Andante, Andante

Chapter Twenty

"Emma?"

That all too familiar voice, that her ears craved for the past four months, rings loudly through the barn. Her mouth pops open as she gapes at Rocinante, as though the damn horse is playing tricks on her. She tells herself to breathe slowly, but her heart hammers painfully, fully awake for the first time after four long months.

She maintains one hand upon Rocinante before her toes dig into her boots and she slowly turns around to meet her. Her breath hitches from her beauty alone. How did she not remember how drop-dead gorgeous she is?

Short, half-breaths are all that her lungs can produce in the moment as she assesses the woman who stole her heart. Those gorgeous, thick raven tresses are so much longer than four months ago, the length falling passed her breasts. Her eyes are painted in a dark, smokey, sultry look that makes her knees quakes with lust. Her succulent lips are a deep red and her own lips itch to smear that perfect shade of lipstick.

Green eyes travel down to the thick, cream colored sweater that's oversized and protecting that body from her greedy eyes. Her dark, denim jeans might as well be painted on for how tight they appear, accompanied by her knee-high, black, suede boots.

How did she ever allow this woman to leave her bed?

"Emma," Regina gasps again before her voice hits a few octaves higher, "What the hell is going on with your stomach?!"

Those enchanting brown eyes double in size as her jaw practically comes unhinged and almost smacking the floor. Her feet shuffle forward, but something in her mind screams for her to stop, because she abruptly stills.

"Regina, I-I didn't think you were going to come," she stammers as she tries to muster up something to say.

"You didn't answer my question," Regina quickly fires back, never skipping a beat per usual Regina fashion. "You're pregnant? You're pregnant and you didn't tell me?" She screeches so high, even Rocinante shakes his head and breathes out his protest.

"I know, but-"

"How could you not tell me? How long have you known? How far along are you? When did this happen? Do I even want to know when this occurred? Who's the father?" Regina spits out question after question, never once taking a moment to breathe throughout her curiosity.

"That's...a lot of questions," she mutters, gently gliding her hand up the horse's nose for support and comfort.

"Start explaining, Emma," she growls as her feet take an assertive step forward, expressing how infuriated she truly is right now.

Emma swallows down her fear and dread for this conversation and shifts through her mind of all the things she has wanted to say, but nothing is coming in clear. Her mind is like a distorted radio, everything is coming in half words through the scratchy white noise and she cannot pick up on one damn wavelength.

"Okay, where do I begin..."

"The beginning," Regina deadpans, her eyes burning with a fiery passion that will end with Emma's head on a platter.

"Right. I found out the day before you left back to New York-"

"What?" She breathlessly whispers as though Emma physically just punched her in the gut and knocked all the wind out of her.

"I know," she whines, but hastily proceeds. "You had your period and that's when it hit me that I had skipped mine. I had no clue when the last time was, and I panicked. I bought you Rocky Road that night and myself a pregnancy test that came back positive."

"Emma, how could you?" Regina grumbles through a clenched jaw while her fists ball together at her sides. "If you weren't pregnant right now, I would hit you!"