The Life We Will Fight For

A Happy Ending

[A/N: Geez, I'm SO sorry I haven't updated this story in almost three (!) months! I have to admit, since the main story arc was over, I was struggling with "feeling" this story somehow, so it took me a long time to write this chapter. But in the end, I absolutely wanted to give Regina the happy ending she deserved, and I didn't want to abandon her like some of us may feel the OUAT writers did.

Hope you'll still enjoy this chapter, it got quite long in the end. It'll be the penultimate one, after this, there will only be one more short epilogue scene fast forwarding a few years into the future.]

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She took deep breaths as she was gently stroking and massaging her belly, fully concentrated, her eyes closed.

Next to her, Snow turned her head and looked at her, worried.

„Regina", she whispered, „Are you alright?"

She rolled her eyes. „Yes, I am. Just like the last time you asked me, some ten minutes ago. I just don't understand why this is taking so long?", and mumbling, she added, „Needless to say that I still don't understand why you're even here."

Snow cocked her head and gave her one of those intolerable smiles of hers that would just never assume a single bad thing in a person.

„You know why", she whispered, „And I know, deep down you're grateful that I'm here."

Lately, Snow had been attending pretty much all of her city council meetings alongside her. As her deputy who had done the job during the time she had been trapped in Hyperion Heights, she was more than equipped for this, and yet, Regina couldn't be any more annoyed by her constant interference in her work.

On the other hand though, she also had to admit that Snow was right, as always. Of course... In the end, Regina was only here because of her. Because by now she was so very pregnant with her twins that it could happen every once in a while that she just had to step out because of exhaustion or general discomfort due to the sheer size her belly had grown to. Sometimes she herself was astonished that she could still stand more or less upright and was able to walk at all, though she still insisted on sticking to a certain mayorly attire of fitted dresses, suits and only slightly flatter shoes. 

On top of all that, the countless bathroom breaks she needed nearly every twenty minutes and the fact that literally any moment now, her water could break or she could go into labor. And so, the only way that she'd been allowed and able to keep working as acting mayor of Storybrooke up until this point was with her friend's support – and the last thing she wanted was sit alone at home all day where her dear husband, bless his heart, was watching her every move and get alerted by every single unusual sound or movement she'd make. It was almost as insufferable as the Charmings on their wedding day.

Finally, the council closed the topic at hand and moved on to the next, something about the upcoming annual harvest festival, but today, she had trouble following.

With another exhale, she ran her hand over her belly once more, the babies were particularly restless today, especially her little girl, and given the little amount of space that they had left, this wasn't a comfortable situation for either of them.

Snow frowned, again.

„Are you sure you're okay?"

„I am, don't worry."

„Shall we take five? Maybe you should get some fresh air?"

„Would you just stop it already?", Regina snapped back at her, „It's just... the Braxton Hicks are particularly annoying today."

Snow's eyes widened. „You're in labor?!"

The other council members fell silent and looked up from their papers, shooting quizzical looks over to their mayor.