Hey everyone! First of all thank you for the reviews! This chapter is going to be long because I couldn't update over the weekend because it was my birthday and I went to Disneyland! Anyways, I hope you like it, there's going to be some MamaSnow in this chapter so get ready! And for the DadyCharming lovers out there, don't worry I love David as much as I love Snow, so we will have some David/Emma flashbacks in the next episodes, and we will see more of Hook in the following episodes too. Please review!
Regina was walking back to her house when she heard someone running, she immediately recognized the blond. She knew that something was wrong; Emma was running as a possessed woman, as if something was following her. She decided to follow the blond, when she found her, she saw a defeated Emma.
"Emma are you ok", Regina asked again. Emma didn't answer. Regina knew that the savior was trying to get her emotions at check again before facing her. She knew that Emma wasn't going to talk, so she decided to take a different approach "Remember what you said to me not long ago? You said that we understood each other, that we both understand what it feels like to be misunderstood and rejected. I also understand what it feels like to pretend that everything is fine when you know it isn't"
"I just need to be alone," Emma said not looking up at Regina.
"Nobody needs to be alone Emma" Regina said, "I know because I used to tell myself that. The truth is that when you say that you want to be alone is the time when you need someone to be with you the most"
Emma finally looked up at Regina and she saw that she actually cared about her. Maybe the whole time they spend trying to kill the wicket witch and the snow queen served as bonding time between the two of them.
"It just, it sucks!" Emma expressed "I thought that my life was finally coming together, that I was finally going to be able to breath a little, but then suddenly my life started to fall apart again"
"Emma your life is not falling apart. You have Henry that loves you and looks up to you, you have your one handed pirate that loves you too" Emma immediately looked up again with wide eyes "Oh come on Emma! Don't deny it. I mean you two are always making eyes at each other; it's pretty obvious actually. You also have Red and Granny that would do anything for you. And you also have an entire town that loves you. So don't come and tell me that your life is falling apart. What your parents are doing might be hurting you but I am sure..."
"Wait" Emma immediately interrupted Regina "Who told you about my parents?"
Dam it! Thought Regina, she wasn't supposed to know "Henry" Regina breathed out "But before you get mad that he told me about what was happening, you have to know that he only told me because he was worried about you"
"I am not surprise he told you " Emma said as she began to stand up.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Regina said a little taken at back
"I mean he doesn't hide secrets from the ones he loves", She said as she shook the dirt out of her jeans "I am not upset by the way"
"Good, because he is only looking out for you"
"I know" Emma agreed "He is so young but so mature, I cant believe he is mine"
"Well, I did raised him" Regina said with a little smile "so you are welcome"
"Wherever, It was really hard and awkward to talk to you when you were standing up and I was sitting down by the way"
"Did you expected me to sit in the ground next to you and hold your hand" Regina said sarcastically "Besides I am a queen and I do not sit in the ground"
"Wow, sorry...thanks tho...you know for the little pep talk"
The wind started to blow hard and the clouds started to darken
"Come on, lets go Pocahontas" Regina said looking up at the sky
"Pocahontas? What the hell!" Emma asked following Regina
"Well you were under the tree looking all sad"
Emma let out a little laugh "That girl must have been high or something...looking faces in the trees and shit"
Regina laughed, "For god shakes Ms. Swan!"
"Where are we going by the way?" Emma said as she kept following Regina "And what where you doing here?"
"We are going to my house before it starts to rain, and I was visiting the grave of my parents"
"Um, ok, just one more question. Why am I going to your house?"
"I think Henry has to ask you something"
"Is it about the house?" Emma said.
"So he told you already" Regina said looking at Emma "He mentioned it to me today. I have to be honest he is really exited about it"
"Yeah, I know" Emma agreed
"What about you? Do you want to get your own place?" Regina asked
Emma thought about that for a moment "Yes I do, I mean a part of me was hoping to get a little more time to be with my parents, but they don't...they just...you know"
"You are really eloquent" Regina snared "And if you need help getting everything ready...I can help you if you want"
"Yeah" Emma smiled "I'd like that, thanks. I just don't want to tell my parents right now"
"Ok I understand" Regina nodded.
The wind started to blow harder and rain started to pour down. Emma was about to start running when she felt Regina take her hand. The next thing she knew she was in Regina's living room.
"Magic of course" Emma said feeling a little disoriented bending over "I have to get use to this" she breathed out.
"You will" Regina said trying to contain her laugh. Emma was looking impressed and dizzy at the same time.
"Go ahead, laugh" Emma hissed, still trying to make her head stop spinning "I dare you"
Regina couldn't hold it anymore she let out a loud laugh. Emma looked up and smiled, the former Evil Queen was laughing her ass off. It was nice to see her finally happy. At least somebody got their happy ending.
"Mom, I tough I heard you" Henry said walking down the stairs. "Both of you"
"Gina! Aunt Emma!" Roland's voice came from upstairs.
"Don't run down the stairs Roland" Regina said as she controlled her laughter and walked towards the stairs
"Gina!" Roland sad exited as he jumped from the last couple of stairs to Regina's arms.
"Hey mom" Henry said giving Emma a hug "What are you doing her?"
"Hey Kid" Emma said hugging Henry tight "I umm...I just wanted to see you"
"Are you going to stay for dinner aunt Emma?" Roland asked as he got down from Regina's arms.
"Hi, my lady" Robin said walking down the stairs, He gave Regina a hug and a kiss in the check "Hi, Emma, good to see you"
"Good to see you too Robin" Emma smiled at him
"Do you know that we are going camping tomorrow Aunt Emma?" Roland asked excitedly jumping up and down "Just like we used to when we were back home. We are going to take Henry too! It's going to be so fun"
"Yes, I know kid" Emma smiled at the kid, it was impossible not to feel happy when a kid as energetic as Roland was around "I don't know if I like the idea that girls are not allowed though"
"Oh, well" Roland shrug "You can have a girls-only camp while we are away"
"To be honest I don't know how the girls in Story Brooke are going to defend themselves without us man here, right boys?" Robin said with a grin.
Henry laughed "To be honest, I don't know how we are going to defend ourselves without them"
"Hey" Robin said pretending to be angry "What side are you on?!"
"Sorry Robin" Henry shrug "I was raised by two strong woman I can't just say that about girls"
Emma and Regina looked at Henry and then at each other. They both just smiled. Emma half hugged Henry from the shoulders "That's my son" Said Emma proudly.
"Our son" Regina corrected "What about you Roland? Which side are you on?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow and a little smile.
Roland looked from Regina to Robin and he slowly walked to Regina. Regina immediately smiled and gather him in her arms "Smart boy" She told him.
"Wow that really hurt" Robin said as he put a hand in his chest pretending to be wounded in the heart "I can't believe that my own son will do that to me"
"I love you papa, but Gina and Aunt Emma are really strong"
"Sorry Robin" Henry said walking up to him and petting him in the shoulder "But that is true"
The rain started to pour heavily, and the wind to blow faster and stronger. And a loud thunder was heard. Roland who was in Regina's arms clung to her tighter. Robin and Henry jumped a little. The only ones who looked unaffected by the loud sound were Regina and Emma.
"Wow, the storm just got heavier" Emma chuckled "If this keeps going I think the Boys-only camp will need to be canceled"
"No!" Robin, Roland and Henry said in unison.
"Emma is right" Regina agreed, "If this storm doesn't stop you will have to stay"
With that Regina decided that it was time to start preparing dinner. Roland and Robin decided to go and "help" Regina make dinner, so Henry and Emma stayed in the living room.
"Mom, I have to tell you something" Henry said sheepishly "Could we um...go to my room and talk?"
"Yeah, sure kid" Emma answered a little worried of what Henry might tell her. Henry led her to his room and he sat down at the bed, Emma decided to sit down next to him. Henry was looking down at his hands without saying a word.
"So" Emma began "What's up kid? Is everything ok?
"No, well technically yes, but no" Henry confessed "I called Rosie today"
"Rosie? Like the Rosie from New York? The real estate Rosie" Emma said a little surprised.
"Yeah that Rosie, I told her that you wanted to sell the apartment in New York and that we needed someone to pack all our things and send them to Maine" Henry said closing his eyes, waiting to hear her mother scold him.
Emma just sat there a little dumbfounded. She knew that she had agreed to consider the possibility of moving out of the charming household, but was Henry moving too fast, or was she moving to slow?
"I am not mad kid, so relax" Emma reassured him "I am just...why? Why did you do that without asking me first?"
"I am sorry mom, I guess I wasn't thinking. You are right, I should't have done it sorry" Henry signed looking sad.
Emma didn't know if she was mad because her son did something that important behind her back or if she was proud because she knew that her son only wanted to protect her. She was now 70% sure that she wanted to get out of the charming household, she knew that they weren't going to miss her anyways. She could tell that her son was feeling bad about what he did, and she didn't want him to feel bad about looking out for her.
Emma half hugged him and said "Don't worry kid, I know why you are doing this and thanks, but I am still not sure of when or if we are moving to that house or any other house. I know I told you that I would give you an answer by dinner but this is a big step and selling our house in New York is even a bigger steep for me, so just give me some time ok?"
"Ok mom, but not so much time tho. What if someone buys the house first. I mean that is the perfect house for us. The back yard leads to the forest and we will basically have a lake as our front yard"
"Why that house though?" Emma asked, there were other houses un-occupied in storybrook, she was curious of why he choose that house.
"Well I think that house is going to be good for the three of us, it has a little something for all of us"
"Wait three of us?" Emma whispered knowing who that third person was
"It has the forest near and you like to walk in the forest when you feel stressed out or when you need time to think. It has the lake... I tough Killian might like it I know is not the ocean but you know...and it's not that far from here so I will be able to visit my other family too. See? Everybody wins" He finished with a grin.
How was she supposed to answer to that? When he put it that way, it really did seemed like the perfect house for them. Them. Oh my god did she just said them? She knew that her relationship with Killian was good and solid but living together? As a family? She sure had to think more about that.
Henry saw her mother's face and couldn't help but smile "And the best part" He said mischievously "It has four rooms, you know if you want to extend the family"
Emma immediately looked at him with a surprised expression. Henry let out a laugh and gave her mother a pat in the knee "I was just saying, no pressure"
"Oh by the way mom, Rosie told me that someone went to our apartment looking for us"
"Who" Emma said immediately
"Rosie told me that she didn't remember their names, that it was a couple in their late forties and she told me that you can call her tomorrow to get everything ready"
"Ok, I will call her...I wonder who these people are"
Henry showed Emma what he was going to take to the only-men camp. They had planed this camp for the last weeks; Robin and his merry men were going to take Henry and Roland to the forest where they will show them how to become merry men. Henry had asked Hook to join them and he had accepted, telling Emma that it would be a good bonding experience for the two of them. At first Emma didn't exactly knew what to say, she felt happy knowing that Kilian and Henry had formed a good friendship and she felt more at ease knowing that Killian will be taking care of her son.
Henry and Emma made their way back downstairs and found Roland and Robin watching some TV in the living room.
"She kicked us out of her kitchen" Robin said like a kid who had been scolded "She is making lasagna"
Henry just laughed and went to sit next to Roland, they were watching the movie How to train your dragon, one of Roland's favorite.
"I'm going to go see if I can help Regina with something" Emma announced.
"I hope she doesn't kicks you out of her kitchen too", Robin said crossing his arms
Emma walked into the kitchen and saw Regina cutting some cheese. "Do you need help?" Emma asked half-heartedly.
Regina looked up and smiled "No thanks, Ms. Swan. I don't want my lasagna to get ruined"
"I am not that bad" Emma grumbled
"Not what Henry told me, and you don't seem like the cooking type"
"May I remind you that I feed our son, and he is healthy and everything"
"May I remind you that I gave you new memories in which you knew how to cook, so that helped. You might remember what to do, but you don't have the skills anymore"
"Why do you always have to win!" Emma exclaimed.
"I will always win...if it's the last thing I do" Regina said in her Evil Queen voice
"Ok, don't do that" Emma said sitting at one of the island chairs "that is creepy"
Regina laughed "the dragon slayer princes is afraid of the evil queen?"
"Pff, please. I am not afraid, I just don't like your evil queen voice, I feel like giving you a sneaker and be like...Regina take this snicker you are not yourself when you are hungry"
"Oh Ms. Swan you are unbelievable" They both laughed.
"Aww look at us laughing and talking like old friends" Emma teased "who would've thought? I mean really. You wanted to kill me since I first set foot in Story Brooke"
"I know" Regina said, "What the hell happened?"
"I think that battling crazy psycho teens, wicked witches and snow queens made us work together which led to this" Emma observed.
"Yeah I guess, and Henry too. Having a son in common helped too" Regina said smiling at Emma. She was happy thinking that she was developing a friendship with Emma. They had a lot of things in common and one of the most important things is that Emma wasn't one of those people who would get offended easily, a quality that Regina found really helpful considering that her since of humor was a little dark.
Once the lasagna was ready they all had dinner while chatting and listening to Robin tell them stories about the enchanted forest. The storm continued with its heavy rain and fast wind. The thunders would make everybody jump.
"Mom, I don't think you will be able to go to the loft," Henry told Emma "The storm is not getting any better"
"You can stay here if you want" Regina offered, "You can stay in the guest room"
"You have a guest room?" Emma asked surprised "How many rooms does this house has?"
"It actually has five rooms", Henry explained while finishing her lasagna "Please mom stay, I don't want you to leave specially when it's raining like that"
"Even if I wanted to leave, I can't. I left the bug at the station" Emma said "So yes, I will stay. I hope I'm not an inconvenience or anything" She finished shyly.
"Nonsense" Robin said, "We are practically family"
"Yes" Roland chimed in "You are my Aunt, remember"
Emma smiled "Then I guess I'm staying here"
Regina smiled at Emma "Ok then, welcome to the Mills-Hood house, I hope you get out of it alive" Regina said in her Evil Queen voice.
"Stop it!" Emma laughed nervously "That's creepy!"
Regina showed Emma the room where she was going to spend the night. It was quite an ample room, it even had it's own bathroom. Emma took off her boots and placed them in the floor. Regina had given her some night cloths to sleep on; she put them on and laid down in bed. She was exhausted, not only physically but also mentally. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but she couldn't. She couldn't stop thinking about her parents, she tried to forget about what was happening but she couldn't. Then she remembered one of the things that one of the nicest foster parents that she ever had told her. They told her that whenever she couldn't sleep, she could think about a special place or a special moment in which she felt safe and loved, that those memories could chase the monsters away. She tried to think of the last time she felt safe and loved. She closed her eyes and started to remember that day. She was son asleep, dreaming of that special moment.
The charming family made its way back to the loft. Everybody was exhausted, Specially Emma, she had not only battle and snow queen she had also discovered that she knew her. She was mentally and physically exhausted. She had learned that the snow queen was Ingrid, a woman who had taken care of her when she was just a child. Yes at the end it might've ended bad but she learned to love that woman, one of the few people who had actually cared about her, in her own twisted way of course. Emma decided to take a shower and head out to bed early. Henry was going to sleep at Regina's so she had the room to herself.
"Do you want something to eat Emma?" Snow asked as she saw her daughter getting out of the bathroom and walking towards the stairs "I can fix you something up"
"No, I am good thanks" Emma said giving Snow a small smile "I am just tired I'm going to sleep now"
"Ok, sure honey" Snow replied, looking at Emma with a worried face.
"Did you see that?" Snow asked David who was at the table having some hot coco
"I think she is just tired Snow, we should leave her to rest a little" David lied to Snow. Emma actually told him on their way back to the loft about the Snow Queen and who she really was. Emma made him promise her that he won't tell Snow about it. She was going to tell her when she was ready.
"Charming?" Snow said raising an eyebrow, with her hands in her hips "I might not have Emma's super power, but I know you, and you are not telling me something"
"Snow please, maybe we should head out to bed early too, it has been a long day"
"Yep, not buying it" Snow said sternly "besides what are you tired of? You weren't the one fighting the Snow Queen like Emma or Regina like I did. So tell me what is bothering our daughter, I know you know"
"I can't Snow" David said not looking up at Snow
Snow let out a defeated breath "She doesn't want to talk to me, right?"
"Snow, she is just tired" David said trying to ease Snow's worries.
"She is still mad at me Charming" Snow said collapsing in the chair next to David "I know she is mad at me"
"What are you talking about Snow?" David asked a little surprised
"How I yelled at her the day of the accident at the station, and how I pulled Neal from her, Ashley telling me that I was a first time mother" Snow buried her head in her hands "I think I pushed her away charming, that's why she is going to you whenever she has a problem, that's why he asks you to help her every time there is a problem"
"That's not true Snow, your daughter loves you. God she even loved you before she knew you were his mother!" David said taking Snow's hand "I think she comes to me because she feels safe with me, and she knew that you were busy with Neal"
"That's the thing Charming! I don't want her to feel replaced or that she can't ask to have some time with me. I want to be Neal's mom and I want to be Emma's mom too."
David let out a breath "Snow, I think the only reason of why Emma doesn't want to talk to you about that Snow queen is because she doesn't want to get emotional"
"What do you mean?" Snow said looking at charming with unshed tears
"Really? You don't know?" David let out a little laugh "The only person who had break Emma's walls completely is you, you started breaking those walls when you were Mary Margaret, so she can't hold her mask or her emotions with you, you are already inside those walls Snow"
"Really?" Snow said with a hopeful little smile
"Really" David smiled back to Snow "Now go talk to your daughter, she needs you and you need her too"
Snow got up and climbed the stairs to Emma's bedroom a little hesitant, she still believed that her daughter was upset at her, because in reality they hadn't talk about any of the incidents.
Once Emma was in her room she immediately pulled the covers off her bed and climbed to it. She got under the covers and she laid in the middle of the bed looking up at the celling. She couldn't stop thinking about Ingrid and how she sacrificed herself to save everybody in Story Brooke. She could remember how Ingrid gained her trust even her love. Yes she had to admit, she learned to love that woman, she was kind to her and she seemed to understand Emma in a way that no other adult had. She would tell Emma that it was ok to be angry about her situation because it wasn't fair how she had grown up. She would treat Emma like an equal, and she always made sure that she felt safe. Now that Emma knew the truth, she understood why Ingrid did the things she did, she just wanted to have a family. Emma couldn't blame her for that; she had always wanted that herself, she was always looking to find a family too. She realized that in a way her and the snow queen weren't that different, they both were once lonely and misunderstood. She remembered the last day she was with Ingrid, it was such a special day, she remembered how loved and special she felt. How she felt that her life was going to change when Ingrid told her that she wanted to adopt her. She really wanted to live with her, to be a part of Ingrid's family. She couldn't keep the tears from falling anymore; she let them flow down her checks. She cried because of how fucking unfair life had been with her, she cried because every time she felt as if her life was going to change for the better it would all just come crashing down, she cried for the woman who had been alone all that time looking for the love of her sisters but she mostly cried because she never got the chance to hug or thank the woman who had brought a little happiness to her sad childhood, the woman who she thought she could call family. She let more tears falls and was trying really hard to contain the sobs that wanted to get out. All of a sudden she heard some soft steeps climbing up the stairs. She immediately turned her body so her back was towards the door. She cleaned her checks and closed her eyes in an attempt to make whoever was walking upstairs think that she was asleep.
Snow finally made it to Emma's door and she opened it slowly. She couldn't see Emma's face, so she walked around the bed really carefully not to wake up her daughter. As she walked around the bed she could see that Emma had her eyes closed, but Snow knew that she wasn't sleeping, she smiled and sat in the corner of the bed looking at her daughter. She didn't know if she should tell her daughter that she knew that she wasn't asleep, in reality she didn't know what to say. She reached up and touched her daughter checks. "I know you are not asleep Emma, and I also know that you don't want to talk to me right now" Snow took in a deep breath "I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry, for how I acted when you needed me the most. I should've been there for you when you couldn't control your powers...and I am sorry I wasn't" Snow stopped, her voice was starting to quiver. She closed her eyes trying to keep her tears from falling. She looked at her daughter and saw that she still had her eyes close, she hadn't even moved, not even a little. "I know you are mad at me. I don't blame you by the way. I am mad at myself too. I just wanted to say that I am sorry...and that...Emma I am your mother too even if you sometimes don't want me to be. I'm your mother as much as I am Neals, but what I really want you to know is that I love you Emma, I will always love you" Snow whispered as she began to stand up.
Emma had to keep her eyes close; she knew that if she saw her mother she was going to lose it. Snow had this power over her, she couldn't hide her emotions with her, she knew that if she looked at her mothers face the sobs and tears that she was trying to contain will unleash. She herd her mother telling her how she wished she had been there when Emma lost her control and in reality Emma also wished Snow had been there with her. She continued listening to her mother, she could hear the pain and regret in her voice, she knew that Snow was fighting back tears. Like mother like daughter she thought. As soon as she felt the bed move announcing that her mother was standing up, she reached out and grabbed her mother's hand. "Don't," Emma whispered.
Snow gasped a little when her daughter took her hand. She smiled trough her tears and sat down at the bed again. Snow squeezed Emma's hand lightly to let her know that she wasn't leaving. She could see her daughter struggling to sort out her Emotions, so she waited patiently looking at her. Emma controlled herself a little and opened her eyes to look at Snow.
"Oh Emma" Snow said as she saw her daughters red eyes. She immediately knew that Emma had been crying, "What's wrong sweetheart?"
"She was nice to me" Emma said as she let out the sob that she was so hard to hide. Snow immediately moved next to her daughter a she gather her in her arms. Holding her close to her, Snow let her daughter cry. Emma let her mother hug her; she really needed someone to hold her, someone to provide her the motherly comfort that was denied to her so many years ago. Snow's heart almost broke to hear her daughter cry like that. "It's ok Emma, I'm here, I got you" Snow whispered to Emma. Snow began to rock her not so little baby the best she could. She assumed that the woman that Emma was referring to was the snow queen. "Do you want to talk about it?" Snow asked as she kissed Emma's temple. Emma closed her eyes, that gesture was so pure and motherly. "Before she sacrificed herself she gave me my memories back. She was my foster mother...and I... she was one of the best fosters mothers I had...actually I only had three fosters homes where I felt safe and loved" Emma said trough sobs. Snow had to contain her own tears, knowing that her daughter only know so little love during her early life broke her heart. Snow hugged her daughter tighter and kissed her head.
"Why does everybody that I love leave me? Why can't something work out for me for once?" Emma cried. Snow finally let her own tears fall freely. "I won't ever leave you again Emma" Snow promised as she stroked Emma's hair. Emma wrapped her arms around her mother's waist resting her head in Snow's chest. She felt safe and loved in her mother's arms. Snow's heart filled with so much happiness when her daughter hugged her tight. She had been waiting so long to be able to have her daughter like this, close to her, helping her feel safe and loved in her arms.
"You don't have to feel bad", Emma stated, "about anything, I understand"
"Emma, honey, I saw your face when I practically pulled Neal away from you" Snow explained, still feeling guilty "I should've reacted differently. I know that hurt you...and I am so sorry"
Emma took in a deep breath. Yes, it had hurt like hell, but deep down she knew her mother was as scare and confuse as herself. "It's ok mom, It did hurt, but I forgive you"
Snow closed her eyes when she heard her daughter call her mom. She could feel her heart beating faster. She wrapped her arms around her daughter's body, bringing her closer to her. "I love you Emma," She whispered as she kissed Emma's temple again.
Emma hugged her mother closer and said "I love you too...mom"
"Oh, Emma" Snow breathed out, feeling like her chest could burst from happiness "My baby"
"Mom, I can't breath", Emma muttered and laughed. Snow had hugged her even tighter.
Snow let out a little laugh "Sorry" She apologized as she hugged her daughter not as tight, she couldn't let her go now. Not now that she finally had the opportunity to feel like Emma's mother.
"Thank you, I really needed to let that out", Emma, said timidly
"That's why I'm here Emma" Snow said as she began to stroke her daughters hair again.
"I'm glad you are" Emma said trough a yawn. Snow smiled
"I think you need to sleep now," Snow said as she finally let go of her daughter. Emma didn't move from the position she was in, she still had her arms around her mother and her head was still resting in Snow's chest. She didn't want this to end; she had been waiting as long as her mother to be able to be hugged like that.
"Can you stay with me, just for a little while longer?" Emma asked sounding like a child.
Snow smiled and took her daughter by the checks "Of course sweetheart" Snow helped Emma lay down in bed again and she wrapped Emma in her arms again. Emma immediately wrapped an arm around her mother and nested her head under Snow's chin.
"Good night Emma" Snow whispered giving Emma a last kiss in the head.
"Good night mom" Emma whispered before she fell at sleep in her mother's arms.