Hi everyone, I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update. I've been busy with other projects and things offline.

I only have one more part planned for this What If universe then I'll get back to 'reality'.

Thanks and don't forget to review

Chapter 98- What If- Part 2

"I promise we'll go to the spa," Nina assured, holding her twins' hands as they got off the elevator. She smiled, noticing the girls were wearing their half-heart necklaces. They passed the array of posters of Felicia and Lucy holding hands at the Queen's Ball through the years. "But first, I need to grab something from my office."

"What office?" Willow asked.

"My Crimson office." Nina pushed open the door and found Lucy sitting behind her desk, except the chair looked more like a throne. "Can I help you with something?"

Lucy glanced up and adjusted her tiara. "Oh, Nina, hello. I was just about to call you. We need to discuss your performance at the Queen's Ball tomorrow."

"Uhh… this is one strange dream," Nina said. "You're on every billboard throughout the city. Anyway, I have something in my desk I'd like to show my girls. But…." Nina laughed a little. "This isn't my desk in this dream, is it?"

Lucy smiled. "No. And this is not a dream. You are a homemaker in this world, married to Silas and raising your two girls. But you and your girls are performing tomorrow and we need to discuss it pronto. I'm moving your skit to after the third act."

Nina walked into the office, leaving Nelle and Willow in the hallway.

"Wait…." Nina shook her head. "What are you talking about? How is this not a dream?"

"You wished for this and I wished for a lot too," Lucy explained. "So, I made it happen."

"So, this is real?" Nina asked. "I'm really raising my girls?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it's real," Lucy said. "Technically it isn't. But it's better than real."

They heard a scream.

Nina and Lucy rushed out to the hallway and found Nelle holding a vase and backing Willow into a corner.

"Leave me and Mommy alone!" Nelle shouted.

"Nelle!" Nina gasped. "This is not a toy." She took the vase from her.

"But she was going to kill me," Nelle said.

"You must use gentle hands with your sister," Nina said softly and wrapped her arms around both of them. "Now, come on, girls. Let's go to the spa."

GHGHGH

"Look, Mommy!" Frankie pointed to the ice cream stand as they walked through the park. "I want ice cream."

"But honey, we just had cookies and candy," Felicia said.

Frankie stuck out her lower lip. "But I want ice cream."

"Maybe later, but we're going to have lunch soon."

Frankie stomped her foot. "I want ice cream!"

"I don't want you to get sick—"

"I want ice cream! I want ice cream!" Frankie screamed and kicked the bench. "I will run away and live at Aunt Lucy's castle!"

Felicia dropped down in front of her and touched her cheek. "Frankie, Frankie. It's okay. You know what? Today is our special day together and I don't know how long this is going to last. I'm pretty sure this is just a dream anyway…. Let's get some ice cream."

A smile spread across Frankie's face. "Yay! I want chocolate and double scoop." She ran over to the ice cream stand.

Felicia followed her and paid for two chocolate ice cream cones, double scoop.

Frankie started to lick her ice cream when a baseball flew over and demolished both of her scoops. She wailed.

"Frankie, are you okay?" Felicia asked. "Did it hit you?"

"I am so sorry." Alexis came over, wearing a baseball glove.

"See?" Sam groaned, following her mom over. "This is why I practice with Dad, not you. You can't even catch the ball."

Felicia took Frankie's empty cone and replaced it with her own. "You can have mine, sweetie."

Frankie licked it happily.

"But I want to help you prepare for your game," Alexis said. "I don't know how long this dream will last and I want to make up for everything we missed."

Felicia whipped around and stared at Alexis.

"Dream?" Sam asked. "Why do you keep saying that? If you want to help me with my game, then don't practice with me! You suck at baseball. You suck at all sports. Just cheer from the sidelines… but not too loudly."

"Alexis? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Felicia asked. "Maybe Sam can sit with Frankie."

Sam rolled her eyes. "This has become the dumbest day ever. I'd rather be at school. I HATE babysitting."

"You're not babysitting," Felicia assured. "I'll be right over here. Just sit with Frankie on the bench for a few minutes is all."

Sam groaned and sat down. "Fine."

Frankie sat beside her, wolfing down her ice cream, while Felicia moved away with Alexis.

"Did you say dream?" Felicia asked.

Alexis sighed. "I know everyone in this dream thinks I'm nuts. Especially my eldest daughter. But I still don't want it to end."

"But I'm dreaming too," Felicia said. "Only, this dream feels so real. And my dreams don't usually last this long."

Alexis nodded. "It is a dream… right?"

"It has to be. It's everything I've ever wanted. Well, except one of my best friends being in prison and my other best friend ruling the world."

"Yeah, what is with that?" Alexis raised an eyebrow. "Why is Lucy's picture plastered everywhere? I wondered why I would dream of Lucy being queen."

"Last thing I remember is sitting with you and Nina in the waiting room," Felicia said. "Then the lights went out…. I don't understand. Maybe we should try to find Nina. See if she's 'dreaming' too."

Alexis clenched her jaw. "Nina threw my daughter's murderer in my face…. I will not be looking for her. I'm going to spend this time with my daughter. I—I can't wake up from this dream. I can't."

Felicia looked over at the bushes when she heard rustling.

But a retching sound drew her attention to the bench. Frankie vomited over her lap.

Felicia hurried over to her. "I shouldn't have gotten you the ice cream." She took what was left on the cone from her and wiped up her pants. "I didn't think it would matter in a dream…." She looked over at the bushes again. "We should get going."

GHGHGH

Nina leaned back on her chair between Nelle and Willow while the worker painted their toenails. After a few minutes, Ava walked in.

"Oh…." Ava frowned. "You're here with your little menaces."

Nina frowned. "Ava… I'm your best friend. How could you…?"

Ava laughed. "Friend? In your dreams…. The way you and your daughters treat my Kiki, I will never be your friend."

"What do you mean how we treat Kiki? I adore her." Nina's eyes widened. "But wait… Kiki is alive in this dream?"

"Of course she's alive. No thanks to Willow who tried to drown her last week."

"Mommy, I didn't," Willow said.

"AVA, I do not appreciate you talking about my daughter like that," Nina said. "You know Willow would never hurt a fly."

Ava scoffed. "Willow likes to put on a sweet and innocent façade. She might fool you and Silas into thinking Nelle is the bad twin, but I see right through her."

"Neither of my twins are bad," Nina said. "Don't ever call them that again."

"Keep them away from my daughter and we won't have an issue." Ava stormed out.

GHGHGH

Frankie jumped up and down on the couch singing God Save Queen Lucy.

"Frankie, why don't we draw a picture for Daddy?" Felicia suggested. She jerked when she heard a noise upstairs.

"God save our gracious queen," Frankie sang and jumped from the couch onto the lazy boy chair.

Felicia's phone rang, drawing her attention. "Frankie, I need to answer this. I need you to lower your voice a bit."

"Long live our noble queen."

Felicia sighed and stepped into the kitchen. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Scorpio, this is Principal Goulding. I'm calling about your daughter, Frankie."

"Oh yes, I called the school this morning," Felicia said. "I kept her home for a mother-daughter day."

"Yes, we were aware. But the reason I'm calling is to speak with you about her behaviour. She's been very disrespectful with her teachers and throws tantrums when she doesn't get her way. She's tried to run off a few times when she was put in time out. And her teacher was very concerned yesterday when it got so bad that Frankie started pounding her head off the table."

"What? Oh my gosh."

"Have you noticed this behaviour at home?"

Felicia bit her lip and looked out at Frankie in the living room drawing on the wall with a permanent marker. "Um, well…."

"I'd like to schedule a meeting this week, so we can discuss strategies," the principal said. "I will send you an email to confirm a time."

"Okay, thank you. I will speak to my husband as well." Felicia hung up and headed back to the living room. "Frankie, I—"

"Aunt Lucy!" Frankie threw her marker on the floor and ran over to the door when Lucy walked in. "I missed you, Aunt Lucy. I missed you a whole bunches. You're the best queen and the best auntie ever."

Lucy threw her arms around her. "I missed you too, Frankie. I missed all of you." She pulled a teddy bear out of her bag. "This is for you, sweetie. It's Diamond Teddy Bear. Its eyes are made of diamonds and sapphires. And its mouth is a piece of 24-karat gold. I ordered it in from Germany for only $193,000."

Felicia gaped at her. "Lucy—"

"Yay!" Frankie grabbed it from her and ran upstairs.

"$193,000?" Felicia said.

"Don't worry, I have gifts for all of your children, not just Frankie," Lucy explained. "Mac and Kevin are picking them up from school and should be back anytime now. Serena and Christina have really been looking forw—"

"Lucy… how exactly are you ruling this world?"

"Well, because it is my world," Lucy explained. "I created it."

"What? How? Why?"

She pulled out her pocket watch. "This is an old family heirloom passed down from my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great uncle St. Nicholas."

Felicia blinked. "As in Santa Claus?"

"Yes, that is his common name here in the western world. He has many names you know. Father Christmas, Sinterklaas, Weihnachtsmann, Papai Noel, Christkindl, or Kris Kringle—"

"Okay, let's get back on track," Felicia said. "What does this watch do?"

"Pocket watch. It has many functions. St. Nicholas used it to travel in time to deliver gifts to children all over the world at different points in history. He passed it on to his niece, my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother, because he did not have children of his own. I used it to go back in time and make a few tweaks, so that we could end up at this point in time with how things should've been. Don't you love it? We're 20 years younger and have our families and a better ruler."

"Well, yes, I do love having my family together and a chance to raise all of our children together with Mac. It's what I've always wanted. But why is Anna in prison?"

"She broke the law," Lucy said. "That's where she belongs."

"What law did she break?"

"Well, she stole something from me," Lucy said.

Felicia rolled her eyes. "What did she steal?"

"You."

"What?"

"She took you to a cabin in the woods."

"So, she kidnapped me?" Felicia asked. "Or did I willingly go with her?"

"It was the second bi-weekly Queen's Ball and you and I always do the opening act together. But you disappeared backstage. The Queen's Guard found both of you in this cabin and rescued you."

"That's it? Did you have any proof that she kidnapped me? Did I tell you she did?"

"We didn't need any proof," Lucy said.

"I want to see Anna. I mean, I love that I get a re-do with my children and I'm glad that we were all transported here to have a second chance. But Anna in prison and you ruling the worl—"

"Oh, not everyone was transferred here," Lucy said. "Only me, you, Nina, and Alexis were."

"What do you mean—?"

"Monster, monster!" Frankie screamed from her bedroom. "Mommy!"

Felicia and Lucy exchanged frightened looks and darted up the stairs.

GHGHGH

"Whoo! That's my girl!" Alexis shouted from the bleachers where she sat with Julian and the kids.

Sam rolled her eyes from home plate, then stomped over to the bleachers as the next batter stepped up. "Shut up, Mom! Why are you cheering? I just struck out."

"I just thought you swung really well," Alexis said.

"Well, shut up, you're embarrassing me. And distracting me. You're the reason I struck out."

"I didn't mean to distract you, Cookie," Alexis said.

"Stop calling me Cookie! Now, go home. I don't want you here."

Alexis' heart sank. "Sam, I really want to watch you—"

"Now!"

"Maybe if she doesn't shout out anymore, she can stay?" Julian suggested.

"No, I've had enough," Sam said. "She's the worst mother ever and I wish someone else was my mom."

Alexis' lip trembled. "I—I'm sorry, Sam. I just wanted to be there for you. I'll—I'll go. Enjoy the rest of your game." She hopped off the bleachers and cried on her way back to the car.

GHGHGH

Nina sat with Willow and Nelle on the couch. "Do you girls know how special you are to me? You're beautiful, smart, sophisticated, and you can do anything you want in this life."

"Anything?" Willow asked.

Nina nodded. "Anything."

They turned when the door opened. "Honey, I'm home." Silas walked in.

"Daddy!" The twins ran over and hugged him.

"Oh, I forgot we were married in this dream," Nina said, then shrugged. "Welcome home!"

Silas joined them on the couch. "Have you girls been practicing your performance for the Queen's Ball? This will be your longest yet."

"I don't exactly know what we're doing for that," Nina said. "Lucy mentioned it, but she didn't say…."

"But you've been practicing since your last Queen's Ball," Silas said.

"Ohh—kay… remind me what we're doing?"

"You're singing to the girls 'I Hope You Dance' by Lee Ann Womack while they dance."

"But I can't sing," Nina said.

"Oh, yes you can."

"Ow!" Nelle kicked Willow.

"Nelle, please don't kick your sister," Nina said.

"But she pulled my hair," Nelle said.

Nina sighed.

GHGHGH

Felicia and Lucy burst through Frankie's door and found Ryan holding a wailing Frankie.

"Mommy… Mommy…."

"Put my daughter down…."

"Don't you mean our daughter?" Ryan asked. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't come to get her? You can't keep my child from me. And what kind of a name is Frankie? I prefer something like Esme." He looked at Frankie and stroked her hair. "I'm your Daddy and you belong to me."

Frankie cried harder.

"DON'T TOUCH HER," Felicia said. "She doesn't belong to you. She never did and she never will."

Lucy's tiara flung past Felicia and struck Ryan in the eye. He screeched and swayed backwards, dropping Frankie.

"Come here, baby!" Frankie ran into Felicia's arms and she scooped her up.

Ryan dropped to the ground and Lucy stepped on his face with her stiletto heel. "No one tries to take my very best friend's daughter! You have to go through me first."

Soon, the Royal Guard burst into the room and arrested Ryan.

"Take him to Pentonville Penitentiary and throw away the key!" Lucy ordered.

After they left with Ryan, Mac rushed in. "We just passed the Royal Guard with Ryan. Are you all right? Thank God you were there, Lucy. I don't know what would've happened without you."

Felicia glared at Lucy as Frankie reached out for Mac.

"Aunt Lucy saved me, Daddy," Frankie said, resting her head on Mac's shoulder. "She was really brave."

"I would never let anything happen to you, Frankie," Lucy said. "You're my very best goddaughter. Now, where is Doc and the other kids?"

"They're downstairs," Mac said.

"Mac, can you take Frankie downstairs with you?" Felicia asked. "I need a word with the queen."

"That was very scary for you and Frankie," Lucy said after Mac took Frankie downstairs. She placed a hand over her heart. "But I will always protect both of you."

Felicia gritted her teeth. "YOU CREATED A WORLD WHERE ANNA IS IN PRISON BUT RYAN IS ALIVE AND ON THE LOOSE?"

Lucy frowned. "No. At least, I didn't mean to."

"Did you orchestrate all that?" Felicia asked. "What kind of a sick joke is this, Lucy? Do you really think I wanted to witness Ryan hurt my daughter all over again?"

"Of course not. I didn't choose every detail, that would take forever. I just designed the basics. I'm married to Doc, we're raising Serena and Christina, I'm the queen and everyone's hero, Anna is in jail, you're married to Mac and raising your kids together, I'm your very best friend and godmother to your kids, Nina is married to Silas and raising her girls, and Alexis is married to the love of her life and raising their kids together. This was supposed to be a gift."

"When I woke up this morning, I thought this was a dream," Felicia said. "And I assumed Mac was the biological father to all my girls and I was Cody's biological mother. Now I don't know what to think. Because Ryan just now seemed to think he is still Frankie's father. What if he took off with her and did everything he did before but starting when she's four?"

"Felicia, I swear, I didn't know Ryan would be here," Lucy said. "You have to believe me. I would never do that to you. I never even thought about biology, I just wished that you and Mac would be raising all of your children together."

"All right, well, this is a dangerous game. Ryan needs to stay locked up and I want Anna released. Now, what were you saying about only you, me, Nina, and Alexis being transported here? I don't understand."

"We're the only ones from the real world," Lucy explained.

"So, none of this is real?"

"It's better than real."

"LUCY… is this real?" Lucy asked. "Are my children really here?"

"Um, well, no."

Felicia's heart sank. "Okay. So, everything back home is on pause?"

Lucy scrunched her face. "No. Why would it be on pause?"

Felicia gaped at her. "You mean we've been gone all day? Since last night?"

"I suppose so. I never really thought about it."

"Lucy! Two of my daughters are in the hospital. They're both severely traumatized. I was supposed to babysit James and Bailey Lou in the morning. Do they think we just abandoned them?"

"I—I don't know!"

"You didn't consider any of this?" Felicia asked. "What about Martin and your girls? They're going to be looking for you too."

"I didn't even consider that. I just wanted to be back with Doc."

Felicia shook her head. "How do we go back?"

"You mean you want to go back?"

"We can't stay here! Our REAL families need us back home."

Lucy sighed and pulled out her pocket watch. "Okay. All right. The instructions are here on the back. It says… how to create an alternate universe… when you want to reverse, the creator and those they bring along must learn from this experience."

"What?" Felicia asked. "Learn from this experience?"

"I don't know what it means."

"What else does it say?"

"That's all for alternate universes," Lucy said. "Then it just talks about time travel."

Felicia chewed the inside of her cheek. "We need to go discuss this with Nina and Alexis. Maybe they can help us figure it out. I'll call Alexis and you call Nina. Ask Nina to meet at Alexis' house."

GHGHGH

Alexis sat on the couch at the lake house gazing at the bottle of vodka. It had been so long that she'd lived in a house with alcohol in it. She wanted so badly to drink away her pain.

But she lifted a framed photo of herself with Sam. Sam must've been about five years old in it. She could hear grown-up Sam pleading with her not to drink and orchestrating her intervention.

She picked up the bottle and hurled it at the front door. Sam might hate her in this alternate reality, but having a Sam who hates her is better than no Sam at all.

The door opened and Nina stood there. "Whoa… are you okay?"

Alexis clenched her jaw. "What are you doing here?"

"Lucy asked me to meet her here," Nina said.

"We're here, we're here!" Lucy walked up behind her with Felicia.

Alexis kept staring at the wall as the other three women walked in.

"So, Lucy has explained to me that she created this alternate universe," Felicia said. "But none of this is real and we need to get back home. She has some magical pocket watch… don't ask how. Somehow it allowed her to create all of this to give us what we've always wanted. But like I said, it isn't real. We need to get back to our loved ones."

"On the back of my pocket watch it says that we all need to learn from this experience," Lucy said. "Do you any of you know what this means?"

"No," Nina said. "But I want to know why my best friend hates me if this was supposed to give me what I always wanted? And why are my daughters so misbehaved?"

"I wondered that too," Felicia said. "I know for a fact that Frankie would've been better off with me than with Ryan or the Princes. So why does she have such bad behaviours in this world?"

"Maybe that's what you need to 'learn'?" Lucy suggested.

"You might be on to something…" Felicia said. "I still don't get it though. But for you, Lucy, maybe you need to learn to share me and not throw my other best friend in jail because you're jealous?"

Lucy scoffed. "I am your very best friend and Anna doesn't come close. I am not jealous."

"What about you, Alexis?" Felicia asked. "Do you have any ideas of what we should be learning in order to get back home?"

Alexis' eyes slowly moved to them. "I don't know and I don't care. I'm not going back. I will not live in a world without my daughter in it. I'm staying here."

Felicia, Lucy, and Nina exchanged worried looks.