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 15
James Nolan looked down at the apple in his hand, at the thin, spidery letters that lay underneath the petite bite mark, and for a moment he was taken back to that time in the previous year when he had been in the hospital, a comatose Snow White laying in a hospital bed. He remained by her bedside the entire time, refusing to leave for even a moment.
As he'd looked upon her barely alive form, he'd felt like it was the end of the world, and when she'd finally woken up, a sweet smile upon her face at the sight of him, he'd made a vow to never, ever, let anything bad happen to her again, and he was determined to keep that promise.
"We're telling Daniel" he told Snow White now, already getting up from his bed. As he stood-ignoring the swirling headache he'd gotten from last night. Damn, that was the last time he played 'I Have Never' with Arthur Pendragon-he noticed Snow White staring at her hands nervously, folding them in her lap. He sighed, he knew that look.
Dropping to his knee's, he took her hands in his "Snow, we have to. You can't deny it anymore" he shook her hands slightly, encouraging her to look up at him "Regina's slipped again, and he's the only one she'll listen to"
Snow White sighed sadly "I know, but-"
"Snow!" she winced at his harsh tone, and James immediately felt guilty "I'm sorry" he said, his tone softer "But this is what must be done. For our baby's sake if not for yours"
His final words struck home, and for a moment Snow White gave no response. But, slowly, she took a deep breath through the nose, and nodded.
"Alright" she whispered, and allowed her boyfriend to pull her to her feet.
OUAT
Daniel got quite the shock when he left his room that morning to head to his Animal Studies class to find James Nolan and heavily pregnant ex-cheerleader Snow White Blanchard stood outside his door. James was holding something in his hand, and Snow White wasn't looking at him, her hands absent mindedly stroking her stomach.
"Daniel" James said in an assertive tone "We need to talk"
"Can it wait? I've gotta go to class-"
"No" James stuck out a muscled arm against Daniel's doorway, trapping him. The boy jerked backwards in shock, eyeing the couple warily.
"O.k...what's going on?"
From beside his new co-worker, Daniel heard Snow White speak softly "James, maybe we should wait..."
"We can't" he stated, and held out the hand that was clenched around some sort of object. Daniel frowned.
"An apple?"
James shook his head "No. A threat" the quarterback turned the apple around until it revealed it's haunting message. Daniel took it, looking up at James oddly "We think it's from Regina"
"What?" Daniel snapped, not believing it, and James looked towards Snow White. The young woman hesitated, a hand tugging nervously on a lock of black hair. She sucked a lip into her mouth, wetting it before eventually speaking:
"You...you know about what happened...between Regina and me last year, don't you?" she asked, and Daniel nodded. Regina had told him all about her insane jealousy of Snow White that had caused her to poison her with a drugged apple the previous year, it was right after they got together, and Regina had blackmailed Rumplestiltskin Gold with photo's of him and Belle French together, threatening to send them to her clueless father, all because he'd dared use the hated term of "Crazy" against her.
Snow White sighed "Well...that apple" she looked towards the fruit in his hand "Is exactly like the one from...before"
"And you think Regina sent it to you" it was a statement, not a question, and when neither of them denied it, he nodded in understanding. His poor Regina...this was worse than they'd thought "Listen, I know how it looks, but I don't think Regina did this"
"Daniel-" James started to contradict him, but he didn't stop. Apparently, he had Regina's sanity to defend.
"Just listen to me; This kind of stuff has been going on for longer than you think" he explained "Ever since the semester started"
"Wait" Snow White cut across him "Regina told you about this?" she sounded genuinely shocked, and even James looked surprised. Daniel nodded.
"Yes! Look, at first she did think that she was...slipping" he admitted "But when she found the apple in her bag, she realised that someone was trying to mess with her. We've even been trying to find out who"
"Is that what she told you?" James still sounded skeptical, and Daniel narrowed his eyes at him.
"Hey, she wouldn't lie to me, O.k? I know her!"
"Maybe you don't!" said James, and he then gestured to Snow White "Snow and I have known her a lot longer than you, Daniel. We know what she's capable of!"
"I know you want to believe in her, Daniel" said Snow White when he looked ready to punch her boyfriend in the face "But...Regina is dark"
Daniel looked at them both, his blue eyes hard with stubbornness. He held the apple out to James, not putting it down until the other boy took it "That might have been who she was once, but it's not anymore. Do you wanna know what she said to me when she thought she was going crazy?" he directed the question at Snow White. The girl shook her head "That she was scared. Honestly and truly that sound like the Regina you know?"
Snow White gaped at him, her lips slightly parted, stunned "...Scared?" she repeated.
"Yeah" Daniel confirmed, and then pointed at the fruit in James' hand "And I doubt that someone who was so scared of going back to the nuthouse is gonna risk it all with a pin-spiked apple!"
"O.k. Fine. Let's say that's true" said James before Snow White could respond. When Daniel turned back to him, he didn't look any less convinced of Regina's guilt "Even if Regina's not the one doing this, we still can't take any chances. If someone's trying to antagonise Regina, then she could get aggressive, maybe even violent. I'm trusting you to keep her under control"
O.k, so who the hell died and made this guy king? Daniel wondered before growling out an agreement "Yes. O.k. Fine. Can I go to class now?"
James glared at his tone, but swiftly moved to the side to allow him to pass. Avoiding both of their gazes, Daniel hefted his brown bag over his shoulder and walked out of the dorm.
Once he was gone, Snow White looked up at James. His face was set, and she already knew what he was thinking without having to ask. But that still didn't stop her "You don't believe it, do you?"
"I can't afford to believe it" James looked down at her, he seemed apologetic, but his expression was no less hard "I'm sorry, Snow, but I'm going to be keeping an eye on her"
Snow White's face fell a mile "Daniel could be right" she suggested, and James looked in the direction he had taken, doubt still fresh on his mind.
"Yeah. But he could also be wrong"
OUAT
After their second period Politics class had come to a close, Daniel broke the news of what James had told him that morning while they walked back to the lockers. Her reaction was, to say the least, not what he'd been expecting:
"You have got to be kidding me!" Regina screeched, the force of her explosive voice causing Daniel to jump back a couple of steps. She snarled, turning towards the exit "I am going to kill that beef-headed bastard!" she started to march back towards the lecture rooms but Daniel caught her around the waist and holding her against him. She struggled, protesting and vehemently cursing him, but Daniel would not lessen his grip.
"Let go!"
"Think about it, Regina!" Daniel spoke through gritted teeth. Damn, she was stronger than he thought! "If you go and kick James' ass now-OW! What did you kick me for?!-then that's not exactly going to convince them that you didn't send the apple!"
"Oh, I really don't give a crap!" she spat, but she stopped struggling, much to her boyfriends relief. She relaxed a little in his arms, leaning her head against his shoulder, not caring who stared at her. Daniel loosened his grip, so that he was no longer restraining her but holding her.
"All this does" he said into her ear, ignoring the throbbing in his right leg "Is offer more proof that someone is trying to set you up. We just have to find out who it is, and-"
"Tear their heart out?" Regina suggested hopefully, and Daniel laughed into her hair before letting her go. Turning her to face him he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
"Maybe not something that extreme" he murmured.
Regina pouted, and was about to say something when, out of nowhere, a cold sensation travelled up her spine, scraping along her back until it pulled on the hairs at the nape of her neck. She shivered, pulling her shoulders in towards herself.
Her sudden discomfort did not go unnoticed "Regina?" Daniel gently grasped her shoulders "Are you O.k?"
"Um...yeah" Regina nodded. Almost as soon as it had come the sensation had gone "I just...kind of feel like someone walked over my grave"
Daniel blinked "Oh. Right"
Regina sighed, knowing he obviously didn't understand "Come on, we've gotta go work on that Politics report" she took his hand and stared to pull him away from the lockers, listening to Daniel's aggravated moan.
"Ooh, fun!" he beamed, his voice thick with sarcasm, and Regina laughed softly before turning around and walking through the double doors that separated the lockers from the lecture halls. She was just about to lead him down them when she noticed something, just out of the corner of her eye.
In front of the student lockers, there was a huge cork-board where lecturers, the Dean, and the principal (when he felt like it) would post notices and reminders for the students. Usually it was just stuffed with flyers about not littering and saving the environment, and a couple of semesters ago it had held the notice for the Winter Dance.
But now, it held something different, on a sheet of plain, A4 white paper. Regina walked over to it, ignoring her boyfriend when he called her name. Within moments she was standing in front of the board, and suddenly, the reason for her sudden chill became completely, and utterly, clear.
REMINDER
Parent Visitation
This Saturday, 7th June
9:30am
As Regina read the bold black letters, another curious student paused in their tracks to read the notice. From behind her, she heard a gruff curse.
"Ah crap!" Grumpy-one of the aptly nicknamed Seven Dwarfs-scowled at the notice before turning around and bellowing out to the entire hallway:
"HEY! It's Visitation people! Feel free to start crapping yourselves anytime now!"
OUAT
Two hours later, and Belle French was reaching the end of her French class. During the lecture she had 'accidentally' allowed her mind to wander, and now her lecturer, Mr N. Cracker, was getting his revenge by embarrassing her with a surprise task: Having an entire, un-revised conversation, in French.
At least, that was the plan. What Mr Cracker had failed to realise was that, while prone to the odd spell of daydreaming, Belle French was actually a very good student, and right now, she was wiping the floor with Mr Cracker:
""Alors, Melle French, comment se passe vos études?" Cracker asked, and Belle shrugged before replying entirely in French:
"
"Je...je n'aime pas me vanter, mais je pense m'en être bien sortie" she sounded like she was tying to be modest, and Cracker raised a brown eyebrow, a small smirk coming to his face as he decided to put a little more pressure on the day-dreaming student:
"Vraiment? Parce que j'ai entendu dire que vous avez été ... distrait, dernièrement" Crackers smirk grew when Belle's face flushed, especially when her fellow students sniggered, turning in their seats to watch Belle's reaction.
She watched her teacher for a moment, letting the anticipation hang in the air. She knew what he was doing, of course. Like all lecturers, he was teaching her a lesson, trying to show her up for drifting off during his class, just like he would with any other student.
But, then again, Belle wasn't just any other student.
"Je ne dirais pas distraite Professeur Cracker" she said coyly, leaning forward in her desk and folding her arms over the surface "Juste...beaucoup de nuits courtes"
Mr Crackers eyes popped and Belle grinned in triumph. The French class gaped at their teacher in scandalous wonder, waiting to see what he would do next. A deafening silence hung in the air...
Mr Cracker coughed, Well played, Miss French" he nodded, a defeated smile coming to his moustached lips "Well played"
"Thank-you, Sir" Belle grinned, a little smug as she leaned back in her seat and basked in her victory. A shrill bell rang out through the room, and with a sweeping gesture Mr Cracker dismissed the students, ignoring Belles cheeky little wink as she passed him. He rolled his eyes.
"Just try and pay attention from now on!" he called after her, and Belle said that she would try (but she couldn't make any promises) and left the hall with a devilish grin on her face.
"What are you so happy about?"
Belle turned around, and she barely had time to register who was stood beside the classroom door before her lips were caught by a heart-stopping kiss. She squealed in surprise, but quickly became pliant, her lips moving against his before they broke apart, and Belle beamed when she looked into Rumplestiltskin's soft brown eyes.
"Oh, it is you!" she teased, and Rumplestiltskin scoffed, pretending to be insulted.
"Well, really, dearie, who else would it be?"
"I don't know. Someone with a death wish?"
"Ah, you're learning!"
Belle laughed and they walked together to the lockers so she could put away her French books. She was right in the middle of telling him her French class story when she saw what was on the big notice-board.
"Oh God..." she groaned "Parent Visitation?"
Belle's distress was a cause of confusion for Rumplestiltskin. He knew why Visitation would be a problem for him (Divorcee mother. Insane father hell bent on her misery. Poor little Baelfire caught in the middle...yeah, Visitation was gonna be fun!) but for Belle, Visitation was always a happy affair. She got along well with her father, and the two had always been close. They rarely argued about anything, except when Belle's taste in boyfriends came up "Belle? What's wrong?"
"Oh God..." she repeated, turning to him, a look of guilt on her pretty features "Um...O.k, um..." she bit her lip, her hands wringing and her blue eyes looking at anywhere but him. Rumplestiltskin watched her, waiting for her to tell him.
After a full minute of unintelligible babbling that consisted of 'Um's' and 'O.k's', Belle finally faced him properly "O.k, um...I have a confession to make"
Rumplestiltskin frowned "Yes?"
A deep breath blew through Belle's lips "Oh God, um...well, you know how we've been back together for around a week now?"
Rumplestiltskin nodded, still confused. What did that have to do with anything?
Belle whimpered, clearly guilty about what she was going to say "Well, um, I kind of...I haven't...O.k, I may have neglected to tell my father"
"Oh" Rumplestiltskin blinked at her "Right" his expression remained smooth for only seconds before a slow smirk appeared on his lips "Well, I don't think you need to be worried about delivering the news again, Belle. After all, he was practically giddy the first time round!"
"Yeah!" Belle agreed,her voice deceptively peppy "Maybe this time he'll transfer me to a college on the moon!"
Rumplestiltskin laughed, and the young beauty shook her head at him, a smile appearing for a second before it melted away, clearly not happy about what she was about to say next "Well...I suppose I'd better call him..."
She started to reach into her pocket for her cell, but Rumplestiltskin caught her hand before she could. Belle looked up at him, a clear question on her face before she saw the wickedness in her loves expression.
"Oh, there's really no need, my Belle" he said, his voice smooth in a way he only used when he was plotting something dark.
"Rumple-"
"I mean, if you think about it" he overrode Belle's protest "It's probably best if we tell him together, so that he know's you're...serious this time"
He wasn't even bothering to come up with a passable excuse! Belle's eyes crinkled in a look that was extremely doubtful "Yeah right. You just wanna see the look on his face when he finds out we're together!"
"You said it, not me"
"You're evil!" Belle smacked him on the shoulder, but her other hand made no move towards her phone "Fine" she said exasperatedly "But we're taking your car to the hospital if he has a heart-attack!"
Looking simply delighted at the prospect, Rumplestiltskin wrapped an arm around Belle's waist and kissed her on a porcelain cheek "Lovely"
THAT'S RIGHT! ITS PARENT VISITATION, Y'ALL, BRING ON THE CARNAGE!
Well, while you all speculate and (hopefully) review I'm gonna try and work on my History essay. Oh, and for those of you wondering the translation for Belle's conversation with Mr Cracker is just below (I hope I got it right this time!):
So, miss French, how have you been getting on with your studies?
Well, I don't like to boast, but I suppose I've been doing well
Really? Because I've heard that you've been a little...distracted, lately
Well, I wouldn't say distracted, professor Cracker, more...a lot of late nights