"Where should we start looking in the morning?" David asked as he walked up the stairs, his daughter following him behind.
"I don't know. Neal's gonna talk to Gold to help us; Regina's here to help, too. We have to find them." Emma said, walking over to their house's door to put the key in the lock. "But tomorrow we have to go talk to Hook. Maybe he knows something."
Both of them entered the house. Everything was very calm, but Emma could see Regina sitting on the couch, with her face covered by her hands. She sent a look at her father before moving her gaze to her mother's room. She couldn't tell if she was awake, but she could bet that she was. David touched her arm and nodded to let her know that he'd go with Snow. Emma nodded as he headed to his room and she gently closed the door behind her.
Emma turned to look at Regina again. She was still with her face covered by her hands, and the blonde could tell that something had happened to her to be that way. She heard a small noise from Regina, as if she had been crying. The brunette was very focused on her thoughts to hear them enter the house, so surely something had happened. And Emma could only think of one thing.
"Is Henry okay?" She asked, walking over to Regina, her eyes widening with fear. Regina jumped to hear her, and lifted her head to look at her. Emma quickly saw her cheeks and eyes filled with tears, and she assumed that Regina realized that because she quickly moved her head away, wiping her face.
"He's in his room."
Emma didn't pass by unnoticed her voice cracking. "What's happened?"
"Nothing important." Regina said, turning her head to look at her, and Emma could see her dry skin, but her eyes were still a little red due to crying. "Have you got them?"
"No, we're going to keep looking in the morning." Emma said still somewhat confused. She turned to look at her parents, who were in their bed, her mother in her father's arms. She frowned again and turned to look at Regina. "Can you tell me what's happened here?"
"Nothing, Miss Swan. Henry's upstairs, he's probably already asleep. So, I'm leaving." She headed for the door but Emma quickly followed her steps.
"No, you can't go." Regina quickly turned around with a confused look.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes, if you are alone in your house they can go and easily kidnap you."
"I have magic."
"And they have something to divert your magic." Emma said, crossing her arms. "Look, I know this is going to be uncomfortable, but you have to do this. Otherwise, you'll be in danger."
"There aren't enough beds here." Regina said quickly, trying to find any excuse to get out of there. She understood that she could be in danger, but she'd just had an argument with Snow, she didn't want to make things worse.
"I'll sleep on the couch and you go to sleep with Henry." Emma said with a shrug. "This is serious, you can't leave." Regina sighed and turned her gaze unwillingly at Snow's room, seeing that her stepdaughter was talking to her husband. "You two had a fight, right?"
"Kind of." Regina looked back to the blonde, and she could see her staring at her. "Yes, we had. And I don't want to make things worse."
"I don't care what you two have said to each other if there was no physical injury." Regina quickly looked at her angrily and Emma nodded. "I assumed that, so, you're staying."
"Did you hear me? She doesn't want me near her, I'm not staying." Regina replied, taking her coat, but Emma quickly took it from her hands. "Emma!"
"And I'm not letting my son's mother, and mom's mother goes from here. We're family, Regina."
"What's going on here?" Snow said getting closer to hear her daughter's voice rise. She didn't want to believe that they were arguing because she just didn't have the strength to keep fighting with her stepmother.
"Regina wants to go when Greg and Tamara are outside and can kidnap her." Emma said, carefully watching her mother's eyes. She'd been crying, too. "Well, I know you two had problems, but now it's time to set them aside."
"I agree with Emma." David said, standing next to his wife and with his arms crossed. "The best thing is that all of us remain here in and in the morning we'll figure out what to do."
"There are not even enough beds." Regina whispered once again, looking down after seeing Snow's uncomfortable face.
"But they're right." Snow said lifting her head and looking at her stepmother's eyes. "If you go out of here, you're not protected by the spell you've done around the house. You should stay here."
Regina raised her eyebrows a little surprised at her concern that she could be unprotected. But she quickly got that idea off her mind; Snow probably was doing the right thing. "I don't know,"
"If Henry were here he would say you should stay." Emma stepped in. "I don't want to tell the kid that you were kidnapped, Regina. Just stay here."
"Alright, I'll stay." Regina said, extending her hand to Emma. "Could you give me my coat?"
"As you say." Emma said, handing her back her coat.
"So, I'm going to sleep on the couch and Regina..."
"With Henry. Isn't she?" Snow stepped in quickly, looking intently at her husband. David frowned, kind of confused.
"Yes, I was about to say that." Snow swallowed a little nervous and looked down. "And you Emma with your mother?"
"I've got it. I'm going to get my clothes, Regina, just wait here." Emma said before heading up the stairs at her room.
"I'll look for things to make the couch." David said heading towards his room to take some sheets and pillows.
Regina and Snow kept standing in the middle of the room, nervously. Regina knew she should say something, but she just didn't know where to start. Snow decided to turn around to head to her room when Regina found her voice.
"Thank you."
Snow frowned and slowly turned to look at her, confused. "For what?"
"For accepting that I stay here."
Snow raised her eyebrows a little and sighed. "I'm not heartless, Regina. I wouldn't let you go out if I knew that you're unprotected."
"Oh, I think you caught the concept then." Regina couldn't help saying to remember how their discussion had begun. She could see Snow's face hardened, and the brunette thought she shouldn't have said that, even if she meant it as a joke.
"Yeah, I've got the concept." Snow said in her quiet voice, knowing that Regina was trying to ease the atmosphere. She even would have smiled in other moment.
"Ready." Emma said coming down the stairs as she saw the two women with nervous glances. She stood in the top step of the step. "Uh..."
"Okay. Good night." Regina said before quickly walking up the stairs, getting out of the atmosphere of nervousness.
Emma rolled her eyes at her mother once she heard her room's door closed. "You have to tell me what happened here."
"You don't want to know." Snow sighed heading to her room.
After a while, Emma and Snow were lying in bed next to each other. Emma was staring at the ceiling, as Snow was at her side staring at her. She'd had the opportunity to sleep next to her daughter in the Enchanted Forest, but now they could be quiet. Well, kind of. Greg and Tamara were out there, but they were protected. And while many things passed through Snow's mind, she couldn't help but enjoy spending time with her daughter.
"So, will you stop staring at me and tell me about what you and Regina fought, or we'll go to sleep now?" Emma asked, moving her hands all bored.
Snow rolled her eyes and placed herself in the same position as her daughter. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Both of you ended up crying."
"She didn't want me to help you, because she said I'd be unprotected. And I ended up letting it all out." Snow sighed, knowing now that she shouldn't have said all those harsh words towards Regina. She didn't think clearly at the time of anger. "I was blind by anger and I hurt Regina, and Henry."
Emma's eyes were fixed on her mother as she sat to have a better look of her. "Henry? Why?"
"He was listening to everything. And you should have seen how he looked at me. I hurt him, but I couldn't help but say all those things."
"And what were those things that you told her?"
"Like... I'm not her child, and that I had to learn to take care of myself because of her. And that if she wanted to take care of me now it was too late... and that I didn't need her." Snow said somewhat embarrassed to remember her words. It was very painful if Regina really thought she was her child.
"That explains why she was crying." Emma said, turning over the mattress bed. "I couldn't imagine Henry telling me all these things."
"Oh." Snow's eyes widened at her daughter. "What are you saying? It's not the same."
"Not, but is very similar. You're her child now, and you know it."
"She always hated me." Both of them were silent for a few minutes, until Snow spoke up. "Henry said I always wanted her to change, and I wanted a second chance with you... that what might be different to that."
"He's a smart kid." Emma said, slightly nodding.
"You believe that? Why?" Snow frowned, slightly confused. Emma shrugged and turned her head to look at her.
"Why shouldn't I? We never hate each other, never wanted to kill each other, but we didn't even had time to do so. We never got to know each other as mother and daughter. And I know what you and Regina spent together is very difficult to forget, and I don't say that you should do, but you should try. She already did."
"Emma, I cannot forget or forgive what she did. I could forgive that she killed my father, or that she's created this curse and have sent us all to this world, but... it's because of her that we couldn't be together for twenty-eight years. I – I can't forgive that she took my daughter from me."
"I'm not good at giving advice, but I'm here now, and I'm telling you myself that you should try to fix things. We're not talking of any person, we're talking about Regina. And she wants to change for Henry, but also for you. And that means that you're very special to her, trust me."
"I just – I can't believe it." Snow sighed. "I can't believe that after I killed her mother, she still wants to love me. How can that be?"
"She took time to see it." Emma said, turning her gaze upward, with a small smile. "When you were a child, she treated you badly at first, because she saw still saw you like yourself, but then she gave up and began to treat you better, and better, and better." Emma giggled. "You really loved her. If it was your choice, you would have spent every day with her, but David and I still didn't trust her enough."
Snow heard her words carefully, as if her own daughter was telling her a story. "And then what happened so you two changed your mind?"
"She saved you when Greg kidnapped you. And she hugged you... with so much love... so desperately." Emma frowned. "It was like you were Henry, and then I knew it." She turned her head to look at her mother, and seeing her confused look, she added. "I knew she'd come to love you as if you were her child."
Snow sighed as she felt her eyes fill with tears again. It was very painful to know that all that had happened and she couldn't even remember it, or feel it. She moved her lips to aside and placed a hand on Emma's head and then gently started to caress her hair.
"Good night, Emma."
Emma smiled up at her. "Good night, Mom."
Snow smiled back as she saw Emma's eyes closing. She spent time watching her sleeping daughter, until she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore so she fell asleep, Emma sleeping being the last thing she saw.
Regina came in Snow's room with the little girl at her side, tightly holding her hand. She went at her bed and sat the child there, as she turned to head towards her dresser. She opened a drawer and pulled out a little red dress and turned around to show it to the girl.
"Do you want this?" Regina tried to smile to see Snow's discouraged face. Snow shook her head slightly and Regina left the dress on the dresser as she walked over to the little girl and sat at her side. She knew that the child was still afraid because of Tamara and Hook, but she didn't want her to think much about it. She was a child. "It's gonna be fun, we're gonna have dinner with Emma,David and Henry. Like you always wanted."
"But what if that evil woman and the man with the hook show up there?" Snow asked, her big green looking up at her, full of fear. "I'm scared."
"I know, dear." Regina sighed, taking her hand to Snow's cheek to then gently caress with her thumb. "But they won't scare you again, I promise."
"But what if they want to hurt Henry? Or Emma and David?" Snow asked fearfully, but Regina shook her head slightly.
"It's not gonna happen. I'm not letting them do it." Regina gave her a half smile as Snow smiled back, to then hug her tight.
"I'm glad we're going to have dinner as a family." Snow whispered, clinging to her. Regina slightly smiled, thinking she was doing it just to get the potion. But at least she was happy that happiness had returned at her child.
"Me too, sweetheart." Regina just caressed her black hair before she took her to look at her green eyes. "You want to choose the dress you'll wear tonight?"
"Yes." Snow said, jumping out of bed and running to the dresser. She began to stir the clothes that were in the drawer till she took a white dress and turned around to show it to Regina. "I want to wear this."
Regina moved her mouth to the side; she didn't really like the white dress, but this child was Snow White, so she couldn't help but smile so the girl could see her approval. "That will be then."
Regina woke up finding Henry's face in front of her. "Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you!" Henry quickly apologized, walking away a little bit.
"It's... it's okay, honey." Regina said, still asleep, but sitting up straight in bed. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, but Emma asked me to wake you up. It's already 9:00am."
"What?" Regina said with her husky voice and turning her gaze at the clock on the nightstand. Her son was right. "Why have I slept so long?"
"It's not so long, but for you it is, I think." Henry said with a shrug. "Anyway, we're waiting for you downstairs to have breakfast." He said before turning around and leaving her alone in the room.
Regina sighed looking around the room. She'd felt that dream so real, and then she had to wake up. At least the first thing she saw was her son's face, which it was something good. Actually, it hadn't been a dream; it'd been her last memory with her little girl in her home. Regina half smiled at the thought of Snow as her little girl, or at least her little Snow. She could think in Snow as her daughter easily now, though Snow gave her reasons to think otherwise.
Regina got up and placed the clothes that Emma had left her on the bed to sleep on the dresser that was there. She arranged her hair a little and looked in the mirror to see that everything was fine, once she saw that her face was vaguely right, she went downstairs and found the Charming family sitting on the table, having breakfast.
"Sorry, I was hungry." Henry said, with his cup of hot chocolate in his right hand.
"Uh, would you want coffee or juice?" David asked because Snow, who was the one who always asked such things, hadn't said anything.
"Coffee's fine." Regina said, walking over to a chair that was next to Henry. She sat there a little uncomfortable at the thought that she was indeed having breakfast with the Charmings; one of them hated her, and was incredibly whom she didn't want the hate at all. She received a cup of coffee by Emma's hand.
"So, Regina, we were talking about that Neal and Gold will arrive at any time now. You have any idea of what we could do, I mean... with magic to find them?"
Regina couldn't help looking at Henry at the mention of the magic, but Henry just gave her a small smile. "It's fine if you use it for good reasons."
Regina returned her gaze to Emma and shook her head slightly. "Can't think of anything right now."
"Yeah, I can say the same. Mornings are tough." Emma said, trying to ease the atmosphere a bit. She looked at her mother who was with her eyes on her breakfast, and sighed slightly. "So, I'm going to call Neal to know if he's already on the way." She stood up and looked at her father. "You should call Gold."
"Why I –" He tried to say, but quickly Emma stared at him. "Yeah." He said getting up and heading towards his room as Emma moved away to call Neal.
"I'll be right back." Henry quickly said before jumping out of the chair and running upstairs.
Regina frowned as she watched everyone leave except Snow. She didn't think it was because they didn't want to have breakfast with her, but it was because something was happening. Emma could be good for the lies, but David certainly wasn't. Not to mention Henry, who hadn't even given an excuse to go and leave her alone with Snow.
She cleared her throat before taking a sip of coffee as Snow opened her mouth to speak. "I had a dream." Her voice took Regina off guard; she just dropped her cup and set her eyes on her stepdaughter. "But I don't know if it was a dream, or a memory. And you're the only one that can tell me if it's true."
Regina frowned, and put the cup on the table. "Yeah, tell me."
Snow sighed and took courage to find her brown eyes. "I was in a room that I don't know, and you wanted me to wear a red dress?" She asked a little confused as Regina was shocked to think she could've had the same memory that she'd had. "I was scared of Tamara and Hook, and... you promised me that nothing would happen. And... we were going to dinner with Emma, David and Henry, and then –"
"And then you chose a white dress to wear that night." Regina finished her words. Snow looked at her with surprised, verifying that indeed it hadn't been a dream.
"It was a memory?"
"Yes." Regina couldn't help but form a small smile. "You're starting to remember?"
"I don't know, I just – I just had that dream. It's confusing, but I can only remember that."
"It's a start." Regina frowned a little. "And it's weird, because I dreamed of the same memory, too."
She watched as Snow's frown got deeper by surprise, and before the ambient could be ruined, she added. "I'm glad you're remembering, at least something of it." She gave her a small smile and she saw as Snow's lips moved to a side as a small – very small – smile.
"Where's Henry?" Emma said quickly getting to them.
"He's upstairs, why?" Snow said getting up to see the concern in her daughter's face.
"Neal saw Tamara go to the wharf. We gotta go. They're there." Emma said quickly before going to her room for Henry.
"Who's gonna watch over Henry?" Regina asked confused, heading to take her coat.
"Granny and Ruby." Snow said placing her coat as her head turned to look at David. "David, they're on the wharf, we have to go."
Emma came downstairs with Henry putting his backpack on his shoulder as David came out of his room. "Alright, Regina, Mary Margaret, could you take Henry to Granny? David and I will go there right now."
"I can go with you, too." Snow quickly said, slightly offended that her daughter could think she couldn't fight.
"I know, but I want you to take Henry, and Regina will go with you in case something happens." She said quickly before turning to Henry putting her hands on his shoulders. "Kid, please promise me this time you won't try to come between."
"I promise." Henry said, nodding.
Emma nodded and turned to look at her parents. "You okay with this?" She asked her mother.
"Yeah, I'll leave him safe and then Regina and I will go." Snow said quickly, taking her bow and arrows. Emma raised her eyebrows at the bow. "You may never know."
"Okay, let's go." David said before all of them left the apartment.
Hey y'all! Thanks for your reviews, and I know. Snow was really mean, but luckily she now realized her mistake, don't wanna kill her xD.
I'm updating now because I don't really have anything to study - it's so beautiful - so, here I am. And thanks again for yours reviews, now they are 200, WOW. Can't say anything but thanks to you all!
I hope you like this chapter as well, and I think I'm gonna write the next soon, maybeI'm starting today. Please don't hesitate to leave a review if you want to see something in this story, I love reading what you would like to see and try to mold it to the ideas I already have in my head! (:
Thanks for reading!