A/N: My muse for this story was too strong so I had to write it and get it over with before I can continue the others, so for that I apologize for keeping you waiting! Anyhow, that being cleared up, I wanna explain something that might seem complicated (Maybe?) This story is written from a Third person POV however, the paragraphs in Italic are from a First person POV because it's Regina writing it down as blog posts (or something, haven't really decided yet!) Well, without any further ado, here's the first chapter of this silly thing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time nor its characters. However, I do own the idea behind this story and the characters that are unknown to the Once fandom, also, mistakes are mine too.
Chapter One
I was eighteen when I was told about my daughter, Juliette. You're probably thinking, "Oh my God, how reckless of her. How could she throw her life away like that?" or maybe you've already labeled me as a slut. It's sad to see how judgmental society have become, viewing us, young mothers as sluts only because of our age. Let me just stop you right there.
I wasn't reckless, I most certainly didn't throw my life away. I wasn't even pregnant — confused?
Juliette's adopted.
Adopted! Yes, yes she is. And you must be wondering, why would I adopt a child at that age? I had my reasons, quite a few of them too. Let's start from the very beginning, shall we?
I was sixteen when I had a bad hunch related to the subject of me getting married and having children of my own. I tried avoiding it but it was nearly impossible around my family. They always (somehow) managed to get back to that dreadful subject. We could be talking about food and traveling, and then it would miraculously change into marriage and children. Don't ask how, it just did.
It started out with me lying my way out of it, claiming I didn't need a man in my life (which is true, I don't need a man in my life but I do want one who I can spend the rest of my life with. Cheesy, I know). And that I didn't like children — which was untrue. I adored those tiny humans but at least it lessened the amount of times the subject was brought up by my mom and aunts during every gathering.
But why lie when you do want a man and kids?
Because my life is far too complicated for a man, and as for children. That's where the bad hunch comes in.
I was always convinced that I couldn't have any, and eighteen my worries were confirmed. I could have children but "It'll be a miracle to conceive and carry for a full-term," as my gynecologist said. And it just wasn't worth going through the pain of trying and losing. It was a battle I wasn't ready to fight knowing there was a slight to no chance at all of winning.
But that still doesn't explain why you adopted at that age!
In the view of the fact that I wanted to be a mother, is the reason why I did. I can't give anyone a good reason that could convince them but it's good enough to me. I wanted to be a mother, I was ready to be a—
"Mom!"
Speaking of the devil, Regina smirked. The light, rapid tappings along the wooden floor grew louder and louder. She lowered her reading glasses off the bridge of her nose and closed down the screen of her laptop, spinning around in her chair just in time to see her daughter appear by the door. Brown hair, messy (per usual), pink sock cladding one foot and other, yellow. One leg of her pajama pants rolled up to her knee. She was a mess, most definitely not a morning person, much like herself.
"What are we having for breakfast?" The nine year old asked, earning an eye roll from her mother. Of course this was the first thing that would come to her mind the minute she wakes up. Food. She was her mother's daughter after all, and Regina wasn't called Chef Mills for no reason.
"What do you want?" Regina cocked up a brow, holding her arms apart — an unneeded invitation for a hug to her daughter who contentedly complied. Wrapping herself in her mother's warm embrace.
"What's on today's menu, Chef Mom?" Juliette exclaimed teasingly, baring her mother a toothy grin.
Regina hummed, furrowed her brows and thought thoroughly for a good minute. "Well, we have a breakfast burrito, a classic American breakfast with extra crispy bacon and Nutella pancakes—"
"Nutella pancakes!" Juliette shouted, drawing a laugh out of her mother.
"You know there's no need to shout, I'm right here." Regina pointed out and Juliette smiled sheepishly, murmuring a sincere apology to which her mother happily accepted.
Breakfast was never a dull moment at Regina's apartment, everyday was more exciting than the other. She loved cooking, and loved it even more with her daughter by her side. It made it livelier. Everything with Juliette was livelier. With upbeat music of her daughter's choice blasting in the background and pancakes cooking over the hot griddle, Regina took the moment to lean against the counter and quietly observe her nine year dance and sing along to the music. Those were the moments that counted, the memories of the little things that would stick with them for the rest of their lives.
"Is grandma Cora throwing another halloween party this year?" Juliette asked with a mouthful. Regina scolded her many times over that but it never seemed to go through the child's thick skull. She was just as stubborn as she is, her mother swore Juliette was a miniature version of her even though she failed to see it.
"Unfortunately."
Juliette giggled, "Her parties are fun!"
"Only because she scolds me and let's you have as many candies and desserts as you want." Regina pointed out.
With Juliette being the only grandchild, it was needless to say that she was spoiled rotten by both her grandparents but mostly Cora. The woman loved her to bits. She offered looking after her so Regina could study and finish culinary school and become the chef she wanted to be. It wasn't as hard as she thought it would be, just around six months of learning the basics for both the cookery and patisserie courses before moving onto the advanced diploma. 215 more tiring hours of learning but it all paid off at the end. Seven years later she finally opened up her bistro, nothing big but certainly fancy with good reviews. And as long as people loved her food, that's all that mattered.
"Who else is gonna be there?" Juliette asked again.
"Everyone."
"Even uncle Jeff and Grace?" Regina hummed in confirmation, "That's what you said last year, they never came."
"Because Gracie didn't feel good."
"Fine," Juliette rolled her eyes. "Is uncle August going to come too? I really wanna ride his bike." She beamed.
"Yes he is," Regina drawled, tossing another bite of the Nutella filled pancake into her mouth alongside a slice piece of the strawberries. "And before you ask, yes Ruby's coming too."
"How about Belle?" Regina arched a brow, her fork stopping midair just inches away from her lips and Juliette groaned. "Aunt Belle," she corrected herself.
Her mother smirked and nodded, "She's coming too."
"And she's finally going to tell us if the baby is a boy or girl?"
The older brunette groaned out of frustration, and she thought two year olds were supposed to be the ones asking thousands of questions. "I don't know."
"I hate surprises," Juliette grumbled, angrily shoving another piece into her mouth.
"You're not the only one." Her mother chuckled. None of them did well with surprises. They often get too curious and start searching around for clues and hints until they end up ruining the surprise. Something Cora had to put up with all the time. "At least pretend to be surprised now!" She would scold.
"So…" Juliette droned, "You're going to be a slutty French maid for Halloween?"
"Juliette!" Regina exclaimed, brown eyes wide and cheeks glowing red out of embarrassment.
"What?" The nine year old mimicked her tone, "That's what you told Emma!" She justified her choice of words.
"That's none of your concern — why were you even eavesdropping?" Regina frowned, cocking up a brow. "You know that's…"
"…not very nice and good girls don't do that. Yes you told me that around a hundred times, mom but you know it's not my fault when you were talking right infront of me." Juliette reasoned, and well, she had a good point. Darn it.
"You were in the room?" Regina blinked in confusion a couple of times and Juliette nodded.
"You forgot me in the grocery store many times, why am I surprised?" Juliette said, rolling her eyes before returning her attention to the pancakes stacked infront of her.
Well, this is awkward.
"Please don't mention anything infront of grandma Cora about this," Regina grimaced. She may be twenty-eight years old but it wouldn't make things less awkward if Cora knew about her costume. It was most certainly not the one she plans on wearing to her halloween party. It was a slutty one for a reason, and it wasn't to be worn in family gatherings.
"What do you have to offer?" Juliette smiled smugly, wriggling her brows.
"Really, Julie?" Regina murmured. Did she accidentally end up adopting Rumpelstiltskin's daughter or something? What was it with this kid and her deals? "Ten bucks." She sighed.
"Thirty," Juliette argued.
"Fifteen and not a cent more."
"Twenty-five or I'll accidentally let it slip."
So this is where she ended up in life? Having her own daughter blackmail her? Wonderful. "No."
"Fine then, I'm sure Grandma Cora would love your costume." Juliette smirked.
"Goddammit, Juliette!" Regina exclaimed, narrowing her eyes at the nine year. "Twenty, that's all I'm giving you."
"And pizza."
Jesus Christ. Regina heaved out a sigh, "And pizza."
"Thank you, mom!"
Thank you mom, my ass. Regina thought. This kid was something else.
...
Bringing Juliette home was tough, not because she unexpectedly arrived two weeks earlier than she was due and was practically shoved in my arms, leaving me not completely prepared for motherhood (who is anyways?) But because I grew up in a rather large family, and while some were supportive of my decision and others respected it, many weren't so happy.
Take my father, for example. He didn't like what I did, and he didn't like Juliette either. You could say he was an old-fashioned man who didn't believe in something called adoption.
Granny too, my mama's mom. She wasn't thrilled when she first heard of it but after meeting Juliette, I had to pry my daughter away when it was time to go back home. Granny was smitten!
Some of my aunts and uncles were overjoyed, some didn't give a crap at all but as for my cousins, well, Juliette ended up with more gifts than she could handle before she even turned one.
It took some time for them to get used to it, and a few threats here and there about moving somewhere far and never visiting. That did the trick.
...
"Can I come with you to the restaurant today, mom?" Juliette asked, her lower lip already sticking out in preparation for her famous puppy-face.
"I suppose," Regina half shrugged.
It wasn't often that she took her daughter to work with her, it was unprofessional in her opinion. It could make some costumers uncomfortable but only because children can misbehave and tend to be noisy, none of which Juliette was. She was a quiet kid, one who would sit at the very corner with her head in a book, she would sometimes mind her own business (until something catches her curious eyes and she'd ask about it continuously for around a hundred times.)
"Do you think I can stay longer today?" Juliette asked pleadingly, "I don't wanna go home with aunt Mal early and wait until you're done again." She sighed.
"You don't have a choice, Julie, you've got school tomorrow." Regina reminded.
"Can't I just skip? I'm sure we have nothing."
"No."
"But mom!" Juliette drawled in a whiny manner, "Maybe I wanna become a chef like you one day, I won't learn that at school."
"You'll be surprised at what you can learn," Regina chuckled, draping an arm over her daughter's shoulder and tugging her closer. "Let's go, chef Juliette." She teased, drawing a sweet laugh out of her nine year old. It swelled her heart with joy.
This is why she did what she did, why she was where she was. Her daughter. Her life would've been completely different if it wasn't for Juliette being in it. She didn't throw her life away when she adopted her, her life simply became livelier and worth living.
A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, please don't forget to review, hearing what you have to say and your ideas on it inspire me to continue and it makes me happy! The next chapter will be longer, also if you would like spoilers or you just wanna stalk me, my twitter handle is (Nona_AM) Don't be afraid to drop by and say hello :)