5 years later…

It was just a week off Regina's thirteenth birthday and Emma had no idea what to buy her. What do you get a fussy just turned teenager? She had no idea and was seriously just considering shoving some money in a card and letting her choose what she wanted.

When she had asked Henry what he had got hoping to steal an idea off him (him being the now twenty year old and smart ass) he had told her to get lost and actually use the thing in her head that was called a brain and think of something herself. Which he had received a light slap on the head for, while she was laughing.

But still she was no further forward on the whole present thing so decided that since she was out to lunch with the soon to be birthday girl herself, their little brother and their parents that she would try and get some hints herself. Henry had buggered off back to college and had been cruel enough to still not leave her any idea what to get Regina.

So there she was sat at the table, they were all munching on their food and talking and she was trying to dig for ideas. "So Regina what you want for your birthday?" Emma asked.

Regina shrugged her shoulders. She really was turning into your typical teenager. She had all the moods, she was sassy and snarky (but then she always had been that) and she never gave much of anything away. "I don't know."

"You don't know? Come on kid you must of asked for something…" Emma said.

"She has asked for things. She wants make up, this skirt she saw with Rose…"Mary-Margaret started to say but David soon cut in.

"Both of which she is not getting." He said with the most serious face.

Emma glanced over to Regina who just rolled her eyes and kept eating. Emma had to try very hard not to laugh. "Why is she not allowed either of those?"

"Well David isn't sure about her wearing makeup and the skirt…well it was quite short when we looked at it." Mary-Margaret shrugged.

"It is not short." Regina mumbled.

"Don't start me on this again Regina." David warned and Regina sighed and rolled her eyes again.

"So…apart from that what else?" Emma asked giving Mary-Margaret a look as if to say 'help me.'

"There's a CD she wants from her favourite band…but I don't think there is much else to be honest is there Regina?" Mary-Margaret said looking at Regina who once again just shrugged.

"Gina wants a puppy." A five year old Josh added in happily and then took a bite of his chip.

"A puppy? Really?" Emma asked with an interested tone. A puppy she could do. That would be a good present. "What kind of puppy Regina?"

"A Dalmatian. There are new Dalmatian puppies at the animal shelter. They are really cute." Regina said with a smile on her face.

Emma smiled back and then looked at Mary-Margaret who was shaking her head. Emma frowned and then shrugged not getting the hint from Mary-Margaret. "I bet they are cute right? What'd you call your puppy if you got one?"

"I don't know really. I guess I would have to see it to name it."

Emma nodded. "I understand that."

"Excuse me." Regina said shuffling out of the seat and heading over to the toilet.

This was when Mary-Margaret decided to speak up. "Emma no way."

"No way what?" Emma asked.

"No puppy. No!" Mary-Margaret said firmly.

But Emma still didn't really pick up on her hint and thought perhaps she was just saying this so Josh wouldn't blab to Regina about the fact that Emma was seriously considering the puppy. "Sure." Emma said with a wink on the end.

"Emma I mean it. No puppy." Mary-Margaret said firmly.

"Got ya." Emma said with another wink and Mary-Margaret just sighed.

So Emma having totally misread whatever sign Mary-Margaret was giving her to not get Regina a puppy, found herself at the animal shelter staring down at all these Dalmatian puppies. She had no idea which one to pick. She glanced up at the clock and saw she had just over an hour before she had to be at the mansion for Regina's birthday dinner.

It had seemed that Mary-Margaret had invited just about everyone in town to Regina's birthday dinner. Emma herself would be there, along with of course Mary-Margaret, David and Josh. Granny and Ruby were to attend. Henry had come back from College for the weekend so he could go and Tink (Rose, Regina's best friend) and Robin were also attending.

Emma had been at the house earlier to see Regina and wish her a happy birthday and see her opening some presents but had decided to leave her present until later wanting to give Regina the best surprise. She smiled to herself and then focused back onto the puppies in front of her. It was then that she spotted the perfect Dalmatian puppy for Regina.

This puppy was at the back and was running round in circles trying to chase its tail. It also had a big black spot around it's eye which looked a bit like an eye patch. The puppy then stopped going round in circles and seemed to start chasing a shadow around the floor. Emma laughed and thought 'perfect'. She spoke to someone at the shelter, sorted out all the details and found herself walking out the animal shelter, puppy in hand with ten minutes to get to the mansion.

She placed the carrier with the puppy inside on the passenger's seat in the car and soon made her way towards the mansion. As soon as she parked outside she rolled her eyes as she now saw Mary-Margaret had clearly decorated the outside of the house with some balloons and banners just to display even more that it was in fact Regina's birthday. She picked up the carrier and got out the car, locking it behind her she made her way up the path and to the mansion, letting herself in.

As soon as she walked in she could hear music and chatter and knew straight away everyone was in the living room. She moved the carrier behind her back slightly and hoped the puppy would stay quiet and not give her away so that she could really surprise Regina. She walked up the steps and turned to go towards the living room and smiled as she saw Mary-Margaret sat with Granny and Ruby, David and Henry were sat talking and then Regina with Tink, Robin and Josh following them about. Josh always seemed to follow Regina around, much to her dismay nowadays.

She waved her hand as soon as Mary-Margaret looked up and stepped into the living room. "Hey guys." She said loud enough for everyone to hear.

Regina had a big smile on her face and she ran over towards Emma. "Hey Emma."

"Happy birthday kid."

"You said that to me this morning." Regina laughed a little.

"I did, your right…but…this morning I didn't have your birthday present, did I?" Emma said.

Regina gasped and clapped her hands excitedly. "What you get me?" She asked happily.

Emma brought her arm round and held out the carrier for Regina to see. "Surprise!"

Regina looked in the carrier and then gasped and then squealed as soon as she saw exactly what Emma had bought her. "YOU GOT ME A PUPPY!" Regina squealed happily and took the carrier from Emma. She crouched down placing it on the floor and opened the door. Reaching in she gently pulled the puppy out and held it in her arms. "I can't believe you got me a puppy."

"Am I the best big sister or what?" Emma asked nudging Regina a little and giving her a little wink.

"You are! Really!" Regina said happily and then went straight over to Rose and Robin to show them her new puppy.

Emma couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she watched Regina excitedly show Robin and Rose her puppy and also tell Josh to be careful and not hurt her new puppy. She then glanced over at Mary-Margaret who did not look happy. "What?" Emma asked shrugging her shoulders.

"I said no puppy Emma." Mary-Margaret sighed.

Emma frowned. "I thought you were just saying that so Josh wouldn't ruin the surprise for Regina?"

"No I was saying it because I meant no puppy."

"Oh…Sorry?" Emma said trying to look innocent. "I can take it back?" Emma suggested.

Mary-Margaret looked over at Regina who looked extremely happy as she pet her puppy and held it in her arms, showing it off to her friends and little brother and she knew straight away that there was no way she could now take the puppy from Regina. She couldn't ruin her birthday like that. She sighed and rolled her eyes. Sometimes she really felt she was too soft. "No it's fine. She can keep it now. We can't take it from her…look how happy she is about it. But you can come round and help her look after it."

"I will, you have my word." Emma said holding her arms up in the air. Emma then walked over to Regina who was sat on the floor with Robin and Rose and the puppy was running around at her feet making them laugh. "So kid what you gonna call your new puppy?"

"I was thinking Twister because she seems a bit like a twister. She never seems to sit down." Regina laughed as the puppy started running round and round in a circle again.

"Yea I think I chose you the crazy one out the lot." Emma said as she watched the dog.

"I like her." Regina smiled as she leaned forward and petted the dog. The dog stopped immediately and seemed to lean into Regina's hand and Emma smiled as she watched them. It seemed the puppy and Regina had bonded already.

After dinner and after, Rose, Robin, Granny and Ruby had all gone home Emma found herself watching Regina, Josh and the puppy who were now outside, from the back door. She smiled as Regina chased the puppy around the garden and she was evening letting Josh join in which wasn't a usual thing nowadays. Regina now thought she was too old to play silly games with her little brother, but today seemed to be an exception.

Emma leaned on the door frame, drinking her drink and just watching them. It had been nine years since Regina had been turned into a toddler and she couldn't believe how quick the time had gone. It had only seemed like yesterday she was first coming to Storybrooke and spent most of her time fighting with the grown up Regina. But everyone had now seemed to get used to having young Regina around. People seemed to love her and Regina soon found out she could not get away with anything or hide anything from her parents of older sister as everyone in town was keeping an eye on her.

Emma jumped slightly as she felt a hand on her shoulder and she glanced round to see David standing beside her. She gave him a smile and then looked back out into the garden. "What you thinking about?" David asked as he rested against the other side of the door frame.

"Just everything really." Emma shrugged. "The fact that it has been nine years since…well you know…" Emma said motioning out towards Regina. "And how it just seems like yesterday I first came to this town and was fighting with her…well grown up her…but how normal this all feels now…"

"Yea we do seem to have fallen into this strange family life now haven't we?" David said with a smile. He looked out towards Regina and couldn't help but let his smile widen as she was trying to show Josh how to hold the puppy without hurting her. "It's strange but I can't really remember what it was like to not have Regina around…if you get what I mean…"

Emma nodded. "I totally get what you mean. Although I think you are in for a hell of a time now she is a teenager. Something's telling me she is not going to be an easy teenager for you."

"I agree. She is already trying me. I got about a half hour lecture from her earlier on why I should let her have a dress she had seen in the store and how I was being ridiculous in telling her it was too short." David sighed.

Emma laughed. "Yep that sounds like Regina. She still seems to have some of those traits she had before, doesn't she?"

David nodded. "Clearly the sass and the sarcasm was just plain Regina no matter what. Although I couldn't imagine her without it."

"No I couldn't either." Emma said. "How has she been with Josh lately? I noticed today she's been alright."

"Yea today she's been great. She's let him follow her and her friends around and let him join in, even entertained him but I think she's just at that age where her little brother following her around is just annoying and she has told me she is far too old to play his silly games." David explained.

Emma laughed again. "They all get to that age. She wants' to be wearing makeup, dressing too old for herself and sitting in her room blasting music and annoying you guys."

"Yea that's exactly what she does. Mary-Margaret gave in and got her make up for her birthday."

"You don't sound too pleased…"

"I'm not." David huffed. "She's too young, she doesn't need make up."

Emma smiled at David's over protective father coming out. He was still the same with herself on certain things but with Regina it seemed ten times worse now she was a teenager. "It's just what girls do. They want to make themselves look older and 'better' it's a natural thing. Just wait until she goes to all the parties."

"No…I was thinking about putting a lock on her bedroom door, on the outside of course, keep her in the house." David replied with a laugh that Emma returned.

"I can imagine her being happy with that."

"Yea…she'd probably give me another lecture and a lot of her sass." David smiled.

"Emma?" Regina shouted as she ran over to them, puppy in her arms. "Can we go shopping to get Twister a whole load of things? She will need a bed and a bowl for food and water and a collar and lead and everything." Regina said excitedly.

"Sure kid. We could do that tomorrow if its alright with mom and dad." Emma said.

Regina looked towards David, puppy dog eyes switched on and a big smile on her face. "Please dad." Regina said sweetly.

"I'm sure you can do that princess." David replied.

"Thanks dad!" Regina said. "I was thinking maybe Twister could have a pink collar with diamonds on it."

"A pink collar with diamonds? Maybe a bit out our price range kid." Emma laughed.

"Well they don't have to be real diamonds Emma." Regina replied with all the sass of the former adult which David had to try not laugh. "I think the lead should match too. Oh maybe we should get her a rain coat as well so she won't get wet when I take her for walks in the rain. I think I will go make a list." Regina said as she walked into the house and made her way upstairs with her puppy in her arms.