Deadly Class

Class Twelve: Last

"So...now what?" Emma asked as she and Regina stood side by side, looking at the semi vacant parking lot and avoiding each other's gaze. Their words billowed around them as a stiff breeze ruffled their hair.

"Now nothing. This whole mess is finally over and despite my retained feelings for you, it would be inadvisable to resume a relationship," Regina stated reasonably.

Regina was right. Their relationship had never been on stable grounds because of Regina's whole past with Mary. But, now there was hope for reparation. "Maybe this whole time I didn't want revenge. Just...closure," Regina acknowledged, shocking Emma with her openness. "I immediately cut Mary off after the incident occurred and never knew why she did it or how she felt. I just...stewed in my anger. Which wasn't healthy."

"Will you need therapy? I've been learning a thing or two from a great professor," Emma said, joking weakly. She was tired of feeling broken. Angry. Sad. She wanted levity back in her life.

"Was she really a great professor if she slept with her student?" Regina muttered out discontentedly.

"She was passionate about her subject. A harsh grader. Too harsh if you ask me. But she knew what she was doing in class."

"Luckily you won't have to take that professor's class again. She might not ever teach again."

A lump stood in Emma's throat. "I thought you had tenure?"

"I do. But...I was only ever here to spite Mary. And despite it protecting me from most liabilities, and the two of your parents not wanting this to come out publicly, I think it's best if I leave. For all of us."

Emma felt her heart sink. Despite how badly their relationship had gone at the end, Emma wasn't over what they had or could have been.

"Where are you thinking of going?"

Regina shrugged. "Somewhere warm. I hate cold weather. Maybe I'll visit my sisters in their homeland. Maybe I'll visit my mom. Honestly, I don't know."

"Will you...will you keep in touch?" Emma voiced hesitantly, licking her lips shyly.

"No. I don't think it's a good idea to do so," Regina stated with that final tone of hers that meant what she said was law. "We both have a lot of healing to do and I think it's best we did it on our own."

Emma nodded her head, forced to understand this unpleasant truth. "Right."

"I do...appreciate our finer moments. Even all the times you made me watch Spongebob."

"It's a good show."

"I bet it is," Regina said softly, talking coming to an end. This was it, their parting. "I better go. I have a lot of packing and planning to do."

"But the final exam-"

"I think I'll make it a take home exam. I feel like some students could use the extra leeway because they've had a stressful semester," she said, looking at Emma finally and giving her a warm but pained gaze.

"Thank you," Emma breathed out.

"It's the least I can do."

Emma trudged back to David's office, reluctant and dreading the conversation she was going to have with her parents about the extent of her relationship with Regina. Well, at least Regina had gotten the fact they had had sex out of the way so no need for Emma to cover that.

Instead of anger, however, Emma was greeted by something else.

Mary and David surprised Emma by hugging her. She was so stunned she couldn't hug back. "You're not mad at me?" she asked, bewildered when they pulled back.

Mary shook her head. "Yes. A bit. A lot, actually. But we're also happy for you. You managed to fall in love and find something worth fighting for."

Emma was only increasingly confused. "But it was Regina, an arch nemesis of yours. And she's older than me and a professor and she kinda did a fucked up thing-"

"We know. But still. You found a special spark with someone," David said. "We were worried you'd never like anyone."

Were her parents seriously considering the fact she was in love more important than the other issues that over shadowed this?

"Sooooo is this like a blessing or something? Do you want me to be back with Regina?" Emma asked, not sure about what they were getting at. This was all so flummoxing.

"We just want you to be happy," David stated, and wasn't that what everyone wanted?

Naturally, there was a mess to figure out after all this. Emma's head was still reeling with everything and she could barely focus on her finals which was no shock as to why her grades were all high B's at the end of the semester. Though, she was a bit shocked when she saw Regina had given her a B plus.

"You lucky bitch," Belle gasped when she saw Emma's grade for that class. "How the fuck did she give you such a high grade for her class. Twice."

Probably from guilt, would be Emma's guess.

Of course, that was before it came out that Emma had dated Regina. Courtesy of August who Emma suddenly found hating. She hadn't noticed how much of an asshole he was until this.

"Why didn't you tell us you were dating her?" Ruby asked while Neal whistled. "Holy hell, how did you even land her?"

Emma was very uncomfortable with all these questions.

"Is that why she's leaving campus? Because you two got caught?" Belle asked.

Emma didn't want to tell them the truth, because it hurt her. It still hurt to think how she had been used even if Regina did truly like her. Also, she didn't want to seem pathetic in front of her friends. That she had allowed herself to be used.

"Um, honestly I'm surprised I caught her eye. But I guess she saw me pining over her and," at this Emma shrugged. "She was interested. It wasn't about the grades, if you're wondering. She graded me super harshly, honestly I thought I was going to fail the class with an F. But, we did just break up because she's moving so maybe she felt bad and gave me a higher grade."

"That's why you were so grumpy all finals term long!" Ruby put together. "So, tell us, how is she in bed?" she asked, propping her chin up in her hands.

Emma really didn't feel comfortable answering this. "Guys, I'm going through a break up right now. I'd rather not."

"Oh, right, sorry," Ruby pulled back. "Just let us know if you need anything."

"Thanks," she gave a watery smile.

But the thing Emma needed most was time. Time to do away with the hurt. True to her word, Regina did not contact Emma at all. And Mary and David made sure to never speak of what had happened with Regina either. They must feel embarrassed by it and by knowing their daughter had sex so other than punishing Emma by cutting her funds drastically and making her do all the chores at home, Regina and the relationship were not mentioned.

Emma was grateful for that, because she had a tough time forgetting her professor. Regina had more or less been her first love. Her first relationship. Her first everything. It was hard to just forget all that. But Emma tried. She really did.

She threw herself into her work, even took psychology as a major, because she found she did like it. And she went out more. Became social. She took up new clubs. Made new friends. She avoided August whenever she could along with his creepy club.

She even ended up dating Mulan because as it turned out, they got along well and Mulan actually had developed a crush on her during their intro class but was too shy to say anything about it.

Though, their relationship fizzled out by their third year because they found the passion there had disappeared and they were better off as friends.

Time seemed to fly by for Emma as she became engaged in work and in taking classes she was passionate about. She even joined some clubs to help the environment. Before she knew it, graduation was upon her and the best four years of her life were over.

It was surreal how fast everything had moved but she couldn't be happier to be crossing that stage and getting her diploma. She and her friends were all smiles and giddy laughter. Emma already knew she was going to go to grad school to pursue a continuation of her masters in psychology.

Just then Emma spotted a familiar face. One she hadn't been able to forget. Her hair was shorter, more severe looking, and she was impeccably dressed as always, suit jacket folded over her arm as she looked out into the crush of students and family.

Emma squeezed through the crowd and got to her, feeling nearly breathless with surprise and joy. Regina''s head turned at the last minute, eyes going wide as she saw Emma. Her lips parted as if to say her name but nothing came out because Emma was crushing her to her, kissing her soundly.

She tasted just like she always had. Her lips soft like velvet and molded in an expression of shock. Emma pulled away, exhilarated on this special day.

"What was that for?" Regina asked, looking truly flabbergasted.

"We never had our goodbye kiss before you left," Emma breathed out. "You owed me one."

"Technically, it's goodbye sex," Regina teased back, falling into old comfort. Emma had matured over the years. She'd grown an inch taller, let her hair grow out nice and long like princess curls, and she had stopped being as shy and withdrawn. Regina did an appreciative glance over. Both of them had changed over the years but how? They hadn't spoken or kept in touch ever,

"How about we talk about it, over dinner?"

Regina's eyebrows went up. "But our rel-

"Ended shitty, yes I know. But you said you still cared for me after it was all over and you never got to prove that to me."

Regina bit her bottom lip, like she was trying to contain a smile. "Very well. Dinner and drinks?"

"I still don't have a tolerance, so how about we stick to juice."

Regina laughed. "Some things never change."

"No, they don't," Emma said softly as Mary and David began to approach her.

And this dinner wasn't a promise of anything.

It was merely an opening. An opening to see where this would lead them.

A/N: I know the ending might seem a bit abrupt but I didn't want to write a redemption arc for Regina. Her and Emma were in a position where their relationship couldn't have one because of their status in relation to the college and each other. I did leave the ending open as to whether they end up together or not now that Emma is graduated and more mature. It's up to the readers to decide; let me know what you think happens and thanks for reading.