Chapter Text
Maleficent smiled behind her cup at the three brunettes playing a poker. The pirate in a show of solidarity was sipping cider across from her also very amused. Belle was wiping the floor with Regina and Lily. The former queen was as they all found out very horribly at playing poker. Her poker face was the stuff of legend though. The three women were playing for everything but money. So far Lily was in for a few weeks of babysitting duty for baby French when said baby decided to grace the world with its presence. Regina had lost a lot of Henry’s baby things as hand-me downs for the boy Belle was having. Most of the stuff was still new since the former queen Storybrook persona was well off and she never go around to dressing Henry is everything she had bought. With the annulment of Henry’s adoption (a year after the curse was broken and Cruella and Ursula came and went) Emma Swan was legally Henry’s mother. The Charming’s were surprised Regina had let go of Henry without much of a fight. Regina however could care less.
She didn’t do predictable, especially when it came to Snow White and Emma Swan. Neal plopped down next to Killian making a corny joke about Regina’s horrible poker skills. They had been working through their issues and found they had a lot in common family wise. The town was … no that’s not correct… most of the people that had been a part of Snow White’s camp in the Enchanted Forest was in an uproar about the inaction of the supposed villains certain they were planning something. The rest of the people kept to themselves. Ruby was silent while Granny did was she does best, feed most of the citizens of Storybrook. Hook, Belle, Neal, Mal, and Lily had moved in with Regina who had more than enough room for ten more people on top of her guests. It was the only place Rumple wouldn’t go in search of his ex-wife and estranged son. Hook tended to split his time between the mayoral mansion and taking care of his boat with Neal’s help. Neal spent time with Henry making sure to show he really cared about his son as a person.
He knew that his son wanted him back with Emma but it would never work. They had matured and grown as people. Plus, Neal had knowledge of the Enchanted Forest that Emma in the threeish years she lived in Storybrook never bothered to research or ask about before she agreed to be the Savior. He kept his interactions civil with both his father and Emma. Her parents had made it clear what they had thought of both he and Hook who admitted after a while he was just a huge flirt and had no real intentions toward Swan. His heart would always belong to Milah his only true love. They two men had several chances to sit down and really deal with their long-entwined history. One thing that they could agree on was that Emma Swan and the Charming’s were bad for anyone who dealt with them.
Regina bite her peachy bottom lip face covered in very little make-up. She had become comfortable with the people that surrounded her and spent most of her free time being Lily’s godmother and finding a way to get back to her father’s country. Signing and throwing her crap card hand in she excuses herself to get a cup of cider. Sitting on the armrest of the chair Mal is occupying as Lily and Belle fight it out.
“I’ve heard from a little fairy that the royal idiots are planning to go back to the Enchanted Forest now that Emma is committed to this whole savior business.” She comments.
Neal shares a look with Hook as Mal gives Regina her full attention.
“I heard something similar from my…Rumple, Neal interjects as Belle let out of whoop of victory, he tried to make me see things would be better for me and Belle back in the Enchanted Forest where we could be together. I said no of course because I like my indoor plumbing and internet too much to be making those kinds of sacrifices.”
Hook snorts in amusement.
“The lads got a point about the indoor plumbing. Besides I have no need for revenge anymore and Pan is dead so I am ready for something new.” Hook adds as Lily rolls her eyes while Belle grins at her collecting her wins.
“I agree with Neal. I like living in the modern world and I wouldn’t know the first thing about living in the Enchanted Forest. Not to sound cheesy but I have my mom and Regina and that’s enough for me.” Lily says trying to act indifferent but failing.
Regina and Mal bum rush Lily with hugs smiling at her like fools as the younger girl blushes. Neal and Hook laugh at Lily whose squished between the two sorceresses showering her with love. Belle shakes her head putting away the baby things in her purse.
“Belle are you staying at Will’s tonight?” Regina asks the heavily pregnant women.
“Yes we are getting our last ultrasound tomorrow morning and Will’s been hanging out with Robin Hood this past week. Its about time we have some alone time.” Belle replies.
Neal and Hook snicker at the ‘alone time’ and Regina smacks them on the back up the head.
“Hey.” Neal says pouting.
“Yeah lass hey.” Hook copies also pouting.
Regina ignores them deciding to walk Belle out to were Will is waiting on the curb the night cool as Belle wraps her coat around her.
"Take care of our girl thief or I'll have your head." Regina threatens/jokes to Will.
Belle laughs as Will pouts driving of to his apartment. Regina stand there for a few minutes basking in the silence of her quit street looking at the window that use to house Henry's old room. She hadn't been feeling much of anything since the boy had made his feeling clear about her and her past. Mal had been right she had handled Henry wrong with the whole book situation. However, she had intended to tell Henry the truth when he was older and mature enough to handle it. There were things that the book didn't tell about her and lost lots of other people stories. Darker things that wouldn't be put in children books. Regina listens to the laughter coming from her home ...yes with the ragtag group of psycho- misfits she felt more at home than she had ever been. The former queen would never point out that in one version of the Snow White story they make the queen dance in hot steel shoes at their royal wedding till she dies of third degree burns. Regina purses her lips as she walks back to her house. Henry lived in a very narrow minded world and frankly it was no longer her problem to be the boys moral compass and the wall between him and the cruelty of life.
Since Mal had helped her guard her heart against any unwanted attacks how she use to feel about a lot of things had become greatly disconnected from her brain. She remembers feeling them but the ties had been severed. She would always have a place in her heart for Henry but for the first time is centuries she wasn’t needed to play Snow White mother figure, Leopold’s wife, the villain, or mother to Henry, she could just be Regina Mills ex- Mayor with way to much money and time on her hands. Walking into the warmness of her house she signs as Neal try's and fails to teach Hook to use the oven so they could heat up leftover.
Kicking her heels off she glides into the kitchen barefoot.
"Here let me do it before you both set us all on fire." She sasses.