Disclaimer: I don't anything.

Prologue

22 year old Regina Mills stared at her reflection in the mirror, the dark circles under her red eyes were evidence of the last in a sequence of sleepless nights. Ever since her mother ripped the heart of the one man who truly loved her, the one man whom she loved with all her heart, she hadn't been able to sleep. His face haunted her sleep, as well as her waking moments. She knew that the latest development would push back her wedding to the king , if not cancel it all together. And she also knew that it would make her mother furious, which wasn't so bad actually. But NO, she thought to herself. She couldn't think like that of her mother, it would be inappropriate. She finally finished getting ready and applying enough powder on her face that would make her presentable. She got up and walked towards the sitting room, where her parents were seated, and the closer she got to the room, the more nervous she got.

"Good Morning darling" Regina's father's happy voice pulled her out of her reverie as she entered the room.

"Good Morning daddy" Regina said with a genuine smile, and leaned in to kiss her father on the cheek to hide the nervousness that lines her face.

"Good Morning Mother" she said as she turned to her mother, although her tone held way less affection.

"Good Morning, you were late for breakfast today" Cora said in a harsh tone, as if her daughter had killed someone, which she seems to do on a regular basis herself.

"I know, I wasn't hungry" Regina answered, although her mind was screaming "understatement of the century"

"I need to speak to you both about something" Regina said nervously, as she kept playing with her hands.

"Of course darling" her father said in a reassuring voice, noticing the look his daughter had on her face. He moved a bit closer to Cora, to allow Regina enough room to sit; as bad as it may seem, he didn't want Regina so close to her mother in such a state; after all, Cora wasn't known for her affectionate nature.

Regina took the seat next to her father, noticing how he coyly sparred her the uncomfortable situation, and she smiled gratefully at him. She sat down, and started staring at her shoes, until her mother's impatient voice snapped her out of it.

"Regina, tell us what you want already. We haven't got all day" Cora said in a, well, in her usual tone.

"I'm pregnant" Regina found herself saying without even looking up at her parents, and she didn't have time for contemplating what she did, since Cora snapped up from the couch, standing up immediately.

"Excuse me, WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" Cora basically yelled at her daughter.

Henry immediately moved on the couch to be somewhat in a protective position and Regina basically shrunk next to him.

"I'm pregnant" she answered, through her tears and shakes, although her hands instinctively fell to her stomach; subconsciously afraid that her mother will rip the baby out.

"With that stable boy's child?" her mother roared.

"Yes".

"Since when?" her father's calm voice was a contrast to her mother's; his was also loving and concerned. Looking up at him, she realized that she saw a glint of happiness in his eyes.

"I think about 6 weeks" she answered him, and couldn't help the smile that graced her lips at the thought of her baby.

"You must get rid of this baby at once" her mother's harsh tone snapped her out of her short lived happiness.

"What?" Regina asked, incredibly confused, and a part of her was hoping she had heard her mother wrong.

"You must get rid of this baby at once, abort it. If the king…"her mother's rant was interrupted by Regina's forceful "NO."

"What do you mean no?" Cora said, as she narrowed her eyes at her daughter.

"I am not going to kill my own baby mother" came Regina's determined answer, and a part of Cora was happy that Regina was standing her grounds about what she wanted.

"This child should never have existed in the first place. And if the King found out, then you can forget about marrying him." Cora explained, in a not-so-calm tone.

"Is that all you care about? My wedding to the King? Mother I don't care about any of this. I AM NOT GOING TO LOSE MY DAUGHTER, AND I SURE AS HELL WONT KILL HER" Regina, all but yelled the last part.

"Cora, this is ridiculous. We cant harm an innocent child, just because you disapproved of who her father was." Henry finally decided to interfere, to try to knock some sense into his wife.

Cora narrowed her eyes at both her husband and daughter, and her jaw was set tight.

"What about the scandal that will ensue? We will lose everything" Cora retaliated.

"People don't have to know that the baby is hers." Henry said, as an idea came to him.

"What?" both Regina and Cora said at the same time, although they were both shocked for different reasons. Cora was shocked because she didn't think her husband had in him to deceive, and Regina was horrified at the prospect of having to give her baby up, because that is the only way people would not know that the baby is hers.

"You can use your magic to disguise her pregnancy, so that no one will ever find out. She can give birth here, we keep the baby for a few weeks, and on one for her visits to us, she returns with the baby, and tells the King that she found the baby abandoned at the side of the road and brought her along. The King wont say no to raising the baby. And we will even place the baby on the side of the road for the guards to notice" Henry quickly explained to his family.

"But Daddy, I cant give my baby up?" Regina said, with fear filling her voice at the prospect of having to live without her daughter, even if it is for a few weeks, and her arms were wrapped around herself; it gave her a sense of safety for the baby growing inside of her.

"Sweetheart, it is only for a few weeks." Henry calmly said to his crying daughter, knowing exactly how she feels and what is going through her mind.

"What if the King doesn't agree to raising her as his in the castle?."Regina tearfully asked, as every single possible bad scenario of how this can go wrong went through her head.

"He will. The King is kind and he wont allow the child to grow up without a home. And make sure you tell him with Snow in the room, she wont allow the baby to be left alone and her father wont say no to her or you." Henry calmly explained as he held his daughter's tear stained face in his hands.

"Alright" Regina said. She leaned forward and allowed her father to embrace her. She needed to feel the comfort and safety his embrace brought her.

They both turned around to see what Cora thinks, and she nodded, although her face was grim, and she didn't look like a woman who was happy that she is about to become a grandmother, for more than one reason that is.

Regina knew that it might mean that she is a terrible person, but she couldn't help but feel happy and proud that she challenged her mother and did something to spite her. She killed Daniel, but a piece of him will always be around to remind Cora of him and the forbidden love that Regina managed to live right under her nose. And when her mother looked at her stomach, Regina felt a strange feeling, and her hands instantly fell to cover her stomach, and that moment she realized that she will protect her child no matter what, and against whoever decides to hurt her in any form or manner. No one is going to hurt her baby girl. Yes she knew it was a girl, she couldn't explain it, but she just knew in her heart, that the baby growing inside of her, was a girl.