Her heart wrenched when she heard his cries ripping through the house and her name being called by her young brother.

"Emma!" James called from the front of the house.

She quickly looked at Mia and Liam napping and bolted down the stairs. James stood there scuffed up and covered in grass and dirt stains on his rumbled clothes. He looked up with his green eyes and then quickly back at his nephew and friend, five year old Zarek. Emma came up quickly and pulled her son from James' grasp. He too was scraped up, torn and dirtied clothing. She held his face in her hands and wiped away the tears rolling down his cheeks.

He sputtered and gasped deeply for breathe through the crying. James shuffled his feet and tried to straighten Zarek's clothing a bit.

"I'm sorry Emma," the nearly eight year old explained. "I-I-I tried to…"

Shaking her head Emma reached up and pulled her younger brother in close as well. The two both continued to gasp for breathe and she soon felt their tears soaking her shirt. But she held on, smoothing their hair and backs, waiting out the storm until it would pass.

Soon enough Zarek pulled away and ran up to his room, wiping his eyes on his sleeve as he went. James too stepped back and quickly dried his tears, refusing to face her like that.

"What happened?" she asked.

He sighed and kept wiping at his face, fixing his clothing. "We were playing and, and, and I had hid- you know, for the game- and then I look and some of the other boys were picking on him. I tried to chase them away but…" he paused and looked at his clothing, assured his mother would be upset. "They got a few hits in."

"Oh buddy," she ruffled his hair and then placed a kiss on his forehead. "Thanks for watching out for him. You did your best."

He cross his arms and frowned. "Not good enough."

"Don't beat yourself up, James. You stood up for him and that's all we could ask for."

James drew in a deep breathe, keeping away the tears but nodded.

"Well what do we have here then?"

The pair looked over at Killian who now stood in the doorway, back from work for the day.

"Nothing," James quickly answered.

"Can you take him home? I have someone else to talk to."

Her husband nodded and guided James out the front door without any question. When the two reached the end of the drive way Emma ran a hand through her hair and looked up the stairs. Slowly, each step increasing her confusion and worry for her son and at the same time, what to say to the poor boy? She didn't have experience with this at all. Comforting adults was one thing but her own son? How is it motherhood left her more confused and afraid than any battle?

Since Regina had taken back her memories after the battle with the witch and the second curse, Emma had returned to being lost when it came to dealing with children. It had been a sad day when she lost those memories of Henry but in order for Regina to regain her memories and prevent them from having to deal with a secondary enemy it was the only way to set things right. She had housed them as a last hope for the former Queen and everyone had been sad when it came to Emma losing them. Even Regina continued to apologize these years later.

Now…now she found herself standing outside her son's room completely at a loss of words. How to comfort a five year old who had of late been picked on constantly? She knew that when he started school there would be problems for him. Zarek had always been such a soft spoken boy, quiet and almost too kind. She had wondered if it had come from their over protection of him from his young age had caused it or if it was just his nature. Even Snow, her mother had commented on how someone such as herself and Killian, two of the most stubborn and opinionated people she knew –according to Snow- could have such a shy little boy.

Emma sighed and knocked lightly on the closed door before stepping in. The room was dark but she spotted him huddled up in the corner of his bed, leaning against the wall and wrapped in blankets, holding the stuffed wolf Ruby had given him years before. Snuffling was the only sound she heard and it drew her to him. Carefully, she pried him from the blankets and held him close. Emma wrapped herself around him, pulling him into her chest and laying his head against her heart. Zarek snuggled against her but remained silent. His breathing had evened out but he still refused to talk. Of course, she knew why. When he was upset his stutter got worse. He tried so hard to work around it, had made improvement before but when things like this happened, when he was upset it got much worse. So he didn't want to make it worse, make himself noticeable but rather remained silent and collected himself. Zarek was a careful boy. He picked and chose his words, studied each one…well rather he studied everything and anything that lay before him, taking in everything as the observer.

"Want to tell me about it?" she eventually asked.

He shook his head.

"Did they pick on you again?"

A nod.

"Why?"

A shrug.

"What can I do?"

He stayed still but then whispered something.

"I didn't hear you, Z."

He just shook his head again.

God! Emma leaned back against the wall and sighed. What the hell to do. How to help him? Apparently she needed her parental licence revoked because she was crashing and burning. They say kiss it better but how can one do that with no wounds to kiss? Physical things she could deal with but to comfort him?

It started as a whisper, a hum under her breathe but soon she began softly singing the only song that came to mind. It was something that one of her adoptive mothers had sung, to her own child of course but she had heard it still, oddly comforted by it.

Baby Mine, don't you cry.

Baby Mine dry your eyes.

Zarek sniffled again but wiped his eyes again. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she too tightened her hold on him.

She kept going.

Rest your head close to my heart

Never to part

Baby of Mine.

Little one when you play

Pay no heed to what they say

Let your eyes sparkle and shine

Never a tear

Baby of Mine

"Mama," he whispered.

She didn't speak but squeezed him tight.

If they knew all about you

They'd end up loving you too

All those same people who scold you

What they'd give just for the right to hold you

As she continued she felt her own voice crack. This, this felt right. His quaking had ceased and he now sighed comfortably. When she stopped singing he pulled away and smiled. It was soft and weak but it was smile.

"There he is," she chuckled and rubbed at his face.

"S-s-s-sorry, mama."

"It's okay kid. Just don't scare me like that again, okay?"

"T-t-t-they s-s-s-said mean things about you a-a-a-and papa and grandma and grandpa. It wasn't nice and I didn't like it a-a-a-a-nd," he stopped when he felt his tongue begin to tie up.

"Zarek a lot of people say mean things but it takes just a strong of a man to walk away than to fight."

"I-I-I-I know."

"Good."

"Mama," Zarek said after a moment of silence.

"Hum?"

"Can you finish the song?"

She pulled back surprised. "You sure?"

He nodded.

Emma drew in a breath.

From your head down to your toes

You're not much, goodness knows

But you're so precious to me

Sweet as can be

Baby of Mine.

"Mama?"

"Yeah, Zarek?"

"Thanks Mama."

"Anytime, kid."

"I love you."

With that, she knew at least for once in this whole second chance at parenting thing, she had done something right. She had found her way to kiss it better for him and that…that was all she could ever ask for.

Hello! I'm sorry for the delay, had to take some time off to get a friend deeply addicted to OUAT. I am posting this and the few to follow as a companion to Welcome to the Family, in those one-shots there are a few things which will be addressed in this collection so I am trying to post the two together. I have nearly everything written for Family and am working on this collection, again I have everything laid out so just fleshing it out. So stay tuned and wait just a little longer (as I'm heading into the second half of essays and midterms and graduation applications etc). Again, check out the other one-shots/collections from this little 'verse that I have and enjoy. Thanks to everyone who has favorited, followed and reviewed my other works and continue to encourage me. Thanks again everyone.

A/N: Baby Mine is from the Disney film Dumbo (also one of the most heart wrenching scenes ever)