I hope you all don't mind a Regina centric chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter 8: How They Met
Regina walked up the stairs and noticed her bedroom door was ajar. She figured Mandy was in there. She tiptoed to the door to see what she was up too. Mandy was looking at her bureau, lifting different perfumes to see what they smelled like. She then picked up a picture of Regina and Henry.
"Henry was about 6 in that picture." Regina said, coming up behind Mandy causing her jump.
"Oh! I didn't hear you come up. I'm sorry, I didn't know where you wanted me to go."
"It's fine, dear."
"Henry was a cute little kid." Mandy said, placing the picture back where it belonged.
"Yes, he was. I bet you were adorable when you were little." Regina said smiling.
"I wouldn't know. I don't think I have pictures from when I was younger." Mandy frowned. Regina dropped her smile. She then moved to her dresser, pulled out a pair of pajamas and handed them to Mandy.
"You can wear these. They will probably be a little big on you." Regina said.
"That's okay, I'll make it work. Thank you." She said, taking the pajamas from Regina.
"You can go in there and change." Regina said, pointing to the bathroom. Mandy shut the door behind her. She put the pajamas on and looked at the body length mirror that was hanging on the bathroom door. The light blue, silk pajamas were indeed big on her. The sleeves covered her hands slightly and she had to hold the pants up when she walked so she wouldn't trip.
"These are the most comfortable pajamas I have ever worn." Mandy said coming out from the bathroom and plopping on Regina's bed. Regina walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, placing her night gown beside her.
"They are big on you!" Regina said, pulling Mandy's sleeves up.
"I like baggy clothes. They are more comfortable that way. Besides, I'm used to wearing clothes that don't fit. You have to work with whatcha got!" Mandy said, shrugging her shoulders.
"You didn't have clothes that fit you?" Regina asked.
"Not all the time. It was no big deal." Mandy replied. Regina wasn't pleased to her this but decided not to dig any deeper, not just yet anyway.
"So tell me about this boy, Peter, you're dating!" Regina said, trying to lighten the mood and change the subject.
Mandy rolled on her stomach and leaned on her hands. "Well, we've been dating for a while on and off. To tell you the truth, I'm kinda sad the curse ended."
"You are? Most people have the opposite reaction." Regina said shocked.
"I had the perfect life here! I didn't have those horrible memories from my other life-there were a few good ones though. Peter and I were together and there was no sign of Wendy…thank goodness!" Mandy said letting out a sigh,
"Who's Wendy?" Regina questioned.
"Just some girl who tried to kill me so she could have Peter all to herself. " Mandy responded.
"She tried to kill you?!" Regina exclaimed.
"Yea, she hit me really hard with a tree branch." Mandy separated her hair and showed Regina the scar she had on the back of her head. "That's where she hit me."
Regina ran her fingers over the scar. "What happened after that?" She asked.
"I brought her to the mermaids, they tried to kill her, Peter got mad at me, chose her so I went back to Rumplestiltskin to finish my training."
"What do you mean you went back? You left before that?" Regina asked confused.
"I didn't like his methods to begin with, but it was Snow White who convinced me to go back to Neverland. She doesn't know that though." Mandy replied.
"How did you two meet? You and Peter?" Regina asked, changing the subject when she heard Snow's name.
Fairytale Land
A little girl was gathering wood for her family's fireplace. The winter proved to be harsh, with freezing temperatures and tons of snow. She walked back to her family's cottage and put the wood into the fire.
"Where have you been Corinne? We have been sitting here freezing waiting for you!" Mrs. Randell screamed.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Randell. It was hard to find wood that was usable." Corinne whispered.
"I'm tired of your excuses. No food for a week. We need to save that for the more important people in this household, which doesn't include you." Mrs. Randell declared.
"I'm just as important as you are!" Corinne shouted.
"No you not! You're just a 12 year old girl." Said Jackson, one of the Randell children who was 6 years older than Corinne.
"Yea, what's so important about you?" asked Anne putting her hands on her hips like her mother. She was another one of the Randell children, who was just two years older than Corinne.
"Everyone has something special about themselves; some just haven't found it yet." Corinne mumbled. She began packing her things.
"That's because there is nothing special about you. Now get back to cleaning. My father will be home soon and he won't be too happy when he sees how dirty the house is." Jackson said, pushing Corinne to the ground. She noticed her arm was bleeding when she stood up and decided it was definitely time to get out of this house.
Jackson, grab her!" Mrs. Randell shouted. Corinne took off running, with Jackson following close behind. She was pretty fast for a tiny 12 year old, but he was just as quick being able to take longer strides. He finally caught up and grabbed her. She put up a fight but he was too strong and easily overpowered her. He began dragging her back by her hair.
"Let me go! Let me go!" She screamed, trying to fight her way out of his grasp.
"Quit fighting me. You're never going to win!" Jackson shouted back, pulling her hair even harder than before.
A boy heard the commotion going on and decided to check it out. He saw the little girl being dragged through the snow while fighting the older boy off of her. He sprang into action, tackling Jackson to the ground. Jackson let go of Corinne, causing her to roll down a hill. They began throwing punches at each other, giving the other a few bruises and scrapes. The younger boy pulled out his pocket knife and stabbed Jackson, causing him to grab his stomach in pain. The boy got up and was now towering over Jackson, who was now lying on the ground. The white snow around him began turning red. Jackson was dying. Corinne finally climbed back up the hill to see what was happening. She screamed when she saw Jackson covered in blood. The boy grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the scene.
"Let's go!" said the boy in a hurried tone. They ran for a while to make sure no one was following them.
"Can we stop now? I'm tired of running." Corinne said breathing heavily while leaning over, resting her hands on her knees.
"Fine. There's a cave up ahead. We can rest there." They began walking towards the cave when Corinne broke the silence.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Peter, and you?
"Corinne."
"That's a pretty name." He said, climbing the few rocks to get to the cave.
"I'm not a big fan." She mumbled, following a step behind him. They finally reached the cave and plopped down, each taking a deep breath.
"Thanks for saving me back there." She whispered.
"No problem. How old are you anyway?" He asked.
"12, but you look older than me." She responded.
"I'm 14."
"I can't believe you beat Jackson at your age! He's 18 ya know!" She exclaimed.
"He wasn't a very good fighter. It was a piece of cake!" He replied.
"What are you doing out here by yourself?" She questioned.
"I've been on my own for a year now. My parents were killed, along with many others, when our village was invaded by King George's army."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Why did they invade your village in the first place?" She asked, not wanting to pry too much.
"They were looking for his son I think. What about you? What's your story?" He asked.
"I was left on the Randell's doorstep when I was a baby. They didn't really want me and kept reminding me that I was lucky they kept me. I was basically their maid. I had to do everything and anything they said. I never had any fun. They fed me when they felt like it. My clothes barely fit. I'm so glad I left that horrible place." She sighed.
"Sounds rough…Let's stick together from now on." Peter suggested.
"Really?" Corinne asked with an eager look on her face.
"Yea, we will look after one another." He responded.
"I just wish we could fly away…to some other land and get away from all of this." Corinne exclaimed. The faint sound of bells was heard further in the cave.
"Did you hear that?" Peter questioned, motioning towards the back of the cave.
"What was that?" She asked back. They both got up and walked further into the cave. They saw something glowing into the corner. Peter picked up the glass fixture that the creature was stuck in.
"What is that?" She asked, looking into the glass and examining what was inside.
"I think it's a pixie." He said, looking closer. He threw in on the ground, smashing the glass and freeing the fairy. The fairy flew up to Peter's face and started talking. Both Corinne and Peter could understand her perfectly.
"Thank you for saving me. I was trapped in there for weeks! My name is Tinkerbell but you can call me Tink." She said, hovering in the air in front of them.
"Hi Tink! I love your outfit! I'm Corinne and this is Peter." She said pointing to the boy standing next to her.
"Nice to meet you both! I couldn't help but over hear what you were saying about wanting to leave this land for another. I can make that happen!" She said
"You can?!" Peter and Corinne exclaimed in unison.
"Yes, but I must warn you. There are Pirates and other creatures that inhabit this land. It could be dangerous." She warned.
"Every world has its dangers. I think we can handle it." He said nonchalantly.
"Very well." Tink began flying around the pair, sprinkling Pixie Dust all over them.
"Hey, what's the big idea!" Peter shouted! Corinne kept sneezing from all the dust.
"It's Pixie Dust! It will help you fly!" She replied.
"Fly?!" Corinne said, surprised.
"How else did you expect to get to Neverland!" She said.
"So that's where we're going!" Peter said.
"Yep, so think of a happy thought." They both shut their eyes, thinking back to a time that made them happy. Peter began floating off the ground.
"This is so cool!" Peter exclaimed.
"I don't have any happy memories. I'll never get to Neverland!" She whined.
"It can be anything that makes you happy or makes you smile. Use your imagination!" Tink said, trying to help her find a happy thought.
"What if I picture what my mother looks like?" Corinne asked.
"If it makes you happy, it should work." Corinne closed her eyes and began picturing the image in her head. She began to float off the ground.
Hey, I'm doing it! I'm flying!" Corinne shouted in excitement.
"Great! Now it might be a little difficult to fly at first but you'll get the hang of it!" She said, trying to encourage them. "Follow me!" Tink led the way out of the cave, followed by Peter and Corinne. She flew slowly so they could keep up with her. There were only a few problems along the way. Peter flew into tree branches; Corinne flew straight into a flock of birds. After all of the little mishaps, they finally made it to Neverland. They were flying over the island, looking at the beautiful scenery below.
"That's such a pretty lake!" Corinne said, pointing down below.
"It's not a lake, it's a lagoon." Tink corrected. "And that's where the mermaids are."
"There are mermaids here?!" Corinne exclaimed.
"Who cares about mermaids! Where are the pirates?" Peter asked anxiously.
"They're around." Tink responded. "I wouldn't suggest looking for them though. They'll find you…in time."
"Does that mean we will be running from pirates from now on?" Corinne asked, not looking forward to running all the time.
"No. They'll be running from us!" Peter said confidently.
"Don't underestimate your enemy! That's the first thing you two need to learn." Tink said.
"I'm not too sure we will be winning against these pirates." Corinne said with a worried look on her face.
"Don't worry. I have your back." He said to Corinne, smiling next to her. "And you have mine. We'll have so many adventures! Just you wait!" He flew ahead, scoping out the rest of the island. Corinne couldn't help but smile and blush. She was developing a crush on this boy.
Tink showed them where they would be living. It was a tree in the middle of the forest.
"You expect us to live up in a tree?" Corinne asked with a disgusted look on her face, looking up.
"Not up it, in it!" Tink said. Both kids looked at each other with confused looks on their faces. Tink showed them the little door cut out in the tree. They peeked inside, but didn't realize there was a slide that brought them underground. They both slipped and slid down onto a pile of leaves.
"You're going to have to add a few things to make it feel a bit homier." Tink said, giving a look around the place.
"That's fine. I'm sure we can manage." Corinne said, pulling leaves out of her hair.
"This is so cool! It's like our own little hideout!" Peter exclaimed.
"I have to get back to the other fairies and let them know I'm okay. I'll stop by later." Tink said before flying off.
"So what do you wanna do first?" Corinne asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Let's go find some pirates!" He said before finding his way out of their house. She rolled her eyes and followed him out.
Present Day-Storybrooke
Regina was grateful Peter saved her daughter. She was more pissed at her mother for putting Mandy in that type of danger in the first place. She just wanted to hug Mandy and absorb all the pain her daughter felt. She didn't want to upset Mandy even more by asking her any more questions about those people who supposedly raised her, so she decided to ask about Hook instead.
"So does that mean you know Hook?" Regina asked.
"Very well. We've beaten him countless times." Mandy said smiling.
"I'm not surprised. He was never a good fighter." Regina said.
"That's for sure." Mandy yawned.
"Come on. Let's get you to bed." Regina said, tapping Mandy's arm signaling her to follow her. "You can tell me those stories some other time." Mandy followed Regina down the hall to a guest bedroom. Mandy hopped on the bed and got under the covers quickly.
"This bed is awesome!" Mandy said snuggling in. Regina walked over and began tucking her in.
"I'm glad you're comfortable. " She said smiling. "Sleep well, dear." She said patting the girl on the shoulder. She was walking towards the door when Mandy began to speak.
"Regina?" Mandy said.
"Yes?" she said turning to face Mandy.
"If I was born from true love, why did my parents give me up? Didn't they want me?" Mandy whispered.
Regina looked to Mandy with sadness on her face. She desperately wanted to tell her she was her mother, but now was not the time. She took a deep breath before walking over to sit on the edge of the bed and placing her hands over Mandy's. She had to choose her words wisely.
"I'm sure they wanted you, dear. You don't know the circumstances surrounding your birth. You were probably loved very much." Regina said, trying to reassure her that she was indeed loved by both her parents.
"Doesn't feel like it." Mandy replied frowning. Regina didn't know how to respond. She looked at Mandy with guilt in her eyes. She should've been there for her daughter but her mother made that impossible.
"Peter loves you, right?" Regina asked.
"For now…" Mandy replied. Regina wanted to know what she meant by that but she could see how exhausted the young girl was and she needed to talk to Cora.
"I have to have a little talk with my mother. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Regina whispered.
"Thanks Regina. I haven't had someone be this nice to me in a while." She whispered back.
Regina smiled and stood up. "Like I said before, I'm here to help." Mandy smiled. "Goodnight Miranda!"
"Night, Regina!" As Regina shut the door, Mandy turned on her side and began thinking about what Cora and Regina said earlier. They both hinted at things that had to do with her but she couldn't figure it out.
Same Night
Regina walked down the stairs. She headed towards the living room where she had left her mother, only she wasn't there.
"Mother! Where are you?" She said in a whispered scream so she wouldn't wake Mandy.
"In here Regina." Regina walked into her study and found her mother sitting in her chair behind her desk, sipping a glass of wine.
"Mother, we need to talk." Regina said placing her hands on her hips.
"Let's talk in the morning, dear. I'm tired." Cora said finishing her glass of wine.
"No. We are doing this now!" She said more forcefully.
"What do you want to talk about? Corinne?" Cora asked.
"Her name is Miranda, mother. The name Daniel and I wanted to name her, not the name you chose." Regina said, her voice rising as she became more irritated with Cora. Cora played with her wine glass and stared at Regina.
"You put Miranda in the worst place possible. She was almost killed." Regina shouted.
"But she wasn't. Be thankful for that dear." Cora said flatly.
"You're unbelievable!" Regina exclaimed. A moment of silence fell upon the room when neither one knew what to say next. Regina knew she wasn't going to get anywhere with her mother about what she had done to Mandy when she was a baby so she moved on from that topic.
"Tell me more about the Falling Star." Regina said, trying to calm down.
"I don't know much more, dear." Cora said, refilling her win glass.
"There has to be something else. Something you're forgetting!" When Cora didn't answer, Regina threw her hands up in frustration.
"Her magic is very powerful; we just won't know what she is capable of until we see her in action. I suggest we start training her." Cora confessed.
"No, she is still pure and innocent. I don't want magic corrupting her like it has you and me." Regina argued.
"Rumple has already corrupted her. She always had magic; you won't be able to stop her from using it." Cora argued back.
"She told me she wanted to quit." Regina muttered.
"That's because she is scared of her outbursts and what she might do when she has them. If she learns to control her magic, she'll be more relaxed and focused." Cora said.
"I want her to give it up. I don't want her to pay the price that magic always comes with." Regina exclaimed.
"She can't just get rid of her magic. The Falling Star's magic is different than ours. They are stuck with it for life; whether they want it or not." Cora shot back. Regina shook her head in disbelief and sat down in a chair on the other side of her desk.
"Our only option is to train her than…"Regina realized.
Cora stood. "And we can see just how powerful she is. Just think Regina, if we use the Power of Three we will be untouchable."
"Is this just about power for you? If you knew your granddaughter was the Falling Star, you wouldn't have abandoned her." Regina exclaimed.
Cora knew Regina was right about that but she wasn't going to admit it to her. "I'm just saying you need to realize how powerful she is." Regina sighed and sunk into the chair. Cora walked over to her Regina's side, putting her hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"Think about her training overnight, and let me know what you decide in the morning." Cora lifted her hand but remembered she had something else she wanted to say to Regina.
"And you need to tell her the truth about you being her mother…soon!"
"I know!" Regina mumbled. She could feel a headache coming on and began rubbing her temples. Cora began walking towards the door when Regina said something.
"Mother?" Regina asked, turning in her seat to face Cora.
"What Regina?" Cora whined, turning around.
"Why is Mandy the Falling Star when she was born before I even had magic or cast the curse? She's technically older than Emma…" Regina questioned.
"It's fate, dear. That or it was Rumple's plan from the beginning." Cora simply replied.
"I hate him!" Regina muttered, turning back in her seat and crossing her arms.
"Goodnight, dear." Cora said. Regina didn't respond. She was too angry at Rumple and her mother and just life in general. She stayed up most of the night thinking. She had a lot to think about before the morning came, especially how she was going to tell Mandy about her parents.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it! I would love to know what you all think so far. Reviews are appreciated:)