Chapter 17

Emma and Regina were in the room with Ruby. They weren't sure if what Regina wanted to try with Brittney would even work. Emma was skeptical. She understood Belle's reluctance, but she also wanted to help her friend.

Blue and Tink had been in earlier. They were comfortable in the fact that nothing had changed in Ruby's condition. They were magically sustaining her. It was an unspoken thing that they started doing once they saw how Ruby was wasting away. Emma had been glad to know that they were helping her in that manner. She knew that Blue was looking out for her more than Tink was, but that was only because Tink was doing what she could for Danni.

"Emma?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"Belle went to go get her, right?"

"Yes, Regina, she did."

"Do you think that she knows what she is?"

"No, I don't. I doubt that even Danni knows if she is. Hell, I didn't know who I was."

"Yeah, well, that was my fault."

"But, I have magic, Regina. I should have been able to use it or something. Fact of the matter is that her talents may not have manifested themselves until she was in Storybrooke. Like me, maybe they need magic for it to work," Emma explained.

"Maybe."

"Could you use your magic outside of Storybrooke?"

"No."

"See," Emma stated.

Regina just nodded. She was losing hope, but she was glad that Emma was with her. Emma wouldn't lose hope. She was a blasted Charming and they didn't give up. If one way didn't work, they would just try something else. They were notorious for winning and Regina could only hope that their ability to find each other, survive, and get the happy ending had been extended to her since the wedding.

"Stop thinking so hard, you're making my brain hurt," Emma told her with a smile.

Regina just nodded. She took Emma's hand and squeezed it. She was glad for the comfort and the support that Emma had been giving her. Emma hadn't really left her side in weeks. She knew that Emma must be feeling trapped in the castle and she wanted to do something for her, but she wasn't sure what. She made a mental note to talk to Snow about it later.

Belle knocked on the door. Regina wasn't sure why, but Emma answered it and let her in. Brittney was with her and she had a curious look on her face. She smiled at Emma and Regina as she entered the room. She walked over to the bed that Ruby was lying.

"Good evening," she told them as she turned to curtsey.

"You don't have to do that here, Brittney," Emma stated taking her hand and helping to stand.

"But…"

"We aren't that formal," Emma said.

Brittney just nodded. She looked up at Regina, who just waved at her to sit or walk around, whatever she wished to do. She nodded again and paced around the bed, her eyes never leaving Ruby's face. She looked up at Belle and smiled.

"What?" Belle asked.

"She loves you very much," Brittney told her.

"I love her as well."

"She knows that. She's sorry that you are hurting right now, but she is trying so hard to come back to you. She's safe and healthy. The fairies have seen to that and she'd grateful."

"You can speak with her?" Belle asked.

Brittney nodded. Regina squeezed Emma's hand as hard as she could. She'd been right. Emma smiled and nodded at her wife. She could see the relief in Regina's eyes.

"You don't believe me. It's alright. Not everyone understands me," Brittney stated. "Actually Santana, Rachel, Quinn and Danni are the only ones. They are very protective of me, too because of it. People used to call me stupid because I don't think like them. I'm different."

"Can you tell me something that only she would know? I just have to... I am sorry."

"Don't apologize, Belle. I understand. You need to know. Can I touch her?" Brittney asked.

Belle and Regina shared a look and then both nodded at her. She walked around to the opposite side of Regina. She reached out and took Ruby's hand. She noted that it was a little cold.

"She's a little cold," Brittney said before closing her eyes.

Regina waved her hand at the fire and it roared larger. Emma made a note to have more wood sent up. She would have more blankets brought, too. If Ruby was cold, they would fix it.

"You kissed her first just after the ogre attacked."

Belle blushed. She knew that Red had never told anyone about that. She knew that somehow this woman before her was communicating with her wife. She smiled as she regained her composure. She knew that Emma would let the information go, but somehow, Regina would use it against Ruby, but only in jest.

Regina smirked at her. She knew that Brittney had just proven herself to them. Belle didn't need to confirm it out loud. Her face was telling enough.

"Can I get a chair?" Brittney asked.

"Sure," Regina said as a chair appeared beside her.

"Thank you," Brittney replied as she sat down. She held onto Ruby's hand and looked down her body again. A smile crept across her face. She looked up to see Regina staring at her expectantly. She nodded at Regina and turned to face her a little more properly.

"What is it that you would like to know, my Queen?" Brittney asked.

"I'm your Queen?"

"Well, this is your kingdom and I am here. So, doesn't that make you my queen? Or, wait? What about Danni? You're her mother and she's my friend, so… Yes?"

"Don't worry about the formalities, dear. I need to talk to my sister. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, ma'am," Brittney answered quickly.

"Good, please ask her if she knows why she is like this," Regina commanded.

Brittney turned and faced Ruby again. She didn't seem to do anything special. Finally, she nodded and the looked up at Regina. Her smile faded a little, just enough for Emma to notice, but she quickly beamed at them. She nodded again and moved her lips like she whispering to Ruby. Emma watched as her eyes lit up and then she would mouth more words. When she caught Brittney's eyes, her smile grew more.

"There were some complications with a spell that she did."

"She did what?" both Regina and Belle exclaimed in question.

"Regina…" Emma started.

"I don't know the spell and she won't tell me. She is saying that it worked, and a little more than she planned. She doesn't want you to worry about it. She is well. Except for the not being able to eat part, but you are sustaining her, so she's fine," Brittney told them.

"What spell?"

"She won't tell me, my Queen."

"She's refusing me?" Regina asked.

"Yes, and Belle as well."

"But, why?" Belle asked.

"Because it wasn't planned. She won't say more than that. And, that's she sorry for this happening. But, the magic that is keeping her away is caring for her as well."

"Caring for her? She would be starving to death if it wasn't for me. What the Hell am I supposed to do with that? What does she expect to do? She needs to wake up," Regina said.

"She can't until the canae are ready."

"Can A?" Emma questioned.

"What did you say?" Belle asked.

"Can she tell us what the Can A are?" Regina inquired.

Brittney just smiled. Her eyes met Belle's. Belle nodded when she saw the mirth in Brittney's bright blue eyes. She knew that Brittney understood what the word meant and that she did as well. She realized that Belle had given her permission to tell them.

"Canae are some ones, not somethings," Brittney stated.

"Then who or what is she protecting?" Regina asked.

Brittney let go of Ruby's hand and stood up. She crossed the room to where Belle was standing. She took Belle's hand and held it. Their blue eyes met. There was no war between them, but Regina was really surprised to see Belle smile as large as she did. The gasp that escaped her lips didn't go unnoticed by either Regina or Emma. Belle gave her a questioning look and then Brittney nodded, smiling. She leaned forward and whispered something.

"Umm, not to sound rude, but what's going on?" Emma questioned.

Belle let Brittney's hand go. She knew that the blonde was then waiting on her to tell them. It was her news to tell. Brittney stepped back as Belle stepped forward. She reached out for Regina's hand, who offered it up slowly and with some hesitation. Being touched by witches in the last few years caused Regina painful memories, she wasn't sure what Belle wanted but she was willing to take the risk for her family.

"Congratulations are in order," Belle stated.

Regina looked at her quizzically. She wasn't sure what Belle was trying to tell her. Congratulations, congratulations for what? Belle and Red were already married and had Danielle for a daughter. Regina and Emma had gotten married (again) in an elaborate state affair and Remy was nearly six years old. What was Belle congratulating her for?

"Not for you, Regina. For us. Ruby is pregnant," Belle told her.

"Pregnant?"

"Yes, with Wolves," Belle stated.

"Wolf pups? My Wolf Pup of a sister is about to have her own pups? When?" Regina asked.

"Pups, as in more than one?" Emma questioned.

Belle just nodded. She didn't know what to say. Her lover was pregnant and they were her pups. She wondered if they would be tall like Ruby for a moment, before Regina just grabbed her and held her. Regina knew what it meant for Red to get pregnant. She was the Alpha and as such should have pups, but Danielle was Belle's. She wasn't a Wolf. She was pure human. They were going to raise as a pup and let her make the choice when she was older, but Belle hadn't changed. She was still human. It was a delicate situation with the Ulf and Regina knew it. Danielle was technically the heir to the Ulf as the daughter of the Alpha, but with her not being a Wolf, they'd kept her a secret from them. Afraid that a rogue Ulf would try to take her or worse change her before she was ready and understood what it meant.

"I am going to be a Momma again," Belle replied with tears in her eyes.

"She's having twins?" Regina asked, looking from Belle to Brittney.

"Yes, a boy and a girl," Brittney answered.

"How long?" Regina asked.

"Until they are born?" Belle questioned in reply.

Regina nodded. Belle let go of her hand and turned to Red. She took Red's hand up again. She leaned over and kissed her lips.

"Normally for Wolves, gestation is between two to three months, but Red isn't normal and neither are our children. Werewolves gestation can last anywhere from three to nine months. I can only guess at how far along Red actually is," Belle told them, stroking her lover's face.

"Three months, almost to the day," Brittney informed them.

Regina looked up at the blonde with a cocked eyebrow. She looked to Red and then gestured at her for Regina to understand that Red knew and told her. Brittney stepped forward, towards Regina this time. She didn't reach out for her. She didn't need to. She could feel the anguish and the happiness flowing off her in waves. Regina raised her hand to stop the blonde empath, but it didn't work. She just kept coming. And, then she did something that Regina was not and never would be prepared for her. Brittney hugged her and then whispered in her ear.

"You're going to be the best Auntie to them," she told Regina quietly before letting her go.

Regina stood there dumbfounded. Emma only hugged her in private. Henry and Remy hugged her but only like a child and sometimes only when prompted. But, Brittney hugged her like a friend and she actually liked it. She wondered if the empath gave her the feelings or if they were genuine. Either way, she didn't really care at the moment. Ruby was pregnant, Danni was ill, and her entire family was all in one place. She had bigger things to worry about than Brittney.

"When will she wake?" Regina asked quietly.

"Soon. Her body wasn't prepared for the trials of her pregnancy because of the spell. She wasn't ready to conceive and the spell forced her. Her body became weak and she slipped into this state. She tried to find a way to contact you and let you know what was wrong, but she doesn't have the inherent powers that you do, my Queen."

"That doesn't answer the question," Regina stated giving her a hard look.

"That's because I don't know. I am not a doctor and I certainly don't know anything about Werewolf pregnancies. Being who she is, Red doesn't know much either. She had been learning as much as she could from the females in her Randae. Another Wolf could tell you more, but she doesn't want any to come. She fears what they may do to Belle or worse Danielle. She specifically has told me not to allow a Wolf named Hori to come."

"Her Beta?" Emma asked.

"No, Will is her Beta. He is a member of the core Alphas, but she is afraid that he'll make a play for Alpha. He's been talking since the return of the Lobans."

"Will and Danni are her Lobans," Belle stated like it explained anything.

"What's that mean?" Emma asked.

"It means that Will, being a were by birth and her Beta, is a knight of the Ulf Queen. She is the Alpha's personal knight, or an Alpha knight of the kingdom. The Ulf aren't just one pack. They are many. Will and Red are both descendants of the Brannonulf and are Pack royalty. They are the High Alpha's if you will. The fact that Will is Red's Beta and not an Alpha in her own right has some of the other pack alpha's wondering if Wilhelmina will take a Wolf mate," Belle said.

"And, if she does, then they could make a play for the throne," Regina surmised.

"Yes, and with Red being mated to me and having a human child, it puts Red more a risk for an upheaval. She understands that they don't all like her because she doesn't prefer her feral form, but she has never done anything to them to cause worry or to lead them wrong. She has made the packs stronger. And, with the support of Regina, has gotten wolf hunting illegal and punishable, not only by the Ulf if found on Ulf land's, but also by the three Queens of the Enchanted Forest. He wants to raise himself in stature, and because Red should have a second Beta, he wants the position if not more power," Belle explained.

"But, what about Will and Danni being her Lobans?" Emma asked

"They are knights for the Queen, yes, and as Loban get more rights than the Randae. Hori is the head of the Randae and has been for years. Before Red took the Alpha position, the packs were at war silently. Each vying for lands and territory. Now with Red in charge, there is more order and a lot less bloodshed. She developed the Randae to be a force for the Ulf, a united military group for the basis of protecting Ulf lands and interests, but also to be used if you ever asked."

"She created a Wolf military for my disposal?" Regina asked.

"She figured it couldn't hurt. Most of the Randae are children of the Alphas and understand the alliance with the kingdoms of the Enchanted Forest. They support it. Some, like Hori, are using it to build up their power base. An Alpha that is a Randae gets more sway at council meetings, but ultimately Red's word is law and they all bow to it," Belle replied.

"So, if she were to tell the Ulf that I was their Queen?"

"They would swear to you, but some would rebel, not wanting to be tied to the human world. This is why Red being their Alpha is crucial. She gives them both worlds without any obligation. They can interact in the human world and live as a human as long as they follow the laws or they can stay on Ulf's lands and be a Wolf. No one will care. It is their right to decide. No Wolf may force another to live as they don't wish to," Belle stated.

"Meaning that parents can't force their children to stay feral when they become of age?" Emma asked looking at the shorter auburn-haired brunette.

"Yes," Belle answered simply.

Regina sat down. Her little sister, the werewolf that she could never acknowledge, had always been thinking of her. She shook her head. Red had not only taken the alliance pact that Will and Danni (Coraline) had brought to her with the defeat of George three plus years ago, she had continued to outline the Ulf to be supportive of the Queens of the thrones of the Enchanted Forest. Red spoke for them at Regina's Royal Council. She was still protecting Regina, like she had unknowingly back during the wars with Snow.

"She's always protecting me," Regina stated softly.

Emma and Belle turned to look at her. Brittney moved closer to them again. She reached out and touched Red's hand. She turned and looked at Regina. She gave her a strange look before a smile formed on her lips and she reached out for Regina's hand.

"She wants to talk to you," Brittney told her.

"But, how?" Regina asked as the other two women looked on inquisitively.

"I might not have the magic that you do, my Queen, but I have found that my powers are more defined here. I can feel things deeper. I can make others feel what I want them to feel. I've been keeping you all calmer than you should be because of the pain and suffering you've been dealing with. Danni and Red would not want this for you. I am just doing my part."

"But, how can I talk to her without you?"

"I am not leaving, my Queen. Take my hand. I want to try something," Brittney told her.

"Regina…" Emma said as she reached out for her again.

"I am a conduit, correct?"

"In some manners of speaking, yes," Regina replied.

"Then use me with your magic and talk to your sister," Brittney demanded.

Regina reached out and took her hand. She felt the blonde's power flow through her. She then understood what Brittney wanted to do. She closed her eyes and focused on the power that Brittney possessed. She let it flow through her and then she thought of Red.

"Open your eyes, Regina," Red told her.

When Regina did, she was standing with her in a room she hadn't seen in years. She looked around the room and couldn't believe that Red's mind would take her back to this place. She looked into the blue-hazel of her sister's eyes and smiled. She was breathtaking pregnant. Regina then chided herself for not noticing the slight swell of her younger sister's belly.

"It's alright, Regina. No one knew. I didn't until a few days ago."

"But, how?"

"Coraline's True Love spell," Red answered.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have given you leave to go back to Ulfland. I would have given you whatever you needed. I would have…"

"Regina, it's fine. I'm pregnant. I can hear my children. They talk to me, but I wasn't ready. I hadn't prepared my body for this. I needed to run. I needed to be feral and in heat. I wasn't and so I forced the pregnancy upon myself. I didn't know that I would take so quickly. I thought I would have more time, like we had with Belle," Red explained.

"You know that magic is that predictable, neither is conceiving," Regina replied.

"I know that, now."

"How much longer do you have? Can you tell me? Do you know?"

"At their current growth rates, I would say two weeks or more. I will start showing more soon. I will need more sustenance. Somehow I will need meat, bloody, and lots of it just before the birth. I should wake before then. Your magic has been healing my body and preparing it for the rapid changes. I hope that I wake before their births, but if I don't…"

"We'll have everything that you need ready," Regina reassured her.

"And, Belle?"

"She'll stay with us until you are all ready to move."

"Is she taking care of herself?"

"She is," Regina told her.

"And, Danni? Brittney told me that is what Coraline is going by now. Is she taking care of herself? Is she still afraid?"

"Yes, she is still afraid. She is sick and Will has gone on a mission to collect some special tea for her. I hope it works. I can't lose her again, Red. I just can't. I can't lose you either."

"I am not going anywhere. I'll be back before you know it. I just need to recover."

Regina started crying. And, vaguely, she wondered if she was crying in the other room where Red was still lying on that bed, unconscious. She turned her dark eyes back up to those of her blue-eyed sister.

"Is there anything that I can do for you?" Regina asked.

"Make sure that Danni is well. Maybe get Belle to get Danielle. She might be able to help. She has Belle's quiet nature but my boisterous attitude. Maybe she just needs the love a child to show her that we aren't afraid. You were never afraid of me, Regina. Don't be afraid of her."

"I am not."

"Then tell her that."

"How?"

"You're the one with the Empath. Figure it out. I am sure that you can. Now, you need to go."

"But, I need to ask you more. You can't send me away like this. Red…Ruby, you can't just send me away. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to help her, too?"

"Regina, she's your daughter. She is part of you. You can reach her when no one else can. You carried her. Find a way to get through her fever and find her. The Blackness doesn't control her whole heart. I can smell her from here. Go to your daughter. Be with her. Help her. Prepare for me, but stop mourning me. I will wake and I will live. Everything will be okay. You'll see," Ruby told her.

"How do you know that?"

"Because you're married to Emma and she isn't going to let either of you fail. She is Charming and just like Snow, she isn't going to give up. She doesn't know how. It's in her blood. And for better or worse, you are a Charming now too," Red stated.

"I know, don't remind me."

"It could be worse," Red said.

"How? How could it be worse? I married my archenemy's daughter. I am part of the family."

"You were already part of her family. Snow was your step-daughter, remember? Does she still call you Mommy when she's scared, hmm? I bet she has," Red teased.

"She hasn't since she remembered that Danni gave Neal her heart to save him and us by extension. She wanted my forgiveness for losing Danni to the portal and the well. I should have been furious, but I couldn't be. It was Danni's choice and I had to respect that. She was giving herself a better life. And, Remy doesn't know anything about the evils that Danni saved her from. I am grateful for that, but I am still raw about it."

"A child shouldn't have had to do that, right?"

"Right," Regina replied.

"Then, go to her and let her know that her sacrifice wasn't in vain. Let her know that you still love her and that will do anything for her. Make her understand that you weren't scared of her because of the darkness in her soul because of the Dark Curse that she took, but because she is too much like you without love. She needs love and lots of it. You know that. Give it to her."

Regina felt the connection end. She blinked a few times and felt the tears flowing down her face. She knew what she had to do and she needed to move. She could only hope that Will was succeeding on her end. She looked down to see Brittney still holding her hand.

"Do you want to see if I can find Danni through her fever?" Brittney asked.

"Yes…" Regina whispered, staring at her sister's healing body, as fresh tears started flowing.