Authors note: I'm so sorry I'm late, I was just busy and depressed over the finale. Bringing Marian back had just been so unnecessary and it was just a reason to kick Regina down even further. She was so sad because she really doesn't think Robin is ever going to choose her over his dead/now alive wife.
So don't worry, there will be no Marian in this story, folks.
But I still have faith in my ship.
It will sail!
...
~ The Enchanted Forest, Past. ~
She wiped the cold sweat from her eyebrows and neck as she slowly pulled her tired body upright. Regina had been about to leave, ready to meet Snow and her charming prince in the centre of the castle. The place where they had decided to cast the Dark Curse that would take them all back to Storybrooke.
The place she still considered 'home'.
Though it wouldn't be the same now that she didn't have Henry.
"Regina are you sure you're alright?" Robin questioned through the thick wooden doors that let back to her bedchamber- no, their bedchamber. His voice was thick with the same worry that he had shown ever since he found out she was pregnant.
"Yes, I'm fine, dear. Just a minute." Regina answered in a hoarse voice as she rinsed her mouth and magicked the used bucket away. God this pregnancy was already horrible and she was only three months along. Apparently morning sickness is not just a morning thing.
She slowly made her way to the door, wobbling dangerously on the heels she was still stubbornly wearing.
"You don't look that good, honey." Robin said as he put an arm around her waist to help her into the hallway.
The news about her pregnancy had been extremely quick to spread across the castle. Turns out the giant size didn't exactly delay such rumors.
"I just need to do this, Robin. I need to get this over with." She said softly and shook her head slightly to get rid off the remaining nausea.
It was no use though.
He nodded even though he was really not sure this would be a good idea. But even though he knew there was no stopping Regina. He would sure at least try, he would protect her and their child. "And you're sure that once we're back in this... Storybrooke, we'll all be together again?"
"Yes, dear." Regina said with a smile as she stopped in front of the big double doors that let to the centre room of the castle. The exact same place where the King's body had laid before he was cremated, and the exact same place where she'd tried to take her own life just a few months ago. "We'll all be together again, I promise."
And they would be together.
Like the family Regina had always craved so very much.
...
Regina shook her head as she held the glowing red heart that belonged to the now unconscious prince. She couldn't do this. She couldn't crush Charming's heart to dust and destroy Snow's happiness even though it's the one thing she thought she always wanted.
Her brown eyes found Snow's crumbled form as she cried into her husband's chest. This was too much.
And suddenly she didn't see Snow and Charming anymore. Instead she saw her younger self, eighteen years old and so innocent. She saw herself crying over the body of a lifeless and pale Daniel. The young stable boy that would've done everything for her because he loved her oh so much. The worst thing was that she realised that the hand that was wrapped around the heart, the hand that used to be hers, was now Cora's wrinkled one. Regina just knew it was her mother's hand. Maybe because she has seen that hand so many times. Mostly when it was hurting her in some way; striking her across the face, or flexing it to whip her with dark purple magic.
This was just too much.
And so she blinks rapidly, bringing herself back to reality. "Snow." Regina started in a soft voice as she bent down slowly and pulled the younger princess up and away from her husband. "You need to be the one to crush it."
Snow looked up and scrunched her face as more and more tears filled her eyes and spilled down her pale cheeks. "I can't." She sobbed and shook her head.
"Yes you can, Snow!" Regina said, raising her voice to keep the tears at bay. "You need to do this, don't let it be in vain." And so she carefully pushed the glowing heart in Snow's shaking hand, holding the younger brunette's wrist as she slowly steered it above the boiling water.
"Squeeze Snow." She softly commanded as the salty tears filled her eyes. "You need to."
The heart made a sickening cracking noise as Snow squeezed. It didn't take long before the previously glowing heart turned into a grey dust that fell through Snow's fingers and into the pot.
The princess fell down, crawling over to her now dead husband as she again laid her head in his chest, sobbing aloud as she clenched her fists.
Regina couldn't stop the tears and she quickly turned around, wiping furiously at her cheeks as the tears continued to spill one by one.
"Regina?!"
She heard a sudden hopeful voice coming from behind her and the former Evil Queen snapped around at once.
"Regina, I need you to rip out my heart!" Snow said as if she suddenly got a revelation. "Charming was right, we have been of one heart ever since he woke me up from the sleeping curse. If you split my heart in half we can both survive!"
"Snow..." Her voice came out croaked and low as Regina softly shook her head. "Snow, I know your love is strong but this isn't like... plucking a flower." She tried apologetically. "How do you know it'll work?"
"Faith!" Snow replied immediatly as she looked up with hope filled eyes. "Believe! Believe that our love is strong enough, that my heart is strong enough for the both of us!"
"But if you're wrong, you'll die." Regina tried and bent down to look the princess in her dark eyes.
"Please, Regina!" Snow pleaded as she reached for her former stepmother. "Please, do it, rip out my heart, please."
The love and hope was raw in Snow's eyes and Regina found herself swallowing a giant lump in her throat. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. Snow could die, but then again, a year ago she couldn't believe she would want Snow to live either. And so she bent down, sitting on her knees as she let the hope that was in Snow's eyes wash over her, fill her being.
Maybe this could work.
Snow's hands squeezed her shoulders as Regina leaned in, ready to rip out the heart of the woman she used to despise. The green smoke billowed up behind her and Snow's small nod was enough to convince her that there was a chance, as small as it was, there was a chance.
Her hand slipped in easily and it closed around the beating heart, taking it with her as Regina retracted it. Snow's gasp ringed in her ears as Regina slowly lowered the brunette's body down, next to that of her Charming prince.
Now all she needed to do was break it in half, something Regina was almost sure had never been done before.
...
~ Storybrooke, Present. ~
It was nine AM when it happened. Regina was putting her cup in the dishwasher, ready to head to bed where Robin was already waiting on her. Henry and Roland had long gone to bed too. Today had been a long day for all of them.
Maybe she shouldn't have bent down to place the cup in the reck.
The clear liquid leaked down her legs, soaking her underwear and pencil skirt and forming a puddle on the white floor, around her expensive black pumps.
The pain came quickly after that and it forced Regina to curl into herself slightly and grab the counter for support. A pained whimper left her mouth before Regina could stop it by biting on her bottom lip.
God this really fucking hurt and the fact that Regina was swearing - something she never did - was saying that much.
The contraction passed as quickly as it came and Regina let out a relieved breath. She placed a hand on her lower back and rubbed softly.
She needed Robin, and she needed him now.
But first she needed to get out of these heels if she wanted to have any chance of getting towards the stairs and so the expensive shoes were quickly kicked to the side.
How she made it towards the bottom of the stairs would remain a mystery to Regina, but there was no time to think about that because she felt another contraction coming.
"Robin!" She yelled, Regina had no other option than to wake the entire family. There was no way in hell she would get up these stairs. "Robin!" She panted and held the bottom of her stomach, feeling the muscles there tighten as another contraction hit her. The moan that followed was no longer under her control.
"Regina?" Robin's confused voice reached her eardrums and Regina bit her bottom lip.
"Get down here! I'm in labor!" She bit back, absolutely not in the mood to deal with Robin's slow brains right now."
The cursing and stumbling that followed had Regina rolling her eyes.
"Roland, Henry wake up, we need to get to the hospital!" Robin yelled and stumbled down the stairs, pulling his shirt over his head with one hand while carrying Regina's large bag in the other. "Your little sister is coming!"
It wasn't long before the whole family was seated in the car. Roland and Henry half asleep in the back, and a worried Robin and a hurting Regina in the front.
"God, slow down!" Regina snapped and rubbed her stomach in order to try to calm the little girl inside of her. "There is no need to get into an accident right now!"
"I'm sorry." Robin apologized and shot her a quick glance. "I'm just nervous."
This is going to be a very long night...
...
It wasn't long before Regina was placed in a bed, Robin by her side and the children were in the waiting room together with the three Charmings who had come immediately once they got the call.
"Gods!" Regina moaned loudly and dropped back in her pillows, allowing her aching muscles some rest before another contraction came.
"And you're still sure you don't want the drugs?" Robin asked with an exasperated look on his face, they'd only been in the hospital for half an hour and Regina was already in to great deal of pain.
And on top of that, Regina's obstetrician, dr. Lock had just told them they had a long road ahead of them.
"No, no drugs." Regina panted and pushed her body up in sitting position. If she'd timed it right the next contraction would be somewhere in the next fifteen minutes. "They didn't have drugs back then in the Enchanted Forest and if they could manage there, I can manage here."
"Fine." Robin sighed slightly. He knew this was a battle he could never win. He furrowed his brows and reached for the styrofoam cup of water that sat on the bedside table. "Do you want some water, darling?"
Regina nodded and answered with a tired smile. "Yes, thank you." She took small sips and handed the cup back, her eyes glanced at the IV in her hand. She had always hated needles and the thought about this thing being in her vein... no, she wouldn't go there, it would certainly not help her lingering nausea.
"Regina I need to go to the bathroom." Robin spoke up after a few minutes, shifting slightly in the uncomfortable chair he was sitting in.
"Don't you dare leave me, Hood." Regina snapped as she grabbed the bed railing, feeling another contraction starting up, her muscles cramping together.
"Fuck this hurts!"
...
~ The Enchanted Forest, Past. ~
She couldn't believe it had worked. She was watching with a smile and a hand on her still flat stomach as husband and wife were reunited. Yet another thing she never thought would've happened.
Smiling and watching the Charmings hug.
Love could really change a person.
"This wil work." Regina said with a small smile as she looked up at the green purple smoke. "We will defeat-"
A sudden plum of smoke appeared above the pot, revealing the green witch on her broom as Zelena dropped a green powder in the pot.
"-Zelena." Regina growled and immediately let her hand fall from her stomach.
"Oh relax, little sis." The green woman grinned and landed with a soft thump. "I already know you got knocked up by a thief, mother would be so proud."
"How would you know since you didn't even know my mother?" Regina snapped with a vicious bite.
Zelena just shrugged, deciding not to commend on the words. Instead she said: "Did you really think I wouldn't notice if you went and enacted Rumple's Dark Curse?"
"No, but I didn't really care. You're too late."
"Actually I'm not." Zelena smiled and looked over to Snow with a disgusted look. "You may have succeeded in enacting the curse, dear sister. But that doesn't mean I can't spice it up a bit." Her eyes filled with a childlike glee. "How does a forgetting potion sound?" She looked at Regina with a smug smile. "Oh I'm sorry, did you want to keep your memories so that you could stop me? Or maybe recognize me?"
"We will find a way." Snow growled as she looked up to the green witch.
"Without knowing who I am, I'd doubt it." Zelena stepped on her broom again and shifted her gaze towards Regina again. "Pay attention sis, this is how you take a happy ending." And then she was gone.
The last thing Regina thought about before the green and purple smoke enveloped her, and her lungs burned with the lack of oxygen, was making sure her family would be safe, no matter the cost.
...
~ Storybrooke, Present. ~
"Ma, do you think my mom's going to be okay?" Henry asked nervously as he stared at the door his mother had been pushed through when they got here last night. He shifted in his chair, looking at his little brother that was playing with some Legos on the ground in the centre of the waiting area. "It's taking really long."
Emma looked away from the sleeping forms that were her parents. Snow and Charming didn't really look very comfortable in those chair, but to be realistic, Emma wasn't very comfortable in her chair either.
"Yeah, kid." Emma comforted with a tired smile. The moment they'd gotten the call her parents had jumped into action and even though they told her they would be here to make sure Zelena didn't get the baby, Emma knew it was mostly because they wanted to be here for Regina. That was mostly Emma's reason too, because she had really started to see the former Queen as a friend.
"Your mom will be okay, it's just that these things always take long."
"Why?" Roland piped up as he glanced up from the blue Legos in his hands and stared at Emma.
"Uh.. I, because.." Emma stammered and looked at her son for help. But Henry just grinned at her.
"Because, Roland..." Emma started as she tried to figure out how to tell him the truth, but not really the truth. There was no way Regina would be happy if she found out Emma had told him the details. That being that his mother had to push his little sister out of a way too small opening, which hurt like hell. "Your little sister just needs some time to... prepare herself for this world." Were those the right words? If she had to go on Henry's loud giggle, apparantly not. Well, it was the best she could do.
...
"Oh god!" Regina moaned loudly as she buried her head in Robin's chest. The contractions were coming fast now and on one side Regina was relieved, because that meant this was almost over, but on the other side it meant that her daughter was that much closer to being in danger because of her sister.
"Shhh..." Robin soothed and placed a kiss on the brunette's sweaty temple. "It's going to be alright." To be honest, he felt completely useless. Just sitting here while the woman he loved was in unspeakable pain. The sun had been up for a very long time and Regina was severely exhausted.
"So." Dr. Lock smiled as she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. "Let's see how mother and daughter are doing, alright?" The older woman pulled on some latex gloves and moved to the end of Regina's hospital bed.
"Are you ready?" She asked and when she saw Regina nod she pulled the blankets up. "She's already crowning." The old woman smiled when she put the blankets down again. "You're ready to start pushing, Regina?"
Regina screwed her eyes shut but it couldn't stop the tears from flowing. She shook her head and looked up at Robin. "No, I can't do this." She said in a soft voice. "I can't push, I can't loose her Robin."
"Regina, no sweetheart." He said and brought her hand towards his lips and kissed it softly. "We are not going to loose her, I will make sure of that."
"But Zelena..."
"Will not lay a hand on our child, I promise you that." Robin stated and smiled at her. "We are going to see her grow up, I swear, but for that to happen you need to push Regina."
And so she forced her exhausted body to push...
...
Heels clicked on the blue-greenish linoleum floor of the hospital, alarming everyone in the waiting room.
"She's here!" Grumpy yelled from his place at the door and grabbed his pickaxe tighter.
"Emma." Snow said worriedly and turned towards her daughter. "Take Roland and Henry and hide them in a closet."
"Alright." Emma nodded quickly and lifted the five year old off the ground. "But I'll be back."
Snow didn't even have a chance to object before another yell cut her off.
"In place!" Little Jon yelled at his fellow Merry Men, ordering them to strain their bows. Though it wasn't much use, because the moment Zelena rounded the corner and waved her hands, both the Merry Men and the dwarfs dropped unconsciously to the floor.
"You will not get that baby!" Charming yelled and pulled out the sword he had received from the Blue Fairy. It supposedly deflects magic.
"Oh." Zelena mocked and let out a melodic laugh as she simply waved her hand again and the sword dissapeared into puff of deep green smoke. "Did you really think that would stop me, Prince? You really are as stupid as my sister always said."
"Shut your mouth about my husband." Snow snapped and strained an arrow in her bow. "You will get nowhere near that baby. I'll make sure of that."
"So protective of your stepmother, aren't you child? Even though Regina has tried to kill you and your family multiple times." Zelena grinned. "Ah, the Saviour has decided to join us." The witch pointed out when Emma approached. "How nice, three Charmings in one go."
"I'm going to shoot your ass you psycho." Emma cursed and pulled her gun from the holster.
"Tsk tsk tsk, that isn't the proper way to speak for a princess." Zelena reprimanded before flicking her wrist.
...
Pain ripped through her body as Regina strained her muscles and pushed with all her might. Her upper body lifted from the bed only to drop back down into the pillows once the contraction was over.
"That's great, Regina." Dr. Lock said and smiled reassuringly. "I can already see her head."
Regina moaned loudly and gripped Robin's hand tighter. "I can't do this anymore." The brunette said breathlessly and dropped her head to the side. Another contraction had her cursing and whimpering not even a minute after.
"Yes you can, darling." Robin said with a reasuring smile as he rubbed her hand. "Almost there and then we can hold our baby."
"Come on, Regina." Dr. Lock said from her position at the end of Regina's bed. "Just a couple of big pushes left and then she's here."
Regina whimpered softly as the pain started to get worse again. With her free hand she gripped the bed frame as she readied herself.
Only a couple of big pushes...
Only a couple of big pushes...
The phrase echoed in her mind as she pushed and the loud scream that ripped itself from her throat couldn't be stopped.
"Well done, she's almost out Regina. Just one big push."
"Do you hear that, darling?" Robin asked with a smile and kissed her hair. "She's almost here."
Regina smiled tiredly and nodded her head. And one push later the sound of loud crying filled the room. She dropped back down in the hospital bed but strained her muscles to try and catch a glance of her daughter who was being handed over to a nurse to get cleaned up.
"Is she- is she alright?" Regina asked softly as she looked up at Robin who was watching their daughter with tears in his eyes.
"Yes, yes Regina she's perfect." He said with a smile.
"I want to see her, please." Regina asked and looked to the nurse who was cleaning her child.
"Here you go, Mama." The old nurse smiled as she carefully handed the small bundle over.
Regina just looked at the baby in awe. The little girl was prefect and almost identical to her, except that she had Robin's skin tone. "Claire." She didn't know why, or how she came up with the name. She and Robin hadn't even decided on a name, but it just fit. Something just clicked in her mind.
"Claire?" Robin asked with a small smile and looked down at their child that was softly fussing in Regina's arms.
Regina looked up and locked eyes with him. "You don't like it?" She asked softly. "We can choose something else if you-"
"No, I love it. It's perfect for her." He interrupted and stroked the baby's soft cheek with his index finger. "Claire Mills."
A loud screeching noise sounded through the door and Claire started to fuss right away. "Robin?" Regina asked with a slight tremor in her voice as she pulled the baby tighter against her chest.
"Don't worry." He said and kissed her on her head. "I'll make sure she won't step a foot inside this room. I love you."
And then he was gone, leaving behind a defenseless Regina, who'd just given birth to their child.
...
"Let her go!" Robin yelled as he grabbed his crossbow and pointed it at the witch who immediately snapped around with a grin, releasing Emma from her magical chokehold.
"Ah, I assume that means my ingredient has already been born?" Zelena chuckled and summoned green magic to her palms.
"You will get nowhere near my child or Regina!"
"Oh but don't you understand, thief? I will. And after that I'm going to kill all of you, but first, I think it'll be fun for you to watch how I'm stealing your child." She waved her hand, melting their feet to the ground. "The enchantment will dissapear once I step foot in Regina's room, that way you can all enjoy the show, maybe you even get to see a begging Evil Queen." She chuckled and looked at the Charmings. "It's been fun but now I must go."
...
"No, get away from her!" Regina screamed as she pulled the blanket tighter around her child. She was oh so tired after just having delivered the afterbirth.
"Oh but sis." Zelena smiled as she stepped inside the room and waved her hand causing the doctor and nurse to drop to the floor. "I want to meet my little niece, she must be so adorable. You know, I've always loved babies."
"Get away!" Regina yelled again and her voice sounded as cold as the Arctic winters. "If you only as much as lay a finger on my child I will-"
"You'll what, sis? You're not really powerful right now, I mean; you've just been through a twenty hour labor." Zelena snapped her fingers and a light green shield appeared in the door opening, just before Robin and the three Charmings reached it.
"Regina!" Robin yelled as he pounded his fists on the shield, but it wouldn't budge.
"Now isn't that cute?" Zelena mocked. "He came to say goodbye to his child, just as you should be doing right now."
"Over my dead body!"
"Well, that can be arranged." Zelena held out one hand, effectively cutting off Regina's airway. "You know you can't defeat me, Regina. Only light magic can defeat me, and yours is as dark as they come. It was your destiny to be this way, and it will also be your undoing!"
"Don't... tell me what I can be." Regina croaked as she held her crying daughter tighter, trying to soothe the newborn.
Zelena chuckled and tightened her grip. "You tried to be good once, but it just wasn't in the cards. This is who I am, and it is who you are."
"No." Regina said and looked down at the child in her arms. She felt love fill her chest even though she was still missing her heart. And it gave her strength. She needed to protect her children. "You're wrong, sis."
White light erupted from the palm of Regina's hand and before she could even comprehend what exactly was happening, her airway was freed from Zelena's grip and the witch was unconscious on the ground.
"Regina?!" Robin yelled as he stormed into the room the moment the shield was down. "What happened?!"
Regina looked at her hands in awe and then looked down at her child. "I changed."
...
"Mom!"
"Mommy!"
The two boys yelled simultaneously as they stormed into the hospital room.
"Shhh, boys." Robin said as he held his finger in front of his lips. "Your sister is sleeping." Finally...
"Oh I'm so glad you boys are okay." Regina smiled as she beckoned both boys to her bed so they could meet their little sister. Zelena was now safely locked up in the Sheriff's station without her powers.
"What's her name?" Henry asked as he softly stroked her cheek with his finger.
"Claire." Robin smiled proudly as he lifted Roland onto the bed, who immediately crawled up and next to his mother so he could look at his baby sister. "Claire Mills."
"Or Claire Locksley." Regina smiled and warmth filled her newly returned heart. "We still have to decide."
"Well you could just get married." Henry grinned.
"Henry Mills!" Regina said in shock as her cheeks turned a slight red.
It earned a chuckle from both Robin and Henry.
...
I don't know if I'm going to have Zelena killed or if I'm going to let her live. Please leave a review and tell me what you would want. ;)