You all have been more than patient, so without further ado...
Holiday Spirit
Chapter 21
The Mills family sat around a booth in Granny's, the kids chattering away excitedly while working on far too-large helpings of ice cream. Regina had her own small dish (insisting on the smaller amount, but indulging in the double-fudge brownie) and watched them converse with a smile. Until she caught sight of Snow White headed directly for them.
Noticing the sudden change of expression, David looked up as well and slid out of the booth quickly, heading off any scene that might arise.
"Mary Margaret—" he started in a tired voice, but she shook her head and held one hand up in the air to stop his speech, the other resting on top of her swollen belly.
"I just wanted to talk," she told him quietly. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to interrupt, but I know I never returned your phone call the other day. I've been feeling guilty about it and at least wanted to figure out a time we could have that chat."
David glanced over his shoulder to Regina, a question in his eyes. They were close enough to the table that she would have been able to hear Snow's words. She gave a slight nod, so he turned back to Snow, completely missing the troubled expression on his eldest daughter's face.
"How about now?" he asked her.
"N…now? I mean, sure, but…really, David, I don't want to intrude if—"
"It's alright. We were celebrating with ice cream. I've finished mine, but the kids still have a ways to go. I'm free to talk for a little while if you want."
Snow looked relieved and led the way out through the back hallway and around the corner. They found Granny's small, private entryway – a place they could sit and talk without much chance of being interrupted.
Once they were settled in, Snow cleared her throat. "I'm sorry again about not calling you back sooner. I just – well, things have been crazy, as I'm sure you well know."
David smiled, nodding. "I'm sorry, too. For it just being a phone call and not a face-to-face. I know I ran out of there pretty quickly that night."
She waved a hand, frowning and shaking her head. "Isabella was in the hospital, David. Of course I understood." She sighed and then took a deep breath. "That's actually a large part of why I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to apologize again for those awful things I said that first day. I can't believe what I did. I guess I was just feeling overwhelmed."
David started to respond, but she stopped him.
"No. If it's okay with you, I'll feel better to just say everything I have to say and then you can have a turn, okay?"
He found her request a little worrisome, but nodded anyway and watched her fidget with her hands in her lap for a few moments before beginning again.
"I got a chance to spend some time with Isabella this afternoon," she started out. At his confused look, she added, "I still work at the school. I was there helping for the performance today."
"Of course," he realized.
"She's wonderful, David, truly," she told him, smiling genuinely. "She's so sweet and kind. Very thoughtful for her age."
"She is," David agreed.
"The spitting image of Regina, but talking with her – there's so much of you in her David. I can tell she's your daughter."
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not exactly sure how to respond to that.
"I'm glad," she said, surprising him. He looked up at her to find her smiling and nodding at him with watery eyes. "I really, really am. It makes all of this just a little bit easier," she admitted. "Knowing you're happy. Because I have to admit something, David – I've been spending time with Derek, and I really like him. Things are easy with him, simple. The way it used to be between us. But it hasn't been that way for a while, has it?" she asked, looking deeply into his eyes.
He took a shaky breath. He'd been caught off guard by her admission, but he shook his head. "No, it hasn't."
She nodded, wiping away a stray tear. "It's a boy," she told him, rubbing her stomach. "We went to the doctor the day before yesterday."
"That's…Mary Margaret, that's great!" He smiled. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks." She looked down shyly, but when she looked up again, her expression had grown serious again. "You are happy – aren't you?"
He watched her while he considered his answer. "Yes," he finally told her. "I do love you, Snow – I always will – but we changed, I think. We've tried working through our differences, and so far, all it's led to is more arguing. This time apart has shown me that I'm different now, and so are you. Everything that's happened – the curse, our time here, Neverland – we are different. And it's not a bad thing. It's just…"
"Maybe not right for us? Together?" she asked, as if she were hoping he'd agree, and he did. "Do you think that if this world goes away and things go back to how they were, it'll be different?"
"Honestly?"
She nodded.
"No."
"Henry was right," she chuckled with little humor. "He saw how miserable we all were – we were just in denial, I suppose."
"He didn't want it this way," he told her. "He didn't mean for it to happen."
"I know," she assured. "I had a chance to talk to Henry for a bit the other day and he told me everything about what happened." Her nose wrinkled when she thought about it. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of it and what it means. I don't suppose you two have figured out what she was talking about?" she asked, referring to him and Regina, and he shook his head. She sighed. "Regardless, maybe this is what was meant to happen," she said thoughtfully. "We were always too scared to try being apart, and this forced us into it."
He laughed. "Extremely forcefully."
"David…" She twisted her wedding band around her finger and looked up at him. "Are you okay over there – with Regina?"
"It's been something to get used to, but I am. I love spending the day with my kids, and Regina and I don't argue anymore. We've found a common ground."
Snow smiled again. "I'm glad. Well, I suppose we'd better be getting back." Placing a hand under her stomach, she pushed the other one back behind her to raise herself to her feet.
David quickly stood and extended his hand to her. She took it gratefully and once she was on her feet again, she brought their joined hands between them and gave his a squeeze. "I'll be seeing you around, Nolan," she told him. Charming wouldn't have been appropriate, she knew. It would have been too painful.
"Yeah," he said rather sadly. "I'll see you later."
She waved and exited through the door leading directly outside.
For a minute, he could only stand there and stare after her, in shock of what had just happened, but he eventually managed to shake himself out of it and headed back to rejoin his family.
David dropped onto the couch in an exhausted heap as the twins ran past him, still on a sugar high.
"Henry, would you mind keeping an eye on the twins for half an hour?" she wondered. She needed a break. She'd been keeping her eye on the rambunctious children all day, and though it was near naptime now, they were far too hyped for sleep just yet.
"Sure!" Henry called enthusiastically, also jazzed up. "I don't mind." He called after his brother and sister, threatening a tickle-fight if he caught them and Regina shook her head as she rubbed circles on Ben's back, trying to soothe him to sleep.
Isabella appeared then, looking tentative as she hovered off to the side of the couch. Regina felt the presence and looked over.
"Isabella, honey, come here." She held a hand out to the girl and when Isabella took it, she pulled her to stand in front of herself and David. She'd grown more and more quiet as the other children had continued to gain momentum in their sugar rushes.
Izzy shifted awkwardly on her feet, studying the floor.
"Darling, what is it? Something has been bothering you."
She looked up at her parents sheepishly and gave a little nod.
"You can tell us," David assured. "It's okay."
"It's just..." she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, chewing on it nervously. "Are you and mommy getting a divorce?" she blurted, looking back and forth between them.
"Oh, honey," Regina said, squeezing her hand. "Of course not. We've talked about this."
Ben gurgled and screeched and Regina bounced him a little to try and settle him.
"What makes you think we are?" David asked, frowning. He thought they'd overcome that problem with him moving in. They'd begun to function the way families should, and Izzy had seemed happy until this afternoon.
She took a deep breath before answering, but then let it all out in one big jumble of words. "Well you sleep on the couch every night instead of in your room, and you and mommy don't hug anymore or hold hands, and you spent lots of time with Mary Margaret, and today when we were getting ready for the play, she was saying sorry for being mean before and asking me all these questions about you and mommy. Are you sure you're not getting a divorce?" she asked miserably.
"Promise," David told her.
"I just haven't been sleeping well," Regina provided. "I didn't want to keep daddy from sleeping, either, so he's been sleeping down here."
Izzy didn't seem to accept the excuse. "Are you gonna keep sleeping down here?" she asked, looking at David.
"No," Regina told her before David had a chance to answer. "I think it's time he got to sleep on a bed again."
She watched them carefully, far more observant than the average six year old. "You're not going to leave?" she asked her father quietly.
"I'm not leaving."
"What about what Mary Margaret was asking?" she continued, still not trusting that they were telling the truth.
"I think she's just nervous about the baby coming," he told her – it wasn't a complete lie. "A baby is a big responsibility and it can be scary when you don't know what to do."
"So because you have us, she wants you to tell her what to do?"
Regina let out a small chuckle, which David cut off with narrowed eyes.
"You could say that."
"And how come you don't wear the necklace anymore?"
It seemed there was no limit to the questions Isabella had as to why things were not the way they normally would be.
"The necklace?" Regina questioned.
Izzy nodded. "The one daddy gave you?"
She looked over at him to see him give a small shrug.
"How about tomorrow you can help me put it on?" Regina asked.
The girl nodded, smiling a little more easily now.
"Think you're gonna be ready for sleep soon?" David asked, standing up and pulling her in for a hug. "It's been a long day, huh?"
She held her arms up for him and he swung her up as she giggled. She laid her head on his shoulder and yawned. "Do I have to take a nap?"
"Mm," he hummed the affirmative. "You'll want to be well rested for when we go play in the snow later, and I'm sure your brother and sister will be fast asleep very soon."
Oliver chose that moment to run into the room, giggling madly and pressing into Regina's leg, hiding from Henry and Ellie who were chasing after him.
"As soon as they crash from all of that sugar," he amended.
"Alright," Regina said, standing as well. "Time to get ready for sleep." Though the twins whined and pouted, Oliver took her hand when she offered it and she walked him up the stairs. She changed Ben and put him in his crib first, though he fussed as soon as he was down. She left it as she and David fought the twins into lying down and sure enough, they were asleep nearly as soon as their heads hit the pillow.
They found Henry asleep on top of his quilt, so David helped Regina move him enough to pull the blanket up over him. It seemed even he needed a rest after the first half of the day.
With the rest of the children asleep, David followed behind Regina as she went straight back to Ben's nursery. He was still fussing, turning his head back and forth in exhausted frustration.
"Hey there," she cooed, reaching out for him. "Too tired to sleep?" she asked, settling him in her arms.
"He just wants to hang out with us, huh, buddy?" David asked.
Regina turned around, smiling quickly at him before focusing back down at Ben. "Is that what it is? Tricky, tricky. I suppose you can stay with us for a little while."
They moved back down to the living room before Regina settled him in her lap, gazing down at her youngest son. She played with his little fingers and toes and he watched her – on the verge of tears, but no longer crying.
David leaned in, watching him. "He has your eyes," he said softly.
She hummed. "But your cheekbones and hair."
"He doesn't even have prominent cheekbones yet."
"You can see it, David. He looks like you."
"He looks like both of us. He's beautiful. They all are."
"Who would have though the two of us could do this? That these children could come from us?"
David shrugged, raising an eyebrow at her. "Well, it's actually not too hard to believe. Look at their mother."
She blushed slightly. "You're not so bad looking yourself," she told him. "Not having Snow White glued to your side has raised your level of attractiveness significantly."
"I don't know if I should be angry or flattered."
"Maybe a little of both," she replied, smiling. "But mainly flattered."
They watched as Ben finally drifted off to sleep to the sound of their voices.
"We have an hour to clean this place up before they're all awake again wanting to play outside," she warned him.
"Aww, but it's nap time. Don't we get to indulge a little?"
She chuckled at his puppy dog expression. "Not today, sorry. The twins left a trail of destruction. That's the last time we give them ice cream right before coming home. They have to have a chance to burn it all off first."
"Well that's no fun," he joked. He reached out a hand and helped her to her feet so she could lay Ben in his playpen.
"You want fun?" She looked back over her shoulder as she headed down the hallway. "You can clean the kitchen."
"What a day," Regina sighed, leaning back into the couch cushions and closing her eyes. The early morning drama of getting four kids and a baby ready – two princesses included – had been exhausting enough, but then the play, ice cream, and an afternoon spent building snowmen had taken what little energy she'd had left.
"You're not kidding," David agreed. "Here."
She opened her eyes to find him holding out a glass of wine. It had started to become a sort of routine for them; get the kids to bed, glass of wine in the living room, chat a bit, and then off to bed themselves. They both found they rather enjoyed it – even looked forward to it during the day.
"You did a great job with those costumes," David complimented, taking a seat next to her. "The girls looked great."
"Well thank you, but I didn't do them." Her brow furrowed. "Or I did, but it wasn't me." Chuckling at his confused expression, she admitted, "They were already done. I found them in the closet."
"Ah." He laughed. "So future Regina either uses sneaky magic or is a fantastic seamstress."
She hummed in amusement. "A sorceress seamstress, huh?" She looked down at her glass. "I keep waiting to wake up and find this has all been a dream," she told him, taking another generous swallow of wine. "In a lot of ways, I've grown so used to all of this, but I know in the back of my mind that it won't last. It's the not knowing that's driving me crazy."
"Exactly. In the beginning it was because of how wrong it all seemed, and now it's because I'm afraid of it ending."
"Even though you have to spend so much time with the Evil Queen?"
It wasn't the hurt tone it had been in the beginning and he looked over to find her smirking.
"Well, balance of the universe and all that."
She glanced up at the clock. "We'd better consider turning in for the evening if we want to have any hope of being up for the kids in the morning."
He sighed. "That's one thing I haven't adjusted to yet. Early bedtime."
She stretched and stood up. "Eventually the exhaustion will catch up with you the rest of the way."
"Oh, yay," he laughed. They rinsed their glasses in the sink before heading upstairs.
David exited the walk-in closet to find Regina sitting up against the headboard, wearing her glasses again and deeply absorbed in a folder, which was open in her lap.
He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly – dealing with the sight before him. "What's that?" he asked, hoping for some sort of distraction.
"Hmm?" She looked up at him. "Paperwork from the office." She capped the pen she'd been tapping lightly on the page as she read.
"Christmas break and you're still working?"
"A mayor's job is never done," she informed him with a smile. "Especially with all this snow." She closed the folder and set it on the nightstand, folding her glasses neatly on top before picking up a bottle of lotion and rubbing a small amount into her hands. "Ready for bed, Mr. Mills?"
His face froze in an odd expression as his brain tripped over the question.
"Oh relax, David, I'm joking. This situation is awkward enough as it is; I thought I might try to lighten the mood. Apparently I should have kept my mouth shut."
He pulled the comforter down and slid in, looking at her tiredly. "You're actually taking this better than I am. I'm surprised." At her frown, he added, "Because of me. You've never been all that fond of me, and here we are, forced to play happy married couple. Thank you for not trying to make it harder."
She gave him a light smile. "You're not all bad. And if we're going to make this work for Isabella, we can't afford to make it more difficult for ourselves."
"You're not so bad yourself," he told her. "While we're paying each other such large compliments."
Chuckling lightly, she slid a little further down. "Goodnight, David."
"Goodnight."
He scooted down as she reached over to turn out the light.