A/N: First off, I want to thank each and every one my followers who spammed me with endless messages asking for my well being. I apologize for my absence, but I have found myself busy these past couple of days. However, I haven't forgotten about any of you. With that being said, I will answer a lot of you by letting you know that yes, every story I have posted that isn't currently finished will be finished. I can't say exactly when that will be as I am mainly focused on finishing up my 50 shades freed ff. That being said, I bring you a long awaited update. ;) Happy reading. Love you all.

Emma's been out until one-thirty in the morning drinking with her! Regina gapes at the text message on her wife's phone and then glances at the blonde's sleeping form. How could she go to her? Why was it easier to talk to that bitch than her own wife? Tears sting at her eyes as she fights them back. She can forgive Emma's need to lash out at her due to her getting pregnant behind her back. Okay- that was wrong. She can admit to that, but this…? This she can't over see. Emma promised her she was done with Mal for good. And she broke that promise.

Why? Why would Emma go to her instead of cooling off and coming to talk to her herself? This was treachery. She felt so betrayed right now, she didn't know what to think. How could her wife- the woman that she loved do this to her? Emma knows how she feels about that woman, and yet she goes to her once the going gets rough. But, then again, Regina feared that something like this would someday happen. She married Emma too fast, so it wasn't like she didn't know what she was getting into.

Yet as the knife twisted slowly and painfully inside of her heart in this moment, she couldn't help to wonder if it would always be this way. Would it? Would Emma always turn to her if things ever became this rough between them again?

Regina watches her wife's sleeping form again, looking so peaceful and so angelic. She married Emma because she loves her, and she knew- was sure- Emma loved her, too. She was certain of it. So, no… Regina couldn't bring herself to think that it would always be this way. This pregnancy news was just too much for Emma to handle and she had been angry. So very angry at her. She could understand that, and that's how things have always been them. They take a step forward and two steps backward, but eventually Emma always comes around.

She will come around on this, too… Regina is sure of it. She had to be.

She looked down at the wallpaper of choice on Emma's phone. It was a collage of pictures of their honeymoon trip, all of Regina. Regina sleeping, Regina standing at the bow of their yacht looking out onto the ocean, Regina smiling down happily, lying in bed.

Emma's love for her was all there. But it wasn't just her anymore that she needed to love. It was this little innocent baby growing inside of her belly. Their baby. Because this baby not only belonged to Regina now, but Emma, too. She needed to come around for them, and if she proved that she couldn't, well… this was something Regina couldn't just go along with. And as for Emma seeing that woman and doing God-knows-what with her tonight… she couldn't let that slide. Not anymore.

Regina placed her wife's phone down on the side table, exiting the bedroom, deciding that she would sleep elsewhere tonight. She needed to think, needed to get her thoughts cleared to know what exactly she would say to Emma come first thing the following morning. Going up the stairs of the great room, she walked down the hallway, unlocking the playroom. As the door closed behind her, she locked it. Gathering the covers from the bed in the room, she pulled them back and laid on the bed, her hands placed calmly against her belly.

Suddenly, she feels a rage fuming inside of her that she couldn't possibly ignore. She recalls when Dr. Hopper once told her to give Emma the benefit of the doubt. Well… not this time, Dr. Hopper! She reaches for her phone and sends Emma an angry text message.

WOULD YOU LIKE MRS. LINCOLN TO JOIN US WHEN WE EVENTUALLY DISCUSS THIS TEXT SHE SENT TO YOU? IT WILL SAVE YOU RUNNING TO HER AFTERWARD. YOUR WIFE.

At the bottom of her all caps text message, she quoted Mal's text word for word before pressing send and muting her phone for the night. If her wife wanted a fight, she would get a fight. No way was she going to let Emma run off to see that woman whenever they had a problem slide. Come tomorrow morning, Emma was going to have to choose.

Mal or Regina and their unborn baby.

Regina wakes up to the sound of the doorknob rattling, followed by Emma's voice on the other side of the door. "Gina!" She's awake and obviously angry, possibly from waking up and reading her angry text message she sent last night to her cellphone. Good. Because Regina is surrounded by nothing but walls and no windows, she has no idea what time it is. She hears muffled voices outside the door until they walk away. She reaches for her phone to check the time. It's seven thirty in the morning, and she has several missed calls from Emma and two voicemails. One of the voicemails is from Belle. Shit. Emma must have called her.

She wraps the sheet around her, reaches for her purse and phone before walking out of the room. The hallway is empty and quiet. She heads downstairs, where Gold, Jones, Mulan, Mrs. Lucas and Emma are all standing in the entrance to the great room, and Emma is issuing rapid-fire instructions. As one they all turn and gape Regina's way. Emma is still wearing the clothes she slept in last night. She looks disheveled, pale, and heart-stoppingly beautiful. Her large green eyes are wide, and Regina doesn't know if she's fearful or angry. It's difficult to tell.

"Jones, I'll be ready to leave in about twenty minutes," says Regina, wrapping the covers tighter around her for protection, her eyes throwing deadly glares Emma's way.

"Yes, ma'am." He nods, and all eyes turn to Emma, who is still staring intently at her wife.

"Would you like some breakfast, Mrs. Swan?" Mrs. Lucas asks, and Regina shakes her head.

"I'm not hungry, thank you."

"Where were you?" Emma asks, her voice low and husky.

Suddenly Jones, Gold, Mulan, and Mrs. Lucas scatter away, leaving both women to their privacy.

Regina marches into their bedroom, ignoring Emma.

"Gina," she calls after the brunette, "answer me."

Regina can hear her wife's footsteps right behind her as she walks into the bedroom and continues into their bathroom. Quickly, she shuts and locks the door.

"Gina!" Emma pounds on the door. She can hear her wife turn on the shower. She rattles the locked doorknob. "Gina, open the damned door."

"Go away!"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Suit yourself."

"Gina, please."

Regina climbs into the shower, effectively blocking Emma's voice out. The shower is so warm and feels so good. The healing water cascades over her body, cleansing the exhaustion of the night off her skin. For a moment, a short moment, she can pretend all is well with the world. A world where her wife didn't run away at the news of her pregnancy, and instead she lifted her up in her arms, spun her around, happy and smiling about the excitement of becoming a mother. And a world where Emma didn't run to her ex-mistress for help instead of talking things out with her. As she finishes her shower, she feels a little better, stronger, ready to face the freight train that is Emma Swan. She dries her hair and with another towel dries her body, wrapping it around herself afterwards.

She unlocks the door and opens it to find Emma leaning against the wall opposite, her hands behind her back. Her expression is wary, that of a hunted predator. Regina strides past her and into their walk-in closet.

"Are you ignoring me?" Emma asks in disbelief as she stands on the threshold of the closet.

"Perceptive, aren't you?" she murmurs absentmindedly as she searches for something to wear. She decides on a long white skirt, a pair of brown leather boots, a white shirt with a white thin sweater. She gathers all these items and heads for their bedroom. She pauses at the doorway, waiting for Emma to move out of her way- which she does, eventually. She can sense the blonde's eyes trained on her as she walks over to her chest of drawers, she looks back at her through the mirror, standing motionless in the doorway, watching her. Regina allows the towel around her body to slide off and fall to the ground. She can see Emma's surprised expression but decides to ignore it.

"Why are you doing this?" Emma asks. Her voice is low.

"Why do you think?" Regina's voice is soft as she pulls out a pair of black laced panties.

"Gina-" She stops at the sudden snap of her angered wife.

"Why don't you go ask your Dragon Lady. I'm sure she'll have an explanation for you," Regina mutters, searching her drawers for a matching bra after slipping on her panties.

"Gina, I've told you before, she's not my-"

"I don't want to hear it, Emma." she waves her hand dismissively. "The time for talking was yesterday, but instead you decided to rant and get drunk with the woman who abused you for years when you were a child. You know what? Give her a call. I am sure she'll be more than willing to listen to you now." She quickly fastens on her matching bra.

Emma walks further into the bedroom and places her hands on her hips. "Why were you snooping on me?" she says.

Under different circumstances, Regina would have felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment of giving herself up on looking through her wife's phone. But not today. Today, it was her turn to be upset- and she was.

"That's not the point, Emma," she snaps at the blonde. "Fact is, the going gets tough and you go running to her."

Emma's mouth settles into a grim line. "Regina, it wasn't like that."

Regina remains silent, swallowing the bile that forms inside of her throat as she moves toward their bed to take a seat while she places on her boots of choice for the day.

"Where were you?" Emma asks, her eyes following her wife's hands as they travel up her legs.

Regina continues to ignore the blonde, finding herself getting dressed, until she is standing in front of the mirror again, combing a brush through her still wet hair. Finally, she searches inside one of the drawers for a red scarf, her hands and fingers elegantly wrapping it around her neck. She can see Emma's gaze trained on her, her eyes not even blinking as she expects an answer.

"Answer me." Emma's voice is low and husky.

Once again, Regina passes the comb through her hair, choosing to purposely ignore Emma's question. She could see it in the blonde's eyes, in her features that she's still mad. That's rich. Her wife goes out, stays out all night with that woman and she's mad at her? How dare she! Once her hair looks just right, she stops.

"Where were you?" Emma whispers, her voice arctic.

"What do you care?"

"Gina, stop this."

Regina places on her earrings, one by one, and watches as Emma moves quickly across the room toward her. As she whirls around, she steps back as soon as Emma reaches for her.

"Don't touch me," she snaps causing Emma to freeze, her feet rooted to the ground.

"Where were you?" Emma demands. Her hands fist at her sides.

"I wasn't out getting drunk with my ex," the brunette barks. She pauses, hating the next question that was lingering her mind. "Did you sleep with her?" God, she hated it, and was afraid of her wife's answer.

A gasp literally escapes Emma's mouth. "What? No!" She gapes the brunette's way, looking wounded and angry at the same time. How could Regina think that of her, when she has devoted herself to her since day one. "You think I'd cheat on you?" Her tone is that of moral outrage.

"You did," Regina snarls. "By taking our very private life and spilling your spineless guts to that woman. You confided in her, when you're supposed to confide in me. You're supposed to talk to me about our problems. Not her!"

"Alright! So I fucked up. Yes- I fucked up- and I'm sorry, but I was angry at you. You were the one who went behind my back and decided to have a goddamn kid, when I wasn't ready!"

"Emma! You will never be ready!" Regina shouted, following her wife's angered tone. Her hands placed on her hips. "That's the thing with you. And, yes, I fucked up, too. We both did. But, it's not like you never knew how badly I've wanted to be a mother, so I tried this one thing. Chances are it wouldn't work- but it did." She takes a moment's pause. "I admit it was wrong of me to do without consulting you first, but you would have said no. And fact is, your betrayal hurts me even more. Do you have any idea how much you've hurt me by going to see that woman?"

Emma pales momentarily, remaining silent.

"Do you remember last night when you came home? Do you remember what you said?"

Emma stares at her wife blankly. Her face frozen in place.

"Well, you were right. I do choose this defenseless baby over you. That's what any loving parent does. That's what your mother should have done for you. And I am sorry that she didn't- because we wouldn't be having this conversation right now if she had. But you're an adult now- you need to grow the fuck up and smell the fucking coffee and stop behaving like a petulant adolescent."

Emma's eyes grow wide, her lips part in shock.

Regina's eyes stung with unshed tears that practically begged her to be free. "You may not be happy about this baby. I'm not ecstatic either, given the timing, especially when I was told I couldn't ever have children. Believe it or not, this baby came as a surprise to me, too. But you can either do this with me like any wife would do, or I'll do it on my own. The decision is yours." She gathers her purse, and turns to Emma once again. "I'm going to work. And when I return I'll be moving my belongings to the room upstairs."

Emma blinks, shocked.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to finish getting ready," Regina finds herself breathing very hard.

Very slowly, Emma retreats one step, her demeanor hardening. "Is that what you want?" she whispers.

"I don't know what I want anymore." Regina's tone mirrors her wife's, and it takes a monumental effort to feign disinterest while she casually dips her fingers into her moisturizer and smooths it gently over her face. She looks at herself in the mirror. Brown eyes wide, face pale, but cheeks flushed. This was killing her. The thought of sleeping away from Emma- the woman she loved- killed her ten times over. But she had to remain strong. For herself and this baby.

"You don't want me?" Emma whispered, her heart clenching inside of her chest. Suddenly, she was feeling abandoned all over again.

Oh no- no you don't, Swan. Regina whirled around. "I'm still here, aren't I?" She snaps. Taking her mascara, she applies some first to her right eye.

No. Don't do this. Not you, Regina. "Have you thought about leaving?" Emma's voice was barely audible.

"When one's wife prefers the company of her ex-mistress, it's usually not a good sign." she pitches her disdain at just the right level, evading Emma's question. She applies her lipstick next. Lastly, she applies perfume, spraying a dab of it against her neck, and her wrists. She checks herself in the mirror once more, satisfied with her look. She looked hot. As she turns to walk out of the room, she shoots Emma a dispassionate look. She watches her wife's green eyes travel swiftly and greedily down her body.

"I know what you're doing here," Emma murmurs, and her voice has acquired a warm, seductive edge.

"Do you?" Regina's voice cracks, causing her to scold at herself. No, Regina… stay strong.

Emma swallows and takes a step forward. She stops as Regina takes a step backward, holding her hands up to prevent her from moving any further.

"Don't even think about, Swan," Regina whispers menacingly.

"You're my wife," she says softly, threateningly.

"I'm the pregnant woman you abandoned yesterday, and if you touch me I will scream the place down."

Emma's brows hit her hairline. "You'd scream?"

"Bloody murder." Regina narrows her eyes.

"No one would hear you," she murmurs, her gaze intense, and briefly Regina is reminded of one of their mornings in Aspen when they did a little rough play.

That was surprisingly so much fun. No! No, no, no. Stay focused, Regina.

"Are you trying to frighten me?" Regina mutters, breathless, deliberately trying to derail her.

It works, Emma stills and swallows. "That wasn't my intention." She frowns.

Regina can barely breathe. She knows that if she so much as allows Emma to touch her, she would succumb. She knows well enough the type of power Emma wields over her and her traitorous body. She needed to hang on to her anger.

"I had a drink with someone I used to be close to. We cleared the air. I am not going to see her again."

Regina's eyes grow wide with fury. "You sought her out?"

"Not at first. I tried to see Hopper. But I found myself at the salon."

"And you expect me to believe you're not going to see her again?" Regina hisses at her, unable to contain her fury. "What about the next time I step across some imaginary line? This is the same argument we have over and over again. Like we're on some Ixion's wheel. If I fuck up again, are you going to run back to her?"

"I am not going to see her again," Emma says with a chilling finality. "She finally understands how I feel."

Regina blinks. "What does that mean?"

Emma straightens and runs a hand through her hair, exasperated and angry and mute. Regina tries a different tack.

"Why can you talk to her and not to me?"

"I was mad at you. Like I am now."

"You don't say!" She snaps. "Well I am mad at you right now. Mad at you for being so cold and callous yesterday when I needed you. Mad at you for saying I got pregnant by cheating on you, when I didn't. Mad at you for betraying me." She manages to suppress a sob.

Emma's mouth drops open, her hand running through her hair in frustration this time.

"I should have talked to you, and shouldn't have gone alone with this decision without you knowing. That's true. But, that's all this was, a on the spot, whim call on my behalf. I didn't get pregnant for cheating on you. Believe me, Emma, I was just as shocked as you when I found out. Especially when according to the good doctor, I couldn't get pregnant. The clinic fucked up."

Emma glared at her in silence.

"You really fucked up yesterday," she whispers, her anger boiling over. "I've had a lot to deal with over the last few weeks."

"Well, you really fucked up by getting yourself pregnant without my consent."

"Yes. Yes, I fucked up, Emma. God- how I wish I was as perfect as you." She sighs through her sarcasm.

Emma steps forward once again, her hand reaching out.

"Don't." Regina quickly backs away.

"I hate that you won't let me touch you."

"Ironic, isn't it?"

Emma's eyes narrow once more. "We haven't resolved much, have we?"

"I'd say not. Except that I'm moving out of this bedroom."

Green eyes flare and widen briefly. "Regina, she doesn't mean anything to me."

"Except when you need her."

"I don't need her. I need you."

"You didn't yesterday. That woman is a hard limit for me, Emma."

"She's out of my life."

"I wish I could believe you."

"For fuck's sake, Gina."

"Emma…" Regina's voice breaks. "Just please let me get dressed."

Emma sighs and runs a hand through her hair once more. "I'll see you this evening," she says, her voice bleak and devoid of feeling. She heads into the bathroom of their bedroom and shuts the door. And for a moment, Regina wants to take her into her arms and soothe her… but she resists that urge because she is too mad.

Regina plops down on their bed, tears burning at her eyes but she holds it in. Not wanting to break inside their home. Shit. How did everything get so fucked? They were still at the beginning root of the their marriage, and now because of this- it may be fucked. Was it? Did this fight mean it was all over for them? It's true she fucked up in her own way, but so did Emma. How could she possibly had gone to see that woman, when she knows damn well Regina can't stand it? Why did she have to go see her of all people?

She glances at the alarm clock by the bedside table- eight thirty. Shit! She doesn't want to be late. Regina stands to her feet, her hands placed on her belly. She sighs. "Don't worry. She's stubborn, but I am more. Everything will be alright." Her lip trembles and her eyes water once again. Regina takes a long steadying breath and gathers her emotions under control. "Come on. You can come and kick ass at work with me today."

Not even work can keep her busy enough to not think about her stubborn, stupid wife at home. She didn't say goodbye to Emma after she left. She didn't want to. She needed to keep herself busy. Work was the only good thing for her right now.

Regina grabs a hold of her latte that Kathryn generously brought her this morning. She takes a quick whiff of it and feels her stomach turn. Well, little bean clearly won't be a fan of coffee. She sets aside. "Kathryn… may I trouble you for some tea, instead? Please."

"Sure. You okay, Gina?"

Regina nods and watches Kathryn take the coffee and leave her office. As soon as she does, the brunette hears her phone buzz. It's Belle.

"Good morning, Belle. How are you?"

"Cut the crap, Gina. What's going on with you two?" The Belle French Inquisition begins.

"Emma and I had a fight, that's all."

"Did she hurt you?"

Regina's eyes want to tear up. They do and they sting. She blinks the pools of tears away. "Listen, Belle, I have a meeting I need to get to this morning. Can I call you back?" It was a lie, of course. She didn't feel like crying much less talking about her problems at work.

"Alright. But, Gina… you know I'll kill her if she hurts you."

"I know." Regina's voice breaks, her eyes watering all over again.

"Oh, Gina," Belle whispers.

"Belle, don't." A knot forms inside Regina's throat.

"Okay. Talk later."

"Bye."

Regina hangs up. She hears a knock outside her door, spotting Kathryn with her tea and a cream cheese bagel. She smiles as the blonde sets them down for her. She should eat something, especially when she didn't have breakfast this morning after all her fighting with Emma.

"Thank you, Kathryn."

Kathryn smiles. "Of course. Um, August Booth called, he said he has an appointment with you today around three."

"Yes. That's right, I almost forgot. Thank you."

"Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you." As her door closes, she checks her emails, hoping to see one from Emma. She sees nothing. Then, it becomes clear to her that Emma is probably still pretty mad at her. Well, she is mad at her, too and won't be the one to apologize first this time. Their argument of this morning replays in her mind, and she looks down at her stomach, her hands lightly patting it. "Don't worry. Whatever problems your mom and I have, I promise you we'll resolve them. She will love you just as much as I will. You'll see."

Suddenly, her phone buzzes, making her jump. Regina glances at the screen- Ivy? Jeez, news of their fight sure traveled fast. She must be calling her due to that, maybe wanting to know what was going on. She hesitates to answer. She really didn't have the energy for this right now. But in the end, her curiosity wins her over, willing her to answer.

"Hi, Ivy." She answers brightly.

"Damn, it's good to hear your voice, Gina." The male voice on the other side of the phone sounds familiar.

Regina's eyes grow wide, her lips part, her face goes pale, losing all of its color at the same time a chill runs down her spine. Her world comes to a dramatic halt.

It's Robin.