The Tie That Binds

Chapter Ten

"Yes, I am available tomorrow to do a walk through and give you a check for the deposit of first month's rent," Regina confirms, sliding her reading glasses into place before she plucks the pen from the tiny desk in the corner of her hotel room. "It is completely furnished, correct?" She inquires just to make sure. "Wonderful. May I have the exact address once more, please?"

She listens carefully to the landlord on the other end and scribbles down the address to her temporary home. She quickly says her goodbyes and switches over to the other line that has been trying to reach her since the beginning of the call.

"Yes, Snow," she sighs heavily, already knowing it's her former enemy, maybe she's rethinking the former part because of how much the woman has been pestering her lately.

"Regina, how dare you drop a bomb like that and then ignore my calls. I have been worried sick. How is she doing? Does she know where this baby is from or is she clueless? Is she scared?"

Regina slowly removes her glasses and pinches the bridge of her nose, pleading with this oncoming migraine to vanish. She exhales slowly and urges herself to stay calm. "The curse has lead her to believe it was some drunken one-night stupor. Last week she had a bit of a scare, but the doctor assured us she is fine," she flatly explains, her eyes drooping closed to stop the headache ready to bang against her tender temples.

"Us?" Her eyes instantly pop back to life. "You said, us, were you there with her?" And truthfully the princess doesn't sound nearly as surprised or shocked as she should be.

"Yes, she was teaching a class when I noticed something was off. I drove her to the hospital."

The heavy pause weighing down the conversation is forcing her heart down to the pit of her stomach. The very last thing Regina wants to do in her miserable life is have a conversation with Snow regarding her relationship with Emma...her daughter.

After what feels like eternity, because Regina will be damned if she is the one that has to break the silence and come up with something to say, Snow clears her throat. "I'm...glad someone she knows was with her, even if she doesn't remember you. Did you see the baby?"

"I did."

The woman groans on the other end, reminding Regina of a time when Snow was around Henry's age and her bratty side could not be contained as well. "Seriously, Regina? That's it? You can't give me more?"

"You're pregnant. I'm sure you're black and white blur is exactly the same," she scoffs, even though her heart rattles its defiance in her chest and screams at her, that's not the case.

Her baby is more beautiful, she doesn't need to see Snow's ultrasound to know this. Her baby is unique and special, perfect combination of herself and Emma, the most stunning blonde to ever cross her path. Her baby is the result of magic and so much more and could never be compared to their future relative.

"Regina!"

Her eyes flutter closed from the shrieking woman and against her better judgement, she caves. "It's the first time I've ever seen an ultrasound or heard a baby's heartbeat," she confesses.

"It's breathtaking, isn't it?" Snow softly whispers.

"I'm glad I could be there for Emma," she says, beating around the bush because she cannot possibly reveal right now, how much this baby means to her already.

"I am too. Thank you for watching out for her."

"Don't I always?" She bitterly snaps because after absorbing the death magic from the well, after holding off the magic from the diamond ready to disintegrate Storybrooke, after all she had done in Neverland and after giving Emma exactly what she dreamed of, a life with Henry away from fairytales, yeah, it's blatantly obvious that she is always protecting the Savior.