Some Regina/Daniel while the story builds up, but SwanQueen is endgame.

Chapter Five: Hope

One year later.

Juvenile Detention Centre, Boston MA

Tears streamed from desolate, green eyes as Emma sat on the bunk of her cell and held a little white stick in a death grip. How many times had she asked Neal to slip a few condoms in his pocket when he was out shoplifting their next meal? One too many times it seemed. He always returned to her, wherever they were staying, saying that he missed his opportunity, or someone was watching when he got to that aisle, or he was already carrying too much. She should have insisted that they kept their activities strictly non-penetrative when he failed in this task, but his whining and puppy-dog eyes would make her feel guilty, especially when he'd taken the risk to make sure they both got to eat.

Now, there was going to be another mouth to feed and Neal was long gone.

She'd had a bad feeling the moment he mentioned the watches and the heat he expected. She'd have been better off persuading him to dump the hot property and carry on as they were, surviving night to night – day to day on naps in motel rooms and stale sandwiches from the dumpsters of the nearest 7/11. But he'd charmed her with the fantasy of a home and a life away from the streets, away from crime. Ironic, considering where she was now.

What was she going to do? Termination was probably the kindest thing for this kid. Save him from the life she'd lived. She had no hope of raising it herself. No home, no money, no job, no family, very little education despite how smart people were always saying she was. No hope. She knew that if she chose to have this baby and chose to keep it, then the inevitable would happen; social services were going to find her unfit and her kid was going to end up in the same broken system that had spat her out.

Days passed where Emma existed in a bubble of her own tortured thoughts. She didn't care what the women around her were doing or saying, even when they were obviously trying to get a rise out of her. She was a zombie; a shadow of her former self. At night, she lay awake, staring at the grey ceiling and mulling over her future. At the end of a week, she finally gave in and, with shaking hands, placed them over her stomach. More tears escaped and ran down the sides of her face, soaking into her pillow until she finally passed out from exhaustion.

When she woke the following morning, Emma thought she'd come to a decision. Abortion would still be an option for a while and while she was glad it was an option, she was leaning away from it for now. Rather than risk the authorities forcibly removing her baby, she would put him/her up for adoption. Couples were always looking to adopt babies – she'd seen it time and again while growing up. The younger you were when those potential parents came calling, the more likely your chance of finding a home. And maybe – someday – their paths would cross again.

Near Boston MA

The garden was 'compact', the house 'cosy' and the neighbourhood 'bustling' but Mrs Queenie Farrier looked relaxed and cheerful as she squeezed between groups of chatting neighbours to check on the progress of the food. Her grinning husband, Danny, stood at the grill in the corner of the slabbed area and flipped burgers.

"Hello, my queen," he greeted her and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Are the masses getting hungry?"

Queenie snuggled into her husband's side and eyed the piles of waiting meat patties. The fayre was a distant shot from the cuisine on which she'd grown up but it was far more palatable than the most expensive plate so long as the company was agreeable. She thought about the trials of the last year or two and thanked the universe that they had each other. After successfully escaping a sham of a wedding and running from her insanely ambitious mother, Regina and Daniel had driven their way north and eventually settled on the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts.

Introducing themselves under false identities, they set up a bank account with the money Regina had managed to syphon from her old life, found an estate agent and, within a few days, they had a mortgage for this modest house. Regina managed to find a job as a junior paralegal in a small practice close to home, but there were far fewer farms and ranches in this part of the country, so it was weeks before Daniel managed to find work. Since mucking out stables for the local rescue centre didn't pay much, he ended up working a second job, in construction. It wasn't perfect, but they were safe for now and had been welcomed into the neighbourhood with open arms.

"They're fine for now," Queenie replied, her gaze shifting to wander over the dozen or so people crammed into their garden. As she did, she spotted another couple making their way over and felt a genuine smile pull at her features. "Kat, Fred," she greeted. "How are you? Do you need another drink?"

"Ever the hostess." Kat tutted and shook her head in exasperation. "Relax, Queenie. We're fine; everyone's having a good time."

Kathryn and Fredrick Aureate lived the furthest away from their new abode. Regina met Kat on her first day at her new job and they hit it off immediately, working seamlessly through their firm's newest cases and leaving them with their new moniker, the Dream Team. It wasn't exactly original, but Regina found herself glowing with pride by the time she returned home that evening. Kat's husband, Fredrick, worked as a gym teacher at a local high school and had already arranged with Daniel to take some of their troubled kids to help out around the rescue centre to boost their confidence. For Regina, who had mostly been exposed to spoiled rich kids while growing up, her new friends were a breath of fresh air. The only thing that bothered her was the fact that she was having to lie about who she really was.

"Ok, ok, I'll relax," she relented, holding her hands up in surrender.

"You should," Kat repeated firmly. "After what you've been through recently, you need to take care of yourself."

Regina smiled sadly. Her miscarriage had shaken her to her core, leaving her bed-ridden at home and like a wraith at work. "I have all of you to take care of me," she replied gratefully. "We actually have some news on that front…"

Kat's eyes widened and scanned her friend. "Are you…?"

"No," Regina shook her head regretfully. "I… I don't think I can go through that again. But," she turned to her husband and they shared a gentle smile. "We've put in an application to adopt."

"That's great news," Fred commented with a toothy grin.

"Agreed," Kat added. "You two are going to be wonderful parents."

"It's not definite yet," Daniel interjected, looking side-on at his wife. They'd had such hopes when she was pregnant and losing the baby had made them both cautious. "There are still countless hoops to jump through."

"But we're hopeful," Regina finished for him and leaned closer for another gentle kiss.

Another short one, I know, but I hope you'll agree that this is all necessary when we get to the end of Part One!