Author's note: Inspired by Vanillasiren's latest piece of angst…I come bearing gifts of uber-fluff. Sweetie, just so you know: this is entirely your own fault XD
Special Delivery
"You're going to wear a hole in the tile," Jefferson chuckled, his eyes following a pacing Aiden Gold.
The pawnbroker's shoes clacked against the floor as he continued to walk back and forth in front of the hospital room door, where his wife was currently located: giving birth to their first child.
"Regina's going to be fine, Rumpel…" Belle, Jefferson's wife, eyed her good friend with concern. "So is the baby."
"I should be in there," Aiden protested, gesturing at the door. "But she insisted—"
"Trust me, she's doing you a favor," Jefferson interjected. "Watching a woman bring your child into the world is…kind of like witnessing a horror film in real life."
Belle slapped her husband on the shoulder.
Aiden paused in his trek and exchanged glances with the hatter. "A horror film?"
"You remember Alien?" Jefferson grimaced. "The scene with John Hurt?"
The sorcerer paled considerably.
Belle sent a steely glare towards Jefferson. "Jeff! It was not like that scene in Alien!"
"Was too."
"Was not."
"Was too!"
"It was not!"
Aiden tuned the bickering couple out as increasingly terrifying mental images invaded his brain.
"Oh, he looks a little green," Jefferson commented, which only made Belle roll her eyes.
"That's your fault," she punched her husband in the arm, a little less gently than before, but rose and carefully guided Aiden towards a seat the minute she noticed him wobble.
Jefferson opened his mouth to make another remark, but was silenced by a scowl from Belle, who could be quite intimidating when she set her mind to it.
Luckily, Aiden was spared more imaginings when one of the nurses who had been attending to Regina poked her head around the door. "Aiden Gold?"
He looked up; worry clear in his amber-colored gaze. "Is she…is she all right?"
The nurse smiled gently. "Your wife is just fine. So is your daughter."
Aiden's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank god."
The nurse's smile widened and she gestured for him to come into the room to meet the new arrival in his family.
His legs nearly gave out from under him on his first try to stand, but with Belle's assistance, he made it inside and was greeted with the sight of Regina, sitting up in the hospital bed, holding a tiny swathed bundle.
His wife looked exhausted, but otherwise appeared in good health, and there was a glow to her lovely features that made his heart flutter immediately in his chest.
Letting go of Belle's arm, Aiden walked quietly towards his love. "Did you come up with a name yet?"
Regina locked eyes with her husband, and smiled warmly. "Not yet. I figured you wanted a say in that." She sent a grateful look in Belle's direction. "Thanks for keeping an eye on him."
The librarian chuckled quietly. "Not a problem. She's beautiful, by the way," she gestured at Aiden and Regina's daughter.
"She is," Aiden murmured, sitting carefully at Regina's bedside and leaning in to get a proper look.
Belle smiled at the tender scene and then backed out of the room in order to give the couple their privacy.
Regina sighed and relaxed against the pillows, watching as her husband stared, in utter awe, at their newborn.
"Can you believe we created something so perfect?" he whispered.
"You say that now, but wait until a few months when she's keeping us up all night." Regina quipped, which caused Aiden to chuckle and look into his wife's eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed just how happy he was. "I know you wanted to be here but…I thought that it might be disturbing."
"According to Jefferson, it is, but I still wanted to support you."
"Mmm…well…would you like to hold her?"
He nodded, and she took the time to gently settle the sleeping child in his arms.
He slid closer to Regina and pressed a loving kiss to her forehead. "I love you. So much."
"I'm well aware," she leaned into the affection.
Smiling, he began to sing softly to their daughter, which only served to make Regina's love grow.
She shifted as close as possible and rested her head against Aiden's shoulder, content to listen to his lyrical voice for a while until, finally, she murmured: "Cassandra…"
He paused in his song. "Hmm?"
"I think her name should be Cassandra."
"Cassandra…" he tried the name out, and Regina found that it sounded even more beautiful when it was colored by his accent.
After thinking it over for a moment, a brilliant smile crossed over Aiden's handsome face and he glanced at his true love. "I think it's perfect."
Regina's response was to hook her fingers around his collar and tug him to her for a kiss that told him just how much she agreed.
The End