Thanks to everyone for the reviews and follows. Here's this week's chapter before I unplug for National Day of Unplugging. Enjoy! *smile* - LZ

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Chapter 2

Snow came up the steps to the raised space where Emma had slept since she'd first moved into the loft during the curse. Her daughter stood by her bed, a duffel lay open and her box was nearby. As always, Snow looked fondly upon the baby blanket Emma had been wrapped in when she was born. Her daughter, the Savior. "You have some laundry to add to the wash?" she asked.

Then she realized items weren't coming out of the duffel but going in. "What're you doing?"

"Packing," Emma said. She continued to fold and place items into the duffel and box. The bedside table was nearly empty already.

"I can see that," Snow said. "Why?"

"You and Dad want another kid. It's gonna get crowded here," Emma said. "Besides, I want to spend time with Henry. We just got him back."

"I thought Henry would come live here."

"That's not a good idea. Like I said, crowded. Besides, he needs to spend time with Regina."

"What about Baelfire?" Snow said.

"Neal? He may be Henry's father, but Regina and I are Henry's parents."

"So where will you be staying? Are you going back to the rooms over the diner?" Snow asked.

"I'm asking Regina if I can move in with her and Henry."

"Mifflin? She'll never...Regina's a very private woman. She'd never -"

"Situations change," Emma interrupted. "People change. Regina and I… we're connected. She'll see that."

"Emma, you're the Savior, she's… well, you mix like oil and water."

"You said yourself Regina saved us. She saved Henry. She's…" Emma shook her head. "She's changed."

"You know, you never explained how it is Henry got his heart back." Snow sat down on the bed.

Emma sat next to her. "Regina used my heart to make him a new one." To Snow's ear her daughter sounded awed.

Snow had no idea such magic was possible. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm absolutely fine. Regina took, well, like a tissue sample. Then she formed the new heart and we put it in his chest. Together."

"That does sound incredible."

"I just think I should be around... Regina… more. Help her out. Learn more about my own magic. She can teach me. That way I can … protect things."

"The Blue Fairy could teach you, too."

Emma shook her head. "I think it's important to work with Regina. It'll be better."

Snow thought about that. "Because you're her opposite? Your destiny is to defeat the Evil Queen."

"She's not the Evil Queen. You said it yourself. She's changed."

Snow suddenly saw merit in the idea. "I think it's a great idea. Your father and I were trying to figure out what to do about her roaming free. Maybe we don't need to lock her up if you're going to be guarding her."

"That's not exactly what I meant," Emma said.

"But you're the Savior. That's your job. You're right. It will be the best. You should move into the mansion. We'll tell Regina it's house arrest with you or a magic-dampening cell." Snow jumped up and headed for the door. "Come downstairs when you're packed."

Emma sighed as her mother left her bedroom. "Damn," she muttered. How could she convince Regina she wanted to be her partner if her parents set her up as the woman's jailer?

She muttered under her breath trying out words she had sought all night. "Mom, Dad. Hey, uh, Regina's preg - No, Regina's having my - No, no. She's ours… Regina and me, when our magic combined - shit, they could think that Regina directed it."

Why couldn't she make the words come? She tried in her own head, just as she had all night, laying away staring at the ceiling. Mom, Dad, Regina's pregnant. The evidence would be plain to see soon enough. But they'd never believe it was Emma's child, too.

Even though Emma had felt the baby's presence in Regina's womb when she first learned of the pregnancy, and then again last night before leaving Regina at the mansion, it was still pretty far-fetched for her to think about. Which is why she hadn't said anything when she first learned of it two weeks ago.

She also fretted. Her foster parents at the time she'd had her first relationship with a girl hadn't accepted her. Had thrown her out, back into the system. Putting aside the whole Savior and Evil Queen thing, did Snow and David accept same-sex relationships? Would she lose them over this?

Emma bit her lower lip. She remembered how miserable she was alone and pregnant with Henry. She would not, could not, let Regina go through that. She would have Emma's support for anything and everything she needed.

Duffel packed, Emma threw it over her shoulder and grabbed her box. After a last glance through her room she decided she hadn't missed anything and headed downstairs.

Downstairs, Emma spotted parents in the kitchen. Both stood at the stove cooking - oh. Wait. Um… Emma stopped, frozen in place as she realized her father was kissing her mother's throat while wrapped around her from behind. He was… Emma dropped her box and bag loudly to the floor.

David and Mary Margaret spun around, sputtering.

"Oh! Oh! Emma. Emma, hi," Mary Margaret finally managed. "Breakfast is almost ready. We can tell your father the plan."

Emma squared her shoulders and stepped over her bag and box to enter the kitchen. "Mom, about this plan... I need to tell you something first. It may be a bit hard to believe, but -"

"Morning, Em." Neal entered the kitchen from the far side, stepping out of the bathroom, wiping his hands on a towel.

"Neal. What are you doing here?"

"Your parents invited me over last night, said I could visit with Henry."

"Henry's with his mother," Emma said. She moved no further into the kitchen toward the breakfast table.

"With Regina," Neal said. His tone was flat, clearly dismayed.

"Yes." Emma replied firmly.

"You think I could see him?"

"That's Regina's call, not mine," Emma said.

"Oh," Neal said. He looked from David to Emma. "Well, I guess I should get going. Uh, David, thanks for… well, thanks." He stepped away from the stove. Emma realized she was blocking the way to the door and took a step back. He paused and rubbed his chin before glancing quickly at her and then away. "I...guess I'll see you... around?"

Not if I see you first, Emma thought. She muttered, "Yeah."

Neal swallowed stiffly and nodded. Despite herself, Emma acknowledged he was a person who knew how to read her. He recognized he was being pushed aside. She held herself back from saying something to him. He apparently didn't need her to confirm anything aloud because in the next moment he walked out the front door.

Maybe, she thought, they could talk later, fully clear the air. But he'd known not now, not in front of her parents. So deep in thought, Emma was startled by her father's voice. "Breakfast's ready."

Covering her jumpy reaction with pursed lips then smothering an abashed smile when she caught her father's grin, Emma walked quickly past her parents and sat down at the kitchen table. The last thing she needed was her parents trying to fix her up with Neal.

"So, I hear there's a plan?" David said as he set plates of eggs, bacon, sausage, hash, cut fruit in the middle of the table.

"Emma's going to monitor Regina under house arrest," Mary Margaret stated cheerfully.

"Mary-Snow-Mom," Emma stuttered. Putting down her fork she shook her head. "I really don't think that's a good idea."

"I don't either," David said. "Regina's dangerous. She should be locked up. Have her magic taken away."

Emma shook her head, this time at her father. "I thought you both understood how much Regina's changed. You -" She shot her mother a glare. "Spoke out on the dock, said that she saved you in Neverland. Why would you do that if you didn't think she'd changed?"

"Emma, she's got the box with Pan inside. How can we be assured she won't let him out simply because we've taken Henry from her?"

"You're not taking Henry away from Regina." Emma stood up. "Absolutely not. We're raising our children together and you will not -"

"Children?" Mary Margaret cocked her head. "Are you planning to adopt one of the Lost Boys we brought back with us?" She beamed. "Oh, honey, that would be wonderful of you. I was thinking we needed to settle the matter of the orphans soon." The pixie-haired brunette gave a matching pixie smile. It was like a light beam that hit Emma square in the chest. She sagged.

"Mom, I -"

"Who were you thinking of adopting? Felix? Vern? Oliver? No…" Mary Margaret trailed off on her own thoughts before blurting. "It's Randy, isn't it? He really looked up to you on the ship."

"Mom, I am not adopting Randy, or any of the other boys. Henry is my son. Mine and Regina's. And I intend to raise his sister with her, too."

Mary Margaret's face screwed up in an expression that Emma couldn't interpret.

David, however, apparently could. "Whose child are you carrying, Emma? Neal's or Hook's?" He looked ready to tear someone apart.

"What!?" Emma blurted. "I haven't slept with either of them! It's not me who's pregnant -"

"But you just said," Mary Margaret cut in over her words.

"It's Regina!"

"What?!" chorused both David and Mary Margaret. Emma covered her face with her hands.

Taking a deep breath, Emma finally dropped her hands and moved her gaze from her mother to her father, finding it a little easier to speak to David than Mary Margaret. "Regina is pregnant. It happened in Neverland."

Mary Margaret however had the questions. "She told you this? When? Who's the father?"

Emma looked at Mary Margaret. "I am."

"That's absurd!" David said. "You. She. Can't. It's not possible."

"It was our magic," Emma explained. "Our magic that combined to save Henry, our magic that we both have." Emphasizing the combination, the both, Emma hoped they would not suggest that Regina had somehow used her.

"You only used magic together the last few days on the island. She was away from us for some time, Emma. It could be someone -"

"It's not," Emma said quickly cutting off her father. "The...Regina and I were together at the beginning of the trip, trying to figure out how to rescue Henry. We had no idea whether we would find him or not."

"You were talking. That's not how - This is ridiculous!" Mary Margaret cut herself off. "Regina is not pregnant. Even if she is, it is certainly not your child."

Emma sat back down trying to figure out how to explain. Start at the beginning, she decided. "Look, do you remember when the Lost Ones attacked and we got back to the boat?"

"Yes," David said. "You magicly brought us to the boat, to safety."

"Gold brought you back, but my magic reacted to Regina's emotions and brought me back first. She had just learned she was pregnant."

"Who told her?" Mary Margaret's fingers curled and uncurled on the table.

"Gold."

David grasped Mary Margaret's hand. Emma fretted with her own fingers in front of her plate. "He's a trickster, Emma. How can you believe this?"

"It's no trick. I've felt her." David frowned; Mary Margaret pursed her lips. "The baby is a girl," Emma clarified. "She was made with our magic, Regina's and mine. I can feel her when we're close."

Mary Margaret and David fell silent. Emma dropped her gaze and found her barely begun breakfast no longer steamed. It had gone cold. Her stomach grumbled.

"Finish your breakfast. We're going to see Regina." Mary Margaret's tone was sharp, dark, bitter.

Henry answered the door. "You've come to take me to the loft?"

Emma noticed he didn't call it 'home' and smiled at him. Her son knew where he rightfully belonged.

"We want to talk to Regina," Mary Margaret demanded.

"We're about to have brunch. Mom's in the kitchen." Again, Emma smiled at Henry's easy tone

"Wouldn't magicking something up be quicker?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Mom likes to cook," Henry said. "What's up?" His tone was now curious.

"Who's at the door, Henry?" Regina's voice coming nearby drew both Emma's gaze and Henry's.

"It's Ma, Gramma, and Gramps," Henry said.

As Henry finished speaking, Regina came into view. Emma felt her feelings surge again as she took in the other woman's appearance. Her brow was slightly shining, probably from the kitchen's heat. She had a bunched apron in her hands, obviously just removed. On her feet were house slippers, but otherwise typically attired, wearing a pair of dark slacks, a vest with crochet front panels, over a blue button blouse.

"What is it, Snow?" Her tone was mild.

"We need to talk," Mary Margaret said. She and Regina's gazes warred for several seconds of silence.

When there was no explanation forthcoming from Snow, Regina said quietly, "Henry, please sit down and eat. David," she added politely, "if you wish, you can join him. There's more than enough. Snow wants us to talk alone, I believe."

"Mom?" Henry's query brought Regina to his side and a hand on his shoulder when she kissed his cheek.

"It won't be a minute, Henry. Go on."

When Henry moved, David, indeed, followed him. This left the three women spread across the mansion doorway.

"Should I ask you in, or would you rather I step out?" Regina asked.

"Regina," Snow said sharply.

"You don't have to do this," Emma said finally.

"Clearly I have already done something. At least I'm getting a chance to address it instead of summarily being thrown in a cell somewhere."

"No one's throwing anyone anywhere," Emma argued.

"So what is it, Snow?"

"Emma told us what happened in Neverland."

"And so quickly." Regina's brows narrowed at Emma and she flushed. But then she raised them toward Snow. "Are you certain that was everything? Quite a lot happened after all, dear." A forced lightness pervaded Regina's words. "We rescued Henry and saved your shepherd from having to live out his days in that insufferable place. We were all threatened with annihilation by that boy-child trickster Pan, but we trapped him and have finally come home."

"What happened between you and my daughter," Snow snapped.

"Are you asking?"

"Regina," Emma tried to intervene.

"No," Regina fumed. "I want her to tell me exactly what her problem is - It's my body, not hers."

Snow hissed. "Are you with child?"

"Henry is with me," Regina replied calmly.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"If it isn't what you meant, then I beg you, dear, do tell."

Snow hissed again. "Are you pregnant?"

"Ah, there it is." Regina touched her hand to her waist and Emma wanted to reach out to hold it, hold her. "Yes."

Snow's face screwed up with pain and anger, and helplessness. "How?"

"I spoke with you about the birds and the bees when you were a child, my dear."

"But this took magic. You used magic on Emma to do this."

"You think I arranged for this?" Regina scoffed.

"Mary Margaret. Snow. Mom," Emma stepped between them. "I told you it was our magic." Emma inhaled. "That makes this baby my responsibility."

"What baby?"

Emma, Regina and Snow stared at Henry who had walked back out to the foyer from the kitchen. In his hand was a cookie.

"What do you have there, Henry?" Emma asked, hoping to divert him.

"It's a cookie. I finished my lunch. What's going on? What baby?" He studied Emma. "Did you get back with my dad, Ma?"

"No, kid."

"Hook?" Henry's screwed up features suggested he wasn't really happy about that idea.

"No, no."

David walked in, his face as curious as Henry's.

"Your mother," Regina said, "is not having another child."

"But there's a baby? I didn't see one on the Jolly Roger. Is it someone's here in Storybrooke?" Henry sounded excited now.

"No, kid, please stop guessing. It's just going to get more awkward." Emma put her hand on Henry's shoulder. "Your mom is pregnant."

Henry looked at Regina in surprise. "You told me that you couldn't get pregnant. That's why you adopted me." He looked at Snow and then Emma. When he continued, his tone was ruminating. "Neverland has magic. You said magic. Um, did Pan-?" Henry cut himself off unwilling to even finish that thought. Emma was grateful, and she was certain Regina was as well.

"If it wasn't Pan, who was it?"

Regina answered flatly, "Your mother."

Henry's eyes went wide and his head swiveled from Emma to Regina several times. "Really?"

"Seems our magic together is a little more than just useful for trapping bad guys," Emma said. She tried to keep it light.

"Wow." Henry studied them both from head to toe. "Are you…" He shook off that question and started with another, directed at Regina. "Mom, are you okay with this?" Then he seemed to remember who had snapped out the demand to talk which had sent him from the room. "Snow, Gramma, wait, are you not okay with this?"

Snow responded with a grumbled, "She's lying."

"Mom?"

"It's the absolute truth, Henry. I'm pregnant."

"She is, kid. I've felt the baby," Emma said.

"Wow." Henry stepped up to his mother and looked at her. "Can I give you a hug?"

"Of course." Regina's reply wasn't finished before Henry had wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his head into her shoulder, giving her a warm, secure hug. He kissed her cheek before letting her go. "Sweetheart," Regina murmured, brushing her fingers across his cheeks.

"Ma?"

"I don't need a hug too, kid. It's okay."

"No, I think it would be a good idea if you moved in though. Don't you?"

Emma smirked when she caught Regina's frown and Snow's scowl. "I was thinking that would be a good idea. But my mom, and yours, aren't so keen on that."

"Yeah? Have you asked her?"

"Regina?"

"What?" Regina looked at Emma who simply cocked her head. Finally Regina spoke to Henry. "All right. Yes. Fine. Miss Swan - Emma - may move in - to the guest room." The brunette had added this last with dark brows lowered toward Emma. "I understand you think you need to be here, to be responsible, but the first time you attempt to stop me doing something perfectly reasonable I will throttle you. Is that understood?"

Emma's smile widened. "Deal." Then she did accept a hug from Henry. "Get my stuff out of the car?" she asked him when they parted. He took the keys to her Beetle and ran outside.

"You assumed I'd let you stay?" Regina asked, raising her eyebrow sharply.

"Let's say I was hoping to persuade you. But," she added, "the guest room?"

"Emma!" Snow jolted.

"What? You and David can, but Regina and I can't?"

"I thought you got pregnant by magic?"

"Some touching was involved," Regina replied.

David stepped forward past Emma and collected Snow by the shoulders, turning her around. "All right. Okay. I think that's our cue to be going. Come on, Snow."

"David, they've had sex."

"Snow…"

"You corrupted my baby," Snow whispered. When Emma reached for Regina's hand and held it between both of her own, Snow grimaced.

Henry came running up the walk and his return effectively silenced Snow.

"How about we meet at Granny's for lunch tomorrow?" Emma said. "I'm going to take Regina to see Whale in the morning."

David and Snow moved down the walk. A few minutes later from the front walk, Henry, Emma and Regina watched the truck heading back toward the center of town.

Henry smiled up at his mothers and they followed him back inside the house.

The afternoon passed with Emma and Henry playing video games. Despite not having been home for weeks, Regina insisted that she needed to clean up. Henry watched her skim through the living room, in and out of the kitchen. He heard the mixer and the oven timer going off more than once. Soon the wafting aromas of baked goods filled the house.

Regina brought out a small mixed selection of treats, cookies, muffins. She placed it down by Henry's controller. Since Emma was running through a level of Prince of Persia, Henry reached for the plate. When he picked up two cookies, Regina looked about to say something then shook her head. He handed one to Emma just as she finished the level successfully.

Emma bit into it and glanced up at Regina, who still had not spoken. She chewed quietly and smiled, and put the cookie down on the plate only half eaten.

Henry was bemused when he saw his mom follow the motion with a twitch of her lips. It was clear to him that she wanted Emma to say something, but had no idea if she really wanted to hear Emma say something.

"Good cookie," Emma said.

"They're Henry's favorite." Regina walked out of the living room.

Henry rolled his eyes and picked up his controller. "My turn."

The tenuous, uncertain looks between his mothers continued. When Emma went to put her things in the guest room, under orders to wash up before dinner, Henry finally decided to discuss this absurd impasse between them. "Shouldn't you be in my mom's room?"

"Regina's running this show, kid."

"Don't you love my mom?"

"Kid... Henry," Emma sat on the guest bed. "It's not that I -"

"Yes or no. Did you make that baby with love, or was what happened with my mom meaningless?"

"God, Henry, no. Look. I, yes, your mother and I connected while we were in Neverland, but the magic...We didn't expect that your mother would get pregnant."

"Well, duh, you're both women. It would take something more, something extra special." He smiled at her. "True Love magic."

Emma shook her head emphatically. "No. Your mother already had a true love. He died."

"So did you. My dad…"

"Neal is a great guy, Henry, but he was not my great love."

Henry looked down at his hands. "I think you're wrong. I think you love my mom and she loves you."

"Well," Emma sighed. "Let me and your mom figure that out, okay?"

"But I could help."

"No. No plans. No operations. I'm going to stay here and just help your mom as she goes through this pregnancy."

"That's all?" Henry asked.

"Yeah," Emma replied. "I'm just here to help her out."

Reaching the top of the stairs, Regina heard Henry's question and Emma's response. Her chest briefly tightened. Exhaling and rubbing at her sternum, Regina called out, "Henry, Emma, dinner will be on the table shortly."

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