Pauley: Okay, this idea has been rattling around in my head for a long while and I was finally able to stick my words down on paper. So enjoy :)
"Go! Take Emma!" Snow begged, handing the newborn over to her husband. James nodded and took off and Doc squeezed Snow's hand
"Just the afterbirth now, keep pushing." Snow gritted her teeth and did as she was told, but Doc's surprised gasp broke her concentration.
"I don't mean to alarm you Snow, but there's another baby coming." Snow screamed again, although she wasn't sure of it was from pain or surprise as she was once again overcome with the need to push. A moment or two later, a thin, weak cry sounded as Doc lifted up another baby, far smaller and weaker sounding than Emma had been. Doc wrapped it up in a blanket before gently passing the bundle to Snow.
"It's a girl." He said and Snow stared down at the newborn baby who was hiccuping and wailing quietly.
Before Snow could even name her second daughter the door swung open with an almighty crash and Regina stormed into the room. Snow scooted farther back the bed, pulling the baby closer to her chest in a protective manner. Regina smirked, knocking Doc aside easily, stalking towards the bed and bending, plucking the child from Snow's arms, ignoring Snow's weak attempt at fighting back. Snow watched in horror as Regina drew the child to her chest in a mockery of a mothers touch, gently brushing a hand over the newborns head. Regina hissed something out in Latin and although Snow's grasp of Latin was always shaky, she understood the word 'Baby' and she tried to lunge forward to take her child back, but Regina just stepped away with a cruel smirk.
~Two Months Later~
Regina sighed as she hauled herself out of her bed once again. Lily was awake again, and crying. Most likely hungry. But then again, Lily was always hungry. Regina didn't know what exactly was wrong with her daughter, but it was most likely something to do with her stomach, but she had Whale running every test he was able and in the time in between, Regina just did what she could to settle the poor child.
She headed into the nursery, smiling softly at the tiny blonde baby who was kicking her thin little legs under her blanket.
"Hey Lily beautiful." Regina greeted quietly as she carefully lifted the girl, making sure she was wrapped tightly in the blanket to keep her safe. Regina yawned as she headed down the stairs and into the kitchen, setting the kettle to boil as she rocked the tiny baby. Lily had barely grown in the two months Regina had had her, and she knew that the baby was supposed to grow, she'd edited the curse so that she would because even if she wanted to deny Snow White and everyone else their happy endings, that was no reason for her daughter to forever be trapped as a newborn.
Lily continued to wail weakly in her Mother's arms as the kettle boiled, far too slowly for the Queen's liking. Finally, once the bottle was ready, she started to feed the girl, at last silencing her cries. After Lily had finished the bottle and Regina had winded her, she decided, rather than putting the tiny girl back in her crib only to have to get up again an hour or two later, she would bring the kettle, the formula and Lily into her own room, at least so the next trip wouldn't be quite as long for the tired woman.
~Time after Curse: 1 year~
Regina received the message only five minutes after it was sent, and the only reason she hadn't answered the phone was because she was setting Lily down for her nap.
"The final results are back, you need to come in today, I have an appointment made for you both at five." Regina sighed heavily and mentally prepared herself for the worst. Many people would never believe it, but she did love her daughter, because that's what the tiny sleeping girl upstairs had become. /Her/ daughter.
As usual, Lily didn't sleep for long, but she never did, she was constantly waking up hungry. The insistant whining noises that accompanied her daughter's awakening broke Regina from her thoughts and moved her into action as she headed towards the stairs, carefully lifting the small child. Still Lily was smaller than your average one year old, she always would be Regina thought. Regina was actually surprised that the blonde had grown at all, but as slow as the process had been, Lily had grown, bit by bit.
Cooing quietly to the girl, Regina changed and dressed her as if on autopilot, smiling softly as Lily produced spit bubbles as she giggled. Again Regina lifted her daughter, carefully kissing the top of her head before carrying her downstairs and buckling her into her stroller.
"Come on then Lilypad. We're going to go see Dr Whale." As if she recognised the name, Lily pulled a disgusted face and kicked her legs, making Regina laugh.
"I know, I know, you don't like him. But it's important that you see him Lily, Mommy just wants to get you better." Everyone they passed greeted them, a couple bending to speak quietly to Lily, who was quite happy to suck up the attention with giggles and smiles. Especially, Regina thought sourely, when Mary Margaret bent in front of the pram. Lily almost lit up at the appearance of the school teacher and she giggled happily. Mary Margeret reached in and chucked her under the chin with a smile.
"Hey there sweetie. You're not being trouble for your Mommy are you?" Lily squealed and giggled happily and Regina frowned again.
"Excuse me Miss Blanchard, we have to be going now." Mary Margaret straightened and nodded with a sigh.
"Alright. Goodbye Regina. Bye Lily." She said the last part with a sickeningly sweet smile before walking on. Regina grumbled darkly under her breath, phrases in Latin that in the other world would have turned Snow into dust and more as she continued towards the hospital.
Once Regina was seated in Dr Whales office, Lily playing her teething toys quietly in her pram. Dr Whale sighed quietly as he glanced at the child.
"It's not good news Regina. Lily has... a defect in her stomach. She only takes in the nutrients from about ten percent of her food. There's only one thing we can do for her. A daily drip of nutrients directly into her bloodstream. We'll have to do this for the rest of her life... which unfortunately won't be very long. Because of this defect, her stomach acid will eventually begin to just eat away at her stomach before entering her blood. She'll be lucky to live past eighteen." Regina sat in silent shock, staring at her beautiful daughter as she played, completely unaware of the life-changing conversation that was going on around her.
The rest of the conversation was about how to perform an IV. Regina hooked it up several times to a dummy arm, hooking it up correctly each time and finally Dr Whale agreed that she could do it. He wrote her out a perscription before bending to tickle under Lily's chin gently, causing the one year old to squeal and giggle, kicking her legs. Regina smiled sadly as she stood, thanking Dr Whale before wheeling Lily home.
~Next day~
A nurse came round to help Regina the first time she had to give Lily her IV. Lily kicked, cried, whined and fussed the entire time they tried, crying and screaming. The noise broke what was left of Regina's heart and she shooed the nurse away for a moment to settle her daughter and try to explain what was going on. Again they tried and although Lily continued to whine unhappily, they succeeded to get it in this time and Regina sat, reading to her for the entire half an hour it took for the IV to drain into the girls blood.
Over the next few days, Regina noticed a change in her little blonde angel. She was growing at a more normal rate and putting on weight. She had much more energy and she seemed more vibrant. More alive.
It was a week or so later that Lily spoke for the first time. Regina wasn't expecting it at all, but out of nowhere she heard it coming through the baby monitor, a quiet, but very clear little voice.
"Mommy... Mommy..." Regina raced up the stairs and burst through the door to the nursery, scooping the child up into her arms and peppering her face with kisses. Lily continued to repeat the word, grinning brightly and hugging her Mother.
Regina proudly wheeled her beautiful baby girl into the Diner and lifted her onto her hip as she stood in front of the counter.
"Ruby, Ruby listen to this." She prompted, bouncing Lily gently with a smile. Lily frowned slightly before realising where she was and grinning again.
"Mommy!" She exclaimed happily and Ruby beamed along with Regina and Lily.
"Clever girl Lily." She said, reaching over and tickling Lily's side, making her giggle and squeal, kicking her legs happily.
Lily developed quickly after that, speaking more and more, but still she didn't walk. It wasn't that she couldn't but it was more that she didn't have to. Regina carried her everywhere or pushed her in her pram. She was working from home, and the only time they really went out was to go to the Diner or to the Drug Store to refill Lily's prescription.
Lily's first steps came when she was about two. She was sat on the floor, the drip in her arm and Regina nipped out of the room to pick up another book to read to her. Lily was whining quietly, wanting her Mommy back. When Regina didn't return, having not heard Lily's whines from the other room, Lily moved onto her knee's, pushing her bottom into the air before standing wobbily. She took one step, then another, before falling. But she refused to give up. She pushed herself up again and continued trying to walk. She got six steps away before the drip needle pulled from her arm and she started to scream. This caught Regina's attention and she raced back into the room to find Lily toddling towards the door, still screaming. Regina scooped her up, grinning brightly as she carried her back to the drip
"Clever girl Lilypad!" She said with a beam as she hooked her daughter back into the drip.
"Just no walking when you're taking your medication, okay?" Lily was grinning brightly and she nodded slowly, not quite understanding but knowing her Mommy wanted her to say either yes or no.
Lily didn't need to walk again for a long while, but still Regina encouraged her to practice in the nursery, not wanting any harm to come to her beautiful little angel girl.
Pauley: So? What do you think? Please /Please/ RP! No Flames, but Constructive Criticism is more than welcome :) Let me know people!