More Christmas time in Storybrooke. I hope you enjoy!
Cora, Regina, Rumple and Belle were now all back at the mansion and Emma, Neil, Henry, Mary-Margaret and David had now all arrived to celebrate Christmas with them. Regina had shown off all her presents and had excitedly told everyone how her daddy had gotten a letter from Santa about a special present that was for her and revealed happily that Santa had indeed got her a horse for Christmas.
She had made Cora take a picture on her phone so that she could show off her new horse to everyone and she was now sat beside Emma making Emma look at the picture and telling her every detail of her new pet. "I is gonna make sure Cassie gets cleaned and gets lots of food too." Regina said shuffling closer to Emma so that she could look at the picture again.
"Well I am sure you will do a wonderful job at looking after your horse Regina." Emma said making Regina smile.
"I will Emma. I promise daddy I takes special care of Cassie." Regina said holding her head up high.
"Can I see your horse Regina?" Henry asked holding out his hand for the phone. Regina nodded her head excitedly, excited to be able to talk to another person all about her horse. She grabbed the phone out of Emma's hand and shuffled off of the sofa. She walked over to Henry holding up her arms for him to pick her up. He did so and placed her in the small space beside him knowing she would be able to fit and she handed him the phone.
"There my horsey Henry. Her name Cassie. She big horsey and she brown and look she got white stripe on her nose." Regina said happily pointing to the picture.
"Yea I see that Regina. She looks cool." Henry said.
"She is…cool…" Regina said frowning a little at the word but thinking it was a good word to use since Henry had used it. "I wanna go see my horsey. You wanna come see my horsey Henry?" Regina said shuffling to the edge of the sofa and jumping off.
"I'm not sure we will be able to Regina. I think dinner might almost be ready." Henry said hoping to stop Regina before the idea was fully in her head and he knew it wouldn't leave until she saw her horse.
"But I wanna see my horsey again. I go tell mommy." Regina said nodding her head and turning on her heel to leave the room. Henry sat back knowing somehow this was not going to end well. Meanwhile Regina had made her way through to the kitchen where Cora, Mary-Margaret and Belle were all preparing the Christmas dinner which was almost ready. "Mommy I wanna go see my horsey." Regina announced as she entered the kitchen.
Cora turned round to see Regina walking over to her looking very determined and knowing what she wanted. "Well sweetheart dinner is almost ready so we can't go and see Cassie just now." Cora reasoned as she turned back to the cooker and leaned down to open the oven door.
"But mommy." Regina whined a little and walked closer to Cora.
Cora gently pushed Regina back before she got her oven gloves, putting them on she reached in and pulled out the large Christmas turkey. She straightened up and placed the cooked turkey on top of the kitchen counter. "Regina please don't whine. We can go and see Cassie tomorrow but right now we are going to eat dinner." Cora said firmly.
"No! I wanna see my horsey now!" Regina huffed, frown on her face, stamping her foot and crossing her arms across her chest as she glares at Cora.
Mary-Margaret and Belle stood back and watched. They hadn't seen much of this side of little Regina. They presumed perhaps the early morning and the excitement were perhaps getting to Regina but then she could just be acting out because of her age. Either way it was a new thing for them to witness of little Regina.
"Excuse me Regina…" Cora said arching her eyebrow a little and turning to look at Regina who continued to just glare at Cora. "I have told you we will go and see Cassie tomorrow. We don't have time to go and see her again today."
"I wanna go see my horsey!" Regina huffed again, stamping her foot for a second time.
"And I have said no." Cora said firmly. "Now Regina I want you to stop this behaviour. If you don't you will be on time out and I don't think you will like being on time out while everyone else is having such fun."
Regina continued to glare at Cora. It seemed she was not ready to back down. The threat of time out not strong enough. She had got it in her mind that she wanted to see her horse and that was that. "No care 'bout stupid time out. Wanna see horsey."
"Regina I am warning you." Cora said trying to keep her calm. Regina was really beginning to push her buttons. She wasn't sure what had gotten into Regina. It wasn't often Regina acted like this.
"I wanna go see horsey!" Regina shouted stamping her feet again and leaning forward a little using her little hand to hit Cora on the leg. That was something Regina had never done before and that seemed to be the last straw for Cora as she looked up to see shocked faces on Mary-Margaret and Bella as well as Emma, Rumple, Neil and Henry who had all entered the kitchen after having heard a little of Regina's outburst at the beginning.
"Alright Regina that's it!" Cora snapped. She pulled off her apron and reached forward taking Regina's hand in hers firmly and beginning to walk out the kitchen. "Mary-Margaret, Belle if you wouldn't mind getting everything out to the table…" Cora said quickly turning to look at them.
"Of course." Mary-Margaret nodded.
"I'll help too." Emma added.
"Mommy let go!" Regina shouted trying to pull her hand out of her mother's grip as well as stamping her feet at her mother.
"No Regina. You had your chance. Your going for a time out." Cora said.
"No mommy." Regina cried and tried harder to pull her hand out of her mother's grip. As they were about to leave the kitchen her eyes landed on Rumple and she used her wide eyed puppy dog look as best she could to convince her father to help her out of the situation she had gotten herself into. "Daddy help." Regina said.
Rumple shook his head knowing he needed to stand by Cora on this one. His daughter had acted out and needed to know it wasn't right to do so. "No I won't help you Regina. I'm with mommy on this."
Regina cried as Cora pulled her out of the kitchen and across the hallway. She tired as best she could to break free of her mother but it was useless. Cora pulled her over to the stairs and she turned slightly lifting Regina up and placing her down on one of the stairs. "Right Regina I want you to sit here until I come and get you. I am really not happy with how you have acted." Cora said firmly giving Regina a look that she knew her mother was serious. "Do not move." Cora said pointing her finger at Regina who pouted, tears running down her cheeks. Cora then turned on her heel and walked over to everyone else who was bringing out all the food from the kitchen and placing it on the table.
"Are we sitting down to eat or are we waiting…" Henry asked motioning over to Regina.
"No no sit down and start. Regina will get to join us after her time out." Cora said. "leave a seat beside me for Regina."
Everyone sat around the table and Cora got Regina's booster seat placing it on the chair beside her. They all started to gather some food on their plates while Regina sat on the step, pouting and crying a little. She was not happy. She didn't like time out. It wasn't fun. She wanted to be at the table eating the yummy food. She didn't want to be left out. She sniffled a little and wondered if she went over to the table if it would be okay but then she remembered her mommy told her not to move. So she sat on the step staring down at her lap and every so often glancing up at everyone who was sat at the table.
They had all now started eating and were chatting every so often. Cora glanced over to Regina and she bit her lip beginning to feel extremely guilty for what had happened. She hated putting Regina on time out. She sighed and put her knife and fork down leaning back on her chair. Rumple looked over and frowned. "Are you okay Cora?" he asked quietly.
Cora shook her head. "I think I'm going to go get Regina." She said about to stand up but Rumple placed his hand on top of hers.
"Leave her for another minute. You have no reason to feel bad for what has happened if that is what is wrong." Rumple said. "Regina acted out and you needed to let her know that it wasn't right. The message is clearly getting to her. If she looked happy and kept getting off the step you would know it wasn't working. But look at her, she is upset about being left out from here and isn't moving. she is understanding what she done was wrong and she would miss out."
"I know I just…I hate it. I…I remembered what I would have done years ago. How I would have punished her before and it scared me…" Cora sighed.
"But you didn't do anything you used to do…you went with the appropriate way. She isn't going to hate you Cora. Believe me Cora. She will not hate you for this." Rumple said.
"Your sure?" Cora asked.
"Of course. She hasn't hated you any of the other times has she?" Rumple said and Cora shook her head. He gave Cora a smile before motioning with his head over to Regina. "Now go and get her. I'm sure she is desperate to get over here and get some food."
Cora returned Rumple's smile before standing up from the table and making her way over to Regina who was still sat on the step, sniffling and crying a little staring down at her lap. "Regina…" Cora said in a softer tone. She sat down on the step just below the one Regina was sitting on and she placed her hand on top of Regina's that were resting in her lap. "Do you understand why mommy put you in time out?" Cora asked.
Regina sniffled a little and nodded her head lifting up her arm to wipe her nose on the sleeve of her top. Cora quickly stopped her and dug into her pocket for some tissues and wiped her nose for her. "I not nice to mommy. I sorry mommy." Regina said quietly looking up at Cora, tears in her eyes.
"It's alright my darling. I forgive you." Cora said opening her arms up for Regina. Regina dived into Cora's arms wrapping her arms tightly around her mother. "I love you Regina." Cora said softly kissing into her hair.
"I love you too mommy." Regina replied holding on tightly. She then pulled away a little to look at Cora. "I have dinner now mommy?" Regina asked sweetly and Cora smiled at her.
"Yes darling you can come and have dinner now." Cora replied. She stood up and placed Regina down on the floor, holding out her hand for Regina to take. Regina did so and she let Cora guide her over to the table. Cora lifted Regina up onto her seat and she then picked up Regina's plate and gathered some food for her knowing what Regina would eat and what she wouldn't. She placed the plate back in front of Regina. She laughed a little as Regina licked her lips. "Does that look good Regina?" Cora asked.
Regina nodded her head with a smile on her face. "Yes mommy." She replied. Cora sat down and picked up her knife and fork. Regina watched her mother for a minute before picking up her child knife and fork and tried to copy her mother's actions in cutting up her meat, frowning in concentration. She frowned as the meat wouldn't cut. "Mommy won't work." Regina said holding up her cutlery.
"Would you like some help?" Cora asked and Regina nodded her head saying Please mommy.
"You done very well trying to cut your meat yourself Regina. Well done you." Rumple said having noticed Regina trying on her own first. Regina gave her father a smile clearly feeling a more relaxed now rather than embarrassed by her outburst.