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Chapter Text

Emma and August walked out of the theater with ecstatic grins.

“Dude, that was coolest movie I’ve ever seen!” Emma declared.

“Yeah, the way that guy exploded— that was so awesome!” said August. He paused a moment. “So, what do you wanna do now? Wanna go to the comic store?”

“I can’t,” said Emma, “Mom said I had to come straight home.”

“Aw, okay. Is it okay if I come over?”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. Let’s go.”

The two friends hopped on their bikes and rode three blocks to Emma’s house, where they found her father washing his truck.

“Hey, you two,” he said with a smile.

“Hi, Dad.”

“Hey, Mr. Nolan.”

“Well, how was the movie?”

“Oh, it was so cool!” said Emma, “There was magic and sword-fights and one guy blew up like a balloon and exploded—”

Her father chuckled. “Alright, Emma, slow down,” he said, patting her shoulder, “Why don’t we keep the details to a minimum, eh? Your mother might have a conniption.”

“Okay, Dad.”

“Is it okay if I stay over, Mr. Nolan?” asked August.

“Well, I certainly don’t mind, but what did your old man say?”

“Uh, he said it would be fine.”

Mr. Nolan gave August a pointed look. “You sure about that? Wouldn’t want your nose to start growing, would be?”

August let out a nervous laugh. “I’ll, uh, I’ll call him right away, Mr. Nolan.”

Again, the man chuckled. “Alright. You know where the phone is, August.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“No problem.”

The two children hurried inside while Mr. Nolan finished rinsing off his Chevy. They entered the kitchen where they found Emma’s mother pulling a pie out of the oven. She greeted them with a smile.

“Hello Emma,” she said, “August.”

“Hi, Mrs. Nolan. Is it okay if I use your phone?”

“Of course. Go right ahead.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

While August called his father, Emma’s mother leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“So, how was the movie, sweetheart?”

“It was so cool,” Emma said excitedly.

“What was it, again?”

“Big Trouble in Little China.”

“I’m guessing there was violence?”

“Not really,” Emma shrugged, “Just some martial arts and stuff.”

“I see,” said her mother, “Well, why don’t you wash up and help me set the table? We’re having tuna casserole and pie.”

Emma grimaced. “Tuna casserole? Can’t we have pizza?”

“Another night, honey.”

“Okay,” Emma said with a sigh, “What kind of pie is it? Apple?”

“Oh, Heavens no,” said her mother, “You know I hate apples. We’re having a nice coconut cream pie.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Emma trudged towards the bathroom with a frown. She hated tuna casserole almost as much as she hated coconut. She would rather have greasy, pepperoni pizza and a glass of chocolate milk to enjoy while she sat in front of the TV, but tonight, she was doomed to eat her mother’s awful cooking. At least she still had her secret stash of M&Ms hidden under her mattress.

Following the dreadful dinner, August headed home and probably ate a ton of junk food to make up for whatever he’d just ingested and Emma went upstairs to get ready for bed. Once she had her pajamas on, she climbed into bed and retrieved her walkie-talkie from the nightstand, using it to contact her best friend.

“Come in, August.”

August didn’t take long to pick up. “Hey, what’s up?”

“I’m sorry about the casserole,” said Emma.

She and August snickered quietly.

“Don’t worry about it. My dad’s not much of a cook, either. Besides, I’ve still got my secret stash.”

“Yeah, me too.”

She would have said more had her mother not opened the door without bothering to knock (as usual).

“Emma, sweetheart, it’s time to say goodnight to August.”

Emma sighed. “Night, August.”

“Night.”

Emma’s mother smiled. “Sweet dreams, dear.”

“Goodnight, Mom.”

Once the door was closed, Emma switched off her lamp and stared out the window at the moon. She was asleep before she even realized it, dreaming of epic battles between ninjas and evil spirits beneath the streets of Chinatown.

Three days passed, and Emma was walking with August to the corner store to buy some ice cream when she suddenly froze. August looked at her in confusion, following her gaze to see a familiar boy heading their way with some friends.

“Oh, right,” he said, “Neal Cassidy. That guy’s a real jerk.”

Emma frowned. “What are you talking about? He’s the cutest guy in the whole school.”

August stuck out his tongue at her in disgust. “Gross.”

Emma just rolled her eyes, but put on her best smile as Neal and his friends passed by.

“Hi, Neal,” she said meekly.

Neal looked at her with visible confusion. “Huh? Oh. Hey.”

And he kept on walking.

Emma watched him go with a gleam in her eyes and a sigh. “Did you hear that, August? He actually spoke to me.”

August just shook his head. “Come on. Let’s get what we came for.”

The pair headed into the little store and towards the ice cream counter, where they were met by the smiling face of Sarah Fisher.

“Hey, you two,” she said, “What can I get you today?”

They smiled back at her, unable to resist her charm.

“Today feels like a rocky road kind of day,” said Emma.

Sarah chuckled. “How many scoops would you like?”

“Two, please.”

“And what about you, August?”

“I’ll take strawberry. Just one scoop, please.”

Sarah handed them their ice cream in waffle cones. August gave her a dollar. Emma handed over two. They thanked her and made their way back out onto the sidewalk where they sat on the curb and enjoyed their ice cream, as they did every Sunday afternoon in the summer.

“So are you going to the carnival tomorrow?” asked August.

“Yeah. You?”

“I don’t know yet. My dad’s not really into that kind of thing. He’d rather stay home and read about it in the paper.”

“Well, maybe you can go with me,” said Emma.

August smiled. “That would be cool.”

“Yeah.”

They were both silent for a while as they enjoyed their ice cream. Halfway through her rocky road, Emma started to sing.

“The space goes: down, down, baby— down the roller coaster. Sweet, sweet baby, sweet, sweet, don’t let me go. Shimmy, shimmy coco pop. Shimmy, shimmy rock!”

August joined in. “Shimmy, shimmy coco pop. Shimmy, shimmy rock!”

The two of them sat there singing their little song together, not caring that the people passing by were shooting weird looks their way.

“I met a girlfriend— a Triscuit! She said a Triscuit— a biscuit! Ice cream soda pop, vanilla on the top! Oooh, Shalita, walking down the street, ten times a week! I meant it, I said it, I stole my momma’s credit! I’m cool, I’m hot! Sock you in the stomach three more times!”

The next night, at the carnival, Emma spotted Neal standing in line with his friends for the biggest, scariest ride in the whole park: the Ring of Fire. She swallowed fearfully as she laid eyes on the colossal structure, but decided to go for it anyway. She had to impress Neal no matter what, so she pushed her way through the line, leaving everyone irritated. When she reached Neal, she smiled widely— perhaps too widely.

“Hi, Neal.”

He turned to look at her in mild confusion. “What? Oh, it’s you. You’re, uh, Emily, right?”

Emma’s smile faltered. “It’s Emma,” she said.

“Oh. Okay. Have you been on this ride before?”

“Yeah,” Emma lied, “I’ve already gotten on twice.”

“Cool. Are you here by yourself?”

Emma hesitated. “Uh-huh.”

Before Neal could respond, Emma’s mother called out to her from a few yards away, standing next to her father. The two of them waved to her.

“Hi, sweetie!”

Emma felt the color drain from her face and she scratched her head awkwardly. Neal and his friends just laughed, and Emma felt like crawling into a hole and never coming out. The line grew shorter, and Emma was about to step onto the platform, but the man running the ride stopped her.

“Sorry, kid, but you’re not tall enough for the Ring,” he said, ushering her aside, “Next!”

Again, Neal and his friends laughed as Emma walked away from the ride with her head hung in shame. She felt like someone had just dropped an entire house on her shoulders. The other kids were sure to make fun of her now that she’d made a fool of herself in front of Neal Cassidy, one of the most popular kids in the whole school.

She walked past the other rides and games until something interesting caught her eye. It was a machine of some kind. Inside was an animatronic figure dressed in Arabian-type clothing. She looked up at the flashy sign. It read:

The Wishmaster Speaks.

Below, there was another sign inside the tall glass case. This one instructed her to insert twenty-five cents in exchange for a single wish. After thinking it over for a moment, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a quarter, then she pushed it into the slot and turned the knob.

“I wish I was big,” she whispered.

The Wishmaster’s mouth opened and a small chute above it allowed the quarter to fall into its mouth. Emma thought she might have just been imagining it, but for a brief second, she swore she saw the Wishmaster’s eyes flash red. A small card emerged from the slot near the base of the machine. On it was just four words:

Your wish is granted.

She looked down, and it was the strangest thing— the most unexplainable thing. The machine wasn’t even plugged in.

Chapter Text

Hearing her mother call her name from downstairs, Emma let out a groan and climbed out of bed before making her way to the bathroom. She passed by the mirror as she headed for the toilet, but then she froze. The face staring back at her in the reflection wasn’t hers. It belonged to a grown woman.

Emma gasped, thinking she was just seeing things, and splashed some water onto her face in the hopes that it would clear up her vision. She must have just had something in her eye, or perhaps she was still dreaming. She rubbed her eyes and looked back up at the mirror. Nothing had changed. She was still staring into the face of a person she didn’t recognize.

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

“Emma, honey? Are you awake?” came her mother’s voice.

She bit her lip. “Uhhh… yeah.”

There was a brief pause outside the door. “Are you feeling alright? Your voice sounds funny.”

Emma cleared her throat and tried to make her voice seem more youthful. “Yeah, Mom, I’m fine!”

“Oh, thank God. I wouldn’t want you missing school.”

Her mother headed back downstairs and Emma let out a sigh of relief, rushing across the hall to the spare bedroom where she knew her mother kept some old clothes. She hoped they would fit. She couldn’t go around wearing these tight clothes. She had to find a way out of the house without her mother seeing her. Her father had already gone to work, so that was one less obstacle in her way.

She had no idea what the hell was going on. She grabbed an old t-shirt out of the closet along with some loose sweatpants and a pair of her father’s old tennis shoes. She threw everything on, amazed that they actually fit, and rushed back into her room where she spotted the jeans she had been wearing the previous night. She dug through her pockets until she found the card she’d gotten from the Wishmaster machine.

“Your wish is granted,” she whispered.

She ran her hands through her hair, trying not to have a panic attack, and grabbed a wad of cash from her allowance jar before creeping down the stairs as quietly as she could. She could hear her mother making breakfast in the kitchen. Not wanting to risk being seen, she bolted towards the front door and hopped on her bike.

She went as fast as possible, rushing to get to the carnival grounds. It was gone. The rides, the booths, the Wishmaster— everything. All that remained was trash and food scraps all over the grass. Emma broke down into tears, shaking her head vigorously.

“No, no, no,” she sobbed, “I’ve gotta find that stupid machine!”

Though she was in this adult body, she was still a vulnerable twelve year-old at heart, and in her naïve mind, she thought she might just be able to explain this whole thing to her mother. Oh, how wrong she was.

The second she stepped back into her house, Emma was met by the terrified look on her mother’s face.

“Wh-Who are you? What are you doing in my house?”

Emma offered a hopeful smile. “Mom, it’s me. I—”

“What do you want? You want money?”

“Mom, no, it’s me, Emma.”

“What the hell are you— wait, are those my clothes?! Who are you?! Answer me!”

“I told you, it’s Emma! Your daughter!”

“No! My daughter is upstairs— oh my God! What did you do to her?!”

“Nothing! Mom, listen to me!”

Emma’s mother scrambled back and grabbed a large knife from the counter, aiming it at the insane intruder while she reached for the phone, dialing 911.

“I’m calling the cops!” she screamed, “Tell me what you’ve done with Emma!”

“I am Emma!” the teary-eyed stranger insisted.

“You’re insane!”

Not knowing what else to do, Emma rushed back out of the house and raced down the street on her bike once again. This time, she headed for the school where she knew August would be in gym class.

She was in the hallway when she saw August walk out of the gym with a cart full of basketballs. He paid her no mind. It pained her to know that her best friend didn’t even recognize her.

“Hey,” she whispered.

He either didn’t hear her or was just ignoring her.

“Pssst. August.”

The boy paused and looked at her, startled. “Huh? Who are you?”

“It’s me,” she said, “Emma.”

August’s brows furrowed and he took a step back. “Um, what?”

“You know, your best friend?”

August just shook his head and started backing away, but the strange woman just came closer and he grew increasingly-nervous.

“Um, look lady, I don’t know you, but I need to put these in the storage room.”

“August, please, you’ve got to help me. I swear, it’s me! I— I can prove it!”

Emma thought about this for a moment and a lightbulb went off in her head.

“Oh!" she said, "The space goes: down, down, baby— down the roller coaster! Sweet, sweet baby, sweet, sweet, don’t let me go! Shimmy, shimmy coco pop. Shimmy, shimmy rock! Shimmy, shimmy coco pop. Shimmy, shimmy rock!”

August just stared at her in shock and accidentally dropped the basketballs. He stared deep into her eyes and realized that somehow— some way— this was, in fact, his best friend. He started singing along with her, unable to process this whole situation.

“I met a girlfriend— a Triscuit! She said a Triscuit— a biscuit! Ice cream soda pop, vanilla on the top! Oooh, Shalita, walking down the street, ten times a week! I meant it, I said it, I stole my momma’s credit! I’m cool, I’m hot! Sock you in the stomach three more times!”

Emma looked at August with tears in her eyes. “Now do you believe me?”

“How’s this even possible?”

“I’ll explain it later. I need to get out of here, and fast.”

“Okay, well, I’ve gotta put these away first.”

“I’ll help you,” said Emma.

Within an hour, August skipped class to meet Emma at the docks with a wad of money and a duffle bag.

“Your parents are losing it, Emma,” he said, visibly concerned, “The cops are everywhere. Your mom kept going on about a crazy woman kidnapping you. I think you should get out of town as soon as possible.” He handed her the bag and the money. “Here’s some clothes and cash. You’ll need to get a bus pass. Also, you should probably go ahead and change. The cops are gonna look for a woman wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants.”

Emma wept openly as she hugged her friend, wishing she didn’t have to let go.

“I’m scared, August. I don’t know how I’ll ever be normal again! How am I gonna find that Wishmaster thing?”

“Hey, take it easy. I’m sure it won’t be that hard. I mean, we just have to call the company that owns all the carnival rides and stuff.”

“How? We don’t even have their number! Who are we gonna call, August?”

A smile tugged at August’s lips. “Ghostbusters, duh.”

The sound that escaped Emma was somewhere between a laugh and a sob. “Geez, August, how do you always manage to make me laugh when I’m upset?”

“I’m your best friend,” said August, “It’s my job.” He smiled at her. “Go to the bus stop,” he said, “I’ve gotta get back to class. Promise you’ll call me.”

Emma nodded. “I promise I will,” she assured him.

“Okay, good. Now get going, Emma, so you can find that Wishmaster thing.”

“What will you do while I’m gone?”

“Who knows? It won’t be the same without you, but just imagine what’ll happen once you’re a kid again.”

“I am a kid,” Emma insisted, “I just don’t look like one.”

“You need to hurry, Emma, or you’ll miss the bus!”

“Oh! Right! I’ll see you when I’m younger!”

“Good luck!”

Even with her twelve year-old mind, Emma knew it wouldn’t be very wise to use her real name, so she opted for a new one: Emma Swan. She was currently in Boston, having come all the way from Maine on the bus. She’d almost missed it, but was able to get on at the last second. She was amazed at all the tall buildings and electronic billboards. They didn’t have these back in Storybrooke. It might have been fun for her, if only she wasn’t in this bizarre situation.

She checked into the cheapest motel she could find, a sleazy, rundown place called the St. George. She was put off by how disgusting it looked, but figured it would be alright since its name evoked a religious vibe. She bought a room for the next week and picked up a newspaper from outside. It was July 7th, 1986, and she had been a grown-up for about ten hours now.

Not even a minute after entering her filthy motel room, Emma’s heart almost stopped when she heard someone in the hallway shouting something angrily in Spanish. Frightened, she quickly locked the door and used the chain to secure it further. She went to lie on the grungy little bed but heard gunshots and screaming outside, so she swiftly shut the window and closed the blind. She climbed onto the rock-hard bed and curled up in a fetal position, crying uncontrollably.

She hated this. She had never really hated anything before, but this? She hated everything about it. For the first time in her life, she had a reason to be truly afraid. She missed August. She missed her parents, even though they had embarrassed her— even though neither of them could cook a decent meal. She missed her bed. She missed her room. She missed her house. She missed being a child.

She reached out with a trembling hand and picked up the phone from the receiver on the nightstand, and she dialed August’s number. It only rang once before the boy picked up.

“Emma?” he whispered.

“Yeah,” Emma sobbed, “It’s me. How is everything?”

“Not so great. Everyone’s out looking for you, and for the adult-you. They think adult-you is a psycho kidnapper.”

This only made Emma cry harder. “Oh, God.”

“Where are you, Emma?”

“This awful motel called St. George,” said Emma, “I don’t like it here, August. It’s really scary. I just wanna go home.”

“I’m sorry,” said August, “but you need to stay in Boston for now. I promise I’ll come see you this weekend.”

Emma frowned. “What? How are you gonna do that? Won’t your dad think you’re missing, too?”

“I’ll just tell him I’m going on a trip with the basketball team. I’ll type up a permission slip and have him sign it. He won’t suspect a thing.”

“A-Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Okay,” Emma said, clearly uncertain, “Well, I’ll see you then.”

“What are you gonna do in the meantime?”

“Probably find a job somewhere.”

“What will you do?”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t know yet. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”

“Okay, well, I’ve gotta go to bed now. Goodnight, Emma.”

“Goodnight.”

They both hung up at once.

Chapter Text

The weekend finally came, and as promised, August showed up in Boston and met Emma at a diner near the St. George. It was here that they partook in their weekly tradition of eating ice cream together. They each ordered hot fudge sundaes, and Emma was quick to ask August for his cherry, which he gladly gave her. They looked at a newspaper together, searching through the classifieds for a potential job.

“Okay, what are you good at?”

“Um, computers,” said Emma.

“Computers? That’s it?”

Emma just nodded.

“Okay,” said August. He searched for anything that mentioned computers. “Oh! Here’s one. It’s a computer desk job at a toy company.”

Emma’s eyes lit up. “Really? What’s it called?”

“Mills Toy Company,” said August.

“Then that’s what I’ll do,” Emma declared with a smile.

August smiled back at her. “Awesome. Let’s go for it.”

Emma shifted uncomfortably in her seat, having never worn a skirt or heels before. She and August were sitting together in the waiting area at the Mills Toy Company, filling out her resume. She signed her name as Emma Swan in cursive, suddenly grateful for all the lessons in school. She wrote that she was twenty-eight years-old, and had four years of experience, and used August’s locker combination as her social security number.

When the time came for her to go back for the big interview, she found herself sitting across from a red-haired, bespectacled man who wouldn’t stop clicking his pen. Feeling nervous, she instinctively started biting at her nails, but stopped when the man raised his eyebrow at her.

“It says here you’ve got four years of experience with computers.”

“Um, yes sir.”

“And it looks like you’ve left out a couple numbers on your social.”

“Huh? Oh, um, twelve,” Emma lied.

The man scribbled this down on the resume and nodded, seemingly satisfied with what he saw. He set the clipboard down along with his pen.

“Alright, when can you start?”

Emma forced a smile. “Soon,” she told him.

The man put on a plastic smile and extended his hand to her, which she shook with mild hesitation.

“Welcome aboard, Miss Swan. You should be hearing from us within next five business days.”

Emma’s smile widened. “Thank you so much, Mister. I look forward to it.”

Emma sat in her office chair with her legs folded under her as she typed all the data from the stack of papers she was given into the computer. The woman next to her seemed to notice how quickly she was typing and leaned over to her.

“Hey, are you trying to get us all fired?”

Emma’s brows furrowed. “Huh?”

“Type slower. At this rate, your paycheck’s gonna be higher than the rest of ours, and that wouldn’t be fair, with you being new and all.”

“Oh. Okay. Today’s my first day,” said Emma.

The woman gave her a deadpan look. “I know.”

“My name’s Emma. What’s yours?”

“Lily,” said the bitter woman.

“How long have you been here?” asked Emma.

“Five years.”

“Oh, wow. That’s a long time.”

“Eh. Not really. Sure feels like it, though,” said Lily. She pointed discreetly to a dark-haired man on the other side of the room. “You see that guy by the printer?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s Killian Jones. He works upstairs in marketing. Just say hi to him and he’ll have you pinned so hard you’ll be begging for mercy.”

“Well, I’ll be sure to stay away from him, then,” said Emma.

Lily frowned, but wasn’t quite sure how to respond, so she just went back to what she was doing at her computer. Emma did the same, oblivious to Lily’s reaction.

When Emma finally clocked out after her first big day at the office, she headed just across the street to the company’s popular toy store, the Toy Mill, and marveled over all the toys she saw once she stepped inside. It was an absolute goldmine.

She wandered up and down the aisles in awe of the toys and games that lined the massive shelves. She’d never seen so many toys in one place before. It was like a maze made entirely of fun. She grinned like a Cheshire cat, knowing that if she could, she’d spend the rest of her life in here.

What really caught her eye was the giant piano built into the floor. She looked around to see if anyone was watching and saw that no one was paying her any mind, so she stepped onto one of the keys and it lit up. Her smile only widened. She had never seen such a huge piano in her life. She knew that as soon as she was a kid again, she would beg her parents to get her one for her room.

She slipped her feet out of her heels and sighed in relief as her feet were no longer restricted by the awful shoes. She started jumping from key to key, playing Heart and Soul without a care in the world. Halfway through her solo, she caught a glimpse of someone approaching her and looked up. When she did, she froze. There stood a woman. A pretty woman. A really pretty woman. Somehow even prettier than her mother, who her father always said was the prettiest woman alive. She couldn’t help but smile.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hello,” said the woman, “Are you here with your children?”

“Um, no. I just— I was just having fun.”

The faintest hint of a smile tugged at the woman’s lips. “I see that. I didn’t mean to interrupt your fun. I just couldn’t help notice you were playing Heart and Soul.”

“Yeah. Did it sound good?”

The woman chuckled. “It certainly did. I take it you’ve had lessons?”

“Yep. Three years of it.”

“I did it for five. I suppose I’m good at it, but it’s been so long since I played.”

“You wanna try it with me?”

“Pardon?”

“You and me,” said Emma, “we could do a duet.”

Again the woman laughed. “That’s alright, Miss…?”

“Swan. Emma Swan.”

“Swan, you say? You wouldn’t happen to work across the street, would you?”

“Sure do,” said Emma, “Today was my first day on the job.”

“Yes, I’m aware.”

Emma blinked in surprise. “You are? How?”

“Because I’m your boss,” said the woman, “Regina Mills.”

Emma’s eyes grew wide. “Oh. I had no idea. It’s nice to meet you, Miss Mills.”

Regina offered a polite smile. “Likewise.”

Emma cocked her head. “What’s that mean?”

Regina was taken aback by this. “Um, it means the feeling is mutual.”

“Oh. Okay.” Emma paused a moment. “What’s mutual?”

“Really, Miss Swan?”

The blonde just smiled. “You can call me Emma.”

“That’s not very professional.”

“Well, we’re not at work right now.”

“I— I suppose that’s a fair point,” said Regina, “but it isn’t proper for me to address you by your first name.”

“So I can’t call you Regina?”

“You may not.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

Regina was bewildered by this woman’s behavior, yet at the same time, there was something oddly-endearing about it. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“It’s alright, Miss Swan.”

“Okay. Are you here with your kids, Miss Mills?”

Regina tensed. “No,” she said, averting her gaze, “I just like to come here most days to see which of our products sell the most.”

“You don’t play with any of the toys?”

“Heavens, no. I don’t have time for—”

Regina was taken aback when Emma seemed to tune her out, continuing to play on the floor piano. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She stood there in awe of this carefree woman, unable to look away as Emma played Heart and Soul in its entirety. A crowd had gathered, and when Emma finally finished the song, they all clapped. Emma gave a dramatic bow before stepping back into her heels.

“Um, what department did you say you were in?”

“I didn’t,” said Emma, “but I work a desk job.”

Regina’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”

Emma shook her head. “Nuh-uh.”

“You don’t belong downstairs, Miss Swan. A desk job is no place for someone, well, like you.”

“What d’you mean?”

“I mean you should be working upstairs in the marketing department,” said Regina.

Emma’s eyes widened in wonder. “Really?”

“Yes, really. When you come in tomorrow morning, I’d like to see you in my office so we can discuss this further.”

“Okay,” Emma said with a smile.

“Oh, and Miss Swan?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“You don’t have to wear heels, if you don’t want to. Loafers will be fine.”

“Oh. Okay,” said Emma, “Thank you, Miss Mills.”

Regina couldn’t help but smile. “You’re welcome.”

Chapter Text

Emma currently found herself seated across from Regina Mills in the big office on the top floor. She was looking around curiously at all the paintings of horses and fruit bowls that lined the walls.

“Did you paint those?” she asked.

“Yes, actually,” said Regina, “but—”

“They’re really good. I wish I could paint.”

“Thank you, Miss Swan, but let’s get back to business, shall we?”

“Huh? Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get distracted.”

Regina just smiled. “It’s alright, Miss Swan.” She folded her hands on the desk. “Now then, about yesterday,” she continued, “It takes a lot to surprise me, and you succeeded. In all my years of running this company, not once have I seen any of my employees actually play with our products. All we really do here is manufacture cheap hunks of plastic and make money, and it’s exhausting, but you? You actually see them as playthings, not just ‘products’ or ‘profits.’ You enjoy these things, do you not?”

Emma nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Tell me, what sorts of things caught your interest in the Toy Mill?”

Emma smiled. “The piano.”

“Yes, I’m well-aware of that, Miss Swan. Anything else?”

“I really like the remote-control cars and the stuffed animals,” said Emma, “Oh, and the flashy yo-yos! Those are super cool!”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, Miss Swan. You are exactly the kind of person I’d love to have up in marketing. No one seems to ‘get’ toys the way you do. What do you say? Would you like to be a part of the creative process?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Regina chuckled. “Then it’s settled,” she said, “Why don’t you gather your things from your cubicle downstairs and take the rest of the day off? Tomorrow you’ll start working on the third floor. Lucky for you, there’s an empty office, just waiting to be occupied. It’s got your name on it.”

“Already?”

“Well, it will once I order a new window for the door.”

“Okay. Thank you so much, Miss Mills. You’re the best.”

“I don’t know about that, but you’re welcome, Miss Swan.”

August was stunned. “Just like that?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. Just like that.”

“Wow,” said August, “That’s amazing! You’ve only been there one day and you already got a promotion! Your boss sounds really cool!”

“She is!” Emma declared, “She’s super nice and pretty. I wanna be like her when I grow up— I mean, for the second time.”

August laughed. “What’s her name again?”

“Regina Mills.”

“Boy, I wish I could work there, too. Maybe then we could both be on the creative team.”

Emma grinned. “That would be so awesome.”

“Yeah,” said August, “You know what would be even more awesome?”

“What?”

“If we made our own toy company! We’d call it Swan and Booth Inc.”

“Yeah, that would be pretty cool,” said Emma. She was quiet for a moment. “What does ‘Inc.’ mean?”

August shrugged. “I dunno. I just know it’s a business thing.”

“Oh. Okay,” said Emma, “You wanna order a pizza?”

August smiled brightly at her. “Yeah. Pepperoni,” he said.

“Right on.”

“Have you tried finding the Wishmaster?”

Emma’s face fell. “I don’t know where to start, August. I still don’t have a phone number.”

“Why don’t you ask around at work? See if anyone knows anything about any carnivals coming to town?”

“Good idea. Maybe I’ll ask Miss Mills. I bet she’ll know. She’s really smart.”

“Smart and pretty? Wow, I wish I could meet her,” said August.

“I’m sure you’d like her.”

When Emma started working up on the third floor, she was amazed at how big her office was.

“Wow,” she said under her breath, “It’s even bigger than the Principal’s office.”

She had her own desk, a couch, a computer, and even a mini-fridge. She knelt down and looked inside, but was disappointed when she found it stocked with bottles of water. She frowned, and this did not go unnoticed by the secretary who had come to show her the place.

“Is something wrong, Miss Swan?”

“Um, could I get some chocolate milk, please?”

The secretary, Belle, was taken aback by this. “Chocolate milk?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I— I’m sorry, Miss Swan, but I don’t think we have any chocolate milk.”

“Aw. Okay, then.”

“Can I get you anything else?”

“Do you have pizza?”

“I could order one for you, if you like. There’s a pizzeria just down the street.”

Emma smiled. “Cool. I’ll take a large pepperoni, please.”

“Alright.”

Belle went to order the pizza and Emma just took the time to admire her new office. She couldn’t believe it. Maybe being a grown-up wasn’t so bad, after all. She still missed her parents, though. She stared out the window, taking in the view of the countless skyscrapers towering above her and all the cars down below. A smile tugged at her lips. Maybe— just maybe— she could get used to this. Maybe she didn’t want to find the Wishmaster.

Since Sunday was her day off, Emma decided to spend it with August. Today was her birthday, and so the two of them went to a pizzeria and as they were enjoying their meal, a group of men in red tuxedos emerged from the kitchen with a cake, singing Happy Birthday.

Emma laughed as she looked to her friend. “Did you do this?” she asked.

August grinned. “Maybe.”

With the cake in front of her, Emma bit her lip as she thought of her wish.

“What are you gonna wish for?”

“I— I don’t know yet.”

“You don’t know? Aren’t you gonna wish you were young again?”

“That’ll only work with the Wishmaster.”

“Oh. Right. Well, don’t you think you should at least try?”

“Too late,” said Emma.

“Huh?”

“I already made my wish.”

“Well, what is it?”

Emma laughed and shook her head. “If I tell you, then it won’t come true.”

The two friends ate their pizza and stuffed their mouths with cake before paying and leaving a generous tip of two dollars, a single stick of Juicy Fruit, and a little smiley-face sticker. They made their way outside and onto the sidewalk.

“You wanna go to the Toy Mill?” asked Emma.

“Sure,” said August.

“Awesome. It’s just down the street, and, uh, if anyone asks, say you’re my nephew.”

“Okay. Does that make you Auntie Em? You know, like in the Wizard of Oz?”

Emma laughed. “Yeah, I guess it does,” she said, “and that must make this the Emerald City.”

They headed down to the Toy Mill and Emma felt her heartbeat growing faster with every step. She had made her wish. Now she just needed to see if it came true.

It worked. It had actually worked. At least, that was how it seemed in her mind, because the second she entered the building with August, she just so happened to lock eyes with her boss, who was halfway across the store.

Regina offered a polite smile, which only widened when she noticed the young boy accompanying Emma. Her heels clicked against the floor as she approached the pair.

“Hello, Miss Swan.”

“Hi, Miss Mills.”

Regina smiled warmly at the red-haired boy next to her eccentric employee. “Hello, young man. What’s your name?”

“August,” he said, “Are you Emma’s boss?”

“Why yes I am.”

“She really likes you, ya know. She thinks you’re super cool and pr—”

Emma’s face reddened and she squeezed her friend’s shoulder. “August,” she said firmly, forcing a smile.

August just snickered quietly, and Regina chuckled as well.

“Is that right?” asked Regina, “Well, I would say the feeling is mutual.”

“Mutual?” asked August.

“Mutual is what you say when you have something in common with another person.”

“So, you think Emma’s cool?”

“I don’t use that word often, but yes, in your terms, I would say she’s very ‘cool.’”

Emma’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. She couldn’t believe it. Regina Mills thought she was cool.

“So, August, how do you know Miss Swan?”

“She’s my aunt.”

“Oh, I see. Out for an afternoon shopping trip, are we?”

“That’s right,” said August.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it, then.” Regina turned to Emma with a smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Miss Swan.”

Emma smiled back at her. “You too, Miss Mills.”

Chapter Text

Emma and August headed up the stairs into the Department of Consumer Affairs. If this was the right place, then Emma could finally find the Wishmaster and things could go back to the way they were before— but she was no longer so sure that was what she really wanted.

They approached the woman at the front desk, asking about any carnivals owning the Wishmaster machine. She handed them a clipboard with several papers on it.

“I just need you to fill out all these forms and bring them back when you’re done,” said the woman.

Emma did so, and returned a short while later to hand the clipboard back.

“Thank you, ma’am,” said the woman at the desk, “You should hear back from us in six weeks.”

Emma and August were in shock. “Six weeks?” they asked in unison.

“Well, it could be longer,” said the woman, “but who knows? You might get lucky. Next.”

The pair left the building feeling defeated.

“Don’t sweat it, Emma. In just a month from now, you’ll be your old self again, and then everything will be fine.”

Emma sighed heavily. “Yeah,” she said, “Everything will be just fine.”

She wanted her words to be truthful, but she just didn’t feel it in her heart.

August took the bus back to Storybrooke, leaving Emma to her own devices. She couldn’t bring herself to tell her best friend that she would rather stay in Boston with her awesome job, where she could get whatever she wanted. It was beginning to feel like a dream come true.

Emma decided to head to the movies on her own, wishing she’d had more time to spend with her friend. When she saw that Big Trouble in Little China was playing here as well, she smiled and walked into the theater with a skip in her step.

She bought a large bucket of popcorn with lots of butter, a Sprite, and a bag of M&Ms. She sat down in the theater and crunched happily on her popcorn, dumping her candy into the bucket as she had always done. What she failed to notice was that a pair of curious brown eyes were observing from the opposite side of the theater.

Emma was tinkering with the company’s latest toy while she sat among the creative team for the board meeting. A British man named Robin was giving a presentation about the toy and its success with the screening. Emma frowned as she fumbled with it. It was a boat that turned into a robot. Halfway through Robin’s speech, Emma slowly raised her hand. The man looked at her, befuddled.

“Yes?”

“I don’t get it.”

Robin frowned. “What? What don’t you get?”

“I mean, it’s a boat that turns into a robot. Transformers and GoBots already do that. What makes this thing so special? Wouldn’t it be a lot cooler if it was, I don’t know, a dragon or something? Like, a dragon that turns into a robot, you know?”

The people around her started to talk amongst themselves, visibly in awe of Emma for her charmingly-bizarre ideas.

“That’s not a bad idea.”

“Yeah, she’s onto something. Maybe we could make a whole line of robot-creatures, like unicorns and ogres.”

“She’s got some really good ideas. We could make millions with this stuff!”

Regina smiled proudly at Emma. “Well done, Miss Swan,” she said, genuinely impressed, “Well done.”

Robin was not nearly as amused as his peers. He sighed heavily as he took a seat next to Killian.

“How does this happen?” he muttered, “This doesn’t happen, Jones. You don’t just walk into a meeting and say ‘dragon.’ Regina’s lost her mind, letting this woman into the marketing department. It’s a disgrace.”

Killian seemed uncomfortable. “Well, I mean, it is an interesting idea,” he said.

Robin scoffed. “Give me a break, Jones.” He stormed out of the room, furious.

Regina noticed this and frowned, looking over at Jones, who just shrugged. She shook her head and turned her attention back towards Emma, who was currently the center of attention, pitching other ideas to the rest of the astonished team.

She couldn’t believe it. She’d actually done it. With her new salary, Emma had been able to get out of the St. George and into a much nicer place— a penthouse in a high-class apartment complex owned by the Mills Toy Company. She moved in and purchased a truckload of toys, video games, a pinball machine and a soda machine, neither of which required money. She got a bunk bed, too, and a closet full of expensive work clothes along with some casual t-shirts and jeans.

Her most treasured possession was, without a doubt, the giant trampoline she’d pushed up against the window. She found that her creative juices really got flowing whenever she was jumping on it.

She sat down at her desk and pulled out a sheet from a notebook she’d picked up, then she began to write a long-overdue letter to her parents.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I know you must be really worried about me, but I want you to know that I’m okay. They said I could write to you and tell you that everything’s gonna be fine. I should probably be home in about a month. I’m totally safe here, I have plenty to eat, and to be honest, it’s kind of like summer camp in a way. I love you both very much.

Your daughter,
Emma.

Currently, Emma was making her way to the lobby of a luxury hotel where the company was hosting an annual dinner party for all its employees. She was wearing a pink dress and, against her better judgement, heels. Still, she felt the unexplainable need to look pretty. When she walked in, she immediately took notice of all the men looking at her. Something about it made her uncomfortable, but she wasn’t really sure why.

She headed straight for the table in the back, where all the food was. As she approached, she was met by Killian, who offered a mildly-unnerving grin.

“Hi there.”

Emma remembered what Lily had told her and opted to avoid the man, instead moving right along to the table and leaving Killian stunned. She looked for anything that seemed even remotely good, but there was nothing here she recognized aside from carrots, celery and corn. Really tiny corn. She was amazed by how small it was. She didn’t even know corn came in this size.

She picked up one of the tiny corn-cobs and nibbled at it, not realizing that a few people had taken notice and were whispering about her. Across the room, Regina noticed her standing there and didn’t hesitate to approach her.

“Hello, Miss Swan.”

Emma turned and smiled when she saw Regina. “Hi, Miss Mills. Have you had this weird little corn?”

“I have, though I don’t particularly care for it.”

“Too bad there’s no pizza here,” said Emma, “If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be pizza. No wait, grilled cheese. No. Onion rings?” She sighed. “Never mind. It’s too hard to pick just one thing.”

Regina chuckled. “Don’t you ever eat vegetables, Miss Swan?”

“Onion rings are vegetables.”

“I suppose you’re technically correct, but frying them defeats the purpose.”

“The purpose?”

“They’re meant to be healthy. Fried, greasy food on the other hand, is not.”

“But it tastes good.”

“That it does,” said Regina, “Are you having a nice time?”

“Um, no, not really. There isn’t a chocolate fountain or any soda. Do you think they have chocolate milk here?”

Regina laughed. “How much have you had to drink?”

“Huh? Oh. I had a Sprite before I came here.”

“Is that all?”

“Yup.”

“You haven’t had any wine?”

“Wine? No, never.”

“Wait— you mean you’ve never drank wine?”

Emma shook her head. “Nope.”

“Would you like to?”

Emma thought about this for a moment. “Mmm, no thanks.”

“Well, would you like to get out of here?” Regina asked her.

“Right now? But I just got here.”

“Would you rather stay?”

“Um, what do you wanna do?” asked Emma.

Regina smiled. “I’d like to go for a ride.”

“Really? Where?”

“Oh, around the city, I suppose. Where would you like to go?”

Emma grinned. “I’d like to get a chocolate shake,” she said, “Oh, and some cheese fries.”

Regina just shook her head and laughed. “You never cease to amaze me, Emma Swan.”

She and Emma left the building, with Robin and Killian staring at them incredulously, and when they were out on the sidewalk, a man in a suit and hat opened up the door of a limousine.

Emma was in awe. “Wow! Is this your car?” she asked.

“Well, I bought it for the company, but yes, I suppose it technically is,” said Regina, “Always technicalities with you, Miss Swan. Why is that?”

Emma shrugged. “I dunno.”

She and Regina climbed into the limo and the driver took off down the street at a steady pace. Emma began to lock and unlock the door repeatedly while the car was in motion, which was quickly grating on Regina’s nerves.

“Must you do that?”

“Huh? Oh. Sorry.”

Emma stopped fiddling with the lock, but put her hands in her lap and started bouncing her knees while twiddling her thumbs.

“Are you nervous, Miss Swan?”

“A little.”

“May I ask why?”

“’cause you’re my boss, and we’re hanging out in super-cool car.”

“Cool, you say? That reminds me,” said Regina, “When we saw each other at the Toy Mill, your nephew told me that you thought I was ‘cool.’ He also said something else, but I didn’t quite catch it. Do you remember what he said?”

“Um, no, sorry.”

“Are you certain?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Now that I think about it, he said something that started with the letter P. Do you think that maybe, just maybe, that word might have been ‘pretty?’”

Emma grew red in the face and averted her gaze. “Maybe,” she said quietly.

“Do you think I’m pretty, Miss Swan?”

Emma nodded slowly. “Yes, ma’am.”

Regina smiled. “Well that’s nice to hear,” she said, “because I think you’re pretty, as well.”

“You— You do?”

Regina nodded. “Absolutely. Do you find yourself attractive?”

“Um, I dunno. I guess so. I never really thought about it before.”

“And why not?”

“Nobody’s ever told me I was pretty except for my mom.”

“Oh, that’s a shame.”

“It is?”

“Yes,” said Regina.

Emma cocked her head in confusion. “Why?”

“Because you are a beautiful woman, Emma Swan, and it’s about time someone let you know that.”

Before she could even think to stop it, Emma had tears streaking her face.

“What’s the matter, Miss Swan?”

“You’re the nicest woman I’ve ever met, Miss Mills. I’m super-lucky to have you for a boss.”

Chapter Text

“You know,” said Regina, “I think it would be best that we didn’t do this right now.”

“Do what?” Emma asked as she unlocked her apartment door.

“Well, spend the night together.”

“You mean like a sleepover?”

“Um, well, yes.”

Emma smiled and opened the door. “Okay,” she said, “but I get to be on top.”

When Regina stepped into the apartment, she was left speechless. Emma’s penthouse was full of toys, and aside from a desk, the only furniture was a bunkbed and some colorful bean bag chairs.

“This is your apartment?”

“Sure is. Cool, huh?”

Regina pursed her lips. “I suppose so,” she said. Her eyes grew wide when she looked to the far corner of the room. “Is— Is that a trampoline?”

“Yup. You wanna jump on it?”

Regina laughed. “Heavens, no!”

“Why not? It’s really fun,” Emma told her with a smile.

“Miss Swan, I— I don’t have time for fun.”

Emma’s brows furrowed. “Huh? But you run a toy company. How can you not have any time for fun?”

“The company might produce toys, but at the end of the day, it’s still a business, and we work hard to make money. We work so that children can play, Miss Swan.”

“You know, I really wish you would call me Emma.”

“Would you like that?”

Emma nodded. “Uh-huh.”

“Very well. I’ll make you a deal. I will call you Emma as long as we are alone together.”

“Does that mean I can call you Regina?”

“I suppose so. Just remember what I said.”

“Only when we’re alone,” said Emma, “Got it.”

Regina just nodded. “Good.” She gazed out the window at the lights in the distance. “You certainly have a lovely view from up here,” she noted.

“Huh? Oh. Yeah, I guess so. Do you want a soda?”

“Pardon?”

“Soda? I had this vending machine rigged so you don’t have to put in any quarters.”

“Oh, no thank you.”

Emma just shrugged. “Okay.”

She got herself a Sprite and chugged it down rather quickly, tossing the can onto the floor without care and climbing up onto the trampoline. She turned to see Regina staring at her in surprise and she extended her hand to the brunette.

“Come on,” she said, “Jump.”

“I don’t know,” Regina said reluctantly, “I’ve never been on one of these before.”

“What? Why not?”

Regina pursed her lips. “My mother was rather, shall we say, strict. She never allowed me to spend time with friends or go to the prom, or anything like that. All I ever did was take piano lessons, ride horses, and go to church every Sunday.”

“I’m sorry,” said Emma, “That doesn’t sound very fun.”

“It wasn’t. Well, except for horseback riding. That was the one thing I was allowed to do that Mother didn’t like, but my father somehow convinced her it was good for me.”

“I’ve never been on a horse,” said Emma, “I don’t know if I would like that.”

“It’s been years since I got on the saddle,” Regina said, reminiscing with a certain fondness.

“What would you do if you didn’t run a toy company?” Emma asked her.

Regina hesitated. “I don’t know,” she said, “This is all I’ve ever done. It’s all I know how to do.”

“How come you got into the toy business if you don’t actually play with the stuff you make?”

Regina took a deep breath. “Let’s discuss this another time, shall we?” she asked with a tight smile.

“Okay.” Emma beckoned Regina to come up. “Jump with me,” she said, “I promise, you’ll love it.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Regina told her.

The brunette stepped out of her heels and climbed up onto the trampoline with Emma’s help. She eyed Emma with uncertainty.

“Are you sure this is safe?”

“Yeah! Why wouldn’t it be?”

Regina just sighed and jumped, only once, which seemed to disappoint her carefree employee.

“Oh, come on, you’ve gotta do better than that!”

Emma started jumping with enough force to make her boss launch upwards, startling the woman. She saw the surprise in Regina’s eyes and took hold of the brunette’s hands. This, for one reason or another, made Regina’s expression soften.

“You have soft hands,” Emma noted.

Regina couldn’t help but smile. “As do you, Miss— Emma.”

Emma grinned. “Finally! Now, let’s go again.”

After twenty solid minutes on the trampoline, Regina was exhausted, and so she changed into some clothes Emma had lent her. Clothes which she never imagined she would wear: a pair of sweatpants and a loose He-Man shirt. Why a grown woman had any sort of He-Man merchandise lying around was beyond her, but with all the toys and games littering the place, she thought it best not to ask questions.

Soon, Emma emerged from the bathroom in ThunderCats pajama pants and a Schoolhouse Rock shirt. She rubbed her tired eyes and looked up to find Regina smiling at her while wearing her clothes.

“Do you like it here?” she asked.

Regina’s smile only widened. “I do.”

Emma just grinned and climbed up onto the top bunk, leaving Regina mildly confused, and just a little disappointed. When Emma peered down at the brunette from the side of the bed, however, she presented her closed fists and asked Regina to pick one. With a moment’s hesitation, Regina chose the right.

Emma snickered and opened her hand to reveal that it was empty. “Pick again,” she said.

Naturally, Regina picked the left.

Emma opened her hand, and this time, she was holding a small ring. She handed it to Regina with a smile.

“It’s a glow in the dark compass ring,” she explained, “That way you never get lost.”

Emma disappeared back onto the top bunk and was asleep within minutes. Regina just lied there with a soft smile and tears welling in her eyes as she thought back to a time when her greatest treasure had given her a treasure of his own.

There she was at the stove, stirring a pot of sauce for the spaghetti she was preparing. Suddenly, she heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet on the floor and smiled uncontrollably when she felt a tug at her shirt.

“Look, Mommy!”

Regina paused her stirring and turned to find her cherub-faced four year-old staring up at her with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. In his hand was a piece of yellow construction paper.

“What’s that, sweetheart?”

The boy handed it to her excitedly. “Us!” he exclaimed.

She took the paper and her heart swelled with pride as she admired it. It was a stick-figure drawing of the two of them holding hands, done in purple crayon. It was no Da Vinci, but in her mind, it was far greater. She knelt down and pulled him into a warm embrace.

“Thank you so much, darling,” she beamed, “I love it. I’ll have to find a frame for it so I can hang it up in my office, that way everyone will know what a wonderful artist you are.”

The boy hugged her back as best as he could. “I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you too, Henry.”

Later, as the two of them were enjoying their spaghetti, a curious look fell over Henry’s face.

“Hey, Mommy?”

“Yes, dear?”

“Can you make me a toy?”

“Another one?”

Henry nodded enthusiastically.

“What would you like?”

“Horse,” said Henry.

Regina chuckled. “Alright,” she said, “How about a rocking horse?”

Henry grinned at her with spaghetti sauce around his mouth, which amused her greatly.

“Yeah! Thanks, Mommy.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

Once she gave Henry a bath and tucked him into bed for the night, Regina headed to her workshop in the shed out back and gathered up all the wood she could find, and she used her bandsaw to cut out the shape of a horse. Even before Henry was born, she had been making toys for him, and had no intentions of stopping anytime soon.

But then the doctors found a tumor in his head, and so Regina went into the toy business. She would make bigger, better toys, and even if her little angel couldn’t play with them, she could at least go to sleep at night knowing that she was putting a smile on the face of someone’s child. After a while, though, she stopped seeing them as playthings and more so as products. It was easier that way, or so she thought.

Now it seemed harder than ever.

Chapter Text

Emma was in her office looking over some paperwork when she heard a knock at the door.

“Come in,” she said, not taking her eyes away from the papers.

The door opened and someone cleared their throat, prompting Emma to finally raise her head. She was shocked to find August standing there.

“August?” she asked, “What are you doing here? It’s the middle of the week!”

The boy just smiled. “I know,” he said, “but I told my dad I was going on field trip to Franklin Park.”

Emma looked at him incredulously. “And he actually bought that?”

“Yeah. You know how he is. He’ll believe anything I tell him.”

“August, that’s a terrible thing to do,” Emma said with a frown, “You can’t keep lying to your dad like this. He loves you, don’t you know that? You’re all he’s got, and one day, you’ll realize that what you’re doing is—”

“Hey, chill out, Emma,” August said, taken aback, “Where’s all this coming from, huh? Aren’t you glad to see me? I mean, I came all the way here just to see you.”

“Yes, August, I’m glad to see you, but I’m a little busy right now.”

August scoffed. “Right. Just like you have been for the past three weeks.”

Emma shook her head in confusion. “What?”

“You haven’t called me in three weeks,” August said bitterly, “I thought that maybe you’d somehow forgotten my number, but I guess you’ve just been too caught up in your stupid job.”

Emma’s frown deepened. “Stupid job? August, I’m a grown-up now. I need to make money, and the only way to do that is by working. Don’t you get it?”

Now August looked furious. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” he snapped.

Emma shot up suddenly, slamming her hands down on the desk. “Hey! Don’t you dare speak to me that way, August Booth!”

Again, August scoffed at her. “What’s happened to you, Emma?”

“I told you, I’m an adult, and I’ve got responsibilities,” said Emma, “but I guess you just wouldn’t understand that.”

August turned and stormed out of the room, but just before he left, he looked back at Emma in anger.

“For the record, I’m three months older than you, jerk-wad!”

Regina was on her way to Emma’s office when she saw August marching down the hall, angrily, towards the elevators.

“August? What brings you here?”

She arched an eyebrow at the boy when he didn’t respond, much less acknowledge her presence. She just shook her head and continued walking to Emma’s office, where she found the door open and Emma sitting there looking defeated.

“Miss Swan?”

Emma slowly raised her head and met Regina’s gaze. “Yes?” she asked, trying to act as though there weren’t tears in her eyes.

“What just happened? I passed your nephew in the hallway. He seemed very upset,” said Regina, “and so do you, for that matter.” She quietly closed the door. “Talk to me, Emma.”

Emma just sighed. “We had an exchange of words,” she said, “He wanted us to spend some time together, but I explained to him that I couldn’t. Let’s just say he didn’t take it very well.”

“He’ll come around,” said Regina, “eventually.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Emma arrived at Regina’s house at roughly 8:15 that evening, as the two of them had agreed to have dinner together.

“Hello, Emma. Please, come in. The pizza is almost done.”

Emma was pleasantly surprised. “Pizza?” she asked.

Regina smiled and nodded. “Yes,” she said, “I trust you like pepperoni?”

“Oh yeah,” Emma grinned, “It’s my all-time favorite.”

Regina chuckled. “Wonderful. Feel free to make yourself at home. May I take your coat?”

“Yes, thank you,” Emma said as she gave her coat to Regina.

The brunette hung it up on the rack by the door and Emma followed her into the kitchen. The mouth-watering aroma of hot pepperoni and melted cheese wafted through the air.

“That smells awesome,” said Emma.

“Thank you, dear. I hope it tastes alright. It’s been so long since I made one.”

Emma took a seat at the table and waited patiently for the pizza, observing Regina’s house curiously.

“I like your house,” she said, “It’s nice.”

“Thank you,” said Regina, “but I’m sure it isn’t nearly as nice as your apartment.”

“You think so?”

“Your penthouse was transformed into a fun, almost magical place. Here, it’s just me and my cat.”

“You have a cat?”

“I certainly do. He’s probably napping somewhere.”

“What’s his name?”

Regina smiled. “Loki.”

“Like from the comics?”

“Not quite,” said Regina, “though I do know of the Marvel character.” Regina poured herself a glass of wine and took a sip. “I named him after the mythological Loki.”

“How come?”

Regina’s smile only widened. “Because like the god, my cat is rather mischievous.”

As if on cue, a black cat came trotting into the room and jumped up into the chair at the table to Emma’s right. She smiled at the creature and cautiously reached out to pet him. He purred and rubbed his head against her hand.

“Hi, kitty,” she said.

Regina felt her heart melt as she observed this scene. “He doesn’t usually let strangers pet him,” she said, “He must really like you.”

Emma grinned. “Well I like him, too.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

After Regina took the pizza out of the oven, she brought it out on a hot-pad and set it on the table in front of Emma.

“Can I get you anything to drink? Sprite? Chocolate milk?”

Emma was surprised. “You have chocolate milk?”

“Yes I do,” said Regina, “I thought you might like some, so I picked up a jug at the store.”

“You’re the best, Regina.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so.”

Later, as Emma and Regina were sitting on the couch watching Buckaroo Banzai (per Emma’s request, of course), the blonde was surprised to feel Regina’s hand on hers, but found it comforting. Just moments later, Regina gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She looked at the brunette in mild confusion, though she smiled all the same.

“Regina?” she asked softly.

“Yes?”

“I like spending time with you.”

Regina smiled. “Likewise.”

They just stared into each other’s eyes, not saying a word. Regina slowly leaned in and pressed her lips to Emma’s cheek in a feather-light kiss.

“Um, Regina?”

“I hope this is okay,” the brunette murmured.

“Yeah,” Emma rasped, “It’s okay.”

“And how about this?”

Regina planted a kiss upon Emma’s soft lips.

Emma stared back at her in awe. “It’s definitely okay.”

Chapter Text

Emma was grinning like a Cheshire cat as she strolled through the building towards her office. She got right to work, looking over some papers Regina had given her to fill out. That was how she would spend the next two hours, until she completed the entire stack.

Once she finished, she decided to go and get a drink out of the vending machine in the hall. As she pondered her options, Emma was puzzled by her disinterest in having a soda. Instead, she found herself wanting a plain old bottle of water, and so that was what she got.

She returned to her office, feeling bewildered and just a little concerned, and slowly sipped her water as she peered out the window into the distance. She was too lost in her own thoughts to notice Regina walk in.

“Emma?”

This drew the blonde from her trance. “Huh? Oh. Hello. I didn’t hear you come in.”

Regina closed the door and looked like she was about to say something, but paused when she noticed the water bottle in Emma’s hand.

“Is that a water I see? I haven’t once seen you drink water. Are you feeling alright?” she asked a bit playfully.

“Um, no, actually,” said Emma, “I’m not.”

Regina’s smile fell and she grew genuinely concerned. “Are you sick?”

“No, not sick. I just feel, I don’t know, off. That’s really the only way I can describe it.”

“Well, whatever it is, I’m sure it will pass.”

Emma sighed. “I hope you’re right.” She looked to the stack of papers. “I finished all the paperwork.”

“Wonderful. I was just coming to see how things were coming along,” said Regina, “and I also wanted to talk.”

“About what?”

Regina sat down in the chair in front of Emma’s desk. “Last night,” she said softly, “I hope I didn’t frighten you away. I know people like me— like us— aren’t exactly seen in the best light, but I—”

“People like us?” Emma asked, visibly confused.

Regina shifted awkwardly. “You know, women who kiss other women.”

“What do you mean? I’ve seen my mom kiss her friends’ cheeks, and nobody thought it was weird.”

“Not like that,” said Regina, “I mean a romantic kiss, like what we had last night.”

Emma perked up. “You think it was romantic?”

Regina hesitated. “Well, yes, don’t you?”

Emma smiled brightly at her. “I was gonna say it felt nice, but romantic is a good word, too.”

“I hope you don’t have any regrets.”

“Oh no,” said Emma, “I think you’re a good kisser.”

Regina gave a soft chuckle. “Is that so?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah, definitely.”

“If you don’t mind, Emma, I’d like to keep this between us.”

“Like a secret?”

“Exactly. Can you do that?”

Again, Emma nodded. “Sure can.” She paused a moment. “So, uh, do you wanna go to the carnival tonight? I heard it was in town.”

Regina smiled warmly. “I’d like that a lot.”

And so it was settled.

August’s eyes were wide as he read the label on the package he’d just received. It was from the Department of Consumer Affairs. He was in utter disbelief.

“It came!” he cried, to no one in particular, “It actually came!”

He had to tell Emma, even though he wasn’t all that happy with her. Hopefully things would get better between them once she was thirteen again.

As Emma prepared to throw her third and final dart at the wall of balloons, she noted how unenthused she felt. Normally, she would take great joy in such an activity, but now she felt nothing. No excitement. No sense of spirit. Nothing. She launched the dart forwards and it struck a pink balloon. As a reward, the man behind the counter handed her a stuffed horse. She felt no sense of attachment for the object, and that frightened her. What was happening to her? And more importantly, why?

She gave the horse to Regina, who clearly appreciated it far more than she did.

“Thank you, Emma. That’s very sweet of you.”

Emma forced a smile. “You’re welcome.”

Regina seemed to notice her lack of enthusiasm. “Are you not having a good time?”

“I’m trying to, but I just can’t shake that weird feeling,” Emma explained, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Do you want to get out of here? We don’t have to stay, if you don’t want to.”

Emma gave a slow nod. “I think that would be for the best.”

She and Regina walked side by side towards the parking lot, neither of them noticing the Wishmaster machine just a few yards away.

Chapter Text

Emma was fidgeting in her seat as she attempted to come up with new ideas for a potential toy-line. For reasons she couldn’t understand, she found herself unable to think of anything even remotely interesting. Why was that, exactly? Had she not been getting enough sleep? She didn’t feel tired. On the contrary, she was wide-awake and completely on-edge. This did not go unnoticed by her boss.

“Emma?”

The blonde raised her head to find Regina stepping into her office. “Yes?”

“I just came to see what all you’ve come up with.”

Emma set her pen down with a sigh. “I hate to disappoint you, but I haven’t been able to focus this morning. I’m afraid my creative juices aren’t flowing the way they should.”

Regina seemed genuinely concerned. “Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m not sick or anything, but I’ve just kind of been down in the dumps lately. I think it’s got to do with the fight between August and I.”

Regina offered a soft smile. “He’ll come around, I’m sure,” she said, “In the meantime, why don’t you show me what all you’ve written down?”

Emma handed the paper she’d been writing on to Regina with only a moment of hesitation, biting her lip and waiting on bated breath as the brunette skimmed through the short list she had come up with.

“An egg that hatches into a dragon? That seems like it would sell well,” said Regina, “and a customizable action figure. What exactly do you mean by that?”

“I was thinking we could sell these figures that kids could take apart and switch the parts out for others. You know, like a human figure, but with Godzilla hands.”

Regina arched an eyebrow but chuckled softly. “Godzilla hands?”

“Yeah, or goat legs, like a Satyr.”

“What on Earth is a Satyr?”

“You know, those funny-looking goat men from Greek mythology.”

“Ah. I see.”

Emma sighed and hung her head in defeat. “You don’t like it, do you?”

“What? Of course I do. I just think you should get some rest. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

Emma reluctantly met Regina’s gaze. “I do?”

Regina nodded. “I’m worried about you, Emma. You’ve been acting different lately.”

“Different how?”

“Well for starters, you haven’t been drinking any chocolate milk or eating pizza, and your fun, youthful side has dwindled.”

“You thought I was fun?”

“Absolutely. You had whimsy. You were full of energy. Now you seem stressed all the time, and it pains me to see my best employee down in the dumps.”

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. “What is this, Regina?”

“What?”

“What is this between us? Do you love me?”

“I— Emma, where is this coming from?”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I doubt you’d believe me. You’d probably think I was insane. So I need to know, Regina. Do you love me?”

Regina blinked, visibly baffled. “Emma,” she rasped, “I can’t deny that I have feelings for you, but love? I haven’t allowed myself to love anyone in a long time. It’s been too painful.” She fidgeted with the buttons on her sleeve. “Now what is it you were going to tell me?”

Emma stood up so that she and Regina were eye-to-eye. “I don’t want any secrets between us.”

“Are you hiding some dark secret?”

“Dark? That’s not the word I would use.” Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m a child,” she said.

“…What?”

When Emma opened her eyes, she found Regina staring at her like she’d grown a second head.

“I said I’m—”

“A child? Yes, I got that, but I don’t know what you mean. Are you saying you’re childish?”

“No, Regina, I mean I’m actually a kid,” Emma insisted, “I’m just a teenager. I made a wish on this magic Genie machine— I wished that I was big, and—”

“No,” Regina said, frowning, “I don’t know what it is you’re trying to tell me, Emma, but I wish you’d just come out with it.”

“I’m trying to tell you, Regina, I’m a kid! My name isn’t even Emma Swan! It’s Emma Nolan!”

Regina’s frown deepened. “W-What? You’re saying you’ve been lying all this time? Not just to me, but to everyone? What else are you hiding, Miss Nolan?”

Tears welled in Emma’s eyes. “I’m trying to come clean here, Regina! I told you you’d never believe me, but I wanted to get this all off my chest! My name is Emma Nolan. I’m thirteen and I like going to the movies with my best friend, August. We get ice cream and we sing our little song and—”

“That’s quite enough,” Regina snapped, “I expect results, Emma— or whoever the hell you are. You’ve clearly got some issues. I suggest you either get it together before the board meeting, or I’ll have you fired on the spot. See you in ten minutes.”

Regina stormed out of the office, leaving Emma alone and in tears.

Shortly afterwards, August came strolling in with a slight frown on his face and a sheet of paper in his hand. He slapped it down on the desk in front of Emma, who just stared at him with remorse.

“August, I—”

“Save it. You can apologize to me when you’re young again,” said the boy.

He pointed to the paper, which read Piers Park. It was the same park she’d taken Regina to for the carnival. How could she possibly have missed it?

“This is where you can find the Wishmaster. You’d better get there before it’s gone.”

Emma swallowed and nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered.

August turned away and headed for the door. “I’ll see you back home.”

It seemed like just seconds later when Emma found herself in a board meeting, pitching her ideas for the next toy-line to her colleagues, and of course to her boss, who did not look happy to see her.

“S-So, you, uh— you just—”

“What’s the matter with you, Swan?” asked Robin, “Just tell us about your product.”

Emma swallowed, glancing between Robin and Regina, and she took a slow, deep breath. “Would you excuse me, please?”

She didn’t wait for permission. She bolted for the door in a panic, leaving her things behind and rushing towards the elevator at the end of the hall.

Regina exchanged bewildered glances with her employees, but as she pondered Emma’s bizarre behavior, it occurred to her that the blonde’s story— though completely absurd— actually made sense, in some strange way.

“Oh God,” she muttered.

Robin looked at her in confusion. “What?”

“I— I have to go find her,” Regina said, practically jumping out of her seat as she made her way out the door.

She looked around and caught only a glimpse of Emma as the elevator doors closed. Cursing under her breath, she headed for the stairs and walked as quickly as she could in her heels. When she was finally out of the building, she found August urging Emma to get into a cab. The cab was already pulling away from the curb before Regina could reach the blonde.

“Damn it!” She turned to August in desperation. “Where did she go?”

August frowned. “Why should I tell you?”

“Because I’m her g— I’m her boss. Please, August, you have to tell me where she is.”

The boy seemed reluctant, but answered anyhow. “Piers Park.”

Regina hurried to her car and sped off towards the park after Emma. It seemed like an eternity before she actually reached the place, but when she did, she threw the door open and hurried out to look for the blonde. She found Emma standing in front of a strange old machine, pushing a coin into the slot.

“No,” she whispered. She sucked in a breath. “Emma!”

This caught the blonde’s attention, startling her. “Regina? W-What are you doing here?”

Regina hurried over to Emma. “I came to apologize,” she said, genuinely remorseful. She gasped when she saw the card slip out of the machine. “You made your wish, didn’t you?”

Emma just nodded. “Yeah,” she said quietly.

Regina picked up the card and sobbed as she read it. “Your wish is granted.” She turned to Emma with a pained expression. “I’m sorry, Emma. I shouldn’t have said all those things to you. I just— how was I supposed to know you meant it literally?”

“I tried to tell you, Regina, I really did—”

Regina nodded quickly, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I just don’t see how this is even possible.”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t really understand it either, but it worked the first time, and it’ll work again. It could work for you, too. You could have a second chance.”

Regina laughed, but there was more pain behind it than humor. “To do what, exactly? Live vicariously through my mother? Once was more than enough.”

Emma sighed. “It was worth a try, I suppose.”

Regina stared at her for a moment, conflicted. “How old did you say you were?”

“Thirteen.”

“Oh God. I feel like a monster.”

Emma squeezed the brunette’s hand gently. “Don’t. You’re a good person, Regina Mills. Don’t ever tell yourself otherwise.”

“You don’t know me.”

A sad smile tugged at Emma’s lips. “Sure I do. You helped me be an adult. I think I might have helped you, too.”

“Helped me what? Be a kid again?”

“Something like that.”

Regina just shook her head. “We should get you home. You and August.”

“August is taking a bus back home. He’ll be fine.”

“And you?”

“I wouldn’t mind spending my last few hours as Emma Swan with you.”

“So then you’ll just be Emma Nolan again?”

Emma’s smile widened. “No. I’ll be so much more.” She pulled Regina into a warm embrace, and the brunette readily returned the gesture.

As the black Cadillac pulled around the corner and parked along the curb, Regina scanned the quiet neighborhood.

“Which house is yours?”

“The one with the old pickup out front.”

Regina just nodded, looking to Emma with a sullen smile. “Will I ever see you again?” she murmured.

Emma placed her hand atop the brunette’s. “In five years,” she promised.

Regina leaned over and planted a soft kiss on Emma’s cheek. “I’ll hold you to that, Emma Nolan. Don't go forgetting about me, now.”

"I could never forget you, Regina Mills."

Emma climbed out of the car and slowly trudged towards her house in her business attire, her head hung in defeat and her shoulders tense.

Regina watched the blonde walk away and her jaw dropped as she saw Emma regress from adult to child. It was indescribable. It should have been impossible. It was the second most painful thing she had ever had to witness, and yet, there was something oddly beautiful about the whole ordeal.

Feeling the effects of her wish come to fruition, Emma stared down at her hands with a look of confliction before turning to face Regina one last time. She sighed heavily, offering an apologetic look. In return, she received a bright smile from the woman she’d come to love. She held up her hand.

‘Five years,’ she mouthed.

She headed up the steps into the house and called out to her parents. “Mom? Dad? I’m home!”

As she found herself being pulled into a bone-crushing embrace from her mother and father, Emma caught a glimpse of a sleek black Cadillac speeding off into the distance, and she smiled. It was nice being Emma Swan, but in all honesty, she was glad to finally be home. She needed to enjoy her youth while she still had it. Again, she reminded herself: just five more years.

Chapter Text

Five years later…

The city was bustling with tourists and commuters alike. Among them was a young woman with a bright smile and hair as golden as the sun. She wore a sleek red jacket, tight jeans, red Converse, and hanging from her neck was a camera she’d received for her birthday the previous week.

She strolled down the sidewalk, admiring all the expensive clothing and jewelry behind the windows of all the department stores, when at last, she came upon a familiar venue. Feeling her heart flutter inside her chest, she bit her lip and stepped inside.

Without a second thought, she made her way to the colossal piano in the floor and began to carefully tap out Heart and Soul, gradually building up to a whimsical crescendo. She knew people had begun to stop and stare, but she paid them no mind. There was only one person whose attention she sought, and if there was a chance that a certain someone was in this store, then by all means, she was going to take it.

It wasn’t until she finished her piece that Emma heard a single pair of hands clapping softly nearby. She looked up and her heart nearly skipped a beat when she locked eyes with those of a very familiar brunette. She smiled brightly, tears welling in her eyes.

“Regina.”

Regina offered a fond smile. “Emma,” she murmured, “It’s good to see you again— and I see you haven’t given up on your piano lessons.”

Emma laughed as she approached the brunette. “Yeah, well, I prefer this to the old-fashioned way,” she said, still smiling, “and I’m glad to see you, too.”

“Are you hungry? I thought you might like to go down to the pizzeria with me.”

Emma’s smile grew even wider. “I’d love to.”

“And afterwards, we could visit Piers Park, if you like.”

If Emma wasn’t smitten before, she certainly was now. “Sounds good to me. I'll go wherever you take me."