A/N: I am SOOOOOO sorry I didn't update yesterday but I've been fighting this nasty migraine and I haven't been able to look at any screens but I think I might have finally gotten through *claps enthusiastically*
If any of you have migraines, you know what a big deal this is, and if you do have migraines-I feel your pain. Migraines are literally the worst pain I have ever felt.
But enough about my problems. Here's the next chapter, I'm not entirely pleased with what is happening but it seems to be a filler chapter before I start back into some deeper stuff.
home:
(n.) a place where one lives; an environment affording security and happiness; a valued place considered a refuge or place of origin.
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Emma falls into the bed gracelessly and groans.
"Are you alright, dear?" Regina asks as she closes her book. "Is it your head?"
"Mmmmmmn," Emma responds as she rolls over and lays her head in Regina's lap.
Regina chuckles as she runs her fingers through her wife's hair. "English darling."
"You are ridiculously comfortable," Emma says as she wraps an arm around her wife's legs.
Regina smiles and continues to run her fingers through Emma's hair, gently scratching the scalp every now and then. Enjoying the sounds of contentment her wife was making.
They stayed like this for a while, neither of them moving or speaking, neither wanting to ruin this perfect moment. Emma sighed again as Regina ran her nails over her scalp. "Do you remember when we bought this place?" she whispers.
Regina's hand stills momentarily before she resumes her random scalp scratching. "Yes." She responds just as quietly but there is a hesitation in her voice. Why does she want to talk about this?
"I love you."
That's all she's going to say? Regina wonders. She raises her eyebrow even though Emma cannot see it, what the heck is going on? She mentions the move and then that's all she says? Oh, wait she's still talking.
"-always loved you. Even when I didn't want to."
"I know," Regina says.
"I will always love you Gina. I can't control it, and even if I could I don't think I'd want to. You make me so happy. We have this great life here with great kids, great friends, and even your crazy sister."
Regina smiles and rolls her eyes. She gently tugs on Emma's hair until Emma is looking up at her. Regina smiles down at her and runs her finger across her cheek, "I love you too, darling."
Emma gives her a tentative smile, "even if we have to go back there?"
"I do not understand why you think that there is some dire situation and we have to go back and save the day. Darling, they took our memories. Perhaps the books were brought over with our things and we never noticed until Henry and Presley dug through our things in the basement. We were not as thorough in our unpacking as I would have liked."
Emma chuckles at this, "well you did have a very pregnant, very cranky wife, an energetic toddler to deal with. You may have had Henry, but he was too busy trying to keep Tommy from climbing the walls."
Regina laughs as she remembers when they moved here.
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"Are you sure you want to move now?" Emma asks as they sit in the car.
"I believe it's a little late to second guess now, darling." Regina says as she looks at the house, their house. As of this afternoon, it will be theirs.
"I just don't think we should rush into anything," Emma says looking at their house.
"Darling, everything is already done. We already signed the papers, this house is our as of one o'clock this afternoon."
"This wasn't a good idea." Emma is starting to panic.
Regina sighs as she gets out of the car.
"What are you-" but Emma stops her question as Regina walks around and opens Emma's door.
She bends down so she is eye level with her wife, "Emma. Breathe. This is a good thing. You know we cannot stay where we are with two more babies added in. We've been looking for a new place since Tommy was born and with the twins on the way this was the perfect time. This house is exactly what we have been looking for. It has the room we need and it's in a good neighborhood with great schools. This is a good thing, Emma. I know you're anxious for the move but it will be fine. We will be fine."
Emma gives a small smile, "I don't want to move. I don't like change."
"I know, darling," Regina returns with a smile, "but nothing changes except our location. We are still the same. You are growing our babies and our boys are very excited, for the move and for the new babies."
"Oh god, we have to prepare the nursery," Emma says as her eyes widen.
"Emma." Regina puts a hand under her chin until they are looking at each other again. "Breathe." Emma takes a deep breath. "Good," Regina praises, "I have already taken care of it. We are going to move our things in this afternoon, we are going to spend our evening in our apartment and then in the morning I have contractors coming to fix the things we discussed here and they can set up the nursery for us if we ask. It will all been taken care of darling."
Emma still looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack, but she gives a small smile, "you always think of everything."
"I love you too, dear," Regina says with a chuckle as she leans in to kiss her wife.
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"Where the hell does this go?" Robin asks looking at the piece in his hand.
"Have you looked at the directions, hun?" Zelena asks as she walks towards her husband.
"I do not need the directions," Robin grumbles as he looks back at the cribs he is supposed to be putting together for his sister-in-law and her wife. "These cribs are obviously missing pieces."
"No they're not," Emma says as she stands in the doorway.
"Emma!" Robin gasps as he turns to see her, turning a bright shade of red, "I-uh-um-was just taking a break."
"Before starting?" Emma asks as she rests her hands on her stomach.
Robin chuckles nervously, "uh-something like that."
"Emma, perhaps you should go rest while we finish up in here," Zelena says with a tentative smile. They've never been particularly close, but they've never hated each other either, as far as I know, Zelena thinks, but when her memories start to glaze over she shakes herself from that train of thought.
"I'm fine," Emma says defensively.
Ugh, Zelena thinks looking at her sister-in-law, this is why I have no patience for her, she simply does not listen to reason. "Emma you are 34 weeks pregnant with twins, it's okay to take a rest while we put these cribs together."
"We have done it before," Robin says with an irritated sigh.
"Oh of course," Emma drawls, "how could I forget?"
Zelena raises an eyebrow but before she can answer she hears Regina on the steps, "Emma?" she asks as she stops in front of the soon-to-be-nursery, "how is everything coming along?" she asks Robin and Zelena.
"Oh just peachy," Emma says as she rolls her eyes.
Regina looks to her wife in shock at her sarcasm and then to her sister. Zelena merely shrugs as if to say, she's your wife, figure it out.
Regina sighs and turns back to Emma, "Darling, Thomas has requested you read to him before his nap." Emma simply looks from Regina to Robin, as if saying, I can't leave him alone, he'll screw it all up. Regina shakes her head, "Henry is coming up here to help while you lay down with Thomas."
As if on cue a loud, "MOMMA!" rings through the house.
Regina cringes as her young son stumbles up the steps, "be careful, Thomas."
"I've got him Mom," Henry says as he helps Tommy to the top of the stairs.
"Momma, me no nap-nap," he practically growls as he stands in front of his mothers.
Emma laughs as she looks down to him over her massive belly. "Well, I am very sleepy but the babies are very awake, do you think you could help me get them to settle down so I can take a nap?"
Tommy looks at her skeptically. Regina can't help but chuckle; it's the same look Henry used to give when he was that age. "I think Momma needs a really good helper, Thomas. Do you think you can do it?"
Tommy looks between his moms and nods his head vigorous, "YES! I hep Momma," he says with a huge grin.
Regina smiles, "Perfect, now let's go help Momma lay down so she can rest," she says picking him up and placing him on her hip.
"Come on Momma," Tommy says as they start to move towards the master bedroom, where Regina had placed a mattress so that Emma would be able to rest today. Emma follows and situates herself on the pillows with Regina's (and Tommy's) help.
Once Emma is as comfortable as she's going to get and stops fidgeting, Tommy places both hands on her belly and puts his face right next to it and says, "awight babies, time to nap-nap."
Emma feels a kick and Tommy jumps. She laughs and says, "I don't know…I think the babies are wide awake, maybe they need a story."
Tommy eyes her skeptically and says, "No sowy, dey needs song. Mommy sing," he commands looking to Regina. She raises an eyebrow until he says, "Mommy, nowa! Momma needs nap-nap and babies no sweepy." He pauses waiting for her to move and when she doesn't he gives an exasperated sigh and says, "pa-wease!"
"Alright, my little prince, perhaps in the babies knew that their big brother was going to sleep too they would be more likely to calm down and not kick Momma so much."
Tommy gives her an incredulous look but relents when she doesn't back down and whispers to Emma's belly, "you best be good, babies," as he lays down next to Emma with his head on her chest and his hand protectively on her belly.
Regina smiles at the picture-perfect moment before she moves to sit next to her wife. She rubs a hand on her son's back before placing her other hand on her wife's belly where her two smallest children are currently residing, kicking up a storm. "Alright my darlings, it's time to sleep.
Go to sleep my little baby.
When you wake you shall have
All the pretty little horses.
Black and bays, dapples, grays,
All the pretty little horses.
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby.
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby.
When you wake you shall have
All the pretty little horses.
Sweet dreams, my angels," she whispers with a smile as she looks to see her son cuddled on her wife's chest and she can feel the stillness of her unborn children through her hand still resting on Emma's abdomen.
"You're amazing," Emma whispers with a sleepy smile, "you can always calm them down. Even the Unborn!" she exclaims.
Regina rolls her eyes, "do not reference our children like that, dear."
Emma laughs, "I don't know how you do it, you can simply be around me and they just relax. It's like magic or something, babe. I have no idea how it works but I won't question it as long as it keeps working. I'll just have to keep you by my side for the next 6 weeks or until these babies come out of me."
"Are you sure darling? I can be quite overbearing," Regina says with a smirk.
"Don't care. As long as these babies chill out I'll be fine."
"Well, my dear, I'm so very glad I could assist in helping our babies 'chill out' so you can nap," Regina says. She practically shudders when she says 'chill out' almost as if it physically pains her to say something to slang-like.
Emma laughs, but instantly calms so she does not wake up their sleeping son, "let me just say that hearing you say 'chill out' has definitely made me the happiest person today." She puts her hand over Regina's-still resting on her stomach and whispers, "you make me the happiest person every day."
"Careful dear," Regina says with a smirk, "someone might actually take you for a romantic sap when you talk that way."
"Don't care, Gina. I'll be your sap any day."
Regina smiles as she leans in to kiss he wife, "Good, because I don't plan on giving you up any time soon. Now, get some rest, I'll make a snack when you are rested."
"Love you Gina," Emma mumbles as she rests her head atop her young son's.
"And I love you, darling. Even when you call me that atrocious nickname."
"I know you secretly love it, babe," Emma says with a grin as she cracks open an eye to see her wife nearing the doorway.
"Whatever you say, dear. Sweet dreams." She leaves, quietly closing the door behind her.
Emma smiles, with you on my mind I will always have sweet dreams. Hmmm…maybe I am turning into a sap. Totally worth it, she thinks as she smiles down at her slumbering son and her belly filled with two babies ready to be loved.
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"I was sooooo horrible," Emma says quietly as she too remembers when they moved in.
"You were so very pregnant, darling. You were nervous about the move, and about the babies; it was perfectly normal and expected for you to lash out a little," Regina says as she runs her fingers through her wife's hair-finding her calming rhythm once again.
"You're too good to me," Emma whispers as she closes her eyes in appreciate of what Regina is doing to her scalp.
"On the contrary, dear, it is you who is too good to me."
"I love you."
"I love you too darling."
And they fall back into a peaceful silence. For 5 minutes.
Waaaaaaaaaaa
Emma groans as she hears a piercing baby scream. "Well, that was nice while it lasted."
Regina chuckles, "I am actually surprised we have had this long dear."
"Me too," Emma says as she crawls out of bed, "I'll go get her if you want to get ready. I'm sure she's hungry."
"Of course," Regina says as she too leaves the bed.
Three minutes later and Regina is sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery, rocking gently while Evelyn and Charlotte nurse simulantaneously. Emma sits against the wall opposite her wife and daughters and watches with a smile as Regina looks down and starts softly singing,
Go to sleep my little baby.
When you wake you shall have
All the pretty little horses.
Black and bays, dapples, grays,
All the pretty little horses.
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby.
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby.
When you wake you shall have
All the pretty little horses.
She stops singing and smiles down at their daughters.
"How'd I get so lucky?" Emma whispers. Regina whips her head up to look at her wife. She smiles with a quizzical look on her face. "You're so fucking perfect it hurts, babe." Regina rolls her eyes and looks at her daughters so Emma cannot see her blush. "I'm serious!" Emma whispers as she moves from her spot on the wall and scoots closer to her wife. When she gets in front of her wife she smiles and says, "I love you so much," and leans in to kiss Regina. She pulls back and looks down at her daughters asleep at her wife's breasts. "And I'm the luckiest person in the world."
"I'm the luckiest," Regina whispers as she leans her forehead against Emma's.
Let me know what you think, and if you're still enjoying this story :)
Hugs and Love
-IrishBella