Author's Note: It has since occurred to me that it doesn't make much sense for Regina to use a pregnancy test several months after her first missed period in chapter 1. Let's say she first used one several months ago and this one was to see if she'd miscarried after Greg got electro-happy. I don't know if drugstore tests still work several months into the pregnancy, but neither would Regina. Plus, with the whole magic thing, her hormone levels could be the same in month 4 as in week 4 of an average pregnancy. Who knows?

An alternate explanation was that technically Regina's got to be pushing 60; maybe she thought menarche wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

A/N 2: I haven't kept up with the show much lately, so I apologize for any inconsistencies with canon. I also apologize for the length of this chapter; I didn't want to spam your inboxes by updating with three or four chapters at once but if I posted one chapter and promised to post the next after a set amount of time you would have every right to not believe me. Oh yeah, and sorry for taking about three and a half years to conclude this.

"Emma, how are you so calm about this?" Ruby set down her second martini to respond now that Emma was finished unloading over her fourth beer. "This isn't like you. You can be kind of a hothead sometimes, but Rumpelstiltskin rapes your wife and you just… do nothing?"

"Okay for one, she's not my wife. As much as I love her, even if we could marry in Maine I wouldn't want to pressure her into marriage given what she went through as a teenager. And for two…"

Emma sighed as if the weight of the world were slowly collapsing her lungs.

"I want to murder the fuck out of him, you're right."

The Rabbit Hole's bartender, who had been pointedly avoiding eavesdropping on what seemed to be a very heavy conversation, moved a little closer to see if she needed to call the sheriff. Upon noticing that the comment had come from Storybrooke's sheriff she moved to the other end of the bar for plausible deniability.

"I want to… to chop his balls off with a sword," Emma continued, speaking more towards her clenched fist than towards her friend. "And make him eat them. And rip his heart out. And make him eat that too. And, and, and then cut his head off so i can reach down his throat and rip out his heart again, and stomp on it a bunch. And, and cut his dick off and shove it up his ass. But before the dying part."

"Jesus Christ, Emma." Ruby realized that she'd been leaning increasingly further away as Emma spoke. "Just… wow. I think maybe I'd almost rather piss off Regina than you, and that's saying something."

They both took a sip.

Ruby leaned in closer to stage-whisper. "So why haven't you? It's not like anyone in this town wouldn't back you up."

Emma tapped her badge, eliciting an eye-roll. With a sigh she decided to tell the whole truth.

"Because it's not about me, that's why. Regina went through this. I love her and will support her and care for her and handle this the way she wants to. And she doesn't want any sort of revenge, not even legal justice." Emma's voice seemed smaller as she continued. "I think part of her is scared of becoming the Evil Queen again. And another part of her is scared that's still all anyone sees her as."

"Dude that's so sad." Ruby really did have tears welling in her eyes, Emma noted. "If Regina still isn't redeemed after all she's done since the curse broke then there's no hope for anyone. You said she helped stop that scary blue thing underground, right? She's a hero now."

"Helped stop the explode-y gem?" Emma scoffed. "At first she wanted to sacrifice herself so everyone could evacuate, she's a fucking would-be martyr."

Something occurred to Emma about what Ruby had said, and she stared hard at her for a moment. "You know you're not a villain, right? You're a werewolf, stupid."

"Shut up I ate someone. And that's not the point. The point is," Ruby jabbed her index finger into Emma's chest "you're just gonna listen to your hubby's insecurities and let a rapist, a superpowered fuckhead, wander around town with no repercussions?"

"'Hubby'?" Emma blinked rapidly as she processed the information and re-evaluated Ruby's blood alcohol content "You're getting it even more wrong, how much of a lightweight are you?"

"Shh," Ruby whispered into Emma's ear, spraying it with spittle. Emma shuttered. "I bring the bartender breakfast when she's hungover and she serves me, just, a whole lot of vodka in a martini glass. It's a system."

"Okay," Emma droned with a wry look towards her drinking buddy, "that definitely doesn't sound like some kind of alcoholic co-dependency or anything."

"Hey, if you're gonna be assaulting me with uncomfortable truths, Miss Sheriff," Ruby poked Emma's badge as she slid off her stool, "I don't have to hang around."

"Just… Ruby?" Emma caught her arm as she turned to leave. "You can't tell no one. Regina would be so hurt if anyone knew, I shouldn't have told you probably. Do not."

Ruby yanked her arm free and headed for the door.

"Remember how much you don't wanna piss me off!"

"Ugh, fucking sheriff. All up in a bar being all hypocritical of people's drinking. And… and being a mature, supportive spouse. Firlgriend. Whatever, Emma!"

Ruby wandered aimlessly in the general direction of Storybrooke's center, carrying her heels in her hand because they were being difficult. She didn't want to go home quite yet but she wasn't sure exactly where she was headed.

"That's not how… you can't…" she mumbled, "your family maybe can just ignore him and love each other and move on but he's out there."

She swung her arms wildly, gesticulating to no one present. "He's got magic but you've got magic, both all super-powerful, and probably also your baby is magic, so whatever. You can defend yourselves, right? Doesn't matter if there's a whole town of no-magic people who don't stand a chance."

Ruby continued to stumble & grumble until a horrifying thought struck her.

"Oh my god Belle."

After a bit of finagling with the lock, Ruby slammed open the library door to find Belle asleep in her chair. "Ha, of course you're here."

"Ah!" Belle awoke with a start. "Ruby?" she inquired blearily. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for the librarian, so I checked the library. Duh." Ruby chucked her shoes onto the floor and ambled over to the counter.

"I don't live here, you know. I just fell asleep shelving." Belle looked sheepishly from the cart halfway across the room to the tome that made a surprisingly good pillow. "Well, I was shelving until I found a particularly interesting book."

"And then you fell asleep reading. Classic Belle." Ruby's tone took a complete turn as the indulgent smile disappeared from her face. "Anyway, your boyfriend's a rapist."

"What? Ruby, why is… who says… what?!" If Belle hadn't been fully awake, she was now.

"Look I can't tell you who he raped or I'll get really, horrifically dead but trust me." Ruby placed her hands on Belle's shoulders and stared into her eyes. "Trust me. He did a terrible thing to one of the fiercest people ever. Other people don't stand a chance. He's not safe for you."

Belle sighed, thinking she knew exactly what this was about. "Ruby, we've been over this. Another time, different circumstances… But I'm with Rumple." Her tone became scolding. "I don't appreciate you getting drunk and coming in here with stories like this; this is really not something to…"

"I'm not making this up!" Ruby stomped her foot. "I wouldn't bullshit about something like this. I know you've made your peace with your stick-home syndrome and his immortal evil and the many, many deaths but… but Belle, this was in Storybrooke."

"Regina's curse could've made Mr. Gold any sort of…" Belle hated how she sounded as soon as she said it. She had never wanted to be one to make excuses, but this just couldn't be true.

"No, you don't get it." Ruby wanted to pound her fist on the counter for emphasis but settled for shaking it in the air. "This wasn't during the 28 years of groundhog day, this was as the curse was breaking. And he, he showed that he was never really changed by the curse, he just got a makeover. He had a loophole that he shouldn't could remember to use."

Ruby paused for a breath and Belle sat quietly, thinking.

"This was premedicated, Belle. Since before the curse, or maybe since she was a young student, or even before she was made. I heard he can see the future, and hung around with her mom." Ruby stilled her hands to make imploring eye contact. "Thing about it, but about Rumplesilsin the Dark One and not Rumple-y Poo your boyfriend."

When she spoke, Belle was solemn. "There's nothing the Dark One loves more than power. After decades of pretending to be under the influence of her curse he would want to exert his power over the Evil Queen once he had her where he wanted her. It would be a demonstration that, really, he'd had all the power the whole time."

Ruby's blood ran cold. "I never said it was Regina!"

Belle patted her on the hand. "You didn't confirm it until just now, but it wasn't that hard to put together."

"Oh god I hope Regina sets me on fire before Emma gets her hands on me." Ruby buried her face in Belle's shoulder, who elected to studiously ignore this instead of shoving her off.

"I don't understand," she murmured, pondering the issue. "I thought he was done living for power."

Ruby's head slid off Belle's shoulder as she leaned over to grab her purse. "If he hadn't changed, if he didn't want to change, why would he give me this?"

Ruby's eyes were wide as Belle pulled the Dark One dagger from her purse and lay it on the counter. They both stared at it for a moment.

Belle could see a twinkle of an idea in Ruby's eye but before she could stop her Ruby had it in her hand. And then in her mouth.

"No, what-"

Belle watched in horror as Ruby bit down on the end of the dagger and pulled downward as if trying to bit off a tough piece of jerky. The disintegration or magical explosion or whatever it was exactly that Belle was expecting never came.

"Bite strength of a wolf!" Ruby exclaimed proudly, thrusting the dagger into the air.

Belle took the dagger from Ruby and inspected the tip, now bent at almost 30 degrees.

"Couldn't do that if it was real." Ruby was smug.

Belle turned to her, angry. "Ruby, if it were real that stunt could've really hurt you. You can't just bite magical artifacts, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I was right." She crossed her arms petulantly. "Rumple still has the hots for power more than he does for you."

Belle stared at the bent dagger for a long moment, processing.

"I wanted to believe he could change but… I'm not sure he wants to." More sober, Ruby might have acknowledged the deep sadness in Belle's voice.

"Yeah, people who wanna live happily ever after don't usually hate-impregnate their protégés."

"Oh my god." The color drained from Belle's face. "She's pregnant? Oh… This is…"

"Bad?" Ruby squared her jaw. "Like rape wasn't bad enough? You aren't victim blaming, are you? Emma said she was afraid of this. I can't believe you…"

"Ruby." Belle placed a hand on Ruby's arm instead of where she really wanted to, over her mouth. "Do you know why he wanted to come here, what was worth creating the curse and meddling with thousands of lives?"

"So he did, you know, plan all this all along? I thought Henry was shitting me."

"Focus, Ruby. Rumpelstiltskin had a son. He lost him a very long time ago and ever since then… he's spent centuries, transcended realms, to try to find Baelfire."

"So he might try to name Emma's kid something weird too?"

Ruby wasn't understanding the gravity of this, and Belle wanted to shake her.

"So what do you think Rumple would do if he knew he had another child?"

"Oh. Oh, yeah, this is bad. Very bad."

Belle buried her head in her hands. "I thought he loved me. I thought… I thought he wanted to be a better person. It was all lies. Lies and, and forgeries, and…"

Ruby, who was reaching out to pat her shoulder, was startled when she sat up. She resolved herself, wiped at her snotty tears, and stood.

"As it stands we know that there's a Dark One out there, in possession of his own dagger and thus at full power, who will stop at little to find his child and who may find out he has another child on the way." Belle's voice was strong. "I seem to be the only one who can reason with him; I have to do something to prevent him from hurting Regina and Emma and their family, or Storybrooke if it gets in his way."

Ruby marveled at her bravery as Belle picked up the dagger and her bag and headed for the door.

Then it hit her that she was planning to confront the Dark One alone, and Ruby scrambled to catch up.

"We! I'm coming too! If talking doesn't work you can't just hit him with a book."

Emma feared for Belle's safety as she responded to a possible DV at the pawn shop that a brave neighbor had called in. She hoped she wasn't too drunk to handle the situation; she hadn't wanted to try to explain to her dad why she couldn't make it to a scene she was four minutes away from. She didn't think to cast a passing thought towards Gold's well-being.

Emma arrived to see Belle comforting a familiar-looking wolf who lay whimpering in a pool of blood.

"Did he hurt her?" Emma managed to ask past the lump in her throat.

Ruby had been stumbling drunk at night, and Emma had knowingly allowed a rapist to walk free in Storybrooke. Her stomach was sinking as she looked closer.

Belle patted Ruby's midsection and stood to face Emma, who had a hard time hearing her. The blood smeared on Belle's hands and splattered across her face and clothes was a bit distracting.

"Just gastrointestinally. She ate him."

Emma blinked. "What the hell? She ate him? I thought he was immortal, how did she eat him?" Her hand brushed the badge on her belt. "Oh and why, what happened here?"

Belle's voice was curiously unwavering, though there was a significant tremble to her jaw. "Rumple had given me his dagger to prove that he was done using his powers for evil, that he wanted to change. Ruby helped me learn that it was a forgery, that he was lying to me and still had his dagger.

"When I came to confront him about it Ruby followed to back me up. I showed Rumple how Ruby had managed to bend the dagger he'd given me and he just tried to tell me about his plans to get Baelfire back, about how he just needed his dagger a little while longer and then he could give up the power."

Belle swallowed hard and started to swipe at the tears welling in her eyes before she remembered the blood on her hands.

"When I wouldn't accept that he just tried to mind-wipe me. That's when Ruby intervened," she summed up.

"And ate him," Emma marveled, "just like that?"

Belle nodded. "She had been lurking in the shadows. He never saw her coming."

"But how was she able to chew up an immortal guy? Why hasn't he, I don't know, healed and popped out of her stomach?"

Belle looked a bit sick at the thought. "I don't know. My guess would be that the way the curse changed his form made it possible for him to be physically harmed and he would need a moment to heal. Maybe being ripped to chunks stopped him from healing during the attack, and her stomach acid is stopping him now."

"So do you think… Can he feel… Oh god." Emma, looking a bit green, placed a hand over her mouth.

"Can he feel what's happening?" Belle clarified, affecting a tone of clinical detachment. "There isn't exactly a precedent for Dark Ones being eaten by werewolves, especially without their protective magical dermal layer, but I would assume so."

"I'm gonna be sick."

Emma quietly stole into 108 Mifflin St. at almost five in the morning, trying not to wake their son. She cringed as her dirty work boots met the pristine carpet of the staircase; it had been nearly eight months since she'd moved in but there were still some things Regina was a stickler about, like tracking dirt through the house. Emma didn't want to waste time taking off her shoes.

She couldn't help but smile when she opened the door to their bedroom to see Regina sleeping peacefully, with one hand resting on her small baby bump. She didn't stir as Emma brushed a strand of hair from her face and kissed her forehead; Emma was proud to note that Regina had become a heavier sleeper since she moved in. She'd like to attribute it to trust, and security.

"Regina?" She spoke softly, then tried again a little louder. "Hun? Wake up, there's something you need to know."

"Hm what?" Regina mumbled without opening her eyes. "Is Henry okay?"

"Henry's fine, he's still sleeping." Emma placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Then what is it?" As Regina sat up and rubbed her eyes Emma sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with a loose thread in the blanket. "Emma, what's going on?"

Emma took a deep breath to steel herself. For better or worse, this news was going to have an impact. Regina stared at her expectantly.

"Gold is dead. Well, functionally."

Regina's heart sank. Her voice went cold. "What did you do, Sheriff Swan?"

"Nothing, baby, I promise." Emma's heart hurt to see Regina looking at her with crossed arms and an icy stare, as if they were back where they'd been on Emma's 28th birthday. "It was Belle and Ruby."

Regina fought the urge to scoff. "Why would Belle kill him?"

"Self defense." Emma fought to keep a level voice as she fumbled for Belle's statement to show Regina, who was still skeptical. "Though I'm not sure if there's a legal precedent for if an attempted mind-wipe justifies deadly force."

Regina's tone warmed a little as she watched Emma flip through the files on her phone. "How were they able to kill him? Is one of them the Dark One now?"

"See that's why he's sort of dead." Emma handed over her phone with the report open. "They didn't use his dagger."

Regina skimmed through with a hand over her mouth. She handed it back to Emma once she reached the crime scene photos.

Emma took the phone and brought the bedroom trash can closer, just in case. "Belle thinks the curse took away his magic skin or something and Ruby's stomach acid is actively keeping him from coming back."

"So that bastard is being digested alive?" Regina stared down at her belly for a moment; she was just starting to show enough that her arms couldn't quite cradle her midsection the way they usually did when she was uncomfortable.

When her deep brown eyes met Emma's gaze as she made her next inquiry, Emma's heart melted.

"If that… gratifies me… does that make me evil?"

Emma launched herself into bed, boots and all, to wrap her true love in the warmest bear hug she could muster. "Regina, that makes you human."

Regina lost herself in the moment, engulfed in her arms, until she turned her head for a kiss. "Emma, your breath."

Ruby strode into Regina's hospital room with her shirt pulled up to her ribs. "Hey, Emma says we have matching scars."

Regina looked at the line over Ruby's stomach with a smile. "I think she could use an anatomy lesson; mine is much lower."

"Oh, whatever."

Ruby pulled her shirt back down and brought her other hand from behind her back to reveal a lovely array of flowers in a wicker basket. "Belle sent these. She's not sure how she feels about this hospital, or about you if we're being honest, but…" Ruby tapered off as she set the basket on the end table. "I don't know, I think she feels bad."

"About not wanting to visit her captor in the hospital that had been her prison, or about what Rumpelstiltskin did?" Regina was nothing but matter-of-fact.

Ruby's eyes were wide. She plopped down in the bedside chair, looking considerably paler. "You weren't supposed to know that we know."

"I knew Emma went out for drinks with you that night," Regina explained evenly, "and I read the report. Something prompted you two to question Rumpelstiltskin's motives and test the dagger. I put two and two together."

"In my defense I didn't tell Belle, exactly." Ruby started to chew nervously on her thumbnail but decided it best not to show weakness. "I tried to keep your anonymity but she figured out enough details from my drunken rambling for two and two too. Please don't let Emma kill me."

She really wished her voice hadn't sounded so small just then.

Regina smiled, which Ruby at ease. "You defeated the Dark One with little more than your teeth and your stomach. I don't think she could if she tried."

"Well I had the help of the doctors who sucked the evil goop from my gut, and the magic box Belle found in the pawn shop that they poured the Rumple soup into. And of course, Belle." Ruby smiled, and Regina could tell she was infatuated with the librarian. "I never would have gotten the drop on him, or even tried to I guess, if it weren't for her.""

"Did it for the girl, huh? A motive as old as the concept of heroism." Regina could hardly wait to tell Henry this tidbit. He seemed to think Ruby defeated the Dark One out of general goodness; he would love the love story angle.

Ruby, blushing, steered the conversation away from her love life. "Your curse made him edible," she pointed out.

"I may have cast it, but Rumpelstiltskin created the curse." Regina's expression was pensive. "I suppose he was ultimately foist on his own petard."

Ruby scratched her head, directly behind her right ear. "I assume that's a literary reference I'm missing. I'll ask my girlfriend about it later."

A silent moment passed. A year or so ago Ruby would have been incredibly uncomfortable. She marveled at how well you can get to know an intimidating, aloof mayor when your best friend starts a family with her. She was glad for the opportunity to see Regina as something other than the big bad she'd helped Snow White face so very long ago, and not just because she was very effective with a fireball. It was neat, how many friends a werewolf could make in this town. Probably more than in Madagascar.

Regina's voice, gentler than Ruby had generally heard it, pulled her from her train of thought. "Thank you."

Ruby's blood-red lips curled into a grin. "For the flowers or for a peek at my abs?"

"For your discretion." In response to Regina's heavy tone Ruby schooled expression into something more serious. "Belle aside, I appreciate that you didn't make what happened common knowledge." This was possibly the first time Ruby had seen Regina unwilling or unable to make eye contact. "As much as I loathe the idea of pity or judgment from the general public, the important thing is that Danielle isn't treated any differently because of the circumstances of her conception."

Ruby's tone was as serious and caring as she could muster. "Of course."

Voices drifted in from outside the room, drawing closer. From what they could hear Henry wanted to hold his sister very much but Emma and Mary Margaret were concerned about how hopping-excited he was.

Regina was positively giddy. "Here they come now!"

Emma walked in beaming, a healthy 6 pound 2 ounce bundle of joy in her arms. It was nine months to the day since she and Regina had worried over their first child just a floor below this very room, and Emma couldn't be happier about how much things had turned up. Not only had she found a family but they were happy, safe, and together.

Henry, Mary Margaret, and David filed in behind her.

"Here we go, all finished getting checked out and healthy as a tiny hairless horse. She's been missing her mama." Emma handed Danielle to Regina and almost laughed as Ruby immediately leaned over to get a good look.

"No Emma, you're mama. Mom is mommy." Henry didn't square his stance and cross his arms over his chest too often, but when he did Emma was always struck by how much he was like his mom.

"She's two days old, kid. I don't think she cares."

"I still can't believe how great you're doing, Regina. You were under the knife yesterday and today you look" Mary-Margaret floundered for the word she was looking for, "...well-rested?"

"Yeah, and you looked less 'pregnant' than 'freshman fifteen' the whole time." Glares from both Ruby and his wife told David that had been the wrong thing to say.

"This may be the last time you see us well-rested for a while," Emma deftly side-stepped her father's comment. "From what Regina says about Henry, once the little one and her mommy are ready to come home the real fun begins."

"Speaking of Henry," Mary Margaret said, sidling up to Regina to get another look at her new step-sister granddaughter, "his new little sister looks just like he did when he was tiny, but with Regina's complexion. You two lucked out with that anonymous sperm donor."

Emma's knuckles turned white as she gripped the bed's railing.

Regina's first instinct was to revert to the familiar fury of her, and Mary Margaret's, youth. Snow had never quite understood her pain, even when she was as young as Henry was now and Regina was but a teen. But Regina realized this time she had no real way of knowing.

Regina internally acknowledged how much that comment hurt but decided to channel that emotion into love; the only response Mary Margaret received to her observation was Regina placing a gentle kiss on the nose of her sleeping infant.

The moment wasn't lost on Ruby. "Okay let's let the new family get acquainted, huh? There will be plenty of time for Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Ruby to hog the baby later. Come on, you two. Let's head over to the diner to grab the proud parents something to eat besides hospital food."

David, who had just been grumbling about the vending machines not taking his five-dollar bill, was first out of the room with his wife close behind. To their credit they had been there for their daughter since her partner's water first broke two days ago and had held her hand while Regina underwent a cesarean section after her sixteenth hour of labour, but Emma couldn't honestly say she wasn't a bit relieved to see them go. There was such a thing as too much of a good thing, including belated parenting.

"See you later, slayer!" Henry called with a grin.

Ruby responded with a growl and a swipe of her "claws" as she left the room. She still wasn't completely comfortable with her alter state and some of the things it had done, but she was Henry's idol. She'd protected and avenged that boy's family and she'd be damned if she was going to turn around and break his heart. Besides, being the hero felt pretty cool. And Belle thought she was cool too.

Henry turned to beam at his moms and his new baby sister. Ma was gazing lovingly at Dani and Mom, who looked up and gestured for him to sit next to her on the bed. As he snuggled up in the middle of his smiling family (or was the baby making that face while pooping?) he decided he may not be completely sold on this loud, stinky little lump of wrinkles that seemed to sap all the attention, but she made his moms happy and that made him happy too.