Okay so I'm gonna do a little holiday fluff and relationship mending before drama hits Storybrooke again. I hope this isn't boring you and I'm not losing your interest. Please review and let me know what you think! xoxo
"Henry," David waved his grandson down through the open window of his truck when he came out of the school. The boy smiled and started his way towards the vehicle as David noted how tall and mature the boy looked. His voice had even changed now, and he was starting to resemble a teenager more than a boy.
"Hey, I didn't know you were picking me up today," Henry said as he approached and opened the passenger door of the truck, climbing in after throwing his backpack to the floorboard. "What's up?"
"Slow day in the office, so I thought I'd come get you," He smiled at his grandson before turning the key in the ignition, "I was thinking, since it's Wednesday, should we go to the store and pick up some things for dinner at Regina's?"
"Really?" Henry gave him a smile when he glanced up from fastening his seatbelt, "I've missed family dinner on Wednesdays."
The deputy smiled and nodded in agreement, "Your mom seemed tired when I saw her at lunch today so I thought we could try our hand at cooking tonight."
"Should we tell the dwarves to have the fire truck on standby?" Henry grinned.
"Hey! I can cook a little," David feigned hurt as he glanced at his grandson jokingly, "We'll figure it out."
"So Mom doesn't know we're having dinner?" The boy asked as David turned onto the highway, going in the direction of downtown.
"Nope, thought we could pick up groceries and Neal from Belle's and then go to your house and get started cooking," He shrugged, "Sound good?"
"Sounds great," Henry nodded with a satisfied smile, "So you and Mom are on good terms now?"
"I think so, kid. I'm taking her on a date Saturday," David smiled, thinking of his plans before giving Henry a glance, "I guess I never asked you if you were okay with this...me dating Regina."
"It was weird at first, just because I never thought you two even got along," Henry admitted with a shrug. The fact that it was his grandfather and adoptive mother didn't bother him, not with the nature of this situation. He'd dealt with more troubling family dynamics in the past, like when his mother's were fighting over him. This shift between his family members was because of love and happiness, and as the Author, Henry couldn't find it in himself to deny a happy ending. Besides, when had any relationship been conventional in Storybrooke? "But you seem really happy and mom deserves someone who will treat her well. Plus, I like having our family all together...Oh, did you know my moms talked?"
"They did?" David's eyes widened, glancing over at his grandson, "And they're both still alive?" He joked with a chuckle. Regina nor Emma had mentioned it to him, but that was typical of them. Neither one would easily admit when they were raising a white flag or letting go of a grudge.
"Yeah, I came home from the arcade the other day and they were talking in the kitchen. It seemed pretty normal, but when I got there Emma left soon after," He shrugged, "I asked if they were fighting and they said they weren't. I think they might be making up."
David let out a breath of relief, "Good, you don't know how much I hate being stuck in between those two. There both as stubborn as mules and too much alike to see eye to eye."
"Oh trust me, I have an idea," Henry rolled his eyes with a shake of his head, making them both laugh. He hadn't been anywhere but stuck in the middle of those two headstrong women for years.
"I'm glad they talked though," David nodded, making a turn when the stoplight turned green.
"Me too. Do you think I should text mom and tell her to come over for dinner? Or do you think it's too soon?" Henry suggested.
"I don't know kid, that seems like playing with fire," His grandfather glanced at him skeptically. It was one thing for Regina to talk to Emma on her own terms, but to blindsight her with an entire dinner. Well...David didn't want to be responsible for that.
"I think it'll be okay," Henry shrugged, pulling his phone from his pocket, "If they start arguing I'll tell them it's my fault and I just wanted my moms to get along," He smirked at his grandpa, "They'll give in, trust me."
David laughed at the devious look on Henry's face, "I'd be worried about your mastermind technique if you weren't doing this for a good cause."
Regina tugged at the snug fit of her dress around her midsection, frowning at the mirror in her foyer. It had aggravated her all day, and although no one could ever tell she was slightly bigger than usual, she was keenly aware. She was about seven weeks now, nearing two months, and her usually taught stomach felt like it was bloated.
She turned to the side, eyeing her waist. It was hardly noticeable, but she felt it in the way her clothes fit. Each of her outfits were tailored to perfection and she'd always worn them fitted to her waist. It was an attribute she'd liked showing off and that vanity was now coming back to bite her. If people knew she probably wouldn't be so over sensitive to her appearance, but it made her self conscious. From now on she'd just have to rely on blazers to hide her growth.
The front door startled her from her assessment when it came open, glancing up to see Henry with his arms full and David with Neal in one arm and groceries in the other. They looked proud of themselves and it almost made Regina chuckle, "What are you two up to?" She smiled, turning from the mirror, "Or should I say three?" She added when her eyes zeroed in on Neal.
"It's Wednesday," Henry smiled with a confident nod, going ahead into the kitchen to unload his arms on the counter.
"We thought we'd make dinner this time," David smiled, coming over to lean down and kiss her once. She couldn't help but give him a warm look before holding her hands out for Neal, laughing when the baby nearly dove for her arms.
"Did you hear that Neal? Your father is going to burn my house down," She cooed at the baby, making him give her a toothy grin in response. Her heart swelled for the little boy, maternal instincts kicking in as she gave him a gentle kiss on the head before looking up to see David watching her.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked, his eyes laced with an adoring glow towards her as he shifted the bag of groceries in his arms, making his way into the kitchen when Regina nodded and led him.
"I'm fine," She assured dismissively, watching the baby in her arms become fascinated with her necklace. Holding David's child made her anticipation for their own bubble inside of her. She couldn't begin to imagine what it would feel like to hold the child in a setting like this, surrounded by family happily making dinner. It was a simple scene that Regina had always dreamed of.
"We're gonna make chicken parmesan," Henry announced as he emptied the grocery bags, laying everything on the counter as if he were an expert chef already.
"Oh, really?" Regina grinned at the teenager before shifting her eyes to David who had taken a spot beside Henry at the island to organize their ingredients.
"Mhm, Chef Nolan and Mills at your service," David joked, holding his hand up to fist bump Henry.
"Don't act like them when you grow up, okay?" She told Neal to tease them, smiling at the baby who looked up at her with sleepy eyes. "Does he need a nap before dinner?"
"It probably wouldn't hurt," David nodded glancing at Henry as he stepped back from the counter, "It won't take me long-"
"No, don't worry I'll put him down," Regina interrupted with a nod, "Don't destroy the kitchen while I'm gone," She smiled playfully before turning to go out.
Neal gazed up at her with his big eyes that tugged at her heart as she carried him towards the steps. They made their way up to the hallway before she stepped into the guest room. It was where they'd set up a crib and started to make a nursery for baby Madeline's unexpected arrival, but had been left unfinished. There was a dark wood crib in the room and a changing table, just enough of the essentials to take care of her smallest dinner guest.
Regina took a seat in the rocking chair near the crib, shifting Neal in her arms. Her feelings for the little boy were growing rapidly and she knew it would be easy to regard him like her own with the more time she spent with him. If things were to work out with David there would be no issue when it came to her treatment of Neal, that was one thing she was sure of.
She began rocking him as he stirred in her lap before giving into the desire to rest against her. Humming a tune she remembered Henry liking, she reveled in the feeling of the child relaxing into her embrace and finding comfort in her arms as he drifted. She'd forgotten how much she loved when Henry was this age and the feeling it brought to be a part of such a pure relationship.
Her eyes prickled with tears at the thought of doing this with her own baby and the simple happiness it would bring. A happiness she had long ago given up on. This was real, as hard as it was for her to process. Her son was downstairs, more content than she'd seen him in a long time. David had kept good on his promise to earn her trust back. She was here, in her own home, bonding with his son and reveling in the miracle that was growing inside of her. This was real, and her heart leapt at the realization that she may be slowly coming to accept it.
David made his way up the stairs about an hour later, remembering the makeshift nursery that Henry had shown him during one of their previous Wednesday night dinners. He and Henry were almost done with cooking, expecting their dish out of the oven in just a few minutes, so he'd offered to go see where Regina had been.
Turning the corner, he started to make his way into the nursery, seeing the door propped open slightly. He spotted Regina in the rocking chair, head tilted slightly and resting gently on the top of Neal's. The sleeping baby was curled against her front, head rested above her chest, just below her shoulder. David felt a warmness travel up his chest, emotion filling his throat before he swallowed it down.
He'd often worried about raising Neal without a mother figure and how it would effect him. As much as he loved his son, he wondered if a father's affection was enough. A mother's nurturing ability was not something that could be replicated and David was afraid Neal would never experience it. Seeing him and Regina so close, comfortably asleep with one another in such a familial scene made his heart ache. Half with love and half with longing. Could he really be that lucky that the woman he loved could fill that void in his son's life?
As if she sensed his presence, Regina's eyes fluttered open and she looked up to see him as her vision adjusted. She glanced down at the sleeping baby in her arms before back at him, a sheepish smile coming to her face at the knowledge she'd fallen asleep as well. Their eyes connected and David knew they were both aware of the intimacy of the moment, and to his relief Regina didn't run from it. Instead she gave him a warm expression, conveying her affection for his son and her acknowledgement of the family they had the potential of sharing.
Her eyes showed no hesitancy, nothing but honest acceptance swimming in their chocolate depths. An unspoken understanding exchanged between them of their mutual desires to be a family, even with the trust issues and complications they still faced. It was a rare, open moment coming from the woman who feared vulnerability so much.
"I'm sorry, do you and Henry need help?" Regina asked, her voice low and soft from sleep. It propelled David to come closer, leaning down to kiss her gently on the lips instead of answer at first.
"No, it's almost done," He gave her a warm smile, running a hand over Neal's head, "I'll move him," David said quietly, gently picking the baby up from her and laying him down in the cherry wood crib.
Regina stood, stretching the stiffness from her body and smoothing her dress down as he tucked Neal in. David turned once he was finished, exchanging a brief smile with her before motioning for her to walk ahead of him. She replied with somewhat of a shy smile that he'd come to realize was a sign of sincerity from her. When she was joking or being sarcastic, it was a grin or a smirk. When she was angry it was a bitter smile. But when she was genuine and felt vulnerable, it was a shy smile. One that made his heart constrict with love for the woman and all of her quirks.
David followed her towards the door before reaching for her hand, the desire to touch her becoming too much to resist. She looked surprised when he pulled her around but quickly softened when she saw his intent. He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers in a firm but tender kiss, feeling her reciprocate it immediately. His arms came around her waist, pulling her against him as he felt her hands thread through his hair. They both wanted each other, had missed the intimacy; he was now very aware of the fact. The kiss grew deeper and more passionate, though they both knew it had to end soon given they weren't alone in the house. Still, she allowed him to press her against the wall as their tongues danced, their breaths quickening and heartbeats thumping faster.
A soft moan escaped her throat when he deepened the kiss, her hands tightening on his neck and hair, pulling him down to her in longing. Their movements slowed, lips working at a languid pace as they brought the kiss to it's end. Noses brushed as David let his lips linger over hers for a moment before pulling back. He watched her with loving eyes a few shades darker blue than they natural were. Her own were a delicious mixture of sleepiness and arousal, her pink lips flushed from the contact.
"Dinner?" David murmured, looking down at her as he brushed a strand of hair from her face. He smiled when she nodded, both of them chuckling softly at how quickly they'd lost their train of thought from the crib to the door.
"Mhm," She agreed as she reached for his hand this time, surprising him by taking the initiative before leading him out.
"Hey mom, sit," Henry smiled eagerly when David and Regina made their way into the dining room as he set the table.
"Dinner and service? Wow," Regina mused with a grin when David pulled out her seat, sitting down at the table and scooting herself in.
"I'll go get the food," David states with a smile at Henry who nodded in agreement before looking back down to his task of setting out the silverware. Regina eyed the wine on the table, wondering how she was going to explain avoiding it tonight before her thoughts were interrupted with the sound of a door.
"Sorry we're late," Killian announced when he and Emma came in the front entrance, making Regina look up in surprise before fixing her gaze on Henry.
"I wanted us all to have dinner as a family," Henry offered with a sheepish smile before turning on the puppy dog eyes, making Regina roll her own when she caught onto him. Killian seemed to have the same nervous smile about the situation, obviously having to convince Emma to come. Although they'd had a good talk, the blonde and brunette were not on buddy-buddy terms yet and were stubbornly holding off on a sentimental reunion of their friendship.
"We brought dessert," Emma muttered unsurely, holding up the box with donuts from the town bakery, making Regina raise a brow.
"Lovely, set them on the side," Regina instructed with a sigh, nodding towards the side serving table against the wall before giving Henry a pointed look over his little scheme.
"Ah, you made it," David smiled as he came into the dining room with the serving dish, setting it in the middle of the table before noticing Regina's glare at her realization that he knew about this. His expression dropped instantly, trying to summon the puppy dog expression that got Henry out of so much trouble.
"How was school today, mate?" Killian tried to start conversation, taking a seat after pulling one out for Emma and rounding to sit opposite of her. David took his own between Killian and Regina, allowing Henry to take the spot between his mothers. Poor kid.
"Good, we started our geography projects," Henry nodded, passing around the salad dish as David started serving the chicken parm, "We're researching how different cultures around the globe celebrate Christmas in their own way."
"Which realm did ye get?" Killian asked, making Regina roll her eyes in exasperation as she leaned back in her chair.
"Countries, Hook," David corrected, jumping at the chance to correct him, "Not realms."
"Hey, take it easy, they didn't teach world geography in Neverland," Emma retorted to her dad with a smile and an eye roll, making Henry laugh.
"I got Italy," Henry nodded, passing the crescent rolls to Killian as the pirate scrunched up his nose and handed them onto Emma.
"That'll be fun, kid," Emma replied as she took a roll, passing the basket onto Regina with a half smile, "Course you'll have to get help from the smart mom. I barely know our traditions, let alone other countries." Emma added, knowing one of them had to break the ice, and complimenting Regina always seemed to help.
"Well judging from this place I wouldn't say she's an ace on Christmas in this realm either," Killian shifted his eyes over the lack of decorations before feeling the heat of Regina's gaze.
"Yeah mom, we really need to decorate, Christmas isn't that far away," Henry nodded in agreement before taking a bite of his dinner.
"Maybe we could after we eat?" David suggested, giving Regina a smile as he reached for her hand under the table. "How does that sound?" He knew she was completely comfortable yet, still wearing her guarded expression that had come over her when Hook and his daughter entered.
Regina looked at David contemplatively before scanning the rest of their expressions, seeing Henry looking hopeful and Killian and Emma shrug in agreement. "Killian can help with hanging the lights, the hook comes in handy," Emma suggested, elbowing Hook who nodded and held it up his metal adorned limb as if to back up her statement.
"Aye, it does," He replied before taking a drink of his beer, he and the blonde earning a scrutinizing look from David.
Regina snorted a laugh as she relaxed a little at Emma and Hook poking fun at themselves, "If Henry wants to decorate, we can," She said, earning an eager nod from her son.
"See! I knew we could all get along," Henry piped in, smiling at all of them, "I'm proud of the progress you've all made," He added in a serious, overly mature tone. Regina's eyebrow raised, Emma's mouth dropped a little, causing them to glance at each other before the four adults erupted into laughter at the teenager who proved to me more level headed than all of them.
"They are so related, aren't they?" Emma remarked in amusement, watching Henry and David discuss where they should put what decorations in the living room and get excited over their ideas as she and Regina stood in the foyer, surrounded by the boxes of decor they'd gotten out.
Regina chuckled in agreement, glancing down when she saw Neal crawling her way furiously, an ornament hanging out of his mouth, "What did you find, Neal?" She laughed, picking the baby up from the floor and gently taking it from him before he grinned and clapped his hands around the shiny bulb. "The Charming penchant for holidays must be genetic."
"Yeah, that gene must've skipped me," Emma raised a brow, leaning against the stair railing, trying to untangle the lights that David had given her in demand for her participation.
Regina watched as David and Killian stood on step stools, hanging the garland around the top of the mantle with Henry on the floor instructing them on how to center it. "Hmm, Christmas was never my holiday either." Regina said in agreement.
"I always found it depressing before," Emma rolled her eyes, speaking more openly than she realized as she concentrated on untangling the lights, "Course most of my foster family's never cared much about it and when they did they usually had kids of their own to share it with. I was the outsider."
Regina shifted the baby in her arms who was still fascinated with the ornament, glancing at the blonde, "That's how it was for me at the kingdom. Your grandfather and mother were always so happy, wrapped up in carrying out their own traditions they'd shared with your grandmother."
Emma looked up at her then, realizing Regina had shared a piece of her past with her. It surprised her, given their difficult situation in the current, but she took it as a good sign and decided to return the effort, "I know what you mean. Maybe we can create our own family traditions now?" She shrugged.
To her relief Regina have her a nod and a half smile, accepting Emma's peace offering. They'd seemed to have forgiven and accepted each other as family in their own, unspoken way. It wasn't the typical Charming hug-it-out method, but it worked for Regina and Emma.
"Mom! Did you get the lights yet?" Henry bounded back into the foyer before laughing and rolling his eyes at the strand of lights being even more tangled than before, "Here, let me help." He said taking the opposite end as he and Emma started team work on the challenging strand.
"Uh oh, you're helping too?" David smiled as he came back in for more decorations, coming up to Regina and Neal instead, "Everything okay?" He asked quieter, looking to Regina for reassurance.
Regina glanced at his daughter and her son, laughing and jesting each other over their task before looking back to David, "It's fine," She gave him a warm smile before Neal's hand shot up as he held the ornament between David and Regina's faces, squealing in delight. Definitely genetic.