Set Up: This is just to avoid any confusion. The story starts out a few years after the curse is broken. Henry is in high school now and mostly stays with Emma, but Regina and her obviously share him. Regina has always wanted her own child, so she got artificially inseminated and that is how Claire came to be. Still not much of a love life, but this could change. ;)
Regina Mills was in deep sleep when she heard voices calling her name. With a not so gentle nudge to her arm, Regina opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but gradually cleared to see her little girl staring at her.
"What's wrong, baby?" Regina asked, voice still hoarse from sleeping.
The little girl started to get into bed with Regina. Noticing this, the brunette moved over and lifted up the covers. Once her little girl was cuddled up next to her, Regina stroke her hair with her fingers and leaned her head down, so that her face was next to the little girl's ear.
Regina kissed her cheek, "Have another nightmare?" The little girl nodded. "What about, Claire-bear?"
The little girl turned and nuzzled her face into her mother's chest. She mumbled, "Mean lady tried to get me."
Regina closed her eyes briefly in thought. This is the same nightmare that Claire has been having since she was two. It would go away for a little while, but it always found a way back. Claire was five now. When she opened her eyes, Regina looked over at her clock: 5:30 in the morning.
Regina tried to move her body, so that she could see Claire's eyes, "Want to talk about it with mommy?" Claire thought about the offer. It was in these moments that Regina saw herself in Claire.
After some time had passed, Claire finally spoke up. "I's out in the street with Henry and…and the lady asks for you. Then..." Claire starts using her hands to demonstrate what happened, but Regina already knows.
"The lady uses her powers on your brother and you run to find me because that's what Henry wanted." Claire nodded, which only made Regina release a breath out of her nose in frustration. She needed to talk to somebody about this and figure out what was going on in her little girl's head.
Claire watched her mother think, "Mommy?" Regina looked towards the little girl in front of her and hummed a 'hm.' "You'll protect me?" Regina felt that burning feeling in her eyes. She took Claire into her arms and placed her head on top of the little girls.
"I will always protect you. Don't you ever forget it…" Regina had a billion things to say, instead she let Claire calm down and fall back asleep. Regina couldn't sleep. All she could think about was the woman her daughter always described. Who was she? Was it really just a dream? Regina could only hope it was.
The next morning Regina got up and took a shower. All the while, replaying the dream that her daughter described to her. She couldn't figure out what it meant or if she should even be concerned.
She stepped out of the shower and prepared for the day ahead. When she was finished, Regina walked down the hall into Claire's bedroom where she peaked her head in to check on her.
Claire was sitting at a little table drawing something that Regina couldn't see from where she stood. Regina noted Claire's hair still had not been brushed out.
"Claire," Regina got the attention of her daughter as she walked closer to her and sat down on the edge of the bed, "What are you drawing?" Regina tried to lean closer to take a look, but Claire instantly covered it.
Claire gave her mother a look, "Show you later, mommy." Regina leaned forward once more, but Claire continued to cover it. Regina sighed as she looked around the room.
"How about you let mommy braid your hair and then we can go visit Emma and Henry?" Claire pretended to think this over.
The little girl's eyes lit up at the mere thought of seeing her big brother. "Let's go, let's go!" Regina smiled at Claire, but only patted the spot next to her on the bed. Claire quickly moved beside her mother as Regina grabbed the brush and a ponytail.
Regina brushed through her daughter's hair enough where she could run her fingers through it. Claire kept moving, which only made Regina smile slightly. "Stop moving, baby."
Claire tried to be more still even though she was nearly bouncing with excitement. Regina didn't know what she would do without Claire and her brother. They were everything to her. Claire looked almost identical to her with her brown hair and brown eyes. She reminded Regina of her younger self: carefree and spirited. When she finished braiding Claire's hair, Regina leaned forward and kissed the side of her face.
Claire giggled at the interaction. "We go now?" Claire asked, while jumping off the bed and turning towards her mother. Regina chuckled at her daughter's excitement.
"Yes," Regina smiled, getting off the bed, "We can go now."
Author's Note: It has been awhile since I have last written a story, so be nice :) I will try to update every Wednesday night, but with school this could change slightly every once in awhile. Please review!
