Thank you to the guest who offered this suggestion: "I would really enjoy a scene where Emma sees how other people treat Regina. Especially after she's gone out of her way to take care of a baby she doesn't know, to see someone like Whale, or Leroy, or Spencer be a jerk to her would probably be eye opening for baby emma." Awesome idea, I love it, thank you :)
Chapter Four
Emma wakes up. Pillow jail. Again. This one is different though. The bed is different and the pillows are different and on my God why is it so dark?
Get it together, Swan. You are not afraid of the dark!
Maybe not. But apparently in baby form, she is.
She starts to cry, and she soon realizes what's different about this baby jail. This jail only has pillows on one side. The other side is Regina. She's not in the guestroom, she's in Regina's bedroom. In Regina's bed. With Regina.
Oh my God!
"Shh, shh, it's alright, Baby Girl," Regina coos, half-awake, as she pulls Emma close. Emma rolls, and her head lays on Regina's chest. One of her little arms drapes over one of Regina's breasts.
Haha.
Oh God.
She's gonna murder me when she finds out.
Emma wonders if maybe she'll just be able to convince her that she was just a baby with the mind of a baby this entire time, as she snuggles in closer to Regina's breast. She hopes so, what with the messes she's been making, all the crying, and the boob staring. Regina will never let her live any of this down, she's sure.
Emma likes cuddling, though. She's been sleeping alone far too long. She and Regina are practically friends now. Would it be so wrong to ask to cuddle when she's back to normal?
She drifts back off to sleep, and when she wakes up again, it's morning. She's glad it's bright in the room again. Regina's already awake and stroking her little blonde curls. Emma smiles up at her. "Nina!"
"Good morning, Baby!" Regina smiles. Emma can't remember the last time she's seen her this genuinely happy. Regina's been through so much shit lately, Emma can't help but think how she'll be devastated all over again once she reverts back into an adult. She wishes she could make her smile like this as her normal self. She decides then and there, she's going to find a way to do just that.
"Someone's stinky," Regina says, patting Emma's diaper-laden butt.
Oh, no.
She hadn't noticed until Regina pointed it out, but she does stink.
This is so embarrassing.
And she starts to cry.
Again, with the crying? Seriously?
"Don't cry, it's alright," Regina waves a hand and changes her diaper magically again. Emma giggles, and thinks about how if she ever decides to have another baby, she's never changing a diaper the old-fashioned way.
Emma sits up and pats her little tummy. "Hun-wy!" she announces.
"Oh, are you now?" Regina grins. "Well, we need to stop by the Sheriff's station, so Ruby can get a picture of you to put out on your missing person's report. I suppose we can make a stop at Granny's first. I believe they have a kid's menu."
Emma smiles and nods.
Regina stands and carries her to her walk-in closet, and puts her back on the floor as she starts picking out her outfit for the day. Emma watches in amazement as Regina starts to strip down right in front of her. She forces herself to tear her eyes away when Regina begins to remove her underwear. Baby or not, Emma knows that watching her get naked is a violation of her privacy.
Damn her conscience, again.
Regina looks down at Emma and laughs at the sight of the little toddler's face buried in her hands. Moments later, she speaks. "I'm decent, you can look again."
Emma glances up to see that Regina is indeed dressed again. She crouches down to pick Emma back up, and carries her back out to the bedroom, and sits her on the bed, to change her into a white long-sleeved onesie and a pair of denim overalls with an embroidered dump truck on the front pocket.
Henry, you were styling in your day.
"Shall we?" Regina says, as she picks Emma up and starts walking out of the room, as if Emma had a choice in the matter. "My car is still downtown," she remarks, "so we'll walk. It's a beautiful day."
It's not an overly long walk to Granny's, but Emma's still amazed that Regina can pull it off in heels, while carrying a baby. She also notes how Regina is completely unfazed by the odd looks she's getting from random passers-by on the streets. She wonders how many people are thinking the Mayor has adopted another child. The looks of horror Emma keeps seeing tell her the answer is most of them.
"This must be your little foundling," Granny says, as Regina enters the diner. Regina takes Emma right up to the counter to show her off.
"Yes. I talked to Ruby this morning and she's having no luck at all. How on earth does a baby get lost in a town like Storybrooke?" Regina shakes her head.
Granny tickles Emma's cheek and Emma giggles. "Well, at least she's in good hands," Granny comments, with a warm smile.
"You think so?" Regina asks, and Emma's heart breaks at the absolute uncertainty in her voice.
"Of course. I remember you with Henry when he was little. You did great."
"Thanks to some advice from you, I recall."
"We all need help from time to time," Granny says.
Regina smiles and nods and takes Emma over to a booth. She glances around for a moment and sighs, and Emma wonders what's wrong.
"How does this diner not have any highchairs?" Regina asks herself out loud, and then finally sits, with Emma on her lap, holding her around her waist. "You're going to have to sit with me, Baby Girl."
Not gonna be a problem, Regina. I'd sit on your lap all day if you let me.
When the waitress arrives, Regina orders Emma some pancakes and juice off the kids menu, and just a coffee for herself. Emma can't figure out how she gets through her day skipping breakfast. Emma can't function until she eats, or she's doomed to spend the rest of the day thinking about food.
By the time the pancakes arrive, Emma is practically starving. Regina picks up a fork and knife and starts cutting them up, but Emma doesn't want to wait, and starts patting Regina's hands impatiently, trying to get her to move them out of the way.
Regina completely misinterprets, and thinks Emma is trying to tell her to feed her. She lifts the fork up to Emma's mouth, and Emma eagerly takes the bite of pancake.
Meh, this is good, too.
It's easier to stay clean when Regina is feeding her, and she's sure Regina is well aware of this as well. Emma can't help but think how good babies really have it. She kind of likes being like this, though she still has no desire to stay this way for ever.
When she's nearly done with the pancakes, an uninvited guest sits down opposite them in the booth.
"Dr. Whale," Regina acknowledges, curtly.
"Please tell me you did not adopt another child," Whale sighs.
Emma can feel Regina stiffen. "Not that it's any of your business, but no, I didn't."
Whale looks visibly relieved. Emma's pretty sure he's exaggerating, for dramatic effect. She wants to punch him. "Good."
"Excuse me, but what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Regina demands.
"Well, you struggled with Henry, and look how well that whole situation turned out. I would have just thought you learned your lesson the first time around."
Emma waits for Regina to gives some biting comment, but none comes. Whale smirks as he stands to leave, and Emma squirms in Regina's arms, trying to get a look at her face. When she does, she sees the years of hurt coming to the surface in Regina's dark eyes. She's staring at the door as Whale leaves, looking like a wounded child.
Emma wishes she could talk right now, and tell her Whale's an idiot, among other choice words she would have for him, but she's trapped by the limitations of her toddler body, so she does the next best thing she can think of.
She pulls herself up un Regina's lap and wraps her little arms around her neck, in as tight of a hug as her tiny body will allow.
Regina gasps in surprise, and then smiles, returning the hug. She squeezes Emma tight – maybe a little too tight, but Emma allows it because she can tell Regina really, really needs it right now.
"At least you seem to like me," Regina whispers close to Emma's ear, and Emma's heart breaks all over again.
As they embrace, Emma can't help but think how quickly Granny's kind words were erased by Whale's remarks. She's starting to finally get it. Regina has a hard time accepting compliments and praise, but readily accepts criticism because it reflects the way she looks at herself. Emma's determined to help her turn that around… somehow.
"Come on, Baby Girl," Regina sighs, lifting her up and leaving money on the table to pay for breakfast. Emma notes that Regina barely touched her coffee, and feels a little bad that she spent the entire time feeding her instead. Why couldn't Whale – or practically everyone else for that matter – see things like that? She knew they would all see Regina as the Evil Queen forever, despite anything and everything Regina did to prove she wasn't that person anymore. It makes Emma want to cry.
For her part, Regina seems to brush it all away as she stepped outside again. "Off to the Sheriff's station, Baby Girl," she smiles. "Ruby needs to get a picture of your beautiful little face, to help us find your parents."
When they enter the police station, Ruby was just hanging up the phone, and she looks over at Regina with panic in her eyes.
"What?" Regina asks, instinctively holding Emma tighter.
"That was David," Ruby says. "He just called to talk to Emma. Apparently she didn't leave for New York yesterday. She told them she was staying here for a few days to make sure that I had a handle on everything. They've been calling her cell and it's going straight to voicemail."
"I thought she left right after the city council meeting," Regina says, and Emma can hear the distinct panic in her voice.
Oh, maybe she does care.
"I had tried to convince her to wait a couple days, but she said you would be fine."
"David said she called right after the meeting, and they haven't heard from her again since. I'm gonna go check her apartment now," Ruby says, grabbing her phone and her keys from her desk.
"I'm coming with you," Regina says.
"Regina, you don't have to. You've got your hands full already," Ruby says, nodding at little Emma.
"If something happened, it's my fault," Regina replies, "I asked her to wait a couple days. I'm going with you."
Ruby just nods.
Emma hates how worried they are, but she's relieved that they are at least now aware that she's missing. How long could it take to put two and two together?
Please, figure this out!