Chapter Four- Caterpillar

"Emma, eat." Ruby prodded while signing to the girl who had a deep pout set in as she glared at the pasta in front of her.

"No wanna, yucky!" Emma pushed the plate away, oblivious to Regina's frown and Ruby's waning patience. Instead the three year old had settled for drinking her glass of water greedily before asking for some more.

"The pasta isn't yucky, its good. Eat it." Ruby pushed the plate back towards the tot.

"Maybe its too hot for her." Henry shrugged when both adults looked at him.

"I made sure it was cool enough for her to eat it without burning herself." Regina shook her head, about to get up and make Emma something else to eat.

"No silly. It's spicy!" Henry said in a duh tone and Regina mentally face palmed. She had forgotten that all children weren't like Henry who could eat hot sauce with anything without any problems. Her lasagna had red pepper flakes in it to give it a little 'kick'

"Emma honey, is the pasta hot?" Ruby asked the girl, suddenly realizing why Emma wanted more water.

"Hurt my tongue." Emma stuck her tongue out before giggling.

"I have some left over macaroni and cheese, will she eat that?" Regina asked Ruby.

"She will, but you should probably ask her just to be safe."The younger woman before taking a bite out of her pasta.

"Emma...do you want some Mac and Cheese?" Regina asked the young blonde who just looked at her curiously.

"Down?"Emma asked, trying to slide out of her chair. Her little feet dangled hazardously as she tried to quickly climb from the chair. It was absolutely adorable to see the little girl hug the seat with her arms, while her legs flailed to find purchase on some surface.

"No Emma, you have to eat." Ruby set the girl gently back in the seat.

"No wanna!" Emma whined, kicking her foot up to hit the table. Everyone was surprised at what looked to be the beginning of a tantrum. Ruby's hands flew out, signing at a fast but steady pace that Emma was able to follow.

"You better straighten your self out Emma, or I'm going to put you in time out!" Ruby warned . The girl's pout increased but she looked at Regina with wide green eyes before speaking.

"Cheese?" Emma pressed both of her hands together in a prayer like motion as she patiently waited for the microwave to beep with her food. Once it was warm but not hot, Regina set the bowl in front of Emma watching as the child looked at it skeptically.

"It's just Mac and Cheese, didn't your Mommy ever make it for you ?" Henry asked through a mouthful of food.

"Mommy?" Emma looked at Ruby with a hopeful expression but when the green eyed woman shook her head sadly, the girl proceeded to bang her hands on the table.

"Want Mommy! Mommy! Mommy?" Emma began to kick and throw her arms about, knocking the macaroni to the floor as her little face turned red in frustration. Regina watched on helpless, her heart clenching at the familiar tantrum of a child asking for a parent who was never coming back.

Flashback

It had been nearly three weeks since the funeral and Regina had completely isolated her and her son from the outside world. Henry was only two and a half, not quite old enough to know why his daddy hadn't come home in the previous days, so he waited at the door for him. Every night for hours her son would stand by the door with his face pressed to the glass, just hoping for a glimpse of that fiery red car to slide into the driveway.

"Baby why don't you come watch a movie with Mama?" Regina just wanted him to take a break from sitting there. Children weren't known for their long attention span, including Henry yet he still waited for his father to show.

"Mama where daddy go?" Henry frowned as if he expected the man to appear any second but never showed.

"Henry daddy is coming home." Regina shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Why not?" Henry asked.

"Because honey, Daddy is an angel in heaven." Regina took a deep breath, as she prepared for the on slaughter of questions no doubt about heaven and where it was at.

"NO HE COME HOME NOW!" Henry went from zero to ten instantly, shocking Regina in the process.

"Henry..." Regina warned

"I WANT MY DADDY!" Henry stamped his foot while his bottom lip quivered.

"Henry daddy can't come, he would be here if he could." Her heart broken when her son dissolved into tears.

It was from that memory alone, that Regina shot up from her chair and collected the toddler before she could begin hollering. She just held Emma to her chest, letting the little girl hear her heart beat as tears soaked into her shirt from the crying girl.

"Mommy no come home?" Emma looked up at her with jaded green eyes.

"No honey, she isn't." Regina shook her head sadly.

"I go backs wit da bad man?" Emma sniffled as she asked the question.

"Emma you won't ever have to go back there again." Ruby promised, watching the scene in awe.

"I stay here wif you?" Emma tugged on Regina's shirt causing the older woman to flush before adjusting it, and for a moment when she looked at Emma she could see how the little girl was related to Mary-Margret. They both had that same impish smile that showed their dimpled cheeks and Emma had the woman's chin.

"No honey, Ruby is going to find you a nice new mommy and daddy." Regina replied, instantly regretting it when she saw the little girl frown.

"You be my new mommy?" Emma asked hopefully causing Regina to swallow harshly. The older brunette looked to Ruby for support but realized that the girl was waiting for her to reply also.

"I can't Emma..." Regina shook her head no once more.

"Want RooRoo" Emma squirmed in her arms, trying to get away from Regina. Ruby stood up from the table to collect the child from a shaken Regina who wanted nothing more than to take back what she said if it would erase the frown from the little girl's face.

"Emma-cakes! What's cracking?" Ruby forced some cheer into her voice as she grabbed Emma who buried her face into her neck.

"I wanna go home. Wif you!" Emma signed while she spoke and Regina noted Emma only did that with Ruby.

"Emma you have to stay here with Regina and Henry." Ruby rubbed small circles on the girls back.

"Her no want me! Just like Momma!" Emma's reply took her breath away.

"Emma your Momma wanted you, she was just sick." Ruby assured her.

"No she said Bad Mema! Just like daddy. Daddy make her sad when he come home." Emma pressed her hands over her ears, causing Regina and Ruby to look at each other in confusion.

"I don't think she is going to eat much of anything tonight. She's probably cranky, is there a room you want her put in specifically ?" Ruby asked, lightly bouncing Emma. Regina nodded and led them upstairs to the room directly across from her room. It was a play room, filled with all of Henry's toys but Regina had pulled out her son's old playpen and had set it up for the girl for the time being.

"This is the best I can do for now." Regina rubbed the back of neck, having no idea why she felt guilty yet she did.

"It's fine. It's only temporary" Ruby's tone was clipped as she placed a dozing off Emma into the playpen. Regina watched the obviously angry brunette and she could feel her own irritation mounting. Watching the toddler's eyes flutter close for the last time Ruby took the hearing aids out, they both left the room making sure the door was cracked in case she woke up.

"You angry." Regina pointed out.

"No I'm not." Ruby denied and tried to walk past her.

"Yes you are, stop lying to me." Regina snapped.

"I'm not angry, I'm disappointed okay! I just don't understand how someone could toss away a child. A family member at that! I grew up in the foster care system until they found my grandmother and never once after she found out I was all alone did she think about sending me back." Ruby hissed, taking Regina by surprise.

"She is only family by marriage, something that has been long gone for well over four years in case you haven't figured that out. What about her grandparents? You were the one who said you were going to find her a new family, so why is this falling on my shoulders?" Regina shot back.

"She isn't going to get adopted. She will be viewed as a burden, too much of a hassle. The people who will want her, will only do it because they would get more money for her then another child. If you don't take her, she is going to age out in the system." Ruby shook her head.

"I can't do it. I'm sorry if that makes me a bad person, but I have a life and a son I have to worry about." Regina bit down on her lip.

"I have to go! Call me in the morning when she wakes up, I'll take her with me!" Ruby shot over her before practically flying down the stairs.