Gone but never forgotten 1

for your quarantined reading pleasure #coronaviruslife #noidonthaveit just staying home lol

Warning for violence in this first paragraph-

"Run!"

"They're coming! Go!"

Village people run and scream in panic. A mother grabs her child into her arms and attempts to run with the child who is at least eight years old and much to big to be carried. Someone grabs her from behind and they fall. She looks up at the masked raider and shields her child with her body.

"Please... he's just a little boy..." The raider tilts their head to the side before lifting their sword and killing the woman. The boy behind his not dead mother whimpers in fear and burrows behind his mothers body. The raider looks at him for a long time before turning and walking away.

Xx

Regina sat in her bedroom on the bed crossed legged and thinking.

It had been a few weeks since they'd been back at the castle and she had been hoping that the potion she took all that time ago was just taking a little while to work. That at some point she would loose the baby. But this was not happening. Red told her she was still with child and she knew it. She could feel it within her, and despite thinking initially that she would hate this child she only felt love for it. She was worried of course, worried that the child would grow up to be like their father or that she would be a terrible mother or even that her and Emma's budding relationship wouldn't be able to handle the stress of a child, let alone a child of rape.

She was three months along now and she knew she would need to tell Emma and Snow. Eventually she would begin to show and she didn't want them to find out like that. It needed to come from her.

Admittedly she recently had a lot on her plate. She'd never been a reigning monarch before and it was a lot of work. Her parents were helping her but this was her kingdom and her responsibility. The raiders were attacking more frequently despite the knights she'd sent to guard to outer villagers. The attacks were getting more violent as well, not only were they stealing and destroying but killing people now to. She needed to figure out where they were coming from and what they wanted, if anything other than to cause death and destruction.

A knock sounded from the door and Regina sighed.

"Come in" she said softly and Granny entered, followed closely by Cora.

Regina laughed in spite of herself. Clearly they knew something was wrong and sent in the "big guns" to deal with her.

They both smirked at her laugh and sat on either side of her bed sandwiching Regina.

"Talk to us." Granny said in her typically blunt style.

Regina looked at her and then to Cora.

"I-" she hiccuped, the humor gone now and replaced by unbearable sadness. "I'm pregnant..."

Silence engulfed the room.

"I thought I didn't want it...I took a potion when I was first married... from your spell book- one to not let me have children... Then Emma and I- we kissed and it broke the spell... I thought that I wanted the potion to work but... now I'm not so sure..."

Cora pulled her daughter into her arms and held her close. Granny reached and held Regina hand tightly as Regina cried into her mothers chest.

After a few minutes Regina sat up again and wiped her tears.

"Sweetheart... this is a lot to take in and I understand that you're upset right now but have you told Emma?" Cora asked.

Regina shook her head. "I don't want to ruin this- whatever we have..."

"I don't think lying to her is the way to do that love." Cora said gently.

"Emma will accept you, you know what kind of woman she is- you have to trust that." Granny said.

Regina nodded, she knew they were right. She and Emma shared true love and a baby could perhaps bring them closer- that is if Emma even wanted kids.

"You're right. I- I'll go to her now... might as well rip off the bandage..."

"We'll be here for you if you need us." Cora said.

Xx

Regina found Emma easily in the kitchen snacking as she always seemed to be. The woman was as thin and fit as she could be but she ate more sweets than a ten year old.

"Oh hey-" Emma said with a smile and her mouth still full.

"Emma. Could we talk? Somewhere private?" Regina asked seriously.

Emma's smile disappeared as she swallows and nodded, following Regina out of the kitchen. Regina let her hand fall to her side and open for Emma's, who took it quickly and held on tight. They walk together to a sitting room and sit on the couch.

"Is something wrong?" Emma asked, her worry growing by the second.

"I- well no, I mean, kind of... I just need to tell you about-"

The doors to the sitting room open and two guards entered. Behind them hid a small boy with sandy brown hair, he looked about 8 years old.

"We're very sorry to interrupt your majesty but we found this boy in one of the outer villages. The raiders had attacked and killed everyone in sight. Except the boy, they spared him, for what purpose I don't know but..."

Regina looks between them then to the boy.

"And the orphanages?"

"Full" she guard said.

Regina stands and steps closer to the boy. He peaks his head from behind the guard and looks at her cane. She smiles at him, "do you like it?"

He nods shyly.

"Would you like to see it?"

He nods again.

"Come on our and you can see it." She said and the boy took a small step toward her, she hands him the cane and grips her arm instead on the guard.

The boy examines the head of the cane in wonder. He twirls it around and smiles.

"It's so pretty." He said finally and Regina smiled.

"Thank you, my mother gave it to me."

"Why do you need it? You're no old."

Regina laughed, "well thank you, I need it because I hurt my knee and it's hard for me to walk so the cane helps me get around easier."

He thinks on this for a moment then nods and hands it back to her.

"Thank you... what's your name?"

"I'm Henry."

Regina smiled again, "that's my fathers name."

"I don't have a daddy. I had a mommy... but she died..."

Regina looked sadly at the boy, just how much hardship could one person go through at such a young age? It made her heart ache for him.

"Do you have any aunts of uncles Henry? A grandma or cousin?"

Henry shook his head.

Regina looked back to Emma who had been watching them.

"Well Henry, maybe you can stay with us until we find somewhere for you to live? Would you be okay with that?"

Emma nods at the boy with a smile as Regina waits his response. Then Emma looks to Regina, her face again shrouded in worry.

What was Regina going to say?

Was she breaking up with her?

She thought they shared true love but maybe Regina wasn't ready for that yet.

She had been though so much...