A Piece Of My Life (Captain Swan)

Chapter 29: Part 2

6 Years Later

"Hold my hand, Rae," Emma instructed as she grabbed her darling daughter's hand while they walked.

"Mommy, do I have to?" Her child was going to be a menace when she was a teenager, Emma just knew it. So stubborn already.

"Yes, just until we get there." Rae huffed loudly, but continued walking, stepping around obstacles as they went. Her legs worked twice as fast to keep up with her mother; her blond hair fluttered in the wind as she squinted her familiar ocean blue eyes.

Rae had grown up with so many questions and too few answers. She'd inherited to family gift, but it mostly showed as Emma's had: The Superpower. Emma had promised to show her how to channel it when she turned 16..with Regina's help. Rae's presence was a constant reminded of what she had lost, but also of what she had left. A blessing and a curse. Of course, Emma would never look with hurt upon her daughter, a mother's love was something she could never compare; she felt that even more with Henry gone of to college in New York.

They came to the spot and Emma set down the unopened bottle of rum in front of the tombstone. It had been a while since she's visited, but today was when she had lost him.

Emma sat on the slightly wet grass and Rae sat in her lap and traced the letters with her fingertip. "Your Daddy loved you very much," she told her, playing with Rae's blonde curls.

"I know, but Daddy had to go," she finished the common phrase.

Emma nodded, "That's right, Daddy had to go." Tears pricked her eyes like they always did. No matter how much time passed, the whole in her soul never seemed to heal. At first, she would wake up screaming, covered in sweat with tears pouring down her face. Her mother would rush in, she stayed with her for a few months, and try to fix it, but it couldn't be fixed. Her sleep was plagued with nightmares and there was no relief in waking.

After a few years, the screaming stopped, but the nightmares never went away. She'd end up reliving that final moment with the wedding song, which she couldn't bare to listen even know, and his lifeless body hanging in her arms.

The funeral was a nightmare. It was a miracle she was even able to get out of bed, let alone get dressed and speak. Eventually, it was Regina that came and convinced her, she said it was a good closure.

Every year, every day at first, she would come out to the stone that held his name, birth year and death date, and the usual: Beloved husband and father. The stone didn't really mean much, but it was the only place she would find comfort in talking with him.

Emma phone rang, jarring her from her thoughts, and Rae looked at her curiously. Sliding it to answer, she sighed.

"Regina?" This day was usual one where most left her alone.

"Okay, hear me out," she said quickly and Emma groaned.

"Not this again. I can't keep doing this, Regina. It makes it worse every time." Rae got up from her lap and started to pluck the grass.

"Just listen. I was in Gold's shop and I found something, and it's powerful." Another groan from Emma came to the phone. "I know, you're against the dark stuff..but this is more of a grey area. No loved ones dying, no soul sucking consequences. It's just tricky." Silence. "Emma, it's your last shot. If it doesn't work, you can be done."

Emma touched the tombstone and nodded. "Fine, one more."

{{You thought we were done, didn't you? Yeah, I thought so too. Except now I have better plot. We're almost done, just a few more. You guys are absolutely amazing for dealing with me.}}