Hey ya'll! Not sure where I was going with this one, but I just went where my crazy mind took me. Reviews welcome, as I believe I can do a little better than his! Also, would be good if you guys had any prompts you'd like me to work with. They're very much welcome also. Enjoy!
Lost and found.
Once again, David was pacing the floor of the Sheriff's office. Only this time he was joined by a few other townsmen and women. Regina had been missing for almost a full 12 hours, and he was starting to worry. Some people had thought the mayor had simply up and left town, but that couldn't have been possible. Her car was parked outside of their home where she had been the previous morning, and the rest of her belongings where exactly where she had left them. As a woman with such high-class and common sense, David would have thought that his wife would have at least packed a bag if she was planning on leaving him and the town.
"She hasn't crossed the town line. We would know about it, which means we must have missed something. Ruby, where did you lose her scent?" Emma interrupted his thoughts, looking quizzically down at the map on the table in the middle of the group. Red had been out most of the night trying to sense Regina, but had just as much luck as everyone else. She gestured to the map where the town line had been clearly marked in red pen, using her finger to draw her path as she spoke. "I started at the obvious point, just incase there was a slight chance the mayor had absconded." She paused, glancing cautiously up at David. Despite his lack of sleep and irritability of trying to convince people his wife wouldn't have just left, he nodded towards Ruby to proceed. He knew they had to explore every possibility at this point. "I headed towards the east, searching through the forest as far as I could until the scent stopped by the harbour. I can only assume the rain water has washed away the rest of her scent."
David sighed in frustration. This wasn't helping. Regina could be out there in some kind of trouble and they were sitting here wasting time by discussing how they had so far failed to help him find his wife. "Let's just face facts, Charming. She's done a runner and left us all to fend for ourselves. Typical Evil Queen style." Leroy spoke up, for the first time that day. He instantly regretted it when he saw the colour in Charming's cheeks burn red with anger. "She has well and truly redeemed herself for the mistakes she has made. I believe in my wife, and if any of you think any differently then I can do without your help." His voice echoed with his annoyance as he walked towards the exit, swiftly picking up his jacket off the hook as he went. The room fell into silence, until Emma followed after him.
"Wait, Dad." The blonde dodged around her father, standing in front of him to stop him in his tracks. "We will find her, but you haven't slept. You need to rest, else you won't be any good to her. When we find her, and we will, you'll want to be looking your best. Go home. I've got this." David was all ready to protest, but he knew Emma had a point. He needed to be on point for when Regina was discovered. He needed to be well rested and hydrated in case he needed to swoop in and save his wife from whatever danger she might be in. "You find anything, anything at all, you call me. Got it?" The blonde half smiled, playfully saluting him before disappearing back into the sheriffs office.
It was dark, and something echoed around her. What was that? It sounded like water perhaps, but Regina was still half asleep. Once she had come to, she could feel herself moving slightly. She inhaled deeply, and the smell of fresh fish and seaweed hit her senses like a hammer. Her eyes shot open, her expression instantly screwing up at the foul stench around her. The brunette had to blink a few times for her eyes to adjust, and it took her a few extra seconds for her brain to register where she was. She sat up a little too quickly, the sound of the sloshing water and the rocking of the surface underneath her confirming Regina's worst thoughts. "You have got to be kidding me." She muttered under her breath, her jolting movements causing the boat to become unsteady. Before she had chance to save herself, the boat tipped and Regina was submerged under the sea water within seconds. How in the world had she managed to get to Storybrooke's harbour, in her best silk pyjamas too? There was only one explanation...
David had finally settled into the mayoral manor after an hour or two, although he hadn't done much resting. He had freshened up, and managed to stomach an apple from Regina's fruit bowl, but that was about it. He spent the rest of his time overworking his mind and trying to track his wife by retracing her steps from the last time he had seen her. They had dinner together like they did most nights. She cooked, and he washed the dishes while she settled Henry in for the evening. The two would kick back on the sofa and talk about their day at work, and last night was no different. No matter how stressful the day had been, they would always revel in each other's company. This ended like it did most nights. He would carry his wife up the winding staircase as if they were still newlyweds. He would lay her down on their marital bed, take off the stress and worries of her day along with her clothes, and cherish every inch of her body until she was completely satisfied. Wrapped in each other's arms, they fell into a peaceful slumber.
The sheriff was so caught up in his memories that he didn't noticed the cloud of purple smoke forming in the living area, transporting his soaking wet love into the room. Regina was drenched head to foot, and shivering. "Nice to see you've been kicking back while I was out sleepwalking." Her voice shot out in displeasure, her lips almost turning blue from the cold. David had to blink a few times to make sure the drowned image of his wife before him was real.
Of course, this wasn't the first time she had woken up somewhere different. Very early in to their relationship, David had awoken to find Regina heading out the front door in nothing but his shirt. The mayor was of course still in a deep sleep, but she had insisted on going out to buy ice cream. Regina doesn't even eat ice cream. She was terrified of the effects the sweet dairy products would have on her hips in the long run. At the time, he managed to laugh it off. That was the worst her sleep walking had ever got. He mentally cursed himself for not thinking of this before, and jumping to the worst conclusions. Without another word, he stepped forwards and embraced his wife tightly, placing a soft kiss against her damp hair. The strong smell of seaweed filled his lungs, but he didn't care. Regina was back, safe and sound in his arms. "We've had search parties out all evening. I was beyond worried." David replied breathlessly, pulling back to look at her. He took her face between his hands, checking her for signs of any physical injuries. "I'm fine. Just extremely cold," came Regina's shaky reply.
He didn't hesitate in lifting her into his arms, carrying her up the stairs within seconds. He lead her through to their ensuite, perching her carefully on the side of the bath tub and turned on the hot water. "Am I going to have to start chaining you up at night, Mrs Nolan?" The blonde haired man chuckled, his visible tension from earlier in the day having disappeared. His only priority now was warming her up and making sure she was comfortable.
Regina allowed him to take control, simply because she was too cold and too tired to argue. She may have been sleeping, but the trek to the harbour was quite a long way. Her body was physically exhausted. His comment bought a smile to her lips. She secretly loved when he referred to her by her married name. "Oh Charming. You know the only person ever chained to that bed of ours is you." She quipped, raising an eyebrow teasingly towards him. He replied with a small chuckle, his lips finding hers in a passionate kiss. There was moments today that he thought he would never get to taste those lips again, to wrap his protective arms around her frame like he had done to carry her up the stairs. David knew he needed to call Emma and call off the rest of their search, but getting his wife out of her wet clothes was his first priority.
They held their short embrace for awhile, as his soft fingers gently began to unbutton Regina's silk blouse. He pulled away, a smile curving his lips as a thought entered his mind "So, tell me. How did you end up smelling like a mermaid?" His cheeky question earned him a playful slap on the arm from Regina, who cupped his face in her hands, pulling him forwards to kiss him once more. No sooner that their lips connected, the force Regina had used to pull him towards her knocked them both of balance, causing Regina to fall on her back into the water with David on top of her. They both chuckled, but didn't rush to move. After all, they had much to catch up on.