8Snow smiled as she looked out the passenger window. While there wasn't anything particularly interesting to see, the fact that they were out of Storybrook made even passing trees seem a little more interesting. It was almost like the trees they passed seemed different than the ones in town. She doubted it was true, since they were still in Mane, but they just seemed different to her.
With all the craziness the occurred within their lives, Snow and David had decided it would be beneficial to go on a day trip outside Storybrook, and had convinced Emma and Regina to accompany them. At first Regina had been reluctant to go, since she was wary about having her magic suppressed. But in the end Emma had convinced her they would be fine for the day.
Snow glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing the two women in back. Regina was reading a book while Emma was slumped against the door, fast asleep. "Everything okay back there?"
"No different from the last time you asked," Regina said dryly, rolling her eyes.
Satisfied that the two passengers were comfortable Snow went back to looking at her travel book of Maine. "There's a museum on swords and other medieval weapons about an hour from here."
"Not that I'm complaining, but I thought we left Storybrook to get away from all of that," Charming replied.
"It's just a suggestion. Oh, or we can see the world's largest ceramic ice cream cone!"
Regina glanced up from her book, giving the eye roll to end all eye rolls over Snow's excitement. She looked over at the sleeping blonde, still shocked two people as lame as the Charmings had a child as great as Emma.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Regina looked up from her book as David pulled into a rest area. "Emma, wake up," she said as she gently shook her girlfriend's shoulder.
"I'm up, I'm up," Emma groggily replied as she shot up like a canon. "Where are we?"
"We're just getting some snacks and asking what's fun to see around here," David replied.
"You could have just let me sleep, aw screw it, I might as well stretch my legs," she said as the four of them got out and went to the building, that was designed to look like a log cabin.
"I'm just going to call Henry and see how Neal is doing," Snow said, having left the toddler in the care of her grandson.
"I'll call him. I want to check on him anyway," Regina replied.
"Okay. I'm going to wait out here then," Snow stated.
"Suit yourself," David replied as the three adults went inside.
Snow sat down on a wooden bench on the porch, looking at the surrounding scenery. As she looked around a car pulled into the parking lot, followed by a woman and a small child getting out. "Come on dear."
"I don't want to go inside," the girl insisted.
"I'm just going to ask for directions. It won't be long," the mom said reasonably.
"It's so boring!" the girl whined. "Can't I wait out here?"
"Well…okay," the woman said as she figured she could keep an eye on her daughter through the front window. "But don't leave the porch.
"I won't," the girl happily replied as her mother went inside. She looked over at Snow, her eyes widening as she stared at the woman.
"Hello," Snow said kindly. "What's your name?"
"Heather," the girl replied in a small voice. She glanced around before making her way over. "Are you Snow White?" she whispered.
"Excuse me," Snow said, taken aback at the girl's question.
"I've seen the movie a hundred times. It's my favorite and she's the best Disney princess. Are you really her?"
Snow knew she should keep her fairy tale identity a secret in the world outside Storybrook (Emma has even told the three of them not to say anything 'fairytaleish' until they got back.) But the girl was looking at her with such wonder that she didn't want to break her heart. "Yes I am."
The girl let out a squeal of delight. "I knew it! Do you know Grumpy? He's my favorite dwarf. My friends like Dopey but I always liked him best."
"Yes, I know Grumpy. Actually, what the movie doesn't tell you is before we met he was actually quite cheerful and his name was Dreamy," Snow explained, causing Heather to let out another squeal of delight.
"Your idiot husband wants to know if you want potato or corn chips before we go," Regina called out as she came outside.
"Wait, come here a second," Snow said as she beckoned Regina over. She knew this was asking for trouble, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. "Heather, I'd like you to meet the Evil Queen."
"What?" Regina cried out, shocked Snow would call her by her former title outside Storybrook.
"My new friend asked me if I was Snow White. And since she loves the movie and was so happy to hear that I'm actually her, I figured she's like to meet you," Snow stated, smiling a huge 'shit eating' grin.
"Are you really the Evil Queen?" Heather asked.
Regina glared at Snow before reluctantly saying to Heather, "Yes dear, I am."
"That was really mean when you tried to hurt Snow White," the girl said.
"Yes, I know," she replied through gritted teeth as Snow tried not to laugh out loud. "But that was a long time ago."
"We're actually friends now, right?" Snow pointedly asked.
"Sure, why not", Regina replied.
Heather looked at Regina before saying with complete sincerity, "You're a lot prettier and nicer then you were in the movie."
Regina looked at the girl, pleasantly surprised by her remark. "Thank you. That movie doesn't do me justice at all."
"Heather!" the girl's mom called out as she came outside. "It's time to go. Hello?" she replied to the two women near her daughter.
"Mommy! Guess who I've just met. Snow White and the Evil Queen!"
"Heather, we've been over this. They're just fairy tale characters. They aren't r-"
"No no, I'm actually Snow White," Show insisted.
"Told you," Heather declared to her mother.
"Nice…to meet you," Heather's mother said, playing along for the safe of her daughter.
"Mom, here's a brochure on that stupid ice cream thing Dad said you wanted to see," Emma said as she walked out, not noticing Heather and her mother at first.
"Excuse me?" Heather's mom asked in confusion.
"It's just a nickname between us. My husband and I are kind of the 'mom and dad' of our group," Snow quickly explained.
"Right," Emma quickly confirmed.
"Actually," Snow said to Heather, "Would you like to meet my husband Prince Charming?"
"Really? Can I Mom?" she asked excitedly.
"I think we've taken up enough of their time," Heather's mom replied.
"Oh no, it's no trouble. He'd love to meet her," Snow said.
"Well…okay, but just for a moment," Heather's mother said as the three of them went into the building.
"Your mother is insufferable," Regina replied as she and Emma sat down on the bench.
"She's just making the kid's day," Emma reasoned.
"And what's going to happen when that girl starts telling everyone she just met a bunch of fairy tale characters? We might as well give her a map to Storybrook."
"The kid looks like she's seven or eight. I doubt anyone's going to believe her if she says anything."
Regina huffed before reluctantly smiling. "She did say I was prettier than the movie version."
"Damn straight," Emma said as she kissed her girlfriend.
"Guess what, guess what," Heather happily exclaimed as she, her mother, Snow and David came out of the building. "I met Prince Charming and he and Snow White have me their autographs. Can I get yours too?"
In spite of herself, Regina couldn't help being touched by the child's request. "Sure." She took the piece of paper and added her name (or more accurately her former title) to it. "Here you go."
"Thank you. My friend Jodie won't believe I met Snow White, Prince Charming and the Evil Queen all in one day."
"Okay Heather, we really have to go now," the girl's mother replied.
"Okay. Bye, I love you!" the child happily declared.
"Thank you so much for playing along," Heather's mother whispered as her daughter ran to the car. "She's been on a big Disney kick and loves the movie."
"It's no trouble," David replied.
"Well, thanks again," the woman replied as she went to her car.
"Okay," Emma replied. "It was fine for that girl. But people are going to think we're crazy if we keep saying we're fairytale characters."
"But you calling two people your own age 'mom and dad' isn't strange?" Regina countered, earning a glare from Emma.
"We were just having some fun," Snow reasoned. "And she was the one who asked me if I was Snow White."
"She asked me if I really woke your mother with a kiss. You should have seen her face when I told her that really happened," David told his daughter as he and Snow smiled over the memory.
"Okay, so we made a kid's day. We should get going if we want to see something and make it back home before nightfall," Emma said. "And for the record, we are not seeing that giant ice cream cone."
Author's note: this story was inspired by an interview Ginnifer Goodwin gave Seth Meyers, where she said little kids have actually asked her if she's the real Snow White and she's told them yes to make them happy. Once I heard that the idea for this story just came to me.