Hey! Managed to squeeze in some time to write and LOOK I'm back with another update!
And it's only been a week! :D
Let's just dive right into it.
CHAPTER 26
"She's really flipped a switch, hasn't she?"
Emma smiles. They're out grocery shopping.
She's bagging tomatoes as Ruby's scrolling away on her phone,
going through saved pictures of potential venues that would make for the perfect setting for her and Kathryn's ceremony.
"Oh, she's been flipping my switch pretty fucking great yeah." Ruby slyly grins.
"Please don't." The blonde deadpans and swiftly ties a knot into the plastic bag with vegetables. Fruits. Whatever.
"You're cute acting all innocent and coy." Her friend rolls her eyes but keeps on grinning anyway.
"The thing is…" She confidently starts. "we're happy. And that's all that matters, right?"
"Definitely all that matters." Emma softly smiles and yes, actually couldn't agree more.
"Also we're gonna need your help planning the actual ceremony slash party thing since
even though you failed to turn up for the actual wedding we do actually consider you our witnesses."
Ruby states, mock offend included to further tease her friend.
"You failed to inform us of said wedding!" and, evidently, Emma walks right into it.
"Semantics." Rubes nonchalantly waves a hand in the air.
"Anyway…" She goes on. "we were thinking August."
Blonde eyebrows furrow as Emma seems to be thinking.
"Since it's gonna be sizzling hot and so are we." Ruby logically reasons as sure as one plus one is two.
"Three." The blonde nods. "That's just three months from now."
"Seriously Swan, you're a born counting genius." Rubes snorts while grabbing two bottles of white in passing.
Emma had managed to make a decent spaghetti. So decent that Regina had enjoyed two plates.
Granted, the second plate had been tiny and more of a statement to prove to Emma how
very decent she'd found the dish
but still…
there had been two plates.
The cook of the evening's pleased.
They've just put their son to bed and are enjoying a glass of wine
-it's Friday, after all- when Emma looks up from her book and tilts her head.
Her eyes set on the most beautiful brunette in the world.
"Let's go see your parents over the summer."
She suggests and sees brown eyes look up from page x into her own green ones.
"What?" Regina's eyebrows knit together.
"Hear me out, okay?" Emma puts a warm hand on her girlfriend's knee.
"Okay." Regina says and pulls off her reading glasses. Which is kind of sad because, damn those glasses.
"I know it's gonna be a busy summer… with the wedding and us trying to make a baby." Emma sweetly speaks.
"I know it doesn't feel like this is a good time… But it's always going to be something…" She raises her eyebrows, hopefully.
"Maybe next summer we're trying to make a third baby and" She hesitates just a moment before quickly continuing.
"planning for another wedding."
"Emma Swan." Regina levels their gazes.
"I'm just saying…" The blonde pulls up her shoulders, smiles and goes on.
"It feels great knowing that your brother knows everything about me… well, everything he needs to know…
and about us and what I am to Henry and just… I wanna be out to the entire family…
I wanna get this over with and be able to move on and close that chapter of my life.
To never have to be nervous about telling people that matter that I'm different like that.
I don't want it to be a secret anymore…" She's kind of rambling and it's just absolutely adorable.
Perhaps even a bit heartbreaking, in a way…
Because Regina knows so very well how important this is to the blonde.
How this encounter will be dreaded but, yes indeed, is necessary as well… inevitable…
So
"Okay, we'll go." Regina says. Nodding once and smiling beautifully.
"We'll go?" Emma's greens grow big. She's a little surprised at how quickly she's managed to convince Regina.
"Yes." Regina's fingers wave through blonde hair as she puts some stray strands back behind Emma's left ear.
Her hand stays in the girl's neck as she leans forward a bit to put their foreheads together.
"Thank you, baby." Emma smiles. Somewhat shyly.
Because home is where you're allowed to shed any layers of toughness, right?
Get rid of that armor. Any filter that makes you look like you're invincible and have no insecurities whatsoever?
Well, this is her biggest vulnerability and Regina's her home and safe haven.
So yes, she whispers somewhat shyly, then clears her throat to make a point "And I swear…"
and reaches up, holding the back of Regina's head, tenderly but with obvious passion in her fingertips
"If she makes you feel bad at all, she'll get to know just how strongly I feel about how amazing you are."
Several days pass and life is wonderfully normal in the most wonderful of ways.
No drama, no awkward situations, no unpleasant surprises, and no insecurities. It's perfect.
Until one morning, Regina is startled awake by the scent of breakfast hitting her nostrils. Coffee more specifically.
She could use a cup or two, is what she first thinks when she gets up out of bed
but by the time she's in an upward position, her stomach seems to have different plans and before she knows it,
she's making a beeline for the bathroom.
Her quick step alarms Emma, who's been up for a while and currently downstairs.
"Babe?" She raises her voice in confusion.
"Made you coffee... are you okay?" Her voice comes closer,
Regina notices as she's emptying last night's dinner into the toilet bowl. At least the throwing up brings relief.
"In here" she mumbles, her mouth wet and dirty with what had been in her stomach just moments before.
Her voice echo's in the bowl, annoyingly loud and Regina winces… feeling another wave of nausea coming up.
The next thing she knows, she's throwing up again.
This time there's a hand on her back, rubbing encouraging circles.
"Hey, baby... it's okay... I'm here."
Emma comforts her. But the worry in the girl's tone is evident.
And Regina is crying because it's all just so sweet and Emma is not catching up on the reality of the situation.
But she can feel it. Of course, she can. It's her body and more importantly...
the source of her tears is rooted in her heart that's exponentially growing at the moment. So yes, it's obvious.
She takes some toilet paper, offered by Emma , wipes her mouth... gets up and turns towards the sink.
She takes a couple of breaths as she stares at herself in the mirror.
Emma's still by her side watching her closely and sweetly, concerned and ready to call an ambulance if needed.
"Let's get you back to bed. I'll call a doctor right away." She decidedly tells her love.
The brunette smiles and shakes her head. She leans over the sink and rinses her mouth thoroughly.
Taking her toothbrush and the toothpaste she gets to work.
Wanting this foul taste off of her tongue as fast as possible so she can do this properly.
"You want me to get you a glass of water, baby?" Emma asks her.
Regina just looks at the girl's reflected version and shakes her head no.
"Can I get you something else?"
Another no and it's only making Emma feel more frustrated.
Regina continues to clean her mouth a couple more times.
Adding mouthwash to the mix before deciding she's as clean and minty fresh as she's gonna get
and turns away from the mirror, now facing Emma.
The unreflected, the original version.
"I'm fine." She softly tells her.
"Regina you're not fine. You're sick and you have to let me take care of you."
Emma's insistent and growing quite frustrated that there doesn't seem to be anything she can do for her girlfriend.
Or rather, Regina will let her do for her.
"I promise I'll let you take care of me." The older woman smiles knowingly.
"Well, good." Emma shakes her head a little warily and sighs before turning around and opening a drawer.
"In fact... I am really counting on that." Regina doesn't move.
She just stands there, looking at her worrying, oblivious to the facts, blonde.
"Of course." Emma nods. Happy to have found the thermometer so quickly.
"Open up." She tenderly tells Regina as she's back in her space.
Holding her waist and bringing the thing to the woman's mouth.
"But I'm not sick." Regina repeats. Her voice is sounding light and happy.
"Regina"
But Emma's stubborn and insists they measure her temperature.
She's holding on to the stick as half of it already rests between plump lips.
"I'm... Emma, we're pregnant." The brunette states. Words so amazing she could shout them.
But for now, she just lets them sink in. For herself and for Emma.
Who's instantly forgotten all about the thermometer as she takes it from Regina's mouth
and mindlessly puts it beside her on the counter.
"What?" Whispers the girl. "Are you sure?"
Regina smiles cutely and strokes Emma's left cheek gently.
"I'm late and have morning sickness, the same way I did when I was pregnant with Henry." she nods. "I'm sure."
Deep green eyes travel a slow journey down her girlfriend's body.
She doesn't look pregnant yet, of course, she doesn't.
So far there are no signs of new life but Emma can definitely imagine it already.
She's been wanting it more than enough to be able to imagine it extremely vividly.
She can see a future bump and the future outline of a future foot sticking out
because their future baby might be a future dancer or an athlete or maybe they're a future writer,
like her or maybe none of the above but one thing is for sure…
they're definitely their future.
Her hands have mindlessly traveled along with her eyes as she's holding Regina's, for now, flat belly against her palms.
"You're so amazing." Emma sighs in utter wonder, feeling… no knowing she's the luckiest woman on earth.
And Regina's not a hundred percent sure Emma's complimenting her or the pee-sized baby inside of her
but she couldn't feel more loved either way.
"We did this together, darling. We are doing this together."
Regina chuckles hoarsely because of course, she's emotional and on the verge of crying rivers.
Emma nods and awkwardly wipes her cheeks with a weird shoulder move
because there's just no fucking way she's letting go of her girlfriend's tummy right now.
"But look at you… you're perfect." She states the obvious.
And this time Emma definitely means her.
Regina blushes and bites her lip while inhaling slowly. She fills her lungs to their full capacity,
feeling more alive than she ever has. More in love than she ever has and more loved than she ever has.
More whole, warmer too.
Little feet stomp an impatient rhythm to their bathroom.
"Moms?" Henry frowns while looking up at his crying parents.
And as if he wasn't already the cutest kid in the whole wide world -Hell, in the whole frickin' universe-
tears are forming and getting ready to roll down his own cheeks at the mere sight of his mothers in this state.
Instant concern and empathy washes over the little man and Emma can't help but softly laugh.
She takes a hold of Regina's left hand and just holds it in her own.
Holds it and affectionately strokes their fingers together and then kneels in front of their first born and little prince.
"Hey baby, what's up?" Emma says. And Henry looks a little strangely at her because why is she both crying and smiling?
Are they playing some sort of silly joke on him?
"Mommy and you have tears. Why?" He slowly asks them, clearly already trying to decipher this riddle on his own.
He's staring at Emma with big questioning eyes.
"Sometimes when people are happy, they have tears."
Regina wipes at her heated cheeks and smiles warmly at her little boy.
She gives Emma's hand a small squeeze and then lets go to quickly grab a gown to wrap around her.
His blonde mom laughs bubbly when the kid's expression turns into an outright frown.
His intuition is clearly gonna be more challenging than this.
She grabs him under his armpits and carries him the way he loves.
brown eyes are still narrowed in question as he seems to be awaiting more of an explanation.
When Emma just rubs her nose against his cheek he sighs and asks. "So why do you have happy tears?"
Regina cackles lightly and grins excitedly at him while stepping closer to her family.
"Well, because we love you so much, obviously."
She states matter of factly and even though it's not the exact reason for their tears, it is definitely a truth…
"But don't you always love me?" He is quick to counter.
Smart kid. Emma can already feel his next statement coming from miles away.
"Of course we do, silly." Regina says while rubbing the back of his head and leaning in to kiss his little button of a nose.
"But you don't always have happy tears." He pulls his eyes open wide as if saying HA I've got you!
Regina's eyes narrow at his little Sherlock Holmes like behavior.
"You really didn't see that one coming?" Emma chuckles and pulls up an eyebrow at her brunette girlfriend.
"As a matter of fact, I didn't."
Emma winks at Henry who giggles at his mommy's silly display of defeat when she pouts dramatically.
"Oh, so the two of you are teaming up on me now?"
And Emma can't help but grin like a moron at the display of utter cuteness.
Her heart flutters frantically and she swallows thickly.
She puts Henry back down before he walks towards his brunette mom and gives her a tight hug.
"Of course not mommy. We were just being silly. And" the rest of what he's saying gets lost in the side of her robe.
Regina just sighs in his embrace and looks over at Emma
who's staring at her like she's never been stared at in her entire life.
Emma looks right into her soul and doesn't need any words,
moves or touches to show Regina just how incredibly in love she is.
Regina feels as if the girl is falling into her hard and feels her own being wrapping around the love
that's being poured into her. Those damned green eyes that have blown life into her.
In more than just one way and on more than one occasion.
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Yes."
It's been twenty minutes.
"Hmm"
"Yes."
"Yes."
Twenty-one very very long minutes.
"Of course."
"Swan. Emma Swan, mother."
Regina's pacing.
"Of course."
And nervously rubbing her face. She's actually starting to feel like she's coming up with a fever.
"Sure."
"Okay."
"Tell dad I said hi."
Ah! small victory. Those were five words in a row.
"Okay."
"Yes."
Emma's eyes are completely transfixed on the vain in her girlfriend's forehead.
It is officially more prominent than she's ever seen it before.
"Goodbye, mother."
"Yes."
Almost.
"Okay."
So close now.
"Bye."
Big victory.
At least, that's what it feels like when she finally gets to end the call and put down her phone.
She does so while holding her breath and pinching the bridge of her nose as if she's coming up with a massive headache.
She might as well. Regina then leaves her phone for what it is, on the counter,
takes a couple of what seem like very composed steps towards the couch
where she takes the first pillow that comes into reach, brings it to her face and opens her lungs.
One long scream, followed by five, six short once- All muffled, of course- find their way into thick fabric.
Her chest falls and rises fast and then slower until her breathing has returned to normal and Emma can stop worrying,
at least about her girlfriend possibly hyperventilating.
She can't sit down though. Not yet. Too riled up.
So Emma picks herself up from the couch and goes to stand in front of Regina.
To take that pillow from her and hug it out.
"That bad?" She curls up her nose while kissing the woman's cheek tenderly.
"She talks and talks and talks and talks and talks!" Regina whines, feeling more than just a little aggravated.
"and then when she's talked for ages and ages and ages, you know what she does then?"
A humorless smile paints her face.
"Talk?" Emma offers, expecting the be entirely right.
"She talks some more!"
But of course.
"So, the woman loves talking?" Emma rhetorically asks with some humor to her tone.
"The woman loves hearing herself talk, is what she loves."
Regina groans as she's rolling her eyes, the way she's been rolling them non-stop for the last half hour.
"I love you." Emma tells her.
"Hmm" The brunette's eyelids now flutter closed as she allows Emma to kiss her lips. And it helps so much.
"I love you too darling." She murmurs against the girl's mouth.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to"
"Babe. Don't apologize." Emma pulls back but just a little. They stay together in their intimate bubble.
"Don't ever apologize, okay? In fact… yell some more, if it helps. But please… do it into my neck instead of that poor pillow." She smiles warmly.
Regina smiles too now. It's impossible not to, right? With Emma being the adorable creature she is.
She lays her head down. In Emma's neck.
No yelling.
"It's going to be okay." She tells both herself and Emma.
"It is gonna be okay." Emma repeats decidedly. She won't ever let things not be okay for her family.
Not if she can help it.
"It's just worse over the phone because she doesn't see me rolling my eyes."
Regina explains.
Emma can't help but laugh at that. Regina's cute. Incredibly so
"She usually stops talking when she sees me rolling my eyes." and goes on explaining.
"You're good at rolling your eyes." The blonde matter of factly points out. Sounding impressed with said eye-rolling skills.
"I had a lot of practice growing up." Regina nods agreeingly. Because, of course, she's mastered the skill for a reason.
Though mastered it nonetheless.
They both chuckle softly.
"So we're going?" Emma asks, still not planning on breaking this hug anytime soon though.
"Yes. She's excited to meet you." Regina nods into her neck.
"She is?" This does kind of surprise the blonde.
"Yes, and to see Henry of course." Regina confirms a little dully because all she can think is and not me, of course.
"Of course." Emma nods and Regina looks up from her comfortable position.
"She's not a monster." She tells her girlfriend.
"Uhu."
"Do I make her sound like a monster?" She frowns and pouts and curls up her nose while staring at Emma's philtrum.
She's been making it sound like Cora Mills is the Queen of Hearts crushing everyone that steps into her path, hasn't she?
While in reality. Cora Mills is a good person. Probably. Just not particularly to her. Because. Why?
Because she doesn't like me very much.
"Shhhh no… you don't. You never have."
Emma closes the distance between them even further. If that's possible at all. Well, at least she tries. Very hard.
Pushing their bodies together in an embrace that tells Regina she needs to know there is no place she'd rather be
in this whole damned world than here. Hugging her senseless.
"You've always just expressed how you feel, which is perfect and you are perfect.
And the fact that she can't see that, is her problem.
It doesn't make her a monster it just makes her less than you deserved
but I'm spending every day of the rest of my life to rectify that you've had to feel anything less than perfect."
Emma passionately rants.
Not breathing once.
Probably not even blinking once.
"Okay?" She rasps. Her expression stays soft and sweet.
Just the way she is.
"Emma Swan." Regina sighs and smiles. "Do you know what I really really really want do right now?"
The woman talks slow and with purpose.
"What?" and Emma recognizes a certain glint of something in her big soulful eyes.
Something she can almost taste but not name. Something fucking addictive.
The glint grows into a spark. A serious spark as a breathtaking smirk makes its way onto gorgeous lips.
The next thing she knows said lips smoothly voice the following.
"Blow you."
My current estimation says about six more chapters.
And let me tell you something, so much is yet to happen. :O
Just you wait and see ;)
As always; thank you thank you and thank you for reading! (and reviewing- if that's your thing :3)