Killian wants to understand his wife's true feelings for the former Evil Queen. Snow gets to learn more about the wizard who's planning to operate on her. Granny speaks to her wayward granddaughter, and Robin gets a surprise at Regina's first ultrasound.
Swan House
"Killian, what the hell is that thing?"
She was totally distracted by the red, dragon-shaped stone sitting in front of him on the coffee table, which seemed to be pulsing a bright light blue whenever she spoke? And after the light had shone repeatedly as she tried to explain, it suddenly switched from blue to red!
"It's called the 'Verum Lapis', or 'truth stone'? Apparently it's ancient and made by a goddess, Aletheia, according to Merlin. It's rather intriguing. It differentiates fact from fiction with stunning accuracy. Allow me to demonstrate?" Emma shrugged her shoulders. Where the hell was he going with this? "When we had sex last night, did you or did you not call out Regina's name when you peaked?"
"WHAT?" She responded without even thinking. "No, of course not! Why would you think-"
But the stone's light had instantly changed from blue to bright red!
"Seems you're lying, Swan!" He looked up, glaring at her. "So, let's try again, shall we? And this time, the truth? Or would you rather run away, yet again?"
"You're serious?" The red light cut out, as though just waiting for her to slip up.
"Very. Now, let's try again without all the usual bluster and deviation this time, shall we? Let's see now. Last night when we were making love, you called out her name at a very inopportune moment, didn't you? It's a simple enough question, Emma. Did you, or didn't you?"
"Erm…" Her eyes never left the stone. Could this thing destroy their marriage more than she already had? "Yes, I did..." The light immediately changed back to blue... "But it wasn't intentional! Seriously Killian, I don't know why the hell it came out, like that? I love you, and I-" But he raised his hand to stop her.
"Emma, you don't need to repeat everything you said yesterday, because I believe you. Yes, you love me, and you love Hope, and you want our family to stay together. I get that. I watched the dream catcher, remember?"
"DON'T JUST DISMISS IT LIKE THAT! - I meant every damn word! I'm not in love with her!"
But her last six words made the light instantly flick from blue, back to red!
"I'M NOT!"
The red light shone even brighter.
"Ah, it seems like we might finally be getting somewhere?"
Exasperated, she couldn't believe what she was seeing, dropping her face into her palms. Their future's being decided on a fucking stone?
"Killian, whatever it looks like, it isn't what you think! I'm not-" She looked again at the stone, trying to figure out how best not to incriminate herself. All she could do was tell him the truth, no matter how excruciating, or embarrassing. "Yes, I admit I care for Regina, a lot. And I know she cares about me, too." That blue light came back. "We share a son, and yes, I guess we've become a lot closer since Robin got murdered, before he came back. But I'd just call it a very close friendship? I suppose you could call it love, of sorts, but it's not the type I feel for my own husband. For you!" The stone didn't light; she guessed it must've been because she was only giving an opinion. "Last night…I hadn't been fantasising about her, or anything like that, before we started making love, I swear! She just 'appeared' in my head at the worst possible time." At least the blue light returned for the last bit.
"A reminder from your time in Miami, perhaps? I watched the dream catcher, Swan."
She didn't answer, her elbows now resting on her knees, hands cupping her face.
"After you left yesterday, I continued watching, fast-forwarding through most but not all the parts where you two were being…intimate?" The blue light returned. "The first time was more than enough."
Emma, dying inside, wished she could be anywhere but here right now. She didn't know how to answer.
"Do you miss being with her? Physically, I mean?"
"NO!"
"Perhaps you just miss the touch of another woman?"
"Of course not! I don't-" Although she said it firmly enough, the light's instant change to red took her by surprise. "No! It's not like that!" But the red stayed. This was getting worse.
"You quite sure?"
But she stayed silent.
"Swan, I've always known you've had a past with the fairer sex, as well as my own, Swan. Maybe the last few weeks reminded you what it was like?"
She inhaled slowly, trying to control her breath. "It doesn't compare to what we have!"
"Not really an answer. Barring what happened with Regina this month, have you ever been unfaithful to me, with either sex, since you accepted my hand in marriage?"
"Of course not!" Thankfully the blue light returned. "Not from the day we became serious and started dating regularly; before you proposed, and I accepted. Leaving aside what happened recently, I'd never cheat on you!"
"What about before I proposed?"
"What's that got to do with anything? Do I ever ask you about your past?"
Clearly her walls were back up. So, he decided to try a different tack.
"I'm an open book Swan, and I've never hidden anything from you. Let me tell you something about me? Perhaps something we should've discussed before I even asked for your hand. Did I ever tell you that over the centuries I've had male as well as female lovers?"
The blue light was still shining. He was telling the truth. "Men? You?"
"Aye. After I renounced the King's naval commission and took to a life of piracy. I must've had at least a dozen encounters and dalliances with other men, over the years."
"But you never said anything?" She finally looked up at him, surprised.
"Why would I? We all have our secrets and it's not something one boasted about, certainly in those days. Not if you valued your life! Romantic entanglements between women weren't even discussed, and ones between men weren't just frowned on, they were illegal. In my days as a raw cadet, I even witnessed two young ensigns hanged for having been caught together in the same bed. Neither lad could've been a day over nineteen."
"They killed them just for that? That's…barbaric!"
"Aye. But those were very different times to now. I gather the lads in question had some sort of ongoing covert relationship. They were charged and convicted of buggery, without any sort of trial I should add, within an hour of getting caught. They were originally due for the lash, though the old bastard of a captain, Trencherwood, a religious fanatic, insisted they be given a greater punishment to deter others. Strung them from the mizzen mast, he did! In full view of the crew, and each other."
"That's horrible! How did he get away with it?"
"The navy may have been a hard taskmaster to the crews, but they always turned a blind eye to the shortcomings of its senior officers. Trencherwood was one of the worst. A total bastard. He hanged many a man for any minor misdemeanour, without any sort of trial and just to enforce discipline. But five years on, I saw to it personally that he got his comeuppance."
"Dare I ask how?"
"His ship, the rather appropriately named Retribution, hunted us down and tried to spring a nasty little surprise on us as we sailed out of Tortuga. Without boring you with all the details, we saw them coming and turned the tables, destroying her sails before boarding her. We convinced half the crew to join us, dumping the others on a nearby atoll as they were only young lads obeying orders. But remembering that old bastard, I kept Trencherwood back for his own little taste of 'retribution'." Emma sat, fascinated, ignoring the continual blue light. "I told him to his face why I was doing it and had him keelhauled. I take it you know what that is?" She nodded. "Afterwards, we hung his bloated corpse from his own mizzen mast. Oddly enough, there were cheers from his former crew. Though it was wrong at the time, I must have gained twenty men to our company that day."
Emma shook her head, amazed by the astonishing brutality of the times he'd lived through. "So why did you take such a big risk? Being with other men?"
"It was long after I broke from the navy. It was often due to loneliness I guess, but not always. While at sea for weeks, sometimes months on end, it was just comfort, Or companionship. But once or twice it became a little more."
This was a part of him she knew nothing about. "So, there was nobody, I don't know, you were serious about? They guys, I mean?"
"Perhaps one. Guillaume, the owner of an inn that used to fence our booty, who I knew over several years. Clever bugger. He was killed during a raid by the royal navy. But the vast majority of my intimacies over the centuries have been with women."
"I'll bet!" She rolled her eyes. "What's that they say about you sailors and pirates? A girl in every port?"
"There's been a few admittedly, but unlike many a sailor in a foreign port, I always shied away from the working girls' services even if I did frequent the bordellos for food and drink. I can honestly say I've never paid for that sort of comfort! In fact, when it comes to anything resembling real romance and the hope of something permanent, in nearly three centuries I've only had two real relationships, both women. You, obviously. And Milah. You met her in the Underworld?"
"Yeah," she gave him a sad smile. "I didn't get to spend too long with her. Gold was the one who introduced us. I'll never forget the look on her face, when he told her that I'd not only had a kid by Neal, but I was in a relationship with you!"
"Aye I'll bet that was a picture!" He sniggered silently, the first time she'd seen the hint of a smile on his face for ages. "Sadly, I never got to see her myself when I was down in that godforsaken place."
"We talked while we were on a boat into Hades' lair to try and rescue you. About Neal mostly. she asked after you and told me she loved and missed you. So, no other relationships with anyone else I might know? Or anyone I met since?" It was just a relief not having to talk about herself. "I'd always suspected you and Tinker Bell might've have had a hidden past. Even know, I see the way she looks at you sometimes, when she thinks no one's watching. Or Ariel?
"The mermaid? Ha! No, she was already long infatuated with her prince when I first met her. Though it's perfectly true Tink and I did share several brief…liaisons? But of course, that was when we were both trapped on Neverland; long before your own mother was even a twinkle in her father's eye. As for others you may have met, none spring to mind. Apart from Maleficent of course, back in the Moors. And the Sea Witch? And the queen, as you discovered yesterday."
"Don't remind me! I was shocked neither of you thought to tell me before the wedding? It might've been nice to know my husband-to-be and my Matron of Honour had once done the dirty? Even if it was long before I was even born?"
"Would it really, Swan? No, much like the dragon, it was purely for gratification. As you've frequently reminded me, your best friend isn't the Evil Queen anymore. Much as I like to think I'm not the pirate and killer for hire I used to be? No, being villains, I believe we were all incapable of having genuine feelings for another human being at the time; and when given the opportunity, we readily used one another where we could. But when it comes to Regina, to my bitter regret she also seduced me into killing my own father, for reward. And no, in answer your question, no one else now in Storybrooke who you'd know."
An awkward silence followed. She wanted to come back at him but thought better of it. After all, she'd married a man she knew full well hadn't lived like a monk,
"Now, I think I've been more than open about my past, Swan. Perhaps you'd show the same courtesy and tell me about your own previous liaisons since you first arrived in Storybrooke?"
"I guess that's only fair."
"Ruby Lucas. You slept with her, didn't you?"
"What?" Her head jerked up, eyes wide. "How the hell?"
"I'll take that as a yes?" He looked back at the stone once again, but Emma's open mouth only confirmed it instead. "I may not have your superpower for detecting lies, but when you've lived as long as me, you get a pretty good understanding of fleeting looks and body language. You don't need to deny or justify yourself to me Emma, or anyone else. You were single, after all."
"It only happened the once…" As the blue light shone again, Emma realised there was no point in avoiding it any longer. "It was a few weeks after Henry brought me here. I was lonely and she was…well, you know?" The unsurprised look on his face made her realise it was something he'd long suspected, even if he'd never said anything. "We were pretty drunk. Why? Did she say something?"
"Not a word. But as I said, body language? Though that one tends to flirt with just about everyone, I could always tell Lucas was more than keen on you. I thought she looked like a child having enjoyed that first slice, wanting more of the pie? Strange things, werewolves. Extremely rare; werewolf-human hybrids rarer still. They're like wolves in so many ways, but a wolf tends towards monogamy. One partner for life? Whereas your werewolf is quite the opposite! I was surprised that true love kiss she gave the Oz lass even worked. Even more surprised they went on to wed. I mean, it's one thing to fall in love, but I could never see her staying faithful to anyone for long, true love be damned!" He leant over and collected the red stone from the table, holding it in his palm, all the while Emma watching. He was right, he deserved her honesty. And the truth.
"Ruby was a one-off. We'd just lost Graham, the Sheriff before me? He died unexpectedly. I was worried, lonely, and she helped pick me up at a bad time."
"Must have been a bugger finding out she'd had a considerable past with your own mother?"
"Don't remind me!" She snapped back, her face suddenly harsh. "Is this your way of getting back at me? By humiliating me? Because if it is, it's working!"
"Far from it. And for the record, two days after I first arrived here to take my revenge on the Crocodile, she made a blatant play for me, though she's hardly my type? But once she found out my travelling companion was Cora, she scarpered soon enough!" He grinned, despite himself. "Though speaking of Lucas, I'm pretty certain she's also enjoyed the delights of Regina in her own past, as well as you. Though it would've been well before Locksley's time. Not to mention the Dragon more recently, plus Belle French; and that tall blonde working down the town hall? Julie? And several others of the fairer sex I could mention. It might explain why your monthly girls' nights at the Rabbit Hole were always so well attended?"
"What are you implying? I would never! And where the hell's this all coming from?"
"Do you seriously imagine it's only women in Storybrooke who notice things? There's Robin's lot, the dwarves, Guy, the owner of that nightclub you all frequent? Oh, by the way, Lucas has enjoyed his favours too. Even my own crew aren't averse to gossiping like fishwives at what they see and hear."
"Well whether it's true or not; or who did what to who; I had no idea! And I've played no part in any bloody lesbian group, okay?" She was getting irritated. "You wanna know all about my past? Fine, you got it! I never had any relationships, or anything, when I was a kid other than making out with too-handsy guys in the back stalls at the movies. I was a loner! Then I stole a car and met Neal by accident. And he was it for me and I was genuinely happy for the first time in my life, right up till I went to jail in Phoenix for stealing watches. I didn't even know I was pregnant and had to give birth to Henry behind bars! It was literally-"
"The worst moment of your life?" He interrupted. "Aye, you told me on several occasions. You put him up for adoption to give him a better life."
"Doing it broke me! I was lost. Thankfully, a woman my age called Sarah saved me. You talk about being lonely on board a ship? Well try it in jail? Sarah was an inmate, long-term, and we shared the same cell. She took care of me and yes, I admit, after a LITTLE while we became close. And before you ask, she was my first time with a woman. And like you with men, it was more about comfort than anything else."
"Understandable. I guess being incarcerated and at sea on long voyages have their similarities."
"Yeah. After that I was first let out on parole. There was a year or two when I thought I was probably gay. But then after a few dates and hook-ups, good and bad but mostly bad, with guys and girls, I realised I was probably bisexual, but preferred guys more? By the time Henry found me and brought me here, I wasn't with anyone, right up till that night I spent with Ruby, a few weeks after. There was a guy I met here, Graham, but it didn't go anywhere. And that was it, right up until you came on the scene. So after Ruby I didn't have sex with anyone, right up until you came along."
The light had stayed glowing blue right up until the last few words, when it suddenly switched to red again.
"You sure about that? This Graham fellow? The one who died?"
"He only kissed me the once, and that was it! And straight after he started acting weird? Seems it triggered something in his memories. So yeah, quite sure!"
"Anyone else? The Arendelle queen perhaps? That week she was here?"
"Elsa?" Where the hell did that some from? "What on earth makes you say that?"
"You recall when I broke into the Sorcerer's mansion?" He started chuckling as he remembered the look on their faces. "The moment you spotted me, you pulled away from each other like scalded cats! I knew you clung to one another when getting to grips with your respective magic. I've always assumed I'd interrupted something."
"I…I…you…" Again, that damn red stone was waiting. "We were only kissing. But yes, before you burst in, we came close to…something, I suppose." Technically, Killian had already taken her on their first date when it happened. "But there's been nobody since! Not so much as a kiss. Until you." Thankfully, the light had now gone back to blue. "Then no one after that, until…well, you know."
"I know. And thank you for finally being open with me. Emma, I honestly don't give a damn about your past, with whoever gave you comfort. Be they men or women. But we're now wed! Married, with a precious daughter. I need clarity and certainty about things between you and the queen."
"Look, I admit, yes, I'm attracted to her, okay? And yes, there were times in the past, before you came on the scene, when I imagined what it'd be like for the two of us being together? But that stupid potion exaggerated everything! It's over now. You and I both know Regina as good as worships Robin, while I love you every bit as much. Why did I call out her name out last night? I've no idea. But I also have no idea what you want me to do about it? Vow never to go anywhere near her again? Fine, I can do that. But she's still Henry's other mother. Leave Storybrooke and we go live somewhere else? I can do that, too, if you want. But I want my family back. As in you, me, Hope and Henry. My family. What do I have to do to make you believe me?"
Meanwhile, in a New York hospital…
"I don't understand. You told me it'd be weeks or even months before they found me a donor match? And now you've got both, the day after I get here?
Merlin, operating under one of his doppelgänger identities in the world without magic, Professor Sir Merlin Sage, had just explained the procedure once his colleagues had left the room and he'd doublechecked the door was secure, so no one could eavesdrop.
"It's true, I did say that Snow. And I'm sorry for the deception, but it was necessary, I assure you. As the last thing we want is for people out here to know that magic's real, we've had to be a bit economical with the truth, as far as the staff are concerned? Obviously, they don't know who you really are, other than the fact you're a very important person, probably royal, who's about to undergo revolutionary surgery to try and cure you. They believe the team I've brought in especially, are doing something so advanced, using untried techniques and wonder drugs under trial, that everything is being deliberately kept hush-hush." He could see the look of disbelief on her face. "But the reality's very different. Usually, a patient would have to wait a very long time for a donor match. And sometimes there isn't one. But we'll be making the full transplants here, using donor liver and kidneys, then taking you back to Storybrooke by private ambulance as soon as possible. Once there, I can apply magic to deal with crossmatch issues, before your body rejects the new organs. At least, that's the plan."
"I'm not sure I understood all that. Are you saying I'm going to survive?"
"it's more likely than not, provided we don't encounter any complications."
"So you're saying there's still a good chance I could die? Or not wake up again?"
"I'll be brutally honest with you Snow, there's a thirty percent risk you won't survive the procedure. But under normal circumstances, your odds are a hell of a lot better than having you wait for a full donor match, or fade under continued dialysis."
The princess slowly shook her head in sheer disbelief.
"Merlin, who the hell are you, REALLY? One minute, you're a trapped wizard in a tree in Camelot. The next, Emma breaks your curse and you come back. Then we all thought Killian killed you when the darkness took him over. But you then come back to life again, several years later, apparently not dead? Even though Emma swore she'd buried you? Then a few years ago you bring Robin Hood back to life, in a way no one seems to understand; then you disappear, and come back three years later when all hell's breaking loose in Storybrooke? It all seems a bit…co-incidental? Plus, you seem to know everything about all of us, me included, and how to fix it? Emma told me you were a seer, the greatest wizard who ever lived, and can see into the future. And now I'm supposed to believe you're also some sort of surgeon? I want answers, and I'm not having any operation by you or anyone else till I get them, even if I do die as a result!"
The Sorcerer sighed, giving her a sympathetic smile, nodding his head. "I'll admit, it can be very confusing. Quite simply, I'm a man, and also a sorcerer, who has lived close to two and a half thousand years. My powers originally came by drinking from The Holy Grail, a vessel created by Zeus himself. I suppose you can think of me now as an instrument, rather than a messenger, of the gods? Someone sent to right wrongs, where I can? Yes, I've been killed from time to time, but Zeus has regularly brought me back. In return, he's asked me to perform occasional tasks, such as remediating Hades' direct crimes on Earth. I'm also allowed to live a normal life."
"So, you also have family? Children?"
"Living? Yes, I have two wives, one in England, and another in Brazil, and six children between them. Imagine being able to split yourself into multiple identical copies, or doppelgangers, of yourself? Imagine there were four Snow Whites? And all these Snow Whites can communicate with you, and each other, share information, while living completely separate lives? There are currently four 'Merlin's' alive today around the globe. You may know me as Merlin from Camelot. But to others I'm Professor Sir Merlyn Sage, Royal Surgeon, based in London." He gave a tiny bow. "Over the years I've had forty-six wives and partners in my time, plus several hundred children over millennia. Thanks to the gods, I also have the ability to speak to all my passed-over children and loves. That's even harder to explain, and frankly, you'll probably only understand once you've passed over yourself."
"So you can speak to the dead?"
"Yes, if they're willing to speak to me."
"And you can see into the future? My future, if I have one? And my families?"
"Yes, in some ways. But not when I've become directly involved, usually at Zeus's request. It's…complicated. Oddly enough, your grandson Henry was asking me something similar. So sorry, I cannot predict the outcome of your transplant because I'm involved; only that it's better for you to have it, than not."
"Can you delay until after my family get here? If the worst comes to the worst, it could be the last time I get to see them!"
"I've already spoken to David. He's on his way this evening, one day earlier than planned, and he's bringing your son along with him. They should be here first thing tomorrow. He's also been trying to reach Emma. She's due in court tomorrow morning, along with Regina. All being well, and if the court agrees, she can come straight after that."
"In that case, I won't consent to any operation until I've seen Emma, too."
"I thought you might say that, and I can give you two days maximum, Snow. Otherwise, we lose the donor liver to someone else who needs it just as much as you do. We may have a long wait until the next chance."
"I don't care! I need to see my children first."
Rhode Island
It had been a long, tearful call with her grandmother. After apologies on both sides, the redoubtable old owner of the diner, Eugenia Lucas, had spent the last half hour telling her granddaughter about everything that'd happened in the little Maine town since she was ejected. The old wolf already knew about the faulty potion but filled her in on the latest goings on with Emma and Regina.
"If Gold's not coming back, and Merlin insists he isn't, there's no point in you staying away, is there? You'll be safe. I already spoke to Charming this morning, and he's agreed to lift the Lycaon vow he forced on you. So, enough talk about gallivanting around the world. Come home!"
"Yeah, it's not just that Granny. I can't face going back, even if The Dark One's not there. I'm sorry. And it's not just about me and Belle, though I don't think I could face Dot again, not after what I've done to her. Everyone in the whole town knows by now, and not just about Snow and Belle. So no, I'm going to stay away for good. Besides, now I'm away from all that magic crap, I'm feeling kinda lighter, you know? There was a full moon here last night and it didn't affect me one bit! I was staring right back at it, and I didn't change! Nothing!"
That genuinely surprised the old wolf. Her granddaughter had managed to supress her lunar urges over the last few years, but she still had to keep her old magical cloak on during any full moon.
"So, you're serious? You're not coming home?"
"I'm sorry, but it's for the best. For everyone."
"I see. You said you'll settle in Portland? Is Gold's wife going to be living there with you?"
As it was a mobile call on speaker, not a web call, she wouldn't have seen her granddaughter look over at the former librarian, who was silently listening. Belle nodded.
"Probably, but that depends on what Gold does about settling outside Storybrooke? If she needs to go somewhere else to be nearer to Gideon, like New York, I might go with her."
"Is it serious between you two? Four years is a hell of a long time to be carrying on behind the Dark One's back, my girl! Does she also know about all the other women, and men, you've been cheating on Dorothy with over the last few years? Have you told her yet?"
Wow, that was blunt! "Sorry, what do you mean?"
"I may be old, my girl, but I'm still a wolf! I can smell em on you for days after! You think I can't recognise a few cheap scents, colognes and sweats? I could smell French, the Dragon and the Fisher women on you the moment you walked in of a morning! So, if you're thinking of making any sort of life with her, that girl deserves to know the truth! I don't want you repeating what you did to Dorothy."
"Erm…" Seeing the look on Belle's face, she changed the subject. "How is she? Dorothy?"
"She's only been in here twice since you left. Both times with the Dragon's girl. They've been locked at the hip these past few days, and I hear they're often in Locksley's pub together of an evening. They're also both living on the prince's farm and helping ot. Can't say what's going on for sure. But she seems…better, given the circumstances."
"She's with someone already?" To Belle, Ruby now looked even more anxious. "Is it serious?"
"Can't say. But she seems happy enough. Considering."
She didn't know why, but Ruby felt bad on hearing the news. Dorothy had every right to move on, and she deserved better. But now it looked like she had? Already? "Erm…good for her, I guess."
"And you heard about Snow White? Her transplant's tomorrow, in New York, last I heard. Charming's taken his boy already as there's no guarantee she'll pull through. If old Judge Roberts doesn't throw Emma in the slammer tomorrow, she'll probably go down and join them."
"The operation's tomorrow? Already? I thought it'd be weeks before they even found a match?"
"I'm just telling you what Merlin told me. Did I tell you he's also the dragon girl's father?"
But Ruby wasn't listening. Her best friend and former lover was having major surgery to try and save her life. This was Snow. Her Snow. She had to be there!
"Which hospital's she in, Granny?"
~oOo~
Ten minutes later, once the call finished, Ruby promising she'd get back in touch, she put the phone down to see the former librarian staring back at her.
"Belle, look I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to quit on you all? I'd love nothing more than to get down to Cuba, but I need to- "
"I guessed…" The former librarian gave her a sad smile. "She's your best friend, and you need to be with her. I understand."
"I'll come back as soon as I can, I promise! Thank God Merlin's got me a credit card? I need to go find out how the hell I get to New York from here."
"Already ahead of you, Ruby. You can take an early train in the morning. Goes up to New York and there's a few changes, then you take a cab. I'll write everything out for you. I also just texted Merlin. She's in the Mount Sinai hospital under an assumed name. We'll sort it all out, and book it tonight."
"Thanks babe, don't know what I'd do without you? Are you going to come with me?"
"No, I'll stay on the boat with Livvy and Jer. Best if I don't come, under the circumstances? But if you manage to see them before the operation, give David my best?"
David? Shit - the Lycaon vow? Granny said she'd had a word with him. Would he still hold her to it?
Storybrooke Court – The following morning
It had been well over a decade since Emma had last stood in the dock as a defendant. The last time, she'd been jailed for three years for theft! Fortunately, getting out on parole, after only one.
And she'd forgotten just how terrifying that experience was!
When it came to justice, Storybrooke Court was different to anything outside. For a start, the town was magically hidden from the outside world. Second, the cases were decided by up to three 'Magistrate Judges'. One in this case. The thinking behind it was, how could you have a fair and impartial jury, when everyone knew everyone else in such a small place? Third, the man in front of her was a tricky nut to crack. Judge Jeffery Roberts had seen it all. Now well into his late seventies, he'd sentenced and acquitted many defendants over the years, and he was generally considered fair and impartial. He'd always refused to sit on any council committee or lobby groups, political or otherwise, for fear of being seen to take a bias, and at the beginning of the first curse, Mayor Regina Mills had installed him as the local justice, along with two more from Misthaven, as they were seen to be acting totally somehow independent of her. Emma had put plenty of defendants before Roberts over the years, usually for petty crimes like drunkenness or theft. But every time he'd made her, and her deputies, work to get any conviction, drilling them hard on the facts surrounding every case. So, even she considered upright and proper.
But now she was a defendant herself and no longer Sheriff, she was worried. Because the man on the bench could take away their liberty, possibly for a long time. And without her magic, there was no way he could stop her. Regina stood beside her in the dock, also clearly as nervous as her. Although one of the most formidable women she'd ever met, even without her magic, the former queen's hands were visibly shaking. So much so, she wanted to reach out and hold one, or her, to give some sort of comfort. But seeing Killian sitting in the front row of the public gallery watching them, she decided against. Especially after everything that'd been admitted yesterday.
But in the end, it all turned out to be an anti-climax!
For having listened to all sides, Roberts decided to just set aside the threat of a trial, pending full independent psychiatric assessments on them both by Archie Hopper. It wasn't an acquittal, which is what they'd both hoped for, but it was a start. His logic was that, while it was understood their actions may have been the result of their minds being poisoned by a potion, they did nonetheless commit all the crimes for which they were charged. Fortunately for Regina, Sidney Glass had refused to return and testify, which helped. When it came to deciding whether they could be released in the meantime, and for Emma to leave Storybrooke, Roberts had turned to Henry, sitting in the lower public gallery, to request that he would personally agree to keeping the magic-blocking cuffs in place until at least the next hearing. If he agreed, both mothers would be free to come and go at will until the next hearing.
Henry agreed without hesitating. Although he seemed to have disappeared by the time the session ended, and he wasn't outside to meet them again, after.
Storybrooke Hospital - An hour later
Having left the Court an hour earlier, Robin and Regina now sat in the reception area of the prenatal clinic in the hospital, waiting to be called through for her first hastily scheduled ultrasound scan.
They'd barely exchanged a word since they'd left the Courthouse, Regina silently brooding over everything that'd happened over the last month and what felt like, her ritual humiliation in court. She remembered how everyone in Storybrooke used to treat her, as their mayor, when she first cast the curse that created the town. How she used to be feared and respected, in equal measure, even without her magic? That felt like a lifetime ago.
"He looked at me like I was a common criminal?" She muttered under her breath, before realising she'd said it out loud. "Me, his former queen? He looked at me while I was worthless."
"Uh?" Robin looked up from the car magazine he'd reading, that'd been left on the reception table. It was only then that Regina realised he'd said barely a word to her since they'd left the Court. "Sorry, I wasn't listening. What did you say?"
"Roberts! Why wouldn't he just acquit us both and have done with it? Even though he was told all about Ingrid's potion, and the reason we behaved the way we did. For god's sake, what more proof does he need? Snow felt so guilty she tried to kill herself afterwards, and nearly succeeded!"
"Well, to be fair Regina, he did explain his reasoning? Despite the reasons for it, Emma did still commit the crimes, regardless; and you did still trap Sidney Glass, when you-" He stopped when she suddenly dropped her face into her palms, huffing loudly. "I'm sorry."
"No, you're right. I should have expected this. It's no more than I deserve."
Rather than saying anything even in sympathy, he went back to reading the car magazine.
"You've been very quiet since we left?" Was he was avoiding talking to her? "Unusual, for you. Is there something you want to say to me? Are you still angry with me?"
"Angry? No, I was just thinking about things. About something Merlin said yesterday."
"Go on?"
"No, it's not important. I'm fine…" He turned a page, looking down again.
"Robin, please just come out and say it?" This was getting frustrating. "Something's clearly bothering you."
"It's nothing, I-"
"Please? Robin, we've been through so much this last month, and I promised to always tell you the truth from now on, as you asked? Can't you just do the same for me?" It was his turn to look away now, clearing feeling awkward. "What did Merlin say to you? Was it about me?"
"Not directly, no."
"Robin, please?"
"It's not important. It's just…we were in the Locksley, with Killian, chatting before he left. And Merlin got talking about the other realms he'd visited. No, not realms exactly. Timelines? Timelines, yes, that's it! Apparently in these 'timelines', our lives are being played out. Our lives are running elsewhere, differently, but in parallel, apparently? I think I understood him."
"He said something about it to Henry and me two days ago," she wasn't sure she liked where this was heading. "So what? What about it?"
"Well, it's not really important, but from what I gather, in one of these timelines you wind up escaping from Cora and Misthaven, with Daniel, without him being killed? You went on to have children and a happy life…" She nodded, remembering the Sorcerer's version. "As a result, you never became The Evil Queen. As a result, my Marian was never killed the first time! We went on…sorry, that Marian and Robin went on, to have two more children, both girls. And they're all still out there in this other timeline, apparently?"
She nodded, slowly. "Yes. So it seems we both somehow managed to get out happy ever after, but with our first loves? Did he also tell you about the other timeline, where Gold killed me for something I did to the bookworm?"
"Imprisoning her? Yep. And the one where you and Emma fell in love and got married?" He could tell by the awkward, embarrassed look on her face that she'd heard all about that one! "And then went on to have two children of your own? A boy and a girl?"
Regina was mortified, blanching as she remembered the look on Henry's face when the Sorcerer had told him two days ago, at Gold's house while the pirate watched the dream catcher. "Robin, despite whatever Merlin may have told you, I refuse to believe it would be possible for Emma and I to conceive a child between us, let alone two? Whether they had true love magic or not, I don't believe it!" Then a horrible thought occurred to her as he saw the look. "Is that what this is about?" Her hands went to her lower stomach, almost protecting it. "Why you're being so quiet? You think this baby could be Emma's?"
"Well I didn't…" He looked down at where her hands were. "Till you mentioned it! I just assumed you, or they, had IVF or a sperm donor or something like that?"
"ROBIN! I-"
"Mrs. Locksley?" Said a voice from someone close by she hadn't noticed, till now. "Mrs. Regina Locksley? Sorry to take so long, but we're ready for you now. Come on through?"
~oOo~
An awkward twenty minutes followed.
Regina had lain on the stretcher bed for the best part of it, while the young female sonographer passed the probe over her gel-smeared tummy. But the serious look on the medic's face had both her and Robin concerned.
"What is it, Doctor?" Robin spoke softly so not to alarm his wife. "Is there anything wrong?"
"No, Mr. Locksley, nothing's wrong as far as I can tell. But usually we run our first scans at around ten to twelve weeks, when we can pick things up properly? Mrs. Locksley said she's around seven weeks? It's proving a little difficult to find the foetal sac tight now, so I suggest you come again in a few weeks? Or alternatively we can use the transvaginal, rather than the abdominal transducer."
"Sorry, can we have that in English, please?"
"Sorry, my bad! Let me explain. This probe, or transducer, can pick things up a little later on in the pregnancy. But we also have a smaller probe, that goes inside the vagina and is much more powerful. We can use that of course, and it's still perfectly safe, though most women prefer to wait until-"
"Please?" Regina interrupted her. "I'd rather not leave here without knowing the state of this baby!"
"Very well then, I'll go get things set up. Give me a few more minutes?"
As the nurse left to go get the necessary equipment, Regina looked again at Robin, who seemed deep in thought. After what he'd been told about the 'other Regina', she could only assume he thought the worst. That the life growing inside her, wasn't his. But surely it had to be? After all, didn't the clinic in Miami tell her she was between five and six weeks? That was over ten days ago; so surely it had to be his? How else could it not be? But what if it was less under five weeks? Surely Emma couldn't possibly make her pregnant? How? And if she had, how the hell would she explain it to Robin? Or Henry? Or worse still. Emma? She didn't want to say anything, until she had the facts.
Ten minutes late, Rebecca the Sonographer having reappeared with a box and unfortunately for her, birthing stirrups. The internal probe was inserted and before long, they had their answer.
"Ah good, that's more like it…" Rebecca announced triumphantly as the monitor screen came to life. "Now we're getting somewhere!" She kept the wand-shaped probe in place inside Regina, on the edge of her uterus, as she clicked various buttons and wiped her fingers over the touch screen. "Come on now little fella, let's have a look at you?" She pressed another button, and the screen froze. "Right then! You see this big black blob at the top? Ignore that, it's your bladder. We need to look at this little thing here…" She spread her fingers wider on the screen and the image expanded. "Now this here's what we call the Gestational Sac? Inside this is a Yoke Sac…" she carried on spreading her fingers. "And in that we have the…there we go! See here? The thick white shape? That's your baby! At this stage he's about the size of a coffee bean. About seven millimetres or so, judging by the look of it."
"He?" Robin drew closer to the screen as Regina's bulged. "You can tell the sex already?"
"No, just a figure of speech. We'll only know whether it's a boy or girl on your ten-to-twelve-week scan? But you see this denser bit here?" She took a pen and touched the screen again. "That's your baby's head. I can't detect a heartbeat yet, but that's not unusual for this stage. Regina, that Miami clinic you mentioned? They said you were five to six weeks?"
Regina's jaw was already hanging open as she looked at the image of the life now inside her. The baby she thought she'd never be able to carry.
"Yes. But that was nearly two weeks ago. Why?"
"Well don't worry, I can't see anything wrong at this early stage; but I just think he's a small bit small for seven weeks?"
"Small?" Robin looked back at Regina, who was already staring up at him. She looked alarmed. "So how far along do you think she is?"
~oOo~
