Regina watched her wife from the door of the en suite. The laptop was balanced on her knees, her brow furrowed, glasses perched on her nose. It made her look younger, more studious, and Regina wondered if Emma had ever wanted to go to college. Seeing her like this made her heart clench with regret, as if she was looking at a what-if version of her spouse. She shook off the sense of melancholy and reminded herself that without all the events in the past she wouldn't have Henry or Emma.
Emma glanced up from the computer screen when she felt the ache in her chest. Regina was somewhere in the past, her eyes unfocused and unseeing, her lips turned down at whatever she was experiencing. Emma continued to watch, letting her come back to herself on her own. The bouts of regret and pain were few and far between these days and Emma knew that it was best to let Regina come out of them on her own. She understood that no matter how many times she reminded Regina that they wouldn't have Henry or each other without the deeds of the Evil Queen, Regina would always carry regret with her. It was a peculiar balance that Regina had to maintain everyday between the light and the darkness, the regret and the satisfaction that stemmed from the curse. She watched as Regina shook her head, shaking off the thoughts pulling her down, and Emma smiled at her knowing no words were needed between them.
Regina moved towards the bed, smiling back at the understanding she found in Emma's gaze. "What are you looking at? You look like Henry does when he's studying for a test."
"Pinterest. There's tons of stuff on here about having more than one baby. Look at this." Emma turned to screen towards Regina, showing her a picture built-in bunk beds for quadruplets. "I could do that."
Regina's eyes went wide at the implication. "Don't you think that's a little over the top? Prepping for 4?"
"No, I figure if I get my head wrapped around four babies and then less pops out we're golden." Emma said, turning back to the screen and continuing her search.
"Pops out?" She shook her head at her wife's wording. "You do realize that in just a few weeks we'll be able to get a sonogram and find out for sure if there is going to be more than one? I think that will still leave you sufficient time to prepare." Regina wasn't sure what worried her more, the fact that Emma was even thinking about quad's or the fact that she wasn't. Typically she would have been the one studying and planning and worrying. Somewhere along the line it seemed that they had switched rolls.
Emma glanced back up, "I…"
Regina took pity on her wife and slid the laptop out of her hands, shutting it down and placing it on the floor. "You're freaking out, as you would say."
"Yeah, I'm freaking out. What if my wonky magic did really put a litter in there?" Emma said, pointing at Regina's stomach.
Regina reached out and pulled Emma's hand to her stomach, holding it there with her own. "You're magic's not wonky. You just have to learn how to control it. It's actually amazing that you could feel so powerfully about having babies with me that you made it happen. If there are 4 we'll deal with it."
Emma continued to stare down at their joined hands. "How come you're not freaking out about this?" She whispered, looking up into brown eyes.
"I have no idea, but let's not look a gift horse in the mouth. There's nothing we can do about it now anyway, we just have to wait and see."
"Okay." Emma said simply, accepting her reassurance without a second thought. She leaned over and placed a kiss on Regina's stomach. "Night guys." When she looked back up she saw the brief smile on Regina's face before it disappeared and she was on the receiving end of a very unamused glare. "What?"
"It could be girls."
Emma smiled and turned to switch her lamp off. She pulled Regina down, wrapping her arms around her middle and snuggling into her back. "You're right. Night everybody." She kissed Regina's shoulder and as she drifted off to sleep she felt her chest warming, a feeling of contentment washing over her.
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The next morning when Emma woke up she found the spot next to her empty and a pile of saltine crackers on her nightstand. She smiled, knowing who had left them and she started munching away as she read the note accompanying them.
Emma,
I had to go into work early this morning to make up for yesterday. Eat these, they should help with your nausea, just don't get any crumbs in the bed. Henry had early morning football practice today so I'm dropping him off on the way. I'll see you for lunch.
Love,
Regina
PS-Do you remember the time that you got crumbs in the bed and I made you sleep on the couch? Think twice before you continue munching so enthusiastically.
Emma rolled her eyes at the post script and smiled to herself. She knew Regina was just as wrapped around her finger as she was hers, well maybe not quite as much, but she knew that Regina's threats were her way of teasing the blonde these days more than anything. She smiled at the note one last time and placed it in her drawer along with a few other trinkets and things from Regina she'd kept along the way. Her wife wasn't exactly the overly romantic type and her drawer wasn't going to overflow with love notes anytime soon, but she knew without a doubt that Regina loved her fully and completely and she felt it each and everyday.
Once she was sure the crackers had settled her stomach enough to get up, she rolled off the bed and started her morning routine. If everyone else in the house was getting an early start she might as well join them.
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When Emma walked into the station, coffee in one hand and her bear claw in the other, she was surprised to see the lights already on. She called out to see if anyone was there and when she didn't get an answer she continued on to her office, assuming that David had just forgot to turn everything off last night. When she heard the familiar clacking of heels on linoleum she turned, surprised to see her wife coming from down the hallway.
"Uh…" Emma said, not quite trusting her eyes yet.
"You're not supposed to be here yet." Regina replied matter-of-factly.
"You're not supposed to be here at all. What are you doing?" Emma asked, gesturing to the items in her arms.
Regina sighed, like somehow Emma was asking the world of her and she rolled her eyes slightly. "Fine. You caught me. I was cleaning the toilet."
"What?"
"You see if you don't clean a toilet on a regular basis, they can become….quite unsanitary. I was simply preventing that from happening." Regina wrinkled her nose, her lips pursed together.
Emma still wasn't sure what was going on but she was starting to feel the familiar swirling in her stomach and she made her way to the couch to sit before she asked anymore questions. Regina followed and sat next to her, her hand reaching out to rub small, comforting circles on her back.
"Are you all right?" Regina asked, her tone softening considerably.
"Yeah, for right now. So just so we're clear, you left the house early this morning so that you could clean the toilet here at the station?" Emma asked, clarifying what she still didn't understand.
"Yes." Regina said simply. She didn't elaborate, but the color tinging her cheeks told Emma more than words could have.
"You were cleaning the toilet for me, huh?" Emma smiled widely at Regina, the pieces falling together for her. "The big bad Mayor was scrubbing a toilet for me?"
Regina narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "There's no need to gloat. It's not really that big of a deal. Who do you think does it at home? Bathroom fairies?"
"Yeah, yeah. I can't believe you did that for me…"
"Well, dear, I know that you're going to have your head hanging over that thing a considerable amount in the coming weeks…and well…" Regina shrugged and turned her head away, not willing to show her embarrassment at being caught.
"This might be one of the sweetest things you've ever done for me." Emma said, sliding closer her wife.
"Please." Regina scoffed, still unwilling to turn her head towards her.
"No, I'm not making fun of you. I mean it…you take really good care of me and no one's ever done that before. Thank you." She turned Regina's face towards her and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Thank you." Emma hoped that her eyes conveyed the things that she couldn't say, her thoughts floating to the times she was sick and there was no one there to comfort her when she was pregnant with Henry.
"You're welcome." Regina said simply, her chest warming with Emma's emotion. "As soon as we tell your parents I'm going to be having a little chat with your father about his bathroom habits and I'll be adding a woman's only. I just don't want to tip our hand too early."
Emma smiled at her wife, knowing that she was much more comfortable with planning and plotting than she was at reveling in emotion. "You really are the best. I love you." Emma gave her another quick peck on the cheek and stood, reaching her hand out to help Regina stand. "Let me walk you to your office. I can bring you the Mercedes at lunch."
"You don't drive my car."
"Oh, does that mean when your water breaks you're going to let me drive you to the hospital in the bug?" Emma replied, a smile playing at her lips.
"Absolutely not."
"Then I better get some practice in…" Emma tugged her towards the doors, enjoying the new fizzy, bubbly feeling their connection had.
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The second their eyes met when David pulled open the door Emma knew she should have canceled her standing dinner night at her parents. She couldn't do this. It was bad enough David had witnessed her getting sick a few days prior at the station, but now she knew he'd ratted her out.
"I'm going to kill you." Emma said, not stepping inside just yet.
"I'm sorry?" David replied, the look on his face telling her he knew exactly what she was referring to.
"No you're not. Not one bit are you?" Emma pushed past him into the house, wanting to end the standoff and get the evening over with.
"Not really." He didn't elaborate anymore, but the spring in his step made Emma wary of going into the kitchen. She veered off, heading to the living room in search of the tv remote but her mother's voice stopped her.
"Emma? Dinner's almost ready. Can you help set the table?" Snow asked, her eyes following Emma's every movement.
"Sure…"
"So David said you've been feeling a little under the weather. Anything you'd like to tell me?" Snow was smiling widely, her doe eyes blinking innocently, waiting for the answer.
Emma took the chance to shoot one more glare towards David before answering. "Yeah, don't let Granny trick you into day old donuts. Something's not right with them."
A look of confusion flashed across Snow's face, before she probed again. "So nothing you need to tell us tonight?"
"Nope. Can I have a beer?" Emma went for the jugular. She'd told Snow that when there was something to tell she would, if she was going to make her own assumptions about the situation she was going to make her pay for it.
"Do you think that's really a good idea?"
"Why not? Regina's not going to mind if I have a beer or two. She's probably already curled up in her study with some of her wicked strong cider." Emma said, deliberately playing dumb.
"Oh, well I guess I just thought under the circumstances…" Snow trailed off, the disappointment evident on her face.
"What circumstances?"
"Nothing, never mind." Snow said, turning to head back into the kitchen.
Emma smirked at the frustration evident in Snow's posture and followed her. "Snow-What did you think?" She asked, clearly knowing what Snow was hinting at but wanting her to say it out loud.
Snow stared her daughter down for a few moments, arms crossed over her chest defiantly. "I thought you were going to tell us you were pregnant. Is that what you want me to say?"
"Yep. And guess what? I'm not and I am only going to say this once so listen carefully. When and if there is something to tell, both Regina and I will let you know. Until then, the subject is closed. There will be no more roping Ruby in with your little plots, no more having David spy on me and under absolutely no circumstances do you bring this up to Regina. Am I clear?"
"Yes." Snow whispered, the embarrassment of being called out by her own daughter showing on her face.
"And if and when there is something to tell you, keep in mind that it will be both me and Regina's secret to tell. You understand that means she might not want to tell you for awhile? So even if you suspect something you will not say a word to her."
Emma watched her mother for a few beats, waiting to see if she was going to plead her case and when Emma was confident she'd gotten through to her she nodded her head once, ending the conversation for good. "Now, what's for dinner?"
"Grilled chicken with mango salsa…" Snow said sheepishly.
"Mangos?! Seriously? I am amazed that growing up with Regina you didn't learn to be just a little bit more subtle. I mean she's like the Queen of Stealth." Emma said with a shake of her head.
Snow laughed. "Sometimes…"
"Yeah, you got me there." Emma said, smilingly back at her. She hoped that she'd bought them at least a few weeks of peace before they had to make the announcement. There was a big part of her that was worried about her mother's reaction, despite her earlier words about loving her grandbaby either way, she couldn't help but think there wasn't going to be some disappointment to deal with.
