Here's chapter 2 already (aaand I have the outline of chapter three in front of my inner eye :) ). Thanks to everyone for reading, following and favoriting. Special thanks to zurupuppy: it means a lot that you enjoy my stories and I'm always happy to hear from you. This chapter goes out to you.
Enjoy everyone,
np
Snow sat on the couch in her apartment, rubbing her ankles and thinking about what had transpired twenty minutes earlier.
Hook had finally brought Emma and Henry back to town. There was happiness on both sides about the reunion but she had seen the pained look in the blonde's eyes when they'd lingered on her protruding belly. It visibly pained Emma that there was a new baby who would have everything she'd ever wished for, everything that they had missed out on. The little miracle baby inside of her would grow up with the knowledge of being loved. It would have a hand to reach out for when making the first tentative steps and a mother's lullaby to sing it to sleep. It would never experience loneliness or the feeling of being unwanted. And of course that made Emma jealous. Their little girl who'd been tossed aside from one family and foster home after the other and had never really known the true notion of a loving family. Their now grown up girl who still had problems believing in herself and asking for help, who still saw herself -and would to a portion always be - as an orphan. It had hurt Snow more than she'd led on to see these flickers of pain and regret in her daughter's eyes.
Emma had known that they were trying to have another baby but just as Snow, she'd probably never thought that it would actually happen. Snow and David had tried for over a year without any success. The little one growing inside her was their very own miracle come to life.
Snow smiled to herself and started tracing circles on her belly. "She may be hurting right now, but your big sister already loves you very much. I promise." 'As do so many other people,' she added silently for herself. 'Henry will love his little aunt or uncle once he remembers everything.' Snow was already looking forward to explain their weird family dynamics to her baby. Not.
"Mary Margaret?" David walked into the apartment and smiled at seeing his wife huddled on the couch. "Have you seen Regina since the town hall meeting?"
"Why do you ask?" Snow answered his question with one of her own, trying to act innocent. She had not told him about her run-in with the flying monkey in the woods. Regina had of course informed the town about the viscous creature - only hours after she'd taken Snow home she'd called everyone to an emergency town meeting - but she'd omitted the fact that Snow had been with her on the encounter, only shooting the younger woman a small, secretive smile when no one was watching.
"Emma just called. She said she wasn't answering the door. Nor was she in her office." Thoughtful wrinkles appeared on his forehead. "You don't think she's plotting something, do you? It has been awfully quiet around her during the last few days…"
"David," Snow admonished her husband with a frown. "How many times do I need to tell you. Regina has changed for the better. I trust Regina. In fact, I trust her with my life."
"But how can you be so sure? She's tricked and betrayed all of us more times than..."
"She saved me from the flying monkey three days ago!" Snow blurted out before she could stop herself. "If she wanted us any harm, if she wanted me dead, she would just have needed to look the other way!"
"You cannot be serious, Mary Margaret! You were in the woods even though you knew it was dangerous? I told you to stay put!" David yelled, his face turning an unattractive shade of red.
"I'm not a frail little housewife, David! I am a queen!" Snow had jumped up from the couch, staring at the blonde man in anger. "And do not Mary Margaret me! My name is Snow!"
With that said, she rushed to the door, ripped her new coat from the hook, and headed out of the apartment, slamming the door shut behind her.
She needed some air.
Surprisingly enough, a short time later, she found herself standing in front of the mayor's house on Mifflin Street. For a good ten minutes she just stood there, pondering on whether to ring the bell or just walk back in the direction she came from.
"You know, as amusing as it is, watching you stare at my front door with that doe eyed look of yours… Were you planning on ringing the bell eventually?"
Snow sucked in a sharp breath when the door suddenly opened from the inside, revealing a smirking Regina. Before she could answer though, she continued to stare. She had never seen the woman in something so... casual. Regina was barefooted and wearing a dark grey sweatpants and sweatshirt set that hung loosely on her figure, the comfy look completed by the tiny, messy ponytail she'd had her hair in.
"You're lucky it's November, otherwise you'd be catching flies by now," Regina added, finally getting Snow out of her stupor.
She closed her mouth with an audible 'plop', before she opened it again: "Can I come inside?"
Without a word, Regina just stepped aside, allowing her entrance. Not waiting to see if her guest followed her, the older woman walked back to her living room, plopping down on the black leather couch.
A moment later, Snow stepped through the doorframe, coming to a stop in front of the coffee table, letting her eyes take in the room. She had never been in Regina's living room before. Only in the study.
The room was surprisingly bright and inviting, nothing she'd ever expect for the mayor's house.
Finally her eyes found Regina again. The woman was observing her and now raised one of her brows in a silent challenge.
"I really like how you set up this place," she managed to get out under Regina's intense stare and took a seat next to her.
"So, to what to I owe the debatable pleasure of your visit?" Regina drawled out, her eyes full of mischief. Oh how she loved to make the younger woman uncomfortable. And it was shockingly easy as well.
"Well, I was just going for a walk and I noticed I hadn't heard from you in a while," Snow replied, looking at her hands in her lap. 'Smooth, Snow, very smooth,' she scolded herself, fully aware that Regina would see through the lie. 'It's not as if you're best friends with her, you're not calling each other every other day to make sure you're okay.'
The sound of Regina's laughter, something she hadn't heard in over four decades, made her look up and at the woman sitting next to her. It was then that she finally laid eyes on the older woman's left cheek.
"Oh god, Regina! This looks…"
"Horrible? Yes, I've noticed," Regina brought a hand up to the three still rather red and angry looking scratch marks. "They heal pretty slowly, I have to admit. I've checked one of my books for the creature already though - it really is nothing to worry about. Apparently their claws are coated in a thin layer of poison. It should..."
"Poison!" Snow exclaimed, worry now really getting the better of her. "But…"
"Calm down, snowflake," Regina interjected before the woman could build her way up to a panic. "The only thing it really causes - at least in the low amount I was subjected to - are some nightmares." When the younger woman didn't really look relieved at her words, Regina added with a wink: "Nightmares have nothing on me. You of all people should know that I am the biggest one of them all."
'Mission accomplished. See, she's already smiling that annoying smile again.'
"I suppose I'll trust you for now. But if it gets any worse…"
"I will go to the doctor. I do not have a death wish, Snow White."
Snow lightly blushed before taking a deep breath and asking what she suddenly found she desperately wanted to ask.
"Would you be my child's godmother, Regina?"
Snow could count on one hand the moments she'd seen Regina slack-jawed. Now apparently, was one of them. Minutes passed until Regina finally started to speak.
"Snow, I really don't think..."
"Wait Regina, before you refuse…" Snow took another deep breath and hesitantly placed her right hand on top of Regina's who were folded in the older woman's lap. She was surprised but happy when Regina only slightly seemed to tense but didn't pull away. "I have thought about this for a long time ('only seconds actually but she doesn't need to know that...') and I know you would make a great godmother. You have changed so much during the past years Regina. You... you are one of the bravest people I know and I know you would give your life for the people you love in the blink of a second. You are not the Evil Queen anymore. You are Regina. The Regina who saved a stranger from a runaway horse and read me goodnight stories even though deep down she despised me. The Regina who claimed she hated me and wanted me dead but never really tried to kill me when she easily could. The Regina who did a great job at raising Henry and is the mother I hope to be for this baby growing inside of me." Snow squeezed Regina's hands before retracting her own, resting it on her belly. "I'd understand if you needed some time to think about it. But I just want you to not say no right now. Think about it please."
Regina felt tears welling up in her eyes and shut them for a second before a bright smile lit up her face, a bright smile that was directed at Snow and made the younger woman feel warm and tingly all over.
"I don't need time to think about it Snow," Regina still couldn't force the corners of her lips back down, no matter how hard she tried not to look like a grinning idiot. "I am honored that you... that you trust me with this. I… I accept."
SRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSR
"You did what?!" David was furious as his wife told him about their unborn child's new godmother. Who just so happened to be Regina. The Evil fucking Queen! "You cannot be serious, Mary Margaret!"
"Stop calling me Mary Margaret!"
"But everyone calls you…"
'Everyone but Regina...' "That is exactly the point!" Snow was really getting agitated at this point of their 'conversation'. "And I am very serious. Regina already accepted and I think she'll be a great godmother."
"You could as well have asked one of the flying monkeys! It wouldn't make a difference at all."
"Rage as you want but I will not be changing my decision! And for your information, I will be sleeping at Ruby's tonight!" Snow slammed her now empty hot cocoa mug onto the kitchen counter before walking around the apartment, furiously throwing some toiletry essentials and a change of clothing into a backpack. Then she stormed past a still fuming but dumbfounded Charming and headed out of the building.
She'd almost gotten to Granny's - Red had a small apartment above the diner - when a searing pain shot through her abdomen.
"No, not now!" she grumbled between gritted teeth, raising her arms to the sky in an unanswered plea. "You can't be serious!"
When another wave of pain ran through her, she sank to her knees and started sobbing uncontrollably. This had not hurt so much back when she'd had Emma. The next stab of pain came and Snow White fell into darkness.
