Okay deep breaths it's going to be okay! I am much too attached to this story! It's like giving up a whole part of me :( I don't want to end it at aaaalll :( but here we are. This got a bunch longer than it previously was but I know that none of you are going to complain about that ;) and we made it past 700 reviews! Thank you so much! You guys are amazing! Now enjoy this wonderfully happy chapter without a speck of angst :)

It had been just a little over eighteen months since she woke up in the hospital. What a day that was. They called no one after she woke up and simply got her discharged and left the building. She clung to James and he to her as they walked down Main Street, smiling and nodding at looks of joy and surprise to see her on her feet once again. They were heading to Granny's where they knew Henry would be with Red and Emma and perhaps even Snow would be there as well.

What surprised her the most and reduced her to tears was when they came across Rumplestiltskin and Belle on a walk of their own. Rumple said nothing, only widened his eyes when he saw her and quietly breathed out a surprised and impressed laugh. The two couples paused in front of each other, Belle smiling and laughing happily at her as Rumple smiled warmly and bowed respectfully before her.

The tears welled up in her eyes then because it was not a mocking gesture, not a playful one, it was honest, sincere, it was respect, and it released her from under his thumb. He let her go free and her tears fell as she quivered with the effort to keep herself from breaking down entirely when he laid a soft hand on her shoulder as he passed by with a smile.

She was free.

She was finally free. Her eyes fell shut as her tears fell silently and James wrapped both arms around her knowing how much Rumple's interaction meant. He pulled her close in to his side and absorbed her gentle shaking as she worked at steadying her breathing so she would not still be crying when she walked in to the diner even though she knew they would return the very instant she saw the rest of her family.

The walk to the diner was not nearly long enough to prepare herself. James opened the door and allowed her to pass him and walk inside first. All eyes fell on her and she was happy to see that the diner was not full and that only the dwarves, Archie, Granny, Red, Emma, Henry, and Snow were scattered around the room. The room ran silent at her presence but the very moment the door closed behind her and the jingle of the bell was heard they all started to laugh happily in disbelief.

With an excited and tear filled "mom!" Henry sprinted toward her and did not slow down before he reached her consequently slamming her backward in to James who caught them both easily. Henry's arms wrapped too tightly around her middle as he cried in to her chest and she held on to him no less tight as she cried quietly in to his hair. Quiet exchanges of worries and reassurances were passed between crying mother and son as the rest of them gathered around.

Red simply wrapped her arms around the both of them with tears in her eyes as she laughed and kissed her cheek which in turn had Regina laughing quietly. Whispered words of thanks and greetings were passed between the friends as Red rested her head on Regina's shoulder and left her arms to hug her tightly.

Granny tried to keep her falling tears hidden but Regina noticed them all the same and smiled at her as her own tears continued to fall. The older woman simply sniffed and shook her head to rid herself of them and laughed as she offered free lunch and drinks in celebration. The dwarves were excited and happy, many of them hugging her as well and teasing her about how long it took to which she playfully replied that she was running out of ways to scare them.

Snow remained where she was originally standing at the far end of the diner with her hands hanging clasped in front of her as she smiled with tears pooled in her eyes. Regina managed to free herself from Henry's tight grasp and Red's warm embrace and navigated her way through the bouncing dwarves, passing Emma with a nod and a soft squeeze over her upper arm resulting in the blonde letting her tears fall as she bowed her head and laughed.

With a welcome back from Archie Regina's eyes fell to Snow as she walked closer and Snow remained still. Her posture was stiff and she held her breath, her smile staying put as nervous and hopeful blue eyes darted between her steady brown. Without so much as a second thought or momentary pause Regina stopped in front of Snow and pulled her in to a hug. The very instant she touched her Regina saw the tears fall from Snow's eyes and when she held her tight Snow simply broke down and cried in to her neck as her fingers pulled at the back of her black coat.

Regina's tears fell silently through closed eyes and with a whisper almost too quiet to hear Regina told her that she too wanted to try again. That had the girl simply breaking completely and slumping in to Regina's arms. It was going to be an uphill battle, it wasn't going to be as simple as forgetting all that happened and becoming the best of friends. It was going to take time and effort but this uphill battle was going to be easier than some others because they had the hand of the other willing to pull them up when one of them got stuck.

It was a day she would never forget and a day that she would forever hold close to her heart. Remembering it still brought tears to her eyes. She felt at peace now, everything was alright. Now eighteen months later she had gathered only a little anxiety in her over the past half hour as she stood in the foyer of her home. She knew what she wanted James to do but she didn't know what she would receive when she walked through that door. Taking a deep breath Regina walked slowly across the foyer and in to the living room where she knew he sat.

"James?"

He lifted his head to the unusually timid voice to find Regina standing nervously just inside the doorway of the living room, "what is it darling?"

"Um," she whispered shakily and began fiddling with the sleeves around her wrists as she avoided eye contact. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest but there was no turning back now, he knew her too well and she never put any walls up around him, he knew she had something on her mind and if she didn't say it now he would get it out of her himself. He was getting quite good at it, "I uh," she shook her head to clear her panicky thoughts and made herself look in to his blue eyes and took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant."

A smile instantly formed on his face and it only grew wider, "no," he whispered excitedly and she nodded her head quickly as tears began to pool in those dark eyes, "really?!"

Regina breathed out a shaky laugh and sniffed back her tears at how his excitement matched her own, "yes," her laughter grew louder at the excited and joyous shout he gave as he jumped off the couch and ran to her with his eyes on her stomach.

James put his hands on her stomach as the muscles flexed with laughter and ran his thumbs over the white fabric of her shirt. Her hands fell over his and squeezed them affectionately and he lifted his eyes to meet hers. Her eyes were brimmed with tears of joy as she laughed excitedly, "we are going to have a baby," he said it slowly, his voice almost a whisper and filled with joy as he shrugged his shoulders up in adoration.

He was so excited and that gave her such relief. He had told her once that he would be happy either way, child or no child, but now seeing that he was just as thrilled as she was about this baby she wanted to cry, "yes we are," she laughed softly and the tears started to roll slowly down her cheeks. We. He said we.

Another excited laugh lightened him and he gripped his hands around her ribcage and lifted her as he spun, her hands against his chest and her knees gently bent as she laughed with him. He put her down with the widest of smiles and took her smiling face between his hands and pulled her in to a kiss. The both of them still laughing in to each other.

"What's going on?"

James let her go when she broke off the kiss and looked down at Henry, he couldn't help but look back down Regina's stomach and grin. He wanted to see her belly grow, he wanted to feel their baby kick, he wanted to run out in the middle of the night to satisfy any strange and sudden cravings, he wanted to do it all.

"Henry," she smiled and bent at the waist so she could look him in the eye as he looked curiously between the tears on her cheeks and her dark eyes, "you're going to be a big brother dear," she nodded as he let the news soak in. She watched with a smile when he looked over her shoulder at James and then back to her, bouncing with excitement.

"You're pregnant?!" He laughed happily and she nodded, "no way!" He laughed louder and tackled her, wrapping his arms around her tightly and then letting go immediately, "oh sorry."

Regina and James laughed and she shook her head and pulled him back in to her, "you're not going to hurt it," she chuckled and hugged him tightly, "it's good and safe in there," at that his arms clamped around her like a vice.

Henry tilted his head back so his chin rested on her breasts and grinned up at her, "you're gonna get really round," he giggled and she pushed her head back slightly as she laughed and nodded before she shook her head back down to look a him.

"Yes, yes I am," her voice danced off her tongue as she laughed. Henry's laughter subsided and he was now looking up at her with a wide smile filled with an admiration of her she had never once seen from her son. She smiled right back at him and lifted a hand from around his back and pushed the short hair from his forehead and followed his hairline with her fingers behind his ear.

"I'm gonna make sure this baby knows how great a mother you are."

More tears formed in her eyes and she cocked her head as she smiled, "oh Henry," she whispered slowly and brought her other hand from around his back so she held his face, "thank you," he grinned in her hands and tightened his arms around her, "you are going to be a great brother."

James shook his head as joy and excitement simply vibrated every fibre in his body and kept his mouth caught in a the widest of smiles. He could hardly stand himself he was so happy. With a smile unable to be removed he lowered himself down so he sat on his heels and balanced himself with his knees on the floor, placing his hands on her hips so she would pivot and face him as she let go of Henry. His eyes were on her stomach and his smile grew impossible bigger as he imagined it growing.

"Hello baby," he chimed happily and Regina laughed softly as her hands rested over his own. He moved one hand over her stomach in anticipation to feel the beautiful bump start to grow and cause his hand to rise. Henry took Regina's now free hand between both of his and tucked himself tightly against her side as he smiled down at him. What a beautiful patchwork family they had created.

"I can't wait to meet you," he smiled and kissed Regina's stomach softly, "you're going to be so strong."

You guys have absolutely no idea how much you mean to me. You have turned a single scene that I wrote to satisfy my pestering brain in to an epic story. You have cried with me and you have laughed with me and you have even gotten a little hot and bothered with me I'm sure ;) Without you none of this would have been created, none of this would have happened and I am forever grateful for you you wonderful followers :) I do hope that you follow me on more journeys through my stories because without you they are just words. This is not farewell I assure you but I need you all to know how much it means to me that you have stuck with me from beginning to end. So thank you! Thank you so much and I will see you again very soon :)

xoxoxo Emily