i know it's been 200 years since i updated, so i tried to make this one a tad longer to make it up to you guys. oh, and you angst whores are about to be happy xoxo
David woke to the gentle shifting of the bed, feeling the bright daylight shining in on him even with his eyes closed. He smiled before he opened them at the familiar coo he heard. It amazed him how he could sense Regina and his daughter before he even saw or heard them; He felt their magic. They seemed to all be tethered together by the love they shared, and the magic that the women in his life contained only intensified their bond.
His own bright blue eyes stared back at him when he lifted his head from the pillow, causing his grin to widen. Holding the wielder of those blue eyes in her lap, Regina sat on the bed, dressed in a pair of khaki pants and loose cotton shirt that reminded him of what she wore in the alternate universe, minus the fur. Her hair was even in a loose braid to the side and her face void of any makeup, making her look years younger than the unhappy mayor a few years ago. He guessed her outfit was one of her old ones that she used to go riding in here, though it would've been dressed up with a well tailored blouse over the cotton one. Their incredibly alert daughter reached a chubby hand out from her mother's arms at the sight of her father, bringing him from his daydream appreciation of Regina's attire.
"Good morning," His voice was still gruff from sleep as he reached out for the baby and her mother gingerly handed her to him.
"She's been impatiently waiting for you to wake up," Regina smiled warmly as David sat up against the headboard, allowing Violet to rest against his chest as her head bobbed to stare at him.
"You're wearing your riding boots. What's the special occasion?" He acknowledged the tall brown leather boots she wore before glancing back to his daughter, making an array of silly faces to get a reaction from her.
"I want you to take us somewhere," Regina smiled rather coyly, seeing him glance at her with a curious expression.
"You want to leave the castle...with the kids? But where?" David tried to keep the skepticism from his voice at her idea, noting how hopeful she seemed. Regina wasn't normally the type to get excited or giddy over something, but he loved seeing this side of her. He imagined this was what young Regina was like, before Cora snuffed out her gentle spirit and the Evil Queen came to life.
"I want you to take us to your childhood home," She eyed him and Violet, troubling her lip before giving him a sheepish smile as if she didn't want to admit knowing the next part, "Killian told me you had planned to go there yesterday before he talked you into one too many rounds of ale."
David's heart thumped faster with love for the woman in front of him, seeing the thoughtfulness behind those warm brown eyes, "You really want to go there? It's just a shack really..." He said hesitantly, downplaying his feelings. It wasn't a castle like she grew up in and he felt a little silly to be proudly showing it off to her. Wouldn't she be bored?
"David, coming back and revisiting my history here has really helped me," She pleaded for him to be open to the idea, a hint of vulnerability in her eyes that split his heart wide open, "Being able to create happy memories in this castle that once harbored my worst ones...it helped me work through some things...I think going to your former home could help you, too...and our family should see where we come from, don't you think?"
He considered her words, knowing he couldn't resist but trying to find a way to talk himself out of it, "I love you," David shook his head in disbelief at her consideration that never seemed to cease, leaning forward to kiss her once on the lips. They both laughed when they pulled apart, seeing their daughter's small face peering up from between them with a rather disgruntled expression at the close quarters.
Regina leaned back against the trunk of the tree that provided them shade during their picnic, keeping a mindful eye on Violet who was practicing rolling over on the blanket they'd spread out to sit on. They'd been at David's home place for a good portion of the afternoon, sharing a picnic that she'd prepared the morning before they left. The tree was just a few yards out from the simple, abandoned home where David grew up, the barn and corral adjacent to it.
Neal toddled in the field in front of her, bringing a smile to her face as he clumsily grasped at flowers, looking up to make sure she was watching and smiling proudly as he held a fistful up to show her. She'd grown to love Neal as if he were one of her own, taking up just as much space in her heart as her other two children. Regina's heart had never felt so full or her life so complete. The love she had for David and their family was something she never imagined she'd call her own after Daniel's death.
She could see David and Henry puttering around the barn, chatting happily and both acting like boys as they took turns swinging on the gate. David had shown them all around the farm's layout, recounting stories and pointing out what had been where. Regina noted the pride in his tone, reaffirming her notion that this would be good for him.
She'd often considered how he'd had to pretend as if his past as shepherd didn't exist once he'd been recruited to be the new prince. How he'd had to keep his upbringing a secret and undoubtedly felt his real one paled in comparison to the outsider's appeal of being royalty. Regina wanted him to come here and reconnect with his true roots, to be able to claim his past on this farm as proudly as he did his time in a castle.
Regina began to pack up the remainders from their picnic, wrapping up the bread and putting it back in the basket. It was a beautiful day for this, the wind blowing just enough to keep the sun from being overbearing. Violet was in good spirits, cooing and grunting as she tucked her arms and legs in a determined attempt to roll over. She was growing like a weed and filling out everywhere, her hair becoming darker and fuller, showing a wavy hint of future curls.
"Hey there," She laughed, reaching out to ensure Neal wouldn't fall on Violet as he approached their blanket, running on unsteady toddler legs. He held one hand in the air with a fist of flowers, the other arm swinging wildly beside him as he bounced towards her.
"Mama," Neal addressed her as she caught him in her arms, holding his gift for her in front of her face, "You!"
"For me?" She gave him a wide smile, dropping her mouth in mock surprise as she took the squished wad of flowers from the toddler's rough grip, "How beautiful, thank you so much sweetheart." Their stems were broken and petals missing, but it was still the most beautiful bouquet she'd ever received. Not that she'd ever had a lot sent to her, and never any that meant this much.
She pulled the boy into her lap, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a quick kiss to the top of his head full of dark brown hair. He reminded her of his mother with eyes and expressions that belonged to Snow. It amazed her how much she could love the son of her once greatest enemy and the grandson of a man whom still haunted her dreams. Though when she looked at Neal she only saw a little boy who needed a mother and the son of a man she loved with her entire being.
Henry appeared then after a quick jog from the barn, pulling her from her thoughts, "Hey, we have any more of those cookies left?" He asked with a lopsided grin as he sat down on the blanket, reaching for his sister whose arms started flailing at the sight of her older brother.
"I think we have a few left," Regina couldn't help but smile foolishly at her oldest son, clearly becoming a man before her eyes. He was taller than her now, having taken a growth spurt during their time in the Enchanted Forest. Not that it took much to be taller than her, but he'd definitely surpassed her short frame. He was still very slender and his shoulders had begun to get wider as his body transitioned from boy to teenager. His deepened voice and severely increased appetite was more than proof that her baby boy was far from being a baby.
She was overwhelmed with pride at the young man he was becoming, but it was still bittersweet for her. Henry had taught her many things from the time he was placed in her life; how to love unconditionally, how to connect with someone again, to be a mother, patience, true selflessness...She could only imagine that he'd continue to teach her things for years to come through his unusual wisdom for such a young person.
"Thanks Mom," Henry grinned as he snatched the cookie from the basket, holding Violet up against his chest while she peered over his shoulder and took in the landscape. Neal had busied himself with now destroying the handful of flowers he'd given to Regina, true to his toddler nature. He was keeping himself busy, intently focused on removing every petal from the wild flowers in his hand, which took much concentration and motor skills for someone his size.
"Are you okay with them for a minute? I'm going to find David, we should probably get back soon," Regina stood from the blanket, tugging at her top as Henry nodded 'yes' in reply with his mouth full of sugar cookie, "Good, I'll be right back."
"Hey there," Regina had located him after finding the barn empty, walking around it to see him standing alone in a nearby field. She came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and standing on her tip toes to rest her chin on his shoulder, realizing that he was looking down at a crude, weathered headstone.
He acknowledged her presence with a half-hearted smile as glanced back at her, running his hand over her arms, "My parents."
She let herself down flat on her feet, resting the side of her head between his shoulder blades as she tightened her arms around him, "They'd be so proud of you." Regina knew the pain of no longer having a parent alive, regardless of how poor her examples may have been. There wasn't much you could say to someone, nor was it necessary. David's parents died long ago, and while they had their own family now, she knew there was still a small piece of you missing when you no longer had your mother and father.
"Thank you for today," David said quietly, his hand clasping one of hers that was wrapped around him and giving it a squeeze, "You don't know how much it means to me that you put this much thought into my past...or even have an interest at all."
"I love you, of course I do," Regina smiled as she held him, head still pressed against his warm back, "I just thought that you should reconnect with your past. There's so much here that makes you you."
"As boring as it is, right?" He chuckled, turning around to face her as his hands found her hips pulling her up against him.
"Please, Prince Charming is boring," She smirked up at him with a playful wag of her brow, "Give me Shepherd David. He's good with his hands," Regina's joked in a sultry tone, her fingers snaking through his belt loops and giving his hips a tug toward her, causing him to chuckle.
"I love you, too," David cupped the sides of Regina's face, running a thumb over the apple of her cheek adoringly. He leaned down to kiss her soundly for a long moment, hesitating to pull away, "We should head home before it gets too late. I don't want to be on the trail with the kids after dark."
She nodded in agreement, walking hand in hand back to where their children were waiting with the picnic basket. Regina took Violet from Henry, placing her in the sarong she'd fashioned that kept her baby swaddled against her chest securely, but allowed Regina to have her hands free. She'd used it quite often in the castle, wanting to keep her daughter close to her, but still having the freedom to do what she needed to.
David strapped the picnic basket and their rolled up blanket to the back of one of their horses' saddles before turning to help Regina onto her own horse. It was another meaningful part of the day for them to share their love of horseback riding with their children. Regina finally felt at home with herself, elements of her past combining with her present and giving her a peace she'd never had before.
Her horse shifted impatiently to get going as she steadied her with gentle tension on the reigns. Violet snuggled up against Regina's front where she was swaddled in the sarong, comforted by the sound of her mother's heartbeat as her big eyes closed tiredly for her afternoon nap.
"Are we ready?" Henry asked from atop his brown and white Paint, seeing David mount his mare and secure Neal in front of him on the saddle.
"Ready," Regina and David responded in unison, nudging their horses into a trot along the winding forest path back to the castle.
They rode in a peaceful silence most of the way, enjoying the solitude that the wilderness brought them. David and Neal led the way on their black mare, Henry on his paint in the middle, with Regina and Violet following on a trusted white mare. Regina had grown quite fond of the gentle mare who was older in years and dependable enough that she trusted her to carry her daughter.
David smiled down at his son who was slumped over in the saddle in front of him, tightening his arm around Neal's upper body so the little boy would feel secure as he napped. He couldn't of asked for a better day with his family and it had left him feeling more complete than he ever had in his lifetime. He'd shown them where he grew up, got to tell his grandson stories of his childhood, watched his own son play in the fields he once had, and witnessed the mother of his child cradle their daughter under his favorite old oak tree. He'd never been as sure about anything than the fact that he needed to marry that woman.
Earlier that morning Killian had brought him a few harvested magical beans, stating that most of the plants were coming to fruition this week if they hadn't already. David and Hook had succeeded in what they'd set out to do with Emma and Regina's help, and he was eager to return to Storybrooke and a more normal version of their lives. The town in Maine was safer and far more balanced for everyone involved. While this land may be good for short visits, it was too uncertain for David and his family to exist peacefully without feeling as if he should constantly look over his shoulder.
The outline of the castle grounds started to come into view and he estimated them to have a mile or two left to go to reach the safe confines of the brick walls. He glanced back to check on Henry and Regina with a lazy smile, feeling tired himself from the gentle jostling motion of his horse's steps and the warmth of his son in his lap. Henry gave a proud smile at his mastery of riding while Regina returned his own tired but satisfied expression. David turned his head back to the path ahead of him before he caught movement in the corner of his eye.
"I told you she was back!" A gruff voice, thick in an hardly determinable accent shouted out from one upper side of the hollow above them.
"It's the Evil Queen! It is!" Another voice echoed above them from the other side, causing David's stomach to drop at the realization that they had walked into an ambush.
"Get her!" They heard men yell in unison as David looked back to Regina, seeing her glance down at their baby before looking at him with eyes widened in fear.
"Go! As fast as you can!" David jerked his horse to the side smacking the hindquarter's of Henry's gelding, stinging him into a gallop, "Don't stop Regina, no matter what!" He ordered her before slapping her horse as hard as he could, causing it to bolt into motion as well. Regina didn't speak, had only looked at him with a sickening, frozen expression; as if all of her ghosts had come back to haunt her at once...like she'd always expected them to.
David kicked his own horse to follow, glancing around to see haggard looking men on foot and horseback with various crude but deadly weapons approaching them from both sides. They yelled and jeered threats and foul names towards the Queen, of whom they wanted to exact their revenge. Neal had been jostled awake by the hard gallop and threatening noises carrying through the hollow, causing him to begin to cry and cling to his father in fear. David held onto him tightly as he spurred his mare to go faster, gritting his teeth in anger that these men would threaten his family and he couldn't do anymore than this about it.
He watched as Regina hunkered down on her mare in an attempt to go faster, and he thought he could hear his daughter's cries over Neal's. The three of them managed to ride fast enough down the valley to gain a bit of an advance on their attacker's, who had to travel on foot and horse down the hillsides to the flat of the trail, though each time David glanced behind him it seemed they were gaining speed.
"Hold tight to the reigns, Henry!" David yelled ahead of him, worrying about his grandson who was not as an experienced of a rider.
"Henry, go around me!" Regina yelled behind her, steering her mare to the right to let her son take the lead as the three of their horses charged forward at top speed. David and Regina's maries were now running beside one another, allowing them to exchange an adrenaline charged glance. Her heart hammered in her chest and her daughter screamed for comfort, catapulting Regina into full survival mode.
She heard the men sneering and calling out for her, telling her what they'd do to her once they had gotten to her. Fear and anger gripped her equally. If it weren't for her children and David, she'd have stopped dead in her tracks and taken them all on already. But upon glancing back it looked like there were a few too many angry members in the mob to take that chance.
"Ride harder!" She heard David shout at her as she kicked her mare while procuring a fireball in her hand that was not holding the reins. After looking over her shoulder to take aim on them she hurled the fireball their way, hearing a few strangled cries from men that it had reached. It seemed to only anger them more, hearing more threats to burn her at the stake, to torture her, to do things worse than death to her. She hated herself for exposing her children to this type of vileness and danger.
When she turned back to face ahead of them her heart leapt in her throat, seeing a hooded stranger on a horse galloping down the path straight towards them. Henry glanced back at she and David with a look of fear that expressed he didn't know what to do, as it seemed like they were about to be ambushed from all sides. Before they could even bring their horses to a halt or redirect them, the hooded stranger motioned them silently as not to alert the approaching mob before disappearing over the riverbank.
David gave Regina a knowing glance as both of them understood it seemed this stranger was trying to help them, and that they didn't have any other real option with the violent predators catching up with them. Regina spurred her horse to overtake Henry as the lead, following the stranger over the riverbank and under a natural cave made by a couple of rocks fallen against one another. Luckily, the sudden straying from the path bought them some time as the stranger led them down the creek bed.
Regina's stomach rolled as they approached at full speed a large tree with branches extended too far for a horse to clear by jumping, fallen across the shallow riverbed and blocking the passage. The hooded stranger surprised her them by diverting them through the low hanging branches of an ancient willow tree nearby that seemed to part by itself. She exchanged a bewildered glance back to David once the four horses had traveled through the willow branches, seeing them close quickly and hang still like a thick curtain.
They heard the mob of men come upon the fallen tree in the creek bed and begin cursing and yelling louder, unaware of the alternate passage in the nearby willow branches as they started to spread out, riding in opposite directions to find a way around. The stranger kept galloping on their own steed down the creek bed and up over the bank that opened up into the meadow, leading the three of them towards Regina's castle. She didn't know who the person was, but she owed the world to them for helping her family get back to safety. There would be time for thanking this white knight later, but right now was not it. While they had gained quite a distance on the mob, they knew the men would find their way to the castle eventually.
The four horses snorted in exhaustion as they galloped across the meadow, the stranger's steed slightly faster than the mares, allowing them to stay ahead. As they approached she spotted Emma and Killian outside of the castle, undoubtedly hearing the echoes of the yelling coming up the valley. Regina's adrenaline made everything seem fuzzy at this point, the relief flooding her as they came closer and closer to her castle.
"What in the hell is happening?!" Emma yelled as they approach the courtyard. The stranger veered off towards the side while David, Regina and Henry all rode up to the couple.
"We've gotta go, now!" David demanded as he dismounted using only one arm, holding Neal who was clutching to his neck for dear life with the other.
"Are they coming after us?" Killian raised a brow, seeing the glow of the men's torches and hearing their voices coming closer.
"They're coming for Regina, same thing," Emma murmured after helping Henry from his saddle and pulling him into a tight hug. The young teen was visibly shaken by the experience as anyone in their right mind would be.
"Emma's right, after what I did here to these people none of us are safe," Regina swallowed hard after allowing David to help her down from the saddle, instantly wrapping both of her arms around Violet to cradle and soothe her. David gave her a look as if he would've hugged her had he not had his own arms full, comforting a sniffling toddler.
"Then we should probably get back to Storybrooke, shouldn't we?" The hooded stranger approached them, reminding all of them of their presence. Regina wondered for a moment if her ears were playing tricks on her until she noticed the voice of the stranger was enough to cause Emma to lose her grip on the magic bean that spiraled into the air and activated the portal prematurely.
The hood came off, revealing eyes identical to the ones that had stared up at Regina an hour earlier, calling her mama. Snow White looked at them all with a tearful smile of relief as the portal swirled in the middle of them. Regina's stomach plummeted as they all stood in shock for a few seconds that felt like hours. Emma's mouth was agape, glancing back and forth between Snow and David. Killian was staring at Emma in concern. Henry was standing silently, still in shock from the trauma of their ride here. And David...David stared at Snow like he was seeing a ghost, glancing back at Regina as if to ask her if this was all real.
"We have to go!" Snow yelled to all of them over the noise of the portal, nodding encouragingly as if she would explain everything once they were to safety. They all seemed to exchange glances of agreement once she'd brought them back to their senses. Emma took Henry's hand, jumping through the portal with Killian following closely. Regina looked to David who still stood in shock, seeing Snow's arm already curled around his in preparation for them to travel together. She swallowed hard, tucking Violet against her chest safely before jumping in.
Regina's heart was pounding as she came to, quickly sitting up to make sure her daughter wasn't harmed in any way while traveling through the portal. She checked Violet over, inspecting her limbs and making sure the baby was breathing normally, though her cries helped her quickly determine that. Her mind was spinning as she glanced around until her eyes spotted Henry sitting up from the street in front of Gold's. The magic bean had brought them back to Storybrooke in the same place they'd initially left, reminding Regina of just how long it had been since they were there.
She managed to stand and brush herself off, holding Violet to her tightly while she squirmed and fussed less avidly than she had done before. A few feet away she noticed David standing and doing the same with Neal before he looked up, making eye contact with her. She saw his visible relief when he noticed she and their daughter, her hope rising when he took a step forward to approach them.
"David!" Snow intervened, throwing herself in his path and wrapping her arms around he and Neal, "I've missed you both so much! Look how you've grown, oh, David, look how he's grown!" She said tearfully, cupping the little boy's face who looked utterly confused. Killian and Emma were gathering themselves nearby and checking over Henry, while all Regina could do was stand in fear.
She felt like she might throw up at the thought of what this could do to her family, seeing David forcing a smile at Snow during her reuniting with their son. Regina stood back and watched as Emma approached the three of them, uttering a muffled 'mom' and hugging Snow tearfully. She couldn't help but note how David gave a genuinely watery smile at the sight of mother and daughter together once more. It was a perfectly normal reaction for any good father, but still felt like a tiny pang of betrayal to Regina.
"Grandma," Henry even chimed in, rushing over to hug Snow as well before glancing over her shoulder with an expression of guilt when he saw Regina watching. It was then Regina forced herself to shorten the distance between she and everyone else, steeling her emotions in order to keep it together. This could be a hoax, another Zelena like imposter using Snow as a vessel. There was no need for her to break down on the streets of Storybrooke just yet.
"How did this even happen?" Regina heard Emma ask as she approached the circle, her voice a mixture of excitement and confusion.
"I don't know, the last thing I remember was Zelena summoning me from the Underworld to her place in Oz," Snow shook her head, holding Neal in her arms who only stared at Regina as if he wanted her instead, "And then a couple of months ago, I woke up in the Enchanted Forest with this in my pocket."
Snow held up a green brooch necklace that was unmistakably Zelena's. It had been her sister's pendant that encompassed her magic and life source. Dread filled Regina as she realized just how authentic this living, breathing Snow White in front of her was.
"Zelena was using you as a vessel to come back to Storybrooke and cause problems...she ended up back in the Enchanted Forest, where she was killed," Regina spoke up, glazing over the specifics of the story. Snow looked to Regina quickly with an expression that told she'd just realized her presence, causing further turmoil inside of the mayor.
"So when Zelena died, mom got her life?" Emma glanced from her mother to Regina as she seemed to process it all.
"It's the spell Zelena used when she made Snow her vessel," Regina explained, glancing around at all of them and trying not to linger too long on David, "It tethered she and Snow together as two vessels using one life source. When she died, the life became solely Snow's."
"I've been searching for a way back to you all. I can't believe what a chance it was that I found you today," Snow proclaimed, pressing her cheek against the top of Neal's head tearfully. Regina couldn't miss the expression of guilt that flashed on her fiance's features, making her stomach sink lower. David made eye contact with Regina then, his face paling and his jaw tense. She could tell he was torn already, which threatened to make her crumble on the spot. She didn't stand a chance against David's one true love, that was fact.
"Regina, did you and Robin have a baby?!" David's wife gasped at the realization that Regina was holding a child. Emma glanced back and forth between her parents and Regina, suddenly aware of the elephant in the room. Henry stood with his hands in his pockets, eyes averted towards the sidewalk and Killian shuffled beside of him, pressing a hand to the boy's shoulder for support.
Regina's mouth opened to begin to say something but she couldn't find any words, instead looking up at David who stood planted in the same spot. She searched his expression for some kind of sign to what he was thinking, for some sort of confirmation that he chose her and it was okay to break the news to Snow. Instead he only stood there, staring back at her in shock with a blank expression and a tight lip.
Luckily Snow did not wait for an explanation in an assumption that she was correct, coming over to coo over the child that belonged to her husband. Snow was oblivious, David was torn, their family was caught in the middle, and Regina's happiness was destroyed. Again.