Chapter Three

King Arthur's Castle, Camelot

"You are a very bad mummy, you told mommy not to name me," the woman growled as she lay on the other side of Regina glaring at Emma. Henry was currently curled up behind her having rolled over her in his sleep to her disbelief. The kid was a mover and Regina hadn't even stirred more than putting a hand on him when necessary. Once he'd even almost fallen out and Regina had pulled him back without even waking up.

"Shs you'll wake them," Emma told her. "I'm not talking to you while you're like this."

"Like what?" She asked. "I'm just me, well as much as I can be without a name."

"I won't name you," Emma whispered. "This is the darkness talking right now, but you are destined for something better not some curse even if I have to bare that curse."

"You will name me, you can't make it nine months," She told Emma her eyes narrowing. And until you name me, I'm going to make your life a living hell. You owe me this after you killed me!"

"I didn't kill you!" Emma cried out. Regina sat up startled awake. Emma frowned at herself and muttered apologies. Her daughter was no longer physically in front of her, but the phrase you killed me was echoing in her head and a feeling that she had done so was just radiating up from her womb.

"Is it the baby?" Regina asked her. Emma nodded as she cried. Regina put a hand on her and sent soothing and loving feelings towards the baby. Emma suddenly felt calm and her tears became that of relief.

"How…how, what did you do?" Emma asked.

"I fought the darkness the only way I know how with love. She still loves me, and we are connected," Regina explained. Regina rubbed her back and looked for Henry but saw him still curled up and sleeping behind Emma, so she snuggled in a little closer to Emma and rubbed her back soothingly.

"This is so hard, how am I going to fight this for nine months, fighting this is really fighting her."

"We will figure it out Emma, we are going to stop this darkness from taking her."

"And if we can't?" Emma asked tearfully.

"We can, I love her with all my heart and I will never stop fighting for her. If Belle could almost turn Rumpelstiltskin human again, imagine what we can do with our true love for her, for our family?" Regina asked her. "You and I are the only ones with the strength to move heaven and earth for our loved ones. We will not fail her." Emma nodded. "Now get some rest, she may think she's the dark one, but she needs you to rest."

"I wouldn't listen too much to mommy," She said laying above them with her hands tucked under her chin. She seemed to be laying on an invisible ledge as she looked down at them. "While mommy has proven to be persistent and capable of moving worlds, you have proven to be nothing but a little run away, but you can't run away from me this time mummy. Unfortunately, we're stuck together for the time being. I can't wait to be liberated. Maybe when Viveka is old enough she'll make room for me, we could be like twins you know. I won't have to suffer your poor judgement and mommy will see to our health."

"I'll stop you," Emma growled up at her. "You won't get near Viveka." The woman rolled her eyes bored.

"I beg to differ mummy, I'm going to make her my best friend," She told her as she laughed and disappeared.

"Hey, my Queen you leave your mom alone, let her rest, darkness or not you need rest," Regina instructed towards Emma's belly. Emma felt something settle inside of her.

"I think she will settle for the moment, but I'm not really sure, I can't really feel her," Emma muttered quietly.

"She will," Regina assured her. They lay awake together talking about running away as soon as they were back home and safe.

"I'm going to get you home, I don't want you to have Viveka here, and we're going to decorate the nursery."

"How do you want to decorate their nurseries?" Regina asked.

"Hmm…maybe something like Henry's room?" Emma asked. Regina hummed as well as she thought.

"I really like the idea of nature, I think it brings in the ability to use different colors." Emma nodded.

"I know, you should paint an apple orchard on her walls, you could do a variety of apple trees and colors." Regina smiled at that imagining crafting a mobile that came out of the wall like the branches of a tree that lulled both her girls to sleep.

"Maybe, or maybe we go simple and normal like a pale green for them…." Regina suddenly made a face. "Perhaps not a pale green, reminds me of Zelena. Maybe Imperial yellow." Emma chuckled for once.

"Should we tell my mother about me?" Emma asked. They were both silent as they stared up at the ceiling now.

"Not just yet, I don't trust anyone here especially if they find out what's really going on with you. We have to protect them both from now on."

Storybrooke, Maine, 6 weeks later

"Ow," Regina groaned as she sat up. She looked around herself and realized she was in Granny's diner and all was dark. But all around her people were stirring. She was relieved when Henry popped up next to her still three years old and unharmed it seemed. He was dressed oddly in Enchanted Forest clothing she realized. She looked at herself clad in a blue dress.

"What in the bloody hell am I dressed in?" Zelena asked.

"Didn't we tie you to a chair?" David asked confused as he also looked at himself.

"Oh no Guys I think it's happening again I think we've lost our memories," Mary Margaret cried as she stood holding Neal. She looked at Regina and gasped.

"What?" Regina asked her.

"Well isn't this just great," Zelena grumbled. She followed everyone's gazes to her belly. She was showing to her surprise. Her eyes went wide.

"Well now if you can remember who did the ploughing, your majesty we can kindly get our memories back," Hook quipped. She glared at him.

"Shut up guyliner, if we're back that must mean Emma's back." She looked around as they all did as well suddenly remembering Emma.

"Emma!" They all called out searching the diner.

"No need to shout I'm not deaf." They all turned to see Emma lounging on the counter at granny's fiddling with a feather. She dressed in a black leather pant suit and heels. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she was paler than they had ever seen her.

"Wow I was not expecting this," Zelena commented.

'She's dark,' Regina thought as a wave of sadness ran over her. She put a protective hand over her belly.

"Emma why are you dressed like that?" Mary Margaret asked.

"What's the matter mom, don't like my new look." Emma's eyes snapped sharply to Regina at her hand movement. She sneered at her.

"Don't worry no one wants your weak offspring, when I'm done their power won't even compare to mine."

"Emma please you need to fight this, we need to find Merlin," David cried.

"Merlin, I don't need Merlin, and there's nothing to fight. I'm just here to deliver a warning."

"Oh yeah and what's that?" Regina asked deciding she wasn't backing down.

"Stay out of my way," Emma told her before she disappeared in a cloud of gravy smoke. Before anyone could speak the other dwarves ran in.

"You're back!" They cried.

"How long have we been gone?" Leroy asked.

"Six weeks," They replied.

"Six weeks!" They cried. Regina was almost in disbelief that she was showing so much. With Charlotte she hadn't really been showing until close to five months. And now she was barely six weeks pregnant. What was going on, what had happened in the last six weeks, why had she lost Emma. Henry pulled on her dress.

"Mommy is Mama meeting us at home?" Henry asked.

"No, sweetie, Mama is sick right now and needs to stay away from us." Henry frowned but nodded.

"Everyone get some rest, we'll discuss everything that we can remember with fresh minds," Mary Margaret ordered. Regina was disappearing with Henry before her words finished. Zelena also disappeared in a swirl of purple to stand in front of Nurse Ratchet who was not amused to see her as she returned her to her cell.

Regina and Emma's Dream house

Emma walked along the gravel path where the cherry blossom trees now once again lined the path. She entered the backyard where Regina's gorgeous apple tree stood. She approached Regina's apple tree, reaching up to stroke their branches, she simply turned and began the task of surrounding the tree again with new red bricks. She remembered that in their dreams Regina had often sat on it tending to the flowers she would eventually plant around the tree. She worked to pass the time as she thought about her future plans. There was so much to get done and yet so little time before Regina gave birth. Mortals didn't understand that time was so very fickle and frankly she now had the added problem of the blue gnat. She likely wouldn't leave Regina in peace and ruin her plans for the ultimate power. Stupid gnat didn't really understand, who was the real danger here.

"Don't worry about the gnat dearie, she's just a little fly that can be swatted away," Rumpelstiltskin told her. He giggled. "If you are done, I believe it's time to begin the real work." Emma straightened up as she put the last brick in place as she dropped the spade into the leftover mortar after scrapping off the excess. The sun was beginning to set, and it was indeed time to start the real work.

"I think it's time to visit our friend," Emma told them. She walks into the house, most of it is still destroyed but it won't remain like that for long. She goes down into the basement where Merida was tied up.

"Witch," Merida cursed. "What have you done to me, my brothers are dead because of you!" Merida spat.

"Hmm…that's of little importance, all that matters is, you're going to do what I say from now on. And if you fail to follow my orders, I'm going to make you wish you had died long before at the hands of your clans," Emma told her. "Now what do you say we get started on our plans."

"Nev…" Emma shoved her hand into Merida's chest and she fell silent as Emma ripped out her heart. She gave it a little squeeze for good measure. "Ahhh."

"Now as I was saying let's get to work," Emma told her as the binds around Merida's wrists disappeared and she turned and walked out. Merida followed unwilling to let her crush her heart. She had no idea if her brothers were dead, but damn it if she didn't live to tell the tale.

Regina's Mansion

"Mommy are you sick?" Henry asked concerned as he hugged his bunny and he watched Regina bent over the toilet. Finally, she was just dry heaving as she flushed the toilet, washed her hands, and brushed her teeth.

"No, mommy is just pregnant, and it takes a lot out of mommy's body to make a baby, so sometimes I don't feel so good." He nodded as she lifted him. Careful he wasn't putting pressure on her bump. It was just visible under her silk nightie, but could go unnoticed. She wished it had gone unnoticed at the diner, but the dress she had, had on, had just been too tight. She had erected a forcefield up over her house. She was absolutely terrified of what Blue would do and now she also had to worry about Emma. She didn't know what she had done prior to their arrival, but it was kind of hard not to feel the extra power coming off her. Her body was practically buzzing with magic. Earlier when Henry had been sleeping, she'd had to get out of bed because her hands were just glowing.

"Oh, can we have pancakes?" Henry asked.

"Henry it's ten at night, we can have pancakes in the morning for breakfast, but right now I think we'll go simple. How about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?" Henry thought about this and nodded as long as there was warm milk and honey. Regina agreed, but ended up putting honey and peanut butter on her sandwich. She was just heading back upstairs when there was a pounding on her forcefield. Regina felt her body go tense and her senses heighten as she listened to see if anyone had already gotten through and the noise was a distraction.

"Ouch Regina let me in!" Mary Margaret cried from outside. Regina set Henry down on the stairs.

"Stay," She told him. She crept down the stairs and tip toed to the door really. She looked out the peephole and saw it was indeed Mary Margaret lying on the ground rubbing her head. She had a basket with her, but Regina didn't want anything from her. For all she knew Blue had poisoned whatever Mary Margaret planned on bringing to her. Maybe Mary Margaret was even part of the plan, she didn't know, she couldn't trust anyone. She watched her until she finally walked off when Regina didn't answer her.

"Now that wasn't very nice now was it?" Emma asked making Regina jump. Regina's voice was caught in her throat as she turned sharply to see Emma standing between her and Henry. Henry was no longer on the stairs. "Don't worry, I put him to bed while you were watching mom." Regina frowned.

"What do you want Miss Swan?" Regina asked her trying to keep her voice steady. "How did you get pass my force field?"

"Quite easy really for me anyway, but that's irrelevant, I came to see how my Queen was doing." She sauntered over and reached out to touch Regina's belly, but Regina pulled back immediately putting a protective hand over her belly.

"No, Emma, you are corrupted right now, you're a threat now to our child," Regina told her. Emma pulled back frowning.

"I told you, I'm not interested in harming them," Emma told her.

"Aren't you though, I know they're powerful, don't lie to me, I feel the power within me, and it's a lot. I know you sense it too and soon Blue will feel it too. I don't know who to trust, especially not you and especially not your mother she's too buddy buddy with that gnat."

"Well no one should ever trust the blue gnat, but I'll make a deal with you if it will make you feel better." Regina frowned.

"I'm done making deals with dark ones Emma, I have to think about Henry and Viveka now, they are my priorities now. Especially if you are not interested in fighting this darkness." She felt a wave of sadness take over her from her belly.

"Hmmm…I thought for sure you might jump at the chance to be my Evil Queen," Emma told her backing her up into the wall. "You certainly neverminded letting her out to play when I wasn't so powerful," Emma teased her warm breath caressing Regina's ear. Goosebumps raised on Regina's skin, and she wished she could go there with Emma, but her children would come first, and honestly, she was more than terrified at what Emma would do next. "You're really afraid of what I will do?"

"Emma, you know better than anyone that I will fight tooth and nail to protect my children including not falling into bed with the dark one." Emma nodded.

"Then a deal first, you have my word that I will not intentionally harm any of our children or corrupt them for the darkness for twenty-four hours, and that you have my protection against the blue gnat, that is without a time limit as I promised before I was the dark one."

"In exchange for what?" Regina asked.

"Just you," Emma told her. "I want you."

"You're not afraid she'll be more powerful than you?" Regina asked.

"Honestly no, I'm very much not worried at all about her," Emma told her looking her directly in the eye.

"Why have you already corrupted her?" Regina asked wondering not for the first time what happened in the last six weeks.

"I can honestly say that if she had been corrupted I would not be standing here before you as the dark one. Just be glad it's tethered to me, my Queen. Now do we have a deal or not?"

"I want your dagger too," Regina told her straightening her back. "Earn my trust, this lasts the twenty-four hours. I won't bind myself to you and you are no longer obligated to follow your in." Emma smirked.

"For now love, you can keep it safe, but I want it back later, and no one can ever know you have it," Emma stimulated. Regina nodded as soon as she had the dagger in hand. "Good now let's go to bed." Regina tentatively went upstairs and checked on Henry in his own bed. He was perfectly safe. She was surprised to see Emma changed for bed in her usual night clothes when she went into her bedroom.

"I feel like I'm in bed with the devil," Regina muttered as she turned away from Emma clutching the dagger tightly under her pillow. She didn't think for a second that she had Emma's real dagger, but she'd test that little theory later to see if Emma really did intend to keep her end of the deal.

"Because you are, but lucky the Devil loves you," Emma replied unphased by her words.

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