This is my mini fic for the SnowQueen week prompt Night Terrors :) Enjoy
Snow screamed. Sitting up sharply she tried to steady her breathing, her heart racing and tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them tight. "Snow? Snow are you okay?" Regina burst in through the door, wrapping her dressing gown around her and tying the belt loosely. Running over to the side of the bed and pulled her step-daughter into a hug. Regina may silently hate her for what she did to Daniel but she was still just a child, a child who, right now, needed a hug.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" Regina murmured as Snow's breathing eased, her sobs dissipating.
Snow sniffled, looking up into Regina's face she nodded softly and took a deep breath. "It was just like how we met. I was on my horse out in the clearing but I lost control and he just took off. I couldn't stop. He was getting faster and faster, you weren't there to save me and I was so scared I would never be able to get off." She started crying again and buried her face into Regina's shoulder.
Regina was shocked. She hadn't forgot about saving Snow, far from it, she thought about it every single day. But she hadn't considered it might be giving Snow nightmares. "Oh Snow." Regina didn't really know what to say. What do you say to a 10 year old after a nightmare? She felt like 'it'll be okay' wouldn't be enough but she didn't know what else to say. In the end she just sat there, slowly rocking backwards and forwards, soothing the sniffles the emanated from her shoulder.
"I can promise you Snow, these nightmares won't last forever. They affect you now because it's still fresh in your mind, but one day, it'll be a distant thought. It'll be a distant thought and you'll back and laugh about how you were terrified and sought comfort with me." In Regina's mind it sounded threatening, but to Snow, she couldn't have been more comforting. Snow looked up again, this time smiling; "Thank you Regina."
"Do you want me to stay until you fall back to sleep?" Snow nodded again and slid down under the covers until her head once more rested on her pillow. Regina tucked the covers around her and bent down to kiss Snow's forehead, surprising them both in the process.
"Oh sorry, I didn't think." Regina said backing away
"No its okay, it was nice. No one has done that since mother died." Snow said, her voice trailing into a whisper.
Regina shifted so she sat on the edge of the bed, leaning up against the headboard, her legs crossed next to Snow as she stroked her hair. Regina's not entirely sure when she fell asleep but when she wakes up the next day she is still curled up next to Snow, her long legs poking out over the end of the bed.
