Chapter Fifteen- Caterpillar.
She was scanning the room looking for the naked toddler on the loose. Emma had just gotten finished with her bath when Regina thought it was a good time to tell her that Granny was coming over to watch her while they went out for their date. Henry had been pretty chill laying down in his own bedroom watching Disney movies while Emma declared she wasn't putting on her clothes.
"Emma..." Ruby called out, having been appointed to wrangling the girl into her pajamas. Turning around quickly when she heard the unmistakable sound of a child running, she saw Emma streaking down the hall.
"Emma!" Ruby scolded watching Emma skid to a stop.
"Don't gots to listen to you! You not my Mama!" Emma exclaimed as Regina walked in. She had been watching from afar amused until she heard the four year old sassy tot. Ruby looked at lost for words as Regina started at her expectantly. Normally she would step in but if Ruby wanted to be a parent, that meant she was going to have to play good cop and bad cop.
"Emmalyn Kasey Swan! You have two seconds to get over here or I will give you a spanking." Ruby warned watching Emma raise her little eyebrow, something she had to have learned from Regina.
"One..." Ruby used her best mom voice as a warning.
Emma narrowed her eyes "Two". The child finished before taking off down the hall again leaving a wide eyed Ruby.
"This is what you said you wanted. They aren't always well behaved." Regina chuckled.
"I'm not regretting it but when did my sweet little bug become a little shit." Ruby groaned.
"Well now you have to get her dressed and follow through with that punishment. She will walk all over you if you let her. You want to be a parent you have to put your foot down." Regina informed her.
"But I don't want to spank her." Ruby whispered harshly.
"I don't want you to either, but right now a couple of swats on the tush will due her some good. They don't have to be hard. She be more shocked that you actually did it than anything else." Regina shrugged as she went to slip on her earrings. She was dressed in a pair of all black dress slacks they were a 'skinny jean' style with a white sleeveless blouse. Paired with some red bottoms, she just had to find a blazer to complete her outfit.
"Okay, I can do this." Ruby took several deep breaths.
"Please do hurry before she runs into Henry's room." Regina urged her along.
Ruby chased Emma around the corner knowing the girl was going to the laundry room. However when she got there and didn't see the child, she deduced that Emma had crawled into the dryer again seeing as it was slightly propped open. Rolling her eyes she grabbed a large blanket and placed it in front so that when Emma stepped out she could scoop her up in it. Climbing on the dryer, careful not to make any noise. Opening and slamming the back door, she counted to three and watched a naked Emma climb out of the dryer. Not only was it dangerous for Emma to be in there but it was two hours pass the girls bedtime and she was acting like a terror. Quickly she scooped up the toddler and ignored her protesting screeches. Bringing her upstairs she closed the door to Emma's room and made quick work of wrestling her into a pair of princess undies and a light sleeper with the feet in them.
"You know what you did was wrong right? Climbing into the dryer is dangerous!" Ruby held Emma's chin so the child couldn't look away.
"not danger, it's fun!" Emma protested.
"Its fun until you get locked and there you you can't get out!" Ruby admonished.
"I gets out! I want my Mama!" Emma pouted.
"No right now you've got me! What you did was dangerous and wrong, I told you I was going to spank you if you didn't come and get dressed right?" Ruby asked, watching Emma grow frustrated.
"No spanking!" Emma protested.
"I think that's a little too late. You didn't listen and now you have to deal with the consequences of your actions." Ruby tried to stay firm and not waver.
"You not my Mama! No spanking!" Emma stamped her foot.
"You're right, I'm not Mama. But I love you Big, too much for you to think that its okay to be as disrespectful as you have been to me. I'm the adult and you have to listen to me." Ruby said slowly to make sure Emma got every word that she was saying.
"Nu uh!" Emma scoffed deeply, something that she probably picked up from either Henry or Regina.
"Emma what you did was wrong." Ruby looked disappointingly at the child hoping she would pick up on the mood but Emma just shrugged.
"Fuck it!" Emma shot her a cheeky grin and Ruby shocked both of them by delivering three firm swats on the butt.
"We do not use that language Emmalyn!" Ruby scolded, reminded herself to be strong when Emma's bottom lip started to quiver.
"RooRoo no spank!" Emma started crying as she ran up to Ruby for a hug. It didn't matter to her that it was the brunette who had delivered the punishment, she just wanted to be comforted.
"Emma right now I want you to sit down on your bed and think about what you did. I want you to tell me when I come back in five minutes what you could have done better, okay?" Ruby placed the girl onto the toddler bed, trying hard to not the let the girl's big green eyes sway her.
"I'll be back in five minutes." Ruby reminded her. She walked out of her room and sat down on the stairs and put her head in her hands. Sure some kids need a good swat on the butt from time to time but that didn't make it any easier. Ruby had gotten spankings from the age of thirteen until she turned seventeen from her grandmother. Whether it had been a couple of swats with her wooden cooking spoon or a belt. Granny was old school and she believed children should be raised with discipline.
"First spanking, huh?" Regina joked as she watched a torn Ruby beat herself up.
"Just those eyes man. I swear they look right into my soul. Then the pouty lip, I almost apologized." Ruby was now pouting herself.
"Well I'm glad you didn't. My daughter isn't going to be using foul language, how she knows all those words are beyond me. Now pick yourself up and go talk to our baby." Regina ordered just before the door rang.
"You get that, it's probably Granny. Don't forget to come back and kiss her goodnight." Ruby sighed, dusting off her dressy joggers.
"I won't. My little Princess is very particular about how her bed routine goes." Regina mused while carefully walking down the stairs.
"Emma..? Ruby opened the door and immediately Emma shot off the bed and ran to her.
"Buggy be good girl! I be good so you be my mommy! I prwomise! I be good!" Emma was still crying and it took Ruby a moment to process what the girl had said.
"Snug a Bug, you are a very good girl. Sometime you just don't make very good choices, but you know what? We learn from them. What did you learn?" Ruby picked up the four year old and settled her on her hip.
"No dryer, danger! No bad words. I be good!" Emma sniffled.
"That's my girl. Now let's get you tucked in so Mama can come give you kisses." Ruby pulled back the ninja turtle covers, yet another gift from Robin and Roland, and tucked the girl in.
"RooRoo..." Emma clutched at her hair, something she only ever did with Regina.
"Yes baby?" Ruby pecked her nose.
"I want a Mommy." Emma whispered.
"You have one! You got the best Mama in the whole world!" Ruby replied, frowning slightly.
"I knows! I want a Mommy and a Mama. Like Lily." Emma tangled her fingers deeper into Ruby's long chocolate hair. When Ruby didn't respond immediately, Emma looked at her with glistening eyes and her signature pout.
"I be really good!" Emma added.
"Who do you want to be your Mommy?" Ruby asked in a soft tone.
"Yous! Lily say Mommy love you and do hair pretty. She gives cookies and takes you to soccer!" Emma rambled.
"You want me to be your Mommy?" Ruby asked again.
"I wished it. On my birffday." Emma butchered birthday but it brought back how Emma looked at her and Regina before she blew out her candle.
"Okay baby. I'd love to be your Mommy." Ruby hugged Emma tight causing the girl to giggle.
"You mush me! I want my Mama kisses now." Emma's smile completely vanished as she looked at Ruby with a set smile.
"Mama's here to give you some Mama kisses." Regina let her presence be known from where she stood at the door. She was wiping away the silent tears that fell down as Ruby rose from her spot.
"Granny wants to speak with you before we leave." Regina whispered as they passed by.
"Okay." Ruby nodded, giving Regina's arm a squeeze before she walked out the room.
"Mama kisses!" Emma said impatiently.
"Hold your horses!" Regina joked.
"Mama, Peggy not here. No whoreses." Emma's attempt at saying horses sounded more like whore(ses)
"Its horses baby. Now let me give the Princess some love so she can sleep for the night." Regina smothered Emma's face with kisses.
"I love you, I love you, I loveee you!" Regina planted one last kiss on her daughters forehead, hearing the girl murmur the sentiment back before closing her eyes.
"Goodnight my princess."
"So you're telling me, you've been in contact with Anita all this time?" Ruby signed to her grandmother, both of their hands flying around as they communicated.
"Not the whole time, Rubina. What did you expect me to do when she said she was pregnant? Turn my back on her?" Granny signed back.
"Yes! Just like she did to me when she dropped me off at that group home!" Ruby voiced aloud.
"She needed help with the baby back then and I have tried to help every way I can. That girl is your sister, show some respect! She is going through the same thing as you. Anita just dropped her off with all of her belongings and left. I will never turn my back on my family, and I raised you the same way!" Granny looked at Ruby disappointingly, while the younger Lucas looked over to her new sister who was sitting down patiently on the couch.
"You can't just spring this on me and expect for me to be okay with everything right away. You didn't even tell me about her, and you've known for six years!" Ruby shot back just as Regina was coming down the stairs.
"Dear child, why don't you just go out and have a good time tonight and we can worry about everything in the morning." Granny replied, watching Ruby force her eyes closed as she breathed deeply through her nose.
"This isn't over. Henry should be going down to sleep soon, he's probably either reading or watching a movie in his room right now. Emma should be going straight to sleep, but she might wake up. She still has trouble sleeping through the night. If she wakes up she's going to want her aids, they are in the purple container on the kitchen island. We should be back no later than eleven. If anything happens just call or shoot me a text. I'll have my phone on." Ruby rambled before Regina walked up to her.
"Darling, I've already told her all of this." Regina informed her.
"Yes well this is my first time doing anything like this so..." Ruby sighed.
"Go wait in the car, I'm going to grab the house keys and my purse." Regina shooed her off. Once Ruby left Regina tuned to sign to the older woman.
"Just give her time, she'll come around. If you need any help with her, we'll be glad to help." Regina offered her a small smile before grabbing the items she needed.
"So are you going to tell me where we're going?" Regina asked after fifteen minutes into their drive. Ruby glanced over at her through narrowed eyes, still aggravated by the bomb that her grandmother had dropped on her.
"To dinner." Ruby replied vaguely.
"Do you want to talk about what happened back there?" Regina asked after a couple of moments.
"You mean the fact that I found out I have a six year old sister, that my grandmother thinks that she can just drop on me and say 'here, I need you to take care of her'. To top it off, she's been in contact with my incubator of a mother this whole time while telling me she had no idea where the fuck she was at?!" Ruby rambled taking a deep breath.
"Well I was referring to Emma calling you Mommy. And I think that I know where she gets her language from now. But if you want to talk about that then I'm all ears." Regina shrugged watching Ruby blanch, her foot coming off the gas for a moment before she regained her speed.
"I thought she'd hate me for giving her a spanking. But she said she wished for me to be her mommy on her birthday." Ruby's voice cracked.
"I told you she was more surprised that she actually got a spanking than anything else. And her wanting you to be a parent figure shouldn't come as a surprise, she called you Mama long before she called me it." Regina watched Ruby nod at the logic.
"Now onto your grandmother. I'm sure she has her reasons for keeping certain things from you. However there's nothing anybody can do now except make Carsyn feel as comfortable as possible. Someone once told me that her grandmother never turned her back on her once she found out she was in care, so I expect that same person to remember how she felt back when her inconsiderate mother just left her at that group home." Regina reminded her.
"I'm happy that she's here and away from Anita! I just wish it wasn't kept from me for so long and then just dropped on me." Ruby shook her head as they pulled into the almost deserted parking lot. They were already twenty minutes late.
"Is this Mario's? Why is no one else here? This is one of the most popular restaurants in town." Regina frowned.
"I know a guy." Ruby replied holding out her hand for Regina to take. They walked into the entrance of the restaurant and immediately a ruggedly dressed brunette man walked forward.
"Lucas, it's about damn time!" He joked stepping closer with his arms out wide. Regina was surprised when Ruby practically ran to him.
"How you been kid?" He murmured.
"I'm good but we need to talk soon. It's about Anita." She responded breaking away.
"What about her? She tried to contact you or something?" He crossed his arms.
"We'll talk later, I promise. Now August this is Regina, Regina this is my brother August." Ruby introduced everyone.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Regina smiled politely.
"Likewise, now since you are late I've stuffed myself on bread and peanuts so you don't have to worry about me picking off your plates tonight." August joked, watching Ruby blush.
"Yes well we had a four year old who refused to put on clothes." Ruby coughed.
"Ems? How is my little Short Fry?" The obvious adoration in his voice had Regina raising her eyebrow.
"She's great actually. More vocal, she's even going into dance this week with some of her friends." Ruby beamed.
"That's great! Did you guys ever get the grant for her implant?" August asked, walking them over to their table for the night. It was when he turned fully into the light that Regina caught sight of his CI implant.
"She was approved for it, but the decision is up to Regina. She's her mom." Ruby answered.
"Mom? I thought Mary Margret-" August stopped abruptly and frowned.
"Mary was her biological mother, but she's my daughter. She is my niece in technical terms until the adoption goes through." Regina answered the unasked question.
"That's great! Small fry deserves to have someone who is fit to take care of her. I'll have James bring you out the menu, he's going to be your chef for tonight because I have to get going. The wine is on the house, sis. I'll call you tomorrow, maybe I can even see my little cook." August looked hopeful.
"Yes, I'm sure that can be arranged." Regina agreed when Ruby looked at her to answer.
"Hello my name is James and I'll be your server today." The waiter came out with the menu.
"Would you like a few minutes to look everything over and tell me what three courses you would like?" He asked.
"Yes please." They agreed.
Granny and Carsyn had spent the night at the house, since Regina deemed it was too late for them to make the journey back towards the Bed and Breakfast. The next morning rolled around and Henry had taken instantly to the newest kid around, but Emma...not so much. While she hadn't exactly come out and said she didn't like the new brunette girl, she stayed as far away from her as possible. Choosing to spend her morning in her Mama's lap while glaring at the girl who was playing with her brother. Granny had rushed off to take care of the diner.
"Mama..." Emma spoke for the first time that morning.
"Yes Princess?" Regina asked after she chewed her bite of orange that she had just taken.
"He my Henny, no hers." Emma glared up at Regina who fought her urge to chuckle.
"Baby, Henry is his own person. If he wants to play with someone he can. Why don't you go play with them?" Regina nudged her to the kids who were rolling around in the grass. She wanted to hurry up and finish her breakfast before the bugs got attracted because they were eating outside on the deck. Emma simply climbed off of her lap and went to sit in Ruby's.
"Bug why don't you want to play with Henry and Carsyn?" Ruby asked.
"Don't like to." Emma grumbled.
"Someone is a Mrs. Grumpy Pants this morning." Ruby teased, trying to tickle her but Emma jumped off her lap with a huff.
"Stop! You not a baby, be ature!" Emma scolded, wagging her finger as she tried to say 'be mature'.
"Well excuse me!" Ruby held up her hands causing Regina to bark with laughter.
"Henny come play wif me!" Emma turning around and stamped her foot.
"I'm playing with Carsyn! Why don't you go play with your tutus?" Henry sighed deeply before turning around to chase Carsyn after she tagged him. Seeing Emma pout, Ruby thought of something to cheer her up.
"Ems, do you remember Auggie?" Ruby asked.
"My uca Auggie? Emma tilted her head to the side, her pout gone.
"Yes Auggie, what if he came over and played with you?" Ruby asked.
"No...I wanna play wif my Henny." Emma looked off towards the older kids.
"Are you sure?" Ruby asked, knowing Emma would change her mind once he got here. Emma didn't answer, instead she just plopped herself into the grass before she started pulling up the blades. When the doorbell rang, both brunettes looked at each other surprised.
"I'll get it, you can finish eating." Ruby offered before shooting out her chair. She didn't expect to be faced with the biggest assholes she had ever met.
"What are you doing here?" Leopold stepped forward with his wife Ruth.
"What am I doing here? The better question is what are you doing here?" Ruby crossed her arms.
"We are here to see our grandson. So if you can please move aside!" Leopold pushed his way pass Ruby who had to jog to catch up to him and his wife. They just walked into the house like they owned it. Hearing the children laughing loudly they all walked outside onto the deck.
"Regina darling, you are looking as lovely as ever." Leopold complimented the mother when he saw her.
"Leo...Ruth, what are you guys doing here?" Regina stood and offered them a strained smile.
"We came to see the little guy, how is Henry?" Leo asked, looking out towards the two kids. When his eyes fell on Emma, his smile vanished.
"What is she doing here?" Leopold ground his jaw, before turning to glare at Ruby.
"She lives here." Ruby shot back.
"We told you she was supposed to be transferred to Hopkins!" He barked, unknowingly drawing the attention of all three kids.
"Hopkins is a long term care facility, there is nothing wrong with Emma!" Ruby defended.
"Nothing wrong with her? She's a handicap!" He shouted in disbelief.
"Leo..." Ruth admonished.
"No! That little demon caused my daughter to turn to drugs! She killed our baby!" Leo turned to his wife wide eyed.
"That is enough! Mary turned to pills because she was weak! I will not allow you to come into my home and disrespect my child!" Regina interjected, Mama bear in her coming out.
"It was Mary's decision that Emma be placed with Regina. In fact she wanted her daughter to have nothing to do with you since the moment she gave birth! It is specifically documented in her will!" Ruby stepped closer to Regina's side.
"I think its best if we came back at a different time. I'm sorry for the scene Regina." Ruth apologized, dragging her husband with her. Regina nodded stiffly before turning towards the kids, trying to figure out how she was going to explain everything.
AN: I know some of you wanted to see the date but tbh I'm only 19. The closet thing I've gotten is movies and dinner and that seems a bit childish to this mature couple. To the Guest who asked about a little elsa, I can most certainly write that in! To ForShizzleMyNizzle, dragonqueen won't really fit into this story because its RedQueen. However if enough people are interested in a dragonqueen story with a little emma, I can do it. Just let me know.
