58. Dragon Queen + Star Swan
Ahhh, I had so much fun with this one.
This was submitted to me from this drabble list. Submit a number & a pairing and I’ll write a ficlet!
Iwasn’t there the momentYou first learned to breatheBut I’m on my way, on my way-Boyce Avenue
Emma settled the groceries down onto the counter. “Goodnews, they got Poptarts back in, I stocked up. Though, I actually paid for themthis time.” She winked over at Lily.
Normally, that would’ve gotten a laugh out of hergirlfriend. That day, though, Lily just continued to stare off into space. Emmaraised an eyebrow and walked over to her. There was a bottle of vodka on thetable, but it was unopened.
“You’re never this quiet, what’s wrong?”
Lily bit her lip. “You know how I was trying to look for my dad?”
“Yeah, did you get a new lead?” She dropped down intothe chair beside her, sitting backwards in it.
“Sort of…I went out to lunch today with Mal…I mean,Mom, and Regina. While we were eating, Blue approached us. She said that afairy confessed something…she um, she used magic to make sure that my mom wouldget pregnant. Said something about it being fate or something. Since my mom wasa lesbian, though…my father…well…I technically have two moms.”
Emma raised an eyebrow. “I wish I could say that’s theweirdest thing I’ve heard around here. So, who’s your other mom?”
Lily gave her a look, as if it should’ve been obvious.It took a couple of minutes, but finally it dawned on Emma. Slowly, she tiltedher head to the side.
“Yup.” Lily pushed some hair out of her face. “Theresults are in, she is the mother.”
“Don’t worry, I didn’t know what to say either.”
“Well, what did Regina say?”
Emma tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
Lily bit her lip. “I just kind of…I ran out of there.”
She let out a sigh. “Oh, Lily.”
“I know it was a jerk thing…”
“Trust me,” Emma took her hand. “I get it, I do. WhenI found out that my parents were well, my parents….I didn’t handle it verywell. I tried to push them away as much as I could.”
Lily nodded. It was what had brought them closer inthe first place. Emma knew more than anything what she was going through withMaleficent. “I don’t know how to feel. I mean, I know it’s not her fault that shewasn’t there. How could she know? I just…I was just getting used to finding outI had one mom.”
“But you wanted to find your other parent,” Emmareminded her.
“I didn’t know that my other parent was already hereall this time.”
Emma paused for a minute, trying to be careful withher words.
“Does this…does this have anything to do with Reginahaving another kid?”
“I know that’s a hard one. When my mom got pregnantwith Neal…I felt like I had been replaced in some way. It wasn’t true, but itstill hurt.”
“Henry was around before Regina even knew about me.”
“But he still had everything we didn’t. A lovingmother. Heck, he technically has three now between me and Maleficent.”
Lily shut her eyes, tilting her head back. “I feellike a 5-year-old.”
Emma grabbed her hand. “You’re not. You’re human, you’reallowed to feel what you do.”
“I don’t know how to do this…how to be her kid. Whatif…what if I’m not what she wants?”
“Hey, Regina does want you, that much I know. Anyonewould want you to be their daughter and if they didn’t, well they’d be a moron.”
Lily nodded and laid her head on her girlfriend’sshoulder. Emma wrapped an arm around her, kissing the top of her head. Going tosee Regina could wait. In that moment, the two former orphans had to remind themselvesthat they were actually loved.
Regina was sitting on the steps of the mansion whenMaleficent sat beside her. She handed a mug to her, giving her a small smile.
“Thanks,” Regina mumbled, taking a sip.
“She’s going to come around, you know. It took hertime to open up to me.”
“I understand her needing space. I’m just worried thatthere’s not going to be a space for me in her life.”
Maleficent took her hand. “Hey, that’s not true.”
“You’re the one who has a son with practically threemothers.”
Regina didn’t know how to answer that. A part of herknew deep down that Maleficent was right, her head was still swimming. She hada daughter, Henry had an older sister. An older sister who just so happened tobe dating his biological mother.
“This family tree just got even more fucked up,”Regina realized out loud.
Maleficent chuckled. “You could say that.” She lookedup when she heard a car pulling into the driveway. “Well, looks like time’s up.”
Regina glanced up and saw Lily getting out of her car.Before she could say anything, Maleficent had disappeared back into the houseto give them some privacy. Regina rose to her feet, setting the mug onto thesteps. Lily stuck her hands into her jacket pocket, shifting from foot to foot.It was then that Regina could see herself in her. It had taken 30 years for herto be able to lay eyes on her daughter and she never wanted to take them offher again.
“You’re…you’re beautiful.”
“You’ve seen me before,” Lily muttered. She saw theguilt splash across Regina’s face. “I’m sorry, I don’t know how to do this.”
“Don’t apologize, please. I know this is hard.”
“I don’t know what I was expecting when I went lookingfor my dad.”
“Probably a man and not your mom’s lover from the EnchantedForest.”
That brought a genuine smile to Lily’s face for thefirst time since lunch.
“Look, Lily, we can do this however you want. Ourrelationship, you can decide how it works. I don’t want to push anything onyou.”
“I appreciate it, I do,” Lily replied. “I want us tofind a way to…be…mother and daughter, I guess?”
Tears burned Regina’s eyes. “I’d like that very much.”
“It just might take time.”
“I completely understand.” A beat passed and Regina lookeddeeper into her daughter’s eyes. “I love you, Lily.”
Lily smiled again, tilting her head.