Hello you all! First of all, thank you SO much for the reviews! I have to admit that they made me want to write and write for all of you to have an updated soon. And here I am. I'm so glad you all liked the last chapter, and I hope you like this new one.
Thanks for all the reviews! You have no idea how much they made me happy, seriously. I hope to see your opinions about this chapter as well :)
Mary Margaret sat up straight and looked at Regina, placing a hand on her head. How had she got here? Her head ached, and she was with Regina, both of them, in the forest... or on the beach?
"You're Snow." Regi said behind her, and Mary Margaret looked at her quickly, remembering that she was there. She frowned slightly, not understanding how Regi could know that.
"What? No, I'm –"
"Don't you dare lie to me! Regina called you Snow! You are her." Mary Margaret looked back to Regina, who was with her eyes on the ground for some reason. But she needed answers.
"What happened, Regina? Why am I here?"
Regina didn't open her mouth, so she heard Regi's voice instead. "I conjured a spell to summon Snow. Regina came here, and – you jumped from here. I think you were bewitched."
"What?!" Mary Margaret almost shouted, getting up very slowly because she was still a little dizzy. She looked down and saw the water hitting against the rocks. "I fell there?"
"Yes, and then Regina saved you." Regi continued, and Mary Margaret turned to look at Regina, but she didn't find her eyes as she continued staring at the ground. "She used some kind of healing spell on you, but you weren't breathing and I came here and – she called you Snow."
Mary Margaret looked down to herself, noting that she was all wet. She looked back to Regina, noting that she was as her as well. It was true; Regina saved her. But her eyes quickly looked up to Regi; realizing that now she knew the truth. And now that she found her brown eyes, she could still see the wonder, sadness, and anger more than anything.
"Regi..." She tried to explain.
"You lied to me." Regi murmured, looking at her up and down. When she looked up to her again, her eyes were cold. "You saw how much I wanted to see you." Mary Margaret gasped slightly to hear her cold voice; the same voice she'd heard years ago when she was talking to the Evil Queen. "I practically begged you to see you. And you didn't care."
"Oh, no, Regi. I – I just didn't want you to see how screwed up Regina and I are now." She let out the words that she had been trying to deny. "I thought you could change your feelings about Snow back there, and – I didn't want that. At all."
Regi seemed not to change her look at that. Mary Margaret couldn't blame her; she was Regina after all, and lying to her was one of the worst things you could do to her. She looked to her a few seconds before looking to Regina, who was getting up.
"And you? You knew all along. You could've told me!"
Regina looked up to her with cold eyes. "Leave me out of this! You've already got me in a lot of problems with your nonsense!"
"I asked her, and Emma, and David and Henry to not say anything. They have nothing to do with this." Mary Margaret interfered.
But Regi seemed not to want to hear her. As always when Regina was angry, she just closed up on it. "You should've told me!" She yelled at Regina.
Mary Margaret watched as Regina looked at her, and saw water in her eyes. She frowned slightly and a quick thought came at her, what if she was really hurt? "Regina?" She muttered, walking over to her. "You okay?" She whispered, placing a hand on her arm.
As soon as her hand touched Regina's arm, she jumped back, her eyes widening in anger. "Do not touch me!" Some small tears escaped from her eyes as she dried them quickly.
Mary Margaret frowned, worried. She knew that if Regina was hurt she wouldn't say it. "But are you okay?"
"I'm fine!"
Mary Margaret narrowed her eyes slightly at her, but said nothing more about it. "I think we need to go to our homes now..."
"I'm not going with you!" Regi said quickly, stepping back.
Mary Margaret sighed and looked at Regina. Regina rolled her eyes and took a step to Regi, pointing her with her finger. "All you've done since you came... is causing me problems! Now all you'll do is listen to me, do as I say, is this clear? Otherwise, you can go back to them and then I won't have to see you anymore."
Regi looked at her with cold eyes, but she didn't want to return with Mary Margaret – Snow and her family. She had to think clearly, because she hated being lied to. So although Regina told her all those things, she would have to swallow her pride and nod. And so she did.
"Okay." Regina nodded. "Now you're going to accompany Mary Margaret to her house and then you're coming to my house."
Regi's eyes widened. "What?!"
"I am not accompanying her. This is your problem." Regina said, without even looking to Mary Margaret, but then she took a small look to her. "I've already done too much for her."
Regi and Mary Margaret stepped back when a cloud of purple smoke enveloped Regina, and in a second, she was gone.
When Regina came in the middle of her living room, she looked around her house and let out a loud sigh. She swallowed and walked upstairs to the bathroom. She dried herself with a towel and then changed her pajamas.
She let the towel aside and walked to the small hanging mirror, seeing her reflection there. Regina stared at her reflection for long seconds.
Why was she so angry? Yes, Regi had gotten her into another problem, but she had left unscathed from it again. Why was she so upset?
"Mary Margaret? Mary Margaret?!"
Regina clenched her jaw and looked down, placing her hands on both sides of the bath faucet.
Why she was so upset about it? Small tears returned to her eyes, and she wiped them away quickly, shaking her head.
She'd saved Snow White again, that was all.
She had done it before, but it was because of Henry. She'd done it for him. And now she couldn't forget the impotence – the despair.
No. She hit the bath faucet, shaking her head. She wasn't feeling that. At all.
"You really want her to be your mother back there, don't you?"
"I do. I want her to be Snow's mother there. I want Snow to have what I never had."
Why now she felt guilty about it? She was so okay all the day, why now she was remembering that and feeling so... horrible?
It was too much; the despair, the impotence, those words.
Regina let out tears as she hit the bath faucet again, letting out a scream as well. She was angry; with Mary Margaret, with Regi, because she was sure that if Regi wasn't there she wouldn't be feeling these things.
But most of all she was angry with herself.
Regi opened her eyes after appearing in Regina's house. She was in the living room, so she plopped down on a small couch, letting out a big sigh. It had been hard not to talk to Mary Margaret all the way when all she did was apologize. She had been trying very hard.
All she said was; I'll see you tomorrow.
And she was going to do it, because now she needed to think. All the way Mary Margaret hadn't done anything else but apologize, saying that she didn't want that she could change her view about Snow back in her home. Why would she think that? She didn't know it, but she thought she was saying the truth.
But she lied to her before, she could do it again. But she was still Snow, so she needed to think.
Regi jumped when she heard Regina's cry. She frowned and quickly ran upstairs, in the thought that something bad was happening to the woman. But she listened as if she was hitting something, and someone crying. In the bathroom.
She frowned and walked slowly to the room, opening the door and poking her head slowly. Regina was sitting on the floor against the wall, crying and hitting the ground like a little girl into the middle of a tantrum. But she was crying. Why?
She could remember that Regina had tears in her eyes when Mary Margaret woke up. As if she really cared if she woke up or not. But that wasn't possible, was it? Now that she thought better about it, Mary Margaret wasn't wrong.
They were really screwed up. She could remember all the things Regina said about Snow, and actually, she had said all that to Mary Margaret. She'd spoken in the third person just because she was there, but Regina was speaking to Mary Margaret about what she felt for her.
But now she was crying for Mary Margaret? No. That couldn't be possible. Something must have happened to her in these minutes she took to get there.
"Uh, Regina?" She whispered, knowing that the last thing Regina needed now was someone to see her so weak. She more than anyone could know that. Regina looked up to her quickly, and her eyes filled with anger instantly. "What happened?"
"You – did – all – this!" She yelled to her, getting up. Regi didn't move from her place, but frowned at that. What had she done now? "You should be grateful that I'm giving you a roof to sleep. Now go away!" And with that, she slammed the door in her face with a flick of her wrist.
Regi stood there, totally confused. She'd done nothing wrong, not this time, yet Regina was blaming her for something. She raised her hand to knock the door but it just hung in the air, knowing that if Regina was crying and angry, she would have to leave her alone. She herself hated anyone seeing her crying.
So Regi sighed and shook her head, walking towards her own room.
Regina looked up as Regi entered the kitchen, heading toward the table where breakfast was already served. She said nothing as she moved her eyes back to the newspaper, remembering that last night Regi had seen her in a horrible state.
She herself didn't even know what had gotten into her. But she hated that. All she needed now was to continue her routine; her work and Henry, preferably not cross Mary Margaret anywhere.
"So... are you okay?" Regi whispered and Regina looked up to her, finding her stirring her coffee. "I mean –"
"I don't want to talk about it, and you're not talking about it with anyone." She used her best cold voice and put the newspaper down. "Is that clear?"
Regi looked at her for a moment and nodded, lowering her eyes again. "It's just that I would like to know what –"
"It's not of your concern."
"Well, you did blame me for something I have no idea."
Regina sighed and looked at her. "You think I have no right to say that? Everything you've done since you arrived was... get me in trouble. All I do now is save your ass. And I'm pretty much tired of it."
Regi looked up to her and narrowed her eyes at that. "You're lying."
"Oh, did you spend so much time with Miss Swan that you can read when someone is lying?"
"No." Regi frowned slightly and smirked. "But I can tell when you are lying. We're kinda the same, remember?"
Regina rolled her eyes and got up. "No. We are not the same." She took her purse and put it on her shoulder. "And if I was lying, you're not going to know the truth." She turned and started walking toward the door. "You clean all that."
Regi rolled her eyes as Regina walked out of the kitchen. But then she smiled slightly. "We'll see about that, dear."
Emma walked down the stairs with Henry and looked around her, frowning slightly. She turned as Henry walked to search his backpack and looked at her mother, who was washing the dishes. But Emma frowned; she had already done that.
"Cleaning the dishes again?"
Mary Margaret looked up to her, frowning slightly. "I thought they were still a little dirty."
"Yeah, sure." Emma giggled, walking over to her. "Where's David?"
"He just got a call that something was happening. He said he would see you at the station."
Emma nodded and turned. "Ready kid?"
"Yep."
The blonde turned and looked at her mother again. "Relax; I'm sure Regi's thinking clearly."
Mary Margaret shrugged. "I am relaxed."
Emma laughed slightly. "Okay. Let's go, Henry."
Henry nodded and walked over to the door. "Bye Grams!" He said as he opened the door.
"Bye honey."
Henry smiled as he found Regi on the other side of the door with her fist raised to hit the door. They already knew that she knew about his grandmother being Snow; he was so happy that she was finally here to talk to her about it. "Hello, Regi!"
"Hi, Henry." Regi smiled at him slightly, lifting her eyes to find Emma behind him. "Hello, Emma."
"Hey, nice to see you." Emma said, placing a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Come on kid, you're going to be late."
"Yeah sure. Bye, Regi."
Regi watched as Emma and Henry walked past her and down the stairs. She kept her eyes on them, realizing that they were Snow's family; her daughter and her grandson. She already knew that Snow had a daughter here, but now she could see Snow's gestures in Henry, her features in Emma.
Would the girl who was waiting for her back home have that daughter and grandson, too?
"Regi." She heard in front of her, and she moved her eyes to the woman there. "I'm glad you're here."
Regi nodded and Mary Margaret stepped aside to let her pass. She walked into the house, keeping her eyes on the other woman as she closed the door. How she hadn't noticed it before? She could clearly imagine her Snow all grown up like Mary Margaret. Maybe not with short hair, but everything else was the same. And as Mary Margaret turned, and she found her eyes, it was like she was looking at Snow's eyes.
And that was what she wanted. That was why she wanted to find Snow. She wanted to feel her close to her, and that way, her heart wouldn't grow darker. She could feel it in the days that she'd been here; her thoughts about using dark magic growing inside her, the need of being alone, away from everyone because she just couldn't stand anyone. And she was like this before she started wanting to protect Snow from her father, and she didn't want to go back to being that person.
She still didn't have her Snow here, but she had Snow now. And she was all she imagined she would be; Mary Margaret was so kind and good, she could already see that.
"You lied to me." Regi began, crossing her arms over her chest, and trying to put her best, cold voice. Mary Margaret sighed and nodded.
"I know, and I know how much that bothers you."
"You shouldn't have done it then. Last night you said you did it because you thought that me knowing your relationship with Regina would make me change my view about Snow."
Mary Margaret nodded, frowning slightly. "Yes, I did it for that reason, I thought –"
"Well, you were right." Regi said and watched as Mary Margaret's eyes changed, filling up with sadness and panic.
"What?" She asked in a small voice.
"Seeing how you and Regina are just makes me want to be the best mother that Snow may have."
Now, Mary Margaret frowned, shaking her head to one side. "Wait – what?"
"You could have told me before. I'm –" Regi sighed and uncrossed her arms, knowing that this was something hard to say. She hated to admit it. "I'm scared; I'm scared that I can end up somewhat like Regina is now. But then, I can see how much love she has for Henry. But it's not the same because Henry never hurt her, and you – you hurt her. And sometimes I'm so scared that someday I can think of wanting to hurt her – I've done it before, I slapped her, who knows how much more can I hurt her?"
"No." Mary Margaret took a step towards her and took her hands tightly. "It's normal to be scared, but you don't have to be scared by this. Look at you; I know you really regret having slapped her." She smiled at her slightly. "I don't think you could hurt her. I can say that you wouldn't even dare to hurt me for the simple fact that I am her here."
Regi looked at her, and Mary Margaret could see the terror in her eyes. "But what if I ever think of it?"
Mary Margaret shrugged slightly, and smiled. "Then you have to hold on to the good times you have with her. Don't let the darkness consume you as – it did with Regina."
Regi looked at her for a moment before frowning. "One day you told me that maybe Snow didn't hate her back. So you –"
"No. I don't hate her. Even with all that has happened... I can't. I know it's stupid."
Regi smiled slightly. "It is. After all the things I can imagine that she's done to you, it is stupid. Why don't you hate her?"
Mary Margaret slid her hands away from hers, and shook her head slightly. "I – I don't know. I've always clung to the good woman who saved me. All the good times we've had while we lived in the castle... I want to believe that not all of them were false."
Regi's smile widened a little bit. "I'm sure not all of them were false. Though Regina may say otherwise, I don't think she could admit it."
Margaret Mary giggled and wiped the tears that were about to come out from her eyes. "I'm sorry, it's just that you being here... seeing how much love you have for me back there..."
Regi frowned slightly, a little sad for her. "It hurts?"
The other woman looked at her and gave her a small, sad smile. "Maybe." Then she shook her head and let out a loud sigh. "Never mind, you want something to drink?"
Regi nodded and as Mary Margaret walked past her, she took her arm and stopped her. "I forgive you."
Mary Margaret smiled slightly, nodding. "Thank you."
"No. I mean, yes, I forgive you for lying to me. But it's not about that." Mary Margaret frowned confused. "I plan on never telling Snow what happened to Daniel so... at least I want you to know that I forgive you. I really do, Snow."
Regi saw Mary Margaret's eyes filled with tears though she tried to stay strong. Then a few tears escaped from her green eyes and before Regi could know, Mary Margaret was wrapping her arms around her, hugging her tightly.
"Thank you." She heard Mary Margaret's whispered as her arms clung to her.
Regi wrapped her arms around her gently, and just let her hug her for how long she wanted. This was something that Mary Margaret – Snow really needed from her. She really needed that from Regina, but she knew it would take a while.
She believed that they were like that for a few minutes, and then Mary Margaret moved away from her and went quickly into the kitchen to prepare whatever she had in mind. Regi walked over to the counter and sat down on a chair, watching how the woman was moving nervously in the kitchen.
But she remembered Mary Margaret's words. She being there was hurting her somehow, surely bringing back memories, or creating scenarios in her mind of how everything would have been different if they had had what she and Snow had. Regi frowned slightly as she remembered Regina's words from last night.
"You – did – all – this! You should be grateful that I'm giving you a roof to sleep. Now go away!"
Maybe that was what Regina meant. It could make sense. She saved Snow last night; maybe that brought back memories, or something else. And she had caused it; her mere presence could cause in Regina what she caused in Mary Margaret. Pain of seeing what they could have had and didn't have?
But now Regi could think clearly. Maybe she was here to change something. When she fell trough the portal she could have ended in any land; Wonderland, Neverland, at least in the same space and time. But she fell here... and maybe that meant something.
She couldn't change the past of her older self and Snow, but maybe she could change something about their future. They deserved it.
And as Mary Margaret placed a cup of hot chocolate in front of her, she smiled to her. She was going to help them.
