Authors note:
And hereby we've reached chapter 20 of this story. I don't really know exactly when chapter 21 will be posted because I'm going on vacation for two weeks to Germany and they don't have wifi in Alt Garge (sigh), but on the bright side I can write ahead if I have the time. Enjoy the second part of the birth ;)
...
Whereas Regina had been the calmth herself this morning, now, five hours later she was the exact opposite. It was one PM and the Mills house was filled with silence and the occasional curse or moan, sometimes both at the same time. The contractions were still ten minutes apart and Regina was making it very clear that the labor wasn't going fast enough for her liking.
"Are you sure we shouldn't go to the hospital?" She had asked the question a million times already these past five hours, but she couldn't help it, she had never done this before.
"And then what?!" Regina snapped back, panting as she buried her sweaty forehead in the big fluffy pillows on the couch. She was kneeling on it, gripping the armrest in right fists as Emma was sitting on the floor next to the couch, trying to help but being unable to do so. "Sit in some hospital room for the next two weeks because that's how long it takes for this damn baby to come out! I'd rather be here until we really can't anymore."
"But you can get an epidural there." Emma offered, rubbing down Regina's arm.
"We talked about this, Emma." Regina calmed down somewhat when the last waves of the contraction had past. "I don't want an epidural, I didn't have it with Henry and I survived that too, didn't I?"
Emma sighed, brushing the loose strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail back behind her ear. "I just don't want you to be in so much pain."
"Whatever made you think I was in pain?" Regina smirked tiredly.
A soft chuckle left her pale lips. "Well I guess it was the cursing that would even make a sailor blush that really did it." Her hand wiped the sweaty dark locks from Regina's forehead as the brunette slowly moved to turn on the couch so her back rested against the large cream colored pillows. (Light colors were really bad to be leaning against right now, Regina knew it would be impossible to clean if something were to spill on it. Like, let's say, her amniotic fluid.)
Regina sighed loudly and looked close to crying as she snapped her head to the side and looked at the blonde sheriff. "My water hasn't even broken yet, why does this have to take so long? They always tell you the second one is easier." She huffed and crossed her arms over her sensitive chest. "Liars."
With a look of utter sympathy Emma slowly got on her feet. "Can I get you some water?"
"Yes." Regina shot her a tired smile as she slowly pushed her body up from the couch, only managing to get on her feet with a little bit of help from Emma. "But I'll get it myself, dear. Maybe some walking will do me good."
And Emma was absolutely not about to object to a woman who was in fucking labor. Though she still held Regina's hand in a tight grip as the pair slowly walked towards the kitchen.
When they reached the counter, Regina untangled her arm from the blonde and smiled reassuringly. "Everything is fine, dear." Regina chuckled and reached for the cupboard above her head to grab a glass. "She's still in."
With a nervous laugh Emma nodded. "Yeah, I already thought so."
As Regina opened the faucet to fill the glass with water, her phone rang and Emma almost ran towards the living room where it was still lying.
"Thank you." Regina said as she took the phone from Emma and put it next to her ear. "Regina Mills." She answered in her usual no nonsense tone.
"Regina, it's me, Mary Margaret." The chirpy voice filled her eardrum.
"Oh, Miss Blanchard. Was there something you need? If so, please call my assistant." Regina said politely with only a little annoyance shining through. She was about to hang up when the woman's childish voice started speaking again.
"But we had a meeting scheduled about the new music room for today. Well, actually half an hour ago." The teacher said and dissapointment sounded through in her voice.
"Yes, well I have something different on my mind right now. And I can assure you it's more important than some new flutes for the toddlers. " Regina snapped when she saw a breathy chuckle leave Emma's lips. No one in town knew she was in labor yet, no one except her assistant and Katherine.
"Oh, how come? We agreed that this meeting had to be done as soon as possible and-"
"I'm in labor, Miss Blanchard." Regina cut the insipid teacher off with a snap. "So I think I have a pretty good excuse as to why I'm missing this meeting, don't you agree?"
"Oh, yes of course!" Regina had to lean her phone away from her ear slightly. "I'm so sorry, of course I understand! Just ah- good luck, I think."
"Thank you, Miss Blanchard." Regina snapped and ended the conversation without any more preamble.
"You really like her, don't you Regina?" Emma chuckled and took the phone from the brunette to lay it on the dining table.
"You have no idea. God I really don't have time for all her annoying chatter." Regina bit her bottom lip as she felt another contraction coming on, this one a minute earlier than expected and Regina was almost glad because it meant the labor was finally progressing. But like she'd said: she was almost glad. A pained moan escaped her lips as knuckles turned white with the force she was using to grip the granite countertop.
"Fuck, that one really hurt." She panted once the pain started to ebb away again and Emma was immediatly next to her, softly stroking her arms in an act of comfort. "Goddammit!" She turned around and laid her sweaty forehead against Emma's shoulder. "I don't have the energy to do this anymore."
"Yes you do." Emma softly soothed, wrapping her arms around Regina's form and stroked in soothing circles over the brunette's back with her hands. "You can do this, I mean you had Henry and I've seen pictures. You have to agree with me that he was one hell of a chubby baby."
A tired chuckle hummed against her shoulder and Emma smiled. "I won't even try to wonder what that was like."
"Good, because believe me, dear, you don't want to." Regina smiled and looked up to meet Emma's emerald eyes. "That cute boy almost tore me in two with his whole nine pounds. But I forgave him, probably because of the dimples."
Emma laughed and kissed Regina's forehead. "Yeah, definetly the dimples."
...
"Maybe we should go to the hospital now, yeah that's probably a good idea." Emma said in panic, eyeing the brunette in front of her who was almost crushing the bones in her hand as to try and relieve her own pain.
"Shall I call?!" A loud moan filled the living room and Emma frantically nodded. "Yeah, I'll call the hospital."
"Don't you dare leave me, Emma Swan!" Regina snapped, curling up on her side and moaning loudly. "God, if he wasn't dead already, I would be murdering him right now!"
It took Emma a couple of seconds to realize who Regina was talking about - well more cursing on, right now. Peter. She was getting furious with Peter.
"And the bastard died before I could even murder him! The nerve! Leaving me to deal with this all by myself, like the coward he was!"
"Uhm, I don't really think it was his plan to die, Regina." Emma said softly, but immediately knew it was the wrong thing to say right now, probably ever. Because now she was met with the most arctic stare she had ever seen. It seemed to turn her whole body ice cold.
"What did you just say?!" Regina looked close to delirious as the pain ebbed away and she was able to sit up again.
"I'll go grab your overnight bag, alright?" Emma smiled and kissed the brunette's head before racing upstairs.
Only when she was upstairs, did she realize that she didn't know where Regina had put the bag and with a sigh she turned around, ready to go back into the battlefield to ask Regina where it was.
Halfway down the stairs, she heard a sound of a gasp and liquid leaking.
"Emma?!" Regina voice frantically yelled. "Emma get down here!"
"What is it?! What happened?!" Emma ran into the room, seeing Regina standing next to the couch. The brunette had raised her hands slightly, looking down at what seemed to be a puddle of clear water at her feet.
"My water just broke." Regina breathed, holding one hand on her stomach as she grabbed the back of the couch. Yes, she would probably have to get a new rug, but that was not something she should think aboth right now. Because now this baby was really coming.
"And now it's time we go to the hospital, dear." Regina said as calmly as she possible could.
...
Leave a review and I'll try to write ahead while I'm in Germany (and if I can find wifi I'll try to update this story. Really, I need that wifi, I need to see Lana at SDCC, it is of great importance). ;)