A/N: Hello readers of the OUAT fandom! I am back, as promised, after this yet-again horrid finale. No, but, seriously, are Kitsowitz EVER going to give us peace concerning OutlawQueen? I'm so angry I had to write something, it kind of happened... ^^ I hope you'll like it.
As said in the summary, Regina isn't pregnant...at first. i know it can be confusing, but as much as I am personally certain she is canonically, I wanted to put my own twist on it here. And twists there will be!
This story will not be long, mostly because I am writing more than I usually am in one chapter (yes I am! don't pretend!) and because I have too many other stories in store that need my complete attention. But I have the whole plot in mind and know excactly where I'm going, so you won't have to worry, this will get its happy ending! :)
Now, I'll stop babbling, go and read this shit.
1. Six weeks later
"Mom! I've found something!"
It all began like this: a simple, short sentence shouted by her son at the top of the stairs. Regina looked up from the photograph she was, once again, cradling in her lap, wiped any remaining traces of tears – not that it was necessary, Henry always knew how she felt – and hurried to his room.
What she saw could have surprised any other mother. But Regina and Henry had spent a lot of time in that room in the past few weeks, and the huge map of Storybrooke covering one wall, red yarn pulled from little dots to others, as well as the numerous blank books scattered on the ground, none of that surprised her.
"What have you found?"
The teenager pulled his mother towards the map and pointed at the Author's mansion – the one by the sea. "Look at where it is situated!"
She looked indeed. The lake-house – as everyone in town had started to call it – had been built on top of a cliff before the ocean. The road leading to it was almost hidden in the woods, except for those who knew where it was. But she had, along with the Charmings, searched every inch of it, and nothing new was under her eyes. She sighed. "I can't see anything, Henry..." She moved to sit on his bed. This tired her so...
Henry shook his head, the smile never faltering from his lips. "No, I mean, where it is situated on the shore!" He pointed again. "We would have been able to see it from the docks, anyone would have! And yet, we only see it now!" Regina looked up at that, not exactly knowing where this was going. "We haven't seen it when the curse was up, because it wasn't there! Can't you see?" he moved to sit by her on the bed, "the mansion, and the Author, they came with the second curse, Grandma's curse!"
Regina took a time to ponder those thoughts. She knew, of course, that many things had appeared with Snow White's curse: a seemingly abandoned farm on the outskirts of town, a camp of outlaws... No, that thought made her eyes prickle with fresh tears, she had to steer away from that.
So she looked aside at her son, unable to shake off her natural pessimism. "Henry...I do not keep a record of all people who came with the second curse..."
"Wrong!"
Her brown eyes widened. "Really?!"
"Grandma and Elsa, they found records of this! Elsa searched through it to find Anna!"
The memory of the Frozen Queen and her babbling sister only made Regina remember what she had lost the day they left. So she stood, whirled around, and could only exclaim: "Let's go and find those records then!"
Henry sprang to his feet happily and grabbed his coat. "Let me call Mom first." He grabbed his cellphone, and Regina exited the room.
It didn't bother her anymore, Miss Swan's presence. Strangely enough, she had found some kind of friend in her after Rob- after everything. She was understanding, and a surprisingly good drinking buddy, as she called herself. Not to mention she was an active part of Operation Mongoose now.
Emma met them halfway, in Main Street, as they hurried in the true chill of winter – after the fake one of Ingrid – towards the Town Hall.
"Miss Swan..."
Emma smiled knowingly. "Madam Mayor..."
Regina chuckled darkly. "I think it would be useless to tell you once again that I am no longer the mayor... A task your mother has gladly taken over."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Gladly, I'm not sure... She's even more tense than you were sometimes, and that is saying something."
Regina grunted in appreciation. However changed her relationship to Snow White had changed, she sometimes liked when the Princess was bothered by things. Just a little.
They were all welcomed in the hall by Ella, who, after her maternity leave and after giving some mother-child seances, wanted a new job. Snow, of course, provided her with the awful task to be her secretary.
"Your Majesty!" The blonde greeted. "Emma, Henry!"
"I've told you before, call me Regina. I'm Queen of nothing here..."
Ella, as always, ignored her request. "Do you have an appointment with Madam Mayor?"
Emma chuckled. "I need an appointment to see my mother?"
Ella bit her lower lip. "I...don't know..."
"Come on, Ella, we only have a tiny little request. I promise."
But Ella didn't have time to answer, for the door to Snow's office opened, and the seven blasted dwarves exited the room, a really red Snow following close behind. "And stop asking! I won't allow it!" She then realised she had an audience, and her stance changed. "Emma! Henry! Regina! What are you doing here?!"
Emma went to quickly hug her mother, infuriating Regina to no end – really, they were still living together, and she hugged her? What were those weird mother-daughter traditions? "We only needed some help about something."
"Of course, come in!"
Regina followed her son in the room that used to be hers, and as always, her nose turned upright in disgust. She, at least, had some sense of decoration, if only professionally. Snow had put horrid bird paintings on each wall, had put a light blue carpet on the black and white tiled floor, and had put vases everywhere. Ugh.
"What can I do for you?" Snow had the decency not to sit behind the desk. Regina would have seriously lost it if she had.
"We wondered where you had put those records you showed Elsa the last time. We might need them."
"The town records?" Snow's brow furrowed. "Why do you need them?"
Henry spoke up, as every time taking the reins of his own Operation. "We might have a clue about someone who came here with the second curse."
"Oh. And who might that someone be?"
"We don't know."
"He or she owns the lake-house" said Emma, her eyes locked to a particularly ugly painting.
"Ah...I see..." Snow's green eyes went to Regina, who shifted on her feet. God, tell her Emma hadn't babbled about their mission! "I put them in the archive section. Belle can help, if you need help."
At the mention of the librarian, Regina spoke up. "No, we won't disturb her. She has enough on her plate as it is."
Henry had come and gone to his "Grandma's" house almost every day since Rumpelstiltskin had left. Belle was heartbroken, as would have been expected. After all, she had forced her husband and True Love out of Storybrooke with no chance to return...
Snow and Emma both nodded their assent. But Henry didn't. But he didn't speak his mind up. Regina knew it already. He thought Belle needed to go out of her misery and to find herself useful again. But Regina didn't agree. She thought that six weeks were far too little to mend a broken heart. Herself still had troubles holding on.
The three members of Operation Mongoose headed towards the archive section of the Town Hall, a part Regina had only visited twice in her time as Mayor. And yet again, one of those two times had been to hook up with Graham, so it didn't really count.
Emma found the heavy books first – she had already seen them, after all. "Which one are we looking in?"
Regina sighed and took off her coat. "All, Miss Swan, all..."
Emma sighed. "Okay, then I'm going to fetch coffee and hot cocoa. I'll be right back."
Henry took off his coat as well and produced a notebook from his satchel. Numerous pages were already black with writing – all his researches about the Author, by then useless. He opened it to a blank page and locked eyes with his mother. "Let's go."
They were at it for the best part of the day. And found nothing. Or almost nothing.
Regina had been aware of a few additions to the town with the second curse. The outlaws, of course, as well as Aurora and her insufferable prince, but also – and she was learning their names – a few others, like Naveen and Tiana, or Kida and Milo, and a poor lonely soul called Merida. But none really stood out as having the profile of a powerful sorcerer.
The sun had set for a good hour when they called it a night. It had been tiring, and for nothing.
Henry closed his notebook, and Regina was once again surprised to see the huge amount of notes he had taken for what seemed to be a fruitless work to her, and looked between his two moms. Then he looked at Regina. "Can I spend the night at Mom's tonight, Mom?"
It would have made any other laugh at this awkward demand. But not Regina. She nodded, of course she did, she could never say no to this ever-growing boy. "Of course you can."
He nodded and grabbed his bag. "I'll see you tomorrow after school." He pressed a kiss to her cheek and escaped the room with Emma, who waved at her before putting her hands in her pockets as always. Regina was left with her thoughts, and with enormous books to put back in their shelves.
She had felt incredibly thankful when Emma grabbed the book she had been studying the moment she caught sight of Robin's name on the paper. Regina had guessed why she had done it, but she appreciated the move nonetheless. It would have been too painful to see for herself.
When the books were back in place and the hall was locked safely behind her – Snow had let her keep her keys – Regina let her feet bring her wherever they wished.
Unsurprisingly, they brought her to the town-line.
Those last six weeks, she had gone to the town-line almost every day. And she still didn't know why. It hurt like a bitch to glance at that empty road and see no one, see no archer with dimples and blue eyes appeared at the end of it, but anyway, her feet always had a mind of their own...
The road was slightly frozen as she neared the line. The red paint marking the town's end was almost invisible under the crust, and Regina had only her magic and the feeling of a faint buzzing ahead to stop her from crossing.
All was quiet. Nothing ahead, nothing behind her. The air itself was silent, no breeze, no freezing air to add to this painful scene. Regina wrapped her arms around herself to bring herself some warmth, even if she could have just summoned it. Tears sprang to her eyes again as she relived the parting scene for the umpteenth time. She could see before her Robin as he crossed the barrier, as he looked back and saw...nothing. She sobbed once, twice, then fell to her knees.
Ignoring the freezing feeling of the road under her knees, she sobbed, and sobbed again, her tears turning to ice on the ground.
She remained like this until a rustling of leaves made her gasp and sobered her up.
There it was again.
For days she had had the feeling to be followed, especially after sunset, by a shadow knowing very well how to remain hidden. She had the hair on the back of her neck raise, but every time she'd look behind her, she'd see nothing and no one. Once, she even launched a spell to try and reach the offending follower, but to no avail. This was a professional thief.
She should have guessed, perhaps, who it was, but she had, after all, never met him in person, only heard of him.
So when Regina threw her hand to the side and cast a binding spell behind her, and this time she heard the satisfying groan of a person caught, she didn't expect the person she saw when she stood and whirled around.
"Will Scarlet? Seriously? You are the little prick who's following me around?"
She advanced on the poor guy looking as if he was going to be her next meal. She hated to be followed. By anyone, anytime.
The thief had the decency to look down. "'Scuse me, you' majesty, didn't know t'was forbidden to follow you, did I?"
She snorted and waved her hand, the binding spell disappearing. "Why are you following me?"
He dusted invisible dirt from his leather jacket and shrugged. "Thought I'd keep an eye on ya, since me mate's gone."
Regina's eyes widened and, for a moment, her mouth opened, as if she was going to answer, or to question, his motive. Then she decided the best course of action was to jut her chin up and pass the man, ignoring him and his foolish endeavour.
"Bloody 'ell, woman!" He hurried behind her until he stood before her, hands up. "Won't ya at least listen to wha' I've go'a tell ya?"
Regina glowered. "You?! You wish to keep an eye on me?! Humour me! But don't think I won't curse your ass sore when I so much as sense you behind me!"
Will smirked. "Then I'll jus' 'ave to follow ya a'ead, righ'?" Regina rolled her eyes and moved to pass him again, but he stopped her. "No, seriously, majes'y, Robin's asked me to make sure ya were alrigh'. And that's wha' I'm gonna do."
"Well then Robin was mistaken if he thought I needed your help. Now, if you may, I want to go back home." She effectively passed him, huffing her annoyance as she did.
The thief only had time to shout an angry "Yer a real pain, d'you know tha'?" before she disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.
When she got back home, Regina puffed herself inside her room, and fell, fully-clothed, on her bed.
Robin had asked his mate to follow her, to make sure she was safe... She didn't know what to think of that. On the one hand, it infuriated her to be followed by such a worthless worm, but on the other hand, she felt the usual pang in her heart at the thought of how much he had loved her all the same. Walking away from her and still, always wishing for her to be alright...
New, fresh tears, threatened to once again escape her, but she didn't let them, instead standing again to freshen up and put on something more suited for sleeping.
It is when she came back from the bathroom and into her room that her eyes fell on the book on her armchair.
It was a blank book she had smuggled out of the Author's house. She thought that, maybe, having one of her own could help find some clues. But, of course, an empty book could not provide any.
This time, however, she took it and opened it on her lap, staring at the blank pages and reminiscing another page, torn in her hands, where an image of herself and Robin Hood had appeared as if by magic. She stared, and stared again, at the white paper, as if willing to see something appear, anything.
And after an intense staring, she decided to take the matter in her own hands. Leaning to the side, she opened a drawer and grabbed a pen.
Her curly and flowing writing appeared on the blank page almost as a blasphemy, but she needed those words out of her mind.
She had never liked to write, but found it to be liberating sometimes. That night was one of those times. She wrote that Marian hadn't been cured when passing the town-line, that she had died on the other side all the same, and that Robin and Roland had stayed in Storybrooke, heart-broken about that loss, but there anyway. That they were safe in her house, loved and loving. Her eyes had begun to spill tears as she wrote, and stained the ink below, but she didn't care.
When her deed was done, Regina cried herself to sleep.
The following morning, when she awoke, the book was still open beside her, the pen over it.
But as she looked closely, the page...was once again blank.
Grunting in frustration, Regina placed a pillow over her head, and decided to stay in bed until something, anything, happened.
He had watched her closely these last weeks. The woman previously known as the Evil Queen. He had seen her interact with the man named Robin of Locksley before he was forced to leave. That is when he decided that, perhaps, just perhaps, this woman deserved a happy ending. But just as he had been considering this happy ending, the man's wife had been cursed, and they had left into a world where he could not do anything.
He had watched her as she crawled into pain and sadness once again, as she cried, as she isolated herself from the town. He had seen how her pain didn't affect many around her, how some even seemed to revel in her sadness.
He could not agree with those things. She deserved it. She deserved happiness.
Not like this little imp who had thought he could cleave himself free of his curse. It was never that easy.
But this woman, this Regina, she had deserved better, because she had changed for the better reason ever: love. Sometimes, he even wondered how he could have written her such a horrid story anyway.
So, in the dead of night, as he saw her try and put in words her pain – or maybe her hopes – he took his decision. He'd change all of this. For the best.
Grabbing his best quill, he started to write...