unbetaed. all mistakes are my own. i apologize for them.
DQDQDQ
Maleficent paced the floor of their bedroom anxiously. In a few hours they were supposed to take the girls to the hospital so Emma could see Snow. She didn't want to do this. Everything in her gut was telling her to take the girls as far away from that nut as possible. Maybe she could dragon out and just eat her.
"You're going to wear a hole in the floor. I paid good money for those floorboards. It's, Maleficent it's five in the morning. The girls aren't even up yet. What's wrong?"
"I don't want to do this. It's the worst idea I've ever heard."
Regina's sleep addled brain couldn't understand what her wife was muttering about. "What is the worst idea?"
"Maybe we can say one of them got sick? Kathryn could change the deal to not include the girls. I could just sneeze on her."
"Maleficent, it is five in the morning. For once our girls aren't here to wake us up. What is wrong so I can go back to sleep?"
"I could conjure a flood and force us to stay here."
It took a few moments, but it finally clicked for Regina. "You're not getting out of this. Emma wants to see her. We have enough magic combined with our girls to bring on the apocalypse. The hospital is safe. There'll be guards there. The room and the girls will be protected. Short of doing this over video conference, there's nothing safer. Let Emma have this."
"Video conference? Why didn't I think of that? You're a genius!" Mal leapt for her wife, crushing their mouths together.
"As much as I'd love to continue, we aren't video conferencing Snow. Emma has been looking forward to this. Do you not remember the way her little face lit up when we told her? It's one hour, Mal. For Emma."
Maleficent groaned and flopped onto her side of the bed. "My gut says we do not do this. There is no trusting her. She pushed her True Love over that town line, essentially destroying their relationship. There's no way he can come back to town. Who knows how far the woods goes. He may die before he finds shelter or food. What do you think she's capable of doing to our babies if she can do that to the person she's supposed to love most?"
"Emma isn't David. Emma is innocent, and she seems to be the only one anymore that Snow cares about. The meeting will be fine. I've faith that our magic won't fail should we need it."
"We need to figure out what to do about Rumple and Blue too. Rumple is just as guilty as Snow. He needs to be punished. If Blue wants our babies, there can't be a good reason."
"Rumple and Snow will pay. Kathryn will take care of it. If not, we roast them. Until then, sleep."
"What could she want with the girls' magic?"
"I don't know. You know you're the only faery I tolerate. Maybe she could bring David back?"
Emma poofed into the room right then, landing on top of Regina. She caught the last sentence. "Dada?"
"No, baby. He's still on a trip. Maybe next time. What are you doing up?"
The little blonde turned to other mother. "Mommy sad."
Regina raised an eyebrow and shot an 'I told you so' look towards her wife. "Em, everything is okay. Mommy was just exercising her legs. She's tired now, see. She's laying down with us. It's still sleep time."
"No. Up!"
"Sleepytime, baby."
"Up ti-me. Em up. Mommy up."
Regina tickled Emma's tummy. "What's with the mommy business? You're supposed to like me best."
"Me do." Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's neck and pulled herself up to give kisses.
"Hey. What about mommy? I like kisses too."
Giggling, Emma kept her hold around Regina, but leaned over and puckered her lips, waiting for her blonde mother to kiss her.
"Nohs?"
"Yes, baby mine. Today we see Snow."
Regina and Mal looked down at Emma when the silence stretched. The look of consternation bothered both women.
"Emmie, what's wrong?"
"Nohs bad."
"Why do you think Snow is bad?"
Emma pointed to both her mothers. "Tayed me. Bad."
"It's complicated, Emma. Taking someone isn't nice, but she-" Maleficent paused to take a deep breath, steadying her nerves. "She loves you, princess. Just like me and mama love you. She loves you too."
"Wih-wee too?"
Regina bit her bottom lip and looked over at Maleficent. They had no idea if Snow cared for Lily or not. Emma always seemed to be able to detect a lie, but how do you make a child feel okay with seeing the monster that raised them when you weren't okay with it? How do you not make your child feel bad for loving someone you loathe?
"Even Lily, because Lily is your sister."
"Stay me?"
"We are going to stay right with you Emma. You don't have to be scared."
Emma flopped down fully on Regina's chest and settled in. She looked like a sleeping red panda, Regina acting as her tree limb. Mal frowned as Emma wriggled down so their stomachs aligned. The last thing she wanted was for her baby to get knots again.
"I need my elixir if I'm to survive this."
It was barely more than a muttered whisper, but Regina heard. "Absolutely not! We're not giving that woman any excuse to say we're unfit."
"It'd just take the edge off. You used to like it. Remember how bad you were?"
"This is not the time to start that. I have our daughter asleep on me right now."
Regina had tried to scold, but Mal just smirked at her. "Yes, the result of how much you enjoyed being bad. When's the last time we were bad?"
"Maleficent!" Regina's face coloured and she looked down at the tiny blonde mass on her chest.
"Mommy."
Emma's sleepy little voice broke through the intensity of the women's eye contact.
"Yes, baby?"
Emma turned her head to face her blonde mother. Green eyes stared into blue, sleepy face becoming serious. "Nigh- night. Shh."
Mal's eyes widened. She'd just been told off by her daughter. She looked at her wife only to find Regina trying hard to stifle her laughter. In that moment, Emma had been all Regina. Staring at the ceiling, Mal wondered if this was how Regina felt about her and Lily.
DQDQDQ
"Stop pacing. You're going to upset the girls."
Mal had insisted they get to the hospital fifteen minutes early. She wanted to beat Snow there and scope out the layout. Mal had warded the entire room, its contents, and the girls. She'd talked to the guards posted at the door. She'd met the social worker, Anna. Now they were just waiting on Snow.
"Regina, I still say there's enough time to leave, to make up some excuse and just take the girls home."
Regina walked over and pulled her wife into a kiss before pulling back and resting their foreheads together. "Everything will be fine. We're free to leave at any time. If Emma doesn't like it or want to see her again, we don't have to."
"Ladies, do you need anything? The front desk just called and said Snow checked in."
Both women looked at Kathryn. Regina thought of Kat as a friend. She personally thought the lawyer was a good person. Maleficent didn't like her at all. She was more than aware of all the Midas princess's indiscretions. Now they affected her baby, and if any other person in town could do half the job Kathryn could, Mal would have chosen them in an instant.
"Vodka." "No thank you."
Kat didn't know if the dragon was serious or not. "This is a hospital. There's no drinking here."
"She was kidding. Maleficent is just a bit apprehensive."
"And you? How are you about this?"
"I think that Emma needs this. I am not excited about it in the slightest. I'm sure she'll be up to something awful, but the visits were part of the agreement. If we want her to help us get Rumple, we have to do this. I just want them both to suffer."
Mal finally saw why her wife was pushing so hard. "There's my evil queen." She wrapped an arm around Regina's waist and pulled her close just as the door opened.
Heads turned so fast in the room it couldn't have been more cinematic. Snow's eyes scanned the room before locking on Emma. Her little girl was in a purple dress and green leggings with purple polkadots. She assumed the girls were dressed the same to remind her that the girls were twins. Snow scoffed. As if she was the one who needed a reminder.
Emma froze, looking between Snow and her mothers. Green eyes widened before her little bottom lip jutted into a pout and her face became hidden behind her hands.
"What did you do to her? Emma has never been afraid of me before."
Regina bristled and squared her shoulders. "Emma is a highly intuitive child. We didn't tell her anything. She's hiding all on her own." She smiled down at her girls. "Emma, Lily, can you say hello please?"
Lily looked at Emma before craning around to look up at Emma. "No, Mama. No hi."
"Lily."
"It's fine. Hello Lily." Snow sat down near the girls and stared at Emma. "Hi baby girl. I've missed you."
Emma's fingers spread a little, enough for her to peek through at Snow.
"I brought you some tummy juice. I heard you didn't feel well."
Maleficent magicked the cup to her when Snow offered the cup to Emma. "Do not give them things without asking us first. What is this?"
"It's horchata. Granny was trying a special one day when Emma wasn't feeling well. The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. He didn't get close or know exactly what was wrong, but Rumple said her stomach was upset. I accidentally gave her this, and she'd get sick, but it seemed to help. She'd feel better the next day."
Blue eyes widened in shock before narrowing in anger. "You're telling me that my baby has gone her entire life with knots? Do you realize what an idiot you are? You're lucky she isn't dead!"
Kat noticed first that Emma was crying. The little girl was looking between the three women entirely unsure who to go to for comfort, so she walked over and picked Emma up. "Shh, Emma. You're alright. Your mommies are going to stop fighting now."
Snow glared right back at Mal before looking at Emma. Her baby's was currently clinging to the harlot. If only Emma was old enough to understand that she was seeking comfort from the woman who'd destroyed her family. "Emma's not dead. What are knots?"
"A dragon is highly sensitive. If Emma's had knots since she was born, it means she lacked nutrients. Had she stayed with me, I could have fixed it instantly. She never would have been in pain. Kathryn's destroyed garden, Emma did that. Eleven months worth of food that sat trapped inside her dragon, boiling away. Does that sound pleasant to you, Snow? It could have killed her. If her magic wasn't as strong as it was, you'd be responsible for her death."
"Ladies, that is enough! This is supposed to be a happy visit, for Emma. You can fight later. Right now, you both need to table it and focus on the girls."
Lily walked over to Snow, who was still seated on the ground, and stared her dead in the eye as she wagged her finger. "No tay Em. Bad!"
"You told them?"
"Emma asked us if you'd taken her. She knew. She's always known. Her first word was mama. She called me mama months ago. Don't give Emma anything more and we can all calm down and use this meeting wisely."
Snow wanted to go after Regina for that comment. Emma was hers. Those two may have ripped her away from Snow, but she was still Emma's mother. Going in, Snow hadn't planned on aiming for revenge, but now? Now she was going to make them suffer.
Kat placed Emma on the ground next to Lily. "Go play with the toys, girls."
Lily took Emma's hand and dragged her over to the dollhouse. Emma really wasn't in the mood to play, but she took the doll that her sister gave her. The room watched for a while as they played. Tired of being stared at, Lily walked over to her moms and handed each of them a toy. Slowly, Emma got up and shuffled over to Snow, shyly holding out a doll.
"Thank you Emma. This is a very pretty doll."
Emma looked at Regina before curling her fingers around one of Snow's and walking back over to the dollhouse. "Mama, Mommy, Nohs."
Regina reached out and cupped Emma's cheek, smiling at her. "I know, baby mine. Do you want to throw a ball? We had balls all the time in the forest."
White smoke swirled around Emma's free hand before the little blonde dropped the ball into Regina's lap.
Mal laughed. "Good job, Emma. That is a ball. Mama meant a dance though. We had lots of dances, called a ball. We wore fancy dresses and had lots of food. People came from all over to dance and have fun."
"Me ball?"
"I think Mommy and I can arrange a ball for you, Lily. You and your sister will be the prettiest princesses there."
Kat silently filmed them all playing dolls. This was too good an ammunition should she ever need it. She also needed proof that it actually happened. No one would ever believe this on word alone.
They all played for a while. The women didn't really address each other, focusing on the girls. Snow was the first one to talk.
"How has she been? Does Emma sleep well?"
"Yes, she sleeps fine. Why?"
"Her naptime has a specific routine. If I don't follow it, she doesn't sleep."
"She does fine with us. Emma has been wonderful."
"Nohs."
"Yes Emma?"
"Birdy."
"You want the birds to come? There's no windows that open here. I can't bring them in."
Anna checked back into the conversation at the mention of opening windows and birds. "We can't have birds in here. They could bring in a disease and some of these patients are very susceptible to getting sick."
Emma pouted at the strange woman, blonde brows furrowing. Lily took in her sister's face and instantly mimicked it. She wanted to see birds too.
"Babies, I can have you see your unicorn when we get home. It's alright."
The guards came in at the end of the hour, telling Snow that it was time to go.
Looking at her mothers, Emma slowly crawled into Snow's lap and hugged her. Lily didn't want to be left out and hugged Snow too. Snow wasn't prepared for that, but she smiled down at Lily. Maybe there was a way she could get both the girls.
"Their birthday is coming up. Can I come?"
Mal looked over at Regina. She absolutely didn't want to have Snow there.
"No. This was only the first visit. We'll be planning a mini ball for the girls and for the town for the winter holidays. If the visits keep going well, we'll consider inviting you to that."
"That isn't fair! You cannot keep me from my daughter's birthday, Regina!"
Mal stepped between the brunettes, not wanting to start fighting again and upsetting the girls. "Emma is ours, Snow. We agreed to these visits. We didn't agree to meeting outside them. You should be happy with the potential for the ball. If Emma wants another visit, and you feel like giving her a birthday present, bring one for Lily too."
Making sure that her daughters were securely holding onto Regina, Mal poofed them back to their home. Snow was making her unsettled. She knew the woman wasn't done messing with her family, and she wasn't about to stick around a moment longer.
That night, the women didn't even try putting the girls in their own bed. Regina and Mal went to their room, giving the girls their bottles and snuggling them close. The unease from the meeting earlier hadn't left. They just needed their girls close tonight.
