Prompt from Mia (on AO3): Lamaze classes.
A stand alone one-shot, could be considered as a prequel to my other fic, Beautiful Moments.
Please see notes below. Thanks for reading! :)
Emma plucked her coat off its hook in the sheriff's station, juggling her car keys and a warm brown bag from grannies in her hand as she headed home for the evening. It wasn't her turn to work the evening shifts this week, but with Regina's due date rapidly approaching she made an agreement with David that she would do his share of evening and night shifts for the next few months in return for him taking hers once the baby was born.
For the fourth evening in a row, she locked the station at 9pm and tucked the station cell into her pocket, praying that it wouldn't drag her back into town during the night. She would return it in the morning to her well-rested father before heading home to enjoy the morning to herself. The Queens of Darkness had just rolled into town and she feared that things might heat up fairly soon. Though they pleaded innocence and claimed that they were seeking a simple life of redemption, Emma did not trust them. Far less did she trust their loyalty to Regina.
Emma knew of Regina's ties to the ladies in the past. Her wife told her everything as soon as the troupe had arrived in hopes of calming the then red-faced, pacing blonde down.. but the more information that Emma heard, the more she feared that the dragon, squid and puppy snatcher would not hesitate to try and drag Regina into their plans. She knew Regina would never bite to their lure of tyranny and evil, but she worried as to exactly what buttons the ladies would push to test her limits, especially with their baby on the way.
Regina had maintained a brave face throughout, which worried Emma even more. She could see the former Queen putting up walls and steeling herself when the topic came up, and at 6 months pregnant and barely showing (typical- Emma thought. She was the size of a whale when pregnant with Henry), she noticed the brunette placing a protective hand against her abdomen anytime the trio addressed them in public. No one else seemed to notice and very few actually knew of Regina's pregnancy, but nothing of her ever got past Emma. She knew her.
When Cruella brushed past the two wives leaving Granny's diner just two days previous, the black and white haired villain paused and gave Regina a rather suspicious once over with a skin-crawling smirk adorning her face. Emma instinctively put herself between the two women with her wife and unborn child behind her and felt Regina grab onto her hand shakily, squeezing tight. Emma hadn't had a proper night's sleep since. She also noticed that Regina had not left the house, and she knew that she had been in touch with Snow and asked her to take care of some of her mayoral duties over the next few weeks so as Emma wouldn't notice. Emma decided not to tell her wife that her father had filled her in on the arrangement over a cup of coffee in his own worry for their family.
As she landed in the driver's seat of her yellow bug, Emma sighed deeply and carefully placed the warm pastries she just had Ruby drop off for her in the passenger seat, Regina's favourites in the past few weeks. She sat there for a few minutes, just collecting her own thoughts before pulling out of the gravelled lot and driving home to her wife and son.
"Babe, I'm home" Emma muffled with keys between her teeth as she kicked the front door closed behind her and struggled not to drop Regina's sweet treats or the paperwork she had brought home to do in the morning.
Through the alcove into their main living area, she could hear shuffling and the sound of something being abruptly muted in the adjoining room. As she furrowed her brow and trotted round the corner to investigate, she saw Regina close a drawer and lift her laptop as she spun round to greet Emma with a tender kiss.
"Hi baby. Is that what I think it is?" Regina swallowed and redirected her gaze to the brown bag Emma had toted home with her.
"Of course" Emma kissed her on the cheek sweetly. "What are you up to?"
"Oh, um, nothing. Just some paperwork."
Suspicious as she was of her Regina's strange behaviour, Emma couldn't resist the sight of her wife's little baby bump in the casual yoga pants and long sleeve tee she was wearing and instantly set down her belongings to draw the brunette close against her and kiss her soundly.
"You look cute"
"Hmm?" Regina pulled back slightly as Emma moved to look in her eyes.
"What have you been up to? Yoga pants aren't usually your style.. not that I'm complaining of course" Emma finished with a wink.
Regina's grin had barely time to take hold when she felt Emma loosen out of her hold and walk over to where the laptop was sitting on the coffee table. Panic flashed through her, and she sprinted over beside her wife and grabbed her wrist, just as the blonde was about to flip up the screen.
Emma looked up, confused and startled. Her brows furrowed at the wide eyes and flushed cheeks of her wife.
"Babe, what's going on?" She asked again, handing the laptop over to her wife so as to allow her to calm down.
Emma knew Regina inside out, she knew her past and she knew her triggers. It was for this reason that she never backed her wife into a corner about absolutely anything. Never again did she want Regina to feel that she was being forced into any situation or that she didn't have a choice. This was no different.
As Regina wrapped her arms around the laptop and her eyes fell to the floor, Emma couldn't remember a time where she had seen her look so small, so unsure of herself and afraid. She gently placed her fingertips on the brunette's chin and tilted her head up slowly, only to be met with huge eyes full to the brim with tears.
"Oh honey.. What is going on? You know you can tell me anything, right?"
Regina didn't reply, and instead moved towards her wife until she made contact with the blonde's body, laying her head on her shoulder and sniffling through her tears whilst her arms still gripped the laptop tightly to her chest.
Emma immediately engulfed the brunette in her strong arms with a loving embrace. When she felt Regina calm slightly, she moved them back and onto the sofa, Regina sitting sideways on her lap. She wiped tears from her lover's eyes and moved stray strands of dark silky hair behind her ears before softly speaking once more.
"I know that you spoke to snow.." Reginas eyes flew up to meet green ones, unable to hide her guilt.
".. and you haven't left the house in days. I can see you putting your walls up, I just want to know how to help you" Tears were starting to form in her own eyes as her voice started to break.
Regina saw the truth in what Emma said, and with a deep breath she opened her laptop and passed it over to her wife, avoiding any eye contact.
As Emma looked up at the screen, she played the video that had clearly been paused on her arrival. Instantly, a peppy, blonde woman appeared on her screen, with what appeared to be several couples sitting in a circle behind her. As the woman began to speak she noticed large exercise balls around the room and what appeared to be plastic baby dolls. Everything clicked in the blonde's head as she turned to her wife.
"Lamaze classes?" Regina stared down at her own hands, avoiding Emma's gaze before she nodded her head.
"I know its stupid. But I need to know exactly what to do when this happens. I mean what if I'm on my own? What if something goes wrong? I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing Emma, I'm not even supposed to be a mother!" Emma grabbed her hand as she began to spiral out of control, tethering Regina to the present.
"Hey, look at me, okay?" Regina's tear filled eyes met Emma's and instantly her breaths began to slow as she calmed.
"You already are a mother. You're Henry's mother. And a great one at that, look how great he is! You did that." Regina bit her quivering lip as it curled into a smile at the mention of her son's name. He really was incredible.
"This is not stupid, this is your first pregnancy and you are just as perfectly entitled to go to a Lamaze class as anyone else is! Why would you be embarrassed about that?" Regina began to shake her head, but before she could open her mouth to reply, Emma continued on a sigh.
"Regina, you don't have to be fearless all of the time. You are allowed to feel unsure. Hell, I'm unsure, I've never raised a baby before! I've never changed diapers or soothed fevers, I don't know what to do with diaper rash or what temperature the bath water should be. I wasn't there. You were.. So I figure that between us, we have enough joint experience to get through this, and alonh, with Henry as a big brother, this kid is off to a great start." Regina smiled back at her, the sheer sincerity of the words bringing her back down to reality- their reality. The brunette further entwined their hands as she found her voice.
"It's not just that.. yes, Henry is my son and I know that we could raise a baby once it gets here, but this is different.." She cleared her throat before continuing.
"I took that potion back in the enchanted forest, you know that." Emma squeezed Regina's hands, urging her to continue on what they both knew was a difficult topic.
"I was never supposed to be able to get pregnant, and this baby, its a miracle.. but what if it isn't? What if this is some sort of trick by.."
"..by the queens of darkness." Emma finished hoarsely, Regina nodding her head.
"Emma what if this is some sort of cruel joke? You saw the way they looked at me, what if there's something wrong? What if they want our baby?" Regina's lip trembled as tears began to stream down her cheeks steadily again once more.
"Oh honey.. I wish you had come to me about this before." Emma pulled Regina tightly against her chest and rubbed circles on her back to sooth her.
"This baby, is a result of true love- our true love. That's what the fairies said, and I believe it with all of my heart. I can feel it." Emma placed one hand on Regina's barely there baby bump before continuing.
"As for the queens of darkness. I don't know what theyre here for and I cant say that I trust them, butyou are the most powerful magic bearer in this entire realm and you have me and everyone else in this town at your side. I swear to you now Regina, I will not let them lay a finger on you or our baby. Do you understand me?" Regina picked her head up, her posture returning and steadying her gaze in her wife's eyes.
"I believe you.. I guess I just let this take over me in my own head and I'm sorry that I shut you out. I just want everything to be okay, you know? It's like with all of this happiness, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."
Emma leant her forehead against Regina's, her voice a little above a whisper "I know, I feel it too. I have never been more happy in my entire life than I am now, which is why you have to know that I will fight with everything in my power to keep it that way. I'll keep you safe, Regina."
Emma closed the gap between them with a soft kiss, which Regina deepened almost immediately. Arms wove round each woman as they embraced one another, putting all of their feelings into this loving physical connection. They continued like this until Emma's stomach finally rumbled, reminding her that she had returned home with a much-needed bearclaw and some treats for her wife. Regina chuckled to herself as Emma quickly darted over to the coffee table to retrieve the bag of baked goods.
"So these classes, I'll take you tomorrow."
"What? No, Emma its fine, you don't have to.."
"Regina, there are plenty of places just outside of Storybrooke that do these classes every single evening. No one even has to know we're going, and besides, I want to take you. We should be doing this, together. I'm sorry I didn't think of this sooner, with Henry it wasn't really an option for me and I guess I didn't really think."
Regina cupped Emma's cheek with her right hand, softly caressing with her thumb.
"I love you, Emma Swan." Emma couldn't help but grin every time she heard those words. "I love you too baby."
The couple lay on their sofa enjoying their pastries from Granny's diner and Emma placed a call to a nearby health centre to book a Lamaze class for them the next evening. Regina lay with her head on Emma's shoulder until sleep finally took her, dreaming of the little life growing within her and all of the happiness to come, not even the slightest bit concerned about the queens of darkness.
I might add in another chapter of Emma and Regina's experience at Lamaze classes and onward until the point where it would merge with my Beautiful Moments fic.
If anyone would be interested in reading that, let me know!
Please do leave me a review and let me know what you think and thank you for taking the time to read my fic :)