The Gateway

by IrishBella

They are walking down the passageway, Henry between them. He is clinging to both of their hands so tightly Emma and Regina wonder if he will rip them right off. "There is no need to be frightened, Henry." Regina whispers as she places her free hand on his cheek. "Your mom is right, Kid," Emma says as they stop walking, "we'll be alright, we can do anything."

12. Whelve

So sorry about the wait! Here's a bit of a filler chapter while I figure out how I want this story to continue. Enjoy :)

whelve:
(v.) to bury something deep; to hide

SQSQSQSQSQSQ

Emma wakes in a cold sweat. She lurches forward in the bed, causing Regina to stir.
"Emma?" Regina questions in a voice laced with sleep. When there's no response Regina sits up and sees Emma staring away from her, out the window. "Emma?" she asks again, "What's the matter?" she asks. Now she's completely awake and worried.
Emma doesn't respond. She can't. What the hell was that? She wonders as she stares blankly ahead, searching for answers she doesn't have. She can hear Regina calling to her, but everything sounds muffled, almost like she's under water. She grabs at her chest trying to relieve the pressure that's building there. It feels like there's something on her chest. Oh god, why does she feel nauseous? Suddenly having even her T-shirt on is too much. It's touching her neck and she can't breathe. She feels like someone is pressing on her chest, her lungs won't take in any more oxygen, even though she's taking gulps of air. Her heart feels like it's going to pulse right through her chest. Maybe that will make this easier she thinks as she claws at her skin. She feels a hand on her back and jumps from the bed putting distance between the body the hand belongs to and her. What's happening? Oh god, I can't breathe. She starts pulling at her chest again. She falls against the wall and slides to the ground, bringing her knees to her chest. I can't see anything, what the fuck is going on?! She can feel her lungs trying to pull in oxygen but her breathing is too erratic. She hears Regina's voice again she's here. She's safe. I'm safe. Come on Swan, listen to her voice. Focus.
Regina grasped for Emma while she was on the bed because she wasn't answering. She was going to break open the skin with the way she was scratching herself. As soon as her hand made contact with her wife's back, she was off the bed and against the wall with a far off look in her eyes. Why is she pulling at her shirt? Her breathing is too heavy and coming in too fast. Oh no, she's panicking. She's having a panic attack. Regina watches Emma back into the wall and slide gracelessly to the floor. Regina carefully leaves the bed and walks around to her wife, "Emma?" she asks quietly, "Can you hear me, darling? I need you to come back to me. Take a deep breath, Emma. Just keep breathing. Yes, just like that, in and out slowly. Very good. You're doing great, darling, keep breathing. Slow down. Listen to my voice. Good job. Come back to me." Regina gives a small smile as Emma's breathing slows and her hands stop trying to claw through her shirt. Regina waits until Emma's breathing is almost back to a normal rate and watches Emma slowly let her legs slide to the ground, laying them flat out in front of her. She crouches between Emma's legs and looks at Emma's face. "Darling, can you hear me?" Emma nods but her eyes are still glassy and far away. "Where are you Emma?" Regina asks as she tries to get Emma's eyes to focus.
"I-I don't know, I can't see Gina," Emma sobs.
"It's alright, darling. You're here, in our bedroom, you're safe."
Emma shakes her head, "Nothing's ever safe."
"What do you mean?" Regina asks as she tentatively reaches out to touch Emma's face. She tries not to show her hurt when Emma jerks away. It's not her fault. She's just scared.
Emma shakes her head furiously and starts repeating, "no, no, no. Not okay, not okay."
"Emma? What's going on? Where are you?"
"Dark, Gina. It's so dark. And cold, why is it so cold?" Emma asks as she wraps her arms around herself.
"Do you want me to turn the light on?" Regina asks as she starts to stand.
"NO! Don't leave!" Emma yells as she grabs Regina's wrist in a vice-like grip. Regina winces but lowers herself back to a squat in front of her wife.
"Okay Emma, I'm not going anywhere, I'm right here, in our bedroom. I need you to come back to me, okay?"
"No, no, no. Not okay, not okay," Emma repeats.
"Emma?" Regina asks.
Suddenly Emma blinks away the fog and launches herself into Regina's unsuspecting arms. "Gina," she sobs as she buries her face in Regina's chest.
Regina is pushed backwards into a sitting position and immediately wraps her arms around her wife and pulls her closer. "Shhhh, you're safe darling," she coos as she brushes hair away from Emma's face and soothingly rubs a hand across her sweaty back. "You're safe," she repeats as Emma clutches her nightshirt and sobs. She keeps rubbing her back and whispering calming words until Emma's sobs slow until she is only hiccupping.
Regina is sitting on the floor with Emma half laying on her and half tangled in her legs. Emma slides her head right over Regina's heart and listens to her heartbeat, trying to calm herself the rest of the way. She holds Regina tighter and tries not to start crying again. Regina is still whispering in Emma's ear as she holds her close, completely wrapping her body around Emma's. "Gina?" Emma finally whispers once she's calmed again.
Regina whispers back, "I'm right here."
"I know. Thank you," Emma says as she buries her head in Regina's chest.
Regina smiles sadly and kisses the top of her wife's head, "I will always be here, Emma." Emma nods but doesn't move her head. Regina kisses her again and asks, "Do you want to talk about it?"
Emma shakes her head, causing Regina to chuckle as she grasps blonde hair and holds her wife close.
"I love you, Emma. You can tell me anything."
Emma turns her head so her ear is resting over Regina's heart again and whispers, "I don't know what to say."
Regina kisses her forehead and brushes the hair from Emma's face, "how about you just start with words." She smirks as she sees Emma's lips purse and her eyebrows crease in an adorable pout. Emma tries to glare but it ends up making Regina laugh because Emma refuses to move her head to properly look at Regina.
Her lips shift to a small smile as she whispers, "I love your laugh, Gina."
"Well, I love you too Emma, but you do not get to change the subject." Emma huffs but Regina continues, "You have not had an attack like this in a very long time, what changed?"
"My memories came back."
"You're memories have been back for days now, what changed?"
"Maybe it just took a while to come back to me," Emma whispers unconvincingly.
"Emma." Regina tries to gently pull Emma's hair so she can look her in the eye but Emma just clutches Regina tighter, refusing to move away from her heartbeat. It was the only thing grounding her at that moment and she refuses to lose it. Regina huffs and rolls her eyes, but doesn't force Emma to move. She starts running her fingers through blonde locks and says, "please tell me."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Emma."
"I don't really remember, Gina," she can feel the distrust radiating off of her wife so she continues, "honest."
"Well tell me what you do remember then, Emma."
"I…..ugh. Fine," Emma says, but she doesn't say anymore.
Regina waits, but when Emma doesn't continue she prompts, "Where did you go?"
"The Gateway," Emma says quietly. She can feel Regina trying to look at her but she can't face those eyes right now so she clutches Regina's sides tighter and squeezes her eyes shut.
Regina's fingers stall for a moment when she tries to lean back to look at Emma's face, but when Emma's grip tightens, she shakes herself out of it and returns to running her fingers through Emma's hair. Emma's still sweaty, but Regina doesn't dare try to move again. "What were you doing?" she whispers quietly.
"Running."
"From?"
"I don't know."
My goodness. It's like pulling teeth. I don't remember her being so uncommunicative in the past. "Emma," Regina chastises with a sigh.
"I really don't know Gina, I don't even know if I was running from something. I think I was running towards something."
"Towards what?" Regina's mind is racing, usually Emma's panic attacks stem from memories, not something that hasn't happened. What the heck is going on?
"I don't know."
"Okay. Do you remember what you saw?" Regina asks, she realizes she's not going to get anymore about the running aspect, so she moves on, hoping to figure out why Emma is so worked up about The Gateway. I understand being nervous, but she hasn't had a panic attack since we left the Enchanted Forest. Why now?
Emma shakes her head but before Regina could say anything she says, "It was dark, really dark, and I was running. There were stones, like a castle, big gray stones; and torches; they were the only light fixtures. There were tables, I think. Oh! And I don't think was alone."
Regina allows this information to bounce around inside her head as she tries to process. I do not remember The Gateway like this. Perhaps it really was just a nightmare. "Who was with you?" Regina whispers.
Emma takes a shaky breath and says, "a little boy?"
"Is that a question, Emma?" Regina asks with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't remember. I don't think the person with me was tall anyways; maybe a kid? I felt really protective."
Regina nods and scratches Emma's scalp gently with her nails, "Were you protecting Tommy?"
"I don't think so," Emma says.
Before Regina can ask another question Emma starts laughing. "What?" Regina asks. Why is she laughing? Oh no, she's lost her mind. I can't allow her to go back to the Enchanted Forest if she's lost her mind. But Emma doesn't respond, she just keeps laughing. Regina is getting worried now, what if she's really lost it? "Emma?" Only laughter in response, "Darling, what happened?"
Emma pulls one hand away from Regina to wipe away a stray tear from her eye as she tries to calm her laughter. Regina raises an eyebrow but waits for her wife to calm. "I knew it," Emma finally chokes out between laughing fits.
Regina is now even more confused, "What are you talking about Emma?"
Emma tilts her head up so she can see Regina's face while still keeping her ear over Regina's heart. Regina looks down at her wife. Emma laughs again, rolls her eyes and says, "This is ridiculous."
Regina raises an eyebrow, "What is?"
"We're laying in the middle of the floor in our bedroom before we go realm hoping to check on my parents because we got a magical equivalent of the bat signal; and we have a perfectly good bed right there." She points to their bed, but doesn't make to move.
Regina stares at her wife for a moment before letting out a sound between a laugh and a cry. "Well, when you put it that way, it does sound pretty ridiculous darling."
Emma smiles as she looks up at her wife. Regina smiles back. "Do you want to move?" she asks.
Regina shakes her head, "I will wait until you're ready."
"Thank you," Emma says with a smile that lit up the whole room.
Regina smiles back and kisses her wife's forehead. Emma starts laughing again, causing Regina to roll her eyes, "now what?" she huffs.
"Oh no, nothing new, just wanted to know why you fight those nicknames so hard."
Regina raises an eyebrow and asks, "What are you talking about?"
"You said Tommy."
"I did not."
"Yes, earlier. Yes you did."
"No, I did not."
"Okay babe, you keep thinking that, but you did. I heard it."
Regina pulls her head back to look down at Emma, who gives a shit-eating grin. She rolls her eyes and says, "Darling, I am glad to know you are paying attention to the words I was using-perhaps that was why I said it in the first place, but I think you are mistaken."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night babe." Regina rolls her eyes at her wife. "I know the truth," Emma whispers conspiratorially.
Regina chuckles and leans closer, her mouth stopping right next to Emma's ear. "I'll deny it." She smirks when she sees Emma shiver. "Forever," she breathes into her wife's ear.
Emma lets out a chuckle and shakes her head, "Fine babe. I'll let it slide, but I won't forget. You'll slip again, and I'll be ready."
"I do not slip darling," Regina says haughtily.
Emma widens her eyes comically, "Careful babe, your Evil Queen is showing."
"I think you like it," Regina smirks.
"Oh definitely babe."
"Are you ready to get up dear?" Regina asks as she runs her hand through Emma's hair.
"Hmmmmm," Emma scrunches up her face in mock thought, "I don't think so. I want to stay here with you."
Regina smiles and kisses her forehead, "Alright."
So there they lay, in the middle of the floor between the bed and the wall, wrapped up with each other. It had not even been a full minute of silence when their bedroom door was thrown open and the hallway light flooded into the dark room.
"Mommy?"
Emma lets out a sigh as she whispers, "here we go."
"MOMMY?! MOMMA?!" he screams.
"We're right here baby," Regina calls.
"Mommy? Where are you?" Tommy asks frantically.
Regina raises a hand so her son can see her from the other side of the bed. Emma refuses to move, snuggling further into Regina's chest.
"Mommy!" Tommy says, relief evident in his voice as he jumps onto the bed and climbs over to his mothers. "Momma?" he asks as he slides down the bed next to his mothers.
"Hey champ," Emma says with a small smile.
"What wong?" he asks still standing away from his mothers but clutching his teddy bear tightly in his arms.
"Nothing buddy, I just needed some Mommy snuggles," Emma says with a more convincing smile.
He looks at both his mothers for a minute before caving and running to them. "Me too," he whispers as he snuggles into Regina's side, trying to burrow between them. He puts his head on Regina's shoulder and tries to put the rest of his body on her lap-finding it difficult because his blonde mother was already there. Regina laughs as she is pushed to lean farther back. Emma laughs as well as she moves one arm from around Regina to include their youngest son.
Regina decides to scoot back so she can lean against the bed only to be met with identical sounds of protests. She just laughs and leans back against the bed. She is met with grumbling as the two get resituated, Emma resting her head right over Regina's heart and Tommy burrowing into her side/stomach. She just smiles and runs her hands through their hair smiling when they both nuzzle in. She rolls her eyes at the identical gesture and says, "alright," but she stops the rest of her sentence when she notices a change of light entering the room. Someone's standing in the doorway. "Henry?" she questions.
"Mom? Where are you? I heard yelling," he says as he steps into the room.
"Here," Regina says lifting her hand. Her back is against the bed and she's on the opposite side of the room but she knows her son knows where they are. She hears him shuffle around the bed and sees the top of his head before the rest of him comes into view. She turns to look and him and sees his hair sticking up at all ends. Definitely genetic she thinks with a smile, looking down and the two bedheads laying on her.
Henry looks at them laying on the ground and bursts out laughing, "oh no, what happened?" he asks between laugh attacks.
"Momma and me want snuggles Henny," Tommy says, not bothering to look at his older brother, but instead snuggles further into his brunette mother. She smiles down at him and rubs her hand from his head to his back and back again.
Henry raises an eyebrow and says, "on the floor?"
Emma gives him a half shrug and asks, "are you going to judge us for our snuggling position or are you going to join in?" Henry opens his mouth to respond and she jumps in saying, "Or are you too old to snuggle with your mothers?" Regina swats her head for antagonizing their son but turns to look at him for his reply. Even Tommy shifts his head so he can look at his older brother. Regina raises her eyebrow and Emma turns on the puppy eyes.
Henry rolls his eyes but moves to sit next to his brunette mother sitting right next to his little brother. He lays his head on her shoulder and smiles at the comfort he gets when she lays her head on top of his.
"Why are you in here, Little Man?" Henry asks his little brother.
Tommy hides his face in Regina's stomach and shakes his head.
"Did you have a nightmare darling?" Regina asks as she soothingly rubs his back.
Tommy shakes his head again, but doesn't move away from his "hiding" spot.
"It's okay if you did, bud. Momma did too," Emma whispers.
Tommy peeks out of one eye and looks at his blonde mother, "you did?"
Emma nods as she lays her head back on Regina's chest, right over her heart and whispers, "everybody has nightmares. Even Mommies."
Tommy's eyes widen and he looks to his brunette mother who nods her head. She leans in and kisses his forehead and says, "you can tell us anything, Querido."
Tommy remains quiet as he looks at his mothers. Then, he turns towards his brother and asks, "Henny has scaries?"
"Sometimes Little T. Sometimes I get really scared and come and talk to Moms and they can make it better."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, of course. Like Ma said, everybody has nightmare Little T."
He nods his head and looks back to his mothers, "I had a scary."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Regina asks as she kisses him again.
"It was so scary Mommy," he says as he buries his face in Regina's stomach again. He continues to talk but it's muffled and no one understands.
Regina runs a hand through his hair and whispers, "Querido? You need to move your head so we can hear you."
Tommy moves his head to look at his blonde mother as he clutches tighter to the brunette. "The bad man," he whispers.
Regina raises an eyebrow and looks to her wife who looks just as confused. She turns to look at Henry when he sighs and he says, "Again, bud?"
"Again?" Regina and Emma ask simultaneously.
Henry sighs again, "Tommy woke me up the last time we stayed at Aunt Z's about a bad man with a scary face taking him away."
"He had a nightmare at Zelena's and we never heard about it?" Regina asks.
Henry looks sheepish, "well it was in the middle of the night and he crawled under my blanket and told me a bad man was gonna get him. Did you do what we practiced, Little T?" he asks looking to his little brother.
Tommy nods and sits up. "It worked but tonight I forgotted Henny." He lowers his head and Henry nudges him until he looks up at his big brother.
"It's okay dude, wanna work on it again?" Tommy nods enthusiastically and lets go of his brunette mother and climbs onto Henry's lap.
Regina and Emma share a confused look before looking back to their sons.
Henry smiles at his brother and leans in to whisper, "Mommy taught me how to do this when I had scaries."
Tommy gasps, "nooooo!"
"Yes!" Henry smiles at his brunette mother who smiles back.
Regina looks down when Emma squeezes her tighter and they share a smile. Emma wraps her arms tighter around her wife and smiles as her sons talk.
"Alright Little T, how are we gonna stop the bad man this time?"
"Momma?" he questions looking at his blonde mother.
"Does he need to be arrested?" Henry asks, drawing his brother's attention again.
Tommy nods but that looks sad, "Yes, but dey can't gettem."
"Hmmm….okay, did you see his face this time?"
Tommy nods. "He was sca-ie Henny! Ickies on his face." Tommy's nose scrunches in disgust.
"Ickies?" Henry asks.
Tommy nods. "Hair all over his face. All black. All of it was icky."
"Alright, how did he get these ickies?" Henry asks.
Tommy shrugs, "Dey just dere."
"They're just there? Like a beard? Like Uncle Robin?" Tommy nods. "Okay. How do we get him to leave?"
"I don't know!" Tommy yells as he buries his face in Henry's chest.
"Hey, Little T, it's okay. I think we should use some dream magic to get the bad man to leave. How does that sound?"
Tommy lifts his head and looks at Henry skeptically, "Magic?"
Henry nods, "Do you think that'll work?"
Tommy scrunches his face up in thought and finally nods, "I do."
"Good. What kind of magic should we use to control the man? Should we make him do tricks?"
"Tricks?" Tommy asks.
"Yeah. Like, does he do back flips?"
Tommy shakes his head, "No, Henny, he a bad man."
"But maybe he doesn't have to be bad, right?"
Tommy looks at his brother like he's grown a second head. "He can be good?"
"Sure, maybe he just needs a little help." Henry can see Tommy thinking about it so he continues, "Maybe you can get a special remote to control the man? Maybe the remote has special buttons that makes the man do silly things?"
Tommy nods and says, "no wee-mote Henny, my teddy," he says holding up the Teddy Bear in his arms.
Henry scratches his chin in thought, causing his brother to giggle. "Hmmm…Mr. Bear has magical control powers that I didn't know about?"
Tommy giggles again and nods, "Teddy berry smot."
"Yes, I knew Teddy was smart, but I didn't know he could control people. Maybe I need Teddy to sleep in my bed for a while."
"NO!" Tommy says with a giggle, laughing at his older brother's silliness.
"Alright, alright. Teddy can stay with you. So, what are you gonna have the man do?"
"Stand on his head," Tommy says with a giggle.
"On his head?!" Henry exclaims. Tommy nods and giggles again. "Anything else?"
"He gonna tickle himsef."
"Oh my goodness, this man sounds very silly."
Tommy nods, "Teddy tink so."
"Still scared?" Henry whispers.
Tommy shakes his head and whispers in his bear's ear, "Teddy knowed what to do now."
"Good. You should try to sleep, we have a lot to do tomorrow," Henry says with a smile.
"We do?" Tommy asks excited.
Henry nods, "but I can't tell you. It's a secret."
Tommy gives the stink eye before crawling back over to his mother's and resting his head on Regina's stomach again.
They lay there, on the floor, like this for a while. Regina notices that Emma and Tommy both fall asleep. Before she can say anything there's movement and the light in the room changes. "Gina?" a voice whispers.
Henry sits up to look over the bed and says, "We're over here."
Suddenly, there are two more bodies between Regina and Henry. "What's the matter?" Regina asks looking between Roland and Kelly.
They both look down until Roland whispers, "Kelly got scared."
"Nuh-uh! Roland was scared!" Kelly says.
"Shhhh," Regina quiets, "it's alright if you were scared. I believe everyone has had a pretty scary night. Did you have any nightmares?"
Kelly and Roland both nod.
"Do you want to talk about them?"
They shake their heads but one look at Regina and Roland whispers, "The Bad Man was here."
"The Bad Man?" Regina asks looking over at Henry whose eyes have blown wide.
They nod. "He tried to take us," Kelly says.
"In your dreams?" Regina asks.
They both look at her and then each other. Then, they nod.
"What does he look like?"
"Scary eyes" Roland says at the same time Kelly says, "scary face"
They sit quietly as Regina thinks about everything. Why are all the children dreaming about the same man? "Do you know this man?" They shake their heads. "Have you seen him before, outside of your dreams?" Another set of shakes. "But it's always the same man?" Nods.
Henry jumps in, "would you like to use magic to stop him?"
Kelly giggles while Roland says, "That's what Mommy tells us."
"She does?" Henry and Regina both ask.
Roland nods, "she says magic makes the bad man scared and he won't take us because she's too strong and that makes us strong."
"Well she is very right dear. Our father used to tell us the same thing when we were little," Regina says with a smile, "Your mother is very strong. We will all protect you, okay? Good. Now, why don't you two get comfortable so you can get some sleep before your parents come back in the morning."
They lay down, Roland squeezing between Henry and Regina, resting his head on Regina's thigh and Kelly curls up with her head on Henry's chest.
"Aunt Gina?" Roland whispers.
"Yes dear?" she whispers back, looking down at him.
"Why are we on the floor?"
Regina laughs quietly, trying not to jostle the sleeping figures laying on her, as she says, "your Aunt Emma thought it would be fun."
"Auntie Em is silly," Kelly says with a smile.
"That she is dear, but we'll tell her that when we wake up again, alright? Close your eyes and go to sleep."
"Okay, night Aunt Gina."
"Goodnight Kelly."
"Night Aunt Gina."
"Goodnight Roland."
After goodnights are said to Henry, the room grows silent again.
"Aunt Gina?"
Regina sighs, "yes Kelly?"
"It's too quiet, can you sing your song?"
"Sure Sweetie," she says with a small smile.

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
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.

Regina finishes her song quietly and hums it through before she notices that Roland and Kelly are both asleep. She turns to see Henry staring at the wall, arms wrapped around his young cousin and she whispers, "When did you get so grown up?"
Henry shrugs and smiles, "you used to do that with me, Mom. I just want to help. They don't need any nightmares."
"No one does," Regina whispers as she looks at the sleeping figures wrapped around her. Henry scoots closer to his mother and lays his head back on her shoulder, effectively squishing Roland between them. "Have you had any?" she asks.
Henry shakes his head, "Nope. You stopped them."
Regina smiles, "you stopped them Henry."
"With you."
Regina kisses his forehead. "I love you Henry."
Henry yawns, "I love you too Mom."
"Rest, dear, we do have a very big day tomorrow. You'll need your strength."
Henry nods but his eyes are already closed.
Regina looks at her family, wrapped around her, and she's never felt so strong and so scared at the same time. She pushes all thoughts of tomorrow away and closes her eyes, willing sleep to take over. It doesn't, but she's content to sit and watch her family dream happier dreams.

SQSQSQSQSQSQ

At some point Regina must have fallen asleep because she wakes to a snapping sound. She blinks away the remnants of sleep as she tries to figure out why her butt hurts and why she feels so heavy. Then last nights "festivities" come back to her. She lets out a quiet groan as she tries to resituate. She can't feel her butt and her legs are starting to tingle but looking at the sleeping figures of her family make her want to never leave. That's when she notices she's not alone.
"Morning, GiGi. I was wondering when you would decide to wake up."
"Zelena?" Regina asks, her voice thick with sleep. She blinks her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room, the only light coming from the hallway.
"Yes. Imagine my surprise when I show up to your house and I cannot find anyone anywhere. I check in the spare room: my children are missing. I peek into Tommy's room: he is missing. I go to Henry's room: he's nowhere to be found. I go into the nursery, the twins are cooing at each other." Regina's eyes grow wide and she leans forward only to stop when Zelena raises a hand. "They're fine. Robin and I dressed them in the outfits that were laid out and he is downstairs with them now." Regina nods and relaxes back against the bed. "Care to explain what happened here last night?" Zelena asks with a raised eyebrow.
Regina gives a smile, "we had an eventful evening."
"I would say so. What happened?"
"It seems everyone was plagued by nightmares," Regina says as she looks at everyone laying on her. At some point during the night Henry had snuggled closer to Regina, squishing Roland even tighter against them and Kelly had moved her head so she was laying on Henry and resting her head on Regina's arm.
Zelena raises her eyebrow further into her hairline as she says, "This does not explain how you wound up on the floor instead of in your bed."
Regina lets out of chuckle and gives a shrug for her answer. Changing the subject away from how they wound up on the floor she asks, "did you know about the bad man the children have been dreaming about?"
Zelena nods. "Yes, Kelly and Roland have told me about their nightmares periodically within the last few months, why?"
"Did you know they're dreaming of the same man?"
Zelena shakes her head, "No, why would you think that?"
"Thomas had the same dream last night and Henry said that it happened when they were at your house before."
Zelena's eyes grow wide, "do you think…?"
Regina nods solemnly, "I would expect nothing less."
"Oh that bastard."
"We can deal with this once we get there, Lena," Regina tries to calm down her sister.
But everyone knows there is no calming down a Mills sister. "I will end him," Zelena says, her voice laced with venom.
"Zelena-" Regina starts.
"No, Gi," Zelena growls, "he went after my children, and your children. That's unacceptable and he needs to pay."
"Do you really think he has something to do with this?" Regina asks looking at the sleeping bodies around her.
"We get summoned to go back to the Enchanted Forest right around the same time our children start having nightmares? I don't believe in coincidences, Sis."
Regina nods. "Alright, when we get back we figure this all out. He does not get to scare our children."
Zelena gives a nod in return, "He's messed with the wrong family."
This causes Regina to chuckle, "who consciously picks a fight with a family of sorceresses?"
Zelena shrugs, "an idiot."
They roll their eyes simultaneously and both burst into giggles at the insanity of their conversation. "Are we going to be okay?" Regina whispers as she looks up at her sister, who's leaning against the wall opposite the figures on the floor.
Zelena nods and goes to sit on the bed to Regina's left. Zelena runs a hand through Regina's hair and whispers, "We're going to be better than okay, Gi."
"Promise?"
"Promise." She leans forward and kisses the top of Regina's head and then laughs as Emma nuzzles further into her wife's chest. Regina chuckles too and she lays her head against Zelena's thigh.
"What time is it?" Regina whispers.
"We'll have to wake them soon," Zelena says with sadness in her tone.
"I wish we didn't have to do this. We're going to turn their worlds upside down."
"I know, Gi, but you know the little ones will adjust and will be in love with the ideas of Princes Princesses and knights in shining armor. It's the bigger ones you should be worried about," Zelena says as she looks at Emma, sleeping peacefully.
Regina sighs, "I am but there's nothing I can do to ease her mind. She tries so hard to be the ideal Savior everyone wants her to be she forgets how to be Emma."
"Don't let her forget," Zelena says.
"I do my best," Regina says as she tries to lift her head away from her sister's leg. Who does she think she is? Telling me what I already know. Obviously I don't want to let her forget but what good does that do when she has a hard time letting me in?
Zelena puts her hand back on Regina's head, stopping her from moving away. "I know, Sis, I know you do. But I also know that you're a Mills, and your best is never good enough for you, is it?"
Regina gives a small smile and relaxes as Zelena plays with her hair, "I suppose you know this from experience."
"Takes a Mills to know a Mills."
Regina smiles again and quickly sobers up as she remembers what they have to do. "We should wake them."
"Unfortunately, you're right. I guess we can't avoid this any longer." Zelena doesn't move but she feels Regina becoming withdrawn as she mentally prepares to go back to a place she never wished to return to. "Come on GiGi, let's go kick some ass."
Regina rolls her eyes, "You sound like Emma, Leni."
Zelena visibly cringes, "Oh no, make it stop!"
Regina laughs, "Alright, Lena. Let's get everyone up and ready."
Zelena stands only to crouch next to Regina, nearly at the same height but she's still higher up than Regina, "I love you, Sissy."
"I love you too," Regina says and they wrap each other in a tight hug. Quite the feat since Regina is involved in a tangle of multiple other humans and their limbs.
Zelena stands back up and brushes off invisible lint of her travelling outfit which consists of leggings and a long shirt/sweater, "Alright, enough of these emotions and such, we have work to do and asses to kick."
Regina smiles and shakes her head, "Of course." She looks at all of the sleeping people around her and then back up to her sister, "Let's do this."

Any thoughts on who the bad man is?
Little Side Note: cute scenes between Emma and Regina are always fun to write but my favorite scenes to write are between Zelena and Regina, this show could have done sooooooo much with this relation but hasn't so I'll just keep my little head canon safe and online and all will be well ;)

Happy Once Day (for everyone still watching the show)
Much love, Lovelies.
-IrishBella