Lip-lip was White Fang's own kind, and, being only a puppy, did not seem dangerous; so White Fang prepared to meet him in friendly spirit. But when the stranger's walk became stiff-legged and his lips lifted clear of his teeth, White Fang stiffened, too, and answered with lifted lips. They half circled about each other, tentatively, snarling and bristling. This lasted several minutes, and White Fang was beginning to enjoy it, as a sort of game. But suddenly, with remarkable swiftness, Lip-lip leaped in, delivered a slashing snap, and leaped away again.
Emma shook her head to get the words out of her mind and resumed watching the two end pillars of Mills generation standing in front of each other. In the few hours from Granny's to Regina's house she had thought of countless ways how tonight would proceed. Though the possibility of 'White Fang' not coming alive was 100 %.. maybe 90% - no definitely 100% but still, it did help to always be prepared. There was a reason Regina and Emma had kept the lunches at the diner: Emma was not comfortable with Henry being around Cora, and Regina had quietly understood. But she also knew Regina wanted this, so it confused her to see the usually composed woman biting her lower lip, wringing her hands behind her. She nudged her and mouthed, 'Are you ok?'
Regina was too anxious to reply as she focused back on her mother. If she wasn't so tensed she would have laughed at how her mother was behaving, to be scared of a ten year old. But Regina along with the other two knew how important this ten year old was. Regina saw Cora move forward, and she felt Emma shuffle forward. Emma's action stirred her motherly instincts, it made her want to take Henry and run in the opposite direction.
Cora's eyes were slightly narrowed as she remained cautious of the boy's movements. She might not despise him as she did once but that would never serve a good enough reason to get drenched again.
"Good evening, I am Cora Mills, your grandmother", she brought her hand out, a smile looking out of place on her face.
To her surprise, Henry snorted. Almost repulsed by his behaviour, which she attributed charming genes, she took a step back. But there was already something keeping her in place. She looked down and saw a hand nestled inside hers, so very small and fragile. The boy attached to it gave it a firm shake with a warm smile, "Good evening, I am Henry Mills, your grandson."
Regina walked till she stood behind him, her hands falling gently on Henry's shoulder. He looked up and smiled toothily at her and Regina returned the smile, bending slightly to kiss the top of his head.
"Why don't you move to the table while I check on dinner? Nana can help you with the plates."
Henry already skipped ahead, knowing well enough where the plates were as Cora's hand latched onto Regina's arm, "Nana?" she gasped out with disgust.
"You and Henry can sort out the name business yourself", Regina said, a little amused as she patted the frazzled woman's arm leaving the room.
Regina opened the oven door and could physically feel the relief trickling into her body. She looked for the oven mittens she had kept on the table but found them absent. She turned but wasn't prepared for the scene unfurling behind her back.
Emma Swan was wearing her gloves.
No. Emma Swan was performing with her gloves.
The blonde was using the two gloves as puppets which were engaged in a mute yet furious battle. Her left puppet took a nasty bite off the other's shoulder and she let out a silent scream as the right one plummeted down. Her mouth was still open when her eyes darted from her cotton thespians to the front and then back. Her now-wide eyes returned to the front slowly, and her mouth opened considerably more on realising that Regina had been an audience to her show. She turned back instantly, waving her hands as she tried to remove the gloves as fast as humanly possible. On achieving the feat Emma turned back, casually, and handed over the gloves.
"I didn't know what to do in there, so I sorta just followed you here."
Regina nodded as she took the gloves in her hand. She looked back to the fidgeting figure and then pointed to the salad bowl, "You can take this to the table."
Emma looked a little dejected at being sent away but mustered up her best smile as she went for the bowl. It was like the brunette's body knew that Regina required it to stay together till Emma was in the room. As soon as Emma disappeared from sight, her hands found the counter as she sagged against it. She had brought this upon herself hadn't she? The momentary lapse of judgment wasn't having feelings for the saviour, it was revealing them. The former was proving itself to be quite the opposite of momentary. The more time passed by, the more she felt like she was walking a little bit closer to the deep end, fearing if she did not stop, one day she would drown. And to make matters worse, she could see the same want in those green eyes, the one she felt growing inside her. But people always see what they want to see. Right? Emma had given up on whatever it was that she had chased in the beginning so it was better Regina did the same.
...
Cora's eyes swept through the dining room, unused to seeing so many people in the house. She smiled as she saw Henry taking huge bites, a curious balance of chewing while shoving food inside. Even if she knew it to be impolite, she felt her lips curl up at his juvenile behaviour. Her head slowly turned right, noticing Regina's eyes shining with adoration. Often she would lift her head to check on her boy and if Henry would catch her eyes, they would share a smile. The action managed to invoke numerous emotions in Cora. But every emotion would get replaced by indifference when she would look up front. The seating arrangement had her facing Emma Swan directly. The two women had barely acknowledged each other's presence, both trying to remain civil for the sake of Regina and Henry. But throughout the dinner, there remained a strain between the two, one which kept growing with time unnoticed by others. Their eyes locked on every sharp slice to the meat, mentally sizing each other on every bite.
It didn't take time for Emma's patience to wane on feeling like the fourth wheel, even if it was to one of the quietest dinners she had ever been to.
"This chicken is absolutely fantastic Regina."
Regina's fork was in her mouth when Emma had broken the silence. Slowly retracting the fork from between her lips, she chewed the tender piece of meat inside and swallowed before bringing the napkin up to her lips.
"Thank you Miss Swan."
Regina smiled politely once she was at liberty to do so, the compliment surprising her. Facing Emma she missed her mother's disgust on watching her daughter being cordial with her nemesis.
"It is positively divine, my darling." Cora piqued up, making Regina's head swivel to Cora's side.
"Thank you mother, so glad you liked it."
Henry's head bobbed in between the three, waiting for his turn, "Yea mom, it's awesome. You make the best chicken."
Emma chuckled internally when she saw Regina flush at the wall of praises being built up. Regina looked down at her plate, going crimson at a rate that would put bashful to shame, "I'm so glad everyone likes it."
Emma didn't really have a choice not to smile then. When Regina had opened the door, Emma had thought she had never looked so beautiful, wearing her deep blue dress that fitted her like a glove. But it turned out, the only thing that could enhance her beauty was her disarming smile, the one she hid from the world, and Emma marvelled on being able to see hints of it in the room.
"Mom, you remember when you tried making spinach chicken once and it-"
"I've gotten better at it just so you know." Regina cut short Henry, earning a delighted chuckle from him. Hearing the pleasant sound, Regina smiled, basking in the pleasant dinner conversation she seemed to have found herself in.
"Would you like me to make it for you some time?"
Henry nodded fervently, but suddenly stilled, glancing at Emma, "I mean, if I can.. come.."
Emma, who'd been watching the exchange fondly, went pale on being put in the spot, "Yea k-kid, maybe we ca-"
"Of course boy, you can come here any time you want, it's your mother's home after all." Cora interrupted Emma's stuttering as she regarded the boy sweetly.
Regina's eye twitched as the sound of cutlery slipping out of Emma's hand echoed in the room; of course everything pleasant was short lived.
Emma almost growled as she looked at Cora, "Don't tell my son what to do."
"He is Regina's son if I'm not mistaken. Didn't you leave him to fend for himself when he hadn't even opened his eyes?"
"Mother", Regina gasped in horror, her eyes going from Henry's uncomfortable expression to her mother's angry one. Her hands covered Cora's, trying to urge her to back down. Cora in turn snapped at her as she retracted her hand with a jerk, "What? Who is this woman to tell my grandson when to visit his own mother?"
"I would never stop Henry from visiting his mother; it's his homicidal grandmother I am afraid of."
"Homicidal grandmother, do you mean the one you call Snow White?"
"Don't you dare drag my mother into this, she was just trying to protect her family."
"That boy is Regina's family, which you are forcing to stay away from her."
The voices grew louder as Emma kicked the chair back to stand up, "You are giving me parenting advice? You were ready to give up your daughter for a dagger."
"That was before-"
"Before your precious heart? I can so see how much you've changed since then."
Henry's head kept following the words, like a tennis match being played across the table. He looked to his front to his mom for help but the seat was vacant. Dread filled his small body as he hurriedly slid out of his own seat but before he could move away from the table, his eyes just caught the movement of the now-empty chair. On seeing Cora slam her hands palm-down, he realised they'd pretty much forgotten his presence in the room. So he took the chance, and crouched down. On lifting the veil of white he started on finding Regina on the floor. She was leaning on the ledges of the chair and had her forehead on her knees which remained hugged to her chest.
"Mom", his small voice broke her bubble as she looked up, "Henry?"
Henry crawled towards his mother, "Mom, what happened? Are you ok?"
The voices grew bigger outside the table, making Regina stiffen. Henry had never seen that particular expression in his mother's eyes before. And he could see she was trying to blink it away.
"Nothing sweetheart."
"Mom", he sighed tiredly, looking up through his hair like Regina should know better by know.
"Mommy, tell me."
"Uh", Mommy was soon becoming Regina's kryptonite, "I-It's, this used to happen, a lot, when I was younger."
Henry looked at her trying to figure out what she was saying when she felt her tense up as Cora raised her voice, "Nana used to shout?"
Regina nodded, her eyes started to lose focus, "Almost every night at daddy."
She slowly returned to the present when she felt two arms around her. Henry crawled onto her lap, his head falling naturally against her shoulder as he nestled into her neck. Regina shifted her back to one of the legs of the table and sighed.
"So what would you do when they would fight?"
"I would hide", her lips clamped up at the admission, partly in surprise partly in shame. But when she saw Henry looking at her with encouragement and not disgust like she would expect, she found the words flowing out more easily, "I'd hide and try to think of a happier memory."
"What was yours?"
"It used to be of me riding my horse." she smiled lightly.
"You ride?" Henry's eyebrows rose, his mind concocted an image of his mom in one of her power suits, sitting side-ways on a horse with crossed arms.
The surprise in his voice made her cough out a laugh, "No need to sound so shocked, didn't your-that book thing have pictures?"
Henry deflated slightly, but nodded. Regina was curious to his demeanour but saw it change as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Wait, you said 'used to', what is it now?"
"Well, now", she hesitated slightly, "it's the day I first got you."
"Well I am pretty special."
Regina allowed herself a grin, "And so modest too."
Henry chuckled. She caressed his forehead on the pretence of removing the short bangs falling over, "Henry, is this how you felt when Miss Swan and I would fight?"
"I don't think I remember you fighting like this, but." He lowered his head as he completed quietly, "It still bothered me."
"I am so sorry Henry, I did - I did a lot of things wrong. But I really want to do them right this time."
"Maybe it was just the wrong time you know." Henry shrugged with a practised countenance that mimicked Regina so well that she couldn't help but smile, "You are indeed a very special boy."
Regina and Henry kept talking softly, unaware that their low whispers were now the only sounds in that dining room. From the other end, two sets of eyes looked on in awe at the mother-son just being themselves. Emma could have stayed there forever but when she felt Cora leaving, she didn't know if it was to check on her or to give Regina some privacy, but she decided to follow the older woman.
...
The backyard was lit by a small lamp hung by the door. The first thing Emma noticed on shutting the door behind was her very old acquaintance, Regina's apple tree. The tree stood handsomely in moonlight, the leaves shaking in the cold breeze. She had heard how it had disappeared from the town hall the day Snow had taken over. She stood next to Cora who was seated on the first step of the porch, her eyes were trained on the same tree.
"Cora, look -"
"Did you ever wonder Sheriff", Cora spoke up at the same time, "how Regina is so good with that boy?"
Cora's face was hidden from her, but it was her tone that pierced through her defences. The solemn environment it managed to create made Emma consider replying when any other time she wouldn't have bothered to engage. Slender fingers hooked inside the belt loops as a coat-less Emma shuddered.
"Yes", she said, teetering for a second before sitting down, "So many times you know, after Henry started living with me. I thought since I never had parents, that was why I was uncomfortable being a mom."
Cora laughed then, her wrinkled face fell back coming in to the dim light, "And you thought Regina must have had a better role model. Oh Miss Swan, sometimes I wish she had your fate. I wish she never had parents."
Emma swallowed the lump lodged inside her throat. If she had not declined the glass of wine at the table, there was very little chance she wouldn't have retched in Regina's backyard. "Cora, you don't wish that. On anyone. You - believe me."
"Oh but Regina wasn't anyone dear sheriff. I, the things I said, the things I did. Do you know what it is like to see your child's face in pain, knowing you are causing it, and that knowledge has absolutely no influence on you."
It wasn't a surprise to her, Emma thought. She remonstrated herself that it definitely shouldn't be a surprise to her that Regina had a rough childhood. But it still made her blood run cold on hearing those words coming out of Cora's mouth.
"Are you - did you - Cora I swear to God.."
"Everything you can imagine I'm afraid I managed to do worst." Her voice dropped to a whisper then, "Ever since I've had this, this thing inside me, all these memories keep coming back in waves. It's like watching them suddenly with sound. And now I fully understand how the scene had unfurled then. But it's so different than how I remember it happening. I pushed, but I did it for her own good.. I just wanted Regina to excel in life. I was aware I was being strict but it felt - it felt justified. Now, now I feel like I don't know what to say around her, what if it uncovers another unpleasant memory?"
Emma lowered her heavy head, "Was that why she was upset today? Was that why you disappeared?"
"Yes. And you know where I went? I went to that infernal doctor. Do you hear me, I went to the person whose murder I framed on my daughter, to ask for help on how to be with the same."
Cora looked away then, leaving Emma to her worrisome thoughts. She drew in a long breath as she studied the older woman. Did she want to push her into a portal right now, yes. Did a small part of her know what Cora was going through, sadly and begrudgingly.. yes.
"You know when I gave up Henry for adoption, I never thought I'd get a second chance to be his mother. I'd-", she chuckled slightly, "Funnily enough, I'd even dream that one day my parents would find me but never that I'd be in Henry's life again. But it happened. And I was scared, terrified, that he would never forgive me for giving him up." Cora turned her head towards her and Emma continued, "I really wanted to run at first, but Henry does take after Regina in more ways than one, you know. He was persistent and I stayed. And it was the hardest decision of my life. But it was worth it because in the end I got a chance to know a very special boy and I got to make myself a part of his family."
"You have that chance now, but you having a heart doesn't mean you get a free pass." Emma wiped her face in exhaustion; she never expected a heart to heart with Cora Mills of all people. But this was what she would have appreciated to hear last year, "You need to be strong for Regina, because she needs you to be. I know you may think it's not true but she believes in you. And Henry believes in you. And their happiness means more than anything in the world to me."
"What are you implying, that I don't want her happiness?"
Cora's hardened features overshadowed the semblance of vulnerability she had witnessed just moments ago. But determined, Emma met her steely gaze and asked, "Do you love her?"
She saw Cora nearly splutter at the question, "Excuse me?"
"Regina, do you love her?"
"Of course I love her. What sort of-" her words died suddenly when they heard a panicked scream.
"Emma."
It was faint at first but it grew louder, accompanied by the sound of opening and closing of doors.
"Emma."
"Emma."
Both women got up only in time as Regina opened the door, stopping herself before she almost ran into them. Her chest was heaving and she slumped back against the door, "Oh. You're- you're both here", she breathed heavily, trying to compose herself.
"What did you think Regina?" Cora asked, so quiet that her voice was almost not audible outside Regina's breathing.
Regina's eyes were trying to stay at Cora but kept flitting to Emma. Emma was confused to say the least, she excused herself and went past Regina to call for Henry.
Henry and Emma waited by the door step but were heavily disappointed when only Cora came to wish Henry goodnight. Regina had retreated to her room, and judging by the curious side stare he gave Emma, he suspected something worse must have happened in the backyard. She just mouthed 'let's talk later' to him. After wishing his nana goodnight, Henry walked to the car leaving Emma alone with Cora. Emma smiled at the boy and turned to Cora, "So, I hope after today-" The door slammed on her face making her physically recoil back a step.
"What the fuck" Emma's eyes widened before they narrowed, "what a bitch", she grumbled under her breath as she moved away from the door.
On reaching the gate she looked back one last time and she could have sworn she saw Henry's curtain move.
Cora Mills was definitely not going to get any sleep tonight.
She had been pacing around her bedroom for the past hour. Regina had retired without so much so a word. And that had happened second night in a row. For a brief moment, when she had met her son, she had hoped there would a change. But that blasted saviour. All Cora had wanted was for the two of them to start over. And Regina had been so ready earlier. And the kid, the kid was a surprisingly happy addition. But why must he have an accessory attached to him, an annoying and redundant accessory. She couldn't stand the idea of more dinners with Eva's grand-daughter gallivanting in her house. She didn't want to stay stuck in this pit hole of vengeance but someone out there was truly testing her patience.
Cora stopped pacing as she sat down on her bed, taking a cushion in her hands to occupy them. That saviour was not only trying to limit the boy's presence in Regina's life but had the audacity to question Cora's love for her daughter. A low groan left her mouth in anguish from the shame of baring herself like so, revealing her short-comings in front of that imbecile only to have some good-people gibberish thrown her way. How could she comment on her willingness to stay strong for Regina? Cora could go till the ends of the earth for her daughter. Even without her heart she had always looked out for her. Now it was accompanied by warmth she had never believed she would have the capacity to feel for another human being, even when she had her heart. She would take corrective measures, Cora thought. She got up and the now-tattered cushion rolled off of her lap and came to rest near the vanity table on the floor.
Sleep was a tease to Emma that night. She checked the time, 1:36, fifteen minutes since she last checked. She tossed and turned around in her bed to get more comfortable and more importantly trying to block out Cora's earlier words. Focusing on only the blackness that surrounded her once she shut her eyes, Emma finally felt sleep approaching. She had almost reached the brink on unconsciousness but that was ripped away from her when she felt a cold hand on her chest.