On Stranger Tides

Chapter 23

Snow's scream was full of agony and echoed throughout the palace walls. Her labor pains were worsening by the second, but it was happening all over again. The Evil Queen was here, in the castle, Grumpy had made it well known, his scream was almost as loud as Snow's. Through it all, Snow was still determined to fight and hoped more than anything that there was still good in the queen. The good that she had once known when she was a girl.

When Snow White and the Evil Queen first met, she wasn't evil. She was Regina, she was happy, a friend and she saved Snow's life. Snow wanted Regina to be a part of her family, not to replace her mother, but to have someone else to look up to because Regina had shown her such kindness. Revealing the secret that Regina loved another man instead of her father, that she was supposed to marry, was supposed to help Regina, not ruin her life. As a ten-year-old girl, Snow had no idea that Regina's mother was manipulative and only wanted her daughter to be queen. Her mother, Cora, killed the young man, Daniel and it was Snow's fault. She accepts it, she has apologized countless times to Regina but it was never enough to replace the hole that Daniel had left in her heart, a hole that Snow put there.

Excruciating pain ripped through her body and she was brought back to reality, to the threat that loomed outside her bedroom doors. Snow clutched the white sheets of her bed, sweat was trickling down her face. David rushed up to her with a cool cloth and dabbed at her forehead. Snow began to cry, she couldn't hold back the pain and the fear that she had been holding in for nearly 19 years. Since she found out she was pregnant with Emma. She wanted her children to be safe and happy, she wanted to be safe and happy and she wanted Regina to find that happiness. Snow's children are her world, she would do anything to protect them from her mistakes and from any other danger that may come their way.

"David," Snow spoke through clenched teeth, sweat and tears. "You have to take this baby away from here. Out of the castle to be safe. Let me deal with Regina and end this once and for all." She sobbed.

"No, Snow. That is out of the question. I'm not leaving you to fight this alone." David responded.

"Maybe that has been the problem all along. This has been my battle from the beginning and if something is to happen I don't want this baby to grow up without both parents." She said. "Please, David. Save this baby and find Emma. Emma was born to be the savior, she has the power to help me stop this." David sat thinking about his wife's words, it was no easy task for him to nod his head in agreement before placing a kiss upon Snow's head.

~

"Matthias," Regina cooed to his heart. "Your time has come. I need you to bring me the heart of the king." She grinned as she placed the heart into her pocket and latched a black leather band around his wrist that would allow him to take the heart of David. Matthias stepped away from her silently, and he walked away from her, he would find his own way into the palace. The queen was laughing though, as she turned to walk right through the palace doors.

~

The Black Knights in the distance on the two ships inched closer and closer, the Jolly Roger could not make it out of their reach no matter how hard they tried. The water from the ocean was rushing on either side of the boat and the crew was throwing any unessential overboard so they could lighten the ship to build more momentum. It was barely making a difference, Emma knew it wouldn't. There was only one thing she was debating right now, use her uncontrollable magic that doesn't always work, or call upon Rumplestiltskin. But for all she knew, Rumplestiltskin could be working with the Evil Queen.

"Bloody hell," Killian swore from behind her. "There is no way we are going to be able to outsail them, they are moving in too fast."

"There is always magic," Emma whispered. Killian knew how uncomfortable using magic was for Emma, it made him uncomfortable too, he didn't want her to overuse her power and do something that was out of her control. He came up from behind her, stepping down from the helm to where she stood on deck and hugged her as a comfort. With him, her strength felt endless. She didn't need a man to be strong before, Emma could always handle herself without a doubt but with Killian by her side, his support and love only heighten that strength. "What about Rumplestiltskin?" Emma finally blurted.