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."

14. Family

I'm so sorry! This is much later than I originally wanted to post this. However, life (and school) got in the way. But here is the next chapter.
Enjoy :)

family:
(n.) two or more people who share goals and values, have long-term commitments to one another and usually live under the same roof; a group of persons sharing common ancestry.

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"I'm tired."
They've heard this before. It's been playing on repeat like a broken record for at least the last hour.
"I know baby," Zelena coos as she brushes Kelly's unruly red tresses out of her face, "but we have to keep going. We're almost there and then we can rest."
"But Mommy! My legs hurt!"
"I understand, Kelly, but if we stop now we will never get there."
Kelly groans and runs up to pull on Regina's arm. "Aunt Gina, can we rest please?"
Regina shakes her head, "I'm sorry Kelly, but your mother is right, we need to keep moving."
"Aunt Ginaaaa!" Kelly whines. "Please?!" She stomps her feet.
Regina stops walking and looks at her niece. Emma has stopped at the front of the group, causing everyone else to stop and watch the spectacle. Emma sees the same fire in her niece's eyes as her wife's. Oh this should be interesting she thinks with a smirk.
Regina raises an eyebrow at Kelly, "Kelly. You have asked your question and we have given you an answer. I am sorry that it is not the answer you wish, but you do not get to throw a fit because you do not get your way. We are walking until Emma says otherwise. Now, finish your tantrum if you must, but keep up dear, we will not keep waiting."
Kelly's jaw drops, her aunt has never talked to her that way. She turns to her other aunt and puts on her sweetest, most innocent smile, "Auntie Em? Can we please stop?" Emma's eyes widen, caught off guard by the sudden change in attitude and looks to her wife, who merely rolls her eyes and gives a minute shrug. Before Emma can answer Kelly speaks again. "Just for a minute? I want to rest my legs and fix my hair. Pretty please?" Emma just nods; too shocked to say anything else. Henry laughs as he lets his brother down from his back. During their time in the Gateway, Tommy grew weary and Henry was quick to hand his backpack to Robin and place his brother on his back.
Robin shakes his head at his daughter but places their backpacks on the ground against the wall, takes off his bow and places it next to the packs and leans against the wall to rest. Emma places both of her packs next to Robin's and walks over to her wife to help remove their daughters'-now awake-from the sling.
When both of her daughters' are out of the wrap, one in Emma's arms and the other in Zelena's, Regina looks to Kelly with a raised eyebrow. Kelly merely shrugs and smirks.
Oh that's definitely a Regina look! Emma thinks as she tries not to laugh out loud.
Regina just shakes her head at her niece and says, "Alright dear, you've gotten your way, now come over here so I can fix your hair."
Kelly gives her a megawatt smile, exactly like her mother, and walks towards her aunt. She sits on the floor in front of Regina.
Regina rolls her eyes and kneels behind her niece to braid her wild locks, "what are we doing, Kelly?"
"Braids!" the little girl squeals with excitement.
Regina chuckles and starts braiding Kelly's bangs down the side of her face and adds them into a full braid that goes halfway down Kelly's back.
Zelena groans from behind Regina, "How do you do it Sissy?"
"Do what, Lena?" Regina asks without looking up at her older sister.
"Tame that mane? You're the only person who's ever been able to fix my hair and now you do the same to my daughters. Teach me your ways, Oh Wise One."
Regina lets out a laugh. A laugh so genuine and rich, it causes everyone in the group to smile, "Oh Lena, you just don't have the patience to fix your hair. You never have."
Zelena huffs and mutters, "Even in the Old World, no one could fix my hair like you. Not even with magic."
Regina moves all of Kelly's hair into her right hand and reaches up to grab Zelena's hand with her left. She squeezes it and smiles up at her sister. Zelena smiles back and says, "Alright, too much sappiness for me to feel comfortable, I have to walk away now."
Regina chuckles and watches Zelena turn around with Lottie in her arms, "Love you Lena!" she calls to the retreating form.
Zelena merely lifts a hand and waves backward in acknowledgement, causing Regina to laugh harder as she turns her attention to complete Kelly's braid.
When she's finished she secures it with a hair tie and stands up to check that everything is in its place and that it won't immediately fall out. She finds everything satisfactory and taps Kelly on the shoulder to signal she is done. Kelly immediately reaches up to touch her hair and squeals again. She launches herself at Regina and wraps her arms around her middle, "Thanks Aunt Gina!"
Regina chuckles and wraps her arms around her niece, kissing her forehead. "You're welcome my dear. Now are you ready to continue our journey?"
Kelly groans, but one look from Regina has her looking down and shrugging, "I guess," she whispers.
"Good. Then let's get our things resituated and move along." She turns around and sees her sons and nephew sitting on the floor against the wall whispering quietly. "Boys?" They all look up, "Is everything alright?"
Henry and Roland nod while Tommy jumps up and says, "Yeah Mommy! Henny says we go to place with da Keen and da Knight!"
Regina chuckles and picks up her son. She kisses his cheek and says, "That's right, Querido. Where we're going there are lots of queens and knights."
"Are you a keen, Mommy?" Tommy asks as he tilts his head to study his mother.
"Mommy has always been a queen, buddy," Emma says before Regina can answer. She walks over and wraps her free arm around her wife's waist. She leans in and kisses Regina's cheek, causing Tommy to giggle.
"Duh Momma. Mommy my keen, but Henny and Rowand say she a weal keen. For eweybody."
"And they would be correct, I used to be a queen for everyone," Regina says with a tight smile.
Tommy gives her a huge, genuine smile and looks to his blonde mother, "Den you da knight Momma?"
"You betcha, bud. And a knight always protects her queen," Emma says with a wink.
Tommy giggles again and gets down from his mother's embrace. "Come on," he yells at his brother and cousin.
"Thank you," Regina whispers, looking at her wife.
"I only said the truth, babe. You've always been a queen. My queen. The only one that matters."
"I'm sure your mother will love to hear that," Regina says sarcastically.
Emma laughs and shrugs, "You're my wife. I don't think she'll be all that surprised."
"They don't know that," Regina mutters as she turns away from Emma.
Emma gives her a quizzical look before handing off Evy to Henry and shooing the boys toward where Zelena and Robin went to rest. She turns back to Regina, "What are you talking about, babe?"
"Your parents do not know we are married."
Emma stares at her wife long and hard before she makes the connection. They did not get married in the Enchanted Forest. They were married after they came to the World Without Magic. "Gina, we left to go to another world together. With the son that we share. We were together before we left. I think it's safe to assume they know we're married."
"We became married under a curse, Emma," Regina spits out as she turns to face her. Emma notices the same fire in Regina's eyes that Kelly had possessed earlier. The fire that demanded to be shown, demanded to be heard. "It's hardly something your parents will consider real, let alone true."
"Is that why you've been so quiet? You're afraid I won't want to stay married to you once we are back?" Emma asks.
Regina scoffs, "I believe that you're parents have a way of taking everything I hold dear and ripping it from my grasp."
Emma is shocked at the venom she hears in Regina's voice. She hasn't heard it like this in such a long time. She is momentarily speechless until she realizes that Regina is waiting for a response and silence is certainly not helping her irate wife calm down. "Gina," Emma says quietly.
"Do not patronize me, Miss Swan." Regina bites out.
"It's Mrs. Mills," Emma bites back, but where she lacks the same venom Regina possesses she makes up for in her sarcastic smirk.
Regina stares at Emma, tilting her head in the same manor that Tommy had done to her earlier, trying to process everything going on in her head. Finally, she lets out a smile; and not just any smile. She lets out the world-stopping, earth-shattering, make-Emma-lose-the-ability-to-speak-because-her-wife-is-so-damn-perfect smile. "Emma..."
Emma smiles back and shrugs, "It's okay Gina. I know that it's hard for you to go back. If you want to turn around I will totally understand. We could take the kids back and maybe then I'll just go and check on everyone-"
Before she can finish her sentence Regina takes the final step between them, making the gap between them nonexistent. "We are doing this together. I'm not changing my mind on that."
"And our marriage?" Emma asks quietly.
Regina stares at her like she doesn't understand what Emma is asking.
"Are you doubting the validity of our marriage still? Because I swear Regina, I will take you back right now and marry your ass again. I will do it in any world for that matter. You think that because we didn't remember everything that I didn't actually want to marry you? Of course I wanted to marry you! I wanted to wake up next to you every morning. Be able to kiss you any time I wanted. I wanted to have your babies. And guess what? I did all of that. So what if we didn't have all of our memories intact? We had all of the important ones: the ones that told us how much we loved each other. Don't you ever brush off our marriage as anything less that the perfect, important reality that it is."
Regina is dumbstruck. She can't think of a single thing to say. She had no idea that Emma would react like that. "I'm sorry."
"Our marriage is the most important thing about us besides our kids, Gina. Don't degrade it like that ever again."
"Okay," Regina whispers looking down.
Emma hooks her finger under Regina's chin and lifts it until they are looking at each other.
"I love you, and that's never going to change. Ever."
"You can't promise that," Regina whispers.
"I just did. Now, you can just accept this and allow our marriage to thrive like it has been for the last 4 years. Or you can fight this and pretend that what we have is not real, and I will be forced to prove it to you again and again until you finally accept it. So? What do you choose, Your Majesty?" Emma asks as she steps back and raises an eyebrow.
Regina rolls her eyes and smirks at her wife, "Well played, Emma, well played."
Emma smirks back and shrugs, "I learned from the best babe. Now, stop doubting everything and let's get back to the land of fairy tales and save the day. Again."
Regina chuckles and takes Emma's hand, "I'll try," she whispers.
"Good." Emma leans in to kiss her, "and I'll try harder to prove it to you."
Regina lets out that smile again, the smile reserved solely for moments of true appreciation, "I love you."
Emma smirks, "Duh babe." Off of Regina's eye roll she continues, "I love you too, Gina. Now come on. We better head back before they send in the cavalry." She winks and drags her wife down the corridor toward their family.

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"Gina, why are you upset?" Emma had just asked Regina to marry her and this was not the reaction she was expecting.
Regina pulls her hand out of Emma's grasp and looks at the floor. "I never planned to marry again," she whispers.
Emma looks at her, trying to decipher what she's trying to convey. Finally, it hits her over the head like a ton of bricks. She's not sure exactly what she knows, but she can feel it in her gut that it's not good. She knows Regina's been married before and that it was terrible, but for the life of her she cannot think of any details. "Oh God, Gina, I didn't even think. I'm such an idiot." Regina lets out a noise between a chuckle and a sob. Emma wraps her arms around Regina and pulls her close. Regina clutches Emma's sides and tries not to let the tears in her eyes fall. "Do you even want to get married?" Emma whispers. Regina pulls back to look but before she can respond Emma continues, "I mean, with everything that happened the first time, I would totally understand if you never wanted to marry again. I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry."
"I'm not," Regina whispers as she looks up at Emma.
"You're not?" Emma asks carefully.
Regina shakes her head and says, "I do not regret things, Emma. Everything I've ever done and everything that has ever happened to me has led me to this place. I'm the happiest I have ever been. Do not think that I do not want to be married to you. Being married to you will be the best decision I have ever made."
"Really?" Emma wonders.
"Absolutely. I want you Emma, and to be able to call you my wife; well nothing would make me happier."
Emma gives Regina her special smile, a smile reserved for only Henry and Regina. "It's nice to feel wanted, Gina. After growing up without parents, I never thought I would know that feeling, but now with you and with Henry-and even with your crazy-ass sister and her family-yes I include them in our family, Gina. I now know what it's like to feel wanted and I never want to be without it again. I never want to be without you again, and I'll put up with your crazy sister every day to be with you. This is a hard feeling to get used to, but I like it."
"Good. You better get used to it because it's never going to change, Emma. I love you."
"Yeah?" Emma asks, her face breaking into a hopeful grin that makes Regina's heart soar.
"Yes, Emma. And I would love nothing more than to be your wife."
"Just so we're on the same page. This is you saying yes to my proposal, right?"
Regina rolls her eyes and lets out a sigh with a smile full of love, "Yes, Emma. Now put that ring on my finger and kiss me."

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"Are you two done being weird?" Henry asks as they turn around the corner, walking right up to their family.
"Probably not, Kid," Emma says with a shrug as she takes Evy from his arms. Henry laughs and rolls his eyes. That's so Regina. Ugh. Genetics be damned. This kid is Regina through and through.
While Emma is laughing at how much her children have in common with their brunette mother; Tommy runs up to Regina and wraps his arms around her neck.
"Mommy!"
"Yes, baby?" Regina asks as she stands back up and runs a hand along her back.
"We go now?"
Regina gives him a smile, "Yes, we are going to go right now. Would you like to carry your own backpack for a while?"
"Like a big boy?" His eyes light up.
Regina chuckles and kisses his cheek, "Exactly like a big boy."
"Yay!" he squeals as he hops down and runs to his backpack. "Come on Henny! Come on Wowan! Kewwy? You come too?"
"Ok" Kelly says as she puts her own backpack on and walks over to her brother and her cousins.
Emma walks to Regina and hands her Evy. She then goes and places both of her packs on her back and looks down the long corridor. Zelena walks over to her sister and helps her situate both of the twins in the wrap. Regina secures the wrap and smiles at Zelena who returns the smile, squeezes her sister's arm and goes to get her own things ready. When everyone has their things, they head further into the Gateway.

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"Is that…?" Emma trails off and stops moving. Everyone behind her does the same. Regina walks up next her Henry, who has a sleeping Tommy in his arms. She rests a hand on his back and when he looks at her she gives him a smile and a kiss to his temple before moving up next to Emma. She passes Robin and Zelena who are talking quietly with Kelly asleep in Zelena's arms and Roland clinging tightly to his parents' hands.
"Emma?" Regina asks quietly as she moves to stand next to her wife.
"Hmmm?" she asks distractedly.
"Are you alright darling?" Regina asks as she rests her hands on her daughters' backs, both of them sleeping soundly against her chest.
Emma shakes out of her trance and turns to Regina. She gives a small, fake smile and leans down to kiss each of her daughters' heads. "Ready to go?" she asks.
Regina gives her a disbelieving look, "Emma…."
"Don't. Please, not now. We need to go." Emma turns back toward the end of the corridor to look at the stairway, the stairway from her dream.
"Emma," Regina sighs. She ducks her head to catch Emma's eye. When Emma turns to look at her, Regina sees tears in her eyes. "Emma?"
Emma shakes her head and wipes viciously at the tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. "I don't think I can do this Gina," she finally whispers.
"Oh Emma." Regina says as she grabs her hands and pulls her into her side. Emma hides her face in Regina's neck and wraps her arms around Regina's waist, careful not to wake their sleeping daughters. Regina soothingly rubs up and down Emma's back as she sees Robin and Zelena move the kids around the corner and farther away from them. She makes eye contact with Zelena and mouths, "thank you." Zelena nods and follows her husband and the boys.
"It's just like my dream Gina," Emma whispers into her wife's neck after a few minutes.
"What?" Regina asks as she pulls her head away to look down at her wife.
Emma just shakes her head and pulls Regina closer. Her hands tighten at Regina's sides, twisting the fabric of her shirt. Regina relents and rests her head on top of Emma's.
"Emma?"
"My dream; from last night? I dreamed about the Gateway."
"Yes, I remember," Regina whispers when she realizes that Emma will not continue.
"When I was running, we came to a stairway and I took the grate off the top and we climbed through. There's rugs on the walls up there, and suits of armor. Just like the ones that used to be in your castle."
"Yes, I remember them from when we first went through," Regina says cautiously. Where is this going? Did she final remember her dream?
"But in my dream I was with Henry."
"You didn't tell me that," Regina says quietly.
"I just remembered."
"Well, it's understandable, Emma. He was with us the first time. Maybe it was a memory?"
"No, he was little. Like, Tommy or Kelly's age little."
Regina is silent, but her eyebrows have moved closer to her hairline as she tries to process this. Emma didn't even know Henry when he was that young. What the heck is going on?
"And there was a door. But it wasn't the same door as before; when we left. It was darker, and a different kind of wood; with really odd designs."
"What did they look like?" Regina asks with caution. What the hell is going on here? Why did her dream change things? Henry wasn't that young, the door wasn't the same and I don't remember there being too many tapestries on the wall.
"Like the designs on that pot Z gave us at the wedding. The one you were asking about when you had your memories and I didn't."
"Hmmm," Regina made a noise as she processed this information, what could this mean? She shakes herself out of her thoughts and instead decides to calm her wife so they can enter the castle and actually rest. She runs her hand soothingly up and down Emma's back and waits for her to say when she's ready.
It takes a few minutes but between breathing in her wife's calm and being able to look at her sleeping daughters, Emma came out of her hiding spot in Regina's neck. She smiles shyly and mumbles, "okay."
"Okay?" Regina asks with a raised eyebrow.
Emma nods, "Okay." She continues to listen to and watch her daughters' breathing, using it to calm her own racing heartbeat and erratic breathing.
Regina smiles and leans in to kiss Emma softly, "Okay."
This causes Emma to chuckle and she says, "Let's do this." She turns to face the stairway and waits for Regina to call the rest of their family to join them. Zelena and Henry come around the corner first, carrying Kelly and Tommy respectively, and Robin follows, carrying a now-sleeping Roland.
"Ready to go Swanie?" Zelena asks with a smirk when she stop next to her sister-in-law.
Emma rolls her eyes but answers, "You betcha Z. Are you ready? Need anything?"
"Oh god! I thought you'd never ask," she says with a relieved sigh as she hands Kelly over to Emma.
Regina chuckles as Emma merely resituates Kelly against her shoulder. Zelena stalks forward and heads up the stairs.
"Z, are you sure you want to lead?" Emma asks as she follows her sister-in-law.
Zelena chuckles as she reaches the top of the stairs and turns around to see everyone else at the bottom. "As soon as we pass through that door, I will have access to my magic, and I will no longer be helpless, Savior."
Emma rolls her eyes and says, "I never thought you were helpless Z, I remember how you throw a knife."
Zelena throws her head back and lets out a cackle, causing all of the sleeping children to jump.
"Lena," Regina hisses as she immediately places a pacifier in each of her daughter's fussing mouths. They immediately latch on, snuggle further into her chest, and fall back asleep.
Zelena gives a shrug and says, "Come along family, we have a realm to save."
Regina rolls her eyes and her older sister's antics and mumbles, "We don't know anything yet."
"I heard that Gi!" Zelena calls behind her. She turns around and says, "and we all know that we're here to save the day." She pauses and gives a contemplative look, "well, actually, you and Emma are here to save the day, Robin and I simply decided to tag along for a fun family vacation."
Regina rolls her eyes again and makes a shooing motion towards her sister, "Just go," she huffs. Zelena winks but turns around and continues on once everyone else reaches the top.
Robin and Henry walk ahead and Regina reaches out and grabs Emma's free hand. Emma glances over and gives her smile while squeezing her hand. They turn to the doorway hand in hand.
They watch Zelena cross the threshold and immediately grab onto the wall, taking deep breaths. They see her smile and let out a giggle as she brings a fireball forth in her hand. Emma and Regina smile at her giddiness and watch and Robin and Henry both carefully enter through the doorway and smile at the fact that nothing happened. Regina takes a deep breath and squeezes Emma's hand. Emma nods and they walk through the doorway together. They both feel it; the rush of magic being released inside of them. It takes their breath away, causing Regina to squeeze Emma's hand again and Emma to hold tighter to Kelly so she doesn't drop her.
Regina smiles and releases a fireball into her hand. She takes a deep breath and sighs, just like riding a bike she thinks as she watches the fireball burn until she closes her hand and extinguishes it.
Emma smiles and shakes her head at her wife, those Mills sisters are more alike than they realize she thinks with a smirk. She squeezes Regina's hand, causing her to look up and Emma motions to the corridor and they walk ahead of their family, only pausing when a tiny voice calls, "Mommy?"
Regina immediately stops and turns to see Tommy peeking through lidded eyes off of Henry's shoulder. She gives him a smile and touches his cheek, quietly whispering, "go back to sleep, my darling, we will talk when the sun's awake."
"Mmmmkay," he mumbles as he shuts his eyes and snuggles into Henry's neck. Henry gives her a smile and motions with his head for her to lead. She touches his cheek and a similar manner to what she did Tommy and gives him one more smile before turning around and walking with Emma.
They reach the final door, their last step before leaving the Gateway and entering the castle. Emma takes a deep breath, looks at Regina and waits for Regina to reach forward and push the door. She enters first, with Emma and Kelly close behind. Emma and Regina are still clinging to each other's hands. Regina glances behind to see Henry behind Emma. He sends her a smile as he shifts Tommy on his shoulder. Robin and Zelena are behind him, talking quietly. Zelena makes eye contact with Regina and sends her a wink of encouragement.
Before they can even completely make their way through the doorway the rest of the lights are thrown on and the group immediately freezes, adjusting to sudden brightness.
"Emma?" a voice calls.
Emma tries to blink away the brightness and turn towards where the voice of her mother came from.
Zelena comes up beside Emma and gently takes Kelly from her arms. "I've got her," she whispers when Emma tenses up. Emma relaxes her arms, letting Kelly be moved from her arms and releasing Regina's hand.
Emma moves forward and can see her mom rushing towards her and only has a second to prepare before she's engulfed in a hug.
"Oh Emma! You came!" Snow cries and she wraps her daughter in her arms. She immediately pulls back to look her daughter over. She smiles in relief, seeing her daughter look so healthy. She then makes the connection that she was holding a young girl earlier and turns to look at the rest of the people with Emma. The first one she sees is Regina. She smiles and moves toward her, only to stop when she notices that Regina is wearing a child. She looks back to Emma and whispers, "You had another child?" She looks back to Regina and notices not just one, but two babies. "Twins?" she asks as a smile breaks out over her face.
Emma gives a shy smile and says, "We actually have four kids now."
"Oh Emma!" Snow wraps her daughter in another quick hug before releasing her and wrapping Regina in a similar hug, mindful of the sleeping babies. My grand babies, she thinks with a watery smile.
Regina is caught off guard by the affection of her former stepdaughter, but quickly snaps out of it and awkwardly pats her on the back.
Snow pulls back and smiles down at the sleeping babies and whispers, "They're beautiful." Regina smiles. But before Regina can say anything and before Snow can ask about the other children another voice pipes up.
"Mommy?"
Regina turns to see Tommy sitting up in Henry's arms with wide eyes, staring at the unfamiliar brunette.
"Is this your son?" Snow whispers. She still has an arm around Regina's back and is looking between the young boy in Henry's arms and the babies sleeping soundly against Regina.
Regina looks to Snow and gives a nod before moving over to her sons. She stops next to him and whispers, "You should be sleeping Querido."
Tommy gives a timid smile, rubs his eyes, and reaches for his brunette mother.
She carefully pulls him to her side and avoids waking her daughters. He snuggles into her neck and sighs.
Henry moves around and stands in front of Snow who is practically bouncing with excitement, "Hi, Grandma."
"Henry!" Snow pulls him into her arms, "Oh how you've grown," she runs her fingers through his hair and tucks his head under her chin, squeezing him tight.
He chuckles and squeezes her back. He pulls back and asks, "How's everything?"
Snow smiles and rests a hand on his cheek, "Things are fine for now Henry, but let's finish visiting before sending you all to rest. I'm sure you're all exhausted." Henry nods and steps back next to his blonde mother. Snow looks and sees Zelena and Robin. She gives a smile and says, "Welcome."
Zelena gives a curt nod while Robin mumbles his thanks.
"Is that Roland?" Snow asks with wide eyes. When I last saw him he was so much smaller! And who is the little girl? She can't be too old since they haven't been gone for too many years. Well, too many years to be away from their family, but-
Snow's ramblings are interrupted when Zelena answers, "Yes, and this is our daughter Kelly."
"She's beautiful." Snow gives a genuine smile that Zelena reciprocates.
"Mommy, who dat?" Tommy asks, drawing attention back to him.
Snow turns and smiles at her grandson. I don't even know his name, she thinks as Regina answers, "That's your grandmother, Thomas." Thomas she thinks with a smile, what a beautiful name.
"Gwama?" he asks as he looks at Snow.
She smiles again and says, "Hello Thomas."
He smiles shyly and says a quick "hi" before hiding his face in Regina's neck.
Regina chuckles as Emma comes up next to them and pokes Tommy's side. He giggles and pops up, "Momma!" She holds her arms out and Tommy hops into them, giggling as she spins him in a circle.
"Emma." Regina chides, "Do not rile him up, he needs to sleep."
Emma immediately stops and holds her arms out in front of her, putting Tommy away from her body and letting him dangle in the air. She raises an eyebrow and says, "You gonna sleep Tommy?"
He shakes his head and giggles.
"Whaaaat?!" she exclaims and she throws him up in the air. He giggles again. Emma holds him out in the same manner and says in a mock stern voice, "You will go to sleep young man." He giggles again and shakes his head. Emma gasps and sets him on the floor, leaning to fake-whisper, "You're making me look bad in front of my mom, Bud."
"Yowa Mom?"
Emma nods and turns him to face Snow, who smiles again. Her heart is soaring at hearing Emma call her mom. "That's my mom."
"Gwama?" he questions as he looks to Regina who nods with a smile.
"Yeah bud. I guess so," Emma chuckles. She turns Tommy back to face her and lowers her voice an octave, "You will sleep, son."
Tommy giggles again and says, "You siwwy Momma."
"Yes she is," Regina says as she moves forward and takes Tommy's hand. She turns to Snow and says, "As fun as this is, we really need to rest before we take on whatever evil you've decided to bring upon yourselves."
Snow smiles at Regina's snark, I've missed her, she thinks as she moves forward, "Of course," she says with a smile. "Follow me and I will show you all to your quarters."
"Mommy?" Tommy asks as he pulls on Regina's hand.
She stops and looks down at him, "Sí, Querido?"
"Dis a castle?"
"Sí," she nods.
Henry walks forward and kneels down next to Tommy. He waits until Tommy looks at him to say, "Hermanito, nuestras madres son realezas."
"¿Qué?" Tommy asks as he tilts his head, waiting for his big brother to explain.
"Mami" he points to Regina, "es una reína."
Tommy's eyes bulge; he points to Emma and asks, "¿Y Mama es una dama?"
Henry nods and continues, "Sí, Mama lucha contra dragones y también es una princesa"
"Noooo!" Tommy exclaims with raised eyebrows. Henry chuckles and nods.
Snow watches the interaction with a smile. She remembers being Henry's age and Regina trying to teach her Spanish. It was right after her father's wedding and he had wanted them to bond. She never quite caught on to it, but she understood enough to know what Henry was telling Tommy. She smiles at her grandsons and then continues up the stairs.
She walks and stops in front of a set of doors, "These are your chambers. I will leave you to get settled and rest, and we will talk more in the morning." She smiles and once more and walks down the corridor.

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Emma couldn't sleep. She tried, she really did, but she could not turn her brain off long enough to rest. She looks at her wife laying next to her, sleeping peacefully. I'm jealous, she thinks, she's sleeping like nothing is wrong, and damn she's so beautiful. How did I get so lucky? Focus Swan! She berates herself for becoming distracted. She rolls to her back and stares at the ceiling. Alright, let's do this. I am in a bed, staring at the ceiling of a castle-my parents castle-in the Enchanted Forest. I'm Emma Swan, Savior, Princess, and daughter to this world's power-couple. Shit! My parents are like the Brangelina of the Enchanted Forest. She throws her arm over her eyes, blocking out the nonexistent light, but not blocking out her thoughts. I'm getting distracted from my original distractions. Dammit. Maybe I should count sheep. Do they count sheep in this world? She throws her arms down by her sides as she contemplates this new development in her rambles. Maybe they count dragons. Oh my god, I killed a dragon. Maleficent to be exact-who just happened to be my wife's friend. What the hell kind of wife does that? I mean, granted we weren't married at the time and I thought I had to do it to save Henry, but still! UGH! Why is everything so fucking complicated? I just can't-
"Stop thinking so hard, darling," Regina's sleepy mumblings cut in to Emma's internal rant, "I can feel your brain working in overdrive, and I wouldn't want you to pull a muscle or anything."
Emma turns to see Regina lazily smirking at her. She rolls her eyes at her wife's attempt at levity. "Is that a subtle way of your pointing out my idiotness?"
Regina rolls over closer to Emma and rests her head next to Emma's on her pillow, "I'm not very good at being subtle dear." She kisses Emma's cheek and moves her head to rest on Emma's right shoulder. She feels a chuckle reverberate through Emma as she leans down to kiss the top of Regina's head.
"Don't I know it babe."
Regina smiles even though she knows Emma can't see it, "Do you want to talk about what you were thinking so hard about?"
Emma turns her head to look back up at the ceiling. She's silent for so long that Regina assumes she's fallen asleep but then she blurts, "Did you count sheep when you were little or did you count dragons or some other crazy ass creature from this world?"
Regina lifts her head to look at Emma's face. When she sees only honest curiosity she bursts out laughing, "Is that really what you were thinking so hard about?" she asks between giggles.
Emma gives a smile, God she has a wonderful laugh. She shakes her head and answers, "Well, not initially, but it did come up."
Regina shakes her head before placing her head back down on Emma's chest, "You were rambling in your thoughts again weren't you?"
"Yup." Emma answers as she accents the "p" with a pop.
Regina just shakes her head and then moves back up to rest on the pillow next to Emma's. Emma turns her head to the right to look at her wife and they're so close their noses' gently brush against each other with the movement. Regina smiles and runs a hand along Emma's cheek before letting it rest against her ribcage. "I never counted sheep when I was younger. Dragons either," she adds with a small chuckle. "If I had trouble falling asleep, I would sneak into the kitchens and warm some milk. My governess used to do it when I was very young and I guess I continued believing in it even after she was let go."
Emma looks into dark brown eyes and whispers, "I never knew you had a governess."
Regina gives a wry smile, "Yes, when mother still found it acceptable for someone to take care of me." She pauses and then dryly adds, "Well, Mother certainly didn't care for me."
Emma offers Regina a look. Unimpressed with the sarcasm. "Was she nice?"
"She was."
"What was she like?" Emma whispers, not wanting to disturb the tranquility the darkness provided.
"She was nice," Regina replies with a smirk.
This causes Emma to roll her eyes and wrap her arms around Regina, squeezing her tight enough to elicit a grunt.
"Too tight Emma," Regina groans.
Emma chuckles, but releases her tight hold on her wife. She shifts back into her previous position of laying on her back with her right arm securely around Regina's back, reaching around to rest it on her hip. Regina is lying on her side and lets out a sigh as she rests her head on Emma's should again. She brings her hand back up to Emma's stomach and starts drawing random patterns on the skin exposed between her tank top and shorts. Emma again breaks the quiet of the night by whispering, "Will you tell me about her?"
Regina is silent. Silent enough that Emma thinks she has fallen asleep when she says, "Her name was Tatiana." Emma smiles at the wistfulness in Regina's voice, but remains silent, waiting for her to continue. "She was wonderful. She had this platinum blonde hair that went down to her knees. She always had it styled in the most intricate and beautiful coiffures. She's actually the reason my hair was so well taken care of. She used to brush my hair all the time and I learned to love styling my hair and Zelena's from the very beginning." Emma smiles at the happiness in Regina's voice; she can tell Regina is smiling at the memory. "She was very beautiful. Her eyes were a shocking blue-gray and she was always smiling. She had flawless skin that was so pale. I can remember my mother's early lessons on how my skin needed to be fairer in order for me to be a good queen-" Emma scoffs, interrupting Regina's story. Regina lifts her head to see Emma looking sheepish. With an unimpressed look she continued, "I know now that that is not true. However, Child-Me believed my mother hung the moon and that she always spoke the truth. So, when I noticed Tatiana had fair skin I wanted to be like her even more. I remember she used to give wonderful hugs. She used to pick me up and twirl me around or just sit with me on her lap when she would braid my hair and then hug me or she would sit with me and watch the colors outside. I loved the colors," Regina says with a content sigh. Emma can't help but smile at how excited Regina sounds to be talking about such a happy memory from her childhood. Regina continues, "She was my governess from the day I was born until I was five. I guess-now that all of my memories are back-she was with our family when I was born because she was Zelena's governess as well. Now that I know this I remember it differently. For the longest time I thought that the reason Tatiana was let go was because Mother thought she was coddling me, which is a little true, but I guess Mother took all of my memories of her when she took away my memories of Zelena. I did not remember Tatiana until I remembered Zelena and our shared childhood." Emma's smile fades a little when she realizes just how few happy memories Regina has from childhood. She's angry that Cora would take away something like this away from Regina but when Regina smiles up at her, her smile is put firmly back in place.

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Regina is running through the meadow with Zelena and Tatiana. It's a beautiful day, the first day of warm weather since the snow melted and the ground thawed and turned from mud to grass. The girls had been bouncing in their seats during their lessons. So afterwards, Tatiana said that they deserved to run some of their energy out before dinner.
Regina felt that she had never been happier. Granted, she was five and in any given moment she was feeling an extreme emotion, but she knew that this was a special memory. Zelena runs up next to her, poking her shoulder and says, "Gotcha Sissy!"
They chase each other until they both fall to the ground in a fit of giggles and start to roll down the small hill.
"Girls!" They hear Tatiana yell to them.
They jump up and Regina runs towards her, "Tati! Tati! Did you see us?"
Tatiana laughs as she lifts Regina up and swings her in a circle, causing the dark haired child to giggle, before resting her on her hip. "I did, Princess, I did!"
Regina giggles again, "You're silly Tati!"
Tatiana pokes her belly, eliciting more giggles, "And you are an angel, Miss Regina." She winks and walks to where Zelena is still lying on the ground, staring at the sky. "Miss Zelena, what are we looking at today?"
"Look Tati! The clouds!" Zelena says as she points to the sky.
Tatiana puts a hand to her eyes to look up towards the sun and notices how big the clouds are, "I see Zellie! Are we going to spend some time finding pictures in the sky?"
"Yes!" Both girls scream. Regina squirms in Tatiana's arms until she sets her down. She immediately runs over and lies opposite of Zelena, their heads next to each other and their bodies going in opposite directions.
Tatiana smiles at the girls and goes to lay next to them, her head coming to rest near theirs and her feet going away from them. "What do you see girls?"
"A horse!" They both squeal and point toward the sky.
Tatiana giggles and says, "Do we have a story for it today?"
Both girls turn their attention to their governess who is now sitting cross-legged facing them. They look to each other and give a smile before scrambling to a sitting position and weaving a tale about the horse in the sky.

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Regina smiles at the memory, "She used to have us create stories about everything. From pictures in the clouds, to a random villager we would see on our "adventures", to the toad near the creek, everything had a story to her and she always made sure we knew it and appreciated what was around us-even if some of our stories were quite…interesting."
"She sounds wonderful," Emma says quietly when she's sure Regina has finished her story.
"She was," Regina whispers as she snuggles further into Emma's chest.
Emma kisses the top of her wife's head but before she can comment further there's movement at the foot of their bed. Both women glance down to see a head of blonde hair flop onto the bed and start crawling towards them. "Kid needs to work on his stealth," Emma whispers in Regina's ear.
Regina slaps Emma's stomach and says, "He's three Emma."
"Mommy?" he whispers loudly as he crawls in between his mothers and flops his head onto Regina's stomach and flings his arm over Emma.
"Querido," she whispers, "you should be sleeping. The sun is still sleeping."
Tommy groans, "but Mommy!" he whines, "We needs to explore!"
"No. We are not going to explore this morning, Momma, your Aunt Zelena, and I have work to do. Perhaps Henry can take you later, but right now we need to sleep."
"Ugh!" Tommy buries his face in Regina's stomach, "Not tired," he adds with a yawn."
"Mhmm," Regina enunciates with an eye roll as she sees Tommy shut his eyes.
There was not even a minute of silence before Evy woke up. Tommy immediately opens his eyes and asks, "Up now?"
"Stay with your mother," Regina says as she gets up to grab her daughter.
"Momma," Tommy whines.
"Tommy," Emma whines back as she wraps Tommy in her arms, laying him on her chest.
Regina walks back over with a content Evelyn in her arms, "I swear I have five children," she says with an eye roll.
The four of them lay in the bed until they are joined by Henry soon after. When he walks in he stops and picks up Charlotte to join them. The family lays in bed listening to Regina tell stories about the Enchanted Forest, allowing the young ones to drift in and out of sleep. This continues until Zelena, Robin, Roland, and Kelly enter the room, "Ahh, are we being bums this morning?" Zelena asks.
"Good morning to you too, you ray of ornery sunshine," Emma grumbles as she rubs her eyes.
Zelena chuckles and indicates the doorway with her hand, "Are we not supposed to save the world today?"
"Mmmmm, maybe later," Emma mutters, "I need breakfast."
"Me too!" Tommy squeals as he hops off the bed and runs to the door. "Come on, come on!" he says jumping up and down.
Emma grumbles again and mutters, "Definitely not my kid. I swear." Everyone laughs as she rolls out of bed and takes a sleeping Charlotte from Henry's arms. She releases a grunt of discontent as she resituates and falls back asleep, "Now this one's mine," Emma says as she walks to the door.
Regina rolls her eyes, but does not comment as she gets up from the bed. She flicks her wrist, changing her outfit and fixing her hair, all while not disturbing Evelyn-who's still fast asleep in her arms. "I've still got it," she says smugly.
The adults and Henry collectively roll their eyes, while Roland, Kelly, and Tommy gasp in awe, "Whoa, Mommy," Tommy says.
Regina chuckles and says, "Come along. After breakfast perhaps I'll show some more tricks."
They three take off out the door. Henry groans and says, "I'll make sure they make it to the dining hall."
The four adults mutter their thanks and head to the dining hall at a much slower pace, none of them quite ready to face the reality of why they're here in the first place. After a few moments of silent walking they stand in front of the dining hall where they can hear children laughing. Emma takes a few deep breaths, takes Regina's hand, and heads in to see her family.

A/N: Soooooooo, I really wanted to bring Charming into this chapter and have Emma's talk with her parents, but the characters weren't having it. Until next time, Lovelies.
Happy Once Day!
-IrishBella