Author´s notes: I decided to have some mercy. However, I think most of you will dislike the end of this chapter… since it is TEH CLIFFHANGER! Many thanks goes to Opera Angel, my beta! Replies are in my profile.
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Chapter 22 – Old News
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Christine sat up so quickly, she saw stars for a moment. Later, she saw that it was only due to the fact that she was facing a window – a window that showed a sunlit landscape. A landscape of a city…
A very 21st century city…
She sprang from the bed she had been sitting on and quickly ran to the window, all fatigue forgotten. The city outside wasn't Paris. Nor was it her hometown. She frowned. What had happened? Had she landed in some other universe, another time and space? The wind brought her hair into her face and she brushed it aside and froze.
Seizing the strand, she looked at it immediately. This wasn't her hair. Or was it? She tugged it a bit. "Ow!" It was her hair. Her grandma had often said she looked like a fairytale princess with long golden tresses. She used to be content with calling her hair blonde, dark blonde, dirty blonde when she was mad at it, and golden blonde when she had a moment of vanity.
And it was straight, completely straight, a fact envied by most curly haired girls she used to know. She looked at the city in front of her. Being smart, she was able to put two and two together, and a shriek from the next room confirmed to her that Meg realized it too.
She hurried there, finding an all-too-familiar girl standing in front of a mirror, gazing at her reflection with horror. Then she saw Christine…no, Regina in the mirror and turned to her with an expression of shock.
"Y-you too?" she stuttered. Regina, seeing her reflection in the mirror, didn't have the energy to think up a sarcastic reply, but only nodded with a sigh, looking a bit defeated.
"Guess it was too good to last."
"You're kidding, aren't you!" Amanda boomed, "You were about to marry the Hotness of the Opera and work hard on producing mini-ghosts! In your place, I'd explode. Wait, I will! I was about to do the same with Gaston, but NO! We fall into the stupid lake and get back here!" she seemed to cool down, but only a bit – her face was now slightly red. "Why the hell did we end up back here, anyways?"
Regina shrugged, "I guess whatever got us here didn't want me to ruin that wonderful wedding dress." Amanda laughed humorlessly.
"Ah, you girls are finally up!" An imperious voice called from the doorway. The pair turned their heads to see Regina's mother, a semi-tall, dark haired and green eyed woman.
Amanda still stared, but Regina only nodded. "Yeah, we overslept a bit. Sorry 'bout that, Mom."
"At least you're up. And dressed, I see – that's a record in your case." She glared mildly at Regina, who withstood it easily. "Anyway, we're going to a restaurant for lunch, so prepare to choose your food – I heard these English people cook terribly."
"English?" both girls gawped.
"Still asleep? We're in London, remember?"
"London?" Amanda asked, goggling at Regina's mom, who shook her head.
"The time zone change wasn't extreme. Must be the weather." She glared out of the window. "It seems to rain on and on forever."
Regina, paler now, nodded. "Alright, I'll go find an umbrella. Meet you in five minutes, alright?"
"Fine with me, Gina. Amy's parents and Dad are preparing the details, but be prepared to stay out for the whole day. Understood?"
"Oui, oui." Regina replied immediately, but then frowned when her mother laughed a bit, but only briefly.
"You're taking that French seriously, then? Good." And she departed with a smile.
Regina sighed in relief, but then looked at Amanda, who was frowning. "There's got to be some sort of mistake here. We weren't in London when we got to Paris. We weren't on vacation – and certainly not together! This isn't the right place!"
"Nor the right time." Regina, who saw a newspaper on the nearest paper and went to look at it, said. She seemed shocked. She almost slapped her forehead when Amanda took it. "We're approximately 1 year in the past."
