Hello! I'm back, hope someone enjoys this :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time or any of the characters.
Chapter 2
"That mangy imp!" Regina growled as she pushed herself and Snow up off the ground. The child had landed right on top of her, thankfully, instead of the pavement. Emma groaned to the right of her. The blonde rubbed her tailbone and grimaced.
"Okay, so obviously Gold's not gonna be any help. Regina, why don't you check out some books in your vault and David and I will check the library. Maybe Belle can help us," Emma suggested, voicing her plan as she glared at Gold through the glass of the pawn shop. "We'll meet up back at the loft later to go over our game plan."
"Fine by me," Regina agreed, ready to have this whole fiasco behind her. Although, she wasn't as disturbed by the ring on Snow's finger anymore. Seeing it on a child was a rather different image and didn't make her blood boil as much.
After a moment, David chimed in, "Come on, Snow, we're going to the library." He reached out his hand to her and the child stared at him in alarm.
"I'm not going anywhere with you." Snow declared, stepping closer to Regina and looking to her for support. "I want to go with Regina."
At those words, Regina closed her eyes, remembering the countless times Snow had expressed them before. Snow had always wanted to spend time with her, following her like a shadow whenever she could. It was a nightmare to get away from her long enough to attend her lessons from Rumple. As she had gotten older, Snow had stopped asking to be around her and at the time Regina had been thrilled. She had been sick of the princess' company. It was nauseating to act like a loving, caring stepmother. However, a very different emotion entered her heart when she heard Snow's request this time. Warm appreciation. She met the child's eyes and saw adoration gleaming back at her. Even Henry hadn't looked at her like that in so long.
Finding herself weak at Snow's now pleading gaze, Regina nodded once. "Yes, she should go with me. She might remember something important." She knew it was a weak argument, especially when Emma tilted her head down and raised her eyebrows. Shockingly, though, Emma went along with it. "Yeah, fine, just make sure she doesn't touch another ring and turn into a monkey." Turning to her father, Emma began to ask him if they should stop by Granny's on the way to the library but was stunned silent by the hard look on David's face.
"No, Snow is my wife. My family. We'll take her, there's no reason for her to go with you. In fact, I can count at least 10 reasons why she shouldn't."
"You think I can't take care of a child, David?"
"Judging by how many times Henry ran away from you and how you treated Snow the first time around, your track record is not reassuring."
"You don't know the first thing about caring for an eleven year old girl. Neither of you even know her!"
"What do you mean we don't know her! I know everything about her. She's my wife!"
"No, she's not, you idiotic shepard! She is an eleven year old girl, not your wife. You are a stranger to her. You know what Snow was like as an adult, not a child. Do you know what her favorite color is right now? Or what her bed time routine is? Her imaginary friends' names? Or how about-" Regina ranted before she was cut off by Emma shouting, "Alright, alright!"
Planted between Regina and David, Emma held her hands up placatingly and gave David a long look. "Dad. She's right. We're strangers to Snow right now. No need to scare the kid by separating her from the only person she trusts."
"Maybe she shouldn't trust you." David spat at Regina, his blood beginning to boil over. He couldn't stand the way Snow looked at her, so innocent and trusting. Not after the dozens of sleepless nights he endured with her crying on his shoulder, shuddering with her every breath. Wondering how her step-mother could want her dead.
"Back off, shepard!" Regina snapped back, unable to deny the cold truth in his words but unrelenting in her anger. She had hurt Snow deeply in the past, but that had no bearing on her relationship with the girl in front of her now.
Meanwhile, little Snow analyzed David with a critical eye. He was aggressive, stubborn, and cruel. His harsh tone scared her and she'd never seen anyone speak to her step-mother, a queen, in such a disrespectful manner, Suddenly, she felt the need to protect Regina and establish her loyalties. Regina would always be her mother, but this man David, she wasn't so sure she wanted him to be her husband. Her future husband would be kind and fair, like her father always was.
"Enough!" Snow shouted, interrupting the intense staring contest between Regina and David. Both pairs of eyes turned to her in concern. Taking a deep breath, the young princess began to scold David, "You, sir, are being extremely disrespectful to my step-mother and I don't like you at all. If we were back home, you would spend some time in the dungeons for your behavior towards the queen of our land! I want nothing to do with you from henceforth!" Turning on her heel, she began to walk away with Regina's hand in tow.
A bubble of satisfaction rose in Regina's chest as she numbly followed Snow down the street, An admittedly evil grin snaked its way onto her face before she could stop it, and Snow chose that moment to look back at her. Regina had a millisecond to panic, wondering if Snow would yank her hand back in disgust and run back to the Charmings. Instead, the little girl giggled happily and chirped, "I really told him, didn't I?"
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"David, stop!" Emma shouted as she pulled on her father's arm. Twisting back to face her with a crazed look in his eye, he responded "There's something wrong with Snow! Regina's magic is influencing her or something!"
"No, David! You need to back off like right now. You're just scaring the kid."
"She's supposed to trust us, Emma. We're her family!"
"So is Regina, whether you like it or not."
"That's easy for you to say, Emma, but you've never met the Evil Queen. Not really. She's never been a mother to Snow, and I'll be damned if I let her hurt my wife ever again." He shrugged Emma's hand away and took off after the queen and the princess.
Huffing, Emma watched him go. After he was out of sight, she turned on her heel and headed for the library. Someone ought to try and fix this mess.
David crept along the edges of the brick buildings as he caught up with Snow and Regina. He didn't want to frighten Snow, no matter how badly he wanted to swoop in and take her away from the Evil Queen. So he watched from afar, ready to save the day if Regina tried anything. Maybe after that little Snow would understand that he's just trying to protect her.
They walked hand in hand, swaying together in the strong breeze. Once they reached the entrance of the cemetery, Snow spoke up.
"Regina?"
"Yes, darling?"
"What happened to Buttercup and Rocinante?" The child questioned. David could see Regina take a deep breath and slow her pace.
"Well, Buttercup, he passed of old age several years ago. He lived a long life, princess. Please don't be sad." She answered, sounding surprisingly… sensitive. The girl beside her nodded understandingly.
"I know how death works. I'm not a baby. I was upset earlier because… I've only just lost my mother and it was difficult hearing of my father's fate. I just, I just expected him to live to be in his hundreds, I suppose. After hearing so many peasants saying 'Long live the King,'"
"Subjects, Snow. Loyal subjects, not peasants."
"Yes, step-mother."
The conversation lulled for another moment, the two passing graves in silence before Snow spoke up again. "What happened to Rocinante, then? Did he die of old age too?"
A pained look crossed over Regina's face again. They approached the doors to the mausoleum and she beckoned Snow to follow her in. "Rocinante was one of my very best friends. You know that, right darling?"
"Yeah." Snow responded as the door shut behind her, cutting off her remaining words from reaching David as he hid behind a large cross shaped tombstone.
Shaking his head, he tried to remember who exactly Buttercup and Rocinante were. He was sure he'd heard those names somewhere before. Figuring it wasn't imperative right now, David forged ahead and decided to ask Snow about it later, when she was an adult. She was so much easier to understand then. So sweet, honest, and loving.
When he looked at little Snow, he saw nothing but fear, a little curiosity, and lately contempt. It was hard for him to connect the two in his mind, but he managed to force them together into something of a venn diagram where the things they had in common included their name and his need to protect them. He was working on adding more details into the middle section but it was hard when the child was so reluctant to speak to him.
After he surmised enough time had passed, David entered the mausoleum and partially descended the staircase, so he could keep an eye on the pair still.
"You wore that?!" He heard Snow squeal before the sound of a wardrobe being forcefully shut echoed throughout the vault.
"You know, actually, um…" Regina stuttered. "Actually, there's an undergarment missing, That's why it's so...revealing."
"Uh huh." Snow responded, sounding impish. David almost chuckled, recognizing the playfulness in her voice.
"Alright princess, enough judging my fashion choices. Let's get to work." Regina tried to recoup, gesturing vaguely towards the potions lining the walls.
"But I haven't even said anything about what you're wearing now." Snow complained.
"And just what is wrong with what I'm wearing now? Hmm, missy?"
"You're wearing pants! And you're not even going riding!" She burst out, laughing incredulously. "You look very silly!"
"I may look silly, but pants enable me to run very fast and do this!" Regina explained, lunging forward and capturing the princess in her arms. Screaming happily Snow play-fought against Regina's embrace.
"And, you know what else princess?" Regina whispered deviously.
"What?" Snow asked, looking up into Regina's eyes.
"Dresses leave you vulnerable to this!" She hoisted the little girl up with one arm and used the other to tickle behind the child's knee, which was Snow's most ticklish spot. Shrieking and squealing, Snow tried to get away before she finally surrendered with an "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Your pants are-" She took a gasp of breath. "Your pants are very nice!"
"Mhmm. I thought so." Regina said smugly, She stopped tickling the little girl, but for reasons unknown even to her, she still held onto her. She wasn't exactly easy to carry, she was eleven after all, but she was small for her age and Regina felt an undeniable urge to hold her close. It was ridiculous. Stupid. Insane. She couldn't stand Snow this morning, but something about the way the child looked at her, so loving, it just drove Regina crazy.
"Let's look for clues on how to fix this, okay?"
"Yes, step-mother."
As the two began to sift through the potions, carefully and with gloves in Snow's case, David sat on the stairs with his back against the wall, eyes staring up at the ceiling. He couldn't process what he had just witnessed.
"What the hell?" He whispered to himself as lowly as he could.
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