A/N: I hope you all enjoyed reading the first chapter! This chapter has some flashbacks which are represented by the italicized paragraphs. Without further ado, I'll let you get on to reading about our favorite mayor ;)


Chapter Two

Regina sat in Granny's Diner, as she did nearly every morning. She liked to arrive early, before the morning rush. She was never one for small talk so the more that she could avoid the townspeople of Storybrooke, the better.

Ruby placed Regina's breakfast on the table in front of her. She always ordered the same thing. Egg whites and whole wheat toast. Ruby scrunched up her nose at the mayor. "Don't you ever get tired of eating the same thing?"

The brunette glared at Ruby. "I don't believe I solicited your opinion, Ms. Lucas." With that, Ruby walked away and left Regina to eat her breakfast in peace.

As she was about to take her first bite, she heard the door to the diner open and she looked up. She was disgusted when she saw who walked in. It was none other than Mary Margaret Blanchard. Regina disliked a lot of people, most people actually. But if there was one person she absolutely despised, it was Mary Margaret.

The two women had known each other for years. The relationship between them wasn't always so volatile. They considered themselves to be good friends at one point. Best friends even. The thought of this caused Regina's stomach to turn, as she recalled the day that changed everything between them, more than 10 years prior.


Regina met Mary Margaret on the first day of her freshman year of high school. The two were paired together in a homeroom activity that was designed to help them get to know their peers. The two girls couldn't have been more different from each other.

Mary Margaret's upbringing was as close to a fairytale as one could possibly get. Her parents adored each other and never missed an opportunity to let their daughter know how much they loved her and how proud they were of her. There was so much to be proud of, after all. Mary Margaret was sweet, sensitive, and had a purity that could be compared to newly fallen snow. Her demeanor was so carefree, and she wore her heart on her sleeve. Everyone she met was instantly drawn to her sincerity.

At ten years old, however, Mary Margaret's mother passed away from a sudden illness. Even though she was devastated she still continued to keep a smile on her face in an effort to be strong for her father and everyone else in her life. It was a heavy burden for such a young child to carry, but she wanted nothing more than to make her mother proud. She promised that she would always be caring and compassionate to those around her.

Regina had nowhere near as much love and affection while growing up. She had a close relationship with her father. Her mother, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. It seemed from the moment Regina was born that nothing she could do would ever be satisfactory in the eyes of Cora. As she grew older, she tried everything she possibly could to impress her mother. This constant need for perfection tended to push others away. She learned too early in life how to put walls up in order to avoid the sting that accompanied Cora's harsh words of disappointment. She became accustomed to isolation and was able to convince herself that she didn't have any desire for friends.

Mary Margaret didn't seem to notice Regina's rigid nature and was excited about the chance to possibly make a new friend. It was the first time anyone showed a genuine interest in getting to know the mysterious brunette. Regina sat in her desk silently, trying to resist having a conversation with the bubbly stranger. Her life-long feeling of loneliness which turned to numbness over time, made the outer shell of her exterior nearly impossible to crack.

Mary Margaret didn't seem to notice how stand-offish her counterpart was. Being the eternal optimist that she was, she assumed that this potential new friend of hers was just shy. She figured that after some time Regina would feel comfortable enough to open up to her, and she vowed to herself that she would continue trying to be her friend.


Going to the stables was the one thing that always brought Regina a sense of peace. It was the one place where she could escape her mother since Cora never showed an interest in much of anything that her daughter was passionate about.

It was Regina's father who instilled in her this love of horses, which was just one of the many reasons why she loved him so much. As soon as Regina kicked her right leg up and over her saddle it was like she transformed and became a different person. The rest of the world disappeared. She felt free. She often dreamed of riding her horse off into the sunset, never to return to Storybrooke. But she knew that running away from her mother was not an option. Cora would find her, and Regina did not want to even begin to think of what the consequences would be for such insolence.

This day was different than most for Regina at the stables. She normally had scheduled riding sessions that were very structured. It was the only reason Cora agreed to letting her go to the lessons in the first place. But today it was just Regina and her horse, free to roam about as they pleased.

The trail leading down to the small river by the toll bridge was a favorite of Regina's. It was surrounded by the forest, and the light sound of the water trickling over the rocks made it very serene. As she jumped off of her horse to lead him to the river for a drink, she heard something in the distance.

What could that be? She wondered to herself. She rarely encountered anyone on this trail. But the sound was getting closer and it sounded like screaming. Then she saw where it was coming from. Bolting out of the forest and down the bank of the river was a runaway horse. The screaming came from the girl who was on the back of it and was holding on for dear life.

Regina immediately took action, jumping onto her horse in an effort to chase down the out of control stallion and save the girl. Luckily she was able to catch up with them. She reached for the girl, pulling her onto her own horse. She brought her horse to a stop so that both girls could catch their breath and put their feet on solid ground. The girl turned to face her and Regina immediately recognized her. It was Mary Margaret.

"Oh my goodness Regina, I don't know what I would have done without you! You saved my life! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Mary Margaret leaned in to hug her rescuer, but Regina immediately backed away.

"It's quite fine, no need to thank me. I'm glad I was able to help." Regina showed no emotion, despite the excitement of the events that had just taken place.

Mary Margaret had the biggest smile on her face. "I knew I was right about you Regina."

"I'm not sure I understand what you're referring to."

"Well, you don't exactly come off as the warmest person, but I could tell you had so much good inside of you. And you just proved that I'm right. I knew that we would be friends one day!" Mary Margaret was now beaming with gratitude and what appeared to be a hint of satisfaction.

Regina stood there in disbelief. Was Mary Margaret her friend now? She wasn't even sure what being a friend entailed. But the thought didn't seem completely horrible to her. Maybe it would be nice to have someone to talk to and take away some of the loneliness she'd always felt. She paused a moment longer before making a confession. "I've never had a friend before so I'm not really sure how this is supposed to work."

Mary Margaret's smile remained as she said, "Now that we're friends, we can figure it out together."


It never made sense to anyone how Regina Mills and Mary Margaret Blanchard could become friends. Their classmates certainly never thought the unlikely duo's friendship would last. But after two years, here they were. Regina still wondered how she and Mary Margaret hadn't strangled each other, considering that they were total opposites. Her best friend had been driving her crazy lately though, and their current conversation mimicked almost every other they'd had for the past week.

"Regina and Daniel sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g," Mary Margaret teasingly sang to her friend.

"Grow up, Mary Margaret! How many times do I have to tell you that I don't like Daniel?"

The pixie-haired brunette stared at Regina disbelievingly. "Yeah right. How could you not like him? He's smart and he's sweet! And he's one of the cutest seniors at Storybrooke High."

Regina gave an exasperated look to her best friend. She wanted to object but didn't know what to say. She had already been dodging the subject for days. She sat tight lipped, afraid that if she opened her mouth even just a little her secret would come spilling out.

What could she say to get Mary Margaret to leave her alone about this? She could tell her that her mother wouldn't allow her to date. She shook her head at the thought. Her friend would never believe that. Cora was always talking about how she was concerned about the fact that her daughter had never expressed interest in having a boyfriend. Regina usually dismissed it, claiming that she had more important things to worry about such as her future. She knew she couldn't avoid the topic forever and decided now was as good a time as any to tell the truth.

"Mary Margaret, I need to tell you something." She paused for a moment, hoping to settle her nerves. "I don't want a boyfriend."

"Duh, I already know that." Mary Margaret said matter-of-factly.

Regina was suddenly confused. "You do?"

"Yes, Regina. You think having a boyfriend will distract you from the quest you're on of trying to be perfect for your mom."

While she brought up a good point, Regina realized that her friend had no clue as to the real reasoning behind her resistance to dating Daniel. "No that's not it."

Now it was Mary Margaret's turn to be confused. "Well spit it out then."

"Swear to me that you won't tell a soul."

"I swear. Come on, just tell me. I'm your best friend. You know that you can trust me with any secret that you have."

Regina was still hesitant but decided that it was now or never. "I….. It's not just Daniel that I'm not attracted to. I'm not attracted to any guy."

Regina was trying to gauge Mary Margaret's reaction and just saw wide eyes staring back at her. She started to tense up and then began rambling on in an effort to explain what she just said. "I hope you don't think I'm trying to say that I like you. Well you're my friend so of course I like you. But not in that kind of way. I've never actually liked any girl but I just know. Ugh I'm so stupid, I shouldn't have anything. I'm sorry, just forget that I told you and –"

Mary Margaret decided that now would be a good time to interrupt her. "Regina, stop!" She continued on once she knew she had her friend's attention. "Were you not listening when I just told you that I'm your best friend? I don't care who you like. I love and accept you for who you are."

A wave of relief hit Regina. She didn't notice until now that tears were starting to fall down her cheeks. She never cried, but this was one time that she didn't care about being strong. She continued to weep as she felt her best friend's arms surround her.

It didn't take more than a few moments for Regina to compose herself again. She could tell by the look on Mary Margaret's face that the question and answer portion of this conversation was about to commence. "I know you want to ask me something so just ask."

"So you've really never told anyone else about this?"

"No, of course not. You know my mother. I could never risk her finding out. She would disown me."

"Do you really think she would do that? She's your mom. I'm sure she just wants you to be happy."

"No way. I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life than to tell her this. So please, don't say anything to anyone. She can never find out."

"Your secret is safe with me. But I think you're going to have to tell her someday."

Regina was really hoping that day would never come. She couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen if Cora discovered this secret. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Mary Margaret's cell phone ringing.

"That was my dad. He wants me to go pick up dinner at Granny's. And don't worry Regina, everything will be okay." She smiled and hugged her friend before walking out of Regina's bedroom.


A week had gone by since Regina revealed her big secret, and Mary Margaret was still completely un-phased by it. She was happy that her friend felt comfortable enough with her to share something so personal. She was also hoping that by showing her that their friendship hadn't changed, then maybe Regina would muster up the courage to tell her mother one day.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, she heard someone come into Granny's and she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw that it was Cora standing in the doorway. Despite the fact that Cora was polite, Mary Margaret always felt uneasy around her. She was hoping her to-go order would be ready quickly to avoid any type of conversation with her. Today was not her lucky day though.

"Mary Margaret, dear. How have you been?" Cora asked.

"I've been well, Mrs. Mills. And you?"

"I'm glad you asked dear. I've been feeling quite troubled lately. Do you mind if we step outside for a moment so we can speak privately?"

Mary Margaret was not prepared for this. She knew her cheeks must be as red as an apple and she was struggling to gain her composure. "Sure Mrs. Mills. Is everything okay?"

Once they were outside, Cora signaled for Mary Margaret to sit down at the table furthest from the walkway that lead into the diner.

"I'm very concerned about my daughter. She's always been a bit of a loner, but I'm afraid that it's making her unhappy. I ran into that young man, Daniel, the other day. He said that he was hoping I would give him permission to take Regina on a date. When I told him that I would be delighted for Regina to go on a date with such a nice gentlemen, he informed me that it was Regina who told him that I would never allow it. Mary Margaret, do you know why she would say something like this?"

Just as her nerves had started to calm, Mary Margaret could feel the heat returning back to her face. "Mrs. Mills, that might be a better question for Regina to answer. Maybe she didn't want to hurt his feelings."

"Dear, you and I both know that my daughter has never had an issue with hurting someone's feelings with her honesty. That means that she must be hiding something. Please Mary Margaret, you're her best friend. She must've said something to you. It warms my heart that you two share everything. I just wish that she felt comfortable enough to share things with me. The most important thing to me is Regina's happiness. I'd do anything to make her happy."

Regina didn't open up about her mother very often. It was always a sensitive subject, and Mary Margaret learned early on in the friendship that it was one topic of conversation that was not to be pushed. The things she did know about Cora though, were not pleasant. She knew of the pressures that she placed on Regina, and that Regina constantly lived in fear of disappointing her mother. She felt like one wrong move would cause their fragile relationship to break apart and shatter.

What was Mary Margaret supposed to do now? Cora seemed to be genuinely concerned about her daughter. Surely nobody in their right mind would pretend to be worried about their own child while having some ulterior motive.

Cora was looking at Mary Margaret expectantly, and she finally answered. "You'd do anything?"

"Oh of course, dear. I don't want us to lose each other. Hopefully I can show her how I feel, that no matter what, all I want is her happiness."

Mary Margaret knew she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She didn't want to betray Regina's trust. But Cora said she just wanted her daughter to be happy. And Mary Margaret knew what it was like to not have a mother. It broke her heart to think that Regina and Cora's relationship could become nonexistent if they continued down this path of secrecy. So maybe telling her about Regina would bring them closer together and then her best friend wouldn't have to hide anymore. She knew what she had to do.

"Regina did share something with me. She made me promise not to say anything. She was afraid to tell you out of fear that you would stop loving her and that she would lose you."

"Oh sweet girl, I could never stop loving her, and she's not going to lose me. Please tell me what has been upsetting my daughter. You must tell me." Cora gave a look urging her to continue on.

After taking a deep breath Mary Margaret told the one secret she swore she never would. "Regina..." she paused, "is not interested in dating Daniel. Or any guy for that matter."

It took a moment for Cora to catch on but when she did she could feel the rage bubbling inside of her. By some miracle she was able to remain calm, her voice never wavering. "Thank you dear. I'm so happy you told me. And don't worry, everything with Regina will be just fine." And with that, she said goodbye to Mary Margaret and left the diner.


Cora stormed into Regina's room with such force that the door nearly ripped away from its hinges. The teenager, who had been studying at her desk, almost fell out of her chair due to the unexpected commotion.

"Mother what on earth is this about?"

"Regina Mills, if I ever hear from another person that you have even considered engaging in any type deviant behavior then you will be sorry. I did not spend the last sixteen years raising you just for you to be an embarrassment to this family."

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific mother." Regina still had no idea what Cora could possibly be talking about.

"Your friend so graciously told me about your lack of attraction to the opposite sex. Whatever confusion you seem to be feeling about the matter ends right this instant!" Cora stormed out of the room in the same fashion that she entered, the door slamming behind her.

Regina's mouth dropped. Her eyes began to fill with tears. How could this be happening? She trusted Mary Margaret. She swore she would keep this a secret.

She picked up the phone and began dialing her number to demand an explanation. She changed her mind just before she dialed the last digit and put the phone down. There was no explanation that could justify such betrayal. Mary Margaret had ruined Regina's life. And for that she would never forgive her.


Regina's mind snapped back to reality. Despite how long ago that day was, she still became overwhelmed with anger every time she thought about it. It was Mary Margaret's fault that she had never been happy. At least she learned a valuable lesson that nobody could be trusted.

She looked down at her food, which she realized was completely untouched. She didn't care. She couldn't stand being in such close proximity to such a traitor. She threw her money on the table and made her way to the door of the diner.

"Madame Mayor you didn't eat anything." Ruby called after her, clearly confused.

Regina looked at Mary Margaret with the most frightening glare before turning to Ruby. "I seem to have lost my appetite."

Regina walked out of the diner to begin what she thought would be another predictable day in Storybrooke.