Rockabye

Chapter Fifteen

"Hi."

Emma's suspicious eyes flick to her mother's, who seems to be melting by the second. She then darts toward her father, who is nervously glancing at everyone around the room. She catches a glimpse of Regina, who is smiling down upon the little boy with the kindest of smiles. Finally, Emma's eyes fall to the curious little boy again.

"Hi," Emma cheerfully replies, unsure what else to say to a small child. She's never really been around kids before.

The little boy leans in even further, stealing all the air within her lungs. She wants to pull away, but some force beyond her control is keeping her rooted. "I'm Henry," he announces as his little head tilts to the side, full of curiosity.

Emma's heart stops and she swears she can hear time tick by without her organ ever making a move.

"Why is this little boy named after my father?" Regina questions, catching Emma's full attention. The blonde quickly snaps her head to the right and assesses Regina through wide eyes. "Snow please tell me you didn't have a child and name him after my father," Regina sarcastically inquires with her lips pursed out.

"I didn't..." the words die on her tongue as dark green eyes drift toward her daughter.

"Your father's name was Henry?" Emma breathlessly questions in utter shock.

"Yes," Regina confirms as she stares deep into Emma's eyes. "That's probably why I always loved the name so much when we were younger," she rambles off carelessly before her mind fills in the blank. "Emma?" Regina's voice is thick with emotions as her eyes flick back and forth between the little boy and Emma.

"I'm your son," Henry declares through a wide cheeky smile that Emma knows is her signature grin.

Emma doesn't say a word as she inspects every detail of the small boy. She doesn't need anymore confirmation because she can already feel an invisible tether forming between their two hearts. A warm thick ribbon is swarming around her heart and filling that gaping hole that she has been walking around with since she placed her baby in someone else's arms.

She doesn't need a DNA test to know this little boy is hers, her son. She already feels that bond between mother and son that could never be taken away. She examines those eyes that are identical to her mother's. His thick brown hair that resembles his father's and that smile, god that smile that is all her.

Henry leans forward and taps her nose lightly as his eyes bore into her. "You have freckles just like me," he proudly states, awakening her from her foggy haze.

"Emma?" Regina repeats, but the blonde has her mind focused on something far more important.

Emma's eyes sweep passed her son and land firmly upon her mother. She glares at the woman with enough force that would make anyone physically shrink before her.

"How do you have my son?" She drawls slowly in such a cold tone, everyone in the room wishes the floor would just open up and swallow them whole.

"It's okay," Henry responds before Snow has the chance to even open her mouth. "Grandma and grandpa have been taking very good care of me," he confirms and smiles that adoring grin. "Same with grandpa Rumple and grandma Belle..." he pauses for a moment as his mind thinks about something he considers important. "Grandma Belle doesn't like when I call her grandma though, so I stick to Belle."

Emma offers her son a small, weak smile before her eyes wander back toward her mother. She squirms in her seat slightly because Regina is burning a hole right through her temple right now, but she has other matters to attend to first.