As much as I would like to own them, all the characters of Once Upon A Time belong to ABC - I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended. This is purely for entertainment purposes. All writing is my own. I do not own Once Upon A Time, it's plot or it's characters.
I started this one just after the season finale. I'm sad Meghan has left the show, but I still ship Red Snow, so here you go. This one is basically my little 'imagining' of their first night on the ship. Enjoy!
Red's hair fluttered about in the wind as she sat with her back up against the side of the ship. The evening air was warm as she surveyed the other people on deck. To save Henry they had decided to bring some extra man power. She smiled as Mulan milled about on deck, checking things to keep herself occupied. She had left Aurora in Storybrooke, albeit reluctantly, to make sure that the town was safe alongside Belle. However, as much as she hated leaving her girlfriend, Emma was her best friend and she would do anything to help her and her family get Henry back.
Her gaze then drifted to Gold who was stood watching Hook steer the ship. He'd literally been there all day. Red knew that if he could stare daggers Hook would have been long dead by now.
A flash of blonde hair appeared in the corner of her vision and she turned to see Emma about to go back down below deck, her arms filled with blankets. She nodded at her mother before disappearing down below, the two of them sharing a heart to heart mother-to-daughter talk about Henry only a few minutes ago. Now she was going downstairs to comfort her wife, just like Red had told her to.
Red was brought out of her haze when she heard a familiar voice. "You always did want to travel on a ship someday."
Red looked up and smiled, her wife stood in front of her with a blanket draped around her shoulders. Her face was illuminated in a soft orange glow from one of the many lamps that were littered about hanging just above the deck.
"That I did" Red smiled, opening her arms.
Snow smiled and knelt in between Red's legs, kissing her softly before placing her back against her front. Red's arms wrapped around her waist straight away and she smiled at the feeling, grateful that she had her wife there with her as they ventured into another realm to find their grandson. She knew that they'd been reminded of the true value of family that day and she wanted nothing more than contact with her wife.
"Why are you up here? I'm cold downstairs." The smaller woman said, a shiver running down her spine.
"I just needed some time to think that's all. Plus, it's kind of peaceful up here once you get used to the sound of the waves and the creaking of the ship."
Snow felt her wife bury her head in her neck, inhaling her scent. She knew why she was doing it, the taller woman using it as a coping method. Snow couldn't blame her. Their grandson had been kidnapped and he meant the world to them too, not just his two mothers.
She felt Red push aside some of her shoulder length hair and miss her bare neck, making her shiver. "Red!" She giggled, squirming in her wife's hold. Although no matter how hard she tried she was no match for the brunette's incredible strength.
When they sobered a little Snow let herself relax into her embrace. "What were you and Emma talking about?" She asked as she rubbed Red's arms, which were wrapped tightly around her small waist.
"We had a heart to heart. She was feeling a little down about Henry. No one else saw it so I confronted her and she broke down. She's just gone down below now to talk with Regina. Is that where you've just been?"
Snow nodded. "Regina was devastated. Everything's happened so fast, but at least she has Emma and us, as much as we find it awkward to be around her sometimes. We also had a heart to heart and she seemed OK when I left her"
Red nodded and nuzzled into her wife's neck, savoring the feeling of her being in her arms. "Even though it's not under the best circumstances, I'm glad you're here with me. I'm glad we're doing this as a family, no matter how much we might dislike some of that family" She growled, her gaze landing on Gold.
Snow reached up and cupped her wife's face backwards with one of her hands, rubbing at her jaw slightly. "Calm down, mama wolf. I'm glad we're together, and I'm glad we can be there for Emma and our daughter/mother-in-law."
"Me too" The taller woman said, letting her head rest back in the crook of Snow's neck, feeling herself calm down at the soothing rubbing on her jaw.
Snow shivered. "Come on. I'm cold. Let's go down below. I'm cold and tired"
Red nodded and yawned at the mention of being tired, the days events finally catching up to the werewolf. Snow stood up and offered her hand, the blanket still draped around her shoulder's. They walked over to the hole that led down below, but stopped in front of Mulan, who was pacing.
"You OK Mulan?" Red asked, wrapping an arm around her wife's waist.
The Asian woman looked up and nodded. "Yes. Thank you for your concern"
"OK. Just let us know if you need anything, we've got your back"
Mulan nodded and pulled her leather jacket tighter to her body, trying to keep more heat in. Her sword dangled at her waist as Red and Snow nodded before making their way down below. They made it down just in time to hear their daughter complaining.
"What the hell!"
Red and Snow found her in the sleeping quarters, Regina sat on the top bed sniffling, just how Snow had left her.
"What's wrong Emma?" The raven haired woman asked.
"There's not enough beds"
Red rolled her eyes, her grip on Snow's waist growing even tighter. "Emma, it's a pirate ship"
"I know that" The blonde huffed. "I just thought that it would have more beds due to the fact that there's supposed to be a whole crew on board."
"Calm down, dear. I'm sure it will be fine. We can take a bed each. Your mothers on the bottom and us on the top" Regina suggested, the usually composed woman still sniffling at the loss of their son earlier that day.
Emma looked up at her wife, sighing in defeat at the sight of her tears. "I suppose you're right" They shared a look between each other, Emma apologizing for her complaining with nothing but her eyes.
Red and Snow shared a look of their own, knowing that their daughter would do anything to keep Regina from being upset, no matter how annoyed she was herself. Emma tended to get irritated rather than cry and this was her way of showing that the days events were catching up with her.
Red reached out and placed a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder, to which Emma smiled gratefully, before stepping back and letting her take her boots and coat off. The blonde hoisted herself up and onto the top bunk next to her wife, watching as her mother's took their own shoes and coats off.
"Jeez, how can you be warm like that?" Emma exclaimed, looking at Red's bare arms.
The werewolf shrugged, Snow answering for her. "She's naturally warm like that. How do you think I kept myself warm whilst we stayed in our cabin when I was pregnant with you?"
Red smiled as she pulled off her boots, sharing a look with her wife. Emma looked at her confused as Regina rested her head on her shoulder. "What do you mean?"
Snow glanced at Red and then up at her daughter. "Whilst I was pregnant with you, me and Red went on a little vacation to our cabin in the woods. It was cold at night and she kept me and you warm whilst you were in my tummy"
A small grin tugged at her lips and Red's too, Emma's shocked face making them let go and laugh out loud. Emma looked at her wife who was grinning and then back at her mother's. "Wait. Because I'm a wolf as well does that mean I'm warm like that too?" She asked, looking at Red specifically. Red just shrugged and Emma looked back at her wife. "Am I warm?"
Regina picked her head up off if her shoulder, linking their arms together. "Of course. Ever since we started dating I thought that you were abnormally warm. I grew to love it and haven't thought about it until now"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Regina shrugged. "I didn't think it was important. Why are you worrying about it so much?"
Emma sighed and rubbed her forehead before looking at her parents accusingly. "I hate you guys" She mumbled as if she were a ten year old.
Red and Snow laughed, high-fiving before sitting down on their bunk. "I love my daughter" Red gushed as she waited for Snow to finish taking off her shoes.
Snow smiled. "So do I" She said in a teasing tone.
Emma just groaned as she fell back on the bed, covering her face with one of the pillows. Regina just snickered at her wife's antics, the mood cheering her up slightly after their son being taken from them earlier in the day.
Red and Snow just laughed at their daughter. Red kissed the side of her wife's head and then stood up, resting her arms on the bunk above. Regina looked at her and then nudged Emma.
"What?" She mumbled from under the pillow. Regina just nudged her again. "What?!" Emma growled, sitting up and removing the pillow from her head to glare at her lover. She then followed Regina's gaze towards her mother, blushing.
Red just smirked. She the reached out and took one of Regina's hands into her own and then one of her daughter's. "I just wanted to let you two know that you're not in this alone"
Snow joined her wife and placed a comforting hand on the small of her back. "Yes. We're going to do this as a family. We're here for you and we will find Henry, together."
Emma glanced at Regina and moved closer to her, allowing the brunette to lean against her. The blonde smiled genuinely at her family and smiled. She then lent forward and hugged her mother's, Regina doing the same in a rare display of affection to her ex-enemies.
"Thanks" The blonde sniffled, rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand.
Regina just pulled her into her and kissed the top of her head. Red and Snow shared a look before they sat down on their bunk below. Snow waited for Red to make herself comfortable and then slid under the blankets. Red held her arms open wide and Snow snuggled into her, her head resting in the crook of her wife's neck as they lay face to face as they lay in a tight embrace. Snow breathed in her lover's unique scent and felt the werewolf's warmth surrounding her.
Above them Regina was doing the same, her head resting on Emma's chest as she heard her heart quietly thumping beneath her ear. The steady rhythm set her at ease as she snuggled into her, now noticing the heat that Red had mentioned. Shaking it off, she focused on her lover, feeling Emma's arms wrap around her tightly. Soon enough their breathing evened out and they both let sleep overtake them.
Below, Snow was waited for a bit before whispering. "Red, are you still awake?"
Red looked into her wife's eyes and smiled. "Yeah" The smaller woman lent up and kissed her before pulling away, insecurity lacing her features causing Red to frown and tighten her arms around her. "Snow, what's wrong?"
The smaller woman sighed, snuggling into her wife. "I just want everything to be OK"
Red guided one of her hands up to the back of her head, tangling her fingers through her lover's raven locks. Her fingers started massaging Snow's scalp soothingly, already calming her down.
"Everything's going to be fine. We're doing this as a family, and I'll be here with you every step of the way"
Red felt Snow nod against her chest. "Just promise me one thing"
"What?" The taller woman asked.
"If I get cold you'll wolf out and keep me warm?"
Red grinned, knowing that not only her but Emma too would be wolfing out to keep their wife's warm. She also knew she couldn't say anything but yes as her wife wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Yes dear"