Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

To put it quite simply, Regina hadn’t been paying attention. It had been a long day at work, Henry was hopped up on sugar from his daycare’s monthly birthday party, and she was tired. When her phone rang, she was eager to step out of the comic book store to take the call. She should’ve just stayed in the store and looked at comics with Henry.

“They’re bringing someone else in for the position,” Ruby told her over the phone in hushed tones. “Some relative of the CEO’s or something.” She paused. “I’m sorry, Regina. It should’ve been you.”

Yes, the promotion should have been hers. She ran the department in everything but title and paycheck, and now they were going to bring someone else in. It was bullshit. But it wasn’t Ruby’s fault and she couldn’t take it out on her best friend for being the bearer of bad news. So, after an interminable clenching of her jaws, Regina managed a polite response. “Thanks for letting me know.”

She disconnected the call, her hand tightening around the phone enough to practically crack the screen as she forced herself not to hurl it to the ground. It was in that moment, when her bad day had just gotten worse, and she wanted to scream in frustration, that everything went to hell.

Regina looked up from her phone just in time to see the man passing her on the sidewalk, turn, rush into her, and force her back several feet into the alley. The phone slipped from her fingers as he slammed her up against the brick wall. The back of her head bounced painfully, whiplashing forward as stars exploded in her vision. He shoved her back again, one arm braced across her chest as the other pawed at the purse she had looped over her forearm. She let it slide away, blinking her vision clear, hoping the purse was all he wanted.

He tossed it lazily to his left where it was caught by another man; another two men that began to draw closer. They were grinning.

Regina’s mouth went dry at the sight of them. Her attention flicked back to the man still holding her against the wall.

“What else you got, pretty lady?” he asked, his mouth twisting into a predatory smile. His eyes tracked downwards, eyeing the way her button-down shirt was rumpled and gaping as he held her.

“No!” Regina yelled, fear and anger both coursing through her veins. She managed to push him back a step with a burst of strength. “Get off me!”

She barely got a step away from the wall before he was on her again, this time he used his whole body against hers, forcing her back. He caught her by the wrists and pinned them against the brick as his chest ground against hers. His friends laughed as he took a long sniff along her collarbone and up her neck. “Smells like a rich bitch to me.”

“Get. Off. Me!” She yelled and squirmed, trying to free herself. The brick scraped against her hands where he had them pinned. She made an inarticulate noise when she felt his tongue slide along her jaw and again a burst of adrenalin helped her free herself for a moment. She brought her knee up in the space she created and managed to hit him square between the legs.

He cursed and staggered back; she tried to make a run for it. His fingernails scraped along her arm and caught her by the wrist. She almost pulled her arm out of socket when she tried to yank away from him. Then one of his friends actually tackled her, knocking her to the wet asphalt of the alley. Then she heard something that terrified her.

“Hey! Get away from my Mom!”

Regina twisted onto her stomach, reaching a hand out to her son. “Henry! No! Go back!”

But Henry was already rushing forward, ready to swing his fourth-grade book bag like it was a weapon and not a cloth bag with an Iron Man logo on it. His intended prey easily caught the bag and twisted it out of the ten-year-old’s hands.

“Get that fucking kid!” Her attacker said, straightening, his expression still twisted in pain. He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth as he looked down at Regina. “You’re going to pay for that, bitch.”

“No!” Regina scrambled to her feet, rushing forwards to try and get to her son. “You hurt him and I’ll kill you. I swear-” She never saw the fist coming. Her attacker swung and caught her across the cheekbone knocking her back to the ground.

“Shut. Up. Bitch!” He stood over her as she pushed herself up. Grabbing a fist full of hair, he pulled her up to her knees. When she started to speak, he shook her. “I’m going to choke the life out of you, if you don’t shut the hell up.”

“Mom! Mom! Murmph!”

“I’ll do whatever you want,” Regina said, immediately catching her attacker’s attention. She couldn’t see Henry but she could hear him struggling. “Let him go and I’ll do anything you want.” Her chest was heaving with every breath she took, but she meant every word and she held her attacker’s gaze. “Let. Him. Go.”

The man began to laugh; he even released the grip he had on her hair and gave her a quick pet. “Now that’s more like it.”

Then something happened that Regina knew she would never be able to fully explain. A cacophonous boom sounded at the end of the alley and a rush of wind and light pulsed over them. All the adults were left blinking and shielding their eyes as a woman staggered into view from the previously empty end of the alley. Attackers and victims alike gaped at the stumbling blonde woman that was dressed like she had just stepped out of a Renaissance faire. She wore knee high black boots over fitted pants and a sleeveless, dark blue leather vest was belted over a loose-fitting white linen shirt. Elbow length black gloves and gauntlets adorned her hands and forearms.

“Whoa,” Henry said, breaking the silent alleyway.

The blonde woman looked up at the noise, one hand still held to the side of her head. She quickly took in the scene and despite the unfamiliar surroundings easily surmised the situation. “Hi.” Her hand dropped to her hip, a flash of disappointment when she found the leather sheathe hanging there was empty. “Why don’t you let the lady and the kid go? I’ll buy you lads a round at the nearest pub.”

“Pub?!”

“Who the hell are you?”

Regina grimaced as her attacker’s grip tightened once again in her hair, dragging her as he turned to watch the newcomer. She was sorely tempted to drive her elbow straight into his groin but she didn’t dare do anything so long as his cohorts had her son.

The blonde straightened. “Emma Swan, Savior of the White Kingdom, and First Knight of the Dark Realm.”

There was a moment of stunned silence then the three men burst out laughing. Henry struggled against their grip and Regina let go of the sliver of hope she’d latched onto at the woman’s arrival.

Oddly enough, the blonde smiled at their reaction. “It’s been awhile since someone didn’t know who I was.” She cracked her neck. “That tells me I’m a long way from home.” She rolled her shoulders. “Now, I’m only going to say this one more time, fellas. Let the boy and the lady go.”

“Man, somebody waste this bitch!”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Emma grinned, then charged forward.

Regina yelped as she watched the blonde woman run straight towards the two men holding Henry. One of them immediately let go of the kid and stumbled backwards, scared of what the obviously crazy woman was about to do. Henry, precocious child that he was, took the opportunity to stomp down as hard as he could on the second guy’s foot. It probably didn’t hurt him but it did make him look down which was all the distraction Emma needed.

It was really all the distraction Regina needed as well. She felt her hair rip away from her skull as she wrenched herself free. Her attacker looked down in time to see her turn slightly before driving her elbow forcefully into his most tender area. He gasped in pain and stumbled backwards; Regina grabbed him by the shoulders as he doubled over and drove her knee up, smashing against his nose. She pushed him over and scrambled towards her son.

“Henry! Henry, are you okay?” She fell over him, hands sweeping over him, trying to find any injuries.

“I’m fine, Mom,” he grinned, then sobered as he saw how distraught she was. He caught her hands against his face and held her gaze. “I’m fine, Mom.” He saw the bruise forming on her cheekbone and the way her hair was mussed. “Are you okay?”

Sirens sounded close by as Regina wrapped her shaking arms around Henry and held him tight. Without releasing him, she looked up at the blonde standing nearby. She was favoring her left side and watching Regina closely. The sirens were definitely getting louder; maybe someone had actually seen what was happening and called the cops.

Regina slowly got to her feet, keeping Henry pinned to her side. She eyed the blonde cautiously. “Look, I don’t know where you came from-”

The blonde took a sudden step forward. “Regina?” She squinted then huffed out a chuckle. “I thought that was you.”

“How do you know my name?” Regina barked as two police cars screeched to a halt at the end of the alleyway. Their blue and red lights were flashing horribly over the brick alleyway.

“I know a different you.” Emma tried to wave her off. “You aren’t my Regina.”

As soon as Emma moved her hand through the air, Regina saw the way the blonde’s glove was slicked with wet. It was impossible to tell in the lighting but it looked like her vest was also darker along the side. “Are you hurt?!”

Emma pinned her arm back down to her side with a grimace. “Just a scratch. Happens all the time.”

Then she fainted.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Regina twisted the medical bracelet round and round her wrist. She wanted to tear it off. The police had insisted she go to the emergency room and had bundled her and Henry into the ambulance with the unconscious blonde. Regina’s injuries were mostly superficial scrapes and bruises, but the police had documented all of them. More than one officer had commented how impressed they were that Regina and Emma had fought off their attackers. Regina had given up trying to tell them she didn’t know the blonde woman.

Emma had woken up half way to the hospital. The paramedic had asked for her name and received the same answer the idiots in the alley had.

“Emma Swan, Savior of the White Kingdom and First Knight of the Dark Realm.”

Henry had giggled and Regina had shrugged sheepishly when the paramedic looked to her. It was determined that Emma had obviously hit her head harder than anyone thought.

Regina did have to give credit where it was due. Emma caught on quick when she wanted to. When Regina gave her statement to the police about what happened, she omitted the flash of light and gust of wind that had accompanied Emma into the alley. With a quick glance at Regina, Emma matched her version of events to Regina’s. She just happened to be walking by and stopped to help.

Then again, Regina had a concussion, so what did she know? 

Because according to Emma, she hadn’t gotten stabbed in the alley fight. No, her side had been sliced open during the sword fight she’d been in prior to arriving at the alley. She assured the nurse that had been treating her that she was actually an expert swordsman, but the portal’s energy had drawn her off balance leaving her side exposed.

Travel between portals was apparently very hard on a person’s equilibrium.

Regina hadn’t been at all surprised to overhear the nurse recommending a psych evaluation for the blonde. Unfortunately, Henry overheard it, too, and like any ten-year-old boy, Henry had fallen in love with a beautiful blonde woman that claimed to be a knight.

“Mom!” He pulled on Regina’s torn sleeve. “We can’t let them keep her!”

“Henry-”

“She saved us! Now, we have to help her.”

“We don’t know her, Henry,” Regina argued. “We can’t just take her home with us.”

Emma was belting her leather tunic closed when she heard Henry’s plea and his mother’s rebuttal. She offered Regina a sympathetic smile. “Hey kid, I’m okay,” she said. “I can get along fine on my own for a while. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“But they’re going to lock you up!” Henry whirled around to face her. “They’re going to put you in a straight jacket and stick you in a padded room!”

“HENRY!” Regina resisted the urge to clap a hand over her son’s mouth. “That’s not what they’re going to do.” She caught Emma’s eye and tried to reassure her. “That’s not what they’re going to do.”

“But I heard them, Mom!” Henry insisted. “They want to keep her here and give her a psych eval. They think she’s crazy!”

“I’m not crazy,” Emma said, eyes locked with Regina’s, the humor gone. “And locking me up anywhere against my will is not a good idea. My wife will not appreciate this world’s norms when she arrives.”

And it was when she said stuff like that, that Regina questioned her sanity. Regina pinched the bridge of her nose; the headache pulsing in her temples was not helping the situation. She felt Henry’s small hands wrap around her free hand and she opened her eyes knowing she was about to see the saddest puppy dog eyes ever.

The little boy looked up at her with his most earnest expression. The one he usually reserved for attempts at getting ice cream for dinner. “Mom, she saved us. She didn’t have to help us, but she did.” He went in for the kill, wrapping his arms around her thigh. “We could’ve died.”

Regina knew full well what he was doing. The thing that surprised her was that Emma, a grown woman, was deploying the same trick. Her expression forlorn with green eyes that were both sad and scared. Regina sighed, knowing when she was beaten. “Fine.” Henry pulled away from her, beaming a smile at Emma who was also miraculously recovered as well. “I hope you have a plan, Henry, because it’s not like we can just walk out of here.”

Except, that’s exactly what they did.

Chapter Text

Regina fished the keys to her townhouse out of her purse. The leather handbag was scuffed from being tossed around an alley but it had survived and been returned to Regina. Her phone had not been so lucky and was completely shattered. And somewhere along the way, she had adopted a stray knight.

They had quickly made a plan for Emma’s escape, and by ‘they’ she meant Henry. As a precocious young boy, Henry was going to ingratiate himself at the nurse’s desk, thereby holding their attention, while Regina and Emma made a beeline for the exit. Henry had implored them to act natural and convinced Emma to roll up her sleeves making her linen shirt appear slightly less medieval. Seconds before Henry was about to start his diversion, two ambulances pulled up to the bay with lights flashing. Emma and Henry both drifted in that direction, curiosity getting the better of them. Regina grabbed them by the arms, turned them around, and the three of them walked the opposite direction out of the ER and down a series of hallways until they found themselves in the main hospital. From there it was easy enough to simply walk out the main entrance. The hospital and police had Regina’s information and would see them leave on camera; she was sure she would still get a bill.

The part Regina didn’t understand was how Emma ended up in her home, currently wandering around the kitchen with wide eyes as she stared at everything. Regina caught Henry by the back of the jacket and leaned down to ask who she was sure was the culprit. “What is she doing here?”

Henry frowned. “You said she could stay the night.”

“I said what?” Regina was quite sure she had said no such thing. “When exactly did I say this?”

“When we were walking back,” he said. “I asked if she could stay the night and you said ‘that’s fine’.”

“I did not.” Except she vaguely remembered saying that in response to a question she hadn’t quite heard. During the five blocks walk from the hospital to her home, Regina had been carefully watching every single shadow they passed and jumping at every noise.

Henry cocked his head to the side. “Are you feeling okay, Mom?”

No. No, she wasn’t. The adrenalin from the night’s events had long worn off; she was achy, tired, her head was pounding, and she wanted a glass of wine and a hot bath.

“What in the name of Merlin is this?!”

Regina and Henry both looked over to the kitchen. Emma had found the refrigerator/freezer and was currently standing as close inside the freezer as she could manage. Regina wrinkled her nose thinking how she’d have to sanitize every surface the stranger touched.

“It keeps our food cold so it’ll last longer,” Henry explained, intending to bound over to Emma only to be pulled up short again by his mother’s grip on the back of his shirt.

“How long is she staying with us?” Regina asked.

Henry shrugged. “She said the queen would already be looking for her. She didn’t seem too concerned that it would take long.”

“The queen?” Regina almost strangled on the word.

“Now this,” Emma said, pulling a brown bottle of beer out of the frig, “looks familiar.” She held it up for inspection, then glanced at Regina. “May I?”

It was one Ruby had brought over and left behind. Regina gestured for her to go ahead; a glass of wine sounded like a wonderful idea. “Henry, go take a shower and get ready for bed.”

“But Mom!!” he whined, looking forlornly at the oddity that was Emma. He had so many questions.

“Henry, now!” Regina snapped, then grimaced in pain and regret. In a softer tone, she said, “Please, do as I say.”

Henry huffed out a sigh, reluctantly understanding that his mom was pretty much done for the evening. “Fine.” As he walked through the kitchen, he passed the refrigerator and pulled the bottle opener magnet off the door. He handed it to Emma who had been surreptitiously struggling to open the beer. “Use this.”

When Emma examined the bottle opener and didn’t appear to be familiar with it, Regina silently took it and the beer from her. She opened the bottle and handed it back. Emma grinned and nodded, “Thanks.”

Regina hummed her reply as she got a deep glass out of the pantry and uncorked a bottle of merlot. She poured into the glass, anger rising as the bottle clinked repeatedly against the rim of the glass. She was not shaking, damn it. She was not shaking and she would not break down, not now, not ever, and definitely not in front of some stranger. A stranger whose eyes she could feel watching her. She set the bottle down, harder than she intended and balled her hands into fists.

After several shuddering breaths, Regina finally felt like she had a tenuous control over her emotions again. One more exhale and she opened her eyes, then turned to find Emma watching her patiently. The blonde offered a faint smile. “You may not be my wife,” she said, “but you’re enough like her that I know better than to ask if you are all right.”

Regina huffed out a semi-hysterical chuckle, then took a hearty gulp of the wine she’d poured. For a moment, she’d almost thought the woman might be normal. She took another drink of wine and was surprised when she heard the refrigerator open. She turned in time to see Emma pull out another beer and use the bottle opener to clumsily pry off the cap. The blonde grinned at her and held up the bottle in toast. “I bet you have so many questions for me.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After she’d ushered a reluctant Henry to bed, Regina returned to the living room where Emma appeared to be testing out the couch. She watched as the blonde sat at one end, then the other, then bounced on the middle seat. She looked and saw Regina watching her, appearing only a little embarrassed she slid over towards one end and settled herself.

“None of our chairs at home are this comfortable,” Emma said, waving for Regina to join her on the couch. “They’re all very stiff and strictly upright. Proper women barely sit on the edge of the seat.”

Regina cautiously sat. The aches from the evening were settling in and she still really wanted a hot bath, but the stranger on her couch needed to be addressed first. Once she gingerly sat, she started to speak only to find Emma watching her again. “What?”

“Your medical people here are quite well trained,” she patted her side where she’d gotten stitches and bandaging. “But you seem to be in pain still?”

“I don’t like pain medication.” She saw Emma smirk slightly but ignored it. “We need to talk.”

Emma nodded and set her empty beer bottle down. “Would you be more comfortable if I left?”

Yes. No. Regina frowned. “No. That isn’t…that isn’t necessary.”

“Henry’s asleep by now,” Emma argued lightly. “He’d never need to know. He could just wake up in the morning and I’d be gone. Nothing you can do about that.”

“Where would you go?”

The blonde shrugged. “I can survive on my own for a while, even in a place as strange as this.”

Regina considered her offer, but she didn’t feel threatened or even unsafe in the woman’s presence. Honestly, after the night she’d had, she’d probably sleep better knowing Emma was on the couch. “I think…I’d like for you to stay.” Emma beamed and Regina quickly held up a hand. “But I have conditions.

“You stay out here. The bathroom is the first door on the right; you have no reason to go any further into the house than that.” She waited until Emma nodded agreeably. “Secondly, and I need you to answer this honestly,” she hesitated then asked, “are you supposed to be on any medication or have you recently stopped taking any medication?”

Emma cocked her head to the side. “No.”

“To which?”

“Both.” Emma sat back slightly. “They asked me that at your medical facility as well. Do people in this world often take medication?”

“Some more than most,” Regina waggled her hand side to side, “some less than they should.”

“And which do you think I am?”

“I’m not sure,” Regina admitted.

Understanding dawned on Emma’s expression. “You still think I’m crazy.”

“No, I don’t think you’re crazy,” Regina sighed tiredly, admitting it to herself. “I think your story is crazy.”

“You don’t even know my story.”

“Emma Swan, Savior of the White Kingdom and First Knight of the Dark Realm?” Regina chuckled. “You’re right. I have no idea what your story is,” she covered a yawn, “and I’m too tired to hear it now.”

Emma looked a little disappointed. “Very well.”

“You did mention, however, a wife?” Regina liked how Emma grinned as soon as her wife was mentioned. “You said she’d be looking for you?”

“Oh yes, if she hasn’t started already, she will soon enough.” Emma was confident. “She’ll find me. She always does.”

“And you called her a queen.”

Emma nodded still grinning.

“Right.” Regina pinched the bridge of her nose. “And she won’t be upset to find you sleeping on some other woman’s couch?”

Emma’s green eyes seemed to brighten. “She’ll understand once she sees the circumstances.”

Regina didn’t quite know what she meant by that but she was too tired to pursue it. “One more thing.” And really, it should have been one of the first things she asked. “How did you know my name?”

“In the alley?” Emma waited for Regina to nod. “I didn’t. I didn’t know that was your name.”

“You said it.”

“I thought, upon first glance, you were my wife,” Emma explained. “My wife’s name is Regina.”

“Oh.” Regina frowned. That was a reasonable explanation if not incredibly coincidental. “So, when you said I wasn’t your Regina…”

“Exactly.” Emma nodded. “I take it you don’t have an Emma here?”

Regina shook her head. “No.”

“Well,” Emma shrugged sitting back, “where there’s one, there’s usually the other.”

The conversation was getting weirder, but as far as answers went for two in the morning, Regina would take it. She stood up from the couch. “I’ll get you some sheets.”

Chapter Text

“What do you mean you were attacked last night?!”

Regina winced and held the house phone further away from her ear. “Please lower your voice, Ruby.” She was lucky she’d had her friend’s number posted on the refrigerator as an emergency contact number for Henry. With her cell phone smashed, she realized how few numbers she had memorized. “I’m fine; Henry’s fine.”

“You’re not fine,” Ruby accused her. “You’re calling in sick to work! You never call in sick.”

Regina held back the first caustic response she thought of; she never called in sick because she’d been hoping for a promotion. Her lack of response didn’t keep Ruby from continuing.

“And why didn’t you call me last night?”

Regina absent-mindedly pushed the required buttons on the coffee machine. She needed her caffeine. “It was late by the time we got home.”

“Mom! I’m going into your room,” Henry yelled from the hallway. “Emma needs clothes.”

“It couldn’t have been that late,” Ruby argued. “You said it happened right after I talked to you.”

“Yes, but then they made us go to the hospital and that took forever.” She cradled the phone against her collarbone. “Henry, look in my bottom drawer. There should be some clothes that will fit her in there.” She put the phone back to her ear. “Sorry about that. Ruby?”

There was silence on the other end of the line until finally Ruby said, “I’m sorry. I could’ve sworn I just heard you say they made you go to the hospital.”

Regina grimaced. This was why she shouldn’t have conversations with people before she had coffee. “Ruby, I-”

“And by ‘they’, I’m going to assume at this point that you mean the police!”

So, Regina had left out a few details when she’d told Ruby about the altercation. Basically, she’d downplayed the attack as much as possible but her exhaustion-addled brain had let crucial details slip.

“And was that Henry I just heard?” Ruby asked, her ire audible through the phone. “This small, little incident was enough to keep him out of school?”

“What is that wonderful smell?” Emma asked, appearing through the kitchen’s doorway. “Oh, hey, Regina. Good morning.” She tugged at the bottom hem of a black t-shirt that had CBGB written across it in bold white letters. “Henry lent me some clothes, and wow, hot showers are something I have to figure out for home.”

“Who is that?”

Regina heard Ruby’s voice through the phone but couldn’t take her eyes off the blonde standing in front of her. Her hair was still damp from the shower she’d clearly just taken and the sleeveless tee showed off muscled arms that had Regina fumbling the phone. “Ruby, I’ll call you back.”

“I’m coming over-” Regina hung up the phone; Emma’s green gaze watched her curiously, frowning slightly at the phone.

“Were you talking to someone?”

Regina gestured at the phone. “Just Ruby, a friend of mine.”

“Is she a fairy?” Emma asked, picking up the phone to look at it more closely. “You keep your friend confined inside it?”

And there it was. Another reminder that Emma was not quite as normal as she appeared. Regina finally just shook her head (and pried her gaze away from perfectly contoured arms) “No, my friend isn’t in it. It’s just a communication device.” She’d at least watched enough Star Trek over the years to adequately explain technology to a novice. She pulled down a coffee mug from the shelf. “Would you like to try a cup of coffee?”

Emma set the phone down with an amused shrug and joined Regina by the counter. She peered closer at the dark liquid as Regina poured it. She sniffed the air and grinned. “If that’s coffee, then yes, I would definitely like to try it.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Emma had not liked the coffee. She’d almost spit it out before bravely swallowing it and managing to thank Regina for the beverage. With an amused smile, Regina had added cream and sugar to Emma’s mug and suggested she try it again. Emma did so reluctantly and grimaced less. When she asked if she could add more sugar, Regina had suggested she stick with juice or milk.

Breakfast had gone well with Henry peppering Emma with questions. Regina had tried to intervene, but Emma insisted it was okay. Over the course of bacon, eggs, and pancakes (which Emma had loved) they heard the story of the Savior of the White Kingdom and First Knight of the Dark Realm. Regina had to admit, Emma was a good storyteller. Even if it was all imaginary and possibly hallucinatory.

Emma was actually a princess. Her mother was the queen; Regina had choked on her coffee when Emma had said her mother’s name was Snow White. Henry’s eyes had widened to the size of saucers. With promises of explanation as to how they knew her mother, Emma continued her story which varied wildly from the Disney version. Yes, there was an Evil Queen, and according to Emma, with a wink at Regina, the queen was, in fact, gorgeous. There was even a war between the White kingdom and the Evil Queen; a war, during which, Emma had come of age and been the best knight on the battlefield. She had come the closest to actually defeating the Evil Queen, but a third villain had appeared.

A warlord, hired by the kingdom across the sea, attacked. King Jafar, ruler of Agrabah, wanted to rule everything, and his plan was to attack while both the White kingdom and the Dark Realm forces were depleted. In order to repel the would-be usurper, the White and the Dark had to work together. Emma and the Evil Queen ended up saving each other multiple times during the battles to force Jafar’s forces out of their lands. When the last ship from Agrabah fled from their coast, Emma and the Evil Queen, could no longer bring themselves to try and kill each other.

“A truce was born and we’ve had peace ever since,” Emma said, sitting back from the table. “It gets a little tense around holidays, but mostly everyone gets along.”

Henry looked well and truly gobsmacked. His mouth was hanging open and Regina didn’t think he’d moved once for the past half hour. Regina reached for her coffee and realized it had gone cold; she, too, had been entranced with the tale. There was one detail she was a bit hung up on. “You mentioned before that your wife was a queen.”

“It’s a story for the ages,” Emma laughed, looking highly amused. “The daughter of Snow White fell in love with the Evil Queen.”

“No way!” Henry finally seemed to recover. “Mom! We’ve got to have a Disney marathon! We’ve got to show her!”

Regina nodded. “Go and set it up.” At Emma’s curious look, she explained. “One of the most famous storytellers of this world did an animated movie version of your mother’s story.”

“What’s a movie?”

Regina started to try and explain then just shook her head. “Let’s just join Henry; he’ll show you easier than I can explain.”

Emma laughed throughout the entire movie.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After Snow White, they’d watched Sleeping Beauty since Emma mentioned knowing Maleficent, but sometime during Aladdin, Regina had fallen asleep on the couch. The doorbell ringing startled her awake to find herself covered with a blanket while Emma and Henry sat on the floor playing Mario Kart. They both looked over their shoulders at her expectantly when the doorbell rang again.

“It’s probably Ruby,” Henry suggested.

“I’ll get it,” Regina said, still half-asleep as she sat up, pushing the blanket off. As she made her way to the door, she heard the sounds from the game continue. She unlocked the door just as Ruby started banging on it. “You have a key, you know.”

“Really?” Ruby wrapped her in a hug. “I wanted to come over sooner but I couldn’t get away from work.” She hugged tighter. “And what the hell was that, hanging up on me and then not answering my texts?” She finally let Regina go then took a step back, her hands coming up to the older woman’s face. “Oh, honey.” Ruby’s thumb brushed over the bruising along Regina’s cheekbone. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Regina said, pulling Ruby’s hands down. She clasped them warmly, appreciative of the concern even if it did make her uncomfortable. “Just a little banged up.”

Ruby hugged her again. “You should’ve called me.”

A whoop of victory from Henry saved Regina from having to respond directly. When Ruby pulled back again, she had an arched eyebrow. Regina closed the still open door and then headed for the living room. “Come on, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

When they walked into the living room, Henry sighed and paused the game as Emma got to her feet. Then he threw over his shoulder, “Hey, Rubes!”

“Hey, little man!” Ruby greeted the boy while eyeing the blonde. She extended her hand in greeting. “I’m Ruby.”

“Emma,” she said, clasping Ruby by the forearm instead of just her hand. “Henry tells me you’re his godmother. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Come on, Emma!” Henry had given up on the game and gotten to his feet next to the blonde. “You’ve got to tell her you who you really are!”

Emma and Ruby both looked to Regina uncertainly. Against her better judgment, Regina nodded. “It’s okay, Emma. You can trust Ruby.”

Ruby let out a nervous chuckle and stepped back. “Tell me what?”

Emma still hesitated and Regina said, “Emma saved us last night from the men that were attacking us, but she’s not from around here.”

“Yeah!” Henry exclaimed. “She’s from like this whole other realm where fairy tales are real! And she’s a knight. And her mom is Snow White. And she’s married to the Evil Queen!”

Ruby’s gaze bounced wildly between the two Mills and the unknown blonde woman. “Uh-huh. Okay.”

“My full name and title are, Emma Swan, Savior of the White Kingdom and First Knight of the Dark Realm,” Emma offered.

“Riiiiggghhhhttt,” Ruby drawled out, eyeing her carefully. Then she looked at Regina who looked painfully uncomfortable. “Can I talk to you for a minute in the kitchen?”

Henry darted out and grabbed Ruby by the hand. “Come on, Aunt Rubes, don’t be like that. Emma’s cool. She helped us last night so now we’re helping her. She’s just staying with us until her wife finds her, that’s all!” He pointed towards the television. “I’m teaching her video games and later we’re going to watch another movie while we eat pizza.”

“I’ve heard this pizza stuff is quite good here,” Emma said, trying to sound normal.

“And who said we were having pizza?” Regina asked. That was usually a treat reserved for special occasions.

“Well, you were sleeping cause I figured you were so tired and I didn’t think you’d want to cook,” Henry rambled, “and then when I mentioned it, Emma said she’d never had it. And we can’t let her go home without ever having tried pizza, Mom.”

Regina caught the hopeful look on the blonde’s face even though she wisely said nothing. “I’ll consider it.”

“Yes!” Henry fist pumped and then held his hand up to Emma for a high five. She slapped his hand, then turned it towards Ruby.

At the questioning eyebrow from Ruby, Emma gestured towards the television. “The one called Mario likes to high five.”

“Yeah, excuse us.” Ruby grabbed Regina by the elbow and dragged her into the kitchen. “Dude! What the hell?”

Regina wrenched her arm free and held up a hand. “Don’t start.”

“Regina, you have a crazy person in your living room! With your son!” Ruby added when Regina didn’t seem fazed.

“She’s not crazy,” Regina argued without any real conviction. “I know how it looks.”

“It looks perfectly normal! In fact,” Ruby glanced back towards the living room, “it, and by it, I mean she, looks freaking hot! I’d ask her out in a heartbeat.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And is that your shirt she’s wearing?”

“Ruby!”

“But it’s not all about looks, hon,” Ruby continued unbothered. “As much as I would love for you to get laid, she’s not the one for you. Why? Because she’s crazy. She thinks she’s a knight.”

“I am not trying-!” Regina hissed then cut herself off. She pinched the bridge of her nose then sighed, “She saved our lives last night.” She swallowed thickly. “I…I was on my knees, Ruby. And he was…” She sucked in an unsteady breath, her hands tightening into fists. “They had Henry. I would’ve done anything to protect him.”

“Holy fuck,” Ruby whispered.

“And then there was this bright light…and a wind, and suddenly she was there,” Regina tried to explain, chuckled nervously. “She didn’t know us; she didn’t know where she was. She was injured. She could’ve easily just walked away, but she didn’t. She stayed, Ruby. She stayed and she saved my son’s life; she saved my life.” She quickly wiped away a tear. “So yes, I offered her a place to stay last night. I let her sleep on my couch; I watched movies with her and let her play games with my son. And as crazy as it sounds, I believe her.”

Ruby crossed the room in two steps and wrapped Regina in a bear hug. After only a second, Regina brought her arms up and squeezed her friend in return. She wasn’t sure how long they stood like that but they broke apart when they heard a slight rap on the door frame.

“Everything okay in here?” Emma asked. She barely had time to slide her hands into her back pockets before Ruby barreled into her, hugging her.

“Thank you!” Ruby mumbled. “Thank you for saving them.”

Emma awkwardly freed an arm and patted the taller woman on the back. “Sure.”

Regina laughed, fisted away the last of her tears, and said, “I’ll guess I’ll order us some pizzas.”

Chapter Text

Hours later, as Yoshi (controlled by Henry) crossed the finish line and began his victory dance, Emma’s head cocked to the side. Her eyes narrowed and she dropped the game controller. Regina watched from her seat on the couch as Emma got to her feet, looking warily around the room.

“Emma? Is everything all right?” Ruby and Henry looked up from the game.

The blonde was staring into all the corners of the room, eyes narrowing. “Henry.” She reached for the back of the kid’s shirt. “Get behind me.”

Regina’s eyes widened as she heard a strange whooshing noise; she got to her feet and looked towards the kitchen. “Emma?”

A ring of flame burst into view at the kitchen door and began to widen. Ruby scrambled to her feet, knocking over a bowl of popcorn. Emma grabbed her and Regina, pushing them behind her as she took a step forward, bracing her feet in front of the trio.

Regina leaned to the side, trying to see past Emma. In place of her kitchen, all she could see was a swirling mass of dark purple and black outlined by a ring of fire. She dropped her hand to rest on the top of Henry's head as his hands tightened into fists on her hips. He was peering around her legs even as he stayed behind her. “Mom?”

Several things happened at once. A figure emerged from the vortex. Ruby’s jaw dropped open as she audibly cursed; Henry repeated her. Regina reflexively chided him. Emma began laughing.

Then Regina gaped as she watched the most dangerous looking woman she’d ever seen stalk into her living room. Thigh-high black boots, black pants, corseted top with flowing jacket tails lined in scarlet. Dark eyes, lined with dark makeup scanned the quartet. If the woman was relieved to see Emma, she didn’t show it. Lips painted the color of merlot curled into a snarl as she locked gazes with Regina. Fire blazed to life in the palm of her hand. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, my queen!” Emma stepped forward and slightly to the side, partially blocking Regina from the queen. “I’m here. I’m fine.”

The queen continued to glare past the blonde, fire blazing in her hand, everyone frozen on knife’s edge until they all heard Henry’s whisper. “Mom, she looks like you.”

“Please, my queen,” Emma said again, reaching towards the queen. When dark eyes met hers, she held up her hands. “Don’t hurt them. They’re innocent.”

With a scoff, the queen twisted her hand, extinguishing the flame. She quickly looked the blonde over from head to toe, eyes narrowing slightly. “You were injured.”

Emma chuckled and tucked her arm against her side. It never failed to amaze her how her wife could read her so easily. “I was, but I’ve been well cared for.”

“As well you should be,” the queen sniffed. She looked around the room, ignoring the trio huddled in the corner for the moment. Her eyebrow raised at the moving picture frame taking up a place of prominence. There were several comfortable looking pillows strewn across the floor, a low table with two boxes and a bowl of white puffs that she assumed were either food or decoration. There was a similar bowl on the floor that was tipped over and half emptied. The survey had given her the moment she needed to calm her magic and release the knot of fear she’d developed while searching for her wife. As she exhaled, she settled her shoulders and brown finally met green.

Emma grinned, seeing the change. “Hi.”

The queen extended her hand, reeling Emma into her. She framed the blonde’s face with her hands. “I was worried.”

Emma knew her queen was still inspecting her for injury. She tugged one of the hands down and kissed the brunette’s palm. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I worried you.”

“You will explain yourself.”

“Of course, I will,” Emma said with a chuckle, “but, I swear, it wasn’t my fault.”

“It never is.” The Queen looked past her wife’s shoulder to the trio still standing together. “I presume there are introductions you would like to make.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An hour later, Regina and the Queen sat awkwardly at the kitchen table. Regina had poured them each a glass of wine; the Queen had even raised an appreciative brow when she’d tried it. Emma had provided a quick summary of what had happened, although she still wasn’t sure what had brought her across realms. The Queen promised they would find out when they returned home.

But their return trip had been postponed until all the circuits on the Mario Kart race were completed; Emma had made a promise to Henry. So, the Queen waited.

Regina fiddled with her wine glass. She had so many questions, and Ruby had abandoned her to play the game with Emma and Henry.

“I appreciate that this must be strange for you,” the Queen said, pulling Regina from her musings.

“I really hope this isn’t a normal occurrence for you,” Regina said. Emma had insinuated that she’d met other versions of herself but it hadn’t seemed like it was something that happened often.

The Queen gave the woman across from her a small smile. She’d met two other versions of herself in random events; neither encounter had been what she would call productive, but this was the first time she’d met a version of her without magic. “It’s happened before but thankfully not often enough I would consider it normal.”

“That’s a relief,” Regina admitted. Another silence fell between them as Regina considered this new information. She had to ask. “What were the others like?”

“The other versions of us?” the Queen asked, considering her answer. “One shot an arrow at me as she tried to steal valuables from my carriage.”

Regina’s eyes went wide. “What?”

“Hmmm, yes,” she said, thinking about the bandit version of herself. “I captured her, of course.”

“Of course.” Regina took a gulp of her wine.

“After I had her thrown in the dungeon, she eventually calmed down enough we were able to have a conversation.” If the Queen noticed Regina’s reaction to the word dungeon, she didn’t acknowledge it. “Turns out, she was unceremoniously dropped through a portal. Since she claimed that she was trying to rob Snow White’s carriage, we were able to find common ground.”

“I thought you and Snow White were friends now.”

“I may have married Snow’s daughter, a choice that I still question to this day on occasion-”

“Hey! I can hear you, you know!”

“-but the spoiled, little bird queen and I will never be friends. Allies, perhaps, when necessary, but that it is all,” the Queen said, ignoring Emma’s outburst from the living room. “If it wasn’t for Emma, I’d happily leave their entire kingdom to rot.”

Regina believed her. “And the other one of us?”

“Ah, she was young, and full of hate in her heart; she was ready to burn down the world,” she said wistfully. “She reminded me of myself before I met Emma.”

Nothing like a bit of wanton destruction to perk up a day. Then again, if Regina had magic, she would have happily fireballed those guys in the alley. And her bosses at work, the ones that kept pushing her down, she wouldn’t mind having a few magic spells to zap their asses with.

“Sounds like Emma was a real game-changer for you.” She certainly had been for Regina.

The Queen frowned. “I’m not familiar with that term,” she said, “but she changed my life. That is certain.” Shouts from the living room drew her attention and she watched her wife collapse backwards as she shook a fist at the boy. “What about you, dear?”

“Hmmm?” Regina looked up. She, too, had been watching her son laugh and play with the two women in the living room.

“Tell me about yourself,” the Queen said. “I’ve never known anyone from this realm. What do you do with yourself?”

Regina released a dry chuckle. “Work, mostly.” Another cheer from the living room. She gestured towards it. “And try to provide for Henry the best I can.”

“A worthy pursuit.” The Queen nodded solemnly. “And your work? Is it fulfilling?”

“Fulfilling?” Regina snorted and shook her head. “No. I mean, it could be; the potential is there if I was ever allowed to do my actual job instead of everyone else’s.” She sighed, thinking ahead to Monday morning and how much duller her office would be after the weekend. “But hey, it pays the bills.”

The Queen frowned as her counterpart saluted grimly with her wine glass. It seemed finances were the bane of everyone’s existence. Her kingdom was quite prosperous and still there were always accounts payable to deal with and advisors. She rolled her eyes just thinking about her so-called advisors and the way they plied her with promises of treasures. She considered the woman across from her. “Are gold and precious jewels valuable here?”

“Yes,” Regina answered, her expression questioning.

The Queen reached inside the lining of her jacket and produced a leather pouch. She dropped it on the table “Perhaps this will ‘pay a few bills’.”

“Oh! Hey, yeah, good idea,” Emma said, walking into the kitchen, carrying the empty popcorn bowl and three glasses. She set her goods down and fished around in her pockets; she pulled out a similar pouch and set it on the table before dropping a kiss on the queen’s head as she passed towards the sink.

Ruby was right behind her with her own empty beer. “What’s all this?” When she saw Regina leaning away from the pouches, she reached for the larger one that the Queen had set down and emptied its contents. “Whoa!”

“Is that gold?” Henry reached for a sapphire amongst the gold coins, rubies, and diamonds.

“Henry, put that down,” Regina said quietly.

“Why?” he asked innocently.

Ruby too held a diamond in her hand. “Yeah, why?”

“Because we aren’t keeping it!”

Emma chuckled, standing behind the Queen. “Sorry to, uh, disagree, but that’s a gift from the queen, Regina.” She glanced down at her wife and her small smirk. “You can’t really refuse it.”

“Yeah, Mom, that would be like, rude or something.”

“Regina, you could do a lot with this,” Ruby tried. “You know that promotion they passed you over for? You could probably buy the whole damn company with this.”

“I don’t want to buy-” she cut herself off, frustrated. The Queen’s smug expression sitting across from her wasn’t helping. “We don’t need your charity.”

Emma began to protest but the Queen stopped her. “It’s hardly charity considering you took my wounded wife in to your home and cared for her.”

“The hospital cared for her,” Regina argued. “I gave her a couch to sleep on and that was only after Henry insisted.”

“I hardly think you would have acquiesced to your child’s request if you had not cared for her,” the Queen argued back. Then she surprised everyone when she reached out and placed her hand on top of Regina’s. “Consider it a request.”

“A request?” Regina didn’t try to pull her hand back. The Queen’s hand was actually providing a grounding sense of warmth for her. The amount of gold on the table had her feeling a bit panicked.

“Use these to ‘pay the bills’ as you say, and then perhaps you’ll be able to do work you find fulfilling,” the Queen said, allowing a bit of a smirk. “After all, I dislike seeing any version of me unhappy.”

“Keep it,” Ruby urged quietly.

“Come on, Mom,” Henry joined in. “You could start that college fund for me that you’re always talking about.”

Regina locked eyes with the Queen and tried once more. “You understand that this is a lot of money here.”

The Queen sniffed. “Well, it’s not in our land.” She stood up. “Now that’s settled.” She turned towards Emma. “We really should return home.”

“Of course.” Emma knelt down to Henry’s height. “Give me a hug, kid.”

Henry didn’t want her to go but it wasn’t unexpected. He’d tried to drag the games out as long as possible but Emma had made it clear, she needed to return home. He sighed and wrapped his arms around the blonde. “Thanks for saving our lives.”

Emma chuckled. “Thanks for teaching me what a cartoon is!” She stood up and caught the Queen raising an eyebrow in question. She shrugged, now probably wasn’t the best time to tell her wife about a movie version that portrayed her as having a vanity problem. “I’ll explain later.”

Emma happily hugged Ruby and Regina as well, but only Henry managed to get a hug with the Queen. Ruby simply waved and Regina dropped her hands to Henry’s shoulders, pulling him back against her. The Queen gestured with her hand and the purple and black portal roared to life in Regina’s kitchen.

Emma gave them all a jaunty wave before stepping through and disappearing. The Queen hesitated on the edge and locked eyes with Regina. “Your name means queen. Never let them treat you as anything less.”

Regina smirked and dipped her head then the Queen was gone.

Chapter Text

By the time Monday morning rolled around, Regina was exhausted. The weekend had been an unbelievable whirlwind. She still had bruises from her attack that she did her best to cover up with makeup. She’d seen and met two people that were completely and absolutely unexplainable. Oh, and she now had a sizeable fortune in gold and jewels stashed away in her underwear drawer.

Ruby had wanted to go out Sunday on a spending spree to celebrate, but Regina had declined, insisting that she would not treat the treasure as valuable until she had it appraised. For now, she still needed her job. So, as per usual, Regina was the first on the floor Monday morning. As she powered up her laptop and saw the new emails rolling in, she wondered how long it would take for her to get the official notice that she had a new boss. And she wondered how long after that it would take to realize that the relative of the CEO had no clue how to run the department.

Three hours. That’s how long it took before she was summoned to the new executive’s office. Regina smoothed down her blouse and ignored Ruby’s sympathetic expression as she strode across the floor. The assistant at the desk in front of the office waved her in and Regina froze two steps inside the office.

“Emma?”

The blonde woman sitting behind the desk had started to stand when Regina entered. A curious expression crossed her face. “Hi?”

Regina’s eyes narrowed. There were subtle differences between this woman and the First Knight of the Dark Realm. This blonde’s hair was longer without the undercut and her build was slimmer, not quite as muscular. The well-tailored business suit was an obvious difference, and this Emma moved differently, too, more of a dancer and less of a fighter.

“Uh, have we met?” the new Emma asked, circling the desk to stand in front of it, appearing a bit unsure.

Regina blinked and shook herself. “Uhm, no,” she exhaled and looked away, “sorry. You just…for a second, I thought you were someone else.”

“Someone else also named Emma?” She gave a lopsided grin. “What are the chances?”

You'd be surprised, Regina thought. Choosing to move the discussion to a safer topic, Regina moved further into the room and extended her hand. “Regina Mills.”

The blonde shook it. “Emma Swan.” She gestured to one of the chairs. “Have a seat. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Water?”

“A black coffee would be nice.” Regina was surprised when she watched Emma cross the room and begin to fix one for each of them. Another difference between the two blondes. When Emma handed over the coffee, Regina tried to act natural. “What is it I can help you with, Miss Swan?”

“Well, to be honest, I’m hoping you’ll be willing to teach me how to do this job.”

Regina almost choked on the hot drink; she managed to only cough once. “I beg your pardon.”

Emma sank into the chair next to her instead of taking a seat behind the desk. “Everyone I’ve talked to, every single person, including my grandfather, has told me exactly who you are.”

Regina carefully cradled the coffee mug. “And who am I, Miss Swan?”

“You’re the one who runs this place, you’re the one who has kept it going for the past three years while the idiots higher up squabbled over who should get a bigger bonus.” Emma leaned back. “And yet here I am, sitting behind the big desk.”

Regina felt the muscle in her jaw clench at the reminder. Carefully, she leaned forward and placed her mug on the desk, no longer certain she should be holding it. Green eyes watched her like a hawk for a reaction. She folded her hands in her lap, forcing herself not to ball them into fists. “I’m not entirely sure how you expect me to respond.” She cleared her throat. “If I understand correctly, your grandfather owns the company, he can hire whoever he feels is right for the position.”

“Which would be you,” Emma pointed out, “but he didn’t.”

“No, he did not,” Regina forced out. She did not enjoy being played with. “If you have a point to make, please feel free to arrive at it sooner rather than later.”

Emma grinned. “Yeah, they warned me about your temper, too.” When Regina stood to leave, Emma held up her hands. “Wait, wait, wait, please, I’m sorry. I'm doing this poorly.” She gestured hopefully to the chair. “Sit back down?”

Emma looked relieved when Regina retook her seat. The brunette raised an eyebrow and Emma jumped up. “Right! Uh, let me just find it…” She flipped through a few folders on her desk, heat rising in her face as she felt Regina’s exasperated stare. “Ah! Here it is!”

Regina hesitantly accepted the folder that was thrust in her direction; she’d only ever seen severance packages handed out like this.

“Go on, open it!” Emma urged.

Regina opened the folder and was glad she was sitting down. The words ‘promotion’ and ‘welcome to the board’ tried desperately to get her attention. In disbelief, she plucked at a smaller piece of paper, pulling it free to reveal a deposit slip with a figure larger than her annual salary written on it.

“That’s a bonus for all the hard work you’ve done the past couple of years,” Emma said. “You should have been rewarded a long time ago.”

“I-I don’t understand.” She shook her head, not quite able to focus enough to read the fine details. “I thought you were taking over the department.”

“Here’s the deal,” Emma said, leaning back against the front of the desk. “Gramps wants to retire; he wants my brothers and I to be able to eventually take over the family business.” She gestured out towards the main floor. “For the next six months or so, I want you to teach me the ropes. Let me shadow you. I won’t learn everything; I’ll be a complete pain in your ass, but I’ll at least have an understanding of what this department is doing.”

Regina’s brain had finally reengaged and was flying through possibilities; she had so many ideas she wanted to implement but hadn’t been able to since she hadn’t officially been the boss. Then, like a record scratch, her brain screeched to a halt. “What happens after six months?”

“I’ll move on to the next department and try and learn their functions.” She gestured to the floor outside. “This will be all yours; you’ll be expected to report at board meetings, offer input, make recommendations.” Emma shrugged. “You know, help make this company better.”

“I see.”

“So, uh, what do you think?” Emma asked, back to sounding unsure. “Want to help me out? Fix the company and make some more money to pay the bills?”

Pay the bills. Regina chuckled to herself then stood, and Emma nervously straightened to match her. Regina extended her hand. “That sounds like a deal worth taking, Miss Swan.”

Emma shook her hand. “Whew.” She exhaled heavily. “Glad we got that settled.”

“First rule of business, Miss Swan,” Regina corrected gently, “never let them know you’re nervous. Make them believe the deal went exactly the way you planned.”

“Right.” Emma smoothed her hands down her pants. “Well, uhm, I’ll have another desk brought in and we can start tomorrow? Give you time to read over and sign the paperwork.”

Regina clutched the folder a little tighter. She nodded and turned towards the door.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Emma said, catching up to her.

Regina turned. “Yes?”

“In six months, when it’s a little more appropriate, I’d like to take you out to dinner, if you’d be interested.”

Regina couldn’t say that she was terribly surprised. Emma’s eyes had lingered more than once during their meeting before guiltily looking away. And the knight version of Emma Swan had not been at all shy with her appraising looks. Not to mention the obvious chemistry she had seen with her own eyes between the knight and the queen.

“You’re right, Miss Swan,” she said finally. “It would be more appropriate to ask me that in six months.”

Emma beamed. “I’ll treat you like a queen.”

Regina, thinking of the Queen, smirked and dipped her head. “As well you should.”