Quarantine is slowly driving me to insantity, taking the quality of my ideas with it, but I kind of liked this one. What would've happened with Snow and Regina's relationship if Regina never took an infertility potion, and how would Snow react to Regina's pregnancy? I'm on the fence about this idea, so I'd really appreciate it if you could tell me how you felt about it. Stay safe and stay indoors, and I hope you enjoy! For all intents and purposes, Snow is fourteen, Regina is eighteen. (Side note, I know Snow comes off as a naïve brat, but remember, this is her as a child, and I'm going somewhere with her brattiness and naivety. Just wait.)

Snow

Regina always loved the gardens. Of all the places she spent her time at, she spent the most time in the gardens, sitting under her apple tree, sometimes holding a flower limply in her hands. I tried to join her, but she said that it was her alone time, and that she wasn't to be disturbed.

Instead of being with her, I watched her. Sometimes she'd be out there for a moment, sometimes she'd be there from sunrise to set. I didn't care, as long as she was in my line of vision. When she's in the garden for more than an hour, I read a book, sometimes finish my lessons, I might even try my hand at sketching something. I loved drawing, but I'm no good. Father always tells me that my drawings are exquisite, and that they should be put up somewhere, but I disagree.

Regina is honest with me when she sees my sketches or paintings. I'll say that I believe her, and not father, when she says that they shouldn't be shown to the public eye. She says that Father has an awful taste in paintings. Normally, I would tell father that Regina joked about that, but she said it was our secret.

This is all strange to me. I don't feel for her the way I felt for Mother. I don't know what I feel for her. I don't think I love her like a sister, or a cousin, or anything.The last time I felt this way was at a ball a few years ago, with a boy I met. I didn't dare call it love, because I've read that you just feel it. I know I love her, but I just don't know how I loved her. I don't know if I feel it, because I've never felt anything like this. If I call it love, I'm afraid of being wrong.

I know Regina doesn't like living here. She thinks she can hide it from everyone, but I know when she's sad. Even if I know she's sad, I don't know what about, or why. Father is good to her, and she gets free reign around the palace and courtyard. Does she miss home? She told me once that her mother wasn't nice to her, but when I asked further, she shouted at me and kicked me out of her room.

Even when she was angry at someone, she became happy again in the garden. Mother always gave me snowbells when I was sad or angry, so maybe I could cheer her up with flowers. I hopped off my chair and out of my room to find Regina's maid.

"Excuse me Evelyn, can I ask you something," I asked her.

"Of course."

"What is Regina's favourite flower?" She cocked her head in confusion and wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes. "She's sad, so I wanted to get something for her." She nodded and thought.

"Well, I've seen her admiring many flowers, but I think her favourites are daffodils, hydrangeas, and larkspur. Do you know which those are?"

"Yes, I do. Thank you." She nodded and manouevered around me as I ran through the halls excitedly. I was going to make Regina happy, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. I grinned to myself as I went through the flower beds and plucked a single daffodil, hydrangea, and a larkspur. I ran all the way through the castle again, and I had to stop myself to catch my breath before bursting through her door to give her the flowers.

Once my heart rate was back on track, I ran through the door. Regina was bent over her chamber pot, retching. I grimaced, and once she stopped, she lifted her head and turned to me with an ice-cold glare aimed at me.

"What do you think you're doing," she growled.

"I wanted to give you flowers to cheer you up. Are you feeling well?"

"Do you think I'm feeling well," she asked sarcastically, before turning back to the pot and throwing up once more. She called to me over her shoulder. "And what makes you think I need cheering up?"

"Because, you looked sad."

"I never talked to you today."

"I was…watching you. When you were in the garden earlier."

"Did I give you permission to stalk me? Or are you planning to execute me?"

"N-no, I didn't-I don't want you dead."

"Then why are you watching me?"

"Because I don't have anything to do," I lied. She scoffed.

"Leave, before I give you a reason to execute me." I gasped.

"I'm telling father," I said.

"Aren't you a little old to tattle on me?"

"Not if you're threatening me." She seemed to have stopped feeling sick, because she rocked back on her heels and stood up.

"I never threatened you, and you can't let your father know about this. About any of this."

"Why? You're feeling ill, and you said something hurtful."

"I don't care if it's hurtful," she hissed. I flinched, and she straightened up and removed any emotion from her face. "Your father cannot know anything about this. Okay? It can be another of our secrets."

"Why don't you want Father to know? He can get the doctor for you, and if your feeling more ill, they can give you medicine or tea. Tea always helps when I'm sick. This one time, I got so-"

"Leave, Snow. Please. I need to be alone right now."

"Why do you want to be alone? I don't want to be alone when I'm sick." I heard her speak under her breath, but she quickly told me to leave afterwards.

"Are you sure? I can get you something to eat to settle your stomach-"

"Snow, when I say I don't want visitors, I mean little girls are not welcome in my company at the moment."

"I'm not little-"

"Now." I sighed and handed her the flowers I picked before leaving. When I closed the door, I could hear her dashing off somewhere. No doubt it was back to the chamber pot. I couldn't stop now. I didn't want to. The thought of Regina being sick without being tended to made me feel sick. Nobody deserves to be sick and miserable. Especially her.

I ran through the corridors once more and ignored the palace staff telling me to slow down. I could slow down when I carry a teapot for Regina back upstairs. I turned the corners into the kitchen and panted out my request of ginger tea and honey. The cook handed me a tray of tea that a maid boiled up, with two teacups, a small pot of honey, and cookies. I grinned and offered my thanks, before going through the halls much slower.

I balanced the tray over my arms as I turned the knob of her door. When I walked in, she wasn't knelt over her chamber pot anymore, she was in her bed, laying on her back with her hands covering her abdomen.

"I told you to leave. Do I need to call someone to take you to your room?"

"No, I came with tea and cookies. Ginger tea and honey always makes me feel better." She sat up with her hands over her belly still, but her face looked warmer than before. "May I join you?" She paused and thought.

"Fine, I guess. There are too many cookies for myself anyway." I bit back a chuckle and sat down on the bed next to her. She carefully sipped her tea, cringing back.

"It's just been made, so it's still hot." She nodded understandingly and set her cup back down onto the tray.

"How did you know those flowers are my favourites?"

"I watch you in the gardens, of course I'd pick up on those things." She snickered and tentatively grabbed and bit into a cookie. "Feel better?"

"Not quite yet." I shot her a sympathetic smile, before eating a cookie. We sat in silence for a while, but I think she needed it. She didn't even have to tell me how often I talk.

"Why don't you want anyone to know you're sick?"

"People do know I'm sick. You and Evelyn, and probably the chef."

"But why do you want me to keep it from Father? He'd want to know when you're sick, and I don't think it's any different."

"Because I…don't want to bother him."

"You wouldn't bother him-"

"-Just stop, Snow. I don't want it brought up again." I nodded and sipped my tea. I normally don't like ginger tea, but the chef knows I like my tea with honey. She didn't seem to mind the taste of the ginger tea, but she still spooned in a dash of honey.

"When I'm sick, I like having my hair brushed. Do you want me to brush your hair?" She hesitated for a moment, then nodded defeatedly and pointed to her vanity, where her brush was sitting in the middle. I hopped off her bed to grab it and jumped back on. I kneeled behind her and ran it through her hair gently. She made a small noise of content, before silencing herself.

"You have beautiful hair," I said ardently. She didn't respond, and I didn't expect her to. I always told her she was pretty, but she never gave a reply. She'd only just roll her eyes and push me aside. She's stunning, but she doesn't even believe it. Sometimes I don't believe I'm pretty either, even when everyone says I'm the fairest in all the realms. I think they're lying.

I heard her sigh contendedly, but she didn't cut herself off with a grunt this time.

"After dinner, do you want me to ask the maids to draw a bath? I'm sure a bath would help." She nodded curtly as I continuously ran the brush through her chocolaty lockes. "See? Nobody ever wants to be alone when you're sick. Not even you." She chuckled dryly and turned around.

"I never said I wanted your company. I was forced to endure it." She grabbed the brush out of my hands and put it next to the candle on her nightstand. "And I don't feel like dinner tonight." She pulled the covers over her body and wrapped herself up.

"Okay then. If you don't mind, I'd like to stay here. Maybe the maids can bring your bath in here for tonight."

"Yes, I'd like my bath in here." She smiled shakily and burrowed herself further under the covers.

"Would you mind if I read a bit of my book." She sighed and rolled her eyes slightly.

"Be my guest, Princess." I smiled and patted her shoulder gently before leaving the room to grab my book from my own chambers. I ran into Evelyn again, and I asked her to bring Regina's bath to her room, and to bring my dinner as well.

When I came back with my book under my arms, Regina was asleep, bent over and resting her face on a mountain of covers. I wish I could capture this moment, when a woman so hot and cold could be so…neutral. I wish she was calmer all the time. I didn't want to wake her, but she couldn't sleep like this. I gave her shoulders a light shove so she fell back against the pillows. I brought the blanket up to her chin and watched her, free of the emotions she typically donned, replaced by tranquility and a little bit of happiness. I wanted to know what she was dreaming about, but she was fast asleep.

I sat next to her and opened my book. Reality soon became a distant memory, except for Regina. She was inching closer to me, slowly but surely. By the time I finished five chapters, Regina had her arms wrapped around me in a tight grip. Her skin was soft and warm, and her hands wandered to my belly and drew invisible patterns into the material of my clothes.

Roughly two hours passed before the maids came in with her bath and my food, and Regina was clinging to my entire body. She was just groggily waking up when the maids left. She shook her head and focused her slightly-crossed eyes on me. Once she could see me properly, she jumped back and pulled the covers to her nose. She was teetering on the edge of the bed, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing.

"I didn't want to wake you, but I now think that I should've," I said. She laughed dryly.

"Yes, you should've woken me, before…that." She adjusted herself on the bed and swept her hair back. "Did you start it?" Her voice was back to being threatening and irritated.

"What? No, I wouldn't do that; not when you're sleeping." She blushed slightly and nodded.

"Let's just forget about it. I'm going to take my bath." I nodded and watched from the bed as she was about to remove her dress.

"Let me rephrase that; I'm taking my bath, get out."

"Are you sure?"

"I can bathe myself. I'm sick, not incapacitated, but thanks for the concern."

"Do you want to be alone? I can stay, if you want."

"No. Leave." I nodded and hung my head as I collected the dishes from our tea. My hand was on the doorknob, when she called to me:

"Snow, wait." I turned around with a smile on my face. "Stop smiling." I straightened my face and put the tray on her dresser. "Turn around."

"Why?"

"Because in order to bath, I can't have clothes on." I formed an 'o' with my mouth and turned quickly. There were bubbles in the tub already so I couldn't see her through the water, but I didn't mind in the slightest. I've seen a few revealing sculptures in my art history book, but I didn't just 'not mind,' though I feel like she would immediately kick me out if I said that.

I heard the water slosh in the tub, and I turned around quickly. I caught a glimpse of her chest, but nothing much. She smirked as I knelt in front of the tub and crossed my arms over the lip of the bathtub. She washed her hair and scrubbed herself with the soap bar, while I averted my eyes everytime she came close to revealing herself.

"Do you know why you aren't feeling well," I asked her.

"I think I ate something bad. I'll ask the doctor to check up on me before bed." I nodded and watched her run the soap up her arms, then down below the water. She reached behind her and twisted in the water, trying to get to her back.

"Do you need help with your back?" She grumbled a bit, but shoved the soap in my direction forcefully. I nodded and kept quiet as she turned in the tub and drew her knees to her chest. I silently washed her back gently, then put the soap back into the dish.

"Your hair is messy," Regina said. I laughed a bit and nodded.

"Can you brush my hair then?" She nodded, slightly irked.

"Why do you like having your hair brushed by other people. Can't you do it yourself?"

"I can, but it feels calming when someone else does it. You're the best at it." She smiled to herself proudly, as I went back to her nightstand to grab her brush. I brought it back and sat in front of the tub, legs crossed. She ran the brush through my unruly curls ever so gently, and I felt drowsy. She handed me the brush back, and I heard the water sloshing again. On instinct, I turned around to see what was happening. Regina was climbing out, and didn't see me looking. I quickly turned back before I could get another eyeful of her curving body.

She wrapped a towel around her body and grabbed a smaller towel to wring out her hair.

"I think it's best if you went back to your chambers now." I took the hint and gathered up the tray of tea and my book. My ears strained to hear what she was muttering, and it sounded a lot like 'thank you.' I don't think I've ever heard her say thank you to anyone, other than Evelyn and the chef. I smiled to myself as I wound around the corridors to the kitchen.