Heart, Mind, Soul

by Tolehrer

They said that having your soul by your side could be a weakness. Emma didn't know about the rest of the world, but Ripkin made her strong. Once Upon A Time with the daemons from His Dark Materials. Mainly unrelated one shots, though some follow on from each other. Not in order. Ensemble cast.

10. 10--Before and After

Henry starts crying ten miles outside of Storybrooke. He squirms in his car seat and goes red in the face, shrieking at the top of his voice. His daemon flickers between shapes too fast for Regina to count, matching his wailing with her own cries.

Regina bites her lip. Her new son is inconsolable and they've not even reached the town border. She didn't think she'd fail as a mother quite this soon.

At the next layby, she pulls off the road and climbs out of the SUV, taking Henry in her arms and rocking him gently. "Shhhh, little prince, Henry, shhh. You're okay," she tells him desperately.

He cries louder, thrashing back and forth in her arms. In his car seat, his daemon turns into a tiny wildcat-or is she a lynx?-and yowls.

Cosimo, a hulking black shadow, flows forward from the back seat. He takes Henry's daemon in his powerful jaws and jumps to land at Regina's feet. Without a word, the panther daemon curls around Henry's soul and gently licks her. His tongue is longer than her tiny body.

Amazed, Regina watches Henry quiet and still in her arms. With a final hiccup, he goes silent and stares up at her.

"Hi," she whispers to him breathlessly. Henry gurgles and blinks slowly. Cosimo is still gently grooming the infant daemon. She has shifted into a panther cub beneath his touch.

"Don't panic, Regina," he purrs. "We can do this."

She nods determinedly. "Yes. We can. How did you know what to do?"

"We both did," he allows. "It's instinct. We'll pick it up."

He gazes thoughtfully at his mimic. "I like the name Phoena for her. Don't you think?"

A smile breaks across Regina's face. "Phoena. Henry and Phoena. Cosimo and Phoena. Yes, I do.

She buckles Henry back into his car seat and places it on the front seat. Cosimo curls himself into the foot well. It's a tight squeeze for him, but one that allows him to rest his ebony head on the seat beside Henry's carrier.

The last ten miles to Storybrooke are spent in a comfortable silence. When Regina glances across at her new son, she sees Phoena in the shape of a beagle puppy; her body is curled up beside Henry's, both fast asleep, but her head rests on the tip of Cosimo's nose.