Author's Note: I waited this long to update because I wanted to see where the writers of the show were taking our characters. I'm disappointed with how the show has been progressing - how they've moved away from the core of the story (Snow and Regina). It feels like the writers went...'ok the've come to an unspoken agreement, let's just move on' - when really there was nothing that has truly brought them together. There's just been way to many things that have been said in the show and no one's explained them. I plan to do just that...I just hope everyone like's the way I explain them. GIVE ME TIME TO EXPLAIN THINGS!
Neverland Past
Malcolm continued to climb up the tree, trying to reach the flower above his head, when he notices the flower on the branch that was currently holding him. Reaching over he was able to take some of the pollen and sprinkle it onto himself.
With a smile and laugh he says his desire to the open air around him. "I want to fly."
When nothing happens his smile falls but a noise causes him to look around.
"Hello? Is someone there?"
A sound causes him to look up and around and he finally spotted the black figure hovering in mid air not but a few feet away from him.
"Who are you?"
"I am the sole inhabitant of Neverland." The shadow replies in a strange voice.
"Can you tell me what's wrong? Why can't I fly?" Malcolm asks.
"You have to believe." The shadow answered, stressing the last word.
"I am but it doesn't work." Malcolm responds almost angrily.
"Cause you don't belong..."
Malcolm braces himself for a hit when the shadow moves past him and looks down.
Down the tree...where Rumple was waiting for him.
And it's then that the figure says words that would forever change his world.
"But he does."
Malcolm's heart stopped as the shadow looked back at him.
What had he done bringing them here?
***************************Storybrooke Present*********************************
Queen Eva's ears perked up at the name the young girl gave the man. As distracting as this Gina had been, she was not stupid. If anything she was more intelligent then people gave her credit for. And she had always used it to her advantage.
Immediately following the slip up she began to look more closely at the girl.
While the man distracted the girl, she scanned the girl's features, every detail of the girl scrutinized as she tried to reason why the girl would have the same name as what Rumplestiltskin had insisted she name her own daughter.
There was power in a name. And the reason he would insist upon the name was enough to have her suspicious of this girl that called herself that very same name.
For now she would hold her tongue, but her curiosity had been piqued, and her suspicions raised.
Sarah suddenly appeared wrapped in purple fog and immediately captured the attention of all of the Snow White's in the room.
"What's the matter?" Snow instantly saw the look of anger in her sisters face.
"Besides the fact that those two idiots really don't know who they're working for...there's a man that's been following me. Haven't seen him face to face, but he's definitely not from here originally. His clothes gave him away. We really need to think about dressing comfortably like everyone here. God knows I'm never wearing one of my corsets again after wearing the one mom let me have!"
The two older Snow's laughed, as Sarah pulled at the bra strap on her shoulder. Both truly impressed that she could joke when she was obviously angry.
"Maybe you should talk about this somewhere else." James suggested as he noticed that Queen Eva was listening much too intently to the conversation. A frown marring her features at the 'joke' Sarah had shared with her sister.
"Neal. This involves you." Sarah motioned for him to follow.
Neal motioned to the door, "Papa's outside."
Sarah nodded her head, "Ask him if he could entertain our Queen as we discuss some affairs."
Neal nodded and shared a quick glance with Little Snow who also nodded her head letting Neal know that she was fine with it.
Quickly opening the door he stepped outside and closed the door so he could tell his father privately what was going on.
"Did the man try to hurt you?" Little Snow asked with a furrowed brow, showing her concern and contempt for someone that would do such a thing to her sister.
Sarah smiled. "I'd turn him into a toad if he tried."
Little Snow burst out laughing, as Sarah nudged her. "Come on, maybe you can help us figure out what to do." Sarah motioned with her head to follow her. Those remaining followed Sarah into the kitchen as Rumpelstiltskin and Neal entered Regina's home and walked the few steps to the living room.
"You know it's bad manners to exclude a guest from conversation." Queen Eva informed Rumpelstiltskin and Neal with a look that showed her contempt for being excluded from whatever secrets were being kept.
Neal looked between her and his father and saw the way the two were staring directly at each other. Sensing that there was history between the two he said nothing, but motioned with his hand that he was going to search for the others.
Rumpelstiltskin waited till Neal was out of ear shot and stepped closer into the room with Queen Eva.
"Well well well...I never thought I'd see you again."
Eva's brow furrowed. " You saw me not but an hourglass ago."
The huff of laughter that came out of Rumple making Eva angry and could no longer sit still.
"Sit down. You and I have a little something we need to discuss."
"I will do no such thing. That Gina you told me was an incredible nurse maid has commandeered the baby you gave me and refuses to allow me the right to even touch her." Eva seethed as her beautiful face morphed with hatred and anger.
Rumpelstiltskin tensed and immediately lowered his voice as he ground out his words. "Keep your voice down and tell me you were intelligent enough to keep our arrangement secret."
"Ha...you really think me a fool do you? If I were a fool would I have had the intellect to be owed by you for the little thing of ruining Leopold's love for Cora. That strumpet you stupidly fell in love with?" Eva said with a wicked smile on her young face.
The reaction was instant.
Rumpelstiltskin grabbed her by the arm and snarled in her face as she winced and tried to pull away from him.
"Don't you ever...ever call me stupid."
"And don't you ever forget that I am the one who found out who Prince George had been with. If it wasn't for me Cora would have married Leopold and you would have never been able to fall in love with her."
Rumplestiltskin looked into the blue eyes of the Queen and knew he had never made a worse deal that the one he made with this woman.
"I always did wonder how you were able to get George to blackmail Cora. You just happened to be there at the right time, isn't that right Eva? Easy to break the engagement when you can arrange it. But then again I didn't care how you did the deed. I just needed her with a vengeful heart, and you were more than capable of causing that."
Queen Eva smirked, "She got what she deserved. I'd been betrothed to Leopold since birth. She was taking what was mine. I only did what any woman would have done."
The dark one huffed out a laugh right in her face.
"You mean Leopold didn't want to marry you even after you broke up his and Cora's engagement. Which is why you were visiting King Xavier's kingdom. You knew that the King was looking for a wife for his son, and not becoming a Queen wasn't an option. You saw your opportunity...just in case Leopold wasn't taken with you."
"You're one to judge my actions. A man that made a deal to secure me a child in exchange for simply embarrassing a woman that would have taken my throne. I never did think too much about our deal. Never really knew why you insisted I name my daughter Snow White...until just a few minutes ago."
Rumpelstiltskin stiffened slightly.
His eyes stared straight into the Queen's blue eyes as he felt anger and annoyance at having this spoiled woman causing him problems.
"And what exactly is it that you think you just found out?" Rumplestiltskin wasted no time as he continued to hold her tightly to him.
Queen Eva only smiled, not responding at all as Rumplestiltskin tightened his hold on her.
"Make no mistake, even with the title of Queen...without an heir you are as expendable as a lame horse."
The smile disappeared from Queen Eva's face. "We made a deal. And I fulfilled my part."
"To do that," the Dark One growled, "You keep your mouth shut...and do as you have been told."
"That woman is keeping me from doing that very thing."
"Am I interrupting?" Sarah's voice asked causing Rumplestiltskin to pull back from Eva and look at August and Sarah standing at the entrance.
August looked skittish as Sarah looked almost angry as she looked between Rumplestiltskin and Eva.
Slowing letting go of Eva he stepped back from the Queen as he turned and stared straight at Sarah.
"What do you want?" Rumplestiltskin asked as his own anger at being compromised once more by this woman surged through him.
"We need to speak. Now." Sarah said without blinking.
Taking a deep breathe he expelled it as he tried to calm himself and show just how annoyed he was with how she had the nerve to speak to him.
Even though he was beyond annoyed at being spoken to in that tone, for some reason he said nothing and began to walk towards Sarah.
"Does the puppet need to be involved?"
"The puppet is helping protect Baelfire. The least you can do is have some respect and call him by his name." Sarah defended with a look that showed her annoyance.
For a second Rumplestiltskin wanted to talk back and again but for some reason did not. Looking up at August, who looked extremely nervous, Rumple gave a slight nod of his head.
"Fair enough."
"Actually August is going to help find my family in the forest and then he's going to find his father and bring him here."
August didn't argue, just looked at Sarah with a look of defeat and nodded his head.
"Make sure you bring Blue directly here." Sarah said with a look that left no room for argument.
Sarah then looked at the front door and back at August. August took one last look at Sarah and one look at Rumpelstiltskin and turned leaving Sarah to do what she had to.
The second the door closed behind August, Sarah spoke.
"Your pirate is here."
Immediately the Dark One's eyes darkened and came closer to Sarah. "Are you sure?"
"Positive. He's been following me trying to stay out of sight. But unless there's another hook handed man that could possibly be here I think it's him."
The tightening of his jaw is the only indication that the news has angered him. But Sarah knew exactly how the news would go over.
"I know how much you hate the man and I do too. For what he did to Bae...and what he made you do. But you need to put it aside for now. I've found a difference between our two worlds that's startled me - and if you remember that my Rum was the dark one when I was little, you can understand how I think that your attention to it is needed immediately." Sarah's voice whispered her words to him trying to keep Queen Eva from overhearing the conversation.
Rumplestiltskin looked at her from the corner of his eye.
As much as he hated not being in control of a situation, this Sarah...she had a point. That is... if she was telling the truth.
"And what exactly needs my attention." Rumplestiltskin asked as he couldn't seem to shake the weird feeling he continued to have when this woman looked into his eyes.
"Something that we need the others help with. I'm not about to risk Bae or Henry's safety. It's time for you and I to talk. I'll tell you everything you want to know. I can't stand to see the suspicion in your eyes when you look at me." Sarah said with a sad look in her eyes, looking at Rumple as if truly wounded.
"And I'm suppose to believe whatever it is you say to me." The famous Mr. Gold said with a cocky look.
Sarah laughed and then placed her hand on his face startling him. A few second passed of staring shockingly at Sarah as she continued to smile at him.
Then she leaned over and enveloped him in a full hug.
"Because I've never hidden anything from you. You're a part of this family no matter what anyone thinks or says. And I love any version of you. You'll always be my Rum."
He was completely thrown as Sarah continued to physically hug him and not let go, and after hundreds of years of never feeling this sensation...he was overwhelmed by it.
Not just the hug. No. Not just the hug.
It was the feeling of love and acceptance that he had not felt since Bae was a boy.
And despite the voices in him telling him otherwise, he found himself wrapping his arms around Sarah.
Sarah squeezed him tighter as the Dark One placed his arms around her.
And then four whispered words made him realize that this girl, this woman did indeed know him and care for him as words crossed her lips and made him squeeze her back tightly.
"You're not alone anymore."
He fought the need to cry at the words. He fought the want to not trust her, but those words made him close his eyes and hold on to her.
Sarah's eyes caught Queen Eva's movements as she leaned against the corner of the wall to look at them. The look of calculation in her eyes as she stared at them making Sarah beyond uncomfortable. Despite all of the stories that Snow had ever told her about her mother, the look in Eva's eyes unnerved her more than the man that was currently hugging her.
Slowly she pulled away from Rumplestiltskin and once more brought her hand up to his face.
"Finish your business, and meet me outside."
Getting a hold of himself he nodded his head.
Sarah dropped her hand and gave a last look at Queen Eva, inclining her head in a passive bow she then turned and left the house.
"It seems your not as dark as you've made yourself out to be." Queen Eva said as she sauntered towards Rumpelstiltskin's back with a smile on her face.
The anger that consumed him from her words made him turn his head and glare at the woman.
Queen Eva stopped moving. Her smile dropping from her face with the look she was receiving.
"Did you forget what I said?" The Dark one said in a tone that reminded her of his order not a few minutes before.
Eva said nothing as instinctively she caressed her arm where he had grabbed her.
"Stay here and try not to mess everything up." He ordered as he left the house.
"So what exactly are we going to do?" Emma asked as the others came into the kitchen and looked between the agitated women.
"What's going on?" Neal asked in concern as he immediately recognized the look of panic on Emma's face.
"Something that we need to handle." Regina replied giving Emma a pointed look, clearly not wanting anyone to know what had just occurred in the kitchen that had literally obliterated the reason why everything and anything had happened in their lives.
"Did you manage to feed the baby yet?" James asked as he made his way over to Zalena and made a funny face at Baby Snow.
Baby Snow laughed with the binky still in her mouth as Queen Regina shook her head. "No not yet."
Regina knew they needed to keep what Baby Snow was capable of a secret, or it could ruin the future as well as the past. But the baby did need to eat.
"Neal can you take the little one's to the diner to have something to eat, you don't mind going with Neal do you Snow?" Sarah asked Little Snow as she reached out and played with the long black strands that Snow continuously had stuck against the back of her dress.
"But you said I could help." Little Snow said with a frown.
"Helping Neal with little you would be extremely helpful. You can tell him what you like and don't like. That way baby you will actually eat." Sarah explained her logic as she walked over to her mother and lifted Baby Snow up and kissed her noisily.
Patting the baby's bum and bouncing her at the same time Sarah moved towards Neal and deposited the baby in his hold, and wonder of all wonders...he immediately raised the baby up and blew a raspberry against her stomach.
The squeal of laughter making everyone smile and laugh a bit.
Emma was caught off balance at the sight of Neal being paternal. For some reason her hormones seemed to take off at the sight of Neal holding a baby.
Adjusting the baby in his hold like a pro everyone was able to see that the baby was more than happy to be held by him.
"I think she agrees!" Sarah said with a huge smile.
"You wanna come with us Henry?" Neal asked as he looked over to the left where Henry stood next to David.
Henry smiled and nodded.
Turning towards Little Snow he then said, "It would help me alot if you came Snow."
And to everyone's amazement Little Snow blushed and ducked her head, then looked up and nodded her head at Neal. "Of course I'll help you."
To say that everyone's eyes were wide was an understatement.
Neal adjusted the baby and laughed, "Ok...let's get going before this one gets fussy." Neal extended his arm towards Henry and placed his hand behind his back as he guided him towards the side door of the kitchen.
As the door closed behind the four, Sarah immediately bent over and started to cackle. The two adult Snow's had tinges of pink in their cheeks from embarrassment as they avoided looking at David and both Regina's. Both Emma's gave their mother's a disturbed look.
"Is this something I should worry about?" David asked with a straight face.
Mary Margret immediately hit him and his face erupted into a laugh and smile.
Then suddenly a welcome releif arrived in the form of Sneezy...or Mr. Clark suddenly appearing through the back door.
"Henry said that you needed some diaper rash cream and antibiotics for a baby! Am I...uh," suddenly the visible signs of a sneeze appeared and before he could complete the sentence sneezed, "am I missing something?" With one hand he reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and blew his nose as he held a small bag in the other.
Mary Margret quickly went over and spoke quickly to her friend and began to show him out the door telling him about what was happening and to go to the diner and give Neal the medicine.
"So how exactly are we going to handle Mrs. High and Mighty out there?" Zelena asked, knowing that the answer to her question was not simple.
"Please don't call her that. I know she's...different from what I know her to be. What we all know her to be really...but she's still the woman who gave birth to me and raised me." Snow said with a sorry wince at her Aunt Zelena and at both Regina's.
Regina couldn't help the stab of pain Snow's words gave her but she lowered her head as Queen Regina reassured Snow that she wasn't offended.
"Please Mamma don't ask me to choose between the two of you." Snow said with such a pleading in her voice that both Regina's responded instantly.
"I would never make you choose."
Snow smiled slightly at the reaction and gave a nod of her head.
"Why do you call me...her that?" Regina's questions causing everyone's eyes to pop up and stare at the former Evil Queen.
Snow was obviously confused for a few seconds when she realized what she was referring to. A sudden blossoming of a smiling laugh formed on Snow's face.
"Umm...it...it kind of happened naturally I guess." Snow confessed with a smile at her mother. Queen Regina smiled back at her daughter as she remembered the exact moment it had happened.
"As you've probably understood, I was pretty inseparable from Sarah from the moment she was born. I'd...been alone most of my life then suddenly I was..I was a big sister. The first two months were...incredible. I was waking up every morning, rushing to her room while she was being fed and I would wait until she could be burped just to get the chance to hold her. She was such a big happy baby almost immediately, she never really cried. She loved to sleep and I quickly learned that if I woke up early enough I could beat you to her room. One day I snuck into her room and she was already up. She was just laying there waiting for someone to come in and pick her up. When she saw it was me she gave me this huge smile and laugh and started to kick that I picked her up."
***********************************Alternate Enchanted Forest Past************************************************
"Are you happy to see me Sarah? Are you? Are you? " Young Snow asked the giggling baby in her arms.
Queen Regina poked her head in the room worriedly having heard the noise in the babies room at such an early hour, and immediately relaxed and smiled.
"You're soo beautiful Sarah. You look soo much like your mother. Regina says I'm beautiful but she's the most beautiful person I've ever seen, and that makes you the most beautiful baby I've ever seen." Baby Sarah gave another giggle and Snow kissed her little hands that reached for her mouth.
"You are! And I promise to be the best big sister our kingdom has ever seen."
Queen Regina continued to stay hidden and smiled at the way Snow was acting towards Sarah when she thought no one was there. Her fears that Snow would be jealous of the baby in private vanishing. Letting out a little breathe she realized she should have known that Snow was not jealous from the moment she first let Snow burp the baby. The look of joy and surprise on Snow's face showing that she was happy to even be touching the baby.
But months of bad thoughts towards the girl would still creep up, and the moment they did she would force herself to relive the moment when everything her mother and Rumplestitskin had ever told her had been tossed to the wayside that fateful day over a year ago.
Tears formed in her eyes and she had the instinct to go to Snow, so she entered the room wiping away her tears. "I see you're both early risers today."
Snow turned with a huge smile on her face lifting up the baby to fix her hold on her. "She was awake."
"She usually is when I come in." Regina said as she kissed her baby girl's cheek and then kissed Snow's gently making Snow furrow her brow.
"What?" Regina laughed and tried to keep her actions to seem as normal as possible.
"You kissed me." Snow said in slight shock.
"Of course I kissed you. You're my daughter, all mother's kiss their daughters."
It took Snow a second to shyly smile as a blush came across her cheeks and she looked back at the baby.
"I meant it when I said it Snow." Reaching over Regina turned Snow's head towards her. "From that day you've been MY daughter."
Snow looked up looking like she was about to cry, so Regina quickly moved them so Snow was sitting in her lap still holding the baby.
"You are the most beautiful little girl in the whole world, and you are my little girl. And now you and Sarah are going to be the most beautiful girls in the whole world. Don't you think Sarah's the most beautiful baby?" Regina said the last part shaking her head and trying to hide back a knowing smile.
"Of course she is..." Snow said indignantly, "But I..."
"You are her sister Snow. And you are my little girl. You know I'll do anything and everything to keep you and Sarah safe. You know that."
Snow nodded her head as one tear fell and Regina swiped it off her face and gave her another kiss on the cheek.
Sarah seeing Snow's sad face began to make a pouting face and made sad noises alerting the two that she knew something was wrong.
Snow immediately stood and handed Sarah to Regina, "Don't cry Sarah. I'm not sad anymore. I promise." Snow tried to soothe the baby.
But Sarah continued on babbling upset.
Regina tried to calm her down but it seemed that Sarah was finally acting like a normal baby and not having it.
"Is everything alright in here?" The voice of Gepetto came from the doorway.
"Gepetto! Why are you here so early? I thought you said you'd come by tonight." Regina asked as she bounced the unhappy baby up and down.
"Yes my Queen, but ah...Blue...she asked if I could begin to prepare a bed for the bambina...I mean eh...princess. Hehe...she is a beautiful little baby." Gepetto gushed with a huge smile and made funny face at the baby.
Sarah wrinkled her nose and laughed at the funny man.
Regina laughed. "I think she likes you."
Gepetto pointed to himself and then the baby, "May I?"
Regina knowing Gepetto's past and of why Pinocchio had come to be made into a real boy could never have denied him the simple pleasure of holding Sarah nodded her head with a "Of course."
Gepetto approached Sarah still making funny faces, causing the baby to continue to laugh at him.
"Ecco la!" Gepetto exclaimed as he swooped her up into his arms.
Sarah began to make happy noises once more and Geppetto smiled brightly. " Ah...you tryin' to talk huh. You tryin' to tell me somethin' aren't you!"
Regina and Snow exchanged excited looks.
"You really think she's trying to talk?" Snow asked excitedly.
"Of course..." Gepetto nodded and then turned and pointed to Regina. "Mamma. La Mamma."
And then Sarah made 'mmm' sounds, as if trying to mimic Gepetto.
"She is trying..." Regina smiled widely as Gepetto rose the baby up and began to place his lips against the baby's cheek and neck and then began to repeat the same sound over and over.
"Ma,ma,ma,ma,ma." Pulling away he smiled at Sarah and pointed at Regina once more.
Sarah again began to try and mimic the sounds.
"You can say it Sarah! Mama! Mama!" Snow nodded excitedly and pointed to Regina.
Regina felt something in her heart expand widely at the way Snow was referring to her. Gepetto gave Regina a quick wink and laughed as Sarah began to wriggle wanting to go to the very woman who she knew to be her mother.
Regina's heart was so full of love and happiness that she couldn't help her eyes from tearing up as she gave a nod of thanks to Gepetto as he handed over the baby.
"You keep doing that and she will start to talk veeerrry soon." Gepetto said with a tap to Snow's nose.
Snow smiled and laughed at Gepetto, and immediately turned and continued to try and get Sarah to talk.
"Papa are you in here?" Came a voice before Pinocchio walked into the room.
"Pinocchio, I told you to wait for me..." Gepetto began to scold, but Regina immediately interrupted him.
"Oh it's quite alright Gepetto. Pinocchio is more than welcome to come in here and play with the girls." Regina said as she stood up with Sarah in her arms and walked towards Pinocchio. "Do you think you'd like that Pinocchio?"
Pinocchio looked up at his Papa who nodded his approval.
Pinocchio still looked unsure as he looked up at the baby in the Queen's arms.
Regina sensed that Pinocchio was fearful of the baby for some reason, and tilted her head at the boy.
"Have you ever held a baby before Pinocchio?" Regina asked.
"No." Pinocchio said quickly when Gepetto cleared his throat and pointedly looked at Pinnochio. "I mean no, my Queen." Pinocchio corrected himself.
"None of that Pinocchio. My name is Regina and any friend of my daughter's is a friend of mine." And with that Regina placed Sarah into the scarred hold of Pinocchio.
Pinocchio held the baby up and away from him almost in fear of holding the baby at all. But the strangest thing happened.
The second Pinocchio locked eyes with Sarah he felt like all the breathe in his body left him. The big hazel eyes and smile on the baby's face making him feel something that he'd never felt before.
"She's beautiful." Pinocchio said as he unconsciously began to hold Sarah tighter to him.
Both Regina and Gepetto shared a look then looked back at Pinocchio. "She is. Isn't she?" Regina said with a little sideways look at Gepetto, who looked as shocked as she felt.
Snow who was oblivious to what the adults were thinking approached Pinocchio with a "Of course she is. Her mama is the most beautiful woman in the whole kingdom. And that makes us the most beautiful little girls."
With that she took Sarah out of Pinocchio's hold and took her to go play.
*****************************************Back to Present Day Storybrooke***************************************
"Wait. He said I was beautiful? My Pin?" Sarah said as Snow finished her story.
"Wha...ah...yeah. Of course he did. You were a beautiful baby! I mean...you are beautiful!" Snow said flustered looking between both Regina's like a deer in headlights.
"So he only said I was beautiful then but not now?" Sarah questioned with a furrowed brow.
"No. I mean Yes. I mean..." Snow babbled, knowing that she was messing up and in a big way.
Sarah tilted her head. "He told me I was a ugly baby since I could remember...but your telling me he said I was beautiful. You also have your I've been caught in a lie face...Snnnnnooowww?" Sarah drew out here sister's name in a warning tone.
Everyone in the room didn't dare make a noise.
"Oh for God sake he's too much of a coward to tell her and it's been years!"
Everyone except James that is.
"Tell me what?" Sarah looked around at her family with a worried look.
James was taking a bite of an apple that was in the middle of the island after having thrown up his hands at his family when the amount of hands slapping the back of his head made him hurt his mouth and almost choke on the piece of apple.
"Sarah calm down..." Queen Regina began.
"Snow!""Mama!" The sisters cried out.
"Oh for all that is holy, Pinocchio's in love with you!" Princess Emma said with folded arms and her eyes closed in exasperation, not being able to stand the 'secret' any longer.
"WHAT?!" Sarah screamed with panicked eyes. "Since when?!" Sarah asked in a high pitched voice.
"Since the first day he saw you." Queen Regina said with a grimace.
"Oh that's ridiculous! You just said I was 6 months old when he met me." Sarah said with a laugh. But as her eyes passed over her family she noticed all of them had a serious face on, her face fell.
"NOW you tell me! When I'm to be married to King Richard in less than a week?!" Sarah said angrily.
"Why do you think your sister and I tried to talk you out of it? I told you I didn't want you to marry out of obligation!" Queen Regina said with the look of a distraught mother who could not accept what she had let happen.
"SOO! Snow and I swore that we'd always tell each other the truth!" Sarah tried not to yell since Queen Eva was still in the house and was probably trying to listen in on their conversation.
"I HAVE always told you the truth! I just didn't mention his love for you." Snow grimaced as she said the words, knowing what she said was horrible.
"I swear if Queen Eva wasn't in the next room I'd be screaming my head off at you Snow" Sarah said with a murderous look. Snow winced because she could tell that Sarah really was mad because she never kept her temper in check...for anyone.
Sarah shook her head, and rubbed her eyes with one hand. "I guess it doesn't matter now. I made my choice. King Richard has the sources and men to protect us from the war that is coming and the only way we could ever join forces is through marriage. We provide coin and he provides soldiers. And besides...he...he's a good man. I wouldn't have agreed to marry him if he wasn't kindhearted and incredibly sweet. He...he deserves a woman that would be IN love with him, and not one that just loves him the way she would love a family member." Sarah gave her mother a look of guilt.
"But Sarah we don't want you to marry out of obligation. I want you to marry someone because you can't imagine living without them." Mary Margret piped up and Snow nodded her head in complete agreement.
Sarah smiled weakly at Mary Margret and Snow. "Not all of us get a happy ever after Snow."
The words made all of the members of her family wince in pain at Sarah's words. Emma and Princess Emma exchanged a look and both knew exactly how their Aunt felt.
"Richard...he ah...he is a good man. I wouldn't have agreed to let Sarah marry him if I hadn't seen and heard with my own two eyes and ears the kind of person he is. I approve." James said with a shrug at his sister Gina.
"I wish you would have told me about Pin. God no wonder he was so angry at me when I told him about the arrangement." Sarah said as she rubbed at her temple looking completely miserable.
"We've been trying to get him to tell you for a few years now. He was just too afraid." James said to his niece with a grimace and a look of sadness on his face.
Sarah shook her head. "It doesn't matter anymore. Richard is a good man and is our best answer for the kingdom. As soon as you meet him Mama you will understand that it's not a big sacrifice to be wedding him."
"Wait. You mean she hasn't even met him?!" Regina pointed at Queen Regina and stared between the two as if they were crazy.
Queen Regina closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm afraid something urgent kept me from making the trip with Sarah."
"Um...speaking of urgent...I may have just caused us a bit of a huge problem." Zelena said with eyes closed and a tilted head.
"Oh God what now?" Mary Margret said in exasperated, with everything that had happened recently she really couldn't handle another problem.
"I ah...I knew something was wrong and I knew I needed to get here...but uh...I knew that the castle needed guarding and I...might have sent word to King Richard of such a need due to the circumstances of Sarah's disappearance." Zelena admitted as she looked between her siblings.
"Son of a..."
"Damn it!"
"Well that's that then."
"What's that?" Emma asked completely confused.
"If I know my future husband... and I believe I do, he would come looking for me himself. He would have sent his men to protect the castle, but he would still look for me himself. He cares for me too much not to do everything in his own power to find me. They don't call him Richard the Lion Hearted for nothing." Sarah explained with a small smile.
"Wait. Like...the King of England, King Richard." Emma suddenly asked with a 'are you serious' face.
"The only reason I agreed to his proposal for Sarah's hand was because his cousin helped bring Sarah into this world. If it weren't for her and her husband I would most likely have died. I owe them not just my life, but Sarah's as well. The only reason I even agreed to the arrangement is because if Marianne and Robin said that he was a good man and that I had nothing to fear I believed them." Queen Regina explained.
"Whoa whoa whoa...are you talking about Robin Hood and Maid Marianne?" Emma asked as if her mind had just understood who EXACTLY Queen Regina was talking about.
Queen Regina smirked. "One and the same. Am I to assume that they also have doubles here?"
Regina winced as she remembered a Maid Marianne. "Had." She whispered and then locked eyes with her own double.
Sarah knew there was an untold story in both of the women who she called mother's eyes, but knew at the moment they had a more pressing matter.
"I think Tamara and Owen are hiding something. I don't know what but I found a photograph of Tamara and I believe her mother. And I swear I've seen her mother before. I just can't place it." Sarah informed her family.
"You? Well that's something new. Sarah has an annoying and almost impossible ability to make new friends. If she says she knows someone it's more than likely true." Snow shared with Mary Margret with a crooked little smile.
"I can imagine!" Mary Margret joked with a smile.
"See." Sarah nudged Emma with her elbow. "Evil." Pointing at Snow and Mary Margret.
Emma huffed out a laugh. Princess Emma covered her mouth to conceal a laugh.
"Just remember I still and will get back at you both for not telling me about Pin!" Sarah warned with a dead serious look and not a hint of laughter to the threat.
"Me?! I didn't know anything about him being in love with you!" Mary Margret said with a look of 'I'm totally innocent'.
"Technically you two are the same person." Emma smarted off.
"I do know I need Rumpelstiltskin's and Rum's help with what else I've discovered. I want to make sure of something with the both of them first and then I'll let you know what exactly it is I've discovered." Sarah continued the conversation and purposely looked at her mother and Regina.
Both looked at each other and then hesitantly gave a nod.
"Good." Sarah nodded herself and then turned to go looking for both Rum's.
"Well then now that she's gone are we going to beat the daylight's out of our father for trying to kill your daughters or or do you think a bit of magical intervention to remind him that if he messes with our family he messes with all of us?" Came Zelena's delighted albeit vengeful question.
Regina felt her lips twitch up. With one question she had just assured her that she was indeed her sister and indeed thought exactly like her.
"You don't think he actually managed to follow us through do you?" James asked with a furrowed brow.
"Knowing our father...I'd count on it. There's no way after what Sarah caused he wouldn't try and chase after both of them." Queen Regina stated, making Regina's brow furrow as they discussed whom she now knew to be King George in reference to 'their father.'
It was hard for Regina to really think about...
The sound of her cell phone ringing snapping her out of her thoughts. Seeing the number she immediately hit the green button and brought the phone to her ear.
"Henry what...what? Henry what happened?!" The panic was so clearly visible that everyone moved towards her as she spoke on the phone, her eyes wide and fearful suddenly disappearing in a puff of smoke leaving the rest of her family to wonder what had just happened themselves.
Neal thought it was adorable to feed a baby Snow White. The way her little teeth took a bite from a piece of bread to the way she mumbled to her food in obvious delight of what she was eating.
The smile from his face hadn't left since he had sat down at the counter with Henry and Little Snow.
This is what he always wanted. A family. In a weird way he was excited about this little errand. He played with the baby making her laugh and giggle and made sure she was eating what Little Snow said she'd like.
He actually had to check to see how many baby teeth she had before he had given her the hard piece of bread, but when he saw she had more than enough teeth to chew the bread he relinquished the whole piece to her and let her go to town.
Henry and Little Snow had ordered a pizza and had begun to devour it right away when Little Snow started to complain about stomach pain and told Neal that's why she had stopped eating.
Slowly but surely she began to rock back and forth as she placed her hand high on her stomach.
"Are you alright Snow? Is it really hurting that bad?" Neal asked as even Ruby and Granny showed their growing concern for the young girl.
When Little Snow looked straight up into his eyes with tears glistening Neal knew something was horribly wrong.
"Henry call your mother." Neal instructed in a firm manner as he kept the panic from his voice to keep the baby calm, lifting the baby up and giving her a smile and quick kiss before handing the baby to a concerned Ruby who had been by the table taking away the food.
"Which one?" Henry asked as his eyes stayed on Little Snow as her pain was more than obvious to everyone in the diner.
"It doesn't matter." Neal said as he tried to push on Snow's stomach, and the second he did she let out a scream that no one had ever heard come out of the little girl, causing even the baby to begin to wail at the sudden sound.
"HENRY CALL HER NOW!" Neal screamed as he quickly pulled Snow out of the booth and up into his arms.
"IT HURTS!" Little Snow screamed as tears began to cascade down her face.
"Where Snow? Where does it hurt?" Granny asked as calmly as she could, trying to keep everyone calm.
Snow cried out pitifully, "Here."
Suddenly Regina appeared with phone still up to her ear. Immediately dropping the phone she reached for snow in Neal's hold.
"What's going on? What's the matter?" Regina said in a full on mom mode.
"Mama it hurts." Snow cried making Regina's hands shake at the words.
Regina waved her hands and Dr. Whale suddenly appeared.
"Son of a...I was in the middle of a" Whale began but instantly stopped as Little Snow screamed out again and Regina's hands were on Snow's face and began using magic to try and lessen the pain but Snow continued to move around as if she were being tortured.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH MY DAUGHTER?" Regina screamed out not bothering to even look at the doctor.
Whale wasted no time and moved towards Little Snow and quickly began a physical exam with his hands.
"Snow when I push here does it hurt?" Slowly Whale made his way around her stomach and Snow would shake her head and then when he passed over to the right side over the upper right part of her stomach and pushed down Snow threw back her head and let out a blood curdling scream that Regina had never heard coming out of Snow's body. Not even when she was giving birth.
Baby Snow began to cry again and Ruby immediately began to try and bounce the baby and shush her trying to calm her down.
"Aw crap." Whale said he suddenly understood exactly what the problem was.
Moving his hand underneath Snow's body he pressed on her back on the opposite side making Snow whimper as the pain jumped at the poke in her back.
"It's ok baby. It's ok. We're going to figure out what's the matter with you. Aren't we!" Regina growled out the two words at Whale as whale searched his person for something.
As he realized he had nothing he needed he quickly spit out orders. " I need you to get us in my office immediately."
Again with a wave of her hand everyone in the whole diner was transported to the hospital.
"Whoa." Ruby regained her balance quickly as to keep the baby from tumbling out of her hold.
Whale immediately entered one of the rooms and quickly found the two vials that he needed, and immediately readied his needle.
"Ratchet prep the patient with an IV immediately." Whale ordered as the nurse ran into the room completely confused.
"You intentionally hurt her and you'll answer to me." Regina growled out at the nurse who merely gave a crooked grin but immediately opened one of the drawers and extracted her supplies.
With a speed that normally would have impressed Doctor Whale, Ratched had found a vein, applied the the restriction to the arm, cleaned the area and inserted the IV.
Quickly taping down the IV as to not have it pulled out and quickly flushing the IV to check if the IV hadn't failed.
A little smile was all she gave Regina as she moved to allow the doctor to inject Snow.
"Ok Snow you're going to feel a burning in your face, it's going to feel really hot but it's going to take the pain away." Whale instructed as he administered the injection.
"What did you just give her?" Neal asked as Snow's face scrunched up not showing the least bit of relief in the least.
"Morphine." Whale quickly said as he gave a second injection, "and that's for the nausea."
"Why does she need morphine? What's going on Whale?" Regina asked as she continued to use magic to try and calm the pain Little Snow was feeling and moving the hair from her face.
"It still hurts." Snow said through grit teeth and closed eyes as she tried to fight the pain.
"Give it a second Snow."
Then slowly, slowly Snow stopped squirming and finally relaxed. Her eyes slightly opening, the first thing she saw was Regina's worried watery eyes.
"Better?" Regina asked barely able to hold in her tears and her own fears at what could be happening making her hands tremble as she continued to run her hands over Snow's face.
"It...it's going away." Snow whispered and slowly opened her eyes wide.
"OhmyGod. WHALE! WHY ARE HER EYES YELLOW?!" Regina turned and yelled out now in true panic mode.
Whale moved like lightning the second Regina's words filtered his brain.
"SHIT!" Whale's worried look was followed by immediately moving to exam Snow's eyes himself.
Moving back he immediately pulled Regina away from Little Snow.
"I know you think I'm a doctor, and for all intense and purposes the curse made me a doctor from this world with all of the medical knowledge of this world and this century. The real problem is I've never faced a true medical emergency like this." Whale whispered the words so no one else could hear.
"Whale I swear..." Regina was readying her warning when Whale stopped her immediately, knowing they didn't have time for threats or even useless threats.
"Her liver is failing."
Regina's heart stopped. In those seconds she felt everything in her suddenly stop as if there was no oxygen left in the world. And then the next second her mind went into overdrive.
"How...in the HELL is that even possible." Regina couldn't hide how incredibly scared she suddenly was.
"The pain she felt...that's her gallbladder. I hate to say it makes sense that this would happen since food's for a royal family would be very high in fat and would most definitely cause gallstones, at her age it means that her gallbladder is full of stones to have caused that pain. But with her eyes turning yellow there's only one explanation. Her gallbladder is completely obstructed. With out that bile draining out it had no place to go but up...into the liver, causing an infection and the first signs of jaundice."
"If your able to figure all of that out why would you tell me that your not a real doctor?" Regina's nostrils flared as her anger mounted at the 'good' doctor.
"Because I may understand everything that I just said but I've never removed a gallbladder! Nor have I ever done the procedure, an ERCP, that would elevate the bile that is backing up into her liver. I also do not have the endoscope needed to do it! Soon her entire body will turn yellow - which means her skin will be filtering what her liver should be filtering. She'll want to scratch all over herself, and the more she scratches it means the less her liver is working. Right now the medicine is blocking the pain, but it will only last an hour. If the procedure is successful her infection will start to drop, and when we are sure that she no longer has any kind of infection - we'll be able to take out the gallbladder. She'll be under heavy anesthesia. It will be a six week recovery, she'll have pain the first few days...and that's if everything goes right." Whale explained in all seriousness.
"Whale...she is not going to die here in Storybrooke! She is going to live to give birth to a daughter and I swear that is not going to change because of your inferiority complex! Now if you explain to me what needs to be done I might be able to use magic to heal her..."
"There's nothing to heal! The gallbladder has to be removed or the infection will continue to happen over and over! The bile has nowhere to go!" Whale said with his angry piercing eyes, trying to convey that this was not a simple fix.
Regina's hands formed into fists as her first instinct was to strangle the man, but after having seen what had happened in the past from Rum she was trying with every ounce of strength and valor in her to not give in to the anger and hatred in her.
"I'm cautioning you that if the bile or stones leak out it can lead to horrific consequences. I can't operate with the infection in her liver. It can spread and the consequences of that could be lethal." Whale whispered the words, knowing that the impact of them would make her understand this was a true medical emergency.
Regina tried to calm down as the word death basically came out of Whales lips.
"Then you are going to take it out of her. I'll get the endoscope and you will fix her. There is no alternative solution other then her complete recovery. Am I making myself understood?" Regina's question being interpreted as the command that it truly was.
Whale swallowed and nodded his head.
"Good." Turning Regina saw the look on Neal's face and quickly understood that he was positively scared for Little Snow.
"Is..Is she gonna be ok?" Neal inquired softly, not wanting to disturb the now resting little girl in his arms.
Regina caressed Little Snow's face with a look that Neal knew meant that nothing was ok.
"She's needs an operation." Regina said as she continued to stroke the little girl's face.
Little Snow's eyes opened to reveal eyes that had now become fully yellow. "Is it going to hurt again?"
Regina shared a look with Neal and quickly reassured the little girl. "The doctor said he needs to take out your gallbladder, that's what's making you soo sick."
The look of fright that entered Snow's eyes making Regina quickly elaborate.
"You'll be asleep. You won't feel any pain while he takes it out...but you'll need weeks of recovery. But you'll never feel that kind of pain again." Regina promised.
Snow's eyes searched Regina's and then up at Neal and then back to Regina. "I'm scared."
Regina felt transported back in time to when Henry was a little boy and would be afraid of the dark, and she found the overwhelming need to protect Snow in a way that she had never felt before.
"I'm not going anywhere. Ok? I'm going to make sure that you'll be in the best hands."
"Your mom's not going to let anything happen to you. You're lucky to have her." Neal assured the little girl.
Regina was shocked that Neal referred to her as mom, and when Neal looked up at her he could clearly see the shock in her eyes.
But it wasn't just shock.
It was seeing Neal for who he was.
The father of her son. And never had she even considered for a second that her son's good nature and heart came from this man. In that moment he reminded her soo much of Henry that she knew she had never even considered this man an ally, but having him reassure Snow of her presence made her acknowledge that she had never seen him more than Rumple's son.
"What happened?! Snow! What's going on?" Queen Regina asked as the rest of the family appeared and instantly was beside the little girl checking her over.
"Is she ok?" Emma asked worried as she noticed the IV in the child version of her mother.
Both Mary Margret and Snow looked on with worry and a weird sense of fear at the sight of the younger version of themselves with a tube sticking out of her arm.
Whale suddenly appeared back in the hallway and stared at the double vision of Mary Margret and Snow White.
Staring at them with a curious look, soon he moved to them and at the same time lifted up both of there shirts.
"HEY!" David yelled and physically punched Whale in the face as both women immediately tried to fix their shirts.
"DAMN IT! I'm trying to save her life, not feel her up!" Whale exclaimed as he tried to stave off the blood that was now coming out of his nose. Fortunately it didn't feel broke.
"How exactly would looking at my stomach..." Snow began to ask.
"Scars." Regina realized as she moved to see for herself if either of the adult Snow's had scars.
Whale rubbed his hand against his nose to clean off the blood and quickly wiped if off on his handkerchief and approached the women again with a wary eye towards David.
Then with a small lift of both shirts Whale knelt down to examine both women at one time and froze when he noted the visible evidence of old incision marks in the exact areas where the laparoscopic incisions would be for the gallbladder removal.
And the implication that both women had the same scars made the fear of failure suddenly ease tremendously.
"I did it." Whale mumbled to himself as he realized he had managed to save her with the evidence in front of him.
That's when Regina noted that indeed, while Snow had the scar that looked like she had been sliced in two, the evidence of both women having the exact same small scars was indisputable.
Regina's heart sped up at the faded whiter flesh revealed that Little Snow was connected to both Snow White's...meaning...
"She's both of you." Regina said as she looked up at both women as if she had been struck.
Everything that she had ever done to Snow hitting her all over gain as the proof that they were indeed all the same person making her heart constrict in pain.
Looking every which way but at Mary Margret, Regina was disrupted from deeds of the past as Baby Snow began to cry again.
Ruby tried to bounce and keep baby Snow from crying but no amount of soothing was working, yet as soon as Regina walked closer to her and the baby, Baby Snow dove for Regina who quickly kissed the baby and positioned her against her chest in a strong and protective hold.
Regina couldn't help but kiss the chubby cheek of the baby and caress her face as she realized the pain in the future her baby would suffer and knew she couldn't help keeping her from it.
Ruby said nothing as she marveled at just how normal it looked to have Regina handle a baby version of her best friend.
"Mother could you and Zelena look after the baby while I stay here with Snow?" Regina asked as she walked the short distance to where two version of her mother stood and her newly discovered sister stood.
"Is she alright? She looks like she's yellow? Please tell me she hasn't taken on a family trait of ours!" Zelena squeezed her eyes shut and shaking her head.
"She needs an operation. He's going to have to put her to sleep and if everything..." Regina stopped as a tremble made it's way through her as emotion even choked her to silence.
Zelena instantly rubbed Regina's arm as the fear was heard in her voice.
Zelena looked over at Queen Regina as she had moved to Little Snow and realized how far they had come, and even as this younger version of her sister had not shared yet what she was certain would shock and anger her of their hidden past, Zelena was still her older sister. Something that her niece Snow had taught her was more important then envy or anger. The same niece that was now in danger of her life from how Regina was acting.
Both Cora's moved to comfort Regina, knowing just what it took to make Regina cry. Cora looked to her older self and motioned with her head to take the baby. Without hesitation the Queen's mother lifted Baby Snow out of Regina's arms and smiled widely at the baby.
Lowering her Cora gave her such loud kisses that the baby squealed with laughter, causing Little Snow to wake from her exhausted sleep and smile at the sound and sight.
"Look at how precious she was! And look at those chubby cheek's and tushy!" The Queen's mother said as she again kissed the baby.
"Nanna!" Snow White exclaimed in embarrassment, her cheeks flaming bright red. Mary Margret's face mirrored the exact same at the embarrassment and the weirdness of hearing Cora talk about her tushy.
Regina smiled at the way this other version of her mother treated the baby. Seeing the way she acted made the sudden lump in her throat even tighter and she had to fight to control the very sudden emotions hitting her.
Emma knew Regina had hit her breaking point at the sight of the tears beginning to stream and leak out her eyes. Quickly moving to embrace and comfort her, forgetting how her parents would react at the sight of her comforting Regina, in the way Sarah had done for her mimicking the swaying Sarah had used with her she tried to calm and comfort her Grandmother.
"It's ok. She's safe now. She's in good hands." Emma tried to reason and calm the woman that had raised her son.
"She's them. They have the same scars." Regina's whispered words that made Emma's heart constrict as she understood not just the implication of the words, but the life altering result of them. Tightening her grip, Regina responded in kind as Emma shed a tear herself.
"It's ok. It's alright. Everything happens for a reason. Things were meant to be this way." Emma tried to reassure her, but knew that everything had suddenly changed for the woman that had never doubted her actions. And now...now regret filled her. Emma knew all too well what that felt like.
"What did I miss?" Sarah asked as she appeared with Rumplestiltskin in a puff of smoke.
The sight of hugging and crying proving beyond a reasonable doubt that something huge had occurred.
"The doctor said I need an operation." Little Snow's weakened voice floated to Sarah's ear.
Whirling around Sarah saw Little Snow being cradled in Neal's arms. Rushing towards her she knelt down to be on Little Snow's eye level.
"Are you ok?" Sarah asked as she looked at the younger version of her sister over.
"She needs an operation. But before she can have it she needs a procedure to drain away what's causing her infection. Then she'll have the procedure. Yes! For all that is holy rush me those results and get me a CBC on one of them! Which one? Ju...Pick one! You have three choices!" Whale barely kept himself from yelling in frustration through the phone as he slammed the cordless down.
Finally a stretcher arrived and Neal slowly and carefully placed the child on it. "Your gonna be ok Snow. The Doctor...he's gonna make sure you're ok."
"Doctor the room's ready when you are." A nurse said as Whale moved to push the gurney.
"I'm scared." Snow whimpered.
Regina pulled away from Emma and quickly wiped her tears and made her way to Little Snow.
"I promised I'd be right here with you, and I'm not going anywhere." Regina said as she grabbed Little Snow's hand.
The little princess held tightly to Regina's hand, fear clearly seen in her face.
Regina leaned over and gave the little girl a kiss on her forehead and then another as she caressed her face.
"Ok Snow we're going to head back into a clean room so we can make sure the infection doesn't spread." Whale explained.
Little Snow's hand squeezed tightly on Regina's as she looked at the doctor. "Can my mama come with me?"
Regina too looked at Whale, and with both sets of eyes on him Whale let out a sigh of conceding. "She can only stay until you fall asleep."
Little gave a small smile, and Regina tightened her grip to show her she was also happy.
Everyone watched as Regina and Little Snow made their way with the doctor and two nurses to the room where they would do the procedure with the rest of their family watching them from a distance.
"You think she'll be ok?" Neal asked Emma.
Emma wiped away the last remnants of tears and nodded her head.
Neal noticing that Emma was still emotional just tilted his body towards her, "Are you ok?"
Emma nodded, her eyes going between both the adult versions of her mother and the baby that was being held by Cora.
Watching the way the baby laughed and smiled as both Cora's played with the baby in a way that showed they actually cared for the child.
"Yeah. I'm ok. I just...I think I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything."
Sarah walked over to Emma and smiled at her as she raised her hand and played with her hair.
"You mean realizing that there are alternate dimensions, with alternate selves, and having a crazy Aunt you never you would love so much and now want to have existed?!" Sarah asked with a wide smile and bouncing eyebrows.
Emma couldn't help but smirk and then smile. "Yes. Yes that's exactly what I meant."
"Emma I want to ask a question, and I don't want you to get upset, but...why did my mother raise Henry instead of you?" Sarah asked with a furrowed brow.
Before Emma could answer Neal answered.
"I had her placed in jail for a crime I committed." Neal looked at Emma with a look that spoke of regret. "I shouldn't have let him convince me that I needed to get out of the way of your destiny. I know you feel I betrayed you, but the truth is...I was putting you before me. I wanted you to have the family that we never had. I couldn't have lived with myself if I had kept you from what we both always wanted."
Emma didn't know how to respond as she tried not to cry.
Neal looked down, "If I had known about Henry...I would have made a family with you, but would you have ever forgiven me from keeping you from your parents?"
And with that question Neal looked up into her eyes.
Not even one second had passed when Emma responded, "No."
Neal nodded his head.
"But that doesn't mean I can forgive you. That doesn't mean I can forget what I had to go through just to keep myself from ending up a statistic!" Emma's anger was visible with her hand gestures and the way her voice began to shrill.
"Emma that's more than fair. No one's asking you to forget what you've been through. But forgiveness isn't for Neal, Emma. It's for you." Sarah explained in a calm and soothing tone.
Sarah pulled back Emma's hair and placed it behind her ear, and caressed her face as the emotions were suddenly causing Emma to cry.
"I can't." Emma barely breathed out.
Sarah just looked her square in the eyes. "Yes you can. Baelfire lost something too Emma. He lost you...and Henry. And if it's one thing I know about Bae, family is everything to him. Losing you was probably worse than losing his father. Emma...as hard and as strange as it is for me to say this, you grew up without knowing us...your family. You didn't know what it felt like to be loved by your mother or father...but Bae did. He knew exactly what that felt like. And he willingly separated himself from you so that you could finally know what that love felt like. Don't let this," Sarah placed her hand over Sarah's heart, "be smaller than this," Sarah then touched Emma's forehead.
Emma couldn't stop the tears from falling, and Princess Emma was no different.
Snow and Mary Margret couldn't help but cry themselves. David grit his jaw tightly, not liking the sound or sight of his daughter in pain no matter how old she was.
Sarah just smiled softly at Emma and enveloped her in a hug.
"Besides, your mother always said a little bit of bondage isn't that bad."
"Ewwww! Aunt Sarah!" Both Emma's reactions were instant and immediately made them shake their heads in disgust.
"SARAH!" Came the double scream from Sarah's sister.
Emma's arms still hugged Sarah as they both began to laugh.
"Now you know what it was like growing up with an Aunt like me." Sarah laughed.
Emma just tightened her hold. "I would of loved every second."
Sarah smiled and pulled back from Emma and kissed Emma's cheeks loudly like she had done with Baby Snow."
Emma couldn't help but smile then.
"I love you sweetheart."
"I love you too Aunt Sarah."
"How is 'a little bit of bondage' good?" Henry asked with a furrowed brow as he stared at the two.
Everyone froze with wide eyes. Thankfully Neal managed to handle the situation.
"She means it's good to be restricted from doing whatever you want." Neal explained simply with a look at Sarah to say he did not like explaining this to his son.
"Oh." Henry said, though he still looked confused.
"You really do always get in trouble." Emma mumbled as she tried to keep herself from laughing.
Regina emerged from the hall looking shaken and beyond pale.
Baby Snow immediately made a noise and squirmed in Cora's hold.
Regina walked over and took the baby from her mother, who had been playing with the baby, and began to kiss the baby all over. The baby took the affection gladly as she sucked away at her binky and played with Regina's shirt as Regina reigned down kissed her all over.
"Is everything ok?" Cora asked as she caressed her daughter's back.
Regina nodded as she held the baby closer to her. "He said it should take an hour and a half."
Sarah and Emma moved to comfort Regina, Emma going as far as rubbing her back.
Mary Margret could only stare in wonder.
"It's alright mom. She's going to be fine. You know that." Sarah tried to alleviate her mother's fears, but she knew that when it came to a person's child fears of their welfare were not easily dissuaded.
Regina nodded her head and turned to make her way over to Henry when the baby squirmed and turned in Regina's arms and mumbled out a protest.
"What? What's the matter?" Regina asked worriedly to the baby.
The baby whined and shifted it's weight as if she wanted to dive out of Regina's hold.
"Do you wanna come with sissy Snow? You wanna come with sissy?" Sarah held her arms up in invitation, but to everyone's dismay Snow began to whine and then let out a piercing cry as she continued to struggle against Regina, once more losing her pacifier.
"What? What is it Snow?!" Regina tried to figure out why the baby was suddenly upset.
"Do you want Emma? Emma?" Sarah tried but the baby continued to cry.
Snow continued to cry and at this point Sarah dragged her grandmother over. "Nanna! You want Nanna!"
Snow immediately stopped fussing and began to sniffle and stared with a puckered lip at Cora.
Both Regina's were shocked when Baby Snow calmed with Cora's closeness, and everyone was speechless when Baby Snow reached out her hand at Cora and distinctly said...
"Nanna."
It took a few seconds but Sarah's smile erupted. "Did...did Snow just say her first word?"
Cora's smile was nothing the likes Regina had ever seen.
Cora reached up and held out her arms and the baby laughed and dove into her arms where she was easily caught and lifted up with a kiss.
The little laughs it brought out of the baby making everyone smile.
"And...Snow White wins! Sorry mom. Looks like Grandma's on Snow's side now."
Regina could only smile at the scene in front of her.
She was on Snow's side too.
"Anyone willing to tell me why exactly we're in the hospital?" Rumplestiltskin asked waving his finger around in the air.
"Little Snow is sick." Princess Emma answered.
"Well that's a bit unexpected. Where is she?" Rumpelstiltskin moved to go down the corridor when Regina stepped in his path.
"Leave her alone." Regina said with a fierceness that actually made Rumplestiltskin stop.
Laughing he lifted his hand and pointed at her, "You do know that even though you've been pretending to raise that baby, that doesn't actually make you her mother...right?"
Regina moved to be in Rumpelstiltskin's personal space and said , "I said stay away from my daughter."
And it was the way that she said it that made him really take a look at her, and it was the look in her eyes that made him shrink back.
Her eyes. Brown eyes that could show such pain and such hate were looking at him like he had never seen from her.
And in that instant he knew that the other him had stupidly told her the truth.
The look on his face showing just how shocked he really was only angered Regina more.
Stepping back even more he lowered his gaze as he saw the tears in her eyes form.
Though everyone else was confused, Emma knew exactly what was happening. Electricity coursed through her body as the confirmation that it was true was seen from the way he reacted making her anxious and at the same time excited.
Emma looked at Regina, and saw a reflection of herself. Oddly it made sense now. How they could be so similar without anyone taking notice.
Regina's gaze met hers for one second, and in it Emma knew the struggle that was happening inside her.
She swallowed down the lump in her throat and the tears that instantly appeared as she remembered exactly what Rum had showed her
*******************************************Enchanted Forest Past***************************************
Birds flew out of the trees they were sleeping in as the scream from the young girl beneath woke all of the sleeping animals in the forest. The trees swayed with the cold snow filled wind passing through them, and yet the scream resounded through them.
The scream filled the forest once more and the cries pierced the snow storm filled night..
Squirrels scurried away and owl's turned their heads in freight as the screams continued and then suddenly stopped.
Gathering her gasping breathe and the little energy she had left, the young sweat soaked girl squeezed her eyes shut and pushed with everything left in her. Biting her lip and bearing down she pushed one last time, her hands reaching between her legs to catch the new life.
Screaming as the pain once more rocked her exhausted body, tears streamed down her face as she trembled with the shock to her body. Suddenly the sensation of being empty hit as she raised her newborn crying baby up. The new young mother slowly raised the naked newborn into the air as they both continued to cry.
Her newborn baby girl. She was perfection.
The baby cried and squirmed as the frigid cold night air hit her causing her to writhe.
Eyes widened in understanding as the cold hit the now freezing young woman. Bringing the baby down she quickly cut the umbilical cord with her knife and wrapped the baby with the very jacket she wore and began to clean up the child as she continued to cry.
"Look at you. Look at my beautiful little girl." The huge smile that split the young mother's face as she continued to cry as she rocked her little girl showed just how instantly she had fallen in love with her child.
And as the baby heard the voice her cries died down, instinctively knowing the sound of her mother's voice and being comforted by the sound.
The young woman laid back against the only source of heat they had, the horse she had ridden to flee from her home. Hiding her pregnancy from her mother had been nearly impossible. Fear can make a person do the most extraordinary of things. Knowing her mother the way she did, she knew that her mother would never have accepted her baby. Paranoia had made her cautious of what she ate or drank in front of her mother. Thoughts of her mother trying to end her pregnancy with some potion had made her hyper aware of everything her mother had served to the family.
The last three months she knew that she could no longer hide her belly any longer, and had fought hard for her mother to allow her to travel to the summer palace to allow her the secrecy she had needed to allow her baby to grow.
The problem was she knew her mother could appear at any time in the castle. With such a threat she was not willing to risk giving birth at the castle, instead riding as far away as she could while in labor.
That pain alone had made her dig down deep in determination.
Until she arrived in this small clearing in the woods. Far away from prying eyes and loyal servants.
And now her baby was here.
"It's ok baby. Mommy's here...mommy's here. I just don't know what to do. I don't know what we're going to do."
The entire time she had focused solely on just having her baby, not thinking about what would happen once she actually had the baby.
Wincing as pain shot through her body, trembling the next second as she held her baby tighter as fear coursed through her. Rocking them both and smiling down at the beautiful little girl in her arms.
All the pain, all the fear...just how alone she was, was trumped by the sight of her little girl.
But the fear for her little girl's future made the waterworks reappear.
She couldn't tell the man that helped her create this miracle. He had no way of offering her and the baby any kind of safety from her mother. Her father, though kind and loving had never stood up to her mother, and had no power to even do so.
Her mother...her mother would either kill her baby...or take her away.
She could never forgive herself for that.
"My my Regina. What would your mother say if she saw you now."
The sudden voice rang out startling the young woman and the horse behind her. Were it not for the horse's loyalty to his young mistress it would have risen up and galloped away.
Regina quickly raised her knife at the intruder of their small space as she held her baby that much closer and tighter.
"How do you...Who are you? Did my mother send you?" Regina's hand remained steady as she pulled from every ounce of strength left her body had to begin to stand.
"No need to get up dearie." A with a wave of his hand Regina was back down on the ground with a groan of pain.
"I'm here to help you my dear. I've been waiting for this day...I can't tell you how long. I knew you were special, I just didn't know why until today."
Regina glared at the man. "I'm not letting you kill my baby."
"Eww...look at that. Sixteen and already showing signs of what's to come Now now now dearie...I said I was here to help you." The man came closer but his hooded cloak kept his face hidden from her.
Regina looked down at her little baby girl who squirmed in her mother's hold.
Looking back up at the man she lowered her knife, "You're...you're not here to kill her?"
"Nnnooooo. On the contrary!" He said raising his finger into the air as he then waved his hand, "I'm here to save her."
Though still a child herself she knew she would do everything in her power to save her daughter. But her instant unease at the strange man made her weary of anything he offered.
"Oh come now Regina. You know very well that if your mother would find out about the baby she'd kill her...or if I'm right...use her.." he stretched out the last word.
"Use her against me?" Regina asked with fear in her eyes.
"No. I mean...use...her magic." Laughter escaped the man's frame as he moved closer to the duo.
Regina looked down and felt her heart stop as snow whirled above the little girl's body in a perfect swirl.
There aren't enough words in history of language to convey the emotions that she experienced in that moment.
"No." Her small cry barely left her lips, "No. No no no! Please. Please you can't let her near her. She's just an innocent little baby. I'll never be that again. I'll never be a snow white bride. But she can be...she's as pure and clean as white snow." Regina cried as she looked between the man and her baby when it came to her as the snow whirled around the infants body.
"Snow...that's who you are isn't it sweet heart. My little Snow White."
The smile Regina gave her baby was tear filled as the storm began to pick up as the baby began to get more upset.
The man stayed silent, for the first time in soo long not wanting to corrupt a moment of pure goodness.
"I think I may have a solution to your problem." The man stepped into the beam of moonlight that gave what little light she had and gasped at the sight.
"But that all depends...on what your willing to do to save...the one thing you love most in this whole world." Rumpelstiltskin's inexpressive face made a fear that she had never known course through Regina's veins.
Looking back down at her little girl she swore then and there...she would do what her mother never could for her. She would do anything to keep her safe.
Anything.
Author's Note: So I know some of you might have guessed it...but what did you think? Come on guys...drop me a line! Tell me if you liked the way this story is going or if you want to see something in particular. Have you guessed how Sarah recognizes Tamara? Or what do you think is wrong with Blue? Come on come on! You know you want to leave a review!