A/N – Picks right up where we left off…
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Chapter 4 – Recognition
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Regina froze as the room became deaf to her skipping heartbeat. The hair on the back of her arms and neck stood up with goose bumps as a cold wash of sweat prickled her hairline as thoughts exploded behind unblinking eyes. 'If Kathryn was the donor, who is the birth mother? Father? How had Emma ended up in a basket on the side of the road if the birthmother had needed a donor to get pregnant? Did that mean Emma had been wanted at one point? How could Kathryn not have told me? She said she wouldn't carry—that adoption was—Emma—what if...' These unexpected and once impossible questions, an invisible wall she had no way of seeing in her path, slammed together like birds flying into glass. Regina had previously imagined too many different scenarios to rationalize Emma's appearance. So many new questions and directions; too many and Regina was drowning in them all.
"Take a breath." Zelena coaxed under the wide eyed stare she was under. "I only told you now because it will be in the case notes for the hearing today. Ambrose had to notify DSS when he made all the connections. There's more GiGi. A lot more to Emma's story than we thought, but this is what you need to know right now. The judge may comment or ask about Kathryn and I didn't want you blindsided in court."
One nod. That's all Regina could manage. Too much to take in and now of all places and times. She wasn't ready for what this meant. For what it could mean for their future and tried to start asking the other questions she needed an answer to just as the court clerk came out and her case was called.
"That's you." Zelena held up her hand indicating she had heard him and stood helping her sister up. "Go do this and then we'll go from there."
Shock spoke, but not over what was being asked. "You're not coming in?"
"I need to watch Emma. Remember you said you wanted to do this part yourself." Zelena now wished they had brought along someone else as a backup plan, but being only her and Regina now in need she said, "we can reschedule if it's too much, but it could be weeks before we get another date." Searching amber eyes they only widened more. Holding her sister by the shoulders and worried over the stillness there and she gave a ready shake to bring Regina back to the present. "Mask up if you have to. You have one shot to get this part right. For Emma."
That tone and the seriousness of the moment snapped Regina out of her shock. She put on the corporate mask she was good at wearing to hide the spiraling of emotions taking her mind for a walk in a dark wonderland. She nodded, bringing steel to her spine to hold her upright and with a long look at Emma playing turned to follow the clerk into the courtroom.
Regina more than went through the motions. Answered every question with a smile and poise she was trained to do since childhood. The judge was impressed with her answers and the facts and figures that went with her name. Said everything was in order when Regina felt it was anything but.
Her intent to adopt was pushed through to the next stage and they moved on to the Termination of Parental Rights. A notification would have to be sent to the next of kin—just as Zelena had said. And Regina's mind wondered over who that could possibly be, but in the blur of thoughts and emotions she was sucked into another part of her heart entirely. The judge commented on the miracle of such a connection between her late wife and Emma. But did not go into any of the details others knew more about than she did at the moment. A miracle, truly it was. And one Regina could not even begin to process. Gavel banged and she jumped at it. Regina gathered the details of her life on paper as she had understood it back in the file she had brought along to prove she was able to provide for Emma in more ways than a roof overhead. But she didn't understand the details in there as she once had. More so the one person referenced in them that should be right by her side doing this with her.
And outside this room Emma sat oblivious with her sister as Parental Rights were deemed non-applicable in the current situation. That had to be a good thing, she thought, but the current situation was one she did not have full understanding of yet. At that phrase from the judge Regina had lost her footing and leaned heavy against the petitioner's table. The adoption date hearing was confirmed for now barring no further claims on Emma and Regina left the court room.
Zelena was sitting in the chair she had occupied before the hearing listening to chattering as she approached. And then Regina saw Emma. How had she not seen Emma quite this way before? The shape of that pink bow of a mouth, the deep dimple in the left cheek, and chameleon blonde curls. The same hints of strawberry were there and always highlighted when the sun hit just so. Then Emma was up out of that chair and hugging her waist. Regina came to life slowly and gently, oh so gently as if Emma were a fine china doll near breaking, stroked a cheek with her knuckle. Then Kathryn was looking right through those eyes up at her. And the mask holding Regina together began slipping.
"Gina?"
'Same almond shape, but a different color… Same thick dark blonde lashes.'
"Gina."
'And that smile…'
"Earth to GiGi." Waving a hand, Zelena tried to catch a pair of blurring amber eyes.
Regina startled and blinked quickly as her mask returned. Home she needed to make it home and then—
Emma tugged on a belt loop and rubbing an eye. "Gina am I adopted all the way yet?"
And Regina felt a rush of heat in her gut. That shouldn't even be a question to be asked between them. Shouldn't have to be. Not if Kathryn had… Bending to lift Emma up to her hip Regina held the little girl close to her heart and found a bit of her voice. "Not yet little duck, but we are one step closer." And more than a mile away from the present moment in her mind as she followed Zelena to the car.
Settling in those arms Emma asked. "So this day was for the rights stuff?" And yawned. She was sleepy after the busy long day.
Regina swallowed thickly as they exited the building. Pausing she dug her sunglasses out of her purse and put them on, feeling somewhat more herself under the dark shades. Her head was pounding with more than a headache. The hearing had been a success and she was over the moon with that idea and felt like she had lost the gravity of some incredible importance she couldn't name. "Yes sweetheart, the judge said he agreed with my intent to adopt you."
"And he said no to my birth parents 'cause they aren't here?" Remembering some of how Gina had explained it to her. Emma relaxed, leaning forward to rest her head on a shoulder with her eyes closed as they waited at the curb for the car to come around.
"Something like that, but we will talk more about that another day." They had a lot of talking to do. Too much. And done with talking for now as her throat closed Regina rested her hand on Emma's back and closed her eyes. She ran the length a curved spine with her finger tips in a way that always soothed Emma…
Rubbing a back and the golden curls spilling across her lap, Regina adored the way the light played with different colors of her wife's hair. "You like that don't you my love?"
"Like?" Kathryn purred contently. "I love when you do that Regina." A dimpled smile. "Puts me right to sleep."
And Regina opened her eyes to the warm salt of memory rolling down her cheeks as Emma slept in her arms. A piece of her past that she thought had died lay warm and breathing softly against her neck. No small miracle and yet it was all hers.
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Later that same evening Regina stood over the stove sautéing a vegetable medley as dinner baked in the oven. Once home Emma had gone into the living room to watch TV and she to the kitchen to begin cooking. Zee had tried to stay to talk, but Regina was not in the space to do so yet. She needed the evening to think. Needed time to wrap her head around this new reality. Regina needed a lot of things she couldn't say, but she had said tomorrow they would talk. Tonight she just needed to be on her own with Emma. Her mind was anywhere but the present and she was reminded of such when she took the entree out of the oven.
Her finger slipped the oven cloth and caught on the edge of the hot pan. Grunting, Regina tossed it aside with a loud clatter and brought her burned finger to her mouth. Moving right to the sink, she ran cold water over the heat throbbing on her skin. It was only pink, but ran up the length of the inside of her index finger. As some relief came she called to Emma.
A blonde head popped around the doorframe a moment later. "Time to eat?"
"Yes sweetheart. Wash your hands please." Regina watched as Emma got up on the stool by the sink to do so as she moved away to plate their meal. The moment Emma joined her at the counter a sour frown took over that face she was realizing more and more looked like the mirror of her late wife. Heat pricked the corners of her eyes at the resemblance her grieving heart had just not been able to see before now.
"Gina I don't like fish."
And her mind snapped right back to the present and looked at what she had made. Lemon butter cod and sautéed vegetables, Kathryn's favorite—both of which Emma would not willingly eat. Normally if she made herself this filet she made Emma chicken and they negotiated the vegetables. Regina pinched the bridge of her nose as her eyes closed. "I'm sorry Emma… I was—" Dreaming, remembering… "Not paying attention to what I was doing." Sighing. "Will you try a bite of fish for me? You may like it."
Emma shook her head as her tongue poked out of her mouth. "I don't wanna eat Nemo and Dory's friends."
Right. She'd forgotten that Disney always won in their home. Regina stood and took Emma's plate and put a few of the cut squash and zucchini vegetables in a bowl for Emma while leaving the plate on the counter. "Start on your milk and veggies then while I make you something else."
"No veggies." A tongue stuck out again.
"Yes veggies."
"But Ginnnaaa." Emma lay forward on the table, arms splayed out with her cheek against the counter. Dramatic. "My tummy says veggies don't like the dark in there."
A soft chuckle. "Even so, your body needs six bites at least."
Emma's lips puckered over that idea. "Two?"
"Five without any further argument and you may have the dinner of your choice tomorrow."
She shot right up with a grin. "Deal."
Going to the fridge as Emma began eating Regina quickly put together a modified version of a club sandwich she knew Emma would eat. Cutting off the crusts and the sandwich into four neat triangles Regina set that on a place and began to slice an apple to go with it. As Emma ate she eventually returned to her own meal, but suddenly Regina couldn't stomach the past on a plate and pushed it away.
"What's wrong Gina?" Said around a mouth of cheese and bacon as Emma looked over.
'Those eyes.' And Regina moved hers back to a full plate and stood to get rid of it. "I don't think I care for fish either tonight." When she returned to the table she saw a triangle and a few apple slices on a napkin in her place. Nodding with a smile to Emma she picked up a slice and took a bite. "Thank you for sharing little duck."
"Welcome." Emma smiled and chatted about what she and Jasmine did at recess as they finished eating.
Regina simply looked at her enraptured. Every movement she recorded and compared in her mind finding more and more similarities that should not be possible. Some of Emma's mannerism too. Like the way she sat cross legged in the chair was similar to how Kathryn used to always sit with one leg curled underneath her. The more she tried looking the more she saw what had always been there.
"Gina why you looking at me so much?"
"Hmm? Oh." Regina sat back from where she had rested on the counter with her hand on her cheek. "My mind is just full of grown up things little duck."
Emma wondered over that. For the way brown eyes were shiny though she didn't ask again. Sometimes when she asked why when they were this way Gina went to another room for a few minutes and right now Emma didn't want to be by herself. Gina then went to clean up and she helped too. When the last dish was loaded in the washer she went take Gina's hand like always, but when Emma grabbed that first finger like she liked to do it was pulled away.
Regina hissed as the burn on the inside of her finger was scraped by small nails. Rolling her lips in, she caught Emma's confused expression laced with hurt and immediately cupped a small face. "I didn't mean to pull away. I accidently burned my finger cooking and it is just tender right now is all."
Green widened and Emma sucked in her bottom lip as a memory flashed. "Do you hafta go to the hospital? Are you okay?" Worry spoke from a past present.
"I'll be just fine and no I don't need to go to the hospital. See?" Holding up her finger. "I just need to wrap it up."
"A Band-aid?"
Nodding as Emma tugged on her good hand, Regina followed into the downstairs bathroom off of the living room. Watching in wonder as Emma crouched on the rug and opened the bottom cabinet under the sink. Child nearly disappeared inside it and came out with a box of Disney villain band-aids from the first aid kit she kept there.
"You gotta sit there." Emma explained pointing to the closed toilet lid where she sat last week when she fell and skinned her knee in the park. She waited for Gina to do so as she found just the right band-aid. Emma had trouble with the wrapper and promptly held it out for help. A corner was torn and it was handed back and she did the important part by herself and carefully wrapped a hurt finger with little Evil Queen's from the movie. After Emma kissed it all better brown eyes got wet like they did sometimes. "Now it won't hurt no more."
"Thank you Emma." And it didn't but a piece of Regina unseen certainly did. She lifted Emma up to her hip and went toward the stairs. "Time to get ready for bed little duck."
"Bath time, book time, and bed time." Emma chimed in and rested her chin on a shoulder as they went upstairs.
Regina smiled softly and carried Emma up to the third floor. Fifteen minutes later after bubbles and a rubber ducky race in the tub she had a sweet smelling and sleepy child holding her good hand into the yellow room. She began preparing for the mini battle she thought might be coming and had been present since last week when she had introduced the idea of wearing GoodNites consistently to Emma. Half the nights out of a week since the therapy sessions had started nearly two months ago Emma woke up in wet sheets from a dream. Little one was always a mess of tears and upset that broke Regina's heart each time. At first she'd let Emma choose and sometimes she would willing wear them, but more often Emma fought the idea. Then the wetting increased as the sessions went on and Regina had to make the decision that needed making much to Emma's upset. Slowly though the routine was getting used to.
Going to the dresser, Regina pulled out a pair of socks and a PJ set. Then a pair of GoodNites from the bottom drawer. Taking all of them to the bed she set them aside to coax the yawning one at her feet closer.
Emma blinked sleepily as one of her favorite t-shirts with Dory on it was tugged gently over her head. She helped with the arm holes like the big girl she was and then tilted her head at what Gina was holding and remembered she was supposed scowl over the fact and did so now with her arms crossed. She wasn't a baby and said as much.
"No you are not. These are just for now not for always." Holding them out for Emma to step in. Child seemed to be thinking it over and being late and tired helped those little feet move one at a time. Then a pair of blue shorts followed yellow socks and Emma was leaning heavily into her side frown still present.
"I don't mean to wet the bed Gina." Wide green ponds looked up.
"No you don't and I know that sweetheart." Rubbing a shoulder with a kiss to a temple. "Sometimes our minds work things out for us when we sleep in our dreams and sometimes our body's don't cooperate. There's nothing wrong with that."
"I still don't like 'em." Grumbling with a pout.
"And you don't have to, but they do help you have better sleep and wake up to have a good morning don't they?"
Reluctant. "Yeah." She guessed they did. And when Emma thought about it she didn't like waking up cold and wet. Her pinky traced her bottom lip wanting to hide inside her mouth. "Read please."
Sitting back on the queen bed by the head board, Regina settled in among a pile of pillows and the ever present white and purple baby blanket. As Emma got the chapter book from the nightstand and crawled up to sit in her lap Regina draped the crocheted blanket over them both and cracked the spine of their current read. A classic from her childhood collection called 'A Little Princess'. They were nearly halfway through and Emma adored the magic of the old Victorian tale. Child was asleep two pages into the new chapter however and she closed the book with a ribbon marker to set aside.
Pinky was still in Emma's mouth resting there in comfort and she couldn't bring herself to pull it away as she gently stroked curls from a pale face. She found herself simply watching Emma sleep for a long time as she memorized every curve of that face once more. Eventually Regina began to move carefully, well trained after five months on how to expertly shift a sleeping child under the covers without waking and she did so now with another kiss to a brow. Her eyes fell on the blanket then. Emma slept with it every night and often dragged it around the house on the weekends if they were home to do so. It needed a good washing and she made a mental note to do so tomorrow. There was something about it that always made her linger in wonder, but she couldn't place it beyond the mystery of how Emma had been wrapped in it found in a basket on the side of the road. As she tucked it up under a little chin Regina hoped a dreamless sleep found them both, but knew hers at the very least would be full of Kathryn.
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The next morning Regina awoke to little elbows pressed up between her ribs and two feet that had made a home against the curve of her stomach sometime in the night. Emma slept soundly curled up against her chest and tucked up right under her chin. She could feel warm puffs of air on her throat and a heart beating near her own. Carefully she dipped her chin to kiss the top of a golden crown hello and lingered there taking in the scent of Emma's favorite apple scented shampoo.
And then the memory of yesterday came to mind and Regina closed her eyes to it. None of it felt real and yet real was about to make itself at home in their life from today on. The last several weeks had felt like a big marathon. Every day full with everything that needed doing and in it she'd forgotten what this moment of restful peace felt like. She needed more of it. They both did she decided as Emma stirred in her arms.
It was Thursday and with her new schedule in effect she did not have to go into the office today. She'd call Mary-Margaret and let her know she was unofficially off the clock in another way though and Emma's school in a little bit. Child's therapy session had to happen, but that was later. She needed time to talk to Zee too about the rest of Emma's new found history and a day away from work and time with Emma would make that notion easier to do. But right now this peace with her little one was all that mattered. Emma began to wiggle and stretch in her arms. Regina reached down with one hand, feeling at Emma's bottom for the GoodNites. Dry and so getting up could certainly wait and she patted it gently to soothe as a green eye popped open and then promptly closed as Emma's face nuzzled back into her neck.
"Mmmm. Don't wanna wake up Ginnaaa." Emma murmured and purposefully snuggled down back into the warmth she'd come from.
"You don't have to sweetheart." A soft kiss while nails trailed a back. "Not today. Go back to sleep."
"Stay with you." Dreamy and slipping.
"Right here with me." Regina lay with Emma for another hour before getting out of the nest of pillows and blankets her bed had become. The red quilt Kathryn made for her birthday ages ago popped against the white duvet where Emma was wrapped up like a little marshmallow. Round face with pink cheeks poked out and that was all. A smile for the image and Regina reached for her phone and took a picture to send to Zee. Her thumb hovered over the screen to add her Mother to the recipient list and decided to for a soft bridge to the hard conversation they had yet to have. There would be many of those coming up, it seemed.
After pressing send Regina went to the bathroom for her morning routine and then called her secretary and Emma's school. With a peek on the little one still sleeping Regina made her way downstairs to have some coffee, surprised to see the kitchen light on and to hear humming. Her house keeper didn't come until tomorrow and her sleep fogged brain said no one should be here, but then she recognized the light tenor and readily felt her eyes fill at it and the sight when she stepped into the kitchen.
Zelena was dishing pancakes into a warming dish by the stove. In her usual place setting there was a ready cup of cappuccino steaming in wait. A hand went to Regina's mouth to cover a smile at one particularly shrill note coming from a merry mouth as Zelena finally turned to see her.
"Morning sleepy head!" Cheery rang through the kitchen.
And it was a warm balm to the cool morning Regina's mind had been contending with. "Good morning. I wasn't expecting you so soon."
"Ah, but you were expecting me at some point today weren't you sis." Not a question.
With a shrug that was anything but indifferent Regina moved to take the first sip of her cappuccino. "Whatever happened to ringing the door bell?"
"I've never been good at keeping New Year resolutions." Zelena put the top on the warming dish and turned off the stove to join her sister to sit at the island with a cup of tea and sugar bowl. "But truthfully I figured you needed the sleep and I didn't want you both to wake up to an empty house."
"I appreciate the thought and I have many thoughts I need to sort out today with your help." Taking another sip as she eyed the fat file of papers sitting loudly on the counter between them.
"I thought as much. Is Emma still asleep then?"
"Check your phone." Regina said and watched the look of melting adoration appear as her sister took in the image of Emma on the screen.
"She looks like a little Easter peep tucked up like that. Now I get why you call her a little ducky." Zelena reached for a spoon to stir her tea after setting down her phone. "Did you tell her anything yet?"
"No and I won't until I know the whole story." Nodding to the file. "You said Ambrose kept digging. How did he find out about Kathryn being a donor?"
"To answer that we need to start with whom Kat was a donor to. She donated to a clinic, but it is a very small world it seems."
"What do you mean by that?" Dread filled Regina's stomach.
"I mean that the connection of the woman who gave birth to Emma, to us is a lot closer than is comfortable." Opening the file, Zee handed over a picture on top of the stack of a few. "Maiden name is Ingrid Gold. She carried Emma."
Regina's jaw dropped at the name. "You're kidding?"
"Wish I was." Auburn brows shot up apoplectically. Seems there is a relation to one Robert Gold. She was his niece."
Regina's eyes closed. So this was the niece Mother had spoken of. She forced her eyes open as Zee kept on.
"You don't seem that surprised."
"It was something Mother mentioned the other day, Gold having had a niece."
"It surprised me that Gold had any family that even tolerated him, little long an older brother who left him his only child. He died in some bogus accident overseas ages ago and was quite a successful business man when he was alive. That much they seemed to have in common." Zelena shrugged.
"Does Gold know about Ingrid's connection to Emma?" Regina felt a small ball of hot panic beginning to fill her stomach.
"Technically the court has to reach out to next of kin when a child's parents die. And technically that would be Gold even though Ingrid is not biologically related to Emma. In Emma's case no one ever knew the connections so that next of kin step did not happen. Gold will be notified soon and there will be one more hearing giving him a chance to come forward for guardianship." Zelena explained the process and watched all the color drain from her sister's face. "Hey, look at me." And Regina did with haunted eyes filled with the fear of loss. "With how selfish Gold is and how focused he is on business I don't see him wanting anything to do with raising a child. Try not to worry. That is not our reality right now."
But Regina was worried that it could be one day and looked down finally to take in the fair woman with blue eyes and platinum hair near white gold in color that fit the name given to the letter. Gold was standing right next to her with his arm wrapped around her shoulders, a crooked grin on his face as his fingers dug into the fabric of a dress. There was something sadly haunting about Ingrid's eyes Regina didn't like, never mind Gold being in the picture, so she looked away from them. "And the father. Should I be concerned about him?"
"For him, there are no relations since he was a product of the New York foster system. He was also harder to find much on. Bit of a nomad that one right along with Ingrid once they moved out of state. They never stayed in one city long." Tapping the corner of Ingrid's picture. "A man by the name of August Booth. Handsome fellow." Zelena pointed to the next picture.
A man with kind green eyes and a goofy half smile was pictured there next to Ingrid. And again something about the way that woman's eyes looked disturbed Regina greatly. "They're dead?"
Nodding. "Reported missing from Boston a few weeks before Emma was found. Ambrose said Ingrid went missing pregnant and the bodies of both of them were found in a lake in Maine near a town called Storybrooke a few days after Emma was picked up and taken to the fire station. Obviously Ingrid had given birth between Boston and Maine at some point."
Boston. Maine. Storybrooke.
"Seriously, Storybrooke?"
"I know, sounds like something out of Grimm's fairytales." Zelena said, rolling her eyes tapping the file. "The case notes for when they were found, what has already been made public, are there for you to go through later. But it makes sense. Ingrid didn't give birth in any hospital or there would be a record of Emma."
"That part does, but how did he connect Emma to these two?"
"Ah, well, that's where I need you to remember that you asked me to find out everything I could about Emma's parents from the newspaper article back at Christmas." Zelena pushed on even as a dark brow arched. "Remember when Ambrose asked for a cheek swab of Emma to run through the police forensics system when you wanted to find out about her roots? He stopped digging when I'd told him too five months ago and all but forgot about the sample until I mentioned the hearing coming up about parental rights a few weeks ago. So he finally looked at the report and it was a clear match to Kat's DNA. Since the car accident was a crime scene Kat's DNA had been taken along with the driver of the truck when they eventually caught up to him—so it was in the police forensics system."
A deep breath and holding as she processed everything Zee was saying. Regina felt like the room was spinning. Then she let it out and nodded for her sister to continue.
"And that led to him investigating more about Kat's background around the time of Emma's birth, or some nine months before and he found Kat had registered with an egg donor company in Boston. The same one Ingrid and August used when he crossed checked." Zelena bit her lip for the next part. "And that meant Kat made the donation—"
"When her and I were planning to get married." Finishing the hard truth. And Regina closed her eyes to that time period trying to piece together the why of her late wife's choice she did not know about.
Kathryn had taken a few trips for work over the course of a few months to Boston before proposing to her, or what Regina had been told was work. While she came from a family of wealth and privilege Kathryn hadn't. Her wife had no family to speak of and had to work for everything from scratch. Talented in many areas, but in locating things in particular, Kathryn worked as a bonds person more on the paper trail side than foot work. Between them, Regina's income gave them their comfort of living, but Kathryn insisted on contributing in other ways. They had talked about marriage and Kathryn had insisted that when they had a wedding Regina would wear a ring she had bought, not the other way around.
Subconsciously Regina twisted the bare skin around the ring finger of her left hand as she often did when thinking of Kathryn. And remembered why it was bare. Then the ring in particular Kathryn had proposed with. Regina wondered out loud. "How much does one make from an egg donation?"
Zelena's brows furrowed missing the why of the question. "We may ask Siri and see, but why?" And listened to her sister's theory and together they Googled that very question.
Anywhere from $8,000 to $14,000, which could explain the Tacori Royal platinum diamond engagement ring and matching band sitting in her jewelry box upstairs Regina had always wondered how Kathryn had afforded, but had never asked. That proposal had been so sweet and very Kathryn. Regina closed her eyes to the memory…
Regina itched her arms only to be surrounded in a cloud of bug spray. Coughing with a grimace she heard Kathryn's laugh echo from behind her and reached for the blindfold covering her eyes.
"Ah-Ah! No peeking. You promised."
And promptly dropped her hands. "And you promised to tell me why I let you drive me out into the middle of nowhere only to be blindfolded upon arrival." They both had the day off and Kathryn wanted to go for a drive. Regina had wanted to take the Benz, but her girlfriend had insisted on driving the yellow tin can instead. But Regina never could say no to Kathryn so she had relented.
It was early evening when they stopped for food at a place called Hardee's in the middle of nowhere Regina had never heard of, but Kathryn swore had the best burgers and shakes on this coast. And had been right about that fact. After dinner the blindfold came on and she was led by the shoulders for a hike it seemed through the mix of trees and to her dismay bugs.
Soon they stopped and Regina was more than done with the blindfold. "Kathryn why are we here?" Not one for liking surprises, she'd done her best all day to go with the flow.
"So we can see this."
And the blindfold fell away. Regina blinked a few times to adjust to the night around them just as Kathryn's flashlight turned off and a pair of warm arms encircled her waist. Then she saw them. Hundreds of fire-flies dancing in the clearing ahead under a crescent moon and milky-way of stars so bright and close in the darkness Regina thought she just might be able to touch them. It stole her breath away just like the woman holding her did.
"Magical isn't it?"
Regina could only nod; had never seen stars quite like this before and never in the city full of lights. So vast and free, she longed to stay here wrapped in her lover's arms forever. Then Kathryn was suddenly before her on one knee holding a blue velvet box with a diamond ring twinkling right in the very middle.
"You always said you hated surprises." Kathryn began, taking her hand.
"And you promised to change my mind on that." Regina finished and bit her lip as the ring rested at the tip of her finger in question.
A bright smile that made the dimple in a left cheek pop. "Did I succeed?"
"Oh yes." And the ring crested Regina's knuckle to sit where she always hoped it would remain. "Only you could make me this happy…."
"Gina?"
Regina opened her eyes and followed her sister's finger to the doorframe where Emma was coming in. She cleared her throat with a nod to the papers as Zelena bundled those away back in the file and promptly left the room with it while giving Emma's curls a ruffle on the way out. Regina turned to accept a hug from the sleepy child and lifted Emma right up on her lap to sit. Thoughts of Gold, Ingrid, and Kathryn faded for the sweet little girl starting up at her.
"I smell pancakes Gina." A little nose twitched.
A small laugh bubbled up from her core and Regina kissed a pale cheek. "Your ZeeZee made a special breakfast for us. Shall we thank her and have some?"
"Mhmm." Emma agreed and then her eyes saw the 10 on the stove clock. "We're late." Pointing to the red number.
"We would be if I didn't call us both in. You and I are taking a mental health day sweetheart."
"What's that?"
"Only the best thing next to sliced bread." Zelena confirmed as she returned and went to the fridge to pour them each a glass of OJ. "And I am too."
Regina's jaw dropped. "You never take time off. And with both of us out Mother is sure to think something is up."
"Well, I've good reason. Time with my sister and little Monkey is just the thing I need right now." Winking and handing a glass to a pair of eager little hands and she set the other in front of Regina. "And Mother will survive a day without us to boss around. Snow White Mary-Margaret can handle her fireballs for a day." Taking her sister's hand in certainty along with Emma's. "Besides. This matters more."
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A/N – The mystery deepens next time with Emma as another discovery is made. Any guesses?