The Heart Knows No Bounds

chapter 3. I'm Sorry!

"This blanket is very pretty Emma, where would you like it to be kept? We can put it over your pillow or under your duvet. Whichever you prefer" Mal offered

Emma thought hard about this choice. She did like to snuffle into her blanket, it had it's own special sweet smell and It made her feel relaxed and safe. Over her pillow sounded like a good way to have it.

"over the pillow please Ma'am" replied Emma.

"hey Sweets, you can call me Mal, or even Mama once you're ready, but don't call me Ma'am. It makes me feel super old." Mal smiled

"but what should she call Mommy?" Lilly interjected

"Emma can call her Regina, or Mommy but only when she feels ready. There's no pressure in our house Em."

"okay, that sounds like a good idea Mama" said Lilly "Hey Emma, do you want to come and see my room?"

"yes please!" said Emma excitedly.

"girls, what do you want for dinner?" called Regina from the hallway

"Mac and Cheese Mommy" Lilly answered, "is that okay with you Emma?"

"yes please, Mac and Cheese sounds yummy" said Emma, coming out of her shell more and more.

While the two girls went into Lilly's room and started to talk about their favourite toys, Mal tiptoed downstairs and into the kitchen where she saw her wife was boiling up some pasta and melting down some cheese. Mal walked over and wrapped her arms around Regina and kissed her cheek gently. Regina sighed contentedly and lent back slightly into the arms of her wife.

"has Emma unpacked?" asked Regina as she stirred the softening pasta shells in the pot

"yeah she has. That social worker wasn't kidding when she said that Em has no clothes; all she has is some old boys PJ's plus the clothes she's wearing. I think it's just as well we stocked up on so many clothes for her." replied Mal as she walked to the fridge and began preparing a small side salad for along with the pasta.

"will the clothes that we've bought fit her though? She's so much tinier than I pictured her to be, and delicate too. Mal, I think I've started to love her like my own. Like she's already so perfect... do you think that she was supposed to be ours?" Regina asked as she wiped her hands on her apron and went over and helped Mal prepare the salad.

Mal took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she replied

"i think there are a few things that will fit her, we can always dig out of the things that Lilly grew out of but didn't wear. I think you're right about loving her already; she already feels like ours. Is that w a family knows that they're complete; when each of the parents have their little clone? Lilly is obviously your double but Em has colouring that is almost identical to mine. She fits in almost perfectly with our family."

Regina washed her hands and dried them on a nearby hand towel and began to set the table. Four placemats and two kiddie plates with pictures of kittens and puppies on them along with the kid safe knives and forks with love hearts burned into the metal. Mal came over with a steaming bowl of pasta and a large serving spoon and a small plastic bowl of salad with some salad tongs. Regina decided to call the girls down for their dinner. Lilly came charging down and said something about Emma being in her room and wanting some alone time. Regina set Lilly at the table with some salad and went to find Emma. When she came to the little girls bedroom she knocked lightly before she called out.

"Emma? Honey, can I come in?"

Hearing no reply, Regina eased the door open and saw a sight that melted her heart. Emma was curled up on her new bed with her baby blanket and one of Lilly's cuddly teddies and was fast asleep, snoring softly. Regina hated to wake her but she knew that she had to as the child must be starving hungry. Regina sat down beside Emma's sleeping form and lightly tapped her shoulder but the little girl didn't stir. So, Regina tapped slightly harder and Emma's blue eyes flew open and she scrambled to attention.

"I... I'm sorry Ma'am. I didn't mean to fall asleep! I promise! It wont happen again." Emma stammered while she tried to straighten up her slightly crumpled bedding. She was used to living in homes where everything had to be neat and tidy and woe betide her if something was out of place.

"Emma honey, breathe. It's okay. Remember I'm not Ma'am, I'm Regina. She helped Emma straighten up her bedding (not that it needed straightening) and she picked up the teddy.

"is this one of Lilly's teddies?" asked Regina

Emma's eyes widened in horror as she tried to explain that it wasn't what it looked like. Lilly had given her the teddy because in Lilly's words: "I gots loads of teddies and you don't got none. You can pick one and keep it until we get you a special one" but Emma just started hyperventilating and sobbing so much that she couldn't get the words out.

Regina watched in horror as Emma started to have a proper panic attack in front of her, she seemed to be rooted to the spot as Emma began to choke and retch until she gagged and was suddenly, horribly sick all over her floor and herself. Regina walked over and picked Emma up and sat on the bed with her new daughter in a bear hug and whispered soothing words into her ear and rubbed her back until she felt Emma's breathing begin to slow and she tilted the blonde child's face up so that Regina could see her beautiful blue eyes and kissed her forehead. Emma wound her arms around Regina's neck and snuffled into her shoulder and stayed that way until she finally got a control over herself and hiccupped her way into silence.

Once she was sure that the girl was calm, Regina unwound her arms from her neck and gave her a hug. Emma sighed happily until she stiffed slightly.

"What's the matter little one?" Regina asked softly

"I didn't mean to do that! Why did I cry? Babies cry! I didn't mean to be sick! I..."

Regina shushed her and gave her a cuddle. Before assuring her that it was okay, she would help clean her up and clean her floor. It wasn't her fault that she was sick, it was just something that happens to hundreds of people every day. Regina picked Emma up and expertly stepped over the puddle on the floor and took her into the girls shared bathroom.

"I don't think I'll give you a full bath just yet Emma, but I'll give you a wash down before dinner then a bath afterwards, that okay?" Emma nodded and began to shrug off her soggy jumper, and struggled to unbutton her damp jeans. Once she finally got them off and mumbled to Regina that she was ready and Regina dipped a blue washcloth into some warm soapy water and turned around and stifled a gasp.

Emma's legs were covered in bruises of various colours, some fresh and some healing. There was one mark on her thigh that resembled a man's hand and Regina felt bile rise in her own throat. There wasn't a lot that made Regina feel sick to her stomach (in the Enchanted Forest, she had extracted people's hearts and crushed them on a daily basis) but she smiled and knelt down and began to sponge Emma clean, making small-talk while she did so.

"what would you like to wear once you're nice and clean Ems?"

"hmmm, I only have my pjs but they're old and they're boys ones" Emma stuck her tongue out at this answer

Regina giggled and wiped Emma's face with a white face cloth and then wiped down her chest and arms with the same cloth she used for her body. Once she was finished, she wrapped the little girl in a big fluffy bath towel and told her to wait until she cleaned her floor, then she could come and investigate the wardrobe to see if there was anything she wanted to wear until bath time. Emma sat happily on the toilet lid and dried herself expertly then relaxed and swung her legs. Regina wasn't even cross with her! Maybe these people weren't like all those other people. Maybe she really did want to stay here forever?

"Emma?" came Regina's voice and interrupted Emma's little thoughts. Emma tied the towel even tighter around her body and all but skipped into her new bedroom and found Regina holding out brand new Leggings and T-shirts still with the store tags on. Emma walked forwards and picked out a pair of navy leggings and a white and navy striped t-shirt. Regina then produced a pair of light blue bedroom slippers and Emma slid her feet into them.

Suddenly, Mal's voice drifted up the stairs

"Are you two coming for dinner?" Lilly's already scoffing down hers"

Hand in hand, Regina and Emma walked downstairs.