Chapter 30 Our Family

More time had passed without any word from Leopold. Regina wasn't sure if that was a good sign. Emma had mentioned seeing him from time to time at city hall. His face was healing, but otherwise he acted as if nothing happened. He didn't even address Emma unless he needed to, which was far in between. Emma had mentioned how hard it was for her to not pummel him each time she saw him. Word around town had spread quickly about their separation, but no one knew what had exactly gone down between the mayor and his wife. Rumors circulated, and some of them were close to the truth. Leopold's silence terrified her, and she found herself having more nightmares, panic attacks and sleep deprivation. Emma was sick with worry for her, but she was there through the darkest moments during the night when she'd wake up unable to breathe and lost in her fear.

After 3 months of healing, her ribs were still painful but more of a dull ache when she'd stand on her feet for too long. The bruises on her face had also faded, and now the bones in her face and ribs just needed to heal. She was on strict orders from Dr. Roe that as long as she didn't overexert herself, she was cleared to return to work.

She came down the loft in slacks, heels, and a blazer, looking as professional as she always did. Emma was in the kitchen, dressed and ready for the day as she poured some coffee into her thermos. She turned at the sound of her heels on the wooden floor. Emma smiled at her as she came into the kitchen to pour coffee into her own thermos.

"You look beautiful," Emma stated, the compliment coming easily from her lips. Regina smirked as she grabbed her thermos, standing close as she poured coffee into it. She was slightly limping but determined as ever to go back to campus.

"Thank you, I feel more like myself than I had in the past months. I'm just ready for a sense of normalcy." She set the pot down and turned, not realizing how close Emma was standing behind her. There was barely an inch between them. She looked up into those green eyes to see them falling on her lips for a brief moment, before Emma cleared her throat and took a step back. Regina could have sworn she saw a blush in her cheeks as she took a sip of coffee.

"You know what we haven't done in a while?" Emma asked with a grin, and Regina shook her head in response, still recovering from Emma's close proximity. "Lunch at the campus cafe! Would you like that?"

Her heart felt like it skipped a beat in response from the excitement in Emma's voice. She smiled, nodding her head as Mary Margaret joined them in the kitchen. Henry was rushing down the steps, and suddenly Regina started to feel a little overwhelmed with how many people were in this loft. She moved from the kitchen; A bit disappointed that her moment alone with Emma had been interrupted. At least she had lunch to look forward to.

Henry right away hugged both of his moms as the young school teacher helped herself to some coffee.

"I have another tutoring session after school today," she said. "Henry is more than welcome to stay but the students I'm helping are younger so the topics we're going to cover won't be of much interest to him."

"Ugh don't make me stay please," he groaned, looking up at Regina and then Emma with pleading eyes. Emma chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"No worries kid," she said. "I'll be waiting right outside for you."

Regina right away fell back into professor mode with ease. She was surprised to see how happy her students were to see her. The moment Regina entered the classroom, her students greeted her with hugs and words of how happy they were that she was back. They had given her flowers and trinkets and cards. She didn't realize how much they cared. After thanking them they got right into the day's lecture. Now that midterms were over it was time to focus on finals. Even if it felt good to be back at work, it felt like her heart wasn't in it now that she was no longer with Leopold. She tried not to let the feeling bother her and assumed it was because of everything that had been going on.

Just as she expected, Emma slipped in at the end of her lecture before lunch, her green eyes meeting hers and sending her a proud grin as she watched her. For a moment she became distracted and had fumbled her words a bit, not missing the students glancing towards the back to see their new sheriff smiling at their professor. She felt a blush on her cheeks and hoped the dim lighting from her powerpoint hid it.

When class was over and the last of the students headed out, Emma was coming down to meet her. She couldn't help but sweep her eyes over her dark skinny jeans, boots, red leather jacket. The sheriff's badge fit nicely on her jeans as if it had always meant to be there.

"That was an amazing lecture, Professor Mills," Emma complimented. "It's as if you never left." She gave her a half hearted shrug as she gathered her coat and keys to head out to the cafe. Emma frowned at that. "You didn't think so?" she asked worriedly.

"No…" she assured her as they walked out together, not even minding as Emma took her hand. "The lecture was perfect. It's just… I don't know how to describe it. Something just didn't feel right."

"Maybe, it's because things are different now. You're not with him anymore."

Regina nodded in agreement as they approached the cafe. She took her usual seat in the back, making sure to face the door as Emma went to the counter to order their lunch. She came back with two coffees and set them between them before taking a seat across from her.

"I found my new deputy," Emma shared, excitement in her tone as she sipped her coffee. Since Graham had stepped down, Emma has been stressed trying to manage the station and hiring an adequate team. So far she has hired two officers but was still looking for a deputy sheriff.

"Who?" she asked, curiously.

"David."

"Mary Margaret's David?" she asked in confusion.

"He has a background, but refused to work for Leopold after he met him. I guess he didn't approve of him being good enough to date his daughter. He must have given him a hard time."

"Sounds about right," she nodded, knowing how protective her husband was of his daughter. "So now you have a team."

"Yes, one that won't allow anyone, not even the mayor to cover up anything. Leopold won't ever have his hands in the station again."

Relief washed over her, knowing that she was finally safe not just from her husband, but from the sheriff's station. Never again will a corrupt sheriff take her back to her husband. She reached out across the table taking both Emma's hands in hers and squeezing them. Emma smiled at her, their eyes locked on each other even as a barista came and set their sandwiches on the table.

It was getting harder and harder for her to distinguish this friendship as just friendship. She hasn't met anyone that made her heart soar and made her feel this loved and safe since Daniel. She pulled back her hands as a thought came to mind. She was falling for Emma. She's never been with a woman before, but Emma somehow held her heart in her palm. The very thought of falling in love scared her and she tried to push her feelings down. They could only be friends… They were friends…. Friends that held hands and cuddled, and kissed each other's cheek from time to time.

"Are you ok?" Emma asked, noticing how quiet and sullen she became. She nodded, taking a bite of her sandwich, and trying not to wear her heart on her sleeve. As their conversation evolved to a lighter subject it was hard for Regina to not notice the little things about Emma. The way she licked her lips after sipping her coffee. The way her eyes sparkled as Regina bantered with her. The way her blonde curls fell over her shoulders and the adorable beanie she wore.

Emma was so free, so simple and Regina wished she had a piece of the light she carried in her heart. That childish humor that she never grew out of. The same light she sees in Henry. Somehow, she was falling in love with the mother of her son.

Their playful conversation was interrupted when her phone that was off to the side of the table started vibrating. Both of them glanced at it to see it was Cora calling again. She hasn't responded to her calls or angry texts and voicemails she's been receiving for the past months.

The spark in those green eyes darkened.

"She can't take a hint that you don't want to talk?" Emma practically growled, a flash of protectiveness in those eyes.

"It's not about what I want. It never was. Her idea of success for me is living a wealthy life with a husband to have power over. When she realized I wasn't going to bully my husband like her, she turned a blind eye to the abuse because I deserved it for not taking advantage of him when he was an alcoholic. She doesn't understand, Emma. She chose power over love, and she wanted me to do the same."

Emma gave her a small sad smile, her eyes darkening a bit as if remembering something. Regina tilted her head in confusion.

"I grew up wishing for my mother. I always had this idea of who she was and why she couldn't keep me. Growing up, it never occurred to me that there could also be mothers like Cora. I'm sorry," she said so genuinely. "I guess we both exactly didn't have the best chance when it came to parents."

Regina's heart broke for the deep loss she could see in her. As lighthearted as Emma was, from time to time Regina could see the child in her that longed for a sense of belonging. It wasn't lost on her that Emma held on to friendships and relationships as if it was the most precious thing in the world. She was once a child longing for their parents… for home, and somehow she had gotten lost in the system. In some way she could relate to not having a normal childhood, with parents that doted on her. She didn't have the best childhood with an emotionally abusive mother and a cowardly father.

"No, we didn't," she agreed just as her phone started vibrating again. She quickly turned it off, feeling a bit of satisfaction for disregarding her mother. She hoped that Emma would never have the chance to meet her. "But, if you found her, would you forgive her?"

She was conflicted… Stuck in between hating and loving her mother. Emma grew quiet and she suddenly felt guilty for asking such a heavy question. Emma didn't really talk about her life in foster care. She only knew bits and pieces of her past. Emma shrugged, took a shaky sip of her coffee, and finally looked at her.

"I don't know," she admitted, her voice hoarse. "I gave up looking for them a long time ago, but I thought a lot about what I wanted to say. Some days I wanted to yell at them and make them feel what I felt, alone and unwanted. Some days I just wanted them to hold me and forgive them for everything."

Conflicted… Just how she felt.

"Hey…" Emma reached out, taking her hand. "You don't have to forgive her just because she is your mother. If you have taught me anything since I met you, being a mother means always putting your child first. Can you honestly say she has done that for you."

"No," she shook her head, a brutal realization of just how much her mother disregarded her washed over. She's always known, but she was always too afraid to accept it.

Emma was running 15 minutes late and she cursed herself as she sent a quick text to Henry. She had gotten caught up settling a dispute that grew violent between two neighbors and it had delayed her in picking Henry up for school like she had promised. Just as she pulled up in front of the school, her heart dropped as she noticed Leopold sitting on a bench and talking with Henry. After months of laying low, this was the moment he decided to make a move? When Henry was alone?

"You son of a bitch," she cursed under her breath as she rushed from the cruiser, hearing their conversation the closer she got.

"Mom will get mad if I leave with you."

"I'm your father. She doesn't have a right to keep you from me."

"So, you want to take me from her?" Henry asked warily.

"No of course not son," Leopold said. "I just want you to consider your options."

"My options?"

"You're going to have to choose, son and in the end you might not even get that choice. You'll probably be going back and forth, or you will stay with me permanently."

"I don't want to be with you at all!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. Leopold advanced on him at that moment, getting up and grabbing his arm.

"Your mom won't win this case! She will be back under my roof sooner than you think and when that happens you can either be on her side or mine!"

"Henry!" Emma's voice suddenly sounded, and Henry yanked his arm away from his father's grip. "Get in the car!" He didn't think twice. He looked up to see Emma glaring at Leopold with blazing green eyes and rushed to the police cruiser. Her hand was on her service weapon that was fastened to her belt. Leopold's eye caught the sheriff's badge on her belt.

"Good day Sheriff, I'm just having a little chat with my son."

"Let this be a warning Mister Mayor," she threatened, getting close to his face. "If I see you anywhere near Henry I'll make sure that's the last time you ever see him."

"Tell Regina to enjoy her time with him, because I will be filing for sole custody. She forgets she had a criminal record when we adopted him," he sneered, his cold dark eyes burning with hatred. "And once I get my son back, I'll get Regina back too."

Emma watched him leave, her fists clenched with the need to go after him and punch him in the face. She shook her head and took a breath to calm herself before turning back to the car.

"What did he say to you?" she asked Henry the moment she got behind the wheel and shut the door.

"He wants me to choose," his voice shook. "He said once mom goes back to him, I have to decide whose side I'm on."

She turned in her seat to face him, reaching out and squeezing his shoulder in comfort.

"No matter what happens neither of you are going back to him. He is never laying a hand on Regina again and there's no way in hell he's getting custody. He's just trying to scare you to get you on his side without a fight."

"I wish he would just leave us alone," he sighed. "He never cared about me before. Why is he doing this?"

"It's just to hold power over your mom," she explained. "That's all it is."

"So, he can control her and hurt her again?"

Emma nodded.

"Come on, kid," she said. "How about we go for hot chocolate before your mom's class is over."

Henry was sullen and Emma knew he was thinking about what his father had said. He was nervous about the possibility of going back to him. Emma wouldn't admit it, but she was terrified of Leopold gaining custody. Regina was going to have a heart attack when she found out about the confrontation, and she dreaded the moment she would have to tell her. When her last class of the day ended, Emma and Henry entered her room just as the last of the students had exited. Regina was erasing the board, her back to the door.

"Mom!" Henry rushed over and surprised her with a hug that had Regina laughing as she turned to face him. She pressed a kiss on top of his head and then looked up and frowned at Emma's worried expression.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I saw dad," Henry beat her to it and Regina's eyes grew wide in fear.

"What!"

"I'm fine," he sighed. "He just wanted me to choose sides."

She pulled away as if looking over him for injuries. When she seemed satisfied that Henry was alright, she looked at Emma once more with a fiery gaze. One that hadn't been aimed at her since their fighting days.

"Regina…"

"Where were you?" she asked, her voice shaking, and Emma's stomach plummeted with guilt. She was already beating herself up enough as it was. Facing Regina, seeing the anger and betrayal in her eyes only made it worse.

"I was on my way… I got held up settling a dispute at work and…"

"You were late!"

"Fifteen minutes," she hung her head in shame.

"Fifteen minutes!" she yelled. "Emma, he could have taken our son!"

"I couldn't just leave. I texted him and told him to wait."

"Well then you should have called me!"

"You were still in the middle of your lecture," Emma argued.

"I would have walked out if it meant I'd be there before that bastard even has a chance at getting to him!"

"Ok, you're right," Emma tried diffusing the situation, more than understanding her anger. She was angry at herself too. "I'm sorry. I should have called you or told him to wait in Mary Margaret's class."

Regina looked at her with panicked brown eyes, her hands trembling, and Emma realized the fiery anger was coming from fear. She reached out, taking her hands and coaxing her into her arms. To her surprise, Regina melted into her embrace and held on to her tightly.

"I wasn't thinking, ok?" she whispered, holding her close and trying to calm her.

"Mom, I'm fine. Don't be mad at Emma," Henry looked at her with wide hazel eyes. At his voice, Regina pulled away to look at him. She knelt to his level, and gently lifted his chin so he would look at her.

"I'm just scared he's going to hurt you or… or take you," her voice trembled, looking up at Emma for a moment with watery guilty eyes. She stood to face her. "I'm sorry I was angry. I'm just… I'm afraid of Leopold taking him from me."

"I know, I won't let that happen," Emma assured her, reaching out and placing her hand softly on her cheek. She looked into worried teary brown eyes, not wanting to see her cry. "You have every right to be upset at me. You have a right to your fear, but I will make sure he doesn't ever hurt our family."

Emma blushed as she realized what just came out of her mouth. She looked away, afraid of Regina's reaction. She couldn't believe what just slipped from her mouth.

"Our family?" Regina whispered, and she was suddenly taking the hand that was on her cheek and cradling it against her chest. Emma slowly brought her eyes back to the woman before her. The anger and fear that was swirling in those dark eyes seconds ago was now gone and she was now looking at her with awed fascination. She was smiling a bit, her eyes lighting up in a way that made Emma's heart skip a beat.

"It just came out," she admitted sheepishly.

"I mean… we are co-parenting him now."

"Yeah, and I choose you and Emma!" Henry spoke up. "Leopold is never gonna get us again."

"That's right, kid," Emma smiled looking at him and then at his mother. "Never again."