See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer...

Just a quick note: Emma is not replacing Henry. It'll all pan out. I have a method to my madness. Elphaba Reyes knows what I'm talking about. I need some ideas, but I'll tbink I'll do this one until you guys tell me it gets boring, or if I come up with a better one. Thank you guys for reviewing so much, and keep it up!

Charming POV

Chapter 7: Twenty Two Years To Go

I don't know what Regina possibly planned to do by giving Emma the real stories in that book, but I was going to get to the bottom of it. Wouldn't that book just reveal to Emma that Regina was the real villain? Wouldn't it show Emma that she is the Savior? What good would that do Regina?

I approached the giant house that I knew was Regina's and laughed. Of course she would proclaim herself Mayor as this town. It's a down-grade from her original position, but in this world, we have something called democracy. Useful.

I walked up the steps to the double doors and knocked. I was more pounding my fist against the door, but I was so enraged that it didn't even matter to me. Everything seemed to be red around the edges, but that might've been my imagination. Regina messed with Emma, and I wanted to know why.

Giving Emma the book would only show her who she had to take down when she turned twenty eight. It doesn't make any sense.

Then again, I thought. When did anything Regina does ever make sense. She put Snow under a sleeping curse because Snow was prettier.

The door opened, and Regina was standing there in a business suit and a bunch of papers in hand. She smiled when she saw me, and she could already guess why I was here.

"What did you do to Emma's book?" I asked, putting as much venom as I could into it.

"Oh, I just thought the child should know the truth." Regina said innocently.

"What good would her knowing the truth do for you?" I asked, and Regina just laughed.

"Does it always have to be about me, Charming? Can't I just do it out of the goodness of my heart?" Regina answered my question with a few of her own.

"If you had any goodness left. But that got ripped out with Daniel's heart, didn't it?" I knew I struck a kink in her armor, because her face showed emotion besides evil. Hurt, then shock, then a mask of pure hate. She normally would've blown me to smithereens, but she didn't have magic. Another useful thing of this world.

"Snow told me that you also say it's all her fault?" I finished, and Regina regained what she could of her composure.

"She never could keep her mouth shut." Regina commented, more to herself.

"Now, I'll just tell you something right now. If you don't fix Emma's book, and she thinks she's crazy because of it, I'll personally make sure that these are the most miserable twenty two years of your life. And that's a promise." I threatened. I didn't even care that I seemed absolutely evil, if not meaner than Regina herself. I was Emma's dad, and I would do everything in my power to ensure that she was safe. I would make sure that Regina wouldn't be near Emma.

"And I count on you keeping it." Regina smirked and continued. "Now, where is Emma at the moment? Home alone I'm guessing. Home alone with a book you told her not to read."

I realized what I had just done. I had left my curious, four year old daughter home alone with a book that had been somehow changed to reflect what our stories really were. If I was in her position, I would want to see how much of the old book I had remained. That meant reading it. That meant reading all of it.

I didn't even wait to see Regina's reaction to me, but I heard a high laughing. I raced home faster than if I was on a horse, and pushed open the front door. I mentally slapped myself in the head. Another bad parenting moment. I could already hear Snow twenty two years in the future yelling at me.

You left the front door unlocked? With Emma inside?! I heard, mentally envisioning it.

God. That should be fun.

I ran upstairs where I found Emma's room's door closed tightly. I pounded on the door, desperate to get inside. She can't read that book. It'll destroy her. If she knows that she has the responsibility to save a bunch of fairy tale characters when she's six? It'll kill her that she won't be able to do anything for twenty two years!

"Emma?!" I called, probably sounding like a crazy maniac. What can I say, I'm a little stressed out.

Emma opened the door, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The book was nowhere in sight. That didn't mean that she wasn't hiding the book to read when I was gone.

"Emma, what happened to the book?" I asked, and Emma shrugged.

"It's gone." Emma said, and I could feel myself relaxing. Emma hadn't read that book. She knew nothing about her job. For now anyway.

Regina might be a little OC, but I haven't seen the show in a week! I'm suffering from withdrawl! :( Anyway, R&R! Thanks! 3