A/N: TW for Marital Rape discussion

Regina shifted in the car, her hands nervously running over her belly. She could feel the baby kicking, likely more active due to its mother's racing heart.

"It's gonna be okay, Regina. They're gonna be fine. My mom's gonna flip; she'll be so happy."

"Grandma is going to scream. I know she's going to scream."

Regina looked out the window. She'd been nervous ever since they'd discussed needing to tell Snow. She had known that Henry would take the news well, but Snow was an entirely different story, and as Regina looked down at her shining ring (it having arrived just in time for their maternity shoot in two days), she couldn't help worrying. What if Snow reacted badly? What if she reacted in disgust, the way she had in Regina's dreams the past few nights? They'd been waiting to tell her in order to have the ring with them (mostly, this was an excuse. Regina had needed time). Now that the day had arrived, Regina was scared to tell Snow, though she'd never admit that aloud.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. We're in this together."

And that was the problem. Emma had just found her family after being alone for her entire life. Regina knew without a shred of doubt that if Snow reacted badly, Emma would choose Regina. She would choose her, and their baby, and their son over her mother and her father, the mother and father she'd spent her whole life dreaming about and longing for.

Regina didn't want that. She wanted Emma to have her entire family with her; she wanted her lover to have her whole support network, not just a part of it. It made her belly clench with dread that she might end up being the one to destroy Emma's happiness.

Emma glanced over at Regina when they pulled into her parents' driveway. She parked the car, turning to her son and nodding in the direction of the loft.

"Hen? Why don't you go inside and warn your grandparents we've arrived."

Henry eyed her suspiciously but he did as he was told, exiting the vehicle without saying anything else.

When they were alone, Emma turned to Regina, reaching out and cupping her chin. She gently turned her lover's face towards her, smiling softly at her.

"Hey. I know you're worried, baby."

Regina simply nodded in response.

"We'll be okay."

"Emma, if she reacts poorly-"

"She won't."

"If she does, Emma," Regina responded sharply, annoyed.

"Sorry. If she does?"

Regina looked down, breaking the contact Emma had on her chin.

"I don't know."

Emma waited silently, resting her hand on Regina's arm.

"You've only just found them, Emma. I don't want to be the reason you lose them. I can't be the reason you lose them, again."

"Hey, look at me?" Emma met her eyes when Regina finally looked her way. "If she does react badly, which I don't think she will, but if she does, it won't be any of your doing, Regina. Her reaction is her own. If she decides she hates this, hates that we're engaged, hates that I'm gonna marry you, then that's on her. Because what's important is what we want, you and I. And if she can't get on board with that, then that's her loss. If she doesn't support us, then she'll be the reason I lose them, not you. Cause our family: you, me, Henry, and this baby, our family is my priority. It's what matters most to me."

"Thank you," Regina responded, voice soft. "Still, I'm worried."

"I know, honey. But if she reacts badly, then that's it. We'll leave and until she can accept it, I won't be seeing her anymore. I'll pick you. It's not even a close competition. You'll win every time. I'll always choose you."

"I know you will. That's part of the issue, Emma. I know you'll choose me. But she's your mother. You've gone your whole life without her. I don't want you to suddenly go without her again now that you've only just found her."

"I've been without her all my life, Regina. Like you said. I don't need her. But I do need you."

Regina, tears welling up in her eyes, shook her head.

"I don't want you to have to choose."

"This is all hypothetical, sweetheart. And I really don't think it's actually gonna happen. My mom really likes you. And I know you like her. You guys have been getting along great lately."

Regina raised her head, eyes narrowing. The tears slipping down her cheeks softened what was meant to be a menacing expression.

Emma chuckled.

"You're adorable."

"I'll murder your entire family."

"You are my family."

Regina squinted harder, but a small smile tugged at her lips. She leaned into Emma's hand when it cupped her cheek.

"I know you're worried, baby. I'm sorry this is scaring you. Let's go face it now, okay? Together. And if she reacts badly, we'll figure it out, also together."

Regina reached up and placed her hand over Emma's. She looked into her eyes, holding her gaze for a moment.

"Thank you."

"Always."

Regina swiped at her eyes as Emma made her way around the vehicle, opening the door for her. Regina took the offered hand, leaning heavily on her fiancée as Emma helped her out of the vehicle. Regina smiled at her gratefully, stepping away as Emma closed the door. She had every intention of making her way to the loft, until Emma reached out and stopped her progress.

"What?"

"C'mere," Emma encouraged, holding her arms out.

Regina immediately walked into her embrace, snuggling in close (well, as close as she could with her belly in the way). She closed her eyes when Emma kissed her cheek, taking a deep breath and inhaling Emma's calming scent.

"My parents just want me to be happy, Regina. And you, sweetheart, you make me so fucking happy. There's nobody else in the world who knows me like you do, who treats me as well as you do, and who loves me as hard as you. My mom sees how happy I am with you, and if she doesn't support that entirely, knowing how happy I am with you, then she clearly doesn't have my best interest at heart. And if she doesn't, then I don't want her in my life, Regina. I don't want anyone in my life who doesn't support you, and support us."

Regina nodded, squeezing back when Emma held her tight.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too." Emma pulled back slightly, kissing her softly on the lips. "Now, let's go do this together."

"Okay."

Regina straightened, reaching down for Emma's hand and threading their fingers together. They walked hand-in-hand to the loft, Emma knocking loudly before opening the door and allowing Regina to enter first.

"There you are! We were wondering where you two were."

"Just needed a minute to get up the steps," Emma explained, patting her own stomach. "Been eating too many bear claws lately."

Snow rolled her eyes, but she smiled as she watched her daughter crouch down and help Regina remove her shoes.

"How are you feeling?" Snow asked, looking at Regina in sympathy.

"Like I'm ready to burst," Regina complained.

Snow chuckled.

"Sounds about right," David responded, coming over to her and kissing her temple. "You look beautiful, though."

Regina warmed, a soft smile playing on her lips. Like father, like daughter.

"Would you like to hear about what Neal did today?"

Regina squeezed the back of Emma's neck as she lifted a foot, taking advantage of their shared contact to soften the blow of her mother uttering her brother's name. Eventually, she knew that Emma would stop reacting to the name, but for now, Regina preferred to err on the side of caution. She smiled at Emma when the woman stood, grabbing her hand as they made their way to the island.

"What did he do today?" Regina finally asked.

Snow beamed at her son, who was jumping up and down by the counter.

"Would you like to tell everyone what you did today?"

"I poop on the potty!" he exclaimed proudly.

"You did not!" Emma replied, filling her voice with excitement. "You're such a big boy!"

She scooped her brother up, tossing him in the air, grinning widely as the boy screamed with delight.

"I'm a big boy! Again! Again!"

Emma tossed him in the air several more times before spinning him around, chuckling when his eyes began rolling in his head.

"I think that's enough," she declared, holding him upright as he swayed in her arms. "Good job, buddy."

Neal didn't respond, too busy following the spinning room, grinning happily. Once he regained his balance, he ran after his father and Henry, who had made their way into the living room.

"You must have been relieved," Regina finally responded, looking at Snow. "I remember how difficult it was to potty train Henry."

Snow nodded.

"It's been a nightmare. He hates the potty. We've been bribing him with everything we can think of."

"Understandably. Don't become discouraged if he regresses or if he stops using it. It can take several tries before it sticks."

"I've read that too. I really hope he doesn't though. It's been so hard."

Regina gave a quick glance to Emma, who was forcing a smile as her mother recounted how difficult it had been these past few days, and how much energy they'd been expelling trying to potty train their son. She could see the tension in Emma's shoulders, so she reached out and pulled her close, leaning into her when Emma was stood directly behind her. She then sat up straighter, tilting her head slightly as she looked at Snow, nodding along as she spoke, discreetly tugging at her top so that Emma would be afforded a better view.

"Did you want some tea?"

"I'd love a tea."

"Same," Emma agreed, leaning down when her mother turned around to whisper in Regina's ear. "I know what you're doing."

Regina tilted her head up, lips brushing against Emma's ear as she spoke.

"I've no idea what you mean, Em-ma."

"Behave," Emma chided, though she did appreciate the incredibly sexy distraction. She then held Regina's gaze for a second, searching her eyes. "You're okay?"

Regina nodded quickly. She was still nervous, but she was less worried now that they were here. She was, however, looking forward to when the news would finally come out. She was waiting for Snow to spot her ring, and if she didn't, then Regina would announce it after dinner. Distracting Emma now was fun, though, her mood lightening considerably.

"Good," Emma replied, biting back a groan when Regina leaned against her bent arms, pushing her breasts together enticingly.

She loved Regina's cleavage, now more ample since she'd gotten pregnant, but the last thing she needed was to react to said cleavage. She did, however, feel much better, so she was also grateful to Regina for her sneaky actions. She stole one last glance down her lover's shirt before clearing her throat and straightening.

"…but anyway. I'm just glad he seems to be making progress."

"Absolutely," Emma agreed, finally tuning back into her mother's monologue.

Snow turned around, two steaming mugs in her hand, beaming at both women. She reached out and handed Regina her cup of tea, hand halting in mid-air.

"What is that?" she gasped, shakily putting down the mugs and staring at the ring on Regina's finger. On a very important finger.

Regina's heart leapt in her throat, arm extended as she had been reaching for her tea. She nervously began retracting her hand, stopping only when Snow snatched it forward again.

"Is this-" Snow halted, looking up at Regina, who simply smiled and gave a small nod.

Henry was correct.

Snow screamed.

After their eardrums had recovered, and David had calmed down (the man rushing in in a panic when he heard his wife), Regina told the story of how they'd gone together to pick the ring, Snow holding her hand and admiring said piece of jewellery the entire time. She held her hand throughout the story of how Regina had been the one to propose, that Emma had eagerly accepted, and that they were planning on something small, after the baby was born.

Regina cried as she recounted the story and Snow had squeezed her hand and cried along with her. And at the end of it all, Snow had thrown herself forward and wrapped Regina in her arms, crying and congratulating her, and telling her how happy she was for them both.

Regina would never admit it, but she had crumpled in Snow's arms in relief, crying harder when the weight of wondering if Snow would accept their engagement lifted from her shoulders. When they pulled apart, David was finally afforded the opportunity to interrupt, admiring the ring as well, and then pulling Regina into his arms and congratulating her. He did the same to Emma, holding her for an extra minute to murmur in her ear how proud he was of her, causing Emma to shed not a small amount of tears.

By the time they moved to the table, it was well past dinner time, Boo complaining loudly about how hungry he was, oblivious to the commotion around him. The adults ate and laughed, Snow and Regina making (and holding) eye contact more than once, Snow occasionally reaching out to grab her hand and admire the ring yet again.

"The sapphire, it's the night sky, isn't it?" Snow had asked, but she'd phrased it more like a statement than a question.

Emma had looked over at Regina then. She hadn't thought to ask why a sapphire, had simply assumed it was because Regina liked them. But by the expression on her fiancée's face, her mother had hit the nail on the head, and Emma was yet again learning something new about her lover.

Regina simply nodded, looking down at the ring.

It was something very few people knew about her, about her love for star-gazing, for taking walks in the cover of night, for staring at a midnight sky. Regina was both an early riser, as well as a night owl, finding solace in the quiet and the calm of darkness.

When she'd been a child, she'd often wandered outside long after her parents had gone to sleep, laying in the cool grass to soothe her aching wounds, inflicted by a heartless mother. Young Regina would lay there for hours, staring at the sky, losing herself amongst the stars as she imagined what life would be like if she'd been born in a different family.

And when she'd met Daniel, they would sneak off at night and cuddle under the stars, talking about their hopes and dreams, their fears and their traumas, all while staring up at the night sky. They'd laugh and cry together, Daniel holding her tight and kissing her softly, the two exchanging promises to break away from their families as soon as it were possible.

And then he'd been murdered and Regina had been traded to the King, forced to marry him, and then she'd been locked in her quarters, only allowed out when the King wanted her to join him in his chambers. And after, Regina would return to her room, shaking, sobbing, traumatised. She'd open the doors to her balcony and lay on the cold stone, staring up at the sky, and suddenly she could breathe again.

The darkness had always been her refuge, and it, ironically, had been what she'd ultimately turned to to escape the imprisonment of her marriage. In some ways, the darkness of the sapphire represented both the night sky, her escape, as well as that time in her life when she'd turned to darkness, also to escape. It was something that Regina was not proud of but which was ever-present in her life. That darkness was a part of her, a part of her past, and there was no escaping that. But the small shimmering stones that enveloped it and adorned the band were, for Regina, representative of both the night stars, as well as Emma's light, her love, her good, surrounding Regina and keeping her safe. They embraced the stone, the darkness, the way Emma embraced her.

But Regina wouldn't share that with anyone else, not with anyone but Emma, one day, for those truths were far too intimate to share with anyone but her future wife.

"It's beautiful," Snow finally said, pulling Regina from her thoughts.

"Thank you. Emma picked this one."

Regina had been torn between two rings, and Emma had been nothing but patient, supportive, asking prompting questions and assuring her that they could return to the jewellery shop if Regina couldn't decide that day. And it was then, at their appointment, with Emma sitting next to her and patiently waiting, carefully listening to her, and encouraging her to take her time that an overwhelming feeling of want washed over Regina. She wanted Emma to choose for her, to have a say, as the woman had been nothing but quiet and supportive. She'd given absolutely no opinion the entire time, simply teasing out what Regina liked as they looked at rings.

"Which do you like best?"

"I like them both. I think they're both beautiful. Which one do you see yourself wearing when you close your eyes?"

Regina had closed her eyes, but she couldn't decide. She liked them both.

"We don't have to choose today, baby. Why don't we take pictures and go home, and we can look at them some more tonight? You can sleep on it and maybe tomorrow you'll have a better idea.'

"Perhaps. I would have liked to choose something today though."

"I know, but there's no rush."

"Which do you prefer?"

"I prefer the one that makes you happiest, that makes you feel good when you look at it."

"But I'd like your opinion."

Emma had shaken her head.

"No, baby. It's about you and what you want."

"Which do you see me wearing?"

"Either one. They're both gorgeous."

"Why will you not tell me your opinion?"

"Because it doesn't matter what I think, Regina. This is your ring. You pick the one that you like best and the one that makes you feel good."

Regina had looked at the rings for a long time. She'd then looked at Emma, and back at the rings. She was suddenly overcome with the desire for Emma's opinion. This was Regina's ring, yes, but it represented them, their marriage. Their union. It suddenly hit Regina that she wanted this decision to be both of theirs, and that had shocked the hell out of her. But it felt right, and so she'd prompted Emma again.

"If you were to choose one of these to propose to me with, which one would it be? I want you to answer me, Emma. I need you to."

"I don't want to influence you, Regina. You were so adamant about you picking. I don't want to taint this experience for you."

"I thought I'd want to decide alone. I was certain that I'd want to choose my ring, but now that we're here, Emma, I feel differently. This ring represents us. I'll wear it for the rest of my life, a life I will share with you. I don't want to start our life by making such an important decision without you. You've allowed me the freedom to choose which I want, and now I'm realising, I would like this decision to be made with you. Now please, darling, tell me your opinion."

Emma had looked at her long and hard after that, asking her again if she was sure.

"I am, Emma. Please."

Emma licked her lips, looking back at the rings and pointing decisively at the one on the right.

"If you really want my opinion, there's no competition. That one."

"Why that one? You sound so certain."

"I am. They're both nice. But this one," Emma started, indicating the one on the left, "it's a little more rectangular shaped than that one. It makes me thing of like… I don't know, stops. Or something. Edges. Corners. They're rounded edges but they're still there. It's still like having corners.

"This ring is a symbol of us being married. A marriage has difficulties but it's supposed to be forever. I want it to be forever. I want forever, with you. And I feel like the other one, the oval shape one, is forever. There's no stops, no edges at all. It flows nicely, in a loop. It's just a perfect oval shape. That's what I want with you: a continuous journey, not one that has stops or corners or edges."

Regina had looked at her for several long moments before turning to the shop attendant.

"I'd like the oval shaped one, please."

"Well, she made an excellent choice," Snow complimented, smiling at the ring. She then looked back at Regina before looking over at Emma. "On both fronts."

Emma's neck coloured a little under the attention.

"I think so too," Regina replied, kissing Emma's cheek.

"Anyway. We're all happy but can we cool it with all the kissing?" Henry asked, making a face.

"Oh?" Regina asked, turning and promptly kissing Emma on the lips. "Perhaps this is better?"

"Ew, no."

"Ew!" Boo repeated, grinning over at Henry. "Ew!"

"Very ew. I'm done my dinner. May I be excused?"

Regina chuckled, looking at her son's plate.

"Very well. Place your dishes in the dishwasher, however."

Henry nodded, grabbing his plate and doing as he was told. Neal followed quickly behind, also adding his plate to the dishwasher, right next to Henry's. The adults watched the two boys until they disappeared from sight into Neal's bedroom.

"So, when are we going to see the maternity photos?" Snow asked, grinning.

"Our appointment is Sunday," Regina replied, spearing a piece of asparagus, "so some time after that."

Snow clapped her hands, delighted.

The adults continued chatting, David and Emma ultimately getting up and clearing the table while Regina and Snow talked quietly. When the volume of their conversation lowered, both father and daughter looked back to find Snow's hands enveloping both of Regina's, tears pooling in her eyes as she spoke to her former stepmother. The expression on her face was raw, open, and vulnerable. She spoke passionately, but quietly, and neither Emma nor David could hear what was being said. They watched for a moment until they heard a loud hitch in Regina's voice, the woman doing her very best to stifle her sob, both turning away at the same moment.

"Seems like an intense conversation."

Emma had simply nodded, giving a worried glance behind her, seeing her mother pull Regina close as she cried in her arms. Emma and David stayed in the kitchen, chatting quietly, until the boys came out of Neal's room. Regina and Snow were still talking, so they took Henry and Neal out of the house, giving the other two women some privacy.

When they returned over an hour later, the women were sitting on the couch, still talking quietly, both holding a mug of tea. Regina glanced up when the door opened, Emma shooting her a questioning look. Regina nodded and smiled, indicating with her head for Emma to join them. Emma did, sitting behind her on the couch and discreetly asking her if she was okay. Regina leaned into her and nodded and said that she was, though Emma could still hear the thickness in her voice that had meant she'd been crying.

Regina stayed close to Emma for the rest of the evening, holding her hand during the drive home, and soaking in every ounce of Emma's unwavering attention and tenderness. She allowed Emma to dote on her, feeling incredibly raw and exposed after her conversation with Snow, and her fiancée's attention helped soothe her.

When they crawled into bed that night, Emma spooned Regina tight, holding her close and kissing every inch of her exposed shoulder. They lay there quietly, together, Emma not saying anything, leaving it open to Regina if she wanted to talk.

She didn't, however, too overwhelmed by her conversation with Snow and by the prospect of going back tomorrow.

"We're going to meet tomorrow, again, to continue our discussion. We didn't get the chance to finish today."

Emma, a little surprised by that revelation, kissed Regina's shoulder in response.

"Seemed like you guys had a pretty intense talk."

Regina nodded, bringing Emma's hand up and under her chin.

"It was needed, but extremely emotional."

"I saw that. I didn't know you guys hadn't finished talking."

"There is much to be discussed. We have a lot of history. Too much to be discussed in a singular evening."

Emma, unsure of how to respond, simply kissed Regina's shoulder again.

"Well, if you need anything, I'm here."

"Just… please hold me."

"I'll never let you go, baby."

Regina sniffled, tears forming in her eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Always."