A/N: Hey! it's been over I year I think since I put any of this out... bad writer... but I have other SwanQueen stories I want to write, but I decided that I was not going to start posting that until I finished this story. so let's see if I can get my butt in gear. I had this chapter written forever ago. but since it was the last one I had in the can I just left it there... but I am off to write the next chapter now so I am posting it for inspiration. I hope you enjoy it. S.K.


9-Economy of living


Monday came and Emma was not so sure she wanted to face it. She had embarrassed herself in front of her classmates that weekend and she really just didn't want to show her face in school.

She lay in her bed wide awake. She refused to get up. "Emma?" Mary said stepping onto the loft where Emma slept. "Come on sweetie, it's time for school."

"I'm not going," She answered, pulling the blanket up over her head.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad."

Emma sat up, throwing the blanket off her head to glare at her sister. "You're not the one that made a fool of herself in front of a bunch of people. I hate this town." she ranted.

Mary sighed and sat in bed next to her sister. "The quicker you get back to school the quicker it will pass."

A whimper of complaint escaped her as she slid out of bed. "Fine, " she said softly slidin a foot tentatively out of the bed. "But if I don't survive today and become a recluse you only have yourself to blame."

"Oh Emma don't be so dramatic." Mary sighed standing up again. "I have to go. See you at school later?"

Emma nodded. And with a pleased smile, Mary descended the stairs. The younger girl groaned and dropped back in bed again. Then her phone chirped with a text message. She reached for it on her nightstand and read .

Lily: Can't wait to see you today. XX

Her Lips quirked to a soft smile and she finally began to get ready for her day.


Katherine dropped into the seat next to Regina when the Black Mercedes pulled up to her driveway. "Spill, how was the honeymoon weekend?" Katherine asked. "When I took this class as a sophomore it just wasn't as fun as your class sounds. We never went on field trips for our honeymoon."

Regina rolled her eyes. "It was fine. Fine as camping could be."

"Did you actually sleep in a tent with your wife?" she asked.

"There were cabins, we had bunks." Regina said, rolling her eyes.

"Could you imagine? I mean Emma is an actual lesbian. putting the two of you together… I'd have been really uncomfortable."

Regina bristled. If Katherine only knew… "Do you have a problem with gay people?" she asked. She was hurt. Of course she was.

"No, I mean, you aren't like that so imagine her making a pass at you or something." Katherine stated.

Regina ground her teeth. "So what cause she's gay she has to have a thing for me?"

"I mean Regina, come on… Look at yourself." Katherine said and the compliment eased her anger some but still…

"You are cute, so in your opinion if I was gay I should be falling in love with you."

"Ugh," Katherine groaned. "What is your issue? It was just an observation."

Regina shut her mouth and refused to look Katherine's way again the whole ride into school. As she pulled up to the school she could see Emma and Lily locked in a kiss near the door. And Regina had had all she could take. She wanted to scream. So she got out of her car quickly and made her way into school.


"The world runs on money." Mrs. Nolan says as the third period begins. "So I have designed a classroom economy."

She started to pass out papers and when Regina got hers she sighed. Budgeting had been the main sticking point with her mother. Where her father would ignore everything her mother told her and just gave in to Regina's whims. "Your partner and yourself will look at your monthly salaries and come up with a household budget that includes all of the items on the list."

Regina didn't know how much a public servant made but it had to be a lot, right? Her mother had more than enough money. She looked on the app to see what she made as a city council member and gasped. "How is that possible?"

"What?" Emma said, turning to her partner.

"38 thousand dollars a year?" Regina continued.

Emma shrugged. "You're just starting out.."

"So are you. You're an FBI agent, how much do you make?" Regina said, turning back to her app looking for total household income. "You make twice as much as I do!"

"That's cool, we won't starve then." Emma said.

Regina sighed her car was worth a whole year of her salary. "Fine, let's get cracking on this stupid budget not that we'd get to do much of anything."

Emma smirked. "You'd be surprised how much you get to do if you tell your money where to go." Emma said, and they spent the hour in class allocating money to a savings account and calculating how much to pay, including vacations and splurges.

Regina was surprised how much she and Emma could do with their money together and was delighted when her wife included a projection of their savings account through some years with compound interest. Their savings counted in the millions by the time class ended. "Emma you're a financial genius."

"I learned from the best," Emma said as she picked up her things to head out. Regina hadn't noticed til then, how Emma just wasn't… well, herself. She felt a little odd and reserved throughout the class but she chucked it up to concentrate. But now class was over, and Emma was just leaving without even so much of a flirty comment passing from her lips.

Was it because she had Lily now? Had she done something wrong. "Emma…" She said and stopped herself when the blonde turned to look at her expectantly. She really didn't know what to say. What was she supposed to say? Emma, you didn't flirt with me today, lay it on me? "I… was wondering if maybe you want to hang out this weekend?"

Emma smiled and shook her head. "Sorry, I have plans R'gina… See ya round." She said and walked off.

Regina's heart plummeted to her stomach. It wasn't exactly rejection. Emma said she had plans prior to Regina asking. And it wasn't as if it was going to be some sort of date… She just… She just wanted to be around the blonde. She thought she liked getting to know her over the weekend, and maybe Emma could talk about… whatever was bothering her.

Regina sighed. She knew she was only curious about why Emma had broken down and it really wasn't any of her business. So the brunette nodded to herself and picked up her things to head out of the room.


Holy shit, holy shit… Regina Mills had asked her, Emma Swan, to hang out. That was incredible. But she'd turned her down. She'd turned her down because she was completely embarrassed about that ridiculous meltdown she had at the camp over the weekend.

"Hey Babe," she heard coming from behind as Lily grabbed her ass. She bristled as she hated when people did that.

"Lily," she said through gritted teeth. "What's up?"

"Geez what's with you?" the brunette asked "you have been a bitch today."

"I just had a bad weekend okay" Emma said continuing on her way. "And I am not in the mood."

"I don't know what your problem is, but you need to get over it before our date tonight." Lily stated in a teasing tone.

"Well, How about we don't go out." Emma said stopping in her tracks.

"What?" Lily said stopping and staring in confusion.

"You remind me of the most skeeviest, greasiest of the dudes out there, and I am so turned off, I don't think I want to hang out anymore."

"Regina isn't going to come out for you." Lily said as Emma walked away from her.

Emma stopped short. She turned to face her. "This has nothing to do with her."

Lily let out a breath. an evil smirk marring her features "sure… I'm not blind Emma. Why do you think I went after you? Because I knew she didn't have the guts to come get you." Lily shrugged "she didn't come after Dorothy and she loved her forever."

Emma didn't know what to say to that, so she shook her head and turned away from her. The first thing she connected with was brown orbs. Regina stood still. Her mouth agape as their eyes connected.

Emma waited, challenging Regina to prove Lily wrong. But the older girl was frozen.

With the lack of response, Emma decided to push on. David will have to commute next year.