More Than She Wanted

Nightly Cravings:

Regina is rather rudely awakened in the dead of night. At first, she's not sure why she is awake, but then she realizes that she's hungry. Again. It's 4 in the morning, and she's hungry. Splendid.

Maleficent is fast asleep next to her, with her golden hair spread all over the pillow, and Regina quietly scoots out of the bed not to wake her. She puts on a bathrobe and tiptoes out of the bedroom, and silently closes the door behind her. No reason to wake Mal.

Regina passes the half-done nursery on her way to the kitchen, and peaks into the room. A couple of more things, and they will be completely done. They already have two cribs, and a twin stroller. The actually just need to fill the closet with baby clothes, but Regina refuses to buy any baby clothing before she knows the genders of the babies. Maleficent's supposed dragon instinct about it being girls isn't enough.

Regina enters the darkened kitchen. She switches a single lamp on and opens the fridge in the search after something edible. The questions is, what does the want? Chicken? No, definitely not chicken at this hours. Salad? No. It might be sensible, but she's really not in the mood for salad.

She pushes the bowl of salad out of the way and finds something that makes her stomach growl insistently. Very well. Chocolate cake it is, Regina shrugs and cuts herself a rather large piece of cake. Ha. If her former enemies could see her now.

She sits down at the table, a motion that becomes increasingly more difficult because of her 4-and-a-half-month pregnant belly. She barely fits at the table anymore.

Regina settles down at the table with one of the silly pregnancy magazine's Snow White for some inexplicable reason bought her. Regina is very well aware of how pregnancies work, thank you very much.

It's not a very pleasant read either. Apparently, there's a monthly topic in each magazine, and this month's topic is "the perfect birth". Is that even a thing, Regina wonders? Is there such a thing as the "perfect" birth? Aren't births always messy and bloody and generally painful?

Not according to this magazine, no. It tells Regina everything there is to know about giving birth "naturally" and the importance of breathing the right way. And preparing your body for the birth.

How does one prepare for giving birth? Regina asks herself. She is quite positive that a magazine can't prepare her. Nothing can really. She'll just have to cross that bridge when she gets to it.

Then, there's a very long article about Lamaze classes, and Regina snorts with laughter. She really can't picture Maleficent at a Lamaze class. Or herself for that matter. They would probably just scare the other participators.

Regina decides not to read the article about C-section. Dr. Whale has been talking a lot about it, and apparently it's a very common thing to do when you are expecting twins, but Regina would rather face a lifetime on the death row than have some doctor cutting her open.

The more she reads, the more nervous she becomes, and Regina promptly closes the magazine and shoves it out of the way. There's no need to rile herself up over a birth that's still months away, and Regina tries to let go of the scarier aspect of it, and concentrates on the chocolate cake instead. It is a very good cake, and it's practically melting on her tongue. Essentially, she should feel guilty for eating thrash at 4 in the morning, but what the hell. The babies wants chocolate cake, and Regina is more than happy to indulge them.

,,Mom? Are you alright?"

Regina looks over her shoulder to see Henry standing behind her wearing a bathrobe over his pajamas. His hair is ruffled from sleep and he looks a bit worried.

,,Everything is fine," she assures him. ,,I just woke up and felt hungry."

,,Oh." Now he's grinning. ,,Pregnancy craving?"

,,Most definitely pregnancy craving," Regina sighs and shakes her head. ,,I'm gonna look like a whale before the babies arrive."

,,No you won't," Henry chuckles and sits down next to her. ,,Can I have a piece of the cake, or are you gonna eat all of it on your own?"

Regina ignores the cheek. ,,Shouldn't you be asleep, young man?"

Henry shrugs. ,,I saw the lights from the kitchen. I thought it was an intruder."

,,Maleficent would most likely have charred the intruder to a crisp before either of us got the chance to protest," Regina quips.

,,Probably," Henry chuckles and cuts himself a large piece of cake.

,,It's not very healthy to eat at this hour," Regina admonishes and shoves a piece of cake into her mouth.

,,No it isn't," Henry sasses and takes his own bite of the cake. Then, the teenagers gaze falls upon the magazine lying abandoned on the table.

,,Is that the magazine Grandma gave you?"

,,Yes, yes it is." Regina says. ,,But it's not very useful."

Henry quickly flips through the magazine, and being the teenager, he is, he wrinkles his nose in disgust at the gory details about giving birth.

Regina silently agrees with him. Why the hell would they make illustrations, it's not like the world doesn't know how you give birth.

,,I think I could lose my appetite from reading this," Henry half chuckles.

,,Me too," Regina agrees and chucks the magazine into the trashcan.

,,You better remove that before Grandma visits again."

,,If she sees it, I'll just tell her that it made me nauseous," Regina sniggers.

Henry mock-frowns. ,,It's not very nice to lie, mom."

,,It's also not very nice to scare a pregnant woman with a magazine like that," Regina says and takes another bite of the chocolate cake.

,,Are you scared?" Henry asks, and now he is really frowning. ,,About giving birth I mean?"

Regina considers her words. She isn't interested in dumping her worries on Henry, that really wouldn't be fair. ,,I won't say that I'm scared, Henry. The thought about giving birth is just a bit… daunting. Especially because I never expected to get pregnant."

,,Have you talked to Mal about that?" the teenager inquires with a raised eyebrow..

,,No. That's not necessary."

,,Isn't that what married people are supposed to do? Share their fears, or have I misunderstood something?" Henry asks in between bits of cake.

,,I don't want to worry her," Regina shrugs.

,,You really need to get used to not being alone anymore," Henry observes plainly.

,,Yes, I guess I do," Regina laughs and nudges her sometimes-too-clever teenage son.

,,Can I come by the way?" Henry asks nonchalantly and takes another bite of the chocolate cake.

,,Come where?"

,,To the birth?"

,,Oh." That surprises Regina. ,,Are you sure you want to? I mean, it's not very… pleasant."

,,Mom. I'm not a kid, I know how things work."

,,I know, but…"

,,I would really like to come," Henry says firmly and bit pleading. ,,Please mom? I promise you can squeeze my hand as much as you like."

,,Be careful with your promises, young man." Regina teases. ,,But yes, if things go as planned, then you can come if you like to."

,,Awesome!" the teenager grins.

Mother and son's late night conversation is interrupted by a voice saying:

,,Are you two having a party without me?"

,,Maybe," Henry grins and turns around to face Mal who's standing in the door.

,,How rude," the dragon mock sneers as she trots through the kitchen and places a hand on Regina's shoulder.

,,Are you alright, my dear?" she inquires.

,,Fine and dandy. Just hungry," Regina shrugs and gestures the chocolate cake.

Maleficent sits down opposite Regina and Henry. ,,You should have woken me."

,,Why?" Regina frowns.

,,I could have fetched you a piece instead of you having to get up."

Regina wrinkles her nose. ,,I don't eat in the bedroom. That's disgusting."

,,So difficult," Mal sighs and shakes her head.

,,There's nothing difficult about not wanting to eat in the bedroom and make a mess," Regina says firmly.

,,Did we wake you?" Henry asks with a mouthful of cake.

,,Yes and no," Maleficent shrugs. ,,I suddenly got a distinct feeling that something was missing, and when I woke up, the bed was empty."

,,My deepest apologies," Regina deadpans.

Maleficent ignores her. ,,And you know I can't sleep when your mother isn't there," she tells Henry with a shrug.

Henry sniggers. ,,The Mistress of all Evil is a softie."

Regina chuckles.

But Maleficent simply nods. ,,When it comes to your mother, then yes, I am most definitely a "softie". But don't tell anyone."

,,I think they already know," Henry teases.

,,My reputation is ruined," Mal says and shakes her head in mock horror.

,,Been ruined for a while, my dear," Regina deadpans.

Mal ignores that statement as well. ,,Can I have a piece of that?" she nods towards the chocolate cake.

,,Sure," Henry grins and cuts her a piece.

All three of them eat cake and chat and despite the late hour, two tiny humans decides to wake up as well.

,,I do believe it's way past your bedtime," Regina admonishes with a little chuckle.

,,Who are you talking to?" Mal asks curiously.

,,The babies decided to join the party," Regina explains as one of her children gives her a light kick.

Both Mal and Henry instantly presses a hand to her stomach, and Mal's face lights up in a beaming smile.

,,I will never get used to that," she says.

,,Me neither," Regina says with a smile. Feeling her children kicking is still the most amazing feeling in the world.

,,It's too late for you guys to be up," Henry quips and waggles his finger at Regina's stomach.

,,It's too late for you as well," Regina says. ,,You have school tomorrow, and I don't think your grandmother would appreciate if you fell asleep half way through class."

,,I guess that means I'm going to bed then," Henry observes and stands up. ,,Good night, mom. Good night, Maleficent."

,,Good night, Henry."

,,Sleep well, young man," Mal says and Henry sniggers as he leaves the kitchen.

Regina promptly eats what's left of the chocolate cake. Including the bite that Henry left behind.

Maleficent stretches her arms up towards the ceiling and yawns.

,,Tired?" Regina says casually.

,,Mmm. But I'm not leaving until you do."

,,You are an idiot," Regina says fondly and shakes her head.

,,Come back to bed, my darling," Maleficent says huskily and enticing.

,,Give me one good reason," Regina jokes.

,,I'm tired," Mal shrugs. ,,And I won't fall asleep until you are back in the bed."

,,Well in that case…" Regina stands up and cleans the kitchen with a wave of her hand. ,,We better go to bed then."

Maleficent takes her hand as they walk up the stairs and back into the bedroom. Regina takes a quick peek into Henry's bedroom. The teenager is already fast asleep.

Maleficent is already back under the covers when Regina enters the bedroom. The dragon watches as Regina discards of her bathrobe and reveals her knee long blue nightgown.

,,Are you ogling me?" Regina inquires as she hangs the bathrobe over a chair.

,,Yes." Mal says shamelessly. ,,You are so bloody gorgeous."

,,Kindly remind me of that in a few months when I'm the size of a whale and unable to see my feet," Regina quips as she climbs into the bed.

Maleficent's arms promptly snakes around her waist and pulls her closer until Regina can feel her breath in her ear. She's tempted to make a bad joke about dragon breath, but decides not to, for Mal gently rests her hands on the brunette's pregnant stomach.

Regina cranes her neck and gives her wife a soft smile, and soon both women are fast asleep, completely entangled in each other.

To Be Continued…