A long long long long long time not there :D I'm back... at least for this chapter :D I hope you enjoy this chapter :*
Regina woke up a few hours later. Snow covering the ground already 10 inches. She shivered violently but it doesn't mattered to her. Her family hated her even though she didn't do anything. She had no one. So she just laid there under the log where underneath a hole was in which she was curled up right now. She watched the snow falling down and sighed. She wondered how long she would survive before she either froze to death or starved.
She started sobbing when she thought about Meli and Henry. But at least Meli would survive now after Snow White's donation. She could live a happy life with her true family. And she would do what everyone wanted from her all her life. She just would die alone in some dirty hole and would be found in a few months when people would go back out. Regina laid there for another two hours until suddenly a small animal joined her. Regina shrieked surprised and jumped a bit back just to hit her head against the log. She lost consciousness.
Emma was standing in front of her window. She felt guilty and scared. She had hit Regina although she was innocent. She didn't protect her when Regina needed her the most. She didn't protect her although she had promised her. "Fuck!" She screamed and took a lamp and threw it against a wall. She looked on the clock in her room. It was 5am. She walked to a window and saw the high snow. She cursed again and suddenly felt a small hand tugging her sleeve. Emma turned her head and saw Melanie in winter clothes. "Get your things. We need to find Mom. It's morning now." Melanie growled and Emma nodded.
She got in her things and woke up the rest of her family. They all quickly got their things. "Where could she be?" Emma asked. They all followed Melanie. "There is a shortcut to a place in the woods. I guess she is there." Melanie answered. "Snow and I will look at the cabin in the woods." David said and Emma nodded. They split up. After an unsuccessful search for Regina at the shortcut Emma and the children made their way to the cabin where they met Snow and David again. "Grumpy and Nova were here yesterday and they indeed saw her. She ran into this direction." David said and pointed to a small path.
Regina found consciousness again and opened her eyes. Her head hurt like hell. The animal which had slipped underneath the log stared at her softly. It was a fox. "Kill me... you survive the winter and I don't have to live anymore. It's for both of us a win situation." Regina told the fox. She closed her eyes when she saw that the fox walked to her. But the fox just pushed her on her back and curled up on her. He snuggled close to her and tried his best to keep her warm. She wrapped her arms around the fox. "Thank you." She whispered and the fox just nudged her with his nose. He softly got up and shoved the snow out of the log. He looked at Regina as he was trying to tell her to wait and that he was coming back soon before he ran away. Regina curled up again and waited.
Emma and the group flinched when suddenly the fox bursted through the bushes. He looked at them and remembered their smell on Regina's body but she was so sad that he didn't wanted to lead them to her. They ignored him and searched further but the sight got too bad and they went into the cabin Nova and Grumpy left again. The fox had been there too and stole a thick blanket which was in a bag. Grumpy had forgotten it. The fox ran through the cabin and looked around. Soon he found a bag m&m's and grabbed it. He carried the things to the log and crawled underneath it.
Regina looked at him shocked and surprised. "You..." She breathed out. The fox pushed the bag to her and she opened it with shaky hands. She pulled out the blanket and wrapped herself in it. "Thank you." She whispered and offered the fox to sleep with her in the warm blanket. He took the m&m's and laid down by her stomach. He pushed the bag to her and then held the blanket in place while she opened the bag and started eating. She offered him a few too and he munched them happily. He leaned his head against her chest and looked into her eyes happily. "Why are you so good to me?" She asked him and he licked her nose. She smiled softly and wiped it away.
"I miss Emma... I love her so much and she... she doesn't love me... she hit me but I want her... I love her just too much... and I love our children... but they will never love me again. Never. And everything because my mother is a bitch..." She sobbed and the fox licked her tears away. He looked at her softly and tried to make her happy. But she just closed her eyes and tried to sleep. The fox stayed with her for a bit until the snow lessened.
After the snow lessened again the group started searching again. It was already dark again. "We won't find her..." David whined and Emma shushed him. "I'm freezing too but I won't give up! Not when the love of my life is threatened!" Emma growled. The fox appeared in front of them and they pulled their weapons. The fox whimpered and glared at them. Melanie pushed David's and Emma's guns down and kneeled in front of the fox. "Do you know where my mom is?" She asked him and the fox yelped happily. He recognized her scent. He started running and they quickly followed him. They arrived at the log and he looked at the hole pointedly.
Emma lowered herself on her knees and looked under the log. She saw Regina and quickly grabbed her by the blanket and pulled her out. Emma picked her up quickly and they made their way back to the cabin. "She is ice cold." Emma whispered to Snow and David quickly lightened a fire. They placed the bed right in front of it and tugged her in more blankets. The fox was sitting at Regina's feet and looked at her contently. Emma stroked through Regina's hair and sighed relieved when the color returned to Regina's lips. Melanie and Henry were sitting next to the bed and stared at her scared. Snow and David cooked some food.
"Will she wake up again?" Henry asked and Emma nodded. "She is just exhausted.I think without the fox she would have died a few hours ago because of the snow. He saved her with bringing her the blanket." Emma said and they all looked at him. He tilted his head and it looked like he was smiling. Emma softly petted his head and he yelped happily. "You were such a good boy, weren't you?" She asked and he licked her fingers. They heard Regina groaning softly and Emma was directly by her side again. "Regina..." She breathed out softly. Regina looked at her shocked and tried to get up but her arms and legs were too weak.
"Sh. Everything is alright. Everything is alright now." Emma whispered and held Regina tightly against her body. Her thin cold arms wrapped around Emma and sobs racked through her body. "It... it wasn't me..." She sobbed and Emma nodded. "I know... and I'm sorry for what I did...this behavior was unacceptable. I love you." Emma answered and cupped Regina's cheeks. Their foreheads rested against each other and they stared into each other's eyes. "I love you too." Regina told her and Emma kissed her softly. Melanie and Henry were standing by the bed and Regina turned her head. She pulled both into their hug. "I love you. Both of you." She whispered and the children nodded crying against her neck. "We love you too, Mom." Henry answered and Regina sniffled happily.
She pressed kisses on both of their heads and smiled softly at them. The fox climbed on her lap and she chuckled. "Thank you for saving me." She said and hugged the fox. "Can we keep him, Mom?" Melanie asked and Regina looked to Emma who shrugged. "If he wants to." She said and the fox yelped happy. Snow and David looked at the reunion and smiled relieved. "So... your mother imprisoned you the moment you married my father?" Snow asked and Regina shook her head. "Even before. I did saved your life, Snow. I did told you about true love but at the wedding it was my mother. She kept me in the dungeons underneath the castle... I saw David too. He was sitting directly in front of me." She answered and David tried to remember.
"You always cried so awfully..." He said and Regina nodded saddened. "I had nightmares... of my mother... I don't want to harm anyone and then she was using my body and destroyed a whole family... I never wanted that... I tried a last maneuver when your father asked 'me' where mother is and she had to get me out of the dungeon. I told him something about cheating on him for a long time and that I couldn't be together with him anymore... She punished me hard for it and took the memories from everyone..." Regina told them and Snow was by her side. "I'm so sorry, Regina..." She said and took her hand. She rubbed it to warm it up and Regina smiled softly. "It's alright, Snow. I don't blame you." Regina answered and cupped Snow's cheek.
They liked each other a lot. "We can be a better family now." She assured her and Snow nodded. Regina laid down on the bed again and Emma spooned her. Melanie and Henry laid down in front of her and they all wrapped the blanket around her. The fox laid down on Regina's pillow and huffed. "We still need a name for him." Regina said. "Are you even a him, yes, aren't you?" The fox nodded and they grinned. "Foxi?" Henry asked and they heard the huff of the fox again. "Hope." Melanie said and they all looked to the fox who seemed content with the name. "Hello, Hope. Welcome to the family." Emma said and they fell asleep.
TBC...?