The Story of Us

Chapter 16 Gone

"No..." Regina sighed, as did Killian, both of them in shock and devastated.

Killian and Regina both went to the tree-house. They couldn't bear the pain of hearing the story of how their parents were all killed instantly in a car accident, by a drunk driver. It was the worst sound they could have ever heard. Rebecca and Dawn were pacing around the tree-house. "Dawn!" Elliot ran up and held her in his arms, "They won't come down," Dawn said, hugging Rebecca too.

In the tree-house, Killian held Regina in his arms, as she cried, he had tears in his own blue eyes, they could barely comprehend what just happened. "My mom was supposed to stay with me," Regina cried. "Guys! Please come down!" Elliot shouted up at them, with a plea in his voice. Dawn and Rebecca comforted each other inside, at the loss of their only siblings, and remaining family.

Killian and Regina eventually came down from the tree-house. Killian clutched Regina's hand, and they all stayed together in the living room, everyone eventually falling asleep, except Dawn.

"How can we get him through this?" Dawn asked, "We can, they are stronger than we think," Elliot said. "That's true, they're a lot more determined to survive than we think," Rebecca said. Rebecca was always traveling as Regina was growing up, hence why she had an accent, unlike Cora. She was also raised differently. She and Cora had different mothers, and shared a father.

Killian and Regina just didn't let go of each other, and mainly sat snuggled up on the couch. Regina cried a lot more than Killian, Dawn and Rebecca comforted her as best they could. Killian was trying to be brave.

Regina was sleeping, or trying to, on the couch, and she didn't feel Killian's hand holding hers, from the floor, where he had been. She sat up and looked around, and he was nowhere to be seen. She went out to the tree-house and saw the little electric lantern lit. She climbed up. Killian was stooped over, with a bottle of rum. "Oh no," Regina sighed. Killian was still somewhat awake, but very drunk. "Oh Killian," She sighed. "He never even had the chance to give me a sip, aside from beer on St. Patrick's day," Killian slurred.

"I know," Regina said. "You know my mum loved to kiss him after he had one drink, said she could taste it on his lips," he said, again very unclear with slurs in his words. "We're going to get through this, together," Regina said hugging him, he broke down, in his drunken state, and cried into her, as she held his head.

Dawn and Elliot went out first thing in the morning, "We're up here," Regina said over the side of the treehouse, and Killian got down, extremely hungover, "Oh Killian, you are your father," Dawn hugged him and sighed. "But I guess it was time you learned this lesson," Dawn said.

"My father said I was braver than I think, if I looked deep inside, he said I had to ask, what kind of man do I want to be," Killian said. Dressed in black, doing his tie, Elliot helped him finish it, "You can be that man he wanted you to be, and the man he was, that's not gone," Elliot said. "He won't ever know though," Killian sighed. "Yes he will, he's always going to be in there, right here," Elliot touched his chest gently. "Do we really have to leave our houses?" Killian asks. "Well, sadly, your Aunt and I don't live here, but you and Regina won't have to split up, and you'll be driving distance from David and Mary Margaret's." Elliot explained. 

David and Mary Margaret wouldn't be far, and it was indeed the most important that Killian and Regina would be together, even if they had to start over in a new school, it was just for two years, until graduation. They were saddened their parents wouldn't see them go to prom, or graduate. 

Regina dressed in black, "Regina," her Aunt Rebecca had a comforting voice with her accent, it reminded her of Killian. "You are going to be fierce, and survive this, just like everything else," Rebecca said. "Will I?" Regina asks, "Of course you will, because you have everything your mother taught you, I didn't have that, Cora and I weren't close, but we were half sisters, technically. I know she called me wicked though," Rebecca winks at her. "Yeah, but I get to be with you right? And I won't have to leave Killian?" Regina asks, "No, you won't, I promise," She nods. 

The funeral was held, and they had it jointly, Regina and Killian's friends came to give support, though Regina and Killian only found comfort with each other. Rebecca and Dawn were trying to be strong, "I would drink, but I can't," Dawn sighed, "You're?" Rebecca made the connection, Dawn nodded, "I'll drink for both of us," Rebecca said.

"I'm sorry Regina," Mary Margaret tried to comfort her close friend, as David tried to with Killian. They were both so crushed, but their friends would try their best to get them through it. "Why are you so optimistic?" Killian sighed, "It's who we are," David said. "We'll all be here, always," Mary Margaret said. "What if you can't?" Regina asks. "Family is being together, we're friends, but we're more than that, we're family," Mary Margaret said. 

Regina would stay with Rebecca who lived about 5 blocks from Dawn and Elliot's. While Regina and Killian had to go to a new school, they would at least have each other and that was all that mattered to them. They were still in mourning over their parents, and leaving their homes, but they were at least together, and the summer was upon them, so hopefully they could grieve together through the next summer months before school started again.

A month passed, Killian and Regina got their licenses, and they slowly but surely returned to at least functioning. They spent every single day together, and David and Mary Margaret spent time with them too, since David got his license and it was an hour away. 

They went to the beach, and it was one of the first times they both just smiled, and felt carefree. They talked all about their parents, and Regina twirled in the sand, as Killian turned her, as they danced through the waves.

"They'll be with us, always," Killian said. "I know, it's like they're here right now," Regina said. "They would want us to stick together," Killian said, "Always," Regina said.