strange and beautiful (I'll put a spell on you)

Chapter One

STORYBROOKE, Maine

The young woman with dark brown hair blinked, her eyes trying to adjust to the light as her alarm went off in the distance. She frowned, truly not wanting to get up and go to work on this morning. Her life felt like it was just one long day on repeat. Each day she'd wake up, make herself a bagel and a cup of coffee, clean herself up for the day, drive to work where she'd do her receptionist duties, grab a cup of tea and a BLT at Granny's diner for lunch, leave early so she would be on time to pick up her nephew from school, spend the rest of the afternoon with him until his counseling appointment – and then drive home. She'd make herself a simple dinner and go to bed by 9PM. Every single day – the very same routine.

Rebekah Mills was a creature of habit, it seemed.

But today felt different.

Something felt off.

Rebekah got out of bed, walking across the room where her phone was charging (she set it there at night so when the alarm would go off, she'd be forced to get out of bed to turn it off.), only to find a string of text messages from her older sister; Regina.

Her big sister was furious.

And as Rebekah read over each text, she understood why. The feeling of panic became near overwhelming – she couldn't breathe, Henry was missing. Regina had no idea where he was. The young woman with dark brown hair quickly dressed, throwing her hair into a messy bun instead of her usual loose waves and left her apartment while she was still in her pajamas.

Rebekah got into her car and drove to Regina's, who had yet to answer any of her calls yet. If something had happened to Henry and Rebekah slept through it – she'd never forgive herself. She should have been awake, she should have been there to help find him. Rebekah knew Henry better than anyone! He was more than just a nephew to her – she had basically raised him since Regina had adopted him.

Regina had been loving towards Henry for the first week, but Rebekah would often see looking down at the sweet baby with a look of envy.

He was her son – but not truly. Regina hadn't carried him in her womb, she didn't spend hours in labor, she didn't give birth to him – she wasn't his mother. Legally, yes – she was his mother. She had adopted him. Regina had never had that maternal instinct when it came to her adopted child.

But Rebekah did. She felt it the moment she held Henry in her arms for the first time.

She knew exactly what to do when the baby cried, swaddled him like a pro, changed his stinky diapers with ease and knew each one of his cries and what they meant. Rebekah hummed a tune to Henry while trying to get him to sleep in the old wooden rocking chair that sat in Henry's nursery and that baby boy smiled up at her with crinkled eyes and held onto her finger like she was his life support.

And it devastated her for some reason.

She didn't understand – but looking down at Henry wrapped in a blanket she had knit for him made her feel like a part of her was missing. Rebekah chalked it up to her being twenty-seven, still single and without a family of her own to take care of.

Just Regina and Henry.

Henry was easy – her sister on the other hand? She was a damn nightmare.

She was controlling, mean, and the cherry on top of it all? She was also Rebekah's boss.

Regina was the mayor of Storybrooke and hired Rebekah to answer phone calls and fetch her coffee every other hour. Her older sister would belittle her, verbally abuse her, and make her feel worthless.