"I'm sorry Regina.. but the possibility of you ever having children is very very slim.." Dr. Thompson told her and her head hung down as she tried to digest the information. "There are some things we can try of course. There are a series of shots that we can give you to increase the chances, and we could try artificial insemination. Or, we could try the process of in vitro fertilization." He said and she wrinkled her face in confusion "what exactly is that?" She asked.
He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin. "Over the course of a month you would be taking fertility medication to control the 'ripening' of the eggs in your ovaries along with frequent exams to make sure we catch an egg or a few at the correct stage. From there we would go in an extract those eggs and gather the sperm from whatever donor you choose and in our laboratory we would create the perfect environment to place the sperm and egg together. They're placed into incubators and examined carefully at intervals to ensure that fertilization and cell division have taken place. After that's done it takes between 2-5 days to place the embryo into the uterus." He explained
Regina sighed and rubbed her forehead "alright.. let's do that option.." she said quietly.
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Emma slowly took a step toward her and held her hand out for Regina who slowly walked around the counter taking her hand.
"Regina... this is Henry... my son."
Regina's head snapped toward Emma at the statement "your son..?" She asked confused and looked back at the little boy. He eyed them both curiously and cautiously. "Yes.. this is Henry." She said squeezing her hand. Regina swallowed hard and feels her heart ache in her chest. This little boy was the cutest thing, he had Emma's eyes and her nose, adorable freckles and dark brown hair just like hers. "Emma... he's adorable." She breathed.
But soon her awe turned to that of confusion, why was he here? She turned to Emma with a raised brow. Emma, seeing the look laced their fingers "Henry.. do you like cartoons?" She asked him and he nodded slowly, "I like Scooby-Doo." He said and Emma smiled at him, "me too.. why don't we go turn something on for you so I can talk to Gina for a moment?" She asked and he nodded "okay." He said before sliding off the chair. Emma kissed her cheek before taking the little ones hand and leading him to the couch. She flipped on the tv and found Scooby-Doo for him. "Okay, I'll be back in just a minute.. want some juice?" She asked and he nodded "pwease?" He asked politely and her heart melted. "You got it." She ruffled his hair before walking back to the kitchen.
While Emma was gone Regina had moved over to the counter to look at the paperwork that was there, her head was spinning and her chest clenched. Images of her doctor telling her she couldn't conceive coming to mind, the procedure, and the baby she lost. She closed her eyes holding back tears.
The brunette was startled out of her memories by strong arms wrapping around her midsection.
"Are you okay Gina?" Emma whispered into her ear and Regina's body slowly relaxed. She shook her head looking down at all the paperwork "you got your son back.." she breathed and slowly turned in her arms. Emma looked down into obviously hurting brown eyes and she kissed her forehead.
" After I tried to get Henry back, and I found out he had a new family, I had it notarized in his papers that if anything were to happen to the family that he was with that I wanted him back." She started not letting her go. "His parents died in car accident... and I have a chance to have my son..." she said quietly and Regina rest her hands against her stomach absentmindedly. "That's fantastic Emma." She said with watery eyes.
Emma though could see there was something wrong. "If that's the case why do you look like a kicked puppy?" She asked and Regina looked down feeling her eyes well with tears. "I am happy my gorgeous darling." She whispered and looked up into her eyes and her bottom lip wobbled a bit. "Emma.. I can't have children." She whispered and Emma's face fell. "I tried..a few years back I tried and I lost my baby. I spent months at the doctor getting ready, doing procedures to try anything to have a child but I... I can't. It's not meant to be."
Emma's heart ached and she wrapped Regina in her arms tightly, the brunette hid her face in Emma neck and she cried silently. The blonde's mind was racing, unsure of what to say about any of this, but she had to say something. After a few moments she pulled back enough to look at her.
"Listen to me baby." Emma said softly, "no one in this world would make a better mother than you. Your are the most amazing woman I have ever met. I love you so very much." She said in a tender voice and wiped her tears away. "I want us to be a family. I want you.. and I want our son." She whispered and Regina's breath hitched in her throat. Emma didn't just say that.. she couldn't.. Regina's breathing became a bit panicked and she slowly pulled herself from Emma's arms. "I have to go." She whispered.
Emma's jaw dropped slightly open "Regina wait.. please don't run away from me." She said but Regina was so far in her own head that she couldn't hear Emma. Her words 'our son' repeating in her head. She needed space, she needed to get out of her head. So she grabbed her keys and wallet and she was gone before Emma could stop her.
Emma chased her out of the house and she stood in the doorway with a heartbroken look on her face as she watched the woman she loved more than anything else in this world drove away from her. Forcing back the tears Emma felt a small hand tug her shirt and she looked down at him. "Hi buddy." She said softly and she bent down to pick him up. He looked at her with teary eyes and she hugged him. The poor bit missed the family he had come to know.
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After getting the boy calm she took him back into the living room and laid with him on the couch. He laid against her chest and they watched morning cartoons together. Emma checked her phone constantly but to her dismay she had no messages.
Emma's hand came up to play with Henry's shaggy hair and she smiled softly "I have an idea Henry." She said softly and he looked up at her curiously "why don't we go get our hair cut?" She asked him and he thought about it for a moment "you get one too?" He asked and she nodded. "And then after we can go get ice cream." She said and he cracked a small smile. "Can I pick yo hair cut?" He asked and Emma knew she would regret this but she had so much time to make up for. "Of course kid." She ruffled his hair. "I'm gonna go get dressed and we'll go." She kissed the top of his head and took her phone with her upstairs.
It had been a few hours since Regina had left and Emma was worried. She pressed the call button on her phone and held it up to her ear, it rang and rang but to her dismay she didn't answer. It went to voicemail and Emma sighed.
"Regina.. baby please come home. Please don't shut me out, talk to me." She pleaded into the phone. "I need you Regina, I love you and I know this is a lot.. but.. baby I just got you back." She whispered. "Please come home" and with that she ended the call and wiped away The lone tear that dripped on her cheek.
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"This one!" Henry pointed to a haircut in the woman's book. Emma looked down at it and chuckled softly the one that he had choose for her had more layers with bangs and she was thankful it wants something extreme "that one? You sure?" She asked and he nodded with a smile "okay then." Together they made their way to the haircut stations and they sat side by side while getting their hair cut. Henry was quite shy so he didn't talk to much and Emma was too busy watching him to really care to talk to her stylist.
She could see so many of her own mannerisms in him it was scary, but precious. Henry only got his hair trimmed and after he was finished they let him play with the toys until he back where Emma could see him. Emma pulled her phone out to check it and still she had nothing. Good one Emma.. you probably lost the best thing in your life cause you don't know when to shut up.
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The rest of the day felt like it had drug on without Regina with her. Emma and Henry had gone to get ice cream after their haircuts and then had gone to the store to get him some new clothes, shoes, and a ordered him a bedroom set he liked and they had gone to a movie.
Emma hadn't heard from Regina and it was nearing 10 pm. Henry was fast asleep in his car seat she had bought for him and he was holding a stuffed dragon in his arms. Though her heart longed for her lover, it filled with joy in that moment seeing the small boy. She couldn't help but take a picture before getting out and taking him inside. She carried the young boy up the stairs to lay him down when her eyes caught a light at the end of the hall and she frowned.
Her alarm system hadn't been triggered, so it was either Regina there, or she had left the light on earlier. She slowly crept toward the bedroom with a frown no she made a face when she heard the doing of a hammer and Henry stirred in her arms. What the hell..?
She gently pushed the door open but what she saw inside made her gasp. The room was not fully decorated in a prince theme, a castle with a hideaway top and a slide with a staircase was in there and underneath was the bed lowered so Henry could get into it. And there at the top of the hide away was Regina with hammer and her had just finished hanging letters that spell Henry's name.
"Regina?" Emma called out and the brunette gasped, dropping that hammer on her foot and she whimpered but spun around to face them.
Emma's face held utter confusion and disbelief and Regina scratched the back of the neck.
"Hi."