CHAPTER 6

Emma helped Regina out of the car as if she was made of glass. To her she was precious cargo and she was going to see to it that Regina was never hurt again.

"Emma, I'm fine. I can walk you know," Regina kissed Emma on the cheek thrilled that she had this woman by her side. She couldn't have asked for a better True Love.

"I just want to help you anyway that I can."

Regina put her arms around Emma's neck and gave her a proper kiss. "You do that just by being here," Regina pulled out her key and unlocked the door. She and Henry walked inside. She turned around. "I'm happy to be home!"

"Yeah, me too," Henry ran up to his room. He and Emma had already agreed that maybe it would be best if he stayed here now. That way Regina wouldn't be alone. Plus she'd think it was the way things always were. They didn't want her remembering any of the past.

Regina tilted her head to the side as she studied Emma. She walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her. "I know we haven't officially discussed this but I've been thinking. Maybe it's time you made this home too." Regina looked at her with so much love in her eyes, Emma thought she'd burst from joy. This had been far from the case for the past few months. Regina had been looking at her and Henry with disgust written all over her. This was the way things always should have been. She had no idea how or why things had gotten so far off track with the two of them. But she'd take this Regina over the old one any day.

"Stay the hell away from me!" Regina looked at her like she was ready to shove her through a window.

Emma stopped walking and instead shoved her hands into her jeans pockets. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly but nothing came out. "Regina, I'm - ."

She had the shopping cart between them as if it was a force field. Her knuckles were whitened from gripping it so hard but it was what was keeping her grounded. She had been lucky enough to not have the misfortune of coming across Emma before. It would be just her luck when she got the worse news of her life that she'd show up. "If this is your lame attempt at an apology save it. There are no apologies for what you've done."

The words stung but the worse was the way that Regina looked at her. Those big beautiful brown eyes that normally shone with whatever she was feeling in the moment were now filled with disgust and anger. Emma dropped her head unable to continue making eye contact.

What she had done to Regina was worse than anything one could do to someone. "I was angry. You have to understand, I thought you killed Archie. I saw it with my own eyes," she pleaded with Regina for understanding. "I would never have done that - ," Emma couldn't even say the words.

"But you thinking I had killed Archie made it alright?"

"No. I'm not saying that," Emma shifted her weight on her legs. "I don't know what came over me."

"I do." Emma glanced up at her through her lashes. "All you Charming's are the same. You're selfish, entitled, and self-righteous. And of course you have complete impunity. You're all sick," Regina sneered.

Emma's heart constricted. She knew Regina had every right to be angry. And every right to be hurt. That didn't make it any easier for her to have to take it. But she did. She knew she deserved that and more.

Regina took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was at least better than what they were. So she said the words she only planned on saying just this once. "I'm pregnant. And yes it's yours."

Emma was stunned. "That's impossible. I don't have a wiener. I can't get you pregnant," Emma shook her head so fast it looked like a blurring motion. "We're both women. You should take another test. Or maybe track down who the real father is."

Regina narrowed her eyes at her and ground out through her teeth, "I know the symptoms since it's not the first time I've ever been pregnant. I've already had it confirmed by a doctor. And I haven't been with anyone else." Regina had driven over to the next town just to have the test done. She didn't want any gossip going around in this hellhole that the Evil Queen was knocked up.

Emma shook her head. "But that's impossible. We can't - ." The entire scenario was preposterous. The more she thought about it the angrier she became. Who in the hell had Regina been sleeping with? Emma had thought that Regina had feelings for her and now she was trying to foist some creep's child onto her as if that even made any sense. "I don't know what the hell you've been smoking lady but you sure as hell should start passing if you even think that that's possible!"

Regina looked at Emma with her revulsion clear across her face,"I didn't tell you because I expected anything out of you. My conscious is clear. But I swear to you," Regina leaned closer to Emma and lowered her voice. "You will NEVER get anywhere near this child. You ruined Henry but you will never have the chance to ruin this one." Regina pushed past her with the shopping cart and walked away.

Snow, Henry, and David came over to Emma. "What is she wanting now?" Henry asked in that voice that infuriated Emma. She turned on him with her don't play with me face and he flinched away.

"She said she was pregnant and the baby was mine. Can you believe something that crazy?"

Snow's eyes widened and David's jaw dropped. "Emma you – and she – Emma … Emma!"

"What?!"

"You and Regina didn't…," Snow saw the flush across Emma's face and misinterpreted it. Emma buried her head not wanting to meet her family's eyes. She felt the familiar shame and guilt rise up in her and she tried her best to push it away. Instead she focused on the absurdity of the situation.

'I just can't understand why she'd lie like that," Emma mumbled. Her superpower must be broken right along with her. Because she hadn't picked up one ounce of deception from her while she spoke.

Emma spent the next couple of days moping over it. Her parents eventually brought in the Blue Fairy who told Emma emphatically that there was no way that it could be possible. There was no such thing as a magical baby.

Emma tried going over to Regina's house but she had put up a protection barrier against her. She didn't even allow Henry in anymore. That left her no alternative but to stalk her.

When Regina got out of her car to go inside the grocery store again Emma let her have it. She marched up to her and punched her car with her fist. Regina instantly looked over her car to make sure there were no scratches or bumps on it.

"If you think I give a damn about your car, I don't! My parents and the Blue Fairy both explained you were full of crap. To go and tell someone something so crazy is a whole new low."

Regina looked at her with pure venom. "I could care less what you believe. I'm not the one with a guilty conscience." Emma lowered her eyes. "And as I've already told you, you will get nowhere near this child whether you believe it or not."

Emma watched her go wanting to stop her but knowing she shouldn't. She had no idea what was wrong with her. She knew she should stay away from her. For both of their sakes. She just couldn't seem to stop herself. And now with this latest bombshell, Emma found herself angrier and angrier. She wanted to know who the hell Regina had been sleeping with. She felt hurt over it as if Regina had cheated on her. She knew it was crazy since they'd never so much as kissed before. But she couldn't stop the way she felt.

Emma still had mixed feelings over the situation so she called up Ruby. The two of them set up a time for Emma to come over and hang out. She needed her drinking buddy with her while she tried to block out all that had been going on lately. At least Ruby was fun and had a way of keeping her mind off of things.

They had been drinking for a few hours and were almost to the end of their bottle of vodka when Emma began breaking down. She told Ruby about Regina's crazy story. She had to stop multiple times to clear her throat and wipe away her tears. She explained her anger over feeling as if Regina had cheated on her. "I don't even know why I'm so upset. She is the Evil Queen and all," Emma swiped away the last of her tears. She reached for her glass and added more of the vodka and grape juice.

Ruby had gotten quiet. She looked over at Emma with pity in her eyes. "Emma," she put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Your parents and the Blue Fairy lied."

Emma began to sputter and choke on the liquid that was still inside her throat. She ended up spitting it back out into the glass. "What?"

"Everyone knows that it's true. Two women can have a baby together if they both have magic," Ruby fidgeted under Emma's quiet stare. She knew she was throwing a lot at her but she felt Emma deserved to know.

"But – but they said," Emma couldn't even finish her sentence. Her mind could barely complete the thought.

Ruby nodded. "They lied."

"How do you know?"

"Because," Ruby closed her eyes momentarily and took a big breath. She opened her eyes and took Emma's hands in hers. "I'm guessing they didn't want you to know because it only happens when there's True Love between the two women. I can't think of a worse person your parents would want you to be with."

Emma ran to the bathroom before she got sick. She made it there just in time. After her body stopped revolting she slid down on the side of the toilet. She drew her knees up to her chest while resting her head against the cool porcelain of the bathtub. She began to cry hard. The kind of cry where you make grotesque faces and the wails come from a place deep inside that you can't control.

Ruby walked in behind her. She handed her a glass of water so that she could use it to rinse her mouth out. "I felt you should know," Ruby gave a small shrug. Since it's your baby and all." Ruby let out a small laugh. "I didn't even know that the two of you were like that. I mean – I knew you were getting closer and all but – wow. The Savior and the Evil Queen. It's actually perfect," Ruby continued chuckling away.

"I raped her," Emma whispered as she grabbed toilet paper and wiped at her eyes.

Ruby's laughter died in her throat. "What?"

Emma looked up at her with eyes filled with pain. "I thought she killed Archie. And she needed to pay," Emma's tears started to come anew. Her body was racked with sobs. "I just – I don't know. After I watched the whole thing with the dreamcatcher and Pongo, I saw red. I just lost it." Emma's mouth starting working as if she was holding back another wave of nausea. "I only went to confront her. I wanted her to admit it. But she wouldn't. And I got so mad."

Emma's eyes pleaded with Ruby as if she was looking for absolution. But she found none there. Ruby could do nothing but drop to the floor on the opposite side of the bathroom from her. For once she was actually speechless.

They sat that way for a while. Then once Emma's tears had dried up she stood, "I need to see my parents."

Ruby let her go without bothering to try and stop her. She had had guys get rough with her before. But she could protect herself. Had it been a magical altercation then of course Regina would come out on top. But Emma was pretty muscular while Regina was pretty petite. There was no way Regina could fight her off in a physical one on one.

Ruby had said nothing more because she couldn't find anything to say. There were just no apologies that could cover what had been done to Regina. And for her to have become pregnant. That just made whatever she was going through even worse.

Granny stepped out of her bedroom. She still retained all of her wolf senses even though she no longer had the curse of lycanthropy like her granddaughter. She stared at Ruby then sighed. "You'd best get to bed."

Ruby looked up at her with unshed tears shining in her eyes. "But, I don't understand why a woman would -," Ruby shook her head. "How do you call for help when the Sheriff is the one who raped you."

Granny reached down and pulled her up. "They're royals child. They don't go by the same rules and laws we do. They have their own personal code of ethics." Granny shook her head. She walked her down to her room and helped her get into bed. "There's no point in trying to make sense of it. It's just how things are with them."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Emma's first thought was to storm into her house and demand an explanation for their deceit from her parents. Instead, she began to walk. She had no preplanned destination but her heart knew her better than her head did. When she looked up she was stopped in front of Regina's.

She stared for a long time up at the darkened windows. Then she made her decision to go forward.

She walked toward the front door but ended up walking right into a barrier. "Owww!" she cried while clutching at her nose. She was lucky she hadn't fallen on her arse.

This pissed her off. She began beating at the invisible wall. "Regina! REGINA!" she yelled while continuing to beat against the wall. When nothing happened, she gave one final look back at the mansion filled with hurt and confusion. Then she walked away.

In her bedroom upstairs, Regina watched her retreat. She breathed a sigh of relief as she walked away. The muscles in her body began to slowly loosen. She went to bed and lay down. She ended up crying herself to sleep.