A/N: Charming's fairytale name in this story is James to help separate everything out later on plus it annoys me that he doesn't get a second name like everyone else does in Once.
Thanks for the reviews! You guys never fail to make me smile
Hope you enjoy this chapter! It's an important one!
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James made his way to children's playset down by the edge of the beach as per Henry's request. The boy had seen James in Granny's that morning and when Regina was distracted by arguing with Ruby over how they cooked their eggs Henry had seen the opportunity to rush over to James and whisper urgently as he walked past the table James was sitting at with his morning coffee.
"Gramps, meet me after school. The playset down near the beach, you'll know it when you see it. We need to talk about Operation Cobra."
And with that he was off again, returning to Regina's side before she noticed his absence. James didn't even question it as he made his way to the structure, the waves crashing into the sand as he walked down the beach. Henry was right, he knew it instantly. The playset was designed like a castle and it didn't take a genius to figure out this is what remained of his and Snow's home in this world. They'd walked up the beach outside their home so many times and to see the once grand castle reduced in such a way caused James to frown.
Just another like victory for Regina.
"Gramps!" Henry's voice called out to him as he saw his grandfather approaching. The boy was up in a second and barrelled over to James as fast as his legs could carry him. James barely had time to realise Henry didn't plan on slowing down and crouched down as the boy flew into his grandfather's arm.
Henry hugged him fiercely, his arms around James' neck and the Prince felt a pang in his chest at missing this with both Henry and Emma. He hugged the boy back just as strongly as Henry was clinging to him, taking comfort in the fact that all of his family wasn't lost here.
James released Henry after a moment seeing a wide grin on his face, "I can call you that, right? I should have probably asked first but…"
"Of course you can call me that, Henry." James cut in, "Maybe only when we are alone for now though, okay?"
He nodded eagerly, "Our secret, Gramps." He agreed as James stood up and Henry led him over to the castle that was once his home.
"You lived here," Henry replied, "Well not here exactly but you lived in a castle in a similar place back in the Enchanted Forest."
James nodded, "It was a bit bigger than one."
"Will I get to see it one day?" Henry asked with hopeful eyes, "We can ride horses and you can teach me how to use a sword. Emma as well."
James looked down at his grandson and tried not to fall to his knees because this is what it came down to for Henry. He wanted a family, a proper one where he could learn how to be a Prince and had a mom that liked spending time doing things with her son. James' chest ached for the boy whose green eyes were staring into his own.
He nodded firmly, "I would love that." He smiled and with everything in him he was going to make sure Henry got his wish.
The boy seemed appeased by his answer, "We need to get Emma to break the curse. That's what's meant to happen I just don't know how yet. I've given her the book, we need to make her believe."
"Henry," James started cautiously, "Emma doesn't have faith like you do, she isn't ready and I won't force her into it until she wants to hear it. She is my daughter before she is the saviour."
Henry sighed and climbed to sit in his usual spot on the play castle, "I know. How can she bring back the happy endings if she doesn't believe in her own?"
James was stunned by his perceptiveness for a moment, "We'll help her find it." He decided.
"She thinks her parents abandoned her, maybe that's how we get her to believe. You found her again, even if you can't tell her yet you can be there for her then when she understands the truth she'll believe." Henry exclaimed and James had to admire the boy's optimism considering he felt like everything was slipping out of his control right now.
He nodded, "Let me worry about Emma, I think I know how to help her with those walls. It's Snow I need your help with."
Henry's head snapped up at the idea of being able to help his grandfather in anyway and James felt pride at the fact that this boy shared his blood.
"I found her, or I suppose she found me." James smiled, "But she doesn't remember and I need to wake her up as soon as possible. It's important."
He couldn't explain why it was so important to wake up Snow because he didn't want Henry to know about Jason. He was too young for that and it wasn't a burden James wanted anyone else to bare, his grandson was dealing with enough.
"True Love's Kiss." Henry said suddenly, "It worked before, you woke her from the sleeping curse and when she drank that potion you kissed her and she remembered you. That has to be it. You have to kiss her."
James briefly wondered just how much of their story was in this book of Henry's. He would have to ask the boy if he could read it at some point.
He mulled Henry's plan over in his mind and logically it made sense and James had entertained that same idea in the back of his mind himself. The problem was that it had been 28 years and James wasn't sure just how deeply Regina's magic was seated in his wife.
He had to do something though because Snow was living a lie and could be in danger. Their love had worked before, it had led them to each other and had allowed them to save each other and maybe it would work again. He just needed her to remember something; anything that would bring Snow to the surface.
No, if he had faith in anything it was their love.
It had worked before.
It had to work again.
…
Regina was careful as she slipped out of the bed, her feet touching the plush carpet as she sat up and reached for her robe. The silk felt cool against her skin as she wrapped the material around her frame and stood up, keeping an eye on Graham who was still asleep on his stomach facing away from her.
That didn't surprise her.
She had made sure to supply the Sheriff with plenty of scotch before leading him into her bedroom tonight and it seemed to have the desired effect. Instead of Graham leaving at the first chance he got he had passed out shortly after their activities and hadn't moved seen. Regina made sure to lay there for a good half an hour to make sure he was definitely asleep before moving.
Her feet moved silently over to the other side of the room as Regina reached out to pull open the top left side draw of her dresser. It barely made a sound as it opened and she retrieved the item she wanted.
The box was small and wooden, emitting a soft glow into the darkness of her bedroom as Regina set it down on top of her dresser. She smiled as the soft sound of beating filled the room, her fingers running over the smooth edges of the box before opening it.
The soft red glow got a bit brighter but it still wasn't enough to so much as stir Graham from his sleep. The Mayor reached the heart from inside, its appearance resembling glass thanks to her preservation spell but it shone bright and pure all the same.
A heart as pure as the man it belonged to.
The same man currently in her bed.
Her curse was coming and that meant there was only one thing left to do. Make sure Snow knew she had failed this time.
Regina and her knights stormed the castle and she was only a little taken back when neither Snow nor Charming met her attack in person. She used her magic to dispose of many of their guards like they were nothing and in the grand scheme of things they weren't. This was Regina's triumph, her happy ending.
She was already in the castle when she heard it. Snow's cry of pain. Normally this would have pleased Regina to no end but she had ordered her knights not to harm her step-daughter. Her fate was already decided. Charming however, was fair game.
This cry could only mean one thing. Snow was or had just given birth.
Not something Regina considered but she supposed taking the child and raising it as her own in this new world would serve as enough punishment.
"Your Majesty!" The voice was familiar and Regina smirked at the hateful tone. She spun round, cape flapping behind her to face the noble Huntsman.
Regina smirked, "Well, look who became a sheep."
"If you want them, you'll have to kill me first." He vowed, bow raised as he took a steady breath.
"Kill you? Why would I do a thing like that?" Regina asked walking towards him like he was her next prey, "I have a much better use for you, dear."
"Do your worst."
She admired his bravery, "You really would die for them, wouldn't you Huntsman? A man who once preferred animals over people, you held such promise."
The Huntsman held firm, "They saved me."
Regina nodded, "And now you'll get to sacrifice yourself for them."
He shot an arrow straight at her heart but Regina caught it in her hand with ease before using her magic to toss the bow aside. She strode over to him as he stared her down, her hand reaching into his chest as she tore his heart out. The Huntsman gasped in pain as she held it in the palm of her hand, "Your sacrifice will be in vain."
With her free hand she threw the Huntsman against the wall, knocking him unconscious. Regina smiled as she secured his heart in a small wooden box that one of her knights was holding.
It wasn't until she found Snow and Charming she realised she was wrong. His sacrifice wasn't in vain, it was to give Charming time to get the baby to safety.
Regina had considered her options carefully before deciding on this course of action. The bottom line was she need Emma Swan gone and if that wasn't going to happen then she needed to at least be under Regina's control.
Much like Graham was.
That's why he was the perfect man for the job. Not only was he close to Emma as to not arouse suspicion but the Huntsman had some experience in these matters and with Regina pulling his strings there was no way he would fail her this time.
Regina moved to sit on the edge of her bed, Graham's heart still in her hand, "You're going to do something for me, Sheriff." She said softly, pulling at strings she knew Graham had no choice but to follow, "You're going to fix a little problem. Emma Swan. You can take your time, make sure no one suspects anything and when you're alone you're going to reach into your jacket and pull out a very special knife. I want you to take that knife and use it to bring me her heart. You will bring me the heart of Emma Swan."
Graham shifted slightly in the bed but otherwise made no movement. Regina smiled knowing the idea was in place, like a compulsion Graham wouldn't even understand what he was going until he brought the heart to her and she had added it to her collection.
Whoever controlled the heart controlled the person.
And soon Regina would have Emma's as well as Graham's.
She reached into the pocket of her robe for the knife she had put there before Graham had come over. She made a trip to her vault that morning to get the dagger already coated in magic that would allow Graham to take out Emma's heart. She grabbed Graham's jacket from where it was resting on the footboard of her bed, tucking the knife into one of his inside pockets. He would find it when the time was right.
Regina couldn't help but feel the irony.
Giving Graham back the dagger she had given him to carve out Snow White's heart. Only this time, he wouldn't be able to refuse her command.
…
To say Mary had been having a bad week was an understatement and even though she had insisted to Emma that she was fine, Mary wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for about a week.
Jason hadn't mentioned her arrest when she turned up for work the next day even though the shock on his face was plain as day. She wanted to confront him and demand to know what the hell his problem was but she knew she would never do it. That would make her life very difficult at work and she couldn't afford to lose her job. So annoyingly everything came to a standstill at the bar. Alfie was the ever helpful friend and tried to keep her and Jason out of each other's way as much as possible. Other than a few death glares and the odd comment she had been fairly lucky with Jason's attitude towards her.
She wasn't sure if it was guilt or confusion about what happened at the station but Mary was simply thankful it seemed to give him the incentive to back off for a while.
Mary ran her fingers through her bangs, sweeping them to the side as she collected the boxes from the back that Alfie had already broken down for her. She shivered as she stepped out of the back door with the boxes tucked under her arms. The weather was definitely taking a turn of the worst in Maine and she wouldn't be surprised if that got the first sightings of snow before the month was out.
She carried the boxes out to the large industrial recycle bin they kept out back and lifted the lid with one hand, throwing the boxes into the trash with the other. Mary briefly caught sight of the bruise on her upper arm and was thankful to see the mark fading, in a few more days it would be gone completely.
"Hi." A voice from behind her made her jump and in her haste to turn round she let go of the lid she was still holding, the plastic banging against the base as it shut.
David was standing a few feet away with a sheepish smile on his face and Mary had to frown a little at why the newest deputy was there.
"David." She greeted, "You aren't here to arrest me again, I hope."
He laughed and Mary found herself drawn to the sound, his face light and relaxed. He looked so handsome like that.
Where had that come from?
Mary pushed that thought to the back of her mind, refusing to acknowledge it.
"I just wanted to check on you." David replied, "Make sure everything was okay."
Mary sighed, "I told you, I'm fine." She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, "I do have to get back to work though." She did not want this conversation and thought she had made her escape as she turned and heading back inside when she heard David's voice from behind her.
"Do you believe in other lives?" The question threw her and she stopped in her tracks.
She turned to face him, "What?"
He rubbed his jaw, "Other lives? Do you believe that there is more to you than what you know?"
"Are you on medication? Because you might want to get someone to check that out for you." Mary laughed.
David took a step towards her, "I'm being serious. I know it's weird but do you think it's possible we could have met before?"
Mary frowned, "Listen, David. Other lives and stuff, that's not… I don't…"
He nodded softly, "How long have you been working here?"
Another random question and Mary paused, "I don't know. Years, I guess. For as long as I can remember."
"It's that odd?" He pressed, "You can't remember how long you've been here?"
She squinted trying to recall but she couldn't, her mind going hazy. That was odd.
"And maybe if you can't remember how long you've worked here it might be possible that you could have had another life? You just can't remember it?"
Mary thought for a moment, "I guess it's possible."
"And if you were happy in this other life, you'd want to remember it." David replied, stepping a smaller step towards her than last time.
Mary shook her head, "Happy endings aren't real."
"What if they could be?" He sounded distant and his voice was strained, like what he was saying was causing him pain.
For some reason Mary hated the thought of this man feeling any ounce of pain.
"They aren't." Mary insisted, "This is the real world and it's horrible sometimes but it's the only we got have. The sooner we realise that the easier it gets to accept it."
His face looked torn, "No, we don't. We have to fight against it."
Mary wanted to say something although she wasn't sure what and all thoughts left her mind when David closed the gap between them with a determination she hadn't seen before. Mary was too stunned to react as his hands gripped her arms lightly, David crushed her body to his and his lips descended upon her own.
His lips were warm and soft and insistent. That was the first thing Mary registered as his lips moved over hers with a tenderness that Mary couldn't recall anyone ever possessing towards her. Her own lips were frozen in place, not responding no matter how much her heart was pounding or how much heat was pooling in the pit of her stomach.
The second thing she registered was that David Nolan, the handsome ex-comatose patient turned deputy was kissing her like his own life depended on it. Like he was holding his entire world in his hands as his lips ghosted over hers.
His eyes were shut while Mary's were open in shock, something coursing through her veins from where his hands were touching her bare skin.
One hand moved up to her hand, cradling it in his palm with the same gentleness as he had done everything else and Mary found herself wishing he hadn't just pulled his lips from hers even though that thought was completely irrational.
David's eyes were still closed like he was too afraid to open them, his forehead resting against hers, "Come back to me." He whispered into the space between their lips like a pray.
Mary felt a small spike of pain in her head as she pulled away from him, dazed and confused by what exactly has just happened.
He opened his eyes as she moved back, now searching her face for something. Mary didn't understand what.
She reacted on instinct.
Her hand came up, curling into a fist as she hit his jaw, hard, managing to knock him to the ground with a thump.
/
So what did you think? Thoughts?
It was never going to be that easy!
Please review? They mean the world to me thanks!
Next chapter includes: Regina's manipulation over Graham takes hold and a Mary/Emma conversation!