Dagian slept most of the morning and afternoon. She knew she should be awake if she was in labor but since it was too early, she thought that if she rested then the contractions would subside.
She slept on and off until evening and was only awakened by the sound of her ringing phone. She flipped it on and put it to her ear, "Yes?"
"It's me," she heard Rumpelstiltskin on the other end; "I called you twice."
"I was asleep;" she ran a hand through her hair, "Is everything alright?"
"Are you up for coming to the shop?"
She struggled to sit up, "Why? Has something happened?"
"Yeah, your plan didn't exactly go off without any complications. The boy took the poisoned apple, not his mother."
"What?" she demanded, "W-why? Did she just let him swipe it from her or something?"
"Does that even matter anymore?" he asked, "Whatever's going to happen is happening now. I want you to...I'd like you to be here with me when it everything comes to a head. I'm fortifying the shop in case it turns bad."
"Oh," she said and drew a breath. Her contractions had stopped but she didn't want to take any chances, "Will you come and get me?"
"Of course," He said, "I'll be there in three minutes."
"Rumpelstiltskin," she whispered before he turned off the phone.
"Yes?"
She drew in another shaky breath, "I had false contractions earlier. Th-they're over now I think but you should know what you're opening the doors to."
A few seconds of silence passed on the phone, "I'll still be there in three minutes. When we get back I'll set up a bed for you. If they come back then I'll take you to the hospital. "
She ran a hand through her tangled hair, "I'll pack a bag."
"I want you to pack for a couple of days Dagian. Just in case. If this all comes crashing down then the safest place might just be with me"
She didn't question it. He'd thought this far ahead and kept her safe, she had no doubt that he'd planned for this as well, "Alright."
She heard the phone click on the other side and hung hers up as well. She pulled herself out of bed and rested her hand on her stomach, "Just a little while longer darling. Stay in there for a little bit longer."
If she lost this one too, it'd kill her.
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"Are you sure you're alright?"
Dagian bit the inside of her cheek to keep out a groan of frustration. Her ex-husband worried about her. She knew that and understood and she just didn't know why she was angry at him. It certainly wasn't his fault that she'd gone into a false labor and she'd worry if he didn't show concern for her and the baby.
But she just hated the way he fussed over her sometimes. He wasn't her husband anymore but he was the baby's father. She figured that he had some right to, but it didn't make it any less agonizing sometimes. She wasn't trying to be ungrateful, she just wanted some space.
She divorced him and one of those reasons WAS that she wanted her own space to figure things out and where was she?
Back with him in his shop. Ironically the safest place to be.
"I have some work to do up front," he said and sat her bag on the table in the middle of the room, "Are you alright back here by yourself?"
"Rumpelstiltskin, the only thing that'll be separating me and you is a curtain."
"Alright," He said after a few seconds, "Just rest. You still look exhausted."
"Yeah, your daughter is sucking the life out of me."
HE smiled, "My daughter now, is she?"
"When she behaves like you," Dagian said with a small smile, "She is your daughter."
HE smiled and kissed her stomach and then kissed her cheek, "Stay out of sight. Just…stay back here and relax."
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Preparing," he said and smiled, "They'll be coming soon."
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Dagian ran her hand over her stomach and listened to the voices of Mayor Mills and Emma Swan arguing with Rumpelstiltskin about what they had to do.
Several things rushed through her mind. The first was that Emma believed. That was quick; it almost felt like it was overnight. Oh well, her son was passed out with no explanation, she supposed now was as good a time as ever to start believing. And really if she didn't believe by now then Dagian was going to think that there was something wrong with her head.
Although Dagian couldn't be sure, she WAS trusting Regina after all.
Dagian heard them leave and tried standing.
"What are you doing?"
She scowled at Rumpelstiltskin, "I Think the baby was playing the xylophone on my spine."
He rushed to her side and put his hand on her elbow, "Dagian, you're unsteady."
"I need to stretch my legs," she said.
"No, you're just making sure that I was in one piece," he helped her sit down and sat on the bed next to her, "IT's almost done Dagian. The curse is almost broken."
She felt her tears gather at her eyes and she rested her hand against Rumpelstiltskin's face. It felt too good to be true. After all these years? After 400 years of seeing her own regrets and then 28 years or living a lie, it almost seemed like the idea of the curse ending was just one of the many dreams that she'd be having since she got her memories back.
Well at least she could dream again.
"It's almost over," she whispered and felt a couple of tears slide down her face. She tried to wipe them away. Bloody pregnancy hormones.
"It's almost over," He promised, "All she has to do is get that true love potion and it's over."
"And that'll break the curse? That'll wake Henry up?"
"Not exactly," he said, "But I need it none the less."
She looked at him, confused. If that wasn't going to break the curse then why on earth was he sending Emma to get it? They were so close, nothing else should matter, "I don't understand."
He gave her a sad smile and brushed a knuckle down her cheek, "Darling, what would you and I be without our secrets?"
And Dagian automatically knew that he was playing another game.
She felt her stomach churning when he pulled himself off the bed and walked to the front.
Oh, some things didn't change.
