Hi Guys!
Italics are used to represent singing or thinking.
Sorry for the long wait! Here's a new chapter, I hope you like it :D
…
10 Years Later
"St. Petersburg is gloomy!
St. Petersburg is bleak!
My underwear got frozen standing here all week!
Oh, since the revolution our lives have been so gray!
Thank goodness for the gossip that gets us through the day!
Hey!
Have you heard, there's a rumor in St. Petersburg?
Have you heard, what they're saying on the street?
Although the Czar did not survive,
One daughter may be still alive!
The Princess Regina!
But please do not repeat!
It's a rumor, a legend, a mystery!
Something whispered in an alleyway
Or through a crack!
It's a rumor
That's part of ourhistory.
They say her royal Grandmamma
Will pay a royal sum
To someone who can bring the princess back!
A ruble for this painting!
It's Mills, I swear!
Count David's pajamas!
Comrade,buythe pair!
I got this from the palace
It's lined with real fur!
It could be worth a fortune
If it belonged to her!"
Robin, now 20, leads his best friend Little John into their small room where they are currently residing.
"Everything is going according to plan. All we need is the girl. Just think, John, no more forging papers, no more stolen goods. We'll have three tickets out of here. One for you, one for me and one for Regina."
"It's the rumor, the legend, the mystery!
It's the Princess Regina who will help us fly!
You and Ifriend
Will go down
In history!
We'll find a girl toplaythe part and teach her what to say,
Dress her up and take her to Paris!
Imagine the reward, her dear old Grandmama will pay!"
"Who else could pull it off but you and me! We'll be rich!"
"We'll be rich!" Little John echoes.
"We'll be out!"
"We'll be out!"
"And St. Petersburg will have some more to talk about!
SSH!
Have you heard?
There's a rumor in St. Petersburg!
Have you heard?
What they're saying on the street?
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Have you heard?
There's a rumor in St. Petersburg!
Have you heard?
Comrade, what do you suppose?
A fascinating mystery!
The biggest con in history!
The Princess Regina,
Alive or dead...
Who knows?"
…
"I got you a job in the Stables. You go straight down this path till you get to the fork in the road, go left-are you listening to me?"
Gina, now 18, is bundled in ragged clothes. Looking much more like a boy, she stands before Bo Pete the cranky old head mistress of the orphanage.
"Bye! Bye everybody!"
Gina says smiling as she waves to the children in the window. She had spent at least ten years here, growing up with these children. They are the only family she truly knows.
Rolling her eyes, "I'm listening comrade Bo Pete."
"You've been a thorn in my side since you were brought here."
"Right," Gina grumbles as Bo Pete heads to the gate, unlocking it and opening it wide.
"Acting like the Queen of Sheeba... Instead of the homeless nobody you really are." Unknown to her, Gina mocks her, mouths the words with her. "And for the last ten years I've fed you, I've clothed you. I've kept a roof over your head."
Gina interrupts, saying at the same time, "kept a roof over my head."
Rolling her eyes as the older woman turns back to face her, glaring, "how is it you don't have a clue as to who you were before you came to us but you can remember all that?"
Gina sighs, "my short term memory is fine thank you very much. Besides... I do have a clue-"
Gina says as she delicately holds the small necklace in her palm. She has never, ever taken her necklace off.
"Ugh! I know!" Bo Pete says as she yanks on the necklace.
"Careful!"
"Together in Paris!" Bo Pete mocks, "so you want to go to France to find your family, huh?" She laughs, "little Miss Gina, it's time to take your place in life and in line, and be grateful too." She says as she roughly shoves Regina through the gate, chuckling cruelly as she slams it shut behind her.
…
Gina walks through the snow until she meets the fork in the road. Sighing she sits on a nearby log.
"I am grateful," she mutters. "Go left, she says. Well, I know what's to the left. I'll be Gina the orphan forever. But… If I go right… Maybe, I could find, "Gina looks down as she lovingly touches her necklace, "whoever gave me this necklace must have loved me…. This is crazy!" Gina sighs, "me… go to Paris..." Gina looks up at the bright clear blue sky. Closing her eyes, she makes a silent prayer. "Send me a sign, a hint, anything…." Gina pleads.
A dog comes running up to Gina, grabbing her scarf.
"Hey! Hey!" The dog runs a few feet away, turns and sits, staring at Gina. As if, wanting her to follow.
Gina smiles, "I don't have time to play, I'm sorry. I'm waiting for a sign." Gina closes her eyes again.
Please.
The dog barks, begging for her attention.
"Would you give me that! Please! Just… leave me alone… Stop! Give me that back! Oh!" Gina chases after the dog, trying in vain to grab her scarf from its mouth. She stops as she stares at the direction the dog is leading her.
You're my sign.
She thinks in realization.
"Oh great, a dog wants me to go to St. Petersburg," Gina looks at the sky skeptically as she sighs deeply, "ok…"
"Heart, don't fail me now.
Courage don't desert me
Don't turn back now that we're here
People always say
Life is full of choices
No one ever mentions fear
Or how the world can seem so vast
On a journey to the past"
Gina gives a sad smile as she gently strokes the dog's head.
"Somewhere down this road
I know someone's waiting
Years of dreams just can't be wrong
Arms will open wide
I'll be safe and wanted
Finally home where I belong
Well starting now I'm learning fast
On this journey to the past"
Gina smiles as she sees a family playing together.
"Home, love, family
There was once a time
I must have had them too
Home, love, family
I will never be complete until I find you
One step at a time
One hope, then another
Who knows where this road may go
Back to who I was
Onto find my future
Things my heart still needs to know
Yes, let this be a sign
Let this road be mine
Let it lead me to my past
And bring me home
At last"
…
Gina had just been to the Bureau to attempt to get a ticket to Paris. Unfortunately, she needs an exit visa, one of which she does not have. Thanks to a sweeper woman she goes to find someone named Robin who the lady said could help.
…
Robin and Little John are sitting at a large table. Robin sighs as he looks at the stacks of resumes in front of him as Little John looks at a rather large list of names.
"Nice….yeah," Robin sighs as someone named Katherine prances across the stage.
"And I look like a princess, and I dance like a feather."
"Mhmmm… yes, thank you… next!"
Another 'Regina wannabe' steps onto the stage.
"Name?"
"Cruella, darling."
"Please…." Robin motions with his hands for her to start, it is obvious she is not right for this part.
"Grandma, it's me, Regina…."
Robin and Little John both groan, Robin choosing to bang his head against the table.
….
"That's it Robin. Game over. Our last Kopeck gone for this flea infested theater and still no girl to pretend to be Regina!" Little John huffs as he and Robin walk down the street, side by side.
Robin sighs, "we'll find her, John. She's here somewhere, right under our noses." Robin stops and turns to Little John as he takes out the music box, "don't forget, one look at this jewelry box and the Empress will think we've brought the real Regina…"
Gina had been walking down the same street with the dog she had decided to name Pongo, not watching where she's going she bumps into Robin.
"Excuse me…" She says before going up to a stranger and asking her for information.
"…. And before she catches on, we'll be off spending the 10 million rubles."
…
Gina walks cautiously up to the front entrance with Pongo by her side. The entrance is boarded shut, keeping unwanted visitors out, Pongo, having found a small opening, slips through and disappears into the castle.
"Pongo, Pongo… Pongo, where are you?" Gina says as she pulls on one of the boards blocking her entry.
With a little fuss the board comes loose.
…
Robin and Little John are eating in one of the palace bedrooms. They had found a way in not long ago and had taken residency in the vacant palace.
"Did you hear something?"
"No….'
Little John says as he continues his meal.
…
Gina cautiously enters the quiet and large palace.
"Hello, anybody home?"
She asks as she goes up the stairs to the second floor, Pongo following closely.
She finds a large room, destroyed as if something terrible had happened long ago. She bends down to pick up a broken plate staring at it in wonder. Regina thinks she's dreaming when she suddenly sees her reflection as s young happy child. Startling her, she quickly sets it back down on the table. Gina walks over curiously to a side table, staring at a large vase with elegant designs.
"This place it's… it's like a memory from a dream."
She wanders to the top of a grand staircase leading down to the ballroom. She stops as she reaches a large landing halfway down the steps. She stares at a large picture of the Mills family.
Why is this so familiar?
Gina turns looking around at the large room in wonderment.
"Dancing bears, Someone holds me safe and warm.
Painted wings,
Things I almost remember,
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December.
Horses prance through a silver storm.
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
As she sings, she imagines the ballroom as it might have been. In her mind she sees it transforming to its once splendid glory. She imagines the portraits come to life and waltz on the floor.
"Someone holds me safe and warm.
Horses prance through a silver storm.
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
Far away, long ago,
Glowing dim as an ember,"
She imagines the royal family children enter onto the floor and glide towards her.
"Things my heart
Used to know,
Things it yearns to remember..."
Gina looks curiously as the Czar offers his hand, inviting her to dance.
"And a song
Someone sings
Once upon a December"
As Gina stops dancing, Henry kisses her on the forehead and slowly backs away. Gina does a full curtsy to the Father figure before her, not realizing that his is indeed her real Father.
The enchantment flows away as Gina is startled by the sudden and unexpected voice behind her.
"Hey!" Gina gasps as she turns to look at Robin and Little John who are standing on the balcony watching her.
Robin yells, "what are you doing here?" Gina looks up in fear before she runs the way she came, she can hear Robin chasing after her. "Hey! Hey! Stop, stop, stop…. Hold on a minute. Hold on!"
Gina turns, caught in a ray of moonlight, directly in front of the image of the Mills' family, next to the young Regina. He stares with his mouth open.
The resemblance is strikingly uncanny.
"How did you get in here?"
"Excuse me child-" Robin elbows Little John as he smiles at Gina.
"John, do you see what I see?"
"No… Oh! Yes."
"Are you Robin?"
"Perhaps, that depends on who's looking for him."
"My name is Gina… I need travel papers." Gina looks around before whispering, "they say you're the man to see." Robin smiles as he circles her, "Hey! Why, why are you circling me? Were you a vulture in another life?"
"Hmmm…. I'm sorry G."
"It's Gina."
"Gina, it's just… just that you look an awful lot like… Never mind… Now, you said something about travel papers?"
"Yes… I'd like to go to Paris."
"You'd like to go to Paris?"
"Yes."
"Let me ask you something, Gina was it… Is there a last name that goes with that?"
"Well… actually… this might sound a little crazy… I don't know my last name. I was found wondering when I was 8 years old."
"And before that… before you were eight?"
"Um… look… I know it's strange, but I don't remember. I have very few memories of my past."
Robin smiles as he whispers to Little John, "that's perfect."
"I do…. Have one clue, and that's Paris."
Robin rolls his eyes, "Paris."
"Right… so, can you two help me, or not?"
"Hmmm… John tickets please," Little John smirks as he takes out circus tickets and hands them to Robin.
"Sure, we'd like to… In fact, we're going to Paris ourselves. We, oddly enough, have three tickets."
Gina looks at him skeptically, "may I-"
"Unfortunately, the third is for Regina, " he says as he gestures to the Mills' portrait.
"Oh…."
"We are going to reunite the Grand Duchess Regina with her Grandmother." Little John says as Gina looks at the painting, "you do… Kind of resemble her…The same brown eyes."
"The Mills eyes."
"Henry's smile."
"The Queen's chin." Little John takes Regina's hands, "oh! Look, she even has the Grandmother's hands!" Regina takes her hands away as she looks at them suspiciously.
"She's the same age, the same physical type."
"Are you… are you trying to tell me that you think that I am Regina?"
"All I'm trying to tell you is that I've seen thousands of girls all over the country and not one of them looks as much like the Grand Duchess as you do I mean… look at the portrait."
Gina laughs humorlessly, "I knew you were crazy from the beginning, but now I think you're both mad!" She says as she rolls her eyes and walks away. Robin calls after her, causing her to stop.
"Why? You don't remember what happened to you…"
"No one knows what happened to her."
"You're looking for family in Paris."
Little John smiles, "and her only family is in Paris."
"Ever… thought about the possibility?"
Gina scoffs, "that I could be royalty?"
"Mhmmm…."
"I grew up in an orphanage!" Robin and Little John both nod. Gina sighs, "I don't know… it's kind of hard to think of yourself as a Duchess when you're sleeping on a damp floor. But… sure, yeah, I guess… every lonely girl would hope she's a Princess."
"And somewhere… one little girl is. After all, the name Regina means Queen. The girl is just meant to be royalty."
Gina fiddles with her necklace as she looks at the portrait.
Robin whispers, "if you don't remember who you are, then who's to say you're not a princess or a duchess. And… if you're not, the empress will certainly know right away… and it's all just an honest mistake."
Robin says smirking as he sees Gina's eyes fill with hope. Little John adds, "but… if you are the Princess, then you'll finally know who you are and have your family back."
Robin chuckles, "you know. He's right! Either way, it gets you to Paris."
"Ok," Gina whispers.
…
Hope you liked it!
I love the song Once Upon a December in all languages. It is the song that sounds good in all dubbings which is something I have never heard before :D