Can't Afford To Love You

Chapter 3

Author's note: I have written four chapters so far but after I have published those for there will be a week or so between chapters as I will have to write them and I'll also be busy with school. This chapter is slightly shorter but the next one will be longer. After this chapter there will be a time jump of a few months as the story will become slow if I write the whole pregnancy. Enjoy!

Snow shook her head in confusion.

"Wait, so Regina is pregnant, you convinced her not to do drugs and then she asked you to come to her doctors appointment which is in what, an hour?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Charming felt bad for his wife, but he wasn't sure if she was getting the wrong idea here or not.

"Look I have to go but I'll tell you everything when I get back."

He planted a small kiss on her cheek and left the small apartment. God they had to move out. It was so, well, small! A place like Regina's would do just fine. Not that he wanted to move into Regina's, he just meant that he liked her house. Actually perhaps she would like them to move in with her. Snow could help her with the baby, and maybe she'd like the company. Wait. Of course she wouldn't like the Charmings living with her. He was getting way ahead of himself here. And Snow would never approve of that. She didn't like to admit it, but she could be very jealous sometimes and although nothing would ever happen between him and Regina the princess would always be worrying that it would if they lived together. It wouldn't, would it? He couldn't deny that there was something between them in the forest. Ugh. Shaking the feeling off, he smiled as Regina approached him outside the hospital.

"Hey!"

He exclaimed, hugging her awkwardly.

"Hi."

She mumbled.

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."
__________

Regina hated hospitals. The atmosphere made her feel sick and now they especially reminded her of the time her poisoned apple had nearly killed Henry. She inhaled and exhaled heavily, trying not to faint from the feeling this place gave her.

"Regina Mills."

Finally, she thought, standing up with Charming just behind her.

"Nervous?"

He asked, grinning.

"A little."

She muttered, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

They waited in anticipation for the Doctor Whale to return. To Regina, ages had passed. Was something wrong with her baby? Was she even pregnant? Was something wrong with her? Her morning sickness was bad today and she was worried she wouldn't be able to hold it in if he didn't return soon.

"Regina. Nice to see you here."

Whale began chattily.

"Just get on with it."

Regina snapped.

"Well, you're about two months pregnant, and Robin is the father. Your baby is healthy and well. Congratulations."

She beamed at what he said. A sensation of delight rushed through her, and her cheeks flushed pink with her smile. He handed her a small black and white photograph and she tried to contain her excitement. This was all she had ever wanted. Although she wanted Robin here, she didn't mind for once. She was having a baby. And all she wanted to do was tell Henry.
__________

Henry stared at her in shock before breaking out into a huge smile.

"Mom, that's amazing, congratulations!"

"Thank you so much Henry. Really, it means a lot."

The two hugged happily, both ecstatic about the fantastic news. Regina teared up a little at how much her son had grown up. He was the last person she'd told as she'd been so afraid how he'd react. Everyone else had reacted so well. Emma was delighted, in fact the first thing she'd asked was to be the godmother (which, of course, she would be.) Hook had already joked that he would be in place of the "cool uncle" which Regina and Henry had laughed at for hours. The only person who didn't seem too happy was Snow. She didn't know why, I mean, surely Snow White of all people would be happy about a baby? Maybe it was a hint of jealously. Or maybe it was because she had gone to the doctors appointment with Charming. No, it couldn't be that. It's not like anything had, or would ever happen. They were just friends. And that's all they'd ever be.
__________

For Regina, the next seven months would be the busiest of her life. She spent hours a day preparing her house for the baby, and completing her duties as mayor, and attending therapy sessions with Archie (she liked to go as she found comfort in talking about her feelings, whether they were good or bad,) and going for checkups at the hospital. She had found out the sex of her baby, but she wanted to keep it confidential for the moment. She couldn't think of a name after all, and she knew that as soon as she spilled the gender of the child that would be the next question people would ask. It was nice, actually. It was like this little secret she had that everyone was dying to know. Emma thought that it would be a girl. Hook had placed his bets on it being a boy. Quite literally. The two had put twenty bucks of the baby being the gender they hoped. She was already being harassed by people for more information on the baby, as word got around quickly in such a small town. Often, she would get looks of sympathy from passers by in the street, but she brushed them off as she was actually coping fine. She wasn't happy, but she was ok. She could settle with ok for now. She had friends, her son, her sister, surely that was enough? There was only one thing that she didn't have in her life, and she could live with out it, right?

Who needs true love anyway?