"You want to do what?" Regina queried, her hand clutched to her chest as if she were on the brink of cardiac arrest.

"I said," Henry huffed out. "I want to do boxing."

Regina stared at her son in bewilderment, wondering when this new development had taken place. Just last week, Henry told her he wanted to be a poet, like Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson. He had her buy him several books of poetry, as well as three customized journals and three different types of pens. She'd spent a small fortune on those items. It had only been four days since their trip to Barnes and Noble, and Regina sure as hell didn't introduce him to Rocky during that four day timeframe. Did he stumble upon a poem about boxing and that's what sparked his sudden interest?

"Since when are you interested in boxing, sweetheart?" She asked.

"Since David and I watched Rocky last night."

That explained it. Mr. Nolan would certainly be hearing from her.

"He also took me to the gym where his friend offers boxing lessons. I really want to try it," he said. "So, can I do it, mom? Please?" he begged, his lips curving into an exaggerated frown.

Regina sighed. She didn't like the idea of her child partaking in such a barbaric sport, but after she brought him home from the hospital, she promised to raise him differently than Cora had raised her and Zelena. She wasn't going to make all of his choices for him, so if boxing was what he wanted to try out, then boxing was what Regina would sign him up for. After checking out the gym and David's mysterious boxing friend, of course.

"We can check it out today," she yielded. "But I have veto power. If I don't like the instructor you have in mind, then we will find another."

"Thanks, mom," said Henry.

Regina bit back a chuckle at Henry's little fist bump and the wide, toothy grin on his face. Her eight year old was definitely beginning to pick up David's dorky mannerisms. It didn't surprise her, though; Henry spent half of his time at the Nolan household. Since Kathryn moved to Connecticut with her husband, Frederick, David and Mary-Margaret were her only friends left in the city. Zelena and her mother lived on the other side of town, in one of the snootiest neighborhoods in existence, so she didn't see them often. They might as well have lived in a different country, considering how little she saw of them.

Regina settled for a modest, two-story home in the heart of Boston, where they were surrounded by museums, art galleries, bookstores, and antique shops. Regina wanted to instill an appreciation for the arts in Henry and she'd succeeded for the most part. Henry was an amazing writer, he loved books, he loved to draw, and he appreciated all forms of music and art. Her kid was an intellectual, much like she was at his age.

But he was also just a kid, which Regina respected. She let him have his video games and comic books; his superhero movies and wooden sword collections. While she wanted her son to have an appreciation for the arts, she also respected his right to choose and pursue other interests outside of the artistic mold. Letting him sign up for boxing lessons was simply just the first step in allowing him to explore his creative freedom.

"So, when are we leaving?" Henry asked, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet.

Regina sighed good-naturedly and told him, "Right now. Get dressed."

Henry grinned and ran up the stairs, his footfalls loud enough to be heard through the ceiling. Regina shook her head in amusement and rose from her spot on the couch, retrieving her cell phone from the coffee table as she made her way toward the staircase. She dialed David's number - the man answering on the second ring - and slowly ascended the stairs.

"Go for David," came his exaggerated southern drawl.

"Henry wants to be the next Rocky Balboa. Care to explain why that is?"

David chortled. "I may have shown Henry the first three films from the Rocky franchise, but in my defense, he saw the DVD covers and begged to watch them. How could I say no to my favorite nephew?"

Regina huffed. "You're a terrible influence on my son."

"If that were true, you would never let me watch him, Doctor Mills," David teased.

Regina could hear the smile in his voice, and couldn't quite squash the smile forming on her lips. "Send me the address to the gym and meet us there in thirty."

"Aye aye, Captain!"

Regina could picture his mock salute over the phone and scoffed. Not bothering with a reply, Regina hung up and affectionately rolled her eyes at the text that came through a second later with the address and the name of the boxing instructor she'd be asking for once she got there.

"Birdy," Regina read aloud, scoffing. "What the hell kind of name is Birdy?"

The gym was located in the grimier part of town, the outside of the building small in size and painted gray, with large black letters reading Light as a Feather Health Club, painted over the entryway. As the pair approached the entrance, Regina paused to admire the intricately drawn feather on the glass door, silently gasping at the detail put into the artwork.

Beside her, Henry buzzed with nervous energy, bouncing on the soles of his feet. He waited patiently for his mom to finish admiring the painting and peeked through the glass door in the meantime, trying to catch a glimpse of the activities happening inside.

A whistle sounded behind them, breaking Regina from her art-induced daze and Henry from his nervous bouncing. The duo glanced behind them and saw David walking toward them with a bright smile on his face.

"So nice of you to join us," Regina deadpanned.

David walked up beside her and threw his left arm over her shoulder. "Let's go inside, shall we?" He pulled open the door with his free hand and led the pair inside, making his way to the receptionist's desk at the front. The redhead at the desk smiled up at David, offering him a friendly wave.

"Hey, David."

"Hey, Belle. Is Birdy here?"

"Yeah, she's in ring five," the redhead informed them, her thick, Aussie accent coating her words. The woman looked to Regina, giving her a polite smile, and then looked at Henry. "Are you thinking of joining her class?" Henry nodded. "Birdy is a great teacher, I'm sure you'll love her. Feel free to head on back."

"Thanks, Belle." Said David, who wordlessly gestured for Regina and Henry to follow him.

Regina eyed the gym; the floors were gray and spotless, the punching bags were perfectly intact, the weights and exercise equipment looked to be brand new, and the gym's patrons were of all ages and of varying physical builds. Regina liked it already.

They walked through rows of equipment until they reached a set of double doors toward the back of the room.

David looked back at Regina and Henry, and smirked. "Welcome to the feather jungle," he joked.

He pushed open the double doors, revealing an average sized gymnasium. Regina took in the six boxing rings, three on each side of the room, and the several people scattered atop the ring's platform. Some were partaking in actual matches, while others stood around, listening to their instructors teach them about the basics of boxing. David led them to the ring labeled 5, and pointed to a toned blonde woman, who was dressed in black gym shorts, a black sports bra, and black, high top boxing shoes. She had a red pair of boxing gloves on her hands and a protective headgear strapped to her face.

She was surrounded by a group of children, none who looked to be older than sixteen, and demonstrated the proper defensive and offensive stances to take when in a match. The kids were captivated and, frankly, so was Regina. This Birdy person emanated confidence and strength, and spoke with a kind of gentleness that one would not expect from her hardened appearance. She was quite the spectacle.

And Regina meant that in the best way possible.

"All right, split into groups of two," came the gentle, yet strong voice.

Regina watched as the children shuffled across the platform and paired off with their classmates. She listened as they helped each other get into the proper stances, exchanging notes on how to better protect themselves from attacks. Regina supposed this was what true sportsmanship looked like. It looked like Birdy had taught them not only strategies to use in the ring, but strategies to use in life.

Impressive.

"Judging by the look on your face, I'm guessing you expected lots of blood, sweat, and tears."

Regina jumped at the unexpected voice in her ear and turned to face the smirking instructor. "Would you mind not scaring me to death? I have a ten hour shift tomorrow morning and I'm sure my patients would benefit from me being alive."

The woman laughed. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

"Regina, this is my friend, Birdy. She co-owns this gym with Nightingale over there," said David, pointing to the tall, brunette man standing in the middle of the neighboring ring.

Regina held out her hand and grimaced when the woman's sweaty and callused palms grasped her own. "Nice to meet you, Birdy," said Regina politely.

The woman smirked. "You can call me, Emma," she said playfully, before looking to Henry. "Hey, Henry, nice to see you again today. Are you planning to join my class?" She asked, looking back to Regina for confirmation.

Regina shrugged. "Would it be okay if he just tried it out today? See how he likes it?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah, totally. He can come in free for the rest of the week, if he wants. We have spare gloves and headgear that he can use for the time being." Regina opened her mouth to voice her concerns about the dangers of Henry using used gear, but Emma beat her to the punch. "Before you ask, no, the spare gloves and headgear he'd be using is brand new. We just got a new shipment of spare gear, and it is his for the taking if he wants them."

"You give away free, unused boxing gear?"

Emma shrugged. "Not every kid that comes in here can afford them."

"That's very generous of you," said Regina, softly.

"Well, I do what I can to provide to those who can't provide for themselves."

"Someone who gives back to their community," Regina hummed, "Very impressive."

Emma opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of a clearing throat snapped the women out of their conversation. Regina and Emma turned to look at David, who was awkwardly stood beside them. Henry stood beside him, already donning black boxing gloves with matching headgear.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but Henry is going to need a partner," David told them, not looking sorry at all. In fact, he looked rather smug.

Regina rolled her eyes. Emma just smirked.

"I'll be his partner," Emma volunteered. "Since you came in late, I'll go over the basics with you."

"Awesome!" Henry exclaimed, climbing up the steps leading up to the platform.

Emma turned to Regina and smiled. "So, I guess I'll see you when I finish up?"

"Well, my son is here, so yes."

Emma let out an awkward laugh. "Right."

Regina chortled, watching the blonde reenter the ring and approach her son.

"Someone seems smitten," David singsonged beside her.

"No one is smitten."

"Is 'no one' code for you and Birdy?"

Regina huffed and turned to David, playfully shoving the man in the shoulder. "It is code for mind your own business."

"I've known her for years. She's got a good head on her shoulders," said David. "She's also single and injury-prone, which I know is your favorite kind of person."

"David," she warned.

"I'm just saying." He held his hands up in mock surrender. "You've been single for eight years, Regina. Let this boxer beat the loneliness out of your heart."

Regina snorted in disbelief. "Is that a line you stole from your wife?"

David chuckled. "I plead the fifth."

"Your son is a quick learner." Said Emma as she entered the gym's reception area, Henry trailing slowly behind her with the group of kids from his class. "He's a little uncoordinated at times, but that's something that we could work on. He takes direction well."

Emma collapsed on the seat next to Regina, her torso and neck covered in sweat. Regina's eyes trained on a droplet of sweat trailing down the blonde's chin, watching is as it dripped onto her chest and trailed between the valley of her breasts, disappearing beneath the cover of the sports bra.

Emma cleared her throat, snapping Regina's attention back to the blonde's face. Judging by the amusement on the boxer's face, it was obvious Regina's leering had not gone unnoticed.

"Well, um," Regina started, her voice uneasy. "Henry has always been astute."

"I'm sure he gets it from you."

Regina heard the flirtatious tone in the other woman's voice and internally screamed at herself to flirt back. But something held her back. Something was always holding her back.

"Yes, well," she huffed out, searching for something to say. No words came out.

Emma looked at Regina, studying her expression. She furrowed her brow, wondering if maybe she had overstepped somehow.

"Mom!"

Neither woman had ever felt so grateful for an interruption.

"I think that's my cue. I will have David bring Henry by tomorrow," Regina said politely.

"That's fine. It was, uh, nice meeting you, Regina."

Regina nodded. "You too, Emma Birdy." She joked.

Emma laughed. "My real name is Emma Swan." Emma plucked a business card from the small table separating their seats and handed the card to Regina. "If you're ever in need of personal training or private boxing lessons, call me. Or, if you're ever in need of dinner and need someone to eat with, you can call me for that as well."

"Emma-"

"If you're uninterested in the last offer, just keep my card for safekeeping in case you find yourself in need of a trainer," offered Emma. "Okay?"

Regina acquiesced with a small nod and took the card, placing it in her purse. "Okay."

"Good. So, I'll see you tomorrow, Henry. You did great today!"

"Thanks!"

"Bye, guys. Drive safely." And then Emma was gone, disappearing behind rows of exercise equipment.

Henry looked up at his mom and smirked. "She likes you."

"Henry…" Regina warned, walking through the gym exit, Henry trailing closely behind her.

"And you like her too!" Henry giggled. "Mommy and Birdy, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-"

Regina cut him off. "Finish spelling that and I will take away your video games for a week."

Henry quickly shut his mouth, but the smile never left his face.