So I really had to write a bit on this story today after those awesome reviews I got. Thank you so much and keep it up, please ;)
Next chapter will have some Regina/Snow interaction. Promise.
Enjoy, np.
Regina felt like the world had stopped moving. Like she would fall into a big black hole of nothing any minute now.
What had she done? Why did all of this happen? Her perfect curse had failed her so much but still brought her some kind of a new and happy life... Which was ultimately lost now.
She was in the woods, sitting on the cold ground next to the troll bridge. She didn't know where to go and what to do, but the moment she saw David and Snow together she knew she had to leave. She couldn't stay and watch the woman that her heart still thought belonged to her be held by David. By her true love and real spouse.
When she disappeared, this had been the first place that came to mind. The only other option had been to visit her father's grave and her "beautiful" collection of ripped out hearts - but she just couldn't bear to go there, to see the cruel reality of who she was.
"Regina?" a panicked voice sounded through the forest's lonely melody.
It was Belle, without a doubt. She slightly turned her head to the side; she could see the young woman running towards her, totally out of breath.
Then she was next to her and before Regina could say anything at all, the brunette had flung herself into her arms, clutching Regina tightly.
"I feel like I've been looking for you for days, Regina. I was so worried. Are you alright?" Belle asked, leaning back to study Regina's face.
The queen's eyes were red and puffy from crying and she looked... confused... defeated.
"Belle, don't you...," Regina began but was interrupted by Belle, who knew exactly what she was going to say.
"Remember?" she asked. Regina nodded and so did Belle. "I do Regina and that's the point. I don't only remember my life in the Enchanted Forest but also this one. And while I didn't find my other half here being the librarian, I found the best friend I could've ever wished for. You. I never really had any friends in the Enchanted Forest. I mean, I had Ruby after meeting her but while we were and still are friends, what I have with you is much more."
Belle took Regina's hands into her own and squeezed. "You are like a sister to me Regina and remembering won't change this. You have changed and I bet, that after almost 30 years you almost feel like your old life is a stranger's, or a movie you watched long ago. You are not that person anymore."
Regina smiled, happy tears covering her cheeks. "No one's ever believed in me like this. Thank you Belle. And thank you for caring as much as you do - I know you'd probably rather be with Rumpelstiltskin right now."
Belle winked. "That's what best friends are for Regina. Rumple is fine, he actually wanted to help me find you but I told him to go and see if maybe his son is in Storybrooke as well. He was always so miserable back in the Enchanted Forest for leaving him..." Belle looked sad for a moment, but then she grinned, an idea having popped up in her mind.
"So, can you get us to my apartment with that purple smoke of yours or do I have to walk through the whole damn forest again?"
Regina chuckled, took Belle's hand and seconds later they were standing in the librarians living room.
"Well, that trick sure is pretty neat," Belle smiled at her friend and motioned for her to sit down on the sofa. "I'll make us some tea and then we can talk."
And talk they did.
"So let me see if I got this straight," Belle started. "You cast the curse and while it was overrunning the lands you were with Snow and Charming? Why would this make you forget with each and every one of us though? And why wouldn't it put you together with David instead of Snow - which would be the more logical choice kinda..."
The brunette was confused but so was her raven haired companion.
"Well," Regina started to explain, but no logical explanation would come to her mind. It really was frustrating. "I don't know! Maybe someone tampered with my curse? Maybe Rumple or Maleficent? Probably would've sounded like a fun thing to do to both of them..."
Belle pondered this over and nodded. "We could always go and ask Rumple tomorrow. As for now, we'll both go and get some sleep - it was an exhausting day. Try not to worry too much."
Regina got up from the couch, smiling at her friend.
"Thank you for the talk, Belle and..." the queen shyly looked to the floor and mumbled something incoherent.
"Could you stop mumbling and talk a little louder Regina? I'm not Red with her wolf genes", Belle laughed. "You know you can tell me anything."
Regina looked up, playfully glaring at Belle. "I just said that you are a sister for me as well," she softly said while her cheeks turned rosy.
"Oh, you're so cute when you're all shy and embarrassed, Regina. And to think people called you the Evil Queen," the brunette laughed.
"Stop it, Belle," Regina glared and Belle laughed even harder before telling Regina to go and use the bathroom first.
Regina was confused. "Why would I use..." she stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh...I guess I have nowhere to go, now... I can still sleep at... Well no, I can't sleep at Granny's - she's probably as mad at me for casting the curse like most of the town."
"Regina. You're practically my sister now," Belle grinned. "You sleep here in my guestroom as long as you need and want to. Just don't be surprised to sometimes see Rumple after waking up."
The mayor laughed. "Thank you, Belle. I guess I can handle that. Good night, Belle."
"Good night, Regina. Wake me up if you need anything or just can't sleep," Belle yawned as Regina went to the bathroom.
"Oh Regina?"
Regina turned back around to face her friend.
"Do you, do you love Snow?"
Regina was silent for so long that Belle thought she wouldn't answer at all. But finally a quiet but firm voice said, "I do. And I think I have for a long time," before the bathroom door closed behind her, leaving Belle to deal with Regina's obvious heartbreak, thinking about ways to help her friend.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW
Snow couldn't sleep. She'd been tossing and turning for hours now.
Earlier, when David had been out for Regina's blood, they hadn't found her. Not in the woods, not at the cemetery, nowhere.
And Snow had been glad. She didn't know if she could bear to see Regina right now, so shortly after remembering everything. She was frightened of her own reaction at seeing the woman, frightened of her own confused feelings. And she didn't want David to hurt her, no matter what she'd done. Her mind told her he wouldn't have had a chance to even lay a finger on her anyway – she's got her magic back, duh.
Well, tomorrow - or rather later as the clock proved it already was tomorrow - she'd probably have to confront Regina. David hadn't given up yet and she and Emma wouldn't let him go alone to Belle's for fear of an escalation of the situation.
It felt weird, sleeping in the bed she had shared with Regina for so long with David snoring on Regina's side of the bed. Sleeping next to Regina had always been so quiet. So quiet that she'd sometimes checked for a heartbeat or a breath when she woke up in the middle of the night.
One time when she'd checked for her pulse, Regina had woken up and scared her to death and back, asking her what she was doing and if she'd turned into a vampire who was now out for her blood. And then Regina's melodious laughter had filled the room.
"You should've seen your face, honey," she had laughed and then asked, "but seriously darling... Are you checking my pulse or is this some new kind of foreplay?"
And seeing Regina's smirk had made her laugh and forget about the shock. They'd laughed so hard that they had woken up Henry who'd been five back then.
And his "mom, mommy?" had made the two of them jump, screeching in fear like teenagers, making their little one laugh in the process for being able to scare them like this.
It was a night Snow loved to remember. Everything had been so easy between all three of them and now? Now she didn't even really know where her heart belonged... She loved David. Of course she did. But she'd been with Regina for almost 3 decades, wonderful three decades. And she'd felt loved and had loved back with every fiber of her heart.
And now, remembering this night from 6 years ago, she couldn't help but wonder if Regina had after all forgotten her old life with every one of them... Could it be?
TBC - wow, aren't we spoiled ;)