A Beautiful Heart
Takes place immediately after From The Heart.
Emma reverently placed a kiss on baby Calon's head, then looked up and grinned before kissing Regina, first on the cheek and then on the mouth. It was a quick kiss, but it brought a shy smile to both of their faces.
"I'll be back before you know it" Emma said as her gaze fell to the baby, "And I'm bringing your big brother back with me, so prepare yourself!"
Regina's eyes stayed fixed on the door, long after Emma had left the room. She expected to feel panicky, scared, worried… Anything but how she was actually feeling. As she held her newborn son: as she allowed all that Emma had offered to sink into her soul: as she thought about Henry and how excited he was about this new baby: she smiled. Regina had her happily ever after.
Before she knew it, Emma and Henry were bursting back in through the door, both shushing each other and both barely able to contain their excitement. Henry carried a small blue bear and almost threw himself at Regina before he skidded to a halt and thrust the bear at her instead.
"Would you like to hold your new brother?" she asked kindly as Henry frantically nodded.
Emma patted the bed next to Regina "Scoot up here kiddo and your mum can pass Calon to you". Regina carefully passed the baby over to Henry – who already knew how to support the baby's head because he had been reading up on what to expect – and as Henry held his new brother for the first time, Regina slipped her arm around Henry and lowered her head to rest on Henry's.
Emma looked at them from the foot of the bed. Everything, everyone she cared about, was contained on that bed. She felt tears come to her eyes and she wasn't quite quick enough to blink them away before Regina caught her eye and frowned. Emma shook her head, and with a small smile, raised her hand to her heart. Their special moment was interrupted by Henry's question.
"Mom, where is Calon going to sleep? Emma and I didn't paint his room yet? He can sleep in with me if you want."
Regina kissed the top of his head and squeezed his shoulder, "Thank you darling, but for a little while he will sleep in my room, just like you did when I brought you home."
She looked up to Emma, "When you went to get Henry, the doctor said that I can come home in a few hours. They just need to fill in all the paperwork, then Calon and I can leave".
"No worries, his seat is already fixed in the car, and I've been practising driving slowly and carefully, so that he gets home safely!" Emma grinned cheekily!
As Emma lay in bed that night, she could hear Regina in her bedroom, talking quietly to the baby and Henry next door tossing and turning in his bed unable to sleep because of all the excitement. As Emma laid her head back on her folded arms, she smiled and let out a sigh. Her life, her happiness, now lay with three special people and she was ready for all that that meant.
As Emma walked into the living room, Calon was fussing in his Moses basket and she could smell why! "Hey there stinky dude, let's get you changed shall we?" Emma cooed as she lifted him up. Regina appeared at the door as she did.
"Oh no Emma, let me take him"
"I can do it, it's no problem, is it little dude?" she replied as she lifted his little hand and kissed it.
"No it's fine, you've only just got in, leave him to me", Regina insisted as she lifted the child from Emma's arms and carried him to her bedroom. Emma followed her up the stairs.
"Regina, please, you have to stop this" Emma begged as she flopped down to sit on the edge of Regina's bed.
"I know he's your son, I know he's your responsibility. But I want so much to help, to be a part of his life. And Henry's. And….and yours….". She looked up but Regina had her back to her as she changed Calon. "I know you were all on your own raising Henry and you've done an incredible job with him. He's an amazing kid that you have every right to be proud of. And to have done it alone, every responsibility on your shoulders, no help, it just astounds me! But you don't have to do it on your own now! I know I'm not his mother, but if there was a way of somehow putting my genes in him so I could be I'd do it! Because I love that little boy like he was my own. When they held him up for the first time and laid him on your chest, I fell in love with him there and then. I didn't think it was possible, but I love Calon in exactly the same way that I love Henry. And I care so much about their mom, that not really being part of this family hurts more than I really want to admit"
Emma dared to look Regina's way. She still had her back to her, but now Calon was changed and dressed and was just being held in place by Regina who appeared to be finding the spot on the wall in front of her fascinating.
"Well, anyway, I'd better get changed and look in on Henry". Emma reluctantly rose and cast one more glance at an unmoving Regina.
Regina chewed on her lip before releasing her breath and swiping at the tears that fell.
Life seemed to carry on as normal for the next few days, but there was a gap, a distance between Regina and Emma. And Emma was going to fix it!
2.15 a.m. and Emma's alarm started beeping. For the last week Calon had woken at 2.25 a.m. and after being fed screamed for an hour or so. Everyone was starting to feel the effects of this, but no one more so than Regina. If they tried really hard, Henry and Emma could block out the noise that filtered through to their rooms, but Regina had no choice but to get up, feed him, burp him, change him and then pace for the next hour holding Calon until he fell back off to sleep. Then she was back up at 6.00 to make sure that Henry had breakfast before he left for school. Emma had tried to explain that she wanted to help, but Regina felt that her job as sheriff was enough to be going on with – she was on maternity leave after all, so she should have more than enough time to look after the boys.
But Emma had a plan. It was Friday night and she had the next day off. So she didn't need to be up early. Neither did Henry. Tonight Regina would get a full night sleep! And Emma would help – even if Regina wanted to punish her later.
So she set her alarm for ten minutes before the baby would wake up. She wrote a little note to say that she and Calon would be downstairs, just in case Regina woke up and panicked at the empty crib.
As Emma stumbled into Regina's room, Calon started to grizzle.
"Hey there little dude, what's all this noise?" Emma whispered to the baby. She reached into the crib to pick him up.
"Come on, let's move before you wake your mom".
Emma left the little note she had prepared on top of his pillow, she unplugged Regina's alarm and she grabbed his blanket and left the room.
"Boy, your mom must be shattered if she's slept through that noise, young man. We're going to have to have a little chat about that you know, you've got to let her sleep sometimes". Emma said as she carried him down the stairs and into the kitchen. Once she had warmed up his feed, she took him into the living room and sprawled on the huge couch with him.
"Listen to me now little fella, we need to have a talk about your mom". Emma looked into Calon's eyes as she fed him and he looked back with such a serious expression, Emma was sure he understood every word she said.
"Your mum, wow, she's just amazing. And she loves you so much. You and Henry are all she wants and she'll give you the world to prove it to you. As you get older she's going to be over protective, and you'll feel smothered, but you've got to remember it's because she loves you so much. So don't push her away, just love her back. And that can start now little man. Do me a favour and try not to yell so much in the night. Your mom needs her sleep (and so do Henry and I!).
Calon had finished his bottle, so Emma quickly burped and changed him. All the while he looked solemnly at her, as if he was thinking over all that she had said to him.
"Hey Calon", Emma scooped him back up into the safety of her arms, and then leaned back across the sofa and held him to her chest. "You're not crying tonight then – good lad"
Emma smoothed her hand over his back and as his eyes fluttered as he fought off sleep, she whispered to him.
"Hey Calon, can I tell you a secret? Hmmm? Well I guess you're not going to tell anyone are you? I think I've fallen in love with your mom. Wow! I didn't think I'd be able to say that out loud! The thing is, Calon, I don't know if that's what she wants from me. I don't know how she feels about me. Back at the hospital, before we brought you home, we had a little kiss and she said some wonderful things about love to me, but now we're home and you're here and Henry's here and….oh I don't know….it just feels like your mom and I have come to a stop. She's pushing away my help and I feel a bit lost. I'm not really sure what my role is here"
Emma looked down at the now sleeping Calon. "I just don't want to scare her away and ruin my chance with her"
Regina didn't need an alarm clock really. After years of rising before Henry, her body clock was on automatic. At 6.00am Regina rolled over, pushing her arms under the pillow as she stretched her body. Rolling again onto her back, she lazily stretched once more – then shot up, eyes looking about wildly! It was light and she'd slept well; why hadn't the baby's cries woken her? She threw back the covers and raced to the crib – it was empty, save for a note on the pillow. Regina felt tears in her eyes as she reached for the paper, scared of what it meant.
Your beautiful, but loud, son and I are downstairs somewhere. We decided to give you a full night's sleep, so we've escaped from your room and we're bonding.
Regina wasn't sure whether she would laugh or cry. Kill or kiss Emma. But after going downstairs and seeing Emma lying fast asleep on the couch with Calon – who lay there with eyes wide open but not moving – Regina knew that all she felt was love for these two. Her baby boy looked so peaceful, and Emma looked so sweet holding him tightly as she slept. She reached over to quietly take Calon, and as she began to lift him, Emma's arms tightened around him and her eyes shot open. Regina's eyes met Emma's and they both smiled.
"Ssshhhh Emma, it's okay. You go back to sleep, I'll take him" Regina whispered.
No, it's okay, I'm awake, lets go get coffee." Emma replied, "You make Henry's breakfast, I'll get this little dude his breakfast, and we'll sit down together, okay?"
As she started to make Henry's breakfast, Regina desperately wanted to take Calon back from Emma, to hold him for just a moment, but as she looked up at the two of them realisation hit her full on in the chest. She managed not to gasp out loud, but she struggled to catch her breath for a moment! Emma was cradling Calon and looking at him with complete adoration in her eyes. Her smile was loving and when she bent her head to place a tiny kiss on his nose, Regina wanted to cry.
"You really do love my boy don't you". Regina stated. "I've pushed you away, made it hard for you to spend time with him, I've been difficult to live with and all the while you've stuck around and loved us". "That heart of yours is special Emma. I want Calon to grow up knowing how much you love him. I want you to be a part of his life, this family. Me, you, Henry and Calon."
Regina walked over to them and bent down and kissed Calon's head. Raising her head, she kissed the tear that was sitting just on the edge of Emma's eye. And then almost mirroring the action Emma took in the hospital, she tilted her head and kissed Emma on the lips. This was no quick kiss though. Regina cupped Emma's cheek as she moved her lips and Emma quickly followed. Just as the kiss became deeper they drew apart in frustration as they heard Henry come down the stairs.
"Hey Mom, Emma, Cal…..what's for breakfast, I'm starving!" Henry breezed in, completely unaware of what he had interrupted.
"Henry, come sit down for a moment, I want to talk to you" Regina said seriously. Henry looked worried. He mentally went through the last week – what had he done, or not done! He looked over at Emma – she had a bit of a weird, goofy look on her face, but as he caught her eye, she merely shrugged and looked as puzzled as he did.
"Henry…hmmmm….okay, remember just before Calon was born? You asked me if when he was born, did I think I would love you less because now I had a real baby that was my own. And I told you that blood wasn't the important thing that linked people, it was love. And I promised you that I would never stop loving you, or love you any less or leave you. You remember?"
Henry nodded, still unsure where this was going.
"Do you remember what else we talked about?" Regina looked him straight in the eye and Henry nodded very slowly, still a little cautious of where this conversation was heading.
"Um, I asked where Emma fitted in to all of this and you said she was like part of our family now." Regina nodded her head, "Yes dear, and what else did you ask?".
"I….I asked if I could call her Ma now, so it would be like a real family?" Henry said quietly.
"And I said I didn't think that was a good idea – I gave some excuse, it sounded like a good reason, but it was nonsense Henry. I was scared of losing you, scared that you wouldn't be mine any longer" Regina looked up at Emma who was staring at her, a smile starting on her lips as she realised where this was going.
"Henry, I think it would be a fine idea to start calling Emma Ma right now. That way Calon will get used to hearing it, so that when he starts to talk, he'll learn to call her Ma too". Emma gasped in surprise at this. Regina moved back around to put an arm around Emma. They kissed gently once more, then she held out her hand for Henry to take hold.
"This is our family now Henry. Mom, Ma, Henry and Calon. That okay with you?
"Yeah Mom, I think that's great" Henry beamed "So….what's for breakfast?"