It Starts In Cold Blood

"Emma?" James said as he gently knocked on his daughter's bedroom door.

"Come in." She called out. James opened the door, and saw his daughter on her bed reading a magazine.

"Snow and I want you to start training soon. With this." He said as he held up his sword; the one he used to get her to the wardrobe, as she recognized it.

"Where the hell did you get that?" She said as she sat up.

"Gold had it. I don't know why, though." He said, shrugging.

"But why should I have to use a sword when I can use this?" She said as she pulled her gun from under her bed.

"I guess that'll work too, but for me this is easier." He said, laughing.

"What'll Snow use?" Emma said as James sat at the foot of her bed.

"She's not fighting. She's staying home with Angel and Ana, to make sure Regina doesn't get to them."

"Alright, I guess." Emma nodded.

"I didn't want her to fight either. If something happens to both of us, well… I wouldn't want anything to happen to her either." He said as Emma smiled.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Emma said, still grinning.

"I love her. She's my wife. So leaving her at home is the best decision. I don't know what I'd do without her." He said, barely smiling. He couldn't possibly think of life without his wife. They had been through many things together; going on to live without her would be impossible.

"Of course he loves me." Snow smiled, now leaning against the doorway. James stood up and went to his wife, and then turned back to Emma.

"We'll be ready in a week. Regina will be waiting." He said as he left the room with his wife.

Snow and James stood in the kitchen for a while, talking about the future. What may happen, and what they might do after the fight. Would everyone remember? Would they lead the town, then? All of their conversation ceased, abruptly.

"Snow? Are you alright?" He said as his wife's face became dizzy.

"I'm fine, I just… felt a bit sick to the stomach, that's all." She shook her head and looked down. When she finally looked back up at him, she could tell by the look in his eyes that he was worried about something else, and she knew exactly what.

"No! Not that," She said as she put a hand over her stomach, laughing, "We haven't 'you-know-what'ed in months. Not with Ana and Angel so close!" She said, hardly able to control her laughter.

"Good. Don't scare me like that." He said, now laughing.

"But I still don't feel well. Maybe it's the curse? With us remembering now, it must have side effects. I would know curses have side effects." She said.

"Are you still having nightmares?" He said worriedly.

"No, not usually. I mean I will sometimes, but those are normal." She said, remembering the horrible nightmares. The nightmares that she had targeted her worst fears; losing James, Regina killing her, memories of Regina and Daniel, guilt spreading through her.

"Nightmares are never normal, Snow. I would say you shouldn't ignore them." He said, wrapping his arms around her, trying to provide her some comfort. She nodded reluctantly, and sadly smiled.

"Just… would if she doesn't make it?" Snow asked, now changing the subject.

"She will. I mean, she's our daughter. Us, of all people." He said as he shook with laughter. She still wasn't too confident, but his warming gestures helped, only a little, though.

Emma closely listened to what her parents were saying, hidden from their view. She didn't much care for eavesdropping, but damn, was she good at it. Emma figured she got it from Snow. Her mother could be as silent as she wanted to, at any time.

"Snow, don't give up. We both know that Emma is strong, she can do this." She heard her father say as Snow quietly agreed. For the first time, Emma felt loved, and looked up to. She had never felt that way before, because she had never had parents, or anyone that cared about her. Henry cared about her, of course, but he never offered the safe feeling that her parents did. When Emma finally heard nothing but silence, she felt it was safe for her to enter the kitchen. But when she did, the sight she saw stopped her heart, and stopped her feet from going any further. Snow and James stood, silent, holding each other, with their lips locked in the others, both of them with closed eyes. Emma smiled and silently left them to be alone. She knew they were going through pain, knowing that they were unwillingly sending their daughter into a death trap. James would be there to help her, but Emma couldn't even imagine what Snow was going through. She'd have to sit at home, nervously waiting for them to return, not knowing if they were hurt, alive, or even dead. Emma shuddered at that thought. Dead. She couldn't imagine one of her parents dying, and she couldn't imagine dying, herself. She shook the thought away as she quietly walked upstairs.

Snow slowly pulled away from James, and rest her head on his shoulder.

"I don't want to do this." She said quietly.

"Do what?" James asked.

"Send her there. I don't want to do that, it's too painful." James stroked her back.

"I know, I know. Neither do I, but we have to. Do you remember why you wanted to send her through the wardrobe? To give her her best chance. That's what we have to do now; we have to let her save this town, and when she does, she'll be safe, finally." Snow held on to him tighter.

"But a mother never feels right when she sends her daughter into her own death." Snow pleaded.

"No, I know, but you won't be sending her to her death. She'll have me." James said, trying to comfort her.

"Then I'll be sending be sending you into your death!" She pulled away from his embrace and left the room. He sighed, and went after her, but she was too quick. She was already long gone before he had even left the kitchen. He didn't know where, but she was gone.

Snow sat in the dark of their empty basement. She was alone and scared, not knowing what do with herself. Should she sob, or should she be angry? She had only felt this emotion once before; a mix of self-hatred and self-pity. She felt it after she had let her husband leave with her newborn daughter, all of those years back. But it was for her best chance.

"Snow?" She heard James from behind her.

"Leave me alone." She snapped. He sighed, and sat on the floor next to her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She let him, even though she still partially wanted him away.

"I'm sorry." She said as she leaned against him. He didn't say anything, but he ran his fingers through her short hair, comforting her.

"I snapped at you. I shouldn't have." She said quietly, but he still said nothing.

They sat in the dark for a long hour, and when James went to stand up, he couldn't move. She had fallen asleep against him. He looked down at his peacefully sleeping wife, feeling pity for her. She must have exhausted herself with all of her emotions that day. When she still wouldn't budge, he thought that he must have to wake her up; which really, he didn't want to do. He didn't know if she'd just shrug it off and go to bed upstairs, or be angry at him.

"Snow?" He said as she gently shook her shoulder. All he got was a tired moan from her. She mumbled a terrified 'no' and squeezed his arm.

"Snow, wake up." He said worriedly as he shook her again. She must be having another nightmare, because she usually slept quietly, and rarely moved her position. As a tear slid down her cheek, James thought; she never had emotions in her sleep either.

"Snow, sweetie, c'mon." He said, still trying to wake her. It ws no use. It pained him, but he would just have to wait until the nightmare was over, and comfort her then. He couldn't do anything about these types of nightmares. She had them rarely; it was a nightmare when she was so petrified with fright, that her body wouldn't wake up.

She looked at her daughter one last time before Emma had to leave, to her own death.

"Take care of her." Snow said to her husband. He nodded, and left.

After agonizing hours of waiting for her husband and daughter to return home, her daughter frantically entered the house, inaudibly yelling at Snow. Snow didn't know what was wrong, all she knew was that James wasn't with her. Snow tore from the house, running to where James and Emma had fought Regina. In the street, she saw her husband lying in a pool of crimson blood. She ran to him, and knelt down next to him.

"No!" She said as she squeezed his arm. A single tear slid down her cheek, and the world went black.

As she was jolted awake by James, she looked around the basement, trying to recollect how she had gotten there. But it didn't matter when she flung her arms around her husband, knowing that what she saw was only a nightmare.

"It's okay now." He said, soothing her.

"I was so scared." She said in a shaky voice. He thought for a moment.

"I'll be right back." He said as he stood up. Moments later, he returned with a candle and a box of matches. She smiled as he sat down next to her and lit the candle in the dim basement.

"Now, tell me what was so bad about it." He said, letting her curl up against him.

"It was short, but it was awful… it was when you and Emma were about to go fight Regina, and after you left, about an hour went by. Then Emma came home. She was screaming but I didn't know what it was about. You weren't with her, so I supposed something happened. When I found you… it was too late. I tried waking you up," She closed her eyes and started to shake her head, "but… nothing worked. You were gone." She was now crying. James wondered about this dream, and wondered if he had traumatized her when he told her that she shouldn't ignore her nightmares. Whenever his wife had a nightmare back in their land, something similar would happen. Back in their land, when she was pregnant, she had a nightmare about something terrible happening to them, and their unborn child was gone. Sure enough, it happened, and for this reason she was worried. What if something horrible happened to James?

"But it's over now. It's alright." He gently rubbed her arm as she curled into his side further.

"No, it's not alright. You told me not to ignore my nightmares. Would if something does happen?" Her voice was shaky and frightened.

"Snow, I promise you; in the end, everything will be fine." He whispered. She smiled, because he kept every promise he made. Even thought he had little control over this, deep down inside of her, she knew this was a promise that couldn't be broken.

Message from the author

Awww ^.^ I tried to incorporate a bit more more lovey-fluff in there this time, and I think I did a good job. I hope you enjoyed; chapter 12 soon!