Ch.4
"Mom! Wake up, you over slept." Henry called from the hallway. He went to open his mother's door and was shocked yet again to find both his mothers in bed together.
"Whoa, hey can you guys like put a sock on the door or something so I don't keep disturbing you?" Henry asked annoyed.
Regina and Emma's eyes shot open. They were shocked to see they must have moved around in the night as they were not in the same position they fell asleep in. Christian has scooted down and was now laying against Emma's leg sitting between them, his little feet kicking at Regina's legs as he sucked on his chubby little fists. His tuff of black hair sticking straight up.
Emma and Regina however had moved closer together, their hands had been interwoven together before they shot apart. Emma carefully moved her legs so she was able to pick the baby up before getting out of the bed. Regina was already rushing Henry out of the room when Emma followed them to the stairs.
"Henry, Emma was just sleeping with me… I mean in my room, because the baby gets very fussy at night and only calms down for me." Regina said as she followed her son to the kitchen.
"It's true kid." Emma said trotting behind them, the baby giggled as she was making funny noises for every bouncing step she took down the stairs. "The baby only wants your mom at night. He magically brought us here twice!"
"Wait, the baby has magic?" Henry said as he took a seat at the kitchen counter. "So his parents are most likely magical as well! This is great, we can narrow it down now and make sure he gets home." Henry said.
"Yeah, we talked about this a little last night." Emma said.
"Tell him Emma. He should know." Regina said. Emma looked at her before sighing.
"We think there is a possibility that he is Dark Emma's baby. That is why it isn't safe for him. He has magic and his mother is The Dark One." Emma said.
Henry's eyes widened. "Wow, that's insane to think, but it would make sense."
"Well it's only a theory, but it would fit. Until we learn more I guess there is no way of knowing." Regina said.
"Yeah, it's not like we are going to do a blood test to figure it out." Emma said as she laughed at her own joke. But Regina didn't laugh, she looked as though she just had a brilliant idea. Emma caught sight of her look. "Regina, we are not going to blood test the baby. We are just babysitting, he isn't ours to take him to get medical procedures!" Emma cupped the baby's head and held him closer to her protectively.
"No, no. Not a blood test at the hospital. A magic blood test. Using blood magic. The only one who has to draw blood is you. Don't worry, you just need a drop." Regina said as she rushed out of the room.
A few moments later Regina returned, magically dressed for the day and with two small wooden boxes with clasps. Emma knew they must be music boxes, the type with a little ballerina inside. Regina sat them on the kitchen counter and opened one up and pulled out a very long needle.
"I will show you how to do it first." Regina said as she pricked herself with the needle. A bead of red appeared at the tip where the needle had just been. Regina held her finger over the box and let one single drop fall to the box. However, just as the drop was about to touch the box it froze in midair, as if a small force field covered the entire thing. The blood drop splattered around the invisible shield and a small ripple of magic issued from it. Once it was done rippling Regina put her hands down.
"There, try to open it." Regina said to Emma.
Emma handed the baby to Regina and grabbed the box. She tried to flip the little clasp up but it wouldn't budge. She pulled and pulled but the tiny golden clasp stayed tightly down, and then after about a minute of struggling Emma finally gave up.
"It won't open." Emma said
"That is because we do not share the same blood. Here Henry you try too." Regina said as she handed the locked box to her son. Henry tried to pry it open but it wouldn't budge. Regina took it back from him and opened the box with ease.
"See, only myself or someone I am blood related to can open it. Okay Emma, your turn to lock the other box." Regina said as she bounced the baby in her lap.
Emma took the needle in one hand and pricked her index finger on the other. When the drop of blood formed she held it over the box as Regina had.
"Picture the box locked tight, and no one can get in. Picture someone attempting to unlock it but not being able to. Then let it drop." Regina said.
Emma did as she was instructed and let the drop of blood fall to the box. It did just as Regina's had and splattered just above the box. The magic rippled and Regina looked at Emma with a smile. She had come so far in their magic lessons, and she knew Regina was proud. Emma smiled smugly back and Regina rolled her eyes, but kept her smile.
"Okay Henry, give it a try. Open it." Regina instructed. Henry reached out and easily opened the box. He closed it up again and handed it to Regina. Emma took the baby so Regina could use both hands. Regina pulled and pulled but the clasp would not budge.
"Well Emma, it seems you did it. Good job! Now let the baby try. If he is related to any version of you he should be able to easily flip it open, but you must not help him or the magic could work as if you were opening it." Regina said.
Emma held out the box in front of Christian. His curiosity held his attention on the box as he put his chubby little hands on the lid. In a matter of moments his fumbling around succeeded in lifting the lid. They all stared at him. He truly was the Dark Swan's child.
"Oh my god, what do we do now?" Emma asked.
"Nothing, when The Dark swan comes back for him at least we know that it is her child, and she didn't steal him from another family. You promised to keep him safe until she returned and that is exactly what we are going to do. The mystery is solved so we can relax now. I was only worried that we were helping a kidnapper." Regina said.
"Easy for you to say! He is kind of my child and a part of me, but at the same time he isn't. I have no memory of giving birth to him. But I already have spent more time with him than I did when Henry was a baby" Emma said sadly.
Regina reached out and put a hand on Emma's shoulder, in an attempt to comfort her. Henry got up and hugged her as well. No one was looking at the baby as he reached for the other box. Once in his hands he flipped open the lip. They looked down when they heard his gurgle noise as he tried to put the box in his mouth.
"Which box is that?" Regina asked.
"It must be mine, it's opened." Emma said.
"No, your box is there, on that side. Close it and try to open it." Regina told Emma, pointing to the box in Christian's hands. Emma took the box from the baby and closed it, but it would not reopen for her. She gave it to the baby. He once again flipped it open with ease.
Henry grabbed the box and closed it. He then reached for the clasp and it would not open. They all looked down at the baby shocked. Emma and Henry then looked at Regina.
"Mom, what does that mean?" Henry asked.
"Yeah Regina, what the hell does this mean?"
