A/N: Okay guys, here's the next chapter! Sorry it's been so long, I have been so busy it's unbelievable. I tried to write this chapter but I just couldn't find any time. I hope it's worth the wait, it also is my longest chapter now as well, 3,002 words for the story! Thanks for all the reviews, favourites and subscriptions, they are greatly appreciated! This chapter is set in 2x19. Hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT. Except Amelia!
When Regina woke up the next morning she was a little surprised that Amelia wasn't lying on top of her or next to her. Her surprised turned to suspicion when she heard giggling from the end of the bed. She sat up and saw that Amelia was sitting near her feet, playing on her phone. "What are you doing Amelia?" Regina ran a hand through her hair as she tried to wake up.
Amelia jumped and dropped the phone in her lap, "Oh you're awake! I'm playing Grumpy Birds or something…" Amelia grinned before picking the phone back up.
"Angry Birds you mean?" Regina pulled the covers off herself and sat next to Amelia, watching as the girl launched another bird. She didn't remember downloading the app but she knew Henry had a habit of using her phone for games.
Amelia simply shrugged, "It's fun."
"How did you sleep?" Regina watched as Amelia looked at her.
Amelia shrugged again as she looked at Regina, "There were a few, but I didn't wake you up."
Amelia turned her head back to the phone, only for Regina to take the phone, "Hey! I was playing on that!"
Regina frowned at her, "You should have woken me up."
"I didn't want to! I didn't want to talk about them. Besides…you treat me like a baby when I do." Amelia groaned and reached for the phone.
"You're my little sister; of course you're a baby to me! I just want to help Amelia." Regina held her phone out of reach as she looked at Amelia.
"Just because you're older now!" Amelia glared at Regina.
"I guess…I am classified as your legal guardian because of that."
"That's the problem! I hate it! I hate you being so old! I'm the only one didn't get to grow!" Amelia's eyes began to water as she looked at the blankets.
Regina's eyes widened slightly and she moved so that she could pull Amelia into her lap, "It doesn't matter that much…I love you no matter what age you are Amelia."
Amelia simply sat on Regina's lap, refusing to look anywhere but at the blankets, "Promise not to leave then."
"Leave? I would never leave you Amelia," Regina lowered her voice to a whisper as she kissed Amelia's cheek, "You need me, and I need you."
Amelia nodded slowly, "I love you too…"
Amelia only sat still for a few more minutes before complaining she was hungry. The encouragement from Regina to take her antibiotics for the last few times also helped that part of the morning go smoothly. It was just a little while after breakfast that Regina made Amelia get changed so they could go out. Regina had a few things to do at her office, but for now she thought they could just take a walk around Storybrooke. So they drove the car into the main street before hopping out to walk. Amelia was having a lot of fun; a bit too much for Regina's liking to be honest, because she kept poking Regina in her kidneys. Regina was just about to slap Amelia's hand away for the fifth time when she saw Mr. Gold watching Henry and Neal. She told Amelia to sit on the nearby bench before she walked up to him.
"Seems like we've both been pushed to the sidelines." Regina walked up next to Mr. Gold, keeping her eyes on Henry and Neal.
"What are you doing here?" Mr. Gold briefly looked at her before returning his gaze to the two again.
"The real question is, what's your son doing with mine?" Regina turned to look at the man standing next to her.
Mr. Gold smiled and looked at her, "Oh that? That's right; you didn't get the birth announcement, did you? That's Henry's father."
Regina looked at him in disbelief, "What?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you? Miss Swan and my son-."
"You're Henry's grandfather?" Regina cut him off.
"Guess that makes us family; he's got my eyes don't you think?" Mr. Gold started to walk off.
Regina shook her head as she watched Henry and Neal before she walked after Gold, "You did this."
"Trust me dearie, it was as much a shock to me as it is to you." Mr. Gold continued walking with Regina following closely behind.
"No! You must've known; when I adopted him it was you who procured him for me. You expect me to believe that was a coincidence?"
"Not a coincidence, fate. Apparently fate has a sense of humour, oh and by the way I hope you don't want me to procure anything else dearie. That little nuisance you brought with you used up a lot of my magic." Mr. Gold continued to walk.
"Don't change the subject. So you're playing the part of the loving grandpa now? They won't accept you; no matter what you do, not your son, not any of them." Regina smiled and looked at him.
"We'll see."
"I've already seen Gold, I've seen your dark heart and it always wins out. You always choose darkness."
Gold stopped and looked at her, "You think you know me dearie, you don't."
"I know you well enough, if your own son couldn't bring out the good in you, who will?" Regina looked at him for a moment longer before walking back to Amelia.
Amelia stood up as Regina walked back over, "What was that about?"
"Nothing that concerns you, Amelia." Regina grabbed the girl's hand as she began to walk back the way they came.
"Everything you do is a secret!" Amelia frowned as she lagged behind Regina, scuffing her feet slightly. She still wasn't used to the shoes they wore in this world, they were all just odd compared to the ones she used to wear.
"It's not a secret but it's just not something you'd be that interested to hear." Regina looked down at Amelia's feet, frowning in disapproval as she watched Amelia drag them along.
"But I like hearing what you talk about, it's fun!" Amelia kind of skipped a bit to catch up to Regina, also so she could look up at her sister with her 'puppy dog eyes'.
"It's really not interesting, Amelia. Now leave it at that and get in the car, we're going to the hospital." Regina helped Amelia into the car before walking around into the driver's seat.
"Why are we here again?" Amelia was following closely behind Regina, attempting to avoid the nurses smiling at her.
"I just have to go see Belle, that woman I told you was sick," Regina stopped in front of Belle's room, "Just wait out here in one of the chairs, I'll be back out in a moment."
Amelia reluctantly sat in a chair, swinging her feet as she looked around, accidentally catching the eye of one of the nurses.
"Miss Mills!" Amelia turned her head to look in the direction her name, she assumed that's what she was called by people at least, had come from. A nurse came over and smiled at her and started a conversation, only for the nurse that had caught Amelia's eye to also come over. Before she knew it Amelia had three nurses talking to her, one of them had a hand on her back, the other was ruffling her hair and the last one was lifting up the bottom of her shirt to look at the stitches that were still in place. She said a number of' yesses' to their numerous questions about whether she had taken her medicine and so forth as they continued to look her over with concern. It wasn't until Regina appeared behind them all that they stopped and greeted the mayor briefly before running off. Regina eyed them all off until they returned to their jobs before she looked back at Amelia who looked stunned.
"What were they all doing to you? They were like vultures!" Regina had her hands on Amelia's shoulders and was leading her out.
"They all just came over! They were creepy!" Amelia held onto the bottom of Regina's coat as they exited the hospital, staring at the ground so as to avoid any and all eye contact with anyone.
"Parasites…" Regina muttered under her breath before hopping back into the car, "I have to go to my office now; you can….help me with paperwork I guess?"
Amelia cheered, "As long as there are no nurses!"
Regina chuckled slightly, "No, there's no nurses."
Regina had Amelia sitting on her desk 'helping' with her paperwork when Mr. Gold walked in, well, burst would be more appropriate.
"What have you done with Belle?" Mr. Gold walked towards the table, glaring at Regina.
Amelia took a quick glance at Regina before she answered Gold, "I'm sorry do I look like a one handed pirate with a pistol? You know who shot her." Regina looked back down at her paperwork, placing her hand on top of Amelia's briefly.
"Stop playing games, she's gone and now she's someone else!"
Regina removed her hand from Amelia's and shut her file, "Oh, you mean she has her memories back? You're welcome." Regina smiled at Gold before getting up and walking around him.
Mr. Gold glared at Amelia as he spoke to Regina, "Not her memories, her curse memories."
"From the curse you gave me, you see all I did was drop things back in place."
Gold tore his gaze from Amelia and turned to look at Regina, "Well undo it, bring her back!"
"You know I can't, she crossed the town line, her old self is gone, these curse memories she has are now real; Lacey's here to stay." Regina walked past Gold and smiled at Amelia, who was just watching the two of them confused.
"Any curse can be broken dearie, and you are gonna help me."
Regina dropped the files she had just retrieved back on the desk, "Or what? You'll kill me? No you won't."
"All in time." Mr. Gold walked forward to her desk again.
"You're on your best behaviour because of your son. You don't want him to know who you really are now, do you? So I suggest you get used to Lacey." Regina pushed past Amelia's legs on her chair.
"Alright, I'll find a way," Mr. Gold sat down.
"Finding a way isn't the problem, dear, we both know what is." Regina returned to the middle of her desk.
"Yeah, true love's kiss."
"And I don't think our new resident feels the same way about you as you do her." Regina continued to do her paperwork as if Gold wasn't there.
"Then I'll make her!"
"Now there's the charm that should easily woo a lovely young lady. She'll most certainly fall in love with you at first sight," Regina smiled at him before chuckling, "Oh wait that didn't happen did it?"
Gold jumped up, nearly knocking a few things off Regina's desk, "She will or I promise you, there will be suffering!"
"Finally something we both can agree on. Good luck, Gold," Regina looked back her paperwork once again as Mr. Gold started to walk out, "Oh and uh, give my best to Lacey."
Amelia waited until Mr. Gold was out the door before she grinned at Regina, "You're evil!"
Regina stiffened slightly at the comment until she looked up at Amelia and realised she was smiling, "I know."
"What did you do anyway? I'm sure it's not that bad!" Amelia looked at the paperwork Regina was signing.
"I guess I just rubbed off on Belle, she decided to change her name and everything." Regina shrugged, smiling.
Amelia hopped off the desk, still grinning as she walked over to Regina's filing cabinets, "You're so evil! But you're the best sister ever as well!"
Regina watched Amelia from behind, "You think so?"
"Well, I know you have me! So I guess you're the best as well?" Amelia frowned slightly as she looked up before she looked back at Regina and smiled again.
"I feel honoured." Regina did a little bow in her chair, causing Amelia to giggle.
"As long as you don't break the rule!"
"What rule would that be?" Regina waited for Amelia to come and whisper in her ear.
"Don't harm unicorns." Amelia nodded her head as Regina looked at her questioningly, "Ever!"
An hour later and Amelia had changed her mind, "You're the worst sister ever! This is so boring!"
Regina barely looked up from her paperwork, "I am the mayor of this town, besides I thought I was the 'best sister ever'."
"Not anymore!" Amelia groaned and pulled Regina away by her chair.
Regina gave up and dropped her pen, onto the table before letting Amelia drag her away.
"Are you stopping?" Amelia let go of the chair as Regina spun around to face her.
"I guess it is getting on, so I'll stop." Regina watched as Amelia cheered.
"Now we can eat! And then let's go to a place!"
"A place?" Regina frowned, confused.
"Yeah like, the docks!"
"That's fine by me." Regina got up and packed away her files.
"I would still go even if it wasn't!" Amelia grinned and walked out the door, waiting for Regina to follow before they headed off to Granny's.
Regina groaned slightly when she saw Emma sitting on a bench near the docks. Everyone seemed to be wherever Amelia decided to go. She didn't have time to stop Amelia before she went running over to Emma. She rushed over after the girl, who had already initiated a conversation with Emma.
"I still don't like you! But, I guess I should say thank you!" Amelia stood in front of a shocked Emma, who was sitting there with her mouth open, looking between Regina and Amelia.
"I..uh..no problems kid." Emma tried to smile but it probably came out more as a grimace. She felt a bit awkward with Regina watching her, also the fact that Amelia was thanking her when she was partly involved in Cora's death. Obviously Regina hadn't told her how Cora had died, although
Amelia seemed to be happy enough. Amelia smiled at her before running up to the railing and looking at all the boats. Emma watched Amelia run off, forgetting about the book in her lap and about Regina.
Regina snapped her out of her thoughts, "Reading up on Henry's father? Or maybe his grandfather? How long did you think you could keep that from me?"
Emma tore her eyes away from Amelia, looking at the book in her lap briefly before she looked at Regina, "Well I was going to tell you, but I was kind of busy trying to stop you and your mother from killing me and my entire family."
Regina looked at Amelia for a moment before looking back at Emma, "What is he doing here?"
"Neal? Relax, he just wants to spend a little time with his son."
"Funny, he didn't seem to want to spend time with him the first ten years of his life. But then again neither did you."
"You know what Regina how about instead of worrying about everyone else, you start focusing on trying to be the person Henry wants you to be, before you lose him for good." Emma continued to look at Regina.
"For good, what does that mean?" Regina suddenly felt concerned.
"Nothing," Emma looked away, finding herself staring at Amelia again, "Unlike you the rest of the world isn't always scheming to get what they want."
Regina shook her head slightly as Emma turned to look at her again, "No, you're hiding something. Well whatever it is I can assure you one thing, I'm going to find out." Regina got up and walked over to Amelia, taking the girl's hand as she walked further down the docks, not once looking back in Emma's direction. Emma did see Amelia look back at her briefly, a slight look of confusion on her face.
It was later on at night that Regina stood watching David and Mary Margaret drop the dwarves off at Granny's. Amelia was waiting in the car playing Temple Run on Regina's phone. Once they had driven off Regina walked into the middle of the road, crouching down as she placed a hand to the road. Yellow light lit up the tyre tracks the car had just taken. Regina quickly walked back over to the car, hopping in and starting the car so she could follow the tracks.
Turning the corner she heard Amelia groan but she kept her eyes on the road, "What is it?"
"You made me fall off!" Amelia chucked the phone into Regina's lap, not long after Regina stopped the car as the tracks ended.
"Stay in the car." Regina got out of the car, frowning as she looked at the tracks. She walked forward to the edge of the road, looking at the bare field in front of her. Something was off though, she was sure she could sense magic. She waved her hand in front of her, stumbling backwards slightly when the barrier protecting the magic beans disappeared and she saw the crops. Amelia was reaching over to Regina's seat to grab the phone again when she gasped and fell forward onto the chair, before quickly getting back up and scrambling out of the car, "What are they?"
Regina turned to look at Amelia, she would have told her off if she wasn't so shocked. She just walked forward onto the field, taking off a bean from one of the plants.
Amelia ran over after her, looking at the bean in Regina's hand, "Is that a magic bean?"
Regina simply nodded, "They've been hiding these beans. They must be trying to return to the Enchanted Forest."
"Why were they hiding them?" Amelia stood on her tiptoes to look more closely at the bean.
"They weren't going to take us…" Regina wrapped an arm around Amelia, closing her hand tightly around the bean, "Let's go home, quickly."
Hope you enjoyed that chapter! Leave a review, follow or favourite if you wish! Next chapter will be fun because Regina is going to ask Emma to babysit Amelia for the day (along with Henry)! So that should be fun to write! Until next chapter!