Caterpillar- Chapter Thirteen

"No Mama it has to be lotsa green." Emma deadpanned, as Regina looked around in exasperation. There was 'lotsa' green, hell there were at least thirteen different colors of green in the shape of balloons, streamers, the cake and the frosting were both green, the table cloth, etc. The list could go on and on but Emma had been insisting that it wasn't enough.

"Baby I think we have enough green." Regina squatted down to speak with her daughter.

"No uh!" Emma disagreed, her eyebrows furrowing and her little cheeks flushed. It was the tell tale signs of the beginnings of a tantrum.

"Emmalyn, what did Mama say?" Ruby used her warning tone as Emma pouted and crossed her arms.

"Nona give me more green. You just mean!" Emma stamped her foot, but Regina was thankful that the girl was actually talking. They had adjusted the volume on the toddlers hearing aids two nights ago, and so far Emma seemed to be communicating better. If the tantrums were anything to go by that is. Regina had been researching various options for Emma, and she had her heart set on the C.I but she wanted to talk to Ruby first.

"That's not the attitude you should have if you want to keep your party. Straighten yourself out Bug." Ruby raised an eyebrow at the girls antics, and when Emma's lip began to quiver she internally scoffed knowing Regina was going to be played by the crocodile tears.

"I want my party! I a good girl!" Emma whined, her shoulders slumping exaggeratedly.

"Bug I think you're tired." Ruby scooped the girl up before the older woman could coddle her.

"Not tired!" Emma protested but still buried her face into Ruby's neck.

"That's okay, I am. How about you stay with me until I fall asleep?" Ruby shifted the toddler who was already dozing heavily against her chest.

"We still have a couple of hours until the party, you both can go lay down in my room while I finish this up. My mom should be over to help soon" Regina rubbed Emma's back before turning around to fix the party favors for the kids.

"You sure?" Ruby felt awkward about laying down in the brunettes bed.

"You had a late night yesterday and so did she. Both of you are going to be crabby if you don't rest. Henry is still sleeping now." Regina shooed them off while going to check that she still had 6 quart containers of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Ruby carefully laid down the sleeping girl before climbing in the bed after her. She had to admit, it was far more comfortable than anything she had ever slept on before. Working late nights at the station proved to be harder than she thought, but she was able to stay with the kids while Regina did some work at her office for her mother. She had spent the night twice but in the guest bedroom. Her grandmother had agreed to watching the kids and now all she had to do was plan their date. With that on her mind, she drifted off to sleep.

It was several hours later when she woke up to something heavy on her chest, making it difficult but not impossible to breath. At first she panicked thinking she was having a heart attack, until she opened her eyes and saw curious green one's peering back at her.

"What you do in Mama bed?"Emma raised an eyebrow in an expression that practically screamed Regina.

"We took a nap, remember Bug?" Ruby yawned, moving the toddler onto the bed.

"But this Mama bed, not nors!" Emma crossed her arms, while glaring down at the older woman.

"Mama said I could sleep here for a bit. Is that alright?" Ruby wiped the sleep out of her eyes.

"No, only Mama's and Daddy's can sleep in beds together. Not Mama's and RooRoo's." Emma shook her head.

"Sometimes people don't have daddy's, Emma." Ruby wanted to remind the child.

"Lily has two Mama's. And Janie has two Papa's." Emma remembered the two girls from her daycare.

"That's right." Ruby nodded.

"But you not a Mama or a Papa." Emma shook her head again, missing when Ruby flinched.

"You say no call you Mama, so you no sleep in Mama bed." Emma continued with her logic.

"WHERE'S THE BIRTHDAY GIRL?!" Henry. Sr voice bellowed through the house.

"Poppy's here!" Emma scrambled off the bed as Ruby ponder the girl's words.

"What's got your head up in the clouds?" Regina passed Ruby a plate of barbecue as they watched Emma and Henry run around with all of the kids from the neighborhood and from Emma's daycare. Ruby had been too quiet for her liking since waking up from her nap.

"It's nothing really..." Ruby gladly took the plate and began eating some of the antipasto.

"That just let's me know its something. We haven't even gone on a date yet and your already keeping secrets." Regina spoke dryly but her eyes never left her kids.

"It's nothing...just something Emma said earlier." Ruby exhaled, before shoveling more food into her mouth.

"What did she say? I mean the last time you to had a deep conversation you disappeared for weeks." Regina questioned, watching as Lily 'accidentally' tripped Emma. Emma's bottom lip quivered, and before she could step up to comfort the girl, Lily stepped in. Brushing off the blonde and placing a kiss on her eye, she watched as Lily ran off blushing leaving a confused Emma behind. She almost laughed out loud.

"I've already told you I'm not leaving. I supposed I have to deal with the consequences of my actions...She was confused on why I was sleeping in your bed. She said only Mama's and Daddy's can, or two Mama's and two Daddy's. That I said I didn't want to be a Mama so I couldn't sleep in your bed. I just made me realize I do want that. I want to be a mom to her." Ruby wouldn't look Regina in the eye, instead choosing to eat her feelings away.

"Then show her that. You've already been doing it these past few days, show her that you can be a parent. This will be the only chance you get, don't screw it up." Regina bumped her leg with Ruby's

"I won't." Ruby vowed, smiling slightly when brown eyes caught her green ones.

"Hey ladies, I'm glad you invited us!" Jacklyn 'Jack' Summers walked up with her wife Maleficent, who had just gotten through with chiding their daughter Lily.

"I'm glad too, they are all having a good time." Regina grinned widely.

"Yeah normally Lily is a bit much for some parents. She already has two strikes against her in their eyes." Mal frowned, watching her hyperactive daughter chase around Emma.

"Why's that?" Ruby asked around a mouthful of food.

"Dear, don't talk with your mouth full." Regina scolded her like she would one of their kids.

"Her parents are gay and she's partially deaf." Mal explained

"Not anymore, she can hear just as well as any other kid. The implant did it's job." Jack glared slightly at her wife, and it was with her head motion that Regina noticed her own C.I.

"You were the one who said that would get her shunned in the deaf community anyways." Mal pointed out before rushing off to where Lily had pulled Emma's hair

"You have to excuse my wife. Pregnancy hormones." Jack shrugged before sinking down into a chair beside them.

"That's understandable, I can honestly say I was probably worse than her from the day I found out I was pregnant with Henry" Regina chuckled.

"I think my daughter has a crush on yours." Jack smirked when Lily gave Emma a hug before blushing a bright red.

"The old hurt them and kiss it better?" Ruby chuckled as Emma frowned at the brunette girl's antics and rushed over to her Mama.

"Mama, her keep hurting me!" Emma exclaimed, pointing at Lily who was getting a stern talking to.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it honey. Tell her you don't like to play like that." Regina fixed Emma's mused hair.

"Tell Lily if she doesn't play nice then we are going to have to go home." Jack smiled at the 'birthday girl'.

"No! Her my friend! You can't go!" Emma looked at Jack as if she were evil. The brunette woman chuckled and held up her hands.

"Okay Okay!" Jack recanted watching Emma rush off again.

"My mother is late." Regina noted, looking down at her watch.

"You were the one who sent her to go get your gift." Ruby pointed out.

"I had to, there's no way it can fit here. It's staying at my mother's anyways." Regina rolled her eyes.

"Yeah cause every four year old gets a horse for their birthday." Ruby countered

"I got her the same gift I got Henry for his fourth and me for mines." Regina replied stiffly.

"She's gonna go crazy when she get's here." Ruby shook her head, imagining Emma's reaction. Mal had come and sat by them, stealing food off of the plate she had made for Jack. They all watched Lily tug on Emma's hair again, but was surprised when the smaller girl tugged right back.

"PLAY NICE LILWEN!" Emma wagged her finger in the brunette's face.

"My god, she just owned her!" Jack doubled over laughing.

"It's not funny, our daughter acts like a little boy. A hoodlum, Emma's a sweetheart." Mal smiled regardless, as she munched on a carrot stick.

"Oh Emma has her moments." Ruby interjected

"Yeah, however she's never really into physical confrontation. Henry is like her little body guard in that aspect."Regina tilted her head to the side as she searched for the six year old. He was by the food station shoving his mouth full of watermelon chunks with his friends.

"Yeah, this kid took one of her aids and Henry kicked his ass." Ruby nodded.

"Language Ms. Lucas."Regina grinned at the memory.

"Regina! It won't get out of the truck!" Cora rushed up to her flustered. Regina rolled her eyes but followed her mother out.

"Mama where you go?" Emma called out when she saw her mother rise from her seat to leave.

"I'm going inside for a bit, play with your friends." Regina called back, and rushed to get the colt off the trailer.

Pegasus was an all white Arabian Thoroughbred and he cost Regina well over $75,000 but her parents pitched in on the gift so she was only set back $35,000. He was beautiful and came from a line of award wining horses, his parents beating out Kingmambo.

"He's a beauty, if not stubborn." Her father remarked, trying to usher the foal out.

"Sounds just like the little girl he's meant for. Back up and give him some breathing room." Regina order, watching the colt look at her curiously. Slowly but surely he walked up to her and allowed her to grab at his reins.

"Lets go surprise the birthday girl!" Regina grinned.

AN: It's been a while...my bad =/, if you guys want I can update again today.