Chapter Twenty.

Six weeks later, Freya sat in the chair in the ultrasound room, her hand in Killian's.
"You know the drill. Shirt up, gel on." Doctor Whale told her.
The Heretic lifted up her black tank top and watched as Whale squirted the gel onto her abdomen, then reached for the wand.
"At this point, it's going to feel uncomfortable, but at least this time we should be able to determine a sex for your baby." He said.
"I can't wait." Freya beamed, looking over to Killian who gave her a wink and a half smile.
The three of them watched the screen. Killian was in awe of how big his child had gotten.
"Ah, here we are. Miss Klay, Captain, I'm happy to introduce you to your beautiful little girl." The Doctor looked to the pair with a wide grin on his face.
"By the Gods..." Freya breathed. "Killi, we're having a daughter."
"Yes we are, Stowaway." Killian leaned up and kissed her passionately.
"Have you had any discussions about possible names?" The Doctor asked.
"Well... Killian and I met on his ship, so we're thinking something to do with the sea." Freya smiled, giving the Pirate's hand a small squeeze.
"That's lovely, guys. I'm really happy for you." Whale replied.
"Thank you, Doctor." Killian nodded.

The pair walked up to the house and noticed something was off.
"The door's open..." Killian frowned.
"Wait here." Freya told him, moving towards the porch.
She entered the house and looked around, but when she found nothing, she beckoned for Killian to come in.
"Can you hear anything?" He asked.
Freya tucked her black hair behind her left ear, listening about the house.
"Upstairs." She glared towards the stairs. "Lance?" She called up.
There was a crash of what sounded like books. Someone clearly knew they'd been caught.
Freya headed towards the stairs, but stopped in her tracks when she saw a little girl she knew all too well.
"Astrid..." She gasped.
"Hi mum."

Astrid sat in the living room, waiting for Freya and Killian to return from the kitchen.
"That's a pretty big piece of information you left out, Freya." He sighed.
"I had her before I was turned. How she's so young is a long story we'll get to in a minute, but I had no idea where she was. We were separated centuries ago." Freya explained. "I never thought I'd need to tell you." The Heretic's eyes welled up with tears.
"Why are you crying?" Killian asked, less sympathetic sounding than he'd meant.
"I've just told you I never thought I'd see her again. Feel free to take a wild guess, Killian." She snapped.
"You're right... I'm sorry, love." Killian rubbed the back of his neck before moving over to wrap his arms around her shoulders, embracing her in a tight hug. "Come on. We need to go and see her."
Freya nodded and pulled away from the hug to wipe away her tears, then the pair went back to the living room.

"Tell me the story." Killian said.
"Okay... I had Astrid when I was just sixteen. Our village back in Norway had been attacked and I was mistaken for a slave. In my time, slaves were free game to men – they would do as they pleased with them. I fell pregnant, my parents and my coven saw me as a disgrace since I was pregnant out of wedlock so they kept Astrid and I locked away. That was until Astrid was seven. The coven saw that her magic was getting stronger so they sought to punish me for the abomination I had created. But they thought death was too good for either of us. So they created a curse. Astrid lives as an immortal and never ages. She has been seven years old for the better part of a thousand years. At the time, my coven believed that she would out-live me and be cursed to walk the Earth alone as a child forever, but then I was turned into a Vampire and thus, a Heretic. So instead they banished me and kept Astrid locked away inside a boundary spell so that I would never be able to see her again." She told him.
"I managed to escape, but I could never find my mother. Until I heard of a tiny town called Storybrooke." Astrid finished, smiling at Freya.
Killian didn't say a word until he knew they were finished. He simply sat and listened.
"Honestly?" Killian sighed, leaning back into the couch. "I couldn't be happier that you two found each other after all these centuries."
"Thank you, Killian." Astrid smiled. She then moved over to sit next to him and held out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Killian looked down at her hand, frowning, but soon he switched to a smile and took her hand, shaking it.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, love." He said.
Astrid got up just as Freya did. Instantly, the two locked in a long, tight hug.
"I missed you so much, baby girl..." The Heretic sobbed.
"I missed you too, mother." The girl replied, her eyes shut tight.
"Oh God..." Freya sighed.
Astrid parted from her with a confused look on her face.
"What is it, love?" Killian asked.
"I have a lot of explaining to do to Emma and Henry..." She said.
"Ah..." Killian frowned.
"Who's Emma and Henry?" Astrid asked.
"Your adopted sister and her son." Freya gave a small smile, stroking Astrid's cheek with her knuckles, softly.

"This is so weird..." Emma sat, wide eyed. "I've never had a sister before and now I've got one and another on the way."
"If it helps, I've never had a sister either, so it'll be a new experience for the both of us." Astrid smiled.
"This is so cool." Henry grinned. "You look and sound so young, but you talk like an adult."
"And if neither of you mind, I'd like to be treated as an adult." Astrid told them.
"Yeah, of course." Emma nodded. "But first thing's first. Are there anymore secret siblings I need to know about?"
The room sounded with chuckles.
"No, that's it." Freya smirked, pulling Astrid into her lap.

The next few weeks were an adjustment period, but soon enough, the whole town welcomed Astrid to their family and Killian was beginning to treat her as his own.
Freya sat on the couch with a glass of blood in one hand and caressing her ever-growing stomach with the other.
"Good morning, Stowaway." Killian greeted her as he came down the stairs. "How long have you been up?"
"Only an hour or so. Your daughter is getting extremely active in there." She smiled, looking down at her belly with loving eyes.
Killian walked over and knelt down in front of her and lifted up her shirt.
"Calm down, Princess. Your mother needs her sleep." He whispered, kissing Freya's stomach softly.
Freya then heard movement from the attic.
"Astrid's awake." She mumbled, closing her eyes, contently.
"I'll make breakfast." Killian said, getting up from the floor just as the girl came down the stairs, shortly followed by a giggling Lance.
"What's got you in such a good mood?" Freya chuckled, getting up from the couch.
"Astrid just gave me dating advice and I'm laughing at the fact that she not only appears seven to anyone who doesn't really know her, but also has never actually been in a relationship and it made me realise how hopeless I am at this." Lance smirked.
"Well I'm sure Ruby disagrees. You guys have been doing great." Freya shrugged, finishing off her blood.
"I've been trying." Lance tipped his head to the side before gesturing to the now empty glass in the Heretic's hand. "Is there any more of that down here or do I need to go back upstairs?"
"You're good. There's plenty."

Later that day, Freya got an unexpected visit.
"Rumple?" She frowned.
"Hello, dearie." He greeted her with his honey smooth voice.
"What can I do for you?" She asked.
"Can I come in?" He pointed inside.
"I suppose..."
Freya led him to the living area where they stood a few feet apart.
"I have a proposal." He said.
"Sorry, I'm afraid your nemesis beat you to it." She smirked, pointing to the ring on her finger.
"Not like that, dear..." He sighed. "I may have a way to rid your daughter of that curse of hers."
Freya chuckled in disbelief.
"Of course you do..." She replied, sarcastically.
"Mum?" Astrid's voice came from behind the Dark One.
"Yes, my love?" The Heretic peered round him, seeing her half-hiding round the corner to the stairs.
"Did I just hear Mr Gold correctly?" She wondered.
"Yes you did, my sweet." Rumple smiled.
"Don't you talk to her." Freya snapped, glaring at him.
"It's alright, mother. I can handle myself." Astrid told her before looking back at Rumple. "Do you really think you can break my curse?"
"I do." He nodded.
"Sure. But at what cost? You don't do things for free." Freya scowled, resting her folded arms on her bump.
"I want you to teach me your world's magic."
Freya didn't know how to react, so just burst out laughing.
"You can't be taught our world's magic. It's something you're born with." She raised an eyebrow.
"That's my price. If you want my help, I suggest you find a way around that." Rumple shrugged and took his leave. "I'll leave you to look through your spell books or whatever you call them, see if you can't find something to help. The offer will be waiting for you."
With that, he left.
Astrid and Freya simply stared blankly at each other.
"We gotta figure this out." The Heretic sighed.