The footsteps echo in the small cabin as the night consumes Storybrook, the mayor beginning to worry…
Regina stands cross armed in the living room, pacing slightly and snaps as the bedroom door opens "well?"
"Some bruises but she should be fine, if she actually takes her medication" the blond haired doctor says in a melancholy tone
The Mayor lets out a relieved sigh and nods "thank you Dr. Whale, I appreciate you taking the time to come up here at this hour"
He just nods and makes his way out "it's not a problem madam mayor; however I think you should have a closer eye kept on her, if she refuses to take the medication and the attacks persist with her alone up here… well the outcome could be catastrophic. I've given her a sedative so she should be fine for tonight"
With a bite of her lip the brown eyed woman gives a nod, walking into the bedroom at the sound of the front door closing. She sighs at seeing the young girl sleeping peacefully in her bed, her mutt having taken guard at the foot of the bed, Regina didn't like the dog, but he gave Alexandria a sense of comfort and companionship so she looked past him and took a seat on the side of the slumbering girls bed, running her hand over the sun kissed brown locks she sighs, seeing the bruises on the frail skin of her arm. Pulling the cover high over the girl Regina stands, looking back to her before turning out the light "sweet dreams… Clarissa"
~Fairytale World~
A young girl is riding happily through the field's, following the shadow of another "Slow down!"
"Catch up" the other rider shouts back and comes to a stop
The lagging girl catches up and finds the other smirking "Oh, sister you're losing your touch"
"You ride to hard, you shall injure yourself" the elder girl reply's while they dismount
With a roll of her eyes the younger sister smiles "you worry too much"
"You don't worry enough Gretchen!" The elder sister shakes her head to the younger girl, who had their mother's wicked smile and fathers warm caramel orbs
Gretchen smiles and takes her sisters arm "I sense a double meaning in your words"
With a heavy sigh she looks to her younger sister and confesses "I fear for you, mother has pushed you into this situation without even a word of warning!"
They come to a stop and the younger girl takes her sisters hands "you need not fear, the king is a good man"
"With a pregnant wife! …it's unfair on you both to endure this" the worried sister insists
Gretchen smiles and pulls something from her neck as she speaks "oh dear sister, always taking care of me, but by doing this I shall be able to take care of you and our parents… take this"
"I can't… Gretchen you made this" she says while looking into the black stone of the necklace
"I leave for King Maurice's Castle at dawn… I don't know when I shall see you again so take it and I'll know that my heart is safe" caramel and chocolate orbs meet as the elder grips the jagged stone tightly in her hand and the two embrace tightly
Gretchen smiles into the hug and whispers "I shall miss you Regina"
~Real World~
Alexandria wakes in the early of the dawn, her head throbbing and lips parched with Beatleguise nudging tenderly against her side. She sits up and pets him before standing on shaky knees and walks into the kitchen via the living room, her eyes are drawn to a note on the fridge, plucking it she quickly reads:
Alexandria
I've gone home but will be back to see you tomorrow. Dr. Whale said you'll be fine and has prescribed you some painkillers, they're in the pantry with your medication, take them!
I also put got you some of the strawberry milk you like, make it last.
Regina
Lex smiles with a shake of her head and open the fridge, pulling out the flavored milk and walking to the pantry, she sighs as she looks to the pills but quickly downs them with the milk and looks over to see Beatleguise at the door and pours some milk into his bowl and put some chicken leftovers on a plate "you eat, I'll dress and then we can fix my legs"
Half hour later she's in a pair of red sweats, sneakers and a black vest, music blasting in her ears and Beatleguise on her heels as she jogs through the woods effortlessly, however her foot locks with a tree root, causing her to fall but managed to stop her face meeting the dirt.
She pants lightly before pulling the headphones from her ears only to look up and be met with a wolf staring her down from across the way, one eye blood red and the other ebony black. As the wolf descends upon the girl she quickly pulls her blade from her sneaker, the German Shepard coming to her side with a harsh growl, but before the duo can make their move the echo of voices bounces off the tree's, causing the wolf to scarper in the other direction.
Lex stands to her feet and follows the voices with ease; looking back she sees her faithful companion not far off and then peers from behind the tree to see the sheriff and the man from the pawn shop. Her brow knits together in confusion, no one came this far into the woods, not ever, not unless they had to.
"Did you, uh… Did you see anything unusual out there?" she hears the disheveled cop question
The older man shakes his head and answers in a mellow tone as he begins to walk away with his cane and shovel "I'm afraid not. I do wish I could be more helpful. You know, Sheriff, they say that dreams… Dreams are memories; Memories of another life."
The sound of his voice sends a shiver down her spine, just as it had the day in his shop. She couldn't make out his face but she remembered his voice, filled with fake sweetness and a tread of melancholy. She watches as the elder man climbed over the tree and made his way out of the woods. She involuntary takes a step forward, snapping a twig and cursing as she does, her eyes meeting that of the sheriffs.
Quick on her feet she turns and runs from the man who's calling out, with a hand suddenly on her arm, her blade snaps into action as they struggle for power Beatleguise sinks his teeth into Grahams leg and he stumbles to the floor screaming in pain and shock as a loud whistle comes through and the dog releases his vicious grip. He looks up while cradling his wounded leg, eyes narrowing to the girl "Lex?"
Pocketing the knife she folds her arms "aw, you did miss me"
A short while later Graham is sitting on her porch and bandaging his leg "why are you up here?"
"I could ask you the same question… is this where you've been all this time?" the wounded man asks, locking eyes with her
She shrugs and pets Beatleguise "so what if I have. You look exhausted, my Aunt making you work overtime?"
At the wiggle of her brow his eyes widen "how do you…?"
"You guys aren't as sneaky as you'd like to think or I'm just more observant than you'd like" she smiles and leans back, examining him as he pulls his pant leg over his bandage
"So what's this about?" she asks lightly
He laughs lightly and shakes his head "you'll think I'm crazy"
"Me? Yeah because I'm one to judge on crazy!" she says easily and stands, thrusting her hands in her pockets
A thoughtful expression comes over his face "I saw a wolf in my dreams and then I saw it for real; followed it out here… it's like I've started remembering things that never happened to me, but they did you know"
"Not really…" she sighs in admission and he stands, his wound not affecting his balance
He walks to her and asks "do you believe in other lives?"
She thinks for a moment then shakes her head "Nope, I don't really believe in anything…"
His head falls at her answer until she continues "but I do believe in one thing, gut instinct"
His eyes meet hers, the blue seeming as dead as the barren sea "why are you being nice to me, you're not nice to anyone"
Lex gives a shrug and answers "I'm hoping you won't tell Regina about this interaction, she's pissed at me enough as it is. I could threaten you but I don't see much point"
He nods and walks away "thank you Lex, you've been a great help"
"Whatever!" she says with a roll of her eyes and walks back into the house
She thinks to the other man, the older man, she gets why the Sheriff had been there, he's losing his mind, but why had the old man limped all the way from town with a dammed shovel, what was he up to and why did she shiver at the sound of his voice?
All these questions where too much so the girl simply shakes them off and puts on her music, singing along and starting dinner while sorting through her snow globe collection…
~Fairytale World~
When they we're invited to the palace for the Royal Paramour's birthday Regina wasn't sure as to the reason, but pushed the though aside because she was just happy to see her sister.
The family had been much better off since King Maurice took Gretchen as his mistress, that had been two years ago. When they walked into the room Henry embraces his daughter lovingly, then the sisters move longingly, however Cora hugs her child emotionlessly and asks "so, how does your position suite you my dear?"
Regina sent a glare to her mother and sat beside her sister, who seemed to have a strange look in her eyes, something Regina didn't approve of "well, the queen is poorly… and I am pregnant!"
She sounded joyful, Cora beaming with delight and Henry giving a hesitant smile, but Regina felt something was amiss here, her mother seemed to happy and she knew Gretchen craved her approval, always had… she was worried now, her little sister was a pawn in their mothers ploy, but she was just a girl, just seventeen… so yes, she was scared for her sister and gripped the ebony diamond around her neck.
~Real World~
Later that night there's a knock on her door, Beatleguise barking as Lex opens the door her face covered in shock at the sight of Regina with a split lip and slightly smudged makeup "Auntie what happened?"
"Emma Swan!" she states angrily while walking into the cabin
Lex quickly goes to the kitchen, pulling out the first aid kit and coming to the older woman's side as she mumbles "first Henry, then Graham… that woman is destroying my life!"
"What are you blabbering about?" the blue eyed girl asks while starting to clean Regina's cut, she doesn't even flinch from the disinfectant
"Since the day that woman arrived she's been turning my son against me and then she has the nerve to take my lover, then say it's my fault! That everyone's running away from me" she snaps without thinking
Lex tilts her head and nods "this is your kids Bio-mom right? …sounds like trouble to me"
"She is proving to be nothing but! I wish she'd just disappear" she says burying her head in her hands
Lex feels a strange sense sorrow for the woman before her. She takes her hand and says "come on, least you've still got me"
A smile comes to Regina's face, a rare occurrence and her hand covers the one holding hers the other grazing the black diamond hanging around the girls neck "thank you Alexandria…"
Lex smiles and leans in to hug her Aunt, because she was upset and the young girl didn't like that one bit, this woman had done so much for her. She'd never seen Regina like this, It was then she decided that she hated Emma Swan, unaware that the woman in her arms had just killed the sheriff and broke the blond deputy's heart… not that she would have even cared…
Hey guys so I promise things will get sped up according to my plan and thanks so much for your reviews and thoughts, they mean sssooo much X x JJ x X