So seeing that this is a total Hallmark story, so AU of me...and you guys seem to LIKE it like this, I decided to keep the bad juju shit down to a minimal lol. Enjoy!
SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ
SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ
E. Swan residence...2209 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, New York...[Saturday, January 24th ...11:31 am]
Emma checked the mirror again, sighing uncertainly. She turned to look at Ruby who was watching her like a hawk with an annoyed look on her face. Emma ignored it and pointed to her simple and casual clothes, "Well?"
"I don't understand why I have to stay here." the wolf protested for the third time that morning and she was starting to irritate Emma.
"Because it's a birthday party for a 5 year old, not a meeting in a public place. I'll be fine Ruby, calm down. Johanna is looking forward to your company today, so suck it up."
"Is it because she told you not to? Emma you're going to put yourself in a dangerous situation behind this woman and her kid. I understand that you gave your word but—"
"If you understood Ruby, you'd stop questioning my judgment. Now how do I look?"
Ruby barely checked Emma's outfit, she had been watching her all morning and approved of this outfit but she wasn't going to tell Emma that. "I'm here to protect you Emma at all times, not when you want me to. I'm going."
Emma grabbed her red scarf, "Goddamn it Ruby! If I have to limit your wolf to this house, I will." Emma was fed up with Ruby's jealous streak, and she was serious about keeping Ruby locked inside of the house using magic if it came down to it...and they were nearly there. Before the executive had time to brace herself, Ruby was on her in a split second pushing her up against the wall, their noses inches apart. They stared each other in the eyes for a long minute before their mouths met in a heated angry kiss. Emma almost lost herself in Ruby essence due to her close proximity and the wolf's pheromones were strong and overwhelming but Emma was stronger. She turned her head to break the kiss but Ruby's mouth latched onto her sweet spot just behind her ear and Emma couldn't stop the moan from escaping. "Shit..."
Ruby reached down and lifted one of Emma's legs around her waist and pressed their bodies closer together, and Emma felt how turned on Ruby was but she didn't want this...not anymore. And she was late. Emma transported herself to the other side of the room, using magic to make her self presentable again. Ruby fell forward but caught herself with her hands, her breathing was ragged and she was disappointed and angry with Emma. She looked over her shoulder with a sad smile, and Santa returned it.
"Emma, why won't you give us another chance? Why won't you give me another chance?"
"Because I'm all out of chances to give you Ruby." Emma waved her hand flippantly, and Ruby felt herself grow heavier and she suddenly had no desire to follow Emma to the Mayor's house anymore.
Ruby growled low in her throat when she realized what Emma had done, "But you're willing to give her a chance...aren't you?"
Emma took a deep breath and checked her watch. 11: 50. "I deserve to be happy too Ruby."
Emma walked out of the room and went down to the garage, wiping her eyes.
SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ
Mayor Mills Manor... 2108 Mifflin Ave, Brooklyn, New York...[12:00 pm]
Emma was surprised that Regina was really serious about Henry not having anyone over for his birthday. She's been around kids enough to know that around noon or so, a house would be over run with wild little people running around with cake all over their faces but not the Mills manor. It was quiet as a mouse and Emma truly felt bad for Henry. She reached in the backseat of her SUV and got his presents from the backseat.
Regina probably wasn't going to like the fact that Emma got Henry more than one thing for his birthday, but she was Santa—it was her job to give more than one present. Emma didn't even have to knock on the front door because Henry and Regina were already standing there waiting for her, and Emma was glad she went with casual because this was the most laid back she's ever seen the Mayor and she felt privileged.
"Hi Emma!" Henry waved excitedly, eyes glued to the wrapped gifts in her arms.
"Hey big man, I heard it was someone's birthday but I forgot who...hmm." Emma stopped on the welcome mat, pretending to think really hard about it and she got her desired reaction from Henry—another laugh and surprisingly one from Regina as well.
"It's mine silly!"
"Oh right! Happy birthday kid." Emma winked down at him but his eyes were back on the presents.
"Are those for me?"
Emma looked down at the wrapped goods in her arms, "They could be...can I come in? I remember you promising to show me a certain toy collection?"
Henry looked up at his mom, remembering their talk last time and she nodded with a small but genuine smile, "Go ahead, Henry."
"Come on in Santa!"
Well shit. Emma thought, but she didn't want things to get awkward on the kids birthday and smiled down at him the best she could. "Thanks kid, but please...that's a secret, can you just call me Emma?"
Henry nodded eagerly, making a zipping motion across his lips. "I promise!"
SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ
"That's quite the collection you have kiddo, I didn't know you were such a big fan of Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z."
Regina sat down on the sofa next to Emma, handing the woman a new glass of apple cider than Emma seemed quite fond of. The entire afternoon, Regina had been quietly observing Emma and Henry—she would be the first to admit that Emma Swan had a golden touch when it came to children. Especially her son, Henry hardly opened up to anyone like this except to her and his school teacher, Ms. Belle. It was nice to see him smile and talk to someone who understood cartoons and comics and Emma was so patient with him.
Regina may have had her doubts earlier, but Emma Swan was knocking them out of the park by the minute. However, Regina also noticed something else...this was Emma's fifth glass of cider and she seemed perfectly fine. Many people have had the privilege to taste her apple cider, and many of them could hardly get to a second glass—add that to her observations of Emma's bar in her office and her always having a drink in her hand whenever she visited. Regina suspected that Emma was an alcoholic. A well disguised one at that.
"Can I open my presents now mommy?"
"Yes sweetheart go ahead, and make sure you remember your manners young man."
"Yes ma'am." Henry picked up the first present because it was smaller and way at the top of the four neatly stacked gifts on the coffee table. Henry tore it apart and opened the box, eyes going wide. "Whoa."
Regina leaned forward and Emma continued to sip her drink with a smirk, "What did you get dear?"
Henry picked up the fourth dragon ball and held it for his mom to see, "Whoa."
"Whoa indeed." Regina matched his expression even though she had absolutely no idea what the hell it was exactly, "Why don't you open your other gifts and see what else Ms... Emma brought you."
As Henry opened the rest of his gifts, which were really just graphic tee-shirts of his favorite action heroes and cool looking dinosaur Rex pajama set, Emma looked at Regina with a raised eyebrow. "First name basis. Wow. We must be friends."
"I've invited you into my home, fed you and entertained you. I'd say we are friendly."
Emma laughed, "Friendly? C'mon Regina, we're friends! The faster you admit it, the easier the year will be for us."
"Is that a threat, Swan?" the Mayor teased, eyes on her son struggling to get the top off the biggest and last present.
"Nah, just a fact." out of Regina's sight, she lifted her index finger to help the kid out and the top came right on off and the rest of the box fell away perfectly. Henry sat there stunned at what was waiting for him, because it was practically his size! "Whoa!"
It was red RC Hummer with the biggest monster wheels he's ever seen on a remote controlled car. He shot off the floor and ran to give Emma the biggest hug he could give. He was whispered his gratitude over and over until he just got too excited and asked his mom if she could take it out in the backyard to play with it.
"And put your coat on!" Once he was out of earshot, Regina gave Emma a look. "Thank you."
"He's a really cool kid Regina, I just don't understand why he doesn't have friends. This is New York, everyone has at least one friend."
Mayor Mills just rolled her shoulders, "I just hope that once he gets older, he'll make more friends...kids these days are meaner than what they used to be."
Emma laughed without humor, thinking about all the snotty little brats she's had to deliver coal to. "Yeah, you definitely have a point there. Thankfully some do grow out of that phase...Henry is great Regina, you did a great job."
"Thank you dear, it's hard. Being a single mother and managing this city at the same time."
"Hm, yeah I bet."
A comfortable silence fell between them, both brilliant minds thinking about their childhood and how simple it was back then compared to it is now. "You never answered my question Emma."
The blonde executive hummed softly, meeting the Mayor's soft gaze. "What question was that?"
"Your age. You never told me."
"Why is so important to you?"
"It's not, I'm just curious. I've already made the promise not to tell anyone, not it's time to keep your end of that bargain."
Emma laughed lightly, and finished off her cider. "I'm 33 years old."
Regina blinked then smiled wide, Emma looked damn good for her age. If only she knew. "Wow, you look very good for your age Emma."
Emma blushed lightly, "Uh, thanks Regina. So do you."
"So do I what?" Regina returned drily, giving Emma that look again but she wasn't being serious.
Shit...uh.. "I..no, I was saying you look good for your age too. You're 35 right? You look awesome."
The Mayor smirked, finishing off her cider as well. "I know."
"And so humble. No wonder—"
Heavy footfalls in the hallway cut her off and Henry ran into the room, crying and calling for his mother loudly. Regina set her class on the coffee table and gathered her son in her arms worriedly, "Baby why are you crying and please stop yelling, mommy can hear you just fine."
But he wouldn't stop yelling and Emma thought he was getting louder and louder until Regina hugged him close and began humming, rocking back and forth. Emma got to her feet and went to the Regina's kitchen and opened the backdoor and stepped onto the back porch. She saw the RC truck and remote sitting on the table across the yard under Regina's apple tree but as far as anything out of place, Emma didn't see anything and she wasn't sure what the hell happened.
She was startled when the Mayor called her name and she rushed back to the living room, only to find that Regina was crying as well. What the hell is going on here? I'm not gonna start crying to am I? "Regina? What's going on? I went out back to see what happened but I—"
"He can't hear."
"What? What do you mean he can't hear?"
"He can't hear Swan!"
"Okay okay, I'm sorry I'm sorry uh..." Emma was having a massive brain fart...one minute the kid was fine and the next minute he can't hear? She didn't understand how and why that happened.
"Oh god..."Henry whimpered in his mothers arms, and Regina took a shuddering deep breath. "I need to go to the hospital right now, I need to—"
"Take another deep breath and put your jacket on Regina, I'll drive you to there."
Regina didn't have any objections, her son came first and getting him help was her top priority right now. She ignored Emma's advice to grab her jacket and carried her son right out of the front door. Emma shook her head and grabbed the Mayor's jacket for her and grabbed her keys. She wasn't sure which key was the house key so she used magic to lock the front door, and got into her SUV. Regina and Henry were already in the backseat.
Emma knew a doctor that owed her several personal favors and that's exactly where she was going. With a final glance at the Mayor and her son in the backseat in her rear-view mirror, Emma pulled out her phone and put the truck in drive. Ruby was surely going to throw a fit because Emma was sure that she wasn't going home tonight.
SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ
SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ
That happened to my cousin...smh, crazy shit.
And Ruby...Ruby ain't gonna let Emma go without a fight it seems, but she has another thing coming if she thinks the Evil Queen is just gonna roll over and play dead huh? Lol, thanks for the love you guys.
Monster