It came to it again that Mary-Margaret and David were both working and needed someone to look after Regina while they did so. Emma this time was working on a case with David so they had to find someone else that would look after Regina. They turned to one of the only other people they could think of, Granny. After much persuasion from Mary-Margaret, telling Granny that Regina would be on her best behaviour and if she wasn't explaining the best way to discipline her Granny finally agreed. So here Mary-Margaret was dropping Regina off who had decided she was going to be a fairy princess today and was wearing her fairy costume and wings over her clothes and trying to explain to Granny everything Regina had and needed.
"Okay so Regina has her backpack here." Mary-Margaret said holding up the purple backpack. "in here is her sippy cup with some orange juice, a few little snacks, her colouring book and pens and a couple of dolls. Oh and her magic wand. As you can see she is a fairy princess today." Mary-Margaret said motioning down to Regina who gave Granny a big toothy grin. "She usually goes down for a nap after lunch time. It can sometimes be quite a struggle and if it takes you more than twenty minutes to get her to go to sleep I would just forget about the nap as usually it will not happen."
Granny nodded her head taking in everything Mary-Margaret had said and now holding Regina's purple backpack. "And if she misbehaves?" Granny asked.
"Time out is the method David and I have been using. We have luckily not had to use it to often as a warning seems to usually suffice with Regina at the moment but if she really pushes it, place her on a time out for three minutes. once the three minutes are done ask for an apology. If she gives you one great, if she doesn't then she stays in time out until she gives one but she always will apologise." Mary-Margaret explained and Granny nodded her head. "Okay I think that is everything." She then crouched down to Regina's height and smiled at the little girl. She fussed over her, fixing her hair a little. "Right Regina I want you to be a good girl for Granny okay? Do everything she tells you."
"Yes mommy." Regina said sweetly.
Mary-Margaret smiled and placed a kiss on Regina's cheek before standing up and facing Granny. "Thank you again for this Granny. I will be back to pick Regina up after school providing David doesn't get finished any earlier."
"It's fine girl. Now off you go." Granny said ushering Mary-Margaret out of the diner. Granny closed the door behind her and then turned round to face the little girl. Regina just smiled up at her, her hands behind her back and moving back and forth on her feet. "So child are you going to come and help me in the kitchen?" Granny asked.
Regina nodded her head excitedly and quickly walked over to Granny. "Yes Granny." She said and then lifted her arms up indicating she wanted the older woman to lift her up.
"Something wrong with those little legs of yours?" Granny asked as she looked down at the small child.
Regina frowned and looked down at her little legs and then back up at the older woman. "I don't think so…" Regina replied. "I just want up."
"Oh do you now?"
Regina nodded her head. "Daddy carries me all the time when I want to cause I is his pwincess." Regina said happily.
Granny nodded her head. "Are you really?" She said as she began to walk towards the kitchen area with Regina close at her heels. She couldn't deny it was weird seeing the former Evil Queen in the form of a cute child. She had always thought Regina to be a beautiful woman and suspected as a child she would have been equally as beautiful and also cute but actually seeing it she still couldn't get over it.
"Yes. Daddy says I is the best pwincess ever." Regina replied. She then walked around the kitchen looking around her wondering what she could play with in here. She walked over to the stove and was just about to turn something when she felt a hand on her little shoulder. She turned a little to look at Granny.
"You mustn't touch this Regina okay? This stove will be very hot and we don't want to get burnt do we?" Granny said.
Regina shook her head. "No mommy says that's bad and Emma said so to."
"Well mommy and Emma are right. So you promise me you will not touch this?" Granny said motioning to the stove.
"I promise." Regina said holding out her pinkie. Granny frowned and looked down at the little pinkie the girl was holding out. "Pinkie promise. Me and Emma does it." Regina said and pulled Granny's hand over to hers. She gently pulled out the older woman's pinkie and pressed it against her own one. She then pushed on Granny's finger so that she bent it round her one. She smiled up at the older woman and the older woman couldn't help the smile back.
As the day went on Granny was busy rushing around the kitchen making all the orders. Regina had done some colouring, played with her dolls and had even played at being a fairy princess but soon got bored with all the games and had taken off her fairy princess outfit and wings deciding she was not a fairy princess anymore. She had asked Granny lots of questions and soon found Granny didn't like all the questions while she was busy so turned to go and ask Ruby all the questions she wanted to know. She followed Ruby around behind the counter and even when she went to take orders from the tables, Ruby telling her she can be her helper.
"Ruby wait I coming to." Regina called as she saw Ruby about to exit from behind the counter to go take an order from a table. Ruby stopped and waited as Regina ran over to her. Regina held her hand up to Ruby indicating Ruby to take it. Ruby did so and she took Regina over to the table of dwarfs to get their order. Regina looked up at them all ad noticed one in particular was very grumpy. "Why you so grumpy?" Regina asked making the other dwarfs and Ruby giggle at the little girls forwardness.
"What?" Grumpy huffed as he turned his attention to the little girl.
"You so grumpy. Not good to be grumpy." Regina said.
"Regina…" Ruby started to say but Regina continued to talk.
"Mommy always say turn that frown upside down." Regina declared loudly making everyone close by laugh.
"Trust Snow White to teach her that one. When'd the Evil Queen become so positive?" Grumpy muttered loudly. Ruby nudged him with a frown and shake of her head.
Regina gave a confused look. "I not evil and I not a queen either. My daddy says I is a pwincess." She said with a glare and crossed her arms across her chest.
"Yea grumpy, god!" Ruby said dramatically with a roll of her eyes. "Don't you know anything?" she said making Regina giggle a little. "Now guys what's your order?"
Regina listened for a little bit as the dwarfs started to order their food but she soon got bored. She looked around her seeing some people she knew, only because her mommy, daddy and big sister would stop to talk to them but her eyes lit up as soon as she saw a familiar little boy and his parents walk into the diner. She squealed causing Ruby to look down and she began to run across the diner over to where Robin stood with his parents causing Ruby to run after her slightly.
"Robin!" Regina shouted excitedly and as soon as she reached him she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him.
"Hi Regina!" Robin said equally excited to see her.
Ruby stopped and looked down at the sweet little moment between the two children and then realised she should probably tell Regina off for running away from her. "Regina you shouldn't run off like that, even if we are only in the diner. You could have caused an accident." Ruby said sternly.
Regina bit her lip and looked down at the floor, not liking the fact she was being told off and a little embarrassed she was being told off in front of Robin. "Sorry." Regina mumbled looking back up at Ruby.
"That's okay." Ruby said giving her a smile.
Regina turned round to see a woman now crouched down beside Robin. "So you are Regina then?" The woman asked softly and Regina nodded her head happily giving the woman her best smile. "It is nice to meet you finally." The woman smiled back. The woman stood up and addressed Ruby. "Robin hasn't stopped talking about his little friend he met in the park. I have to admit I wasn't so sure about it when he said her name was Regina. After all…you know." The woman said.
Ruby nodded her head. "I know…but she is not…well she isn't her anymore." Ruby explained. She knew it would be hard for people to see past the Evil Queen and just see Regina.
"Mom can I go play with Regina? Please, please, pleaseee?" Robin asked as sweetly as he could.
"Oh Robin, I don't know. We are here to have some lunch." The woman replied.
"Pleaseee mom?"
"They can play in the back room? Granny and I were just about to get some lunch for Regina, we could give Robin his lunch through there so he and Regina can play while you are here." Ruby suggested. Having Robin here to keep Regina entertained for a bit would help both herself and Granny get on with some work and not having to answer any of the little girls questions for a little bit.
"Well I guess that would be okay…What do you think?" The woman said turning to her husband who just nodded his head.
Ruby ushered the two children through to the back room and asked them what they wanted for lunch. Once they had both told her Ruby left them in the room, telling them both to behave. Regina turned to Robin. "Would you like to play with my dolls Robin?" Regina asked.
Robin screwed his face up a little. "I don't like dolls."
"Oh." Regina said a little in surprise. "How can you not like dolls?" She asked. Sometimes she couldn't understand boys.
Robin shrugged. "I just don't."
Regina nodded her head taking his answer. She then put on her thinking face, trying to think what they could do. "Would you like to colour in? I have my colouring book and pens with me. That can be fun."
"Okay." Robin agreed.
Regina ran over to her backpack and took out her colouring book and her pens. She placed them on the table and sat down. Robin sat down beside her. "Now we have to be careful cause mommy says that you always needs to put the tops back on once finished with the pens okay?" Regina bossed and Robin nodded his head. Regina then began to flick through the colouring book to find two pages that had not been coloured in. She finally found two pages, one of a teddy bear and one of a princess. "I'm going to colour the pwincess. You colour the teddy okay?"
"Okay." Robin agreed again.
They began to colour in. They talked every so often about the usual things children talk about, silly things that adults would probably not understand or just find plain funny but to them it was serious talk. They found that even at a young age they enjoyed one another's company. Once Regina had finished colouring in her princess she looked over at Robin.
"Would you like some help? You not finished." Regina said.
Robin shook his head. "Almost done." Regina nodded and she rested back a little. "Where you mommy and daddy?" Robin asked.
"They doing boring stuff." Regina sighed. "Mommy says I can't go when they do boring stuff and Emma is doing boring stuff to so I couldn't go see her."
Robin nodded his head. He put his pen down, making sure to put the top back on as he already had gotten a row from Regina and turned to face her. "Do you like playing cars?" He asked as he pulled a small car out of his pocket.
Regina screwed her face up, just like he had done when she asked about dolls. She shook her head. "Not really. Cars a boring boys stuff."
"They not boring. They cool." Robin huffed a little. "Girls are weird."
"Girls are not weird." Regina gave Robin a bit of a glare.
"Are too." Robin said loudly, standing up.
"Are not!" Regina said just as loudly and now standing up too. "Boys are weird."
"No girls are."
"No boys!"
"No no. Girls are!"
This argument continued for at least five more minutes before Ruby came in with their lunches and rolled her eyes at the two children fighting. She placed the plates on the table and crouched down in-between them deciding to break the fight up now before it got any worse. She had a hunch that no matter how small Regina would be able to handle herself.
"Okay what is going on?" Ruby asked.
"Robin said girls are weird." Regina huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "And he doesn't like playing dolls."
Ruby nodded and then turned to Robin who mirrored Regina's stance and said "R'gina said boys are weird and she don't like cars."
"Okay well neither boys or girls are weird okay? Regina…" Ruby said turning to Regina. "It's okay if Robin doesn't like playing dolls. Not everyone likes playing with dolls and Robin…" Ruby said now turning to Robin. "It's okay that Regina doesn't like playing with cars. Not everyone like playing with cars. It's okay. I am sure you can both find something else you both like to play. But first I want you both to eat your lunches okay?"
"Okay." They both said at the same time. They both sat down at the table and they quietly ate their lunches. Ruby walked out of the room and made a note to herself to go and check on them in half an hour or so to make sure they weren't fighting again.
Robin pushed his plate away, having eaten his lunch quickly and looked over at Regina who was not even half way through her lunch. He sighed and leaned back. "Do you want to colour another page?" He asked hoping his friend didn't hate him.
Regina looked over and gave him a little smile. It seemed all was forgotten. She nodded her head and pushed her plate away, not being a big eater. She pushed the colouring book towards Robin. "You choose this time."
"Okay." Robin smiled and flicked through the book and stopped on the first available pages for them and pushed the book a little closer to Regina. "You not weird." Robin declared.
"You not weird either." Regina responded. They smiled at one another and went to colouring in again.
After a little while Robin had to go home with his mom and dad. Something neither Robin or Regina were pleased about. Now Regina was back to following Granny around until finally Mary-Margaret walked into the diner to pick Regina up.
"Mommy!" Regina cried happily and ran over to Mary-Margaret and jumped into her arms.
Mary-Margaret laughed and caught Regina in her arms. She hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "Hi sweetie. Have you been a good girl today?" She asked.
"Yes mommy. I helped Granny and Ruby and I gots to play with Robin again." Regina explained excitedly.
"You did? Wow." Mary-Margaret said dramatically for the little girl. "Sounds like you had lots more fun than mommy did." Ruby came over to greet Mary-Margaret and Mary-Margaret stood up. "Was she okay?" She asked, just checking Regina was telling the whole truth.
"She's been great." Ruby replied.
"Apart from all the damn questions." Granny called. "I have never known a child to ask so many questions."
"Oh yes." Mary-Margaret laughed. "She does that. She is very inquisitive. Wants to know about everything."
"Don't I know it." Granny replied causing Mary-Margaret and Ruby to laugh.
"She also put Grumpy in his place earlier." Ruby laughed.
"Oh god what did she say?"
"She asked why he was so grumpy and told him that he should turn his frown upside down."
"She didn't?" Mary-Margaret asked a little shocked.
Ruby nodded her head. "Everyone thought it was hilarious. Well everyone except Grumpy obviously, but I am sure he was trying to hide at least a smile."
Mary-Margaret giggled. "That is probably my fault. I always tell her to turn her frown upside down."
"Yes she told us exactly where she got the phrase from." Ruby replied. "Oh and her and Robin, too cute."
"Really? Emma said that as well but I haven't seen them together. Maybe I will have to organise a play date or something."
"You should. I think in a few years time David will be having a talk with that boy about his intentions with his daughter." Ruby said nudging Mary-Margaret and winking.
"Oh Ruby. She is only three." Mary-Margaret laughed.
"Mommmyyyyy." Regina whined slightly pulling on Mary-Margaret's sleeve. "I wanna go." Regina said now standing with her coat and backpack on.
"Okay sweetie we're going. Say thank you to Granny and Ruby for looking after you."
"Thank you Granny. Thank you Ruby." Regina said sweetly.
"Thank you for looking after her. I'll see you later Ruby." Mary-Margaret said before taking Regina's hand and turning on her heel to leave.
It didn't take long for them to get home and as soon as the door was opened Regina ran inside the house. She took of her shoes and dropped her backpack down beside them and then quickly disappeared. Mary-Margaret done the same with her shoes and bag and then looked around her wondering where Regina had gone to. She heard a slight noise and turned to face the kitchen. Making her way into the room she saw Regina had managed to climb onto the counter and appeared to be raiding the sweetie cupboard.
"Regina what are you doing?" Mary-Margaret asked.
"I'm hungry mommy." came the reply as she peered round the cupboard door and looked at her mom, sweets in hand.
"Well dinner will be ready soon. Please put the sweets back." Mary-Margaret said.
"But mommy I am hungry now."
"Regina I will not ask again put the sweets back." Mary-Margaret said putting on a sterner voice.
"No." Regina huffed, now frowning and crossing her arms over her chest. She wanted the sweets and she wanted them now.
"If those sweets are not back in the cupboard by the time I count to three you will be in big trouble Regina." Mary-Margaret said angrily. Regina did not respond she just glared at her mother. "One…" Regina did not move. "Two…" Still Regina did not move. "Three…" Mary-Margaret watched as Regina turned her head away from her holding it high and still holding onto the sweets. it was not often Regina was this defiant. She presumed with everything that went on at the diner and the fact Robin had been there that Regina had not had her nap and when that happened, well Regina could sometimes not behave her best. Still that was no excuse and Mary-Margaret knew she was going to have to punish Regina. So time out it was. She stepped towards Regina and took the sweets out of her hand. "Okay Regina time out it is for you."
"NO MOMMY!" Regina shouted and did her best to scrabble away on the counter but Mary-Margaret was one step ahead of her and grabbed Regina before she moved. She carried Regina who was now kicking and screaming a little, out of the kitchen and over to the stairs.
She sat Regina down. "Okay Regina I am putting you here because you were not doing as you were told. You will stay here for three minutes." Mary-Margaret said in a stern voice and then stood up and walked away from a now crying Regina. She hated hearing the little girl cry. It might have only been a couple of months now since everything had happened but she looked at Regina as her daughter now. They had all fallen into a family so quickly, even Emma and Henry seemed to have done so even if they still found it hard to get their heads around it, more Henry than Emma, but still when she heard Regina cry and knowing she caused it she hated it but she knew she had to stand her ground and follow through with the punishment to teach Regina the lesson. So she walked away and went to begin getting dinner ready, setting the timer on the cooker so she knew when to go back to Regina.
Regina rested her arms and head on her knees and she cried and cried. She didn't like when her mommy was cross with her and put her on time out. Time out was no fun. She just wanted the sweeties. She was hungry and she didn't understand why her mommy was being so silly and not letting her have the sweets. But still she stayed on time out, having figured out a while ago that it was better just to stay on time out than to run out and get put back on for another three minutes. She cried her heart out for the whole three minutes, those three minutes feeling like so much longer, until Mary-Margaret came back through and knelt down in front of Regina.
"Regina look at me please." She said in a much softer voice, telling Regina she was not angry with her anymore. Regina lifted her head up showing Mary-Margaret her now tear stained face, blotchy and red. "Regina do you understand why you were put here?"
"Yes mommy." Regina mumbled looking at her lap.
"I want you to listen to mommy from now on okay?" Mary-Margaret said lifting Regina's head up gently with her fingers under her chin.
"Okay." Regina mumbled again.
"What do you say now?" Mary-Margaret asked.
"I'm sorry mommy." Regina said crying a little more again.
"It's alright Regina. Come here give me a hug." Mary-Margaret said showing Regina that she was forgiven for her behaviour and that her mommy wasn't angry with her anymore. Regina moved off of the step and into Mary-Margaret's lap and wrapped her arms around her neck and snuggled her head into her shoulder still crying a little. Mary-Margaret rubbed her hands over Regina's back soothingly. "Shh now sweetie." She said softly. She then pulled away slightly and held Regina's small face in her hands using her thumbs to wipe the stray tears away. "Why don't you come and help me make dinner for daddy coming home?"
"Okay mommy." Regina said now smiling.
Mary-Margaret stood up with Regina in her arms and balanced her on her hip. She took her through to the kitchen and gave her a little task as they set about making dinner.