Author's note: This is bonus chapter of sorts that shows what happens in between the actual chapters of the story. I promise you I'm working on the real next chapter. For now, just enjoy this and take this as reassurance that I'm still working on and thinking about this story!
Chapter 50: Interlude
Whoever said owning a puppy was easy, fun or worth it was a big fat liar.
Ok, it was probably worth it. Or at least Regina seriously hoped so. Every time she caught a glimpse of Emma playing with little Lola, she swore the ice that had encased her heart for so long started to melt just a bit.
But most times? Who cleaned up the puddle of pee Lola always left in the kitchen because she wasn't housebroken yet? Who was forced to drag her butt out of bed at the godforsaken hour of 5 in the morning to walk a loudly yapping Lola? Emma seemed to sleep like the dead, and so it was up to Regina to take the puppy out.
The first time, it was kind of cute. As Regina trotted along to Lola's fast pace, listening to the puppy yap excitedly, she breathed in the crisp morning air. It hadn't been too bad, she'd thought. She'd get some exercise before work and getting up early was supposed to be healthy. But six mornings later? Well it stopped being adorable rather quickly.
"Emma!" Regina shouted as she stirred a big bowl of batter, trying to avoid Lola who was darting around the kitchen, weaving between chairs, the kitchen island and Regina's legs.
Emma appeared in the kitchen, clutching Legos in her fists. For Christmas Regina had scoffed at the idea of buying her a Barbie (her exact words had been "they promote negative body images," something Emma hadn't quite understood), and so she'd selected a large set of Legos instead, something she was sorely regretting now that she found herself stepping on Legos and painfully cursing about fifteen times a day.
"Yes, Mommy?"
Regina had been about to yell-ok not yell but loudly chastise Emma for not keeping Lola out of the kitchen while she was cooking, as they'd discussed, but the sight of Emma and her messy pigtails instantly caused her anger to deflate slightly. "What did I tell you about Lola?"
Emma grinned. "That you love her very, very much, just like how you love me very, very much?"
"Yes that's right dear, but what else? Something to do with when Mommy's cooking, maybe?"
Emma's brow furrowed. "Um. Keep Lola out of the kitchen to avoid 'ccidents?"
"Accidents." Regina corrected automatically. "And yes, correct. So would you please take Lola and go play out in the yard? Or upstairs in your room? Anywhere but the kitchen."
"Kay. What should I do?"
"Whatever you want." Regina turned back to the stove, holding her palm over the pan to check on the heat. "Just don't make a mess."
"Duh." Emma said emphatically as she exited the kitchen. "Come on, Lola. We're gonna go play outside." Lola yipped and skipped after Emma. Surprisingly, the puppy obeyed Emma while stubbornly resisting all of Regina's attempts to train her to do, well, anything. A trail of Legos followed Emma as she and Lola left. Regina was about to call after Emma, but decided keeping Lola away was the priority.
She began to concentrate on the pancakes yet again, mixing cinnamon into the batter just the way Emma liked it, although the little girl (her daughter, she reminded herself) had no idea what it really was and called it "magic." Cute.
Of course, she needed a healthy element to the meal to counteract the ungodly amounts of whipped cream Emma would surely add to her pancakes. Regina had perfected the art of adding oatmeal to her pancake batter not long after Emma had arrived in Storybrooke.
This was yet another thing the curse had brought her. As a young royal, Regina had longed to spend time in the kitchens, soaking up everything they knew about cooking and food. In particular, she'd always had an interest in baking, but Cora had of course never allowed her to learn, scoffing that it was beneath the life of a royal princess to know such things.
So not long after arriving in Storybrooke, Regina dedicated much of her time to gathering as many cookbooks as she could get her hands on, determined to learn something that had always been denied her. She'd found that she enjoyed it as well, finding it relaxing. As she heard Emma yelling excitedly after Lola, she smiled to herself, thinking that finally she had someone to cook for.
As always, the second she started to fully concentrate on something and actually enjoy it, things started to go wrong.
One moment Regina was adding the first spoonful of oatmeal enriched pancake batter to the pan, and the next she found the contents of the mixing bowl splattered all over her favorite burgundy blouse. As for herself? She'd gone from standing over the stove to plunked down rather abruptly onto her butt, the wooden spoon thrown yards away.
What the…
Emma dashed by, a blur of blue jeans and pink sweatshirt, her laces half untied. "LOLA!"
Lola? Regina gritted her teeth as she realized what must've happened. Lola must've ran into her, and she knew from experience that she could be quite fast. That damn puppy again.
"Lola! Come here!" Emma cried from somewhere in the depths of the mansion. Pounding footsteps and barks echoed, starting in the foyer, moving upstairs and eventually heading towards the kitchen.
Regina stood up, sighing deeply at the sight of pancake batter everywhere. So much for breakfast. "EMMA!"
Emma shuffled sheepishly into the kitchen. She held a squirming Lola in her arms. Her eyes widened comically at the sight of Regina, and her lips twitched. "Hi, Mommy."
"How in the hell," Regina started as she tried her best to flick pancake batter off her blouse. "Did Lola get into the kitchen?"
"Um, well…"
"Didn't I tell you to keep her out of here while I cooked?"
Emma giggled lightly. "Yes."
"Emma." Regina frowned. "It's not funny."
"It kinda is."
"Emma." Regina huffed. "How did Lola get in here when I specifically asked you to play with her outside?"
"That's what I did!" Emma protested. "We went outside to play chase but I guess she really wanted to come inside. I told her to stay out of the kitchen."
With a bark, Lola leaped out of Emma's arms and launched herself at Regina, who cried out with surprise as she felt the puppy's tongue on her face, licking off the slowly drying pancake batter.
"See, Mommy? She just loves you!"
Regina had no idea how Lola had even managed to jump up about three feet, but as she struggled against the hyperactive puppy she began to seriously regret giving into Emma's wishes for a pet. That is, until she caught a glimpse of the ridiculous image in the oven's reflection. A crazy eyed, wild haired woman stared back at her, her face covered with beige pancake batter that was dripping onto the once pristine floor and covered the front of her blouse.
Regina began to chuckle, lightly at first but growing in volume as she took in the stupid yet ridiculous scenario. Seeing her mother laugh, Emma began to laugh openly as well.
"You think it's funny?" Without a second thought, Regina scooped up a handful of the small amount of batter still left in the bowl and tossed it at Emma. It landed with a splotch onto her sweater, Emma blinking with shock and surprise.
Emma smiled, revealing an adorable gap where a front tooth at once been. "Now we match! But you forgot Lola!"
Oh, what the hell. "There you go." Regina said as she threw some batter onto the puppy, who simply yipped and began to lick at her fur.
Sure, breakfast had been ruined, and it would take forever to get pancake out of her blouse and off the floor. But given the choice between the "picture perfect" childhood Cora had given her and this messy, raw yet hilarious version, Regina would always choose the latter.
Besides, Granny's served breakfast, and Regina happened to love their eggs.
It was this incident that Regina thought of as she drove to the pharmacy for Plan B, something she'd never imagined would ever be necessary. Emma sat in the passenger seat, her knees curled to her chest in a way Regina would normally never condone. She'd read once that sitting like in that in the car could lead to serious injuries, yet today she couldn't bring herself to say a thing.
She used to be very dramatic. Daniel dying had been one of the worst things to ever happen to her and so her over the top reaction was warranted, true, but then again she'd also secretly thought Lola completely destroying the kitchen was a complete and unfixable disaster and had contemplated giving the damn puppy away.
But look at what happened after. For better or worse, she loved that dog now, and even looked forward to their morning walks. And after they had breakfast at Granny's that day, they'd gone shopping, where Regina had found the cutest red blazer that she still loved to this day. As for Daniel, well it led to adopting Emma, so if she had to relive that painful incident all over again she would do it without a second thought.
We can get through this. Regina thought as she shot her daughter what she hoped was a warm and reassuring smile. Emma half-smiled in response.
Regina reached out and placed her hand on Emma's arms. "Everything will be alright, dear."
She wasn't sure if she was referring to last night or the curse, the large elephant in the car that neither of them wanted to address. She wasn't sure if that statement was more for herself for Emma.
"How do you know? I almost wish I hadn't found out. Nothing will ever be the same."
"Maybe," Regina agreed. "But I have a feeling things will work out for the best. They usually do. You just have to trust me."
Trust. Yes, she would just have to believe that, and believe that when the curse broke (and she knew it would, eventually), everything wouldn't go straight to hell.
Author's note: And next chapter, we'll go back to the regular storyline and find out what happens with David.
In case it's not 100% clear, the second part of this chapter (so after the line break) jumps to the day after Emma ran away to Boston and slept with that random hipster guy (remember that?). None of this chapter takes place in present day.
And for anyone who watches Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice, please check out the Grey's fanfic I just published today!
