Tales of Change

Chapter 4

"Hey mom, I'm here!" Victoria yelled as she entered the house. She took off her shoes, put her schoolbag on the couch and walked over to the kitchen where she found her mother making her famous, delicious lasagna.

"Hey sweetheart," Regina said as she saw her daughter arriving. "Want to taste the sauce?"

"Yes, sure!" Victoria responded and took a spoon, dipped it in the sauce and ate it. "Good as always." was her verdict.

"Thank you. I'll just finish this, put it in the oven and then we can work on your magic." Regina said.

"Okay, well I'll just go to my room, tell me when you're done." The redhead answered and got out of the kitchen. She took her bag on her way to the stairs and went to her room. Victoria sat on her chair and took her hairbrush. She placed it in front of her and concentrated. She closed her eyes and thought.

Please, make this work.

She opened her eyes and her brush was gone. Victoria smiled, then turned around. The hairbrush was on her bed, like she had wanted to do.

"Yes!" She said and got up. She tried again, but she wanted to bring the brush farther. Again, she sat on her chair, looked at it and then closed her eyes.

In the living room.

She opened her eyes. The brush was gone again. Victoria got up, ran down the stairs and saw her brush on the couch.

"It worked!"

"What worked?" Her father asked as he was entering the room.

"Magic!" She responded.

"I thought your mom was still cooking." He said.

"I decided to get a head start. Plus, she's nearly finished."

"Well then, good luck. I am off to go see your brother and the rest of my merry men, I'll be back for diner." Robin declared.

"Okay, bye dad!"

"Bye little princess." He teased.

"Dad, I'm not little!" She complained.

"I know." He said and got out of the house.

~~~

"Door locked!" Rose said and turned around to face her mother.

"Okay, come here!" She said and guided her daughter to a staircase. They both went to the second floor and Belle took a key to unlock the door.

"What's in here?" Rose asked.

"Where I used to live and where I go to think, sometimes to read. It's kind of my secret hideout." Belle explained as she opened the door, revealing her apartment. Mother and daughter entered in the small place, painted in beige and green, just like the library's colors. There was a bed, a bookshelf filled with books - Rose suspected her mother had already read them all - and a few chairs. There was also a window, showing the streets of Storybrooke. Rose just loved the view. "Do you like it?" Belle asked.

"Yes! You've kept this place secret for all this time?" Rose responded, sitting on the bed.

"Well, your father knows about it, but he respects the fact that it is my place and that sometimes I do need the time alone in here. I just thought maybe you did too, need time alone sometimes and I couldn't really think of a better place." She answered and sat next to her daughter. "Oh, and I'll show you where I leave the key. It's at the library's desk."

~~~

Neal entered his parent's loft and saw his sister, her husband and Henry talking with Mary Margaret and David. He left his schoolbag on the floor and went to his family.