The car ride to the diner was filled with Henry and Emma singing different songs from the blonde's iPod much to the amusement of the Mayor who had to bite her lip to stop loud laughter from interrupting the impromptu concert. She loved how happy her son was ever since Emma walked through their door. He had a smile that seemed to be a permanent fixture on his face, it made her chest feel tight like her heart might burst from her ribcage due to the swelling. "I still can't believe how well you sing, Henry. Did you get that from your Mom? I think she was tempted to join in with us on a couple songs there."
Regina let out a derisive snort coupled with a roll of her eyes but the small smile she flashed let the other woman know it was meant in jest. "My mom's actually a great singer but she'd never admit that," He beamed with pride over the fact before the next song came on "Alright Swasnky, I love this song so one more jam session?" There was a look of shock on Emma's face but she turned the radio up just a little bit, disbelieving that he even knew the words.
Henry however did seem to know Paul Simon as he sang along with Emma to a song that hit her harder than most seeing as how she'd never had something like the subject matter of it. The title was Father and Daughter but Henry had taken some liberties and changed the lyrics. "I'm gonna watch you shine, gonna watch you grow. Gonna paint a sign so you'll always know as long as one and one is two. There could never be a mother who loved her son more than I love you."
Regina was wearing that familiar smile, the one that seemed reserved just for Henry, and took his hand when he reached forward for her. "My mom would sing this one to me when I was little. Well, little-er. That's how she'd sing it to me so I never sing it any other way." He squeezed his mom's hand before sitting back in the seat.
Emma watched them out of the corner of her eye and then smiled when the song took on a whole new meaning. Before it had just reminded her of what she never had but now it was something beautiful Regina shared with her son and what they had. This time she joined Henry with the revised chorus, looking back briefly at him in the rearview mirror as the song ended. "I think that's even better than the original, kid. Your mom does Paul Simon better then he does."
Regina mouthed a thank you to Emma and then turned to look out the window as they pulled up to Granny's, she could see a few people inside for the Saturday specials which usually included a hung over Leroy if he'd made it out of the drunk tank, Ashley the young mother and waitress that Granny had hired, sometimes David Nolan would be there for the cop staple of doughnuts and coffee. Emma got out and hurried around the car to open Regina's door before she could even contemplate doing it herself. "It's a knight thing, your highness, humor me." That made Regina chuckle but at the very least she wanted to help Henry, pulling the seat forward so he could climb out.
"See Tallahassee isn't a death trap, we made it here in one piece. You owe her an apology Mom." He teased and then started over to the door, deciding to take a page from Emma to hold it open for his mother and friend. Regina kissed his cheek and then brushed her thumb over it to make sure she hadn't left an embarrassing mark while Emma ruffled his hair on her way in.
The bell ringed above their heads as they walked in but the entirety of the diner had already been looking out at a yellow car they'd never seen before. Emma gave a sheepish smile at the way eyes were trained on her but Regina acted as if everything was normal as she just started over to a booth, taking a seat and the blonde hurried in to sit across from her before being joined by Henry on her side. She bumped shoulders with him before looking over at the Mayor, feeling safe inside the booth with just the Mills to focus on rather then eyes she could still feel on her. This was going to fade, she had to tell herself, and it would just take a day or so to not be the object of attention.
The pixie haired woman from earlier approached the table and Emma watched how Regina shifted, her already perfect posture pulling up a bit more and a neutral expression taking over her face. The mask of the Mayor slid into place. "Hello Mayor Mills. Hi Henry," The woman greeted the two Mills and then turned to the blonde with a smile "I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Mary Margaret Blanchard, Henry's teacher." Henry had talked about his favorite teacher before and how his mother didn't seem to be a big fan of her but he'd never explained why.
"I'm Emma, Emma Swan. A friend of Regina's-" Mary Margaret's eyebrows shot up at that but Emma didn't comment "And Henry's. He's told me a little bit about you. It's nice to meet you Miss Blanchard and I'm sure we'll see each other during my visit; I might help Regina out with taking Henry to school or picking him up. If it's alright of course." She smiled at the short haired brunette before looking over at Regina, she could see that the black haired woman was twisting her hands in her lap and she couldn't help but wonder why.
"You can call me Mary Margaret, Emma. It's nice to meet you too and I hope you'll enjoy our little town of Storybrooke. Are you staying at the bed and breakfast? Granny has beautiful accommodations doesn't she? You'll have to join us for-" "She's staying with us. Don't you have a wounded bird to nurse back to health, Miss Blanchard? I'm sure you can persuade Sheriff Nolan into helping you with it rather then standing here and pestering Miss Swan before she's even had breakfast." Regina snapped, cutting her off and effectively shutting down the stream of endless questions. Mary Margaret gave a slight nod before grabbing her bag, turning away from the table and leaving the diner.
"Mom, you didn't have to hurt Miss Blanchard's feelings even if you don't like her, she just wanted to meet Emma and I'm pretty sure we're gonna have to share with a lot of people. Everyone in Storybrooke is going to say hi and try to figure out more about her." Henry frowned and the blonde bumped his shoulder again with a small smile, he was a good kid to defend Mary Margaret. She looked over at Regina, still with her hands in her lap and her head held high but now not making eye contact with either of them.
She nudged her boot against a black heel, which brought brown eyes down to their level again before looking over at Henry "It's alright, kid. I'll talk to Mary Margaret when I see her next. Your mom is just trying to make sure my newfound popularity doesn't overwhelm me. Are you sure this place will make my hot cocoa right? I need whipped cream and cinnamon and I'm particular about it." Emma tried to steer the conversation away from Regina's outburst but the Mayor sighed.
"Henry's right, I have to share. Even when I may not want to," Her eyes flashed over to Emma before she reached across the table to take her son's hand in her own "I am sorry, my little prince. I may find Mary Margaret to be a pest but that shouldn't stop Emma from meeting her and I know how much you like your teacher. Give her my apologies when Miss Swan takes you to school on Monday." She squeezed his hand before returning her own to her lap.
Emma was about to tell Regina that she was proud of her for wanting to apologize and thank her for letting Henry take the death trap to school but the waitress stopped her from being able to talk as she approached the table. "Hey yah, Henry," She beamed and then nodded at Regina "Mayor Mills. And guest! Hello. What can I get you to drink today? Coffee or tea, Ms. Mills?" She was starting to realize that no one called Regina by her first name and everyone seemed to treat her a little differently. Henry and herself were getting warm greetings while Regina was left with cordial nods and she wondered if it was just due to her status as the town official or if there was more to it.
"Coffee, Ashley, thank you." Regina answered with a brief but polite smile, the difference in treatment didn't seem to faze her on the surface but Emma was still curious about it. She filed it away for later before ordering her hot chocolate with the specific toppings, chuckling when Henry opted for the same thing. He insisted that it sounded good and didn't want to steal any of Emma's when he could just get it himself.
The remainder of breakfast was uninterrupted, there were still eyes on the trio but they simply ate and chatted as if nothing was happening. Regina even stolen a couple bites of Emma's hashbrowns when Henry had distracted her. It was cute to Emma who pretended to be protective over the food for the rest of their meal until getting up to pay before the Mayor could object or try to do so herself. "My treat, your highness so don't argue." Emma responded when the check came back for her to sign and Regina gave her the look but it was paired with a smile.
Regina wasn't accustomed to having breakfast with anyone other then Henry let alone having it paid for by someone else but she wasn't going to fight with Emma over it, as the gesture was very touching. The blonde was more of a 'gentlemen' then any of the men in Storybrooke, more proof to that fact as she held a hand out and helped Regina from the booth before getting the door for the Mills yet again. "I can literally feel my teeth rotting at this point and you've been here less than two hours. Do you want to explain this to the dentist or shall I?" She teased with a smirk, not missing the way Emma was tilting her head and blatantly admiring her dress and it's… neckline.
Snapping her fingers in front of her bust caught the attention of brilliant teal orbs; flicking the same fingers upward to make them follow "My eyes are up here although you seem to have interest in a different sort of pair on my body." She whispered so Henry wouldn't be any the wiser and watched Emma turn the same shade as her prized apples, she looked quite fetching when she blushed. Regina turned towards her son; he was leaning against the passenger door and looking over to the harbor. "What is on the agenda now that we've had breakfast Henry? From the way you're looking at the docks I have a feeling you plan on stealing a ship and living out some pirate fantasy?" She teased him before following his gaze as it shifted, seeing the library had it's doors wide open with an event she'd forgotten about since the brunette with the Australian accent had formally applied for it weeks prior. Storybook Alive in Storybrooke, fairytales brought to life.
Belle was dressed in a blue and white dress with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, a book in her arm as she greeted a few children at the door. "You've got to be kidding me. She's-" "Belle, yup. From Beauty and the Beast. It's the closest thing to a comic con our town has, Mom, and YOU approved it so we're taking Emma. Besides it gives you a chance to apologize to Miss Blanchard in person. She's there too." Henry chuckled when he saw his teacher approach Belle wearing something that was sure to irritate his mother more than the Belle pun.
"She's SNOW WHITE?! You want us to go to an event when our town already sees me as an evil queen and I'm supposed to make nice with princesses?" Regina shook her head, putting her hand on her forehead as she thought about what a headache this was going to be. Emma joined the Mills before chuckling over at Henry, the young man had made an odd request before she'd left Boston and now it made total sense.
"It gets better Mom," He insisted and moved over to her, grabbing her free hand and her attention "You don't have to be the evil queen today. Instead just be THE queen… with her escorts." He smiled at something behind his mother and she turned to find Emma now had a sword around her waist with a much smaller one held out to her son. "It's wood, so it's safe!" Henry exclaimed before strapping it around himself while eyeing Emma's metal one with obvious jealousy.
Regina had to admit, the blonde sported a sword well. "Do they just have blacksmiths on every corner in Boston or are you telling me you are an actual knight? I don't know which would be more believable," She looked between the two hopeful faces before turning to glance over her shoulder at the event "One evil queen remark and I'm throwing a fireball that takes the library out which you two will have to explain to the rest of the kingdom." The Mayor finally caved and was immediately rewarded, enveloped in a hug from two sets of arms. She went wide-eyed as she realized it was the first actual hug she was receiving from their blonde visitor.
Regina wrapped one arm around Henry and then her other slid around Emma's shoulders slowly, as if she worried that returning the hug would frighten off the taller woman. Emma smelled fantastic like leather and spices and her grip was strong against the mayor's lower back, not realizing she was now the only sword-clad person holding onto Regina. Henry had let go and started over to the library "Are you guys gonna hug all day or are we storming the castle?!" He called back, causing the two women to separate.
Regina flushed and Emma smiled at her, brushing back some black hair that had slid in front of brown eyes. "My apologies, your majesty," She bowed low "Try not to punish an infatuated knight too harshly. I don't need to remind her royal highness that her beauty can be quite captivating and hard to resist." She stood back up and pulled her hair into a ponytail before offering her arm to Regina, if she was going to escort a queen then she was going to do so properly.
"If we don't hurry along, my queen, the young prince is likely to have done everything without us and I believe his plans included you and I," Emma added when the Mayor still hadn't moved, looking from her eyes to her arm "Regina, I'm not going to hurt you. Knight's honor." She chuckled but the sound died in her throat when hands wrapped around her bicep and familiar perfume flooded her senses. There was a small squeeze and Regina inclined her head toward the library before they started walking.
"Hello Henry! Or should I say hello sir knight?" Belle greeted the young boy as he got close, shaking his head and correcting her that he was a prince and his friend was the knight. "Too right. Greetings fair knight, I'm Belle French and what is your name?" She turned to the woman who the mayor was, surprisingly, smiling up at from her position on her arm. That was unheard of in Storybrooke, someone standing so close to Regina and receiving a genuine smile rather than her formal polite one. Gestures usually saved for just Henry.
Emma gave another slight bow and pushed her glasses back up "They call me Emma Swan and I believe I've met your father. He sold me roses a few weeks ago and some more this morning. It's nice to meet a princess from such a floral kingdom." Belle curtsied in return but was then distracted by Mary Margaret saying something about her presence being requested for a reading.
Emma bumped her hip against Regina's before giving her a pointed look, which she understood right away "Hello Miss Blanchard, I wanted to apologize for snapping earlier. I hadn't had breakfast yet and.. It doesn't make up for my rudeness but you are more than welcome to pester Emma with questions now." The shorthaired woman balked at the apology, it seemed like this was a day for unheard of events, but she hurried to regain her composure and smiled.
"Thank you Mayor Mills but I'll just let you three enjoy the event, Belle's put a lot of work into it and we even have a good deal of the town involved. Hello again Henry and Emma. Have a good time." The faux Snow White went back inside and the trio followed shortly after. Henry went off on his own to explore and left the two older women to themselves, his attention caught by some display.
Emma nudged Regina again and smiled at her "You're full of surprises, Madam Mayor. If the look on Mary Margaret's face didn't tell you that I am. I'm proud of you for apologizing, Henry's told me that you don't like her on the best of days but she really appreciated that," She rested her free hand on the hilt of her sword and looked around "Just how I appreciate a Mayor that approves something like this. It's incredible and this place looks like a castle." There was decorations everywhere she looked in the library from dragons and monkeys flying across the ceiling to a fake yellow brick road weaving along the floor, a witch printed on one of the walls standing by a gingerbread house, Belle could be seen sitting in the back surrounded by children and reading to them with a tea set around and a large stuffed rabbit holding a watch.
"Well Miss Swan, you have no idea what I'm capable of. I am glad you approve but to tell you the truth I only read over the request and signed my name to it. I had no idea that it would turn into all of this and I have to admit that even I am impressed by how much Miss French put into the event." She took a look around as well, not bothering to let go of Emma's arm as they moved through the library together.
Everything was a fairytale theme and there were more adults in costumes. A blonde man with a scar on his chin was wearing a red jacket littered with medals and had a sword on as well as he spoke to Mary Margaret "David Nolan, our sheriff," Regina answered softly as she saw where Emma was looking "And that man there, the one dressed like a huntsman is one of the people who run our animal shelter and humane society, Graham." She started to help put names to the faces of different people, leaning close as she shared the information at a volume that wouldn't draw too much attention.
The two women were wrapped up in laughing about the ridiculous fur suit Moe French was wearing to portray the beast while handing out flowers when someone Emma recognized walked up to them, leaning on his cane, sporting a chocolate colored top hat and a purple jacket. "Oh Emma, this is-" "Mr. Gold. I ran into him outside of the flower shop this morning. He wasn't so dapper but I suppose he also wasn't Willy Wonka then either." She tightened the grip on the sword as the feeling of unease had accompanied Mr. Gold once again. She had never had the mere presence of someone setting off her super power before but that's exactly what it felt like the moment he came around.
"Hello again, Emma. It's nice to see you've made fast friends with our Mayor," The professional mask had taken over Regina's face again and she had let go of Emma's arm, folding her hands in front of herself instead "But be careful with the company you keep, Miss Swan, Ms. Mills isn't called the evil queen for no reason." He added, sneering at the elder of the two women who scowled in response.
"I think the last person I'll take advice from is the man with the crocodile smile," Emma squared her shoulders and held her chin up as she took a step closer to the man "Not to mention the fact that I have known Regina and Henry for a while now and there isn't an evil bone in either of them. But you are right about one thing, you know? She damn well is a queen. You should try better to respect your public officials and not act like an asshole but do have a great time Mr. Gold, I have a feeling you could use the reprieve from your crushing loneliness." She slipped her hand into Regina's before leading her away to find Henry.
Regina followed in stunned silence, looking back to see that Mr. Gold was also in a state of shock. No one ever told Gold off and Emma had done so with a flourish. Thankfully Henry seemed to have gotten his fill and was more then willing to head back to the bug. The blonde still had her hand in Regina's as she opened the door to let Henry in.
"Thank you, Miss Swan," She finally willed herself to say and squeezed the pale hand in her own "You most certainly are a knight in shining… red leather." Regina tugged on the jacket for show before getting into the passenger seat once Henry was secure in the back, smiling back at her son and then turning to the other woman again.
Emma unfastened the sword and gave a slight shrug "Nobody insults the queen when a knight is around and he better think twice about doing it again or I might not be so kind with my choice of words and actions," She smiled and then stood back from the door "Buckle up, Regina. We've got better things to do and already one villain taken care of." She shut it before setting the weapon in the trunk and getting into the driver's seat.
Regina smiled when Henry and Emma started singing right as they pulled away from the curb to head to their next destination and she leaned back in her seat, excited to see what the day had next for them.