The Shadowman and his Queen

My Same

ShadowQueen Ch. 8: My Same

Later, Regina is at the bar serving customers, when a very unexpected guest enters and sits at the bar. "Oh... you know we don't serve shots of strawberry milk here, right?" Regina says as she faces her guest laying her left elbow on the counter top as she intertwines her hands. "Better have a good reason for putting my liquor license at risk" Regina concludes with widened eyes and quick sure nod of her head. To that, her guest, little Lucy unfolds a page from the storybook, lays it on the counter top and says, "it's Henry, I need your help." Regina looks at Lucy with a face of concern before escorting her out of the busy bar area to a quieter space in the back. There Lucy reveals as Regina looks at the page, "this page, it suddenly appeared. It says Henry's going to die if he kisses my mom." Regina looks at her knowingly takes a needed breath and says, "so that's why you stopped them from kissing last night?" as she folds the page back up.

Lucy continues in panicked quiet tones, "it all my fault. I found Henry and tricked him into coming her and now... now I'm going to lose him..." Regina looks at her granddaughter, seeing in her everything that is Henry as Lucy continues "...I know you didn't believe me when I told you, you were the Evil Queen but I...". For Regina, this is all too reminiscent of her son during the first curse. She played as if she didn't believe him then but she refuses to do that to Lucy now, so she cuts Lucy off and admits with a turning of her head, "Yeah well... a lot has happened since then Lucy." She puts her crooked index finger under Lucy's chin to raise the little one's eye to meet her own and says "you know what?... I believe you now."

Lucy looks at her with relieved hopeful eyes "you do? You read the book?" "read it? I lived it, and I am not going to let my granddaughter face this alone", Regina assures confidently and Lucy loses it "so you're awake, I knew you were. You are Regina. So that makes me..." "that makes you a Mills, Lucy..." Regina says making Lucy smile ear to ear with the same stars in her eyes that her father would get when he was just as excited. "...And so am I" Regina continues, "just... don't call me grandma. The Mills family does what heroes do best, we save people." "like my dad?" Lucy asks "yes, and we're going to start just like your father did... with a set of walky-talkies and... an operation name" Regina concludes with a smile. "Any suggestions?" she inquires of the young one "operation hyacinth... the first thing my dad gave my mom." This makes Regina chuckle, she puts out her right hand to shake Lucy's and says, "operation hyacinth, it is", "and what's our next move?" Lucy asks curiously "what do you think? We're going to give your mother and father the happy ending they deserve".

At that Lucy is in Regina's arms in a second, hugging her in much gratitude. When they release their embrace, Regina leads Lucy to a place to sit while she goes to retrieve their operation tools. Regina returns with the old-school machines, sits down and it met with a disapproving Lucy "what are those?" she asks appalled by these 'ancient' machines her grandmother has returned with. "Come on, really? You can't have an operation without walkie-talkies. Where's your investigative spirit" Regina playfully retorts before turning the device on only to cringe at the feedback it gives off. "Oh!", "oooh!" they exclaim simultaneously with a shake of their heads, suddenly Regina hears her phone chime in her back pocket, she takes it out to see who texted her only to find that Lucy had, the message reading "maybe we should just text".

Regina is amused by yet agrees with the act, "alright smarty, we'll do it your way". Once that is settled Lucy asks "so, where do we start?", Regina still caught on the reappearance of her past lover, his desire to win her back over and her lack of trust in him, decides "ok first, we need to find out everything we can about my friend Mr. Samdi" at the title 'friend' Lucy gives Regina the reaction she expects from those in her family in reference to Samdi, "wait... you're friends with Dr. Facilier?!", at her reaction Regina looks dejected in the same way she had before when it was found of their involvement, but the feeling doesn't last too long because, just like Henry was, Lucy isn't your ordinary child "that's genius!..." Lucy exclaims, "...he's a voodoo doctor, of course he'll know a way to cure my dad".