill-disguised. Emma inwardly winced as she took in the usually patient teacher's fingers drumming the table.
Forcing a lopsided grin that did little to conceal her nervousness, Emma sat herself down opposite her mother and said "Sorry for being late, I um…woke up later than I planned."
"I can imagine." Snow White was stony faced.
Emma felt a flush creeping up her neck, a combination of embarrassment and irritation coloring her cheeks. "See, moments like these make me wish that I could speak to my friend Mary Margaret. She was always so supportive and non-judgmental."
At this, the other woman's face softened, but she squared her jaw and stated "Of course you can still talk to me, Emma. It's just, an affair with the woman who destroyed our family is a little hard for me to accept. After everything she's put us through, I cannot understand this."
"I don't see her like that. I am not excusing what she has done – I know better than most the consequences of her choices. But of anyone, I would think that you would understand that it is not as clear-cut as Henry's book would make it seem. I mean, she wasn't always…I don't even know what to call it. Evil is such a definitive descriptor."
"You're right, she was not always evil. But many of her choices have been, Emma. And she has spent most of her life manipulating people to ensure that her own needs were met. What makes you think that this is any different?"
"Well, for one, I'm pretty sure that I can assess someone's intentions for myself. My superpower, remember. But additionally…I've seen her beginning to make choices that serve the interests of Henry and me before her own. Surely you know that while we were gone she has been refraining from using magic."
Sighing softly, Snow replied "Yes, I know. For what it's worth, your father believes that she is genuinely trying to make a change. He urged me not to be too quick to judge. He shared with me what happened with Daniel and how she has been caring for Henry. I just can't help but distrust her to some degree, Emma. You have to understand, I adored Regina when I was a girl and she was kind to me. And despite the relationship I thought we had forged, she was constantly planning revenge upon me."
"Look, I'm not asking everyone to play happy family right now. I think it's way too early to even try to call this…whatever it is a relationship. I just want the space to be able to figure out what it is without feeling like I have to check in. No offence, but I'm not really used to the hovering mother routine."
A pained expression crossed Snow's features before she nodded slightly, acknowledging the request. "Just promise me you'll be careful. I don't want to have to watch more damage done to you or to Henry."
"I promise." Emma's face split in a genuine smile for the first time during their conversation and the tension was momentarily relieved before she remembered the invitation she was to extend and the corners of her mouth turned down. "So, about the Christmas plans…"
Back in her element, Snow beamed as she immediately launched into "Well, I thought we could all go Christmas caroling, decorate our own stockings, attend the Christmas pageant…"
"Regina would like to invite you and dad to join Henry and us for Christmas dinner." Emma felt the need to blurt this quickly and stem the Yule tide threatening to overtake her.
Her announcement was met with silence for several long minutes. "The Mayor/Evil Queen Regina is inviting Snow White and Prince Charming to join her for Christmas."
Emma tried to scowl at this but could not stop her lips from twitching upward at the absurdity of the statement. After a beat she snorted before beginning to laugh in earnest. Snow joined her and the two of them shared a deep belly laugh until tears streamed down their faces.
Regaining her composure, Snow looked at her daughter and knew that this was the most relaxed she had seen her since she'd arrived in Storybrooke and found her objections falling away. She gave a small nod and said "Of course, we'd love to spend the holiday with you and Henry. And I promise that I will set aside our issues for the night. Um…do you know what she wants? God, I never expected to be buying a Christmas gift for the Evil Queen."
"I have no idea of her Christmas list. I need to figure that out myself. Ugh…this is why I never stick around, it's so complicated. What do you get for someone who you have an ambiguous more than friendship with that has recently evolved out of a deep-seated resentment and constant bickering."
"No idea. What do you get for your erstwhile stepmother who cursed you and your entire family to a completely different realm."
"Yeah, I suppose Hallmark doesn't exactly make cards for moments like this. Well, I should probably get to the station so I can get some work done. Apparently I have my work cut out for me in figuring out a gift, so I'd like to leave work a bit early."
"Will you ask Regina what I should bring?"
Shaking her head slightly disbelieving at the turn of events she could never have predicted month ago, Emma replied "Of course. I'll call you later. And…thanks for everything."
Although she was traditionally reluctant to show physical affection, she found herself pulling the slight woman into a hug that felt comforting and familiar. Snow's heart leapt at the gesture and she returned the hug carefully hiding the tears that prickled the corners of her eyes from her stoic daughter.
"I'll see you later then. Have a good day."
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Regina was reliving the events of the previous night with an absurdly sappy smile on her face without realizing it when her phone rang. She jumped as the sound shook her out of her reverie and picked up stating curtly "Mayor Mills".
"Good morning, Madame Mayor."
At the sound of the sheriff's voice, the silly grin returned.
"Good morning, Sheriff. So how did the interrogation go?"
"All settled. It will be a Charming family Christmas at the Mills residence."
"I'm all atwitter." Regina's voice attempted to drip disdain, but her continued grinning utterly spoiled the effect.
"Haha…so what are you doing?"
"Working. As you might expect, having called me in my office."
"Oh, just thought you might be thinking about me." Despite herself, Regina felt a flush spreading across her chest and creep up her neck recalling what she had been thinking about when the phone rang.
"Sheriff, I really do have business to attend to. And a dinner to plan and prepare. If there are things we should discuss further, perhaps we could do so this evening. You could come by after dinner." The initial hardness of her words was softened as her voice dropped to a sultry growl by the end.
"It's a date. Have a wonderful day, Mayor Mills."
"And you, Sheriff Swan."