A/N: Hi, thanks to those of you expressing your like and interest in this story. The positivity is appreciated. Much Love!

Now... I think I should warn y'all of Killian in this chapter. I do not plan for the relationship to go far. He's important to the story, however. I'm trying to explain without giving away too much.

so allow me to reiterate that this is a swan queen story and if Killian's presence is an issue for you, please skip this.

Thanks. Enjoy?

Chapter Two:

"I saw a mermaid!" Regina exclaimed as she threw her tiny hands into the air, flinging a spaghetti noodle onto her older sister. Zelena plucked it out of her hair and scowled at her baby sister.

"Mermaids aren't real, Gina." The older girl pointed out.

"Wrong!" Regina cried. "They are real. I saw one with my own two eyes and mommy says that she is my mermaid now because she gave me something."

"What did she give you?" Zelena asked with an eye roll.

"That pretty sparkly conch I showed you. That made her mine." Regina reasoned. "Right, Mommy?"

Cora smiled at her from her seat at the round dining table. "That's right, baby."

"She can't own a mermaid, Mommy!" Zelena cried. "Anyway, it's not fair. Why does Gina get a mermaid?"

"Because I'm little and cute," Regina said with a giggle causing both of her parents to laugh. "Besides you're mean."

"I am not!" Zelena screamed. "Mommy!"

Cora snorted. "Regina, no. Stop it." She then began addressing their oldest child. "I'm sure if Regina's mermaid comes back, you can all play together."

When Zelena looked at her, Regina nodded with a big smile. "I promise. We will all be best friends."

Zelena scrunched her nose. "Mermaids aren't real anyway and you're a baby for believing in them."

"I am not a baby!" Regina cried. "I'm going to be six soon."

"Oh please, Gina, you just turned five four months ago."

"I will be six eventually!"

"Not if you don't quit screaming in my ear," Zelena muttered and Cora gasped.

"Zelena!"

"That's enough!" Said their father.

"How nice of you to join us," Cora said dryly with a roll of her dark eyes.

"I did see a mermaid and I am not a baby," Regina screamed. She was angrier than she's ever been in her entire short lifetime. She felt like she was going to pop.

"Maybe you imagined it. Did you have your nap?" Henry asked gently. "Maybe you dreamt it."

"I did not dream it. I saw it." Regina screamed. "Mommy, tell them!"

"She did see a mermaid," Cora explained. "Regina is not too small to know what she saw."

"Cora, Regina is starting school in the fall..." Henry began. "She cannot continue with these silly notions. She's a big girl and-"

"Henry, so help me." Cora hissed. "Leave the child alone. Both of you. She knows what she saw."

"She's a liar," Zelena grumbled and Regina glared at her clenching her fork in her tiny hand.

"Regina..." Cora tried.

"She's not lying." Henry sighed. He looked at Regina. "Maybe you saw something else. Like a seal? We have seals around here. The sailors used to mistake manatees for mermaids... your eyes can easily deceive you."

"I. Know. What. I. Saw!" Regina screamed at the top of lungs. "I saw a mermaid and she had long blonde hair and green eyes. She was more beautiful than anyone I have ever seen..." She looked at Cora. "Well, except Mommy." The woman smiled at her daughter. "But I saw her and she's real."

"No, you didn't," Zelena argued. "You're just doing this for attention like always. You always want attention."

Regina screamed and threw her fork down into her plate. It made a small clank sound but it sounded heavier given the situation. She turned to her sister, the girl was wearing a smug smirk. Regina's face was scrunched in distaste. "I hate you!" The smaller sister screamed.

Zelena jumped and the smirk fell from her face. She gasped and looked sincerely hurt but Regina didn't care. Zelena and her father had hurt her feelings because they were calling her a liar. Regina had never lied to anyone and she never would. She leaped down from her chair and ran out of the kitchen. She could hear her mother calling after her but she was too angry and her heart was too hurt.

She carefully climbed the stairs then ran to her room. Using all of her little body strength, she slammed her door. She then walked over to her bed and climbed onto it. The tears started falling and she wiped them with the back of her hand. She knew what she saw. She saw a mermaid.

She sniffed and crawled across her bed and jumped down onto the floor. She then ran over to her window and climbed up onto the little perch her mother had built for her so that when she told her stories about the sea, she could stare out and watch the waves kissing the sand while the moon hung above.

Right now, the sun was only setting and the sky was a soft burnt orange. The ocean was glowing with a soft ethereal hum.

She pressed her forehead against the glass hoping to see her mermaid. Hoping that anyone would see her. She had no idea how long she had sat there but there was a knock at her door. She didn't even answer thinking it was her father or her sister.

"Regina, baby." She heard her mother call. Regina's ears perked up.

"Yes, Mommy?" That was the only person she wanted to talk to.

"May I come in?"

"Yes," Regina said instantly.

The door opened slowly and her mother stepped inside. She saw Zelena behind her mother in the hallway. The girl looked at her and they made eye contact but Regina turned away from her and watched out of the corner of her eye as the girl quietly and sadly slipped into her own room and closed the door. Regina looked at her mother who had glanced over her shoulder at the sound of the older girl's door closing.

"You hurt her feelings," Cora said closing Regina's bedroom door behind her. Regina shrugged.

"She hurt mine," Regina replied simply and poked out her lips in a pout. Cora shook her head.

"Regina, you can't hurt people because they hurt you."

"Why not?" Regina asked simply.

"For one thing, Zelena is your sister," Cora explained as she sat down beside her. She held out a pink bowl with seals hand painted on it. "I bought you some ice cream. Strawberry, your favorite."

Regina accepted the offered bowl. She was very displeased with her other relatives but ice cream was ice cream. "Thank you."

"You cannot tell Zelena you hate her," Cora said firmly.

"Why not?" Regina asked as she plucked a rainbow sprinkle from the bowl and popped it into her mouth.

"Because you love her." Her mother answered simply.

Regina wrinkled her nose. "She doesn't love me."

"Yes, she does."

Regina began eating her ice cream. "She's so mean to me sometimes." Which was true. Sometimes Zelena was nice but most of the time she's mean.

"Because she's having a hard time. Zelena is still trying to find her place in this family. We all love her and try to make her feel loved but she's struggling."

"Because her Mommy and Daddy passed away?" Regina asked quietly. Zelena's parents were family friends of Henry Mills, their father, and Zelena was his goddaughter. So when her parents lost their lives at sea, a newly orphaned Zelena came to live with them.

Cora nodded. "Yes. Can you imagine how sad you would be if you didn't have me or your father anymore?"

Regina made a face at the mention of her father. Cora smiled. "Your father isn't very bright but he loves you and you love him. You would miss him."

Regina frowned. She would be so sad if she couldn't see her mommy one day. She knows how sad she gets when her mother goes to town without her. "Don't leave me."

Cora ran her hand over Regina's head. "I promise I will never leave you, Regina. I will always be there for you."

Regina nodded and handed her mother the empty bowl. She watched her mother take it and set it down on the floor. She produced a napkin and began wiping Regina's face. "I love you," Regina said quietly once her mother was finished. Cora smiled and tapped her nose with the napkin.

"I love you, too." She said softly. "Now we must discuss what you said to your sister. Don't ever say anything like that to your family ever again. Just because someone hurts you, it does not mean that you have to hurt them back. You're not a mean person, Regina. You're pure. That's why the mermaid was drawn to you. That's why she chose you."

"Because I'm good?"

"You are but it's more than that. There's an innocence within you. It's like you and the sea are one. It calls to you and you summon it. It's a powerful bond, Regina. That's why you have to keep darkness out of your heart." Cora explained. "Live your life like you're riding the waves of the sea. Stay focused on that rhythm and everything will be okay."

Regina furrowed her brow. She didn't understand much of what her mother said then. "Why?"

"Because it's your calling."

Regina shook her head. "Huh?"

Cora chuckled and kissed her head. "You will understand one day." She squeezed her hand. "But right now, you need to understand to never do harm. I'm not saying be a doormat. I will never tell you that but never say or do things out of anger, understand?"

Regina nodded. She understood that. "Should I say sorry to Zelena?"

Cora hummed the affirmative. "Indeed. But wait until the morning. You both need to cool down."

Regina nodded. "Okay." She turned to her window and peered out. The sun had been settling in beyond the sea.

"Looking for your mermaid?" Cora asked as she peeked out as well.

Regina shook her head. "She's not real. Zelena and Daddy are right. I'm crazy."

Cora gasped. "Don't ever say that," she said seriously. "Don't you dare. You are not and don't use that word. It's not a nice word."

Regina's eyes widened. "Sorry, but Lena and Daddy said they aren't real."

Cora stared at her and didn't say anything for a moment and Regina thought she was in trouble until the woman reached out and started twisting the tip of Regina's braid around her finger. "Regina, did you see a mermaid?"

Regina hesitated but nodded. "I did." She said firmly. She knows she did.

Cora nodded. "Good. You know what you saw. Don't let anyone make you doubt yourself. If you saw a mermaid then you saw a mermaid."

"Why don't they believe me?"

Cora sighed. "Because like most people, their hearts and minds are closed and they only see what's right in front of them." She lowered her voice. "But then there's you, me and others like us who see the world for what it really is. Beautiful and magical."

Regina's eyes widened with wonder. "Yes. We do." She frowned. "It's sad that Daddy and Zelena can't see it."

Cora agreed. "Right, but what can you do?"

Regina shrugged. "Sucks for them."

Cora gasped then laughed. "Regina!" The little girl gave her mother a devilish smile. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Cuddles?" Regina offered. Cora laughed and patted her lap. Regina climbed into her lap and her mother held her close, cuddling her. The woman then shifted so that they were turned sideways and they could see out of the window.

"How about a story, my love?"

Regina looked up at her. "Yes, please. A mermaid story!"

Cora laughed. "You love those."

"I do." Regina giggled.

"Okay, so, a mermaid story it is."

Regina sighed and rested her head on her mother's shoulder and listened to her as she told her a story of an undersea kingdom of young mermaids. Her eyes stayed on the sea as night finally settled on the beach.

"The anticipation is killing me," Zelena mumbled. Regina looked up from her computer screen where she was Googling what mermaids ate. She gave her sister a look before turning back to the screen. "Still not speaking to me, huh?"

Regina kept her eyes on the screen. "There's nothing to say."

"Regina, I'm sorry, okay?" She said. "I thought you were just a little kid telling stories..."

"What about when we were older? You mocked me after mom's funeral." Regina said. She was pretty sure that was the worst that Zelena had ever hurt her and her older sister had done some hurtful things to her when they were young.

"I shouldn't have done that. I was so angry." Zelena explained. "I lost two moms and you wouldn't even cry for the one we shared. Then you were sitting on the edge of the docks waiting for a freaking mermaid instead of mourning with me and daddy. I just... I didn't mean to hurt you."

Regina sighed and didn't look up. "I did cry for mom. Everyday. Usually in my room or at the docks. I sometimes could feel her in the ocean breeze and that made me cry even more. I still feel her but I don't cry anymore. I know she just wants to be near me. It's good to know she misses us as much as we miss her though."

Zelena stayed silent for a moment as if she didn't know what to say next but Regina stayed quiet waiting for her sister to call her crazy or to leave but that never came. Instead, she asked something she wasn't expecting. "How do you know it's mom?"

Regina glanced up then. "I just do, especially when it plays with my hair the way she used to."

Zelena just stared at her in awe. "Wow. Regina, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Zelena."

Zelena smiled. "Really?"

Regina shrugged. "I'm just glad I got to experience your encounter with the world around you."

"What?"

Regina didn't elaborate and she found what she was looking for. "It says here that mermaids are omnivores. Fresh fruits and vegetables and meat. They only eat raw meat though."

"I don't think we have any thawed," Zelena said thoughtfully.

"So salad it is," Regina said simply.

Zelena opened her mouth and started to say something but a ringing came from Regina's laptop. On the screen, she found that Killian was video calling her. Zelena gave her a look then huffed.

"Zelena, I told him he could check on us," Regina explained.

"Why though?" Zelena asked.

Regina shrugged. "He was worried because we live right on the ocean."

"He lives on the ocean."

"Actually he's at Smee's." Regina corrected.

Zelena made a face. "Why do you know that?"

"He told me when he... walked me home."

"Jeez."

"I know, I know." Regina sighed. "I don't like him. I was only being nice."

"Why do you always have to be nice?" Zelena asked. She wasn't judging her. She seemed sincerely curious. "You can tell people to shove off."

"Actually I can't," Regina muttered. "I promised mom that I would also be kind and never do harm. Besides, what's a video chat?"

Zelena sighed with a roll of her eyes. "Well, go on then, answer."

Regina gave her a side glance.

"Answer." Zelena pushed.

Regina sighed then answered the video call. Her screen was flooded with an image of Killian but instead of a party in the background, all she saw was a bedroom.

"Hey, Regina,"

"Hey." She said. "What happened to your party?"

"Downstairs." He replied. "I told you it would be no fun without you."

Regina nodded and glanced at her sister. "Sorry to hear that."

"Hey, maybe I can come over and we can-"

"Hey, Killian," Zelena said finally making her presence known by popping into the screen. The boy looked surprised but quickly recovered.

"Hey, Zelena." He greeted. The red-headed girl rolled her eyes and then removed herself from the cam. He looked at Regina. "Hanging out with your sister?"

"Yep," Regina replied.

"Nice. I love hanging out with my brothers."

Regina smiled at that. "That's good. Family is important."

"Yes!" The boy hissed. "You totally get it." That earned him another smile. "That's why I want a big family. Lots of kids."

Regina laughed. "Define a lot because that's too general."

He shrugged. "More than ten for sure."

She knew that he was likely joking. "Oh. That's a lot."

"You volunteering or something?" he asked with a raise of his brow and gave her a smoldering look. Regina laughed. She couldn't help it and Zelena snorted beside her.

"In your dreams!" She said through her laugh. She had dreams that did not involve her being barefoot and pregnant and stuck in that little town for the rest of her life. She respected women who could do it but that life just wasn't for her. "I'm sure one of your many women would be glad to give you tons of children."

He scoffed. "I don't have women. Well, not like that. I'm being a good boy."

Regina nodded along but not buying it. "Right..."

He laughed. "I am!"

"Why don't I believe you?"

"I'm up here talking to you." Killian pointed out. "Not partying or hooking up with some girl."

"Um..." Regina raised a finger. "Firstly, I don't know what you did before you got on the call with me and I don't know what you'll do after we get off."

"I mean, we can stay on all night?" He offered with a grin. "You can keep an eye on me..."

Regina flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Yeah. I don't think so."

He shook his head with a smile. "You're hilarious. Fine. I did offer. So, I'll just give you my word. A sailor's word is true. I'll be a good boy."

"There are two things wrong with that statement." Regina began and she heard Zelena snort because she probably knew what she was going to say. "One: you aren't a sailor, and two: no it's not."

Zelena laughed out then. "Geez."

Killian laughed as well. "You are... oh wow. You're right but I'm serious. I'm giving you my word. I will be a good boy."

Regina fake gasped. "Aww, I'll give you a belly rub and see if Max is willing to share some of his biscuits." She said with an eye roll.

"A belly rub?" He asked excitedly but she knew that he was playing along. "Yes! And what kind of biscuits? The liver ones are amazing."

Regina made a face and shook her head. "Why is it that you're almost two years older than me and yet I'm more mature than you are?"

He shrugged with another laugh. "Honestly when I'm talking to you, I become a twelve-year-old with a crush."

"Oh wow," Regina said sarcastically. "Oh wow."

"Yeah keep making fun of me," Killian said with a playful roll of his eyes. "Mean."

Regina snorted. "Are you going to cry, Killy Willy?"

He snorted then. "Why do I keep talking to you only to be harassed, sassed and intimidated?!"

"You have a mean girl kink." Zelena pointed out and Regina glanced at her and they shared a grin because they both knew that Regina was far from that.

"If that were the case, I would be trying to date you." Killian threw back.

Zelena gagged. "I'd rather date an ogre... which would pretty much be the same as dating you anyway... but it probably smells better."

Regina covered her mouth to muffle her laugh. Killian's mouth fell open then he looked at Regina. "You gonna let her talk to your future boyfriend and husband like that?"

"Who's that?" Regina and Zelena asked at the same time.

He made a show of being wounded. "You're looking at him."

Regina blew out a breath and rubbed the back of her neck. "That's news to me, buddy."

He laughed. "Okay, Regina. Remember this conversation in ten years."

"What's going to happen then?"

"Our wedding day."

"Ho-kay." Regina laughed. "This is getting sad. The delusion, Killo."

"Oh man, I can't wait to tell our kids this story."

"Oh geez."

He chuckled. "Do you want children someday?"

Regina shrugged. She hadn't exactly given it much thought. She was only fifteen. A child herself. It's understandable why Killian had thought about it since he was already seventeen and would be eighteen in the summer. "I suppose."

"How many?"

"I might follow in my mother's footsteps and have two."

Killian smiled. "That's cute. You know, I remember your mom well. She was so sweet and used to ask me, 'which one of my girls are you here to chase around?' Every time I came by to play with Zelena."

Regina laughed. "I remember that. I also remember that you two wouldn't let me play with you and your friends."

"You were a baby!" Killian argued. "You couldn't keep up."

"And we weren't babysitters," Zelena added.

"What she said." Killian agreed.

Regina raised a brow. "But I can, now?"

"You've already caught up." He wagged his brows. She pursed her lips. "I'm serious. You're not a kid anymore. You're growing into a very... beautiful young woman. I feel like an idiot for not letting you play with us."

Regina shrugged. "Yeah if only you had known that I'd go from an A cup to a C cup in one summer and get a perfect ass, right?"

"Bloody impressive if you'd ask me," Zelena muttered.

Killian pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's not like that. I mean, your nice body and your very pretty face, I did take notice. I won't lie. But also, I like that you're so sweet and have this peacefulness about you. You're also intelligent and caring. Oh, and you always make me smile. What guy wouldn't be into that?"

"I'm assuming not many?"

"Exactly!"

"Well, then."

Zelena groaned. "I can't listen to this anymore." She rolled over and got out of Regina's bed. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand.

"Where are you going?" Regina asked as she watched her sister walk across her room. She said nothing then winked at her and slipped into the bathroom.

Regina kept her eyes on the bathroom. She didn't even hear him speaking to her. "Regina?"

That pulled her attention back to him. "Yes?"

"I asked if you guys managed to batten down the hatches?"

"Oh." Regina gasped. "Yeah. We're waiting for Daddy and my dog to get home. After that, we'll lock up for good."

Killian looked concerned. "Your dad not home yet?"

"Well no," Regina said simply. "He might have gone into town to stock up on food and supplies for the storm. He'll be home soon."

"I'll come wait with you," Killian said standing up.

"No," Regina said quickly. "It's okay. I promise. You're safe where you are. Stay there."

The boy looked unsure but nodded. "Okay."

Regina smiled and opened her mouth to say something but then there was a loud click, like a camera flashing, a splash then a sudden shrill, high pitched almost animalistic cry. Regina turned to the bathroom and she could see water splashing. She gasped.

"Sis!" Zelena called and she sounded terrified.

"What's going on?" Killian asked, obviously hearing the commotion and seeing the look on Regina's face. "You two okay?"

"I have to go," Regina said quickly.

"Regina?" He asked more seriously. "What's going on?"

"I'll call you back." She added and began closing her laptop. She could hear him calling her before it shut but she didn't have time to make up a lie. Besides, she was a terrible liar. That's why she never tried. She tossed her laptop beside her and ran into the bathroom. What she found there caused her stomach to drop and her blood to run cold. Everything was moving in slow motion. The mermaid was in the bathtub making loud alarmed cries as she splashed and flailed around in the bathtub.

Zelena was standing in the corner with her phone in her hand, shaking.

"Zelena," Regina breathed out. "What did you do?"

"I just took a picture of her," Zelena whispered. "I mean, nothing else woke her. I didn't expect this to."

Regina stormed over to her sister and snatched the phone from her hand and quickly searched through it to find the photo. It was of the sleeping mermaid. Her tail was visible as well as her webbed hands. Even without that, it was easy to see she wasn't human. She deleted it. She shoved it back into her sister's hand. "Do not photograph her. That will put her in danger."

She could only imagine what someone would do if they found out that mermaids did exist. That's why they avoided humans. Humans were destructive and they didn't trust them.

Zelena nodded. "I'm sorry."

Regina nodded and squeezed her hand. "We need to calm her down. She's scared."

"What do we do?" Zelena breathed.

Regina shook her head then looked back at the frightened creature who was still whining and whimpering in fear as she looked around the bathroom with wide, frightened eyes. Regina stepped closer to her.

"Sis..." Zelena whispered. Regina turned to her to shush her. She then turned back to the mermaid. "Hey, hey, hey..." She said softly. She stopped a few feet from the bathtub.

The mermaid stared at her and her abnormally large, glowing, green eyes locked on hers. She just sat there seemingly frozen then she sniffed the air in her direction. She looked at Regina again and held her eyes. Regina smiled at her then the mermaid visibly began to calm. "Hello... my sister and I... found you." Regina pointed behind herself at the girl hiding in the corner.

The mermaid's chest was still heaving and her webbed fingers were clutching the side of the bathtub. She looked so scared.

"You washed up on the beach and I saw you from my window... I thought you were a human..." She laughed awkwardly. "Then when we came out, I saw your..." She gestured to her tail fin. "We saw that you were tangled in a net so we had to bring you here to cut you out but then you didn't wake up so we cleaned your wounds and put you into this water."

The mermaid watched her quietly but didn't say anything. She tilted her head as if observing her. Regina didn't move and gazed back into her eyes, trying to show her that she was an ally and not an enemy.

The mermaid turned and leaned over the side of the bathtub. She reached out a hand to the human.

"Re...gin...a..." She growled out the words quietly and slowly but completely clear. "My... lit... tle... hu...man..."

Regina's eyes widened and she looked back over her shoulder at her sister. The older girl shrugged. Regina turned back to the mermaid. "What?" She asked quietly.

"My." The mermaid placed a hand on her own chest. "Hu...man. you... are... my... human." The mermaid stopped and furrowed her brow for a moment as if thinking it over. "Mine..." She confirmed with a nod to herself.

Her voice was so gravelly and she sounded as though she had never spoken any words before and was testing them out for the first time. Regina remembered that her mother had spoken to her about mermaids and had taught her that they do not speak like humans but instead sing to each other under the sea like whales and also use sounds similar to dolphins. They also chitter, hoot and whine to each other. That's where they were more animal than human.

But this mermaid was speaking human words. She even knew her name.

"You-you remember me?" Regina asked stepping closer. The mermaid nodded.

"Gina, careful," Zelena said pushing off the wall and heading her way.

"My human... g-girl..." Was the mermaid's answer. That time clearer than before as if she felt more confident in her English speaking ability. Regina was in complete awe. She had never thought this would happen.

She smiled at the mermaid. "I haven't forgotten you either." She lowered herself so that she was at eye level with the mermaid. The blonde sea nymph leaned closer to her as if needing to be near her. "I feel like I am at a disadvantage though because you know my name but I do not know yours..."

The mermaid gave Regina a small, tired, closed-lipped smile as if she knew that her fangs would startle the girls. "My na...me... is... Em... ma..."

The human girl smiled then and she looked back at her sister who looked surprised.

"Emma?" She asked.

The mermaid nodded. "Yes."

"It is a pleasure to formally meet you, Emma," Regina said then. Her little mermaid had returned and she only wished that her mother was there to see it.

Finally a meeting. The next chapter has way more SQ. We're still only at the beginning...