First Impressions- Chapter Twenty
As soon as they got back to Emma's apartment the blonde had taken off into the kitchen while Regina accepted a call from Mal. Regina had followed her in just to see what she was doing, and she was surprised when Emma began pulling several items out to make a pasta dish.
"What do you want Mal?" Regina snapped into the receiver.
"Chill! I'm just wondering what happened. When I came back Cora and Henry refused to talk about it, but they want to stay so that Lily enjoys the day." Mal responded
"I will not chill! You are the one who started all of this mess! Why the hell did you tell Lily about the baby without talking to me first!" Regina questioned, watching Emma glance at her out of the corner of her eye before she put a pot of salted water on the stove to boil for the noodles.
"Because the way it was looking at it, you weren't going to tell her until Emilio was born! I'm not going to blind side our kid because you are hiding your other one!" Mal argued
"I am not hiding my son! We both agreed that we would wait until the right time to tell Lily about him!" Regina protested, hearing Emma snort from where she was cutting up squash and broccoli.
"If you say so Regina." Mal murmured unconvinced
"I do say so! You started that shit with my mother and that's why she had enough balls to say what she did!" Regina hissed.
"Please! We both know Cora would have found a way to say what she did regardless. You were the one who ran to her and told her about what Emma did to you, you failed to say anything about what you did back! What did you expect your mother to welcome her with open arms after everything that you told her? Especially when she only got part of the truth?" Mal shot back
Chicken sizzled as it hit the frying pan, Emma was pan searing some cutlets before she walked over to the fridge and grabbed a Mason jar of homemade marinara sauce. She flipped the thing cutlets when she walked back over before adding the now steamed vegetables into the pan with the chicken and pouring the sauce all over everything. Placing the top onto the pan, she lowered it to a simmer before adding noodles to the now boiling water. Regina had never seen Emma cook before, so watching her move so fluid around the kitchen was actually awe inspiring.
"I told them they aren't going to be around Lily or Emilio anymore. The hurtful things that my mother said about my son were uncalled for and I'm not going to allow my kids around that type of negativity. I would appreciate it if you'd respect my wishes." Regina replied in a clipped tone.
"Look we can sit down and talk about this later when you're not so hyped. I'm keeping Lily to the end of the week anyways. Are you coming over tonight?" Mal asked, huffing slightly.
"No, I don't think I am. I'll text you when it's my time with Lily." Regina hung up just as Emma was setting out two plates for them.
"It's going to be another ten minutes or so." Emma had her back turned to Regina as she washed her hands in the sink.
"Where did you learn how to cook?" Regina asked out of curiosity.
"My m-mom. She was one of the best uncover chef's I know. She'd make something out of absolutely nothing because she was that good. Sunday dinners were a big thing when I was with her, so she'd teach me how to cook things then. She always said that my husband would appreciate her for it." Emma let out a slight chuckle.
"Husband? She doesn't know that you're-" Regina cut herself off, watching Emma turn towards her.
"I've only been with two women before, and you are the only one out of those two that I was in a relationship with. Anna was just out of curiosity. She doesn't know about either of you." Emma shrugged, stirring the boiling noodles.
"So if she doesn't know about me, I'm taking it she doesn't know about the baby either." Regina stated.
"Well it's not like you told your family about it before a couple of weeks ago!" Emma snapped, slamming the slotted spoon on the granite counter. Green eyes glared into brown. Regina licked her lips as she held up her hands.
"I wasn't saying you were wrong or anything, I was just making an observation." Regina replied, not wanting to stroke the fire. At her non-confrontational tone, Emma's eyes softened as she muttered a quick apology.
"M' Sorry" Emma sighed.
"It's fine." Regina shook her head, watching Emma spoon some noodles onto each plate before putting the chicken sauce and vegetables over the top. The blonde pushed her plate over to her along with a fork before walking around the island with her own and taking a seat beside her.
"Do you want to talk about what happened back there?" Regina asked as she twirled the pasta noodles on her fork. Emma was a bit messier with her technique, instead scooping the noodles and chicken onto her fork like one would use a spoon. Th younger woman chewed her food thoughtful before swallowing.
"You look a lot like your mother, and Lily looks just like you." Emma responded.
"Strong genes." Regina jested after she swallowed some of the food. The burst of flavor on her tongue at the seasoned sauce and veggies had her moaning internally.
"This is so good." Regina murmured as Emma simply smirked at her.
"Well with the way you are moaning, I would hope it wasn't nasty." Emma grinned when Regina's cheeks redden. Well maybe it wasn't as internal as she thought.
"Do you have any red pepper flakes?" Regina asked once she finished with her mouthful.
"Maybe somewhere in the back of the cabinet. Milo doesn't like spicy food, so I haven't really used them in a while." Emma shrugged watching Regina rise to grab them.
"Lily always love-" Regina cut herself off when she realized what she was doing. Grabbing the pepper, she sprinkled some onto her pasta while avoiding eye contact with the blonde.
"Look just because I don't like it when you compare them to each other, doesn't mean you can't talk about her. I just don't want to hear about how much better she did at this age then him. That's what pisses me off!" Emma huffed.
"I've never said Lily is better than Emilio!" Regina argued.
"Maybe not in those exact words, but you've implied it several times. Whenever something comes up, she always gets your first. Or when he isn't exactly at the same point development wise or weight wise, you never fail to point that out." Emma remarked, watching Regina stammer for a response.
"I don't mean to make you feel like I'm putting him down. I just thought it was something that parents did. Reminisce about when their other children where that small." Regina murmured, watching Emma push her food around on her plate.
"Well can you just ease up on it? I don't mind hearing about when your daughter was a baby, just why does it always have to come up whenever we do something with Milo. You missed my entire appointment because you were on the phone with your mother, and when you came back all you could say is how you daughter had a higher birth weight when that is something that we might struggle with when I have him." Emma used her hand to wipe her eyes that were burning.
"I'm sorry Emma... really I am." Regina brought the blonde into a hug that Emma didn't return but she did lean into.
"It just makes me feel like I'm already failing him somehow. You already have a daughter who is perfectly healthy except for her diabetes, which is hereditary...Oh my god!" Emma gasped, her eyes widening.
"What is it?" Regina frowned, pulling back slightly.
"Diabetes is hereditary, which mean Milo is at risk of getting it too." Emma bit down harshly on her bottom lip as her eyes watered.
"If or when that happens, we will both be here to help him get through it. However for all we know it could completely skip him like it did me." Regina replied rubbing soothing circles on Emma's lower back. Before Emma could respond the doorbell rang, and both women pulled away from each other.
"You finish eating and I'll get the door." Regina pointed to Emma's barely touched plate, before heading towards the front of her apartment. Looking through the peephole all she saw was a mass of red curly hair and for a moment she debated on not opening the door at all. Knowing Emma would be pissed, she ground her teeth and pulled open the heavy door.
"What are you doing here?" Merida narrowed her eyes, as a little Zelena pushed herself pass Regina's legs with her mother following through after.
"I could be asking you the same thing." Regina leveled the woman's glare.
"I'm here checking on the welfare of my best friend and my godson. I'm just surprised to see you at all." Merida smirked before turning to find Emma. They both walked into the kitchen and found Zelena sitting in Emma's lap with her head resting on the top of her belly bump.
"Hey Mama." Merida bent down to place a kiss on Emma' cheek, but it landed more toward the corner of her mouth and Regina found herself clenching her fist in anger. Why did this little cherry drop harlot get under her skin so much.
"Hey Mer." Emma smiled up at the red head softly, while her hand ran through Zelena's curly hair. If Regina hadn't know any better, and she was just an outsider looking in she would think that they were a family. With Emma holding Zelena protectively, and lovingly running her hands through her hair. And the four year old holding onto her tightly while they both looked up at Merida smiling-... It was all to much and Regina had to force herself to look away. She would have never been put in this situation if she hadn't slept with Mallory. She wondered briefly if this is what Emma felt whenever Mal was around. She could only imagine the feelings were heightened due to abandonment issues, her pregnancy and the fact that Regina had fucked Mal and they had a child together.
"How is the wee lamb?" Merida wiggled her hand into between Emma and Zelena, and Regina fought the urge to rip the limb off her body when her wrist brushed against Emma's breast in the process.
"Mama stop touchin my baby!" Zelena demanded, wrapping her arms around Emma's bump tightly causing the blonde to grunt and giggle.
"He's doing good, still making me sick to my stomach some days but it's all going to be worth it once I hold him in my arms." Emma chuckled as Merida sat in the seat across from her.
"I guess I am glad I will never have to go through morning sickness or giving birth. Seems like a painful process." Merida joked.
"Didn't you already go through it before?" Regina blurted out, before frowning
"You didn't tell her?" Merida raised an eyebrow, looking downright amused while Emma looked flustered.
"That really isn't my business to tell Merida. How would that even come up in a conversation?" Emma asked snappishly.
"Easy Babe, like this. Hey honey, you know how you are packing some special equipment? Well my best friend is the same way!" Merida grinned when Regina gasped before the brunette's face flushed in anger.
"Yes Emma, I'm going to have to agree. That is information I would have liked to know." Regina tried to keep her tone even, and when Emma frowned before looking down both Merida and Regina sighed.
"But I suppose I understand why you didn't tell me." Regina relented, not wanting her mini pissing contest with the red hair chick to affect the mother of her child.
"Yeah Babe, you know we were just kidding. I don't expect you to tell people about me. You know how much I value my privacy." Merida agreed, placing her hand on Emma's lower back.
"I like the way she makes me feel. Like I matter and I'm worth fighting for. I like that she supports my pregnancy even though the baby isn't hers."\
Emma's words rang through her head as the blonde laughed at something someone said. Regina could feel her feet moving, but she didn't register to it until she was already near the door holding her jacket. She stood looking around the foyer for a moment, until a soft voice broke her away.
"Where are you going?" Emma looked hurt when the brunette turned around to face her.
"God Emma I am so sorry." Tears came out of nowhere, spilling down Regina's face as the petite woman held herself tightly.
"Regina what's going on?" Emma took two steps forwards until Regina shook her head and put up her hand stopping her.
"Are you leaving us or something?" Emma furrowed her eyebrows, and bit down harshly on her bottom lip when it started to quiver.
"I-I can't! I'm so sorry I put you through all of that. It hurts so much watching all of you look like a perfect family, when I ruined that for us." Regina let out a strangled gasp before gulping down air.
"Regina stop..." Emma exhaled deeply, her heart hurting at watching the woman she loves looking so broken.
"N-No, I-" Regina stammered for a momentarily
"I can only imagine how you felt going to Coney Island with my family. Feeling like an outsider looking and an intruding in on the moment. But I realized that while yes I love my parents and Mal. I want you Emilio and Lily more than anything. When I think of family, you are the one by my side. But I haven't done anything to show you that. I let everything get this far and now I've lost my chance." Regina looked down at her hands, so she missed Emma shaking her head.
"I don't love Merida like that. She is my best friend, and I've only got two so yeah I try to keep them close. But I could never be with her like that when I've already given my heart away. Just stop fucking running away when things get hard! Why aren't you fucking fighting for me? For us?! You claim you want your family, then do something about it!" Emma snapped, getting angry at the brunette for her submissive attitude. It seemed to work when something in Regina's gaze shifted, and the brunette dropped her jacket as she stalked towards the blonde. Pulling Emma to her by the waistband of her pants, she slanted her lips across thin chapped pink ones roughly. Her tongue traced Emma's bottom lip asking for admission but Emma broke away.
"Regina I can't, not yet." Emma admitted, watching Regina nod.
"That was a little fast but I am going to fight for us Emma." Regina cupped Emma's cheek before pecking her once more.
"Go out away with me, just us for two weeks. We'll be back in time for Emilio's next appointment." Regina pleaded.
"Where would we be going?" Emma asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Why Fiji, of course." Regina grinned slightly.