A/N: Hey, did you guys know that I liked Once Upon a Time and Descendants? I don't know how you could tell with my subtlety and how delightfully clever I can be. Well, I hope you at least enjoy this new crossover series. Each season/story arc of the Once Upon a Time series will be a new book in my new series of crossovers. Don't like it? Well... You didn't have to read it in the first place. Read & Review and I hope whoever finds this and enjoys it. Enjoy this sneak-peek until Good to Be Bad comes out and then Descendants of Storybrooke will be finished which I think is best as a trilogy. I shortly had this idea after making Ways to be Wicked for a while, so I'll see you guys around and hope that you enjoy the cover art I've been making for the brand new crossover series. See ya later!
There is a town in Maine.
Where every storybook character you've ever known and their descendants are trapped between two worlds.
Victims of a powerful curse.
Only one knows the truth and only one can break her spell.
Once upon a time, there was a woman named Regina Mills who lived in a seaside town called Storybrooke in the state of Maine and there also lived with her little princess named Evelyn, but she often went by "Evie" for short. Regina was the mayor of Storybrooke who was deeply feared by many, but loved by Evie whenever she could, though sometimes, her mother was a difficult woman to love with her short temper and icy demeanor around others. The story all started when Evie was around six-years-old and Regina was in a worse mood than usual, especially on a day like today. Evie was very concerned about her mother, but tried not to interfere too much as she was just a child and probably would not understand. At least, that was what Regina told her. Evie was currently in her bedroom playing with her Barbie dolls, pretending one of them was herself as a teenager and the Ken doll was the boy of her dreams: Charles "Charlie" Herman while Regina was in her home office and she asked Evie to wait in her room while Dr. Archie Hopper, the town psychiatrist, would come to visit.
"You, uh, wanted to see me?" Dr. Hopper asked as he came to see the woman in her home office.
"Yes, I did." Regina nodded after she scribbled something on a paper on her desk.
"Well, if this is about Pongo's dog license, I believe it's still up to date." Dr. Hopper then said nervously.
"This has nothing to do with your dog." Regina replied firmly as she dropped her pen onto the table, seeming more ill-tempered than normal.
"Madam Mayor... Are you all right?" Dr. Hopper asked out of concern from Regina's behavior today.
"I'm okay." Regina sharply insisted.
"Excuse me for saying so, but you don't seem okay." Dr. Hopper remarked.
"I don't tolerate that sort of bluntness," Regina glowered. "I'm the Que-" she then paused before she finished that thought out loud, sounding like she was about to say 'Queen', but quickly covered it up. "Mayor."
"I am a therapist," Dr. Hopper offered a small smile. "That's why you asked me here, isn't it? What is bothering you? What are you feeling?" he then asked, trying to sound friendly.
"Nothing. I'm feeling nothing." Regina replied.
"If I were to guess, I would say you're a driven woman and sometimes that can leave a hole." Dr. Hopper said to him.
"A what?" Regina asked, looking quite perplexed.
"A hole. An emptiness," Dr. Hopper soon said. "There's more to life than work. Maybe that's why you feel dissatisfied."
"I am not dissatisfied. I love my life and Evie." Regina stated defenisvely.
"Well, what's the point if you've got no one new to share it with?" Dr. Hopper suggested. "And teach Evie a little responsibility."
"There's that bluntness again." Regina huffed.
"Has there ever been a time in your life when you haven't felt this way after Evie was born?" Dr. Hopper asked then.
Regina paused to think about it before smiling a little bit. "When that little boy visited. Owen." she then said softly.
"A child. That can bring so much meaning," Dr. Hopper nodded with a small smile back. "And maybe it would be nice for little Evie too. She could become a big sister and learn some responsibility."
Regina thought about it and maybe Dr. Hopper had a point. He was Storybrooke's best shrink after all, though he was Storybrooke's only shrink. She wondered where to get a new child... Evie was born between her and a man named Daniel years ago, but he was no longer in the picture due to rather grave consequences. Once she figured out who to go to, she soon got Evie ready to go out with her one day and was soon buttoning up her daughter's coat.
"Where we goin'?" Evie asked her mother.
"We're going to visit Mr. Gold for a little while," Regina said as softly as she could while getting Evie ready to go out into town with her. "This won't take long, Mommy just needs to ask him for a favor."
"Am I in twubble?" Evie asked, tilting her head.
"No, sweetie, I promise," Regina said softly. "Mommy is just going to ask Mr. Gold for a favor and that's it. Maybe Benny will be there and you can play with him... You remember Benny, right? He came to your birthday party last year?"
Evie paused to think about it before she nodded as she remembered Ben Gold. He was a bit of a shy boy and usually hid away whenever he felt nervous. Once Evie was buttoned up in her coat, she took Regina's hand and they walked away from their mansion together and soon walked downtown to the local pawnshop: Mr. Gold Pawnbroker & Antiquities Dealer. Inside was the man known as Mr. Gold who often frightened other Storybrookians, especially when he came by to collect the rent and he was very rarely willing to take any excuses from people if they didn't have their rent. Evie held her favorite Barbie doll close in her arms as she came inside with her mother. Beside Mr. Gold was a brown-haired boy with hazel eyes who was playing with robot toys in the corner, so Evie came over to him. This was little Benjamin or "Benny" who was the owner of the shop's son who was around Evie's age. The two kids decided to play together while the grown-ups would talk about boring grown-up conversations.
"I need a new child, Gold, and I need your help." Regina demanded simply as she came into the pawnshop with her daughter.
Benny gasped and quickly hid behind his father, shivering nervously from that.
"Well, Benjamin and I are both flattered, but uninterested." Mr. Gold smirked at the mayor.
"Mommy, are you gonna take Benny away from Mr. Gold?" Evie gasped.
"Not like that," Regina replied sharply to Mr. Gold, though shook her head at Evie as that wasn't what she meant either. "Evie, go play with Benny. Mommy and Mr. Gold need to talk, okay?"
"Uh... Okay, Mommy..." Evie said softly before she took Ben's hand and ran with him to the backroom of the pawnshop.
"Watch out for the spinning wheel back there!" Mr. Gold called out sharply and warningly to both of the little Kindergartners.
"Okay!" Evie and Ben called back.
Mr. Gold nodded, then looked back at Regina to see what she wanted from him exactly.
"I spent all morning talking to adoption agencies," Regina soon continued to talk with the man. "The wait lists are over two years long, but you, Gold, you know how to cut through red tape, and if anyone can work the system and find me a baby, it's you."
"You wish to adopt another baby?" Mr. Gold asked her, with a slight laughing undertone.
"Well, don't look so surprised." Regina replied with a sly glance.
"Oh, I'm not. I see you've made a-" Mr. Gold began to say before he seemed to be buttering her up just a little. "Well... Evie seems to find you to be a mother of some sort."
"Can you help me?" Regina asked hopefully.
"Are you sure you're ready for another child?" Mr. Gold replied. "And how does young Miss Mills feel about it?"
"It's something we both need," Regina insisted. "I'm sure Evie would be a great big sister to a little brother or sister."
"Well, that may not be the same thing," Mr. Gold said. "But don't worry I shall get you a child, nice and legallly."
Regina nodded and smiled warmly and hopefully for Evie and herself with a bright new future with a brand new child in their family.
"But whether or not that's helping you remains to be seen," Mr. Gold then continued. "When you become a parent, you must put your child first. No matter what. I'm sure you remember thinking that way when you were blessed with little Evie." he then advised.
Regina merely nodded before calling out. "Come on, Evie. It's time to go." she then told her daughter.
"Aww..." Evie and Ben pouted together.
"Come, Evie." Regina repeated, a bit sharper this time.
"Okay, Mom..." Evie said softly as she stood up. "I gotta go, Benny."
"Okay," Ben said. "I guess we can play again later."
"Yes, you two will play again much later," Mr. Gold promised as he looked down at his son and his friend. "Go along, little Evie. Your mommy wants you."
Evie nodded and soon came on over to leave the pawnshop with Regina. They soon got into the car and began to drive off together.
"Oh, Evie... I wonder and hope we can get you a little brother or sister someday soon." Regina said as she began to drive herself and Evie back home after that appointment with Mr. Gold.
"Mommy... If you get a chance to pick... Could you adopt a little boy?" Evie asked softly. "A little boy to name after Grandfather or maybe even Daddy?"
"...You would want a little brother?" Regina asked softly then.
"Uh-huh... Little sisters are nice and all, but mine would just get my stuff when I get older and we wouldn't want that~" Evie nodded with a small smile. "But a little brother would be like a little prince in our house. He could have Grandfather's name and he would become someone just like Grandfather. Someone to help carry the name and to love and to adore."
"Hmm... I suppose you have a point," Regina nodded before smirking at the mention of a sisterly bond, chuckling to herself quietly as she had a bit of an inside joke with herself. "Yes... Little Henry Mills..." she then said before nodding. "Ooh, I do love the sound of that. What do you say to it then? I'll try to make sure we get you a brother named Henry Mills~"
"That sounds lovely." Evie smiled.
"We shall see," Regina smiled back. "Dr. Hopper says this should make us both feel happier and more adjusted. I don't know if you've noticed, but 'Mommy's' been feeling a little under the weather lately, but nothing too bad. We could use this time to get a room ready if you'd like to help out a little if you don't have too much homework~"
Evie nodded and then hugged her mother happily and fondly.
"That sounds very nice," Regina nodded. "Look at you, already excited and warming up to your new brother before he's even here~" she then cooed a bit warmly.
Evie blushed and smiled, looking and feeling rather proud of herself.
"What did I do to deserve you?" Regina smiled warmly.
"Just lucky, I guess~" Evie smiled back as she continued to hug her mother.
Regina smiled tenderly. "I guess I'm lucky too." she then agreed and nodded.
"Do you have anything that you need to do?" Evie then asked, tilting her head a little.
"Hm... I'm not sure," Regina replied thoughtfully. "I don't really have anything going on or any major work I need to take care of. Would you maybe like to watch some movies back at the house?"
"I'd love that, Mommy~" Evie smiled in excitement.
"Let's do it then." Regina said with a small smile back.
Evie grinned happily before clapping her hands.
"Oh, let's go back home and have some fun~" Regina beamed.
"Yeah!" Evie gushed.
Regina smiled and soon decided to drive them back home to get some more mother/daughter time together as much as they could before eventually, they would have a new member of the family.
Some time passed. Regina was given a phone call from Mr. Gold as he had some exciting news to share with her. She wasted no time and stopped doing what she was doing. However, Evie was in school. It seemed to be just an ordinary day so far for the kids of Storybrooke Elementary School. It was soon lunch time and Evie met up with her friends, Ben and Charlie, going to sit at the picnic tables outside as it was time for lunch and recess. Kids were either playing with each other or sitting down to eat until they would come back inside to continue their education for the day as the short black-haired woman smiled at them. She was known as Mary Margaret Blanchard who was a very devoted and well-loved teacher of Storybrooke Elementary School, often acting as a second mother to the students she taught away from home and was almost like an angel on Earth.
"And after the pie and cookies, I'm having chocolate brownies." Evie smiled as she sat with Ben and Charlie at their table by the playground together.
"Wow, Evie! No wonder you needed two lunchboxes today," Ben smiled. "I just hope you remembered to get some fruit."
"Oh, yeah... Can't leave home without an apple or two." Evie nodded and winked before showing a shiny red apple with her pair of lunchboxes from her mother's favorite tree.
"I only have a salad with a box of raisins for dessert." Charlie groaned and pouted.
"Then you should start packing your own lunch, Charlie. Like me!" Evie smiled.
"You packed your own lunch?" Ben asked like that was the most craziest thing to ever hear and believe. "Your mom didn't help you?"
"Nope!" Evie replied before biting into her blueberry muffin and continued to talk, though her mouth was full so food went flying and even splattered on to Charlie accidentally. "She went down to the store and get wallpaper and stuff. I made my own toast for breakfast too!" she then added.
"Gee... You made toast?" Charlie asked, sounding very amazed.
"When you're a big sister, you gotta start doing more stuff for yourself." Evie advised.
"You're a big sister now?" Ben asked in excitement. "When did it happen?"
"I-I didn't mean-" Evie was about to explain as she hadn't become a big sister just yet.
"Yeah! When was the baby brought home?" Charlie added with a small smile.
"The baby isn't home yet, but it's going to be soon." Evie explained once she had the chance.
"You've been saying that for a long time, Evie." Ben reminded.
"Yeah! But this time it's soon soon," Evie replied as they soon finished lunch and decided to go play on the playground while there was still time. "My mom says so and she knows."
"How does she know?" Ben asked Evie as they rode the see-saw together while Charlie swung on the swings next to them.
"I guess cuz she's a mom and moms know that sorta thing." Evie shrugged as she began to finish up her juicy red apple while going down after Ben set her down and he went up.
"You know what this means, Evie?" Ben began to ask in excitement.
"Yeah! I'm coming to your house to sleepover!" Evie beamed.
"A sleepover?" Charlie asked as he swung in the background. "What does that have to do with the new baby?"
"Mom says that I get to get to stay at Benny's house when the baby is ready to come home." Evie explained before going down.
"Gee... I wish my family was having a baby." Charlie commented.
"When you're a big brother or sister you've got someone to play with all the time!" Ben smiled as he soon went to go on the slide after playing on the see-saw with Evie.
"If I had a baby sister, she would say I was cool." Charlie grinned as he flexed his arms, showing imaginary muscles before he came to go down the slide after Ben, then laughed giddily as he slid down.
"Yeah! And guess what else my mom said?" Evie smiled before going down the slide after Ben and Charlie went on ahead of her.
"What?" Ben asked as he helped Charlie up off of the ground after they slid down.
"When the baby gets too big for the crib, we might get bunk beds!" Evie smiled.
"Bunk beds? That would be so neat!" Charlie smiled back.
"Wow... I wish I was going to be a big brother." Ben said hopefully.
"Yep... It's gonna be great!" Evie nodded, looking very excited.
MEANWHILE...
Regina entered the pawnshop after she was called over after getting the spare room in her mansion ready for the arrival of the newest member of her family. She just hoped it wasn't too good to be true as she soon came to see the man who had called her and would help her get the child she desired. "You have news?" she then asked him.
"Yes. Fate may be on your side," Gold nodded before explaining to her why he invited her over. "This morning, I, uh, spoke with an agency that had placed a baby boy from Phoenix with a family nearby in Boston."
"With a family?" Regina asked, sounding not very excited. "How's that fate?"
"Because at the last minute, the adoption fell through. It happens." Gold explained calmly.
This made Regina crack a small smile. "So the baby still needs a home." she then realized.
"Indeed. As they say, fate appears to be on your side," Gold replied as he pulled a folder out from the table and she then took the folder. "The agency is in Boston."
Regina nodded and accepted the folder. "Now, I trust you to look after my little princess," she then demanded. "If anything happens to her, I will be sure to make your life a living Hell."
"Oh, my... Quite the threat, aren't we, Mayor Mills?" Gold smirked fearlessly. "But I promise... I shan't let anything happen to your daughter in my care. Besides, I'm sure that Benjamin would love to have a playmate tonight."
"Make sure he doesn't hurt her either." Regina then added.
"Again, Madam Mayor, you have nothing to worry about," Gold reassured calmly. "Benjamin is a young gentleman and would never let anyone get hurt. I'll need the keys to your home of course to come and go as I please to get whatever young Evelyn would need in order to be comfortable in my home."
"Of course..." Regina replied as she took out the keys. "Evie and Ben are good friends after Ben had his first sleepover at our house until he felt homesick. Good day, Mr. Gold."
"Take care, dearie." Gold nodded as he accepted the keys to the Mills mansion.
MEANWHILE, AFTER SCHOOL...
"Bye, guys!" Charlie called out, waving with the other school kids as Ben and Evie stood together after the school bus dropped them off as it rode off to take the other kids back home for the weekend.
"Bye, Charlie!" Evie called back while waving.
"See ya on Monday!" Ben added.
"Hello, children." Gold greeted as he hobbled over, holding his cane in place while carrying a pillow under his arm with a light pink bag that had a stuffed yellow bunny's head sticking out of it.
"Oh... Hi, Mr. Gold." Evie greeted, surprised to see the man.
"Hi, Dad! Why are you carrying a pillow?" Ben asked his father.
"It's Evie's. And so is this." Gold explained, showing them the bag.
"Rabbit!" Evie beamed once she saw her favorite stuffed animal.
"You're sleeping over!" Ben beamed once he realized what this meant.
"I'm sleeping at your house!" Evie smiled.
"That's right," Gold smiled back as friendly as he could. "Your mother just dropped these off a few minutes ago."
"The baby will be home soon, right?" Evie guessed.
"Indeed, dearie," Gold nodded. "And you're going to be a big sister."
"Yay! The baby's coming!" Ben cheered as he danced happily with his best girl friend.
"I'm gonna be a big sister! Yippee!" Evie added as she danced with Ben before stopping. "What are we gonna have for dinner?" she then asked.
"You're our guest," Gold replied. "Maybe you'd like to decide?"
Ben and Evie shared a thoughtful look with each other.
"Uh..." Evie paused bashfully with a small smile. "Pancakes?"
"That sounds good." Gold smirked and nodded.
"Oh, boy!" Ben beamed in excitement about having pancakes for dinner.
"With blueberries, chocolate chips, whipped cream, and cherries on top?" Evie asked hopefully.
"I'll see what I can do," Gold smirked, going to lead them over to his car which was a black Cadillac. "Into the car, dearies~"
"I'm gonna be a big sister, I'm sleeping over at my best friend's house, and I'm gonna have pancakes for dinner!" Evie smiled at Ben. "This is the best!"
"Gee, lots of good things happen when you get to be a big sister." Ben smiled back.
"That's for sure," Evie beamed before following Gold over to his car. "Come on, Benny. Let's have a snack."
"Yeah, I'm hungry!" Ben added in agreement as he soon followed after her.
MEANWHILE...
"Well, Ms. Mills, your application is almost too good to be true," The adoption agent said to the woman sitting in front of him. "I mean, your references are impeccable and this town you live in, Storybrooke, you're the mayor?"
"Third term," Regina nodded as she smiled proudly. "All unopposed."
"I've never heard of Storybrooke." The adoption agent remarked as he removed his glasses.
"Oh, it's a hidden gem. Peaceful. Perfect for children," Regina explained innocently. "I already have a six-year-old daughter named Evelyn, but everyone calls her Evie. It's like a fairy tale. You should come visit sometime." she then suggested.
"I get two weeks off a year, and all due with respect, Sandals has an inclusive buffet," The adoption agent replied before looking curious. "You got that in Storybrooke?"
"I'm afraid not." Regina replied.
"Anyway, I've explained your rights and responsibilities, but there's one item I'd like to go over in detail," The adoption agent then said before explaining something very crucial to Regina. "This is a closed adoption, which means you'll never be able to contact your child's birth parents. It's complete information blackout. Parents' names, ethnicity, genealogical records. You won't have access to any of it." he then advised.
"I'm concerned with my child's future, not his past." Regina insisted.
The adoption agent nodded before smiling. "Well, then, congratulations. You ready to meet your son?" he then asked softly.
"Yes!" Regina nodded rather eagerly.
The adoption agenct then hit the call button on his phone.
Regina then looked out the door to see a woman carrying in an infant boy and she soon set the baby in the black-haired woman's arms. "Well, hello there. It was fate wasn't it? Henry." she then greeted the baby softly.
"Henry, huh? You don't meet a lot of Henrys nowadays," The adoption agent noted. "Very old world."
"It was my father's name," Regina explained softly. "He passed some time ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," The adoption agent dropped his voice in sympathy. "I hope it was peaceful at least."
Baby Henry then suddenly began crying, making Regina unsteadily rebalance him in her arms.
"You need some help?" The adoption agent soon asked.
"Oh, no, no. I've got it," Regina said as she cradled and comforted her new baby son. "Come on, Henry. Let's go home." she then suggested as they had a rather long drive ahead of them.
LATER THAT NIGHT AT THE GOLD RESIDENCE...
"My baby sister is lost in that cave?" Evie's voice asked as she was playing with a Barbie doll, dressed in a pink princess dress with long braided blonde hair while Ben was playing with a Ken doll, dressed like a prince. "Step aside! I'm going in there to rescue her."
"A dragon lives in that cave. Don't you know that?" Ben warned while playing with the Ken doll.
"Oh, I know that, but I'm her big sister and I don't care about dragons. Even fire-breathing ones." Evie insisted bravely.
"Okay, but I warned you, lady!" Ben replied before making the Ken doll go away.
"Baby Sister! I'm coming in to save you!" Evie said, going to make the Barbie doll go into the blanket fort which was used as the pretend cave.
"Who are you and why have you come to my cave without being invited?" Ben then asked, deepening his voice as best as he could, bringing out a purple dragon toy that looked female.
"I am Big Sister Evie and you had better get out of my way or I'll-" Evie challenged before she was suddenly interrupted.
"Shh!" Ben shushed Evie before looking over to the door and bit his lip nervously.
"...What is it?" Evie asked quietly.
"I thought I heard Dad coming again," Ben whispered to Evie. "Be more quiet, okay?"
"Okay!" Evie nodded quietly before they went back to playing.
"So what do you want?" Ben then demanded, trying to sound scary like a beast.
"I'm searching for my baby sister." Evie replied.
"She's not here!" Ben said before taking out a smaller doll dressed like a princess known as Kelly before making his voice go high a little. "Yes, I am! Yes, I am!" he then deepened his voice go low again as he hid the Kelly doll. "Go back in the cave and wait for me!"
"You let her go!" Evie demanded.
"No!" Ben retorted. "I get lonely and she's really fun to play with."
"Go get your own baby sister! This one belongs to me!" Evie glared bravely before going inside the blanket fort as Ben crawled backwards and roared like a dragon. "Take that! And that! Where are you, Baby Sister? Hey, that's not you!" she then suddenly laughed.
Ben laughed with Evie as that tickled him. "No tickling, Evie!" he then cried out.
The chair then fell over and hit the floor as the blanket fort came apart.
"Benjamin?~" Gold's voice called a bit sharply from outside the room.
"Uh-oh!" Ben and Evie gasped quietly and soon ran across the room as they were covered in the blanket before moving.
"Pretend you're sleeping!" Ben whispered loudly to Evie as he rushed back over to his bed.
Evie moved the chair to stand back up and soon crawled onto the spare mattress given to her to sleep on and she went under the blanket with her spare pillow.
"The light! Turn off the light!" Ben gasped as he looked up and noticed that his light was still on.
Evie then rushed over and stepped on the dragon toy which squeaked under her foot as she turned the light off.
"Evie!" Ben whispered firmly.
"Sorry!" Evie whispered back as she turned the light off and soon ran across the room again, stepping on the dragon toy again, making it squeak again.
"EVIE!" Ben whispered, even more firmly.
"Sorry, sorry!" Evie whispered back before pulling the blanket over to look like she was asleep.
Eventually, Ben's doorknob jiggled and soon in came his father who looked around before smiling warmly. "Oh, look... They're sleeping..." he then softly said to himself before walking into the room before accidentally stepping on the dragon toy, making it squeak for the third time that evening. "Oops... Well, I guess I better let the dearies sleep... I wouldn't want someone to wake me up if I had a new baby brother." he then said to himself.
"BABY BROTHER!" Ben and Evie then suddenly cheered as they stood up in excitement.
"Wahoo! You're a big sister now!" Ben smiled at his friend.
"Yeah, I am!" Evie smiled back.
"Congratulations, Big Sister Evie," Gold chuckled warmly with a small smile. "I hope you don't mind that we woke you up."
"That's okay. We weren't all the way asleep anyway." Evie smiled back.
"I kinda had the feeling you weren't," Gold smirked and winked at them a little before patting Evie on her head. "A baby brother. Aren't you the lucky one?"
"Yeah... She sure is!" Ben smiled softly before looking a little tired right now.
"Good night, dearies." Gold said softly as he got up and walked over to the door to let them get some sleep.
"Good night!" Ben and Evie replied.
"Sleep tight~" Gold smiled warmly before he went out the door and shut it behind them as Ben and Evie decided to go to sleep for real that time.
Evie sighed softly as she got back under the covers. "Ya know, Benny? Of all the days I ever had, this is my favorite one." she then said, smiling sleepily and proudly.
"Yeah... I liked it too," Ben smiled back. "Good night, Evie."
"Good night, Benny." Evie smiled softly before she turned over and began to drift off to sleep as she cuddled Rabbit in her sleep.
LATER...
Soon, Henry was brought back home, but it was a bit hard. He was a cute, almost princely baby, at least in Evie's eyes. However, it wasn't as glamorous and nice as Evie thought it would be as Henry seemed to cry at everything and seemed to cry mostly whenever Regina was around him. Regina decided to take both Evie and Henry out for lunch at the local diner, owned by Beverly Lucas, who was best known as Granny by everyone in town, especially since she had a granddaughter named Ruby who she had raised her whole life. Regina, Evie, and Henry sat at a booth as the baby boy continued to cry in distress while Regina tried to soothe him while Evie looked like she hadn't slept in a few weeks and was even shivering from the endless crying.
"Who is this bundle of joy?" Granny smiled sweetly as she came to meet the newest member of the Mills family.
"Do you have a problem with him crying?" Regina retorted, sounding rather cold.
"...No, of course not." Granny said softly.
"Shhh. Okay, it's time to be quiet now. It's time to be quiet~" Regina then said, trying to soothe and calm Henry down before turning back over to see that Granny was still standing over her. "What?!"
"Do you want some advice? Try a story," Granny suggested. "That's how they soothe themselves. A bedtime story. Gets him used to your voice. Worked with Ruby. Her issues started later." she then added before walking off as Henry continued to cry loudly.
Evie groaned and covered her ears as the noise was really getting to her.
"Hey. Okay, okay. It's okay," Regina said as she took Henry in her arms and tried to cradle him against her shoulder. "Once upon a time, there was-"
Henry then suddenly vomited onto Regina.
"Ugh. Oh." Regina then said softly in disgust and discomfort.
Evie cupped her mouth with a small smirk then.
"Oh... You think that's funny?" Regina asked Evie. "You're grounded."
Evie then suddenly frowned.
Regina then tried to take Henry over to Storybrooke General Hospital. Evie was shown to be licking a lollipop in the background as Dr. Whale checked out Henry for Regina to see what the crying problem could possibly be.
"Well, his heart is as strong as a locomotive," Dr. Whale said to Regina, pulling off the stethoscope ear pieces. "And his lungs are healthy, clearly."
"Well, what about a blood test? Or a chest X-Ray?" Regina then asked.
"Is he a smoker?" Dr. Whale retorted.
Evie giggled as she could tell that was a joke.
"What?" Regina asked, surprised and slightly offended.
"Look, it's obvious what the problem is. He's a crying baby." Dr. Whale then said to Regina.
"I paid for this?" Regina deadpanned.
"Actually, your insurance did." Dr. Whale reminded.
"...What do I do?" Regina then asked.
"I can prescribe you something," Dr. Whale suggested as he pulled aside the curtain. "10 ccs of maternal and sisterly love." he then nodded at Regina and Evie before walking away.
"Dr. Whale. No one loves their child more than me," Regina interjected. "Which means there is something is wrong with my son. Your job is to help him. Do it." she then urged him.
"Sure, I can order additional testing, but with babies, there are risks and it's generally nothing and not worth it." Dr. Whale replied.
"'Generally'?" Regina repeated.
"Well, in some cases, there could be something abnormal happening, but we'd need the birth mother to find out." Dr. Whal then remarked.
"You mean the woman who abandoned him?" Regina retorted as she crossed her arms. "You think she can soothe him? I'm his mother and Evie is his sister."
"You misunderstand me, Regina. If something were in fact wrong with the baby, maybe there's something in her medical records, something genetic that could be causing the problem," Dr. Whale explained before he got to the point to help for her to understand. "Look, the only people we can help us fill the blanks are the biological parents."
"But it was a closed adoption," Regina reminded. "There's no way to contact them."
Of course, Regina would find a way and it would of course involve the help of her colleague: Sidney Glass. After speaking with him and having a rather interesting conversation with him, Regina took Evie and Henry over to the pawnshop to have a word with a certain store owner. It seemed to get worse as Henry was clearly unhappy with her and even a complete stranger like Ms. Blanchard could make him feel better, so she felt unloved as a new mother even though she already had Evie. She also found out a shocking discovery that came with information on Henry's biological family.
"Hi, Evie! How are you doing?" Ben asked as he was in the backroom with his toys.
"Okay, I guess." Evie shrugged.
"Isn't it fun being a big sister?" Ben then asked.
"It's not how I thought it would be." Evie replied.
"It's not?" Ben repeated in concern.
"I can't make any noise or I'll wake the baby." Evie began to explain as she sat down with Ben as he played with his Buzz Lightyear and Woody the Cowboy dolls.
"None at all?" Ben asked in concern while Evie took out the Jessie the Cowgirl doll.
"And when I climbed in the crib to see what it was like, Mom got mad at me." Evie then added.
"Mad at you? Why?" Ben asked.
"I guess cuz my feet were dirty." Evie replied.
"Oh... Well, what about your baby brother? What's he like?" Ben then asked.
"He's really little and he cries a lot," Evie explained. "Mostly when Mom's around."
"I saw you come in with him. Can I see him, Evie?" Ben smiled hopefully.
"Gee, Benny... I'm not sure." Evie replied softly.
"Come on, Evie. I just want a peek," Ben insisted lightly. "Please?"
"Okay... But you have to promise to be quiet." Evie told him.
"I promise!" Ben smiled and saluted her.
The two young kids then began to leave the backroom as Henry's baby carrier was set down on the floor as Regina came to speak with Mr. Gold.
"Mommy, can I take Henry to meet Benny?" Evie asked as she came as her mother came to have a private talk with Mr. Gold.
"Huh? Oh, yes, sure... Here you go, Apple Dumpling. Just be very, very, very careful." Regina said, picking up the baby carrier and held him out to Evie.
Evie smiled as she carefully took the baby carrier and took her baby brother to go and see Ben as the baby boy looked around, quietly whimpering with tears already forming in his hazel eyes.
"You knew." Regina glared at the man in front of her.
"Knew what, exactly?" Mr. Gold retorted.
"The child that you located for me in Phoenix... His mother was found in the woods outside of Storybrooke 18 years ago." Regina then explained.
"What a startling coincidence." Mr. Gold replied with a small smirk.
"18 years ago." Regina repeated the number in strong emphasis.
"I fear I'm missing the significance," Mr. Gold simply said to Regina. "You have to forgive me; my memory is not what it used to be."
"Henry's mother was found as a baby on a very significant day," Regina tried to explain. "The day this town... This town..."
"'This town' what?" Mr. Gold simply asked.
"She's important, isn't she?" Regina demanded. "This mother."
"Is she important?" Mr. Gold asked. "I suppose inasmuch as she gave birth to your son." he then added.
"You... You built this into this whole thing, didn't you?" Regina asked as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You made this happen because the mother... She's..."
"She's what, Madam Mayor?" Mr. Gold asked, getting a little annoyed. "This mother you seem to fear so much."
"...Oh, you really know nothing of what I'm talking about." Regina said softly, looking a little defeated.
"Well, I know you're upset, that much is clear." Mr. Gold told her.
"You told me I'd come to you. That I'd have a hole in my heart," Regina said as she began to look in shock. "And... You want this to end. This town. What I built. You want to destroy it all by bringing the mother back! That's why you did all this!"
"Do you know you have dark circles under your eyes? A weary tremble in your voice," Mr. Gold then noted without fear. "Poor thing. Look what motherhood to a boy has done to you... At least your girl likes you, yes?" he then suggested.
"Play dumb all you want, you little imp. You should know who you're dealing with by now. I sacrificed everything to build this life! And nothing will tear me away from my revenge!" Regina snapped as she came to go and see the kids. "Henry goes back to Boston tomorrow!" she then proclaimed.
"See that you send Benjamin back in." Mr. Gold then nodded, allowing her to go as he lightly said that to her.
Regina soon stepped over as Henry didn't seem to cry around Evie or Ben. The two kids then looked over as they heard Regina open the curtain and come into the backroom of the shop after Mr. Gold allowed her to that time since that was where the kids were.
"Evie, get in the car. We need to talk." Regina told her daughter.
"Oki, Mommy~" Evie nodded before looking over at Ben. "We'll talk later, okay?"
"Talk you later, Evie." Ben nodded as he hugged her and Regina picked up Henry's baby carrier as the baby boy seemed to be sleeping peacefully now.
"Evie... Are you enjoying Henry?" Regina asked softly, trying to find a way to put this delicately.
"Uh-huh!" Evie smiled and nodded at her mother. "He stopped crying when I held him and we had a little talk before I sang him a lullaby. He shouldn't cry when you hold him now unless he needs something." she then added.
"...I see," Regina said thoughtfully then. "So... You wouldn't want him to go away?"
"No, I wouldn't," Evie agreed. "I promised him that we would protect him, especially me with him as his big sister and I want to be the 'bestest' big sister ever."
"I see..." Regina nodded again, still looking thoughtful.
"Why do you ask, Mommy?" Evie then asked, looking over with big, wide, innocent brown eyes.
"...Henry might have to go away for a while." Regina said softly.
Evie then suddenly frowned to that. "...W-Whatya mean, Mommy?~"
"It's probably for the best," Regina said as she looked over at Evie. "He's not happy here and he should be with a mother who truly loves him."
"B-But... We love him..." Evie said softly.
"I'm afraid I'm not a good enough mother to look after him," Regina frowned. "I'm going to call the Adoption Agency and have him go back and maybe someone can give him the love he needs that I can't give him."
"But... You 'tooked' good care of me alright... You're a wonderful mommy," Evie protested. "I-I'll help you out! He doesn't cry when I hold him now! I'll even change his diapers and everything!" she then added, trying to get her mother to reconsider her current decision.
"Oh... That's very nice and mature of you, dear..." Regina said with a small smile. "I know these things take time, but..." she then looked over to Henry.
Henry was luckily still sound asleep, not even fussing.
"...What did you do to him?" Regina asked Evie.
"I 'sanged' him to sleep," Evie explained. "I called him our Little Prince cuz I'm your princess and you're my Queen Mommy. I told him you would do anything for us and as his big sister, I'd protect him too."
Regina looked over softly and there was not much else to say, but it was a rather long car ride back home.
SOMETIME LATER...
Evie was crying her eyes out while Regina was trying very hard not to give in to it. She took Evie with her to show her how serious of a situation this was and her heart ached as she heard her daughter's cries, but did her best to ignore them. Evie was sitting in a play corner with Henry one last time before it would be time to say goodbye as she played with a baby doll to feed it and show Regina how responsible she could be despite her age, though there was still a lot to be desired.
"I wrote out instructions for his bedtime, naptime, and feeding." Regina told the adoption agent, giving him the paper.
"Ms. Mills, I can assure you, the baby will be in expert hands here." The adoption agent replied, accepting the paper.
"I know. I'm just sad this couldn't work out," Regina replied as Evie continued to try to play with Henry. "Circumstances were... Unforeseen."
"Not every child is a right fit for the parent and sometimes putting the child first can mean having the strength to give him up," The adoption agent said before looking over. "Though your daughter seems to be having a hard time in letting go."
"She'll get over it," Regina said with a sharp sigh before crossing her arms. "Where will Henry go next?" she then asked.
"We already have a new family lined up," The adoption agent then said. "He's going to be just fine."
"Look, Mommy! Look! Look!" Evie piped up in the background.
"Evie, please, don't interupt-" Regina said, turning around before she did a double-take and soon saw that Henry was smiling at her.
The adoption agent noticed this before he suggested something. "I'll tell you what. You take a minute. I'll be right back, okay?" he then said before briefly leaving the office.
"Oh, Henry. You deserve better than me," Regina said as she stepped over to the baby boy and her young daughter. "You and Evie truly are the only ones in all the realms who believe in me."
Henry then seemed to reach out to Regina then.
"Oh, Mommy... I think he wants to hug you." Evie smiled.
"Hug me? Really?" Regina smiled back, feeling like her heart was melting.
"Come on... Hug him..." Evie beamed.
Regina smiled before she soon took a hold of Henry and picked him up in her arms. Evie smiled back as she stepped back, watching her mother and potential baby brother bonding. This was so much better than the last time Henry was first brought back home in Storybrooke.
"Would you like me to hold him so we can get the last written signature?" The adoption agent suggested as he stepped back into the room while Evie pouted.
Regina also pouted before she soon smiled softly. "No, that won't be necessary. Henry is my son and Evie's little brother," she then said as she put Henry back into his carrier and grabbed his bags. "The best thing for Henry is to stay with a mother who will never let go of him. Ever again."
"And a big sister too?" Evie asked hopefully.
"And a big sister too." Regina smiled and nodded before they began to leave. "Come, Evie. Let's go home with your baby brother."
Evie beamed as she followed Regina out the door as she was a big sister again and this time, for good.
Outside the room, the adoption agent walked up to a pair of men who were next in line to become Henry's adoptive parents and one of them seemed to wear glasses.
"I'm afraid there's been a hiccup," The adoption agent said to the two men who looked eager to leave the adoption agency with the baby in question. "You'll have to go back on the waiting list. The mother changed her mind. I'm sorry."
"We lost him?" One of the men asked the adoption agent, sounding very unhappy right now.
"Yes, but I can put you back on the list-" The adoption agent then began to suggest, but it was too late.
The couple soon turned around to walk away before he could finish that sentence. The men looked very unhappy that they wouldn't be able to leave the adoption agency with Henry as this seemed to be a very devastating experience for them.
"Mommy, what're we doing here?" Evie asked as they came to a special room as Regina appeared to be making something that looked like a potion from Fairy Tales. At least, that was what it looked like to the six-year-old.
"I'm going to tell you and Henry a story," Regina replied and explained. "You see, Evie... Mommy spoke with Dr. Hopper again and he is helping her cope with fears."
"What are you afraid of, Mommy?" Evie asked calmly.
"It's a grown-up thing, Evie... I'll tell you later and you'll understand when you're older," Regina promised. "Would you like to hold your baby brother while I get ready?" she then asked calmly.
"Okay, Mommy..." Evie nodded as she soon took a hold of Baby Henry in her arms as he cooed and looked up at both of them, looking very calm and secure, especially in his big sister's holding. "Hi, Henry~"
Baby Henry beamed and giggled a little at her, feeling like he could trust her instantly.
"Thank you, Father," Regina said quietly as she touched a nameplate that read: HENRY MILLS: BELOVED FATHER, who was Regina's father and Evie's grandfather mentioned before who the baby boy was gracefully named after. She then began to arrange the potions while Evie played with Henry and kept him company until their mother would be ready for them. "You're such a good big sister, Evie."
"I try, Mommy!" Evie smiled, proud of herself.
Regina smiled back and nodded proudly and warmly in return. "Let me tell you both a story," she then decided. "Get comfortable."
"Okay, Mommy." Evie beamed as she sat with Henry, holding him carefully like she would hold one of her favorite dolls and had practiced on them.
"Once upon a time, there was a Queen and she cast a glorious curse that gave her everything she and her little princess wanted. Or so she thought," Regina began to tell her children warmly and softly as maternally possible as she could. "They both despaired when they learned that revenge was not enough. They were lonely. And so they searched the land for a little boy to be their prince," she then laughed fondly. "And then, they found him."
"I'm a princess!" Evie beamed.
"Yes, you are, you're my princess," Regina smiled before she continued. "And though they lived happily, it was not ever after. There was still an evil out there lurking..." she then paused to pour the substance into a cup. "The Queen was worried for her prince's and princess's safety. While she knew she could vanquish any threat to the boy and girl, she also knew she couldn't raise them worrying. No, she needed to put her own troubles aside and put her children first." she then continued as she poured a green liquid into the cup.
"Oh, no!" Evie gasped while listening to her mother's story.
"Oh, yes," Regina nodded as she continued to get the drink ready. "And so, the Queen procured an ancient potion of forgetting."
This then suddenly made Henry start crying.
"Oh, it's all right. If the Queen drinks the potion, she won't forget her children," Regina cooed and stopped Henry from crying before smiling warmly at both her and Evie. "She'll only forget her worries. Her troubles. Her fears. She used it to give the princess her special medicine so she wouldn't worry or be afraid either." she then comforted before adding a black substance into the cup.
"It's okay, Henry, it's okay," Evie comforted her baby brother. "Mommy isn't ever going to hurt us."
"No, I won't." Regina promised.
"What is you drinkin', Mommy?" Evie then asked. "Is that like my media... Son?"
"Yes, dear, it is, Mommy needs this so that she doesn't worry about you and Henry ever again." Regina reassured.
"Ohh... Okay." Evie said softly.
"And with those gone, she and her prince and princess can indeed finally live happily ever after." Regina then added as she soon took a big drink of the "medicine" she had made for herself and soon, something about her changed instantly as everything else suddenly disappeared.
Evie cooed at Baby Henry, trying to comfort him as he suddenly began to cry again.
Regina then suddenly became out of her stupor, upon hearing Henry's cries. "Oh, sweetie, Princess... Let Mommy see Henry, please?" she then said patiently.
"Okay, Mommy." Evie smiled and nodded, giving her baby brother over to her mother.
"Hello, Henry," Regina cooed and smiled as she held up her new baby son. "What shall we do today?" she then asked him calmly.
What? You didn't think that was the end of the story, did you? Not quite. We're just getting started.