Teacher's Pet: The Sequel

Chapter 17: The Pastry

"Of course, but that quickly diminished from doctors' appointments and missed rent when ends didn't quite meet. Are you going to blame Henry, now, too?"

"No, of course not." Briefly, she looked away, but the broken contact only lasted a moment before she returned with a vengeance. "Who the hell's pulling the bullshit card now? Why the fuck do you need to bring Henry into this?"

Regina was stunted for a moment. Out of anger, she hadn't realized what she had said, but that didn't mean Emma was able to rake in all the winnings. "I'm not bringing him into this. You're the one blaming me for blowing through my inheritance like it wasn't used to keep a roof over your head and food on the table."

"I am not blaming that on you. What the fuck?" Emma scoffed, her face reddening. "I just meant-"

There was something underneath her skin that itched. "What did you mean? That it's difficult being a responsible adult with bills to pay and mouths to feed? It certainly is, especially when there are three people and only one person working in this economy."

"How do you think I feel n-"

"Is someone missing a little monster?" A voice carried from behind the two, cutting Emma off. When Regina turned she was met with another adorable smile and her sister's playful snark. "I saw him trying to escape through the kitchen. Was halfway in a cabinet before I got to him."

The little boy's grin only brightened when his brunette mother neared him, arms open. He gladly accepted, eliminating all traces of the prior argument as soon as his sweet voice sang, "Mommy!"

"What have you here?" Regina asked, examining the little red stegosaur clutched in his hand. He waved it in the air enthusiastically, spouting, "Dino!"

"He sure loves that thing," Zelena commented. Her entire face could have melted the way she fondly looked to her nephew.

"That's because Aunt Z gave it to him."

"Sorry to interrupt your chit-chat about our ever so precious son, but did you so happen to take a bite of a bear claw, Zelena?" Regina felt as Emma stood beside her, raising the hairs on the back of her neck, but at the same time burning her stomach from their prior argument.

Zelena stared at Emma as if the woman had offended her. "Uh... No? Why would I touch that thing?"

The deputy's eyes narrowed. "'cause I still haven't found a perp and I sure as hell didn't commit these foul acts."

"Have you ever thought of asking your son?"

"It would be impossible. He was across the room when I turned back, and it only took a second for me to find my phone." Emma sighed in defeat, her eyes narrowing on the two women. "I swear, I will find out who ate my doughnut if it is the last thing I do."

Her wife sure had a way of creating drama out of something so simple. Regina merely shook her head as Emma left the room and shared an amused look with her sister.

"How do you put up with that?"

"This nagging little notion that I love her," she said with a light chuckle.

"Hey! Mom's here with Neal!"

Emma's voice brought her into the foyer where Mary Margaret stood with a squealing toddler in her arms. The blonde quickly mumbled something about being late and slipped through the door.

"Henny!" Neal reached for the little boy in Regina's arms making it rather difficult to keep Henry in her grasp as she started to squirm excitedly, waving his dinosaur toy.

"I got dino!"

She had no other choice but to unleash her little monster to meet with his "friend" as he understood Neal as. The two babbled to one another with their limited vocabulary and shared each other's toys.