Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any recognizable characters

AN: This is written for blazewave who was the 100th reviewer of A Fine Line. Prompt: Emma teaches Regina how to play soccer. Thank you for the great prompt, and I hope you enjoy it!

"What do you mean Henry's failing PE?" Regina screeched into the phone as she sat behind her desk.

Emma diverted her gaze from the Mayor as she sat in the visitor's chair, suddenly taking a great interest in her nails.

"He's been skipping class?" Regina glared at the blonde Sheriff sitting in front of her, pleased when the blonde cowered in her seat guiltily.

"What do you suggest?" Regina pursed her lips as she listened to the principal. With a curt "fine", she slammed the phone back into its cradle.

The brunette glared at Emma, waiting for her to crack under her gaze.

For her part, Emma held the staring contest for as long as she could before she opened her mouth to explain.

"No." Regina cut her off. "Henry is skipping his PE classes to see you, isn't he?"

"He said he had study hall," the blonde explained.

"He's ten. He doesn't have study hall," Regina scorned. "Though I wouldn't expect you to know that what with your lack of education."

Emma scowled. "Well what can I do to help get his grades up?"

"Nothing," the Mayor enunciated. "I will find him a suitable sport to join, and you will stay out of our way."

"Come on, Regina. It's the least I can do," Emma said. "And I did have a grade school education. Soccer kept me in school until I broke my leg before high school."

"Surprise, surprise," Regina mumbled organizing the files to give to the Sheriff before Henry's school had interrupted.

Emma sat forward in her chair. "I help him with soccer, he makes the team, and he stops skipping PE because he gets to hang out with me when we practice."

Regina scowled, glaring at the blonde.

"Henry would love it," Emma enticed.

"I can't believe you convinced my mom to help me out," Henry beamed with the soccer ball under his arm. "You're really cracking down the Evil Queen."

Emma resisted an eye roll before tugging her hair back into a messy bun and turning to face him, walking backwards to the middle of his backyard. "Well kid, this deal is only good as long as you keep going to gym class, okay?"

Henry nodded, letting the ball drop to the grass.

"First things first," Emma said moving Regina's lawn gnomes to serve as pylons. "Dribbling."

Regina had watched Emma and Henry practice in the backyard for the better part of two weeks. Henry had made it a habit of attending all of his classes, and everyday at precisely 4 o'clock, Emma would come over dressed in running shorts and a t-shirt and lead Henry to the back where she taught him the basic rules of soccer.

Regina had to admit that the blonde wasn't completely inept at the sport. She smirked inwardly whenever Emma's natural competitive side came out in a friendly game of pick up, and more than once she would do some advanced move against Henry that had the boy in awe of his blonde mother.

The Mayor watched as her son made a makeshift goal out of two rocks and began kicking the ball around the grass before kicking it hard between the two rocks. Despite Emma being away for the day due to her overwhelming pile of paperwork, Henry continued to practice promptly at 4.

She smiled as Henry pretended there was a crowd watching him, cheering at his scored goal. Determined to rebuild their trust, Regina ventured out into the backyard, still clad in her work outfit and heels as she called out to Henry.

"You're doing so well," she beamed at him.

"Yeah," he shrugged bashfully.

"Would you like an opponent?" Regina asked moving in between the two rocks as she had seen Emma done numerous times. If the blonde could play this sport, how hard could it be?

"Really?" Henry asked sceptically, moving his sweaty bangs out of his face.

"Of course," Regina said adamantly. "I want to help you."

"Okay..." Henry said warily, moving to the middle of lawn and setting the ball down. "You have to block the goal."

"I've seen Ms. Swan do it," Regina huffed.

Henry shrugged, dribbling the soccer ball around imaginary pylons before stopping a distance away from Regina and kicking the ball at the goal line.

Regina gasped out loud and covered her face, moving out of the way before the ball hit her. She watched the ball fly through the goal, and she straightened, smoothing her hair down before nodding at her son. "You got a point."

"You were supposed to block it," Henry said itching to chuckle but knew if he did so he'd be in trouble.

"Perhaps you can hone your blocker skills," Regina said moving away from the net and taking Henry's place in the middle of the lawn.

"The goalie," Henry corrected. "It's called a goalie."

"Of course," Regina said quickly before tapping the ball with the toe of her heel. What the hell was she supposed to do with this?

She glanced up to see Henry waiting for her in the net before looking back down to the ball. Shrugging, she used the toe of her heel to kick the ball forward. Instead of it going straight towards the net, it bounded right for her prized roses. She saw Henry stifle a laugh out of the corner of her eye before she marched over to the damned little ball of plastic and air and gave it another furious kick towards her son. It missed him by a mile.

The boy ran off to grab the rolling ball before jogging over to where Regina was inspecting the spike of her heel, dirt and grass clinging to it.

"Maybe I should practice by myself, Mom," Henry said gently.

Regina paused feeling the sting of rejection then nodded. "Of course."

Without another word, Regina traipsed through the lawn and back inside.

Emma eased the back door of the mayoral mansion open as she stepped in to grab two water bottles from the fridge. It weirded her out how comfortable she was in Regina's home, but it was Henry's home too, she reasoned.

"Ms. Swan," Regina greeted from the breakfast bar.

Emma jumped from inside the fridge having not seen the brunette sitting there. "Regina."

The Mayor rolled her eyes when Emma hip checked the door closed and leaned against it to guzzle down her bottle.

"I can't help him out with soccer this weekend," Emma said. "Mary Margaret wants to redecorate the apartment and I said I'd help."

"Fascinating," Regina said raising her newspaper higher.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Can you help him practice? Try outs are on Tuesday."

The newspaper was folded promptly as Regina raised her eyebrow to the blonde. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Henry wouldn't like it," Regina answered moving around the island, nudging Emma out of the way to pull out ingredients for dinner.

Emma smirked. "Is it 'cause you can't play?"

"Believe me, dear," Regina began, her tone dripping with false bravado. "I could run circles around you."

Emma laughed out loud. "Yeah, because you're chasing after the wayward ball?"

Regina slammed the fridge door shut with force.

"Listen, I'll teach you a couple things while Henry's doing his homework and you'll know enough to play with him by the weekend," Emma offered.

"I don't need your help," Regina said indignantly.

"Maybe not," Emma said already heading back outside, "but maybe I just want to see you run circles around me."

"You're wearing a skirt," Emma observed as Regina walked out of her house after Henry was sent off to do his homework that night. Truth be told, Emma didn't expect Regina to actually come out and play.

"I see your observation skills are still intact."

"You're going to be uncomfortable playing in that, and oh my god you're still in heels," Emma held in her laughter. "Go change."

"I beg your-"

"Go. Change." Emma said more firmly. "You want to play with Henry? Go wear something more appropriate."

Regina looked like she wanted to say something just for the sake of arguing, but a quick glance to Henry's window had the brunette marching back inside.

Emma was bouncing the soccer ball from knee to knee trying to beat her record of keep up when she heard the door slide open. The ball dropped when Emma stared at Regina, all leggy in her short shorts, plain t-shirt and runners. If Emma didn't know any better, she would have said Regina looked cute, but then the brunette opened her mouth demanding to get the show on the road and Emma remembered why she fought with the woman.

Using her feet, Emma kicked the ball towards the brunette where Regina watched it roll past her.

"You're supposed to kick it back," Emma huffed.

"What is the point of this?" Regina asked annoyed, walking the short distance to pick up the ball with her hands and set it back down in front of her.

"To get Henry to make the soccer team to pass gym," Emma reminded her. She dodged a wayward ball from the brunette.

Regina smirked. "He wouldn't be failing if it wasn't for you."

"Yeah, yeah," Emma said before kicking back to Regina. "Kick it back to me. Gently this time."

Emma braced herself for a ball to the face when Regina kicked, making the soccer ball hit a tree and come right back to her. The blonde jogged over to the frustrated older woman and stood beside her. "Don't use your toe. Use the side of your foot. You have more control that way."

"I know how to kick," Regina said pointedly.

"I know. You know how to punch too," Emma said dryly. "Humour me. Kick it towards that lawn chair. "

Regina stepped up to the ball, harmless and seeming to constantly embarrass her, and used the side her foot to aim and kicked the ball towards the chair.

She couldn't help the pleased upturn of her lips when she saw the ball had reached its destination.

"Not bad, Madame Mayor," Emma grinned before jogging to the ball and dribbling it a length away from the brunette. She kicked it towards Regina who instinctively stuck out a leg to stop it before kicking it back to Emma. "There you go. Now you've got the hang of it."

"Ms. Swan I'm a grown woman," Regina reminded her. "There's no need to praise me like a child."

"I guess I shouldn't high five you then," Emma teased.

For ten minutes, the two continued kicking the ball back and forth to each other, and before long, Emma set up a goalie net consisting of two chairs. She stood within it and tossed the ball to Regina. "Score on me."

Regina smirked and kicked exceptionally hard at the ball. It flew through the air heading straight for Emma, and just when Regina thought Emma would move out of the way, the blonde caught it.

The brunette huffed. "You said we can't use our hands."

"You can't use your hands. I can," Emma answered tossing the ball back.

"Why? Because Henry thinks I'm the Evil Queen?" Regina glared.

Emma laughed. "No, because you're like every other player on the field and I'm the goalie. Only the goalie can use their hands."

The brunette huffed then dribbled the ball around a little before taking a swift kick to the blonde again. Emma caught it.

After four more attempts, in some shape or form, Emma had evaded Regina's attempt of scoring on her. Emma could see the frustration on the older woman's face and had to hold in her laughter when Regina claimed it was time to get dinner started.

She used her foot to kick the ball up from the ground and catch it, shaking her head at her thoughts. Regina was such a sore loser.

For the next two days, Emma would spend her evenings at the Mills mansion, spending over an hour helping Henry with his soccer before he was ushered off to his room to complete his homework where Emma would spend the next half hour or so teaching Regina the basics.

By Friday, Regina and Emma were playing a makeshift soccer game in the Mayor's backyard with their nets made out of lawn gnomes and rocks. Although Emma was taking it easy on the older brunette, Emma had to admit, Regina picked up quickly and had the speed to boot. One minute she'd be behind Emma, and the next, she'd be kicking at the ball in an attempt to steal it.

In this instance, Regina had stolen the ball, so Emma made a fast break to guard her net. The brunette had maneuvered her body in a way that indicated she was aiming for Emma's left, but in a split second decision, she kicked to the blonde's unguarded right, scoring her first goal.

Her excitement betrayed her, and Regina hopped in the air once before composing herself. She brushed the hair that escaped her short pony tail aside and spoke formally. "I'd say we're done for the day."

Emma stared at her dumbfounded, genuinely confused that she had been scored on. "How did you do that?"

"Must be my magic," Regina quipped before disappearing outside.

Regina hesitantly stepped outside the following day having watched Henry practice for the last half hour. She cleared her throat interrupting her son's dribbling routine.

"Would you like some help today? The Sheriff isn't able to make it," Regina explained.

Henry took in his mother's appearance. He had never seen her dress so casually before. Although there was hesitance in his eyes, he nodded. "Sure."

Regina smiled to herself before taking up the goalie's position. She bent her knees and held her hands out like Emma had taught her, ready for any incoming soccer balls. Henry kicked towards the goal and Regina easily blocked the ball from moving past the goal line.

"Wow," Henry said impressed. "When did you get so good?"

"I have many hidden talents," Regina answered feeling proud of herself after seeing Henry look at her in admiration. She kicked the ball back to him, the ball actually reaching its target.

After half an hour of playing where mother and son were actually enjoying themselves, both providing small tips to one another, Regina switched positions with Henry, her son taking on the goalie task.

She was proud of Henry, blocking nearly every one of her shots, and the brunette wouldn't admit that her competitive tendency wanted her to score at least once. So just like with Emma, Regina aimed for one side of the net but directed the kick to the opposite direction, scoring on Henry's weak side.

"Woah," Henry said in awe. "How did you do that?"

Regina internally beamed before crooking her finger and beckoning Henry over to her. She faced her son, explaining her tactic and let him practice for a few minutes. They spent the better part of the day outside with Regina in net and Henry practicing his mother's move. He didn't master it at first, but he was Regina's son, so by the end of the weekend, the ten-year old had a trick up his sleeve.

Regina bent down making sure Henry's face and arms had a generous amount of sunblock and to ensure his shin guards were on correctly. The happy news that her son had made the soccer team two weeks prior made the Mayor feel relieved that Henry wouldn't be failing PE. Now Regina was a nervous mother making sure Henry was properly supplied and prepared for his first soccer game. "Do you have your water?"

"Yes, Mom," he sighed, more than embarrassed that his mother was doting on him. None of the other kids' moms were doing that.

"Try not to push yourself too hard," Regina said worriedly.

"Relax," Emma's voice called from behind them. "Kid's a natural, he'll be fine."

"You came!" Henry beamed running up to the blonde to hug her. He hugged his brunette mother in similar fashion before running off to the field before Regina could say anything more to embarrass him.

"Told you I'd get him on the team," Emma said grinning underneath her baseball cap and sporting Storybrooke colours of black and blue.

Regina simply rolled her eyes, eyeing the bleachers as if they were filth. She turned when she felt a hand on her elbow and instinctively followed when Emma tugged her up to the top.

"Best view," the blonde reasoned upon seeing the older woman's questioning gaze.

They sat beside each other in the sea of soccer moms and dads, most already cheering for their kids as they took the field.

What barbaric behaviour, Regina thought to herself. She'd take back those words an hour later when she'd be cheering for Henry along with Emma.

Henry's team was getting creamed, but despite the gap of points, the ten-year old continued giving his heart out when a few children on his team had become disheartened. He ran with the ball, narrowly evading the opposing team's defense.

"Oh my god, he's gonna score," Emma said excitedly, grabbing Regina's hand to get her attention despite it already being on the field.

"Come on Henry!" Regina cheered, unconsciously squeezing back.

She grinned when she saw it. Henry had maneuvered his body the way she taught him and deaked the goalie out, scoring his team's last goal.

Regina clutched Emma's hand in both of hers. "He did it! He scored!"

Both mothers stood up, and Emma turned towards Regina with her hand high in the air. Perhaps it was the thrill of the crowd or the proud feeling she felt for Henry, but Regina connected her hand against Emma's for her high five. Even though his team lost, Regina kept clapping while Emma threw Henry a thumbs up when he looked up at them with a proud smile on his face.

The parents and audience began to stand and made their way down the bleachers towards their kids.

Emma kept a hand on Regina's lower back, guiding the brunette down the steps in the midst of the crowd. "You taught him your trick."

"I did," Regina grinned.

"And you didn't teach me?"

"Why would I do that?"

"I taught you how to play," Emma reasoned, stepping closer to let a woman in a hurry pass by them.

"If you're such an expert at the game, you don't need to learn," Regina countered.

Emma raised her eyebrow. "I could totally win against you."

The brunette stepped away from Emma when they reached the ground. She looked over her shoulder with a playful smirk. "You're on."

THE END