CHAPTER 50

Regina was aroused from sleep by the favorite way she'd become accustomed to over the past few months. The tv was turned up way too loud. And her children were squealing with peals of laughter.

Normally she was up with the sun. But now that Blue was sleeping throughout the night she was able to enjoy a more lax schedule.

She still woke up early as was her custom from the old Enchanted Forest days. Then she'd workout for an hour or so. It had at first been a chore that she'd adapted to help her battle her low energy from having an infant that needed to be fed every 3 to 4 hours. But now it had become a soothing self-care ritual that she'd come to love. She'd added Pilates to her Yoga routine and she had to say she loved the results she'd gotten. It made her feel stronger and more confident in herself. The compliments and stares at her body didn't hurt either.

After that she'd jump into the shower and get herself cleaned up. By then the kids would be starting to stir and she'd normally find them camped out in her bed once she was out of the bathroom.

Once Blue was old enough to stand, Fae – being the perfect big brother that he was – had learned to help her out of the crib. It had terrified her the first time she'd witnessed her baby tumbling head first out of the crib. But Fae easily caught her and the two had giggled over their success. Though she'd told them both not to try it again, they'd gotten into the routine and so far everything had been working smoothly. That didn't stop her from worrying about it though even after she'd placed a rubber mattress underneath the crib.

But it seemed today her internal clock hadn't bothered to go off. She guessed her body had decided she needed some extra sleep this morning after last night's emotional events. So she awoke this morning to find her two li'l ones laughing over the antics of the cartoons on the telly.

She could feel her babygirl pressed close against her back and it made her feel warm inside. In one fell swoop she rolled over and scooped her up. She pressed kisses into her neck as her son rolled over and tackled them both.

"Buenos dias mijitos," she breathed out as soon as she could get a breath in between the laughing and play wrestling. She sat up cradling Blue in her arms and facing her son.

Fae made the sign for her to sing. She gave him a mock glare which sent him into a fit of giggles then he grabbed his toes and rocked back and forth as she began to sing Buenos Dias Canto Yo. Though she hated her singing voice the kids seemed to like it well enough. As she got to the last stanza both kids clapped. But only Fae was actually on beat.

She stuck out her tongue and pretended to pass out as she clutched Blue to her chest. They fell back onto the pillows and she lay there holding her daughter tight as she gripped her tightly around the neck and Fae stretched himself out beside them.

Fae made the sign for bed then boy while pointing toward his room.

"Yes," she nodded. "Mummy was gone last night because Emma got hurt," she pulled her mouth into an exaggerated pout.

Fae gasped and looked concerned as he scooted to his knees. He liked Emma. She would play with him and tickle him whenever she saw him. She always waved and was really friendly. And sometimes she would take him with her when she came to spend time with Blue.

Regina pantomimed for him to calm down. "The doctors said she had to stay in the hospital but she'll be home soon. In the meantime, Henry needed someone to look after him. Is it okay for him to share your room for a little while?"

Fae's long lashes fluttered as he closed his eyes once signaling yes.

She grinned at him as she pulled her son close to her. She then smothered both her kids with lots of love, cuddles, and kisses.

MF

After the family finally got outta bed and completed their morning routine they made their way downstairs. The rest of the family was already sitting within the screened in porch off of the kitchen which was where they took most of their meals as long as the weather permitted.

Cora was putting together a proper breakfast while Zelena stood over her snacking at whatever was within reach. She was in that exhaustive fed up stage of her pregnancy. At this point she just wanted it all over and her kid to be here already. Instead she suffered through swollen legs, back pains, hot flashes, and even more severe mood swings than usual.

Abby sat breastfeeding Jr while Fred stared sleepily ahead of him. Fae went around giving everyone their morning hugs while Blue bounced happily on her Mum's hip. Hades was obsessing over the newspaper's financial section.

After a lot of trial and error he'd finally found a new passion. He'd become obsessed with creating wealth and he was extremely good at it. He'd managed to create a stunning portfolio and his investments had helped grow the school and the family's personal wealth. For once his psychopathic tendencies had actually been funneled for good instead of evil.

From the glare that Zelena leveled her with as she walked into the kitchen she'd obviously already heard the news. Regina ignored her and poured herself a glass of orange juice as she waited for her to get whatever it was she had to say off her chest. Of course that didn't take long.

Before she was even able to swallow her first sip her sister was already in battle mode, "why is that boy in my house?"

Regina sighed as she placed her glass down. She busied herself with putting Blue's bib on securely before placing her in her high chair. She then helped Fae up on his booster seat before turning back to her sister, "this house doesn't belong to you. It's the family's house. Not yours. And what exactly did you expect me to do? Leave him in a house alone until Emma's able to barely manage to drag herself out of the hospital? She's scarcely competent at 100%. I cringe to think what she'll be like at 20."

The redhead sneered before pointing toward the school, "there's plenty of space for him right inside that school. What's the point of building it for kids that no one wants like him if it's not going to be used?"

Regina rolled her eyes and shook her head as she walked back into the kitchen and began to fill the kid's sippy cups with juice. She looked around her, "Where is Henry anyway?"

Zelena grabbed the plate of rashers and flounced back out to the porch, "You let a rat into the house and it will do as a rat does. I'm sure he's somewhere in a corner snooping around and scheming."

Henry stopped short at the kitchen door with his mouth agape. He had been anxious enough when he'd woken up in an unfamiliar place. Then the events from the previous day came flooding back to him. He'd hurried through his morning routine and gone in search of his Mother. When he'd found her room empty, he'd come downstairs. Last night he'd immediately been ushered up to bed so he really had no idea where anything here was. It was his growling stomach and the promise of breakfast at the end of his nose that had led him to this room.

Now he stood unsure of himself as he awkwardly pulled on his clothes. He felt conspicuously out of place. He knew his Mom didn't really want him anymore. And he'd never really talked to anyone from her family since they weren't his real family. And none of them had ever bothered to reach out to him either.

He knew the redhead didn't like him for some reason. Though he'd never been popular – outside of the handful of weeks after the curse had ended – he had been bullied before. But even then he never got the feeling that the kids actually hated him. They just – didn't really like him much.

But staying in a house with people who didn't seem to like him at all was something completely different. He had no idea what he was supposed to do when it felt like just existing was already the wrong thing.

Cora was the first to notice him as she brought the last serving plate to the table. She smiled at the boy as kindly as possible. "Henry. You have perfect timing. Sit down. Breakfast is ready."

Henry thought about declining but his stomach growling was too much for him to ignore. He overlooked the glares and unfriendly gazes as he took a seat and stared ahead of him. He didn't want to be accused of anything again. He was sitting patiently when a tap on his shoulder had him looking to his right to see his Mother's new son grinning and waving at him.

"He's saying good morning," Regina supplied as she gazed lovingly at her boy. "Did you sleep well?" she asked as she picked up the nearest serving dish and began to serve the kids then herself.

Henry merely shrugged as he picked up the knife and fork his Mother supplied him with and began to dig into his eggs. He kept his head down and concentrated on eating his breakfast while ignoring the looks around him.

The redhead just continued to glare at him. Her husband grinned at him conspiratorially. Henry really didn't feel comfortable around him. He remembered him saying that he was a villain. But that wasn't true. Henry was a good guy and his whole family were heroes. It was the Evil Queen and her family that were all villains.

"Good morning Henry. It's been a while since we've seen you," Abby was the first to give him an open and friendly smile while her husband waved at him. She lifted her baby's arm and waved it at him also. "Jr says good morning too," she laughed.

Back home Abby had called Kathryn. She'd been his Mom's best friend. And he remembered her husband from when he was the gym teacher back in Storybrooke. They both seemed like good people to him. He had no idea how or why they'd become family with the Evil Queen after all she'd done to them both but he knew it wasn't his place to intervene. Not knowing what else to do or say so he just offered her a small smile in return and continued eating.

Blue had been busy eating and playing with her food at the same time. She threw the slice of tomato she'd been chewing on back down on her plate and threw her hands in the air. She yelled out, "Beenz deez." Henry's head snapped up in surprise.

Regina grinned over at her baby as she used her bib to wipe at her hands and mouth, "she means Buenos dias," she translated the baby talk for Henry.

"She can talk?" he asked still shocked. It had been a while since Henry had seen the baby. The last he remembered she was nothing but a poop and eating machine.

Now he sat shocked at the changes he saw in Emma's baby. The girl was larger and her hair didn't stick out at awkward angles anymore but instead hung down to her shoulders in two curly ponytails. The blonde part obviously came from Emma. So did the dimples. But it was his Mom's eyes sparkling up at him. That and her pert little nose and beautiful red bowed lips made her the weirdest compilation of his two mothers he'd ever seen.

She seemed more present now and aware of herself and her surroundings. She was growing and becoming her little person. She grinned at him with a newly acquired gapped tooth smile. Again it had him wondering about how this little girl had come to be.

Regina scoffed, "Of course she can. She's been talking for a few months now. She's smart just like her Mum," she tweaked her baby's chubby cheek. "You remember Henry don't you? Can you say hi to him?"

Blue moved her hand up and down at the wrist energetically in a waving motion, "Hi, hi," she squealed repeatedly gleefully.

"It's been a long time since I've seen her," the boy remarked still amazed at the little girl. He gave her a small smile and waved back at her.

Regina turned back to her food. She was well aware that it had been a while since they'd seen one another. She'd designed it that way. The fear of Henry corrupting her babies was something that had taken root deep inside of her from the moment she was aware she was going to be a Mum again.

She knew on one level things would be fine. Her kids didn't have Henry's genetics or personal afflictions. But she'd also once trusted that Henry would be able to remember the love she'd raised him with over the years. He'd thrown that back in her face repeatedly and made her regret ever even adopting him in the first place. There had been many a day that had passed since the curse broke that she'd wished she'd listened to herself the first time she'd thought of returning him back to the adoption agency. Her heart just couldn't take a repeat of that from her own children.

The rest of the meal passed with the family discussing their plans for the day. Regina turned to Henry again, "For the rest of your stay here, I'll take you to school in the mornings. And your nanny will pick you up and take you over to the hospital to sit with Emma. I'll be by to pick you up after I get off from work."

Henry nodded his understanding before asking to be excused. Before he left the table his Mom reminded him that he had 15 minutes before they needed to head out the door.

Regina helped her Mum with the clean up after she'd taken care of the kid's faces and hands. She made sure they had everything they would need as she packed their bags for the day. Then Cora volunteered to get them and Henry packed into the car while she ran out into the backyard for something.

When Regina returned to the garages where she kept her car the family was already snug inside and ready to go. She handed her Mother the basket of apples she carried with her freshly picked from her own apple tree. "We just have one quick stop to make and then I'll get you on to school," she told everyone as she put the car into drive.

They drove down the drive leading to the home and across the road where she pulled up to one of the set of stables. She grabbed the basket of apples from her Mother before the two of them began to get the kids out of the car.

"What are we doing here?" Henry asked annoyed. He'd been told multiple times that he wasn't welcome or allowed to trespass on school grounds. He saw no reason why that should change now.

"We're going to stop and see the horse that kicked Emma. I want to make sure that she's doing alright. She was pretty upset yesterday. It was a hard day for her as well as everyone else," Regina explained as she motioned for Fae to get himself out his harness while she unclipped Blue from hers.

Henry was appalled, "What?!" The horse had hurt his Mom. "It's a stupid horse! It needs to be put down!" He crossed his arms over his chest and glared ahead of him.

Regina and Cora both openly gaped at the boy. To say they were shook was an understatement. They both turned to look at one another still in shock before they shook it off. Cora took Fae's hand and helped him from the car as Regina placed Blue on her hip.

Regina cleared her throat loudly as she ducked her head back into the open door, "I don't know if you're the way you are because you're the Dark One's grandson or your ties to Snow White and Leopold. I don't think I ever want to know. But I left you with Emma hoping that some of this 'goodness' that you seemed convinced could only come from your 'real' family would rub off onto you. I'm sad to see that it hasn't worked."

She shut the door and took up Fae's free hand as she walked her family into the barn. She wanted to introduce the kids to the newest resident and see for herself that the sweet girl was alright. And hopefully shake off the current situation with Henry.

Henry's eyes watered as he watched his Mom walk away from him and disappear into the stable. "You're the one who was the Evil Queen!" he yelled in the empty car. He kicked the seat in front of him and willed his tears not to fall.

***For inspiration for this part of the chapter you can listen to Lonely Day by System of a Down like I did.

CF

Henry watched Jewel climb onto the bus that would take the kids from the home back there as he waited for his own ride to come and pick him up. Not for the first time he felt envy for the kids well up inside him. He really wished he was one of them. It seemed they were free in a way that he wasn't.

After his Mom dropped him off to school his day had continued to stay crappy. He'd spent the entire day in an ill temper. His Mom's words continued to play in his head on repeat and he was unable to concentrate on anything.

He'd felt anxious and overwhelmed with his current circumstances. He wanted to just curl up in a corner and cry. But he wasn't a baby and he was way too old for that. Anyway it's not like anyone would come for him even if he did have a meltdown.

Again the loneliness that plagued him most of his life threatened to suffocate him. Most times he could throw himself into some activity that would help alleviate it. But days like this only made him yearn for more.

The only bright spot in his day had been when he'd been assigned to do a science project with Jewel. She had asked him for his phone. After he handed it to her she'd put her number into it so that they could discuss things later. She'd even used it to snap a picture of herself and thumbnail it to her contact info. Henry had dropped his head in his book and tried to avoid all eye contact with her so that she wouldn't see how flushed his face had become.

He used to think of Emma as one of his best friends. But the bridge between the two of them had turned into an ocean. He guessed it was ridiculous to think of his Mom as his friend anyway.

The honking of a horn broke him from his daze. He hurried over to Mandy's car eager to set eyes on Emma again. It was abundantly clear to him that she was all he had. Maybe even all he'd ever have again. And he needed her to be okay.

He led the way to her room once he and Mandy arrived at the hospital. He heaved a deep sigh of relief when he saw Emma sitting up in bed dozing. He wanted to fling himself at her but he refrained not wanting to hurt her. His savior looked so fragile hooked up to numerous machines that made loud noises. But she still managed to give him a tired smile when she opened her eyes after sensing commotion in the room anyway.

"Hi Ma," he whispered as he walked over to the bed. He poked his fingers in the mattress and his eyes widened as he looked closely at her trying to see any signs of anything. For obvious reasons she looked tired and pale. Her eyes were drooping and he knew she was fighting sleep. But at least she didn't appear to be in any pain. He was glad about that.

Emma held her hand out to him and he quickly grabbed it while smiling shyly at her. "Hey kid," she wheezed. "How are you?"

He shrugged trying to be nonchalant. He really had no answer for her. Especially since he had none for himself.

Mandy wanted to stick around at the hospital for a little bit. Emma waved her away assuring her that Regina would be by soon and they'd be fine until she got there.

She tried to stay awake to ask Henry about his day and all. But the pain meds were having none of it. She kept dozing off only to realize later that time had passed.

Henry sat himself in a corner of the room and finished his homework while she slept. It was a little funny how'd she'd doze for a while then wake up as if nothing had happened and try to talk to him before falling asleep all over again.

He had finished his homework and was channel surfing when he got a text, "so when should I be over at your house?"

Henry's ears and face burned as he gawked dumbfounded at the text. He had thought they'd meet up in the library or something. But she wanted to spend time with him? He became so nervous his hands clammed up and he had to wipe them on the sides of his jeans.

He was still staring at the text unsure how to answer it when his Mom walked in with her kids.

"Mama!" Blue screeched while leaning out of Regina's arms to her Mom. Emma's eyes instantly flew open. Henry noticed a brighter smile than the one she gave him crossed her face.

Regina winced at the scream while trying desperately to hold onto her daughter so that she didn't jump onto Emma and hurt her. "Mummy told you that Mommy's hurt. You can't jump on her."

Blue sat back in her Mum's arms chastised as her head swung back and forth between the two women in confusion. She turned back toward Emma with a hurt expression, "Mama?"

Emma's heart swelled. She grinned at her babygirl, "I'm so sorry baby but Mama's not feeling well. But I would still love some kisses and loves," she pouted.

Regina held Blue down for a kiss and light hug. Emma turned to the little man and gave him a high five, "Hey buddy! How's my little dude?"

Those large gleaming eyes and the deep dimples were enough to get the point across. She grinned at the kid as Regina helped him sit at the foot of her bed. She already had a soft spot for him.

Regina's hand reached out to cup Emma's cheek almost of its own accord. The blonde leaned into it with something between a purr and a wheeze.

"How're you?" Regina asked Emma softly. Her eyes were narrowed taking in everything around the blonde and her room. She'd already spoken to the nurse's out front and they'd assured her that Emma was doing fine but she still wasn't sure if she was content with that answer. She needed to hear and see some recovery for herself.

She was still pale but seemed to have a little more color than before. She was still wheezing and breathing heavily but she was down a lung so she figured that was to be expected. Still, she knew she wouldn't be fully satisfied until the blonde was back on her own two feet.

Henry sat watching the two women interact with a frown on his face. They looked like a couple. And with his Mom's two kids that would make them a family. Not for the first time that feeling of being a stranger in his own family gripped him. He had been lost so deep in his thoughts that when his phone dinged in his hand again he almost dropped it from surprise.

"Someone's Mr. Popular," Emma wheezed.

Henry shrugged it off and busied himself getting his books back into his backpack so they couldn't see his cheeks blushed. "It's just for school. I have to do a science project with someone." He locked eyes with Regina, "she wants to know when she can come over?" He wasn't sure how she would feel about such a thing so he left it as an open question for them both.

Regina was surprised. Normally Henry made a big show out of telling her that no one wanted to be around the Evil Queen. Once he'd moved to the Charmings he'd taken great joy to tell her that she was the reason he had no friends. But now that he was one of the good guys everyone wanted to be his friend.

She hoisted Blue higher on her hip as she shrugged not wanting to make a big deal out of the question. "We were having a late brunch tomorrow anyway. Whoever 'she' is can come over then. That'll leave the two of you the rest of the day to do whatever," she flicked her wrist through the air in an offhanded manner.

Henry bent over his phone as the two women went back to chatting. He texted Jewel back.Brunch at 10:30? That way we can spend the day working.

Hafta walk Khali over for her playdate with the Head Miss's son. I'll walk over to ur house after that.

Even though he felt uneasy, he replied back with: Sounds good

For some reason he was starting to break out in nearly a cold sweat. While Regina and Emma visited with one another he continued to sit pondering the implications over in his head.

He'd been told to never tell anyone that Regina was his Mom. Now it seemed like the cat was almost out of the bag. How was he going to explain any of this to anyone? Even Karen looked at him like he was a little nuts when he tried to explain the situation to her.

He was glad everything was going to be out in the open. He didn't like lying anyway. But he still worried about how the situation would look to an outsider.

Again Emma tried and failed to stay awake to visit with her family. But her head was flopping around so. If the worries over her and her injuries weren't real it would've been comical.

After a few minutes, Regina announced that they needed to pack things up and get home. Henry jumped up and slung his backpack over his arm while she helped Fae and Blue kiss and hug Emma goodbye without hurting her. She made sure there was nothing she needed for the night before saying her goodnights. Though she knew she had to she still didn't like leaving the blonde overnight. She'd feel better when they were finally able to take her home.

As they left, Henry gave his Ma a kiss and a hug. She pulled him closer to her and whispered in his ear, "You make sure and be good. Don't cause any problems with your Mom Henry."

Henry scowled and pulled away. He hadn't even done anything and he was being accused of all kinds of things from everyone today. He huffed and followed the family out to the car.

As they drove home, Henry received another text that almost sent him into a cardiac.

I guess that's a date. Cheers.

Henry was still plagued with worries and doubt on what to do and say when Jewel came over and found out he was the head Miss's son also. It followed him all through dinner, his shower, and up in the top of the bunk as Fae snored lightly down below.

By the time the darkness came for him, he still had no answer. He just hoped that whatever he did manage to come up with wouldn't make her hate him. He had almost no one left as it was. He didn't want to end up all alone. Or else he'd be the one needing to live in his Mom's school.