Yes, another pregnancy one😂😂 I'm just doing these in the order they were requested. This one was requested by @puglover863

This is an AU where Neal turned himself in instead of letting Emma get arrested, and it was the Apprentice who told Neal to let Emma be so she could fulfill her destiny; not August.

~

Emma absentmindedly rubbed her stomach as she waited in the check out line at Wal-Mart. Her sixth month baby bump was impossible to hide, and so was the fact that the father was gone and never coming back.

"Good afternoon," the clerk smiled at Emma when she moved up to check out. It wasn't someone she had seen there before, so Emma figures he must be new. She read the name on his name tag; August.

"Good afternoon to you too." Emma smiled politely at the man as he scanned her purchases. Once everything was bagged, August looked at his lane. No one else was there, so he shut the light off and turned to Emma.

"Can I help you take these out?"

Emma nodded, grateful for any help she could get. August loaded a cart full of Emma's groceries and she led him through the parking lot to her car. August loaded the groceries into the back of Emma's small Volkswagen bug before turning to head back into Wal-Mart.

"Thank you!" Emma called after him.

August turned back and smiled at Emma. "No problem."

For the next several weeks, Emma went out of her way to make sure August was her cashier whenever she needed to get something from Wal-Mart. If no one else was waiting in the lane, August would take Emma's groceries to her car for her. If there were others waiting, he would simply wink at Emma and say, "Maybe next time."

Emma was seven and a half months pregnant when August invited her out for coffee. It was more of a friend date than a date date, but Emma appreciated it all the same.

"So when's the little one due?" August asked before taking a drink of his steaming coffee.

Emma looked down at her bulging stomach and smiled. "A month and a half. May 30th."

"Ah," August nodded. "You've still got a bit of time, then?"

"Yep." Emma took a cautious sip of her drink, not wanting to burn her tongue.

The two talked about little things for a while until August had to get back to work. Before leaving, he placed a kiss to Emma's hand. "Call me, and we can talk again some time."

Emma felt her cheeks redden. "O-okay."

August turned and walked away from Emma. The moment he was sure she couldn't see him anymore, his shoulders dropped. "You were supposed to protect her, not fall in love with her!" He scolded himself in a harsh whisper. But it was too late; August had already fallen. Hard. And he was going to do whatever it took to protect both Emma and her unborn child so one day, they could go to Storybrooke and Emma could break the curse. But for now, August was fine having coffee with her and helping with her groceries.