Welcome back, friends and followers. This chapter is quite short, I apologize. It's pillow talk that will set us up for the more exciting, future happenings. Happy reading!

6.

The sun poured warm rays of light through the bedroom window, as it so often did in morning hours. Regina, more than half asleep, wiped the muck from her eyes. It took only moments for her to realize that they had slept through last night's dinner and today's breakfast.

"Damn," she grumbled as she saw the red, glowing numbers of the bedside clock. "Emma," she sighed.

When the was no response, she laid a warm hand on her bed-mate, "Emma, it is 8 o'clock."

"Hmm?" The blonde woke slightly, pulling her blanket tight to her chest.

"In the morning, Dear," Regina added.

"Oh."

"No, no oh, we are both late for work," she growled, jumping from the bed.

"Regina," Emma smiled from under her cover as she watched the flustered brunette hastily walking around their room, gathering articles of clothing.

"What is it?"

"Its Saturday," she said calmly, stretching her naked body across the bed.

Regina paused, glaring into the air above her head. Slowly, she released her breath. "It is," she murmured.

"So, how about," Emma rubbed the empty space next to her on the bed, "you get yourself back in this bed before your spot gets cold."

With a smirk, the brunette dropped her armful of garments into the floor and made her way into the bed.

"Thank you," Emma whispered as she wrapped her arm a naked, tan torso.

"I cant believe we slept through dinner," Regina huffed, running her free hand through her very tangled hair. "I hope Robin fed Oliver."

"Well," Emma propped herself up on an elbow, I seriously doubt he would have let him starve."

"This is Robin we are talking about here."

"And his son, who honestly, is old enough to get his own food if he is hungry."

"That is true."

Emma laid her head on Regina's chest and pulled the deep red comforter up around them both. Slowly, the blonde traced circles on her lover's tight stomach. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Whats that?" Regina asked, her eyes closed as she took in the feeling.

"Well, the other day," Emma started. She paused. "Wait, promise me that you wont overreact."

"Me? Overreact?" Regina scoffed.

"I'm serious."

"As am I, Dear."

"Just, do it."

"I promise I wont overreact to whatever foolishness is about to stream from your lips," Regina said, as though it were scripted.

"Thank you," Emma mumbled, going back to brushing her fingertips over dark skin.

"Now, what is it?"

"Well, when I went to get Oliver and Grace from his room the other night, they were cuddled up, asleep in his bed."

"Okay? Should I see that as an issue? They have always been close, you know that."

"Apparently Oliver has spoken to Killian about what to do for girls."

Regina turned to face the blonde. "In what sense?"

"I'm not sure, I didn't really ask."

"That's what we need. Killian, king of the guy-liner, giving our innocent son, dating advice," Regina sighed before flopping onto her back, once more.

"What do you think we should do about it? I mean, what if they are… you know."

"Having sex?"

"No, I don't think that is happening but what if they are a thing?"

"I think I will let you and his father deal with this," Regina said firmly.

"What?"

"I have no tack when it comes to the tone that should be used when speaking gingerly about an issue and we all know that, I would scare them both to death."

"Oh," Emma smiled, cuddling just a little closer.

"But you know how to talk to the boy and you always were good at getting this across to him without being harsh."

"I guess."

"It's a gift, Dear. You are great with the boys," Regina whispered as she brought her lips to press firmly against the other's forehead.

There was a long silence before Regina began again, "Speaking of the other night, what was on your mind?"

"Hmm?"

"You seemed very out of it, surely those fighting buffoons could not weigh that heavily on your mind."

"Oh," Emma sighed. "It isn't important."

Regina pulled the girl closer to her body in an attempt to be comforting. "If it is on your mind, it is important."

"Eh," shrugged the blonde, "there will be a better time to have this talk."

"Oh, but there is no time quite like the now, now is there?"

Emma sat up completely. Pulling her knees to her chest, she leaned her back against the rather large headboard. A now, concerned Regina, sat up on her hands.

"What is it? Why do you look so forlorn?"

"Well, here's the thing…" Emma took a deep breath and focused eyes on the dark ones before here. "I want a baby."

At first, the words didn't seem to register in Regina's mind. She continued to stare into her lover's eyes, silently. Then it hit her and her eyes widened as her face tensed. "I'm sorry, you want a what?" she asked, shaking her head as though she were certain she had misheard.

"A baby, Regina. I want to carry a child."

"But we have two already," she smiled.

"Correction," Emma sighed. "You and Robin have two."

"Oh come on now, they are just as much yours as they are ours."

"Here's the thing," Emma said as she squared her body with the now, cross-legged brunette. "Yes, I have been here for the boys since they were young and yes, I consider them my children, but I missed a lot of their lives."

"What do you mean? It has been ten years," Regina said, warmly.

"But I didn't get to see their first steps or hear their first words…"

"Or clean their diapers," Regina said, sarcastically. "Or have to stay up all night because they refuse to sleep."

"Exactly," Emma practically yelled. There was a hint of excitement in her eyes. "I want that. I want to be there from the beginning. To teach them to read, to learn, to kiss boo-boos and catch them when they fall. I want to have a baby."

"I," Regina sighed. "I just don't know, Emma."

"What don't you know? We are financially stable, we have a huge house in a safe town, we make our own schedules, and have basically everything else we could possibly want out of life."

"There are things that have to happen," Regina said softly.

"What?"

"We are a weird family, Emma. But in my heart, I am very traditional."

"Traditional?" Emma laughed. "Um, you had two kids with a gay man."

"Whom I married," Regina added.

"Yea, you married but had the weirdest relationship, like, ever, with. And then divorced because you were in a stable relationship with a female, ex-student. Now tell me, what is traditional about any of that." Emma's tone was becoming quite harsh. The sting of pending rejection was beginning to form into a more serious form of pain.

"Maybe traditional wasn't the right word."

"Oh, you think?"

"Emma."

"No, its fine, I get it."

"I am not saying that you can't have a child," Regina said softly. "I am saying that there are many other factors that have to be involved."

"Like?" Emma asked, rolling her eyes.

"A lot of things."

"Now isn't the time to play coy, I am being serious, talk to me here," Emma pleaded.

"How are you planning on doing this, exactly? Have you considered a potential donor?"

"I have a few in mind."

"Oh? Please tell me that Mister Jones is not one of them."

Emma looked down at the bed. "I mean, he would make pretty babies."

"Naturally," Regina scoffed. "And the others?"

"Well, I have thought pretty hard on it and I think that if I picked someone who would want to be involved in the kid's life, it would be better. I know that Killian can't handle the responsibilities involved in all that. It would have to be someone who is not only responsible but someone with a good family and…"

"A good family?" Regina narrowed her eyes. "Are we talking about Neal right now?"

"Yea," Emma smiled.

"Of course we are."

For a moment, there was silence between the two. Regina's gears were turning rapidly and it showed.

"Well, I don't think that would be a horrible idea," she said arching a brow. "The two dominant families in Storybrooke, coming together to make a life and raise it honorably."

"Have you talked to anyone about this urge you're having? Or this less that sane idea to carry your ex lover's child?"

"No, I don't exactly go around telling people whats on my mind, you know."

"Well, I feel like we can talk about this further and hash out somethings with say, Neal."

"Yea, I don't know. I don't want to do this like, right now or anything," Emma said quietly. "There are things that still need to happen before I can be really sure that I want to go through with it..."

"Is this a new idea, then? Did you just wake up one day and realize you wanted to go through the pure torture that is carrying, birthing and raising a child?"

"Why do you have to put it like that?" Emma groaned.

"I was just asking a question."

"No, Regina. I have been thinking about this for over a year now."

"Oh?" Regina pursed her lips into a half smirk. "And you just now brought it up?"

"Like I said, there are other things that probably need to happen first."

"Things like what, Dear?"

Emma's eyes darted over to her red leather coat that was laying balled up in the floor, off the side of the bed. "Things," she smiled.

On a less related side note, if you take the time to read through this story and are offended by who I have tagged in the description, I have this to say: If you would direct your attention back to the description page, you will notice that I have this labeled as a "Family/ SQ Romance" and it also says that this story contains elements that are out of character. As Robin is a part of this family, he is tagged as such. No where in the description will you find a Robin/ Regina paring. So, if you are offended, hurt, or angered by this particular arrangement, feel free to stop reading at any point. I have zero tolerance for negativity or closed- mindedness, and I will not be bullied by individuals who cannot handle artist freedoms in regards to my writing. That being said, thank you for your reviews but as this is my story, I will continue with it as I see fit.

Thank you, as always, for reading. -DR