Chapter Twelve: Emma

It wasn't long before Regina had cried herself to sleep on Emma's shoulder, and Emma just sat and stroked her hair. She rested her head against Regina's and tried to piece together all the memories of her time in Storybrooke as a child. She didn't want to lose a single detail, as more little moments came back to her.

She heard Regina's phone vibrating on the nightstand, and glanced down at it, seeing her mother's name come up on the screen. Regina didn't stir, so Emma reached down and picked it up to answer it.

"Hi, Mom," she said softly.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret's voice came through the phone, elated. "We were worried. The spell worked? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Emma replied, "back to normal, and all in one piece."

"Do you remember anything?"

"Yeah," Emma said with a small laugh, "sorry I was such a pain. I guess you'll be ready for when Neal hits the terrible twos! If there's one kid in the world who might be able to out-scream little me, it will be him."

"Emma, you weren't a pain," Mary Margaret responded.

"Listen, Regina's asleep and I don't want to wake her up. But I'm going to head over to your place in a little while, ok?"

"Ok, Emma. We love you."

"I love you, too," Emma said, as she ended the call.

Emma put the phone back down, and resumed gently stroking Regina's hair. She held her like that for nearly two hours, listening to her rhythmic breathing and thinking about their time together. Emma thought about how naturally dealing with her as a scared, screwed up little kid had come to Regina, and how she always knew exactly what to say or do. She wondered what demons Regina had from her own childhood that allowed her to recognize her as a damaged child, right from the start.

And that's how Emma had come to think of herself, from a very early age: damaged. She was broken, and no one wanted to fix her. Maybe no one knew how to fix her, or maybe she was just unfixable, but all she knew was, until Regina, no one had even tried.

Emma felt Regina start to stir, and she looked down to see her brown eyes fluttering open. Regina pulled back to look at Emma.

"Was I asleep?" she asked, still groggy.

"Yeah," Emma smiled.

"Mmm," Regina murmured, as she stretched her shoulders. "I had to stay awake to watch you all of last night."

"You watched me grow from a preschooler to an adult?" Emma asked, scrunching up her nose.

Regina smiled. "You still look like a five-year-old when you do that," she commented. "But yes, I did. And it was bizarre, but oddly enough, I don't think that would even make the top ten of strangest things I have ever witnessed."

"Seriously?" Emma asked.

"I have been to Wonderland, my dear," Regina replied.

"'My dear'," Emma repeated, in a teasing voice.

Regina raised an eyebrow.

"I preferred 'Princess'," said Emma.

"I bet," Regina said with a small laugh.

Emma thought back to her 'birthday party' from the night before. She was now aware enough of time to know there was no way it was October yet, and she loved the sentiment of what Regina did for her even more because of it. "Do you want to know what I wished for?"

"What?" Regina asked.

"When I blew out my candles, on my birthday cake. I wished to be a princess for real," Emma said, grinning.

"Well, technically you are, so I guess your wish came true."

"Yeah I guess so. I can't believe you guys kept the fairy tale thing a secret though. I was five, I would have loved it," said Emma.

"Would you still have wanted to stay with me if you knew I was the Evil Queen?" Regina asked.

"You know I've never looked at you that way," Emma replied.

"I know," Regina said. "I had to hide magic from you, too. You didn't seem to have yours."

Emma nodded. "I don't remember it ever manifesting until I was a teenager. If I would have had it when I was little, maybe I would have stood a fighting chance against the horrible people in my life."

"Do you know what ever happened to them? Paul and Lindy? Please tell me they are in prison."

Emma shook her head. "No, I never heard anything after I left them."

Regina looked disappointed. "If had you when you were actually five, I would have tracked them down and incinerated them myself."

Emma smiled. "I don't doubt that for a second. The other homes I was in, later, they weren't like that. They weren't good, but no one hurt me again, not after Paul and Lindy. They just couldn't handle me. Most of them didn't even try." Emma paused for a second, and then shook her head, shaking the memories away. "But that doesn't matter anymore. It's the past, and I survived."

"Are you going to go see your parents?" Regina asked, changing the subject.

"Yes. I was actually thinking a lot about what to say to them, while you were sleeping."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they're having another baby. Three adults and two children are way too many people for that little apartment. I'm going to have to move out. But I need to figure out how to tell them. They're going to be heartbroken."

"They'll be fine, Emma," Regina assured her.

Emma just nodded.

Regina held out her hand and conjured up a house key, and held it out to Emma.

"What's this?" Emma asked.

"A key," Regina replied.

"I can see that. What I meant is why?"

"If it ever gets too crowded at the Charming loft, I want you to know you're always welcome here. That is, so long as grown up Emma isn't still afraid of the guest bedroom."

Emma grinned and took the key. "I wasn't scared as a kid either, I just wanted to make you feel needed."

"Well, that was quite a lot of theatrics for someone who was faking it. I never knew you were such an actress," Regina said, arching her eyebrow again.

"Will you still come to my rescue if I have a nightmare?" Emma asked, in a much more serious tone.

"Always," Regina promised. She got up out of bed, and grabbed a bag from the chair in the corner. "Your parents brought you some clothes last night, since I don't think your pretty pink skirts are going to cut it anymore."

Emma got took the clothes and got up to change in the other bedroom. She went downstairs, and stared at the mess of toys she had left out the night before. She smiled and shook her head as she started picking them up.

"You spoiled me," She said, when she saw Regina come into the room.

"I may have gone a little overboard," Regina admitted, "the party was Henry's idea though."

"I loved it," Emma smiled. "You know it's my real birthday in a month."

"What are you hinting at? You think I'll throw you two parties in one year?"

Emma shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

"Oh, here," Regina said, grabbing a set of keys off of the coffee table. "Your parents brought your Bug here last night, too."

Emma took the keys, and saw Regina smile as she watched her add her house key to the ring.

"I'll be back later," Emma promised, as she headed toward the door.

"You're leaving without your tiara?" Regina teased.

"You hold on to it for me," Emma laughed.

"Alright, see you later, my Princess," Regina smiled. Emma grinned and shook her head. She figured Regina must be punch drunk from her lack of sleep. Or else teasing her was just Regina's way of coping with the loss she was feeling over Little Emma.

When she got in her car, Emma looked back to see Regina still watching her from the doorway, as she pulled away. Regina had told Emma that she stayed with at her house because she needed her, but now Emma was convinced that right now, it was Regina who needed her. She resolved not to stay away too long, as she drove toward her parents' loft.

As soon as she entered the doorway of her parents' loft, Mary Margaret ran over and pulled her into a big hug.

"I can't believe you're finally back," she said, taking her by the hand and leading her inside.

David joined them in the kitchen and pulled Emma into a strong embrace, holding the back of her head with his hand, like he always did. Emma squeezed him back hard, trying to make up for how hard her younger self had pushed him away.

"Where's Henry?" she asked, looking around.

"He went to help Belle down at Gold's shop for the morning," David told her, "she's taking him back to Regina's after. He was worried about her being upset, now that you're gone."

"Well, I'm going back over there later," Emma said, turning to head to the sitting room. She glanced down at the space beside the chair, where she had hidden herself away the night Regina had first come over, when she was little. She thought about how tiny and scared she had been, and tried to shake that feeling away.

"Why are you going back?" Mary Margaret asked, as she and David joined Emma in the sitting room.

Emma shrugged, "because I told her I would. I think she kind of needs me right now. But I didn't come here to talk about Regina. I came to talk about us."

"What about?" Mary Margaret asked, looking nervous.

"Nothing bad, don't look so worried," Emma replied. "I just want you to know... I know you guys tried you best with me. I wasn't the easiest kid."

"That wasn't your fault," said David.

"I know, but it wasn't your fault either, and I know that now. I harboured a lot of resentment towards you two growing up, before I even met you, because I couldn't understand why you didn't want me. After I found out the truth, there was still a little piece of me that couldn't let that go. But now I get to carry the memory with me, that my parents did come and find me, and what that means to me… I'll never be able to fully express."

Emma could see tears forming in Mary Margaret's eyes. "Oh, don't cry Mom! You're gonna make me cry."

"I'm just emotional right now," Mary Margaret replied, wiping her eyes.

"You mean hormonal?" Emma laughed. "Sorry about my reaction to your news when I was a kid, by the way. You should know, I'm so happy you're having another baby."

"We knew you would be," David smiled, "Little Emma's reaction took us a bit by surprise."

"The baby, that's the other thing I want to talk to you about. This place is just way too small for three adults and two children. I'm going to start looking for my own place," Emma said. She looked at her parents, trying to gauge their reactions.

"Emma, you don't have to do that. We'll make it work out," Mary Margaret replied.

"Guys, listen… I had a lot of time to think this morning, and this is the best thing, really. All I ever wanted as a kid was to have my parents. Now I have you, but our relationship will never be what you have with Neal, or what you will have with the new baby, and that's ok. I never wanted to leave before because I just got you back, but I know now that I'm not going to lose you again. I got a second chance to make some new, good childhood memories, and some of those include you guys, and I will have those forever. I'm glad you guys got the second chance to be parents, to Neal, and to this new baby, right from the start."

"But we want you here. We'll miss you," David said.

"Dad, don't talk like you'll never see me again. Storybrooke is not that big. And we work together," Emma reminded him.

"Just as long as you're not planning on moving onto the Jolly Roger," David replied, always so protective. Emma wished she could have seen that quality in him when she was a child. She knew it would have done her a world of good to have a man protect her, rather than hurt her, when she was little.

"Speaking of the Jolly Roger, I don't remember seeing Killian at all, when I was little," Emma commented.

"We asked him to stay away," said David. "We weren't sure at first how you would react to a hook-handed pirate, and then when Regina got it out of you that you didn't like boys, we told him he needed to wait, until you were you again."

"Regina would have roasted him if he tried to come over when you were at her place," Mary Margaret commented. Emma laughed. She was sure that was probably true. And she was sure she should probably pay him a visit, now that she was herself again. But that could wait.

She stayed with her parents a little longer, talking about the new baby, and the good memories that she did make with them, until Emma decided it was time to go. She wanted to see Henry.

Emma grabbed a change of clothes before she got in her Bug to head to Regina's. She hadn't told her yet that she planned on staying the night, but she was sure Regina wasn't going to mind. Emma pulled up in front of the house and headed for the door. She smiled as she turned her new key in the lock.

"Hey, kid!" Emma said, when found Henry in the kitchen, fixing himself a snack.

"Mom!" Henry exclaimed, coming around the corner to give her a big hug. "I missed you."

"You just saw me yesterday!" Emma laughed.

"I know, but that wasn't you," Henry reminded her.

"I know. Yesterday I was just a pint-sized little brat," Emma replied, breaking away from the hug to look at Henry's face.

"No, you weren't. You were cute… and you thought I was the smartest boy in the world," Henry grinned. Emma glanced up at the fridge and smiled when she saw her masterpiece still hanging there.

"I still think that," Emma said, with a smile.

"You were a cute kid, but I'm glad you're back."

"Me too. I love you so much Henry," Emma said, kissing his forehead.

"I love you, too," He said. "Hey, look at these. I got the pictures from your party printed!"

Henry handed Emma a pile of pictures, and she couldn't stop smiling as she leafed through them.

"Wow, I was a cute kid," she said, with a laugh, holding up one of the pictures with frosting all over her face. Henry laughed.

Emma stopped when she found a picture of herself and Regina. Regina was holding her tight and kissing her temple, while Emma was beaming, apparently in mid-laugh.

"That's my favourite one," Henry commented. Emma smiled. It was her favourite, too.

"Where is your mom?" Emma she, realizing she hadn't seen Regina since she came back.

"I haven't seen her in a while. I think she went to take a nap," Henry replied. "She said she didn't get much sleep last night. She was exhausted."

"I bet. She didn't sleep at all last night. I'll go check on her," Emma said, stealing a bite of the sandwich Henry had made himself before she left the room.

Emma crept up the stairs to Regina's room, where she found her sleeping in her bed. Emma slid into the bed, and curled up next to her, resting her forehead next to Regina's.

"Emma," Regina said in a sleepy soft voice, without opening her eyes.

"Shh, go back to sleep," said Emma.

"I miss you," Regina said, still only half-awake.

"I'm right here," Emma replied, wrapping her arm around Regina. Regina nodded, but Emma had a feeling she knew what Regina meant: she missed her as a five-year-old.

Emma smiled to herself as she got an idea. She snuggled herself closer to Regina and started to sing.

"Lavenders blue, dilly, dilly, lavenders green
When you are King, dilly, dilly, I'll be your Queen"

Regina smiled. "You remember the words," she said, her eyes still closed.

"Of course I do," Emma replied, before continuing.

"Lavenders green, dilly, dilly, lavenders blue,
If you love me, dilly, dilly, I will love you."

"I do love you, Emma," Regina whispered.

"I love you, too."

THE END

A/N: Thank you everyone for reading, following & leaving your reviews, it means so much to me, and I hope you enjoyed the story.

I will be starting the sequel very soon, which will be entitled "Lavenders Green", and continue to follow Emma and Regina's story :)