Call me if/when you get a chance.
Emma laughed at the text she had just received from Regina and wondered what ridiculous craving she was having now. They were meeting for lunch in just under an hour so she knew she was going to be required to bring something additional when she went. Over the past few weeks Regina had been getting more and more "opinionated", as she called it, about what she ate. Thankfully, it was the only symptom she'd shown so far and they'd been able to keep things quiet. Emma's morning sickness was dying down as well so there weren't as many curious looks from David. They agreed that once the babies reached the 12 week mark they would start telling people and that day was here.
Emma picked up the phone and called Regina's cell.
"Hello?" Regina answered on the first ring.
"Hi." Emma wasn't about to ask what Regina needed. She was going to make her work for.
"I need you to do me a favor…" Regina said hesitantly.
"So you're have a craving?" Emma was glad that they weren't having this conversation face to face because she wasn't able to keep the smirk off her face.
"I didn't say that. And I told you I don't like the word craving. It sounds as if I don't have any control over it."
"Ok, sorry. So you have an opinion about something you'd like for lunch?"
"I was just thinking that some salted sliced cucumbers would be nice with our salads."
"So you want me to bring you some pickles?" Emma couldn't contain the laughter in her voice at Regina's attempt to disguise her craving as something completely normal.
"No, I didn't say pickles. I said I wanted some freshly sliced cucumbers with a dash of salt."
"It's totally a pickle, but if you're not ready to admit that even you are going to be susceptible to pregnancy cravings I'll go with whatever you say. I'm kinda surprised you haven't wanted mangos…but I guess it's better you don't have to share that trait with Snow, huh?" Emma said, she loved giving her wife a hard time but she also knew when not to push her luck.
Regina stared down at the mango she'd just peeled and she felt momentarily guilty for hiding that particular facet of her pregnancy from her wife. She had been eating them a lot, like 2 or 3 a day a lot, but there was no way she was going to let Snow get wind of that. If it meant hiding it from her wife than so be it. "Yes, that would be unfortunate."
"So you want some sliced cucumbers with salt. Anything else you have an opinion about?" Emma asked, not bothering to mask the humor in her tone.
"No, that will be all. Thank you. I'll see you soon." Regina said stiffly.
"Regina, I love you. I'll quit giving you a hard time about this if you'd just call them cravings…."
"Never. I love you too." Regina ended the call before Emma could get in another word.
Emma just shook her head as she laid her phone down. Lunch was going to be an adventure if this was the kind of mood she was in already. Asking Regina if they could tell Snow and Charming that evening was going to be difficult enough with out the added hormones. Emma decided she better take something else with her as a back up plan, to sooth the beast should she need it.
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Emma just nodded her head as a greeting as she passed by Peter's desk. He was on the phone and by the looks of the angry gesturing going on she didn't want to interrupt. Her hands were full so she used the toe of her boot to knock on Regina's office door. She jumped a little when it swung open almost immediately.
"Eager much?" Emma said as she squeezed past Regina through the doorway.
"You should be happy that I was eager to see you Sheriff." Regina shot back, following Emma towards the conference table.
"I would be if I thought it had anything to do with me…" Emma set down the two sacks and the drink tray she'd carried in with her and leaned over towards Regina's belly. "Hi kids!" She placed a kiss on the barely visible bump and then straightened herself up to give Regina the same greeting.
Regina just smiled and started unpacking the bags. Before she could open everything Emma snatched one of the containers away from her and set it off to the side. "What's that one?" Regina asked testily.
"Leverage. Let's eat before your cucumbers turn into pickles. I brought a few extra salt packets in case you need some more on them." Emma pulled a chair out for Regina before seating herself.
Regina narrowed her eyes at the extra white styrofoam container now just an arm's length away and turned her gaze towards Emma. Emma was happily munching away on the chicken caesar salad, a sight Regina never thought she'd see, but she noticed that while Emma may not have realized, they were both craving the same types of foods and it only made sense she'd start to enjoy one of Regina's favorites. Regina pulled her own salad closer to her and started eating as well, alternating between slices of cucumbers and bites of salad until she had polished everything off. She looked up at Emma, caught in her surprised gaze.
"Wow…I'm pretty sure I've never seen you eat that fast." Emma said, the smile breaking across her face.
"I am growing your two children inside of me. What did you expect?" Regina answered cheekily.
Emma just snorted at her wife's response and pulled the unopened container towards them. She drummed her fingers on the top of it as she spoke, "So I think we should tell Snow and Charming tonight…maybe invite them over for dinner so we're on our home turf?"
Regina eyed the container again, her eyes shifting between it and Emma's. "It depends on what you brought me."
Emma smiled and opened the lid, pushing it towards Regina, the smell of coffee wafting out. "Tiramisu. I had Granny make some with decaf. I know how deprived you've felt lately since you've had to cut back."
Regina's eyes widened and she pulled the container even closer to her. Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath, the smell of coffee bringing a smile to her face. When she opened them again she saw Emma just watching her, a smile playing on her face as well. "Well played my dear. I'll allow you to invite them over."
"And what about telling them tonight?"
"I don't suppose you'll let me wait until we're 8 months along do you?" Regina didn't bother looking up at Emma, her attention fully on the next bite of tiramisu. She moaned loudly, pulling the fork out of her mouth slowly.
Emma's eyes trekked Regina's every move, her mind totally distracted from the conversation. "If I had known this was the reaction you'd have I would have waited and given it to you tonight."
"You can give me something else tonight…" Regina said, as she licked the fork clean, her eyes fluttering shut again.
"That…that is…damn woman. You're going to kill me. You're just…you're perfect."
Regina winked at her very flustered wife and closed the desert container. "We can tell them tonight."
"Well, now I don't want to. I think we have better things to do…." Emma whined.
"Patient is a virtue, or so I'm told. This," She gestured to herself, "should motivate you to make it a very short evening."
Emma just shook her head. "That evil streak really hasn't dimmed much has it?"
"Of course not. I wouldn't be me if it did. And we'd be so very boring."
"Okay, so we'll invite them over, tell them over dinner so they can get whatever their reaction is going to be out of the way and they won't have a reason to hang around once we're done eating."
Regina leaned back in her chair and just nodded her head at Emma's plan.
"That's not how it's going to go at all is it?" Emma asked, her eyes narrowing at Regina's too-easy compliance.
"Doubtful." Regina said as she rose from the table. She patted Emma's shoulder absently as she made her way back over to her desk.
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When Emma heard the doorbell ring that night, 15 minutes before the time she'd actually told her parents to show up, she panicked. She raced towards the front door hoping to beat Regina there, still not trusting her wife's motives for the evening. She was too late.
"Snow, Charming. I'm so glad you could come over this evening. Please come in." Regina said politely, her fake politician smile plastered on her face. Emma grimaced at the tone, knowing immediately she was in for a torturous evening.
"We're so glad you invited us. It's nice when we can all get together like this. It really is so nice when we all get to talk and share things." Snow said, just as fake.
David shot his daughter a confused look and she only shrugged in return. He knew that he was missing something, but was content to let it play out if Emma was.
"Isn't it?" Regina said, her mouth curling up at the corners. "And we have some very exciting news to share with you tonight."
Snow gasped and squealed and couldn't contain a few quick, excited claps.
"Regina." Emma ground out between clenched teeth.
"We're…." Regina started, pausing dramatically. "We're going to buy Henry a car for his 16th birthday."
Emma rolled her eyes and Snow instantly deflated, but David's eyes widened excitedly at the news.
"We thought perhaps you could help us with that David." Regina said pleasantly.
"Of course." He trailed Regina into the dining room, practically pushing his wife out of the way to follow her. "What are you thinking? A classic? Something new?"
Emma just patted her mom on the back in consolation. "Come on. Help me finish up the salad?"
Snow nodded her head and followed Emma into the kitchen, leaving Regina and David to debate the pros and cons of a new car by themselves.
"So how have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks." Snow asked when they walked into the kitchen.
"I'm good. It's just been really busy around here." Emma answered vaguely.
"So," Snow hesitated, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I know you told me that the subject is closed, but is there anything on the baby front?"
"Um…"
"Emma," Regina swept into the kitchen, pausing when she saw the panicked look on Emma's face. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting a mother-daughter moment?"
"No, No. I was just asking Emma if she had any baby news." Snow turned fully towards Regina, challenging her to answer.
"Mmm. I thought that Emma had specifically told you not to ask about that?" Regina closed the distant between them, stopping only inches away from her.
"Oooookay." Emma said, sliding her arm between the two women, pushing her mother back a few steps. The two women continued to stare each other down until Regina spoke, her eyes never leaving Snow's.
"I came in here to ask you to open a bottle of wine. I thought we'd all enjoy some. The new blended we just picked up should go nicely with the lasagna." Her eyes finally sliding over towards Emma's.
"Sure." Emma's face scrunched up in confusion. "Snow, why don't you go sit down with David. We'll be in in just a minute." She watched her mom stalk out of the kitchen before she turned to her wife. "Regina…"
"What? Would you rather I continue to let her badger you?" Her arms crossing over her chest, foot tapping angrily.
"Badger me? She wasn't…well she sort of was, but you can't just go at her like that. And what's with the wine? You can't drink." Emma took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Her nerves were already fried about their announcement and the tension between Snow and Regina wasn't helping.
"I know that, but she doesn't. And I blame your unborn children for my added aggression. I can't seem to reign myself in like I normally do." Regina's face conveying actual frustration at the statement.
"My unborn children. That's how this is going to go? Their mine when they cause trouble?" Emma said, smiling for the first time since the front door opened. She crossed over to Regina and pulled her into a hug. Regina allowed the contact, burying her face in Emma's neck and soaking in the comfort.
"That's exactly how it's going to go. I'm sorry. I didn't really mean for it to go that far." Regina looked up, hoping to convey her sincerity with her eyes.
"I believe you. Now let's get this food out there and get a bottle of wine opened up. I think there might be a few of us at the table that really need it."
Regina nodded her head and picked up the salad, taking it into the dining room. Emma pulled out a bottle of wine and busied herself with the opener.
Through the open kitchen door Emma heard Regina address Snow. She smiled to herself, thinking that she was going to apologize for her behavior. Unfortunately, that wasn't what she heard.
"I'm carrying your grandchildren, Snow. I would be a little nicer to me if I were you. And yes I did say children. As in plural." Regina's voice carried into the kitchen, followed by the sound of glass shattering.
"Oh god." Emma groaned.