Wow! Thank you SO much for all the reviews, follows and favorites… I honestly wasn't expecting it; who knew so many people read EC? haha. I'm glad y'all enjoyed the first chapter so much! Hopefully this one lives up to the first lol…. Like always, please leave a review and let me know what you think so far! :)

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Chapter Two

To say David was shocked at her small, rounded belly was an understatement. They'd released him this morning instead of the day before like they originally thought would happen, Snow encouraging him to give his wife and daughter a chance. She was going home to her family, and he needed to do the same. It was tough, seeing the look of hurt cross his face at Snow's words, but she knew this is what he had to do. He had to stick to his regular, daily routine.

He'd walked around the mansion, a house he said he only remembered going into one time before when Regina had made him lasagna as a thank you for carrying her groceries. But there were changes he kept pointing out. The main one being the wall at the top of the hallway that, once bare, is now covered in family photos. Pictures of him and Regina with Henry and Olivia at all different stages of their baby girl's life - baby pictures, him and Regina hugging Henry from either side at his twelfth birthday party, him holding Olivia up on his hip as she holds a First Day of School! sign, but the hardest for him to swallow had been their wedding photo. He's been staring at it for a good five minutes, eyebrows cinching then smoothing back out as he takes in every detail of the picture. Right there in the middle of all the family portraits is a large canvas housing a photograph of Regina in a beautiful, long, off-white mermaid shaped gown with a beaded bodice, and David in his black tux with his arms wrapped around her torso as they both smile happily into the camera as flower petals float around them, descending onto the grass beneath them.

"That was a great day," Regina says, stepping up beside him. She's been watching him from afar, not wanting to startle him or scare him away. She's been trying to give him space since he got home, letting him take in his new surroundings. She knows this can't be easy for him, so she's trying to be patient. A trait she's had to learn to develop over the years, one that her husband has played a large role in helping her with.

David sighs, turning to face her. "Looks like it. We look… happy."

Regina smiles wistfully at the portrait then back to him, saying, "We are," before clearing her throat, turning away from the wall that houses so many of their memories.

"Doctor Whale said you needed to stick to your routine…" she trails off as he turns away from the wall as well, facing her directly for the first time in several hours. "Do... you want to sleep in our bed tonight or the guest room?"

This is so awkward, she thinks, having to ask if her husband wants to sleep in his own bed. She assumes he'll want to be as far away from the Evil Queen as possible, so she's already put fresh sheets on the guest bed, but she figured she'd give it a shot and ask anyway.

"I think I'll sleep in the guest room," he says, taking the pillow she's offering from her hand. It's his pillow from their bed, the one he always claims he could never go a night without. He injured his neck two years ago in the line of duty, and this memory foam pillow was the only thing to help him sleep at night after the accident. Well, that, and her nightly massages to his neck and shoulders.

Hurt flashes in her eyes at his words, not that it surprises her. This whole him not trusting her thing is going to take some getting used to.

He stumbles over his words, adding a, "Just while everything is so new. You understand?"

His words seem almost... apologetic, like he feels bad for rejecting her suggestion. But that can't be; he doesn't like her. So she nods, looking down to the floor before bringing her chocolate brown eyes up to meet his blue ones. She rubs her stomach while saying, "Okay… I'll grab your pajamas from our dresser while you shower." She points toward the linen closet a few steps away, informing him, "Towels are in there."

David nods, giving her a small smile. She starts to turn away, wanting to go into their bedroom, when she hears, "Are you okay?"

She looks back at him, taking the half step turn back in his direction, looking confused. He points to her belly, where she noticed her hand is still pressing down right where she knows her baby's belly is, and she smiles. "Oh, yes… he just has the hiccups." Before David can say anything else, Regina turns and walks away.

While he's showering, Regina takes a moment to just sit in the silence of their room. Her thoughts have been swirling in her mind all day, louder than they normally are, and it feels nice to just… sit. Olivia is downstairs with Henry watching television, and she knows she needs to go down there and wash the dishes from dinner. Sure, she could use her magic, but she's made it a habit not to use it unless absolutely necessary the last few years. She'd cooked her lasagna, David's favorite, hoping it might bring some sort of comfort to him, and suffered through an awkward family dinner as David stared at his daughter in disbelief and Henry, bless him, tried his hardest to make small talk with his stepfather. He'd slept at Snow's last night, thinking David would come home then and wanted to give his mom some space to deal with it, but he'd come home this morning, saying he was ready to help in whatever way possible to bring back his stepfather's memories.

Sighing, she stands, taking his cotton, red and navy checkered pajama bottoms that he loves so much (they'd been a gift from Henry three Christmases ago, and David swears they're the softest pajama pants he's ever worn in his life) out of their gray, wooden dresser. She picks up a white t-shirt as well in case he wants something on his chest. He often sleeps without a shirt in the summer months, claiming the way she cuddles into him at night keeps him plenty warm. She won't be there tonight, though, she reminds herself, so he'll need a shirt.

Walking into the guest room, she stops mid-step. David is standing there, plugging his cell phone into the charger, with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Her eyes trail down his muscular back, the back she loves to dig her nails into while he thrusts inside of her, to his ass covered in the terricloth of the towel, and down to his calves. David is a runner, gets up every morning and goes for a jog around town before his shift starts, so he's got nice legs.

Fuck. Her husband is so sexy. These pregnancy hormones are going to be the death of her while she can look but not touch. She imagines how his body feels beneath hers and suddenly feels a throb in between her legs. If she could just push him down into that mattress and —

Her eyes snap back to his when he turns, clearing his throat to get her attention.

Shit.

"Oh, uh… here you go," she stammers out at his confused expression. She sets his pajamas down on the bed, looking back at David, who looks rightfully awkward as he stands half naked in front of a woman he thought he hated until yesterday.

Regina looks at him one more time, then to the bed, and back to him, giving him a small smile. Her shoulders fall, and she shrugs, turning to exit the room.

Once outside, she leans back, letting the back of her head rest against the closed door. Henry calls to her then from downstairs, and she opens her eyes, calling back to him that she is on her way.

Later that night, once the kitchen has been cleaned and the children have gone to bed, Regina finds herself unable to sleep. It's not late, everyone having gone to bed earlier than usual. It's just around nine thirty, and tired as she may be, her mind won't settle and the baby is restless, moving around and fluttering in her stomach, making it impossible to get anything, like laying still and sleeping, done. It's a little early into a pregnancy to feel this much movement, but she knows it's her baby boy's magic connecting their emotions, trying to distract her from her racing thoughts. She'd felt the flutters of his magic for the first time the other week, surprising both she and David since Olivia's abilities didn't show until around a year ago. She appreciates it though, rubbing a soothing hand along her belly to let her son know she's okay. Since sleep is evading her, Regina's sitting in bed reading, back propped against the backboard and ankles crossed over one another. As she turns the page to the next chapter, a tiny knock sounds at her door.

Slipping her glasses off, she looks toward the door as Olivia peeks through the small crack she's created. Regina smiles, signaling for her daughter to come in. "Why are you out of bed, sweetheart?"

"I couldn't sleep," Olivia says softly, burying her toes into the plush carpet of Regina's bedroom rug. "Daddy didn't read to me or give me goodnight kisses and cuddles."

Regina sighs, reminding her that, "Daddy's brain is still sick." She'd already done her bedtime story along with her girl's nightly kisses and cuddles, but Olivia is a daddy's girl through and through and can never sleep unless she gets them from him, too.

Liv climbs into Regina's bed at those words, tears welling up in her little blue eyes. "I know," she mumbles, resting her head in the crook of Regina's neck. She can feel a droplet fall onto her skin and Olivia's hot breath breathing deeply against her.

Regina doesn't want her baby girl to cry, so she wraps her arms around her tiny frame, whispering, "Let's go tell Daddy he forgot."

Olivia's eyes brighten at this, scooting back and hopping off the bed with a yes! falling from her lips. Regina giggles, pushing back the covers and standing. Taking her daughter's hand, they make their way down the hallway. It's dark, only lit by the moonlight shining from the large windows, and quiet, though she suspects she can faintly hear Henry talking on the phone still, most likely to his girlfriend, Grace.

Olivia knocks on the door to David's temporary room, "Daddy?"

She cracks the door open a bit, like she'd done with Regina's door, her long hair falling into her face. "Yes, sweetheart?"

The pet name makes Regina's heart ache. David has always called their daughter that, has done so since the day she was born. It's where Regina picked it up from.

"Shhh," David whispers, leaning down to place a tender kiss to the crown of their daughter's head. "No need to cry, my little princess. Daddy's here. We don't want to wake up Mama."

Regina giggles out a soft, "Too late," opening her eyes to look over at them. David is standing there, holding their newest addition in his arms. She's wrapped in a yellow blanket with tiny pink flowers on it. She'd just eaten, and burped, so David had claimed it was his turn to get time with their baby girl.

She sighs contently, leaning her head back onto the hospital pillow and closing her eyes as David begins to rock back and forth, humming a soft melody to their daughter.

Olivia's whimpers tamper out, leading to deep, rhythmic breaths. "There you go, Livvie," she hears David murmur to their baby. "God, I love you so much. I will always love you, sweetheart."

Smiling, Regina opens her eyes. She goes to open her mouth and respond with an affirmative, "I love you, too," when she looks and sees her husband, completely enthralled in their bundle of raven hair. Her smile widens, happy to let him shower love on another girl from now on.

"Well," Olivia starts drawing out the L as she walks further into the room. She stands at the foot of the bed, peering back over her shoulder to Regina who stands in the doorway still. She looks back at her father, who's looking curiously at her. "It's okay that you forgot to read to me tonight 'cause your brain is sick and all," their little girl continues with a scrunch to her nose, "but can I still get my goodnight kisses and cuddles?"

Regina closes her eyes for a brief second, chuckling inside despite herself. This situation is messy, and surely confusing for their six year old, but she's so cute. David would have to be heartless to not give in to that request.

David looks up to Regina with a sad smile, then back to Olivia, standing from the bed and placing the bookmark in his book. He was halfway through the novel last week, but she notes with a pain in her gut that he's back at the beginning now, clearly not remembering anything he'd already read. "We can do better," he vows, wrapping an arm around their daughter and lifting her up onto his hip. "We can do a story and kisses and cuddles. How does that sound?"

"Yeah!" Olivia exclaims, pumping her arm into the air as David walks toward the door. Regina steps out into the hallway, making room for the pair to exit the room. Before she can sneak away to her own bedroom, the sight of her husband doing their usual nightly routine too much for her to take, Olivia lets out an all too innocent, "Come on, Mama!"

David glances her way, and she looks up to him, seeking silent confirmation that he's alright with her coming. He nods, and she smiles, rubbing a hand along her belly where their newest little one continues to tumble around, obviously wanting to be a part of this night one way or another.

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Olivia points him in the direction of her bedroom. It's at the end of the hallway, decorated in aqua, gray and coral. She chatters to him on their way into the room that it's a mermaid room, complete with pillows in the shape of mermaids and a mermaid lamp so she doesn't get scared of the dark.

He smiles, nodding and ooh-ing at all the aquatic themed decor she points out, telling her it all looks wonderful. She really is an adorable little girl. She looks just like Regina, save for those piercing blue eyes that are all his. It's still so strange for him to think that he and Regina are married with a kid… and one on the way. But at least their daughter is kind, precious, and oh so patient with him and all the things he's forgotten. He wonders what their next child will be like, who he'll look like...

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he settles the little girl onto her mattress. She buries herself under the covers, pulling the gray sheet up to her chin and smiling up at him. He doesn't know what to do. Hasn't a clue as to what their routine is. His head hurts; attempting to remember all the little things he's forgotten over the last twenty-four hours has been difficult. He's trying not to get frustrated, doesn't want to take it out on Regina when she's so clearly just wanting to help. She's being patient with him, which is odd to him. The Evil Queen isn't patient with anyone, let alone Prince Charming. But she seems to have honestly changed. She's softer, gentler in her movements and words, like she's afraid to scare him. Which, to be fair, might be how she's feeling. He should probably talk to her instead of wandering around the house staring at everything like a zombie.

"So what now?" he asks, looking from Olivia up to Regina. She's making her way inside the room, settling onto the foot of the bed. She reaches up, giving their daughter's toes a little squeeze through the blanket. Her nose scrunches and she smiles over at Olivia, reminding her that she has to tell Daddy what to do next.

Olivia reaches over to her aqua painted nightstand, grabbing the book that rests beside the coral mermaid lamp. "You read this to me, Daddy!" the little girl giggles, snuggling deeper into her covers.

David smiles, hesitantly taking the book from her hands. "Alright," he says, nodding, "Let's see." He opens the book to the first page, seeing an illustration of a little girl with bright, curly hair dressed as a mermaid. He's sensing a theme with his little girl; clearly she has an affinity for the sea creatures.

He clears his throat, beginning to read about a school ballet coming up for this character, this Fancy Nancy, and how she gets to be a mermaid in the performance. He looks over to Regina, wanting to make sure he was on the right track, and noticed her eyes are closed, rubbing her stomach like she'd been doing earlier.

He should ask her more about the baby. He knows it's a boy, but hasn't asked for any further information. He grimaces. He should probably stop being such an ass, she's clearly not the woman he remembers anymore. David should give her a chance, at least be friendly to her, until his memories (hopefully) return.

He reads a few more pages, making sure to change his voice for each character. For Fancy Nancy, he raises his voice into a posh, shrill accent, which makes Olivia giggle and cover her mouth. For the teacher, he softens his voice, making it gentler, like how his mother's voice always sounded. There's a little boy in the play, so David tries to deepen his voice, making it more gravely.

Regina chuckles then, making eye contact with him. He notices her eyes are glassy and her brow is furrowed as she tells him solemnly, "You used to always do voices when you'd read to her."

He smiles sadly over at her, knowing this can't be easy. He's not sure if he's remembering or if the voices are just out a habit, which he tells Regina when she asks in a hopeful voice as she sits up a bit straighter, Did you remember something? He looks down to Olivia and tickles her stomach, saying, "Well, I hope I'm doing the right voices!"

Olivia squirms in her bed, laughing and squealing out a No! The voices are all wrong, but she quickly assures her father that she likes these voices, too. He laughs, enjoying this moment. He apologizes that he can't remember the voices he usually uses but continues to read anyway.

After a while, Olivia goes quiet, her breathing calming down as she sinks further into her mattress, listening to her father read. He looks to Regina, quietly asking if the baby is still moving.

"No," she breathes, a small smile forming on her lips. "I think your voice calmed him down finally." She tells him it's just the baby using his magic, trying to let her know he's there for her in his own tiny little way, which causes David to smile softly. He should have known that his children would have magical talents, even Emma does, but the thought of their son trying to comfort her with his magic makes him feel better. He knows this isn't easy for Regina, and he's glad their child can be there for her while he can't, while he isn't quite ready yet. He's getting there, though, seeing Regina in their home, where she feels most comfortable to be herself, has made him see her in a new light today.

She closes her eyes then and leans her head back, scratching at a particular spot repeatedly with a slight pout to her lips, claiming her stretching skin itches. David smiles at her, even though she can't see him. He likes her like this, so completely different from the woman he's always known.

"How far along are you?"

She opens her eyes, looking at him in surprise. Her hand stops moving over her belly as she brings it up to push her hair behind her shoulder. "I'm five months right now."

He nods, saying he'll be glad to go to the next appointment with her, "even if I don't remember making it, it's clearly mine."

She smiles, nodding and saying she would love for him to. She stands then, saying that storytime is over. Regina walks to Olivia, slowly lowering herself onto the other side of their daughter so she can reach her. She pulls the little girl to her side, cuddling her closely, then places five quick pecks to the top of her head.

Olivia smiles brightly, wrapping her arms around her mother's stomach and placing a tiny kiss to her small, protruding belly, then her cheek, whispering an I love you, Mama in the space between them.

Olivia turns her head, looking to David. He looks at his daughter, then up to Regina, silently asking what he is supposed to do. "Kisses and cuddles, Daddy!"

Regina mouths do the same thing to him, and he lifts his chin in understanding. He hesitantly pulls Olivia to his side, cuddling her close. Her little arms wrap around his torso and she gives him a tight squeeze. It hurts his ribs, and he lets out a little hiss of pain, causing her to loosen her grip when Regina mildly scolds her, reminding the girl that Daddy's ribs are still bruised.

"Oops," she mumbles with widened eyes, bringing a hand to cover her mouth, "Sorry!"

He promises his little girl that it's okay and leans in, pressing five quick pecks to the top of her head. She giggles, placing a kiss to each of his cheeks and whispering her I love you to him.

David smiles, wanting desperately to vow his love back to this little girl, but doesn't want to speak empty words. He knows, can see it in their pictures and interactions, that he loves his daughter, loves his whole family, but he just isn't ready to say those words as much as it pains him. Instead, he presses another kiss to the top of her head, breathing in her baby shampoo smell.

He stands, making his way to the door after saying, "Goodnight, Olivia. Sleep well."

Regina stands too, joining him in the doorway after giving Olivia another goodnight kiss and tucking the covers around her little body.

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Regina closes the bedroom door behind her gently, turning to look at David. She knows that must've been hard, being expected to do so much when he doesn't remember any routines he shares with his daughter.

"You did great," she promises softly, not wanting to disturb the sleeping children in the house. They walk down the hallway, closer to their bedrooms as David nods, saying it was hard, but he figured out cuddles and kisses fairly quickly.

She smiles, reaching up to wipe the silent tears that have fallen away from her cheeks. She doesn't want him to see her like this, doesn't want him to feel bad that every confused look he gives her breaks her heart a little bit each time. She knows he can't help it, none of this is his fault. He's trying to figure out this life he now has, and it's only been two days. He'll pick up on it quicker as the days go by. She's not scared to be vulnerable in front of David, he's the only one who she's ever been able to be herself around. But this isn't her David. It is, but it isn't. She doesn't know how to act. She can't treat him like how she's used to, but she doesn't want to treat him differently and push him away. She wants, more than anything, for him to come back to her.

David grabs her wrist, making her stop her descent down the hallway as he comes to stand in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lies, trying to play it off with a light laugh. "It's just these damn pregnancy hormones." He smiles down at her, letting her wrist go so she can wipe another tear away. "I was never this hormonal with Olivia," she giggles wetly, breathing in and out deeply, "You were just making fun of me last week for crying at a laundry detergent commercial."

He chuckles, bringing his arms up to wrap her in a hug. She freezes for a second, not sure what to make of this new contact. This is the closest he's been to her since he woke up and her body is fighting every natural urge to melt into his embrace and cry. She sighs, letting her shoulder sag a bit, letting her body relax into his warm chest for the briefest of seconds as another tear slips free, landing on his shirt. God, she misses him.

"It's okay to have emotions," he whispers into the top of her head.

"I'm the Evil Queen," she mutters ruefully, pulling her head back to look at him more fully. "I'm not supposed to cry."

David takes a small step back, arms still circled around her waist and looks down into her misty brown eyes, saying, "You're not evil. I can see that now, and I was wrong to say it earlier. I'm sorry, Regina."

Tears pool in her eyes again as she gazes up into his. She squeezes his hand that she's somehow found herself holding and assures him it's okay, tells him he was confused and that, "things will get better."

He nods sadly, swinging their connected hand slightly between their bodies. "I should get to bed," she utters sadly, unclasping their hand, the feel of it too familiar and too overwhelming for her right now, "Goodnight, David."

She closes her bedroom door after he whispers a goodnight back to her and makes his way to the guest room. Regina climbs in bed, turning off the bedside lamp and burying her face into her pillow. Pain is all she feels in her chest. She wants her husband back, her partner, her best friend. It's been less than a week since his accident, and he's only been awake for two days, but this distance between them is crushing her. She finally lets all the tears fall that she's been holding in all night. Thoughts of their awkwardly silent family dinner, the way David only looks at Henry with familiarity, how he'd bonded with Olivia so seamlessly at bedtime, and how he'd muttered you're not evil into her hair. It's all too much. She just wants him back - hopes above all hope that he will come back to her eventually. She falls asleep that night crying over another love lost to her.

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Thoughts? :)