Chapter 2

A few days later…

Mary Margaret and August were settling into the apartment wonderfully.

They had just been through a long day of shopping with Sierra and August was out like a light. Sierra had offered to carry him up the stairs when it happened. She had a contraction. Mary Margaret got out of the car and she gripped the top of the door with one hand and her belly with the other.

"Mary Margaret? What's- oh no. You're having contractions aren't you?"

She continued gripping the door and her belly as the pain increased. "I… I think so."

"Think?" Sierra questioned. "Haven't you been through this before?" She asked, gesturing to the sleeping child in the back seat.

Mary Margaret shook her head. "He's not my biological-" She stopped when the pain increased and let out a loud moan. "I think I need-"

"-Hospital! Right!" Sierra said. She came around and helped Mary Margaret back into the car, then got in the driver's side and began going to the hospital.

All the commotion and the loud moaning in pain woke August. "Mama? What's going' on?" He mumbled.

She was in too much pain to answer, so Sierra did. "Honey, your mama's going into labor, we have to go to the hospital."

"Emma's coming?" August asked, with a smile on his face, but it immediately faded when he realized that his mother was in pain. "Mama? Are you okay?"

"She can't answer you right now bud. When people have babies, it hurts a lot."

August was still a bit groggy, but he still loved learning. "Why?"

"That's… your mama can explain that to you some other time." She answered, then they pulled into the hospital. "Okay bud, stay here with your mama. I'm gonna go get a doctor."

August nodded and she left. "Aug." Mary Margaret wheezed out. "Aug, it's… it's gonna look…scary inside." She moaned in pain. "It's a really big place." She told him in one breath. "I need you to-" She was cut off by another contraction. "Stay with Sierra." She wheezed again. "Promise me."

"I promise mama. I promise." He told her nodding. "I'm sorry you're in pain mama. I wish I could make it go away."

Despite all the pain she was in, she smiled to herself. "I know Aug." She said, then a doctor- with a wheelchair- and Sierra came running outside. "Stay with-"

"-stay with Sierra. I know mama." August got out of the car and went over to Sierra, then grabbed her hand. "Mama said to stay with you." He whispered. "She's gonna be okay right?"

Sierra nodded and rubbed his hand with the pad of her thumb. "She's gonna be just fine August. She'll be good as new before you know it."

XXX

"Hello Mary Margaret. My name is Dr. Lucas, how are we feeling today?" The doctor asked when he walked in.

Mary Margaret ignored his stupid question. "My son. Where's my son? Is he with Sierra?" She asked him.

"Your boy's just fine. He's awful worried about you though. I stopped and met them on the way in." He told her. "Looks like you're about ready to deliver."

She wanted to scream and cry and be full of joy all at once. She wants her husband. She needs him. How is she going to raise 2 kids? She's scared. She's never done this before. She needs her husband. She needs Red. She needs her family. They're not here. It's just her. Her and August, and Sierra- they just met, but they seem to have bonded pretty quickly.

XXX

"You have a beautiful baby girl Mary Margaret." Dr. Lucas said and handed her Emma.

Mary Margaret smiled. "Emma." She breathed out. "Emma Ruth." She looked up at her doctor. "Can August come in? And Sierra, if she wants?"

"I'll go get them now."

Moments later August and Sierra were coming into the room. "Hey." Sierra whispered.

Mary Margaret looked up. "Hey." She said with a smile. "August. So you wanna come meet your sister?"

He slowly walked over. "Are you okay mama? You were hurting a lot in the carriage thing." He whispered.

"Car." She corrected. "And I'm okay Aug. I promise. Now how about you climb up here and introduce yourself to your baby sister."

He obliged and climbed up onto the bed. "Hi Emma. I'm August. I'm your big brother." He said, holding her small hand. "She's so small."

5 years later… (E; 5-years old. A; 12-years old. MM; 33-years old.)

"Goodnight Emmy." A 12 year old August said to his little sister and kissed her on the forehead. "Mom will be in here in just a few minutes to read you your story." He told her. "Happy birthday Em. Love you."

"I love you Auggie." She told him. Then he walked out. Seconds later Mary Margaret walked in. "Hi mommy."

Mary Margaret smiled at her daughter. "Hey baby. Did you have a good birthday?" Emma nodded. "What story do you want me to read tonight?" She asked, with the big storybook that Regina gave her on her lap.

"Can you read about when you meets your Charming again?" Emma asked her.

Mary Margaret beamed. "That's my favorite one." She gladly read to her about Charming's rock to the face and her being caught up in a net for- no less than- revenge on said rock to the face.

"Mommy?" Emma interrupted as the story was coming to an end.

Mary Margaret smiled. "Yes?"

"Am I gonna see my daddy again? Will Auggie see his papa gain?"

She smiled at her daughter. "You will see him again. But it won't be for a while. Same for Auggie. You know that your daddy loves you so much, right?" Mary Margaret asked, getting teary eyed. Emma nodded. "I have something for you."

Emma sat up. "Really?"

"Really. I'll be right back." She left the room and came back moments later with a locket. "Here. Your father gave it to me when you were still in my belly. He wanted you to have a piece of home." She gave it to Emma to look at, after opening it for her.

"Is that my daddy?" She asked pointing to David, Mary Margaret nodded. "Who are those other people?"

Mary Margaret smiled. "Those two are your godparents" She said pointing to the small faces of Grumpy and Red. "And that's my step-mother, Regina."

"Regina? Like the evil queen?"

She chuckled. "Exactly. But- always remember- the evil queen wasn't so evil in the end. She's a good person." A few months back, Mary Margaret put a small picture of her Emma and August on the other side of the locket. "And I'm pretty sure you know who those people are."

Emma smiled, then it began to fade. "I wish we could find them soon. I know we have to wait. But I wish we didn't."

Mary Margaret smiled and stroked her hair. "Me too baby. But right now, it's time for bed. So lay back down." Emma obliged, with a smiled on her face. "Goodnight baby girl. Mama loves you."

Mary Margaret kissed Emma's forehead. "I love you too mommy. G'night."

"If you do good in school tomorrow, we can go see Aunt Sierra and Uncle Henry, alright?" Emma nodded and dozed off to sleep. Mary Margaret left the room and went in her son's room to go check on him. She saw him sitting at his desk in his room writing. "Hey Aug, what are you doing?"

August turned around. "Just homework. I didn't do it after school."

Mary Margaret raised an eyebrow. "Well why not honey?" She asked him.

He sighed. "Math… It's hard." He said. "And stupid." He mumbled.

"Hey." She said firmly. "We don't say that, understand?"

He nodded. "Sorry."

Mary Margaret sighed and sat next to him. "Do you need help?" She asked. He nodded sheepishly. They sat there doing homework for a while, after about an hour, they finished. "Want a snack before bedtime."

"I'm twelve mom. I don't need a bedtime." He insisted.

Mary Margaret chuckled. "Want a snack or not?" He nodded. They went into the kitchen of the three-room apartment Mary Margaret bought a few years back, while she was in school, getting her degree in teaching. "Tomorrow, after we pick Emma up from school, we're gonna go see Sierra and Henry."

XXX

Emma, August, and Mary Margaret walked into the home of Sierra and Henry, they're both about 5-10 years older than her. "Hi aunt Sierra, Uncle Henry!" She said running up to them and hugging them. "Look what mommy gave me!" She said showing off her locket. "She said it's from my daddy."

"That is such a beautiful locket you have there Emma." Her uncle Henry said pulling her up on his lap.

Emma nodded. "Mommy said last night if I'm good at school, we can come over today! I was good today in school, so we came over."

August walked over to Sierra. "Hey Aunt Sierra."

Sierra pulled him into a hug. "I've missed you bug." She'd taken to calling him bug shortly after Emma's birth. She'd also started calling Emma peaches after watching her devour a bowl of peaches at the mere age of three.

August rolled his eyes. "I saw you just over a week ago." He said, returning the hug. "I missed you too Aunt Si."

Mary Margaret stood back and watched her children bonding with her two best friends with a smile on her face. The only thing that could make it better is David, but that's not possible. So she decides to enjoy and be grateful for what she had. She has a beautiful 5-year old daughter. A handsome 12-year old son. Two amazing friends that would do just about anything for her, and she would do the same for them.

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