Summary: Two women gave birth on the same day at the same hospital. Due to a nurses error they both ended up with each others child. This doesn't come to light until Regina Mills husband DNA test's their daughter that looks nothing like either of them. DragonQueen with twins little!Emma&Elsa and a little!Lily.
Chapter Four: Party in the Park.
Surprisingly Mal and Ruby made it to the park before Kathryn and Regina. Both girls had immediately rushed towards the playground area while the adults sat on the bench watching them. The air was chilly and with the wind picking up Mal knew the girls wouldn't last long before complaining about the cold.
"So are you ready for this? While the kids play, hopefully you and Regina can talk about what you expect to happen with everything. Maybe this won't have to go to court." Ruby commented and Mal could barely suppress a scoff.
"It will be a miracle if this stays out of court. I plan on suing the hospital anyways. How negligent can you be?" Mal huffed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a small toddler practically swagger their way onto the playground, walking next to their mother.
"There she is." Ruby pointed at the trio approaching.
"Why does she insist on dressing her like a little boy? She's such a beautiful girl." Mal spoke lowly.
"Mal come on, you aren't the most feminine . In fact, I bet minus the pink boots you'd wear the same thing. Maybe she lets Emmalyn dress herself." Ruby frowned at her friends comment. She knew that Mallory was just trying to find something to nitpick at with Regina's parenting. Earlier it was the fact that she made Emma eat two vegetables with her dinner. Now it was her clothes.
"Ms. Nolan...Ms. Lucas." Regina nodded when they were close enough.
"Nice to meet you." Emma mimicked her mother's nod, and Mal could tell that Emma clutched at Regina's hand tighter when she spoke.
"It's lovely to meet you too, Emmalyn." Mal responded in kind.
"What I do?" Emma crinkled her nose while looking up at her brunette mother.
"Nothing darling. I only ever call her Emmalyn when she needs to be straightened out. She prefers Emma." Regina slacked her grip on Emma's hand, but her daughter only held onto her loose gray joggers.
"Oh I'm sorry. Emma it is then." Mal gave Emma a small smile.
"Mama can we play?" Emma asked the brunette.
"Why don't you go play with the other kids while I talk to Ms. Nolan." Regina tried to nudge her in the right direction.
"No Mama, they're meanies." Emma protested causing Mal to wince.
"That is not nice Emma. If we don't have anything nice to say we don't say anything at all. If you don't want to play with the other kids, why don't you get your ball from Kitty and go practice kicking." Regina watched Emma walk up to Kathryn to grab the ball before she took off running down the grassy area.
"She plays soccer?" Mal asked.
"Yes, she's on the tiny tot team." Regina nodded, stiffly sitting on the bench.
"Best player they have if you ask me." Kathryn grinned as Regina nodded her agreement.
"Can I ask her full name?" Mal turned to Regina who eyed her skeptically.
"Emmalyn Yesenia Mills." Regina answered.
"The one in the navy blue is Lilith Paige Nolan. Would you like to meet her? She knows about you and Emma." Mal rambled.
"Maybe once they are finished playing." Regina replied as they fell into an uncomfortable silence.
"Look I'm just going to flat out say it. Emma is my daughter, while yes I gave birth to Lily she doesn't view me as her mother. I'm sure we can come to an agreement with you seeing Emma every other week and I Lily, but you are not taking my child away from me." Regina turned to glare at the blonde, daring her to challenge her.
"She's my daughter too! You can't expect me to just walk away and be happy with seeing her every other week, Regina!" Mal snapped back.
"She is only yours by blood! I am her mother, I've been there through every trip to the hospital, every fever, toothache and nightmare! That's what makes you a mother! I put food on the table and make sure she's happy at the end of the day. My daughter wasn't happy coming here but I brought her because you wanted to see her again!" Regina shout whispered, not wanting to attract the attention of the kids. Mal simply looked at her before looking down at her hands.
"I can't just walk away. I can't stop thinking about her. Can you really be content with seeing Lily every other week?" Mal looked imploringly at the brunette.
"I gave birth to that beautiful little girl over there. She looks just like me, but I didn't raise her. She isn't the baby I nursed for sixteen months, she isn't the child I take to swimming dance and soccer every day. She isn't my baby. My Pretty Bird. That's Emma. What you need to do is be thankful for the two beautiful healthy little girls you are raising because you'll always be there Mama. While you will never be Emma's." Regina responded honestly.
"I don't have to listen to this shit!" Mal stood with tears streaming down her face.
"You're right you don't. But hear me now when I say this... You try to take my daughter and it will be the last thing you do. If this goes to court, I won't just be fighting for Emma. I'll be taking Lily with me. This isn't a game you will win. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get my little duckling to soccer practice." Regina responded coolly, the mother bear in her coming out to play. She rose from the bench before calling out to Emma. The little girl picked up her size 1 soccer ball and took off running towards her Mama.
"Bye Ms Noowen!" Emma waved before turning to Ruby "Bye!".
"I'd listen to her. Cora Mills is not one to be trifled with. Especially not when it comes to her grand baby." Kathryn warned
"Lily is her grandchild too! Let me guess she doesn't care about her either, hmm?" Mal scoffed wetly.
"Regina cares about Lily a lot more than she showing. She just doesn't want to feel like she is going to have to choose Lily over Emma because to be honest, Lily will always lose. Be thankful that she doesn't want to take Lily from you, like how you want to take Emma. Your lawyer, well she would like for me to let you know to find someone else. She's Regina's cousin." Kathryn shot Mal a dirty look while Ruby whipped over to look at her best friend.
"You called a lawyer?" Ruby gasped.
"I just wanted to know my options." Mal defended
"More like you wanted to know your chances. I'll tell you right now, you will lose." Kathryn snorted
"Well that explains why she seemed like a defensive bitch." Ruby added
"She left without seeing Lily." Mal looked off towards her twins, who weren't really twins.
"Emma has to be to soccer in thirty minutes but it takes around fifteen for her to take her medicine and be changed. I'm going to set up a time where the children can interact again. Right now the most important thing is getting them used to each other. However I need to know what it is your seeking from this arrangement Ms. Nolan." Kathryn's cool blue eyes peered into her intently.
"I want to be able to watch her grow up. I want her to know that I'm her mom. I want my daughter, but I can't lose Lily. That would kill me..." Mal trailed off
"You can't have them both. How do you think Elsa feels about all of this? I mean I doubt you are showering her with the same interest and attention that you are Lily and Emma." Kathryn crossed her legs while eyeing down the other blonde.
"Ms. Midas, don't presume to know how I raise my children. Elsa gets the same amount of love and attention as Lily!" Mal gritted out.
"I'm just calling it like I see it. You hold onto Lily so tight and Elsa has been left with Ruby nearly every time I have seen you all together." Kathryn responded, watching the comment ruffle Mallory's feathers.
"How about this? I'm finding me another lawyer, and they will get into touch with you." Mal glared down at the lawyer.
"Do what you must. It would just be a shame if you lost not just Emma but Lily in your pursuit of something that was never really yours. I have been trying to get Regina to come around with letting you come by her house to see Emma. Maybe that needs to be rethought." Kathryn rose from the bench to leave.
"Wait!" Mal immediately called out, and cursed herself when Kathryn turned around with a smirk. She knew she had just been played.
"Yes dear? I don't have all day. I'm the one that picks Emma up from soccer." Kathryn tapped her foot impatiently
"I don't want to take this to court! I just want to be able to see my kid more than once every fourteen days! If that makes me an ass, then give me a tail." Mal exhaled deeply.
"It doesn't make you an ass but you have to understand its not about what you want. Hell its not even about what Regina wants. It's what best for the children. If this goes to court, you won't be getting Emma either way. No judge is going to take a child from stability and a mother who has shown herself more than capable of taking care of her. They aren't just going to switch the girls back. They aren't going to just give you Emma and let you keep Lily. You are fighting an uphill battle especially since the judge would be from Storybrooke." Kathryn tried to get it through to Mal.
"This isn't fair." Mal shook her head, swiping at the angry tears rolling down her face.
"No it isn't. But we can't cry about it Mallie. We have to try to pick up the pieces as best as we can. You can't just jump into this thinking that your automatically going to be Emma's Mama. That's Regina's role. Right now lets just be content with getting to know the little Doodle Bug. The rest can follow. You're forgetting that whenever you get Emma, its going to be the same amount of time that Regina gets to see Lily. She isn't one upping you." Ruby comforted her best friend, bringing her into a tight hug.
"I know this is a very emotional time for you. But if you and the girls are feeling up to it, Regina's brother takes Emma to the museum every Thursday afternoon. I'm sure he will have no problem taking Elsa and Lily with him while we all sit down and have a conversation without threatening one another." Kathryn offered, watching Mal nod slowly.
Kathryn had dropped a grumpy Emma off home after soccer practice and Regina was surprised her normally mud caked child was practically dirt free. Emma ran past her without saying hi, and into the kitchen. This wasn't something that had never happened before if the child was really hungry but one look from Kathryn told her that something had happened.
"What's wrong with Ms. Tude?" Regina raised an eyebrow.
"You know how Merida and Tiana's mothers work at the hospital? Well apparently their dinner conversation was about how Emma wasn't really yours and they teased her about it today. She didn't want to play, August called me to come get her early." Kathryn answered as they walked towards the kitchen. Emma had climbed onto one of the stools as was taking the cupcakes out of the container. Regina had made them for her to take to dance for tomorrow. Emma grabbed one with red frosting and the other with green before chucking them into the garbage.
"Emma what are you doing?" Regina raised an eyebrow, eyeing the other four cupcakes that were in different colors.
"My friends need to be punished." Emma deadpanned before licking the excess frosting off her hand. Both adults burst out laughing until Emma's face turned red in frustration.
"Not funny Mama!" Emma whined
"Oh I'm sorry baby! Do you want to talk about it?" Regina immediately sobered up.
"They said you're not my Mama! But you are!" Big fat tears streamed down Emma's face as Regina wiped them away.
"It's okay beba." Regina cooed.
"No it's not! Your my Mama!" Emma cries got heavier.
"I am your Mama, Flower. Remember we don't listen to everything everyone says right?" Regina tried to quite her down.
"I don't want a new mommy!" Emma screamed and Regina was at lost for words.
"Pretty bird, do you want to hear a song?" Regina brushed away the sticky blonde strands of hair that were cling to Emma's face. Emma simply launched herself into Regina's arms and clung to her neck.
"Last night I prayed on a falling star, that you never have a broken heart. Though the world is cold just remember who you are. And I pray, that you never have a rainy day. And no matter what the people say, even when it hurts it'll be okay. Tomorrow brings new promise, so don't worry about today. First time I saw you, I knew my life had changed." Regina pressed a soft kiss to Emma's head, happy that sobs had turned into hiccups.
"I would have been dead and gone but I found purpose when I brought you home. Even though I'm not there to tuck you in everyday, I'm not far away. This is what a mother prays. Last night I prayed on a falling star, that you'd never have a broken heart. Though the world is cold, please remember who you are. And I pray that you never have a rainy day and no matter what the people say. In your darkest hour I'll help guide your way." Regina stopped when Emma pulled back to look at her.
"Meri said I have to go with Ms. Noowen." Emma was breathing heavily and Regina cursed the little red headed child when she realized Emma would have to go back on her nebulizer.
"You don't have to go with Ms. Nolan but she is going to be coming over to see you every now and again. She just wants to get to know you, Flower. She isn't taking you away from me." Regina assured her.
"Her babies come too?" Emma asked.
"Yes they are going to come too. I'm sure they are going to be nicer this time." Regina replied.
"If they don't like Donatello, we not being friends." Emma said firmly, crossing her arms.
"Maybe you can show them Donatello's movie? Then they'll like him." Kathryn offered but Emma looked unsure.
"That's my movie." Emma shook her head in a negative.
"Well how about we sit down and watch some movies. We can make a ducky sandwich." Regina gestured for Kathryn to hug Emma from the other side and she heard the girl giggle she knew that the worse was behind them. At least for today.
AN: Next few chapters are going to be a lot more Lily and Elsa than Emma. Next update is Tuesday(ish) maybe earlier if I have the time.