Breakfast was spent in laughter and tales; especially with Ariel and Ruby teasing Emma about her appetite. Regina was still afraid that this was all nothing but a dream, and that she will soon wake up and find herself alone once more. She had one arm wrapped tightly around Henry, and kept glancing at Daniel every few seconds, and every time she had to push the tears back down. Almost every time she looked at him, she found him watching Ariel's every move, with pride and love shinning in his eyes. Henry's body shaking with laughter in her arms, Snow and Ariel's laughs were all assuring her that this is real. But she was still scared that it might all end any minute.
After breakfast, she went upstairs to shower, and Snow and Ariel did the same. Granny checked in on Cinderella and Mulan at the Diner, and they told her that they asked Aurora and Belle for their help, so she can enjoy her day off.
Regina was standing in her closet, blow-drying her hair when the door to her room swung open and Daniel came in.
"What's taking so long?" he asks, and then freezes in the doorway of the closet eyeing the weird contraption cautiously.
Regina giggles at his wariness of the blow drier. Especially with the way he's watching it closely, as if he's waiting for it to attack him or her at any minute, "Says the man who took half an hour to shower!" she retaliates.
"Hey I was dead for almost 50 years! I had to get rid of the stench!" he shoots back cheekily, and she couldn't help the laughter.
"I kept you under a preservation spell; there was no stench. And besides I was just drying my hair." She says through her laughter.
"With that thing?!" he almost squeaks, and can't help the smile that tugs at his lips when her giggles turn into full blown laughter.
"Yes, it's called a blow-drier, its job is to dry my hair. I'll explain the details later." She answers through laughter.
"Are you alright? You seemed a bit distracted during breakfast." He asks, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Yeah, I was just savoring it all I guess." She replies half-heartily, resting both her hands on his chest, taking comfort from the strong and steady heartbeat beneath her hand.
"What's wrong?" he asks.
"Nothing's wrong, everything is quite perfect actually." She answers softly.
Daniel raises an eyebrow in disbelief, "we can do this dance all day if you want, I know you well enough to know when something is on your mind."
She sighs, and looks at him for a few moments. Seeing his resolve undeterred, she relents "I'm just a little scared that this is too good to be true."
"Well, it is true, and it is good. We are all here, and we have no intention of going anywhere." He assures her.
"I know, but I guess with my history of nothing good ever lasting long for me, I am scared that either this is a dream or that it will all be ripped away soon." She rants.
"It won't be ripped away; and how can a dream feel so real?" he argues.
"It's just that…." She trails off, and allows her head to drop against his chest, "When I thought that my mother killed Ariel, I refused to succumb to the overwhelming need to fall unconscious and not wake up. I knew that David probably knew Ariel was gone by now, and he was coming up with a plan, and that they might need my help. After all, the second they get my heart back from my mother, I will have my magic back and I would have given her exactly what she deserved. But then David showed up with Ruby, and werewolves are immuned magic, not to mention that Ruby and Ariel were close, so I knew that Ruby would rip her to pieces for what she did, so I finally surrendered to the darkness. But I wasn't asleep; I was sort of in a dream world. Ariel wasn't dead in that dream world, and it felt real to me. She was there, talking and laughing, just like she is now, but it was all an illusion; a way for my mind to deal with the pain of losing her. So how am I supposed to be sure that this isn't another way?!"
"Were you imagining things that didn't happen?" Daniel asks.
"No, I was more like reliving things that already happened. I did picture a different ending to the day she learned she was mine, but it was mostly memories and stories she told me." She answers.
"There you go; they were things that already happened, and you knew they weren't real. You knew they were nothing more than just a figment of your imagination. Yes, they felt real, but you knew better. This is different. This never happened before, so you're not reliving it. It not only feels real, but it is real. The fact that you doubt it proves it. And besides, if it was a figment of your imagination, then why did you look like you saw ghosts when you saw me and your father?!" he argues.
"Because I was seeing ghosts!" she replies cheekily.
"Exactly! Were you surprised when you saw Ariel in your dream state, or whatever it was?!" he asks.
"Actually no." she replies.
"Because you created her, you put her there, so you weren't surprised by her existence. But the fact that you were surprised by us means that it's not your imagination. It's not anyone's imagination, it's reality. I mean, why on earth would you have that guy who came barging in wanting to take Ariel back with him to god knows where?" he asks, a hint of anger in his voice.
Regina giggles at his protectiveness, but her heart melts at it nonetheless, "Well, you do have a point. And calm down mister, she's a big girl and she's more powerful than me, Rumple and my mother combined so she's the most popular girl when it comes to magic, especially that there aren't any tricks with her, so you can't get mad every time somebody isn't too nice about asking." She teases.
"You think I'll wait till they ask?! They so much as look at her in a way I don't like, and they're toast! If I understand correctly, both her and David are masters of the sword, so I think some lessons are in order." He deadpans Regina's giggling turns into full blown laughter.
"My poor baby! Between you and David, you're gonna chase her all the way back to Atlantica!" she giggles, and the implication finally dawns on Daniel and his heart sinks in his chest. She wasn't entirely his to hold onto! She had other parents who raised her, and who –he wasn't sure if it was fortunately or unfortunately -love her to bits, and that he was going to share.
Regina notices the way his face fell all of a sudden, and she furrows her eyebrows in confusion and concern, "what's wrong?" she asks softly.
"She's not really ours, is she?!" he asks, and Regina's heart skips a beat.
"Of course she is, what are you talking about?!" she asks incredulously.
"We can't take her away from her parents!" he remarks.
"No one is taking her from anyone! Henry already said we're spending the weekends and vacations in the Enchanted Forrest, and we all liked the idea, so she'll be seeing them then. She'll go back for Athena and Triton's birthdays and whatever special occasions they have there, and we'll spend her birthday there so they can join us. We'll work out a system I promise! Neither one of us will lose her." she assures him.
Regina was sitting on the couch next to Daniel, who had an arm around her shoulders, and Henry snuggled up against her. He had been clinging to her a bit since Cora took her, and in all frankness, she didn't mind. She missed him terribly and it was like making up for all that time they lost before the curse broke. The latest news had caused her and Snow to get anxious, and Snow was throwing a bit of a temper tantrum, which the rest found amusing.
"At least he's asking for something reasonable, I was expecting him to exploit me for the rest of my life for owing him." Emma tries again to reason with her mother.
"What the hell were you thinking when you cut the deal with him?! What the hell was Ariel thinking?!" Snow shrieks.
"In my defense, I had no idea that he was the Dark One; and Ariel was trying to keep us safe. And besides, it's pointless now. And again, he's not asking for anything unreasonable." Emma replies.
"You have no idea how long this could take Emma! We barely got a moment of peace around here to enjoy each other's company, and he's sending you two off on a hunt!" Snow retaliates.
"Look, we were supposed to go as soon as Ariel dealt with Cora, but sleeping beauty over there bought us some extra time." Emma reasons, smiling cheekily at Regina's glare, " Granted; it wasn't spent on the beach, but still, the sooner we go, the sooner we return." she continues.
Snow opens her mouth to say something when Ariel walks into the room. As soon as she's within Snow's reach, Snow swats her on the leg.
"Ouch! What was that for?!" Ariel squeaks, only for Snow to keep hitting her.
"Hey! Knock it off!" Ariel orders, swatting Snow's hands away.
"You had to make that deal with Gold!" Snow scolds.
"That was two months ago! NOW you decide to yell at me for it!" Ariel says incredulously, before walking over and squeezing in next to Ruby.
"Well, the repercussions are only happening now!" Snow shoots back.
"Translation please!" Ariel exclaims.
"Well, I called my super to see if he can find us an apartment to stay in while we look for Gold's son, he owns a few buildings and I figured he can ask around with others. He said that my old apartment is available for a 6 week sublet starting next Saturday." Emma explains.
"Oh, that explains Snow's temper tantrum! But we won't need it!" Ariel says calmly.
"We can't live in a hotel for god knows how long till we find him!" Emma exclaims.
"I know that, but there is also no guarantee that he is in Boston! Even if the portal opened in the vicinity, there's no guarantee that he stayed in the same place. And what's even worse; there's no guarantee that he ended up in this time!" Ariel says.
"I beg your pardon!" David exclaims.
"The thing about magical beans is that not only do they open portals into different worlds, they can also open them into different times! Bae could've ended up a 100 years in the past!" Ariel explains.
"That's just great! So for all we know we could find his great grandson or something! And if that happens, you're the one who's breaking the news to Gold!" Emma remarks.
"How can you narrow it down a bit?" Regina finally interferes.
"I was gonna ask Dad for help. With something of Bae's and Gold's blood, I think he can at least determine which time he ended up in, and where the portal opened. That way we have a starting point instead of a shot in the dark." Ariel states.
"But then Gold will say that we really didn't do anything to find his son, that it was all Triton, and that we are both still in his debt!" Emma objects.
"First of all; he doesn't have to know we asked Dad for help. Second of all; Dad won't give us an exact location, like I said he'll just give us a place to start, so we will still need to look for him and he could be in Australia for all we know!" Ariel starts, "and last but not least, I never said I'll look for him. My deal stated that I won't rest till he's in Storybrooke, I never specified who will actually be doing the looking!" Ariel says smugly.
"Cheeky!" Ruby exclaims.
"Thank you; he's not the only one who knows how to toy with words. And for the love of everything that is good and pure, I am begging you all to not make any more deals with him!" Ariel groans dramatically.
"Says the girl who marched up to him, ignoring all of us and cut a deal with him!" David quips.
"Your wife was about to end up with the worst case of amnesia to ever exist and Henry with misplaced guilt! One more deal with god knows who, and we may not have been so lucky the next time around!" Ariel declares.
"Speaking of Cora and deals with Rumple, how did she make it back to the Enchanted Forest?" Daniel wonders.
"It was probably some sort of a switch when I cast the curse; we came here and she went back." Regina replies.
"Wouldn't that mean that Bae is probably back too?!" Granny asks.
A whistle suddenly tears through the air, and they all look at Ariel.
"Why are you guys assuming that she ended up in this world?" she asks.
"That's what Rumple said." Regina replies.
"He said she'll end up in an annoying world, he never said anything about no magic." Ariel elaborates.
"Then where did she end up?" Regina asks.
Ariel is silent for a few seconds, before smiling sympathetically at her mother,"Wonderland."
I am so very sorry for the almost two weeks wait, but work has been crazy!
Many of you asked for a private StableQueen moment, so here it is! Hope you all enjoy it and let me know what you all think.
To SinningBySilence, no you haven't reviewed before and I am glad that you did. Glad you enjoyed the story and yes they do have some lost time, but this story is more about family than romance, so I think I'll do a one shot after or something.
To reginamillz, it did, didn't it? I just hope that it wasn't too much or too cheesy. And yes a StableQueen family! Glad you liked it hun, and cant wait to hear what you think of this.
To Missy Mayer, I still have a few lose ends to tie up :)
To impureevil, I'm afraid this is as soon as it gets, hope you like it.
To EvilRegal, I couldn't be happier with the way this story was received and I am glad that you enjoy it that much. I am following a few stories who get updated once a month if we're lucky and I hate it, so I guess I'm glad you guys don't think that I take too long to update. I think I might do One-Shots but not sure yet, guess it'll depend on how the show goes. Cant wait for your input on this.
To lestralogranger, that reaction my dear is how many of us feel!
To reginaskillerhe, thank you my dear :)
To sweetangelmist, I am glad you liked it hun and decided to voice your admiration :) the fake Ariel's death chapter still tugs at my heart and I WROTE it :) so I guess I know how you feel. And the theme for this story is unexpected and killing Cora xD and I do hope they do it on the show :) You're gonna have to explain to me the whole Instagram/Ariel connection cause you lost me there :)
To Dakota Kent, welcome back hun and glad you enjoyed it.
To Gizela,
ROFL! Well we need to wait for our turn anyway, the line is long! ;P 'well i know a few tricks about cutting in line ;) :P '
"Powerfully talented works too ;) and I bet Daniel has a few names too ;) ;P"
Probably a few hundred lol! poor guy...he dies and comes back to find he has a 21 year old daughter!
"you're not letting me get away with this are you? *raises eyebrow*"
Never! XD 'you're lucky i love you :P'
No more sleeping in mommy's arms I'm afraid, that space isn't vacant anymore! ;P 'pretty sure her arms are big enough for both of them ;) :P'
ROFLMAO! Let's go for platinum, the women more than deserves it.. NOT! ;) i was thinking of something along the lines of trapping her within ;) *VBEG*'
Ooooh what did corrupt your lovely mind then sweetheart? Do tell! *batters eyelashes* 'wouldn't you like to know? :P'
Oh, there is also sister Yahoo, cousin Bing and other relatives, they may know *something* ;) 'try learning arabic...possibilities are endless with it ;)'
I KNEW you'd catch on! XD 'of course i would ;)'
Damn, I KNEW you'd bring it up! *considers briefly pointing that even magic can't bring back the dead and then decides against it* :P 'wise...wise woman ;P'
Lifetime long one! ;P 'he's gonna get rich ;)'
Don't think it's ever gonna happen! ;) *pouting*
Is it a new term for the good, old fashioned 'bastard'? ;) 'that works too :P'
Oh I have my own issue, thank you very much! ;) "i would love to see THAT' :P
Nice list! XD 'and a very natural one at that ;P'
Not longer though! We need to find her a new room, and more important, a new bed. XD *smiles sweetly* 'i'm afraid daddy needs his baby too ;P'
Well, you weren't exctly around mister ;P aint exactly his fault :P
Yeah, you're successful again.. *teary eyes* VBEG and rubs hands together ;P
Haha a cold shower REALLY isn't fun;P *shivers* nop it isnt ;)
""She knew who you were all along!" Ruby –who was leaning on Ariel- mumbled sleepily."
Ekk! it is already mentioned in chapter 9 i think! ;P
"Ariel and Granny traded looks before Ariel sighed, "Granny heard me and Ruby talking about our birth mothers one night; and since I still thought I was sold at the time, I wasn't exactly kind in what I said." Ariel elaborated and Regina gulped.
"Sold?!" "
Jesus, what else are we gonna find out? It's getting better and better! XD Ariel already told Regina that, but i still have a few tricks up my sleeve ;P
Eh baby, you couldn't have been farther from the truth..:( Amen sister!
Shouldn't some of you head to school soon? ;) it's a Saturday :P
PLEASE! NOT AGAIN! ;P couldn't resist :P
ROFL! I LOVE their banter! XD me too xD
To Debbie93, I am glad that you enjoyed the fic and welcome. Since this story is nearing its end, I'm afraid there will be no more action, but I might do it as a separate one shot or something. Sorry I kept you waiting, this is as soon as I could update. Cant wait to hear what you think of this chapter.
To Jason, I was about to ask where you were! Welcome back and I hope it wasnt anything serious. There is no need for apologies. Glad you enjoyed the chapters and always looking forward to your reviews.
