The school day started like any other. Except Regina wore a smile for a good portion of the day. Emma couldn't help smiling either. It was because of her. She made her smile.

"Alright class. Settle down." Even her stern teacher voice felt like it was smiling at her.

"Looks like someone got laid." A boy snickered to his pal. Usually something like that would have angered her but an odd feeling of pride washed over her.

"Nah. Shes too much of a bitch. Nobody would do her. No matter how hot she is." And now that feeling was gone.

"Hey." She hissed. "I can hear you which means she probably can too." That wasn't what she wanted to say to them but it was the only thing she could do at the moment to make them stop without drawing attention. Regina didn't need to hear them being so foul.

"Chill Swan. We're just joshing."

"Yeah. So put the Mom jeans away."

"Whatever." She turned back in her seat giving Regina her full attention. They were really immature at times.

"...Which is why we will be taking a field trip." Regina finished. Grins spread across their faces and a couple students even cheered.

"I need this form signed by Wednesday. Failure to do so means you won't be going."

She passed them out before quickly starting the day's lesson.

"The fucking American Literature Museum? What's that shit about. I don't want to go to that." The two continued to speak in their hushed tones. God they were ruining her good mood.

"We can ditch."

"Or we can stay here with the sub."

"Let's ask Philip if he wants to too."

"Excuse me!" Regina Snapped. "Do you have something you'd like to share?" The two boys froze like two deer caught in a headlight.

"No Miss Mills."

Regina continued speaking though her eyes stuck near their side of the room. It worked in keeping them silent.

She couldn't help looking at Regina's legs as she walked across the room. Today she wore a skirt, a very tight skirt that had her questioning why she thought that was a good idea with all these teenage boys around. It drew her in and all her thoughts spiraled downwards from there. They were smooth legs, she knew that from touch and god did she want to touch them right now. She dragged her eyes further along the curves and stopped at the beautiful swell there.

Her mind flew back to that detention where she had caught her bending over and now she could feel her face heating up. This was not good. What was she even saying right now?

"Hemingway was..." Her lipstick was insanely red today. It was like she knew how good her lips looked and just wanted her to look at them.

A paper ball suddenly hit her in the back of the head and she whipped around.

Aurora pointed to Neal. He waved and held back a snicker. Had they caught her staring? Or were they just fooling around? She didn't like either .

It was stupid but she threw it back at him. The paper hit him square on the forehead and it bounced up in the air before falling with a weak plop onto his desk. Regina hadn't seen anything and she felt a little guilty at how much the class was misbehaving. He picked it up and feared she just started a paper war. Though instead of throwing it at her he grinned wickedly and whipped it towards Regina. Time seemed to stop as she watched it travel. It flew effortlessly through the air heading straight for her. Shit.

Regina was reading a passage to the class when it made contact with her chest and fell into the open book in her hands. She stopped talking and the class went still as they watched Regina just stare at the offending object. A thick tension filled the room as they anticipated a reaction. However, Regina just grabbed the paper ball and quietly walked it over to the trash can. Then she carried on as if it never even happened. Mouths dropped and Neal looked pissed. He wanted something to happen .

A grin spread across her face realizing that was a victory for Regina. The class carried on right up until lunch without any further incident. They were dismissed but she stuck behind.

"Emma." She smiled. Regina was leaning back against her desk arms folded across her chest. It was very tempting to just wrap her arms around her.

"Hey... I just thought I'd say you were brilliant today. Neal got so pissed that you didn't do anything. I think we've found his kryptonite."

"Honestly I've been in such a good mood lately I didn't feel the usual urge...I have you to thank for that Emma."

"Awww." Regina rolled her eyes at the overly dramatized reply but smiled anyway.

"Would you like to eat with me today?"

"Can I? I didn't know if that was allowed."

"Well...it is my last year. I don't care if its not allowed."

"Rule breaker Miss Mills I like it."

Regina's eyes darkened at the title and she felt her breath hitch. Maybe lunch wasn't a good idea.

"I'll just go grab something from the cafeteria..."

"Nonsense we'll share mine."

"I couldn't...you should eat a full meal."

"I brought two."

"You what?"

"I planned ahead Emma. I wanted to eat with you."

Her heart skipped at the gesture.

"Well then who am I to turn down free food?"

Regina smiled back and placed a cooler tote bag on top of her desk.

"Now I only have one request of you."

"What's that?"

"Don't get any crumbs on my desk."

Regina's face was so serious she had to laugh.

"What happens if I do?"

"Well dear, let's just say... It's in your best interest not to."

"You better not be giving me crumb cake...although that does sound amazing."

"Emma." She laughed. "They're just peanut butter and banana sandwiches. With some carrots and celery on the side. "

"Oh...the sandwich sounds good. I'm not so sure about the vegetable part."

"Do what you want. I know I'll be eating them." Regina drawled the last part out as she set the containers on the desk.

They were even labeled.

"You sure are organized..."

"You say that like its a bad thing." She huffed.

"Oh no! That's not what I meant. I'm just impressed because I can't even keep my room clean..."

"You do have a child. I'm not surprised you don't have the energy to clean it."

"That's not an excuse. "

"I never said it was."

"Are we fighting?"

"No." Regina smiled.

"Good...because I can't deal with a fight. Im too hungry."

Regina regarded her warmly as she handed over the packaged sandwich.

"I'll wait until we're done eating then."

"I hope you're kidding."

"Why was that funny?"

"Geez all aboard the sasstrain !"

Regina laughed and It made her own smile widen just a little more. Every time she heard Regina laugh it was like her soul was soaring inside of her , trying to break free and discover what beautiful kind of creature made the sound.

"What do you think about the field trip?" Regina suddenly asked. The nervousness in her voice made her choose her answer carefully.

"I think it's a great idea." She didn't want to tell her about the boys sitting near her.

"I wasn't sure...I'm still not but I have always wanted to go. So why not share the experience?"

"Yeah. Why not?" If she had a glass shed raise it. Regina bit in to her sandwich and looked over at her with the warmest eyes.

Adorable and sexy.

It took an effort for her to not stare. And for once in her life food came second in her list of priorities.

U rdy?

Of course. What kind of a teacher would I be if I weren't prepared.

A hot one.

There was a small break in the texts after she sent that and she knew Regina didn't know how to respond.

I'll see you at school. ;)

Flirty Regina? She couldn't be sure either way she couldn't stop smiling.

"Stick together please and no horseplay you are representing this school so I expect your best behaviors. Also, this is meant to be a learning experience not a playground." Regina crossed her arms across her chest as she addressed the class. When she was finished with her speech they dispersed, though they all didn't really seem excited to do so. Emma casually fell in step beside her.

"This is a disaster " Regina sighed.

"What? We just got here. Give it a chance. I know I'm going to have a blast!"

Regina cocked a very disbelieving eyebrow.

"Come on." She laughed. "You doubt yourself way too much."

"All right... " a couple of students were suddenly more interested in them than the historical literature surrounding them so Regina told her to go join the other students. It hurt but she knew it was in their best interest. Rumors wouldn't be good for the rest of her year.

"Swan!" Oh great she thought. "Come look at this." It was Philip apparently he decided to go after all.

"Kind of looks like you." He snickered. On the wall was a book cover titled Lolita. A young blonde wore a white sun hat and was licking an orange popsicle in a seductive way.

"Yeah if I was living in the 1920s..." It didn't really look like her and it irked having him think that.

"I don't know . She looks pretty slutty."

Did he really just fucking say that?

"Watch it." She growled.

" Hey I'm only kidding." Her shoulders sagged as the threat of a confrontation diminished.

"That one looks like you." She countered while pointing to the title The Elephant Man. He started cracking up and she smiled too, feeling she got her revenge. Their laughter in the otherwise quiet room drew too many eyes to them. Somebody shushed them.

"Shit. I didn't realize this was a library too..." She whispered under her breath. Philip heard and cackled again. Boys...

She browsed the rest of the displays with a moderate amount of interest. Her real interest was Regina. It was so obvious to her that she was out of her element and she just wanted to hold her hand. To tell her to just relax. A group of students were murmuring by a display and she watched Regina approach them. She said something to them she couldn't quite make out and they all cracked a smile. It made her feel a thousand times lighter seeing Regina getting along with her students.

An hour passed before they went to lunch and she made sure to sit at Regina's table.

"Miss Swan." She greeted with a smirk.

"Miss Mills." She smiled. "Can I join you?"

Regina looked to the other students feigning to seek out their approval.

"I don't see why not." She grinned ear to ear at the invitation.

"Miss Mills!" Regina turned her head towards the boy a couple seats down the table.

"Yes ?"

"Will there be a quiz on this?"

"No."

He smiled and looked relieved.

Good. She thought. This was not something she wanted a quiz on...she was bored out of her mind! But she'd never tell Regina that.

Little bits of conversations were exchanged over the table and most of the kids were surprised to see just how nice Regina could be. It definitely was a change from the beginning of the year and she had a feeling she was the reason for her opening up. It was an amazing feeling, even if it wasn't the only reason.

"Miss Swan." She jerked her head towards her. "I need to have a word with you." Her tone was stern and she feared she did something wrong.

"Of course."

Regina stood from the table, her face set in stone.

"Oooooo." Somebody called out and she wished she knew who so she could clock them one later.

Regina led her into the hallway, it was slightly secluded but any patron could easily drop in on their conversation.

"Emma. I just wanted to get a moment alone with you."

Alone with you. It had her stomach doing flips.

Regina's tone was so soft, and tender like the kind someone would use to make a frightened animal calmer. It made her relax.

"You were right. This is working out better than I thought it would. Thank you."

"Regina you don't need to thank me. This was all you." So much warmth and light seemed to be radiating off of Regina. She was happy.

"But I never would have gone through with this without your support... " Regina's hand slowly reached out for hers, and she gave it a gentle squeeze. It was the only way to express how she was feeling without crossing a line of appropriateness.

It told her so much. Love, gratitude, contentment. It was a perfect moment and one she would have permanently ingrained in her mind for the rest of her life.

But for some reason all good things in her life come to an end and both of their smiles quickly faded. Regina's was the last to disappear, replaced with an expression of pain and confusion. Her face twisted, and her breath stopped for a millisecond as she fell forward. Emma didn't know what just happened but she knew whatever it was it wasn't good. She caught Regina, who fell into her like a tower too top heavy to stand any longer.

"Regina!?"

Fingers gripped at her bicep, attempting to steady herself.

"Emma...set me down." It was a weak demand of her but she listened.

God what was wrong?

Regina was bleeding. Dark red crimson was pouring out of her abdomen at a frightening rate. What the fuck?

There was a commotion further down the hall yelling and the sounds of gunfire. She hadn't heard a gunshot before but the blood pooling around her on the floor told her Regina had been shot. She ripped of her jacket and pressed it into the wound. It didn't seem to be helping at all. Why hadn't she paid more attention in her health classes? What should she do? She needed help.

Her fingers now slick with Regina's blood trembled as she frantically dialed 911. The call took several minutes. She described everything as best as she could and they directed her to continue applying pressure before ending the call. She wished the man would have stayed on the line because it felt like it was just her against the world right now.

"Its going to be okay..." She cooed. It was so hard not to break into tears. Her heart was clenching painfully and she just needed her to be okay.

"Emma." Regina reached out for her hand. "I love you..."

She was saying it like she'd never be able to say it again.

"Don't...you're gonna be fine." She swallowed back a lump. "The ambulance is on the way."

She heard more yelling and gunfire down the hall and she felt a fear seep into her, one that came with not knowing what was happening. When and where the next bullet could come from. She would do everything in her power to protect Regina.

Regina suddenly dug her nails into her hand and gasped. Where the hell was the ambulance?

"Regina?"

"Ughh." That was her only reply and tears started streaming down Regina's face. The fact that she hadn't seen any tears before made her worry that something was really wrong. The episode passed and something she could only describe as a whimper left Regina's lips. It had her pressing harder into Regina's abdomen.

"I'm sorry..." Regina gasped.

"For what?" Her own voice was trembling.

"For...sending you away." A brief moment of confusion overcame her but then she recalled the moment earlier in the museum. That's what she was thinking about in a time like this?!

"Don't apologize for that. I would have done the same. You can make it up to me later if you want just make it through this."

"Em..." Her voice was pleading and she was desperately wishing it was her who had been shot.

"What is it? What do you need?"

She ran her hand lovingly across her forehead, doing anything to lessen her discomfort. Regina's mouth opened but the words never came out as a couple of SWAT police suddenly came running in the room.

"Police!"

She jumped in surprise but held up her hands to show she meant no harm. They lowered their weapons.

"She's been shot. We never saw the gunman." Her voice was shaking with worry. Regina lightly squeezed her hand but this time it was her attempt at comforting Emma.

The sound of a gurney rolling through the halls signaled the approaching paramedics. So much relief filled her. They would take care of her.

"Ma'am step aside please." She didn't want to leave her and she could tell Regina felt the same way by the rising panic in her eyes.

"I'll be right here." She said stepping back to let them do their job. The paramedics frantically worked, strapping Regina into the gurney and wheeling her out in a satisfyingly quick time. She jumped into step behind them asking if she could accompany her. They were quick to reply, saying one was allowed in the ambulance.

Regina had a ventilator placed over her face during the ride so she couldn't speak but anything that needed to be said was nonverbal. A gentle squeeze to her hand and a soft reassuring look told her that Regina was grateful to have her there. They were separated at the ICU now she had nothing to do but wait. Worry, and wait.

"Miss Swan?" A doctor in scrubs approached her about ten minutes after their arrival.

"Yes that's me!"

She jumped up a little too quickly and was cast a strange look.

"Miss Mills will be going into surgery. I thought you should know her chances are looking very good. The bullet missed any major internal organs. Once we remove it and stop the bleeding she's expected to have a full recovery."

She sighed in relief.

"Thank you doctor. "

"Oh I'm not a doctor. I'm just one of the nurses here. You can call me Steve." He grinned at her and walked away.

At least she didn't have to worry about him operating on her. She let out a shaky breath and returned to the waiting room. In a couple of hours she would see her.

A/n: OK I had requests for Regina to get hurt and I wasn't opposed to the idea and this was the result. I made up the museum btw. Thanks for reading and the continued reviews. You guys are awesome ;D