Blue Valentine

The next morning things had been extremely awkward when Emma went to pick up Henry. Emma made a futile attempt at getting Regina alone; they ended up barely talking to each other. After Henry was gone with Emma, Regina went to meet Kathryn for an early lunch. It had been a couple of weeks since they were able to spend some time with each other.

"So what's new with you?" Kathryn asked. "How are things with your Baby Mama?"

"Please don't call her that. It sounds too vulgar for my liking." Regina said. "And to answer your question, things with Emma are…complicated." Regina has always been a very private person who dislikes discussing her private life. However Kathryn was her friend and one of the few people Regina trusted.

"Is it because of Ruby?" Kathryn asked.

"I'm sorry?" Regina asked puzzled. "What does Ruby have to do with anything involving Emma and myself?"

"Well rumor around town has it that they are an item." Kathryn said. "And from what I've been seeing lately I'll say it's not just a rumor."

"That's ridiculous." Regina said with a huff.

"You think?" Kathryn asked. "I saw them leave the party together last night. I've always believed that Ruby had a crush on your ex, I guess now that Emma is single that friendship is no longer platonic."

"What Emma does with her life is none of my concern." Regina said stiffly. "But I find the idea of Emma and Ruby being anything more than friends absurd."

"I disagree with you." Kathryn said. "I spent some time with them at the party last night and they seem to…I don't know…get each other."

"Like I said before, what Emma does is none on my concern." Regina said trying her hardest to look unaffected. Truth be told she was questioning whether what Kathryn said was true or not. It is true that Ruby had always been particularly affectionate towards Emma. But after they had had an unusual small discussion about Ruby's attentions, Regina was left convinced that there was nothing more than a platonic friendship between Emma and Ruby.

**************

Five Years Ago:

It was a typical Monday morning for Emma and Regina, the only difference was that Emma had the day off so they were able to spend the morning together until Regina had to leave for her council meeting. After dropping Henry at school they went to Granny's for some coffee and what Emma considered a light breakfast.

"What can I get for you today?" Ruby asked Emma when she arrived at the booth where they were seated.

"The usual." Emma said with a smile.

"I'll just have a coffee." Regina said dryly. "Black, three spoons of sugar."

"I'll bring it right over." Ruby said with a smile.

Emma and Regina made small talk conversation before Ruby brought their order.

"About time." Regina muttered under her breath.

"Thanks, Rubes." Emma said with a smile. "I love the attention to detail." Emma said when she saw the hearts drawn with whipped cream on her pancakes.

"Anything for you, babe." Ruby said with a wink before she went to wait on the other tables.

"Care to explain?" Regina asked taking notice of Ruby's flirtatious behavior towards Emma.

"What?" Emma asked obliviously with a mouthful of pancakes.

"Never mind." Regina said rolling her eyes.

Later in the morning Emma drove Regina to work but before Regina got out of the car she said:

"You're not allowed to go to the diner alone anymore."

"Excuse me?" Emma asked after a few seconds of processing Regina's words.

"You heard me. You can't go to the diner alone anymore." Regina said. "I wont allow it."

"And since when do you 'allow' me to do stuff?" Emma asked. "I'm a grown woman and I will do whatever the fuck I like."

"Not as long as you're married to me you wont." Regina said. "I am not comfortable with you going alone to that place."

"We've talked about how I don't like it when you try to control me." Emma said starting to get irritated. "What brought this on?"

"That girl." Regina said with distaste. "Miss Lucas, is obvious what she wants from you."

"Ruby?" Emma said with a chuckle. "You think Ruby wants to sleep with me?"

"I don't think. I know." Regina said.

"That's crazy, Regina." Emma said. "Ruby is my friend, she does not want to sleep with me…I mean she might cause I'm hot, but that doesn't mean I feel the same way. I know she respects me enough not to try anything."

"She flirts with you and its not like you're rejecting her advances." Regina said not convinced at all by Emma's argument.

"She's a waitress, she flirts, it's how she gets good tips. We're just good friends." Emma said.

"That doesn't change the fact that I don't want you to be alone with her." Regina said avoiding eye contact with Emma.

"If it's going to give you peace of mind then I promise I wont be alone with Ruby." Emma said. "But you can't ask me to stop going to the diner." Emma took Regina's face in her hands. "I love you ok? I wont ever, ever do anything to betray your trust. You mean too much to me. You need to trust me and when you feel uncomfortable about stuff like this, talk to me about it before you get all crazy."

"I hate you when you're being reasonable." Regina said. It was the closest she was ever going to get to admit she was wrong.

"You love me." Emma said as she kissed Regina's cheek.

"Don't slobber all over me. I have to go to work." Regina said as she playfully pushed Emma away.

"I love you." Emma said as she started peppering Regina's face with kisses. "I love you. I love you."

"Stop." Regina said a chuckle escaping her lips. "I hate you."

"You love me." Emma said not stopping her antics. "Say you love me, come on. Say it. Say you love me."

"Fine! I love you." Regina said laughing. "Are you done?"

"Not quite." Emma said before she gave Regina a kiss on the lips. "You're hot when you get all jealous."

"I was not jealous." Regina said. "I was simply concerned."

"You don't have to." Emma said seriously as she looked into Regina's eyes. "I only want you."

"I love you." Regina said with a silent thank you to Emma. "I'll see you at home, dear."

"Have a good day at work." Emma said as Regina reached for the door handle.

"Have a good day at home." Regina said before she gave Emma a goodbye kiss.

***************

"Regina? Regina!" Kathryn called waving a hand in front of Regina's face. "You're not paying attention to me, are you?"

"I am now, I'm sorry. Please go on." Regina urged her. She needed to stop torturing herself. Thinking about that encounter with Emma forced her to remind herself that not all of their marriage was bad. That maybe Emma was onto something when she said that they could do better a second time around. She knew what she had with Emma, for better or for worse, could never be emulated with someone else. For all of her faults, Emma always managed to make her feel safe and never judged. A part of her wanted that back but the other part didn't know if it was a wise decision to succumb to that need.

***************

"I think mom and Graham had a fight last night." Henry said casually as they walked eating ice cream around the park.

"Why do you think that?" Emma asked curiously.

"Mom was sad when we got home from the party." Henry said. "She didn't even remind me to brush my teeth."

"And did you?" Emma felt it was her motherly duty to ask.

"Of course I did." Henry said. "That's not the point."

"Then what is your point?" Emma asked.

"That if mom and Graham broke up, it's the perfect chance for you to get back with her." Henry reasoned. "That way she wont be sad anymore and you can move back in with us."

"Henry, its not that easy." Emma tried to explain. "Even if your mom and Graham break up that doesn't mean that we'll get back together. Its much more complicated than that."

"I know. You explained it before." Henry said. "I was-

"You were just saying." Emma finished with a smile. "You explained it before."

They sat down on a bench and Henry kept throwing longing glances at the kids that were at the park with both of their parents. Emma noticed this and instantly felt immensely guilty.

"I'm sorry, Henry." Emma apologized.

"What are you sorry for?" Henry asked confused.

"I know you want your family back like it was before." Emma said. "I'm sorry I can't give you that. I did try my hardest to make that happen for you."

"Maybe you gave up too soon?" Henry said.

"Maybe I did…" Emma said. "I know all of this has been hard for you to understand, but I promise that when you get older you'll get it. You will realize that your mom and I have done everything in our power to do the right thing, the problem is that some times it's really, really hard to know what the right thing to do is."

"I know. I just miss you a lot." Henry said. "I wish you moved back to Storybrook, even if you don't necessarily move back in with mom and I."

"You'll like it if I was closer to Storybrook?" Emma asked.

"Mmhm." Henry said with a nod.

"I'll see what I can do about that." Emma said.

"Really?" Henry asked excitedly.

"Yeah." Emma said. "I mean I still have to talk to my boss and with your mom. I can't make you any promises but I will look into moving closer to Storybrook."

They sat on the bench for a while more. Henry was never an active child. They tried soccer once when Henry was about six years old but his lack of coordination, which Regina alleged it was due to Henry being an intellectual just like her, led to face planting on the grass a couple of time until he just gave up. Therefore Henry never left home without his backpack filled with books and videogames. Henry sat there reading a book about fairytales that Mary Margaret got him for his last birthday and Emma sat next to him people watching.

"It's going to be mom's birthday soon." Henry reminded her out of nowhere.

"I know…" Emma said. "What do you want to get her?"

"I don't. My friend Ava said women like jewelry." Henry said.

"The girl has a point." Emma mumbled. "But your mom is not just any girl. So you have to get her something special. She likes it when you make her stuff. Why don't you make her something? You're very creative."

"That's a good idea." Henry said. "Maybe I could write her a book of stories."

"Yeah. I bet she'll love that." Emma said.

"What are you getting her for her birthday?" Henry asked. "You need to get her something nice."

"I don't know." Emma said. "Maybe I'll just send her some flowers or something."

"You need to get her jewelry." Henry said. "The expensive kind."

"You might be onto something, kid." Emma said reaching for her phone, which was buzzing in her pocket.

"I'm ready to talk whenever you are." Regina said as soon as Emma answered the call.

"I-I I'm with Henry right now. We're at the park and…" Emma was speaking pointlessly before she was interrupted by Regina.

"Is he wearing sunscreen?" Regina asked.

"Why would he? Its cloudy out." Emma said.

"He should still be wearing sunscreen, Emma." Regina said with a sigh. "He has your fair skin."

"Fine. I'll keep that in mind next time." Emma said. "…So you're ready to really talk?"

"I am." Regina said.

"Can we talk tomorrow after I drop Henry?" Emma asked.

"Stay for dinner tomorrow. We can talk after Henry goes to sleep." Regina said.

"Great." Emma said. "Regina, I-"

"You what?" Regina asked.

"I'm glad we're talking this out." Emma said.

"I am too." Regina said before she ended the call.