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Both were frozen, one full of terror- the other an unreadable mask. The release of one tear quickly followed by another is the only movement. Emma could not explain the way her hand darted out to stop the brunette's before it completed its full motion. She had not meant to. Not any more than the tears. For the first time Emma was seeing Regina. Really seeing what hides beneath.
Despite being a woman known for complete control, one thing had always escaped Regina: Emma. True to form, she appeared earlier than normal. Regina had thought nothing of it as the car door groan signified the blonde's arrival. When would she ever retire that yellow deathtrap? she mused while continuing her morning routine. Emma's clunky footfalls echoed up the stairs as the brunette tamed her last stray hair. Regina still had a few more seconds before facing Emma in the hallway. However, also true to form, Emma had managed to find herself in a time and place where she did not belong, Regina's bedroom. Regina had been in mid-motion of applying her make-up when the hand that did not belong to her ceased the motion. Fear was foreign, surprise a rare thing indeed - but the two co-mingled was something even worse. Terror. It coiled itself around her insides and held on. The same was not true of her newfound observer. Slowly, the first tear had welled in Emma's eyes, followed by others cascading in a steady trek down her cheek. Now Regina's mind was engaged in battle between the terror and confusion. Neither of which she cared to be.
Gently Emma released Regina's wrist, bringing her right hand up and waving away the former mayor's completed appearance glamour. Her pale lips opened in a soft, "oh."
The word seemed to hold a world unto itself.
"Emma, what is it?"
A goofy grin overtook the blonde's features. To anyone who did not know her it would have appeared to begin at the lips. To the experienced brunette, it had been in her eyes during most of their silent staring contest. The first thirty seconds or so had just been hazy due to Regina's own bewilderment.
"You don't need make-up." Emma blubbered.
"Miss. Swan, if you think for one…."
"Iota." Emma intervened, "I love that word."
Regina could not resist the amusement bubbling in her gut. "It is rude to interrupt your elders."
"Apologies." The blonde could not stop her giggle.
"If you think for one iota that I will step out of this house without a stitch of make-up on, you are gravely mistaken."
"Don't step out just…stay right here." Regina felt the way her head tilted, giving Emma a side eyed glance. Honestly, she had no idea what was coursing through that Charming mind, only that it made her words come out funny. Regina remembered when Henry had been old enough to denote the difference between Mommy and Mayor. His wide, playful eyes as he touched the scar on her lip. "Mama you are so bootaful."
"Thank you My Prince. The word you are trying to say is beautiful. Beau-ti-ful."
"Ba….ba."
"Beau…" Regina said slowly
"Beau…"
"Ti."
"Ti."
"ful."
"ful! Beautiful!" His arm embraced her in joy at his new word.
For the first time, Emma could see the woman behind the façade. There was a hint of weariness in the corner of her eyes, laugh lines to compliment her mouth, hair slightly out of place and in those brown pools- the weight of a lifetime times two. Regina was unsure how many flaws Emma was currently studying, and briefly wondered if they indicated her actual age. She had spent years staring into the looking glass only seeing the broken, shattered pieces of herself. Pieces no one should have to suppress. Each wrinkle to be feared as she could be ostracized from her throne for that of a younger, fairer variety of queen. It had been a practice that still weighed heavily on her tattered soul. Yet Emma had made no movement. This was the mother of her child; blonde, bold, and stumbling for words. Regina could not believe she had been allowed to see her this way
A knock came, to which the Mayor granted entry.
"Are you guys fighting?" Henry inquired, adjusting his backpack over one shoulder.
Regina was saved by Emma. "Breakfast anyone?"
If there was one thing Regina was grateful for in that moment, it was her son's love of food. He jetted down the stairs and was halfway out of the door while she and Emma had only reached the top of the stairs. Midway down her foot miscalculated a step and the sheriff caught her at the elbow, preventing a spill. She did not let go until they managed to navigate to the bottom. Something fluttered in the pit of her stomach when Emma blocked her path, cementing a hand onto either side of the railing.
The amount of concentration Emma was putting into the thoughts hidden in her mind was only explained by the very slow wave of her hand. Glancing into the mirror beside the doorway she could see the perfect execution of her glamor spell from the lipstick shade to the lining of Regina's eyelids. As if she had done it by hand.
It was all Emma could do not to cry at the reappearance of The Mayor.
When Regina turned to thank Emma the words died. That magical, weird, and most certainly sexually charged moment from earlier was gone. A vacancy was all that remained in its place. It felt odd that Regina should miss whatever that event had been. With a final glance in the mirror, something came to the surface. Emma had perfectly executed a glamour spell involving multiple elements to make her look as she would have if she did it herself. This gave away how closely Emma paid attention to detail, no matter how fine. It certainly gave Regina food for thought.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
At the diner, Emma's silence was filled with Henry's next big project. There were a few more things he needed to complete before school let out for summer, including a guided trip to The Enchanted Forest. He had been pushing hard to sell his mother's on the idea. Grandma and Grandpa Charming were more than happy to join them at a time of their choosing although Emma burst everyone's bubble on showing Prince Neal where he was from.
"If we are getting technical, Neal is from the magical land known as the United States of America."
Something about that had made the family diner ring with Regina's laughter at the befuddled look in their faces. Some things never got old. The two mothers shared a smirk at their small victory. As morning progressed to afternoon the Charming-Mills clan broke off small chunks at a time. Henry's friends had spotted him inside Granny's and they made off to the park to partake in flag football. The next to go were Mommy and Daddy Charming who were finally allowing themselves a little alone time leaving only Emma, Regina and Neal at the table.
"Alright Kid, it is just the three amigo's now. Soon to be dos! What shall we do today, huh? Run with scissors?" Neal's big sister teased, rubbing their noses together. Wide eyed and a little slobbery, if Regina had a say, Neal grinned around his chubby index finger that was shoved into his mouth. Emma nestled him against her securely.
"Why don't you bring Neal to my house?" escaped Regina's lips.
As if Neal understood his eyes flicked in her direction and wiggling joined his grin.
"Are you sure?"
"It would be nice to have little feet running amok again."
"Would you ever adopt again?"
"I rather enjoy this arrangement." Regina teased, scrunching her face up so only Neal could see. Every time he giggled she could picture Henry. A reminder of a time when things had seemed so uncomplicated.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The sheriff had not intended to fall asleep on the couch mid- babysitting duties, but leave it to Mama Bear Mills to pick up the slack. Or at least she would have, had she remained awake too. Neal was intently focused on the miniature light show Regina has cast for him, following it with his eyes. One by one the colors would randomly kiss his face, causing immense baby giggles. Other times they would appear in his open hand and disappear when he closed one. His laughter was what awoke her, immediately aware that she was very nearly resting her head on the sheriff's shoulder. She shook the sleep from her eyes, stretching out to wake the extremities. Prince Neal imitated her in his onesie, pointing his little toes to the opposite sides of the room.
"Very good Neal." Regina spoke to him whilst scooping him into her arms. Every time she held the infant, it took her back to a time when Henry had been more portable. A time she never knew she would miss so dearly. Checking the clock, she waved a hand to prepare his bottle. The sun was just beginning to sink over the horizon when they exited the house to enjoy it together. "When your Uncle Henry was a boy, magic would have saved a lot of time."
For a few moments she spent musing over what was… and what could have been. Recognizing mistakes for what they were, and talking to one of the few people who had no preconception of who she was. To Neal she was simply the woman with the bottle. In her mind, she mused over Emma's earlier question of adopting again. Loving children was not the problem, having another piece of her heart wandering outside of her body was. Henry would have loved a sibling and she another child, but he was the first person she had truly loved that was all her own. He needed her.
It was a bond that could never be broken. He had made her nearly whole; set them on their current path. Created a time and place where mercy, forgiveness, and redemption may be achievable after all.
Regina had been so lost in thought that she had not felt Emma's eyes watching her. Darkness had crept in. It was always there around the edges of course, but this time it was different. It had been completely missing when it was just Regina and Neal, but ever a creature of habits the brunette's wall had flown up. Shrouding her in the concealment of nothingness.
"It's just me. I've been watching you guys. You talk to him like he is a real little person."
"Studies indicate that speaking to children like they 'real little people' will help them better develop language skills."
The sly grin that posted on Emma's mouth caught her off guard. "You were meant for this."
"For a woman who didn't want any roots to tie her down, your bluff fooled me."
Regina did not mean it harshly but it was a point Emma took as a compliment. "Learning from the best. I love watching you with kids."
"Without make-up as well."
The brightness of Emma's face heated the air around them. "You did not plan for a lot of dating during your Dark Curse casting."
Regina placed Neal in the pack-n-play and rested against a pillar. The temperature between them was slowly increasing, but surprisingly it was not unbearable. With a wave of her hand, the make-up was gone. Emma swallowed thickly before presenting a dandelion, freshly picked from the nearest spot on the yard. "This is a dangerous game."
Regina breathed in the little space between them, her fingertips playing over the hand presenting the flower. She could feel Emma calling out to her in ways non-magical. Needs she had not been aware she was echoing were rooted in their silence this morning.
"Tell me you don't want it; I'll leave it alone."
"If I do?"
Emma's eyes were equal parts hopeful and frightened. "You get me."
Daringly pale hands embraced hips as she approached. The scent of the freedom to choose enthralled the brunette as she took in those long curls. Emma was intoxication as it's sweetest. The high before the pain. Regina wanted it all. Both women and child were transported inside the house in a whoosh of burgundy smoke. Neal was settled the adjoining room to Regina's, as he had fallen fast asleep thanks to his recent meal. Regina had to pause in her passion as she steadied Emma who still had trouble when it came to teleportation. Her hands were an anchor for Emma to latch onto. Regina traced the soft trail of skin, leading the blonde into her.
"Focus on me."
Emma's grin invaded her face when she ran her hands over the velvet skin until the dizziness subsided. "You are improving." Regina noticed.
"My parents made sure I had the best teacher in all the lands."
Regina scoffed at the notion. "They couldn't afford me."
TBC