It was two weeks until Emma saw Regina again. She of course had seen her around town, since Storybrooke was only so big and they did have some overlap with their jobs. They cordially nodded at each other in passing at Granny's, both attended the community meeting in the middle of the month, and they spoke briefly on the phone regarding city matters. It was by all accounts a miracle that they had been so civil with one another for so long. Emma was becoming cautiously optimistic about the whole thing.
Emma considered the dinner they shared had been a success. She had seen a side of Regina underneath her frosty attitude and assumed callousness. Her peek into the life that she shared with Henry had warmed her to the woman. The people that had been entrusted with caring for Emma when she was a child had been lacking to say the least. She was a meal ticket, free labor, a scapegoat; whatever they needed use the little girl for. Generally she had nothing that belonged to her except the a few ill-fitting clothes in a small shabby suitcase and the baby blanket she managed to hold onto; a testament that someone had once cared enough to make sure she was warm. That was, before they abandoned her in a forest.
But all that was behind her Emma had to remind herself and shove aside the old hurt that blossomed in her chest. Henry though, he had everything she could have wanted for him. He had a room full of toys and clothes and a bed all his own. More importantly he had stability, some who loved him day in and day out. Knowing that replaced her pain and filled her with the closest thing to contentment she felt in a while.
The blonde also found a new respect for Regina who had to be a mother and father, disciplinarian and caregiver. She could only imagine how deep the woman's strength went underneath her designer suits and admittedly faultless beauty. Anyone could see the brunette was not to be trifled with but could they comprehend the complexities that she was made of? For the sheriff, she caught a glimpse through the looking glass and now craved another look.
If she were honest with herself, Regina frequently was the center of her thoughts recently. However she refused to analyze the implication of that any further than vague recognition of something that could never happen.
"Sheriff Swan."
"Regina, I mean, Madam Mayor." Her eyes widened in momentary surprise.
"Do you always just stare at your breakfast or do you actually eat it?" The older woman caught her once again at Granny's pushing around the scrabbled eggs and toast she had ordered. The bacon disappeared off of her plate first before she spaced out and lost motivation to eat. It was rather out of character for her to just leave the food sit; her habit of inhaling her meals from the foster system was hard to break. "You know you have to consume your food, correct? You can't absorb the nutrients through your eyeballs."
"I've had a lot on my mind I guess." She gave a self-deprecating smile and tossed her paper napkin over the meal instead focusing on her coffee, wrapping her hands around the warm mug. "Ruby, can we get another cup off coffee?"
She waved down the vibrant waitress who flashed a grin of recognition. She gestured to the seat across from her and Regina sat herself on the red vinyl cushion of the chair not objecting to the presumption. "What's up?"
"Are you available tonight?"
"Sure. Available for what?" She hoped that perhaps she would get another dinner invite. Ruby whisked by, setting a steaming cup of coffee in front of Regina then topping off Emma's before breezing away to keep up with the morning rush. She watched the older woman dump a modest amount of sugar from the shaker, and skipped the cream all together. Her spoon slowly stirred the black liquid, never clinking against the ceramic edge.
"I need to work late tonight and I don't have anyone to sit with Henry."
"You want me to watch him? I mean, of course I will. I'd love to. Help out that is." Emma abruptly stopped talking when she realized she had taken to rambling. She took a nip of her coffee and winced at the bitter taste. She took the sugar shaker to pour in more of the sweet granules longer than necessary. Ignoring the judgmental arch of Regina's brow, she swirled in a touch more cream too. Her spoon splashed the caramel colored concoction over the rim onto her fingers.
"Can you pick him up from school at 3:30?"
Emma nodded, unthinkingly sucking her digits into her mouth to clean the coffee from them, and then said, "Yeah, I can bring him back with me. Mary Margret comes home around-"
"I would prefer you take Henry back to my house. He has a key." Regina interrupted.
"No problem." She conceded, noting the tightness in her voice and tension gathering in her brow.
The brunette took a moment to drink her coffee before daintily lower the mug looking calm once again, "I just have some difference of opinion with Ms. Blanchard on how to handle Henry and I don't want her influencing him outside the classroom."
"I get it. We'll go to your house. You don't need to explain." Emma didn't really understand the mistrust bordering on hatred that Regina held for the rather innocuous schoolteacher but it wasn't her place to question it.
"Thank you." She sighed. Emma could see the walls building back up, the aristocratic, cool gaze that was her default setting slid into place. She was getting used to the rhythm that between herself and Regina, one-step forward then two steps back. She had been worried she unintentionally ruined everything after their dinner when she had dared to press the boundaries. She just wanted Regina to know that she didn't have any ulterior motives or schemes. She was grateful for any time that she got to spend with Henry, the little boy she thought she would never get to know. Ever since she had come to Storybrooke, it felt like she was living on borrowed time. Whenever her life was going well, it felt like borrowed time; a minor reprieve before it all went to hell again.
Emma abruptly stopped her line of thought, focusing on the conversation at hand, "How long do you need me for?"
"I won't be finished until 9 maybe 9:30. Is that alright?"
"That's fine. I don't have any plans."
"Will you be able to feed him?" Regina asked refraining from adding a snide comment that Emma appreciated.
"I was thinking I'd just bring him here. If that's okay."
"That's fine as long as you don't teach him your vacantly staring at your meal technique." She smirked.
The blonde gave a short laugh, "I'll make sure he chews and swallows."
"Thank you for doing this on such short notice."
"No problem. Do you have to work late often?"
"On the occasion."
"Who normally watches Henry?"
"Miss Lucas can usually come by but she informed me she has a date with a mechanic. Why one wants to date a mechanic is beyond me." Ruby had also excitedly tittered to Emma about her upcoming date with Gus from the car shop. She didn't point out the Gus was barely even a mechanic; he mostly just ran the tow truck, which she assumed held even less esteem by Regina's estimation.
"Well let me know if you need a babysitter in the future. I'm usually free." Always free, she corrected herself in her head seeing as her only friend was an elementary teacher who wore literal bunny slippers around the apartment and was promptly in bed by 8:30 with a glass of warm milk.
"I'll keep that in mind. I need to be going." Regina reached for her purse and had her pocketbook half pulled out.
"Don't worry about paying. I got it." The mayor froze, seeming like she was contemplating on rejecting the offer, but ultimately dropped her wallet back into the depths of her bag.
"Much obliged Sheriff." Emma's eyes followed her curved form that practically slinked out of the restaurant like femme fatale in one of those old spy films. The blonde bit her lip, unable to deny the appeal she saw there. She let out a long breath.
The dinner had been a success but she was by no means out of the woods yet.
/
Henry had been ecstatic to see her when she picked him up from school. Emma might have been a little too excited as well. She let him convince her to go to the playground where they goofed around until the sun started to dip low in the sky and Henry proclaimed he was hungry. She rushed them to Granny's where they ate cheeseburgers and fries then spilt an ice cream sundae.
When Emma finally got Henry home, she realized the importance of routine for children. The boy was used to already having his homework done and playing his videogames after dinner but that was not the case tonight. He groaned and dragged his feet before the blonde could convince him to sit at the dining room table and get his assignments done. Fortunately for the both of them Mary Margret had not given out much work. He knocked it out with just enough time left to persuade Emma to lose a few races to him on the game system.
It was 8:49, only a little passed his normal bedtime, when she managed to tuck him in. After goodnights were said and the blonde returned to the main level, she realized how exhausted she was. A new appreciation for Regina on her ever growing list was discovered, knowing that the woman had raised Henry on her own all these years on top of running an entire town. She lowered her tired body onto the couch, feeling the relief radiating from her bones was verging on painful. Her work day had been a bit more strenuous than usual she tried to console herself, a pipe burst in the basement of the Sheriff's station and she spent her afternoon lugging upstairs heavy boxes of files, documents, and evidence to try and save them. All the crates were now stacked around her desk and some had been put in the cells. It was a proper mess and she dreaded having to deal with it tomorrow.
So the minor crisis that doubled as in impromptu workout, coupled with romping around with Henry for hours, left her muscles sore and worn. She slouched further into the sofa, reveling in its comfort. She glanced at the TV in front of her, thinking of switching the device on, but decided against it. Cable was a luxury she had become accustomed to living without. Even as an adult she avoided watching television. Sitting in front of the box in her own apartment just embittered her, since most of her foster parents spent their time glued to the flashing pictures on the screen. She couldn't understand how anyone could care about the contrived soap operas or cars endlessly driving in a circle more than a child in your home.
Besides that, Emma was not completely comfortable in the mayoral mansion, figuring that with her luck if she stepped near the electronic it might send sparks flying. Regina's house was immaculate, like a museum with all its priceless artifacts sitting proudly in their rightful place. The blonde did not belong amongst all of the elegant furniture and pristine trimmings as she wore jeans with fresh grass stains on the knees from tousling around in the park. She had always been a bit of a rough and tumble kind of girl, mostly out of necessity. Nice, demur little girls didn't survive in the places she had come from.
She started when she heard the front door snap open and the sound of some entering suddenly filled the quiet space. Her eyes found the clock on the mantle and saw it was nearly ten. Emma hadn't realized she had been just sitting there for so long. Recently her thoughts were drawn to her own childhood, a topic she generally left alone. She supposed it couldn't be helped when faced with her own son's childhood and his mother. She was constantly comparing the differences and was glad to find his was never lacking.
Her muscles protested as she stood but she pushed through, moving to greet Regina in the foyer. The brunette was toeing off her shoes, her coat already hung up, as Emma entered, "Hey."
"Hello." Her voice was raspier from disuse.
"You look tired." Emma noted how her mouth was drawn into a thin line, dark circles were beginning to loom underneath her eyes, and her shoulder drooped wearily. She sighed.
"I close my eyes and I still see numbers. But the budget reports are finished at least until next quarter. I could use a drink. Looks like you could use one too." The brunette appraised Emma's stiff form as well. "Come on, I've got whiskey in the decanter."
Emma didn't verbally reply. She simply followed Regina into her study, taking her normal spot on the sofa. Her eyes tracked the other woman's movements as she tucked her briefcase behind her desk and glided over to the liquor cabinet. She did not bother with ice tonight, rather poured twin glasses of whiskey neat. She handed off the drink to Emma as she passed to take her seat in the leather armchair.
Both women were silent for a spell, content to sip the expensive liquor. The amber liquid coated her mouth, making her feel like she was drinking honey and fire. The burning sweetness seeped down her throat and settled in her stomach. She could already feel the affects of the alcohol heating up her cheeks; one of the drawbacks of having such pale skin was the rosy glow she got from drinking. Finally Regina broke the quiet, "How was Henry?"
"He was great. He's a great kid."
The brunette nodded, deciding not to press for more specific information or perhaps too tired to do so. Emma seemingly continued off topic, "A pipe burst at the station today."
Regina slipped her eyes shut in apparent dismay, "Are you telling me the sheriff's office needs more money? Why didn't you call me?"
She could easily hear the groan of frustration from the mayor, the blonde realized the misunderstanding as she rapidly clarified, "No, no. I was just saying… that's why I'm so tired. Not Henry, well not completely Henry. I was carrying boxes and boxes of paperwork from the basement all afternoon."
Regina not pacified. "How bad was the flooding?"
"It could have been worse." Emma shrugged. Had she not been there to hear the awful clanging the breaking pipe made, the foundation could have spent the better part of the day turning into an indoor swimming pool. "Marco got there pretty quick. He put a temporary fix on it until tomorrow and he helped me clean up the water for the most part."
"Was there a lot of damage?"
"Nothing structural. I found a couple of dehumidifiers and have them running so it should help the rest of the basement dry out."
"Is it expensive to fix?"
"It's not cheap but I checked the funding and the money is there. We just won't be hiring a deputy for another month or two. Or three."
"Sounds like you have the situation under control."
Emma blinked surprised that Regina had been able to admit it, "I guess I do."
"You still should have called me." At this Emma rolled her eyes; that had lasted all of a second. The woman was incapable of giving up an ounce of control.
"And have you do what? Come down to the station to help me carry files upstairs?" Her mind conjured up the ridiculous image of Regina lugging heavy, cardboard cartons around while teetering in her high heels and pencil skirt. Emma knew they were heavy from experience and the current ache in her biceps. For the endeavor, she had shed her suede boots, refusing for them to become a causality to the puddles of water as she worked barefoot with her jeans rolled up to keep the fabric dry. The labor forced her to strip to her tank top and catch her curls up in a haphazard ponytail, though it did little to prevent the sheen of perspiration to develop over her skin. She was sure she looked a mess, a state that she could hardly imagine the perfectly tailored mayor in. Emma scoffed, "If I had called and interrupted you, you'd still be at the office right now."
"That's besides the point. I'm your employer. I need to be kept apprised of these things."
"Well, I'm telling you now." Emma snipped back.
"And I'm telling you to contact me when something happens." Regina glared in that intimidating way when she was trying, and succeeding, to get someone to back down.
"Jesus Regina, it wasn't a big deal." She huffed.
"And if something happened to Henry, you'd just tell me after the fact? Whenever it's convenient for you?" She bristled.
"Is that what we are fighting about?" The question slipped from her mouth and was only met with stony silence. The blonde took a calming breath. She had nearly forgotten how quickly she could fall into these little spats with Regina after the almost month long truce that had tentatively taken place between them. But now they were both tired and frayed, making it easy to accidently pull the wrong thread. She considered her words carefully.
"Look if something happened to Henry, god forbids, I would call you first thing. I would never leave you out of something like that. You're his mother." She took a pause to gather courage, liquid courage as she finished off her whiskey, before looking back to the woman across from her. "I'm just not used to having to answer to anyone. You know I've pretty much spent my life on the move but… I want to be here now. I want to try this time."
Emma watched as Regina quietly considered her, her gaze was intense but she was more captivated than unsettled by it. The room was dimly lit, just the soft glow of the desk lamp kept them from complete darkness. It was difficult to tell what exact emotions were flickering through the brown eyes that bore into her. Behind the intimidation tactic, Emma thought she saw something more a flash of acceptance or, dare she believe, approval. The next heartbeat it all vanished though as Regina stood, finishing off her drink and moving to make another. With her back towards Emma she finally spoke, "I'm not used to answering to or relying on anyone either. I've been doing this alone for quite some time."
The younger woman didn't dare speak as Regina slowly turned back around, taking the crystal carafe with her. She hovered near Emma for a moment, carefully picking up her hand that was wrapped around her tumbler and gave her another healthy three-finger pour. Emma swallowed hard as the mayor invaded her personal space and she was unable to ignore how surprisingly gentle and warm her fingers were overtop her own, how her alluring red lips quirked up ever-so-slightly in a charmed smile, how her curves dipped and played like the shadows in the room.
But then she was retreating again, setting the decanter lazily on the mahogany coffee table as she returned to her seat. The blonde didn't trust herself to speak properly, the affects of alcohol and Regina's appeal left her tongue tied so she kept her mouth shut. The mayor delicately cleared her throat after another bout of companionable silence passed between them. "I was thinking, perhaps some afternoons, Henry could spend some time with you. As long as it doesn't interfere with his studies."
She spoke slowly and carefully. Emma felt hope rising in her, her thoughts sharply refocusing on the meaning of the words. "Yes, I'd really like that. I'd love that."
"I'd like you to meet in public places, the diner or playground. Things of that nature."
"Anything you want." Honestly, it made her feel unpleasant. Like she was a deadbeat parent who only got supervised visits with their child. It reminded her once when she was in a group home, one of the girls had a mother who lost custody until she could kick her heroine habit. She had tagged along once when the mother came to visit. They had gone to get ice cream with her caseworker that sat an indiscreet distance away while the girls ate their cones and the mother chain-smoked and nervously shook her leg the whole time. It had been depressing but Emma would take any time she could get.
"And have him home by 5:30 at the latest."
"I can do that."
"Not every night mind you. Just once a week to start." Emma liked that this implied that she might be granted access to more time.
"Thank you. For giving me the opportunity."
"I'm still… adjusting to this whole thing. To you I mean."
"Hey, I get it. I am too. When the kid showed up at my apartment in Boston, I nearly had a melt down. Sometimes I still think about having a melt down." She gave a short humorless laugh, tipping her head back so it rests against the back of the couch at an almost uncomfortable angle.
"How do you not melt down? How do you keep it together when it feels like everything is falling apart?" Emma snapped her head back up at the question. She looked to find Regina staring intently at her once again, waiting for an answer that she wasn't sure she had. She started thoughtfully.
"Well, for me, I just think this isn't the worst mess I've gotten into. I've been in some pretty low places in my life, felt like I was never going to get out from underneath it all… but I did. So when I get scared or overwhelmed, I remind myself to take it one day at a time, you know? It's been worse." She'd been abused and scared, homeless and hungry, heartbroken and in prison. She wanted to tell Regina these things but couldn't get the words out. Another pause.
"Thank you… for the insight, Ms. Swan." Regina said without a bit of sarcasm. Emma grinned with a hint of pride tugging in the corners.
"So are you saying I'm not the worst thing that's ever happened to you?" She asked teasingly, quickly and willingly forgetting about her past for the time being.
Regina guffawed as she spoke into her glass to take a long swig, "Don't flatter yourself dear."
The sheriff didn't know if that meant yes or no, but she was willing to press her luck. "I think I'm growing on you. I think you secretly like me."
"The notion that I like you is preposterous. You might however have one redeeming quality…" Regina's eyes dangerously roamed her figure in a way that made her skin heat up at the implications. Emma's heart sped up, her tongue darting out to lick her lips, an act that the brunette watched with rapt attention. She didn't understand how her body was reacting this way to only a look from this gorgeous woman.
Finally she found her voice again, "Oh and what's that?"
Her attempts to sound causal were undermined by the rough quality of her tone. Regina smirked, "I do find you… aesthetically pleasing."
"Like one of your trinkets on the shelf?" She asked the measured question, trying to gauge what exactly Regina was trying to accomplish by revealing this fact.
"No dear. You're much too pretty to be left on a shelf." Her reply was vague but the way she purred with a feral grin let on more than anything she could have said.
"I- I don't like being toyed with Regina." Emma was still hedging on caution, though she knew Regina could see right through it. She was sure her cheeks were flushed and her pupils dilated to drink in every nuance of the mayor. The brunette chuckled low in her throat, not answering, instead rising slowly and sauntering over to the couch. She sat unnecessarily close to the sheriff who remained passive as Regina plucked her nearly empty tumbler from her loose grip and set it aside on the coffee table. Her hand came to rest against Emma's thigh as she gradually leaned in, giving her a chance to stop the action. Their faces were so close now; the blonde desperately wanted to surge forward and finally capture those infuriating lips in a burning kiss.
However Regina turned her head so her mouth was just by Emma's ear as she practically whispered, "You aren't a toy. Think of it rather as playing together."
Her breathing hitched as she felt full lips brush against her jaw, like flower petals tickling her skin. Regina took this as the green light and boldly began kissing down her neck, her tongue painting enticing patterns down her throat that left her feeling light headed.