Anonymous. mystery95 - I hope you enjoy it! Sorry for the wait.
Short but sweet! Enjoy all you ThiefQueen fans and don't forget to review! Next request is by Dalmation32 which will be another ThiefQueen one shot. It'll be up soon!
I'm sorry but I cannot take anymore requests. If you had sent your request in a review or a pm then It'll be up soon.
Disclaimers - I don't own anything!
One Shot – You Never Saw Me
Setting - Third Companion piece to "I'm Asking You Why" and "We're Not Broken"/Takes place six months after "We're Not Broken"
Neal had suddenly woken in the middle of the night to the sound of Regina shifting to get comfortable. She was five months pregnant with their second child, Henry being the first. Even though he lived with Emma he will always be Regina's first baby. She was silent but Neal can tell there was something wrong. He can feel the tension riding off of her in waves. He lovingly pulled her close to him, placing his hand on her belly.
"What's wrong Gina?" he asked sleepily. She was facing him, her head resting on his chest.
"Nothing dear, I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep." Her voice was shaking and at that moment he knew she was holding back tears. He sat up and she moved so that she was lying against the pillow instead of his chest. He leaned over her, his hand reaching out and caressing her cheek.
"I know that voice. What were you thinking about?" he asked softly.
"It's silly." Even though it was dark he could tell her eyes were probably full of emotion and whatever it was that made her upset, he knew it wasn't at all silly.
"If you're this upset than it's not silly. Talk to me," he pleadingly whispered as he looked down into her eyes that he can barely make out through the darkness of the room. Regina was quiet for a second before taking a shaky breath.
"I don't deserve this child." Those words shocked him and had even left him heartbroken. How can she even think that?
"Why do you believe that?" he asked gently.
"My parents messed me up Neal and then I messed up Henry. It's a vicious cycle, one that I prefer doesn't happen again with this and any other baby. How do you know I won't ruin her life like I've ruined Henry's?"
"That's not going to happen," he stated faithfully.
"And how do you know that?"
"You're not who you used to be. You changed for me and you changed for Henry. Our daughter will be good and she will love you just like I know Henry still loves you." Regina let those words sink in for a minute and then the next thing he knew he can feel her body shaking as a sob escaped her lips. He instantly kissed away her tears before nuzzling his face into her neck and kissing her favorite spot.
"Hey, hey don't cry."
"I didn't want to end up like her Neal but I did and I treated Henry just like she treated me and I didn't even know it until it was too late. I lost him. I never saw him and I lost him just like Cora never saw me and I hated her for it. I cannot bare to have another child hating me." Her sobs became hysterical and he sat up, pulling her with him so that he was holding her in an attempt to comfort her.
"Henry doesn't hate you," he whispered.
"Yes he does. He'd rather be with Emma."
"Just because he chose to live with her doesn't mean he hates you. I mean the kid practically grilled me about not hurting you after the night we had gotten together." He chuckled softly at the memory before focusing on the shaking woman in his arms.
"Really?" she asked.
"Yes and he made a good case too." She seemed to think about it for a second and Neal could feel her starting to calm down. Her emotions were everywhere right now because of the pregnancy hormones. He wasn't used to her crying like this but somehow he knew what to do to calm her.
"Look Gina, I know you're afraid of hurting the baby just like your mother had hurt you. Truth is I'm scared too. I didn't have much of a father after he had become the Dark One and then he let me go to a new world without him. I was scared to death when I discovered Henry was mine. I thought I was going to hurt him just like my father did but you know what, I realized that it's up to you. You decide whether you want to become like your parents and now that you're aware that you had become like her you can change. You changed for Henry. You're nothing like Cora anymore which means you will keep changing for this baby because I know you love her so much already, something that Cora never felt." Those words were true and Regina knew it but still…
"Promise me something," she whispered shakily as she pulled away from their embrace so she can look at him. He hated how broken she sounded. He wished he can just take all her childhood pain away but he couldn't and he hated Cora for never giving her the love she deserved. "Promise me you'll stop me if I were to ever become her again. My father never did. He never stopped her and when I turned into her he didn't stop me either. I don't want my daughter turning evil."
"It's not going to happen but of course I will. I would never let that happen." Regina gave him a small smile before gently kissing him. He kissed her back as he pulled her down with him so that they were lying together in each other's arms.
"I love you," she whispered sleepily and he can tell by the sound of her voice that she was exhausted.
"I love you too Regina and I love our kids. I always will now get some sleep, you sound exhausted." She closed her eyes and sighed contently when she felt him placing a soft kiss on her cheek. She can feel him watching over her and in that moment she knew he will always look out for her and their kids. She may have made some mistakes in the past, especially with Henry but maybe Neal was right and just maybe it would be different this time. She was different and she was going to try her hardest from passing on the viscous torch that her mother had started.
