Thanks so much for all the kind reviews!
It took Regina two weeks, but in the end she just had to admit it: there was something wrong with her.
She was always tired, for starters. And violent waves of nausea hit her every morning as soon as she opened her eyes, causing her to get up and rush to her bathroom in a way definitely unworthy of a Queen. Regina felt horrible, but above all she was feeling angrier every day. She had never fallen ill a day in her life, Storybrooke phase included. According to her, there was only a way to explain her symptoms.
Poison. What else?
And the best potion-maker in all the realms happened to live in her neighbourhood and to be an enemy of hers. Coincidence? Regina thought not. She still had no idea how or why Rumplestilskin was poisoning her, but she knew for a fact that the second she would be able to stand and get out of her house, the wizard would meet a very slow and painful death.
Even in her weakened state, Regina distinctively heard the front door opening and closing. How lovely of her poisoner to come checking up on her, thought Regina, conjuring a ball of fire in her hand. Come closer, Rumple, I'm here waiting for you.
"Mom? Are you here?"
The shock of hearing Henry's voice in the house again was strong enough to dissipate the fire in her hand.
"I-I'm upstairs, Henry. Give me a second!"
Hearing Henry's voice and the sound of a backpack being left on the floor was just the motivation Regina needed. She got up from the bathroom floor, combed her hair with her hands and washed her teeth. She was still wearing her pyjamas and dressing gown but she was sure Henry wouldn't care one bit. And thank God the child had decided to come upstairs to check up on her when Regina didn't show up, because she felt her head spinning every time she moved up and down the stairs. Another thing she would make sure to thank Gold for.
The second she came out of her bedroom a pair of small yet strong arms engulfed Regina in a big hug, and her lips curled up into a smile. There it was, the only medicine she'd ever need.
"I missed you so much, Mom," said Henry, giving Regina a big toothy grin." How are you?"
"Much better now that you're here. Let me get dressed, and then I'll cook you lunch."
A proper one, she mentally added. Something she was sure Emma didn't excel at.
Henry smiled and let her go, but his expression turned serious when he noticed Regina's bags under her eyes and how pale she was. "Mom, are you feeling alright? You look sick."
"Really, sweetheart, it's nothing to be concerned about. Just a stomach bug. I probably got it at the welcome back party."
Henry nodded, "Emma and Grandma got it too, and they both look like hell."
Regina frowned and gave Henry a bad look. What the hell were Emma and the Charmings teaching to her boy? "Henry, language. I taught you better than that, did I?"
"Sorry, Mom. But it's true."
"Well then. Send them my regards and get-well wishes when you'll see them this evening," said Regina, opening her wardrobe to choose a dress for the day and thinking about the irony in what she had just said.
"Actually… I was thinking if I could stay here tonight? And tomorrow, maybe?"
Regina froze in shock, actually grateful she was giving her back to Henry. She was painfully certain that with her widened eyes and open mouth, she would look like a deer caught in the headlights.
She mentally slapped herself. Composure, Regina! Your son is telling you he wants to stay here. Not with Emma and the two idiots. With you. Here. Willingly. Do something!
Regina turned, with a beaming smile. "You don't have to ask, Henry, of course I want you here! But, does Emma know about this?" she added, with a sigh. The last thing she wanted was to face Emma, the warrior princess, while she was feeling under the weather. Past experience had taught the Evil Queen that dark magic and sickness just don't mix.
"Grampa does," replied Henry. "He is trying to take care of Emma and Grandma but it's a full time job since they don't let him do it. So, we thought I could stay here. I can take care of you."
Oh, goddammit, not again, thought Regina, feeling tears fighting to come out of her eyes. That symptom, above all, was the one Regina couldn't stand. Everything could reduce her to a sobbing wreck. A song on the radio. A slice of apple pie. A clear blue sky. Henry saying he was going to stay and take care of her was likely to open her floodgates for the rest of the day. Tears of joy, mind you, but still annoying, never-ending tears. She was the Evil Queen, for crying out loud. The Evil Queen didn't cry like some weak ordinary peasant woman!
In the middle of her pep talk, Henry decided it was the perfect moment to deliver another hug. Regina had just the time to curse God and the unfairness of life in general while hot tears started rolling down her cheeks. Oh well. At least there were no witnesses willing to use it against her.
"Mom," frowned Henry, "are you crying?"
"Just something in my eyes, Henry, I'm fine. Why don't you go grab your things and take them to your room? Then we'll go to the kitchen and make lunch together."
Henry nodded, and Regina retreated immediately in her room, closing the door behind her and then leaning against it. She took a few deep breaths to calm down and dried her eyes with the back of her hand, then she took out of her wardrobe the first dress she could find and applied a little makeup on her face. She was looking like hell, as her son would say, and she didn't want Henry to keep worrying for her.
One careful step after the other, Regina walked down the stairs and joined her son in the kitchen. The menu for the day included lasagne, a salad and a cinnamon apple pie Henry prepared under her supervision. Even if everything smelled delicious, though, Regina decided not to push her luck and eat as much as she really wanted to. She was just happy to have Henry with her, and she could always eat more later. The sickness always seemed to disappear in the afternoon, leaving Regina to ponder how Gold was actually poisoning her or what kind of poison he was actually using. Lost in her thoughts, Regina didn't notice Henry was telling her something until he touched her arm to get her attention.
"Mom?"
"Sorry, dear. What were you saying?"
"Gramps is giving Mom and Grandma ginger tea and lots of crackers to eat. It helps with the nausea."
"I'm not sure I have crackers, but ginger… sure. I'll try it."
Henry rose from the table to put the kettle on the stove for his mother and said they could go out buying some if she felt better in the afternoon. Henry kept talking about Emma and Mary Margaret, and Regina couldn't help but notice that many of her physical symptoms were similar to theirs. They all fell sick at the same time, the morning after their return from Neverland, but this could be just a coincidence. Regina wasn't sure how much Gold could see into the future here in Storybrooke, but it could've just timed everything so to make her believe she got the same sickness Emma and Mary Margaret had. Did he really believe she could be fooled so easily?
Enough, she said to herself. She had postponed her little visit to the pawn shop long enough. Making up an excuse to Henry, after their run to the grocery store Regina let the young boy go home alone with the bag and once she was sure he couldn't see her anymore, she crossed the street and marched straight inside Gold's shop.
"I know what you're up to. And it's not going to work!" she shouted, startling Belle, who was reading a book behind the counter.
"Regina… hi. Is there something wrong?" asked tentatively the young brunette.
Regina ignored her attempt to a polite conversation. "Where is he?"
"'He' is right here and doesn't like the tone you just used," said Gold, from the back office. He raised the curtain that separated the smaller room from the shop, and slowly walked until her was right next to Belle. "Manners, Dearie."
Regina snickered. "I'm sorry. I must have missed the chapter on the etiquette manual about the right way to approach your poisoner. Should I say 'please' when I ask for an antidote or isn't that formal enough for you?"
"Majesty, you can bet that if I was going to kill you, then you would not have time to make accusations."
"I'm sorry, Regina, but not everything that happens to you is Rumple's fault," said Belle, always trying to do the brave thing. Regina glared at her, wishing looks could kill, or at least maim.
"Debatable, young girl. What have you done to me, Gold? I know you did something!"
"I haven't done a thing to you, Regina," repeated Gold through gritted teeth. Belle touched his arm, as a silent warning, and Gold took a deep breath. "I made a promise to Henry."
"And what promise would that be?"
"Henry asked for a truce. He doesn't want to lose any more people he loves because of magic or other dark arts. That includes poison, in case you're wondering. Sorry to burst your bubble dearie, but you're not as nearly as important as you think you are."
"That's it?"
"That's it. Now, if you would be so kind to leave…"
"Wait."
Both Gold and Regina looked at Belle, which had closed her book and was now staring at Regina with the look of someone presented with a puzzle to solve. "You came here thinking Rumple poisoned you. What kind of symptoms made you think that?"
"How is that any of your business?" scoffed Regina.
"It's not, but I've read many medicine books. I might be able to narrow your condition down."
"Well then. Fatigue, nausea, mood swings…"
"More than usual, you mean?" added Gold, earning a nudge to the side from Belle.
"The nausea… it's just in the morning? And do you also feel dizzy sometimes?"
"I do…" said Regina, now eyeing Belle with suspicion. "What do you know about this?"
"Well, nothing… personally. But someday, maybe I will," she added, glancing at Gold with a little smile. Regina felt another wave of nausea crawling up on her; sweet, hopelessly-in-love Belle was definitely too much to bear in her state.
"Enough with the riddles. Spit it out!"
"Ok. Regina… I think you might be pregnant."
Regina scoffed, "And I think you might not be as smart as everybody thinks."
"But," said Gold, clearly enjoying Regina's discomfort, "if we consider the former Sheriff's and the time of his untimely death, maybe…"
"I know for a fact my health was perfect before leaving for Neverland. And I won't delve into details."
Gold at that point smirked, like he suddenly realized something the other women in the room didn't.
"Well, I guess no one can say that her Majesty has no sense of humour."
Belle frowned. "Rumple, what do you mean?"
"I mean, my dear Belle, that I've warned Regina and Emma about trusting the Neverland fairies, and that as always, magic comes with a price," and he gestured at Regina's stomach. "A really weird, twisted price, apparently."
"No. I-It can't be."
"The Queen offered a very peculiar treat to you, didn't she? Just to you, Ms. Swan and Ms. Blanchard. I wonder if both of them are suffering from your same… poisoning, right now," he added, opening a drawer and picking up a necklace with a round penchant. He left the counter and neared Regina, holding the necklace over her stomach. The penchant started moving, a part of it shifting from left to right.
"Congratulations, your Majesty," he almost whispered. "It's a girl."
Regina turned and headed out of the shop, without saying a word. In fact, when she found herself sitting in her living room, hugging herself and silently crying, she had no idea of how she made it back there and how long she had been sitting in that position. Her brain was stuck on the same thought, like a broken record.
Once upon a time, when Regina was a young girl, she dreamed of this moment. Back then, she couldn't have imagined anything more wonderful than have a child with Daniel, her one and only love. Then her mother had ripped Daniel's heart in front of her and pushed her to marry King Leopold, and the simple thought of carrying a child –the king's child – inside of her was enough to make her stomach turn up. Of course, through magic and potions, Regina made sure that would never happen. That type of knowledge also revealed itself very useful during her long, lonely years as the Evil Queen.
After the curse had brought them all to Storybrooke and Sheriff Graham had become so eager to please her inside and outside the bedroom, for a second Regina even reconsidered her position on motherhood. That place was supposed to be her happy ending, and a child would have been the perfect coronation to her revenge, along with the knowledge that Snow White would spend her entire life without ever meeting her daughter.
She vaguely remembered coming home and behaving the same way after Doctor Whale, and a few others doctors - Regina didn't care enough to remember their names – had told her that there was no chance for her to ever conceive a child. The price for casting the curse, Regina was sure of it. That was the main reason why, after little Owen's escape, she had tried so hard and for so long to adopt a child. And with Henry in her life, her victory was finally complete. She was a mother while her enemy would never be. She won.
How could've Regina imagined that Henry was Emma Swan's biological son, or that Emma was Snow White's long-lost daughter, the saviour destined to break her curse?
Fairies definitely weren't the only ones with a twisted sense of humour.
"Fucking faeries," Regina muttered under her breath, finally getting her act together. She told Henry she had to get out again because she's forgotten to buy a thing at the store, and she almost ran to Mary Margaret's apartment. If Gold was right, and the three of them were pregnant, she needed to know.
Once in front of her door, Regina knocked a couple of times. Then another two, with more strength. She was just about to try again for the third time when David opened the door and closed it behind him, with the look of someone that hadn't rested in days.
"Mary Margaret and Emma just fell asleep," he whispered. "What do you want?"
"Henry told me they're both sick. I just need to see it with my own eyes, I suppose."
David looked at Regina, and something in his expression reminded him of Gold. He had the look of someone that knew something the rest still ignored. "Sick. Yeah, we could say that."
"And let me guess, for both of them it's something that'll pass in nine months or so."
"They haven't figured it out yet, but I do remember how it was like with Snow, the first time. With Emma, though…" and the prince took a very deep breath, as if to calm down, "The only reason Hook still breathes is that I have to take care of, not only my wife, but my daughter. The moment I can leave them alone… well, I'm sure you get the picture."
"Look at you, the overprotective father. But it's not why I'm here. And I guess I'll have to talk to you."
"About what?"
"Emma and your wife are not the only ones carrying a child. I-I… I'm pregnant, too."
David frowned, unable to believe Regina's words. "And how could that be?"
"Gold thinks it's the price for having accepted the fairies' help in Neverland. And the Queen did offered us three some kind of glowing fruit you, Henry, Gold and Hook didn't get the chance to eat."
"What are you saying, Regina? That there's something wrong with the children?"
"What I'm saying, David, is that magic sparked my pregnancy. Maybe didn't start theirs," and she motioned at the closed door, "but it's going to influence the babies. So I suggest you to inform the ladies of the house about the collateral effects of their impending motherhood. The sooner we deal with this, the better."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"I guess you can wait and see if my belly grows or not. And now if you don't mind, I have to go home to my other son. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to know he's going to have a baby sister."
David closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Wait. Give me some time, ok? I'm sure Emma and Mary Margaret will want to talk to you, and Gold. And I'd love some more explanations."
Yeah, so do I. "Well then. A day. Good luck until then."
Many colourful remarks ran through David's head, but he was too tired to engage into a verbal fight with the Evil Queen, so he limited to nod and he retreated into the apartment. David walked to the bed where Emma and Mary Margaret were sleeping, curled up and facing each other, and wondered again how they would take the news. His wife would be happy, or at least he hoped so. They had never actually talked about having another baby, let alone a magical one, but he was sure she would be happy in the end. Emma… David realized he had no idea whether his daughter would be happy or not. But there was the strong chance his little girl might kill Hook with her bare hands in his place either way. Something, he smirked, he would've paid good money to see.
As if on cue, Emma started to stir. "Dad?" she whispered drowsily, with her eyes still closed. "You're staring again."
"I can't help it. Not every day I get to see my two favourite girls looking so happy and peaceful."
Emma smiled, and opened her eyes. Moving carefully, she got up from the bed trying not to wake Mary Margaret, and walked to the kitchen counter with her father to drink a glass of water.
"Seriously, this is the longest stomach bug I ever had in my life. The only other time I felt this bad was when I was expecting Henry."
David almost let his cup of coffee fall on the floor. He took a deep breath and tightened his grip. "Really?"
"Well, I was alone, in jail and I didn't have the faintest idea of what to expect. I guess that didn't help."
"But now that you do, would you…"
Emma looked at David like he had grown another head. "…have another child!? Oh no, thanks. Been there, done that. One time was enough, trust me."
David sighed, and put the cup back on the counter. He also took the glass from Emma's hands, just to be sure she wouldn't drop it. Or smash it against the wall.
"I'm afraid fate doesn't agree with you."
"Fate?"
"I was waiting for you two to figure it out, but… See, Emma, since you and your mother already had a baby, I thought… "
Emma gulped nervously. All the colour disappeared from her face. She slowly took a hand over her abdomen and watched her father with a mixture of shock and fear.
David gave her a sympathetic smile and nodded, answering her silent question. "Yes, sweetheart. I think you are."
"No."
"Emma…"
"No. It's too soon to feel that bad! With Henry I started feeling sick…" Emma started to say, but she immediately stopped once she realized who she was talking to. "I mean, it doesn't happen immediately. It takes… a little more time."
And that answered his question about the exact time his daughter and the pirate had become more intimate, David thought with a groan. "Then there's something else you should know…"
"It can wait," said Emma, grabbing her wallet, keys and jacket. "I have to go."
"Emma? Emma!" David shouted after her, but Emma didn't stop. She opened the door and slammed behind her, causing Mary Margaret to brusquely wake up.
"W-What happened? What was that?"
"That," said David, sitting next to her on the bed and tracing soothing circles on her back with his hand, "was the sound of our daughter going out to get some air."
"For the love of… It almost gave me a heart attack!"
"We can always ground her when she comes back," suggested David with a smile, and his wife chuckled. "How are you feeling?"
Mary Margaret gave him a beaming smile. "Pregnant."
"I know."
The woman hit him in the arm. "And I hate you noticed it before me. Again!"
"What can I say? I'm observant."
"We're going to have a child. We'll get to be parents again… Oh God I know nothing about babies!" exclaimed Mary Margaret, suddenly panicking. "It's exactly like the last time! We've never dealt with a baby! And how Emma is going to react, we just found her, she still needs us, and now there's a new baby coming, and… why are you smiling?"
"Emma already knows."
"And this is why she left?" asked Mary Margaret, all of her joy gone.
"No! No, it wasn't that!"
"Are you sure?"
"I'm more than sure. She has something else on her mind at the moment."
Mary Margaret frowned. "What do you mean?"
"She's pregnant too."
Mary Margaret brought a hand to the mouth to suffocate a shriek. "Oh God."
"Yeah."
"…Hook?"
"It appears so."
"So… I'm going to have a baby while our daughter is expecting our second grandchild. From a pirate. Ok, we can handle this."
David took a deep breath. Well, here goes nothing.
"There's more."
"There's no way there could be more, David."
"Oh, believe me, there is. Regina is expecting, too."
Mary Margaret just stared at him. "Excuse me?"
"She came here while you were sleeping and told me."
"But… How? I might be old-fashioned but… doesn't it take two person to conceive a child?"
"Not when magic is involved. And according to Gold and Regina, we have to thank the Fairy Queen for this."
At the sound of the word 'magic', Mary Margaret took both hands to her stomach. "Magic? What magic?"
"The Queen offered you, Emma and Regina a magical fruit, remember? I think the two things might be connected."
"We've seen what kind of magic resides in Neverland. How could something good ever come out of it?"
"Because you're going to be his mother, Snow. We're going to be there for him, both of us. And Emma, Henry, Red… our family. It doesn't matter how this child came to be or if he's going to have magic in him. It's ours. I won't let anything happen to you or him. I promise."
Even if in her state, Mary Margaret didn't fail to notice her husband had called her Snow, something he tended not to do now that they were back in Storybrooke. That, and his little Freudian slip. "Him, huh?"
"I have a good feeling about it."
"The last time you said that, we got Emma."
"A really, really good feeling."
"I'll be really, really happy to raise a little princess."
And that, David decided, was the perfect moment to shut his wife up with a kiss.
At the same moment, in the Women restroom at Granny's, Emma was staring at two pick lines on her pregnancy test. The pharmacy had been her first stop – well, second, if you consider a mandatory stop at the police station to get some paperwork done - after she got out of her house: she needed to clear her head, maybe eat something and to know for a fact if David's instinct was wrong or not.
And now she knew: It wasn't.
No, no, no, Emma groaned, leaning her head against the tiles. It couldn't be. Not again.
Not like this.
After Henry had been taken away by the nurse in the delivery room, Emma had sworn to herself that she would've never, ever, gone through all of that physical and emotional pain again. She could be able to give birth to a new life, but raising a child? She had no idea how to be a mother. She never had one to begin with, and the mere thought of failing an innocent child the way her foster parents had failed her, had been enough to give her nightmares for months after Henry's birth. Even now that Henry was back in her life, Emma still kept asking herself if she really had what it took to be a mother. Sure, the touchstone was the Evil Queen and sure, Henry seemed to be quite fond of her, but Emma couldn't stop doubting her parental skills. She probably never would.
And now, because of Hook and her desperate need for comfort, she would have to go through that all over again!
Maybe, if she asked nicely, her father would beat the crap out of Hook in her place. Emma smirked at the thought. She would've paid good money to see it.
The sound of someone knocking at the door interrupted Emma's musing.
"Emma?" said Ruby. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah," lied Emma, gathering her things and unlocking the door. "Just peachy."
"Ok…." said Ruby, not really convinced. "Coffee, then? The usual to go?"
Emma opened her mouth to say yes, but she stopped before saying anything. No alcohol or coffee for her for the next nine months. Oh joy.
"N-No, thanks Ruby. Just a bottle of water. I've still got an upset stomach. I don't want to push my luck."
"Ginger and lemon tea," said Granny from behind the counter, without raising her eyes from the diner's books. "Perfect for every type of sickness. And an upset stomach, of course."
"Well, thanks for the advice, Granny, I'll try it out," replied Emma, leaving the diner with the distinct feeling the old lady's wolf senses might be more heightened than she would let everyone believe.
Whatever. In a few months her situation would be obvious to anybody, anyway.
Again, she felt the sudden urge to find a certain blue-eyed, leather-clad pirate and kill him. Luckily for him, there was just one thing Emma wanted more than kill Hook: see Henry. She had to tell him, now, before panic would take over. In fact, she had the irrational need to hear him say everything would be alright. Not even Neverland had managed to taint his eternal optimism, something Emma was extremely grateful for. Of course, she'd have to face Regina first, but since their return to Storybrooke, the relationship between them had somehow improved. They saw for the first time how much the other was actually willing to risk or do to keep Henry safe, and that helped the two women reach some kind of begrudged understanding. They would never be friends, but they had deemed each other worthy of being Henry's mother. Maybe something good had come out of that trip to Neverland after all.
"Emma," Regina greeted her once she opened the door. "Congratulations are in order, or so I've heard."
"Well… thanks, I suppose. Is Henry here?"
"Why?"
"Because I'm pregnant, and I want him to learn the news from me and not somebody else."
"Yeah, me neither," muttered Regina under her breath.
"What did you just say?"
"Nothing. Please, come in. Henry is in his room with a pile of new books. Belle enjoys her librarian job maybe a little too much, if you ask me. I'll get him."
Emma nodded, and watched Regina go upstairs. Once she was alone in the living room she noticed a small pile of books on the coffee table next to a teapot with one steaming mug placed nearby. She took the mug in her hands to smell it – ginger and lemon. Following a sudden inspiration, she removed the two magazines covering the first book's cover, and she felt really glad she had put the mug down.
A pregnancy book?
And what did Belle wrote on the post-it on the cover? 'I hope this might be helpful in your condition'?
"Oh for God's sake, is there someone who's not pregnant in here?"
"Apparently no," said Regina, back in the living room. Emma almost jumped in surprise.
"…God! What did you do, appear here out of nowhere?"
"Henry fell asleep with one of his new books in his lap, I don't want to wake him."
"I can wait. Maybe we can give him the news together," said Emma, pointing at the books.
Regina sighed. "It's not a moment I look forward to," she said, sitting on her couch and gesturing Emma to do the same.
"I didn't know you were seeing somebody."
"That's because I am not."
"…I'm not sure to follow."
With a flick of her wrist, Regina conjured another mug, and poured Emma some ginger tea. "Gold thinks this is the price for accepting the Fairy Queen's help. That something we ate during the feast…"
"That glowing fruit."
Regina nodded. "Yes. He thinks that we got tricked, somehow. And this is the result."
"I bet he's busy working on his 'Told you so' speech right now."
"He most certainly is."
"But… how could you be…?"
"Pregnant even if I didn't do any of the necessary steps? Magic. Or so Gold said, along with the fact it's going to be a girl."
"Yeah…" said Emma, sniffing the content of her mug. "God, I so wished there was whiskey in it."
"Don't tell me."
"But the question still stands: What are we going to tell Henry?"
"The truth. We both know from experience that lying to Henry has always been counter-productive."
"The kid is too smart for his own good," nodded Emma. "Regina, listen, if you need help…"
"I won't. I've already raised a child on my own. You and your mother might need help, not me."
"Ok," said Emma, realizing she had just outstayed her welcome. "I need to go home before David sends Leroy after me. I guess we can tell Henry the news tomorrow," she added, rising from the couch.
"Well, then. I won't keep you. I'll stop by your house with Henry tomorrow afternoon. When we'll both be able to sustain a conversation."
"Ok," said Emma. "Bye Regina."
Once she was out of Regina's house, Emma sighed. She had really hoped to see her son, but Regina was right, it could wait a little longer. Like her chat with Hook. Well, it wasn't like she was expecting anything from the pirate. Telling him was the right thing to do, but apart from that it wouldn't surprise her one bit if after said chat he would take his ship and disappear. Actually, she was pretty sure that was exactly how things were going to play out, so she could wait to be proven right a little longer too. On her way back home she walked past Gold's shop, and for some reason she couldn't fathom she decided to go inside.
Oh, who I am kidding, thought Emma. Talking with Regina about the Fairy Queen and her mysterious pregnancy did nothing to reassure her. Neverland magic was twisted and evil, but there had to be a way of knowing if her unborn child was in danger or going to be a danger. And Gold was certainly the one with the answer, as usual.
"Gold? Are you in here?" she asked when she got inside the shop. No one was in sight.
"I'm sorry, he's not here," said Belle, emerging from behind the counter with a feather duster in her hands. "We ran out of tea, so he went home to pick up some."
"Did you change job?"
"Library is closed today. I thought I could make myself useful here."
"Ok. Belle, please, do not take it the wrong way but… Couldn't you do it? Fetch the tea, I mean."
Belle laughed. "You clearly haven't seen his tea selection in the kitchen. It's huge. When we lived in his castle he used to joke I could tell his mood from a look but never guess what tea he wanted to drink. So… thanks, but no thanks!"
Emma couldn't help but laugh a little as well. Belle knew the man behind the curse, and sometimes it was easy to forget it. Maybe Emma was too used to picture Gold as the twisted, mysterious wizard, but still, it could be weird hearing Belle talk about him and his mundane habits sometimes.
"Do you need something, Emma?"
"I just needed to talk to him… but it can wait. I'll come back tomorrow."
"Is this about Regina's… problem?"
"Regina isn't the only one with that kind of problem."
Belle looked at Emma, stunned. "So Rumple was right, Regina, your mother and yourself, you are all…"
"…pregnant? Yes, we are."
"When Regina came here earlier today, she thought she was being poisoned. And she thought Rumplestilskin was behind it."
"Well, I thought it was just a stomach bug. I saw the pregnancy books you gave Regina," said Emma, changing subject. "I didn't know home deliveries were part of your job description."
"I just wanted to be supportive. She gave me the impression she didn't know much about it. I've pretended I stopped by to give Henry some books he might love, but she's made clear she doesn't want help from anybody and to stay away from her."
"So it's true?"
"Oh, it is," said Gold, coming out of the back office like Belle a few minutes ago. He left a small paper sachet on the counter and slowly walked until he was right in front of Emma. "And what a powerful magical little girl will turn out to be."
"How do you know?"
"Belle, dear, could you fetch me the necklace? You know which one."
Doing as she was told, Belle opened a drawer and took out the silver necklace. She then brought it to Gold, who thanked her and then showed the jewel to Emma.
"This little artefact has been enchanted to predict the sex of your unborn child. Usually in order to work it should be held by the mother, but in Regina's case it worked even if she wasn't the one holding it. The baby influenced it."
"Why should I believe a word you say?"
"Because one, I don't lie and two," he said, holding the penchant over Emma's stomach, "I can prove it to you."
Emma immediately took a step back, but the penchant started moving anyway. Gold smirked, amused, and Emma fought the sudden urge to wipe that smirk off his face with a well-placed punch.
"Well, well. Blue is most certainly your colour, Ms. Swan."
Emma felt her hands curl up into fists. She had to leave, now, before she would do something she wouldn't regret.
"Are we reaching the part of the conversation in which you threaten me to stay away from you and your children, Ms. Swan? In that case I assure you, you've nothing to fear."
"Right, because you never double-crossed anyone in your life. Coming here was a mistake," said Emma, turning to leave. Gold placed a hand on her forearm to stop her.
"Wait. Here," and he put the necklace in her hand. "Let's say… it's a gift for the baby."
"I don't want it."
"Not your baby, dearie. I'm sure your father will be glad to have a family heirloom back."
For a second Emma considered the idea of throwing the necklace in Gold's face and leave, but if that really was something that belonged to David… Oh, to hell with it. Holding the necklace in her fist, Emma left Gold's shop without saying a word and headed straight home.
As soon as she was inside, Mary Margaret engulfed in a strong hug. "David told me! I'm so happy for you. For us."
"Even considering the fairies' meddling?"
"Whatever these children might bring with them, we'll deal with it. Together," said David. "Those fairies have picked the wrong family to mess with."
"Speaking of family… I've been at Regina's. I wanted to tell Henry the news but we both agreed it wasn't a good idea. She's coming here tomorrow afternoon with him, and we'll give Henry the news together."
"How do you think he's going to take it?"
"Well, the kid is getting a baby brother and a baby sister, so I really hope he'll take it well."
"A brother? How do you…?"
"Gold gave me this," said Emma, showing the necklace to her parents. "It predicted the sex of my child and Regina's."
Realization dawned on both of her parents' faces. Emma frowned. "So he was right? Is this really a family heirloom?"
"It was my mother's," said David. "Your grandmother, Ruth, gave it to Snow and me as a gift."
"It predicted I was going to have you after King George's curse was broken," continued Mary Margaret, touching the penchant with her fingertips. "I never thought I was going to see it again."
Emma put the necklace on the counter. "Then I'm happy I took it. I was this close to throw it to Gold's face. He said… oh, nevermind. I think I'm going to my room and lie down, I feel really tired. Too much surprises today."
Mary Margaret chuckled. "I know the feeling."
Still smiling, Emma moved to her room upstairs while David was asking – begging - Mary Margaret to see if she was carrying a boy or not. Maybe the news hadn't sunk in Emma's brain yet, but she was feeling… peaceful. Yes, she had dreaded the thought of having a child after Henry, but at that time she was alone, with no money, no home, no family, and no future. Now she had two incredible parents, a son, a job, and roots that seemed to delve deeper into that little town every day. And yes, she had still to speak with Hook, but there was going to be plenty of time for that tomorrow, or the day after that, or any day until the moment she would start showing. She was in no hurry to know she was going to be a single parent again.
"How can this bloody thing predict if a woman is with child or not?"
Emma jumped, startled, and immediately turned to her left. Hook was standing near the windowsill, dressed in modern clothes, and he was playing with, Emma realized with dread, the empty box of a home pregnancy test. Possibly hers, since she got rid of the paper box before going to Granny's, in a seemingly foolish attempt to leave no proofs behind.
"I mean," he continued, without raising his eyes from the box, "I asked the dwarf in charge of the apothecary, but he didn't seem able to stop sneezing. Maybe you can explain it to me, Swan, since you used one today."
"Did you follow me?"
"Follow you? Not at all, lass. Turns out, this curse has turned all of my old crewmates into somewhat honest members of this community. My first mate now owns a tavern near the docks, unbelievable if you ask me. Anyway, they convinced me to try this," and he motioned at his new attire – a prosthetic hand, jeans, a grey t-shirt, a black vest and a pair of boots – with a broad gesture of his arm, "and see if I could move around town without being noticed. And considering I was in that shop when you came in and you didn't see me, I guess it works."
Emma froze. He was there? Sure, she was too shocked by David's words to actually pay attention to the other customers, but he was Hook, for crying out loud. A simple change of clothes shouldn't count as perfect disguise.
"Anyway, after you bought this thing, I saw you go at Granny's, and leave a few minutes later looking like hell."
"And then you followed me."
"Straight to Her Majesty's house. You people have this weird habit, to keep a key of your house hidden in close proximity of your doors. For a pirate, this is like an open invitation."
"And?" whispered Emma, dreading where this conversation was going.
"And I stumbled upon one of the most interesting conversations I had the chance to eavesdrop in quite a long time."
"So you know."
"That's right, love. I do. But the question is," and he slowly moved near Emma, "did you even plan on telling me?"
"Well, I discovered it just a few hours ago!"
"It didn't stop you from telling Regina."
"She… I… Wait, why am I trying to justify myself? I was going to tell you!"
Hook crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Eventually."
"Well, the cat's out of the bag. We need to talk about it. I…"
"Emma," shouted Mary Margaret from downstairs, almost causing Emma a heart attack, "do you feel like eating something?"
"Maybe later, thanks," shouted Emma in response, as soon as her heartbeat slowed down some.
"You need to leave," hissed Emma. "Now."
"I don't think so."
"Tomorrow, ok? You want to talk? We'll talk tomorrow. Unless you want to meet my father in," and she checked her watch, "five minutes or so. That's the time it takes to my mother to brew a cup of tea and then convince David to bring it to me."
"Fine," grumbled Hook, going back to the window. "Tomorrow morning. See you at my first mate's pub."
"How should I know which one is it?"
"There's a tussle there almost every night, lass, it's not that hard to find."
It really wasn't, thought Emma. Only a pub fit that description – The Grey Gull, Ryan Jones' pub. Before she could say it aloud, her bedroom door opened and David came inside, just a second after Hook had made his exit through the window.
"Would you like some?" he asked, offering her the steaming mug. Unable to refuse, Emma took the mug and thanked her father, then she put it on her nightstand and with a groan she let herself fall on the mattress.
Tomorrow was going to be such a pleasant day.