Chapter Thirteen
It was only 7pm but it had been the longest day of Emma Swan's life.
It started with believing that Regina Mills could well be dead within twenty-four hours and then finding out that her second child would not only be a girl, but was biologically half of another woman.
Breaking the curse and formally meeting her parents took a backseat to Regina offering to fight a dragon. Seeing the mayor with a sword shouldn't have had the effect on her that it did, but now that they were absolutely True Loves, she figured that it wasn't the worst thing in the world if her attraction was written across her face.
After their talk in the hospital, it occurred to her that she should be offering the mayor protection until she was certain that she was safe. It would mean getting to spend time with her, which was both the last thing she wanted and the best option right now.
She was hyper aware of what was waiting for her in the loft: parents.
How was she even supposed to begin processing that after everything else?
Ultimately, Regina made the decision for her, insisting that Henry would not be safe at the mansion until the townspeople calmed down, whilst also paradoxically claiming that they wouldn't attack while they believed that she had magic.
It was for this reason that she had decided to return to the loft despite feeling much more at ease in Regina's presence during her drop off at the mansion.
As she headed towards the loft, she couldn't get away from the awkward moment at the mansion door where she stared at her True Love, the mother of her children and chose not to kiss her even though it was all that every fiber of her being wanted.
They had a lot to talk about, to figure out and it would take time as she'd warned, but Regina Mills was still the person in town that she felt most comfortable around right now.
Based on Henry's storybook, she had a strong feeling that Snow White and Prince Charming wouldn't be quite so happy with that fact.
Still,s he was sure that hiding or running was never an effective tactic in Storybrooke, so she wished Regina a good night, made her promise to tell her if the dragon burn or head laceration weren't healing as they should and then headed home.
She held her breath as she trailed up the stairs and then blew it out as she reluctantly opened the front door.
"I still don't understand the point of it," David Nolan sighed (or should she be calling him Prince Charming now? Or was dad more apt?).
"It's for entertainment," Henry replied, gesturing to the TV that was playing a muted episode of Friends.
David scratched the back of his head, studying the remote as Emma closed the door.
Henry was cut off mid laugh by the sound and called without any greeting, "Is mom okay?"
"Safe at home, kid," Emma replied, removing her jacket and ignoring David's gaze on her visible bump.
She only knew him as the memory-less patient who was a flight risk, so it was more than odd to behold the genuine shock on the stranger's face.
"Can I go and see her tomorrow?" Henry asked.
"Of course you can," Emma replied before David could think about objecting, "I'll call her in the morning?"
Henry was in the process of nodding as another voice joined from the opening bathroom door.
"I'm not sure that is a good idea, Emma," Mary Margaret called and Emma went to scratch at her head until she realised that it was exactly the motion that David had performed a moment ago and her hand dropped limply to her side.
David was a stranger to her, but Mary Margaret was a different matter entirely.
She was her roommate, friend and confidant but now Emma wasn't so sure that she would agree with all of the advice that she'd given her now that she was her mother.
The twinge of distaste that passed across her features boiled Emma's blood immediately and she recalled Whale's request to avoid stress from that morning. She couldn't imagine that having her first argument with her parents would help with that.
It wasn't as though telling them that the so-called Evil Queen had fought a dragon to protect their daughter and granddaughter today would wipe away years of strife that Emma was still trying to accept as real.
"And why is that, Mary Margaret?" Emma sighed, about to go over to the kitchen in pursuit of their strongest drink before thinking better of it.
Mary Margaret made to step closer but stopped as her daughter crossed her arms.
"You need to be careful, Emma, she was called evil for a reason," Mary Margaret replied, clenching her jaw as Emma rolled her eyes, "This could all be a trick."
Emma huffed and drifted across the loft, pulling the letter from her back pocket and shoving it into the woman's hand.
"Doesn't change this," she replied.
Mary Margaret unfolded the crumpled paper until her forehead took on a similar quality as David came over to also read it.
It was obvious to Emma that he barely understood it.
More feebly this time, Snow repeated, "This could be a trick."
"She will probably take another test if I ask her to," Emma replied after sharing an exasperated look with Henry, "I'm going to bed, it's been a very long day."
She moved to the stairs before anyone could suggest that they had a lot to talk about.
Mary Margaret sounded as though she was scrambling for some rationalisation for it all but halfway up the stairs, Emma heard David ask, "What's DNA?"
Mary Margaret paused and then said, "Henry, do you have your science textbook?"
Emma rolled her eyes as she finally got to her bed and dropped onto it.
After some hesitation, she pulled out her phone and sent off a text message that she couldn't ignore her desire to type out.
'Henry is all good. Everything okay over there?'
To her shame, she stared at the screen until the response popped up: 'My home is perfectly safe, I will inform you if that changes.'
Emma found herself grinning at the unnecessary formality and immediately discarded the device as she flopped to the mattress.
She was supposed to be figuring out what she wanted so maybe she should focus on her parents right now?
Somehow that part was freaking her out more than her Evil Queen True Love in this moment, though she was sure that was bound to change as she attempted to work through everything.
Right now, she kicked her boots off and laid her hands onto the small bump as she closed her eyes, determined that all she should be worrying about right now was sleeping.
S
Seeing Regina baring a bandage on her head and arm the day after the curse broke had Henry dwelling harder on what could have happened.
What if Emma hadn't done that DNA test or the results had come back a day later? Would True Love's Kiss have worked if Emma delivered it while the mayor's heart had already stopped beating.
The very real possibility that his mom could have died made him want to spend every moment with her despite knowing that the mansion wasn't strictly safe.
The bandage revealed the unfathomable fact that mayor Regina Mills had fought a dragon for her daughter, apparently with little regard for what her son would do if she didn't make it.
But hadn't he said to her over 12 weeks ago that she wasn't his real mom? By his own logic, she should want to do anything for the child that she actually shared DNA with.
Emma was only just showing and Regina had already put herself in mortal danger countless times to ensure she would get to meet her, but for the boy she had known for ten years, it took a miracle baby to consider breaking the curse.
What had his sister done to deserve this nicer version of the Evil Queen?
These thoughts had hit him like a freight train upon overhearing Emma arguing with Snow regarding whether it would be safe to live with Regina.
On the one hand, he wanted to defend his mom, assure his grandmother that she would never hurt him, but thinking about those bandages incentivised him to take another route.
He couldn't go back to hurting Regina's feelings at every turn like he once had but the emotions boiling within him were both confusing and too close to those he experienced upon being given the book.
The fact that she'd told him the truth didn't erase all of the lies or what she had done to everyone in this room. If Emma needed space to figure out how she felt about the complicated woman, it stood to reason that he should be afforded the same chance, right?
Hoping that the queen would see it that way without having to explain too much about how he was feeling, she snuck out of the loft, leaving Snow and Emma to their bickering.
It was no great secret where Regina would be right now, but it was unsettling to find Town Hall almost completely empty. Still, he made a conscious effort not to run to the mayor's office.
The door was already wide open, revealing items floating carefully into boxes.
The former mayor stood at the centre, still in a pristinely pressed pantsuit despite being impeached.
Henry paused to watch the magic, utterly enraptured by the ease with which his mother manipulated the things around her. This fascination slipped quickly into concern, however, as his mind offered him illustrations of the Evil Queen using these abilities to hurt so many people in pursuit of Snow White.
"Henry?"
The boy blinked to dispel these images and crossed the threshold as he had so many times before . Would this be the last time now that his mother was no longer the mayor?
"Hey, mom," he greeted, eyeing her forehead that no longer bore the bandage, not that the stitches were pleasant to look at.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, her patent parental concern on full display. What would she look like for her actual kid?
Henry tried to shake this off and replied honestly, "Emma and Mary Margaret are arguing."
"About?"
"If I should live with you or not," Henry said, studying her face for evidence of whether she cared.
She stiffened noticeably, a hint of anger passing over her before she cleared her throat and asked, "I assume that your grandmother believes it is unsafe to live with your own mother?"
Henry clucked his tongue. Since Mary Margaret regained her Snow White mantle, Regina had done little to hide her resentment and from what Henry had seen from the woman, it wasn't entirely misplaced.
She could be quite annoying when anyone disagreed with her.
"Yeah," he said, scuffing his sneakers.
"And…what do you think?" Regina asked only a little above a whisper, preparing for hurt.
It was almost enough to convince Henry that his thoughts were misplaced but there were so many questions that he was not prepared to ask just yet.
What if Regina was unable to convince him that she wouldn't love her real child more?
"I know that you wouldn't hurt me," Henry assured, "But…I was thinking…it would be nice to get to know Emma and my grandparents for a while before I move back home?"
Regina closed her eyes, rubbing her palms thoughtfully, gathering her thoughts before she turned to him, revealing that she'd successfully read between the lines:
"I understand that you deserve time to get to know the rest of your family and why you would rather be with them for now. But…what can I do to regain your trust?" she asked empathetically.
Henry wanted to tell her that he did trust her, but his mouth apparently had other plans, "Don't use magic. It always causes…evil…"
"I can do that," Regian replied and multiple folders and ornaments dropped at the same time.
Regina cringed as one of them audibly smashed but didn't turn to check on the damage as Henry breached the distance to throw his arms around her.
"Thank you, mom," he said, humming as she carded her fingers through his hair.
"Anything for you, my little prince," she replied.
Henry was grinning as he pulled back and went to pick up some fallen folders.
"If I help you pack up, do you think you can tell me about the dragon? Did you really use a sword?" he asked.
Regina laughed at his excitement, beginning to continue the task manually, "I've wielded a sword many times, Henry."
"Who taught you?"
"Edmond," Regina replied.
Henry drew his eyebrows, searching his memories for the name's significance but came up blank, "Oh…cool."
"His title was the Count of Monte Cristo," Regina added absently.
Henry dropped the folders to look at her with his mouth open.
She laughed again and asked, "What?"
"Did you ever meet the Three Musketeers?"
S
Following the breaking of the curse, Snow White was preoccupied with a great many things.
Reuniting with her husband and long lost daughter, officially meeting the grandson she had known for ten, timeless years and then there were the many meetings to appease the disgruntled townspeople.
The infrastructure of Storybrooke may have been fairly sound but it wasn't built for so many characters deciding that they didn't like their assigned roles.
After many pep talks and assurances that they would be protected, the townspeople calmed down significantly which allowed Snow to turn her thoughts to the image that would forever be seared into her brain.
Her precious daughter telling her about her night with Mayor Mills and then, worse still, stumbling upon Emma straddling Regina on their couch.
Emma hadn't been willing to discuss Regina beyond telling them that no one was to hurt her and then inexplicably getting the woman to agree to another DNA test.
The saviour only glanced at the results before joining Henry in some game as if it hadn't confirmed something monumental.
As if the Evil Queen and saviour making a living thing was completely natural and that it should make any sense that Regina would voluntarily eat that apple to break her own Dark Curse.
Snow and David, on the other hand, were not quite as blaze as the pair currently trying to outscore each other on the couch.
They both stared at the confirmation written plainly on the letter between them for ten minutes until Snow whispered, "This has to be some kind of cruel trick."
David opened and closed his mouth until he finally shrugged and Snow did feel a little sorry for him.
From his perspective, he hadn't long woken up from a twenty-eight year long coma. She couldn't see dealing with the amount of information that had been dropped upon him with such grace.
At the very least, he had the bliss of not witnessing Regina and Emma actually together. He didn't have to deal with almost acknowledging that they wouldn't make a bad couple, that their second grandchild was going to be incredibly cute.
But how would it be possible to love something that was half Regina?
She was only able to bring this up to David when Emma and Henry were firmly asleep. They may not be with the mayor right now, but she very much doubted that they would take kindly to any ill words spoken against the woman.
Unfortunately, Prince Charming was not able to offer much reassurance about their future. He was coming around to the opinion that True Love did not lie, that there was nothing that they could do about it.
It was this that led Snow into a part of town that Mary Margaret rarely visited: Milfin Street.
The mayoral mansion taunted her with opulence that was unavailable to her in Storybrooke, it was exactly what she couldn't give to her daughter (and grandson) because of the woman behind that door.
If it wasn't for the outcry of the townspeople, Snow wouldn't have been certain that she would be home. As it was, Regina Mills was no longer mayor and likely would feel much safer in the confines of her home. She may be under the sheriff's express protection, but Snow knew of many who would rather seek forgiveness for their revengeful instincts.
Snow rapped intently upon the door until it was wrenched open.
Regina appeared hopeful for a second but this hardened into ill-hidden disappointment and Snow had to throw her hand out to prevent her from closing the door.
Regina growled and Snow saw the strangest thing ever, the Evil Queen displaying actual self-restraint or perhaps it was the still obvious wound on her forehead?
Could that mean that she truly cared about Emma enough not to try to hurt her mother?
"Is there something I can help you with, Snow?" Regina asked with a clenched jaw.
Snow's nostrils flared and she demanded, "What have you done to make Emma believe that she is your True Love?"
Regina sighed and leaned against the door in a very non-Regina-like manner which disarmed Snow enough that she had to cross her arms.
"Where would you like me to start?" Regina replied, disinterestedly, "Breaking two curses or creating a new life?"
Worrying at her lip, Snow argued, "It could be a trick…"
"If it would help," Regina replied, standing up straight with some semblance of her usual smirk, "I could describe every lurid detail of that night."
"Stop!" Snow said urgently and Regina laughed as she tried her best to disregard the details that her 'roommate' had unfortunately already told her.
Apparently Regina had at last found a way to torture her without magic.
"You can accuse me all you like, Snow," Regina said once she stopped laughing, "But in doing so, you should think about what you are suggesting about your daughter. Do you believe that she has lied to you?"
"Of course not!" Snow said, absolutely scandalised, "But I don't believe that you would break your curse based on her word alone!"
"True Love can be a convincing thing as I'm sure you are aware…"
"Do not compare what Charming and I have to…" Snow began to shout, gesturing wildly at her former step mother.
Regina stepped forward, in a stalking step, and said lowly, "To what? What makes what we have less worthy?"
Snow moved back but replied, "Well, to start, the two of you would actually be together. Henry would choose to live with you."
Regina raised a hand and Snow flinched but was shocked to feel no magic acting upon her, instead, the older woman curled her fingers in and her hand dropped limply at her side.
"I am, by far, more patient than you," Regina replied.
Snow huffed, not detecting any sign that Regina was up to something untoward. She'd lost far too much for that to be the case.
"So you intend to do…what exactly with my daughter?" Snow demanded.
"Well that is entirely up to Emma," Regina replied with such surety that Snow was taken aback. Regina wasn't going to force love upon her as she and David feared? Regina moved into Snow's personal space to give her the best possible view of her determination. "I will, however, be in my childrens' lives, so I do hope that you will learn to hide your disdain in your grandchildrens' presence."
All Snow could do was to open and close her mouth, unable to come up with a response as to why Regina had no right to be around Henry and her unnamed granddaughter.
This gave Regina the opportunity that she needed to return to the threshold of her home.
"As exciting as this exchange has been, I am afraid I have many other things I could be doing," Regina said and slammed the entrance shut with no further ado.
Snow continued to stare at the door blankly, trying to process how different Regina Mills really was from the Evil Queen.
Could that really mean that she deserved to have the saviour's love? Was there anything that she could do to stop it if they were meant to be?
S
Having parents was not the fairytale that young Emma would often picture, less so now that she knew that they were Snow White and Prince Charming.
They were the same age as her so naturally had no idea what they were supposed to be doing and yet they kept trying.
On top of David slowly getting used to modern day Storybrooke, the two of them almost constantly asked her questions that she either didn't know the answer to or didn't want to respond to.
She fed them the same story about Neal Cassidy that she had to Henry and that was where the questions about their grandchildrens' parents came to an end. In fact she hadn't heard anyone utter 'Regina' outside of Henry casually mentioning his mom.
He had yet to go and see the woman following his request to spend time with his Charming relatives and it was painfully obvious that he was enamoured with his grandfather and his tales of heroism.
If it wasn't for the resistance currently pulling at Emma, she would have suggested going to see the former mayor but she was afraid that she would opt to spend all of her time with her True Love rather than with her parents.
She at least understood why it was that they had to send her away and they were not allowing her to forget that they cared for and wanted to get to know the daughter that they loved unconditionally already.
Surely she could try with them for more than two weeks rather than running to the safety of the woman that she absolutely was not ready to be with yet.
It was at 8pm after a shift at the station that she reached her limit, however. All she wanted was to enjoy her snack of gherkin sandwiches (a benefit of pregnancy outside of prison; she could have whatever she craved) when Mary Maragret started suggesting that she name her daughter Eva after her own mother.
Mary Margaret was smiling at her expectantly.
Henry was at the dining table explaining his homework to his grandfather so she didn't have any back up.
Her first instinct was to tell her that she couldn't name her daughter after a woman she'd never met but she had been slowly learning what sort of responses would cause that pained little pout to form on her mother's face.
She wasn't sure whether it was the hormones but the expression really pissed her off whenever it made an appearance.
It was for this reason that she claimed to have forgotten to finish some very important paperwork and she left despite protests from all present.
As the mayoral seat remained unoccupied, it was patently untrue that anything could constitute urgent, at least when it came to paperwork and this was how she found herself drifting into Granny's diner.
She plopped down at the counter, supporting her head onto a closed fist, thinking more about the gherkins than what her daughter's name was going to be.
"What can I get you, sheriff?"
Emma jumped, having forgotten that her sanctuary was actually an operating diner with waitresses who would actually take your order.
Ruby quirked an eyebrow at her and Emma asked, before she could question the strange reaction, "What's the strongest drink you got for a pregnant woman who has already had caffeine today?"
Ruby frowned, looking round for a moment, "Hot cocoa?" she suggested.
Emma sighed, touching her stomach like it was a reminder of the reason that she watched her diet carefully for the second time in her life.
"Too much sugar," she replied.
"Peppermint tea?" Ruby tried,
"Hit me," Emma huffed and Ruby made short work of providing a cup of the steaming and pleasant smelling beverage.
Unfortunately, pleasant was not exactly exciting.
Ruby grabbed a cloth to wipe the counter, making sure that no one was gesturing for her while Emma dragged the mug closer but made no attempt to lift it to her lips.
"What's up, Em?" Ruby asked.
Emma clicked her tongue, examining Little Red Riding Hood before she replied, "You're Mary Margaret's best friend in the book."
"I am capable of having more than one friend."
"That's not what I mean," Emma said, gesturing vaguely, "I can't talk to you about my…you know…my…"
"Mother?" Ruby supplied.
Emma winced, no one had said that aloud since Regina just after the curse broke and she absolutely was not prepared for it.
"I promise whatever you say will stay between us," Ruby offered.
Emma swallowed because it was an offer that she could refuse. There was one other person in town who she wanted to discuss all of this with but her prime role in casting the curse made all of that more complicated.
Why not bear her soul to the closest thing that she could get to a bartender while she was carrying a child?
"I came to Storybrooke to make sure that Henry was okay and now…"
"You're pregnant with his mom's baby and have parents?"
Emma nodded, just about not dropping her head onto the counter, "I've never had anything to tie me down before and now I can't just leave this town without someone noticing."
"Do you want to leave?" Ruby asked.
"No," Emma replied, honestly, "I just like to have options, is that crazy.
To her surprise, Ruby was not staring back with any judgement at all, perhaps she had chosen the correct confidant?
Ruby's response proved that she'd made the right assessment, "A few months ago, your life looked dramatically different. It's okay to take a minute to wallow but don't let it consume you. Look at what you've got to look forward to?"
"Having a baby with a True Love who my parents hate?" Emma sighed.
"The way they feel won't change what is going to happen."
"Are you talking about the baby or Regina?" Emma asked.
Ruby shrugged, "When's the last time you saw her?"
"I texted her about Henry yesterday," Emma replied, hoping that she wasn't blushing. She had spent an embarrassingly long time constructing the simple message about Henry's wellbeing.
"Not what I asked, Swan."
"I guess not since she agreed to give me space," Emma admitted, taking a sip of the tea and grimacing. Was that supposed to be relaxing?
"Well maybe do something about that?" Ruby said, not seeming to care as Emma pushed the tea away.
"I don't know," Emma replied, her throat drying as she pictured seeing Regina in person again. Beyond knowing that she was physically okay from her text messages, she had no idea how unemployment was treating her. "She seems so sure about everything, I don't want to lead her on and find out that I'm not ready."
"Beneath all of the power and pantsuits, that woman is not put together, trust me. There is always at least a tinge of fear on her scent," Ruby reassured and Emma frowned until she forcibly remembered that she was literally talking to a wolf.
Deflating, she asked, "So what do I smell like?"
"Oh, absolutely terrified," Ruby laughed, "But maybe True Love can help with that?"
Emma's eyes lingered on the tea and could practically feel the contentment of delivering True Love's Kiss, of knowing that Regina was going to survive.
Surely feeling like that again would be good for their daughter's wellbeing.
"You don't hate Regina?" Emma asked.
"I mean she's obviously on thin ice but if we don't give her a chance to be with her family how can we call ourselves heroes?"
"I'm guessing you don't want Mary Margaret to know you said that?" Emma asked and Ruby's eyes widened.
"Like I said, just between us," Ruby warned.
Emma chuckled, genuinely cheered up as she asked, "Any idea how much sugar I can have?"
Pulling out her phone, Ruby replied, "I'll find out, Em."