hunnyfresh - Letters from War

The Lucases had arrived fifteen minutes prior to the start of the party with their trays of chicken fingers and potato wedges for the children and pasta salad for the adults. Graham had followed shortly after attempting to bring in a piñata, but as soon as Regina saw the candy-stuffed dragon she ushered him out of the door saying how moronic he was and if he wanted the children to poke their eye out with that whacking stick, he could do it at his own child's party. On his way out, the children from Henry's daycare began showing up dressed up in little princess dresses and mini tunics. Regina would have thought them cute if she hadn't been waiting for disaster to strike.

The kids had gone over to the crafting station where they decorated pre-cut crowns before icing their dragon cookies meant to take home along with their loot bag. Now, with Henry decked out in tin foil brandishing his sword and shield, the children hid around the living room where Pongo with a dragon hat strapped to his head attempted to breath his saliva-based fire onto the poor royals of Mills Castle.

"Hi." Emma nudged Regina who watched over the children like a hawk while the invited adults mingled around the room and kitchen. "There's lots of adults here."

"Yes." Regina never took her eyes off the laughing children.

"And you're not talking to any of them," the blonde pointed out, motioning around the room where Ruby was conversing with Pongo's owner, a red-headed balding man with a fondness for tweed, by the presents table, and a few parents had formed a circle in the corner.

"I'm talking to you."

"According to you, I'm a kid."

Finally Regina tore her eyes away from Henry and his friends and cocked an eyebrow at Emma who had an adult-sized cardboard sword slung around her shoulders. "I called you immature because you made one for yourself."

"Oh, come on, this is cool." Emma showed off her sword that she had also covered in foil. An apple was drawn into the helm of the sword that Emma had claimed was the Mills family insignia.

"And what about this?" Regina pressed her hand to foil that was wrapped around Emma's forearms and darted her eyes to her similarly cladded legs.

"The kid wanted to match," she defended.

"And you don't see yourself as a knight," Regina teased, turning back to the children.

Emma rolled her eyes, leaving for just a moment only to return when Regina felt something placed on her head. She automatically reached up to feel a construction paper cone hat with ribbon glued to the tip. She examined it to see the same apple insignia as Emma's sword and Henry's shield placed at the base of the hat. "Then you're a princess," the blonde grinned.

"I'd be a queen." Regina couldn't help but return Emma's smug grin though it was accompanied by an eye roll as she replaced the hat on her head. "Better?"

"Much."

Henry's loud scream made the women jump. There it was, Regina thought. Disaster had struck. But when they turned to the noise, already stepping forward to find the boy, they saw that Henry was pinned under Pongo, the Dalmatian licking him fiercely.

"Help, Mommy! Help, Emma! Dragon eat me!" Henry gasped out between licks.

"The prince of Mills Castle needs some assistance," Emma said in a loud stage voice.

"If only there was a knight around," Regina played along.

Emma smirked and held up her sword, marching toward the swarm of children narrowly avoiding Pongo's licks. "Did somebody say dragon?"

Emma dropped down on the couch, a garbage bag full of gift wrappings, paper plates, and empty juice boxes slumped by her feet. It was only evening, but Emma could already feel the weight of the day tiring her out in the best possible way. She had rescued Prince Henry from the treacherous Pongo, and according to Henry, Queen Regina had to give the brave knight a favour. The napkin with blue and red balloons on it had sufficed and was currently still in Emma's pocket.

Her sword was strapped through her belt loop, and her armour had torn from her battle with the dragon, but to the praise of the children and even with Regina's applause, Emma had won. Now the little prince had been relocated to his bedroom once the festivities were over with, sleep coming exceptionally easy to him that night.

She looked up when Regina entered the room, a plate of red velvet cake in her grasp as she took a seat next to Emma.

"It's the last slice," Regina said, forking a piece into her mouth.

Emma gaped at Regina's coy look as the brunette deliberately forked another piece into her mouth. "Hey, I was waiting for that cake since last night."

Emma was not subtle in stealing Regina's fork and piercing off a healthy amount of cake and cream cheese frosting. She moaned when the cake melted in her mouth. "Damn, I can't believe you made that."

"Are you surprised?" Regina asked taking back the utensil. "And /thank you/ for getting your germs on my fork."

Emma laughed and relaxed back into the couch. "You're welcome."

"This was the first party where there was no incident," Regina said, willingly offering the fork to Emma.

"It's because I was here." Emma took the utensil and ate a piece.

Regina rolled her eyes but didn't deny the claim.

The blonde stretched and draped her arm along the length of the couch, opening her mouth for another piece of cake. She was more than a little surprised when Regina sighed but complied with the blonde's request and fed her some cake.

"So you do this birthday thing every year," Emma questioned.

Regina smirked. "That's generally how birthdays occur."

"Chasing around kids is a full time job," the blonde commented.

Regina laughed once. "You shoot guns for a living and go on reconnaissance missions. Are you telling me a handful of three year olds are more intimidating and tiring than fighting a war?"

"Yes," Emma deadpanned, stealing the fork. Her attempt was futile when Regina moved it out of her grasp. "Hey."

"Your survival skills are lacking, soldier." Regina purposely moved away as Emma raised up on her knees, reaching for the fork.

Emma distracted Regina with her right hand but swiftly leaned up and stole the fork with her left. "Ha!" Emma taunted at Regina's surprised eyes. She split the last piece of cake and offered half to Regina.

"You play dirty," Regina said impressed around her cake.

"You have to if you want to survive." Emma finished off the cake and took the plate from Regina and settled it on the coffee table.

"You could be a politician."

"You could be a drill sergeant."

"I prefer cunning manipulation rather than raising my voice," Regina admitted teasingly.

"Are you sure you weren't a queen in a past life?"

"Judging by Henry's fixation on the medieval period I wouldn't doubt it." Regina stood then, taking Emma's garbage bag and shook it to move the trash to the bottom before tying it up in a neat knot. "We may have spoiled our dinner, but would you like something to eat? I'm sure I can whip up something other than chicken strips."

"After you, Your Majesty."

Chapter 5

Chapter Notes

Disclaimer in Chapter One.

AN: Sorry for the late post, but life has caught up with me. Thank you so much for your support! I'm still in the process of answering your reviews, but I hope you guys enjoy the chapter :)

"Look who finally remembered me," August teased as way of greeting when Emma had called her the Sunday after Henry's party. She had returned from her run, and after dressing from her shower, she asked to use Regina's landline to call her friend and check in on him. She was currently in Regina's home office, sitting behind a grand dark oak desk, seated in a leather chair more comfortable than the cot she was used to sleeping on at Camp Victory. The chuckle echoing through the phone made Emma roll her eyes and shake her head.