Chapter Text
"Where is she? Snow, where's Emma?!" Regina cried out, rushing round the corner, a literal walking mess. Her hair was dishevelled, she was in flats, sneakers even, and her usual slacks and blouse had been replaced with yoga pants and a loose t-shirt. She wore one of Emma's baggy jumpers over the top, and she had mascara streaks running down her face. Right now however, Regina couldn't care less about her appearance. All she cared about was Emma Swan.
"She's in the operating room at the moment. You can't see her yet." Snow tried to speak soothingly, but her voice was overcome with tears of her own, and she looked no better than the Mayor.
"I have to see her, Snow." Regina's demand fell flat on her tongue, tears streaming down her face.
"Regina, you can't. I want to see her too, you know." The pixie-haired brunette cast her eyes into her lap, playing nervously with her wedding ring, twisting and turning it around on her finger.
"Will she be okay? Snow, tell me she will," the brunette pleaded, her shoulders sagging as she walked slowly to the seat next to her former enemy. Regina sank into the hard, plastic chair, and rested her head in her hands, trying to control the sobs.
"Oh Regina, I don't know. You know Emma though, she will fight this. She will survive," Snow said firmly, saying this not only for Regina's benefit, but for her own. She desperately tried not to doubt her own words; she had to have faith. She was the famous Snow White - always happy and positive. She had to stay that way, for herself and for everyone else.
"But what if she's not okay?" The Mayor whispered, lifting her head and gazing at Snow. The younger woman's heart broke; she didn't think she'd ever seen Regina so distraught (while they'd lived in Storybrooke, that is). Despite the rocky past the cold-faced Mayor and the chirpy schoolteacher had, Snow didn't want to see Regina hurting like this.
"Regina, she'll be okay," the woman assured, gingerly draping an arm around Regina's shoulders. Much to the surprise of both of them, the brunette allowed the contact, and even leaned into it. Uncaring, she rested her head on Snow's shoulder as she felt her eyelids droop shut from her excessive crying and panic. She was emotionally drained, and if she couldn't see Emma, then all she wanted to do was sleep.
Snow sensed this, and she just pulled the older woman closer, silently letting her know that it was okay. "Just go to sleep Regina, we'll wake you as soon as we know anything," the young brunette whispered, pressing a soft kiss to a head of silky chocolate hair.
Snow leaned back in her seat, and let her mind wander. As a distraction from the frantic panic, worry and apprehension she felt in regards to her daughter, she contemplated Emma and Regina's relationship. Well, friendship. She knew. Oh, she knew. She'd known forever. Since the start, really. It was as plain as day, as clear as the sun in the sky. She knew, alright. Practically everyone knew. She knew the yearning looks, and love-filled eyes came from both women, and Snow was one-hundred percent sure that they were in love. There was no doubt about it.
I mean, how else could you explain Regina's reaction to Emma's accident? There was no one the usually uptight Mayor would go out looking like that for, apart from Henry. Oh, and now Emma. Regina would never have cried or reacted that badly to news of anyone else getting in a dangerous car accident. Snow sighed, and wished that the two women would just admit their feelings already, and get on with it. With another heavy sigh, the pixie-haired woman slipped her own eyes shut, and let sleep drag her away into the dark abyss of the dream world.
"Regina, wake up." Regina awoke to a hand gently shaking her shoulder. She looked up, bleary-eyed in her half-asleep state, staring ahead of her until her vision sharpened. As she saw the two Charmings standing with Dr Whale, she shot up like a rocket.
"How is she?" Were the first words that tumbled from her lips. Regina knew she was exhausted, but felt wide awake in her current situation. Nothing could have prepared her for the intense feeling of anticipation, worry and panic that swirled and raged through her body like a storm.
"She's going to be fine," Whale said, his mouth set in a firm line. Regina let out a cry of relief, a considerable weight lifting from her shoulders. She looked up, and saw that Snow and David didn't exactly look as pleased as they should be. Shouldn't they be overjoyed? Why do they look so conflicted?
And then it dawned on her. There was a catch, wasn't there? A 'She's going to be okay but...' kind of catch.
"What's the catch?" Regina sighed, torn between feelings of intense relief and fear of what this 'catch' would be.
"Well, Miss Swan has temporarily lost her memory," Whale began, and Regina's jaw dropped in shock. She hadn't been expecting that. "She only remembers the first six years of her life, so in theory, she's in the mindset of a six-year-old. We are certain she will regain her memory, though when, we cannot say. We estimate around two weeks to two months," he explained, his mouth set in a grim line.
"Oh." Regina's heart dropped.
"There's something else," the doctor began, and the brunette held her breath apprehensively. Surely it couldn't be any worse?
"We suspect magic was involved in his particular car accident, because Miss Swan has also reverted into the body of a six-year-old," the man warned, and Regina let out a small cry of surprise. She definitely hadn't been expecting that. Once Emma was recovered, she was going to find whoever did this and murder them.
"She will need constant care, as there may be other side effects we have yet to discover. We now need one person, and one person only, to go and explain to her who she is and what's going on."
Regina gulped, trying to process the information. Would she get to care for Emma? Would she get to go and see her? Regina understood that Snow would want to go, but the Mayor was desperate. She couldn't wait any longer.
"Who's going to see her?" Was all she blurted out, biting down hard on her bottom lip until she tasted the metallic of blood.
"Well, Snow did want to go, but we feel that it would be best for you to go," David explained, smiling sympathetically at Regina. "You're closest to her out of any of us, and it's not like we'd be able to tell her that we are her parents. Because she won't remember anything to do with magic, and she won't remember having parents, we don't want to freak her out." Regina had to hand it to the two idiots (as she used to call them) - they were actually being compassionate, and thinking about what was best, not just what they wanted.
"Thank you, David," the Mayor said sincerely, standing up on shaky legs.
"Not a problem. And we'll just say that we're friends with you when she meets us." David laughed nervously, trying to lighten the mood, but failing. Snow hadn't spoken since she'd woken Regina up, and she looked pale as she shifted anxiously from foot to foot.
"Thank you for letting me be the one to see her, Snow. And thank you for being a good friend to me last night," the Mayor thanked Snow gratefully, smiling as best she could in the bad situation.
"It's okay Regina, I'm always here for you if you need me." Snow lifted her head from the floor and smiled tentatively. The older brunette nodded in acknowledgement, before a thought crossed her mind.
"What about Henry?" Regina asked, suddenly worried. I should have made sure he was okay.
"He's with Ruby at the moment. He wanted to come here, but we told him that he could come over once you've seen Emma. We just said that because you're his mom's best friend, you're going to see her first. He was totally okay with it; he likes you. Also, we didn't tell him anything about the memory loss or the body change. Only the accident part," Snow explained, hoping Regina would be okay with their decision.
"Okay, that's fine." Snow breathed a sigh of relief, expecting that the reason Regina was being so flexible was because of her need to see Emma.
The brunette turned to Dr Whale. "Can I see her now?" She asked, trying to contain the eagerness in her voice.
"Yes, you can. But Regina; be careful okay? She's not exactly in a great place mentally, and you have to be very careful not to overwhelm her," Whale said cautiously, and Regina couldn't refrain from rolling her eyes.
"It's not like I'm trying to hurt her, is it?" She snapped, feeling frustration build up. She wasn't angry at him specifically; she was angry at the situation.
"I know Madame Mayor, I know. I'm just stressing that the smallest thing could set her off, and that's the last thing we'd want. She woke up a few hours ago, so you'll be able to talk to her straight away," Whale said, all business and no feelings.
"Okay," Regina muttered, anxious to get going. She couldn't wait to see Emma, even if it wasn't the Emma she knew.
"Great, follow me then." Whale gestured for Regina to follow him down the stark, white corridor. After flashing Snow and David what she hoped was a reassuring smile, she trailed after the doctor.
They reached a room, and Whale paused outside it. "Good luck, Madame Mayor," he said quietly, before pushing open the door, revealing the hospital room.
Regina drank in the sight of Emma lying in the bed, propped up on tons of pillows. She looked small, vulnerable and broken; a form which Regina had never witnessed before. It was quite unlike anything she'd seen; Emma was so strong, so tough, that seeing her like this broke Regina's heart. The brunette fought back tears at the mere sight, and she mentally scolded herself.
Six-year-old Emma looked very similar to thirty-year-old Emma, if one looked carefully. The same emerald eyes were visible, although they were now dull and sad, compared to the twinkling green they had been just yesterday. The girl lying in the bed looked much younger than six - her build was that of a four-year-old (five at best). She was skinny, small and clearly malnourished.
Some faint and some noticeably fresh bruises adorned the parts of her body Regina could see, from what the Mayor guessed must have been abuse from previous foster parents. The brunette hated to think what was under the hospital gown that currently covered most of the girl's body. Regina felt a wave of guilt; this was what Emma was like at six. God, what did I do? I condemned my beautiful Emma to this life... Wait, she's not my Emma. But I wish she was.
"Good morning, Emma. I brought you a visitor; she'll explain everything."
"Okay," Emma replied, her voice timid and shy. It was so unlike Emma that Regina found herself blinking, and blinking, half expecting thirty-year-old Emma to pop up out of nowhere.
"Okay, well I'll leave you two to it then." Whale promptly left the room, leaving the two women alone.
Regina stood at the foot of Emma's bed cautiously, wringing her hands. Upon seeing that the blonde looked to be on the edge of tears, the Mayor plucked to the courage, and walked round to the bedside.
"May I sit down?" Regina asked, pulling the chair closer to the bed. At Emma's almost imperceptible nod, she sat down slowly. "My name is Regina Mills, and I'm the Mayor of Storybrooke," she said softly.
"Regina..." Emma whispered, sounding almost frightened.
Regina gulped anxiously, and tried not to cry. Seeing Emma in this state really wasn't helping her at all. She wasn't used to a shy, vulnerable Emma who shrank into herself and looked to be on the verge of tears. She was used to tough, bad-ass Sheriff Swan who answered back and ate like a child.
"What's the last thing you remember, Emma?" Regina asked softly, so she didn't startle the six-year-old.
"I j-just arrived with m-my new f-family in Minnesota." The Mayor was surprised at how small and childlike the blonde's voice actually sounded. The need to gather Emma in her arms and hug her tightly started to overwhelm her, and Regina had to dig her nails into her thigh to stop herself. This new version of Emma sounded so broken, that all the brunette wanted to do was fix her.
"Your new family? What happened at your last home?" Regina asked carefully, but immediately felt guilt rise within her as a few tears rolled Emma's soft, pale cheeks. "Emma, don't cry sweetie." The brunette leaned forward to wipe away the tears, but Emma shrank back, away from her.
"N-No, I didn't m-mean to cry. I-I'll be good, I p-promise. D-don't hit me, please," the girl cried out, furiously wiping away her tears with fisted hands.
Regina broke. "Oh Emma, I'm not going to hurt you honey," she cooed, hooking a finger under the blonde's chin to lift her face up. Emma couldn't look into Regina's eyes, afraid of the disgust and hate she'd see there. The Mayor clutched the blonde's hand in hers, rubbing soothing circles on the skin.
"Y-You're not?" She whispered, almost in awe, finally meeting caring chocolate eyes.
"No sweetie, you did nothing wrong," Regina assured, smiling warmly, fighting back her own tears. "Are you okay to tell me what happened at your last home?" The brunette tried again, smiling encouragingly, and still stroking the hand clutched in hers.
Emma gave a small nod, and she sniffed. "The man, Mark, h-he..." The girl trailed off, trying to gather courage. "He would h-hit me, and h-he was always d-drunk..." Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, and she stopped, snatching her hand from Regina's and burying her head in it.
"Oh Emma, I'm sorry," Regina said gently. "Would you like a hug?" She asked, watching Emma wrap her arms around herself protectively.
The blonde looked up at her timidly, her green eyes wide with fear and anxiety. Taking this as all the prompting she needed, Regina stood up and sat next to Emma's legs on the bed.
"Can I?" She asked, and at Emma's small nod, she swung her legs over so she was sat next to the blonde. Emma shifted over slightly, sniffing. Regina wrapped her arms around the girl, stroking her head of silky curls with extreme care. The blonde threw her tiny arms around the brunette, burying her head in the crook of Regina's neck. "Sshh baby girl, it's all okay," she cooed softly, continuing to rub circles on Emma's back as the sobs died down.
Eventually, Emma pulled back and looked up at Regina nervously. "T-Thank you." She wiped her nose with her sleeve, and sniffed again.
"My pleasure." Regina smiled warmly, pressing a kiss to Emma's forehead.
"W-Who are you?" Emma asked, frowning. It was so cute to see her brows furrow like that of a confused puppy.
"I'm Regina, I told you," Regina replied, mildly confused.
"Are you my new family?" Emma whispered hopefully, her emerald eyes shining a tad more brightly. What do I say? I can't say no; I can't break her heart. I'm not letting her stay with Snow and David; they would coddle her too much.
"Do you want me to be?" The Mayor asked quietly, smiling when Emma nodded her head vigorously. "Then yes, I am. You're going to have a big brother as well, okay?" Regina didn't exactly know what she was going to tell Henry. 'Oh, by the way magic is real and your mother is now a six-year-old and she thinks you're her big brother, okay?' Yeah, I'm really going to say that, aren't I?
Emma's eyes widened in what Regina recognised as fear. "Don't worry Emma; he's not going to hurt you. He'd never dream of it," she reassured, wrapping an arm round Emma's shoulders.
"Okay," was all Emma whispered.
"How are you feeling?"
"I-I'm okay," came the soft reply, and Regina glanced to her left to see Emma's eyelids drooping slightly.
"Would you like to come home with me?" Regina asked kindly, but felt Emma tense up slightly next to her. "You don't have to."
"N-No, I want to," Emma said anxiously, biting her nail furiously. Regina grabbed her hand and gently tugged it away from her mouth.
"You don't want to ruin your nails, dear." Regina made sure she didn't sound as if she was scolding Emma, because otherwise she knew that her walls would shoot straight back up, and she'd pull away.
"Sorry," Emma offered timidly, and she rested her hands in her lap instead.
"Will you be okay if I just got and get Dr Whale? I need the discharge papers from him," Regina said, slipping out from under the covers. She felt a hand latch onto her arm, and she turned her head to see Emma's eyes filling with tears.
"P-Please don't leave me," she choked out, her eyes blown wide.
"I'm not darling, I'm just getting the doctor. I'll be two minutes," Regina assured, smiling warmly.
"Do you promise?" Emma insisted, still holding to Regina's clothed arm tightly.
"I promise, baby girl." Regina kissed the girl's forehead again, and gently pulled her arm away. Emma allowed her to do so, and she popped a thumb into her mouth, and began diligently sucking at it. Regina let out a tinkly laugh at Emma's cuteness, and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Regina made her way out to the waiting room to find Dr Whale and see Emma's parents.
"How is she?" Snow called as soon as she caught sight of the Mayor. Regina walked over briskly, running a hand through her hair.
"If I'm honest? Not great. She'll be coming home with me," the brunette informed, looking Snow directly in the eyes. The woman before her frowned.
"But she's our daughter! We can make up for not being there for her childhood!" Snow said desperately and Regina tensed immediately. Yes, she didn't hate the pixie-haired woman anymore, but sometimes she could be incredibly irritating. Of course, she only wanted Emma for her own selfish reasons.
"Snow, do you realise how utterly selfish you sound? Emma is a damn six-year-old and all you care about is making up for lost time? That girl in there is hurt and bruised. She told me that at her last home she'd been abused. Do you really think coddling her like a baby would help?" Regina hissed, fixing the younger woman with a murderous glare.
Snow flinched visibly under the verbal attack, and David wrapped an arm around her silently before speaking up. "Honey, I think Regina's right. I know you just want to get in on what you missed, and I do to. But that's not what's best in this situation. Emma needs Regina."
The Mayor blinked at the former king in surprise. She had never pegged David as the type to actually support her and go against his wife, but she supposed it wasn't totally out of the blue. After all, she was the correct one in this situation.
"Fine." Snow sighed sadly, sitting down slowly on one of the chairs. Dr Whale came round the corner, making a beeline for Regina.
"How did it go?" He asked, genuinely curious.
"She's coming home with me. I need the discharge papers immediately." Somehow, in her yoga pants and hoodie she still managed to look regal and important.
"Of course, Madame Mayor. Why don't you go back to Emma and I'll bring them to her room," the man suggested, and Regina nodded in approval.
"Very well." And with that, she turned on her heel and rushed back to Emma, hoping the small blonde was coping okay alone.
After Regina had left the room, Emma had looked around properly for the first time, her green eyes wide. She was extremely confused as to how she actually ended up in a hospital; she had forgotten to ask. All she knew was that she hated the large, heavily sanitised building immensely. The whitewashed walls and sterile smell made the hairs on her neck stand on end, and the not-so-nice nurses stared at her oddly, always wondering how such a young child could be so battered.
Emma pushed herself deeper into the bed, willing the mattress to swallow her up. She needed to leave. Thoughts of her last home filled her mind, and she let out a small whimper at the memories. This wouldn't be the first time she had run away; she had done it a few times in the past. The blonde had only ever run away for the day - if she had been gone any longer the parents would have found her and beaten her to a pulp.
But now, there was no one stopping her. The beautiful lady had been gone for fifteen minutes, and Emma just knew that she wasn't coming back. She had seemed so nice, but then that was how they all started off. The small girl knew it was best if she just ran away and found somewhere to sleep on her own. She didn't want to go back to the system. Even after just six years of it, she was fed up of being kicked from home to home like a football. The blonde had a niggling feeling that she would never come to be adopted, and she would be alone her whole life. That was why it was best to save herself the heartbreak of being let down again, and run away now.
Carefully, Emma slipped out of the bed, her tiny bare feet making contact with the cool flooring. She tugged at the hospital gown, furrowing her brows at the shapeless dress. Well, it was better than most things she'd ever worn. She scampered over to the door and pulled at the handle, managing to open it up. Glancing cautiously left and right to check no one was around, she snuck out of the room and proceeded to pad silently down the bright corridor.
Almost immediately, a strong sense of fear overtook her, and the little girl's breathing quickened considerably. Feeling tears spring into her eyes, Emma ran down the corridor, her vision blurring as she felt panic seize her. She remembered that day at the hospital as though it had happened yesterday.
"Emma is all ready to be taken home now, Mrs Wilson." The nurse informed the short, stocky woman before her. Mrs Wilson shot the woman before her a tight smile, and the nurse left promptly. As soon as she was gone, the foster mother advanced on Emma who was cowering in the bed.
"How could you be such a careless fool!" Mrs Wilson hissed, glaring at the four-year-old. Emma bit her lip and looked away, frightened. "Answer me you brat! Don't ignore me." The woman reached out and yanked Emma's chin up forcefully, gripping it hard enough to bruise.
"I-I'm sorry ma'am," Emma stammered, unable to meet the woman's eye.
"Speak properly child. Don't mumble like the filthy rat you are," Mrs Wilson snapped, spitting the words out with venom.
"Sorry ma'am," Emma said louder, meeting her carer's eye for a second before she looked away.
"That's better. Now tell me, how did you end up in this place?" Mrs Wilson demanded.
"I hurt myself at school," Emma explained nervously, her voice timid.
"You stupid girl!" The woman roared, bringing a hand back and slapping the girl's cheek. When Emma cried out, reaching up to cup her cheek, the aggressive woman just slapped her again, pulling the blonde's hand away unkindly.
"Sorry ma'am," Emma apologised again, fighting back tears.
The woman huffed in response, saying nothing, which meant she deemed the apology good enough. She threw back the covers of the bed and pulled Emma out by the collar of the hospital gown. With a small yelp, Emma was tossed onto the floor. She scrambled up immediately, wincing as the pain in her leg sliced through her.
"Listen to me girl: if you ever end up back here again, I will kill you," Mrs Wilson threatened, and Emma gulped visibly. In response to the small girl's frightened attitude, the stocky woman laughed a mean, cold laugh. "Is that understood?"
"Yes ma'am." Emma nodded vigorously, looking down at her bare feet.
"We're leaving. Now." Mrs Wilson latched onto the blonde's arm, holding it in a deathly tight grip. She marched towards the door, towing the trembling girl with her.
Emma knew there would be dark bruises the next day, but she said nothing, gritting her teeth against the pain as she hobbled out of the hospital. Her leg screamed in protest as she was forced into an almost-run beside Mrs Wilson in an attempt to keep up with her extremely brisk pace. The four-year-old knew she would barely be able to walk the next day, and she had probably ruined her leg even more than she had in the first place.
Her mind was jogged from it's thoughts as she was shoved roughly into the back of the car, knocking her head in the process. Biting down on her lip hard enough so that it would bleed, Emma squeezed her eyes shut against the pain, and curled into herself. She was driven away from the hospital and back to an abusive home with a fresh set of injuries to add to the ever-growing old ones.
Emma gasped as the vivid memory came hurtling into her like a freight train. She crashed into the wall from the force of her sobs, glad no one could see her breaking down.
She sobbed, her shoulders shaking, until she couldn't breathe, and even then, tears streamed down her face. The small girl tucked her legs underneath her as her upper body collapsed forwards, the result of her harsh sobs. She stayed there, rocking herself back and forth as she tried desperately to control herself before anyone found her and she was undoubtedly punished.
Regina tore down the corridors of the hospital, her heart in her throat. Emma hadn't been in her room when she had returned five minutes ago, and the Mayor was terrified. She wracked her brains as to why Emma would have run away, but when she realised, she kicked herself. Emma's abandonment issues, of course. Regina had promised to be back in two minutes, though she'd been held down and had ended up taking fifteen minutes instead. The brunette guessed the girl's disappearance was because of that, and she felt a fresh wave of guilt wash over her. It's my fault. It's always my fault, dammit.
Eventually, after running down nearly every corridor in the hospital, Regina found Emma. The six-year-old was curled into a ball, rocking herself back and forth slowly and deliberately. The brunette approached slowly and cautiously, not wanting to scare Emma.
"Emma?" She said softly, catching the girl's attention. Emma's head whipped up, the tears tracks glistening in the light. Regina's heart broke at the sight; she needed to wrap Emma up and cuddle her till the pain went away.
The blonde rose to her feet clumsily, tripping over in her haste to stand. Regina darted forward and caught the girl in her arms before she hit the ground. Emma pulled away rapidly and stared up at the kind woman in front of her with an anxious, apologetic look on her face.
"I-I'm so sorry Miss Mills. I r-really am. I-I was just s-scared and I-I needed to l-leave," Emma said through small sobs, fresh tears rolling down her flushed cheeks. "I'll understand if y-you don't w-want me anymore." The blonde tensed, waiting for the blow that never came. When she looked up to see the Mayor looking at her with a heart-broken expression on her face, her shoulders relaxed a little.
"Oh Emma, I'm never ever going to hurt you, okay? You're so precious sweetheart, and I would never do anything like that." Regina dropped to her knees in front of Emma and took the small hands in hers. The girl gasped slightly, and a dubious expression broke out.
"No one's ever told me that I'm precious before," she admitted, smiling softly. The woman thought she was precious. Emma decided there and then that Mayor Regina Mills was the nicest person she had ever met in her whole entire life.
"Why not? Emma, you're so special and I'm going to help you see that," Regina whispered softly, stroking a thumb across the girl's bony wrist.
In response to Regina's words, Emma leant forward and snaked her thin arms around the brunette's neck, hoping she hadn't misjudged the situation. What if Regina hurts me? No, she said she wouldn't.
Regina's heart clenched as she wrapped her arms around Emma and held her tightly. She rubbed soothing circles on the small child's back as the blonde buried her head in the crook of Regina's neck.
"Sshh baby girl, it's all going to be okay," the Mayor whispered these words as she pressed a soft kiss to Emma's cheek and drew back, offering the girl a wide smile. The mega-watt smile she got in return was enough to make her heart burst and tears gather in the corners of her eyes.
"Miss Mills, what's wrong?" Emma asked, frowning as she saw the tears. She hadn't wanted to upset her new carer. What had she done?
"Nothing honey, nothing. I'm just so happy you're here with me," Regina admitted, blushing slightly. Emma just beamed and planted a slightly sloppy kiss on the brunette's cheek.
"I'm glad I'm with you too," the blonde said, her smile shy.
"Would you like to come home now?" Regina asked kindly, standing up from her position on the ground. Her knees were getting sore from the hard flooring.
Emma hesitated briefly before shaking away her doubts and smiling nervously. "Yes please."
"Let's go then." Regina took Emma's hand in hers gently, and they walked side by side down the corridor.
Emma wasn't used to being treated with so much care, and she quickly came to the conclusion that it was the best thing in the world. She felt happier than she had in years, and that alone put a huge beam on her adorable rounded face.