Chapter 1.

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

"That's all the items on the agenda. Unless someone has something they'd like to add?" Archie asked looking around at the few town members who showed up to the monthly town meeting.

Snow stood up from her chair in the audience. "I have something."

'Ugh I thought this was over.'

Emma sighed in her chair. She wanted nothing more then to go and get some much needed lunch and the town meeting had dragged on for two hours now.

Regina looked over at Emma on the stage with Archie and Belle between them. They shared a look that said 'This is torture' before turning their attention to Snow.

"Well as you know we have a lot of new citizens in Storybrooke since the first curse and..."

"If it's about their living arrangements we are working on housing out by Zelena's old house. Her place is being demolished and a new suburb is going in." Belle informed her with a wry smile as she thought of the place where her ex was held captive been pulled to the ground.

"No, I had something else in mind. The new residents don't know about a lot of our holidays or traditions and um, I was thinking of introducing them to Christmas...Like um we could have a fair or uh a parade and maybe a big ice rink."

"I don't think we have enough time to..." Regina started but was soon cut off by eager members of her council.

"I could set up a hot chocolate stand at the rink" Granny chipped in.

"We could show old movies at the movie theatre."

"We could set up a Santa's grotto in the town and the proceeds can go towards the school."

"We could have a concert for them to get to know the music."

"And maybe a ball too."

"We don't have the man power to do all that with the very little window of time we have until Christmas." Regina pointed out but was interrupted again by dwarves.

"Of course you would shoot it down."

"What do you have against Christmas?"

"Don't you think the town could use this after all the curses and villians we have had recently."

Emma held up her hands. "Hey! Calm down! Regina is trying to be realistic. There is a lot of planning involved in that and it is already December 11th."

Regina smiled broadly at her, glad that someone at the meeting wasn't against her and could see sense.

"But surely it can't be a big deal for two of the most powerful women in town to fix up." Leroy stated. "You got magic ain't you. Should make it easier right."

#

Regina groaned loudly flopping her head on her desk.

Emma strolled into the office with a take out bag from Granny's under her arm and two coffees in her hand. She grinned at Regina and set down their lunch on the coffee table. "Find out you're on the naughty list?"

Regina looked up and narrowed her eyes before giving her a haughty smirk. "Please that's not a surprise anymore." She got up from behind her desk and sauntered over to the blonde who had stopped unpacking the sandwiches she had brought to watch the mayor move across the room. The sway of her hips always seemed to have a hypnotising affect on Emma. She shook her head lightly when Regina sat down next to her and slide her club sandwich across the table to her.

"I figured you'd be hungry and possibly need help planning all of this." She looked over at the table behind them that was filled with city plans and mini flags and over fifty post it notes.

Regina grinned widely at her. "Well thank you but shouldn't you be working?"

"There is no big bad right now and the town sheriff has dark magic so we are very quiet right now at the station. Plus my friend's the mayor so I think she would be cool with it."

"How did you become friends with the mayor? Heard she's a real tight ass." Regina joked as she sipped her coffee.

'More like she's got a tight ass. Wait what?'

"Uh, well I have charm and am fun to be around."

"Since when?" Regina laughed at Emma's face and Emma joined in.

"So do you want help?" Emma asked looking back at the table.

"Do you have time?"

"Well with Killian gone and no other big bad in town I should have time." Emma finished her coffee and looked down at the cup in her hands. Regina watched the sadness fill Emma's eyes at the mention of her ex and realised that she probably needed the distraction. Plus if she was being honest with herself she wanted to spend more time with Emma. She didn't quite know why she did but she felt a pull towards the sheriff, she always had.

"Okay well after lunch we can start." Regina told her and Emma burst into a big smile that made Regina smile along.

#

"The ferris wheel can't go there. It will hit the shop at the back."

"What shop?" Emma asked squinting down at the map in front of the them not seeing what Regina was talking about. They stood on either side of the table with paper cut out in measurements of the booths and rides and had spent the last hour or so deciding on where everything would go for the fair.

"This one." Regina leaned over the desk pointing her index finger on the bait shop on the map. Her top buttons were open and Emma found she couldn't quite focus on the map when the brunette's clevage was that close to her face.

"Emma?" Regina waved a hand in front of Emma who snapped out of her daze.

"Oh yeah it does." She ducked her head blushing as she looked down hoping Regina hadn't noticed her looking.

Regina eyed her suspiciously but continued on. "I think this would go here."

Emma nodded not looking up.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked touching Emma's hand gently. Emma looked down at the hand on hers and smiled softly.

"Yeah I'm good. How about you, after you know Robin." Emma didn't really want to talk about it and she knew how to change the subject. Regina stepped back to were she was at the other side of the table across from Emma.

"I'm good." She looked down and let out a light laugh knowing she was lying in a way. "Okay yeah I was bad at first but I realized I was mourning losing the idea of him, of finding a true love again than him. Robin himself was a bit..."

"Dull." Emma said bluntly causing Regina to glare at her.

"I was going to say not my usual type but now that you mention it."

"Your type seems to be dull."

"Excuse me?" Regina asked with an edge to her voice.

"Oh come on, Robin was a bore and Graham while he was sweet was incredibly boring."

"So should we all go for men who turn on us and summon all the dark ones to kill us?" She snapped but stopped when she saw the hurt look in the other girl's eyes. "Sorry Emma I wasn't thi-"

"-Don't. You are right maybe I should date someone dull. But not someone who constantly smelled of wildstock." She said with an impish smirk.

"He did and I have no idea why."

"Killian was the same, well he smelt of cheap rum and sweat."

"Ugh." Regina scrunched her nose remembering how it was to be in a tight space with him and imagining him up and close with Emma made her feel on edge.

"I used to febreeze him while his back was turned." Emma admitted with a cheeky grin.

"We know how to pick them right?" She peered over at the blonde.

"I don't know about you but all my exes were duds. Were yours the same? Well not Daniel obviously." Emma froze. "Shit, I'm sorry Regina. I didn't-"

"Don't be...Um let me think..." She looked up trying to think of them.

"Too many to remember?" Emma teased her liking the cute look of concentration on her face.

"Not really I have only been with seven people."

"Including Daniel and Robin?" Emma asked shocked at the revelation.

"And the King, your um..."

"Okay no, that is a lie. I saw you in the Enchanted Forest in your Evil Queen get up. There is no way you had just three other guys."

"Who said they were three guys." She smirked at the gasp that escaped from the other girl.

"What? Okay you have to tell me who." She asked excited to find out who in Storybrooke was into women.

"No I do not." Regina was avoiding looking at the sheriff while she fiddled with little squares with names of booths and rides on them.

"Well what if I guess?" Emma pleaded wanting to know.

"We should get on with these plans."

"You're blushing! Okay well obviously Maleficent." Emma said matter of factly. Regina dropped the paper squares and snapped her head up.

"How did you-"

"-I knew it! You can see that look in her eye when she's around you."

"The popcorn stand should go here." Regina ignored her keeping her eyes down on the map.

"Okay so two more...uhhh...oh...Mulan!"

"No but that reminds me I was wrong. There were eight."

"So it's someone who knows Mulan...Aurora?"

"Considering I first met her with Mal and put her to sleep no."

"Hmmm, not my mom right?"

"Well." Regina gave her a mischevious smirk. "Your face! No don't be disgusting. Can we get back to working?" She handed Emma a few squares and the blonde placed one down.

"The Ring Toss could go here. Merida?"

"Yes to the booth no to the redhead."

"Ruby?"

"The prize tent could go here." Regina went a shade darker as she placed the next square down.

"You did! You and Ruby really?" Emma questioned.

"It was before the curse broke and it was only a few times." Regina buried her face in her hands.

"Wow, I never would have guessed but it makes sense I guess. Explains why she ran to the hospital when she heard Belle had been shot. She was devastated. Now it makes sense that she's into women, she was probably into Belle. Poor Ruby falling for a straight woman." Emma rambled while Regina scoffed loudly.

"Miss French? She's not completely straight..."

"You didn't!" Emma practically yelled while the brunette looked at her with a guilty weak smile. "When?"

"Before you were born. She was my prisoner and I wanted to keep her well in case I needed her as a pawn which is awful I know. I would feed her and bathe her and I guess she has a thing for masters...Quite the submissive that one."

"Oh my god." Her mouth hung open at the image of a dominant Regina took over her brain. Regina looked at the blonde who seemed to have frozen in place.

"Sorry overshare."

"Just I didn't think she was..." She said quickly wanting to jolt her brain back into a normal person.

"Like us?" Regina said non-chalantly.

"Yeah, wait what?" She looked at her confused. She wasn't a submissive. Was Regina suggesting that?

"Also into women." Regina stated only to look confused herself when Emma was about to oppose. "Oh come on Emma."

"I'm not." She said flustered.

"You can tell your parents that. But I know." She leaned forward pushing out her chest. Emma glimpsed down at the skin on show and quickly darted her eyes back up feeling the heat in the room rise.

"You do?"

"I saw you the first week here in the diner. Ruby dropped a plate and she was in those red skimpy shorts and you were watching her bend over." Regina moved her middle finger over the desk as she spoke. Emma watched it to avoid looking at the brunette.

'I was just looking at the shape wondering how she...I don't know why I was looking. I mean she's hot yes but every girl looks right.'

"I wasn't-"

"Oh and whenever you see me in, what was it you called it, 'Evil Queen get up' you stare."

'I have her now.'

'Well your boobs are up and perfect. Hard not to stare.'

"Just because you look so different."

"Whatever you say." Regina let it go, not wanting to push the blonde out of the closet.

"Okay so Ruby, Maleficent and Belle that means just one more...Ariel."

"Great job changing the subject and no she hated me until recently."

"I thought the same about the librarian." Emma said bitterly not knowing about this side of people she called friends. "Um, Ashley?"

"Who? Oh Cindrella. No."

"Kathryn?"

"No. Can we finish this?" Regina sighed as she looked down at the map.

"I only have one more to get...The Blue Fairy?"

Regina almost gagged at the idea and threw a dirty look at Emma.

"What is wrong with you?"

"I was guessing maybe she was a bitter ex."

"She was bitter about me dating one of her fairies..." Regina smiled as she gave her a clue to the last woman.

"Nova!"

"Who?"

"The quiet nun...I know who it is." Emma sighed she knew who it was.

"Hmm?"

"Tink right?" She frowned to herself.

"What is with the face? She is very cute."

"She is." Emma groaned wondering if they did stuff in Neverland. "When did you two? Was it in Neverland?"

"No. It was while I was married, it was just for a short while before I...before I betrayed her."

"You cheated?"

"It wasn't a real marriage."

"How long were you together?"

"About 5 weeks."

"I meant you and Leopold." Emma corrected.

"Oh uh, just about nine years." Regina's answer was barely a whisper.

"Woah..." Emma never really thought about the fact that Regina was married, let alone married to her grandfather.

"I think we are done." Regina's voice interrupted Emma's thoughts.

"What? How?" She looked down at the map that was filled with bright squares set up as booths and rides.

"I did it while you went through my exes." Regina rolled her eyes.

"Sorry about that I was just curious."

"I get it but just know I now get to ask you personal questions. But I will save it for another time."

"Oh speaking of questions I was meant to ask you something." Emma said remembering that she had come here earlier in the day with motive but had gotten distracted through lunch.

"More questions Miss Swan." Regina teased as she packed up the stationary on the table.

"I hate when you call me that. Just one more. How do you want to split up Henry's gifts?"

"Last year was a disaster when we got the same stuff." They both winced remembering that they both got him four of the same gifts he had asked for.

"Yeah I was thinking we work together and get stuff he asked for and we split the cost in the end 50-50."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Oh one more question. What do you get a mayor who has everything?" She beamed at her and got up to help move the map down the table.

"You don't have to get me anything."

"I know I don't but I want to. So...but remember you set my wages so no big luxury items." She warned.

"I don't really know. I don't usually get presents."

"You don't?" Emma's face fell.

"We don't have Christmas back in our land."

"Yeah but here."

"I have made many enemies and like I said I'm on the naughty list." She gave Emma a mischevious grin as she got up to move to her desk. She sat on the edge of the desk.

"Yeah but getting nothing? That happened in two foster homes I was in and it was..." Emma trailed off as a plan formed in her head.

"Don't Miss Swan."

"What?"

"You are plotting something. Whatever it is just don't." She warned her but Emma ignored her. She had a plan forming in her head she just needed to go home to work on it.

"We should plan out the parade."

"Emma!"

"I won't do something overboard."

"So the parade."

#

Regina had just finished dinner with Henry later that evening when the doorbell rang. Henry got up to answer the door.

"Mom!"

"Who is it Henr-" She stopped by the door when she saw him standing there looking at a three foot pear tree in a potted plant. "What the hell?"

"Be careful mom it could be some sort of magic."

"It's not. It's your mom." She closed her eyes and sighed. There was a card on the front in Emma Swan's messy scrawl.

"Is that a CD in the tree?" Henry asked reaching for the card and handing the CD to his mom.

"A David Cassidy CD?" She turned it over not getting why Emma would get her a CD of his.

"Here's the card." Henry handed it to Regina who pulled out the white card with just one sentence.

"Day 1. Gifts for the greatest mayor. A Partridge in a Pear Tree."

#

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