Once Upon A Time: Goldilocks comes to Storybrooke

Chapter 9

Goldilocks and Dr Hopper met at Granny's diner, at eleven o'clock. Goldilocks had got there first, as she had a room in the Bed and Breakfast around the back of the little café, and was sat by the counter, talking to Ruby (the former Little Red Riding Hood).

Ruby was young and very pretty. She had long brown hair and was wearing a white blouse with the logo of the diner on the right side of the chest, and was also wearing a black mini skirt.

When Dr Hopper walked in, he sat next to Goldilocks, and he ordered them both drinks. Belle also walked in a few minutes later, recognised Goldilocks, and sat with them. Belle ordered a burger, and as her food was being made, they began to teach Goldilocks about the modern world.

"Okay, this-" Ruby produced a small, black, thin box-like object. "-is called a cell phone."

"A cell phone," Goldilocks nodded.

"You can use it to talk to people, and play games on it and stuff," Ruby continued to explain, and showed Goldilocks a few games on her phone.

"And this-" Ruby bright out a thin, green paper and placed it in the counter. "-is a dollar. It's part of the currency here."

"Dollar," Goldilocks repeated. "Currency. Yeah, okay."

Then Ruby began to bring out different sized coins and placed them on the counter.

"This is a penny," Ruby pointed to one of the coins. "It is worth one cent, and one hundred cents equals one dollar. Do you get it?"

Goldilocks nodded. "A penny equals one cents, and one hundred cents is a dollar. What about the other coins?"

"This one-" Belle took charge, and pointed to a coin slightly larger then the penny. "-is a nickel, which equals five cents. And this coin-" Belle pointed to the silver one. "-is a dime, which is ten cents."

"A penny is one, nickel is five, and dime is ten," Goldilocks whispered, trying to remember everything.

"And this one is a quarter," Dr Hopper pointed to the last coin. "Which is worth twenty five cents."

"And it's called a quarter because twenty five is a quarter of one hundred?" Goldilocks predicted.

Ruby grinned. "Exactly."

Goldilocks also learnt about many other different things, like cars, refrigerators, TV's and movies....

"Wait. Wait, wait, wait," Goldilocks stopped Belle. "You're telling me, that there is a magical box, with a screen, that has the power to make pictures move, and talk?"

"You could put it like that," Belle shrugged, laughing.

Goldilocks grinned, her eyes shining with excitement. "I'd love to see that!"

Meanwhile, Emma Swan had received a phone call from Regina, who explained everything she was told by Artie Hopper the previous night, so Emma drove in her small yellow car to Regina's home. Regina got in the car, and Henry came along for the ride too. Henry was sat in the back, and both of his mother's were sat in the front.

"So this girl is called Georgia?" Emma asked, her eyes on the road as she turned the corner.

"Well that's what Dr Hopper said," Regina rolled her eyes.

"And she's been here for four weeks?" Emma said. "That must have meant she didn't come with any of the curses."

"Well done genius," Regina muttered.

Emma looked at Regina, slightly annoyed. Regina was actually Emma's step grandmother, as Emma's mother was Snow White (or Mary Margaret in Storybrooke) and Regina was Snow White's stepmother. So this only made things even awkward between Emma and Regina.

Henry bit for lip, trying to think of something to say, but nothing sprung to mind. "Mom?" He asked.

"Yes?" Both Emma and Regina said at the same time.

Henry was silent for a few moments. "Well, all you have to do is ask her which fairytale character she is, and how she got into Storybrooke. If she didn't come with one of the curses, who knows where she came from?!"

They pulled up and climbed out of the car. Henry put on his backpack, with his fairytale book inside. All three walked into the Diner, Emma first, then Henry, then Regina.

Emma ordered them two coffees and one hot chocolate (with cinnamon for Henry), and then Dr Hopper noticed them.

"Hi, thanks for coming," he said quietly to them.

"No problem," Emma said. "Where's Georgia?"

"Georgia," Dr Hopper said, turning back to her. "These are a few people I'd like you to meet."

Goldilocks around in her chair to look. Dr Hopper began to introduced them. "This is Emma, Henry and-"

"R-Regina?" Goldilocks asked.

Regina turned to look, and gasped. "Goldilocks?"

"Goldilocks?" Emma asked. She looked at Belle and Ruby, who both shrugged.

"Oh my God," Regina said.

"It- it is you?" Goldilocks had her mouth hung open.

Regina rushed forwards and flung her arms around Goldilocks, and Goldilocks did the same. Everyone watched as the two friends reunited, hugging for what seemed like ages.

Emma raised her eyebrows with puzzlement, but chose not to say anything. Henry's eyes dated back and forth between Regina and Goldilocks, Dr Hopper and Belle shared a look of curiosity, and Ruby's had was tilted at an angle and get eyes were narrowed with thought, as if she was trying to work out the history between Goldilocks and Regina.

"I thought you were dead!" Regina whispered through her tears.

Goldilocks pulled apart from the hug. "Regina, look at you. You've hardly changed one bit!" Goldilocks laughed softly.

"And, neither have you," Regina looked Goldilocks up and down. "Literally: you haven't changed, and it's been nearly forty years since we've last seen each other! What happened to you?"

Goldilocks smile slowly disappeared. "Oh, I, erm, well it's funny you should ask that," Goldilocks said.

"Goldilocks, what happened?" Regina asked sternly.

"I was...kind of tricked, causing me to fall through a magic portal," Goldilocks said.

"A portal? Where? Why? When? Who?" Regina asked all at once. "Who did that to you?"

Goldilocks was silent for a moment before replying. "It was The Queen. Your mother, Cora. She invited me into the palace, and I fell through the portal, and was transported to another place."