AN: Hey, some of you might be busy with Zimbio, but I thought I would still post this. As of this chapter I'm writing ch 23 and also planing to finish Silver and Gold. I think I'll write two more chapters for that one and publish them. Anyway hope you like this chapter

The week went relatively slow for Emma, mainly because when you have just one more box to file before you can go on holiday, one losses motivation, focus and patience. Still she managed to add to the e-database the last paper record in the sheriff office. She called Regina to tell her the good news, to which the brunette joked asking Emma when would she like to start on the city hall records. It took the blonde a few seconds to figure out her lover was only joking, which in turn made her laugh and roll her eyes at herself for falling for it.

They decided to have a baby shower next Saturday and Emma decided she won't keep it a secret. If people overheard about it so be it. As it was Ruby and Elsa were discussing the details of decorating for the baby shower as Regina gave them creative control over the decorations. Unknown to both of them Snow came in and heard them talk about it.

"So do we go with yellow?"

"Well, Regina said Emma likes yellow, but I'm thinking yellow and purple for both mothers."

"Hmm not a bad idea. Purple and yellow are a good combination."

"Yes. The nursery is just so cute."

Snow didn't order anything and she left Granny's intent on talking to Emma. She couldn't help but feel furious at the idea that she was not even invited to the shower and it was less than two weeks away. But as her fury started to subside she realised that perhaps the shower was kept a secret from Emma. But it was already too late as she was inside the station, Emma looking up at her.

"Mary Margaret, how can I help?" Snow flinched at the use of her name. No mom, or not even MM. It really hurt.

"Is David here?" she asked not knowing what else to say. She no longer knew how to speak with Emma.

"He's on patrol? Is it urgent? I could call him."

"No it's not urgent."

"Okay."

Snow looked closer to her daughter. By her calculations the blonde should be eight months pregnant now. She looked beautiful. So beautiful it made her eyes water. Something that didn't escape the sheriff's notice.

"MM, are you sure you're okay?"

Snow looked up meeting Emma's worried gaze.

"You look so beautiful, Emma."

For her part Emma started to feel quite emotional, tears forming in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Emma cursed her hormones once again.

"Thank you."

"How have you been?"

"Good, it's officially my last day."

"Your last day? Where are you going?" Snow was nothing but alarmed. David didn't tell her anything. Was her baby girl leaving the town?

"Just going on maternity leave. Regina suggested I go on leave earlier and to be honest I would love to not worry about waking up early and being forced to sit in a chair for hours."

"That's a good idea."

"Yeah."

They both look around the office. Emma thought it was now or never that she could invite her mother at the baby shower.

"Umm, would you like to come to the baby shower next Saturday?"

Snow looked up meeting Emma's gaze once again. The happiness the request created was evident on the older woman's face.

"I would love too."

"It won't be any crazy games, or anything over the top. Rafael and Anna and Caroline will be there."

"Caroline?"

"Zelena's daughter."

"Oh I thought her name was..." but she didn't manage to finish as Emma interrupted.

"I know. Caroline is her middle name."

"Oh," it was all she could say. For some reason Emma was avoiding the first name like the plague.

"Yeah."

"I'm surprised you know about the baby shower."

"Oh, yeah, Elsa brought it up with me. Then it's also the logistics with the kids."

"You know, David could look after the kids," Snow looked hopeful, as she pulled a chair and sat down. She was volunteering David on sitter duties without him knowing but she was sure he would not object.

"Yeah, thanks for the offer. Errr, Rafael doesn't do well around strangers. He..." Emma stops unsure whether she should continue. Rafael does indeed act up if he's left with adults. Perhaps he's afraid that he'll be left behind, abandoned by yet another family. Emma knows the feeling too well.

"Well, I mean, you could bring them over for dinner."

Emma cringes at the mention of dinner. Snow notices and is quick to clarify.

"No, I promise, it's just dinner so the kids can get to know us. Nothing more. Beside you and Regina won't have to think about cooking for one night."

The prospect of Regina being invited made Emma consider the possibility.

"When?"

"Whenever you want."

"Umm, I'll have to check with Regina and see how our schedules go."

"That's okay."

She grabs Emma's hand in her own and the gesture has Emma freeze for a second before she relaxes.

"How have you been lately, Emma?"

"I've been okay. I mean as okay as you can be when eight months pregnant."

"Yeah, it's not very comfortable. My feet were very swollen both when I was pregnant with you and with your brother. But at least your father massaged them, so I can't complain."

Emma smiles a bit at the thought. She remembers Snow being pregnant with Neal.

"Yeah, it's not bad with the massage. Regina gives a pretty good foot and back rub." Her smile turns to a very fond one that makes Snow smile in return. She's about to say something about how Regina better take care of the blonde, but then she remembers Emma doesn't react too well to anyone badmouthing the brunette. Snow looks at Emma with a critical eye but she's pleased to note that Emma looks really good. The clothes she wears are not floral but they're incredibly tasteful and give Emma a very feminine air, which pleases the brunette to no end. Maybe there's still hope for the blonde, but she won't voice those thoughts out loud. They'll just push Emma away once again.

Her thoughts are interrupted by the blonde's phone ringing. The blonde's smile becomes quite big as she looks at the called ID. She excuses herself before she answers the call.

"Hi," her voice is cheerful, all tension gone. A pause as the person at the other end says something.

"I've been good. We all have." another pause.

"Yes, once again thank you for the wonderful gifts..." a pause... "I haven't managed to go through them yet."

"No, I can't tell her. As soon as I ask the answer is 'NO'. She's never told me 'NO' faster in all the time I knew her. I told her she shouldn't be shy about it but she's gets incredibly flustered."

Emma listens to the person on the other end and Snow watches her really close. True to read Emma's body language. Despite the words Emma seems amused by the conversation.

"You seem very confident. Have you met Regina? If she finds out I might as well make the couch my new home," she let's out a laugh at that.

"I don't make any promises. Prepare for her to block you," another laugh.

"Yo no ablo Ingles," and Emma doubles laughing at her own reply.

"Hey now. I didn't hack. She gave me the passwords."

"Oh look you're loosing signal," a bark of laughter from Emma.

"I am hilarious," Emma has a continuous smile on her face and that's something Snow hasn't seen Emma have in a long time, or ever. There's always an edge, a wall when she speaks with people and it seems whoever this person is, it has Emma react in a way Snow has never seen it. She feels hope bloom in her chest. Maybe it's not too late at all for her daughter.

"Okay, take care," Snow was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't see Emma approach the end of the conversation.

"Yeah, talk to you later. Say hello to Kelsie," Emma's tone is quite smug. A small pause and Emma let's out a bark of laughter.

"Oh, darling, you have no idea what I'm capable of," she says that in a very evil queen tone, that makes shivers run down Snow's back.

"Okay. Ciao."

Emma closes the phone and let's out an amused giggle. She turns around and sees Snow look at her curiously and her expression sobers instantly to Snow's disappointment.

"That looked like a very entertaining call."

"Oh yeah. B is hilarious."

"B?"

"Barbara. We met in New York over dinner. She's one of Regina's friends."

"Barbara?" it was like someone threw a bucket of ice cold water over Snow. Emma sees her reaction, subtle as it is, and her eyes narrow.

"You thought it was a man, didn't you?"

"Well, when you said darling..." Snow trails off.

"It was said more as banter. She calls everyone that."

"Oh."

"You don't have to worry about her. She has a girlfriend," Emma pays really close attention to Snow as she says this. Snow's eyes widden all of a sudden but then her features become unreadable. Emma would laugh at the reaction if she didn't find it infuriating.

"You know, Ruby and Dorothy will be at the baby shower," Emma puts it out on the table.

"I know."

"Okay. Just wanted you to know that. In case..."

"I don't have a problem with Ruby and Dorothy," Emma lifts an eyebrow at Snow's statement "I am not homophobic, Emma."

If possible Emma's eyebrows went higher. She wanted to laugh. Snow was probably okay with Ruby and Dorothy but she definitely wasn't okay with Emma being gay. She knew that much. She was okay as long as it didn't affect Snow personally.

"Your reaction when I told you I spoke with a woman that I had called darling would disagree with your statement."

"What other people do it's their business."

"But not what I do, right?"

"Emma, I just don't think...," she trails off trying to calm down "I want what's best for you. I want you to have a family, a loving husband and children. Is it wrong?"

"I have children. I have 3 children and one on the way," Snow opened her mouth to object but Emma was faster "blood doesn't make a family. Love does. Why shouldn't Anna and Rafael have a loving family? Regina is no less Henry's mother than I am."

"Emma, it's not what I meant," she takes a deep breath "I'm trying really hard here to accept that this is what you want. To play house with Regina."

"I'm not playing."

"Is this what you really want? What happens if a year or two down the track Regina meets a man and falls in love with him?"

"Yeah, that won't happen."

"What happens if you fall for someone?"

"Won't happen either."

"You seem confident, Emma. I learned to never say never."

"I can assure you it won't happen."

Snow realised that the discussion was getting heated. She had to stop it before it got to a point where Emma would stop speaking with her for months again.

"I just want you to be happy. That's all I want. I can't say I like your choice, and I won't pretend I'm happy with it, but it's your choice."

Emma's phone vibrated with a text from Regina. She was quick to grab it off the table so Snow wouldn't see.

Regina❤️: Is everything okay?

Emma typed a quick reply that everything was fine. She let out a breath she didn't know she held. Her emotions must have gotten out of control if Regina felt them once again.

"Look, I know I agreed to have dinner at your place, but I'm not sure it's a good idea. I mean, you obviously don't see the twins as part of your family. I'm disappointed, but I don't want my children to pick up on all this negativity that's between us."

"Emma, I can assure you I will be on my best behaviour around them. I want to get to know them. You obviously feel very strong about them and I respect that."

"Of course I feel strong about them. They're my kids." In those moments Emma felt nothing but disgust for being related to Snow White. What she said next startled both Snow and herself.

"They are more my kids than I am your child."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Snow didn't like what Emma was implying.

"You know very well what I mean."

"Why do we always end up fighting Emma? We were never like this. But I swear, ever since you moved in with Regina we've done nothing but fight. It's almost as of she's turning you against me."

"Well, she's not. I just feel more safe in expressing my thoughts, knowing I can go home to a family that loves and accepts me and I don't have to fake who I am and what I want so I would be accepted and loved. After all its not like it worked is it?"

"I do love you Emma."

"You sought out to replace me with another baby. I was not enough for you and you wanted a do over. You said so. And then you went and named my brother Neal not even considering how I feel about the name. Even Zelena has more consideration for my feelings than you do about me."

"It seemed fitting."

"Well it's not. I don't want to think about the man who sent me to prison every time I think of my brother."

"He was Henry's father."

"He sent me to jail because he didn't want to face his father. He sent me to jail and never bothered to check up on me. And you named my brother after a man that hurt me when I was at my most vulnerable."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't change stuff does it?" at this point Emma was crying.

"Oh honey." Snow goes to embrace Emma and the blonde lets her do so without any protest.

Unknown to both women Regina poofed to the sheriff station, not believing that Emma was fine. She could feel the distress roll off the blonde in waves. Seeing the scene before her however gave her pause. In a way she wanted to intervene because Emma was crying and hurting but maybe, perhaps the two women could mend their broken relationship.

"I've been an orphan and I've been abandoned and no one wanted me. I never had a family growing up. And finally I'm able to give two kids that, and you're judging me and my life choices. And I know you think they're not my real kids so why do I care, but I care because they are my kids okay? And I have a family that loves me. It just really hurts that you don't care and you act as if you don't love me. "

"But I do love you Emma. I love you so much. I really want what's best for you."

Emma shakes her head.

"You didn't make any effort to mend your relationship with me."

"I thought that's what you wanted."

"When Henry was a little shit to Regina, she still fought for him, still told him she loved him, still tried to be with him."

"Honey, I'm still learning. You came into my life as an adult and I don't always know how to act. I've still got so much to learn. But I never wanted to hurt you. Please believe me when I say this." Snow drops a kiss to the top of Emma's head as the blonde clutches to her mother. When Emma looks up she sees Regina stand there and gives her a weak smile from behind Snow's embrace. Regina only inclines her head, the worry slowly disappearing from her face and she poofs away. Emma sighs in relief. Even if everything turned to custard she still had Regina.

Then she thought how her mind automatically said custard instead of shit. Watching her language around the kids meant that she no longer spoke vulgar and apparently now she didn't even think of what one would consider vulgar words. Except of course when in bed, naked, with Regina.

She pulls away from Snow's embrace, and the brunette lifts her hands to wipe away Emma's tears and kiss her forehead. It reminds Emma of the scene at the town line when she and Henry were about to leave to escape the curse.

"So, tell me, since you're aware of the baby shower, do you have a present in mind you want to receive, like a list, or it's whatever people think you might need?"

"It's whatever people might think we need."

"Ahhh, I have less than two weeks."

Emma smiles at her reaction.

"Don't stress."

"Emma, I'm the grandma. There are rules to being a grandma. You'll see."

"No thanks. I'm too young."

"Really?" Snow says lifting an eyebrow.

"Really. The years have been very kind on you. You look amazing for a 60 year old." Emma let's out a bark of laughter at that. Snow narrows her eyes at her daughter.

"I dare you to say that to Regina."

"What makes you think I didn't?"

"You did? And you're alive?"

"Yeah. I'm surprised as well. Must be the fact that I have four kids with her."

"Probably," the brunette gets lost in thought. There's just something there, she just can't put her finger on it.

"Although, she did leave the almonds off a home made bear-claw."

"Wow, how cruel of her." Snow says mockingly and she snorts in reply.

"I know. It was still good, but I can only imagine how good it would have been with the almonds. Ugh now I crave bear-claws."

Snow was amused by Emma's story.

"Do you want me to go to Granny's to bring you one?"

"Yes, please. That would be great. I really, really want one."

"Okay, wait here and I'll come back as soon as possible."

With that Snow made her way out of the sheriff station intent on bringing her daughter the much craved bear-claw. Emma knew that even if they made a step forward, Snow was still not ready to accept all of Emma. She knew that from experience, yet she hoped that maybe, some day, her mother and her dad will get there, will get to a place where Emma could comfortably tell them she was in a relationship with another woman, with Regina of all people. Emma's mind then started to wonder to her fiancée so she sent her a quick text message.

Emma: Thank you for poofing in to check up on me. I think we are at a good point. She went to buy me a bear-claw.

A few seconds after the text message was sent, Regina's signature purple smoke becomes visible in the middle of the office.

"Hey," Emma's face is an expression of pure happiness.

"Hey," Regina approaches her and after she makes sure no one sees dips her head down to give Emma a quick peck on the lips.

She takes a seat in the chair Snow vacated and grabs Emma's hands giving them a gentle squeeze.

"Umm, yeah, so mom invited us for dinner," Regina lifts an eyebrow not believing what she hears. The gall Snow has to still do the matchmaker thing after all this time. Emma must have seen the look on Regina's face because she was quick to clarify.

"She invited all of us, you included, so they could spend some time with the twins. She offered to have David look after the twins while we have the baby shower. I mentioned that the kids won't stay with them because they don't know them, hence the dinner invitation. What do you think?"

"What do I think? What do you think Emma?"

"I asked first."

Regina rolls her eyes.

"Not like that. I mean they're your parents so you get to decide. I'm fine with whatever you decide. This is your call."

"I kinda want to go?" Emma's unsure and she sort of a crunches her nose when she replies.

"Then we will go."

"Really? Just like that?"

"Yes. Why are you asking?"

"It's just that... I don't know," the blonde looks away lowering her gaze to the floor.

"Emma" Regina's voice is soft as she gently lifts Emma's head so they can look in each other's eyes, "I want you to be happy. If this makes you happy then it's more than fine by me. Okay?"

"Yeah."

"How's everything coming along?"

"Good. Almost everything is done. I was working on the rosters and all that. David will be the acting sheriff since he has the most experience. So everything missing will be up to him to fix."

They continued to talk and have a good time together. Somehow Regina ended up massaging Emma's swollen feet and that was the position Snow found them when she returned with the bear-claw. She stopped outside the door, making sure neither woman would see her.

"... And then I told her how you left the almonds of the bear-claw."

From her vantage point, Snow could see the both women, saw them interact, could see the fond look that was on Emma's face as she looked down at Regina, who was crouched in front of her, giving the blonde a foot rub. Snow never thought she would see the day Regina would kneel before someone and do all those things, yet here she was making sure Snow's own daughter was content. It was perhaps because Emma was carrying this baby on Regina's behalf. It had to be. Regina was probably only showing her gratitude. Yet... maybe there was something more. Maybe this friendship they had was stronger than anything.

Snow decides she's seen enough and makes her presence known. Emma's face lights up and Snow is knows for sure that it's all because of the bear claw.

Snow hands her the bag that holds the treat and Emma wastes no time in tearing into it to eat it.

"Regina, it's nice to see you."

"Hello, Snow."

"So Regina," Emma attempts to speak with a full mouth.

"Emma, finish that. I don't want it in my hair."

Emma sends her a glare, but chews the bear-claw and then swallows audibly only to choke on the pastry. Regina rolls her eyes but grabs the bottle of water off the desk, unscrew the cap and gives it to Emma. The blonde takes it and drinks, yet as she coughs some food does end up on Regina. The mayor brushes it off a mild look of disgust on her face.

"I thought the eat slowly was implied," Regina deadpans but she's smiling despite the tone of voice.

Having stopped coughing Emma takes a deep breath and clears her throat to draw attention back to herself. Not that she ever lost it to start with.

"So... as I was saying, I told Regina you invited us to dinner and she agreed to it. We haven't decided on a day but..."

"I mean if you two have no other plans we could do it tonight?"

Emma turns her attention to Regina expectantly. The brunette picks up her phone to look at her calendar and make sure they have noting scheduled, either for themselves or for the children.

"Tonight seems to be free."

"Perfect. Okay I'll leave you two to it. I have to go," with that Snow picks up her purse and leaves the sheriff station.

"Well, I guess she's eager?" Emma says looking towards the door her mother just went through.

"As she should be."

"Yeah, I guess," a pause "hey don't you think she had a good reaction to you massaging my feet?"

"You mean no reaction right?" Regina asks and Emma only shrugs in reply. "I'm sure she thinks I'm just a good friend and I'm doing this because you're carrying my baby."

"I am carrying your baby. Your baby that still hasn't moved from my bladder and thinks my kidney is an awesome soccer ball," Emma winces as Sofia chose that exact moment to kick Emma as if she knew they were talking about her. Regina let's out a laugh but when she sees Emma wince she instantly quiets down and looks concerned at her lover.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Sofia just decided to demonstrate my point. Not like I didn't know already."

"Well, look at it in a positive light," Emma lifts an eyebrow in challenge and Regina continues, "she's eager to prove you right," at that Regina let's out a laugh. Emma crosses her arms and looks on unimpressed at her.

Regina looks around and seeing that the coast is clear leans in and kisses Emma's lips. Emma's more than happy to accept the kiss, and lifts her right hand to wrap it around Regina's neck and pull her in closer.

Regina feels a presence behind them and she pulls away only to be met with the amused sight of her sister. She scrambles away from Emma mortified that they've been discovered. Zelena has magic, there's no way they can do anything to make her forget.

"Well, don't stop on my behalf."

tbc

AN: Let me know what you think. Your reviews are much appreciated