Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time or its characters.

Author Notes: Wow, two chapters in one week?! I know, shocking. What can I say, I'm very excited about the positive response and that makes my muse happy.

Before we start, someone inquired about a fancast for Regan. I have a very clear mental picture of what I imagine our lovable Evil King to be and there is not such a man in existence. However, I do have someone in mind that comes close to my vision. Be sure to check the AO3 version for the image links.

Now we can start :P

Massachusetts General Hospital (Immediately following Henry's birth)

In a dark and rather depressing hospital room on the maternity ward, a figure laid down on the uncomfortable bed, curled into a tight ball. Emma Swan didn't know where things went so wrong. Her life was supposed to be better, damn it! She worked really hard to lead a normal life. But in the end, like always, everything went sideways for her and she was left with nothing, alone and locked up.

"Why? Why did this happen to me?" she wondered, doing her best not to cry "Why Neal? Why did you betray me like this, you bastard?" she growled under her breath, angry at the man that was supposed to love her and help her raise their child.

Maybe it was never real, maybe she just fooled herself into thinking she could be happy. She should have known better really, trusting people always brought her trouble. Why would he be any different? She ignored all her instincts and now she was paying the price. She closed her eyes and remembered everything that brought her to this moment as she gently rubbed the spot that, just a few hours ago, housed her baby. A baby she had to give up, to give him his best chance.

Flashback

"What possessed me to come here?" Emma Swan muttered under her breath as the imposing building loomed before her, making her more nervous the longer she stood there.

New England's Cryogenic Center. What could a healthy, young woman with a steady boyfriend would be doing here, you ask? Well, it seems that for once, she wasn't the problem. Not that it was a problem as such. A lot of people was unable to have kids and it wasn't the end of the world. It just so happened that her boyfriend was one of those people.

Neal Cassidy, the man she was planning to have a life with, was sterile. That was something they didn't expect when they decided to give this whole normal domestic life a shot. It hit him hard too, when they found out.

After meeting each other when she was 18, while trying to steal the same car no less, they took to living in their stolen vw bug and shitty motel rooms, robbing small stores and pick pocketing whatever unfortunate soul that crossed their way. It got old pretty soon though, so after a while, they decided to settle down together, have a normal life. They agreed they would keep doing their thing until they had enough money to settle somewhere, which they eventually did. They saved as much as they could, keeping a very tight budget, but they managed.

They found a decent two bedrooms apartment on a not so run-down neighborhood in Boston. Emma got a job as a waitress and Neal managed to get a spot at a super store, loading and unloading trucks with merchandise. It was not fancy, but it worked for them, and at least it was better than what they were doing before.

Three years went by and they were still going strong. Emma was working at a different restaurant where she got a better pay and benefits and Neal was given a raise once he proved to be a dedicated worker. Since everything seemed to be working just fine, Emma broached the subject of children.

While she was still young, just barely 22, she found herself bitten by the mothering bug. Every day, while she was at work, she saw happy families, parents helping their toddlers with food, taking turns holding their babies and discussing plans for the future. As a child that never had a family, that was something that really appealed to her.

One night, after dinner, she hesitantly brought the subject to Neal "Have you ever thought about having kids?" she asked, biting her lip.

Neal put down his fork and lifted an eyebrow "I haven't really thought about it" he lied, shrugging. As a guy born and partially raised in the Enchanted Forest there was nothing, he wanted more than to continue his family line, specially after his father became the dark one. He couldn't let his line end with him, the child of Rumplestiltskin, abandoned by his own father in favor of his power.

He just didn't think it was something Emma wanted; she had abandonment and commitment issues that ran deeper than his. Though it seems that ever since they decided to go legit, her running tendencies had lessened dramatically.

"Is that something you want for us?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I mean. Things are going well, right? We have steady jobs, a room we don't really use, and our schedules are flexible. To be honest, I've been thinking about this for a while" she confessed, reaching for his hand "What do you say?"

He beamed and nodded "Let's do it, Em. Let's have a baby" he enthused.

Thus, they started to try right away. They kept an eye on Emma's cycles to increase their chances of success. But after a while, it was obvious it wasn't going to happen. They kept at it for a year before they gave up and agreed to see a fertility doctor. During their days on the foster system and the streets respectively they didn't exactly kept track of their health so they deduced that something might be wrong that they didn't know about it. Emma was sure she was the problem, maybe her time as a foster kid left more scars than she thought.

Surprisingly, she was healthy as a horse. It was Neal, the one with the issue. His tests revealed a very low sperm count and the few he did have had short life span and low mobility. For all intents and purposes, he was sterile.

Naturally, Neal was crushed. His dream of continuing his family line was ruined. He obviously didn't tell Emma, but he suspected his time in Neverland was the problem. God knows he was exposed to all kinds of things there, from poisons to extreme weather conditions. Not even mentioning the many injuries he sustained. No one left Neverland unscathed and it seems the price for keeping his life was his fertility.

Still, family was family. He didn't want to drag Emma down with him, so he suggested they used a sperm donor "Are you sure about that, Neal? Wouldn't that be weird to you, raising another man's child?" she asked, not fully convinced.

"Look Em, love is love, right? It doesn't matter if our child has my blood or not. Do I wish we could have children the normal way? I sure do. But in the end, I will still love our kid. I will be their dad, right? The donor is just that; a donor. You and me? We're going to be the parents" He assured her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead.

Emma nodded "Ok, we'll do some research online and then we can get started on that" she acquiesced with a smile.

Over the next few weeks, they informed themselves as much as they could. They immediately discarded In Vitro. It was way too expensive and complicated. Instead, they settled on artificial insemination. They found they could even do it at home. It was just a matter of choosing a donor.

They decided on New England's Cryogenic Center. It wasn't too expensive, and their reviews were reassuring. They made an appointment with a specialist and they were ready to go.

Now, on the highly anticipated day, Emma was shaking like a leaf. She wished Neal was here but with thanksgiving and Black Friday around the corner, the store was getting a lot of merchandise and produce, so he couldn't take time off. Still, he trusted Emma to find them a good donor.

Finally, after stalling for as long as she could, she went inside. She walked over to the front desk and nervously smiled "Hi, my name is Emma Swan and I have an appointment".

The receptionist smiled back and checked "Indeed, Miss Swan. This way" she gestured for Emma to follow her and took her to an office "Take a seat and your specialist will be right with you" she said professionally before she left.

Not even five minutes later a man walked in and shook her hand "Welcome, Miss Swan. My name is Jason Tanner and I'll be helping you today". He noticed her nervous demeanor and smiled gently "There's no need to worry at all. This is a very simple process. I'll show you one of our home kits, what it includes and walk you through the instructions. Once you're ready, we can go ahead and select an appropriate donor for you" he assured her.

Emma took a deep breath and nodded, smiling back at him. Come what may, she would deal with it "Ok, thank you, Mr. Tanner".

"Please, call me Jason. Now, let's get started".

During the next half an hour, he patiently explained everything. He showed her the home kit, the items that came with it and he walked her through the process of what would they need to do. He answered her questions and concerns. By the end of it, Emma was feeling more confident about the whole thing.

"Now, you select the donor. First of all, you need to know there are two types. Anonymous and non-anonymous. In both cases, you will only get information regarding their physical features, general health and attributes. No names or pictures will be revealed. The only difference between the two is that, if you choose to go with a non-anonymous donor, your child will be able to reach out to him though us once he or she turns 18" he explained.

Emma took a moment to think. She didn't want to deny her child the chance to meet their birth father. God knows that is something that she still struggles with even after all these years "I'll go with a non-anonymous donor".

Jason was surprised "Are you sure? As your specialist, it is my duty to explain all your options to you. I understand that your boyfriend will be the second parent and an anonymous donor would be a more discreet route" he cautioned.

Emma sighed "I understand, Jason. But I also understand how confusing and frustrating can be not to know where you come from and I don't want my kid to feel that way. I spent my childhood and teens in the foster system, you know? I was never adopted, so I outgrew it. And the fact that I don't know who my parents are or why they abandoned me has haunted me my whole life. I won't lie to my child about that. When the time is right, Neal and I will explain the circumstances of their conception and I wouldn't be a good mother If I deprive my son or daughter of the chance of finding about their origins" she wondered why she was being so open and figured it was the emotionally charged situation.

Or maybe she was just tired of holding it all in.

Jason nodded "That is a very admirable approach. You're going to be a great mother," he smiled genuinely, "Now, let's find you a donor, shall we?" He said enthusiastically.

He turned his monitor so she could see it without trouble, and she was surprised at the amount of profiles available. It was a bit intimidating "Now, don't worry. We will narrow this down. Let's focus on profiles with some of your boyfriend's features, ok?".

Dark brown hair, brown eyes and height were the starting references they used. The list went down a bit, but there were still many "Now, this is where start to really filter these out. Take your time and think about attributes you want that might be passed to your child or even things you might just like about the man that compliment your own personality".

Emma thought about it "High IQ, not like genius level or anything, but smarts are good. Perhaps above average" the list went down again.

The blonde grinned 'This is kind of fun'. And on she went, blood type (Same as hers, just to be safe), medium skin tone, athletic, outdoorsy, movie enthusiast, etc. She rejected anyone that practiced any kind of extreme and/or adrenaline-fueled activities and obviously, anyone who had a serious chronic or hereditary illness. By the time she was done, only a handful of profiles remained.

She looked at them all with a critical eye, but she always went back to one in particular. She asked Mr. Tanner to show her his complete profile. When it was revealed, she really liked what she saw.

Donor # 270993

Race: Caucasian

Ethnicity: Hispanic-Italian

Hair color: Dark Brown

Eye color: Brown

Blood type: B+

Skin tone: Medium

Height: 6'2"

IQ score: 125

Education: Master's Degree in Political Science, Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration.

Occupation: Government Official/Politician

Interests: Horseback riding, fencing, reading, cooking, apple growing, apple cider production, movies and music.

Languages: English (Fluent), Spanish (Native)

History of hereditary diseases: No

Non-Anonymous: Yes

Emma read his details over and over, closing her eyes and trying to imagine a baby with some of those features. She knew that the chances of the baby getting her own likeness were lower when compared with those particular traits, all of which were dominant. Still, the end result was not half bad in her mind.

That would be a very beautiful baby, no doubt about it.

Jason cleared his throat and smiled "So, we have a winner?" he asked, already knowing her answer.

Emma nodded "Yes, this is the one" she said, almost out of breath. This was truly happening, and she couldn't wait.

After signing the necessary paperwork, she was on her way back home, carrying a medium sized box holding their future inside.

As excited as they were, Emma and Neal decided to wait until she was ovulating again to try. Since they rarely missed work, they had a lot of vacation time saved, so they took those days off so Emma could rest properly after it was all said and done. As per the instructions Tanner gave Emma, she needed to be completely relaxed and stress free to ensure maximum efficiency.

On the night of the event, they had dinner on the table for a change instead of eating in front of the tv, as usual. Afterwards, Neal drew Emma a bath, complete with bubbles. When they retired to the bedroom, they took everything they needed and finally, it was time.

Neal felt a little weird, now faced with the intangible proof that another man's seed would be used to impregnate his girlfriend. Still, he soldiered on despite the discomfort. The instructions were pretty straight forward.

Emma had her eyes closed and her breathing was even. The process took less than ten minutes, but she still had to lay down for another half an hour after the procedure. Once she was alone, after Neal had put everything away and left her so she could rest, she slowly brought her hand down to her sex, gently touching herself.

While it was not technically on the instructions, Mr. Tanner did say that having an orgasm (without penetration) immediately following the insemination would be of great help. She could have told Neal that, but is not like they could have sex and after just injecting some other guy's semen in her, it would be weird for Emma to be touched by him so intimately.

The blonde didn't have any trouble creating an arousing scenario in her mind and she was so relaxed it didn't take much for her to climax, gasping in delight as waves of pleasure made her inner walls contract in the most delicious way. No one would ever have to know that the man in her fantasy was not her boyfriend; but a tall, dark and handsome stranger with dark hair, chocolate eyes and a smirk that promised many sinful and delightful endeavors.

Now all they had to do was wait a few weeks so she could take a pregnancy test and see if it worked. Soon they would have their baby and they would be a family.

She should have known it wouldn't last.

She wished she could say she saw it coming, but the truth is, she didn't. One minute she was driving back home from work and the next she was being pulled over by the cops. When she asked why, she was told she was suspected of carrying stolen goods. Perplexed, she let the officers search the car, confident that they weren't going to find anything.

To her surprise, they did find something. Poorly hidden under the cheap lining of the trunk, was a bag with several expensive watches inside. The same stolen watches Neal initially confessed he was wanted for. And in that moment, she understood what happened. She was being set up by the man she had planned a future with.

And nothing would ever be the same.

Emma didn't resist when they cuffed her and was brought to the police. There, she was told that Neal ratted her out when he supposedly found out she was going to sell the watches and take off with the money, so he cut a deal to save his own ass.

Numb with heartbreak and betrayal, she didn't speak while she was being booked. The evidence was there. No one would believe a word she said. It was her word against his and she was the one caught red handed.

The dream was over, and it was time for reality to check back in.

She was sentenced to 2 years of jail time. Not all the watches were stolen from the same person, so they were at least 2 or 3 separate charges of petty theft.

During the first couple of months of her lock up, Emma was on autopilot. Her dreams were shattered, and her heart was broken. She wondered how things could get any worse and pretty soon she got her answer.

Pregnant.

She was almost twelve weeks pregnant, long enough to be able to have an ultrasound and know the sex. Her luck couldn't be this rotten, she thought in despair. Somewhere, someone had to be pulling the strings. She stared at the barely-there smudge that was her baby.

Her son.

This time she couldn't stop the tears. What should have been the happiest moment of her life was hell, knowing she wouldn't be able to be there for him. He would have the same screwed up life she did and like her, he would curse his blood family.

Wait. Blood family. The donor! That's it. There was still hope for her baby boy. The chances were slim, but she had to try. Still, it took her another two months to work out her request and gather the courage to make the call. This was it, her last ace.

"New England Cryogenic Center, this is Jason Tanner. How may I help you?" the familiar, professional voice filled her ears.

"Mr. Tanner, this is Emma Swan. You remember me?"

"But of course, Miss Swan. I'm surprised to hear from you. What can I help with you with?" He asked, surprised. He had given her his personal extension, in case she needed anything or had questions. It was not unusual for specialist to follow up on their clients after they used their services.

Emma took a deep breath "Ok, here goes" she exhaled and told him everything. How she was arrested, how the insemination worked and how she needed to ensure her baby would have a happy life, way out of reach of the foster system. She plead for him to help her, to please just try.

Jason Tanner was astonished after her tale was over. But something in her tone really got to him and he found himself agreeing. He told her it was a long shot, but he would do his best. Which wasn't much to begin with.

The wait was nerve wracking. Every night she had nightmares about her son ending up like her, angry and alone, hating the world.

But it seemed her prayers didn't go unanswered. Just a week later she got a visit from Jason Tanner "You are in luck, Miss Swan. Your donor has agreed to take care of the baby" he told her, getting a genuine, yet sad, smile in return.

"Thank you, Jason. You don't know what this means to me" she cried, embarrassed at getting so emotional. Jason understood though and gave her a single folder. She took it from him and read it, eager to know about the man that would raise her son.

Name: Regan M. Mills

DOB: February 1st, 1976

Age: 30

Workplace: Storybrooke City Hall

Job Description: Mayor of Storybrooke, Maine

Address: 108 Mifflin St., Storybrooke, Maine.

Phone number: (207) 374-5509

She looked back up at Mr. Tanner and nodded "Thanks, Jason. For everything" she gave him a grateful smile.

"I was happy to help. Good luck, Miss Swan. I truly hope everything works out for you" He told her and with a last nod and an encouraging smile, he left.

She went back to her cell and for the first time since stepping inside that awful place, she slept without having nightmares.

The months that followed were bittersweet. She was happy that her son was not going to lead the same horrible life as her, but she would miss a lot of important milestones. The closer she got to her due date, the more her heart broke.

However, not all hope was lost. When her mind went to dark places, she reached under her pillow and took out an envelope, reading the crinkled letter inside.

The letter Regan Mills wrote back to her, after she herself sent him one.

Dear Miss Swan:

I was very surprised when I got your letter. You said you were thankful to me for agreeing to take care of our son. The truth is, I'm the one that should be grateful to you. While it's true that this isn't what I expected at this point in my life, it is nevertheless, the best thing that ever happened to me, certainly more than I deserve. You have given me the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance at fatherhood, something I had given up on ever experiencing. I just wish it wasn't at your expense.

I want you to know that I believe you. The fact that you would do this for our baby is statement enough of your love for him and I have to believe you wouldn't risk losing him over some petty thieving. Either way, it is not my place to judge you. God knows there are things in my past I'm not proud of.

Rest assured, I will love him and care for him to the best of my ability. He will grow up knowing his mother loved him with all her heart and when the time is right, you can come find us. Be strong, Miss Swan. Everything will work out in the end. You are a great mother already and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Wishing you the best

Regan Mills

PS. By the way, Emmanuel is a good name. I shall consider it.

End Flashback

Now it was done. She did what she had to do to ensure her son's happiness and well-being. She couldn't even bare to look at him for long. Not then, when the threat of separation loomed over them. But she had hope that she would see him again someday, she could feel it.

For now, she would be going back to jail, where she would take time to grieve over what was lost and what it couldn't be, then she would build herself back up and pick up the pieces of her shattered heart. It would be even harder this time around than ever before, but she would do it. Regan Mills had given her something to look forward to and she would fight like hell to get it, come hell or high water.

For her son, her precious baby boy. For his father, a man she cared for from the moment she chose him, but most of all, for their little family.

For that is what they were from now on.

A family.

To be continued.

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