Five-year-old Regina Mills had never been allowed to fail and when her mother, Cora, walked her to the Storybrooke ice rink in a cold Saturday morning, Regina knew she had to be the best. However, she soon found out that standing on two sliding blades on an icy surface was not her strongest suit and she ended up sliding on her butt more often than her skates, much to her mother's despair and ire.
That first disastrous lesson ended up in a harsh punishment and more private skating lessons to bring Regina up-to-speed, so to speak, with older children who had been skating for the past several years.
Regina had learned to loathe the shiny new skates that hurt her feet and was looking forward to a horseback riding lesson from her father, who had just returned from his latest business trip. When her mother entered her room shortly after 8am, the young girl knew there would be no trips to the stables today.
At 9:30 am, Regina was once again on the ice, practicing her swizzles. Her feet and ankles hurt but her mother had made it clear that they wouldn't go home until she could do 6-8 forward and backward swizzles in a row.
On the verge of tears, Regina tripped and fell down hard on the ice. She cried out but unlike most parents, Cora didn't rush to the ice. Regina wiped down her tears and brought her feet underneath her: they were hurting. All she wanted to do was to go home and take a long bath but she knew that this wouldn't be in the cards until she managed to skate to her mother's expectations.
"Do you need help?"
Regina jumped at the question. She followed the hand that was extended toward her to the face of an older boy, who was smiling down at her. She swallowed and nodded before taking the boy's offered hand. With very little effort, he pulled her to her feet. "Are you ok?" He inquired. "This was a pretty bad fall."
Regina wiped the snow from her knees and nodded.
"If you bend your knees more, it will help you stay on your skates." The boy released his hold on Regina. "Let me show you." He skated away from her and came back using forward swizzles, accentuating his movements so Regina could later copy him. "Your turn, now."
Following the boy's instructions, Regina attempted her forward swizzles once more. To her utter surprise, she managed to do three in a row, squealing excitedly. The boy laughed at her reaction. "You'll master this in no time!"
"Thank you." Regina said sincerely. "I'm Regina." Regina removed her glove and extended her hand to the boy, who took it.
"I'm David. Nice to meet you, Regina."
ECECEC
"Are you ready?" Regina smiled up at a very nervous David. This was the moment they had both been waiting for for the past five years: regionals.
"Yeah." David shook his arms, trying to release some of the tension. Placed seven after the short program, David knew his chances to medal were pretty slim.
Regina cupped his cheek. "You're going to be great." She kissed him softly, mindful of spying eyes. "You've got your triple combinations and your spins are wonderful."
"But I can't do a quad." David knew his chances weren't good.
"But artistry matters too." Regina argued back. David wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. They had been dating for six months now, hiding their relationship from everyone in fear that Cora would discover them.
"This is my last chance to make the National team. I can't let my mother down. She's sacrificed so much for all of this."
Regina rubbed David's back. Ruth had sacrificed everything for her boy and even though she had always supported her son in his endeavor no matter how high he had ranked, Regina understood the pressure he was under. He wanted to show his mother that all her sacrifices hadn't been in vain. Much like she wanted to make her mother proud of her. "David, you may not have a quad yet but you can skate clean. That's more than most of your competitors out there."
David leaned down so his forehead touched Regina's. They both stayed silent, conveying more with this simple touch than they could with words.
'Group 5. Take the ice!" came the announcement.
"That's me." David stood up straight, taking one deep breath to calm his nerves.
"You're going to do great!" Regina smiled at him. "Your strength is the free. You can climb on that podium."
David cupped her cheeks and kissed her deeply. "Thank you." He paused. "For believing in me."
"Always." She whispered as David released her to walk to the rink. "Wait!" She called him back. She removed the tree-of-life pendant her father had given her for her fifteenth birthday and fastened it around David's neck. "For good luck." She offered as an explanation.
David kissed her forehead before heading out for the warm-up before the competition. Regina waited a few more minutes before making her way to the spectators' stand, where her parents were waiting for her. "Where have you been?" Cora barked suspiciously.
"Bathroom." Regina shrugged as she answered. Her father hid a knowing grin. Unbeknownst to his daughter, Henry had walked onto the two lovebirds after practice a month ago and had actively protected Regina's secret ever since.
"Cora, give the girl a break. We're here to enjoy the competition."
"Henry, when I want your opinion, I'll ask." She admonished her husband. "Now, Regina, watch Matt Gil carefully. He's the next US Champion and it wouldn't hurt your career if you were seen with him."
Regina rolled her eyes but bit her tongue. She had eyes only for David. He did a few triples in the warm-up and Regina noticed the unsteadiness. He was nervous about the competition and it was affecting his legs.
David was the first to go in the pack of five and despite his nerves, he managed a clean program with very few mistakes for the judges to deduct any points. But David had been right: without quads in his program, his technical score was much lower than his competitors. For him to medal, they would have to commit several mistakes, a very unlikely event.
Regina locked eyes with David sitting in the kiss and cry, waiting nervously for his score. "David Nolan has earned a score of 193.2 in the freeskate." came the voice after several agonizing minutes. Regina squealed excitement: this score will definitely land David a spot for Nationals.
"Regina, contain yourself!" Her mother scolded. "This peasant boy may have a few minutes of glory but his career will be short-lived. He can't even afford proper skates."
Regina was fuming inside. David had saved for months to be able to afford his skates and his mother had surprised him with a new pair for his birthday. She remembered the texts he had sent her that day. "I'm sorry, Mother." She replied in a flat voice.
"Watch!" Cora ordered. "It's Matt's turn." Regina found that she didn't care about the golden boy. As far as she was concerned, David's secured spot was worth more than the Gold Medal Matt was sure to win.
EC
"And don't underrotate your triple axel. You'll be the first to perform this trick in a sanctioned event. This is your ticket to the National Team!" Cora said excitedly as Regina laced her right skate. With only a few minutes before her group was called, all she wanted was David's comforting embrace. Instead, she had to suffer through one of her mother's lectures.
"Cora, how about we let Regina concentrate? I think she could use a few minutes alone." Henry suggested.
"Thank you, Daddy." Regina spoke quickly before her mother could place one of her long tirades. Without a single word of encouragement, Cora left the locker room.
"You'll do great." Henry kissed the top of his daughter's head before following his wife toward their seats. He crossed path with David on his way out and offered his congratulations to the young man. Against all odds, David had taken the Bronze in the men's event.
"Thank you, sir."
Henry chuckled at the formality. "How about you call me Henry." The old man said as he patted the teenager on the shoulder. "And I think Regina could use a pep talk." He nodded towards the locker room.
David frowned. "I…"
"It's ok." Henry interrupted. "I'll make sure Cora stays far away from the two of you."
David nodded his understanding. "Thank you." He said before joining Regina. "Hey, gorgeous." He called out as he kneeled in front of Regina. The brunette kissed him deeply, needing him to calm her nerves.
"My mother is expecting me to do my triple axel." She started in a panic. "David, I don't think I can."
David frowned. Regina had suffered an injury not so long ago. "How is your ankle?"
The panicked teenager shook her head. "I don't think it's strong enough for me to do that landing safely. Not at the end of my program."
"Then don't." He took her hands. "You're the best skater out there. You're sure to medal and make it to Nationals. Take it easy. In a few months, this injury will be behind you and you'll be able to land it in time for Nationals and to make the team! Regina, you're going to Worlds!"
Regina smiled at his confidence. "I just wish that for once I could be good enough for my mother."
David caressed the back of her hands with his thumbs. "You are perfect for me."
Regina leaned down and captured his lips in a tender kiss. "I love you." She looked at him with fear in her eyes. She had been wanting to say the words but afraid that her feelings were not reciprocated.
"I love you." David asserted in turn.
"Group 5 to the ice!"
"That's me." Regina whispered, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach.
David extracted a small jewelry box from his pocket. "For good luck."
Regina opened it slowly and gasped at the beautiful heart-shaped pendant. "David, it's gorgeous!" The teenager helped Regina secure it around her neck.
"Now, go get that Gold!" He kissed her and walked with her as far as he could without being seen by Cora. "Do your double and that spot is yours."
Regina nodded before making her way to the rink for warm-up. She was the third to go in her group and she tried to avoid eye contact with her mother as her competitors took the ice.
"Representing Storybrooke's rinks, Regina Mills!"
Regina skated to the middle of the ice, waiting for her music to start. She managed her first two jumps without any problems but fumbled on her spin, a mistake that would cost her a Gold Medal but not her spot at Nationals. Nonetheless, one quick glance at the stern look on her mother's face told the young girl that silver or bronze was unacceptable. Regina swallowed as she prepared herself for her triple axel. However, she didn't get enough height and fell hard on her already injured ankle. She felt the bone break and Regina collapsed on the ice, screaming in agony.
"Regina!" David called out as he jumped over the guard rails and rushed to his girlfriend's side. Regina was holding her ankle in pain. "It's ok, baby." He shushed her as the paramedics and her coach scrambled to her side. "They're going to take care of you."
ECECEC
"Regina, it's about to start!" Henry called his daughter.
"Coming!" The old man heard the unmistakable sound of her crutches on the hardwood floor. After four surgeries, Regina's ankle was finally stable enough for her to start light physical therapy. As his daughter made her way toward their expansive living room, Henry settled the snacks and drinks he had prepared earlier on the table in-between the two armchairs.
"Have you talked to David?"
The brunette shook her head. After his outburst at regionals, Cora had forbidden Regina to see him. What would people on the committee think if she associated herself with a nobody? "I'm sure he'll do fine."
"I'm sure he will, honey." Henry helped Regina settle comfortably on the chair.
"When is Mother coming back?"
"In a couple of days." Henry responded evasively. She had spent the last few months looking for a new coach for Regina after hers had quitted on the spot at regionals. Mr Gold had warned Regina not to attempt her triple axel and he knew that Cora had played a heavy hand in Regina's decision to disobey her coach. But he couldn't, in his good conscience, allow a young girl to be harmed under his watch. He had warned both Regina and Cora that she may never be able to compete after this injury but Cora had refused to listen, threatening the man's life for even uttering such nonsense. Since then, Cora had spent most of her time -and money- looking for a coach.
Regina shrugged and looked back at the screen. "Daddy, what if I can't skate anymore?"
Henry reached for his daughter's hand. "How would that make you feel?"
Regina shrugged once more. "I don't know. I like skating because… because I could see David. But if I could see him outside the rink…" Regina's eyes filled up with tears. She hadn't been able to spend any time with him since regionals and it was tearing her apart.
Henry squeezed his daughter's hand in comfort. "I think you should do whatever makes you happy. And if you no longer want to skate, that's fine. If you want to go back on the ice, I'll do everything I can to make sure you get to realize your dreams."
Regina looked away. Was going to the Olympics really her dreams? It was her mother's for sure but she wasn't sure about her own feelings on the subject. She wanted to go with David but if he was out of the equation, would she still want to compete?
"From Storybrooke, Maine, David Nolan." the commentator announced on the TV. "After a disappointing short program, David would need a near perfect free to even dream for a tenth place finish."
"That's right, Tom." came a feminine voice. "This is the first Nationals for this young skater, having failed to qualify in the last two years and I don't see him make the national team this year."
Regina rolled her eyes. True, David had trouble in the short but his freestyle program should pull him up considerably. As David skated across the ice, Regina could tell that something was wrong. He wasn't able to land any of his jumps cleanly and was struggling with the most basic moves.
"His nerves are getting to him." The male commentator stated. "This is a disappointing performance for this young athlete." He finished as David attempted one last jump, which resulted in a hard fall on the ice. "Ohhh! This is really too bad. His last chance to make the National Team before an Olympic year."
"He was too stressed." Regina commented. "He can do these jumps in his sleep. He taught me how to land my triple toe!"
"Honey, David will get another chance."
Regina looked away as the camera zoomed in on David's face in the kiss and cry. This was unfair! David had worked so hard to reach this level! But in the end, his nerves had gotten the best of him. Regina couldn't blame him: he was all alone in San Jose with no one to cheer him on. His mother hadn't been able to afford the trip to California.
"You should text him." Henry offered.
"Mother forbade me to talk to him." Regina felt completely broken. David had been a constant presence in her life and the last few months without him had felt like a heavy chain had been wrapped around her neck.
Henry reached for his own cell phone in his back pocket and handed it to Regina. "She'll never know."
Regina took the phone eagerly and composed a short message. "I asked him to call me back on this number." She said tentatively.
"You can keep my phone for tonight. I'll get you another one tomorrow." Her father stood and placed a kiss on Regina's forehead. "One that your mother won't know about." He winked at his little girl.
ECECEC
"Regina will be happy to see you." Henry encouraged the young boy.
David tightened his grip around the stems of the flowers he had brought Regina. After the scene Cora had caused at regionals, he hadn't expected Henry Mills' car waiting for him after practice. "Is … is it ok for me to be here?" He asked for the umpteenth time.
"If you mean, will my wife have a fit if she finds you here? She probably will. But that's my problem." Henry would no longer stand by idly as Cora was slowly extinguishing any rays of hope in their daughter's life.
Henry opened the door to the therapy room and pushed the undecided boy through the threshold. "David!" Regina exclaimed as soon as she saw him. She waved from the parallel bars she was currently using to support her weight.
David forgot all about Cora and rushed to Regina's side. "Regina!" He was so happy to see her that no other words made it past his lips.
The brunette smiled as she pointed towards the flowers. "Are those for me?"
David looked at the lilies he had been holding in surprise. "Oh! Yes...yes, there are for you." He handed her the bouquet.
Regina shrugged and chuckled slightly. She couldn't release the bars to take them. David blushed in embarrassment. What had he been thinking asking Henry to stop at the flower shop on the way to the rehab center? Of course, Regina wouldn't know what to do with them. He was thankfully rescued by her physical therapist. "Let me take them for you." The blonde offered.
"Thanks, Emma." Regina smiled at the woman who had been by her side every step of the way during her recovery.
"Of course. I'll be right back." She turned toward David. "Step in-between the bars and help Regina, would you?" She half-ordered David before walking toward the back of the room where she could find a container for the lilies.
David executed himself, his hands hovering over Regina's hips, ready to steady her should she need it. "How… how have you been?" Regina asked him hesitantly.
"Ok. Gold is making me work on a new short program. Something that would relieve the pressure from the free." He answered, unconvinced. Without a quad, David would never place and he was far from even attempting one.
"That's good." Regina encouraged. "What does your mom say about it?"
"Not much. She's trying to be supportive but she can't support the both of us financially. I started working at the garage after practice. Michael has been more than accommodating on the hours."
Regina cupped his cheek. "I wish I could help you."
"You did. You are. I… Just by being my friend." They both wished they could be more but with Cora's interference, they had settled for the few moments Henry could give them.
The man was standing in the back, observing the young lovers. He remembered being in love once, before his father had agreed to a marriage of convenience with Cora. Resigned to his fate, he had tried to find love but Cora was only interested in power. She had to succeed at all cost and she was grooming Regina for the life she was never able to get for herself. He resented her for it but considering that her family owned most of his businesses, he didn't dare defy her.
"What is the meaning of this?" Cora was furious. She had come back from her trip with the perfect coach for her daughter only to find her with her peasant boy. "Don't you think you have caused my daughter's enough pain?" Cora screamed as she walked toward a cowering David. Her eyes were ablaze with anger and David could have sworn she was trying to burn him to a crisp.
"Mother!" Regina begged, placing herself between her mother and David. Unfortunately, her ankle wasn't strong enough to support her weight and she started falling only to be caught by two strong arms.
"You're ok?" David asked her as he helped Regina steady herself.
The commotion had also propelled Emma back to Regina's side. "Regina, did you put any weight on your ankle?"
The brunette shook her head, still visibly shaken. "David caught me on time." She turned around and sank into his embrace.
Emma let out a breath of relief before addressing the young man. "Can you help her to that table over there? I just want to make sure she's ok." David nodded and lifted Regina in his arms, carrying her to the therapy table Emma had pointed to. He was joined by Henry and the two of them helped Regina lie down on the table.
"This is all your fault!" Cora snarled at the boy.
"Enough!" Henry growled. "YOU have done enough!" Regina stared at her father in shock. He had never once raised his voice, especially against her mother. "How is she doing?" He asked Emma in a softer town.
The doctor was moving Regina's ankle, making sure that the teenager hadn't suffered any more injuries. "David caught her just in time." Regina sank against David's side. She had been looking forward spending some time with him after physical therapy since her mother wasn't due back until tomorrow. Of course, fate had something else in store for her.
In the commotion, everyone had ignored the lady accompanying Cora but the old woman had observed the scene with renewed interest. She had only accepted to take the trip to Storybrooke to meet with Regina so she could get Cora out of her life. She had had no intention on training Regina. As far as she was concerned, the young girl's career was over. At least her solo career.
"I should wait outside." The old woman finally spoke when the conversation turned toward a family fight.
"Don't be silly!" Cora mollified. "You've traveled all this way to meet Regina." The young girl perked up at the mention of her name. "Regina, honey, this is Mrs Lucas. She has agreed to be your coach."
David's and Regina's jaws dropped open in shock. "Anita Lucas?" David asked, finally finding his voice. "The two-time Olympic champion?"
The old woman chuckled. "That was a lifetime ago. Nowadays my students call me Granny."
"Your students?" Regina frowned.
"Yes, honey," Cora started, "Mrs Lucas is teaching at a rink is Boston. But she has agreed to come here to see you skate."
"No." Granny corrected. "I came here to tell the both of you what I've already told you in Boston. Regina will never compete again. Her injury is too severe." Regina's heart stopped at the comment. Despite what she had told her father, she wanted to skate again. "At least not single." Granny amended, to everyone's shock. "I'll be honest with you, girl. Your solo career is over. You will never be able to go through all the required jumps in a program. But you have a chance in pair and I have a perfect partner for you in mind."
"Who?" David asked worriedly. Pair skating could be very dangerous, especially for the lady.
"You." Granny answered flatly.
"Me?"
"Him?" Cora cut him off. "Absolutely not!"
Granny sighed and shook her head. "You asked me here for my opinion. I'm giving it to you. A lot of pair skating rests in the partners trusting each other completely. And regardless of what you may think of this young man, your daughter trusts him. When she fell, she didn't try to catch herself. She implicitly knew David would. As for you, young man, I know you won't let anything happen to her."
"But he is a single figure skater!" Cora argued back.
"Yes. And maybe next year, he'll make the top ten. But he has no chance at an international competition. All the young men these days are doing quads. David simply doesn't have the build for this. But his broad shoulders and strong arms will be perfect to lift your daughter." Granny turned to Cora. "You asked me here to give you my sincere opinion on your daughter's chances. I just did. Now, if you really want me to coach her - and we both know you're running out of options - this is my condition: I'll train both of them. Do we have an agreement?"
Cora was seething but the old hag was right on one point: they didn't have a choice. No one wanted to coach Regina after her career-ending injury. "What do you need?"