First Love Reunited

Chapter 14

The next morning, Emma awoke to the sun in her eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut against the blinding sunlight and rolled over. Emma kept her eyes shut, but she felt the presence of another person in the bed with her. She knew that the other person was Zelena. The blonde slowly opened her eyed and peeked up at the woman next to her. Zelena was sitting up against the bed's headboard. Emma noticed that Zelena was cradling a bundle in her arms. The woman with red hair was smiling down at the baby girl in her arms. Upon further inspection, Emma realized that Zelena was breastfeeding Robin. Emma looked up at Zelena's face. The blonde woman's breath caught in her throat. Zelena's red hair looked like polished copper in the light of the morning sun. Her alabaster skin was radiant and her face was free of any makeup. Emma could not see Zelena's eyes, because they were downcast, gazing at her daughter. However, Emma could see the teal blue eyes, vividly, in her mind's eye. And there beauty was otherworldly. Emma's heart fluttered in her chest. Where were these feelings for Zelena coming from? Perhaps, as their friendship grew, these feelings had been growing alongside it. Had Zelena always been so beautiful? Yes, she had been. However, this was a different type of beauty. Zelena had always been strikingly gorgeous. Her sharp features and stunning blue eyes demanded attention. This Zelena in the morning light was beautiful in a different way. Zelena had natural beauty. At this moment her walls were down and she was not hiding behind her wicked facade. Very few people got to experience the real Zelena. The one who just wanted to be a part of something bigger than herself. Emma was one of those lucky few. The blonde had not realized that she had been staring until Zelena spoke up.
​"Like what you see dear?"
Emma blinked. Her trance had been broken.
​"You knew I was awake."
It was not a question, but a statement. Zelena chuckled softly.
​"I could feel you staring at me for the past two minutes," Zelena said. "And you did not answer my question. Did you like what you saw?"
​"You're beautiful," The words escaped Emma's lips before she could stop them."Um...I...mean," Emma stuttered over her words. What is going on with her? "You already know that you're beautiful, but you have natural beauty...," Emma groaned. "Ugh. I'm going to stop talking now."
​"I'm pretty sure that was a compliment," Zelena said. "So, thank you. Emma, would you mind getting a burp rag for Robin? There should be one in that drawer over there." Zelena pointed with her chin to the indicated drawer.
​"Don't mind at all," Emma said as she got up from the bed. She walked over to the drawer and pulled out a burp rag. Emma handed it over to Zelena when the blonde came back to the bed. "Here go, Zelena."
The redhead thanked her. Zelena shift Robin so that she could burp her daughter. Emma sat back down on the bed. The two women sat side by side in comfortable silence. That silence was eventually broken by the sound of Robin's hiccups. Zelena wiped away the spit up from the infant redhead's mouth and chin and then sat her on lap. Robin leaned back against her mother and her big blue eyes wandered around the room. When Robin's eyes landed Emma, she stretched out her hand. Emma chuckled at the grabbing motion that Robin was making.
​"Hello, Robin," Emma said. The baby girl took hold of the finger that Emma had held out. "How are you this morning?" Emma smiled and Robin smiled back.
​"She likes you," Zelena commented.
Emma looked up from Robin to Zelena. "She is absolutely precious."
The two ladies sat together and played with Robin. They made silly faces and tickled the little baby's tummy. Zelena's bedroom was filled with giggles and laughter. Zelena watched Emma has the blonde laughed. The younger woman was stunning when she was being carefree. Zelena heart fluttered in her chest. For some time now, Zelena had had an inkling of feelings for the younger woman. However, Zelena had pushed those feelings down. Emma was her friend and that was all she would ever be. Right? Still, Zelena couldn't control what her heart wanted. And her heart wanted Emma.
​"Emma," Zelena began to say. "I know that you and Hook have only recently split up, but may I ask you a question?"
​"Of course, Zelena," Emma said. "You can ask me anything."
​"Do you think you'll find love again?"
Emma thought about her answer for a moment before she responded to Zelena's question.
​"Yeah, I do think I'll find love again. Someday," Emma said. "To be honest, I hope that someday comes sooner rather than later."
Zelena was surprised by Emma's answer. She did not expect that Emma would be open to love so soon after the end of a relationship.
​"Really?" Zelena asked.
​"Yes, really. Even though my relationship with Hook ended poorly, I'd like to think that at some point there was real love there. I have come so far and I don't want to close my heart off to love."
Zelena felt a glimmer of hope warm her heart. Someday. Maybe someday, she and Emma could be something more. Zelena watched as Emma continued to play the part of the tickle monster with Robin. The ginger haired woman was moved by the scene. Zelena, Emma, and Robin could make a sweet family. One full of love and hope. Someday.
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Regina Mills had left her house early that morning. She would be spending the day in her office, catching up on paperwork. The mayor also had a town council meeting scheduled for the morning. However, Regina would much rather be spending time with her children. Children. Plural. A son and a daughter. That was still baffling to Regina's mind. While she was beyond joyous to have Danielle in her life, it would take some adjustment to mothering two children. Especially a daughter. There had been a reason why Regina had adopted a baby boy. The brunette woman had been afraid that she would be a terrible mother to a little girl. That she would turn out like her mother. Perhaps that had been the reason why Regina had given up Danielle? Regina did not have the answer to that question, but she eager to find those answers sooner rather than later. The mayor of Storybrooke was currently in attendance of a town council meeting. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes as one of the council members droned on about a mediocre dilemma. Why Pongo getting loose and tearing up the council man's wife's flower bed was a problem that Regina had to be bored by, she would never know. This was hardly a pressing matter. Regina pulled out her cell phone from her pocket and held it under the table. She opened up her messages and typed a text to Snow White. 
​R: Snow, would you care to join me for lunch? I have something important I wish to ​​discuss with you.
Regina pressed send. A few minutes later her phone buzzed. She looked at her phone's screen to see that Snow had responded.
​S: I'd be delighted to. I'll meet you in your office around 12:30?
​R: That would be most doable. Pick up Granny's on the way?
​S: Will do. See you then.
Mayor Mills closed her messages and slipped her cell phone back into her pocket. When she focused her attention back to the meeting at hand, she discover that the Pongo matter was still being discussed. Regina rolled her eyes and did not even attempt to hide her annoyance.
​"Enough!" Regina said, using her infamous Evil Queen voice. The chatter among the council members ceased. "Now, if there is nothing of significance in which we need to discuss, this meeting is adjourned."
The council members stood up from the table. The meeting had been held in Regina's office. Once the door closed behind the last council member, Regina let out a deep sigh of annoyance. Yes, she would much rather be with her children.
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While his brunette mother was at the office and his blonde mother spent a lazy day with his aunt and little cousin, Henry was spending time with his newly discovered little sister. The two children of Regina were curled up on Henry's bed. They were looking through Henry's storybook and bonding over the stories inside. Occasionally, Danielle would elaborate on a story. Adding details that were not written.
​"How do you know all of these things about the stories, Danielle?" Henry asked.
​"My dream visions," Danielle explained. "Mostly they are about Regina, I mean Mom, but sometimes random people and their stories will appear."
​"Still getting used to having a mom, uh?"
​"Yeah, but I'm glad that we found each other."
​"I am too," Henry said.
Danielle stared up at her new older brother. "Really?"
Henry nodded his head yes. "Of course," the teen said. "And I'm glad to be a big brother. No one is going to mess with my little sister."
The pair of siblings continued to entertain themselves with Henry's storybook. A little while later, the older Mills' child asked the younger Mills' a question.
​"Danielle," Henry started to say. "How do your dream visions work anyway?"
The girl with blue eyes shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure, really. I've just always had them and I'm glad that I do. Otherwise, I wouldn't know who I really am. I don't think I would even have a name."
​"You got your name from your dad Daniel, right?"
​"Yes, that's right," Danielle said. "When I was a very little girl I saw my parents in a dream. It was of the night that my father died. I heard Mom call him Daniel. So I gave myself the name Danielle. In memory of my dad."
Henry let that information sink in. Before he could conjure up a response, Danielle asked him a question. "Did you always know that you were adopted?"
​"No, not always," Henry answered. "When I was a little kid I believed that Regina was my biological mother. I had just assumed that I looked like my dad."
​"Did you ever ask Mom why you didn't have a dad?"
​"Yes, I did."
​"What did she tell you?"
​"She told me that my dad was Daniel."
​"What!?"
Henry couldn't help but laugh at Danielle's shocked expression. "Well she never said that Daniel had been a stable boy. And she never said anything about the Enchanted Forest. I remember, once, when I was little it was Father's Day," Henry paused when he saw the look of confusion on Danielle's face. "Father's Day is a day that celebrates dads," Henry explained before he continued.
​"Anyway, it was Father's Day and the kids in my class were making arts and craft gifts for their fathers. Except for me and I was real upset about it. When I got home that day, I was crying my eyes out because I didn't have a dad. After Mom found out why I was so upset, she told me that I had a father once and that his name had been Daniel. She told me that he had moved on from this world and that even though he wasn't here, he was always looking out for me."
​"I like that story," Danielle commented after Henry finished his story.
​"So do I," Henry said. "And over the years, as my family tree grew bigger and...complicated, I held on to that story. Whenever I imagine a father figure in my life I see Daniel."
Danielle reach her arms out and wrapped them around Henry's torso. She hugged him.
​"I wish that Daniel could be here with us. Be here with Mom."
Henry pulled his little sister closer and returned her hug as a silent agreement.
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Later that afternoon, Snow White arrived at Regina Mills' office promptly at 12:30. With Granny's take out in hand. Snow opened the office door and peeked her head inside. She saw Regina, sitting behind her desk, engrossed in paperwork. Snow White cleared her throat to make her presence known. Regina looked up when she heard the sound.
​"Snow," Regina said and put down her pen. "Come in. I'm glad you could join me."
Snow entered Regina's office.
​"I come baring food from Granny's," the raven haired woman said as she held up a bag containing take out. "Kale salad for you and chicken salad for myself."
Snow White took out the containers out of the bag and set them on the small conference table in the mayor's office. She sat down at the table and opened the container that held her chicken salad. Regina stood up from her desk and joined Snow at the table. The two dark haired women sat beside and enjoyed their meals whilst engaging in light conversation. Snow talked about a science experiment she was planning for her class. Regina recounted the tale of Archie's spotted hound razing the town's flowerbeds. They shared a laugh over the story and as their laughter died down, Snow asked the question that had been burning on her tongue.
​"Regina," Snow White said. "Why have you asked me to have lunch with you today?"
​"What?" Regina asked. "I can't ask a friend to join me for an afternoon meal? Why must there be an underlying reason?
​"Because you invited  me to lunch the day after you discovered that you had a long lost child," Snow said with a raised eyebrow. her face softened with sympathy. "Tell me, Regina. What's going on? Is everything with Danielle alright?"
Regina nodded her head.
​"Yes," the mayor answered. "Danielle and I are doing very well. Even Henry is getting along with her."
​"Then what is troubling you?"
​"I am overjoyed to have two children now. And I'm grateful to have been reunited with Danielle, but I'm worried that I won't be able to fully enjoy this new happiness. Not until I have answers."
The school teacher looked at the other woman curiously.
​"Answers to what?"
​"To why I gave Danielle up in the first place. Why do I have no memory of ever being with child or giving birth?" Regina looked her ex-stepdaughter in the eye. "Do you have any memories of these events, Snow?"
Snow White shook her head no. "I'm afraid not. I have no recollection of you ever being pregnant."
Regina heaved a heavy sigh.
​"However," Snow continued. "There is someone in Storybrooke who could shed some light on the matter."
​"Rumplestiltskin."
​"Would you like for me to accompany to his shop?"
​"Yes," Regina answered.
Snow stood up from the table.
​"Well, in that case," she said. "It would seem that we have a Dark One to visit."
Snow exited the mayor's office. Regina following close behind.