This is a super delayed gift for the lovely Mona. Sorry for the delay, but better late than never. I'm not entirely happy with this story, but I didn't want to put it off much longer. I would like to thank Kat for her support, and Chrissa, for helping me and fix my mistakes.
A/N: This story is a sort of prequel of The Hero's Journey, and a sequel of Right Here, though it is not necessary to have read them previously.
Emma should be resting, everything around invited her to do it. The silence in her chamber was only broken by the trill of the birds flying through the garden close to her bedroom. The balcony door was ajar, allowing her to hear the soft murmur of a nearby fountain. The light breeze that blew through the open door played with the curtains, making them run a hypnotic dance. However, none of this was enough. Emma could not rest. Not when behind the door, the palace continued its normal activity. Everything was full of life outside these four walls and Emma wanted to be part of it.
Instead, she was lying in bed because she had been about to faint a couple of hours ago. It had been a mere dizziness, she had not even lost consciousness, but that had not prevent her husband from worrying excessively. That's why she was now in her chamber. As she thought about what had happened, she got upset with her husband. In their wedding vows, Killian had promised he would not become a overprotective husband. Today, more than ever, it seemed clear that he had lied.
Today was supposed to be a relaxing day, neither of them had any binding commitment, so they had decided to go sailing. But everything was cut short at the same time that she stood on the deck of the Jolly Roger. After noticing the slight swaying of the ship beneath her feet, a strange and unpleasant sensation began to invade her body.
She did not remember feeling like that before. Her head was beginning to dull, her vision blurred, her ears plugged and a cold sweat ran down her body. She realized then that she was going to faint, so she clung desperately to the railing. Perhaps it was this what saved her from collapsing, getting back control gradually.
When her senses returned to normal, she was still clutching the railing. She ran her eyes down to see her knuckles were white from the force in her attempt to avoid falling.
That was when she noticed Killian, who had came up to her and was holding her arm. Emma glanced at him, finding a face full of concern. His eyes fixed on hers, probably trying to find an explanation for what had happened. His hand went to her forehead and then his fingers brushed her cheek. His inquisitive eyes were looking for an answer.
"Emma, love, are you okay?" His voice could not hide the concern he must be feeling.
Emma smiled slightly, trying to reassure him with a soft voice."Yes, I'm fine, it was just a dizzy spell."
"Gods, love, you're pale. Come, let's sit down."
Emma let him take her to a bench across the deck. Fortunately, Killian was holding her because she was not sure she could walk on her own, her legs still were weak and trembling.
When they sat, Killian insisted. "What just happened? I thought you were going to faint. Gods! You scared me."
Emma realized that he was pale too, though for other reasons.
"Hey, I'm fine. It was just a bit of dizziness."
Killian still held her gaze for a few seconds. Then he shook his head slightly. "Anyway, love, we have to postpone the sailing. I do not want to risk this happening again while we are sailing the high seas. Let's go home, you should rest."
And that was how Emma had ended up in bed when they were supposed to be enjoying a day at sea. She had protested, but she still felt weak, so her protests lacked the required energy. Worst of all is that her husband hadn't even stayed with her. When they reached the palace, Killian and her mother saw to it that the room made as comfortable as possible. He said goodbye to her with a light kiss on the forehead, assuring her that he was leaving because he did not want to interrupt her rest.
The rest had been impossible, of course. Her mind at least had refused to do this, thinking of the activities her family would be carried out while she laid in bed.
She was bored. If she was in her world she at least could be listening to music or watching TV for entertainment. But here there was none of that. She looked around. Books, there were only books. But she still felt a little dizzy, so she would not be able to read without the words danced before her eyes.
Her world… She missed her world at all hours, but she really should feel lucky for the life she had, by not having too many obligations despite being part of royalty. Since she married Killian three months ago, their lives had been a continual honeymoon. Long horse rides, days at sea enjoying the Jolly Roger, lazy mornings, passionate nights…
Passion... for some reason that word hit her hard. Her eyes widened, as a chill ran down her spine. Her hand went instinctively to her flat abdomen."No, no, no. It could not be..." She tried to make mental calculations, but her nerves prevented her ability to think reasonably.
She was not prepared for living this situation in The Enchanted Forest. But before panicking, she forced herself to clear her mind. Her head sank back in the pillow while her hands massaged her temples in an attempt to collect her thoughts. Without success.
Emma got out of bed, unable to stay lying down any longer. She paced up and down the room, her thoughts racing.
They had been careful, especially at first. Then, she admitted, they just were carried along. The rudimentary methods of birth control in The Enchanted Forest did not help. And her husband was, definitely, perhaps a little too fiery. She blushed embarrassed by some of the pleasurable activities they enjoyed. Here in this very bed. In fact, they had tried every horizontal surface of the huge bedroom. And vertical ones. Her cheeks flushed even more as she covered her face with her hands.
It was too soon. They had not even talked about the possibility of adding another member to their family. Although it was not necessary for Killian to express aloud what he wanted. His actions spoke for themselves. She could feel his eyes full of longing when he held her little brother. And the tender words addressed to him when he thought no one was looking. It seemed that he wanted to become a father and apparently his unspoken desire could come true sooner than they expected.
She could not deny that, since she married Killian, she began to have a growing desire to become a mother again. She had even fantasized about the appearance of their potential children. But she kept it secret. She had always harbored the idea of returning to the world without magic at some point in the future. She would like to begin to raise their family there. Everyone else had settled smoothly to their new life in The Enchanted Forest. They had all found their place, except for her, still struggling with the idea of actually being a princess in a fairy tale world.
The Enchanted Forest... She had tried to banish the thought from her mind, reality of experiencing a pregnancy in this world struck her with considerable force. That meant no pregnancy test, no blood test, no pregnancy monitoring or sonograms. Nothing. All that terrified her in a way she had not thought so far.
The odds were high. When she finally was able to make the necessary calculations, the evidence was even higher. She also had to add that morning sickness... She needed her husband, needed to talk to Killian. Only he had the ability to calm her and drive away all her fears. Without hesitating for a single moment longer, she left her bedroom in search of him.
It did not take long to find her husband. Although they had to cancel the day of sailing, Emma was sure he had returned to his ship. According to him, there was always something to do on a ship of these characteristics. Indeed, she found him cleaning the deck, wholly focused on his task. She took a moment to gaze at him, at his face marked by concentration, his muscles tense with the effort. Emma loved this man more than she ever could have imagined. And now, she was about to give him some news that would change his life forever. Killian seemed to notice her presence, because he looked up to where she was.
"Emma, what are you doing here? Are you feeling better?" As he spoke, he was approaching her with an inquiring look.
Emma was unable to hold his gaze, her eyes rested somewhere in the floorboards. Her heart was pounding in her chest, an irrational fear began to overwhelm her. A feeling of doubt. Moments ago she was sure Killian would be happy to become a father, but now she was no longer sure of anything. She felt stupid and vulnerable. Maybe hormones have begun raging through her body. After a sigh, Emma agreed to talk, without facing Killian's eyes.
"I'm fine, the dizziness went away." She looked sideways at Kilian, noticing that concern was gone from his face though he remained watching her with interest.
It was a crucial moment in both their lives, so Emma forced herself to behave in an adult manner and face her husband eye to eye. She didn't want to miss his reaction for anything, even though she was scared to death. Emma shook her head slightly. "No, it's just ... we need to talk." Emma was biting her lower lip, waiting for his reaction before proceeding.
Killian frowned, moving closer to her as he stared with such intensity as if trying to read inside her. "You're scaring me, Emma. Tell me, what is it?"
Emma swallowed. Her hand reached Killian's. Their gazes connected. She was not sure she could speak, but she gathered her courage after a deep breath. The crucial moment had come. "Killian, I think... I think I'm pregnant."
Killian's face lost all color it had a moment ago and Emma wonder for a second if his pirate went to faint with shock. Killian was silent and Emma began to panic. "This is a mistake." She thought.
After what it seemed an eternity Killian was finally able to speak. His voice was trembling, almost a whisper. His gaze was indecipherable. "Emma, are you sure?"
She laughed unintentionally. "Well, is not like in the Enchanted Forest we have a pharmacy on every corner to buy a pregnancy test. But, the evidence is quite clear."
The inscrutable face of her husband changed suddenly. The color returned to his cheeks as his lips curled into a smile that she longed to see. His gaze…
Her heart melted with pure love when she saw his eyes fill up with tears. His expression was of complete and utter devotion to her. That was when she realized that all her fears had been unfounded. They were going to deal with this together.
"Emma..." For once, her husband was speechless, he cradled her in his arms and they got lost in a silent embrace.
The embrace was long and intense. When they broke it, Killian put his hand delicately over her still flat belly.
"So this morning's sickness ..."
Emma nodded. "It was probably due to pregnancy."
His hand brushed her cheek, their gazes connected, his blue eyes shone in a different way this time, perhaps more intense, more full of happiness. One thing was clear, she would never tire of this kind of look.
"Wow, love, I will not deny that I was looking forward this time to come, although we had not even talked about it. I honestly did not think it would happen so soon. How could it happen?"
A look of disbelief crossed her face. "Really? What's weird is that it had not happened before. Since we arrived here, we were not particularly responsible with regard to birth control."
Emma affectionately hit him in the chest.
"Well, love, I have not heard you complaining about our pleasurable activities." He smirked in response as he circled her waist with his arms.
Emma rolled her eyes, but did not pull away from his touch, on the contrary, she put her arms around his neck.
"Seriously, love. How are you?" His face held a serious expression, unable to hide his interest in what she really felt.
"I'm terrified." She acknowledged with a tight smile. "But now that you already know the news I feel more relieved. We will be able to deal with this. Together."
That's how began the incredible adventure of living through a pregnancy in The Enchanted Forest. But to live the full experience, they first had to be sure that the pregnancy was real. Emma could not just sit around waiting for some physical changes occurring in her body. She needed a clear evidence.
The options were quite limited, especially considering that they wanted to keep the news in secret, at least for the first few weeks. They considered some alternatives, but they all seemed to be either too rudimentary or unreliable. The best choice for them was to use what they had available. Magic.
It was then when Emma learned that there was an infallible potion that would give them a quick answer. Killian told her about it. However, Emma was reluctant at first to use potions of such kind.
"I'm not going to risk my life or my baby's taking a potion made by any sorcerer." Her hands went protectively to her belly. The maternal instinct already making an appearance.
That simple gesture seemed to trigger something in Killian. Before answering, he also turned his hand to her stomach as he watched her with a new shine in his eyes. The brightness of a future protective father. "Of course, love. In fact, the future father can also take this potion, the effect is the same."
Emma looked at him in amazement, "Really?"
"Aye, many men have used the potion to make sure that the child that their wives are carrying is really theirs."
Emma could not believe what she was hearing. "Are you kidding me? And what happens when you take it? Do you shine or something?"
A raised eyebrow and amused smile were an enough answer, but still he confirmed it. "That's exactly what happens."
She rolled her eyes and, after a sigh, she agreed. "Ok, let's do this."
Although they wanted to keep the secret, Killian convinced her to seek help from Regina. She was an expert on potions and they trusted her to keep her mouth shut.
Emma slid the vial between her fingers nervously. She was fascinated by the possibility of that little bottle containing the potion that could give them an answer about their future. Different feelings swirled inside her in anticipation of what was about to happen. Adding a new member to their family would imply achieving a level of happiness even greater than they already had. But fear also began to make an appearance. It was rather terrifying of living this experience in this world still unknown for her. Finally, guilt at the thought of Henry caused the pressure in her chest to start rising.
She took two deep breaths. Her husband was beside her, silent, waiting patiently, giving her an encouraging smile. That tender gesture was enough to get her heart and her agitated thoughts to calm down. He had always had that ability with her. He was her balm, her lifeline, her haven of peace.
Her eyes closed for a moment and then opened to meet his deep blue eyes. Emma nodded slightly as she handed him the vial. They had agreed that he would be who would perform the test. She had already noticed how the emotion he felt emanated from every pore of his skin and she wanted to give him this gift. She wanted to make him share in everything.
"Are you sure, love?" As he spoke his inquisitive gaze never left her eyes, as if to make sure everything was fine.
Emma nodded again. "Yes, let's do it."
Killian held the vial in his hand for a few seconds, and after a last glance at Emma, he drank the potion. At first nothing happened, but then Emma began to feel a warmth come over her, covering her body to settle her stomach. That's when her stomach began to shine. It was a blinding white light that shined through the fabric and illuminated the darkened room.
Her startled gaze wandered from her stomach to Killian. His whole body also was glowing, surrounded by the same aura that her belly was. Emma didn't know whether to laugh or mourn. A panic rising in her and she wanted to bolt outside for some air but she suppressed the urge. She forced herself to bury all the thoughts but one. She only allowed herself the pure happiness for what was happening to emerge. Maybe on another occasion she could express her fears, but this was not definitely the time.
It was an irrefutable evidence, there was no turning back. They were going to be parents in The Enchanted Forest. Emma got pregnant three months after their wedding and they could not be happier. Killian's lips curled into the widest smile he had ever shown, his eyes shining in full competition with the aura around his body.
Her eyes filled with tears that began to flow freely down her cheeks. It was happening. "Killian ..." There was so much emotion that overwhelmed her that she was not able to articulate words. He seemed to feel the same because he was also silent. His eyes looked filled with the devotion that she had seen so many times before, but this time it was much more intense.
Finally, he shook his head slightly. "Emma ... we will be parents. I ... I can't think straight right now ... I can't believe how lucky I am. By having you, for giving me a future and a family."
Family. That word sounded so different now...
His lips sought hers, trapping them in a tender kiss, full of devotion and love for her. She was sure at that moment that everything would be fine as long as this wonderful man stood at her side. They could face all their fears together.