Author's note:

A little late, but I hope you do like it! Wow over 100 reviews, I'm honoured, keep them going :) And I hope this chapter satisfied the request of Breab!

Have fun reading!

32 weeks pregnant

Emma was nervous, so nervous. Her knee was bumping up and down, her heart was beating a little faster and it really was ridiculous. She was feeling Liam the whole day, her main duty at the station was paperwork (what can a woman say, when she is overruled by three men) and still, sitting in the waiting room before their appointment with Dr. Whale is the worst time in the month. Sure, she absolutely loves the ultrasound sessions. Seeing Liam is a highlight and seeing the dumbstruck expression of her husband too but she always expect the other shoe to drop.

She can't believe that all this is real and everything will be fine. These appointments always include her expectations that something bad will happen, that something is wrong with her or even worse that something is wrong with Liam. A hand on her twitching knee brings her back to reality.

"I'm sure everything will be fine, Emma!" Killian gives her a peck on her cheek. Why is he always so reassuring? "Just relax and try to be happy that we see Liam again." His thump is now drawing small circles on her hand.

She gulps and turns towards him.

"I know you're right but I can't help, every time, shortly before the appointments all the things which can go bad, run through my mind."

He now kisses her directly on the mouth. "Everything will be fine, Swan" he whispers and she hears a little insecurity in his voice as well.

Today they will get their first CTG. The nurse advises Emma to lie on her side as she places the sensors on her belly. It takes some time and Killian is eying her sceptically but Emma just takes his hand, reassuring him like he has done with her a few moments ago. "Oh no, little boy, don't play hide and seek with me" The nurse jokes, but Emma just holds her breath. Finally the sound of Liam's heartbeat fills the room and Emma feels tears of joy and relief streaming down her face.

"The young sir has a strong heartbeat" The nurse smiles at them."Please try to not move for the next 20 minutes so that we can see if you already have any contractions. The doctor will come in afterwards and make the ultrasound."

Emma nods and guides Killian's hand to her exposed belly.

"I think he doesn't like it too much, he's kicking as if he tries to remove the sensors" She giggles and Killian strokes softly over her skin.

"Oy, little lad, that was your daddy!"

She looks into his unbelievably blue eyes shining with pride and love. "Here" She takes his hand again and moves it up."I think this is his bottom. He always annoys me, when I have to put on the seatbelt, because his ass is always in the way. See" she gives the little bump a little pressure with Killian's hand and Liam moves inside her.

"Incredible!" he bends down and kisses her belly "You aren't aware how much I love you" He says, more to her belly than to her.

"Killian, your facial hair tickles. I'm not allowed to move remember?"

"Alright, alright" he sits back but she takes his hand. "That doesn't mean that Liam and I are not open for some soft strokes from your hand"

"I love you Emma!" he put his hand back.

Time goes by and soon Dr. Whale enters the room, examining the report from the CTG.

"Everything's fine Emma" he nods towards Killian "No early contraction and your boy has a good and steady heartbeat. Now, shall we look if he is ready to be birthed?"

Killian looks a little bit shocked. "Not yet Captain, but we have to look if there is any indication that we need a C-section."

"Ok"

Emma winces when Whale spread the cold gel on her belly but as soon as Liam is shown on the monitor nothing else matters.

"So, the little one is perfectly healthy, no anomalies and he is lying with his head down. Nothing speaks against a natural birth, Emma, if it is fine for you." She nods because she wants it to be as normal as possible.

"So it really is his little ass there" Killian smirks and points at the little bump. "Told you so!" She grins back.

"Do you already discuss if you want to have a childbirth class?" Whale asks.

Emma turns to Killian. She already has gone through a birth and knows what to do, but her pirate... He still has difficulties when someone tries to give him an injection. Birth in this realm is more medical than it should have been in his.

"Hmm, no, not really, I mean, I got this dvd from Mary-Margret with exercises for the pelvic floor but we didn't discuss to participate on one together."

"Ok, I've received a flyer of a weekend course last week. It's this weekend and they have some open vacancies." He handed them the flyer over. "Perhaps it's interesting to see."

Killian takes it and eyes it sceptically. As soon as they enter their home he sits down and starts to read it.

"Hmm, it sounds interesting Swan. Shall we enrol?"

"Don't know. I think it would be good to see it. It also has a baby-care in it with how to bath etc. Sounds interesting but we have Henry this weekend and we promised him a boat-trip."

"Don't worry about me, Mom"

"Kid, don't sneak up on us. Jesus, I nearly got a heart-attack."

"It would be ok for you, lad? I promise we will catch it up." Henry just nods and sits down besides Killian on the couch.

"Mom, I hope you told Killian, that these courses tend to be ridiculous." Killian raises his eyebrows in questions and she just shrugs her shoulders. "Well, there will maybe be some exercises in panting, which the daddy to be has to participate, but don't ask me, my knowledge is only brought by movies, remember, teenage-pregnancy, alone in prison.."

"Shut up, Swan, I'm looking forward to exercise the right panting with you." He winks and she is sure, that he is not only thinking of the childbirth class. Henry just rolls his eyes at the adults.

2 days later they arrived at the hotel in which the course will take place. Thank god, they're both able to leave Storybrooke although Killian wasn't too happy to put on his facial hand instead of his hook ("Hey, I can change diapers with the hook much better than with this useless hand" "Hook, remember we're going to the real world. I don't want to get them the idea that Captain Hook is real and more important, I don't want to scare anyone off. You know a hook for a hand is not this common in this land") but in the end he surrendered.

Additional to them 3 other couples participate in the course and as soon as the mid-wife enters the room the ice is broken.

She is such a lovely lady and soon they're in the middle of the explanation of what happens to the female body during childbirth. Killian, nerd at his heart, seems to take it all in like a sponge.

Emma must admit it's really interesting. She talks about what wonders the female body works and what different complications there can be during the childbirth. Like that they should call the ambulance if the water breaks and the mother lose a lot of amniotic fluid, because this is an indication that the head of the baby is not placed in front of the cervix and so there is a possibility of a prolapse of the umbilical cord.

She talks about forceps delivery or via vacuum extractor and she talks about episiotomy. She shows all of them how the baby's head will come through the female pelvis and with what injuries a mother have to fight if the baby comes in a little different position than usual.

Killian is a little bit tense and pale after the first part of the course. She gives him a kiss.

"I suppose the details of childbirth weren't so present in the Enchanted Forest" she whispers. He shakes his head. "No, it was mainly a thing between the mother and the mid-wife" he answers.

The next part is more fun, as she shows them how the partner can support the mother during the labour pains.

Emma enjoys the slight massage Killian gives her back. She moans because being pregnant in the third trimester sucks.

She has gained a lot of weight at least 30 pounds now and she has still some weeks to go. Her whole body hurts and it's the first time in their relationship that she more than often declines his advances.

They're still very physical in their interaction but she feels guilty of not being so flexible anymore.

At night they lay together in their hotel-bed, she is cuddled at his side.

"You were so silent after the course" she asks, while her hand is caressing his chest, toying with the hair there.

"Hmm, that was much of information we got there. Although I've read a lot of books about childbirth, she was much more detailed." He takes her in his arms, embracing her hard and that's then it's hit her.

"Are you scared?"

"Aye, as hell"

She kisses him. "Don't be, this realm doesn't have as much magic as the Enchanted Forest, but I promise you, the technical and medical education is better developed and we are in competent hands with Whale."

"But he is Frankenstein" "So what, you're Captain Hook, a supposed villain turned hero."

He smiles, but it not reaches his eyes.

"I'm afraid to lose you, both!" His head falls to her neck and she feels him inhaling her scent.

"You won't!" she reaches for him, turning his head towards her and starts to kiss him again, softly, loving and sensual.

As she turns more to him she feels Liam kicking inside of her.

"Do you feel him?" he nods. "See, he agrees with me, you're stuck with us"

He laughs. It's more Killian-like but not totally.

"Did you ever thought about children with Milah" She bites her tongue. Where the hell did that question comes from? They're married for god's sake, why does she wants to know it now. She regrets it the moment she spoke the question.

"No, she didn't want anyone. She sought adventures and being pregnant or a mother would limit her freedom of experiencing them. I was young back then and I loved my life the way it was. We were always cautious and she didn't get pregnant the whole time we were together, not once. Now, that I'm with you I realize, that at some point our love would have died. I dreamt of being a father for Bae but in the back of my thoughts I know realize that I always wanted a big family, not only one child and she wouldn't have give it to me. She was 10 years my senior, it wouldn't be so easy for her to fulfil my dreams despite the fact that she would be too selfish and doesn't want to."

She sees that his admission pains him. He seems to just realized that he wanted to avenge a woman over 300 years who wouldn't be able to give him his Happy Ending, but she does and so she pulls him towards her and kisses him, pouring all the love she has in this kiss and she remembers the dream, which she had back in the Enchanted Forest, perhaps it was a foreshadowing that everything will be fine. Then they're back home, she asks Regina if it is possible, that she can share the dream, to show him, that everything will be fine.

The next day is mainly about taking care of a baby. They arrive at home in the early evening, the house silent as Henry and Lady are staying at her parents. He was silent nearly the whole drive and she is irritated by his behaviour.

"Shall we meet the others at Granny's?"

"Go, I kind of having a headache. I think I will go to bed now."

She is surprised but he smiles at her and gives her a kiss before he turns to go upstairs.

Emma makes a mental note to ask her mother, if her father was also so strange at the end of the pregnancy and goes out of the door to meet them and Henry.