The afternoon sun glimmered off the still wet streets of Storybrook. The smell of rain was still in the air and Emma parked her shining yellow bug along the curb outside of Granny's. It was past her usual lunch time and she was starving. Most of the lunch rush was over and a good parking space was easy to find. When she got inside the few patrons remaining were settling their tabs. She took a seat at the bar and Granny gave her a quick nod.
"The usual?"
"Please, thank you."
"I gotta make a new pot of coffee," she said, making her way from behind the counter.
"I'm fine with a diet coke. Busy lunch?"
"Just a bit. For some reason rain makes no one want to cook." She went over to a table and gave the customer change on their bill and patted the old man on the back as he made his way to the door.
"I heard you were at Bill's accident scene," she said, coming back to the counter. "Kid!," she hollered back into the kitchen, "These tables need busing!"
"Yea, any news?" she asked anxiously.
"He's in a coma, medically induced they said. So far that's all I know. How are you holding up? I heard you were a little shook up." She grabbed a glass off the rack and chucked some ice in it.
Had it been so obvious? Emma cleared her throat and shifted on the stool. "I'm fine. It just hit me hard, I've been…" She looked around the diner to ensure no one could hear her but she still lowered her voice and leaned a bit across the counter. "Can I tell you something in confidence?" she asked.
"Normally I would say yes but with you bunch there's always some curse or magic trouble involved. Is this just normal personal information?"
"Yes,"
"In that case yes, go ahead."
"I've been thinking about having another kid, and you know, the wreck and everything spooked me a bit."
Granny set the soda in front of her. "Hmmm. Well, Henry is getting older and your mother will have hand me downs a plenty from Neal."
"Oh God," Emma said, rolling her eyes. "Regina is not going to let the baby wear hand me downs from Snow of all people. She thinks her taste is horrendous."
Granny narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow. "Ok, I'm confused. Where does Regina fit into this?"
Emma knew how weird this was going to sound so she stumbled with her response. "I asked her to…um, you know, be the father—mother, other parent. We're pretty good together…with Henry. I found this spell, and I thought why not?" All through her stammering explanation she felt Granny was looking at her like a door to door vacuum salesmen trying to pass off last year's model. "It was something I was kinda thinking about anyway and I didn't get to raise Henry. I was too young and stupid anyway at that time but now I'm wiser—I hope—and kinda settled. Ok, why are you looking at me like that?"
Granny just hummed a little, "Mmmmm hmmmmm," and took the ticket for Emma's order back to the kitchen. When she came back she set her hands on the counter and leaned forward a bit. "Ok, I'm gonna just be honest with you. This is all getting kinda ridiculous with you two."
"What is?"
"All of this…" she gestured in frustration, "Dancing around the ogre in the room. Elephant in the room, whatever. Young lady, I would bet everything in my register at this very moment that if the pirate was still around there would be no talk of babies with him."
"Well, probably not because he was clearly…"
"Clearly not the one for you. But Regina…"
"But Regina what?" Her heart was racing and she felt incredibly nervous.
"Emma," she sighed. "You fit together, like pieces of a puzzle. You're not just the Savior, you're her Savior. And you know it."
There it was, out in the open. Emma closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Maybe she had just needed to hear it from someone else to make it tangible but now it was like something was shattered open, and it was making her ears ring. Her stomach buzzed with nervous energy and her appetite was suddenly gone.
"Are you okay?" Granny asked, touching her hand gently.
Emma opened her eyes and nodded. "Yea, yea I'm okay. Thank you for being honest with me, I needed," she cleared her throat and wiped at her eyes. "Needed to hear it."
"I'm glad I could help. It will be okay, just be honest, that's all you can do. Since you clearly needed a kick in the butt maybe she does too, I don't know. I will happily deliver that kick if you would like."
"No," she waved her hand, "That's ok. I have a lot to think about."
Granny sighed. "Well, I will say one thing. That baby will be the cutest this town has ever seen. Good gravy, you are a handsome pair!"
Emma gave her a lopsided smile and felt a bit of her appetite return.
A couple days later Emma was taking a complaint from the Blue about dog droppings in front of the church when her phone buzzed with a text. She knew it was from Regina, it seemed like she could feel it through her magic when the mayor was trying to reach her, almost like a slight ping, like in sonar. She continued to listen to Blue rail on as they sat in her office.
"I know it's those…wolves, Sheriff. Let's just say there is a lot of bad blood there," Blue said, her hands resting primly on the dark wooden desk she sat behind.
"Look," Emma sighed, "I am not going to go ticket Ruby or Granny for shitting in your yard. There are plenty of other, regular…dog suspects."
"Have it DNA tested then," she said. "And I don't appreciate your choice of language," she added icily.
"No, I'm not using our limited resources to DNA test dog shit." She watched as Blue's lips became a thin pale line and she struggled with her anger. "If you think its the wolves, then maybe you go and have a talk with them. If you want me to facilitate a meeting, I will be happy to do so."
Blue snorted and leaned back in her chair, folding her arms over her blue sweater.
"I'm going to take that as a no." Emma stood from the old wooden chair she had been seated in. "If you change your mind you know where to reach me." She turned to go but was stopped by Blue's voice.
"You are nothing like your mother. You're far more her…creature. It was a mistake to allow her to tutor you in magic."
Emma stopped and turned, her hand resting on the doorknob. She could feel the rage building in her. "Oh really? And I suppose you would have been a better choice?"
"Anyone would have been a better choice," she snapped.
"I'm no one's creature, Blue. But I would rather be hers than yours any day." She slammed out of the office and out of the church. She waited until she was on the steps and had taken a few deep gulps of fresh air before checking her phone. If she was still the Dark One she would burn the place to the ground.
[ Please come by my office at lunch if you are available]
{Should I bring food?} she replied as she walked back to her cruiser.
[Yes please] came the quick response.
She arrived at the Mayor's office with lunch in tow around noon. She noted Regina must have been hungry because she ate her lunch quickly before getting down to business. Emma sat with her chair pulled up to the mayor's desk, nibbling on her grilled cheese and fries.
Regina opened a compact black planner on the desk in front of her and turned it so Emma could see the calendar.
"Seven days after the new moon, that is when the spell can be used. There is a three day window from that time, then it closes and you have to wait for the next new moon. The new moon was this past Friday, so this upcoming Friday is the first day we can try the spell."
Emma looked up from the calendar at Regina, who sat across the desk from her.
"So…does this mean you're in? We're going to do this?" Her heart was hammering on her chest and she looked hopefully at Regina.
"I'm in Swan."
Emma shot up from her chair with a squeal and went around the desk. She wasn't sure if Regina got up from her chair or she pulled her up from it and grabbed her up in a hug.
"I'm so happy, you have no idea," she said against her cheek.
Regina tried to keep them both anchored just a bit by being the reasonable one. "There's still a good chance this won't work, Emma. "
Emma pulled away from her and gave her a wounded look that made Regina want to backtrack quickly.
"But we'll try…we'll try."
The smile returned and Emma cupped Regina's face in her hands. She was about to lean in when the phone on Regina's desk buzzed irritatingly, knocking her out of the moment. She dropped her hands to her side and looked at it in irritation.
"That can wait," Regina said quickly.
"I gotta run anyway, I told myself that the first thing I would do is get a physical to make sure I am totally ready to go." She grabbed her jacket from the chair but returned quickly to kiss Regina on the cheek.
"Thank you, I…you won't regret it."
Regina watched Emma fly out the door and wondered why she wanted the blonde to stay just a bit longer.
"Because you've lost your mind," she muttered to herself, sitting back down at her desk.
