Disclaimer: I continue not to own Once Upon a Time. If someone could fix that for me, that'd be great.
No particular warnings for this chapter, but there is perhaps slightly more coarse language than in previous installments. Thanks once again for your continued support and feedback.
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Chapter 5: A Piece of Pie
It turns out that math class with an unfriendly Regina Mills is torture, especially when Mary Margaret chooses that day to assign group work. The brunette addresses Emma, and even Henry, only in short, clipped sentences when she is forced to speak at all. It doesn't help that Mary Margaret can't resist sending worried, questioning looks their way every five seconds.
The group sits in awkward silence after their graphs are finished.
"Henry, how's the fantasy novel coming along?" Emma attempts to ask.
"I'm sure Miss Blanchard would appreciate it if you didn't contribute to the overall din in the classroom," Regina snaps.
Henry looks confused. "It's the same volume it normally is, and Miss Blanchard doesn't care." Almost as if on cue, Killian starts laughing at something, and Mulan angrily overturns his chair. The ever serene Miss Blanchard doesn't even bat an eye.
"Well, I care. You're giving me a headache." Regina abruptly stands and asks Mary Margaret if she can go to the nurse's office. The teacher blinks several times and nods before shooting Emma a glance as if to say they will definitely be talking about this later.
"So, about that book..."
"It's pretty good, I guess," Henry says noncommittally. "But I'm having a little trouble making the magic seem realistic. Hey! Maybe I could watch you guys in Gold's class sometime so I can see how it's done."
"Umm...yeah. No." Emma quickly shakes her head. "Sorry, kid, but that's kind of a terrible idea. If you want, I could give you the cliff-notes version."
Henry shrugs. "That would help, actually. Do you want to meet me in the library during lunch?"
xx
Regina shows up to English class, supposed headache and all, but she makes it perfectly obvious that she intends to ignore Emma. It throws the blonde off her game, and she can barely put together a comprehensible sentence even thought their discussion topic that day is Elizabeth Bennet's visit to Pemberley.
History and Physics are a little better because Regina isn't in those classes, but Emma still can't get the brunette off her mind. She wishes Regina would stop ignoring her, of course, but she can't really blame her because she's been there before. Well, sort of. She's obviously never almost killed herself with magic gone wrong, but she knows what it's like to feel like you have to face all your crap alone and pretend to the world that you're okay. It's pretty much the story of her life.
She also knows how terrifying it is the first time someone sees that you're really not okay and never have been. She knows what it's like to want to run far away and never have to feel vulnerable again.
Unfortunately, the one thing she doesn't know is how to overcome it, so as much as she wishes Regina would let her in, she probably wouldn't be much help if it ever actually happened.
xx
Henry is already in the library when Emma comes in with her lunch, and she's instantly on guard because he's chatting with none other than Zelena Thropp.
"Hello, Emma," she says pleasantly. "I was just telling your little friend all about how magic is performed. His book sounds really interesting."
"Zelena," Emma growls, making no effort to hide her dislike of the older girl. "Don't you have people's lives to ruin?"
Zelena just smirks and says, "I'll see you this afternoon," before walking out of the library with a carefree flip of her hair.
Henry raises one eyebrow. "Hostile, much?" he asks. "What was that about?"
"That girl is a bitch. Don't talk to her."
"Whoa. What did she do to you?" Emma doesn't respond, and Henry's eyes suddenly take on a gleam of understanding. "What did she do to Regina?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure you do. You have that look."
"What look?"
"The look people get when someone threatens the one they love."
"Okay, kid, Regina is not 'the one I love.' I don't know what gave you that idea." Emma flatly denies the accusation. Sure, she thinks Regina is pretty and sometimes sexy, and she'd like to kiss her, and there's virtually nothing that gives her greater pleasure than making the other girl smile and laugh, but love? Love is for fairytales and maybe those adorable elderly couples who have been married for fifty-plus years, but definitely not for Emma Swan.
"Probably the same thing that gave everyone else that idea," Henry explains reasonably. "It's blatantly obvious that you're in love with Regina. I'm just calling it like I see it."
"Well, maybe you need to get your eyes checked."
"Whatever. Let's get back to talking about magic. Zelena said something about strong emotion controlling it, and everyone always talks about anger, but I was wondering if there are any other feelings that could lead to a release of magical power?"
It's then that Emma realizes she's in completely over her head with this conversation. It's possible that she's in completely over her head with everything.
xx
They're doing archery in P.E., again. She should have realized the other kids weren't joking around about Locksley's obsession with the sport. Maybe next semester she can change to Nolan's class - fencing definitely sounds more up her alley.
Regina is all business, and she wears a game-face that rivals Mulan's as she lets her first round of arrows fly. They're all within two inches of the bull's-eye, and Graham gives a low, impressed whistle.
"Damn, Mills. You've either been practicing in secret, or you stole Locksley's magic bow."
"Locksley has a magic bow?" Emma asks. "I thought he was some kind of archer god." Everyone ignores her.
Regina scowls. "I would never steal."
"Only one way to know for sure," says Mulan. "Give the bow to Swan and see if she can actually hit the target."
"Fa, did you just make a joke?" Graham laughs. "I didn't know you had it in you."
"Ha ha, everyone's such a comedian today," Emma says sarcastically. "Give me that thing." She shoots and purposely misses the target - it's not like she hasn't gotten a little more competent after two weeks of practice.
"Guess it's not magic after all," Mulan says. "Sorry for doubting you, Regina."
"That, or there's no magic powerful enough to make Swan shoot straight."
Emma playfully pretends to kick Graham in the crotch. Next to her, she thinks she sees the corners of Regina's lips curl upward in the beginning stages of a smile.
Emma has to admit she's a little surprised to see that Regina has already disappeared when she exits the locker room after class. She's grown accustomed to the brunette waiting to walk to Gold's class together. She briefly considers that Regina may have chosen to skip the class today - Emma certainly wouldn't have blamed her for it - but as she rounds the corner, she sees her standing rigidly in front of the classroom door, eyes tightly shut.
She stops a safe distance away and watches for a moment while Regina clenches and unclenches her fists and takes about twenty deep breaths. Then, the brunette opens her eyes, squares her shoulders, and walks into class. Completely amazed, Emma follows, unable to keep a grin off her face. If she didn't already know it, she's now convinced: Regina Mills is fucking amazing.
xx
Emma is grateful that Gold's class passes without any remarkable incidents: Zelena seems too confused that Regina isn't dead or seriously injured to make any of her usual snide remarks, and Gold is watching everyone like a hawk. Emma wonders how much Miss French told him, if she even told him anything - they don't really seem like two people who would talk much. She's on her way to the parking lot to jog home with Graham when she almost crashes into Mary Margaret in the hallway.
"Emma, I'm glad I ran into you," her foster mom says with a forced smile. "Do you have a minute? I'd like to talk to you about something."
Emma stiffens as she follows Mary Margaret into her classroom. "Is this about my test score?" she asks. "Because I promise to study harder next time and go to extra help and everything."
"What? No, of course not. I mean, your B+ wasn't the best score in the class, but it certainly wasn't the worst. I don't think it's anything to be concerned about, unless you do." Emma sighs in resignation as Mary Margaret continues, "No, this is about whatever happened yesterday with you and Regina."
"Nothing happened yesterday with me and Regina," Emma argues futilely.
"Last night, you broke the toaster and went to bed without eating dinner, and I'm pretty sure I heard you crying in your room. And then this morning, Regina was in full-on ice queen mode. Come on, Emma. Even if I had no social awareness whatsoever, it's pretty obvious that something happened."
Emma decides to lie. "Fine, you're right. Regina and I had a fight, and she's pissed at me. Nothing major - I'm sure we'll both get over it soon enough. Can I go now?"
She's almost halfway out the door when Mary Margaret says, "Nice try."
"Damn it."
"You probably could have gotten away with it if it was anyone else, but you forget how long I've known Regina. If she was really angry at you, as you claim, she wouldn't have willingly sat next to you. I know all about Regina's anger - I've spent quite a bit of time on the receiving end of it."
Emma groans. Why does Mary Margaret have to be so damn perceptive sometimes? "Okay, you win. We didn't have a fight. Something else happened, but that's all I'm going to say because it's none of your business."
Mary Margaret flinches a tiny bit at the harshness of her tone, and Emma feels badly about it for a second, but the teacher quickly regains her composure. "Maybe it's not my business, but you are my business," she says, gently putting a hand on Emma's shoulder. "I know we haven't known each other very long, but I'd like to be here for you, if you'll let me."
It's all Emma can do not to burst into tears and throw herself into her foster mother's arms, because that's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to her. "Thanks, M&M. And I do want to let you, but this...this isn't really about me."
Mary Margaret nods like she's not at all surprised. "Okay, I guess you can be on your way then. See you at home later?"
"Yup, see you soon!"
Just as Emma is about to disappear down the hallway, Mary Margaret calls after her, "Hey, Emma! If, hypothetically, without naming any names, there's another student who's dealing with something tough...you could maybe let that student know that I'm always here to listen, in any capacity she or he is willing to trust me."
xx
On Sunday afternoon, Emma is home alone with strict instructions to watch over two pies that are in the oven while Mary Margaret reads to patients at the local hospital. The teacher is having open tutoring hours at her apartment that evening because, as she puts it, some students are desperately in need of extra help but too proud to seek it without the enticement of free food.
Emma has just finished removing the blueberry pie and rotating the apple one one-hundred-eighty degrees so it cooks evenly when she is surprised by a knock at the door. She opens it to find the last person she ever expected on the other side.
"Um, hi, Regina," she mumbles. The brunette has barely spoken to her for the last few days. "You're a few hours early for the study session. Mary Margaret is-"
"Volunteering at the hospital. I know."
Emma's brow furrows. "How do you know her schedule?" she asks, even though that's probably the least important of all the questions she could be asking.
"It's what she's done every Sunday for as long as I can remember. It's a small town. Everyone knows everything about everyone," Regina says impatiently. "I'm not here for math help; I came to talk to you. May I come in?"
"Yeah, sure," Emma stands aside for her guest to enter, which Regina does reluctantly even though she's the one who asked to come inside in the first place. The two girls stand in uncomfortable silence before Emma exhales and asks, "So, what brings you to this neck of the woods?"
"I...I just want to say thank you for...saving my life, I guess. And I want to apologize for the way I've treated you these last few days. I just - no, I don't have an excuse. I'm sorry."
"Regina," Emma says quietly, "you have nothing to apologize for. At least, not that I know of, and definitely not to me."
"I shouldn't have been so rude to you."
"I've dealt with ruder people."
"Well, then I'm sorry for that, too." Regina sighs and fidgets with the ring on her finger. "I just...I don't know what to do," she admits.
"About Zelena?"
"I can't - I have to do something about her. I have to deal with this, but...I don't know how."
"Come sit," Emma says, beckoning to the brunette to follow her into the living room.
Regina perches awkwardly on the edge of the couch, her hands clasped on her lap and her posture almost unnaturally straight. "I didn't want to burden you with this, but I don't know who else to talk to."
"It's not a burden," Emma argues.
They're interrupted by a beeping timer, and Emma quickly rushes into the kitchen to remove the apple pie from the oven. She briefly considers running out the door because she knows the impending conversation is going to be so far out of her depth, but then she reminds herself that Regina didn't run and forces her feet back into the living room.
"You bake?"
"Me? No way. Mary Margaret bakes. I just get bribed into taking things out of the oven because I have nothing better to do."
"Mary Margaret, of course," Regina says softly. It occurs to Emma that it's the first time she's heard the brunette refer to their teacher by her given name, and she wants so badly to ask about that, but now is neither the time nor place.
"So, your Zelena problem," Emma begins, trying to channel a combination of Dr. Hopper and Mary Margaret, "how long has it been going on?"
Regina shrugs. "I don't even know. It happened so gradually. When I first started taking Gold's class last year, she was...fine. Maybe even nice."
She just started taking Gold's class last year? As a sophomore? Emma wonders in surprise. She'd assumed...but there was no time to wonder about that, now. There were more pressing issues.
"And then?" she asks.
"I didn't notice at first, but day by day she started to get less nice until...well, you've seen where we are now."
"Have you considered talking to someone about this?" Emma asks carefully. "I mean, I know you're talking to me right now, but what about like, a professional? Or at least a teacher? Someone in power. She's a pretty serious bully. She tried to kill you."
"She tried to convince me to kill myself," Regina corrects. "It's different."
"Semantics. And what about that body bind incident?"
"Oh, that? My mother does that at least once a week. It wouldn't have killed me."
"Your mother...?" Emma trails off, unsure of how to even begin to broach that issue. "Anyway, like I said, bullying. I've never been one to spill my guts to teachers, but this situation is pretty intense."
"Who am I supposed to tell?"
"Maybe start with Gold? It's his classroom, he needs to know what's going on. Or maybe...Mary Margaret?" she suggests, because it's what her foster mom asked her to do, even though she's pretty sure it won't go over well.
"Gold obviously already knows what's going on," Regina argues. Her eyes harden as she continues, "And I'm not going to entrust any more of my secrets to Miss Blanchard."
"Um, okay. What about Dr. Hopper?" Emma asks desperately.
"I don't need a shrink."
"I'm not saying you're crazy or anything, it's just...someone to talk to?"
"That's why I'm here. I don't need to talk about my feelings, I need action. You're a woman of action - help me. What would you do?"
"About Zelena? I'd probably drop out of Gold's class," Emma answers honestly. "And if that didn't put an end to it, I'd find a way to move to a new foster home or get caught stealing something so I could end up in juvie and get away from it all."
Regina grimaces. "That sounds like letting her win."
"That's why you're you and I'm me."
"Did you really go to juvie?"
"Yeah, but we'll talk about that some other time," Emma promises. "I can't deal with that right now. Anyway, we're talking about Zelena."
"I don't run," Regina says seriously.
"I know."
"Any other ideas?"
"Maybe you could start by not giving a shit what that bitch thinks of you? Realize that you're so much better than her and she's just talking out of her ass, and not let it get to you?"
"I don't give a...a shit," Regina mumbles.
"Not very convincing. Say it louder."
"I don't give a shit what that bitch thinks of me," the brunette manages to spit out, in a tone that sounds almost confident.
"Good start," Emma says with a warm smile, and Regina looks fairly proud of herself.
The door suddenly opens and both girls jump up, startled.
"Hey, Emma, did you take the pies out?" Mary Margaret asks, before she catches sight of their visitor. "Regina! Hello! Are you here for the study session? Because you don't really need it - I'm probably going to end up re-teaching most of Algebra 2 today."
"Oh, no," Regina says quickly. "I was just...on my way out."
"I see. Would you like a slice of pie before you go? The apples aren't from your orchard, but I still think it turned out pretty well."
"Um..." Regina looks down and bites her lip. Emma thinks she recognizes something in her expression. "I'd better not, but thanks."
"Regina - sidebar discussion," Emma hisses, pulling the brunette into the bathroom and shutting the door.
"What? I don't have to eat everything your foster mother prepares."
"This isn't about Zelena calling you fat, is it? Because you're not," Emma whispers. This, at least, is something she's got some experience dealing with. "Not even a little. You have, like, the ideal hourglass figure or whatever it's called."
Regina's face flushes. "I just...I gained a lot of weight freshman year and I haven't been able to-"
"Hey, look at me. You're not overweight; you're perfect. And even if you were, you would still be perfect."
"Really?" There's something almost pleading in Regina's big brown eyes.
"Really," Emma replies softly. "And remember what we said about Zelena?" Regina nods. "Now is the perfect time to start. Say it."
"I don't give a shit what that bitch thinks of me."
"Great. Now, do you like apple pie?"
"Yes."
"Do you want to eat some right now, even if it was cooked by a person you hate, with apples from the wrong orchard?"
"Kind of," Regina admits.
"Then if you want a piece of pie, you're going to eat a fucking piece of pie. Maybe we can even put some ice cream on top."
"Why would you put ice cream on apple pie?" Regina questions. "It takes away from the taste of the apples."
Emma groans. "Whatever, you're such an apple snob."
"I thought you said I was perfect."
"Perfectly snobby."
Regina laughs, grabs Emma's hand, and drags the blonde out of the bathroom to face a confused Mary Margaret.