Disclaimer: I do not own any of the once upon characters...
A/n In this story the curse did happen but Emma ended up being fostered by Mary Margret at age 3. I know in the show the curse makes the day start over.. but I figured since Emma is actually growing they should go through the seasons, the curse is that no one but Emma has birthdays,so they never grow and they dont think to question it. The story is a bit unrealistic...but just go with it.
3 years old. Emma's POV
I was three when I first went to live in Storybrooke, Maine, tho I called it story book till I was ten. I remember the first day I had ever met Regina, I just stood there staring at her with wide eyes. She had the prettiest brown eyes, and the softest looking hair I had ever seen. Plus she dressed really nice. After staring for what seems like an eternity I walked up to her and said
"Hi! I'm Emma Swan, I just moved here and everyone says you're the scary mayor...but you're not scary. What's your name?"
She looked back at me with Narrow eyes trying to decide if she liked me or not, I guess eventually she decided she did because she answered.
"My name is Regina, and it's nice to meet you miss Swan" I giggled softly and replied
"My name is Emma, not miss swan. You're silly Gina"
"Regina is my name...not Gina."
"I gotta go Gina, my new mommy is waiting for me. Bye" and I skipped off.
4 Years old
When I was 4 years old I was eating dinner with my foster mother Mary Margret at the diner and I asked her
"Mommy? Where do babies come from?"
Thinking back to the memory now, her face told me she was uncomfortable with the question but still she answered.
"Well Emma, when two people think each other are really pretty or handsome, they get married and then if they decide they want a baby then the stork brings them one."
I had more questions I wanted to ask her, but not about babies anymore ...I was to caught up in what she said about two people getting married. The wheels were turning in my head, Gina was the prettiest person I had ever seen, and I already loved her...so we have to get married! As I was thinking about this and about to ask Mommy is she though Gina would marry me I heard the bell over the diner door ring, meaning someone was probably coming in. I looked up at the door and it was Regina! I got up right away and ran for her, even tho I heard mommy yell my name after me. I ran and hugged her knees.
"Gina!"
After a few moments, she crouched down beside me and said "Hello miss swan"
I giggled, it's so funny when she calls me that.
"My name isn't miss swan, it's Emma, silly!"
She smiled at me with her prettiest smile and I knew I had to ask her, so I bravely and asked
"Gina, will you marry me?"
My mommy gasped behind me, and said "Emma." in her teacher voice, but my eyes never left Regina. I really really hoped she would say yes. I turned around to face my mommy
"You said when two people find each other pretty or handsome and love each other they get married. Well I think Gina is very pretty and I love her. So I'm going to marry her. "
Then I looked back at Regina and said
"So, Will you marry me Gina?"
"Well miss swan, you are not old enough to get married yet, but I think you are very pretty too."
I was sad for a few seconds but then realized that she said that I was pretty! Which means she definitely wants to marry me.
"Will you marry me when i'm older?"
"Well dear, I will certainly consider it."
I smiled up at her but before I could say anything else, my mother has scooped me up and taken me back to our booth.
7 years old
The next time it I asked , was at the town's annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. I watched Regina the whole time she spoke on stage and when she finished talking I ran up and hugged her
"Merry Christmas Gina!"
"Merry Christmas Emma, would you like to help me plug in the big tree"
I was so excited, I got to help Gina light this huge tree, it was a big person job but she wanted MY help!
"Really? I can really do that?!"
"Yes really, dear" She smiled at me, and it made me feel fuzzy.
After it was done mommy ran up to me, she seemed out of breath.
"Emma, you need to stop running off, especially with out telling me where you are going. you could have been hurt or.."
But I didn't want to listen any more, I was to excited.
"Mommy! I saw Gina and had to go talk to her! She even let me help her with the big tree!"
"She always does seem to 'find me', dear" Regina said to my mommy, with a smile not like her usual ones.
"Come on Em, we need to get home"
"Wait! I don't want to! I have something to give to Gina!" I reached into my pocket and grabbed the ring I had got for Gina and placed it in her hand.
"Will you marry me now? I bought that with my own money and everything! It cost a whooooole quarter Gina!" I thought for sure this would make her marry me. Graham told me that women like Jewelry.
"Emma dear, you are still much to young to get married to anyone."
I frowned,and wondered if I would ever be old enough
"Well you can keep the ring anyway, as a Christmas gift. You deserve it." The I took my mothers hand and skipped off.
10 years old
On my tenth birthday, my mother threw me a big party at the diner, inviting everyone in town, even Regina! I was so excited, and really wanted her to be there... I waited and waited..but no Regina, when it came time to blow out my candles and make a wish, I knew exactly what to wish for. I wished that Regina would come even just for a moment. .
About half an our later she did show up, she put a small present on a table, got a coffee and left, my heart dropped but I had to talk to her. So I chased her out the door.
"Wait! Regina!"
She turned around slowly "Yes, Miss swan?"
"You're not staying?" I really really hoped she would change her mind and stay, she made everything more fun. but I knew she wouldnt.
"I'm afraid not, I'm required to work today; running the town is a lot of work. But I still wanted to stop by and bring you a gift, it's on the table with all the other presents."
"Oh" for a brief second the sadness over took but then I remembered what I wanted to say. "
You know, I'm ten today"
"Yes, I'm aware of that,dear"
"Well I'm older now, so will you pllleeasse marry me? Please Gina!"
I made my eyes big like a puppy dog, it always worked on my mommy, so I hoped it would work on her too.
"Ten years old is still to young for a person to get married." I felt sad again but still asked..
"Maybe when I'm older?"
"Maybe. Happy birthday Emma"
With that I walked into the diner and went to the small table, grabbed my gift and went into the bathroom to open it. It was a pretty necklace with a swan attached to it, it quickly became something that never left my neck.
13 years old
When I was thirteen my mother gave me a book of fairy tales, it wasn't to far in that I realized that this wasn't just a bunch of stories, it was real. There were little things in the book that were very obvious, like the ring my mother wears is the ring that belonged to Prince Charmings mother, or my blanket that had my name. It all started to make since, why no one was growing older and why only I had birthdays, and why no one really remember their childhoods. I knew that meant that Gina was the evil queen, and I was the daughter of snow white... so I should hate her...but I couldn't... I loved her to much to ever hate her, and I didn't want the curse to break because it meant things would change and people would be mad at Regina. So I didn't tell anyone...
On this particular day tho I was walking through the woods and I spotted Regina, sitting by herself on the bridge so I went over to her
"What cha doin?"
She calmly replied "Just enjoying the peace and quiet of nature, it remind me of the place I was born."
"Will it bother you if I join you?" Hoping she would be say it's ok if I sat with her
"No dear" This made me smile, she didn't mind me being around!
"Where were you born?"
"A place far away from here"
"The enchanted Forrest?" I covered my mouth real quick, but then realized that the damage was done...
"What, dear?"
"The enchanted Forrest. Like in my book, you're in it and so am I."
"Oh? and who am I, in this book?"
"Well, you used to be the Evil queen, but you're not anymore. It's just a title given to you, by someone really mean. " If I had really thought about it, it wouldn't be hard to figure out who first called her that, but I didn't think about it.
"But don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I like the way thing are ... and I don't want to make them mad at you for taking away their happy endings."
She smiled up at me, with wide eyes.
"That's nice dear, but it really is just a book, i'm not really in it."
"if you say so... you're to pretty to be an evil queen anyway"
"You think I'm pretty?" She seemed so unsure...almost as if she didn't know she was beautiful, it made me a little sad.
"Yeah! You're the prettiest woman i've ever seen, don't you remember when I told you that in the diner...right before I asked you to marry me? Because when you love someone and think they are pretty, then you ask them to marry you, and if they love you back and think you are pretty too, then they will say yes. You already told me i'm pretty, so do you love me?"
She opened her mouth, then closed it a few times. I could tell she wanted to tell me she loved me too but instead she said
"I like you very much, dear"
I smiled really big and then said
"Close enough, how old do you have to be to get married?"
"Well with a parents permission 16 and with out a parents permission 18."
"Oh...ok. Then I won't propose today. But as soon as I am old enough. I will."
16 years old
The moment I turned sixteen, I wasn't excited about driving or anything like that all I could think about was Regina, I knew she wouldn't say yes, but I was way to scared to tell her that I was in love with her. So instead I asked the same question over and over. Plus she doesn't realy have anyone in her life, so I needed her to know that I never planned to give up on her.
I took off running and ended up at her door, completely out of breath and said quickly before I lost my nerve
"Marry me"
"Pardon?" she raised one eye brow, man it's sexy when she does that.
"I'm 16, you said that I could get married at 16, marry me."
"No dear, I said with your parents permission you could get married. Do you really think miss Blanchard would sign off on that, dear?" I really had thought she would have grown out of this by now.
"Well I hadn't thought of that..."
"She wouldn't and besides that I am a lot older then 16, I could possibly marry someone so young."
"I kind of expected that, but I still wanted you to know that I haven't given up on you."
"Noted, Miss Swan"
With that she turned around and walked back down my drive way.
18 years old
The day I turned 18, I so badly wanted to ask her to marry me, it was the thing I had waited for all my life. I was legal age... but I also knew that I was only 18, I only had a high school education, no job, and I had never even dated anyone or had my first kiss. I had never felt for anyone the way I felt about Regina. So I didn't go see her that day because I knew I wasn't good enough yet, and if I did ask her, and she said no..well i'm an adult now..so it wouldnt be age. It would be that she truly didn't want me.
I applied for a university in New York and I got in, so the day I was getting ready to leave, I walked into the diner, sat across from Regina and said.
"You know, after 15 years of knowing you, you are still the prettiest woman I have ever known, and over the years what started as a little crush, has only grown. The day I turned 18, I wanted to come ask you to marry me, but I was too afraid you would say no; and if you did, I knew I could never ask again. So I'm not asking you to marry me today but after i graduate college and make something of myself, I will come back and I will make you fall so in love with me, that you will say yes when I propose."
Then before she got a chance to say anything I got up, and left.
For the next ten years I didn't go home. I had gotten to New York, and that where I met Neal. Neal and I got into some trouble together and I ended up taking the fall for his crimes..but not before he got me pregnant. I went to jail for 8 months, then less then a month later, I had Henry. The moment I saw him, I knew there was no way I could give him up. So after that I went back to school, but to a police academy instead, then after that I worked for the local police.
But through it all, I just wanted Regina. I thought about calling her so many times. I even did a few times, I waited until she picked up so I could hear her voice, and then I hung up. I wanted to go home, but then I remember I said i'd b back when I made something of myself, someone she'd be proud to be married too. I wasn't there yet.
28 years old
When I was 28 I finally went home, Henry was so excited because he had my book of fairy tales and he noticed as soon as we got there that Ruby was really red and Granny was her grandmother.
When Regina walked in, my heart stopped; was it possible she had gotten even more beautiful?
I managed to mumble out "Gina."
I knew I couldn't leave with out at least saying hello, so I approached the young woman. "Hello miss Swan"
"When are you ever going to stop calling me Miss swan?"
"When will you stop calling me Gina?"
I smirked "Never"
"Then there is you answer, miss swan"
"and who is this" She said motioning to Henry
"This is Henry, my son. Henry this is Regina"
Henry just studied her then said "The evil queen" almost as if asking me if thats who she was, I quickly replied by saying "Henry take that back, she is not evil. and you can't just say thing like that...I'm sorry, he's been reading my fairy tail book"
"No worries. well I must be going, have a good day, dear"
Two weeks late I finally worked up the courage to ask Regina on a date, and she said yes During the dinner I told her about my life for the last ten years. I told her about Neal and Henry and then about school. It was a great evening and by the end I asked her on a second date and she agreed.
Two weeks later was the first time that I kissed her, and it did cause the curse to break. I of course already knew about it, and it took a lot of time and effort to make the towns people forgive her, especially my parents but eventually they did.
6 months later I got down on one knee and asked her the same question I had asked her several times.
"When I was four years old, I asked my mom where babies come from and she told me that when two people love each other and think each other are pretty or handsome, they get married and then they have babies. Immediately I knew I had to marry you, because I knew I would never find anyone in the world as pretty as you and my 4 years old self loved you dearly." She stopped and looked into my eyes which were already tearing up before continuing.
When I was 7 years old, I knew I had to marry you because you were still really pretty and you brought me such joy and I never wanted to be with out you, this ring is a little bit nicer then one I gave you then." She showed me the ring and it truly was beautiful, she always did have good taste.
"At ten years old, when I blew out my candles, I wished that you would come to my party. You did, only for a minute but still you cared enough to bring me a present. At 13 I realized who you really were, and instead of being mad at you for making my parents say or upset that i didn't have my dad, I wanted to protect you. I wanted to show you how much I really do love you. " By this time I was fully crying but still she continued.
"When I was 16, I didn't think about the fact that I could legally drive, instead I was excited that I was legally allowed to get married...with a parents signature. and at 18. I so badly wanted to ask you but knew it wasn't the right time. The last ten years of my life have been the hardest, and all I wanted was to come home to you every night, curl up in your arms and get lost in you eyes.
When I was a child if I ever went missing, my mother always knew that wherever you were, i'd be with you; I never needed to 'find you' because you were always directly in front of me, and you never left first. It was always me, but never again. I have loved you for 25 years, what started off as an innocent crush had developed into so much more. I cant imagine, a single day with out you in my life. I can't imagine ever loving anyone else the way I love you. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever set my eyes on, and there is nothing better in this world, or any other world. You challenge me, annoy me and completely bring me joy in all the best ways. Regina mills, I want to spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you have made me all my life.
Gina,will you marry me?"
I finally got to give her the answer she always wanted. "yes, of course I will marry you, miss swan."