"Do you think I'd make a good mother?" Emma asks, and Neal jerks the wheel in surprise. It's raining heavily, so the wheels squeal over the wet road before settling back in a straight line.

"Jesus, Emma—you gotta give me some warning before you say something like that," he says, chuckling nervously. "I coulda taken us straight into oncoming traffic."

"Well?" she presses on. "Do you?"

Neal takes a moment before glancing at her in half-contained shock as they speed down the public highway. "Whoa—wait—are you—"

"No," she replies, annoyed, and she adjusts her black-rimmed glasses. "I was just thinking about it, you know, our con, and… What if I was? Do you think I would be?"

Neal takes a few more glances at her as they pull up to a toll stop. "I don't get it—is this—is this a trick question? Are you… Are you sure you're not…"

"Yes, Neal, goddamn, I'm not pregnant! I'm just asking!"

Neal plunges his hand into the depth of the center console for some coins for the toll. "I mean—yeah, babe, I think, you'd be a" —he tosses the coins to the man in the toll booth— "great mom." He pulls up the window and hits the gas again on their yellow car.

"Seriously?" Emma says, exasperated.

"What?" he says.

"This is a real question, Neal! And you're acting like I just—like I just asked you about what you want for lunch!" She shakes her head, leaning back in the passenger seat.

Neal winces. "Hold on." He pulls the car over onto the shoulder, hand over hand until they've stopped, cars whizzing past them on the road. He then unbuckles his ash-colored seatbelt and turns to face her. "Emma, look at me."

Still angry, Emma turns her blonde head to look at her boyfriend. "What?" she snaps.

Neal sighs, smiling at her softly. "I think you'd make an amazing mother, Emma." She softens a little. "You're kind and smart and the bravest person I know. Any kid would be lucky to have you as their mom."

Emma smiles back, and Neal's never loved her more. She's like a queen, a princess, a warrior. "You think so?"

Rain pelts against the car. "Of course," he says. "But a long time from now, you know?"

She laughs. "Yeah, definitely. I think it's gonna be a while. I'm not ready for a kid right now—that's how most of the kids I knew in the system got there, anyway. Parents too young. But if I were gonna have a kid..." She kisses him on the cheek. "I'd wanna have him with you."

Neal blushes, cheeks pink. A deer crosses the road before them, turning to look at them and staring, before trotting away. "Have I told you I love you recently?"

"Love you, too." She grins and kisses him again, this time on the lips. "Okay, okay… Enough of this. Let's get back on the road." She grins. "We've got shit to steal."

Challenges: Bingo [5B], Showtime [8], Elizabeth's Empire [21], Scamander's Case [1], Film Festival [5], Insane [978], 366 [251], Days of the Year [June 12th], Spring [19], Colour [8], Earth Element [3], Geek Pride [OUAT] Say It With Flowers [Rose], Writing Month [496]

WC: [496 words]