This chapter might be a little 'out there' but it has a point. This is Storybrooke. We have an idea where we are going with this story and so it all has a part to play.

SxMxKxOxG

It had been a week since she had joined her new foster family and everything seemed to be going well. Things for her were still tense. She didn't trust them easily but she had found herself within the week, beginning to enjoy their company. Henry and herself would spend hours playing video games, Mary-Margaret cooked the best home-cooked meals she had ever had and David watched the sport with her and took her on patrols with him at times. It was here she met the young Deputy an English man who looked to have barely graduated school; they had hit it off immediately and had quickly struck up a friendship. But for the whole week she had yet to see the young brunette she had seen across the street the day of her arrival and honestly throughout the week she had felt lonely and disappointed every time she saw someone with, close-to the same hair type as the brunette only to find out it didn't belong to the girl she was thinking about.

Now, sitting here across from Henry who was scoffing down his breakfast as if they were racing to finish first. He looked to be eager for school which was a surprise, the majority of kids his age usually prolonged going to school but she guessed that when your mother is actually your teacher in a small town. School wasn't so bad.

"Emma? You okay?" Mary-Margaret asked from the kitchen, "You don't have to go today if you don't want to. You know that right? You can take another week of and get settled properly if you want."

Emma shook her head. No she had a chance to actually see the brunette in the school and although the young woman looked to be one of those popular kids that usually gave her shit for who she was, she had to admit that she was looking forward to just seeing her across the room. Also, she couldn't stay cramped up in the apartment for another week without doing something, she was going to go crazy if she did. Quickly shoveling the food into her mouth she delivered the plate to pixie haired woman. "Nope, I want to go."

Mary-Margaret smiled warmly and nodded. "Okay, well we leave in fifteen then."

SxMxKxOxG

Emma paled when Mary-Margaret finally pulled up to the school that was adjacent to the elementary school, connected by a glass hall between the two. It looked...intimidating.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mary-Margaret asked as softly as she could muster. She didn't want to push the girl but she also didn't want to frighten her.

Emma nodded sharply before jumping out of the car, Henry already waiting on the side walk for them. As she shut the door behind her she inhaled the fresh school air. "Well I suppose I had better go find the office."

"I could come with you," Mary-Margaret offered.

Emma shook her head. "I'll be fine." Shifting lightly on her feet she added, "Thanks though."

She smiled. Nodded and took Henry's hand, "I'll see you after school. Remember if you need anything just tell the office to find me." With that she pulled the boy along with her.

Emma poked out her tongue to the boy who returned the gesture in kind before they laughed silently at one another and waved their goodbyes. He seemed to be an alright kid, he wasn't annoying like her previous foster families children were and he definitely wasn't cruel. He whined a little too much but he was a good kid.

"Hi!"

Emma jumped. No better yet she launched herself from her spot on the footpath and into outer space. Turning she came face to face with a long brown haired teenager in a red T-shirt and red and white short shorts. "Err, hi?"

"So you're the new girl?" The brown haired teen asked with curiosity. "Well I'm Ruby. Ruby Lucas."

Emma's brow furrowed as she introduced herself. She spent a small amount of time answering what she wanted to off the questions from the prying girl and listening to Ruby tell her about the diner her grandmother owned and Emma had come to know rather well in her week of being in Storybrooke.

"Okay, so the library is over there." She pointed as she dragged the blonde towards the large doors. "Classroom numbers are located beside the doors; the mechanic workshop is over there. Wood shop, over there. Metal shop, over there. Art class, over the-"

"Uh, if you point me in the direction of the office I may be able to get a m-" Emma tried but was cut off by the young teens squeal of excitement another young girl in to her. A few seconds later and she pulled away and introduced Emma to her friend Ashley."Err. Hi?"

Ashley chuckled lightly at the excitement pouring from Ruby, as Ruby pushed forward leading them towards the office as she rambled of each and every classroom. "She never stops."

"Have you tried taking out her batteries?" Emma asked.

"I couldn't find any and trust me I tried. But apparently she has none."

The excitement of the young teen in front of them immediately came to a frozen stop when they rounded the corner and Ruby collided with another body. The school hall went quiet before quickly dispersing in all directions. Emma frowned at the notion and frowned even more so when her attention finally fell on the brunette figure Ruby had just walked into.

"Uh, Miss Mills." Ruby quickly scrambled to pick up the folders, placing them in the young teens awaiting arms. "I apologize." I wasn't looking where I was going."

"That much is obvious."

Emma thought she may have been in heaven after hearing that voice had she not seen the fear in the exuberant girl's eyes and on the girl beside her who looked like she wanted to run in any direction that wasn't near the brunette. But she appeared to be holding fast, holding onto whatever string of courage she could muster for her friend.

Regina turned away from Ruby Lucas, to face the unfamiliar blonde. "You must be Emma Swan?"

Emma nodded. "Uh, yeah. How do you know who I am? Doing research on me?" She tried for a joke but the teen remained impassive.

"I know everything that goes on in this town. Everything. You'd do well to remember that Miss Swan."

"Emma." The blonde corrected as she ran her eyes over the brunette's attire. She looked hot, beautiful and sexy all at the same time. Sure she probably shouldn't be thinking it but she couldn't help it. The woman looked a million bucks - a billion bucks, a tri-

"Have a good day Miss Swan," she said with emphasis as she nodded to the other two teenagers.

Emma's brow furrowed profusely. "What the hell was that? Who the hell was that?"

"That's Regina Mills." Ruby spoke up first as she closed the distance between herself, her new friend and her best friend. "Her Mother is Mayor of Storybrooke and her Mother has ties to Mr. Gold a man you just don't play games with. If you keep your distance from her everything should be fine. Just don't get on her bad side."

Ashley added with a small frown. "Regina's not that bad. She may act cold to people but she hasn't actually harmed anyone, just keeps them at a distance. Plus, she friends with Kathryn."

Ruby rolled her eyes as she fell in beside Emma as they resumed their path down the hall to the office. "Yeah but Kathryn is friends with everyone. I mean don't get me wrong, if I had Mayor Mills for a Mother I may not have turned out like I have. I may be as cold and bitchy as Regina."

Emma frowned at the terminology. "Aren't all Cheerleaders like that?"

Ruby scoffed and Ashley had to hold back a giggle. After a small amount of time passed Ruby explained, "Regina Mills isn't a Cheerleader. She would never be caught dead in those outfits. Better yet her Mother wouldn't catch her alive in those outfits. Yet, her best friend Kathryn happens to be a Cheerleader."

"So she's just one of those popular girls?" Emma asked confused, surely people wouldn't be afraid of Regina for just having a Mother who ran the town.

"Not really popular." Ashley answered shaking her head in her own confusion. Obviously understanding where Emma was going with this. "Just intimidating. She's cold, elusive and barely speaks to anyone. If she does, it's pretty much what you just saw. Terse and straight to the point, emotionless."

"A robot is another word for it." Ruby huffed.

"I just think she's lonely." Ashley finally sad another frown touching her lips. "Perhaps w-"

"Uh uh, no way. Not happening!" Ruby yelled as students begun filing back into the hall, obviously finding it safe to return to their routine. "Plus. She has Kathryn, the Quarterback - well last year's Quarterback and nearly the whole entire school wanting to either get in her pants or be friends with her." Ruby shrugged, "That includes girls for both of those things."

Emma nodded but frowned. She had to admit that Ashley was right. The girl looked lonely, like someone who didn't trust very easily, something Emma knew all too well and even though she was walking chatting easily with two girls she had only met probably twenty minutes ago, she still wasn't comfortable. But if what Ruby had said was true than she stood no chance, not that she had one to begin with, but she would have liked to entertain fantasies of getting to know the teen.

"And here we are!" Ruby exclaimed with a wink at one of the boys who walked past. "We'll wait for you here and help you get to class."

"You don't hav-"

Ruby waved her off. "But we will, your first day in a new school, we're just trying to be...friendly."

Emma's brow formed and arch as she looked at her supposed new friend.

Ashley rolled her eyes at her best friend. "In part it's true but Ruby has this huge crush on the Librarian who comes to the office every morning at exactly eight thirty, which is in ten minutes."

Ruby blushed but shrugged trying to appear nonchalant. "So not true."

"I should probably tell you two. I have a super power."

Ruby and Ashley shared a look before turning to face Emma. "Really?"

"Yeah I can tell when people are lying. Something I've had since I was born."

Ruby and Ashley grinned turning to face one another before mischievous glint formed in Ruby's eye. Turning to face Emma she asked, "So Ashley does have a crush on Regina?"

"What! No I don't!" The teen exclaimed and even without Emma's super power, the lie was obvious as the girl blushed profusely. "Shut up!"

Emma and Ruby laughed but Emma couldn't help but feel a little jealous at the revelation. Yet, it was good to know she wouldn't be judged for liking other women. It was hard enough being part of the Foster system in high school but being Gay on top of it was basically asking for the popular kids to give you shit.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just surprised that you guys are so open about being, you know, gay." Emma ended with a small cringe at how that sounded. She should have worded it better.

Ruby and Ashley shared another look, this time one of confusion before they both turned to Emma and Ashley asked in her soft innocent tone. "What do you mean?"

"I mean nobody picks on you for liking other girls."

Ruby shrugged. "Why would they?"

Emma's brow furrowed. "Uh because apparently we're different. Apparently it's inhumane, disgusting and wrong."

"I don't know where you're from but you'll find here in Storybrooke, nobody is going to judge you for liking girls, hell nobody will judge you for liking guys."

"Really?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah. Hey Rob!" Ruby waved at a boy dressed in a football jersey holding hands with another guy who was wearing the same type of jacket. "See." She said as they nodded as they walked past her. A shrug of her shoulders and she continued, "Storybrooke is non-judgmental."

Emma crinkled her brow. She had never come across a town in all her years of being thrown around the system, where people just accepted you for who you were. She pushed the thought away and nodded before stepping into the office. Prepared to receive her schedule for the first day. Storybrooke so far had an appeal with a family that seemed to genuinely care, two 'hopefully' new friends waiting outside the office for her, a non-judgmental town and...Regina Mills. Perhaps it wasn't so bad.

Long wait for the update, sorry about that from the both of us but hopefully you enjoyed. It'll get into it more as it goes along. Just setting them up.