Chapter Five- Caterpillar
It was eleven o'clock at night when Regina was checking her home to make sure everything was locked up and she heard the first strangled whimper. At first it confused her, until she heard the soft sobs that followed and she went to check on Henry. He was asleep in his bed and it took Regina several moments to remember she had another child in her home. Slowly peaking into the little girls room, she could see the little girl was clearly sweating but it was her muffled sobbing that got Regina's attention. Emma had curled herself into a ball in the far corner of the playpen, almost as if she was trying to make her self smaller. She pushed her face into the small pillow that Regina had laid there and her little body shook from the force of her sobs. Slowly making her way into the room, she scooped the little girl up. Confused green eyes met cognac colored irises before Emma preceded to hug Regina for everything she was worth.
"It's okay Emma." Regina brought the crying little girl into her room before setting the too tiny little girl on the too big bed. Emma looked around the room, wiping her nose on her sleeve as Regina went into the en-suite bathroom to grab a cool washcloth so she could pat the girl's skin dry. When she returned Emma had stopped crying and was looking around the room in confusion.
"RooRoo?" Emma's bottom lip quivered. She could see Regina's mouth moving but she could hear absolutely nothing, and the woman was too far away for her to really see what was being said. Her hands shot up to her ears, not feeling the hearing aids.
"Want RooRoo." Emma sniffed as Regina left the room quickly. She came back in less then thirty seconds with the hearing aids and properly slipped them into place before speaking to Emma.
"Ruby is coming back in the morning. Tonight you're gonna stay with me and Henry." Regina scooped Emma up into her arms, rocking the child lightly. It seemed so easy to parent this little girl, to want to be her mother but then all of her insecurities and hate was just bubbling under the surface.
"RooRoo no find me a Mommy. I wan you." Emma lifted her head up to look at Regina.
"I want you too honey, I just don't know how." Regina had no idea why she was admitting this to a three year old, knowing it was completely inappropriate to voice her concerns to a child.
"RooRoo help, she be da Mama." Emma patted her cheek, and briefly Regina wondered why the little girl was considered behind when she seemed well beyond her years.
"You like Ruby don't you?" Regina smiled lightly, setting Emma down on the bed. She pulled off the fleece nightie that was obviously over-heating the little girl.
"Mhm" Emma just hummed in agreement before looking around once more now that Regina was wiping down her sweaty skin.
"Wan RooRoo" Emma looked at Regina, and she could clearly see the beginnings of a tantrum start. Not wanting to wake Henry, she risked calling Ruby late at night. Dialing the number off her nightstand it only rang twice before Ruby answered it.
"What is it? Is Emma okay?" Ruby immediately breathed down into the phone causing Regina to flicker between a frown and a smile.
"She woke up sweaty from I think a nightmare. She keeps saying she wants you, and I don't want her to get to upset" Regina rambled. Hearing a quick 'be right there' before a dial tone. Regina looked at the phone for a moment before turning back to Emma who looked at her expectantly
"She's on her way." Regina told the girl slowly, watching a grin break out on her face for the first time. Suddenly she wanted to see the girl smile, she wanted to make her happy. She wanted to be able to comfort the child when she woke up from a bad dream, she wanted to be the person Emma wanted for comfort. She wanted Emma.
She only had to entertain Emma for a little over fifteen minutes before a frantic knocking sounded at the door. She looked at Emma and told her firmly to stay where she was before rushing to answer the door. Stupidly enough she was surprised to see the brunettes face void of makeup, wearing a pair of sweatpants with her hair pulled back. Her plain white tank top showed off her small but nice sized breast and her toned stomach.
"Are you just going to stand there and stare or can I see my kid?" Ruby snapped Regina out of her thoughts.
" Your kid?" Regina raised an eyebrow
"I-uh yeah, I meant on my load." Ruby blushed, shifting from foot to foot until Regina let her in the house.
"She's in my room." Regina informed her as she led the way to the Master bedroom. She heard Ruby sigh deeply in what she guessed was relief as her eyes finally settled on Emma.
"Emma baby what's wrong?" Ruby signed slowly as she approached Emma. The little girl scrambled to a standing before practically flying off the bed into Ruby's arms.
"Why you leave me?" Emma pouted as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Emma remember when I said you had to stay here until I found you a new mommy and daddy? I can't stay here though, I gotta take care of Granny." Ruby told Emma who frowned when she didn't recognize the last sign. Ruby immediately understood the confused look and pulled out her phone to show Emma a picture of the lady. Emma had met Granny on multiple occasions, both of them bonded over their lack of hearing. Granny hadn't always been deaf, having been diagnosed with Meniere's disease at eighteen, she slowly experienced losing her hearing until one day it was just gone.
"Granny." Ruby repeated the sign, showing Emma the picture.
"Nona!" Emma cheered, completely ignoring the sign in favor of her own. She signed cookie three times causing Ruby to burst out laughing.
"Did you learn sign language for her?" Regina asked after watching the interaction between the two.
"No. I learned when I went to live with my grandmother, so I was about thirteen or so. Granny has been deaf for over thirty-years. Meniere's disease runs in my family. Eventually my own hearing is going to go." Ruby replied solemnly
"Meniere's disease?" Regina asked, knowing she was prying but not being able to help herself.
"It's degenerative. Slowly I'll lose my hearing. Maybe in little burst before being 'normal' again and then its just going to stop working. Like cutting off a light switch and taking away the bulb." Ruby shrugged as Emma crawled into her lap.
"RooRoo, Gina gonna be my mommy." Emma yawned for almost fifteen seconds before continuing.
"RooRoo you be da Mama." Emma patted her chest lightly before laying her head down. Ruby tighten her grip around Emma, not wanting to look up and see the obvious denial in Regina's eyes.
"Go to sleep cub." Ruby cooed, rocking the girl. Three yawns and an eye flutter later, Emma was once again asleep.
"You're so good with her." Regina sat down next to her and pushed some blonde curls out of Emma's face.
"She makes it easy to be good with." Ruby shrugged.
" I don't know the first thing about raising a little girl. Or about sign language or anything else she is going to need. I don't know how to communicate with her-" Regina began to ramble but was cut off by Ruby.
"I get it, I really do. I've decided to change my career path. I have an interview with the sheriff's department for the deputies position. I'm going to do what everyone else refuses to do." Ruby glared at the brunette sitting next to her.
"Ruby I-"
"I'm going to quit my job and then I'm going to adopt her. I'm going to give this little girl the childhood she deserves!" Ruby hissed before Regina's hand slapped over her mouth.
"What I was going to say was, I'm willing to try! I'm willing to learn sign and do whatever it takes for her. I might hate her mother but...she's family." Regina ground her teeth before looking down at the girl.
"Are you sure this is what YOU want? Because if not I don't want you to waste our time." Ruby rocked Emma lightly.
"I want her. I do...but I know I can't do this alone either. You're good with her, she trust you..." Regina ticked her jaw before exhaling.
"Just say whatever it is you're trying to say." Ruby fidgeted.
" I need you to help me. I want to give her, her best shot. I can't do that alone." Regina grabbed Emma from Ruby's arms and walked the little girl back to the playroom. Setting her back in the playpen, she turned towards Ruby with a tired expression.
"Like I said. I'm going to give her the childhood she deserves." Ruby said firmly before descending the stairs.
