The Parent Trap

Chapter 1:

Tallahassee, Florida

May 2013

"Ma have you seen my soccer cleats?" Thirteen-year-old Olivia Swan nearly shouted as she entered her mother's bedroom without bothering to knock. Seeing that the older woman was still in bed, she groaned and moved to quickly yank off the duvet the blonde was snuggled down under.

"Get out of here, kid, I'm trying to sleep." Emma Swan groaned, once again pulling the covers over her pajama clad body. "Some of us have to work for a living." She teased with her eyes still closed.

"Ma, it's already seven! My flight leaves in three and a half hours, I can't find my cleats anywhere, and you promised we could go out for breakfast before you drop me off at the airport. Now come on!" the younger Swan shouted, pulling the covers off of her mother once again before leaving the room to continue searching for her cleats.

Knowing her daughter was right, Emma stretched dramatically and rubbed the sleep from her eyes before quickly getting dressed for the day. She had just finished a double shift the night before and barely found the energy to scarf down some cereal for dinner and have a shower before falling into bed. In the past twelve years, Emma had worked her way up to a detective position in the Tallahassee Police Department; a job that she was proud of and very good at. However, although being a detective came with many perks, it was also much more time consuming than the deputy job she was used to. This meant Emma had less time to spend with her teenaged daughter, which made her increasingly grateful for Ruby, an old friend who moved from Maine to Florida with her years ago. Ruby often came around when needed to cook meals, collect Olivia from one of her many sporting events, or spend the night in the Swan house when Emma was working the night shift.

After brushing her teeth, combing her unruly hair, and pulling on a pair of denim shorts and a black tank, Emma made her way through the apartment to assist her daughter in her frantic search for her soccer cleats. She was immediately met by their large golden retriever, Scout, who had been with them since Olivia was six. "Good morning, buddy." She smiled, giving him a quick pet before he rushed off to the back door with a whine. "You wanna go outside?" Emma asked, unlocking the door and laughing as the old dog ran out into the yard and after a bird who was perched on their white picket fence.

"Liv did you find them?" she called through the house, unsure where her daughter's search had taken her.

"No! I can't find them anywhere." The teenager groaned as she emerged from her bedroom in the midst of braiding her hair. Olivia was tall and skinny, with long brown hair and piercing blue eyes that matched Emma's perfectly. She was very athletic and sometimes struggled in school, exactly like her blonde mother had several years before. However, she also possessed a sort of regal sass that was not Emma at all. Rather, it was inherited from someone Emma had left behind long ago.

"Did you leave them by the door when you came in from practice yesterday?" the blonde asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, mom. I've already looked there." Olivia stated with an eye roll, as if her answer were the most obvious one in the world. She finished braiding her hair and tied it off.

Emma smirked slightly. "Wrong answer, kid. I tripped over them last night when I came in from work. They're currently in the laundry room where you're supposed to leave them after practice. And I'll be sending you my doctor bill for the broken ankle I acquired at eleven-thirty last night."

"Yeah, right. You're tough as nails, if the bad guys haven't taken you down yet, I doubt my cleats will. Thanks, Ma." The teenager grinned before hurrying off to grab her cleats and pack a few last-minute items.

After shooting Ruby a text to make sure they were still on for breakfast, Emma made her way upstairs to her daughter's room. "Are you almost ready, little duck?" the blonde smiled, watching as Olivia threw some last-minute items into her bag.

"I'm ready." Her daughter finally nodded, standing up and pulling on her backpack. She was dressed in denim shorts, sandals, and one of the many t-shirts she had acquired from her different sporting events over the years.

"I can't believe my little girl is going away to summer camp all the way across the country for eight weeks. We're going to miss you like crazy around here, Liv." Emma admitted, pulling her daughter into a tight hug.

"I'm going to miss you too, Ma. Please make sure to take care of yourself. I already told Ruby she has to make you dinner at least once a week so you don't starve… and please don't work too hard while I'm away." The brunette lectured, wrapping her arms around her mother's midsection.

"I'll do my best, sweetheart. Now go say bye to Charlie and let's get on the road before you miss your flight!" she instructed, releasing her daughter from the hug and gently swatting her bottom as she took off for the stairs.

Emma had just finished lugging her daughter's duffel to the bottom of the staircase when their front door opened to reveal the leggy brunette who they both knew and loved. "Hi, Rubes." The blonde smiled, propping the bag up by the front door.

"Hey, blondie. Where's the kid?" Ruby Lucas asked, making her way further into the Swan home.

"I'm here, Ruby! I was just out telling Scout bye." The teenager called from the other room. She closed the solid glass door and locked it before going into the kitchen where her mother was now waiting with her best friend.

"Alright, superstar, well let's get this show on the road!" The taller woman cheered, and the three made their way out the door.

Storybrooke, Maine

May 2013

"Good morning!." Elena Mills smiled as she made her way into the kitchen where her mother was in the midst of making breakfast. The older woman was already dressed for work will a full face of makeup as always.

"Good morning, my princess. How did you sleep?" her mother asked, placing eggs, bacon, and some fresh fruit on a plate and placing it in front of her daughter who had taken a seat at the island. The thirteen-year-old was dressed as impeccably as her mother, in a plaid skirt and black blouse. Her short hair was pushed back with a matching plaid headband and she was wearing a pair of black flats to tie the outfit together. Of course she had packed much less professional clothing for camp but, like her mother, the teen knew how to make an impression.

"I didn't sleep much. I guess I was just so excited for today that I couldn't turn off my brain." The thirteen-year-old smiled, spearing a slice of strawberry with her fork. Regina Mills took a seat next to her daughter with a plate of her own and the two began to enjoy their breakfast.

"I know you're excited, my love, but are you sure this is a good idea? California is so far and you're still so young." Her mother sighed.

"I know that, mom, but this is such a great opportunity. I'll finally have a chance to make some real friends who won't judge me for things that happened before I was even born." The teenager argued desperately. A pang of guilt hit Regina upon hearing those words. It was mostly her fault her daughter couldn't make friends in Storybrooke, but that still did nothing to lessen her worry.

"I know how excited you are for this, and I want to be excited for you too, but I can't help but worry about you, Elena. What about your magic?" Regina asked before taking a small bite of her own breakfast.

"You've been teaching me to control my magic since it came in when I was three years old. I think I can handle it by now. Please let me do this, mom." Elena begged.

"I suppose you're right, mija." The older brunette sighed, leaning over to lightly kiss her daughter on the cheek. The two finished their breakfast quickly as Elena spoke of all the fun activities she was planning to try at camp. "Are you all packed? Belle will be around any minute now to take you to the airport." Regina finally asked as she stood up and began clearing the dishes.

"Yes, mami. And before you ask, I've already checked this list we made last week. Twice." Elena said with a small smirk, snapping her fingers once to make all of her bags appear in the middle of the kitchen.

"Elena Katherine!" Regina exclaimed, rolling her eyes at her daughter's antics. "What have I told you about that?" she scolded, sending the bags back upstairs with a wave of her hand before going back to the dishes.

"Oh come on, mami." Elena laughed, hopping up onto the island right beside of her mother's workstation. "This is the last time I'll be able to use magic for like two months. May I please bring them back down?" she pouted, kicking her legs like a young child.

"Nice try, young lady. Now get your ass off my counter and up those stairs or the only thing you'll be doing this summer is your chores." Regina ordered, trying her best to hold back a smile. As much as she tried to be strict with her daughter, the girl's constant jokes and silliness were enough to make even the stone-cold mayor of Storybrooke laugh against her will. It reminded Regina all too well of someone who she used to know.

"Yes ma'am" the teenger grinned and hopped off the counter. She gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing up the stairs to gather her bags the correct way.

Moments later, Regina's part-time maid and long-time friend, Belle French, entered the house. "Good morning, Regina." The Australian woman smiled. "Where's Elena?"

"Hello, Belle. Elena is upstairs gathering her things, but she's almost ready. Thank you again for taking her to the airport for me. Things have been so busy around here lately I've barely been able to escape the office for a lunch break." Regina sighed, going over to her purse and pulling out a rather large wad of money to hand to the other woman. "Give this to her when you drop her off, please."

"Of course, but I'm not sure she'll need this much, Regina. After all, it's a summer camp, not a shopping spree." The younger woman teased. Although she did work for Regina, they had grown rather close over the years.

Before the mayor could respond, her daughter appeared downstairs lugging her backpack and a rather large suitcase filled with everything she would need for the summer. "Hi Belle!" she grinned.

"Hi, sweetheart. Got everything?" the older brunette asked.

"I think so." The teenager nodded. "I went through mom's list twice just this morning, so I think I'm good. Can we go now?!" she added excitedly.

Belle could tell Regina was trying her best to be strong, but the mayor had never parted from her daughter for more than a night and this was going to be a big adjustment for her. "Of course. I'll take your bag to the car while you say goodbye to your mother." The Australian smiled, taking the suitcase and excusing herself quickly to give the pair a moment alone.

As soon as the front door closed behind Belle, Elena crashed into her mother's arms, delivering a very big hug. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Elena." Regina smiled, wrapping her arms around her daughter's shoulders. "I love you so much. I hope you have fun and make a ton of new friends. Just don't forget to call me, okay?" the mayor warned, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her daughter's ear.

"Of course I won't, mami. I love you lots." The teenager grinned before pulling away from the hug. "I'll see you soon." She promised and then was out the door.

Hi everyone! I hope you all are well. I had this idea a few days ago and decided to run with it. Please review and let me know what you think! If y'all like this story enough I'll try to maintain once a week updates for this story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my thoughts