The first time Emma Swan of Bangor, Maine met Regina Mills, Bostonian born and bred, was the night she decided to try something she had been thinking about for a long time. Roller Derby.
She kept glancing in her rear view mirror as people arrived in small groups. She couldn't keep the smile off her face as she watched them. She'd seen Whip It. She'd read Caught In A Jam. She'd been watching the facebook posts about the city derby team for long enough and had decided that it was time. The more people she saw enter the community centre, the happier she was with her choice.
"Can we go inside?" Ping asked from the passenger seat. She turned the The Raveonettes off in an effort to hurry Emma along.
"Just one more second" she said as she turned in her seat to watch people. She didn't want to look too keen and get there early. "Ok" she said and checked her watch. It was 6.51pm. "We can go now"
Ping threw open the door and got out of Emma's car. If she hated anything, it was waiting. Emma hopped out and grinned. Ping rolled her eyes and reluctantly caught Emma's contagious smile.
Once inside they followed the other tryouts downstairs until they got to a sports hall. They lined up against a wall like at school. A woman skated along the row passing out safety information sheets and forms. Emma took a form and craned her neck to watch her roll smoothly away. She loved it already.
"Can you believe you can't even touch a pair of skates until you sign a piece of paper saying you won't sue them if you break your ass?" Ping looked excited
"This is so cool" Emma said quietly.
She only scanned her sheet before she signed it. She wanted to watch the people, mostly women, skating back and forth. They moved at speed with such grace. She found herself itching to get started. The people going around them were fully kitted up and handing out pads and helmets.
So many of the people skating around were real-looking women. They were all ages, body shapes and sizes. Some had tattoos, some had brightly coloured hair, some had piercings and some looked wholesome as fuck. The woman who seemed to be in charge held a clipboard and collected signed safety forms from the other skaters. She looked more likely to try and sell you a bible than to coach a high speed full contact sport.
"Ok everyone, welcome to the Boston City Rollers fresh meat session! Time for some introductions. I'm Mary Margaret, or you can call me Snow Fight."
There were some laughs. Emma looked down the line of other tryouts but her attention was knocked off course when a woman skated into the hall through the double doors.
"...so unique about Roller Derby-" Mary Margaret stopped talking to watch her approach. She slowed as they met and quietly said something with her back to the tryouts. Mary Margaret nodded. "Helmet, Regina, don't set a bad example for them"
"Sorry" she said, as she skated backwards away from her. She propped her helmet over dark, wavy hair and bowed at Mary Margaret with a smirk before turning towards the other skaters.
"Dude" Ping nudged Emma in the ribs and her attention snapped back to Mary Margaret.
"...safety is the most important thing about Roller Derby. Now we're going to split you into groups."
Ping disappeared with group two while Emma, in group one, was given a pair of skates by a woman with victory curls and rose tattoos down her arm.
She had skated as a kid but had never owned a pair to practice in. She pulled on knee and elbow pads quickly, trying to get to skates as fast as possible. She watched the team skate around them with complete ease and grace. She couldn't wait to start. Once helmet and skates were on, hand pads went last and she was ready to go. They weren't kidding about the safety part.
They stood in a ring while Mary Margaret ran through the basics of what they were going to do. Most of Emma's attention was going on observing Regina. She wore leggings like most of the skaters, there was a crown painted around her helmet and her tank top said "Fight like a grrrl". Emma just about fell in love with her there and then.
"So we're going to introduce ourselves by saying our names and favourite pizza toppings. Hi, I'm Mary Margaret. I play on the A team, Hell's Belles. I like classic cheese and tomato!"
Emma almost rolled her eyes.
"Hey, Maid Carrion" said the woman who gave Emma her skates "I'm a blocker for Hell's Belles. Banana peppers"
"Regina Kills, the Evil Scream, jammer, something spicy"
"Rumpleshinsplints, I'm a ref and I'll eat pizza if it isn't that Dominos garbage"
"Robin Blood, I play for the coed team, Hawaiian"
"Hi I'm David" he waved and Emma could have sworn his smile did that cartoon glint "or Prince Harming, I like a meat feast"
Regina sniggered and her eyebrows bobbed up once as she smiled. Emma wondered what that meant.
"Red Riding Blood, blocker, I also enjoy a meat feast" she grinned. Emma liked her immediately.
They moved onto the fresh meat candidates. Emma was last and when they got to her she realised she didn't have a favourite pizza topping.
"Hi I'm Emma, I'll take any pizza I can get" A few people laughed and she smiled around the group.
"Ok! Let's start!" Mary Margaret bounced, somehow, on roller skates.
The first thing they learnt was how to fall. It was pretty simple: forwards. All the trainers did it. Emma glanced away when Regina fell. She couldn't watch having quickly made the transition from "obvious and gormless admiration" to "quiet perving followed by embarrassment". She felt kind of like a creep for even having to look away.
Skating was hard at first. When she wobbled her instinct was to straighten up, but that was wrong. She had to squat to get more stable and be lower to the ground. That way there was no falling on butts or backs or hitting heads. Any time anyone fell over the right way, someone cheered. She lost count of how many times she fell because the more times it happened the less embarrassed she was. She skated pretty well, though she felt like every muscle in her body as working to keep her upright.
She was feeling pretty good and working hard to focus when Regina skated past her helping someone else.
"You've got it!" Regina said
She lost her concentration and wobbled. She couldn't tip forwards. An involuntary "shit!" squeaked from her and she fell spectacularly backwards onto her skate.
"Mother fucker" she closed her eyes tight against the pain. She had put her arms back too to catch herself and jolted them as well as her spine, not to mention the golf ball sized bruises she could already feel forming where her wheels had crushed into her ass. Her eyes stayed closed to keep the water that was coming into them from slipping down her face.
"You ok?" Someone asked. She opened her eyes "hand up?"
"I think I'm gonna stay down for a second" she said. She was sweating like a pig, out of breath, in pain and her makeup was probably streaking down her face with the tears escaping her eyes. She deserved to sit down for a second, right? "You ladies are made of tough stuff" she joked.
"Yeah, you're Emma? I'm Red" Red skated around her to be by her side.
"Alright! That's really good." Regina's voice came around the track behind her again "Be careful of your left foot, turn it in. That's awesome" she skated backwards past them both and glanced at Emma sitting on the floor "you can do it" she said to the grey haired woman skating timidly after her "you're just scared"
"Yeah" the woman laughed.
The smile Regina gave her was blazing with warmth and support. It was bright and inviting "keep working at it, don't forget to squat, keep low"
"Fuck" Emma said under her breath
"Does it hurt?" Red asked
"Yeah" Emma replied, watching Regina take the woman's hands while she practiced speeding up.
The second time Emma met Regina was a number of practices later. Her interest had turned to a slight infatuation.
She had improved by skating at the park with Ping ("We're getting our own fucking skates and practicing, I'm not falling on my ass again. You should see my bruises, my butt looks like a fucking Monet painting").
Mary Margaret almost always ran the training with rotating members of the team. Emma had gotten used to being disappointed that Regina wasn't there. Instead she stalked the team's instagram account for pictures of her and updates. She didn't look for Regina's personal one in case she accidentally liked something and would never be able to show her face there again. She might have to move cities in case she saw her in the street.
She was so surprised to see Regina at practice that her panic reaction was to pretend she wasn't there.
"You ok?" Ping asked as they caught their breath after lap trials.
"Yeah, why?" Emma pushed a hand into her side to try to alleviate her stitch
"I dunno" Ping looked up at Regina who was rolling with ease between the skaters, congratulating people on their progress and giving feedback "Push your stomach out and take deeps breaths to get rid of the stitch. You seem weird"
"I'm not weird" Emma said, straightening up and pushing her stomach out as Regina got to them. She sucked it back in as soon as she saw her.
"Ping, 22 laps in five minutes, well done, you're up one on last week. Have you been practicing?"
"Yeah, we've been skating in the park after work, right Em?" Ping grinned
"Uh huh" Emma said, pretending to adjust her helmet strap so she wouldn't have to look at Regina, which felt approximately like looking into the sun with binoculars.
"Emma, 21. Same as last week"
"Cool" Emma said, glancing up at her.
"At least you're not getting any worse" Ping smiled and Emma nodded
"Try doing some squats alongside your skating. Muscle makes you fast" Regina said
"Ok" Emma replied and looked at Ping.
She looked back with raised eyebrows. "What do we need to be up to for the minimums?"
"26" Regina replied, turning away from Emma with a confused look "you're doing well"
She disappeared and Ping punched Emma so hard in the arm she nearly fell over.
"What the fuck?!" Ping demanded
"What!" Emma rubbed her arm
"You're being a dick!"
"No I'm not!"
"Oh my god" Ping took a step back and glanced at Regina
"What? No" Emma lied
"Yeah" Ping smiled so smugly Emma wanted to knock her off her skates. She committed the feeling to memory in case they ended up on opposite teams for the scrimmage.
"Na ah!"
"Yu huh! You are so into her oh my god."
"Shut up" Emma snapped. Ping's hand flew to her mouth as she giggled. "What are minimums?"
"Minimum skill tests you have to pass before you can make the team. Have you been listening at all or just watching her ass while she skates?"
"Neither!"
Ping shook her head "You're pathetic"
"She's-"
"Hey" They turned as Regina whistled at them both. Emma was impressed against her will that she could wolf whistle. Ugh, of course she could. "Drills, over here"
Emma skated reluctantly up to the rest of the group. Regina was bursting out of a tshirt that said "Cats against cat calls". She scrunched up her face and looked anywhere but there.
"Tubthumping, you hear 'I get knocked down' you go down on your knees, you hear 'but I get up again' you come back up. Simple. The trick is to be as low to the ground as you can be. This is the last part of the session so you're good to go when you're done"
"That's early" Emma said to Ping, glancing back at the big clock on the wall
"Hey, Dial Emma For Murder, got somewhere better to be?" Regina asked, hand on hip
"No, I-"
"Cause the door's there. Don't let me keep you"
Emma stared back in shock. "I'm good"
"Good" Regina snapped and hit play on the cd player "spread out, I don't want any of you giving each other concussions. You hit your head you're off skates for two weeks, remember"
"We'll be singing when we're winning, we'll be singing"
Emma thought she was going to throw up from exhaustion at the end of the drill.
"This is the grossest I have ever felt in my whole life. I honestly come out of showers dryer than this" Ping said as she peeled off her t-shirt in the locker room.
"I'm gonna barf" Emma said helpfully, changing her t-shirt with such difficulty that for a moment she considered driving home topless.
"I liked having Regina this week. She's more motivational than Mary Margaret, I think" Ping said
"She's not motivational, she's a fucking bitch" Emma replied, remembering bitterly how she had called her out in front of everyone.
"Eminem's back next week, everyone, so make sure you did whatever chintzy shit she told you to for then."
Emma turned around to see Regina back-lit and silhouetted at the door. Cool air wafted into the changing room from the corridor and they all appreciated it. She had no helmet on, no mouth guard, no skates. She still looked tall, strong and impressive. Curls tumbled around her shoulders. A few women laughed and passed her to leave.
Regina picked up odd bits of kit and threw them into the showers.
"What's wrong, princess? Did a girl pull your pigtails on the playground?" She asked, leaning way closer to Emma than necessary. Ping's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline as she pretended not to watch. "Maybe it's cause she likes you" Regina gave her a pout that turned into an evil grin. She turned and left Emma frozen to the spot. She felt the blush start in her toes and go straight to the tip of her ears.
"Shit" Ping laughed as she hauled her bag over her shoulder. Emma deflated and followed her out.
The third time Emma met Regina she was late to practice. Prince Harming had thrown two huge kit bags down the stairs which almost blocked them completely. Emma got the impression that he was mostly picture and not a lot of sound. She was sliding past the kit bags with her skates over her shoulder when Regina came up the opposite way.
"Move" Regina said forcefully.
"Uh" Emma said as Regina drew closer. There wasn't really anywhere for her to go except back up, but she was already super late. They stopped as they met. Emma raised her eyebrows in question.
Regina practically snarled, pushed Emma's right shoulder so her back went flat against the wall and pushed through the gap. Emma did not think about how close together their lips were for a second, how Regina's hips grazed hers or how her breasts felt pushed against her for a split second. She didn't. But she did. She watched her disappear up the stairs. Shit.
Emma didn't see Regina again for months. In practice they played two scrims and both times Emma was given the award for Best Jammer. She and Ping passed their minimums the first time around and were put on what was essentially the B team called the Quasi-low-blows. Their first real game was a "friendly" between the two teams and was nerve racking for everyone.
Welcome everyone to the first game of the season, a friendly match between the Boston City Rollers' two female teams. Let's see if we can get through a quick roster here, on the track tonight for Hell's Belles we have blockers Pocahotness #88, Maid Carrion #707, Tinkerhell #37 and Snow Fight #44. Their jammer is her royal highness Regina Kills, the Evil Scream #108, our own home grown talent and postergirl- sorry, posterwoman for last year's Brew Ha-Ha if you all remember. God what a poster that was. You'll notice they all have Disney themed names, a long tradition of the Boston City Rollers. And on the Quasi-low-blows we have jammers Maulan #13, Red Riding Blood #80, Aur-whore-a #505, All That Jasmine #23, and we have jammer Swan Break #28. Some new players on the Quasi-low-blows team tonight and I'm looking forward to this game!
As the jammers Emma and Regina lined up next to each other. Emma had put a lot of thought into what to wear. She went for black and purple leopard print leggings with a Juliette and The Licks shirt she liked. She put on eyeliner and lipstick though she was sure it was all going to sweat right off in minutes. Regina looked her up and down as she approached.
"Look at you, all in uniform, ready to go." Regina's makeup was on form too. The t-shirt that she was testing the structural integrity of was black and said "Riots not diets". Her leggings were red at the knees, fading to black as they came up. Emma noticed she had deathly hallows toe guards on her skates but there wasn't time to say anything before they were put called to their places.
"Don't worry dear, I'll be gentle with you" Regina purred. Emma's mind went blank as her insides turned to mush. She hated herself for that reaction only slightly less than she hated Regina. She didn't even hear the whistle. Regina was gone in a flash and she raced to catch up.
A slow start there from Swan Break, newbie on Low-Blows. Having said that the Low-Blows are holding the pack nicely, Hell's Belles are trying to break them up so Regina Kills, the Evil Scream can get through. She does it somehow. Maulan coming in with a hit but she ducks right underneath it, she catches a whip from Maid Carrion and Regina Kills, the Evil Scream is well out of the pack. Swan Break just about struggling through but she doesn't seem to want to throw a hit. Someone get her out of there. Oh! Evil Scream is back already, she's lightning on wheels and she's knocked Swan Break off the track. Oops, a tumble from Swan Break and Evil Scream is through the pack, she scores 5 points for Hell's Belles.
"It's ok, it's just nerves" Red Riding Blood said, passing Emma a bottle of cold water and unclipping her helmet.
"I just can't get through" Emma said between heaving breaths. She glanced up at the scoreboard. Two jams in and they were 14 points behind.
"You need to throw some hits, shove those bitches out of the way!" Ping said from her side "You're called Swan Break, break the pack. Shit, break bones if you have to"
"Jesus, Ping, when did you get so aggressive?" Emma asked
"When did you turn into such a drip? Is it because your girlfriend's playing?"
"No!"
"Good, show her you can do this, Em! Be better, you were so good in the scrims!" Ping begged. The buzzer went and they were back on the track.
Evil Scream looks pretty happy heading into this next jam.
Some guy was shouting obscenities at one or maybe both of them. Emma stood up from her derby stance to see who it was. Regina flipped him off and the crowd around them cheered. Emma caught sight of boy in an Evil Scream tshirt. 'Kids!' she thought 'There's god damn kids here, people are jerks'. Her blood boiled and all she could think of was that asshole in the crowd and Regina's smug face, her red lips as she said she'd be gentle. The whistle blew and she went for it.
Oh! Evil Scream takes an unexpected hit from Swan Break from the off, the Low-Blows are as surprised as we are! That was a shock from the new kid. Red Riding Blood and Maulan do a great job of making space for her and Swan Break is through! Evil Scream is trapped by her own team's blockers as the Low Blows form groups to keep them all crammed up together. The pack has slowed down and Swan Break is coming back for more. Aur-whore-a is going down and taking Snow Fight with her - was that intentional?-, Swan Break jumps them both! Oh my god, this is what we've been waiting for from the young new player, she scores 5 big roller derby points for the Low-Blows! They must be pleased with that! Tinkerhell is in the penalty box for Hell's Belles, replaced quickly by Anna-slays-ya #69, another new player.
"Thought I'd give you a head start" Emma said without looking at Regina as she rolled up. She was looking at the scoreboard. There was two jams left and Hell's Belles were only 6 points ahead. Regina wasn't smiling anymore, she could see from the corner of her eye. "Nice guards too, by the way. The Deathly Hallows? You'll need them by the end of this game" She glanced at Regina and took of the second the whistle blew. Regina was right with her. She was pissed and spoiling for a fight.
Wow it's getting down to the wire here tonight. Both jammers fighting their way through the pack, Evil Scream seems to be getting through but Swan Break is right on her tail, Pocahotness and Maid Carrion have gotten their arms around Swan Break, she's not getting through there any time soon! Evil Scream is out of the pack and - did she just flip her off too? She's having a night of it I guess, no one expected this from the upstart, fresh outta nowhere. Maybe we should start calling her the Pain from Maine, the point-muster from Augusta, the roar from Bangor! Sorry, got a little carried away there, she's out of their grasp and away from the pack.
The pack is splitting a little now and the Evil Scream is making light work of -oh! All That Jasmine is down and, surely that's a fowl from the Evil Scream? No? Rumpleshinsplints, are you watching the same game we are? That was a strong shoulder to #23. Regina Kills is out for blood! Watch out Swan Break, she is on a mission and the queen will not be stopped! Maulan looks like she's going in for a block- nope she is knocked out of bounds by Pocahotness. It's getting scrappy in there! Evil Scream catches a whip from Maid Carrion but it's cut short by Red Riding Blood. Swan Break is catching up and jack knifes over Anna-slays-ya's messy attempt at a block! She's locked in with Snow Fight, both seem reluctant to throw a hit and Maulan throws it for them. Snow Fight is out of bounds and Swan Break is right behind the Evil Scream.
The rest of the game was a blurr. Emma was exhausted, battered, bruised. She took a skate to the hip when she tripped in the pack. She sweated more than she thought possible without dying. Regina was taking players down like flies and she was definitely next. She didn't know how many points were between them when the final play ended. They were shoulder to shoulder and Regina shoved her towards the track line. Emma caught her skate with her own and Regina crashed hard over her. The buzzer went and Hell's Belles had won by a small margin. Emma hurt everywhere. She sat up and was shoved back down again.
"Fuck you" Regina snarled at her.
The lights were bright. She had fallen on her fell on her ass again and it hurt, she felt it all the way up her spine. And Regina seemed to be straddling her which was not helping at all. She held up a hand to block the light and saw Regina's lip was bleeding.
"Shit, are you ok?" she reached out, the sight of blood shocking her out of her hatred for a moment. Regina slapped her hand away.
"Fuck off!" Regina said and smacked her helmet hard.
"Hey" Maid Carrion pulled Regina to her feet "well done! Come on, victory lap!"
Players caught up with them and began to gather around Emma on the floor.
"The fuck are you playing at, Regina?" Pocahotness got right in her face "Are you trying to get banned? Get on the track you idiot, keep a lid on it"
Emma didn't see their victory lap. She didn't watch the flying V with Regina in the center. She didn't catch them skate around high-fiving the crowd or any of their celebrations. She was in the shower straight away. She hurt in places she didn't know could hurt.
"Hurry up!" Ping called when she left "Drinks at Luca's"
"Yeah yeah" Emma called. She didn't feel like drinks, she felt like passing out for a couple of hours. Maybe days.
The fifth time she met Regina was an hour later. Emma was tired, sore and drunk. She hadn't got that post-exercise rush of endorphins. She was pretty sure, she was just going to die of exhaustion. She opened the bathroom door in Luca's to find Regina washing her hands.
"For god's sake, can't you leave me alone?" Regina growled, watching her in the mirror
"Uh I didn't follow you in here, I need to pee"
"Well it's occupied"
"Well lock the fucking door then, your majesty"
"Oh my god. I'm leaving anyway. Get out of the way" Regina flicked the water from her fingers up Emma's jeans.
"What exactly did I do, other than play well against you?" Emma asked, not moving out of the way at all. Regina sighed. "I called you a bitch one time and I think you got your own back when you told Mary Margaret my derby name was going to be Enema of the State."
Regina smiled, the stopped immediately as her cleaned up lip bled a little more.
"I am sorry I hurt you, that was my fault for catching your boot"
"A dirty trick"
"You were pretty dirty too" Emma said, remembering the world 'gentle' and how it screwed with her.
Regina lifted her chin and they were toe to toe, equally matched with no one to stop them from beating the crap out of each other.
Emma tingled with adrenaline as Regina's eyes locked onto hers. They were dark but something in them sparked. Emma lunged forward and kissed her hard. She was shoved back into the door. It winded her. She had misjudged. Maybe Regina did just want to kick her ass.
Regina pressed her into the door and kissed her back just as hard. Her hands roved down her hips, over her thighs, over her ass as she slid a leg between Emma's. Their tongues met and Emma caught her breath. Regina took everything she wanted, but Emma fought and took back. She pushed herself off the door, grabbed Regina's collar and shoved her into it. The door handle caught her back and she hissed. Emma kissed her neck, squeezed her boobs and ran her thumbs over hard, straining nipples. Regina pulled her up to kiss again. It was a little softer, no less demanding, but instead of grunts of desperation there were hums of pleasure. They slowed, still feeling, still squeezing, still taking but slower. Eventually Regina broke the kiss and their foreheads pressed together. She reached to the side without looking and pulled a towel from the dispenser.
She took a deep breath, wiped her lips carefully and turned back to Emma.
"Wash your face before you come out" Regina said in a low rumble before moving Emma back with gentle pressure.
"Why?" Emma asked in a daze. Regina checked her reflection in the mirror behind Emma, ran fingers through her hair then fixed her gaze back on her.
"People will think I'm on my period" she said, her lip curling slightly as she opened the door and disappeared.
Emma stared at the door for a moment. Did that just happen? Was she hallucinating from exhaustion? She turned to the mirror to see her mouth smeared and pinkish with Regina's blood.
What. The. Fuck.