A/N: Excerpt from Guest review: "Honestly, I wish the Charming would pouf away and leave them alone, but morally, I can't negate there point."

You hit the nail on the head with that one. This is the thing I struggle with through the whole story, because logically, I know Emma should be with her parents, but I want to write Regina and Little Emma, not the Charmings and Little Emma, so I have to find a way to keep them away. Their points are definitely valid, and I make a point of putting their opinions in as a way of playing Devil's Advocate with myself.

Chapter Ten

Emma was snoring softly against Regina's chest when she finally got up to carry her upstairs to bed. She felt slightly heavier now than she did before, and Regina was relieved that at least she finally seemed to be growing.

"Mom!" Henry called after her, holding up Spiderman. Regina smiled and took the action figure from her son, and headed up the stairs. She tucked Emma back into her bed, and tucked Spiderman in next to her. Kitty Soft Paws was curled up on the cat bed that Emma had just had to have. Regina was glad, at least, that her money hadn't been wasted on that one.

"You're a damn lucky cat," she reminded the feline, as she looked up at her, sleepily, from the soft little bed, "and I still don't like you, just so we're clear. When Emma grows up and moves out, you're going with her, don't forget."

She sat on the edge of her bed, watching Emma sleep for a while. She looked so peaceful, and again, Regina was amazed that this was all really real. A little over one month ago, Emma was dead, and yet here she was, alive and well. They had about twenty five months until Emma was back to her normal age, again. Just over two years. It seemed like so much time, and so little, all at the same time.

She sighed as she thought about what David had said about their second chance. On one hand, she wanted to throttle him for thinking this was about him and Snow. On the other hand, she could see his point, in a way.

But Emma wanted to be here, didn't she?

Regina was sure she was letting Emma make her own choice, but perhaps Snow had a point. Had she turned this into an unfair competition? Should she send Emma back to her parents?

Regina thought about how that would be. She was sure Emma would be inconsolable, but for how long? How long before she settled in at the loft and was happy as could be there? Who would be hurt worse? Emma or herself?

If there was one thing she was sure of, when she really thought about it, it was that Snow and David really were far from entitled to a second chance. They had made the decision to put their daughter through a wardrobe and ship her to another realm, alone. They could blame her all they wanted, but they didn't know she was coming after Emma until the curse was already cast. They could claim they saved their daughter all they wanted, but the reality was, they saved themselves.

Looking at this little lost girl right now, the girl lost between this life and her old life, a girl lost between her parents and Regina, Regina knew she would have never done it. She could never have killed a baby. Cursing Emma along with the rest of them would have secured the curse forever, anyway. She would have remained a newborn, for eternity. She would have never turned twenty eight and she would have never broken the curse.

And Snow, above all others, should have known she couldn't harm a child. She hated Snow more than anyone, and yet she didn't enact her vengeance on a ten-year-old. She waited until Snow was old enough to make it an almost-fair fight. Maybe a little too fair, since she was never able to best the little brat.

Regina shook her head out of that memory, and back to more pertinent things: namely Emma. She was sure the Charmings didn't save Emma simply for Emma's sake. They didn't do it for her, and she didn't owe them. Regina thought back to when Rumple had once told her that her own mother hadn't done her any favours. Well, the Charmings hadn't done Emma any favours, either.

Regina stood, and leaned in to kiss Emma on the forehead, before turning off the light and leaving the room. This was that little girl's home just as much – if not more so – than the Charmings' loft. Regina wasn't about to let her go without a fight, either.

Morning came quickly, and Emma was up at the crack of daylight, sitting on Regina's bed with Spiderman, humming softly as she played with him.

"Good morning, Emma," Regina said, as she stretched out and sat up.

"Good morning," Emma smiled. "I letted Kitty Soft Paws out already and I gived her more food and water. It's good to take care of your pets."

"That's true," Regina agreed. "Where did you learn that?"

"I was at a nice lady's house and she had a big dog named Maxie-Paxie and I helped her take good care of him."

Regina smiled. It was rare that Emma shared good memories with her in the morning. She was glad to know that she at least had some good memories.

"Gina…" Emma said, after a little silence between the two of them, "how come I have to go away for so long every time I go to sleep?"

Regina sighed. "It's just the way it is, Little One. One day though, you'll stop going away in your sleep. When you're bigger, and you'll just be here all the time."

"At your house?"

Regina smiled. "If that's where you want to be," she said. She hardly expected that the thirty year old Miss Swan would still want to sleep in her obnoxiously pink bedroom when this was all over with, but she didn't see any harm in making the promise to the five year old version.

"It is… Gina?" Emma asked again.

"Yes, Emma?"

"Why did my Mommy call me 'Little One' yesterday?"

Regina cringed. She had caught that, too, and wanted to smack Snow when it happened. "I don't know, honey."

"I only like it when you say it," Emma insisted.

"I know," Regina agreed.

"Tell Mommy not to say it again," Emma said.

Regina sighed, imagining how well that conversation would go.

"Gina?"

Regina smiled and shook her head. "Yes, Emma?"

"How come you don't like my Mommy and Daddy?"

"I do like them, Emma. But adults sometimes disagree on what's the best thing to do, and that's what was happening yesterday. I doesn't mean we don't like each other, it just means we have strong feelings on the subject," Regina tried to explain.

"They don't like you," Emma said, flatly. Leave it to a child to not even attempt to soften the blow.

"What makes you say that?" Regina asked.

"They think you want to steal me away."

"They told you that?" Regina didn't want to believe that the Charmings' would be stupid enough to say that to a child, but then again, she had given them the nickname of 'the two idiots' for a reason.

"I heared them talking when they thought I was sleeping," Emma shrugged.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop, Emma," Regina sighed. "But I'm glad you told me."

At times like this, Regina wished the Evil Queen was not so far buried. Maybe a little fireball would change the Charmings' mind. She mentally kicked herself for thinking like that. It wasn't the answer.

"Why do you like it here, Emma?" Regina asked, finally. Even after all these years of raising Henry, she still couldn't understand why a child would choose her. Snow had adored her and she had been nothing but horrible to her, nearly from the start. Henry had the chance to leave and never come back with Emma, but he didn't take it. And now here was Emma, choosing her over what should look like perfect parents, in the eyes of a child.

Emma smiled. "You're the best Mommy I've had," she said, simply.

"What about your own Mommy?"

Emma shrugged and looked down. "I don't know. You wanted me first. No one ever wanted me before."

Regina knew the morally correct thing to do at this moment would likely be to remind Emma that her parents wanted her, too. But Emma was right: Regina had wanted her first. She wanted her before anyone ever even knew this child was Emma. David saw her the first night, and he hadn't offered to take her in then. No, it had been Regina, right from the start.

So, instead, she just pulled Emma into a tight hug. She knew, all too well, what it was like to not be wanted. She wasn't about to let this little girl feel like that, ever again.

"Gina?" Emma asked, again.

Regina laughed. "Yes, Emma?"

"Can you put me in dance class?"

That one took Regina by surprise. "Why do you want to go to dance class?" she asked. Emma had shown no interest in it before now, and knowing the adult version as well as the child version, Regina could tell co-ordination wasn't exactly her strong point. Dance did not seem like something she would excel at.

"The Mommy with the dog, her daughter is in dance class and she gets to dress pretty and I want to do that. And I want to go to school. The Mommy with the dog said I should be in school by now."

Regina nodded. They seemed like reasonable requests, but she wasn't exactly sure how school was supposed to work, with Emma aging so rapidly. Then again, what was she supposed to do, tell her 'no, you can't go to school'?

Regina was also well aware that registering Emma in school without her parents' consent was going to cause a huge issue. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed to run this past David and Snow, first. She sighed and sent Snow a text, asking her to meet at the diner at lunch. At least their meeting would be short, since Snow would have to get back to work.

Regina sent Emma off to wake up Henry, as she headed downstairs to start on breakfast. She smiled to herself as she let the cat pawing at the glass door back inside, and wondered how on earth she ever let herself become so domesticated. Not that she minded.

You're the best Mommy I've had.

Emma's words repeated her in head, and it made Regina's heart hurt to think that this child had had enough mother-figures in her life that she was able to rank them. She was secretly glad to know that she still beat out the nice Mommy with the big dog, but devastated at the fact that there was even a competition at all.

After a relatively quiet breakfast, and once Henry had been dropped off at school, Regina took Emma to the backyard to practice her magic for a while. She was still amazed at what a natural the child was. As strong as her magic was, it didn't come as a shock to her that Emma was able to manifest her magic from time to time outside of Storybrooke.

Regina thought it was too bad she couldn't have manifested more of her magic during her real childhood. Perhaps she could have taught some of those foster parents a lesson, Carrie-style. But she supposed it didn't matter now. Her childhood had been what it was.

"Look Gina!" Emma cried out, holding up a small green garter snake. Apparently, practicing magic had lost her attention, as it usually did after a while.

Regina rolled her eyes. "I thought I told you I hate snakes?"

Emma grinned. "But he's so cute and I already named him Mr. Noodle 'cause he wiggles like a noodle!" she insisted, as she stepped closer to Regina with the snake. "He's not scary! He only has a teeny-tiny mouth, see?"

"I'm not afraid of snakes, Emma. I just don't particularly like them," Regina corrected. And then she had an idea, remembering the snails in the garden that Henry had said she would like. "You know who is a afraid of snakes?"

"Who?" Emma asked, her eyes wide.

"Henry," Regina replied. "And Henry has a little payback coming to him. Come here, Emma, and hold that snake up," Regina instructed, pulling out her phone to take a picture. She immediately texted the picture to Henry, with the caption 'What do you think of Emma's new pet?'

"You're still not bringing him in the house," Regina reminded her, "but when Henry gets home, we're going to tell him you lost Mr. Noodle in his bedroom."

Emma grinned from ear to ear. Regina knew she shouldn't encourage this kind of behaviour, but she figured Emma was going to grow up to be Emma, regardless, so what was the harm in a little fun? After all, Henry did have it coming, after the snail incident.

"Now, say goodbye to Mr. Noodle and put him back where you found him. We have to go meet your mother for lunch to talk about school for you."

Emma trudged back to the garden, reluctantly, and Regina shuddered as she watched Emma kiss the snake's head, before putting him down. She sent Emma inside to wash her hands, and they set out for the diner.

When they arrived, Snow was already in the booth, waiting for them. She held out her arms for Emma, who ran and gave her mother a hug. Regina hated the little tug of jealousy she got whenever she saw it, and tried to push that feeling away. Emma still liked her more, there was nothing to be jealous of anyway, she reminded herself.

"Regina," Snow greeted, as Regina sat down, opposite Snow and Emma, in the booth.

Regina gave a tight smile. "Snow."

"Mommy! Can I have grilled cheese?" Emma asked, excitedly, bouncing in her seat.

"Yes, honey," Snow smiled. Snow and Emma made a bit of small talk while they placed their orders and waited for their food. Emma told Snow all about Mr. Noodle, who in Emma's mind was a three foot long boa constrictor, who apparently also had long fangs that could kill you with one bite. Snow looked at Regina in horror.

"Garter snake," Regina corrected. "I told you she exaggerates. And boa constrictors aren't venomous, anyway."

"I see," Snow said, curtly. The subject of snakes was a touchy one between the two women, for obvious reasons, that Emma was completely oblivious to.

"Emma would like to go to school," Regina said suddenly, changing the trajectory of the conversation.

Snow's eyes snapped up. "She would? How, um, how would that even work?"

Regina shrugged. "It will work if we make it work. No one progressed in grades for twenty eight years, if you recall. What would be the issue if she advances every month? She'll have her actual schooling, from her real childhood, to fall back on anyway."

Snow nodded. "Okay. So, did you enrol her?"

"No," Regina said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "Despite what you and your husband may think, I'm not actually trying to usurp your roles in this. You're her parents. You have to enrol her."

"Okay," Snow nodded, "I'll fill out the paperwork this afternoon."

Emma grinned. "Then I can go to school this afternoon?"

"You'll probably start next week," Snow said, smiling. Emma pouted a little, but seemed to accept the answer.

"What about dance class?" Emma piped up.

"Yes, she would also like to take dance," Regina said, "I looked it up, and there's a dance class two days a week, Mondays and Wednesdays, at the rec centre at 5:00pm," Regina rattled off, from memory.

"Okay," Snow nodded slowly, "David works late those days. Well, most days, now that he's the only Sheriff. And I have Mommy and Me classes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from four 'til six."

This time, Regina really did roll her eyes. "I can take her."

"Regina," Snow sighed, shaking her head.

"What? She wants to go, and I can take her. What's the problem?"

Snow signed again, and looked at Emma, who was looking up at her, expectantly.

"Fine, you can take her. You can pick her up from school on Mondays and Wednesdays and take her to dance," Snow said. "And she comes home with me today."

"Fine, after dinner," Regina said.

"No, I'll pick her up when I'm done work."

"It's Friday," Regina pointed out, "don't you have Mommy and Me class?"

Snow closed her eyes for a moment. "Fine. After dinner."

Minutes later, Snow excused herself to go back to work, and Emma hopped out of the booth to let her mother exit. Once Snow was gone, Emma slid in next to Regina, instead.

"Why do you look so sad, Little One? You're getting to go to school and dance class. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah, but, I want to sleep at your house again tonight."

"I know you do," Regina nodded, "but you have to spend a little time with Mommy and Daddy, because they miss you, too."

"But they have Neal! You don't have anyone when I'm gone!" Emma insisted.

"I have Henry," Regina reminded her.

"But Henry's not little! He doesn't play with you and hug you and kiss you and sit on your lap! He just plays video games and does homework and I don't want you to be lonely!"

Regina smiled and pulled Emma up on to her lap. "You're sweet to worry about me, Little One, but I promise I won't be lonely."

Emma continued to pout, and started to play with the pendant around her neck. "I can always come back to you, anyway," she pointed out.

"Yes, but we don't poof without permission, do we?"

"Sometimes it's an accident," Emma reminded her, and Regina knew from her tone of voice, the next poof would be anything but an accident. And yet, she didn't care.

When Henry got home from school that afternoon, Regina and Emma were ready to pull their prank. Emma had rehearsed her lines, and was waiting upstairs, listening for Henry to come in.

"Mom!" Henry cried, as he threw open the door and found Regina waiting in the lobby.

"Yes, Henry?" Regina asked, sweetly.

"Tell me you didn't let her keep that snake! She already has a cat, she doesn't need it!" Henry insisted, his voice an octave higher than it usually was.

"Well, it was that or a frog, and snakes are quieter," Regina pointed out.

"No! Mom! Seriously, you know I hate snakes!"

"Gina!" Emma screeched, running down the stairs, right on cue.

"What is it Little One?" Regina asked, turning to her with an eyebrow raised.

"Mr. Noodle got out of his cage!"

Regina glanced at Henry. His face was turning white. "Henry," she scoffed, "he's just a garter snake. He only had a teeny-tiny mouth," she said, before turning back to Emma. "Where did he get out?"

"In Henry's room!" Emma cried.

"No! Mom! Use your magic! Get it out of there, I'm serious!"

"Well, I can't use my magic if I can't see him," Regina said, nonchalantly. "If we put some food out, I'm sure he'll come out to get it, won't he? What do snakes eat?"

"Mouses," Emma said, matter-of-factly. "But they don't eat every day, and Mr. Noodle didn't look very hungry."

"Mo-oom!"

Emma lost it at Henry's last outcry. She started giggling uncontrollably, and Regina couldn't help but smirk. She should have known Emma couldn't keep this up for long, but it was likely for the best, since Henry looked like he might actually pass out.

Henry looked back and forth between Emma and Regina, and slowly started to realize that he was being played. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I should have known you wouldn't actually let her have that snake."

"What?" Regina asked, feigning innocence, "I thought you would like it."

"This is payback for the snails, isn't it?" Henry asked. The smirk on his mother's face said it all.

"We got him good, Gina!" Emma exclaimed, holding up her little hand for a high five.

"Yes, we did, Baby Girl," Regina agreed.

"Yeah, well, two can play at this game," Henry huffed, as he grabbed his bookbag and headed up the stairs.

"Bring it on," Regina called after him, shaking her head.

"What does that mean?" Emma asked, looking at Regina, incredulously.

"It means Henry's going to try to get us back," Regina laughed. "Lucky for us, it's two against one."

"I might help him," Emma said, with a shrug.

Regina shook her head. "If you're going to be a double-agent, the wise thing would be to not tell the one you're double-crossing."

"Oh. I am … not going to help him," Emma said, trying to sound convincing.

"Go," Regina said, and Emma took off up the stairs. Regina couldn't help but laugh again. Emma, even as an adult, acted more like Henry's friend than his mother, most of the time. She was glad he was getting to experience that, again. She tried to remember that in all of this – the ongoing battle between herself and the Charmings' as to where Emma belonged – that Emma didn't come back to her, or to her parents. She had come back to Henry.

This whole thing, this second chance, it was about Emma, that was true. But it was about Henry, too, and Regina would be damned if she was going to let the Charmings' screw this up for her son.

David had said he wasn't about to give Emma up without a fight, and Regina realized that she wasn't either.

"Bring it on," Regina said quietly, to herself. She had meant it in gest to Henry. She meant it in completely seriousness to the Chramings.