Regina was really worried about the little girl who blew into her life she had been missing for 4 days now and Regina had learnt from the diary in Emma's backpack that it was her birthday in another 2 she hadn't meant to pry she just wanted to find some clue as to why Emma loved the forest so much or why she headed there but she had found none only the girls birthday, oh how she wished she had magic in this land so she could cast a location spell and find that life that she had come to call precious in such a short time.
Regina headed further into the forest then she heard a howl not to far away she grabbed a thick strong stick and ran in the direction of the howl what she heard next made her blood run cold, it was a blood curdling scream and it was a child's scream but when she found the source of the scream she saw Emma and a white wolf but the wolf was not harming Emma it was laying right up next to her it was obvious that the wolf had scared Emma into passing out but it meant no harm to the fragile human it was protecting her when Regina got closer the wolf growled as a warning but when it stared into Regina's eyes for a long time it realised that Regina was not there to harm the little human that it considered to be its pup.
Regina leant down and gently scooped the unconscious child into her arms and took her to her mayoral mansion where she waited for Emma to wake up so they could talk.
A small moan alerted the brunette to the fact that the little blonde was either dreaming or waking up when she heard Emma talking actually she was more like screaming in her sleep so it was clear she was having a nightmare.
"No please stop, please daddy I won't say anything. Please don't hurt me again." By now she was crying when she shot up eyes wide and fearful.
"It's ok dear you're safe here, no ones going to hurt you." Regina said as she wrapped her arms gently around Emma's shaking form and held her close.
Emma calmed down and clung to Regina.
"Please don't send me back to them." She begged the mayor.
"Don't worry sweetling i wouldn't dream of sending you back to those monsters." Regina spat the last word as if she discovered she had just put poison in her mouth, it eluded her how anyone could harm such a precious child like this.
Two days passed and Emma turned 10 Regina threw a huge party for the girl who she had taken into her home she had rigged up some papers that said she was the girls guardian so no one in town would suspect anything she even let the wolf to stay with Emma everywhere the girl was the wolf would be keeping a close watchful eye on her.
4 days after her birthday Emma was helping Regina cook dinner when she felt something wet run down her leg.
"Uh - oh." She said with worry.
"Emma what's wrong?"
"I think I had an accident." Going by the bloom of red on her cheeks Regina guessed what Emma meant.
But then Emma cried out in pain as her hands went to her stomach.
Regina rushed over to the girl.
"Honey you didn't have an accident. Your water broke, your baby is ready to be born."
"I can't do this alone I'm only 10. I don't know how to be a mom I never had anyone to show me how to be one."
"Don't worry I'll be there to help you, you will not be left alone to do this, I promise you."
Soon Emma was in the hospital and Regina was behind her holding her hand, the labor was really taking its toll on the poor girls body she was exhausted and she want even halfway.
"I can't do this I'm too exhausted."
"You can do it Emma, I know you can." Regina said encouragingly while her hand was going numb from Emma squeezing so tight she was amazed at how someone so small had such a strong grip.
Emma let out a sharp cry.
"Something's wrong?"
"Kathryn what's wrongs?" Regina asked when she saw the look on her friends face.
"I can't feel the head."
"Is it breech?" Asked an attending nurse.
"No it's sideways."
"What do you have to do Kathryn?"
"I'll rotate the baby until I can grab a foot and deliver it as a breech."
As Kathryn turns the baby it causes Emma to scream loudly.
"Almost there."
"I can't. It's too much."
"Push Emma."
"Please I can't I'm so tired." Emma begged.
"I know you are but it's almost over sweetling." Regina whispered.
With one last push Emma's baby entered the world with a healthy set of lungs.
"Is it a he or a she?"
"Emma you have a beautiful healthy boy."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Emma just kept repeating those two words over and over, she was ever so thankful that her baby was a boy and not a girl just in case her foster dad ever found her.