Hi there! I hope you are all still enjoying this. In this next chapter is part of an idea from a reader. I hope everyone likes it and enjoys the chapter. Let me know!
An hour had passed since Regina had been put down for a nap and Emma was surprised to find that she was still fast asleep. Ruby had stopped by after the park as well deciding to finish herself and Emma's conversation back at Emma's loft. Emma came back down stairs from checking Regina and flopped back down on the sofa.
"Still asleep I am guessing?" Ruby asked.
Emma nodded. "Yea I'm surprised I thought she would have been up by now."
"So how are things really Emma?" Ruby asked making Emma look at her with a confused frown.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean is everyone really coping as well as they make out with little Regina? How is Snow and David? How is Henry and how are you?"
Emma sighed. "Snow and David seem fine with it. Slowly getting used to having a toddler around. They seem to be enjoying it actually. Like it's not only Regina's second chance but theirs. I suppose that's how they see it."
"And Henry?"
"Henry still finds it weird but anyone would. Regina had raised him for ten years and then all of sudden she is a toddler. Not exactly your every day thing. But he seems to be getting on well with her." Emma shrugged.
"And what about you?" Ruby asked. "How are you feeling about it all?"
Emma sighed. She wasn't sure how to answer that question. "I don't know. I'm happy Regina is getting this chance to start over. Wipe away all that she done I suppose."
"But?"
"But I can't help the niggling feelings I get when I see her with Snow and David." Emma said quietly just staring straight out in front of her. Staring at nothing in particular. "I guess a jealous feeling in a way. There's Regina who let's face it was the cause of why my mom and dad had to send me away in that stupid magic wardrobe, she gets a chance to live life over. To have a loving mother and father, my loving mother and father and what do I get? I know that little Regina has no idea what she done, but I just…when I see them together I can't help those niggling feelings."
Ruby placed a hand on Emma's knee and gave her a comforting smile. "Emma it's natural to feel that way. Nobody would blame you for feeling that way. It must be difficult."
"You see the thing is…before all this…" Emma gestured with her hand. "I never saw them as my mom and dad. Even though I knew they were. I thought it was too late for that. I am a grown up and being like that with them would be weird but then I look at Regina and I wish I had that. I know that they both love me…geese they tell me often enough but…"
"You wish you had what Regina had right now?" Ruby interrupted.
"I guess." Emma sighed. "I don't really know what I want. I suppose I could say that I do not want to be turned back into a toddler." Ruby laughed a little at that. "I just think I will need some time to get used to it all and work my head round it. Not exactly something you can except right away."
"You have all done a great job of falling into it though. I mean Snow and David are great with Regina and you were great with her today." Ruby said.
Emma smiled. "I guess I was. I'm sure we will all be fine." Still Emma couldn't get rid of the little feelings of jealousy. She hadn't had her parents around her growing up. She didn't have what Regina was going to have from her parents. She sighed and Ruby decided she should leave. Emma showed her out and turned on her heel as she heard a little voice from behind her.
"Emma…" Regina said sweetly, clutching magic and rubbing her eyes.
Emma walked over and crouched down in front of Regina. "You alright kid?" Emma asked.
"I not tired no more." Regina said making Emma smile slightly. She might feel a little jealous of Regina. She might wish she had a chance with her parents like Regina did right now but as she looked into the big brown eyes of the little girl she knew there was no way she could hate or dislike her for any of that. She could live with the little bit of jealousy. She could push it down so that she could perhaps forget about it in a way. "Can we watch TV?" Regina asked.
"Yes sure kid." Emma said lifting Regina up and carrying her over to the sofa. She gently threw her down onto the sofa making her laugh. "You want something to eat? How about some popcorn?"
"Yes please Emma." Regina said with a big grin on her face.
Later on that afternoon Snow picked Regina up from Emma's and decided to take her to the hairdressers for her first hair cut. This made Regina very excited and she couldn't wait to get there. When they got their Snow helped Regina sit on the chair and both the hairdresser and Snow crouched down to be at Regina's level.
"Okay Regina what can I do for you today? How would you like your hair?" The female hairdresser asked.
"I want my hair short like mommy's." Regina said excitedly bouncing up and down on the chair and clapping her hands.
"Oh Regina are you sure?" Snow asked frowning a little. Although she was flattered and loved the fact Regina wanted her hair like hers she wasn't sure if it would be the right thing for Regina.
"Yes mommy." Regina said nodding her head. "Hair like yours."
The hairdresser looked over to Snow silently asking what she was to do. Snow sighed and nodded to go ahead with it hoping it would not be a mistake. Around an hour later the haircut was finished and Snow and the hairdresser waited to see Regina's reaction. Regina smiled and turned round to look at Snow.
"Nice mommy?" Regina asked.
"Of course honey you look lovely." Snow smiled as she leaned down to Regina. "Do you like it?"
"Yes mommy." Regina said happily.
"Okay, well lets go home then." Snow smiled. After paying for the haircut they headed home and Regina decided she wanted to watch a movie. After much deliberation she finally decided on Tangled. Snow put the movie on and Regina sat on the sofa with magic and a blanket while Snow busied herself tiding the house.
When any song came on Regina would get up and dance around and sing, pretending to be Rapunzal. She twirled around and when she stopped she caught her reflection and frowned. Putting her hand on her head she pulled at her short hair her frown becoming deeper. She couldn't be Rapunzal if she had short hair. She couldn't play her game now she had short hair. It was then that she decided that she didn't like her new hair any more. She wanted her old hair back. She ran out of the living room and through to the kitchen where Snow was tiding.
"Mommy I don't like it!" Regina said pulling on Snow's arm.
"You don't like what Regina?" Snow asked. "What's wrong?"
"I don't like it mommy." Regina said putting her hands back on her hair. "I don't want my hair short anymore."
"What? Regina why?" Snow asked leaning down.
"I can't be Rapunzal now. Rapunzal don't have short hair. Mommy I want my old hair back." Regina demanded.
Snow sighed. This was going to be hard to explain. "Regina you can't have your old hair back. You have to wait until your hair grows."
"No mommy!" Regina shouted slightly. "No I want my old hair back!"
"Regina…"
Snow was just about to try and explain more to Regina when David walked in. "What's going on?" David asked. Regina ran over to David, tears now running down her face. David picked her up and held her close. "Hey princess, like the new hair."
"I no princess daddy. I can't be princess like Rapunzal with short hair. I don't like it daddy I want my other hair back!" Regina cried into David's shoulder.
David looked over to Snow and Snow shrugged a little. "I tried to explain that she can't have her old hair back but…well as you can see she isn't happy about it."
David looked down at Regina. "You can be a princess with short hair Regina. Your mommy is one and you are one."
"No daddy." Regina cried shaking her head more tears coming down on her face. "Need my other hair."
David looked back over to Snow. "Okay what do we do?" David asked. He had no idea how to handle this situation.
Snow shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. She seemed really happy about her hair earlier."
"Maybe it's just a phase?" David suggested.
Snow looked at Regina and bit her lip. She doubted that this was just a phase. Regina was really upset about not having her old hair and not being able to be Rapunzal and she now regretted letting her get her hair cut short. She should have gone with her gut feeling and not let her get it. "I don't think it is David. Look at her."
Regina had her head buried in David's chest and was crying her eyes out. He sighed. "Well what can we do? We can't just make her hair grow magically can we?"
Snow's eyes widened slightly as David said that as an idea popped into her head. "Maybe we can…"
David frowned. "What? How can we?"
"Come on. We need to go out." Snow said walking out the room with David quickly following behind her.
David had followed Snow through the town with Regina clinging to his hip until they stopped outside of Gold's shop. He frowned and looked over at Snow. "You want to ask Gold for help?"
Snow nodded her head. "He is probably the only person we can ask for help. Before we always had both Gold and…well…" Snow said looking down at Regina. "But now we only really have Gold who has magic and well maybe he has a way to help us and make Regina's hair grow quicker."
David sighed. He didn't really like going to Gold for help but if it was the only way they could make Regina happy again they would have to give it a go. "Okay lets go."
They walked into the shop and Gold looked up from behind the counter. "My my to what do I owe this pleasure of the Charming family."
"We need your help with something…" Snow started. "I need to know if there is any way that you could give Regina her old hair back, make it grow back to how it was before."
"Well I could but all magic comes with a price dearie." Gold smirked.
David rolled his eyes. "We know that." He sighed and looked down at Regina, her sad little face telling him he would make whatever deal Gold wanted if it helped her. "But as silly and unimportant as it may sound to others Regina is very upset with her new haircut and well it's important to her to have her longer hair so what do you want Gold?"
Gold looked down at Regina, her face red and blotchy from crying, her eyes still shining with tears. He was never one for being soft. Not many people could reduce him to being soft but as he looked at Regina he felt something. He sighed. He couldn't believe he was going to say this. "I don't want anything."
"What?" Snow asked frowning. "You don't want anything for it?"
He shook his head. "No dearie. This one is on me." And with a wave of his hand Regina's hair was back to the length it was before. Gold picked up a mirror and he held it in front of Regina. "Long hair for the princess." He said.
Regina gasped and a smile appeared on her face as she saw her hair was long once again. "My hair is back. Look mommy and daddy." Regina said happily.
Snow and David smiled at Regina and then David looked up at Gold. "Thank you." David then looked down at Regina who was running her fingers through her hair. "What do you say to Mr Gold Regina?"
Regina turned to look at Gold, her smile making her face bright. "Thank you Rumple." She said giving him a toothy grin.