The Land of Second Chances

Chapter 11 - Disappearances and Saviors

Realm - The land of second chances (Storybrooke)

Time - 12 years ago

Regina awoke to an empty bed.

The whole house was silent, and considering they had three babies now, moments like that were few and far between. Regina sighed and rolled over, expecting to find Robin.

But she didn't. His side of the bed was cold, like he hadn't been there for a long time.

Her first thought was that she had dreamed it all. That the curse was never broken, and she never got him back, but after checking that the kids were, in fact, there, she eliminated that theory.

Her second thought was that he'd gone to the shop, so she fed the kids and took them out for a walk in the pushchair, leaving Robin a note.

But when she got back from that walk an hour and a half later and he still wasn't home, she began to worry.

She started looking for any note that he may have left her and came up with nothing.

She called Emma to see if she and Killian had seen him and came up with nothing.

She went to Granny's to see if he'd gone there, and she left with a cheeseburger and no information. She couldn't even get any onion rings because of some stupid shortage!

By six thirty she had to come to the conclusion that something had happened. Something out of his control, and there was one person who would definitely have something to do with it.

She would have to talk to Zelina.

Realm - The land of second chances (Storybrooke)

Time - present

As soon as the door slammed, she regretted what she said.

He was adjusting. She knew that, and she couldn't expect him to just accept that he's been lied to his whole life. It wasn't fair.

She reached for Mr Snuggles - her dad's stuffed bear that she and Leia used to play with - and hugged him to her chest. "I've done it again Mr snuggles." She whispered as a tear slid down her cheek, recalling the last time she'd let go of the happiness and patience she prided herself on.

She shook her head. That wasn't going to happen again. She'd never feel that crushing despair again. She just had to hold onto her smile.

Hope stood and placed Mr snuggles back in his box with the rest of the toys they didn't use any more and wiped her tears.

When Leopold returned, she would apologise and make sure he got the help he needed.

Only he didn't return, and after a few hours of staring out of the window riddled with raindrops, she started to wonder if something was keeping him.

Or someone.

~♡~

Leopold unsheathed his sword, incredibly grateful he'd decided to take it down with him into the basement.

The knights moved closer, brandishing wepons made of a dense black material. He considered declaring himself as the price of Misthaven. However, he had a feeling that wouldn't make a difference. He was no prince in this world. No one would care if he died.

No. He would not die. Not here.

His first thought was that these were the fabled Evil Queens black knights except, they looked nothing like how his parents had described them.
Their amour had sharper edges and seemed to reflect the light of his sword almost as if they were made of tiny peaces of shattered glass. They did seem to be surrounded by an air of dark magic, but somehow, he knew that it wasn't the same dark magic as the Queen's black nights would've caried.