Thank you all for waiting so patiently! I've been brainstorming how to deliver this chapter to you all, and after like a month of thinking, I'm finally updating! As for who is G!P, I get that you're all so excited to know, but you'll have to keep reading because I'm not ready to reveal this. Those of you who claimed "Chapter 7" wasn't loading—I posted who was G!P first, but deleted it because I wanted a surprise. Enjoy x

Chapter 7

"Gina look!" Emma called to Regina excitedly as she made the book disappear and then reappear.

Regina planted a kiss on the little girl's cheek and beamed at her. She'd started teaching Emma how to use her magic so that the princess would know how to defend herself and be able to embrace such a significant detail about herself. So far, she was pleased at how quickly Emma was picking up on magic. "Emma, I'm so proud of you!" Hugging the little girl, she smiled as she felt the princess grip her even tighter.

"I'm a better witch than you!" Emma cried, dancing around the room laughing at Regina.

Normally, Regina would've taken that as a challenge, but instead she laughed, happy to see that Emma was coming even more out of her shell. "Of course you're the better witch, you're Emma."

Not knowing what Regina meant, Emma raised her eyebrow in the same way Regina did, almost mocking the woman.

"What I mean is that you're Emma. You're special in the most special of ways. You have many of talents, you're beautiful, and by far the sweetest child I've ever met. Of course you're the better witch." And Regina meant every word. Emma was the perfect little girl in her eyes.

Emma's smile reached her eyes. Her parents never made her feel this way. Never did she receive compliments without them being followed with suggestions or put-downs. All she felt she ever heard at home were insults masked with some sort of positivity that oozed Snow White. She hugged the Queen as tight as she could, hoping she could convey the effect her words had on her. "Thank you Gina."

Regina smiled fondly at the little girl and ruffled her hair a bit, "You're welcome, dear."

Before they knew it, it was time for Emma to return home so that she could have supper with her parents. Like always, Emma would cling to the Queen and beg her not to send her back. And just like always, Regina's face would contort in pain, trying to think of a way to keep Emma forever. Of course, she had no ideas that wouldn't cause a war or backfire and she had to send Emma home unhappy.

Bending down so that she was eye level with the little girl, she pulled her into her arms and whispered, "I love you so much my little Swan. I will see you in two days time and we will think of a way to see each other once again."

Emma cried into Regina's shoulder, both at the idea of having to see her parents again and having to leave her best friend. "Promise you won't find another best friend while I'm gone?"

Regina's eyes shined with admiration for the little girl. Shaking her head, she gently placed her finger on Emma's chin so that their gazes could meet. "There is no one in this entire realm—or any other realm that I would rather be best friend's with. You're the most important person in my life Emma." Tapping the little girl's nose, she opened the portal through her mirror and summoned the clone that was currently brushing her hair. Quickly combining them into one single Emma, she gave the little girl a quick hug and fought back the tears when she had to physically pull Emma off of her. The Queen magically transported Emma through the mirror and waved goodbye when Emma was on the other side.

When Emma arrived back in her bedchambers, she shuffled over to the balcony in her room where she saw that it was barely sunset. Sighing to herself, she nearly cried when she thought about having dinner with her parents. The older she became, the more she dreaded seeing them or spending time with them.

Deciding to try to call Regina through her mirror, she sat down and began to whisper to her mirror. "Show me—" As soon as she began she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

Quickly grabbing her hair brush and running it through her long, blonde tresses she mumbled, "Enter," and tried to smile at her parents even though she was sure it appeared to be ghastly.

Snow was the first to speak. "Emma, we have some very special news for you." The woman shared glances with her husband and smiled as he cleared his throat.

Charming sat down on the seat next to Emma and said, "Emma, you are going to be a big sister."

Snow cheered and jumped up and down like a 5-year old. Still in shock, Emma's mouth looked as if it were firmly attached to the ground. When she still didn't cheer or look even a fraction of how excited Snow was, the woman's smile faded and her jaw set.

"Emma, I thought you'd be happy for your father and I. We got a second chance."

Emma's eyebrow raised quizzically. Even Charming was confused about what the Queen meant. When she saw both parties looking at her confusingly, she said, "We got a chance at another girl, a chance to raise this one the right way. Your father and I were naïve when we had you, and we let you do far too much. With this baby, it will be different."

The little girl blanched at looked to her father who was far too happy with the news of having another girl to realize the weight his wife's words had. Emma could not believe her young ears. Eventually, the couple left to celebrate the arrival of their new daughter, leaving Emma to herself. Crying to herself, she failed to notice her mirror transforming into the image of Regina's bedchambers.

Upon feeling a soft hand gently tug her hand away from her eyes and another hand wiping her tears, Emma flinched and then looked into her mirror to realize that it was Regina who was drying her tears.

"Regina, what are you doing here?"

Regina, far too angry to respond at that moment continued her ministrations, hoping the little girl would understand. When Emma repeated the question, she pulled her hands back and sighed. "Little one, what happened with your parents?"

Emma didn't fail to notice that Regina didn't answer her question, but she decided she'd let it go for now. Just when she'd begun to stop sniffling, she started to cry again, unable to forget the hurt her parents had caused her.

When she finally calmed down enough to tell Regina what happened, Regina found herself even angrier than she was to begin with. Reaching through the glass, she placed her hand on Emma's cheek which instantly calmed her down.

"Little one, I hope you are aware that you are perfect. There is not one thing about you that I would change. You are pure-hearted, kind, incredibly wise, and the biggest bundle of joy I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I am very sorry that your parents clearly cannot see that and that it is affecting you as well. I promise, I will find a way to see you more often."

Emma beamed as though she'd never been crying. She grabbed Regina's hand and squeezed it, happy that someone cared about her. "I love you Gina."

Blinking back more tears, Regina replied fondly, "I love you too dear."

"DAMN IT!" Regina hastily flung the mirror at the wall, not even flinching at the plethora of shards that painted the ground. She knew she had to think of a way to see Emma more often and soon because the magical bond between the two was growing stronger by the day and they both grew more and more miserable apart from one another.

Having heard the noise coming from his daughter's bedchambers, Henry Mills hastily entered the room, silently questioning Regina.

Magically fixing her mirror, she flipped her long braid over her shoulder and looked pointedly at her father. "Daddy, I was angry." Knowing he was going to question the reason for her outburst, she held up a hand to silence him. "I sent Emma back home."

Knowing how important Emma was to her, he scratched his chin as he thought of a solution to his daughter's problem. "I am not sure how to help you, Regina. I will say that if it is meant to be, it will be."

With that, Henry left the room, leaving Regina to once again ponder how to see Emma more often without alarming the two idiots that called themselves her parents. She didn't even have to summon Rumpelstiltskin because he had already known she'd need him.

"Hello, dearie. What can I do for you?" There was a condescending tone left in the air after he spoke, telling Regina that he clearly knew something she didn't.

Scoffing at how big of a dramatist the imp was, she jumped straight to the point. "Help me see Emma more often. Even with the clone, Regina couldn't rely on the clone for all hours of everyday, because surely Snow and Charming would notice that this clone was not nearly as curious, intelligent, or witty as the original Emma.

Rumpelstiltskin pretended to think for a while until he finally suggested, "Why not cast the dark curse, Dearie?"

Regina had originally planned on casting the curse, but she found the price to be too steep. When Rumpel suggested she kill her father, the only person who truly loved her, she realized that this deed was too evil…even for the Evil Queen. Even now, she knew that this curse would never work. She had to take the heart of whom she loved most, and that person was the one she wanted to cast the curse for—Emma.

Rumpelstiltskin had to hold back a giggle as he watched the Queen figure out exactly what he meant. "I was simply teasing you, dearie. However, I do have a proposition for you. With the snap of his fingers, he conjured a primitive sheet of paper that read "The Light Blessing" in italic letters.

Nearly snatching the parchment away from the crocodile, Regina skimmed the document, reading all of the important bits and pieces in its entirety. She eagerly read through the words twice, growing more and more excited about this proposition the more she read about it.

When she finished reading it and was sure she'd thoroughly understood what she read she looked up at the imp and said, "Tell me what I have to do."