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Chapter Fourteen: Operation Cheetah-Day Fifteen

Rewritten: 13/08/2020
Updated: 16/03/2021

When Henry woke up, he knew exactly what day it was; it was the last day they had to convince Emma to stay in Storybrooke. He and Regina had been trying their hardest to make Emma feel a part of the town and show her that she had something and someone to stay for.

Yesterday had consisted of the three of them locking themselves inside the mansion and spending time together as a family. They had watched movies, and Regina had tried her best to teach Emma how to make homemade pasta; that had ended in a food fight between the blonde and Henry, which Regina had forced them to clean up afterwards.

Henry had loved having both of his mothers under the same roof; he didn't want it to end. The teen dragged himself from his bed and followed the smell of food to the kitchen downstairs, and to his surprise, there stood Emma, and she was cooking.

"Why are you cooking?" Henry asked as he climbed into the stool at the breakfast bar.

Emma turned to face her son with a smile, "Because I'm hungry and I'm guessing you are too."

Henry rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "I'm not responsible for any clean-up," he said sleepily.

Emma turned her attention back to the pans on the stove, alternating between making fresh pancakes to add to the stack and trying her best not to overcook the bacon. When the last of the pancake mix had been cooked, she dished up a plate for her and Henry, leaving a plate in the cooling oven to keep warm for Regina.

"Grab the syrup, kid."

Henry span round on his chair, opening the cupboard behind him and grabbing the syrup without leaving his seat. He smiled at Emma when the plate of food was set in front of him, tucking into it immediately.

"What you doing on your break?"

Henry shrugged his shoulders, "Video games, driving lessons, hanging with you and mom?"

Emma laughed, "No driving lessons, kid, maybe in a few years," she shovelled a mouthful of pancakes in her mouth. "But when the times comes, my bug is the car for you."

"Absolutely not, Ms Swan," Regina said.

Emma almost fell out of her seat when Regina spoke, and she held her hand to her chest as if her heart had just been ripped out of her chest, "Jesus, Regina. Way to scare the shit out of me."

"When Henry's ready to learn to drive, it isn't going to be in that monstrosity you call a car." Regina walked towards Emma, placing a chaste kiss on the blonde's lips. "Now, is there a plate for me? Or have I been forgotten about?"

Emma got up from her seat, offering it to Regina. She grabbed the warm plate from the oven and left it in front of Regina. She kissed her quickly, "Good morning to you too."

"Guys," Henry groaned, "Can you not be gross, please."

Emma pulled Regina in for another kiss to tease Henry, "Get used to it, kid." She grabbed her jacket off the side and pulled it over her sweater, "I'm off to work. I'll see you guys later."

Henry covered his eyes, "If you're gonna kiss again, do it now."

"Bye, honey," Regina said. When the front door clicked shut, Regina pulled out a piece of paper from her dressing gown, showing it to Henry.

Henry took the paper, reading through its contents. "What's this?"

"The end of operation Cheetah."

Henry looked up at Regina. He could see the sadness in his mom's eyes, "Because Ma might leave tomorrow."

"A little birdie told me it was Emma's birthday today. How about we throw her a birthday party?"