Mary Margaret Blanchard (fairestteacher) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-10-30 20:49:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, mary margaret blanchard (snow white), regina mills (evil queen) |
Who: Mary Margaret Blanchard and Regina Mills
What: Brunch
When: Backdated: Mid October
Where: A Restaurant
Rating/Warnings: Family Friendly
Status: Complete
A lady’s night with Emma, brunch with Mary Margaret. Months ago the thought would have made her nauseated but times changed - and so did she. So did all of them, once the knee-jerk reaction of anger subsided about dream occurrences that couldn’t be controlled. And their relationships had evolved on the other side, so it made doing this easier, Regina thought.
That knowledge also implied she was much farther than them in dreamland. Storybrooke was an utter trainwreck, things had become odd, the evil ladies is gaudy costumes made their arrival. Maleficent resurrected, which meant…
Well, it meant that the Charmings were terrified, and a secret was told.
“How’d it go, meeting with Henry?” Regina brought up, taking a break from the eggs benedict slathered in hollandaise sauce to pick up her champagne flute - since brunch was incomplete without bubbly mimosas - and sipped.
"It went well." Mary Margaret smiled, taking a sip of her own mimosas, "Emma and I brought him to the Santa Monica Pier." She was sure that Regina had probably heard some or most of the details from Henry, but she was still excited that she had finally gotten to meet Henry and that it hasn't been nearly as awkward as she had been dreading. She still wished that David was there to share in this too, but she had to be happy for what she had. And what she had now was an interesting relationship with Regina.
She still felt bad that she'd automatically thought the worst of the other woman when they'd first met, but was glad that they had moved beyond that both in the dreams and in real life.
“It’s odd actually having him here, isn’t it?” Regina’s eyes narrowed - thoughtfully, not with menace. “In a good way, I mean. Of course. It’s still just...very surreal to me.” This is exactly what she wanted; the boy she dreamt of as her son to be here, safe, and involved in his life. He’d been her absolute world there, the reason why decades of vengeance had eventually melted away into nothing. So she could prove to him she was more than just Snow White’s evil stepmother, more than just the Evil Queen.
It was nice to see one of her spare bedrooms actually used regularly. He lived with Emma and Neal predominantly, of course, but she had the chance to whisk him away for a couple days. Often while the two lovebirds needed some time to themselves. It was a good balance. A dynamic that they somehow worked out, seamlessly. “Does he know who you are? Snow White, his long lost grandmother?”
“It is, a little.” Mary Margaret nodded, “And he does. Emma said that her and Neal explained everything to him about me and about David.” Not for the first time, Mary Margaret wished that David was in the OC. Since dreaming about what happened to him in Neverland, Mary Margaret wished even more so that he was there so that she would at least know that no matter what, he was alright.
“I’m sure he’s only fascinated with how complex our family tree even is,” she sighed, a roll of her eyes. Complex was putting it nicely. Really, the accurate term was complete clusterfuck and maybe some day, Regina would feel masochistic enough to outline it all on paper. Just to be able to physically see it and be at awe with its horridness.
It made her appreciate the presence of champagne with a splash of orange juice, so the next sip was definitely more of a gulp. “They’ve been letting me help with him. A strange sort of shared custody,” she explained, though Neal and Emma held the absolute final decisions; she hadn’t raised him here, and Henry was their flesh and blood. “It’s been working out oddly well.”
“I’d be worried if he wasn’t.” Mary Margaret had only just found out how much more complex their family tree was now that she knew that Peter Pan was Rumple’s father. Honestly, who were they going to find out was related next? Was she going to find out that Rapunzel was her long lost sister or something? She really hoped that wasn’t the case cause things were already bizarre enough. “I’m glad. It wouldn’t be right if you weren’t involved too. I mean, in a way you are his mother too.”
“By dream proxy, I suppose,” she shrugged. “Though by that logic I’m ‘in a way’ still your stepmother.” Think about them apples, how frustratingly bizarre. Regina made a face. “But let’s just be fortunate our history isn’t so complex here.”
They had none, to be exact. They’d met when Mary Margaret had some car issues and it was fate that somehow had them run in together - though she was fairly sure the woman was about to crap her pants at the sight of just who happened to roll up and help her out. Things were rocky, but they’d smoothed over once the knee-jerk reactions quelled.
Mary Margaret laughed and nodded, “That’s very true. God, our family tree is so bizarre. Because now that I think about it, I suppose I’d also be Henry’s grandmother and adopted, step sister.” She furrowed her brow as she spoke, “It’s like a soap opera.” That first day they’d met, Mary Margaret had been quick to think of Regina as her dream counterpart and would admit that she was worried about what she might do, but Mary Margaret was past that now.
Oh, god. Regina didn’t even think about the ‘adopted step sister’ connection and why the hell would she - all the obvious ones were complicated enough, but the ‘fairest one of them all’ had a point here. Hence the fleeting look of horror that had flashed her face. “I think we can drop the ‘soap opera’ descriptor and replace it with ‘clusterfuck.’”
They all always thought it, didn’t they? Sigh. Once the waiter returned she had him refill her mimosa, tempted to just instruct him to leave the pitcher. “Well, all that aside - how have you and Emma been? I’m sure there’s a degree of awkwardness knowing she’s your biological daughter in some other world.”
It was the most bizarre thing to think about and honestly, Mary Margaret tried not to think too often or too hard about the all the relations in the dreams. It only gave her a headache as it was starting to at the moment. To attempt to remedy this, she took a sip of her newly refilled mimosa, “I think Emma is getting used to it. I know she thought it was awkward at first. I’ll admit, sometimes I feel very protective of her just like in the dreams. I know it sounds crazy, but I can’t help it.”
“Preaching to the choir,” scoffed the queen, an eyeroll at that. “I had nothing to do with Henry’s upbringing here, but the motherly instincts just…bleed through. It happens, and I’m sure she understands.” Some things they could help, some they couldn’t. Like their original hesitance of even talking to one another, for example, and there was a lot of rage that carried over - maybe even hate that held no purpose. But the Evil Queen (a title that served her all too well) was a force to be reckoned with; she was someone who felt things so strongly, it was impossible not to experience it on this side too.
“I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that way.” It was a little strange to have something in common with Regina, but it was like that in the dreams as well. Things might have still been a little thorny at times between them there, but for the most part, Mary Margaret was learning that Regina wasn’t all bad. “I think that the more dreams Emma has, the less strange it’ll be for her too.”
Oh, the more Emma dreamt the more things might get weird for her. Neal’s death, seeing herself lose every bit of control of her powers to the point of hurting even Henry. Then knowing what her parents had done to ensure her ‘savior status.’ There was part of Regina that was wickedly pleased to know that Mary Margaret would eventually see herself do something so incredibly not heroic. Cruel and selfish, even. Villains and heroes were extreme labels. It’d show them all they were just people. Complicated people, who didn’t always make the best choices.
That and she always thought the Charmings needed to be knocked down a couple pegs and do away with some of that self-righteous pretentiousness, but on the bright side this version of Snow White didn’t ooze the heroic speeches of right, wrong, heroes versus bad guys.
“Well, considering we’re all tolerating each other’s presence…” A crooked smile. “We’ll have to do...something together, I suppose. Dinner. My place is big enough. I’m sure Henry would love to have his fairytale relatives all under the same roof for the night, hm?”
Mary Margaret had no idea what was in store for her as a result of the dreams and at the moment was simply trying to take it all one dream at a time. She smiled and nodded at Regina’s suggestion, “That’d be nice. I think it’d be good for all of us to do that.” If only David were there to join them too.
Regina was sure with Neal’s steadily increasing skill in the culinary arts, plus Emma’s penchant for mixing together salads, they’d all come up with something good - maybe a potluck of sorts. The practice of having people over was beginning to be a consistent thing with actual friends to entertain, and sometimes her home didn’t seem completely pristine, but…
The little whirlwinds of chaos that filtered in and out were well worth it. “We’ll arrange something,” she decided, finishing up her plate. “A slightly twisted yet amusing family reunion.”