A/N: Thought I'd forgotten about this story, did you? No way. I apologize for not updating it sooner, I've been busy with life and getting other stories done and out of the way. Which, you all can look forward to them being updated soon as well. This update is another cute one between adult Emma and little Regina, however... well, I'll let you all read it. :) Thank you all for being so patient. Love you all!
"I wouldn't worry too much about it. My daughter had the same problem when she lost her father."
"Really?"
"Yes. But, in time, by her 10th or 11th birthday, she got over having an imaginary friend. Soon, she started having friends of her own, started inviting them over for sleepovers. I'm sure Regina will be just fine, Cora."
Cora sighed. "I don't know." She was beginning to grow concerned for her daughter. Regina would almost be ten years old, and she was still isolating herself, telling her these make believe stories that Emma was always with her. That she wasn't alone. "I just worry. I mean, Regina seems to be fairly convinced that this… Emma is very much real. Two weeks ago, she camped out in the backyard, I heard her have an actual conversation with Emma. She was laughing."
The woman smiled. "Well, dear, if she's laughing, that should be a good thing. Regina hadn't laughed since her father passed away."
"True, and I am grateful. But, I'm afraid it's more than that."
"What on earth do you mean?" The woman's brow furrowed.
"Well…" Cora looked around to make sure no one else was listening in on their conversation, leaning in more toward the woman's cubicle. "Regina has been talking about… marrying her."
The woman's eyes grew wide. "What? Marriage?"
"Exactly." A pink flush sat against the woman's cheeks. "Having an imaginary friend is one thing. I'm fine with that. But, Regina has begun to create this whole life in her head- this world of her own- that frankly is starting to worry me."
Cora's friend placed her coffee mug down on the table. "Well, isn't your husband's anniversary almost nearing?" Her head lowered in sadness, her voice low.
"Yes," she murmured. "Yes, it is." Cora hated to remember the day Henry passed, but it wasn't like she could avoid it either.
"Maybe this is Regina's way of… coping. You know, she's always been a smart girl, maybe she knows it's nearing, and she's created this world in her mind to block her out."
Cora shook her head, fighting back tears. "I can't possibly imagine her pain. I mean Henry was Regina's life. I've tried so hard to be there for her, to read to her like he did, to tell her stories." She paused, releasing a sigh. "She doesn't always let me. I'm afraid she's starting to confuse reality with a world only she sees."
"Oh dear," the woman released a breath, reaching for her purse as she dug inside it in search for something. Cora watched her pull out a business card, slide it across the table before her. "If it's as troublesome as you say… call this doctor. He's a dear friend of mine, he's the best child psychologist in the city."
Cora looked up from glancing at the name on the card. "A psychologist?" Her tone was filled with fear.
She raised her hands in defense. "It's not as bad as it sounds. I took my daughter once or twice and it has done her some good. Archie Hopper is a wonderful doctor, and a great listener. Maybe with one or two visits, he could get to the root of the problem."
Cora glanced down at the card. The black bold letters bringing out the man's name, along with an address and a phone number. Could this be a sign for help? Did Regina really need help? She signed to herself, placing the business card inside her jacket pocket. If she had a decision to make- she didn't want to make it now.
Emma appeared from the entrance of the kitchen, dancing and holding a wooden spoon to use as a microphone as she lip synced to the lyrics of the song Walking on Sunshine. Her and Regina were in the middle of washing the dishes that were used that morning by the babysitter and herself, but as the woman walked away for a moment to use the bathroom, Emma decided why not add a little fun into the mix and put on a show for her favorite little queen? A show Regina was in no way opposed to. In fact she was delighted, despite the music being a little too loud.
Her little hands were filled with suds of soap, which flew right off as she jumped, danced and clapped along while watching her favorite person in the world. Because Emma had become her everything in the span of almost a year. She had grown to love her and want to have her around all the time, that she would feel absolutely lost whenever the blonde would disappear on her if they ever got into fights. Which would hardly ever happen.
"Come on, show me those little moves." Emma held on to Regina's hands, dancing along with her, guiding her every step of the way. She placed down the wooden spoon to pick the little girl up in her arms and dance around. Regina was a ball of laughter once Emma sat her on her shoulders and began spinning her around.
"Okay, ready?" The blonde carried her off her shoulders, placing her right on the breakfast table, holding onto her hands. Of course she knew Regina wasn't supposed to be on top of the table, but they were having way too much fun for her to care. "Move your feet." She smiled, watching Regina's little feet move to the rhythm of the music.
Emma danced away from the table for a short moment, her hips moving to the rhythm of the music, keeping her eyes on Regina to make sure she wouldn't fall off the table. It wasn't until she extended her arms that the little girl knew to jump right into her embrace. Her arms wrapped around her neck, breaking into a fit of laughter once Emma turned her upside down and began to tickle her stomach without easing up.
"Regina?" The babysitter came running from the bathroom, hearing a loud crashing sound as she was washing her hands. "What happened?"
Regina stood in the middle of the kitchen, pouty lipped, glass all over her feet from a broken plate. Emma right by her side, her green eyes shifting from the little girl to the babysitter.
"Emma did it!" She pointed her finger toward the blonde.
"Hey!" Emma looked at her in shock.
"That's okay. Accidents happen." She rushed to carry the girl off the table. "What are you doing on top of the table?"
"We were dancing." Replied Regina.
"Dancing, huh?" She chuckled, setting her down on the kitchen floor, away from the shattered plate. "How did you even reach the stereo in your mom's living room?"
"Emma turned it on."
"I'm sure she did. Come on, why don't you go play outside while I clean up this mess?" She nudged her. "Go on, it's okay."
Regina quickly ran out into the backyard of her house, Emma right behind her, while the babysitter rushed to clean up the mess, listening to the little girl laugh and talk among herself from outside.
After playing outside that whole Saturday morning, Regina was sent to take a bath, which of course she insisted that Emma joined her in. And the blonde did, without removing any of her clothes, of course, and she made sure to place enough bubbles inside the bath to cover Regina's little body.
"Emma, why do I have to take my clothes off to have a shower, but you don't?" The girl asked innocently.
"Um…" A shade of pink took over Emma's cheeks. "Well, because…" She paused, looking into Regina's eyes as the little girl patiently waited for her explanation. How could she easily explain this without having any more questions come up from Regina? "You see, kid. I'm an adult." She continued as the girl nodded, "Just like your mom is an adult, like your teacher. So, kids your age can't exactly see an adult like me naked. Do you understand?"
"I understand." Regina nodded.
"Good." She sighed with relief.
"But, you're my girlfriend. Right?"
Emma's heart accelerated once again inside of her chest. "Girl and friend- sure."
"Well, aren't girlfriend's allowed to see each other naked?"
"Uh…" She chuckled, the pink flush against her cheeks was redder than ever. Crimson red. She didn't know how to answer this, so the best thing she could do was splash a bit of water her way in a playful manner. "You watch too many movies, kid."
"Hey!" Regina splashed Emma right back. "You didn't answer my question!" She demanded.
"Bossy little thing, aren't you?" Emma splashed her back, laughing.
"Tell me!" The little girl splashed her right back, with a bigger splash this time.
"Hey- okay, okay!" Emma rubbed away the water that splashed her eyes. "There are questions that you won't be able to understand right now, kid. But when you're older. An adult- like me, you will understand everything you need to. Make sense?"
Regina's face scrunched up in thought. She understood she was a kid, and she couldn't wait to be an adult. She couldn't wait to marry Emma. "I guess so." She shrugged, leaving her questions at rest.
"Good." Emma reached for the little girl's rubber duck, hearing her giggle as soon as she began making quack noises and moving it toward her. Her knees came up from beneath the water as she allowed her body to lay back against the bed of water, coming up all wet and with soap suds on her face. Her cheeks puffed up. A splash of water spat out of her puckered lips, splashing the giggling girl in the face and taking her by surprise.
"Hey!" Regina shouted, splashing water back at the laughing blonde. Their water war turned into a giant one as both continued to laugh and splash each other. The water splashing out of the bathtub and onto the tile floor.
Cora stood outside the bathroom door, having listened to their entire conversation. Only difference was, she could not hear Emma like Regina could. Nor see her. So to her, it was her daughter having a lonesome conversation and splashing away in the bathroom.
"Sweetheart," Cora tucked her daughter as tightly as she could under the covers of her bed. Sitting right beside her. "What would you say… if we were to move?"
"Move? Why?"
Emma sat silently right on the chair by the girl's desk. Her long legs spread out on each side, with her arms resting against the back of the chair, her chin resting right on her folded arms.
"Well, because ever since your father…" She paused, a sadness taking over her heart that reflected right on her daughter's face as she looked down at her. "It's hard, sweetheart. We need a fresh start, somewhere where we can have a new life."
"But, I like it here. Daddy lived here." Regina pouted.
"I know," Cora caressed her daughter's hair, brushing it back. "But a new start will do us good. I know it will mean we will have to leave here, and leave this house behind, but your father will always be here," she placed her hand right on her daughter's heart. "You do understand that, don't you?"
Regina didn't, in fact she didn't know why they had to leave the home she loved simply because her father wasn't around anymore. But, she nodded anyway.
Cora smiled. A change was drastic. She knew that, but she really needed this and so did Regina. And who knows, maybe with moving her daughter would make new friends and forget all about Emma. "Good night, sweetheart." She leaned down and placed a kiss right on her forehead before standing up and heading toward the door.
"Mommy?" The little girl called out.
"Yes?" Cora held the door open. Her eyes on her daughter.
"If we move can Emma come, too?"
Emma's eyes turned toward Cora. She knew she didn't believe in her. What adult would? And she didn't understand why, but lately she had been feeling like she would have to leave soon. Question was… where to? And how would she even begin to tell Regina?
"Of course she can, darling." The woman smiled, exiting the bedroom and closing the door, leaving it ajar. Just as she was about to head to her bedroom to retire for the night, she decided to stand outside to listen to her daughter.
"Did you hear that, Emma?" Regina sat up, smiling at the blonde who walked up to her bed. "My mom said you could come, too."
"Yeah, kid, I heard." Emma smiled, taking her place on the bed, right behind the little girl's form, her arm draped around it in a protective manner.
"Where do you think we'll go?" She asked her.
"I don't know. But wherever you go… I'll be there."
"You promise?" Regina looked over her shoulder at the blonde, her eyes looking into green ones looking down at her.
Once again, Emma felt that void inside of her take over. But she couldn't let Regina down. "I promise," she whispered.
"You said you would always be with me. Right?"
"As long as you need me, kid." Emma smiled.
"I will always need you." Regina's arms wrapped around the blonde's form, her little body cuddled up to her warmth. Her favorite feeling was to feel how the blonde's arms never failed to wrap around her. Her fingers brushing softly through her hair. Her heart beating quietly inside her chest. "I love you, Emma." She whispered.
The corner to Emma's lip tilted into a tiny smirk. "I love you, too, Gina." She glanced down, noticing her eyes closing. Softly, she began to sing: I love you, a bushel and a peck. A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck. A hug around the neck and a barrel and a heap. A barrel and a heap and I'm talkin' in my sleep about you. About you.
Cora sat against the wall by the door, just outside of Regina's room. Regina needed a real friend, one she could actually talk about that she knew would be there. This move was exactly what needed to be done, along with something else.
Dr. Archie Hopper's office gave Emma a bad feeling. This whole moving thing gave her a bad feeling. Not that the guy didn't seem nice, he seemed like he knew exactly how to talk to kids and their 'imaginary friends.' The problem was, this void she had been feeling, the feeling of withdrawing from something dear, something she had grown accustomed to- was getting bigger. And she knew Regina didn't understand why she was here, sitting down, surrounded by other grown-ups and other kids. Because she was right. Regina didn't understand it.
"You feel it, too, don't you?"
Emma's head turned toward a young man, handsome features, dressed in an all green suit with a top green hat. She looked around, not sure if he was talking to her. Another adult- just like her- taking to her instead of someone else.
"Excuse me?" She asked him.
"I said, you feel it, too, don't you? That void. It's becoming bigger and bigger." He said, his back leaning against a wall.
Emma looked around once again before looking back at him. "You can see me?"
He smiled, sitting in the empty seat beside her. "First time meeting one such as yourself, huh? I get it. It happens. I was confused, too, when it happened to me." His hand extended out. "Jefferson."
"Emma," she shook his hand. "What," her eyes raked over the man's attire. "What's with the-?"
"Whole green suit?" He nodded toward a small blonde boy. "Blame him. He created me like this. Kid has no sense of fashion, if you ask me." He whispered over to her, leaning in. "Which one's yours?"
Emma turned toward Regina, who was reading a book with her mother, a smile tugging on her lips.
"Cute." Jefferson's eyes raked over the blonde's attire. "She certainly did a great job at picking out your clothes. Better than my kid." He turned to his kid glaring right at him. "I'm kidding! Come on."
The blonde chuckled, "Let me guess, your kid's parents brought him here, too?"
"Afraid so," he sighed. "They say he needs real friend's or something or other." He rolled his eyes. "And this guy," he nodded toward the closed door, which led to Dr. Hopper's office. "Great doctor. In fact, he's a little too good. That's why I try not to attach myself to kids."
"What do you mean?" Emma's brow furrowed.
"You really know nothing, do you?" He chuckled. "Ingrid hasn't visited you, has she?"
"Who?" Ingrid? Who the hell was Ingrid? What was going on right now?
"She will. This isn't my first kid, you know. The sucky part is waiting until another kid makes you up, so you can come right back. It's all part of it."
"Hold on a minute- it's all a part of what?" Emma asked, feeling more and more confused by the minute.
"Being made up, of course." Jefferson shifted in his seat, leaning closer to Emma. "Once you start feeling that void inside of you, it's a clear sign that your kid is about to face a new chapter in her life. And so will you. It's a never-ending cycle."
Emma turned to Regina for a moment before looking back at Jefferson. "Are you saying… that I will have to leave her?"
Jefferson gave the blonde an apologetic look.
"Regina Mills?" A curly-haired man smiled as he stood between the open door to his office. Cora took Regina by the hand and Regina turned right to Emma, holding out her hand for her to take.
The blonde looked back at Jefferson before taking Regina's hand and going right in with her.