Once Upon a Time There for You

_A/N: in honor of josh and ginny's announcement that they are pregnant and the adorable new pictures of regina holding a baby henry in 3x9 "save henry", i wrote a short little story :) enjoy!_

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The Mills Manor was quiet and still on the chilly May afternoon. The house's lone occupants were in separate rooms after a quiet dinner. Henry Mills was in his bedroom, finishing his homework. Or so his mother thought. He was actually reading the new comic book his birth mother had gotten him. His mother, Regina, sat at her desk finishing paperwork in her office.

She signed yet another paper before glancing at the clock. She found herself getting distracted as she thought about her son. She had been so worried about him when they first came back from Neverland, but he seemed to be okay. He didn't resist her suggestion to start talking to Dr. Hopper again until he felt like he could put his near death experience behind him. He seemed to be the same boy he was when Greg and Tamara took him, although he had certainly matured a bit.

Regina was wondering if he wasn't just trying to placate his family by telling them that he was okay or not when the phone rang. She was surprised to see her former stepdaughter's name on the Caller I.D., but she answered regardless. "Hello?"

"Regina." Mary Margaret Blanchard seemed eager to hear her voice. "Oh thank goodness you answered. The baby won't stop crying and David isn't answering his phone. I-I just don't know what to do."

The mayor frowned as she realized Mary Margaret sounded as if she was near tears. She felt somewhat uncomfortable that her former enemy had called her for help. They hadn't seen much of each other since their return to Storybrooke. Regina had congratulated her and David on the birth of their second child a few weeks previously, but their interactions were still awkward, so she tried to avoid them. "Have you tried feeding her?"

"Of course! I tried feeding her and changing her and rocking her, but she is still crying. What if she is sick? Regina, I don't know what to do."

"Okay. Just relax. I'll be at your house in a few minutes, all right?" Regina said as she stood to grab her jacket and keys. She hung up the phone and headed up the stairs to Henry's room. She knocked and opened the door. He shoved his comic under his pillow and pretended to focus on his homework. She gave him a look but didn't comment. "Henry, I'm going to see Mary Margaret for a little while. Do you think you will be okay here by yourself?"

It was his turn to give her a look. "I'll be fine. Why are you going to visit her? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, it's fine. She just wants some help with the baby."

He nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Okay. Tell her and baby Eva I said hi."

"I will. Get your homework done while I'm gone and we can have a movie night when I get back."

Henry's eyes lit up. "Got it. Can I pick the movie?"

"Of course, dear." She smiled and closed the door behind her.

As she drove the short distance to the Charming's new house, she thought about when she adopted Henry. She remembered being worried everytime he cried, even if it was for just a few moments. She was always afraid that she would do the wrong thing or hurt him in any way. When he was just a few weeks old, she rushed him to the hospital because he had a fever. She recalled the feeling of hopelessness when she couldn't do anything to help her little baby. It turned out that it wasn't a serious matter and once the doctors put him on antibiotics, he was just fine. She didn't think Mary Margaret had anything to worry about, but she couldn't blame her for being upset. Being a new mother was a scary thing. Regina assumed that was why Mary Margaret called her. She had more experience than Cinderella and her prince, and she would be more help than Granny, who hadn't had a baby in many years.

She parked her car in the driveway and headed up the steps to ring the doorbell. Mary Margaret answered almost instantly, the sound of her daughter's crying making small talk unnecessary.

Regina gave her a comforting smile before reaching out to take the baby from her. She held her closely.

Mary Margaret ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't know why she won't stop crying. What am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing. She's going to be fine, dear. How long has she been crying?"

"A few hours. I tried everything to get her to calm down."

"Well first, I think that you should go take a nap. You look like hell." Regina joked. Her attempt to lighten the mood worked and the younger woman cracked a small smile. Regina continued. "Sometimes, when you are anxious or overwhelmed, your child can sense it and feel upset. So just take a few deep breaths and tell yourself that everything is okay."

Mary Margaret did as she said. "Everything is okay. Everything is okay."

Regina rocked Eva back and forth as she studied Mary Margaret. "Has David gone back to his regular hours at work?"

"Yes, he went back when she was a month old. Emma needed his help."

"Have you told him that you need his help?"

"No. I'm fine. It was just today that she was more upset than usual..."

"You can admit that you need help, Mary Margaret. Raising a child isn't easy. He probably doesn't realize how stressed you are. Just tell him to work less. Emma can hire another deputy if she needs."

Mary Margaret nodded. "Thank you."

"Of course. But I wasn't completely joking when I said you should take a nap."

"But-"

"But nothing, dear. I can take care of Eva for you. You'll feel better when you are well rested and so will she."

She nodded as she headed towards the stairs. "Okay."

"Take however much time you need." Regina said, moving to sit on the couch with the baby.

The schoolteacher paused. "Thank you, Regina. I really appreciate this."

"Isn't that what family is for?" The older woman said with a hesitant smile. Henry had been insistent on his family getting along, especially after they worked together for him in Neverland.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Mary Margaret smiled as she headed up the stairs. Despite her overtired feelings and her worry for her child, she was truly grateful for the family she had.

And Regina was too. Even if she was reluctant to admit it out loud.


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Family, Friendship