Emma grimaced and looked away from the sight before her. Had she known expelling the shadow meant Rumple cutting himself open and dripping blood all over the floor, she'd have taken Regina's out earlier and run from the cave without looking back. As it were, she realized what he was about to do but failed to avert her gaze in time to miss the way his arm opened up beneath the blade of his dagger, and her stomach rolled unpleasantly.
Noting her look of disgust, Regina smiled and slid an arm around her waist. Her response to the sight was much the same but it wasn't the first time she'd watched Rumple separate from the shadow. Though she hoped their plan worked and it was the last, she decided to distract Emma, knowing it would take the imp a while to complete his little ritual.
Emma sighed softly and tilted her jaw to better receive the flutter of kisses along the column of her neck. Regina peppered her face too, chest warming when Emma finally turned to her with a wide smile and kissed her back.
She was careful to keep it light, tempted as she was to take it further. Rumple had spent a fair share of his time scarring her whenever the opportunity arose but unlike catching him and Belle making out like a couple of teenagers, she doubted his reaction would be anywhere near as sickened as hers.
When Emma turned fully and folded into her, arms wrapping her within their tight embrace, Regina chuckled against her mouth and nipped her lower lip before she pulled back. "That wasn't an invitation, Miss Swan," she teased playfully.
Emma mock pouted. "Pity," she said, then grinned. "I suppose we shouldn't give anyone a show before we figure out how much to charge."
Eyes flashing, Regina pinched her ass and the grin widened. "The day anyone besides me sees you without clothes, will be the day I violently murder you."
"Twue wuv," Emma cooed, laughing when Regina pinched her again. "You know I can barely feel that, right?"
"That's because your pants are tighter than—" Regina's mouth snapped shut and she inwardly chided herself as emerald eyes twinkled knowingly.
"Oh don't stop there." Emma rubbed their noses together, breath warm against her mouth as she murmured, "Tighter than what, my Queen?"
Regina chewed the inside of her cheek in thought. Flustering Emma was always fun, but how flustered she wanted her was another matter entirely. If Emma couldn't concentrate when Rumple needed her help, then all manner of problems could arise but— but a little flustering couldn't hurt, surely.
Decision made, she ran her tongue along her lower lip and smirked when Emma's gaze dropped. "Your nipples in my mouth," she purred, hands curving against the cheeks of her ass and squeezing hard enough that Emma bucked.
It wasn't anywhere near as filthy as she wanted to be, but the little noise Emma uttered and the pink in her cheeks was satisfying. Not nearly as satisfying, however, as when Emma kissed her a second time, crushing their mouths together and deepening the kiss the moment their lips met.
Regina moaned, doing her best to keep it quiet. The problem with teasing Emma was that she was more than capable of returning the favour, and it wasn't long before the heat of her mouth had Regina imagining that same heat elsewhere.
Reluctantly, she pressed a hand to Emma's chest and pushed her back. She expected pouting, or an arrogant remark about being able to dish it out but not take it. Instead, Emma grinned and pecked her on the mouth before moving back to her side. Regina sighed, smiling as she rested a head on her shoulder and continued to hold her close.
If they survived, she was definitely taking Emma back to the farm. Screw the kingdom, and her useless subjects. Emma was worth more to her than any of them.
Catching her gaze, finally, Rumple tilted his head. "Ready, dearies?"
Not liking his tone, Regina narrowed her eyes and countered, "Are you?"
"I was ready five minutes ago," he said with a gesture to the shadow floating beside him. "Emma, if you would?"
Emma took a breath before she nodded, and Regina straightened, giving her space but keeping a hand at the small of her back. She wouldn't interfere without first being asked, but she saw no harm in lending Emma her support in the physical sense.
Emma paid no attention to the hand, perfectly content to leave it where it was as she closed her eyes and concentrated on bringing her magic to the surface. Regina felt it stirring and kept a tight reign on her own as it responded to the call of its lighter counterpart.
As the power grew and ebbed beneath her fingertips, the sound of chanting filled Regina's ears and her gaze snapped to the imp before falling to the floor where the dagger laid in a pool of his blood, the small glow surrounding it growing brighter with each passing second until it almost blinded her from staring too long.
Light seeped into the cracks that began to form along the silver blade and Regina was enthralled as she watched the dagger slowly come apart, piece by piece.
A sound similar to that of glass shattering broke her trance and she covered her ears as a shrill scream pierced her skull. Emma was casting the spell Rumple taught her, and it was working as a strong gust of wind blew in from above, bringing a pressure down on them that almost sent Regina to her knees.
The shadow continued to shriek loudly and dove to the floor, grasping at nothing as Emma's magic pulled it towards her. Regina winced when, in a burst of light, the shadow tore from the ground and spun through the air straight toward Emma, slamming into her chest and forcing Emma to stumble back beneath the impact.
Regina's breathing stopped for a split second before Emma cried out and she got herself under control. "Help me," Emma gritted from between clenched teeth.
Quickly moving behind her, Regina pressed against her back while dropping her resistance, and she gathered Emma in her arms. Her magic surged forward, practically singing in her veins as she unleashed it through the hands resting on a taut stomach, and they both gasped.
Darkness enveloped them but even as it registered, it was already fading. Regina strained her ears as her eyes blinked rapidly, only to realize the howling had stopped. It was as though everything around them had simply ceased to be in that moment.
Regina settled her chin on a shoulder and upon seeing the look of her awe Emma wore while staring down at her stomach, she glanced down and gasped again. Much like Rumple's dagger had before it exploded into a million tiny little pieces, her hands were glowing and she couldn't look away.
Combined, their magic had always been powerful, but it was nothing compared to this. She felt euphoric, calm— happy for what felt like the first time in her life. She ignored the tears sliding down her cheeks as she pushed her hands beneath Emma's shirt and molded them to her skin, and the feeling intensified, rendering her breathless once more.
The power, the warmth, the love that connected them was unlike anything she'd ever felt before and Regina closed her eyes, soaking in the sensation and hoping against hope that it would never end.
And just like that, it did.
The light burned bright behind her eyelids before what sounded like an explosion rocked the cave. Emma slumped in her arms and Regina buckled beneath the weight that sent them to the ground.
As her knees met cold granite, panic gripped her heart and she opened her eyes, hands going straight to Emma's neck where she searched for a pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found it, strong and steady.
A groan from the other side of the cave drew her attention from her lover. Rising from the floor and dusting himself of, Rumple hobbled over to them. "I suppose congratulations are in order."
Tired and groggy, Emma forced her eyes open at the sound of his voice and looked up to find him and Regina looking down on her. Her head was in Regina's lap, for some unknown reason— not that she was going to complain. "What happened?"
Regina ignored her and glanced up at the— former?— imp. "Should we not be saying that to you?"
Rumple frowned, his gaze darting from one to the other as they both stared up at him in confusion. He slowly smiled in understanding and, rocking back on the balls of his feet, gleefully said, "You didn't know."
"Know what?" Regina growled, looking back down as she pushed aside a curl that had fallen across Emma's face. "Do get on with it before I decide to test your mortality."
"Temper temper." He giggled, his eyes meeting Emma's as he said, "You're pregnant, deary. Had I known beforehand, we could have saved a lot of time."
Emma tried to sit up but her mind was fuzzy and her vision swam. Regina tugged her back down, cradling her head in hands as she began to massage her temples. "If you have endangered our child, so help me…"
"Calm down, your Majesty, there is no danger." Rumple clapped his hands and grinned at them both. "Now opening a portal to the Underworld, on the other hand…"
Emma groaned, partly in frustration and partly in pleasure. Her head wasn't cooperating with her attempt to understand anything beyond the warm fingers kneading her skin. "Would one of you please tell me what the fuck you're talking about?"
"You were conscious when I said it the first time," Rumple drawled, "but if I must. You… are… pregnant, Miss Swan. Was that slow enough for you?"
She grumbled, realizing she had understood him perfectly fine the first time. "If I thought I could stand," she murmured, closing her eyes, "I'd kick your ass."
"Regina is rubbing off on you," he chided mockingly. "Such poor tempers, and during such a wonderful occasion! How very typical of you both."
"For a newly mortal man without powers, you're pushing your luck," Regina said, the small adoring smile she wore while looking at Emma diminishing the threat to the point it didn't sound like a threat at all.
We're having a baby.
"You're pregnant," she reiterated, fingers wandering down to the grin that spread across Emma's face. She traced her mouth, wanting badly to kiss it and never stop. "It worked."
"It did," Emma replied as she raised a hand and cupped her cheek, apparently having the same idea as she pulled Regina down and captured her lips.
Regina gasped, breaking the kiss almost immediately as she bolted upright. "I get to tell your mother."
Emma smirked, brow raised. "Why, are you looking forward to the ball she'll no doubt throw to celebrate?"
Regina's excited expression fell into a grimace. "You're right," she conceded with a shudder. "You can tell her while I'm vacationing in Agrabah."
The End
Author Note: I'm considering an epilogue, though I've never written one before and probably shouldn't promise this will be different.