Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time does not belong to me! All characters and references to the show belong to ABC and Channel 5
Once Upon a Time: School's Out! The Third One-Chapter 7
Snow White walked down the school halls after her Childcare class with Ella and Ruby, the latter of whom having joined them after History. Suddenly, Snow White gasped and clutched her stomach.
"Oh my God, she's kicking again!" she squealed. The feeling of her daughter moving in her belly never ceased to amaze her. Ruby and Ella squealed along with her.
"Oh, let me feel!" Ruby cried excitedly, and, not waiting for an answer, she grabbed Snow White's belly, her eyes popping when the baby kicked her hand "Oh my God, that still feels weird!"
"I know!" Snow White happily agreed. Ruby then removed her hands, but before Snow White could even move Ella's replaced them.
"Sorry!" she said to Snow White, who just sighed half-heartedly as Ella's hands roamed her stomach, trying to feel movement. After a few moments, her hands fell away and she let out a whine "Why doesn't she kick for me?"
"It's not your fault, Ella!" Snow White told her quickly "She just...doesn't kick for everyone! Like Charming!" she found the memory of how it had taken almost two weeks for James to feel a kick and grasped onto it "It took forever for her to kick for him, but she did it eventually!"
"Whatever" Ella shrugged it off, and they resumed walking "Speaking of James, how is he?" she asked "You know, after..." she trailed off and it was with a sad look of empathy for her boyfriend that Snow White shrugged.
"I...he's better than right after we saw it" she told her, knowing she was referencing the birthing video "I had to drive us home, he was so..." she shuddered, unable to describe the shaking, mumbling effect the video had had on James "But I think the nightmares have stopped"
From the other side of her, Ruby softly laughed, which earned her a glare from Snow White.
"I'm sorry!" she shakily apologised "But...for Gods sake, this guy handles huge, terrifying football players on a by-monthly basis without batting an eyelid, but now your telling me that he's having nightmares after seeing one birthing video?" she shook her head, grinning all over her face.
"Hey!" Snow White said sharply "You don't know, you didn't see it!" she shuddered "It was...terrifying!" she whimpered, suddenly overcome with fear "Oh God, how am I going to do that?! Is it meant to be that painful?"
"Snow, you'll be-"
"Yep" Ruby cut across what were going to be Ella's reassuring words "I heard that the pain is so intense, some women have been known to pass out mid-labour, and the baby gets stuck in their-"
"That's enough, Ruby!" Ella snapped sharply. Snow White's face had gone paler than her namesake, and her red lips had fallen open in a horrified O. Ruby cackled, but before she could reply she was distracted by a stand of Daily Mirrors. She peered closely at the headline, and gasped.
"Oh, my God!" she grabbed a copy of the newsletter and tossed some money at the blonde freshmen girl standing next to it. Still walking, she shoved the paper in Snow White and Ella's faces "Guys, look!"
They did, and much like Ruby had before them, they both emitted high gasps.
"Oh my God!" Ella exclaimed.
"Is that Belle?!" Snow White cried, and Ruby vigorously nodded.
"Yeah! Look at the headline!" she pointed at it, and more exclamations of shock from the two teenagers came out:
"'Turned Savage?'" Ella read ludicrously as Snow White scanned the article.
"Published and Edited by: Gene Glass" she murmured, and her face contorted in anger "What the...how could he do this to her?!" she cried, while Ella shook her head at the incriminating paper. Then, much to their surprise, Ruby broke out into a grin, chuckling darkly.
"Oh my" she said when Ella and Snow White looked confused "Belle is so going to kill him!
OUAT
I am going to KILL HIM!
In her hands, Belle held the newly published Daily Mirror which had been thrown her way by a limping Rapunzel Cheveaux, and when she looked down to see her smiling face laying alongside Aurora's bloody nose underneath the bold black headline, she couldn't believe her eyes! This article made her seem like...like...like she was some sort of psycho!
...Despite Miss Lights refusal to contribute to this article, it is clear that some form of violence concerning Miss French (who was unavailable for comment) has taken place. Could this have been a mere accident, or be the result of a dispute? Could this be a one time thing? Or is the usually docile Belle French finally showing her darker side after her separation from a certain "Golden Boy"...
"Son of a BITCH!" Belle nearly shrieked, crumpling the newsletter and throwing it onto the tiled ground with force. Her hands were shaking in anger, she knew who had done this to her: That absolute bastard Gene do-anything-for-a-story Glass! Oh, when she got a hold of him she was gonna make him wish he'd never been-
"Argh!" a sudden cry of pain distracted Belle from the offensive article "L-Let go!"
"Oh, I don't think so Dearie. It seems to me that you might need a lesson in keeping that fat mouth of yours shut!"
Belle turned around, and when she saw what was going on behind her, she dropped the newsletter and ran forward, her hands folding over the arm that was pinning Jefferson to the wall by his neck.
"Rumplestiltskin, stop!"
OUAT
5 minuets earlier...
He wasn't stalking her.
The fact that he was stood right outside of Belle's fourth period French class just as she was leaving was purely coincidental. Sure, his Business class was on the other side of the building, but that didn't mean he was stalking her.
Besides, Rumplestiltskin was an expert on stalking-he'd had to do it enough times for deal dodgers, although he preferred the term "Tracking"-so he knew when he was stalking someone, and this was not one of those times.
He was here by coincidence only. Not because he still missed her so badly he just had to see her.
...He wasn't stalking her.
He made a show of looking through his black bag for something as, out of the corner of his eye, he watched her leave the classroom. She was as beautiful as ever of course, her russet curls falling around her heart shaped face and down the back of her yellow blouse, one of her delicate hands (the same hand that had, in fact, traced the back of his still-bandaged hand oh so gently two days ago) outstretched as her slender fingers curled around what looked like a leaflet a girl with long blonde hair and crutches had passed her. He looked up to watch her fully, his eyes on her expression as her mouth fell open at whatever was on the paper. Hm, whatever could she be reading?
"Damn, that girl is really something, huh?" said a lecherous voice next to him, and Rumplestiltskin turned to face Jefferson Hatter. He felt a spark of rage at the sight of him. This was the douche that had been hittingon Belle. Jesus Christ, what did he want?
"Jesus Christ, what do you want?" Rumplestiltskin growled irritatedly.
Jefferson shrugged, releasing an exaggerated sigh "Oh, just...the same as you" he nodded towards Belle, who looked positively furious by now "Enjoying the view" he then smirked, his lips lifting in such a way that made Rumplestiltskin want to punch him very hard in the face "Hardly the worst thing this place could cough out, am I right?"
Screw punching him, he was going to beat this prick into the ground.
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Hatter" he all but growled. Jefferson just grinned wider.
"Oh, come on, Gold! It's no secret that you're..." he contemplatively sucked in his breath through his teeth "How shall I put this? Still interested?"
Rumplestiltskin's jaw locked "I'm not sure I like what you're insinuating, Jefferson" he fixed his gaze on the hatted boy, his chocolate brown eyes darkening until they were almost black with frustration "So I suggest you walk the hell away"
"It's not like anyone can blame you, though" Jefferson continued like he hadn't even heard him, turning back to Belle, who was still looking at her paper "I'd be inconsolable, if I ever let go of something as hot as that girls ass-Gurk!"
There were no more words from the Hatter, because at that moment Rumplestiltskin dropped his possessions and drove his forearm into his neck, pinning him to the wall and cutting off his airways.
"Argh!" Jefferson clawed at him, his hat falling from his head "L-Let go!"
"Oh, I don't think so, Dearie" Rumplestiltskin hissed, pressing his arm in a little deeper so that Jefferson gasped "It seems to me that you might need a lesson in keeping that fat mouth of yours shut!"
But, as he moved in to act on that incredibly pleasing idea, he felt two small hands tightly grip his arm, and a lilting voice cry out in his ear:
"Rumplestiltskin, stop!"
Not releasing his hold, Rumplestiltskin looked down to see Belle staring up at him, her blue eyes wide and pleading, her nails digging into his clothed arm as she tried to pull him away.
"Rumple!" she cried, seeing that Jefferson's attempts to get free were becoming steadily softer, his face turning blue "Please!"
"Belle..." he started, but her eyes suddenly became hard. Demanding.
"Rumplestiltskin, if you don't let him go you'll be expelled! Release him! Now!" she ordered, and he gritted his teeth to bite back a retort he knew he'd regret.
"As you wish" he snarled, and loosened his arm so that Jefferson collapsed to the ground, coughing and gulping down lungfuls of air. Belle stared at him, disbelief evident on her face. Rumplestiltskin sighed, and swallowed.
"Belle, I can explain-"
"I don't want to hear it!" Belle snapped, and to his horror, he watched as she bent at her knee's and studied Jefferson's face. From the ground, she looked up at him again "God Rumple...what is wrong with you?!"
Rumplestiltskin felt something lodge in his chest, and he glanced down at the Hatter. The perverted bastard was still bent on the ground, and clutching his throat, and Belle was crouched next to him, looking up at Rumplestiltskin like he was some sort of monster. A flame ignited in his chest, and he took a step closer to her.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with me, Dearie. If you want to sit there and defend perverted pieces of filth like him" he gestured to Jefferson "Then maybe there's something wrong with you" he snarled, and ignoring Belle's hurt gasp, he picked up his bag and strode out of the building, the awed eyes of various bystanders following him as he went.
OUAT
"Th-thanks!" Jefferson choked out. Belle just nodded, slowly rising to her feet. Her hands were shaking. Not once, even before they had gotten together, had Rumplestiltskin spoken to her like that...
"No problem" she said distractedly, hauling her bag further up her shoulder. She looked down at him again "Are you alright?"
Jefferson nodded, still massaging his throat "Y-yeah, I'll be O.k" lowering his hand, he looked down the path his attacker had just walked "Kind of a loose cannon though, isn't he?"
"I suppose" Belle shrugged, but didn't turn to look at him until she felt a soft weight on her shoulder. She looked. It was his hand.
"Jefferson..."
He sensed the warning tone in her voice "Sorry"
He looked so guilty, like he'd invaded her personal space and was sorry for that, at it was at that point that Belle decided she'd had enough with his games:
"Look, Hatter" her voice was harder than anyone had ever heard it, and Jefferson looked at her with genuine surprise "Do you honestly think I'm an idiot? I know your reputation, I know what you did to Ruby! Do you honestly think that I'm going to believe this...this..." she gestured at him wildly "Nice Guy act you're putting on?! Sorry, but I don't date bastards who are only interested in a one-nighter!" and with that, she stared her own furious walk out of the building.
But...
"HEY!"
Out of nowhere it seemed, Jefferson appeared in front of her, his face taut with a look that lived up to his name as he refused to let Belle pass.
"Now you listen to me!" he moved around uncomfortably, taking a deep breath before continuing "I...I like you, Belle! And I know that I've got a reputation, who doesn't in this school? But just because I've done some bad stuff, that doesn't mean that I still do! For all you know, I could actually be a nice guy now!"
"Yeah, I used to think that about someone else, and he cheated on me!" Belle retorted, trying to move past him only to be blocked by the Hatter:
"Oh, come on! We both know you're not so narrow-minded to think that all guys are like that!" said Jefferson. Then, his voice became a little softer "Look, how about we make a deal?"
"A deal?" Belle repeated, arching an eyebrow, and Jefferson nodded:
"Yeah: you come out with me this Saturday, and if you still don't like me at the end of it I'll leave you alone. I won't ask you out, I won't talk to you...hell, I won't even look at you if you want! You'll be completely free of me" he paused, studying her expression for signs of consideration "Do we have a deal?"
Belle pursed her lips, a hand placed on her lip thoughtfully.
"Nah!" she shook her head, her nose scrunching "Don't really want to risk it!"
Taking advantage of Jefferson's bewildered expression, she shoved past him and continued on her way.
OUAT
Regina was outside of the lecture building after her Math's Major when she saw Belle storm out. She had never seen the girl look so pissed off before. It was kind of amusing.
"What are you smirking at?" said Maleficent Pyro, pulling out one of her I-Pod earphones. Maleficent was an old friend with ice blue eyes and crazy blonde curls who, the previous semester, had been hell bent on Regina's destruction due to an unfortunate drug incident where she had gotten arrested. Only after Regina helped her get back together with her boyfriend-and Regina's former personal flying monkey-Gene Glass, did the two call a truce and reconcile.
Now, Regina looked towards Belle, who had just met up with those three idiots Ella, Ruby, and Snow White, the smirk still in place. Maleficent followed her gaze, and made an intrigued sound:
"She looks pissed" she observed, twirling the loose earphone between her fingers. Regina nodded.
"I wonder what the reason could be?" she wondered, thinking of a certain boy in a hat. She chuckled to herself, she knew it would never happen.
"Maybe it has something to do with..." Maleficent rooted around in her purple velvet back and pulled out a copy of the Daily Mirror "This" she held it out to the brunette.
Regina took the newsletter, and could scarcely believe it when she saw the headline "No way!" she laughed delightedly, looking up at Belle again to see her talking animatedly to her friends. All three looked outraged, and Ruby made to walk into the building Belle had just left:
"I am gonna beat that hat off his head!" she heard Ruby yell, and when Regina realised the true reason why young Belle was so...agitated, it was all she could do not to burst out laughing.
"Oh my God!" she giggled, turning to the blonde and giving her back the newsletter "Maleficent, while I admire your boyfriends attempts, I don't think he was the one to cause this" she swept a hand out towards Belle.
Having also heard the shout, Maleficent nodded in agreement, a high giggle escaping her plump lips, as aware of Jefferson's plot as Regina "He's not gonna give up, is he?"
"God I hope not, it's starting to become very entertaining!" Regina responded, causing Maleficent to laugh out loud. She then looked up at her friend questioningly.
"Why do you think he's trying so hard? I suppose Belle's pretty and everything, but let's be honest whether or not he succeeds is irrelevant because, either way, he's still going to get his ass kicked by Gold. Is she really worth all this trouble?" she wondered aloud.
Regina shrugged, still watching the foursome as they wrapped their arms around Belle in the most sickeningly sweet way "Mal, I'm not going to give myself a headache trying to figure out the Mad Hatter's brain for you. I would suggest-"
But what Regina was about to suggest, Maleficent would never know, because at that specific moment in time, Regina heard two words. Two words she never thought she'd hear again, two words she'd never wanted to hear again. Two words she thought she'd left behind in the past. Two words that had now been heard, and perhaps sealed the young woman's fate:
"Hey! Fairest!"
Regina froze, and could've sworn that for one second, her heart actually stopped beating. No. No, no, no this couldn't be happening again! Looking around the campus, she tried to locate the source of the voice. It had sounded male, that much she could tell, but all the boys she could see appeared to be preoccupied, none of them having looked like they'd shouted. Frowning in confusion, she looked over at Snow White. She was walking off with her friends, and hadn't responded to the shout at all. Could it be that she was just ignoring it, or...had Regina imagined it?
Swallowing hard, she turned back to Maleficent "Hey, did...did you hear someone call out just now?"
Maleficent's eyes widened, and for a moment Regina thought she was about to say Yes! I heard it too! You definitely weren't hearing things! But was instead disappointed when she just removed the ear-plug she had clearly put back in when she wasn't looking: "Sorry, did you say something?"
Regina sighed, exhaling heavily through the mouth "Oh, never mind..."
OUAT
Later that night, Snow White was laid on her bed, absent mindedly stroking her swollen belly while reading the third Twilight for the second time. She felt Emma move against her hand and smiled, rubbing the swell.
Unexpectedly there was a knock at the door, and she heaved herself off of her cream bedspread and walked to the door.
Where she got the shock of her life when she saw Regina Mills standing on the other side!
"Regina?!" she exclaimed. The girl who had put her in a coma looked tense, like she was embarrassed to be here. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"May I come in?" she asked neutrally. Snow White's hand tightened on the door.
"Come in? Uh..." she stuttered. Regina let a heavy breath out through her nose, and held up both her hands, palms out:
"I'm just here to talk. I promise" when Snow White failed to move, she lowered her hands, suddenly looking uncomfortable "I need to ask you something. Please?"
If Snow White had been shocked before, she was definitely stunned now. Never, in all of the time she'd known her, had she heard the word "Please" from the mouth of Regina Mills. At least, not directed to her.
So, possibly due to her state of shock, she moved back and allowed her to walk in.
Closing the door, she turned to face the President of the Student Body. It might have been her being prejudice, but Regina looked just plain wrong in her room. The renowned Queen of Mean, in her black high heels, pencil skirt and silk shirt, standing on Snow White's pink carpet amongst her fluffy cushion-covered bed, desk full of songbird figurines, and flowery wallpaper. It was very, very weird.
Regina herself looked like she was struggling, her lips twitching as though she was unsure of how to begin. Eventually, Snow White couldn't take the silence anymore:
"Regina, what do you want?" she asked exasperatedly.
"I..." she started, and Snow White looked at her more closely. Was it her imagination or did she look scared? "I just want you to answer something for me" she finally said, her arms crossing defensively over her chest "Did...did you hear someone call you "Fairest" today?"
Did Snow White go into labour? She caught herself before she looked down to check. God, if Regina didn't stop scaring the hell out of her she was gonna go into premature birth!
"Snow!" Regina's voice, as well as the rare use of her first name, pulled her out of her inner-babble. The tone was almost pleading, another rare feat. Snow White shook her head.
"N-no. Not that I heard, anyway"
"Are you sure?" Regina persisted urgently "Right after fourth period? Near the west lecture block?"
Snow White wracked her memory. Right after fourth period...she had been too caught up in Belle's boy problems to pay attention to anything else, let alone...but surely no-one would be so incredibly stupid as to start that crap up again!
She shook her head again "I didn't hear anything, I'm sorry" her eyes widened "Why? Did you?!"
"No!" was Regina's sharp response, then she softened, a sudden vulnerability appearing that Snow White had never seen before "I suppose not"
"Thank God" Snow White breathed, relieved "I didn't think anyone could be so insensitive as to start that crap again" she hugged her arms, the dark memory of waking up in hospital flitting through her head, not noticing the look on the face of the girl who had put her there until her sharp voice came into the room.
"Yes. Because we all know how hard it was for you" she said snarkily, and Snow White's eyes narrowed into little green slits, her temper rising.
"If you're talking about waking up in a hospital bed, to see my father and boyfriend, crying over me because they thought I was dead, then yeah, I guess you could say it was pretty damn hard!"
"Are you kidding?! At least you got to go home after waking up in a hospital bed, I had to spend three months in that hell hole because, thanks to you, everyone thought I was nuts!"
"Oh God..." Snow White groaned loudly, her hands rising to her face as she looked down at the ground. When she looked up again, her hands fell onto her stomach, and she just looked tired "I thought we were...aren't we past this?" she asked, green eyes fixing on brown.
Regina glared at her for a few moments, but then, slowly, her expression smoothed out and she nodded. Two semesters back, right after she had found Daniel, she had called a kind of...unofficial truce with Snow White. She might not like the girl, but she was done with trying to make her life-or that of her friends-a living hell.
"Yeah" it was a statement, not an apology "I've just...had a bad couple of weeks" she mumbled. Snow White opened her mouth to say something-knowing her, probably to ask why-but Regina had already said too much. She'd done what she came here to do. She'd asked her questions and gotten her answers, and now it was time for her to leave.
"Goodbye, Blanchard" she said, and walked out with sure steps that were more confident than she actually felt.
Snow White watched her leave, repeating the conversation in her head:
Did someone call you "Fairest" today?
I didn't hear anything, why, did you?!
I suppose not...
Snow White swallowed. Whatever was going on with her old enemy, she hoped to God that it wouldn't lead to history repeating itself.
OUAT
"Thanks" said George Spencer, eagerly grasping the envelope full of money from Cora's hands. She was standing outside of the College again, and Midnight had long since passed.
"And you did exactly I said?" she asked him sternly, keeping a hold on the envelope.
The Spencer boy scoffed "Yeah. No offence, Mrs Mills, but calling out 'Hey Fairest' isn't exactly a hard job"
Cora started to pull back the envelope and George quickly amended that thought "I-I did everything! She heard me, but she definitely didn't see me! No-one did!"
"Good" Cora said smoothly, and George breathed out a sigh of relief when she released her hold on the cash. She smiled at him "Our business is done. Go now"
"And you swear Regina won't know I had any part in this?" he asked, and Cora's expression didn't change.
"I promised, didn't I? Now go" she flicked her fingers away in a shooing motion, and George nodded respectfully, doing as she bade, knowing better than to persist. If Regina ever found out he was working for her mother...oh lord, he didn't even want to think about it!
Still at the gates, Cora looked towards the east of the campus, where she knew Regina's dormitory was, and a kind, motherly smile spread across her face. Yes, she supposed her methods were cruel, and when Regina found out she was probably going to be horrified at first. But eventually she'd see. Cora was her mother, she thought as she walked back to her car, she knew best, and one day her daughter would thank her for this.
Poor Regina, I hate to torture her like this...I'm such a bad liar XD O.k, please review, even if it's to tell me what I did wrong or how I can improve because I can't unless I KNOW what I'm doing wrong!