Familial Ties

*What if Robin and Regina were closer than anyone knew, or even now remembered? What if it led to an interesting result? And as they always say 'Magic comes with a price.' But will the price now be too high for Regina to pay? Slow Regina/Robin relationship, and Regina/Emma friendship.

Disclaimer: OUaT not owned by me. *crys*

AN: Starts during the middle of 3.13: Witch Hunt, and will go AU as I weave the story. Will be like the show and jump back and forth between Enchanted Forest and Storybrook at least. I know a few basics I want to cover but else I'm winging it as this chapter wouldn't leave me alone. If there is anything you'd like to see leave it in a review and I'll see if it would fit into this story. Sorry for any errors. No beta for this, and I'm a horrible fan of commas : )

[Also I do plan to get back to my R&I story someday, but school has kept me from it for far too long, and now this idea has overcome my writer's block so want to at least get the idea started. I have that outlined for a lot more to happen…someday.]

Chapter 1

Regina listened from the back of the room as those around her started to question who cast this new curse, and it didn't take long for fingers to start pointing her way. She knew to expect something from the annoying dwarf as he loved to point fingers and run around yelling that the sky was falling. She tried not to sneer at him as she still held out a little hope that not everyone was against her. The quack surgeon-slash-monster-maker was also no surprise or the cross-bow slinging wolf, but she was a bit saddened by the fact that Belle was even against her. The woman who could find the good even in the Dark One, couldn't seem to see the shred of humanity in the Evil Queen. None of the imbeciles even believed the truth when she mentioned she'd have her son if she had placed this curse. She cringed at the angry words spoken by the Savior even though she knew they were part of this well-timed ruse. That was the only thing she feared was never being near her son again. The mob could come for her all they wanted, but her son and his other mother were the ones who held the power her hurt her the most, as well as soothe the ache in her soul.

Emma was right though, Regina hated to admit. This was a good way to get the real curse wielder to step forward, but she didn't expect it to hurt as much as it did. So she did what she was good at and pulled the mantle of the Evil Queen around herself. "If you all want me to be the Evil Queen, then fine, that's exactly who you'll get." Regina pulled the magic forth as she raised her hands in front of her dramatically. She knew she didn't need the show, but she used to so enjoy the look of fear that passed over the peasants' and even the royals' faces before she even cast a spell. Now those shocked, scared looks just sent a pang of sadness through her blackened heart. But if they wanted the Evil Queen, she would give them the works: the snide remarks, the showy over the top gestures, and the bit of magic to seal the deal. She knew the only thing missing was the tight, dark dresses that she used to wear. She pushed her palms out quickly and sent out her magic in such a way as to give the old building a good shaking up; however she felt that something was wrong the moment she cast the spell.

Emma Swam watched in fascination as Regina pulled the mask of the Evil Queen on. She watched as Regina's posture got even straighter which Emma didn't know beforehand was possible. She watched the brunette egg on the crowd and was mentally cheering on the woman's acting skills while at the same time feeling sorry for the harsh words that were not only coming from those surrounding her, but from her own mouth as well. Emma could see behind the lie, as she could with anyone, and saw the miniscule flinch on Regina's face as the people's 'facts' bombarded her. She braced herself for whatever bit of magic that she knew the woman was going to perform, and was confused for a moment when the only thing that happen was the rattling of the overhead lights and the water pitchers that were behind her blew up. She looked confused toward Regina and expected her to poof away in her usual cloud of purple smoke, but all she saw was the pale face in front of her as Regina closed her eyes and slumped to the ground.

Emma's first thought was 'She can even faint gracefully,' while her second one of 'Oh Shit!' got her moving toward the prone figure. "Regina," Emma yelled as she raced down the aisle between the rows of chairs. She ignored the people sitting in them as she focused on the fallen woman. She didn't think about the fact that the change from angry Savior, to this concerned almost-friend was confusing to those in attendance and was ruining all of Regina's hard work at alienating herself from the mob. If asked later Emma would say she did it for Henry, as he would be so angry with her if she let anything happen to his other mother while he couldn't remember her, but she was truly worried as she had never seen any weakness in Regina before that did not revolve around Henry.

She dropped to her knees while still moving forward, and so she slid into the brunette. Emma waited for the scathing remark about her lack of grace and to get them both off the floor. Her worry sky-rocketed when no words came out of Regina's mouth. She at least breathed a short sigh of relief as she noticed the rise and fall of the brunette's chest. She looked around the room then to see only shocked looks gazing at the pair, but no one moved to help, not even the so-called doctor and her anger at those around her blazed through her.

Her gaze finally fell on a face in the front row who she knew would help her and so she yelled to him, "David, help me."

Emma's father didn't want to go anywhere near the fallen Queen, but he couldn't help the call for help from his daughter. He thought it was worse than the Siren's song he had dealt with in his past. He would do anything for his girl, especially when she turned those pleading eyes on him. He stood up and walked quickly toward the pair, and then gently knelt and picked Regina up. She felt smaller and lighter than he would have expected. Granted the lack of the elaborate dresses helped he knew, heck those dresses alone probably weighed more than Regina, but when she stood up to people she always seemed larger-than-life. Looking down at her closed eyes, and pale face he just saw the women who raised his grandson to be a kind boy, and the woman whom his daughter wanted him to help.

Mary Margaret knew she needed to help too as it was the right thing to do, and her mother, Eva, had always tried to drill that into her head about being good and kind to everyone. For awhile her step-mother had even been the same, before she started to actively try and have her taken out of the picture. She got her keys out of her purse as she all but waddled to the back of the room where the trio was now getting to their feet, all but Regina she thought as a bit of fear clutched at her heart for the step-mother who did try to love her at one time. The baby kicked her hard as if feeling her own worry and wanting to add it's two feet worth to her thoughts. "I'll get the car," she said as she walked toward the exit. She knew her family would soon follow, and they would take Regina to some doctor who might actually give a damn about that Oath they magically swore to help and not harm people.

The reunited family sat in the waiting room. Emma was about to pull her hair out as her patience was wearing thin, and the worry was eating away at the pit of her stomach. Despite that she heard a light growl emit from her stomach and she gazed at the clock on the wall. No wonder she was hungry as she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast with Henry. Crap, Henry. She pulled out her phone and dialed the number by recovered memory. "Hey Ruby, it's Emma. Can I get you to watch Henry a bit longer."

"Don't worry, Em. Granny told me all about you freaking out at the town meeting, and Regina fainting and everything." There was a slight pause before Ruby asked more sedately, "Is she alright?"

Emma was touched at the real worry she heard from her friend. She knew Ruby really wanted to know to ease her mind, and not just to have the latest gossip for the dinner rush. "No clue, we haven't heard anything…" She was about to finish the sentence when a female doctor walked into the waiting room and then toward the trio. "Can't talk now…gotta go…bye." Emma didn't let Ruby say anything in response and just hung up her phone quickly as she stood up to meet the doctor.

"Hello. I'm Dr. Parsons."

Snow looked up at the doctor. The name sounded so familiar, but she couldn't place how she knew it.

"Emma can I talk with you in hall please?" The older woman asked. Her voice was gentle as Emma assumed it probably was with most patients and their families. And with both being Henry's mother, even if the boy didn't know, Regina was indeed family in Emma's eyes.

"Oh God…It's bad isn't it?" Emma blew out a nervous breath and her right hand came up to drag through her tangled hair, "I knew it…it's bad." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father stand up on her left and squeeze her shoulder in comfort, and her mother grabbed at the left hand and held it. They seemed to be trying to hold their daughter together by force of will.

"Not as bad as your thinking I can assure you, but you are Regina's next of kin as she has no one else and so I would like to keep this between us for now."

Emma was floored at the doctor's response. She didn't fail to catch the fact that something wasn't great with Regina, and she was stunned even more by the fact that she was the next of kin for Regina. She knew Henry couldn't do it as he didn't even know his mom, but for the month that the fairytale characters had been back in Storybrook, why wouldn't Regina have picked someone other than Henry's other mom to play the role. The truth hit her hard. Without Henry, Regina had no one. She numbly started walking toward the waiting room door.

Emma rounded on the doctor as soon as they were in the hall. "Well? What's wrong with her?"

Seeing that no prying ears were around the doctor started her explanation. "As she was unconscious when you brought her in, the ER doctor couldn't very well ask her what was wrong. They ran a blood panel, put her on some fluids as she looked a little dehydrated, and did a cursory exam in order to check that there were no wounds or bumps and bruises. They didn't find anything physically wrong, so they could only wait for the blood test to come back." The blond woman in front of her looked like she was about to jump out of her skin waiting for an answer, so she dropped the bomb. "I was called in when they got the results as her hCG level was elevated."

That answer did nothing to ease Emma's mind and only worried her more that a specialist had to be called in on Regina's case, "what the hell does that mean? Is it cancer? ….Is she dying?"

The doctor didn't know whether to laugh or go on with the explanation, but the real fear in the Savior's eyes had her quickly explaining. "Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is a hormone that is produced during pregnancy." She saw the stunned look on Emma's face and added trying to lighten the mood, "it was less complicated telling when someone was pregnant in the Enchanted Forest when I was a Midwife, but these modern tests are splendid."

Emma's eyes looked away from doctor's face and then noticed the name on the white coat she wore over her hospital scrubs, and the letters that spelled out what was in front of her face more than the words she had heard: OB/GYN. "Are you my mother's doctor too?" She didn't know why this question was the first to come from her mouth, but she guessed it was because it was easier than wrapping her head around the fact that the mother of her child was with child. The whole situation was more confusing than their family tree, and that was saying something.

"No, that would be my partner. I deal with the high-risk pregnancies."

Emma's eyes shot back to the doctor's, "why is she high-risk?" The fear was again beating down the confusion.

"With the hCG levels, it looks like Regina is about a month along…but after doing an ultrasound it looks like the fetus is smaller than that." The doctor liked to stick with facts over gossip but she thought Emma needed to know, "It doesn't seem like Regina has been taking care of herself since we all returned to Storybrook. She weighs less than she did during her last physical," she didn't mention that the test was over 3 years ago, before the curse was broken. Rosemary wondered her patient feared she wouldn't be treated once she was outed as the Evil Queen. Sadly, she knew that was the case with too many of the doctors in the hospital, but there were a handful that were grateful for all the curse did for them even if they wouldn't admit it to the mob against her. She sighed in regret at her ability to stand against the majority too and continued. "She doesn't leave her house all that often. I have seen her at Granny's a couple of times, but she didn't stay very long due to the whispers and stares... not long enough to eat enough for herself, let alone for herself and the child she is carrying. I'm worried about both my patients if Regina doesn't start taking better care of herself…"

"Don't worry about that. I'll make sure she does that." Emma didn't know why she made that promise, nor did she know how she would go about keeping it at this point, but she knew she would do whatever she needed to in order to keep Henry's mother and his unborn sibling alive and well. And she mused that no matter how much she got one Regina's nerves, she did have one thing going for her…her heart would stay safely in her chest where it belonged.

The doctor smiled at the woman in front of her. Glad to finally see someone standing with Regina in order to help her out.