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A Regal Wedding

by Snapegirlkmf & CJ Moliere

(a Gold Standard Baby Regal/Gold holiday fic)

takes place after the events in Regal Mischief

Regina Nolan was an excited little girl, far too excited to be staying in bed late on the day when she had a very important job to do. It wasn't the kind of jobs her parents had but still important nonetheless. She would be one of two flower girls in Doctor Hopper's wedding to Lilly Bergmann. The couple had been dating for over a year and both decided it was time for them to settle down. They were moving beside the Nolans after their honeymoon.

She would be sharing flower girl duties with Archie's granddaughter to be, Meredith Bergmann. The two met last Halloween and the older girl had been rude from the moment she walked into the Gold house until she had to leave, directing most of her hostility at Regina. Oh, Regina had tried to be nice like her parents taught her to be until it was time not to be but Meredith had gotten a dose of her own medicine when she got sick after stealing all of Regina's candy. The two girls rarely saw each other after that and Meredith's attitude hadn't improved. In fact, she'd gotten worse after her grandmother announced her plans to marry Archie.

Regina was determined to do a good job for Archie and Lilly even if it meant having to spend a few hours in the company of her nemesis.

She asked her mother if they could watch movies of couples getting married so that she could see how other flower girls acted and held little rehearsals to make certain she was doing everything right. Snow took a few videos and showed them to Archie and Lilly; so proud of her daughter.

"Mommy, Daddy! Wake up! We're gonna be late for the wedding!" Regina cried, racing into her parents' room and jumping on the bed, nearly scaring the daylights out of them.

"Regina! Honey, calm down! We're gettin up!" David groaned. Snow was already out of bed.

"You better or I'm gonna call Unca Rumple 'an make him come over here with ice water!"

Snow giggled. "Honey, why don't you go in your room and wait for me. I'll be in as soon as I get Daddy up."

"Kay but if he's not up in five minutes I'm calling!"

"Jesus Christ," David muttered.

"Hey! You're not 'sposta say that! It's bad!" Regina scolded.

"Snow...will you please do something," he pleaded.

"Come on honey. Daddy will get up...it just takes him a little longer that's all."

"Guys take for-ever to get up or do anything," the former queen snorted.

"I think I need to ask Archie to have me committed," he muttered.

While David took a shower and changed in the bathroom, Snow and Regina sat at the vanity in Snow and David's bedroom in their matching forest green gowns, Snow winding Regina's hair into a French Twist, recalling how her own mother used to do so.

"I really wanna do a good job today Mommy."

"I know you do honey."

"Meredith better not be mean today."

Snow sighed. She didn't envy Archie and Lilly one bit having to deal with such a troublesome child. Meredith's mother had no control over her child at all and had surrendered custody of her to Lilly.

Cas would not be attending the wedding nor would most of the babies in the town. They would be at Golden Locks Daycare, a new daycare facility that opened up in the town when Rapunzel arrived in Storybrooke a month earlier along with a few friends; Tiana, Flynn and Naveen. Belle and Snow had taken the children to the daycare a few times and the kids adored Rapunzel and Tiana. Tiana wanted to open her own cafe but didn't want to start a business war with Granny.

"Granny needs a little competition dearie," Rumple told her one afternoon when he came to pick up Daria and Dylan. "And your baked goods are much better!"

"Thank you Mister Gold."

"I mean every word. If you want to open a cafe, open a cafe and let Granny deal with it. There are a few other eateries in this town but they're too intimidated by her to give her a run for her money. And you will be bringing us New Orleans cuisine!"

"I never imagined the bean we bought would take us there after the curse but it is the most delicious food I've ever eaten!"

"You have my number if you need any help getting started."

Caspian was cranky during the drive to Golden Locks as if he sensed he would not be taking part in the day's festivities.

"Cas, you better stop poutin or Daddy's gonna havta pull the car over!" Regina whispered in his ear.

His eyes widened.

"Uh-huh. Unca Rumple hadta pull the car over once because I was bein bad and I had a sore butt, You don't wanna have a sore but do you?"

He shook his head vigorously.

"Sides you like being with Rapunzel and Tiana's gonna make lotsa goodies for you."

He smiled.

"Crisis averted," David mumbled. "Cas, here we go! Rapunzel is waiting for you."

They couldn't get him out of his car seat fast enough.

It was a different situation over at Lilly Bergmann's apartment.

"Meredith...Meredith Bergmann you get out of that bed right now!"

"No!" she yelled defiantly and yanked the covers over her head.

"You are not doing this to me today."

"Gramma you can't marry that stupid cricket!"

"Archie is going to be your grandfather and you will treat him with respect! Now get out of that bed before I start counting."

"So count. I don't care!"

Lilly counted to ten to regain her composure and yanked the covers off the bed. Meredith glared at her and jumped off the bed, stomping on her grandmother's foot.

"You...come back here right now..." Lilly panted as she limped after her. Moments later she heard a knock on the door and opened it to find Granny and Ruby on the other side.

"Lilly, what happened?"

"Meredith...is being...difficult this morning."

Granny snorted. "Ruby get some ice for Lilly's foot. I'LL deal with HER."

Ruby took off Lilly's shoe, frowning. "We'd better get Whale over here. I think..she might have broken two of your toes."

"Oh no!" she moaned.

"Honey, I don't mean to get in your business but something's gotta be done about that girl. She's nasty to everyone and you and Archie get the worst of it."

"I can't just...send her away...We're going to be the only family she has left now. My daughter...wants nothing to do with her and her father...doesn't either."

In Meredith's bedroom, Granny was attempting to give the child a good scolding that seemed to fall on deaf ears, even suggesting that she may have broken her grandmother's toes didn't seem to phase her. Also her flower girl's dress lay on the floor in the bedroom, shredded to pieces.

She walked out of the room shaking her head. "That one puts our former Evil Queen to shame. How is Lilly?"
"She's in a lot of pain. I called Whale and Archie. They're on their way over now. Maybe Whale can get something through to that kid's head. He is her father."

"And we've seen what good that is. I'll give him credit, he's trying to change his ways but he was a little too late trying to be a father to that girl. Archie tries but she's worse to him."

"What's she doing now?"

"Just sitting in her room but she cut her dress to ribbons."

"Maybe they should just...leave her out of the wedding. She'll only cause problems anyway."

"That's what I think too, Ruby, but it's not our decision. It's up to Lilly and Archie."

"...Where's Lilly?" a frantic Archie asked as he ran into the apartment with Whale at his heels.

"She's in the kitchen Archie."

Archie comforted his bride while Whale examined her foot. "Lilly, you're going to have to stay off this foot."

"How bad is it?" Archie asked him.

"She's got three toes broken. And you say Meredith did this?"

Lilly nodded through her tears. "I don't think she meant to hurt me."

"I'm sorry Lilly but I do," Archie said angrily.

"Please, Archie. I don't want to send her away..."

"Honey, we've been trying for a year to get through to her and now this! I am not going to have her assaulting you because she's not getting her own way. Maybe we should postpone the wedding until you're better."

"No! I am marrying you today even if I have to be sitting down!' she declared stubbornly.

"Lilly it looks like you're gonna have to be sitting down," Whale informed her. "But that's not gonna be a problem later now is it?" He winked at Archie.

"Oh get your mind out of the gutter and just take care of my bride's foot. And THEN you and I are going to have a talk with my granddaughter."

"What makes you think she's gonna listen to me?"

"Well you are her father. Act like it!"

After dropping the twins off at the daycare Rumple and Belle drove over to the church to meet with the rest of the wedding party. Belle was a bridesmaid, Rumple a groomsman. Bae and Emma were also in the wedding party along with Henry who would have the equally important job of carrying the rings.

The moment they walked in Rumple sensed a tension among the other members of the wedding party.

"Alright now what is going on dearies?" he demanded.

"Meredith shredded her flower girl dress but that's not the worst of it. She broke three of Lilly's toes," Ruby told him.

"The brat," he hissed. "I hope Lilly tanned her backside good for it!"

"She's too upset. Whale had to do it."

"It's about time he assumed some responsibility for his offspring."

"Poor Lilly!" Belle cried. "Are they postponing the wedding?"

"No she wants to have it even if she's sitting down but Meredith will not be taking part in the ceremony. Archie wants Alina to be a flower girl in her place but we don't have a dress for her." Snow replied.

"I'll take care of that." Rumple gestured and a larger flower girl's dress appeared in his hand along with a box of jewelry. "Alina, go get changed."

"Okay Papa."

"And I'll see if I can take care of Lilly's foot."

"She may not let you Rumple. You know how stubborn she is."

"I'll offer Belle but I won't force her if she doesn't want me to." He kissed her tenderly. "I'll be right back."

The Sunday school playroom had been designated the bridal party's dressing room for the festivities. Some of the wedding party guests opted to change at the church rather than get ready at home and the photographer the couple hired wanted to take pictures of them getting prepared for the ceremony.

Rumple knocked once on the playroom door. "Is everyone decent in there?"

He heard giggling on the other side of the door. "Oooh Gold what would Belle say if she caught you sneaking in here watching us get dressed."

"Very funny Emma! Now are you decent or not?"

"Yes, we're decent!"

"Rumple, what brings you here?" Lilly asked from her chair.

"I heard about what happened and I can heal you...if you wish me to."

"That's very kind of you Rumple but..."

"Lilly, let him heal you," Emma pleaded. "You've been waiting for this day for a year and besides...your honeymoon won't be much fun with broken toes!"

Rumple rolled his eyes. "Why does my son put up with you?"

"Because we're alike," Emma retorted.
"Oh aye. If he's not giving me gray hairs, you are."

"You love me and you know it."

"I tolerate you," he quipped.

"Seriously Lilly, you and I both know you'd rather be standing up there with Archie rather than sitting and my father-in-law, pain that he is sometimes, can make you feel better in no time."

"And you need to dance with your new husband too," Granny added.

"Trust me, dearie, dancing's no fun with a cane," Rumple persuaded. "Besides, it'll show your scamp of a granddaughter that her attempt to ruin your big day with her insolence failed. And," he went in for the coup de grace, "it'll make Archie happy. He's upset you've been hurt."

Lilly blushed. "Oh . . . all right, Rumple. You win."

"That's amazing," Emma muttered. "I think he could make a deal with Hades and come out on top."

"That's my papa!" Alina said proudly, emerging from behind the changing screen. "Well, how do I look?"

"You look fabulous, dearie!" Rumple praised. "Like your mama."

Alina kissed his cheek. "Can I watch you heal Lilly, Papa?" Alina was also a powerful sorceress, but she had only healed once, and that in desperation, having healed Rumple's leg while he was being attacked by a reanimated T-Rex at the Museum of Natural History in New York City on an unforgettable vacation.

"You may. But no talking until afterwards." He instructed.

Alina nodded and allowed her Sorcerer's Sight to come to the fore, so she could see how her father used his magic to heal.

"What do I need to do, Rumple?" Lilly inquired.

"You won't feel anything," he assured Lilly. "Just relax, dearie." He took her foot gently in his lap. "First, I use my magic to numb her injury," he explained to Alina. A flicker of purple light emerged from his hand. "Now I allow the magic to mend what's broken." He lowered his head and immediately Lilly's foot was surrounded by a bright purple light.

Alina saw with her Sight how his healing magic flowed through the foot, rejoining the bones seamlessly and reducing the inflammation. Soon the foot was healed.

"And there you go!"

"Oh...oh!" Lilly slowly rose to her feet and began to walk around the room. "I don't even have that pain in my heel anymore!"

There was no way he could have known about the recurring pain she felt in her right heel almost every day for the past two years that she'd been trying every remedy to treat.

She threw her arms around the sorcerer.

"Thank you so much Rumple!" she sobbed joyfully.

"You are very welcome, dearie," he smiled. Then he added, "Sometimes the magic heals where I don't direct it. I know how it feels to be chronically in pain all the time."

"Papa, won't you get tired from this?" Alina queried.

"Yes, but my magic reserves will replenish faster than yours, so I won't feel it the way you would. One of the perks of being an archmagus, Alina."

"Now I'm ready to get married!"

Lilly grabbed her shoes and ran out of the playroom.

"Well, all's well that ends well," Rumple giggled. "Come on, let's not be late for the wedding." He shepherded the rest of the bridal party out the door.

Regina squealed with delight when she spotted Alina wearing a matching flower girl's dress. "Yay! Now I don't havta deal with that nasty Meredith! Hope she got her butt spanked good!"

"I think so. I would've," the older girl replied. "Are you all ready for your important job?"

Regina nodded. "Have you ever been a flower girl before?"

"No. This is my first time too," Alina admitted. "But we'll do fine."

"We just gotta smile pretty and toss the flowers so's Lilly can walk on 'em and then we throw flowers on her after she gets married."

"That's right," Alina grinned.

"You girls look hot," remarked Jimmy, smirking. He was a guest but had permission to be there early with the wedding party. He was dressed in a very nice suit, navy blue with a nautical tie-the clothing picked out by Mr. Gold himself.

Regina made a face. "Umm Jimmy, you're not 'sposed to say stuff like that to family or people are gonna think you're a pervert."

"Why?" asked the former pirate, puzzled. Back where he grew up that was a compliment.

"Ummm...I heard Daddy say so once...you gotta tell us we look nice or something."

She looked to Alina for guidance.

"See you don't wanna give people the wrong impression. That you like little kids or something," she explained.

"I ain't no baby raper!" Jimmy hissed, horrified.

He had known a few scumsuckers like that on the island and they had made his skin crawl. He had also been careful to avoid them.

"So now you gotta 'member to watch what you say, okay?"

"Umm . . . yeah." He shook his head. "This realm . . . it's got so many confusing customs."
"Like Papa says-you learn something new everyday," quoted Alina.

"Ain't that the truth," muttered the reformed buccaneer. He knew that if not for Mr. Gold's willingness to make a pirate into a gentleman and give him a second chance, he may well have ended up in the brig forever or dead at the end of a rope.

Instead of the traditional wedding march, Lilly asked to be walked down the aisle to the music of a New Age group called 2002. Most of their music was influenced by mythology but This Moment Now was an album that focused on love and Lilly chose the song Dreaming of You as her wedding march.

Jimmy snapped a few pictures of the bride with his camera, using the light and his zoom lens to the fullest. He really enjoyed photography and thought he might like to go to school for it someday . . . if he could borrow money from Rumple.

August held out his hand for the bride. "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready. Thank you for doing this for me August."

"I hope you and Archie have a great life together."

She would walk down the aisle in a replica of the dress worn by Queen Elizabeth II when she married the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 with a much shorter train. Her groom wore a black tuxedo with a red rose on his lapel.

"Let's go Regina. We're up," Alina whispered to the toddler. Regina picked up her basket of flowers, flashed her brightest smile began tossing red and white rose petals, several people recording them on their phones.

"She looks adorable, Snow!" Ashley praised.

"She's been practicing for weeks to be perfect."

Meredith glared at her from her seat. She would be sitting with her father during the ceremony, furious that Snow and David's brat had to be the center of attention yet again, forgetting that it was her own bratty behavior that forced her grandparents to exclude her from the ceremony.

I'll get her good, she vowed.

Jimmy took shot after shot of both Regina and Alina as they tossed petals and walked down the aisle. He knew that Rumple and Belle would love to have a picture or two framed of their eldest child in this one-of-a-kind moment.

He intended to give everyone pictures for Christmas this year, and had frames in mind for each commissioned by Geppetto, for whom he had done odd jobs for in order to pay for them.

Everyone rose to their feet when Lilly entered the room on August's arm, Lilly feeling very much like a queen about to marry the prince of her dreams.

Belle yanked Rumple's handkerchief out of his breast pocket and dabbed at her eyes.

"And don't you say one word Rumplestiltskin," she sniffled. "It's just...so beautiful..."

Bae snickered behind them. Emma kicked his foot.

"What was that for? You don't cry at weddings."

"No, I don't but you're gonna cry in a minute if you don't knock it off, Gold!"

"Children, behave," Rumple tutted. "Don't make me get my cane."

"Please be seated," Blue instructed.

Regina sat down next to Alina cradling her empty basket.

She was happy and felt she had done a good job.

"Alina...I gotta ask you somethin..."

"What?" the other girl whispered behind her hand.

"Do grammas have babies? I mean, Meredith's a real brat and her mommy's grown up so Lilly should have a nice baby with Archie."

Alina almost lost it. "Umm . . . well . . . it depends . . .but even if Lilly is too old they can always adopt a baby. Plenty of kids need good homes and good parents."

"Mommy says she's forty-four an I think you can have kids that old..."

Alina considered. "You can, if you haven't started your changes yet."

"Like that time of the month Daddy says Mommy gets grumpy?"

Alina almost choked to death to keep from laughing.

"I heard him say once she gets like that for five days and he has to go out and buy diapers."

She scowled. "But shes potty trained!"

"Umm . . . it's not really like that . . ." Alina gasped, giggling softly. "You see . . .umm . . . " she was unable to continue, and even her clever brain couldn't come up with a way to explain a woman's time to the curious toddler.

"I'm not gonna go through that if I gotta get potty trained all over again!"

"My mama says it's all part of growing up and being able to have babies. But you've got a long time before then so . . . don't worry about it," Alina managed to say. "And if Lilly has a baby you can be the big aunt to it like you are with Ilyssa."

"Cool! I'll be a better Auntie than that nasty Meredith."

"I know. Just like I am."

Alina sighed upon observing the death glare Meredith was giving her little co-flower girl. "That kid needs an attitude adjustment, as my papa would say."

"You see that boy over there? He's starin at me. Why?"

The boy Regina was referring to was young Robin Hood, another new addition to the Storybrooke population.

He was a year older than Regina, his father a low ranking noble in her former court that had his lands taken away and had been roaming Sherwood Forest robbing the carriages of the nobles.

Little Robin waved.

Alina looked and whispered, "His name's Robin. Maybe he thinks you're cute."

"Huh? Like he wants to be boyfriend an girlfriend?"

"Maybe when you're my age, yeah," Alina remarked. "But right now I think he wants to be friends."

"Ummm...okay..."

"You can talk to him after the ceremony."

If David were anything like her papa, Alina thought, he wouldn't let Regina date till she was out of high school.

"Archie and Lilly have written their own vows. Archie, you may begin when you're ready."
Jimmy grabbed his camera.

"Lilly, I will always do my best to be a good stepfather to your daughter, a good grandfather to your granddaughter and a good husband to you through good times and hard times and I will love you in this life and the next."

He took a deep breath before he continued. "For so long I though my happy ending would be helping others find their way, never thinking that I still needed to find mine. That night at Boston, I realized that the piece I needed to make my life complete was sitting alone in a crowded room. From that day on you made me realize that you were what I needed to make my life complete."

"Before that night in Boston," Lilly began. "I thought I would live the rest of my life a widow of an unhappy marriage made to fill my parents coffers. I was also a strange woman in a strange land fearing even trying to find love because I thought it was a luxury other women could afford. But that night, you took my hand and led me out of my cave of self doubt and taught me what love is and what it can be. and I will love you Archie Hopper in this life and the next."

"Henry, may we have the rings please." Blue prompted.

"Ah, just drop them!" Meredith yelled.

"Meredith!" Whale hissed.

Rumple shot the little girl a Look that made people shake in their shoes. He was incensed at the child's behavior. If you were mine, dearie, you'd have learned how to behave or else!

She stuck her tongue out. "You don't scare me!"

"Excuse us please," Whale growled and picked her up, carrying her out into the hall kicking and screaming.

Gold shook his head. "Maybe now we'll get some peace," he muttered to Belle. "That child could try the patience of Mother Theresa."

"Shhh...they're exchanging rings!"

Belle elbowed her husband in the the ribs.

Archie held up Lilly's hand and slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her knuckles. "With this ring, I thee wed.

"
"With this ring, I thee wed," Lilly whispered lovingly.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Maine and by the gods of love and light, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Archie, you may now kiss your bride!"

Archie gathered his wife into his arms and kissed her passionately amidst cheers and applause from the guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present Archie and Lilliana Hopper!"

"Do we get up now, Alina?" Regina asked.

"Yes, and we throw the rest of the flower petals," the older girl told her, and then handed Regina some of hers to throw, because the child had been a little too enthusiastic and had no more left.

"Okay. C'mon!"

They followed the bride and groom down the aisle and when they were outside, they threw the remainder of their flower petals over Archie and Lilly yelling, "Congratulations!"

Archie picked up Regina and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You did a fantastic job Regina! I'll tell you what:we'll have a nice surprise for you when we get back from our honeymoon."

"Thanks, Archie! You're the best!" Then she turned to Lilly. "And I hope ya have lotsa babies."

Alina nearly died laughing.

"Ummm...well...ahhh..." Lilly stammered. "I'm well...ahhh...a little old now..."

Why? Didja go through the changes yet?" Regina queried artlessly.

Archie's mouth dropped open.

"Well...ah...no...how did you...?"

Behind her Jimmy nearly wet himself. Bae was in stitches and so was Rumple.

"Alina told me it's what her mama said," answered Regina.

Alina turned the color of a ripe strawberry. "She asked!"

"Oh goodness!" Belle coughed, blushing. She too was biting her lip to keep from laughing.

Archie brushed tears of mirth from his eyes. "I am still not getting used to what comes out of her mouth yet. But...my Lilly, if you want to try..." he whispered in her ear.

"The things you come out with, scamp," Rumple said, his mouth twitching.

Lilly smiled at her new husband. "Maybe we can."

"I don't know about any of you but I'm getting hungry!" David said, rubbing his stomach. "I can smell Granny's buffet from here."

"Me too!" Henry said. "My stomach's hitting my backbone."

"You're always hungry, tiger." Bae laughed.

"Like his father at that age," Rumple remarked.

"Better not be any turkeys or I'm not eating!" protested Regina.

"I was on the free the birds side, remember?' Archie asked her.

"The what?"

Archie laughed. "I forget I didn't tell you that one Lilly. I'll tell you at dinner."

Regina went and hugged Snow as she emerged from the church. "Mommy, I did it!"

"You were wonderful, honey! I'm so proud of you."

"Regina, you were a pro," David added. "I think we're gonna have to hire you out."
"Cool!" she shouted, beaming with pride. Then she added, "But Alina helped."

The reception would be held at the town hall, the only place large enough to accommodate so many guests.

The bridal party all piled into the waiting limos for the drive to the town hall. Regina would ride with Alina, Henry, and the bride and groom. As she peered out the window, Regina saw something that made her gasp in fear.

"What's the matter honey?" Lilly asked.

Regina was frozen. For there half-hidden behind a large azalea, was the woman from her nightmares. She was wearing a long red dress with her hair piled up on her head and her face twisted into a familiar vicious scowl. Regina knew what that Look meant. It meant somebody's head was gonna roll.

"The lady from my bad dreams...she's out there!"

Where?" Henry peered out the window. But the woman in red had vanished. "I don't see anyone."

"I don't see anything," Archie said.
"But she was there!" Regina wailed. "She's gonna get me an...an cut off my head..."

"It's okay," Alina soothed, hugging her. "Nobody's gonna do that. You're safe, Regina. Papa will protect you. Remember how he made your nightmares go away?"

"Uh-huh...but I saw her Alina. I really did..."

Alina didn't answer, she was too busy comforting the distraught child. She wasn't sure what the little girl had seen-if it really was a person or a figment of her wild imagination. But she said nothing.

Maybe you saw a woman that looked like her," Henry suggested kindly.

Regina shook her head. "It was her an she's comin for me..."

"Maybe Rumple should dreamwalk her again," Lilly whispered to Archie. He nodded in agreement.

Alina felt a shiver skitter down her spine at those whispered words. She didn't know why but she felt an eerie sensation quiver through her, a warning perhaps of things to come.

"Talk to Papa at the hall," she murmured to Regina. Rumple would be able to figure this out. He always did.

"Unca Rumple will protect me," she murmured.

But for the first time in her memory, Regina wasn't sure he could.

The woman stepped out from behind the azalea, her eyes narrowed to slits. "You've forgotten who you are Regina but I'm going to make you remember...and everyone in this town will be exactly where they should be...on their knees to their new Queen."

There was a new queen in town and her name was Cora.

A/N: hope you all liked, dearies! There's trouble afoot! What will happen next?

Hope everyone has a happy holiday!