Reset

"Sorry, I tried to keep her quiet," Emma whispered apologetically. Regina pulled her robe a little closer and stepped into the room, allowing Emma to see her slightly unruly hair and dark rings around her eyes.

"I heard," Regina smiled knowingly.

"Sorry, was I a bit loud?" Emma asked with a frown because she had done her best to be quiet.

Regina reached into her pocket and pulled out a small electronic device that Emma recognised as a baby monitor and immediately began replaying her conversation in her mind, "right, erm, sorry.."

"It's fine," Regina smiled, "I thought I better come in and let you know."

Emma grinned, "that everything I say is being recorded and might be used against me in a court of law?"

Grace started to squirm at the complete lack of attention she was getting and Emma tried to bounce her but the baby girl kept straining around to see Regina, "I think she wants you," Emma said and Regina nodded.

Regina put the baby monitor back into her robe pocket and then crossed the room to meet Emma in the middle and took Grace from Emma and held her against her own chest. Grace's hand slid through the v-neck opening of Regina's pyjama shirt and she appeared to be kneading at Regina's skin beneath. Emma couldn't help but notice, she'd seen it happen a few times before with Grace and she wondered what it meant.

"She seems to find it comforting to grab at my skin there," Regina said as she followed Emma's gaze, "if I wear a roll neck sweater she gets very upset, it's a comfort thing," she shrugged, "does she do it with you?"

Emma shook her head, "no, not that I've noticed.."

"Hmm," Regina nodded, "thank you for coming in here, I'm sorry that she kept you awake again last night, offering you a room here probably wasn't as calming as I'd hoped!"

Emma was watching Grace as the little girl kneaded at her mother's skin beneath her clothes and had almost fallen back to sleep in her arms and Emma wondered what the trick was or if it was just Regina that could prompt this response, "it's wonderful," Emma smiled distractedly, "it's nice to know she is here, that you're all here."

Regina agreed, "yes, a baby screaming throughout the night would certainly help you to not feel like you're alone, not so great for your sleep pattern though."

"You should have a break today," Emma pointed out, "have a sleep in, or a nap, I'll take Grace."

Regina shook her head, "I couldn't do that, I invited you here as a guest not free babysitting services."

"I'd be happy to do it," Emma argued, "besides it's not like you're going out for a night on the town and getting drunk, you're getting some much needed sleep."

Regina seemed hesitant, "are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

"I'd love to, I could take her out, me and Henry could take her for a walk in the park and you can have a nap," Emma suggested as she continued to watch Grace.

"I would like that," Regina finally admitted, Emma suspected more through sleep exhaustion.

"Great, you can do that sleeping trick on yourself," Emma pointed out with a grin.

"Sadly not," Regina shook her head, "it doesn't work on oneself and only on those who wish it."

Emma considered that, "so.. if I hadn't wanted to go to sleep.. it wouldn't have worked?"

"Exactly," Regina said.

"So that first night, when you knocked me out on the sofa," Emma said and Regina laughed at the phrasing, "I wanted you to knock me out.."

"You wanted to sleep," Regina corrected.

Emma reached forward and gently tugged Grace free from Regina's arms and cradled her in her own arms. At Regina's frown she said, "I can take her from here, I'm just a warm body now, you get some sleep.."

Regina looked at her and looked like she was about to argue the point but then nodded her agreement, "don't hesitate to come into my room if you need me, if Grace needs me," she half-heartedly corrected before taking one last lingering look at the girl and leaving the nursery.

Chapter 58

Emma sat on a bench in the park and smiled as she watched Henry excitedly running around With Grace in his arms, swooping her around like she was flying and making wooshing noises that made her giggle.

She was amazed how calm and at ease she felt, of course the niggling fears and doubts were still there but they didn’t pop to the forefront of her mind like the had done in the past. A sense of order was in the process of being restored to her life and she didn’t feel so frantic and exhausted anymore. Watching Grace and Henry was soothing and blissful even if they fear of losing them was still just beneath the surface of her smile.