The day had come where both Snow and David were to work and because David was working Emma was taking the morning off. This of course had spurred Snow and David to ask their eldest daughter if she would mind taking care of Regina and Emma had agreed.
Snow turned up early in the morning Regina in tow dressed in jeans with a red Minnie mouse top, her light blue mac that was covered in daises and a pair of black trainers that had glitter at the toe. "Morning Emma. Sorry to have you up so early when you are not working this morning." Snow smiled as they stepped into the loft.
"It's alright. I'm looking forward to spending some time with the kid." Emma said looking over at Regina who seemed as high as a kite for the early morning.
"Yes well I have given her some breakfast. Here is her bag…" Snow said holding up a white back pack that had love hearts and flowers all over it and pink straps. "There is a couple of changes of clothes just in case. A few snacks and she has her Sippy cup in there and she also has Magic her unicorn for when she goes for a nap."
Emma nodded. "Okay." She looked down at Regina who was skipping around the room and singing. "Does she always have that much energy?"
Snow looked in the same direction as Emma and laughed. "It seems so. Although if you take her out to the park before her nap that seems to tire her out. I think it's all the fresh air and running around."
"Right I will do that then." Emma said making Snow laugh. "And…well I hate to ask but what do I do if she misbehaves?"
"Oh yes I did mean to say to you." Snow said. "David and I have discussed this and we are doing a time out. She isn't a big fan of it but that's a good thing as we don't really want her to like it." Snow chuckled. She then continued. "You just sit her down on a step or chair or in a corner, any will be suitable and she sits there for three minutes and thinks about what she has done wrong. After the three minutes are up you ask for an apology from her. If she gives you one then have a hug and she can leave time out and have fun again. If she doesn't give you an apology she stays in time out until she does give you one." Snow explained.
Emma nodded trying to take in everything Snow had just explained to her. She thinks she took it all in but she is not exactly sure. "Okay. Time out in a chair, or on a step or in a corner for three minutes. Apology then hug and have fun, no apology then stay in time out until you get an apology." Emma repeated. "I think I got it."
Snow smiled. "Good." Snow looked at her watch and then gasped as she saw what the time was. "Oh gosh I better get going before I'm late. Regina?" Snow called and Regina came running over to Snow. Snow wrapped her arms round her and kissed the top of her head. "You be a good girl for Emma okay? and I will see you later."
"I will mommy." Regina smiled.
"See you later Emma." Snow called as she left the loft.
Emma turned and looked down at Regina who was looking up at her with a big smile on her face. Emma had no idea what she was going to do with Regina all day. She didn't have that much experience with toddlers although she supposed she had a little from living in homes with some when she was growing up. She put her hands in her pockets of her jeans and watched as Regina copied her making her laugh. "So kid what do you wanna do?"
Regina shrugged her shoulders. "Don't know."
"Wanna watch some TV for a bit and then go to the park a little later on?" Emma asked.
"Okay Emma." Regina smiled.
By late morning Regina was bored with the TV and nagged Emma to take her to the park like she had said. Emma eventually did and while she was there had bumped into Ruby. They both got to talking leaving Regina to run around the park and run off some steam, well so Emma hoped.
Regina skipped around the park trying to think about what she wanted to do. There was so much to do at the park that she finding it hard to chose. She then frowned as she walked round the big climbing frame and saw a group of older kids being mean to a smaller child. She walked over to them and into the middle where the smaller child was, although the smaller child was probably no older than she was.
"Hey, leave her alone." Regina demanded with a glare on her face. A glare to match one of the Evil Queen.
The older children laughed. "And who are you to tell us what to do?" One asked.
"Yea squirt get outta the way!" Another shouted and pushed Regina slightly.
"You mean!" Regina shouted. "You shouldn't be mean to others, or you get a time out."
The older children started laughing again. They couldn't believe this little child was telling them off and threatening them with a time out. Who did she think she was?
"Oh shut up stupid." One of them said. They all then began to move in toward the two of the smaller children.
Regina looked around all of them not sure what to do next. This perhaps had not been a good idea. But she stood her ground and kept a glare on her face. Another boy then burst through the circle of older children and stood in front of the two children.
"Hey pick on someone you own size!" The boy shouted.
"And who the hell are you?" One of the older kids asked.
But before the young boy could answer Regina heard Emma's voice. "Regina? Hey get away from her you lot!" The older children scattered the three younger children just stood there. Emma ran over and crouched down in front of Regina. "Regina you okay?"
Regina nodded her head. "Yes Emma. I help this girl and then this boy saved us."
Emma looked to the little girl beside Regina and then to the boy on the other side of Regina. "What's your name sweetie?" Emma asked the little girl.
"Rose." she said quietly. "But my mommy calls me Tink."
Emma smiled. "Do you know where your mommy is?" Rose nodded her head and pointed over to one of the many benches in the park where a small woman with blonde curly hair was sat. Emma satisfied knowing the little girl was not lost then turned to the boy. "So you saved them eh? What's your name young man?"
"I'm Robin." the boy said proudly sticking his chest out making Emma chuckle.
"Well thank you very much for saving Regina and Rose Robin. You are most brave." Emma said making the boy even prouder of himself. "Do you know where your mom and dad are?"
"Yes they over there." the boy said pointing towards the pond.
once again satisfied that the child was not lost Emma relaxed. She stood up. "Okay now you are all okay I'm going to go back over there. Regina call me if you need me okay?"
"Okay Emma." Regina said. Emma then walked off leaving the three children alone. Regina then turned to Robin. "Thanks you for saving me Robin."
"It's okay." He said blushing slightly.
"You like a knight." Regina said happily. She then turned to Rose. "Would you like to play? We could be bestest friends."
"Okay." Rose smiled.
"Me too?" Robin asked.
"Course Robin. Come on." Regina said running off with Rose and Robin following her. They ran over to the climbing frame and began to climb up. They were laughing and shouting and playing whatever games they could come up with.
Emma watched on with a big smile on her face. She nudged Ruby and motioned with her head over to Regina, Rose and Robin. "Look at that she's made some friends."
"Aw look how cute they all are. She seems to like that boy." Ruby said raising an eyebrow and laughing.
"Ruby she is only three." Emma laughed rolling her eyes.
"Doesn't hurt to have a boy in sight." Ruby said.
"Robin come saves us!" Regina shouted as she and Rose pretended that a monster was after them and the brave knight had to come and save them. Of course Regina was the princess and Rose wasn't quite sure who she was, she was just glad to be playing with them.
"I'm on my way!" Robin shouted back and ran up the steps, up the climbing frame to the girls. He pretended to fight off the monster, however not using a sword but a bow and arrow. "Got him!"
"Yey!" The girls squealed and ran over to Robin and hugged him causing them to fall on the ground and laugh.
"Regina! Come on it's time to go home." Emma called from the bottom of the climbing frame.
"Aww. No Emma I wanna stay here." Regina whined as she looked down from the climbing frame.
"No Regina. We need to go. Come on." Emma said back.
Regina sighed. "I gots to go." She said sadly.
"Wait you need to meets my mommy nows you my best friend." Rose said. Regina nodded and they climbed down off the climbing frame with Robin following them.
"Emma Rose wants me to see her mommy cause I her best friend." Regina said.
"Okay." Emma sighed. "But after that we go okay? Now say goodbye to Robin."
"Bye Robin." Regina said and lunged forward hugging him. "See you later."
"Bye Regina." He said waving.
Emma then took the girls over to Rose's mom who looked up as soon as they approached. "Mommy looks I have a best friend." Rose called as she ran up to her mother.
"Oh you do?" She asked happily.
"Yes mommy. Her name Regina." Rose said introducing Regina.
Regina stood in front of the woman with a big smile on her face. The woman then looked up at Emma who gave a little smile. "Regina helped Rose out, some bigger kids were being a bit mean." Emma said breaking the ice a little.
"Oh they were?" The woman said worry showing on her face. She then turned to look back at Regina. She knew very well who this little girl had once been but if she had helped her daughter who was she to not be polite to the young girl. "Well thank you Regina for helping Rose."
"It okay. She my best friend." Regina replied the smile never leaving her face.
"Yea mommy." Rose added in.
"Well I am glad you have a best friend sweetheart." The woman said happily. She looked up at Emma. "She is a shy girl. Doesn't normal speak to others very well."
"Ah well Regina as I'm sure you well know is not very shy." Emma laughed.
"Yes." The woman laughed.
"Mommy I wants Regina to come to my house." Rose said tugging on her mother's arm.
"Not today sweetie. But maybe another day."
"Okay." Rose replied sadly.
"Right Regina so goodbye to Rose then and we will head off." Emma said.
Regina said her goodbyes and Emma did too and then they made their way back to the loft. Emma then gave Regina a quick bite to eat and suggested perhaps it was time for a little nap. Regina was not so sure about this but when Emma placed Regina in her big bed with Magic and read her a story Regina was out like a light within about ten minutes. Emma smiled at her small victory and quietly made her way out of her bedroom.
The day had gone easily and she had yet to put Regina in a time out, which she hoped she could get through the rest of the day without doing. She had dreaded telling Regina they had to leave the park in case she had kicked off but she was surprised when there was minimal fuss. She flopped down on the sofa and flicked through the TV channels. She would rest for a bit while Regina napped. Prepare herself for when Regina woke up.