No Regrets Chapter 12
Hopefully Ever After
The next day Regina drove over to the Charming's. She could have called. For once though, she decided she'd be the one to drop in on them.
She smirked when a slightly disheveled David, with a baby spit-up stain on his shirt, opened the door.
"Regina? Is something up? Did you see Sidney and need me to pick him up?"
"No. But I came over to see if you'd spotted him while I was gone."
"No sign so far, no one else appears to have seen him either. Maybe he did wander out of town at some point."
"Maybe, but I wouldn't count on it."
"Hi Regina!" Snow came into the room, carrying baby Neal. "Emma called us yesterday and told us it went really good. Will Scarlet and the Red Queen are together. Rowena's true love came back with you and is staying at her house."
"Don't know if they're true loves, but yes, to the rest."
"Oh. Well I hope they are, since they were supposed to be."
"It could happen. They were happy to see each other and they want to help each other. I think we should give them privacy to figure things out."
"You're right Regina, shouldn't push something like that. And I'm sorry, we haven't seen Sidney."
"David told me."
"We'll keep looking, I promise."
Regina nodded. She still wondered if she might have played a role in the level of Sidney's madness. Even though Archie told her Sidney was always going to fall deeper into his madness. In Sidney's case, keeping him in the hospital psyche ward was probably the kindest thing that could be done. Something was very wrong with his mind and even this world's medicine wasn't fixing it. He was still out there somewhere, doing who knows what.
"Has Henry found anyone else that had their stories messed up? David and I would love to help."
"Henry was sleeping in this morning, but he's definitely interested in helping fix the stories."
"Maybe there's one right here in Storybrooke, like with Astrid and Leroy."
"Wouldn't surprise me."
"Want to join us for breakfast? I can make something you'll like."
"No, Robin and I are going to spend the day with our kids. I need to get back home to help him out with getting everyone up. I knew you two were early risers and just stopped by on the way back from picking up school supplies for Roland and Henry." Regina said, walking toward the door.
"Regina, it's almost two months before school starts." Snow said, walking with her out into the hallway.
Regina shrugged "Guilt. I bought Hope a toy too. Also bought a pint of ice cream and ate that in the car." She looked embarrassed.
"You're pregnant." Snow shrugged.
"So you really do get hungry most the time, and cravings too?"
"Uh huh. Don't you remember how I was during the missing year?"
"Vaguely. But I had a lot of other things occupying my mind."
"Including a certain man who 'smells like forest'." Snow looked at her knowingly.
"Oh god, I was so horrid to him after I saw his tattoo and knew he was my soulmate. I was scared of that bond - I seemed to lose any other bond I'd ever had. I tried to drive him away."
"You know Tinkerbelle told him you were soulmates- toward the end of our time there. She was annoyed you were "running away again'. So she told Robin, hoping he'd figure out something to get you to stop running away from your destiny."
"That sneaky fairy." Regina shook her head with a faint smile. "Well, that explains why Robin put up with me, snarked right back at me, and kept trying to protect me. He hasn't ever told me that he knew before."
"Really? Well, she told David and me as well."
"And you never let on you knew..."
"David and I didn't exactly hit it off immediately either." Snow shrugged. "I just figured you needed time, just like we did."
"But you weren't soulmates."
"Which explains the immediate attraction you had to Robin." Snow laughs "I thought you were going to trip over your own feet, the way you kept looking back at him, completely smitten."
"I was so obvious. But the feeling…"
"Is it really like the stories said?"
"More. Especially when we…"
"Make love?"
"Yes. Our souls are entwined too. It's very intense."
"Your baby is the child of soulmates, there's probably some kind of prophesy."
"I'd rather not know. We know she has magic, that's enough to think about right now. Robin and I are hoping it emerges later, like me. Hope likely has magic too, since magic runs strong in the Mills family, but nothings shown up yet."
"Enough to think about that you'll soon have two little ones, less than a year apart."
"About nine months, what with Hope's accelerated birth."
"So when was your baby conceived?"
Regina looked embarrassed "While we were in the underworld; when Robin camped out in the woods with the baby…"
"Ooh" Snow giggled.
"Only time no one else was around." Regina shrugged.
"So out in the woods?"
"Robin was very convincing, and we weren't exactly paying attention to our surroundings. " Wouldn't have been the first time we did either, Regina thought, with an inward laugh.
"Before you go, I do have some news to tell you. Astrid and Leroy are getting married next month. I saw them come in for the license yesterday. They said everyone in town's invited. Astrid would like Roland to be the ring boy if it was okay with you and Robin. I didn't tell them you were gone to bring back Wilfred. I let them think Robin had charmed you into staying home for the day and I was just filling in for you."
"So it's going to be the traditional type Land Without Magic ceremony?"
"Yes, except Archie will officiate, Astrid will walk down the aisle alone, and it will be at the town hall."
"Certainly Roland can be their ring boy if he wants to. I'm pretty sure he will."
"Wonderful. Leroy didn't say anything but I imagine he'd probably like Henry to be in the wedding too."
"I figured as much. So are you matron of honor?"
"Yes. Tinkerbelle is a bridesmaid."
"I'm guessing David is the Best man and the other dwarves are the groomsmen."
"Yes. Astrid needs some more bridesmaids; the other fairies are too intimidated to be in it."
"You might ask Emma."
"I'm sure she'll be asked. Maybe your sister-in-law might agree to it?"
"So who are you rooting on catching the bouquet then? My sister-in-law or your daughter?"
"I'm not telling!" Snow laughed.
That evening, Robin and Regina were alone in her bedroom. With a serious expression she said: "Heard today Tinkerbelle told you about us being soulmates, during the missing year."
"Only about a week before we came back. I wasn't really sure what to do, or more than vaguely knew what that meant. I didn't understand, until we talked about it in Storybrooke. You were so angry and in pain in the Enchanted Forest. I knew I'd be there for you, no matter what. I knew I had feelings for you, and you for me. Figured if I stuck around, but didn't push on the romantic side, you'd eventually stop being angry at me. Then we could figure out what this soulmate thing meant for us."
"I'm sorry I treated you so awful."
He gently kissed her lips. "It's okay. You were scared and in great pain."
"Still, I wish-"
"I know. Now that we're all back here, I think we should do the family therapy sessions you suggested. Archie helped us when I came back from New York. "
"I'll talk to him tomorrow about setting it up. I think it would do Roland some good too. He tends to hide his feelings, that worries me in a child that young."
"He's experienced a lot a bad things far too young. He's more aware of other's feelings than most kids his age."
"Perhaps Rowena and you could talk to Archie too, might help deal with your childhoods. Archie helped me some, about my mother. I don't know if Henry could convince her, but I think it might be good for Henry to not just have family sessions with us, but with Emma. There's a lot of baggage there too."
"Archie is going to be rather busy with our family." Robin grinned.
"Uh huh." Regina smiled back, lying back on the bed, looking at him seductively.
Discussion time was over; Robin smirked, lifting Regina onto his lap. Languorously running his hands down her back caressing her ass as they kissed...
One month later
"Happy Birthday, Henry!" Violet cried and hugged him, as soon as she walked in the door
"Thanks!" Henry quickly kissed his girlfriend. Hank Morgan looked on uncomfortably, and Regina quickly turned back toward the dining room.
Robin gently kissed Regina on the forehead, reassuringly. "You'll get used to it, eventually."
"I know."
"It'll probably be as hard for me when it's Roland's turn."
"Won't be any easier for me either, I think, and I'm afraid I'll be a complete wreck when it's Hope or Grace. Too many memories of how my mother was to me."
"Thankfully we'll have a number of years before it's their turn."
"Twelve, thirteen years, they'll go by sooner than you think."
Henry started talking about the other people he'd reunited, as the author, this past month. He waited until Violet's father was engrossed in a conversation with David in the back yard- something about the best truck models for getting around Storybrooke.
"Finding Wilfred's messed up story made it lots easier to find more. Found 15 people who'd been separated by Isaac right here in Storybrooke! Most weren't even from stories I'd ever heard about before. Not only did Isaac separate them but he made their stories fade in importance. They might never been found if I hadn't started looking!"
"Most of them are so happy when he tells them" Violet looked at Henry adoringly. She really liked going with Henry to tell the people.
"Violet's lots better at talking to some people than I am." Henry thought about the old woman that he'd been afraid of, since the first time he walked home from school after the curse was broken. She was sitting on her front porch and just glared at him when he'd walked past her house. She never said or did anything, but she always glared at him whenever she saw him after that. He didn't even know her name. He hadn't ever told his mom about the creepy old lady. "There was this old lady; she always seemed angry, since the curse broke."
"Sounds like Ms. Wright. Her son was one of the victims of the Evil Queen." Regina said with a self-loathing." I apologized to her last year."
Henry nodded. "You didn't know, because Isaac changed her story, but her son had a daughter. Isaac made Ms. Wright forget her granddaughter and gave the little girl to a tailor."
"What happened to her, the child?" Robin asked, concern etched on his face.
"Sonya was luckier than others. Her stepfather adored her and was kind. She saved his life just before the curse was cast. A member of King George's court was terrorizing the tailor-he didn't want to pay the huge bill he owed. He finally told the tailor if he didn't solve a riddle by the next day, he would die. Sonya figured out the riddle and told her father the solution. He gave the correct answer and was saved. They had decided to leave the kingdom right after that but then the curse was cast and they ended up here."
"Sonya is one of your classmates, right? Her father, Bruce Corde, runs the fabric store." Emma commented.
"Yeah. The pen gave Ms. Wright the memories of her granddaughter back. Couldn't change what happened, but it gave her the memories back. Violet and I talked to Sonya and Mr. Corde first. Then we all went to Ms. Wright's house. Violet talked to her. First time I ever saw Ms. Wright smile. She invited us all into her house. Mr. Corde's mom died when he was a little boy, and when he was eleven, his dad died as a forced peasant solider in one of the troll wars. Right after that he ran away to a part of King George's kingdom that was far from trolls. In the town he became an apprentice to a poor tailor. Sonya was the only family he had when the curse happened. Ms. Wright thought she'd lost all her family..."
"But now they have each other." Violet finished.
"Wow kid, you did a great thing there." Emma smiled at Henry.
"A chosen family can be very healing." Regina hugged Henry.
"Yeah, like us." Henry gestured around the room.
"Uh huh. Like us." Regina gazed at all the people gathered at her home for Henry's birthday. How different things looked here now. For 18 of the 28 years of the curse, she was living in this mansion, alone. Even after she had Henry, it had just been the two of them celebrating his first 10 birthdays. She'd missed the next two; the Charmings and Emma hadn't invited her to his eleventh, and his twelfth had taken place during the missing year. But after that, this extended family had begun to blend together. Now there was so much family, even her house was filled with people. "We'd never all fit in your loft" Regina chuckled at Snow.
"Don't know if Granny's could even cope with all of us now." Snow smiled, holding baby Neal. The now nine month old was squirming to be let down to crawl, but with so many people wandering in and out Snow was loathe to set him down.
Robin, holding nearly 5 month old Hope, saw her dilemma. "Perhaps we could take them up to the nursery? Hope will probably need a diaper change soon, and up there Neal could crawl in a safe spot."
"Thank you." Snow was glad Robin suggested it, not only to give Neal a crawling space, but she could ask Robin about how Regina was coping with the pregnancy. If she was having any problems…
"Robin? How is Regina doing?"
"Very well. Just the normal things the books say happens. She's sleeping more, falls asleep sometimes when she's reading in bed, once when we were watching a movie. Robin smirked "Henry's teasing her about that one."
Snow smiled. "She started having to sleep on her side?"
"Yeah, we mostly sleep spoon style now."
"What about you. Feeling overwhelmed?"
"Sometimes." Robin nodded. "But usually when I have one of those moments Regina's calm, and when she's feeling overwhelmed I'm usually calm. At least here in Storybrooke!"
"I'm one to talk, out there running around right before Neal was born, but I hope Regina does step back a bit on the heroics now. She doesn't have to take it all on, or at most just allow Emma and you to step up with her."
"It shouldn't be all on them anyway. We all can play roles. Especially here in this world, where the book has far less hold over our lives."
Snow's eyes widened in realization. "You're right. We've put far too much on their shoulders. You know what we should do?"
"What?"
"We should ask people what skills they have, and what skills they'd like to learn. Like Regina teaching the kids of Storybrooke about magic. We could teach skills to others. Leroy's always complaining about how the dwarves get left out of being heroes."
"I imagine the dwarves could be rather formable with those axes."
"Yes! I'll go talk to Regina now, maybe we could figure out a way to get something started."
Neal fussed when Snow reached down to pick him up.
"Let him crawl around for a bit longer. I'll watch him and my daughter while you talk to Regina."
"Regina?" Snow sat down next to her on the sofa. Snow could tell Regina was trying to fight not falling asleep.
"Yeah?" Regina forced herself into alertness.
"It's okay, Regina, you remember how I fell asleep sometimes at our council meetings during the missing year. It's part of being pregnant, perfectly normal."
"Doesn't make it any less embarrassing." Regina grumbled, but let a faint smile show.
"Come on, let's go upstairs, see how Robin is fairing watching two semi mobile infants."
"Preparation. Good idea."
"Actually he suggested it."
"Sounds like Robin." Regina let Snow lead her up the stairs.
Regina gave Robin a tired lopsided smile as she passed the nursery. Robin grinned at the sight of Snow leading Regina like a child, and Regina allowing it.
Once Regina was seated on the bed Snow sat on the vanity chair. "Regina, Robin and I talked about how we all have been putting too much responsibility on you and Emma. Maybe we've been taking this savior thing for granted too much."
"This because I'm pregnant?"
"No. Robin's been skeptical of how much weight we've all been giving it for a long time. We're still letting the book dictate too much of what we do. We are missing what we all can do. We all have strengths and skills that we should be using."
"Like we did in the missing year, yeah." Regina was warming to this plan.
"Yes! Exactly like that."
"Okay. Sounds like a good start, but what about all our townspeople who don't have any battle skills?"
"We offer training to anyone interested."
Regina shrugged "You know most won't be that great, even with training."
"But even if they just have the very basics it will be more than they had before. More than the town had before too."
"True. You've won me over. There'll be some paperwork involved, I'll handle that."
"Okay. But now you need that sleep you've been fighting."
Regina rolled her eyes but dutifully took off her shoes and lay down. "Tell Robin to wake me in an hour." She said to Snow as she was closing the door.
"I will."
Two weeks later, Astrid and Leroy's wedding.
Robin fidgeted beside her "Glad we married in the Enchanted Forest, my love, this world's formal clothes..." He murmured and grimaced, trying not to tug his necktie looser.
"I'm beginning to develop a hatred for these" She whispered and pointed to her high heel pumps. "Snow warned me to buy those flats, now I wish I had. As soon we get to the reception you can take off that tie and I will take off these damn shoes."
The music began to play. signaling the start of the procession. First were Henry and Violet as junior groomsman and junior bridesmaid, then the groomsman with the bridesmaids- the five other surviving dwarves as the groomsmen, and Tinkerbelle, Emma, Granny, Rowena, and one other fairy as the bridesmaids.
Regina noted the defiant expression of the other fairy - looks like the Blue Fairy would soon have another defector. She couldn't recall the fairy's name. Unlike most of the fairies, she didn't remember ever seeing her teaching in the school. She vaguely recalled seeing her when she freed the fairies from the sorcerer's hat. though.
After them Snow walked in as the Matron of Honor. Next was Roland as the ring boy and Rowena's daughter Roberta as the flower girl. Then, as a bow to a recent trend Snow had discovered for weddings, Rowena's son Matthew walked in with a small hanging banner proclaiming: "Here Comes The Bride".
Finally, Astrid stepped into the room in a pink champagne wedding dress. Leroy audibly gasped and his eyes bugged out. Snow had to hold back a giggle. David, as Leroy's Best Man, took the ring pillow from Roland, and the three youngest members of the wedding party clambered onto the front row bench seats next to Robin and Regina.
"Mama Gina" Roland whispered "can I take this tie off now?" The boy pulled at the white bow tie.
She kissed his forehead "Of course" She gently unhooked the bow tie's hidden clasp, and stuck it in his suit's pocket. Matthew similarly undid his. Roberta laid her basket in her Uncle Robin's lap. Robin awkwardly moved his sleeping daughter to his right side so the basket wouldn't drop to the floor. Regina reached over and took the basket. Robin quirked a relieved smile.
At the reception, the other fairy bridesmaid at Astrid's wedding sat down at Regina and Robin's table.
"Madame Mayor, we have never really spoken before. I'm Iris. I'd like to work for you. "
"I was considering hiring a clerk assistant at the mayor's office, would you be interested?"
"Yes. I've never fit in with the fairies. I never wanted to be anyone's fairy godmother."
"That is unusual. I thought all fairies ultimately wanted that."
"See what I mean? I don't know if I'm the only one, but I want to be free just like Astrid and Tinkerbelle."
Emma walked up to the table, "So Regina, think you can help out Iris?"
"Yes. Enjoy negotiating her freedom. Pretty soon the Blue fairy will despise you as much as she does me."
"Probably already does." Emma grimaced.
Regina nodded, if the Blue fairy no longer saw it in her interest to support the heroes, her aims could turn counter to the well-being of Storybrooke.
"You shouldn't trust her." Iris said with a quiet anger.
"I don't. Any ideas what she could be planning?" Emma sighed
Iris shook her head no.
"She's losing power; she'll probably do something to regain it." Regina mused.
"Do you think it's safe for you to be in her school once a week for those magic classes?"
"While I'm pregnant, I doubt she'll make a direct move against me. At least nothing physically threatening."
"She could stir up feelings against you about your past"
Regina sighed. "I'm almost expecting that."
"Most the town knows how much you've changed, and some even know about how you were broken and manipulated." Emma said.
Regina shuddered faintly from memories and shame, then said sharply "I don't want people to pity me"
Robin took her hand and stroked his thumb across her palm. "No one wants to be the object of pity, it makes you feel ashamed." The pitying looks about how Zelena abused him didn't help his recovery- it made him feel even worse.
"Sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I don't pity you. I'm angry for you. No one said this isn't right and helped you get away." Emma replied.
"Except Daniel and Tinkerbelle, and look what happened to them."
"Exactly, and the Blue fairy played a big role in what happened to Tinkerbelle and to you. Because she couldn't stand that someone might become a powerful light magic user from a family she wasn't it's fairy godmother "
"Thank you, but that's the past. Let's worry about the present and future." Since she had faced the darkest part of her own past, it didn't weigh on her like it had. But, the pain and shame about what had happened to her still faintly haunted. Regina supposed it always would, to some degree. But that was for her to deal with, and to a lesser degree Robin, just like she was there to help him with his past pain and shame. Regina preferred this as a private thing.
One month later
"So how goes the classes?" Rebecka said, as she walked into the clinic exam room, greeting Regina
"Surprisingly well. I'm getting a lot of questions about the baby and magic." Regina laughed. "I had to even research one question and answer it the next week."
"What question?"
"Can an unborn baby's magic influence the mother's magic?"
"Physically or mentally?"
"They wanted both."
"That is a good question. What did you find out?" Rebecka smiled. She knew the answers but she was pleased Regina had researched it.
"It can, both. But it depends on many factors."
"Such as?"
"Are mother and baby mentally linked, is the mother happy about having a baby, how powerful is the mother versus the baby's magic-"
"Has the mother fallen under the influence of dark magic, how much training has the mother had in recognizing the baby's power versus her own, How prepared is she for experiencing the baby's magic interacting with hers?" Rebecka continued
Regina chuckled. "I should have guessed you'd know all about that."
"I'm glad you researched it on your own though. Your baby has magic and it could possibly manifest even before she's born. It shouldn't be an issue if it does, though."
Regina nodded. "We've been mentally linked before, I'm overjoyed about her. Although I may have some traces of dark magic in me, my light magic far exceeds it. Light magic is my actual natural magic..." Regina suddenly looked concerned, "But Belle. She isn't a magic user. I know she's happy about the baby, but its father is Gold, and he's consumed by the darkest of magic. "
"Something could go wrong, and I wonder if he's aware of that. She needs to be around a powerful healer just in case."
"What could go wrong?" Regina asked.
"The baby's mind wouldn't truly understand the magic coursing through it, and unlike most cases, where the baby is born with light magic; it could be an unwitting conduit for dark magic, possibly even before it's born."
"Would Gold go that far to gain more power?" Regina mused aloud.
"You know him far more than most of us. Luckily, I never encountered him in the Enchanted Forest, but I knew the Dark One's reputation."
"It depends on how much humanity is left in him. Will his love for Belle and the baby overcome his desire for more power?"
"The safest course would be to get Belle back to Storybrooke as soon as possible."
"Henry could call her, tell her we have a healer in Storybrooke now. How it'd be better having someone familiar with this world's technology who also knows and uses healing magic. We'll tell her the rest once she gets back here. If Gold doesn't know his child could be a magic conduit I'd rather he not find out."
"Yes. I could have her come in for a prenatal appointment. If he doesn't come along, I can tell her then. Speaking of prenatal appointments, ready for your ultrasound?"
"Sure."
They passed by the front desk, where Astrid worked as an admissions nurse.
"Astrid, we'll be back in the lab for the ultrasound. Ashley should be in soon with Alexander, she thinks he might have a virus."
"Ooh, he'll probably be cranky. I'll cheer him up while they wait."
"That'll be a big help." Rebecka replied. Astrid genuinely liked working at the admission desk. She adored children and could usually coax a smile out of the little ones.
"Robin would have come with me this time. Now that Roland is in school we just have Hope at home during the day now. But Hope was throwing her first epic temper tantrum and was kicking off the outfit Robin tried to dress her in this morning. We decided that it would be better for me to come alone and let Hope go back to sleep."
"Did she show any signs of a cold or fever?"
"No, just letting us know she has the Mills temper in no uncertain terms."
"She's 6 months, now, right?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, probably teething then."
"Oh, that makes sense. Henry didn't scream and throw a tantrum, but he whimpered a lot and was constantly gumming his fingers until I bought teething rings. He really liked the soft one I could chill in the refrigerator. I should get one of those for Hope."
Rebecka opened the lab door-
Suddenly, they both were hit by a wave of a chemical smell and sank to the floor unconscious. A man wearing a medical mask quickly dragged both women into the lab and closed the door.
Regina came to, finding her hands were secured behind her back at her wrists and her feet were secured at her ankles. Her ankles were secured with a zip tie and it felt like the same thing was around her wrists. She was also gagged with a piece of cloth tied at the back of her head. She saw Rebecka was also secured by whoever knocked them out. With relief she could feel the baby moving, then realized the baby had made a sort of mental link, no words, but she could feel the baby's panic. Regina tamped down her own fear and sent her daughter feelings of warmth and protection. She smiled as the baby calmed.
"Your Majesty. I heard you were looking for me. I knew you wouldn't have forgotten me." Sidney Glass stepped from out of the shadows in the darkened room.
Regina held back a shudder at the complete insanity in Sidney's eyes.
Rebecka struggled against her bonds.
"No, don't do that, healer, you'll hurt yourself then who will heal everyone. I had to do this. You both have magic. Your Majesty you've made a horribly wrong turn, but I can see why. So you could have a child. Only a soulmate could overcome what you did because of your mother. What she did to you. What she would have done to your children. But she's dead now. So you could have children. But you let the heroes turn you tame, following their orders. Your Majesty, you are a Queen. They should be following you. You were foolish to choose to be good. Look how easily I've captured you and the healer."
Rebecka's eyes were wide with fear. The sing-song way Sidney spoke and his words- this man was clearly suffering from some kind of psychosis. And he had immobilized both of them so they could neither physically nor magically defend themselves...
Sidney continued to declare how he could help Regina. He was completely focused on Regina, with his back to the door. Sidney didn't notice the door slowly edge open, nor the woman dressed all in black slipping in, and slowly easing the door closed behind her. But Regina and Rebecka saw her. In a blink of an eye the woman brought down her sword hilt on the back of Sidney's head. Sidney collapsed to the floor unconscious.
"Mulan!" Rebecka cried out as soon as Mulan freed her, throwing herself into an embrace with her rescuer.
Mulan returned the embrace as she sighed with relief. "He didn't hurt you did he?" Mulan said, as she stepped back, looking concerned.
"Other than the bindings, no. He's clearly mentally ill." Rebecka turned on the lights and pulled a pair of scissors from a drawer. She knelt and cut off Regina's bonds. "Is this the Sidney Glass you've been looking for?"
"Yes." Regina sighed. Of course it had to happen this way. It couldn't be David or Emma that found him. But at least this time fate gave her a reprieve and no one would suffer any lasting harm.
Mulan found Sidney's bag with a stash of zip ties. She quickly secured his wrists the same way he had Regina's and Rebecka's.
Within an hour Sidney was back in the secure psychiatric ward and Regina was headed back home. She hated that she'd have to give Robin more stress, but she wouldn't keep what happened today from him.
6 weeks later
Belle got out of Mr. Gold's car. "No Rumple, I haven't changed my mind. I'm staying in Storybrooke..."
Regina had just watched Henry, Violet and Roland get on the bus to school in front of Granny's. She crossed the street to Gold's Pawn Shop where the couple was walking to the door. "Welcome back to Storybrooke."
Belle looked at Regina in shock. "You're-"
Regina realized no one had told Belle about her pregnancy. It was rather obvious now at 7 ½ months along. "Yes I am." She smiled.
"So Regina, was your quest successful?"
Gold's tone sounded bored, but Regina knew the man was intensely interested; after all, knowledge was power too. But since everyone else had known about the success in bringing back Robin for months he wasn't getting any advantage even knowing.
"Yes. I broke the curse on my family and that allowed me to bring Robin back." This was true, but it gave Rumple no real knowledge of how. They both knew what they were doing in this game.
Rumple smiled faintly, Regina might be firmly on the side of the heroes now, but his former apprentice still remembered his lessons. He would have been disappointed if she had volunteered the information. He had some idea of how it might have happened and that both impressed him and made him wonder if he'd underestimated Regina's light magic abilities. While she eventually became proficient in dark magic, she was by no means top tier.
He knew what the Blue Fairy had done, and he'd certainly played the role to the hilt in making over the Enchanted Forest's savior into the Evil Queen. But he'd been gauging Regina light magic abilities by Emma's in Storybrooke, assuming the alternate savior's light magic was the peak magic level of a savior.
If Regina did what he guessed, to end the curse and bring back Robin, she was far more powerful a light magic user than Ms. Swan. Oh, he'd seen the Enchanted Forest prophesy that the Blue Fairy enticed Isaac to ruin. He'd enthusiastically done his best to make sure it would never happen. Made sure Regina would not remember meeting Robin. Made sure she miscarried the baby. Manipulated her broken edges so that they took over her entirely and plunged the mad woman into darkness. It served his ends as well, as he made sure the darkness won over the light in Regina. He had assumed she was hopelessly broken and essentially all but useless in light magic.
He knew she'd done what he had no real desire to do, bringing herself slowly and even he admitted, painfully, out of the darkness. He knew she'd then discovered her natural light magic. But he'd assumed her skill and power was no greater than hers with dark magic, and that it would take her as long to master it. Something happened that opened up her pathways fully. Something as potentially as powerful as his plans to use the ley lines of this world.
Likely she wouldn't be a threat, due to her true nature; she would be focused more than ever on this tiny magical town and on her growing family. Plus the Blue Fairy would never truly be her ally. As Regina became more overtly a powerful light magic user, that woman wouldn't like her power base challenged. Regina would be busy dealing with whatever obstacles the fairy would put in her way. Rumple sneered, all over a selfish desire to have the savior be from the family she was a fairy godmother for.
Storybrooke was unimportant to his plans. There was a ley line that ran through the town, but it was weak and uninteresting and Regina and Emma were unconsciously tapping into it. He'd used it too many times, but it was too weak to be of any use to him anymore. Belle choosing to stay here and raise their child easily worked for his plans. She may no longer love him, but she still cared about him, and she'd love and care for their child. Their child would be safer in this obscure Maine town ,as would Belle. He could challenge and dispatch any magic rivals or threats with almost no risk to Belle or their child with them here. He might even strengthen the magic behind the passive illusion hiding Storybrooke from outsiders as he left. Belle could do as she pleased with the pawn shop, once he took a few important items.
Rumple watched Regina speaking to Belle about Storybrooke's new healer/doctor. He had been dubious about Whale's abilities as a Doctor; after all he was originally Doctor Frankenstein. Not the best recommendation. An Enchanted Forest healer sounded far more promising. He'd investigate who this woman was. "So this healer, who is she?"
"Her name is Rebecca York. I met her during my quest to end the curse. She was a friend of Robin's. We met shortly before Robin and I returned to Storybrooke. "
Rumple nodded. So the healer had played no role helping Regina to break the curse or bringing back Robin. She was merely some friend of the former thief.
Rumple accompanied Belle to the healer's office but chose to wait out in the waiting room while she went in for her examination. He could tell the healer was competent with an unremarkable power level. She would never be a threat. It was also entertaining to watch the healer's receptionist, who nervously eyed him and attempted to make conversation. He'd learned a great deal of information in a short period of time from the fairy. Apparently three fairies, including this Astrid, were now free agents with their powers intact, thanks to Regina, Snow White and Emma Swan. Certainly, this would make the Blue fairy retaliate in some fashion over her loss of power. This Astrid had quite low level powers for a fairy and appeared to be none to bright.
In the meantime, Rebecka was talking to Belle about her pregnancy status as well as the dangers of having a dark one be the parent of a child.
"I was worried about your daughter having powerful magic before she was born and possibly being used by your husband as a conduit to his powers"
"She's that magical?"
"Thankfully no. I can sense a bit of magic in her, but it's not active, probably won't be until she reaches puberty or adulthood. It's not healing magic, so I can't tell what type it is yet."
"Type?"
Magic tends to follow a color. The color is a clue to the type magic potential a person has. Your daughter's isn't defined yet."
"You mean like how Rumple's magic has a color when he poofs away?"
"Yes, that tends to be how it is most visible to others."
"So what do the colors mean?"
"It's not simply the colors but their tones. Like Regina. Her poofing away color is purple- which is a legacy of her having been a dark magic user, but her natural magic is light and is a bright light red. "
"I've seen that and Emma's is white, what does that mean?"
"Emma's is white because that's the early form of light magic, before it is colored by the person's element. Regina's is that shade of red because she is a type of fire element user called - radiant heart. It's likely the more years she is removed from the dark magic corruption the more her poof away magic color will resemble her elemental color."
"Neither Rumple or I have natural magic."
"Your daughter has some, but it appears to be low level. There was a chance you husband being a powerful dark magic user could have made your daughter a powerful natural magic user but it looks like it just had a slight influence."
"I'm glad."
Rebecka nodded. "Even with light magic users it's a concern."
"Regina's baby, does it have magic?
"Light magic, yes. Similar to what Regina was born with, but I think her baby will be a healer."
"Does Regina know?"
"That her baby has magic? Yes, both Robin and Regina know."
"What about Robin's other daughter?"
"Hope? Yes, she has magic as well, light magic as well, and she also seems to be reading as a potential healer."
"Does that mean Robin has some magic?"
"Very low level for him, but it seems to be stronger in his daughters."
"So Regina's baby is a girl too?"
"Yes, Grace is due only a couple of weeks after your baby. Any idea what you will name your daughter?"
"Colette after my mother, and Bae. Bae was Rumple's son's nickname, but I think sounds nice for a girl."
Rebecka nodded. "You'll be staying in Storybrooke, right?"
"Yes. But Rumple's not."
"Will you close the Pawn Shop then?"
"I think so, or just open it if someone needs something. But the library will stay open."
6 weeks later
Regina looked out at the light snow coming down. The past week she'd stayed home rather than go into the mayor's office. She'd been feeling exhausted from far too many Braxton-Hicks bouts. The baby was due any day now.
Robin had gone ahead to work though, after Regina assured him again this morning that she was fine and showing no signs of labor. Storybrooke had a park ranger now. Robin liked the job because it was about the only one in town where you rode a horse rather than drove a car. Robin still disliked driving. He'd made sure he learned and passed the test due to her pregnancy though.
Henry and Roland were at school, so it was just Hope and herself at home this morning. The now nine month old was a swift crawler and loved listening to music. As it was just two weeks till Christmas, Regina had brought out the holiday CDs. She'd also turned on the lights on the tree since she was at home.
Hope was fascinated by the lights each time the tree was lit up. She'd turn them back off when it was time for Hope's nap. She felt in need of one, herself. She sighed in annoyance at yet another Braxton Hicks and sat down on the couch. Hope crawled over to the couch and pulled herself up to look at Regina. The baby held out her arms to be lifted up onto the couch. The cramping hadn't subsided yet so she left out a grunt of discomfort while lifting Hope up next to her.
Hope patted her belly and smiled, Grace was moving around a lot this morning. Finally the cramp subsided. Hope curled up next her and promptly went to sleep. Regina knew her body wouldn't be happy with her sleeping sitting up, but Hope had dozed off and she wanted to sleep as well. She used the clicker and turned off the Christmas tree lights.
An hour later she and Hope woke back up. Regina helped Hope get back to the floor, then levered herself awkwardly upright. After the bathroom it was time to start making lunch for Hope and herself. Robin called on his cell phone as she walked into the kitchen, keeping an eye on Hope crawling in front of her on the wood floor. Regina reached down and lifted her into her high chair.
"We're both fine. Just getting ready to make lunch."
"Any more contractions?"
"Just one, but I'm feeling much better now. We both took a nap."
Robin chuckled. "Good. If anything changes call me right away"
"I will. Love you."
"Love you too. Kiss Hope for me." Regina heard Robin speaking to someone, then sighing as he came back to the phone. "Have to go; apparently someone has taken a tumble off the hill."
"Are they hurt?"
"Not severely, but the snow is going make the rescue a bit wet and muddy."
Regina's lip curled up in distaste.
"Don't worry, I'll take a shower at the station before I head home." He laughed; he could just see her expression.
"Humph, see that you do." She said in mock disgust, then grinned.
Lunch went smoothly, well as smoothly as it could with a nine month old with the Mills temperament. She let Hope play with a toy in the high chair while she cleaned up. She cursed under her breath with annoyance when another Braxton-Hicks cramp started. But then her eyes when wide when the cramp suddenly intensified and moved to her pelvic region. Then she felt a trickle of water go down her legs... She calmed her panicked urge. Okay, not Braxton-Hicks, actual Labor. She knew Robin would be busy rescuing the person who fell. This meant she'd have to call their backup person. She dialed the Sheriff's station. David answered.
"David, its Regina. I've gone into labor. Robin's on a rescue in the park."
"Okay. Emma's out on patrol. I'll be there shortly."
"Hope's at home, we'll need to get her car seat, so she can come along."
"Where do you need to go, hospital or Rebecka's clinic?"
"Rebecka's clinic." Regina felt another contraction starting. Stronger than the last and definitely in the pelvic region.
"Alright. Unlock the door and sit down. Snow said the contractions didn't hurt her as much early on when she sat down."
Once the contraction passed Regina got Hope out of the high chair and let her crawl around the living room. She unlocked the front door and called Robin's phone, leaving a message in his voicemail. "Don't panic. My water broke. David is on his way over to take me to Rebecka's clinic. I'll see you there." Then she called Rebecka's clinic. Astrid answered the phone. "Hi Astrid. Rebecka said she made sure this week had no scheduled appointments, so she'd be available if the baby came on time. Tell her I'm on my way."
"I'll go get her; she's in the office doing paperwork."
"Okay." Regina thought the phones connected between Rebecka's office and the front desk , but maybe there was a phone issue today.
"Hi!" Rebecka replied brightly, a minute later. "We did a phone upgrade in the office yesterday, but there's been a few glitches. The phone tech is trying to fix them. The big one is transferring calls. So has your water broken yet?"
"Partly, I think. I had a tiny bit go down my legs about 10 minutes ago."
"With a contraction?"
"Yes."
"First contraction of the day?"
"I had another Braxton-Higgs earlier this morning, but yes."
"How far apart are your contractions?"
"About-" Regina paused as contraction hit. Snow was right; it wasn't as painful sitting down. "Every 5 minutes."
"You just had one, right?"
"Yeah."
"Good you're early on. Plenty of time, most likely. Didn't you tell me Robin was working as a park ranger now?"
"Yeah."
"Have you called him?"
"Yeah."
"Good. No rush, you likely have at least 9 more hours of labor."
"I hope it doesn't last days."
"It can, especially with a first full term baby. But you are 40 now, and typically labor is shorter with women 40 and older."
"So you don't know how long I'll take?"
"Not over the phone, but once you're here I should be able to tell. Benefit of being a healer."
"Good." Regina saw David in her foyer. "I'll be there in less than a half hour." Regina hung up. "In here." She called out.
"Brought the patrol car." David said, walking into her living room.
"Good. Does it have a space where Hope's car seat can go?"
"Think so. It's a buckle in one, right?"
"Yes."
"Shouldn't be a problem then. I have the partition down if you'd prefer to ride back with your daughter."
"No, I'll take the passenger seat, should be easier to get in and out."
David nodded. "Do you have your hospital bag packed?"
"Of course. It's right beside my bedroom door."
"You stay there. I'll go get it. Master bedroom at the end of the hall?"
"Yes."
Regina chuckled as David ran up her stairs. They'd become so much family she'd just let him take charge like he was her father. And he just did this like it was a natural thing. They'd come so far from that awful time.
In short order David had her bag in the car, got the car seat out of her SUV, got Hope in the seat, got the baby in the car, and helped Regina down her front steps and into the patrol car.
"You're very efficient in this kind of situation." Regina commented as they started on the drive to the clinic.
David laughed "Snow appreciates it."
"I bet." She winced slightly as another contraction started.
After it passed David said. "Okay now?"
"Yeah"
"All that movement to get to the car."
Regina nodded, most likely that was it.
After Regina was settled in and Astrid was watching Hope, David left for the ranger's office to pick up Robin and possibly the injured hiker, if they needed to go to the hospital. A half hour later a slightly harried Robin hurried into the clinics exam room.
"Hi love"
"Robin." Regina beamed at him.
"The school notified Henry. He'll get off the bus with Roland at Granny's and walk here."
"Okay. I hope it doesn't scare Roland too much while he's waiting, when I start screaming."
"It might be really late when the baby's born. If it's too late, even though it's Friday, Henry will take Roland and Hope over to Snow and David's and they'll spend the night there."
"Okay."
"They'll come back once the baby is born."
18 hours later
Regina was tired and very sore, but the happiest she'd ever remembered being. Grace Marion Locksley-Mills was sleeping in her arms, Robin was sitting in the chair next to the bed holding Hope, Roland had crawled up on the bed next to her, and Henry was sitting at the end of the bed grinning at her. In a few minutes other extended members of this family would be allowed in, but this was their moment as a family.
Three months later
Much as with Henry's birthday last August, the mansion was packed with friends and extended family for baby Hope's first birthday.
Hope sat in Roland's lap on the floor, surrounded by a huge pile of presents. The two siblings already had a close bond, although she adored her older brother, and was curious about her baby sister.
Roland's seventh birthday was only three weeks away and he loved getting attention for being such a good older brother.
But Hope was tired of sitting still now, especially since Daddy was making funny faces at her, across the room. Roland helped her stand up and make sure no presents were in her way. Hope unsteadily toddled toward her father giggling and flailing her arms.
Robin chuckled and swung her up above his head. The baby shrieked with laughter.
Roland looked on a bit forlorn. He was getting too big now for Daddy to pick him up like that anymore, but Henry said just to remember those days. He had been sad too when he got too big for Mama Gina to pick him up and swing him around when they played, like she did when he was little.
Robin was perceptive about all his children though, he'd seen Roland's wistful expression. He let Hope down when Regina stepped into the dining room. Hope immediately made a beeline for her mother. Robin stepped over to Roland and drew him into a hug, then grinned mischievously and started tickling his boy. Soon Roland was shrieking with laughter as much as his sister. After a few minutes Robin relented on the tickling and said "Better?"
"Uh huh."
"Good!" Robin chuckled and swung him up just like he'd done Hope.
Roland grinned; maybe he wasn't too big just yet.
Henry was greeting everyone as they came in the door, knowing his mom and Robin were busy going back and forth between the kitchen and watching his siblings. He was also waiting for his girlfriend to arrive. Mom was getting pretty used to Violet now. Violet's fifteenth birthday was in two months and even here in Storybrooke turning fifteen was a big thing. He wanted to get Violet the best present ever, but he wasn't sure what that would be. He knew some stuff she liked but he didn't want to get her the same thing as last year…
Regina was surprised when Belle followed her up to the nursery, her infant daughter in her arms.
"Going to get Grace?"
"Yes. Did you want to let Colette use Grace's crib, since she's asleep? Grace usually wakes up around this time"
"Thank you, that would be helpful." Belle laid her daughter in the crib, after Regina picked up her waking infant daughter. "Regina, I wanted to thank you for suggesting I talk to Rebecka before Colette was born."
"How did it go when you told Gold you were staying?"
"Better than I thought." Belle sighed "Probably suits his plans for us to stay here."
"No one questioning what he's doing. You're the only one who can have some influence on him, but it's not worth the risk for you or your daughter."
"But I still wish I could get him to stop. Whatever he's planning isn't going to be good for anyone, not even him."
"He made his choice, he chose power over you. Don't blame yourself. Focus on Colette."
Despite Regina's bluntness, Belle knew Regina was right. She sighed.
Regina looked sympathetic. "It's hard to let go, you did love him, and in his own way, he still loves you."
"Yeah." The two women headed downstairs.
Snow and David arrived with their son Neal as Belle and Regina reached the ground floor. The toddler, imitating his parents, hugged Hope. Everyone laughed when Hope then impulsively kissed him on the cheek.
That evening
"And" Robin smiled at his older daughter in his arms, saying with a hint of a smile, "and they all lived hopefully ever after."
"Robin, I think you got that wrong, it's supposed to be "And they all lived happily ever after" Regina said, cradling their youngest, Grace, in her arms
Henry and Roland were seated in front of the TV, watching a British TV show called Doctor Who. Regina worried the show might cause Roland nightmares. It seemed awful scary for a children's show, and Roland was kind of sensitive. Robin agreed, but Roland begged and neither could resist Roland's pleading for long. Regina was drawn in by this River Song character on the show. This happened to be an episode that River was on. Regina found herself watching with nearly as much interest as the boys.
"Nope. Hopefully ever after. Robin smirked and lightly tickled Hope so she giggled. "Isn't that right, birthday girl?"
Hope happily cried out "Dada!"
"See, she agrees. Regina, as we know far too well, life is not always happy. But life should always have hope!"
