i know i promised faster updates, however i am actually working now along side full time school. i got this one out quickly for my friend's birthday, so this is dedicated to the lovely emmaaswans of tumblr! i know she already enjoyed the update, i hope you all do too. just remember, be patient with me. i forgot how busy life could get.

The groan from behind the bedroom door was enough to cause Henry to stop dead in his wake. He had woken up, gotten ready for school and was about to head down the stairs to grab a quick bite of whatever he could shove in his mouth faster.

Now though, he was stopped dead in his movement, frozen due to the noise he had heard from behind the door. Perhaps it was Emma with her morning sickness that continued to persist three months in. According to Granny, she'd probably be suffering with it for the long haul. But then, another noise. This time it was more of a whimper followed by another groan, causing his cheeks to turn bright red and his eyes to shoot wide.

"Oh come on! Can't you just-"

By the time the third groan could be heard, Henry had identified the person as his birth mother and was tripping over himself to get as far away from the door as possible.

There was no way he heard what he was pretty sure he heard. They couldn't, they wouldn't, be having sex with Henry still in the house in the morning. They were more careful than that, they treasured his innocence and childhood. There wasn't any way they would risk Henry being exposed at all. Even when Henry was younger and Emma had just started to sleep over, they were careful. Henry was sent out on nights to be with friends or his grandparents if Emma was sleeping over or vice versa with Regina at Emma's. There was once when he had walked into his adoptive mother's room because he had been sick and he had seen a few haphazardly thrown clothes but-

Oh. Oh gods, they would.

He moved swiftly away from the door, mind so full of his thoughts he almost fell rather than walked down the stairs. His grip was sweaty on the wooden handle down the stairs, trying to move swiftly without tripping over himself. Henry's movements were so quick, he failed to see Regina as she walked out of the doorway of the kitchen. She jumped out of her son's way, almost being stepped on in his swift race to get away from Emma.

"Henry?"

Eyes going wide and jumping back slightly, Henry was met face to face with his mother, causing him to turn an even brighter red.

"Henry dear, are you alright?"

Nodding quickly, Henry brushed past her, walking for the fridge. "Yeah, yeah, fine. Definitely. Are we out of milk?"

"Yes, Emma is supposed to pick some up when she comes home tonight…" Furrowing her brow, she walked over to him again, pressing her fingers to his forehead. "Are you sure you're alright? You look so flushed and your skin is on fire." Immediately concern crossed her features. "You're not sick, are you?"

Batting her hand away, Henry shook his head, annoyed at the whole situation. "I'm fine, mom. Seriously." Sighing and grabbing a banana off the counter, he ripped away the peel quickly. "How did you get down here so quickly anyway? Weren't you busy with Emma?"

Concern was replaced with confusion. "No… I've been down here trying to get something ready for her so she eats more than a granola bar." A curious brow shot up, "Why?"

Relief washed over him immediately, hand going over his chest to his calming heart beat that he hadn't even known was irregular. "Thank God," he spat out dramatically, dropping the useless peel into the garbage can. "I heard Emma making weird noises, I don't know. You should probably check on her."

"She's not a child, Henry. She doesn't need to be-"

A loud crashing sound, followed by stomping feet and angry, though slightly muffled, screams were heard.

Slowly, Regina and Henry met eyes, Henry looking more triumphant than anything. "You were saying?"

Shaking her head, she grabbed Henry's backpack, pushing it towards him. "Get going before you're late."

"You can't be late to study hall."

"Your attendance record and teacher say otherwise, now get going," she said quickly, ushering him towards the door.

Groaning in defeat Henry grabbed the handle to the door. "Fine, fine. Text me and let me know if Emma's having a nervous breakdown or just unable to find her favorite jacket."

The knock at the door was quiet, but Emma could hear it plainly through her pacing.

Perhaps her behavior was a bit ridiculous at the moment, but she couldn't help it. She knew this was coming, she'd been through it before. And yet, this time around, it hit Emma about ten times harder.

Regardless, she was being stupid – the accidentally knocked over picture frame was evident of such. It was just something so small, and it came with being pregnant, so why was it bugging her so much?

Another knock, slightly louder. "Emma? Are you alright?"

Biting her bottom lip, Emma nodded as she sighed, slipping into a sitting position on the floor just outside of the closet. "Yeah… You can come in, you know."

"I'm a bit terrified to see the damage you've caused to our bedroom," Regina sassed out before slowly opening the door, sighing softly at the image before her.

Regina had to admit, it was a lot tamer than she had predicted. The only thing damaged seemed to be the picture that laid on the ground, in a flimsy frame Emma had insisted they purchase while on vacation. The floor was covered in clothing, but not just any regular clothing, more specifically pairs of the treasured jeans owned by the sheriff. Her entire collection, if you could even call it that, was thrown across the room, seeming to not leave a single pair untouched.

"Well dear… I must admit, despite us being together for as long as we have been, I had no idea you owned so many pairs of the exact same jeans."

Shooting a glare to her, Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, well, I had to dig through your hundreds of power suits, some of which still have the tags on them, just to find all of mine."

Nodding slowly, Regina pursed her lips, leaning against the door frame. "I'm sure... However, the real question is, why did you need to find all of them?"

Opening her mouth, Emma quickly shut it, unable to find an excuse, or more of a snappy comment really, to reply with. Instead, she just grumbled a few nonsense words, slumping further into the wall in hopes that it'd swallow her whole.

Frowning slightly, Regina moved off the wall, walking over to her wife and leaning against the wall before sliding down it and sitting next to her. There was some space between them, Regina knowing Emma needed at least some space, but not too much to where she felt alone or embarrassed.

Turning her head to look to her sheriff, she let her hand fall to the floor, an open invitation should Emma decide to take it. "Emma, dear… Why are you sitting pants less in a sea of about twenty pairs?"

Chewing her bottom lip, Emma uncrossed her arms and let her hand drop next to Regina's. However, eye contact was still something Emma voted against. "They don't fit."

Raising an eyebrow, Regina looked her wife up and down questioningly. "I'm sorry?"

"None of my pants fit!" Emma all but shouted, tears bubbling up in her eyes. "Fuck, no, now I'm emotional again. Fucking baby."

"Don't curse our unborn child because of your already too tight jeans."

"I never heard you complain about them when you saw how great my ass looked in them."

Rolling her eyes, Regina shifted her weight to face Emma more directly, "That isn't the point, Emma." Pursing her lips, the former queen shook her head. "You're pregnant, you're showing, of course your jeans aren't going to fit. I just don't understand the big deal and why you're crying."

"I cried when you bought me a cheeseburger, and then proceeded to cry because of cute puppies on television, followed by me crying because I was so horny. When do I not cry, Regina?" Sniffling more for effect than to hold in more tears, Emma shook her head. "I just… I don't know."

Silence fell over them, a common silence when they're in these sort of moments. It's not comfortable by any means, but it's not something either is one to push out of easily. Because that would require talking about feelings on a level neither is ever comfortable with.

"Am I fat?"

Immediately Regina cracked a smile, biting her bottom lip before pushing the emotion down to try and keep a straight face. Now was not the time to laugh, she knew it, but the question Emma just asked was such a silly question that it made Regina, well, almost incapable to hold in laughter.

"No dear, of course not," Regina shot out quickly, her voice cracking in attempts to keep the laughter at bay.

When Emma turned to look at her, offense showed clearly across her face. "Regina are you serious? You're laughing!"

"Can you blame me?" Gesturing to Emma, Regina shook her head. "Dear, look at yourself! You're pregnant, not overweight. You're also only three months along and-"

"Oh, so you think I will be fat?"

Narrowing her eyes, Regina gripped Emma's chin, forcing her to meet her eyes. "Listen to yourself, this is just ridiculous, and you know it."

Pushing out her bottom lip into a pout, Emma felt the tears subside, now left looking more pathetic and like a kicked puppy rather than the fierce sheriff. "Okay, yeah, but… Can I play the hormone card?"

Rolling her eyes, Regina let out an exhausted laugh as she shook her head. "No, you used it for the cheeseburger, the puppies, and the sex. You only can play a card so many time."

Emma grinned cheekily, fingers beginning to trail up Regina's thigh. "The sex was a pretty good excuse to play the card though…"

"Yes, while indeed it was," Regina picked up Emma's hand at the wrist, dropping it away from her leg, "it also means you used up you limit of card usage for the week. Now, about your pants situation-"

Shaking her head, Emma frowned. "I've tried on every pair I own, Regina. I don't have anything else to wear for work today."

"Maybe you should stay home then."

"Yeah that's a good idea I-" Emma stopped. Her eyebrow raised slowly, questioningly as she looked to her wife. Regina was not one to promote playing hooky from anything, much less school or work. She always gave Emma a hard time if she took a lazy day, going on about how there's no crime and at least she'd get paid for doing nothing at her job. So, Regina even suggesting that Emma skip work? It wasn't like her.

"Wait… Why would you suggest I skip work?"

Turning slightly red and turning her gaze away from Emma, Regina simply shrugged. "No reason, just a thought due to your pants predicament." Standing quickly, Regina dusted the imaginary lint from her slacks as she bee lined for the door. "Well, if you're staying in, I better-"

"Hold it."

Regina froze, eyes shutting at the dreadful feeling of being caught. Her hand was on the door, she was so close to escaping this argument that she felt brewing from the eyes that burned into the back of her head. So very close, and yet she knew that, now, there was no escaping this.

Turning slowly, Regina licked her lips, looking to Emma with pleading eyes. "Emma, dear, let me explain."

"Don't you 'Emma dear' me. What's your game, Regina?" the sheriff asked with interest, arms crossing over her chest.

Rolling her eyes, Regina felt her posture go rigid. "Don't treat me like a suspect here, Emma. It's not like I stole a puppy or something."

"Don't change the subject. I know you, I know when you're up to something, so tell me. What's your game here?"

Pursing her lips, Regina sighed in defeat, running her fingers through her hair. "I was just thinking that perhaps with you being pregnant right now that…" She paused, trying to form her words into a way that, while it was inevitable, would not offend Emma. "Perhaps you should take a leave from work, for the baby's safety."

To Regina's surprise, it was shock that first crossed the sheriff's face. "Are you serious?" Then, offense. "Are you serious?" Finally, anger. "Regina, are you fucking serious?!"

"It was just a thought," Regina shot back in defense, arms crossing over her chest. "What if someone came and tried to hurt you, hm? What if you were out in the field and got hurt and subsequently hurt the baby and-"

"Okay, no, stop." Emma shook her head, letting a frustrated laugh slip past her lips. "For one, Regina you're out of your mind if you'd think I go into danger blindly."

Regina scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Let me finish." Point her finger sternly at Regina in attempts to silence her, Emma continued, "Secondly, if we were in some place like, I don't know, Boston, then maybe I'd understand your concern and it'd be valid. But this is Storybrooke, the worst thing that's happened in the last two years was when Jafar went crazy and started to steal all the lamps in town. Or maybe when Ariel had that emotional breakdown at the fish market because they were serving flounder. Otherwise, there is nothing bad that ever happens here."

Murmuring to herself and tightening her arms around her chest, Regina looked to the floor, trying to block it all out. She knew Emma was right, nothing bad had happened in Storybrooke since they returned from Neverland. Still, the impending and dreadful question of what if ate at her inside.

"Look," Emma started, walking towards Regina, lifting her chin so they met eyes as her other hand stroked up and down her wife's arm, "you know me. I'm careful when it comes to the things I care about. Those things include the baby."

"Our child is not a thing."

"That's beside the point." Smiling slightly, Emma dropped the hand from Regina's chin and placed her hand on the free arm, gripping her shoulders. "The point is that I will protect our family, I will be safe. I wouldn't go if our child would be put in danger."

"I know that," Regina said with sadness in her eyes, arms loosening around her torso. I just… What if, it's all I think about."

"I know." Leaning forward, Emma pressed a gentle kiss to her wife's forehead, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I promise, I'll be safe, alright? I don't need to take leave quite yet, and I don't think I trust Ruby to be temporary sheriff in my absence right now."

Furrowing her brows, Regina looked at Emma questioningly. "Wait, have I missed something?"

Shaking her head, Emma pressed a kiss to her wife's lips. "Don't worry about it."

Since everyone's return from Neverland, a self-serving government of sorts had been put into place. While Regina tended to the tedious aspects of the job, the counsel that had once been in place in the Enchanted Forest had been put together to deal with the social issues and other things that would be brought to Regina. It made it as so the things Regina controlled were filtered, and while it pissed Regina off to no end at first, she now rather enjoyed it. No longer did she have to deal with mindless complaints about someone's garden gnome falling onto their grass, she was now only sent the things that mattered in the town. It made things move much more quickly in the town, and that was something no one could complain about.

At the head of the large conference table sat Snow with Charming by her side, the rest of the counsel settled into their seats, chatting idly about an apparent cat nuisance that was happening around town. While Charming and Ruby were in a small tuff over the whole debate, Snow found herself just looking to the empty seat next to her.

Emma was late, again. While it wasn't a shock anymore that she was late to these meetings, Snow knew Emma found them to be boring and a waste of time unless someone brought donuts to keep her entertained. With the baby also being thrown in, Emma seemed more impatient than ever, wanting to just pop in before heading back down to the sheriff's office.

Honestly, with topics like cats running rampant in Storybrooke, Snow couldn't find it in herself to blame her daughter.

Almost as if on cue, Emma stumbled into the conference room, smiling slightly as she shrugged. "Sorry, I had to grab something at the office," she said simply before slipping in her seat, immediately greeted with a grip and squeeze of her hand.

"Soon you'll run out of excuses," Snow said quietly, smiling at her daughter.

"Yes, well, five years and I'm still going." Turning to the group, Emma relaxed into her chair as her hand rested on her baby bump. "So… Cat problem?"

Discussion broke out again in the group, Emma mostly sitting back to watch Ruby growl to herself over the cats, complaining how they keep coming to her and annoying her. Snow, on the other hand, attempted to calm Ruby and just suggest the cats go to the shelter. However, as Emma continued to watch Ruby pout like a three year old who didn't get her way, she couldn't help but chuckle. If she were honest, it looked more like a cliché with Ruby being the dog who can't catch the cat.

As though Ruby could read her thoughts, she shot Emma a glare, causing the sheriff to clear her throat and look away. Almost as quickly though, she shot up and ran out of the room, causing everyone to look questioningly to Ruby.

"What?" she snapped, just as confused. "I didn't do anything, I just sat here."

Snow waved them off, smiling brightly. "I'm sure she's fine, but as we were saying… Ruby, the cats live in Storybrooke. You cannot banish them."

"But they're cats, Snow! Come on, how is this even fair?"

"Don't be such a dog about it," Leroy shot in, immediately recoiling in his chair as Ruby's hot, fiery gaze shot to him.

"What did you just say?"

"I just- What I meant was-"

As if by some grace of the gods, Emma came back in, smiling slightly to the immediately silenced council members as she walked towards her chair. She was about to sit when she stopped, standing quickly and leaving again.

This time the questioning gaze fell to Snow.

Sighing, Snow stood, looking to the members at the table. "Please continue the discussion, I'll go check on Emma." Shooting a narrow gaze to Ruby, Snow pursed her lips. "No killing, or eating, the cats."

Grumbling, Ruby crossed her arms over her chest, sinking into her seat as Snow walked out. "I can't have any fun."

"The hickey on your neck says otherwise."

"Shut up, Leroy."

Emma sighed, slumping against the wall outside of the restroom. This was just not shaping up to be her day, and she hated mostly everything about it. Perhaps she was being childish right now – no, she was definitely being childish right now. She threw ideas around in her head of why she was acting like this, unable to put her finger on it exactly. Maybe it was the hormones, seeing that they were to blame for everything else that was happening to her body.

However, hormones could not be used to blame the emotion of creeping loneliness she was feeling. It was a rather silly, and random, emotion to be having. She wasn't alone, not anymore. She had Regina and Henry, she had her parents and friends, and hell she even had the snobby secretary Regina refuses to fire despite the amount of times the crazy old bat shoos her out of Regina's office.

Still, loneliness was a feeling that always crept up on Emma, despite how untrue it was to what she knew. Resting her hand over her baby bump again, Emma frowned, mind flashing back to her life in prison so quickly it felt as though she was actually there for a moment. Orange jumpsuit hanging loosely on her small frame, only really touching the skin on her shoulders and where Henry continued to grow. That, those moments in prison, that was true loneliness. She had no one, no guide, despite the random security guards offering random bits of wisdom that went in one ear and out the other.

That, that was loneliness, something Emma didn't have when surrounded by her family and friends. But now, with hers and Regina's child developing inside of her, she felt it again. Perhaps though, it wasn't over being alone, but more so being surrounded with numerous people and still having absolutely no idea what she was doing.

"Emma?"

Snapping her head up, Emma smiled softly to her mother as she approach, worry etched on Snow's now aging features. "Hey, sorry… I kind of had to pee."

Nodding slowly, Snow approached Emma with caution, still feeling the walls that made it almost impossible for Emma to use the M word. "I see… The baby is already pressing on your bladder that hard?"

Scoffing, Emma rolled her eyes, eyeing her mother with a small glint of laughter in her eyes. "Oh please, this baby already made it to where none of my jeans fit. Is it really so shocking that he or she is pushing on my bladder and making me need to pee every three minutes?"

Shrugging, Snow chuckled, eyes glancing down to the baby bump before meeting her daughter's eyes. "Well, seeing as you're hardly showing as is, I have to say I'm a bit shocked. Not about the jeans thing, more about the bladder."

"Why is no one shocked about my jeans…"

"Because they're already insanely tight." Leaning against the wall, Snow let her head drop as she looked to the baby bump again. "Are you alright beside that?"

Emma was silent for a moment, mulling over her options in her head. She knew her usual response, her response to everyone for everything involving her emotions. She'd say she was fine and Snow would drop it because she had learned that pressing Emma for more tended to lead to a complete shutdown rather than a resolution. There was some part of her though, it always told Emma to just open up. This was her mother after all, whether or not Emma called her as such was beside the point.

She had always been an orphan, always been alone. In Neverland, she was forced to meet that demon head on. Now, however, things were different. Things were good and happy and Emma was now left wondering why she still continued to deny herself of the mother she had so long hoped and dreamed of.

"It's just…" Emma licked her lips, unused to sharing her emotions with the woman before her. "I'm just really… I guess confused is a good word? Unsure? I have no idea."

Nodding slowly as she tried to understand, Snow rose an eyebrow. "Okay… What about, exactly?"

"Okay, here's the thing," Emma turned her body, facing Snow more directly. "When I was pregnant with Henry, I was alone, physically and emotionally. You know that much, but… No one was there to tell me what to do, guide me through the whole pregnancy thing. And now, I just…"

"You feel alone again," Snow finished for her, unable to hide the sadness that crossed her features.

"Yeah, but like… Oh God, please don't cry! I just meant… I don't know what I meant, actually."

Shaking her head and holding up her hand to silence Emma, Snow smiled through the tears welling up in her eyes. "No, Emma, it's fine. Really." Reaching out, Snow took Emma's hand, squeezing it gently. It was physical contact that she knew never cause Emma to stiffen or shy away. It was a safe maneuver of comfort. "Why didn't you just… Ask me?"

Biting her lip, Emma shrugged, eyes falling to their hands. "I don't like to ask for things."

"Yes well, you should know I am always here to help." Nudging Emma gently, Snow squeezed Emma's hand again. "I really would like to pass down some of what I know to you. It's a bit difficult to pass wisdom to someone the same age as me."

Chuckling, Emma rolled her eyes, pushing herself off the wall. "Nah, I think you actually have the mom thing down pretty well. I learn new things from you every day."

Raising an eyebrow, Snow eyed her daughter in speculation. "Oh really? Like what?"

"Most notably, how to tell a dog not to kill cats."

Smirking, Snow shook her head before turning to walk back to the conference room. "Don't tell Ruby that, she'll kill you, then me, for me allowing you to call her a dog."