The calendar was moving quickly. Before they knew the holiday season arrived. The town was blanketed in the appropriate level of festiveness. Regina was watching Jim use his extra height to tie big red bows around the streetlights that lined main street from her office window when her phone rang. The caller ID indicated the call was from the bank, which perplexed her a bit.

"This is Mayor Mills," she answered tartly.

"We need to review your accounts, dear," she heard a familiar voice purr.

"Mal? What are you doing calling from the bank?"

"I'm training to take over for Mr. Francis when he retires. He knows how dragons feel about gold and hoarding and decided I was the ideal candidate."

"Well, congratulations. It's good to see you settling in."

"I would like you to come over for a meeting though, we need to review your bank accounts and decide which ones you want to share with that flighty blonde you married."

"Mal…"

"Seriously though Regina, I need to talk to you. It's about our favorite fairy."

Regina's grip tightened on the handset and she could hear the heavy plastic creak in protest. "I'll be right there."

An hour later Mal was chasing a furious Regina as she stalked towards the convent with murder gleaming in her eyes.

"I'll crush her heart right in front of her, that stupid little twit," she growled as she made her way down the sidewalk that led directly to her target. The convent's lawn looked immaculate and there was a tiny 'Stay off the Grass' sign anchored in the turf which Regina kicked angrily as she stepped onto the green carpet.

"Regina!" Mal huffed. "Get your head on straight. You don't know who is in there or what…"

"I know what's in there, an annoying blue cunt who apparently wants to see the fairy afterlife," she spat, brown eyes focused on the building in front of her. Another step and suddenly she hit something. An invisible barrier blocked her path and effectively knocked her back onto her butt in the grass. She scrambled to her feet, her rage amplified as she formed a fireball in her right hand.

"Stop it, you know that won't work. You'll just hurt yourself," Mal said, stepping up next to her and catching her arm.

She closed her hand into a fist, and the fire blinked out.

"Her plans will fail, she is already at a disadvantage and she doesn't even know it." She hissed, trying to keep her voice low. "Now, come with me your Majesty. Let's go talk to the Savior." Mal managed not to roll her eyes at the mention of the blonde do-gooder. She needed Regina anchored and not raging and flailing out of control and hoped the presence of the pregnant younger woman would temper and focus her.

They found her at the Sheriff's station, dutifully working at her desk.

Mal pushed the glass door open and pulled along a somewhat resist Regina, whom kept looking back over her shoulder with fire in her eyes.

The blondes locked eyes.

"Sheriff, I need your help to keep our Queen from murdering someone," she stated.

Regina huffed angrily and tossed her head, folding her arms across her chest.

"Oh honey," Emma said, tilting her head and raising her voice an octave, "We've talked about this. I promise I'll keep a closer eye on her ma'am," she smirked.

"I'm not kidding. We've got a Blue issue we need to discuss."

Emma's eyes hardened and she rose from her desk. "Let's go in the office."

She listened as Mal told her everything she had told Regina, how she had contacts reporting to her from the inside. The only problem was it sounded like other than vague talk Blue hadn't really done anything at this point. It could turn out to all be lots of smoke and no fire. Emma was very aware of her responsibilities as a sheriff and they crashed against her desire to knock Blue into oblivion. She leaned against her desk, arms crossed as she listened to Mal.

"You run your contacts, and keep us updated. We need something we can act on and right now we just don't have anything." Out of the corner of her eye she could see Regina breathe in deep like she was preparing to say something but she remained quiet.

"I will."

"Thank you, I know you're no fan of mine but…"

"Ugh…Savior please, I…" She stopped and looked at them both. "Things change. You know where to find me." She turned on her heel and left the office.

Emma sighed and looked over at Regina. "Regina…" she shook her head. "You have to keep your head. I know its hard but I need you to stay cool. We knew this was a possibly coming."

Regina sighed and her eyes dropped down to Emma's pregnant belly. She was right, and more than that she needed to make sure Emma stayed as stress free as possible, even with a psychotic fairy on the loose who wanted to kill their child.

"You're right. If she does anything I will take care of her."

"I know."

"Let's go home, I'll make you lunch." She was tempted to make a not too suitable jab at Emma's living arrangements, which at this point seemed to exist in grey area, but she decided now wasn't the time. She took the Sheriff's hand in her own and led her out of the office.

Emma slowly moved her belongings into Regina's house bit by bit, but didn't seem overly committed to cohabiting with her new spouse. It bothered Regina but every weekend Emma would move over another couple of boxes and she would feel better for a little while. It had been a couple of months now and she was beginning to feel the need to press the issue.

She was setting up the crib and arranging the room she planned to be the nursery. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and was cleaning off Henry's old crib which she had brought down from the attic and re-assembled. As she wiped clean the white painted wood she felt eyes on her and look back to see Emma watching her from the doorway.

"It was Henry's, I still had it stored. You don't mind do you? I always liked it, but if you want to get a new one…"

"No, no it's fine. It's great, I like it." She leaned against the door frame.

"Like what?" Henry came walking down the hallway, taking out his earbuds.

"Your old baby cage, your mom kept it."

"Baby cage?" He peeked in the room.

"Cribs, they look like cages for babies don't you think? Both my children using the same crib, it's kinda wonderful." She sniffed, her eyes beginning to water.

"Oh no, here come tears. I'm outta here," he said.

"Henry! Come on, I need your help." Regina insisted. "I need to move that changing table Snow got us over to the wall and…" She stood up and looked around at the room. "Should we paint?"

Henry and Emma both shook their heads.

"Really? Or are you two just being lazy?"

"Painting always sounds like a good idea but the execution usually sucks."

"In that case maybe we should finish moving you in," Regina said flatly. "Unless you want a nursery at your apartment as well and we can shuttle the baby back and forth, because you know…that makes sense."

"What's the rush?"

"The rush is I would feel a lot better with all of us under one roof, especially with that…bug out there causing trouble."

"Yea Ma, what's the problem?" Henry asked. "I can move boxes if you need me to, you don't have that much stuff let over there."

Thank you, Henry, Regina thought.

"I'm just taking baby steps to get there, that's all."

Regina sighed fixed Emma with a glare. "By the time you get there there will be an actual baby present. We're heading into the final stretch here, Emma."

"If anyone is aware of that, it's me," she shot back. Honestly, Emma didn't know why she was dragging her feet. She reasoned she had relied on herself for so long maybe it was hard to imagine it being any other way. She looked around the half completed nursery with its blank walls and half assembled furniture and felt a surge of guilt. Of course the baby deserved a stable environment, and she hadn't even helped with the nursery.

"I need to go get some water."

A few moments later Regina heard the yellow bug putter to life and pull out of the driveway.

"I thought she was just getting water," Henry said, peering out the window.

"Maybe water is across town," Regina mumbled, returning to assembling the crib. If Emma was going to run, Regina wasn't going to chase her around. Emma needed to decide what she wanted.

"She's trying, Mom," Henry said in a voice Regina found far too whiny.

"Don't start, Henry. I'm not in the mood," she snapped. "If you're just going to stand there get to work helping me with this furniture." She turned her attention back to the crib and her cleaning.

After she and Henry had finished the room they went downstairs for lunch. With still no sign of Emma Regina was trying her best to keep her irritation in check.

Henry had his head in the refrigerator, giving a helpful accounting of what was there.

"Grilled cheese?" He suggested helpfully, looking back over his shoulder at her.

She sighed. She knew that was on purpose.

"Okay, fine."

At that moment she felt the ring on her finger grow warm, and then it felt like it yanked every one of her nerve endings at once. Her knees buckled and she dropped to the floor, her breath stolen and her head swimming.

"Mom!"

She sucked in a lungful of air. It was harsh and burned. She got to her knees and held her hand out to her frightened son.

"I'm okay, but we need to find Emma right now!"