The Life We Will Fight For

So close...

„Bloody hell!!", he ripped open the door after Regina had been banging on it for a good thirty seconds, „We JUST managed to put Hope to sleep, I hope there's a really good reason for this outrageousness?"

„Where's your shell phone?", she pushed right past him into the hallway, the other Regina following suit, accidentally pushing him out the way with her enormous belly.

„What?", he frowned in utter confusion.

„Your conch thingy", she gestured wildly, „that you can call mermaids with, right?"

„What's going on?", Emma came downstairs, wearing some grey jogging pants and white a t-shirt, just like her husband, „Regina! Are you okay? Both of you, I mean... all five?"

„What's with the matching outfits?", the queen asked, raising an eyebrow.

„Doesn't matter now", said Regina, „We have no time for this. I need his shell phone."

Emma looked at her, and slowly but surely, her eyes widened. „Arielle...", she whispered, „You're a genius!"

„Of course we are", said the queen.

„I think she meant me!", Regina replied.

***

Two days. Two days they spent waiting, almost losing hope that it would work out at all. But on the third day, they finally found a familiar face emerging in the midst of Storybrooke harbor.

„Arielle!", Emma greeted her, helping her out of the water after she had put on her bracelet that still reliably turned her fins into a pair of human legs.

„Emma, hey", she said, shivering, it was still the middle of winter and they were all lucky that the water in the harbor wasn't frozen anymore after a few relatively warm days, „Sorry it took so long... I would say it's nice to see you, but I have a feeling, you didn't call for me just because you missed me? Thank you", she added when Hook handed her a towel, a pair of warm boots and a thick winter coat.

„Yeah, we kind of have a situation..."

„Where's your mother?"

„They're in another realm. My parents, Henry and a few others too. It's a long story. Come on, we'll talk more at Granny's, you must be hungry..."

***

When they set foot into the diner and the new arrival saw the two Reginas sitting at the counter, she instinctively winced and took a few steps back.

„It's alright", said Emma, „They need your help."

„Again?", the mermaid asked with a raised eyebrow, „How curious..."

„How does smoked salmon sound for dinner?", the queen whispered to Regina who just shot her a warning look.

„Be nice! If you ever want to see Robin again..."

She got up from her stool and greeted Arielle with a friendly smile. „Welcome back to Storybrooke. We're so, so happy you're here. Really! Even if some of us", she flashed a look back to her other half who was running her hand over her round belly, „struggle with showing it."

„You're pregnant!", the mermaid gaped, staring at the other woman.

„Well, good thing we didn't call you to state the obvious."

„Ignore her, please", said Regina, „And yes, she is. And I am too, just not quite as far along, for transparency, which is why, as Emma already correctly stated, we need your help. The problem is that both our men, the babies' fathers, have been taken from us, taken to a place where it's too dangerous for us to follow in our condition."