Hi, guys! First things first. I really feel I need to apologize for the delay in update this, but I couldn't do this before. I was super busy, and also my beta.
Second, Let's talk a little about Cora and the nightmares? I swear, I don't forgot Cora and I need you to be patient about it, it's going to come and I promise you, the wait will be worth. The nightmares, yes, it has a meaning, but you're not going to found out it now, and again, I promise... you will not see it coming, but when it does, I hope and I believe that you guys are going to be surprised...
To singingtree54; Thank you so much for your review... I'm so sorry for the delay, please, forgive me! Keep reading... see you!
To itspb1; OMG! Thank you for your support, seriously, it means a lot to me! I have to agree with you "The love between them is all that Regina needs". Ah, and you killed me with this "I know that i'll read this everyday until the next" thank you so so much, you have no idea how encourager you have been to me. thank you.
To Beforethedawnbreaks; Thank you... hope you like this chapter too... :) see you!
To Ailec-12; Hey, how are you going, my favorite reader? You want to confuse my mind, don't you? I know you! hahaha Thank you so much for always let me know you're reading my story, it means a lot to me. The darker chapters are coming... wait for it! See you!
To CCangel; Yes, me too, but really, Regina is not that easy, isn't it? I think we are going to have a little more work to see Regina saying she loves him. What can I do? She is stubborn! See you!
To Mirella Vieira; Thank you so much, this chapter isn't so darker, but I promise that this kind of chapter is coming fast... See ya!
To Marina Masterson; I'm so happy I left you without words! What can I do? I'm a woman who fell in love so many times, so, it was easy to write the kiss scene in the last chapter HAHA LOL "he crying,she crying and kissing her?!" This part was really beautiful, isn't it? Yes, I know! "beautiful, exciting, fun and engaging" YEEEES! Hey, about you question... about how she manages to differentiate the twins? Through searches, I found that it is really common since when the mom already went to the hospital and saw the positions of the babies on the screen, she can feel them and she knows which is which. Do you understand me? See you! Thanks for reading this... and THE WAIT IS OVERR! OH GOD THANKS!
To Guest 1; Thank you so much! Please, in the next, let me know your name...
To anapcmesquita; I knew. Since I wrote this chapter I knew it was going to be your favorite chapter... You romantic young lady! "I'm not a big Regina's fan but" NO BUTS, c'mom, You love her! "I just realized, right now, that I'm totaly unable of writing a story so perfectly like you" I don't think so. Unleash your imagination... I'm totally sure it will be so sweet that I'll have tooth decay. See you girl and thank you for being this friend you are! Thank you for not judging me! I love you and you know that!
To EvilRegalTwinnies; Hey, I'll look to your sugestion, it was a good one! Thank you for reading me, I'm also reading your story and you know I love it, don't you?
To Guest 2; haha, thank you so much!
To jcat30; WHoa, a boy? You must be really happy, don't you? Congratulations! I'm happy for you! Yep, of course I'm reading you story and I can't wait to read the next chapter, please... don't let me waiting too much :) see you!
To Swarnali; Thank you so much! really! "And I really hope this story goes on for at least 50 more chapters" I'm afraid that you are going to get it! haha you take care too, keep readng. Ah, heeey, I saw you are from India... I talked about you to my friends... I'm so honored to have you reading my story. Thank you, again.
To Annie; What can I say? You already know, I can't do this without you. Thank you!
Thank you everyone who read it, who followed me and favorited my story. Thank you guys.
Please, Enjoy it!
CHAPTER 22 – JUST A DREAM
Emma was asleep when she heard small footsteps walking towards her bed, then she felt a slight push on her shoulders and a whisper "Mom?" Emma rose lazily, looking briefly at her watch and then looked at Henry.
"Henry, why are you awake? Another nightmare?" She asked.
The boy only nodded.
"I woke up and tried to call mom, but she didn't answer the phone. I think something happened, she always answers the phone when I call her." he said with his eyes teary.
"She must be sleeping, Henry." Emma said sleepily.
"No! I've already called the home phone and she didn't answer!" The boy stopped whispering and he started to get exalted.
"Henry, she's fine. She should only be sleeping, she's tired, Henry. Tomorrow, the first thing we'll do is call her, ok? Now let's go back to sleep."
"No! I will not sleep. You promised me that if she didn't answer the phone, you would take me there."
"We will try to call again, then."
Emma tried a few more times, but no answer came. She knew though Regina was tired but she always answered the phone. What if something had happened? What if someone tried something against her? Emma started to get worried, but tried to hide it to not let Henry get worried. She wore a coat, grabbed her keys and headed to Regina's house, Henry was at her side and he cannot hide the concern that was on his face.
They arrived at the house and saw her car. She is at home, Emma thought. Henry took his key and ran to the entrance, followed by Emma. They made their way up the stairs toward Regina's bedroom. After knocking on the door, Henry pushed it open only to find the bed empty.
"Mom?" Henry shouted, running to the bathroom, but there was no sign of Regina. "Where is she?" the boy asked crying openly now.
"She must be in some other room, let's look." she said and noted Regina's cell phone on the dresser beside the bed. Damn. Regina never goes out without her cell phone. Something is happening.
Henry ran and searched quickly in every room, screaming for his mother and getting more nervous with every empty room he found.
Emma followed the boy, but searched each room with more calmness. When Henry opened the room next to Regina's, Emma was amazed. She had never seen the babies' room, she knew it was ready, but didn't imagine anything like that. It was handsome, gentle, safe, and more than anything, every detail was thought out with love and care.
She regained consciousness when Henry went upstairs again, openly crying and saying that his mother was not anywhere in the house.
She may have gone to take a breather, she has already done it before. Nothing happened. Emma looked at Henry and said "Henry, we'll find her. She must have gone out for some air, okay!"
"No! Something happened. I know it. I should have stayed with her all day, now she's missing."
After searching in all possible places in the city, Henry was inconsolable and Emma no longer knew where to look. Emma knew Archie would be very concerned, but she had to warn him.
Regina was sleeping in Archie's arms and her head was resting on his shoulder. Archie was also asleep when he was awakened by screams and frantic knock on his door. Still trying to understand what was happening, he saw when Regina began to stir and whisper softly in her sleep. Quickly and as gently as possible, Archie took his arms from Regina and put her head back on the pillows that were on the couch, trying not to wake her.
He ran and opened the door. What he found were two agitated and worried people. The boy was crying and the woman's eyes were wide.
"Have you seen my mom?" Henry said in tears.
"Archie, I don't know where Regina is. She wasn't home and I've looked all over the city, I don't know what's happening, she's missing. What if someone showed up there and-" Emma started talking shaken.
"Hey, calm down, she's here. She's sleeping, but I don't know if she will be much longer if you keep yelling." Archie whispered, beckoning.
Henry didn't let Archie finish what he was saying and went into the house like lightning to see his mother. He found her on the couch, asleep. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were still red and Henry realized that she had been crying.
"Is she okay? Why was she crying?" Henry asked turning to Archie and Emma who had just entered.
Emma walked up next to the couch and looked at Regina who was sleeping peacefully. An immense relief washed over her.
Ignoring Henry's question, Emma looked up and asked "Archie, what is she doing here? We were going crazy, we looked everywhere possible. We thought something had happened." Emma blurted.
"She's okay, Emma. She just didn't want to be alone at home, so she came here." Archie said. "Why were you worried? It's in the middle of the night, why were you looking for her, did something happen?"
"No. It was just... Henry wanted to see her." Emma said, trying not to mention Henry's nightmares.
"Was it the nightmares?" Archie asked the boy, who looked shocked.
"How do you know?" Henry said.
"Regina told me, she's very worried about you and your nightmares, Henry." he said, looking back at the woman lying on the couch. "You want to talk about it?"
"No." The boy almost shouted.
"All right, Henry. Okay, we don't need talk about it if you don't want to." Archie said.
Archie offered them something to drink and after some time, Henry was already asleep on the couch next to Regina. Archie took the child and placed him on his bed and then returned to the room, where Emma was.
The two definitely had lost sleep. Archie sat in one of the armchairs and Emma sat in the other chair. Both could see Regina asleep. They talked for a while about random subjects, when Emma started to talk about Henry's nightmares.
"He has been having these nightmares since Cora was arrested" she began to explain "he won't tell me what they are about, but he wakes up terrified almost every night and I'm sure, those nightmares are about Regina." Emma whispered low to not wake the woman sleeping next to them.
"Do you think these nightmares may mean something?" Archie asked worriedly.
"I don't know, Archie. I hope it's only part of Henry's imagination and concern" she said.
They were silent for a while and then Archie started talking.
"She has been coming almost every night quite late." He said looking at Regina "She always says that she couldn't sleep, but today, today I realized that she lied to me, she doesn't want to talk about it, Emma, but I know, I'm sure she's hiding something."
"Why do you think that is, Archie?" Emma asked frowning.
"Today I saw her, she came crying and didn't want to talk about it, but she was terrified, I don't know what it is because she didn't tell me." he blurted.
Immediately, Emma remembered what was happening with Regina's magic, it was fading fast. She promised not to tell anyone, but she wanted to help Regina, she developed a feeling of affection for that woman.
And again, the two were silent for a few minutes. Archie and Emma became good friends. Emma had her head leaning back in her chair, almost closing her eyes and Archie was lost in thought.
Suddenly, Emma smiled broadly and it almost made her eyes close. Archie noticed and was curious.
"What is it? Why are you smiling?"
"You love her!" It was all that Emma said.
Archie gasped. It was not a question, he noted. The woman just said a fact. Should he confirm? Should he admit his feelings to another person? It would be the first time that he would do it and it could not be any scarier.
"You don't need to answer, Archie. I know it." she smiled.
"I... she... we kissed today." he admitted softly for fear of waking the woman.
"Really? This is great!" Emma almost screamed in joy. Operation Amor is working!
"What if she doesn't want to stay with me? I mean, look at her, she's beautiful and smart and stylish, she's a Queen and I'm just... I don't even know who I am. I'm just an ordinary man, just Jiminy Cricket. A Queen can't love a cricket." Archie admitted sadly.
"What? Archie, the Queen is pregnant with the cricket's children, so I guess it's okay for her to love the cricket." She said smiling "And besides, I know, I'm sure she loves you, she is only too proud to admit it" Emma rolled her eyes "and I can tell you one thing. I asked her if she loved you, she said no and guess what?"
"What?"
"She was lying. My lie detector was beeping like crazy. She loves you and that's ridiculously obvious, you two just don't see it!"
A huge smile appeared on his face. Maybe he has a chance with her and he would not waste it. He would seize every opportunity to prove to the woman that he loved her. It was his new goal. He would win the heart of the mother of his daughters.
They both looked at Regina when the woman groaned and shifted uncomfortably in her sleep, but as fast as the discomfort came, it left. Soon after, Archie and Emma also ended up falling asleep.
"No!" Regina started yelling "I didn't kill them, I didn't kill them!"
Archie stood up frightened by the intensity of the cries that came from Regina. Looking at her, he could see she was all sweaty and crying and her face contorted in pain. Emma woke up soon after.
"Regina? Regina, wake up, it's just a dream!" Archie said gently shaking the woman.
"I didn't kill them, I promise, I'm not the Evil Queen anymore." she continued screaming and writhing in her sleep.
Henry ran into the room, he woke up startled by the screams of his mother.
"What's happening?" He asked worriedly.
"Come on, Regina, wake up!" Archie called again, shaking her with more intensity than the other time.
"No! I didn't!" She cried when she opened her eyes frightened.
So she focused her eyes on Archie, she began to hyperventilate and cry even more, she sank her head into his neck and hugged him.
"I didn't kill them, Archie. I swear, they are my daughters, I didn't kill them." Regina whispered through her tears.
Archie, Emma and Henry looked scared. Regina killing her own daughters? It was insanity. She would never do that, she would never hurt her children, all of them were sure of it.
Emma stared in horror at the woman still hidden in Archie's arms. Regina was also having nightmares? Since when? Why did she never tell anyone? What are these nightmares? A sign, a warning?
"It's okay, Regina. It was just a nightmare, just a nightmare. Just breathe." Archie said comforting her. "You didn't hurt our daughters, they're fine, they're fine." he repeated, whispering in her ear, cradling her in an embrace and moving her forward and backward, as if he was comforting a child.
"I didn't kill them, Archie. I love them so much, I didn't kill them." Regina said again, with a much lower voice.
"I know you would never hurt your children, I'm sure of it."
"But someone killed my babies." she said, starting to cry desperately.
The three looked terrified. Someone killed the babies? The nightmare was about it? Regina was so terrified, so desperate that she did not realize that it was all a nightmare. She still believed that her daughters were killed?
"It was just a nightmare, my love, it was just a nightmare. They are right here." Archie said rubbing his hands on her belly.
My love. Emma and Henry could not help but notice when Archie called Regina 'my love'. Even amid the tense moment, the two launched a grin at each other.
When Archie ran his hands on Regina's belly, she looked down and ran her hands on her swollen belly, making sure that her girls were even there. She let out a breath of relief when she realized that it was all a nightmare, another terrible nightmare.
"See? They are right here, well protected." He said with a reassuring smile, still with hands on her belly.
Regina said nothing. She just was running her hands on her belly looking for some movement to confirm that they were fine. Henry then decided to approach his mother.
"Mom?" He called, breaking her attention.
"Henry? What are you doing here?" She asked, noticing for the first time the presence of his son and Emma in the room.
"I couldn't sleep and Emma brought me, I called you, but you didn't answer. I was so worried." the boy said while approaching his mother on the couch. "What happened? You also had a nightmare?" He asked worriedly.
"I... uh... was only a bad dream, Henry." She said, running her hand in the boy's cheek in an attempt to calm him.
"You're having these nightmares?" He asked.
Regina looked at the boy, then to Archie and Emma. She did not want to worry them much less talk about her nightmares, not with them, much less now.
"No, Henry. That was the only time." she lied and looked at Emma who was examining her with narrow eyes.
Once Regina replied, Emma knew she was lying. She did not know why, but Regina was lying about the nightmares and was lying about her magic. She understood that Regina did not want Archie and Henry worried about her, but she could not continue with it. She would have to talk with Regina, not now, but soon.
Archie and Henry let out a sigh of relief when Regina said that this nightmare was the only one.
Emma went to get a glass of water for her and Henry was already curled up on the couch with her. Once Emma handed her the glass of water, Archie and Emma realized that her hands were still shaking.
"You sure you're fine?" Archie asked again.
"I'm fine, Archie." she said with a weak smile and hugged Henry tighter.
After a few minutes, Henry was already starting to sleep in Regina's arms and she was getting sleepy. Archie insisted, saying that they should sleep in the bed. Emma took Henry in her lap and Archie helped Regina to go to the bedroom. So the two went to bed, Henry approached Regina, seeking comfort in the arms of his mother and slept, followed by Regina.
Emma and Archie spent more time in the room just looking at the two who were sleeping peacefully in the bed. These people were the most important people in their lives. Henry was the most important person to Emma and Regina, the most important person to Archie, as well as their babies. After some minutes, they decided to leave and let them sleep.
The next morning Henry was the first to get a move on. He opened his eyes only to find his mother asleep beside him. He missed her and also this proximity between them. He had almost forgotten how beautiful she was when she was asleep. He stared at her a few minutes, just wishing that these nightmares didn't happen with her or the girls. After some time, Regina opened her eyes.
"Henry?" Regina asked sleepily.
"Morning, mom." The boy replied with a smile.
"Morning, Henry!" After a few moments, Regina asked "Where are Emma and Archie?"
"I think they should be in the room." the boy replied.
"What time is it? You're not late?" She grimaced and said "I have to pee." she got up and ran as fast as she could toward the bathroom.
As she left the bathroom, the two made their way out of the bedroom only to find Archie lying uncomfortably on one of the chairs and Emma sprawled on the couch. Both seemed exhausted and Regina could say that Archie would have a terrible pain in his back due to the position in which he found himself. Pongo and Perdita were wrapped in carpet, sleeping.
Regina looked at Henry and both combined made a breakfast for the two people who were "sprawled" in the room.
Emma woke with the delicious smell of pancakes invading her nostrils. She looked into the kitchen and found Regina and Henry working as quietly as possible at breakfast. They seemed to enjoy the silence. She looked at Archie and smiled when she realized the position in which the man was asleep.
As soon as she got up from the couch, she walked toward the kitchen, where the only two awake in the house were.
"Good morning, Miss Swan!"
"Good morning, ma!"
"Morning. What are you doing? It smells wonderful." Emma said reaching out to the plateful of pancakes, but was soon cut off by Henry, who hit her hand.
"We're not done!" Henry said with a face that looked exactly like Regina.
"Okay" she said, yawning.
Once everything was ready, Regina decided to wake Archie. Looking at his tired expression, she almost felt sorry for waking him, but she knew he would be hungry.
"Archie?" She whispered, running her hands gently on the man's shoulder. "Archie" she called again and the man began muttering in his sleep. She smiled.
With the man still asleep, Regina ran her hand gently on his face. She was sure that Henry and Emma were not looking and gave a kiss on his cheek, calling again, but more gently. After a few seconds, the man's eyes opened and focused on Regina, who had his glasses in hand. She slid his glasses on his face and smiled as he grinned at her. What a beautiful way to wake, he thought.
The four ate quietly. Regina and Archie had a lot to talk about, but they could leave that for later.
So, that is it! Please, let me know what you thought... sugestions, opinions, I'm all ears!
In the next chapter we are going to see new faces... wait! just wait! We're going to see one Regina's different side... just wait!
Thank you for reading until here.
See you,
Bárbara