Author´s notes: Voila!

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Chapter 23 – Bathroom Arias

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"Now this is simply ridiculous." Amanda muttered. Regina didn't respond. She was too busy with her own thoughts. Their parents had deemed them ready to go ten minutes after she found the newspaper, so they set off to the chosen restaurant immediately.

She wasn't wondering how they got back – it was beyond her imagination, so she decided to leave it. What she was wondering was how come they didn't end up simply waking up on the sofa, at home, in the correct year. Did someone – or something – mess up their journey back? And what the hell were they doing in London?

Things were definitely different than she remembered them. For one thing, her parents and Amanda´s hadn't even met by now. And now they were on a common vacation? Something very strange was going on, and she was determined to find out what it was.

Meanwhile, they reached the restaurant and their parents took it upon themselves to study the menu. The two girls kept staring at random pieces of furniture. Just as the parents began to notice the suspicious behavior, both said in unison:

"I need to go to the bathroom."

Surprised, a bit suspicious, but cautious, the parents allowed it and the pair dashed out of the restaurant the moment they were out of sight. Outside, they stopped – Regina panting a bit – and Amanda almost growled, which, in any other situation, Regina would have found immensely humorous.

"This is mad!" she snarled, "It doesn't feel right, not at all!"

Regina sighed. "I know. Everything is as it should be… except us." She frowned. Was their little ride back in the past real at all? Was it a… dream? She shook her head. Too cliché. Well, no one ever said fate had no sense of humor.

Apparently, Amanda was wondering the same thing. "If we were really there, we should be able to do all of the stuff." Regina jumped a bit, her train of thought broken. Amanda had a very insistent gleam in her eyes, like she often did when she wanted to persuade Regina to join an insane scheme. "We should test it."

"Test it how?"

Amanda sighed. Dreamers – they never knew when to snap out of it. "Sing, idiot."

To her utter shock and rage, Regina looked at her as if she were mad and then laughed as if she was mad herself. Apparently, she found the logical solution very amusing. "Brilliant idea, Sherlock Holmes! Sing opera in a street in one of the biggest cities of the world! And you say I´m the idiot."

"Well, dancing ballet would be even stupider." Amanda snapped sourly, "So, what´s it gonna be, miss diva?"

In desperation, Regina grabbed Amanda´s hand and pulled her away from the main street, where the restaurant was, to one of those that would pass for an alley. She wasn't very comfortable – even broad daylight didn't secure them fully. She was a bit paranoid, but then again, she knew what to expect from large cities when there was no one else around. Amanda tried to show a bit more bravery than she felt and kept a straight face, but even she wasn't too happy about going out of sight. Still, she knew why Regina was doing it.

"Well? Picked your aria already?" she asked, her voice slightly more confident than it was before as they finally stopped.

"Mands, this is gonna be quick, quiet, and then we go back and forget this, okay." Regina said carefully, "We can´t change anything, so let´s…"

"I get it, now stop the pep talk and sing!"

Glaring, but taking a deep breath, Regina sang what first came to her mind, the first operatic duet she ever sang - even before they were dragged back in time.

Vorrei e non vorrei, (I would, and yet I would not,)
Mi trema un poco il cor. (I dare not give assent,)
Felice, è ver, sarei, (Alas! I know I should not...)
Ma può burlarmi ancor. (Too late, I may repent.)

Amanda beamed for a second. "Great, you can do it!"

Regina let out a deep breath, but didn't have the time to reply, because she turned her head sharply. She thought she heard something. Silencing her friend with a look, she took out a knife she had been playing with in the restaurant before they left and which she took with her, since they were in a hurry.

She thought she heard an echo of "Vieni, mio bel diletto!" (Come, dearest, let me guide thee!), which was the next line of the duet.

The knife fell out of her hand a moment later. Amanda let out a squeal – an unusual thing – but Regina stood there, petrified. This was too much, even for her. She felt strange, like she usually did before a major exam, and as if someone had slapped her, she simply felt her legs give away and someone caught her.

"Christine…!" someone said above her.

"No worries, Monsieur le Fantôme, she is simply overjoyed." Amanda´s voice said smugly.