"Why does it look like that?" Emma asks, expressing her concern. "It's not supposed to look like that, is it?"
The confident doctor has already gained enough information from the monitor to know it's completely normal.
"In your case, it is."
The queen swiftly voices her disapproval. "What the hell do you mean by that?"
"Forgive me," Whale requests. "I realize that came out badly." He imagines that once he shares his findings, all previous transgressions will be absolved. "I assure you that there is nothing wrong with Emma." He pauses before adding, "Or your babies."
The shock is evident on their faces. Only Regina's expression appears a bit pained. Whale decides to stick with a typical script for a situation such as this.
"Do twins run in your family?"
"Um…" Emma hesitates. She knows that this shouldn't be that difficult to answer. However, at the moment, it would be a feat if she remembered her own name. What was it again? Two seconds later she has the solution.
Emma! Wait. That's not what he asked.
The internal dialogue continues.
What was the question? That's right, it was about twins.
"Mm-my father had a twin brother," she replies.
"I thought so." Whale seems pretty pleased with himself for remembering and also for managing not to aggravate the queen. He returns to the doctor bit. "You can see right here that there are two distinct gestational sacs. And if you look very closely, do you see this little dot?"
Emma nods her head.
"That's your baby. And over here…"
Emma follows the finger on the screen.
"This is also your baby."
"I'm really having twins?" she asks to make sure she'd heard correctly. The whole situation seems rather surreal. In her delirium, it's possible she misunderstood.
"You most certainly are." He turns his attention toward the woman who has the ability to scare the life out of him with one look. But the queen is a far cry from the woman who was standing there only a moment ago.
"Are you alright?"
Emma also notices the older woman's disturbing appearance. Regina had suddenly turned pale.
"Regina?" Emma lightly squeezes the hand in hers, hoping that will elicit a response.
The queen remains frozen. Her eyes are glued to the screen, seemingly hypnotized by the hardly detectable dots she knows are her children.
Emma's attention is disrupted.
"When did you take your first home pregnancy test?"
Apparently, Whale is back to the format.
Emma searches her memory. Thankfully, it had returned. She recalls the date of her first therapy session, the previous month. "That was almost a month ago."
"I'm surprised it picked up the hormone so early," Whale comments. "You're no more than five weeks along."
She thought that she was shocked before. This is even more fantastic. There is absolutely no way that these are not Regina's babies.
"I can't believe it."
Of course, this is what she wanted. She just couldn't let herself believe that she would be this lucky.
"Are you ready?" Whale asks with regard to the transducer.
The removal process should be smoother.
"Go ahead," Emma instructs. She closes her eyes again and visualizes her muscles relaxing.
The foreign object is removed without difficulty.
Whale checks to be sure. "Are you alright?"
Emma smiles to herself and nods her head. That was much simpler than the insertion attempt.
"I'm okay."
"Let's get you out of these." He carefully helps the young woman lift tired legs out of the stirrups.
The queen remains frozen until she notices Emma struggling to sit up and rushes to help her.
Whale returns to the script. "Now I wasn't able to detect any heartbeats—"
Before the doctor has a chance to finish, Regina becomes animated, shaking her head vigorously. "No."
"Regina?" Emma can't remember a time when she saw Regina this unhinged.
"No," Regina cries.
"What's wrong?"
The queen tries to speak, but, instead doubles over. "I'm going to be sick."
Emma springs into action, clutching the untied hospital gown to keep it from falling.
Joining Regina, hunched over the trash can, Emma releases the gown in order to more effectively reassure her partner. "Regina, it's okay." She carefully guides dark locks away from the path of vomit. "You're okay," she repeats. She doesn't even care that her nude form is completely exposed. Regina is her priority right now.
Fearful that the queen might burn him to a crisp for gawking at her girl, once she recovers, Whale averts his eyes.
"Would you like me to get a nurse?"
"It's alright," Emma comforts, as she rubs calming circles on the older woman's back. She addresses the seemingly paralyzed physician, as the older woman continues to spill the contents of her stomach, which is mostly bile at this point. "I've got her."
"I'll come back in a few minutes," the unhelpful doctor insists. He opens the door just enough to slip out and swiftly makes his exit.
"He's gone now," Emma soothes. "It's just us."
Regina straightens her spine. Thankfully, the garbage can had been one of the taller ones and she didn't have to kneel on the floor to reach it.
Emma replaces the fallen gown. "Are you alright?"
Regina wraps her arms around the younger woman's shoulders and conceals her face in Emma's neck as the blonde woman had done before.
The young woman knows her fiancée well enough to recognize the queen's embarrassment. Understanding why Regina is always so hard on herself, Emma tries to make light of the situation. "Hey, I got sick right after my first ultrasound with Charlie. Imagine my surprise when Whale told me how far along I was." She knows she's on the right track when she hears Regina giggle. "She was definitely your kid and so are they."
Regina begins to crumble.
"Hey," Emma cradles Regina's tormented face in her hands. "Are you okay?"
"Emma," the queen begins, in a strangled voice. "He can't find their heartbeats."
The realization hits. How could she not have seen this coming?
"Oh, baby." Emma guides the older woman flush with her body again and begins to rock her. "Whale couldn't find their heartbeats because their organs haven't developed yet."
"Their hearts…" Regina cries.
"They'll have hearts soon," Emma reminds. "And I guarantee, next time we will be able to see them beating, if not hear them."
Brown eyes meet blue.
"I'm so scared," Regina admits.
"I know. I'm scared too." It's not at all difficult to relate to this fear and this time it's amplified times two. "I have never seen one of my kids this early and I am absolutely terrified."
"You are?"
The innocence of that question is one of the many reasons Emma fell for this woman in the first place and why she continues to fall more in love with her every day.
"Yes," she answers. "But I know my body is taking care of them and they're only going to get bigger and strong from now on." She can tell that she is getting through to Regina, when a shy smile tugs at the corners of trembling lips. With sparkling eyes, Emma seals her conviction. "I can't wait to watch them grow with you."
The older woman inhales deeply. The thought of losing her unborn children was enough to suffocate her. But, because of her hero, she doesn't have to live in fear.
"Thank you for my babies."
"Thank you for making me a mother again."
The emotional women are content just to stare, having found home in each other's eyes.
"This is all I've ever wanted," Emma voices. She doesn't have to elaborate. Regina already knows the words that remain unspoken between them.
As long as she had been holding Emma, Regina, only now, becomes aware of the fact that the younger woman's entire backside is exposed.
"Honey, aren't you freezing?"
"Not as long as your arms are around me. I'll never be cold again."
"I really wish I hadn't thrown-up."
"I know you love me," Emma assures. "We have the rest of our lives to make-out."
The door opens.
"How are we doing?"
Both women resign to the fact that Whale will perpetually be interrupting their intimate moments from now until their daughters are born.
Regina turns to face the open door, noticeably overlapping the center back of Emma's gown in the process.
The young woman cannot contain her blush. If only Regina knew the state Emma had been viewed in, while her head was in the trashcan.
"We're good," Emma answers, as though it was the most normal interaction.
"I have written you a prescription for prenatal vitamins," Whale begins, as the mothers resume their spots near the exam table. "They are a higher dosage, since you're carrying two."
Emma nods her approval. "I'll get this filled right away."
Whale continues, "And here are some pictures for you to take home."
Regina's eyes begin to glisten as she studies the photos over Emma's shoulder.
Admittedly a little choked-up, the younger woman expresses her gratitude. "Thank you."
"Based on what I saw in your ultrasound, I can give you of rough estimate of your due-date."
Emma's features liven. "Yes. Please."
"Right now, I would expect them to arrive by June 17th."
"That sounds good."
"Now I have to remind you that since it's very early in your pregnancy, there is a possibility for miscarriage."
Regina's eyes widen so much that Regina could swear they nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Have you miscarried before?"
To her surprise she is able to remain calm and answer honestly. "Not that I know of…"
"That's good," Whale encourages. "Just keep up the vitamins and I would like you to start increasing your caloric intake. It will not only help them, but also you. You'll probably feel more run down than usual."
The young woman nods again. "I understand."
"And I'd like to see you back in two weeks," Whale continues. "Since you're having twins, we should keep closer track of their development."
"I agree."
Satisfied that he had covered all of the bases, the awkward doctor reflects the younger woman's smile.
"Are you feeling better?"
"I think I'm still in shock."
"Well, that seems reasonable." It isn't every day that a mother learns she's pregnant with multiples.
"But, I'm happy." As she says this, Emma's smile only widens.
"Well, you are positively glowing." It isn't just a line meant to flatter the young woman. Her face; her skin; her eyes, all appear brighter now the she's aware of the precious treasures on board.
She knows it's not necessary, but she is feeling especially generous in this moment. "Thank you for being so patient with me."
Whale reaches out to shake the fair woman's hand. "It was my pleasure." He darts his eyes between the two women before making his exit. "Congratulations to you both."
"Thank you," Regina responds weakly.
"Take your time getting dressed," he adds. "I reserved this room for the rest of the day."
"Thanks," Emma giggles.
She hops off the exam table, eager to put on real clothes again. Before she can reach her neatly folded pile of clothes, thanks to Regina, she stops to check-in with the sullen woman.
"Hey. Are you okay?"
Regina lifts pleading eyes. "He said miscarriage."
Emma embraces her queen. "Regina, I'm not going to miscarry," she ensures, rocking the older woman as she speaks. "I have Henry and Charlie to prove that."
Regina only hugs the blonde woman tighter, in an effort to dispel all of her own fears.
As she continues to console the older woman, Emma makes a sudden realization. "I'm an idiot." She didn't mean to say it out loud.
"Honey, you're not," Regina quickly contests, breaking the tender embrace to meet her favorite blue eyes.
"Yes, I am," Emma insists. "It didn't even occur to me until now that this is your first pregnancy."
Regina's confusion is evident. "But I'm not pregnant."
"We are pregnant," Emma emphasizes. "Just because they live in me, that doesn't discredit your role as their mother."
Regina hides her eyes in embarrassment, but doesn't release her secure hold from around Emma's waist.
The grateful younger woman continues, "And it also doesn't mean that you won't experience the pregnancy. You already had a bout morning sickness."
The older woman laughs at the truthfulness of that statement.
Emma always did know how to reach her queen. She already knows the answer, but she asks for the older woman's benefit. "You're going to be with me every step of the way, right?"
"Right," Regina confirms. Hope has returned. She hugs the younger woman close to her body in an effort to keep her princess warm.
"I have to think back, eighteen years ago, to remember what my first was like. It was horrible." She feels Regina wrap her arms more firmly around her. "But with Charlie, that pregnancy felt like the first time." Regina begins to rock her. "You pointed that out to me."
Regina frantically searches for a memory that is no longer reachable.
"I know you don't remember, because of the accident, but you called me one night, at my mother's urging. I had run away to the cemetery, because I was scared." Reliving that day, she begins to weep. "I couldn't imagine how I was going to do it."
Regina breaks the hug to gently wipe tears from the younger woman's cheeks.
Emma continues, "You helped me see why I was afraid."
Regina's expression grows more desperate.
"It was a first for me because I was doing it differently; everything was different." Emma's chin begins to quiver. "I wanted her, so damn much." She falls against Regina, entrusting her little girl's mother with this guarded secret. "I lived in constant fear that I was going to lose her, even after she was born."
Regina is determined to remain strong for her love. She gulps before inquiring. "What about now?"
The younger woman straightens up, offering Regina a watery smile. "I'm not afraid anymore, because her mother found her."
Regina inhales a shuddered breath. Why must Emma make her feel so special?
"I know you'll keep her safe."
"I will," Regina vows. Her hands are shaking violently. "I will always keep our children safe." She adds, "And you."
Having recovered slightly, Emma fondly regards her growing bump. "It's scary because, now that I know that they're there, I don't want to imagine my life without them."
Regina covers Emma's hand with her own and immediately stops trembling. "Me neither."
She doesn't want the beautiful moment to end, but she is definitely feeling the absence of clothing, and not in a good way. She starts to shiver.
"I should get dressed."
Emma's discomfort snaps Regina out of her trance. "Yes. Please get warm."
Emma starts with her bra, hooking it in the back. "We're going to have our hands full in less than nine months."
Her legs still a bit wobbly, Regina rests her weight against the abandon exam table. "I wonder if Henry would be interested in moving home." The regal woman corrects herself. "No. I wouldn't ask him to leave school."
Emma slides the turtle-neck over her head. "Hey, it'll be during his summer break!"
Regina considers the possibility. "Maybe he wouldn't mind coming home for a while."
Emma steps into one leg of her jeans. "And my parents will help us." She steps into the other leg. "You know they will." She pulls the tight pants over her hips, wondering how much longer she'll be able to fit into them, zips and buttons them in the front
"I can just imagine your mother's reaction when we tell her," Regina muses. Just the thought of Snow's reaction brings an amused smile to her face.
Emma stills her movements. Her tone is serious. "We have to move, don't we?"
Regina turns to face the younger woman. When their eyes meet, she understands exactly to what Emma is referring and the two women share much needed laughter.
"You read my mind." Regina acknowledges, as she watches Emma struggle with her boots. "Do you think Sylvia would help us?"
Emma smiles at the thought. "Sure she would." She can already imagine her other mother's reaction to the news. "Oh, Regina, she's going to be thrilled." The young woman grows weary. "I just wish she lived closer."
Recognizing her partner's unspoken desire, Regina makes a suggestion. "Well, maybe, that's a conversation we should have the next time we visit."
Hopefully blue eyes meet brown.
Regina explains, "I know you want her here." She decides to switch the topic to a lighter subject. "Are you hungry?"
Emma finishes securing the other boot. "I'm starving." She rises to gather their things. "That took a lot longer than I had hoped."
"I'll take you to Granny's, if you'd like," Regina offers. "You can order anything you want."
"Anything?" Emma entices, with a playful smile.
"Mm-hm." The older woman purrs, in a similar manner. She needs to brush her teeth, and fast, before her lips go into withdrawal. "I'll also cook anything you want when we get home."
"Something tells me I'm going to enjoy my pregnancy this time."
Emma really needs to tone the sexy down about a thousand notches, Regina thinks. There is no way she can handle being more attracted to her. "I want you to enjoy it," she confirms. "You deserve to enjoy it."
Emma grasps the older woman's hands. She isn't playing anymore. "We deserve it, Regina. We're finally doing it together."
The queen believes that no sentiment could be more beautiful. She truly hopes that Emma feels as fulfilled as she does, in this moment. She decides to ask.
"How do you feel?"
"Hungry," Emma teases. "And a little tired," she adds.
Regina laughs at the silliness of the woman she is lucky to call her fiancée. "You know what I mean."
Emma nods before answering sincerely. "Actually, I feel free."
Regina is stunned. She hadn't anticipated such a response.
Emma continues to amaze her queen. "I'm finally free Regina. My life is mine, finally. And I choose to share it with you."
The queen's eyes take on a familiar shine.
Emma continues, "I trust you with my life because I know you'll never require me to be anything other than myself. You love me the way I am."
"I do." She is crying.
"And, our kids…" Now Emma is choked-up. "Nothing is more important to me than raising them together."
Regina nods. "I still can't believe that you're carrying my children."
Emma smiles fondly. "Do we need to call Henry when we get home?"
"I think he should be the first to know."
"I think so too," Emma agrees. "And we can tell my parents when they come over for dinner."
Regina sighs in relief. "I'm glad I already invited them."
Emma is not done flirting. Amplifying the sexy, she asks, "Does that mean you'll be making lasagna?"
Eager to play, Regina raises an eyebrow. "Would you like me to make lasagna?"
"Yes, please."
For now, she is content just to return the sweetest smile. "First, let's get you some lunch."
I am not marking this story as complete yet. There will be, at least, one more chapter to come. I hope you guys enjoyed the ultrasound. If you liked it, please leave me a review. I love reading them!