"Okay concentrate Emma, concentrate", Emma whispered to herself as she closed her eyes and tried to conjure up a fireball in the palm of her hand. Of course it would have been so much easier with Regina helping her and training her, but ever since she brought Marian back from the Enchanted Forest a year ago, the queen has been nothing but icy to her. Especially since Robin and Marian rekindled their love for each other and Regina was left high and dry and very, very pissed off.

Distracted by her thoughts about Regina, the fireball she had managed to bring forth in her hand withered into a glowing ember and then extinguished itself. Admittedly, she knew it wasn't just thoughts of Regina that had been bothering her. It was something more recent that had been on her mind, something she'd been trying to repress.

How am I going to tell him? I'm sure it's nothing, Swan. But it's still something of concern. No, it really is nothing. But still…

The door to her apartment opening startled her out of her circular thoughts and she looked over to see Killian walking in with a bag of groceries and Henry in tow.

"Greetings, Swa–why does it smell like smoke in here?" The pirate asked. Emma sheepishly looked up at him and confessed she'd been practicing her magic, but fireballs weren't exactly her forte.

"Don't worry mom, you'll get there. It took Regina a while to get them too, but look at her now!" Emma flinched at the mention of Regina, though Henry didn't seem to notice. Killian, on the other hand, perceptive as usual, did. He walked over to where she was sitting on the couch and placed his right hand on her knee as he sat beside her. "Love, there's nothing you can do about it, you know that. Regina's a big girl, and you saved a woman's life. Stop beating yourself up about it."

"I know, I know, it's just…well she's Henry's mother too, and I wish things were better between us. For Henry's sake. And I could use her help with magic. I just can't help feeling guilty for ruining her happiness."

"No one can ruin your own happiness without your consent."

Surprised, Emma looked up at her handsome pirate. "What do you mean?"

"I mean yes, you were an instrument of her misery," (Emma winced, but Killian continued) "but it is she who decided to feel unhappy about it and blame you for all that is wrong in her life."

"I guess…" she said, not entirely convinced. She looked down, biting her lip, her mind jumping to the other thing that had been occupying her mind.

"Is something else the matter, love? Beg my pardon, but your magic usually comes easier to you, and fireballs are well, somewhat elementary compared to what you've managed to do in the past. It seems to me that there's something else on your mind. Something else that's bothering you." He pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek, prompting her to open up to him.

Damn deceptive man. She looked around to see if Henry was still around, but he had taken a banana and a book into his room and was nowhere in sight. She steeled herself for what she was about to say. "Well, uh, Killian, I'm sure it's nothing, but um…I'm late."

"Pardon? Late for what?" He smiled at her, confused.

"No, I mean, I'm late. As in, my monthly um…visitor, is late."

Shocked, and a tad uncomfortable, he said "Oh." He scratched his ear in that nervous, adorable way of his and continued "Well, uh…thanks for sharing that with me, love, though I don't believe it's any of my business what goes on in your—"

"Killian, I don't know if you understand. I mean I may be making a big deal out of this, but in this world (and all of them, to my knowledge), if your period is late, it can mean a lot of things. It's generally a sign for being, well, with child."

He stared at her, stunned. "But you're not, are you?"

"Not that I know of! Look, I just wanted to tell you before I look into this, okay? I mean, we're honest and comfortable with each other so I just wanted you to know I'm concerned about this and I'm going to check it out. Alright?"

Shaking himself out of his initial reverie, he took her hand and squeezed. "Alright. I'm here for you, whatever the result." Then he thought of something and chuckled. "I must say, Swan, you've come a long way from the way you were a year ago, before our dalliance or I'd warmed you over. You never would have opened up to me and shared your concerns like you did just now."

"Well, it's true. I want to be open with you because I love you, and you brought my walls down. I'm not that person anymore. It's hard, being like this, but I know it's for the better."

"Aye, that it is." He kissed her forehead and stood up to finish unpacking the groceries he had brought in before. Meanwhile, she stood up and went to the door, grabbing her coat and her keys. "Swan, where you going? I was just about to make dinner."

"Like I said, I'm going to look into this. I'll be back soon."

"Alright, don't be long—" he called after her, but she had already swung the door shut.

Nervous tension filled her body as she stared at the pregnancy test in her hand that she had just bought from the drugstore. She had to practically threaten Clark the drugstore owner a.k.a Sneezy to keep this quiet, saying she'd appreciate his silence and respecting her privacy, and if he didn't, well, she left that up to his imagination as she shifted her coat aside to show him her sheriff's badge and holstered gun. It wasn't her proudest moment, but she didn't want the sheriff's possible pregnancy getting out around this tiny town. Emma considered herself lucky it wasn't Leroy who operated the drugstore.

She walked into Granny's to order a hot cocoa to still her nerves, as she knew she wasn't ready to go back to her apartment and face Killian's questioning face. But she was dying to find out the answer to the test, as well as dreading it. While waiting for her hot cocoa, she slipped into the bathroom at the diner and sat on the toilet, unwrapping the pregnancy test. Taking a deep breath, she did what the stick instructed (and peed on it) and let it sit for a minute. She paced up and down the stall, not wanting to think about the what ifs. What if she was pregnant? How could she pregnant? Now that was an important question. She and Killian had been careful. She was on birth control, and though they didn't use condoms since they were both tested and safe, she figured the 98-99% effectiveness of the pills would be enough to prevent any pirate swan babies from being born. While she was pondering this question, the timer on her phone dinged, telling her a minute was up. She breathed deeply and picked up the test.

Such a tiny stick, she thought to herself. Such a tiny thing, and yet it holds the answer to my future. An answer that could change my life…Stupid stick. Emma looked at it.

Stupid stick indeed. She was pregnant.