Moments of Impact
Chapter Three:
The scent of baby shampoo cut through the bathroom as Aurora splashed around from her mothers lap. The blonde had been co bathing her child almost immediately since her umbilical cord fell off and she was given the okay from her pediatrician. The babes curls fell flat onto her hair, soaked with tear free soap and bath water as she gurgled happily and slammed her hands down onto the waters surface. Emma held her hands out in case her daughter slipped or fell forward, but for the most part she was letting her explore her freedom. That was one of the hardest things she learned about being a mother. The urge to wrap your child in bubble wrap and protect them with the fierceness of a lion was strong and difficult to fight, yet she didn't want to stifle her growth. It was a hard medium to find.
"MaMaMama." Rory looked over her shoulder and held up her suds filled palm in awe.
"Yes baby, I see the bubbles. Can you say bubbles?" Emma grinned watching her daughter give her a gummy smile before turning back to the water.
"Okay, we still can't say bubbles. Don't worry, we'll work on that. You'll be the smartest six month old to crawl into Gymboree." Emma joked to herself.
It was only four thirty in the afternoon, but Emma's mind raced with the implications of Zelena's farewell from yesterday.
"I'll be back, same time tomorrow."
Well here it is 'tomorrow' and according to Zelena she should be here within the hour. The twenty year old sighed heavily, she didn't want to see, think or hear from her child's other biological mother but even deep down she knew it was because she still had her own feelings involved.
She wants to give her child the world, and the stability of two loving parents but how on earth was she supposed to trust someone who wanted nothing to do with her child. Someone who asked her to kill her child before she even was able to have the chance to take her first breath. The topic of abortion was what Emma hated Zelena the most for. She remembers when the redhead had first brought it up.
Flashback:
Emma was sitting on the sofa in the apartment that she and Zelena had been living in for the past two years, just staring blankly at the walls. Zelena had been discharged from the hospital six weeks prior, and Emma had informed her of the impending birth of their child, and the older woman had not taken it well. She hadn't seen nor heard from Zelena since she ran off from the restaurant, but from what she heard she was already planning to move back to Storybrooke and away from Boston. Emma had been footing the bills for the past four and a half months since everything occurred, but the past due bills started to stack on her coffee table. Right next to an overdue light bill sat the dissolution papers that Cora Mills had personally dropped off the day before. She had yet to open and fully read the details, still in shock at the turn of events. The doorbell ringing startled her out of her musing, and she rose to answer it.
"Z-Zelena...what are you doing here?" Emma pulled down the sleeves on her cardigan and pulled the garment closed around her protruding belly as if she could somehow hide her condition.
"Ms. Swan, I came to speak with you personally on an urgent matter. May I come in?" Zelena asked politely, taking note of the blondes rid rimmed eyes and rosy cheeks. Her heart thudded in her chest, but she pushed forward.
"Technically it's your home to . It's not as if I could say no." Emma replied leaving the door open as she turned to walk back into the apartment, knowing Zelena would follow her.
"That's actually a part of the reason I contacted you today. We have several things we need to discuss, hopefully we may find a conclusion by the end of the day." Zelena responded, sitting gingerly in a white upholstered chair, watching Emma crinkle her nose before looking away.
"You came to talk about the dissolution papers that your mother dropped off yesterday." Emma deadpanned, looking into unfamiliar blue eyes before shaking her head.
"Yes actually. I know this may not be the most comfortable conversation you will ever have, but its one that needs to happen anyways. I'm sure being with me afforded you a certain...lifestyle-" Zelena glanced down at the bills before she was being cut off.
"Please, we did everything 50/50 since day one. Don't make it seem like I was somehow upgraded by marrying you." Emma shot back defensively.
"Be that as it may, I am willing to pay spousal support for the next five years. A modest but reasonable $4,500 a month. This will be easier when going to court, it will push the proceedings along much quicker." Zelena tried to swallow around the lump in her throat but couldn't.
"I don't want nor need your money! Is that how its going to be with our kid? You flash some cash and everything is smooth as gravy?" Emma hissed out.
"Which brings up the main reason why I have come here today. I talked to a consultant, one of the best in the business and she informed me that the procedure is actually safe when done correctly. The recovery time is minimal and I am willing to foot the complete cost of the bills while you are out and for the procedure itself." Zelena rambled.
"What procedure?" Emma huffed, looking at her wife but not actually seeing the woman she married.
"Vacuum Aspiration. You are coming up close to your thirteenth week according to my math. I have to procedure set for tomorrow at 12, because well there is no time like the present, right?" Zelena licked her lips as she watched several emotions flash across Emma's face before they settled on anger.
"A-abortion? You want me to murder our child?" Emma asked in a low voice, not bothering to correct Zelena's math about her being three months pregnant and not almost five.
"Murder isn't the word I would use. The fetus has yet to take a breath, meaning it's not alive yet. Thus it's not a child." Zelena answered.
"Why?" Emma asked blankly, her hands resting protectively over her belly.
"The timing is inopportune, and it would be in everyone's best interest if we don't make this more than it needs to be. It will be a much cleaner break this way, without something or someone tethering ourselves together." Zelena tried not to wince at her half ass explanation.
"By best for everyone, you mean best for you and Elsa?" Emma narrowed her eyes, her voice rising a few octaves.
"Ms. Swan, it would be in your best interest also. Can you honestly say you can handle bringing a child into this world right now, and properly raise it? Especially with the obvious financial troubles you have found yourself in." Zelena sighed.
"Get the fuck out, now." Emma spoke steely.
"Pardon me?" Zelena frowned.
"I said, get the fuck out! You want to know why these bills stacked up? Because I had to pay your hospital bills! I missed work for a month and half while you were in the hospital because I couldn't bare the thought of leaving your side! Only for you to turn around a kick me like I'm a piece of shit stuck to your shoes! Just get out!" Emma screamed, finally losing her lid since the start of everything.
"I never asked you to do any of that." Zelena refuted.
"You didn't have to ask, you were my wife! Emma spat.
"You want your dissolution papers signed? Fine by me. However I am NOT murdering my child simply because you think the time is inconvenient! I was willing to fight the world for you, after all of the proof you have seen, you are still taking the word of your mother whom you haven't seen nor spoken to in over three years? You're going to go back to a bitch who physically and emotionally abused you? FINE!" Emma snatched the papers up before going to sign them.
"Emma-" For the first time in a long time, she actually called her by name.
"No, if it was one thing I learned from the temporary people that come and go from my life, is that you can't keep someone who doesn't want to be kept. I would have fought for you, for us. But I'm tired of fighting you. I'm done, you win. You, your mother, Elsa- you twisted fuckers all deserve each other." Emma sneered before throwing the papers and the pen into Zelena's lap.
"Don't come back here, don't seek me out. When this all comes back to bite you in the ass, just know you did all of this on your own." Emma held open the door for Zelena to leave.
End of flashback.
"Come on baby girl, you're getting all raisin-y." Emma stood up with Aurora sitting on her hip before grabbing a fluffy bath sheet to cover them both.
"Ugnh!" Rory grunted, hating the feeling of being covered by anything.
"It's just for a minute, kid." Emma chuckled, quickly setting about putting a cloth diaper onto the baby before setting her in the play pen so that she could get dressed.
She slipped on a pair of neon yellow 5 inch compression shorts, a purple sports bra and a white mesh tank top jersey. It was her normal lounge clothes, and she felt little to no need to dress any different around Zelena. If she actually showed, Emma had little no faith of her following through with her word. She dressed Aurora in a sage green romper that made her eyes pop, and a pair of gray baby moccasins.
"You are so beautiful! And Mama loves her baby!" Emma cooed, peppering Rory's face with kisses and having the baby leave wet open mouth kisses in return. The doorbell interupted them both, and Rory whined when the kisses stopped.
"Choo Choo." Emma grinned, kissing her on the way to the door. She looked through the peephole for safety purposes, before grumbling about Zelena being on the other side. Opening the door, she couldn't keep the disdain out of her voice.
"You came back." Emma stated.
"Yeah, I said I was going to." Zelena shifted from foot to foot, in a pair of white cargo shorts and a grey and black softball t-shirt.
"I guess you will have to excuse me for taking anything you say with a grain of salt." Emma shrugged before walking away from the door leaving it open for Zelena to follow her in.
"I suppose I deserve that." Zelena bit down on her bottom lip, watching Emma fix her mouth to say something else before she stopped herself.
"Why are you here, Zelena? Truly, why are you here? You put us through so much, and even then I gave you everything you asked for. You wanted a divorce, I didn't contest it. I let you keep all of your money. You told me not to contact you, especially not about the baby because if I wanted to be stubborn and do this all alone that was on me. I swallowed that pill. Every day for almost six months I dealt with the fact that my child's other donor wanted nothing to do with her but was content raising a child that her ex had outside of their relationship. Now you come back and you expect me to welcome you with open arms?" Emma licked her lips as she waited for Zelena to reply.
"E-Emma, I don't know what to say. Sorry won't change anything, but I am truly sorry for everything I put you through. I'm sorry..." Zelena spoke earnestly and sincerely. Emma knew she was being sincere, in fact it was almost tangable, yet she felt nothing.
"You know, after all this time I thought an apology would actually move me. That I would get a great sense of relief and a weight would be lifted off my shoulders. But that didn't happen. I don't feel anything, because sorry doesn't fix anything. You know my father made me do something as a kid, and maybe if you had more attentive parents you would understand that actions have consquenes. " Emma started, watching Zelena's nose flare at the jab but she said nothing. Rory was tugging on her shirt, and she internally groaned when she realized her daughter wanted to be fed and now. Sitting down on the couch she pushed her bra above her left breast before lifting her shirt so Rory could latch on. She looked up at a flushed Zelena who watched on in awe.
"Whenever I made a mistake, or I did something that hurt or negatively effected someone, he would give me a hammer and a nail and make me nail it into the fence. As you can imagine, by the end of the summer there were a lot of nails. A grand total of 54. On the last day of summer, he wanted me to take them all out, and when I was finished he pulled me aside." Emma paused for a moment to make sure she had Zelena's attention.
"Why would he make you put them in just to take them out?" Zelena furrowed her eyebrows.
"He told me to look at the fence. And see that it will never be the same. When you do something to hurt someone it leaves a scar. You could shoot somebody and no matter how many times you say sorry the wound is still there." Emma looked her in the eye as she spoke, watching Zelena struggle to take in a shaky breath.
"Yes the wound is still there. I know nothing will ever be the same but I'm trying to repair it now. I want to know my daughter and I want to atone for my mistakes." Zelena replied.
"She is only your child by blood, she is my daughter and I have to do what's best for her. And Zelena you aren't what's best for her. You are living proof that a half ass parenting isn't better than an absent one. If you aren't up to doing the job, don't try to come into a child's life and leave them broken." Emma shook her head before switching breasts.
"How would you know?! You won't even give me a chance!" Zelena shouted, watching Emma and the baby jump in shock before Rory started crying. Zelena immediately looked apologetic.
"Emma I-I'm sorry." Zelena rubbed the back of her neck.
"The fence Zelena." Emma shook her head as the door knob jiggled. Regina walked into the house with a grin until she caught sight of her sister.
"Hey TT's baby!" She cooed, eyeing Zelena for a moment before she took the baby from Emma. Rory whined, still wanting to be held by her mother but contested when Regina blue a raspberry under her chubby chin.
"Zelena. What are you doing here?" Regina asked her sister.
"I came to see my child, not that it's any of your business. Why are you planning to run and tell mother again?" Zelena quipped.
"Your child." Regina snorted before continuing. "Mother called me and asked had you made your way over here. With Emma's permission I informed her you did." She shrugged.
"Stay out of my business!" Zelena hissed.
"Could you both not, in the presence of my infant?" Emma grumbled.
"I would like to hold her." Zelena stated firmly.
"Zelena I already told you-" Emma was cut off by her ex.
"It would only be for several moments. If she doesn't like me, I'll hand her back. I promise!" Zelena pleaded.
"You are setting yourself up. Rory is very particular about who is allowed to hold her." Regina chuckled.
"Give her the baby, Gina. When she throws a fit, and you see that she doesn't like strangers the only person you can be upset with is yourself." Emma waved her hand dismissively. Regina shrugged again, passing Rory over. The babe looked at the new person holding her, letting out a small whine trying to go back to her aunt.
"Hello sweetling." Zelena cooed softly, bouncing the baby in her arms. For a few moments she felt smug, until Rory went red in the face and her bottom lip started to quiver. Big fat tears welled up in her eyes before she opened her mouth and let out an ear shattering screech. When she began to bawl, Regina quickly stepped forward to retrieve her while Zelena rubbed her sweaty palms onto her shorts.
"She'll get used to me." Zelena murmured.
"You'd have to be around for her to get used to." Regina muttered under her breath but her older sister heard.
"Despite what you may think, little miss perfect, I do plan on being here for my child!" Zelena snapped, she could handle the comments coming from Emma but Regina was another story.
"So you say, now. You didn't want to be apart of any of this for the past fourteen months, who's to say you won't change your mind again?" Regina raised an eyebrow.
"I won't!" Zelena refuted.
"So you say. You wouldn't know this because you have never gone through pregnancy or births of either of your ex's. In fact you left both of them when the pregnancy was announced. Granted it was justified with Elsa, it doesn't change the facts. As a mother, someone who has held a child in their womb for nine months-" Regina was interupted by Emma.
"Seven and a half." The blonde pipped up.
"Not helping." Regina cut her a halfhearted glare before continuing with her 'lecture'.
"Or even another parent who was their to witness the birth of their child and see them brought into this world. In that moment you want to protect them from any and everything. So please understand us when we say your word alone is not enough." Regina finished.
"I'm here right now! And I'm not even being given a chance! This is all actions, no words! And what do you even mean by 'we' and 'us'?" Zelena gritted her teeth.
"She means that, she is Aurora's god mother, and she has been here for me since I showed up in this town five months pregnant. She sought me out when you abandoned us and she made sure I knew I didn't have to go through this alone. By us and we, she means she has been here every single day to see Aurora, and make sure that she is good." Emma answered for Regina.
"I just want a chance...you won't even give me that Ems." Zelena looked crestfallen causing Emma to sigh.
"You have to take baby steps, Zelena." Emma groaned out loud before continuing.
"You get an hour a day. 5:30 pm, don't show up late, don't show up early. Call before hand in the morning if you can't make it. You can start holding Rory when she's comfortable with you. That's all I can give right now. You get three strike and your out Zelena. I know things happen but for your sake you need to be damn near perfect for her! This is a probation period, in two months we will revisit the terms. If you haven't performed up to par as a parent in those two months, I can and will file for sole custody." Emma warned, watching Regina give her a peculiar look.
"I won't mess this up, I promise!" Zelena vowed.
"I hope for Rory you actually live up to your word." Emma furrowed her eyebrows, her stomach turning.
AN: For the Guest reviewer, would you guys mind typing in like a nickname or name or even random letters like (fbfbhbhasbdh) so that way I can properly address and answer your questions? Lol some of them are really good!
Neal is not in this story, the way I have it written out ( in my head of course) is that Zelena is the child of Rupert Gold and Cora Mills. So she's Gold's only child. I believe it was stated earlier in chapter 2 that Rupert raised Zelena for the first 11 years on his own. The rest of the twisted family tree will be explained later. It was asked if Elsa and Emma are sister, no they are not. Sorry for that confusion they just have very similar mothers.
This is a non magic fic, simply because I have never been comfortable enough to write any that turn out well. Lol.
