Saving Hope
Chapter 1
Storybrooke, Present Day
Regina climbed the steps of her vault, wrapping her knee length coat around her before opening the doors leading out. The night had encircled the sky without her giving notice as she spent countless hours sifting through her spell books that evening for what felt like the umpteenth time. Nothing. She sighed as she shut the door to the vault, waving her hand over it to seal it shut. Not a spell...not a potion, nothing to break the curse on Marian.
She stroked a strand of hair behind her ear before placing her freezing hands in her pocket, sauntering towards the roads where she had left her car. She'd opted for the more casual way home lately using her magic less and less for everyday uses. Normally she would have evaporated into a cloud of purple smoke, quite regal of her, but now she found that the drive helped her to calm her racing mind before making it home to Henry. Regina smiled to herself. Her son caught her far to often making her "scary face" when she arrived home in that very cloud and he wasn't slow to point it out.
The snap of a twig broke Regina out of her thoughts as she turned in the direction of the sound. Then there was a rustling of leaves crunching under footsteps. She scanned the area with her eyes pulling her hands out of her pockets preparing to defend herself from whatever evil managed to come near her again. The Snow Queen was running a rampage; however, for once this villain didn't have her eyes set on Regina...or her heart. As far as she knew anyhow. Regina conjured a fireball in her hand as the sound of rustling leaves grew quicker, "Show yourself Dairy Queen!"
Slowly she saw someone appear from behind a tree...a very small someone. Regina slowly closed her hand around the fireball and tilted her head. She kept her guard up as she looked closer to see a small girl holding on tightly to the tree with her eyes squeezed shut, her hands almost white as snow as they held a death grip on this tree. Regina stepped closer to the little girl and knelt down before her, taking in her long black hair. She couldn't be older then five years old. Her small face hid itself against the tree as Regina approached her. She reached out her hand to stroke the little girls hair away from her face and she immediately felt her flinch away, letting out a small cry of fear.
"I'm sorry...but what are you doing here in the woods alone? Are you lost?" Regina tilted her head and watched as the little girl's death grip on the tree lightened and her small little body seemed to ease at her voice. The little one slowly turned her head to face her and the sight broke Regina's heart. Her crystal blue eyes were stained red with tears, her cheeks streaked with the dried paths each drop took. Her little shuddered breath blew out a puff of white smoke as she slowly smiled before running into Regina's arms, wrapping her small arms around her, "You found me! You said you would!"
Regina's eyes quirked with confusion as this little girl had her in quite the strong hold, "What's your name sweetie? Do you know me?" The little raven haired girl sniffled before pulling away, "I'm Hope..." She reached into the pocket of her little pink puff coat and pulled out a note holding it out for Regina, "Mommy said I had to give this to a grown up when i found one." Regina stood up off the ground and immediately felt Hope reach for her hand as she walked over to the stomp to have a seat, letting the little girl settle in besides her as she opened the letter.
When Regina opened the letter she furrowed her brows turning it from front to back, "It's a blank piece of paper." She looked down at Hope who had a sudden realization as she reached for the paper, "Ohhh!" She looked up at Regina and whispered, "You're supposed to not look at me."
"Why not?" Regina whispered suddenly feeling unsure about this whole finding a little girl in the forest who knows her situation...shape shifter? It wouldn't be the first time. She remembered when Cora disguised herself as Henry so she'd let her in. Who was this little girl? She watched as Hope took the note in her hands and placed a kiss on it igniting the letter in a gold shimmer and suddenly making the words on the parchment visible.
Regina gasped, "You have magic?" Hope nodded and held up the letter again, "Ahuh, Mommy said to do it so the Bad One wouldn't get it and read it." Regina glanced over the letter, trying to make out the oh to familiar handwriting.
Regina,
No she's not a shape shifter...I know you're thinking a mile a minute of what evil has itself disguised as a child but she is a child. My Hope. There is a great evil where we are now. I can't go into great detail and I've asked that Hope remain quiet as well. I do not know yet the reprecussions of what i've done. She's from the future and would have been in grave danger if I had kept her here. I sent her to the past to be protected while we find a way to defeat those after her. I will return for her using the same portal i used to send her...until i do please, watch over her Regina.
Regina's breath quickened as she folded the note and placed it in her pocket before looking down at Hope who leaned against her. She yawned slightly, her crystal blue eyes sparkling in the night light. Who could ever harm a child? Who wanted her? Most importantly, who wrote that letter? "Sweetie, come with me." Regina stood up and took Hopes hand as she resumed her walk to her car, opening her cellphone and speed dialing the one person she really didn't want to speak to right now.
"Emma, its Regina. Don't sound so shocked. I need you to get your parents together and Gold...meet me at Granny's." She shut the cellphone before Emma had a chance to say anything looking down at Hope who looked at her with fear, "Is the Bad thing here too?" Regina knelt down in front of Hope, "I don't know what Bad thing it is sweetie but you're safe here." Hope looked at her and tilted her head, "Everybody goes to Granny's to talk about the bad thing. It doesn't like me." Hope turned her head downward and Regina took her hand leading her to the car. "You're safe now."
Storybrooke Forest January, 2020
"WHERE IS SHE?!" The witch stood over the raven haired woman screaming through clenched teeth, her anger seething to the surface. "She got away! You'll never find her Marian!" Marian clenched her fist in anger as she looked around. The raven haired woman stood up holding her hand against the wound at her side that oozed blood. "What made you like this? She's just a child Marian. She has nothing to do with any of this." Marian glared into the woman's hazel eyes and smirked, "Oh, but she does Regina...the product of..." Her face twisted in disgust, " true love...the greatest power to grace our realm. Her powers greater then the savior herself. She will be mine. I will have your child. I will have everything you ever loved...and stole from me!"
Marian turned her head as she heard the crowd running towards them. She seethed with anger as she turned back to Regina who waved her hand over her wound, healing herself before looking at Marian. "Don't forget who you're dealing with Marian. This is my town. You want to see your queen. Here I am. Do your worst." Regina conjured a fireball into her hand and Marian laughed before waving her hand making the fire disappear, "Really Regina, you thought i spent all those years missing, learning all i could, to be taken out by a fireball. Your fate is sealed, as is your daughter's. I will have my son back...and you...you'll loose it all, including your precious Hope." Marian waved her arms over herself and vanished in a puff of red smoke.
Regina looked back at where she had last seen her daughter before she sent her through the portal to the past, praying that in doing so she didn't just ruin all of their futures, including Hopes.
"Regina!" She heard Snow scream out to her as they all ran towards her. Robin was immediately at her side, pulling her into his arms. "What happened? Where did she take you both?" Regina immediately felt tears stream down her face realizing she'd have to tell him she had just sent their daughter away. "I had to do it Robin," she whispered against his shoulder. Snow, Charming, and Emma surrounded them looking around waiting for Marian to make her presence known. Snow looked at Regina, "Regina, where's Hope?"
Her eyes clenched as took in a deep breath, "I sent Hope to the past...through the portal." Robin looked at her with wide eyes, "Regina, you did what?!" Regina sobbed, "She wants our daughter Robin. I couldn't let her take her." Emma rubbed her hands over her face, "Regina, what if she alters the future? Our future! I went back and almost risked never having been born!" Regina shook her head, "She won't change anything and when i get her back, I'll make sure everything is as it was but for now...Its the only way to ensure Marian doesn't bring her any harm or steal her powers. Hope's powers in the hands of Marian...none of us would be able to stop her. We wouldn't have a future to worry about."
