Author's Note: Hello everyone! Just wanted to say thanks again for all your wonderful reviews. It is now this fic's one-week birthday, and I'm having so much fun writing it and seeing the responses.
Also, in case anyone was curious, the scene in this chapter was the one that originally inspired me to start writing this story after seeing the showdown It's Not Easy Being Green. Please note that I still don't own any of these characters, and a few of the lines are borrowed from the show, as well.
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Chapter 7: Revelations
Regina shows up to class the next day in a business suit. Emma looks her up and down for a moment, taking in the way her slacks perfectly hug the curve of her hips and her blazer accentuates her assertively squared shoulders.
"Got a board meeting after class?" the blonde teases.
Regina's face falls, and her confident posture deflates. "I look stupid, don't I?"
"No way, you look powerful."
"That's what I was going for," Regina says with a wry smile. "I'm trying to channel my mother - she's always been especially good at witch fights. You're staring."
"I'm staring because you're sexy." The brunette pretends to ignore this remark, but Emma catches sight of the half-smile she trying to suppress.
"So, you got all dressed up for Zelena?"
After quickly checking to see that Mary Margaret isn't listening (She's at the window communing with the birds, which Emma still can't get over but Regina barely even seems to notice.), Regina turns big, frightened eyes toward Emma. "What was I thinking?" she hisses. "She's much more powerful than me."
"You can still win, or at least make an impression," Emma argues. "What about what you did yesterday?"
"That was an anomaly. I've always...struggled...with my magic. You're supposed to find power within yourself, and I just...can't."
"Well, if you have that kind of attitude, of course you'll struggle."
"It's hard not to have that attitude when Zelena is in the same room and never struggles with anything except trying to seduce Gold!"
"Fair enough. And she's pretty good at finding ways to get under your skin," Emma observes in a tone she hopes comes off as non-judgmental as possible.
Regina's eyes flash with something that looks like a combination of anger and deep-seated pain. "Yes, well, that just goes to show what good confiding in people will do. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson the first time," she mutters cryptically, eyes practically boring holes in her desk. "But I won't let anything happen to you."
For a split second, Regina's gaze flickers toward Mary Margaret, who has returned to the front of the classroom and is probably eavesdropping, before she twists around to get her books out of her backpack, and Emma watches as the teacher's expression turns from one of pleasant indifference to complete horror and heartbreak.
Suddenly, so many of the little comments Emma has heard over the past week begin to make sense, and she feels slightly sick to her stomach.
"...She blames me for ruining her life...It was unintentional, but it's the biggest regret of my teaching career..."
"...I'm not going to entrust any more of my secrets to Miss Blanchard."
"You might want to watch who you out yourself to...We wouldn't want another of your girlfriends to end up dead, would we?"
"Shit," Emma mutters, watching Mary Margaret abruptly turn and leave the room, violently wiping her cheeks with the sleeve of her cardigan. "You confided in her, didn't you? And it came back to bite you."
"Who? Miss Blanchard or Zelena?" Regina asks stiffly.
"Apparently both."
Regina stares Emma directly in the eyes, and the blonde wonders how a person's gaze can be so intense and so haunted at the same time.
"Miss Blanchard," she says quietly, swallowing hard, "thought she was doing her job." The words come out slowly, like pulling teeth, and a brief glance downwards confirms that Regina's hands are shaking almost uncontrollably. "She thought - she thought she was protecting me from a reckless decision. Zelena-" her voice catches here, and she takes a second to try and regain her composure "-does not have such good intentions."
A stupid decision...Emma thinks she recalls Zelena saying something about freshman Regina and her twenty-three year old riding instructor. She supposes that would be the type of reckless decision a concerned teacher might involve herself in, but if she's reading the clues right and said riding instructor ended up dead somehow, she can see why Regina might resent or even hate Mary Margaret.
Although, right now she doesn't seem resentful so much as on the verge of a breakdown, and Emma's stomach sinks because she has no idea how to handle this, and she certainly doesn't want it to turn into a repeat of last Wednesday's magic class.
Impulsively, she reaches over to grab Regina's trembling hands and squeezes them tightly. "Well, Zelena, at least, is going to get what she deserves. Miss Blanchard...we can talk about her later, because I kind of need a place to sleep."
Regina makes a sound that's somewhere in between a chuckle and a sob. "Thank you," she whispers. Then she forces herself to exhale and delicately extracts her hands from Emma's. By the time Mary Margaret reenters the classroom, Regina has her glasses on and her books open just like any other morning. Emma is holding The Great Gatsby in front of her face, but she's not reading. Instead, her eyes flicker back and forth between her friend and her foster mom. Mary Margaret keeps shooting worried glances at Regina, who is desperately trying to ignore her, tension building in her shoulders by the second.
Suddenly, Regina shoots her hand up and says, "Miss Blanchard?" The teacher inhales sharply. "I'm a little confused about question thirteen of tomorrow night's assignment. Would you mind helping me?"
"Of course not." A very relieved Miss Blanchard comes over and pulls a chair next to Regina's desk. "But I should probably remind you that homework is assigned in chronological order, so you might be having trouble because we haven't studied that topic yet."
Emma watches their incredibly stilted student-teacher carefully before turning back to her book, satisfied that the ticking time bomb that is Regina and Mary Margaret's relationship isn't going to be detonated quite yet.
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She and Regina are walking to the locker room to get changed for P.E. when Emma is suddenly shocked to see that her friend is no longer next to her but instead flying through the air down the hallway, limbs flailing, until she crashes into a row of lockers and flops unceremoniously on the floor. The other students, who had been unruly as ever in their rush to class not five seconds before, suddenly stand completely still and silent.
"Well, that was easy," an unpleasant voice drawls. "After yesterday, I had hoped you would have at least pretended to be a worthy opponent."
The crowd of shocked students parts to reveal Zelena, standing with her hands on her hips and an arrogant smirk on her face. While Regina's suit makes her look powerful, Zelena looks positively terrifying in an all-black outfit that, in any other town, Emma would have assumed was a very intricate steampunk cosplay. However, the giant green brooch on the collar of her jacket that looks like it's magically glowing would only be seen in Storybrooke. Conjuring a fireball in her hand, she begins to stride purposefully toward Regina, but Emma immediately steps in her way.
"Zelena," she growls, hoping no one can see through her show of false bravado, "if you want to touch her, you're going to have to get through me first."
"Emma, no!" Regina cries, desperately trying to pull herself to her feet. "I can handle this!"
"Listen to your girlfriend, sweetheart," Zelena sneers. "This fight is between the two of us, and as much as I'd like to see the look on her face when I kill you, I just don't have time at the moment." With that, she flicks the wrist that isn't occupied with holding flames, and Emma finds herself sprawled on the ground a few feet away from Regina. "Now get up."
After casting an imploring glance at Emma and whispering for the blonde to stay put, Regina gets shakily to her feet and faces her rival.
"Nice to see you today, Zelena," she says with a very forced smile. "Did you do something different with your hair?" In an instant, Zelena is being dangled from the ceiling by her long red hair. It looks slightly painful, but the confident witch only smirks and waves a finger to free herself.
"You're going to have to do better than that, Regina," she taunts. "I, for one, thought you would have realized that by now. Or do you really still have no idea who I am?"
"I know you're an asshole," counters Regina. "What I don't know is what I ever did to you to deserve it." There's the smallest hint of vulnerability in her voice as she says the words, but her face remains hardened in a glare.
"Isn't it obvious? You were born."
Regina's eyes flash with a mix of anger and confusion before her fist flies up and makes contact with Zelena's face. There's a satisfying crack, and Emma can see blood on the older girl's lip. "What the hell is that supposed to mean," Regina snarls.
"Oh, I don't know, dear," Zelena says sweetly. She's completely unperturbed as she wipes away the blood. "Why don't you ask your mother? Or, should I say...our mother?"
In an instant, Regina's mask drops and her brow furrows in confusion. "I'm an only child," she snaps.
"Cora lied. I'm not sure why that surprises you. You know her."
"So do you," Regina counters, "which is why I'm surprised you would ever want to claim any relation to her."
"Well, then, you know what I'm saying must be true."
"Or, you're insane."
Zelena's face contorts into an expression of pure loathing. Regina is suddenly back in the air, arms bound tightly to her sides, and Zelena's arm is outstretched like she's choking the air. It quickly becomes clear, however, that what she's actually squeezing is Regina's throat: the brunette is sputtering and gasping for air. This has gone on long enough, Emma thinks. She starts moving toward Zelena, though she has absolutely no idea what to do, but Regina stops her with a quick shake of her head.
"So, what? You think I'm your sister, so you're going to kill me?" she manages to choke out. "Doesn't seem like a great way to treat your family members."
"No, Regina, you don't get to talk to me about how to treat your family members. In fact, you don't get to talk at all - now you get to listen. As much as I'd like to just kill you right now, it will be so much more satisfying once you actually understand why." The crowd of students has thinned somewhat since the more terrified ones have fled, but the spectators who remain look way too interested for Emma's liking.
"I don't actually care why," Regina wheezes.
"Shut up!" Zelena screeches. "You're going to listen whether you like it or not. Our mother abandoned me. She tossed me away at birth without a second thought because she saw that there was no way she could pretend I was her husband's child. Then, less than a year later, she had you. And you, she kept. You, she gave absolutely everything. And what do you do with it, you ungrateful cow? You waste your time rolling around in haystacks and fail to use any of your magical potential because you're too sad about your stupid dead girlfriend. At least I made something of myself, even though I had nothing and you had everything, and you're not even grateful!"
Zelena's voice has grown higher and more frantic over the course of her rant, power and fury radiating off of her in waves. Regina's entire face is blue as she struggles against the magic, but Zelena's anger is apparently too strong.
"Wow, Zelena, I had no idea you were so immature. Petty jealousy as a motive for revenge? Really?" Emma taunts, hoping that if the older girls' attention is diverted, it might give Regina a chance to escape.
The plan works: Zelena turns blazing eyes towards Emma, weakening her magic just enough that Regina is able to throw up a counter-spell and get out of the hold. Her feet back on the ground, the brunette gasps for air and tries to prepare for the next round.
"I thought I told you to stay out of this," Zelena hisses. "But you apparently don't have a brain, and soon, you won't have a heart either. Regina knows exactly what I'm about to do. Don't you, sis?"
"No!" Regina cries out, throwing herself between Emma and Zelena as the latter reaches her hand out toward Emma's chest. Zelena falls backward, pushed by Regina's magic, and her mouth curls into a smirk.
"How sweet. It seems the only time you can summon any magic is to protect her. Too bad she can't do the same for you." Zelena narrows her eyes, and Regina is abruptly hoisted back into the air. Emma watches in despair and helplessness as her friend flies through the window. The students in the hallway let out a collective gasp.
"Zelena! What did you do!" Emma hollers.
"Go take care of your precious little friend's dead body, dear. I don't have time to dance with amateurs." Zelena cackles wickedly before disappearing in a puff of green smoke.
xx
Emma sprints out the door and rushes over to where Regina is lying in a crumpled heap in the bushes, her body covered in broken glass. The brunette has a large gash on her forehead, and her leg is bent at an odd angle, but, most worryingly, she is unconscious.
"Come on, Regina," Emma whispers desperately. "Wake up." She gently shakes her friend's shoulder, but Regina's eyes remain closed. "Shit."
"What happened?" Emma hears Mary Margaret's frantic voice behind her, and she's tremendously relieved when she turns to see her foster mother running toward her, followed closely by a man she recognizes as Ruby's gym teacher, Mr. Nolan. Locksley isn't far behind them, and all three teachers are wearing quivers of arrows like they were having some kind of faculty archery practice together. Emma briefly thinks that it's a little strange, but she's too concerned about her friend and too grateful not to have to deal with this alone to continue that particular train of thought. Mary Margaret immediately bends over Regina and starts feeling for a pulse. With a slight nod, she confirms that her unconscious student is still alive and breathing.
Locksley looks up at the broken second-story window and his eyes fill with horror. "Did she fall through that?"
"She had a little help...from Zelena," Emma mutters darkly. Perhaps if Regina were conscious, she'd be pissed that the secret is now out in the open, but all Emma can think about is that if she'd said something sooner, they wouldn't be in this situation to begin with.
"Zel..." Mary Margaret's voice trails off, and her eyes widen like a lot of things are now beginning to make sense to her. "How long has this been - you know what, never mind. We'll talk later."
"We need to get her to the nurse's office," Nolan interjects, "and probably call an ambulance. And talk to Mr. Gold. Where is Zelena now?"
"I don't know," Emma admits, staring sickly and guiltily at her friend's broken body. "She disappeared, and I was more focused on...this."
"Disappeared?" Locksley asks. "You mean like-"
"That will be an excellent topic to discuss after we ensure that Regina is safe and her injuries are cared for," Mary Margaret says in a firm tone, gently scooping the injured girl into her arms.
"Here, let me help," Nolan offers.
"I've got this. Just open the doors." Mary Margaret starts walking quickly toward the school entrance, cradling Regina like a small child, and Emma is impressed because while - contrary to what Zelena says on a daily basis - Regina is quite petite, the math teacher is not much bigger. Apparently, in addition to her sharp-shooting and avian communication skills, she also possesses super-strength.
Nolan jogs ahead to get the doors, and Emma follows closely behind with Locksley, who has whipped out his cell phone and is attempting to call ahead to the school nurse.
Despite her concern for Regina's safety and her fear of whatever Zelena's next move might be, Emma can't help but feel that a huge weight has been lifted off her chest now that Mary Margaret is taking charge of the situation. There's part of her that feels a little weak for running to the adults with her problems, but Regina has dealt with this on her own for far too long.