Coming To Terms

Summary: Emma didn't know why her mother was avoiding any mention of her pregnancy…but she was going to find out. A post 3x11 one-shot.

A/N: This is set in a speculative future where everyone's back in Storybrooke with their memories, including Emma. Apart from that, there isn't any other spoilers I don't think besides from the obvious ;) If you like this, let me know and I might just add a second part with Emma and Daddy!Charming…

Disclaimer: OUAT and all of its characters belong to ABC…all I own is a distinct lack of patience while waiting for March 9th…

"Hey."

Emma looked up from hanging her coat beside the front door to see Snow sitting at the kitchen table, books and pamphlets littering the surface around her. Yes, she was Snow or Mom now to Emma…Snow because she'd returned from the Enchanted Forest much more like her former self than Mary Margaret and Mom because, well, Emma was finally ready to call her that out loud. It was amazing how your perspective could change when you spent a year apart living with false memories in your head.

"Hey," Emma replied back, gratefully sinking into the chair across from her mother, "What's all this?"

A light flush infused Snow's cheeks and she quickly started to stack all of her things together hurriedly.

"Nothing, just some catalogues and books."

Emma peered closer to see that they were all baby-related. It had been a little bit of a shock to find out Snow was four months pregnant when they'd been reunited a few weeks ago but deep down, she'd sort of expected it. After Neverland, she knew her mother wanted another child and given the way her parents acted with each other, the fact it took them less than a year to conceive one was no surprise. However, she hadn't had much of a chance to discuss it with Snow because just like she was now, she seemed to be actively avoiding bringing it up around Emma…and that needed to stop.

"You don't have to do that."

"Do what?" Snow asked distractedly as she accidently knocked one of the books off the table. Emma picked it up before her mother had even started to bend and placed it firmly down in front of herself.

"You know what," Emma said firmly waving her hand across the contents of the table in emphasis, "Avoiding talking about or even mentioning the fact that you're pregnant."

"I don't…"

Snow trailed off midsentence, her posture slumping in defeat as she caught Emma's raised brow in response to her attempted denial.

"Mom?" Emma prompted when the silence had dragged on for a beat too long. It was that small word, a reminder that her daughter had returned with a more open emotional outlook that had Snow spilling words that she'd only shared with Charming before.

"I felt so guilty. I wanted to have another child so badly but when I found out I was pregnant, all I could think about was you. This baby would grow up with everything you didn't get to have and wouldn't even remember you could have had and I just…"

Tears were welling quickly in Snow's eyes and Emma knew they could only partly be blamed on the fluctuating hormones brought on by pregnancy. Reaching across the table, she trapped Snow's wringing hands beneath her own, gently calming them down.

"Even after we were reunited, the feeling hasn't gone away. I thought, if I didn't make a big deal out of the fact that I was pregnant, you wouldn't feel like…"

"Like you were trying to replace me?" Emma filled in, watching Snow slowly nod in agreement.

She sat back with a sigh. She had a feeling it was something like this and she could see how much it weighed on her mom. If only Snow had said something earlier…

"I don't feel that way, like you're replacing me," Emma started, trying to organize her words in a way which would make Snow understand.

"Look, I won't tell you I wasn't a little upset when you first said you wanted to have another baby for the same reasons you just said but a lot has happened since then."

She looked up to make sure her mother was listening closely, then took a deep breath and admitted a feeling she had been holding onto in secret herself.

"When I was pregnant, I never let myself think about the future. I didn't have any dreams about what my son would be like because I knew I wasn't going to keep him. But now I have these memories. Memories of raising Henry and even though I know they're not real, I cling to them with everything I have because from the moment he knocked on my door a part of me wished that I'd never given him up. Now I know what it would have been like if I didn't, I wouldn't give those memories up for anything. "

Emma stopped momentarily when she felt Snow squeeze her hand and she gave her a small smile in response.

"But you don't have even one memory of raising me even though you had all these plans and dreams for me. I can't really imagine how much that must hurt, especially since I haven't been the most receptive person in regards to your parenting."

A small snort of agreement involuntarily escaped Snow's lips and Emma shot her a look of amused annoyance. She was self-aware enough to know that she hadn't made things easy for her parents, but their persistence had actually helped her come to terms with everything. If they could still love her despite her constant rebuttal, she knew that nothing would ever diminish how they felt about her. Which made her next words extremely easy and very sincere.

"So, I want you to have that. To be able to experience everything you missed out on. I am so glad you have the chance to be a mother from the very beginning because I know you'll be amazing. After all, you have been to me despite the circumstances we found ourselves in. I can't promise that I won't feel a little sad or left out at times, but I can promise to try and be the best big sister and daughter that I can be."

She'd barely finished her sentence before Snow was out of her chair, wrapping her arms around her in a loving embrace. Emma didn't even hesitate to return the hug, resting her head on her mother's shoulder with small sigh. She'd missed this, and the small bump Emma could feel between them only made her feel like she was hugging not just her mom but family.

A few moments passed before Snow pulled back, hands wiping at the tears which were still falling from her eyes, though this time out of happiness. She'd underestimated her daughter and her words had healed a scar upon her heart that she thought she would carry forever. Her worry about her family's future disappeared in the face of the knowledge that Emma was happy about their family expanding and Snow allowed herself to truly revel in the joy of being pregnant for the first time.

"Thank you," she whispered, relief shining in her eyes, unable to think of anything else to say.

"No problem," Emma replied with a grin, her own eyes suspiciously bright with tears.

"Now, why don't you show me what you've been looking at? After all, it's my responsibility to make sure my baby brother or sister has the best of everything."

Snow laughed, retaking her seat and handing some of the pile over to her daughter.

Emma didn't know exactly what the next few months would bring but right now, sitting in their kitchen preparing for the next addition to their family, she knew she'd look forward to every minute of it.