A/N - Well, here it is, the first chapter of the first fanfic I've written alone xD, hopefully this will pick people's interest u-u
As for disclaimer, I own nothing besides the plot of this story u-u, whose inspiration I got after reading an one shot from my dear friend, also the beta of this piece, withgirl. By the way, the name of the story was 'Of Law and (Puppy) Loopholes' check it out if you want to xD, it is pretty cute, so will be this story, probably lol.
If you like it, please, review ^^.
A/N²- I actually re updated this chapter because I saw some errors in it and because I forgot to mention that whatever is between these things: '...' and in italic are the characters thoughts, ok?
Also, I forgot to mention before but for those who are confused this story is passed on season 4b but without the queens of darkness and with Rumpel still in the city but no Robin Hood lol
With a sigh, Regina closed yet another book.
That was what her daily routine had fallen to. Searching through empty books in the author's mansion in order to find him and make him write her a happy ending with a man that had chosen another woman over her in the blink of an eye, something that she found resenting increasingly more as time passed.
She was tired.
Tired of having to rely on others so that she could be happy, tired of trying to fight for it on her own, tired of having to fight for it at all.
'Why couldn't things be simpler? Am I really that unlovable that I have to fight so hard to find someone who can love me? Someone other than Henry?'
She loved her son above anything, but, the truth was, she couldn't help but feel lonely because, as things were, the boy was the only person in her entire existence to love her truly or, at least, the only one to stay alive, but she couldn't possibly smother the boy with her feelings.
He was his own person, he would have to go away after some time to form his own family, and, maybe, visit her from time to time, but then what? What would her life become after he went away?
Her life now consisted of taking care of her boy and being a mayor, and it scared her that she knew nothing else, it scared her that, one day, when she couldn't take care of her little prince anymore, nor be the mayor, that she would have nothing else.
'But what else can I possibly do?' She asked herself, because she was a fighter, it's what she did, she faced everything and everyone for as long as needed if it meant she would finally have her piece of happiness.
'Or, at least, barely everything, because when it comes to my feelings for a certain someone, I don't think I will ever be able to be open up about it.' She sighed and diverted her thoughts somewhere else, it would bring more bad than good to think about a certain blonde 'Who, by the way, is currently in a relationship' she made sure to remind herself, and, with a weight in her heart, got up with renewed determination.
After giving up searching the empty books on the author's house, Regina decided to search in her mother's collection, and, after some hours, she found something she had previously overlooked.
'A potion to go through some kind of trial to achieve happiness? I remember Gold commenting about it during one of our lessons.' She tried to remember what, and then something about the price for it being too high came to mind.
'But then, he didn't really want me to be happy at the time so, maybe, the price wouldn't be all that unreasonable.' She thought about what her next step should be and decided to at least make the potion, that way, if she ever decided to use it, she would already have it in hand, and, as things were, she might as well try any means she could find to achieve happiness.
As she made the potion though, the words "All magic comes with a price" kept repeating itself in her head. She knew the price had to be high for such a potion to be possible and the more powerful and rare ingredients she put in the mix, the more fearful she became of the consequences.
Now, standing at her kitchen island. and looking at the pot with the boiling potion, all the brunette could think about was Henry, she knew there was a high chance of things going wrong and she knew that she couldn't live with herself if something happened and she wasn't able warn her son about it, so, deciding to, at least, postpone using it, the mayor turned the stove off.
Just then, she heard the front door of her house opening, as well as the bark of a puppy. Rolling her eyes good naturedly, the woman wiped her hands on a towel and went out of the kitchen to greet her son and the newest addition of the Charming clan, a golden retriever cub named Stella that the blonde sheriff had deemed part of the family after moving out of her parent's loft, something about it being an old dream of hers.
"Mom! I'm home!" His greeting was accompanied by a little bark, and Regina couldn't help but smile at the thought of the puppy also greeting her. Now laughing a little at the ridiculous thought, the woman made her way out of the kitchen and went on to speak with her son.
"Hello dear." She greeted while hugging him, only to be interrupted by the excited puppy who, for some reason, had taken a shine to her.
"Hello to you too, Stella." She bent down to pet the puppy who promptly jumped on her legs with her tail wagging happily. In a moment of weakness, as she told herself, the woman took the puppy in her arms and also kissed her on the head with a huge smile, only then remembering her son who watched everything with an amused smile.
"If you tell anyone about this, I will never make anymore dessert for you." She warned. "In fact, I will make them for Emma and will have her eat them right in front of you for good measure."
Laughing at his mother's antics the boy didn't even respond to her bluff as he followed her, who still had the puppy in her arms, to the living room.
After some pleasant conversation about their days and plans about future events the boy noticed his mother was slightly restless and realized that something might bothering her, so, stopping mid-sentence about his school project he inquired. "What's wrong?"
Slightly surprised for being caught by her son, the woman snapped her attention from the golden puppy sleeping in her lap to her pre-teen son, who sometimes managed to be so much more mature and perceptive than most adults, but then 'With me as a mother he would need to practice being perceptive to truly know me. I am not the kind of person to be open about my feelings and actually, neither is his other mother.'
With a sigh, she tried, though she knew it was useless, to dismiss his worry. "There is nothing wrong."
Receiving only a unamused and serious look from her son, a expression that mirrored perfectly both her own, as well as his other mother's, she decided it was no use postponing this conversation.
"I've found something in a book. A potion." She stopped to look at her son's eyes.
"A potion for what?" His reply was both curious and wary, he knew that magic could go both ways and he didn't feel like letting his guard down, even more so if his mother was wary of it herself.
"For getting a happy ending." Seeing his hopeful gaze she raised a hand to stop his hopeful inflection and went on to explain it herself.
"There is a catch. Y-" She was also interrupted, but this time by Stella barking, looking at the puppy, she could somehow feel her indignation at not receiving attention. Smiling a little, she looked up to her son for help. As much as the little dog was cute, they had no time to entertain her. Nodding at her, the boy took a ball out of his pocket and threw it out, the sound of it bouncing around strongly being heard. "Henry." She said in a tone of warning and got a guilty look as a reply.
"No throwing balls inside the house, sorry, I forgot." His boyish half smile was so charming that she felt a little pang in her heart when she remembered Emma with the same expression, but her thoughts 'thankfully' were interrupted. "There is always a catch, what is it this time?" His expression was back to serious and she followed suit.
"It mentions a trial but not what exactly it would entail, nor means to interrupt it if the need arise." Her serious expression said that putting her future in fate's hands wasn't something she was keen to do, 'Fate never treated me well, why would it do it now?'
"You already did the potion though." He said assuredly, he knew his mother, she was never the kind of person to be afraid of challenges and if there was one person capable of dealing with whatever fate threw at them, it was her, he knew she would be able to overcome any trial just as she had done before, even more so now that she wouldn't be alone, he would help out in any way he could, and he was sure that so would the rest of his family.
"Mom, you are one of the strongest people I ever met, and that's saying something. I know you can deal with whatever may happen and, besides, you are not alone, you have me and the rest of the Charming clan at your back and call, every one of us will help you." With a slightly tearful gaze Regina felt her heart swell from both the love her son was showing her and her own pride at having helped make him the person he was now.
"But there are so many variables, it may say happiness but god knows what kind of thing may happen. What if I end up loosing all the happiness I have instead? Because I can't lose you Henry. I just can't." Putting her head in her hands the woman tried to stop her slight break down, she was a fighter, yes, but so many things had happened to her that she couldn't help but feel afraid of losing what little she had. Immediately the boy got up and went to hug his mother.
"Isn't there more information about this potion somewhere?" He asked hopefully.
"Not in the books I have access to, and before you ask," she breathed deeply to compose herself and looked at him pointedly. "I am already about to take a huge leap of faith in this potion, I refuse to extend such grace to Gold as well, he may be your grandfather but he is no friend of mine."
"Ok, ok!" He raises his hands in the universal sign of defeat. "Regardless, it seems like you'll try it anyway won't you?" He smiled sideways at her, already knowing the answer, as he thought before, his mother wasn't the kind of person to run away from challenges.
"You know I will, but in case of something goes wrong I'd prefer you to be near." Henry then stood up with a nod.
"Ok, will we do it now?" His answer was a slightly tremulous sigh and then a determined nod. "Let's go to the kitchen then." Already having started walking, the pre-teen was interrupted by his mother's hand on his elbow.
"Wait! Not that near! I want you to be in the house so that you may check if something goes wrong, but not near enough to end up in the line of fire." She says firmly, not really leaving any room for him to refute.
"In any case, I want you, and Stella, to stay by the door, if you hear something dangerous, like a explosion or something, go out and call Emma or your grandparents, do not, by any means enter the house alone." She looks into his eyes to make sure he understands what she is telling him to do, she was about to take a leap of faith on fate but if something went wrong, she wanted him to have faith in her own survival skills.
"Now, if you hear nothing and I don't go out in the next fifteen minutes, you may come in and check things." Rethinking her choice after remembering many dangerous things that not necessarily made any sound she also added. "But if you feel or hear anything strange, maybe even a sensation, like a dropping in temperature as you near the kitchen, run. The most dangerous things from the Enchanted Forest made no sound." 'Some didn't even had a physical body' She thought, but refrained from saying it as to not scare her son more then he already appeared to be.
"Erm... actually Mom I think it's better if you don't drink it." He said with wide eyes, he really didn't want her to have to deal with any of the back handedly mentioned circumstances, he may want her to be happier but he wasn't really ready to lose another of his parents.
"Too late now dear, I am afraid the symptoms of the hopefulness you Charmings like to spread about have already taken effect." She chuckled slightly, her decision was already mad, and she wouldn't back away now. Wishing good luck to herself she gave him a kiss to the forehead.
"Okay, but be careful!" He hugged her tightly.
"You are mistaking me for the rest of your family dear, I am no fool, I won't stand around and offer it a hope speech." She accepted the hug willingly, hugging him back just as strongly. "Now, go, I will be careful."
Moving to the corridor they exchanged one meaningful gaze, one that said how much they loved each other, but they didn't say it aloud for they refused to accept that as their last encounter.
With a nod to each other they showed that their feelings were accepted and understood.
When there was nothing else to be done but to go on, Henry whistled for the puppy, who promptly came running to him from the general direction of the kitchen, her tail waggling and barking, as best as a little puppy who could barely run correctly, could.
Taking Stella's dangling lilac leash, he went to stay by the door, later on deciding to open it to make running out easier, and took the puppy in his arms while he watched his mother go to the kitchen.
Determined, the brunette took the vial she had left there to put the potion on and, with her other hand, she did the last bit required of the potion, she added magic to it, promptly mixing all the ingredients that couldn't mix in with the rest if you used only the laws of physic.
By the end of it, the potion that previously filled the whole pot was reduced to filling only the vial. With all things in place, she looked to the potion and made one last wish to whatever entity may listen 'Please let this bring me what I crave.' With Emma and Henry on her mind eye, she drank the potion.
A/N- With this cliffhanger I conclude the first chapter of Cursed Puppies though everyone already know how this potion will turn out either way so it isn't even all that much of a cliffhanger at all lmao
Either way, I hope people like this story as much as I liked writing it.
If you're still reading this I'd like to wish you a good day and say that I hope to see you next chapter ^^, for those who are not, I hope you guys have a good day nevertheless xD you just won't know it u-u, well, enough rambling, see you next chapter o/. Reviews are welcome!