Chapter Eleven
Emma Swan had never before experienced such a whirlwind of emotions.
The pooling relief of Regina responding to outside stimulus for the first time in a month. The abject terror of watching her pull out her intubation urged her to melt their lips together and enjoy the unbridled bliss that came with True Love.
It wasn't until the older woman's hand brushed her bump that she was yanked back into the stark complications that were now her reality.
There was no more denying it. The growing child was half Regina Mills, which also meant that she was half Evil Queen.
Every theory that Henry rattled off, every crazed proclamation that came from Regina and then Gold was true.
She'd asked Jiminy Cricket how to get custody of her son, every other day she arrested Grumpy the dwarf for public intoxication, and brought coffee from Little Red Riding Hood every morning.
She lived with Snow White. Her mother. The same woman who appeared as though she would melt into a pool of embarrassment upon finding the mayor straddling the mayor's lap.
If even half of the stories were true, how would she react to that scene now? How would any mother feel about their daughter being destined to be with their greatest enemy?
What if she had already ruined the relationship with the woman she technically had not truly met yet.
This distinct eventuality meant that Henry was tugging her along Main Street amidst the clusters of tearful reunions and exclamations of indignation at the three-decade-long stupor they'd been placed into.
Emma found herself attempting to piece together the identity of those they passed but she'd hardly been in this town long enough to make any solid guesses. This allowed her mind to instead attempt to calculate just how many people had been swept up in the curse.
Could she love the person who had caused so much pain?
Henry pulled at her sleeve, unaware of the storm going on in the saviour's mind. The boy was too busy grinding widely at each person who had been freed.
At last, he found his target and Emma feared that his smile would surpass the bounds of his face.
Mary Margaret Blanchard was embracing the man who must have run from the hospital in his dressing gown and slippers. As far as Emma was aware, David had not regained a single memory in the weeks that he had been awake.
He now displayed not a hint of confusion with his arms around his wife. Similarly, Mary Margeret was exuding more determination than ever before.
At this point, Henry was practically vibrating, not a hint of the sullen boy refusing to accept that his mother would be legally bound to die the next day.
Emma let go of him, allowing the boy to fulfil his dream of rushing over to Snow White and Prince Charming who parted to welcome him.
David frowned deeply at the unfamiliar boy, so Snow helped him out and greeted, "Hello, Henry."
"Hi grandma," he said cheerily.
Mary Margaret laughed heartily as David's eyes widened but her laughter tapered off as she sought out the best person to explain this all to her husband.
Emma was hanging back her mind circling around the fact that Mary Margaret Blanchard could be a grandmother.
Apparently, Mary Margaret was similarly shocked to finally gaze upon her fully grown daughter, with her hand clasped in David's, she pulled him over and Emma almost backed away, feeling very much like a cornered animal.
She stayed put, however, and sucked in a breath as Mary Margaret put a hand to each side of her face and said, "Emma…you found us."
The confirmation allowed David to step closer, his eyes trailing down her. Was he comparing her appearance to family members that she would never get to meet? The possibility that a kiss had given her a full family tree returned her desire to scramble away from these people.
Perhaps she could claim that she needed to check on Regina's safety? That wouldn't be what either of them would want to hear though, would it?
Emma swallowed to try and wet her throat as Mary Margaret dropped her touch to cup the bump.
Unlike with Regina, there wasn't a split moment where it felt right, but she barely knew the woman doing it now, she certainly wasn't her True Love. But did being the person who gave birth to her give her the right to do this without asking?
How could she tell someone who was smiling so broadly that she shouldn't assume that she got to touch her?
Tentatively, she gripped Snow's wrist to drag her off and her face dropped, her eyes shining like those of a kicked puppy.
David saved Emma from having to figure out whether an apology was necessary by squeaking, "Another grandchild?"
Releasing Mary Margaret's hand, Emma could only nod while looking to Henry for reassurance that he was too elated.
"Who…with who?" David stammered.
"I…er…" Emma said, watching Snow's face increasingly crumple under her prior knowledge. Was she actually disgusted? Would this be enough to wipe away the unadulterated love that she had been exuding before now?
A cacophony of shouting dragged her attention away from what could be potentially the most damaging abandonment yet.
Archie and the seven dwarves emerged from the crowded street and Snow's face hardened protectively, more than anything that Emma had witnessed from Mary Margaret.
Was this the whole bandit princess deal from the book?
"What is it?" Emma asked, eager for the distraction.
"It's Regina," Archie breathed and Emma sensed Henry's excitement melt without having to turn to him, "The people, they were forming a mob! They're going to kill her!"
"I still think we should watch," Grumpy grumbled.
Emma knew it! She shouldn't have left her in favour of the most stilted reunion in history!
Concern didn't immediately spring to either Mary Margaret or David and Emma knew at that moment that she was in for an uphill battle.
Right now, she needed to make sure that this curse wasn't broken for nothing. She took off without waiting for approval, running towards Milfin Street.
As Archie warned, there was a jeering crowd at the door of the largest mansion, one sentiment louder than any other, "She doesn't have her magic. Kill her!"
"Let her go!" Emma shouted, pushing anyone in her way aside with force, "Let her go!"
She got to the pillar in time to stop Whale's hands from circling around Regina's throat.
The queen was sneering, the expression unnatural to Emma after the softness in the hospital room. The look only got harder as David and Snow appeared, Henry behind them in Archie's grasp.
The coldness of the gaze that was shared between Regina and Mary Margaret was chilling.
They truly hated each other, didn't they?
Whale grunted as he was pushed away from his mark, but followed it up with a growl, "I'm sorry that your True Love is such a monster, sheriff."
Regina turned her sneer to him as David squeaked, "True Love?"
"The saviour was the only one in the room when the sleeping curse was broken," Whale announced, causing whispers to erupt around the mob.
Significantly paled, Snow gestured to Emma's stomach and said, "But that really means that…"
"Yes it does, Snow," Regina said spitefully.
"Means what?" David asked.
Snow opened and closed her mouth a few times, her brain seemingly short-circuiting until it, at last, gave up. She fainted backwards to be caught by her husband.
Regina rolled her eyes deeply and Emma sighed. That was the clearest indication the woman could have given of her feelings about the matter.
Emma grabbed Regina's upper arm, pulling her closer and causing David to flick his eyes between the two of them while also supporting his unconscious wife.
"I think we need to put you in protective custody for a while," Emma said.
Regina hummed in agreement.
S
It was possible for a nightmare to feel as though it had lasted for twenty-eight years, right?
That was the only explanation that made sense to Snow as light pierced her consciousness.
She was actually in the Enchanted Forest, delirious from giving birth. Regina's curse had failed like every other attempt she'd made to destroy her happiness.
She would wake up and find her husband rocking their daughter to sleep and they would get everything that they ever wanted.
It simply had to be the case.
She couldn't wake up to a post-curse Storybrooke in which her precious Emma was Regina's True Love, in which she was pregnant with the Evil Queen's child.
As she, at last, opened her eyes, it became clear that it was not quite as impossible as it seemed, the blurriness gave way to a loft that couldn't exist in the Enchanted Forest,
Her fears were only confirmed further, David slipped onto the edge of the bed wearing a shirt and jean combination that he must have found while she was out.
Snow huffed, trailing her hand down the buttons as she sat up, realising that her husband must have carried her here after the revelation among the mob.
For a single moment, she wanted to ask where Emma was, but she dismissed that, she knew that the answer would be that she was with Regina.
How many times was she going to choose to be with the queen over her family from now on?
Her distress must have been painted on her features as David said, "Hey, it's okay."
Snow pulled herself up, her neck twinging from the effort, but she pushed through it and said, "No, it's absolutely not okay, Charming! It's…a lot…"
David clasped her hand between his and replied, his brow increasingly drawing together, "I know, yesterday I had no memories at all and now I have a wife, a pregnant daughter and a grandson."
"Oh David," Snow breathed, shifting to touch his cheek, "I didn't think about that, this must all be so confusing for you."
David pecked her lips, which would have been reassuring any other time, as he said, "You know that I can learn to deal with anything, Snow."
"Even our daughter having a child with Regina?" Snow retorted.
David's ears pinkened and he stood like it was an argument against her statement. Flushed, David asked, "What would make you think that?"
"She told me when we were just roommates," she started to explain but the prince tilted his head and she made a mental note to go through some basic terminology later, "She's only had…she's only been with one person recently."
David gaped almost comically and Snow had to wonder whether he registered the undeniable fact that Emma was no longer the child, he'd carried her to the wardrobe what must have felt like yesterday for him.
"She did what to my daughter?" David demanded, physically shaking at this point.
"I believe it was consensual, David," Snow sighed.
'That makes it worse!"
"How does that make it worse?" she asked tiredly, longing for the moment before when she could have believed none of this had ever happened.
David wiped his hand over his face and stammered, "I don't know…I'm just…"
Snow pulled him back down to the bed, he was suddenly pale enough that she was legitimately worried that he was the one who was liable to pass out this time.
"They broke the curse together, that has to mean that they're True Loves," Snow said softly.
"I will not allow that witch to…"
"Emma is an adult," Snow cut off his impending tirade, "A pregnant adult at that. I don't think that we have much say in any of this, especially if we want to have the chance to be her parents."
"Emma doesn't know Regina the way that we do," David argued, "She has to know…"
"And we'll tell her," Snow promised, "But for now, our family is back together, we'll figure out the rest, right?"
"Right," David repeated, glancing around the loft with his confusion returning in full force.
Snow smiled at him sympathetically, "Come on, while we wait for Emma, I'll give you a tour."