Author's Note: So I thought about doing a update to say a few things, but I decided that my loyal readers deserved to have an actual update too. So there are two things I want to address here. I've been getting some flame reviews lately and that's fine, haters are gonna hate whatever. But please don't Slut shame in my review, if you have a problem with a woman exploring her sexual identity then go find another story, not written by me.
Secondly this isn't necessarily for those who have no life spreading hate, but just a general thing that I feel needs to be said, because I've seen it happen to other people and they just utterly destroy their own story in the process. And I had someone just attempt to do this to me. But PLEASE DO NOT EVER TELL ME where I am going with MY story. I have to write for me first and you second. Stories are a gift and you don't get to decide the out come unless asked. Hell I don't even decide the outcome. I go where the characters are taking me and if I deviate from that I lose my muse and I refuse to do that. You won't like everything I write no, but I will write what my characters and muse are leading me towards.
Please Enjoy Chapter Four.
Chapter Four
Non-date Date
"What do you want?" Regina asked as Mary Margaret approached her in the backyard from the garage door. Emma was inside organizing her new tools that Regina had got her since she now intended to build a gazebo in the backyard for Regina to read in and for them to have brunch in. Although Regina had insisted she liked reading on her bench. The Charmings had been released after two days in jail and of course pardoned to her annoyance.
"I see you've remade yourself at home in what should be our house," David grumbled coming up behind Mary Margaret.
"David hush," Mary Margaret scolded. Regina rolled her eyes as she lovingly pushed Darien in a hammock. She wasn't sleeping for once but gurgling happily as she sucked on some plastic keys. Henry was busy looking over the yard trying to determine if they needed to trim back a tree or two and move the swing set she had bought him.
"I ask again, what do you want, you're disturbing me and my family," Regina told them annoyed.
"You mean my family," Mary Margaret snapped. "I don't know what you did to Emma, but we will find out." Regina rolled her eyes.
"This is the last time I am going to ask why you're here and if you don't answer you'll find yourself in a place you won't like," Regina snapped. Henry looked back at his mother and grandparents worried, but he also saw Emma lurking in the doorway unbeknownst to his grandparents.
"There's mold in our apartment and the rent is insanely high."
"Yes, which is why I had to require a new security deposit from you, I had the entire thing renovated. Are you telling me in the three days you've been back, you have failed to open the window and restarted the mold problem. I believe I left very specific instructions about your return to your loft apartment as I'd had to have everything cleaned and fixed due to your abysmal care."
"We did," David said tightly.
"I do not believe you, I will fix the mold, but of course the cost will come in next month's rent, now please leave, as you can see I am very busy." Regina returned to her book, but she was watching them. Mary Margaret started to argue again, but then both David and Mary Margaret disappeared.
"Reggie, play nice," Emma called.
"I swear they're at home," Regina called back. She looked Emma's way and tried to give her an innocent smile and Emma just shook her head, but Regina caught the smile she gave her back.
"Mom I was thinking maybe I should stay here when you go to Portland with Demi," Henry commented a bit later as they sat on the grass enjoying a picnic in the grass. The concrete was drying in an octagonal shape. Regina had magically pushed back the trees just a tad. And resituated the swing set so she could watch her children play easily once it was built.
"Huh, kid why would you want to do that?" Emma asked as she gently cradled Demi against the receiving blanket she now held over her shoulder. She was all sweaty, but Demi didn't seem to mind. And if she wasn't mistaken neither did Regina.
"Because I'm worried about gram and gramps coming over and destroying the house again." Regina frowned and stroked his head.
"No, you don't have to worry about that. Emma and I both will be putting up protections so that Blue and your grandparents can't try this again okay. The house will be fine, and even if it's not I don't care, what is important is that we're all there giving Darien love." He smiled at her and nodded. Emma smiled at them as she unconsciously delivered a kiss onto Darien's sleeping face. She was so unsure how she could love this kid so much it was almost overwhelming, but Regina loved Henry this much and if it was one thing Emma could do for her in return it was love crap out of her kid, like she had her too. Which for Emma meant doing things with her and Henry she had always dreamed about. And giving them things, she had always wanted.
"Regina?" Emma asked suddenly.
"Yes dear?" Regina answered. Emma blushed a little she'd been getting more dears out of Regina lately and it wasn't sarcastic either.
"Did you mean it when you said this is my house too?" Emma asked her. Regina frowned.
"Did I leave something out in the tools I bought?" Regina asked. "Cause if you need more stuff to solidify the fact that you live here, or more pictures or do you need a Swan Cave." Emma smiled at her. Henry was concerned but he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Swan Cave would be cool, but no everything is fine, I just realized that I want to start giving Henry and Demi all the things I wanted too. Like Summer barbecues in the backyard, but I can't do that without a deck that we sunbathe on and a grill."
"I can magic that right now," Regina grinned.
"No, I wanna build it, because if this is my house too I wanna put the work in with Henry." Henry groaned.
"Oh, Emma I'm not cut out for this the concrete was fun, but I'm an indoor kid." They all laughed.
"Kid you gotta learn to work with your hands," Emma told him.
"Yes, Henry this could be fun. We'll all build the deck together I think, by hand. The gazebo though I will leave to you two since Emma already insisted I'm not allowed to lift a finger for that." Emma cheered. "But…"
"But what?" Emma asked pouting.
"Relax dear, I just want a stone grill that will look much better don't you think?" Emma was silent for a moment.
"Yes, yes you are on to something Reggie."
"Great I can't wait to shop for outdoor furniture, and I think I'll move the bench near my apple tree, I don't know yet," Regina hummed.
"Oh, Mom, Emma can we get a pool it can go over there a nice big one."
"Henry you can't even swim," Regina pointed out. Emma looked at them wide eyed.
"What why not?" Emma asked. Regina shrugged.
"Like he said he's not an outdoor kid, and there's no town pool, I mean recently thought about it, but when we got here it was just that everyone went to the beach to swim, and in any case, Henry barely put a toe in the water but he liked to walk the beach, so we didn't swim."
"Can you swim?" Emma asked her.
"Hmm…of course not, do I look like my mother would ever let me go naked in a river?" Emma looked at her for a moment and then nodded.
"You're right, that is completely stupid question, no way Cora go around letting you swim naked with other people to see. You barely got your horse lessons." Regina nodded.
"Exactly," Regina lied. She of course knew how to swim; her mother didn't want her to drown after all. But Emma having to be close to her in the pool to teach her how to swim well that couldn't be passed up.
"Well Millses, we're adding swimming to our list even if we have to drive to another town. Matter of fact as soon as this one is all healed up and can hold up her head, we'll get her swimming too."
"Emma are you insane my baby is too young," Henry told her quickly taking his sister who was just waking up. She was likely ready for a feeding Regina thought, her breasts seemed to be eager to feed her anyway.
"No, I'm telling you kid as long as she can hold her head up, she's good to go for professional baby swim classes." Henry stroked her back.
"Don't worry Demi, I won't let Emma try to drown you," Henry told her. Emma and Regina chuckled. Eventually Demi gave a cry that indicated she wanted Regina. Henry handed her over and Regina opened her shirt and soon had her nursing.
"She eats a lot I'm surprised she's not fat," Henry chuckled.
"Oh, I wouldn't talk so much, you ate just as much as her if not more," Regina told him. "You had me up every two and a half hours instead of the four, begging for a bottle at this stage. Besides, she's breast fed, so she needs to feed more frequently, because the milk is better than formula."
"I'm surprised you didn't find a way to breast feed Henry," Emma chuckled as Henry blushed at apparently the idea of having his mom's breasts.
"I didn't know it was a possibility back then or I might have, I mean I could have gotten a wet nurse, but honestly formula was like the best thing ever so I didn't have to let him get attached to some other woman in the meantime." Emma frowned.
"Well thank God you fell in love with formula, I can't imagine Henry's mouth on rando woman's nipple," Emma groaned. Henry just got redder in the face.
"Why are you groaning it's how it was done, my mother breast fed me the first few days, during her seclusion, but than I was given to my wet nurse. And if you had grown up in the Enchanted forest you would have likely also been given to a wet nurse. Actually, no I am sure you would have been. Snow was not fond of the idea of breast feeding herself." Emma frowned.
"Eww."
"Not Eww, you would have been very close with your wet nurse, I was before my mother told me she had gone "home", and I was alone." Regina made quotes with one of her hands when she said home.
"When you say home, you really mean…" Emma mimed taking out her heart and falling dead making Henry and Regina chuckle at her antics.
"Idiot," Regina chuckled.
"What?" Emma asked as if she had no idea what she was doing. Regina just shook her head.
"And yes most likely unfortunately just simply because I was attached, whatever I was attached to my mother destroyed."
"Too bad she didn't destroy herself, and I'm actually surprised she didn't take out your father," Emma murmured.
"Well not for lack of trying on her part though with my father, I'm just a bit cleverer then she was," Regina told them with a shrug as she suddenly found the ground interesting as her mind flashed back to her mother dying. She would never forgive Mary Margaret for making her think she was finally just finally get one thing she had craved since before she was even born, her mother's love.
"You're right I am an idiot," Emma murmured. "Hey, I know what will cheer up this mood."
"What's that?" Henry asked when Regina didn't answer, but she did seem to be paying attention as Darien finished up and she closed her top, before sitting Darien up and lovingly patting her back to burp her.
"Darien's pretty chill when we're awake, so why don't we go take in a movie and then dinner so no one has to cook."
"It's a school night Emma," Regina pointed out.
"And if we go now, we should be back in plenty of time to get the kid to bed." Regina thought about it and nodded.
"I am tired of being cooped up around the house because of Granny, but you get to fight her on this." Emma chuckled.
"Traitor, you're the Evil Queen, why can't you fight that woman?" Emma asked. Regina shook her head.
"No, no way I'm fighting the wolf, this was your idea to break me out of baby jail, so you fight her," Regina told her a smile spreading over her face involuntarily. Somehow this idiot savior of hers always managed to make her smile.
'Success she smiled!' Emma thought.
"Well I certainly have zero complaints about dinner and a movie out of town," Henry grinned. Emma ruffled his hair.
"Of course, you don't kid, you're reaping the benefits on a school night."
"Come on then let's get cleaned up, I have to dress Darien…."
"Oh no, no you get yourself dressed, I will dress Darien for the outing you will waste two hours trying to decide which cute outfit and we'll be late."
"Late for what exactly it's impromptu plans?" Regina asked her. "And it's not my fault she had so many pretty dresses to choose from."
"She didn't even wear it long at the party as she spit up almost as soon as we got there," Emma pointed out.
"What is your point, my daughter leaves this house looking nothing short of immaculate." Emma fell back dramatically.
"She's eight weeks old, how immaculate does she have to look?"
"I'll let you know when we're done getting dressed, now you go take a shower, I won't have you sweating in either car," Regina told her as Darien burped and of course spit up a little. Regina just easily cleaned her mouth before laying her down on her tummy on the blanket while she got her sling on. Once she was tucked inside the wrap she began to clean up lunch. Emma helped bring everything in with Henry after scrunching her nose up at Regina. Once the kitchen was clean Regina went upstairs with Demi. She was out again like a little light so she placed her in her cradle while she found something nice to wear. She was deciding between a red and blue dress she knew Emma had blushed at seeing her in, when there was knock on her door.
"Come in," Regina called. Emma poked her head into the room. She was dressed in a fluffy white robe and toweling her hair.
"Hey so change of plans apparently Henry forgot…" She put large air quotes on forgot with her hands. "…that he has a project due with Ava. So, Mr. Tillman asked if Ava could stay over so they could get it done since Ava mysteriously forgot too. He thinks if Henry comes over she'll find a way to put off the project some more, but under the gaze of the mayor she'll get her act together." Regina huffed.
"Henry!" Regina yelled.
"I'm grounded?" Henry called back as he was glaring at Emma.
"Yes, most definitely you get out everything you will need right now and set up in the living room for when Ava arrives. I want at least half that project done tonight young man."
"Yes ma'am," Henry called back. She could hear him heading to his bedroom.
"Guess I'll just get comfortable then," Regina told her picking up her dress selections. Emma cleared her throat and slipped in.
"Actually I see no reason we have to suffer, Granny volunteered to watch them with the crossbow to make sure they get the project done." Regina paused in going into the closet.
"What about Darien?" Regina asked trying to figure out Emma's angle.
"Oh well Ruby stole the phone from Granny and declared she was babysitting her and not the old woman as she so eloquently put it. I didn't even have to fight Granny on you staying in. Ruby wants alone time with her wolf pup as she so affectionately called Demi." Regina chuckled.
"So you want to go out of town just us to dinner and a movie, does that mean we'll be leaving later?" Regina asked. Emma looked at the clock on Regina's bedside table. It was just after three in the afternoon.
"I thought so, so you could give Henry a few pointers like always, and pump some more milk, you did say she took the bottle from Ruby that one time, and she occasionally takes it from Henry." Regina nodded. Darien still refused to let Emma feed her with a bottle, but Henry or Ruby seemed to be acceptable choices. "I mean if you want to still take her we can, I understand you don't want to be separated from her, especially with my asshole parents around and Blue." Regina made a face.
"I trust the pup to watch over her," Regina replied. "I think a night out without children is in order since this was rather sudden. I think we also need to make time for just Henry and I or rather the both of us. I may have had the baby, but you've been so integral to us I can't imagine doing this alone. It can be a hard adjustment. So I need to take a step away, but we also need to take a step away with Henry."
"I hear what you're saying but you're making a face," Emma told her.
"I've never left her, I've never been more than a room away. With the seclusion I haven't done the small steps like with Henry. I went for coffee or I went shopping without him, and trust me it drove me up the wall though Ruby was quite capable back than as well. But this is Darien now, and she's very precious to me for different reasons." Regina gave a shutter, she could still hear her baby's weak cries until they were silent, still feel her little body in her arms and how limp it was after he took her away.
"Reggie…hey where did you go just now?" Emma asked hugging her. Regina noted she smelled like her shampoo, Emma often ran out of her own which was typically a vanilla scent she had come to love, and then she'd use Regina's because she forgot to get her own at the grocery store. Although Regina usually made her own soap using apples from her apple tree. Maybe she could make some vanilla soap for Emma.
"I…I was back there with him, he took my baby from me," Regina whispered sadly.
"Who did, what baby I thought you cursed yourself?" Emma asked. Regina sniffed and shook her head. They sat on the bed at the end near Darien's cradle. Regina ran her hands over the quilt.
"No, you never wondered why I had this quilt on hand?" Regina asked. Emma hummed.
"I thought maybe it had been Henry's at one point, but he said no, and then I thought maybe it was just one of your projects you never sent away."
"No, I made this in the Enchanted Forest. Before the King, there was only Daniel around, he loved me more than I loved him and for different reasons, but we were happy together, so I lay with him. Because I thought you will never get your wife, so you must settle for a husband, and you lay with your husband. Plus, I wanted to spite mother. It was the night before he died, after we agreed to get married. Wedding preparations can take weeks you know. I found out I was pregnant, and I knew that if my mother found out before she would kill my baby and I couldn't allow that, she took so much from me, she would take my last piece of happiness away. And then there was the King I didn't know what he would do to me yet. He would be publicly slighted now that the announcements had gone out he had found a bride. I knew I had to make everyone think it was his. So, for my baby I made him speed up the wedding hastening my own arrival to my new gilded cage. I was trapped anyway by my mother's spell so what did it matter if I arrived in three weeks or three months. The wedding night was horrible even though I had to do it, I still didn't want it. He was so brutal I was sure I would miscarriage from the bruising. I didn't thankfully. I used a trusted midwife from my father's homeland and she kept my secrets. And then came time for Blue to divine the sex of the baby. That bitch divined a boy. I was ecstatic I already knew I'd call him Daniel; the whole Kingdom was overjoyed. A real heir they called him, but he wasn't. I went out to my apple tree, where Daniel and I spent a lot of time under and I was quietly telling him he'd have a son when the King arrived."
"What did he do?" Emma whispered she was already shaking.
"He told me that my son could not usurp his beautiful Snow from his precious Eva. I wanted to run, live on the border if necessary to avoid the effects of my mother's spell. But he had me surrounded. I have never wanted my mother so much in my life. I knew that her lust for power would have saved my baby. That she would not have allowed him to do that to me to secure the Kingdom a real heir and for me to be Queen. But I had pushed her through the mirror and into wonderland. I called for Rumple, but he didn't come because I refused his lessons, he knew I would come to him after that. And I even wished for Blue, but as usual she ignored me."
"That bitch, she was right there at the party too," Emma growled.
"Yes, but she only cared about her precious Snow. So, while Snow was dancing and celebrating a baby brother with the rest of the kingdom. He was having guards hold me down, just think of it as the Enchanted Forest version of a coat hanger abortion." Emma looked sick. "And after all that my baby actually survived. And it was not a boy it was a girl, her face was scarred from his cuts, but she took each precious breath and was determined to stay. I knew she would stay, and I knew I loved her even if her face scarred."
"But she died anyway?" Emma asked as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"No, she was strong, but he was the real evil. He took one look at her and said I will not have an ugly daughter, smother her. The midwife tried to fight for me, but he killed her then he took my baby and smothered her in front of me before dropping her on a seat like she was trash. I don't know how long I sat holding her as I bled all over myself and the floor. The midwife's blood was everywhere. It was a blood bath I still see the blood everywhere when I picture that room. If that wasn't bad enough rumors followed me that I had done it to myself, that was the start of my evil queen persona, the woman who killed her own baby. He made it very clear to me after that, that I was there only to mother his precious Snow and she did not want a baby sister. And he did not want a son to upstage her. So, he forced me to drink that potion when I was still weak. I never had a choice. He took my only child and then prevented me from having another."
"Then Darien really is a gift," Emma whispered as she hugged Regina. "I'm sorry he did that too you. What do you say we simply do dinner in town at Granny's, that way we can start slow." Regina scoffed amid her tears.
"Then the old woman will tell me I can simply eat her food here." They both chuckled. "It's okay, I have the baby camera on my phone, and I will probably call a million times, but I think I really need a night out not being a mother even if I will worry constantly. He's not here. I will erect a forcefield against Blue and your parents, and if I trust anyone besides you whole heartedly in this town it will be Granny and Ruby or Archie. Maybe Belle to do the right thing despite Rumple I don't know yet."
"Yeah Belle feels like a wildcard because of love," Emma answered. "But if it will make you happy than yes we can definitely still go out of town." They smiled at one another. "Also, you did a really good job on this quilt."
"Thanks, I spun the hemp and gold myself," Regina told her.
"Wait you mean from like actual straw, you can do that?" Emma asked wide eyed.
"Yes, my mother spun straw into gold my entire life. I used to lay in a basket by her feet when she required my presence and wanted me away from the wet nurse. She would spin gold for my grandfather. By the time I was four and able to handle my owner smaller version I could do it. My mother then tried to teach me more magic, but nothing was ever produced with her. I think I was too afraid but spinning always calmed me. I can actually spin anything into gold, my mother only ever managed straw."
"Wow, I have to see you do it one day." Regina nodded as she stood up.
"Well if we're doing this, we should go all out, so red dress or the blue dress?" She held up both and Emma bit her lip.
"I am absolutely torn," Emma told her honestly. Regina nodded and put the dresses to the side. She went into her closet and ran her hands over black bags before she picked out a new dress she had just bought. It was tight around her torso and actually flared out at the waist. It was deep purple and sleeveless, perfect for getting cold and Emma offering her jacket. Regina grinned yes this was the one.
"How about this one, it's new and I've not had a good occasion to wear it until now." Emma gulped. She knew she was going to have a hard time not looking at Regina's cleavage. She blamed Darien that would be popping more than ever in a dress like that. "I'll take your silence as a yes." Regina grinned at her and hung the dress up.
"Very well why don't you watch Demi while I hope in the shower myself." Emma only nodded. Regina left her to watch over Demi while she took a quick shower and then they switched places though she felt Emma's eyes linger on her before the bathroom. Regina dress comfortably for while they were still home. She didn't want to get spit up on her dress. Emma seemed to have the same idea when she came back to take Darien downstairs while Regina pumped. Regina pumped, but no surprise her daughter was already wanting to be back on the breast. While Darien nursed she helped Henry and eventually Ava. Then Ruby arrived early at Regina's suggestion, so she could already start caring for Darien and ease Regina in the idea of still leaving the house. Granny was the last to arrive when both of them actually changed.
"You owe me," Henry told Emma. She glared at him but gave him fifty dollars. He and Ava were already finished with their project, but Emma had needed some excuse as to why it would only be the two of them. At first, she hadn't meant for it to be kid free, but the idea had come to her in the shower. As Regina said having a newborn had pretty much been sprung on them.
"Don't forget to brain storm for our family trip." Henry nodded and went back to Ava. Ruby looked at Emma as she gently rocked Darien.
"Looking good in the suit Em," Ruby told her before whispering. "She's going to love it." Emma blushed she had chosen a pair dark blue skinny jean with a tan belt and matching dress shoes. While pairing that with a light blue dress shirt that she rolled the sleeves up on. Over that was a purple and charcoal gray tie to match Regina's dress thanks to magic. She finished it all with a charcoal grey vest and jacket. And she was pretty sure Regina would be in the jacket by the end of the night. At that moment Regina appeared at the top of the stairs looking gorgeous and paired the dress with a tan belt. And of course, tan heels that were begging Emma to leave them on as they made love in her opinion.
"Ms. Swan I believe if you leave your mouth hanging open like that you'll catch flies." Ruby snickered as Emma finally closed her mouth and coughed using it as an excuse to exit the foyer and into the downstairs bathroom for a moment.
"Looking real good Queenie, have fun on your date night," Ruby grinned.
"Not a date, we are just simply enjoying a night away from the children." Ruby laughed.
"God you two are so wonderfully domestic, like I said enjoy your date."
"Oh, Demi perhaps I shouldn't leave you with the pup she thinks she's funny." Darien smiled up at her with a big smile and Regina returned it. She blue spit bubbles and babbled. She was talkative tonight. When Emma came back she was blowing on Darien's belly and lifting her up and Darien's smile was so wide.
"Oh, Emma how can we leave this?" Regina pouted. Emma smiled.
"I know, but we must, a break is a break-even Granny believes in breaks."
"No, I don't, you should continue your seclusion properly," Granny growled.
"Old woman we talked about this, this my bonding time with my wolf pup, and you will not stand in my way if it is happening sooner. Besides she's nine weeks tomorrow, and that means that Regina is finally allowed to start taking her out and slowly resuming normal life.
"Does that mean she can cook again?" Henry asked hopeful.
"Never you mind, and no I'll continue bringing meals into the third month."
"Oh, please Granny how about we take it as I call if I am overwhelmed and you immediately take over no questions out. All this laying around is getting to me," Regina pleaded to Emma's surprise. It made her scoff.
"Who knew the Evil Queen was afraid of the big bad wolf, Mary Margaret and David should have just had her infiltrate your castle and set you straight then no dark curse."
"Thankfully not then no Henry and no Darien and that's not a world I want to live in." Emma scrunched her face.
"Oh yeah a very idiotic naïve Princess Emma, yeah no thanks I am good."
"I'll think about it maybe add one task to your list to see how you fair." Regina nodded happily at Granny.
"Thank you, Peasant women have gotten back to work a lot sooner than me."
"But you are anything but a peasant Queenie," Ruby laughed.
"Yes, we have to look after your delicate sensibilities," Granny teased, and this sent every occupant in the house laughing.
"Ha…ha laugh it all up," Regina grumbled. She kissed her daughter again before Emma got in her own goodbye of kisses and hugs. They kissed Henry and reminded him and Ava not to full around and get at least half of it done. Regina erected a forcefield and then Emma erected her own before they walked to Emma's new car. She opened the door for Regina who slid easily into the passenger's seat.
'Yes, I made a nice choice with the tan leather,' Regina mused.
"Admiring your work, your majesty?" Emma asked.
"Yes actually," Regina told her as they drove off, they lapsed into comfortable silence, At one point passing Leroy who ran off.
"I hope they get one of Granny's cross bolts in the shoulder if they try to go to the house," Emma murmured. Regina chuckled as they were now heading down the road to the town line and the town disappeared.
"So, what possessed you to buy this car in particular?" Emma asked. "I mean aside from it being expensive, you didn't strike me as the type to buy a really fast car." Regina shrugged.
"I have a thing for fast cars and soft butch women. I honestly got this car to fuck in, drove it maybe once never found the right girl to fuck inside it." Emma's hands were gripping the steering wheel hard. Regina had just said fuck twice now and it lit a fire in her core.
"Well this is mine now no take backs so no fucking in here with my permission."
"Oh, Miss Swan I wouldn't dream of fucking in this car without your express permission." Emma's mouth went absolutely dry at the thought of Regina naked on her tan leather seats with a look in her eyes begging her to just fuck her deeply. Emma's pants felt tight at the thought of thrusting in and out...Emma's thoughts trailed off she almost missed when Regina was clearly calling home as they neared the town line.
"Everything is fine Queenie, the kids are hard at work, and Demi and I are cuddling," Ruby told her before she could speak.
"You were expecting my call," Regina replied with pursed lips.
"You always call just before you cross the town line I watched Henry on your weekends away remember."
"I remember Pup, which is the only reason you're watching Darien now."
"As if you would have been able to keep me away from my wolf pup," Ruby laughed. Emma chuckled she knew it was all good banter between them.
"Very well Pup, it seems you have things under control. I will call again in thirty minutes as is customary." Ruby chuckled.
"I look forward to your call and remember enjoy your date." Ruby hung up before could reply but the word date had Emma pulling at her shirt collar, she didn't dare look at Regina for a reaction. They were over the town line and Emma paused taking a minute to adjust to the loss of magic before they continued on.
"Can I ask a question I hope won't ruin the night?" Emma asked as they drove.
"Hmm…" Regina replied.
"Did you…did…. you…did you ever give her a name?" Emma asked.
"Give who…" Regina stopped short as realization hit her. "Oh yes, I did name her."
"Can I ask what it is?"
"Imogene after Daniel's mother. He spoke of her a lot and if anyone could raise a kind and brave boy like Daniel, I thought she deserved to have her only grandchild named after her." Regina cleared her throat.
"Can you visit her grave?" Emma asked.
"I brought her over with me in the curse much in the way I did Daniel and my father. I couldn't bare the thought of her rotting, so I magically preserved her body and took away the scars. The scars used to stay to help remind me of my anger, but when I cast the curse I realized I just needed her to look like she was sleeping. It was better before because she slept curled up in Daniel's arms, but now it's hard, because she's alone."
"She's not alone, you're there with her every single day even when you are not physically there." Regina smiled at her.
"Thank you, but I don't really wanna talk about such subjects anymore, I just want to enjoy tonight as much as I can around my separation anxiety."
"Noted, so no kids talk then."
"I guess that means no bitching about Henry," Regina said. Emma chuckled.
"Cut the kid some slack, he's working on it now, we can give him a warning this time, it's his first offense."
"We'll see when I see his project in the morning." Emma nodded knowing if it got too bad she'd have to come clean or save the kid somehow. She owed him big for incurring his mother's wrath, so she could get her out on a date even if Regina didn't know it was a date and he didn't realize it was date. She had no idea how Henry would honestly feel about them full on dating, but damn it did she want to know if there was a chance before his disapproval got in the way.
"You think Demi misses us already?" Emma asked.
"If she doesn't miss me as much as I miss her right now, I'll be heartbroken, but I suspect she's perfectly snuggled up to the wolf like I don't even exist." Emma chuckled.
"Your voice tells me you think of Demi as a traitor." Regina huffed.
"She is!" Regina exclaimed. "You see the way she snuggles up to you at night and the Pup it's unbelievable meanwhile she's screaming her little head off with me."
"Maybe because you always take care of all her needs, she doesn't need to scream with us." Regina scoffed.
"As I said, she's a traitor to her Mills name, it's not right I tell you Mills women love their mothers." Emma was practically in tears as the laughter shook her body.
"You know the best part is I think she loves you the most, she just doesn't need to cry for you because you're always there," Emma replied.
"Well it would be nice to feel wanted by her," Regina huffed. Emma laughed some more.
"Believe me Reggie you are over thinking this, she is going to be your little shadow. I've already had a talk with your seamstress as soon as she's old enough to stay in at least one outfit for an outing, we are getting matching mother daughter outfits." Regina chuckled.
"Good, cause when she's cute and sassy I'm hoping maybe we can all go as a threesome, but in our own styles of coordinating outfits.
"Please we gotta get the kid in on it and take the most obnoxious family photo we can. I've wanted that my entire life to be apart of one of those obnoxious things." Regina couldn't help but smile.
"Sure, we can even place it over the mantel where my horse photo was in the white room. That way it will be right smack dab there and it will torture Mary Margaret, because God knows I'll let her in my house just once for it to really rub it in."
"Ooh I like that plan. You know she actually wanted to take that kind of photo with me, but I just never wanted it with her and David, it never felt right."
"I know what you mean," Regina said thinking back to paintings with her mother and father. While her mother had certain demands, she was always happy to be posing with her father, the artist always seemed to capture their love for one another. But with Leopold and Snow she'd always been excluded, and she found after Imogene she didn't mind, but also it hurt. Weren't princesses supposed to grow up and marry into a loving family?
"You know I don't know why people hate your evil genius, I rather admire it," Emma told Regina. Regina couldn't help but smile.
"You'll find that I am frequently underestimated."
"Well that is a mistake if I have ever heard one," Emma replied.
"Hmm…it's alright it means I have a lot of victories under my belt." Thirty minutes later Regina called home to check on Demi. She was met by screaming.
"It's all under control, she's just not used to a bottle at this time," Ruby told her. "Once she accepts that I am in charge of feeding all will be well."
"She must be really hungry tonight, I fed her not even that long before we left," Regina frowned.
'Maybe I should start making sure she nurses longer,' Regina thought. Most days she was content to let Darien decide how long she would nurse for, but maybe it was time to start ensuring she made longer feedings if her tummy could handle it.
"Maybe try laying her on her nursing pillow in your lap and it will trick her," Emma suggested. Ruby was silent as she did and soon they heard Darien nursing.
"Thanks for the trick, now that she's getting milk, I guess she's deciding not to fight it," Ruby told her. "All right now enjoy your date you two, call back only after dinner!"
"Yes Pup," Regina replied amused as Ruby hung up.
"You'll text her in between, won't you?" Emma asked to be sure.
"Of course," Regina replied. They made it to Portland, and the restaurant Emma had picked out had a wonderful ambiance. It was low lighting, fine dining, and quite romantic. Or at least that's what the restaurant looked like through the window before Emma dragged her off in a different direction.
"Where are we going?" Regina asked.
"You're not the only one with friends, I got us in to something called le gout de noir," Emma grinned.
"Dining in the dark?" Regina asked to be sure she heard correctly. "Oh, how exciting but can you handle that not knowing what you are eating?"
"I can handle it," Emma told her. This way Regina couldn't see how nervous she was on their date.
"But you don't get to select your food Emma," Regina pointed out.
"All good," Emma told her, so Regina just simply caught up to her and clasped her hand in Emma's. Emma couldn't help but give her a big smile before they headed over to the restaurant which was called Opaque. When they entered it, they found themselves in a lovely lounge room with low blue lighting.
"Oh, okay I thought for sure we'd already be in pitch black that takes some worry away," Emma commented. Regina could hear the relief in her voice. They took seats in the lounge and immediately were seen to by the hostess.
"Hi, we have a reservation under Swan." Emma greeted. The woman smiled.
"Ah yes, we can seat you right away, so a few things to go over, is this your first-time dining in the dark?"
"Yes," they both answered." The woman nodded.
"So just to really prepare you, you will be dining in absolute complete darkness, all your servers are visually impaired so that is how they are able to get around in the dark. There are no, night vision goggles or anything like that." They both nodded their heads. "We insist that if you need to use your phone that you alert one of our servers and have them escort you out here. Now meal choices, for the best experience I would opt for the one hundred percent mystery meal."
"You mean I do get to choose?" Emma asked excited. Regina couldn't help but smile at her.
"Well I will opt for the complete mystery meal," Regina told the hostess with her own smile.
"Well in this case your choosing will be Meat, Fish, or Vegetarian." Emma made a face. Regina beckoned the waitress closer and whispered that Emma would have the meat.
"There now it's a mystery to you too," Regina grinned. Emma smiled at her.
"Reggie you chose the meat, right?" Emma asked. Regina simply shrugged in response. A server asked them about their drinks which would be delivered to them at the table.
"A glass of wine won't hurt, she has bottles for tonight," Emma reminded her when Regina had looked longingly at the wine list.
"I'll have your finest red then," Regina smiled at the bartender even though she was sure he couldn't see her.
"And I'll have a beer," Emma told him. Soon they were both being led into the dark room. Regina was careful to keep her hand on Emma's shoulder who had a hand on the server. As she adjusted sounds and smells became louder. Eventually they were seated with Emma to her left.
"I'm afraid to touch anything on the table," Emma whispered. Regina chuckled as she slowly used her hands to find everything. She gently took Emma's hands in her own and guided her to her water glass and silverware.
"This is awkward but nice, thank you for bringing me here," Regina told her. Emma's smile was so big in the dark, and Regina could feel the happiness radiating off Emma.
"You don't mind dining alone with me?" Emma asked. Regina chuckled.
"You sleep in my bed, why would dining together be a step too far?" Regina asked. Emma blushed.
"Yeah, but there's always a baby in that bed between us," Emma pointed out. "Now we are alone."
"Well as long as you don't need me to start singing nursery rhymes, I don't think I see the problem." They both chuckled as their drinks finally arrived. Regina sighed in contentment as she tasted her wine. It wasn't as good as she had in her cellar at home, but her sense of taste was enhanced. Emma also seemed to enjoy her beer. It didn't take long at all before they were given appetizers of mini-grilled cheese Regina soon discovered to her displeasure, but Emma clearly had something else.
"Did you get what I got?" Emma asked sounding miserable.
"Why don't we switch, I think you'll love what I have," Regina suggested.
"Whatever it is has to be better than this," Emma moaned quietly. Regina lifted a mini grilled cheese and gently reached out to feed Emma. Emma was blushing so hard as she felt her face grow warm at the way Regina's thumb caressed her lips to find them.
"Open your mouth," Emma did so, and Regina managed to deposit a mini-grilled cheese in her mouth. Emma let out a tiny moan, but honestly, she didn't think it was the grilled cheese she was reacting too but Regina's touch. She even managed to feed Regina back.
"You had truffles and you're upset?" Regina asked enjoying every bite.
"I didn't like it," Emma pouted. But her pout didn't stay long as Regina was feeding her again. And Emma happily fed her back. After appetizers the main course came, it was a fried oyster pasta for her, and Emma ended up with the usual roast chicken breast with potatoes and salad, but since they had yet to end their food sharing she had to admit it tasted good. Emma wasn't so much a fan of the oysters, but the pasta she liked.
'At least she's trying something new,' Regina thought. 'Although I would have loved to see the cute faces she's making so I can call her a child.'
Eventually after a soup that Emma was not a fan of, Regina suggested they get the check and experience dessert at a little hole in the wall place she knew. Emma immediately agreed. They finished their wine and beer before the waiter came over and led them away. Back in the lounge Emma was able to pay their bill refusing to let Regina know the cost. Although it apparently made Emma's eyebrows shoot up to her hairline for a moment before she produced her card. Once outside they checked each other for stains and were pleasantly surprised they were good to go.
"Now it's my turn, I should drive," Regina told Emma. Emma grinned at her and handed over the keys. Regina drove closer to the docks and parked before she led Emma down an alley way to a little restaurant that was all about dessert, wine, and craft beer to her delight.
"I recommend we share this molten chocolate cake and the cheese cake for the full experience. It will automatically be paired with your preference of wine or beer." Emma nodded.
"I trust you, plus kind of hard to go wrong with cheese cake and chocolate." Regina gave Emma a big smile.
"My feelings exactly." Soon they had ordered. Emma had a nice beer that paired well, while Regina had a glass of wine. Regina made it a point to feed Emma the first bite of chocolate cake. She watched her lick her lips and not for the first time wondered what Emma's tongue could do between her legs. She bit her bottom lip at the thoughts and pressed her legs together under the table. She was already wet. Meanwhile Emma wasn't fairing any better as she watched Regina sucked the chocolate off a spoon.
'Fuck I just wanna be that spoon, can I please be that spoon,' Emma thought. They finished their desert and wine or beer in Emma's case in silence as they simply stared at one another. Afterwards Regina paid for their desert despite protests before they went walking by the water. Regina shivered a bit and soon Emma's jacket was around her as they walked and held hands.
"Regina," Emma started. "Tonight is…." Emma was cut off by Regina's cell phone going off.
"Sorry that's the Pup, something must be wrong, or she wouldn't call." Regina answered as she worried about Darien.
"Heeeey please tell me you're almost home?" Ruby asked.
"No, we're still in Portland, what's wrong?" Regina asked as Emma's face scrunched up as she waited for answer.
"Demi won't stop crying. She's barely taken anything from the bottle the few times I tried. And now the walls are literally shaking, so I think she has magic, you need to get home like now. Nothing I am doing is soothing her."
"We're on our way!" Regina exclaimed. "You should have called sooner, it was too soon to leave her." Regina hung up and hurried back to the car with Emma hot on her heels.
"What happened?" Emma asked.
"Demi has magic, she's shaking the walls, because she's so upset." Emma hurried even faster and got into the driver's side. Once Regina was strapped in they headed back to storybrooke. The hour to Portland had seemed like nothing, but on the way back it felt like forever. As soon as they were over the town line though Regina used magic and they were parked in front of the house. It was shaking from the outside, pictures had fallen off the walls when they entered and books off shelves.
"Mom!" Henry cried hugging her. He hugged Emma too.
"Hi sweetie where is Ruby?"
"She took Demi upstairs to her room to lessen the sound," Henry grimaced. He was at least already ready for bed. Regina quickly put her purse down and Emma's jacket on a hook before she got her heels off and went upstairs. As soon as she entered the nursery the shaking of the house stopped. Ruby looked so grateful to see Regina as Granny also turned as well from trying to calm her.
"Hey there love stop all this crying, mommy is here," Regina told her careful to talk towards her right side. She didn't know if her daughter heard her with any clarity, but as soon as she was back in Regina's arms she calmed further and rooted around for a nipple.
"We'll get out of your hair," Granny told her. Ruby gave her a hug and then Emma who had come up as well.
"Come on let's get you a bottle, mommy had a few drinks tonight," Regina told her stroking her head.
"See and you thought she hated you, she's been screaming her ass off just for you," Emma snickered.
"Emma language in front of the baby," Regina scolded. They went back downstairs to warm a bottle.
"Finally, I can get some rest," Henry sighed.
"Did you finish your group project?" Regina asked him sharply as her eyes narrowed. He stood up straight and nodded his head vigorously.
"It's all done now I promise, you can even ask Granny," Henry replied.
"I want to see it as soon as she's eating." He nodded and hurried out of the kitchen. Once the bottle was warm they retired to the living room where Henry prepared to show them everything. Darien settled onto the nursing pillow in Regina's lap before she placed the bottle in her mouth.
"Very nice kid," Emma complimented as he flipped through some pages from the report.
"Henry Daniel Mills," Regina snapped as Darien pushed the bottle away, she did not want it. "For some reason do you start to take me for a fool?" Henry looked confused as did Emma. "I've recently had a baby not a head injury. You wrote that report over a week ago. So where is the new work for your current project?" Henry opened his mouth to speak, but he just looked at Emma unsure what to say. He wasn't lying, and his mother had just assumed that the deadline was sooner than it was.
"Um…I'll just go get my game system from my room," Henry said refusing to betray Emma. Regina just looked even more furious for lack of an explanation and was taking a deep breath to lay into Henry some more.
"No wait!" Emma cried out. She should have known that Regina was on top of the kid's school work. She turned to Regina who was furious as she also fought with Darien to take the bottle. "Henry has had his project or report whatever done with Ava for weeks now. I wanted to go out with you alone on like a... a…a date and I was too chicken to ask."
"A date?" Henry asked. "You said it was just to give mom a break."
"Yes, well I didn't know how you'd feel about that," Emma blushed refusing to look at either of them in the eye now.
"Henry you are no longer grounded, I'm sorry I raised my voice at you," Regina told him.
"It's okay mom, I knew you'd be upset." He gave her a hug and a kiss which she returned.
"Go, get up to bed, I'll sound proof your room, she's going to be fussy tonight." He nodded and kissed them both good night.
"Regina…" Emma started.
"Can you look up in the baby book, how much I have to pump and dump, so she can nurse." Emma nodded eager to do something for Regina.
"This says you don't have to do that, that waiting two hours after your last drink
is sufficient." Regina sighed and looked at the clock on the wall, they had already been back in storybrooke about twenty-minutes. Regina decided then to take Demi for a walk, maybe that would keep her calm for the remaining time until she could nurse. Emma of course followed and set up the pram for her.
"It's okay if you wanna stay in," Regina told her.
"Not a chance," Emma told her. "I already popped upstairs and let Henry know we were going for a walk." Regina nodded. They left the house. Regina made sure the protection spells were still active. Thankfully the cool night air seemed to calm Darien for the moment. She didn't go out at night and so was looking around at the passing street lights and darkness. They were silent just enjoying the night air and Darien was enjoying the constant motion. Emma silently indicated that they should head towards town. Regina just simply nodded. They had just arrived outside of Granny's when Emma stopped.
"Hot chocolate with Cayenne pepper and cinnamon?" Emma asked. Regina smiled and nodded. Normally she wouldn't indulge anymore so late, but she needed the calories. Plus, Darien didn't appreciate it when she went too long without eating some type of hot pepper.
"Hold the cream though," Regina told her. Emma nodded Darien started crying so she pushed stroller back and forth.
"Oh, I know love it was so calming, just another…" She glanced at the clock tower. "Just another twenty-five minutes and mommy can safely nurse you."
"You know if I were still Sheriff I would have that baby taken from you," David told her walking up with Mary Margaret. Regina paused in talking to her daughter and looked up at the Charmings. Her smile disappeared from her face when she met David's eyes.
"Fortunately, you were never Sheriff," Regina told him. "So, if you could go about your business and leave us be that would be great."
"You still haven't fixed the mold yet," Mary Margaret grumbled.
"It's been a few hours, who should I have called late in the day?" Regina asked her tilting her head to the side.
"I just thought since you're so free with your magic, considering that's the only way you could have renovated so fast." Mary Margaret made air quotes when she said renovate.
"Hmph I'll let Marco know what you think of his work on the cabinets," Regina told her.
"Bullshit Regina it all looks the same," David told her.
"You know what if you have a complaint, you can complain during my office hours between ten and ten thirty Monday through Friday like all my other tenants," Regina told them. "I'm sure you still have my home office number." They glared at her.
"I swear you are such an evil bitch, that kid doesn't deserve to have a mother like you."
"Hey!" Emma said approaching them from behind. She had two hot chocolates in her hand. She had been telling Ruby about the outing when they'd seen the trouble.
"Emma what are you doing out here in the cold?" Mary Margaret asked. Emma rolled her eyes.
'It's not that cold,' Emma thought looking at her and Regina's light jackets.
"I was out walking with Regina to calm the baby, why are you speaking to her like that?"
"Your father was just telling me how if he were still Sheriff he'd take my child away from me without probable cause," Regina told her simply, but there was a little dig in her voice as David's eyes narrowed at her.
"Seriously what the fuck is wrong with you two?" Emma asked them. "You are not and never were the Sheriff and you can't just go snatching babies because that's what villains do they snatch babies." Mary Margaret frowned.
"We aren't the villains here Emma she is, if you would just kick her out of the mayoral mansion, you, Henry, and us can be a family."
"You know if she actually lived in the mayoral mansion I might consider asking her to kindly move out and move into a place not on the city's budget. HOWEVER, the facts still remains that officially there is no longer a mayoral mansion. You're stuck at the loft until something else turns up."
"The only reason we're stuck at the loft is because of her!" Mary Margaret cried.
"How so?" Emma asked. "Last I checked that all the bigger properties that Regina owns are occupied by other town tenants, and what is not occupied is run down and owned by Gold. So, what you're asking is for Regina to evict someone, so you can live in a bigger place."
"No, we're asking her to get her ass out of the mayoral mansion and she can go live with her devil spawn or better yet let some actual nice people who are good parents, take the child. The loft is big enough for one person." At that moment a fireball rose from the pram and went flying at Charming hitting him right in the crotch. He began to hop around and pat his crotch as Mary Margaret chased him attempting to put out the fire. Emma thought he deserved it but did pour her hot chocolate on him to put out the fire. Regina laughed and looked at her daughter who cooed at her.
"That was beautiful my love your first fireball and excellent aim too without seeing him." Darien smiled at her
"That kid is dangerous!" David yelled before he stomped off with Mary Margaret.
"Come on we had better get home," Emma told her handing her, her hot chocolate.
"After you get a new hot chocolate Ms. Swan, we can spare a few minutes can't we love?" Emma smiled and hurried back in she grinned at Ruby gratefully who already had a new hot chocolate.
"Tomorrow's going to be a pain with them," Ruby told her. Emma nodded.
"I know." Emma headed back out, and they began their walk home as they drank their hot chocolate. They didn't speak about the Charmings or Darien's magic or even about the date. They made it back to home, and Regina quickly finished off her hot chocolate.
"I'll take care of that and the pram, you take her upstairs, she's been more than patient I think." Regina nodded as she slipped her heels back off and her jacket before taking Darien and her quilt upstairs. She had changed and was settled in bed with Darien nursing contently when Emma finally entered through their shared bathroom. She had braided her hair tonight and had her contacts out for once and her black glasses on. It had taken Regina catching her last week complaining about dry eyes before she felt comfortable enough to wear them.
"I'm sorry," Emma told her. They had simply been sitting in silence aside from the sounds of eating but Emma was the only one that found it uncomfortable because of her parents and her wanting a date with Regina coming to light.
"For what taking me on a date without asking or your parents?"
"Both?" Emma asked. The look on her face threw Regina right back to the first day they met.
"So, you regret the date then?" Regina asked. Emma's eyes went wide.
"No, no, no, it was the best date non-date I have ever been on," Emma cried. Regina smirked as she looked at Emma fully.
"That was my first date non-date, and for first dates it was pretty awesome." Emma blushed super hard as Regina burped Darien. She burped fire making them both laugh and focus on her. Before she went to Emma who she wanted to rock her to sleep. Regina as usual fell asleep watching Emma rock her gently back and forth. She was barely out when she felt Emma place Darien back in her arms and get settled down in bed too.
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