Neal glanced over to where his wife sat tapping her fingers nervously against her lap as she stared out the passenger side window of the bug. He smiled softly and grabbed a hold of her left hand, her tapping ceasing immediately.
"Emma, relax. It's just a dinner."
She shot him a look. "It's not just a dinner, Neal. It's dinner with my parents and your father who haven't quite gotten over their extremely bad history. Not to mention the fact that we're announcing our pregnancy to these people." She groaned and tossed her head back against the seat. "I knew this was a bad idea. This should be something we tell them in private, like how we told Henry."
He gently ran his thumb over her wedding band and then squeezed her hand. "It's not like we're telling the whole town. These are our parents and its just us."
Emma pressed her brow together. "And what if they react badly? Gold and Belle would be happy for us I'm sure but my parents…"
"Emma." He laughed. "They are already aware that we have a child together and we're married. Recently so, but they were at the wedding. I'm sure they expected this."
Emma let out a soft sigh and smiled slightly. "You're right, I'm sorry."
As they came to a stop sign he sent her a lingering look and lifted her hand to his lips and her body seemed to relax.
Emma shook her head. "I swear I was not this emotional while carrying Henry."
He glanced over to her. "It's been almost fourteen years since then, your body is not used to it."
"I guess." Emma sighed with a shrug. "But I don't like it."
Neal chuckled and patted her hand softly and kept it rested over hers until they pulled up in front of the house Snow and David had bought.
"Looks like we're the last ones." Neal observed, nodding to his father's car parked beside them in the driveway.
Emma grimaced. "I seriously hope they haven't been here long."
"Even if they have, Belle has a way of making awkward situations significantly less awkward."
"True." Emma nodded in agreement.
They both stepped out of the bug and as Neal approached Emma's side he felt her body tense again. He slipped a soothing hand around her waist and whispered near her ear, "Everything is going to be fine."
Emma pressed her lips together, forcing a small smile up at him and together they walked toward the front door.
Neal continued to rub his hand in small circles against her back as they waited for someone to answer the door and he was pleased to see the hint of a smile on her lips.
Finally the door swung open and David appeared in the doorway, clearly elated and a little bit relieved to see his daughter. "Emma."
Emma put on a real and warm smile for her father and easily slipped into his open arms for a quick hug.
"How are you, sweetheart?" David asked as they pulled out of the hug.
"Fine." Emma answered sweetly, her smile widening just that much more at the term of endearment. "And you?"
"Glad you're here."
"Sorry." She crinkled her nose.
He shook his head with a small laugh. "Don't worry about it. Come on in." He moved over to let them in and greeted Neal with a warm hello and a firm handshake.
Emma walked into the sitting room to find Snow and Belle seated on the couch with Rumplestiltskin sitting in the armchair next to Belle.
They all greeted her with pleasant smiles, Snow and Belle rising to meet her with a hug.
Rumplestiltskin finally rose as his son entered the room shortly after Emma. He walked over to him and the two shared a warm smile as Neal lightly clasped his father's shoulder.
"How are you doing, Bae?" asked his father.
Neal glanced quickly over to Emma who was now practically beaming talking with her mother and mother-in-law. A small grin passed over his lips and as he turned back to his father he caught the knowing look in the older man's eyes and his cheeks flushed ever so slightly. "I'm great, Papa."
"Glad to hear it." Rumplestiltskin grinned back at him as he lightly clapped him on the back.
A couple seconds later, Belle finally noticed Neal and excused herself from Emma and Snow to walk over and hug him. Despite the weirdness of the whole situation, Belle had to be the sweetest woman in Storybrooke and Neal was incredibly grateful his father had found such a woman and that she could be his step mother.
"Good to see you, Neal." She greeted him sweetly with a happy grin.
He smiled back at her. "You too, Belle."
Emma and Snow soon walked over to join the small group, Emma sharing a quick nod with Rumple in means of a hello.
"Emma, can I get you anything to drink? A glass of wine?" David called as he headed toward the conjoined kitchen.
For a second, Emma's face faltered and she shared a quick glance with Neal. Then she swallowed softly and let out a small smile, "Just water for me, thanks."
Luckily, no one seemed to notice her unusual choice and David disappeared into the kitchen.
Neal cleared his throat to break the slightly awkward silence that fell over the room. "So, what's for dinner? It smells amazing."
Snow smiled at the compliment. "Well I didn't want to go too crazy so its zitti and a salad."
Emma smiled over at her husband, watching the grin on his face. "Well that's just Neal's favorite."
"It is one of Rumple's as well." Belle piped in with a smile. "Like father like son."
Rumple and Neal smirked at each other knowingly.
"Well who doesn't enjoy some good italian food." David said as he walked over with a few glasses, handing each appropriate drink to each person. "It is quite possibly the best food in this land."
"Besides the cheeseburger." Belle said with a grin and Rumple chuckled as he slipped an arm around his wife.
"Belle does enjoy her cheeseburgers."
"They're delicious!"
There was a shared laugh among the small group of family and just as Neal had predicted Belle had somehow managed to cure the awkward.
"Oh!" Snow jumped slightly as the oven timer went off. "It should be done!" She scurried off into the kitchen and came back out a minute later. "It should just be a few minutes but we can all sit down and start the salad if you'd like."
"Good, I'm starving." Emma remarked, placing her hand over her stomach and then just as quickly removing it, hoping the very slight swell of pregnancy wasn't obvious.
"Me too." Neal added, drawing the attention away from her and they all moved into the dining room. David took the seat at the end of the table, Neal and Emma took one side, Rumple and Belle took the other, leaving the other end for Snow.
Snow smiled as she brought over the large bowl of mixed salad. "Enjoy!"
The dinner went off without a hitch, the mood had effectiveely been lightened and they all enjoyed happy conversation with each other. Laughter filled the room and smiles never left any of their faces. Neal somehow got on a story of one of his adventures in Neverland that had the whole table in hysterics. That in turn led to a story Belle had about Rumplestiltskin when she was still living in his castle.
"It was the first real snow storm. The castle was freezing but we went outside after it had calmed down and had a snowball fight." Belle told them and laughed at the memory. "You should have seen his face!"
Rumple chuckled warmly. "It's not every day one pelts the Dark One with a ball of snow."
Belle smiled at him, slipping her hand over his. "It was so much fun."
Neal shared a smile with his father from across the table, always happy to hear stories of how the Dark One was not always so dark.
And that led into Snow and David's recount of their own snowball fight. They continued swapping stories for the rest of the dinner, Neal and Emma even diving a little bit into their days as thieves.
It was almost an hour later, long after all their plates had been eaten clean and they were just sitting around the table, too distracted by each others stories to even notice where they were.
After another story that had them all laughing and after the laughter faded, Snow let out a soft sigh accompanied by another small laugh as she rose, reaching for some dishes. "I suppose its time to clean up."
Emma quickly glanced over to Neal and he gave her a curt nod. Emma swallowed thickly and held out her hand, "Uh-wait."
Snow paused, some dishes in her hands and glanced at her daughter curiously. "What is it, Emma?"
Emma licked her lips and Neal gave her hand a reassuring squeeze under the table.
"Sit down for a minute. Neal and I have something to tell you."
Snow frowned and placed the dishes back on the table and slowly sat back down. The other members of the table were also watching them in concern and wonder.
Emma let out a deep sigh and gripping onto Neal's hand she just decided to come out with it. Smiling a bit sheepishly, she raised her eyes, looking at each of her family members, not daring to keep eye contact with any of them for very long. "I'm pregnant."
There was nothing but silence for a few very long seconds and then a soft squeal was let out from Belle as she clapped her hands together. "Emma, that's wonderful!"
Emma smiled warmly at her and before she knew it, her mother was out of her seat and pulling Emma out of hers.
"Woah." Emma grunted as Snow pulled her into a tight hug and Emma finally relaxed fully against her mother and gave into her hug, leaning her head against her shoulder.
When they finally pulled away, Snow's hands lightly framed her daughter's face and she gave her a grin, tears sparkling her eyes. "Oh Emma…"
"You're happy?" Emma asked just a little bit hesitantly.
"Of course!" Snow answered. "It's wonderful news." She bit her lip softly. "I'm even a bit…relieved."
Emma pressed her brow together. "Relieved? Why?"
Snow lowered her hands to take Emma's and she let out a breath, looking into her daughter's eyes. "Because I am too."
"Am what?" Emma shook her head cluelessly.
"Pregnant."
Emma's eyes widened and quickly glanced down to her mother's flat stomach and then back up to her eyes which were filled with the same hesitance Emma had before. "Are you serious?" She whispered.
"Yes." Snow nodded, her smile faltering only slightly, her fears of Emma being upset about the news bubbling into her head.
Emma scoffed, simply out of shock, and then a smile slowly started to tug at her lips as she leaned back into once again embrace her mother.
Snow let out a sigh of relief and hugged her daughter, closing her eyes as she smiled.
When they finally parted once again tears sprinkled both their eyes and Snow lifted her hand to Emma's cheek. "Are you sure you're alright with this?"
"Yeah." Emma whispered and nodded with a small smile. "I understand…Neal and I had to do the same and tell Henry."
"And it doesn't mean I'm going to love you any less." Snow told her seriously.
"I know." Emma smiled, the crinkling of her eyes causing a single tear to fall which Snow quickly wiped away.
When Emma finally pulled away from her mother she looked around the table and found Neal looking halfway shocked and halfway beaming, Belle was grinning brightly and shared a quick look at Rumple who then smiled at her and finally she landed on her father who was out of his seat and slowly approaching her.
She bit her lip softly and David cured all her fears with a gentle and warm smile. He took her into a hug and her arms easily surrounded him as her head fell to his chest. He kissed the top of her head softly and whispered, "Congratulations, darling."
Emma lifted her head and beamed up at him. "Thank you. And you too, I guess."
"Yes it would appear a lot of congratulations are in order." Rumplestiltskin voice from the other side of the table. He slowly rose to his feet and to everyone's astonishment, lightly embraced Emma. He had only hugged her once before and that was on her and Neal's wedding day six months prior. Everyone knew him to be affectionate with Belle but with anyone else he was hesitant.
He gave her a warm smile and gently squeezed her arm. "Congratulations dearie."
"Thanks." Emma smiled at him. Snow eyed him curiously wondering if she'd also receive a hug but Rumple only nodded to her with a smile and bid her his congratulations.
Belle had followed close behind him and eagerly hugged everyone in the room, kissing their cheeks lovingly.
Neal took his place beside Emma and shared a smile with her, wrapping his arm around her and kissing the side of her face tenderly. "I told you everything would be alright."
Emma hummed as he leaned into his side, smiling over at her parents who, now also wrapped in each other's arms, smiled back at her.
Their attention was soon drawn over to Belle who had softly cleared her throat and was biting her lip shyly beside Rumple. "While we are on the subject…you should know that Rumple and I are expecting as well."
The shock on everyone's faces, especially Neal's was almost comical. Belle smiled sheepishly and softly bounced on her heels as she clung onto Rumple's arm.
"We weren't going to announce it tonight." Rumple explained. "But because everyone was…"
"What?" Neal was the first to break the silence among them with his dumbfounded response. Emma blinked quickly, clearing out the shock and smirked up at her husband before lightly squeezing his hand and then walking over to Belle. She gave her a quick hug and the two women smiled at each other as Emma nodded backwards to Neal. "He's happy for you."
Neal snapped his jaw closed and shook his head quickly before walking over to them. Belle eyed him hesitantly with a small smile and his lips twitched slightly before he focused on his father.
Rumple examined Neal's facial expression carefully and pressed his brow together. "You're not upset are you, son?"
Neal let out a breath and finally smiled. "No, no of course not. It's just shocking and…insane." He blinked as he ran a hand through his hair as he looked at the three women. "You guys didn't plan this did you?"
Belle giggled. "No, we didn't."
"Well then…" He sucked in a breath and shook his head. "We are one of the strangest families in the world."
Emma smirked up at him. "You're just realizing that now?"
He gently nudged her and she chuckled softly.
"Bae…" Neal turned his attention to his father and smiled at his slightly open arms. He gave Emma one little last squeeze before walking into his father's embrace. They clapped each other on the back and then held onto each other tightly for a second before releasing and smiling at each other. "Congratulations, son."
"Congratulations, Papa."
The hugs once again circulated around the room, this time Snow actually initiating a small awkward hug with Rumple and David giving him a congratulatory handshake and they clapped each other's shoulders.
The three ladies stood together, just getting out of hugging each other once more and as their husbands stood watching them, all glowing with early pregnancy and joy, they thought they never looked so beautiful.