Chapter 19

Regina watched as Elsa slept, she had taken the next shift to watch her after Oswin. It was still amazing and overwhelming for her to think that this was her daughter. For years she had dreamed of seeing her and be able to whisper into her ear how much she loved her. She had loved her from the moment she had found out she was having her. A love only a mother could feel for their child. She wished that Daniel could be, see her here so happy and beautiful, full of life and love.

There was a gentle knock at the door, glancing over her shoulder she saw Terrence walk in with two mugs. She smiled at him softly as he came up the stairs to join her. He handed her the cup of tea smiling at her politely.

"Thank you" She said taking the cup warming her hands with it.

"How is she?" He asked sitting down next to Regina he looked at Elsa. Regina could see the love and pain in his eyes as he looked at her.

"She hasn't done much since I got here, moaned at one point but that was it." Regina said looking back at Elsa. "I still find it so bizarre that I'm here and that she's really alive." Terrence glanced at her.

"So you really thought she was dead all these years?" He asked.

"The day she was born I had her and almost immediately my mother took her away. I was out of it so when she came back and told me she was dead I believed her. Maybe I should have gotten the hint when she wouldn't let me see her, but I just thought she was trying to protect me." Regina explained.

"I'm sorry that must have been horrible." Terrence said apologetically.

"It was always there, I never forget about it." Regina sighed looking at Terrence. "But what about you? I feel like I don't know anything about the man that wants to marry my daughter." Terrence chuckled nodding slowly.

"I grew up in an orphanage not to far from here, Aly use to help at the school and would let Es come and play with us. We kind of hit it off right away and we became inseparable. Before I met her I always planned on running away when I was old enough but of course falling in love with the girl next door always makes it easier to stay." He smiled looking at her. "Lucky for me Oswin and Aly were willing to kind of take me and help me if I needed it. It wasn't always easy for us though, I went to war and didn't see her for almost 5 years only to be sent back, this time not to see her for over 30 years."

"How old were you?" Regina asked.

"I was 13 the first time then 19 I think" Terrence said still not taking his eyes off of Essie. "I left her, I didn't say goodbye. I didn't want to see her in pain again after everything we had gone through together. Now I don't want to not say goodbye even if I'm just going to the store,"

"You know, I wasn't sure I was going to like you." Regina said making Terrence look at her.

"And now?" Terrence asked.

"I think you remind me a lot of her father." Regina said with a soft smile.

"How is it we never talked in the Enchanted Forest?" He asked with a slight chuckle.

"I want to know how I didn't know you in Storybrooke." Regina replied.

"We did" Terrence said Regina looked at him. "I mean it was a long time ago. I use to work at the school with the afterschool program and I use to work with Henry."

"Your Mr. T?" Regina asked looking at him, he laughed.

"Yeah"

"Henry loved you, he use to come home and tell me everything about afterschool, of course never what happened in school."

"He's a good kid, I always enjoyed working with him." Terrence smiled.

"I'm worried about him, I don't want him to think I choose Elsa over him." Regina sighed.

"I think he'll be fine, he always wanted a sibling" Regina looked at him. "He told me one time" He laughed.

"I don't know what life would be like without him, I was so broken after I thought I lost my daughter" Regina sighed looking at Elsa.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Terrence asked taking Elsa's hand gently in his.

"I think so, but this took a lot out of her, we just need to give her time to heal." Regina said with a yawn.

"Why don't you get some rest, I'll sit with her for a while." Terrence said Regina sighed and nodded. Standing up she let Terrence take her chair, glancing back at him she smiled seeing the way he looked at her and held her hand so gently.

"She's lucky to have you Terrence" Regina said Terrence looked at her smiling softly.

"I'm the lucky one" He said simply, turning back to Elsa.

Regina walked out letting out a soft sigh as she leaned against the door.

XXXXXXX

Oswin pushed open the doors walking outside where the sun was high in the sky, he looked up seeing the sky for the first time in 30 years. Smiling he walked down the steps towards the small garden. He didn't need to go to the graveyard to feel close to his wife and daughter again. To be honest anywhere made him think of them. Every room held a memory for him. Things had started to change in OZ already, his magic had spread bringing the plants back to life. He made his way towards the small garden where he and Aly would sneak off to when they needed a few moments and life was getting in the way. He smiled to himself when he pushed the gate open and saw all the flowers blooming their colors magnified in the brilliant sun. He sat down on the old bench looking around. He wanted to take everything in t o feel aly there beside him to remind him that everything would be okay when he lost hope. For as long as everything had taken to transpire it had only taken a short time for it to come to an end. Zalena was gone now, leaving Oswin to pick up the pieces of what she had destroyed. While magic had returned to OZ and to him he felt like something was missing, the magic of being in love maybe. For thirty years he watched the city deteriorate around him unable to do anything about it and he had always felt like he had let Aly down by not trying harder. Letting out a sigh he looked up seeing the way the light shined through the clouds. He heard the doors of the palace open and looked towards them seeing Regina come down the stairs into the courtyard. Seeing him she stopped, he stood walking towards her out of the garden.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…"

"Your fine" Oswin said with a soft smile. "I wanted some fresh air after a very long time of being prisoner of my own home." He said looking back at the garden.

"I know the feeling, I watched as everyone somehow got happy endings and I didn't." Regina said with a sigh.

"My wife and I brought Oz up from nothing and protected them against Zalena. Now I've failed them."

"Zalena's gone you don't have to worry about her anymore." Oswin looked at Regina chuckling. "What?"

"Nothing, Danial talked so highly of you. He was so in love with you." Oswin said. Regina looked away from him closing her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you"

"No, you're fine, It makes me happy to know that his love for me was true. I just wish he could have been there; maybe everything would have been different if he was."

"Everything happens for a reason, if none of this had happened Aly and I would have never had Essie in our life and you wouldn't have your son." Regina looked at him.

"Terrence told me" Oswin said quickly.

"Well you may be right, but could you tell me one thing?" Regina asked facing Oswin.

"Anything"

"Was Elsa happy, I mean did she have a happy childhood?"

"She…"

"Oswin, Regina, she's awake" Terrence said opening the door making both of them look up.

"We'll talk later" Oswin promised Regina nodded following them inside.

They walked to Elsa's room where she was sitting up in bed talking to Dorothy who was sitting on the edge of the bed. Both girls looked down at them and Dorothy turned to look at Elsa.

"I'll let you have some time with your family" She smiled Elsa smiled softly looking at Terrence.

"Hey how are you feeling?" Oswin asked kissing her forehead.

"Sore but better" She said looking at him.

"You were amazing in there Essie, I don't even think with my magic I could have done what you did" Regina said.

"Thanks" Elsa smiled.

"I owe you the thanks, without you she would have succeeded and neither of us would be standing here" Regina said with a soft smile.

"Anything to marry this guy" Elsa said looking at Terrence who beamed.

"Well then we will leave you two lovebirds alone." Oswin said as Elsa put her arm around Terrence.

"Do you think we could have dinner?" Elsa asked making Oswin walk over, he kissed her forehead.

"I would love nothing more, I'll call you when it's ready" Oswin said turning to leave as did Regina.

"So you still want to marry me?" Terrence asked once Oswin and Regina left.

"I'll always want to marry you" Elsa smiled putting her arms around his neck kissing him softly.

"I thought I almost lost you today" Terrence said brushing back a strand of hair.

"Never" She smiled pushing herself onto her tiptoes. "Thank you for letting me do that, you could have protected me and held me back but you didn't."

"I couldn't do that to you, I know what this meant to you."

"I have no idea how I got so lucky to have you in my life"

"You fell for me the minute you saw me"

"Wow creative" Elsa laughed.

"You know it, now shut up and kiss me" Terrence smirked leaning in for another kiss.

They had met never knowing how far this would ever go, that they would one day marry their best friend. You could say 'All Magic comes with a price' but in this case no one would believe you.