"Why are you staring at me like that, sister?" Leroy coldly interrogates from David's old Deputy desk.
Emma blinks away her thoughts, not aware that she was blatantly scrutinizing that permanent scowl. "It's hard for me to forget about all your drunken stupors when I first arrived in Storybrooke," she boldly remarks, leaning back against her chair to relieve some of the tension knotting in her shoulders from sitting all damn day.
"That was my cursed persona," he bitterly defends. "I'm Grumpy, the head dwarf of my brothers, the one who fought and defended your mother without question...not so much your father. I didn't trust that he was simply bedding the princess for love." Emma grimaces, her head flinching back to avoid that image swimming in her direction. "But I've come around and I have always been their most loyal and trusted companion."
"You know," she muses, dragging out the phrase just to keep him on his toes, "...Doc was the most loyal in the stories, Grumpy just pouted in the corner like a toddler," and it takes every bit of strength she possesses to keep a straight face.
"Bullshit," he angrily spits. "Doc has always been just a face in the background, blindly following the crowd. I was the brains behind most schemes. I was-"
"Okay, okay," she chuckles, holding her hands up in surrender, "it's not my concern anymore anyways. I'll be gone in a few short months. You appointed as Deputy is David's problem now."
"I know what I'm doing," he petulantly argues.
"That's good," she evenly says, standing up to stretch out her tightening back.
She places her hands into the dip behind her lower back and slowly massages those aching muscles. It's not even noon and she's exhausted but she wants her father to have as much time off with her little brother before she leaves and he has to come back to being a full time sheriff.
"You alright?" Leroy skeptically investigates and if his other name wasn't Grumpy she would assume he was pissed about something. However, she knows he genuinely cares for her and that's just his personality bleeding through.
"This baby is getting heavy," she complains, leaning back just the slightest while her hands slip down toward her bottom.
"You're looking like Casper." Her eyebrows slingshot up from his knowledge on modern day movies. "I think you forget we have lived here for thirty years," he mumbles under his breath.
"I'm fine," she claims, even though her tone came out rather whiny.
"You sure? Because I gotta get to patrolling-"
"I'm good. I'm just sitting at this desk anyways, not much can happen to me," she sardonically quips, laced with an undertone of disdain but Grumpy rolls his eyes in response and takes his leave without another comment.
She actually misses patrolling, she misses being out there, investigating...really, she just misses being active. She misses her job in New York as a personal trainer. That's really why she was a bail-bonds person most of her adult life, she couldn't stand working in an office. She needs to be on her feet, keeping busy.
A whirlwind of purple smoke invades her desk, causing her to jump back in surprise. She forgot people poof here.
"Emma?"
"Regina? What are you doing here?"
"Are you alright?" Regina frantically inquires, rushing forward with an anxious energy pulsating from her body and jabbing against Emma's skin.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"Leroy, he called me-"
"He called you?"
"Yes," Regina breathes, her eyes roaming every inch of Emma's body for any signs of damage. "He said, and I quote, your baby mama isn't looking so hot."
"Ew, why does everyone keep using that expression? They must have just learned it," Emma exasperates, awkwardly wiggling to settle back down in her chair.
She's having a harder time, now that she's reaching the eight month mark, than she remembers with Henry. Maybe it's the constant consuming and all those late night cravings? She doesn't ever remember being this enormous in prison.
"You do look pale," Regina notes, stepping forward with determination as she clamps her hand over Emma's forehead. Green eyes roll in annoyance but she doesn't pull away from Regina's cool touch. "Do you feel tired?"
Emma shrugs carelessly to seem aloof because she really doesn't want Regina stressing. "A little."
"Do you feel like you did in New York? Does your body feel drained?" Her adorably stern girlfriend interrogates but Emma's traitorous mouth beams back at her.
She is such a sap when it comes to feeling so loved by this woman who was once so cold and wickedly cruel.
"A little," she repeats, gazing up at her girlfriend with love beating in her eyes and a lopsided grin.
"Why don't you tell me these things?" Regina exasperates, wrenching her hand away, producing a pout from Emma's lips. "I don't appreciate finding out your wellbeing from an angry little elf," she snaps.
"Dwarf."
"Emma, you need to call me when you start to feel a little off. I want to be a part of this pregnancy, I want to help-"
"You do!" Emma quickly interrupts that spiraling train of thought that will only bring out the ill-tempered Mayor Mills or even worse, the spiteful Queen.
Regina scowls, her eyes dark and narrowed as she leans against the desk, bending just the slightest to place her hands on either side of Emma's bump. She scoffs, the sound never truly leaving her mouth before she inhales a calming breath and summons her magic.
Warmth prickles against Emma's stomach, spreading slowly like thick lava crawling across flat ground. She sighs from the comfort that coils protectively around her veins and seeps into her blood. Her body involuntarily shivers from the heat warming up her soul and the rush of love the swims through every inch of her body. Her eyes drift down, intrigued by the way a red glow pours from Regina's skilled hands to land upon a vibrant white that she has come to known as her own magic. The colors bleed together, creating a pinkish hue with a hint of violet and she wonders if that's True Love or their baby's magic.
"How are you feeling?" Regina tenderly asks, her voice thick with concern, yet silky soft and soothing.
"Much better," she sighs, soaking up the boost of energy surging through her system.
"More?"
"Not now, maybe later," she murmurs. Truthfully, she has no idea how to judge magic. She doesn't know what's enough or too much, if that's possible.
Regina nods curtly, the magic evaporating from existence but never do her hands stray. Her thumbs sweep lovingly on both sides of Emma's stomach and their baby must be hyper off the magic boost because she squirms around like she's trying to break the record of most backflips in a row.
"Well hello, my sweet baby," Regina coos in this gentle voice that Emma swore this woman's vocal cords could not physically produce.
Her heart sprouts wings and flutters to the sound.
Regina drifts down, pressing those luscious lips to a body part that's begging for attention. "Don't give mommy a hard time," she whispers, the soft pad of her thumb caressing the protruding limb.
"Remember when that's what you lived for?" Emma teases, raking her fingers through those silky tresses and latching onto her girlfriend's neck.
"I still find comfort in watching you squirm," Regina shamelessly admits, encouraging Emma to yank her in closer for a fierce kiss that steals both their breaths away.
Emma smiles into the kiss, parting her lips to swirl her tongue around Regina's satin muscle. The sound of heavy footsteps startles them, forcing their private moment to come to a screeching halt. Regina jumps back, straightening her posture and thrusting her chin high into the air to maintain her facade of authority, control. Emma smirks, discreetly wiping at her mouth as she leans further back into her chair, smug as ever.
It's not as though they are having an affair and it's not like every person in this town doesn't know whose baby Emma is waltzing around with, yet they both are still so uneasy in this stupid town. She realizes once again that she cannot wait to head back to real life.
"I don't know why you have to bring me here, I said I was sorry and I won't do it again. It's not like you can call my parents," some kid whines as he stomps his feet beside Leroy.
Until the new Deputy discovers the former Queen and stops abruptly, his eyes shifting between the two women curiously. "You're lookin' better, sister."
"She does," Regina regally clips, spinning on her heels to pin Emma with a ferocious death glare. "Next time don't be so foolish," she scolds before storming right out of the station, heels clicking away to the rhythm of Emma's lovesick heart.
"Sit here," Leroy orders, practically tugging the teenager into a plastic seat beside his desk. "Don't move."
He struts toward Emma's desk, his scowl morphing into a small smirk. He hikes up one leg on her desk, folds his arms across his chest and Emma's eyebrow lifts in question.
"What's with the kid?" She investigates, choosing to ignore his proximity.
"Caught him shoplifting, but he's one of the boys from Neverland, his parents aren't here and he's been living off the street," he casually explains but her spine is straightening immediately. "I'm going to see if we can find him a home."
She deflates, utter relief washing through her body at the kind gesture. "Maybe you do know what you're doing," she playfully says, winning herself a broad smile from the angry man.
"So, did you get your ass chewed out by Regina?" He snoops, seeming far too pleased by the idea. "She's such a hard-ass."
"Yeah," Emma scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Such a hard-ass," she sarcastically retorts, shoving the man off her desk while her mind replays just how soft Regina was moments ago in their own private bubble with their baby.
~~~~
She digs deep, summoning the courage to sit down and have an actual conversation with her mother about everything. She's been avoiding the whole situation entirely. Maybe because she didn't want to cause her mother stress during her last duration of the pregnancy. Maybe she was petrified of discussing Regina and not lose her temper. Maybe it's because she didn't want her mother to look at her like that one foster mom did when she was caught with Lily on top of her. Or maybe she's just a chicken-shit.
"Emma, are you alright? You've hardly said two words since you walked through that door," Snow sweetly says as she watches Emma blankly stare at her baby brother, lying beside her on the couch.
She really didn't want to put him down but she was having a hard time finding a comfortable position with her ever-growing bump.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she vacantly answers. "I just," she hesitates, forcing herself to tear her eyes away from Davey and finally meet those worrisome eyes analyzing her.
"Honey, what is it?"
"I thought maybe we should talk about...things."
Snow nods in understanding, relaxing against the couch and preparing for a deep conversation while Emma stiffens from the crippling anxiety. "I suppose we should. I need to be honest and I think it's best if I tell you how I feel." Emma feels queasy, her spine too stiff to sit properly, and she hates how she breaks out in a sweat. "I know it's selfish but I don't want you to go. We have already lost so much time together and I don't want to lose any more. I'm trying to convince your father to move to New York but he hardly likes Storybrooke. Such a simple man, really. He would choose the Enchanted Forest if he could-"
"I-no, um, that's no what I was getting at," Emma mumbles, shifting awkwardly upon the couch and finding comfort in slipping her finger between her baby brother's little fist.
"Oh? What did you have in mind?" Snow sweetly prods for more information, resting her hand upon Emma's knee.
"Don't you want to talk about the whole Regina thing?"
Snow's hand slowly retracts, her eyes falling down to find out just how fascinating the couch cushions actually are. "Alright...when did you know?" She quietly questions like she's ashamed of even asking but she's trying to be supportive.
"I mean the first time anything ever happened was in Neverland-"
"No," her mother gently interjects, placing her hand back upon Emma's bouncing knee for comfort. Emma's attention immediately drops down to inspect that hand, yet she still notices how Snow drifts closer. Her mother lightly squeezes to gain back her focus, persuading those green eyes to meet hers again. "I mean, when did you know that you liked girls?" She gently asks, provoking Emma's heart to brutally crash into her sternum like a car ramming into a brick wall at eighty miles per hour.
She wasn't expecting this. She wasn't sure what the hell she was expecting, but it most certainly wasn't this. Maybe a discussion about her mother's long feud with the woman she is going to marry and continue raising children with...but her sexuality? She thought her mother would want to bypass this topic altogether.
"Oh...um...I don't know," she flippantly murmurs because she doesn't want her mother to look at her differently. She's just starting to feel comfortable with her and David and she doesn't want to ruin what little progress they have made.
"Emma," her mom begins slowly, clinging to her leg like that will help convince Emma of her words to come. "I don't know if something happened in your past to make you think that you couldn't come to me but I promise you, you will still be my daughter and I will always love you, no matter what," she vows with an urgency in her voice that Emma really hasn't heard before.
Maybe it's because she's pregnant, that's what she will claim in the future, but her eyes tingle with hot tears and the emotions swell in the back of her throat. She doesn't know what she wants to say, she's never felt so accepted by anyone other than Regina and she hasn't the slightest clue how to proceed.
"I'm so sorry that nobody was there for you growing up but please don't shut me out," Snow desperately implores. "I want to know you. All of you. The real you." Emma chokes on her sob from trying to keep those emotions trapped in her throat, motivating her mother to wrap her up and pull her in to that motherly embrace. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I promise you, I am here now."
Emma sniffles, pleading for the teardrops to stop trickling down her cheeks but she doesn't move away. She allows her mother to hold her close, a chin upon her head, a hand pressed against her temple, her mother's heartbeat directly beneath her ear.
"I guess I always thought girls were pretty when I was little but I didn't think anything of it, I just thought that's how people see the world, boys are really cute and girls are really pretty," she softly confesses, shrugging so innocently while Snow never stops slowly rocking her, knowing the lost girl inside needs this. "When I was fifteen, I met this girl...her name was Lily and she was bad news, always getting me in trouble and one time we were hiding from the system and we snuck into this house and she just started kissing me and it kinda all made sense," she reveals.
And finally the pressure in her chest loosens and she feels her shoulders unwinding because after all these years, she never told a soul about that time in her life. She told Regina about the girl in prison but not about Lily. Not yet, anyways.
Snow gently cups her face, thumbs moving slowly to wipe away the tears like little windshield wipers sweeping away the rain. Her mother stares deeply into her eyes and Emma feels so small, so insecure and all she wants to do is book it out that door.
"I love you," Snow states with conviction, even shaking Emma's head a little for emphasis. "You are my daughter and I am so unbelievably proud of you." Emma produces something that's half a nervous laugh and half a sob but her mother presses a long and delicate kiss to her forehead and it soothes her soul. "I'm new at this," she nervously chuckles. "But what do you identify as?"
Emma's heart soars from the simple question. She's never been asked that before but it means so much more than she ever thought it would.
She shrugs slowly. "I-I never really thought about it. I never really labeled myself, I just knew I found men and women equally attractive. So, I guess I would say that I'm bisexual?" She says in somewhat of a question, still trying to figure out how she feels and what feels right for her.
"Alright, well if you change your mind, tell me," she urges and Emma knows she doesn't want to be rude or ignorant to her feelings and it's everything. Emma nods just once, slowly pulling back and distracting herself by checking on Davey, who is still sound asleep. "Do you know what Regina identifies as?"
"No, we never discussed it. She kinda just threw me up against a tree and started kissing me," she chuckles under her breath as Snow quirks up one eyebrow.
"Well, lucky for her you weren't opposed to kissing women," her mom teases.
"She must have sensed it." Emma slowly traces her brother's cheek and jawline, admiring how adorable he really is. "So, you're fine with Regina and I, after everything that's happened?" She insecurely inquires, finding comfort in peering down at Davey.
"It was a little shocking at first, I'm not going to lie but I had my suspicions. Every time I saw you together, I had this gut feeling that there was something more in those glances. And after all you two had done to protect one another, I just knew it was more than an act of kindness."
"Well, I sure as hell didn't know until she was shoving me up against a tree."
"I really don't need the details."
Emma laughs. "I know, but just for factual purposes, I shoved her right back. I wasn't about to lose."
"O-kay," Snow exclaims, a little too loudly to stress her point that she doesn't need more information. "Wait, didn't you kiss Hook in Neverland, too?"
"I did but that meant nothing and that solidified my feelings for Regina. Speaking of, where is Hook? I haven't seen him around town."
"After we returned to the Enchanted Forest, he left us to search for his ship. We never heard or saw him again," she indifferently explains, shrugging carelessly.
"What a pirate," she mumbles, rolling her eyes just as her brother starts to fuss. She reacts without thinking, gently lifting him up and kissing his cheek before she cradles him close to her chest.
"I think he might need to be changed." Emma nods, carefully passing him over. "Would you like to stay for dinner? Your father should be back any minute from the grocery store. You can call Regina and Henry to come."
"Thanks, mom, but we promised Henry a night out at Granny's. He's been dying for something other than home cooked meals."
"Alright, well maybe later this week we can do a family dinner," Snow offers in baby jargon as she presses her cheek to Davey's and sways from side to side.
"I would love that."
~~~~
It's strange to be back in Granny's diner. She does have a special spot in her heart for this place and she knows this by the way her heart leaps when she walks in, but it's not nearly enough to make her stay in this small town. She saunters across the restaurant, ignoring the way so many eyes track her, curious about her baby, her lover, her life.
She slips into a booth, thankful that she can manage to fit in one, even if she's being ridiculous because there is plenty of space. She smiles to herself, her fingers curling around the edge of the table to recall its familiarity. That's when Ruby approaches, more like rushes on her gazelle like legs and glides effortlessly into the spot across from her.
"Hey! How are you feeling?" Ruby ecstatically asks.
"I'm good, Rubes. Just hungry all the time."
"And magically drained?" She skeptically adds on.
"Uh-yeah...how did you know?"
"There's a strong scent of magic wafting from you."
"Ugh, seriously? You're making me self-conscious around you...like you smell...other...things," she awkwardly stammers over her words, grimacing when she hears them floating out there in the open like that.
"I'm sorry, I can't help it," and Ruby does appear to be apologetic, so Emma softens. "If it makes you feel any better, it isn't off putting and I don't think of it in a weird way, think of it like getting a sniff of someone's perfume as they walk by."
"I know. So hey, how are you and Belle?" She quickly changes the subject, always hating being under the spotlight.
"We are doing really-wait, how did you know?"
"Regina told me, she filled me in on a lot when I regained my memories." Ruby nods, a small smile creeping along as she dreams about her girlfriend. "I guess we had more in common than we knew."
"The first time I met Belle, she kind of stole my breath away. She was so adorable and so unsure of this world. I had a major crush on her but I wasn't about to mix myself up with drama that included Rumpelstiltskin."
"No, I don't blame you."
"But after he passed," she shrugs dramatically, an evil little smirk twitching at the corner of her mouth. "How is everything going with Regina? Is her baby just as cranky?"
"You would be surprised how much of that crankiness is for show."
"I suspected," Ruby muses, gently reaching across the table and covering Emma's hand with her own. "I'm really happy for you two."
"Thanks, Rubes. It means a lot. I'm glad everyone is being so understanding."
Ruby slowly retracts her hand, folding her fingers neatly in front of her. "You sound surprised."
"I am surprised. I just had a long conversation with Snow about my sexuality," she exasperates, yet she still can't wipe this stupid grin off her face.
"Did you think she wouldn't accept you?" Comes the interrogation that almost sounds accusing, defensive.
"I don't know," she nervously rambles. "What about you? I heard you haven't spoken to my mother in a while, are you worried she won't accept your love life."
Ruby barks out a laugh, shaking her head vigorously. "Really? Snow White? She was my best friend, Em. I know that woman better than she probably knows herself. She is the most loyal and loving human. Look how many times she has forgiven Regina and had the opportunity to kill her and never had. She idolized that woman, adored her...do I dare say love her? Yes. I knew she would accept you two and I know for a fact she has no issues with me and Belle."
"So, then-"
"Why haven't we spoken? I don't know," Ruby timidly whispers, distracting herself by wiping down the table in front of her. "Life got in the way. The curse broke and she immediately had to fight a demon, then she got sucked into a portal and then she came back and killed Cora and went through that depression and then ran away to Neverland."
"Yeah and she just had a baby," Emma gently announces, reaching across the table to comfort her friend. "Life is settling. She's going to be chained to that apartment for a while. Why don't you take the time to reconnect? I'm sure she would love it."
Ruby sighs, lifting her gaze to connect with a set of eyes that are identical to her estranged friend. "You're right. Maybe I'll stop by after work," she meekly ponders out loud as the little bell rings, announcing a new customer. "Your family is here."
Emma's heart fills with love, expanding and thumping a little harder from the acknowledgement of her family. She peeks over her shoulder, observing as Henry speaks animatedly beside Regina who is nodding along while her eyes scan the restaurant. Their eyes lock, sending a wave of delicious shivers to run down Emma's spine and persuading her giddy grin to dance across her face. Regina smiles softly, motioning for Henry to where Emma is waiting.
Ruby quickly vacates the booth to allow Henry to topple inside. Emma slides across the leather, granting her girlfriend more space. Regina slips into the spot Emma's bottom warmed up already, leaning over to gift the sweetest kiss. Emma doesn't skip a beat, meeting her halfway for a gentle kiss while Regina's hand tenderly greets their daughter with a palm against her stomach.
And this is what she has waited her whole life for.