It's been a while guys, I know. I'm terribly sorry about that. But here I am with a new chapter that will hopefully leave you all just a little bit satisfied. On another note, I've graduated college and have started my teaching career. On another another note, we have passed 100 reviews and 400 follows!
The crowd was astonishingly quiet. All eyes focused on the pitcher of the opposing team as the boy kicked at the dirt of the pitcher's mound. One of the Storybrooke boys, whom Regina easily recognized as Felix, took his spot at home plate, bat raised and ready to go. The two teams had been neck and neck since the first pitch of the game. Every play counted, now more than ever since it was the championship.
The pitcher focused on Felix, eyes barely blinking as he winded up and threw the ball with all of his might. The satisfying sound of the crack of the bat as it hit the ball filled the air. Everyone in the crowd jumped to their feet, shouting cheers as Felix raced around the bases, and stopping on second as the ball was thrown back.
"That was a great hit," Robin said as he sat back down. His left hand instantly reached out to sit at the small of Zelena's back. The young red haired woman shifted uncomfortably and rubbed a hand over her large belly. Robin looked at her with concern. "Are you alright?"
Zelena forced a small smile, nodding. "I'll be fine. Just sitting on the bleachers combined with our little one moving around a lot today has me a bit uncomfortable. Nothing to worry about."
Robin eyed her a bit skeptically, but when she patted his thigh he turned his attention back to the game. Regine leaned forward to look past Robin at his new wife. She had noticed the small puddle at the woman's feet when the crowd had erupted earlier.
"It looks like your drink spilt when you stood to cheer. I'm going get Roland a hotdog. Would you like me to get you another? Lemon lime Powerade?"
Ever since Regina had overheard the talk that Emma had with Roland at the foot of the stairs, she had tried her hardest to hate the red-haired woman a little less than she already did. When she finally realized that Zelena was trying her best with the whole situation and that the poor woman really hadn't known that Robin was married when they started sleeping together, it made it a bit easier.
Once Zelena nodded and thanked Regina for getting her a new drink, she turned back to focus on the game. Storybrooke was up by one run for the time being, but there was still five innings to go. As the game progressed, Regina kept glancing over at Zelena. Robin was oblivious to what was happening, choosing to take Zelena's words to heart that nothing was wrong and that she would be fine. But from the way the woman kept shifted to the way she would wince and rub her stomach, Regina knew.
It was at the start of the seventh inning when Zelena suddenly gasped and gripped Robin's thigh tightly. He looked at her with wide eyes, waiting for an explanation. "The baby is coming."
"What?" His voice was nothing but confusion. "No you aren't. You're water didn't break." Regina rolled her eyes behind him.
Zelena nodded her head quickly. "Yes, it did. That wasn't my drink that spilt." Her fingers dug into his thigh more as another wave of pain washed over her. "I didn't want to say anything earlier because it's a big day for Henry. We should all be here for him. But I don't think I can wait any longer."
Regina's ears perked up. That was really thoughtful of Zelena. Maybe she could help the poor woman out. "What are you feeling right now?" she asked, digging her phone out of her purse to alert Emma to what was happening via text.
"I'm feeling a lot of pressure. Like I have to go to the bathroom."
Regina fingers moved faster across the keys, her eyes glancing up at the blonde down on the field as soon as she pressed send. She watched the smile bloom on Emma's face when she checked the message, and Regina watched that same smile quickly fade away as the message was read. Emma lifted her hand, beckoning Regina to do as she said she would in the message.
Regina turned to her younger son that was still completely absorbed in the game to know what was going on around him. "Roland, I want you to go down there and sit with Emma in the dugout."
"Why?"
"I have to go run an errand with your dad and Zelena. When the game is over, Emma is going to bring you and Henry meet us. That way you don't miss the game. How does that sound?"
Roland tilted his head side to side in thought. "Okay. And I'll be able to see the game closer."
"That you will." Regina said with a smile. She watched Roland make his way down the bleachers and to Emma's side before blowing the blonde a subtle kiss and heading to the car where Robin had already taken Zelena.
"Robin, you drive. I'll stay with her in the backseat," she said as she tossed her purse into the front seat and climbed into the back with Zelena.
Zelena let out a low groan as she held her stomach. "It hurts so much! Why does it hurt?!"
"Physics," Regina deadpanned, wanting to roll her eyes at the woman. "Big head, little hole."
Zelena tried her hardest to glare at Regina, but failed miserably. "It feels like it's coming out."
"What?!" Robin and Regina said in unison. They locked gazed through the rear view mirror, Robin's eyes pleading with Regina to do something.
Regina swallowed thickly before grabbing her purse and rummaging through it until she found her hand sanitizer. She didn't know what to do but figured it was a good start.
"Come on, Regina. Put that science degree to good use." Robin pressed.
"It's political science. Definitely not the same thing."
"You've had two kids. You should be a pro at this."
Regina turned back to Zelena, taking in the woman's pained face and death grip on the door handle. She tried recalling what had happened when Roland had been born, but that had been nine years prior.
"I'm just going to lift you skirt and check what's going on. Is that alright?" As Regina spoke, she lathered her hands with the sanitizer.
Zelena nodded, turned sideways on the seat so that her back was resting against the door, one foot resting on the floor and the other propped up on the seat. Regina reached for the bottom on the long flowy skirt, inching it up. She hadn't intended on spending her Saturday in the backseat of her ex-husbands car looking between his new wife's legs, yet here she was.
Her grip on the skirt tightened as she gasped upon seeing that the baby was indeed crowning. She cleared her throat, looking up at Zelena.
"The baby isn't going to wait until we get to the hospital. You're going to have to push."
Zelena nodded, but Regina could tell that she was terrified.
"I'm going as fast as I can, Zee. But you can do this. You are so strong, love." Robin said from the front seat, his eyes repeatedly checking the rear view mirror to look at her.
"Ready?" Regina asked. Zelena nodded, wrapping the seat belt around her fist so that she would have something to squeeze. "On the next contraction, go for it." Regina instructed, eyes still focusing on the head.
Zelena gritted her teeth as she bore down, trying to hold in her yells and having whimpers come out instead. Regina's eyes widened as she reached down to help guide the baby out and into the world. Soon she found herself cradling the squirming, crying baby against herself, completely in awe of that had just happened.
"It's a girl," she said, looking at Zelena before meeting Robin's gaze in the mirror again. "You got your daughter."
[SQ]
Two strikes. He only needed to throw one more strike and they would win the championship. He stretched his arms, shaking them out before grabbing the ball and launching it forward. Everything seemed to slow as the ball traveled from the pitcher's mound to home plate. The boy watched as the batter took a breath and swung with all his might, the bat passing just under the ball. The sound of the ball hitting the back-catcher's glove could be heard before the crowd erupted into cheers and Henry's teammates rushed towards him.
The teen was quickly hoisted up onto the shoulders of the boys he had grown up with as they all tried to tell him that he did a good job. Even Roland had run out to share his excitement while Emma had hung back to shake hands with the opposing team's coach.
It felt good to lead the boys to victory and to show the town that she was a competent coach. She remembered the whispered words that had passed behind her back when she had first taken the position. Most of the town had doubted her and wasn't too keen on a woman being the baseball coach.
The boys filed back into the dugout, eager to collect their gear before heading to the pizza parlor for their traditional celebration. Henry paused at the doorway while Roland collected his big brother's gear.
"Where did Mom go?" he asked, having noticed that Regina hadn't been in the stands for a while. He had also noticed that his dad and Zelena weren't their either, but he had already figured that they weren't going to stay for the whole game.
"She had to leave with your dad and Zelena around the seventh inning. She asked me to bring you and Roland meet them once the game finished."
Henry's face fell. "You mean she didn't even stay to watch us win?"
"Trust me. It was something that couldn't wait. Zelena-"
"Of course she had something to do with it!" Henry fumed as he cut Emma off. "She's always ruining something."
Emma raised a brow at Henry. "How about we just go meet them?"
The teen shrugged as she grabbed his gear from Roland, heading to Emma's bug. Roland followed excitedly, climbing into the backseat quickly. Henry sulked in the front seat the whole ride to the hospital, but instantly perked up when he saw where they were.
He turned to blink at Emma confused, but when he saw his mother walking towards them with blood covering her shirt, he quickly jumped out the car and rushed over to her.
"Mom, are you okay? What happened? Whose blood is that? Is it your blood? Are you hurt? What's going on?" As the questions continued to pour from his mouth, he circled around Regina, checking her for injuries.
Regina laughed softly, pulling her arm from Henry's grasp. "I'm fine. It's not my blood."
"Then what happened?!"
Regina shared a look with Emma before a small laugh escaped her. "I delivered your baby sister in the car on the way over here."
Henry was speechless and Roland just furrowed his brow. "But Daddy said it was going to be a boy. And that we were going to teach him how to play baseball."
Regina could see the disappointment in her son's eyes. "Just because she is a girl doesn't mean she can't play baseball. Look at Emma."
Roland's face instantly lit up. "Yeah, and she's good, too!"
"Wait." Henry said, his mouth finally having caught up with his brain. "So like, you delivered the baby? Caught it and everything?"
Regina glanced down at her ruined shirt. "Yes, Henry, I would say so."
"That's so cool!"
Regina chuckled, shaking her head at her son. "They are in room 209 if you want to take you brother and go see them."
Henry nodded and called for Roland to follow him before the two disappeared behind the sliding doors. Regina turned to Emma with both eyebrows lifted and her lips slightly pursed off to the side.
"Not exactly how I thought the day would so, but still fairly rewarding."
Emma moved closer to her, not caring about the dirty shirt as she pulled Regina in for a hug. "How many people can say that they delivered a baby in a car?"
"I know. It sounds so bizarre when you say it out loud." Regina looked down at the shirt once more. "You wouldn't happen to have an extra one in your car, would you?"
Emma shook her head, but reached for the hem of her shirt to pull it over her head, revealing the tank top underneath. "This should so."
Regina graciously took the shirt and pulled it on over her ruined on. "I'll get it back to you tomorrow."
Emma shook her head once more. "There's no rush. But you could bring it by when you come over for dinner. We won."
"And I missed it. Damn, Robin. Always causing trouble for me." She smiled as she spoke, letting Emma know that she wasn't completely serious.
"I'll let it slide. Given the circumstances and all. Let's head inside before they wonder where you are."
When the two women entered the room, Regina felt her heart melt at the sight. Henry was sitting next to Roland, showing him how to properly hold his new sister. Roland's tongue was just barely poking out from between his lips as he concentrated on his older brother's instructions. Both boys looked up at the same time and smiled.
"Mommy, look. Henry taught me how to hold Robyn so I don't drop her."
Regina turned to raise an eyebrow at her ex-husband.
"It's Robyn with a 'y'. Zelena's idea since we were going to name him after me. Except she isn't a he."
Regina turned to Zelena. "I think it's a beautiful name." She watched as the younger woman's eyes instantly lit up at the compliment.
It felt odd, though, to be standing in the room with both her new girlfriend and her ex-husband, watching as their boys fell in love with their new sister. She was happy for them, yet she couldn't stop her mind from playing back to the child that they lost and how it really should've been here there with Robin by her side. But that would also have meant that Emma would not be in the picture, and that thought hurt her too.
Emma noticed the confliction of emotions crossing Regina's face and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. When saddened mocha colored eyes met her own green ones, the blonde spoke up.
"I'm going to take Regina home so she can shower and change. We'll be back later to pick up the boys."
As Regina was lead from the room, she felt relief wash over her. "Thank you," she said softly. "I think I just needed to get out of there. Too many 'what ifs' going through my mind."
"I could see it in your eyes. They're very expressive, you know."
They walked to the bug in silence, the deafening lack of noise only being broken once they were safely inside the vehicle. Regina turned in her seat to look at Emma.
"So, about that dinner tomorrow night?"