Sorry for taking so long but, between the holidays and my new job, I haven't had much time to update my fanfics, mainly Boots and Chess - The Black Queen (brand new). Anyway, happy new year! :P
Regina woke up to a foreign sound. She blinked her eyes twice and took on her surroundings. She lifted a hand and combed her hair with her fingers and took on her surroundings. The sun was shining outside. The morning was fresh and birds were chirping wildly. She heard Henry chuckles and Eliza's following close behind. It was good to wake up to laughter. It was strange but pleasant. She could get used to it. She went to her window and observed the morning. The apples that hadn't been picked yet were swaying at the morning breeze. The leafs were ruffled by the passing air , transporting the fruits' tempting perfumes right into the house, into Regina's room.
The Queen let her lungs be filled with the delicious scents and then readied herself to leave the room and meet her family. Right outside, Regina found a glass jar filled with little bits of paper, each containing some sort of message. The label read:
"A Smile a Day, Keeps Darkness Away Inc. presents: The Complimenting Jar. Specifically recommended to Regina Mills. Recommended dose: One per day; Two will be acceptable in case of Lousy Day Hangover. Keep the 'pill' with you during the day. Read it again if needed."
Regina couldn't help the huge grin that occupied her lips. She opened the jar and took one of the tiny scrolls. It read:
"Wear a smile, it's cold outside".
And she did. Regina kept her tiny scroll just as the jar instructed and walked to the living room to see Henry and Eliza scribbling on a sheet of paper and whispering amusingly as if plotting prank. But no, they weren't. They were just planning something fun to do as a family.
"- Alright but apple picking first, otherwise the fruit will rotten and it won't be very good."
"Mom is the best baker, she can make anything taste good."
"rotten apples! There's a lot to do today, already."
"Yes..."
"But don't worry, I'm still up for a round of Monopoly this afternoon!"
"Monopoly afternoon, huh?" they heard a voice say from the corridor.
"Oh, look who's up! Good morning!" said Eliza, smiling widely. Regina noticed they were still on their pyjamas and each had a cup of some steamy beverage on their laps. Henry jumped from the couch, putting his mug on the coffee table and ran to his mother's arms, to hug her into oblivion. The Queen received her Little Prince's hug with joy. Eliza smiled, seeing both mother and child there, in the middle of the living room, hugging. It was like the rest of the world had ceased to exist for a moment or two.
"Good morning, mom." the boys whispered into his mother's shoulder. She kissed his brow and caressed his cheeks with both her hands.
"Good morning, Little Prince. Are you behind The Complimenting Jar?"
"Oh, she opened it, Eliza!"
"I knew it! It was Henry's idea. He came up with pretty much all the 'pills' there. They're very good. I merely wrote them and came up with the label. What did you got?" Eliza asked, beaming.
"It said 'Wear a smile, it's cold outside'! Very interesting terminology... It's quite the lovely piece. I'll make sure I put it in the medicine cabinet back at home... when this is all over, of course."
"Good, there's enough for a year."
"A year!? You really worked hard, didn't you?"
"Fairly..."
"Well, then; I think you both deserve breakfast out!"
"Alright!" Henry and Eliza high-fived and laughed.
"Now, go get dressed, children." Henry ran to his room and left the two adults in the living room. "It was a lovely way to start my day."
"You're welcome. Let's go and dress ourselves. There's a hungry teenager in this house and God knows what will happen if we don't feed him soon."
"Oh, I know!" Regina said, widening her eyes and nodding before entering her room.
Each dressed and readied to go downtown. Henry had Algebra homework; Regina agreed to help him with it after breakfast. Eliza drove them to town in her Blue Ford pick-up. It was a fun drive, music was on and they talked happily of their plans for the day.
"So, first: breakfast! Then I guess we should do the rest of the apple picking. I suggest something quick for lunch. We should buy something sweet to nibble while we play the ultimate tycoon with my old Monopoly board. Ah, shit! I have to meet Archie in the afternoon!"
"ELIZA! Do I need to put that bar of soap we bought to good use?!" Regina scolded as if she would a child.
"Sorry, it just came out!" Eliza apologised with Henry's giggle's in the background. The next minute they were laughing.
"So, Archie and you..."
"And a very annoying snow monster, apparently..."
"You do sound annoyed..."
"You're impossible! Henry, you must be a very patient lad to endure this queenie's ranting."
"You have no idea!"
"Henry!" Regina scolded. Eliza and Henry were now laughing their hearts out at the Queen's expense.
"Come on, Reggie; no frowns today! This is a frown-free day! Remember what the 'pill' said."
"Right..."
"Look, we're here!"
Granny's was right ahead. Eliza parked the car and they went out. As soon as they set foot inside the diner, the bell on the door chimed joyfully, announcing their arrival. Regina, Henry and Eliza sat at the counter. They ordered and started eating and chatting merrily. When they were finished, Henry asked for a refill of his cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon, took off his Algebra books. Eliza and Regina tried to help as much as they could. Regina was really good at it. She seemed to pick things up better than Eliza. The former French teacher was helpless when it came to Math but she tried anyway. Her handicap was worth a few laughs from mother and son. Archie came into the diner and his face lit up when he saw Eliza at the counter with her little family.
"Hey there!" he said, touching Eliza's shoulder. The Boot Wearer turned only to face a very smiley Archie.
"Hey, Archie."
"You're early!" Eliza laughed at his remark.
"Well, the Queen said breakfast was on her, how can one refuse that?" she said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Hi, Regina. Good morning, Henry!"
"Hello, Archie!" mother and child chorused, almost giggling. Eliza rolled her eyes and put a hand on Archie's arm.
"Excuse us, children!" she said, falsely annoyed. Miller and Hopper stepped away from Regina and Henry and sat on a table.
"Coffee, Eliza?"
"No, thank you, Archie. I had my recommended dose of caffeine for the day."
Archie ordered his breakfast and then turned to Eliza again. They sat there for a couple of seconds staring at each other until the Psychiatrist decided to start their conversation.
"Regina seems alright."
"The conversation with the Locksley chap didn't turn out as she would like, though."
"Oh?"
"For a moment I feared the worse."
"What happened?"
"The usual."
"She took matters into her own hands?"
"Correct. She had a breakdown the day our breakfast got interrupted but she'll be alright, now. I think I got some sense into that thick head of hers. She still doesn't believe she's loved, that there are people willing to help her, she's always tempted to take the matters into her own hands in her own special way, but her ways aren't always the best and I made her see that."
"How?"
"With a very frank conversation and a few hugs and insults somewhere in the middle."
"A very Eliza-ish treatment."
"I'm only getting her warmed up."
Archie chuckled at that.
"Right, so, what's your plan?"
"Regina's life is filled with things that fuel her anger and thusly push her to a dark place. My plan is to give her as much good memories as I can, so they enter in conflict with the bad ones. She will never forget her dark past but her future will seem much lighter. In other words, the Evil Queen will be dead and buried forever. No more temptation to fall back into darkness."
"And Henry, what is his role in this?"
"Oh, he's the core of everything! He's her family, besides me. She needs someone to be there, take her hand and tell her it's going to be okay. I assured her that I would be there for her and that's where I want to be as long as she wants me to. Henry has the exact same role as I have. The lioness needs her cub, it's part of her happy ending."
"Children are often the best remedy for their mothers but shouldn't be the only reason for them to get out of bed every and each morning."
"You're right; that's where you come in."
"What? Me? Why?"
"Because you're the third person in this bloody town who knows Regina Mills and sees her as a person. Most of them still regard her as the Evil Queen, even with clear and strong evidence she isn't that person anymore."
"What do you need?"
"Ideas. I'm quite the creative spirit but when it comes to Regina, let's say I have to be careful. Very shallow waters ahead... I got the "cub-back-to-lioness thingy right" but that doesn't mean I won't screw up next time."
"Right..."
"Archie, I trust you; I have no one else to turn to. My relationship with Emma Swan is...rocky; I can't rely on the Charming lot because they have their hands full for now with a new baby, being mayor and all. It's out of the question to ask Gold for help; I'd rather shove a cactus up my nose - "
Archie interrupted.
"What about Tinkerbell?"
"Tinkerbell? You mean, the fairy?"
"Yes, she's at the convent. She's been ill, I've heard. Ever since Emma and Hook went through the portal."
"I haven't seen her in ages! I must go see her soon, then!" Eliza smiled. She must have gotten an idea. "Oh, Archie, you genius! You wonderful - " Eliza was interrupted by the bell at the diner's door. Robin of Locksley came in and marched towards Regina and Henry who were talking about something that - Eliza could see - wasn't Algebra at all. Regina's smile went crushing down the Himalayas. "Oh, no! I sense trouble in the air."
Hopper and Miller saw the Queen and the Thief exchange some words. His face was marred with despair. Eliza approached them.
"What happened, chap?" the Boot Wearer asked.
"It's Marian. She's collapsed... she's freezing. Please, help her."
Blimey, Eliza thought.
"Calm down, I'm sure Regina and I can come up with something. Where is she?"
"At the Town Hall. We were in the meeting and she just... She was fine but then..."
"Okay, Regina you poof Henry to the Town Hall, and you..." Eliza pointed at Robin. "I'll poof you there. Archie, I'm afraid our plans have to wait again..."
"Don't worry, Eliza. Our snack can wait. Go, I understand." Archie smiled. Eliza offered him a smile. Regina and Henry disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.
"Have you travelled like this before?"
"I can't say that I have." Robin said, sounding tense.
"Well, I hope you have fun. Give me your hand."
As soon as Robin's fingers touched Eliza's they were gone and had reappeared out of the Town Hall. Regina and Henry were already expecting them. Robin joined Regina's side, filling her in with the details of what had happened to Marian. Henry joined his mother's cousin. The Boot Wearer put an arm around the boy's shoulders and sighed.
"This will never end, will it?" the boy asked.
"What?"
"Trouble?"
Eliza snorted at the boy's question.
"My dear lad, you're in Storybrooke. Troubles built this town."
They went in. Robin and Regina stormed in the mayor's office. It was then when the Queen noticed a hideous picture of a couple of blue birds hanging on the wall and of course, it was a too good occasion to pass down to slip an acid comment about it, which Regina didn't. Snow justified herself with the personal touch card. Eliza snorted at that.
Her parents should have named her Regina's-Feng-Shui-Ruinner, she thought. They came closer to the couch and saw Marian, her hair frozen, her skin cold.
"She looks a bit dead." Eliza muttered to herself.
"Is there something you can do?" Robin asked Regina.
"This is strong magic..." Regina replied, looking down at Marian's body which was resting on the couch.
"Indeed. Whoever did this wanted to send a clear message: he or she is not to be messed with."
"Do you have any idea of how we can help her, Eliza?" Regina asked.
"No, I remember someone with this kind of powers but I doubt she's here."
"You met someone with these kind of powers?"
"Well, no; I actually met her parents. It's a very complicated story, her presence here is quite impossible, since she didn't reside in the Enchanted Forest. This is not dark magic or light. It's something very specific, hence why Regina and I don't have an immediate solution to stop it." Eliza said.
"Maybe we can slow it down..." Regina suggested.
"It's an idea -"
Eliza was interrupted by Emma Swan.
"What happened?" she asked, sounding really surprised. "Archie told me -"
And then Eliza and Regina saw her. Elsa of Arendelle was in the room.
Regina got it and looked at the young queen from head to toe with a very suspicious expression marring her face.
"Perhaps you should ask your new friend!" Regina spat. "After all it was her monster that attacked Marian."
"Well, to be fair, we did provoke the beast." said Hook, entering behind Swan.
"I'll be damned!" Eliza said to herself. "So this Elsa of Arendelle!"
"You know her?" Emma asked.
"I met her parents briefly. They were searching for something to control her powers. How did you get here?"
"I was locked in a urn." Elsa answered.
"How?"
"I don't remember."
"Oh, well... By the way Hook, I owe you a sore shoulder! Just a friendly warning." Eliza said, crossing her arms in front of her chest, looking at the pirate with daggers in her eyes.
"And this isn't my magic, someone else did this!" Elsa declared. Regina's eyebrow shot up.
"Oh, and we're supposed to trust you!"
"You can trust me! If she says it was someone else, it was."
"Let's calm down, Ladies." Eliza said.
"So, how are we supposed to break the spell?" Henry asked.
"The only way to break a freezing spell is an act of true love." said Elsa.
Eliza's eyes widened at the realisation.
"Oh...shhhhhhhhoot!" Eliza said turning to look at Regina.
"True love's kiss..." the Queen muttered, as she turned to the window, avoiding to look at Robin who had glanced in her direction. His eyes almost looked ashamed.
"Well, then; there's no time to lose."
Eliza joined Regina, turning her back on Robin. They didn't see him kiss his wife, Eliza knew it was too much to ask of her cousin.
"Steady, Regina. It won't work." she whispered into Regina's ear. And it didn't.
"What's wrong? Why isn't it working?" Regina turned in surprise when she heard Robin speaking these words.
People started to mumble things about a certain Fredrick but Eliza was too busy looking at Regina, trying to read her face.
"...so there's nothing we can do?!" Robin asked, alarmed. His question pulled Regina out of her musings.
"Every curse is different! We need more time to study this one." Regina said, touching Marian's forehead lightly, staring at her only white strand of hair.
"I'm going to find out who did this before it happens again." Swan said, turning and walking towards the door.
"I hope you bring back-up."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Regina..." Eliza scolded her cousin in a low tone.
"Between the snow monster and the cave in..."
"Regina, stop! I'm her back-up."
"What do you mean?" Regina asked in a slightly offended tone.
Eliza pulled her cousin aside and took her hand in a reassuring way. Then she start whispering.
"I promised Emma I would help if something happened in exchange of Henry's safety by your side. It was a deal and I never break deals. I'll be at home waiting for you when the day is over."
"I need you here!"
"No, you don't. Henry will be with you."
"But, what if I need you?"
Eliza lowered one of her hands and opened her palm. A white light came out of it and fell on Regina's shoes.
"Stomp your foot on the ground thrice and I'll come right away."
"Okay... still better than ruby slippers." Eliza chuckled at that.
"You'll be alright."
"I might have an idea of how I'm going to stop this temporarily but it's..."
"Drastic? Well, it's the only way for now. We have to buy sometime and God knows we are getting short of it. Tell him. Be honest, he'll understand; he'll trust you."
"How do you know?"
"It's obvious, cousin! I thought you were an perceptive person. Figure it out!" Eliza said while walking away. "See you later!"
