Everything Has Changed

Chapter 8 - Believing

"'Everything in that book actually happened.' 'You should know better than anyone...you're in that book."

No it was impossible. She slammed the book shut and threw it onto the seat next to her. There was no way. Fairytales. They were just fairytales. She glanced one last time at the large, brown book lying on the couch, but she shook her head and made her way upstairs to bed. It was impossible.

The next day didn't dawn any brighter for her. On one hand she didn't have to deal with Leo this morning, but then on the other there was what Robin had said, and the fact that Mary Margaret seemed to think they were all characters in her book. Nothing could ever just be easy...

She had breakfast ready and waiting when her stepdaughter joined her in the kitchen. "Good morning Mother."

"Good morning Little Bird." She paused and took a hard look at the girl sitting across the counter. "So I read your book last night. I mean really read it, not skimmed through it like I had before."

"Oh?" Mary Margaret looked at her simply over her breakfast. Obviously Regina hadn't remembered by simply holding it like Robin had. Hmmm? "What did you think?"

"Dear you know that those are just stories right? None of those things actually happened? Especially not to us!"

"You just don't remember...although I really don't know why you don't remember. Robin seemed to get his memories back just by holding the book. I wonder why that didn't work for you? Then again if you are the hero it couldn't be that easy. The hero always has to work harder than they should to get their information." She was rambling and Regina held a finger up to her lips to stop her.

"First of all, I am not a hero. Second, just because you got Ranger Locksley,"

"Robin. He said we could call him Robin."

"Fine, just because you got Robin to play along doesn't make it any more real. And third," she paused, "Well third is just that you need to stop thinking everything is really some fairytale. This is our life, neither one of us is a princess."

"No one said anything about fairytales, I said stories, and I've told you like a hundred times that you are a Queen. Not a princess. Besides, you didn't even finish the book." She folded her arms and looked at Regina. "Did you?"

Regina didn't answer her, but she didn't look her in the eyes either. "You didn't! Because if you had you wouldn't have called them fairytales!"

"And just why aren't they fairytales?" Regina's tone showed her annoyance at the entire conversation, but that didn't slow Mary Margaret down.

She shoved away from the counter and stormed off up the stairs to get her school bag. "Find out for yourself!"

Regina's annoyance with her daughter lasted all the way through dropping her off at school. It wasn't until she was walking back to her car that she finally let some of it go. Only to have it instantly replaced with fear. Leo was waiting next to her driver's side door.

Robin woke up thoroughly confused. He was at home, but this wasn't Sherwood Forest, and yet he felt like he was supposed to be here. Then again, maybe he was supposed to be somewhere else. He shook his head as he climbed out of bed. What was going on? As soon as his feet hit the floor he remembered what was happening. Something about a curse, and the Queen, and her sister. He had to find the princess.

He raced through his morning routine and was halfway to the sheriff's house when he remembered what day it was, Friday, dammit. He made a U-turn in the middle of Mifflin Street and headed for Storybrooke Elementary. He didn't know much about where he was or what was going on and there was only one person he could think of to give him the answers he needed, and he was sure that after that stunt she pulled on Wednesday Snow White would be right where Regina wanted her, school.