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 18
In her bedroom, Belle pressed her feet together with a sharp clap of her hands. She then spread her legs apart and lurched to the left, bending her left knee while pushing her arms out in the same direction in a wide V shape, her right fist in the air and her left pointing at the floor.
"Royals!" she muttered.
She then swept her right arm over her head and straightened out her leg, putting her hands behind her head.
"Fight!" she muttered, a little louder this time.
Although her legs were staring to ache, she kept her feet spread and pulled out her arms, planting her left fist on her waist and striking out her right in the air, her fingers curving as though curled around a sceptre (remembering what happened the last time she did this, Belle was glad she had decided to practice this routine on her own)
"Win!" she nearly shouted, a huge smile spreading across her face. She had done it! After weeks of practicing the stupid routine, she had finally done it right!And she hadn't hurt anybody this time!
"Yes!" Belle shook her fists in the air in victory, bringing her legs together and flopping down on her bed in exhaustion. In this hour alone, she had finished the novel she'd been reading, completed her French essay, and had now practiced the cheerleading routine for the fourth time in a row.
Belle fell back on her bed, bored out of her mind. Snow, Ruby and Ella all had classes, and Mulan was out shopping with Aurora (how the brunette cheerleader had convinced the black-belt tomboy to do that she would never know) leaving Belle alone during her free period. This had never bothered her before, but then again...she'd always had Rumplestiltskin to talk to.
The teenager sighed, picking up the cell phone she'd left on her bed and checking it for messages. Nothing. He hadn't sent her a thing
Well, I guess he is busy, and he did call you yesterday, she thought to herself, but even her inner voice couldn't hide the slight disappointment. It had been less than 24 hours, and already she missed him.
Instantly, she suddenly felt guilty. Here she was, wallowing in her pathetic bout of loneliness while Rumplestiltskin was probably stressed out of his mind trying to keep his poor brother from falling into hysterics while his mother fought against his father to keep him in this state! She needed to get a grip.
Belle forced herself to sit up then, grabbing her bag and gathering her equipment for her French class inside. She only had a few minutes to get to her lecture and if she didn't hurry up she-
"OW! Hey, what the hell?!" Belle's head snapped up when she heard a thump and shout in the hallway. She frowned, not dwelling on it for very long before she shrugged and resumed her task. She didn't hear the furious sound of heels stabbing the carpet until it was too late.
Belle jumped violently when her door exploded open, slamming hard against her wall so that flakes of cream paint came off. Belle's head shot up, and before her stood Regina Mills.
OUAT
"Regina?"
Belle all but whispered her name, the look on the other girls face sending shivers down her spine. Her hair was disheveled, falling about her face in two dark curtains, her eyes had grown so dark they were almost black with rage, and chest was heaving as though she had ran here. Her hand were stiff at her sides, her fingers twitching.
Slowly, she walked forward, her eyes locking with Belles as, slowly, fearfully, the beauty straightened her back, her eyes never leaving Regina's.
"You..." Regina whispered, her voice darker than Snow White's hair "All this time, it's been you!"
Belle didn't have a clue what she was talking about, but the look on Regina's face prevented her from saying so, the words trapping themselves in her throat.
"What did I ever do to you?" she snarled, her face appearing to become less human and more demonic as she did "What could I have ever done, to someone like you, to deserve this hell?"
"R-Regina" Belle stammered, slowly rising to her feet, her eyes darting behind the enraged figure to look for a way out "I-I don't know what you're talking about-"
"LIAR!" Regina screamed, and to Belle's terror she grabbed the door and slammed it shut. Trapping her with the enraged girl.
Regina pointed a shaking finger in her face, her own features twisting into a look that was half deranged insanity, half fearful anger "You're Golden Boy can't protect you now, French!" her lips split into a feral grin, and Belle broke into a sweat, her fear climbing higher and higher by the minute.
"W-What're you going to do to me?"
Regina's grin grew wider, making her look more insane than Belle had ever seen anyone look. From her lips came a low, demonic chuckle.
"Oh my dear" she said, lowering her finger and taking another step forward. Belle's muscles seized in her body, screaming for her to run. But where?!
"I'm going to make you wish..." Regina promised, stretching out a hand and brushing back Belle's hair "That you had never been born"
The hand she had in Belle's hair fisted, and the innocent beauty cried out in pain as she her hair was yanked out by it's roots and she was forced to the ground.
OUAT
"I'm just saying, I don't think I've ever seen Ms Gohrm that happy!" said Ella as she and Ruby walked up to the dormitory door. Ruby rolled her eyes, reaching out for the door handle.
"Ella, I think you're over-thinking things"
Ella gave her an outraged look as she followed Ruby into the dorm lounge "Ruby, the woman was practically giddy! You can't tell me that's not because Gold's no longer there!"
Ruby laughed, opening her mouth to respond. However, before her words could leave her lips, a long, terrible scream that could only have come from intense pain invaded the lounge. Conversations stopped, games were put on pause, and textbooks were closed, and each occupant of the house raised their heads to the ceiling.
Ruby and Ella stared up at the stairs, their brows furrowed in confusion. That voice sounded a little familiar...
Seconds later, another scream rang out through the house, and Ruby's blood stilled in her veins when she finally recognised the voice.
"That's Belle!" Ella beat her to the statement, and within seconds the two were charging up the stairs and bursting through Belle's door, where a terrible sight met their eyes.
Belle was crumpled on the floor, blood covering her beautiful face while she silently sobbed. Regina was above her and kicking her repeatedly, her heeled foot hitting the girl in the stomach and stamping on her side again and again while she spat the words:
"Do you think you're clever now, French? Did you think you won? Did you really not see that this" Belle screamed in agony when Regina kicked her in the chest "Was how things were going to end?"
"GET OFF OF HER, YOU EVIL BITCH!"
Ruby wasn't even aware she'd broken out of her horrified state, she just lunged for Regina and leapt onto her back and hooked an arm around her throat, dragging her back and away from Belle. Regina snarled in fury, driving herself back and slamming her onto the wall. Ruby grunted, but never released her hold. She turned to a frozen Ella and screamed:
"Get the Dean!"
She didn't even see Ella jump to attention and run out of the dorm, she just kept her arm locked around the neck of the snarling, spitting girl.
"Get off me!"
"NO!"
"Stupid bitch!" Ruby cried out when Regina's elbow made contact with her stomach and pain roared through her, cutting off her breath and causing her arm to loose it's grip. Her body bent to the floor and Regina broke away as Ruby dropped to her knee's and onto the floor, her arm wrapped around her waist while she desperately breathed. Regina glared down at the cheerleader. Her left fist clenched, and Ruby stubbornly stared up at her as she lifted her arm, unable to prevent the strike that was to come-
"NO!"
Regina screamed out when, out of nowhere, a wounded Belle kicked out a leg that connected with hers and caused her to collapse to the ground. Before she could regain her senses, Ruby threw her body over Regina's torso. Straddling her and pinning her by her arms to the ground, forcing her to stay down even as she struggled and screamed.
"Get off me, you stupid little girl!"
"Miss Mills! Miss Lucas! Miss French! What in Gods Name is going on?!"
From her position on the deranged Student Body President, Ruby looked up to see Mr Boss, the short and portly dean in a corduroy jacket that was patched with suede, staring at the scene before him as though he wanted to tear his eyes away but couldn't. Beside him stood Ella, the same expression on her face.
"M-Mr Boss!" Belle's voice shook as she spoke, forcing herself up onto her elbows. The Dean gasped at the sight of her.
"Oh my God! Miss French, what happened to you?!"
"Regina attacked her!" Ruby grunted, still on top of her even though she'd stopped struggling, her anger apparently faded, and she was now glaring at Ruby.
"Right" said Mr Boss uneasily, his eyes flickering between the injured Belle and trapped Regina "Uh...Miss Lucas, if you could get off Miss Mills, I could take her to my office where we can discuss this"
"Are you CRAZY?!" Ruby nearly screamed, not removing herself from Regina "She'll just attack Belle again!"
"No, I won't" Regina groaned, struggling to breathe. She heard Belle groan again, but she didn't look at her. As her anger faded, her sense of reality increased, and she began to realise what she had done...
Ruby snorted "Yeah right!"
"Miss Lucas!" Mr Boss snapped, stepping forward into the room. He gestured to Belle, who was still lying on the floor, her elbows giving out so that her face was resting on the carpet "You're friend might need medical attention! Maybe you should see to that?"
He had her there. Ruby made sure to dig her nails into Regina's arms as she heaved herself off her, crawling over to Belle and gently lifting her head into her lap. Belle whimpered in pain, and Ella rushed forward and dropped to her knee's, helping Ruby lift the petite girl to her feet.
"Ow" Belle hissed, her face creasing up in pain.
"Sorry!" Ruby apologised hastily "Come on, we've gotta get you to Gaius"
"Hospitals better" said Ella, and before Belle could protest Ruby nodded.
Regina meanwhile was being led out of the dorm by Mr Boss. He kept a firm grip on her arm, his voice dangerously low as he said one sentence to her:
"You, Miss Mills, are in a hell of a lot of trouble!"
Regina didn't respond. She didn't care, she focused on keeping her head held high, even as girls poked their heads out of their doors and peered up the stairs as she and Boss walked down them.
Her face was stiff, as were her arms at her sides, and it wasn't until the Dean brought her outside that the images of what she, in her intense rage, had done to the French girl.
Her hands began to shake.
OUAT
Could this be the dreaded comeback of Crazy Regina Mills? Could our College no longer be safe? How long before another young beauty feel's the brunt of Relapse Mill's uncontrollable jealousy? Is anyone safe?
This reporter certainly hopes so
Oh my God...James thought, gasped, staring down at the newsletter in his hand in horror. Of all the stupid things to do...why would Belle write this?! Had she gone insane?!
He looked down at the article one last time, re-reading the line that spoke of the drugs that had been used against Snow White before, his face contorting into an expression of disgust before he pocketed the newsletter. As much as he wanted to throw it to the ground, he knew he had to show Snow White, because if what was in the article was true, she was in danger. At least, until he spoke to the Dean-
"Never in all my years...of all the things I've seen...Mills, you've gone too far this time!"
Looking up, James felt a jolt of surprise when he saw Dean Boss walk out of the Dame House, accompanied by none other than Regina Mills herself, her face stiff with what looked like an attempt at annoyance. Boss had her by the elbow, a furious look on his face, and when James trailed his eyes downwards, he saw that there was blood on Regina's knuckles.
What the hell...?
He lifted his gaze back to Regina's face, and he felt another jolt of shock when he realised that the dangerous young woman was staring back at him.
Cold brown eyes fixed on his blue ones as Regina was led away, their gazes locked. Then, as Boss led Regina away from the dorms, her eyes narrowed, so that James was on the receiving end of a vicious glare that would've stunned an ox.
But not him. He forced himself not to break eye contact until Regina had been led away, releasing a deep breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding once she'd gone.
Jeeze, what was that-
"JAMES! Hey! JAMES!"
Frowning, James turned and saw Ruby and Ella coming out of the Dame House, their arms wrapped behind the back of a blood covered Belle, her shirt stained in the terrible liquid, and her head hanging so her hair was covering her face, but not enough to hide the blood flowing from her nose and blatant bruising. Breathing a curse he ran forward.
"What the hell happened?!" he yelled, lifting Belle's head to see the blood that covered her top lip and the tears that streaked her cheeks "Oh my God..."
"James, we're borrowing your car" said Ruby abruptly, ignoring Belle's protests.
"No! I don't need the hospital, I'm fine!" she furiously claimed, and James was about to contradict her when Ruby beat him to it:
"Belle, you have blood all over you're face! We have to get it checked out!"
"We are so dead!" Ella whimpered from Belle's left side "Gold's gonna kill us!"
"What the hell happened to her?!" James demanded again, and Ruby's look turned dark.
"Regina" she said simply, and James needed no more explanation. That explained the blood on her knuckles...he'd been right all along. Regina had finally slipped. He felt a pang of sympathy for Daniel, but his protective instinct won over and he started to lead the girls to his car.
"Come on, let's get you checked out" he said to Belle, ignoring her claims that she didn't need the bloody hospital, for Christs sake!
"Where's Snow White?" Ruby asked (a little breathlessly as Belle was starting to struggle)
"I don't know" James said, and he suddenly became scared. What if Regina had gotten to her before she got to Belle-
"She went to the bathroom after Lit to throw up!" said Ella, pulling Belle along. James immediately felt himself relax, but not by much. Once they got to his car, he gave Ruby the keys and, after extracting a promise from her that she would be very, very careful with his car he headed back to the college.
There was no way he was leaving Snow White on her own with that psycho on the prowl.
OUAT
Regina sat in Dean Boss' office with her back straight, her legs elegantly crossed and her arms resting on the armrests, keeping up her bored appearance as the Dean pushed his glasses further up his nose, folded his hands over his desk, and droned on and on about her, to use his own personal phrase "Horrific" actions in the Dame House, not really paying attention until he brought up her place at Fairytale:
"Miss Mills, this behaviour is unacceptable. Now normally you would be expelled on the spot, but!" he held his hands up as Regina moved up in her seat to argue "Given your families...influence in this College, we have decided to keep you here"
Regina sagged slightly, the tension that had gathered in her releasing from relief. At least, until the Dean added:
"However, we can't completely write off your actions, Miss Mills" he paused, taking in a deep breath, a look of regret coming across his aged features "So, as of tomorrow morning, you will no longer be the Student Body President"
"WHAT?!" Regina shrieked, making Mr Boss jump horribly. And it got worse:
"You're opposition candidate, George Spencer, will take your place" Boss informed her, and Regina felt like she'd been slapped in the face. No longer Student Body President?! No! She'd worked to damn hard for that position and she was not going to let that imbecile Spencer take her-
"And then there's the matter of these allegations" from his office desk, Mr Boss pulled out a drawer and lifted out a copy of the Daily Mirror, and Regina felt a surge of panic.
"Mr Boss, you cannot seriously be telling me you believe a that crap!" she said, her tone laced with urgency. The Dean just shook his head sorrowfully.
"I'm sorry, Miss Mills, but there's no denying that you do have a...history with this sort of thing"
Regina's fingers tightened on the chair, forcing herself not to launch herself over the desk and strangling the stupid man "Are you fuc-"
"Regina!" Boss snapped, his eyes flashing behind his glasses. A warning "Do you not see how precarious this situation is?! Should Miss French choose to press charges, you could end up back in-" he stopped himself before he could say the words insane asylum, but Regina knew wasn't a fool. Forcing herself not to react, to not make the situation any worse, she leaned back in the chair, looking anywhere but at Mr Boss' face, her arms folding over her chest as he continued:
"I'm recommending you to the College psychiatrist" he said, his voice gentler than before. Regina lifted her head, horror coating her features.
"Psychiatrist?" she repeated fearfully, as though he'd said executor. Mr Boss nodded.
"Yes. You will see her once a week, every week. Miss a session, and you will immediately be expelled. Do you understand, Miss Mills?"
This can't be happening...Robotically, she nodded her assent "Yes"
Finally, the Dean released her, and Regina left his office, feeling like she was forcing herself to put one foot in front of the other and her mind swirling with everything that had transpired in the space of just one hour.
She was no longer Student Body President. She was being forced to see a psychiatrist, and she had beaten the living hell out of a fellow student...
It was the final one that finally broke her, and she pressed a hand over her mouth to stop herself from making any sounds as the reality of what she had done crashed over her. It wasn't so much the fact that it was the French girl (although she was not looking forward to when Rumplestiltskin got back. She had a feeling that he would have a rather strong opinion of what she'd done to his beloved bookworm) but the fact that she'd...She had done terrible things, she knew that. She had blackmailed, sabotaged, framed and manipulated her way through life, but never before had she lay her fists on anyone, and now that she had...
Finally, the tears started to flow down her cheeks, feeling the sting on her knuckles from where they'd repeatedly hit French's face and stomach as salt water fell on them. What had she done?
Breathing heavily in an effort to stop the tears, she forced herself to stand upright, grateful for the emptiness of the hall she currently occupied.
"Hey"
At least, she had thought it was empty. Wiping tears and smeared mascara off her face she looked up, already knowing who it would be. And she was not disappointed.
Before she could respond, Daniel Hay stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her against him and letting her weep into his shoulder, gently stroking her back. Regina didn't doubt the reason he was here was because he'd already heard about what she'd done, and she knew he was going to be mad, but right now she didn't want to focus on that, she just wanted to focus on him and his comforting embrace. He didn't say anything until Regina pulled her head up from his shoulder, her eyes rimmed with red.
"I-I'm not Student Body President anymore" she said shakily, tears threatening the corners of her eyes "Boss said I-I was lucky I didn't get expelled" she couldn't go on, her words lodging in her throat as another aching lump filled it.
"Oh Regina..." Daniel breathed in sympathy, running a hand along her wet cheek in comfort. With a small sob, Regina pressed her forehead back into his shoulder, clinging to him.
"Everything's just falling apart!" she wept "H-he's making me see a psychiatrist!" she tried to pull herself together as she felt Daniel's gentle hand come to the back of her head, gently stroking her hair and making sympathetic sounds. Then, he released a soft breath.
"Well..." he hesitated, struggling with what he wanted to say "Is that such a bad thing?"
Regina froze, his words reaching her ears and making her lift her head from his shoulder to stare at him. Her tears had now dried up, and she was staring at Daniel, trying to process what he'd just said.
"Is that such a bad thing?" she repeated, her hand falling from her face and walking backwards to violently pull herself out of his arms, unable to stop staring at him in horrified disbelief "Is that such a bad thing?!"
Daniel cursed "O.k, that came out wrong!" he said quickly, lifting his hands in a 'Calm down' motion "Look, let me explain-"
But Regina was not in the mood to hear him out. How dare he say that to her? How dare he agree with that old fool of a Dean?!
"You agree with him?" she practically hissed "You promised you wouldn't stop believing in me, you swore you would stand by me-"
"And I am!" Daniel shouted at her "But...Regina, you attacked someone! I just think that maybe if you did talk to someone-"
"And how would talking to someone help me?!"
"Because it might shed some light on what's going on with you!" Daniel cried, and for a single moment, Regina was confused by his words, but then realisation crept up on her. Cold, heart-hardening realisation.
Dear God...he had never believed her. It had all been a lie, every word. He was just like everyone else, waiting for her to snap. She nearly laughed at her own stupidity, how had she not seen it before?
"If he loves you like he says he does, then he needs to have faith in you"
Her mothers words whispered into her mind, and in that moment she realised they were true. Drawing herself up to an assertive height, Regina arranged her features into a hard, emotionless look that would've rivaled the most expensive diamond, letting a small laugh escape her lips.
"Oh, I see now" she said, her voice quiet and a small smirk spreading across her lips "You never believed me, did you?"
"What?!" Daniel yelled, actually sounding insulted. He even moved forward and grasped her arms, a look of the utmost urgency on his face. Impressive "Regina, I have always believed you! But..." he paused, and she knew what he was going to say. She was just surprised it had taken this long "I just think that...maybe the stress of this might be effecting you more than you think! You attacked someone, for Gods sake!"
Regina scoffed, pulling out of his grasp and walking around him "Why don't you just say it, Daniel? You think I'm insane" she turned, refusing to drop her cold facade even when she saw the pain on his face "Just like everyone else"
"Regina!" Daniel called after her, but she was already walking away. But then she stopped, turning one last time.
"You know what, my love? If everyone wants to see 'Crazy Regina Mills' so badly" she paused, her features falling into a look of darkness, of subtle anger"Then that's exactly what they're going to get!"
And with that, she turned on her heel and walked out of the hall with sure, confident strides, making sure she was far away from the hall until she let her tears falling down her face.
The tears blurred her vision, meaning she didn't see Snow White Blanchard until she crashed right into her.
Sh#tty ending, I know! And I apologise, but I've had insane writers block for a few weeks and I did my best. I hope you liked it anyway, and not send me too many flames for the late update.
As always, please review!