Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 107 - Almost Victorious

Little Snow gazed up at the beautiful white and pale sweetpea flowers growing in the castle. She reached out and grasped their soft petals.
"Careful, sweetheart......." said Cora's voice from near by.
She jumped suddenly and put her hand back to her side.
"A flower is a delicate thing......." she said walking towards her. "......Be gentle." She gently touched the petals of the flower. "You want it to grow and not pluck it before its time."
"I'm sorry."
She chuckled. "It's alright." she put her arm around her shoulders. "You needn't fear me. I'm only trying to help." she walked her away from the flowers and towards the lounge near by. "Perhaps you can be the flower girl at the wedding. I can already see how close you and Regina have become." she sat her down on the lounge next to her. "She's gonna make a fine mother for you."
"She is kind to me."
She chuckled. "Indeed..... It warms my heart how you two share everything......already............ Perhaps you could share something with me."
Snow said nothing and stared ahead, not looking into Cora's face.
"Why has she pulled away from me?"
She turned her head to her. "What do you mean?"
"A mother knows had daughter. Regina has pulled away. I love her so much, but she's not letting me help her. And I know she's unhappy." she sighed. "Has she said something? I'd do anything to make her happy."
Snow turned her head to her again and stared at her. "You'd do anything?"
"Of course, dear." she chuckled, petting her long dark hair. "You know, I talked to the King about your mother. He told me how much she loved you.......... Losing her must have been so hard."
"It was." she looked away, not making eye contact.
"Hearing him, I realised he might as well have been talking about me and Regina. And I don't want us to lose each other........"
Snow glanced at her and closed her eyes a little.
".......If only I could show her how I feel. That no matter what, all I want is her happiness."
She got to her feet and stared down at Cora. "Then don't make her get married."
"I'm sorry?"
Snow hesitated. "She doesn't love my father. She loves someone else. She made me promise not to tell." she down next to her again. "But she'll lose you...... She can't lose her mother......... No one should." she stared up into Cora's eyes.
"Oh, sweet Snow, it's all right." she petted her hair again. "She won't lose me..... You can tell me...... You must tell me."
She nodded.

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Emma knocked on Regina's front door the next morning. Regina opened the door and stepped outside.
"Can I help you, Sherif Swan?" she asked.
"Yes. I need you to unlocked the garage for me."
"Eh.......And why would I do that?"
She held up a file. "Because I have a search warrant that says you have to."
She took the files and chuckled, a little nervously. "On what grounds?" she said as she scanned through the file.
Emma held up the shard piece in the plastic bag. "I found this. Near where the heart was buried. Figured whoever buried it might have left something behind. And then I got an anonymous call from someone who said they saw you digging near the toll bridge the day the heart was found."
"An anonymous call?"
"Yeah, well, I can't control the fact they didn't leave a name. I suppose they didn't want to risk passing you off."
Regina looked down at the file again.
"Now, open the garage or I'll find a way to do it myself."
Regina smiled and handed her back the file. She shut the door of number 108 and walked Emma to the back of the house and into the garage.
Emma walked quickly to the back of the garage where she had found the shovel with the broken edge and there was a shovel, a bran new, shiny shovel with no worn ends. Her face fell when she saw it and she turned back to Regina who stood near the door.
"Where is it?"
"Where is what, Sherif?"
"You knew I was coming."
"How on earth would I know that?"
She stepped closer to her. "Mary Margaret is a good person. She doesn't deserve this."
"Miss. Blanchard is a liar and a murderer. No matter what accusations you throw my way, that won't change.......... She is going to pay for what she's done." Regina stepped even closer to Emma. "That woman has destroyed the last life she is ever going to destroy."
Emma looked down at the ground then turned her head to look at the newly placed shovel leaning against the drawers.

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Emma hammered her fist off August's room in Granny's Bed and Breakfast. August opened the door a little and peered out at her, then opened it fully. "Hey." he smiled.
"How could you do this? How could you do this to me, to Mary Margaret?"
"Whoa, slow down. Do what?"
"The shovel was gone when I got there. Regina new I was coming for it."
"You....think that I....told her?"
"You were the only other person who knew about it."
"I would hope that you would have enough faith to know that I would never betray you."
"Why should I?"
His face fell a little and his side slime faded away.
"How do I not know you're not lying about this? About everything?" she panted.
"I'm not a liar."
She sighed. "That is exactly what a liar would say." she took one last betrayed look at him then turned and walked quickly away.
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Mary Margaret sat on the bed in her cell, her face in her hands as she cryed quitely to herself.
Regina walked inside quitely looking around the room, smiling, taking pleasure from her sobs. "Having a bad day?"
Mary Margaret looked up, her face red and tear stained and got to her feet quickly. "What are you doing here?"
Regina walked slowly to her jail cell. "I wanted to see you while I can."
"What does that mean?"
"Simply that the trial starts tomorrow, and it won't be a long one. Then you'll be sent out of Storybrooke for good. And I will never have to see you again." Her face was right by the bars, almost between them as she smiled victoriously. "I want to enjoy this while I still can."
"Enjoy what?"
"Justice."
"Justice? Watching an innocent suffer?" she cryed.
"You've always seen yourself that way, haven't you?........"
She shook her head as more tears rowled down her face.
"........Innocent."
Mary Margaret ran towards her and grasped the bars. "I am innocent! I don't know what this is about, I don't know what I ever did to you, but what ever it was, Regina.........I'm sorry.........I truly am." she said, sobbing uncontrollably.
Regina beamed as she watched her cry, tears streaming from her blue eyes. "Apology not accepted." she said quitely, smiling.
"Please, don't do this to me." she cryed. "I don't deserve this. I did not kill Kathryn."
"Oh, I know." said Regina, reaching her arm between the bars and petting her pale, tear stained cheek.
Mary Margaret looked at her in shock, her eyes widening.
Then she grasped her chin and pulled her a little closer. "But you do deserve this." she said under her breath and she turned on her heal and marched to the door.