Chapter Three
It had taken Regina a long time to finally fall asleep the night before, so when she woke in the morning to find Emma already awake, she wasn't surprised. Emma had gotten up and gotten herself dressed, and come back to sit on Regina's bed, waiting for her to wake up. She wore a long sleeved magenta shirt under denim overalls that looked like they might be for boys, but at least both articles of clothing seemed to actually fit her.
"Good morning, Emma. Are you ready for breakfast?" Regina asked, as she sat up in bed. She knew she was ready for coffee.
Emma nodded.
"Ok, I have to get dressed. Why don't you go down stairs and wait for me, I won't be long."
Emma scurried off down the hall, and Regina dressed quickly. She went to make the bed, but instead waved her hand and used her magic to do it instead. She didn't want to leave Little Emma alone for too long.
Regina was about halfway down the stairs when she heard a crash, and the sound of shattering glass from the foyer.
"Emma!" She cried out, running down the stairs. She found Emma standing in front of a knocked over end table, the porcelain lamp that had been on it was now shattered on the tile floor. Emma's face was white as a ghost as she stared at Regina, looking terrified.
"Emma, are you alright?" Regina asked, rushing over to her. Instinctively, Emma shielded her face with her hands, and Regina's heart dropped into her stomach as she realized that Emma thought she was about to hit her.
"I tripped," Emma whispered as Regina grabbed her and pulled her close into a tight hug. Emma was trembling, and she inhaled sharply before sobs started pouring out.
"It's ok, it's ok, baby," Regina said, picking her up and rocking her. Emma wrapped her shaky arms around Regina's shoulders and buried her face into her neck.
"I'm so-orry!" Emma choked out between sobs, "it was an accid-d-dent!"
"I know, honey, I know. I'm not mad," Regina felt her own voice crack as she fought to hold back the hot tears burning at the corners of her own eyes. A few escaped and streaked down her cheeks, as she rubbed Emma's back, trying to get her to calm down.
When she finally stopped crying, Regina carried Emma into the kitchen and sat her down on the island. "Are you hurt anywhere?" Regina asked, as she wiped the tears from her cheeks, and checked her head for any signs of a bump. Emma shook her head no, but Regina could still see a lot of fear in those green eyes.
"Are you really not mad?" Emma whispered.
"Of course I'm not mad. I promised you I would never get mad for something that was an accident, and I meant that. Emma, accidents happen. Besides, that was an ugly lamp anyway. You did me a favour."
Emma started to relax, and actually giggled a little at Regina's comment.
"How about breakfast, then? Do you like Froot Loops?"
Emma nodded.
"With milk?"
Emma nodded again, and Regina lifted her down from the island and told her to head into the dining room while she got it ready. She wasn't surprised Little Emma liked the sugary cereal, seeing as how Adult Emma did. Regina had never had to buy cereal like that until Henry had developed a taste for it after a year in New York with Emma.
Regina brought Emma her breakfast and went back into the kitchen to start the coffee maker, before taking the broom and dust pan into the foyer to clean up the shattered lamp. If it weren't for the fact that Emma could see her, she would have used magic to clean it up, but she figured she'd spent twenty eight years doing everything by hand during the curse, one more day wouldn't kill her.
Once the remnants of the lamp – which Regina had to admit, really had been ugly and would not be missed – were swept up, Regina got her coffee and joined Emma at the table. Emma was drinking the leftover milk straight from the bowl when Regina sat down, and Regina couldn't help but smile.
She recovers so quickly, she thought to herself.
"So, Emma, what shall we do this morning?" Regina asked, sipping her coffee.
Emma put down the bowl and looked up. "I… don't know," she replied.
"Well, I was thinking maybe we could bake some cookies?" Regina suggested.
"Chocolate chip?" Emma asked, her eyes lighting up.
"If that's what you want, then that's what we'll make. But I need your help to make them."
"I don't know how to make cookies."
"That's ok, I'll teach you. You can be my little baking apprentice." Regina was sure Emma probably didn't know what an apprentice was, but her expression showed that she was excited none-the-less. Regina was too. It had been years since Henry had wanted to bake with her. She hadn't realized just how much she missed him being little until now.
When Regina had finished her coffee, she got up to clear the table, and Emma followed her excitedly into the kitchen. Regina opened the closet to fetch her apron, and found the little white chef's apron that Henry used to wear to help her bake. She pulled a chair up to the counter for Emma to stand on, and tied the apron around her.
"I look like a real baker," Emma commented, looking down at the apron.
"That you do, my dear," Regina agreed, as she tied her own apron on.
Regina set the oven to preheat, and then went about gathering all the ingredients and baking supplies they would require. She let Emma measure out all the ingredients and add them to the mixing bowl. She was so careful to fill every measuring cup or teaspoon exactly level, while also making sure she didn't spill a thing. Regina was impressed, but a little saddened by how hard this little one tried to do everything perfectly.
So eager to please, she thought to herself.
Regina made sure to tell her how well she was doing after every step. Emma grinned at every compliment like it was the first one she had ever received in her life.
When Regina placed the first batch of cookies into the oven, Emma hopped off the chair and sat in front of the tempered glass door to watch the cookies bake. Regina stood back and watched her, amazed at how full of wonder she was. She also noted for the first time, that she didn't recall seeing Emma's thumb in her mouth all morning. She hoped that was a sign that Emma was getting comfortable around her.
"They're getting bigger!" she exclaimed, as the cookies began to rise.
"That's good. That's what they're supposed to do," Regina replied, just now realizing that she had been smiling the entire time.
Regina wondered if Mary Margaret had ever thought to do something like this in the time she had Little Emma: to spend some time bonding just with her, one on one, without David or Neal around. She figured she probably hadn't, or Emma might have warmed up to her by now.
The oven timer went off, and Regina asked Emma to step back from the hot oven while she got the cookies out, and put the next batch in.
"Can I try one?" Emma asked, excitedly.
"When they cool, yes," Regina smiled down at her.
"I never had homemade cookies before," Emma commented.
"None of your foster mothers baked?"
Emma shook her head. "None of them were nice like you. Well, the first mommy was, but I don't remember her much."
Regina felt a little pain in her heart again, as she looked down at the little girl who spoke so nonchalantly about not-so-nice mothers. She remembered Henry once telling her that Emma was with a family until she was three, and she wondered if that was 'the first mommy'. How many mommies has this child had?
"Well, sweetheart, you don't need to worry about those other mothers anymore, because you're not going back to any of them again," Regina assured her. "Or any new ones, for that matter."
"I always get sent back," Emma replied, looking down at her feet.
"Not this time. Your Mommy and Daddy are going to keep you forever."
"I wish I could stay with you forever," Emma said, softly.
Regina knelt down in front of Emma. "Sweetie, I'm not your mother. But I promise you, I'll be here for you whenever you need me, okay? Your Mommy and Daddy, Henry, you and me… we're all a family."
"And Neal?"
"Of course, and Neal."
Emma nodded. "I missing the cookies!" she exclaimed suddenly, returning to her spot in front of the oven door.
Regina just laughed, and smiled as she watched Emma watch the cookies.
Once all the cookies were baked, Emma helped Regina tidy up the kitchen – not that there was much to clean, since Emma hadn't spilled a single thing – and Regina rewarded her with a warm cookie. She then took Emma to the family room to watch some cartoons, while she undid Emma's falling apart braid, and rebrushed and rebraided her hair. Regina figured the braid was the best way to keep those wild curls under control, but she thought the kid was also long overdue for a haircut.
They watched cartoons until lunch time, and Regina made Emma's day when she surprised her with a homemade grilled cheese sandwich.
"How did you know this is my favourite?" Emma asked with a big grin.
"Lucky guess," Regina replied, with a wink.
It wasn't long after lunch that there was a knock at the door, and Regina's heart sank a little when she realized it must be the Charmings. She wouldn't have expected it when she brought her home the night before, but she actually enjoyed having Little Emma around, and almost didn't want to let her go.
Emma peeked over the back of the couch as Regina got up and went to the door. She was greeted by a big hug from Henry, which was a nice surprise, as she didn't realize he would be coming home right now. Mary Margaret followed him in, and Regina noticed that she didn't have David or Neal with her. Probably wise.
"Where's Emma?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Family room," Regina replied, leading the way. Henry took off up the stairs to unpack his things.
Emma was in the middle of the couch, sitting on her hands as they entered the room. Regina wondered if she was trying to resist the urge to put her thumb in her mouth, knowing that her mother didn't approve.
Mary Margaret sat down on one side of the couch, and Emma stared at her with her large, apprehensive eyes. Regina took the spot on the other side, and Emma inched a little closer to her.
"Did you have a good time, Emma?" Mary Margaret asked, pretending she didn't notice Emma inching away from her.
Emma nodded.
"Your hair looks pretty," Mary Margaret commented. Instinctively, Emma raised a hand to touch her hair, revealing her shiny red nails.
"You painted her nails?" Mary Margaret asked, shooting Regina a disapproving look.
"Relax, it's just nail polish," Regina scoffed. "It's not like I got her a tattoo!"
Emma giggled, and stuck her feet out, spreading her toes like a little monkey. "She did my toenails, too!"
"Well, what's a manicure without a pedicure?" Regina said with a wink. Emma smiled and nodded in agreement, even though she didn't know what either of those words meant.
"Emma, why don't you gather all your things together, so we can go home," Mary Margaret suggested.
Emma stuck her bottom lip out in a pout, and turned to look at Regina.
"Your mother's right, it's time to go home," Regina said, hating every word as it left her mouth.
Emma got up and headed up the stairs without a word. When she was out of earshot, Regina turned back to Mary Margaret. "Have you tried giving her a bath since you brought her home?" she asked.
"Once. She screamed bloody murder then entire time. The lady at the group home had mentioned she did it there, as well, but it was worse than I expected. Did she wet the bed last night?"
"Yes. Thanks for the heads up on that one, by the way," Regina scoffed.
"Sorry. It completely slipped my mind last night."
Of course it did, Regina thought to herself, it's hard to think when you're so busy pushing your daughter out the door with a woman she doesn't even know.
"You need to buy her some new clothes," Regina said. "Nothing she owns fits properly."
"I know. We were waiting to see if Blue could turn her back first."
"Well, you need to stop waiting and start treating this situation as if Blue might not be able to turn her back, because that is a very real possibility."
"I know," Mary Margaret said, looking down.
"And Mary Margaret," Regina continued, "be careful with her. She's had a hard life."
Mary Margaret looked back up. "What did she tell you?"
"It's not what she says, it's what she does. Bedwetting, thumb-sucking, the tantrums, hiding from boys… they're all symptoms."
"Of… abuse?" Mary Margaret asked, quietly.
"Probably. Don't push her to talk about it, or she might shut you out entirely. Just be careful with her."
Mary Margaret nodded, and Regina could tell by the look on her face that she'd just affirmed the other woman's worries. Mary Margaret forced a smile and stood up as Emma came back in the room, backpack and blanket in hand.
"Henry is here," she said, looking at Regina.
"I know, sweetie. He lives here, and he's going to stay here with me. One less boy at your house."
Emma nodded, and Regina took her hand, leading her to the front door with Mary Margaret. When they reached the door, Regina knelt down and wrapped Emma in a big hug. "Thank you for sleeping over last night," she said, as she gave her one last squeeze, before releasing her. "I'll see you again, soon."
Emma just nodded, and turned back to Mary Margaret, who held out her hand. Emma took her hand, a little reluctantly, and followed her out to the truck. Regina watched the little girl leave, as a lump grew in her throat. She felt a sense of loss she couldn't quite explain as Emma got in the truck with Mary Margaret, and they drove away. She hugged her arms around herself as she stared out across the road for some time, before finally breathing a heavy sigh and closing the door.