Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.
As the acting Mayor of Storybrooke, it was expected from Regina to come to the Pet Shelter's party, although not everyone wanted her too. Yet, she showed up earlier to make sure everything was correctly arranged. She helped the nuns, who now ran the pet shelter since David had been ascended to sheriff deputy, and once the time arrived, she went to the entrance of the shelter to receive the guests.
Of course, not all of them were too happy about it (actually no one was) but she still held her head high and faked a smile to everyone who crossed the door. Soon the shelter's backyard, where the part was held, was full of people talking about the great job done there.
Regina eyed her watch, thinking where Emma and Henry would be, when they appeared. Emma's curls were a little messy, and they fell on her face. "Sorry, we're late. Henry left his usb at home."
The kid ran past them without a word, going behind the little stage they had settled there, and Regina sighed. Emma was about to say something when they heard someone testing the microphone.
"Welcome to the Pet Shelter's party. Please welcome the Mayor, Regina Mills," Blue said.
No one clapped as Regina got up on the stage and behind the microphone, "Good evening, citizens of Storybrooke. It's a pleasure to welcome you to the Pet Shelter's official reopening. As you know, due to the recent events—"
"You evil witch, you cursed us all!" someone yelled interrupting the Mayor, who gasped surprised by it.
Emma hoped on the stage and looked at the audience, "Hey, why don't you show your face, so brave you are to interrupt?"
Leroy stepped ahead, pushing people aside, "I have nothing to hide, not like her."
"Dude, what the fuck. She cursed you, yeah. She gave you a better life; she gave you a roof above your head, warm water, great food, and all the facilities of this world. She has apologized for it, she learned it was wrong. She is the Mayor and without her this place would be a mess and you know it, you all know it, and she does it because she wants to, because for all I know she could just quit and leave this place. And yet, all you seem to do is to insult her. Grow up." Emma breathed and then calmed down. She turned around and nodded to Regina, "You can go on, Regina."
She jumped down the stage and walked by Leroy, looking at him daring to make another comment. Regina, taken aback by Emma's speech just as everyone else in the place, quickly recovered and cleared her throat.
"As…As I was saying, the shelter has been renovated by the nuns, who are in charge of the shelter. Please, a round of applause for them and do enjoy the party."
When she walked down the stage, everyone was still silent, swallowing Emma's words. Blue grabbed the microphone and welcomed the children of the school, presenting the renovations of the shelter. Regina walked to Emma and stood besides her, looking at the kids on the stage. "You didn't have to do it, I can handle it."
"That you can handle it doesn't mean you have to."
Regina looked at Emma, who turned to return the gaze, and thanked her with a smile. "It's okay. I just hope they start to change their minds about it."
"What would Snow think about that, her own daughter defending her greatest enemy," she chuckled.
Emma smiled and rolled her eyes, "She already came to me just a moment ago."
"She did?" Regina asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.
"She and…David—I refuse to call him Charming—said they were proud for me acting as the Savior I was, but they told me to be careful," she shrugged. "As if I wasn't capable of taking care of myself."
Regina eyed Snow, who on the stage now, helping her students. "Do I sense some sarcasm there, Sheriff?"
"They have to catch up for 28 years without me plus the pressure of being the Savior. I just think they're too much, but then again, they are fairytale characters."
"Must be hard," Regina murmured looking back at the stage. Emma looked at her, surprised to not hearing sarcasm in her words. After all she was hated by the whole town, she had it harder than anyone, and yet she had told her those words with true honesty. She understood her even in her position.
Emma looked at the stage just in time to see Henry starting her presentation. The two mothers listened to him in silence, both proud of their son. When the children finished, they applauded. "He really did work hard on it," Regina said.
The Sheriff nodded and smiled, "You don't know half of it, he wouldn't shut up about it."
Regina frowned and felt the hint of sadness again. Of course she didn't know, he didn't live with her anymore and he wouldn't talk to her. Emma noticed that and placed her hand on Regina's arm, "Maybe he can tell you about it tomorrow at Granny's? We can go have some ice cream and then he can go pick up his things."
"You think he will want to do it?"
Emma smiled, "Are you kidding? He'll do anything for ice cream."
They chuckled at the truth of her words and Henry appeared just in time, "Hey mom." He looked at Regina and added, "Mom."
"Hello Henry," she smiled at him. "You did great up there. It was very well done."
"Thank you," he said smiling proudly back at her, and then turned to Emma. "I didn't include the video at the end because it wasn't on the usb, I thought I had it but I didn't."
"It was really good anyway. Listen, are you up for ice cream at Granny's tomorrow with Regina?"
Henry looked at her adoptive mother and then back to Emma, "Yeah, okay." Snow called for Henry to meet the rest of the class and before he left, he looked at Regina, "Emma is right, you know. About people insulting you. It's wrong."
Then, he left, running to meet his classmates and his teacher, leaving Regina stunned at his words. "See?" Emma told her nudging her arm. "It's a start."
"Yeah," Regina smiled. "It is."
No one would've thought it, but Regina actually liked to sleep in on Sunday. Staying in bed for a while just enjoying the peace of her bedroom, her territory where she could be just herself. Winter was around the corner, and when she felt the cool air in her bedroom, she cuddled in her sheets enjoying the warm of her bed.
She had her eyes closed when her phone rang. She checked the caller ID but she felt that lately she didn't have to, since Emma was the only one to contact her.
"Miss Swan," she greeted, her voice still a little hoarse.
"Hey, did I wake you up? I waited so it wasn't too early."
Regina let the smile form in her lips at the Sheriff, "No, it's okay."
"Cool. I just wanted to ask you if you're ok for ice cream at 6?" Emma asked happily, feeling Regina's smile through the phone.
"6 is just fine. I'll see you there."
"Awesome then. Talk to you later, Regina."
The Mayor left her phone on her night stand and looked at her ceiling. Emma and her had fallen into a strange dynamic lately, away from the bickering of the previous year, and Regina liked it. Maybe too much.
Regina placed the salt shaker aligned to the pepper shaker for the fourth time in 10 minutes. She hadn't been to Granny's for so long since the curse broke, well aware of the looks everyone would giver her if she went there. That day though was special, and she held her head high, ignoring the other customers. She may be affected by them, but a Queen never lets it show.
Finally, the door opened and Emma, following Henry, entered the diner. They went straight to the table Regina was on and took a seat across from her.
"Have you been waiting too long?" Emma asked taking off her hat and letting her blonde curls free.
Regina shook her head.
"Good because Henry just told me we could all share a banana split, because he never finishes it."
Henry flushed and sunk in the booth. "Mom," he protested embarrassed.
"I guess he still can beat the banana split," Regina laughed. "I'm okay with it. I'll call Ruby."
She called out the waitress, who appeared notepad in hand, and after greeting the three of them, she took their order. "Just one?" she asked curiously.
"We'll share, so bring three spoons please," Regina asked politely.
Ruby eyed Emma, raising an eyebrow, but left without saying anything else. Emma looked at the Mayor, encouraging her to start the conversation instead of herself, and Regina cleared her throat, "So did you like the party yesterday Henry?"
"Yeah, it was awesome. I played with all the dogs but there was one that was missing an eye and I just wanted to take it home but mom wouldn't let me but he was like too cute. You should see him, maybe you could let me have it."
Emma smiled at her son and then to Regina, who looked at her an eyebrow raised at her not letting Henry get a dog. She leaned back and enjoyed the scene.
"Maybe I could consider it," Regina conceded and Henry opened his mouth.
"Really?" he exclaimed.
Regina laughed, "I said consider Henry, not getting it."
"Well, that's more than Emma allowed."
"I try to be the responsible one here, kid. You're not helping."
Ruby interrupted to leave the big plate of ice cream in the middle of the table, with three spoons on it. After thanking the waitress, the three of them dug into the ice cream to get a taste.
"I would name him Scar," he continued trying to convince his mothers.
"As in the bad guy from the Lion King?" Emma asked raising both eyebrows.
Henry nodded and closed his eyes for a moment, dealing with the brain freeze. He opened them again and gladly took another spoonful of it, "Yeah. For the missing eye and all, it seems fit. Besides it's a cool name."
"It's the name of the villain," Regina murmured more to herself than to them, but they heard.
Henry looked at her this time and left the spoon on the plate. "You were the villain, but you learned from it. Villains are not always bad, they can learn," he said seriously. Then grabbed another spoonful of ice cream and added, "But not Scar though, he really was bad."
Regina smiled and held back the tears, not wanting to ruin the moment. She couldn't believe it. Finally, Henry didn't see her totally as evil. She looked at Emma, who had a huge grin on her face that mirrored hers. Henry kept on talking about the party, his homework, school and his new friends, and Regina listened to all of it, enjoying the moment with her son.