hunnyfresh - Letters from War

That was why Regina was being thorough in making sure Emma was safe.

She knew her mailman stopped by her house on his route between one and one-thirty – two if Ms. Lucas' Siberian Husky, Red, got out and decided to aid in the man's fitness by chasing him around the block. It took all of her willpower not to stop by her mansion during her lunch to check the mail because even she knew the consequences that occur when one gets one's hopes up. Plus, Tina's comment rubbed her the wrong way, and she was not paranoid.

This is what killed Regina the most – waiting in between letters for word from Emma. When the blonde had been sent overseas, Regina's thumb cuticle suffered greatly in anticipation for every letter, for some sign that the younger woman was okay. The relief that flooded through her when she saw Emma's moderately better chicken scratch handwriting soothed her nerves down until she would mail her own response and the cycle started all over again.

That had been when they were simply friends.

Now that they were – dating? lovers? girlfriends? – something meaningful, she knew for sure, the anticipation was enough to send Regina into cardiac arrest.

Regina had lost her father, and despite their strenuous and precarious relationship, she had lost her mother too. The nights she spent wallowing in bitter tears, furious and devastated by their quick departure left her inconsolable. She knew they were never coming back no matter how many stars she wished on. But Emma was going to return, she reminded herself. She was just working, just like another day at the office. Except that her work required her to hold government secrets and to be familiarized with guns and rifles and the like. On top of that, sometimes accidents occurred during training sessions, and it wasn't uncommon for a soldier to get caught in a crossfire as they waded under barbed wire with bullets hailing down.

Dear god, maybe she was paranoid.

Regina shook her head of the thought, forcing the image away, as she pulled into her driveway and helped remove Henry from the car seat. She took a deep breath and settled her nerves with a hug from her son, nudging her chin against his hair.

"Mommy," he squirmed, tugging her head up and looked seriously scornful. "That tickles."

"Good," she smirked and nuzzled her lips against his neck as he laughed wildly.

She set him down on the driveway, clutching one hand as they walked toward the front steps.

"Can we have ice cream?" Henry asked, giving Regina his best wounded puppy look.

She chuckled softly, helping him jump onto the porch step. "Not for dinner."

"But it's healfy," he reasoned.

"Oh?" She quirked an eyebrow, fishing around her mailbox for its contents. "How so?"

Henry jumped excitedly, ignoring her question in favour for waiting for his mother to place the key in the lock. She had recently allowed him to turn it and open the door all by himself. With a click, Henry had the door swung open and he raced his mother into the kitchen. It didn't take a genius to figure out where Henry was headed to, her sigh punctuated when she heard the tell-tale sign of the freezer door opening. "No ice cream, Henry, or you will not have a bed time story tonight."

Immediately the freezer door slammed shut and annoyed murmuring from the three-year old reached the foyer. God, help her when Henry grew up and learned to slam doors and lock bedrooms. She set her briefcase down by the side table and looked through her mail, separating them from bills and junk. She mentally went through her list of ingredients in preparation for the night's dinner, but thoughts of oregano and tomato flew out the window when she saw a letter written from Emma.

She grinned and dropped the rest of her mail on the side table, clutching the letter in her hand. "Henry!" She called, turning from the foyer to stand in the middle of the hallway. "I have something to show you."

"We going for ice cream?" He galloped excitedly from the kitchen, his arms outstretched and ready to be caught.

Regina crouched in time to swing him into her arms and walked the short distance so mother and son sat at the base of the stairs. She placed Henry two steps higher than herself so they were eye level to one another.

"Emma sent us something," she said, producing the letter.

"Yeah!" Henry cheered, clapping his hands then opening and closing his fists in a gimme gesture.

Regina carefully ripped the side of the envelope before running her finger through the length. A square photograph the width of the envelope fell into her lap, and she picked it up to find that it was a polaroid of Emma, tank top, cargos, and bun up, as she sat on her cot with Rex sitting on her shoulder and the corner walls behind her littered with photographs and drawings Henry had given her.

"Look, sweetie." Regina pressed her head to Henry's so they both could look at the picture.

"It's Rex!" He beamed, yanking the picture out of Regina's hands and studying it with gusto.

The move made Regina see the pinched writing on the white space at the back of the polaroid, and with the gentle persuasion of a tug, she managed to turn the picture in Henry's grasp and leaned closer to read it.

"It's for you," she prefaced, already catching the first few words. " Hey Henry! " Regina read, nudging the boy when he giggled and suppressed a blush at his first real piece of mail. " You're right. Rex is keeping me company. He gives the best hugs, but yours are even better. Don't tell him I said that though. Miss you, kid. Love, Emma. "

Henry eagerly flipped the picture onto its front and all but shoved it in Regina's face. "Look, Mommy, Emma has my art."

Regina gently eased his hand to an appropriate level and continued to soak in the picture. "I see, sweetie. How about after dinner we can draw her something else to pin up?"

"Yeah!" He agreed readily and shot up to his room, picture clutched within his fingers as he bounded up the stairs.

She smiled fondly, turning back to the envelope, and was pleased to find the lined paper within containing Emma's writing. Regina flipped open the three-fold and read just as excitedly as her son had been receiving the picture.

May 7 2004

Hi,

Told you I would write as soon as I got here. I haven't figured out this calling card thing yet, but I'm resourceful. It feels really weird that I don't get to see you and the little man everyday anymore. I saw you guys all of twelve hours ago, but it feels like I never left base. That is definitely not a good thing.

To ease your worry, it was an unpleasant flight. Rex is a good travel companion. I caught up with some of the people here who also went home to see their families. Neal proposed to his girlfriend and I have been officially invited to this wedding. Actually, they technically already got married at city hall or something, but they're gonna have this big thing when he gets back for good. What do you think, is a wedding second date material or too cliche?

Henry's not the only one I miss. I miss you too, Regina. Be good. Don't make anyone cry while I'm gone.

Emma

Regina laughed and shook her head at the blonde's last parting comment. She could hear them in her head were Emma standing before her, teasing her of the same thing. Regina would scoff and shrug coyly making no promises.

Standing from the bottom step and tugging the bottom of her skirt down to its perfectly pressed state, Regina walked up the stairs, fingers grazing the polished varnish of the hardwood railing as her right hand continued to hold the letter, currently the closest thing she had to the blonde. After weeks of intertwined fingers and not-so-casual touches, the letter was the best replacement she had for Emma.