Once Upon a Time: School's Out! The Third One

by MissiB

The Schools Out! Gang have returned once again, and after the events of their previous semester, they think the drama is finally over. Little do they know, it's only just beginning...

22. Chapter 22

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 22

Ella had to admire the patience of her friends. That morning, they had arranged to go to the Mall in town together, and while she had been getting ready they had waited a whole five minutes before giving up on her completely, and going without her. Nice.

As Thomas was busy getting in some extra practice in the football field with the team, it was unlikely she'd be able to get a lift for another hour at least, so she went to the library to catch up on some English Lit work. Namely, the ten page essay on the current poet laureate for England that was due in that Friday.

Well, I'd better get started, she thought glumly as she opened her lap-top, stupid impatient friends!

When she was about two pages into her paper, she became aware that she was no longer alone. Someone was sitting in front of her at her table, and out of a faint curiosity she briefly glanced up at her unexpected companion before concentrating on her essay again. Then she frowned, and looked up again.

Jefferson Hatter?

"Hello, Ella" he said warmly, his teeth glinting behind his trademark wide smile, but Ella did not return it. Shaking her head, she looked down and tried once again to continue with her paper. This was the idiot who'd had to blackmail poor Belle into a date with him, why should she even acknowledge his existence?

So she didn't respond when she heard Jefferson distinctly cough ""Uh, I said hello"

Ella exhaled heavily in irritation, trying to make a show of getting on with her work. She heard the Hatter laugh lightly "Wow, you're rude!"

"What do you want?!" she snapped her head up at him, and the hatter looked quite surprised at Ella Boyd's sudden annoyance.

"Nothing!" he claimed, and then reached into the bag next to him and pulled out a large Politics textbook "I'm here to study. Just thought I'd be polite"

Ella snorted in disbelief "Since when are you polite?"

Jefferson seemed to contemplate for a moment "Good point, Cinders" the blonde gripped her pen so hard it nearly cracked, unable to hide the hurt on her face. Jefferson carried on smirking "So...how's that deliciously Australian friend of yours? I heard she's quite the gossip queen at the moment"

"She never wrote those things!" Ella said angrily, and he cocked an obnoxious eyebrow.

"Yeah? That's not how it reads"

"Then maybe you're reading the wrong stuff!" said the testy blonde. Why was he even bothering to talk to her? Was he hoping to get through to Belle in some way?! "That article was not written by her! It was written by some crazy ass who had a death-wish but didn't was too much of a coward to take the blame!" she repeated Snow White's words to him, but the Hatter didn't look at all convinced.

"Oh really?"

"Yes!" Ella finally slammed the top of her lap-top shut and looked at him with a scorching gaze "Do you need it spelled out for you?!"

"Well, if it wasn't her..." she pressed back against her chair when Jefferson leaned forward, linking his hands over the table and gazing at her with freakishly wide green eyes "Who was it?"

Ella groaned, throwing her hands up in helpless irritation "I don't know! Like I said it was some cra-"

She stopped, staring at him curiously. All of a sudden Jefferson's facial expression had become very strange, shifting from dismissive and changing into something...else. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something had changed.

Why would that be? Unless...

"Some...crazy ass" she finished oddly, and for long minutes the two held each other's gaze. A strange, instinctual feeling twisted Ella's gut, but at that moment, Jefferson snorted ridiculously.

"Well, I hope you catch him!" he said, and then he picked up his unopened book and stood. He shot the young woman another grin "I think I'll go study somewhere quieter"

He doffed his hat and then disappeared out of the library, leaving Ella wondering what the hell had just happened.

OUAT

When Daniel got back to the Darq House that afternoon, he was met with a rather weird and troubling situation. He had just walked past the room of Rumplestiltskin Gold, and for some reason the door was wide open. Since when did the paranoid dealer ever leave his door anything other than dead-locked?

"Check everywhere, we have no idea where he might have hidden them"

Was that the Dean? What was he doing here?

"And you're sure this is where he hid them, Miss Mills?"

Regina?!

"Definitely, Mr Boss. Everyone knows that Gold likes to keep his possessions close to him"

Yep, that was Regina. Jesus, what was she doing now?

"The programmes are definitely here" oh dear God. What the hell was she doing?! Was she trying to get herself killed?!

Among the students of Fairytale College, there was one rule that must never be broken, one taboo that must never be committed. No matter how you were tempted, no matter how much crap you'd dug yourself into with him, you never, ever, ratted about Rumplestiltskin's 'Collection'

But now it looked like the ex-president of the student body had done just that...if Gold found out she'd be dead before she hit the ground!

Not wasting any time, Daniel went to the open room and looked inside. There was Regina, with her back to him and standing with the plump Mr Boss as the middle aged Caretaker dug his way through Gold's large closet, only recognisable from the bottoms of his blue cotton overall pants and brown leather lace-ups, the rest of him concealed by the closet's ornate wooden doors.

"Miss Mills, I can't find anything in here" said the Caretakers gruff voice, sounding exhausted like he had been searching for a long time. Boss turned to her expectantly, and when the back of Regina's shoulders tensed Daniel knew she was trying to hold back a groan of exasperation.

"Well, Gold's clever! He wouldn't leave his collection just anywhere!" she said to the caretaker before turning to the Dean so that her back was fully to Daniel "Mr Boss, he probably has a secret hideaway in that closet-"

"Oh, I doubt it!" Mr Boss groaned, and Daniel hid behind the wall when he faced his ex "Miss Mills, there's nothing in here. This room appears to be clean"

"But-!" she started to furiously protest, but Mr Boss cut her off.

"That doesn't mean we'll stop looking, though!" he assured her, and Daniel inwardly cursed "I'll get Sebastian to search the boys locker" he gestured to the now standing red-haired Caretaker "And we'll call in the boy himself to discuss these allegations"

There was no response from Regina, and Daniel assumed she was doing her 'Silent Fury' thing. He then heard Mr Boss' footfalls on the ground, and he couldn't hide himself fast enough (where was there to hide?!) before he spotted him, and made a sound of surprise before greeting him kindly "Oh. Hello Mr Hay"

Ah, crap...he heard Regina's short intake of breath, and knew there was a low possibility she hadn't heard that. He bared his teeth at Boss in what he hoped came off as a greeting smile until the older man padded off, his Caretaker quickly following. Then, he moved away from the wall, and faced Regina herself.

"What's happening here?" the words jumped out of his throat before she could speak a word "What've you done?"

If Regina was at all surprised to see him there, she wasn't showing it. Her trademark sneer was carefully in place, and she swept out of the dark room "Oh, so now you're suspicious of me?" she huffed a small, mirthless laugh "Can't say I'm surprised"

"You know you're dead if Gold finds out about this!" Daniel snapped, swiveling off the wall to face her and thrusting his hand towards the now-closed door. Regina rolled her eyes.

"Please! How is he going to find out?" she said, and her stared at her in complete disbelief.

"You heard Boss! Gold's going to be asked questions about this, do you really think he won't figure out who told on him?!"

"And, how is he going to find that out? The Dean's been sworn to secrecy!"

Oh, for Gods sake, Daniel growled. Her carefree attitude about this was really starting to piss him off! "Look, that guy has eyes everywhere! He's probably even got-what the hell do you want?!" as if on cue, he spotted a sneaky dark eye poking out within a wooden door behind Regina's shoulder. With a frightened squeak, the door snapped shut, and he pointed it out obviously "See?!"

Regina was looking over her shoulder too, but when he spoke she didn't turn her head back to look at him even as she continued to speak "Why do you even care what happens to me?" she said with soft anger, shocking the boy. How could she think he didn't care about her? Had those months together, those professions of love and trust, proven nothing?

No...not trust...not when it mattered, he thought with a guilty stab in the stomach. But that didn't stop him from trying to made things right!

"Of course I care!" he declared, becoming more and more frustrated when she still wouldn't look at him "I don't want to see you get hurt!"

She stiffened, and he saw her fists clench as she spoke again, this time turning to face him fully and he was shocked at the intense coldness in her eyes "Listen Hay, what I do, or don't do, is no longer any of your business. So why don't you just stay out of my business?"

Her voice carried a deadly warning, but Daniel stubbornly shook his head "I can't do that"

An annoyed hand jumped to Regina's hip "Why not?"

"Because you've been down this road before!" he gestured to the recently-disturbed room "And you know where it ends, and I can't let you do that to yourself!"

"Again, I have to ask: Why the hell not?!"

Daniel stared at her, and then, almost tenderly, he told her "Because I love you, and I'm looking out for you"

She stiffened at the confession, visibly trying not to react. Finally, he had said the words he should've said on that day, the day she wept into his shoulder over the ridiculous "Relapse" crap, and it was about freaking time too. He just hoped it wasn't too late.

Slowly, her hand lowered from her hip, and the coldness in her face melted away, and for a moment he actually dared to hope.

But then her expression hardened, her arms crossed over her chest, and her lip curled unpleasantly "Are you, now?" she said, and she actually sniggered, the sound sending spiked daggers into Daniel's heart"Well, I'm afraid you've made your little confession, a little too late. You see, I don't need you to look out for me, I have other people to do that. People who never doubted me!"

A broken Daniel jerked his attention back to her, instinct slamming straight into his gut. She couldn't be talking about Snow White (Could she?...no, God no!) so who was she...? "People? Like who?"

But Regina was ignoring him now, already walking down the dark hall "Hey! Wait! People like who?" he held out an arm to stop her, not letting her get away. She made a noise of irritation and turned her head to him.

"It's really none of your business!"

"But I still want to know" he said, and then told her the complete truth "Regina, whether you like it or not, I believe you, and I'm trying to help you! So can you just tell me?"

"Oh, for God sakes!" she snarled, and turned her flashing eyes to him "Fine, you want to know?"

"Yes!"

"It's the same person who has always helped me. Now get the hell out of my way!"

She shoved past his arm, and just as the confused Daniel Hay started to call after her, they heard Mr Boss' voice floating up the stairs, and they froze when they heard what it was saying:

"...ah, Mr Gold, I was hoping to run into you"

"...yes, Mr Boss?"

Oh. Crap. It was Gold! Panicked, Daniel turned to the fierce girl next to him, who was just as frozen as he was on the ugly brown carpet. Clearly, she was not planning on still being in the building when the fearsome dealer turned up. Probably because there was nowhere to run.

Dammit!

OUAT

"...yes, I want you to meet me in my office in an hour, there's something I want to talk to you about"

"I can't do that I'm afraid, Sir. I have plans for later today" Rumplestiltskin said, moving out of the way for the red-head in overalls trying to get outside. He was meeting one of his regulars (Hence why he had moved his merchandise to the bag that was now slung over his shoulder) in half that time and the boy was always late. Though he didn't see how that was possible, with that huge fob watch he carried around with him "Can I ask what this is about?"

"Some allegeations have been made against you, Gold" the Dean told him, and Rumplestiltskin cocked an eyebrow. Someone had made a claim against him? He had to admit that was pretty brave. Stupid, but brave. And curious as he hadn't even done anything (recently)

Then, the Dean explained "According to my source you've been...selling unregistered products in my school"

Gold stopped. He didn't speak, concentrating on keeping up his calm appearance even as a bubbling rage started to stir up inside him He knew he could be wrong, he knew no-one would actually commit the ultimate taboo against him. No-one was that much of a suicidal twat. But he still had to ask:

"...like what, Mr Boss?"

Boss leaned towards him a little, as though he didn't want to be overheard, and when he spoke it was in a low, almost inaudible voice "Illegal computer programmes, Mr Gold. So I'll see you in my office in-"

"If I might ask, Sir" oops, there was a little too much venom in that. Funny how he didn't seem to care "Who was it, that told you this?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that, Mr Gold-"

"Why the hell not?!"

"Stop interrupting me!" the Dean ordered, so violently that for a few seconds, it actually shut him up. Boss took a deep breath before continuing "I'm sorry, Mr Gold, but I'm sworn to secrecy on that front"

Damn, then it'll be that much harder figuring out who to kill...he grumbled inwardly. Although, based on his actions of this morning, he was sure he could guess what whining bitch had squealed. After all, there was no such thing as a coincidence.

"I expect to see you in one hour, Gold" the Dean was saying now, much to Rumplestiltskin's displeasure "And I don't want any excuses"

"But I just told you I-!"

"Then it'll have to wait!" interrupted the Dean. Oh, so it's alright for HIM to interrupt ME, but not the other way around? "One hour, Gold. Don't be late!"

He then marched past the him, and by now Rumplestiltskin was steaming at the ears as he stamped furiously up the stairs. Once he got his hands on that loud-mouthed bitch he was gonna-

Oh, well what do you know? His task was halfway complete already, as a brilliantly frightened Regina Mills-standing next to her equally wary ex-boyfriend-was stood right in front of him when he reached the top of the stairs.

She looked at him. He looked at her.

Her face was stiff from trying not to show fear. His was a little more free, and dangerously calm.

That is, until he let his lips spread into a wide, toothy, sneering smile.

"Well hello, dearie. Fancy meeting you here"

OUAT

It was too late to run. Gold had spotted them. His focus was on Regina, and judging by the look on his face he had already figured out what she was doing here.

Daniel had only seen Gold angry at her once before, back when he thought she had told Belle's dad about their formerly secret relationship. He had never seen fire like that, and what was worse, Regina almost got burned.

And so, when Gold started to slowly walk up to the head of the stairs, he stepped forward until he was standing directly in front of her, his defensive stance already set. Gold grinned.

"Your boyfriends reaction gives you away, dearie" he said lowly, directing his question to the defended girl, and Daniel could feel Regina's glare burning the back of his head "So, it was you who spread that viscous rumour to the Dean, hm?"

Behind the bus-boy, Regina rolled her eyes in an almost convincing attempt at appearing bored and oblivious "Me? Gold, what makes you think I would ever do something that stupid?"

"You got a few years?"

"Screw you, you son of a-"

"She didn't have anything to do with this, Gold" Daniel interrupted, putting up a hand to silence his ex. Regina silenced instantly, startled at the sudden defence, and Rumplestiltskin released a disbelieving breath.

"Oh really?" he spoke to Daniel, but his eyes remained on the young woman "Then perhaps you wouldn't mind telling me what she's doing here. At the same time as the Dean, I might add?"

He didn't even think, he just said the first thing that popped into his head"Because she was coming to see me" behind him,hHe heard Regina's small intake of breath, but Gold still didn't even look slightly convinced.

"Ah!" he trilled "Of course! I didn't realise you two were back together! How sweet" he bared his teeth in a very creepy smile at the girl behind him, and it was instinct for Daniel to step further so that she was almost completely blocked from Gold's gaze.

"We're not" he said in monotone, not having to fake any of the disappointment in his voice. Gold made a sound of sympathy, but it was clearly sarcastic, and Daniel bristled "If you must know, I convinced her to come here after I was done with work so that I could beg her to take me back. Obviously, it didn't work, and she stormed out of my room just as you came upstairs" he lied fluently, and there was a tense moment where Gold looked like he was ready to attack them both. He walked up the remainder of the stairs, and slowly stepped towards Daniel until their noses were almost brushing (sort of...he was actually a little bit taller than Gold) brown eyes locked on blue, and blue bored back into brown. They stayed there, engaging in a battle of wills. Until Rumplestiltskin smirked, backing away from the girl and her guard.

"Evidently, I was...mistaken" he said smoothly, walking past them and towards his own bedroom, and Daniel hoped to God that Sebastian had cleaned up in there.

He placed a hand on his door, but before he went inside he turned his head to Regina, who had also followed him with her hard gaze. He grinned "Enjoy the rest of your afternoon...Relapse Mills"

"Go to hell!" Daniel retorted, but Rumplestiltskin merely laughed and went into his own domain. Once the door clicked shut, and there were no shouts of fury or indignation, Daniel breathed a heavy sigh of relief and turned around. Regina was still standing behind him, arms over her chest and looking extremely peeved.

"What did you do that for?!" she snapped, gesturing to Gold's door. Daniel snorted.

"Well, that wasn't quite the thank-you I was expecting!" he said, and she rolled her eyes again, her hand folding back with the other against her chest.

"I could've handled it, you know. It's not the first time he and I have disagreed" her jaw tensed, as if remembering an unpleasant experience. Daniel let himself wonder about that for a second before he shrugged nonchalantly, a small, crooked smile coming to his face.

"Well, it's like I said, Regina" he said, turning around to fully face her "I'm looking out for you. No matter what" he smiled boyishly, and she raised one perfectly arched eyebrow at him in suspicion before she made her way gracefully down the staircase (taking note of several curious heads that rapidly disappeared from the sides and foot) and strode out of the door.

OUAT

At the Mall, Ruby grimaced in the food court as Snow White dipped yet another pickle into her specially ordered bowl of peanut butter. They, along with Belle had migrated there to rest after an hour and a half of shopping (which would've been just one hour, had Belle not held them all up at the book store searching for a newly released novel she 'Just had to have!' A book about a vampire detective that solved crimes using magic with their pre-teen partner? What was the world of fiction coming to?) and she turned away from the gross sight to Belle herself, who was now reading her new book under the table "You know, some people say that it's rude to read at the table, French!"

Belle didn't respond, apparently too engrossed in her story to respond. So engrossed, in fact, that she didn't notice that the chocolate ice cream on her suspended spoon (which may have originally been intended for her mouth) was slowly dripping onto her white skirt "Uh, Belle? You've got a situa-"

"Reading" the bookworm stated, not looking up from her book. Ruby pursed her lips at her rudeness, and then sat back in her seat in silence. Snow White rolled her eyes, put down her pickle, and barked out like an army commander:

"Belle. You've got chocolate on your skirt and it's getting close to your book! Respond!"

"What?!" the bandaged beauty let out a loud cry of indignation when she snapped her book shut and saw the huge stain on her clothes "Darn it...where are the napkins?!" she moaned, closing her book and putting it on the unoccupied chair. Snow White pointed to somewhere near Ruby, but when Belle reached over the table there was nothing. She spread the fingers of her hand on the table questioningly.

"Snow, they're not here, where are-" she heard a small giggle, and looked up to see her dear friend Ruby, who had both hands underneath the table, and looked like she was trying very hard not to smile. Belle sighed.

"Ruby, please give me the napkins" she asked nicely, but the immature red-head just smirked and shrugged.

"I don't know what you're talking about. There were no napkins there!" she giggled devilishly, and Snow White couldn't help but join in. Narrowing her eyes, Belle held her hand out to the thief.

"Rubes, come on, I need to get this stain out now!"

Ruby just smirked , I"Then go borrow some napkins from somewhere else!"

"Why would I when you have them right there?!"

"Right where?"

"In your hand!"

"I do not!"

"Ruby, give me a napkin!"

"I'm telling you, I don't have them!"

"That would be a lot easier to believe if you weren't WAVING THEM IN MY FACE!"

"Hey! Guys!...what's going on here?"

Ella frowned in confusion as she walked up to the commotion at the table. Ruby looked up in delighted surprise at her appearance and Belle seized the opportunity to grab the napkins she was using to taunt her from her red tipped hand.

"HA!" she crowed in victory, and started to rapidly wipe down her skirt while Ruby glowered at her from above her chicken salad sandwich. Ella raised an eyebrow at Snow White, who shook her head helplessly, grinning all over her face.

"Just ignore them, Ella, they've just reverted back to their ten year old state of minds" she said, her voice jerky with mirth as the blonde sat down (putting Belle's book carefully on the table lest she sit on it) but when she saw that Ella wasn't smiling, she began to look appropriately guiltily "Listen, uh, sorry about leaving you behind-"

"Well, you should be!" exclaimed the blonde, throwing her arms out and letting them flop back to her sides in annoyance "I had to wait an hour to get a lift here from Thomas, and then there was heaps of traffic that took another half hour to get through!" Snow White cringed in guilt, and Ella folded her arms over her chest, fiercely looking around everyone at the table "I mean, why did you leave me behind in the first place?!"

"Blame her" Ruby pointed at Snow White, whose eyes widened at the betrayal "She's the one who decided to have a hormonal breakdown and insist we leave immediately!"

"Hey, I didn't make you listen to me!" Snow White argued, and when both Ruby and Belle harrumphed in contradiction, she made a hurt sound and flopped back in her seat "It's not like I can help these mood swings, you for the record, Ella" she looked at the disgruntled blonde with care, the most sincere, non verbal apology on her face "We are all really, really-oh, wait a sec"

Ella made a noise of disbelief when Snow White actually cut off her apology to answer her phone "Are you kidding me?!"

The music was coming out of her jacket pocket, and she shot Ella another guilty look before taking it out.

"Sorry, Ella" she apologised-which was all the neutral beauty really wanted in the freaking first place! "I think it's probably James. Ever since I hit my eighth month he's been worried about me going anywhere without him"

"Aww, that's sweet" smiled Belle as Snow White frowned for a second, and then pressed the phone to her ear. Ella glanced at Belle, almost by accident, but her gaze happened to fall upon the bandage on her petite nose, and she remembered her strange library incident with Jefferson.

Ella frowned at the injury, her gut twisting like...like she was meant to realise something, but she didn't know what. Belle's injury...and Jefferson...how could the two be connected? They had already agreed that the article had been written by some pathetic coward trying to get to Regina, but what would Jefferson have against Mills?

Unless...

"You O.k, Ella?"

Ella started at a speaking Australian accent. In her staring she hadn't noticed Belle staring back, seeming a weirded out (no-one liked to be stared at) and the quiet blonde jerked back, embarrassed.

"Oh, sorry Belle!" she apologised hastily "Uh, yeah...yeah I'm fine, sorry"

"Um...O.k then" Belle smiled softly at her before picking up her book again, and Ella leaned back against her seat and engaging in a heated conversation with Ruby about the outrageous new policy their new Student Body President, George Spencer, was trying to introduce to the girls of the College: 'Mini-Skirt Mondays'...oh dear God!

They talked for a long time, and unfortunately, it led to Ella forgetting about Jefferson and the library, completely.

OUAT

Good God, that man liked to bang on! Thought Rumplestiltskin as he entered his bedroom again. Two hours the Dean had kept him in his office, interrogating him about the programmes, even having the audacity to go through his things! His room, his locker, his bags. Fortunately for him, before he went to his appointment with the middle-aged man he had made sure his products were well hidden, and nothing had been found. Luckily for him.

And, luckily for her. He didn't particularly give a damn about Regina, but for Gods sake it was like the girl was trying to get herself killed! First Belle, and now this? Because of her he'd lost a very good sale (Lewis White always did have expensive taste) and she had ratted on him. And he despised tattle-tales. But he'd made that promise to Belle, and he wouldn't break it.

But that didn't mean he couldn't vent out his frustration in other ways.

Now locked back in his room, he picked up his phone and took a piece of paper-borrowed (well, kind of borrowed)from the school files when the school receptionist wasn't looking-out of his pocket, with a long number written on the thin surface. A number he dialled and then rang.

He didn't have to wait long. Within two rings, the call was answered.

"Mills residence"

"Hello, Mrs Mills?" he said, recognising her voice "It's Rumplestiltskin Gold. Do you remember me?"

Cora was silent for a moment before she spoke again, sounding rather intrigued, but expectant. She'd known this was coming. Rumplestiltskin wondered if she was either intuitive, or some kind of witch. He was betting the latter.

"Yes, I remember you. What can I do for you, Mr Gold?"

"Well, it's pretty simple, Mrs Mills" he said easily "I was just wondering, if you still needed a lap-dog to carry out your dirty work?"

"Excuse m-?"

"Because if that's the case" he interrupted, a thin, evil smirk spreading across his thin face "Then you can count me in"

Well, I don't know about you guys but to me this don't look good! What do we think of the chapter, my loves? Please let me know!