Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 104 - Snowdrops And Horses

Mary Margaret lay asleep on the bed in her jail cell. She flickered open her eyes and gasped, jumping up in shock when she saw Regina sitting on a seat, right in front of her cell, smiling maliciously at her. She then sighed, sitting up in her bed.
"They say only the guilty sleep in prison." said Regina.
"What are you doing here? Where's Emma?"
"She hadn't arrived yet. I just wanted to stop by to offer you a chance. A chance to spare yourself, and this town, the messiness of a trial. The chance to confess."
She stood up and walked to the bars of her cell. "But I didn't kill Kathryn.......... Why won't anyone believe me?"
"The murder weapon was found in your apartment. Your fingerprint was on the box containing Kathryn's heart. Shall I go on?" she got to her feet and slowly stepped closer to the cell. "Why not, for once, make it easier on everyone?......... Because, confession or not, you're leaving Storybrooke." she smiled, her face so close to Mary Margaret's, only the bars prevented them from touching.
"And you like that....... Why? Why do you take such pleasure in this? What did I ever do to you to make you hate me so much?"
She opened her mouth to say something but she quickly prevented herself from saying anything.

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Regina road her horse accross a hill with tall coniferous tree between the green fields. She began to slow down as she approached Daniel waiting ahead and smiling. She beamed and chuckled as she jumped from her neighing horse and ran towards him, putting her arms around him and kissing him.
"I thought we could take a ride to Firefly Hill." he said, gazing into her eyes. "And make it by sundown and have a picnic......"
"I can't. I have to be back in an hour. Tea time." she smiled, then it fell. "A lady never misses her tea time."
"This is absurd." he turned away. "Stealing kisses between lunch and tea?" he turned back to her. "When are you gonna tell your parents about us?"
She stepped closer to him and held his arms. "It's not my parents...... It's her."
He shook his head. "I don't understand. So I work in the stables, she started out as the daughter of a miller. Wouldn't she, of all people, understand......."
"She does...... But she thinks one's trajectory needs to keep moving up and......."
"And I'm down." he turned away again and Regina followed him, taking his arms in her hands again.
"She believes that. Daniel. I know better." she smiled, gazing up into his narrow, bright face.
He put his arms around her waist. "Regina, tell her. She's get over it. What can she do?"
"Have you not seen her magic? The real question is, what can't she do?"
"Who cares about magic?" he touched her pale cheeks with his fingertips. "True love is the most powerful magic of all........ It can overcome anything."
"Help!" screamed a sudden girl's voice near by.
"Shh! Someone's here." said Regina turned quickly as a dark brown horse rode quickly down the hill, a young, fearful girl on it's back.
"Somebody help me!" screamed the girl.
Regina quickly jumped back onto her horse and followed the girl as fast as she could on her steed.
"Come on, boy, stop!" the girl cryed. "Help me!" she was now nearly lying on the horse as it ran faster and faster. "Help! Help me! Please help me!"
Finally Regina caught up with her horse as they reached the green fields. "Give me your hand." she called to the girl, reaching out her hand.
The girl looked around at her and grasped her hand. Regina pulled her from the girls horse a held her up on hers, the girls pink dresd billowing in the wind, as she hung half on and half off Regina's hazel horse.
The other horse raced away through the fields as Regina slowed down and let the girl go from her grasp. She jumped down and ran towards the girl.
"It's okay, dear. You're safe." she helped the girl up as she panted and gasped for breath.
The girl was about ten and had long brown hair, blue eyes, wore a pale pink dress with fur and a white snowdrops in her hair. "You saved my life." she breathed.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes. But I'll never ride again."
She chuckled. "Nonsense. The only way to overcome fear is to face it. To get back on that horse as soon as possible." she smiled.
"Thank you."
"Regina." she smiled as she greeted her.
"I'm Snow. Snow White." she put her arms around Regina in thanks and she hugged her happily.

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Mary Margaret sat up in her jail cell, whilst Emma and Mr. Gold stood outside it.
"A pre-trial interview with the prosecution? Explain to me how that is a good idea." Emma said to Mr. Gold.
"The DA merely wishes to ask Miss. Blanchard a few questions." he explained.
"She's done answering questions. And why are we kissing you to the DA? Why aren't we going after Regina? She's the one who's setting up Mary Margaret."
"And what proof do we have of that, Sherif? Just because you found the Mayors skeleton key in the cell doesn't mean we can prove she put it there."
"So what's your plan?"
"I believe our best chance of winning this case is to employ our most valuable asset."
"What's that?" asked Mary Margaret,who had been listening get to the conversation.
Mr. Gold stepped closer to her cell. "Well, that's you, dear. A sweet, kind elementary school teacher. Doesn't exactly fit the prototype of a killer, now, does it?" he looked over at Emma.
"That's how you're gonna get her acquitted? By using her personality?" said Emma.
"Perception is everything, Miss. Swan, not just in a courtroom, but in life. As such, I'm sure you can imagine how the jury would perceive Miss. Blanchard if she agreed to cooperate with the District Attorney. These things engender trust. It shows the jury she's at least trying......."
"Emma?" said Sidney, stepping into the Sherif's Office.
Emma looked around.
"Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt." he apologied. "I just came by to drop these off." he held up a vace of tulips and his voice quivered a little. "I thought they might brighten up the place."
Emma walked towards him as he placed the flowers on her desk.
Mr. Gold stood by Mary Margaret's cell impatiently as Mary Margaret stood up and leaned against the bars.
"What did you find?" Emma asked Sidney quitly in her office.
"Nothing. I'm sorry, Emma, I tried. I really did. I looked into her phone records, I talked to the people at the toll bridge. But what can I say, Regina knows how to cover her tracks." he whispered.
"What about the murder weapon? Did you find anything tying her to that?"
"From what I can tell, she never bought or owned a hunting knife."
"That's all you were able to uncover?"
"Don't worry. I'm gonna keep digging. And I won't stop until I do find something." he turned away and walked out of her office to the hall.
Emma walked from her office and back to Mary Margaret and Mr. Gold who were in the midst of a discussion.
"I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna talk to the DA." Mary Margaret said to Emma.
"Are you sure?"
"Mr. Gold's right. I know I have nothing to hide. But no one else does. I need to let people see me for who I am."
"Excellent decision, Miss. Blanchard." said a man's firm voice from behind them.
They looked around the see an older man with a stern face, dressed in a suit standing by the door, Regina behind him.
"My name is Spencer. I'm the District Attorney. Shall we begin?"
"Yeah." nodded Mary Margaret catching the glimse of a smile on Regina face.

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Spencer (District Attorney) ~ King George