Chapter 1: Mother, wait for life
"Can I hold them? Just once. Before I give them up" She asked tears streaming down her eyes.
"Of course" the nurse answered as she handed the twins to their mother.
"Can I name them?"
"Yes. Emma, you can keep them. There are programs that could help you out." The social worker explained.
"No. I wanna give them their best chance." Emma answered looking at the social worker. She then looked at the baby girl laying in her right arm.
"Hi honey.. I love you, okay? I wanted to give your best chance. Your name is.. is Gia." She then turned to the baby boy laying in her left arm. "I love you." She paused and gave each baby a kiss on the forehead. "Henry. Your name is Henry." She said as she looked at both babies for one last time. She signalled for the social worker to take the twins.
"Gia and Henry. Beautiful names."
"I don't want a closed adoption. I want them to be able to find me in case they wanted to."
"Of course" the social worker said as she gave Emma one last smile and left the room. What did I just do? I gave up the only two people that would ever love me. I don't deserve love.
Flashback 9 months ago
Warning dark subjects ahead
"What's a beautiful girl like you doing out here all alone? It's late sweetheart. Aren't your parents worried about you?" A man said as he cornered Emma into an alley.
"I'm going home. If you could just-" she said trying to run away from the man. He was obviously drunk maybe high too. He pulled Emma back by her waist and threw her against the wall. Pinning her hands above her head.
"Oh no sweets. Won't you reward the heroic man that saved you from the bad people walking around? He kept you warm and fed you. You must be starving"
"I'm not really" she said trying to wiggle out if his grasp. She knew what was about to happen but she didn't want to admit it.
"Oh but you are" he said. "How about I get you something to eat?" "No stop... stop" she yelled as she tried to move away from him, but she couldn't stop him.
"Shut up you spoiled brat" he said as he slapped her. It went on for what seemed like forever but was only half an hour. By now she was dead. Not literally but she thought she was. She was numb and felt nothing whatsoever in her body. She was cold and she felt dirty. Suddenly it stopped. He started to run. She doesn't remember anything that happened between that and when she woke up in a hospital room surrounded by nurses and doctors.
"Oh you're awake" She looked around to find the source of the sound and found a woman, doctor? She wasn't sure who she was, yet, but her comment caught the attention of everyone in the room.
"Hi Emma." Another person said, she looked at him for a while until she gathered up the courage to speak.
"Who are you? Where am I?" She asked as she looked at the two people.
"This is Ingrid Fisher and I'm doctor David Cameron, I'm the doctor on your case. You're at Hopkins Hospital. Do you know what happened to you?"
"Yes. I was raped" she answered him coldly. Then turned to look at Ingrid.
"Are you a doctor? He introduced himself as Doctor David unlike you"
"I'm not a doctor" Ingrid answered hesitantly.
"Well then who are you? You can't be a social worker because I'm no longer in the system. You're not-" she was cut off by Ingrid.
"I'm your mother" Ingrid said with her eyes closed. When Emma didn't answer she slowly opened her eyes letting a few tears escape in the process.
"W-what?" Emma said. She didn't know what was harder, meeting her mother for the first time ever or getting raped. Ingrid just nodded making a few more tears drop.
"Why are you here?" Emma asked. She was crying. She was confused. She wanted to hug her.
"I've been looking for you for a few years now. When I heard that you were emancipated, I hired a detective to look for you. I found you in that alley." She said pausing every few words to catch her breath or wipe a few tears.
"Why did you give me up?" She asked. It's been a question she's been waiting to ask her mother for years.
"I didn't have a choice. You father took you from me and said you were with people who deserve you. He left me a few years later."
"You didn't want to give me up?" Emma asked with a hint of hopefulness in her voice. By now all the doctors and nurses had left the room. Ingrid nodded as she gave Emma a small smile.
"Mommy? I was raped" Emma said and broke down. Ingrid quickly hugged her daughter trying to calm her down. Emma moved a bit so Ingrid would have space to lay next to her.
"Did you call Lily?" Emma asked.
"Who's Lily?" Ingrid asked as she moved her fingers through Emma's hair.
"My girlfriend.." Emma said.
•Present Time.
"Regina! Don't you dare walk away from me!" Cora yelled from their porch, Regina had heard her mother quite clearly yet she chose to ignore her. "If you walk away now, you walk away for forever!" Regina paused contemplating whether or not she was ready to leave. Forever. She turned to face her furious mother.
"I love you mother. I really do. But that doesn't change the fact that I want to adopt a child and raise it. Ever since Daniel and father died, I've been lonely. I need this child as much as it needs me. I love you forever. I love you forever." Regina then turned to walk away tears filling her eyes as she god into her black benz and broke down in tears. She look at her mother one last time and drive away.
•Flashback.
"Your girlfriend? I guess it's in our genes" Ingrid said with a chuckle.
"What do you mean?" Emma asked as she looked at her mother.
"I have a wife. And a daughter and a stepson" Ingrid said, her voice started to get lower as she got to the word daughter.
"Daughter?" Emma asked. She didn't know how she felt about this. She was excited but also offended.
"Yeah. Kathryn. She's two years younger than you. Your father left when I was pregnant with her." Ingrid said. "Should I call your Lily? Give me her number" Ingrid said trying to change the subject.
"I'm fine with the sister. It's okay." Ingrid looked at Emma. Her face a mixture of surprise and disbelief.
"She's my emergency contact, full name is Lilith Page." Emma said smiling as she mentioned her girlfriend's name. She loves Lily. They met a year ago and they've been together since then.
"Ok, I'll call her and make a few other calls. You should rest" Ingrid said as she walked out of the room into the hall. Emma tried to rest but was interrupted when Dr. David came in with a nurse by his side.
"Emma, we have some.. news" He said hesitantly.
"What's wrong?" Emma asked seeing the worry in their expressions.
"Emma, you're pregnant." Dr. David said with pity in his voice.
"Can you please leave." She said, her voice filled with disbelief. The doctor and the nurse made their way out of the room. "Wait, don't tell Ingrid. Please" she practically begged the doctor.
"Of course" he said before giving Emma a pitiful smile and leaving the room. Ingrid came back a few minutes later.
"Lily is here, can I ask you something first? Before letting her in." Ingrid asked, as she held Emma's hand and drew patterns in them with her thumb.
"Um.. sure" Emma answered.
"I need to go back to California. I need to pull Kat out of her school, sell the house and quit my job" Ingrid said. "Would it bother you if I left for a few months?"
"Why would you even leave California?" Emma asked. Obviously not getting what Ingrid means.
"I want to be closer to you."
"Oh. Then it's fine. You can leave for a few months. How long will you be gone?" She asked.
"I don't know. Depending on how fast everything goes." "Should I call Lily in now?" Ingrid asked.
"Yes." Emma said, patiently waiting for her brunette girlfriend to walk in.
"Em?" Lily said, walking over to Emma's bedside.
"Lils" Emma said as a few tears escaped her eyes. Lily quickly pulled the blonde into her arms.
"Lily.. I'm pregnant" Emma said, hiding her face in her girlfriend's hair.
"W-what?" Lily said pulling away from Emma.
"I'm pregnant." Emma repeated her statement looking Lily in the eyes.
"Its fine. You could have an abortion" Lily said.
"What? No! I won't kill it. I'll just give it up for adoption." Emma said.
"What! Adoption is everything we stand against! Remeber the countless days we spent in abusive foster homes? The group homes? The nice families and their kids? The kids that ruined everything?"
"But I won't kill it! It's my kid no matter what!" Emma said, staring at Lily.
"You've gotta pick. Either you abort and keep me. Or you give them up and and lose me" Lily said.
"Get out" Emma said, tears filling her eyes.
"What?"
"You said I've got to pick one. I pick this" she said as she moved to her stomach.
"Ok. Goodbye Emma Swan. I love you" Lily said as she gave Emma one last kiss and left the room. Soon after Ingrid came rushing in to find Emma crying.
"What happened?" Ingrid asked as she hugged Emma trying to calm her down.
"We broke up" Emma cried.
"Why? What happened?"
"I don't wanna talk about it."
"Please? Talk to me" Ingrid practically begged.
"I'm pregnant a-" she was interrupted by Ingrid gasping. "She wanted me to abort it and she made me choose between her and my own kid. So u told her I'll give it up for adoption and she said adoption is everything we stand against so we broke up."
"You're giving it up for adoption?" Ingrid asked her eyes glassy from all the tears threatening to leave her eyes.
"I can't raise a kid. I'm only eighteen!"
Emma said.
"I support you, whatever you choose, I support you" Ingrid said with a small smile.
"Thanks" Emma said giving Ingrid a hug.
"You should get ready"
"Why?" Emma asked
"You're going home today" Ingrid replied.
"Ok" Emma said, she took off her hospital gown and changed into trainers, a tank top and slippers.
"Where do you live?" Ingrid asked.
"No where." Emma answered. "I sleep in my car. That I stole"
"Oh. Well you could stay in my hotel room and I'll find you an apartment"
"Ok"
•Present Time.
"Ruby?" Regina said. Waiting for the brunette to speak.
"Oh Hi Gina!" Ruby said.
"Hey Rubes. I did it"
"You did it? As in left home?"
"Yeah. Can I stay over for a few days?"
"Um sure, where are you?"
"Your porch. Open the door"
"Ok" Ruby said as she quickly hung up and ran to the door. She opened the door to find Regina and about five bags next to her.
"Hey Rubes" Regina said as the two brunettes hugged each other.
"Come in" Ruby said as she grabbed some bags and led Regina to the guest room.
"Um, Gina? I was going on a run. Wanna come?"
"Yeah sure"
•Present Time.
"Emma!" Ingrid yelled running into the hospital room.
"Mom?" Emma said as she turned to look at the door.
"Hi honey" Ingrid said as she made her way to Emma's bedside.
"What are you doing here?"
"I finished everything early so we decided to come today and when I called to tell you Dr. David answered and told me everything. You gave it away right?" Ingrid said.
"Oh. Who are "we" ?" Emma asked.
"We are we" said a blonde girl around 16 as she came into the room with a brunette woman and a tall guy.
"Emma meet Kathryn. Your sister. Kathryn meet your sister Emma. Fiona meet Emma my daughter. Emma meet Fiona your stepmother. Gideon meet you stepsister. Emma meet Gideon yo-"
"My stepbrother, I got it. Gideon?"
"I know it's a weird name, its from my favourite book. Gideon is the hero's name" Fiona answered.
"Wait you're British?"
"Yes, your mother and I me-" Fiona started to say until Ingrid interrupted her.
"I'm sorry to interrupt but Emma here is trying to change the subject. Emma honey? Did you give your baby up?" Ingrid asked, this time with a strict expression and a serious voice.
"Yes." Emma said mumbled, while looking at her hands.
"What was the gender?" Ingrid asked.
"It was twins" Emma said with a voice so low that Ingrid was the only one that heard what she said.
"W-what? Twins?" Ingrid said as she pulled Emma into a hug.
"A boy and a girl" Emma said as tears started streaming down her cheek.
"Did you get to name them?" Kathryn asked. She was crying too, everyone in the room was.
"Yeah." Emma said, then looked at her mother before saying "I named the girl Gia, like your favourite model." She said with a small smile.
"Yeah?" Ingrid said letting out a small laugh and new set of tears. "What about the boy?"
"Henry" Emma said. Her expression suddenly changing.
"What's wrong?" Fiona asked as she made her way to Emma's bedside.
"Henry was my best friend's name. He died two years ago." Emma said. Her expression was cold. "He always said we'd get married and live in Paris. In a small apartment with a beautiful view if the Eiffel Tower. I knew it wouldn't happen. He did too. He told me to meet him at our hiding spot on the roof. When I went up there I found him standing near the edge, he said he loves me and that he couldn't do it anymore. He jumped."
"Oh my god" Ingrid gasped.
"Can we go home now?" Emma asked.
"Sure" Fiona said. "Gideon go start the car and take Kat with you" she said as she handed him the keys. They helped Emma get dressed and the doctor discharged her.
"How old is Gideon and Kat?" Emma asked, as she sat up from the bed to live. She hissed in pain and Fiona rushed to her side.
"Kathryn is sixteen and Gideon is twenty." Ingrid said as she took Emma's bags and opened the door for her wife and daughter.
"I have a big brother." Emma said.
"Yeah you do" Ingrid said looking back at Emma. Ingrid was thinking of what her life with Emma and Kat would be like. Kat, Emma and Gideon growing up together. Being siblings, having things in common, and even fighting.
•A week later.
"Hello?" Regina said. She was out on a run with Ruby and her phone started ringing.
"Is this Regina Mills?" The person asked.
"Yes"
"I'm from the adoption centre you applied at. We have a baby boy waiting for you."
"Really?! I'll be there in an hour." She said hanging up.
"Who was that?" Ruby asked.
"The adoption centre!" Regina said as she started running back home with Ruby a few feet behind her.
"Hi I'm Regina Mills, I was called about a baby boy" Regina explained to the woman sitting on a desk near the door.
"Oh of course. Come this way." The woman said as she led Regina and Ruby to a hallway. Ruby insisted on coming with Regina.
"Here he is" the woman said as she opened the door to reveal a baby boy.
"Henry Swan" The woman said.
"Henry Swan?" Regina said. "I thought I get to name him"
"The mother asked if she can name him so they agreed. Once you adopt him his last name will automatically change."
"Oh ok" Regina said as she approached the baby. She slowly picked him up. "Hi there!"
"He has a twin sister." The woman said. "If you want you can adopt her, she's in a foster home"
"Maybe not now" Regina said as she faced the woman. "I need to get used to the motherhood maybe in a few years. What's her name? Just in case I wanted to find her."
"Gia Swan" The woman said. "Their mother has a great taste in names."
"Yes. Yes she does."