A Second Chance

Chapter Three

Emma finds Regina in the morning, already dressed to impress in some pencil skirt and too high of heels as she empties the dishwasher. At a time like this and the snob is emptying the dishwasher in fuck-me-heels. She shuffles awkwardly into the kitchen, no idea what is appropriate to say, because it's not like she ever had someone to teach her the proper etiquette of death. Her bare feet pad across the polished floors, provoking the brunette to jump in her own skin.

"Sorry," she meekly murmurs, stepping beside her and reaching for the mugs hanging beneath the cabinet.

"It's fine," Regina mumbles, and then she pauses, like she forgot what the hell she was doing one single second ago.

"You're dressed...nice," she forces herself to say instead of something rude, something her tongue is accustomed to spewing so dangerously at the stuck-up princess.

"Their lawyer is on his way," their, like Regina cannot physically speak their names anymore. Emma swallows, maybe she can't either. "He suggested speaking to us before we pick up Lennox. I insisted that we pick her up first, but apparently the social worker won't be ready until ten a.m."

"Okay," is all Emma's mouth is equipped to say.

"I suggest you go change," comes the snippy tone that Emma usually associates with this woman and she sighs in relief.

"I just woke up, can't I grab a cup of coffee first?" She snarks back and she thinks this is good. Fighting with Regina is something she is familiar with, feels normal, she can do this. She pours herself a cup of coffee and feels relieved when she feels those dark eyes scrutinizing her. "Besides, what the hell am I supposed to change into? It's not like I have clothes here."

"Well, find something else," Regina huffs in annoyance, slamming the dishwasher shut. "You look like a homeless person who just rolled off a park bench," she sasses, inspecting that hideous red leather jacket to the wrinkled jeans before her.

Emma almost smirks, but her face muscles just don't have it in them to produce the action. "I'm not wearing any of her clothes. No, that's just...no. Wait, did you-"

"No," Regina actually appears appalled. "I needed to open my bakery this morning and inform my manager that I wouldn't be in today. I went home, showered and changed already."

"Oh." And then more deafening silence. "I think I left my shirt here from Lennox's party..."

"Well, at least we know it won't be full of wrinkles if Kathryn washed it...unlike last time."

Emma rolls her eyes and carries her coffee out of the kitchen to search for her shirt while Regina presses her hand to her lower abdomen and wills herself to make it through the day without killing the woman.

~~~~~~

"I know this is a very difficult time," the lawyer begins, his eyes full of sorrow as they bounce between both women sitting across from him. "But we need to go over the will."

"I don't care about anything right now, other than Lennox, she is my main concern at the moment," Regina exasperates, pinching the bridge of her nose as she pleads with herself not to lunge across the dining room table and throttle the man for even attempting to discuss money and assets at a time like this.

No, this is where people eat, no bloodshed required.

"Well, of course," the man confidently says, flipping through some papers.

"Like...ummm...where is she going to end up?" Emma timidly stutters through her question, her curious eyes unsure if she should meet the man's gaze or sneak a peek of the will in front of him.