Eighteen years earlier...
"Mary Margaret, look!" Paul says and points to a wad of cash stuck behind a couch cushion. He looks at me and gets ready to put it in his pocket."Didn't you say you were sort on rent money this month?" he asks.
This is a very successful drug bust. We found half a pound of cocaine and already bagged all the evidence and the drug money and arrested Johnny B, a drug dealer that had evaded the Boston PD for years. All in all, a very successful day for me and Paul my partner of just two months. Paul who is both hotheaded and know it all yet somehow very quiet and observant at crime scenes.
I take a step back. I shake my head.
"No!" I state firmly, shocked that he'd even suggest this.
"Mary Margaret you are sort on rent this month. Nobody has to know, I won't tell anyone. You need this."
I shake my head.
"Come on, you have to help yourself!"
"Pay my rent with stolen drug money?" I don't think so!" I reply and he looks at me carefully.
"Come on Mary Margaret. Everyone knows we don't get paid enough. It's about survival!"
"Well, maybe I don't want to just survive Paul. Now hand me the money," I reply and I bag it and add a note to the evidence log.
He stares at me.
"It's the honorable thing to do," I reply and I feel it, the slight tinge in my heart. Every time I say something that sounds like something Charming could have said I feel that pain.
"The honorable thing to do, is to not loose your home this month, Mary Margaret,"he argues."You have a child to consider. If you won't break the rules for yourself then break the rules for her! When fate drops answers at your feet you just gotta take them. You could have taken it. Nobody would know!"
"I would know!" I reply.
"Fine, I was just trying to help you out," he mumbles.."I see where the nickname comes from," he smirks.
"What nickname?" I ask.
"Oh, you don't know?"he asks hesitantly.
"Nope!" I cross my hands, frown and wait.
"Snow White. Internal Affairs calls you Snow White. They say you do everything by the book."
I feel like someone just threw a bucket of cold water on my face. I breath in and try not to overreact. Snow White, my real name from the fairytale world, now my nickname in the real world.
When was the last time anyone called me that? Emma is ten now, so ten years ago. I close my eyes and remember Charming's whisper of a kiss on my lips as he helped me in the wardrobe, the kiss he gave our baby, and then said "find me" to Emma and "I love you Snow White," using my full name one last time, instead of saying goodbye, maybe trying to hold on to me for a second longer. Then he'd shut the wooden doors of the magical wardrobe, and fought three black knights to give me time to escape. Three knights or maybe more. I don't know how many, I wasn't there. I left him behind. I left him to face the black knights alone. I blink the memory away and I shake my head. It's a cruel twist of fate when my Enchanted Forest name is my real world nickname, reminding me not only of of what I lost, but also what I'm fighting for. And I realize that I've come a long way from my bandit days, because I'm no longer interested in just surviving... I no longer believe that the ends justify the means.
"It seemed like the honorable thing to do..."
I wonder if Charming realized how much he changed me, how much he helped me grow. Love will do that to you. He probably had no idea how his words would both haunt me and guide me in this land without magic. The honorable thing to do.
"Whatever, they can call me whatever they like," I shrug.
"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost" Paul asks.
"Let's just get back to the station," I mumble because I am done discussing this, so I step out of the room.
I put Emma to sleep and I sit on my lounge chair, looking at the fire in my fireplace. Still sort on rent. Still haunted by the memories my nickname evoked. Snow White. There's a soft knock on my door.
The landlord is not going to come bang on my door till tomorrow. Who could be at this hour, I wonder as I head to my door.
I'm barefoot, wearing an oversized t-shirt and shorts. I shrug. I check through the peephole. It's Paul. That's certainly unusual. We are friendly enough but there are lines we don't cross, showing up at each other's home being one of them.
"What are you doing here?" I frown.
He hands me a small envelope.
"What's this?" I ask and I glance at it. There's five hundred dollars in the envelope.
"It's not stolen drug money I promise," he is quick to reply to my questioning look. "For your rent."
I look at him, my eyebrows raised."You know I can't accept this," I reply trying to hand the envelope back to him.
"Yes, you can," he smirks and he pushes my hand and the envelope back.
I stare at him looking for the right words to say.
"Fine, call it a loan, if you like, you can pay me back next month or whenever..."
I look up and his face is right there.
"Thank you!" I say and I feel something that's been asleep and forgotten stirring inside my heart.
He pauses for a moment and as our eyes meet and I realize that he's about to kiss me. Not only that but I want him to. If he tries to kiss me I'm going to let him. There's a forgotten hunger inside me and I'm about to give into it. I look in his eyes, dark brown, his lips, right there, so close...
"The honorable thing to do...right?" he whispers as he leans in closer and he has no idea that's the worse thing he could possibly say, because those were Charming's words and I see Charming eyes, bright blue, Charming standing in front of me, his hair still wet from the river where I shoved him, his sword on his hand, still panting because he just took on three black knights to save me...
"Seemed like the honorable thing to do..."
I step back.
"I will pay you back next month I promise," I reply and I force myself to smile."I really appreciate it!"
"Right, yeah, no problem," he replies looking mildly disappointed. He shrugs. "See you at work tomorrow Mary Margaret."
"Thank you!" I say one more time and I close the door behind me, I lean against it and let my body slide down on the ground.
"Charming!"I whisper and I clasp my heart, my fingers shaking, because of what I did. What I almost did. "Charming!" I whisper one more time and I burst into tears.
And now...
Regina is standing in front of the diner staring at the closed sign hanging from the locked door.
She turns to look at me.
"Snow?" she asks. "My, my, aren't you looking different today. What are you doing up this late, all alone? Trouble in paradise?" and then without waiting for a response she tilts her head and she says."Well, Granny's is closed, any idea where I can get some pudding with pink sprinkles at this time of night?"
I stare at her, my eyes wide open, my heart beating wildly. This can't be happening. This can't be real. It can't possibly be Regina's heart in Granny's food storage. But it is. It has to be. Who would come to Granny's for pudding with pink sprinkles in the middle of the night? Who even eats pudding with pink sprinkles?
"I don't know." I manage to say. "It's your town Regina."
"Right, my town. You'll do well to remember that," she replies and she turns around and walks away.
I gasp. And then I walk, no I ran back to Granny's Bed and Breakfast. I climb up the stairs two by two and I rush to my room to tell David what I just learned. As I unlock the door and glance at David and Henry I take two steps back. They are still sleeping of course. I'm not going to tell him, not now. In fact I don't know if I'm ever going to tell him. I leave the door open in case David wakes up. I want to go for a walk to clear my head but I promised him I'll be here when he wakes up in the morning. I can't just take off on him.
My hands are still shaking. Regina's heart is in a bag, tagged as unclaimed, in Granny's storage room, placed right next to the turnips. Regina's heart, is in the storage room next to the turnips. Regina's heart.
And nobody knows. Nobody suspects, not Ruby, not David, not Rumpelstiltskin. I'm the only one who knows. I could sneak back there, take her heart and I could get Regina to do my bidding forever. I could sneak back there get her heart and order her to sleep, wait for her to wake up and order her back to sleep again and again and again, I could trap her in my very own sleeping curse. I could. I can. I could, I can and I will. I take a deep breath. I can and I will. And I won't tell anyone about it either. I won't let anyone stop me or talk me out of this. This one is on me. This one is one is all mine. Mine for every night I cried alone in this land without magic. Mine for every night David spent alone in the dark. My revenge. No, I try to argue, it's not revenge, it's well deserved consequences for her actions. Justice. Just punishment.
There are hundreds of reasons why I should do this, hundreds of reasons why I deserve to do this. Because she killed my father. Because she put me under a sleeping curse. Because Charming was asleep for twenty eight years. Because she trapped everyone in Storybrooke and altered their identities. Because my Emma grew without her father in the land without magic. Because my Emma married the first person she met who believed in fairytales. Because Henry is here, in Storybrooke rather than back home with his friends at his school. Because I had to learn how to handle guns, and learn how to deal with crime scenes, I had to toughen up and live alone for twenty eight years. Because David was asleep for twenty eight years. Because now it's my turn to take control of the situation. My turn. I'm going to take her heart and make her apologize to everyone for all the pain she caused. Then I'm going to order her to sleep and hold her heart in my hand, feel it pulse between my fingers and order it asleep again and again and while she sleeps I'm going to stare at her heart and know that any minute I can end this. I can end her. I can crush her heart and end her forever. I'm going to end her. Slowly, quietly, I'm going to win. Because its my turn, my way, my turn, my turn, my turn. Because when fate drops answers right at your feet you gotta take them. You gotta help yourself. Wait, who said that again? Was it Paul? Paul my partner. Paul would be proud... My old partner Paul, who was a good officer, who got things done, who got results. Paul who said that I had to help myself. Paul who I almost kissed and invited into my house when he showed up at the doorstep of my apartment with the rest of my rent money. Paul who firmly believed that when it came to survival the ends justified the means. Following Paul's way. And I don't understand where that thought came from because even though Paul was a good policeman he was also the one who broke the rules and let me get shot in the arm. And I've never thought of him as anything else than an ex partner I worked with. Never thought of him as a role model. Until now. Because neither David nor Emma would stand for what I'm about to do. They wouldn't. So how am I going to pull this off without them finding out? I take a deep breath. It doesn't matter what David or Emma think on the matter, I'm doing this my way. Because it's my turn, my way, me revenge, my victory. I'm going to win.
The thought of hiding things from David or Emma makes me feel sick to my stomach. I don't want to hide things from them. I could use a drink. I'm sure Granny has a bottle of something somewhere. I go back downstairs and rummage through the reception drawers and cupboards. There's a bottle of something on a back self. I don't even bother to read the label. I just open it and take a swig. I take the whole bottle upstairs with me. I hesitate and instead of walking back in the room I sit on the stairs. And I have this strange feeling like this dark fog is coming up around me, growing, overwhelming me.
Eighteen years earlier...
"Who is Charming?" the nurse at the ER asks me once I'm at the hospital.
There's a bullet wound on my arm and even though it's not life threatening I can feel my whole body throbbing with pain.
Paul, my partner broke the rules and I got shot. I did everything by the book, I always do. He didn't.
"My husband, that's what I used to call my husband, a long time ago," I whisper and I look away.
"Awww, Charming? Like prince Charming? That's so sweet. Is he coming? Do you need us to contact him?"
I shake my head. "He can't come, he's far away. How do you even know about him?" I ask the nurse.
"You kept calling him when they first brought you in. I think you were in shock," she replies and I nod."You know sometimes traumatic events tend to bring people closer, maybe you should call him..." she continues.
"Maybe I will," I reply because I respect the fact that she is taking the time to help me out, beyond my immediate physical needs.
But I'm a special case. I'm beyond help. I can't just call my husband. There are no phones in the Enchanted Forest, or wherever he ended up at. I just have to make do with memories. So I eagerly swallow the painkillers she hands me, I wash them down with water and I close my eyes and let myself get all sleepy and numb. The pain on my arm is gone now, but the pain in my heart is getting stronger. I feel so alone. Charming is not coming. He is not. And I don't know where to find him. I don't...
"Why are you crying?"
I'm alone in the dark, dizzy and disoriented when I hear a man's voice talking to me. Why am I crying? Am I even crying? Where am I?
"I don't know," I reply.
"Wait, you can hear me?" he sounds surprised.
"Yes. Who are you?"
"I don't know," he sighs. "Who are you?"
"I'm...I'm...I'm not sure...they have me on strong pain medication and my brain is all fuzzy..."
"Pain medication? Are you in pain?" he asks and he sounds real concerned. He sounds really worried about me.
"Not anymore. That's what the pain medication is for. I got shot."
"Arrow?"
Weird question. Who uses arrows nowadays ? "Bullet."
"What is that?"
"It hurts more than an arrow wound. But I don't feel pain anymore."
"Why are you crying?" his voice sounds softer now.
"I don't know, my heart hurts...something is wrong with my heart..."
"Are you sick?"
"No, nothing like that, I'm missing something, someone...it really hurts..."
"Who are you missing?"
"I don't know...I miss my... I think I lost my husband, I don't know where he is...Why isn't he here? Why isn't ye coming? How about you? Where are you? Who are you?"
"I don't know. I can't remember."
"I'm sorry. Are you in pain?"
"No," he replies and his voice sounds cracked. Should I ask him what's wrong? He didn't hesitate to ask me.
"I don't mean to pry but you sound like you are crying too. What's wrong?"
"Oh, I'm fine, I'm not upset. I'm just happy you can hear me. Our conversations are usually one sided."
"Wait what? Have we talked before? Why don't I remember this? Do we know each other?"
"I know you. Or at least I feel like I know you. I hear your voice all the time. But this is the first time you've ever replied."
"Do you talk to me a lot?"
"Sometimes."
" I'm so sorry. I can't hear you..."
"Yes, I figured that a long time ago. It's not your fault..."
"I'll try to listen harder..."
"Who are you? Do we know each other?" he asks me again.
"I don't know, everything is so foggy. I think that I'm two people, the fairytale me that's actually real and the real me that's not , that doesn't make any sense, does it?"
"Maybe. I'm not sure."
"It's okay. You can be honest. I know what I just said made zero sense. It must be the pain medication talking..."
"Just because I don't understand it, doesn't mean that it doesn't make sense," he replies and I'm grateful for his perspective.
"Alright...thanks for not telling me that I've completely lost it."
"No, never," he replies and I think he might be smiling too.
"Well, it's your turn to talk.I can hear you now. Maybe the reason I can hear you is because I'm medicated, so tell me...is there something I can do for you? Maybe I can pass on a message to your loved ones from you..."
"I...I just need you to know that you are not alone..." he says and I gasp. Something inside me cracks. My eyes are tearing up and my shoulders are shaking because I'm sobbing now. I wonder if he knows how much I needed that. How much I needed to hear that..
"I know it's not much," he continues and I shake my head.
"That's a lot. That's everything..." I manage to reply through my tears. "Thank you!" And then I ask "Why can't I see you?"
"I don't know. I can't see anything."
"Me either...Can you stay with me?" I ask and I hold my breath.
"Always. I will always find you..."
I gasp and I sit up saying "Charming!" And I'm wondering how I didn't see this sooner, how I didn't recognize his voice earlier.
But I don't hear his reply because I'm awake. The realization of who he is startled me awake. I groan and I hide my face in the pillow.
"No, no, no! I woke up! Where are you!" I ask the void. "Where are you? I can't hear you anymore..."
And now...
"Snow?" David walks out of our room and sees me sitting on the staircase a bottle of whiskey in my hand. "What are you doing out here? What's going on?"
I don't reply, I'm just staring down at the stairs.
"It's freezing," he mumbles. He heads back in the room and comes back with a blanket and he drapes it around my shoulders. Then he sits down on the step next step and looks at me clearly concerned.
"Can't sleep?" he asks, trying to sound casual, trying not to push too hard and I shake my head.
"Is something wrong?" he asks.
Well for starters I'm quite drunk, I can't feel my face, and I need to start keeping secrets from you which I don't like at all, I think inside my head.
"What makes you think something is wrong?" I reply, trying to sound lighthearted, trying not to slur my words.
"Lucky guess," he replies dryly eyeing the bottle in my hand.
"Would you like a drink?" I offer trying to smile.
He hesitates for a brief second then takes the bottle from my hand and takes a sip.
"Alright," he replies "How about you tell me why we are drinking?"
When I was a child I was unable to keep Regina's secret which is what got us into this current mess. Now Regina's just end hinges on me being able to keep my discovery a secret. And I'm not too drunk to appreciate the irony.
"Maybe I'm celebrating," I reply noncommittally.
"Right," he responds sounding entirely unconvinced. "What are we celebrating?"
"Celebrating a relationship based on trust and not too many questions?" I offer and he actually laughs.
He shakes his head and he offers his hand.
I hand him the bottle instead.
He nods and takes another sip.
I turn to look at him. The amount of love and concern in his eyes makes my heart hurt. I don't like keeping secrets from him, I really don't so I look away.
"Where are you?" he asks and I know exactly what he means. Because the woman who held him and kissed him goodnight is not the same woman he woke up to. She's been replaced by a woman who knows exactly what she wants and what she wants isn't pretty.
I shake the thoughts out of my head. I'm still me. Just finally willing to play a little dirty. Willing to bend the rules.
"I'm right here," I reply and I take another sip but my voice sounds cold, distant. I try to force a smile on my face but he looks at me and he knows better.
"No, you are not. Where are you?" he asks again and he offers his hand.
I look at his hand and I know all I have to do is reach for him and tell him the truth. But I don't want to. What I want is to keep my discovery a secret and take advantage if it. Because we've suffered enough. I've suffered enough. I just have to keep my secret long enough to sneak into Granny's diner, get to Regina's heart and I put her to sleep.
Because it's my turn, it's my right, it's my revenge. I can do that, I think even as I feel the darkness closes in on me.
Except David is sitting right there, and he is my David, my Charming, the man who just a few hours ago figured out how to turn me back to my younger self, the man who was willing to stay with me even when I was old enough to be his mother and I can't just shut him out, I just can't. My brain is all foggy and dizzy.
And then out of nowhere I blurt out "I had this partner at work...his name was Paul. He believed that when fate throws answers at your feet you gotta take them and make things happen,"I reply.
"What sort of things?" he frowns.
"Do you think he's right? Do you think the ends justify the means?" I ask ignoring his question.
David looks at me and doesn't reply right away. Then he asks "Do you?"
And when I don't respond he adds, "What kind of answers?"
"I don't know. Answers. Making things happen. He is the reason I got shot, which makes the fact that something almost happened between us even more ridiculous... He always bent the rules. Well almost always. He actually showed up at my apartment once, at night. I was sort on rent and he brought me the rest of the money, he let me borrow it...and I almost...we almost..."
David stares at me stone faced as I stop my narration, my eyes getting bigger and I freeze. I honestly don't even know why I brought this up. Why I'm even talking about this. Stop talking, I order my half drunk mind, stop talking right now, but my mouth has already said too much.
I look at him and I cringe. What did I just do? Out of everything I could have brought up, why this? Why now? Am I trying to get a reaction, am I trying to distract him or am I just self destructing for no apparent reason? Where did this even come from?
He doesn't reply and I feel the darkness coming in closer.
"It would be really nice if you said something, right about now," I mumble and my voice sounds really small as I try to figure out how to get out of the corner I just backed myself into. Is he upset?
"What do you need me to say? Do you need me to be jealous? Do you need me to say I forgive you for something that didn't happen?" his voice is calm, certain.
"No, I just..." I let my voice trail off.
"Where are you Snow? What's going on? You are not out here drinking in the middle of the night because of what didn't happen with Paul eighteen years ago..." he replies and I sigh.
There's a weird fog around me, a cloud of darkness, and I'm trying so hard to ignore its existence.
Then I turn to look at him.
"How did you know that was eighteen years ago?"
"Because you told me. You told me around the same time that you told me about Emma loosing her back teeth, so I figure it had to be at least eighteen tears ago...Am I wrong?"
"No, you are not wrong," I hesitate, "so, you are saying that I brought this up back then and you heard me?" I whisper and there are no words to describe how awful I'm feeling right now. My eyes are open wide and I am totally horrified.
David was laying all alone in the dark and I confessed that I almost kissed and had an affair with Paul... Obviously I had no idea he was listening, but no, no no, I couldn't have done that!
"I'm so sorry, " I mumble ,"I didn't realize, I didn't mean to make you feel...-" I have no idea where to go from here. I cover my face with my hands as I struggle to look for the right words.
"Jealous? Worried? Trapped?" he asks then he shrugs. "I didn't. Or at least I tried not to. You see I didn't remember who I was. I didn't know I was your husband...I didn't feel like I had the right to feel any of those things... But I did feel jealous."
"Of Paul? Because it was nothing, no one, I mean we were friends, but I never... it would never... nothing happened, I'm not sure why I even brought him up" I'm quick to reply feeling miserable, hating my foggy brain and that bottle in my hand, trying desperately to patch things up. I didn't want to hurt him or make him jealous, I really didn't.
"No, Snow, I felt bad for Paul because I thought that he and I were on the same boat. He was clearly in love with you as was I. I was jealous of your husband."
"What? Why? What do you mean?" I whisper and I look up at him wide eyed, my mouth open.
"Because you were so devastated and terrified of hurting him even though nothing had actually happened. Because you were so incredibly loyal it made me wonder who he was, and where he was and if he actually deserved this kind of loyalty..." he replies and I gasp.
Something inside me cracks. My eyes tear up, and I look down.
"David! I..." I'm not sure where to even begin. Because this heavy cloud is pushing me down...
"Where are you Snow?" he asks me one last time quietly. "What is really going on?"
I see Regina's red pulsing heart on my hand. I see my fingers wrapped around it, ready to crush her. It's my turn, my right, my revenge. But if I choose that path I'll have to walk it alone. I'll have to lie to David who thinks I'm loyal and faithful and kind... who sees me as so much better than who I actually am. I see David's hand reaching for me, offering to pull me out of my darkness. And I know I have to choose. I have to choose fast before the darkness swallows me whole. I have to come home before I completely loose my way.
"I'm not the nice, kind person you think I am," I whisper. "You have no idea of what kind of terrible things I'm capable of..."
"Tell me," he replies.
Regina's red pulsing heart in my hand, beating, begging me for mercy. My turn, my right, my revenge, my darkness, I think one last time and then I reach for David's hand.
"Tell me," he says one more time as he squeezes my fingers.
"Last night, after you fell asleep, I went back to Granny's. And I met Regina who came out for pudding with pink sprinkles...The last heart, the one that Ruby tagged as unclaimed, it belongs to Regina." I reply quietly.
David's eyes grow wider.
"I wasn't going to tell anybody, not even you. I was just going to steal it, and I was going to make her fall asleep over and over and over, just like she did to you. Just like she did to me. And I was going to make her suffer and maybe even crush her heart...-"and as I say it out loud, I hate the words that come out of my mouth, and I'm crying now, my body shaking, sobbing quietly. And after a few minutes when I glance up I see David looking back at me with nothing but love and warmth in his eyes.
"I wasn't going to tell you, because I knew you'd try to stop me, but I didn't want to lie to you either...I don't know what I was thinking" I mumble and I feel like I can't stand myself right now.
David looks at me and he nods.
"If I try to stop you is because I know that you won't be able to live with yourself if you do any of those things to Regina. I'm all for Regina paying for her crimes, but not by your hand and not out of vengeance," he adds then he shifts closer to me.
"I'm so angry," I reply, still sobbing, "she took away so much..."
"She did. And she deserves to feel every bit of your anger and your pain, but you don't deserve to live with the guilt afterwards," he whispers and I let him pull me on his lap. "Look at us! Look at how much you've accomplished in the last few days. Snow, I'm so proud of you!" he adds and part of me feels like I don't deserve this but the other part feels so grateful, so happy he is here and I'm not facing this alone.
"Thank you" I whisper and then his lips meet mine and I close my eyes, breathing faster, easier. I'm leaning back on the steps and David is kissing me still.
"What are you guys doing on the stairs in the middle of the night?" a little voice asks and we turn to see a half asleep Henry standing on top of the staircase looking at us.
David smiles. "We are just talking. Please go back to bed Henry, we'll be right there."
He gets up first, the he offers his hand to pull me up.
"So, what do you say we go take a look at that farm tomorrow? Because we need a place where Henry and Emma can stay if they like, but we need some walls, and a bedroom with a door that locks" David smirks.
A place of our own, I think and I look at him. A place of our own. A glimpse of a future.
"Tomorrow," I agree. "But when we are out there in the farm we'll be on our own, no help...what happens if we get attacked again?" I ask.
"Couldn't we get a dog?" David asks. "This way they can't sneak up on us."
I look at him and I laugh through my tears and I nod. And I marvel at this man standing before me, loving me. Because he is right here smiling at me, offering a future. A sweet uncomplicated future in a farm with a dog. And maybe more babies. And I feel like I'm breathing in the light once more and I don't know how he did that, how he found me in the darkness squeezing Regina's heart and brought me to a future in the light with a farm and a dog. And I'm crying now, crying tears of joy.
"Are you alright? Did you need to talk some more?" he asks.
I lay down in the bed and I wait till he lays next to me then I snuggle up as close to him as possible and I bury my head in his chest.
"No, not really, unless you do," I whisper.
He wraps his arms around me tightly and I close my eyes.
Hello! I'm so glad you are still here! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Thank you for reading and reviewing! As always reviews, comments, thoughts, concerns and arguments are very appreciated.
Thanks for being here!
baratta jennifer chapter 9 Great chapters
Thank you! ( ◞･౪･)
Guest chapter 9 . This was a fun chapter. I enjoyed the multiple kisses that brought back Snow's youth. But who wouldn't enjoy being kissed by Charming? Wow, what a cliffhanger you wrote. This had to be one of your best. I suspected the heart was going to belong to either Rumple or Regina. Who is controlling them? Rumple? Will we see Cora as the master manipulator? We will just have to wait and see.
:) Glad you liked my cliffhanger. I'd love to reply in detail but I don't want to give out spoilers.
Guest chapter 9 I wanted to clarify something. When I said surprise baby I meant as Snow slowly deaged she would get pregnant like some women do late in life. This is described as an oops or menopause baby. She is now young so missed that chance. The other thing I wanted to mention was there was a movie called "the great American Smokeout"? I am fuzzy about the title. The plot is a town will win a prize if the whole population quits smoking. One of the jokes was the couples get busy to occupy thier time. There was one scene where a female character looks at herself in the mirror after a night of amorous activity. She notices who complexion looks better. Your description of Snow looking at herself in the mirror after similar amorous activity reminded me of the movie scene.
Yes I understood that. Originally I was toying with the idea of Snow realizing that she is slowly deaging because she is pregnant. You see, I figured if David is 30 then Snow is 58. She has been in menopause for a while. But if she gets pregnant then maybe she's deaged to 48 or 49...I knew it was time for her to be young again but I didn't want to deage her yet. I was enjoying the age difference a little too much.
I haven't seen that movie. It sounds fun. But also when a person is in love they automatically look better. It has to do with being happy or emotional, I don't know...
Guest chapter 9 Great great job on this chapter. I suspected the deaging as well but as Charming I didn't want to be have false hope. But ah! I'm so happy for her, she gets to grow old with the love of her life for real and have the life they deserve. The reaction at granny's was so moving and emotional. I wonder how Emma will react to Snows new face. I got the same uncomfortable feeling as Snow did handling the hearts which was a good idea. I was fearing that it was Snows heart first. But it was Reginas? What a plot twist. Did Regina take out her own heart like she has done before or was it from Coras collection? This fanfic never disappoints, excited for what comes next!
Thank you! Yes if the last heart was Snow's heart it could have been really cool. But so far she loves David and Emma and Henry so much, it'd be hard to say that she doesn't have a heart. But that could be a good idea for a future fanfic.
Guest chapter 9 You really know how to write your plot twists! First Snows deaging and then Reginas heart! . Also Neal's stuck? I'm glad that he and Emma made up. But also worried that he'll get hurt now when Regina knows. This was overall a good chapter!
Honestly, I was so excited about this plot twist. I'm so glad you liked it!