Regina fell to the floor in the bathroom, unable to make it to the toilet without doing so, and her stomach churned, pouring out all the contents of the breakfast she had made herself. After she was certain her body had expelled everything it wanted to, she wiped her mouth and flushed the toilet. Standing in front of the mirror, she took her temperature. It was normal. Brushing her teeth, she checked that her outfit for the day didn't have any of her illness on it. When she was certain she was fine, she put a pair of black pumps on and headed downstairs.
Regina was relieved that Emma and Henry had already left for work and school, respectively. She didn't need anyone, her love or her son, to witness weakness in her. She headed to Granny's for her usual coffee, when she got there she was greeted by Ruby, far too overwhelmingly for so early in the morning.
"Madam Mayor, great to see you! You just missed Emma."
"Seeing as we live together, I'm assuming I would know when she left for coffee, thank you."
"Right. What can I get you this morning?"
"My usual," she started, seeing the pastry display. "And a bear claw."
"Emma didn't get hers this morning, that's sweet of you to pick one up for her," the other brunette said with a smile on her vibrantly red lips.
"Actually, make it two, dear. Thank you."
Regina left the diner with her bag and coffee in hand and headed to see the Sheriff. As she walked down the hall to her fiancées office, she saw the blonde stand to greet her.
"Morning, sweetie," Emma greeted her, kissing her on the cheek. "You're here early, something up?"
"No, dear, I just brought breakfast."
"Thanks! I didn't get my bear—um muffin this morning."
"You're not fooling anyone, Emma. I know you get a bear claw everyday."
"Oh, ok. What healthy thing do I have to eat today for punishment?"
Regina handed the bag to her blonde and raised her hip to sit on the desk in front of Emma's chair, to which Emma was slowly walking while looking in the take out bag.
"You did not get me a bear claw, Regina that's sweet, thanks." Emma smiled and looked like no one had ever done anything kinder for her.
"It's just a calorie laden pastry, nothing to get emotional over, dear."
"This is like, a mountain for you."
"Yeah, shut up and give me mine."
"You got one for yourself?"
"Yes, now get me a napkin and give it to me."
"Are you joking?"
"I'm quite serious, now would you like to continue starving me, or feed me?"
Emma handed Regina one of the bear claws on a napkin. She watched wearily as Regina enjoyed the bear claw slowly and far too much for the brunette's general behavior.
"Are you going to keep staring or are you going to eat yours, dear?"
"I'm just still really surprised."
"Maybe I just want to enjoy something that you like for a minute, before I go back to being really strict, ok? Leave me alone about it."
Grinning, Emma nodded and changed the subject. "Hey, Regina, I had an idea for the wedding."
"What's that?"
"How about you come up with some bridesmaids?"
"Seriously, Emma? Again? Nobody wants to be my bridesmaid. I don't have friends here."
"What about Ruby?"
"She's one of yours."
"Yeah, we could have Ruby for you and my mom for me and that could be enough."
"If you want to permit her to stand on my side, that would be fine."
"Come on, Regina, I think it would be nice if you asked her, she'd feel honored, I think."
Regina looked pointedly at Emma. "Fine. But if she's standing up for me, there will be no dresses that look anything like what she would normally wear."
"I don't think she expected there to be if she was standing on my side."
"Good."
"I think that you should ask Tink, too."
Regina did a double take at Emma. "If I had two, who else would you have?"
"I think I'm going to have Hook stand up with me, since he's become one of our closest friends since he helped us save Henry."
"Ok. I'll ask Tinkerbell."
"I know you don't really acknowledge it, but we all know you guys are friends."
"Ok, well, I'm going to go." Before Regina could walk out of the office, her body was expelling her coffee and pastry into Emma's garbage can. Emma was leaning over her, holding her hair away from her face.
"Regina, are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, just think maybe I shouldn't have had that much sugar for breakfast."
"Ok," Emma said, eyeing her wearily. She handed the brunette a napkin and some mouthwash.
"You keep mouthwash in your office?"
"Never know when you're going to get caught talking to someone."
"Ok, dear. I'll see you later."
Regina pulled her phone out on her way to the store. She began counting days in her head. She kept counting to 44. 44 days since her last period. But no, it was impossible, Emma was her only partner since the curse broke and obviously they didn't have the proper chromosomes to impregnate anyone. Just for reassurances, Regina went into the store to buy a pregnancy test, then realized that it wasn't something she wanted anyone to see her doing, so she left the store, thinking of plan B.
She walked to the diner and approached Ruby.
"Hey, Red, how are you doing?"
"Fine, Madam Mayor, and you."
"Regina, please. You can call me Regina. I'm well. Emma and I were thinking, and I would be honored if you would oblige, maybe standing on my side as my bridesmaid, instead of hers? Not many in this town like me, and you've been supportive of us as a couple, and I appreciate that."
Ruby looked shocked, and smiled. "Sure, I would be honored, Regina. Thanks."
"And, now I need a favor, though, that's not why I asked you to be my bridesmaid, truly."
"What's the favor?"
"I need discretion. Can you take a break?"
"Ok." She walked to the back, Regina assumed to tell Granny she was taking a break. When she came out the women walked out of the diner. "So, what can I do for you?"
"I need you to buy me a multipack of pregnancy tests."
"Regina!"
"No, I haven't cheated on Emma. She's the only person I've been with since the curse broke, and I don't think this is possible, but I'm having the symptoms and just want to rule it out."
"Ok. Sure, I can do that."
Pleasantly enough, for Regina, the other brunette was quick and discrete, delivering to her a small box with three tests. When the leggy, younger brunette didn't leave immediately after doing so, Regina looked at her with her eyebrows raised.
"I know this is weird for you, but do you want someone to go with you, I mean to be with you when you take it?"
Regina felt touched and realized suddenly that she didn't want to be alone when she did this. She found her voice and smiled at Red. "Sure, that would be great."
Calling her office, Regina told her secretary she wouldn't be in that day and to push everything back until the next day for her. She and Red went to the manor and walked up to the master bedroom. Hesitantly, Regina walked into the bathroom and read the instructions on how to use the test while the other woman waited on her and Emma's bed.
When she came out of the bathroom, she set the test upside down on the dresser and sat next to Red on top of the plush mattress. After a couple of minutes, Red stood to check the test for Regina.
"Are you ready?"
"I suppose I have to be." The younger woman brought the test back to where Regina was sitting and flipped it over.
"You're pregnant."
"How is this possible? I swear I haven't been with anyone but Emma."
"You guys have true love, I've seen stranger things, you know?"
"I hope Emma believes me."
"She'd be stupid not to, and I'll kick her butt into shape for you if she doesn't."
Regina smiled, warmed by the hormones and the sweetness of this woman she had never spared kindness to before. "I have to say, I'm very nervous."
"You don't seem like the nervous type, come on, relax, you'll need to learn how to if you're going to take care of your baby in there, they don't like nerves." The younger woman pulled Regina down so the women were lying on the bed next to each other, talking, their feet dangling off at the end and Ruby with the pregnancy test in her hand. They must have dozed off because the next thing Regina saw was Emma's angry face over hers.
"What the hell, Regina? I ask you make nice and you bed my friend?" Emma said.
Regina looked around and saw that; indeed, the younger brunette was still there, also just waking up. "I'm sorry, dear, we were talking and must have fallen asleep."
"What were you talking about?" Emma asked, when she glanced at Ruby, who was running her hand across her forehead, and her eyes widened when she saw the pregnancy test grasped with crimson fingertips. "Ruby! Are you pregnant?" Emma exclaimed. Ruby looked to Regina and saw the older woman's eyes practically beg her not to give it away.
"Yeah, Em. Regina was providing console."
"Oh, well, ok."
They sent Ruby off and Emma and Regina went to the kitchen to begin dinner. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's waist from behind, resting her chin on the brunette's shoulder.
"Hey, thanks for being there for her today, babe."
"Sure. It was nice, actually. She's a sweet girl."
"I love you, you know that."
"Yes, and I love you. I was actually thinking today, about the wedding."
"Yeah?"
"We should move it up. Get married next month."
"Why so soon? What's the rush, I mean? We have forever to be together, why not just have it when we planned it?"
"It's kind of a long story."
"I'm listening."
"I want to make sure I can fit into my dress."
"Do you plan on gaining a bunch of weight?"
"Sort of."
"I'm going to need a little more, here."
"I didn't want to tell you, yet, but it seems I have a hard time keeping things from you."
"Should I sit down, Regina?"
"Maybe so." The two women moved to the barstools at the island and sat facing each other. Regina instinctively put her palm to her stomach and Emma didn't miss the action. "Emma, I'm pregnant."
Emma stood up and jerked away from Regina. "What the fuck, Regina? Who's the father? I swear to god I'll kill him!" After a moment of the blonde screaming, her voice faltered and she looked at Regina. "How could you do this to me? To us?"
"Emma, please," Regina started, standing up and walking to the blonde. She put her hands on Emma's shoulders and rubbed them. "I know it seems impossible, but you're the only one I've been with. You and Graham, and he was obviously a long time ago. I haven't been with anyone else in this world, Emma."
"Do you swear it, Regina?"
"Haven't we promised to always be faithful and honest with each other? Emma, I would never again lie to you, and I would never hurt you that way. I love you so much, and this baby, it's a baby made from True Love, just like you. That means so much to me Emma, that you've given me not one, but two children to love, and you've given me yourself, and it's more than I could ever have thought to ask for."
"Ok, I… I guess believe you. I believe in us enough to believe that it's true." Emma paused a moment before asking, "How far along, do you think?"
"Do you remember the night I asked you to marry me?"
"How could I forget?"
"I think that was the night."
"That's going to be quite a story to tell."
"Ours always are, my dear."
