A/N: I felt pretty uncomfortable with what happened in 5x10 with regards to allowing Zelena to be part of the baby's life and calling her the baby's mother. Giving a rapist have any rights to the child conceived through rape is wrong (and illegal in Maine) and watching her continue to taunt her victim is troubling. We still haven't gotten and Regina / baby interaction, so I wrote some. Hope you enjoy the story! Let me know what you think (an addendum to this thought after reading a day of anon reviews, feel free to comment positively or negatively on my story, but please don't bother to leave a review if it is going to say something offensive about survivors of rape or children conceived through rape. Please and thank you.)
Regina hasn't been able to fall asleep. The memory of Zelena holding that sweet, innocent little baby has Regina's mind racing. There's envy there, she won't deny that. But more than that Regina is filled with a gnawing fear. She's known Robin's child for little more than 24 hours now, but already she loves the little girl.
That sweet innocent baby deserves every chance in life; she deserves to grow up surrounded by unconditional love. She doesn't deserve to be used by Zelena. Regina's thoughts stray once again to Cora, to what it was like to grow up with a mother whose love was twisted into something dark and terrible, something used to break and mold Regina for Cora's own ends. Regina vows not to let that happen to Robin's daughter.
Regina is pulled from her thoughts by the sound of the baby's cries. Regina jumps to her feet and rushes to the crib in the corner of her bedroom. She lifts the baby into her arms so she can leave the room quickly before Robin is too disturbed. But he wakes before she can leave the room. "Regina?"
"I've got her. Go back to bed." Robin had been alone with the baby all night while Regina had been out searching for Emma and Zelena.
"It's ok. I can take her." Robin sits half up and looks so tired.
Regina leans over to press a quick kiss to Robin's lips. "Go to sleep."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me." She doesn't want thanks. They agreed that she would raise this precious girl together, and Regina doesn't want Robin to think that anything about this is a favor to Robin. "I get to spend some quality time with this little angel."
Robin smiles and lies back down. Regina rocks the girl in her arms as she shuts the bedroom door behind her and hurries down the hall so as not to wake the boys.
"It's all right baby girl. I've got you." Regina coos at the crying bundle in her arms. She checks her diaper, clean and dry. "Are you hungry? Let's get you a bottle sweetheart." The baby's cries quiet as Regina rocks her. "That's right. Everything's ok, baby girl. I promise, I've got you."
The baby stares up at her with bright blue eyes, trusting and helpless. Regina feels a surge of protectiveness for this child in her arms. "I won't let anyone hurt you," Regina promises, tears welling in her eyes. Her heart feels like it will burst from her chest, unable to hold the love she has for Robin's daughter. This little girl deserves everything. She deserves a family who will love her selflessly. She deserves a mother who would never hurt her.
Regina leans down to press a kiss to the child's forehead. Tears fall down Regina's cheeks as she and the baby enter the kitchen, and Regina turns on a dim light. "Let's get your bottle out," Regina says, narrating the trip just like she did to Henry as she pulls a bottle of formula from the refrigerator and places it in the bottle warmer. "This land really is amazing, sweetie." The baby reaches out from her blanket and Regina offers her finger for her to grab. "You need a name. I'll start nagging your daddy. We can't call you Baby Hood forever. For one thing it's a ridiculous name, and for another you need a name of your own, precious."
The baby is studying Regina, listening intently to her voice. It strikes Regina again how easily she's fallen in love with this child. She wonders how much it will hurt to watch this baby call Zelena her mother. As soon as the thought comes to her, Regina chases it away. "I will be here for you no matter what," she promises. Her own feelings don't matter right now. What matters is that this child is going to have parents who love her no matter what.
Regina dabs the milk on her wrist to test the temperature before holding the bottle up the baby's mouth. The baby takes the bottle, sucking hungrily. "That's my girl." Regina feels strange saying it, knows this baby is Zelena's. But this baby is Regina's too isn't she? Regina is the one standing here in the middle of the night taking care of this little girl and making sure that she will always know that she is safe and loved. "I love you sweetheart." Regina whispers, because this child will always know, must never doubt that she is precious and perfect and so, so loved.
"I know what it's like to have a mother who isn't able to love you how you deserve. I hope that doesn't happen to you, sweetie. You are perfect, and you deserve the people in your life to be as perfect as you are. I'm sorry we aren't sweetie. I'm sorry I can't make this a perfect world for you. But whatever Zelena does, you will always have your daddy and me. And we will always love you, no matter what."
The baby is sucking happily at the milk, oblivious to the drama that surrounded her today, and for that Regina is grateful.
"Let's go up to your nursery. I'll sing you some of Henry's favorites and see what you like. How does that sound to you?"
Regina had hoped Zelena's love for her daughter would be unconditional, but all there had been were taunts at Regina and Robin and Zelena still looking at the baby like she was a prize. Regina doesn't know if they made the right decision today. She hopes for the sake of this sweet little girl that Zelena will be able to love unconditionally.
"I love you sweet darling," Regina promises walking into the room that she had quickly transformed into a nursery earlier that day. Regina sits down in the glider she pulled out of storage from when Henry was a baby.
"No matter what happens, I will always be here for you." Wide eyes stare back at Regina and she presses a kiss to the baby's hair. "I love you my girl."