"Okay, Granny, you and me will take the lead," Emma says, hoisting her gun and looking ridiculously like those detectives on TV. "Then David and Mary Margaret, Ruby and Henry, and then Regina and Archie."
"Hoping I'll get picked off," Regina growls.
"No, Regina. I trust you to watch our backs." Emma holds her gaze levelly, and Regina can see the truth there. Then she smirks. "Also, I know that you like Archie enough not to trip him up and let him get eaten. Can't say the same for the others." Regina shrugs. There is no point denying it. "Henry, you stick close to Ruby, okay?"
"Yeah, got it, Mom."
This time Regina is ready, and she suppresses the flinch that wants to show itself. That does not stop Archie from looking at her with pity. The magic crackles at her fingertips, but she clenches her fist and extinguishes it.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" she asks, her voice steady, though a bit shrill. "The longer we stay here, the harder it will be to leave."
"Right. The cars are out back," Charming says, steering Snow towards the door. She has yet to say anything, and Regina wonders how weak a person has to be to let murdering someone who they thought needed to be murdered affect them so much. Regina has done much worse in her life, and maybe she took it took far at time, maybe she had come apart at the seams, maybe she hat let it take over her life, but she has always been able to keep going. She has never let it reduce her to a helpless girl, needing someone to help get her through. How pathetic.
Nodding along with Charming, Emma leads Granny to the door, waiting for the rest to get in position behind her. Regina grasps the baseball bat she has brought along, noting that Archie has a heavy wooden cane and that Red grips what looks like a crowbar. Regina presses herself close to Henry's back, hoping to make him feel more secure. He looks up at her and leans back so that his head rests briefly on her chest. It is not a hug, but it is close. Regina wonders when he had gotten so tall. She had missed so much the last few months. Too much.
"All right. I'm going to open the door on the count of three." Emma's hand rests on the handle. "Then Granny, David, Mary Margaret, and Red will go in David's car, and Archie, Henry, Regina, and I will take Regina's car.
"Where are we going?" Henry pipes up.
"Oh. Uh…." Uncertain, Emma glances around at the other adults, and Regina has to resist rolling her eyes at the excellent planning skills that are being displayed. "Any suggestions?"
"Mom's house is near the edge of town," Henry says, looking nervously at Regina. "And it's big enough for all of us."
"Regina?" It is really unfair that Emma can make her eyes that wide and pleading. She holds a distinct resemblance to a puppy, and Regina utterly hates how she can feel herself wavering and bending to to her request.
"That's your grand plan? Go back to the place we just left?"
"Henry's right. It's a good choice." Emma bites down on her lower lip, and Regina sighs.
"Have you forgotten that when we left, the door was about to be beaten down?"
"Okay, yeah, but this time there are more of us, and we just have to get inside and then you can put the protection thing up." Emma blinks her lashes and smiles at Regina, nodding her head."
"Fine. But don't expect me to bake any of you an apple turnover." The joke falls flat, and Snow actually flinches. "Let's just go."
Emma nods, turning back to the door. "One, two, three." She yanks it open, gun raised, and begins sprinting to the cars. Granny fires off two shots before she is even out the door, and Charming pushes Snow out in front of him. Red positions Henry behind her and looks back to make sure Regina and Archie are close behind.
Emma reaches the cars first, then looks up at Regina, eyes wide. "The keys!"
Regina suddenly feels the weight of the keys in her pocket. The zombies are closing in around them, and she needs the doors to be open when they get there so she can shove Henry inside. "Emma, catch!" The world slows down as the keys sail through the air. To her left, Granny fires off another arrow, Charming raises his gun and shoots a zombie that is approaching Emma, and Red curls her body over Henry as Archie swings at a zombie Regina recognizes as one of the mechanics at the auto shop.
In a move more graceful than her mover could ever hope to accomplish, Emma catches the keys and turns the lock in the Benz. Regina takes Henry from Red and drags him to the car, where Emma already has the door open for them. After pushing him inside, she circles around Archie, bringing down a zombie while he climbs in after Henry. The feeling of the baseball bat hitting his skull makes her sick to her stomach, but she does not give herself time to think about it. She skitters around the car and dips into the passenger seat. Emma still has the keys, and it would waste too much time for them to switch now. She tucks the bat between her legs and shuts the door.
"Henry, are you okay?" She turns in her seat, giving her son a once over.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Mom."
"Bug?"
"I'm okay." Archie seems touched that she asked about his health, and Regina does not like the way he is looking at her.
"I only ask because I don't want you turning into one of those things while you're sitting next to my son," she snapped.
"Of course." But he smiles in that stupid knowing way that says he does not believe anything she said. Regina turns back with a huff as Emma slide into the driver's seat, slamming the door behind her. She hands her gun to Regina, who checks to make sure the safety is on before settling it in her lap.
"All right, let's get this show on the road."
"Henry, put on your seatbelt," Regina reminds the boy.
Emma looks at her. "Seriously?"
"You too, Miss Swan. No need to die in a car accident," Regina snips.
"Fine, whatever." Snapping her seatbelt in place, Emma puts the car in drive and peels out onto the street. Charming follows behind them, and Regina sinks into the back of her seat.
They have only been driving for a couple of minutes when Henry's voice breaks the silence. "Mom, who's Daniel?"
Regina stiffens. "What?"
"I mean, Gramps told me that he was your fiance, but that's all." Henry leans forward so that his head is between the front seats. "Cause I heard Gramps and Grandma talking, and she said somethin glike 'first Danile and now Cora.' Is that why you hate her so much?"
Regina's throat doesn't feel like it wants to work correctly as she flounders. "He….I…."
"Hey, kid, maybe now's not the best time," Emma says, eyes on Regina.
"But we're not doing anything."
"Later, Henry."
Unaccustomed to Emma taking the role of strict parent, Henry falls back against his own seat. Regina swallows and breathes out slowly through her nose. Only Snow knows what happened with Daniel, and presumably Charming now.
"If you want to talk, Regina-"
"Shut it, Bug," she hisses. Again, Emma places a hand on her arm, and Regina wonders how it is that his woman, this person who took her son from her, can understand her and calm her better than anyone else. She does not like it one bit.
"Okay, we're all a little tense right now," EMma says, "which is totally understandable. So maybe let's stick with safe topics. Like the weather. Beautiful day, right?"
"Please, Miss Swan, stop before you lower my already dismal opinion of you."
"Always a ray of sunshine, Madame Mayor." Emma just rolls her eyes and shakes her head, turning onto Mifflin Street. "Should I park around back?"
"It would probably be safest," Regina agrees, glad to move away from such uncomfortable subjects. She supposes she should be glad that maybe Henry's world view is becoming less black and white, but her story is not really on she wants to share with him. Not until he is older, at least. Some things are too much for eleven year old boys. Addressing Emma again, she says, "Be careful."
"No shit."
Regina does not bother to correct her language. It is far too late for that. Henry's sheltered life is over. Emma pulls into the back driveway, leaving room for CHarming, grabs the gun from Regina, and hops out of the car, firing off several rounds. Regina follows, bat raised and ready, and opens the door for Henry, shielding him with her body. She, Emma, and Archie form a tight group around the boy, making their way to the back door.
"Archie, you go first. There may be zombies in the house already," Emma instructs. "Regina and I will cover the door until everyone is in." Archie opens the door and leads Henry inside. Regina and Emma stand back while Charming, Snow, Granny, and Red file out of the truck and inside, Granny firing more shots on the way. "Damn, I'm glad she's with us," Emma mutters.
"Same, dear." They share a tired smile and close in behind everyone, firmly shutting the door against the few straggling zombies in the back yard.
"Okay, let's clear the house, then Regina can do the spell."
They break into teams, searching each room until they had the whole house covered. They find two zombies which had crawled in through the broken window in the front. Red and Granny take care of them quickly, and Charming and Emma drag the bodies outside. When they return, everyone gathers in the foyer, looking expectantly at Regina.
"Anything we need to do?" Emma asks.
"No. But...I could… use some of your magic," Regina admits reluctantly. "To make the spell stronger. I believe white magic will work better against these...things than my own magic."
"Oh, yeah, Sure." Hesitantly Emma puts her hand on Regina's arm, just as she had done to make Jefferson's hat work. Regina reaches inside herself, feeling the tingling sensation of Emma's magic coursing through her veins , and enacts the spell. She concentrates on who she is protecting, Henry's face swimming before her eyes. For the first ten years of his life, she had thought she loved him, had loved him as much as her shattered, twisted heart could manage. Then Emma Swan came to town, and Regina realized that what she felt was nothing close to what she could feel, should feel, for this little boy. Slowly, painfully, her ability to Henry had grown each day, and she knows now that she would do anything for him, anything to keep him safe and happy. She holds him in her mind, but another face flashes beside his. GReen eyes and shining blond hair. A stupid grin of acceptance and understanding, and a hideous red jacket. Emma.
The magic flares, and Regina can feel the spell pulling from both her and Emma. The hand on her arm tightens, and Emma leans against her. The spell only takes a few second to cover the house, and when it is done, Regina lets of of the magic. Emma's hand stays on her arm.
"That's all, Miss Swan," Regina says hoarsely. "You can let go now."
"Oh, right. Sorry." Emma uncurls her fingers slowly, giving Regina's arm one last pat before stepping back. "So...uh…."
"Henry, of course, will take his own room," Regina says briskly, falling easily back into the mayoral persona. "There are two guest bedrooms and the couch in the living room. You can argue amongst yourselves over who gets what. I don't much care." She takes a deep breath and nods. "I'll start dinner."
"I'm not trusting you with our food," Charming protests, causing both Regina and Emma to roll their eyes.
"Seriously, David? If she wanted to kill us, she would have done it by now," Emma says. Regina wants to snap that she does not need Emma to defend her, but there is something nice about having someone stand up for her without wanting anything in return. So she sits back, smirk firmly in place, and lets Emma argue with her fathe. "If we're going to make it through this, we have to trust each other. I know that's like really difficult for us all because of past transgressions, but let's try to make an effort, okay? Granny, help Regina in the kitchen so David doesn't have to worry about getting poisoned. Does that work for everyone?"
"Fine," Charming says gruffly.
"Sure," Granny says with a shrug. "Always wanted to see what your kitchen looks like."
"Regina?" Emma's face softens as she turns to the former mayor. Her eyes ask for forgiveness, telling Regina that Emma trusts her and just wants things to smooth over.
"If she must." Regina turned and led Granny to the kitchen, stopping long enough to give Henry a kiss on the top of his head. To her relief, he does not pull away. "For a group this large," Regina says to Granny once they are in the kitchen and she is pulling out pots and utensils, "pasta is the best option until I can do some logistics. There's a bag of elbow macaroni in the pantry if you could get it." Granny does as she was told, and they fall into a rhythm as Regina instructs her on how to make the sauce. The entire process is much less painful than she would have thought, and soon they have a simple meal prepared.
Dinner is a silent affair, with Emma, henry, and Archie carrying a stilted, awkward conversation about comics. Charming spends the meal nearly force feeding Snow, who is still in a catatonic state, glancing occasionally at Regina, only to jerk her gaze away as soon as she meets Regina's eyes. Granny asks a few questions about recipes, which Regina answered, but neither of them care to turn it into a full conversation.
Emma offers to clean up, and Archie volunteers with her, leaving Regina alone with a room full of people who hate her. She holds her head high as silence falls over them.
"The pasta was good," Red finally says.
"Thank you, Miss Lucas." Regina nods graciously in her direction. "Your grandmother was very helpful. As would be expected of an accomplished cook." Compliments are not Regina's strong suit, but Granny just raises a brow, and thankfully, Emma returns before the situation can become any more stilted.
"It's getting late, and we've all had a really shitty day, so let's pack it in for the night, yeah?" Emma looks around hopefully, and Regina wonders if she is just as uncomfortable and stifled as she is.
"David and Mary MArgaret can take one guest room, and Granny and Red can have the other. Archie, do you mind being on the couch?"
"Not at all."
"Awesome. Well, I think we should take turns taking watch-just in case," she adds quickly as Regina opens her mouth to complain that her protection spell is superb and nothing will get through it.
"Fine. I'll take first watch," Regina says, not feeling remotely like turning in for bed with a bunch of her former enemies in the house.
"I'm not trustin-"
"Oh, shut up, David," Emma snaps. "We get it. You don't trust her. You sound like a broken record. I'll stay up and take first watch with her, okay?" CHarming gives a tight nod. "Now, take Snow upstairs and get settled."
"Third door on the left," Regina tells him, pointing up the stairs. "The other guest room is directly across the hall. The study is through that door, Dr. Hopper." Regina waits for them to disperse, holding herself rigidly. Henry hangs around until it is just the three of them.
"Mom?" This time he is addressing Regina. "Could you, maybe...tuck me in?"
Her heart squeezing itself painfully, she nods. "Of course, sweetheart." She gives him a smile, amazed at how genuine her smiles are these days. She follows him up the stairs. Emma stays behind, letting Regina have this moment. She reads Henry a story and kisses him goodnight. He does not bring up Daniel, and Regina hopes he has forgotten about it. She turns off his light and returns downstairs where Emma has a glass of Scotch waiting for her.
"Thought you could use this."
"Well, I certainly won't say no to it." Regina takes the glass and sits down on the bottom step. They could moved to the study, but she is suddenly exhausted. Emma seems to understand and places herself next to Regina, their thighs touching. Personal space has never been part of their relationship.
"Sorry about David," Emma says. "He's just worried about Mary Margaret."
"Yes, I'm sure she's having a terrible time getting over using me to murder my own mother."
Emma winces. "When you put it that way….Look, I don't agree at all with what she did. I...I can't even imagine….I'm on your side. Here."
Regina snorts.
"I mean it. She's my...my mom, so I have to protect her, but Regina, I'm not okay with what she did to you." Emma places a hand on her knee. "And I...I know I haven't said it yet, but I am sorry I didn't believe you about the Archie thing. I should have trusted you over a dog."
"Where is the dog, by the way? I don't think I've ever seen the Cricket away from him."
Emma just swallows and shakes her head. "Archie wouldn't talk about it, but I could guess."
Regina cannot explain the wave of sadness that follows the news. Pongo had always been the only creature in Storybrook who was genuinely happy to see her.
"I'm sorry for that."
"YEah. Anyway, I do trust you. With my life."
"Are you certain I won't try to trip you up and let those creatures have you?"
"Yeah, I actually am." Emma gives her a lopsided smile. "And not just because I know you wouldn't hurt Henry that way."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. You like me."
"Please. You're delusional." Regina takes a sip of her drink, acutely aware of the pleasant flutter in her stomach.
"Just keep telling yourself that." Emma knocks her shoulder gently, and Regina thinks that maybe she will not mind being stuck with Emma Swan so much. If only she can get through this without killing the other two Charmings.