There. Now the truth was out. She had finally said what she had been thinking about for the past six months (apart from the wedding, of course) and now she could only wait for Regina to say something.

Emma carefully studied her wife's face. Regina's eyes had widened slightly. Her mouth was hanging open slightly. Emma felt nervous. Suppose this had been the complete wrong thing to say? Suppose she and Regina weren't at all on the same page when it came to this particular subject?

"You... you do?" Regina softly asked.

"Yeah." Emma nodded once. Bit her lip again. "I know that Neal is only two and only just started sleeping through the night. I know that it's a little soon, but I just... I can't let go of the idea, but if you don't feel the same then-"

"Emma." Regina gently interrupted. "Shh." She patted Emma's cheek once.

Emma shut her mouth and scolded herself for rambling. She always did that whenever she was nervous. She had never quite learned to just keep her mouth shut and wait while her thoughts and ideas were processed.

Regina was quiet too. Her eyes were still wide, but her mouth was no longer hanging open. She wasn't frowning either. Her face was smooth. She could be pretty unreadable sometimes. Right now, Emma would have done just about everything to be able to read her wife's mind. Who knew what was going on in that beautiful brain? Maybe Regina was thinking that this was completely wrong. That it was too soon. Too much. Too everything. Emma was starting to feel a little anxious. Perhaps she should have waited until they had made it to Paris. Gotten installed in their hotel room. Maybe that would have been better than to spill her guts on the first day of their honeymoon. Emma had thought that she long had grown out of that spontaneity, but clearly she hadn't. Clearly she still couldn't keep her thoughts to herself. She would have to work on that in the future. A lot. She didn't think that she had ruined the honeymoon, it took more than that, but she was worried that she had given Regina too much to think about at a time where she was supposed to relax and enjoy their honeymoon.

Regina still had her hand on her cheek, and Emma gently put her hand over hers. Simply because it was nice.

"Oh," Regina said at last.

"Oh," Emma repeated almost sheepishly.

"I see," Regina continued. Her dark eyes gleamed, and was that? Yep. That was definitely a smile.

"You're smiling," Emma said relieved.

"I am," Regina agreed. Her smile widened.

"So, I'm guessing that means that you don't think it's the worst idea I've ever gotten?" Emma said goofily.

"When have I ever thought that any of your ideas are bad?" Regina asked, half-frowning.

"Weeeellll..." Emma teasingly dragged out the word. "You weren't really on board when I suggested a bit of fun on the kitchen table..."

Regina laughed at the memory. "That's right. That suggestion was a bit out there, my love."

"But I did make up for it in the bedroom, right?" Emma asked. Just to check.

"Mmm, you did," Regina hummed and seemed to get lost in the memory for a moment before she sobered and said: "but I think it would be a good idea to return to the subject."

"Yeah. You're right," Emma agreed.

"Another baby," Regina said softly, smiling again. "That is definitely a plan I can be on board with."

"Really?" Emma's heart thundered in her chest. This was something she had wanted to talk to Regina about for such a long time. She had built the conversation in her head several times. Had imagined how Regina would react. With surprise. Hesitation. And then with a very soft reminder that Neal was not even three yet, and it would be too soon. But here Regina was, smiling and saying absolutely none of the things Emma had imagined she would say, and she felt weirdly cheated because of it. And stupid for not telling her sooner. Seriously, she should have told Regina sooner. Communication had always been so essential for their relationship, and Emma could have imagined that Regina would have gotten cranky, had she continued to keep quiet about her wish.

"Really," Regina smiled as she ran her fingers up Emma's bare arm. "You know that I've always wanted a big family."

"A whole nest of babies," Emma teased, reminding her wife what Malena once had said.

Regina scowled prettily at her. "Perhaps not a whole nest, my love. At least not at once. But one more at the moment... Yes. Definitely."

"I am so happy," Emma beamed and leaned in to buss Regina lightly on the lips. "But I'm sorry for springing this on you in the middle of our-"

"Emma." Regina gently interrupted and chuckled. "You can spring anything on me whenever you want. The timing does not matter. But you confiding in me does. You have thought about this for a while, haven't you?"

"I have," Emma openly admitted. "Sorry."

Regina laughed and squeezed her shoulder gently. "Don't apologize, darling. I am not angry. You're telling me now. That's the only thing that matters. And I am incapable of ever being angry with you."

Emma chuckled. That was true. She felt the same. She and Regina never fought. Sure, they could disagree about things, but they always worked out their differences in a civilized manner. That was a golden house rule. No raised voices. Ever. If frustration got the best of someone, there was an excellent punching bag in the basement standing ready and available when needed. But everyone always made a point of not fighting or yelling. The punching bag was a healthy way of getting rid of frustrations instead of taking it out on a living, breathing person. Regina had had plenty of fighting in her life. Plenty of raised voices and conflicts. And Emma would do everything in her power to make sure Regina would not be exposed to more anymore conflicts. That was a part of her past now. Not something that could ever be erased, but nevertheless, a part of the past. And this was the future. Their bright, happy future stretching out endlessly in front of them.

"So, we're really doing this?" Emma asked and pushed the thoughts of Regina's past heated arguments aside. That was not something she wanted to think about if she could avoid it. Not that it was taboo or anything. Of course not. They still talked about it from time to time. And Regina was of course more than allowed to have a bad day. She didn't have many, but it happened that she woke up from a nightmare. But then they talked about it. Sometimes they got out of bed and made a cup of midnight chocolate. And watched Great British Bakeoff or some other cozy program so Regina could get the chance to decompress. More often than not, she ended up asleep against Emma's shoulder. Completely peaceful and relaxed. Emma really loved that.

"Yes, my love," Regina confirmed, still smiling. She leaned in and kissed Emma's naked shoulder. "We're really doing this. I suggest that we start looking into adoption agencies as soon as we return home from Paris."

Emma felt a twinge of anxiety. Now came the rest of her 'confession'. Man. She had been nervous enough about telling Regina about her desire to have another child. This last part of her confession was positively nerve-wracking. What would Regina's reaction to it be? She hadn't been as shocked by the first part of the confession, but maybe she would be shocked by this. You never knew. This was a pretty big deal. Another big deal. God, Emma was starting to wish that she had told Regina about this when they were in Paris instead of blabbering up about it on the first day of their honeymoon. Her timing was sometimes completely off. Like, really, really off! "There's something else I want to tell you," she murmured and tried not to duck her head. She was a fully grown twenty nine year old woman. Not a teenager about to confess having a crush on Regina. The thought amused her a little. She had actually felt like that at some point. Before she and Regina started to date 'properly'. That felt like ages ago now. So much had changed. Regina had changed so much. She was no longer a silent, frightened woman but a strong, confident woman who knew exactly who she was and what she wanted to be. And Emma herself had changed so much too. She was no longer a lost girl but a woman with a place in the world. And a family. A family that was going to expand.

Regina lifted her head and Emma saw the amusement in her dark eyes. She made a little movement that sent her dark hair tumbling over one shoulder. "More?" she asked curiously and raised an eyebrow in that manner that was so terribly sexy. "What more could there possibly be after this, my love? I'm all ears."

"It's.. It's about the baby," Emma mumbled and tried to order her tongue not to get stuck to the roof of her mouth. Seriously, she couldn't slur her words right now. This was an important conversation, damnit! One that she couldn't muck up with slurring like a fool. "How we... How we... get it. The baby, I mean."

"Okay?" Regina gently encouraged. She looked intrigued now. And a bit confused. Emma couldn't blame her. She hadn't slurred, but she had still managed to approach the subject in a very clumsy manner. Good job.

"Firstly, adoption is a really, really beautiful thing!" she said quickly, pulling herself together and tried not to think of her own experiences as an adopted child. Not everyone was as fucking twisted as Mary Margaret Blanchard-Nolan had been. Emma had just been really, really unlucky. But that was a part of the past too. And she and David had a great relationship today. They had weathered the storm and had managed to 'find each other' later on. But that was definitely not Mary Margaret's doing. Had she still been alive, Emma suspected that she and David wouldn't ever have found each other. And David would never have found Kathryn. What a ridiculous thought.

Emma took a breath and reminded herself to focus on the conversation she was in the middle of instead of getting lost in her own head. Again. "Or, at least it is when done the right way," she picked up where she had left off. "Like we adopted Neal. He is our son. Definitely. And Henry is my son too. Maybe I don't have a hand in creating him-"

Regina made a face at the vague mention of the man she'd had a one night stand with. The man who had 'mysteriously' vanished the next morning. Classy. She was clearly still bitter about that. "I wish you had. In fact I would have preferred that. Biology be damned."

Emma chuckled and patted Regina's hand. A silent apology for having brought up the man Regina had a one night stand with twelve years ago. They didn't often talk about him often. Nor did Henry. He had never expressed desire to find out more about his father. But Regina would do everything in her power to find out where in the world he was if Henry ever did want to find out more about his 'father'. And Emma fully supported that decision. Of course she did. But so far, Henry showed absolutely no interest in knowing about Daniel Colter.

"And maybe I wasn't there to watch your belly grow and hold your hand when you gave birth to him," Emma continued. "But Henry IS my son. He has been before I even legally adopted him. Maybe he is not biologically related to me, but he IS my son. Biology be damned."

"Of course he is your son, my love," Regina said immediately. "No one questions that."

"So, my point is, that I am a hundred percent FOR adoption," Emma said and tried to stay on track. "I really, really am! But... I don't know, lately I've been thinking a lot about what it would be like to... carry a baby. Be... be pregnant."

Their train cabin fell silent apart from the sound of the wind blowing outside. Regina looked at Emma. Her eyes had gone wide again. But her mouth wasn't hanging open this time.

Emma waited with baited breath. And hoped that she had not ruined this spectacularly. Perhaps Regina did not like the idea of her being infused with some strange man's sperm. Perhaps she felt like this was too much. Too extensive. Too everything. Emma knew that fertility treatment was a lot. That it took a toll, emotionally and physically. That her body would have to be put through many things many times. Hormones. Injections. It would be straining. And of course there was a chance that it wouldn't even work. And that would be devastating. The disappointment would sting for a long time.

But suppose it did? Suppose the treatment by some miracle did work quickly? What if she got pregnant right away?

Emma's heart thudded in her chest at the thought of seeing her belly grow. At the thought of Regina putting her hands on her growing belly and kissing it, picking out names for their child, shopping for clothes and supplies and-

Emma was brought out of her thoughts when Regina gently cupped her cheek with a warm hand.

Emma smiled a little as she looked into Regina's dark eyes. She did not look shocked or upset. But definitely surprised for sure. Emma had expected that. She would have been surprised if Regina WASN'T surprised.

"You want to carry our baby?" Regina asked quietly.

"Yes," Emma murmured, leaning into the hand cupping her cheek. She always did. "Very much so. But if you don't want-" she stopped talking when she looked into Regina's eyes once more. She could see the answer right there. They were very much on the same page, and Emma's heart grew two or four sizes when she saw the first sign of moisture in Regina's eyes.

"Hey," she said softly and turned her head, so she brush her lips over Regina's palm. "Don't cry, babe."

"It's entirely your fault, miss Swa- Mrs. Swan-Mills. First you marry me. And then you tell me that you want to carry our child. How am I supposed to NOT cry?"

That question had Emma chuckling softly and she peeled Regina's hand away from her cheek so she could hold it in her own instead. "Should I turn this into a second proposal?" she joked and then cleared her throat. "Regina Swan-Mills," she said very solemnly. "Will you do me the extreme honor of letting me carry our child?"

"Yes," Regina chuckled. "Very much so."

Emma might have exclaimed 'awesome!' as she flung herself at Regina and hugged her so thoroughly, Regina ended up flat on her back with Emma on top of her.

"Oops!" Emma said, slightly horrified at her own strength. "Sorry, babe!" one of these days she would have to stop accidentally tackling her wife.

But Regina only laughed and adjusted so her position became a little more natural. Her arms wrapped loosely around Emma's upper body. Which felt really, really nice. "So, we're going to have a baby," she said softly and smiled so wide the adorable wrinkles around her eyes became more pronounced.

"Yep, that's right," Emma confirmed, grinning too as she adjusted as well so she was laying more comfortably on top of Regina. She had a certain weakness for those little wrinkles around Regina's eyes. They looked so cute. But she would never dare telling Regina that. "It'll be one hell of a journey, I'm sure. Tough but worth it."

Regina nodded but now looked slightly concerned. She reached up and cupped Emma's cheek again. "Your body will be put through a lot, my love."

"I know," Emma said quickly. "I've sort of... been looking into it. Sorry. For not telling you earlier."

"Stop apologizing. You're telling me now, aren't you?" Regina dismissed with a chuckle. "That's the only thing that matters. And the fact that I know that there probably is some chivalrous reason why you didn't tell me. Am I correct?"

"I didn't want to overwhelm you with it on top of the wedding stuff and everything."

Regina shook her head as best as she could while laying down. "My ever sweet, permanently-worried-about-me Emma."

"I like that title," Emma joked and dipped her head. She kissed Regina's collarbone. "So, how do we approach operation baby?"

Regina laughed. "Well, I can imagine that we reach out to our doctor when we return from Paris. Depending on how soon we want to get started, obviously."

"As soon as possible?"

"I like that idea." Regina traced her fingers along Emma's cheekbone. "So we reach out to our doctor and tell him about our plans and how to go from there."

"We're going to need a sperm bank," Emma said plainly and the bursted out laughing. "And there's a sentence I never thought I'd say on my honeymoon. Wow. We really do things the unconventional way, don't we?"

Regina laughed with her. "That's right. We're indeed going to need a sperm bank."

"And my eggs needs to be prepared... fertilized, or whatever." The word sounded a bit clinical, so Emma hastily moved on to lighter subjects. "And we have to tell the kids, obviously. I don't think Neal will understand much of it, but Henry will! Oh, man, can you imagine how excited he's gonna be?! He'll be so happy!"

"Mhmm," Regina said. She still sounded excited, but there was something else in her voice too. Something a bit more... unreadable.

Emma stopped dreaming and looked down at her wife. Regina's forehead was slightly wrinkled, and it looked like she was thinking very carefully about something. "What?" Emma asked. Slightly concerned. Had she gone a bit too far in the planning ahead? This was their honeymoon after all. Maybe she should give the clinical talk a rest until they got home. Yeah. That was probably a very good idea. She had to remember that this was supposed to be her introducing the idea to Regina. Not plan their future completely.

"I am not able to carry any more children because of... Well, you know," Regina said and vaguely gestured to her abdomen and the now very pale two little marks on her skin.

"Yes. I know," Emma said quietly and fought the urge to dip down and kiss that spot on Regina's abdomen real quickly. The savage violence Regina had experienced that night never failed to make Emma's blood boil. And every time they talked about it, she just had to physically touch Regina. Either hold or kiss her. She still wasn't sure which one of them she consoled when she did that, but Regina never had anything against Emma's need to be a little extra physical when they were talking about Regina's past violent relationship.

"But my eggs are still working," Regina slowly continued. "Not sure of how long due to my progressing age-"

"Stop it. You're a vibrant young woman. Too young to even THINK about menopause."

"My point is that they're working," Regina continued as though Emma hadn't just interrupted her. "They're working but going to waste." She gave Emma a poignant look. "So if we're planning on having a baby..."

Emma swallowed thickly, throat suddenly tight and eyes misty. "You want us to use your eggs."

"Yes. I want to be in on it too," Regina half-joked and brushed a hand over Emma's cheek.

"I- Regina, that is a big thing," Emma said croakily. "You'll have to undergo surgery to retrieve the eggs, and- and... You've already been through so much. So many surgeries. And... And emotionally too. It'll be straining."

Regina shook her head a little. "Your ability to do everything in your power to protect me is never failing, my love, but I want to do my part when we're taking this next step. You've given me everything."

"You've given me everything too!" Emma said quickly. "You know that."

Regina gently brushed a lock of hair away from Emma's cheek. "Then let me give this too. Let me help creating our child. Let me participate alongside you. Let me be physically involved in it." she smiled. "Let's do this how we do everything else."

"Together," Emma murmured and looked down at the stunning creature that was her wife. "Regina... Are you absolutely certain?"

"I have never been more certain of anything. Except marrying you. It's up to you now," she grinned teasingly up at Emma. "It's for you to decide whether you want my eggs or not."

Emma scoffed. "And when have I ever said no to anything you've offered me?"

"Never," Regina said lightly.

"That is absolutely right, babe. And I am not gonna say no this time either. If you're sure, then I am too. I want us to do this together."

Regina sat up so abruptly, Emma nearly tumbled off of her, but she was rescued when Regina cupped her cheeks and kissed her deeply.

Emma returned the kiss and tangled her fingers into Regina's hair. They clutched at each other and kissed until out of breath. Regina's cheeks were slightly flushed and her eyes sparkling when they pulled back from each other.

"We're going to have a baby," Emma murmured.

"We are," Regina smiled. "You and me."

"It's going to be awesome!" Emma goofily grinned.

"Oh yes. It most certainly will be," Regina said and ruffled Emma's hair slightly.

"But for right now... We're on our honeymoon," Emma said firmly. "So we shouldn't be talking about serious stuff like hormone treatments and..."

"Egg...stractions?" Regina slyly suggested.

Emma bursted out laughing and shook her head. "Oh man! I can't decide whether that was a really good joke or a really bad one!"

"It was of course a really good one," Regina said and mock scowled. "You could have made this sort of joke. Meaning that it was a good one."

"Was that an insult or a compliment?" Emma frowned.

Regina only laughed and quirked an eyebrow in that ridiculously sexy manner.

But all jokes about 'egg-stractions' aside, Emma was so incredibly excited about this. They were going to have a baby. She would be the one to carry their baby, but Regina would be the one 'donating' her eggs. They would be equally physically involved in the matter. Exactly like Regina had just said.

Emma started dreaming again. A baby that looked like Regina. Another little Henry. Or perhaps a little girl. A dark-eyed, blonde haired little thing. Or would the baby have dark hair and green eyes perhaps? Of course they were going to pick a donor that physically resembled Emma...

Emma was brought out of her musings when Regina shuffled underneath her. "What?" Emma asked a bit confused.

"I'd like to take a shower before breakfast. I need it. I'm all sticky."

Emma smirked at that. Sticky. She liked that. She liked Regina sticky.

"Perhaps you'd like to join me?" Regina suggested oh, so innocently. "I can't promise that there will be much room, but..."

"I'm in," Emma said even before Regina was done talking. She carefully lifted herself off of Regina and then extended a hand out towards her. "Milady."

"So gallant," Regina said warmly as she accepted the hand being offered to her. "You don't have to court me anymore, my love. We're married now."

"Exactly. Which gives me EVERY reason to court you," Emma said firmly. "I'll never ever stop courting you, Mills!"

"Swan-Mills."

"Right. Swan-Mills. Your naked body was distracting me. Again."

Regina laughed heartedly as they went into the bathroom to grab that shower. It was indeed small, but they definitely made it work...

"It's all fun and games until someone bumps their head," Emma commented a bit later when she and Regina were sitting in their private train cabin, eating their breakfast.

Regina laughed softly as she rubbed the spot on the back of her head. "I'm fine."

"Your head literally made a sound when it collided with the wall," Emma said, cringing at the memory of the distinct thudding sound.

"Don't worry," Regina chuckled. "It was not hitting my head that made me see stars, my love. That was all your doing."

Well. Emma felt slightly proud at that, but still, she wished that their little rendezvous in the shower could have been done without Regina hitting her head. She would much have preferred that. "I guess it was my fault," she mused. "I was the one who made you throw your head back."

"I dare say it was worth it," Regina smiled as she took another sip of her morning coffee.

"As long as you're not hurt," Emma said and looked at her wife. Regina was wearing a knee-length wool dress with a boat neckline and a matching bolero in the same sky blue color. Emma smiled. "You look very honeymoon-ish."

"All I need is a hat," Regina joked. "But this is not the 1950's."

"You could have worn a hat anyway," Emma shrugged. She didn't care whether it was uncommon or not. Regina could wear whatever she damn well pleased. Hell, Emma would even help her hunt down the biggest hat in Paris if that was what Regina desired.

Regina chuckled and shook her head slightly. "What do you think the kids are doing?"

"Honestly? Probably visiting the animal shelter without us," Emma said and tried not to sound too bitter.

"You're probably right," Regina said, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"I can't wait to meet her," Emma said longingly. "And I still can't believe you actually got us a dog for Christmas!"

"She felt like ours when I met her," Regina said and shrugged lightly. "Very gentle and sweet. I think she'll be a good way to introduce Neal to dogs. She'll be a teacher of sorts."

"You're right. Good thinking, beautiful," Emma praised. She couldn't wait to meet their new puppy. And she was only slightly jealous of Henry who was probably meeting said puppy right now.

Regina cracked a smile. "A almost teenage boy. A toddler. A dog. And a baby. We'll have a lot on our plate, my love."

"Too much?" Emma asked immediately. She had to make sure that she wasn't overwhelming her wife.

"No," Regina said just as quickly. "There's nothing I want more than having another child with you."

That filled Emma with warmth, but being the concerned wife that she was, she couldn't help but say: "And are you sure about the..."

"Egg-straction?" Regina joked and snickered. Clearly still proud over her oh, so hilarious joke.

"Yeah. That," Emma said and tried to remain serious. "There's injection stuff too-"

"Emma, I'm used to injections," Regina said softly and tapped her throat. "The injections I had done to try and fix my vocal cords were injected without any sedation. I had a sore throat for weeks." She frowned slightly at the memory before continuing. "But I don't think this will be as bad."

"I'm afraid that the whole egg retrieval process will be painful for you," Emma openly admitted.

Regina chuckled again. "Emma, honey, I'll be sedated. I won't be able to feel a thing. It'll be quick and easy and over before we both know it."

"But what about afterwards? What if you'll be in pain then?"

"That won't last either. And it won't be like the last time I was in the hospital," Regina soothed. "There'll be no bandages. No painkillers. No need for a 'home-nurse' afterwards."

Emma scoffed. "I loved being your home nurse. You know that. That's not a problem. I just don't want you to be in pain. Ever. That's what I'm trying to say."

Regina snickered. "My dear, sweet, worried Emma. " she leaned forward and squeezed Emma's hand. "I think you'll find that the tables will turn when you become pregnant. And what about the embryo transfer? I can't imagine that to be the most pleasant thing either. Not to mention the birth."

"That's true," Emma acknowledged. "Fourteen hours of labor, was it?"

"Yes," Regina replied and wrinkled her nose at the memory. "Not the most pleasant thing in the world."

"But worth it."

Now Regina smiled as she gave Emma's hand another squeeze. "Yes. Definitely worth it. The pain seemed so small and insignificant when I held him in my arms for the first time. He is the greatest gift I have ever received. And so is Neal. The way he came into my life is irrelevant. He is still my son. Our son."

Emma nodded and zoned out as her mind was flooded with images of herself holding a tiny baby with a full head of dark hair. Boy, girl, it didn't matter. God, she wanted this so much! She was almost at the stage where she wanted to get started as soon as they came back from their honeymoon, but she urged herself to slow down. While this might be something she had considered for a while, it was a completely new thing for Regina. And she needed time to fully grasp the idea and get used to it. Emma didn't want to push her.

Regina smiled at her as she resumed her breakfast.

Emma leaned back in her seat and looked out of the window. Then she frowned and glanced at her seat number. "Uhm.. baby?"

"Yes, my love?"

Emma grinned from ear to ear. "You're in my seat..."

Regina bursted out laughing. And refused to move an inch. That cheeky thing. When Emma told her that, Regina winked rather adorably at her.

To Be Continued...