Finding You Always

Heartbeat

Finding You Always

Chapter 23: Heartbeat

Mako sat in Granny's diner that afternoon. She was leaving town for a few days, but had received parting instructions from her father that morning. She had already distributed one drop of the pinkish true love potion into Ella's water when she was on her break. It was her father's wishes that she have her baby.

The drop of true love potion would not affect Ella. She, like everyone else, would remain frozen in time until Emma turned twenty-eight.

But the baby inside her was a different story. The potion would lift the curse on the baby. Ella would likely be a mother before the day was up.

Her next target was the raven haired princess sitting at a table near her, enjoying a book and hot chocolate with cinnamon. Father was very adamant that Snow White ingest a drop of the potion, even more so than Ella. Snow would remain frozen in time as well, but her womb would not. What reason he could have for wanting Snow and her prince to have another child, she did not know. But she did not question him. Shouldering her bag, she whipped by Snow's table, accidentally knocking her cup over.

"Oh!" Snow exclaimed.

"Oh my...I'm so sorry!" the dark haired girl cried, as she started mopping it up with napkins.

"It's okay," Snow assured.

"Let me buy you another," she insisted.

"You really don't have to," Snow replied.

"Please...I feel terrible," she feigned.

"Okay," Snow relented, as she watched the young woman go to the counter to order and turned back to her book. Mako smirked and administered the drop unknowingly, before returning to set the fresh cup down.

"Thank you," Snow said, as she took a sip. Mako smiled.

"It's my pleasure. Have a good day," she said, as she left.

Snow finished her cup. She had come here after volunteering at the hospital that morning to kill time until school let out. Seeing as it was nearing that time, she paid for the cup that had been spilled and headed out to David's truck, which she was driving while her car was repaired.

Ashley closed her eyes and tried to push the pain away. She had come home after her shift and was met with a huge list of chores, as usual, from Zelda and her step-mother. She was so tired though and the pain was getting worse. She felt like collapsing. But she knew the kind of reaction she'd get for that. Zelda would scream at her. Her step-mother's unforgiving stare would make her feel small and worthless.

If it wasn't for Sean telling her that he still loved her, she knew she'd be tempted just to give up. Maybe her baby would be better off with another family. She could think no more about that though, as Zelda started yelling.

"Ashley! Ashley...where are you, you stupid little slut!" Zelda screamed. The young girl's already raging emotions made the words even harder to take that day. She felt like crippling beneath them.

"What's wrong Zelda?" she asked in a weary voice and then another hiss, as her abdomen pulsed in pain.

"What's wrong? You're worthless...that's what wrong!" she snapped, as she tossed a dress at her.

"You didn't get that stain out of my dress! The one that little brat soiled!" Zelda screamed. Ashley closed her eyes, as another wave of pain assaulted her.

"What's wrong with you?" Zelda shouted.

"What's with all the screaming?" Stacia interrupted, as she came into the parlor, noticing the pain etched on Ashley's face right away.