"The appointment went smoothly. Everything is good and the baby is growing normally. He's going to be a strong, healthy baby."

Emma nodded at her father, piling more mashed potatoes onto her plate. Her parents were now expecting their second child, and while it wasn't her favourite topic to discuss, she indulged their excitement.

"We bought the baby his first gift to celebrate the good news!" Mary Margaret gushed excitedly.

"Mary Margaret," David said warningly.

Her father's tone set Emma on edge. She eyed her mother carefully, slamming her fork down when she saw the woman pull out a plaque, carved with the name she had chosen for the baby. This had been a fight they had been having for two months now, and she was getting sick of it.

"I told you never to bring that name up around us."

"Emma, you are going to have to get over this ridiculous aversion you have to my father's name. What has gotten into you these past few weeks? I've told you the baby's name is Leopold and you are going to have to get over whatever problem you have with it."

Even her girlfriend's normally soothing touch did not calm her down. She felt Regina rub her thigh, despite her own stiffened posture at seeing the name in painted baby blue.

"We are not having this discussion at the dinner table. Put that away."

"I thought you'd be excited about the good news. Why are you-"

"Excited? You thought I'd be excited to hear you repeat that you're still going with naming your baby after a ra-"

"Emma!" Regina, now pulled from her state of silence, cut her off before she could say anything else.

"What?" She said, turning to her girlfriend. "It's true! She wants to name my baby brother after that-"

"Enough, Emma," Regina snapped. "This is not the time."

"Emma?" Mary Margaret looked over at her. She never understood her daughter's aversion to her grandfather. She reacted angrily, almost violently so, whenever his name was brought up. She hadn't even know the man, yet whenever Mary Margaret tried to talk about him, Emma would react as though she despised him. Ever since they had found out the baby was a boy and she had announced the baby's name, Emma had been vehemently arguing with her against it. She wouldn't listen to reason, spitting at her to get away any time she tried to talk about it.

"This is bullshit, Regina. You cannot sit there and tell me that this isn't going to be a problem. She can't keep this up. She can't name the kid after him."

"It's not our business," she said calmly, hiding the fact that her insides were in knots. "And watch your language. There are children present."

Emma shook her head and jumped up from her seat. She balled up her napkin and threw it on the table.

"You can fake it if you want. You can all sit here and pretend like that man wasn't the scum of the God damn Earth and that it's okay to name an innocent baby after him, but I won't. I am not going to act like this is okay!"

Emma was shaking with anger. How dare she bring this up again? Every time it came up in conversation, Emma felt her rage boil even more than the time before. How dare Mary Margaret name an innocent kid after the man who spent an entire decade doing heinous things to his wife? She wanted to honour her father? The man was a disgusting excuse for a human being and there was no way Emma would stand by and pretend like it was okay to pass on his name to her brother.

"Henry, take Neal into the other room, please."

Upon hearing his mother's deathly calm voice, the boy did exactly as he was told. He knew that voice. There was a storm brewing and he was more than happy to get out of the way.

As soon as she heard Henry lead Neal upstairs, Emma spoke again.

"You are not doing this. You can't seriously be okay with this, David. Please tell me this is not happening."

"It was tradition in the old world to name children after the people who were important to you," he explained gently. "Had the baby been a girl, we would have called her Eva after your grandmother. But since it's a boy, we will call him Leopold after your grandfather."

Emma shook her head, her stomach in knots. She felt physically ill. Mary Margaret had tried to force conversations about her grandfather in the past, talking about what a wonderful father he was. She never got very far before Emma shot her down. She was not going to sit back and listen to her talk about the man who had tortured her lover, her best friend, for over a decade. She fucking loathed that man and if she ever got the displeasure of meeting him, through some kind of magical event or mishap, she would murder him. After she had extracted her own revenge on him that is.

"I can't do this."

Emma practically ran from the room. If she did not leave now, she would scream the thoughts currently rolling around in her head. She would not betray Regina that way though, so she bit her tongue and stormed out of the house, slamming the front door as she did. Regina had forced her into promising never to discuss the things they spoke about. They had had long disagreements about it (Emma wanting to confront her mother, while Regina vehemently refused) and ultimately Emma had backed off. It was not her secret to tell, no matter how much she believed it should be exposed. Mary Margaret had to suspect anyway. She had to know, at least deep down, that her father had forced himself onto Regina, along with subjecting her to countless other atrocities, while they were married. Regina had been an 18 year old child who had been forced into the marriage. Anyone with half a brain cell would have been capable of deducing what had ultimately occurred.

She fumed as she left the house, biting her cheek, focusing on the pain so as to keep herself from turning around and raging after her mother for being so God damn ignorant. It didn't matter though, because the very woman rushed after her and caught up with her before she had even gotten the chance to fully leave the driveway.

"Emma! Stop! I'm sick of this! I can't ever talk about my father without you losing your temper. What is going on with you? You didn't even know him. He was a good man! How can you hate him so much?"

"Really, Mary Margaret? Really? You don't know? You have never taken a second to even think about what he has done to Regina?!"

"Emma!" Regina shouted, grabbing Emma's arm and cutting her off. She knew her girlfriend would not be able to keep her impulsive mouth quiet for long, so she had run after mother and daughter. The last thing she needed was for all of her dirty laundry to be aired out for the entire world to hear.

"What did you tell her?" Mary Margaret said accusingly. "What did you say about him? I know you hated him, but that gives you no excuse to speak so poorly of him. He was a good man."

"I'm walking away now, Regina. You need to let me go. I need a break because I am going to betray your trust if I don't."

Regina, knowing how hot tempered and impulsive her lover was, simply nodded.

"I know," she said softly.

Emma took a step towards her, taking a deep breath to calm herself temporarily.

"I know it's not my decision, but you need to stop protecting her," she said, stroking Regina's cheek. "There are too many secrets in this family. They need to come out."

Regina stayed quiet, so Emma just nodded.

"Okay," she said gently. "I love you."

With a final kiss on the corner of her girlfriend's mouth, Emma turned and walked away, disappearing around the block.

"What is she talking about, Regina? Who are you protecting?"

Regina took a deep breath before turning to her former stepdaughter.

"You, Snow," she replied with a sigh.

She walked away and re-entered the house, making her way to the dining room and starting to clear up the table. Regina felt her irritation grow when the younger woman followed her inside, immediately pestering her with questions. Mary Margaret had been temporarily stunned by the use of her old name (Regina never used it anymore), but she quickly recovered and ran inside the house to demand more questions.

"How are you protecting me? When have you ever protected me? What do you think you're protecting me from? I'm an adult now, Regina. I can protect myself."

Regina ignored her, snorting internally at the thought that Mary Margaret could protect herself from anything. She was just as helpless now as she was as a child. Instead of responding, she piled dishes in her hands and went into the kitchen to load them into the dishwasher.

"Regina. Answer me." When she saw that she was being ignored, she tried again more firmly. "Regina!"

"No. I do not owe you anything, Mary Margaret. You will not order me around in my own home."

"You owe me when it comes to my daughter! She is usually such a sweet person, but she turns into this ugly ball of anger anytime my father's name comes up. I haven't told her anything about him. I haven't been able to, because she jumps down my throat every time I try. Why did you poison him in her mind? You knew what he meant to me!"

"Which is why she hasn't told you the truth," Emma said evenly.

"Emma," Mary Margaret said, confused. "I thought you left."

"I did," she responded to her mother's comment, but she was speaking to Regina. "But I came back. I realised I was leaving you alone during a shitty conversation and that isn't fair. I'm sorry for blowing up. We know I have impulse control issues and sometimes I react badly. I got as far as the end of the street before I realised I was leaving you to deal with all the shit while I ran away. That's not cool. I want to be there for you and I'm sorry that I just left."

Regina took a step towards her.

"I don't appreciate being left alone, but I'd rather you leave than say something you'll regret."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Emma gave her a small smile before leaning forward to peck her on the lips. She was working on her impulse control, but after a lifetime of having none, it was a tough thing to develop.

"Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?"

Startled by both her mother's enraged voice and use of profanity, Emma pulled away and faced her. She decided to try explaining herself. Regina had been encouraging her to try and express how she felt, rather than react impulsively as she was used to doing. It had been trying at first but Regina had been surprisingly patient. She had been slowly helping Emma calm down and express herself, so she thought back on their practice sessions. She took a deep breath and spoke to her mother.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted as badly as I did, but when you mention him I get really angry and upset and I can't help myself. I hate him, Mary Margaret, and nothing you say will make me think any differently. I don't want you to talk to me about him anymore. I don't want to hear anything about him. And if you name my new sibling after him, I don't think I will be able to see you anymore. I can't stand to hear that name and I won't be able to look at the baby knowing who he was named after. I have told you this repeatedly, but it seems you are not hearing me. So, let me make this perfectly clear."

She took a step forward and stared her mother right in the eyes.

"If you name your child after that man, you are no longer welcome in this house or in my life. I am not going to stand by silently and pretend like this is okay. Maybe that's how you guys did it in the old world or whatever, but this is not that place and I won't stay quiet about something this fucked up. I loathe that name, that man, and everything he was."

Emma looked to her girlfriend, who reached out her hand and squeezed it. Mary Margaret watched as the two communicated silently, unable to decipher the silent conversation. She was still no closer to understanding what the hell was going on and she was both angry and frustrated at this entire ordeal. Her father was a good man, and it made her furious to think that Regina had poisoned her daughter's mind against him. He had been nothing but loving and kind, and damn it, they were going to talk about this.

"I want to know what's going on."

Regina sighed heavily. She had been angry for a very long time. She had hated everyone for so long, it had felt like she would never be able to feel anything else. She never thought she would ever be able to love anyone, but then Henry had come into her life and her anger had slowly started to dissipate. She was able to feel something other than hatred for the first time in decades. He had melted much of her anger and hatred, and he reminded her that she was capable of love.

And Emma, her sweet Emma, who was such an idiot but whom she loved with everything she had. Emma had taught her how to laugh again, how to be happy. After a lifetime of pain, hurt, and betrayal, Emma and Henry had shown her how to be happy again. At one time, there would have been no question about Regina opening up to Snow White. She simply never would have, regardless of the circumstances. But, things were different now. The two had come to a sort of… understanding. A place of neutral ground, where there were no feelings of friendship but there was no hostility either. She was not angry anymore. In fact, she had been happy. She and Emma, together with their son, had formed a family, a unit. For the first time, she had been happy and she had a family. Emma, who had been so lost and alone, had also found a home and happiness. But then Mary Margaret announced her pregnancy and the name she had chosen, and everything had changed. Every time Emma spoke to her mother now, it ended in an argument. Their dinner tonight was the first time she and Emma had spoken in nearly two weeks, but it ended just as every discussion had been ending lately: a huge fight after Mary Margaret refused to budge on the baby name.

Emma hadn't been happy for two months now, and as a result, neither had she. Regina had finally found someone she loved completely, someone who loved her just as fiercely in return, and she would do anything to make her happy. She had been selfish, knowing what she needed to do and not doing it. But as Regina looked at Emma now, seeing how upset she was yet again, she knew she couldn't keep quiet any longer. She needed to talk to Mary Margaret, because if she didn't, Emma would lose the relationship she had with the mother she had only just found. She would not allow that to happen.

"Regina," Mary Margaret called to the woman.

"Hey," Emma said softly, pulling Regina aside. "We don't have to say anything."

"I think we do."

"We don't. We don't have to do anything."

Regina bit her lip.

"Part of me really does not want to talk to her."

"Okay," Emma nodded. "Then we won't."

Regina shook her head, disagreeing.

"We need to. I just don't want to."

Regina glanced over to Emma's mother. She did not want to speak in front of her. Emma, sensing this, asked Mary Margaret to leave for a minute. The woman reluctantly agreed, repeating that she wanted to know what was going on.

"Okay, baby. What is it? What's wrong?"

Regina took a deep breath. She despised admitting her doubts, her weaknesses. They made her feel vulnerable, a position in which she had promised herself long ago that she would never again find herself. She loathed being vulnerable, feeling unsafe, but this was Emma, she reminded herself. Emma loved her. Emma will not hurt you.

"I need to do this, for us. Because if I don't, I will feel forever that I could have prevented the rift that will undoubtedly take place between the two of you if we do not have this conversation. However, I have many reservations. I can understand that you mother will be shocked, but so help me Emma, if she defends what he did-"

"I'll lose it, Regina. I swear to God, if she defends that bastard's actions, I will throw her out of this house before she can even finish her God damn sentence."

"She owes me nothing, Emma. Her loyalty has always been to her father and she very well may react that way now, out of shock or simply because a part of her still despises me for everything I've done. She may take his side and defend him. I'd like to say that I won't care, because heaven knows your mother's opinion means nothing to me. However, hearing someone, even someone like her, defend what he did to me… I'm not sure I can handle that, Emma."

"I know, baby."

Emma pulled her into her arms, rubbing her back soothingly. Regina very rarely allowed herself to show her vulnerability and even when she felt it creeping in, she fought it with every fibre of her being. But the one subject that would reduce her to an insecure mess (other than her mother) was Leopold. She was still greatly affected by his actions, despite the fact that it happened nearly half a century ago. Emma knew how deeply the wounds ran. She had been present for the aftermath of many a nightmare. She had been present, seen the terror, the excruciating pain and turmoil Regina relived every time she was plagued with a nightmare or flashback. She had hated the man before, but after seeing the devastating results of his cruelty on Regina, she did not have words strong enough to describe how she felt about him now.

A knocking sound pulled both women's attention towards to the doorway. David stood there, smiling tentatively.

"Mary Margaret told me you three have some things to discuss. I'm going to take the boys to the apartment for the night so you can talk if that's alright."

Emma smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, David."

He nodded.

"Thanks for dinner, Regina."

"You're welcome. Have a good evening, David."

Henry popped in a few minutes later.

"Moms? Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes, Henry."

"Is everything okay?" He asked, eyeing his brunette mother worriedly. "You seem really upset."

"There's a difficult subject we need to discuss, but it's nothing for you to worry about."

He bit his lip in concern.

"Remember when I told you it is better to discuss things, even though it can be very difficult to?"

"Yes."

"This is one of those times. We need to have a serious discussion, but it is a difficult subject for me. I'll be okay though, honey. You mother is here to ensure that."

He looked to his other mother.

"You'll take care of her?"

"You know I will, kid. I always do."

He nodded.

"Yeah, you do. Okay." He then turned to Regina. "You can do it, mom. You're really brave."

She smiled, genuinely touched at his words. He was growing into such a sweet young man.

"Thank you, Henry. Now, behave for your grandfather, okay?"

"I will. Goodnight, moms."

"Goodnight, Henry," they said in unison, each taking a turn to give him and hug and kiss goodbye.

When the house was empty, save for the three women, Regina gave a heavy sigh. Mary Margaret had joined them as soon as the men left, and the three were currently stood in the dining room.

"Should I make tea?" Emma asked. Not that she wanted tea, but she didn't really know what to do or say.

"No, thank you, dear. Perhaps you could get us some water and we can move to the office?"

"Sure thing."

Regina gave a tight smile before leading the way to the office. She took a seat on the couch and indicated that Mary Margaret should sit at the overstuff chair across from her. When Emma joined them a few minutes later with glasses of water, Regina began to feel nervous. Not that she let it show of course, but her stomach was in knots and she hated feeling this way. She was dreading this conversation.

"Are you finally going to tell me what's going on?"

Regina looked to Emma, who gave her an encouraging smile. She turned back to Mary Margaret and finally spoke.

"There are things I have kept from you, things about your father that you were never told. When you were a child, there was no need to burden your innocent mind with such dark things. Then, as an adult, I spent so much time getting vengeance on everyone, and trying to kill you, that we never spent enough time in the same room for me to tell you, even in spite. When I cast the curse, you had no idea of your past, so your father obviously never came up in conversation. Now that the curse has broken, I know that you have your memories back. But there are still some things you were never told, things I would prefer not to discuss with you. I had no intention of ever telling you, not only because they are not your business and are immeasurably difficult for me to discuss, but also because it would do no good for you to know. If you had learnt these things, it would have tarnished the image you had of your father, and after everything I had taken from you, the least I could do was allow you to have an untainted view of him. So I kept quiet. However, my silence is now hurting Emma and that, I will not allow. We are going to have this discussion, no matter how apprehensive I feel."

Mary Margaret took a minute to reflect on Regina's words. To say she was surprised that the woman had taken her feelings into account for anything was an understatement. Whatever they were about to discuss, it was going to be heavy, but she was sure she could handle it. Perhaps he had killed a man, or many men. He was a king. He was bound to have his secrets. He probably had a good reason. She looked to Regina and posed a question.

"But Emma knows?"

"Yes, Emma knows."

"Why?"

"We are in a relationship. She is directly affected by the traumas of my past."

Mary Margaret gave a nod of acknowledgment, suddenly a little wary. She wasn't sure what traumas Regina was going to discuss. The truth was, the woman never ever spoke of anything private with her anymore, not since she had made the mistake of betraying her trust once before. Regina did not forgive easily, and she knew she still did not forgive her for that mistake.

Regina turned to Emma, her eyes clouded with fear and doubt. Emma reached out and took her hand, running her thumb over her skin soothingly.

"Do you need to me say it?"

"No," she finally said. "I can."

She turned to Mary Margaret and spoke evenly.

"Your father… you know how dearly he loved your mother," she started, unable to keep some bitterness from seeping into her voice. "He never accepted her death and spoke of her frequently, even while married to me. Your father did not love me, nor did I him. He barely tolerated my presence. When I was lucky, he ignored me completely. When I was not, he…" she faltered.

She stayed quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts, before resuming her earlier monologue. "He did not respect me. He did not care for me or my needs or wants. He did not care for my well-being. He took what he wanted, when he wanted it, regardless of how I felt, how I objected, how it hurt me. Nothing deterred him, and I had no choice in the matter. He forced me to do things that were traumatising to say the least, but I was his wife, and it was my duty to serve him as he so wished. I was told what to do, and despite the agony it caused me, I had to do it. I was an unwilling participant, but I had no choice."

"So you weren't happy in your marriage. No offense, Regina, but we all knew that. You were expected to do what he wanted because you were his wife. It was kind of the way of things back then."

Regina swallowed her anger. She knew Mary Margaret wasn't understanding what she was saying because she knew Snow White. The woman could only think innocently. She thought she was referring to the fact that she could never choose her clothing, her hair style, her meals, how she was forced to attend events she hated. Regina had been used to not having a choice in such matters. Her mother had never given her a choice in her life. No. She was referring to something far worse, to something she had buried so deep inside that it had nested into her body, into her soul, festering and rotting her from the inside out. Stupid girl. Regina held back a cruel taunt about how naïve a woman she was. Instead, she stayed quiet, working through her thoughts.

"It was more than unhappiness, Mary Margaret," Emma said through clenched teeth. "I'm not even going to touch the whole bullshit about it being an accepted thing that a woman should be unhappy in her marriage, that her husband should make choices for her, just because it was 'the way things were'. It wasn't unhappiness. It was way more than that."

"Then I don't understand. Is it because he didn't love you? My father did love my mother very much. I'm sorry he didn't love you, but he and my mother… they were meant to be. Until your mother killed her."

"Yes, well. Fate punished me for that," Regina said evenly.

"Because you had to marry my father? It couldn't have been that awful. Everyone loved him. You must have been happy sometimes."

"I wasn't happy, you naïve little girl. I was alone, terrified, and I suffered every day for a decade. It was 'that bad' and worse. I had no control over anything in my life. I had no say in anything that happened to me, including what happened to my own body. And I'm not talking about what I could and could not wear."

"What do you mean then?"

"Really, Mary Margaret?" Emma blurted. "You're not getting it?"

"Well, you're telling me that he wasn't a good husband to you and I'm sorry that he wasn't but he did do what he thought was right. He made decisions based on the greater good. Sometimes you have to sacrifice the happiness of one for the good of everyone. I'm sure he didn't mean for you to be so unhappy, but how could have you been happy with him? You didn't love him. There's nothing he could have done to make you happy if you didn't let yourself be happy."

Regina seethed, but it was Emma who shot up and began pacing the room. She couldn't even look at her mother as she raged.

"He did not do what he thought was right! He never did what was right when it came to Regina! He didn't give a rat's ass about her. He treated her like shit and he violated her worse than- than-" She fumbled here, as she had no frame of reference for how horrifically Regina was assaulted. "He treated her worse than you'd treat a dog, Mary Margaret! 'There's nothing he could have done to make you happy if you didn't let yourself be happy'? How in the Christ was she supposed to be happy while she was living with that monster?! While he was doing those things to her? And she was just supposed to take it because she was his wife? He was a tyrant, and if you think either of us are gonna spend the rest of our lives hearing his fucking name 'cause you're too selfish and ignorant to see what's right in front of you, then you're delusional. When this conversation is over, you and I are never talking about this again. I will not keep having this discussion with you. He was a piece of shit and he is not worth my energy or my time. I am never talking about him ever. again."

"Emma, don't speak about him that way. He was a good-"

"Do not continue that sentence! Are you even listening to us, Mary Margaret? Are you even hearing what the hell Regina's saying?"

"Yes, of course I am-"

"No. I don't think you are!"

"Emma," Regina finally spoke up. She was nearly shaking with anger, but she could see how Emma was losing control over herself. She needed to take over this conversation again before her lover lost control completely.

Emma, upon hearing her Regina's voice, stopped in her tracks. She took a deep breath, realising that she was overtaking the discussion. This is not your news to tell. She moved to Regina, sitting next to her.

"I'm sorry."

"You're letting your emotions control your actions again."

"Can you blame me? When I think of that bastard…"

"I know."

Regina took her hand and turned to the other woman. She really didn't have a choice. She was going to have to spell it out.

"He violated me, Mary Margaret. Throughout our entire marriage. He used me. He forced himself onto me. Not one of our relations," she spat the word, "was consensual. Every single time, it was against my will."

Mary Margaret sat there in silence, disbelief clearly written on her face.

"No. It's not true. It was… he was your husband."

"Yes, he was," she said bitterly. "And he caused me excruciating pain every time he reminded me of that fact."

Mary Margaret's hand fluttered to her mouth as she shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't believe it. Her father was a gentle, kind man. He would never.

Regina could see the disbelief in her eyes, so she took a deep breath to give herself courage. She was going to say the word, the one that affected her so.

"He… raped me, Mary Margaret. For ten years, your father… raped me. I have spent years trying to work through the trauma I suffered at his hands, and I have come to a place where I am finally starting to live again."

Mary Margaret could not speak, so Emma took over, albeit more calmly this time.

"You never went through that because you had my dad. You don't know what it's like. Every one of your experiences, including the first ones which are the scariest and most painful, was with someone you loved and who loved you back. You knew what was going on and I'm assuming David was gentle. You weren't some kid who was sold off to a man more than twice your age and then forced into something you didn't understand, with no regard for how much it hurt you. Now imagine that for ten fucking years. You have your memories of him, but ours, this is what they are. They are of this and only this and they will not change. Now tell me, do you really wanna force that kind of history on a kid?"

Mary Margaret let go of the sob she had been holding in, shaking her head.

"No," she managed to croak out. She wept openly now. "It's not- it can't be."

Emma got up from the couch and moved to her mother's side. She pulled her into her arms, holding her tight.

"I'm sorry you had to find this out. I'm not such an asshole that I don't recognise that this is overwhelming to you and probably more than you ever wanted to know about him, but you have to understand what this has been like. Every time you bring up his name, it causes horrible thoughts for both of us. If you do that to my brother, if you give him that name, all it's gonna do is cause a rift in this family. Regina has suffered enough. I'm not going to let her suffer any more, not if I can help it. I know you have suffered too, a lot, but this… this is non-negotiable."

She held her mother, stroking her back as the woman cried. She looked over at Regina, unsure of what to do. Mary Margaret was very emotional and she was not sure how to comfort someone who was like this. She was used to Regina, who had near perfect control over her emotions. The trick with Regina was getting the woman to reveal how she really felt, not try to calm her down from a hysterical breakdown. Emma was at a loss as to how to comfort her mother, so she turned to her girlfriend for help.

Regina sighed and got up. It seemed she would never escape her former stepdaughter's dramatic tendencies. She shooed Emma, who looked incredibly uncomfortable holding her mother, and took over. She suppressed an eye roll when she felt the woman burrow into her chest. You are not a child. She forced herself to think about the fact that despite the fact that she despised the man, little Snow had loved her father and this news was undoubtedly devastating to her. No surprise there. He worshipped the brat.

She held the woman while she cried, but not because she wanted to. She knew Emma would want her mother to be comforted, so she did it for her lover. Emma had no idea how to comfort such an emotional person and Regina, well, she had soothed Snow back in the Enchanted Forest more times than she cared to remember.

"I can't… I can't believe it," Mary Margaret hiccoughed. She was incredibly uncomfortable hearing these things about her father. She didn't want to know. She didn't want to believe it. He had been such a kind, loving man.

"I don't wish to discuss this with you any further, Mary Margaret. You've been informed of what I was subjected to and that's as far as this discussion will ever go. It is your choice now. If you choose to name your child after your father, I will no longer consort with you or your husband. I will not begrudge Emma if she chooses to continue to see you, but I will not. I have worked hard to separate myself from that life, to move on and to become a different person. This, unfortunately, will reverse much of the healing I have done and that is not something that I will allow to happen."

Emma watched as Regina comforted her mother. It almost looked like she cared for the woman. Her words were harsh, but they were free of any bitterness or anger; she simply spoke matter of factly. She stroked her head as she spoke, allowing the younger woman to tighten her hold on her waist as she did. It amazed her how far Regina had come, comforting the woman she had once hated so fiercely and who was now forcing her to reveal her darkest secret. While she no longer hated her, Regina certainly did not like her either. It was a testament to how she had changed that she could put aside her feelings to comfort Mary Margaret as she grieved. If she weren't so distracted by the conversation at hand, Emma would have recognised that the warmth she felt as she watched Regina was her love for the woman growing tenfold.

When she finally stopped crying, Mary Margaret stayed quiet. She could not speak. Her soul felt heavy. She felt conflicted, torn in two. She still felt incredibly loyal to her father; the man had loved her unconditionally, had supported her through every difficulty in her life. She couldn't see him as the man they described. She loved him still. Should she hate him for what he had done? She couldn't though. She felt guilty, thinking she should feel more upset. Isn't that the right thing to feel when someone tells you that your father raped them? You should feel angry and guilty? If it had been anyone else, would she feel worse? She felt awful that this had happened to Regina, that she had suffered as she had, but she could not equate the man Regina described with her father. He had been so loving and gentle with her.

She pulled away from Regina, no longer able to be held by her. She felt guilty for taking comfort in her embrace after such news. It also felt awkward and strange. She felt guilty for still wanting to name her child after her father. Was it selfish to still want to do so? She looked over at Emma, who observed her in silence. She still wanted to name her child Leopold, and she felt resentful that she was being forced to choose between honouring her father's memory and respecting her daughter's wishes. She had been so happy that the baby was going to be a boy because she had been saving the name for her future son. But now, now she couldn't use it, could she? If she did, she'd lose Emma. She couldn't lose Emma. Not again.

Mary Margaret shook her head. This was too much. She needed to get away. She needed her husband.

"I think I need to go."

Regina did not protest. Mary Margaret got up from the chair, making her way to the front door. Emma followed her mother out onto the front porch, closing the door behind her.

"I-" Emma started, cutting herself off before she could continue. She was suddenly seized with panic. What if this was the last time she would speak to her mother? What if she went home and she and Charming decided that they would name the baby what they wanted, regardless of what Emma and Regina had said? Mary Margaret and Regina had a terrible history. There was no reason that she would respect her need for an alternate name. And Emma, well, she had given her away already once. She had already pushed Emma out of her life and survived. Maybe it wouldn't be that hard to do it a second time.

"Emma? What is it?"

She could see the fear on her daughter's face. She may not have raised her, but she was getting better at reading her, and right now, Emma was scared.

"I- uh, I…" Emma faltered. She could not face her rejection, she couldn't hear her say it, so she shook her head. "Thanks for staying to talk. I hope David is able to be there for you and the new baby."

She turned, but before she could open the door, Mary Margaret reached out and grabbed her elbow.

"Wait, Emma."

As she pulled her daughter to look at her, it suddenly dawned on her what Emma was so scared of.

"Oh, Emma. No." She sighed heavily. "This… this is something I wish I had never heard. The man you described in there, that is not my father. And this is incredibly overwhelming for me. I don't know how I'm going to handle this information."

"I know. I understand."

"No, you don't," she said, taking a step forward and grabbing both of her hands. She pushed aside everything she was feeling, needing to address the dejection she could see on her daughter's face. "This is too much for me right now, but you need to know one thing. Nothing will be more important than you are. If… if you need me to do this, then I will. I want to, I really want to honour my father, but I... I won't- I won't name the baby after my father. We will find another name. You are more important than any of this, Emma. If you tell me that you can't handle this, then I won't make you. I'm sorry it had to come to this and that I didn't listen to you earlier, but you have to understand that he was someone completely different to me. Hearing this… it's devastating and overwhelming. I almost don't believe it."

"I know."

"Okay," Mary Margaret searched her daughter's face, still seeing the doubt and worry in her expression. "Sweet girl," she said, reaching out and stroking her hair. "I know we don't have the typical mother-daughter relationship one hopes to have with her daughter. I dreamt of a very different relationship between the two of us, Emma. We were supposed to be inseparable, the best of friends. This distance between us, this doubt that you feel in regards to me and my loyalty to you, it was never supposed to exist. I never wanted this for you or for us.

I know you harbour a lot of resentment towards your father and I for giving you away. I know you had a horrible childhood because of the decision we made. But you need to know, Emma, I thought it was for the best. I hoped you would grow up in a loving family, but instead, you suffered. And I feel guilty every single day. Every time I look at you, I know that you suffered because of the decision I made. I am your mother and I am supposed to protect you. I was supposed to do what was best for you, but I didn't. And the guilt eats at me every single time I think about it. It will, forever. Because baby girl, I wanted things to be so different for you. You were meant to grow up in a world surrounded by people who loved you, who adored you. You were supposed to grow up wearing extravagant dresses and having more toys than you could ever play with. You were supposed to want for nothing, but instead, you wanted for everything. And I'm sorry, Emma. I am so, so sorry. But you need to know, you are always loved, you were always cherished. Your father and I, we love you very much and we wanted you so, so badly. I rubbed my belly every single day that I was pregnant for you and your father, he read to you every night. We talked to you incessantly, because we were so excited to have you. I know that things are different now; I know that you're older, but Emma, I still feel that way. I love you so much, and there is nothing that will ever replace the spot that you occupy in my heart, that you have always occupied in my heart. I can't live without you, Emma. I lost you once, and I am never ever going to lose you again. I don't need this name. I wanted it, but I don't need it. What I need is you, so I choose you, Emma. Your happiness matters more to me than anything else because you are my daughter and I love you. So we are going to name the baby something else, okay?"

Emma did not try to hide the sobs as she listened to her mother speak. How could she when her mother was looking at her like that, speaking to her as though she meant every word that she was saying. She had longed to hear these things her entire life and to hear them now, they overwhelmed her.

"I love you, Emma, my baby. And I am so proud of the woman that you have become."

She wrapped her arms around Emma, crying as she was hugged back just as fiercely.

"I love you, mom."

Mary Margaret sobbed into her shoulder, elation at hearing the words for the first time instigating yet another round of tears. It was almost devastating how beautiful they were, and she clung to her daughter as they cried together. Years of separation, hurt, and pain came crashing to the surface. They held each other tight, each one unwilling to let go after such a heartfelt confession.

Emma, who was used to hiding her emotions, felt incredibly drained by the time her mother finally left. She felt weak, tired, but she was happy. Her cheeks were still warm from where her mother had kissed them, and her body ached (in a good way) from the way she had been held so tightly.

She entered the house, locking the door before seeking Regina out. She was still in the office, curled up on the couch.

"Emma," Regina said with concern upon seeing her lover. She immediately got up and made her way to her, cupping her cheek.

"Hey," Emma responded, her voice gravelly. "I'm okay."

"What happened?"

Regina feared the worst, that Mary Margaret had chosen to dismiss her daughter's wishes in favour of her own selfish desires. It would be just like her to think only of herself. It therefore came as a great surprise to hear the next words out of Emma's mouth.

"She's not gonna name the baby after her dad. She's gonna choose another name."

Regina blinked, stunned.

"I know," Emma said, a small chuckle escaping. "I was kinda surprised too."

"Then why were you crying?"

Emma smiled, her heart filling with warmth.

"She said a lot of really nice stuff."

"Like?"

"Like that she chose me over the name and that my happiness mattered to her. She said she loved me and-and that she was proud of me. She told me she was sorry, that she felt guilty for everything that happened. And she told me about my dad reading to me every night when she was pregnant for me. It was…it was nice. To hear all that stuff."

So Mary Margaret had finally learnt what it meant to be a mother. Regina smiled at her lover, her eyes sparkling with joy. She knew what that had to have meant to Emma, so she did not hide her pleasure at hearing that Mary Margaret had finally said to her daughter what Emma so desperately needed to hear.

"It felt really nice," Emma confessed.

"She loves you very much, dear. She always wanted to be a mother, ever since she was a child. I've no doubt that had I not forced her hand, she would have been an excellent mother to you. You would have wanted for nothing."

Emma could hear the guilt in Regina's voice, so she shook her head.

"Don't, Regina. You didn't force her to do anything. She made her choices."

"I didn't give her much of one."

Emma leaned forward and kissed her softly.

"Let the past stay in the past, okay?" she murmured against her lips. "Let's not talk about that."

"Okay."

"How are you doing after that conversation? Are you okay?"

Regina gave a small nod.

"I will admit I would have preferred not to have it and I do not look forward to the conversations that may come of it, but yes. I'm alright."

Emma hooked her arm around the back of Regina's shoulders and led her upstairs to the bedroom. After changing into their pyjamas, Emma pulled the smaller woman into her arms, cuddling her close.

"Thank you for supporting me today," Regina said quietly. It was still strange to have someone who fought for her and defended her. She was so used to being alone and not having anyone on her side. It was nice to have an ally.

Emma kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, Regina. I will always support you."

"I would never want you to feel like you had to choose between your mother and I. As much as she irritates me, she is still your mother and I would never put you in that kind of position."

"I know you wouldn't."

"I worry that's what I did today."

"You didn't, Regina. She did. She made me choose, and I chose you. I will always choose you, unless you're the one who is in the wrong."

"I'm never wrong, dear."

Emma rolled her eyes, a smile on her lips.

"Of course you're not," she said sarcastically.

Regina didn't say anything, so Emma rubbed her arm gently before gently prodding her again.

"You're sure you're okay?"

"I'll survive."

"I know you will. You always do. Do you want to talk about it though?"

"You've done enough for me, Emma."

"No," Emma said, shuffling down so that she was facing the other woman. "There is no limit to my love and my support, Regina. There is no "enough". I am here for anything and everything you need and at no point should you stop opening up to me because you think I've "done enough". I love you, baby. And I want to know how you're doing, how you're feeling. When you're not okay, I'm not okay. So, please. Tell me. How are you doing? Please tell me the truth."

Regina bit her bottom lip. She refused to cry. She had been entirely too emotional today. She held Emma's gaze though, fighting against the urge to hide, to bury how she felt. It was immensely difficult for her to voice her feelings, and she was still learning to communicate her needs. The truth was, she felt scared, needy, and she was struggling with the memories that were flooding her mind.

"I'm… I'm worried, Emma. I hate that I've had to expose a part of my past that I have guarded for so long. I'm concerned that your mother will speak to everyone about what I went through and I know everyone will think that I deserved it for all of the pain I inflicted on them. And part of me agrees with them."

"No one deserves what you went through, no matter what the hell they did. You did those things, you became that person, because of what others did to you. You have always said that evil is created, it's not born. Everyone sat back and let you suffer; no one did a God damn thing. So they can forgive me if I don't sympathise with them in that regard. As for my mother telling others, I honestly doubt it. She says everyone loved her dad and that he was "such a nice man". She isn't gonna want everyone to know that he did those things to you."

"They wouldn't care that he did, Emma. They would be glad that I suffered as I did."

Emma took a deep breath, pushing aside her irritation with the way everyone in this damn town treated their mayor.

"To save the argument, we'll say I agree with you that everyone will be happy you suffered. Even if they did think that, Mary Margaret still wouldn't want people thinking he could abuse someone in that way, because it would tarnish his reputation, at least a little. Especially when they find out you were 18. Jesus, you were just a kid.

She's not going to say anything, honey. She doesn't want people to know."

Regina worried her lower lip. She didn't believe it.

"How about I talk to her about it?"

"No, Emma-"

"I'm not gonna say it's for you or that you're the reason I'm talking to her. I'll tell her it's for me. It is anyway. I don't want people knowing our business. This is between us. I don't air my shit out for everyone to smell."

Regina snorted despite herself. Emma could be absolutely ridiculous and incredibly crude when she wanted to be. But, the comment did its job. Regina smiled.

"Alright. Thank you, dear."

"You're welcome, baby."

"You've been calling me that all night. You know I prefer not to be infantilised."

"Yeah, but I'm saying it to show that you're my baby. My love. My boo. My bae. My-"

"Enough, Miss Swan. You'll stop now if you wish to continue this relationship."

Emma grinned at her before leaning forward and kissing her firmly on the lips.

"I love you, Regina Mills. You mean everything to me, you know that don't you?"

"Yes, Emma. I do. Thank you."

"Good."

Emma returned to laying her back, pulling Regina into her arms once again. She then tugged the blanket over their bodies and pressed a soft kiss to Regina's temple.

"I think you might have nightmares tonight, or some pretty bad dreams at least. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm sorry that you're once again going to suffer because of someone else's careless disregard for your feelings."

"That was almost eloquent, Miss Swan."

"Regina," she said reproachfully.

Regina sighed.

"I'm sorry. I don't…I don't like feeling this way."

"I know you don't, but I'm on your side. I'm here for you, so don't push me away, okay?"

Regina stayed quiet for so long, Emma assumed she was not going to address what she had said. It therefore came as a surprise when the woman finally did respond.

"I believe you're correct. I'm… sure that I will have unpleasant dreams. I'm not looking forward to them. I find I'm also having a difficult time suppressing memories of my time with him."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"I don't believe so, but thank you."

"I'm going to be here all night, Regina, and I'm not going to let you go unless you want me to, okay? You're not alone in this."

Regina nodded against her chest.

"Thank you."

Emma kissed her head, troubled at the mention of Regina's memories plaguing her. She wasn't sure what she could do, but she knew if they stayed quiet, Regina's memories would continue to haunt her. She could distract her though. The woman had once admitted that she found Emma's clumsiness and idiocy entertaining, if not a little endearing. Maybe she could tell her about the stupid things she had done to distract her.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I decided to make a grilled cheese with a toaster and a fork?"

"No," she said, appalled. "Why would you ever attempt such a thing?"

"Well, I was seven. And I wasn't allowed to use the stove, so I figured all a grilled cheese is is melted cheese and warm bread, right? So I toasted the bread and then when they popped, I took them out, grabbed a fork since I wasn't allowed to touch knives, buttered the outside of the bread with the fork and slapped a piece of cheese in between."

"It sounds disgusting."

Emma laughed into her hair.

"It was so disgusting. There were chunks of butter on the outside of the bread so my hands got all greasy, the bread was crunchy instead of soft and the cheese didn't melt. It was so bad. But not as bad as the time I tried to make baked mac 'n cheese without cooking the noodles first."

"You threw raw macaroni in the oven with cheese and expected it to magically turn into something edible?"

Emma laughed again.

"I know. I wasn't a smart kid. I wasn't really a smart adult either. I tried to make cookies twice as fast by doubling up the temperature in the oven. Burnt the hell out of my cookies."

"Why would you bake them? Everyone knows the best way to eat cookies is when they are in their raw, cookie dough form."

Emma gasped dramatically.

"Regina Mills, you do not eat raw cookie dough." When she was met with silence, Emma continued. "Do you not know you can get salmonella from raw cookie dough? The label clearly states in bolt letters do not eat raw cookie dough. And do you know how unhealthy that is, miss M- ah!"

Emma was startled by a warm body suddenly jumping up and straddling her hips, pinning her hands next to her head.

"Do you ever stop talking?"

"Not really."

"I've noticed. What can I do to keep you quiet?"

"Eh. You can give me chocolate or a nice bacon double cheeseburger or some chips or-"

"So basically I need to keep your mouth occupied?"

"That works yeah-"

Regina leaned forward and crushed her lips to Emma's, her hands coming up to cradle her face. She smiled into the kiss when she felt soft fingers on her hips, holding her gently. Emma was always so careful with her, treating her as though she were made of porcelain. As independent and as strong as Regina was, she had to admit that it made her feel safe, cherished, that Emma held her so delicately. She die a thousand deaths before she ever admitted that though. When she finally pulled away, her lips automatically formed into a smile.

"I know what you were doing with your stories," she said, looking down lovingly at Emma. "Thank you."

Emma reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I just want you to be happy, Regina."

"I am, Emma. With you, I finally am."

Emma pulled her down into her arms, cradling her close.

"I love you, Regina Mills. Nothing is going to change that."

"I love you too, Emma."

Regina reached over and intertwined their fingers, resting their hands on Emma's stomach as she cuddled in close. She let herself feel the safety and comfort that the younger woman offered her, her mind at peace for the first time in weeks.