A/N: Hey everyone! I hope I can sweeten the long hiatus with this little story of mine. It's extreme AU and I really hope you're going to like this little idea here. It's going to be very OQ and also a little CS. The rating is for upcoming chapters, so I hope you stay tuned.

Thanks so much to the lovely waterbaby134 for betaing, she's the best :)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in the following story. Only the idea is mine.

Chasing Stars

(1)

The audience was silent. You could hear a pin drop. The cameras were trained on the final five participants. They stood in a row, wearing pretty long dresses with their sashes draped across their upper body. They were all holding each other's hands, (as instructed by the hosts) all smiling, anticipating the announcement. They were trying to show the audience they were all happy, all good friends. No one begrudged the other one the win - at least that's how it was supposed to look from the outside. Later on in the backstage area, the cats would pull out their claws and take each other down.

"We are now going to announce the runners up and the winner of the Miss Teen America contest of 1995," the host announced while the crowd cheered in anticipation. "Our fourth runner up is Oklahoma, Alice Wonder!" Applause.

Alice, who stood in the middle, let go of the other girl's hands and walked to the front, where she was given a small trophy and had to take a picture. Without casting the other girls another look, she walked over to the right, waiting for the other three to join her.

"The third runner up is Hawaii, Jasmin Agrabah." The girl put on a fake smile, and walked to the front, following the same procedure Alice had before. There were tears in her eyes, but she faked her smile very well.

"The second runner up is California, Anastasia Scarlet!" Anastasia let out a huff of disappointment. She had always had a problem controlling her anger in front of the camera. She took the small trophy and smiled into the cameras, then leaving quickly for the others to be called to the front.

The last two girls walked forward, both holding hands. "And now we are going to announce the first runner up and the Miss Teen America, 1995!" the female host announced. The girls stood opposite each other now, holding both hands.

"Good luck," one girl whispered smiling.

"I don't need luck," the other girl answered, annoyed with a fake smile. She despised her, although she did not know what she had ever done to her to deserve all the hatred.

"And now, your first runner up for the title of Miss Teen America is... Florida, Miss Zelena West!" The crowd started cheering, applauding. Zelena had a hard time keeping up her fake charade. Instead she gave her counterpart a short, cold hug, before she stepped back.

"Which means your new Miss Teen America is Maine, Regina Mills!" the host announced and the crowd started to cheer even louder. Regina's heart had been beating incredibly fast the whole time and now that she'd won, she felt nothing but relief. She let out a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Mother would be so proud of her.

Music started playing, while Regina was pushed back to the front, while the former Miss Teen America gave her a bouquet full of red roses and fastened the sash around her shoulder. Then a crown was put on her head, while the hosts once again announced her winning. She smiled and waved cheerfully at the crowd and into the cameras. The stage filled with the other participants who congratulated each other, while the hosts ended the show at least for the television audience.

Regina was deluged with congratulations on her winning. She could still feel Zelena's hatred eyes on her back, but she didn't care. None of them had been here to make friends; they'd been here to win. And won she had.

Once the stage was cleared for the families of the participants to approach, Regina could see her mother making her way through. "We won, darling! We won!" Cora smiled happily. Regina was about to hug her, but Cora put a stop to it. "Oh no, dear, you're going to ruin your appearance." Instead, she pressed a soft kiss on her daughter's cheek. Regina waited. Waited for a well done or I'm proud of you, but her mother said nothing. She just looked at her, eyes full with relief and something Regina couldn't quite put her finger on.

"They are waiting for interviews, Regina. Go, go. A queen never lets the others wait." Regina nodded and walked over to the reporters who were waiting to get her statement. Cora followed her and, as always, found huge pleasure in introducing herself as the proud mother whose daughter had just won the title of Miss Teen America. She sung her praises to the reporters and posed for a few pictures with Regina.

Later on that evening, Regina, her father and her mother went back to their hotel. Henry had suggested they celebrate his daughter's win at a steakhouse, but Cora had declined. "We won't want her to get fat, do we?" she'd said. Henry had smiled at Regina apologetically as always. He'd never been one to object to Cora's wishes.

So Regina had been more than surprised, when two hours after they returned to their hotel a knock on her door startled her. Quickly she got up, expecting it to be her mother checking if she'd stored the crown correctly in the wooden box Cora she'd had manufactured just for this occasion. To her surprise, it was her father waiting for her there.

"Daddy? What are you doing here?"

Henry smiled and asked to be let inside. Regina stepped aside to let her father inside the room. "I'm very proud of you, Regina," he told her, "And I have a gift for you." He held up a pizza box. Regina's eyes widened.

"Oh my god, is this what I think it is?"

"Pepperoni with mushrooms and double cheese? Yes, I think it is what you think it is." Henry put the box down on her bed and sat down beside it. "Just don't tell your mother I did this, or I'll never hear the end of it."

"I won't", Regina promised, before she startled her father with a big hug. Henry pressed a kiss to her cheek, telling her once again how proud he was. After a while Regina let go of him, her eyes scooting longingly over to the pizza box. Her father laughed and opened it.

"Bon appétit my little princess." Regina rolled her eyes before she bit into a thick slice of delicious greasy pizza. There were so many moments when she hated this life, this dream her mother was living with her, but these moments were definitely worth the agony.

Xxxxx

Regina liked to think back to these moments whenever things became too much. She was tired and exhausted from all the appointments her mother had dragged her to this morning. A dress fitting here, ballet lessons there... she was twenty-one years old and sometimes still felt like a child.

"Regina, darling, where are you with your thoughts again? You really have to start to become more attentive, otherwise you will never win the Miss America contest."

"Maybe I don't want to," she muttered under her breath.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing!" Regina stepped onto the pedestal in the middle of the room so the dressmaker could put needles into the parts of fabric that still needed tailoring.

"I want the corset tighter and the hem a little shortened. Regina, have you been doing the exercises Sydney showed you?" Cora let out a huff, somehow displeased with the whole situation. They had been trying to find the perfect dress for a while now and when they had not been able to find anything, Cora had hired the local dressmaker to tailor a dress that suited her vision.

Although Regina felt uncomfortable, she didn't say anything. It wasn't like she had a say in the matter. And yes, she had been doing the exercises her personal trainer had showed her before her mother fired him. He'd had a crush on her, which was pretty weird for a man in his mid fifties.

"You gained weight, Regina. How often have I told you..."?

"I have not gained weight, mother! Can you please let it go? The dress fits, doesn't it?"

"The contest is in a few weeks and you have to be in your best state. We are not going to become Miss America with you continuing to sneak out for ice-cream and soda. Oh, please don't give me that look. Of course I know what you're doing when you think I'm not looking. How you look in a swimsuit makes 15% of the preliminary competitions scoring!" Cora sounded rather angry.

Suddenly her phone started ringing. She mumbled an excuse and stepped outside. Regina let out a breath.

"You look beautiful, Miss Mills, no matter what your mother says," the woman smiled. Regina gave her a smile in return, looking at the mirror reflection.

"It's hard to fit her standards. Not that there was one time in my life I was actually close to reaching them. I just wish..." The door burst open as Cora rushed back inside. She seemed rather annoyed with everything and the phone call had apparently added to her bad mood.

"Great, this is just great. I have to meet Cruella now. Apparently there is something she cannot postpone. Regina, you will stay here until Miss Blue is finished. When will that be?"

The dressmaker looked up, frowning: "With all the changes I'm afraid we won't be done before eleven pm."

Regina groaned silently, but her mother didn't look troubled at all. "Fine. I'll tell your father to pick you up. I'll see you later, darling." She grabbed her purse and rushed outside, leaving Regina and Miss Blue alone.

Miss Blue looked at her with pity, but she continued putting the needles where they belonged. After thirty minutes she stopped. "Are we done already?" Regina asked surprised.

"Your work is done here, Regina. I feel like you need the afternoon off."

The young girl gaped at the dressmaker. "But... I don't know maybe I should stay. It's not like I have anything better to do and..." The woman stepped forward to rest a hand on her shoulder. She looked at her with deep blue eyes.

"Your mother demands a lot from you. You deserve a few hours just for yourself. Do what you would like to do. There must be something, right? Something you always wanted to do but never had the time?" Miss Blue stared at her and Regina wondered for a moment if the woman was trying to hypnotize her. She cleared her throat.

"Well... I guess if I tried I could think of... something."

"There, there. I'll help you out of this dress and you can go wherever you like. If your father comes to pick you up, I'll tell him you already went home early, okay? Just be home by 11 pm."

"I will be home when the clock strikes 11pm. I don't want to turn into a pumpkin and have my mother's wrath on me after all," Regina promised excited. Well, it looked like for the first time forever she was allowed to do what she wanted. An afternoon off... it seemed like a dream coming true. Miss Blue helped her to undress and within minutes she was out on the street.

Xxxxx

Freedom. She was free. She had a whole late afternoon and evening to do whatever she wanted. The thing was just... she didn't know where to start or what to do. She'd been living here in Portland most of her life, but she'd never had the time to make friends around here since her mother had dragged her to every beauty contest in the whole country possible. She'd been home schooled; her afternoons had been filled with ballet, rhythmic gymnastics, piano and other dance classes and on the weekends they were running around the country for the contests. The only real hobby she'd ever had had been with... him. She'd never forget these three months in the summer, which were the best and worst thing that had ever happened to her. Those three months in 1994 where she lost and found everything; people she came close to calling her friends and most importantly... Daniel.

Sadly, Regina realized she didn't have any friends here, not anymore, at least none she could call or go to. The realization was nothing new but still, it hit her hard. She was... alone.

Regina walked down the street, her eyes focused on the ground. This was stupid. She wanted to do something, wanted to have friends, but she never had been given the chance to make any. Her mother had always wanted her to become a beauty queen. She'd been Miss Teen America in 1995 and now, four years later, her mother wanted her to become Miss America. For the first time in a long while Regina wondered what it was that she wanted. The question was... should she? She bit her lip, not sure what to do...

"Careful!" someone yelled, but it was too late. She lost her balance and fell backwards, trying to grip something or rather someone to prevent her from falling. It was too late though. With a thud, she landed on her ass only to get drowned in soda a second later.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. Sorry, so sorry. I wasn't looking and... Wait, do I know you from somewhere?"

Regina looked up, disgusted by the sticky liquid of soda on her shirt. A blonde woman was kneeling beside her apologizing over and over again. She seemed familiar, but Regina couldn't put her finger on why.

"I uh... I don't know." Most of the times people recognized her from the newspapers or sometimes even television. "I'm... Regina Mills."

The blonde eyed her for a second before a recognizing look washed over her face. "Regina! Of course. Oh my god it's been ages!" The dark haired woman looked confused. "Oh, you don't remember me, do you? Well, it's been some time. I'm Emma. Emma Swan. We played together a couple of times. I live down the street."

Emma Swan. An image of a blonde, very small girl with missing front teeth came to her mind. It was vague, but Regina remembered. "Emma. I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you."

Emma waved it aside. "No trouble at all. Like I said it's been what? Fifteen years?"

"Probably," Regina smiled, taking the blonde's hand to help her up.

"I'm still so sorry about the soda. Your shirt..."

"Never mind. That's what washing machines are for. It's good to see you. Really good," she said, and meant it. Emma grinned at her.

"I have a clean shirt in my car. If you'd like to change... I'm not sure the sticky sweet soda will do any good in long term."

"Sounds like a good idea," Regina agreed and followed Emma to the yellow bug on the side of the road. She opened the trunk and rummaged in a black duffle bag until she was able to pull out a plain white shirt and a dark blue leather jacket.

"Here you go. Sorry again for the soda."

"I really don't mind, Emma," she answered smiling and quickly pulled the shirt over her head. From afar they could hear a whistle, which made both of them roll their eyes.

"Guys these days. Listen, I'm really sorry Regina, but I'm about to meet up with a few friends of mine."

Her face fell. Of course, friends. The kind of people she didn't have in her life. She put on a smile like she always did, the believable one, the one with which she'd won all her contests. "Oh don't worry. It was really nice seeing you again."

Emma looked at her intensely. Regina's smile looked credible, but she sensed something was... off. "Uh, you know if you're not busy how about you tag along? I'll drive you home later. It's nothing big, really. We'll probably just hang out and do... stuff."

The brunette raised her eyebrow, taken back a little due to the surprising offer. "You know, I'm really not that into weed."

Emma's eyes widened: "What? No! With stuff I mean hang out, eat food... stuff, you know?"

Regina grinned. Well, it was not like she had anywhere else to go, right? Spending the day with Emma and her friends was probably much better than walking through the streets all on her own. Miss Blue had given her the chance to spend her day however she liked, so...

"I know, I was just kidding. I'm in!"

"Great, get inside." She did not need to be asked twice. Quickly, Regina got inside the car and buckled up her seatbelt.

"Where are we going?" she asked when Emma started the engine.

"The racetrack," Emma grinned. Shit.