Hello and happy turkey day (to those who celebrate)! I am forever thankful to all of you out there who read (and review) my stories. I love every single one of you. Thank you also to eastcoastwestcoastchic for all your support and friendship! I know I said it would be after the holidays before I'd get into writing again, however, inspiration hit. Now, that being said, I don't expect any new chapters to this until January. Also, because I really have so many ideas, I'm not sure which one to use! Anyway, as always…
Read~Enjoy~Review
Chapter 1.
"Calm down, Malory, it's not the end of the world, it's just a wet towel." Eva's voice came through Emma's dream world.
"It's gross! If you're going to leave wet towels laying around, do it on your side of the room."
Emma groaned and rolled over, burying her head under the pillows. Sunday's were her days to sleep in and she wanted to take advantage of that.
"Be quiet! Mama's sleeping!" Emma heard Oliver and opened one eye to look at the clock. It was only seven thirty and Emma tried to stay in bed until nine on Sundays.
"You're the one yelling, Oli." Eva stated. Why was Eva even awake? She liked her sleep just as much as Emma did.
"Girls! If you wake your mother up with this ridiculous fighting, I'm canceling magic lessons for the rest of the year! You two don't want separate rooms, but the way you fight is driving me insane."
Suddenly, it got quiet and Emma grinned. That explained why the girls were awake. Today they had lessons with Cora on controlling their magic. Emma let out a sigh, for now that she was awake, she didn't think she'd be able to go back to sleep.
Instead, Emma reached for the photo album by the bed and propped herself up as she opened it. This was the second one she had, the first consisting of when she first came to town up until the girls turned five. This one had the next five years. Malory and Eva looked so much alike still but were vastly different. Eva kept her blonde hair long and curly but was very much a tom-boy. She loved being outside, taking care of various animals, and riding the four wheelers, especially when it was muddy, whenever she was allowed. She was daring and adventurous, mischievous and rebellious. While she did well in school, she always questioned her teachers, parents, and anyone in authority. While Emma found it annoying, Regina was proud that her daughter didn't just accept things with no questions asked. She did work on teaching Eva to do so respectfully. Eva adored her siblings and while the may disagree at home, she was fiercely protective of them – especially Ry and Oliver. At ten, Emma was sure that Eva was going to be a lot like her; that wasn't exactly a comforting thought.
Emma flipped the page and smiled at Oliver's first birthday picture. Oliver was their little gentleman. He had dark hair and olive skin like Regina, but whereas the girls had brown eyes like Regina, Oliver had the blue/green eyes like Emma. Like Emma's, they changed in different circumstances. If he wore green, his eyes were more green, same with the blue. More so, if he were sad or upset, they were a dark aqua almost. Much like his mama, his feelings could be read in his eyes. He was an observer; he'd rather watch people than join in. One had to be patient with him because, unlike Eva, he would never jump into anything without first thinking hard about it. He didn't really start talking until he was about two and a half. Emma had insisted they take him to specialists, but they all assured her that he was fine and just to be patient. A few days later, they were proven right when Oliver not only said his first word, but his first sentence.
Emma sighed as she finished changing Oliver's diaper. "I can't wait until you potty like a big boy." She said, kissing his forehead and tickling his tummy.
"I not a big boy, I mama's baby."
Emma stood in shock. "Regina! Come here!"
Regina rushed in. "What? What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong. He just spoke. Oli, can you say that again?"
Oliver blinked and looked at Regina. "I not a big boy, mommy, I a baby."
Regina smiled and took her son, holding him tight. "Oh, my baby boy. My smart little man."
From then on, Oliver's vocabulary grew, but he would still be quiet and shy around others. He was also smaller than kids his age since he was born premature, but it wasn't anything that affected his health.
Emma flipped a few more pages and smiled at a picture of Oliver and Henry. It was Henry's fifteenth birthday and he was kneeling by a five-year-old Oliver, who was holding a bowling ball and smiling wide. They had told Henry he could have a party with his friends, but he wanted his siblings there too. Along with the twins and Oliver, Henry had his half-sisters from his dad and Ruby there as well. Rose was now seven and Amber had just turned four. Rose was quiet and reserved while Amber was a ball of energy. Henry did invite a couple friends, including Lilly, but it was mostly family. Henry loved his sisters, all four of them, but he had a special bond with Oliver. At fifteen, Henry was probably the most caring and warm-hearted child Emma had ever known. He was empathetic, fair, he never judged anyone and was always there for his friends. He did have a great group of friends and they loved coming over to his house for video game nights or campfires outside. Oliver loved it when Matt and Taylor would come over because they always let him hang out with them, even if he did get a bit too scared in the tent once it got dark and Henry had to walk him back to the house. They never teased him and never made him feel like a baby.
Emma ran her finger along the "Swan Family" picture. It always made her smile when she thought about how her parents took her last name to make the family name. Her parents stood with Emma sitting between them on a chair. DJ, now nice, stood next to Emma and in front of David. Ben, Emma's four-year-old brother sat on a stool next to Emma in font of Snow. DJ looked just like Snow while Ben strongly resembled David. Both brothers idolized their sister and loved doing anything with her. Secretly, Emma was very glad Ben was a boy and not a girl.
The next picture was of all the kids and Emma had loved this one so much she had a copy framed. Henry, Oliver, Eva and Malory were in the middle. Around them were DJ, Ben, Rose, Amber, Lilly, and Lilly's little brother Owen. All of them were happy and smiling and it made Emma smile just looking at it. Emma basically grew up alone, so she loved that her kids had so many other kids to be around.
Emma looked at Owen and remembered when he joined the French family. Maleficent and Lacey talked for a long time about adding to their family and they did try it with magic, however after the third miscarriage, they decided to do adoption through fostering again. Right away, they were given a new born baby boy who had been given up by his teenage mother. The adoption went smoothly, but unfortunately, the mother had killed herself right after. That was hard for the couple who had become close to the girl through the process and even offered to take her in as well. However, Lilly loved her brother and took very good care of him when her mothers asked her to.
Emma flipped to the last page and smiled even more. This one was added just last week after Malory's five-year checkup. Malory was grinning, surrounded by Dr. Nolan, Anslie, and the other nurses as she held out a cupcake with a number five candle on it. Five years cancer free! Five years for Ry to grow strong and healthy. Ry was still a bit shy and quiet, still more girlie than Eva, but she'd stand up for what she believed in and for herself, if she had to. She was independent in some ways but was still childlike in others. She still played with dolls and had tea parties, but neither Emma nor Regina pushed her to 'grow up', as they wanted their kids to stay kids as long as possible. Alexandra and Eva had become best friends and would often be found playing dress up. Where Eva kept her hair long and curly, Malory liked it shorter, rarely going past chin length. Either way, they both looked like little Emmas with Regina's brown eyes.
Emma went through more pictures and relived some great memories like Zelena and Anslie's wedding, the anniversary tri she and Regina took to Greece, henry's elementary school graduation, and of course, the day the girls first had their magic unbound. Henry was glad he wasn't born with magic and when Cora had offered to teach him, he politely refused. The girls, however, especially Eva, couldn't wait to learn. Once the girls had turned ten and had been properly lectured by Cora, Regina, Emma, Zelena, Maleficent and even Rumple on the safety and costs of magic, their lessons started. Even though they had only been working on it on the weekends for about three months, they were doing very well. No one was surprised that they had different styles of learning, but what did surprise them was who learned in what way. They all expected Malory to be 'by the book', careful, and precise and Eva to be a bit more wile and emotional with her magic. However, Eva was the one reading the books, perfecting her spells, and advancing fast in potions while Ry was more of a hands on, emotion driven user – much like Emma.
The girls were being taught by Regina, Cora, Zelena, and Maleficent and received well rounded lessons. Gold would sometimes be there with Cora, but the girls were always more nervous when he was there, so Cora asked him to not come unless she needed help with something. Eva loved potions with her mother and learning magical history with Maleficent while Ry loved the surprise attacks from Cora and practical lessons from Zelena. Neither of them liked having to bind their magic again after lessons, but that was not up for debate after what was now called 'the incident'.
"Why are you awake, my love?" Regina asked as she closed the bedroom door behind her.
"Something about a wet towel on the floor. Then I couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to look at pictures. I can't believe the amazing life we've made together. Sometimes it's nice to sit back and reflect on everything we have."
Regina smiled and sat by Emma and rest her head on her shoulder. "We are very lucky, Emma. Our lives have been truly blessed."
"Mama! Gramps is on the phone!" Oliver called as he came into the room. "I tolded him that today is your sleeping day, but he said he really needs to talk to you."
Emma pulled Oliver onto the bed and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Ollie." She took the phone. "This better be important, Gramps, this is my sleeping day." She gave Oliver a wink as he grinned at her.
"I know and I'm sorry, but I need your help. Something attacked the sheep last night and I really would like to get it cleared before the kids see."
Emma's smile dropped. "Oh. I see. How many?"
"Two dead and one hurt. It looks like a wolf or coyote."
"Okay, I'll get dressed and come out."
"Thanks, Em."
Emma hung up and looked at Oliver. "Hey buddy, can you…"
He interrupted her. "I get it. You need to talk to Mom alone. I'll go get dressed."
Emma ruffled his hair before he left. "Thanks bud." She then got up and went to the ensuite to get ready. "So apparently something got at three of the sheep last night." She told Regina the story as she got dressed. "You know, I don't want to upset her, but I'm thinking of asking Ruby about it. It was a full moon last night. I'm not saying I think it was her, but maybe she knows who it could be."
"With the new residents, there's no telling who it could be or even if it is a who at all. Maybe it's just a plain old animal."
"That's true, and if that's true, no more camping out for the kids!" Emma stated and gave Regina a look. "Speaking of new residents, the town hall meeting should be interesting tomorrow."
"Don't remind me, I'm so nervous."
"What? Why? You've been queen and then mayor for…well longer than I've been alive." Emma said with a smirk.
Regina gave Emma a look. "Shut up unless you want to die while I'm mayor." She then let out a breath. "Besides, that was one realm and then one town. Now, it's all realms since we've all merged."
Emma came over and wrapped her arms around her wife. "You'll be fine. Every realm has a leader that reports to you. You just oversee them. Besides, you'll have Mal and I standing right behind you."
Once the realms united and Oliver started pre-school, Emma went back to working with Regina and Maleficent part time since Regina needed extra help. Regina had once again won the role of mayor, this time against Elsa from Arendelle and Pan from Neverland – which honestly was a bit amusing since Pan looked and acted like a fifteen-year-old child. Elsa really didn't care one way or another since it wasn't her idea to run to begin with. Her aunt Ingrid had encouraged her but was rarely seen herself. Emma had seen her once and she looked so familiar, but she was gone before Emma could get a closer look.
Because Emma was part time, she was still able to be home when the kids were done with school. She'd pick up Ben, Owen, and Amber from their day care or pre-schools and wait for the bus to drop off her kids, DJ, Lily and Rose. However, if she had to have a late day or had meetings, Zelena would watch the kids. She watched them in the summer as well, though she also had Snow to help then.
There were definitely options, but Emma loved being with her kids more than anything. Because of that, and because of how hard Emma worked on getting her degree in child psychology, Regina was interviewing to fill her position. Archie was more than happy to send referrals Emma's way, so she currently had four regular patients a month and was looking forward to seeing more once her position in the mayoral office was filled. They had turned on of their small barns into an office and Emma, along with her clients, loved how bright and cozy it was. She had a sofa, chairs, bean bags, toys, art supplies, everything needed to make everyone comfortable.
"Emma…you still with me?" Regina's voice cut through Emma's thoughts.
"Yes, sorry. Just thinking."
Regina smiled and pulled Emma close to her. "I was just saying that you'd better go help your father before I keep you here to myself."
Emma grinned and kissed her. "I'll be back soon."
As Emma headed out, Regina started a game of 'Go Fish' with Oliver.
Emma met her dad in the main sheep barn and saw that he had already loaded the sheep into a trailer hooked to the four-seater ATV. She healed the one still alive and let it go to join the other sheep out in pasture. "So, where do you think we should take them?"
David grabbed a few shovels and put them in the trailer as well. "I was thinking of going out to the edge of the land. I don't want it too close to the houses because the smell of them, even once we burry them, will attract more animals that I don't want too close to the house."
Emma thought for a bit and got in the driver's seat. "Come on, I know the best spot."
David got in and the two headed out, waving as they passed David and Snow's house where DJ and Ben were playing outside. They looked a tad disappointed that they didn't stop to pick them up, but Emma knew David didn't want them to see what was in the trailer. She drove out past all their normal trails and campsites and went where the trees got thicker. Then there was a small ditch and Emma stopped. "Okay so those trees mark the edge of our land. I think here is a good spot because if other animals get to them, it's still far from where anyone lives."
David got out and grabbed a shovel, starting to poke at the ground. "Yes, I think this will work out perfectly." He started to dig, grunting as the ground out here was colder since it never saw the sun. Emma sat with her arms crossed watching him. She chucked when he looked at her and motioned to a shovel. "You think I brought you here to watch me?" David asked.
"Why didn't you bring one of your sons?" Emma asked, still smirking.
"I did." David said, joking. "Come on, Ems. Please."
Emma sighed and got up. "I'm not digging." Instead, she used her magic to create a big hole to fit both the deceased bodies.
"You couldn't have done that ten minutes ago when I started digging?"
"Nope. You didn't ask." She said, using her magic again to move the bodies and put the dirt back on them. "You know you get further if you just ask. I'm not a mind reader."
"Yeah, yeah. You're so much like your mother." David said with a chuckle.
"Good. I love, mom."
"What about me?"
"What about you?"
"Come on, Em. Don't you love me too?"
Emma rolled her eyes and went over to him, jumping up so he had no choice but to catch her as if she was a baby. "I love you, Daddy."
He laughed and almost dropped her. He kissed her head and put her down. "I love you too, baby girl. Let's get back now. I want to see my grandkids."
Emma chuckled as she got back in the vehicle. "Cuz you never see them." She said, sarcastically.
"Yeah, yeah."
The two headed back and this time as they passed the Swan home, Emma stopped and picked her brothers up. "We're just going to the barn to park."
"That's okay. We wanted to come with." Ben said, sitting right in Emma's lap.
They went back to the barn and David unhooked the trailer, so Emma could park the vehicle. "Well, I should see how Regina and Oliver are doing."
"Thanks for the help, Emma. I was thinking of grilling out tonight. Care to join us?"
"That should be fine. I'll check with Regina and get back to you."
As Emma was heading back to her house, she saw Malory running to her from Cora's house. She smiled until she realized Malory looked very upset. "Mama! Something happened to Grama."
"What? What do you mean?" Emma asked as Ry met her and took her hand.
"She fell down and she won't wake up."
Emma's heart fell, and she rushed to Cora's house. "Cora?"
"Mama, in here. Hurry." Eva called, and Emma went to the room they were in.
Emma saw Cora unconscious on the floor and rushed to her. "Cora…" She said as she first checked for a pulse. Luckily, she found on and found she was breathing. "Girls, what happened?"
With tears in their eyes, the girls explained how Cora had been saying she wasn't feeling quite right and then she said her chest hurt before she fell. Emma got her phone out. "Go tell Mom. I'm calling 911." The girls went to get Regina as Emma called for an ambulance. "Cora, please wake up." She said quietly, not sure what to do.
Regina rushed in and knelt by her mother. "Mother. Mom, wake up." She said softly, checking for a pulse and then breathing. Her hands shook as she cupped her mother's cheek. "Mom, I can't lose you. I'm not ready to lose you." She said, a tear dripping down her face.
"Babe, it'll be okay." Emma said, reaching over to take her hand.
As Cora was loaded into the ambulance, Emma made arrangements for her parents to watch her kids while they went to the hospital. The girls wanted to come with, but Emma and Regina both told them to wait at home. They went in their car and once there, had to wait in the waiting room. Regina was beside herself with worry and Emma, though worried herself, tried to keep her wife calm. Just as Emma was about to offer more support to Regina, Dr. Nolan came out.
"Regina, Emma, you can relax." She stated and both women went over to her. "She's okay, she just had a coronary artery spasm, which is also known as a coronary spasm, unstable angina, or silent heart attack. The symptoms, which can be the same as a major heart attack, may be mistaken for muscle pain, indigestion, and more. It occurs when one of the heart's arteries tightens so much that blood flow stops or becomes drastically reduced."
"What does that mean?" Regina asked, her brain not taking in all the medical talk.
"What you need to know is, there is no permanent damage during a coronary artery spasm. While silent heart attacks aren't as serious, they do increase your risk of another heart attack or one that may be more serious. I'm going to add calcium channel blockers to her medications. Honestly, her heart is not as bad as it seems. I'm more concerned about why she passed out as I can't see a medical reason for it. Can you tell me what she was doing when this happened?"
Regina felt relief flood over her and took a breath. "She was working on teaching the girls magic. I don't exactly know what the plan was for today. So…she's okay? I'm not losing her?"
Kathryn put a gentle hand on Regina's arm. "You can bring her home with you in about an hour. Now, that being said, I do want her to rest. I also want to try and figure out what she was doing."
"We were working on potions." Came Eva's voice, causing Emma and Regina to both jump.
"Eva?" Emma asked. "What in the world are you doing here? How did you get here?"
Then Malory poofed into the room. "Hi moms."
Regina pinched the bridge of her nose and performed the binding spell on them. "This is why we bind your magic after lessons. However, what potion were you working on?"
After her initial groan and pout, Eva looked at Regina. "She said it was the peace potion."
Regina let out a breath. "Of course. It's a potion to create a sense of peace and relaxation." Regina explained to Dr. Nolan, who was looking at them with a bit of a grin. She really loved the Swan-Mills family.
"Yeah, but Eva mixed two ingredients and that's when Grama fell down. But before that, she kept saying her chest hurt."
Katheryn looked at Malory. "Next time she says that, you tell her to get her butt to the hospital. She was lucky this time."
"So Grama's okay?" Eva asked.
"Yes. Your Grama is okay. Girls, you are in trouble though. We told you to stay home and you broke the rules of using magic to come here. Go sit down and wait for us." Regina watched them go to sit and Emma shook her head a bit.
"Does what they said help at all?" She asked Dr. Nolan.
"Yes. It explains why she passed out. I'm honestly glad to hear that because there was no medical reason what so ever. However, I want her to know how important this is that she not take chest pain so lightly."
Regina raised a brow. "Don't worry, I will definitely let her know. Can I go see her?"
"Yes." Kathryn stated.
Emma nodded to Regina. "You go. I'm going to talk to the girls."
As Regina and Dr. Nolan left, Emma went and sat by the girls. "Girls, what have we told you about using magic to travel?"
They both were looking at their feet. "Not to do it." They answered.
"And did I or did I not tell you to wait at home?"
"You did."
"So, for all we know, Grandma Snow and Grandpa David are back home, freaking out because they lost you, and that's why I have ten missed calls from them."
They both looked quite ashamed and Emma sighed as she called her mother to tell her the girls were with them. When she was done, she looked at them again. "Look, I know you were worried about Grama. I know you love her and care about her. But girls, you must understand that mom and I have rules for a reason. We asked you to stay home for a reason. Just because you don't like what we say to you, doesn't mean you don't have to listen."
"Yes, Mama." Malory said quietly.
"Mama? Is it my fault?" Eva's little eyes looked at Emma.
"Is what your fault?"
Eva teared up. "Grama. I put the wrong ingredients into the potion and then she was on the floor."
Even though the girls were older, Emma pulled Eva into her lap and held her tight. "No baby. No. This is not your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself for this, honey."
Eva sniffed, trying to stop her tears. "I thought I killed her, Mama. I had to come and see. I had to."
Emma sighed, rubbing her back lightly. "I get that. Baby, thank you for explaining that. However, you still didn't listen to us."
"I know. I'm sorry, Mama. I really am." Eva sniffed.
"Okay. Mom and I will talk later, but I think you guys are going to take a week off from magic lessons. Besides, Grama will have to rest up for a while."
Malory gave a nod and moved to squirm onto Emma's lap as well. "Okay. That's fair."
Emma realized the girls were scared after what they saw, and she took the time to comfort them.
"Oh, I'm not dead. Why do you all look so sad?"
"Grama!" The girls got off Emma's lap and rushed to Cora.
Cora got on a knee and held her arms out to hug them. "Girls, I'm fine. I just got knocked out a bit."
Malory gave her a look. "And you had chest pains and didn't get help. Dr. Nolan said next time you say you have chest pains, I have to get your butt to the hospital."
Cora tapped her nose. "I promise I will. Next time, I'll come right to the doctor." She then looked at Eva who was oddly quiet. "What's wrong, Bumble Bee?"
Eva burst into tears. "I'm so sorry, Grama. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to knock you out. I thought I had the right ingredients."
Cora pulled Eva closer to her, kissing her cheek. "Oh honey. It's not your fault at all, my love." She pulled away and cupped Eva's cheeks. "It's not your fault. Please know I am not upset with you. I don't blame you, so don't blame yourself."
Eva nodded, but it took a bit for her tears to stop. "Still, I'm sorry."
Cora kissed her forehead. "There's no reason for you to be sorry, but if it makes you feel better, I forgive you."
"Thank you. I promise you I'll read over the potions throughout the week and it won't happen again. Mama said we can't do magic again until the weekend after next, so I'll spend time reading the potions ingredients."
"Honey, it's okay. You are new to magic and nothing you did could actually hurt me. It was my fault for not getting help for chest pains. I would have fallen asleep anyway with that potion, but everyone was more scared because my chest had been hurting."
"That being said," Regina stated "you are staying with us for the next few days, Mother. I won't have you be alone until I know you're one hundred percent better."
Cora stood with a sigh. "I knew you'd say that. Regina, your stairs."
"I know. Don't worry, I have a plan."
"Okay then. Whatever you say, my darling daughter."
Emma chuckled. "I think you still have a bit of peacefulness inside you."
Cora shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe I love that my daughter loves me so much. Maybe I've missed being a part of your family."
"We see you every day, Cora." Emma said, though it touched her that she felt like that.
"I know, and I love my privacy, but I do miss the craziness."
Regina smiled. "Then you'll love my idea."
They all headed home and once there, the girls went off to do their homework that they always put off until Sunday even though Regina had told them over and over to do it Friday nights. Cora laid on the couch with a blanket over her, Oliver reading her one of his favorite kid books. At five, he was a great reader. Regina and Emma went outside and about a half hour later, they came back in, both looking more tired than before.
"Mother? Come here please."
Cora stood and they all went to the kitchen. She smiled wide when she saw that where they used to have a closet, it was now an archway into Cora's "apartment". She could be a part of the family, on the main floor, and still have her own space. "Oh Regina. Thank you so much. I love it."
"Good. Now go lay down."
"I think you two need to lay down more than I do." She said, and Emma wasn't really one to argue.
"It's Sunday. I didn't get to sleep in. I'm going to take a nap. Ollie? Want to come with me?"
"Yes!" He didn't always nap, but he loved cuddling with his mama. The two went upstairs and Regina looked at Cora.
"Cuddle?"
Cora smiled and gave a nod. She loved when Regina did this. They went back to Regina's couch and Cora sat down before Regina sat by her, laying her head on her mother's chest. "I thought I was going to lose you, Mom."
Cora ran her fingers through Regina's hair and kissed her head. "I'm sorry, Regina. You haven't lost me, my love."
"You don't have to be sorry. I just…I'm so not ready to be without you."
"I'm not ready to go. I'm sorry I didn't go to the doctor. I promise I will if I feel pain again."
"Good. I love you so much."
"I love you too."
Everything honestly seemed to be perfect for the Swan-Mills family. Too bad perfection never lasts.