The Queen doesn’t tell Robin that she missed her period for more than five months, she doesn’t tell him that she’s been a hormonal mess for a long while now (not that she really needs to tell him that, he’s very much aware of it himself, had to deal with all of her uncharacteristic breakdowns and wishes).
She doesn’t tell him that there’s another heart beating inside her body.
She’s been pregnant before, and she’s been cursed to never give birth to a living child by Rumple. And then there was that potion which she drank on her own will that made sure she didn’t even get pregnant. What’s the reason to get pregnant if you know that the child won’t even be born?
It’s been decades since the potions and now she’s pregnant again.
She didn’t believe it at first. When she missed her period, she thought that it was just gone, that she was already getting old. But then morning sickness followed and she started having those strange cravings. So she did a few magical pregnancy tests, and when they all were positive, she went to see a midwife, (whose memories were erased, of course), who confirmed that Regina is pregnant.
The curses and potions happened a lifetime ago and she’s heard that these kind of things can be broken by true love. But she didn’t believe it would happen to her.
She’s afraid. She’s anxious, counting days because she’s nearing the time when the baby should die. It always happened on the fifth month, and if she really found the actual date when the baby was created, she’s already overstepped that line.
But she’s still afraid. Nothing turns out to be good for her. There’s obviously a loss waiting for her.
So the Queen doesn’t tell Robin, thinks that it is better not to think about it too much, not to let him dream about the child that he so obviously desires.
If she doesn’t tell him, he won’t be hurt when it’s gone.
However, it’s getting harder and harder to keep her pregnancy from him for she’s started showing (she’s started showing around three months, but thought that Robin would just think that she gained weight). He’ll find out soon.
It turns out that he already knows because one night, when she’s laying on her back with him on top of her, kissing her desperately, his hands running all over her, he surprisingly pulls away from Regina, all breathless and asks, “Are you going to tell me?”
“What?” She asks, her mind still dizzy from lack of oxygen, her eyes closed. She runs her fingers through his hair, tries to pull him in for another kiss but he’s adamant and it has her opening her eyes in confusion.
She finds him looking at her, his eyes serious, and he’s caught his breath now. Regina squirms, uncomfortable under such stare.
“Are you going to tell me that you are pregnant?” He asks again and her fingers freeze on his shoulder, her whole body’s tensing and she’s pulling away from him instantly.
“What do you mean?” she asks stupidly as she rights her nightgown. She tries to scold her features, but her heart is beating rapidly in her chest, and her eyes are wide and afraid.
Robin rolls his eyes at her and motions to her stomach and when Regina glances down she sees it herself. She may have been good at hiding it during the day time, she would dress in such dresses and no one could even guess that she was pregnant but her nightdresses… they’re a simple silk and it may be loose and her bump is showing anyway.
“For how long did you know?” She asks, her voice shaking. She doesn’t know what to expect, will he be mad that she didn’t tell him? Or will he tell her she should have got rid of it on day one if she knew it’s not going to live?
“For three months,” he replies and Regina’s eyes widen even more. She became really bad at lying, it seems. “You’ve been an emotional mess, you had these strange cravings and gods, Regina, you wanted to have sex everywhere anytime. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”
“Oh,” she lets out and anxiously puts a strand of hair behind her ear, looking away from him, somewhat ashamed.
“So why didn’t you tell me?” He asks again and she tenses when he puts his hand on her stomach, the other hand taking hers, squeezing it in encouragement.
“Robin,” she starts, her voice breaking. She has never thought she’ll have this conversation with him. “We will not have this baby. I’ve been cursed and then I cursed myself, and there’s no chance both of the curses are broken.” She explains, looking away again. Meeting his eyes is too much now.
“I’ve known that before.” He reminds her. Of course, she’s told him that when their relationship became more because the other Robin adored children and Regina felt that this Robin might share the feeling. And indeed, he did. “But you don’t know that the baby is going to die.”
“I do, Robin. I’m not meant to be a mother. Regina may be, but I am most definitely not.” She says, and the tears are following down her cheeks now. Damn hormones.
Her own hand is rested on her bump unconsciously, and Robin’s hand covers her. It only makes her cry harder for she loves the baby already and the longer it stays with her, the more painful it will be to lose him, and now Robin will suffer as well.
Robin wraps his arms around her as she cries, and Regina cannot help but babble about how she’ll lose the baby and how she doesn’t even want to think about it, and how Robin will leave her, and how she just wants it to be over.
It takes her a long while to calm down, and when she finally does, she lies down on the bed, completely numb with Robin beside her, his one arm wrapped around her, holding her close, the other rested on her belly.
They fall asleep in each other’s arms, and in the morning they don’t speak about the baby.
They don’t speak about it for two weeks until one day Robin brings a small bed to the castle. Regina becomes hysteric, she locks herself up in her chambers and doesn’t talk with him for hours.
She doesn’t talk about the baby and Robin doesn’t too, but when she falls asleep, he talks to the baby, he strokes her bump and tells her things he cannot tell her when she’s awake.
Regina refuses to talk about the baby till the end of her pregnant, she doesn’t believe that it will live, she doesn’t believe that even when the labor starts.
She just starts believing when the screaming, bloody baby is rested on her chest and Robin is whispering into her ear that they have a beautiful daughter.
Only then she believes that miracles can happen.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it! :)
