***Sorry it has taken me this long. There is a lot going on. Both in my own life and in the story. I hope you guys like this part as well though and hopefully I'll have another part done and up soon. SwanQueen Forever!***

"I need you to promise me something," Regina was in their bathroom washing her face, finding that bending over the sink was becoming more and more difficult every day, and getting ready for bed. They sent Henry home with David and Mary Margret. For now he was safest with the two of them and Emma and Regina couldn't argue that.

"Anything Regina," Emma sat in their bed legs crossed watching her girlfriend. No sight would ever be as beautiful as Regina in this moment, belly swollen with their offspring, eyes shining with contentment and full of hope for the future. Except maybe Regina in 10 minutes, 10 days, 10 months, 10 years, or every moment for the rest of their lives.

"If something happens to me you have to try to save the babies," Regina flipped off the bathroom light and stood in the doorway looking seriously at Emma.

"Regina come over here a minute," Emma held her hand out to Regina who pouted some but came to sit in front of her on the bed, "If anything happens to you, I don't know what I'll do without you but I will protect our family. So… what do I need to do to save them?"

"Use magic."

"How?"

"The same technique that is used to take a heart," Regina's hand hovered awkwardly in the air between their bodies her eyes questioning and then she spoke motioning toward Emma's chest, "May I?"

Emma took Regina's hand and kissed the palm, then placed it over her heart firmly, "It's already yours. Do with it what you must."

Regina leaned in and placed her lips softly to Emma's, "I'll be gentle."

When she pulled away, Emma was smirking, "Oh but baby you know I like it rough."

Regina shook her head and rolled her eyes, "You are so juvenile."

"But you still love me."

"Debatable. Now watch me. You have to concentrate on the object or thing you intend to take. Like the heart in this case," Regina reached into Emma's chest and Emma didn't feel any pain. Something felt different though and the whole thing felt right. When Regina spoke again her lips never moved, Now I'm not going to actually take out your heart but you get the idea, right?, Emma nodded not sure if she was imagining the sound of Regina's voice ringing pleasantly in her head. When Regina withdrew her hand there was a slight pinch in Emma's chest but nothing too severe.

"Are you ready to try?"

"I can't Gina. What if I hurt you or the babies?" Emma looked more vulnerable than Regina had ever seen her look. Regina mirrored Emma's reassurance from earlier taking Emma's hand and kissing the palm quickly. She placed the hand swiftly over her heart and mocked, "Do with it what you must." She whispered then, "I trust you."

Emma took a deep breath, closed her eyes and concentrated. Regina was the person Emma couldn't stand to lose and as she thought about her all-encompassing love for her, Emma's eyelids flew open. Her hand was gone. It was a strange sensation. She felt her hand gently holding Regina's beating heart but she only saw a handless arm. Like phantom limb syndrome in reverse, Emma thought. Regina smiled at her brightly, "You are doing perfect Emma, now carefully… take out my heart."

Emma flipped out. "What are you crazy?!" She withdrew her hand causing Regina to wince as Emma's magic faltered a little causing a sharp pain in Regina's ribcage. "See I've hurt you! How can you think it would be okay for me to actually take out your heart?"

"Emma, you have to trust yourself. You won't hurt me unless you lose focus. Now concentrate and try again." Regina's voice was stern and she put Emma's hand back on her chest.

"You're really sexy when you get all mayor bossy pants on me?" Emma flashed a toothy grin at Regina and wiggled her eyebrows.

Regina recognized this quip as Emma's defense mechanism but moved on, "Later. Now, take my heart."

"Fine if I must," Emma closed her eyes focusing on not hurting Regina. She reached in with ease and moments later she was holding Regina's heart in front of them.

"That was very good, Emma. Now you are prepared in case…" Regina didn't finish the thought. She hadn't meant to upset Emma again but she could tell she had. Emma caressed the heart with her thumb before she returned it to Regina's body. She lay down on top of the comforter and faced away from Regina, who still sat cross legged in her original spot. Regina awkwardly attempted to spoon Emma but the swell of their children prevented flush contact.

"Hey," she put her hand on Emma's shoulder and breathed onto her neck, "I just need to know that you can go on without me. I love you and if I can help it I'll never leave you. I know it will be fine but I need at least this one reassurance." Emma rolled over to look at Regina and Regina couldn't bear to see the blonde so devastatingly worried. The tears flowed from her eyes more freely than Regina had ever seen.

"I just can't stand to think of the danger you are putting yourself in and the fact that your mother has no qualms ripping out your heart or worse, our babies."

"I know. Just get it out because you are my rock and we need to be strong in order to pull off the plan." Regina rolled slightly allowing Emma to tuck herself into Regina's body. She rubbed Regina's stomach feeling a small kick from one of their daughter's, "They sure do that a lot."

"Tell me about it. It's like fucking fight club in there."

Emma giggled, "Hey, first rule of fight club sweetheart. Not to mention you just said fuck again."

"It's these fucking hormones. They are going to kill me Emma. I can smell everything. Yesterday at Granny's I nearly took a bite out of some half eaten cake on the table next to us."

"I saw that. Who leaves half a piece of cake?"

"I know!"

Emma smiled cherishing the normal stress free moments they enjoyed together, even at this chaotic and dangerous time when their family could be ripped apart at any moment.

"My boobs hurt too."

"You're kinda turning into a whiner you know that?" Regina pinched Emma causing an "Ouch!" from the blonde who laughed and kissed Regina on the cheek, "But I'm glad you can still take a joke because our back and forth banter makes this relationship the best ride of my life."

"Thank you for your faux support and flattery. You try carrying twins sometime though."

"No thank you, after this, we are done. I had one, you're having two. Our luck we'd try again and I'd have three and I don't want to end up like that freaky ass family with like 20 children."

"Agreed. Can we go to sleep now I'm exhausted?" Regina heard herself whine. She was grateful to have Emma who, despite her mood swings and childlike complaints these past weeks, curled her body around Regina's and held her with an overwhelming amount of tenderness and love.

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Regina walked along the dock she had seen Hook skulking towards many times during their week long recon. She stared out over the open water and bellowed, "Mother! I know you are here. I may not be able to see you but I am no fool. Don't make me climb up there and get you in my condition."

"Very clever Regina. I must say I am impressed," the voice came from behind Regina and she turned to face Cora with her bravest face painted on, "The savior has not clouded your good judgment as much as I had thought. Are you looking to make a deal daughter?"

"I've left Emma…" Regina began, her eyes filling with tears. Emma hadn't thought she would be able to act this well but simply the thought of losing Emma made Regina's throat constrict and her eyes streamed, "I want us to seek revenge on that vile Charming family together."

Cora's eyes widened, then seemed to softened and she opened her arms for Regina, "I knew that your happily ever after with her was too good to be true. But don't worry dear. Mama's here."

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Meanwhile…

"Emma hurry up!" Blue hissed from the top deck of the ship down to Emma who was rummaging in the piles of junk that Cora had brought with her from the Enchanted Forest.

"I can't find it. There is too much crap down here."

"You have to reach out Emma. Use magic. You should be able to FEEL it. Dark magic is seductive and the heart is enchanted with dark magic."

"If it's that simple you do it!" Emma was starting to become panicked that Regina was still alone with her mother the heartless psycho who wanted to steal their baby.

"I can't stand watch AND help you. Besides I need all my magic to trap Cora. You need to do this one on your own. Feel it Emma."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Feel it Emma," she mocked childishly. She took a deep breath and coaxed herself, "Okay, Emma. Feel it. Feel it." Her eyes closed and she reached out with a force she never knew hid inside her. She did it for Henry, for Regina, and for her unborn daughters. She did it for her family. She felt the heart inside the cabinet that sat a few feet in front of her and she bounded forward yanking open the doors. Inside she saw a box that glowed with a red aura and pulled it out opening the lid. The heart pulsed noticeably within and Emma yelled up to Blue, "I've got it!"

"Good work Emma. Now get out here it is time for phase two."

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Regina listened to her mother monologue her plans for the child who would be, according to her, "more powerful than any could possibly imagine, despite her relation to the wretched and plain Charming family." Regina saw the signal then. Blue had poked her head briefly from the cloak of the pirate ship. Regina stepped towards her mother, she was the distraction after all, just as Blue hurled a ball of blue magic at Cora. But Cora must have suspected something all along because she caught Blue's magical orb in her hand and thrust the other into Regina's chest plate. She squeezed lightly on Regina's heart and extinguished the blue magic she held in her palm demanding surrender.

"Tell your Blue friend to show herself or I will destroy you Regina." Blue stepped off the ship knowing that Regina's life was dependent upon her compliance. Cora magicked some rope around the fairy and sneered at Regina, "You have been nothing but disobedient and ungrateful your entire life and that child inside you is my chance to start over. Your father made you soft but this time that sentimental old fool is gone and she." Cora looked down at Regina's swollen belly and smirked, "or rather they will obey me." Regina knew then that it was over and her tears streamed freely.

"Guess again." Neither Cora or Regina had seen or heard Emma coming but when she had seen Cora's hand within Regina's chest she knew she had to be the one to end it or die trying. Cora's arm retracted and she spun around as Regina crumpled into a helpless mass on the dock. Cora looked down at Emma's arm protruding from her chest now and felt over sixty years' worth of unexpressed emotions overwhelm every fiber of her body. Emma withdrew her hand leaving the heart in its rightful place. It was Cora who then fell to the dock clutching her chest and breathing heavily. Regina crawled over and laid her mother's head in her lap.

Cora looked at Regina with heavy lids and whispered in a broken voice, "This would have been enough. You would have been enough." Then the world went black for Cora Mills.

Regina sobbed over her body and Emma kneeled down to check her pulse. "She'll be alright Gina. She is just passed out but we should get her to the hospital and have Dr. Whale have a look at her. I'm just glad that you are okay." Regina didn't speak just stared at her mother's still form, "Maybe Dr. Whale should have a look at you too."

"Did you hear what she said Emma?"

The ambulance was pulling up at the end of the dock now and Blue, who had gotten untied ushered them to Cora's aid. Emma moved Regina out of the way so that the EMT's could put Cora onto the gurney, "Ya Honey I heard her."

"I want to ride with her."

"Only one of you can ride with us," the EMT spoke up seeing that Emma was going to insist on accompanying her girlfriend.

"Then I'll go." Regina looked at Emma, worry lines etched into her face and so Emma spoke reassuringly, "You need to go and check on Henry and make sure he is okay. Then you can bring him and meet me at the hospital. I need you to be as stress free as possible so go get our son okay?" Emma kissed Regina's lips with an audible smack, "Blue can drive you." Emma looked to the fairy for assistance now seeing Regina crumbling under her reasoning and mention of Henry.

"Okay." Regina spoke softly allowing the Blue fairy to steer her towards her Mercedes before she called after the woman she loved, "Emma!"

She turned to Regina concern in her eyes, "Yes love?"

"Make sure they take good care of her. I don't care what it costs."

"As her Majesty wishes." For the first time since the mission had started Regina smiled as she watched Emma run after the EMT's loading Cora into the ambulance.

"I love you," Regina whispered but no one heard the sentiment as the vehicle lurched into motion and Emma was gone.

Blue walked to Regina's side and placed a soothing hand on Regina's back. "Come your Majesty. The sooner we go get Henry the sooner you will see Emma again."

The Fairy noticed a drastic change in the Queen's demeanor as soon as she spoke. Her back straightened, she dried the tears from her eyes and she thrust her chin in the air strutting to the car with the all the finesse of the Queen that she was. The only action that gave away the vulnerability she still felt lay in the way her hand caressed her pregnant bulge even now as she got in on the passenger's side of the car. The Blue fairy shook her head one side of her mouth curling upward at the stubbornness of the Mayor to always appear strong and in control. Then she sat down in the driver's seat.

***I wanted to put a twist on the Cora scene so that it wasn't so heartbreaking and final. Now Cora will get a second chance much like Regina. I'm excited for what will come next for Emma and Regina as well. The babies are almost here. SwanQueen Forever!***