"Ma!" Henry smiled broadly as he ran over to where Emma stood waiting for him at the end of the front of the schoolyard. "I didn't know you were picking me up today." She gave him a little smile, hoping he wouldn't be able to catch on that anything was out of the ordinary. But, as he neared her, his face dropped. "What's wrong?"
She rolled her eyes. Of course he would notice. He was the most perceptive boy she'd ever seen. "Nothing, kid. I just had a busy day."
"Did something happen?" His inquisitive eyes looked up at her with concern. "Did something happen with the town? Did some one get hurt." He frowned deeply. "Did Mom do something?"
She winced a little, her heart suddenly very heavy at the fact that now, every time he found out something was amiss with the town, that last question was one he always asked. "No, nothing like that. I promise I was just busy. I was doing a little research on the family."
"Really?" His eyes lit up as they walked to the car. "Did you find anything interesting out? Are we related to other fairytale characters? Is the Little Mermaid my cousin?"
She chuckled. "Not that kind of research, and I don't think I want to know if we're related to mermaids. I don't even like to swim." She opened the car door for him, and he climbed in.
He waited patiently for her to get in and start the car before he tilted his head to the side and asked again, "So, what did you find out about?"
She gave another shrug. "Boring stuff. Hey, what do you think about us picking up a pizza and taking it back to Regina's?"
"I think she doesn't like pizza," he said with a frown. "She says it's bad for you."
Emma scrunched her face up. "She's no fun. Hold on a second." She pulled over and parked the car before taking out her cell. After a few seconds, she began to speak to the person on the other end of the line while Henry watched her. "Hey, before you hang up or tell me no… or both just hear me out, okay? What? No! Why do you always have to turn it into something like that? No, listen, I was thinking that I could bring dinner tonight. What do you mean you don't trust me?" Emma ignored Henry's chuckle. "Oh, come on! It's one night of something… What? Yeah, how did you know? Really?No, I'm just surprised, that's all. From where? Yeah, no, I'll go get it, and Henry and I'll be there in a little bit. Yeah, I'll tell him. Bye."
With a roll of her eyes and a frustrated grunt, she chunked her phone down into the cup holder of her car. "So Regina says you have to finish all your homework tonight before bed if we're going to eat pizza for dinner."
He frowned but his eyes sparkled with excitement. "Okay."
They were quiet a for a moment, before Emma asked in a confused voice. "Hey, kid, did you know your mom likes bacon on her pizza?"
"Seriously?" was the only response she received.
"We're here, and we come back victoriously bearing pizza," Emma stepped inside the mansion behind Henry, closing the front with her foot as her eyes caught and held Regina's. The blonde smirked. "One pizza, half pepperoni and half hamburger and bacon."
"I hardly think you can justify saying you're 'victorious' simply because you've brought in pizza," Regina said as she strolled over to take the pizza box from the other woman. "However, I'm pleasantly surprised to see you at least picked up the right order. Why don't you and Henry wash up for dinner while I get the plates ready?"
"Plates?" Emma hurriedly followed the brunette into the kitchen with Henry at her heels. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no." She blocked the path to the cabinet containing the plates. "You do not eat pizza on plates."
Regina raised an eyebrow. "And how do you propose we eat pizza, Ms. Swan? Off the floor?"
The younger woman gave it mock thought as she began to answer sarcastically, "Well, maybe. I've been known to eat it off floor after a really long night of," she glanced around to see Henry intently listening, and she suddenly stopped talking. "Never mind. My point is that you eat pizza with your hands and possibly a paper towel. Part of the fun of eating pizza is getting a little messy."
Regina rolled her eyes and looked from the sheriff to her son, who were both giving her the same pained and pleading expression. "Fine, but if you make a mess anywhere in my house, Ms. Swan, you will be cleaning it up. The same goes for you, Henry."
"Okay," they responded at the same time.
While Regina handed the pizza out on paper towels, Henry climbed onto a stool at the island and settled down. "Hey, Mom?" He spoke around a bite of pizza. "What's that music playing?"
In her haste to get cleaned up before anyone else came to her home, Regina had forgotten about the music playing from the speakers strategically placed throughout the house. She looked up as if she could physically see the music and, after a few seconds, she answered as casually as she was able, "That is "Defying Gravity" from the musical Wicked, and don't eat with your mouthful, Henry."
He ducked his head and swallowed quickly. "Sorry. Is that the story about the Wicked Witch of the West?"
"She wasn't really wicked," Regina snapped back before she could stop herself. She quickly glanced up to the sheriff was giving her an amused expression. Clearing her throat, the older woman explained in a more gentle voice, "She allowed everyone around her to think she was wicked because it was what was best for the greatest number of people; it was easiest. It's all a little complicated, but, to answer your question, yes. It's the story about Elphaba Thropp."
Emma snorted, unable to hold her chuckle at bay. "Of course you would have the soundtrack to Wicked."
"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't patronize me, Ms. Swan." Regina began to clean up from their dinner. "I've had enough confrontations from your family in my home for one day."
Suddenly serious, the blonde narrowed her eyes. "What happened?"
"I had a visit from your mother while you were at work and Henry at school," the other woman answered as she finished picking up. "Henry, don't you think it's time to go do your homework?"
The young boy's head snap around to look at his mother as he realized he was being sent away to keep him out of the loop. He began to protest, but Emma cut in with her best authoritative voice, "You better get on it, kid. I know you have a lot of homework to do tonight."
Realizing he was out manned, he hung his head and shuffled out of the kitchen and to his bedroom to do his work and then go to bed.
Once the kitchen was cleaned and they were alone, Regina calmly pulled two wine glasses out and a bottle of white from the wine chiller under the counter top. She carefully poured both glasses, replaced the bottle, and turned with a glass in each hand. She extended one, offering it to the Sheriff. "Trust me, you're going to want this."
Emma cautiously reached out and took the offered wine. "That bad?"
"Let's just your mother is very lucky that I'm refraining from both the use of magic and my impulse to kill her every time I see her," Regina answered before she turned and strolled toward her study.
The blonde watched her go before taking a long drink from the glass. She steeled herself and walked into the study to find Regina reclining on the sofa. Emma took a chair across from the brunette, and, settling in, she took a deep breath. With a steadier voice than she felt, she said, "Tell me everything."
"Oh," the brunette replied, her voice practically purring, "I intend to."
A/N FFN ate this chapter, and I had to rewrite the whole thing from scratch (because my backup copy was messed up, too). So, if you are rereading this and it seems a little different, that's why. If this is your first reading, gratz! I think you got a better deal. I like how this one turned out much more. ;-) LoL
