Thank you so much for your reviews and requests! I'll fit them all in there somewhere as they were all very reasonable and most were already going to happen anyway :) Now for the hundredth time this is NOT time travel. I don't know how many different times or ways I can say it or put it in to the story lol! So to that guest reviewer who still has not caught the memo, I will make it as blatant as I possibly can in the next chapter that this is not time travel and hopefully then everyone will understand by then if you don't in this chapter ;) enjoy the update! Please leave a review! You guys are awesome!
Regina was reaching to open the front door when the incessant knocking stopped and the door was pushed open by the blonde on the other side. But she kept Emma from stepping inside just yet.
"Henry's here?!"
"Yes, Emma, but-"
"Let me in!"
"Emma-"
"Regina this is so not the time for you telling me he is your son!"
"I'm not-!"
"I swear to god, Regina, if you don't get out of my way I will break your damn nose."
"Miss Swan! I am trying to give you notice of what you are about to see so that you don't stand there like a gaping fool!"
"What?! Did something happen to Henry?! Is he like horribly disfigured or something?"
"What? No, Henry is just fine-" a seething breath blew out her nose and her eyes lifted furiously to the ceiling when Emma pushed her aside and entered the house, "fine," she conceded irritably and let the door swing shut as she turned on her heels to follow the blonde. She had only made it to the foyer.
Emma's eyes went wide at the sight of Regina walking out of the dining room. Only it wasn't Regina because Regina stepped up beside her with an irritated glance of 'I tried to tell you'. This was another Regina and she looked as though she had just stepped out of Henry's book. Her hair was long and wavy, her pants were black leather as were her boots, her black leather top was tight and cut low, and her dark blue coat was just as form fitting until it hit her hips where it fell to the floor behind her. Her makeup was sharper and expertly done and her lips were a dark red she had never seen before and the way she walked made her feel entirely inferior to her. Her head was held high, her posture was straight, her hips swayed, and she didn't look at her until she was passing her. Those dark eyes were piercing and deadly and made her throat run dry.
"Who is this?"
"This is Emma. Henry's birth mother," Regina answered with a polite smile and the queen nodded and looked the blonde up and down curiously. Regina would be lying if she said she didn't get some satisfaction in seeing the blonde nervously lean slightly toward her and away from the queen. "Emma this is the queen, Regina. Henry has been in her care for the last six months. It seems he had fallen in to an alternate universe of sorts."
"Is she a mute?"
"No, I am not a mute," Emma breathed out with a nervous laugh and the queen nodded in approval, "just a little stunned. I mean, wow, two Reginas...and one clad in tight leather and velvet. Just...yeah, I'm going to have to process...that..."
"Regina, my darling, have you seen these 'light switches'? They are positively astounding."
"Light switches?" She inquired curiously as he walked down the stairs.
"It is a switch on the wall. When you move it up the lights shine and when you move it down they turn off. It is quite convenient. Who is this?" He smiled at the new blonde who stared at him with wide green eyes.
"This is Emma. Henry's birth mother," she parroted the mayor's reply as David's arm wound around her lower back and his hand settled on her hip.
"Ah. It is nice to meet you. Henry spoke very kindly of you," he smiled and nodded and Emma stumbled over her reply.
"That's...nice. I...yeah...um...so like...are you two...?"
"They are happily screwing one another, Miss Swan."
"Oh. Wow. Okay I wasn't expecting that. That's just like a semi truck to the face. Evil Queen and Prince Charming and...stuff...I'm going to stop talking now."
"Probably for the best, dear," Regina nodded beside her and the queen smirked a little, "how about the pair of you continue to acquaint yourselves with the house and we will go find Henry and figure out the details of your stay."
"I imagine you would prefer we stay indoors for the time being?" David questioned with a smile and knew his darling wife would not be too pleased with the answer.
"That would be very much appreciated," Regina breathed out a laugh and then shook her head, "the occupants of this town are quite easy to set off and news of another me would cause chaos I'm sure. Hence the need to figure out the details."
"I understand," David smiled and nodded and relief softened the mayor's shoulders, "I'll be sure to keep her on a tight leash."
"Like hell you will," she scoffed and stepped out of his hold and walked toward the living room.
David watched her go with a light chuckle before he looked back at the Regina in front of him, "she'll come around."
"Oh no she won't. Don't fool yourself. I'll be sure to get her out of this new cage as soon as I can," she promised with a nod and David smiled at her.
"You two really are one in the same aren't you."
"It would certainly seem that way," Regina nodded and then smiled at him in a polite goodbye before she turned and pulled Emma behind her as she walked toward her home library where David, Snow, and Henry all waited.
"What the fuck?!"
"Miss Swan, a form of myself in a relationship with a form of David-while it is up there-is most certainly not the strangest thing I have seen. Really it is no different than having a twin."
"Um it is a whole lot different than having a twin when you get to watch your dreams in live action!" She snapped in a hushed tone and Regina stopped dead and whirled around with her teeth bared.
"Watch your tongue, Miss Swan!" She snapped in an equally hushed tone, "this morning was a mere slip of the tongue that was not intended for your ears! I am perfectly capable of keeping myself under control. I respect your father and the vows he made to Snow, I will not be getting in to the middle of that and so help me if you question my honour again I will make certain you will never so much as think of doing so again, am I clear?!"
"Crystal," she replied and Regina nodded and started to turn and Emma started to follow, "and for the record that came out a little harsher than I had planned it. I'm still a little thrown by this whole thing. I don't care what happens between you and David so long as things can settle and everyone is happy," she finished just before they made it to the room with the rest of them in it.
"Noted," Regina replied simply as she opened the door and let Emma enter before her.
"Emma!"
"Henry!" She laughed and he leapt at her and hugged her tight, "oh I've missed you so much!" She cried and tangled a hand in to his hair.
"I missed you too," he mumbled in to her shoulder. It was so good to be back in Storybrooke.
While Henry and Emma got reacquainted, Regina turned to David and Snow and she had to say she truly hated how close Snow was to David. It made her blood boil and she had to bite her cheek to keep herself from snarling. She would never admit that she was jealous. But she was jealous. "We need to figure out how to make the town aware of their presence in a fashion that doesn't result in a damn riot. So Snow," she looked to her and Snow looked back, "get a handle on Grumpy or I swear to god I will tear his damn throat out."
David snorted a sudden laugh out his nose and then quickly apologized and covered his mouth with his hand as he tried to hide his smile and stop his laughter. Regina was having a hard time not smiling at his outburst as well but it seemed Snow was simply irritated, "he is a pot stirrer and if we want to maintain a peaceful balance between the people of this town and a hot tempered queen, we need him and George under control."
"Who is to say that she really is as ill tempered as you say?" Snow inquired curiously and Regina opened her mouth to answer but Henry beat her to it.
"She is still very much the Evil Queen," Henry nodded and everyone looked to him, "she's only gone about a month without killing anyone and that is only because she was distracted by the wedding."
"What wedding?" Snow furrowed her brow and looked between Regina and Henry and found Regina crossing her jaw and pursing her lips.
"Her wedding," Henry answered and Emma, Snow, and David all looked at him in confusion while his mother stood quietly off to the side with her eyes down. She already knew. Good. "She and David got married like three days ago."
"What?!" Snow squeaked and Henry nodded, "h-how alternate was this universe, Henry?"
David felt like he had just had the wind knocked out of him and his gaze snapped to Regina. Her eyes were down and her body was tense and David sensed she already knew the answer to Snow's question. And it was that they were not all that different at all. What would have happened if he had married her instead of Snow?
"Actually they are pretty much identical. I mean there are little differences like the queen can't cook to save her life but other than little things like that it is exactly the same. When I fell in to that world I interrupted the queen's plans to put Snow under the sleeping curse and then later convinced her to let David out of her dungeon and then everything started changing," he shrugged and held his hands over Emma's forearms. She was hugging him from behind and had nuzzled her face in to his hair as he leaned back against her. Henry found her to be oddly quiet but he supposed that she was just soaking everything in.
But then everyone else remained silent so he looked at everyone around him and took in each of them. First was Snow. She was tense but they all were tense. She was clinging to David as though he were about to disappear. Her eyes were down and her expression was one of worry and dread for something that she believed to be inevitable it would seem.
Then there was David. He was quiet and still but his mind was reeling and his eyes were up and focused on Regina with a certain longing and subtle frustration. If Henry wasn't mistaken he'd say David had fallen for his mother, something he would have thought absolutely impossible only months ago. But now it made him smile a little. This was going to be easier than he thought.
Then he looked to his mother and she had her eyes down at her feet and her arms folded over her chest. Her shoulders were tight but her posture was slightly curled as though she was shying away from everyone and attempting to protect herself from something. From what he wasn't sure but he wouldn't be surprised if it was something regarding her fear of accepting David's feelings for her.
"Did I miss something while I was away? I feel like I missed something..."
"Nothing out of the ordinary," David replied with a shake of his head and a small smile at Henry.
"We need to get him some clothes," Regina stated her thoughts aloud and everyone looked at her.
"The other David?" Snow questioned with a furrow of her brow and Regina nodded.
"And Henry. He's grown a good few inches. I don't imagine many of his things will fit him anymore," she smiled and Henry smiled back at her despite the hint of sorrow in hers. She had missed quite a bit. "The queen can share my closet but I'll pick up a few things for her that will be more her taste. I have no clothes here that will fit David though and I will not have him dressed in flannel."
"Can David come shopping with us?" Henry asked with a smile up at his brunette mother and she looked curiously down at him at the request.
"Which David?"
"This one," he clarified with a small laugh, "the Enchanted Forest David has to stay here to keep an eye on the queen. He can be your size reference."
"I already know what size he is."
"How do you know that?" He questioned and bit back a smirk when she clenched her jaw and tried not to scowl at him.
With a long tight exhale through her nose she looked at David and gathered her bearings, "if you wish to come that is between you and your wife," she told him and he nodded and then she looked to the kitchen and hissed, "what on earth is that beeping?"
"...sounds like the microwave," Henry replied and then sucked in a sharp breath and stood up straight, quickly pulling Emma behind him.
Regina was quick to follow at Henry's sudden movement and hurriedly fell in step behind Emma and Henry. What the hell were they doing in her kitchen?
...
Regina hummed curiously as she walked through the kitchen. Everything was so different. Everything was so shiny. She stopped at a silver and black box with a window and a handle. Carefully she tugged it open and looked inside.
"What does it do?"
"Not sure," she answered as she examined the inside.
"Well this one says 'start'," he pointed at the array of numbers and words and at that Regina closed the door and pressed her finger to the word. Nothing happened. So she pushed the number two and it beeped and they paused. And then she pushed start and the device came to life. The light turned on inside and the machine began to hum and they both watched in fascination. But it only lasted two seconds.
"The numbers depict the time it runs for," Regina surmised with a nod and then shook her head, "but what does it do?"
"What if we put something inside it?"
Regina turned and looked around the kitchen from where she stood and then reached for an apple, opened the door, and put it inside. Then she closed it and pushed the numbers to make the device run for thirty seconds and watched the apple spin slowly inside. Then her attention was caught by the rustling next to her and she turned her head to find David trying to get in to a packaging, "what are you doing?"
"I think these are edible. I'm curious to see what they taste like."
Regina furrowed her brow at the short white cylinders, "what are they?"
David turned over the strange clear bag and sounded out the word, "marshmallows...I suppose we'll see. If I can get the blasted thing open."
Regina chuckled lightly as he started pulling at the clear stretching bag again and then the odd box beeped and she opened the door only to be slightly disappointed that the apple looked unchanged, "what is the point of this machine?" She frowned and then reached inside only to find the apple to now be warm to the touch and she gasped slowly and inspected it, "it warms the objects you put inside it."
"Really? Well that is a clever device," he commented and then his finger finally poked through the stubborn bag, "ah! Let's see what you taste like..."
"Well?" Regina questioned curiously after he took a bite. From what she could tell, its texture was soft and squishy as David bit in to it.
"It's sweet," he nodded with his muffled voice and offered her the other half and she took it gingerly and inspected it suspiciously, "and sticky. And...odd. I have nothing to compare it to..."
Regina squeezed it a few times between her finger and thumb and then cautiously pushed it past her lips. Her brow furrowed at the texture and flavour of it and David popped another one in to his mouth as he read the bag again. "I am not convinced I like them."
"I think they're rather awesome," he smirked and she rolled her eyes as she swallowed, "in Henry's words," he chuckled and she shook her head.
"What happens if we put one in the box?" She questioned and David shrugged and gave her one to put inside. So she did and set the timer for another thirty seconds and then flipped through the odd utensils in a tall metal cylinder. Some she recognized, most she did not. There was a wooden spoon, a potato masher...she pulled out one she didn't recognize and examined the black ends and the metal handles that joined at their ends to form an upside down 'V'. Then she squeezed them together and smiled triumphantly, "it is used to grab things," she smirked and then pointed them toward David to grab at the bag of odd squishy treats causing them both to laugh before he caught glimpse of the marshmallow in the magic warming box.
"Look! It grows when it gets warm," he pointed and they both stepped closer to get a better look at the now enormous marshmallow.
"It's huge."
"Will it shrink again?"
"I don't know."
"What are you two doing?" Regina nearly bellowed and both the queen and the associated king jumped and looked back at her. And then the microwave beeped upon its ended run.
"What is this magic box called?" The queen inquired with a cock of her head.
"A microwave," Regina replied and the queen nodded and then pointed at the bag in Charming's hands with the tongs.
"And what is in these squishy treats that make them grow when warm?"
At that Regina's eyes went wide and she pushed her head forward, "you put a marshmallow in the microwave?"
"I told you she can't cook to save her life," Henry laughed and Emma chuckled quietly behind him, "I was actually prepared for something much worse."
"I...hhhhh," Regina sighed and then stepped toward the king and queen and opened the microwave and pulled out the bottom glass plate and handed it to the queen who frowned at it after surrendering the tongs.
"It looks dead."
"Yes, well, some things are not meant to be put in the microwave," Regina breathed and the queen let go of the plate with one hand and tilted her head when the shrivelled marshmallow didn't move. "Now I believe it's time to introduce you to running water, rubber gloves, and dish soap."
"You wish me to wash this?"
"You dirtied it."
"Do you not have servants to do that?"
"Things work differently in this world, dear. We must clean up our own mess," she nodded and began steering her to the sink while David and Henry chuckled. "It'll be good for you. It'll humble you."
"I am plenty humble," she retorted and the mayor looked at her with her lips pursed and her eyes slightly narrowed, "fine."
"Up, down, left, right. On, off, hot, cold," she demonstrated quickly on the tap and the queen leaned in closer to examine the sink. Running water would be revolutionary to the woman, she was sure. "You will not need much soap. It is designed for you to use as little as possible. Gloves, sponges, and brushes are under the sink in the cupboard. I'll be back in an hour or two."
"What? Where are you going?"
"I have to get Henry, you, and your David clothing. I will not have the pair of you galavanting around my town in leather and Henry has outgrown all he has here. If you get bored there is a shower upstairs next door to your bedroom. Instructions for the water are the same as the sink's. I'm sure you and David will have plenty of fun in there," she smirked a little as well as died a little inside knowing that she couldn't do it herself with the David just in the other room. "Just don't slip and break your neck or something," she drawled out and the queen grinned and laughed quietly through her teeth as she twisted at her hips to watch her walk away.
"Actually, you know what's really good? Slowly roasting the marshmallows over fire," Henry nodded and the queen's curiosity peaked meanwhile Emma's hands quickly clapped over his mouth and his mother stared at him in disbelief.
"Huh..." David breathed and then turned to face his wife as he plucked a marshmallow from the bag and paused and waited for her to smirk.
"Don't," Regina warned lowly at the pair of them but was promptly ignored.
David tossed it in the air and a small fireball flew from the queen's hand and turned the marshmallow a golden brown before David caught it in his mouth with a laugh and a hum of approval, "oh yeah he's right. So much better."
"I'm leaving," Regina breathed and turned back around only to find Emma's wide grin suddenly being swallowed and Henry's eyes grinning up at her from behind Emma's hands, "you two are not helpful."
"Oh come on that was awesome! You have to teach me your fireball trick now," Emma laughed as she turned with Regina and followed her out of the kitchen with Henry beside her, "she's not so intimidating when she's roasting marshmallows," she teased and Henry laughed beside her.
...
"You sure we have all the stuff for pancakes?"
"Yes," she answered in to his hair and he continued to play with her hands in his lap as he sat between her legs while they waited for David.
"Like lots of pancakes?"
"Lots of pancakes," she assured with a smile and Emma breathed a light chuckle as she leaned back against the wall and watched them.
"With lots of whipped cream?"
"Mhm."
"Good."
"We can pick up some strawberries on the way home if you like though."
"Yes please," he smiled and she kissed the side of his head which had him smiling even more, "thank you."
"For what?"
"For letting them stay with us. They've been really excited to come here and see everything and meet you and stuff."
"Really?"
"Mhm. And I'm sure if you helped the queen at least learn a few basics in the kitchen, the rest of them back in that Enchanted Forest would be super happy," he chuckled and his mother's laughter sang softly against his ear while Emma breathed a few laughs of her own, "seriously she's awful, I don't know how she is so bad."
"Well if she'll listen I will be happy to show her," Regina chuckled and Henry hummed a laugh and moved her hands so her arms encircled his waist and his hands laid over her forearms.
"I love you."
"I love you too, Henry," she whispered and kissed the side of his head again just as David came out of the dressing room.
"Hey, lookin' sharp," Emma nodded in approval as she leaned partially away from the wall, "you should let Regina dress you too," she teased and he scoffed with a playful roll of his eyes.
"You should listen to your daughter," Regina smirked and David cleared his throat a little and smirked a little back as he pushed his fingers in to his front pockets and shifted his weight a little. It was a thick wool sweater with a high collar that nearly reached his jaw and large open buttons that stopped at his sternum. Beneath the grey sweater was a grey, white, and navy blue plaid shirt but only the lifted collar could be seen against the collar of the sweater. Then dark washed jeans and a brick brown belt. And damn did her heart rate pick up at the sight of him. The fact that his sleeves were pushed up to reveal his forearms did nothing to help her refrain from going over there and tearing the clothes off him.
"Next," she nodded and he smirked a little more and turned back in to the dressing room.
Those dark eyes. He hadn't put any thought in to how much different she could look at him with just a simple change of clothes. She looked like she was ready to pounce on him. So feeling rather excited and cocky, he went to try on another outfit she had prepared.
"So...how do you know David's clothing size, mom?"
"I can tell anyone's size, dear."
Emma rolled her eyes a little and corrected, "the answer to your actual question, Henry, is that David has been your mother's bed warmer for the past six months."
"Really?"
"No," she scoffed and looked incredulously back at the blonde who smirked and quirked her head. Now she was going to have to evade explaining it all. And she wasn't sure how she felt about Henry's underlying excitement in his tone, "he's just been keeping me company. That's all."
"So he hasn't slept over."
"Well he has...but never really on purpose. We just stayed up too late or drank too much or-you know what it doesn't matter."
"It matters," Emma nodded and Regina clenched her jaw at her.
"It totally matters!" Henry grinned and twisted in his place a little so he could look up at her, "you have a person and that's important!" He was going to say something else but decided last minute that it was too soon for him to be catalyzing her and David's relationship. Just not yet. Maybe in a couple days.
That wasn't quite what she was expecting to leave his mouth. It threw her off and dropped her defences and she didn't quite know what to say for a moment or two, "I suppose that is an accurate way of putting it."
"I'm so glad you weren't alone when I was away," he smiled up at her and she smiled a little back at him before he straightened his seat and leaned back against her chest again, "I'm glad you have a friend."
"Me too..." She replied and stared curiously at the side of his head. She was going to have to learn how to get back in that clever mind of his before she was blindsided by something of his. But for now she would just kiss him and hug him and send him to fetch things for her, "can you grab one of those leather jackets over there, sweetheart?"
Henry looked over to where she was looking and confirmed, "one of the brown ones?"
"Yes."
"Sure."
"Thank you," she smiled and kissed his head once more before she released him from his arms and watched him walk away as she crossed one leg over the other. Then both she and Emma pulled their eyes from Henry and snapped them to David when he came out wearing something else. A semi dark jean, dark brown belt, a tucked in white button up shirt and a heavier knit cardigan in navy blue. And his damn sleeves were rolled up again. It turned her on like nothing before. What the hell was wrong with her. "Was there not a tie with that?" Regina questioned with a furrow of her brow.
"You know, I am ashamed to say I do not know how to tie a tie," he confessed and Regina raised an eyebrow while Emma furrowed hers with a 'really?' before Regina stood up and walked to him.
With a hopeless sigh she snatched the black tie from his offered hand and slung it around his neck. The closeness was beyond distracting, as was his gentle breath across her cheek but she pushed it all aside as best she could and quickly tied it around his neck, "every man should learn to tie a tie."
"I will put it on my to-do list," he teased and she glanced up at him under thick dark lashes with a smirk, "although I do not believe I will be wearing another one any time soon."
"No?" She questioned as she smoothed the knot with her fingers and took a step back to look him up and down and then nod.
"They're rather uncomfortable."
"Well of course they are. But they're not for the direct benefit of the man wearing it."
"Oh?"
"They are for the benefit of the woman," she smirked and slowly reached forward as he cocked his head with a mirrored smirk, "to give a little tug," she shrugged and he raised a brow and then she tugged. She threw him off balance with the sudden force and he took a couple steps forward until he crashed in to her and she kept her hand wrapped around the tie as she let out a low and playful hum through her widening smirk as his shaky breath blew across her lips and she felt the tension grow in his body against hers. Her heart went wild in her chest with lust and desire.. But this time she had the upper hand and the change had her more relaxed and thrilled and playful and that was easier to keep in check that loneliness and desperation.
"Now go try something else on, dear," she cocked her head and another tense breath blow against her jaw before she let go of the tie and sent him away with a shove against his chest. He caught his balance again and with dazed eyes and a tense swallow, he turned back around and disappeared in to the dressing room. As soon as he was out of her sight she was clearing her throat and pursing her lips as she dropped her eyes to stare at the toes of her black stilettos peeking out from beneath her black trousers.
"You didn't even try to hide it there," Emma commented but her eyes were down and her head was straight.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure."