TW: Small vague mentions of past abuse. No graphic details.
It took Emma a couple of days to research all the laws pertaining to child care and chain of custody for her son. She only was able to find a single way where Lily could take care of Henry. And she was not sure if Lily was going to go with it. After everything that happened during their last visit Emma had a lot to think about with regards to what Lily had said about the Enchanted Forest and Emma did feel extremely guilty for her hand in the way Lily's life ended up. Emma herself led a similar life growing up and look where she was now. Having any amount of part in that happening to Lily was not something Emma was ok with. And now asking Lily to take care of her son and what she was going to have to ask. This would affect the rest of her life.
With the laws in Arizona, the custody of a child when it comes to pregnant inmates is a bit vague but also extremely strict. The custody first goes to the biological father who Emma was not going to even utter a name or let near her son, so that option is out of the question. The next in line for custody would be her family. That is obvious that it would not work as her biological family does not exist on paper. After that the next in line would be someone with a fostering license. If she knew someone with a fostering license she could request that person specifically but Lily does not fall under this category.
From the phone calls she got from Lily she had spent the last few days establishing herself in Phoenix and got herself a job at a day care center. Lily had been thinking ahead and knew she wouldn't be able to work and afford day care for the boy and she wouldn't be able to leave him alone and go to work, but with working at the daycare she is able to get free daycare for one child. This would give a place for Emma's son, save money, and Lily was using it as a way to learn more about taking care of babies.
Emma had been surprised how well Lily had taken to the idea of being a parent. It made her relax a bit knowing that her son would be safe with Lily. Although she wants to get through her prison sentence and having her son before even approaching the topic of fairy tales and everything to do with it. She knew it would be something that needed to be tackled eventually as she couldn't ask Lily to forget about Maleficent, but the sound of evil witches with grudges against her family didn't seem like a good idea to bring a vulnerable baby into.
But none of that was important right now because she was currently pacing her cell worried about Lily's next visit in two days. During that visit she was going to have to somehow convince someone her and her family wronged horribly that they would have to be married in less than three months.
Lily arrived that afternoon and was led to the visiting room. The two of them met in the middle with a hug and smiles before sitting down in their chairs.
Lily saw that Emma seemed a bit nervous about something. While Emma could tell whenever someone was lying Lily had learned how to read people very well. She had to pick this up through her childhood to predict her foster father's moods. That wasn't a pleasant thought.
But she trusted Emma so to try and help her settle down she started going over a lot of things she learned over the last week since they had talked. She started off with the apartment.
"You rented an apartment instead of staying in a filthy motel?" asked Emma.
"Yes. It isn't five star or anything but it is pretty good for a cheap price. It does only have one bedroom though so we will have to share." Lily replied with a wink.
Emma blushed in response and decided to change the subject. "How is work at the daycare? Having fun with the snot nosed brats?" She asked with a smirk.
Lily huffed back. "They can be a pain but I've dealt with you so everything else is easier than that." Lily shot back. "There is this one stuck up snob named Julie. She is training me in and she looks down on me though. I think it was because I mentioned that I was expecting a kid but mentioned you. She is probably a homophobe or something." Lily whined. That was something that never changed about Lily. She always whined about something wrong with everyone else.
Emma laughed a little at Lily's little monologue. "So what has you all worried?" Lily interrupted Emma's laughing.
Emma quieted and sat pensively for a minute before leaning across the table to grab Lily's hand.
"Lily. What are we?"
Lily looked confused for a second. She knew they hadn't defined the relationship between them yet, but she thought it was obvious how she felt. "What do you want us to be?" She asked back.
"I feel connected to you, and now that I have my darkness back I thought that connection between us would go away. That thing that always seemed to pull us together and get in trouble. But it is still there. What I am asking is if we are more than friends?" She replied shyly looking down at the table.
Lily chuckled. "Emma we aren't 16 anymore, you can say the word girlfriend."
Emma flushed a little before gathering her courage. "Good that is what I want too."
"Is that all you that had you worried Swan?" Lily asked teasingly.
"Uh…. No, not exactly." Emma stuttered out. Her small courage gone again but she needed to explain everything to Lily no matter what. "Since the two of us aren't related and you aren't my son's biological parent and you don't have fostering license, then there is only one way for you to be able to have custody of him while I am in prison." Emma explained.
"And what is that?" Lily asked suddenly on edge when from the serious topic.
"We need to get married before the baby is born." Emma finished.
While Lily was surprised at the turn of events, it wasn't like she didn't know that agreeing to help raise a baby with Emma meant something permanent before. And she may have looked at some of the parents during her time at the day care center this week fantasizing about having a family with Emma. The two of them with a son. Something she didn't even know she wanted a month ago. When the Sorcerer's Apprentice told her that Emma would lead her to her family she had no idea it would be like this. But there was no question in her mind how this would go. She would not let such an opportunity slip from her grasp. If it required a shotgun wedding in a prison, then that's what it would be.
"Emma Swan, are you proposing to me." She asked in a fake shocked voice. Just because this was serious and important didn't mean couldn't tease her…. Fiancé?
Emma blushed a little. "Yes, I guess I am." She gave a shy smile to Lily who got up and kissed Emma hard.
Emma was a little overwhelmed after that. The two of them spoke a little bit more before time was up but they would plan out the wedding later. Emma went to bed thinking about how much had changed over the last week. From having to give her son away to getting engaged, learning about magic, and preparing for parenthood. It was a real whirlwind and she wouldn't have it any other way.
In Storybroke
Regina was having quite a different time than Emma was in Prison. She had a much more mixed feeling going on in her and it was at the far end of two sides. One was happiness and hope. She had never had that before. But the other part. Was an intense rage. She had felt that before but not to this level.
This all came from an important conversation that came from earlier in the week.
Flashback One Week
"Hello Mal."
The dragon glared before it was engulfed in smoke and shrunk down into a human shaped person. "So you finally come and grace me with your presence?" Maleficent asked harshly.
"No. I need a friend. I need someone on my side when this curse breaks." Regina sees Maleficent eyes bulge and a smile formed. "You want the curse to break?" Regina asked.
"I will answer your question if you answer mine." Maleficent stated in a haughty tone. She knew that Regina came here for her help but she was going to get what she wanted first.
"What is it you want?" Regina asked cautiously.
"I know that magic can't be done in this realm, but do you have an item that is enchanted that we could strip the magic off of to do a small spell?" Maleficent asks.
Regina pauses to think. She did have a few trinkets that weren't that important that she could spare for her old friend. So she nodded.
Mal smiled and swallowed. "Good. And yes I want the curse to end. There is something I need to tell you. The reason why I didn't want to give you the curse in the first place." She left hanging.
Regina was intrigued. The only reason she had locked up her old friend was because she had fought so hard against the curse when she had come to get it.
"I know you thought it was weird I was against the curse in the first place but what you didn't know was that I was pregnant." Maleficent admitted.
To say Regina was shocked would be an understatement. Maleficent was pregnant during that time was surprising. She knew she and Maleficent had a few flings during that time but didn't know that Maleficent was seeing someone else.
"After you left me alone I laid the egg and protected it, her." She corrected herself with a smile. "Ursula came to help me."
'Of course. The Sea Bitch and Maleficent probably had the kid.' Regina thought out flaring her nostrils a bit. She was not jealous. 'Where was the Sea Bitch? She hadn't seen her in Storybroke once.'
"While Ursula was helping me protect the egg Snow White and Prince Charming showed up." She continued recapturing Regina's attention. Both villains snarling at their names. "They knocked Ursula out with sleeping powder and I was still weak from laying the egg. They came into my nest and took her!" She shouted. "They took my baby." Came out a bit softer with a sob. Maleficent finally broke down. She had been stewing over this loss the entire time she was stuck in the cage. She wanted revenge but first she wanted to see if she could find her baby.
Regina had rushed over and held her friend. It had been a long time since they had stood like this. She was pissed at the new low that Snow had turned to. Regina was willing to bet that when Snow remembers everything after the curse she would be angry at Regina for taking her baby away the hypocrite. Just like how Snow already hated her for taking away her father. Regina tried to tell her the horrible things that the King had done to her behind closed doors but Snow just said that she was a sick liar.
"It's ok, we will get our revenge." Regina whispered.
"No, I just want my baby. They took her because of some vision of their kid being evil. They took their kids darkness put her in my daughter and then sent her through a portal to another world because they said she would be too evil and powerful to be in the Enchanted Forest. But I heard them say the sent her to the land without magic." She finished her story.
Regina was furious. Doing that to a child. They were deciding what to do with other people's children? And they called her the Evil Queen? That title definitely belonged to Snow.
"That is what you want the magic for? You want to find her?" Regina asked.
"Yes." Replied Maleficent.
"Then follow me." Regina led Maleficent out of the cave while pulling her along. The enchantment holding her there says she could leave with Regina. As they were leaving the elevator back into the library Maleficent spoke again.
"Regina, she's yours too." That made Regina freeze. She knew she had been with Maleficent around that time but if she and Maleficent had a kid then that meant.
"No. We are true loves?" Regina whispered. She almost sneered at the idea. Snow White practically ruined the idea of true love for her and now if Maleficent was right…. Then death was too good for her. And she had a daughter out there to find and maybe, just maybe a chance at a family. One she had wished for since she had met Daniel. Since she took that potion. She may not be able to be pregnant but if Maleficent is her true love… She didn't need to be the one pregnant.
"Let's find our girl." Regina went off at a quicker pace to her vault. This wasn't some deal or trade. She needed to find her daughter. That thought brought a smile to her face.
Regina pulled a random piece of jewelry off the shelf, it had a small enchantment to improve fire magic. While she was doing that Maleficent was going around the vault gathering ingredients for a location charm.
When the magic and the ingredients were put together in a small cauldron smoke started billowing out. Regina brought out a map of Storybroke, one of the USA, and one of the world to try and find their daughter. First she tested the world one. The location on the map though showed that their daughter was in Maine. Regina got excited hoping maybe she did get swept up in the curse. When they used the map of the USA it also showed Maine but more specifically Storybroke. But when she used the map of story broke the signature read right at the boundary and she realized what had happened. The Magic wouldn't go out of the town line.
Regina did the next best thing and marked where that mark on the boundary was and where the vault was. She found out where that line led after connecting the two and drew it around the globe.
"Well.. she could be anywhere along this line." Regina said. Maleficent dropped into a chair losing hope. "This means she is alive though." That was able to give Maleficent a small smile.
"But the curse won't be broken for another ten years. We won't be able to find her until then." They both sat down for a while thinking.
Then Regina got an idea. "What about the familial sight spell?"
It was a spell which required the blood of both parents and would be shown a vision of their kid to check on their health.
"That could work." Replied the dragon.
Again after gathering the ingredients, the magic, and placing their blood in the cauldron the smoke poured out and showed an image. The image showed the back of an 18 year old girl. This girl had long black hair halfway down her back and wore tight jeans. With a glimpse of her arm they were able to see a star on her wrist. The image blurred out and the spell was over.
"She's beautiful." They both said at the same time.
Flashback end
It was a week later and Regina and Maleficent had been no closer to finding anything out about their daughter. They had no way to leave Storybroke and would have to wait till the curse was broken. But Regina had many magical objects and they would check in on her repeatedly.
Regina picked up the morning newspaper and smiled. There was a photograph of Kathrine slapping Mary Margret in the middle of one of her classes on the front page of the newspaper. It was titled 'First Rate Teacher, or First Rate homewrecker?'
Regina cracked a smile. The next 10 years would be fun.
AN: For all the laws of custody and same sex marriage mentioned in this chapter I will let you know I did not research for that so it could be right or wrong based on the year when the events occur but I am just going with it this way since it is just convenient. If you have any questions or comments let me know in the reviews. I know the relationships in the story are moving a bit fast but this is supposed to be about family rather than romance. The two main relationships already have a established past so I am using that to push it forward rather than a slow burn. I hope this doesn't annoy anyone but if you have an idea or concern about the pace just let me know.
