Here is another chapter for you all. I have recently been writing quite a lot for this story so I am hoping to post a bit more frequently as I have a very time ahead of me with Christmas and all. Anyway I will let you all read :-)
The New Year was finally upon them and Rumple had decided to throw a New Year's party at his house. The family had been invited along with a few others from the town. Belle had decorated the house, with some help from Mary-Margaret, Emma and Cora and of course Regina who had made her very own special decorations to hang. Food had been prepared, a mixture of food from Granny as well as Belle's homemade things.
The party was in full swing, drinks were flowing, music was playing and everyone was chatting and having fun. Regina was dressed up as Cinderella. It was the typical costume from the Disney movie. It was a bright sky blue, with puffed out white strapped sleeves and white detailing along the front and glittering silver stitching. She had decided on wearing her glittery silver shoes and had made Cora tie her hair up in the best resembling way to Cinderella.
She had spent most of the night dancing around pretending to be the princess at the ball and singing all the songs from the movie, entertaining all the people at the party and letting Henry take lots of photos and videos, more than happy to perform. "Okay Regina why don't you sing another song?" Henry suggested with a smirk on his face.
"I don't know no more Henry." Regina huffed beginning to get bored of the game they were playing. "Wanna go get food now."
"Aw Regina one more." Henry tried but he had a feeling he was going to lose this one.
"No want food Henry. Later." Regina replied and she turned on her heel and made her way towards the kitchen where all the food was.
Henry rolled his eyes and turned off his camera. "She really is a proper little princess." Henry mumbled.
"Oh just wait until I tell your mother you said that behind her back." Neal said making Henry jump.
"You wouldn't dare." Henry said narrowing his eyes at his father.
"Try me." Neal smirked.
"I am sure there are many things I could say to her about you that would result in the same ending…" Henry said knowing he would win this one.
"Fair point." Neal nodded and Henry laughed. "Although she will kill you when she sees all of that."
"I know but it is worth it." Henry shrugged and Neal laughed.
Regina made her way into the kitchen, skipping along and humming to herself. She looked around and saw Cora stood leaning on the counter talking to Mary-Margaret. Regina skipped over to her and pulled on Cora's dress trying to get her attention. "Mommy…Mommy…Mommy…" Regina said trying as hard as she could to gain Cora's attention. "Mommy…Mommy…Mommy…"
"Regina hold on sweetheart mommy is talking." Cora said not looking down at Regina.
Regina frowned at her mother not liking that fact she was not getting the attention she wanted. She was hungry and she couldn't reach the food. "Mommy…Mommy…I'm hungry mommy." Regina said pulling on Cora's dress a little more. Cora leaned down lifting Regina up all the while still talking with Mary-Margaret. "I'm hungry mommy." Regina repeated as she patted Cora's shoulder.
Cora turned to look at Regina who now had fluttering eyelashes. "What would you like Regina?" Cora asked.
"Cake." Regina grinned and Cora laughed a little and rolled her eyes.
"Not cake yet Regina. I will get you a plate of food. Why don't you go and sit at the table." Cora said.
Regina shook her head and rested it on Cora's shoulder. "No mommy wanna stay with you." Regina mumbled.
"Uh oh. Looks like someone's getting tired." Mary-Margaret said and Cora nodded her head.
"I not tired. I stay up and see fireworks. They on TV so they not scary." Regina said rubbing her eyes and letting out a little yawn. Cora leaned forward and picked up a sausage roll handing it to Regina. "Thanks you mommy." Regina replied and bit into it, her head still resting on Cora's shoulder.
Cora knew Regina was not going to last much longer and she knew she was going to have to try and convince Regina to go upstairs to her bedroom in Rumple's. Either that or she carried her around until she fell asleep in her arms and carried her upstairs. She was thinking the latter was the best idea as Regina was not for convincing now. Rumple walked into the kitchen and smiled as he saw Cora with Regina in her arms. He walked over to them and he leaned over kissing he top of Regina's head.
"Are you okay my little princess?" Rumple asked with a smile.
Regina nodded her head and Cora answered. "I think we have a very tired little princess."
"I not tired." Regina insisted, still rubbing her tired looking eyes. "I stay up late mommy. Wanna stay up late like big girl."
"Regina you are still a big girl even if you go to bed early." Cora said softly.
"No bed early for babies." Regina frowned. "I no baby. I a big girl so I stay up late and see fireworks on TV."
Rumple laughed a little. "You are a big girl my princess but if you are tired then you are tired."
"But I not tired daddy." Regina huffed out. She really didn't understand why all the adults seemed to insist she was tired. How many times did she need to tell them that she wasn't? "I hungry." Regina said looking back to Cora. "And I want cake."
"Well cake would certainly waken you up." Rumple said under his breath.
"And that is why no cake." Cora replied to him with a serious look on her face. She then looked back to Regina. "You already had some cake sweetheart. Remember daddy said you can take some cake home with you. Now why don't you and I go upstairs and read a story? Just while we wait for the fireworks to come on the TV." Cora tried to reason.
"Okay mommy." Regina sighed.
Regina never made it to the ringing in of the new year. Half way into her story with Cora she had finally given into sleep. She was not best please when she woke up the next morning to find this out and Rumple had tried to make the best out of the situation by showing Regina a video online of the fireworks at New Year but she wasn't impressed at all.
So Cora had decided to try and cheer Regina up she would take her to see her horse Cassie. They had went home and got changed before heading to the stables. She had gotten Regina to help clear out Cassie's stable and brush Cassie as well as feed her. They then took Cassie out for some exercise and Regina jumped around the horse excitedly.
"She so pretty mommy." Regina gushed as she skipped happily beside Cora.
"Yes she is my darling." Cora smiled.
"I wanna ride her mommy. Can I? Please?" Regina asked with pleading wide puppy dog eyes.
"Oh I'm not sure sweetheart. I need to maybe get you signed up for some horse riding lessons first." Cora said.
"Aww." Regina whined a little. "When I get lessons?" Regina asked.
"I will look into it very soon Regina." Cora said. She had no idea how she was going to work her way around this one. She wanted to get Regina some lessons but then she knew there was no point getting her a lot of lessons as the time of her being a toddler was coming close to an end. They only had a month left before they were to turn her back and she knew this month was going to go by very quickly. "Regina what would you like to do for your birthday?" Cora asked trying to diver Regina's attention from horse riding lessons.
"Erm…" Regina hummed out, biting her lip and frowning in one of the cutest ways Cora was sure she had ever seen. "I want…I not sure mommy. What can I have?" Regina said.
"You can have whatever you want my darling. We can invited everyone over to our house or we can go to Grannies for dinner or we could ask daddy if we can go to his house. Whatever you want you can have." Cora said. She wanted to make this birthday special. As special as it could ever be.
"I want birthday at our house mommy. With lots of dec'rations like princess and lots food too." Regina said happily.
"Then you shall have that my princess." Cora smiled.
"And kitty?" Regina asked with fluttering eyelashes.
Cora laughed to herself. She had thought Regina had forgotten about her request for a cat. She had not mentioned it since Christmas Eve and Cora had deliberately not mentioned it since. "Are you sure you want a cat Regina? That will be a lot to look after. A cat and a horse."
"I can do it mommy. I big girl. I can look after kitty and horsey." Regina said insistently.
"Okay Regina. We will just have to wait and see." Cora said.
Three weeks had passed and Cora and Rumple were out buying some gifts and decorations for Regina's birthday party that was to be held in a week's time. February first was nearly upon them and Cora and Rumple had no idea what to feel. They were happy for their time with their little girl but then they couldn't wait to see the adult version of her once again.
Regina was with Emma, Neal and Henry while Cora and Rumple were out shopping. Henry had suggested they play monopoly to keep Regina entertained. Emma and Neal were in the lead, Henry trying as hard as he could to stay in the game and Regina beginning to struggle to stay in the game. She rolled the dice and Henry helped her count to where she needed to go. She landed on a square and Neal jumped up rubbing his hands happily. "Oh you landed on one of my houses Regina. That will be one hundred please." Neal said holding his hand out.
"But all my money almost gone." Regina whined as she looked at the little amount she had left. "I no like this stupid game!" Regina huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Oh Regina it's okay. Here why don't I give you some money." Henry said.
"No. It stupid game. No want to play anymore." Regina huffed out with a glare and hit the board causing it to flip and fall to the floor.
"Regina…" Neal said firmly. "That is not good. You don't do things like that just because you are losing the game."
Regina just glared at him and sat back in the chair keeping her arms crossed over her chest. Emma placed her hand on Neal's arm. "Neal she is only little. It maybe wasn't the best game to play with her." Emma reasoned. "Why don't we try a different game?" Emma suggested.
"Like what?" Henry asked.
"Erm…I'm not sure…Why don't we draw some pictures. I bet you are good at drawing Regina." Emma said. "Would you like to do that?"
Regina slowly uncrossed her arms and nodded her head. "Yes I wanna draw picture." Regina said.
"Okay I will go and get some paper and pens." Emma said pushing herself away from the table to go in search of some pens and paper.
"Before we draw any pictures I want you to help me clear this game up Regina." Neal said firmly.
"But I wanna draw." Regina whined a little.
"And you can but first you help me clean up." Neal said.
"Okay." Regina sighed and she slipped down from the chair and started to collect some pieces of the game that had fallen. She handed them to Neal who sorted everything back into the box. Once they were finished he leaned down a little and held out his fist to Regina in a sort of thank you and all is forgiven way. "Thanks little sis." Regina looked from Neal and then to his fist and then smiled a little. She bumped her little fist against his. He then opened his arms up and Regina jumped into his arms and hugged him. He had really grown to love his little sister and he hoped whatever bond they seemed to have made with her as a three year old would continue when she turned back into an adult.