Here is a chapter for you all. Now long until Regina turns back into an adult again. I have thought up a sequel to this story which I think I will start once this one is finished but I will make sure to let everyone know when that is. Anyway enjoy!
Cora and Regina walked into Granny's diner, Regina excitedly jumping around wanting her hot chocolate. "I want marshmallows on top mommy. Please please pleaseeee." Regina said pulling on Cora's coat and giving her the best wide puppy dog eyes she had ever seen which made Cora laugh.
"Yes you can have marshmallows darling." Cora replied as she leaned on the counter.
"Yes!" Regina said her arm shooting up in victory. Cora laughed again and then she leaned down lifting Regina up and placing her on the stool at the counter.
"Now if you are going to sit up here you need to stop jumping around Regina. You don't want to fall do you?" Cora said.
"No mommy I no want to fall. I sit nice like a big girl." Regina said seriously.
Cora smiled and she leaned over kissing the top of her daughters head. "Good girl." She praised.
"Good afternoon Cora. Can I help you?" Ruby asked as she walked over to them behind the counter.
"Hey Ruby!" Regina said happily waving her hand at the young woman.
"Hey Regina." Ruby laughed waving her hand in the same enthusiasm. "What are we going to have today?"
"Hot chocolate with lots and lots of marshmallows please." Regina said sweetly and she leaned on the counter, copying her mother's actions as best she could.
"I think we will stick to just a few marshmallows." Cora said and Regina frowned a little at that. She didn't think that was a good idea at all. "And I will have a coffee please." She then looked to her right to see a stack of blueberry muffins on the counter. She licked her lips a little and decided perhaps halving a blueberry muffin with Regina would be fine. "And we will have one of those blueberry muffins too." She said.
"Oh yummy!" Regina said rubbing her hands together making the two women laugh a little.
"Coming right up." Ruby said before turning on her heel to go and get her order.
Cora then pulled out the stool beside her and looked around the diner to see who was in. She was just about to sit down when her eyes landed on Belle sat in a booth alone staring into her coffee cup. She felt sorry for the young woman. She knew Rumple was out of town with Neal collecting a present for Regina and wouldn't be back for a couple of days. Belle had wanted to go to but Rumple hadn't quite managed to figure out a potion to ensure Belle would not lose her memories so she had had to stay back. She bit her lip for a moment deciding whether to go over to the young woman or not. She hadn't really talked overly much to the young woman, always seemingly avoiding her when she could but she knew Regina had formed a good relationship with her so decided maybe she should try. "Regina come on. We are going to go and sit in a booth." Cora said holding her arms out to Regina to help her off of the high stool she was sat on.
"Aw but mommy I like sitting here." Regina said looking up from the colouring in she was doing that Granny had given to her.
"I know sweetheart but look Belle is sitting over there all alone and mommy thinks we should go over and give her some company." Cora said.
Regina looked over and indeed saw Belle sitting at a table on her own. She smiled and suddenly thought the idea of moving seats wasn't so bad. "Okay mommy." Regina replied and she let Cora help her down off the stool. "Get my colouring mommy." Regina said before running over to where Belle was sat. "Hey Miss Belle!" Regina said happily and she climbing up onto the seat beside her. "Me and mommy coming to sit beside you since you on own." Regina explained to the woman.
Belle looked up to see Cora stood at the end of the table placing Regina's paper and crayons down. The older woman gave her a smile before slipping into the opposite seat. Belle wasn't quite sure what to say. She hadn't really spoken that much to Cora. Little conversations here and there. The most she had talked to her was at Christmas and even then Mary-Margaret had been there and done most of the talking. "Hello." She said quietly.
"We thought you looked a little lonely. Didn't we Regina?" Cora said. Regina nodded her head but didn't take her eyes off her paper, biting her tongue in concentration as she tried to stay in the lines. She was a very precise child. "I know that Rumple is out of town at the moment so…"
"Yes. He called this morning. Said he should be back tomorrow evening. He managed to get what he was looking for." Belle replied.
"That's good. I'm not quite sure why he felt the need to leave town for it after all that is what magic is for." Cora replied with a smile. "But anything for little Princess I guess."
Belle nodded her head. "Oh yes." She said with a smile.
"So have you been enjoying your peace and quiet? Sometimes it can be nice to have the house to yourself." Cora said.
"The first night was nice. I relaxed a little and read a book but after that I have just felt a bit…" Belle said.
"Lonely?" Cora added.
Belle nodded her head again. "Yes. It must sound silly but I'm not quite sure what to do with Rumple not around. God I sound so foolish."
"No you don't. I get it. When I don't have Regina around I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. It's nice at first but after a while you miss them too much and you have no idea what to do." Cora said.
"Yes. That's exactly it." Belle replied. "I suppose I can go to the library after this. Keep myself busy in there but I kind of done that yesterday and I don't think there is much else to do in the library."
"Well why don't you come with Regina and I? We are going to do a bit of shopping. I was planning to get Regina some things for…well you know when she gets older." Cora suggested and whispered the last part to Belle.
"Oh I wouldn't want to intrude on your time…" Belle hesitated a little.
"You wouldn't be. You could help me a out a little. I want to make sure I have some presents that she would like the day after." Cora said in a hint towards Regina becoming an adult again. "Regina would like it too. Wouldn't you Regina?"
"Yes you come with us Miss Belle. You can tell mommy why I need kitty." Regina said.
Belle laughed a little. "And why do you need a kitty?" Belle asked the little girl.
"Because they cute." Regina said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
"Oh I see." Belle said. "Well I can try and convince your mommy but I'm not sure if I will be able to."
"I sure you will if you keep trying." Regina said seriously.
Cora rolled her eyes and laughed a little at her daughter. "Well that's settled then. We will have our drinks and head off."
Cora, Regina and Belle were now walking around one of the clothes stores in Storybrooke. Cora was looking at some silk blouses that she was sure adult Regina would like while little Regina was beginning to get bored. This was not what she thought shopping would be. She trailed behind the two women as they talked and looked through the clothes.
"What do you think of this one?" Cora asked as she held up a dark purple silk blouse.
"Oh yes I think she would very much like that one." Belle said with a nod.
"Perfect. Well we have three blouses and a couple of skirts. That should be enough for now shouldn't it?" Cora asked.
"I think so." Belle replied. So they walked up to the counter with Regina trailing behind them.
"Mommy I bored. Wanna go see the kitties." Regina whined as she leaned against her mother's legs.
"Okay Regina. Just let me pay for these and then we can go and have a look at the cats in the next store." Cora said. She paid the woman behind the till for the items and took the bags. "Come on then Regina." Cora called and Regina hurried after her mother with Belle behind her.
"Come on Miss Belle. We go see kitties now." Regina said reaching behind her and pulling on Belle's hand.
They walked next door to the pet store and as soon as they were in Regina ran to the back of the store where the cats were. She jumped around from cage to cage in excitement looking over all the cats. "I promised her that if she was good we could come in here." Cora said to Belle as they slowly walked down the aisle to the back of the store where Regina was. "Also I wanted to get her in here to see which cat she liked best."
"Oh? So you are going to get her a cat then?" Belle asked with a smile on her face as she watched Regina crouched by one cage and talking to the cat inside it.
Cora nodded her head. "I was thinking of it yes. She seems desperate for a cat and I don't want to disappoint her." Cora said with a sigh.
"And what do you think adult Regina is going to think about having a new pet cat?" Belle asked looking over at Cora.
"I am hoping she will like it as much as little Regina does." Cora said with a slight smile. "But I am not entirely sure. I have a feeling she may not be overly happy at first but will come to love the cat in the end. Regina has always been very fond of animals no matter how much she may deny it when she is an adult she still very much is fond of them. I think a little kitten could worm it's way into her heart."
Belle laughed a little. "You are probably right. It will be fun to watch I am sure."
"Oh I am banking on it." Cora laughed too. They reached Regina who was now crouched in front of another cage where a ginger kitten with faded black stripes over its back was right up to the front, it's paw one Regina's small hand.
"Hello little kitty what you name?" Regina said happily and then turned a little to look up at her mother and Belle. "Mommy look. This kitty look like tiger." Regina said.
"So it does Regina." Cora said crouching down beside her. "Do you like this one?"
Regina nodded her head. "Yes kitty so cute!"
Cora smiled. She then stood up and walked over to Belle. "Would you mind keeping her distracted while I go talk to the man?"
"Of course I don't." Belle smiled and she took Cora's place beside Regina.
Belle kept Regina effectively distracted with the kitten while Cora spoke to the man who run the pet store. She had found out that the kitten Regina had fallen in love with was twelve weeks old so was old enough to go home with them. She had also found out it was a girl and she knew Regina would be please with this. She explained to the man that it was Regina's birthday in four days time and that she wanted to wait until her actual birthday to give her the kitten. The man had told her that was fine and that she could keep the kitten here until that day. She was please and she paid the man for the kitten and told him that she would buy all the necessary accessories on the day of taking the kitten home.
Cora then wander back over to Belle and Regina with a smile on her face. She could not wait to see Regina's face when she saw that she had a kitten. "Alright Regina I think you need to say goodbye to the kitten now. Why don't we go for a walk in the park?"
"But what it kitty get lonely mommy? I don't want kitty to be sad." Regina asked with a sad look on her face. She didn't want to leave the kitten. She wanted to stay and play with the kitten and hopefully convince her mommy to let her take it home.
"I'm sure the kitten will go and play with its friends Regina. Come on." Cora said.
Regina sighed and she moved away from the cage looking back at the kitten the whole time, she wanted to argue with her mother more but somehow she knew it wouldn't be a good idea and would not get her what she wanted today. Cora smirked a little and Belle stood up to walk beside her. "So you got it?" She asked quietly and Cora nodded her head. "She will be pleased."
"Oh I have no doubts about that." Cora smiled. They all walked out of the pet store and Regina held onto Cora's hand as they walked down the street.
"So Regina are you looking forward to your birthday?" Belle asked.
Regina nodded her head. "Yes. Mommy say we can make it fit for Princess. That right mommy?" Regina asked looking up at Cora.
"Yes that is right Regina." Cora confirmed.
"We gone have lots of food and dec'rations and cake!" Regina told Belle happily.
"Oh that does sound good. And what kind of cake are you going to have?" Belle asked.
"Minion cake." Regina grinned. "And gone have jam in cause I love jam."
"Now how did I not guess you were going to have a minion cake?" Belle asked making Regina giggle a little. "It certainly sounds like it is going to be the best birthday party ever."
Regina nodded her head happily. "Yes mommy say she gonna make it that just for me."
"And with a little help from daddy I am sure it will be just that." Cora added on. She couldn't leave Rumple out of the organising. He had been trying very hard to make sure that Regina's small birthday party in the house would be the best it could be. It was just going to be family and close friends but he was making sure it was the most spectacular party it could ever be.
"Oh yes. Rumple is trying very hard to make it so." Belle said. "I have never seen him so hyped up about something. He was nowhere near this hyped about out New Year's party." Belle said.
"Yes he does seem awfully hyped on it doesn't he? I think he is even more excited that Regina is if that is possible." Cora said with a laugh.
"I would agree with you there." Belle laughed back. She had enjoyed spending the afternoon with Cora and Regina and found herself really beginning to like the older woman. She had feared the older woman, never sure whether she should get close to her or not but that afternoon she had started a bond with her and she knew even when Regina was an adult she would be around the older woman anyway. Rumple had no desire of losing Regina again. They were family and it was nice that she could feel that they would get along, of course as well as families do get along.