Is It Too Late? - Swan Queen AU

Chapter 12

Author's Note:
So sorry for being MIA. I was at camp for a week and didn't have any time to update. This chapter will contain some flashbacks! I'm working on the next few chapters, and I hope you enjoy. I discovered some prompts that I'll definitely be working on also. Im back, and I'll try to update again soon. Thanks for hanging in there.

It was safe to assume from all of the "wow's", "awesome's", and "cool's" that Henry loved Emma's new home. She may have surprised him by secretly using one of the two guest bedrooms as a room for him to come to when he needed to get away from everything. She had gone as far as buying him a Wii which the man at the store had told Emma the boy would love. It took her a solid hour to pick out age appropriate but fun games for the kid. When he discovered this gift, the boy wouldn't stop thanking the blonde. Emma felt a pride in knowing the boy truly enjoyed the things she had done for him. The two sat in the living room, on the floor, racing one another on Mario Kart. Emma was in the lead with a turtle shell in her possession, but she missed the moment Henry was gifted a blue turtle shell. The alarm rang on screen and she hollered, knowing what the sound meant after playing this game for a few rounds. Her frantic cursing and yelling caused Henry to erupt in a fit of laughter as he passed her on the race track.

"Oh, I swear!" She laughed, taking off after the boy. "You will pay, kid."

The two were neck in neck, the intensity of the competitive streaks within them both caused them to start nudging and kicking one another playfully. As the race finished, Emma taking a close second, she grabbed the boy and pulled him into her lap, her hands tickling his sides rapidly. They missed the sound of the door opening and the soft clicking of heels on the wooden floors due to the loud giggling and screaming of Henry who was in tears from laughing so hard. He and Emma finally ceased the tickle war and laid out flat on the ground side by side. "I can't believe you kicked my ass in Mario Kart."

"Ms. Swan, is that any language to be using around my son?" Her eyebrow was raised and her arms were crossed, causing the blonde to practically jump out of her skin, but the blonde could see the sparkling in Regina's eyebonce she evened her breathing.

The woman had definitely been standing there for a few minutes. "How is it you never make your presence known until I have already said something?" Emma laughed and stood from her place on the floor, fixing her messy hair by pulling it into a ponytail. "We haven't eaten yet, Mario Kart got the best of our attention, but I was going to begin cooking after that round, if you both wanted to stay."

"Emma Swan in the kitchen? Cooking a meal? And not burning it? I think that may be unbelievable." The brown eyes glinted with life, turning a warm brown with caramel colors mixed within.

"Hey, I never said anything about it not being burnt, but I will have you know I have never burned down a house from cooking." Her eyebrows her raised and she raised her chin, crossing her arms.

Regina laughed, and, oh, the sound was sweet like honey in Emma's ears. The beautiful sound that the blonde had once forgotten, but craved to hear more often. "Well, as much as I would enjoy seeing you try and cook a meal by hand, we need to head home to have dinner with Leopold."

Instantly, both women deflated. Emma noticed the way the woman's brown eyes dulled and her back became rigid. Emma herself had felt the air expel from her body at the mention of the man's name. "Oh, Regina... Do you know anything about the Sheriff position opening? I hear you are rather short staffed in that department. I would love to help out. How can I apply?" Subject change, good idea, Swan.