Title: Vengeance, Sacrifice, and Forgiveness
Author: AoN
Word Count: 4,700
Genre: Drama, Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Feedback: Please and thank you! Let me know what I'm doing right or doing wrong.
Summary: With the Evil Queen's curse weakening and Regina struggling to keep Storybrooke under control, hidden secrets and lies from long ago are beginning to surface – and they want their happily ever after.
Chapter Seventeen
The bright moonlight poured into the dark room, glistening off the tears that rolled down the young princess' rosy cheeks as she curled up tightly under the covers of her bed in an attempt to not wake her even younger sister who was supposedly sleeping peacefully. With a fist full of blanket, Snow gently wiped away at her eyes before resting the back of her palm against her lips to silence her pouts and whimpers. She closed her eyes tightly, releasing fresh, new tears, willing herself to remember the woman's blank face.
Her dreams, images of her mother, were becoming less and less vivid. Snow was struggling to recall the finer details of her mother's expressions, emotions. The feeling of her hand stroking Snow's hair softly was now distant, a ghost of a memory. Her delicate smile and gentle eyes were fading into nothingness. The songs she used to sing to Snow, the verses were now vague. As more time past, Snow was losing the ability to recall the last embrace the two of them had shared.
The princess had been so young when her mother past – Lily's age – and she was now just a distant, faded memory that the girl was desperately trying to cling onto.
"Snow?"
Hearing her name, she quickly sat up and turned to her bedside where she found the sister she had tried not to wake standing there, holding her stuffed bear close to her chest. Frowning, Lily placed the bear down next to Snow before hoisting herself up onto the bed. Once she was settled, Snow held out the toy towards Lily who shook her head at the offer.
"You hold him," Lily insisted. "Mr. Bear fought off a dragon. He can protect you from scary things. From nightmares," she pointed out, watching Snow huggle her favorite stuffed animal.
"I wasn't having a nightmare," Snow mumbled, keeping her watery eyes casted low.
Lily's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as her frown grew. "Then why are you crying?" she asked out of curiosity. What other reasons would there be for tears at night? Nightmares were scary things. They made people sad. Her own last one had made her incredibly sad. The dragon had defeated Mr. Bear, but Lily quickly became happy again when she realized her had been tucked right next to her the entire time.
Blinking furiously in order to keep the tears at bay, Snow looked over to the perplexed Lily. She should have been quieter. She did not mean to wake her from her slumber nor did she want to have this conversation, but Lily would not allow her to brush it away without an explanation for what was wrong.
Snow sighed heavily. "I miss mother," she admitted.
"Mommy's down the hall!" Lily said, shifting slightly on the bed as if to climb down and run out of the room to fetch Regina. Snow immediately reached out and grabbed a hold of Lily's wrist, preventing her from going anywhere. Lily glanced down at Snow's hand on her arm and then back to her sister – did she not want Lily to help? But Lily wanted to!
"Not Mommy – my mother," Snow explained, placing emphasis on the possessive. Lily only appeared further confused. "I love our mommy, I really do," she mumbled quietly as Lily settled back down on the bed. Snow released the young girl's wrist and handed the teddy bear back to her. "But sometimes I just really miss… her. No one should lose their mother."
Even through the dimly lighted darkness, Lily could somewhat see her older sister's frown. Lily did not like it when people frowned. It meant that they were unhappy and no one should be unhappy. "Please don't be sad, Snow," Lily murmured, crawling her way from the foot of the bed to where the other princess sat.
"I won't," Snow promised, allowing Lily to embrace her tightly. She hugged her back equally so. "I didn't mean to wake you. You should go back to bed."
Lily did not protest, she only nodded. As Snow laid back down, curled up and facing the window, Lily hopped down onto the floor, grabbing her beloved bear before crossing the room to get to her own bed, but she stopped merely a couple feet away from it. She gazed over her shoulder towards Snow's back and then to the door to which she quietly made her way over on her tiptoes. Doing her best not to make a sound (and if she did, Snow pretended not to notice), Lily snuck out of the room, Mr. Bear in tow.
Fortunately for her, Mr. Bear had agreed to come along. An empty hall was probably nothing in comparison to a fire breathing dragon with sharp claws, but it was enough to scare Lily who did not remember the corridor being so dark before – or so long for that matter. Holding the toy close to her chest, Lily gulped.
The only way to overcome fear was to face it.
Instead of being rooted in place by the fright of the scary tall shadows casted by the décor, Lily bolted down the hallway, the protection of her dragon slayer carrying her little feet faster. Panting as she tried to catch her breath, Lily, coming upon the door at the end of the corridor, stood up on her tiptoes to grab the handle and leaned forward as she pushed against it, opening it with an extremely loud click that echoed off the walls.
Within the room, the sound had jolted the figure that had been sleeping away under her heavy blankets. Pulse racing, Regina sat straight up on her bed in her private chamber, watching the door swing open and Lily stumble inside. Her tensed shoulders fell in relief as she sighed heavily – an action Lily herself had mimicked. Their reasons, without a doubt, were different, but the relief was the same. Before Regina could ask the little girl anything, Lily swung the door close behind her and scurried over to her mother's bedside, one which she promptly climbed up after abandoning Mr. Bear on the floor.
Without a word shared between them, Lily wrapped her arms around Regina tightly, resting her head against her mother's chest. Regina lingered for a moment, taken back and still half asleep, but she quickly succumbed to natural instinct: to protect and comfort her child. She embraced Lily in return, causing the girl to only hold her tighter, as if she were afraid to let go. Leaning forward, Regina placed a kiss on top of Lily's head and began to stroke her hair gently, hoping the motion would not only calm her, but cause whatever troubled her to disappear.
"You're here," Regina hear Lily mumble, her small voice muffled. Eyebrows furrowing, Regina could not help but frown.
"Of course, I'm here," Regina replied softly. "What's wrong, princess? Did you have a nightmare?" She felt Lily shake her head. No, no nightmare, but something must have frightened her. Was there a storm raging outside? Thunder, perhaps? Regina did not hear anything – thunder would have woken her as well. The Queen, herself, was a rather light sleeper as well.
Lily pulled back from her mother's embrace. She locked her light eyes with Regina's dark, a constant reminded of who her father was, but Regina pushed the thought out of her mind. For a split second, the girl had looked terrified at the entrance, but now she was smiling, relieved. "I was scared you wouldn't be," Lily admitted, her smile turning into a frown at her confession – one that Regina copied. "I don't want to lose you, Mommy," Lily added, lowering her head.
The little girl's words tore Regina's heart in two. She had to force the faintest of all smiles for Lily's sake and reassurance. Regina reached out and gently lifted Lily's chin, making her look back up, and then stroked her cheek. She was not sure what had gotten into her, but Lily's concern and fear were real.
"You won't," Regina stated, Lily watching her closely.
"Do you promise?"
"Cross my heart," Regina promised. "I will never leave and you'll never lose me, ever."
Sans warning, Lily pounced onto her mother, wrapping her arms around her neck. Regina caught her in mid-hug and held her close as she carefully leaned back against the headboard. Lily shifted slightly against Regina. The little girl kept one arm wrapped around her mother and slumped down to rest her head against Regina's shoulder. Her free hand ran though strands of Regina's long, dark hair, a motion that had become gentle over the years. Lily, like any toddler, had been guilty of tugging and pulling at Regina's hair, squealing in delight as she did so.
Regina was glad she grew out of that phase – this was more enjoyably pleasant. Wearing it up had not helped either. Lily had been rather determined. She still was, headstrong too. Traits that would get her far – of that, Regina was certain.
"I won't either," Lily mumbled quietly.
A shared mutual promise.
Resting her cheek against the top of Lily's head, Regina began to trace little circles against Lily's back soothingly with the palm of her hand. Whatever doubts that had lead her princess here in the middle of the night, Regina hoped that she had successfully chased them away and that Lily could rest assured that everything would be alright.
Together they laid in silence until Regina broke it with a soft humming of a lullaby. Lily, wrapped in the protection that only her mother could give, and Regina, surrounded by the tranquility that only her daughter could offer. This was love, this was happiness. Regina had found them again and she would not allow neither to be taken from her once more.
Soon, Lily's head began to nod back and forth. She was drifting back to sleep. Holding onto her more securely, Regina sat back up, an action that earned a disgruntled whimper from the child who was now holding onto her mother tighter. It was near a silent protest. Lily did not want to be moved, not from the comfort that lulled her back to a peaceful slumber. For the sake of avoiding a slightly nosier protest and not wanting this precious moment to end anyway, Regina pulled back the covers and scooted down slightly on the mattress before laying back down, resting her head against her pillow after tucking her sleeping princess in.
Nothing compared to the warmth radiating off the young child curled up against Regina's side. Nor could Mr. Bear, slayer of dragons and daring adventurer, ever compare to the security of her mother.
Regina settled back down herself, still holding Lily close, not wanting to let go. She watched the little girl drift completely off to sleep, watched her inhale and exhale. No, Regina would never leave her nor would she allow anyone else to take her, sway her off her own path that Regina would fully support her along.
She could see Lily growing up, overcoming her poor health, and learning to ride on one of their prized steeds, especially with her already keen interest to learn and her fierce jealous of Snow who already was. Lily would grow up to be intelligent, beautiful. She would catch the attention of so many suitors, but will be well aware of true love and how Regina would not allow her to settle for anything less. Lily would share everything with her, no fear of retaliation, and Regina would share in her joy, comfort her through heartbreak, and Lily would, without a doubt, come to Regina for anything.
But for now, Lily was her sweet, innocent five year old just trying to explore the world she was born into, a world that had made her fight for life when she was only a matter of minutes old. She was a fearlessly curious child, not frightened by potential bumps and bruises (although Regina was enough for the btoh of them). She was a little girl who ran into her mother's room to make her promise that Lily would never lose her.
She would not. Nor would she lose Lily.
xxxx
Exhaustion threatened to cause her to collapse. Every little movement Ruby dared to make felt as though she was extorting all physical strength she could possibly muster. All her muscles, joints, were crying, screaming out in pain. She had overexerted herself, running through and combing out nearly all of the woods and parts of Storybrooke, and for what? Ruby had returned empty handed. Lucy was nowhere to be found.
Towards the end of her search, Ruby kept coming back to the hospital. The lack of sleep, she had determined, caught up with her. The only thing of importance at the hospital was Granny. Perhaps her exhausted mind subconsciously wanted to hear Granny's confident words once more – that she would be able to find her friend. Ruby had started to believe otherwise and with the sun rising, Ruby had to bring an end to the search for now.
She had promises to keep, promises that lead her to the sheriff's office at dawn with a bottle of well water in her shoulder bag. Ruby had given Lucy her word on two accounts: give Mary Margaret the water bottle and protect Emma until she was ready to believe if Lucy could not. Ruby was not ready to accept the second and her time to reach Mary Margaret was limited – the trial was scheduled to begin this very morning. If Ruby did not reach her now, she did not know if another opportunity would present itself.
What if this was the only opportunity? And what if Lucy discovered Ruby just let it slip by? Lucy would have her head and Ruby would have hers for putting her though this worry – sense of time be damned.
Ruby unlocked the door leading into the office and pushed it open. From the corner of her eye, she saw Mary Margaret nearly jump out of her skin. Ruby could not blame her for being tensed. However, Ruby was not aware that she was not Mary Margaret's first visitor of the night, or very early morning, but Ruby was definitely more welcoming than her previous visitor.
Regardless, Mary Margaret was not in the mood, or mindset for that matter, for visitors. Regina's words, her confession to knowing she was innocent, shook her, still. The mayor, arguably the most powerful person in all of Storybrooke, knew that she was not guilty of murder and she was determined to get Mary Margaret convicted and out of town despite the fact. Why? What had she ever done to earn so much wrath against Regina? What was worth destroying another human being's life?
As Ruby turned to close the door behind her, Mary Margaret took advantage of the moment of her friend's back being turned to use the blanket on the cot she was sitting upon to wipe away stray tears from her puffy eyes and cheeks. Needless to say, she had not gotten much sleep this evening.
"What are you doing here so early, Ruby?" Mary Margaret asked, unable to hide the shakiness of her voice. It rang clear and Ruby picked upon it as she approached the cell.
"I thought I'd check in before the morning shift at the diner," Ruby replied honestly, sitting down on the armchair of the couch that was only inched away from the cell. The same seat Regina had taken.
"The diner?" Mary Margaret repeated, having a difficult time looking over at Ruby. She could still hear Regina, could still see her pressed against the bars as she stared at her mockingly.
Ruby nodded. "Ever since I quit, they've been shorthanded," she explained. "I'm just giving them a hand until they can find a replacement." Ruby opted to mention the real reason – or reasons in this case. With everything else to worry about, Ruby had not wanted to bring up Granny's visit and stay at the hospital, but she most certainly was going to go to the diner after this. She did volunteer now that Granny was out of commission.
Also, Ruby did not think Mary Margaret would be keen on believing she was actually a princess from a fairytale and getting her to drink the water in her bag was an attempt planned out by her thought to be dead sister to get her to remember memories long forgotten. Just running the idea over in Ruby's mind sounded absurd.
No, a morning shift at the diner she technically no longer worked for seemed much more plausible.
"And, well, I figured you could use the company," Ruby added as a second thought. "I'm here for you, Mary Margaret."
What Mary Margaret found herself thinking next after Ruby's words was far from rational or logical. Her eyes began to sting once more with fresh tears and she swallowed the growing lump in her throat, willing herself to not be so emotional when she clearly had every right to be.
If Ruby was truly there for her, then why did she find her jewelry box near the toll bridge? Not only her either. If David was truly there for her, then why did he come in here asking why he had memories of her standing in the woods claiming that she would kill Kathryn? And Emma, Emma who had pleaded for Mary Margaret to trust her, for Mary Margaret not to run. If Emma was truly there for her, then why had she gone and found the murder weapon in Mary Margaret's own bedroom?
All of these people, who claimed to all be there for her during this desperate terrible time of need, had all betrayed her. It seemed the only trustworthy entity was the mystery person who left the cell key for Mary Margaret to find. Whoever that person had been was the only one who had offered her a way out, offered her freedom.
Regina's words echoed in her mind. 'You do deserve this.'
'Innocent,' hissed with such a vengeance.
A sharp pain exploded from her temple, causing her to lean forward and close her eyes tightly. She could hear the sound of a raging river, two little girls screaming, and Regina's voice. 'You've always seen yourself that way, haven't you?'
Mary Margaret quickly shook her head. The silence of the office had returned, but her forehead was now pounding. She looked up at the concerned Ruby. "I-I know you mean well," she began, trying not to look any more distraught than she already did and felt. "But… Ruby, I think I just want to be alone right now, if you don't mind," she admitted.
It was not an odd request and probably one Ruby would have requested for had she been in Mary Margaret's situation.
"Okay," Ruby said standing. "But before I leave – here."
She pulled the plastic bottle of water out of her bag and slipped her hand between the bars, offering it to Mary Margaret. "Never leave home without water, but it looks like you could definitely use it more," she pointed out.
Mary Margaret took the bottle, secretly wondering if it really was water. She would not put that past Ruby and, frankly, Mary Margaret would have openly accepted anything harder as well. "Thank you," she murmured quietly.
"Are you sure about being alone?" Ruby asked. "They're not missing me that much at the diner just yet, I don't think."
No, Mary Margaret was not sure. She had not been sure about anything the last few days and now she was hearing things that, without a doubt, were not even physically present. There was no river running through this office nor were there young children running around, but their voices, the sounds, had been so distinct and clear. The screams were actually still ringing loudly in her ears; she had resisted the urge to tell Ruby that there were children in some sort of danger. They had all been in her head. So loud, Ruby would have heard them otherwise.
She looked down at the bottle in her hands. The label had been torn off and some of the plastic had caved in on itself. It was an old, reused bottle. She could almost hear Granny lecturing Ruby about the importance of staying hydrated – she could also see Ruby rolling her eyes in annoyance. It was a mental image that brought the smallest of smiles to Mary Margaret, those two acting like a small, caring family. It was a tiny distraction from her bleak situation.
"Yes, I'm sure," Mary Margaret responded, her eyes still intently watching the bottle.
Unable to think of an appropriate farewell, Ruby just nodded before dismissing herself from the office. She had kept her promise. She had given Mary Margaret the bottle. Ruby lingered out in the hallway for… well, she was not exactly sure what she should be waiting for. A part of her had hoped she would have heard her name called out – her true name. Red, not Ruby. She did not know how any of this would play out and she was certain Lucy would have been equally clueless perhaps. Lucy had put a lot of faith into a plan that did not guarantee results. It was a plan Ruby never would have formulated on her own. No, Ruby's plans had every little detail of every little aspect planned out. No room for error. Not room for chance.
This had been an act of desperation.
Lucy had remembered and had been afraid. The Evil Queen suspected who she was, suspected what she knew. Ruby suddenly found herself feeling sick to her stomach. The nauseous sensation made her head spin. She leaned against the wall for a moment, attempting to collect her wits. If the Evil Queen was aware of Lucy, then she knew how much of a threat the woman potentially was.
Although her ability to comprehend time was notoriously terrible, Lucy eventually showed up. She did not stay away, but this time was different. Lucy gave her word, promised Ruby that she would be waiting at the bed and breakfast. She would have honored that promise. Having spent a considerable amount of time as a creature of four legs and not two, Lucy was more wolf than human. Wolves, in any kingdom, but, well, her own for obvious reasons, were known for being honorable creatures. Her lack of presence was not a testament to her astonishing ability to be late for everything, it was a sign. She had been up to something the moment she made that promise to Ruby.
The pieces were coming together.
She had been planning to go to the mausoleum and had not known what to expect. Based on the scents at the scene, the worst had ultimately happened. Lucy had been captured by the Evil Queen who now was very much aware of Lucy's knowledge had she been searching for her own heart inside that mausoleum. That was why Lucy had suddenly become so adamant about getting Mary Margaret to remember.
'Mary Margaret won't be able to defend herself against the Queen,' Ruby recalled Lucy frantically saying. 'But Snow… Snow can. Snow has a fighting chance.'
Ruby had dismissed the statement then. Lucy had been upset and Ruby had been convinced she did not even comprehend what she was saying. In reality, it had been Ruby who had not understood, not until now at least. The Evil Queen had captured Lucy. She would go for Mary Margaret next who she would be able to rid of rather easily but Snow…
'Snow has a fighting chance.'
But then where the hell was Lucy?
The realization hit Ruby like a brick wall, knocking the wind out of her as her eyes grew wide. The constant pull towards the hospital as she attempted to track Lucy down with no success. It had not been a yearning to check in to make sure Granny was alright although she knew the nurses would have contacted her immediately had anything changed. No, Ruby had been pulled in because… that was where she was. That was where Lucy had been taken.
At least, that was what Ruby wanted to believe. She had no evidence pointing in either direction, but there was one thing tipping her towards a particular belief: the Evil Queen and her strange trip from the empty radiology department.
Ruby had to get back to the hospital. There was something there, something she missed the first time around. She pushed herself off the wall and briskly walked down the hallway, through the double doors that lead out to the parking lot. She had lingered long enough. At this point, Ruby could only imagine one of two things had happened. Mary Margaret drank the water and nothing happened or the water simply took longer than they thought to work (she was completely disregarding the possibility of it not working altogether). Ruby hoped it was the latter. She did not think Lucy had concocted a backup plan just in case.
She would just have to come back to the sheriff's department after investigating the hospital even further. Unless that was not enough time, something she was really pressed for. There were too many factors that Ruby did not have control over – this definitely had Lucy written all over it. Ruby made a mental note to wring her neck whenever she did find the woman.
As Ruby came up to her parked car, a rushing force from behind knocked her forward, causing her to tumble onto the hood. Wincing, Ruby pushed herself up and quickly looked behind her, half expecting to see an assaulter of some form. No one was there.
"What?" she mumbled, eyebrows furrowing.
Had she simply tripped and it seemed as though someone had pushed her? Ruby would not put that past her exhausted state of being. She looked back to examine her path – no obstacles to trip over. Maybe it had been her own two feet-
The sudden trembling threw off Ruby's center of gravity. She grabbed onto the handle of her car door in a pitiful try to balance herself, but the increasing tremor caused her to sway as she stumbled onto the asphalt. She could feel the loud rumbling of the earthquake echoing in her chest; hear the loud cracks of power lines and tree branches snapping in the distance. The strength of the previous shake paled in comparison to this one, but it ended just as quickly.
Car alarms rang out once the quaking came to a halt and Ruby regained her footing on the now steady ground. Lights in nearby homes were turning on, illuminating windows – a wakening the citizens of Storybrooke had not been entirely expecting. They had braced themselves for small aftershocks, of course, but not for something bigger than the initial quake itself. People were beginning to come out of said homes to further inspect for any damages.
The parking lot, Ruby deduced, was still intact. No new cracks from what she could tell. She never really bothered to pay attention to it before. Ruby normally parked and went on her way to work. Speaking of work.
Ruby turned to face the building she had just exited. A few of the letters that had made up 'Storybrooke Sheriff's Department' had fallen, along with chunks of the building's façade. "Snow," she murmured under her breath with a frown.
To be continued
Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Please tell me what you think in a review as I love to hear from you guys. Also, feel free to check me out/contact me over at tumblr (bellalinguista).