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Ever the attentive host, Regina had prepared popcorn and chips as well as a selection of sodas and juices and while Henry was upstairs looking for batteries for his second controller Emma smiled at the feast that was being laid out on the coffee table.

“Isn’t that a bit overkill?” Emma enquired.

Regina looked at the three bowls of food and five bottles of beverages and a blush started to grace her features so Emma quickly added, “I mean, Henry and I will totally eat and drink all of that if you let us.”

Regina smiled and looked down at Grace who was laying on her activity mat and chewing on a teething ring, “and then you and I will be the only ones who can see their own toes,” Regina told Grace.

Henry burst into the room with his spare controller and the screen flickered to life so Emma and Henry sat on the sofa as the game loaded. Regina sat in the armchair and picked up a magazine from the coffee table and started to leaf through it.

“You can play too,” Emma announced.

“Mom doesn’t play games,” Henry told her as if the very idea was ridiculous.

“Have you ever asked her if she wanted to?” Emma asked him as he set the game up, expertly whizzing through setup menus.

“It’s fine, Emma,” Regina said, “he is quite right, I don’t play games, I’d rather watch.”

Emma looked at her and waited for Regina to look back at her and nod that she was fine and didn’t feel left out. Regina smiled at the blonde and Emma smiled back, satisfied that she really didn’t want to play.

Within twenty minutes Emma and Henry were completely engrossed in the game and Regina had picked up Grace and moved from the armchair to sit beside Henry on the sofa as she told him battle strategies. It was a fighting game which Regina had expressed some concern over when it began but she soon became more agitated that her team were losing and so decided to give them the benefit of her advice.

“Henry, you really need to reload before you run out of bullets,” Regina shook her head as she watched the screen intently, “and I’ve noticed that they appear in that corner there,” she pointed.

“Respawn,” Henry corrected.

“What?” Regina asked.

“Respawn,” Emma repeated, “it’s the gaming term for when someone dies and then comes back to life, they respawn.”

“Oh, I see,” Regina said, “well, they respawn over there, so why don’t you stand on top of that building and take them out before they’ve had a chance to move?”

“That’s kinda cheating, Mom,” Henry laughed.

“No, it’s winning by observing your enemies weaknesses,” Regina told him.

The game paused and Henry said he needed the bathroom and ran off, Emma turned to look at Regina and smiled, “sure you don’t want to play?”

“I don’t know how,” Regina said with a frown at the controller, “I’m better on a real battlefield,” she winked.

“Come on, I’ll show you,” Emma said as she picked up Henry’s controller and waggled it towards Regina.

“Won’t Henry be upset that I’ve ruined his game?” Regina asked.

“Firstly, Henry’s not like that and secondly, there’s nothing to ruin it’s a point and shoot,” Emma said as she took Grace from Regina’s lap and sat her up in between them where Henry had been sitting. Once she was sure that Grace wasn’t going to fall over she handed Regina the controller and started point at buttons.

“This one moves you forward and back, this one is looking around, this one is jump, this one is shoot and the rest I don’t know,” Emma said, “ready?”

Regina looked panicked at the controller as the game sprung into life she suddenly looked up at the sky and then her side of the screen went red, “I died,” she announced.

“Yep,” Emma laughed, “try again.”

Regina’s character respawned and she was immediately shot at but managed to move aside, “he shot me,” she said with disbelief, “that little bastard shot me..”

“Language,” Emma laughed out loud at the brunette’s outrage.

“I’m going to get him,” Regina said as she leaned forward and started to chase the character. Henry came back in and sat in the armchair and picked up a handful of popcorn, “go Mom!”

“Sorry Henry,” Regina said, “I’m just going to kill this one person and then you can have your controller back.”

“No worries,” Henry said as he watched his mother moving the controller in front of her body wildly.

An hour later and Regina still had the controller. Henry had been playing with and feeding Grace and Emma had been laughing at Regina’s vengeance as she stalked anyone in the game who had done anything to offend her. Emma’s favourite part was when Regina vowed to avenge Emma’s death and spent ten straight minutes tracking down Emma’s killer before taking him out with a shot to the face.

“I’m going to put Grace to bed,” Emma announced as she stood up, neither Regina nor Henry seemed to notice as Henry was avidly watching Regina’s latest tactic of blowing up several enemies by shooting oil cans.

“Boom,” Regina laughed and Emma shook her head and picked Grace up.