AN:: Believe it or not, I started working on this chapter before the last one came out! And I wrote an outline and everything. Go ahead and feel proud of me. I feel proud of me! I mean, not that I updated any faster, but.. ya know.

Another thank you to Sammichbatch because I always appreciate her taking the time out for me. She's so busy and has her own life and still somehow deals with me occasionally. Give her love, too.

And thank you guys for the comments and favorites, and the few emails I've gotten about how much you've guys liked the story! It makes me really excited that I'm not just babbling. The support is amazing especially because most of the people around me in RL think I'm an idiot for spending so much time on it.

Anyway. Reviews make me smile. You are loved.


One in the morning and like clockwork Regina always had to get up. It's been that way ever since she could remember.

In college she would go and take a lap down the stairs and back - now that she had Henry, it was a glass of water and if that didn't settle her down then she would go and brush her teeth again. Little things just to calm her mind and get her back to sleep.

She got a glass down from the cupboard and smiled to herself as she moved dishes quietly to fill it. The night had gone well, despite the minor stress of having to instruct instead of actually helping. Emma invited Ashley and Sean over before they even left the hospital that morning. They got Henry out of school early to help move Regina's maternity clothes downstairs before the young couple arrived to help rearrange the rest of the furniture in the office. A bed from one of the guest rooms was moved in, and the sofas were moved to the walls to make room. So Regina could work and stay in bed, and no more going up and down the stairs.

Convenient, yes. Although she was sure she'd go stir-crazy before the baby came.

The brunette leaned against the counter with her free hand roaming over her belly between sips. Then she looked at the dishes again, remembering Emma promising "I'll do them when they leave!" pointing over to the little family entertaining Henry with all the little things their daughter was learning.

She heard the couch springs squeak obnoxiously. Regina padded over quietly, then frowned at the blonde looking cramped on the more decorative piece of furniture.

"Emma." She shook the other woman gently. "Go to bed - I told you to have my room."

All she got in return was a grumble while Emma shrugged her hand away.

"Get up... you look terribly uncomfortable."

"NNmmm- fine."

"My bed is much more comfortable than this... I changed the sheets a few days ago."

Emma gulped, but didn't open her eyes. "It's cool - fffffurrrr..." She yawned and rubbed her eyes and flipped over, closing her eyes again. "I'm right between the door and you and the stairs... so I can get everywhere and I can hear everything."

Her words were clumsy but they made Regina smile anyway.

All she can do is stare down at her for a moment longer before getting a thicker blanket and all but tucking the other woman in before going back to bed.


When Henry walked out the door from his classroom, Emma was already there - doughnut in one hand and an envelope in the other.

He smiled and hugged her. "Hey, Emma."

"Hey, kid." She squeezed him quickly and handed him the doughnut and dug in her pocket before handing over the keys too. "Go get in the car for me? I have to talk to your teacher for a second."

"About what?"

"Just about the apartment. I'll only be a couple minutes."

"Okay." Henry shrugged. He took a big bite and looped his other arm through the strap to his backpack as he strolled away.

Emma peered in the room and saw the few students milling around Ms. Blanchard. The older woman saw her and ushered the children away politely before addressing the blonde with a small, but strange wave.

"Hi there."

"Hello, Emma."

The way she said her name was always weird. Like purposefully calling her that.

In the back of her mind it was a little unnerving, but Emma wouldn't ever show it. Emma was too common of a name - and this was exactly why she never named Henry before she had him, why she didn't hold him before they took him away. She didn't want to constantly look for the thing she gave up. She was solid in her choice. This lady was obviously looking for anything to grab on to.

"Hi..." She nodded, then stuck out her hand with the envelope. "Rent." She smiled.

Ms. Blanchard took it and smiled at her. "Thank you." There was this gleam in her eye - like misguided hope or longing.

Emma shriveled under it, crossing her arms and leaning on a desk. "No problem. I had something to ask, too."

"Sure."

"I was wondering if Ruby could stay full time at the apartment while I stayed with Henry and Regina? It would be easier with her there to take care of it. I don't want to go back and forth everyday and I know she'll be responsible and clean and stuff."

The teacher simply nodded again. "Of course. I'll trust your judgement."

"Cool. Thank you." Emma smiled straightening up and shuffling toward the door. "I'll let her know."

"How is Regina? I heard she's on bed rest, right?"

Emma scratched her nose. "Sorta. Just taking it easy on her body, really. No extra stress. Other than weekly ultrasounds to make sure everything is all good in there..." she made an odd circular motion to her stomach. "But she's still working from bed."

"That's good." It was like her head was bobbing above invisible water. Her neck was moving in the weirdest way. "It's good you're there with them."

She shrugged. "I like 'em." She grinned. "But I have to go - I'm just dropping Henry off and grabbing some dinner before I go for graveyard at the station."

"Who's with Regina while you're gone?"

"Cora or Katherine might stop by? Or no one? She has my number and the station is wired through my cell phone when Sean or the volunteers aren't there, so it's all good."

Ms. Blanchard just smiled again in that awkwardly familiar way before Emma waves again from the door. "But, thanks again - see ya!" She called.

Every single time. That lady was odd. And still Emma couldn't help but feel sorry for her.


Okay, so the days were long.

Emma got up and got Henry ready for school, checked on Regina, took the kid to school and worked the day shift on the week days. Then she'd get Henry, go back to the mansion and let Regina order her around the kitchen so she could make dinner and the brunette wouldn't have to worry her son eating pop tarts as his final meal of the day. Weekends she would do paperwork at home and help keep Henry entertained other than giving Henry and Regina some space together and she'd check up with some of the small complaints she'd been passed through the week, then Sunday Regina goes in for ultrasounds and reassures her doctors she's staying sitting or laying down for most of the day.

And as much as she loved it, she was getting exhausted. She'd been caught drifting off at the dinner table more than once, and even she was beginning to see that the second she sat down there was one more thing she needed to do before she could lay down.

But as she pulled the cruiser over to the side of the road and looked at the house, porch lights glowing softly, she could see all the things she'd done. All of the shit karma she was sure had to be coming her way might have been counteracted by helping, then built up again by lying by omission every day.

She pulled her keys out of the ignition and took a breath before looking back at the door again.

Wait...

No she hadn't looked at the door yet, because it was sitting open a little bit. The porch lights were on but it didn't look like a single light in the house was on.

It was only 7pm... they were usually in the living room watching- FUCK.

Her heart thumped it's way to her throat as she ran to the house, leaving the door to the car open in a full sprint.

Something had to be wrong.

"Henry! Regi-"

"SURPRISE!"

Emma's hand went to her gun as she gasped as the lights flicked on suddenly and everyone yelled at her.

Then the balloons came into view and the banner across the hallway that read 'Happy Birthday' and all of the people she talked to most in the town standing around Regina and Henry smiling widely in the middle of the group. Archie and Ruby had those stupid pointy hats on and Sean, Ashley and Alex were there. Emma's eyes flashed everywhere. Granny was peeking out of the kitchen with a smile on her face. Katherine and her husband were there. Cora even stood over to the side sort of smiling with a wine glass in her hand. A few other people in town all just staring at her.

And the longer she stood there the more plastic looking their smiles became.

Emma still felt like her heart was going to tear a hole through her sternum and then years and years of people she didn't know very well giving her a dollar bill or a stick of gum when she told them it was her birthday ran through her mind, and it was way too much too fast.

"Em, it's just-"

She cut Ruby off by shaking her head and looking around again, from the front door to inspecting the stares for a minute. "Everything's okay?... the-The door was open."

Henry stepped forward and hugged her around the waist - Jesus, he was growing. Before his head was just at her hip, now he was almost to her shoulders. "Happy Birthday." He looked up at her. "We wanted to surprise you."

"You scared the crap outta me! The door was just open and no lights were on!"

Archie waved with his hand awkwardly behind everyone. "Sorry.. I left the door open. Just barely made it before you got here."

Just as her heart started to calm down she looked around again. "...It's my birthday." She said like it was only now made a fact.

She hadn't even thought about it.

Her eyes went to Regina who just grinned more. "You remembered my birthday?"

Regina tilted her head. "Of course I remembered." a slow smile started. "Better than you, apparently."

Everyone hummed a soft laugh, whether it was because she was the mayor or everyone thought that was the only correct response since they were just staring at each other, didn't really matter.


There was cake, and a few gifts and all of the ceremony that made Emma feel uncomfortable but still warm and loved.

Henry gave her the biggest piece of cake and a mug he made in art class. Ruby got her alcohol and Archie got her a book. Cora gave her a very impersonal card wrapped in nothing but a plain white envelope without so much as her name on it. That one made her feel right at home.

Then there was the well-wishes and smiles before everyone started trickling out of the door. Ashley and Sean with Alex sleeping on her daddy's shoulder.

Ruby stayed and helped clean up - Emma thought about cracking the joke about it being her job, and she wasn't getting paid to do it now, but there was this look on her face. Between that and the unusual lack of half-inch thick eye liner had her wondering what exactly had gotten into her friend.

Regina kissed Henry goodnight and went back to the study, so Emma pulled the waitress outside with beers in her hand and a grin on her face.

"Thanks - for the help."

Ruby just cracked open her bottle and nodded, sighing into the night. "I didn't realize how pretty it is back here." She said, pointing with the neck of the bottle at the yard.

"Yeah. It's pretty nice."

"Regina asked me to help, you know."

"What?"

The younger woman nodded. "Yeah, she called me last week and asked if I could get everything and help her put it up... cause she's on bed rest and everything."

Emma laughed. "You kept it a secret that long?"

She stared at her feet. "I haven't hung out with you in longer, so it wasn't hard."

"I see you every morning."

"Yeah, you come into the diner half dead to pick up coffee and then you leave."

Emma frowned and folded her arms. "I've just... it's hard to get a minute right now. After the baby-"

"When the baby comes you'll still help her."

"Them." The blonde corrected quickly.

"Oh, whatever!"

Emma made a loud 'sshhhhh'ing noise and pushed Ruby further into the garden. "What the hell? Henry's-"

"I know!" Ruby reverted to whisper-yelling. "Henry's going to sleep and you know whatever Regina's doing right now too, and you're going to go and put in another hour and a half before you actually sleep, and you don't have a minute to yourself. You can't breathe without thinking about them and what's next, and how you can help."

"And what's wrong with that? You're mad that I'm being a good person and doing what's right?"

"You have NO obligation here, Emma. You're doing it because you offered and she keeps accepting. What happens when she doesn't?"

Emma frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ruby shook her head and took another long swig. "Okay, so you guys are in this perfect little bubble right now - close to perfect, whatever. So she has the baby, and what then? You just stay around forever? She's going to invite you over for dinner every few nights and you'll help with homework and have girl-talk with her and feel like a part of the family." Ruby took a step closer, looking behind Emma toward the mansion. "But how is it going to feel when she has this kid call you Auntie Emma or something? Or what if she starts dating again?"

Fuck.

"I... she might-"

"You're putting all of your time and effort and energy into them, and it scares me. You love them so much and I don't want you to get your heart broken. I helped her for over a week trying to plan this and she talks about you like one of the kids - like she talks about Henry. It sounds like she loves you, Em - but not like you love her. You got what you wanted. You have a family, but you're not playing the roll you want. You're a surrogate sister or something to her - what's going on? Are you just going to stare at her and pretend? What's your plan here?"

"I don't have one." She admitted quietly.

"Emma..."

"I don't know what I'm going to do, but I know she deserves better than what she got. She needs help and I'm going to give that to her. And I'm going to stay in the kid's life because he needs me now. I just..." She shrugged, and huffed to herself. "I don't want it to be over yet. I've thought about telling her a hundred times, but I know when I do she'll just shake her head and say she's sorry or something, so yeah... I want to pretend for a little bit longer."

Ruby stared at her for a second.

"I'm not going to run. Whatever happens I need to figure out how I can stay here and not fall apart."

"Leaving town for a couple weeks isn't running?"

Emma scoffed. "Is that what you think I should do?"

"Yeah." She smiled sadly at her friend. "I think you should go clear your head every once and a while. Not constantly be surrounded by people who can keep asking you questions and taking things from you. All you've done is give since you got here. That has to be draining you pretty hard."

It didn't sound like an awful idea. After the baby came, of course. "..I'll think about it."

"And talk to me?"

Emma smiled. "Yeah. I need to call you more often."

"Yeah, you do." She laughed. "I just want you to be okay."

"I will be. I mean... I'll be okay. I've been through worse than having a crush."

She stuck out her arm and Ruby wrapped her's through, linking themselves together as they wobbled back to the house. The thought stamped itself in her brain that even if everything went ass-up, at least she'd made friends, and this one in particular that seemed to really be there for her.

Emma opened the door for them. "What's going on with this new hair and makeup thing?"

"You like it?" She grinned, showing almost all of her teeth in a way that made Emma want to tap on them with her fingernail for some reason.

She nodded anyway. "Yeah, it's different - good different."

"Oh, hi."

They looked back into the kitchen, to see Regina standing there, eyes wide and mouth open.

"Ms. Lucas... you.." She looked between them for a moment. "I thought you would have left with the others."

She shrugged. "No, I helped clean up a little."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, then we were just catching up."

"I was just leaving though."

Regina nodded and walked with them to the door. "I appreciate all your help, as well." Emma smiled at her and Regina put her hands behind her back. "I wouldn't have been able to do this if it weren't for her, in fact."

"No problem." She unhooked her arm from Emma's only to give her a large hug. Then she turned to Regina and smiled a very guarded smile, even though Emma could see the genuine care behind that look. And even though Regina flinched a little, she accepted when Ruby leaned over and hugged her too.

"I'll see you guys later." She waved, only to turn back around after stepping off the porch. "Call me - I'll hunt you down."

"I dare you." She yelled after her.

They laughed and Emma watched her out the gate before shutting the door.

Emma elbowed Regina after locking the door. "You can call her Ruby, you know."

She just nodded rigidly and waved in the direction she was already going. "Would you come back to the study with me for a moment?"

"Sure."

Regina made her way waddling down the hallway before she pushed the door open to her make-shift bedroom and patted the bed so Emma would sit.

"I have a gift as well."

Emma frowned. "No - the party was the gift. I don't need anything else."

"I wanted... you deserve..." Regina itched at her cupid's bow for a moment. "Just.. don't think of it as a gift, then." She closed the drawer to the desk carrying a large manila envelope with a bow on it. "Think of it as one more thing that'll put my mind at ease."

"What is it?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Open it and find out."

Emma grinned and took the bow off only to stick it obnoxiously on her head before she actually opened it. And even though she could feel the stack of paper inside, she still squinted taking it out and looking through what it actually said. But "final will and testament" found their way into her sight line and her stomach dropped.

"Regina-"

"It's something I've been thinking about for a while now." she nodded. "It's the part of my will that has to do with the boys if anything were to happen to me."

"What about your mom?"

Regina kept looking at the paper. "They would have gone to her automatically before, and I didn't have anyone else. I mean, if Graham and I had gone through with the wedding they would have been his, but..." Regina sighed. "Besides the fact that my mother is getting older.." She looked at Emma sincerely. "Emma, you're ready. I would feel safer knowing that, God forbid, I-"

"I get it."

She nodded and put her hand over Emma's. "I know there's no one else who would love them like I would."

Emma let herself smile even though tears were in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't get you a real present."

She shook her head and hugged the other woman quickly. "This is the best present ever."

Regina sighed. "I'm glad you like it."

"Thank you so much."

"Thank you for accepting-"

Emma shook her head. "No.. thank you for remembering. I didn't even remember and usually I obsess over it. Not for the best reasons.." She wiped at her eyes. "I've never had a party before. No one's ever cared enough to throw me a party. The closest thing I had was a guy I partnered with to take down this big Islander guy after he skipped town on both of us paying his bond - he bought be a couple'a shots a few years back." She shook her head.

"Sounds magical." Regina wiggled her eyebrows.

"No." Emma looked down at the papers again and nodded. "This is better than anything."

Regina leaned her head against Emma's shoulder slowly and sighed. "I'm glad we could be a part of your first birthday party, then."

"Me too."


"Henry!"

The eleven year old spun around with his eyebrows up, not bothering to actually walk back into the class room. "What's up?"

Ms. Blanchard walked over to him with her hands on her hips. "You didn't turn your homework in?" Her face was somewhere between amazed and concerned. "Is everything alright, you always have your work in on time."

"Yeah, everything's good." He nodded. "Mom said it was alright this once. I had to help with Emma's birthday party yesterday, so-"

"Emma... it was-"

Henry frowned as the woman's face went blank.

"Was it her birthday YESTERDAY?"

The little boy nodded slowly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah... mom was really excited to surprise her."

He stared at his teacher for a good while before he waved his hand in front of her face, attempting to pull her out of the trance she was in. "Are you-"

"That's okay..." She breathed out delicately. "You have... enjoy- have a good day, Henry."

"Ooooookaaaayyy... you too?"

He backed away slowly until he was safely in the hallway, where he sprinted all the way outside and into the cruiser. "My teacher's kinda nuts." was his only comment.

Emma laughed and agreed.


Sunday came every week. The one day Regina got out of the house, and the only place she hated more than her study by then was the hospital.

Nevertheless, Emma came striding in the room with Regina's tennis shoes in hand.

The Mayor looked up from her computer and scowled. "What are those?"

Emma put them on the ground in front of her bed. "Yours. I'm not watching you hobble around in your heels again."

"I like my heels."

"I like you better when you're not complaining about your feet for an hour after we get home."

Regina felt herself losing the argument.

"They don't hurt that bad."

"I'm sure they'll feel great when you're not pregnant, but you have a lot more weight on those puppies than usual, so-"

Regina looked up at her, horrified. "What?"

"Shit... no- Regina, I didn't mean-"

"Are you calling me fat?" The older woman almost barked.

The blonde waved her hands wildly. "Of course not - you're just pregnant. It's the miracle of life! There's like probably nine pounds of baby in you right now! That's all I meant!"

"I've gained thirty pounds so far - so what? I just have twenty pounds of lazy, too?"

The tears came out of nowhere and Emma hopped on the bed and took the laptop away, rubbing Regina's arm forcefully. "Stop it! No!"

"I know! I'm fine. I'm fat and nothing fits... an-and I can't get comfortable EVER, this baby just wants to make me miserable, and he hates me- I'm just trapped in this room!... and my feet are so swollen Emma, look at them!"

Emma laughed and shook her head. "Regina! No.."

"Don't laugh at me - I hate you."

"Hey hey hey... stop."

Emma wiped Regina's cheek with her knuckles and crawled down the bed and grabbed the sneakers and loosened the laces nearly all the way and slipped them on Regina's feet, then slowly tying them back up again.

"Is that okay?"

She watched as Regina wiggled her toes and sniffled. Then she nodded slowly.

"You wanna go see this nameless little kiddo, now?"

Regina rolled her eyes at Emma's tone - similar to how she eased Henry through folding his paper airplanes when he was small. He'd gotten so frustrated because it didn't look as pristine as hers had.

"I'm still not telling anyone his name. Not even you." All she did was give Emma her hand and pull herself up with it.

"Next week, your stitches come out and then before you know it, you'll miss all of this pregnancy bullshit."

"Do you miss it?"

Emma shook her head. "Hell no."


"I know, my mother has been calling me all week."

Katherine laughed over the phone and Emma could hear it across the dining room and into the kitchen.

"It's not funny! Everyone is waiting on me like I have any control! I've been doing laps up and down the stairs and bouncing on that damn ball and walking all around the house and he will not budge. I think he just wants to stay. He's made a home in my belly and now he's comfortable."

"He's squatting. Have you issued him an official eviction notice?"

Regina switched ears. "It's as good as, if you ask me. His due date was last week and I've had the stitches out for three weeks. I'm done being pregnant. I want to hold my baby."

Emma brought her the bowl of apples and peanut butter she'd been whining about for the past half hour and patted her belly. "He'll come when he's ready."

"Emma's right, you know."

She looked at the phone, offended. "How dare you agree with her!"

Henry sat at the other end of the couch and stole one of her apple slices before she could swat his hand away.

Katherine was still laughing on the other end as Regina squinted at her son. The one walking and talking and stealing a pregnant woman's food. "I have to let you go. I'm going to go try to jog or something."

"Good lord, Regina... take it easy."

"Tell David hello for me. And to turn in the copies of those adoption forms from the shelter - the city needs a record-"

"Regina, I'll handle it. I promise. You went on leave three weeks ago and the world hasn't split in two, yet, has it? Let me do my job."

"Let you do my job, is what you mean."

She could see Katherine shaking her head in her mind's eye clear as day. "I'm ready for you to not be pregnant anymore, too. I'm not familiar enough with sassy Regina. This is strange."

The Mayor smiled to herself. "I'll talk to you later."

"Take care."

She handed the phone to Henry who put it back on it's cradle without having to be told.

Before he could come back, Emma swooped in and took his place at Regina's feet and poked at her leg and leaning over to get a better look. "You're belly's doing that gross thing again."

Regina didn't have to look down to know what she was talking about - the protruding little bumps and the slight shaking of her body as the baby moved around inside of her with little to no room to do so. "I know."

"Can I touch it?"

She put her hands up and glared at the other woman. "What's been stopping you the rest of the time? All I have at any moment are hands on me."

"That's because you tell us to!"

"Only... half the time. Maybe."

Regina went to dip another slice of apple into peanut butter but her legs popped up a bit and her toes scrunched as much as her face did. "Ppfffffffffffffffffffffffffff... oh, I feel it in my back..."

Emma checked her watch but just eyed Regina in the mean time. "Well, it's 4:12 so... let's start timing them again."

She just nodded and let her body relax a good ten seconds later.

But fifteen minutes after it happened again.

Then eleven.

And ten minutes regularly for about forty minutes.

Right before Emma would have started dinner Regina shook her head and made the call. "If this isn't real labor I will have them put me in forcibly." She shook her head. "Henry, sweetheart, get the bag. Emma get the keys. One of you call my mother..." she shouted orders all the way out to the car, not having to wait as her little troop swarmed as they all got in the bug and headed toward the hospital.