Disclamer: I don't own nor do I have any rights to the Once Upon A Time series, just my own characters and plots.
The Enchanted Forest, many years ago.
„Aaaaaah!"
A scream rang through the castle. It was coming from a room at the end of the hall at the highest tower. The door was open, revealing a view of a woman writhing in pain on a bed in the centre of the chamber. She was on her back with pillows positioned underneath her, keeping her in a halfway siting position as she was catching her breath. She grabbed the hands of the man siting next by her and tried to breath steadily which proved to be more and more difficult by the minute.
"Ahh! I can't... have this baby now!" she struggled to say.
The man holding looked down on her and grimaced. He hated seeing her in pain. He'd been rubbing her back in attempts of soothing her, trying to support her in any way but he knew there wasn't much he could do.
He still couldn't believe this was happening. They'd been preparing for the arrival of their firstborn for months, they had a clear plan but with the curse and all the preparations for the worse, this came rather unexpectedly.
His wife had gone into labour sooner than anticipated and, while he couldn't wait to meet his daughter, his mind seemed unable to keep the thoughts of the currently arriving curse out of his head. The curse they had no way of escaping yet and it started to look like they will not have it in time.
But he couldn't do anything about that. He couldn't stop the curse nor make the wardrobe necessary to travel to safety – but what he could do was to be there for his wife.
He looked at the dwarf on the other side of the bed.
"Doc, do something," he said while getting closer to Snow. He let her lean on him and soothingly put his head next to hers.
Doc went to wipe the sweat off of Snow's face knowing there's not much he can do to help the pain.
Trying to maintain steady breathing again she moved closer to Charming.
"It's going to be okay," he said and tried to reassure her with honest eyes.
"The wardrobe is almost finished. Just... just hold on," he said, his voice wavering.
She closed her eyes and nodded before another scream escaped her.
Outside the castle, between the trees surrounding the kingdom, a purple smoke was leisurely making its way forward. It was covering everything it touched, everyone in near distance – no one was able to escape. With it, a carriage accompanied by black horses was approaching the castle. There were flashes of light within the smoke and, as the carriage was getting closer, a loud rumble rang all over the kingdom.
People in the castle felt chills running up their spine and some were able to see the horses. They froze, feeling their heartbeats fastening as another rumble rang. Then, panicking they started calling out warnings, orders and prayers.
"Aaaah!" Another long cry made Snow lean forwards as she attempted to not let the thunder noises, now coming periodically, effect her.
She cried out again and this time another screamed joined her – louder, shriller and more uncontrollable.
Snow looked up and held her breath for a second, all pain fading away as realized what had happened.
Her daughter was here.
She breathed out shakily, closed her eyes and smiled as she listened to the cries, exhausted.
Charming looked up to his wife, his face shocked as realization hit him as well. Everything as if fastened, he turned to Doc and watched as the dwarf carefully placed the baby into a blanket, gently patting her little cheek with a wet cloth.
In trance he took notice of every movement she was making. She was stretching her arms, reaching for something as if she knew her parents were right next to her. Crying with her eyes closed, he felt his chest clench and wanted to reach for her and sooth her.
"She's so beautiful," Snow breathed out.
Charming nodded his head a little, not taking his eyes off of her.
After she'd been cleaned, Doc put her in a white knitted blanket with the word 'Emma' embedded on it. He smiled at her and went to give her to the awaiting parents.
Snow was already reaching her hands forward, shaking with anticipation.
The baby was still crying as Snow slowly took her and carefully put her to her chest. Immediately Snow started to gently sway her from side to side, whispering 'shhhh' every now and then. And as if the baby had known who was holding her, she slowly started to quiet down and looked up.
Both Snow and Charming watched as their daughter opened her eyes for the first time. Her eyelids flickered before revealing big light eyes shining from the reflection of all the candles around the room. Mouth opened, she was moving her eyes confused all around before she found two big shapes and just looked in their direction.
She was perfect.
They both smiled at the same time and looked at each other. This was the moment they had been waiting for for so long. They'd though that when their daughter would be born, the curse would have already been casted and they would be separated, not being there for each other to witness this. But now, their child was here. In their arms, safe and healthy and they were all together. They didn't care about the curse right now, they didn't care about the Evil Queen or anything else. All that mattered was them, all of them.
Together.
Suddenly an older man entered the room, interrupting the moment. He was holding a wooden hammer and wore a big smile on his face.
"It's ready," he said, excited.
The happy spell over the little family broke. They looked at him and tried to absorb what he was saying.
"It's ready," Charming whispered.
Their plan. Getting Snow to the wardrobe so that she could birth their baby in safety, out of the reach of the coming curse.
It had failed.
He looked at his wife, the smile from a second ago melting away. She was still watching the man, as if she hadn't understood what he'd said. She didn't want to think about it. She wanted one more moment of peace with her family.
She looked down at her drooling daughter with a sad smile.
It was too late.
And then she jerked forward.
"Ahhhhh!"
Her right arm went to her belly as she felt the now familiar pain.
Charming turn to her in shock and saw her grimacing in pain, tense, holding Emma with one hand trying not to hurt her.
He quickly but carefully grabbed the baby from her hands and looked at Doc. The dwarf was dashing back to the bed to see what was wrong.
"What's ha-happening?" Snow cried out, voice shaking with pain.
Charming put Emma closer to his chest and moved her so he was holding her with his right hand. Looking up at Doc, he rubbed Snows back with his left hand, desperately trying sooth her.
"There is... there is another one," said Doc, sounding surprised.
Snapping out of it, he quickly went to action and reached for the things that he had already put away.
"What?" Charming asked, wide eyed.
"Ahhhhh!"
A few minutes later a new baby cry reached their ears.
Snow, completely drained, had her head against Charming's shoulder. She was out of breath, eyes shut as she listened to the crying. Baby crying. A new baby.
What?
Charming, still in shock, watched as Doc once again cleaned a newborn baby. There was no blanket with a name sewed on it, so he grabbed the white soft sheet he had in his bag and wrapped it around the baby.
The crying had already stopped. Snow who had calmed down a bit opened her eyes, a bit lightheaded, and saw Doc handing a bundle of something white with dark spots at the side over to her husband.
"Congratulations, Snow. It's a healthy little girl," Doc grinned at her.
Charming had blurry vision as his eyes burned, and he looked at his daughter for the first time. She wasn't fussing or crying. No, she was calm, trying to focus her glance at him as if she wanted to know who he was. She was looking up at him with dark eyes, mouth slightly open, almost gaping, and her face grimaces at she did what Charming assumed was supposed to be a smile.
He couldn't help and laughed, a happy tear going down his face. She was absolutely adorable. He watched as she twisted her face, mouth still opened, no idea what she was doing but it seemed to amuse her. As he studied her face, he was hit with a feeling similar to déjà vu and continued to observe her, as if the answer was somewhere on her. And then it hit him. She had his mother's eyes.
His chest clenched a bit and he couldn't help but smile again.
"Let me see her," Snow whispered.
She kept her eyes on her as Charming handed her over, gently and carefully.
First thing she noticed was the hair. A surprising amount of thick raven black hair, much similar to her own, going in all directions was sticking out as the little girl continued grimacing with a bit of drool going down the corner of her tiny mouth.
Snows lips twitch at how silly she looked.
As she moved her closer and pressed her to her chest, mindful of not holding her too tight, it was as if the little one'd just realized she had been moved and stopped what she'd been doing to see what was happening and who was holding her. Snow watched as she looked all over the place before she found something to focus on and went back to making strange faces.
Snow looked what her daughter found so interesting and saw that she was looking in the direction of Charming who, like her, had a smile on his face.
Their eyes met and their smile widened.
Snow started moving the little one from side to side slightly as she looked back down on her. She felt so light right now, besides being exhausted and sore. With her husband, her daughter – daughters she thought bewildered. She still couldn't believe that.
Only few hours ago, it was only her and Charming and now… Now they had two daughters – now they were officially a family.
She'd had so many plans. So many things prepared. A room for Emma, a crib, all variety of toys, space where she'd teach her how to walk, how to dance, where she'd help her pick out a dress for her first ball...
Of course, she'd have to arrange a whole other room and countless other brand-new things for this little surprise.
She smiled down at her.
And a loud rumble came from the window and she froze, as if her hearing had suddenly returned to her. And everything came crushing down on her.
She'd wanted this to last forever.
"The wardrobe..." she said quietly, absentmindedly, all happiness slowly wearing off.
But it couldn't.
Charming looked at her, seeing her expression change, eyes looking slightly to the left of the baby in her arms, unfocused.
"It only takes one," she finished and finally looked up at him.
Noises of battle and struggle outside came to them, adding panic.
The Evil Queen's guards were here. Along with the Evil Queen.
And her curse.
"Then our plan has failed," said Charming glancing at the door.
Snow looked at her daughters. Both started to cry as another thunder was heard.
"At least we're together," Charming send her an empty smile and move closer to her.
No.
This couldn't be the end.
She looked at Emma. So small, so cute. Their saviour, their first-born daughter. She felt so protective over her and as she watched her cry and fuss in her father's arms, she knew that she would go to hell and back just to give her a chance at a happy life.
And then their little surprise. Fussing and crying like her sister, Snow brought her closer to her chest and tried to calm her down, swaying her form side to side. She paused and looked up at her mother, stunning brown eyes wide as she made a coughing noise before moving her chubby hand up to Snow.
No.
She couldn't lose them.
"No," she whispered.
This can't be the end.
"You have to take them. Take them to the wardrobe," she said quickly not moving her gaze from her the baby in her arms.
Emma was the prophesied saviour, the one who was supposed to rescue them all.
It only takes one.
But she couldn't.
No, she couldn't decide to leave one of her babies behind.
She wouldn't.
"Are you out of your mind?" Charming breathed out, his eyes full of tears as he stared at his wife.
This wasn't happening.
"No, no, it's the only way. You have to send them both," she said, quicker this time and looked up at him.
"No, no, no, you don't know what you're saying," Charming said, shaking his head but keeping his focus on Snow.
He would not send his daughters away.
No way.
"No, I do. We have to believe that there is enough magic to send them both. We have to believe that this is going to work," she tried to explain quickly. Her voice held more and more desperation each passing word, and pain clear as she choked up on the next sentence.
"We have to believe they will come back to us."
Charming grimaced as he felt like he couldn't breathe properly just from thinking about what Snow was suggesting.
He looked down. Both babies in distress as they heard another rumble and sounds of fighting in the castle were getting closer.
"We have to give them their best chance," Snow said quietly and she wished she didn't.
She couldn't believe she was even thinking about this. About sending her daughters away, into a world unknown to them, full of strangers and who knows what. They wouldn't be there to see them take their first steps, say their first words, they wouldn't be there to teach them right and wrong or how to stand up for themselves. Tell them stories about their family – where they came from and who they were.
They would not do any of that.
And her girls would have no idea why.
Was it worth it?
She looked at the child in her arms. At her daughter, who didn't even have a name. And she felt the same feeling she had with Emma, the fear of anything bad happening to her, the rage if someone even touched one hair on the full unpredictable mane she inherited from her.
And she knew.
She could not let them be subjected to this curse – she would not.
But she also knew that the little one might not even be able to go through the wardrobe. It only takes one, after all. One of her girls might not make it to the new land, or perhaps both of them won't be able to. But she couldn't separate them, she couldn't choose one of her daughters to be cursed and one to be send away. She would never do that.
She had to have hope.
"We have to hope they will be together," she said quietly.
Snow looked up to Charming, who had been thinking similarly. After a moment of silence, he swallowed and met her eyes. They nodded with pained expression.
Charming moved Emma closer to Snow and tensely watched as Snow shakily leaned closer to her and kissed her forehead. She stayed still for a moment before moving away, her eyes burning.
"Goodbye, Emma," Snow whispered hoarsely before Charming moved her into his arms.
She swallowed her tears and looked down, closing her eyes for a moment. She took a breath and moved to look at the little one still in her arms.
She was squirming around, looking all over. Snow couldn't help but smile sadly at her before leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead as she had done with Emma. She closed her eyes and went to move away, when she felt a light touch on her cheek. Her eyes flew open and she saw the little one moving her hand next to her face before grabbing a loose strand of Snow's hair.
Snow felt a lump in her throat as she laughed silently in amazement. The first time her daughter grabbed something.
The only first she would witness.
It only takes one.
Maybe she could stay.
They could raise her and have at least one child with them.
No.
No,she couldn't do that. She couldn't be selfish like that. Put her own child through an awful curse just to have her by her side.
And Emma... She would not choose one child. She would not separate them. No. She had to hope they will be together.
She had to believe they will be there for each other. That they would protect each other.
She took a breath and gently removed her daughter's little fist away.
The little one let out a squeak and reached out again, as if this was the most entertaining game. Snow felt her eyes burn with tears and this time she didn't try to hold them back. She watched as her husband took her and looked at her with his eyes shining and mouth tight as he bit his lip, trying to hold back a sob.
"Goodbye..." Snow said and choked up.
She doesn't even have a name.
Charming leaned forward and kissed her. Snow placed her hand on his cheek as their lips touched what could, and would, be the last time for a very long time, lingering and trying to place in her memory what his lips felt like.
Charming wanted to stay, he wanted to never leave and was on verge of doing just that when he felt Emma move in his arms. He felt something in his chest hurt as he moved away and stood up.
Snow moved her hand to her lips and watched Charming move both daughters in his left arm, placing them next to each other. He made sure they were secure and went to his sword.
He pulled out the blade from the scabbard and turned around.
He saw Snow watching them, tears going down her cheeks.
They shared one last look before Charming walked out the door.
Walking through the hallway and going to the chamber he knew the wardrobe was in, he was looking for the Queen's guards he was sure were roaming the castle. He was barely past the first turn when he heard his wife howl in pain. Closing his eyes, he slowed down. He had half a mind to turn back and go to his wife. But he swallowed down the pain and continued his way, faster.
He got to the corridor where the room Emma's room was without any trouble, checking his daughters every other second, when her came to a stop. Before him were two of the Evil Queen's guard running their swords through his men that had been assigned the security of the wardrobe. They were right before the door to Emma's room.
He looked down at his daughters and took better hold of them. Emma had fell asleep on the way there, but her sister was wide awake, fussing and reaching up to grab something, continuing the entertaining game she'd started with Snow. The corner of his lips went up when he saw her nose scrunch.
He heard steps getting louder, closer and faster and looked up to see the two guards sprinting towards him. He tightened his hold on the sword and move forward.
He blocked the sword going for him on the left, moved forward and turned around, slashing his own sword through the man's back. Then quickly with the handle of the sword smacked the other guard in the throat that he revealed to him. Turning back around he went to slash the first man again, but instinctively moved back and avoided what could be a lethal blow from the other guard.
Charming felt his other opponent going at him and quickly moved aside and with his sword blocked the guard's blade just in time. He held it for a second, feeling the strength behind it. He saw that it almost hit slashed Emma, who was by some miracle still asleep, and pushed it away with force he didn't know he was capable of, enraged. He moved quicker and with clenched teeth not losing his focus, stabbed one of them, leaving only one left.
He turned around and immediately moved aside when he saw a sword coming at him. Before he could react, he felt fire in his chest, quickly spreading to his shoulder.
"Ahhh!"
He gritted his teeth, trying to push the pain away and with a battle cry slashed the guard under his arm before stabbing him in the stomach.
As the man felt down Charming felt his knees going weak but managed to stay on his feet and with eyes half shut moved his hand toward his shoulder. He saw blood coming out of the wound, which he noted was a long slash through his white shirt, making the red more prominent. Not having the time to stop the bleeding, he kept moving. He went toward a wooden door and kicked them open. His eyes caught the wardrobe straight away and trying to ignore the pain, her hurried into the room and the tree in the middle of it.
He opened the small wooden door and put his sword down. Carefully moving the twins, putting Emma into his right hand, cautious to support her neck.
This was it.
He breathed out, painfully aware that he had no time for a long goodbye. He leaned down and softly placed a kiss on her head. Swallowing, he moved away and hurried to put her in inside the wardrobe.
Then he moved his other daughter slowly from his left arm, which was now bleeding profusely and a few drops sunk into the sheet the little one was covered in, to his right one to get a better hold of her. The pain was getting worse and he felt himself getting weaker.
The little one stopped fussing and was now looking up in his direction. He felt a lump in his throat as he watched her, his mother's eyes moving absentmindedly around his face.
Our little surprise.
He swallowed.
He had to believe this would work. That the wardrobe would take them both.
It had to take them both.
A groan interrupted his thoughts.
His head shot up to the door and saw one of the injured guards leaning against the frame, moving towards them with speed he underestimated.
Before he could react, he felt a dull pain as the guard pushed him, the baby still in his arms, and he lost control and felt himself fall back. Everything happening fast, he still tried to move the baby closer, to protect her from the impact somehow.
He heard a crack before he felt the pain of the impact. His back crushed into something hard and big, and before he knew it, he was on the ground, a groan escaping him as he subconsciously closed his eyes. His heartbeat was pulsing in his ears and he wanted to just close his eyes and sleep.
Disoriented, he opened his eyes and as he remembered what he had to do, adrenalin shot up and he quickly looked down to his daughter.
She was looking back at him and for the first time, her face managed a smile as she squealed and moved her chubby hand toward his face.
He breathed out in relief.
She was alright. She didn't hit anything.
He heard steps and looked up. The guard that had almost knocked him out was going towards the wardrobe Emma was in.
Hell no.
As quickly and gently as he could he put the baby on the ground and reached for his sword. Luckily it at arms distance.
He gritted his teeth and stood up. His legs were weak, and he swayed a little on his feet but managed to stay up. He raced forward and with one quick swing stabbed the guard who had just turned as he heard the steps. Charming pulled out the sword and pushed the man away from the wardrobe as he fell unconscious.
He was breathing heavily, wincing as he started to feel the pain more and more. He looked to the wardrobe and breathed out when he saw Emma was okay.
He turned around and went to get his other daughter.
He could see now what he'd been pushed on. The baby crib he'd picked with Snow, with a unicorn mobile hanging above it which was now shattered on the ground next to the little one, pieced all around her, the sheet that had been white when Doc wrapped it around her now dirty, with drops of his blood. She was oblivious to the destructions around her and still reaching with her tiny hand, trying to grab something.
His face softened when he saw her and he went to pick her up. He was slower now, the only thing pushing his further was his will, his body screaming at him to lie down and rest.
As he limped to her he missed how her hand touched a small silver circle that must have fallen off the mobile or somewhere from the crib, and she squeezed her fist wanting to grab it. But instead she grabbed air and only on her third try did she manage to snatch the object.
Charming felt his eyes closing as he reached his daughter and his face twisted in pain when he picked her up. As quickly as his body allowed him, he went back to the wardrobe and, just as he'd done with Emma, he kissed the little one's temple before placing her inside.
He moved her carefully and put her down next to her sister.
Please let this work.
"Find us," he said to both of them.
Sending one last look to his children, desperately trying to not think about the possibility that this might be the last time he saw them, he quickly closed the door of the wardrobe, before he changed his mind.
Just as the door closed, he heard someone running into the room. Two Dark knights were rushing through the kicked door.
Promptly, he grabbed his sword and swung it before him to block the knight, but he was only fast enough to block this one blow and didn't manage to move aside from the other knight's attack.
All noise stopped and time seemed to slow down. He stopped breathing as he looked down to see a sword in his stomach.
No longer being able to support himself, he went down as all strength abandoned him.
He couldn't feel the pain from the fall.
He couldn't move, he couldn't talk.
Everything was numb.
He laid on the ground and watched, all his energy leaving him.
The two knights marched towards the wardrobe.
His ears started to ring.
They kicked the door with the back of their swords.
His vision was getting blurry.
They went to look inside.
It only takes one.
Please.
Please, let them both be safe.
Please, let this work.
He was laying on the ground, blood running down his stomach and his shoulder.
He felt himself growing weaker and weaker. His vision was more and more blurry. He tried to blink the starts away but he couldn't even move his eyelids.
But he had to see. He had to see if it had worked.
They opened the wardrobe.
It was empty.
XxX
Storybrooke, current time.
"So it's true."
Hello, so this is my not-so-new story, since I'm, you know, rewriting it. I hope you like it better - I sure do, and any comments are welcomed!