Emma's parents were overjoyed when the girls announced their baby. Neither parent asking how they had gone about their child. Emma had to fight her mother off as Snow kept wanting to touch her, Regina finding the whole scene hysterical. It took a couple months but Regina finally started to feel at home in the White kingdom. Charming would accompany her whenever Emma went to run an errand, as she still was not comfortable alone, even Snow would spend time with the brunette. Snow was starting to grow on Regina, if only a bit.
Emma had thankfully fallen out of her sickened phase, now only overly clingy, though Regina didn't mind. A few more months and baby Henry was welcomed into the world. Emma collapsed exhausted, as Regina rocked their son in her arms. Emma smiling at her wife.
"He is going to be such a momma's boy." Watching her wife try and pretend like she was not infatuated with their small child.
Regina shook her head and continued to hum and bounce the little thing on her shoulder. Henry's grandparents loved him instantly. Saying how much he looked like both his mothers. He had Emma's chin with Regina's hair and eyes. Emma never once spoke of Neil or negated his parentage, always calling Regina his Mama, which made Regina's heart melt every time.
The more time flew by and Henry started to crawl and the girls were always chasing after him. The boy was indeed a mama's boy. He followed his brunette mother everywhere. One day when Regina had gone to pick apples from her tree, she turned to find Henry gone. Her pulse quickly growing frantic, he had just been at her feet. She started to call his name, circling the tree until she saw a woman not far off holding her son, Regina's heart seizing in her chest.
She stumbled toward the woman, barely able to get the words to tumble from her mouth.
"Mother…"
Cora Mills was not a day older, Regina knew she hadn't aged in years. She shook with fear as her mother held her son. She moved closer, wanting to take her child and hide him behind her.
Cora smiled at her daughter. "You left out many details from your letters. Seems I missed the wedding. And a child, how did you manage that one darling?" She chuckled at Regina's blank face.
Regina was within reach of her son, extending her arms to take him.
"Mother, there was too much to write. Hand me Henry and I will tell you." Her heart was beating so fast she was sure it could stop working at any moment from over exertion.
Cora shrugged and handed the little prince over, Regina pulling him tightly to her chest and protecting the back of his head with her hand.
Cora sat on her and Emma's bench.
"Well my dear I am waiting, and Henry after your father… how sentimental…." She dusted off the bench, as if the rain did not keep it perfectly clean.
Regina rolling her eyes.
"Well I married princess Emma. Leopold had an… accident. We had a baby. That is everything, so if you would like to be on your way..." Regina gesturing off into the woods with a flick of her eyes.
Cora was up in a flash raising her hand to her daughter, but not striking. Regina for once didn't even flinch.
"I would punish you for your outburst… but you have done quite well, marring the princess? Clever girl, she will live much longer, is she easy to manipulate?"
Regina wanted to spit at her mother that Emma loved her and they were above her mother's petty quest for power, but she remained silently glaring.
Emma had finished with her court duties for the day and made her way to the garden where Regina and Henry were no doubt picking apples when she saw Cora Mills standing with her family. She rushed to the scene, seeing as Cora was about to strike her daughter but clearly changed her mind.
"Lady Cora," Emma announced her arrival. Quickly sliding between her wife's mother and her family.
Cora raised a brow at Emma's boldness. She was taking a protective stance over her daughter or maybe it was just for their little spawn.
Emma reached her hand back making contact with Regina to let her know it would be ok.
Regina was beginning to panic. Love was weakness, that is what her mother always said, what would Cora do to her family? Regina needed to distance her mother from the White's, if only she knew how to use her magic…
The brunette placing her hand on Emma's back.
"Dear, why don't you lay Henry down?" Emma didn't budge.
"He's fine Regina." Her eyes never left Cora she didn't trust her.
Cora laughed at Emma's glare, "Regina dear is this your princess or a guard dog?"
Emma stepped forward, "Cora, you are not welcome here."
Cora laughed, "As long as my daughter is here you will not be free from me."
Regina saw the escalation before her eyes.
"Emma, put Henry down for his nap." The tone was not a request it was a command this time.
Emma saw a different story in her wife's gaze, a plea. Still, Emma would not leave her alone with Cora.
"We will do it together."
Cora snorted, "Ah how cute, true love, is it?" she mocked them openly.
Emma turned back to the witch, "We will put Henry down and return so you and Regina may chat. But I will not be leaving her alone with you."
Cora put her hands up in mock surrender.
"Don't trust me do you, and you think you can trust her? That will be your downfall my dear."
Emma put her hand on Regina's waist and they continued into the castle.
Putting Henry in his crib and warning her parents to guard the room and watch Henry.
Regina grabbing Emma's arm as they left the room.
"Emma, she's too powerful…"
Emma almost jerking away from her.
"My mother has the blue fairy and a werewolf on her side, Henry will be fine Regina. And I am keeping you safe this time."
Regina pulled Emma's lips to her own, she wasn't sure how much time they would have left.
Regina pulled back but held Emma's face in her hands, trying to keep her voice strong and failing miserably.
"Tell Neil about Henry, you shouldn't raise him alone…"
Emma pulled out of Regina's grasp.
"You're not going anywhere."
Regina shook her head, "Don't you get it Emma, I'm not safe, I'm never safe. I love you, I love our son, I want to protect you but I just can't, I don't know how to control my magic Emma, I wish I did!" Regina started screaming at her wife.
Emma grabbed her wife's clenched fist.
"We are going out there together. You can't stop me. I love you."
Regina refused to look at Emma though she drew strength from the hand that seemed to un-clenched her fist and intertwined its fingers between her own.
Cora was now standing by the bench, staring at the apple tree.
"Such an ugly tree, why not plant some roses, more lovely to gaze at."
Emma's blood boiled, that was the tree that brought her wife great happiness.
"Shut up." Emma trembled with anger, Regina could feel Emma's magic pulse.
"Oh dear, how cute. Going to finish me off like the king? Only we both know it wasn't you who killed the king. Isn't that right Regina dear?"
Cora sneering back at Emma. "Did she tell you she has magic? Did she tell you how she got you pregnant? Or did you think it was a wish or true love that gave you a child. She was placed here to further my family name, she is merely a pawn… one who has served her purpose."
Cora raised her hand and Regina's hands started clawing at her throat unable to breath.
Emma turning, horror over taking her face as her wife struggled against some invisible assailant.
Turning to Cora and screeching, "Stop it! You're hurting her!"
Cora eased up slightly and Regina dropped to her hands and knees on the ground gasping for breath.
A shadow crossing over Emma's features.
"You…touch her….again…and I promise you…." Her rage building.
Cora stalking towards the princess as Regina lifted her head.
"And what are you going to do…princess." She spat the last bit back at Emma.
"You have no real power, you are just a weak little girl who has fallen for my daughter's beauty, trust me she's not worth saving, even her precious stable boy ran…"
Emma's fist flew so fast Cora didn't see it coming. Her head snapping to the side and blood squirting to the ground.
Cora recovered from the shock, "You would die for her would you? Because that is exactly what you will do!"
and shoved her hand quickly into Emma's chest, grabbing her heart as Regina screamed in horror.
But Cora could not remove Emma's heart. Emma shoved her off and tackled her to the ground, hitting the woman again. A blast of magic sending Emma back.
Cora scrambling to her feet. "You think she is worth this? You are going to die princess, I will rip the kingdom away from you, and my grandson, and burn it to the ground!"
Regina crawled between them pulling at her mother's gown, "Mother, just take me and leave Emma alone. Marry me off to a different kingdom….just don't hurt her…" Regina bowed her head.
Cora walked up and placed her hand on Regina's head anger slightly subsiding, "Good pet, see princess, this was never meant for you." an evil smile ghosting over taught features.
Regina turning her pleading eyes back Emma's way begging her to let her go.
But she would not. Emma growled with rage, raising her hand, a crack of thunder sounded as a white blast erupted from her palms and hit Cora square in the chest.
Cora tumbling backwards so many yards, more blood spilling from her mouth, her eyes wide in shock, glaring at her daughter.
"She has magic?!" Regina looking back at Emma.
She had no idea Emma was so powerful, she barely ever used her magic. Maybe she would be able to defeat her mother after all.
Emma once again moved in front of Regina, but she didn't stop there, she stalked toward Cora like she were hunting her own prey. She took to one knee in front of the older woman, let her voice drop so Regina would not hear her.
"You come, anywhere near my family again. And I will kill you. Not even the dark one is more powerful than me, so I have been told."
Cora's bows furrowed with confusion, then they swiftly changed to shock.
"You are the prophecy? The one who will replace the dark one, the dark queen? No there is n-no way…"
Cora started to stutter…
"Come near her again…" Emma's voice dark and menacing, but she didn't need to finish her threat Cora understood, and for the first time in her life, the old witch was afraid.
She bowed her head, "I shall never return. My queen." And with that she was gone in a puff of smoke.
Emma pushed to her feet and walked back to her wife, pulling her to her feet.
"Are you harmed?" Emma frantically fawning over Regina to check for injuries.
A nervous laugh escaping Regina's lips, "You are more powerful than my mother…"
Emma smiled, "Apparently, does that scare you?" She reached out and brushed Regina's hair from her eyes.
Regina's eyes held Emma's, she nodded.
Emma sighed, "I'm sorry…"
Regina shook her head, "Don't apologize for saving my life, please…."
Emma grabbed her hands, "I wasn't…."
Regina smirked, "Good." She gripped them back.
They made it back to their son's nursery and sent the guards and grandparents to bed, promising to discuss the instance at a later date.
With the doors closed now, Regina flinched when Emma set her hand on her shoulder. Emma's smile faltering.
"What if I teach you?" Emma glanced sideways at her wife, her hands finding each other in her lap.
Regina shook her head, "I don't want to be like her Emma…"
Emma sat on the padded bench over in the window,
"Regina magic isn't all bad. You aren't bad, I'm not bad. I was protecting you and Henry…"
Regina crossed her arms and stared at Emma incredulously, "You don't think I know that? I was terrified something would happen to you." Regina's shoulders shaking.
Emma ran her hand through her hair.
"Regina I wasn't keeping this from you. I didn't know I was stronger, well I wasn't sure anyways. There is this prophecy…"
Regina rolled her eyes, "so you're an idiot then," walking to join Emma in the window, clenching her fists at her sides.
"You have no idea what you mean to me, you can't be so careless, what if I had lost you Emma." Her fists unclenching.
Emma shuffled her feet on the ground, "I love you Regina. I want to teach you to defend yourself so you won't fear magic… won't fear me…" Emma risked a glance at her wife.
"I really don't want you to fear me," pointing out the window, "I am NOT her."
Regina's shoulder's sagging.
Emma lightly brushing a tanned hand.
"Please Regina?" Regina wiping at her eyes.
"I know you're not her Emma. I do." She moved close and wrapped her arms around Emma's neck, pressing their foreheads together.
"Ok, I'll do it. Just be gentle with me, I am scared of all of this, there are so many memories."
Emma held on, "We'll make better ones, I promise you. You don't need to fear her anymore."
A/n: look they didn't die :) yay! I am really excited for Regina's magic lessons.
