Down the Rabbit Hole

Chapter One: Both Feet Out

Pregnant. That's what the awful white stick said. Emma thought maybe she was hallucinating, but after reading the word over and over again, she was sure that unfortunately, she wasn't.

"Fuck."

"Mom! We're home! Cake time!" Henry shouted.

Emma was in shock, but she heard her son's voice. Something about cake.

"You boys set up; I'll be right back."

That was her mother. Then Emma heard footsteps coming down the hall. She jumped up from the covered toilet seat as there was a knock on the door.

"Emma, are you in there?"

Emma's eyes grew wide with panic. "Oh, uh, yeah, coming, hold on!" Emma stuttered as she fumbled with the test, trying to quickly wrap it in toilet paper.

Snow's brows furrowed in curiosity at all the noise going on behind the door. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah! Fine! Hold on!" Emma answered while throwing the test in the garbage then grabbing the door knob and whipping the door open.

"Hey," Snow greeted, her voice weary.

"Hi. All yours," Emma said. She walked down the hall before Snow had the chance to say anything else.

"Good to see you too," Snow murmured.

Emma rushed through the hallway and into the kitchen to find Neal and Henry behind the counter, spreading a few bags of groceries across the surface.

"Are you excited about the welcome home party?" Henry asked. "We were gone a while. Gonna be cool to see everyone and eat a TON of cake!"

Emma did her best to smile at her son's excitement as she joined them behind the counter.

"So how come we're attempting to bake a cake? You aren't the best chef," Neal said through a grin.

"Neither are you," Emma argued.

"Exactly. So why are we trying to make the king of deserts? Seems like a suicide mission."

"Grams is gonna help us out. It'll be great," Henry said reassuringly.

Emma took in a quiet breath as she tried to focus on the task at hand. She tried to match Henry's enthusiasm, but then she spotted her mother out of the corner of her eye, standing in the doorway. Snow's eyes were as wide as flying saucers.

Without saying a word, Emma turned from the kitchen and darted down the hall towards her parents' room, grabbing her mother's hand on the way.

"Oh my God," Snow murmured.

"How the hell do you know?" Emma demanded.

"You left the box on the counter."

"Damn it," Emma cussed .

"I can't believe you're-"

"Don't say it," Emma warned.

"But you're-"

"No, no, do not say it," Emma argued firmly.

A moment of silence filled the room before Snow said, "I don't.. I.. Well, I do know what to say but you wont let me."

"Please, don't. To anyone," Emma said. "Especially your husband. I know you tell him everything."

Snow frowned further. "I take it your not happy about this."

"Of course I'm not happy!" Emma exclaimed in frustration.

Snow waited a beat, waiting for more info, but got nothing. "Because it wasn't planned?"

"Are you really asking me that?"

Snow threw her hands up in defense. "Just a question."

" We're not even together!"

"Oh, Emma, honey... You may be fooling yourself but not anyone else."

"What are you talking about?"

With a growing smile Snow said, " its very easy to see the feelings you have for Neal."

"That doesn't mean we're together," she denied quickly.

"Well, look at that."

"What?"

"You've stopped denying your feelings for him."

Emma sighed while falling to the bed.

She looked down to her stomach, her lips turned upside down. "How the hell did this happen."

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

Emma looked to her mother. "You don't really want details, do you? Because the idea of telling you that makes me want to vomit."

An amused smile appeared on Snow's face. "Whatever you want to share, I want to listen."

Emma showed her mother her frown. "This would be so much easier if you were just Mary Margaret."

"This mother daughter thing," Snow started, " Emma, we'll get the hang of it."

"I don't know," Emma said doubtfully while sitting up.

"We will," Snow said firmly. "I'll make sure of it."

Emma closed her eyes. She took in a breath of air. Then she fell back to the mattress. " I cant do this."

"Yes you can."

"What makes you think so?"

"I don't think. I know," Snow said while lying next to Emma. "You're a wonderful mother to Henry. When he looks at you, he sees the moon and the stars and everything in between," Snow said with a smile. "The baby you're carrying now will be lucky to call you its mother."

"You're giving me too much credit," Emma countered softly. "Henry... He sees me as the savior. A hero. Im a character in his book. Im... Magic, come to life... I fascinate him."

"You're being silly," Snow argued. "You have to know its more than that. He loves you. You're the most important person in the world to him."

"I guess," Emma said doubtfully.

"Henry is an amazing boy and-"

"And Im not the one who raised him. Im not the one who made him that way," Emma said while springing up." I am just starting to get my head above water. I am just starting to figure out how to be a mother to an eleven year old boy...A baby... that's a whole other ball park. And I... This is all so messed up. I made a mistake. I cant have a baby. Ill just screw it up."

Before Snow could argue, Emma left the room.

TBC...

Thoughts before you go? Please and thank you!