A/N
This story was made for the Swan Queen Big Bang: Banging All Summer Challenge, and it was inspired by the art of AO3 user BowlerHatGirl, who also helped me a lot with the story and I dedicate this to her. You can find her art here: /works/1843351/chapters/3967966
I realize that a lot of the things in this story may not be very realistic, but please keep an open mind and just go with it :)
Thank you!
Pas de Deux - Chapter 1
It's 2014, and we're in New York. Our setting is the New York Ballet School.
"Regina, you're late."
Regina comes running into Mr. Gold's ballet class, while frantically trying to put up her hair. She looks at her watch, and sees it's thirty seconds past 8 am.
"Mother, it's only thirty seconds, it's-"
"I don't care, Regina!" Cora almost yells at her. She then slowly walks over to Regina and leans down to whisper in her ear.
"And what have I told you about calling me mother in class?" she says in a cold and cruel voice. She has a tight grip on Regina's wrist, it almost hurts.
"Sorry Ms. Cora" Regina says quietly, not looking her in the eye. Cora backs away and smirks.
"Now go to the barre and start your warm ups. You are thirty seconds behind the others" Cora says, as she walks out the door.
As Regina walks over to the barre, all the other students look at her, some with smug looks on their faces, others sympathetic, and some just look curious. Regina sends them all her famous death glare, and soon everyone's attention is back to Mr. Gold.
"Now students, the big showcase is coming up. The whole company will be there, as well as many other high profile people. You will all have to either dance a solo or a pas de deux, and you will get to choose your own dance, but I will choose whether you do a solo or not. I expect you all to take this more seriously than anything else in your lives. This is what you've been training for for years, and you only get one chance. And remember, I will NOT have any student of mine walk up on that stage and make a fool of themselves."
All the students reply "yes Mr. Gold" with various volumes. Then they all set about finishing their warm ups, and then gather in the middle of the floor.
"Okay, I will now tell you all what I want you to do." Gold says, as he walks over to one of the girls.
"Belle French, you are doing a solo."
"Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan, you will be doing a pas de deux."
"Ashley Boyd, you will be doing a solo."
"Ariel Triton, you will be doing a solo."
Gold had now come to Regina. She kept repeating in her head "please be a solo, please be a solo." Regina couldn't stand the thought of having to do a pas de deux at the final showcase. She just didn't want to do that. But of course Mr. Gold had other plans for her.
"Regina Mills and Emma Swan, you will be doing a pas de deux."
Regina visibly deflated, but immediately remained to her cold and poised posture. A pas de deux between two women? How the hell was she supposed to do this? She looked around to find this Emma Swan. She had never spoken to her before, and wasn't really sure who she was.
But then Regina locked her brown eyes with shiny blue ones. Emma Swan was smiling nervously at her, and moving her way. Regina recognized her as the new girl, who came here only a year ago, after transferring from Boston.
"Hi" Emma said nervously, while fiddling with her hands behind her back. Ever since she saw Regina for the first time, she had been a little intimidated by her. But I mean, who wasn't? She was beautiful and talented and terrifying. But even though Emma was a tiny bit scared of her, she was more fascinated by her, drawn to her. She had heard all the stories about Regina and her mother, and she actually really wanted to get to know the girl, even though she had no idea how to go about it. That's why she was both happy and anxious to be doing a dance with her.
"Hey" Regina just replied coolly.
"Soooo… we're gonna be working together!" Emma said, trying to be open and inviting, something that Regina was definitely not.
"Yeah I guess so" Regina said. Emma opened her mouth to say something, but Regina cut her off.
"If you screw this up for me, I will kill you" She said quietly, and then walked over the other side of the room. Emma stood there dumbfounded for a second or two, before running after Regina.
"Hey, I'm not gonna screw this up. I want this just as much as you do, and as Me. Gold said, this is our only chance." Regina nodded.
"So if you screw this up for me, I will kill you" Emma added playfully, gently nudging Regina's shoulder. Regina just rolled her eyes at her.
"Let's just get to work."
XX
Regina and Emma had spent most of the class discussing what dance to do. Or rather, Emma had come up with suggestions, and Regina had shut them down immediately.
"Aw come on Regina that was a good one!" Emma sighed exasperatedly.
"Not good enough, I need this to be perfect! If I don't get into the company, then my-" Regina cut herself of abruptly. No, she couldn't talk about this. She couldn't tell anyone about what her mother did to her, especially not a girl she just met.
"Your what? What do you mean?" Emma said curiously.
Regina didn't know what to say, and several seconds ticked by before Regina replied.
"Forget it, it's nothing. Class is over now anyways, so we will have to brainstorm later or something."
Emma was about to open her mouth and ask more about the thing Regina almost said, but Regina just sent her a look that said "don't." Emma opted for just nodding instead, but made a note to herself that she had to try and get Regina to open up. She had seen the very brief panic in her eyes, even though it only lasted a quarter of a second, but it still worried Emma a bit. Plus, she was also really, really curious. That's just how she was. A really curious person.
XX
Regina was sitting in her room, caring for her feet. She had been practicing much more than usual lately, and she could definitely feel in. Most of the students at the school lived there in dorms, but since Regina was daughter of the headmaster, she lived with her mom in their big, fancy house next to it.
While Regina was rubbing lotion on her feet, Cora suddenly barged in. She never knocked, that's just how it was. Regina had neither privacy nor a social life because of her mother.
"Yes mother?" Regina said, like any obedient child.
Cora sat down on Regina's bed besides her, and took her hand.
Oh no, Regina thought.
"Listen Regina, I have great news. There is this sponsor, Leopold White, who has taken a great liking to you. He is very rich and very influential, and I want you to go for it."
Regina perked up. This could be a huge chance for her, and would definitely help her with getting into the company.
"Really? Wow. He just wants to sponsor me, just like that?" Regina said, hope and excitement in her voice.
"Well, there are a few conditions…"
Oh great, I knew it was too good to be true, Regina thought.
"Mr. White said he would sponsor you on one condition. The only thing you will have to do is give him a little 'visit' a few times a week. It's no big deal, and it will be over before you know it. Remember, this is for your own best" Cora said, while putting her hand on Regina's shoulder.
Regina was confused. A little 'visit'? Does that mean? No, it can't be. Mother wouldn't do that to me, would she?
"What do you mean 'a little visit'?" Regina said cautiously.
Cora took a moment to contemplate how to explain this without scaring Regina completely. Of course she was gonna make sure Regina did it, no matter what, but she wanted Regina to understand.
"Listen Regina, honey. Leopold is a very important man. He can make your life so easy, if you just do what he says. You will go visit him in his bedroom, or where ever he wishes, and you will do as told, understood?"
Regina was mortified. No, she couldn't do that. She just couldn't.
"Mother! I'm not gonna do that! I won't be some prostitute you can just whore out!" She yelled. The words just flew out of her mouth. She was both angry and terrified, and she knew what would happen now. And there it was, the sharp pain across her right cheek, and then her eyes filling up with tears.
"You will not speak to me that way young lady. We need this Regina! You're doing a pas de deux with another girl! How is that ever gonna work? I tried to negotiate with Mr. Gold, but there's nothing I can do, so this is our only chance! You do as I tell you, or you know what will happen! " Cora threatened, and stormed out of the room.
Regina was left on her bed, hand clutching her cheek. She couldn't believe what her mother just told her. She was gonna be some old guy's prostitute? Just so he would sponsor her? She almost threw up just by the thought of it. She knew her mother was evil, but she never believed she would do something like this.
Regina cried herself to sleep that night, like she did most nights. But this time was different. This time she felt completely lost.
Sooooo that was the first chapter!
Since this was made for the big bang challenge, the story is of course finished, but I'm gonna post the chapters with 1 or 2 days between them, to give it some suspense ;) Hope that is okay! Don't kill me D: