A/N: This is my day one submission for Swan Queen Week 2017 - raising another child together.

Regina wasn't sure how she didn't realize she was raising her daughter with Emma. But she knew she wouldn't have come to realization without her daughter asking a simple question that didn't have a simple answer – at least not at first.

It hadn't started out that way, and it certainly wasn't her intention when she first brought Annabelle home after adopting her as a baby. She had come to the decision that she wanted to adopt a girl when Henry was still a teenager. She had always wanted a little girl and after talking it over with Henry – who was 100 percent supportive of decision – she started the process of adoption.

The day she brought Annabelle home, Henry was there with a "Welcome Home Sister" sign and to her surprise Emma was there with him, holding the other end of it.

In fact, Emma was the first person besides herself to hold Annabelle. Regina had to prepare a bottle for her and Emma offered to hold her. Regina thought back to when she had first brought Henry home and how there was no one there to help with such things and she was happy that Emma and her had become friends enough that she felt comfortable letting Emma help.

It turned into a running theme – Emma somehow became the person who was there when she needed help. When Anna got her first fever and Regina stayed up with all night and into the morning before it broke, Emma was there to watch Anna so Regina could get some sleep. When Regina caught the flu when Anna was four, Emma was there the entire time taking care of not just Anna but also Regina.

On Anna's first day of kindergarten, Emma was there to take pictures of her as Regina saw her off that morning. And Emma was there to comfort her when Regina got a little emotional about her baby girl growing up so fast.

When Anna was seven and wanted to play soccer, it was Emma who taught her how to play and took her to many of her practices for youth league. And on game days Emma was seated beside her cheering Anna on.

Still, despite all of this, Regina was taken aback when Anna asked her at age 8 why it was that Emma didn't live with them.

"Honey, you know that Emma has her own place," Regina said.

"I know, but she should live here."

Regina thought that was cute, and didn't say anything else about it. Then a few weeks later Anna brought up the topic again, this time to Emma while she was over having dinner with them.

"Why don't you live here?" Anna asked her.

Emma who had just put a forkful of food in her mouth, chewed it slowly while looking at Regina as if to ask her what she should say, but Regina remained quiet – a part of her curious as to how Emma might handle this.

After she was done swallowing, she took a drink from her water. "Well, you know I have my own place," Emma said.

"Yeah, I know, but you should live here," Anna said.

Again, Emma looked at Regina as if to ask how she should deal with this. This time Regina did speak up.

"Emma has her own life," Regina said. "If she lived here, how would she explain that to people. Suppose she wanted to go on a date, how would that look if the guy came to pick her up here and she would have to explain what she was doing here. Do you understand?"

"No," Anna said. "She should date you. The other kids in my class, most of their parents live together. Except for the ones who are divorced. Is that what you two are – divorced?"

"What? No, we're not divorced," Regina said, this time looking at Emma for help.

"Anna," Emma said with all seriousness. "You know I'm not your parent, right? Regina is your mom."

"I know," Anna said. "But my mom is Henry's mom and you are Henry's mom, so doesn't that make you my mom too."

"No," Regina said. "It doesn't work like that."

"I don't understand."

"I know you don't, but you will when you are older," Regina said.

That effectively shut down the conversation and the rest of the meal was eaten in silence. Later on when Emma was helping her clean up the dishes, Regina brought it up. "I hope that dinner conversation didn't make you too uncomfortable."

Emma shrugged, "It didn't. It just took me by surprise is all."

"Yes, she had asked me that question a few weeks ago, and I tried to explain to her then that you had your own place to be," Regina said. "I didn't expect she would turn around and ask you. I'm sorry, I probably should have told you about it when she asked."

"Why didn't you?"

"I don't know," Regina said. "I guess I didn't see any reason to bother you with it."

"It's not a bother," Emma said. "You never bother me."

Emma was looking at her with an intensity that Regina had seen and felt before from the other woman but had always managed to push it aside as just one of those things.

"Well, I think that maybe for Anna's sake that maybe we … maybe it would be better if you didn't come around as often," Regina said. "Clearly, she is becoming confused as to the nature of our relationship and your relationship with her."

Emma stood there not saying anything for several moments. "Yeah, sure, I'll go," Emma said turning around to leave.

"Emma, I didn't …"

"No," Emma said cutting her off. "I'm sure you didn't. You know Regina, maybe Anna sees things more clearly than you."

Emma left before Regina could ask her what that was supposed to mean.

For the next week Regina didn't see Emma except for once at a public safety committee meeting and once at the diner – both times they didn't say a word to each other. That week stretched into the next week and then suddenly it was a month since Emma had stepped foot in her house or exchanged more than a sentence that wasn't work related.

And Regina was miserable.

She hadn't meant for Emma to disappear from their lives entirely. She had only wanted to keep Anna from becoming anymore confused about who Emma was. It was then that Regina started asking herself who Emma was in relation to her.

They were friends, or at least had been best friends before all of this. Emma was the one who she called whenever she needed assistance and Emma knew that went both ways. There was that time when Emma had been chasing a suspect and somehow managed to not only trip but twist her ankle up pretty bad. Regina had insisted she come stay at the mansion for at least a couple of days so she could lay with her foot propped up and not have to worry about anything.

Then there was the time that Emma got poison ivy all over her hands and arms and again Regina had helped care for her until she was better.

But it was more than that. Emma had a key to her house. Emma would sometimes pick up Anna after school or watch her on nights Regina was working late. Emma had built a fort from pillows and blankets in Regina's living room for her and Anna to play in. She would sometimes read bedtime stories to Anna or help tuck her in at night.

Emma did everything Regina did when it came to Anna, she realized. Emma was a second mom to Anna and Regina hadn't even noticed it.

And she also didn't know what to do about it.

"Mommy," Anna said, as Regina put her down to bed that night. "Does Emma not like me anymore?"

"No honey, Emma loves you," Regina said. "I know she hasn't been around lately, but that is my fault."

"What did you do?"

Regina smiled at her. "I didn't understand something about Emma, but I understand now, and I promise, I'm going to make it all better. In fact, you remember how you asked why Emma doesn't live here, well I was thinking the same thing. Why doesn't she live here? You would like it if she did, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," Anna said excitedly. "Does that mean Emma's coming to live with us?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to ask her if she would like to," Regina said. "Hopefully, she will say yes."

"When are you going to ask?"

"Soon, honey, soon."

She kissed her forehead and wished her good night. As she closed the door, and walked to her room she thought about what it would be like to have Emma here every day. She found the idea appealing to her, but then her anxiety started to kick in. Would Emma even want to move in here? Would Emma even want to speak to her?

And what exactly would it mean for her to move in here? What would it mean for them?

…

Regina's nerves hadn't settled down by the time she walked into the sheriff's office the next day. She knocked on Emma's door frame.

"Are you busy?"

Emma looked up at her, and then down at her desk as if looking for some reason to say she was busy. "What can I do for you?" Emma asked.

Regina stepped into the office but made no move to sit or come any closer. "I was wondering if you would like to come to dinner tonight."

"Thanks, but I have plans. Maybe some other time."

This time Regina shut the door and took a seat, but she couldn't figure out what she should say. "Please," she said finally. "Anna misses you."

"Well, she is the reason I'm staying away. After all, I don't want to confuse her about anything."

"Emma, please," Regina said.

"Fine, what time?"

"6 p.m. Thank you."

Regina got up and got to the door, figuring it was the best she was going to get.

"Regina," Emma said. "I'm only doing this because I miss Anna."

Regina merely nodded and went out.

…

When 6:20 p.m. came around Regina assumed Emma had decided not to come over and then the doorbell rang. Regina answered it to find Emma standing there. "Sorry, I'm late," Emma said.

"You could have used your key," Regina said. She had given over a spare key years ago to Emma – shortly after she brought Annabelle home.

"Yeah, speaking of which," Emma said and she pulled the key off of her keychain and held it out for Regina.

"Emma," Regina said. "I don't want this night to start off like this."

Emma sighed and put the key in her pocket and walked in as Regina moved out of the way.

"Where's the munchkin?"

"She's over at her aunt Zelena's house. I asked her to watch her for the night."

"Then why am I here? Wait, Zelena's? Do you remember what happened last time she spent the night over there? Zelena let her stay up half the night after letting her ingest a bunch of sugar. Then she puked and called here to have you pick her up. Then she wanted to some 7Up to make her stomach feel better, so I was the one who had to go get some at 4 a.m."

"Yes, I recall," Regina said.

"Come on, we agreed no more sleepovers at Zelena's until she learned to say no to children when they ask if they can do anything they want," Emma said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Exactly," Regina said. "You and I agreed. Now why would I do that? I am her mother, so why do I need your consent?"

Emma turned and grabbed the door handle, ready to leave.

"But I do need your consent because you are Anna's other mother," Regina said. "And it took me well forever to come to this realization. It took our daughter wanting to know why you don't live here. You were right, Anna sees things more clearly than I do. I am seeing things clearly now though."

Emma turned back toward her, and Regina could see she had unshed tears in her eyes. "What are you saying exactly?"

"I'm saying, I want you to keep that key where it belongs on your keychain. I'm saying, I want you to be here, living here with me and Anna, and Henry when he is home from college. I want you to be here with me even when Anna grows up and goes off to college," she said. "I want us to be a family."

"We already are a family," Emma said. "But I'm so happy you finally see it."

Emma came forward and wrapped Regina up in a hug. Then she pulled back just as quickly. "Can we go pick Anna up?"

"Yes," Regina smiled.

"Good," Emma said. "I can't believe you let Zelena watch her. Damn it, we talked about this. I know she is your sister and all, but she is not a good babysitter."

Emma was already halfway out the door as she said this and Regina couldn't help but wonder how it took her this long to figure out she had never been alone in raising Anna. Emma had always been there and always would be.