Chapter Three
Her Only Bae
"Oh, she's beautiful," Belle gushed at Granny's. They were throwing a late baby shower slash party to introduce Darien to the town. It was a good-sized party of people who liked Regina, and she saw a few people she rather didn't want around her daughter like King George and Gold, but Gold had only gifted her with the first spool of gold she had ever spun in front of him. It was one of the lesser things he had tried to teach her but hadn't realized that Regina had literally fallen to sleep as an infant to her mother spinning straw into gold, she could do it in her sleep.
"I thought you might want to work it into a necklace for protection, you seem stressed dearie," Gold had said. She had taken the thread, but she wouldn't do anything with it until she was sure he hadn't cursed it or anything. Although Belle was pretty sure he hadn't, as she had found it lost among a bunch of odds and ends and packed it away herself. And she had made him swear on their love that it hadn't been tampered with magically by himself or anyone or anything in the past or present, as she had to get so specific he couldn't find a loophole.
"I know, I swear I never saw a baby so beautiful," Emma gushed as well. Darien was with her to give Regina a break. She did not like to be anyone else's arms at all. If they were lucky she liked to be with Granny when she was cooking. She was two months old already and growing healthy to everyone's happiness and her hair had darkened from blond to brown, and in the light, you could catch flecks of dark green in her brown eyes.
"Hey, I take offense to that," Henry teased Emma. Emma grinned at him.
"Don't take it the wrong way kid, but I didn't look at you, but while I know from your photos you were as beautiful as Demi here, I didn't actually physically see you to be fair," Emma pointed out.
"Fair enough," Henry told her. "But lucky for you I also agree that Demi is the most beautiful baby on the planet."
"I think we have all reached a consensus then," Regina said appearing behind them. Darien smiled as soon as she was in view. Regina smiled back at her. Emma couldn't help but smile at them as well. She thought Regina was possibly even more beautiful than Demi especially when in the early mornings when her hair was displaying natural curls to match Demi's own brown curls.
"Were you ever able to figure out what happened, and how you got her?" Belle asked. Regina shook her head. "Not yet, none of the magic books I had in the house were of use, and Granny has been very strict about me resting, eating, and feeding only. I should be upset but look how well she's grown."
"Everyone would do well to listen to me as you have when you finally accepted I was in charge," Granny grinned. "Now if you can just get Ruby to, all would be great."
"All dogs can be trained Granny," Regina quipped, but it was without her usual insulting bite but rather a teasing one, that made even Ruby laugh.
"Still never going to be as funny as the time you told me to take myself for a walk. I was upset in front of you but inside I almost laughed. I respect a good come back," Ruby laughed. Regina laughed as well.
"It was funny, I laughed later when I wasn't as upset," Regina chuckled. "But anyway, I hate to break up the party, but Darien is due for her vaccines and her second nap soon. She already missed her first in favor of partying." They all nodded. Games had been played, food had been eaten, and the baby had been gushed over plenty of times since breakfast and it was now after lunch.
"You go to her appointment and we'll pack up everything here and meet you at home," Belle told her. They nodded.
"I'll stay and help I don't wanna watch her get any shots," Henry told them.
"Actually kid, you're due for two vaccines, you're coming with," Emma told him. The look of horror that crossed Henry's face was everything Regina said it would be. They had agreed that Regina would do the dragging of Henry as she was used to it and hip to all his tricks while Emma carried Darien to the appointment. And she was right it was indeed a fight as she half carried, and half dragged him kicking and almost screaming to his doctor's appointment. Regina looked exhausted by the time they got into the room.
"Henry it's okay, it will be over before you know it," Regina soothed as she sat down with him. Her arms around his waist both in a comforting manner and to keep him from running. Anything else in the world she could talk him into being brave, but any kind of shot and well he was inconsolable.
"No, it's going to hurt," Henry cried. "Last time you said it was the last one!"
"No, I never said that, I said this time would be the last one," Regina told him knowing that this year they were getting a flu shot as she didn't want Darien to have the flu as young as Henry had. It had been awful. And he wasn't leaving the room without his pertussis vaccination for Darien's sake. And meningitis for his sake.
"Kid come on calm down you're scaring your sister," Emma tried to sooth.
"Good, she should be scared!" Henry panicked. Regina produce a paper bag which he snatched from her and breathed into. Regina rubbed his back with one hand.
"Henry, I know it's scary, but these vaccines are very important especially now. Think of Darien, she could get sick and end up in the hospital if you don't get these vaccines today. You must be brave for her. Your main ones are over, but she's still growing and developing especially her immune system. So, we have to protect her."
"Yeah Kid, even Regina and I are getting the pertussis vaccine, and we're adults. We have to protect the babies of the world." Henry finally stopped struggling but Regina released him.
"I'm sorry what?" Regina asked alarmed.
"Oh yeah I scheduled you to get your catch-up vaccines, I figured you weren't actually immunized at all."
"Oh, you know what it's fine I just want to focus on Darien and Henry today, I can reschedule my appointment."
"Regina," Emma scolded.
"Mom it's just a little shot it won't hurt," Henry grinned suddenly feeling like payback.
"Look I'll go first so you can all see there is nothing to be scared of," Emma told them as Nurse Ratchet entered.
"You won't be escaping me your majesty," She told her. Regina pouted noting that Nurse Ratchet had locked the door with her unique power. There was a reason she guarded the prisoners.
"Fuck," Regina whispered inaudibly so Henry didn't hear. Emma handed her Darien who was the calmest but could feel the fear and tension radiating off her and Henry.
"Regina think of Demi," Emma told her as Nurse Ratchet disinfected her skin. "You love her and want the best for her, and this will give your milk a boost of antibodies too." Regina frowned and the look on her face made Emma think she was contemplating, how much she loved Darien. It was laughable because she knew like Henry there were no bounds to that love. Emma had her shot done in no time and she barely noticed it.
"See all done, no harm done, only good," Emma told them. "Henry you next, Regina and Darien have quite a few shots to get through." Regina frowned.
"But like I have natural immunization to a few of these things," Regina complained. "You know what Henry you don't need it, I am going to simply become an anti-vaxxer mom. You have natural immunity." Regina stood up with Darien.
"Regina sit," Emma ordered. "You are not some crazy anti-vaxxer mom, you just got Darien do you want to lose her because you couldn't get a shot?" Regina frowned. "Yes, that's right a shot, and you who have faced down so much in your life. You gonna let a shot do you in?" Regina's frown deepened more. "And you kid, you were brave enough to face down the Evil Queen when no one believed you and took a stick of frigging dynamite to blow up a well, which was highly irresponsible and dangerous, and you should have been scared enough not to do it, but a shot is too much?" There was silence in the room before both Henry and Regina looked at one another and then at Emma with the same expression.
"Yes," they answered deciding that they could be cowards together.
"We'll be together in our fear," Henry told her leaning into Regina. Emma huffed.
"Table now young man," Emma ordered. He struggled until he only agreed to behave if she let Regina hold him and not her. Regina gave Darien back to Emma but dutifully held him as he cried into her shoulder through two shots after stopping Nurse Ratchet several times crying that he was not ready.
"See all done it was so quick you barely noticed," Emma told him as he sniffed before she handed over Darien who lay down on him in a comforting manner. She turned to Regina. "All right do you want to go before or after Darien?" Regina frowned.
"Great glad you want to go first," Nurse Ratchet told her. Regina's eyes went wide with fear and resulted in Emma holding down Regina to get all her shots before Nurse Ratchet started to place princess stickers on her arms.
"I want wonder woman not princess," Regina complained and pouted afterwards as she wiped her eyes own tears. Nurse Ratchet replaced them.
"Here have a lollipop my Queen, you're all done." Regina snatched the lollipop from her, which Emma had obviously given her as it was her favorite vero mango. She promptly opened it to enjoy the treat just like Henry. "I swear you are your son's mother." She left out and Dr. Whale eventually came in where Darien got her well baby checkup and vaccines.
"Whale did you check her hearing when we brought her in at birth?" Emma asked. Regina suddenly looked up from where she was comforting Darien against her shoulder a bit later.
"No, she's a perfectly healthy baby why would I?" Whale asked annoyed pausing in walking out.
"Because that's what you do, you check a newborn's hearing you idiot," Emma told him annoyed as she crossed her arms. She hadn't thought he had looked at Darien's hearing as true to her word she hadn't let her out of her sight, but she just wanted him to admit it out loud, so she didn't have to argue whether he did or did not.
"What's wrong with her hearing?" Regina asked her eyes narrowing. Emma hadn't said a word to her about it and now that the panic was rising she could see why.
"Because yesterday Henry fell off the couch with a loud thump and she didn't even react. Nor does she ever react when a cell accidentally goes off or Henry forgets to use his inside voice. Also, she doesn't react to either of us like smiling until we come into view." Regina frowned and looked at Darien who was finally calm and wondered how anything could be wrong with her angel.
'That's because nothing is wrong with her even if she is hearing impaired,' Regina thought to herself. Whale gave an exasperated noise.
"But she babbles," Regina argued.
"All babies babble, she's not a mute, I know in the Enchanted Forest you'd find this out much later, but here we can find out sooner."
"Fine whatever I'll test her," Dr. Whale shrugged.
"No thanks we'll be going out of town to get her a proper checkup just to make sure." With those words Emma grabbed her leather jacket and led Regina and their children as she had come to think of both Darien and Henry out of Storybrooke General.
"Emma do you really think she's deaf?" Regina asked as they got into the Mercedes now fully equipped with a car seat for Darien.
"I don't know but something isn't right, it could be completely fixable don't worry, she's not defective…."
"Why would I think she's defective?" Regina asked allowing Emma to drive.
"Something mom said about people throwing out kids with disability to live in the forest or something."
"That was her Kingdom," Regina grumbled. "I created many orphanages because of that. In my home we didn't view it like that and had our own version of sign language. Although it is still devastating to think you did something wrong to cause this."
"If you did something wrong than so did I," Emma pointed out. Regina nodded as Emma patted her hand gently before they drove out of town.
"Don't worry Granny already knows, she won't yell at you for not taking Demi straight home," Emma joked a bit later when Regina seemed nervous. Although like Henry they were both googling possible causes.
"Oh of course I hadn't even thought of that woman hounding me to get into bed when we returned," Regina rolled her eyes, but continued looking through her phone. Several things could be wrong with Darien, they still had zero clue how she had come to be. Frankly Regina didn't care, as long as, she was happy, healthy, and no one's pawn. She looked up though realizing Emma had driven them to Portland to see a specialist. Who explained to them the different types of hearing loss before he asked about family information which Regina tried to give him as best she could within the confines of this world and the same with her pregnancy. How could she explain she didn't even know if she'd been pregnant for nine months and not noticed, several weeks, a few days, or perhaps even a matter of hours, she didn't know. Although at the very least she believed a few days. So, she simply told him she had a routine pregnancy except for hardly gaining any weight at all. And it got a bit awkward when he asked for Emma's family history as well and she had to specify she was just a very active Godmother. Finally, they tested Darien properly and determine that it was likely sensorineural hearing loss. They determined that the left ear had profound hearing loss while the right ear had left her with some earing, but it probably not clear at all.
"So, she's never going to hear me reading to her?" Henry asked sadly as he'd taken to reading to Darien every night.
"No, so we can fit young Darien here first with hearing aids or rather one aid in her right ear, and as she gets older or sooner we could fit her with a cochlear implant. I think Darien will be a good candidate for that, but she is two months old and we are in a critical stage of speech development."
"But she's so young," Regina frowned as she kissed Darien's head. He nodded.
"Yes, I completely understand that, but Darien's best chance in the long run would be the implant." Regina nodded.
"How soon could you get us on the schedule if we are able to get the money together, how much money is it?" Emma asked. She'd sought out the best specialist in Portland knowing Regina would only want the best. He looked at his schedule.
"Next week if you want, but it's over a hundred thousand dollars with the new technology a more updated and wireless version that has had great results."
"How much exactly?" Regina asked.
"Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars usually paid before surgery," He told them. Emma whistled and ran a hand over her face. "And between one and four thousand dollars for the hearing aid, this will not include the consultation fees from today, tests we ran, or the tests we will run to adjust her hearing aid."
"Okay, that's a lot, but I think if I take some work out of storybrooke as a bounty hunter, saved from paychecks, and sold your car we could have that by the time she's a year. And use the hearing aid until then."
"Dr. Hartmann, please schedule her for next week," Regina said firmly. Emma looked at her shocked.
"Regina where will we get that much money in a week?" Emma asked her.
"It's all right I'll clean out my savings, it's no problem." Emma nodded making a note to discuss this in the car. "I want her to have her best chance in life too." Emma didn't argue at all it was just that simple, they were the type of women that did whatever was needed. Darien was scheduled, and they would return and stay a few days in Portland while she recovered.
"I want a private room where we can all stay with her, I don't want her frightened because her family isn't with her at night," Regina told him. He nodded. Soon they were back in the car although Regina sat in back to get a feeding in before they were on their way.
"Emma turn off up here at the next exit," Regina told her from the back seat. She had a hand on Darien was holding onto her fingers in her sleep. Emma did as she said and continued to follow Regina's directions.
"Where are we going mom?" Henry asked. Regina was silent for a moment, she couldn't tell Henry they were going to see someone she had slept with once or twice. She had to put in a way for him to understand.
"To see my girlfriend sorta I guess," Regina told him as she texted something.
"Girlfriend!" Both Henry and Emma exclaimed.
"I mean you said something earlier, but I didn't think it was actually true," Emma balked.
"Well she's not really my girlfriend I'm being far too generous in that actually. But she's got one of my cars and we need to sell it so yeah." They eventually pulled up to a nice mansion bigger than even the one in storybrooke.
"Like holy hell you own this?" Emma asked as Regina swiped a card.
"God no, I don't buy houses for other women to live in, and watch your mouth," Regina told her seriously as Emma drove through the gate. "New York Bae owns this one."
"I'm sorry New York Bae?" Emma asked waving her off about her language choices. Regina was known to slip up when she was around.
"My girlfriend from New York, she's an arts dealer, she owns this place, and we let Portland Bae stay here because she's poor and her life is just to make ours or well hers really easier."
"Oh, Gina you're here!" a brunette screamed. Regina rolled her eyes as she got out of the car.
"I told you not to call me that, and I specifically asked you put clothes on for once because my kids were in the car."
"Sorry Gina don't be so uptight." Regina huffed. She really was annoyed with this girl, she was already over her, but New York Bae wasn't. "Do you have my keys?"
"Here you go, will you be staying long?"
"No, I've got to get the kids home, just go back to whatever you were doing." Regina walked away over to the garage and Emma followed with Henry and Demi still sleeping in her car seat.
"Ugh another blond Regina really," She pouted.
"Again, feel free to step inside away from us," Regina grumbled as she opened the garage and found her car practically wrecked.
"What did you do?" The girl pouted at her.
"I just had a little accident with another car that's all don't worry I'm taking care of it, don't worry about your insurance."
"My insurance are the least of my worries, like why didn't you say anything immediately and from the cobwebs this was a while ago."
"Yeah well I knew you'd be upset," She said. If looks could kill Emma was sure this girl would be dead already. Regina just shut the garage and dialed another number.
"Yeah hi Lyra, I have a problem, your old play toy wrecked my car and didn't tell anyone. I needed to sell it for medical expenses for Demi." Regina was silent as she paced for a moment as Emma reopened the garage to look at the car. "No thank you, really, I have to do this on my own, can you just sell the other cars as well, and I should have exactly what I need. And yes, we're perfectly fine with Dr. Hartman in Portland, I trust him." Emma frowned a little at the phone of course Regina's apparent girlfriend would try to slip in and handle everything. Not like she was the one offering to not only work as Sheriff but go out and catch bail jumpers.
"God this car is beautiful," Emma murmured turning her attention back to the car wondering if it could be fixed.
"What kind of car is it?" Henry asked curiously. He had a million questions like how long his mom had been dating a super-rich girlfriend from outside of storybrooke.
"An Aston Martin One-77, it's a fast and expensive car," Emma told him. She didn't notice Regina watching her and making another call.
"Emma check if it starts." She tossed Emma the keys who caught them in one hand before handing over Darien's carrier to Regina. She started up the car, and it ran smoothly enough which meant most of the damage was cosmetic.
"You think you can drive this back to storybrooke?" Regina asked her. "Safely that is?"
"Oh yes definitely," Emma told her.
"Cool I call shot gun," Henry cried.
"Not so fast, not until this has been repaired," Emma told him the same time as Regina spoke.
"Not yet it's not safe enough." He frowned but gave in. Soon they were leaving with Regina and the kids in the Mercedes and Emma in her Aston Martin after cleaning it up a bit. The girl had really been a slob. Regina was leaving it to her Lyra to evict her finally.
"How come you never told me you had a girlfriend?" Henry asked as they drove. Regina shrugged.
"It wasn't a secret from you, Graham was just a cover for the town. But Lyra and I we're not really that serious either enough for you to be introduced. We help each other out every now and again that's all."
"Like you and Emma?" Henry asked.
"No, no definitely not quite like Emma and I," Regina told him. She didn't know what was between her and Emma anymore, but they connected on a different level especially emotionally than her and Lyra that was a given.
"Oh, I don't understand," Henry said.
"It's all right you're too young. You'll understand one day," Regina told him. "But just so you know I'm going to use magic when we get back to Storybrooke."
"To make Demi better?" Henry asked. Regina shook her head.
"No, that I cannot do now, if she had been ill perhaps I could reverse it, but this was the way she was born. I could hide her implant if I wanted too, but this is a part of who she is, and she shouldn't be ashamed." Henry nodded.
"Why will you do magic?" Henry asked.
"To fix the car Emma's driving, I think she deserves a really nice present and I can't drive the car anyway. And don't worry we'll have enough money for the surgery without selling this one." Henry nodded as he smiled.
"I think she'll really like it actually, she kept touching the car like it was a baby." Regina chuckled as did Henry. An hour later they were well over the town line before Emma, and Regina was waiting on the side of the road on purpose. As Emma crossed the town line the car started to fix itself and clean itself. The inside was a new tan leather, and the outside became the same color as her old bug. By the time she was braked next to them she was getting out of the car and absolutely freaking out.
"No, no Regina I couldn't," Emma said knowing there was only one reason this car would match her yellow bug as Emma was sure that Regina hated her bug. She refused to let her ever drive Demi in it now.
"Yeah you can, this way when you take Demi anywhere without me that needs the car you can take the Mercedes and I don't have to drive your stupid death trap in the meantime if I need a car."
"But what about New York Bae didn't she buy this for you?" Emma asked. "Won't she be upset?"
"First off New York Bae would hardly be wanting if it were hers. But it's not it's mine, I bought it myself. I keep a good amount of my savings in assets. Some of them cars that have zero miles on them, so please from Henry, Demi, and I to you, a thank you for being how wonderful and attentive you've been to us. We're happy to call you family and in this family, we give lots of gifts." Henry nodded beaming. "Now wipe that disbelieving look off your face Swan, I believe your car is now safety ready for you to take your son for a spin." Henry let out a gasp of delight and looked between both of his mothers' waiting for the second go ahead before he launched himself into the car. Emma screamed in delight hugged Regina tightly and spun her around before she turned to Henry.
"Kid let's go now before she changes her mind!" They both ran for the car.
"Wear your seatbelts!" Regina yelled after them before they were gone, and Emma was really testing the speed she noted. She got back in with a quick look at Darien who was watching her. She gave her a smile before she got in her own car and headed homed. She was a bit tired as it was. Getting home though was not the peaceful affair she thought it would be as she found her front door knocked in and the dwarves replacing it while all her things were being unceremoniously put out on the front lawn. Including recently received presents, which meant they had come after Granny had been there. It was as if Darien could feel the storm of emotions inside of her as she started crying. Regina parked across the street and immediately called Henry's phone, so she could speak to Emma without encouraging her to take her hand off the wheel. She lifted Darien out of her car seat before she stalked over towards her home as soon as Mary Margaret appeared. She was taken aback by being thrown back by fairy magic. She just managed to protect her daughter as Ruby arrived having seen the commotion on her run. She always ran by enjoying the woods behind Regina's house plus she was always joining them for dinner on her run days.
"What the hell?" Ruby asked as she helped Regina up and they looked over a crying Darien. She wasn't hurt, which Regina knew made them very lucky.
"Go away Regina, we'll allow you to collect your things as soon as we're done," Mary Margaret told her. "I'm the mayor I get the mayoral mansion."
"This is not the mayoral mansion everyone knows that," Regina told her as the dwarves just threw her baby's cradle like it was trash.
"What are you doing to my home?" Regina asked as she watched the door containing Henry's heights being tossed out too.
"We don't believe you," David told her. "You obviously planted the deed with your magic."
"David, Mary Margaret this is insane, this is her home, Gold bought the mayoral mansion I remember that from the beginning of the curse," Ruby told them.
"Well it's our home now, she took our home once," David shrugged. Regina sent a blast out at the barrier, but for the moment it held. She'd already used too much for Emma when she wasn't fully rested yet. The commotion brought out the neighbors who said they had tried to reason with the Charmings earlier about rightful ownership, but they wouldn't budge. And she believed them Regina had very carefully chosen her neighbors just in case the curse ever broke, and they didn't return. By the time Emma got there she was livid, and Henry was crying.
"Mary Margaret, David what the fuck?" Emma asked them. She stomped forward and was thrown back before they could call warning. And still others were crying out for her to arrest them. Emma stood up again and, in her anger, she could just feel Emma's magic flaring. Regina thought it was strange as she'd never felt anyone's magic the way she felt Emma's except maybe Maleficent but even than that was a different time especially for dragons. Without a thought Regina reached a hand out and was able to control the flare of magic that Emma released as it otherwise might have harmed her parents and she'd never forgive herself, but it did destroy the barrier.
"Emma I would like to remind you that as Sheriff you have every right to fire your deputy for criminal activity," Regina told them. "And we've already established the mayor isn't above being arrested too." Emma immediately fired her father on the spot.
"Emma!" Mary Margaret cried. "What spell does she even have you under!"
"No spell it's just common sense," Emma told them. "I spoke to Gold who provided me with detailed papers of his purchase of the real mayoral mansion because I knew you would run the magic angle and I spoke with several members in town who hate Regina who also confirmed Gold's initial purchase before I even went to him. Regina couldn't have known who I'd talk too, and I knew for a fact that she had not either left the house or secretly popped over before I could speak with them. But as usual you two are so self-centered that you can't consider any other possibility in that you are right and everyone else is wrong. Well I am not putting up with that at all, you don't have a right to come into any home of your choosing and just take over."
"But she's the Evil Queen, what does it matter, she doesn't deserve this place, we deserve it to be a family."
"I don't care this isn't the Enchanted Forest anymore we don't invade people's homes, here that's called breaking and entering. If you want to rule here and be mayor than you must abide by the laws of the land period. And it matters because she is a person with an infant who is trying to move on with her life and be someone better. She has helped save your life countless times and I remind you without her help Gold would not have been able to cure your dream shade poisoning." David frowned he hadn't wanted people to know that Regina had been involved with the process, but unfortunately it also made people think that Gold never gave David a price, that his services were suddenly free and that he could be trusted.
"Hey what's going on here?" Leroy demanded to know. Regina responded by magically dragging all the dwarves out of her home and producing hand cuffs for Emma.
"Should I run and get the police cruiser?" Ruby asked her.
"Nope, we'll march them down main street to think about their shame," Emma told her. She turned to Regina. "Don't do anything until I get back, Granny would kill me if you are doing any of the heavy lifting."
"Damn straight," Granny told her appearing with the evening meal. She'd caught the end of the commotion and been caught up by a neighbor. She was absolutely appalled. "And you load them in the back the truck, so we at least can get the car back in the driveway and Ruby you take this moving truck back to wherever." Ruby nodded and got the keys off one of the dwarves before they were all including Mary Margaret loaded into the back of David's truck which Emma drove to the station. Let them spend a while cramped in the two cells, she just didn't care right now.
"What the…. What did she do to my house?" Regina asked no one in particular. She had gotten Darien in a sling on her chest, so she could at least rest comfortably now that she was calmer because Regina was at least on the surface calmer. Regina ran a hand through her hair as she saw the gaudy new front door that had been installed the trashy bird paintings over frilly wall paper in her living room. Her all white room had been all but destroyed and she saw they intended to replace it with colorful flooring. Her dining room was still intact for the moment though there were test paints on the wall. They hadn't thrown out her china she noted probably intending to keep it. Her horse painting was destroyed on the front lawn she had seen. Pictures of Henry had been carefully placed to the side as well as new ones containing him and Emma. But anything with her in it regardless of if it contained Emma or Henry were thrown in the trash as well as those of Darien. Photo Albums for the moment were left untouched but stacked on the dining room as someone prepared to go through the keep and destroy pile she saw. Upstairs was just as bad her room taken apart completely everything was just simply cleared out into a pile in the backyard that included all her clothes, bed frame and mattress had been chopped to throw through the window it seemed. Everything she had from the baby although the cradle was in the front yard. It would take a lot of magic to reverse what they had done to her room. And she nearly gagged seeing the bright orange test strip on her wall. And of course, Darien's nursery was a mess. The dwarves had chopped up most things in the room to make a pile and just trash. Her walls had already been painted white destroying the stars in some places.
"Mom, I don't understand," Henry cried as he stood next to her.
"I know Henry, it's just sometimes people aren't as nice as they would have you think. There are many different types of villains. Sometimes people do things because they think they have a right too and destroy other people's lives in the process, and those same people wonder why there are thieves, people who are willing to assassinate them, and Evil Queens. Always look carefully at the ripple effects of your actions Henry."
"How come grandma says that you're only the Evil Queen because of a stupid secret." Regina's hand tightened into a fist. Apparently in all this no one had told Henry the true story.
"Let's go sit," Regina told him. He nodded and led her to his bedroom as like Emma's it was still intact. Darien demanded to be out of the sling. She wasn't often in it and wasn't that used to it yet. Regina easily returned her to her favorite place of being tucked into the crook of her neck. Henry had found it comforting too.
"Will you tell me?" He asked. Regina nodded.
"I'm sorry that in all the fighting and what not, no one ever gave you the full story, but it's better coming from me that's for sure." He nodded. "It was never a stupid secret. I was barely sixteen when I saved your grandmother from a horse, that much is in the book, but it doesn't say what happened in between that day and my marriage to the King. As you know I grew up in another Kingdom where I was a Princess."
"Yes, your grandfather King Xavier's Kingdom." Regina nodded. Most of her mother's story was in the book about spinning straw into gold. "Anyway, eventually my mother moved us to Snow's Kingdom after my grandfather died and she had bad relationships with my Uncle. Besides she wanted me to be Queen and that couldn't happen there. So, I spent my teenage years alone mostly except for Daniel. I was extremely isolated, but I saw Daniel consistently nearly every day since I had moved there. I could only write to my cousins, but that was even less after I married. So of course, I fell in love with the idea of being free with Daniel and I fell in love with his ability to love freely without fear. It wasn't weakness to him. I just wanted a simple life with a wife one day, but I knew that was kind of out of the question with my mother, so I settled for a husband in Daniel. And after I saved Snow the pressure was really on so I proposed to him and when he accepted I was ecstatic. Snow caught us kissing and she would have told that night, but I convinced her that what Daniel and I had was true love and told her that was rarest magic of all. She agreed to keep my secret, and the next night my mother crushed Daniel's heart right in front of me."
"Cora was really an evil woman." Regina nodded.
"I found out later that Snow decided that she much preferred me as her mother, she's angry with me because I eventually rejected the fact that she was ever my daughter. I suffered a lot as Queen not just because I was upset about Daniel that hurt yes, but what hurt more was that I was pregnant, it was Daniel's baby I knew that. Then Blue divined a son for me, your grandfather didn't want anyone to usurp Snow, so he forced the baby to come early, and when it was a girl and she still managed to survive, he killed her anyway because only Snow could be my daughter. He told me that my only purpose was to serve him and Snow. She changed my entire course in life if I had managed to escape my mother, Daniel I had managed to forgive, but my only child at the time I had not. It's why when you were younger I really was uncomfortable with her being around you, she reminded me too much of that time, like her jealousy might peak through the curse and hurt you too." Henry was all tears as he hugged her and Darien.
"And that's why Darien is so special, and you don't like to put her down."
"Yes, because she broke the curse he put on me later. I don't know how, but she did. And she's our gift. And for the record I didn't like to put you down either." Henry grinned at her knowing that was true from all the selfies and home videos. There was rarely a moment captured on film where he wasn't far from her loving arms until recently.
"Come on let's see if we can salvage Demi's cradle tonight at least. I can sleep in Emma's room for the night as we sort this place back out." He nodded but paused in getting up.
"Mom I will be really careful now to think about how my actions can hurt others." Regina nodded.
"Thank you, Henry." They left the room and were able to salvage the cradle together with Henry doing most of the lifting at Granny's insistence. Emma came back and it was decided that everything on the front lawn would be brought back in and piled into the living room and the next day Regina would use magic to put her house back together properly in sections. The sections part was forced on her by Granny. Ruby at least arrived with Belle and Ashley with needed supplies for Darien.
"I just can't even believe them, and now it's got me thinking what I would be like if I had actually been raised by these people. I've never been so grateful in my life to not have parents as I have been in this moment. This is insanity and I don't ever want to be this insane."
"No one does," Regina told her.
"Although they accused me of being under a spell and not caring that they are now homeless since you changed the locks on the loft and evicted them."
"They broke their own lease," Ruby grumbled.
"I think Judge Spencer will pardon them out of spite anyway, so I'm thinking if we allow them to resume their lease at the loft, they will stop trying to wage war by taking this house. I think you may have to be kind to get them to back off," Emma grumbled. Clearly the idea wasn't sitting well with her because frankly they didn't deserve it.
"Yeah sure and I'll raise her rent to match her new salary," Regina grumbled. "I need to build my savings anyway." Emma nodded. More money seemed like a fair enough trade-off for Regina not burning them to death, because surely the idea had crossed her mind not that Emma blamed her at all at this point. After everything was at least not on her front lawn and Granny was headed home with Belle. Ruby decided to temporarily deputize herself and patrol the night for Emma. Regina erected a force field against Blue. She never did like or trust that bitch.
"Texting New York Bae," Emma asked a hint of frowning in her voice. Regina shook her head.
"No, London Bae actually," Regina told her. Emma's eyes widened as she got into her bed. It was weird having Demi and Regina in her bed for once and her not being in Regina's bed. Either way as far as she was concerned it was now their bed.
"How, when, why?" Emma asked. "I have so many questions and Daniel?" Regina chuckled.
"I've always preferred the fairer sex, but when my mother isolated me as a teen there was only Daniel. There were things about him that I loved, and he was an absolute bright spot in my misery. He certainly loved me more and he died for it. Anyway, after a forced marriage and recovering from that in the time before I enacted the curse when I got here, and I realized that I was free to cross the town line, I realized that there was actually no one in my way stopping me from having relations with another woman. I mean they weren't the first, but as Queen it was hard as the Evil Queen that would have meant rape. I wasn't into that. So yeah as I traveled a bit of the East Coast. New York led me to New York Bae who inadvertently introduced me to London Bae. London is a weekend trip if you want it to be. Both basically spoil me whenever I come around, take me out to high society parties to show me off because I have perfected being arm candy. We text, they always check that I have whatever I need, and I check that they have what they need usually temporary play things for my lack of constant presence I do have a town to run after all or I did."
"What about Portland Bae?" Emma asked Regina scoffed.
"Let's not even give her that title, I can't believe I even associated her with the g word, but I didn't know what else to say while Henry was in the car. She's gone now, she was mostly for New York Bae, but she's been around too long in my opinion just freeloading and for what you saw what she did to the car. I should have never agreed she could stay longer." Regina made a face. "Now Vancouver Bae that's what's up." She showed Emma a picture of them all and Emma noticed they were all blond although New York Bae was black and Vancouver Bae definitely Indian.
"So, you like blondes?" Emma asked.
"I tend to have a preference for them even Daniel was a blond, but these two are fake blondes and it's only been recently they changed hair color." Regina told her as she finished texting. Emma nodded feeling awkward.
"So, is this you than with relationships, you don't really want one, so you've settled for something a bit more superficial?" Regina frowned in thought as she locked her phone for a moment.
"It's a weird answer but yes and no. I've been hurt a lot and it took a lot for me to love Henry freely I mean when I realized that I could. I guess my problem is, is I've always had too much love to give and not enough people to give it too. So, when I first got here I thought that finding someone older and richer was how it was still done, that I was their property. I wasn't eager for that, but I had so much to learn and I reasoned that as soon as I disappeared back into storybrooke it would be easy to break all contact. But New York Bae wasn't like that at all. While she was impressed with my ability to be arm candy I was free to go where I wanted, meet and talk to who wanted. They were free to talk to me. She taught me a lot more about having mutually pleasurable sex that I hadn't experience since Maleficent taught me it was even possible for me to have good sexual experiences after Leopold. He was so brutal especially after I was cursed. And if I were to ever find a person I could trust and count on to be there, I think I would want a real relationship with them. Not one based on sex and money. New York Bae is always willing to jump in and help if I need something but with just money. Henry asked me earlier if it was the same as you, but I told him no, because when you are there you are there and not just a money presence."
"That's good to know you value me," Emma murmured.
"I thought giving you the car was me saying that, I've never seen anyone fall in love with a car so fast, it seemed a shame to scrap it or sell it for nothing instead of giving it to you."
"It was one of my dream cars. I never imagined I would be within two feet of a car like that, let alone drive one." Emma chuckled. "I didn't grow up rich like you."
"You know I never thought I was rich until today in Portland at the doctor. You went above and beyond and thanks to you Demi's speech won't be delayed. The kind of love you give our kids is more than anything I could ever hope for." Emma gave her a big smile.
"So, it's not weird I call them our kids too?" Emma blushed. Regina chuckled and shook her head.
"Nope, as soon as that little turd right there insisted that she had a preference for you, they became our kids." Emma laughed out loud as Regina made a face at Emma being the favorite.
"That's because she already knows that I am the fun mom," Emma grinned widely. Regina looked mocked shocked and hurt.
"How dare you, I'm fun too," Regina grumbled.
"But not as fun as me, you're the strict one, you make sure everything is in order and veggies are eaten and I handle the fun, that's just how it is Reggie deal with it."
"Reggie?" Regina asked. "You've been calling me that for awhile now every now and again."
"Gina made me cringe earlier, so I need to start enforcing Reggie until I burn it away." Regina nodded.
"That much is true, the moment she called me Gina, I knew why my mother never allowed anyone to call me anything other than Regina. But Reggie actually has a nice ring to it." Emma smiled broadly.
"So even when you sale your cars; how short will we be on funds?" Emma asked.
"Zero dollars. I have quite a bit save up in various assets. We don't really need to worry about money anymore. I have wealth from the Enchanted Forest translated to this world, and I have wealth that I accumulated over thirty years. Like when you broke the curse my apple stock blew up so thanks for that." Emma chuckled.
"I can't believe your stock was frozen," Emma chuckled.
"It wasn't, as soon as you blew into town and I knew if I didn't get you to leave soon the clock would start. I basically bought stock at 1980s prices that just were so wonderfully rich when time started up again." Emma stared at Regina opened mouthed.
"Sometimes I really hate your genius." Regina grinned at her. "Anyway, I'm thinking of pulling back from New York Bae, she'll notice soon I don't age, and that's why I decided to take my assets from her like the cars and stuff."
"And what about London Bae?" Emma asked.
"We're more friends, she's getting married to the love of her life and dropping all her side chicks, but we still talk. Like I said Vancouver Bae is where it's at," Regina laughed. Emma couldn't help but laugh too.
"So, she's all that's left, won't she realize you haven't aged too?"
"Vancouver Bae spends all day drunk, so I doubt she can tell her vagina from her butthole most days. She's a good lay when she's sober and when she's drunk she hands me her black card and I redecorate the house, buy new cars, and go shopping." Emma laughed at Regina's obvious over dramatization of it all. "No, but seriously she's the hottest of the three at the moment, but really only worth my time if she's sober."
"Anymore Baes I should know about?" Emma asked as they got settled down in bed. They seemed to have a silent agreement that they ought to try and sleep now before Darien woke up for a feeding or wanting Emma. Regina grinned.
"Yeah Storybrooke Bae," Regina said. "Good night!" She turned off the lights and left a stunned Emma still sitting up.
"Reggie…. Regina…what come on that's not funny," Emma told her, but Regina pretended to snore. "Are you serious?"
"Call my phone and find out," Regina chuckled. Emma grabbed Regina's phone and called to her surprise a photo she hadn't known Regina had taken of her and Darien graced the phone and she was now under My Only Bae.
"Holy shit," Emma whispered as she fell back on the bed. She didn't know what to do with how she was labeled in Regina's phone, so she just simply settled for silence and Regina cuddling up to her as usual when Darien wasn't between them.
"I broke up with all the others," Regina muttered. "They don't deserve the title like you do."
"Wow," Emma whispered.
'I'm her only bae,' Emma thought.
Author's Note: I know that Demi is too young for a cochlear implant. I learned that a bit later, and so made some corrections in later chapters. I made it part of the story. So if you're someone who knows about this, don't worry I know.
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