AN: I do not own OUAT
Hey, guys, I'm back! Sorry, I've been gone for so long, I've been going out with friends every night for the last couple of weeks and then when I tried to sit down and write a bit I got into a car accident and was depressed for quite some time, so now I've finally gotten the urge to write again. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 23: We Protect One Another
The rocks fell from up above, crumbling down onto the Pirate Captain that she had been falling for. Her heart sank to her stomach, she stopped breathing, she thought he was dead, that she just lost somebody important to her, nobody could ever survive something like this.
"Hook!" She shouted as suddenly the unfriendly looking giant with long curly hair and a tan robe started running towards her screaming.
"Killian!" Emma shouted as she found herself rushing to sit up and looking all around. She was in the forest, next to a fire that had turned into just hot coal. It was only a dream, or a nightmare actually...when she thought she had first lost Killian at the top of the beanstalk.
Opening his eyes and looking over he could see his wife panting with sweat dripping down her face. "Everything alright love?" Killian asked with a thick accent of sleep in his voice.
She nodded before slowly laying back down and curling back into his leather jacket and feel the comforting warmth come from off his body. "Yeah, everything's fine." But was it really? What would happen tomorrow when they reach that beanstalk and got to the top, would she almost lose him again? Would there be a whole new threat waiting for them at the top or would Tiny still be there, waiting for their return?
Whatever was meant to happen, they were going to make it back down together.
Snow, David, and Henry all sat in the cab of the truck with Neal wrapped in a wool blanket, sleeping as usual, not strange for a newborn.
Henry didn't know what to think when his grandparents told him that he wasn't going to school, at first he didn't believe them, but when they went drove past the school excitement started to fill his gut. But the last place he thought that they would bring him to was a stable.
David was the first one out, then David and then Mary-margaret, the both of them missed the excitement of getting on a horse and charging for a battle or just feeling the wind in their face, but they were here now, Storybrook, not the Enchanted Forest.
Henry let out a yawn as he followed his grandparents inside if they planned on not bringing him to school, why wake him up so early?
David chuckled, "Why are you yawning? You're not in school this should be fun."
"I couldn't sleep," Replied Henry as he walks through the barn doors of the stable with his grandfather's hand on his shoulder.
Looking over at Snow, he saw the look he gave her, it was sad with a saddened smirk. David couldn't help but sigh and make Henry look at him as he bent down to be eye level with him. "I know, we miss them too..." Henry could barely put a smile on his face, he couldn't imagine the kind of pain he was going through, finally getting his mother and then losing her all over again.
"Now, just think how happy Emma and Killian will be when they come home and see their son turned into a proper knight," Said David as he walked Henry over to a corridor that had stalls of horses.
Finally, Henry smiled for the first time since he lost his parents, "I don't know if dad would like that so much, he might want me to be a pirate."
That brought laughter to fill through the stables and loud scuffs come from the horses.
"Well, whatever the case, pirate or prince, you'd still need this...say hello to your steed," Snow said as she bounced Neal on her shoulder.
Right straight ahead of Henry was a muscular mare with white silky hair and small tan dots on certain areas of her body. He ran over to the creature. "Is he mine?" Asked Henry and his question was answered with a wide, innocent smile and a single nod from, Snow. "So, how do I get on him?"
"Oh you're not riding today," Answered David as he started to stroke the snout of the magnificent creature. "You need to learn many things before hopping onto a saddle."
"Like what?" Henry cocked his head to a side in confusion.
"For starters, every morning, you'll muck out his stall, then you'll brush him and feed him. After school, you'll do it again. Every day, twice a day," Snow explained as her little man had just happened to wake up from his nap and look around at all the large, hairy monsters looking at him, his eyes widened in that adorable baby way.
Henry's smile kind of faded, "Lucky you grew up in a castle and you had people to do that for you."
Snow looked down and thought about her life. Of course, she did grow up in a castle where she had servants who did things for her, but she was the pure, sweet princess that would always help out as much as she could. "I didn't always live in a castle. I spent many years trying to run away from that life, but when I met Charming...everything changed."
David smiled at her as his hands were on his hips, the only thing that could make this even better right now was to have the whole family here.
"Well, when will I be able to ride him?"
"Once you've made a special bond and the horse tells you of course." He grew up on a farm, he knew plenty, but some things he learned from Snow. "Alright, I'm going to go check on the dwarfs, see how the mining going, I'll pick you both up later." He gave his wife a small passionate kiss before walking out the door and leaving, he wished Killian and Emma were here to watch their sons first interaction with a horse and very first step at becoming a knight...or pirate.
Snow watched as her husband left the stables, suddenly Neal started to cry. "Oh, somebody must be hungry," She said as she draped a blanket over her shoulder, "Now Henry, be careful."
Henry nodded as he started to brush the mane of the mare, "So, do you have anything to tell me?" The horse nickered and immediately shook his head.
She couldn't believe what she had seen, Daniel, he was gone. All of her hope was set on that somehow the break of the curse sparked life back into him, but she also knew that was impossible, dead was...well dead. Besides a heart was missing from her vault, she only knew one person who needed a heart and a well preserved dead body.
But she knew if that wasn't the case, she knew who might know where he was...Dr. Whale or Dr. Frankenstien, whatever he wanted to be called nowadays.
Walking down into the mental word of the hospital she noticed the nurse that was usually at the desk gone, a door was open and the lights were still flickering from the attack of the wraith.
Once she was able to find the small excuse for an office the door had already been cracked, so there was no sense in knocking anyway. As she walked in she noticed the place was trashed, a light was dangling down from the ceiling flickering with sparks flying off of it, a shelf was knocked to the ground, a table was pushed to the other end of the room and white blankets were scattered on the ground, some with blood.
"Dr. Whale?" She called out to him as she looked around the room. She found a pile of sheets with spotted blood on them. Consciously she moved some of the blankets over and was startled to find a ripped off arm, she gasped and jumped back as she felt her heart racing, trying to find a way out of her chest. She banged into the dangling light.
Then there he was, laying on the floor on the other side of the table. She pushed it to a side and saw that Whale had tried to stop the bleeding of his arm. "Whale...I know you took Daniel's body, and you took one of my hearts. Why?" She waited for an answer, nothing came out of this excuse of a doctors lips, "Why?!"
Dr. Whale swallowed hard, he tried to take a pain medication, but it wasn't helping much.
"Did you bring him back?" This was all she cared about right now, she wanted to see her fiance again, alive.
It was hard to get words out, but he managed. "I did it," Whale choked out.
Regina was stunned, her fiance was alive, maybe something good was actually going to happen out of this curse breaking. "He's alive?"
"Yes. I brought him back, but...he's not Daniel," Whispered Whale as he shook his head.
"What?" Regina was confused if Daniel was alive how could he not be himself?
"He's...he's a monster."
Those were the last words she wanted to hear, her fiance a monster, Daniel? That was impossible, he was the sweetest man she ever knew, he was there when she wanted to get away from her mother, the real monster.
They had been walking for what seemed like for hours now, they had woken up at the crack of dawn just like Mulan had suggested and now the sun was at it's highest peak, it was now noon, and nobody had stopped for any food or water. Emma was sweating, she had forgotten how hot the Enchanted Forest was.
"Here love, you need this." Killian took out his canteen and passed it over to her, but she shook her head and carried on walking.
"There's time for that once we get our new portal home and I'm with Henry and my parents again," Emma suggested as she licked her palate...dry.
He stopped her by his hook and opened the canteen with his mouth, "Both Henry and your parents would want you to have strength when they see you again, love."
She looked at him and then the canteen, he was right and she was thirsty, she had just gotten her strength back to being with and she didn't want to lose it again. Taking the water from his hand she started to guzzle it, the cold water slipped down her throat and cooled down the burning sensation. "Thank you."
He smiled as he took the water back from her and watched as she whipped the little bit that had just happened to miss her mouth. "Come on Swan, the beanstalk should be just up ahead." Taking her hand in his hook they walked together to meet up with the group who had been staring off into the distance.
"There it is," Said Mulan as she looked out at the tall pair of veins that were growing up into the sky, past the clouds.
"Come on, let's get this over with so we can get back to our son," Spoke Emma as she left the lookout and began down the hill that leads to the field where they would soon get the beanstalk.
Soon everybody was standing under the beanstalk, just looking up at the terrifying climb that was ahead of them. In the last years since they last set foot on this land, the stalk grew thicker and more veins fell off the sides. Everybody looked up, there was no end, it looked like it went on forever past the clouds.
"A lot freakier than what I can remember," Aurora noted as she stood next to Emma and looked up with her hand on her forehead trying to block the sun.
"Still reminds me of death," Said Mulan sternly.
"Well, what do you say Swan?" Killian said with a wide grin and an arched brow as he looked over at his Swan who was glowing in the sunlight, "Shall we go and get this compass?" He was about to attach the charmed bracelet to her wrist when Mulan grabbed his wrist stopping him.
"Wait! We need to think about this first, I think I should be the one to go, I am the most experienced" Stated the warrior.
With a gapped mouth and brows pushed together, Killian didn't understand why she was volunteering, this was his and Emma's trip, they were the ones that had a purpose. "If anybody were to go, it's me and Swan, we have experience with this beanstalk and we have a purpose to fight for, our son!" Exclaimed the pirate.
"If anything it should be me, I have nothing to live for, if I fail, you guys will still have a chance," Stated Aurora as Mulan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The poor girl lost her true love, she didn't see anything in her life worth living for anymore.
"It's going us, we're going and that's it, we are fighting for our son and we will succeed, we have once before, and we will again!" Exclaimed Emma furiously as she took the leather strap from her Captain and stuck it to her wrist.
He couldn't help but grin at that, the spark of Emma Charming/Jones was always there, it had never left her, even when she was cursed into Emma Swan. "Shall we milady?"
Emma smiled and walked forward the beanstalk. With one last look behind her at Aurora and Mulan, she looked next to her where Killian was once again ready. And then their adventure started.
Hours had gone by, the air was getting thicker and it was getting a lot harder to breathe. Killian so far was just ahead of Emma, the climb didn't seem to bother him one bit, but for Emma, it was like her first beanstalk all over again.
Looking down at his wife he couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle as he stopped to let her catch up with him. "Whats the matter love?" Once she caught up with him, she did not look very pleased, the look she was giving him was something as if she were imagining slapping him crazy for having to go through this again.
"Remember how last time you told me...that I would never forget my first beanstalk?" Killian nodded in acknowledgment, "Well I don't think..I'll forget the second time either, it seems a lot harder than the...first!" Exclaimed Emma as she tried to catch her breath once again.
Killian chuckled, he remembered everything from the last time they climbed this beanstalk, it was the first day of the rest of his life.
For the next half hour, neither one of them said a word, was it because they had nothing to say to each other? No, they had plenty to talk about. Was it because they were just concentrating on their footing? Maybe, but the real reason was, was because Emma was keeping something from Killian, and he could feel it.
"You know love, you're still something of an open book to me," He told her with a toothy grin as he climbed up one vein and stopped to look at her.
"Am I? Even after ten years of not being with me?" Asked Emma.
"Well, the last year has been quite helpful," He said, "Like right now, I know you didn't just come up, here again, to get back to Henry...there's something else, was is it?" He just knew there was something she was holding back.
Emma looked at him, she wanted to tell him, but it was hard. How can you come out and just say...after everything that she believed during the curse, after going ten years alone. All she ever really wanted was a family and now she had that again, but Henry never did, he never had a real family while growing up, he thought his mother died.
He waited and waited for an answer but nothing was coming out. "Emma, you can tell me anything, I'm here for you."
Taking a deep breath and calmed herself down she looked at him, it was time. "For ten years I believed that I was abandoned, left on the side of the road for dead, my parents didn't even care about me enough to drop me off at a hospital, I thought I grew up in the system, but then the curse breaks and I have my family back and my true memories, but all that hurt of being alone is still there, and it will never go away until..." She had to stop herself, she could feel the burning sensation in her eyes, the salty tears filling up.
That's when it all made sense, "Until you're home with Henry because you don't want to abandon him the way you were abandoned." How could he not see it, that look in her eyes, the look he spent years seeing on all of the lost boys in Neverland.
She looked down, she couldn't bear to look at him, not after telling him how she felt. She was happy he was back in her life and she could actually remember how they met and how they got married but recovering from being alone for ten years, that takes time to heal from.
Instead, she continued climbing higher and higher as Killian followed shortly behind.
"It's alright love, I understand," Said Killian breaking the silence, "You know how my mother died when I was born and then how my father left me and Liam, sold us even. I told you about how my brother died and how I became a ruthless pirate. And then after losing Milah, and going to Neverland for many, many years, if anybody knows what it's like to be abandoned it's me, and believe me I know exactly what you're going through."
She stopped climbing again and was able to look at him, this time with a smile that made her cheeks glow and rose pink, she was getting her color back in her skin. "Promise me something."
"Anything love." He placed his hand over hers, luckily he had his hook to jab into the stalk to prevent him from falling.
"Promise me that whatever happens, we will protect one another and we will leave this place together." That's all she wanted was to get back to Storybrooke together, both get home to their family and make up for lost time.
"Nothing will take us apart again, I promise," He whispered softly as he slowly made his way closer to her to place a soft chaste kiss on her delicate lips.
She kissed back and in that small second, time stopped, and she felt a hot tear slide down her cheek. She loved this man more than anything, he and Henry were her life. "Come on, let's hurry and get this compass and get back to our family."
"I love the sound of that!" and with that, he gave her one soft slap on the ass as they both laughed and started to climb.
There Regina stood, hands on hips and looking into the glass wall room that lay Dr. Whale, uncautious from all the pain medicine that was being pumped into his body at this exact moment. She was thinking of what he had told her just an hour ago.
"He's alive, but he's a monster."
How could her Daniel be a monster? He was the most wonderful man when she knew him all those years ago.
David walked into the hospital and saw Regina staring at Whale, of course, Regina was here, she loved to watch the ones she conflicted pain on; suffer. "What's going on here? I just got a call saying Dr. Whale was attacked?"
Regina sighed and turned around, of course, Charming came in to save the day, as always. "You'll have to ask his doctors," She said, not really wanting to tell him anything that Whale had told her, she wanted to figure it out for herself and she knew if she told him Daniel did this, then lord knows what he'd do to him.
"No. I am asking you," Said David in a strict voice as he pointed his finger at Regina' face and looked straight into her eyes.
"I came here to speak with him and then discovered he was hurt," She was telling the truth that was what happened, good thing Emma wasn't the one questioning her. But when he gave her that look of disbelief something flared up inside her that made some anger explode, "It's the truth!"
"What else? What did you come here to speak with him about? Come on Regina, I have all day, don't leave out a single detail," Said David as he placed his hands on his hips.
She stood there silent for a moment, she didn't want to tell Charming who she wanted to speak about, if Snow told him about Daniel then he knew why she made them go through so much pain for all those years. "Somebody from my past," Was all she could say.
"Who?" David asked, but the women just looked down to her feet and stood in silent, "Who Regina!? Who!" His voice carried through the halls, having many nurses, doctors and even sick patients look at the two of them.
"Daniel alright! Daniel!" Regina shouted in frustrated as she could feel the tears come again, so she turned away and placed a hand over her mouth until she could control herself.
Immediately David knew whom she was talking about, her fiance, the man she was going to run away with when her mother was forcing her to marry the King. "The man you were supposed to marry."
Regina gave him a dark look and stared straight into his soul, she didn't want him to know she was weak, but at this moment she was at her most vulnerable.
"Snow told me what happened, and..." Then he remembered what Snow said, "How it was her fault that he died!" He said a bit more sternly as he thought of all the pain Regina had put Snow through for a simple mistake that a ten-year-old done.
"Yes!" Said Regina right away in a dark voice as she remembered that day her mother came into the stables as they were about to leave and crushed his heart right in front of her.
David scuffed, "Well then how could he be back? Dead is Dead Regina, or did your mentor Rumple forget to mention that to you?"
Regina pointed behind her at the weak, injured doctor, "Whale. He believed he could bring him back from the grave, and somehow he did...I don't know how" She said softly as her eyes began to well up with tears once again.
"You don't know how?" David asked as he crossed her arms in front of him and took a strong stance. He had a hard time believing that she didn't know.
He was Dr. Frankenstien, back in our land Thought Regina. "He practiced something more powerful than magic...or so I was told. All he needed was a heart and he took one of mine." Right when she said it she knew it was a mistake, nobody knew about the hearts she had in her vault.
What did he just hear? Did he hear her right? Hearts? "Wait, you have hearts here?" He whispered as he moved her off to the side so no nurses could hear who was exiting out of the rooms.
Regina nodded, "In my vault. From our land."
He couldn't believe what he was hearing, why would she take hearts of her victims here with her? To a land without magic? She always was a sick and twisted women, "Whose heart did he take!?"
Regina shrugged as she looked off past his shoulder, "I took so many it was hard to keep track, so I have no idea." Then something clicked in her, Daniel didn't know this world, everything was so new to him, he must be terrified. "I have to go, I have to help him." She was about to walk past David but he grabbed onto her and stopped her from moving any further.
"No, I'm not letting you do that alone. Look what he did, he's dangerous" David said pointing over to the now one-handed Dr. Whale.
She shook her head, Daniel would never hurt her, he promised when they got engaged. "Not to me, he won't hurt anyone else, David, I swear."
David didn't believe that the man ripped off an innocents arm, the man who brought him back to life. "You know I can't take that chance!" He had to take a breath, he could feel the anger boiling up inside him. He was here to protect the still confused people of Storybrooke while his daughter and son in law were away. "You have two choices, Regina-Tell me where he could be, or jail"
Sighing once again as she looked to the side and could feel herself getting more upset and angry at the moment. She knew he wasn't going to let this go, and considering Daniel had almost killed Whale, she was scared to know what he would do to him. "I think he's following his final thoughts to where he last met me - the stables."
The stables, no. "No. Henry and Snow are at the stables." Immediately he rushed out of the hospital with Regina behind him. If anything happened to Henry or Snow and Neal he wouldn't be able to live with himself anymore, he couldn't be alone.
"Look at your nephew over there becoming a young prince," Snow spoke in a baby voice to Neal who she had sitting up looking at Henry.
Henry started to blush, "Grandma, I'm just brushing the horse." That's what he said right until all the horses started to make loud nickers and his horse kicking him back against the wall as he ran out the cell frightened by something.
"Henry!" Snow shouted as she watched in horror, right then was when Neal started whaling uncontrollably, Snow didn't know what to do.
That was when she saw the man walking out from the corner and up to Henry, he was dressed in mid-evil clothing, he had blood on his hands, he was soaked in his own sweat and he looked pale, almost deadly. "...Daniel" Whispered Snow. But how could that be, he was dead.
When the Earth stopped shaking for Henry and he was finally able to see the man in front of him he searched his body with his eyes and saw the blood on his hands. "A-are you hurt?...Excuse me?"
Daniel ended up looking at Henry like he was his next meal, he grunted loudly as he flung himself at Henry and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up so far that his head was almost touching the ceiling.
"Daniel! Daniel stop!" Regina shouted as the sound of heels clicked against the cement flooring of the barn, "Let him go!"
"David, what's going on?" Snow asking her husband confused as she tried to calm down Neal.
Daniel looked over at Regina and immediately dropped Henry, who crashed to the floor and was dragged out by David.
"Snow, take Henry and Neal and go, go!" He shouted as he watched his wife run off with his grandson and own son.
Regina was standing in front of Daniel...he was alive, she couldn't believe her eyes, he looked just the same way he had the last time she saw him breathing. "Daniel...I can't believe it's actually you." She had tears in her eyes, she wanted to run up and hug him, but before she knew it David pushed her out of the way and slammed the door shut on her fiance, trying to lock him in.
"It won't hold forever! Is there a spell you can do to subdue him?" David asked as he pushed all his body weight against the door.
"What? No, I won't use magic on him!" Exclaimed Regina as she watched David take out his gun and take off the safety, "What are you doing?!"
"If you won't put him down then I will! He's a monster, Regina!" David shouted at her as he was about to open the gate and fire a single shot at him but Regina started pushing on him, trying to make him back down.
"No! David, please! Just let me talk to him! You have to at least give me a chance! Please!" She begged she couldn't see him be killed again, not after just getting him back after so long.
David had enough of this, he wasn't going to let anybody else gets hurt just because of this women, the women who conflicted suffering on everybody, wanted her fiance back. "Out of the way, Regina! Now!" He pushed her away to the side.
"No!" She charged at him and grabbed onto his jacket, started shaking him angrily, "I will not let you hurt him!" She hit him hard on his shoulder as the tears started rolling down her face, "Please, he'll listen to me! let me just talk to him! Let me talk to my fiance." She calmed down and looked into David's eyes, she saw pity. If anybody understood what it was like to lose their true love it was him.
All Killian could think to himself was finally! They finally made it to the peak of the beanstalk, he knew they had been climbing for just over three hours now, and if anything him and Emma both needed a break, but he didn't think Emma would want that because all she wanted was to get back to Henry and believe me he did too, but he also needed rest to keep going.
They were both panting with sweat dripping from their foreheads, they both needed water.
"Drink love." He handed her the canteen after he just took a big gulp for himself, he had to remind himself to fill up once they got back with the others and found a stream or lake.
She gave him a small smile and took the water from him, she was pretty dry. The water went down her throat and it felt like a nice cool glass of lemonade on the hottest day of the year.
"Everything looks so...different" Said Killian as he looked around at the kingdom. Everything was so tidy, no bones lay on the cold stone, no armor was there anymore. Everything was clean and polished.
"It's not the only thing that's changed," Emma said as she gave a smile towards Killian.
She was right he thought, a lot has changed about them, they were no longer against the other, they were on the same team, she no longer had to worry if he was leading her into a trap. "Well Swan, lucky for you, you now have a dashing pirate on your side rather than against you," He smirked seductively with an arched brow.
She could just kiss that look off of his face, but she knew there was a job to be done.
As he watched her lead the way he just wanted to look her over, watch how beautiful her hips moved when she walked, how her blonde curls bounced at each step, how the blood dripping down her hand...wait. "Swan...your hand."
"What?" She looked down and saw a big gash on her hand, but to make it even more strange it was the opposite hand to which she cut last time.
"Your hand, let me see it." Gracefully he took her injured hand in his, taking a clean cloth he had in his jacket he poured some water onto the cloth, making it damp and dabbing it along the gash to stop the bleeding. "Sorry love, this may sting." Popping the top off of a flask he quickly poured the liquid on the cut having a small screech come from his wife.
"Son of a bitch! What is that?!" Exclaimed Emma as she watched the liquid seep into her wound and start to bubble.
"Rum."
Of course, it was rum, what else did this man drink?
She watched as he tore the bottom of his shirt off with his hook and then tightly wrapped it around her wound. Just like the last time he pulled the knot tightly with his teeth, giving her one of the most seductive looks he could possibly give. He had the hungry eyes.
He saw the look she was giving, the look that meant she wanted him and she was scared she wouldn't be able to stop if she did. She gulped hard as he straightened himself and slowly pulled her flush against him. was this the moment they've both been waiting for since the curse broke?
Killian looked around, he saw nobody. "You know love, we are...alone."
"That we are." Replied Emma as she laid a hand on his chest and looked into those Ocean blue eyes of his.
He looked into her eyes and then down to her lips, he wanted to feel the creaminess of her rosy lips. Slowly he leaned in, she didn't back away and before they both knew it their lips were dancing together and he was backing her up onto the castle wall where he couldn't stop, they couldn't stop.
Their lips carried on smashing together as he grinding his hips into hers, he didn't stop until both their clothes were slung off onto the stone floor.
"Don't...stop!" Emma shouted as she clawed her nails into Killians back as he went between her legs and pleasured her with his tongue.
"Oh, don't you worry love." He continued until he knew that she couldn't take any more, but at the very last second before she was at her climax he stopped.
Regina stood there, she waited until the knocked on the door was gone. Was she really going to do this? She had to, he was her fiance, she would never stop loving him. Without him she was in a dark place, she was in a place of misery, she needed him back.
Slowly she opened up the door and saw him standing there at the far corner, head resting back, confused. Once the light hit his face he looked straight at her and slowly made his way over. Her face started to glow, she was just about to get the love of her life back, this was the happiest she had ever been in years.
But before she could even say a single word his hands were wrapped around her throat, squeezing tighter and tighter as he pinned her against the stable wall.
She could feel her breath being taken away from her, she thought this was the end. "Daniel...stop," She barely managed to get the words out as she chocked, he was getting tighter by the minute. "It's me...I love you" She whispered into his ear and that must've ticked something inside of him, because before she knew it his hands loosened up and she started coughing and panting for air.
"...Regina..."
It was him, the monster was gone, she could see it in his eyes. "...Daniel." She ran over to him and they embraced each other, she was finally in his arms after so long. The tears just started to flow down her cheeks, she waited so long for this. "I can't believe it's really you."
He started grunting and moaning in pain, clenching his stomach and heart at the same time, Regina started to panic, something was wrong. "Stop!" He whined, "Just stop the pain."
When she looked into his eyes she could see all the pain he was enduring, "How?" What could she do to make this pain go away?
He took a hold of both her hands and looked inside of her eyes, his Regina was still there, under all the darkness and sadness she was still his beloved fiance wanting to run away from her mother. "Let me go," He begged through clenched teeth.
She shook her head, her eyes doubled, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "No...no, I won't lose you again. Without you, I'm lost" She cried as she cupped his cheek and he started to grunt from the pain once again. "...Daniel, come back to me."
"Can't. Can't" Was all he could manage, the pain was just too much.
"But I love you," Regina whispered, hoping that would enact something inside again and take away the pain.
He loved her too, more than anything, but it was time to say goodbye. "Then love again," He whispered before he back away screaming in pain from the heart that wasn't his.
She watched, the monster was back, it wasn't Daniel. He was marching for her, but before he could place a single hand on her she raised her hand, making a purple glow surround him and freeze him. She held onto his hand as she sobbed, tears pouring from her eyes. She knew this was the time, she didn't want to but she waved her hand, making Daniel disappear into thin air...he was gone.
"...good-bye Daniel!" Regina sobbed loudly. He was gone, everything was taken from her and she was never getting it back. Her ring was gone, and now Daniel was gone, all she had left was the memories. Maybe if Daniel was never her stable boy he would still be alive, living a happy life with a family of his own.
Well, that's the end of Chapter 23, I'm just glad I was finally able to upload this after so long. Hopefully, this will keep happening and I won't go months without uploading again.
Hope you all enjoyed, please Review, follow and favorite.
Next time: Chapter 24 The Beanstalk