Summary: At her baby's six-week check-up, an exhausted Regina learns that there's something unique about their daughter. A few extra genes. That evening, Marian surprises herself when an old maternal skill comes right back, unexpectedly.


Storybrooke Hospital – Six weeks later

Marian decided to join Regina for her 6-week postnatal check up with Doctor Hilary, while Robin spent the morning working in the Sherwood Arms, Roland and Margot in school. Their first few weeks after bringing Honour home had been truly exhausting for Regina. Adapting to night-time feeds, she'd insisted, despite protestations from her lovers, on feeding Honour herself, at whatever hour was needed, leading her to exhaustion, a short temper, tantrums and eventually, tears, when she finally accepted she couldn't do it all alone. Emma had told her about a machine for expressing her milk the day before, to store it, which allowed Robin and Marian to start sharing the burden. Something they'd both been asking to help with since the birth. But there were still some problems due to Regina always being the one to dash out of bed at even the hint of a noise. The expressing machine lay unused in the kitchen.

"Honour's doing perfectly," said Hilary, stroking the baby's cheek as she handed her to Marian to cradle. "She's gaining weight nicely, her heart, lungs and spine are developing well, and her responses are all good. She's very observant too, for six weeks! All's well, so we shouldn't need to see her again until she's three months. Then we'll start the vaccination programme. So, what about you, Regina?"

"Me? What about me?"

"Postnatal exams are for both of you! Your body went through one of the biggest traumas women face during our lives, so I'd like to check your blood pressure, and make sure your stitches have healed, if that's okay?"

Regina looked a little awkward, something immediately picked up on by Marian. "Gina, that's a good idea. You should get thoroughly checked out while you're here. You need to be alone with Hilary for this bit, so I'll take Honnie outside for a little while?"

Hilary smiled back. "We won't take long, Marian. Just give us ten minutes, okay?"

Just after she left, Hilary shuffled her chair closer. "Regina, I can tell there's something bothering you. What is it?"

She sighed. "Hilary. Um, yes there is…" she stuttered, feeling awkward and a little embarrassed, her eyes fixed on the floor. "I'm having some problems. Downstairs. I'm still quite sore, and there's some discharge." As she said it, she felt a warm hand wrap over her own.

"All perfectly normal for anyone who's recently given birth, I assure you! So, slip your things off and we'll examine you, shall we?"


Three minutes later, the examination concluded, Regina was back sitting on her chair as Hilary typed notes onto the computer. "Right, so I'm prescribing a course of antibiotics for the infection, and some anti-inflammatories for the pain relief. The stitches have all healed, but this cream will help. I'm sure you'll feel a whole lot better in seven to ten days. If you don't mind me saying, you look very tired. You sleeping okay?"

"When she lets me! Three times a night can be exhausting."

'"You've tried expressing before bedtime? Letting Marian or Robin take over?"

"I prefer to do it myself. She doesn't take to the bottle."

"That's not unusual and does take a bit of persistence. You need just as much sleep as anyone else, Regina, otherwise you'll feel wretched! Lack of it causes all manner of problems, especially depression. From what I can see, your partners are very happy to share the load. Perhaps now's the time to let them? Any way, is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, I think that's everything. Thank you once again. I-" she stopped talking when the Doctor's phone rang. Hilary apologised and answered it.

"Yes…yes Doctor. Mrs. Locksley's with me right now," she said to the caller. "Honour's what? Her bloods? I'm sorry, I don't…"

Regina froze at the words. Honour's blood. Something wrong? Hilary said goodbye to the caller and put the phone down, turning to her.

"That was Doctor Whale. He said they wanted a quick word with you about Honour. They're on their way. Could you wait a minute?"

"They? Who's they? You mentioned her blood?"

"Professor Merlin's with him. But I don't think there's anything to be alarmed about. I'll go get Marian back in here. Give me a moment…"

A minute later, Marian appeared back in the room, with Honour asleep in her car seat. "Gina, you okay? You seem as white as a sheet! Something wrong?"

Before she could answer, the door opened again, this time Doctor Hilary was followed back in by Victor Whale, and The Sorcerer behind him. "Regina! My apologies, I knew you were coming in today and I just wanted to catch you before you left."

She ignored the pleasantries. "What's this I heard about my daughter's blood?" It was Marian's turn to freeze at her words. "And why's Merlin here? What's going on?"

"Ladies," Merlin brought his hands up to calm her. "I'm here because Doctor Whale asked me to attend. For reasons I'm sure he'll explain…"

Victor stood in front of them as Hilary sat back down. "Marian, you remember the nurse asked for you and Robin to both come in a few weeks ago to take a blood test?" The taller brunette nodded. "We do it to help establish a new baby's blood group, and potential health vulnerabilities. It's all very common and we do it for everyone these days. We also took saliva samples for DNA."

"DNA?" Regina brow arched in annoyance. "Why would you check for that? I can assure you; Robin Locksley is DEFINITELY the father of my child! Why would you even do that?"

"Please don't feel annoyed at Victor, Regina. He did it at my suggestion!" said Merlin, speaking softly. "He spotted an anomaly in your daughter's blood sample. Something he'd never seen before, and he guessed it could have magical connotations. That's why he called me."

"What kind of anomaly? And why didn't you call me as soon as you knew something was wrong?"

"Frankly, because I didn't know where to start! And there was no point in possibly worrying you, when your daughter appears perfectly healthy. I wanted to get more information first, so we knew what we were dealing with. The fact is, Honour's blood group doesn't correspond to any of the standard blood types. I needed to know just in case she had need of blood in the future, for a transfusion for example. I asked for Merlin's help to get access to other records in the land without magic. Marian, that's why we asked for you and Robin to also give blood and get tested. You all have different blood groups but…when we ran the DNA cross match on Hope, we found something."

"Go on," Marian was peeved. "Are you going to try telling us Robin isn't Hope's father? Because Regina's right, he is!"

"Not at all. Robin is most definitely her father. But you, Marian, are also her biological mother!"

"That's impossible! Absurd! You've got your samples mixed up. Regina gave birth to her - Hilary, you were there!"

"Yes, but Regina is also her mother! That's what makes this so different. Somehow, Hope has the genetic make-up of all three of you. The two of you, and Robin, are her biological parents. We ran several tests as I didn't accept the findings at first either. Then, because her DNA readings were so complex, we sent a sample from all four of you to New York, to an independent lab. They validated what we found."

Marian was stunned. "Two biological mothers? How is that even possible?"

"Both of your partners have strong magic, Marian." Merlin smiled. "For all we know, you may have an ability too! After all, when you were carrying your son, your husband healed you with The Dark One's wand he acquired, didn't he? Plus, the three of you do share that most powerful of magic, 'true love', don't you?"

"That's as maybe. But you can still only create a baby with one sperm and one egg, right?"

"True, however, science has made some astonishing progress in that area! For example, did you know that-" he stopped himself the moment he saw their annoyed glares. "Sorry. In your case, I believe somehow your own genetic material got involved in the process, Marian. I have my theories as to how that happened, which I should probably share with you in private. But yes Marian, Hope is also your daughter. So…congratulations?"


The Locksley Arms

For Regina, it was a joy to be able to use her magic once again since the birth, without fear of fainting or throwing up. So, for the first few days she used it constantly, for everything from running a bath, tidying up the kitchen. Even dressing herself. She even used it to dress Marian one morning, in something she preferred to see her in, rather than what she was wearing, without her permission. But her furiously pissed-off wife's response, clearly annoyed that she was being disrespected, made her pause. But it was no surprise that, as soon as they left the hospital after the check-up, Regina took no time in swiftly teleporting all three of them over to their bedroom at the Locksley Arms, to tell Robin the news. The room was the one place where she could be sure they could apparate, without scaring the life out of anyone.

Honour remained fast asleep throughout. So, after transferring her to her cot, a thrilled Marian went downstairs to find Robin, bringing him up so they could tell him what Whale and Merlin had revealed. The realisation that somehow, she had actually been a real part of creating Hope with Regina, made her even more special, if that was possible.


A few minutes later, as they all sat in their little drawing room upstairs, Robin listened in silence as they relayed their conversation at the hospital. Robin couldn't quite believe it at first.

"I still can't understand it! Merlin gave me quite the magical induction but, and I can't get how it happened. I mean, three biological parents? Really?"

Marian frowned. "You seem…disappointed."

"NO, not at all! I assure you, my love, I'm not." He walked over to her, gathering her in his arms. "Truth is, I'm delighted! It's wonderful that she's a real part of all of us! I just don't understand how it could happen? I'm confused, that's all."

"Well as it bothers you so much, I think I might have an idea," Regina's breath lowered, not wanting to wake Hope. "I've been thinking about this, while you were both downstairs. I think we probably conceived that night after you spoke to Henry. When he wanted to talk to you about moving in. You remember? We were all rather… keen?"

"I remember!" said Marian, sniggering. "We didn't get too much sleep, if I recall?"

"True. Well, to put it bluntly, as I remember it, at one point Robin was on top of you, inside you," her cheeks started to pink at the memory. "And I kind of…squeezed myself in the middle."

"Not the first time that's happened, my love!" chuckled Robin. "You are quite the possessive lover!"

She ignored it, glaring back at him. "Anyway…as I seem to recall, at one point he withdrew from you, and went straight inside me. I'm guessing that may have been when your…as Merlin rather harshly called it, 'genetic material', transferred into me. Adding magic, that could perhaps explain it."

"I don't recall me ever being able to make sperm though! But..." Marian stroked her cheek. "I rather like that idea. It means that, in a way, I was also inside you when you conceived! Either way, I don't really care how it happened, just that it did, and Honour's mine too!"

Robin kissed her brow. "She was always yours anyway. As much yours, as ours, Mar. You know that!"

"I know. It's just…never mind. Anyway, all this talk about sex has reminded me about something. I was having coffee with Belle Gold the other day and, we kinda got talking about being married to magical people…"

Regina's eyes bulged. "Don't tell me you've started discussing our love life outside these walls? I couldn't bear that. She's the imp's wife for god sake!"

"Of course not! Don't be silly, I would never do that! But, we got talking about the fact we have something in common, being married to you sorcerers, and magic and stuff. Aaaanywaaay, we moved on to talking about fairies. And I asked her if there were any male fairies she'd ever seen, as I'd only read about them. You know, Belle's a mine of really weird information! Quite the brightest woman I've ever met, no offence Gina. But anyway, she told me there were male ones, but they were much rarer..."

"Darling," Regina rolled her eyes, "fascinating though this little ramble into the moth world is, what has this got to do with sex? And more importantly, us?"

"Patience! I'm getting there! Anyway, we got chatting about boy fairies, and Puck in Midsummer Night's Dream. I asked whether our ones, like Blue, Silvermist, Tinker Bell and the rest, were able to have sex with them, when they can find them, like humans do…"

Both Regina and Robin burst out laughing. "That is so typical of you!" tears of laughter were starting to cloud her eyes. "You are incorrigible! I've known Tink most of my life, and I would never dream of asking her something so personal!"

"Ah, but I didn't, did I? I asked Belle. And you know what? She laughed, just like you did! But…she couldn't resist, so she yelled out the back of the shop to Rumple, to ask him!"

Robin though it was hilarious. "So, you were asking the Dark One questions about fairies' sex lives? Wasn't his mother the Black Fairy? Gina's right – only you would do something like that!"

"Oh, do shut up, the pair of you! Do you want to know what he said, or don't you?"

"Please!" said Regina, wiping her eyes. "Enlighten us. I'm all ears!"

Marian glared at the pair of them, waiting for them to calm. "Well…he said although there are male and female fairies, most can transform themselves into either sex! Apparently, their own birth is linked to whenever a baby is born, because they also contain the souls of unborn children. Weird or what? They don't reproduce like humans do, but they do have sex like us. And when they do, want to that is, they choose which sex organs they need! They perform a little spell to transform whatever they've got, to whatever they need."

"A 'fairy cock' spell?" Robin was intrigued. "That is interesting. I bet Tink never told you about that one, did she Gina?"

"Certainly not! Oddly enough, she was more concerned at getting me hooked up with some thief with a tattoo on his wrist!"

"Still, think of the extra fun you two could have had, with that particular spell, eh?"

While that earned a chuckle from Marian, Regina's brow arched higher than ever, even as her lovers continued laughing. "Robin, I'll have you know that, before you returned, Marian and I had plenty of 'fun'. You, of all people, should have learnt by now that women hardly need a cock to be satisfied!"

"True though, isn't it?" Marian interrupted. "It might have been fun having one whenever you wanted. What if I told you Rumple has the spells?"

"Spells?"

"For turning a fairy's clitoris into a penis…"

Robin almost spat his coffee out! Wheezing and coughing as Marian carried on, undeterred. "…or turning whatever into a working vagina. Whichever works, right? It was very interesting. Even Belle didn't know.…"

"Can we change the subject from sex organs of fairies, please?" Regina groaned. "Robin's going to ruin that carpet any minute if you carry on! What in heaven's name were you doing over there? Had you been drinking?"

"Yes, tea!" Marian wasn't to be distracted. "Belle's a really fascinating person to talk to, if you ever bothered to get to know her! We've become good friends. Did you know she can translate about nine languages? She's also got a filthy sense of humour…"

"She has," Robin agreed. "So's Rumple. I got to know them both better when Merlin was giving me his magic induction over at their place when I first came back. I owe them a great deal. For example, did you know why they spent two weeks in England last year? They were going backwards and forwards to a university in Oxford, that has a special x-ray machine that can read old burnt and ancient parchments without destroying them. Then getting them translated. That's where the old magic came from to bring me back. Without those two, I'd still be in my grave!"

Regina looked at them. In less than a year they'd obviously got to know the Dark One and his wife, the women she'd held prisoner in an asylum cell for twenty eight years, a damn site better than she did! "No, I wasn't aware of that. Relations between my old mentor and the boring bookworm and I have always been a bit frosty, to say the least…"

"She's anything but boring! Perhaps the Evil Queen locking her away in the asylum for twenty eight years probably didn't help?" added Robin, unhelpfully. "Rather surprisingly, she doesn't bear a grudge! Even if you're not interested, I am! So Marian...this fairy cock business?"

"I mentioned it because he told her he'd only found out about it from an ancient spell book he'd once acquired years ago, when he was researching ways to kill Fiona, the Black Fairy. He was trying to find out their weaknesses. Apparently, it was an autobiography written by a mediaeval fairy called Brighid or something, about her life. She decided, against strict fairy rules, to also document some of their own spells and her own relationships. She was quite the floozy, having affairs with humans, both male and female. Belle thought it sounded an interesting read, and asked if he knew whether it still existed. Next minute you know, Rumple nips out the back and comes back in with it! It's a bit old and crusty and in an ancient language…"

"So, she's got a book of fairy spells. And you're telling us this because…?"

"Not just spells, an autobiography. Belle's going to translate the story and send me a copy."

It finally dawned on Regina why her wife was so interested. Something Marian had said to her when they'd made love months earlier? "And may I take it from this sudden interest, you'd like me to use a particular spell?" She gave her a knowing look which Robin hadn't picked up on.

Marian returned the look, clearly guilty as hell. Busted! "Well…I hadn't given it much thought. But..."

"You are a terrible liar, Marian Locksley!" she smirked, triumphant. "Though when it comes to romance, you and Robin will have to entertain yourselves for the foreseeable future. Doctor Hilary has put me on a course of antibiotics and pain relief for my recent problem."

"Problem? Pain relief?" said Robin, alarmed. "Gina, what's wrong?"

"Robin, don't you ever pay attention? Haven't you noticed Gina hasn't been her usual, horny self, for a while?"

"Well of course I have! But I just put it down to her being overtired from all the feeding and looking after Honour. We've both offered to help, every night, but she keeps refusing, doesn't she? So, what is it? Why are you on pain relief and just as important, why didn't you tell us?"

Regina looked exasperated. "Questions, questions. Yes Robin, you're right, I should have told you. But frankly, it's not something I feel comfortable talking about. I've been suffering some pain, down below, for a little while now. When I gave birth, you remember I tore a little and they gave me stitches? Well let's just say they didn't heal fully. Hilary said it's nothing serious, but she's given me some medication. I should be well again in a couple of weeks."

"So, you've been suffering for six weeks? Gina, you should have said something! Okay, now I know, I'm definitely taking over some of the night feeds, and no more arguments from you!"

"I'm with Robin, babe!" Marian backed him up. "You need to stop all this super-mum crap, and let us take care of Honour! And you! We'll sort out a rota, and you're going to get a few uninterrupted nights' sleep! Emma's expressing during the day and Killian shares the night feeds with her, so if they can do it, so can we! Besides, we can't get any decent sleep, while we know you're in there, feeding Honnie."

Regina stared back at them, both with their arms folded, looking defiant. "Fine! I can see I'm outnumbered. Oddly enough, Hilary was also telling me to share. It's just, I find it hard to let go. Especially, remembering what my mother was like."

Robin saw the hurt in her eyes. "Is that what this is about? Gina, you are nothing like Cora! I never met her, but the way you've always talked about her it's clear you take after your father's side. You're warm, loving and a wonderful mum. And you have two of us to share the load!"

"He's right, babe. We'll do this, starting tonight. You need to concentrate on getting better! Who knows, in a few weeks we could be trying out those fairy spells!"

Robin looked at her confused. "Trying out those what? Oh…OH!"


And so, later that night, after she'd reluctantly expressed some of her breast milk, using a strange vacuum pump Marian had bought in readiness, Regina lay in the centre of the large bed. "You do realise that, even if you do get up to feed her, I'll be waking up regardless? So, I might as well…"

"You'll do no such thing!" her wife insisted. "I'm doing the first shift and no arguments! Robin, can't you put the soundproofing spell on the room or something?"

"On Honour's room? Sure I can. But then we won't be able to hear her either!"

"No, on the landing. I'll hear her. I'll be sleeping in the spare room tonight. Just so Gina gets her first decent night's sleep. Then you and I can switch over."


It was around two in the morning when Honour woke, her gentle, hungry cry picked up by Marian, as Regina and Robin slept in the master bedroom next door. Ready for her, Marian had collected her, walked them into their little kitchen to collect a bottle, put it in the microwave for a few seconds, then settled into the large mothering seat especially made by Marco, to feed her. Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy, as Honour kept squirming, refusing the offered rubber teat. After two minutes, her cries started getting louder.

"I know, my little love," she whispered softly, so not to wake anyone. "Not the same as your mummy's, is it? But you must try. Mummy needs her sleep."

Her cries didn't sound like she was too hungry, more like a need for comfort. However, as she snuggled her, Marian felt that long forgotten pang inside, as she looked down at the little dard-haired beauty, remembering the brief time she had with Roland before she was captured. I wonder? She had no idea what made her do it, but she decided to try something else to calm her. Easing the baby to the side, she lifted up her cotton top, unclipped her bra (grateful for the modern front fastening), before easing her left breast out, tentatively offered it to the baby's tiny mouth. Honour didn't hesitate, latching onto her almost immediately. "That's it my darling. Good girl. You calm yourself, and we'll try again in a minute…" she soothed.

As Honour suckled, a long-forgotten tingling sensation overwhelmed Marian. It started from the top of her chest and seemed to go straight to the baby's mouth. No, it can't be! It took her a moment to realise what was happening but, as the baby's cheeks and jaw worked on her, she knew that milk had somehow started flowing! She was really breastfeeding! But how? Magic? Then something in her memories recalled her family home before the upheavals. How some of the worker women around the estate, those who have had children of their own, used to 'wet nurse', as they called it, for the mothers of the gentry, who felt the act of breastfeeding to be somehow undignified. Well, if they can do it, why can't I? She's my own baby, after all! She smiled down at her now contented child, beaming with happiness that she could share this wonderful privilege with Regina.


Five hours later, Regina, now having woken more relaxed than she had been for over six weeks, woke to find Robin sleeping next to her, his protective arms around her. It was lovely but, her mind went to yesterday's plan! "Why are you here, instead of Mari? You were doing the morning shift!"

"Mff," he grunted, trying to open his eyes. "I went in around three, 'cos she never came in. She was already there. S'okay, she got it…"

"So she did both feeds? Robin, you promised you were going to help her!" she groaned, climbing out from between the sheets. Popping on a dressing gown, she tiptoed across the landing, to the little nursery. Seeing it empty, she decided on the little living room, only to find Marian, her eyes half-closed, holding their precious little bundle in her arms, in the mothering seat.

"Hi," she whispered. "You okay?"

"Fine," she yawned, "Just a little tired. She just woke up, so you don't have to whisper. What time is it?"

"Just after seven, I-" she stopped the moment she noticed her wife's open dressing gown, her chest bare. Then she spotted the baby on her right breast. And the full milk bottle, the plastic cap still on, next to her. "What are you doing? The bottle?"

"Yeah. Seems my milk came down. Just like yours."

"You can breastfeed?" She couldn't believe her eyes. "Even though you didn't 'have' her?"

"Yup. I didn't know till last night. It's no big deal. We had wet nurses back home, like you probably did. I was surprised, as it's ten years since I had Rollie. But all the same…"

Regina's heart melted at the beautiful sight, as Marian suckled their baby, as easily as she did. She gently stroked her fingers through the downy fluff on her head. "That's wonderful. She can feed from both of us! Seems fitting somehow, considering what we found out about her yesterday…"

"Yeah. Rob sat with me for the last feed, for a good hour, a few hours ago. But I told him to go back to bed. He offered to help, but…I wanted to do this. I can't exactly unfasten a boob, can I? And she definitely doesn't care for the bottle yet. I'll try expressing my own milk a little later. But this brings it all back, the short time I fed Roland. Do you know what I mean?"

"I do. Seeing you like this, even seems to be drawing down my own milk. I can feel it already and it starts to get uncomfortable after a while. I suppose I don't mind using that damn vacuum pump, but when I do, I feel like a cow in the dairy!"

Marian chuckled. "I know what you mean. With Roland, my tits used to swell up like rocks till I fed him! But we do need to get her to feed off the bottle too, so Robin can get involved. He's really feeling left out."

"Why do you say that? He hasn't said anything to me!"

"Darling, you do know whenever he gets anywhere near this one…" she looks adoringly down at Honour, who stopped suckling. "…you come storming in and take over, before he even gets a look in." She lifts the baby up and onto her shoulder, to wind her. Regina's still too dumbfounded to react. "You know what he's like. Normally, he'd argue, wouldn't he? Call you a silly sod, or something. But he knows you're tired and stressed out, so he's being patient. But he desperately wants to help. When he came in this morning and saw me feeding her myself, I think he looked disappointed. He's her dad but…we've kind of taken over."

"You're making me feel bad. He never said."

"Don't. Let's just let him take over for a change, and leave them, without us fussing around him? How about you and me have breakfast at Granny's this morning, and leave them be?"

"I haven't left her since she was born. I'm not sure-"

"Babe, he almost brought Roland up by himself from scratch! He knows as much as you do about handling babies, and definitely a hell of a lot more than me! C'mon, we need this!"