Rockabye

Chapter Six

"Regina you don't understand how lucky you are. I would give anything to have a family accept me, but you toss it away every chance you get."

"Tell me you wouldn't do the same if you were in my shoes. Tell me Emma, tell me how you would so easily walk away from me to have parents," Regina commands as her patience wears thin.

The brunette holds her breath, because she can't stand to hear Emma say that she could so carelessly abandon her. For nine years, every decision Regina has made was for Emma. Her number one. Her only constant in her life. If Emma doesn't reciprocate the same feelings, it would crush Regina's heart and soul.

"That's not fair," Emma huffs as she angrily spins around and stomps away.

Regina squeezes her eyes shut and exhales a shaky breath. Once she regains her composure, she takes off jogging after the disgruntle blonde.

"Emma talk to me," Regina pleads as she slows down her pace to even out with her friend.

"I'm so done with this Regina. I just watched another kid get adopted," Emma harshly replies as her anger burns hot and consumes her words.

Regina is so stunned her feet stop moving. She cannot fathom how Emma is never picked. To Regina, Emma is the most adorable, kind hearted person to ever grace this planet. She's respectful and minds her own business, what sane adult wouldn't want her?

"I-I'm so sorry Emma," Regina stutters forcing Emma's feet to stop walking away.

Emma can hear the break in her friend's voice, she knows Regina's genuinely upset. She hates seeing Regina this way, so she caves. Emma relaxes her tone and does her best to calm herself before she speaks again.

"It's not your fault," Emma shuffles her feet toward Regina. Nervous, anxious, terrified of what's to fall from her lips again, knowing damn well Regina will reject it. "I'm running away. No one will ever adopt me. I'm too old and soon I'll age out of the system."

"Em, you're fourteen. You have plenty of time," Regina implores sympathetically, but the blonde refuses to listen.

"Regina listen to me, you need to allow this family to adopt you, the...Millers?" Emma stumbles on the name and looks to Regina for guidance.

"The Mills," Regina softly replies as she hangs her head in shame, knowing her friend is one hundred percent correct on the circumstance.

"Right. The Mills." Emma grips her friend's biceps and ducks her head to meet Regina's eyes, suddenly the taller of the two. "You have to go."

Regina nods along as tears rapidly fill her eyes. She knows Emma is stubborn and there's no changing her mind now. This might be her last chance at a family and maybe she can convince this family to take in Emma as well. She just cannot stomach the thought of losing Emma once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Minnesota: Three months later

"It's a shame you can't stay Emma," Ingrid sulks with a glint of humor glistening in her crystal blue eyes. She pauses, patiently waiting for Emma to make her decision.

"Maybe...I can hang around...just one more day," Emma sternly states as she hikes up her backpack upon her shoulder.

Emma's new foster guardian, Ingrid, smiles gratefully. The young girl can practically see the weight lifting from the older woman's shoulders. There's a moment of silence before Ingrid sips her hot cocoa and glances back at Emma.