I'm sad to say that this story is coming to its close. There will be two more chapters and an epilogue to follow after this. I was originally planning around 25 chapters, but I feel like it would be stretching it out too much. This is definitely a universe I will return to, perhaps later down the line. I do hope you are all willing to review these last few chapters with your thoughts, letting me know what I can do better along the way. This was the second multi-chapter fiction I ever started, second to the one it is sequel to. Please enjoy!
A few more days in the hospital ended with Dr. Whale releasing Emma and Grayson to go home early Monday afternoon. Regina put Grayson into his car seat, his onesie proudly displaying "I love my mommies" and clad in tiny little baby pants and socks. He had a cap that was a little big for his head but in the five days since he had been born he had gained half a pound and was almost the size of the average baby born. He didn't have any problems eating. Emma remained his primary source of food, formula being used as a backup when Emma was too tired to wake up and feed him.
Regina carried the car seat with the baby into the house, leading Emma with her free hand. Emma having unlocked the door and the two women made their way slowly up to Grayson's bedroom. It was Emma's first time seeing the room, and she gasped at how beautiful it was. Her surprise at the amount of love her family had given to them, and their friends, after not completely approving in her choice of Regina, it was disappearing and being replaced with pleasure.
"It's so wonderful," Emma whispered.
"It is, isn't it? Fully stocked, too. We should have to go to the store to get anything for a while. Well, aside from food for ourselves and such."
"I'm tired. I didn't sleep well last night."
"I noticed, sweetheart. Here, why don't you go take a nap and I'll take care of Grayson. We'll have some bonding time since he's a total mama's boy right now."
"Only because I feed him more," Emma teased back.
"Go sleep, dear. Maybe Grayson and I will go on a grocery shopping adventure. Is there anything you want? I need to pick up your prescriptions, anyway."
"Yeah, just get those for me, and…maybe would you get some cereal? And some ice cream?"
Regina nodded. "Of course. Enjoy your nap. If you need help with your shower, just wait until later and I'll help you when Grayson naps." Pressing a sweet kiss to Emma's temple, Regina lifted their small baby out of his car seat and brought him to the changing table. She changed his diaper and buttoned his onesie back up, pulled his pants up and lifted him to look at her, cradling his head with her fingers while her thumbs and forearms supported his weight. "You are such a beautiful little boy," she cooed. "You make mama and me so happy. And Henry will be home soon and we'll get to hang out with him. Actually…we should go grocery shopping like I told mama we would, then we should be able to pick up your big brother from school."
Regina tucked him back into his seat and grabbed her purse. Walking to the car, she set him in and climbed into the driver's seat, making their way to the store. At the store, many people stopped to look at the baby. Most people were interested because they didn't believe it was really possible for Regina to have impregnated Emma, but the mixture of their features on the small boy's face told people otherwise. After a few too many people stopped to say "hello" David walked up behind Regina and put his hand on her back.
"Curious little town we live in here," he stated, walking with her.
"Indeed it is. What are you doing here?"
"I came in when I saw your car. I was out on patrol, thought you would have my grandson with you." David grinned at her and reached both hands out to unbuckle Grayson and pick him up from the seat.
"So...being curious yourself then," Regina stated smartly.
"Sure, but I'm family. Besides, no one has bothered you since I started walking with you."
"Yes, I suppose you're right. People are much less likely to interrupt if I'm with someone else, apparently. Maybe it just has to do with the fact that you're the Prince and nobody wants to offend you."
"You're the Queen."
"Whom they despise."
"Emma has changed that some."
Smiling, Regina spoke thoughtfully, "I suppose she has."
David walked with her for the rest of her shopping trip, carrying Grayson the whole time. After buckling the baby back into his seat, David helped her load the groceries into the car. "Thanks for letting me intrude on your shopping time."
"Of course. It went by more quickly than the first half did anyway. Seems you were right and nobody was interested in bothering me with you there."
"You think you'll be able to get Emma out?"
"Sure. Is everything set and ready?"
"Mostly. I was going to ask if you mind if I grab Henry to help with the last of the decorations. I figured we'd get everyone there an hour earlier so the baby is more awake instead of falling asleep for his bedtime."
"Thoughtful. Thank you, David. I'm sure Emma will appreciate this."
They parted ways, Regina heading home to find a wet-haired, robe clad Emma in the kitchen searching for something to eat. Regina kissed her softly, setting the car seat on the kitchen island.
"Why don't you feed Grayson while I unload the groceries and I'll fix something to eat when I get back in?"
"I just want cereal, really. What kind did you get?"
"Cheerios and shredded wheat." Emma made a face at her answer. Chuckling, Regina spoke again, "And lucky charms."
"There you go. You're the best." Regina grabbed the groceries and put them away, preparing a bowl of cereal for her girlfriend. It had been a while since Emma had actually requested to eat, Regina wasn't going to tell her no, nor would she deny her what she wanted to eat.
When Emma came back into the kitchen, Regina put Grayson into the baby swing that had been set up in the kitchen and put a bowl of lucky charms in front of Emma on the island.
Giving the blonde a chaste kiss, Regina smiled and encouraged her, "Enjoy, my love. I'll be in the shower."
"Hey…do you know where Henry is?"
"Yeah, your dad figured we would want some more time alone with the baby, so he picked him up from school. He asked if we wanted to meet them and your mom for dinner at Granny's later. In an hour or so?"
"Oh. Should I wait to eat?"
"No, dear. Eat your cereal. If you aren't hungry for dinner later then you can get dessert while we're all eating." Regina gave her a smile and a squeeze on her shoulder before she headed up to their bedroom to shower.
Once she was ready, she went downstairs to take over watch of the baby and set Emma to getting dressed. Taking the baby to his bedroom, she changed him into a shirt with a tie printed on it and a black pair of pants. The clothes were slightly baggy, since they were newborn size and he was primarily in preemie-sized clothes. She packed the diaper bag full of anything they might need while out.
Once the three were outside of Granny's diner, Regina turned to Emma and smiled.
"I love you, and I'm very sorry if you're not ready for this," Regina forced out.
"Dinner?" Regina just smiled her response and waved her arm to let Emma go first. When they stepped into the diner, everyone who had been a part of setting up Grayson's bedroom was there, plus a handful of others, smiling and yelling "Welcome Home" to the trio of guests entering. Regina smiled shyly, not really sure it was a good idea, but Henry, David and Snow had all badly wanted to do it for Emma. The blonde, however, looked uncomfortable. Regina nudged her with the arm that wasn't carrying the baby and rubbed her back gently.
"We can go home if you want, they will understand," she whispered gently into her girlfriend's ear.
"No, it's ok. Just…can I hold Grayson for a minute? He'll soothe me." Nodding with a smile, Regina set the car seat on a table and unfastened their son, handing him to Emma. The blonde cradled him to her chest while greeting people.
The party lasted a couple of hours, everyone taking turns holding Grayson and hugging and congratulating the new mothers. Snow spent a lot of time standing beside Emma protectively while Regina huddled in a corner with Archie and simply waited for people to greet her, not wanting to put herself out there for anyone who still wasn't in her fan club. It was unnecessary. Everyone had seen how she had dropped her life to take care of Emma, their savior. They all knew she wasn't the same person anymore.
"So…just the two little boys?" Snow asked Emma quietly. Emma nodded.
"Just the two boys. I can't carry another. I can't…risk going through what I went through…again."
"That's understandable."
"What about you guys? You're still trying?"
Snow smiled and nodded. "Actually…I'm pregnant! We just found out." Snow spoke excitedly. "We figured we would start telling people in a few weeks, when everything is more or less back to normal."
Emma hugged her mother. "That's great, mom. I'm so happy for you guys. You know…I do really want to try to get Regina pregnant."
"What do you mean?"
"Well…Regina doesn't think she can carry a child. I want to give her one to carry. We really talked a lot about wanting a big family, and I still do. I just can't be the one to carry again. I think that if I concentrate hard enough on wanting to get her pregnant…it might work."
"Emma…I'll be right back." Emma gave her a confused look as she watched the other woman head over to Rumplestiltskin and begin a short conversation. Snow began walking back toward her, smiling widely and nearly bouncing. She grabbed Emma's arm and dragged her outside.
"Mom, what's up?" Emma asked, pulling her arm back to herself.
"When I was engaged to your father, his sort of father, King George, captured me and made me drink a potion. It was a potion that made me barren. Lancelot helped me on a journey to cure it. That's why I trusted him when you and I were in the Enchanted Forest. Unfortunately, for me it came at the cost of your grandmother's life, but it was just because of the circumstances."
"What are you getting at?"
"Lake Nostos, it has healing powers. As long as Regina wasn't born incapable of having her own children…it should work on her."
Emma's eyes lit up, remembering her first drink with August. "The well."
"Yes. It has the waters of Lake Nostos."
"Oh my god…mom," Emma said excitedly, pulling Snow into a hug. "Thank you. You…are the best! Thank you so much!" The two made their way back into Granny's, where Emma, Regina and Henry said their rounds of goodbyes before putting the baby back in his car seat. Emma asked Snow to come by the next afternoon so Emma could take Regina to the well, to which Snow agreed.
When the boys were tucked in, and the women were settled into bed, Emma and Regina curled against each other. Laying on their sides facing each other, Emma had one hand underneath her own cheek and the other was resting on Regina's hip, massaging circles against the flesh there. Regina was tracing patterns on Emma's arm with her fingertips.
"You know how much I love you, right? How much I appreciate everything you've done for me the last few months?" Emma whispered, her voice cutting through the silence.
"I know." Regina moved her hand to stroke Emma's face. "I love you too. You and Henry…and now Grayson, this is all I've ever wanted. A family. I am so grateful for the beautiful boys you have given me. And I am so incredibly appreciative that you gave me you."
Emma leaned her face into Regina's touch, loving the feeling of her girlfriend's warm skin on her face. The blonde moved her hand from Regina's hip to her ass, squeezing gently and pulling Regina closer to her. Moving her face into Regina's space, she pressed her lips gently against full and soft ones. Emma pressed against Regina until the brunette was laying on her back and Emma's hand traveled back over her hip and across the front of her panties.
Moaning into Emma's mouth, Regina pulled back. "You can't have sex…for six…weeks," she breathed between kisses.
"No…I can't. But that doesn't mean you can't."
"Emma…we can wait until we both can participate."
"No. You deserve this. I want you to have this. Let me…touch you?" Regina nodded and kissed Emma back with fervor. It had been a long time since Emma had touched her and she wanted it badly. The blonde slowly lowered herself down Regina's body, settling herself as comfortably as possible between the brunette's legs, careful not to stress her incision. Pulling off the black lace underwear between her and her desire, Emma lowered her mouth to Regina's core. She reveled in the wetness that was already there, tasting her girlfriend for the first time in far too long.
She pumped two fingers into Regina's wet opening while flicking her tongue against her clit. Regina moaned, raising her hips and rolling them against Emma's face. She whispered Emma's name, the silence filled with their desire. Curling her fingertips inward, Emma brushed against the sensitive spot within Regina, over and over. Sucking her clit between her lips, she pressed her tongue hard against it while sucking as hard as she could until Regina was bucking furiously off the bed, her hips nearly out of her control. When she calmed down, riding her finish out against Emma's mouth, she laid back against the bed. The blonde pulled her fingers out of Regina, bringing them to her mouth and licking them clean. She then crawled up Regina's body and nudged Regina so she turned onto her side and Emma curled around her.
"I've missed how you taste," Emma whispered into dark hair.
"I've missed how incredibly good you are at that. I'm not sure that I can survive six weeks without touching you."
"No one waits six weeks. Three or four maybe. That'll be the same for us."
"Good."
Pulling Regina back closer against her, Emma breathed in her scent. "I have a surprise for you tomorrow."
"Oh? What is that?"
"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you. And I think it's only fair to torture you with the surprise the way you did me tonight."
"Yes…I'm quite sorry about that if you weren't ready for it."
"It wasn't so bad. Oh…mom's pregnant."
Regina turned her head as much as she could to look at Emma. "How do you feel about that?"
"You know…I feel ok. I guess after having another baby I can't really say that they don't deserve to, you know? Henry is the best first child I could ask for, but I didn't get to raise him. I would be hypocritical saying that my parents didn't deserve a second chance, too."
"That's why I love you so much."
"Why is that?"
"Because you are good. Truly good."
"I love you too, Regina. Now…let's get some sleep before Grayson needs to eat."
The women fell asleep, happy to be in their bed together and back in their home.