Not Enough: Part 4
By Arianwen P.F. Everett
When Regina arrived at the hospital she was pleasantly surprised that Dr. Hopper accompanied her inside. She'd been sure he was just riding with her in order to ensure her safety behind the wheel, considering what her body had been through in the past to days, and would skip off home after the automatic doors closed behind her and she was back in Whale's domain. Instead, he walked her to the nurses' station where Emma, her idiot parents, Dr. Whale, two Fairies, and Henry were all in conference.
She was blessed a second time that hour when her son noticed her arrival before the others and took off towards her at full speed, enveloping her into one of his cherished bear hugs. "Mom, I so glad you're safe! I was so worried about you!"
"Why? I left a note. I said I was coming back before nightfall," Regina soothed, gently stroking her son's hair. Henry's hug made her abdominal muscles scream in pain, but if it meant she could hold her little boy, she'd allow herself to be set on fire rather than let go. The pain was well worth it.
"But Emma said you left the hospital without Dr. Whale's permission, that you could have been in danger the way David was when he came out of his coma before the curse broke!" Henry insisted, needing to explain his fear so that she never scared him like this again.
"Well Emma should have had the common sense not to worry you unnecessarily. If you're going to steal my son, Miss Swan, at least attempt not to scare him without cause while he's in your keeping," Regina attacked as soon as Emma reached earshot.
"Says the woman who abandoned her newborn to take a joyride," the blonde sheriff shot back.
"How is it abandonment when I left him in the arms of his father, in the middle of a public hospital? I needed some space to organize my thoughts so I left a note and returned just as I'd promised. Henry is still too young to be your deputy, even if he is intellectually better suited for the role than your current underling. So I would appreciate it if your family would pretend to be responsible adults and keep him away from your hazardous occupation," Regina continued, refusing to back down. She'd been preparing for this battle all day.
"Mom, I'm okay, really. We're all fine and safe. You came back for Paul and I and that's what matter," Henry finished, stepping between both his mothers before things could escalate.
"Paul, who's… the baby… Jake named the baby, didn't he?" Regina deduced with a sigh. This was bad, very bad.
"Yes, I named our baby. I figured if Henry was named after your father, Paul should be named after mine," Jacob explained as he arrived in the corridor, the infant in question once again resting on his shoulder like a new accessory to his workman's shirt.
"And I'm guessing you had the name added to the birth certificate as well?" Regina surmised, hoping she was wrong but knowing it was unlikely. She might need Rumple after all to get that undone if she wanted the baby to be legally adoptable and Jake remained unwilling to sign the forms. She couldn't let her guard down again; Jake was too clever. He was, after all, the only one of his siblings who had figured out that they could modify his brother's mixing vat to sail out and rescue their father when his fishing boat hadn't returned and they couldn't afford another boat to search. Thankfully, after nearly three days they located and saved the old salt, still clinging to the remains of his wrecked vessel, his final canteen nearly empty of potable water. And for all the danger and heroism he and his brothers had faced in those three days, in this world their tale was reduced to amusing toddlers in bathtubs, their names discarded in favor of their professions, butcher, baker, and candlestick-maker. History was never fair.
"Ofcourse. He couldn't go around with 'Baby Boy Mills' the rest of his life. The other kids would beat him up. These nurses were kind enough to pull some strings in the lab and got a rush on the paternity test I ordered last night when you told me you intended to put him up for adoption. I knew I couldn't let you do that and the only way to stop it was to prove I had as much legal right to Paul as you do. Once I had that proof I was able to name him, although I still can't give him my surname. They said only you could give permission for that," Jake explained, allowing Regina to understand his devotion to the baby.
"I won't and all you've accomplished with this melodramatic gesture is to demolish the last vestige of hope I had for our remaining together after this fiasco. I want your stuff out of my house by the end of the week; we're through. As for the baby, he'll be staying in a crib I'm setting up in the guest room until I can find him a good home. Now, please take the infant back to the nursery. Dr. Hopper has suggested that I need to speak with Dr. Whale and undergo a few more tests," Regina commanded before taking three steps towards Whale.
Enraged at the cold brush off, Jake stepped in front of his lover and forced her to take a half step backwards. "No, no no… you don't get to cut me and our baby out of your life just like that!"
"Yes, I do! I have to. Look Jake, you're a wonderful man. You're fun, you tell great stories, you're sexy as sin, and you have many other fine qualities that are too numerous to go into right now. You made my sadness lessen from time to time and I needed that. I thought I was being clear when I told you I wanted you to go out and find your true love and not stay tied down to me. I never wanted to hurt you, and if I did, I'm sorry. However, I'm not going to waste the next two decades of my life with you and that baby. Neither of you could make me happy in the long run, and you both deserve more than I'm willing to give," Regina insisted, taking another step towards Whale, only to brought up short again, this time by her son.
"Don't do this, Mom! You and Jake have a baby together! That's supposed to be your happy ending! Don't walk away from it!" Henry shouted, completely confused. At thirteen he knew how babies were made, that it was a biological process of egg and sperm, but he was part of a fairytale world. His mother had redeemed herself. She was supposed to get a happy ending. Paul was supposed to get a happy ending with his parents and his big brother. That was the way things were supposed to go.
"Henry, not every two people who have a baby together get a happy ending with each other," Emma broke in, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Regina placed a hand under her son's chin and made him meet her eyes. "Sweetheart, the man who was my happy ending, who I was supposed to have babies with, died a long time ago. Jake isn't my happy ending and neither is his child. But just because this baby isn't mine doesn't mean he can't have a happy ending all his own. You can even help. I have a lawyer outside Storybrooke who is already sending me lists of women who want to adopt him and I'd appreciate it very much if you were to go through the list with me and help me pick out the best one. If you like, you can attend the interviews and ask them as many questions as you need to in order to make sure he goes to the very best home. I know this is going to be difficult for you, but you have me and Emma and everyone who loves you. We're all going to be fine and stronger for it. I promise."
Deflated, Henry did the only thing he could do, he clung to his mother and wept for the brother he'd soon give away, while Regina return the embrace and the tears for the sadness destiny had visited upon her little boy, who she had so often prayed would never know sorrow.