A/N: Happy Sunday guys!
This Chapter is dedicated to Ines, a gorgeous and wonderful girl who I've recently got to know. You make me smile with just a simple text, and I'm very happy to have you in my life.
Enjoy the chapter everybody! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!
"It had…" Emma groaned as she tried to push a heavy box across the floor. "...to be...the attic."
"This is why I told you to clean it." Regina said as she looked through another box across the room.
"Are you j- UGH." Emma stopped trying to push the ridiculously heavy box and sighed in exasperation. "Are you joking? There's no way one person can clear this place out alone. What do you even have in this box?"
"I'm not sure." Regina said.
"Why did you even put it up here? Why not your vault, isn't that where you keep all your magic junk?"
"It's not junk." Regina rolled her eyes at Emma. "And the vault was getting too crowded."
Emma rolled her eyes and started looking through another box while muttering under her breath. "Not easy having sex in a crowded vault, I guess."
Thunk and something hit her on the back of the head. She turned around.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, looking at the plastic ball that was now bouncing around on the floor. "Did you just chuck a christmas bauble at me?"
"I was feeling festive." Regina smirked. "Henry, make yourself useful and look in the heavy box that was burdening your mother so."
"You two are ridiculous." he said, opening the box and sticking his head in it. "Uhhhh…"
"What's in there anyway?" Emma asked. Henry pulled his head out and stood straight holding up something made out of black leather.
"What the hell even is this?" he asked.
"That…" Emma tried not to drool. "Would be a corset."
"Gross." Henry said, dropping it in the box.
"Is that box full of your old evil queen clothes?" Emma asked in mild excitement as she dove into the box. Regina stepped over and pulled her back up by the collar of her shirt.
"Be careful, I'm pretty sure I enchanted that box to be bottomless." the brunette said.
"Well that would explain why it's so heavy...why do you need a bottomless box for all your clothes?" Emma asked. "And also why did you never tell me you had that corset."
Regina raised a brow at her. "Can we focus please?"
"Fine." Emma said. "But I'm not forgetting about that corset."
"Gross." Henry said, closing the box. "I agree with mom that we should focus and forget about this box completely."
"Not happening." Emma said as she dove into another box, pulling out a string of tinsel. "Why are these boxes not labelled?"
"I'll admit that storage organisation is not my strong suit." Regina said. "Is that all Christmas decor?"
"Is this a plastic garden reindeer?" Emma asked.
"That would be a yes...leave Rudolph alone." Regina said.
Emma snorted. "His nose is a light bulb."
"Emma stop fooling around with the holiday paraphernalia!" Regina chastised.
"But you have a matching Santa!" Emma laughed. "Why did you never bring this stuff out?"
"She's embarrassed." Adult Amorie walked through the attic door, making her blonde mother jump and nearly leap into the Christmas box.
"I am not." Regina said, giving her daughter a warning glare, getting only an eye roll in response.
"You are too. While I was growing up, Christmas was always your favourite time of year, you'd bake, you'd decorate you'd sing. Not to mention the cheesy matching sweater photos you always made us take." Amorie said, smirking at Regina. "It was cute, Christmas was always awesome because of you."
"Aww." Emma said, wrapping an arm around her fiancée. "Babe, you gave us a family Christmas."
"Enough." Regina groaned.
"No hey, it's okay. I love it." Emma said. "I never got a Christmas like that when I was a kid, or ever, really. I always wanted everything that went into it...even the cheesy matching sweater photos."
"Well...Yeah." Regina gave Emma a small smile. "I guess it makes sense...me wanting to give you that."
"And you do...I really am the luckiest person in the universe." Emma said, dropping her head gently on Regina's shoulder and side-hugging her tightly. "I love you."
"I love you too dear." Regina said, dropping a kiss on the top of Emma's head.
"Awww." Amorie gushed.
"Gross. Can we get back to work please?" Henry said.
"Have you guys still not found the bag?" Amorie asked.
"We got a little distracted." Regina gave Emma a look.
"You're the one who keeps your corsets within reach." Emma shot back.
"Okay. Gross." Amorie covered her ears. "Why do we always lose focus?"
"Because your mother is hotter than the sun?" Emma asked.
"Aww." Regina smiled at the blonde. "You're so sweet."
"Wow." Amorie rolled her eyes. "What does the bag look like again?"
"Black, canvas...uhhh...Probably worn out from being used all over the world." Emma shrugged.
"Did either of you get a good look at it?" Amorie asked.
"We both did." Regina nodded.
"Okay, hands." Amorie held out her hands towards her mothers.
"Uhm…" Emma said, giving her daughter her hand with a look of confusion on her face.
"Okay." Regina gave Amorie her hand as well. "What are you doing?"
"Just be quiet. Close your eyes, and focus on what the bag looked like." Amorie said.
"Amorie we can't use magic without knowing where the bag is." Regina said.
"Maybe you can't." Amorie said. "Just trust me."
"Okay." Regina said.
"This is never gonna work." Henry said.
"Bet you fifty bucks I can drop it on your foot." Amorie challenged.
"You're on. Easiest fifty bucks ever." Henry crossed his arms and leaned against a pile of boxes.
"Close your eyes and focus on the bag." Amorie instructed her mothers again. They gave each other a look before doing as their daughter bade them, focusing on the image of the bag that they seen. Amorie closed her eyes as well, focusing on the connection between her and her mothers.
They could feel the magic flow through them towards their daughter, a steady flow like a stream of water...and suddenly…
Thump
"OW!" Henry yelped, getting both his mothers to open their eyes and look his way. They looked at the floor in front of him and there it was. The canvas bag that held all the artifacts August had collected.
"Told you." Amorie said, releasing her mother's hands and crossing her arms with a victorious smirk on her face.
"You didn't tell me it would be that heavy!" Henry argued.
"That's what you get for acting like a know-it-all, big bro." she smirked at him. "And you also owe me fifty bucks."
"Enough, you two." Regina said as Emma tried to pick up the bag.
"Ugh, fuck, this thing really is heavy what's in here?" she said, heaving it off of her son's foot and onto the floor.
"Hopefully, the page with the door on it, among other things." Regina said.
"Well someone better poof it down stairs, I am not carrying this thing." Emma said.
"You could cast a featherlight enchantment on it." Amorie said.
"Could future me do that?" Emma asked.
"Yeah." Amorie nodded.
"Great. Because I sure as shit can't. Regina?" Emma looked toward her fiancée.
"You really need to practice more, Emma." Regina advised before she flicked her hand out towards the bag and it disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.
"Destination?" Emma asked.
"Dining room, figured we could spread the things inside of it out." Regina shrugged.
"Good plan, this is why you're mayor." Emma said, kissing her on the cheek before she left the room.
"That and there was literally never an election." Amorie snorted as she followed her.
"The people know stability when they see it." Regina shrugged, looking to Henry who was still rubbing his foot. "Are you okay?"
"Being wrong never hurt so much." he sighed.
"Well I suppose this should teach you not to underestimate your sister." she said. "Is it broken?"
"No." he groaned. "Just bruised...like my pride."
"Good. Come along then." Regina said, leaving the room with Henry on her tail.
"So...do you really have all your evil queen clothes in that box? Cause that'd make an awesome halloween costume." he said.
"Your mother would never let me leave the house if I put one on." Regina said.
"Gross."
"You asked." Regina shrugged.
They made their way downstairs and into the dining room, where Emma was already digging through the bag.
"Careful!" Regina chastised. "One rogue magical artifact and you could blow your hand off."
"And we know how mom feels about hooks." Henry teased.
"Not funny." he got back from his two mothers.
Emma pulled out a ball that looked like it was made of glass. "Is this a crystal ball."
"What was your first clue?" Regina asked.
"It whispered to me 'you have a future of sass coming your way'" Emma rolled her eyes and put the ball down, Regina catching it when it nearly rolled off the table.
"Watch it!" she sighed, glaring at the blonde. "Do you want to unleash unholy, vengeful spirits?"
"Why, is your mother visiting?" Emma shot back.
"Ha. Ha." Regina glared at her, gently placing the ball down somewhere it can't roll away. "I hope she does haunt your nightmares!"
"What crawled up your guys' butts?" Henry asked.
"Yeah they never fight like this." Amorie said, reaching into the bag "Hang on...ah-HA."
She pulled out an amulet made out of nearly jet-black metal and a ruby in the middle of it that was glowing.
"The fuck is that?" Emma asked.
"Amulet of discord. Makes even the biggest of lovers quarrel." She said, going into the kitchen and chucking it into the freezer.
"Did you just-"
"Lower the amulet's temperature to soothe even the most heated of debates." Amorie recited. "Henry and I came across it once on a trip."
Emma frowned, looking back at Regina with guilt-ridden eyes. "I'm sorry I made that crack about your mom."
"Magical artifacts can be dangerous." Regina sighed, stepping up to Emma and wrapping an arm around her waist. "You're forgiven."
Regina got a kiss on her temple in response.
"Now that that's over." Henry said. "Can we sift through this stuff carefully please?"
"Agreed." Amorie nodded.
"Do we need, like, gardening gloves?" Emma asked, getting eye rolls from everyone. "What? That's a reasonable question!"
"Sure, ma." Amorie said. "But no, just handle them carefully and if something feels hot, just...drop it."
"Like it's-" Emma began with a smirk.
"If you finish that sentence I am leaving you and taking the kids." Regina threatened. Emma visibly deflated.
"You never let me have any fun." she said.
"If I didn't know you guys any better, I'd say the freezer was broken." Amorie sighed. "Focus."
"Hey what's this?" Henry said, reaching into the bag and pulling out what looked like a decorated glass pipe. "What magic does it do."
Amorie took it from his hands, studying it a second before she snorted. "The magic of marijuana."
"Throw it away." Regina said immediately.
"Oh come on it's empty and it looks cool." Emma said.
"Now." Regina said again.
"Now I'm kind of worried the dragon was just high the whole time." Emma chuckled.
"Don't tell Zelena, she's a lot more calm after her vision quest or whatever the hell." Regina waved off.
"If the Dragon shared what's in that pipe, I don't blame her." Emma laughed.
"This was probably just…payment." Amorie shrugged.
"Hey check the pockets." Emma said. "Whenever I stole crap from people's bags, stuff like letters and maps and stuff were always folded away in the pockets."
"Valuable life lesson for our children." Regina gave her a look.
"Well if they ever wanna find where a person keeps their map, yeah." Emma said.
"Uh mom?" Amorie said.
"Yes sweetheart?" Regina asked.
"Ma's right." she held up the folded page. "It was in the pocket."
"Ha!" Emma crossed her arms and grinned victoriously. "I win."
"Win...what?" Regina asked with a quirked brow.
"I…" her arms dropped. "I don't know I was just enjoying being right for once."
A gentle hand rubbed her shoulder lightly before Regina turned to Amorie and asked her silently to hand her the page. Her daughter complied, and she opened up the page to see the picture of a door.
"This is it." Regina nodded. "The author should be behind that door."
"Great." Henry said. "...How do we get him out?"
Four sets of eyes looked towards each other in confusion before Regina dropped her arms.
"God. Dammit."
"Wait! I have an idea!" Emma said, snatching the page from Regina's hand and laying it flat on the table, the image facing upwards.
"What are you doing?" Regina asked. Emma smoothed the paper out and then stepped back, a hand clenching into a fist. She gently hovered the fist above the page, very close to it, and then…
Knock knock knock.
They waited for a moment, and when nothing happened, the brunette turned to her fiancée.
"Are...you...kidding me?" Regina asked.
"What?!" Emma asked.
"Knocking?" Regina asked again.
"It was worth a shot. Do you have any better ideas?" Emma asked.
"Oh gee, Emma, I don't know, why don't you try ringing the doorbell."
"That freezer is definitely on the fritz." Amorie muttered to her brother.
"Well I would if there was one drawn on the page!" Emma said. "Hey maybe I can doodle one!"
"Do not. Try to doodle. On the author's door." Regina warned her.
"Hey guys." Henry said, getting their attention. "What do you use to open a locked door?"
"A key." his mothers answered at the same time, getting a pointed look from both their children. They sighed in realisation.
"We need a key." Regina said.
"Yeah that...does make more sense than knocking." Emma said.
"Where are we even going to find the key?" Regina asked.
"I could doodle one!" Emma suggested.
"And I'm sure it would be a pretty key, Emma." Regina said. "But I don't think it will open the door."
"Well. I tried." Emma crossed her arms, getting a fond eye roll from Regina.
"Artistry aside." she said. "Where do we even start?"
"I may have an idea but…" Amorie looked at Regina. "You're not gonna be happy about it."
"Why not?" Regina asked.
"Well...where do you usually keep your stuff?" Amorie asked.
"My house." Emma shrugged.
"And the author has a…"
"Mansion." Regina's eyes turned dark. "The Author's Mansion."
"You mean our wedding venue?!" Emma's eyes went wide.
"If this whole mess screws up my wedding I am going to be so pissed." Regina growled, snatching the page off the table and storming out of the house.
"Something tells me she's already halfway there." Henry said.
"Yeah...I'm kind of scared for Rumple at this point." Emma said and then she smirked. "But god she's hot when she's mad."
"Gross!" both her children chastised her.
Getting the key to the mansion from Isadora was the easy part, a quick explanation and she was handing them the key (along with strict instructions that they were not under any circumstances to try out the bed they were hoping to spend their wedding night on. To which Emma may have responded with a disappointed 'awwww')
They drove up to the mansion, Henry already planning on making a beeline to the library with the blank story books, Amorie nodding to him when he told her.
"There are times you practically live in there in the future." she told him. "You use the blank books to document the stories you come across when you travel to different realms."
"Awesome." he smiled at her.
"We're here." Emma said as she put the car in park.
"Remind me why I let you convince me to take the bug?" Regina said as she climbed out of the yellow machine.
"My keys were in my pocket while yours were lost somewhere in the abyss of your handbag?" Emma shrugged. "Seriously who needs four sets of lipstick on them at once?"
"I like to change it up sometimes." Regina said. "Can we please focus?"
"Please." Henry and Amorie agreed.
"Okay you two check the library." Emma said. "Your mom and I will-"
"Not go within five meters of the bedroom doors." Amorie said.
"Yeah we'll be here all day if you do." Henry rolled his eyes.
"I mean, I know how to drive and you know how to hot-wire a car so…" Amorie shrugged.
"You hot-wire my bug you're grounded till you have your third child." Emma warned.
"It's insanely attractive when you get all stern and parental." Regina said. "But they're right, we don't have all day."
"Come on, the sooner we go in the sooner we find that key." Emma said. They started climbing up the steps to the mansion, and Emma opened the large wooden front door with the key. She let Amorie and Henry in first and looked to Regina, who was looking through her handbag. "Are you still looking for your keys?"
"No, I'm looking for the colour samples I brought with me. I want to see which shades go better." the brunette responded.
"Colour samples?" Emma asked before she realised what Regina meant. "This isn't exactly the time to pick out wedding colour schemes, babe."
"We need to put the order in soon if we want it to get here in time." Regina said, pulling out the colour samples and starting to enter the mansion. "Now do you want a vote or am I just making the whole thing purple?"
"Oh hell no we agreed we'd mix it up to match both our tastes." Emma said, following her swiftly.
"There's that fire I fell in love with." Regina chuckled.
"Damn right."
"Okay." Henry said as he and the adult version of his little sister entered the library. He put the page and his backpack down on a table and went towards a shelf. "Start looking for any kind of clue you can, maybe there's a book in here that the page belongs in."
"God this room feels so empty." Amorie remarked as she started looking through the books.
"Empty? Every shelf is full!" Henry said.
"Yeah but over in my time, you practically live in here. There's a permanent indent of your ass on that chair over there." Amorie pointed distractedly at an armchair. "Not to mention that one time I walked in on you getting it on with your wife on the desk."
"My what?! OW!" Henry had turned, exclaimed in shock, and subsequently dropped a heavy book on his foot (thankfully it wasn't the one Amorie dropped the bag on earlier.)
"I've...said too much." she smirked, turning her back towards her brother and trying not to giggle into the book she was pretending to search in.
"I get married?!" Henry demanded.
"You're genuinely surprised?" Amorie asked with a quirked brow.
"I mean...kind of? I mean...I don't know. I guess I just never thought about it." he shrugged.
"Of course not, you've always been too busy helping everyone else with their happy endings, you never bothered to think about your own." Amorie shrugged.
"What's her name? Is she pretty?" Henry asked.
"Hah." Amorie shook her head. "I'm not telling you."
"But you said you could!" Henry complained.
"I could...whether or not I want to though is a totally different matter." the brunette girl teased.
"No fair!" Henry complained. "At least tell me if she's, like, hot or something."
"I'd do her." Amorie shrugged.
"Hey! That's my wife you're talking about!" Henry said, suddenly defensive. Amorie chuckled and stepped up to him, ruffling his hair as Emma sometimes does when she thinks he's acting cute.
"That's sweet big bro. Don't worry, she's very pretty and hot and beautiful and I've seen you legitimately drool sometimes while looking at her." she said. "Now how about we focus on fixing the future huh? Before she gives birth."
"I'M HAVING A KID?!" Henry squealed, getting Amorie to snort and laugh, shaking her head.
"No, that one was a joke, I just wanted to see how badly you'd flip." she said.
"Not funny!" He complained again.
"You guys have talked about it and you both want to, just want to wait till the time is right." Amorie said.
"Well...yeah, I guess that makes sense." He shrugged. "Did I look stupid in my wedding tux?"
"You looked very handsome and like a real-life prince, big bro." she assured him. "Now how about we get back to finding this key huh?"
"Shouldn't we be upstairs helping the kids?" Emma asked as she watched Regina who was staring out onto the garden.
"Emma this is beautiful." she said, gesturing to the wide, well-kept landscape. "I don't know if I want my wedding out here or the reception."
"Our wedding." Emma poked her shoulder gently.
"Right, sorry, yes." Regina nodded.
"Well...White is officiating, and she said usually with fairies they only officiate in the woods. Maybe her officiating in the woods-adjacent garden is a good compromise?" Emma shrugged.
"Smart thought." Regina nodded.
"I have them from time to time, I once decided I wanted to marry the hottest woman in town." Emma said, getting a knowing smirk from her fiancée. "Best choice I ever made."
"I dare say it was." Regina said, giving the blonde a soft kiss on the corner of her lips. "But back to this, what do you think?"
"Well it can get crazy cold in the evening here." Emma said. "So maybe it'd make the most sense to have the ceremony out here during the day and then do the reception in the ballroom. And that way you won't risk getting those killer heels of yours caught in the grass and breaking an ankle during our first dance."
"Well put." Regina rolled her eyes. "But that does make sense."
"And we can have a cute little wedding arch with all those cheesy flowers around it, and a big-ass ribbon." Emma said, moving her hands around as she described the image in her mind. Regina nodded and pulled out a notebook and pen and started writing.
"Big-ass ribbon, by one." she nodded and emphasized the note with a full-stop.
"Did you seriously just write that down?" Emma chuckled.
"Yep. I have to email all of this to your mother when we get home." Regina said. Emma stared at her for a moment.
"...You told her we were coming to the mansion didn't you?" she asked.
"Yes I did." Regina said before turning around and going back inside. "Come on, I need you to look at table-cloth swatches!"
"We have to go help the kids!" Emma said.
"Oh I'm sure they're fine." Regina waved off. "What do you think of Chartreuse?"
"...Bless you?"
Thanks for reading! Please review!