It was about 6 months after the wedding and Regina was meeting Tink for lunch. She was a bit anxious considering their past and the fairy's budding friendship with her sister. She had tried to have a sort of truce with Zelena but their lives soon got in the way and the witch, after her wedding and honeymoon, started to focus on her pregnancy. Mal was busy keeping Zelena constantly comfortable and happy so Regina hardly ever saw her much. Besides, they'd only been back in Storybrooke for a week. After Hawaii, the couple had seemed to like the land without magic and went to visit Australia, Africa and England. Since coming back, they'd been cocooned at the farmhouse.
Arriving at the diner, she spotted Tink immediately, sitting in a booth and texting on her phone. "Hello Tink."
Tink looked up and smiled. "Hey Regina. Look at you. The little one is on its way, huh?"
Regina sat down with a sigh. "Indeed. How are you?" She didn't even have to order for Ruby to bring over two ceasar salads and teas.
"Great. You?"
"Um, it's getting better. Robin's moved back in and we've gone out a few times."
"That's great." Tink's phone made a dinging three times. She flipped it over and opened the messages. She smirked.
"Something amusing?" Regina asked, sipping her tea.
"Oh nothing. Mal said I could come visit now. She wanted to give Zelena some time to relax after their trip."
"Isn't that what they were doing the entire trip?" Regina quirked an eyebrow.
Tink scoffed as she turned the phone back over. "Those two? Please. I don't think they sat down at all on their incredibly long honeymoon. Sent like a dozen video clips."
Regina smiled softly. "Do you think me and Zelena could ever be true sisters?"
"It'll take some work, but anything is possible, dear. Why don't we go visit them after lunch?"
The queen shook her head. "Zelena made it very clear that I am not allowed on her property. And besides, no matter how much I want to hit her in the face again...it would upset Mal and our relationship is tattered enough as it is."
"Did you really love her?"
"Of course I did. I still do. I know now that we can never be more than friends, but...it doesn't look like the friend thing is coming along either."
"I'm sure Maleficent still cares about you."
Regina scoffed. "And I'm sure she still hates me."
Tink shook her head. "How about we go see them after lunch and you two talk. You're going to have to broach the subject sometime. Just ask her if you can start over and try again. Simple as that."
Regina slowly nodded. They did enjoy their meal together, exchanging gossip and Regina's future plans for motherhood. She already had the nursery set up and now she was just waiting for her princess to make her appearance. At 7 months pregnant, she wanted her out. She had another 2 months of ballooning up to go. After lunch, Tink drove them out to the farmhouse. She only knocked once before bursting inside without an answer. Mal was in the kitchen, cooking, purring so loudly you could hear it as soon as you crossed the threshold, despite Zelena sitting on the living room floor laughing as she played with her two lion cubs. They'd already been named Oz and Kiki. Regina stood by the door, waiting to be invited in, but Tink ran right in and dove on top of Zelena in a hug. Apparently boundaries were not as appreciated with them as they were in the Mills household. Zelena's belly had swollen to far larger than it should've been at 7 months. She was wearing a long green dress that had long slits to show off her legs. Besides, her giant belly, everything else remained taut and slim. Mal must keep her on a workout schedule. The witch looked up and gave her a noncommitted gesture to come in. Regina obeyed, perching on a chair while Zelena pulled herself onto the couch with a sigh.
"How was the trip?" TInk asked. Zelena's answer was a photo album which she conjured and laid on the table. Regina leaned over next to the fairy as she flipped through it. It was filled to the brim with pictures detailing their happy honeymoon. From paragliding to sailing to surfing and snorkeling and sightseeing.
"It was to die for." Zelena smiled. "We did everything under the sun. I was surprised she let me do anything."
"I am not some tyrannical Lord." Mal called from the kitchen.
"No, but you're protective, love. I love you anyway." The witch replied.
"I know you do." Maleficent muttered with a smirk.
"How are things?" Regina asked.
"Perfectly swell. Couldn't be better. Except maybe if I were probably 100 pounds lighter and could see my feet."
"I hear you." Regina scoffed, subconsciously looking down to try and see her own.
Tink smirked. "So, are you excited or nervous? Picked out any names?"
"Absolutely excited." Zelena grinned. "And no, no names just yet. We have decided to name the baby girl after our mothers. The problem is which one."
/
Maleficent listened silently to the conversation in the living room as she cooked dinner for Zelena. It would seem Regina was actually trying to be civil, although she was naturally wary of anyone being close to her mate while she was 7 months pregnant and almost completely incapable of defending herself physically. The witch was trying to abstain from using magic until the baby was born. It was weakening anyway and there was no way Zelena could wield her weapon with so large a stomach. Still, Maleficent was her first line of defense and the dragon couldn't help being so protective of her love.
She didn't bother joining the conversation, only really exchanging a few words with a very strange acting Regina. After their guests left, she brought out Zelena's requested dinner of roasted beef, sauteed vegetables and onion rings.
"Oh, this looks delicious. I'm absolutely famished." Zelena exclaimed, quickly digging in. Mal merely purred and went to clean up the kitchen. She'd hunted earlier, so she was comfortably full, and her thoughts were on yesterday. Her wife had gone in for a check up and as usual, she was nervous and excited to get another look at her little one. Another daughter. It made her skip a little just thinking about it. Their honeymoon had been superb and it was nice to get out of Storybrooke, as well as come back to Storybrooke afterwards for a long rest. Everything was going well with the pregnancy. Storybrooke was actually quiet for once and nothing weird was happening. What could make life any better? Then she got a phone call from .
"Um, Maleficent, hi. Good evening. I think we should talk." Whale said.
"About? Is something wrong with the baby?" she demanded, attracting Zelena's attention.
"No...not exactly."
"What is it?" Zelena demanded.
Mal raised a finger. "What is it, Whale?" She snapped, feeling fear once again creep into her heart. Nothing could be wrong with their little girl. They did everything right.
"I think you should come here as soon as possible-"
Mal hung the phone up and looked at Zelena. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't move until i get back."
"Wait! Mal-"
Mal teleported straight to and found him in his office. The man jumped when the imposing woman appeared in front of his desk. "Oh good, you're here. I was just looking at Zelena's ultrasound photos."
"At 7 at night?" Mal asked.
"I was bored and come on, it's a half dragon baby. That's kinda cool and medically amazing that Zelena has an egg in her stomach."
Maleficent rolled her eyes. "Then what was so important that you had to call. Yesterday you said everything was in order. Zelena and the baby were perfectly healthy."
"They were and still are." Whale spread a new photo on the desk. She stepped forward to look, but it was the same one she'd seen yesterday. Or so she thought. The baby was much more developed now and distinguishable. This time though, there was something else.
"Is-is that what I think it is?"
"Yes." He smirked. "I enhanced the scan a bit."
"There are two children in the egg?" She asked to confirm.
"Yes, I'd like to bring Zelena in to check on some stuff and the second fetus is a little small and a bit underdeveloped, but that can be easily fixed with some nutrient adjustment and-"
"Magic."
"If necessary, but I'm pretty sure-"
"Science sucks?" She grinned. "Can I borrow this?" She nodded to the photograph. He nodded and she took it and teleported straight home.
"Maleficent, tell me what's going on!" Zelena tried and failed to get off the couch. She scowled at Mal's smile and sat back with an exhausted huff. "What's wrong with the baby?! Wait, don't tell me, I have two eggs inside me? That's what it feels like. Oh no, she's deformed or too small or-"
"Actually that two eggs thing was the closest." Maleficent grinned, quickly kneeling next to her wife's legs and holding up the picture. "This was taken yesterday, Zelena. Tell me what you see."
"I see our little girl. By the way, we should start thinking of names. And I thought she was healthy…"
Mal rolled her eyes as Zelena continued to ramble. "Zelena!" The redhead went silent. "Look again." Zelena glanced at her, but ultimately obeyed. "Whale wants to run some more tests and do another ultrasound, but it's exactly what it looks like."
"We're...having twins?" Zelena whispered breathlessly.
"Yes, my love. We go in tomorrow and make sure everything is okay, but yes."
"Has this ever happened before?"
"Yes. About 10,000 years ago, but yes. The odds were so unlikely that two children would be born to the same egg that I didn't even tell you about it. I'm so sorry, I never expected for this to happen."
Zelena put her hand over her mouth. "Why didn't we ever see it before?"
"Well I would assume we were only looking for one and the larger fetus is practically on top of the other. Whale said it was a little small and underdeveloped but he would help with that. Isn't this wonderful?"
Zelena nodded quickly, a few years spilling down her cheeks. She grabbed the blonde and kissed her roughly. When she leaned back, she let out a loud scream of absolute joy. "Oh my gosh! Are you serious?!"
"I am, my sweet." Mal leaned her forehead against hers and kissed her nose. "I am."
"I'm scared. What if I can't push the egg out? Will you cut open my stomach?" Zelena asked, suddenly terrified. "What if-what if I die during labor? Mal, I'm scared."
"Just a preemptive measure." Mal reasoned, soothingly striking her wife's hair. "Change into your dragon form if no one else is around. It's unlikely that I won't be, but do it anyway, okay?"
Zelena nodded. "Okay." She was shaking, so Mal took her to the bed and laid down with her to calm her down.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
With the days growing warmer, it was not uncommon for the citizens of Storybrooke to find themselves down at the lake, taking in the sun before the weather turned cold again. Regina was sitting on a blanket, leaning back against a tree, looking down at the happy people. A smile touched her lips when she spotted Henry and Roland down below playing in the water. Robin was sitting next to her, facing another direction.
"The way she cares for Zelena….is quite astounding." He said softly. She turned to find that down the bank was Maleficent in her dragon form, drinking from the lake while Zelena was lying under the sun on a hammock not far away. Around her were tables of refreshments, drinks and fruit should she ever get hungry or thirsty and the dragon was gently fanning her with a wing.
"Yes." Regina scoffed. "Almost like a slave." She remarked, although her words were far from true and she knew this. She knew that Mal took no greater pleasure than caring for her wife and mate, as it was a dragon's duty and one the blonde took very seriously. Maleficent's loyalty knew no bounds. She would without a doubt, without hesitation, live, lie and die for Zelena, because she trusted her and loved her. When Maleficent truly trusted you, that trust could only be broken by you and Regina had done exactly that, pushing perhaps the greatest woman in the world into her sister's arms.
"Dragons are fascinating, no?" Robin asked, turning to look at her. "Roland is enamored with Maleficent now. She gave him one of her scales and he takes it with him everywhere."
"Robin, if you're trying to get me to confess something, then just ask."
He smirked. "I was just implying the mysticism of dragons."
Regina hmmphed and looked down as Roland and Henry walked over to Maleficent, carrying a large fish. "Where on earth-"
"Why do they assume she always wants food?" Robin muttered.
Maleficent was very gentle as she took the fish and tossed it into the air to catch it. Only it was intercepted by Eric as he fly by overhead, in his large, dark red dragon form. Mal roared at him and grabbed a rock in a giant scaly hand and threw it, hitting him square in the back of the head. He fell into the lake and she let out a satisfied growl. Her tail flicked happily before she shifted back into human form and gave each of the boys a hug. Eric walked out of the water, in human form as well, in a pair of swim trunks. Mal punched him in the stomach and went back over to Zelena. Regina turned away after that. So did Robin. His eyes moved from the other lake goers to her stomach.
"What will we name her?" He asked, leaning down to press his ear against her belly.
"I don't know yet." She smiled. "But it will be fitting." Of that, she had no doubts. Her daughter would be perfect, and she would have a perfect name. Regal and strong just like Regina's own. She'd considered several names, something sweet like Marie or something reminiscent of Regina like Giana. There was a time when she considered naming her after Mal, but that wouldn't blow over very well. She simply could not wait to have her child. Emma and Little John had already been named the godparents. Her nursery was done and the only thing left to do was to have the baby. But she seemed to be taking her sweet time getting out of there. Still...only 2 months to go.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Those 2 months flew by for Zelena. Between readjusting the nursery for two girls, sleeping, eating and arguing over names with Mal, time just seemed to fly. She was just waddling out to her garden when she felt something wet on her legs and feet. Despite the storm quickly growing overhead, she knew the ground was as dry as a bone. Her water had broken. She did as Mal instructed and changed into her dragon form, but the sudden pain deep within her belly kept her from going anywhere. She laid down on her side, panting and groaning. Her contractions were starting to come and she tried to count the amount of time between each one. After the first few drops of rain landed on her nose, she was barely able to conjure a suitable shelter for herself for the rain came pouring down. Now she needed to contact Mal in some way. She tried roaring, hoping the dragon was at her house. It was within hearing distance, but after a few minutes she had to stop and whimper in pain.
"Zelena?" Mal's voice made her roar with relief. The dragon walked into the shelter and realized what was going on. "Are you in labor? You're two weeks early."
"The babies don't seem to know that." Zelena tried to reply, but it only came out as a strange growling noise.
Maleficent made her way to her tail. "I already see the egg. Looks like we're gonna have a home birth dear. I don't think it would be wise to move you."
"Great."
Mal talked her through it, instructing her to lift her tail and keep it to the side and to not drop it even after the egg came out or she could accidentally damage it. The pain was excruciating and the redhead really wished she had some painkillers. She wasn't even sure how long they laid in the shelter, Mal's soothing words and touch encouraging and helping through the incredible ordeal. It must've been hours. She never imagined it would be so difficult or hurt like this. Finally, the egg landed with a soft thud and Mal moved it out of the way. Zelena went limp with a sigh, shaking from exhaustion. Mal brought the magnificent green and brown egg around so Zelena could see it. It was absolutely massive. Zelena gave it a tender lick before everything went black.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When Zelena opened her eyes, she was once again a human and laying in a hospital bed. Everything was so bright and the infernal beeping nearby made her want to blow it up. She felt drained and weak beyond description. She could feel her mate close by and craned her head to look around further. Mal was sitting in a chair, watching over their egg with tender eyes. Every minute or so, she would breathe fire onto it to keep the little ones inside warm and incubated. "Is it okay?" Zelena croaked, pulling the tube out of her nose. The blonde looked up and raced to her, kissing her lips in frantic joy.
"Yes. You did wonderfully, my love. Whale says you're going to be fine."
"Why am I here?" She asked weakly, pulling the dragon closer so she could share her natural warmth.
"I healed you, but I wanted to bring you to Whale to make sure everything was okay. And everything is. We just have to keep the egg incubated and it'll hatch in about two weeks. Right on schedule." Mal assured her, kissing her forehead. "You did very well. Didn't even scream. I tore my den apart giving birth to Lily." She smirked. "Do you want to go home?"
"Yes. I'm cold."
"Okay, baby, I'll go discharge you and we'll get you home." She bathed the egg in her fire before leaving and Zelena sat up with a groan. She swung her legs off the bed and placed her feet on the cold ground. She was still very weak, but she stumbled over to the chair next to the egg and ran her fingertips over the surprisingly smooth surface. She pressed her ear to it, listening. Her face split in half in a wide grin when she heard the heartbeats, both strong but one noticeably louder than the other.
"Hello in there." She whispered. "I don't know of you can hear me, but I'm your mum. I can't wait to meet you." She glanced over her shoulder before turning back to the egg. "I've always wanted to be a mother. You are perfect. I want you to know that right now. And I am going to spoil you rotten. I promise you that. I love you already. I love you so much. It took a while to get you here so I won't let anything happen to you." She kissed the egg tenderly and stood up on still weak legs, falling into the chair behind her. Mal returned with a wheelchair and immediately started fussing about the witch getting out of bed. Zelena ignored her mostly and demanded that she be allowed to carry the egg home. Mal finally relented and allowed her to while she pushed the wheelchair. The egg was much lighter than it looked. When they arrived home, Mal set up a small stone box which she placed the egg into over a pit of hot coals that sued dragon fire to set alight. She sent the witch to bed to watch over the egg. For the next two weeks, they traded back and forth, one would sit and make sure the fire was still going while the other slept or ate. They switched when the other got tired in order to make sure that their little ones were properly incubated. And then, just as predicted, exactly two weeks later, Zelena thought she saw the gg shake. Of course, she could've been seeing things, so she watched more closely. Sure enough, it shook again.
"Mal!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Maleficent raced out of the bedroom, looking around wildly. "It-it-it's time. The egg, it's-" The egg suddenly cracked, a sharp jagged crack straight down the middle. Mal gasped and knelt next to the stone bowl, dousing the flames with a wave of her hand. Zelena hopped from foot to foot, watching as her children fought to enter the world. They were forbidden to assist until a piece of the egg had actually opened up. It was a bit of a wait, both mothers pacing or bouncing anxiously, waiting impatiently to get a look at their children. Zelena grabbed her phone and called Tink while Mal called Lily and Eric. The trio appeared a moment later and joined them in watching as a tiny fist broke through the egg. It was actually the smaller baby. Mal pulled her out. She was so tiny, but she started crying as soon as she was pulled from the warmth of the egg. Mal cradled her against her chest and neck, purring softly to soothe her. Already she had a full head of blonde hair.
Zelena gasped at the sight of her and covered her mouth excitedly. Until she remembered their second little girl and quickly rushed to help her out. She picked her up, so small she could be held in her two hands and held her just as Mal had done. "They're so beautiful, so perfect. Hey Little Green Bean." She whispered. "I can't believe they're ours." Eric went into the nursery to get some blankets so the little ones could be cleaned and wrapped up.
"Oh, what are the little cuties' names? Did you guys pick yet?" Tink asked.
Zelena gently stroked her little girl's cheek. "Yes. We named them after our mothers. Her name is Adrienne."
Mal smiled. "And hers is Cynara."
Adrienne and Cynara. The two tiny daughters of the Wicked Witch and the Dragon Queen. "My little Green Bean and my little Munchkin." Zelena grinned. Mal kissed his temple lovingly.
"Our little dragonlings and witches."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Read and Review! Sorry for any mistakes or if it was rushed.