Almost done guys :) one more chapter for sure. Maaaaaaaaybe two. And then an epilogue to tie things up nicely :) happy reading! Please leave a review! They mean a lot and are great motivation!
Three weeks later
Regina stood at the counter in the diner with her back to the door as she eyed her ordered cup of coffee while Granny brought it forward. The door behind her chimed as it opened but Regina didn't care. Not even when Granny looked past her at the new arrivals without recognition as to who they were. Regina didn't care until her vision was taken away by two hands covering her eyes. She frowned at the contact and heard Granny place her coffee on the counter in front of her but didn't hear her walk away.
"Guess who."
Regina knitted her brow at the completely unfamiliar sound of the man's voice, "I have no idea," not to mention the fact that the hands over her eyes were softer and smaller than those she believed would belong to a man.
"No guesses at all? I must say I am disappointed. I have heard much about you and now that we are here I realize that my hopes of the endless chatter about you would come to an end were greatly misguided. I'm sure with the interesting accommodations of this world will come paired with 'Regina showed me this' or 'Regina showed me that' or 'guess what I did with Regina today' and I'm afraid it will be a long time before it will stop. I may even find myself saying similar things as time passes. I must say I was not exactly thrilled when the pair of them spoke so highly of you."
Regina shook her head in small movements, her eyes still covered and her face screwed in confusion at the man's amused voice, "what are you talking about?"
"No guesses? None?"
"I have been very patient with this game of yours and I am not amused."
"Would you like a hint?"
"No I would not like a hint! What I would like is to enjoy my morning coffee in peace thank you very much!"
"You will enjoy it I can promise you that but in peace I doubt it will be."
Regina sighed at the sound of his laughter and the added quiet laughter of two more in his company. "I give up," she stated simply and the man laughed quietly again.
"Very well."
After a short moment of pause, Regina had her vision back and she turned her head to where the voice had originated from only to prove her previous guess correct. She did not know this man. He smiled at her wide and bright and moved around so his back leaned against the counter instead of his previous position of resting on his forearms. Regina shook her head at him in confusion and he glanced over her shoulder with his smile still in place before he met her eyes once again.
She cocked her head a little at him and then turned her head to look over her shoulder to meet two grinning faces. She let out a laugh and turned all the way around just in time for Aurora to throw herself at her and wrap her arms securely around her neck. "What are you doing here?!" She laughed and hugged Aurora back around her middle as she looked to Mulan.
"Well we found Phillip's soul and brought him back to us which thanks to you was much easier than we had planned," Mulan chuckled and shrugged her shoulders, "the longer we stayed in the Enchanted Forest after jumping through so many different worlds, the more bored we became so Aurora and I figured why not make one more trip!"
"How in the world did you manage to get here?!"
"Your son and I have been talking in the netherworld while we slept and he informed us of a certain pile of ashes in a certain castle," Aurora grinned as she let go of Regina who laughed quietly through her joyous smile, "of course we didn't end up here but he organized it so once we found the road there was what he called a 'cab' there waiting for us and he gave us specific instructions on how to open it and get in and not to panic and if we should start to feel sick we should look out the front window because it would help. We got out at the town border for the commander of this 'cab' was told not to drive any further than the bright orange line on the road. Henry had apparently made a deal with Rumplestiltskin to have him let the three of us cross the enforced border. And then we followed Henry's directions on how to get here! He told us if the big clock had not passed eight thirty then you would be here at the diner and if it had then we were to meet him under the clock tower."
Regina couldn't help but laugh at Aurora's excitement and pride for organizing and succeeding in such a journey to such a different world from any other. "And you went through all of that for what? For me?"
"Yes!" Aurora laughed and nodded her head enthusiastically and Regina let out a rather uneasy laugh but the joy in her face was like nothing he had ever seen. "Surprise!" She laughed and threw her arms up in the air before wrapping them around Regina once again. Regina hugged her back tighter this time and let herself sink in to her with a quiet laugh. It appeared she was still having a difficult time wrapping her head around the fact that there were people who wanted so badly to be back in her company.
"We kinda missed having you around," Mulan chuckled and Regina repositioned her head on Aurora's shoulder so she could look at her instead, "and we also missed that camera," she added with a teasing grin that had Regina closing her eyes with a laugh and a shake of her head.
Regina was not used to having people go far out of their way for her and it touched a special place in her heart to know that the trio had jumped through so many hoops just to be with her again. But she let herself enjoy it, she let herself laugh and soak in the attention and warmth that Aurora offered her and the friendliness that Mulan showed. "I sort of missed you two too," she admitted quietly and let out a small shaky laugh to ward off her tears.
Aurora pulled back with a hum of laughter and when Regina kept her head bowed Aurora lifted her chin with her finger and it brought out another small laugh from the queen as she lifted her head and opened her eyes. Aurora smiled at the unshed tears of joy in those dark eyes and lifted her hands to hold her head and moved her thumbs over her cheeks to wipe away the tears that had yet to fall. The gesture caused one to fall and Aurora quickly wiped it away with a smile and Regina smiled right back, "you still with David?" She asked happily and lowered her hands from Regina's face, "or is that baby someone else's handy work," she smirked with a small nod at the queen's swollen belly.
"No I am still with David," she shook her head and her hand rested instinctively upon her belly while she gave a wider smile and breathed out a laugh when Aurora grinned and laughed through her teeth.
"Good! That means I don't have to lock the pair of you in a room until you realize how much you screwed up!"
"Careful," Regina warned with a laugh and a playful smile, "words like that won't make you very popular around here."
"Ah who cares," she shook her head and waved a hand, ignoring the looks from the people in the diner listening in on them, "let's make a video! And then you can show it to David through your phones! That's how it can work right? The technology in this place is fascinating. I can't wait to see David. I'm sure he and Phillip will get along great!"
"Oh yes, Phillip!" She laughed and turned to face the man still standing next to her, "I'm afraid I forgot about you."
"Quite alright. I've rather enjoyed watching. I must say you are not at all what I expected," he breathed out a quiet laugh with a shake of his head.
"I told you she wasn't a psychopath," Aurora laughed with a shake of her head and slipped her fingers in to Regina's coat pocket and pulled out her phone and handed it to her.
"Yes but I couldn't quite believe you when she said she was basically the opposite of what we had been told and had experienced."
Regina laughed quietly as she opened up her camera on her phone and waited for the couple to stop their playful bickering before she started a video with only herself in the frame, ignoring all of the few spectators in the diner that were watching her, "I stopped by Granny's this morning to pick up my coffee and I have picked up a few strays. I am going to keep them and you have no say in the matter," she smirked and then both Aurora and Mulan bounced in on either side of her and grinned at the camera.
"Hi David!"
Regina laughed quietly as both women rested their heads against hers to make sure they were in the video, "they are very anxious to see you," she nodded and Aurora waved at the camera with a laugh before Regina ended it and sent it off in a text, both Mulan and Aurora watching intently as she navigated through the motions of doing so. "There. I'm sure we'll hear from him in just a bit," she smiled and turned to pick up her coffee from the counter, unable to remove her smile when she happened to lock eyes with a dumbfounded Granny for a moment before she took a sip and looked back to her new company.
"What is that?" Mulan questioned as she eyed over the strange closed cup in Regina's hand as she sipped from it.
"It's coffee."
"May I try it?" Mulan smiled and Regina nodded and handed her the cup with a smile. It was warm in her hands and she turned it so the small hole was in line with her mouth before she carefully lifted it to her lips and took a wary sip. "Oh that's good," she laughed and took another sip, enjoying the feeling of the hot liquid go down her throat.
"Can I taste?" Aurora asked and reached forward to take it from Mulan when she gave it up. She too took a careful sip and moaned happily when the flavour and temperature hit her tongue, "oh yes I like this Storybrooke place already."
Regina laughed with a shake of her head and turned around to find Granny when Aurora handed Phillip the coffee to try. "Granny," she called politely and the older woman lifted her head to the sound of her title and at the sound of Phillip's approval she laughed quietly, "I need three more please," she nodded and then dropped her eyes to her phone when a call vibrated in her hand.
"Hello," she smiled and Aurora, Mulan, and Phillip all snapped their attention to her.
"What in the actual the hell?!"
Regina laughed happily at his excited exclamation as he laughed loudly, "it seems they were in cahoots with Henry and they took a cab to the town line after they used ashes from Emma's tree," she laughed and David let out a loud laugh in approval.
"That's hilarious! Where are you?!"
"We are still at Granny's and I was planning on heading to the clock tower to meet Henry."
"Well I will meet you there!"
"Sounds perfect," she smiled and then laughed, "they want to use the phone. I'll give it to Mulan first because I'm quite certain Aurora won't stop talking once she starts."
"Hey!" Aurora laughed and Regina winked playfully as she handed the phone to Mulan.
"...uh...hello?" Mulan tried in to the phone, unsure of what to expect really and when David's voice was heard she grinned wildly.
"Well hello there! I didn't think I'd ever be hearing from you again."
"Nor did I!" She laughed and bounced a little, "this is so strange! Where are you right now?"
"I'm leaving the house to come meet with you guys."
"That's great! Have you tried this coffee drink?"
"Yes I have. It's good isn't it?"
Mulan grinned at his laughter as she took her new cup from Regina, "yes it is. Here I will give the phone to Aurora."
Aurora grabbed it from Mulan and excitedly put it to her ear, "David?!"
"Aurora."
"It is you! This is amazing! How does it work?!"
Regina laughed quietly as she left money on the counter for the coffee and steered Aurora out with a hand on her shoulder and held the door open for her as she rambled off to David and sipped at her coffee. She let Mulan and Phillip through the door as well before she followed them all down the stairs and proceed to fall in step next to Mulan and watched in quiet amusement as the trio followed the sidewalk; an instruction Henry must have given for there were not many people out walking today for them to follow example.
Aurora talked the entire time while Mulan and Phillip awed at their surroundings and were constantly swivelling their heads. It kept Regina smiling and she answered any and all questions they had and when they made it to the library clock tower she was surprised to see a grinning Emma in Henry's company. "You were in on this as well?" Regina chuckled and Emma shrugged with a smug grin.
"Whose credit card did you think paid for the cab ride to the line?" She grinned and Regina didn't quite know what to say but she kept smiling as she shook her head in wonder, "everybody needs gossip buddies. I get long distance but the Enchanted Forest is a little too long distance," Emma smirked and Regina laughed.
"Isn't this awesome, mom!?" Henry grinned as he bounced forward and made frequent glances in Mulan's direction.
"You are getting too good at keeping secrets from me," she laughed and he grinned wider before she nodded her head in Mulan's direction, "go on," he breathed a single giddy laugh through his teeth before he skipped up to Mulan to introduce himself. At least his obsession with fairytales was still intact. All their attentions were caught by the brown truck pulling up to the sidewalk and David stepping out of it.
Needless to say the sidewalk corner was filled with laughter and joy and stories being told and it made Regina happy. Just happy.
...
Things couldn't have been going better. Ever since Tamara and Greg had been disposed of and the wall Regina and Rumple had been put in place it seemed that the entire town felt as though they could finally breathe again. It also helped that their most feared villains were no longer fear worthy. Unless you crossed them of course. Rumple and Belle were settling incredibly well and David truly didn't mind being in Rumple's company anymore. In fact he quite enjoyed it. And now that Aurora, Mulan, and Phillip were staying with them the house was filled with excitement and happy chatter. Just as a home should be.
Then there was Regina. David was watching her now as she tasted a concocted sauce from a wooden spoon. She was happy, she was beautiful, and she was nearing huge. It brought the biggest grin to his mouth as he watched his darling woman nod at the sauce and proceed to move around the kitchen, seamlessly teetering on her usual shiny black stilettos despite the extra weight of her belly. He still had no clue if their child was a boy or a girl. No one did except Regina and she was keeping her word and refraining from telling him as per his request. No matter how much he regretted ever making such an agreement.
"Don't just stand there. Make yourself useful," she snapped with a smile after allowing him his allotted time to watch her.
David laughed softly and walked toward her with his hands behind his back, "I am afraid Henry and I have done something entirely unforgivable."
Her interest peaked, Regina raised a brow and looked him up and down as he approached her with a reined back smirk which only had her more wary, "what did you do?"
"It cannot be undone," he smirked as he stopped in front of her and she looked at him with a curious frown.
"Where is Henry?"
"Taking care of the stuff in the car. He thought it best I break the news."
"Oh? And what is this unforgivable news?" She questioned again and David slowly pulled his hands from behind his back and draped over one of them was a limp and sleepy puppy with a big red bow around her neck. That was not at all what she was expecting. He was little. His dark golden coat was fluffy and looked so very soft, "a dog."
David couldn't help but laugh at her statement. It held no tone, no hint as to what she was thinking, and it had him grinning like a damn idiot, "a puppy."
"That will grow in to a dog."
"Well yeah," he chuckled and watched Regina tilt her head at the little golden retriever in his hold.
"I seem to recall sending you out to buy a loaf of bread for dinner."
"We got that too," David chuckled and Regina tilted her head the other way, "I'm sure the pair of you will get along famously," he laughed and moved the puppy forward so she had no choice but to take it and he didn't let her protest, "I'm going to go help Henry."
Regina huffed as she watched him leave and then she looked at the drowsy puppy held out in front of her in both hands. A dog hadn't exactly been on the list of things she wanted right at that very moment but she wasn't exactly protesting to the idea. "You are cute," she told her begrudgingly and then with a small breath of laughter from her nose she shook her head and whispered, "doesn't mean those boys are getting away with this though."
She was bringing her to her chest when she saw a bright glint of something tied in to the red satin bow around her neck. With a sigh she cradled the puppy in her arm and pushed one side of the bow away so she could see what was beneath it. She had assumed it to be a name tag. She couldn't be more wrong. Her whole body froze and her eyes widened at the diamond ring against the red ribbon and golden fur and she couldn't quite tell if her heart had stopped beating.
She had no words as she slowly moved her thumb over it and examined every stunning detail of it. The entire band was set with diamonds. A large one was set above the ring with two smaller ones on either side of it before the many more smaller diamonds embedded in to the silver of the band met at the bottom to finish the ring. Its silver sides were moulded and engraved with gentle and elegant swirls and similar patterns that could only be seen up close. It was beautiful and detailed and she couldn't breathe.
She snapped her head up to the door David had left through only to find him standing there with his arms folded, his shoulder against he wall, and a smile on his mouth. "Really?" She asked timidly, hopefully. She could feel her tears pooling in her eyes when his smile remained and he fluidly pushed his weight from the wall and walked to her.
"I have had this ring for quite some time now," he smiled as he pulled the bow and slipped the ring from the ribbon around the puppy's neck, "now that things have finally settled down I thought it was about time I ask you to be my wife," he smiled and she grinned through her tears and laughed a little. He took the puppy from her arms and placed her on the floor before he stepped closer to Regina and took her left hand in his and looked her in the eye. "So, my lovely Regina," he smiled and she tilted her head as her love for him shone in her dark eyes and sat on that perfect mouth, "will you marry me?"
She laughed at those four little words, overjoyed at the sound of them, "yes of course I will marry you," she replied as her laughter mixed with tears and he grinned and slid the ring on to her finger. It fit perfectly. She laughed as she looked at it and then she was throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him, cursing at her belly that kept her from getting as close to him as she wanted and then laughing a little when she felt the puppy paw at her her ankle.