This story popped into my head randomly, so I had to start it. I hope you enjoy.
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Emma stood in the middle of a circle of people. Most of them she knew. Neal, Graham, Liam Jones, Cruella, and Albert Spencer-also known as her grandfather. But there were three people she didn't recognize. One of them was a man, and he was no taller than five-foot-seven, with grey hair, and a grey beard and he looked to be in his sixties. He wore a crown on his head. In fact, the woman next to him was wearing one as well. She was taller, probably the same height as Emma. She had dark brown hair that was piled on top of her head in an elegant up do, she couldn't have been any older than thirty-five. Emma knew well enough to recognize that they were royal. The woman on the other side of the tall brunette, however was very obviously not royal. She was short- maybe five-foot-two, and her long, curly hair was grey as well. She looked to be in her fifties. The woman in the middle stepped forward and gave Emma a soft smile. Emma knew that smile. That was Snow's smile.
"Hello, Emma." The woman said. Even her voice was regal. Calm and collected, soothing.
"W-who are you?" Emma asked.
"I'm your grandmother, Ava."
The air left Emma's lungs as the words sunk in. She had given thought to who her grandparents had been, but she never gathered the courage to ask her parents.
"Your mother is my daughter. Our daughter." Ava said, reaching out to the man behind her.
the man stepped forward. His smile matched Ava's.
"I'm Leopold, your grandfather." He introduced himself.
Emma had heard that name before, but not from her mother. Regina had spoken of him a time or two since she and Emma began dating. Regina had apologized for killing Leopold and for robbing Emma of ever meeting him. Emma had told her time and time again that it was okay. Regina was forgiven.
"It is so nice to finally meet you, Emma." Leopold said, earning a soft nod from Ava.
"How is your mother?" Ava asked.
"S-she's good." Emma stuttered.
"I have a brother, his name is Neal. She and my father are happy."
"David?" The other woman asked. Emma jumped when she spoke, having forgot she was there.
She stepped forward, standing next to Ava.
"David is my son." She clarified.
"So...you're all my grandparents?" Emma asked.
All three nodded.
"I'm Ruth." The shortest woman introduced herself.
Emma smiled brightly, tears in her eyes.
"Ruth is my middle name. My parents never told me why they chose it."
Excitedly, Emma looked to Leopold.
"And Neal-his middle name is Leo. I guess that's for you."
All three of her grandparents had brilliant smiles on their faces. Just as Emma was about to ask another question, an arrow whipped past her, and stopped directly in Ruth's chest.
"No!" Emma screamed, catching the older woman as she fell to the ground.
Ruth's eyes were wide with surprise as she clutched her chest.
"Grandma. No. Please." Emma pleaded, tears streaming down her face.
Emma held her hand over the wound, willing her magic to heal her grandmother, but no matter how hard she tried, it didn't work.
"You look just like your father." Ruth said proudly.
"I am proud of the woman you have become, and I would have given anything to see you grow up." She continued. Just as she ended her sentence, Ruth's eyes fluttered shut, and she exhaled for one last time.
"No! No, please. Come back!" Emma was shaking her grandmother, but as soon as she realized the woman was gone, sobs racked her body and she collapsed.
Emma heard her name being called, seemingly from a distance, but she was too devastated over losing her grandmother, whom she had just met, to respond. Her name got louder and louder, before everything faded.
The blonde shot up in bed, meeting Regina's gaze.
"It's alright, darling. It was just a dream. You're safe." Regina cooed as she rubbed her fiance's back.
"M-my grandmother. S-she d-died." Emma sobbed.
"Your grandmother?" Regina questioned, looking at the blonde with a confused expression.
"Ruth. I-I'm named after h-her. Someone shot her. I-I couldn't save her."
"Oh, my love. I'm so sorry." Regina pulled Emma into her lap and rocked her softly, placing a kiss on her forehead.
The brunette knew she would have to speak to Emma about the dream, seeing as the blonde had never even met any of her grandparents aside from Albert Spencer, and he was not someone that Emma would ever be this distraught over. But for now, all she cared about was making sure that her fiancé was okay.
Eventually, Emma's breathing evened out, and she fell back asleep. Regina carefully placed her back onto the bed and pulled her to her chest. She fell back asleep like that, holding the love of her life close to her heart.
The next morning, Regina stood in the kitchen making breakfast while Emma got ready for work. The blonde came down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. Regina turned around and admired her sheriff. Emma was wearing skin tight skinny jeans, brown lace-up boots, a plain black v-neck, and her brown leather jacket. The only jewelry she wore was her simple swan necklace, and her elegant engagement ring that matched Regina's. Her hair was up in a ponytail, a look which Regina loved.
"Good morning, darling." Regina hummed, pressing a chaste kiss to Emma's lips.
"Good morning, babe." Emma replied as her eyes raked over Regina's body.
The brunette was wearing a charcoal grey pencil skirt, red blouse, and a blazer that matched her skirt. The black Gucci pumps she wore gave her an extra two inches on Emma. Her hair fell perfectly around her shoulders, and of course, her engagement ring sparkled.
Emma moved to the coffee maker and poured a generous amount of the coffee into a travel mug. She didn't eat breakfast. Never did. But Regina and Henry did, so she usually sat at the table with them, nursing her coffee, but Regina could tell that that wasn't the plan for that morning.
"I need to go talk to my parents about my dream." Emma explained, as if she had read Regina's mind.
"I'll come with you." Regina insisted, turning the stove off.
"No, Gina. You don't have to."
"Emma, I have never seen you that upset, especially not from a dream. I am coming with."
Emma sighed and nodded. Regina wrote a note for Henry, telling him that she and Emma had some business to take care of, and that she would pick him up for lunch later, as well as leaving directions for him to finish cooking breakfast. With a wave of her hand, both Regina and Emma disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.
David and Snow jumped when their daughter and future daughter in law appeared in their living room. Both of them were ready to leave for work, but they hung their coats back up on the coat rack when they saw the expressions on the two women's faces.
"What's up?" David asked.
Emma took a deep breath and Regina grabbed her fiance's hand reassuringly.
"I need to ask about my grandparents." The blonde admitted.
David and Snow were both surprised, which was made obvious by their expressions.
"Okay... what brought this on?" Snow asked as they all sat down at the dining room table.
"I...I had a dream last night about them. Not Spencer, but Ava, Leopold, and Ruth."
"What kind of dream?" David asked.
Emma looked down at the table, blinking rapidly as tears formed in her eyes.
"I was standing in the middle of a circle of people who have died. Neal, Graham, and a few others. And they were in that circle. I didn't know who they were, but they approached me, and introduced themselves. They asked about you guys, and I told them about Neal..."
The blonde's voice trailed off, and one single tear rolled down hear cheek.
"Emma?" Snow asked, reaching out and giving her daughter's hand a comforting squeeze.
"Ruth...she...she had just asked about dad and everything was fine. I was going to say something, but before I could, an arrow came out of nowhere. I tried to help her, I really did. My magic wouldn't work."
David and Snow shared a look, tears in their eyes as well.
"Emma, honey. Was she shot in the chest?" David asked.
Emma looked at her father with an expression of surprise and confusion, giving him a silent nod.
"That's how she died in real life. Your mother and I had gone to visit her, but king George's knights followed us. One of them shot her. The arrow was poisoned, and we tried to help her, but nothing could have been done."
David's voice was grave, but there was a slight hint of happiness as he remembered his mother.
"So...what does that mean?" Emma asked, looking to Regina.
Regina thought for a minute before shaking her head.
"I have no idea. I do think, though, that this wasn't just a dream. I think that your grandparents are visiting you from the afterlife. Ruth dying again, however... I have no idea what that could be." That might be something we ask Belle or Gold about."
Emma nodded and stood up quickly.
"Then let's go to Gold." She said with certainty.
"Emma...are you sure? Maybe it's best if we wait and see if it happens again." Snow suggested.
"No. I'm finding out now. I need to know what it is."
With that, Emma poofed them all out of the apartment and to Gold's shop.
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Okay, let me know what you think! Reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you!