Title: Real To Me
Author: OnceUponAHeda
Pairing: Emma/Regina
Rating: T
Disclaimer: All copyrighted material in this story belongs to their respectful owners.
AN – Hey guys! So I have had this idea about imaginary friends actually being people from a different realm for a really long time and I finally decided to write it. I have absolutely no knowledge of the USA foster system and all the events in this story are fictional and scripted to aid in the narrative of the stories and in no way reflects on the foster system or people living within the system. This is a Swan Queen story but it will be a long journey getting there.
Chapter 1 – Worlds Apart
Green eyes watches as dirty pink sneakers swing back and forth over the polished white floor, the untied laces making a swishing sound as they swing. Shifting slightly when the hard plastic chair starts to dig into her tiny frame while her teeth bite nervously into her thumbnail to the point of almost drawing blood.
Angry footsteps echo down the hall growing louder and louder until a pair of ugly loafers appear in front of her. Slowly lifting up her head to gaze at brown eyes glaring down at her. Before the woman can open her mouth the wooden door opens revealing an older lady with large frame glasses stepping over to them.
"You're Emma Swan's legal guardian?" The secretary asks the angry woman.
"What did she do this time?"
The secretary looks down at the six year old from behind her large glasses not answering the woman's question and making the blonde squirm under her gaze.
"Principal Keenan will see you both now."
Emma just keeps looking at her hands trying to rub off the dirt and grass stains on them, she is sure her blonde hair and hand-me-down clothes are looking even worse. Rubbing harder at a particular dirt mark only to realise that it wasn't dirt but a small drop of blood.
"She got in a fight." The angry words snap her out of her trance.
"Yes, a teacher had to pull her off of the other girl during recess." The principal explains in his overly calm practised voice. Turning his beady little eyes to the young girl she does her best to hide behind a few loose strands of blonde hair. "Emma can you tell us what happened out there, why did you hit Chloe?"
"Emma answer him."
Chewing at her lip she looks up at her foster mother, probably ex-foster mother now, before turning to the principal, taking a deep breath she starts to explain.
"She-she was showing all of the other kids this tiara she got for her birthday. She said that she is a princess now 'cause she has a tiara. But that's not how it works, you can't just be a princess 'cause you have a stupid pink tiara." She lets out an annoyed huff before continuing more quietly. "Then she said I was just a jealous stinky foster kid."
"So you hit her." The principal asks with a frown.
"Y-yes. But she lied! A tiara doesn't make you a princess. You can only be a princess if you parents are the king and queen or if you marry roy…royls."
"Royalty."
"Yes. That's what Regina said you need to marry royalty before you can be a princess."
"Who is this Regina?" The principle asks her foster mom, looking up from the notes he has been taking while Emma talked.
"Oh it's just this imaginary friend she created." She says dismissively.
"She is not imaginary she is real!" Emma jumps up kneeling on the chair staring daggers at her foster mother. "She just lives in a other place." Emma huffs out crossing her arms as she falls back into her chair.
"Regardless," The principal cuts in. "Emma you could have seriously hurt Chloe today. Do you understand that?"
Emma bows her head in shame giving a slight nod.
"I'm sorry but Emma is suspended-"
After that Emma zones out focusing instead on her untied shoes again. Maybe she should have paid a little more attention when Jamie tried to teach her how to tie her shoelaces, all she can remember is something about bunny ears. As the principal and her foster mother continued to drown on in the background Emma just tried to figure out what bunnies had to do with tying your shoes.
On the car ride back Emma just keeps looking out of the window, she is not going to miss this stupid town. The people are way too talkative and Mr Patterson's dog always chased her down the street. During the day when she looked out the room window she could see the neighbour's kids playing in their pool, while she was stuck in her room that smelled like mothballs and old bread.
The car hasn't even been put into park when Emma is already out of the car and running into the house, her short legs caring her quickly up the stairs and slamming the door to her shared room closed. Dragging the desk chair across the room and moving it under the doorknob before climbing into the closet, sitting down she pulls her knees up to her chest hiding her face in them as tears start to roll down her dirt stained cheeks.
"Emma?"
Green eyes snap up to see concerned brown eyes looking back at her.
"Emma are you okay, what happened?" Emma quickly wipes her face with her hand trying to hide the evidence, Emma Swan is not a cry baby.
"I got suspended." She mumbles with a sniff.
"I don't understand."
Letting out a huff as she scuffs her shoe against the closet floor.
"Stupid Chloe." Emma puts her head down on her knees. "She thinks she is so smart, but she is not. I know the truth. But she…she." Emma can't help but the lone rolling down her cheek. "I hit her."
"Oh Emma."
"I'm sorry I was bad."
"I know." Regina says with a small reassuring smile moving a little closer to the blonde.
Turning her head Emma wipes her nose on her pants before looking back up at her friend.
Emma can't remember a time her friend wasn't there by her side, good and bad her princess was there. So what if she was the only one who can see Regina, that just makes her more special to the blonde knowing she is just hers.
"Cant I just come live with you." Emma asks playing with the little threads on her sleeve.
"I would like that." Regina says with a soft smile. "I would really like that."Even if they both at the age of six already know that's not possible it is still a nice dream. After a moment Regina finally asks the big question they both have been avoiding. "What are you going to do now?"
Emma lets out a long sigh as she stands up.
"Now I'm going to pack my bag and wait for my social worker to come get me."
"I'm sorry Emma."
Emma looks at the girl, her best friend, her only friend before holding out her pinky finger.
Emma watches as Regina hooks her pinky with hers not really touching but as close as one can be to touching someone in a different realm.
"It's going to be alright Emma." Regina tries to reassure her, and Emma just gives her a weak smile.
Emma opens the closet door and stepping out, turning around she casts one last glance at the now empty closet before closing the door.
There wasn't a lot to pack, only a few pieces of clothes and a ratty old teddy bear with a hole in his foot Emma uses to hide her things in and then of course her baby blanket.
The thud of the backpack hitting the floor next to the stairs makes the woman's head snap to the direction, seeing the girl standing there backpack on the floor and blanket under her arm.
"When will Julie be here?"
"In about 15 minutes."
The little girl nods picking up her bag and walking out the house, sitting alone on the porch steps is how Julie found her. Walking up the steps she takes a seat next to the girl.
"Where are you taking me this time?" Emma asks in a emotionless voice.
"There is a group home in Boston, nice family and the kids-" Before she can continue Emma stands up pulling her backpack on and makes her way to the car and climbing into the back of the black car.
"Okay then." Julie says standing up from the porch steps glancing back at the house before she makes her way over to the car where the little blonde is waiting for her.
-x-x-
Regina is strolling through the castle library trailing her fingers along the spines of the old books. Ever since she learned to read she has spent many hours emerged in the books of the castle library learning new things and going fantastic adventures across their pages. This was her escape, where she could do and be anything she want and not have to worry about being the perfect young lady her mother commands of her.
Currently the book of choice is one of such a faraway land full of magic and mystery.
"When are you going to stop reading?" Complains a voice from the floor next to her.
"I rather enjoy reading unlike some people."
Emma just lets out an annoyed huff.
"You know if you keep reading like this your head is just going to get fuller and fuller and soon there is going to be no space left and everything important is just going to pop out of your head and you wouldn't even remember your name any more. Is that what you want, not to remember your own name?"
Regina chuckles.
"I'm not going to forget my name Emma." Emma just grumbles from her spot on the floor. "So, do you want to tell me about the new family you are staying with?"
"No."
"Emma."
"Ugh fine, they are okay. The mom smells like earwax but the dad has a pretty cool moustache."
"Are they nice people?" Emma knows what she is really asking, are you safe.
"I guess."
"That's good."
All of the sudden Emma jumps up standing in front of Regina.
"Oh I know what we should do!" Emma says excited making Regina look up from her book clearly they are now moving onto a new topic. Regina looks at the big smile Emma is giving her, closing her book she knows she is apparently done reading for the day.
"I can't believe you talked me into doing this." Regina says looking up and down the hallway finding it empty.
The halls in this part of the castle is mostly deserted, except for the occasional guard and maid going about their usual rounds not paying the princess much attention. She likes to think it's because they respect her privacy but she knows it's just because they are afraid she would tell on them to her mother and they would have to face the wrath of Queen Cora.
"Oh come on Gina it's an adventure." The excited blonde bounces next to the princess pretending to fight off imaginary enemies.
"Mother would not approve of this."
"Well, your mom got a stick up her butt."
"Emma!" Regina's eyes almost budges out of her head at her friend's statement.
"What it's not like she can hear me."
Emma did have a point there.
"Still." Regina comes to a stop in front of a large portrait hanging against the wall of her great grandfather. "Alright I found a painting."
"Awesome, now you just have to move it out of the way and then there should be a big button behind it that will open a hidden door."
Reaching up as high as she can on her tiptoes her fingertips just barely brushes the underside of the painting's frame. If only she was a little taller.
"I see my little princess has developed a love for art."
Regina spins around at the sudden voice to see a smiling face looking back at her.
"Daddy!" The princess runs across the hall into the waiting arms of the king.
"Are we exploring the castle again?"
"I want to see what is behind the painting."
"Well let's have a look then shall we."
The king moves over to the painting with his daughter's hand in his large one. Taking a hold of the frame he pushes it to the side to reveal a empty stone wall. Henry watches as Regina frowns as the painting slides back into place.
"There is nothing."
"Not what you expected?"
"No." Spinning her head around she looks up and down the hallway. "Maybe it's behind a different painting." Regina says to the blonde on the other side of her father looking beyond disappointed.
"Alright little one, what are we looking for?" King Henry asks as he starts to walk down the hall looking for the next painting.
"Emma said it would be behind a painting."
"Ah I should have known Miss Emma was behind this little adventure." He smiles affectionately down at Regina, he has known that his daughter's imaginary friend had the tendency to get Regina's mischievous side out. "So what did Emma say was behind the paintings?"
"She said that sometimes in moving pictures there are secret passages in castles hidden behind paintings." Regina explains.
"Movies, it's called movies." Emma mumbles annoyed at the lack of her friend's knowledge of modern technology.
"A hidden passage how mysterious." Henry moves another painting to the side to find another stone wall.
"It could lead anywhere. Maybe even to hidden treasure!" She says excited and Henry lets out a chuckle looking at the diamond hair pin in the princess hair, yes hidden treasure is what they need.
"Gallivanting around the halls again I see." They both freeze when they see Queen Cora standing at the end of the hall with her hands on her hips with an angry glare.
"Cora we are only-"
"Regina you're late for you for your ridding lesson." Cora says ignoring her husband.
"Yes, mother."
The king releases the small hand in his and she quickly scurries down the hallway happy to get away from her upset mother.
"Seriously Henry I expected more from you." Cora says stepping closer to the king.
"She is just a child what is wrong with playing-"
"She is the future Queen, and she needs to start acting as such."
The king flenses when the painting next to him shifts in warning but he continues anyway.
"And playing with Emma is beneath her?"
"Not this Emma thing again, I will not have you encouraging this crazy fantasy of hers. What will the people think if they see their princess talking to herself?"
"Maybe if she was allowed to actually go out and make some real friend she wouldn't need to make up one."
"Friends are only an obstacle she can't afford."
"Cora do you honestly-"
The king is flung against the stone wall being pinned to it by a magical force.
"Enough, I will not have you tell me how to raise my daughter."
"She is my daughter to, that you seem all too happy to forget." He gets ready to yell but Cora waves her hand and his voice disappears.
"I am her mother." She steps closer to him stroking his cheek. "And mother always knows best." With that Cora spins around her dress floating behind her as she quickly walks away.
Later that afternoon Regina skips down the hall, smiling down at the beautiful bouquet of flowers in her hands. During her riding lesson she came across a patch of wildflowers in a clearing near the river. After admiring the flowers she decided to pick a few as a surprise for mother hoping to apologise for her bad behaviour earlier.
Now making her way to her mother's office feeling giddy about her gift.
Pushing open the large wooden door to the office.
"Mother look wha-" Stopping in her tracks when she spots a strange man standing in the middle of the room his skin glittered in the candle light.
"Well who do we have here?"
Regina just stands frozen looking at the creepy little man as he stalks closer to her.
"What's your name dearie?"
"I'm princess Regina."
She says flinching as her runs his disgusting nail across her cheek, his lizard eyes feels like it is staring right into her soul.
"My my, you have no idea of the power you hold do you?"
"Regina!" The girl jumps around to see her mother standing at the door with her hands on her hips. "Regina what are you doing here, you know you are not allowed in here."
"Mother I-" Regina starts holding up the flowers but is silenced by Cora lifting up her hand.
"Regina go to your room we will talk about your disobedience later."
"Now Cora we were only getting… acquainted." He says plucking a flower from the bouquet the little girl is holding.
"Regina now."
"Yes mother." She lowers her head and dropping the flowers on the cold floor as she leaves the room knowing her mother will be giving her her punishment later as she hears the little man talking to her mother.
"Cora you have been hiding that little gem from me, all that untapped power. Maybe I have been investing my time in the wrong Mills woman."
"Regina is weak, we both know it's me you want Rumple. Now are we done wasting time can we begin?"
-x-x-
Emma is lying in her new bed, the new home has taken some time to get use to. The family is a lot nicer than most families even if they are rather strict. Each one of the kids have a list of chores they need to finish each day and posters with rules printed in bold all caps plastered around the house. Following rules have always been a struggle for Emma, having had to fight for herself since no one else bothered to ever do, she has come to be a strong willed and bad behaved labelled kid.
The sound of quiet sniffles makes her snap her eyes open. Looking around the dark room she sees the other girls already fast asleep. As quiet as possible she carefully slips down from her mattress before she crawls under the bed.
"Gina?" She whispers, her only answer being a little whimper.
Regina is possibly the most perfect little girl Emma has ever met, always on her best manners, always smiling and willing to help, in fact Regina is basically the exact opposite of the young blonde. Not much can get her down, that is except for one person – Queen Cora aka mother dearest. Emma can never understand how Cora can be so awful to her daughter especially someone as sweet as Regina. Knowing that no matter how many times she asks Regina will not want to talk about what happened unless she wants to, Emma does what she can and starts telling her silly little stories to take her mind off of whatever it is that are making her friend cry.
"Today at school Michael brought a frog he found, and during lunch it jumped out of his hand and onto a table where all these girls were sitting, the screamed so loudly and that scared the frog so it started to jump all over their plates sending food flying all over them."
As Emma continue to tell her story with great enthusiasm Regina's sniffles dies down and soon she has a small smile on her lips. Emma keeps talking until the princess is fast asleep, and not for the first time and far from the last time Emma wishes she could reach out and touch her friend.