After endless hours biting their nails and pacing the floors, the family was put out of their misery. The words, "She's here!" echoed down the linoleum corridors, followed by the fast-paced, stomping of feet. Henry came skittering into the waiting room in blue scrubs and tore of his mask; he wore a smile so big, his face almost broke. "Maya's ok! We're parents!" he cheered.
The entire clan, not just the Swan-Mills, rose out of their chairs and surrounded Henry; claps on the shoulder, hugs, congratulations, and kisses were exchanged as they all greeted the new father. The euphoria that accompanied a new life was all around the tiny room, apparent in the boisterous celebrations; it filled their spirits, a natural intoxication.
"Can we see them?" Dani asked longingly, stuck in the middle of the crowd.
"Yeah, but just three at a time," Henry said. "New rule. Moms." Without missing a beat, Regina and Emma dug their way out of the blob and met their son. "Faith, you too," he beckoned, still breathless from his sprint. "You guys ok with that? You'll get a turn, I swear," he addressed his younger siblings. Dani and the twins nodded quickly and made room for the tall blonde to squeeze through. Henry put a hand on her back and grinned at his sister, "Wanna meet your niece?"
When they got to the room, Maya was propped up against the stiff hospital mattress, a small bundle in her arms. The overhead lights were off, but the shades were opened and a tidal wave of sunlight broke through the slats. They were the perfect spotlight for the newest addition to their growing tribe.
Tired, but elated, Maya couldn't take her eyes off her little girl. Nine months of waiting, and she was finally here. All of the new mother's fears had bubbled to the surface, but so did her passion and adoration. She'd never held such a small person before, but she still knew what to do.
"Guys, meet Malina Faith Swan-Mills," Henry announced eagerly. He carefully lifted his daughter and stuck a pinky in her flailing hands. She wore a pink hat had been given to the infant by the hospital and was swaddled in a matching blanket. Henry brought his child over to his parents and Faith, all of whom were sublimely touched by the sentiment. Regina and Emma hadn't exactly been in the most stable mindset the first time Henry had told them; not enough to fully appreciate it.
"Oh, Henry, she's absolutely beautiful! Just like her mother," Regina exalted. As Henry placed her first grandchild into her arms, she and Emma cooed over the newborn. It'd been a while since they'd been around anyone so young. The last time was with Faith.
"I- I thought she wasn't going to have a middle name," the younger blonde woman stuttered.
"She wasn't," Maya agreed. "But, we wanted her to be called after the strongest women we know; that includes you, Faith." Henry sat at the edge of the bed, and nodded along as he held laced his fingers with Maya; their wedding bands glinted under the rays of the sun.
"Actually, we wanted to name her after her God-mother, too," he hinted. Faith sucked in a breath, now completely speechless. "You know, if you'd be willing."
The small creature under the shroud gurgled quietly and tiny bubbles of spit flowed from her mouth. She had a patch brown hair under her cap, just like Henry. But, when she opened her eyes, everyone knew they were Maya's; bronze, enchanting, endearing. There was a budding indentation in her chin, and Emma had a guess as to where she'd gotten that. Malina already had the rest of the room's devotion and she was less than an hour old.
"So, what do you think, Faith?" Maya smirked hopefully. "How does being a God-mother sound to you?"
"Do you wanna hold her?" Regina asked her daughter, who's lips moved but no sound escaped.
Faith had zoned out after she heard what her brother and sister had told her. It all felt too surreal for any of it to be true. Did Henry and Maya really think she was that strong? Sure, she hadn't lost control over the last three full moons. There was no sign of her having any usable magic or powers, which also decreased the risk in her mind. But, there was still so much for her to learn. She didn't want to jinx anything.
Before she could protest, Faith found herself clutching her niece, suddenly deathly afraid that she'd drop her. "Wait- I—" but she cut herself off when she realized Malina was staring intently at the her, and eventually, smiling. Missing teeth and a curious tongue made the infant's expression all the more heartwarming. It was as if she was saying, "Hey, I know you." Henry and Maya had made it a point to talk to her in the womb, and they brought up Faith pretty often.
"I think someone loves their aunt," Henry observed.
Malina threw an empty fist into the air and started fussing, but soon calmed down once Faith gave her a finger to grip. In seconds, the baby had fallen asleep. "Ok," Faith finally said as she peered down at the vulnerable soul in her embrace. "I'll do it," she told the new parents. "I- I'd be honored to be her God-mother." Henry and Maya broke out in infectious gaiety and let Faith have a little more time with Malina. Emma hugged Regina at her waist and set her chin in the crook of her neck; the mothers couldn't stop watching the interaction. With a multitude of emotions bubbling within her, Faith leaned forward and kissed her God-daughter gingerly. "Welcome to the family, Malina."
A/N - And that's a wrap on "The Price of Magic!" Thanks so much for all of your great reviews/follows/favorites! I hope you all enjoyed the story! By the looks of it, you all liked "We'll Always Have Storybrooke." I'll try and update that ASAP, but there's also another short story (I promise, it's short) in the works that may or may not include a familiar face ;-) Thanks again, dearies! You're all awesome!