I don't own these characters; Disney/ABC does.
9: Friendships
Regina did not realize how much her interaction with her mother drained her until she had to go into the office the next day. She sat through several meetings and hit the right beats, but had no idea what was actually going on. Her body felt heavy, like it was trying to pull her down. The baby seemed to roll, but she was certain it was all in her mind, distracting her. Regardless, she barely knew how she even made it to work that morning.
Maleficent had to notice she was not all there and pulled her into her office as soon as they had a free moment. Kathryn followed them right in, so yeah, she had to be noticeably off to those who knew her well enough. How does Mother — no, Cora — still have this power over me? She really needed to stop thinking of that woman as "mother." Cora was many things, but a mother was not one of them.
"Tell us everything," Kathryn said as soon as the door was closed.
"How much do you know?" Regina replied. She had no idea what rumors were going around the peerage already considering what Cora talked about when she showed up. Nobles could and would make up stories for situations moments after they happened, so who knew what tall tales were flying.
"Well, I was present at the disaster birthday party and I know Leopold is claiming Emma's a con artist, but you have 'Cora Mills showed up' energy," Kathryn explained with a scowl.
Regina sighed. "Because Cora Mills showed up yesterday. She just…" Regina dropped into the nearest seat, thankfully it was the sofa. She needed the extra cushion. She felt like she could fall through the planet.
Maleficent sat at her desk and leaned forward with her hands folded in front of her. "And did what?" Her jaw tensed.
"Just let me know that she's up to date on everything in my life and believes Emma will be going to prison and I'll have two bastard children," Regina answered.
"But, she could help make it all better?" Kathryn guessed with a curl to her top lip. She parked herself on the edge of Maleficent's desk.
"Of course," Regina replied. "I didn't listen, but she's circling, like a buzzard. She thinks I'm on the verge of failure and she's ready to pick at my corpse."
Kathryn rolled her eyes. "She wants you to believe that, but she's always wrong. Look at how much you've accomplished without her."
"Without you, my businesses would be under water and my company would be dead before it got anywhere," Maleficent pointed out. "You're the reason I can focus on the more legit businesses and build on those."
"Even as an outcast, whenever you stepped into a room, people wanted your financial expertise," Kathryn continued.
Maleficent actually blew out a breath. "Honestly, when Kathryn first told me about you, I thought she was lying. I really wish I had brought you onboard in this capacity in the first place. Years wasting your talent, your knowledge. And, that is what you have, talent and knowledge."
"Not to mention, you have a loving wife, wonderful child, and nice home," Kathryn added. "Well, I have to assume it's a nice home, since we haven't been invited over and we've only seen pictures. Not saying you couldn't have photoshopped that or anything." She winked.
Regina chuckled just a little, as Kathryn wanted her to do. It helped her feel less heavy. "We plan to have everyone over once we fix it up. That's when we wanted to make the announcement."
Kathryn waved that off. "And you make that announcement in your own time. You never confirmed, so it's just a rumor, like everything else."
"Thank you." Regina was not sure what she did to deserve such friends, but she would be eternally grateful.
"Is Emma all right?" Maleficent asked, a slight wrinkle between her eyebrows.
With a sigh, Regina waved that off. "Emma's fine. This is just Leopold's next misstep with her that will explode in his face. I think she's more worried about me. She tried to get me to stay home today." She looked around. "I'm glad I came in. I needed to see you both."
"We're always here for you," Maleficent said.
Kathryn nodded. "And Emma by extension. If she ever wants to sue him for defamation of character, I'm all in. I never had anything against him, but seeing how he treats Emma is making me learn."
"You can run the idea by her. She might enjoy humiliating him after all of this," Regina replied.
Kathryn grinned, ready for a fight. "I will. Once he makes his move and we see how this goes, she could hit him back."
"Now…" Maleficent leaned in. "To a different matter, but not really. Your mother."
"Yes?" Regina pressed, not sure where Maleficent was going with that.
"Do you want to do something about her?" Maleficent arched an eyebrow.
Kathryn grinned. "Yes, can we try to hit her back for once?"
Regina frowned. "You know better than to cross my mother. Rumpelstiltskin is scared of her and everybody else is scared of that crazy bastard, wealthy noble or otherwise."
"Well, almost everybody." A smirk settled on Maleficent's face as she sat back, like a queen on her throne, proud of herself.
"I know you've tangled with him before," Regina said.
Maleficent gave a small shrug. "We have danced a time or two. I recently fought him for your soul, actually."
Regina sat up a little straighter and frowned. "What?" She had never heard of this before. Why the hell would Rumpelstiltskin want her? Well, you are Cora's daughter and he probably thought he could use you against her. He clearly did not know her mother very well.
"I never told you, but after Kathryn brought you to me when Cora disowned you, guess who popped up to take advantage. I don't know what he wanted with you, but it's never anything good. I know he has a feud with Cora, so you were probably going to be a pawn in that," Maleficent said.
Regina sucked her teeth. "I would never." It was a lie. She was at a very low point after her father died and she had a baby to take care of. Yes, she knew Rumple was the lowest of lowlives, but she would have done anything to make sure Henry was all right, like become a call girl.
Maleficent's face twitched, like she had to swallow down calling Regina out. "Kathryn told me you'd help me and she was right. You pulled me out of an abyss and you've put Dragon Inc. in a position to rise in ways I never thought before. Not speaking on your other work, just your financial work so far and the plans you've made, I should be in position to reign supreme by the end of the year. I've got partnerships lined up with Cruella de Vil and Ursula Triton to further grow the business. Again, all of this is thanks to your work."
Regina frowned. "I only just started…" She was not usually modest, but she had spent a lifetime hearing her mother tell her that she could not make decisions for herself. She could not possibly be making the difference Maleficent implied.
"Just started? First off, you put together a masterpiece last year once you got the escort service in the right place. The plans you made for the new rates and how we were able to use those funds for the other sections of the business. It was like a work of art. We're going into five months of you handling all the finances and you haven't noticed the dumpster fires you put out?"
"Well, of course—"
"And you don't think that was helpful or noticeable?"
"Well—"
"Regina, if things continue on as they have been with your financial leadership, my random string of businesses will become an empire by this time next year," Maleficent said.
"Yes, and I don't want all that hard work to be wasted when Mother comes after us," Regina said.
Maleficent smiled, but Kathryn spoke. "That's the beauty of it, Regina. If we keep at this pace and those main two deals go through, we'll be too big for her to stop. We already have connections. This will give us the capital. All you have to do is keep on doing what you're doing and show her that you're good on your own."
Regina was skeptical. Cora Mills was too much for anyone, let alone them, especially if they were relying on Regina. No, that's Mother talking. "Do you really think we could?" She looked between them.
"Not a single doubt in my mind," Maleficent said with her chin in the air. "And all you have to do is what you're been doing. Your hard work makes a difference, so don't let her distract you. Don't let her demean you and don't let her play you. You're doing better than she could have ever imagined. Better than she could have or would have done in your situation."
A knot Regina did not realize had been in her chest loosened. Despite her mother trying to wear her down, she was doing fine. Not just fine — well. Her plans strengthened Maleficent's businesses and her friends were ready to take on her mother for her. It took all of her willpower to not cry.
"Are you all right, Regina?" Kathryn asked.
"Thank you for this," Regina replied, her voice a little wobbly.
Maleficent scoffed. "You're not listening. You've made this happen. No reason to thank us. You have always been an asset. Your mother doesn't have a vision beyond what she wants in life to see what you can accomplish when she just lets you work."
Regina nodded. Maybe she would never be good enough for Cora because Cora could not see beyond her own ambitions, but Regina was accomplished with plans to do so much more. Maybe she would never be what Cora wanted, but she could be better.
"And remember, there's the option to actually go on the offensive," Kathryn said.
Maleficent arched an eyebrow. "What do you have up your sleeve?"
Regina waved that off. "Kathryn, Enchanted Forest inheritance laws won't work here. Your professors told you that."
Kathryn scoffed and made a fist. "They lack imagination. You and Cora are both citizens of the Enchanted Forest."
"But, my father wasn't. You trying to fight this is more than poking the bear, Kathryn. My mother would rip your heart out if you tried to take that money and title from her. It's too dangerous."
Kathryn put her hands up. "Fine. Fine. We'll just get up enough power to stand adjacent to Cora Mills, even though you are legally entitled to the money and title she disinherited you from. Whatever."
Regina rolled her eyes. It was one thing to think she was good enough to do something to be on Cora's level. It was another thing altogether to try to knock Mother down a peg. They would all surely die should they try. It was not worth the risk, especially when Kathryn first pitched the idea back when Regina was originally disinherited and Daddy died, Kathryn had been told her plan would not work.
"I'm sorry, I'm unfamiliar with inheritance laws. What was the idea?" Maleficent asked.
Kathryn pepped up, all for spilling her "great idea." "So, as you know the child of a noble is also a noble by birth. Regina's father, though of royal blood from the neighboring country of Castia, was also considered a noble here, the country he made his home, so Regina, as his child, also a noble. Added onto that, Regina was his only child, his heir by the laws of this country. When he died, Regina should've inherited his title, lands, and fortune because he never formally disinherited her, only Cora did. But, under Enchanted Forest law, Cora shouldn't count because she's not a noble by birth, only by marriage, which isn't really a noble here once her spouse died, and therefore she shouldn't be able to inherit Regina's birthright. My professors claimed because Henry was a citizen of Castia, their laws applied to him, not the Enchanted Forest. My argument is that the laws of the Enchanted Forest should definitely apply to Regina, a citizen of the Enchanted Forest, especially if her mother, also a citizen of the Enchanted Forest, is the one who gained from this." Kathryn shrugged.
The idea still sounded so crazy to Regina. Going after the title and the money would be a sure way to have Cora Mills at their throats, ripping them apart. Added to that, it probably would not even work. Kathryn was out of her mind.
Maleficent pursed her lips and looked to Regina. "No disrespect to your father, but I hope you're doing better to plan for your children's futures, just in case."
"I promise you I am," Regina replied. She had definitely learned from her father's mistake. "Besides, Emma would never do anything like this." One of the best lessons her father ever taught her was to be careful who she married and who she had kids with. She was certain she picked right twice.
-8-8-8-8-
Emma was about ready to run out of the station to go home, especially since she wanted to check on Regina, but got a text that made her pause. She frowned at the screen. Neal had the nerve to want to meet for drinks and "to catch up." She was not sure how she felt about that.
"You okay?" Mulan asked as she shouldered her messenger bag, standing in front of Emma.
"Yeah, just a text from a friend who is also an ex." Never mind also a person who let her rot in prison for his crime.
Mulan nodded. "Never know why they're texting, huh?"
"Exactly. Do I want to risk wasting my time?" At least with Neal she knew it was not to beg for money. But, she had made it a point to avoid Neal, Killian, and Lily since moving to Storybrooke and finding out how real friends behaved. She had always known Neal, Killian, and Lily were not her friends, but just a week of hanging with Ruby had proven that. Ruby and Ashley were so much more than Neal, Killian, and Lily could ever be. Not to mention, Mulan was shaping up to be a very good friend as well.
Mulan nodded. "Maybe run it by Regina if she knows your history. Marian has stopped me from running after my exes when there's a problem and they remember I exist."
Emma smiled. "Well, stop being so good at fixing problems."
Mulan smiled back. "Come on. Don't let this one thing ruin an otherwise great day."
"You are so right. Marian better marry you before I do."
A chuckle escaped Mulan. "What makes you think I want to marry you?"
"If I landed Regina, I have to be quite the catch." Emma wiggled her eyebrows.
Mulan laughed and they left the building together. Emma was on her own getting home, which was fine. She drove in as well. Schedules changed a little since Henry joined a young writer's group at school. That kid loved storytelling and he was good. Emma could not wait to hear the things he came up with.
So, Emma stopped by the gym to get a quick workout in, even though she usually just worked out at the station. It was something to do, so she was not home alone. By the time she got in, Regina was home with Henry and they were both working on the living room floor.
"We really need to get this place together," Emma said. She leaned down and kissed the top of Henry's head and ruffled his hair.
"Hey, Ma. We really do. I need an office!" Henry grinned.
Emma smiled. "Let's start with a desk." She sat down next to Regina and kissed her on the cheek. "Or did you tell him, he can have your office?"
"No, but I offered him your little gym space in the basement," Regina replied.
Emma chuckled. "Sure. I'll set up a little treadmill for him. You'd like that, right, Hen?" She reached out, tapping him on the forehead.
Henry wrinkled his nose. "That's not an office. How am I gonna be a world-famous author if I don't have an office?"
"Again, let's start with a desk. We should go out shopping this weekend. We need a lot of stuff for this place." Emma made a show of looking around.
Henry nodded. "Yeah! I get to help, right?"
"Of course, kid. You live here, too, right?" Emma arched an eyebrow.
Henry's smile brightened the room. "Okay, so I get a desk and what else?"
Emma looked to Regina, who smiled, too. "We'll see."
"Oh! What about a basketball hoop in the driveway?" Emma sat down next to Regina. She was not really into basketball, but again, television influenced her thoughts. A basketball hoop in the driveway always screamed domestic, calm family life.
"Maybe in the backyard," Regina replied. "Not that either of you will use it."
"You don't know that. Henry might get really interested in basketball next year. Or maybe I wanna join the Storybrooke league with Ruby," Emma said.
Regina rolled her eyes. "You barely want to go running with Ruby, but okay."
Emma chuckled and then moved closer to Henry. She helped him with his homework, even though he did not really need the help and she found herself lost a few times. She did not remember fourth grade being so hard. Regina focused more on her work now since Emma was there to help Henry. When Henry was done, he went to hang out in his room, claiming he wanted to find the best spot for his new desk, before they got started on his nighttime routine.
"You want me to start dinner?" Emma asked.
Regina shook her head. "I put everything on when we came in. Are you all right? You seem tense. You didn't even change out of your gym clothes."
Emma looked down at herself, still in her sweatpants and Property of Storybrooke Sheriff's Department tank top. "Oh, wow. I didn't even realize. I just wanted to sit with you two. But, yeah, I'm kinda distracted, too. I told you about my friend Neal, right?"
The frown that overtook Regina's face said it all. "The one who sent you to prison. Yes, you've mentioned him more times than I like."
Emma nodded. "And I appreciate you hating him on my account. He texted me right before I left work. He wants to meet up and catch up. I think he knows about what happened with Leopold."
"Oh, right, his father is a noble or something, yes? You were vague on those details."
"Well, not really a noble, but noble-adjacent. He's really rich or something. I dunno. Neal makes it sound like his father did a lot of dirty deeds to make his money, but never gave a lot of details. Anyway, he probably knows what happened and wants to meet up to catch up. You think I should?"
Regina shrugged. "He's your friend, or so you claim."
"He's probably the best friend I have from before you and Storybrooke." That was how she liked to measure her life now, before and after. "After" kicked ass.
"Do you want to catch up or do you want to hold onto your past just in case this falls through?"
Emma scratched her chin. That was why she held onto friends in the past. She had always expected things to suck, so she held onto people who kind of liked her. Neal, Killian, and Lily. She had not spoken to them for months, had not needed to. Hell, she had not thought about them because, again, they were not real friends. But they were still out there, attempting to be her fair-weather friends.
Maybe she should see if they were worth holding onto. You already know the answer to that. That's why you've been avoiding them since Storybrooke. Her old friends did not match up to the new ones. They were not real friends and there was no reason to keep letting them back into her life to hurt her eventually. Life did not have to be that way.
Neal was a little different from Killian and Lily, though. No, he did not act like her new friends, but he was not a complete asshole to her after she got out of prison. He was never a total asshole to her, beyond the prison thing and also pretending he was not attracted to her once he found out about her dick. Or am I just making excuses for him? It did not feel that way. Somehow, Neal seemed… redeemable.
"I think I do wanna sit down with him, just to see if he's someone this new, happy Emma can chill out with," Emma said.
Regina nodded. "Do you want me to come?"
"I think I do… but, I think I want to do it alone, too. Does that make sense?" She felt strong enough to face Neal on her own, but would like to be comforted and taken care of afterward if she needed it. Even if things went right, this could be draining and she might need someone to lean on. Regina was best for that.
A small smile slid onto Regina's face. "It does. I can go shopping or something while you sit with him. I can even have Henry with me and we can go to dinner when you're done."
Emma nodded. "That sounds nice. We can have a family night in Mist Haven."
"That's nice. And we should do things with Henry before the baby comes. Just to remind him that we love him."
"Good idea. I do love that kid."
Regina practically grinned and her entire face lit up. "I never doubt that."
Emma nodded again. "I hope this one is as good and smart as Henry." She put her hand on Regina's stomach. "I'll love them regardless, you know, but Henry's a great kid."
"While I won't mind them being like Henry, I want them to be themselves and happy. Nothing more."
Emma sighed. "Yeah." She wrapped her arms around Regina and held her close. "Speaking of kids, how are you doing? I know that run-in with your mom was worse than you let on."
Regina smiled. "I'm doing better now. Mal and Kathryn knew about the party and checked in on me with that, so I told them about Cora and they're ready to fight her with me. They think they can put a stop to her. Of course, Kathryn always thought that, but anyway, they really think they can work up enough power to stand against her."
"Do you think they can?"
"They're some of the strongest women I know and they know how Cora is, so if they think they can, they might be onto something. I'll have to wait and see."
"Keep me posted. You know I'd love to jump in on it if I can."
"I know."
Regina sighed and Emma held her close. I hope they do have something to stop Cora. Regina doesn't need this kind of stress. I just want us to be able to live our lives together.
-8-8-8-8-
Meeting with Neal usually did not bother Emma. She accepted that Neal was who he was, except she did not really know who he was. She knew who he tried to be, but never measured up to. Also, this was different. He wanted to discuss the rumors swirling around the noble class about her. She never had to deal with that through friends.
"Emma!" Neal got up from the bar in the little restaurant they agreed to meet. He wasted no time hugging her.
"Hey." She hugged him back because the embrace felt real, like he would not treat her differently over this nonsense. In fact, it felt more real than any hug he had given her since she told him about her cock. It was not that it was romantic, but there was real affection there.
He smiled at her as he stepped back. "It's been a long time. Want something to drink or eat?' he asked, motioning for her to sit at the bar. He dropped back to his seat.
"Probably just one beer. Gotta meet back up with the wife and kid." She waved the bartender over.
He made an impressed face and nodded. "So, you did get married."
Emma nodded. "Yeah, a little over four months now."
He smiled. "It suits you. You look happier, healthier."
"Yeah, my wife takes good care of me." Not something she could say about many people, especially an ex.
"Damn. I need to stop messing around and marry my girl. I wanna look like you." He chuckled and then sipped his drink.
Emma shrugged as her beer was placed in front of her. "Can't complain."
"And you shouldn't. You also shouldn't apologize for being you."
Her brow wrinkled. "I had no plans to."
"Good. Look, I know you know I didn't text you just to catch up. I wanted to tell you to watch yourself. The noble class is different from running the streets when it comes to doing people dirty."
"Thanks, but I don't have anything to worry about."
"So, this isn't a long con you managed to get caught in the middle of?"
She snorted. "No, this is actually the story of my life. People see what's in my pants and make assumptions."
He winced. "Right, sorry." He had just that. "Look, my dad's been sniffing around the situation, Looking for a way to exploit somebody. I don't know what his plan is, but if a guy named Rumpelstiltskin Gold approaches you, run in the other direction. Don't say anything to him. Just turn around and walk away and never look back. Your wife should know that already, but I don't think she's realized yet my dad's trying to get involved."
Up went Emma's eyebrows. "You know Regina?"
"I actually don't. Her mother never let her around me, possibly because I'm not a real noble, but I know my dad was trying to get his hooks in her before when her mother threw her out."
"What did your dad want with her?" Just one more person for her to watch out for to make sure they could not hurt Regina.
He shrugged. "Just to use her because that's what he does. He uses people to gain power. Having power over Regina would have given him power over Cora, which people seem to think means something. But, from my understanding, she's just as dangerous as my dad. Anyway, just watch out for him. You don't deserve whatever it is he's about to do."
"Thanks, Neal." Wow, he was actually trying to look out for her, like a real friend, like a decent human being. She did not think he had it in him.
He shook his head and put his hand on her wrist, but then thankfully pulled it back before she moved. "Don't thank me, seriously. I owe you a lot and might never make up for it, but I should at least try."
"You don't owe me anything." She had zero expectations of Neal at this point, so he had already moved up with this little chat.
"Yes, I do." He offered her a sad, puppy-dog smile complete with wet eyes. "I treated you like you were disposable, which is far from the case. You were always there for me and when you needed me, I almost literally left you holding the bag. I'm trying to be better."
She gave him a small smile. "You're passable."
He chuckled. "I'll take it for now, but we both know that's not true. I'm really sorry."
"I wasn't expecting this when you texted me. I thought you were just digging for dirt or something."
"No, I really want to be better. I want to be someone my girlfriend will be proud to call husband and I never want my kids to look at me how I look at my dad. I never want to be that guy." He shook his head.
"Well, we have that in common."
"You know I wanna ask if its true."
Emma laughed. "You can find out with the rest of the world since we're about to be popular." She and Snow had already done their DNA test. They were just waiting for the results.
"It's possible this will all stay rumors in the noble class."
"Possible, but not likely. Leopold is pissed. He thinks he has me, but only one of us is a lying asshole and it isn't me."
He laughed and gave her a sidelong glance. "You sure?"
She snickered. "I mean in this situation. Besides, I try not to lie or be an asshole now. Life is too good."
With a deep sigh, he nodded. "I'm really happy for you, Em. You deserve to be happy, really happy." He sipped his drink. "How about when this is all over we go on a double date? We can meet each other's partners."
"I'll talk to Regina. Not sure she wants to meet my ex." She was also not sure how Regina would feel about meeting the son of a guy who tried to take advantage of her after her mother disowned her. There was a lot to unpack here.
He winced. "Oh, yeah. I might want to check with Tamara on that. I'll text you."
"Good plan." She looked around. "I can only stay for about an hour. I'm gonna have dinner with Regina and our son."
"Tell me about them. Talk me into getting married and starting a family." He gave her a warm smile.
She laughed. "You better be serious because I can gush about them for hours, especially with pictures. Henry is the perfect kid and Regina is the perfect wife."
He rested his chin in his palm. "That's really surprising. I used to hear about her, how smart she was. I think that's why my father was so interested in her. People really made it seem like she got money like none other. So, to think of her as the perfect wife is weird. She seemed like she would run the world at a certain point."
"Yeah, well, parents suck." It was funny to hear, like had Cora just left Regina alone, she might have done exactly what Cora wanted her to do.
He nodded. "That they do."
"May we do better." She tipped her beer bottle to him.
Neal nodded and clanged his glass to her bottle. That was good to know. She hoped Neal was real about doing better. She could learn to like this version of him, especially since she was not sure he could ever hurt her like he did before. She would save that for later, though. For now, she got to talk about Henry and Regina while showing Neal pictures. Neal also had pictures of Tamara and gushed about her. The time flew by. Maybe they could do this again.
-8-8-8-8-
Next time: the moment of truth, Emma and Leopold's DNA test.