Chapter Sixteen
Henry thought that the most difficult part of becoming a knight would be the sword practice, but that was going rather well even if he was only allowed to use a wooden blade.
He had tried to sneak a look at David's sword but found it too heavy to even lift from the table, only increasing his desire to have seen Regina hurl it at the dragon.
The other difficult aspect was the time commitment in addition to all of his academic responsibilities.
All the same, he found himself waking eagerly before dawn each day and jumping from bed to catch his ride to the stables from the much less eager Emma.
On several occasions, Henry tried to convince the saviour to come and meet his horse but catching sight of a certain Mercedes Benz never failed to spook her,
The yellow Bug would swiftly disappear from the stables so Henry had to assume that the increase in David's driving lessons had nothing to do with his need to operate a sheriff's cruiser.
Despite the time of the morning and the fact that he still had to go to school after this, Henry walked into the stables with energy, prepared to finally interfere with his parents' distant relationship.
He may still have too many doubts to move back into the mansion right now but it was time to start making strides in Operation SwanQueen.
Something had to be done about Emma's foul mood that didn't involve him or his grandparents talking to her.
His shoulders slumped, however, upon finding no other human inside.
It was a break in his morning routine that he was not only disappointed because of the snag in the operation. He'd gotten used to being met by a bright smile from Regina as she greeted him more at ease than he'd ever witnessed when she was in Mayor Mills mode.
How was it possible that the Evil Queen was more suited as a stable woman?
A neighing from outside had him realise that it wasn't only Regina missing, his horse was also absent.
He blinked but was drawn back outside to see what Charming had yet to let him do, Regina riding atop the trotting equine with seamless skill.
As much as he craved to be allowed in that position, running full tilt on the powerful creature, he couldn't imagine looking as comfortable as his mother did right now.
She even smiled at him as broadly as she would have any other day as she pulled the reins to come to a full stop.
"Awesome," Henry breathed and she only smiled wider while dismounting in one fluid motion.
"Good morning, Henry," she greeted, "Sorry if you were missing him, he was skittish this morning so I thought he might want to stretch his legs."
Henry nodded, moving forward to palm the horse's snout, no longer nervous under Regina's daily instruction.
"I could show you how to remove the saddle?" Regina suggested, beaming at him.
Henry nodded again, more eagerly this time, "That would be awesome!"
Regina released a laugh, "I fear that your definition of that word may have diminished somewhat since the curse was broken."
"No, I like spending time with you," Henry argued and Regina's hand dropped from the saddle to look at him with obvious shining in her eyes. It was times like this that Henry told himself that he was foolish for entertaining that Regina could love his sister more but he had yet to say it aloud to anyone so it felt too unsettled to just accept. This was why he just added, "It's fun."
"I very much enjoy it too," Regina replied.
Before she could begin her latest horse related lesson, Henry remembered the topic he was prepared to raise before the welcome distraction. It was for this reason that he cut her off, "Have you…talked to Emma recently?"
Regina turned from the horse, clearly intrigued by the abrupt change in topic.
During their time together in the stables they discussed a lot of things but it was mainly around details of the Enchanted Forest that he was hungry for, but it was never about Emma or the baby.
He didn't want to risk her somehow smiling more widely than she ever had at her non-biological child.
The more that Emma's growing stomach betrayed her pregnancy, however, Henry knew that this arrangement couldn't last forever. Besides, he was beginning to suspect that she was close to murdering Snow White which seemed more important to avoid than his own jealousy.
The concern currently written on the former queen was almost worse.
He couldn't remember whether or not it was like that the day that he went missing on Emma's birthday.
"I haven't," Regina replied, "Is there something wrong?"
"She brought two toasters and took them apart this week," Henry explained.
Regina furrowed her brow, "I think I may need more details than that."
"It's just…this thing she does…" he said, realising that he'd never actually asked why it was that it gave her comfort, "The point is…I think she's had enough space but I don't think she'll come to you first. The baby is really freaking her out."
Regina inclined her head and considered this for a moment, "I'll look into it," she promised, "Thank you for telling me, Henry."
He slid up next to her to inspect the saddle, effectively putting an end to the discussions of the saviour.
She seemed only partially distracted by what he'd told her, she was largely focused on showing him how the buckles on the saddle worked before she would have to give him a ride to school.
This allowed him to enjoy another peaceful morning at the stables with his mother.
S
Regina spent two days thinking over Henry's worried declarations, multiple times drafting text messages to the saviour.
Ultimately, she decided that this would require a more personal touch after almost a month apart, the possibility that she would be sent away without hesitation prevented her from going to the sheriff's station at first.
However, she realised that Henry could well be right about Emma being too stubborn to admit that she needed help until well after their daughter was born. It was for this reason that she spent much of the previous night perfecting something that would break the ice, at least according to Ruby's offhand comment as she made her coffee a few days ago.
Regina held the tupperware box tightly between her hands, remembering the last time she'd offered a Charming a food item. Hopefully this would involve less threats of eternal torture?
She didn't want to feel forceful here, it felt far too easy to spook her True Love as it was.
Despite every anxiety she felt, which were not helped by the scowls she received for only walking down Main Street in broad daylight, it all melted away into a quip as soon as the station's hallway gave way to a clear view of the sheriff's office.
Emma was reclined back with her legs on the desk throwing a scrunched up piece of paper up and down.
"Good to see that the sheriff's station is thriving without oversight," tore from her mouth.
Emma jerked, pushing a collection of folders from the desk as she pulled her legs down and her paper ball joined her feet on the ground.
Emma's face had caught fire as she stared at the intruder.
Though Regina could currently be cognizant of the possibility that she could have some mud on her simple outfit after the morning at her stable, her eyes instead were glued to the obvious bump that she longed to touch.
She stayed put though as the sheriff stammered, "Regina I…I didn't…"
Regina's heart fluttered, unable to take in that she could have this effect on anyone that she didn't have ill-intentions towards.
Grinning, Regina said,, "I also see that articulation is no longer a priority."
Emma sat up, her hand touching her stomach as she made a concerted effort to recover from her surprise well enough to retort, "Well, that's your fault."
Regina quirked an eyebrow, amused, "How so?"
Waving her hand vaguely, Emma replied, "Your kid is scrambling my brain."
"My child?" Regina scoffed.
"Yep."
Letting out a small laugh, relieved to find that things were still natural between them in person, she remembered that she'd come armed with an ice breaker that apparently was not strictly necessary.
That was no reason to deny the saviour of the thing that she was apparently craving.
"Perhaps this will serve as an apology then?" she suggested, placing the box on the desk and removing the lid quickly, afraid that she would fail to resist her desire to touch.
That would definitely solidify the ice into a thick wall.
Emma peered tentatively inside and perked up markedly, "A bear claw!" but the deflated, "Which I'm not allowed to eat."
"This one was made with significantly less sugar," Regina replied.
Sceptically intrigued, Emma lifted the pastry out of the box and to her mouth, pausing before tearing through it.
Regina's smile almost reached her ears as the saviour hummed appreciatively and chewed with fervour.
Swallowing enthusiastically, she asked, "Did you use magic to make this?"
Unoffended by what could be considered an accusation if Emma wasn't so enamoured with the food, Regina chuckled, "If you consider Google to be magic?"
A real laugh tore from Emma and Regina somehow smiled more broadly, not that it should have been possible, but this was already going so much better than any of the scenarios she had been coming up with.
Perhaps she had at last found a way to connect without being forceful or was it more that she was finally trying with the right person for the first time in decades?
This bolstered her enough to be forthright with the reason that she was here, coming to sit so that they were parted by the desk.
"Henry tells me that you have been destroying kitchen appliances?" Regina said conversationally.
Emma's mouth twisted down and she placed the bear claw back into the container carefully as she muttered, "That kid is such a snitch."
Regina shook her head and pressed, "What has been on your mind?"
Emma sank back, appearing to have accepted that this was happening, more so than Regina could have hoped.
Still, she awkwardly indicated the bump that was pushed out as she leaned back, "The..obvious…"
Regina hummed in understanding, she'd certainly spent a great deal of time obsessing over this even without the subject of these thoughts physically growing inside of her. This time though, meant that Regina was uncharacteristically aware of the perfect thing to say to help:
"I am giving you space, Emma but if you need anything you should know that you can always ask me."
Emma remained still for a few seconds, chipping away at Regina's confidence and making her doubt that the saviour could ever need the Evil Queen.
They would have spoken long before now if that was the case, right?
This doubt dropped however as the sheriff's desk chair as the woman in it sat forward.
"Maybe…we could go for lunch?" Emma suggested unsurely.
Regina nodded eagerly, relief flooding her system.
It had to be a good sign that she was volunteering to spend more time with her right?
It was certainly what Regina had been praying for.
"I would love to," Regina replied.
Emma pushed the lid securely onto the bear claw container and then stood.
Regina followed suit so that they were closer than they'd been in weeks.
She pushed her hands into her jean pockets but the urge to touch was stemmed by Emma coming to a realisation born from standing beside her True Love for the first time without heels involved.
"Wow, our daughter is going to be short," she mused.
Regina tried to scowl and objected, "I am average height, Emma."
Beginning to smile in a way that Regina was certain that she could grow accustomed to, Emma asked, "In the Enchanted Forest?"
Regina looked back blankly, going for unimpressed before turning to lead the way to Granny's.
The unlikely pair of course received attention upon entering and seeking out a booth but Regina was relieved not to be faced with either Snow or Charming.
What she was doing now was about her family and not their comfort.
As Emma fiddled with the menu, however, it occurred to Regina that she could stand to lead the discussion.
"What did you want to order?" Regina asked, ignoring all of the other questions she wished she didn't have to wait for answers to.
She'd been too patient thus far to ruin it all now, so she could focus on having lunch with her…with her saviour.
Emma studied the menu hard, her finger trailing listlessly along the salads before she eyed the other woman thoughtfully. Regina tilted her head but waited for her to figure out what she wanted to say.
"You said you would do anything, right?"
Emma palmed the menu and Regina was ready to be asked for some great commitment.
"I need you to have a grilled cheese so I can pretend that I'm eating it."
"Seriously?" Regina said, not meaning to scoff.
Not backing down, Emma replied, "Tamsin needs it."
Disarmed, the older woman asked, "Tamsin?"
Emma's eyes widened and she pushed the menu away. It was a stark reminder how much time they'd been apart even with how much more natural this interaction had any right to be.
The saviour scratched at the back of her neck and explained, "I guess I didn't tell you…I was thinking about naming her Tamsin…what do you think?"
Regina paused, conjuring a younger version of the woman sat opposite her, one that was so irresistibly and hypothetically adorable (based largely upon her memories of the first baby she had created).
Experimentally, she said, "Tamsin Swan?"
Emma, blushing visibly now, cleared her throat and admitted, "In my head…it's actually been…Tamsin Swan-Mills."
Regina's hand came up involuntarily to cover her mouth as if it would somehow hold in the burst of elation that was created by such simple words.
Swan-Mills.
She couldn't help but mentally test the surname for the three other members of their burgeoning family.
Would all of this end with any of them changing their names?
That decision would be well into the future, however, no matter how it filled her with real hope.
In this moment, all she had to do was to provide her fellow mother with what she was finally admitting to needing.
"I love it, Emma," Regina said and Emma let out a long sigh.
"Enough to eat grilled cheese?" Emma pressed through her relief.
Raising an arm to beckon to Ruby, Regina replied, "I suppose I did say 'anything'."
Emma's smile certainly would make the greasy monstrosity worth it even if it hadn't also opened up many avenues of conversations for them that meant that there was no more than a few seconds of awkwardness at a time during their lunch.