A/N: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you're able to spend today with the ones you love. I thought you'd all appreciate an update today hopefully. As always enjoy!
She looked at the blonde sitting across from her, through her tear soaked eyes she was the most beautiful blurry blonde she had ever seen. She traced the letters of the title again with her fingertips, What to Expect When You're Expecting, before a hand reached out for hers.
"Are you ok babe?" Emma asked softly.
Regina nodded her head slightly before she croaked out, "Are you sure?"
Emma's eyes filled with tears and a smile lit up her face before she answered with a simple, "Yes."
"H-how? When?"
"Magic I think. Snow says it's possible when two really powerful magical beings find true love."
"So your mother knows?" Regina choked out.
Emma had been prepared for this, she knew Regina wouldn't take it well if she thought she told Snow before she told her, but that was why she never told Snow one way or the other what had happened after she took the pregnancy test.
"She suspects, that's all."
Regina released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She was the first to know. Her girlfriend was pregnant and she was the first to know, she was going to be a mother again but this time she knew it would be different. She could stay at home with the baby and not have to worry about work and she would get to raise it with Emma. Her heart soared at the thought.
"You're really pregnant?" she said through a fresh round of tears.
Emma nodded as tears began to roll down her cheeks, "I really am."
Regina jumped on her then, careful not to land fully on Emma's stomach and peppered her face with kisses. She planted a kiss directly over Emma's heart and said, "I couldn't be happier." Emma ran her fingers through short brown locks as Regina kissed her way down Emma's body. She attacked Emma's stomach with even more kisses and spoke directly to Emma's belly when she said, "And I can't wait to meet you little one."
When Emma woke the next morning she pinched her thigh, wondering if yesterday had just been a dream, but the pinch hurt and when she looked down to see Regina's hand splayed out protectively over her stomach she knew. It definitely wasn't a dream and she was definitely pregnant.
She sighed contentedly and drew small circles on Regina's lower back thinking about how far she'd come in the past 2 years. She went from moving every few months, to Boston, to Henry to Storybrooke. From fighting dragons to breaking curses to falling in love with the former Evil Queen. Her life had always been filled with adventure, it was just never the kind she thought she'd share with anybody let alone a family of her own and a new baby on the way. The old panic tried to strike again but she pushed it as far as down as she could, she wouldn't be needing that anymore. She had the love of her life and the family she had always dreamed of.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Regina quietly asked bringing Emma out of her reverie.
"I was just thinking about how unreal all of this is. Amazing. Wonderful. But unreal all the same." She turned her head to see Regina give her a sleepy smile.
"So was I," the brunette admitted, "but it doesn't mean I want it any less."
"I wouldn't change things for the world," Emma said as she leaned over to give Regina a kiss. "What about you?"
Regina thought about everything that had changed for her over the past 2 years and a small sad smile graced her lips.
"Me either," she said quietly.
Emma sat up a bit and looked down at the beautiful woman next to her. "What's wrong Gina?"
"Nothing," she replied a little too quickly.
"Hey come on," Emma said wrapping Regina tighter in her arms. "You can tell me anything, you know that."
"Honestly it's nothing, don't worry."
Emma stayed quiet contemplating what could be wrong, and then it hit her. "You can carry the next one babe, I promise."
"How did you—"
"I figured it out," Emma said smiling.
"You have to believe I couldn't be happier. It's just…I want to know what it feels like too," Regina said quietly.
"And you will, I promise. We made magic together once, we can do it again." Emma pressed a kiss to Regina's temple and smoothed her hair back. "We will find a way to get you pregnant because I believe you would be the most beautiful pregnant woman in the world."
"What about Henry?"
"I don't think being pregnant would really suit him," Emma replied which earned her a playful smack on the arm. "We can tell him whenever you want to. Do you think he'll take it well?"
Regina gave a snort of laughter before she said, "When he was younger he used to bed me for a little brother or sister until I explained to him that I needed a man in my life to make that happen. Then he would puff up his chest real big and say 'I'm a man mama.' He never did understand why that made me laugh so much. But then he got older and slowly started hating me and I couldn't bear the thought of having 2 children that hated me, so I pushed the thought from my mind."
"And now?" Emma asked unsure.
"And now," Regina started before kissing Emma deeply, "I'm more sure than anything."
They decided to tell Henry and Snow together at dinner that night. Emma had been adamant that Charming was not welcome and for once neither Snow nor Henry argued.
Emma and Henry spend the afternoon playing video games together, even though Emma was worse than Regina, Henry never complained, he liked spending time with his mom. But when Emma burst into tears with no real explanation as to why, Henry jumped up suddenly remembering he offered to help Regina with dinner.
A few minutes later Regina entered the den to find Emma sobbing uncontrollably at the television screen filled with zombies. Regina ran her hand over Emma's head, smoothing her hair back as she gathered Emma into her arms. "Shh, it's ok dear. It's just a game."
"I-I-I know but the zombies…they ate all my sunflowers," Emma said through her hiccups.
"Well that's the point dear," Regina chuckled lightly not wanting to upset Emma even more. She looked around the room to make sure Henry wasn't standing just outside the door before she leaned in close and whispered, "Were you like this with Henry too?"
Emma took a deep breath to clear away the hiccups from her crying before she answered, "No, I was angry all the time. I had just been locked up and then I found out I was pregnant and I was just angry. Angry at Neal and at the world that seemed out to get me."
Regina squeezed Emma closer to her and gave her a reassuring kiss on the temple. "Well this time will be different. You have me love, and together we will get through this."
When Snow arrived that night for dinner she could hardly contain her excitement. She stood bouncing on her toes as she waited for someone, anyone, to answer the door. She quickly schooled her features through as the door opened and Henry stood there smiling up at her.
"Hi gram!"
"Henry hi, how are you?" she asked as she wrapped him up in her arms.
He squeezed back tightly before he let go and moved to the side to let her in. "I'm god, but watch out for mom, she's been crying off and on all day."
"Oh?" Snow asked feigning surprise. "Is she ok?"
"Yeah she's fine, it's probably PMS or something," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Yeah probably. Where are your moms anyway?"
"They're in the kitchen."
Snow started to walk away but before she got too far Henry grabbed her hand. "How's grandpa?" he whispered.
Snow bobbed her head up and down as she said, "He's ok. He misses you and your mom."
"Don't you mean moms?"
"I'm working on it Henry, I promise."
He nodded his head, accepting it for what it was, the best he was going to get, and then he grabbed Snow's hand and lead her back toward the kitchen.
"So there's a reason I asked Snow over for dinner and it wasn't just to spend time with her although that was nice too." Regina reached over and squeezed Emma's hand, she wanted the blonde to feel her support. They had spent all morning talking about the pregnancy; what they wanted, both agreed a girl but they would be happy regardless, what names they might pick out and how they were going to tell Henry. Again they agreed that the best way to handle it would be to just be straightforward and honest with him. Regina's anxiety was running a little high but she was hoping for the best with all of this. She also knew though that all the strength she had would be good for Emma too which is why she gave her hand a little squeeze before she continued. "Henry there's really no easy way to say this so I'm just gonna out and say it. I'm pregnant."
Emma took a deep breath as she let those words settle in. She chanced a look at Snow whose smile was taking over her entire face. She looked at Regina sitting next to her, but she was staring intently at Henry waiting for a reaction. After five minutes of silence Snow chose the opportunity to say, "Well I think it's wonderful! Congratulations you two, really." She got up and walked around the table to envelop both of them in a hug.
After they all sat back down Regina looked at her son and started to worry. He still hadn't said anything, she was sure he was going to be happy though. She was almost positive he would be elated at the news of him finally being a big brother.
"Henry dear? Are you ok?"
He snapped back to reality after Regina addressed him but he still had a faraway look in his eyes.
"Did you…you didn't cheat on my mom did you?" he asked quietly.
"What?! No Henry I didn't cheat on your mom."
"Well then how are you pregnant?"
All 3 women in the room exchanged a look, Emma and Regina hadn't prepared for the "how" question to come from him.
"Magic," Regina supplied letting the word hang in the air.
"Oh you mean—"
"Magic," Regina said again with finality.
Henry's entire face lit up then as he jumped up from his chair and rushed around to the other side of the table wrapping an arm around Regina and Emma both, squishing all of their faces together.
The sound of a camera shutter brought their attention to Snow who was holding up her phone looking innocent. "What? I thought you'd want to remember this moment."
"This is so awesome," Henry exclaimed. "I get to be a big brother finally! Do we know what it is yet?"
"Not yet kid," Emma laughed, "I'm guessing I'm only about 3 months along if that. But you can be there when we find out if you want."
"Cool."
"Snow, if you wouldn't mind can we keep this to just us for a little while?" Regina asked, unsure if she should be putting her trust in the woman sitting across from her again or not.
Snow looked just as shocked at the question and who was asking it but she wasn't going to ruin this special time for her daughter or her family. "Of course Regina, and thank you for trusting me again. I know it's not easy but—"
"It's a work in progress," Regina cut in, smiling to take the edge off her words.
"That includes Charming. If and when I decide to tell him is up to me," Emma supplied.
Snow took a minute longer to reply this time, this was such an exciting day but she also understood how deeply Emma had been hurt and she accepted that this was Emma's news to tell. "Ok, I'll let you tell your father when you're ready. But I wouldn't wait too long to tell him after you start telling other people. He'll find out sooner or later."
"I know," Emma said as she placed a hand over her stomach, "but it needs to be on my time. When I can trust him again."
Regina was laying on Emma's chest listening to her heartbeat, slowly falling asleep until Emma broke the silence.
"I think Henry took the news ok, don't you?"
"Of course he did dear. Didn't you hear how excited he was?"
"Yeah but I was still nervous."
Regina lifter her head to look deep into emerald green eyes, "You have absolutely nothing to be nervous about. You have us. We will take care of you and I have a feeling Henry will make a wonderful big brother when the time comes."
"Yeah you're right babe," Emma said.
"I know I am," Regina said before she gave Emma a long goodnight kiss. "Now get some sleep, we have a lot to do tomorrow." She leaned down and kissed Emma's stomach, "Good night little one. I can't wait to meet you." She placed a protective hand over Emma's belly and her head over Emma's heart again. She would protect both of them at any cost, even in sleep.