I have been wanting to write this for a while and I hope you guys like it. Please read and review, I'd love to know what you guys think.
I do not own OUAT. SwanQueen would be so canon if I did.
'Can anyone tell me something about the way morality is portrayed in Grimm's fairy tales?' Regina Mills' heart sank to the souls of her stylish and not to mention expensive expensive Jimmy Choos as she willed any of her students to show a vague interest in the class' subject matter. 'Anyone?' Chocolate brown eyes surveyed the various bored faces and knew why her love of teaching had waned in the two short years she had been teaching at Storybrooke High School. Her zeal and vigour for educating and expanded the young minds of the future quickly disappeared when she first encountered the broken old books that she had to teach with and the unenthusiastic reactions from the students she taught. Before she had chance to offer up her own thoughts, which would be regurgitated in all 23 essays she would receive next week, a knock at the open classroom door pulled her attention.
'Ms Mills.' Sheriff Graham Humbert gave her an apologetic smile as he moved further in to the room with a familiar blonde student just behind. 'I believe I have someone who should be in your class right now.' He gently pushed the girl forward who brazenly grinned at the law enforcer.
'Thanks for the lift, officer.'
'Miss Swan. Take your seat.' The blonde began sauntering to her seat directly in front of the teachers desk. 'Now.' The icy tone had no effect and the other students nodded and threw thumbs up at truant.
Turning her attention away from the cocky blonde, Regina gave a curt nod to the lingering Sheriff. He replied with a smile and quickly exited the room. The class settled almost immediately when Regina began to speak despite the momentary disruption. There was a reason her students referred to her as the Evil Queen.
'I suggest you spend the remainder of the lesson outlining an essay of 3000 words surrounding the interpretation of morality in fairy tales. You can choose to focus on one tale in particular if you wish, or if you feel extra motivated, the idea of morality through all of tales.' She knew they would all pick one story to analyse and hoped that she might receive some creative thinking as she had not provided any personal thoughts for them to claim as there own. With the class now all writing what she hoped were ideas she focused on the one student sat pulling faces at a boy across the room.
'Eyes front Miss Swan.' The icy command gained the girls attention and she turned in her seat to grin at the now sitting brunette. 'You will not cause any further distraction for this class.' Turning her attention to the laptop in front of her, Regina checked her lesson plans and emails, all the while ignoring Emma Swans attempts to break her concentration. Watching out the corner of her eye as the young girl drummed her fingers on her desk and blatantly sighed in boredom, the English teacher thought about the complex individual that caused so much disruption.
Emma Swan was the foster daughter of the local do-gooders Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan. She arrived in the quaint little town of Storybrooke in late October of last year and brought chaos where ever she went. Looking at the girl with blonde princess curls and sparkling green eyes, who's mischief lay just under the surface, and in the smug grin she often wore, any by stander would see a fun loving small town girl. Beyond that however, Regina had seen first hand the turbulent darkness that Emma fought with daily and the stereotypical attention seeking behaviour. In the short time Emma had been a pupil at Storybrooke high, she had been involved in fights and altercations with staff and students as well as cutting classes altogether. Regina sighed internally as she thought about how bright and clever she was when she applied herself to a task and also how rare that was.
The bell rang signalling the end of the period and pulled the brunette from her thoughts. The class gathered their belongings and began to file out the door. 'Miss Swan, a word.' The blonde had tried to exit the room quickly but stopped and turned towards her teacher as the last student left. Regina motioned to a chair she pulled next to her desk and sat, waiting for the girls reaction. After a few moments of silence, Emma sat and adjusted her signature red leather jacket.
I would burn that monstrosity of a jacket Regina thought to herself as she took in her students attire. Red leather, white tanks top and skin tight jeans. It was a look that Emma sported all year long with the exception of a roll neck jumper in the winter months. It suited the cocky, take no shit attitude she had and though highly inappropriate, Regina appreciated the tight toned lines of Emma' athletic form. 'What class do you have this period?' She asked curtly.
'Study hall with Ms Midas.'
'I will email her and explain your absence and give you a pass.' Turning to her laptop she fired off a quick email, her perfectly manicure nails tapping at the keys.
'I thought you wanted a word? Aren't I supposed to be going to class rather than miss them?' Emma asked as she made herself comfortable, throwing her arm over the back of the chair and sprawling out her legs, this was obviously going to take a while. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the sarcasm, Regina finished the email and turned to face Emma. Thinking carefully of how to approach the subject, she decided the direct route would be best.
'Are you unhappy here Emma?' She ask calmly, eyes scanning fair features for any cracks in the cocksure facade. Though the use of her first name threw Emma for a moment she kept her cool and gave a simple shrug in response. 'Do you like Storybrooke?'
'S'okay I guess. A bit poky but I'm used to the big city.'
'Do you like living with Miss Blanchard and Mr Nolan?' Green eyes flickered slightly as she asked her question and Regina could see a little chink in the blondes defences.
'They're good people. There's always a hot meal and a bed so better than some places I've been.' Emma shifted in her seat and wondered what game Ms Mills was playing. It was true that her foster parents were decent and were always there for her no matter how much distance she tried to put between them.
'And your foster brother, Henry, how is he?'
The girl broke into a genuine smile at the six year old's name. 'He's great. We've just started reading The Hobbit. Or at least I read it to him and he giggles at the voices I put on.'
Regina smiled and nodded. 'I believe your foster parents are applying to adopt him?'
'They are.' The bright smile faded and a darkness settled on Emma's features.
'Did you know that it is only through the respect for your foster parents and the good graces of Sheriff Humbert and Principal Gold that no official complaints or measures have been taken about your behaviour? Or that if your social worker were informed about the way you conduct yourself, that it would reflect badly upon Miss Blanchard and Mr Nolan and perhaps even their application to adopt Henry?'
The shock of Regina's honesty showed on her students face. Emma 's brow furrowed and she opened her mouth several times before forming a response. 'I'm a bad kid. No one expects anything more from me so it shouldn't look bad on them. Considering this is the longest i have stayed in one place since I was three they should get them a damn medal.'
Hearing Emma refer to herself as a bad kid and the way she had curled into herself, eyes fixed firmly on her feet in the matter of seconds it took for her to respond, pulled at Regina's heart. This intelligent and confident girl was more like the broken child she had read about in the permanent record she had read when she first met the girl. Pages upon pages of previous teachers saying she was too disruptive to be in a mainstream school environment. One teacher even went as far to suggest military school or a correctional facility would be more suited to her needs. Social workers who had claimed Emma was deeply disturbed and teachers should be aware of the symptoms of an angry and hopeless child. It had made Regina sick to see people write off a young woman who had had to overcome so much in her short life and it was why she felt the need to intervene now.
'Is that how you truly see yourself Emma? As a bad kid people can write off without a second thought?.' Regina leaned forward and tried to catch the blondes eye before she continued. 'You act the fool and you don't apply yourself but you are not bad.' Green eyes were stormy with doubt, anger and shame and it was clear that this could be a crucial breakthrough to try and convince Emma she was more than those pages. 'You are a bright and energetic young woman. If you applied yourself and had the same cocky attitude to your school work that you did to hanging around town when you should be in class you could do anything you wanted to with your life.'
'All I want to do is get out. Get out of the system and out of this damn town.' Emma's defensive walls slammed into place and Regina hoped she hadn't pushed the blonde too far.
'And how do plan on doing that Emma?'
'I'm eighteen in a few months and as soon as I am I'm gettin' the hell out of dodge, even if I have to walk all the way.'
'Where would you go? What would you do?'
'I'd figure something out, I always do.' Though she had no doubt Emma Swan was capable of looking after herself in the real world, Regina couldn't help but wonder if Emma would ever so anything more than survive.
'What if you don't have to though Emma? What if you had help from Mary Margaret and David? From me and your other teachers? You could go to college-' Emma scoffed and looked at her as if she had said unicorns existed. 'Why is that so hard to believe?'
'I'm a fuck up! Everyone knows that. My adoptive parents, every home and teacher I've had since has known!' The blonde was on her feet, anger rising in her chest at how this woman couldn't see how screwed up she was. 'My biological parents even knew!'
Taken back by the sudden change in atmosphere, the older woman took a moment and steeled her resolve. Standing, Regina stepped into Emma's personal space and looked her straight in the eye, pouring every bit of sincerity into her next sentence. 'I do not think you are a fuck up Emma Swan. I think you have had a difficult life and nothing that has happened to you has been your fault. You are not a fuck up.' Her words must have hit a chord in the blonde as she quickly held back a gut wrenching sob and collapsed to her knees. Regina quickly followed, and wrapped her arms around the shaking frame before her. Never did she think that this conversation would bring her here but she hoped beyond hope that she could get through to the girl she was soothing now and perhaps help build her a better future. Minutes passed as Regina simply held tightly and tries to soothe the broken teen, rocking her slowly and rubbing soothing circles on her back. Finally Emma's tear stained face emerged from under the curtains of blonde hair and she locked eyes with her teacher.
'I don't know how to be better.' Her voice was so small and scared that Regina felt the tear in her own eyes threaten to fall.
'Emma, you don't need to be better. You just need to think about your actions and decide which actions will help you get to where you want to be.' Taking a breath she watched the blonde process her words.
'I want them keep Henry. He needs a good home and they love him so much. I don't want to be the reason he grows up like I did.' Wiping her face, determination set into Emma's eyes. 'If I come to school and stop getting in to trouble then they have no reason to turn down the adoption.' Regina smiled, proud that Emma was willing to put others before her self and that it might be the right motivation to help the blonde realise her own potential.
'Do you really think I could get into college?' doubt filled Emma's words and her face showed a vulnerable hope. Regina felt her eyes begin to prickle at the raw honesty of this young woman in that moment.
'I really do. Your test scores are all high despite your attendance record, and the times you have engaged in my class you have always impressed me with your literary knowledge and complex analysis. Any college would be lucky to have you.' The blonde blushed and dipped her head which Regina couldn't help but smile at. Realising that they were still in a heap on the floor, arms wrapped around each other, she carefully extracted herself and stood, offering her hand to Emma. She moved back to her desk, trying desperately not to think about the sense of loss her body now felt as she offered Emma a tissue.
Wiping her eyes and straightening her clothes Emma, avoided the kind and warm face of her usually cool and collected English teacher. 'I'm sorry for, uh, crying like that. I'm not usually this emotional.'
'It's perfectly fine, dear. I just hope I didn't push you to far.'
'You didn't.' a small smile formed on Emma's lips. 'You were honest with me. More than I am with myself. Thank you.'
Regina smiled in return and the two stayed that way, content and calm after a tumultuous and heavy talk. The bell rang and broke the moment, both women jumping slightly at the intrusion. Clearing her throat, Regina tried to bring some normality back to the situation.
'Unfortunately, the fact that you missed my class today does mean that I am going to have to give you detention.'
Emma laughed lightly and held up her hands. 'I guess that's fair.' Regina pulled a pass out of her draw as well as a detention slip. Quickly jotting down the details she turned back to the blonde, who had quickly regained her composure and gave her a warm smile.
'Tomorrow after school come straight here and you can catch up on what you have missed.' Emma took the slip and nodded. 'Don't be late.'
Before she left, Emma turned in the doorway. 'Thanks you, Ms Mills. I hope you have a nice day.' With that she turned and joined the throng of students now moving along the hallway. The smile that pulled at Regina's cheeks stayed as the first of her next class arrived. Though not how she had imagined, the time she had spent with Emma Swan had lifted her heart and fuelled the fire that she thought had burnt out. Perhaps there was hope to help the future minds of this small town. Even if it was just one in particular.
Update: I have corrected a spelling mistake that was pointed out to me by a couple of you. I'm not great with spelling but I try to correct any mistakes before publishing.
