I still don't own any of this. Please don't sue me.
Previously in Surrender -
Henry opened the door and stepped into Gold's pawn shop three weeks later. He lucked out in that just the person he was looking for was seated behind the counter.
"Hi, Belle," he began as he approached the counter. "Or should I call you grandma now?"
Belle blushed. "Why don't we just stick with Belle."
Henry nodded with a smile.
"What can I do for you, Henry," Belle asked.
"According to the book, Rumpelstiltskin had a huge library in his castle, with tons of books on magic and… everything. And the book implied that you were a huge bookworm and probably one of the smartest people back in the Enchanted Forest."
"I wouldn't say I was the smartest person back home, but did I love a good book," Belle replied, smiling at the boy.
"So do you think you could help me figure something out? I have a problem and I'm pretty sure it's covered somewhere in the lore of the Enchanted Forest, but I don't know where to look," Henry admitted.
"I'd be delighted to help you, assuming you're not out to hurt someone, but I can't imagine that being you."
Henry smiled. "No, it's something to help my moms. It's for phase four."
"Phase four," Belle asked in confusion.
Henry leaned forward and looked about as if making sure they were alone. "Yeah, phase four of Operation Mother Goose."
Chapter 1 - Labels
"I'm telling you, Henry, this isn't something we can do on our own," Belle insisted.
Henry frowned. "But his help always comes with a price."
Belle leaned forward to grab his hand where it was resting on the counter and gave it a squeeze. "You're his grandson, Henry. Even if you believe he wouldn't do it for you, he would do it for Bae, or for me."
The boy's eyebrows lifted in surprise before creasing skeptically. "That would only apply if either of you wanted to help my moms. I know my dad was disappointed that Emma chose my Mom over him and… well… the less said about what Mom did to you, the better."
Belle gave him a sad smile. "I've forgiven her. She came by a while back to personally apologize to me and I forgave her. She's not the same woman who locked me in that room." Belle grinned. "And I think a lot of that change in her is thanks to you. So, even if you don't think I'd ask on her behalf, I'd still ask on yours."
"Thanks, Belle. I'm really glad you've been so willing to help." Henry took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. "I suppose if you think asking grandpa for help is the only way, then that's what we'll have to do."
"Thank you, for being willing to trust me on this. I might be able to find the recipe for the potion you'll need, but Rumple's the one who can get ahold of the right ingredients and mix them correctly."
Henry nodded. "All right then. You sure you're okay asking him for this?"
"I am. It's really nice what you're trying to do for your moms and I'm happy to help."
"Say again," Rumpelstiltskin asked. "He wants what?"
Belle sighed. "He's trying to find a way for his two mothers to be able to have a child together. She would be his little sister. From my reading I can tell that it has been done before, always producing a daughter, and that it seems to require the potion of the bountiful womb."
Rumple shook his head. "May I assume that they have no idea what he's asked of you?"
"No. He didn't want to get their hopes up if we turned up empty handed."
After a moment's consideration, Rumple replied, "It may be possible, but it's going to require something with a bit more kick."
"Why," Belle asked in surprise. "From what I've read, it hasn't been done all that many times, but it always worked when it was attempted."
"That would be correct," Rumple began, "However, in this case, there's more to overcome than simple biology. Back in her darker days Regina once became convinced that if she ever had a child, Cora would use the babe to manipulate or supplant her. She consumed a potion of her own to prevent conception."
"That's so sad. Was her mother really that bad?"
Rumple made a show of considering for a second before replying, "Yes."
Belle frowned. "So we need to find a way to cure her before the potion of the bountiful womb will work?"
"Not exactly," Rumple replied. "Because Regina won't be conceiving in the er… traditional fashion, her prior efforts to poison her womb, which acted to bar conception, shouldn't apply. Still, I suspect I'm going to need to make something of an extra strength version of the fertility potion to override it."
"It can be done," Belle asked, looking at Rumple expectantly.
"I think so, yes. You can tell Henry that I should have something ready for him in a couple of days."
"So Mom, I've been thinking," Henry began.
Him and his two mothers were seated at the dining room table, enjoying a meal of chicken enchiladas, black beans, and rice. At his comment both women gave him their attention, then looked to each other, not entirely sure which of them he'd been addressing.
"And that's what I wanted to ask you about. I think if I keep trying to call you both Mom… it'll eventually get awkward."
Regina nodded, but looked tense. "Did you have an idea on what you'd like to do, sweetheart?"
Henry bit his lip and looked at Emma. "Here's the thing. Mom," he nodded his head towards Regina, "has been my Mom for as long as I can remember, and I can't imagine calling her anything else."
"It's okay, kid. I understand. If I had a Mom like her growing up I wouldn't want to call her anything else either," Emma replied. "It's okay for you to just call me Emma. I don't mind." She tried to play it off as if it was no big deal, but Henry could see right through it. She wanted to be his Mom too, badly.
"So I thought about other names," Henry pressed on. "Like Mommy, or Mama, or Ma. But they just don't seem right." He stopped for a moment, looking down and moving the beans around on his plate. "Then I got this idea that maybe I could use a code name. Something where when you heard it, you would know I was talking to you, and calling you Mom, just without using the word Mom."
Emma grinned, "And since I'm the cool Mom, I get the code name, right?"
Henry glanced at Regina to make sure she wasn't taking any offense. Seeing her barely suppressed laughter, he looked back to Emma and continued. "I was thinking that I could combine Emma and Mommy into one word, Emmy. What do you think? Would you like that?"
Regina reached over to take Emma's hand. "Well Emmy?"
Emma nodded with a sniffle. "Yeah, kid. I'd like that."
Regina lay sated, snuggled up against her lover. Her head rested on Emma's chest as her left hand traced circles on the blonde's stomach. She found Emma's warmth, and the rhythmic beating of her heart, to be a natural relaxant. The missing piece of the puzzle, a complement to the love she received from their son, made her feel whole.
Glancing up, she was surprised to see a more serious expression on Emma's face. Usually, at times like this, she'd be sporting a goofy grin, or stifling a yawn, but not tonight. "What's troubling you, dear?"
Emma looked down and saw the gentle concern in Regina's eyes. She hadn't realized that her thoughts were written so clearly on her face. "I was just thinking about our future," she admitted.
Regina cringed. "Is it really that dire?"
"No, not… just no. I didn't mean it like that." Emma was feeling flustered by her inability communicate. "Our future is together, and it's gonna be awesome. I was just… fretting over some details."
Regina could see the truth in her eyes and decided to take some pressure off. Closing her eyes and dipping her head, she allowed her fingers to resume their play. "Want to talk about it? You can tell me anything, you know."
"I know, it's just… everything is great right now and… well... rocking the boat has never turned out well for me."
"But you feel like you need to," Regina concluded.
"Maybe." Emma sighed. "I was thinking about your first marriage."
Regina's whole body tensed up for a moment, before she forced herself to relax. "He's dead. He can never hurt you again. She's nothing like him. You can trust her."
Feeling the brunette slowly relax, Emma continued, "I know it was an awful experience, and I wish you'd never had to go through it. What I'm wondering is… do you think you'd ever… if you could freely choose would you ever…"
Lifting her head, Regina planted a soft kiss on Emma's chin before placing her ear back over her heart. "If it was the right person. If they made me feel safe. I might be able to."
When Emma remained silent, Regina continued, "After I lost Daniel, the first time, I thought that was it for me. I found my love. I lost him. I'd never love again. Simple math, really. And there was no way in hell I was ever going to allow myself to be coerced into another unholy union. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I could never even conceive of having someone I'd want to marry."
"But if you did find someone like that…"
Regina's light fingers ceased their play and stretched out to Emma's side so that she could pull herself closer. "I would hold them tight and never let them go."
