AN: It has beenfar toolong since I've updated this story. Most of myfree time is devoted tothe Once Upon a Time Virtual Series. Ihave not, however, abandoned this story. This fic is not dead, only sleeping.

Chapter XIX

Nightmares and Revelations

It hadn't been so bad. In fact, minus her face-first trip down the stairs, it had been a damn good evening. Henry had pieced together his project with a dogged sort of determination. It was the sort of focus that she'd only seen him give to his secret operations. Well, Emma decided, Operation Science Fair was definitely a success so far. His digestive system and the tri-fold poster board blew her paper mache volcanoes and foam ball solar systems out of the water. Of course, he had something she'd never really had: help. Not just normal help, either. Regina was like Charlie's Angels level of help. She was some sort of dark magic wielding Martha Stewart craft expert. She was such a mom. She was so caught up in helping that she hadn't even flinched as she destroyed a Prada purse for the Kid's project. A purse that Emma was pretty sure had cost more than her car was worth. Regina had just tore it apart then started to sew it back together, like it was an everyday occurrence. She was still wearing her glasses and was folded up on the couch, with her feet tucked underneath her while she flipped through Henry's science book and neatly wrote out labels to attach to the dummy's fake organs. Even the labels were fancy, perfectly uniform construction paper whose edges were crimped, wavy and zig-zag thanks to Regina's huge and slightly intimidating collection of craft scissors. Not that Emma had been trusted with the fancy scissors. She was stuck gluing the labels onto sturdy white cardboard backers and then putting the label onto a thick wire, floral wire or so Regina had said) so Henry could jab it onto the right part of the dummy.

The Kid was currently shoving bean-bag-chair-pellets into red tights (Emma wouldn't believe Regina had actually worn them without proof) The remains of the soccerball print bean bag lay on the floor at Esmeralda's bare feet. She, despite declaring that she had no idea what they were doing, was pushing the "large intestine" into the dummy's insides. The vacuum hose had been painted a noxious shade of pepto-bismol pink that had been neatly stored in Regina's garage in a large tote that had actually been labeled paint. Why Regina had ever needed such as ugly color was a mystery to Emma, but it had come in handy.

It was all coming together and the best part was that Henry was doing all of the heavy lifting, figuratively and literally speaking as both she and Regina had been grounded to the couch. Which was fine with Emma because it was only nine-thirty and she was exhausted, full of pizza, and sort of fuzzy. She had no idea how she was going to get herself, The Kid and the huge and heavy project dummy into her car and all the way back to the Loft. Honestly she wasn't really sure how she was going to get off of the couch. She watched Henry finish the dummy, by shoving in then labeling the fake guts they'd helped make. He adjusted the labels and the guts until he decided everything was perfect, Kid had definitely got his perfectionist tendencies from Regina, and then sat down on the floor with his back against the couch. He tilted his head back and grinned. He was a great Kid and despite the fact that they'd only had a few hours, they had all helped him make an awesome project.

"I'm tired." Henry looked up and back at them, his neck bent at an angle that people over sixteen couldn't manage to pull off without seriously injuring themselves. "can I stay here tonight, Mom?"

Before either she or Regina could answer Esmeralda answered for them. "Both you and Miss Swan shall be staying here tonight. It is far too late to travel, especially after an injury and healing."

Oh thank God, problem solved,Esmeralda was the one person in the universe that Regina did not argue with. Still, though, she knew better then to assume anything with Regina. "Regina, I-you don't have to-"

"Mom" Henry yawned mid-word, "Are my Avengers pajamas clean?"

"Yes, in your pajama drawer, darling." The word darling was split by a yawn that Regina fought to control. It was the cutest thing Emma had ever seen. Which was surprising because "cute" was not a word that Emma associated with Regina. That was what she was at the moment, though. Between her obvious exhaustion, the glasses and the glitter and that had somehow gotten in her hair, fingers and smudged on her cheek and the way she was curled up on the couch, it was all just cute. Fucking cute.

"Regina-" Emma grinned a little, "You really don't have to-"

Regina waved her away, "It's no bother. There is plenty of room and you're still recovering. Esmeralda is right, you shouldn't drive after what happened. Besides, after Henry falls asleep it is next to impossible to get him back up."

Emma blinked and looked around, sure enough Henry had already left the room and had, presumably, gone upstairs. Even Esmeralda had slipped out of the room, leaving just the two of them and the science project.

"Come on, I have a guest room you can use."

They both, slowly, go to their feet and Emma realized exactly how tired she was. She felt like she'd been on a three-day stakeout with no coffee. The trip back up the stairs was long and nerve wracking but otherwise uneventful. Regina's first stop was, unsurprisingly, Henry's room. Emma followed her. Henry was splayed across his still-made bed in only his pajama bottoms. The matching shirt with Iron Man,Captain America, Thor and Hulk's faces on it was still hanging out of the drawer, like he had given up the fight half-way through dressing. Regina bent over and pulled his mismatched socks off his feet and tossed them negligently into the laundry basket. She moved quietly on her bare feet and started to gently wrestle Henry onto the bed correctly. She pulled back the covers and slid him undeneath. Emma moved to help without a second thought. It was no small effort, because Henry wasn't small anymore. When they finally got him settled Regina ruffled his hair gently.

"Sweet Dreams, My Little One." She pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Emma" she murmured, "his lamp."

Emma blinked out of her stupor, "Henry doesn't sleep with a night light at the loft."

Regina moved again, scooping up Henry's discarded clothes and dropping them in the hamper. "It's for when he gets up to use the bathroom. He does every night , 2 am, like clockwork. Without the light he might trip."

Emma nodded and remembered many a night that he'd woke up up by knocking things over trying to get back to bed after his 2am pee. Something that both he and Charming did every night. Genetics were weird. She flipped the light on and the soft warm glow lit the room and decorated it with spinning unicorns, dragons and swans. She took in the scene, Henry in a cozy room decorated with clocks, fairytales ,comics and toys. He didn't have this at the loft. He didn't even have his own room at the loft. He was shoved in with his grandparents and her, struggling for space, something she knew all too well. This is the sort of room a kid deserved. This was the room she was pretty sure she would have never been able to give him. She looked over at Regina. She, too, was looking down at Henry and she made a small sound, something that Emma could only describe as content.

Regina blinked and then started moving again. She reached for and lifted the laundry hamper and Emma could all but hear her thinking about doing a load of laundry. Apparently her mom-mode didn't have anoff-switch.

Emma put her hand on the hamper to stop her, "Not tonight, Regina."

Regina quickly replied, almost thoughtlessly, "I need to-"

Emma tugged the basket out of her hands and put it back on the floor, "You need to rest."

Regina nodded, apparently too tired to argue, which was proof that she needed to go to bed.

Emma followed her over to a closed door.

"Nan's in the bigger guest room. I didn't realize that you'd be staying or I would have-" Emma opened the door, walked into the magazine-perfect guest room and flopped on the bed just as bonelessly as their son had before her.

"It's perfect. Magnificent. Fit for a queen." Emma wasn't even exaggerating. The bed was the most comfortable she'd ever laid on.

Regina leaned against the doorjamb. "No. My bed is fit for a queen. This one should be sufficient for a princess, though."

Regina stepped out of the guest room after Emma settled in, but instead of closing it, she left it adjar-the same way she did Henry's. Just in case. Regina shook her head at her own silliness and was about to retreat to her own room. It had been a very long, very draining day. The evening, with Henry, Nan and even Emma had been lovely, but it hadn't erased the earlier trauma, and then the magic and Emma and-just everything.

She retreated to her own quiet room and shed her clothes. She stripped her makeup off and padded over to her bed. She felt exhausted and though her house was full, she felt alone.

Then Esmeralda's words echoed in her mind. Storybrooke was her father's last gift to her, his legacy. That was an oddly comforting thought. The idea that her father, her daddy, was still watching over her-and his grandson, made her feel safe. She pulled her own covers back and crawled into bed.

Her father's spirit may be in Storybrooke, but her mother was actually in her quaint seaside town.

Cora would do her very best to tear her world apart. Esmeralda, Emma, Henry-they were all in danger from Cora. Cora who was too powerful. Even at her peak as the Evil Queen she had never been able to defeat her. She fell asleep with her thoughts troubled and her arms wrapped tightly around her own waist.

At first Emma wasn't sure what woke her up, but she jerked awake and was at first confused, then scared. A scream echoed through the house. It made the hair on Emma's neck stand up and send a jolt down her spine. It was not, she knew instinctively, Henry. It was Regina. "Mother!"

Terror and adrenaline turned her blood to ice. She pushed the blankets off of her and all but leapt off of the sinfully comfortable bed. She was so stupid, such an idiot. They had let their guard down and now Cora was here.

"Mother no!"

Cora was here and she was hurting Regina.

She rushed down the short hall, and cursed herself for leaving her pistol at home. Sure Cora was a batshit insane Bette Middler-Witch wanna-be but even she couldn't dodge a bullet. She had never thought to ask if Regina had a gun in the house. Had never imagined the mayor would need it for anything. Regina's bedroom door was wide open and Emma rushed though it, ready for anything. Anything but what she saw.

Regina thrashed against her blankets, fighting off an invisible foe. Emma sagged and breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a nightmare, a night terror.

Esmeralda, clad only in a white sleeveless sleep-shirt, was soothing Regina as best she could. She was running her fingers through Regina's hair and singing softly.

Emma didn't recognize the tune, but even if she did the words were in Spanish...she was sure of it. The song, a lullaby was a lullaby in any language, was soft and melodic-soothing. regina started to calm, but not wake. Esmeralda was soothing her back to a calm, peaceful sleep.

"That's my lullaby."

Henry, stood beside her now, rubbing his eyes. Emma stole a glance at Regina's bedside clock, two oh four am. Henry's words were quiet and if Esmeralda noticed them, she didn't show it.

"No, Kid." Emma felt guilt and something like envy swirling in her gut. "I think that's your Mom's lullaby and she was sharing it with you." That, more than anything she'd seen or heard, cemented it for Emma. Cora might be Regina's birth mother, but Esmeralda had raised her, loved her, been her mom. "Shit." She muttered it to herself as she realized what she, and by extension her entire charming family, had done. Not only had then denied that Regina was Henry's mother, but also that she wasn't Esmeralda's daughter. No wonder she'd taken it so personally.

"C'mon Kid, I think Esmeralda has it under control. You done pee-ing?"

He nodded and they went back to his room.

"I know who Esmeralda really is." He yawned as he crawled back into his bed. "She's from the Disney movie, kind of. Except she didn't seem to like the DVD box."

Emma frowned then connected the dots and almost hit herself for being so dumb. Freaking Disney. Still, though, there was more important things at hand. The Fairytale days were gone, in Storybrooke they were just people.

"I don't think Disney got much right, Kid." She sat down on the side of his bed. "But the important part is that she's your mom's mom."

Henry shook his head, "I thought you said Cora is her-" Henry frowned and then looked around his room then at Emma then at his room again. "Esmeralda sort of adopted her, didn't she?"

Emma nodded, now the Kid was getting it.

"Just like my mom adopted me?" He sounded a little confused. "Oh. But she's evil?" Now Henry sounded really confused.

Emma leaned over and tucked the covers around him, not as neatly as Regina had, "Did that look evil to you?"

Henry laid back. "I don't know."

Somehow, all things considered his answer made her feel better about the situation. Not knowing was a lot better then the black and white view he'd had before.

She went back across the hall to her own room but she knew that sleep wouldn't come easily.

Regina slept fitfully, her resting mind could not ward off her demons and the night terrors that they brought. She tried to soothe her, had tried to sing the evil memories away. It had worked, for a short time.

Regina whimpered in her sleep and reached out, but not for her. "Daddy"

She tried to calm her, but she was not crying out in fear, but in sorrow. Esmeralda could not take this from her, no matter how much she wanted too. She had the same sorrow in her heart. She ran her fingers through dark hair and whispered calming words, but she still cried out and reached for a person that wasn't in the same realm as they were. She knew, because her faith in not only the Romani way, but her faith in Henry, that he was standing there, his spirit unable to meet his daughter's touch.

"How old was she when you left her?"

Emma Swan stood in the doorway, her eyes narrowed.

"She seems really happy to see you. Too happy. Like she hasn't seen you in a long long time. So how old was she?"

Esmeralda looked down at her nightingale and forced herself not to cry. Regina had faced many harsh truths, but Esmeralda was not without her own pain and guilt.

"Ten."

She heard the blonde woman inhale breath through her nose, as long and very perturbed sound.

"You left a kid, a little kid, alone with Cora? Were you out of your mind or did you just not care? How could anyone abandon a child with that monster?"

Anger jumped up in her chest like a lion. It clawed at her lungs, it pushed words to her tongue. She could feel her magic burning in her palms.

"And you abandoned Little Henry? Why? Because you did not want him?"

Miss Swan did not react well to that. She hadn't expected she would.

"No! I was barely a kid myself. I was in jail. I couldn't take care of him. I gave him up because that was his best chance."

Esmeralda brushed her knuckles across Regina's forehead, "And what makes you think that I did not do the same?"

Miss Swan hovered in the door. "How could Cora be her best chance?"

Esmeralda sighed and slid off of the bed as best she could without jostling her once again peacefully sleeping woman. "Trust me when I say that if I had not struck the deal that I did, things would be much much worse."

Emma Swan, the Swan, scowled at her, "For who?"

Esmeralda looked over her shoulder at Regina. "Everyone."