A/N: Happy Sunday! I'm throwing in some angst because these girls have had it too easy, right?

Emma hugged the shorter woman tightly, feeling the burn of tears threatening her eyes. But she couldn't cry, not here. She didn't want to appear weak and emotional. Even in juvie, that wasn't something you wanted to be perceived as.

"Good luck," she said, pulling away and forcing a smile on her face.

"Thanks," MM grinned at her, picking up the small bag of possessions she owned and swinging it onto her shoulder. "I'll be fine. It's not the first time I'm getting a new foster family. Plus, I'll be eighteen in no time and then I can finally live life on my terms."

"Legal terms, right?" Ruby added, hovering beside the girls as they said their goodbyes.

"Sure," MM nodded, plastering a solemn look across her features. Emma didn't buy it and nor did Ruby but neither said anything. The teen had served her time and there was nothing more the system could do until she landed herself back inside. "Well, I guess I'm outta here."

"I'm going to miss you," Emma said, the tears now making her eyes glisten. "Thank you for being such a good mate."

"You too. And good luck with your girlfriend. I wanna hear how that crazy love story works out."

"You and me both," Emma replied, stuffing her hands in her pockets. It was over two weeks since Regina and her parents had come to visit and she still had two more weeks to go before she would see the brunette again.

Behind them, an electronic buzzer sounded and the door to the reception area of the juvenile centre opened. "Right, it's time to go," Ruby said.

"Freedom!" MM cheered, giving Emma one more brief hug before she darted out through the door, followed closely by Ruby.

Emma watched as the door closed behind her one close friend in the centre. Sure, she got on with the other girls but she hadn't developed any sort of meaningful connections. MM was the only one who knew about Regina and therefore could talk to Emma about her new relationship and the complexities of navigating it not only while inside but also with their history. Now MM was gone, she had no one except Ruby. Sure, she could talk to the counsellor but it wasn't the same. It was Ruby's job to listen to Emma and she wasn't her peer. It was different with MM and the confidant was one she had grown to value.

After a few moments, Emma turned and headed back down the corridor towards her bunk. Climbing up to the top, she flopped down onto her mattress and let out a low sigh. And then frowned. Rolling over, she pulled out the item which had been jabbing her in the back. She couldn't help but smile as she saw a jumbo bag of MM's favourite candies poking out from beneath her sheets. A final parting gift, she supposed. Ripping the pack open, Emma lay back down and chewed, her thoughts drifting, as they so often did, to Regina.

Regina was not a morning person. But this particular day, her alarm went off sooner than she could bear. It felt as if she had only just laid her head on her pillow after studying late into the night for a test the following day. Groaning, she shut off the shrill noise and rolled out of bed, shuffling into the bathroom and going through the motions, a little slower than usual. She had been cramming for the test until close to three in the morning and four hours sleep was not enough. She perked up a bit, however, when she remembered that she had her next meeting with Emma the following afternoon.

Once she was showered, dressed and with a light layer of make-up applied, she grabbed her cell, notebooks and school bag and trudged down the stairs. Despite her mother's protests that she needed a proper breakfast, the teen just grabbed a slice of toast from the rack and kissed her on the cheek before heading out of the house. If she got to school early, she and Zelena could do a last-minute cramming session and ace the paper. As the door closed behind her, Henry appeared out of his home office, an iPad gripped in his hand.

"Was that Regina?" he asked his wife.

"Yes, why?" Cora replied, holding out the man's coffee.

Instead of answering, Henry passed over the tablet he was holding, a grim look on his face.

Just as Regina pulled her car out of the garage, both Henry and Cora burst into the underground parking area, but the teen didn't see them as she slid the vehicle into drive and set off towards school. Seconds later, her cell vibrated in her bag. Regina glanced at it but when she saw it was a call, she ignored it. Her driving school had shown her horror movies of what happened when people drove while using their cell phones. She did not want to be irresponsible.

By the time she got to the school gates, her father had called her twice more and sent a text. But before she had a chance to even unbuckle her seatbelt, Zelena's face appeared pressed up against the window right beside her. She chuckled as her friend distorted her features comically, squashed against the glass and then waggled her fingers to indicate that the redhead should step back so she could get out of the car.

"Hi Zee," Regina said as she climbed out. "Ready for this test?"

"Nope," Zelena said. "But who needs education when you can draw like this?" She pulled out a carefully rolled piece of thick paper from her bag and unfurled it.

"Wow," Regina said, taking in the striking pencil sketch. "That's incredible, Zee. You've really got that shading down. It's a beautiful portrait of your mom. Have you shown her?"

"Thanks," Zelena grinned, rolling it back up and placing it gently back in her bag. "And no, I haven't. It's for my portfolio. I need to submit it next month."

"Have you told your parents about this plan?"

Zelena shook her head and looped her arm through Regina's as the two of them set off towards the school building. "I'll wait until I'm accepted first."

"So, does that mean you didn't study at all for this English Lit paper?"

"Nah," Zelena replied. "I'll quiz you though, not that you'll need help, Little Miss Brainbox. Um … why is everyone looking at us? Did I forget to put clothes on again?"

Ignoring her friend's joke, Regina looked at the groups of students they were passing and noticed that everyone indeed was staring at them. She glared back at a few and they averted their eyes but as they moved into the building and towards the classroom, the looks kept coming.

"Seriously, what the fuck? What's going on?"

"I have no idea," Regina muttered as she and Zelena reached the common room. Sitting down at the first available table, Regina scanned the room and watched as curious eyes suddenly darted away from her, pretended they hadn't been staring.

"What's your problem?" Zelena snapped at a passing group of boys from the year below. Their acne-riddled skin turned bright red and the scuttled away. Zelena chuckled but Regina was unamused.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to say something, her cell vibrated in her bag. Remembering the missed calls from her father, she scrambled to answer it. "Daddy?" she whispered. "What's going on?"

"Regina, Princess. Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine. But everyone here is staring at me and Zelena. Has something happened?"

There was a pause. "Um, look, there's something you need to see. I've sent you the link in a message."

"What is it?"

"Just read it, Princess. I can't explain. But if you want to come home or talk, call me. I'm working from home today and your mother is here also. We love you, sweetheart, ok?"

"Daddy, you're scaring me," Regina said, lowering her voice still further to avoid anyone but Zelena overhearing.

"Please, Regina, just read what I've sent you."

The line went dead. It was the first time ever that her father had hung up on her. Regina looked at the homescreen for several seconds before clicking on the message icon and navigating to the conversation with her father where a link had been sent. The headline turned her stomach to lead. Zelena peered over her shoulder as they began to read.

Mills Daughter Tricked Into Love For Reduced Sentence.

You do the crime, you do the time, right? Not if you can trick a billionaire's daughter into falling in love with you, discovers Emma Swan, seventeen. After committing a felony crime back in August 2018, Swan managed to wriggle out of what should have been a twenty-five-year sentence, getting away with just a two year stint, and parole available after just twelve short months.

Swan, a product of the country's underfunded foster system, was involved in the New York Gold Capital armed robbery last summer, during which one civilian lost his life and the gang leader was killed during a police shooting. Regina Mills, daughter of tech mogul, Henry Mills, was in the bank at the time and taken hostage. Swan and three others kidnapped Mills and used her and her family's position as a bargaining chip in a botched attempt to flee the country on the Mills' private jet.

Rather than being charged with armed robbery, Swan managed to secure a sweet deal of only two years for second degree kidnapping. How? By using the services of the Mills family lawyer, Miss Tina Bell. A source close to Swan confirms the teenage convict manipulated traumatised Regina Mills to provide her with world class representation for a crime she herself was a victim of. Not only that but Mills, as was previously reported in this publication, acted as a character witness for Swan at the sentencing, where the judge handed down a paltry two-year sentence for a crime which usually carries a bid of no less than five years. Our top psychiatric specialist confirms that Mills is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, having been brainwashed by Swan during the traumatic bank robbery.

Mills, eighteen, has been to visit Swan in a juvenile detention centre numerous times since the sentence was passed and believes the two of them to be in a loving relationship. The source tells us of how Miss Mills has bestowed gifts upon Swan, including a Pandora charm bracelet with a customised diamond encrusted swan charm, valued at over $1500.

While Mills is smitten, Swan does not return the teenager's affections, a source from inside the juvenile centre where Swan is serving her sentence confirms. "It's a means to an end," the source told us. "Emma is just pretending to be in love with Regina because she wants to get out of there. As soon as she's free, she'll disappear. And thanks to Regina, she'll be able to sell that bracelet have the cash to do so."

Swan is due to be transferred into the adult prison system in July where she will serve the remaining two or fourteen months of her sentence, depending on whether she is granted parole. Upon her release into the public, our source speculates that she will go back to her old ways. "It's hard to break habits, especially when you've got no other option," says the source who was convicted of shoplifting.

Recidivism rates among juvenile offenders are far higher than adults, with 78% reoffending within three years and 84% within five. With those odds stacked against her, and evidence of her manipulative edge, the future is looking as almost as bleak for Emma Swan as it does for lovesick Regina Mills. We were unable to reach Mills herself for a comment.

"Oh my god," Zelena breathed out as she came to the end of the article.

Regina stared at the brightly lit screen for several seconds, her brain struggling to process and her heart pounding. Then she stood up abruptly and stalked from the room, the eyes of everyone in the common area watching her go. Zelena gathered up the brunette's bag and hurried after her but by the time she reached the corridor, Regina had disappeared.

A knock on the classroom door drew the attention of every teenager, vaguely attemting to focus on their studies. The teacher paused and walked over to open it, revealing Ruby. The counsellor's presence was not uncommon in their classes.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt. Can I speak to Emma, please?"

The teacher nodded and Emma got to her feet. "Um, should I leave my stuff or am I going to be gone a while?"

"Leave it, this won't take long," Ruby said.

Emma nodded and crossed the room. Ruby pulled the door closed behind them and turned to the teen who was leaning against the wall.

"What's up?"

"Two things. First, there's something you need to see." In her hands, Emma noticed, was a piece of paper.

"What is it?"

"An article," Ruby replied. "A newspaper article, actually. And I guess that leads me onto the second thing."

The woman was looking at her with pity, Emma suddenly realised. She folded her arms defensively. "What's going on?"

"August just called. Regina has cancelled your meeting tomorrow. And this is why."

She held out the sheet of paper and Emma took it. Her eyes immediately were drawn to the picture of Regina, presumably at some sort of fancy event with her parents, judging by the cocktail dress. Her gaze then slid over to the bold title of the article. Her breath hitched.

"What?" she gasped.

"I'm sorry," Ruby replied. "I don't believe it, if that's any consolation. But it mentions a source. And judging from the fact that Regina has cancelled tomorrow's meeting, she may think there's some truth behind this."

Emma was already scanning the article, a knot in her stomach tightening the further she read. "What? Where are they getting this? What source? I don't … MM."

"That's the only person I could think of too," Ruby nodded. "Did she know about you and Regina?"

"Yes, but she knew I loved her. I talked about how much I loved Regina all the time. I never said any of this stuff. This is bullshit!"

Ruby didn't even scold her for the curse word. "She probably got paid for talking to the press."

"And that justifies this?"

"No, but it explains it," Ruby replied.

"No it doesn't. MM was supposed to be my friend. And forget about me, how the hell does Regina feel about this? Jesus, she read this? She cancelled our meeting? Does … does that mean she believes this?"

"Emma, no, I'm sure she doesn't. I've seen the two of you together. You can't fake feelings like that. Regina knows the truth. I'm sure she just needs some time."

"I have to talk to her," Emma said, scrunching the article up into a ball. "Please, can you -"

"No," Ruby replied at once. "I can't do that I'm afraid. You know I would if I could."

Emma hung her head. It wasn't as if she really believed Ruby was going to allow her to make a phone call to Regina but she was desperate enough to ask anyway. "Um, fine, ok, what if I wrote her a letter. Could you get that to her?"

"I could talk with August. But it would be Regina's choice as to whether she wanted to receive the letter."

"Yes, of course," Emma nodded at once. "But I need to tell her this is all lies. I need her to know I love her. And that I'm going to fucking kill MM when I get out of here."

"Um, let's cool it with the death threats around the counsellor who works for the prison system," Ruby said, patting Emma on the shoulder. "Not that I don't think she deserves it. This is a betrayal of your friendship and has also hurt an innocent third party. I'm very disappointed in her."

"Yeah, well, tell her foster parents to ground her for eternity," Emma growled.

"We can't. She ran away three nights ago. No one knows where she is."

"With the pay-out from this story, she'll have bussed out of the city and disappeared."

"Probably," Ruby nodded. "Look, I've got to go and meet with someone. Are you going to be ok?"

"No," Emma sighed. "But I'm better than Regina, right? At least I know the truth. She's thinking I don't love her. I'll write a letter and have it for you by the end of the day. Can you promise you'll try and get it to her?"

"I'll do my best," Ruby nodded. "Finish this class and then you can take an hour off to do what you need to do."

Kill MM is what I need to do, Emma thought to herself as she turned the handle and slid back into her class. The teacher was still discussing the different ways in which tectonic plate movement could trigger tsunamis. She sat down and faced the front of the class, although her thoughts were anywhere but on geography.

The door slammed hard behind her and she sprinted up the stairs to her bedroom before her parents had even entered the foyer. As Mr and Mrs Mills hurried through at the sound, the door to the garage opened for a second time and Zelena appeared.

"Hey," the redhead said. "Um, is Regina here?"

The bang of the door from the next floor directed three sets of eyes upwards. The trio hurried up the stairs and along the corridor. With a glance at the teen's parents, Zelena knocked on the door.

"Go away," came the choked response.

"Regina, babe, it's Zee. Your mom and dad are here too. Are you ok?"

"No." The voice was now muffled, as if pressed into a pillow.

After a moment, Zelena turned the handle and poked her head around the door. "Hey," she said softly as she saw Regina, lying face down on her bed.

"I don't want to talk about it, Zee," Regina sobbed.

"Ok, then let's not talk about it," Zelena said, crossing the room and moving to lie on the far side of the bed. Henry and Cora followed, hovering by the door. "Um, you wanna talk about Taylor Swift's new album?"

"Why, is she pretending to be in love with me too?" Regina scoffed.

"Regina, sweetie, do you really believe that article?" Cora asked.

Rolling onto her side, Regina glared at her parents. "I'm sure you two do. You never wanted me and Emma to be together in the first place. You must be so happy it's all fake."

"No, Princess, we're not happy," Henry said, moving to sit beside his daughter and patting her thigh. "We're not happy at all."

"And we don't think the article is true," Cora added, crouching down beside Regina and stroking the hair away from the tearstained face. "Regina, we saw the way Emma looked at you, the way you looked at her. Nothing about that was pretend. I don't know where the article came from or who that source was, but we don't believe it. Do you?"

"I … I don't know," Regina admitted, dissolving into tears again. "I mean, why would they print it if it wasn't true?"

"Well, I don't want to quote our beloved president but have you heard of fake news?" Zelena asked. "They printed that bullshit about you having Stockholm, right? This is clearly just more crap made up to sell papers. I know I've never met Emma but from everything you've told me, what you guys have is the real deal. I mean, if it was true, why keep the charade up this long? The sentence has been passed. She wouldn't need you any more. And why would she have written you that poem if she didn't love you?"

"What poem?" Henry and Cora said in unison.

Regina reached under her pillow and pulled out the carefully folded piece of paper which she had kept there since she received it. She had read it so often she knew it by heart. As her parents began to read, she wriggled under her bed covers and curled herself around the soft linen, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

You Remind Me

You remind me of a home,

A place I've never known.

A space of love and safety,

Somewhere to call my own.

You remind me to be better,

Than who I've been so far.

I'm working hard to change,

To reach your higher bar.

You remind me to be kind,

And forgive others' mistakes.

But when people hurt you,

My heart, for you, it aches.

You remind me of my past,

A girl I no longer want to be.

But I'm serving time for that,

And soon I will be free.

You remind me of my future,

The unknown, scary road.

But with you right here beside me,

We'll together share the load.

You remind me of love,

My heart is full for you.

And soon we'll be together,

I know it to be true.

For RM

Love ES

"Regina," Cora said quietly, when she had finished reading. "Emma loves you very much."

"Really?" Regina sniffed. "You don't think she's using me?"

"Not at all. And I don't know why you would ever have believed that after everything you two have been through. Remember how Emma makes you feel?" Cora waited for Regina to nod before continuing. "That's real, sweetheart. You can't fake that. If you want to find out where this article came from, talk to her about it tomorrow. I'm sure she'll be just as upset as you are to read it."

"I cancelled tomorrow," Regina admitted, reaching for a tissue and blowing her nose.

"What?" Henry frowned.

"As soon as I read the article, I called August. I couldn't bear the thought of meeting with Emma and seeing her if it was true."

"Then perhaps you'd better call him back and rearrange," Henry said quietly.

Regina sat up and reached for her phone. But before she started to look for the case worker's number, she paused. "You guys want me to meet with Emma? Does this mean you're ok with us dating?"

Cora and Henry shared a look. "We just want you to be happy, Princess. And until today, everything we've seen when it comes to you and Emma aside from the day you met has made you happy. And judging by how upset you were when you thought your relationship wasn't real, we can tell how much she means to you. We never want to see you like this again. Call August. Set up that meeting again and talk to Emma. I might not have understood it or been happy about it when you first told me, but I hate seeing you so upset. Go tomorrow; I am sure she will be able to tell you the truth about how much she loves you."

A watery smile broke over Regina's face. "You think?"

"I know," Henry nodded, pulling his daughter into his arms.

Her hand flew furiously across the paper, line after line of barely legible script pouring out. She didn't hear the knock on her open bedroom door.

"Emma?"

"What?" she asked over her shoulder, recognising her counsellor's voice.

"Woah, that's a long letter," Ruby said, taking in the five sheets already filled with the scratchy black words.

"Yeah, and? What did you want?"

"Oh, right," Ruby said, ignoring the snappy tone as she was reminded of why she was seeking out the blonde teen. "I just got a call from August. Regina wants to meet tomorrow."

Emma stopped writing and turned slowly in her chair. "Um, what?"

"Yeah, she spoke to August half an hour ago and he called me to see if we could still do it. I said yes, I assumed you'd want to?"

"Yes, of course but why did she change her mind?"

Ruby shrugged. "That's something you need to ask her. But it looks like you're going to be able to say all these things to Regina face to face."

She pointed to the letter. Emma nodded. "Yeah, I guess. Although, you know, it's easier to write stuff like feelings down sometimes."

"True," Ruby smiled. "Perhaps you should finish your letter and then you can decide if you want to give it to her tomorrow."

Emma turned back to the paper and paused for a moment before picking up the discarded pen and beginning to write again. Ruby watched for a moment before backing quietly out of the room.

A/N: I've not written poetry since I was about 14 …