Better When I'm Dancing
MackenzieW
A/N: This was supposed to be a one-shot and it took on a life of its own. So my new goal is to post a new chapter with every week the current Dancing With the Stars season is on. Of course, I probably should've started two weeks ago, but oh well. I hope everyone enjoys this more lighthearted AU!
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Once Upon a Time nor the premise of Dancing With the Stars.
Before the Show
Regina Mills stood in the rehearsal room, taking everything in. It was a large room and felt like a proper competitive dancefloor. She could choreography to the proper size rather than having to adjust between venues. Mirrors, a bar and stairs to mimic the ones on the stage also were in the room as well as a few chairs and a table.
And, of course, the camera crew that was going to film their every move and record their every word while they were in that room. Editors would then cut and splice the footage together, packaging them to the millions of viewers who watched Dancing With the Stars every week. Those people would then judge her and her celebrity partner based not only on her choreography and his ability to pick up the dance moves, but also how they came across in those videos.
No pressure.
Regina stood there, cursing out her agent anyway for talking her into this, though.
"You know I wouldn't steer you wrong," Mal had insisted. "I really do believe this is best for your career. The pros who have competed in the past get national attention, a bigger fanbase and many new opportunities. Besides, it'll be a steady paycheck for almost three months. Even if you get knocked out early, they still use the dancers in other routines. And it'll keep you grounded in LA. That's what you want for Henry, right? Stability?"
Regina had hesitated. "Yes, but I meant working at a dance studio. Maybe owning one."
"This can help with that. People will want to study under someone they know from TV. Trust me."
After talking it over with Henry and Emma, her best friend and the person who helped her raise her son for six years, Regina agreed to do it. It was a three-month commitment that would allow her to keep dancing and even start teaching. Then she was free to do more teaching, maybe with more students than she would've had if she just went straight to teaching. And Henry would have stability at last.
"Besides, it'll be cool to have my mom on TV!" Henry had declared, hazel eyes sparkling. She had smiled, chasing away her doubts about taking the job.
Regina shook away the memory, focusing on the present as a PA interviewed her about waiting for her partner. The producers had told her a few days ago but informed her who it was and that he wouldn't know until he opened the door so the film crew could get his genuine reactions to meeting her. She, along with the other pros, were told in advance so they could do some research on their star, if it was needed.
Regina had some knowledge of her partner-Robin Locksley, the so-called Outlaw of Pop. She knew he was British but had been living in America since his career took off several years prior. He had several hits, including one that she and Graham had done a routine to a few years back, and won several awards. He was red-hot for a few years and then took a break, retreating from the public eye. Now he was coming back and clearly was using Dancing With the Stars to relaunch his career.
It was a good plan, according to Henry and Emma. "Aurora Rose got her starring role after she lost her season," Henry said. "And then she won an Emmy!"
"And Jefferson Hatter was able to launch his world tour after being eliminated in his season. It sold out in minutes," Emma added.
So Robin Locksley's career could benefit from this. What remained to be seen as far as Regina was concerned was how he handled the show. Was he going to be serious about competing and winning, willing to put in the long hours and hard work to learn each dance? Or was he just going to show up, put in the minimal effort and maybe hang around long enough to get his name back in the public's mind? She didn't think she could handle a partner who did the latter.
The door opened and she held her breath as Robin stepped in. He stopped, looking her over. His blue eyes were unreadable, so she didn't know if he was happy to see her or disappointed he didn't have one of the more established pros. She had overheard the producers talking about how some of the stars had requested certain partners. Had Robin been one of them?
As she waited for his response, she studied him. He didn't look much different from the pictures taken shortly before he stepped away from the spotlight-his blond hair was gelled in the same tousled look, though she did notice some gray at his temples. He had the same stubble, though maybe had a bit more of a mustache now. Robin was a few inches taller than her, which would help with their lines and make choreographing for them easier. And he was fit, so she didn't have to worry about him struggling to keep up. She also noticed that he was wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, dressed for hard work rather than to look good in front of the cameras.
Good.
(Though he still looked good for the cameras, she had to admit).
Robin smiled, closing the door as he stepped closer to her. "Are you really my partner or did I accidentally end up on The Bachelorette?"
So he was one of those people-a jokester. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she put on her brightest smile. "I'm Regina Mills. I'm a world ballroom champion and a Latin champion, both on the junior and adult circuits. Do you need more?"
"No, no," he said, tilting his head as if trying to decipher a riddle. "You new?"
"This is my first season, yes," she replied, feeling self-conscious. "I'm sure you wanted one of the more established pros."
He shook his head. "I'm honored to be your first partner.
"And where are my manners?" He held out his hand, his smile revealing dimples that were going to bring in several thousand votes alone. "I'm Robin Locksley. Pleased to meet you."
Regina shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Right." Robin clapped his hands, rubbing them together. "Where do we start?"
"The quickstep. Are you familiar with it?" She walked toward the stereo to turn on the music the producers had selected for them.
"I am. I do watch the show you know."
Her lips twitched as she resisted the urge to smile at the thought of the "Outlaw of Pop" watching this reality show. "Oh?"
"Yes. Mum was a big fan of Strictly Come Dancing and when she moved here, she insisted we all watch the American version. It's appointment television in my house now," he explained. So the Outlaw of Pop was a Mama's boy.
Who knew?
Regina turned to face him. "Well, let's see what you've picked up then."
Robin wasn't too bad. He had a sense of rhythm and musicality that helped him with the movements. And he was dedicated to learning the steps, listening to her every word and following her lead. Regina felt more and more confident that not only would he not look foolish at the first show, but they could get decent scores for their routine.
From her research of him and the show, she knew that Robin's "outlaw" reputation—someone who lived on the edge, who didn't play by the rules, the bad boy bucking the establishment—would be hanging over them. So Regina decided to play that up as well as her old reputation as "Evil Queen" of the dance floor, choreographing a routine where he was an outlaw trying to steal from the queen when she catches him and they end up "fighting" through dance.
It also required them to look attracted to each other, which Regina found a bit difficult. She wasn't an actress but she was usually good at portraying emotions. However, she found she wanted to kill her partner more than romance him.
Robin was serious about the competition, she could tell that. He showed up on time and put in a great deal of effort to perfect the routine. He was interested in learning the dances and paid close attention to her. But he also loved to joke and seemed incapable of letting a moment go by without some inane comment.
"Maybe one week we can do Willy Wonka and I can get them to ramp up the spray tan in order to play an Oompa Loompa," he said one day, eating some Chinese food.
She rolled her eyes. "If you don't like the spray tans, just say something. And you should really eat something healthier than that."
"You mean like that rabbit food you're eating?" He motioned to her salad with his chopsticks.
"Can't come up with something more original than 'rabbit food'? Pity." She speared the tomato in her lunch, taking out her anger on the poor thing.
He shook his head. "I'm burning it off, both here and at the gym."
"Doesn't matter," she said. "You should focus on nutrition."
"I do."
She shook her head, muttering "doubtful" as she continued eating her salad. When she glanced back over at him, she noticed he was scowling…but still eating his Chinese food.
By the time they got to the week before the show, Regina found herself cursing her lack of patience. Robin was a hard worker and easily picked up the dance moves she taught him, but she just wished she could tape his mouth shut.
It didn't help that Robin had befriended Killian Jones, one of the male pros on the show, and that the two tended to be obnoxious whenever they were together. And she doubted it was a coincidence that Killian and his partner Ariel happened to take their breaks whenever Regina and Robin did. Which meant that every time she walked into the breakroom, she heard the two laughing and joking the entire time.
One day, close to the first show, she overheard them talking about her as she approached to heat up her lunch. "Does Regina ever crack a smile? We're all wondering," Killian said.
"She does," Robin replied. "Whenever she figures out a new part of our routine, she'll smile. And she smiles a lot at her phone when she's texting."
"She has a lover somewhere? Really?"
There was pause. "We don't really talk about our personal lives. She's all business. Why do you care? Interested?"
"Regina's not really my type," Killian replied. "What about you? We've had cases of partners falling at least in lust."
"She does have a great arse. And I'll admit watching her move, I can't but help how she would be in bed…" Regina let out a snort. Men. But then Robin continued: "However, I know not to mix pleasure with business. My goal is to win this thing. So I need to keep my focus where it needs to be. On the mirrorball, not my partner's arse."
For a moment, Regina was impressed and proud of her partner. Then he cracked a crass joke and it faded. She stormed into the lunch room, approaching the microwave without acknowledging the two.
"Hello, Regina," Killian said, loudly. "It's nice to see you."
"I'll be out of your hair in a few minutes. Then you can go back to your macho conversations," she said, watching her meal spin around in the microwave.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Robin lean back in his chair. "You're welcome to join us."
"No, thank you," she said. "I prefer to spend my time with people who have quality conversations."
Killian shook his head. "Then I guess that's why you always eat alone? No one rises to your standards for quality?"
The microwave beeped and she took out her meal, slamming the door shut for good measure. She stormed out of the room without another word and returned to the rehearsal room, eating alone.
Robin followed her. "Come on, Regina, you know Killian didn't mean anything by it. He was just having a go."
"I know," she replied, trying to sound like she didn't care. "I would just rather eat alone right now."
He sighed. "You have to let people in eventually, Regina. It's lonely without friends."
"I have plenty of friends."
"Okay," he replied. "But if you change your mind, we'll be down the hall in the breakroom."
With that he was gone and Regina had to push down the biting feeling of loneliness. She had friends and knew she didn't have to lower herself to be liked. She and Ursula had danced against each other before and she was willing to help Regina navigate her new world. Tink, one of the younger dancers, also befriended her quickly. So Regina spent most of her time with them whenever they had the group rehearsals.
Killian, though, seemed determined to annoy her. It didn't help that they were paired together for the opening number. "Looks like Robin's getting my sloppy seconds," he said, grinning.
"I am nobody's sloppy anything," she replied, poking him in the chest for extra measure. "Got it?"
He backed off, wincing as he rubbed where she had poked. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."
"Don't let him get to you," Ursula told her. "He thinks he's all that because he's a five-time champion."
"The audience thinks I'm all that," Killian shot back. "So do the producers."
Regina raised an eyebrow. "Well, maybe it's time for someone else to share the spotlight."
Tink and a few other dancers clapped, one even hooting. Killian scowled and took his mark wordlessly. Regina took hers with a smug smile and held it throughout the practice for the opening routine.
"How did the photoshoot go?" Emma asked as Regina threw down her bag in the front hall.
"Not too bad, though I'm glad I never went into modeling. I don't think the photographer knew how difficult it was to hold the dance positions he wanted me to hold," Regina replied. "And Killian Jones was long gone before I got there, so small blessings. Robin was halfway decent today."
"That sounds good. I can't wait to see them," she said. "What do you want for dinner?"
Regina paused. "I think I'll make it. It's been awhile."
"You've been busy," Emma allowed. "Henry and I understand. We're both excited for you."
"That's lovely, but I have time now and I'm going to cook for you. It's been too long since we had lasagna, don't you think?" she asked, scrunching her nose for emphasis.
"YES!" Henry shouted from upstairs, causing both women to chuckle.
Regina rolled up her sleeves. "I'll get dinner started and you rest. How's that?"
Emma held up her hands. "You're going to get no complaints from me. Be my guest."
"Wait!" Henry stormed down the stairs, jumping to skip the last two. He stopped in front of his mother, smiling. "Can I help?"
Regina grinned, tucking her fingers under his chin. "Of course. We can have some mother-son time. It's been a while."
"That's okay, Mom," Henry said, following her into the kitchen. "I know why you've been so busy and I understand. I'm proud of you."
She paused, putting her hand on her hip. "Because I'm going to be on TV?"
"Kinda," he admitted. "But mostly because you get to do what you love. I hope I can have that when I'm older."
"I'm sure you will. You can have whatever you want, Henry. And no matter what, you'll always have my support." Regina smiled at him.
He hugged her. "Thank you, Mom."
"You're welcome." She pulled away. "Now, let's get this lasagna started."
"Will you tell me more about the show? Like about the other dancers?" Henry asked, washing his hands.
She tilted her head. "Who do you want to know about?"
"Killian Jones," he said, making her stomach drop at the prospect her son looked up to that cad. "Is he as arrogant as he seems on TV?"
Regina smiled, relieved. "He's probably even worse."
"I thought so. What about Ruby Lucas? She's really pretty on TV."
"Oh?" She studied her son, watching as his cheeks started to turn pink and how he suddenly avoided her eyes. Her little boy was growing up and had a crush. It was bittersweet.
She leaned forward. "Yes, she is as pretty in real life as she is on TV. Maybe one day you'll get to meet her."
His eyes lit up. "Really, Mom?"
"I can bring people backstage if I want," she told him. "So I can bring you and Emma. Besides it would be nice to have someone cheering for me in the audience."
"I'm sure once you start everyone is going to love you and cheer for you," he said, confident.
She chuckled as she started to prepare the noodles. "Well, you'll always be my number one cheerleader, right?"
"Of course, Mom." He then paused before saying: "But I'm also going to cheer for Ruby, too. Is that okay?"
"Yes, that's fine. Just as long as you vote for me and Robin." She tickled his side and his laughter echoed around the room, making her heart feel light.
Sunday was the dress rehearsal. They'd be able to block with the cameras and make sure everything was perfect. Crew members also rehearsed what they would need to do in between dances and they all met the hosts.
August Booth was the main host, a TV personality who made his career emceeing different shows. He had the right amount of charisma and humor to entertain the viewers as well as interview the dancers. Regina noted he was also a writer and she saw him jotting things down on his notepad as he sat on an amp. She wasn't too sure how much of him was an act and how much was genuine, but she didn't have a reason to dislike him.
She found Belle French, his cohost, to be more genuine. Belle was an internet personality who had gotten famous due to her book reviews on YouTube. It hadn't made much sense to Regina, but she knew Henry loved her series and found that Belle was just like she was in her videos—warm, open, smart and quick-witted. She was going to do be handling most of the interviews and promised to make it relatively painless for the contestants and their partners.
"I can't promise the same of the producers, though," she told them. "I do have an earpiece and if they want me to ask a certain question, they'll scream it into my ear. I've had to learn how not to wince when that happens."
"Don't worry, the producers are more interested in the stars than us," Tink said, sitting down next to Regina while her partner, John Darling, talked with Belle.
Regina nodded. "We're just here to make the star look good, right?"
"Pretty much," she replied.
"Robin? Regina? You two are up for blocking," a crew member said, holding a clipboard.
Tink patted Regina's hand. "Break a leg."
"It's just rehearsal." Regina stood, stretching a bit. "I doubt I need luck."
"Oh, Regina, there's so much for you to learn." Tink smirked, worrying Regina a bit.
Brushing it off, she met Robin out on the dance floor. "Okay, you think you can handle this?" she asked him.
"Of course," he replied, too overly sure for her liking. "We've only been doing this every day for two weeks."
She pressed her lips together and hummed as the music started. "Okay, then I'll count us in. One, two, three, four…"
Robin missed the first step.
Regina loved it.
"Now that you've been taken down a peg," she said, "can we dance it right?"
He scowled, growing serious. "Yes, sure."
"Good. Now one, two, three, four…" Regina counted them in and this time, Robin hit the first step at the right time.
Their dance wasn't as smoothed as it had been hours earlier in the rehearsal studio, with both of them adjusting to the ballroom and to the cameras set up to capture every moment of their dance. Robin cursed as soon as the music ended, rubbing the back of his neck. "I had it earlier. What went wrong?"
She wanted to lay into him, to tell him that his own cockiness did him in. But he looked so upset with himself that she relented. She laid a hand on his arm. "Nerves. Adjusting to the new space and cameras. Even I goofed up, remember?"
"Small comfort," he mumbled. Louder he said: "I'm serious about winning, Regina. I can't make mistakes like that."
"Everyone makes mistakes, mate. It's the first week. The judges don't want to see perfection, they want to see potential," Killian said, clapping Robin on the shoulder. "And from what I can tell, you have it in spades."
For the first time, Regina was glad Killian had befriended Robin. As a longtime pro, he was able to provide comfort she wasn't able to just yet. She nodded. "I think you should listen to him."
Killian grabbed his chest and staggered back. "Did Regina 'The Evil Queen' Mills just agree with me?"
"Shut up," she snapped, rolling her eyes. Regina then turned to Robin. "You just need to get out of your head, okay? Don't let this hold you back tomorrow."
He nodded as August called them over. "You two can have your pep talk later," he said. "We need to get through this rehearsal first."
Robin placed his hand on her back, guiding her over to the judges' table so they could practice the banter between them and August as well as the judges' critique. Then they would head upstairs, practice with Belle and then Robin would be free to go. Regina would have to stay to block and rehearse the group numbers with the other pros.
It was becoming very real and she found she had butterflies in her stomach for the first time in a long time. This silly dance show suddenly meant a lot to her and she vowed to do her best, just like it was a real competition.