Chapter 8

As Regina retreated to her office, Emma took a moment to reply to several missed calls from her mother. She felt guilty that she'd argued with the woman even though she didn't necessarily regret her stance. She did regret losing her temper with her. They were still getting to know each other, adapting to this new relationship seemed to be much easier for the brunette than it was for Emma herself. Going from friends to a parent-child dynamic wasn't something Emma ever thought she'd ever have to deal with. The situation was crazy, and she wasn't handling it as well as her mother was.

Emma: Everything is fine. I'm back at Regina's.

Snow texted back as if she were holding the phone in her hand willing it to ring.

Mary Margaret: Are you bringing Henry home?

Emma: No, but we may have something to help change him back.

Mary Margaret: Such as?

Emma: I'll let you know if it is a viable thing.

Mary Margaret: Blue thinks it could be dangerous to allow Regina to perform dark magic on him.

Emma: No one said it was dark magic and frankly I care very little about what that fairy thinks.

Mary Margaret: She has been a confidant, a beacon of hope and my friend for a lifetime Emma.

Emma: I know you have blind devotion when it comes to her, but I don't. I don't trust her.

Mary Margaret: But you trust Regina?

Emma: I trust Regina's motivations because I can plainly see them, Snow. Your little blue buddy, she's a snakey bitch.

Mary Margaret: Emma Swan!

Emma: I'm sorry, I'm trusting my gut on this.

Mary Margaret: Over your own mother's word?

Emma: In regards to my son? Hell yeah. I've known my gut longer.

Emma waited for another immediate response, but when she didn't get one, she put her phone down and focused back on Henry and the tower he was building with his blocks.

After several moments she felt her phone buzz on the couch cushion, and she picked it up to read the response from her mother.

Mary Margaret: Since you have nothing to do, would you bring Henry here for a visit this afternoon? Your father and I would love to see him and experience this time with him at this age.

The Savior rolled her eyes at the presumption and texted back.

Emma: Maybe tomorrow, Regina and I are bringing him to the park for a picnic this afternoon.

Without a response, Emma huffed and closed down her device and then got down on the floor with Henry in order to help him build his tower.


The family arrived at the park, and as Regina laid out the blanket near the duck pond, Emma ran after Henry who chased after the few unfortunate ducks that happened to be in the area. Once the kid ran out of energy, Emma carried him back to Regina, set the kid down and looked over the banquet level spread the woman laid out. "How the hell did you do all of this?"

"Mmmmagic dear," the Mayor replied with a wink.

"Right. I forget it exists sometimes."

"I know you do. You should really get accustomed to it dear; you are extremely powerful."

"So I've heard. Is that going to be part of what you teach me Madam Mayor?" Emma asked with a shy smirk.

"Control will be our…" The Queen's words were cut off as the woman looked over Emma's shoulder in curious question.

"What is it? Emma turned to see what she was looking at. "Snow?" Emma said with confusion, and then realization dawned on her when she saw the Blue Fairy and several of her nuns stalking the family, surrounding them. The women got to their feet, and Emma asked the pixie-haired brunette, "What are you doing?"

"Blue is going to fix this right now so everything can go back to normal."

"Hand him over Your Majesty!" Mother Superior hissed as the circle of nuns got closer.

The Blue Fairy pulled out her wand and the eight or nine other nuns followed suit and Emma backed up into Regina, sandwiching a scared and crying Henry between them. As the fairies pooled up their collective magic, Emma screamed, "DON'T!" As her bellow echoed in the afternoon park, she suddenly smelled the spicy cinnamon of Regina's magic behind her and realized the woman and the boy were gone.

Before she could gather her senses, her mother called, "You see Emma? She doesn't want to turn him back!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Anger flashed in green eyes as the realization of what just happened washed over her.

Snow got closer to the angry blonde and started to explain, "If she did, she wouldn't be here in the middle of the park she would be working on a way to fix him!"

Emma let her anger rise and opened her mouth and yelled, "The park was my idea, Mary Margaret! The kid has been cooped up for days while his mother has tirelessly searched for a safe resolution! I'm trying to mend bridges here! The only person who is putting my son's life in danger is YOU! I'm warning you, dro-"

A white cloud enveloped the Savior, and she found herself in the dining room of Regina's home, shouting at the wall, "p this or you will be sorry!"

Emma, startled by her unexpected relocation, turned to face her upset son and his livid mother.

"I'll be sorry? What the hell was that Miss Swan? An ambush?" The brunette demanded, and her tone kicked up Henry's cries as he clung to the woman's thigh.

Her surprise faded, and Emma shook her head in denial. When she saw the walls of the Mayor start to shoot back up, she rushed the woman in her fear and exclaimed, "Regina! I'm Daddy Shark! Remember?" Her close proximity startled both women but neither pulled away. The Savior lifted a tentative hand and caressed the older woman's cheek and tried to pull her from her anger. "I'm Daddy Shark. Daddy Shark protects Mommy and Baby Shark. I'm sorry that happened. I won't let them take him, and I won't let them hurt you."

Dark eyes studied anxious green, and she slowly pulled away from the Savior's gentle caress, anger melting in the spark of something much different. The brunette bent down and picked up the crying boy and hugged him as his arms and legs wrapped themselves around her in a tight koala hug. She stroked his back and shushed his fearful, confused cries. Emma's eyes met Regina's, and she leaned in close, too close, and laid a gentle kiss on their son's head and whispered a promise to both of them, "I won't let anyone hurt you."


The incident at the park had Emma furious. She felt betrayed by the Princess' insistence as if the woman didn't trust her judgment in regards to her son. As if she thought Emma was making a mistake and instead of listening to reason, she was simply forcing her hand. Regina had unwittingly added fuel to the fire when she informed her the fairies could have actually caused the boy harm had they tried to forcefully pull apart the Savior's spell. She was certain her mother was unaware of this fact but suspected that perhaps the nuns knew of the risk and that pissed her off even more.

Not to mention the conflict had Henry extra clingy and when the Mayor left him with Emma to retrieve her vehicle and picnic supplies he'd screamed the entire time she was gone. There was nothing the blonde tried that helped the situation and so she finally just picked him up and sat down on the rocking chair and silently rocked them both until the brunette returned. As soon as the woman did, he stopped crying, but stayed adhered to her hip for the remainder of the afternoon.

After an early dinner, Regina carried Henry into the living room, took out a candle and set it down on the coffee table in front of Emma.

"What's this?"

"Magic lessons. Light the flame," the brunette simply said then got the boy comfortable on the couch and turned on something he would watch.

"Uh… what?"

"I suspect your magical teleport this afternoon was an accident, was it not?"

Emma looked surprised and asked, "That wasn't you?"

"It wasn't me," the brunette confirmed as she picked up the remote and turned the volume back down to a decent level.

"Then yes, total accident," the blonde replied and looked blankly at the candle.

"That's highly dangerous. We need to you get control of your magic before something happens. You could have ended up anywhere."

Emma pulled her features down in worry and asked, "Like the middle of the woods?"

"Like the middle of a tree." Dark eyebrows shot up and looked directly at the blonde in order to convey the seriousness of the situation.

"Oh."

"So, for your first lesson, dig deep, focus on what you want to accomplish, then visualize your success then make it happen."

"That's all?"

Regina scoffs, "That's plenty."

The brunette turned to walk out of the room, and Emma demanded, "Where are you going?"

"To take a relaxing bath. Keep an eye on our little Prince will you dear?"

Emma thickly swallowed as she watched the woman's hips sway as she strutted toward the staircase. She looked back toward Henry when his mother was no longer in view and said, "I can do this right?"

The baby giggled and shook his head no then busted out into a smattering of laughs at Emma's disapproving scowl. "Have some faith kid!"

"You can't dew it!"

For the first hour of trying, the kid was right. She did as she was instructed, to the letter, and then waved her hand and nothing happened. The boy had long since lost interest in what she was doing and was busy putting together a puzzle on the table next to her, and her frustration grew.

She heard the brunette return from her bath and enter the kitchen, and Emma felt like maybe this wasn't something she was going to be able to do. She considered for a moment just having someone bind her magic and be done with it, and the thought of the Blue Fairy came into her mind. The look of malice on the woman's face that afternoon stoked Emma's anger.

In one smooth move, Emma gently flicked her wrist and the flame ignited. In her surprise, she exclaimed, "Holy shit! Regina! I did it!"

As the brunette entered the living room, Henry leaned in and blew out the candle Emma was so proud of and yelled, "Happy Birfday!"

"What?! NO! Dude?!"

"Do it again, Miss Swan," the Mayor instructed gently. "Come on Henry, time for bed."

The baby rubbed his eyes and flopped back on the couch cushion, "Noooo I not tired!"

"That doesn't change the fact that it is time for bed Mister."

"Mom-my!"

"Don't Mommy me. Give Emma kisses and let's go, darling."

"Emma come too!" the baby version of their son pouted, and Emma couldn't help chuckle at his attempt to get his own way. The blonde looked up and saw the smile Regina was trying to stifle before the woman relented and said, "Alright. Emma too. Let's go Miss Swan."

Emma laid on one side of the boy and listened while Regina sat primly on the other and read to them. With the fresh air and excitement of their day, Henry didn't last long before he passed out cold. Once Regina noticed the boy's unconsciousness, she closed the book and got up from the bed.

"Oh man, that was really getting good!" Emma whined.

Regina shushed her with a warning in her eyes and the blonde reluctantly got up from the bed, kissed the sleeping boy and then followed the brunette out into the hall.

"You are entirely too invested in Olivia Pig's adventures."

Emma shrugged her shoulder and replied, "Maybe it wasn't so much Olivia as it was hearing how you tell it."

"Was that a compliment?"

Emma scrunched up her nose in mock distaste and said, "I certainly hope not! What would the neighbor's think?"

Regina narrowed her eyes, then lifted one eyebrow in a silent question. A question that did not get answered as Emma smiled and then put her hand on the Mayor's upper arm and said, "Thanks for letting me be a part of this."

"Do I have a choice?"

"You do, actually. I know it wasn't Henry's idea to ask me to come back and I'm really sorry about this afternoon. Thanks for believing me when I needed you to."

Regina's cheeks pinkened but replied with a silent, tight nod.

The blonde smiled and said, "Good night Regina."