A/N: I feel like the pressure is on to make sure I keep your interest as I continue to write this...once again I want to thank you all for commenting! I really appreciate that you let me know what you're thinking and I hope that you all continue to do so! I'm update sooner than planned because I have a little bit of time before work and because the comments just made me so happy that I wanted to get another chapter out for you wonderful readers! :)
Cora tried to hold back her annoyance at the imp currently residing in front her. There had been a slight shift last night from an unwanted and unexpected visitor. Although, it wasn't entirely unexpected, she'd known the foretelling of the 'Savior' coming to break the curse during the twenty-eighth year, but to be honest, Cora had become so comfortable and complacent she'd forgotten how long they'd been in this marvelous realm.
"So what are you going to do?" Cora let out a sigh as she leaned back into her chair.
"Well, I can't kill her, Graham reported that she had a little girl with her." Cora watched as Rumpelstiltskin raised a brow at her statement.
"Growing soft Coraline?" Cora sneered at her slight name change in this realm. "Has this world made you…I don't know, caring of others, even without your heart?" Cora rolled her eyes at the fun Rumpelstiltskin, or Adam Gold in this world was having.
"I know the rules and policies of this world. We may not be able to leave its borders but others can enter. I don't need the state police here over a missing woman."
"Then kill the child too." Rumpelstiltskin watched her face contort in disgust at the suggestion. He knew that while Cora could and would kill to further any sort of plan along, she would never willingly kill a child. He watched as Cora opened her mouth to say something but stopped as her office door was opened.
zZz
"Dr. Mills, your mother is in a meeting." Regina looked at her mother's secretary uncaringly before looking down at the little girl's hand she was holding.
"I have to talk to my mother—"
"Your momma's the mayor?" Regina nodded as Calliope looked around the room and spotted a chair across from the secretary's desk. "You want me to wait out here?" Calliope guessed as Regina nodded with a smile. The girl was pretty smart for only being five. "Momma usuals makes me wait outside when she meets with her boss and mayor is a boss right?" Regina smiled as she ruffled the afro of curls as Calliope giggled.
"I'll be right back out just stay out here with Erin." Calliope nodded with a grin as she sat down and looked at the woman who Regina had called Erin.
"She's in a meet—" Erin's words died as Regina opened the office door ignoring the secretary.
"Hi Erin." Calliope called to the woman gaining her attention as Erin looked to curly haired girl.
"Um, hello, what's your name?"
"Calliope," she answered simply before looking around the room once more taking in the colors.
"Mother, what is the meaning of arresting Ms. Swan?" Regina asked interrupting her mother's meeting.
"Regina, dear, I'm in a meeting." Cora Mills spoke as Regina just looked at her mother uncaring about the information she already knew.
"I asked you a question mother, the woman did nothing wrong." Regina continued as the man stood with the help of his cane looking from mother to daughter.
"I will stop by later Mayor Mills, we can continue to discuss the issue at a later time." Regina narrowed her eyes at Mr. Gold as Cora waved off her daughter.
"Nonsense, we have a scheduled meeting, please stay." Cora looked to her daughter with a hard gaze. "Regina, wait outside."
"Release Ms. Swan and this issue will be resolved." Regina narrowed her gaze standing off with her mother. Yes, Regina Mills must have lost her mind in the short time she knew the Swan's. She would never question her mother, nor would she barge into her mother office like she had moments ago.
"The woman not only destroyed a sign but was under the influence of alcohol and endangered a child's life. She will spend the minimum of 72 hours in a cell."
"And what about said child she supposedly endangered?"
"I don't care, she'll end up with the nuns for that time. They run the local orphanage." Cora pointed out as Regina was about to disagree to the harshness of her mother's suggestion.
"But my momma didn't do it on purpose, she tried to avoid a wolf, she wasn't intocsicated." Calliope spoke from behind Regina as the three adults in the room looked to the little voice. The woman, Erin had taken a call and Calliope could feel a tension in the room that Regina had walked in and decided to investigate since Erin wasn't paying her attention.
"There are no wolves in Storybrooke." Cora pointed out slightly surprised by the little girl presence in her office.
"Where you have a forest Mrs. Mayor person you'll have all types of forest animals. Wolves are forest animals, just like bears, beavers, and deer. Do you also not haves those?" Mr. Gold chuckled at the gull of the curly haired child as she stepped into the room further looking at Cora awaiting an answer to her question.
"I like this child, what's your name Dearie?" Mr. Gold asked as Calliope's attention was given to him as Cora took in the small child who interrupted her meeting. She was rather small and able to speak well for being as old as she probably was. She had piercing green eyes that stood out against her caramel complexion and haphazard dark brown curls.
"I'm Calliope Swan, what's yours Mister?"
"Adam Gold."
"It's a pressure to meet you, Mr. Gold." Mr. Gold held in his chuckle as he smiled at Calliope.
"Oh the pleasure is mine Miss Swan." Calliope smiled with a nod before turning her attention back to the mayor.
"So are yous going to let my momma go?" Calliope asked causing Mr. Gold to chuckle this time. This little Swan was quite the fiery one a part of him wondered if the fated savior would be as fiery as her daughter was. It was what they'd been discussion before Regina's interruption, the subsequent arrival of the savior.
They were the only two with memories of their life back in the enchanted forest. Although upon arrival Adam Gold had no recollection of his life back in the Enchanted Forest. It wasn't until the adoption of Henry Mills that Rumpelstiltskin remembered who he was. He'd played it off for the first five years of Henry's life, he didn't want Cora to realize that the boy would be the beginning of the curse breaking. When she'd realized that he did know, he'd simply stated that he'd created the curse, of course he'd kept his memories when they'd came here. He was getting closer to being able to find his son, at this point he was just biding his time until the curse was completely broken and Storybrooke inhabitants could leave.
While people could enter and visit their sleepy town, those who were cursed could not leave, not until the curse would be broken. But for that happen, the savior would have to believe in magic, believe that she was from another world. Gold knew that Cora would do everything in her power to keep the curse intact because the moment it was broken, she would be as good as dead.
"Unfortunately no, she will be released in seventy-two hours. She endangered your life by driving under the influence." Calliope crossed her arms across her chest as she narrowed her eyes the best she could before speaking.
"Bullshit."
"Calliope!" Regina reprimanded the five year old who looked up to the brunette woman blinking. "That's a bad word, not a word five year olds should be using."
"I'm sorry R'gina, but Mommy would never dangers my life. I'ms her only family."
"Is there no father to take care of you? Grandparents?" Mr. Gold found himself asking finding this child intriguing the more she spoke and was in their presence. Calliope looked back to him and shook her head.
"I never had a father, I have two mommies and mom's parent's passed away when she was young. Momma never had parent's she a dolphin."
"Do you mean orphan?" Mr. Gold asked as Calliope thought about it for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah, an orphan."
"And what about Mom?" Cora asked becoming slightly annoyed by the girl. She already had to deal with the shift that had happened last night, and now her daughter seemed to be effected by the particular shift that'd occurred.
"Mom left for war, she was supposed to returns after my birthday but we gots a flag instead." Calliope looked down at her feet sadly. This was the most she'd been asked about her other mother since her death. Most people didn't talk about Violet around her or they knew not to ask about her. Even the kids in her class knew that she didn't have two mommy's anymore that she'd died protecting their country.
"I'm sorry baby girl," Regina pulled the child to her as she didn't look up but sniffled taking in the comfort that was being given. Regina looked to her mother with a hard stare. "Fix it, Ms. Swan was not under the influence, get her out of jail." Cora's eyes widened slightly but she regained her composure quickly.
"The law is the law, when she is released from the hospital she will serve her time. This is not negotiable. You know where the door is dear, please close it on your way out." Regina held her mother's gaze for a few moments before breaking the contact knowing that her mother would not budge on this. Leaning down Regina picked up the little Swan and left the office not bothering to shut the doors.
"This will be interesting at the least." Gold commented as Cora glared at him. This curse was supposed to give her back her daughter, and it had, in a sense. Regina had no recollection of their Enchanted Forest past, just false memories given to her when the curse had been cast. Regina hadn't wanted to remember and Cora had been fine with that. Over the past twenty-eight years they'd had a somewhat tentative relationship, but it'd been better than the one before the curse. Now it seemed this savior and her daughter were going to be a problem. One she needed to get rid of immediately.
Preview: "Henry totally just got manipulated." Emma chuckled as Regina nodded watching as Henry and Calliope disappeared down the hall talking animatedly to one another. "She's rather smart for a five year old."