A/N: So I'm not sure where I got this idea from or how it popped into my head, but here we go! I hope you guys enjoy it and remember, your reviews is what keep me going (reviews is what keep all writers going, am I not right?)
Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time nor it's characters. However, I do own the idea of this story and the characters that are unknown to you all.
A/N2: All mistakes are mine.
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Married by 25.
Two kids by 30.
Living in her dream house with her husband, children and family dog was her dream.
But, as I mentioned. It's a dream.
Regina Mills, a 31 year old New Yorker who happens to own one of the many successful bakeries in London. By successful, I don't mean famous enough to surface the internet but successful as in despite the other modern bakeries, this rustic, home-style bakery stood it's ground regardless of everyone and everything that tried to bust it down.
This had been Regina's dream ever since she was a child, ever since her little hand took a hold of the balloon whisk and stirred the chocolate cake mix her aunt Eva asked her help with. Ever since her button-nose inhaled the scent of the baked goodies coming out freshly from the oven. She knew this is what she wanted to do when she grows up. She wanted to be a baker.
She began with simple and easy recipes, boxed cake mixes instead of starting out from scratch, it sounded much easier and everyone around her agreed yet still, she managed to burn the bottom every now and then. Strawberry cake was definitely her favorite, not because it was pink and most girls around that age loved pink (which she absolutely despised) it was because her aunt Eva would always surprise her and her older sister, Zelena with little strawberry cupcakes whilst growing up.
But as the time went by she dependent less on the ready cake mixes and found recipes to which she made her own by changing in them and adding a little bit of her touch. Soon she'd written her own personal cookbook that included most of her famous desserts. Oreo truffles -which was actually as simple as ABC- but her whole family seemed to be in love with it! Demanded it from her frequently.
Creamy banana pudding.
Dense honey-lavender cake with a thin layer of vanilla bean cream cheese frosting spread in-between.
Soft, gooey and chewy chocolate chip cookies and oh the list just goes on!
By the age of 25 she started up her own business with a little help from her parents but a little more from her aunt Eva and her husband Leo Blanchard. They provided her with whatever she needed, the ingredients, the supplies and also helped her with the shop's rental.
That was 6 years ago.
It's been 6 years since she'd announced the opening of her bakery. The Forbidden Fruit. Not only had she been a fan of Snow White and the seven dwarves but she loved apples and this was fitting. She labeled things and paid attention to the little details, made sure her bakery was fun enough to attract not only the curious eyes of the adults but the little ones too.
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"Pick your poison" Regina beamed down at her little costumer. A toddler -from what she gathered- named Alex, an adorable little thing who couldn't be older than 3 years old. She had short brown hair, button nose and big green eyes that melted Regina's heart.
"Go on, honey, pick something" Her father urged her, giving her a light nudge toward the displayed baked goodies, "Others are waiting in line" He said and she looked up at him with her bottom lip sticking out in a pout.
"I don't know" The little girl whined and the baker couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Do you like strawberries?" Regina asked and the little girl gave her a shy nod, chewing on her lower lip. "Well then you should try my all time favorite!" She exclaimed happily, crouching down to the girl's level and pointing at the strawberry cupcake, frosted with a swirl of her famous pure vanilla buttercream on top. "My auntie used to make this for me and my older sister all the time." The young baker explained and the little girl simply looked at her with her lips slightly parted in awe, her green eyes glancing back and forth at the woman and the cupcake before eventually turning her attention to her father.
"We can have whatever you want, sweetheart" Her father assured her and ruffled her silky hair, causing the little girl to giggle and nod her head eagerly at Regina.
"Strawberry" Alice agreed and Regina nodded, picking up the cupcake and carefully handing it over to her.
"Here you go, sweetie"
"What do we say, Alice?" Her father reminded, causing her to freeze with her tongue sticking out, just an inch away from the frosting.
She blushed and grinned sheepishly at Regina, taking a step back to lean against her father's legs, "Thank you"
"You're very welcome, Alice" Regina tapped the tip of the girl's nose lightly and stood up straight once more, smoothing out the wrinkles on the disney-style apron she wore.
It was designed similar to Snow White's dress, she'd found it online and immediately ordered for herself, just a little something for her to wear when she's back in the kitchen baking until one day she rushed out behind the counter and a little girl saw her, loved it and her mother right away assumed that this was the bakery's uniform, it certainly wasn't but she couldn't bring herself to correct neither the mother nor the daughter; she loved the attention it brought to her bakery and since that day every person that worked in her bakery owned their own apron of different disney princesses and other fairytale characters. It helped her bakery a lot that's certain.
Just like everyday, this day had been tiring as well. It might have not been the busiest time of the year yet -and quite frankly neither of her or her employees looked forward to Halloween and Christmas- it was still crowded nevertheless. Regina slumped back against the armchair and kicked her feet up on the coffee table, she huffed out a breath and leaned her head back against the chair
"You know, you shouldn't do all the hard work on your own back in the kitchen." Ruby, one of her young employees suggested, tucking a stubborn brown strand behind her ear as she studied her boss.
"You know I don't trust anyone back there, I can't help it" Regina argued. She learned a while ago that doing everything on her own is the best thing because depending on anyone else would only slow her down and ruin everything she'd worked hard for. It happened many times before she finally drew a line and began doing all the hard work on her own, from pre-heating the oven to breaking eggs, mixing the batter and pouring it into the buttered baking pans.
Ruby simply rolled her eyes at her boss and reached behind her to untie the strings of the Little Red Riding Hood apron she'd chosen; it fit her quite well, everyone had told her that and not to mention, she made it clear that she loves red and her name is basically Ruby, as the red precious stone. "So—" The brunette with the red-dyed strand smirked.
"So?" Regina cocked up an eyebrow at the younger woman who stared at her as if she'd been hiding a secret only she knew, "Ruby, what?"
"I saw you eyeing that hottie" Ruby began only to receive a confused expression from her boss, "The guy in the suit, the one with the little girl. Pretty green eyed brunette?" Yep, that did it. Regina groaned in frustration and closed her eyes.
"Are we really going there again, Rubes?"
"Going where?" The two brunettes turned there attention to the mysterious yet very familiar voice coming behind them, only to find Emma Swan walking toward them with a cheeky smile taking over half her face. "Hey Rubes, hey Reggie."
"Sheriff!" Ruby greeted her, teasingly.
"Emma" Regina whined, lowering her feet to the ground and sitting up straight on the chair. "Do not call me, Reggie"
"Don't mind her, she's upset over the fact that she lost another opportunity." Ruby explained with a shrug, tearing a small piece off the leftover blueberry muffin and tossing it into her mouth.
"Ahh" Emma smirked, turning her attention to her friend. "Passed another man, was he hot?"
Before Regina was given the chance to speak, Ruby butted in. "Oh he was dreamy!" The young brunette exclaimed, "He's everything you'd want in a man—" Oh no, there she goes again, Regina thought to herself with a light groan. "He's dark haired, bright green eyes, dashing smile and—" She paused.
"And?" The blonde sheriff asked.
"And he has a kid, are ya happy now?" Regina huffed out a breath and sank deeper into the leather armchair, throwing a glare at the laughing women.
"A kid" Emma spoke with amusement filling her tone and a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Why didn't you go for it, you like kids."
"Love. She loves kids" Ruby corrected.
"Are you two even listening to yourselves?" The older brunette shook her head in disbelief, "How do you even know that he's not a married guy?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at Ruby.
"There was no ring" The younger brunette explained with a cheshire cat smile spreading across her face.
"He might not even be the girl's father, maybe he's her uncle and he's using her to get some women to warm his bed at night." Regina argued.
"Have you not paid attention? The girl looks exactly like him!" Ruby said.
"So?"
"Why are you so against dating?" Emma finally stepped forward and glanced down at her friend, "Everytime we try to set you up with someone, you refuse or make excuses" Regina huffed at Emma's words and turned her face to the other side, chewing the inside of her cheek. "And then you call me at 2am in the morning, telling me your apartment is so quiet and it's too lonely and that you want a kid."
"That's the point, Emma" Regina snapped, turning her attention back to the blonde. "I want a kid, not a man in my life. I can survive perfectly fine without a man sweeping me off my feet, all I need is a child to love."
"Then why not have one?" Ruby mumbled, receiving a glare from her boss.
"It's not that simple" Regina sighed.
"Regina's parents are really, really religious. They would most likely kill her if she goes out and has a child out of wedlock." Explained the blonde.
"Really?" Ruby stared at the two of them in disbelief and Regina breathed out a soft laugh, shaking her head.
"They wont kill me but they would sure disown me"
The brunette looked the older woman and gave her a sympathetic smile, which she certainly did not need. "Then why don't you adopt a kid instead?"
"Because I want to actually feel a child grow inside of me, I wanna go through that experience, the whole morning sickness, cravings, first kicks and ultrasound appointments. I want it all" The young baker explained with sadness visible in her voice.
For a moment there was nothing but silence in the room until Ruby broke it, "Have you ever considered fake-marrying a man?" She began and both the older brunette and the blonde looked at her confusedly as if she was explaining to them a mathematical problem. "Like, you surely heard of those who get married for the green card in America, right?" Regina nodded her head, "How about you marry a man, make a deal with him about the baby and all?"
"Wait" Regina sat up and leaned forward, "You're asking me that I should approach a man, make a deal with him to marry me and have a child with me but that's it? and divorce him afterwards?" Ruby grinned from ear to ear and nodded her head.
"That's a stupid idea, Rubes" Emma scoffed.
"No" Regina responded and both of the women with her in the room looked at her with a shocked expression, "That's a really good idea."
"Regina, you can't be serious!" The blonde protested that idea but her friend only looked up at her with a smile curling on her red lips.
"I'm dead serious and I know exactly who it should be."
"Who?" Both Emma and Ruby asked at once, glanced at one another then back at Regina.
"Robin"
Emma's eyes widened and for a moment she forgot how to breathe.
"Who's Robin?" Ruby asked.
"He's my cousin" Emma said, glancing at the young brunette and thickly swallowing the lump that formed in her throat before returning her attention to her clearly-crazy friend. "Regina if you're expecting me to go and ask him, you're wrong."
"Oh no I'm right, Swan you owe this to me" Regina looked at her pleadingly. "He owes me too, I saved his ass years ago."
"Regina—"
"Emma please, you know how much this means to me" Indeed the blonde did, she'd known Regina ever since 5th grade, they've been through many ups and downs together and she was basically the sister she never had, they were family and family help each other; right? Right.
"I'll tell him—" Emma paused for a moment when she saw Regina beam at her, "But I can't promise you anything."
"Thank you!" Regina jumped off the chair and threw her arms around her friend's neck, hugging her tightly despite the fact she was the one who had always hated being hugged. "Thank you so much, Em."
He tossed and turned on his bed, sleep refused to come easily to him and now that it has, it wont stay and all because of a damn phone call. He threw back his covers and reached to his side, his fingers tapping the top of the wooden nightstand until they made contact with the screen of his iPhone. He grunted and swiped to answer, placing the phone to his ear. "Hello?" He spoke, his voice heavy with sleep.
"Hey, did I wake you up?"
"Yes, and it better be bloody important, Emma."
"Robin, do you remember my friend, Regina Mills?"
And there goes his sleep, he sat up on his bed and leaned his bare back against the headboard of his bed. "Yes, how could I forget her, she helped me get this job."
"Yeah well…she needs a favor from you."
"Is she alright?" His accented voice was immediately filled with concern, he too had seen Regina as a friend after what she done for him so it was natural to worry about her.
"She's perfectly fine"
"Aye, what is it then?"
"I'm going straight to the point"
"Might be the better thing to do right now, Em." Robin glared despite knowing she wont be able to see him.
"She wants a baby and a fake husband"
"Wait…what?!"
"She wants you to father her child and be her fake husband, listen I'll be at your place in five minutes and we can talk about this. I'll explain to you everything, I promise."
Before the 33 year old man was able to process what had just happened after being pulled out of his peaceful nap at 8pm, the phone went dead and his cousin hung up whilst he sat, his lips parted and his blue eyes widened in shock.
Was he just asked to father the child of the woman his cousin's best friend? and marry her too?
Oh boy…
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A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you guys liked it, please don't forget to review, they mean so much to me!