Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by AU OTP Bootcamp on Once Upon a Challenge. I wrote for the OTP OutlawQueen and the prompt of Titanic!AU. Warning for out of characterness. Word count without Author's Note is 912. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of Titanic: Regina's Journey.
Regina Mills felt like her life was running away from her as she looked up at the gigantic ship at dock. This ship would take her to her new home in America and fate she couldn't quite imagine ever. A life married to a man her mother had picked out for her. A male hand slipping into her own broke Regina out of her thoughts with a jerk.
"Isn't she fantastic, Regina?" her chose fiancee asked her with a humongous smile on his face. The dark haired Leopold stood next to her and it was his hand that had broken Regina from her thought process. His grey eyes stared up with all the awe he felt the ship deserved.
Regina watched the man in beside her stare up at the ship as though it was his own child. A parent like pride on his face and not for the first time since their engagement had been announced she thought she definitely wouldn't have chose this man to marry.
"I think it's fantastic, father," chimed in the small voice of his dark haired daughter, Snow. "Don't you think it's fantastic Regina? The ship is so big and it's going to take us home."
Not wanting to crush to the small girl's feelings she nodded with a smile on her face as she pretended to look up at the ship with as much awe and joy as the father daughter duo had on their faces. She didn't want to mention that this ship wasn't taking her to her home but to a prison of someone else's makings. But that wasn't something you really told to a child. Or at least not something she would tell a child anyway.
"You should be more thankful than you're acting, Regina," the voice of the one person she didn't want to hear from at the moment. Her mother. Cora Mills. If hatred was a person Cora would that person. "After all Leopold didn't have to bring us with him."
Regina knew better than to tell her mother she wished Leopold hadn't brought them with him and Snow. But even still she couldn't help but think it. At least he could have left them stay in England until they were married. But no matter what she said Cora and Leopold were right and Regina was wrong.
"Are you terribly excited to travel by ship, Regina?" Snow asked taking her hand. It was apparent that the little dark haired girl had already started to look up to her as a mother figure. "I've never traveled by ship. Have you?"
"Only once," Regina told her as they followed Cora and Leopold through the crowd around the docks. "But I don't really remember it. I was really little at the time. I was younger than you are now." Regina had been two years old when her parents had come to England by ship. England was the only home that she'd ever known which was why she wasn't very happy about the journey they were about to undertake.
Snow was about to say something when it was their turn to board the ship. Fear filled the big dark eyes as Snow stared up at the big looming ship above her. "It's a very big ship," she whispered to Regina. "What if something bad happens?"
"It won't," Cora snapped. "Come along, the both of you." She stormed up the gang plank like she owned the ship. Leopold by right on her heels.
"Why don't we go up together?" Regina suggested picking Snow up. "I promise nothing bad is going to happen to you. Not if I can help it." Regina wanted to apologize for her mother's attitude towards Snow but knew if she did she'd get in trouble for it.
Meanwhile on a different part of the docks Robin and his friend Little John had just won a set ticket for the grand launch of the Titanic. Neither man had thought they'd win. But when their name was drawn from the lot they quickly grabbed their tickets and made their way towards the ship. After all the ship was leaving soon and they didn't want to be late. Or worse left behind.
The last of the first class passengers was boarding as they raced up to the gang plank. But before Robin could stop himself he found himself crashing into a young dark haired woman and her child. The woman was pretty. The most gorgeous woman Robin had met since his ex-wife Marian. Her dark hair contrasted nicely with her pale complextion. Her dark eyes framed by long lashes glared at him from her angry face.
"Want to watch were you're going, jerk?" she snapped as she held Snow closer to herself. "You could have hurt us."
"I'm sorry, Miss..." Robin continued when it looked like the lady wasn't going to supply her name. "I didn't mean to run into you like that. I just couldn't stop in time is all."
"Don't do it again."
He watched as she stormed away from him up the gang plank and more than likely out of his life. Little did Robin know that a little later that night he'd get another chance to have a more human conversation with unnamed lady.
I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of Titanic: Regina's Journey.
