Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.
The sound of the alarm clock echoed on the empty house and Regina felt her head pounding at it. She threw her hand and turned it off with a growl, pressing her temples with the other. She didn't remember how she had gotten into bed last night, but since she hadn't even taken off her stained shirt, she guessed she had been wasted.
A quick cold shower to slide off her shoulders the feeling of sorrow and a change of clothes after, she walked down the stairs to find the wooden plank on her window. She decided to throw away the bag of broken glasses before having breakfast; there was no need for a reminder of how much people hated her.
As she closed the dumpster of her backyard, she turned and caught a glimpse of an unmistakeable yellow. She entered the kitchen and saw Emma's car parked in front of her house, and if her vision was right, there was a certain blonde on the passenger's seat, sleeping it seemed by the stillness of her body and the blanket over it.
Suddenly Regina remembered the previous night, there in the same spot she was, kissing Emma. She felt the heat on her cheeks and tried to wave it off pulling out two mugs. The Mayor remembered when she had started drinking, swallowing the pain away, but it had only made it worse and when the Sheriff appeared she already was well past the appropriate.
And yet Emma had stayed. She had helped her picking up the mess of her window, she had tried to cheer her up (although failing) and then she had stayed outside her door all night. Regina looked over to the car again, where Emma moved her head making her curls fall upon her face.
Emma woke up startled to hear soft knocks on the window and her eyes met brown, looking at her from above. Regina motioned the house and raised an eyebrow before walking in, leaving the door open in invitation. Emma recovered quickly and, leaving the blanket on the car, she headed into the house. Inside she followed the sounds of the kitchen and found Regina pouring coffee in a mug. When she finished, she grabbed the two mugs and offered one to Emma.
"Uh, thanks," she mumbled accepting it. It was warm in her hands and she could smell the scent of cinnamon coming from it.
Regina nodded, "I would like to apologize for last night. I was inebriated and I…wasn't thinking clearly."
The Mayor stood regally, her head high, but Emma saw in her eyes embarrassment. Regina could put her mask on all she wanted, but Emma could always see through her, so she smiled and sipped her coffee, "Don't worry."
Regina nodded again and sipped from her our mug. They both drank their coffees in silence until Regina spoke softly, "Did you sleep on your car?"
Emma left the mug on the counter and shifted awkwardly, "Uhm yeah. I just…I saw the lights on your office and I figured I should stay just, you know, just in case something happened."
The Mayor stared ah her. Emma has stayed because she cared. Obviously she hadn't said those exact words, but it was written all over her face. Silence fell upon them until Emma glanced at the clock and saw the time. "Well, I better be going. I gotta finish some paperwork for today's meeting or the Mayor is going to kill me."
A smile formed on Regina's lips much against her will and, after Emma nodded in goodbye, she was left alone in the kitchen. She took a breath and then sighed, getting ready for the day.
If it wasn't for the pills, Regina was sure she wouldn't have made it through the day. They didn't stop the pain in her head, but at least they eased it a little. She was about to take another pill when her secretary talked through the phone.
"Madame Mayor, the meeting will begin in 10 minutes," she informed, not even hiding the annoyance on her voice.
After the curse had broken, they had decided Regina could stay as Mayor for a while since she had had the experience, although with much less power over the citizens. The power now was divided in different groups of people, and they had to meet once a week to control Regina was doing okay and not plotting some evil plan. And since she was the Mayor, she needed a secretary and her secretary needed a salary, so they worked together, but that didn't stop the woman to show the hate towards the Mayor.
Regina took the pill, hoping it wouldn't just stop the pain in her head but in her life, and pressed a button on her phone, "Thanks, Jessie."
The very last thing she needed was to have to update people who hated her about her actions, to have them all glancing at her judgingly. At least Emma would be there.
Regina paused at that thought. Emma would be there too. She remembered again the events of the previous night and frowned. She had been drunk, but she the memory of Emma's lips against hers had stuck on her mind. When she had seen Emma looking down at her cleavage, she had felt a little disappointed since she expected for Emma to actually care and not just for a night, as many had wanted her over the years. Yet she had also felt excited about the thought of Emma wanting her, due to the alcohol, she told herself.
Then Emma had rejected her and it had felt like a kick on her stomach. The rest of the night, or at least the part she can remember, she spend it swallowing the anger and disappointment she felt about the rejection and, on the whole, her life. But then, Emma had stayed all night, sleeping on her car –which mustn't be very comfortable–, because she was worried about her.
Just as she walked thinking about that, she turned in a corner to stumble upon the object of her thoughts. On the collision, Emma's head had hit Regina's chin and she had dropped her phone.
"Shit, sorry," Emma mumbled picking up her phone from the floor. As she raised her head and her eyes met Regina's, she exhaled. "Oh it's you."
Regina rolled her eyes at her, "How eloquent."
"I was just texting…Shit, did I make you that?"
The Mayor frowned, "Make me what?"
Emma raised her hand and Regina's back straightened at the motion when pale fingers brushed her chin. Then, she did what Regina least expected; she laughed. "Man, do I have a hard head."
She wiped Regina's chin and showed her a drop of blood on her finger. The Mayor tried to ignore the goosebumps on her chin, where Emma had trailed her fingers and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, "How could you not have it, as stubborn as you are."
Emma rolled her eyes but smiled. Then, she opened the door of the office and stepped aside to let Regina in, "Fair enough."
"Okay then. That must be all." Former King George stood and so did the rest of the members of the council. Regina stood as well and nodded to each one of them as they exited the room, all of them with a grimace on their faces.
The Mayor was already thinking of the glass of cider waiting for her at her office when the last member of the council stopped in front of her.
"Hey," Emma smiled.
Regina stood looking at her confused, "Hey."
Emma raised a folder, "I've got the papers you asked for. About the study of crime and stuff?"
"Oh," Regina nodded and pointed to the hallway, inviting Emma to walk alone.
"Do I…give them to you or do I leave them with your secretary?"
Regina eyed her secretary at the end of the hallway and frowned, "You can give them to me, as we are here. Thank you, Sheriff."
"I thought we were past formalities," she smiled and Regina stopped to look at her. Her frown revealed she didn't quite know if she referred to the kiss, that night, that morning or something else, so Emma clarified, "You know, since that is so last year. Like, we get along now, right?"
Regina just stared back and the Sheriff shifted awkwardly, brushing her hands on her tight jeans. "So…anyways, I just wanted to ask you if you're free this afternoon," she asked, and then the Mayor raised an eyebrow. "For picking up Henry from school, I mean."
If Emma was right, and she rarely wasn't, she'd swear she had seen a flash of disappointment on brown eyes. But as fast as it had come, it was gone and it was replaces by hope. "Pick up Henry?"
Emma nodded and then saw doubt in Regina's features, so she assured her, "It will be okay. You're his mother after all and it has been long since you last saw each other."
"Okay then," Regina nodded, although not quite sure about it, but she wouldn't miss a proposal like that. Emma nodded back and walked towards the door after answering her, "Great, I'll come by at 13:30 or so to pick you up."
The Sheriff was almost at the door when Regina called for her, "Emma." The blonde turned, her eyebrows shot up. "Thank you," the Mayor said honestly.
Emma smiled widely at her, "No problem."
When Regina entered her office, the cider was long forgotten in her mind, the promise of seeing Henry being the fuel she needed and Emma's smile playing in her head over and over.
"Madame Mayor, Emma Swan is waiting."
Regina grabbed her purse and rushed to the door, only stopping to take a breath and not seem too eager. She opened the door and the first thing she saw was Emma smiling at her.
"You ready?"
The Mayor tried to ignore her heart beating faster and nodded. They walked in silence towards Henry's school, which wasn't very far away, and stopped at a bench, sitting to wait for their shared son.
"Did you already fix the window?" Emma pulled Regina out of her thoughts.
"No, I…haven't had time."
They fell into a silence again and Emma started to pop her lips, making noises. In another situation it would have irritated Regina, but she smiled at it, recognizing that habit as her son's as well. Suddenly the bell rang and kids started to run out of the school, so they stood up to look for Henry. Regina's heart fluttered when she saw her son talking to a girl and waving her goodbye. As he arrived to them, he looked up, "Mom?"
"Hello Henry."
Emma noticed how Regina put her trembling hands on her pockets to hide it and smiled at it, placing a hand on her arm, "I hope you don't mind I brought Regina with me, kid."
Henry stared at Regina for a moment and then nodded, easily sliding his hand in Emma's. The Mayor watched and stayed back, intimidated by the situation. He hadn't refused to her presence but he wasn't the same he was before.
"So, your mom was just telling me about the Pet Shelter's party and the school is going to participate, right?" Emma looked at Regina over Henry's head and saw her confusion. She raised her eyebrows, inviting her to play along.
"Yes, it's a great opportunity for children to know about the work of the shelter and the care of animals," she recited almost by memory. Emma raised an eyebrow and gave her a look that told her to not to be so formal. "And they can play with pets," she added then, earning a nod from Emma.
"We can play with them?" Henry exclaimed looking up at her. "I didn't know that!"
"Well it's a surprise so don't tell anyone," Regina smiled.
"So cool," Henry whispered. "I'll keep the secret, mom."
Regina couldn't stop the wide smile at the use of 'mom' and ventured to mess his hair. He didn't flinch away and she felt so happy she couldn't hide it. When she raised her gaze, her eyes met Emma's and the blonde smiled with her.
"What do you think about a cocoa, Henry?" Emma asked as they approached Granny's.
Henry frowned, "It would be great, but I have to prepare stuff for the party and homework."
Regina looked at him, proud for his sense of responsibility, something he clearly had learned from her and not from Emma, who pouted, "But the cocoa."
"He's a very busy little man, Miss Swan. You have to let him take care of his responsibilities."
Emma looked at her and whispered 'I'm never inviting you again' while she smiled. "Well then, I guess work before pleasure it is."
They walked another block and when they arrived to the corner, Regina turned to them, "This is where I turn. It was nice to see you Henry."
The child looked up and smiled a little, "It was nice to see you too, mom." Then frowned, confused about his feelings, both happy and angry at her mother.
While he debated with those feelings, the Mayor looked at Emma, "Thank you."
The blonde nodded, "See you around, Regina."
A/N: reviews and our opinion would be fantastic!