Obviously, Once Upon a Time does not belong to me. I'm just playing with the characters.

This story is a sequel to "Baby Gold." Chapter one of this story begins around the same time as "Baby Gold" and gives more background information.

This chapter features: Snow, Regina, Philip, Granny, Henry, the Dwarves, Archie, & Whale.

Thank you to everyone who's read and/or reviewed my stories. All reviews are greatly desired and appreciated. This has not been beta read. Is anyone out there interested?

Oh, Baby

Chapter 1 5

June 15

Mary Margaret, pushing a stroller loaded full of little Neal and baby supplies, walked briskly down the sidewalk. She was on her way to meet her step-mother and her grandson for an early lunch at Granny's. After all that had happened over the last few years, the two women had decided to set their differences aside and try once again to be, if not a happy family, at least one that could get along.

Because it was summer and she was out for vacation, Mrs. Nolan had the necessary time to work through the hard feelings she felt for Regina. Henry, the dear boy, had agreed to act as a peace negotiator for this adopted mother/step-great-grandmother and his natural grandmother/favorite teacher.

The sky was an incredibly bright, cobalt blue, promising a fine day and a perfect chance for the two strong women to come to a permanent truce. Her cute, new sandals were keeping time with the lullaby she was humming as she strolled along.

Turning the corner, she was nearly flattened by Prince Philip. "Snow White," he gasped, grabbing hold of the baby carriage to steady it. Although the structure swayed alarmingly, it neither fell nor woke Neal.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean to run into you - " He paused, looking completely dazed. "And Prince Neal!" His eyes widened in shock, and he peered in at the sleeping baby. A dreamy smile of gargantuan proportions flitted over his face, but it was quickly replaced by a look of horror. "I could have knocked the carriage over - " The young man panicked. He was growing breathless at this point.

"Philip," Mary Margaret ordered in the patented teacher's voice, "calm down right now!"

Immediately, the former prince stopped and stood still. He took two deep gulps of air. "Yes, ma'am," he murmured.

"All right, Philip," she held onto his arms, "what's wrong?" A small frown spoiled her mouth.

"It's Aurora. She's pregnant."

Releasing him, Mary Margaret clasped both hands over her mouth and gasped. Then, grabbing him again by the arms, she grinned enormously. "That's wonderful!" she exclaimed.

He seemed to recover his poise. Straightening his shoulders, the former prince, turned high school math teacher, beamed back. "Yes, she has an appointment with Dr. MaGoose at 11:00 today to determine the sex of the child." He shook his head in wonder. "This world and the miracles of the science that it holds, it amazes me. I must apologize for leaving so suddenly, Snow, but I'm going to be late."

"Oh, there's no need to apologize, Philip," she told him. "You have Aurora text me to let me know if it's a boy or girl."

He bowed slightly. "I will."

"Ohmygoodness!" squealed Mary Margaret. She reached across the table and grabbed Regina with her right hand, her cell phone gripped feverishly in her left hand.

"What?" exclaimed the former evil queen. The mayor jerked back in her seat and threw a precautionary arm around Henry. "What's happening now?"

Quickly scanning the rest of the text, Mary Margaret clutched spasmodically at Regina's arm several times. "Ohmygoodness! Ohmygoodness! Ohmygoodness!" She kept repeating this phrase in excited disbelief. Her voice, rising ever higher in pitch and decibels, was catching the attention of several patrons of the restaurant.

Granny, wiping her hands on a tomato sauce stained towel, marched over to the table. The last thing she needed was the two queens at all-out war inside her establishment. "Ladies," she growled, "I don't want any trouble in here."

Henry was growing alarmed. A tiny line of worry had formed between his soft brown eyes. "Grandma," he asked, "what's wrong?" But Mary Margaret could not reply

"Give me that!" Regina ordered. She snatched the phone away from her step-daughter.

As if she were suddenly released from an evil spell, Grandma Snow gripped Henry's hands fiercely. "Oh, Henry," she gasped. Tears sparkled in her clear green eyes.

Some of the nearer customers were becoming agitated. Several of them tossed cash on their table and bolted. "You're scaring folks!" Granny hissed.

"Hey, what's the trouble, now?" asked Ruby. She followed her grandmother across the restaurant to stand next to Mary Margaret and Neal.

Leaving her three companions at the table, Mother Superior rose from her seat swiftly. Lifting her hands trying to calm the anxious crowd, she moved sedately towards the table. "May I be of assistance?"

"Oh my God!" growled Regina. "How the hell did this happen?" She stared, glowering at Mary Margaret's phone as if it had just committed murder.

Mary Margaret laughed loudly. "Well, step-mother, you see, when a man and a woman love each other very much - "

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," retorted Regina in an angry hiss. She widened her dark eyes and tilted her head towards Henry, warning Mrs. Nolan to choose her words carefully.

Granny's blue eyes narrowed like twin lasers, but Henry's only widened in confusion. But before either of them could say a word, the former Blue Fairy gently took the phone from Regina's hand.

A deadly quiet descended on the entire restaurant as Mother Superior slowly read the text. Her eyebrows lifted in shock. She cleared her throat, but her voice still rang out tinny and too high. "Who sent this text?" she asked.

"All right," Leroy grumbled. Having heaved himself off his barstool and wobbled over to the booth, he tucked his shirt haphazardly into his pants. "What's wrong, girls?"

Mary Margaret didn't like the nun's tone of voice. "Aurora sent me the text," she replied steadily. She took her cell phone from the former fairy and tucked it into Neal's diaper bag.

Regina barely flicked a glance at the grumpy man. "Go back and drink your lunch," she told him. She frowned at the woman sitting across from her. "So," she stated slowly, "Aurora is pregnant?" She eyed Henry with barely concealed concern because she didn't want to have that particular discussion with him. Maybe she could foist that job off on Emma. After all, Emma was the boy's birth mother.

"Yes, she and Philip are going to have a daughter. Isn't that wonderful?" Mary Margaret informed them. Turning to Granny, she tried to change the subject. "Could I get a nice Caesar salad?"

"The text seemed to indicate that Mr. Gold was also at the doctor's office," Mother Superior stated.

Granny wheeled around to face her granddaughter. "You knew about this?" she demanded.

Ruby shrugged and plastered on an obviously fake smile. "Uh, I'll get the salad," she told Mary Margaret as she dashed off.

"That's great news for Prince Philip and Princess Aurora, Grandma Snow," Henry said. Then he frowned again. "Mom, why would Grandpa Gold be at a baby doctor's?"

"I'll bring you a salad, too," Granny informed the mayor. "A burger and fries for the boy?"

Regina inhaled sharply. "Yes, please," she answered politely, thankful for the brief respite from Henry's question.

"The Dark One cannot be allowed to breed," Mother Superior stated bluntly. Turning quickly, she motioned for the fellow nuns to follow her, and they left.

"Hey, that's Belle you're talking about!" Leroy shouted after her. Mumbling to himself, he clumped back over to his seat.

"Honey," Regina said softly, "it looks like 'Grandpa Gold' and Belle are going to have a baby."

December 8

The Rabbit Hole Tavern smelled of spilled beer and stale cigarettes, but it was filled to bursting that night. Raucous laughter and shrill giggles followed Dopey as he brought yet another round to their table. Leroy and his regular drinking buddies were well into their cups, and it was just half past nine o'clock. "You should have heard Astrid going on and on about him," Leroy complained to anyone who would listen. "I mean, it's sickening." He gulped another mouthful of beer and scrubbed the back of his free hand across his mouth. Walter had already given up and was snoring on the table, a thin line of drool stringing from his mouth.

"Yeah?" asked Mr. Clark, stifling another sneeze. "I just can't see Mr. Gold as some smooth lady's man. It must have been that poem. How did you say it went?"

"Aw, hell, I don't remember," Leroy complained. "I just know that Astrid told me that Mother Superior had said something terrible and Belle was about to cry. Then Gold came in spouting poetry."

"Yes, but what was the poem?" asked Doc insistently.

"Does it matter?" Mr. Blythe responded. "From what I've heard the ladies were practically swooning and drooling all over him."

"That's embarrassing."

Grumpy asserted, "No, that's disgusting." He shivered for effect.

"Maybe it was a magic poem." That suggestion was met with a sound volley or scorn.

Dr. Whale joined in their conversation. "Say, Dopey, how about you order us another round of beers. My treat." He took the smaller man's seat. " If Gold can inspire heartfelt sighs from all those women just by reading a poem, imagine what we could do with the same poem." He nodded meaningfully around.

Dr. Hopper didn't intend to eavesdrop, really he didn't, but Whale's suggestion was too good to pass up. Joining the other men at the table, he asked, "Do you remember anything about the poem?"

Whale tilted his head, gauging the other doctor carefully. Leroy was less subtle. "Why do you wanna know?" he asked.

Archie shrugged.

"Yeah," Whale grinned speculatively. "Got a lady you want to impress, doctor?"

Archie turned red, but he held Whale's eye steadily. "I was thinking that it might come in handy to know the name of the poem and poet. Does anyone know the title or author?"

It was Dopey, returning with the drinks, who gave them their answer. "It was 'Letters to a Young Poet' by Rilke," he told them.

"Why didn't you say that before?" demanded Grumpy, thumping a fist on the table. Walter, abruptly awoken, snorted and struggled to rise from his seat, but he gave it up as a lost cause and promptly fell back into slumber.

Shrugging, the youngest of the group stated simply, "No one asked."