I love that you loved it! Now, meet the baby…

Regina couldn't stop looking at her.

She felt warm in her arms, and so so tiny that she promised she would never stop holding her. Her daughter had sprinkles of blonde hair and a cute chin, and she knew it was impossible to tell this soon, but she looked so much like Emma…

Regina looked up for a bit and smiled fondly at the adult version, sprawled unconsciously on an armchair, the most ungracious princess she ever had the pleasure to meet, hate, love and marry.

"That's your mom, baby girl," Regina whispered. "She was so happy to see you that her heart couldn't take it. You're going to love her, and the way she'll try to cheer you up at night when you're crying, and the way she'll be unable to scold and ground you as you grow up…"

"Hey!"

Regina smiled when she saw Snow and David at the door.

"Come in."

On tiptoes and almost holding their breath, the Charmings drew closer to the bed with their eyes glistening at the sight of the newest, tiniest member of the family.

"Oh God, David!" Snow whispered, looking at her husband and then at Regina. "She looks exactly-"

She burst into happy tears and David grinned down at his sleeping granddaughter. "Hey, little girl… How are you feeling?" he whispered at Regina, giving her hand a soft squeeze.

"Tired, but fine," she said with a smile. Her legs were still weak and she felt sore, but she was surprised that the pain subdued almost instantly after the baby was born. "I want to wake her up," Regina said looking at Emma.

"Of course," Snow sniffed with a grin. "You can't let other people hold your baby before she does…"

The short haired woman walked softly towards her daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Emma?"

Gasping, Emma jumped from the chair and stood bolt upright. "Mom? Where's Regina? Where's my kid-?"

"Calm down-"

But Emma barely registered the words as she held onto her mother to stand still and her eyes fell upon Regina and the baby.

Grinning from ear to ear, she approached the bed and softly sat down next to Regina.

"Hi," she whispered, kissing her wife and placing one arm around her shoulders. "How are you, my brave girl?"

"Exhausted," Regina smiled. "How's the lump in your head, Savior?"

"Oh that's nothing," Emma chuckled, looking down at the white bundle the brunette was holding. "Who's this little human?" she asked in a soft voice, removing her jacket and noticing that she had a blue bracelet on her wrist that matched with Regina's.

"Say hello to your little girl," Regina pulled the blanket a little and grinned when Emma's blue eyes went glassy with tears.

"Oh boy," Emma let out a wet, goofy chuckle when she finally saw her daughter. "You're so pretty! She's so pretty!" she whispered to Regina.

"I know!" Regina whispered back, offering the baby for Emma to hold.

Emma carefully enveloped her in her arms.

She was smiling goofily at her. "Hi, kid," she whispered. "It's me. Ma."

The minute she pressed her against her chest, she felt warm, like she was experiencing peace and heaven for the first time. She inhaled the scent of her child with her eyes closed, resting her cheek lightly on the little girl's head.

"Where's Henry?" she asked after a while.

"Thirty minutes away from town line," David said, checking his cellphone. "He rented a car to get here faster."

"Your big brother's gonna drool for you," Emma muttered against the baby's head.

"Have you decided on the name?" Snow asked.

"Not yet. We didn't even discuss it."

"We did," Emma said. "You just ignored me when I suggested Rogue."

"I ignored you when you suggested Princess Leah and Diana of Themyscira," Regina replied, rolling her eyes, but then sitting up straight when the baby cried. "See, she hated it too!"

"Fine, I'm sorry, kid," Emma laughed and kissed her forehead, passing her back to Regina. "I think she's hungry."

"Yes, she's going to be you through and through," Regina grinned broadly when she felt her little girl in her arms again. "Hi, baby! Do you have a tiny bottomless pit for a stomach too?"

David spun on his heels with his hands on his back, looking suddenly interested on a poster about diabetes on the wall. Regina chuckled and pulled her gown open, not really sure what breastfeed would feel like.

It felt weird. And oddly wonderful.

After a few minutes she let go, and Snow helped her lift the baby to her shoulder to have her burping.

"Snow," Regina patted the small space in the mattress beside her. Without uttering a word, the woman walked back to the bed and sat down. Emma and David took their distance to watch the biggest, most private moment between the Queen and Snow White.

David felt his chest warm up at the sight of his wife carrying the little blonde girl in her arms, and for an eternal second, he revisited the short lived moment he saw her hold Emma for the first and last time.

Regina looked up at him, and they exchanged quizzical smiles, because they understood it without saying a word.

"C'mon, grandpa," Emma patted his back. "You're next-"

XXX

When they left, Ruby showed up at the door with Granny, bringing food for Emma and flowers for Regina.

"The burgers are not even medium rare, so don't pass out on my food," Granny said, handing the paper bag to the blonde, making Regina laugh.

Emma scoffed with an eye roll.

"Holy fuck, she's you!" Ruby exclaimed in a whisper when she approached the bed, looking at Emma with her eyes widened. "Seriously, I'm your godmother. I know what I'm talking about. I was there!"

Granny chuckled. "You can't tell, babies don't have… Oh," she frowned as she, too, managed to take a look at the Swan-Mills girl. "I never saw a baby that looked so much like their parent!"

"Strong genes," Ruby patted Emma's back, and then turned to Regina. "But I do hope she takes the elegance and posture from you."

"We all do," Emma said, folding her arms.

"And the appetite," Granny said. "Two of them eating like that and I'm going bankrupt. Anyway, congratulations, you two. I'm going back to the diner so Dorothy can come see her too-"

When she was gone, Ruby pouted. "I want one of those!"

"Can you imagine a tiny Wolfie?" Emma said, getting a smack in the arm. "Ouch! Don't- Kid!" she jumped from the bed when Henry entered the room panting, his hair slightly wet from the storm. "C'mon, take that coat off and come see your sister-"

"Oh wow," he grinned, sitting down next to Regina after hugging Emma. "Hey, mom," he kissed her cheek and then looked again at the baby that was quickly placed on his arms. "Hi, Emma Jr."

"Where's Amy?" Regina asked laughing.

"Looking for a parking spot. It's packed outside," he looked proudly at his sister. "Everyone wants to take a look at you, you know?"

"I'm gonna take off and come back with Dorothy," Ruby ruffled Henry's hair. "Good to see you, genius. See you later, guys!"

Little by little, the movement in the room started to fade and then at the hospital altogether. Their room was full of presents, cards and balloons; Henry and Amy would take turns to bring coffee or an energy bar from the vending machines once Emma categorically refused to leave the room. Later on, the pair left to get some sleep at the mansion, promising to get back early the next day to take Emma, Regina and the baby home.

It was around ten when the storm transformed into a soft rain. Regina could barely stand to keep her eyes open after the nurse took her dinner tray.

"Get some rest," Emma said. "I'll hold her."

"If she cries-"

"We'll be right next to you, Gina," she interrupted with a kiss on her lips.

After fighting against it for a moment, Regina decided to take up the offer, passing their little girl to Emma.

"What if you need to pee?" she asked.

"I'll call a nurse," Emma grinned down at her. "You were amazing today."

Regina smiled softly, drifting off to sleep a second later.

The blonde paced around the room for a while, singing a lullaby that she had once learned and never got the chance to sing to anyone before.

She smiled fondly at Regina's sleeping figure, and then pressed a kiss at their baby's head.

"Your mom was incredible," she whispered. "I'm crazy about her. You're gonna be too, you'll see."

XXX

When Leroy and the other dwarves left, Dr. Whale entered the room with a large smile on his face. It was really early in the morning, and he intended to examine mother and child to be sure he could discharge them.

"Hello, Swan-Mills. Have you decided on a name yet?" he asked, checking the little girl first.

Regina looked at Emma with an enigmatic smile.

He checked on her for a minute, read through their file and nodded approvingly.

"Do you have a pen?" Regina asked him.

Whale picked one from the pocket of his lab coat and offered it to her, who quickly scribbled a name on her plastic bracelet. Emma tilted her head to read.

"Are you serious?" she asked Regina, torn between kissing her and running through the corridors to spread the news.

"I'm very serious," Regina wrote it down on their file and handed the clipboard back with his pen. "There you go, Doctor."

He looked down at it and laughed. "Cool."

XXX

Katherine was their first visitor at home.

"I can't believe I wasn't here!" she said, hugging Emma at the door. "Is it true that you fainted?"

She was tanned and a little agitated, talking about throwing a late baby shower in a few weeks. She shut up when she entered the TV room and saw the baby in Regina's arms.

"Oh my God, she's so beautiful…" she looked back at Emma. "She's… you!"

Emma laughed goofily; she loved when people said that. "But she's got Regina's full lips, see? I'm going to the kitchen. Do you want anything? Water, sweetie?" she asked Regina.

"Yes, please, dear."

"I'm good, thank you," Katherine waved a dismissive hand. She was behaving a little out of character, and Regina knew it had to do with the fact that Brad had been there, and not her.

"Kat… Emma and I discussed it, and we would like to ask if you'd be her godmother."

Her eyes went wide. "Me?"

"I can ask Brad if you're not up to it."

Katherine placed both hands on her chest, feigning offense. "Of course I'll be her Godmother! Oh my God!"

"Yeah, you were practically forced to hear her being conceived," Emma said, entering the room with water and a bag of snacks. "It's only fair."

"Emma!" Regina scolded her and then turned to Katherine. "She promised she would not bring that up-"

"Well, it's probably true," her friend shrugged, making Emma laugh harder. "So… What's my goddaughter's name?"

The brunette turned to Emma. "Show her your keychain."

Emma produced it from her pocket and threw it at Katherine with an amused smirk on her face as she attacked the bag of chips.

She located a hospital bracelet hooked with Emma's keys. In typed letters she read Regina's and Emma's name. Her jaw fell open when she read bellow it, with Regina's indistinguishable handwriting.

SWAN-MILLS, Emma Jr.

She laughed out loud. "You're freaking kidding me! I loved it!"

October

Regina smiled when Henry sat down in front of his computer again.

"Pizza was here, sorry," he said with a smile, the image oscillating a little, turning into a blur of pixels before it went into focus again. "So, it's quiet over there…"

Since Henry and Amy left the campus dorm and rented their own apartment, Regina had asked for a Skype session once a week, but this was actually the first time she connected without Emma´s help. She hated to use that specific program, and almost every time she tried to do it by herself she locked up their password.

This time, the login went oddly smooth.

"I'll show you why," she picked the notebook from her office and went upstairs with it. Henry smiled when she turned it towards her bedroom.

There was one lamp on, and Emma lay sprawled on the bed, their baby snuggled comfortably on top of her chest, both fast asleep.

"She hasn't slept much this week. Baby Emma had cramps, and Senior Emma wouldn't leave her for a second."

Henry chuckled. "How's she doing with diapers?"

"They both needed a shower when she tried to change it for the first time, but she pretty much can handle it now," Regina grinned, watching the pair for another minute and then leaving the room to keep from waking them up.

She went downstairs and placed it back on her desk. She sat down solemnly, staring at her son for a full minute without saying a single word.

"I wish your mother had been here when you were a baby as well."

Henry grinned. "I know, mom. But you did great by yourself. Look at me now!"

Henry had just managed to get his first book in a huge New York publishing company, and his first paycheck was dedicated to a large stack of the most valuable comic books for when Emma Junior learned to read.

"I don't want you to forget how proud I am of the man you became, and I don't want you to think that, because we have Emma Jr. now, that I don't miss you every second of the day-"

"Mom!" he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands, chuckling. "It's our anniversary… Amy will be back soon from her internship, and she can't see me with tears in my eyes, c'mon! You're gonna salt my game-"

The front door of their apartment burst open and Amy showed up dressed with a Catwoman outfit that lacked too much fabric to be an ordinary Halloween costume.

"Hello, Mrs. Mills," she said with as much dignity she could muster, walking sideways very slowly.

"Hello, dear," Regina smirked. "Happy anniversary."

"Huh, thanks…I'm gonna… go."

Henry face palmed, and Regina laughed whole heartedly.

"Jesus … Please, don't tell Ma. She's gonna give me shit for the rest of my life."

"I won't. Well, I'm going to bed with my girls here, and you can celebrate with yours over there."

He laughed awkwardly. "Alright. I love you both. Give little Emma a kiss from me."

"I love you too, honey. And Henry, dear?"

"Yeah?"

"You two are very, very… ew."

XXX

Emma was already used to sleeping four hours a night or less, so when it was too quiet or Regina wasn't fumbling in bed next to her, she would instantly wake up. She sat up on bed, confirming she was alone; Regina's side was still warm and messy, so she got on her feet and walked towards the baby's room on autopilot.

The blonde stopped at the doorway, smiling as she leaned on it with her arms folded. The room was dim lit and Regina was softly cradling their daughter, humming a song against her tiny blonde head. She was wearing her silk robe and the Darth Vader slippers, which she now claimed her own after furtively borrowing it for five years.

Emma could watch them forever.

Regina spun around very slowly, and she smiled when she saw Emma there, half asleep against the doorframe.

"I didn't hear her crying," she muttered.

"She didn't. I got up to check on her and she was awake on her crib."

"Do you need anything from downstairs?"

"No, honey. Go to bed, you're getting up early tomorrow."

"I'll tell my boss that I was with my wife and kid all night. She'll understand," Emma said with a sleepy smirk, which made Regina chuckle.

"You're still impossible."

"And-" she yawned "-irresistible."

"Will you rest if I take her to bed with us?"

"Yes, please."

Dragging her feet, Emma followed Regina through the corridor and inside their bedroom. Using the comforter, Regina made a sort of nest in the middle of their pillows to place her there when they went to sleep.

Emma lay on her side of the bed, touching the comforter circle, making it glow white for a split second.

"What was it?" Regina whispered.

"Noise spell. It'll wake us in case we roll up on top of it as we sleep…"

She silently reached out around it and grabbed Regina's arm.

"Night, Gina," she whispered. "Night, Little Emma."

XXX

Mr. Clark smiled when she saw Regina and Emma coming down the street pushing baby Emma's stroller. The pair was all smiles, stopping to talk to people, proudly displaying their daughter to everyone on the first day of spring. He hurried inside his store and packed the damned ice cream.

He always gave them a tube when they came by. To make it up to him for Emma breaking and entering his property and ultimately bothering him after midnight, Regina issued an order to install security cameras on his shop.

"Good morning, Mr. Clark," Regina said and her face softened when she saw the brown bag on his hands. "You don't have to give us ice cream forever, Mr. Clark-"

"Yes, you do," Emma interrupted, picking Emma Jr. on her arms to look more convincing. "She looks pretty like this because of all the ice cream that was not denied to my lovely wife while she was pregnant."

"And now it's my lovely wife that eats all of it despite the fact that she's not pregnant, just hungry."

XXX

Life was pretty much the same in Storybrooke, except that now the Mayor and the Sheriff took turns to work, and both were seriously sleep deprived.

Neither Emma nor Regina understood the increasing connection they started to share the moment they brought baby Emma to the world. They always did things together, and they didn't stay apart from each other for long.

On the street, Gold looked at them with some sort of weird light in his eyes, as though he knew the answer and was dying to explain – a deal he would propose in exchange of putting his petty hands into some of that magic.

They decided they didn't need to know what it was; love was not a science you could explain with books.

The problem was only one. Emma was not free to screw up without Regina immediately knowing something was wrong.

Like the day Emma smashed David's Cruiser against a tree because she fell asleep behind the wheel, and Regina freaked out during Council Meeting without any apparent reason.

Even though there was no major damage because Emma was driving at twelve miles per hour at the time, Regina used the boss card to forbid her to take car patrols, at least until baby Emma had stopped crying in the middle of the night.

On general, it was no surprise to run into a milk bottle on top of a desk at the Sheriff Station or even a bag with diapers at the conference room in Town Hall.

There was usually a huge line of candidates to babysit Emma Jr. over the weekend, composed usually by Snow and David, Katherine, Brad and Ruby. It was a surprise, however, when Dorothy enlisted in secret.

"I heard Ruby talking to your mother about it the other day," she said awkwardly to Emma while she picked her coffee at Granny's. "I think she… Do you think she wants-"

"To breed?" Emma asked, stifling a yawn. "Good luck with that."

"I'm just trying to get used to babies in case she does, and unlike you, Emma is so sweet-"

Emma laughed humorlessly at her. "Stop flattering me, it won't help you get the Nanny of The Week position."

"C'mon, Barbie-"

"I'll think about it."

"Okay, great! Thank you!"

Emma turned around with a smirk on her face. When she went out of the diner, she picked her phone on her pocket and typed a message to Ruby.

She got the hint, but this is as far as I'm going to meddle. There's no way in hell I'm teaching her how to make a magic baby. I'm really happy for you, though.