《Artemis || OUAT》49. Rocky Road
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Peter and Astrid stood in line at the ice cream shop as the lady gave them two rocky road flavored ice cream.
The young couple held hands and held their ice cream cones in their free hands, Astrid telling the woman "Thanks."
"Anytime," The woman smiled.
Peter held the door open for his love and started to walk down the sidewalk until they ran into Robin, Roland, and Marian.
"Robin, Roland!" Astrid happily let out and hugged her little brother and other father figure.
"Sissy!" Roland exclaimed, a big, innocent grin on his face as he hugged the girl who picked him up and now held him in her arms.
"Where've you been hiding at, A? Haven't seen you since Berk," Robin inquired curiously.
"Aside from helping my family with Elsa on finding her sister? Um, just been spending time with this idiot here," Astrid replied while smirking over at Peter who rolled his eyes, "And I wouldn't have it any other way."
Marian looked between her husband and the girl in confusion and voiced that confusion aloud, "Sorry. How do you two know each other?"
"She's, um, like a daughter of mine-- Roland's big sister," Robin started as Astrid nodded and replied with a grin, "Yup. Back in the Enchanted Forest, Robin found me and we grew close and he sort of adopted me into his family."
"Oh," Marian replied with a small nod before adding, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Astrid."
"You too, Marian. Robin's told me a lot about you," Astrid replied.
"Well, we have to catch up with her other parents because her mother is the new mayor," Peter spoke up.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot... I'll stop by more and visit you guys, okay?" Astrid laughed before hugging Robin and Roland again and waved goodbye before walking away with Peter, their hands still linked.
Peter joked while glancing over at his love, "Idiot?"
Astrid nodded and smirked at him, saying, "Yes, but you're my idiot."
"Why are you so cute?" Peter grinned with Astrid narrowing her eyes and commenting, "Call me cute again and I'll murder you."
"No, you won't," Peter smirked.
"Try me," Astrid also smirked.
"You love me too much and too good. Plus, you're too adorable," Peter replied with a shrug as Astrid gave him a death glare, making the boy laugh.
Astrid led Peter inside of the Mayor's building as both of them seen Snow holding baby Neal in her arms and greeted some people who stepped into the office further.
"Mom," Astrid lightly joked, "Did you bring us all here to die?"
Snow rolled her eyes at her daughter's humor and replied, "Obviously."
Astrid narrowed her eyes in slight suspicion and curiosity and pointed it out, "I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not."
Snow shook her head, unamused, just as David stepped over to them and asked his wife, "Need a hand?"
"Oh, no, I got it." Snow assured as David remarked in amusement, "You're planning to run your first fireside chat holding a newborn?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Snow commented, "Mothers are natural multitaskers."
The two parents heard their teenage daughter stifle back her laughter with a cough and glanced over at Astrid who then proceeded to look around the room for her love.
Snow chose to ignore the action from her daughter as David replied, "That may be, but you're juggling a lot right now."
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"Well, that's true. I have to say, I'm starting to have more and more respect for our court jester every day." Snow commented.
"Yeah, Rupert was special," David nodded and chuckled, "But you're sure you can-"
"We took back a kingdom, remember?" Snow cut him off, "I can handle this."
The two heard something hard drop on the floor a few feet from them and noticed an awkward Astrid standing beside some shelves that was broken who let out with a small chuckle, "Oops, my bad, but those were not sturdy."
"Astrid-" David and Snow started with tired sighs.
Astrid laughed somewhat and looked around, letting out in a gloomy sort of way, "I feel like a part of me is missing." She then noticed Peter in the next room talking to Robin and Marian while holding Roland up on his shoulders and brightened up, "Ah, there he is!"
"Did you stay up all night or something? Because you seem more chipper than normal," David started, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Well, not aaaaaaaall night," Astrid shrugged before admitting, "I got at least three hours of sleep. But I'm fine, really."
The girl gave her parents a knowing look before continuing, "I'm not sleep deprived or hurting, and for once in a long time, I'm not seeing my dark self anymore, I'm not dying, I have my true love and my family by my side. I'm good. I'm happy."
David and Snow smiled at that comment and lightly hugged their daughter who moved inside and over to her betrothed.
"Hi, everyone!" Snow greeted, "And welcome to the very first Mayor's fireside chat. For too long, this office was a place to be feared. Well, I want every citizen to feel welcome and included here."
Robin wrapped a fatherly arm around Astrid's shoulders as Astrid stuck her tongue out at him with him grinning and then shared a happy look with his wife.
"So, if you could just refer to the meeting agenda I've printed, there are-" Snow continued but was cut off by Archie speaking up, "Uh, what's this about an ice wall?"
"Oh, that's, uh, item four. We'll get to that in a minute," Snow answered.
"I vote we skip items one, two, and three. Show of hands," Leroy spoke up as the citizens raised their hands, including Astrid.
"Yeah, that's-- Oh, fine. No, I can-" Snow stammered out and sighed, "I can be flexible. The ice wall is nothing to worry about. For the time being, it does surround the entire town-"
"What!?"
"The entire town!?"
"Are you serious!?"
Neal began to cry as Snow began to rock him slightly while attempting to assure the crowd, "Oh. Everyone calm down. The wall isn't hurting anyone."
"We've been through all this before. I ain't worried about the wall. I'm worried about who made it," Leroy commented.
"Item five," Snow answered, "Her name is Elsa. She's a friend."
"Is she the one that froze my truck?" Leroy inquired with Granny adding, "And made that snow monster that almost killed Marian?"
"But- I— I'm fine. Really." Marian assured.
"I've spoken to Elsa, and I promise you we will have all of this under control very soon," David spoke up, "And there will be no more danger of any kind."
"So, if we could all just circle back around to item one, we can all discuss-" Snow began but was cut off by Marian collapsing to the floor with Robin catching her and exclaiming, "Marian! Marian!"
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Astrid knelt beside a now unconscious, cold Marian and took her icy hand in hers, the girl's veins turning black as she took Marian's pain away.
Peter placed Roland back on the floor while still holding an arm out in front of the small boy; Robin carried Marian over to the couch and placed her gently on it, Astrid still holding the woman's hand in hers and continued to take her pain away.
Snow and David adjoined their meeting and dismissed the citizens out of the room while David made a fire in the fireplace, both watching their daughter in concern as she continued to take Marian's pain away.
Astrid grunted some but still held her hand in both of hers tightly, letting out, "Robin, go g-get Regina. She might can help, t-too."
Robin nodded and ran out of the room to go find Regina; Astrid glanced over at Peter and looked over at Roland watching his unconscious mother sadly.
Astrid spoke up towards her fiancé after grunting some, still somewhat healing the woman, "Take R-Roland somewhere a-away from here... He doesn't n-need to see his mother l-like this."
"I'm not leaving you, love," Peter started with a shake of his head, "You're taking on too much pain."
"I-I'll be fine," Astrid assured.
Peter kissed her on the top of her head before scooping Roland in his arms, moving one hand on the back of his neck supportingly; He gave one more concerned look to his girl before carrying the kid in his arms out of the room.
David knelt on one knee beside his daughter, starting, "A, if you're hurting because of this, you have to stop. We can't lose you again."
"You're not going to. And I can handle it," Astrid assured her father, her veins on her blackening as she grunted in pain and exhaled some. "I-I'm okay."
David looked up and over to his wife and sighed somewhat.
***
After twenty minutes passed, Astrid was still keeping Marian alive as the girl shivered and grunted, the veins in her right cheek darkening.
"How is she?" Robin questioned when he, Regina, and Henry rushed into the office.
"Not good. She's getting colder," David answered, "Astrid's keeping her alive, but I don't know exactly how much more Astrid can take."
"I-I-I'm fine," Astrid let out breathlessly.
Peter then rushed into the office also and quickly moved over to his love, telling Robin, "Roland's with Little John."
"Thank you," Robin nodded.
"This is strong magic, indeed," Regina pointed out while glancing over at Astrid whose eyes lagged some but still continued to use her power.
Peter knelt beside his girl and moved his hand over her lower arm in concern, feeling her pain. "A, you have to let go-" He started softly.
"N-No," Astrid cut him off with a shake of her head as she shivered again, "Never."
"Can you do something?" Robin asked Regina gently.
Regina looked down at an almost frozen Marian and then at Astrid healing her and struggling at that before she looked back at Robin and assured, "I can try."
Black blood began to drip from Astrid's nose as she continued to take Marian's pain away; Peter tried again, "Astrid, you have to stop, love. You're killing yourself."
"I-I-- I have to save her... It-- It's my job..." Astrid murmured.
"You can't save everyone," Peter argued softly with a shake of his head.
"I can- can certainly try..." Astrid let out, "There- There's still hope. I'm not- I'm not giving u-up."
Peter cupped one side of his love's face in his hand and continued to speak softly to her, "I cannot lose you again. I won't. You mean too much to me, love."
"I-I'm not go-going anywhere... Just- Just have f-faith in me," Astrid replied weakly.
Peter slowly nodded, dropping his hand to hers that was holding onto Marian's, saying, "I always do and I always will."
The two had missed Emma, Hook, and Elsa arriving and part of their conversation.
Peter let out to his fiancé, "Let me help. You don't have to do this alone, love." Astrid gasped some before nodding, both of them channeling their connection which allows their magic to be combined, making the two much more stronger and powerful.
Peter cupped his hands around Astrid's that still held Marian's hands; His veins began to darken, too, just as a light emitted between their linked hands which grew brighter and brighter.
The ice forming around Marian slowly faded as her color began to return back to normal. Robin laughed in relief, saying, "It's working. She's healing!"
A wave of magic pushed everyone back slightly, waking Marian up as she let out a sharp gasp.
Astrid fell backwards and into Peter's arms, breathless; Peter wrapped his arms even more secure around her from where he sat behind his love now, his chin lightly on top of her head.
Astrid shivered terribly and cling to her betrothed even more who moved her into his lap and held her tighter, comfortingly.
Marian glanced over at the girl and replied in surprise, "You saved me. Thank you. Both of you." She nodded at Peter with a light smile.
"It-It's what w-we do..." Astrid stammered out, freezing cold as her teeth chattered from the cold she felt.
David knelt by his daughter's side and held her shoulder in his hand in concern, starting, "You did good, Kid. You alright?"
Astrid's eyes lagged as her head began to droop some, her replying with a trace of a smile, "N-Never been- been better."
Peter kissed the top of Astrid's head while moving his hands up and down her arms slightly to try and warm her up some. "You're okay, love. You did it. You saved her."
Astrid buried her face in the crook of his neck and replied, "Did y-you ever d-doubt I w-would?"
"No, not at all," Peter chuckled, "I stopped doubting you a long time ago, A." He moved one hand on the back of her head and kissed her forehead before looking up at Marian hugging Robin and Regina watching with sad eyes and David who still was knelt beside them, beside his daughter.
"Go help Emma with finding whoever casted this frozen spell on Marian," Peter told David, "I'm gonna take Astrid home so she can get some rest. Doing that on a powerfully, strong spell like that, it drains her a lot-- not just physically but emotionally as well."
David nodded, saying, "Keep her safe."
"Always." Peter assured without any hesitation. David kissed the top of his daughter's head and rushed out of the office.
Peter picked Astrid up out of his lap and now carried her bridal-style, standing up while Astrid snuggled even more into his arms.
"Is she alright?" Marian and Robin both asked.
"She will be," Peter assured, "Just, um, taking away someone's pain like that-- it drains her almost completely, and she just needs rest now."
Robin kissed his adopted daughter's head, muttering, "Get some sleep, Kiddo."
Astrid mumbled something incoherently, her eyes closed as she was half asleep.
Peter smiled and teleported the two to their bedroom at their apartment, gently laying her on the bed while laying beside her and tucking her underneath the covers.
"Goodnight, Astrid." Peter spoke and kissed her cheek before holding her in his arms again.
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