A/N: I went through SO many baby names for this kid. I can't even remember how many I went through. I finally settled on one last night, and as I was looking at the page for the name I'd chosen it gave a little list of suggestions of names people who liked that name also liked. I clicked on one of them, and as soon as I saw the meaning I knew it was absolutely the right choice. So here it is, hope you like it as much as I do!

When the King fell, what remained of the militia made a hasty retreat. The months-long search for the Princess and Queen had taken a toll on the kingdom. At first, the people had responded to the King's panic, frightened for their beloved Snow White, but as more and more were drafted to take part in what was beginning to seem like a hopeless mission, their patience waned. The frenzy with which Leopold called for Regina's head began to frighten them. And then there had been the posting of new pictures, Snow's alleged kidnappers, which sent a ripple through the kingdom. The realization that one of the fugitives was the daughter of a nobleman had outraged others of high rank, especially once Sir Maurice fought back with equally wild claims that his Belle had been kidnapped as well. Once David and Red had been identified as peasants, their class rose up as well, furious that they were considered the main culprits. As Leopold grew more frantic, as he called for death without mercy for all three teenagers, the people of all ranks agreed that the King had lost his mind.

The soldiers were quietly happy to see him dead and had no desire to press on with their fight. They wanted to be far from the Dark One's home, and they certainly didn't want to be bested by the two young girls who had somehow managed to stand their ground.

Red growled at them as they retreated, the wolf in her itching to go after them. Belle searched for the cloak and threw it over her just before Red could follow the men out the door. She smiled, relieved, as Red came back to her, eyes returning to their usual cool blue. They embraced tightly, each glad to see the other alive.

"We should make sure David and Snow—" Belle began, but Red cut her off with a kiss, deeper than either girl had dared the night before. Red couldn't say if it was relief that the inexperienced swordswoman had gotten through the fight alive, or gratitude for Belle coming in after her in the first place, or just residual hunger from the wolf. She just knew that, for once, there was something more important than David. Someone more important. Belle sighed against her lips and pulled Red closer, grabbing onto the cloak to keep her there.

"Um."

The male voice caused them to spring back from each other, blushes rising in both girls. They turned to see David at the foot of the stairs, his clothes soaked in blood.

"Not mine," he said quickly, seeing four panicked eyes taking in his appearance. "It's from Snow, but she's been mostly healed. She's going to be all right."

"And the Queen?" Red asked.

"Well, and keeping her child." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he looked between the two girls. "I'll leave you two alone, then?"

Belle gave him a slight nod before turning to kiss Red's cheek. The other girl turned to face her full on, and David slipped out the door.

"Hi there."

A smirking Maleficent had escorted a fuming Rumplestiltskin from the room once the baby was safely in the mother's arms. David had left moments later, gazing longingly at Snow before closing the door behind him. Snow had drifted out of consciousness again, and Regina found herself and her child alone aside from her stepdaughter's exhausted form.

She held the child as tightly as she dared, not wanting to hurt her but feeling the need to keep her as close as possible. "Hi," she cooed again, tracing a finger down the side of the infant's face. She took in the downy patch of dark hair, the impossibly tiny fingers, and those dark eyes that were staring right up at her. It was the trust in those eyes that got her, as if she hadn't just moments before nearly given the child away.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, leaning down to press a feathery kiss to her daughter's forehead. "I will never let you go again." But then she thought of her own mother and shook her head. "No, I will let you have your freedom. But I'll never leave you."

She laughed even as tears rose to her eyes, thinking herself ridiculous for rewording an apology to an infant. But her heart had never been this full. The tears spilled down her face and yet she smiled. "I just love you so much already." She wasn't sure if she'd breathed the words aloud or merely thought them, so she said it again. "I love you."

The baby let out a quiet cry, more of a mewl. Regina wasn't sure if it was in response to her own crying or some other need, but she carefully rose from the bed and walked the child over to the window, putting some distance between them and Snow to avoid waking the girl.

"Shh." She tapped a gentle finger to the child's chest and smiled in wonder as a tiny hand wrapped around the digit. She began to sing softly, hoping that would quiet the continuing cries. She didn't know any lullabies – Cora had never been the sort to indulge in that kind of thing – so she sang what she did know, a tune that had been wildly popular during the year of her debut ball. She swayed to the music, continuing even after the baby's eyes had slipped shut.

"Can I see her?"

Regina looked up, startled, to see that Snow was awake and had propped herself up on the pillows so that she could observe mother and child. Regina went immediately to her side, resuming her seat on the bed and holding the baby close to Snow.

"She's beautiful," Snow said, not trusting her own strength enough to take the child into her arms. "What's her name?"

"I thought that was supposed to be your job," Regina said. She hadn't allowed herself to think of names during her captivity, all too aware of the harsh truth that she wouldn't be the one to name the child.

"Anaya," Snow said simply, too tired to tell Regina the whole story of how their cloaked supply runs always involved Belle needing new books despite everyone's protests. One of her selections had been on the meanings of names, and Snow asked to borrow it and looked through for something that wasn't a prison sentence, like Regina, or too much to live up to, like Snow White. "It means 'completely free.'"

Regina smiled brilliantly, bringing the child back to her chest and looking down on her sleeping face. "You will be free," she whispered. "I promise you that, Anaya."

The attendants to the King's carriage were the only ones who hadn't run from the Dark One's home, and they watched the movements in the house with suspicion, not sure if they were safe. As soon as they saw Snow White, bloodied and weakened in David's arms, they sprang into action, driving to the bottom of the steps so that she could be easily deposited into the vehicle. "At your service, Princess," the footman said, bowing low.

"She's not Princess any longer." They turned to see Regina come down the stairs with Belle at her side to help her and a baby in her arms. "Snow White is now your Queen."

"What does that make you?" Snow asked, turning her head to watch David help Regina in while the servants went inside to retrieve the crumpled body of the King.

"Just Regina," she said with a smile, setting Anaya in her lap. "Mother of the Princess."

"Of the Queen, too." Snow rested her head back against the seat but managed to smile back. "You were ready to give her up for me."

Regina glanced down at the sleeping infant before raising eyes full of emotion to meet Snow's. "I would do anything to protect you, Snow."

"And I you."

David came to the window nearest Snow, and she turned lazily to see him looking at her in a way he never had before. As if, for the first time, he realized that she didn't love him, that what he considered inevitable might never come to pass.

"I can't thank you enough for what you did," Snow told him warmly, genuinely grateful. If David hadn't been watching her closely, if he hadn't torn up the stairs when he saw Leopold raise his sword, she, Regina, and Anaya would certainly all be dead.

"Will I see you again?" he asked, coloring at the realization that Regina was watching them. She turned away as soon as she noticed, busying herself with Anaya. "Would you want to see me again? Soon?"

"If I'm to be Queen, I imagine I'll be quite busy," she said.

"Oh." He made himself smile anyway, and Snow could see more honesty and more love in his eyes than she ever had. "What if I sent you a letter?" he asked softly. "Do you think, if you had the time, you might reply?"

"Yes." She watched his eyes light up, and then glanced past him. Red and Belle were standing by the horses Red had run to fetch from the woods, Rocinante already hitched to the carriage for his return to the palace. "Give them my thanks as well."

Snow arranged herself to lie flat on the seat once David left them, and Regina took the backwards-facing seat to give her space. The carriage began to move, jolting just enough to wake Anaya but not enough to make her cry. Regina offered her finger again to distract her. "What was all that?" she asked her stepdaughter. "He looks absolutely smitten with you."

"He is." Snow folded her hands over the tender skin of her healing stomach.

"It seems you'll have many stories to tell me when we get home," Regina teased.

"I don't love him back," Snow said simply. "I have a million things to tell you but he isn't any of them."

Regina didn't press for more, just watching while Snow closed her eyes. She sang again, this time to both of her girls.