Work Text:
Reunited
by Pirate Turner
She set only a few feet away from him. She was within touching distance, and yet she was as far away from him as another world, and another life, could take her. His eyes roved over her beautiful face. Her snow white complexion seemed even paler, and he knew why. She was going through another bout. He reached out and gently touched her arm. Her eyes barely flickered toward him, and he knew she was afraid.
He had never meant to harm her, only rescue her, but he had hurt her grievously. He knew she wasn't afraid of him, but she was afraid that he'd learn her secret and take it the wrong way. He knew very well of her secret, however, for she still called their names in the prayers he wasn't supposed to hear but did. She still called for them. She still cared for them. She still loved them.
He sighed. "Darling, we have but one bit of business to attend to today."
She barely glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes. "Just one?" Her ruby red lips pursed in puzzlement. "If it is but one, surely we can set it aside for another day, dear husband?"
"No, not this one. This one must be dealt with today."
She sighed. "Very well." She gestured with a hand toward the door.
"Open the door," he called to their soldiers, "and usher them." He turned his head so that he would not see their entrance but instead the look upon his beautiful wife. He waited eagerly as her eyes narrowed, then widened, and then exploded into a joyful, dancing light. She raced from her seat, her arms open wide and their names pouring from her ruby red lips.
When she reached them, she threw her arms around them, hugging them two by two and kissing the top of every small head in reach. "Oh, I've missed you guys so much! Sweet Dopey!" She whirled the smallest one around before catching sight of her husband calmly walking down the steps toward her. She set him gently upon the ground and patted another couple of heads on her way past the Dwarves.
"Oh, Charming!" Snow White exclaimed. "However did you know?"
"I didn't at first, my dear," he said, reaching her. He took her hand, brought it to his lips, and reverently kissed her flesh. "For that, I am eternally sorry, but I remedied the situation as soon as it dawned on me what was making my beloved wife so sad. I am sorry I could not reach them sooner for you, but their location had been moved. I feared, at first, that they might be dead for I found the old cottage in ruins. My soldiers combed the forests, however, and I had them bring them here -- gently, of course --," he specified, raising a hand at the instant concern he saw in her eyes, "as soon as they located them. I never realized that they were more than your friends or your guardians. I never understood, until you grew so sad, that they are your family."
"Oh, darling!" Snow cried again and threw her arms around her husband in a tight hug.
He embraced his Queen tightly before pulling just far enough out of their embrace that he could look down upon the Seven Dwarves. All had eager, hopeful faces, save one. "Dear, do you think -- ?"
"If they would be willing to stay," Charming announced, "as your family, my dear wife, they are more than welcome to do so."
"Will you?" Snow White asked, her eyes shining with hope as she looked down at her best friends.
Bashful wrung his hands in his beard that was even longer than she remembered it. Sleepy yawned but grinned afterwards, and Sneezy sneezed a sneeze so grand that it blew Dopey across the room. Doc looked at his friends, already nodding his own head. Happy beamed, but Grumpy snorted his derision. "If we stay," he demanded to know, "are we gonna have to get a bath every day?"
"Not every day," Snow assured him, much to Charming's disdain.
Mouths fell open as Grumpy actually smiled. Then smiling and laughter erupted amongst the nine followed shortly by jubilant dancing.
The End