Chapter 1
The whole town stood in the cemetery and watched as the coffin was lowered. A baby cried out and Regina's attention moved to baby Neal who cried for his mother, she shed a tear at the thought that this chid wouldn't know his mother because of hers. Charming stood stoically by the graveside, holding the toddler to his chest trying to calm his cries. Emma stood beside him, a hand on his shoulder and silent tears running down her face. Henry stood next to her and held her hand, his face hiding emotion trying, in that moment, to be strong for his family. Regina watched the family that had lost its matriarch because of her. She felt a presence come beside her, she turned to see flaming red hair and the icy blue eyes of her sister. Zelena reached out and grabbed Regina's hand trying to provide her sister with as much strength as possible in this moment.
Everyone had turned up to the funeral, not surprising, Regina thought. Everyone who met her fell in love. She watched the dwarves next who stood huddled in their group, mourning for their lost leader. Red had crumbled into Granny's shoulder and sobbed. Archie and Marco stood silent, stunned by the sight before them. Regina looked around, trying to avoid staring at the coffin being lowered into the ground. She looked to David again, who now had a tear running down his cheek. The funeral was over and everyone dispersed eventually, Zelena squeezed Regina's hand one last time before leaving the graveside at last, Emma and Henry followed suit, Granny had opened the diner for lunch and drinks to celebrate Snow's life. Now standing at the fresh mound of earth stood David still holding his son close to his body and Regina, staring down at her friend's grave. Eventually Regina let herself cry and tears streamed down her face seemingly without end.
She felt a hand reach out and hold hers, for a moment she thought Zelena had returned, but the hand was far too big to be Zelena's. She looked down at the hand and flowed the arm up with her eye's until they landed on Prince Charming himself. She squeezed his hand for a second as a thank you. She turned and cried into his shoulder, not that he minded at all. Neal was still crying, Regina pulled herself from David's warmth and place a hand on Neal's back and whispered sweet sounding things in his ear and he soon quietened and stopped crying.
"Snow could do that too." He chuckled, his voice hoarse and the dark circles under his eyes were much more evident up close. Regina smiled and continues to rub the toddlers back,
"Who do you think taught her? It always worked with Henry."
Silence continued and eventually Regina separated from the prince and started walking to her car, the mist that had gathered in the morning had now turned to rain. She drove to Granny's, but couldn't bring herself to get out of the car. She was sure everyone in that room would hate, it was her mother after all that had killed Snow. With that she put the car into gear and drove home, tears still gathered in her eyes. She walked up her pathway, legs wobbly from grief and with great difficulty opened her front door and stepped through. She slipped off her shoes and dropped her bag by the door. She made it a few feet into the foyer before her legs collapsed underneath her, she fell to ground, knees hit the ground harshly and sobs wracked her body. She covered her mouth with her hand trying muffle the wails of agony trying to rip out of her. Eventually she stood on shaky legs and went to take a shower. She changed into sweatpants and an old jumper, when her phone rang. She checked the caller ID, 'David?'