Hello all! So, here is the final chapter of Tracing Paths! I hope you all have enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it for all of you.

As always, many thanks to my amazing beta, Nina (sassymajesty) and my amazing friends for their inputs and brilliant ideas for this wonderful fic.

Emma sat in boredom, watching as her mother and wife took delicate care to hang the numerous colorful decorations around the Swan-Mills residence. The idea had sounded amusing in her head; full of possible bickering and maybe even a cat fight. However, quite the opposite was taking place.

Maybe it was because they were concerned for Emma's overall well being, more worried still after the incident with Killian while playing cards.

More like cheating, Emma thought, rolling her eyes at the memory.

Regardless, Snow and Regina weren't letting Emma lift a finger, and while it was kind of nice at first, it was now just annoying. So far, within the couple of hours of team mother and daughter-in-law beginning to set up decorations, Emma had been ushered to the couch, not allowed to help with even the smallest of decorations. When she wanted a drink, Snow immediately would run into the kitchen to grab it for her, which only cause the blonde to roll her eyes in annoyance. Hell, she hadn't even been allowed to get up to grab a foot rest. It was nice, but in that way where it's only nice for the first five minutes and then gets utterly annoying.

The fact that Snow and Regina were being so nauseatingly sweet to one another didn't help either. Yes, it was for Emma's sake, to make sure she didn't get overly stressed. But their kindness to one another made her ten times more stressed than whatever stress she would have felt otherwise.

"Emma, are you alright?"

Letting out a harsh breath through her nose, Emma nodded. "Yes mother, I'm fine." I was fine when you asked five minutes ago.

Biting her bottom lip, Snow looked from Emma to Regina, as if for reassurance and confirmation that Emma truly was alright. While most children would adore their spouses having this kind of relationship with their parents, Emma was annoyed by it. Because it wasn't them. It was as though they had shifted personalities. Which made her all the less excited about this baby shower.

Emma Swan-Mills loved parties, except for the ones that revolved around her; or more specifically, her swollen stomach. She hated when people reached and grabbed for her belly, as though touching it was their last hope, or something that had to be done. She was fine with her parents and Regina touching her stomach. She was even okay with Ruby and the rest of the sheriff's office touching her stomach, but even then she could count all those people with just her two hands. It was when others that she hardly knew grabbed her stomach, as though, because the savior was having children, it was completely alright to break the personal space protocol.

"Mom, stop. I'm fine. I just want to help out is all. I don't like sitting still like this."

Chuckling, Snow nodded, placing the duckling banner that Ruby and she had made down on the table and moving to sit on the arm of the chair her daughter sat it. "I understand. I was the same way when I was pregnant with you."

Raising an eyebrow as she turned to look to her mother, Emma noted from her peripheral vision that her wife left the room without a sound. "Really?"

Nodding once more, the former queen shrugged her shoulders. "Yes, it annoyed your father to no end. He wanted me to be cautious, careful, worried a lot about me moving around."

Laughing, Emma shook her head, her mind immediately going to the look on her father's face when she had told him she was pregnant. "That doesn't shock me."

Humming in response, Snow continued, "He didn't like me going out to shoot my bow, or being anywhere without one of my hand maidens with me. This got progressively worse the farther along I got, before we even knew about the curse." Chuckling, she shook her head as her mind was taken back to that time. "Granny was terrible about it. I would try to get Ruby to side with me, but she'd always side with her and David. They all knew I would be careful and safe, yet they were protective anyway."

"Then why worry so much?"

"Because he was going to be a father, and he was terrified of what might happen. Spouses and family have this funny way of being so overbearingly caring that it drives us crazy." Reaching down, Snow placed a gentle hand on the one that Emma had resting on her large stomach. "It's their weird way to show that they care. And you'll think you won't do it when it comes to you being in the same position, but well…"

Biting her bottom lip, Emma glanced down to her stomach and then around the living room she sat in. The walls were carefully and painstakingly decorated with yellow and green streamers. Some balloons hung high in the ceiling, a few bouncing sunlight off of them and around the room. A table with a large covering with ducklings all over it sat in the corner of the room, and more ducks were variously placed around the room and on the walls. She recalled Henry and Charming coming in to help Regina and Snow with the higher places of the wall that neither could reach, even in Regina's highest pair of heels.

It was as though, in an instant, it all made sense, and it made her smile slightly.

"Yeah," she mumbled, watery eyes meeting those of her mother. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Sucking in a deep breath as the last of the decorations were hung, Emma smiled happily, standing slowly as she let a protective hand fall over her stomach. She moved next to her wife, placing a hand on the small of her back as she looked up to the last decoration.

"You don't think it's too much?" Regina whispered, looking up to Emma with a grin.

"Absolutely not," Emma replied, looking as the large photo of a duck on the wall. "It's exactly what this baby shower needed, more ducks."

Chuckling, Regina shook her head, placing a delicate kiss on Emma's cheek. "Of course, dear."

Moving out of Emma's grip, Regina moved towards the kitchen, speaking to her over her shoulder. "I'm sure it will be twice as delightful without me being there."

"Yeah, I'm sure- wait what?" Whipping around as quickly as she could, Emma made her way into the kitchen, watching as her wife pulled out the final bits of food from the fridge. "What do you mean you won't be there?!"

Sighing, Regina placed a platter of vegetables on the counter, slowly peeling back the clear wrap around it. "It seems as though I've been called to duty. I'm needed in my office for something urgent, or so my assistant tells me."

"Can't you just tell Tony that you're busy?"

Pursing her lips, Regina turned to face her wife. "You think I didn't. As much as I don't want to be in a room full of people who still side glance me, I want to be here. I know how much you dislike these sort of things." Of course Regina would remember, considering she did plan a large party for her with Snow for Emma's birthday. That did not go well.

Frowning and crossing her arms over her chest, Emma leaned back against the wall. "No, I know you did. Here's the thing, I really don't want to be here alone so maybe we should just cancel this whole thing and-"

Letting out a laugh, Regina shook her head as she made her way over to Emma. "Oh dear, I'm not the one you'd have to convince of that. I do believe it was your mother's idea to have this."

Curling her lips, Emma rested her head back against the wall. "I know, but maybe you could scare them off with some evil queen stuff and we could just call it a day."

"I threaten them about as much as Miss Lucas does during the daytime."

"Well, then maybe we could ask Granny to bring over the crossbow and-"

Placing gentle hands on her wife's cheek, Regina smiled softly, pulling the blonde's lips down to meet hers. "I promise that I will be back as soon as I can be. You don't want to be alone with them, but I'm sure you can get Henry to protect you from them."

"Nope, date with Grace. He said he didn't want to be surrounded by people getting excited over rubber duckies."

"Well, he certainly only need to look at you to see that image."

Smirking, Emma placed another kiss on her wife's lips. "Promise to hurry back?"

Linking her pinky around Emma's, she leaned forward, lips brushing against her wife's. "Promise."

She was not protected by Ruby.

The wandering hands of the many guests who were in attendance of the baby shower, half of which Emma didn't know, were attacking her no matter which way she turned. Questions and comments on how she was glowing and how she looked absolutely beautiful.

The opposite is what Emma felt.

She felt like a giant whale moving through the tiniest gaps of people in attempt to escape the new and incoming hands and comments. She was hot, she was tired, her ankles were swollen, and the sheriff honestly would much prefer being entirely alone in this giant mansion than surrounded by all these people.

Or perhaps she should've looked at the guest list as Regina suggested instead of just letting her mother plan it all.

"Emma!"

Turning around, Emma was relieved to see it was only Kathryn and not someone entirely random reaching out to her.

"I've been looking for you! Your mother wants to start doing the gifts and such."

Nodding, Emma began moving back through the thick amount of people. Did she invite the entire fucking town?

"She wanted to say no cake though, not until later."

Grumbling, Emma moved to a large chair at the center of the room, watching as people began filtering in from various parts of the lower level of the house. I don't even think some of these people came to the wedding…

Moving to stand next to her daughter, Snow cleared her throat before placing a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Alright everyone, we will begin opening the gifts. Feel free to grab a slice of cake while we do so!"

Frowning slightly, Emma looked up to her mother. "Why don't I get cake? I'm the pregnant one here."

"Because you have to open these presents."

"But-"

Grabbing a randomly wrapped gift and placing it in her daughter's lap, Snow raised an affirmative eyebrow. "Not buts. Only presents. Then cake."

It was amazing how small the pool of people became after cake was given out. By the time Emma was down to the last of the gifts, most of the party had left and all that remained were those she actually knew, being shocked to see Belle in the remaining people, not even knowing she had been there to begin with.

Still though, Regina had taken longer than she had hoped to return from whatever was needed of her at the office. She had asked her mother repeatedly to text her, see where she was, but no reply. Even Henry had finally managed to make it. Granted, with girlfriend in tow, but he was still there.

"Okay so… This is from Granny and Ruby!" Snow said excitedly, as though the gifts had only just begun when, in reality, wrapping and tissue paper were scattered around the floor at her feet from those who felt obligated to attend.

Taking the gift, she eyed Ruby suspiciously as her friend gave her a wicked grin. She carefully unwrapped the paper, then opened the large brown box that was inside, instantly cracking into a grin and chuckling.

"What is it, Swan?" Hook called out, arms wrapped around his fiancé's waist, already knowing all too well what the others had planned.

Reaching into the box and holding up a small, wooden crossbow, Emma looked at the item before locking eyes with Granny. "You really think Regina would ever let the kids play with this?"

Shrugging, Granny crossed her shoulders, almost in defense. "Those kids will be trained to use it wisely."

Shaking her head, Emma placed the crossbow back into the box before reaching in and grabbing one of the pair of carefully knitted booties from the box. Looking up and smiling at Ruby, Emma nodded. "I'm shocked, you have a feminine touch."

"More than one- Ow!"

Shaking her head at her soon to be husband, Ruby eyed him before turning back to Emma. "I figured you and Regina would enjoy something handmade, so… I had Snow teach me a thing or two."

Nodding again in thanks, she placed the box to the side before taking the next gift from her mother, noticing how her eyes were welling up with tears.

"This is from your father and me."

Furrowing her brows in curiosity, Emma ripped away the wrapping paper, immediately feeling her own tears as she looked into the box.

Placing it at her feet, she leaned over to reach in and pull out two, nearly identical, white blankets, almost matching her own from when she was a baby. Feeling something beneath then, She unwrapped the blankets, watching as two small, wooden swords fell into her lap.

Stunned, Emma's eyes went up to her mother, then to her father on the other side of the room.

"I always wanted to train you in how to use a sword, but you were so good at it I wasn't able to. It happened with Henry a bit too. So… I figured, I'd show your kids a thing or two," David explained, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, as though the entire idea was silly to begin with.

Smiling sweetly at her father, she then turned her eyes back to her mother.

Snow's eyes were filled with tears that begged to be released, but she held them back, clearing her throat before answering Emma's unsaid question. "I wanted them to have the sort of safety I'm sure you had with your own. Their names aren't stitched in because you and Regina don't know the sexes yet and haven't told me names so… Those were going to be added later."

Placing the items into the box, Emma stood, wrapping her arms tightly around her mother as she felt a few tears of her own slip from her cheeks. "They're perfect."

Pulling back, Emma began to smile before hearing a sudden, rushing noise. Like water crashing onto the floor. Her eyes went wide as she heard an almost unison gasp from everyone in the room, looking down before sighing unhappily.

Her water had broken early.

"Guys, seriously, I'm the one apparently about to go into labor and I'm calmer than all of you."

Snow was pacing, phone on her ear in attempts to reach Regina, and to no avail. Everything was going straight to voicemail and the secretary wasn't even answering the phone at this point.

"Exactly, Emma. You're going into labor, of course we're freaking out!" Ruby exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air before letting them drop and slap on her thighs. "I don't understand how you aren't."

Pursing her lips, Emma let her hand rest on her stomach. "Doesn't hurt, so… Nothing to worry about." Not only that, but Emma and Regina had sort of expected her to give birth early with the news of the fact that she was having twins, rather than just one baby.

"Okay, regardless," Granny broke in, shaking her head, "we need to get you to the hospital."

Immediately, Henry stood, hand shooting in the air as though he were in a classroom. "Oh, oh! I can drive her!"

"No!"

The 'no' was almost perfectly timed, everyone in the room turning to Henry to say it as though it were rehearsed. After it, everyone cleared their throats, looking away dejectedly.

Placing a gentle hand on Henry's shoulder, Charming laughed. "Sorry, group majority." Looking over to his daughter, he noticed how her upper lips curled. It was slight, and so quick that if you blinked, you'd miss it. But he was no fool, he could recognize his daughter in pain. "I'll drive. We can take my squad car and blare the sirens. Everyone else can carpool."

Nodding, everyone began to exit, Emma being assisted by David out the door. Arm wrapped around his shoulder for support, her free hand still resting protectively over her stomach as she was escorted to the car. She was placed in the front seat, head turning only to make sure Henry was getting there with one of the other many cars. She could not help the smile that formed on her lips as she noted her son carrying the bag that Regina had packed, just in case the babies had come earlier than planned. She noted to thank Regina later before she looked to her father.

In that moment, she watched him, his face full of concern as he flipped on the sirens and skidded out of the driveway toward the hospital. All her life, Emma wanted a father like David. He was brave, noble, courageous, but also had this tenderness about him. How he would look at her in certain moments, and how he would feel concern for her, as he did now. It touched her heart. While she may not have had him forever, having a father like him now, in this moment? It was more than Emma could ever ask for.

Turning to quickly look to his daughter and then the road, David's concern did not waver from his eyes. "Are you alright?"

Snapping out of her illusion, she smiled, nodding. "Yeah," she said softly, almost to herself rather than him. "Perfect."

Perfect was the incorrect word of choice as soon as they pulled up to the hospital.

Emma was quickly placed into a wheelchair as she gripped her stomach, gritting her teeth in attempts to hold in the screams that pleaded to be let out. Her free hand gripped the armrest of the wheel chair, nails digging into the plastic.

Wheeling her to the desk, Charming breathed heavily, looking up to the receptionist. "My daughter needs a room!"

Popping her bubblegum, the receptionist held up her finger before turning back to her phone call. "Yes, no problem, thank you." Clearing her throat, the young receptionist turned to Charming and Emma, eyebrow raised. "How can I help you?"

Almost as though they mirrored on another, David and Emma furrowed their brows in confusion, looking at the receptionist as though she were either blind or just plain stupid not to know why they were there.

"My daughter is in labor, miss. She needs to be put in a room immediately and-"

"Woah, hold on, please do not tell me what to do." Popping her gum once more, the receptionist picked up the phone before pressing a button, allowing her to access the loud speaker. "All available nurses to the front desk please. All available nurses to the front desk." Placing the phone back down on the set, she then sat herself back down and tended to whatever sat before her.

The brows of father and daughter furrowed more before a team of three nurses came out quickly, recognizing Emma almost instantly as they smiled.

"Those babies finally ready to come out?" One of the nurses said, smiling brightly as they motioned Charming to move from the wheelchair as so Emma could be pushed towards a room.

Emma smiled weakly, nodding before she winced again, letting out a pained breath as she looked up to the nurses. "Yeah, I don't remember this hurting so much in the beginning."

Chuckling lightly, another nurse motioned for Charming to follow them down the hall. "Wait until the finale, sweetheart."

"That's it, just breathe through it," Snow said softly, pushing back her daughter's hair as Emma went through another contraction, each becoming more painful than the last the closer she approached what Henry was now calling "the double whammy".

Letting out a pained cry, Emma leaned back, breathing deeply as the contraction ended, hand gripping her father's. She had been gripping Henry's first, but he now was currently icing his hand after doing so for an hour straight.

Looking up to her mother sadly, Emma sighed, licking her lips. "Any word from Regina?"

Frowning, Snow shook her head, tucking blonde strands behind her daughter's ear. "No, nothing. Her assistant won't even put us through to her."

Closing her eyes, Emma shook her head, relaxing into the pillow as she still gripped her father's hand. "She should be here by now."

Squeezing his daughter's hand, David smiled sweetly. "And she will be. Regina never misses an important date."

Looking over to Charming, Emma just smiled, nodding. "She better be."

Like a punch to the gut, Emma leaned forward as another contraction rocked through her, her hand squeezing Charming's tightly and her mother coached sweet words into her ear.

When she had given birth to Henry in prison, she had no one. But now, with her parents, her son, and hopefully soon her wife, she knew that this time around, things would not be so painful. Even if she felt like someone was ripping a knife through her.

The door opened as Whale made his way into the room, smiling as he looked to Emma and her parents. "The nurses say your contractions are to that point, Emma. We need to take you to the delivery room."

Biting her bottom lip in worry, Emma squeezed David's hand, more in worry than in pain as it had been before. "But… I have to wait for Regina, is there any way we can wait?"

"Well, we could," Whale said with a shrug before gesturing to Emma's stomach. "They, on the other hand…"

Groaning, Emma let go of David's hand, running her fingers through her hair as she nodded slowly, squeezing her eyes shut. "Okay, yeah. I guess… Yeah, that's fine."

"I'll go get the nurses," the doctor said softly, turning and walking out the door to find the nurses who had been caring for her this entire time.

Frowning, Snow sat on the edge of her daughter's bed, gentle placing her own hand over the hand that had over her stomach. "She'll be here, Emma."

Nodding, Emma couldn't help but question it regardless. She had been alone before, perhaps she'd be alone again.

The nurses were swift to gesture Snow off the bed and Charming away as they untangled any wires they could and began to push Emma out of the room and towards the delivery area.

Her mind would be at ease with her wife by her side, but without her there, Emma felt her heart racing and panic sweep in to grip her. What if Regina's phone had died and had no idea what was occurring? What if her secretary was just hanging up on them because he was ordered to do so? What if she had been in a car accident on the way to the hospital and was hurt and alone? Or, perhaps she had it off and was in some deep meeting with a connection call to the president.

While the latter of all these thoughts seemed unlikely, she couldn't help it. She was alone and her wife wasn't there and she didn't know if she could do this, any of it, without Regina holding her hand.

"Emma!"

The sound of clicking heels against the white linoleum floor became louder as Emma tried to tilt her head back and around, recognizing the voice but unsure if it was her imagination playing tricks on her or the real thing.

A relieved smile filled her lips however, seeing Regina come and move swiftly beside her and take Emma's hand into her own, pressing a thankful kiss to it. "I am so sorry. Tony didn't tell me you and your mother were calling and then that damned receptionist with the bubblegum said she had no idea who you were and-"

"It's fine," Emma interrupted, squeezing Regina's hand happily. "You're here and that's all that matters."

A wife in scrubs, some pained screams, and two possibly broken fingers later, Emma could not help but feel a tear of relief rush down her cheek as the first cry echoed into her ears. It was only half of what was to be on this day, and yet Emma felt her heart swell so much she was sure it would explode from her chest. She barely made out Whale saying how the first had been a boy through her happiness, and had to be told twice that the second child was a girl.

Everyone had come and gone quickly, due to the late hour and the fact that the nurses were rushing everyone out as painfully quick as possible. Regina had sent Henry home with Snow and Charming once she noted how his head began to nod in attempts of staying awake. While Snow had offered to drive Regina back to the mansion, she only shook her head and opted to stay with Emma and the twins.

Emma sat in blissful silence, holding one of the twins, wrapped in a soft, blue blanket, in her arms. Regina stood near the door, holding their baby girl in her arms, content as she looked down to the sleeping baby in her arms.

Glancing upwards, Emma let a soft smile form on her lips, watching Regina with the daughter as her own finger was gripped by their son's small hands. She couldn't help but chuckle softly as she looked to how peaceful everything was compared to the chaos that had been ensuing before.

Looking up, Regina rose an eyebrow, "What's so funny, dear?"

"Nothing," Emma replied softly. "It's just all so… Peaceful. It's almost weird."

Regina smirked, humming in reply. Emma moved over on the bed, patting the now available space next to her for Regina.

Moving and sitting next to her wife and other child, Regina sighed happily. "They look so much like you."

"I think our boy has your nose."

Regina scoffed, shaking her head. "That's impossible, dear. My genetics had no involvement."

Emma just grinned, shrugging in reply. "You say so, but I still think he has your nose. And our baby girl? She has your chin."

Biting her bottom lip, Regina smiled absent mindedly, letting her gaze fall back down to their children. "We still have to name them."

"I thought we already had names selected?" Emma questioned, eyebrow lifted.

Rolling her eyes, Regina looked back up to Emma before kissing her cheek. "Yes dear, but all the same. I want to make sure we're still in agreement."

Letting her head rest on Regina's shoulder, Emma sighed in content as she looked down to the now sleeping boy in her arms. "Alexander David. Alexander after your tutor, David after my father."

Nodding, Regina let her fingers run through the small bits of blonde hair that rested on the baby girl's head. "Elsa Ruth. Elsa after the one good foster mother you'd known, Ruth after your grandmother."

Smiling brilliantly, Emma let her eyes fall shut as she let this moment sink into her.

In all her life, Emma never truly thought this could happen to her. A beautiful family, complete with gorgeous wife and son, now with the addition of two more children. A mother and father who loved her with more than they could ever say, and a little brother who, while younger than her son, still warmed her heart. Even a job she loved and friends who would do anything for her. In one word, she was happy. She was home.

Home, she thought, I never knew it could come in sizes so small.