The Tie That Binds

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Emma screams in agony as she flings forward in bed. "Shit," she hisses, forcing Regina to slingshot up in bed as well.

"What? Is it the baby? Is she coming?" Regina's scratchy voice frantically questions while her eyes land upon Emma trying and failing miserably to reach her foot.

"No, no, no," she groans in severe pain. "Charley horse," she whines, latching onto Regina's forearm and clamping down like that might alleviate some of the excruciating pain viciously shooting through her foot.

"What?" Regina investigates because her mind is still trying to clear the fog away from her dreamless sleep.

"My foot, oh my god, fuck," she cries out, her nails biting into Regina's flesh and marking her with little crescents.

Regina moves without thinking, scrambling toward the edge of the bed and snatching up the foot that appears stiff and extended the most. "This one?" She questions, her thumbs pressing into the arch to squash the pain.

Emma inhales sharply, as though she's terrified to even breathe but she nods hysterically along to inform Regina that she has the right menacing foot.

"Does this hurt?" Regina nervously questions while her hands move quickly to rub every inch of pain away.

"No, it's helping," she assures her, cautiously taking a small breath as if she may jinx herself.

"Tell me where it hurts most?"

"Right there, your thumbs are pushing on it," she says through a clenched jaw, her fists balling the sheets and comforter around her.

That's when the door swings open, banging against the wall and forcing all movements in the bedroom to desist. Regina glances over her shoulder, Emma pivots to discover Henry heaving in the doorway.

"Is the baby coming? I heard screaming," he nervously questions, his head tilting to the side curiously when he finds the position his mothers are in.

"No, Henry. Your mom woke up with a Charley horse and I'm trying to rub out the pain."

"Sorry, for waking you, kid," Emma hisses.

"It's alright," he mumbles, scratching the side of his head as he watches his mothers curiously.

And yes, he has seen them in the privacy of their home being affectionate toward one another but seeing them in bed together, in the middle of the night, in pajamas, is a whole new appreciation for the family they have now.

"That's much better, thank you," Emma sighs in relief, earning herself a little love pat upon the top of her foot.

Regina slides back up toward the bed, attempting to straighten out the comforter and sheets from their frantic movements, that's when she notices their son lingering.

"Henry?"

"Hmm?" He blinks up at them as if he didn't even know he was still standing in their bedroom.

"Are you alright, dear?" Regina tentatively questions.

"Oh...yeah, yeah. Of course."

"You sure, kid? You seem a little lost," Emma adds on, yanking the blankets up Regina's lap because she knows she's freezing in this icebox.

A small tug occurs at the corner of Henry's mouth as he watches them interact with one another. It's kind of cute watching Emma care for Regina even though she's the pregnant one.

"Nah, I'm good. I'm...happy to see you two so happy, um comfortable," he stutters, scrunching up his face in that adorable way Emma always seems to do and Regina really hopes their daughter makes that same facial expression. "We're like a real family now," he timidly adds on.