Smoke

Chapter 10 Piece

Killian held Alice for what could never be long enough after all the years he missed her. She wasn't grown up to him, she was still ten years old. Slowly he placed her feet more on the floor. Leaning down in his height, she holds his shoulders. 

His thumb wipes a tear from her cheek, "You're so young still," She hiccups. "Yeah, well, you have grown," He muttered. "I kept it, my knight, all this time," Alice murmurs. "I know, my little rook, I have mine," he says. 

Regina watches, unable to bury the soft emotions and expression on her face at the reunion in front of her. 

"How do you have two hands?" Alice asks. "Oh, umm, magic," he nods. "I still have the hook," he tells her. 

"In his desk," Regina interrupts. Killian quirks to her, "Sorry, you're not the only one who's spied recently," Regina smiled. 

"So how long have you two?" Alice asks awkwardly. "Uhh, since before this mess and your father cursed me," Regina reveals, with a smug smile. 

Killian sighs, "Alice listen..." 

"It's okay, I know you have dark magic, and I figure after you lost me you went a bit, mad," Alice shrugged. 

Regina thinly smiled, the girl was indeed pure of heart towards her father, not surprisingly. 

"Why don't you sit down, and I'll fix you something, I don't deem Granny's food healthy," Regina suggests. 

"Thanks, been mostly eating beignets and french fries," Alice sits down at a stool. "That's not sustenance, but then again you also loved marmalade all the time," Killian smirked. 

"So when was the last time you saw each other?" Regina raises. "I was ten," Alice states. 

"Brings me to the question of, did you end up in Boston from the beginning?" Killian asks. "Yeah, that's where I landed whatever that hole thing was," Alice said. 

"And.. you were in the system there, no one ever adopted you?" he asks. "Most people in that world want a baby, not a ten year old," Alice said. 

Regina noticed the obvious change in gentleness of Killian towards Alice, clearly pained that she grew up alone. 

"And they told me you aged out and that was it?" he asks. "Well I had a friend, he actually was the person I met when I got there, but he couldn't really take me in, but he looked after me, and then he gave me a home when I was out of the groups, " Alice explains. 

"Oh? Who is he?" Killian asks. "Someone you know," Alice said. "What?" Killian furrows his brows. 

"Baelfire," Alice answers. Killian gapes, in shock. "Wha-- that.. How?" Killian scoffs. "He was in Neverland a long time, then got to the real world," Alice said.

"How old is he?" Killian asks. "At least more than ten years above me," Alice shrugs. "Where is he now?" Killian asks. "Well he got arrested," Alice explains.

"Wait, who is Baelfire?" Regina interrupts. "He's Rumple's son, from Milah," Killian said. "As in first love Milah?" Regina asks. 

"Aye," Killian utters. 

"He's in jail, I can send him a postcard, he should be getting out soon," Alice said. "He will?" Killian asked. "His sentence was a year," Alice said. "He was caught stealing some fancy watches, really just to help support me, and he got caught," Alice explains. 

"So what are we doing about this curse?" Alice switches gears. Regina looks flatly at Killian, who hesitates.

"Well, where did this book come from?" Killian asks. "That's the thing, it just showed up," Alice shrugged.

"Where?" Killian asked. "In my bag," Alice informs.

Killian sighs and gently looks at the book, "Once upon a time, how ridiculous," He flips the pages seeing many familiar faces. 

"Clearly not that ridiculous if it showed up by magic," Alice mentioned. "She has a point, I like her cleverness," Regina muses. 

"Alright," Killian grits his teeth at Regina. "You two have some tension," Alice mentions. 

"Uhh, well, to be honest your father and I have a complicated history," Regina says. "Because he taught you and made you the Evil Queen and then cursed you here?" Alice rambles. 

"Uhh," Killian winces. 

"I read it all day," Alice tells him. "I see, listen, Regina and I were partners in a sense before the curse," Killian said. 

"You tricked me," Regina crosses her arms. 

"Okay, I did, because I wanted my way, and wanted to find you," Killian explains. "Well now you found, so just break it," Alice shrugs. 

"I can't just break it, there's no magic, and I can't get the magic until it's broken, sort of why it's called the dark curse," He said. 

"Come on, something must break it, I'll help," Alice said. 

"Okay," Killian agrees. "But you two have to promise not to like kill each other," Alice says. Regina sighs, "Well without magic, I can't really do much," she glares. 

"I can," Killian smirks. "But I won't," He denies. 

"I'll have Alice stay here," Regina volunteers. Killian furrows his brows, "It wouldn't look right she stayed with you yet don't you think?" Regina adds. "Alright, as long as Alice is fine with that," Killian said. 

"Sure," Alice shrugs. 

With an agreement to be peaceful and go about regular business, the next day begins a new part of the journey. Not what they expected though. 

Alice drops a postcard in the mail to Neal, and says simply, "I found Papa" with details on how to get there if he decides to journey there.

Regina sits in Granny's with a full plate and full cup of coffee, untouched. 

"I know it's not your favorite, but what's wrong?" Ruby asks. "Uhh, nothing, just a few things on my mind today," Regina takes a deep breath and stands up. 

Regina brings herself, reluctantly to the hospital, and is bumped into, literally by Mary Margaret. 

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Mary Margaret giggles excitedly, Regina presses her lips together, attempting to not be too annoyed. 

"I'm just so excited, I'm Pregnant!" Mary Margaret glees. "Oh... you are?" Regina asks. "Yes, I didn't think it could ever happen," Mary Margaret grins joyfully. 

With the time moving, it was no surprise that the pregnancy before the curse was now moving forward with Snow White. Time moving, meant many new things to come. 

Regina stares in the mirror at home. 

"Sorry, I know you don't want to see me, but since Alice is staying here, I wanted to bring a couple things," Killian poked his head in the front door. 

"Uhh, that's fine," Regina shakes her head anxiously. "What's wrong now?" He asks. 

"You realize that time is moving right?" Regina asks. "Obviously," he scoffs. 

"Well that pregnancy of Snow White's is, now moving forward here," Regina reveals. "Okay," He shrugs.

"Making nice with you just got more complicated," Regina states. "Why?" he grunts.

"I'm pregnant," Regina exhales.