Chapter Fifteen

Chicken Pox and Summer Sun

"Regina you have to stop scratching," Emma scolded.

"I can't help it's so itchy, what kind of world has such a itchy disease?" Regina pouted.

"I can't believe you've never had the chicken pox, I should have put that on your vaccine list, but I thought you'd had it and that's good enough."

"Well obviously not," Regina murmured. "We didn't worry about these things before. This is your fault for breaking the curse." Emma glared at her.

"Stop your bitching and scratching and open your mouth," Emma said holding up the thermometer. Regina shot her a glare but opened her mouth for Emma to take her temperature. While she waited, she continued to hold Xavieré in her lap and file her nails down. Poor baby had the worst of everyone, she even had blisters on her tongue. Apparently, Rowan got it from someone in her class, they had been sick, but had barely gotten a rash, the mother hadn't realized it was chicken poxes and the kid had apparently already seen Rowan before the teacher caught them, now everyone except Emma was sick.

"Mom's right this is entirely your fault," Henry told her. He was laying on Emma's side of the bed holding Lincoln and trying not to scratch. Regina had already filed his nails so he would do less damage. Regina had already filed her own nails twice, because she was so terribly itchy that her magic had grown her nails out so she could get some relief. She had been not at all pleased when she had been getting ready for her date with Emma only to realize that she was way too itchy between her legs and that each child was being returned to her because they were running a fever and not eating. This was especially concerning for Xavieré and Lincoln who were only four months old.

"Which means it's your fault that we had a chicken pox party today and not a wiggles party." Emma frowned at them both.

"Regina you're not supposed to talk." Regina made a face and shook her head as she silently mimicked Emma while Emma sat in front of her glaring and her arms crossed across her chest. Henry laughed at them. The thermometer beeped and Emma took it back as Regina switched rubbing Calamine lotion all over her baby. They'd all had an oatmeal bath, so she was just finishing her baby assembly line of cut nails, calamine lotion massage, get them dressed in a cloth diaper and onesie, before letting them crawl over the bed. Or in Lincoln's case suck on her pacifier and watch television with Henry. Darien just curled up on her side looking all miserable. She'd hardly had a fun day seeing as all her friends couldn't come unless they'd had chicken pox, which most had not until Regina suggested especially for the boys that maybe it was better, they get it now rather than later. Still she was miserable even though she did in all that misery manage to fit in some chocolate cake and give them big smiles although Regina planned on professional one-year photos when she wasn't covered in red spots even though she would cherish these.

"How's my temp doc?" Regina asked as she rubbed calamine on herself where ever she could reach. Rowan came in from using the bathroom and climbed back into bed next to Darien.

"Good, it's finally gone down after this morning, I don't know why you insisted on still trying to run around like you weren't sick."

"Say what you will but those storybrooke moms were impressed," Regina scoffed. "Those women only came to see me down and not looking my best and not doing my job as their mother. No what they found was a clean home and a mom who is sick keeping up with it all. I am on top of the world right now Emma."

"Oh yeah so on top," Emma said as Regina started scratching at a spot she couldn't reach with the lotion, so she took the bottle from her and began applying to the other areas. Regina rolled her eyes at Emma but looked at her gratefully.

"They were impressed though Mom, I heard them complaining and insinuating that you used magic," Henry said. "And that's cheating." Regina mock gasped.

"Any other day maybe, but no I did it all by hand mostly, there were a few places I had to float up too, because someone stole my ladder, because they didn't put the banner out front when I asked them too." Emma glared at the back of her head.

"I was busy wrapping presents!" Emma exclaimed.

"Which you were supposed to do the day before while I was doing my pre-prep before our date too."

"A date we never went on, I thought I could just do it later after we found out the girls were not staying over." Henry and Rowan had come back sick the next morning and had missed the all night screaming session they had endured from Xavieré and Lincoln. And of course, the long wait at the doctor to make sure they weren't having a serious reaction to the disease seeing as they were so young. Regina had practically stood over Whale with a fireball daring him to lie to her again and frankly after what she did to him through the curse he was too scared to lie to her again. As soon as her magic had come back even though she was supposed to be mostly resting she had shrank his dick inch by inch until it was nothing. And she also showed him she could take the head away if she so chose too, leaving him deformed. She left him one inch short in the end a reminder not that he hadn't begged her to fix him.

"Blame that kid from school," Regina shrugged.

"Oh, I do I almost want to arrest her for negligence," Emma huffed as she finished. Darien started to cry and pull at her hearing aid. Regina turned it off and took it out as Darien got a little less upset before she climbed in her arms and lay on her chest next to Xavieré who wasn't loving Emma so much these days. Regina had used it as proof earlier that somehow this was all Emma's fault and even Xavieré knew it.

"You're officially worst than mom trying to show up the other moms today," Henry laughed.

"Oh stuff it, kid, anyway I'm going to take my shower now do you need anything else before I go?"

"No, nothing Henry and I can't get for ourselves, we aren't that sick," Regina told her. Emma nodded. Xavieré gave a cry and Regina suddenly had a larger baby in her arms. She was grateful they hadn't done it while she was standing like last night and she nearly dropped them not expecting their weight to get up to twenty-nine pounds. They kept the same height, but their weight often doubled and it was weird hearing them cry at the same time out of one mouth. It appeared as if together they didn't quite mesh right. Emma was already pretty sure she was going to start freaking out as they got older because they would never manage to sync their voices.

"I'm just saying she wouldn't be so heavy if you didn't feed Lincoln so well, she's always right on track for a boy in terms of weight and length," Emma laughed as she backed away into the bathroom.

"What can I say she's a growing girl," Regina shrugged. "I'm pretty sure Xavieré will catch up when she's taking in more than formula mark my words."

"I'm putting her in softball so the switch to baseball will be easy when she comes out as trans." Regina rolled her eyes.

"That is literally no indication that she is trans," Regina told her.

"Normally, but this is our magic honey, as far as I'm concerned one of us thought boy at the wrong moment and we just don't know it yet."

"I never did that, I knew she was a girl and that was that," Regina pointed out. "So what you're saying is YOU thought boy, and didn't have the decency to put him in the correct body when you did it. So if Lincoln ever asks why don't I look like Henry, I'm going to send them straight to you and let you explain yourself and just for kicks why for the millionth time you did something halfway."

"Hey I don't do things half way….a lot."

"Ma you put the banner half way above the door cause you didn't wanna go all the way up the ladder," Henry laughed. Regina and Rowan laughed as well and Emma pouted.

"Yeah, yeah fine tease me family, but I maintain that it was unnecessarily high for the toddlers to look up at." They laughed some more before she went to take her shower and later as a family all settled in to watch a movie.

Three months later

"Regina honestly, we don't have to match," Emma whined.

"Yes, we do it's the annual end of summer festival," Regina said passing Emma and Henry matching black swim shorts although Emma's were shorter to her liking, but not enough to make her uncomfortable. And striped button ups to wear, in Emma's case, over her yellow bikini top.

"Oh, I thought for sure you'd make me go in real clothes," Emma grinned as skipped off to get changed. Her girls she got them all dressed in little swimmers underwear and wetsuit tops that zipped in the back, they would after all being swimming at the beach.

"Jesus when did you find time to bejewel their swim tops?" Emma asked coming back.

"When I bejeweled Rowan's tankini to match mine," Regina said opening her wet suit top as it zipped in the front showing off her bikini top.

"Oh you keep that on, that beautiful view is just for me," Emma told her after her jaw had dropped open. Regina chuckled and wiped some drool off of Emma's chin.

"Not a chance, I plan on sunbathing when the babies force me out of the water," Regina chuckled. Emma pouted. Rowan came in with Henry grinning.

"I'm matching with Reggie!" Rowan exclaimed to Emma as she bounced around.

"Mama," Darien said signing for her to pick her up." Emma lifted her up.

"Oh, you look so pretty with your bow in your hair too bad, your sisters can't have matching bows too."

"That's your fault and no one else's!" Ruby yelled from downstairs. "Now come on guys Granny says she won't start grilling until you arrive and I want hotdogs." They chuckled.\

"What are you doing here already Pup?" Regina asked as she called down.

"Well somebody has to make sure my puppies get there for all the fun and I needed to check you weren't bringing any repeat toys."

"Ruby!" Rowan cried as she ran down the stairs.

"Walk Rowan!" Regina called. She just heard her slow down, but she heard her grunt as Ruby caught her. Regina shook her head as she slipped her saddles on and lifted her babies. Henry and Emma had done some work outside to take care of the house before getting ready. They went downstairs and Regina put the girls in their stroller. Emma had loathed to give up their 1950s stroller for the moment, but it just wasn't working out now that the girls were seven months and Lincoln took up more room and Xavieré was not at all far behind her since they had started trying out all sorts of food. But she was insistent that if for whatever reason she had one child with her, and she needed the stroller she was taking that one.

"Still not walking yet Demi?" Ruby asked. Darien buried her face in Emma's neck. She seemed to be going through a shy period. Darien had also decided that she no longer could walk on her own without support, but they were calling bullshit and pretty sure she did fine on her own if they left the room for a second and she moved. It was faster than crawling.

"Nope, we think she's just being stubborn, she can walk around the whole house if she liked, and don't let her fool you she can use the stairs on her own, scared me half to death the other day when I was watching them alone," Emma told her.

"Probably because we don't give her enough attention or Henry," Regina told her.

"Hey, I get enough attention," Henry told them, but he avoided looking at them.

"He's a terrible liar like you," Emma whispered. Regina scoffed.

"The only lie here is that you think I can't," Regina huffed. They chuckled at each other, but let Henry be, they were going to surprise him with comic con tickets, the kid was going to be so excited. They were even taking Kathryn to Ruby's displeasure because Kathryn had guaranteed true love if she still lost her memory and reverted. Kathryn was excited and rubbing it in both Belle and Ruby's faces. Once they had all their stuff for the beach, they walked there. Regina took Darien from Emma so she could set up the huge umbrella she had produced with magic before they lay out their huge blanket. Darien would not let Regina go though when she wanted to put her down, so she held her while Emma put the girls on a blanket, and she got their cooler set up and organized their bags around the umbrella pole, so it was easy for her to reach.

"Oh, Regina you two look so cute with your matching sunglasses," Belle cried as she approached.

"I'm matching Reggie today, not Demi," Rowan pouted pulling over the sheer swim robe, that Belle was wearing.

"Oh of course you are, and you look gorgeous," Belle told her. "Shall I get a picture of you and Reggie together?" Rowan grinned and nodded. Regina smiled as she sat back on her knees for the photo and even managed to get Darien to smile too from behind her matching sunglasses. Rowan had sunglasses too, but they were the bright pink kind and technically even though Regina's bikini top. Belle sat down and of course Xavieré was bouncing at the sight of her Godmother. Kathryn was not far behind and Ruby was upset Darien didn't want her but did tell Rowan she'd swim with her on her back.

"Regina ready to swim?" Emma asked as she took off her Grey board shoes.

"Yeah, I think so if the girls are staying here with Kathryn and Belle. They waved her off. Regina got Darien's shoes off as well.

"You ready to swim baby?" Regina asked her as she signed. Darien signed swim back. Regina smiled and told her what a good job she did signing. Darien was pleased. She threw Emma and Henry their wetsuit tops and it became apparent by the time they hit the water that it was a good idea, moving around their legs were warm, but there was enough of a breeze that for the children, they would have been cold. At first they were in the shallows and flinging a bit of water at each other. Regina only went up to her thighs at first. Then Henry was looking to go in further and that's when Darien was no longer feeling it.

"Oh Honey it's all right you don't have to cry, it's just water, it's like a big pool," Regina told her. Regina went back and tried to get Darien to even just touch the water with her feet, but she was not having it. Emma tried to take her and comfort her but she rejected her since Emma was already soaked. She rejected Ruby and Henry too.

"You guys have fun," Regina told them as she got out of the water as Darien kicked her legs and cried into her neck. "Shs Darien, it's all right, Mami left the water, you're on land again." Darien continued to cry and she paced a little until she was calm. She took her back to the blanket and sat down.

"Oh is she tired already?" Kathryn asked.

"Maybe, some days she's just needing two naps it makes things kind of hard cause I never know when she'll get cranky and pass out," Regina told them as she rubbed Darien's back she got her them both out of their wetsuit tops. The skin to skin contact, always calmed Darien down. She was asleep in no time, so Regina took off her hearing aid so she wouldn't be disturbed.

"Well time to sun bath," Regina said as she moved into the sun-soaked portion of the blanket she had left out. Belle and Kathryn chuckled.

"While you do that we're going to go see if Granny is making any headway on those hot dogs, I didn't eat all day in anticipation." Regina waved them off as they took the girls with them. She was already pretty tan, but she just loved the way the sun kissed her skin. They had way too few sun filled days in the year. That's what she missed about her father's lands, every day was sun so much beautiful sun.

"Damn it Sidney!" Emma yelled ten minutes later. Next thing Regina knew there was a broken camera hurled over her head.

"What I was just taking pictures for the Daily Glass," He yelled back.

"Liar!" Emma yelled. "Was there some reason, you couldn't wait to take photos of the mayor that she was aware of you creep!" Regina sat up frowning. She glanced over and saw that Darien was still napping, she wasn't disturbed by all the yelling too much even though she shifted on the blanket.

"I was just about to ask when you stormed up!" He yelled back. "You're going to pay for my new camera Sheriff."

"Come at me Sidney and I'll be arresting you for voyeurism and stalking." He stomped off taking his broken camera with him.

"You know the memory card is probably fine right," Regina told her. Emma ran off and came back with it. She didn't break it though since before he had spotted Regina he had been doing his job.

"You can have it back after I make sure that all these pictures are newspaper appropriate," Emma snapped at him. Sidney huffed and walked away. Once the crowd had settled back down, Emma sat down next to Regina.

"Thank you," Regina said. "I should have been more aware of where he was, maybe you're right I should have kept the top on."

"What no!" Emma cried. "It is not your fault you are smoking hot, but he can control himself. He had absolutely no right to take a photo of you sunbathing without your permission. Even with the top I'm sure the camera would have been focused on your butt. Sidney is just a creepy little man who doesn't know how to contain himself." Regina pulled Emma close and hugged her, she was all wet even as she got out of her own wetsuit, she felt fine to go back in e

"Anyway, I came tag you out so you could swim with Henry." Regina gave her a big smile and kissed her cheek before hurrying off not needing to be asked twice, and making Emma laugh. Soon Regina was laughing just as loudly with Henry as they dunked each other and raced swimming a little farther out than she had been comfortable with before swimming back to sure. She saw Regina even let Henry think he was winning as Rowan cheered from Ruby's shoulders before she got ready to smite him.

"That's my evil queen," Emma chuckled. She went to the cooler to grab a drink and give Darien kisses. By the time the others got out of the water they had worked up an appetite. Ruby stayed with them while her and Regina raided the food table bringing back several burgers, hot dogs, and chips. Regina also grabbed some fruit.

"There you guys are," Regina said waving to Kathryn and Belle.

"Oh don't mind us we were making Frederick take lots of pictures," Kathryn grinned. Regina chuckled as the girls eagerly squirmed until they were on the blanket next to her. She had already cut up meat, tomato, bread, cheese, and some fruit as well as a few pieces of hot dogs. They dung in immediately pushing away the bottle she was going to offer them each since Darien was already nursing after her nap like she always did. Once she had enough, she shared a burger with Regina and anything else they gave her.

"So now that everyone is fed and not cranky," Regina said as Emma came back with a now wet and smiling Darien. Regina wanted to go out with them, but she was bottle feeding breast milk to Lincoln and fighting with Xavieré who decided she would like to nurse again and pushed her bottle away before crying in frustration at Regina that breastfeeding was not like feeding from a bottle. "Ouch, Xav…"

"Since when does she nurse?" Emma asked.

"Today apparently I can't keep up with all their moods to be honest. Anyway back to what I was getting at before I was attacked." She mock glared at Xavieré who she wear used her teeth more. Regina just bit back a hiss of pain. "Like I was saying we have a surprise for you Henry."

"Me?" Henry asked looking up from where he was digging into some potato salad Kathryn had brought over before she went to go find Frederick and Belle went to coax Rumple out of his shop to enjoy the sun. Emma took over with Xavieré as Darien went for the potato salad in Henry's hand. Rowan was currently eagerly playing in the shallows with her Dad. He had approached her tentatively since she had Darien and he didn't want any trouble.

"Yes, unless I have another son named Henry." Regina told him. He grinned at her.

"What's the surprise?" Henry asked.

"Well we thought that maybe you'd like some mom and Henry time, so we got you tickets to comic con." Henry gasped and dropped the small bowl of potato salad, Darien gave a cry of protest as her portion on the spoon now hung in mid air above her head.

"Oh My God no way," He said.

"Yes, and if you tell me what you would like to wear, I'm sure I can get you a seriously cool costume together for the costume contest."

"Mom, please please I beg of you let me go as Killer Croc from Suicide Squad. The realisticness you could do with my mask, oh my god." Henry looked as if he might hyperventilate. "Who are you two going as?" He looked between them. "Oh are the girls coming because I can dress them up as Enchantress, Katana, and Amanda Waller although Demi might be more Monster T." As if to prove a point he dropped the spoon as it got hot. Darien scooped the bit of potato salad from the spoon before going to the fallen bowl.

"Yeah she's Monster T, but no, Kathryn will look after the girls in the city while we spend all day with you. We don't trust Blue," Emma told him.

"And we hadn't really decided on costumes. I mean I thought about going as Selene from Underworld, but I don't know. I'd rather put my focus on you."

"No, no I've got it you can go as Harley Quinn Mom cause you could play the crazy well, and Emma you have to go as Poison Ivy!"

"I do love the way she raises hell," Regina admitted. Henry nodded.

"I don't even know anything about Poison Ivy."

"Oh she's the calm one of the two of us, less rash than you so that might be hard on you," Regina told her.

"Oh, ha ha my little lunatic," Emma mock laughed. They laughed for real.

"That should be an insult, but it feels like when I call you my idiot I just kind of love it." Emma groaned.

"You are so Harley Quinn it's nuts!" They laughed.

"All right let's go as three members from the Suicide Squad," Regina told them.

"Well now that the secret is out to you, I have to go tell Dad and discuss Rowan, no way in hell she's staying with him for three days whether he wants that or not," Emma muttered as she wiped Lincoln's mouth after she burped. She always spit up a bit more these days when she had a bottle. They figured she took a little more air in, but thankfully she hadn't gotten gas over it yet.

"Tough conversation good luck," Henry said as he turned back to going on and on about his killer croc costume and Regina listened and started taking notes as soon as Xavieré finished and began to babble with Lincoln and Darien who seemed to have insider knowledge on whatever it was they babbled about.

"Nerds," Emma grumbled as she stood up and headed over towards her dad and Rowan. She had just reached them when Archie ran over.

"David come quick, Mary Margaret is finally asking for you!" He exclaimed.

"Oh sorry Emma, Rowan I have to go check on your mother, be back later to let you know how it went." He hurried off with Archie.

"Well that's problematic seeing as we need to leave like in two days." Rowan shrugged and ran back over to Regina asking if she could have the ice cream David had promised her. Regina sent her off seeing as the ice cream handler was in seeing distance and nothing a well placed fireball couldn't handle if anyone tried anything.

"Did he take it well?" Regina asked. "Rowan didn't seem to know." Emma chuckled.

"What does that kid know, and no he ran off with Archie, apparently Mary Margaret wanted to see him." Regina raised an eyebrow at that.

"Cross our fingers she's free of her delusions about us being in love, I prefer her as my enemy." Emma chuckled.

"You and me both that was easier to deal with."

"Go get us all some ice cream, Henry and I only have two days to get this right and the only distraction we need is sweets." Henry and Emma chuckled.

"Sure, it's not your fake baby talking, you know to justify your love of chocolate."

"It's definitely the fake baby," Regina told her earning a laugh. Emma headed off and caught up with Rowan who was just getting her strawberry ice cream.

"So where were we getting you some muscle," Regina murmured as they both looked serious in thought.

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