Author's Note: I know long wait, but it's finally here. Hopefully no one is disappointed by this chapter.
Chapter Seven
Regina grimaced as she peed on the little stick to see if she was pregnant. Stupid Snow had thought she was pregnant yesterday and introduced Leopold to home pregnancy tests. It had only been a few short months since his return although it felt longer, but she'd already been pregnant twice, he'd raped the second pregnancy out of her. He had gotten Blue to heal her early, but he wanted her too much as a child first, plus she hadn't completely healed even with the fairy dust. Although she suspected Blue liked her to suffer a little bit just because. Now it always stung when she peed, because he was repeatedly traumatizing her down there.
"Aren't you done yet?" He snapped coming in.
"Yeah," Regina said as she finished. She cleaned herself up and set the timer. He paced impatiently as she sat on the bed waiting. The timer went off he looked at it and came to stand in front of her. She just kept looking at the floor, that was far more interesting.
"You are no longer allowed to leave this house, whatever you need outside of the house Emma or David will pick up, understand?" He asked.
"Yes, my King." He left out of the bedroom and went down to wait for breakfast. She checked the test and saw it was a strong positive so not how she wanted to start her morning, but every morning was not how she wanted to start it except the days she got lucky and ended up sleeping in Emma's room with Henry. And god did she cherish those precious bits of sleep she got these days, because she was never able to sleep next to Leopold. Taking several deep breaths, she tried to calm her anxiety he wouldn't leave her alone for very long. She got so little time alone too, God she would kill for just five minutes that was uninterrupted by Leopold, Snow, or the children.
"Oh, you're still here," Snow said walking in without knocking.
"Yeah it is my bedroom," Regina reminded her just grateful she was already ready for the day.
"I just assumed you would be down for breakfast already seeing as I need to leave soon." Regina rolled her eyes. Maybe she should just commit murder suicide this time she hadn't tried poison this time perhaps that was the loophole. That way Snow was finally dead, David could raise Neal simply and Leopold couldn't influence him or went into her closet and came back annoyed.
"Regina where are all the clothes?" Snow demanded to know.
"Donated to the needy, so I could make room for my King's wardrobe, he needed more space with all the shopping you did," Regina told her as she stood up and walked out. She was now dressing via magic, because she couldn't spend one more day watching Snow stuff herself into her size double zero clothing when she was a size ten, several outfits had already been ripped anyway so she had simply tossed them.
"How are you getting dressed?" Snow fumed as she went into nursery. Regina didn't answer.
"Hey there, my favorite charming, are you ready for breakfast?" Regina asked him. He bounced in his crib. Regina had gotten rid of the carpet in the room and just tried not to think about what had happened in this room. He lifted his arms up to her and she picked him up.
"Mama!" He said startling her.
"You have got to be kidding me, how dare you!" Snow started crying as Snow snatched him away from her.
"What's going on?" Emma asked coming in with toothpaste on her mouth. Leopold soon joined her at the door as well.
"She has Neal calling her Mama," Snow yelled upset.
"I didn't make him, he's just confused, he will sort it out as he gets older," Regina told her.
"Is that all?" Emma asked. "You never had a problem with your kid calling someone else mama before."
"Not helping Emma," Regina told held her hands up.
"She did it on purpose she's just being an evil queen again." Regina visibly tensed at Snow's accusations and she knew Leopold would come after her later for something she couldn't control. "I don't want you anywhere near my son anymore, we're going to go to Granny's for breakfast. You can't cook anyway."
"STOP IT!" Regina thundered. She didn't have time to be bitched at later because Neal was screaming and how it was all her fault to begin with and then she'd be up all night with a screaming infant in addition to Leopold's who was turning to go paused. "You are not going to defy your father and go eat at Granny's, you know better. Now go get dressed, you have a town to run, and Neal hates going with you anyway." She took Neal and left out. What did it matter what she said to Snow, she was already in trouble? She was in the kitchen making breakfast when the other inhabitants from the house came down. Snow grudgingly sat down, told her the eggs were under cooked and left for work without another glance at Neal.
"Thanks again for watching Neal, Regina, breakfast was delicious as usual," David told her before he left as well. According to Snow he wasn't allowed to be gone at night because they were trying to get pregnant. Although Regina hadn't heard any more of their enthusiastic time together thankfully.
"No problem," Regina replied without looking at him. It was better for them both if they just avoided eye contact in front of left after saying goodbye to Henry and Emma.
"Come on Henry let's get you and Neal dressed, I'll walk you to school," Regina said. Leopold cleared his throat.
"It's just a walk honey, barely into town," Regina told him.
"You have no guards here and after all you've done, I can't be assured of your safety," He told her.
"I also did some good things," Regina replied a little lower. Emma was staring at them both now wondering why the fuck Regina was just accepting this. "No one is going to hurt me."
"Regina, I said no, besides you are not that child's mother it's not your job to get him to school when Emma is perfectly capable."
"Snow is also perfectly taking care of Neal, but I do that because I'm his grandmother as you say, so the least I can do is walk Henry to school." Regina walked out, she knew she was screwed today, and damn it she just needed to walk Henry to school one last time, because she'd have to move up her time line. Also, she couldn't say she wasn't hoping he'd cause her to miscarry just one last time so she wouldn't be thinking about her baby when she was trying to kill herself, it would be bad enough with Henry. She got Henry and Neal dressed and took Henry all the way to school to prolong their outing as she talked to him. At the last minute though she decided he didn't even have to go to school. She took him to the comic book store and practically bought the entire store to his excitement. They went clothes shopping, and they picked out a bunch of toys to get Neal for his first birthday which was coming up soon. She was sure she was meant to plan on the whole thing and provide all the presents anyway. They had lunch at Granny's after Henry texted Emma. Regina shut off her phone.
"I'm assuming since my calls to you went to voicemail, you're deliberately avoiding him," Emma said as she sat. Regina shrugged.
"He's going to yell anyway about Neal calling me Mama and not Snow, so if I'm not home making his lunch too whatever," Regina said.
"I don't know what she's expected, he's been in only your care for months," Emma said drinking the chocolate milkshake they had already ordered for her.
"Yeah, they're going to both be a bit of a nightmare for a day or two, I'm sure Snow will insist on a family day which you will probably be roped into, so I thought maybe you'd like to take Henry to New York instead. I heard there was a comic con actually so I'm not hoping I'm insisting."
"Comic Con!" Henry exclaimed. He blushed when the entire diner looked at them. They weren't in their usual seat, something away from the windows just in case Leopold walked by looking for her. Thankfully none of his supporters were in Granny's. Once the people had stopped paying attention, Henry quietly exclaimed again, and was now giving Emma huge doe eyes.
"Yep, I made you an awesome Dr. Strange costume since that's what you're reading right now. Or I'm sure I have time to make a different character if you like."
"No, no I love it," Henry said.
"Good, I have a house down there that I rented out before, but now it's empty, you guys can stay there. It was a pre-furnished place so don't mind the baby room. And the comic con is VIP, so you will get to meet all the superheroes." Henry was now bouncing in his seat in excitement.
"You still aren't going to come, look at the joy on his little face, you should take him not me." Regina shook her head.
"No this is just for you, I honestly don't want to walk about comic con, you're the cool mom that does stuff, I'm the cool mom that funds that stuff." Emma chuckled.
"That is a terrible split of us, you're the cool mom that makes food melt in your mouth and there is something to be said about that special kind of talent." They all laughed.
"No really, take him. I do have something to tell you both, and I rather want to tell you on my own terms and not his." Regina knew since he didn't announce it at breakfast it would be at dinner, it was too soon in any world, but he'd want them to know so she'd play along about being too afraid to go out, but she'd killed that this morning with Henry. Either way her child did not need to be blindsided at dinner even if she was low key hoping he'd beat her enough to miscarry. No way she'd find enough time to get a proper abortion without him noticing.
"Is something wrong?" Emma asked. Regina shrugged.
"It's nothing too bad, and I want you to know Henry nothing can ever change how much I love you."
"What's wrong?" Henry asked looked at them both before she took a deep breath, and she just knew she had to rip it off like a band aid.
"I'm pregnant," Regina told them.
"So soon," Emma said gripping her pant leg. Regina technically still should not have been having sex and it seemed Leopold hadn't cared, and Emma was now wondering just how willing Regina had been. What was that Regina said about not being able to tell him no? Had she really been so dense, Emma just shook her head trying to clear it. She and Regina had to talk about a lot, maybe she was wrong, some guys were just assholes, but they never crossed the line. Right?
"Are you going to give me back?" Henry asked.
"What, no, Sweetie you are always going to be my son, your place is with me, never forget that. New baby or not. Nothing will ever change the fact that I am your mother not even Miss Swan."
"Cheap shot, while in shock." Regina shrugged with a slight grin at her. Whatever the case, Regina was not going to tell her anything in front of food arrived and they ate silently although Henry was wondering how Snow was going to take that, he was very observant and pretty sure they were going to watch her lose her shit at dinner. Regina and Emma couldn't agree more.
"So, is it my brother or my Uncle or my great uncle like Neal?" Henry asked so confused as they walked out of Granny's.
"Um…no okay so if we go traditional that would make a boy your granduncle and a girl your grandaunt, because they would be the brother or sister of Snow and she is your grandmother. And Neal is just your Uncle because he is Emma's brother. But for our purposes he or she is just your little brother or sister, because I am your mother."
"How far along are you?" Emma asked. It was more of a probing question for several reasons first of all the curse Regina had inflicted on herself and secondly, she could gauge when she had started sex again with Leopold or raped her. Emma just repressed her shudder, God she hoped the woman she loved was not being raped right next door to her and she was clueless.
"I don't know yet, I still haven't made a doctor's appointment yet," Regina shrugged.
"Well let's assume it's too early to tell, why did you tell us already?" Emma asked.
"Because Leo would have sprung it on us at dinner surprised it wasn't at breakfast actually, and I wouldn't have had time to talk to Henry without his he's not your son nonsense."
"Okay good so you're not dead inside you are in there somewhere, now about the divorce you so clearly want." Emma watched Regina for a reaction, she was pregnant and yet divorce was very clearly on the table. This was not looking good at all for her new look on the state of things at the mansion and the state of things was already pretty shit.
"What about it, it will never stick not in this town," Regina told her. "He won't go, he will literally just start laughing at you and me." She didn't add he would also beat the shit out of her too baby or no had tried several times to run away and live just at the border if only, so she wasn't his property and prisoner in the Enchanted Forest, sometimes pregnant, sometimes not.
"Can we go to the park?" Henry asked happy to be with both of his mothers.
"Sure sweetheart," Regina told him. They walked into the park and she conjured up some bird seed for him and he ran to the ducks and the ducks ran to him.
"So cute, they know him," Emma said.
"No, I can tweak the curse magic every now and again, I learned. I thought it would be cute if they did that when he was three, until some baby ducks followed us home and we raised them. And now that's why they come to him; he's raised them all." Emma chuckled.
"All magic comes with a price dearie," Emma said in her best Gold impression. They both laughed.
"That it did." Regina cleared her throat and pulled out a bit of water from her purse. She had a little bit of a sour taste in her mouth after vomiting up lunch. She had hoped she could keep it down as her last grand meal with her son, but she just couldn't let herself gain the weight, she didn't want to be buried as a fat slob, they'd have to let out her funeral clothes twice as much she was sure.
"Nausea?" Emma asked. Regina nodded. "Look I need to ask so I know what I'm expecting, but do you have any reason to believe that your curse will enact sooner, do you want me to take you for an abortion, we can just say you miscarried again, he doesn't need to know it was deliberate. Or do you want to go on bedrest close to the fifth month and transfer the baby to the Storybrooke NICU, we could eventually have him, or her air lifted to Portland Children's Hospital, you'll have access to medical stuff that keep a premature infant alive you didn't in the Enchanted Forest."
"They can save them so early?" Regina asked eyes a little wide. Emma nodded. "Huh I didn't know that."
"Are you going to answer my questions?" Emma asked. Regina sighed.
"Can I show you, my and Henry's favorite place in all of Storybrooke?" Regina asked. Emma frowned if she couldn't even get Regina to talk about this, what hope did she have for her other questions?
"Sure, but then we talk." Regina just nodded as Emma's phone rang, but she had specific tone for Leopold, so she pushed end. She did not want to talk to that man whenever she could help it. And she was likely to start yelling and asking him if he raped Regina, and she already knew how he would answer, he would say that Regina was his wife as if that was that. And Regina if she stayed true to her behaviour just lately would just shrug and walk away and Emma would be left unsure if Regina was in any way willing.
"Henry come on let's go to our favorite place," Regina told him. Henry gasped and ran over dumping the last of his bird seed. He ran over to them and Regina put her water bottle away before she touched Neal's stroller and put a hand on Henry. Emma was last to put a hand on her as she realized they would be poofing. When she reappeared, they were in the stables.
"Oh um…I'm not so good with horses."
"You'll be fine you can ride with me," Regina told her. "I thought we could ride up to our favorite place. Henry and I haven't been riding in a while, now is as good a time as any. Henry and Regina already went inside and were greeting the caretaker. Emma noted from his body language that he was someone who liked Regina, and he was glad to see her. She concluded that they had been close when Regina was Queen.
"Madam Mayor," He greeted. "Henry."
"Hi Orlando!" Henry exclaimed before he hurried further into the stables, Emma lightly called for him to come back who knew what the horses would do to him, but he seemed right at home.
"I'm not the mayor anymore Orlando, you know that," Regina told him.
"My Queen then, I don't think I could stomach saying Mrs. Blanchard." Regina made a face, several people who had never liked her had made it a point to refer to her as such and Emma had, had to magic buckets to put out the poor individuals ass. In that moment he seemed to notice Emma and looked frightened she would be as upset as Snow to hear him say such a thing.
"Don't worry she's safe, and you're safe even if he did come to the stables." Orlando nodded. He trusted Regina. Emma noted there were scars going up his neck, his face seemed only mildly hurt, but there were hints of more under his clothes. She made a mental note to ask Regina about it later.
"Well Rocinante 2 has missed you, and he has successfully sired offspring in two mares, one in California, and one in Kentucky." Regina looked pleased by this. "The Kentucky folks already ordered more sperm; they have a good feeling about this. I just packed some away to Ireland as well."
"I didn't know you were into horse breeding," Emma commented.
"Yes, it turns out that once the curse broke, we realized that Rocinante was everything horse breeders were looking for in a race horse. She led Emma into the office and showed her the places where Rocinante now had offspring.
"We keep a tab on them and their chip number so that when they become champions, we can say he was sired by Rocinante. We even have frozen sperm as we're aware that He could go before he sires champions, and some are returned to us."
"I was thinking maybe we could purchase some mares and breed our own here," Orlando thought.
"It's a nice thought, but you can't leave town to race them, and we don't have the training facilities nor will he authorize such expenditure from the town money or my money." Orlando frowned.
"But I came over in the second curse, maybe I won't lose my memories?" Regina looked thoughtful.
"I'll give it some thought maybe test it on someone with a true love like Aurora just to be safe." He nodded. They left the office and he led them into the stables proper.
"We aren't taking Rocinante?" Emma asked gulping. Her pupils were a little dilated as she attempted to keep an eye on all the horses in their stall.
"No, it's his rest day, but we'll give him a nice brushing down when we return though and spend time with him." Regina paused to magic an apple and carrot into her hand for Rocinante before she turned back to the gigantic black horse in front of them. She offered an apple and carrot to the stallion as well.
"This is Angus, he's very gentle and he can hold us both, unless you're full of surprises and a rider." Emma shook her head no frantically but not before Regina missed the gulp, clearly the idea of riding alone did not sit well with Emma. "Are you afraid?" Emma just nodded as she watched the apple and carrot disappear.
"They're just so large," Emma murmured.
There's no need to be afraid darling," Regina told her. "I'm going to open the door now." Emma took two steps back and watched as Regina carefully opened the stall and once Angus was looking at her, she approached his shoulder and put two hands on him as she began petting him."You're a gentle one, aren't you Angus, and you're going to be just as gentle with Emma." She motioned with her head for Emma to join her.
"Approach slowly when he looks at you," Regina instructed. Emma nodded and took a breath and did so once Angus was looking at her. "Good darling now come to his shoulder and we're going to put both hands on him. Regina moved behind Emma and lifted her hands so that they were petting his shoulder. Angus sniffed at Emma but stayed still. "See darling there's nothing to be afraid of at all." She was happy when Emma relaxed a bit. Eventually Orlando came with the saddle and Regina taught her to saddle a horse properly before they led Angus out of the stall.
"You don't plan on riding in heels I hope?" Emma asked.
"While I could pull it off, no, benefits of having magic for impromptu riding."She took two steps away from Angus with Emma and waved her hand over them both, she included a helmet on Emma.
"Cool mom do me next." She waved her hand and Henry suddenly had a matching outfit and like Emma he was fitted with a helmet. Henry went over to a grey horse and immediately went into the stall taking with him some treats. He had been riding the gray horse for as long as he could remember. He hadn't the heart to tell his grandfather that Regina had of course taught him how to ride.
"Wow I feel like I'm on my way to a show," Emma grinned admiring herself as she turned a little.
"Well there's definitely a show darling," Regina muttered as she admired Emma's butt in the white riding breeches.
"Regina Mills are you staring at my ass?" Emma asked with a grin. She was flattered honestly, and it was nice to know that Regina thought her ass looked great too.
"Absolutely not Ms. Swan," Regina lied. Emma smirked as her superpower pinged. Regina rolled her eyes on purpose and turned back to Angus who was eagerly looking for yet another carrot.
"What about Neal?" Emma asked.
"Don't worry Henry is a good rider, he can ride with him in the sling."
"What all Henry has had is inconsistent lessons with David," Emma said as she got Neal from his stroller, she shouldn't have been surprised he was in baby riding gear with a helmet. Regina led Angus out of his stall and outside the opposite side of the barn that, they had entered.
"Well that's just not true, he's just too polite for his own good, he's been riding since before he could walk. I didn't go into the stables for a long time, but Orlando always brought the horse in and out," Regina said.
"Kid what else do you do?" Emma asked.
"Make the bed?" Henry asked with a shrug. Regina chuckled.
"That is not at all a reflection on my parenting ability," Emma told her pointing a finger at Regina.
"Yeah, you're right about that Ms. Swan it's a reflection on mine," Regina told her. "Clearly I have taught him well." Emma pouted. Henry led his own grey horse out and saddled him properly. Regina checked it before she allowed him to mount with Neal sitting in a sling on his chest. In case the horse got spooked and he was thrown, she didn't want Neal on his back. Once he was settled, she took Emma to the mounting block and helped her mount. Emma was practically shaking as Regina got on easily without the block behind her. "You're fine Ms. Swan, I've got you." Regina gently placed an arm around Emma's waist while the other grabbed the reins.
"No galloping off Henry while you have Neal, when we get to the spot and Neal's on the ground with Emma, we can gallop a little bit before we settle but not before understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." Regina nudged Angus forward and he walked out of the barnyard, once they were on the trail though she allowed them to canter. They road through some meadows Emma wasn't even aware were in Storybrooke and a bit of the forest for about an hour.
"We have a mountain, I never saw that from town," Emma said in surprise. She had been laughing in glee when Regina got Angus to canter, and she had relaxed safe in Regina's grip as she had her arms around her.
"Well it's not real, it's magical, Storybrooke is bigger than you think but not that big. Anyway, it's just there to make me think I've gotten away to another part of the point that looks over Storybrooke. Emma nodded and to her surprise row after row of apple trees were revealed.
"Wow," Emma breathed.
"It's where I make my apple cider, they're all grown from seeds from my apple tree in my garden." They rode through and came to a little brewery with a stable for two horses at the most on the side. Regina slid down and then helped Emma down. They were both already missing the bodily contact they had enjoyed. Regina unsaddled Angus led him to a water trough before she let him wander.
"He's the only one allowed to nibble freely on my apples, well and Sith here," Regina told her as they watched Angus happily reach up into a tree along Henry's grey horse. Emma chuckled.
"You grew every one of these yourself?" Emma asked. Regina nodded.
"I planted ten new ones every year for Eighteen years to pass the time," Regina told her.
"Why only eighteen years?" Emma asked.
"Because Mom got me," Henry beamed. "Mom says after she got me, she planted one tree a year for my birthday." Emma smiled.
"That's true, I didn't have the time to devote to newer trees anymore, I mean I did the same thing every day for eighteen years, but it was easier to tend to one new baby tree with a child then to tend ten at once with a child." Emma nodded as she noted a younger tree. "I start growing the tree I want to plant the next year, a year earlier." She took her inside to a potted one as she carried Neal on her hip.
"And you just make cider with them?" Emma asked.
"I used to bake more, sell them anonymously at the grocery store, all the apples in Storybrooke come from here, it's good money," Regina shrugged. "I had more time." Emma nodded as she walked around the brewery. She picked up a bottle, but she noted it was the lighter stuff that Henry could drink.
"Oooh care to share a bottle while we explore." Regina nodded that she could take it. Henry had already opened one without asking and was nibbling on an apple, she swore he had Emma's appetite took an apple herself just needing to know that her tree wasn't the problem, but Leo. The apples had turned sour in her opinion since his arrival. They all wandered out a meadow on the other side of the trees. Regina stripped Neal down and let him run free with Henry who also stripped down to his boxers and ran off with his uncle to play in the grass.
"He looks so comfortable and happy here, how often did you bring him?" Emma asked.
"As often as I could manage, but in the beginning, we drove, because I brought food, and whatever else he might need without proper saddle bags. And he used to nap in his hammock I set up while I tended the trees, it was all very nice and peaceful and happy." Regina sighed as she got her own boots, socks, and jacket off and lay back in the grass.
"Weren't afraid of him tracking dirt home?" Emma teased. Regina chuckled. She could always laugh with Emma it was nice feeling because every time her time ended with Emma and Henry where she was able to laugh it felt like centuries before she was away from Leopold to laugh again.
"No, I would strip him down bare ass naked like I just did Neal and send him on his way. He loves it look." Emma did look and both boys were happily playing in the dirt. "Or at least he loves it again."
"That's the kid for you, so simple to please when everything is good." Regina nodded at Emma's words. "Maybe he was just embarrassed before because he didn't wanna get naked." Regina shrugged.
"It's water under the bridge now, we haven't had a lot of time together recently that hasn't been crapped on so I'm just happy to bring him here to our favorite place." Emma nodded as she drank from her cider bottle and passed it to Regina. Regina also drank a little she wished it was the alcoholic stuff but knew better. The thought of losing her nerve and failing and then living with the fact that she caused something wrong to be with her child wasn't one she wanted to live with. She had to plan for all possibilities.
"So, since the kids are distracted and you can't run, I would really like it if you were honest with me about a few things," Emma told her tentatively and gently. Regina looked at the boys, but they were too engrossed in their dirt to care about them. Henry was eagerly showing him the mess he had got into here as a child.
"What's that Ms. Swan?" Regina asked.
"Emma…"
"You like it," Regina replied causing Emma to hide a smirk.
"I don't," She tried to counter but they both knew it was useless. Emma cleared her throat. "First, I should ask, you went through a traumatic experience and now barely a few short months later after you admitted to me you still had pain, you're pregnant. So, I must ask first, have you been hurting yourself recently, you've gotten good at keeping me out of the bathroom, so I don't see anything except your tears and some bruises. I would understand if you're hiding a new razor and I just want you to know that I still care about you."
"You're going to hate me," Regina whispered as she looked away. She thought Emma would start in the pregnancy again. She'd had time to think of what to say, but not the cutting that had started again, except those nights she didn't do it in the bathroom anymore. She had been cutting, she had managed to get a new razor or rather Leopold had given it to her and waited until she couldn't resist anymore so he could be the first to dig his nails into her thighs. He just sat and jerked off to every cut she made, and God did she hate herself for bleeding out her emotions while at the same time getting sick at the fact that it got him off. And she still just could not stop cutting.
"No, I just want you to be better, would it help if you met Archie out here away from town?"
Emma asked.
"He really doesn't want me with Archie alone, Emma, he was very upset that Archie visited me in the hospital," Regina told frowned. This wasn't the first time her grandfather had been so possessive over Regina's time especially when it came to talking to other men. It didn't seem to matter that the circumstances were more than likely always innocent. One day his excuses were about her safety and another it was about what she had done with Sidney and was worried for his own. Emma had suggested more than once than that he call the marriage quits and move out with Snow. He had scoffed and then said his love for Regina was eternal. But Regina had never said her love for him was even existent really. He was the loving husband, but she had never referred to herself as the loving wife.
"You won't be alone, I'm here, with you, I won't go anywhere, and I will wear headphones."
"I'll think about it," Regina told her. Emma nodded as she lifted Regina's hand and kissed the back of it.
"I really just want to help you get better you know." Regina nodded.
"I know," Regina replied. They remained in silence for a while.
"So, about the pregnancy, and the curse or do you want an abortion?" Emma asked. "I just find it hard to believe that a man whose murder you planned, is the same man whose baby you want."
"I don't want his baby, I want my baby," Regina told her clearly. "I will probably hate this entire pregnancy because he is the father, but if I get to hold my baby in my arms that is all they will ever be, my baby."
"I understand, but you say if, so does that mean the curse will try again, do you think it will be around five months or earlier?" Emma asked.
"No, apparently Leopold carries water from Lake Nostos around his neck for emergencies, this was an emergency in his opinion, so he dosed me without my knowledge when he moved in."Emma frowned.
"Does he not understand it being your choice?" Emma asked.
"I am his Queen he decides what is best for us," Regina stated as if she had that memorized. She stared off watching Henry and Neal laugh. "That being said I would like an abortion, but after today it's going to be pretty hard to go get one."
"Come with us to New York he will never know. By the time you get back and have a doctor's appointment you can pretend like the test was defective."
"He will notice, there will be blood," Regina told her. "You may live in a world of consent, but that concept wasn't even thought of in the Enchanted Forest, especially if you were a King, it is the Queen's duty to please her King." Emma looked sick, that was as much confirmation as she was going to get, she realized that perhaps the sex wasn't as consensual as things might appear to be. Now she just had to figure out why Regina thought she owed that man anything to continue being his wife, it didn't matter if he laughed, she would still get divorced and she would make sure he stayed out of Regina's house. And if she were honest, she didn't know how she was going to keep her cool until she figured out how until she could charge him with rape. "Emma remember you promised you would hold me when I felt like the world was caving in?"
"Yes," Emma replied. Regina just moved into her arms and so Emma hugged her tight. It was getting dark when they decided to head back. Regina could have stayed and camped out with Henry, they had done that once, but she didn't want Leopold to trace her to the stables for Orlando's sake. They rode in and heard noises.
"I know I saw someone else in here," Grumpy said. Regina just sighed. He had traced her to the stables or at least the dwarves.
"My queen!" A loud whisper called. There was a pile of hay and Orlando revealed himself to her. "They have Carlos, if he does…"
"I'll protect him don't worry, just stay hidden, if he sees you, he'll try to kill you." Orlando nodded and disappeared into the hay again. They took the horses inside as if everything was normal.
"There she is!" Snow cried. She ran over and took Neal from Henry. David looked exhausted as his eyes landed on Emma who was frowning. He could see she was tense, and her eyes had zeroed in on was furious and didn't seem to care of notice Emma's demeanor.
"Where have you been?" He asked. "Did this swine kidnap you and Emma?" He indicated poor Carlos who was bleeding on the floor from his beating.
"Carlos works here at night; this is the first time he's seeing me today." Regina bent down and healed his face as she glared at the dwarves to back away, they did. Carlos scrambled to his feet.
"Thank you, my Queen," He said backing away further.
"Take care of Angus and Sith for us please," Regina told him. He nodded and took the horses back outside no doubt to be closer to Orlando.
"What is the meaning of this," Leopold said.
"It means Carlos isn't responsible for anything other than the horses, now if you would like to discuss this, we can do so at home not here." Regina was doing her best to keep her head up in public. She refused to let the dwarves see her beaten or Emma or Henry for that matter. Because she couldn't handle it if Emma told her she deserved this.
"No, we do not move from this spot until you tell me where the hell you have been, with that forest thief no doubt now that Emma let him go."
"I had no choice it was his word against yours, and no physical evidence in the rape kit to suggest he was the one that did anything without Regina's testimony so unless she suddenly remembers what happen, there is nothing I can do." Emma nearly sat down as she realized Regina probably did remember, because there was not physical evidence of Robin, but there was clearly evidence left. Her fists tightened as she thought there was something off about Leopold when he talked about it. He often just said he saw Robin leave and he saw the smoke as Regina disappeared. This she believed was not a lie, but it was off.
"My word should have been enough," Leopold snapped. He turned back to Regina. "Well I am waiting."
"I wanted to have a nice day with Henry, so we spent all day together," Regina told him.
"What was stopping you from calling me and telling me," Leopold told her.
"I knew you would object so I didn't call," Regina told him. He was trying to make her feel like a child and she tried not to gulp as he stepped closer to her. She was pretty sure he wasn't going to hit her in front of Emma, so that should be the least of her worries. He rarely did things where other people could see them unless they were her closest servants. He wanted her to feel alone, but her mother had already beat him to that feeling.
"So, you're telling me, you chose to disobey me by leaving the house unguarded so you could be a whore and endanger my future son, and grandson?"He fumed.
"I wasn't unguarded, Emma was my guard," Regina told him. He screamed in her face.
"You know damn well that whore doesn't count!" He shouted. He back handed her hard to her surprise. She stumbled back a little in shock. David looked shocked and Emma looked shocked and Henry looked shocked.
"Mom," He cried out, but Snow didn't look shocked as if she had always known, and that alone was enough to justify Regina's fury that had always been directed at Snow. And there was that fury that would always be directed at Leopold for causing Henry to be scared for her.
"Have you suddenly gone insane?" Emma asked stepping between them. Now Regina looked at Emma in surprise. Why was she defending her? Henry was a child, any violence produced some sort of fear response, but Emma, Emma was the one that would think she deserved it along with everyone else.
"Step aside Emma this is between my Queen and I," He said.
"One thing she is not is your Queen," Emma told him pushing him back, before she punched him in the gut to make him go down. She pinned him to the floor as she took out her handcuffs. Henry gave another startled cry as Regina wrapped her arms around him. She couldn't believe Emma was putting Leopold in Handcuffs.
"Emma what the hell you can't treat your grandfather like that," Snow told her.
"The hell I can't, I am arresting him for domestic violence, he can't hit Regina just like that, just because she had a fun day with her child."
"She disobeyed him Emma, what did you think would happen?" Snow asked.
"That he would learn to behave like a decent human being," Emma replied. "And accept that she has her own wants and wishes about what to do with her day that doesn't revolve around this pig. But I don't know why I'm telling you because you seem to think Regina's day revolves around you too. I mean thank God you stopped wearing her clothes, because I was pretty sure you couldn't make yourself look anymore unflattering as the mayor." Snow looked absolutely scandalized.
"How dare…." Emma ignored her and roughly handcuffed Leopold. He was so lucky Henry was there, because when they were alone all bets were off, she was going to get more than a few good hits in.
"Leopold Blanchard you are under arrest, you have the right to remain silent…" Emma started to read him his rights.
"Emma you are fired!" Snow yelled making her pause in hauling Leopold up to his feet. She dropped him back down unceremoniously. "You can't arrest anyone. David is Sheriff now, David uncuff my father."
"Actually, you can't appoint David without an election, the next Sheriff is always elected," Regina told her. Hell, she technically couldn't fire Emma on a whim, otherwise Regina would have done it a long time ago. It just wasn't how things worked in her town, but she'd find that out later in court.
"Good, I will be running again for my job," Emma told Snow as she threw the key to Leopold's handcuffs into a wheel barrow full of diarrhea and formed poop from a sick horse.
"You aren't welcome to come back home with us either, find your own place and not the loft. You are a disgrace."
"I'm the disgrace, you're the real disgrace for defending this piece of shit, he's been hitting Regina!"
"So, what I am sure she deserved every bit of it, she's always disobeying him. He told her to stay in the house for her own safety. And now she's had us out all day looking for her and Neal. He must be so tired and hungry."
"Neal is fine, he's been fed, he napped on time, and was playing all day with his nephew. For someone who has no qualms about leaving their kid, you sure got a lot of invalid questions about his care."
"Says the woman who abandoned her child," Snow snapped back. Emma looked at her open mouthed for a moment.
"You really wanna go there?" Emma asked. "I gave Henry up for adoption knowing he would physically be in someone's home who cared for him. YOU put me in a fucking wardrobe, and hoped I landed somewhere safe. Seriously if not for August I probably would have frozen on the side of the road and died. And you know what fuck you, this asshole goes to jail."
"DAVID!" Snow screamed. Neal was absolutely wailing now and reaching for Regina. Regina and Henry still stood behind Emma wondering how this would end even as Leopold chuckled on the ground. He had a promise in his eyes to Regina that this incident would not go unpunished for her.
"Dad," Emma said looking at David.
"He will spend the minimum one night in jail, but there's not much more I can do for one hit," David told her as he helped Leopold up. Oh, Emma knew it was more than one hit, it had to be, she was going to fucking test that piece of shit's DNA against the rape kit. That should be enough for the courts. As David was pulling him up Emma punched him hard, he spit out blood like she wanted. He had fallen into David, who had seen the punch coming and hadn't stopped it.
"EMMA!" Snow yelled.
"What I'm not acting Sheriff right now, what does it matter if I punch him?" Emma shrugged as her fingertips buzzed a bit with her magic, she saw the drops of his blood disappear. She hoped her magic had done what she wanted and sent the blood in for testing. Either way she'd get his DNA now or later.
"Henry, Regina let's go!" Snow didn't move though as she held Henry back. She knew well that Leopold wouldn't stay the night, and she would be hurt. Emma thought about maybe slapping Snow as if Regina was going to walk out with her, not after this. Well she hoped she could see Regina's eyes looking between her and Leopold.
"You don't have to go, stay with me," Emma told her. Regina made Orlando and Carlos disappear to their shared home, they would be safer there. The horses she left in the paddock for the night, they would also be fine for now. And she disappeared with Emma and Henry to main street.
"Now what?" Regina asked visibly shaken.
"We get a room at Granny's and talk," Emma told her. Regina nodded as they turned and walked towards the inn entrance at Granny's. Granny took one look at the look on her face, the blood on her lip, and the shaking from her body.
"I have a quiet room at the back on the second floor, he won't know you are here," Granny told her. Regina who was looking down looked up at her in surprise and nodded.
"Thank you," She told her. Granny only let Ruby in on it because she ran into them in the hall.
"I swear Regina, if they come asking, they won't hear it from me you guys are here."
"Thanks Ruby," Regina told her before she quickly went into the room with Henry who was still sniffling and looking as if he was trying to make sense out of what just happened. Emma asked if they could bring up food, extra water in case Regina got thirsty, and ice for her lip. When Emma came in, Regina was whispering something to Henry that she couldn't hear. They were both lying on the bed. Ruby had promised to bring up the roll in single bed for Henry although Emma didn't think he wasn't sleeping between them as usual. He hadn't slept in his bed in months and when she thought about it neither had Regina. She couldn't remember the last time Regina spent a full night in her own bedroom. Emma didn't say anything though, she had a lot to say and felt like she had a lot to hear, but not before their food was there. She didn't want anymore interruptions. In the mean time Regina convinced Henry to read to her from one of his new comics, she hadn't noticed that they had his backpack again.
"Jesus that's a lot of comics," Emma whispered. 'Kid has enough for an entire life time.' Emma froze, she hadn't even realized she'd been pacing until she stopped. Regina had been very insistent about them leaving, and now she wondered if it really was because she didn't like comic con and she wanted Henry to go and spend time with her. But Emma was sure it was all utter bullshit as Regina seemed to be quite in the know about the characters in the comic book Henry was reading to her as she asked questions.
"So, you do like comics?" Emma asked. She meant to accuse Regina, but it came out like a question. Regina looked at her for a moment, but then there was a knock on the door. Emma went to it and yanked it open. Ruby was there, she rolled in the single bed. Granny was right behind her with a cart carrying food, medical supplies, and water.
"Granny I told you we just needed some ice," Emma told her indicating the supplies.
"Now if I recognize what's happened here, then I also know that busted lip is only what is visible," Granny told her. They both looked at Regina who just looked away. Granny nodded.
"Henry come with me for a bit to get the extra sheets and blankets please," Ruby told him. Henry frowned but Regina indicated she was all right.
"Go, we'll finish the comic over dinner."Henry went with Ruby after giving her and Emma a hug. Ruby shut the door as Regina sat up.
"Show me, I heard rumors, but I never thought he would get you," Granny told her.
"How long?" Emma asked.
"Are you asking me how long he has been abusive or how long were you oblivious to his abuse?" Regina asked.
"Both," Emma said.
"Since the day my mother left me in his room before we even made it to his castle, and basically since the day he decided to stop by my house. It was never going to be any different with him," Regina said. Emma took several deep breaths.
"Okay rip it off like a band aid just let me see what I caused by being an idiot. Don't spare me." Regina sighed and took off her shirt, she knew Emma already knew what she looked like with the bruises she just hadn't let herself go there yet, it was easier to keep thinking that was all her. Granny gasped as Emma's face contorted in rage, there was so much bruising, and the cuts in places she wouldn't have made any.
"It's like you never healed from the hos…." Emma's breath caught in her throat and her eyes looked as if they might pop out of her head of their own accord. She had thought it earlier, but now it was really, really hitting her, that it was never Robin. "It was never Robin was it?"
"It was never Robin," Regina confirmed.
"You wouldn't tell me, because you couldn't send Robin to jail for a crime that he had never committed." Regina nodded. "How, how could I have been so stupid, you were so bruised, still are so bruised! This can't be the first time he's bitten you or these cuts I thought I stopped you."
"You did stop me, but you never stopped him," Regina told reminded her. "You didn't see because I didn't want you to see. I was so worked up most nights you never saw how bad it really was especially if the sex was brutal. It was all I could do to hide the worst of it and leave you with something you always assumed was me."
"But your magic?" Emma asked not understanding how it had failed to protect, Regina when it was the entire reason, she had learned her craft in the end. Her magic was her knight and shining armor and if it wasn't that maybe was supposed to be Emma's job and she had utterly failed her Queen. Emma vowed for the hundredth time that night alone to never do it again and she meant to keep that vow. "Or just rip his heart out for trying this shit again?"
"I wanted too but didn't think it would work. I tried to just send him away, but my magic never worked. I tried to burn him, and nothing happened. I tried to stab him too, but unfortunately a little deal that Snow made with Rumple prevents me from physically harming her or her family. It's why I had to put her under a sleeping curse.
"Why didn't you tell me I would have shot him," Emma said getting on her knees in front of Regina and taking her hands in her own. Regina gave a small smile and a shrug.
"Would you have believed me?" Regina asked.
"Yes, God yes, so much," Emma told her looking her in the eye. Regina nodded.
"Maybe, but just wait until the town hears about it from Snow, then tell me why I should have ever thought telling would be enough."
"Unfortunately, she is right," Granny told her. Emma shook her head.
"I have, to have faith that even your haters wouldn't wish this on anyone," Emma told her. "And I'm helping you file for a divorce, maybe he won't think it matters, but it's the principle of the thing." Once they had documented all the visible injuries, Regina healed herself properly for the first time in months and went to she came out Henry wasn't back yet, but Granny was gone.
"Granny said she didn't need to hear the whole story, but she said for my sake if I am going to help you be strong, I had better hear the whole story." Regina nodded as she took a deep breath. She sat down in the robe she had conjured up and her underwear.
"I told you he's been hitting me since…."
"No, I want all of it in the Enchanted Forest and all, I need to understand." Regina nodded
"Then you have to hold me cause I'm gonna need to cut really bad if I say." Emma nodded and sat down taking Regina into her arms. "Henry?"
"Playing video games with Ruby." Regina nodded.
"Mother changed my birthday, but I was really fourteen, but she held me by magic until I remembered to say fifteen. That's an acceptable marriageable age in the White Kingdom. Although where we come from that's much too young, but Queen Eva was getting old and Mother saw an say Eva was really twelve when she married the King. She was considered tall for her age, anyway, Snow was eight when we met, and Eva had just died from the magical sickness my mother brought upon her. Leopold was devastated because some witch had made his Eva perfect, he said and so I could never be as perfect as her."
"He is such a dick," Emma grumbled.
"Yes, as you know he couldn't stop ever praising Eva in public or his star shine, Snow.I was just a figure in the corner. I was there to look pretty and please the King. He didn't let me go out and meet the people, so I rather never got the same love as Eva, I wasn't allowed to do much. I didn't make appearances that were not by his side. I had some friends among the palace servants like Orlando. One time I spent too long in the stables, Leopold came down and saw me smile at Rocinante, but Orlando was standing on the other side trying to get a thorn out while I calmed my horse. He had him beaten and burned. He beat me himself and banned me from riding until his say so. Poor Orlando was never the same, but I supported him through my father, sent him money until he was better. But it was still better than now, there I at least had my own room, could lay in bed when it was all too much and cut if I liked."
"So, you killed him."Regina nodded.
"I had finally mastered my magic lessons; I was able to grow on my own without Rumple's constant tutelage. The last time he beat yet another pregnancy out of me, I was four months pregnant. It was too late to get rid of it without his knowledge for the times he didn't beat it out of me, although back then he didn't really want a kid with me, and I didn't want one with him. But still it was too late, I felt my baby move and I melted. Being a mom is something I always wanted with the person I loved. And when I got Henry, I knew it was meant to be just like I knew it was meant to be when I felt my baby, not his baby. Maybe it was even Maleficent's baby, but we'll never be sure now."
"Maleficent really?"
"Really, she was a light in the darkness, but she is a dragon so there was always a chance, but we always thought it would happen to her not me. But we'll never know, because with a dragon, pregnancy is precarious you know you must protect it. But I couldn't he used to put me in such a state, I couldn't use my magic against him even though it would have worked back then. A few times I accidentally transported him to outside my room and gave him potions that left him confused, since he had already beaten me, he believed what I said that he had done what he wanted already."
"So, you lost that baby too." Regina nodded and so I convinced Sidney to help me, I wanted him to sufferand my father bought the vipers, he thought I was going to commit suicide and he had talked me out of it several times before, but about the last time he saw it as just him being apart of my suffering so he agreed. He wanted to make sure I was buried back in the place we both loved, and he would kill himself later after I was at rest."
"Fuck," Emma said.
"Anyway, as you know I originally killed him, but you instead brought him back," Regina said. "I saw your text too late; I would have never opened the door. Might have saved me some time. He pretended like he had never left, that he always loved me. I knew it was a lie, I tried to get rid of him and discovered my magic wasn't working only against him. He made me put up a sound proof barrier so Henry and Mary Margaret wouldn't hear me scream and cry. He hit me several times but not in the face and then he exercised his duty as my husband on the stairs."
"He raped you just because you're married doesn't make it not rape, you didn't want it." Regina was shaking in her arms.
"These past few months have been the worst of all, I think. The Enchanted Forest was nothing compared to that I am powerless against him." Regina stood up with her back to Emma for a moment and her robe slipped off her shoulder just before Emma encircled her in yet another hug that kept the world from caving in.
"What's this red mark on your back did you forget a wound?" Emma asked in the silence for a moment. She felt as if Regina was still holding back, but she was momentarily distracted by the idea of her still physically hurting at least.
"No, that wound has long since healed over, it's a tattoo. It covers the only bite marks that are permanent on my skin a present from both him and mother. He likes to think it's so I can be reminded I am his, mother liked to think it was a reminder for me to kill him albeit with her help, but for me I had a Phoenix tattooed over it to not only remind myself of my power, to remind myself that I can still rise from the ashes. I got that just after I finally found my inner fire, my Phoenix fire as Maleficent likes to call it." Emma pulled down her robe slightly more to look at the Phoenix who she swore had Regina's eyes staring right back at her surrounded by flames. "But now that fire has been put out with my tears. I should have it removed I'm no Phoenix, I never was."
"Regina, you are stronger than him, you've always have been, sometimes having the strength to defeat your greatest enemy is having the ability to accept help. You have people here that care about you and are not at all blinded by his crown or whatever it is. We know the truth that he is not a kind and just King. He is a monster." Regina shook her arms as she thought about exactly what kind of monster he was.
"Thank you for saying that aloud I thought I would never hear that from anyone else, especially…." Regina just trailed off; she couldn't say it. She never wanted anyone to know about that kind of horror.
"What else, you're holding back, I told you to tell me everything," Emma whispered. Regina needed a moment and it was Emma's arms tightening around her in a comforting manner that made her feel secure that gave her the strength to speak. She had faced horrible things yes, but those girls whomever they were deserved justice too, to not be some hidden dark secret.
"There were rumors that he preferred little girls," Regina told her. Emma gulped.
"Please don't tell me he made you kidnap some poor little girl in town." Regina shook her head quickly.
"No, I refused even though he says I'm not allowed to say no, I couldn't do that, or I really would be the Evil Queen. There are just some lines that are too dark to cross, so dark even the Dark One wouldn't cross it Emma that's how bad I find it, how Rumple would find it, or Maleficent. We're as Evil as One gets and yet this is where even our darkness refuses to go to even consider. In the Enchanted Forest, the rumors said his knights just took poor girls from their houses. I don't know how long he kept them or if he kept them or killed them. I never found he said if I wouldn't take one, and I had magic then I had to be his little girl."
"He didn't."
"He did, he made me look like Eva, and he rapes me like that almost every night until he's ready to get me pregnant then I have to change back to make sure his seed sticks." Emma let go of Regina and ran into the bathroom. She vomited several times and cried and apologized through all her sobs how sorry she was.
"We are getting the hell out of Storybrooke, I assume you don't want the house anymore?" Emma asked. Regina shook her head.
"Too many bad memories, but Emma I can't go," Regina told her.
"Do you feel some sense of loyalty to that bastard because let me tell you, you owe him nothing!"
"I know that, and that won't be an issue, I killed him once and I accepted that I owed him nothing. No, I can't leave because my mother put a border spell on me. You were wondering what the hell happen to my car, well the border spell happened. After the attack I tried to leave, I couldn't take it, I had prayed that it wasn't in effect, but I knew."
"God, he hurt you so bad, you actually tried to leave without Henry," Emma said as she had to squat with her head between her legs for a moment the world was spinning. How could she have been so blind, this should have never gone on so long between Regina and Leopold, she was one room away the entire time.
"I did, but I thought if I made it, I would convince you to bring Henry with you to find me.I knew you wouldn't care if I never made it back to town as long as Henry was happy."
"Fuck, and Snow knew all this time?" Regina shrugged.
"I thought she didn't, but I guess not," Regina said. "David didn't know he was too shocked tonight, but I think he was starting to suspect since Snow's behavior has changed so drastically. Also, I don't want to leave Neal with Snow and Leopold not that I can without killing one of us."
"You are definitely not killing yourself; Jesus I don't even know what I would have said to the kid when he realized all these comic books, this special day was really you, telling him goodbye." Regina looked ashamed.
"I'm not proud of myself, but I just can't be the Evil Queen in his eyes again so if I am prevented from killing Leopold and likely won't get Sidney to do my bidding again then it has to be me."
"Have you tried breaking the barrier spell?" Emma asked.
"First thing I ever tried when I was strong enough, but I suppose I hadn't accounted for Gold's interference at the time, anything for me to cast the dark curse."
"Remind me to beat him to a pulp for telling him to give you water from lake nostos," Emma growled.
"It wasn't him, that one is on your mother, Gold and I just have deep dark places we don't go. I will never threaten Neal in a serious capacity, Hook is always his to kill if the opportunity arises, and he won't ever help Leopold get me pregnant no matter what he says. Some things are just too personal, it was one thing when he thwarted me from killing Snow, it would have been another thing entirely to stop me from ending Leopold's life."
"Well then maybe he can tell us why your magic doesn't work against Leopold."
"Tomorrow, for now I think I need to just listen to Henry read, knowing he's safe is all that matters to me right now." Emma nodded before she texted Ruby. Regina was in leggings and killers t-shirt when he got back. Regina made him go get a quick shower and she produced his spider man pajamas before she got him his dinner a cheeseburger with the works. Emma also changed and nodded thank you to Regina when her clothes appeared as well. She dug into her grilled cheese and Regina enjoyed yet another helping of tomato soup as she ignored her own burger and fries passing them off to Emma.
"Regina eat more," Emma told her. "How are you not starving, he barely let you eat." Regina shrugged.
"I think it's the baby," Regina lied.
"Is the baby sick?" Henry asked confused as he paused in eating his fries.
"No sweetheart, it's just that when a woman is pregnant there are a lot of things going on so the baby can grow healthy enough to be born, and that can cause the woman to be sick, because she's not used to it. It's all very normal, you made Emma sick too."
"I did?" Henry asked.
"Every day kid, you really didn't like cheeseburgers when you were growing, I'm surprised you can even eat them now."
"That's not true I love cheeseburgers," Henry told her.
"It is, you only let me eat vegetables like turnips," Emma told him. Soon he was giggling and denying it all as Regina insisted, she ought to feed him more turnips if that's what he liked. After dinner he read to Regina again, stopping every now and again to ask if she really was all right.
"Are you upset that you have to divorce grandpa now?" Henry asked her.
"No, I'm not upset, I've been wanting to do it for a while now, but I was afraid," Regina admitted.
"But you're not afraid of anything," Henry said.
"That's not true, I'm afraid of losing you, and if that's not something to be afraid of then I don't know what is." He smiled at her and hugged her.
"Mom?" Henry asked he released her, and she knew it was coming.
"Yes, my prince?" Regina replied.
"Why did he hit you, you told me a man never raises his hand to hit his wife in anger or any emotion because that is not love."
"And she was right," Emma said from her place at the end of the bed.
"So why did he do it?" Henry asked.
"Henry, Leopold was never a good man or a good King really, it just seemed that way because that's how he wanted it to be. Somewhere along the way he thought love meant possession and when you love someone you can't keep them prisoner or hurt them. Always remember that."
"I remember that, you let me go when I said I didn't want to live with you anymore even though it hurt because you said I wasn't a possession," Henry said.
"That's right, I love you enough to let you go. Sometimes we have to let go of the things we love so that they will come back to us, just like you did. You came back just like I had hoped. But understand I don't love him, and he doesn't love me even if he says he does, you don't cause physical or emotional harm to the people you truly love. Look at how he treats Snow and look at how he treats me, so we can't go back if we can help it." Henry nodded.
"At least I know I did one monumental right thing before I royally screwed up, pun intended," Emma muttered. Suddenly she sat up and looked at Regina who was looking at her weird like Henry.
"What?" Regina asked.
"Why have you not once informed me how much of an idiot I am and that this is all my fault?" Emma asked her.
"Because it is your fault, I didn't think I had to say it. You should have never gone back in time with Captain wonder claw, you screwed up big time by saving Leopold and you told him too much about the future which prompted him to find a way to follow you through the portal with Marion and Hook. He knew I would kill him if he went back, so he could only go forward he reasoned. He made a calculated move to take me off guard here. And that is all your fault," Regina told her calmly.
"Why are you calm, you have yelled at me for less, snarked at me even, hit me even, and yet now you state that as if that is fact without emotion," Emma replied confused. "If you didn't hate me before, you should now!" Emma lay back with a huff not understanding. Regina looked thoughtful as she sat up so she could look at Emma.
"You're an idiot," Regina told her.
"Thank you, now where's the rest of it," Emma said. Regina couldn't help but scoff as she tried to hide a laugh. Leave it to Emma to make her chuckle. "Now you're laughing?"
"Ms. Swan…no Emma look you are right I should hate you, I really should and before I knew about Leopold I did hate you a lot, but that had to do with Henry you changed how many good years we had, by doing that you took away some amazing memories we made and moments we shared that I will always remember but cannot recreate unnaturally. And on top of that I didn't see him at all, we had made progress in our relationship, and you took it all away. Thankfully we're on the mend again thanks to you coming to your senses."Emma nodded.
"Okay, but what about now, you hated me before why not now over this?" Emma asked.
"You cared," Regina simply answered. Emma looked confused. "Let me elaborate. You saw something that very, very few people ever saw, they're either all dead, or currently living in my house. No one cared. My mother treated it as disobedience and Leo well you know, but you cared. I wasn't expecting that, it caught me off guard as much as seeing Leopold here for the first then everything happened so fast and the day you refused to move in until I asked. Then you comforted me when things were bad even though you didn't know they were bad. And you helped me in the kitchen without being asked, you helped me with Neal without being asked, and I couldn't hate you because the way he insists things should be makes me feel like I'm going crazy and imagining every slight even though I know it's wrong. And then you come in all idiocy and brawn. And you tell him to fuck off and I think I am not crazy it shouldn't be this way. So maybe I should hate you more, possibly as much as Snow, but you also happen to be the rare person in my life that has also not tried to justify her actions. You know you were wrong, you apologized and admitted it to me. Snow still thinks she did the right thing." Emma wiped her tears glad to know that Regina could forgive her, but she would do everything she could to protect her and free her from this barrier spell before taking her away from here.
"She can't possibly still think that," Henry said.
"You've met that woman, haven't you?" Emma asked him. Henry giggled.
"Okay maybe she would, but Daniel didn't deserve that even if you ended up married to the King anyway," Henry told smiled at him and nodded. "Maybe we can all go to comic con now; a vacation always helps in books." He smiled at them and they couldn't help but smile back at him. Regina pulled him close and kissed his forehead.
"That my prince sounds like a really good idea, but unfortunately my mother put a spell on me, that won't allow me to cross the town line without Leopold." Henry frowned.
"Are we going to kill him again?" Henry asked.
"No, I can't touch him, I promised you that I was no longer the Evil Queen anymore and I'm sticking to it."
"I don't care he hurt you, and he makes you different, and he takes you away from me." He hugged her tightly.
"I know and I'm sorry honey, I'm going to do my best not to let that happen again, all right?" Regina asked. He nodded. "Anyway, don't think about how Emma and I are going to break the barrier spell. You worry about being a kid and when we break it, I promise we are going to have the best comic con vacation we could ask for. I will even dress up as whomever you want." Henry gasped.
"Black Widow?" He asked. Regina chuckled.
"Yeah Black Widow," Regina agreed.
"What about me?" Emma asked.
"Hmmm…you should be Hawk eye I don't see you as the girl characters Emma," Henry told her.
"That's the one with the cool bow?" Emma asked to be sure. Henry nodded. "I'm so in." Henry cheered.
"Good now how about you get some rest my prince, it's way past your bed time I think." Henry groaned but with both his mothers snuggled up on either side of him, he dropped off quickly. Once he was out Emma started to get out of bed.
"Where are you going?" Regina asked.
"To punch that douche a few times to make sure he knows I am coming for him one way or another," Emma told her.
"Emma don't…" Regina started as she carefully sat up too on the other side of Henry.
"What why, he deserves that and more!" Emma exclaimed in a whisper.
"He does, but he's not there, you think Snow let him stay in the cell overnight?" Regina asked.
"If my father…."Emma started.
"Is not in control of the situation," Regina told her. "You don't actually think your mother is watching Neal." Emma frowned. Neal was likely screaming his head off, so even if David initially put him in a cell, one of the dwarves would have let him out by now or they simply never made it.
"Curse their true love and him doing what she wants," Emma grumbled as she settled back down although the idea of kicking in the mansion's front door and taking him out was a solid thought.
"It's more than that, for all we know she's hitting him, and he feels trapped." Emma growled.
"If she crossed that line too, I'm…I don't know what I will do," Emma said. "I'm already so angry it's a wonder I'm not burning down the town."
"Proud of you for your control, but just stay, today has been long and hard in many ways, I just need to feel safe right now, and I don't trust him. Promise me, you won't go out tonight and especially with just a plan to fuck shit up." Regina was sure he had a gun or knife hidden on him that Emma wouldn't be expecting, and he'd have no qualms about hurting her. She shuttered to think of Emma hurt. No, she couldn't chance that at all.
"Fuck shit up is the best plan," Emma grumbled, but she took Regina's hand in hers. "I made a promise to myself to never fail at protecting you again, so if my presence makes you feel safe, then that's what I am going to give you tonight." Regina nodded.
"Thank you."They lay back down and resumed their cuddles with Henry, but Regina did not let Emma's hand go. The world was still spinning and somehow the feel of Emma made her stay grounded.
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