A/N: I know it's been ages. My apologies. I've been writing a multi-chapter SQ Christmas fic and that's been dominating most of my time (Home for the Holidays...feel free to check it out if you haven't already! The last chapter will be up today.) But to make up for it, here's one of the longest updates in this verse to date...A little Christmas chapter with family fluff and a little drama. And this is perfect timing, since this chapter literally begins on the afternoon of Christmas Eve :)
Sunday, December 24, 4pm
"I can't believe you're making me do this," Emma said to Regina as she tripped on the snow. She reached out a hand to catch herself, but instead it sank into a foot of snow, burying her arm up to her elbow. Regina chuckled as she watched the blonde struggle. "You know, instead of laughing at me, you could help."
"I could…but this is far more entertaining," she commented, watching Emma as she tried to right herself. "Right now I'm having a really hard time believing you get paid to be graceful for a living. I just don't see it." As Emma finally made her way to standing, she held up one hand in the air, frowning when Regina looked back at her in confusion. "Wait, are you trying to flip me off right now?" she asked, holding back laughter. "You do realize you're wearing mittens, don't you?"
"God damn it," Emma said as she looked down at her hand, realizing her girlfriend was right. "Fuck you," she huffed as she took a few more steps, being careful not to fall again.
"Gladly, but we need to get back to the house first," Regina whispered in her ear as she floated past her effortlessly.
Emma groaned in both physical and sexual frustration as she trailed behind the brunette, finding some enjoyment that at least she got to check out Regina's ass for most of the trek through the woods. They were both wearing ridiculous snowpants, but she found Regina adorable, yet also incredibly sexy.
It started to snow again as they approached the generously-sized cabin, and by the time they both made it to the door, they were completely covered in the fresh, white powder. Instead of heading inside, Regina waited for Emma as the blonde took her time approaching the house, still walking with extreme caution. "Took you long enough," Regina winked as she opened the door for her and gestured for the blonde to go in first. They quickly divested themselves of their coats and snowshoes, placing the racquet-like devices next to the trunk in the entryway. The snowsuits came off next, and Regina took the liberty of brushing some of the remaining snow out of Emma's hair as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend from behind. "Does this help warm you up?"
"Maybe a little, but I'm still a human popsicle," Emma laughed, leaning back against Regina.
"Why don't you go sit by the fire, then, and I'll get you some hot cocoa."
"That sounds amazing," Emma confirmed, quickly walking over to the main living space and sitting down on the floor in front of the fireplace, immediately appreciating the warmth of the fire against her back. "What are you two playing?" she asked Roland and Henry, who were laying on the floor in their sweatpants. They each held a half deck of cards in their hands, save for the handful of cards on the floor between them.
"Slapjack!" Roland stated proudly. "Henry just taught me."
Emma laughed. "Oh, really? That is a fun game. And I happen to be quite good at it."
"Really?" Henry asked.
"Yes, sir. Mind if I crash your game? I can prove it to you."
Henry shrugged. "Sure, but I already dealt the cards."
"Don't worry about that, kid. I'll slap myself in and even starting from zero I'll still beat you. What rules are you playing?"
"Just doubles and sandwiches, since Roland hasn't played before."
"Alright. Bring it on," Emma said, scooting closer to the pile and eyeing the discard pile closely, her hand hovering in the air and ready to join in.
*.*.*
"How was snowshoeing?" Gwen asked as Regina entered the kitchen and opened the cupboards to pull out the supplies she needed to make hot chocolate.
"I had a great time. Emma, however, spent most of it on her hands and knees. She seems to struggle with coordination and balance," Regina laughed. "I told her cross-country skiing would've been easier, but she was worried about injuring herself since she has her first big show next month. Now I think she wishes she would have listened to me."
Gwen chuckled as she garnished the red potatoes in the crock pot in front of her with rosemary before setting the timer. "How far did you guys get?"
"We made it up to the lake you were talking about. It was gorgeous up there. Cold as fuck, but beautiful. I'm glad you suggested it."
"Oh, good, I'm glad you liked it."
"We did. And thank you for inviting us up here for Christmas, Gwen," Regina stated. "I know you didn't have to do that, but I'm happy you did. I'm glad that the boys don't have to split their time between Robin and me this year. I know they're still adjusting to everything, so I really appreciate you including Emma and me."
"Of course, Regina. You're both welcome here anytime," Gwen said, placing a hand on Regina's shoulder as she moved past her to the fridge. Gwen and Robin had decided to spend Christmas in Gwen's cabin on the campgrounds her family owned, as she was entering her third trimester of pregnancy and they knew they wouldn't be able to get up North again before the baby was born. It was a beautiful area, but the nearest hospital was 40 miles away. In the rural Québec winter, there was no guarantee they would even be able to get to it if there was snow on the ground. This would be her first child and because she was just shy of her 40th birthday, and therefore considered a higher risk pregnancy, they wanted to play it safe. They had decided that Gwen would move in with Robin in his condo in Montréal for the last three months of her pregnancy — that way, he would be available if she needed anything, and they would be in much closer proximity to her doctor's office and hospital as the delivery date approached. It would also be a good trial run, as they determined the next step in their relationship.
Robin and Gwen had extended the invitation for Emma and Regina to join them at Gwen's cabin for Christmas. That way, the boys wouldn't have to be shuffled back and forth over their winter break and they could all spend it together. After talking with Emma, who seemed excited by the idea of "glamping," Regina happily accepted the offer. The two women had arrived a few days earlier, and Gwen surprised them with their own tiny cabin on the lake for their first two nights, giving them the opportunity to have some much-needed alone time and explore the grounds on their own. Regina had only been back in Montréal for a few hours before they had to leave for the cabin, as her winter shooting schedule ran longer than expected. They used those two days in their tiny cabin to make up for lost time, spending most of their time rolling around on the sheepskin rug in front of the fireplace, rather than taking advantage of the winter sports and activities. When they moved to the main residence the previous afternoon, Regina had suggested that they should actually partake in some of the winter adventure fun. They had gone dogsledding that first evening, which Emma loved. Snowshoeing, however, did not seem to be Emma's forte.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Regina asked as she watched Gwen take out some butter and apples from the fridge.
"Yes, actually. I was hoping you would show me your apple turnovers recipe…" Gwen said, a pleading smile on her face.
"Absolutely."
*.*.*
"That's it!" Regina said as she watched Gwen sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top of the turnovers before sliding them into the oven. "But now that you know the secret recipe, you can never tell a soul. I'm trusting you…"
"Girl Scout's honor," Gwen said as she held up three fingers. "Thank you, Regina. They already look amazing."
"You are very welcome," she smiled, which quickly turned to a frown when she heard a "Nooooooo!" echo from the living room. She quickly wiped her flour-covered hands on a dishtowel before walking toward the commotion. "Is everything okay?" she asked as she approached, seeing a sulking Henry and a smiling Roland. When she looked to her girlfriend for clarification, Emma just had a shit-eating grin on her face. "What is going on in here?"
"They're cheating," Henry complained, looking over at the other two before down at his hands, which were now empty. He had lost the game.
"This game is all about the reflexes, kid. It's not really possible to cheat," Emma defended, trying not to laugh.
"Oh, come on. You're totally showing Roland your card before you flip it," Henry complained. "It gives him a head start."
Emma shrugged, sharing a knowing look with Regina. "That's just how I flip cards."
"Henry, why don't you come help me prep the cranberry sauce for tomorrow? And your dad will be back soon and will want your help with the fish," Regina suggested.
"Fine," Henry groaned as he stood up, sending Emma a glare. "But I want a rematch – just me and you."
"Fine by me…I'll still win," she said as she stuck her tongue out at him.
Regina lightly nudged Henry toward the kitchen as he walked past, while she quickly went over to Emma and kissed the top of her head, collecting the empty hot chocolate mugs sitting on the fireplace hearth. "Thank you," she whispered so that Roland wouldn't hear her, "for letting Roland win."
"Of course."
Back in the kitchen, Gwen was helping Henry wash the cranberries for the sauce as best as she could with her large pregnant belly in the way. Regina chuckled at the sight as she walked in, but also felt a pinch of longing in her gut. She tried to ignore it and made her way to the fridge to get out some vegetables to steam as a side dish for their Christmas Eve dinner. "Honey, I'm home," Robin's voice called as he walked through the back door, stomping his feet on the doormat to get off the excess snow.
"Hi, baby," Gwen smiled as Robin walked in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.
"Hi, sweetie," Regina mocked from where she was chopping broccoli on the island.
"Hello to you, too," he said, kissing her cheek as he walked by.
"For a divorcing couple, you guys have a weird relationship," Henry commented.
Regina chuckled as Robin winked at her. "He's not wrong," she agreed.
"True," Robin shrugged as he popped a piece of freshly chopped broccoli into his mouth, earning a slap from Regina.
"Did you bring us dinner?" Regina asked, looking back toward the door and noticing the cooler he had brought in.
"Indeed. Caught six walleye."
"Excellent. Then, I will turn the kitchen over to you, and I'm going to go relax with my girlfriend and Roland," she said, handing him the knife she had been using to chop the vegetables.
*.*.*
"Oh, this is the best part!" Roland cheered from his place on the couch between the two women. After Emma had forfeited the game of Slapjack and Regina came into the room, Roland convinced them to watch Elf for what must have been the sixth time since the holiday season had started. Regina and Emma shared a smile over his head before turning their attention to the TV for Roland's favorite part of the movie.
"Dinner's ready!" Robin called, popping his head into the living room.
"Okay, Dad! As soon as this is done."
"Now, Roland."
"But Dad!"
"Roland, we can finish watching it after dinner," Regina chimed in. "Now, go wash up."
He rolled his eyes. "Fiiiiiiiine," he whined as he hopped down from the couch and stomped past all the adults.
"I cannot wait until he's a teenager," Robin said sarcastically as he watched his son walk by.
"It was only a matter of time before he started showing attitude. Frankly, being your son, I'm surprised it took him that long," Regina joked as she walked past him, holding Emma's hand and guiding her into the dining area that separated the kitchen from the living space.
"This looks amazing," the blonde commented. "You seriously caught these today?" she asked as she sat down in front of the dish with the grilled walleye.
"I did. There's nothing like sitting on the ice for hours waiting for the fish to bite," Robin confirmed.
"Wait, are you being serious or sarcastic?" Emma asked. She couldn't tell.
"I'm dead serious. I love it. It's very meditative, and there's nothing like eating fish the same day it was caught. You can't get it any fresher than that."
"Isn't it freezing, though?" she asked as she took a fish and passed the dish to Regina on her left, before accepting the bowl of roasted potatoes from Gwen to her right.
Robin chuckled. "It is, but we have these little huts that help keep us warm. It's really quite relaxing. You're welcome to come out with me next time."
"I think I'll just take your word for it," Emma said, shaking her head.
"Emma has not had much luck with outdoor winter sports. She'd probably manage to fall through the ice," Regina commented, wrapping her arm around the blonde so she could kiss her cheek.
*.*.*
After dinner, the family of six were sprawled out in the living room. As promised, Regina and Robin let Roland finish watching the end of Elf, and then they all decided to watch Home Alone. "I still can't believe you kids haven't seen this," Emma commented as Henry put the DVD in. "It's such a classic."
"Isn't it, like, super old?" Henry asked. "Like from the 90s?"
"Excuse me, young man, but the 90s were not that long ago," Regina said as she sent him a glare.
"And, that's what makes it a classic," Emma added. "You'll see." The two women were cuddled up on the loveseat, while Gwen was laying on the adjacent sofa with her feet across Robin's lap. She was at the point in her pregnancy where her ankles were perpetually swollen and sore, so Robin was lightly massaging her feet. The two youngest family members were sprawled out on the floor, Roland laying on his belly in front of the fireplace, while Henry was reclining in one of the beanbag chairs in front of the television. A few bowls of popcorn were scattered around the room, easily accessible by everyone, and mugs of hot apple cider were resting on the coffee table.
The kids quickly became absorbed in the movie, watching with wide eyes as Kevin got himself into all sorts of trouble on the screen. Robin eventually looked over at Regina and quietly brought up the topic he had been avoiding since the women arrived, not wanting to sour the mood. "Regina, I am so sorry for what happened this week," he said, wanting to take the opportunity to apologize in person.
She shrugged as she looked over at him, her fingers still mindlessly finger-combing Emma's curls. The blonde had worn her hair in two boxer braids for their outdoor adventure and had taken them out before dinner, leaving her hair extremely wavy. "Don't worry about it. I dealt with it and it's fine. It's hardly your fault, anyway."
"I know, but still. I'm sorry it got that far."
"And I'm sorry they invaded your privacy like that. She had no right to do that to you. I still think you should sue her. She had to be breaking some sort of patient privacy law."
"I think that only applies to the employees," Robin pointed out.
"Well, still."
"I think your rant probably put her in her place," Emma added.
"I hope so. I kind of feel bad about what I said. I've never been that blunt before, especially not in a direct response to a fan. But, it needed to be done." Regina thought back to the video she had posted to her Twitter account a few days earlier that had gone viral, much to the chagrin of some of her show's producers. They had complained that she had been far too harsh and that it made her seem unapproachable. They told her that she should have just ignored it. But, she didn't care what they thought — no one messed with her family, as dysfunctional as it may be. While her producers may have been angry, many other celebrities and public figures, along with some fans, retweeted her reply with their own words of support.
Earlier in the week, a fan had crossed a line that served as her breaking point — it was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Gwen had gone in for her most recent checkup and ultrasound as she approached her third trimester, and Robin had obviously gone with her. Even though it was winter and Robin stayed bundled up in his hat and scarf, even inside the OBGYN's waiting room, he was still recognized. A few people had spotted Gwen and Robin together out and about in Montréal earlier in the year, mostly before Gwen was noticeably pregnant, but not much had been said about them. The couple had intentionally kept a low profile to keep the media away from Gwen, and they were careful not to publicly display their affection for one another. A few fans speculated about the nature of Robin and Gwen's relationship here and there, but it wasn't anything Robin or Regina deemed worthy of addressing. As Gwen's pregnancy became more obvious, they took care to be even more discreet.
However, their private relationship became very public when one of Regina's fans happened to be in the same doctor's office waiting room and snapped a photograph of a very pregnant Gwen holding Robin's hand, which she then posted to Instagram and Twitter with the caption: Well, I guess we know the real reason for the #Robina breakup. I can't believe anyone would cheat on 'ReginaMills'. 'RobinLocksley', you never deserved her in the first place. You're a fucking asshole, and so are your mistress and bastard child. How could you do that to her? The photograph had circulated widely and quickly. After Regina's response video, the girl who posted the picture immediately deleted it and deactivated her accounts. But, the damage had been done — the photograph had been seen by hundreds of thousands of people, and other fans had saved it and reposted it themselves. Some had taken it down after watching Regina's video, but there were still a handful who loved to stir the pot, common courtesy be damned.
Regina had come across the photograph before Robin did, and she immediately texted both Emma and Robin to let them know about it and what she was going to do. It had thrown her into a blind rage, and she wanted to respond before Emma or Robin could talk her out of it. She had immediately taken out her phone and recorded a video in her trailer between scenes, calling the girl out who had posted it. She had always been delicate in dealing with bullying in the fandom in the past, which usually occurred between fans of opposing ships. In those cases, she usually just addressed them during her convention panels or occasionally online, trying to placate everyone by saying that she supported all the ships and that as fans of the show, there was no reason to put down one ship just to bolster another. But that girl had launched a direct attack on the people she cared about, and she wasn't going to tread lightly.
She started the video by saying that she personally had a zero tolerance for bullying and reminded people to be considerate and think about what they write — trying to get fifteen minutes of fame for being the one to post a new picture or identify a new piece of gossip wasn't worth the very real pain it can cause someone else. "If you genuinely care about someone, be it someone you know in real life or someone whose work you are a fan of, you wouldn't contribute to the spread of rumors about them and their family. And you certainly wouldn't violate their privacy in such an egregious way," she had said in the video, legitimately tearing up as she continued her diatribe. "I don't know if this was intended as a malicious attack on Robin, or if it was some misguided attempt at protecting or defending me, but let me make it very clear: I am a grown-ass woman, and I do not need or want my fans to try to protect me online, especially when it involves attacking another person to do so. I am extremely disappointed and disturbed that someone would blatantly invade Robin's privacy like that, especially in a place like a doctor's office waiting room. Not only did you violate his privacy, but you violated the privacy of everyone else who can be seen in the background of that photograph…They may have been coming into the doctor to receive bad news or make hard decisions, and now it is immortalized forever in a photograph online, all due to your own need for attention.
In the video, Regina took a breath and wiped a stray tear before she continued. "More to the point, even if it wasn't at the doctor's office, it would still be uncalled for. You do not know everything that goes on in my life. I am very generous with my time and let you into my life through my social media posts, interviews, and Frozen Mirror conventions, but it is always on my terms. It is up to me to decide what I want to share with you and what I want to keep private. You certainly do not know everything about me or my life, nor are you entitled to. There are some things that I do keep to myself, especially about my family and those I love. Taking that photo and sharing it online was not only extremely disrespectful to everyone in the picture, but it was also incredibly disrespectful to me. Think of it this way — if he had been unfaithful to me, would I want fans passing around photographs of it as a constant reminder? No, of course not. What you did only served to hurt me and those I care about. In no way would that photograph help me. And not that I owe any of you an explanation, but because it is out there now and I don't want Robin getting any more hate, let me make it perfectly clear: Robin never cheated on me. He and I had already separated and agreed to move on with our lives before he started seeing the woman seen in the photograph. She is a lovely woman and I have grown to consider her a friend — in fact, we're all spending Christmas together. So, while I love and thank you all for the support you show to me and the show, please, stay out of our private lives," she had said as she concluded the video, not even trying to hide the fact that she was crying as she spoke her final sentences. She realized the irony that some might consider her response as bullying the girl who started it all, but it had to be said. And fortunately, most of the fan response was positive and supportive.
*.*.*
"I can hear you thinking," Emma mumbled as she rolled over in Regina's arms to face her, wrapping her right arm around her girlfriend's waist. She then wedged her thigh between Regina's, causing the brunette to roll onto her back so Emma could snuggle in closer. It was in the early hours of Christmas morning, and they were both exhausted. After struggling to put the boys to bed the night before, especially an excited eight year old, the adults had stayed up well past midnight to ensure the kids were asleep before they carefully laid out the presents under the tree. At age 13, Henry was well past the age of believing in Santa, but he went along with it for Roland's sake — not to mention Robin and Regina threatened him by saying that when Roland stopped believing, that would be the end of the Santa gifts. It was in Henry's best interest to keep the belief alive. They had finally made it to bed a little after 1:30a.m., and it was barely 6:30 in the morning when Emma had woken up after feeling her girlfriend staring at her.
"It's nothing," Regina said as she closed her eyes, determined to sleep a little longer.
"If it was nothing, then it wouldn't have woken me up. What's going on?" Emma asked as she pressed herself up on her elbows, allowing her to get a better look at her girlfriend.
When Regina opened her eyes again, she saw the concern in the green eyes staring back at her. She sighed. "You're going to think I'm crazy."
"I already do, so that shouldn't really be a concern of yours," Emma said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Funny," Regina deadpanned, but a hint of a smile cracked her lips for a brief second. "This is the first year that I haven't at least spoken to my mother on Christmas Eve. Don't get me wrong, I'm still livid over what she did — the manipulation, the lies. But—"
"But part of you still misses her," Emma finished.
"Yeah. I really thought she would call me yesterday. I know it's crazy…"
"It's not crazy," Emma interrupted. "You're allowed to have conflicted feeling about her. What she did to you was horrible…there's no way around it, but she's still your mother."
"Yeah," Regina sighed, subconsciously pulling Emma back down to her, needing to feel the weight of the other woman on top of her. Emma followed willingly, placing a few open-mouthed kisses on Regina's collarbone, starting at her shoulder as she worked her way toward the center of her sternum. Regina quietly hummed until she thought better of it, gently running her fingers along the top of Emma's head and eventually using her thumb to lightly press against the blonde's forehead. "As much as I'd love to continue this, I think we're going to have a very excited child screaming for presents in about five minutes."
Emma giggled as she collapsed back on top of her girlfriend. "You're probably right. You know, I haven't celebrated Christmas in a house with kids since I was one. This should make it a lot more fun."
Regina smiled as she shimmied out from under Emma, sitting up and stretching her tired body a bit. "I'm glad you're here with us, then. It's always a blast." She stood up and walked across the floor to grab her hairbrush, combing through her bedhead before giving up and throwing it into a ponytail.
"Stupid question, but should I get dressed in real clothes or is Christmas morning in pajamas okay?" Emma asked as she sat up.
"It's more than okay. I'm not putting on real clothes until someone forces me to. If it were up to me I'd wear these all day and night," she said, gesturing to the green and white flannel pajama top she was wearing. "I do need to find my pants, though. Any idea where they might be?" she asked with an accusatory look.
"You mean these?" Emma asked as she reached over her side of the bed to pick up the garment that had been pushed underneath the bedframe the previous night. Even though they had gone to bed extremely late after arranging presents under the tree, they still had managed to have a little bit of pantless fun before they crashed.
"Yes, those," she said as she walked toward Emma.
"Nope, mine," Emma grinned, quickly pulling them on herself as she hopped out of bed.
"You're such a child," Regina laughed as she turned around and searched for another pair of pants to put on, settling on a pair of black leggings that were sitting on top of Emma's open suitcase.
"What's the point of dating another woman if you can't steal her clothes? Seriously, it's like having double the wardrobe," Emma smiled as she twisted her hair into a bun and grabbed a white tank top to throw on over her bra.
Regina hummed noncommittally as she opened their bedroom door and grabbed Emma's hand. "Come on, I'm hungry and I'd like to at least have a little something to eat before we get roped into opening presents for an hour."
"Seems to me you could have eaten this morning," Emma whispered seductively in her ear as she allowed herself to be dragged toward the kitchen.
*.*.*
"So, this is what Christmas with children is like," Emma said as she observed the utter destruction in front of her, resting her head on Regina's shoulder. The rich maple flooring of the cabin was completely covered by torn wrapping paper — not a single wood plank was visible under the metallic green and red giftwrap. On top of the paper were plastic toy containers, strewn carelessly about the living room. Robin had given Henry a Swiss Army knife as one of his presents, and the teenager decided he had to open every one of Roland's toys with it, carefully carving around the clear plastic borders of the packaging. Then, there were the toys themselves, clothing, and other presents scattered around the room. Emma was pretty sure there was a large Toblerone chocolate bar buried under one of the paper piles. There was no way of knowing for sure until someone braved the mess and attempted to clean it up.
"Yep," Regina confirmed, taking a sip of her hot chocolate with miniature marshmallows in the "World's Greatest Mom" mug Roland gave her for Christmas that morning. He had made it in his art class earlier that month and could barely contain his excitement as she unwrapped the present.
"Good to know," Emma smiled, finding the entire scene amusing. She hadn't celebrated a proper Christmas in years. Truthfully, she had spent most of the Christmases of her adult life alone. She managed to make it back to Minneapolis to spend Christmas with her childhood dance teacher who had been a profound mentor in her life once or twice over the years, but that had gotten complicated, especially when she was still in the ballet company and required to stay in New York for performances of the Nutcracker. She had also spent one Christmas with Killian's family, but she felt like she was intruding, so she started turning down the invitations and just going there for Thanksgiving. If Killian didn't go home for Christmas, they would spend it together, and maybe invite Neal if he was sticking around town. But more often than not, Emma flew solo. She had never been religious, so she didn't feel a strong need to celebrate it for spiritual reasons and without family, it was quite a boring day. When she lived in New York, it had been easy enough to find restaurants and shops that were still open, given the cultural diversity of the city. But in Storybrooke, Maine, the entire town shut down on that day, forcing Emma to make her peace with being alone. But this year, Emma had wonderful people to share it with, and she finally started to see the appeal of the holiday.
*.*.*
As they day wore on, Emma noticed that Regina was becoming more and more agitated. She caught the brunette picking at one of her finger nails, which Emma had learned over the past few months was one of her nervous habits. It was also the reason — well, one of the reasons — that she kept her nails short and usually without polish. It would be too time-consuming to get a manicure every other day to fix the damage. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Just thinking," she replied as she covered her frown with a false grin.
"About Cora?"
Regina shrugged, but also gave a small nod.
"You should call her."
"Emma, that's a terrible idea," Regina said, looking over at her girlfriend.
"Probably, but you're going to keep stressing about it until you do it, so you may as well put yourself out of your misery."
"If she wanted to talk to me, she would have called me."
"Okay, so text her, then. Just send her a quick 'Merry Christmas' text and leave it at that."
Regina scoffed. "That's even worse than calling. My mother doesn't text. She thinks it's for degenerates who have lost the art of conversation."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that sounds like her."
They returned their attention to the television, where the kids were battling each other in some new video game Henry got that morning. Emma became so engrossed in the on-screen action that she barely heard Regina when she quietly spoke. "Do you really think I should call her?"
Emma looked over at her, hating how distraught the other women appeared. "I do. I think you're going to drive yourself crazy if you don't. And really, it probably can't go any worse than you're imagining it in your head. And whatever happens, I'm here for you."
Regina picked at her nail once more before stopping abruptly, dropping her hands back into her lap. "Okay. I'll do it now." She stood up and grabbed her phone off the coffee table, walking with determination down the hallway to the bedroom where they were staying.
Robin came and sat down next to Emma, taking the seat Regina had just vacated. "She looks like a woman on a mission," he commented. "What was that about?"
"She's calling Cora."
"Oh," Robin said, taken aback. "Really?"
Emma looked over at him in concern. "Yeah, why?"
"I just figured she'd never want to talk to that bitch again."
"Well, I don't think she's looking forward to it, but she's been stressing out about it all day."
"Oh, right. Their annual Christmas Eve phone call," Robin said knowingly.
"Yeah. That didn't happen. Though I'm not sure why it is such a big deal?"
Robin hesitated before explaining it to Emma. "As you know, Regina and her mother have never been particularly close. At times, they would go months, sometimes close to a year, without talking. But, there are three days per year that no matter what, they decided they would always call — Regina's birthday in February, Cora's in June, and Christmas Eve. This is the first time since I've known Regina that her mother has missed a call."
"Oh. Shit," Emma said. "What if it doesn't go well?" as she looked down the hall, waiting for her girlfriend to reappear. "I shouldn't have pushed her to do it."
"Emma, she's a big girl. She can handle it," Robin assured her.
"I just don't want her to hate me if this doesn't go well."
"She won't. I can't see Regina ever hating you, Emma."
"Okay, but she might blame me."
"No, she won't. Relax. I'm sure it'll be fine," he offered, patting the top of her knee just as the doorbell rang. "Oh, I should get that." He walked over to the front, door, pulling it back and causing the bells on the wreath to jingle loudly.
"Merry Christmas to all!" a booming voice rang out through the room.
"John!" Robin smiled, pulling the jovial man into a hug. "Good to see you, man."
"Thank you for inviting us! Now, where is the lovely lady of the house?" John asked as two other men followed him in.
"Well, you'll need to be a bit more specific," Robin chuckled, recognizing the absurdity of his situation. "Gwen is finishing up dinner and Regina is on the phone down the hall. And Emma, who you haven't met yet, is over here," he said, gesturing for the three men to follow as he walked back into the living room. "Emma, I'd like you to meet my mates John, Will, and his husband Felix."
"It's nice to meet you," Emma said as she shook each of their hands.
"You as well. So, how do you know Robin?" John asked.
"Wait, aren't you Regina's dance instructor?" Will asked, causing the three guys to look at him in surprise. "What? I follow Regina on Instagram. I know these things."
"No offense, but why would her dance instructor be here?" Felix asked, thinking out loud.
"Actually, she's my girlfriend," Regina said as she walked back into the room, her phone in her hand. For good measure, she pulled Emma in for a kiss to stop them from asking anymore questions. "It's good to see you again, guys."
"You look lovely as always, Regina," John said, taking her hand and kissing it.
"So, the dance teacher thing?" Will asked, still intrigued and confused.
"Mainly just a cover since Robin and I hadn't announced our separation yet and I'm still not publicly 'out' thanks to my Frozen Mirror contract. Emma really is a dancer, though, and quite a talented one. She did help me regain my coordination for the musical episode, so it wasn't total bullshit."
"Speaking of, Regina," Will started. "When is your show doing it? I thought it was supposed to happen already?"
"Wow, you really are a diehard fan, aren't you?" Emma joked.
"I am. Regina is hella talented. But I was also a theater major in college, and am obsessed with Broadway, so I'm particularly on edge waiting for this."
"Ah," Emma nodded.
"It was originally supposed to be the winter finale, but they ran into issues with some of the music licensing rights or something back in October, so we couldn't film it. They had to restructure it, so it's now going to be the spring premiere. We're filming it the first week of February," Regina explained.
"Oh, good. I can't wait!" Will said.
"Dinner's ready!" Gwen called from the kitchen.
A chorus of "coming!" was heard from all four men as they hurried into the kitchen, where the scent of stuffed Cornish game hen was enticing them.
"Roland, Henry," Regina warned. They two boys were still camped out in front of their new video game, oblivious to anything happening around them. The house could be on fire and they wouldn't have noticed. "Go wash up. Now."
"Yes, Mom," they both sighed as they did as they were told.
Before Regina could take a step toward the kitchen, Emma tugged on her wrist. "Hey, what happened in there? Are you okay?" The woman had looked as flawless as ever when she came out of the bedroom a few minutes earlier, but Emma could see the redness in her eyes and knew she had been crying.
"My mother was…well, she was Cora," Regina confirmed. "But, she at least answered the phone, so that's more than I expected from her."
Emma slid her hand down from the brunette's wrist to thread their fingers together. "Let me know if there's anything I can do, or if you want to talk about it later."
"Thanks, but I'll be fine. It could have been much worse. I've been dealing with her my whole life."
"I know," Emma smiled sadly. "But it's Christmas, and I'm here, so you don't have to deal with it alone if you don't want to."
*.*.*
"Thank you," Emma said as she snuggled into Regina's side later that night as they watched four grown men take on two young boys in Mario Kart.
Regina raised a brow. "For what?"
"For this. For including me in your Christmas," Emma replied, nestling even closer to Regina. The cabin was warm from the roaring fireplace and the heat from the cookies currently baking in the oven, but Emma enjoyed using Regina's body as her personal furnace.
Regina smiled as she looked down at her girlfriend, who continued to burrow under her arm. "I can't imagine spending it any other way."
A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! I'm hoping to have time to write the next chapter or two over my short winter break, so hopefully it won't be quite this long between updates next time :). The next chapter will be purely SQ and we'll also see how they handle their first real argument.
Merry Christmas to anyone celebrating, and have a happy and safe new year.