A/N- Hello there, everyone! Again, I know you're not here for the Author's Notes, so here's chapter 17! Enjoy!

They were eating breakfast when the first pain hit. It was concentrated around Alice's lower back, but it was a lot sharper than the back aches that she'd been having nonstop since entering her third trimester.

"Robin?" Alice moaned, gripping the table in pain and fear.

"Alice?" Robin replied worriedly, noting the pain in Alice's voice. "What is it?"

"Something's wrong," Alice gasped. "There's a really bad pain in my back and stomach."

"Do you think you're having contractions?" Robin asked, getting up from the table and coming to stand by Alice.

"Maybe," Alice said. "It's passed now, but it felt like how the books described contractions."

"But you can't be in labor!" Robin exclaimed, starting to panic. "Your due date's not for another three weeks! We're not ready!"

"I'm not sure we'll have a choice," Alice confessed.

"Okay. Alright. Here's what we'll do," Robin decided, managing to get a handle on her panic in order to do what was best for Alice and the baby. "I'll go pack a bag for the hospital, and you go get in the car. We can leave as soon as I'm done."

"The hospital!" Alice protested. "No! I'm going to have the baby here! I can't do it at the hospital, I just can't!"

"Alice, calm down," Robin soothed. "It's not good for the baby for you to be so stressed."

"You're right," Alice sighed. "But I can't have this baby at the hospital. Robin, I thought you understood that?"

"I do," Robin reasoned. "If you were having Duckling closer to the due date. But you're so early, and I'm just worried that she may need medical attention. After all, what if she isn't developed enough to be born today?"

"I suppose so," Alice replied. "Alright, I'll meet you in the car."

Robin nodded swiftly, then raced to the bedroom, trying to fight off thoughts of all the things that could go wrong today.

By the time they got to the hospital, Alice had had three more pains, each one notably worse than the last.

She was now laying on an exam table, squeezing Robin's hand in fear.

Another tight, cramping pain hit, and Alice squeezed Robin's hand even harder.

Robin, unable to stop herself, yelped as she heard and felt something crack in her hand.

As the pain worsened, a massive rose bush began to grow in the corner of the room; Alice's magic was responding to her pain and fear.

By the time the pain passed almost a minute later, there was a thick wall of rose bushes by the window of the exam room, and Robin was 100% sure that Alice had broken at least one of her fingers.

Just then, Dr. Singer entered the room, and Alice tensed as if waiting for bad news.

"So, good news," the doctor smiled. "You are not in labor."

"I'm not?" Alice asked.

"Nope," Dr. Singer reassured. "Your daughter has decided to wait a few more weeks."

"But I've been having contractions all morning," Alice argued, confused.

"No, you've been having Braxton Hicks contractions all morning," the doctor explained. "They're false labor pains to help prepare your body for birth."

"Oh," Alice sighed.

It was easy to tell that she was relaxing, because her white-knuckled death grip on Robin's fractured fingers was easing, and the rose bushes in the corner were shrinking.

"Wait, I thought Braxton Hicks contractions weren't supposed to be so painful?" Alice asked.

"Your stress levels were making them worse," Dr. Singer explained. "If it happens again, just stay calm, and try switching positions. That can help ease them."

"Alright," Alice said. "Now, Robin. Are you okay? Because I thought I felt something snap during that last cramp."

"You did," Robin sighed. "I think you broke my finger. But it's alright! I'm going to invite Aunt Regina over later- there's some things I need to discuss with her- so she can just fix it magically."

"Oh, Robin, I'm sorry!" Alice exclaimed. "I was just so scared, I guess I didn't realize…"

"Don't worry about it," Robin comforted. "I'm alright."

"Well, I think we're all good here," Dr. Singer announced. "If you'll head back to the front desk, you can sign out and then head home."

Alice nodded, thanked her profusely for all her help today, and led Robin to the front desk, being careful to avoid her injured hand.

Regina poofed over as soon as Robin called. She had been desperately wanting to see Alice and Robin for a while now, but she hadn't wanted to intrude, so she'd been waiting for an invitation.

"Aunt Regina!" Robin exclaimed. "It's so good to see you!"

"You too, darling," Regina smiled. "I've missed you!"

"If you were missing us, why didn't you just come over?" Alice asked, hauling herself off the couch to say hello.

"Alice!" Regina beamed. "My has that little girl grown!"

"Yeah, Duckling's been getting really big lately," Alice replied. "But you haven't answered my question! Why haven't we seen more of you? We missed you!"

"I didn't want to intrude," Regina explained sheepishly. "You, Robin, and- What did you call her? Duckling?- have just been so happy that I thought I should leave you alone to enjoy the quiet bliss while it lasts."

"Aunt Regina!" Robin protested. "You should have said something! You're always welcome here, you know that!"

"And besides," Alice added. "Without you, we wouldn't have Little Duckling! You're allowed to come see her whenever you want."

"Well, thank you," Regina smiled. "Now. Is there a reason you called me over here, or did you just want to see me?"

"There is something I needed to talk to you about," Robin admitted. "Care to sit down?"

"Sure," Regina accepted, settling herself onto the sofa gracefully. "What can I do for you?"

"This morning, we had a false labor scare," Robin explained. "And it brought up some concerns for the real birth that I think you can help us with."

"Of course," Regina agreed. "I'll do anything I can to help."

"First things first," Alice interjected. "I broke Robin's finger. Do you think you could heal it, and maybe cast a protection spell to make sure it doesn't happen again?"

"You broke Robin's finger?" Regina responded skeptically. "I doubt that. Let me take a look."

Robin held out her injured left hand to Regina, who took it and laughed.

"It's definitely not broken," she diagnosed. "Alice was just holding it weird, and she popped the knuckle out of place."

"Can your magic fix it?" Alice asked worriedly.

"I can fix it," Regina corrected. "No magic necessary."

She put one finger on either side of the knuckle of Robin's pinkie finger, pulled it forward, and pushed back into its socket, eliciting a pop from the finger and a cry from Robin, who jerked her hand away.

"Ow, Aunt Gina!" Robin exclaimed. "That hurt!"

"Oh, honestly, Robin," Regina sighed. "You certainly got your father's pain tolerance!"

"She is a bit of a baby sometimes," Alice joked. "So, would you mind to put a protection spell on her hand, even though I didn't actually break anything? I wouldn't want her to give up on holding my hand halfway through the birth because I bruised a few of her fingers."

"Sure," Regina agreed, waving her hand over Robin's and encasing it briefly in a warm purple glow. "Is there anything else you ladies need?"

"There is, actually," Robin admitted. "Do you still have that cuff that stops people's magic?"

"Yes…" the former evil queen replied slowly. "Why?"

"Alice accidentally grew a wall of rose bushes in the hospital today," Robin explained. "And I was hoping you would lend us the cuff so that she doesn't accidentally turn the house into a garden while she's giving birth."

"Oh," Regina sighed. "Sure. I'll bring it over for you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Regina," Alice said gratefully. "My magic's a little unpredictable sometimes, and I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt because of it."

"Of course," Regina smiled. "Well, if that's everything, I'll be heading back to Storybrooke now."

"Aunt Gina, wait!"Robin protested. "Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"Really?" Regina queried.

"Of course!" Alice joined. "You're always welcome here!"

"Well, if you're sure…" Regina said hesitantly.

"We're sure," Robin added.

"Alright," Regina agreed. "Can I help with dinner?"

"Sure!" Alice beamed. "If you'd like; you don't have to. I'm making-"

"Oh, no," Robin interrupted. "After all the stress you've been through today? Aunt Regina and I will make dinner, and you will kick back, relax, and get some much needed rest. Kapesh?"

"Yeah…" Alice sighed.

"Good," Robin replied.

With that, she led Regina to the kitchen to make dinner, leaving Alice to pout on the couch.

A/N- So, what did you think? I'm not too happy with it, but I suppose it'll do. Anyway, be sure to leave a review. Also, if you haven't already done so, vote on a name for the baby- Cecilia Belle Mills or Tiera Rose Mills? As always, thank you so very much for reading, and have a blessed day, loves!