2
Baby Mine
A/N: Chapter dedicated to all my awesome friends on MRJ group on FB who suggested ideas for me! Some of you diehard Disney fans will recognize the title of this chapter as being the same as a famous song in a classic Disney movie. Who can tell me what it is? And thanks for all your support!
"I think we're early, Rumple," Belle said, as they pulled into the parking lot at the diner in his Cadillac. She got out of the car, straightening her salmon colored top and white capris as she did so. Luckily, all the walking she had done the past three months with Freya and the twins had managed to help her lose the extra baby weight she had gained with the twins.
"Better early than late, dearie," her husband said.
He went to take Daria out of her car seat, while Alina got Dylan, and handed him to Jimmy. The twins were now six months old, and had started sitting up by themselves, babbling in some language known only to them with each other, and cooing, laughing, and pulling at anything that came within their reach. They also recognized their family members and caregivers, and would squeal when they saw Belle, Rumple, Alina, Bae, Emma, Jimmy, Henry, Regina, and Alice. Once Belle had been pushing them in their stroller and they had passed Mother Superior walking down Main Street and both twins had begun blowing raspberries and screaming in anger. Blue had been shocked, and had backed off, but not before some poison ivy had wrapped around her wrist from a tree and a bird had dive bombed her and pooped on her head. Belle had been hard pressed not to burst out laughing. Clearly the babies had not forgotten the one time Blue had visited them. Even though they possessed fairy traits as a result of Belle using pixie dust to save them on the airplane home to Storybrooke from New York vacation, the twins detested the fanatical judgmental blue bug, and it appeared young as they were they had long memories, just like their parents.
The twins still looked similar, though Dylan had leaf green eyes and Daria the pointed ears and whiskey colored eyes of a fae. Dylan had his mom's auburn hair and Daria her father's nut brown locks, and both twins' hair stuck up like kewpie dolls. Daria was more outgoing, and could make an astonishing range of animal noises, barks, growls, hisses and meows, even purr like Nala. "Rrrrrr," she was doing now as Rumple carried her in her infant seat.
"You r-r-oll your-r R's, like a wee Scottish lass, dear-r-ie," her father giggled, rolling his own R's in play back to her.
In his own seat, Dylan squealed and clapped his hands as they passed a bed of marigolds, which seemed to grow to twice their size and bob back and forth.
"Yeah, here he comes, the Prince of Petunias," Jimmy laughed as he carried Dylan up the walk. "And look—Pussy Galore has an escort too," he pointed to the line of stray cats that were suddenly trailing Rumple with Daria.
"You watch too much James Bond," Alina laughed.
"So? I like him," her "cousin" retorted. In the months he had become a member of the Gold family, the former pirate had learned much about the world he now inhabited, and had made a serious attempt to clean up his attitude and language, though he still had his smart mouth, he no longer bore any traces of the teenage delinquent bent on revenge against the Golds. He wore a Metallica T-shirt and jeans and black sneakers. His riot of black hair had finally been trimmed, by result of Rumple sitting him down and threatening to make him bald if he didn't let a barber take scissors to it. It now fell in neat waves to his shoulders.
As they entered the diner, the cats scattered, disappearing into the shrubbery.
Inside, Ruby escorted them to their usual booth beside the window, which was already occupied with the Nolans. Regina was standing on the seat peering out the window when she yodeled, "Daddy! The-e-y're he-e-e-re!"
Jimmy started laughing. "Anybody ever tell her she sounds like that kid from Poltergeist?"
"No, and don't start," Rumple interjected. "Or else she'll want to watch it and that's not something she needs to see."
"Yeah, guess we don't want her to wet the bed," Jimmy snickered.
"We don't," Belle said firmly. "Because you'd be cleaning it."
Jimmy quit laughing. He knew Belle was not kidding.
Regina almost catapulted into Rumple's arms, except she stopped short when she saw he had Daria. "Hello, minx!" he greeted her after he had set the carrier down.
"Unca Rumple!" she squealed as if she hadn't seen him in a month, and almost strangled him hugging him.
"Regina, let the poor man breathe!" Snow ordered, hiding a grin.
She moved over to let Alina slide on in and Belle also.
"I think my daughter's a little j-e-a-l-o-u-s of the fact that she doesn't have Uncle Rumple's undivided attention any longer," Mayor Nolan muttered to Belle.
"I'd say you'd be right," Belle agreed, picking up Dylan and letting Snow and David see the baby. "I think he's cutting a tooth, he was awake all last night crying and gnawing his fist, his teething ring, and Rumple's cabochon ring. Daria was too because Dylan was distressed and she was screeching because he was."
"Do they do that a lot?" asked David.
"Sometimes. They tend to synchronize, so when one is awake so is the other. And when one is hungry so is the other."
Dylan cooed at Snow, who took him and began to bounce him up and down, singing, "To market to market upon a fast horse, home again home again, clippety clop!"
Belle's son began jumping as Snow sang, making clicking noises with his tongue.
In her seat, Daria squalled, wanting to be part of the action.
Jimmy picked her up, saying, "Okay, kitty cat, no need to start hissing."
The baby blew a raspberry at him.
Jimmy blew one back and Daria tried to grab his tongue. "Too slow!" he taunted.
So she grabbed his nose.
He smirked, then started to say something he'd heard a patron from the Rabbit Hole say when Ruby jogged past one day. "Honk if you're h—"
"Mr. Jones!" Rumple snapped. "Don't even go there!"
"Umm . . .I didn't say it, Uncle Rumple!" the boy protested.
"Good thing, or else instead of waffles you'd be tasting soap," his uncle warned.
"Aye, sir," a chastened boy muttered.
"Why? What was he gonna say?" Regina wanted to know.
"Never you mind, Miss Bossypants," Rumple told her.
"Was it a bad word?"
"Yes, now let's leave it at that, imp," her uncle said, and tweaked her nose. "Where's Bae and Emma?"
"They just texted me," David informed him. "They're on their way."
"That boy, he'd be late to his own funeral," Rumple muttered.
"I would too, cause who wants to be a in a hurry to die?" Jimmy put in.
A few moments later, Bae, Emma, and Henry arrived. Emma huffed as she went to sit down next to Belle. "Oof! Maybe we ought to have gotten a table!"
Her father-in-law twitched a finger. The booth promptly enlarged so Emma could sit comfortably. "That better, dearie?"
"Yeah, thanks," she said gratefully. "Lately I feel like Yoko's walrus."
Belle patted her hand. "Soon you'll be holding your baby, Emma."
"When, Auntie Belle?" Regina demanded. "It's taking for-e-ver to get born!"
"The baby will be born soon, honey," Belle replied.
Regina huffed. "Unca Rumple, can't you hurry it up? The bun's cooked too long in the oven already!"
Ruby, carrying a tray full of their coffee and hot chocolate, almost dropped the tray when she heard that.
Henry almost choked to death from laughing.
"Regina!" gasped Snow. "Where did you hear that expression?"
"Jimmy," she announced.
Five sets of eyes glared at the teenager.
"What? My mom always said that whenever one of the pirate's women was . . . err . . .expecting."
Rumple heaved a long suffering sigh. "Dearie, it'd be best if you forgot what Milah told you because—"
"She's a hobag!" Regina shrilled.
David nearly spit his coffee all over.
"Oh my God!" Alina giggled.
"I didn't say that!" Jimmy cried.
"Bae did," the little scamp crowed.
"Baelfire!" Rumple scowled at his eldest. "Do you need Ivory too?"
"Papa, I didn't know she was listening," his son protested.
"Regina has ears like a fox and memory like an elephant," Rumple groaned.
"An elephants never forget!" Regina giggled.
"You'd better forget you ever heard that word, dearie," Rumple said sternly. "Or else someone's going to have Ivory for breakfast."
"No!" she yelped, and put a hand over her mouth.
"Yeah like that'd help," Jimmy snorted. He knew perfectly well that if Mr. Gold said you were getting an Ivory snack, that's what you'd be getting.
Milah's younger son knew he ought to be insulted about hearing his mother referred to in such unflattering terminology, but he couldn't deny that his brother had a right to refer to her that way since she had basically been married when she jumped ship with his dad, Captain Hook.
"Umm . . .so what are y'all getting for breakfast?" Ruby drawled when she could speak again.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
Emma ate her waffles with bananas, brown sugar, and cinnamon slowly, though for some reason this morning she wanted to scarf down the whole plate and then lick it. She sipped her second cup of hot cocoa with cinnamon while listening quietly to her mom talk about decorating the nursery with her dad and Regina.
"Daddy put the crib up backwards," her little sister blurted.
"Thanks, princess," Charming sighed, as everyone else cracked up.
"What? It's true? Cause Mommy told you to read the directions and you didn't listen."
"Gee, now why does that sound familiar?" Emma queried, poking Bae.
"Hon, the rocking horse said some assembly required." Bae protested. "I didn't know that meant I was gonna have to put the whole thing together."
"Always read the fine print, Bae," Rumple lectured.
"We won't mention the espresso machine now will we, Rumple?" Belle asked sweetly.
Her husband blushed, while Alina and Jimmy giggled into their napkins.
"Ya mean the one that blew up?" Regina queried.
"I didn't even know those things could explode," Bae chuckled.
"They can if you don't read the directions," Belle put in.
"Rub it in, why don't you, dearie?" her husband muttered, thinking no secret was ever safe in this family. Unless he was keeping it.
"I thought I was in a 007 movie when I walked into the kitchen for breakfast and there was like coffee grounds all over," Jimmy joked.
Rumple rolled his eyes.
"You is 'ssessed with James Bond," Regina pointed out.
Jimmy snorted. "And you're obsessed with Snow White, queenie!"
Regina stuck her tongue out at him. "Bite me, Jones!"
"Regina, enough!" David ordered.
"He started it!" she pointed at Rumple's nephew.
"And I'm finishing it," her father interjected.
Regina scowled.
Jimmy gave her a smug look, until his uncle said, "Wipe that smirk off your face, mister. Now quit baiting her, or else."
"But Uncle Rumple!" the teenager sputtered. "She started it!"
Rumple raised an eyebrow. "You eight or eighteen?"
"You know how old I am," the boy muttered sulkily.
"Act like it. Or there's a bathroom floor waiting for you to scrub with a toothbrush when we get home. Clear?"
"Aye, sir," Jimmy coughed. "Grumpy old man!" he hissed under his breath, forgetting that Regina wasn't the only member of the family who had ears like a bat.
"Excuse me?" Rumple Looked at him.
"Nothing, sir," Jimmy said swiftly.
"That's what I thought," Rumple said, then resumed eating his corned beef hash and eggs.
"Take notes, wild swan," Bae nudged her. "Cause this is gonna be us in a few years."
"Somebody shoot me now," Emma groaned.
"Nuh uh, Dad. I won't let my baby brother bait me," Henry said loftily.
"In your dreams, kid," Jimmy teased. 'Kid's gonna drive you bonkers and I'm gonna laugh about it."
"Wait till the twins start walking," Henry shot back. "Then you'd better hide your camera, Jimmy."
"By then I'm gonna be moved out and have my own place," the teenager said loftily.
Gold nearly snorted coffee up his nose. "Are you now, boy? How are you going to afford that? You don't even have a job. Or a college education."
"Umm . . ." Jimmy looked flummoxed, he hadn't thought of that. He'd grown up stealing and raiding ships and people. But this was not the Enchanted Forest and thievery here was not a profession or an option, unless he wanted to move into a jail cell. "I could work at the cannery."
"You could, yes. But you're also not taking advantage of everything this world has to offer. You could go to school and become a marine biologist," Belle suggested.
"A what?"
"Someone who studies all the living things in the ocean," she explained. "And how the oceans are being affected by the environment and so forth."
"They pay people to do that?"
"Uh huh. And lots of money too."
Jimmy whistled. "That's cool."
"But first you need to go to school," Gold put in.
"School? For how long?" the former pirate groaned.
"A few years," Gold said evasively. "But first you need to pass a GED."
"Huh?"
"High school equivalency test," Bae put in helpfully. "Papa and I could help you study for that."
"What's with all this school? Seems like you guys go to school for half your lives," the boy grumbled.
"It's to prepare you for the rest of your life," Snow said. "Although you're never done learning."
"Yup. Cause you learn something new everyday!" Regina parroted.
"Yeah and when are you gonna learn not to be a sassy brat?" Jimmy queried.
"I'd say around the same time you learn, boy, not to have a smart mouth," Rumple drawled.
"Which will be never!" Bae hooted.
"That's the pot calling the kettle black, dearie," his father smirked.
Bae just groaned. "I should have just kept my mouth shut."
"You never learn, do you, Gold?" Emma smirked.
"Ahh, shut up, Em."
Page~*~*~*~Break
Later that night Emma stood in the nursery they had designed for the baby, looking out the window at the starry sky, thinking about how different her life was now than the one she had had before, alone and friendless, without a family, a bailbondsperson with a rap sheet, an orphan with no one to love or who had loved her. She wrapped her arms about her belly, feeling the baby stirring within in her. "Not anymore, swan chick," she whispered. "The ugly duckling has finally found her family and come home. I'm no longer a lonely Swan, I'm a Gold, with more family than I know what to do with."
She smiled, thinking that now she had everything she had ever wanted as an unwanted orphan. A job, as a respected individual in her own right, a lovely apartment, her son, and her beloved husband, who had given her the best gift of all, someone who loved her unconditionally and always would.
She put her hands on her tummy, and whispered, "Baby mine, you'll never grow up like me or your daddy, lost and alone without your family. We'll always be right here."
The baby moved again, as if in confirmation of her vow.
Arms came around her then, and she felt Bae's solid weight against her, wrapping around her and cocooning her in warmth and love. He leaned his chin on her shoulder and said huskily, "Hey, wild swan. Saw the light in here and wondered what you were doing."
"Nothing much. Watching the stars," she said, moving his hands down so he could feel the baby. "When I was little, after the Swans gave me back to the orphanage, I used to look out the my window sometimes at the stars and wish on them . . . for a family who wanted me."
His lips found her neck and kissed it, warming her to the core of her being. Then he sang softly, "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away. My papa used to sing that song to me when I was small, and together we'd count the stars. He used to say you couldn't number the stars because there were too many for us to see and the stars were like love, they went on forever. He used to say that if I was ever far from home, I could look up at the stars and whenever I saw a star fall someone who loved me was thinking of me." He drew in a breath. "When I was in Wonderland, as Cora's slave, I used to look up at the stars there every night, and wonder if he still was thinking of me. Because stars never fell there like they do here."
"He was. God, Bae, he never forgot you," Emma murmured. "Not even the Dark Curse could make him forget you."
"I know. Papa's like an elephant, he never forgets," Bae smiled gently through his sudden misty eyes.
"Speaking of elephants, I'm like the Elephant's Child," Emma laughed.
"You have insatiable curiosity? And no matter how much your relatives spank you, you can't get rid of it?" he teased, having read the famous Kipling story also.
"Yup, and so do you, if what Rumple's told me is any indication."
"He exaggerates," Bae said breezily.
"Yeah, sure," his wife giggled. "Your insatiable curiosity with that magic lamp got your butt beat good."
"Once," he coughed. "Wasn't like he beat me everyday. Hell, Em, he didn't need to. All he had to do was Look at me and I minded him."
She slanted him a glance. "Then you weren't a smartass like Jimmy?"
"Sure I was. I didn't have his truck driver mouth, but I sassed Papa plenty when I was thirteen and fourteen. Thought I was old enough to fight in a war, I was old enough to not have him tell me what to do." The martial arts instructor shook his head. "And some of the things I said to him when he was cursed . . .I'd have walloped my ass for good now. But then, when you're that age, you're selfish, you only think about you and what you want. I learned better though when I fell through that portal, off the beanstalk, and ended up in Wonderland. Nothing teaches you to value what you used to have like being a slave to the Queen of Hearts. Or how good I had it with my papa, even when he was the Dark One. I grew up fast then. But I learned all the wrong things there, and when I came here and joined a gang. It was only thanks to Neal and Kristine Cassidy that I became anybody decent. Because they reminded me of who I used to be, back when I was just Bae, the spinner's son. If not for them, I'd be just another smartass street punk."
"But you're not, Bae. You're a good man, a good martial arts instructor, and a wonderful father and husband. I'm so lucky I met you," she murmured.
"That makes two of us. Because you're a good woman, Emma. You're my savior."
"Don't call me that," she said automatically.
"Why? You saved me from a broken heart."
"We saved each other, Baelfire." Then she wound her arms around his neck and was kissing him. "I love you, Bae."
"I love you too, my wild swan." He kissed her back, all fiery passion, that consumed her from the tips of her toes, and she basked in the heat, a phoenix reborn from the ashes.
"I don't know how you do it."
"Do what, sweetheart?"
"Make me feel like I'm attractive when I'm the size of a Good Year Blimp and can barely see my feet."
"Because you are, Mrs. Gold." He splayed a hand protectively over her abdomen. "You are beautiful whether you're carrying my baby or not. And we created a whole new life that I can't wait to meet. I just hope I'm ready to be a dad . . .this time from the beginning."
"Well, we have good examples to follow," Emma remarked.
"Yes, and I can always ask Papa for advice when I'm ready to pull my hair out."
"Just breathe. And count to ten," Emma smirked. "That's what he told me one day when I watched Regina and she ended up playing Pocahontas with my nail poilish."
"You have nail polish?" her husband asked, amazed.
"Yeah but only for special occasions. And the little scamp found it and used it to paint herself and my bathroom mirror. Luckily I also had nail polish remover and magic."
"How come I never knew about this?"
"Because you were at that state tournament then, and when you came home all I cared about was getting my husband alone," she answered sultrily.
"That explains it. I'll have to remember that." He ran a hand through his hair agitatedly.
"You'll be fine, Gold. You have more patience than I do."
"Don't sell yourself short, hon," he soothed. "And remember, we'll be raising this kid together. Just like we are with Henry now."
They walked to the window and gazed out at the stars. They sparkled like jewels on a velvet setting, along with the lambent moon. Emma leaned her head on his chest, listening to his heart beating steadily. "Bae?"
"Mmm?"
"This is my second chance to be a mom. I'm afraid . . .I don't want to screw it up."
He carded her hair. "You won't, mo chridhe. Believe in yourself. I do."
She smiled up at him, achingly beautiful and vulnerable. "Looks like you've been reading Outlander too, huh?" For he had called her "My heart" in Gaelic.
"I read a few chapters. Jamie's pretty hot from what I've heard online."
"You're hotter, Gold. He's words on a page. You're the real thing." She exhaled softly. "You really believe that, don't you?"
"I do, Emma. It's like Papa always told me. There is no perfect parent . . .or perfect child. But I don't need perfect. All I need . . .is to be loved and forgiven when I screw up." He placed a kiss on her tummy. "Right, baby Gold?"
A fist poked at him.
"Whoa! The little imp's restless tonight," Emma grunted. She rubbed her tummy.
Then she looked around the nursery, which she and Bae had decorated in a Mother Goose theme, because they had no clue what the baby was and wanted to do a theme that could be for either a boy or a girl, since they had opted to be surprised. Emma's unicorn mobile hung over the crib, and a small bassinet on wheels with a beautiful silk drape stood ready in their bedroom for the baby to sleep in once he or she came home.
The furniture was handcarved golden maple, made by Marco, and a Mother Goose cuckoo clock hung on the wall. A lovely cream, gold, and green afghan knitted by Rumple was tucked on the rocking chair beside the changing table, and a swan, crocheted by Alina, was in the crib, as a first stuffed toy.
The aforementioned rocking horse was standing in the corner, beside a bookshelf with classic children's books which had been a gift from Snow and Belle. There were books like Good Night Moon, Runaway Bunny, Love You Forever, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Children's Book of Fairy Tales, and The Just So Stories.
There was a thick sheepskin rug in the shape of a lamb on the nursery floor, because Bae said he remembered having a rug similar to that when he was a boy.
The dresser was filled with baby clothes and socks and other paraphernalia. Everything was ready to welcome the new addition to his or her home.
Emma yawned. "Think I'm about ready for bed."
"Okay, then let's go, Mother Goose," Bae joked lightly, indicating her slippers.
They slipped into bed, and Bae tucked her in, snuggling next to her in his soft gray shirt and boxers. "Good night, Mom."
"Night, Dad." She returned, throwing him his half of the covers.
They put their hands on her belly and both chanted, "Good night, swan chick."
"Mom, what is this? The Waltons?" Henry called sleepily from his room across the hall.
"Good night, Henry!" they called, laughing.
"Who are you and what've you done with my parents?" he called back sassily.
Emma started laughing. "Like father like son."
Page~*~*~*~Break
Two nights later:
It was extremely hot in the bedroom and Emma went to open a window to let the cool night breeze in. In bed, Bae snoozed peacefully, and Henry was at a sleepover at Grace's house, along with Alina, and Hans. Emma checked her watch.
3AM.
She stood at the window a moment, letting the soothing rush of air wash over her, cooling her skin and allowing her sticky nightshirt to dry. The first hints of dawn lit the sky. Feeling a familiar pressure on her bladder, she waddled to the bathroom, wishing that the ache in her back would go away. It had been lingering on and off even though she had put a heating pad on it and taken Tylenol before bed.
She returned to stand at the window again to feel the breeze and suddenly she felt her stomach ripple—like the waves of the ocean. What the hell? A split second later she felt another contraction, and this time she hissed in pain. "Aww hells bells!" She moaned, putting a hand to her back. "You had to pick this time to hatch?"
She could feel the baby moving again, only this time it was moving down, and her stomach suddenly dipped sharply towards the floor. She recalled this sensation with Henry. Putting a hand on her stomach, she panted. "Don't . . .be so impatient, baby. I gotta wake up your dad."
Feeling like a ship under full sail, Emma went and shook Bae's shoulder. "Bae! Wake up!"
"Hmmffggn!"
"Oh Jesus H. Christ!" she snarled, using one of her husband's favorite expressions. "Baelfire! It's time!" she leaned over and yelled that directly in his ear.
"Huh? Emma what the hell?" he yelped, sitting up. Then he saw her standing there and cried, "Oh, holy shit! It's the baby! How far apart are the contractions?"
"Umm . . . let me time them," she said, peering at her wristwatch.
"Okay, you do that and I'll . . .umm . . .get your bag . . ." he babbled, scrambling from the bed.
Emma began breathing, thinking to herself that this wasn't as bad as she remembered.
Bae went and dragged her clothes out of the closet. "Here, Em. Put these on, okay?"
Then he jumped over his sneakers into the bathroom.
His wife gaped at him. "You eat your Wheaties for a midnight snack, Gold? Or maybe you're channeling Bruce Lee?"
A few moments later he emerged, his hair somewhat tamed down. "Contractions! How far apart?" he barked at her as if she were one of his students.
"Five minutes. Calm down, Bae. Before you end up in the hospital for an anxiety attack and then I'll have to borrow your dad's cane," she ordered.
"I'm fine. Just let me get my shoes on and I'll bring the bag down and get the car started."
"Ooh! Damn kid's trying to fly like an eagle!"
"Hang on, babe!" Bae encouraged, the Eagles fight song playing in his head while he tied his sneakers.
Then he made a mad dash for the bag by the door—and tripped over Emma's shoes.
"Jesus H. Christ!" he swore. "Emma, you trying to make me need Papa's cane?"
"No, but Bae—"
"Later. I'm gonna start the car."
"Bae!"
"In a minute! Get dressed, for God's sake!"
"Baelfire!" she yelled. "Dammit, Gold, quit freaking out and put some pants on!"
"Huh?" he froze with his hand outstretched.
"Before I arrest you for indecent exposure, smart guy," the sheriff smirked.
Her husband went red. "Umm . .err . . ."
"Because no one's allowed to see your sexy ass but me," she declared saucily, then doubled over as another contraction rippled through her. "Hurry!"
It was at times like these Bae envied his magician papa. He had to snap a finger and his clothes were on pronto.
Bae yanked on his jeans, hopping like a demented rabbit as he tried to pull them on without removing his sneakers.
"Really, Gold? I think I'd better teach the kid how to get dressed."
By the time he got his jeans on, he was panting.
"Don't forget to zip, hon. Don't want those nurses to get a show."
Bae smirked. "They've seen it all before."
"Like hell!" his wife growled. "Don't make me beat you, Gold."
"Yes, dear," he said in his best humor-her-she's-pregnant tones.
"I'm borrowing the cane of doom!" Emma huffed. "Where the hell's my phone?"
"Packed," her husband reported smugly. Then he grabbed the bag and as he darted out the door, called, "Put some pants on, Mrs. Gold! Don't make a doctor sue me for assault."
"Smartass!" Emma gritted her teeth. "Oooh! Dammit, why in hell couldn't men have the labor? Now I know God's a man!"
This labor seemed to be progressing quicker than the last one. At least as far as she remembered.
She sat on the bed and dragged on her maternity pants and top and then Bae's Converse. "Okay, Houston, we have liftoff," she panted, and made her way down the hall.
"The car's warmed up," her husband said. "I'm gonna have some coffee."
"Me too," the sheriff said.
"Thought you were just supposed to suck ice chips."
"That's when the pains get real bad. Right now I need coffee."
"Okay, Mama Bear!" he held up his hands. "Don't bite my head off!"
He went to get another mug out of the cabinet.
Emma scowled and considered doing some damage to another part of his anatomy. Then she sighed. She really didn't want to deprive herself and besides, the baby had been a decision both of them made.
"Let me call the doctor, tell them we're on our way," Bae said after he had given Emma her cup of coffee. He punched in Dr. Jo's answering service.
"Okay, we're good to go," he informed his wife after he hung up.
Emma cradled her mug in her hands. "Not yet, mo chridhe. I need to get some caffeine in me."
Bae held the cup as she sipped, as another contraction juddered through her. He kissed her forehead. "You're doing good, Em. You're gonna be okay. It'll be a walk in the park."
"Now you're an expert? Where'd you get your degree, Dr. Gold?"
"From a curse," he joked. "Ready?" he had put his coffee into a travel mug.
"Yeah. Before the swan chick hatches right here. Ahhh, sonuvabitch!"
"Easy, hon. Before the kid's first word is something unmentionable," he chided, and took her arm to guide her out the door.
Emma promptly told him what he could do with unmentionable objects.
They were halfway down the street before Bae slammed on the brakes. "Holy shit!"
"What's wrong?" Emma was pale.
"I forgot the bag by the garage door."
He turned around to get it.
Emma had sweat beading her brow. "Stay in there, swan chick. Listen to Mommy."
Bae dashed back into the garage, emerging a moment later with the hospital bag, which he put in the back seat. "Okay, the bus is leaving!"
"Too bad it isn't the Magic School Bus," Emma said, biting her lip hard at the onset of another contraction.
They sped down the road.
"Goddamned lights!" Bae swore as the light turned red.
"You're worried about me and my mouth?"
The light turned green after an interminably long wait.
Bae stepped on the gas.
As the Escape burned rubber down Main Street, a wheel went over a piece of debris in the road.
Suddenly there was a loud bang!
The car skidded to a halt.
"Holy shit!" Bae slammed his hands down on the steering wheel. Then he said it again.
"What happened?"
"We blew out a tire. It's like déjà vu! Jesus H. Christ on the cross!"
Emma passed him his phone. "Call your father."
Mr. Gold to the rescue, she thought desperately. Or so she hoped. Then she began to pray.
A/N: For those of you who would like to read or want to know the stories in the Gold Standard series, here they are in chronological order:
To Soothe A Savage Beast (o/s)
Like Herding Cats (o/s)
A Heart Full of Love ( novella prequel to TGS)
The Gold Standard (novel)
Gold's Gift (novella)
Heartfelt (Rumbelle poetry)
Sparkle (o/s)
A Very Golden Vacation (novel)
Regina's Golden Halloween (novella)
Once Upon A Thanksgiving (novella)
A Red, Green, & Gold Christmas (novel)
Gold's Fuzzy Slippers and Life Savers (o/s)
Storytime With Mr. Gold (o/s)
Golden Miracles (novella)
You're Funny, Easter Bunny (novella)
Child's Play: Baby Regal's Revenge (o/s)
Unca Rumple Says (o/s)
Remember When (novella)
Swan Chick (WIP)