Chapter Three
It took Regina several hours to drift off that night, as a big part of her really did expect Emma to call again. When four a.m. hit and the phone hadn't rung yet, Regina decided it was safe to go to sleep, though she slept lighter than she had in years, just in case.
She had expected another phone call to come within the next couple days, but to her surprise, it was several weeks before that familiar area code showed up on her phone. Another Friday night, late, and from the same number, so Regina could only guess Emma was alone in the house, yet again.
"Hello dear," Regina said, picking up on the second ring.
"Hi," Emma replied, without delay this time, and Regina was relieved that the awkwardness from the beginning of their last conversation was apparently a thing of the past.
"I had expected to hear from you sooner."
"Oh," Emma said, sounding surprised. "I didn't want to, like, annoy you, or something. You're an adult, you probably have a life, or something."
Regina sighed. Having a life was what she should be doing, but living out the same day over and over for thirteen years and counting was not as fun as she'd hoped. "Surprisingly not, dear. I am home alone on a Friday night, as I assume you are as well."
"Yup. And bored," Emma added.
"I can imagine. Well, at least we can keep each other company. Why don't you tell me something about yourself?" Regina suggested.
"Uh… there's not really anything special about me," Emma replied.
"I highly doubt that. Let's start with something easy. What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"When I was little, I used to want to be a knight, but apparently they aren't really in high demand these days. Plus I don't know how to ride a horse. So… maybe like a cop, or something?"
"A police officer is a good profession," Regina acknowledged. "A good friend of mine is the Sheriff of this town."
"Oh. What do you do?"
"I'm the Mayor," Regina stated, and Emma grinned.
"Should have known. You're all authoritative and stuff. Was that what you always wanted to do? Be a Mayor?"
"No," Regina replied, quietly. "Truthfully, actually, I always loved horses. I still do, but I used to have horses, and ride every day. All I wanted to do was marry my fiance and ride horses and raise a little family."
"Your fiance? Was that your step-daughter's father?"
"No," Regina said, bitterly. "But that's not a story for today, dear."
"Will you tell me one day?" Emma asked, hopefully, and Regina could tell the girl was perhaps still a little young to be picking up on the amount of pain that she was sure had registered in her voice just now. Either that, or she had picked up on it loud and clear and had experienced enough pain in her own life that she just wanted someone to commiserate with. Regina shuddered, guessing that the latter was probably the more accurate assumption.
"Maybe. We'll see. It's not a pleasant story," Regina admitted.
"Yeah, okay. I got a crap load of not pleasant stories I could give you, but maybe those can wait, too," Emma said.
"Tell me about this family you're with," Regina said, wanting to change the subject away from herself and her own pain as quickly as she could. "They leave you alone a lot, but are they at least good to you? Take care of you?"
"They're alright, I guess. They aren't mean or anything. But I think they're getting ready to send me back."
"How can you tell?"
"Just can. I have a sixth sense about these things… it's happened enough times by now," Emma said, nonchalantly.
"How many times?" Regina asked, unsure if she actually wanted to know the answer.
"I dunno. Lost count. But other than the first family that got me, the longest I've ever stayed in one place is four months. I'm reaching the four month mark now, so time's up I guess."
"I'm so sorry, Emma," Regina said, as she felt her heart breaking for this girl.
"Why? It's not your fault," Emma said, shrugging it off like it was nothing. "But, um, I don't know when it will happen so I don't know when I'll be able to call you again, so… just please promise you'll pick up even if you don't recognize the number? I don't even know if I'll still be in Minnesota."
"You move across state lines often?" Regina asked.
"Not really. But sometimes. I was actually born in Maine," Emma said.
"Really? Small world."
"Not really. I knew the area code before I called you the first time. I knew what state I was calling, just not whose house," Emma admitted.
"Well, I might not have thought so at the time, but I'm glad you reached me," Regina admitted.
"Me too," Emma said, through a yawn she wasn't able to suppress.
"I heard that. And it's after midnight. You know what that means."
"Time for you to send me to bed," Emma grumbled, rolling her eyes.
"That's right."
"Same deal as last time?" Emma asked.
"Yes, dear."
"Okay. Don't hang up."
"I won't."
Emma hesitated, and finally put the phone down on the bed. Regina hadn't hung up last time, so she guessed it was a safe bet that she wouldn't this time, but she still brushed her teeth and got her pajamas on in record time. "Back!" she said into the phone, grabbing it as she dove into the bed.
"Good girl. Sweet dreams, dear. And remember: you can call me if you have a bad dream, alright?" Regina reminded her.
"Uh huh," Emma said, hugging the phone close to her even as her eyes closed. She guessed she was more tired than she wanted to admit. "Good night, Regina."
"Good night, Emma."
That night, Emma dreamed the same recurring dream that had plagued her for as long as she could remember. She was in another world, in a castle, and everyone was panicking over something she didn't understand. They were running and yelling and a man told her "find us" before pushing her into a hollowed out tree trunk. When she opened her eyes again, she was alone, in the woods, wandering in circles and crying out for a mommy and daddy who never appeared.
And every time she had that dream, she'd wake up crying, more and more convinced every time that the mommy and daddy she sought really never would appear.
It was a little after three a.m. when Regina's phone rang, startling her out of her sleep. She didn't even have to look at the call display to know who was calling.
"Emma. What's wrong?" she asked into the phone, her voice husky from sleep.
"Did I wake you up?" Emma asked, timidly.
"It's alright dear. Just tell me what's wrong. Did you have a bad dream?" Regina asked, rubbing her eyes as she sat up in bed, propping herself up against her pillows.
"Yeah."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Emma bit her lip. She'd never told anyone about her dreams before, and though Regina was the first person to take any sort of interest in her, she wasn't sure if she was ready to go there just yet. "No. I just wanted to hear your voice again."
"I see. Well, would you like me to tell you a story to put you back to sleep?" Regina offered.
"I thought you didn't know any stories," Emma reminded her, as she settling back down into her bed, cradling the phone next to her ear.
"I may have been exaggerating a little," Regina admitted. "I do know at least one… Once upon a time there lived a young woman named Cora, who was a miller's daughter, and very poor, and this is the story of how she met an imp who could spin straw into gold."
"Rumplestiltskin," Emma said, yawning again.
"Yes. Rumplestiltskin."
"I already know this one. She guesses his name and doesn't have to give him her first born," Emma said, sounding bored.
"This version is a little different. Just listen," Regina insisted, as she went on to tell Emma the story of how her mother outsmarted the imp and became the heartless wife of a prince and mother to a baby girl, whose name Regina opted to leave out of the story.
She wasn't sure at what point Emma actually fell asleep, but it felt good, for once, to be able to talk about her mother, to someone who had no idea who or what she was really talking about.
Regina sat in silence for a few moments once her story was done, listening to Emma's rhythmic breathing through the other end of the line. She was convinced the girl was asleep, and when she whispered "Good night, Emma. Sweetest dreams," into the phone, and got no response, she decided it was time to hang up, as much as she didn't want to.
"Until next time, Emma," Regina said, aloud, as she hung up and settled back down into her bed. She glanced at the clock and realized she had been on the phone with Emma, telling her that story, for nearly an hour. Nearly an hour meant it was now five a.m. in Minnesota, and Emma was still home alone, and Regina's heart hurt for her all over again.
She sighed, hoping the girl would call her again soon, and that if these parents really did send her back, that she would end up in a better situation, though Regina was quite sure that wasn't going to be the case, unfortunately.