Author's Notes: This is completely AU (no magic, no Enchanted Forest or other worlds). I took the main plot from the TV Show "Scandal", that belongs do creator Shonda Rhimes and ABC, with some stuff from "The West Wing", from creator Aaron Sorkin and NBC. The characters are from "Once Upon a Time", from creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis and ABC. All rights belong to these people and networks; I own nothing.

I think it's explained during the story, but here's a quick guide to the characters:

WHO'S WHO

The White House

Regina Mills (Evil Queen) …. President of The United States

Henry Mills … Regina's adopted son; Neal and Emma's biological son

Mr. Gold (Rumpelstiltskin) …. President's Chief of Staff

Belle Gold (Belle) ….. Gold's wife

Graham Humbert (The Huntsman)… Regina's husband / First Gentleman

Mary Margaret Nolan (Snow White) … Vice President of The United States

David Nolan (Prince Charming) …. Mary Margaret's husband / Second Gentleman

Tracy Blue (Blue Fairy) … Vice President's Chief of Staff

Archie Hopper (Jiminy Cricket) ….. White House Communications Director

Sidney Glass (Magic Mirror) …. White House's Press Secretary

Zelena West (Wicked Witch) … Reporter

As new characters appear I'll update this before starting the chapter.

CHAPTER ONE

Madam President

Mary Margaret Nolan looked around her and sighted. These were her last few moments inside the White House's Oval Office, sitting on the quite royal President's Chair. In fact, she thought, it was better to get up already. She hates when people sit on her chair.

Circling around the beautiful wooden table that held the paperwork she's been working on for two weeks, Mary Margaret let her fingers linger over the top file of a huge pile at the edge of the table. She opened it for the thousandth time (at least it felt like it) and held her breath while reading through the several pages. It was her pet project, the most important thing on her entire political career and the reason why she was standing on the US Seal printed on the carpeted floor. Her Health Care Program was meticulously written and, if passed, would help millions of people to have a better life.

A light knock on the white door startled the woman, who looked up and closed the file in a hurry.

"Madam Vice President, it's time", said a short woman with curly hair, only letting the upper half of her body through the door. She was wearing an outfit that looked like Mary Margaret's; both women were dressed in executive-styled skirt, shirt and jacket. Tracy Blue was the Vice President's Chief of Staff.

"Thank you, Blue. I'll be out in a minute."

As the Vice President picked up her files from the table, Blue let herself in and hurried to help her boss. She was so stubborn – Mary Margaret always insisted on doing things herself, from carrying her heavy files around the White House to making her bed in the morning. This time, Blue won the silent battle using her eyes and took the pile from the VP's hands. She immediately recognized the first file, the one Mary Margaret was reading when she knocked.

"Don't worry about it, it's perfect."

"What?"

The VP looked at her Chief of Staff a little confused. Blue held a soft smile to reassure the other woman.

"Your Health Care Program. I know you review it day and night, and you were doing it just now, but you don't have to. It's done, and it's perfect. It'll pass."

Mary Margaret smiled back and held a few tears that insisted coming down. Damn, she loved that woman standing right in front of her. Blue was not only her Chief of Staff, but her main councelor and her long time best friend. She probably even shared the position of "The VP's Favorite Person In The World" with her husband, David Nolan.

The abrupt opening of the door of the Oval Office startled the two women and broke the moment quite fast. Blue took a step aside caring all the files while Mary Margaret held her breath, standing in place.

Regina Mills, President of The United States of America, came right through the door in a fast pace, like if they were in the middle of a national crisis. She was wearing one of her usual power suits, and it fitted her like no one else. The woman was power itself.

"Mary Margaret, nice to see you here. Enjoying my office?", said Regina, stopping in front of the younger woman. "I'll take that as a yes".

The VP stood speechless and, some would say, a little frightened, as Regina took her seat and looked around the office, smiling wildly.

"I just hope that fifteen days in my absence weren't enough for you to break down Democracy and establish a Communist dictatorship in America".

A sharp chuckle came from the opposite side of the room, where Regina's staff gathered. The three men wore suits and stood side by side, blocking the door. Gold, her Chief of Staff, made himself at home by sitting on the couch with a loud sight and gesturing towards the door while looking at Blue. She rolled her eyes and left, but stayed near the door, waiting for the VP.

"Madam President", Mary Margaret finally said, "it's good to have you back. Is Henry all right?"

"Yes, he's fine, totally cured and grounded for a month. I bet that kid is never going out in the blizzard again".

"Well, that's really good to know. Send him my best wishes."

"Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot to do. There's a whole country waiting for my services."

Mary Margaret nodded and quickly left the office without looking back. Gold got up, closed the door and looked at the rest of the staff. Inside the Oval Office were Archie Hopper, Communications Director, and Sidney Glass, White House's Press Secretary.

"Madam President", Gold began, "before you do anything, the best move here is for you to give a speech".

"Not a chance", said Regina, not even looking up. She was writing something on the paperwork on her desk. "My personal life isn't this office's business".

"I believe it's my duty to inform and remind you every time that, yes, it is our business because you are the President of the United States. Your personal life is our concern; that's why these two gentleman spent the entire weekend planning your comeback while you were in a hot tub in Florida".

Regina looked at Gold, anger sparkling in her eyes. "I was not on vacation, Gold. I was taking care of my son's health!"

"I know that, and they know that" he pointed towards Sidney and Archie "but the people might take their own conclusions. They might see it as a weakness."

"I'm a mother! That's a strength, not a weakness!"

"You left your job for fifteen days to take your son to the beach. It doesn't matter it was for his well being, that's not what the tabloids will talk about. You might be a female president, Regina, but don't forget you are the first one. We still live in a very sexist and conservative world. But I'm sure that I don't need to tell you that."

Regina took a breath to calm down. Gold wasn't the nicest company most of the time, but he was with her for the long haul. They've met over twenty years ago and he taught her most of what she knows about politics; he was her Campaign Manager and, even if she didn't like to aknowledge it, she held him responsible for her rise to presidency. On top of it, Gold was the one who took care of Henry's adoption. At the time, it was a political maneuver to increase Regina's popularity with voting mothers, but she'd grown so attached to the boy that now he was the most important thing in the world to her.

"What do you suggest?", she asked, piercing the man with her eyes.

Gold looked at Sidney, who approached the table. "Madam President, we are calling a press conference tomorrow morning. Archie wrote a statement, but you have to be prepared to answer questions. And there'll be plenty."

Regina nodded, waiting for the Press Secretary to keep talking. "However, we think that only your presence won't calm down the journalists. Henry should do it by your side".

"ABSOLUTELY NOT", she barked, standing up and slamming her hands on the desk. "My son is eleven years old, there's nothing for him to do at a press conference!"

"Madam President, please, just listen to us", started Archie, in his usual calm voice. He was so used to the President's fury attacks that they didn't bother him anymore. "That's exactly why Henry should do it. He never gave an official statement, never even talked to the press. It will take their attention away from your absence and give them something new to talk about."

"I won't use my son to drive attention away from me."

"Think about it as a way to protect him. You said you left to take care of his health; the journalists will go after him to ask what's going on. They'll chase him at school, they'll chase his friends. If he speaks at the press conference, it will be over right there and he will be left alone. It'll be old news."

As Regina processed her Communications Director's words, Gold looked at her with a satisfied glow in his eyes. He knew the woman long enough to see that she was sold. To protect Henry, she would do absolutely anything.

"Fine", she finally said, "but I'll talk to him first. If he doesn't want to do it, we'll have to think of something else".

SQSQSQSQSQSQSQ

The White House's Press Room was raging. Journalists from all over the country stood in the large office talking with their colleagues, writing on their computers or calling their editors on the phone. It was the first time the President's son would address the press, who was eager to ask him some questions, not just because of the President's mysterious beach trip, but also because this boy, eleven years ago, made some local news for being adopted by Regina, who at that time chose to be a single mom and US Senator.

At the time, she wasn't a single mother anymore. Regina had married former Marine and national war hero Graham Humbert five years ago, at the same year she decided to run for president. With several years of campaign in front of them, Gold had decided that the best thing for her to do was to have a traditional family. She already got the kid, now she needed a husband, and Graham was just perfect for the part. They shared the same bed and got along well, but Regina knew she didn't love him for real. But she made people believe she did.

"Silence, please. Take your seats", said Sidney, as he walked on the small stage in front of the room. He tested the microphone on the top of the pulpit. Behind him stood The White House Seal on the navy blue wall.

"President Mills and her son Henry will make a statement about the fifteen days their family spent on Palm Bay, Florida. After that statement, and only after, they will take a few questions from you. Needless to remember that Henry Mills is eleven and it's his first time at a press conference, so please be nice to the boy".

Sidney glared at a few journalists he recognized in the room, specially the red-haired woman sitting on the back. Zelena West was the worst of them all. She was a scandal-digger, as they usually called her, and all her pieces were about cheating politicians, Senators sleeping with hookers, secretely gay mayors, bastard children, and the list goes on.

Zelena flashed a beautiful wide smile to Sidney when his eyes fell on her. She has that look, he thought. The look she usually has when she's up to something.

Not wanting to give her the pleasure of his attention, he looked away and left the stage as Regina entered, bringing Henry by the hand. Camera flashes rained upon them from everywhere, making Henry blink fast and grip his mother's hand a little tighter. Regina stood behind the pulpit and let her arms linger on her son's shoulders, who was standing in front of her, facing the hungry journalists.

"Thank you all for coming. I'm extremely happy to be able to share this stage today with my son, Henry, who recently got sick and spend over a month at the hospital, victim of a very harsh pneumonia after last winter's heavy blizzards. As you can see, now he is just fine. Right, baby?"

Henry looked up at his mom, who smiled warmly at him. He then looked back to the journalists and nodded.

"Why don't you tell them what happened?" Regina encouraged her son to speak up, lightly pressing his shoulders.

"Hi… I'm Henry", he started, a little insecure, almost whispering. "I was building this really awesome snowman when the blizzard came, and I couldn't just let him stay there, unfinished… But I just had recovered from the flu, and I have asthma, so… I should have stayed at home, as my mother said. She was really, REALLY mad when she found me in the blizzard."

Some journalists chuckled at the kid's speech, probably imagining Regina's anger when she found her sick son playing in a snow storm. They had seen the woman on her worst days, so they know what the boy must have suffered.

"So I got really sick and she took me to Doctor Whale, our family doc, who took care of me. But I was getting worse, so they had to put me in the hospital for a month and it was really boring… Doctor Whale said I had pneumonia in an advanced stage, and it would be nice for my health if I spent two weeks in a warm weather after I get out of the hospital. But I didn't want to go by myself, and I know my mother is like the busiest lady in the country, but I asked her to come with me anyway. And she said yes!"

The journalists laughed again. Gold, at the edge of the stage, smiled satisfied. He knew the kid was adorable and he would have this effect on the people if he told the story in his words.

"Thank you, Henry", whispered Regina, kissing the top of her son's head. She took the mic again, looking at the journalists. "I hope you all understand my concern for my son. He and I are very close, and I just couldn't say no. So both of us and my husband Graham went to our beach house in Palm Bay for two weeks, during which Vice President Nolan took wonderful care of the White House, as I can see. But now Henry is totally cured and I'm back to stay. Questions?"

The room seemed to have gained life. The journalists, who were dead quiet until that moment, stood up and started shouting to get attention. Sidney took a step closer to them, trying to organize the press.

"Calm down, one at a time! Yes, Kathryn."

He pointed at a blond woman and the room got a little quieter to listen to her.

"Madam President, if your son gets sick again, will you leave the office one more time? Have you considered leaving the presidency for good to take care of him?"

Regina glared at the woman, but kept looking indifferent. She wasn't going to let some journalist set her off. "No, I haven't considered it. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my son and being President, as all of my predecessors have done in History."

"Phillip, go", Sidney quickly spoke.

"Madam President, why couldn't Henry have gone with your husband while you stayed? Don't they get along well?"

This was getting too personal. Regina wished her eyes could kill that insolent journalist. "Henry and Graham get along just fine, but I'm his mother and we are a family. That's what families do, they stick together when things get ugly".

"One last question! Ashley!"

"Madam President, you said that Vice President Nolan did a nice work, do you consider standing back during next elections and letting her run for President?"

She was so done with this little theater. Henry was fidgeting under her hands, clearly uncomfortable to be on the spotlight, even if they had stopped talking about him.

"Election will be in two years, it's too soon to tell. Thank you all for your presence."

She started to leave the stage and the noise filled the room again. Clearly they still had a lot of questions. Suddenly, from the end of the room, a loud female voice rose above and made itself heard by the President and her staff.

"Is it true that Henry's biological father is a US Senator?"

Regina stopped and looked around the room, searching for the source of that voice, but everything was a mess. The journalists, fueled by this revelation, started asking a million questions about Henry's biological parents. Quickly, Gold grabbed Regina and Henry by their arms and took them out of the stage, inside the doors that led to silence.

Author's notes: I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes. English is not my first language, so please tell me if something is wrong. I'm also not from United States and everything I know about the country's politics I learned watching TV Shows and reading some newspapers, so I'm also sorry if something doesn't make sense.

Emma and her associates will appear next chapter.

Thanks for reading!