Best Laid Plans
Chapter 14
"Can I practice sparring with a real sword," Henry asked as he walked through the palace with Emma.
"What? No. Henry," Emma tiredly said.
"Why not," Henry drew out in a whine. "I've been practicing with Gramps plenty of times with wooden swords."
"Kid, even if I sad yes, and I am not saying yes, your mom would never let that happen."
"You can just call her 'Mom' or 'Regina' when you're around me. And she's not here. Please?"
"Stick to fake swords for now, okay? We just got you back and we want to keep you safe for at least a little while longer," she joked as they came to a stop in the grand archway between the extensive dining room and the wide, ornate hallway they'd just walked through.
Emma looked around with shock and awe as she took in the outdated but elegant palace. She barely had time to stare at the castle she would have called home, if not for the curse, before Charming approached them from the dining room with a smile.
"Hey, Henry," Charming greeted.
"Gramps, will you please tell Mom I'm ready to spar with real swords," Henry begged.
Charming smiled down at the boy and ruffled his hair before he replied.
"Actually, I agree with your mom on this one."
"What? Come on!"
"Give it a little more practice with wooden swords and I promise sparring with the real thing will happen before you know it," Charming said.
Henry sighed.
"Fine."
Charming looked up at Emma when Henry headed toward the long dining table that could easily seat fifteen people.
Emma met Charming's gaze and quietly said thank you once Henry was mostly out of earshot.
"No problem. So, how are you with all of this? Being back in the Enchanted Forest."
Emma shrugged.
"Henry wants to see what it's like so I'm not gonna say anything and risk upsetting him."
"That sounds like you don't want to be here," he gently pressed.
Emma huffed out a sigh and looked away for a moment before she met his gaze again and spoke up.
"This situation...? It's not ideal for me. I've spent my entire life in the real world, the one that's supposedly without magic. It's what I know and even though it hasn't exactly been kind to me, as you once put it, that world is my home."
Charming looked down at the ground and nodded because he didn't know how else to respond.
"But...none of that matters," Emma continued.
Charming looked up again, slightly hopeful but more surprised than anything.
"This is what Henry wants and I'm gonna let him have this one. And as long as Regina agrees, we'll stay," Emma finished.
Charming raised an eyebrow at the mention of the former Evil Queen.
"Since when do you care if she agrees with you or not," Charming curiously asked.
"I gave her the benefit of the doubt when it came to Archie's murder, right? I mean, before everything took a depressing turn for the worst. Not much has changed since then."
"Not much," Charming flatly repeated her words. "But some things have?"
Emma rolled her eyes, agitated.
"Yeah, they have. You weren't there, David."
He cringed at Emma's use of his first name.
"Things with Ursula were as bad as everyone on board the ship predicted they'd be. Regina saved me."
"You mentioned that when you got back to the ship."
"But you don't seem to listen. While we were down there with Ursula, Regina...she did everything she could to help get us out of there. She never gave up. She exhausted herself. Twice! She healed me. Twice."
"Well, Emma, there's a difference between being grateful and things changing."
"Uh, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not five. I realize that, but...here's the thing. No matter what her reason was for doing what she did, she was there for me."
"Emma–"
"No," Emma cut him off. "I'm an adult and I don't need to explain myself to you. If I need your help or advice, I'll ask."
Emma started to walk away and head over to the seat next to Henry at the dining table when the loud sound of the front double doors swinging open echoed throughout the first floor of the palace.
Charming redirected his attention to the framed space between the archway and saw his wife walk into the space with two sacks thrown over both of her shoulders. He smiled and it appeared as though Snow felt that warm, beaming look on his face because she turned and instantly locked eyes with him.
Just as Snow smiled back, the two of them shared only a few seconds of across the room tenderness before Regina's mere presence interrupted.
Regina stepped up beside Snow and looked around the palace with a disgusted snarl firmly in place. When her eyes scanned the room and landed on Charming, she scoffed and rolled her eyes before she walked past Snow to enter the dining hall. She ignored the annoying lovebirds and went straight over to Emma and Henry.
"Tell me you didn't scratch while I was away," Regina said as she came up between Emma and Henry at the table and bent down to kiss Henry on the forehead.
"Mom kept hitting me when I tried," Henry admitted with a frown.
Regina chuckled and turned to Emma.
"I'm impressed. You usually disappoint me by now," Regina teased with a smirk and spoke in a somewhat sultry drawl.
"How long have you know me and you still have no idea what I'm capable of," Emma replied.
Regina's breath quietly hitched and Emma noticed the other woman's pupils dilate out of what could only be described as lust or just simple attraction.
Before Regina could open her mouth any further to say something, Henry interjected without a clue as to what had occurred between his mothers.
"So, do you have the ointment," Henry piped up. "'Cause it really does itch and I will scratch it if you don't have it."
Emma and Regina smiled at him and Regina retrieved the salve from a small pouch similar to the one she'd once held a poisoned apple for Snow White in.
"Of course, sweetheart," Regina said as she handed it over to Henry. "Apply it twice daily and use it all, okay? Let me know when you need more."
"Got it," Henry said as he pulled up his pant leg and immediately started to apply the ointment.
"You're welcome," Regina expectantly said as she watched and waited for Henry's reaction.
"Oh," Henry said after a moment when he realized why Regina had said that. "Thank you."
Regina smiled at him again and ran a hand through his hair.
"Question," Emma stole Regina's attention. "What are we supposed to do all day to entertain ourselves?"
"Well," Snow started as she approached the three of them with Charming at her side. "There's horseback riding, dress fittings, hunting wild game, swordplay, jousting–"
"Yeah, I'm more of a 'go out for a run' type of person and besides, last time we were here ogres inhabited most of the area."
Snow frowned and appeared deflated with that realization.
"I want to ride a horse," Henry exclaimed as he finished rubbing in the salve. "All I've done in Storybrooke is groom one, muck the stall, and have a staring contest with him."
Regina looked at him with an excited light in her chocolate brown eyes.
"I could teach you if you really want to learn," Regina told him.
Henry's expression brightened tenfold.
"Let's go now," he said.
"You know," Charming stepped in. "If ogres still roam most of the land, we should probably work on rebuilding the forest so they no longer run the land."
"Yes," Snow smiled. "And...I think you should be a part of that."
When Snow said "you", she had looked right at Regina.
"If you're suggesting I pass up the opportunity to bond with my son so I can help you fix up this land–" Regina started to get worked up, but cut herself off just before Snow had the chance.
"That's not what I meant," Snow quickly tried to correct the other woman. "We should all set aside time to work on the Enchanted Forest. This used to be our home."
"Your home. I didn't–" Regina started again, but didn't allow herself to finish voicing her thoughts when she remembered Henry was there.
Something clicked in Emma's mind and she stood up. She reached out and touched Regina's lower back with her fingertips; contact that barely existed and almost seemed to not be felt until Regina sighed and gave a single nod of agreement in response to Snow.
"Taking turns making this land worthy of those who used to live here sounds like a decent plan. We can work out the details later. You two and the others should all eat," Regina said.
"Two animals smaller than deer won't feed everyone," Charming calmly, casually pointed out.
"I already fed Henry and your daughter," Regina said.
Charming looked unfazed for a moment until he furrowed his brow and looked between Emma and Regina. He saw only one of his daughter's hands and had yet to locate the other one that appeared strategically placed behind Regina's body.
"Rumple probably won't eat anything you bring back so that just leaves Tink, Hook, and yourselves."
"Actually," Tink said from the archway between the dining and the main hall. "I already ate too."
Tinkerbell stood there with a hint of a smile on her face, her arms crossed over her chest.
"I went hunting earlier this morning just before dawn. I also had a few hiding places throughout the forest here so I've restocked them with a few snack foods in case of an emergency."
Regina looked impressed yet still a little stunned. She wasn't the only one.
Snow shared almost the same look as Regina while Charming appeared proud, though no one really understood why. Henry seemed to look up to Tinkerbell, admiration in his shining brown eyes.
Emma just resisted the urge to roll her eyes, the least fascinated of everyone by the fairy's efficiency.
"Great," Emma sarcastically spoke up. "Now can we find something for me to do? I can't just sit here in this stuffy, falling apart castle."
"How childish are you that you can't sit still for even a few minutes," Tinkerbell said.
"It's just how I grew up. Got a problem with that?"
Emma took an assertive step toward Tinkerbell, prepared for a fight.
Regina instantly held out an arm and hindered Emma from approaching the other blonde.
"What is with you two," Regina asked Emma in an only slightly hushed tone.
"You think it hasn't been my life for the past three decades," Tinkerbell asked. "It's what I did on a whim when I was here, but in Neverland everything I did was for survival."
"And you what? Expect everyone to just bow down and give you praise because your life was tough and you keep proving that you're a survivor? Why should anyone care?"
When Regina looked at Emma after that comment, she started to eye the Savior with a little more concern and possibly deeper understanding.
"Emma, it's okay," Regina softly said so only she would hear.
"No, it's not okay," Emma said with her eyes still focused on Tinkerbell.
Regina moved her arm from across Emma's chest and gently touched the other woman's bicep. She slowly rubbed the pad of her thumb over the exposed skin in wide circles.
It was that somewhat calming touch that drew Emma's attention from Tinkerbell to the woman in front of her, to Regina.
"I just–" Emma stopped herself as quickly as she had started speaking. "Never mind. I need something to do. I can't just sit around all day."
"Okay," Regina quickly and calmly started. "Why don't you come with Henry and I to the stables?"
"Really," Henry excitedly asked. "We can go? I'll actually get to ride this time?!"
Regina looked over at Henry and smiled.
"Yes, but only with proper lessons."
"You'll teach me," Henry asked.
"Everything I know," Regina replied. "In due time, of course. Today will be the basics."
Regina looked at Emma again.
"What do you think," Regina asked her.
Emma looked back and forth between Regina and Henry for a moment. Her eyes met Regina's again before she answered.
"I'll go...but I'm not getting on a horse."
"Well, someone should start fixing up the palace if nothing else," Charming said.
Regina rolled her eyes.
"I'm sure we can use magic," Regina said. "Later."
"Mm-magic," Henry asked with uncertainty and a hint of disapproval. "I know Mom's already used magic since the mines, but do we have to use it all the time? I don't think it's going to be helpful with...everything."
"Oh. Henry," Emma tried to reassure their son magic use wouldn't be as huge an issue he thought it might be.
"I won't use magic to conjure things for personal comfort," Regina cut Emma off and addressed Henry. "Is that a compromise you can agree with?"
Henry considered the offer for a moment before a smile slowly spread across his face.
"Okay. And...maybe Emma could make sure you don't use magic when you don't have to?"
Emma and Regina looked at each other and Emma tilted her head to the side with a sympathetic expression on her face.
"I think," Regina slowly started with her eyes locked on Emma for another second before she looked at Henry. "That's a good idea."
Emma exhaled with relief.
"Now that that's settled," Regina changed the subject. "Let's find ourselves some horses."
Regina had cleared the stables of everything but the hay on the ground as soon as she could once she'd been crowned Queen.
Henry wanted to ride horses and Regina had none.
She hadn't traveled the forest in many years, but to find her son a horse Regina would willingly get lost in a heartbeat. That was why she, Emma, and Henry walked together through seemingly endless green and gritty, compacted dirt.
"How long have we been walking," Henry slowly drew out in a whine.
He swiped at beads of sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand and panted out shallow breaths.
Emma opened her mouth with a stern and slightly frustrated look on her face, ready to scold the boy until she remembered that Henry had been stuck in the jungle of Neverland for several days by himself. She closed her mouth and reconsidered her approach.
"You want a piggyback ride," Emma asked.
"What's a piggyback ride," Henry scrunched up his face in confusion and looked up at her as they continued on through the forest.
Emma saw the sincerity in Henry's confusion and looked up over Henry's head at Regina.
"Seriously? He's never heard of a piggyback ride?"
"There were a lot of things I had to learn about this world and then Henry came along and there were a lot of things I had to learn about parenting. I couldn't possibly learn everything!"
Though Regina sounded angry, Emma knew she wasn't. She knew Regina was only lashing out because she felt uncomfortable, maybe even incompetent. Regina had been out of her element twice over and didn't like to look the fool, especially since that was all she seemed to look to Rumple and those that had tricked her in the past.
Emma snapped her mouth shut and looked apologetically at Regina for a moment before she directed her attention back to Henry.
"Alright, kid," Emma said as she stopped in their mission, placed a hand on Henry's shoulder, and spun him around to face her. "Looks like I get to teach you something after all. And here I thought I'd missed too many of your firsts."
Regina stopped and turned toward Emma and Henry. She watched Emma kneel down in front of Henry and heard the younger woman explain a piggyback ride.
"You hop on my back and I carry you around," Emma told him.
"That's it," Henry asked.
"That's all there is to it. Come on," Emma said as she presented her back to Henry in an invitation.
Henry cautiously and tensely climbed onto Emma's back and listened to the blonde as she further instructed him.
"Wrap your arms around my neck and your legs around my waist."
As she instructed him, he latched onto Emma and Emma reached back to help lift him onto herself. She gripped under his knees and stood up as he held on to his blonde mother like a koala.
Regina watched Emma stand up with Henry pressed to her back and somewhat marveled at the sight.
"Okay," Emma hoarsely puffed out in a sigh as she adjusted and redistributed Henry's weight. "Better?"
"Yeah," Henry said as he squirmed against Emma and held his blonde mother a little closer. "This is kind of fun."
Henry turned his head to look at Regina and the three of them started to walk toward the stables again.
"Hey, Mom, how long do you think I can get away with this," Henry asked Regina with a grin.
Regina forced a smile in response as she tried to keep her attention focused on Henry, but occasionally her eyes slid toward Emma and the scene the blonde presented to her. Emma and Henry together and the three of them alone together gave Regina a sense of family, a taste of something she'd never once felt in all her life.
"Regina?"
The curious and concerned voice pulled her out of her thoughts and Regina looked up to see Emma turned partially toward her.
"Yes?"
Emma's lips twitched into a warm and goofy smile. She pulled Henry up more on her back when he started to slide toward the forest floor then extended a hand to Regina.
"Come on," Emma said.
Regina's eyes widened and her lips parted as she looked from green eyes down to Emma's hand. She stared at the hand for several seconds then looked at Henry.
"Mom," Henry bordered on a whining tone. "Let's go!"
Emma chuckled.
"Quit daydreaming, Your Majesty," Emma teased.
Regina blinked and quietly stammered before she slowly migrated toward Emma and Henry. She held out her hand and allowed Emma to take it in hers. They walked together through the forest, Henry on Emma's back and Regina's hand joined with Emma's. They couldn't have looked more like a family if they tried.
Regina nervously licked her lips the further they walked together and she started to fear the rise in her temperature would cause her hand to sweat. She wished Jack Sparrow's compass hadn't explained why she would feel that way about Emma, but it had exposed her inner desire.
They'd shared one kiss on a night spent in worry and sorrow still in search for Henry. One kiss and Regina wanted more. She missed the way Emma felt even only halfway on top of her, that circle necklace pressed to her neck. She didn't even care that Emma had evidence of her earlier crying when they melted into each other. It wasn't the most appealing way to kiss someone, but Regina knew that moment was theirs and theirs alone. Just like all of her stolen moments with Daniel, she had something unique and private with Emma.
Suddenly, Regina felt the grip on her hand tighten.
Regina snapped her attention to Emma who had her green eyes trained on her. Emma looked sympathetic and understanding. Right then, Regina was grateful she wanted Emma because that expression solidified Regina's belief that Emma would be good for her, if the blonde chose to except them together.
And then fear of rejection hit Regina hard and she was more than nervous.
"You okay," Emma asked.
Regina momentarily stopped breathing and her eyes were wide, her face a little pale. She looked nothing like herself.
"Hey," Emma said as she tightened her grip. "I'm here. Henry's here. Whatever it is that's freaking you out, you don't have to face it alone."
Henry looked at Regina and smiled when she met his gaze.
"Love you," he said.
Regina slowly started to smile, her eyes solely on Henry. She had him and even if things didn't work out between her and Emma, she would still have her little boy.
"Look away, kid," Emma told him.
"Why," Henry asked, confused and suspicious.
"Just do it," Emma said. "Nothing to worry about, but you might thank me one day for giving you a warning."
Henry scrunched up his face and hesitated before he looked away and stared through the trees to his right that he had inspected before Emma called Regina out on her moment of panic.
Emma made sure to wait a few seconds after Henry looked away to ensure he would keep his eyes averted. When she felt safe enough to continue in her plan, she looked right at Regina and lifted the brunette's hand to her lips. She kissed the back of it with a grin as she watched Regina's eyes dilate a little at the contact.
Emma lowered their joined hands to their sides again and stepped closer to the other woman, one hand still on Henry to ensure he didn't accidentally let go and fall. She pecked Regina on the cheek and lingered for a second or two before she pulled away.
Regina felt her heart beat against her chest and for a minute, she didn't feel like a Queen – evil or not – and she didn't feel like a mayor or a mother. She just felt like Regina.
"Can I look at you two now," Henry piped up.
"Yeah," Emma answered with a smile as she kept her eyes on Regina for a little while longer.
Henry turned his head and looked from Emma to Regina. When he caught sight of Regina, he noticed the pinkish tint to her cheeks.
"Are you okay, Mom?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes," Regina replied as she looked up at Henry. "Yes, Henry. I'm fine."
Emma widely grinned as she looked at the dirt path ahead of them. She laughed under her breath, though Henry and Regina still managed to hear it.
"What's going on," Henry asked as he continued to look back and forth between his two mothers.
"Nothing," Regina quickly tried to assure him.
Emma laughed a little louder.
After a long walk through the forest, the three of them arrived at the stables Regina had uplifted and placed in Storybrooke. The only evidence that she had lead Emma and Henry to the right place was the grave marker that sat untouched by the dark curse.
Emma let go of her hand and eased Henry onto the ground, but crept closer to the seemingly deserted land.
Regina, however, stopped in her tracks and remained rooted in her spot. She didn't dare go any closer to that which she'd lost so long ago and had to say goodbye to twice.
Henry was the first to notice.
"Mom?"
Regina didn't snap out of her trance that time. Her eyes focused on the grave and her vision started to blur with the threat of oncoming tears.
"Regina? What's wrong," Emma asked as she took a step closer to the brunette.
Henry followed Regina's gaze and saw the grave. A few seconds ticked by before it clicked in his head.
"It's Daniel," Henry softly said as he looked at Regina.
Regina didn't return his gaze, but Emma turned and looked at him.
He looked up at Emma then and saw the concern in her questioning expression. He looked from her to the grave.
Emma followed Henry's gaze and saw the grave site. It wasn't a typical tombstone. It seemed to be made out of wood and looked like a model size barn or house with a heart on it. It wasn't too far from the stables that stood in much worse shape.
The stables were cracked and split in various places and the wood seemed charred and weather torn. Emma could see into the stables and noticed the lack of horses. Though she wasn't a huge fan of farm animals, she was at least thankful that no animals seemed to have been hurt by the curse. At least not the ones that used to reside in the stables.
"Oh," Emma said with a deer-in-the-headlights expression.
After a moment, Emma turned back to Regina and slowly approached the brunette.
"Do you want to leave? I mean, there aren't any horses here for Henry anyway so we can go back to the palace and–"
"No," Regina quickly interjected and quickly looked away from the grave and focused on Emma. "No, it's okay. There should be horses in the area. I let them all go after...the King's death."
Emma tensed at the mention of the deceased pig that by blood was her grandfather. She saw the distant look in Regina's eyes and relaxed. She took another step closer and cautiously reached out for Regina. She was careful not to startle the other woman when she gently touched the brunette's arm and pulled Regina from her thoughts.
Regina blinked and shook her head before her eyes found Emma's.
"I didn't bring all of them to Storybrooke," Regina continued to explain. "I left maybe one or two because they were a bit uncooperative."
"Were they safe from the storm the curse brought," Henry asked.
Regina looked at him and smiled.
"Yes, Henry. I made sure they were protected. My mother sectioned off part of the Enchanted Forest just like I'd sectioned off a part of the land near here just for the horses that didn't want to make the trip with all of us."
"I'm starting to see there are many sides to you," Emma blurted out, though she meant to keep that comment to herself.
Regina and Emma locked gazes and something sparked between them. The spark was invisible and was more of a lingering feeling within each of the women instead of the spark of magic that occasionally flowed between them, but, regardless, it was definitely something.
"Where are the horses," Henry asked, oblivious to whatever had happened between his mothers.
Emma and Regina simultaneously turned their attention to Henry.
"Right," Regina said. "This way."
Regina lead them to a small horse pen past a thicket of trees that separated the pen from the stable. She raised a hand to the faint purple waves of magic she used to protect the enclosure from the curse and took a deep breath. She moved her hand from right to left and magically lowered the slightly transparent barrier.
Immediately, the only two horses in the enclosure neighed. One trotted up to the gate Regina had positioned herself in front of and bowed its head then nudged Regina's slightly lowered hand.
"Well, hello, Mireya," Regina said with a smile and perfect Spanish accent. "Did you miss me?"
Mireya blew out a heavy breath and nodded against Regina's hand.
Regina laughed.
"Good girl," Regina said before she raised her free hand, palm up, and conjured a carrot. "Here, girl."
Regina held out the carrot out to Mireya and smiled as the horse started to nibble from Regina's hand.
Emma and Henry watched with adoration and admiration as Regina fed the mare and smiled throughout it all.
Slowly, the other horse walked over to join Regina and Mireya and Emma wrapped an arm around Henry and pulled him close to her as they continued to stare.
"Oh, I haven't forgotten about you, Sammy," Regina said as she moved her hand closer to the other horse and offered him the same carrot Mireya had started to snack on.
Emma, always one to ruin a good moment, furrowed her brows after a moment and shook her head before she spoke up.
"How did the horses survive for three decades without someone here to take care of them?"
Regina turned to Emma and Henry, her hand still outstretched toward both horses as she continued to feed them.
"Magic. It may not exist in your world, aside from Storybrooke, but it does here. I cast a spell that would dispense food whenever they were out. It sounds a little ridiculous, but I wasn't about to kill my horses. I had already lost Rocinante to the curse. I wasn't about to lose two more because of it."
"Who," Emma asked.
Regina rolled her eyes.
"Rocinante. He was my horse. The first time I learned how to ride was on Rocinante. He was about four months old when my father took me to the stable in a neighboring village to pick out my own horse. It was a few years before I started my riding lessons. Rocinante was a promise from my father that I would be able to take up horseback riding once I was of age."
"So...you and your dad bonded over horses?"
"And other things," Regina smiled as a fond memory or two seemed to cross her mind. "He loved to watch my progress with riding though. And then..."
Regina's expression fell and she slipped into a familiar looking sadness.
"And then Daniel started to work at our stable. The rest is...history to be noted in some book about fairy tales."
"If you don't mind me asking, how old was he when he started working there," Emma asked.
"Fourteen. I was a year younger," Regina answered. "We didn't start sneaking around to see each other until I was almost sixteen."
"That's the same age I was when Neal came into my life," Emma sadly said. "Guess you and I aren't so different, huh."
Silence fell over the three of them.
Henry looked between the two of them for the next several seconds before he broke the silence.
"Maybe you two should be friends instead of fighting," Henry innocently suggested.
Emma and Regina looked at Henry and laughed.
"Maybe we should," Regina agreed.
"Starting now," Emma added.
Regina looked at Emma, not at all surprised by Emma's words though she did seem thankful for Emma's proposal that left little room for argument.
"Starting now," Regina repeated, her agreement verbalized in that moment.
"...Sooo, am I gonna get on one of these horses or are we just gonna stand here," Henry asked after a few seconds.
Emma rolled her eyes and Regina laughed then reached out for Henry.
Emma released her grip on their son and Henry walked to Regina.
Regina placed a hand on his back and made him stand in front of the gate by her side. She instructed him on how to earn a horse's trust and waited until he was able to pet Mireya's nose before she opened the gate and guided him inside the enclosure.
Sammy huffed and snorted before he trotted away from the gate and moved around Mireya until he stood on the opposite side of the other horse in front of the gate. He extended his neck and nuzzled Emma's raised hand, her palm to his nose.
Emma hadn't meant to attract Sammy. She saw him move and became very nervous about what his reason for moving could be. When he approached the gate, much closer to her then, she raised a hand defensively to keep him away from her in case he charged.
She really didn't know much of anything about horses so she assumed the worst and feared that the large animals would hurt her instead of seek out comfort from her.
Regina started to help Henry onto Mireya – without a saddle – to ensure she would abide by Henry's rules of preferred magic use, no personal comfort, and turned to check on Emma when she saw Sammy rub his nose into her palm.
Emma's shoulders were tense and she grimaced as Sammy continued to brush against her in seemingly unwanted ways.
Regina chuckled.
"He wants you to pet him," Regina said with a smile.
"What if I don't want to pet him," Emma asked as she fearfully eyed Sammy and shied away from his persistent touch.
"You should be flattered," Regina said. "He's never once liked anyone other than me. He even spat on your mother and nearly kicked her in the face when she tried to pet him for the first time."
Henry looked at Regina and saw the grin she wore on her face after remembering the experience with a young Snow White.
"Mom," Henry warned.
Regina looked at him and her grin slowly faded.
"Sorry," Regina said. "It was funny then."
"He could have hurt Grandma," Henry said.
"And that would've been bad?"
Emma rolled her eyes.
"Mom," Henry warned again, louder than the previous warning.
"Fine, fine," Regina defensively raised her hands. "I'm wrong to laugh about it. I'm sorry."
Sammy pressed himself up against the gate as he tried his best to get closer to Emma, who had slowly started to back away from the enclosure. Sammy vehemently nodded against Emma's hand before the blonde pulled it away and dropped it down to her side.
Sammy huffed at the loss of contact and lowered his head in search of Emma's hand.
"Emma," Regina gently berated the younger woman. "Just pet him."
Emma heavily sighed like a moody teenager.
"Fine," she grumbled and moved closer to Sammy.
Emma lifted her hand and waited for Sammy to place his nose under her palm. When he did, he didn't wait for her to make the next move. He shook his head and nudged her forearm with his wet nose.
Emma ran her hand down his nose and started to pet him before Sammy turned his head and presented his black mane to her. She furrowed her brow, confused as to what Sammy wanted her to do, but she took another step closer and ran her hand down his mane.
Sammy remained perfectly still as Emma touched his hair. After a minute or so, he stepped away from the gate and bowed his head a few times.
"What does that mean," Emma asked as she looked from Sammy up to Regina.
"He wants you to come in," Regina said before she pulled herself up onto Mireya and wrapped her arms around Henry from behind. "If you come in, he'll let you ride him."
"No. Uh uh. Not riding him," Emma said as she shook her head. "Not happening."
"Come on, Mom," Henry tried to encourage her. "I haven't even gone anywhere and riding horses is already fun."
Regina smiled and kissed the top of Henry's head before she turned her head and looked at Emma.
Her smile had faded, but the look Regina gave Emma spoke volumes. She seemed much softer and more willing to share certain aspects of her life with Emma. It was something Emma never thought would happen before the curse broke. She saw Regina as just Regina even though the brunette back then was cold and uptight. The other woman never let anyone get close to her except for Graham. And yet, he hadn't really been close to her at all.
Emma took a deep breath and tried to relax.
"Alright," Emma said and very slowly walked over to the latch on the gate.
As soon as the latch clanked, Sammy stepped toward the gate.
"Whoa," Emma said to Sammy. "Easy. I'm coming in. You're not coming out."
Henry and Regina both smiled as they watched Emma.
"The great and powerful Savior is afraid of horses," Regina teasingly asked.
Emma closed the gate to the enclosure.
"Yeah, well, anything bigger than me has always been a threat," Emma said as she awkwardly moved toward Sammy.
Regina's smile faded and she instinctively tightened her grip around Henry.
Henry looked up at Regina when her embrace turned into a squeeze. His eyes remained on Emma. When he saw what looked like concern and possibly guilt on the brunette's face, he turned his head to look at Emma once again.
"Just go slow," Regina calmly guided Emma. "Sammy won't hurt you, but horses can sense fear and anger. It's best to stay calm and keep their temperament at ease."
Emma gritted her teeth as she grimaced her way out of nervousness and uncertainty. She took a few relaxing breaths and reached up for Sammy's dark mane. She gripped and tried to throw herself over the horse's back one leg at a time. Blame it on lack of momentum or Emma's frequently inability to do anything without looking clumsy.
Emma fell off Sammy before she could even hook one of her legs over the horse and immediately, Henry and Regina laughed together at the blonde's failure.
Emma glared at both of them from her new position on the ground with her hands and knees pressed into the sand within the enclosure. She pushed back onto her feet and brushed herself off then tucked some of her blonde hair behind her right ear.
Henry looked up at Regina and a second later, Regina looked back at him as she continued to smile at Emma's cute clumsiness.
Cute. That adjective was a problem. Regina only ever used that word when it came to Henry, not to his blonde birth mother who came to Storybrooke and made an absolute mess of everything Regina had worked to keep together, to keep in her favor.
"Maybe you should help her," Henry suggested with squint-y eyes caused by the day's sun and his timidness for how well his mother would receive what he'd said.
Regina gave a warm smile reserved just for him and nodded.
"I think that would be a good idea," Regina said before she dismounted Mireya, careful not to knock Henry off the mare.
As Emma struggled to take hold of Sammy's mane, Regina came to stand beside her.
"Here," Regina said as she held out her hands and reached out to touch Emma, but only let her hands hover instead of move forward without permission. "Let me help."
"I've got it," Emma insisted, her tone higher than usual and slightly squeaky.
Emma grabbed Sammy's mane and accidentally pulled too hard.
Sammy hurriedly stepped away from Emma and caused the woman to loose her footing. She let go of the mane and stumbled backward.
Regina moved behind Emma and caught her before the younger woman could fall. She cupped Emma's elbows and chuckled as Emma fell into her.
Thankfully, where Sammy moved when he tried to get away from Emma's abuse blocked Henry's view because Regina's lips grazed Emma's ear and landed sweetly against the blonde's cheekbone after Emma's sloppy and uncoordinated fall. Her hands moved from Emma's elbows across the other woman's forearms before she ran her hands over Emma's stomach. Her hands roamed lower and lower and–
Emma gasped and tried her hardest not to moan, but let out a restrained groan caught in her throat.
Regina grinned against Emma's cheek and slowly released her grip on Emma.
Emma gulped and tried to regain her composure then turned to meet Regina's eyes. When their gazes locked, Emma saw Regina's eyes were dark and lust filled.
Regina's expression could have sent shivers down Emma's spine, but when Sammy nudged Emma's shoulder and briefly nuzzled his nose in her neck she coughed and shook herself out of her turned on state.
"Interesting way to help a girl ride a horse," Emma said as she tried not to blush.
Regina laughed, a warm and genuine laugh that she'd started to share with Emma and had yet to share with anyone else except for Henry.
"I haven't even helped you yet," Regina said. "Now, put your hand here."
Regina took Emma's hands and positioned them where they were supposed to be. She remained behind Emma and gently pushed the other woman toward Sammy.
"You have to jump a little and swing your leg over at the right time. Riding without a saddle is not an easy feat," Regina said.
"Then maybe you should magic us some saddles," Emma replied.
"Don't be a smart ass," Regina said.
"You love my smart ass," Emma teased with a smirk.
"Miss Swan," Regina pretended to scold the other woman.
"Ah, ah, ah," Emma jokingly admonished. "Don't deny it, Regina. You like it and you and I both know it."
"Just get on the damn horse," Regina said with suppressed laughter and a grin.
Emma proudly and happily smiled as she returned to her previous activity of trying to mount Sammy.
She gave a little jump and started to throw her leg over Sammy's back and just as she was about to fall over again, Regina grabbed her and pushed her up.
Regina's hands found Emma's ass and the backs of the woman's thighs. She squeezed and lifted Emma onto the horse.
Once Emma was seated on Sammy, she looked down at Regina and grinned.
"Told you you liked it. You can't keep your hands off it," Emma said.
Regina rolled her eyes.
"Just be careful," Regina warned with a hint of concern in her voice.
Both Emma and Henry heard the concern, but neither of them brought attention to it. Instead, they seemed to almost pretend they hadn't heard the brunette at all.
Regina got back onto Mireya and settled in once again behind Henry while Emma adjusted herself on Sammy.
"We'll start in the enclosure at a slow trot," Regina instructed. "If Henry wants it, we'll then lead into a gallop. No one's going to canter until there are saddles involved and the two of you spend more time on horses than just an hour or two."
"Um, what the hell does any of that mean," Emma asked.
Henry laughed.
"Maybe you need to take lessons with Gramps," Henry quipped.
"Ha ha," Emma sarcastically laughed.
Regina smiled wide enough to show her perfectly set and brilliantly white teeth.
"I'm sure a few lessons with me will be fine, Henry," Regina kindly said then turned to look at Emma and her demeanor instantly changed.
Emma had been accustomed to the way Regina's eyes scanned over her and sized her up before the curse broke, but she felt something entirely different when Regina looked at her that way right then.
Color blossomed on Emma's cheeks and tinted them with a pinkish-red hue that burned into a rosy red the longer she stared at Regina.
Regina uncharacteristically winked at Emma and the blonde understood with perfect clarity that the brunette would have her fun with her no matter the circumstances.
Charming wiped his mouth after he'd finished his portion of food, though he hadn't needed to do it. For a man who used to be a shepherd, Prince Charming actually had good manners and didn't eat like a slob.
"I don't know if I like Emma and Henry with Regina," Charming said to Snow as he started to clear his plate at the cracked and weather worn dining table.
"I'm sure they're fine," Snow said as she allowed her husband to chivalrously take care of her plate for her.
Charming stopped mid-walk as he started to leave the table, looked over his shoulder at Snow, and furrowed his brow. Plates still in hand, he gripped them a little tighter before he turned to face Snow fully once again and set the plates back down on the dining hall table.
"'Fine'? What do you mean it's fine? Before we went after Henry in Neverland, she tried to kill us! At least twice," Charming raised his voice as he took step after step to close the gap between them.
Charming towered over her after he finished yelling his point and though Regina wasn't currently in the palace, he had motioned toward the grand doors to the dining hall as though the brunette stood somewhere on the other side.
"I'm aware," Snow curtly nodded and averted her eyes with a steely expression as she focused her gaze on the table top.
"Then how can you condone any of this? We should keep an eye on Regina, not just hand our daughter and grandson over to her dark and impulsive will!"
"I–" Snow stopped herself as she lifted her head to look at Charming again.
Snow sat in silence for a moment with slightly widened eyes as she thought about what to say. Her lips quivered as she tried to open and shut her mouth over and over again in search for the right words. Only three words popped into her head and she found herself unable to say anything else.
She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm as she told Charming something she never thought she'd say to him about Regina after all that woman had done to her, after all the years and bad blood between them.
"I trust her," Snow breathed out somewhat firmly as she looked Charming directly in the eyes.
Charming blinked and his expression changed from suspiciously quizzical to baffled in an instant.
"What," Charming asked out of disbelief.
Snow cocked her head to the side, her expression soft and almost loving as she momentarily pursed her lips. It was another way Snow often communicated with Charming without the need for words, though they often spoke to clarify just what their looks meant. That moment was no different.
"Yes," Snow confirmed. "I trust her with this."
"Wha– Why?"
"We talked. It– She seems genuine. Something's...different with her. When it comes to Emma and Henry, she's... David, I think she's...in love with Emma."
Charming almost gasped. Thankfully, he hadn't. Though he still looked appalled, shocked, and ultimately confused. The latter emotion took precedence over everything else he felt and it caused him to pull out a chair and slowly lower himself onto it. He took his time to sit down at the table and exhaled.
"How... Regina lo– But...she's..."
Snow smiled at Charming's inability to speak. She rubbed his back for almost a minute before he finally managed a complete sentence.
"How do you know?"
"Like I said, we talked. Regina and I," Snow replied as she started to rub his shoulder blade in a circular motion.
"I can't... How can you be okay with this?"
"I'm not comfortable with it yet, but...if this is what Emma wants then we need to consider them together as a possibility."
"What about Neal? She loved him, right? How does she go from Neal to Regina?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, they have different...equipment."
Snow laughed.
"Well, maybe you've forgotten certain things about the world Emma grew up in, but you can like men and women. It's not so unheard of now."
"Okay. What about the fact that she just lost Neal? Regina could just be a rebound."
Snow shrugged.
"You're right. That could very well be true, but I wasn't talking about Emma when we started this conversation. I don't know how Emma feels, but if I know Regina the way I think I do, she's serious. I think...I think I saw a glimpse of the old Regina, the Regina that saved me from that runaway horse."
Charming picked his head up and looked right at Snow. He took a few shallow breaths as he tried to understand just what he had heard.
"And you think Emma had something to do with that?"
Snow nodded.
"Emma isn't a little girl anymore, David. She can take care of herself and we have to trust that if Regina does something to hurt her that she'll either come to us or she'll be able to deal with it herself."
"She's not a little girl anymore because of Regina," Charming argued.
"I know, but–" Snow sighed. "Look, we don't even know what Emma thinks about this. Nothing's happened between them as far as I can tell. I want to believe that Emma will come to us when she's ready. If we need to know something about the two of them, I want to believe that she'll tell us before anything significant happens."
"Well," Hook said with a grin as he slowly sauntered into the dining hall. "That's an interesting thing to hear from Snow White. I may not know the extent of your story, love, but I would've expected a speech like that to come from your husband and not the woman who spreads secrets like warm butter."
"Hey," Charming gruffly said as he shot out of his chair and glared at Hook. "You will respect her. No one talks to her or about her in that way. Do you understand?"
Hook defensively raised both his hand and his hook and chuckled.
"No need to get your briefs all twisted up. I do take it you're a briefs man?"
Charming rolled his eyes.
Hook chuckled.
"Relax, Mate. I meant no offense to your lady or to you. Now, what exactly do we do around here because I am absolutely tired of this place already."
"Maybe you could actually help us then," Charming suggested through almost gritted teeth. "Rebuilding this place isn't going to be easy."
"Not sure how a man with only one hand can be of much service to carpentry," Hook said as he held up his hook and turned it from side to side to it off.
Charming heavily sighed through his nose and clenched his fists.
"Can you not be yourself for five. Minutes?!"
Snow looked at Charming, completely stunned by his angry outburst. Hook hadn't done anything in particular to really agitate Charming and it wasn't as though he hadn't acted any differently throughout their Neverland voyage. So why Charming had decided it was worth his raised voice, clenched fists, and neck veins popping out of his reddened neck was beyond her at that point.
Hook seemed to shrug it off, almost as if he knew the trouble Charming faced. It was as if he knew why Charming had behaved the way he had while his own wife couldn't even begin to fathom it.
"Sorry, Mate. I'll leave you two alone," Hook said as he started to back out of the dining hall. "Just thought I'd find something to do. Without my ship, I've got nothing to preoccupy my time and it doesn't look like we're leaving here any time soon so..."
Hook trailed off and spun on the heel of his dusty, faded, and creased leather boots. He almost made it out of the dining hall when Charming spoke again.
"Wait. Hook...I'm sorry. Look, we could really use some help trying to fix this place up and I know you've got a handicap to work with. Just...any bit of help would be greatly appreciated. Okay?"
Snow relaxed only a little once Charming apologized. Something clearly wasn't right with the man and she hoped it was something they could fix together or something they could fix at all. For some reason, she had a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her it wasn't just something she'd said or the stress of being back in the kingdom and having to almost build it from the bottom up with only a few others to help them.
"I'll do what I can," Hook offered. "Should we start now?"
Charming sighed and nodded, his hands on his hips.
"Yeah, the sooner we repair the place the easier it'll be to live in it."
Hook gave a simple nod of his understanding and the two of them left the dining hall to get to work.
Once they were out of earshot, Hook looked over his shoulder to ensure Snow hadn't followed before he spoke.
"How's that solution to your little problem coming, eh?"
"I haven't been able to get away," Charming said as the two of them continued down the main hall.
"You planning on runnin' out on your family?"
"No. Of course not," Charming reassuringly said as he spoke in a hushed tone. "I just need to slip away for an hour or two. Maybe get my hands on a horse to make the trip go faster."
"Well, didn't Emma and the Queen just take their boy out to see some horses? Find out where they went and borrow one."
"Right," Charming agreed then furrowed his brow in confusion and suspicion. "Okay, since when do you want to help anyone but yourself?"
Hook hesitated.
"That poison coursing through your veins is something I've dealt with before. It...it took my brother from me and I'd hate to see it take you from your family. Are you happy I confided in you, Almighty Prince?"
"I...I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"Of course you didn't. I'm a pirate. I'm not known for sharing."
"If...if you really want to help me take care of this Dreamshade, maybe you can do me a favor."
"And what's that?"
"Cover for me tonight. After dinner. Don't let anyone come into my chambers, not even Snow, until I return. If I get a horse, it won't take more than two hours to get there and back."
"Where is it you plan to go to cure yourself," Hook asked.
"The same way Emma and Mary Margaret made it back to Storybrooke from here. Lake Nostos."
A/N: Just a few quick notes here. First of all, sorry for this update being long overdue. I'm busy with a lot of different things right now and I just couldn't find the time or interest to crank out this chapter. I really appreciate all of you for sticking through this with me.
Second, the horses names are a reflection of Regina/Lana. The female horse's name is Mireya because it's Latin and means "Miracle". The male horse's name is Sammy because of Lana's father who's name was Samuel.
I expect the next chapter to finished (and hopefully posted) within the next two weeks.