Getaway, Chapter 3

A Once Upon a Time fan fiction

A/N: So very sorry about the time it's taken me to post this! I've been a little stuck, but it's improving. This chapter is short, but the next one will be longer and more interesting. Thank you again for all the reads and reviews!

"We're here!" Regina said with a forced smile on her face as she pulled into the driveway of their rented beach house and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. The ride from the Savannah airport had been about an hour and a half, not too long all in all, but the awkward silence between her and the blonde woman sitting shotgun made it seem endless. But it was over now. They were finally at their rented house in St. Simon's Island, Georgia, and the Mayor of the often-frigid town of Storybrooke was looking forward to some time at the beach.

Regina didn't realize she'd been sitting in the turned-off car for a few moments, but then Henry yelled, "Mom, pop the trunk!" and she snapped back to reality. She pushed the trunk button on the floor of the vehicle, and then got out and looked at the house. It was modest, as the owner had told her, but it looked like it was in fine shape. And really, she cared more about the outdoor surroundings than their living arrangements.

The brunette walked to the back of the car to find Henry shutting the trunk with all his might, laughing with his birth mother because of his initial struggle reaching it. Then he took off running towards the door, pulling his suitcase behind him. Emma held onto Regina's black roller bag as well as her own duffel, and when the slightly older woman reached for her luggage, Emma brushed her off, stating, "You go ahead and open the door. It'll be easier. Besides, it's not like this is too much to carry."

"Yes, you certainly do know how to travel light," Regina remarked as she and the blonde made their way up the driveway. She could feel her trademark smirk coming across her face, but fought it as much as she could. She'd decided earlier that she didn't want to spend any part of this vacation arguing with Ms. Swan, and that meant she needed to be on her best behavior. No veiled insulting or mean-spirited smirks allowed.

Emma gave her an indecipherable look and then replied, "Well, you said yourself once that I'm not too good at putting down roots, and when you're always on the go, you learn how to carry only what's necessary." She smiled a little as she thought of the apartment belonging to Mary Margaret (and now sort of her), and said, "Even if that doesn't need to apply to my life so much anymore, it's still useful for traveling."

Once the women reached the doorstep where Henry was waiting impatiently, Regina squatted down, slid her hand between the potted fern and the wall, and drew it out holding two keys.

"Can I open the door, Mom?" Henry asked eagerly.

"Sure, dear," Regina answered, handing him one of the keys she'd just acquired. He slid it quickly into the lock, turned it, and pushed open the door, all in a matter of about four seconds. It was obvious that someone was excited about this trip.

The three people walked into the living room and dropped their luggage there, all of their focus pulled to one thing. Almost the entire back wall of the home was windowed, including a set of double French doors, allowing for an amazing view of the ocean. With Henry in the lead, they all hurried out these back doors and onto the small deck.

A short set of stairs came off the deck and ended right on the sandy beach. Emma imagined that, during high tide, the pristine water probably came up so far that it was only a few feet from the bottom step. The slight breeze felt amazing on her skin, and the sight and sound of the rollicking waves already had her hypnotized. Regina had warned her that the house they were staying in might not be that nice, but the blonde wouldn't have cared if they were staying in a shack. The ocean made it all worth it.

Henry, standing between the two women, grabbed an arm of each. "Can we go swimming now, right away?" he practically begged. Regina beamed at her son as Emma giggled gently.

"Of course," the brunette said, and they turned back into the house so they could change into more beach-appropriate clothing.

Only when they all had their hands on their luggage did Regina realize the dilemma. The house, while equipped with a full kitchen and a nice living space, only had two bedrooms. Two rooms, three people who didn't really want to share. Then she remembered an offhand comment the homeowner had made about the downstairs bedroom, and she felt a little bit better.

"Okay, there's one bedroom and one bathroom down here, and one bedroom and bathroom upstairs. Why don't Henry and I take the one down here? It has two beds and is a little bit bigger, I believe."

Emma looked visibly relieved as Regina said this. She'd been worried about sleeping arrangements since she agreed to go on this trip, knowing that the whole thing had originally only been planned for two people. But this would work just fine. "Sounds good to me," she responded. "Work for you, kiddo?"

"Yeah, fine. Now let's get to the beach!" Henry exclaimed as he started pulling his suitcase towards the bedroom he would share with his adoptive mother.

Regina laughed and followed him, and Emma climbed up the stairs to change.