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kajsa-writes-sometimes · 4 years ago

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Chp. II: Miss Amanda Pailey

The door closes behind her. A dejected sigh left her lips as she pulled the cloak closer around her shoulders. Apparently not a single soul in the entire city hadn't read about her recent fiasco. Mrs. Milligan had caught her up just as she was about to leave the house and told her that she shouldn't fear losing her job. They had always been very fond of her and what the critics wrote about her book wouldn't sway their opinion of her, but - here Mrs. Milligan made a point out of giving her hand a tight squeeze - Mr. Milligan didn't want his children to get any ideas so if she could avoid bringing her personal views into the tutoring of the siblings, they would appreciate it.

Angelina shook her head and brushed an imaginary dust pellet off her dress. She had promised not to bring up the content of her writings while under the Milligan's roof, and then Mrs. Milligan had sent her off with a big smile and a small purse containing her fee.

The Milligan siblings had been under her tutoring since the previous summer, and she had had the pleasure of teaching the little scoundrels the basics of the written language, algebra, and sewing (although the latter of the three was restricted to the sister).

The Milligans moved to the city less than a generation ago, and both the parents still bore a gruff air about them. Mr. Milligan's hands were still large and ruff from numerous hours of hard labor, and Mrs. Milligan lacked the refinement of someone who had been born into old money. For Angelina (and probably the rest of the world too) it was painfully clear that the Milligans were nothing but a good impersonation of a well-off family.

For Angelina it made little difference. In actuality, she had little opinion of her employer as long as they paid her fee on time, and didn't fire her out of fear for what being associated with her name might mean for the family's good name.

As she turned down a narrow street, the clocks struck six o'clock and she could have cursed herself had she had the breath to do so. When the first chime sounded, she spread up in the hopes that she might beat the nature of time. The fifth stroke resonated between the yellow brick houses as she turned into the stairway of her friend's pensionate.

"I'm terribly sorry I'm late," she gasped as soon as the door opened. "Mrs. Milligan insisted we talk just as I was about to leave!"

"Don't fret about it, Angie. If I didn't know you by now, I think we should reevaluate our friendship. We have, after all, known each other for eight years."

Miss Amanda Pailey pulled her into the tiny, but cozy rooms and helped her friend get out of the cape.

"I know, I know- you are right as always, my dear," Angelina said as she straightened her back.

As Amanda ordered her friend to take a seat on a light red shasilong, she pulled together a tray of sandwiches and hot pies she had bought just that afternoon. It had been almost half a month since the friends had seen eachother last and much had happened for them both.

As the two young ladies nibbled away on their dinner, they both took the opportunity to look over the other. Angelina thought her friend looked as if she was glowing: her hair looked healthier and there was only the shadow of sleeplessness in her face. Amanda on the other hand couldn't help but notice how her friend's dress seemed almost half a size too big for her frame, and how her cheekbones stood out even clearer than they should.

"Please tell me you are eating probably," Amanda said as she lifted another pie onto her friend's plate.

"Always so worried about me. I'm eating all I can."

"Don't forget I know you well, and eating all you can is definitely not the same as eating enough."

Angelina avoided her friend's gaze as she took another bite of the pie. A sweet taste filled her mouth, and a soft moan escaped her against her will.

"Is it honey glazed pork with mashed potatoes?" she asked her friend.

"Well, at that price I wouldn't trust it being pork, but yes. I got an extra in the bag, and you are taking it home."

"I couldn't possibly-" Angelina started, but she was cut off.

"And I won't take no for an answer. I'm getting married in three months and I wouldn't want my bridesmaid to look like a walking corpse now, would I?"

Happy for the easy escape, Angelina grabbed the mention of her friend's wedding to guide the attention away from herself.

"So how is it going with your Mr. Harrington?"

"We've found a church with a kind, young priest who is willing to wed us. It's just down Almond Street. You must have seen it when you go round that way. I admit it looks rather dull from the outside, but the vicar has set a date and promised that the organist will play what we ask of him as long as it's nothing unseemly."

"Have you thought about where you are going to live after the ceremony? I doubt Mr. Harrington would be welcome here," Angelina asked.

"We haven't yet, but Pete is looking for pensinates that we can afford that will let us live together." Amanda sent her friend a small smile laden with all the sadness that her friend newingered just beneath the surface.

"You'll find something, I promise," she said, but both women were well aware that she was in no position to uphold her promise.

"Now we are on the topic of the future, how is your novel coming along?"

Amanda rose from her place and took the tray out. Angelina turned her head and rested an arm on the back of the chaiselong so she could watch her friend prepare a pot of tea.

They were a few years apart, but in the eight years their friendship had lasted, it had never been a problem. In all honesty there really wasn't that much of a difference between being twenty one and twenty three years old.

The greatest difference was the fact that Amanda had been engaged to Mr. Pete Harrington for the last three and a half year, and that Angelina had only ever had the irregular fling and known the fleeting butterflies of a summer's love. Angelina knew that if Amanda had had any say in the matter, they would have been happily married a long time ago, but her aunt had insisted the young man who had claimed the heart of her niece prove that he would be able to provide for his wife before they entered wedlock.

Three years later Mr. Pete Harrington had a job that had in prestige what it lacked in excitement. After having worked at an office in town for half a year and a half, Mr. Harrington had been hired by the University. A year later he had gotten a permanent position as the head secretary of the University Enrollment Office, and although Hemwick University wasn't as well known as Oxford, it attracted students from all across Europe. With the job secured Amanda and Mr. Harrington had once more approached Amanda's aunt and she had finally given the young couple her blessing. Now it was a matter of months before the wedding, and Amanda would be known as Mrs. Harrington by the age of twenty three.

"Well, you've got nothing to say? That doesn't seem like you," Amanda said as she returned to her seat.

"I'm terribly sorry, but my mind seems to be all over the place these days," Angelina shrugged as she thought about the Duke's letter that still lay on the table next to her typewriter. "It appears that there is no one who hasn't heard about my recent flob, and half the world seems keen to remind me that I have chosen a path not suited for young women."

"I'm truly sorry to hear so, but we both know that is not what is bothering you," Amanda said and fixed a curl that had escaped her intricate hairdo.

Angelina rose to her feet and started walking in circles on the floor. Writhing her hands in front of her, she considered if she should tell her friend about her correspondence with the Duke. None of them lived under the assumption that they told each other everything, but the length of their relationship meant that they shared most things.

Maybe a light version of the truth would do? She stopped in the middle of the floor and met her friend's warm, brown eyes.

"I received a letter, you see, from a reader who wanted to tell me how much he enjoyed my work."

Amanda lifted the cup to her lips wondering where this story would lead. She couldn't see what her friend found so upsetting about a from an admirer of her work.

"And I'm somewhat afraid that I might have offended him with my reply to his letter."

"Would it be so bad if you have offended this man?"

"I fear so. He has a good reputation and if he decided to smear my book, it could end my career faster than you would need to make a cup of tea!"

Angelina made something that resembled but wasn't quite a pirouette on the spot.

"Oh, wouldn't the critics love it if I should put down my pen and return to the quiet life of an upstanding woman!"

"They probably would, but I doubt you have anything to fear. I am sure you fret for nothing, and that he will be so awestruck by the reply you send him that he'll have no time to be offended." Amanda rose and placed a hand on her friend's upper arm. "Now let's sit down and I'll tell you how the wedding planning is going. That is sure to take your mind off things."

And so the two young women once more took a seat, and for an evening some of the tension left Angelina's shoulders. As she walked home later that night, she almost succeeded at convincing herself that she would soon return to her daily life with no more interruptions in the form of handwritten letters on cream coloured paper.

The entire story can be found on Wattpad as I slowly update or by following the links in this master post

#the true story of a poor writer and her unwanted patron #kajsa writes #my writings #historical fiction #original fiction #original #oc #writeblr #writing #writblr #my writing #original writing

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melsworldofmusesarchived · 4 years ago

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Headcanons: Helena’s Family

Galen Walsh (FC: Timothy V. Murphy) - Head of the Family. Currently imprisoned after his daughter secretly helped the police in his arrest. He is not aware of this truth, and that’s how his younger brother plans to keep it.

Matilda Russo (FC: Patricia Velásquez) - Helena and Theodore’s absent mother. Status unknown. Hasn’t been seen or heard from since she left her children with their father in 1996.

Cormac Walsh (FC: Titus Welliver) - Interim Head of the Family & business. Actively attempting to locate both Lena and Theo, while secretly putting hits out on Lena. He is the only person that knows the truth about Lena’s involvement in putting his older brother/her father in prison and wants revenge. He hasn’t told his brother the truth about Lena for the reason of “sparing him of that pain”. He has deliberately lied to his brother’s face many times about his niece, promising his brother that he’ll bring the children back into the family and the business as Galen intended. Cormac believes that his brother would forgive Lena for her role in his arrest, something the younger brother can’t allow to happen.

Tessa Walsh (FC: Jodelle Ferland) - Helena and Theo’s younger paternal half-sister, Galen’s daughter with an ex-girlfriend. Lena accidentally caused her death in car accident while she was driving her younger sister home from soccer practice while the older was high. Tessa’s death is what made Lena sober up from her prior drug addiction (though alcohol can still be a problem, she adamantly rejects driving drunk). Lena carries a photo of her little sister with her.

Anthony Russo (FC: Mandy Patinkin) - Lena and Theo’s maternal grandfather, who they found after running away from their family after their father’s incarceration. They both lived with him and their grandmother Lilian Russo (nee Chester) before Lilian was murdered in a home invasion set up by Cormac Walsh. Anthony survived, but the contact with his grandchildren was cut off by Helena and Theo for his protection and they haven’t seen him since.

Sorcha Walsh (FC: Fionnula Flanagan) - Lena and Theo’s paternal grandmother, mother to Galen and Cormac Walsh. Though Sorcha is very much alive, she doesn’t have any working connection to the family business - at least not since the passing of her husband Edmond which lead her eldest son to take over. Though she disapproved of her grandchildren’s conception (and later Lena’s erratic behavior), she had genuine love for them.

Ruth Walsh (FC: Fiona Shaw) - The only daughter of Edmond and Sorcha Walsh and a very vain and greedy woman. She’s been married and divorced 3 times, all of which was done for money before settling down with her wife Alma. She and Lena never got along and Ruth hated the fact that her older brother had been giving money to Lena’s mother when she was raising the children; she was completely fine with the idea of her brother hiding the paternity of his kids from his family considering they were conceived out of wedlock and through an affair, but for Galen to have provided financial support to Matilda is something she considers ‘unforgivable’.

#CHARACTER STUDY: all i want is a little of the good life (helena‘s headcanons)#A CHANCE TO SHINE (theodore chester ; test muse)#tw: death #tw: child death #tw: drug addiction #tw: car accident #tw: parent abandonment #tw: cheating #tw: affair #mentioned #mentioned just in case

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artificialqueens · 5 years ago

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Hot as Hell and No A/C, Chapter 3 (Branjie)- Blackhighheels

(Read at AO3)

Three

Jose knows it might not be the best idea to come to this run down bar, but he is bored and he needs a drink. Since he left Los Angeles he hasn’t been to any clubs or bars and this shack is the only thing nearby in the middle of motherfucking nowhere.

The offer is somewhat limited and so he orders a whiskey, since that seems to be the only thing they have beside shots and beer. He remains sitting at the bar and the woman behind it, Lindsey, is a hoot and he likes talking to her. From what she’s telling him she used to be the queen bee around here, about forty years ago, until she got pregnant too young and out of wedlock and found herself working in this bar to keep a roof over her head and care for her son.

He’s so engrossed in Lindsey’s stories that it takes him a while to realise that a couple of guys by the pool table are talking about him. The words ”Faggot”, ”Gay” and ”cocksucker” are a dead give away and he doesn’t think they’d say that about anyone but him around here.

”Hey, assholes! Got a problem with my gay ass?” He yells at them. It might be the alcohol or simply his frustration about the town and what it does to people, but he isn’t willing to just take it and keep him mouth shut. And he’s not afraid of them. He’s had his share of fights in his life, both because of the area he grew up in and also because of him being so obviously gay.

The four men, or boys, come closer and he can already smell the cloud of beer that surrounds them.

”Did you faggot just call us assholes?”

”If you’re the assholes who just talked smack about me, then yeah, I did.” He turns around in his bar stool and is glad that it gives him a bit of a height advantage.

”You better watch your mouth you filthy cocksucker.”

”Mmmh…. Sucking dick’s only filthy when it’s done right. You ever tried it?”

Jose expects a punch or kick, maybe something thrown his way. He doesn’t expect one of the guys spitting right into his face.

”Guys like you are dirt and god will take care of you,” the smallest one says. He seems to be believer amongst them.

Jose doesn’t want to talk anymore though. They just spit at him. He’s done talking. Before the god-fearing idiot has even finished speaking, Jose smacks the fucker who spit at him right across the face with the back of his hand.

”Imma end you, you motherfuckers. No one spits at me, bitch! You got hands, show me! Show me!” he yells, as blood drips from the drunken teenager’s nose.

”Hey!” Lindsey grabs him from behind. ”No fights in my bar. House rule. If you really wanna beat each other up, take it outside. But I’d advise all of y’all to just leave it. You four shouldn’t even be in here or drinking, and you,” she turns to Jose ”better not make more enemies than necessary while ya here. This is a small town.” Jose looks at the four teenagers in front of him, then throws a couple of dollars on the bar and leaves. So much for grabbing a drink and enjoying a night out.

***

Brock walks out of the stable when he hears a voice he would recognise everywhere. He also knows the car parked in their driveway.

”Fuck,” he curses quietly and hurries towards the house, wiping his hands on an old rag as panic settles in his stomach. This can’t be happening! Also, he is painfully aware that his hair is a mess, he is sweaty, dirty and his clothes are stained. Usually when he sees Jose, he at least gets a chance to shower beforehand.

For the last two weeks Jose has driven Rachel and him home after each dance practise. Sometimes they stop for ice cream or food on the way back. Brock is aware that Jose only makes little bets with Rachel, bets he always loses, and then has to invite them to whatever it is he promised her. Brock wouldn’t be able to buy ice-cream and take-out three or four times a week for three people.

The time he spends with Jose and Rachel has become the highlight of his life. He doesn’t mind walking half an hour to a dance studio and then watch for nearly two hours in the overheated studio as his niece prances around the room with other girls. The short drive back with Jose makes it all worth while.

He is the funniest and kindest guy Brock’s ever met. It feels a bit like having a friend, a real friend for once, and Jose is probably the only person he can really be himself with. He can giggle when he feels like it, talk with his hands and even admit that he likes colourful sprinkles on top of his ice-cream.

However, none of it explains why Jose is here now, parked in front of his parents’ house. It’s already too late, Brock realises when he makes his way around the front-porch and find both his mother and father standing on the porch talking to Jose.

”Aw, that’s too bad you can’t tell me. Thought I’d save them the long walk, now that I’m in town anyway.”

”Sorry, we can’t help ya,” his father says in a brusk tone.

”Ok, never mind. Thanks anyway,” Jose turns around to leave. That’s when he spots Brock. Immediately Jose’s face lights up. He is looking really good today, wearing a white wife-beater, a short black and red flannel shirt and tiny black shorts. ”Hey Brock!”

”Hello,” Brock replies as neutral as possible and it takes a lot not to return the smile. He is very aware that his parents are watching their interaction with stony expressions. ”What are you doing here?”

”Thought I’d ask you and Rachel if I should drive you to dance practice today. I have to take care of some shit here in town and could take you back with me. Don’t think ya got your car fixed yet, huh?” Jose still smiles and casually leans against his Porsche. He looks like someone straight out of an ad or a tv show. Already Brock’s stomach tightens because he knows what he has to do.

”I’m sorry Sir, but that’s not necessary. Rachel and I can manage on our own. Thank you for the kind offer though,” he declines and watches the smile melt off Jose’s face when the icy tone of Brock’s voice registers with him.

”Brock! You know him?” His mother asks. She sounds surprised. What did she think? That some stranger would just show up and offer driving him and Rachel?

”This is Jose. He is Rachel’s dance teacher for the next couple of weeks. Jason hurt himself.” He informs both of his parents.

”You done with the hay?” His father stops any further explanation.

”No, not yet. I just heard voices and thought I’d check on ya.”

”I don’t need ya checking, that’s what we got guns for. I need ya working!” His father barks.

”I better get going,” Jose says quietly and his eyes appear to be so large and defeated that Brock nearly drowns in them.

”Thank you again for the offer but we can manage,” he says and softens his tone. He doesn’t want to decline. If he had a choice, he’d gladly drive around in Jose’s car all day and talk to him about everything and nothing. But it’s not an option he has.

He can’t move, he can’t do anything when he watches Jose get into the car and then drive off, leaving dust and a hint of cologne in the air.

”Don’t ya have work to do?!” his father asks him from the porch and snaps him out of his daze. Quickly he hurries back to the stable to work, to hide and to hopefully forget about the scene he was just a part of. He swallows a couple of times to keep the tears inside that his stupid overly emotional heart wants him to cry for how he just treated Jose.

***

”Care to tell us what that guy wanted today?” Brock’s father asks as soon as he sits down at the table for lunch.

”I told you, he’s Rachel’s dance teacher and I know nothing more than you do. He wanted to drive us to her dance class.”

”How’d he know your car’s broken?”

”We were late a couple of times,” Brock sighs and takes a piece of bread, rips a piece off and stuffs it in his mouth so the words he really wants to speak won’t burst out.

”I don’t like ya hanging with that folk! It’s bad enough that Ada allows Rachel to take dance lessons at that place. You being around these faggots a couple o’times a week… ya know what the people in town gonna say if they see this gay guy here? Ya know what the minister’s gonna say? You stay away from them, ya hear me!” His father is basically yelling at this point.

”I take Rachel to dance class because no one else has the time to do so, not because I wanna hang out there. I don’t know this guy any better than I know Jason, so what’s the big deal? He is a good teacher and Rachel likes him.”

”Stop eating before we said grace!” His father slaps the bread out of his hand, which drops to the floor. ”And Rachel shouldn’t be anywhere around these faggots, this music or these whore dance moves! It’s not right! Their lifestyle and everything they do’s offensive to the lord and every god fearing Christian. They don’t belong here and I want none of my family have anything to do with them. If you wanna hang out with these sinners you get your ass out of my house and better never come back.” Now his father is really yelling.

”How else is Rachel supposed to get there? By the time the lessons are done it’s dark out. It’s too far for her to go on her own. It’s not safe!”

”If I had a say in it she wouldn’t go there at all! But ya sister is letting her kids do whatever! If she lets them run with the wrong crowd, they should know what’s waiting for them!”

It’s nothing Brock hasn’t heard before. It’s nothing he hasn’t seen or felt before. He knows if he speaks another word now the fight will most likely become physical. Brock has never raised a hand against his father, but for a while now he’s taken to defending himself and his mother when the beer gets to his father’s head again.

He hates how he judges Jose without even knowing him. He even hates him for judging Jason. For a split second he wants to scream at him that he’s a sinner himself, gay like them and that even all the beatings he got as a child and teenager didn’t take it out of him.

Then he glances at his mother and her wide, scared eyes let him bite his tongue and lower his head. ”I’ll tell Ada I can’t take Rachel anymore.” He leans over and picks the bread up off the floor and uses the second to wipe his face clean of any emotion. Fury is still burning in his gut, nearly making him sick as he swallows it down and nearly chokes on it.

This is not the time though, not the time to risk it all for nothing. Jose will be gone again in about three weeks and their tentative friendship will become only a memory. What does it matter if he stops it all now, goes back to life how it was before Jose got here and starts living his harsh reality again three weeks earlier? His father probably just saved him a lot of pain and heartache. Brock knows that Jose and his friendships means too much already and he’s gotten too used to it.

”Good. Brock, can you say grace?” His mother ends the discussion with a grateful look and Brock knows he’s made the right decision.

***

”Hey, uncle Brock,” Rachel greets him after the mass on Sunday, when they are all still standing in front of the church.

”Hey honey,” he smiles.

”Can you take a look at my bike? The breaks’ not working and mommy can’t fix it,” she asks him and of course Brock follows her to her bike on the other side of the lawn. He doesn’t care that his good pants get dirty as he kneels down beside the small bike. It’s more important that his niece has a functioning bike, now that she has to ride it to dance practise and back. Brock doesn’t like it. He worries about her constantly, but there is nothing he can do.

”It’s just a bit loose, honey, that’s easily fixed,” he assures her.

”Thank you!”

”Do your lights work? I don’t like you riding your bike in the dark after practise, so we have to make sure at least these are working.”

”Can I tell you a secret?” Rachel whispers after checking that they are alone.

”Always.”

”I’m not driving back on my bike. Vanjie takes me until we reach our house and then waits with the lights turned off until he knows I’m safely inside.”

Brock feels a warmth spreading through him that nearly knocks him on his ass. He grasps the bike to keep his balance. He should have known Jose would make sure Rachel is safe. It’s so much like him that Brock feels like weeping. It’s only been three days, but he already misses their talks so much and hearing about how he cares for his niece only makes him miss Jose more. If only he could just talk to him sometimes.

”That’s very nice of Vanjie. He’s a very good guy,” Brock tells her just as quietly as she told him her secret.

”Then why do you hate him?”

”What? What makes you think I hate him?” he asks surprised and slowly gets up.

”Vanjie asked why you not taking me anymore and if you’re sick or something. I told him ‘bout the stuff grandpa said and that you can’t take me ‘cause they’re offensive and sinners and you don’t wanna be around him and can’t be his friend.”

Brock nearly crumbles to the ground for real this time. ”Rachel, how do you know about that talk?”

”I wanted to see you but then I heard the yelling through the open window and ran off. I don’t like grandpa when he’s mean like that.”

He takes a deep breath and runs his hands through his curls. There are so many things wrong with what Rachel just said and what she overheard. But there are also things he can maybe fix.

”Honey, I don’t agree with grandpa. Vanjie is a very good and nice guy and don’t let anyone tell you anything else about him or Jason, ok? ” Rachel nods her head. ”The only reason why I’m not taking you anymore is because grandpa gets very upset about these things and he’s scared that people will say mean things about me in town.”

”Like the things they say about Jason?”

”Yeah, like that. And he doesn’t want that for me or any of us. And I don’t want to make grandpa angry.”

”Uncle Brock? I like Jason and Vanjie.”

”That’s good. Make sure you tell them. They sure need to hear it.” He strokes his hand over Rachel’s strawberry blond hair.

”Will you tell them, too? Vanjie was really sad that you not there anymore. He said, he thought you was his friend.”

”I’ll tell him,” Brock agrees.

”Promise?” Rachel goes in for the kill.

”Promise,” he says and knows he now really doesn’t have choice but to talk to Jose. Rachel will know.

***

He waits until his parents are in bed and then sneaks outside to the orchard behind their house. It’s far enough so he won’t be overheard, dark enough so he won’t be seen and close enough to the cellphone tower so he’ll have reception.

Jose has given him his phone number the first week, but he has never used it and he hasn’t given him his own. It simply hadn’t been necessary. Jose said to use the number if he needed a ride or if Rachel couldn’t come to practise. Brock had no such excuse for giving him his number.

He takes a couple of deep breaths and then finally brings his thumb down on the dial button.

”Hello?” Jose picks up after only a couple of rings.

”Hey, uhm, it’s me, Brock,” he stutters and feels stupid already.

”What’d ya want, Sir?” Jose’s tone is snide and Brock knows he deserves it.

”Rachel told me she talked to you and I think I need to clear some things up.”

”You made it more than crystal yourself what you really think about me. Ya don’t need to drag Rachel into this.”

”I’m not! I just think, like… it’s not what it seems.”

”So you not avoiding me like the plague ‘cause your father’s a bigot asshole who thinks just talking to me will sully your reputation?” Jose is yelling at him through the phone, then he suddenly stops. When he continues his voice carries the hurt he must be feeling. ”God, I hate this motherfucking town and all of y’all religious lying assholes.”

”I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry. You’re so nice to Rachel and to me and helped us out so much and just…I’m sorry.”

”If you’re really sorry you’d have come here and told me this shit in person like a man. But I guess you just as much of a weaselly liar as the rest of these fucked up wanna be cowboys in this town. Grow up, start thinking for ya’self and learn how to make an apology real.” Jose hangs up on him and Brock stares disbelievingly at his phone.

At first he is shocked and sad. He’s just lost the only friend who really knew him. Not only that, but he also thinks badly about him now. How can he think that Brock agrees with his father? He must know that he doesn’t have a choice, right? He thought Jose knows… That’s when Brock gets angry himself. He is so sick of all of these people and their opinions about him and his life and what he is supposed to do and to think. He’s used to it from his family and the town and the parish. But Jose? How dare he!

Before he really knows what he is doing, he has run inside, grabbed his mother’s car keys and is on the way to the dance studio. Jose wants him to talk to him in person? He can have it!

***

Brock bangs on the front-door and his hand is still in the air when the door is ripped open.

”What the fuck are you doing here, bitch?”

”You told me to talk to you in person, didn’t you?” Brock raises his voice as well.

”Aaaah and of course the good little christian boy always does what he is told,” Jose sneers. For a second Brock wants to punch him. Instead he pushes past him into the apartment. Jason or whoever else is around, really doesn’t need to hear this conversation.

Jose lets the door falls shut and crosses his arms over his chest. ” Say what you gotta say, then leave.”

”Why are you acting like this?”

”Acting? Acting bitch! Imma show you who’s acting! You lucky I’m not kicking your ass right now for pretending to be my friend, acting all nice and cute while we eating ice cream and then you suddenly stabbing me in the back, pretending you don’t fucking know me and stop talking to me without any explanation. I don’t need any more backstabbing hoes in my life.”

”Do you have any idea what my father would have done, if he knew we were hanging out after dance practice? If he knew we were so much as talking on the regular? I don’t know who he would have shot first, you or me!”

“I’m not scared of your asshole father. I don’t give a shit about him! But I give a shit about loyalty. And you not who I thought you were! You not fucking loyal! If you’d been at that fucking bar last week, you’d have spat on me too and tried to beat me up, just ‘cause you scared of your father. You pathetic!” Jose is full on screaming at him now.

”So you got a taste of what it’s like to live here for one night? Do you know what it’s like to live here every fucking day of your fucking life? When they beat me up as a kid ‘cause I was too girly, my dad beat me up again when I got home. They threw rocks at me, spat at me and slapped me all the way through school. I couldn’t tell my parents, the teachers didn’t care and I didn’t even understand what the fuck was wrong with me!” Brock starts pacing in the small living room.

”You’re the only person who knows. The only person who knows that I’m…” he can barely get the word over his lips. ”…that I’m gay.” There, he’s said it out loud for the first time in his life. Well, yelled it at Jose. ”And you know what happens when that gets out? When only a rumour will spread? What you experienced at the bar will be my life every fucking day and worse. My parents will kick me out, I’ll lose all of my family and I’ll have nothing, NOTHING left. Maybe that’s what I deserve for being that way, maybe that’s really god’s way of punishment. But I’d rather live a lie every day for the rest of my fucking life than to lose the little I have left.” Tears are dripping from Brock’s chin by the end of his confession. He’s laid it all out now to Jose, a guy he barely knows and just because he’s the first one who has shown him any kindness. Fuck! What if… what if he tells people? What if he is so angry he will take revenge and..

”Hey, it’s ok. I understand,” Jose is suddenly standing in front of him and places his hands on his upper arms. That’s when Brock realises he’s shaking. ”It’s ok.” Jose tries to wipe his tears away with the back of his hands, but they fall faster than he can wipe them off. ”Come here, boo, sit down. You still shaking like a fucking tree,” he says. Brock has to laugh about the mishap.

”Leaf,” he corrects through his tears and hiccups.

”Smart ass. Imma get you some water,” Jose smiles and disappears for a moment, before he comes back with a bottle of water and some tissues. Brock takes the water and drinks it down, before he accepts the tissues and dries his face and his eyes.

He feels stupid now for getting so upset, for crying, for yelling all of his secrets at Jose and for coming here in the first place. ”I’m sorry, I shouldn’t…” he starts but Jose stops him.

”You know what, boo? You look like you need a hug. That ok?” Jose asks him with a tender and worried look.

”I’m not good at hugging,” Brock shrugs self-deprecatingly and looks down.

”You lucky, ‘cause I’m the best at giving hugs.” A moment later Jose slowly pulls him in his arms and hugs him tightly. It’s a strange feeling for Brock and he can’t remember when he has ever hugged anyone other than his sister or his nieces and nephews. Then however, he slowly relaxes against Jose’s warm body and lets the last couple of tears fall.

So this is what it feels like, he thinks. It’s nice and soothing, comfortable and exciting. He feels safe and cared for. Jose starts running his hands up and down his back and if Brock could, he would start purring like his favorite kitten. He closes his eyes and enjoys the feeling.

After a while, he turns his head, his nose bumps against Jose’s neck and the scent of cologne gets stronger. Jose’s hand slides up his neck and into his hair. When Brock looks up and their eyes meet, it only takes a split second and then Jose brushes his lips against his. It’s not even a peck, more like a butterfly like touch, but Brock wants more. He stops thinking as he leans up and captures Jose’s mouth in a soft kiss.

When he pulls back his brain suddenly starts working again and he jumps back. ”Oh my god!” he covers his tingling lips with his hand and stares at Jose.

”Please tell me that’s not been your first kiss,” Jose begs, equally wide eyed.

”No! But.. Like… we can’t do this. I can’t..not… here… I’m…”

”It’s ok, Brock. It don’t gotta mean nothing. You can go back to ignoring me now. I get it, I promise. No hard feelings.” The hurt in Jose’s voice tells Brock something else though.

”I don’t wanna ignore you.” He tells him honestly. ”But I can’t… do this here. It’s too risky.”

”Alright. Friends then?” Jose smiles.

”Friends,” Brock nods. ”Just… no one can know.”

”‘Cause I’m too fucking gay for this town, I know, Miss Thing. Then you better get your secretly gay ass outta here, before anyone sees you.” The words are harsh, but the smirk on Jose’s face and the hug he gives him, let Brock know he really means it.

”We could get ice cream again some time?” Brock suggests when he is already halfway out the door.

”Text me tomorrow if you still feeling that typa way and we can do that.” They smile at each other for a moment and if Brock wasn’t such a coward he’d kiss him again. Instead he quickly leaves and vows to himself that he will text Jose in the morning and make sure he won’t lose the only friend who now really knows all of his dirty secrets and still likes him. Despite it all. Maybe because of it.

TBC

#rpdr fanfiction #brooke lynn hytes #vanessa vanjie mateo #branjie #m/m au #slow burn #romance #angst #hot as hell and no ac #blackhighheels #tw religion #tw internalized homophobia

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lilacmoon83 · 6 years ago

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Dreaming Out Loud

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Chapter 95: Beyond the Rainbow

The Enchanted Forest

19 Years Before the Dark Curse

Regina smiled, as her lips parted from Daniel's. She had sneaked away from another ball and knew her mother would hardly notice. She hated balls and would have done anything to spend a few extra moments with her secret boyfriend. If her mother knew about her involvement with the stable boy, she would be furious. Only her caretaker, Sir Henry knew and he had no trouble keeping their secret. He actually seemed happy for her, but then that was nothing new either. From the time she was just a baby, Sir Henry had been her caretaker and she loved him like a father. Her own father had never paid her much attention. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, but she knew Leopold wasn't a very good man. He was cold and aloof, while her mother could also be cold and cruel. Henry had always given her that warmth and parental love she craved. He had shown it to Zelena as well, but her older sister usually rebuked any kind of affection.

Zelena had a wicked streak and Regina had been on the receiving end of one of her tantrums or tirades one too many times. Despite problems with her mother and sister, Regina had a good life, but she longed to leave palace life behind to run off with Daniel, for she knew they would never be allowed to marry within the Kingdom.

"Come on...let's sneak off to go riding," Regina said, as they mounted their horses and slowly pranced into the meadow nearby. That's when they saw a Unicorn in the distance, despite it being dark.

"That's a Unicorn," he said, with interest.

"Come on...let's see if we can get closer," Regina replied, as they cautiously went closer.

~*~

While the ball was going on that evening, Demeter watched fondly, as her granddaughter rode her Unicorn in the nearby meadow, near the palace stables.

"Way better than some stuffy ball, huh snowdrop?" Artemis mentioned, as she walked beside her niece.

"Uh huh...but I'm worried," Snow replied.

"About what sweetheart?" Demeter asked.

"Daddy always seems sad...and Ravenna is really mean to him too. I want Daddy to be happy," she replied. Demeter and Artemis exchanged a glance.

"Oh snowdrop...those are adult problems that you're too young to understand," Demeter said.

"We can't shelter her forever," Artemis muttered. Demeter sighed.

"Sweetheart...sometimes people that are married aren't always happy or in love," the elder Goddess explained.

"Like Mama and Papa Hades are?" Snow asked. The Goddess resisted an eye roll. There was a time that she hated Hades with every fiber of her being, but he had changed. Even she had to acknowledge it and she knew how much he loved her daughter and granddaughter.

"Yes...and then sometimes royals have to marry for the good of their Kingdom. And sometimes they don't love that person. Unfortunately, that's what happened with your Daddy," Demeter explained. A look of horror crossed Snow's cherub face.

"Will I have to marry someone I don't love?" she asked.

"Stars no, little one," Artemis said, as she got up onto the Unicorn with her and hugged her from behind.

"Someday, you will find true love and it will be magic," Artemis promised.

"Really?" Snow asked. The Goddess of the Hunt smiled.

"Surely," she promised.

"Do you think Daddy can still find true love?" Snow asked curiously. Artemis exchanged a glance with Demeter.

"I'm not sure, snowdrop. But do you want to know what I do know?" she asked.

"What's that?" Snow asked.

"I know that your Daddy loves you very much. He may not have a romantic love in his life, but his love for you is very true," she promised, making Snow smile, just as they heard hooves galloping toward them.

Two horses came into view and Demeter recognized the woman on one of them as Princess Regina.

"Oh, we're sorry to intrude. We just saw a Unicorn and were very curious. We didn't know it belonged to anyone," the man said. Artemis smiled.

"No need for an apology. You're more than welcome to observe," she replied. Daniel dismounted his horse and gently petted the horse's mane.

"I've never seen one so well trained. I always thought they were too wild," Daniel mentioned.

"They usually are...but I happen to have a bit of a way with animals," Artemis mentioned.

"His name is Stardust," Snow chimed in.

"That is a very fitting name for a Unicorn," Regina said.

"And I'm Snow," she announced.

"You're King Eli's daughter," Regina realized. The little girl nodded.

"Daddy said I didn't have to go to the ball and I could go riding instead," Snow said.

"I sneaked out too," Regina replied, as they shared a smile.

"Wait...if she's Princess Snow, then you two must be…" Daniel realized, as he suddenly bowed.

"I am Artemis and she's Demeter, but there is no need for bowing, young man," Artemis replied, as he stood up.

"Do you want to ride him?" Snow asked. Daniel and Regina exchanged a glance and then nodded.

"That's very kind of you," Regina said, as Artemis helped Snow off and allowed Regina and Daniel to mount the animal, before they went galloping into the meadow together.

"That was very sweet of you, Snow," Demeter praised.

"They look like they love each other...and maybe I'll get to ride Stardust with my true love someday," she said wistfully. They noticed an elderly man hurrying toward them and saw him motion to Princess Regina in the distance.

"Who are you?" Snow asked curiously.

"I am Sir Henry...Princess Regina's caretaker," he answered.

"I'm Snow," she said cheerfully. He smiled kindly.

"It is very nice to meet you, Princess Snow," he said, as Regina and Daniel returned.

"Your mother is looking for you, Princess," he said. Regina winced.

"I better get back...she's probably furious," she said, as she kissed Daniel quickly and hurried back to the palace.

"Why is she scared?" Snow asked curiously.

"I'm afraid Queen Cora isn't very nice or tolerant," Daniel answered.

"Sounds like my step-mother," Snow said. But at least Ravenna ignored her most of the time.

"Is she going to be in trouble?" Snow asked. Sir Henry smiled at her concern.

"I'll do my best to smooth things over with Queen Cora. I'll tell her she was conversing with another Royal. After all, that's not really a lie," he said kindly, as he bowed to them and followed Princess Regina. Daniel watched Regina go sadly.

"Thank you for letting us ride your Unicorn, Princess Snow," he said, as he proceeded to lead their horses back to the stables.

"You're welcome," Snow called, as Artemis took her hand.

"All right, snowdrop. Let's get you back to your father. It grows late and his carriage will be leaving soon," Demeter said. She nodded, as they started back to Leopold's palace.

~*~

David looked up at the stars from the porch of their country cottage. His father had just left, after having dinner with them. He had been sober ten days now and David was proud of him. He was really trying this time and he could only hope that it lasted.

"David...it's getting too chilly to be out here," Serafina gently chided, as she came out onto the porch.

"I like looking at the stars," he mentioned. She smiled and put a blanket around his shoulders, before sitting down beside him.

"My little stargazer," Sera said fondly.

"Do you think Dad will start drinking again?" David asked. Sera's heart broke for him and she sincerely hoped for David's sake that he didn't. She knew that she and Ruth couldn't bare to see his heart broken again.

"I don't know, my sweet boy...I really hope he doesn't though," she replied.

"I really wish he wasn't mad at you though," David mentioned. Sera smiled.

"I don't think he's really mad at me, sweetheart. He's more mad at himself," she mentioned. David's brow furrowed.

"How come?" David asked.

"Well...he's mad at himself for his weakness. He's mad, because his drinking caused him to lose his family for a while. But if he can stay sober, he can get get his family back," she explained.

"If he stays sober...that doesn't mean you'll leave us, does it?" he asked.

"Of course not. Your mother and I love each other very much. Sometimes mother's and father's don't live together, but still love the child they have very much," she replied.

"Mama is right...she's not going anywhere," Ruth agreed, as she leaned down to press a kiss to her wife's lips, before sitting on the other side of their son.

"True love is magic, my love...and something tells me that someday, you'll find it too," Sera said, as she kissed his cheek.

"Mama is right...now go wash up for bed," Ruth urged, as she scooted him inside the house. Sera put her arms around Ruth and they shared a kiss, before going inside to tuck their boy in.

~*~

The Dreamscape

Emma blew out a breath, as she let everything she had just seen soak in.

"So...Leopold managed to get even creepier and I don't know her well, but it seems like Zelena is almost worse like this," Emma mentioned. Athena hummed in agreement.

"As Regina might suggest, Zelena doesn't realize the bullet she dodged growing up without her mother," Athena mentioned.

"So...in the real time line, Cora left Zelena in the woods to die?" Emma asked in disbelief.

"In Cora's words, she had to give herself her best chance and that wasn't with a baby out of wedlock," Athena replied.

"That's cold, even for Cora," Emma said.

"And that was before she tore her own heart out of her chest," Athena added.

"You see, Zelena deserves a tad bit of sympathy in the original time line. She was left in the woods to die and a cyclone carried her off to Oz. There, she was adopted by a couple, but the father was an abusive drunk, who feared her magic," Athena explained.

"That sucks...but she wanted to use me or my baby sibling in her warped spell, so I don't have much sympathy for her," Emma replied.

"I don't blame you...but I agree that this Zelena is much worse. She's actually done herself a great disservice," Athena mentioned.

"I have a question...a very important one," Emma said.

"And I'll try to answer it if I can," Athena responded.

"My parents now each have three parents that love them so much...as much as I know they love me. How can I take that away from them? Even if it means I never meet Neal," Emma replied.

"Do you really think that your parents would ever want you to deny yourself love for them? They are happy in the original time line, despite everything. And I think you know they want you to be happy too. Plus, they adore their grandson," she answered. Emma smiled.

"I know," she said fondly.

"If I choose to send everyone back...will Serafina and Ravenna still exist and come with us?" Emma asked.

"It's too hard to see. I know that there might be changes, even if we go back to the original time line. There is a chance that neither of them will show up. And there is a chance they will," Athena replied.

"Well, that's maddeningly unhelpful," Emma quipped.

"On one hand, I definitely want Serafina to. My Dad seems to really love her. On the other hand, if that includes Ravenna, that means another villain in Storybrooke," she added.

"Gah...I hate this! I don't want to choose how everyone lives get to turn out," Emma lamented.

"I know Emma...I'm sorry that it has to be this way," Athena apologized. Emma sighed and they continued to watch her parents lives unfold in a very different way.

~*~

The Enchanted Forest

10 Years Before the Dark Curse

"We have been over this many times, Your Majesty. You have no viable heir to your Throne and the mounting threat from other Kingdoms is mounting. The royal coffers are empty and your Queen has led us to ruin," one of Eli's adviser's stated.

"And many think she has done this on purpose, as she has made us ripe for the picking. Her thirteen brothers would only be too happy to commit hostile takeover," another added.

"And it was this court that advocated that I marry Ravenna in the first place!" Eli snapped, silencing them all, for it was true.

"I had a Queen, but you rejected her and you have rejected my daughter," he stated firmly. The last ten years of an unhappy marriage and a troubled Kingdom had hardened Eli. In fact, the only one that could melt this cold and hard shell that had seemed to encase the King was his lovely daughter, who was but a servant in her own home.

"You have my daughter cleaning after you and serving you. She does not protest, because she is too kind and when I do...I am threatened with war by my own Queen," he spat distastefully.

"So what will you have me do now? This is your mess too...yet you offer no solutions. The people have lost faith in my leadership and poverty is rampant. I have a solution to rebuild the Kingdom's trust and I know in the long run, it would bring prosperity. Yet you will not accept," Eli responded.

"Making your daughter the rightful heir is not a solution," one of the nobles refuted.

"The people adore my precious Snow. They would embrace and celebrate her as their Queen and I know she would breathe life into our broken Kingdom. And...if Snow were Queen, then it would come with the backing and protection of the Gods," he added.

"Bringing the Gods of Olympus into our Kingdom would cause nothing but chaos," another refuted.

"A bastard cannot sit on this Throne!" another argued, but he was taken aback, when the King's sword was leveled at his throat for that comment.

"Call my child such a name again and my court shall have a vacant spot," he growled.

"Daddy…" Snow chided, as she happened to enter, carrying a tray of tea and biscuits. His heart ached, for she was dressed in rags, as his wife refused to let her wear anything else while in the palace. The only thing keeping Persephone from killing Ravenna was that it would cause all out war with the Southern Isles and pull every Kingdom into a conflict where thousands would surely die.

"I am sorry, snowdrop," he apologized, as he instantly softened. Snow put the tray down and one of the nobles waved her off dismissively. She curtsied and left the room quickly.

"That is no Queen," he commented. Eli wanted to skewer him for it, but he knew Snow wouldn't approve. Despite their horrible treatment of her, she somehow remained kind and humble. It was beyond him though. Their treatment of her only made him angrier, more bitter, and hardened by the day. He didn't even recognize himself and he feared that Snow didn't either anymore. That's what scared him the most. He didn't get the same smiles from her that he used to; she only had those smiles now for her step-father. And he hated it.

"This meeting is over," Eli snapped, as he left to find his daughter and it was no surprise that he found her in the garden by the wishing well; a gift he had bestowed upon her for her sixteenth birthday. Since that day, she could always be found by it, talking to the birds and other animals. The staff found it endearing. The nobles found it odd and strange, poking fun at her behind her back and to her face alike.

"Snow...I'm sorry," he apologized. She smiled.

"Oh Daddy...you don't have to be sorry. It just makes me sad that you're so angry and sad all the time," she replied.

"You are the only thing I care about, my precious little girl," he said, as he hugged her gently.

"I'm fine Daddy...and we both know that I'm not fit to be Queen," she replied.

"That's not true, sweet pea. You were born to be a Queen...like your mother," he insisted. But she shook her head.

"Perhaps, but I am fine with not being Queen. And I know you fear for me...but maybe it's time I leave this place," she said, as she looked out at the sunset.

"But...where will you go?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I don't know…" she replied.

"Snow...it's too dangerous out there for you. Have you any idea the dangers for someone such as you, out there on your own?" he asked.

"I know there will be dangers...but I don't think there is a life here for me, Daddy," she replied. And he knew she was right. It was his fault too, for this should be her home, but never really had been.

"Besides Mama and Papa Hades are always watching over me," she added.

"You're...you're not leaving today, right?" Eli asked. She smiled.

"Of course not, Daddy. But I feel it will be best if I do so soon. It's almost spring and Mama will be back. She can help me settle at the summer cottage and you can come visit me any time," Snow said, as she kissed his cheek. Eli watched her go back inside and his heart broke a bit more, as bitterness poisoned it from the inside.

~*~

Ravenna watched the scene in the garden from her balcony and smirked evilly. She heard a poof and turned to see that Deimos had arrived.

"If you're here...then that means it's finally time. It's time to kill my husband," she said, with excitement. Deimos smirked.

"There has been a change of plans. Zeus has decided that Eli's death will not make enough of a significant impact, even if we do frame his little urchin for the murder," Deimos replied.

"If not my husband...then who?" she questioned and then gasped, as he put a hand around her neck.

"You...my dear Queen. Your murder will ignite war...the Southern Isles will invade this Kingdom and hunt Snow White for us. There will be nothing Eli can do to stop it. And protecting Snow will be more difficult for Persephone and Hades than ever…" he hissed in her ear.

"No...please...I'm to be Queen…" she pleaded.

"No...you're simply the means to the next phase of our plan. War has casualties, but you should honored by the turmoil your death is about to cause," he hissed, as he brandished a knife that he had swiped from the kitchen and stabbed her through the heart. He watched the life leave her eyes with an evil smirk and then left with her body to stage the crime.

~*~

David pocketed the earnings he had gained by selling their goods at the market in Longbourne and packed up, preparing to return home. They weren't rich by any means, but Mama's old family money had kept them comfortable over the years. Since moving in with her, David had not known hunger and he had a good life. But extra money was never a bad thing and he happily sold his mother's knitted blankets and Mama's pottery at the market. Sometimes they accompanied him, but this time he had gone alone with their dog Wilby, giving them a few days alone.

David had a very good relationship with both his mothers and a decent one with his father. For the most part, Robert had been true to his word and did not drink anymore. He had been there for David most of the time, but still found himself drawn to the gambling tables. David didn't like it, but it was better than him being drunk all the time and Robert had managed to keep his job as a farmhand over the years.

"David!" a voice called and the young man looked up with a grin, as he saw his friend Kristoff there.

"Kristoff!" he greeted, as they shook hands. Wilby went about sniffing at Sven and the reindeer did the same.

"How long are you here?" David asked.

"Not long...I'm heading back to Arendelle on the next ship," Kristoff replied.

"Too bad...I'd bring you back home with me and my Mama could cut that mop on your head," he teased.

"Hey...easy on the hair. Not all of us can have a fancy princely haircut like you," he teased back. David smiled.

"Mama Sera likes me to keep it short," he mentioned, as they heard a call from the marina.

"That's my ride...come on Sven!" he called.

"Come visit next time you're here!" David called back. Kristoff waved and nodded a promise. David watched him go and then finished packing up.

"Come on Wilby, let's start home," he said, as he left the port.

~*~

Eli settled into his chambers for the evening and sighed to decompress from another stressful day that had only added bitterness to his heart. Another day of watching his precious daughter be mistreated and serving the likes of his stuffy, horrible court when in reality, none of them were good enough to even be in her presence in his opinion. Snow should have been as bitter about as him, but she wasn't. She maintained her humble grace and kindness without falter and as always, he marveled at it. And now she was going to leave. He knew it was for the best, for this was not the life he wanted for her. Especially now that she was coming of age. He knew there would be pressure for him to marry her off and he refused to do it. He would never let some undeserving noble marry his daughter like some trophy to misuse and mistreat. But it still broke him and he wished he could go with her. He'd leave this life behind in a second if he could. He didn't care if they lived in a hovel or a tree at this point. The royal life would be nothing compared to having a life with his daughter outside these palace walls. Alas...for him, it was not meant to be. But for Snow...she could escape this life. She could find something wonderful and he knew it was not within these palace walls. He was going to miss her though, for she was his only bright spot in this world.

Suddenly...he heard a scream and it was a familiar scream.

"Snow…" he said, as he shot out of bed.

"SNOW!" he cried, as he rushed down the hall to her chambers. His guards followed and much of the staff hurried as well, for her scream echoed through the entire castle.

~*~

Deimos stared down at the sleeping princess with a predatory gaze. She was as fair as they said and his loins ached to have her. But Zeus had forbidden him to do so at this point. The Supreme God promised that he could soon hunt her, but now was not the time. But he would soon have Persephone's daughter and then enjoy dangling the details in front of her mother and Hades. He dropped Ravenna's dead body onto the floor and gently pulled back Snow's bedclothes, methodically splattering Ravenna's blood on the Princess' nightgown, before putting the knife in Snow's small hand. The whole thing had been painfully easy.

Snow would be implicated in the Queen's murder and then run for her very life. The Southern Isles would invade and hunt her. And he would join them. He saw Snow begin to stir and disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Snow opened her eyes and felt something in her hand. As she looked at it, her eyes widened in horror, as she saw that it was a bloodied knife. She sat up in fright and saw the blood on her nightgown. But as she saw the bloodied body of her step-mother on the floor, she knew it wasn't her blood and she let out a blood curdling scream, as she dropped the knife. She screamed and started crying uncontrollably, as her father burst into her chambers.

"SNOW!" he cried, as he witnessed the scene with wide eyes.

"Daddy...oh daddy…" Snow cried uncontrollably, as he scooped her into his embrace.

"The Queen...she's been murdered!" Johanna cried dramatically.

"Snow...what happened?" Eli whispered.

"I...I don't know. When I woke up, she was like that and there was all this blood…" Snow cried through her sobbing.

"She's murdered the Queen!" the Duke announced, as he entered to witness the scene.

"No...I didn't. Daddy...I didn't do this," Snow pleaded.

"Shh...of course you didn't, snowdrop," he soothed, as he cradled her.

"Sire...the knife is in her bed and she's covered in the Queen's blood! Your little demon child killed the Queen!" he insisted. Snow shook her head and continued to cry uncontrollably.

"Snow did not do this!" he hissed.

"I do not care what it looks like, because Snow is not capable of something like this," Eli added.

"The evidence suggests otherwise. Guards...arrest her!" the Duke ordered.

"You will do no such thing, guards," Eli ordered, as they obeyed their King.

"When the Southern Isles hear of this...it will be all out war!" the man raged. And Eli knew he was right. Snow would be blamed and there was nothing he could do to change that. She'd be arrested and beheaded. They would fast-track the execution too in order to get it done before Persephone could interfere.

"It's no wonder that she did! Look at who her demon of a step-father is!" the evil Duke continued.

"Leave us now!" Eli bellowed, as he dismissed everyone.

"Daddy...you believe me, don't you?" she sniffed.

"Of course I do, sweet pea. I know you could never hurt anyone, even Ravenna," he responded.

"But it doesn't matter...does it?" she asked, as tears still slipped down her cheeks.

"You are not safe here, my sweet girl. I need you to get dressed in your riding clothes," he said, as he prodded off to her closet.

"Margaret!" he called to one of the servants. She was one of Snow's favorites and one of the only ones that Eli trusted with Snow's safety.

"Yes Sire…" she asked, as she came to the door. Her face was stricken with fear, as she was obviously deeply worried about his daughter.

"Pack food and supplies in a satchel for Snow. Be very quick, tell no one, and meet us in the garden," he ordered. She nodded.

"Right away, Sire," she responded, as she scurried off to take care of the task.

The Duke was likely already spreading the word and scheduling Snow's execution. There was absolutely no time to lose…

#Snowing #SnowxCharming #Charming family #AU #HadesxPersephone #Greek Mythology meets fairy tales #romance #adventure #family #dreaming out loud

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