Granny's diner buzzed with the Saturday lunchtime rush, but Emma, Snow, and David had secured their favorite corner booth. David, casually dressed in a bomber jacket and jeans, looked almost out of place. Emma fully expected him in his usual dress shirt, tie, and slacks.
Ruby sauntered over with a lipstick-y smile. "Look at this big happy family," she teased. "It's been almost twenty-four hours since I've seen you all. I almost died from loneliness."
Emma smirked, swatting her with the menu. "Can it, or I'll show up tomorrow too."
Ruby sighed dramatically. "It's pretty messed up that I don't get any days off. Teaching with you all week and then working for Granny on the weekend." She pointed a warning finger at Emma. "Don't ruin my Sunday too. If I have to hear about Regina Mills one more time…"
"Hey," Emma tried to interrupt, glancing at Snow and David, who were both grinning. "It's not what it sounds like. She's currently my mortal enemy."
"Yeah, sure, lover girl," Ruby said, rolling her eyes playfully. "Alright, what'll y'all be having?"
Snow suddenly looked panicked that her turn had arrived so quickly. "Um! I'll have the Cobb salad, please. But could you make it without the bacon? And hold the cheese?"
"No bacon? No cheese?" Ruby pressed. "That's the best part!"
Snow chuckled. "Well, I'm Jewish, so I try to keep kosher."
Ruby nodded thoughtfully. "Oh! I didn't know that. Sounds good. And for the beefcakes?"
"Steak," Emma said, folding her menu. "Medium rare, please."
"Same," David added.
"Typical," Snow sighed, shaking her head.
Emma leaned back. "Gotta keep up on the protein for the gym. You should see what Mulan and Merida are eating these days."
As Ruby left to put in their orders, the bell above the diner door jingled. Emma's eyes widened as Mr. Gold limped in with his cane, followed closely by Henry.
"Wait, is that…" Snow trailed off, following Emma's stare.
"Henry!" Emma called, waving. Henry turned in surprise but lit up when he saw them. He ran to their booth, startling Mr. Gold, and gave all three of them a hug. Emma felt a bit smug that her hug was the longest.
Henry's energy was infectious. "Hi, Miss Swan! Hi, everyone!"
"Hey, kid," Emma greeted, ruffling his hair. "What brings you here?"
Henry shrugged, still grinning. "Just having lunch. But I saw you guys and had to say hi!"
David chuckled. "Glad you did, buddy. How's your weekend going?"
"Good! Mom's out of town, so I'm staying with Mr. Gold for a bit. I finished all my homework, so mom told him I could get a hot chocolate. Granny makes a mean one. And she even remembers that I like cinnamon on top!"
"Really?" Emma smiled. "Me too!"
Henry smile's faded sightly as he grew thoughtful. "Miss Swan, can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure, kid. What's up?"
Henry glanced at Snow and David before leaning in closer to Emma. "It's about Mom. She's really stressed out about work and stuff. She didn't tell me much before she left, but she seemed sad. Really sad. I think she needs a friend."
Emma frowned. "I'll see what I can do, Henry."
Mr. Gold finally arrived at their table, and David nodded respectfully. "Mr. Gold, pleasure to run into you."
Gold glanced at them with his usual wearied expression. "Can't say the same," he grumbled.
"Re… Ms. Mills mentioned Henry was staying with a relative. I didn't know you and Henry were related?" Emma asked, turning to him. She hadn't formally met Gold before, but she knew he was on the school board and a major investor in Storybrooke Academy.
"It is a very long story," Gold replied curtly, offering no further details. Emma decided not to push.
An awkward silence settled until Snow cleared her throat and said brightly, "Looks like your hot cocoa is ready, Henry!"
"Yes!" Henry cheered. He waved and then dragged a weakly protesting Gold along. "See you at school!"
Snow watched them both go, her expression thoughtful. "Henry's a great kid. And he's really warming up to you!"
"Yeah," Emma agreed, her mind already working on how to handle Regina.
David sighed. "You're thinking about her, aren't you?"
"Can't help it," Emma admitted. "That's part of the reason I asked you both to lunch. I need some advice. Regina's only gone for the next few weeks. I don't have much time before she comes back. Look— I'm fresh meat to the board because my math scores are shit. Even Henry hates math, and that kid is smarter than all of us."
"Oof, yeah," David said, flinching. Emma knew that David would never say it, but he was probably stressed about her bad scores too. He had to impress the PTA and school board with their school's STEM scores and that meant he looked at those tests constantly.
His face grew thoughtful as he mulled over some ideas. "Here's a thought—rally the troops. Give your students a speech about why math is important, why they need to care about the test, and set a goal. Maybe even offer them an incentive or reward for meeting the goal you guys create."
"And don't forget you can ask for help," Snow added. "Maybe you can ask Elsa to join your class on her prep sometimes? And, it wouldn't hurt to meet with him." She nodded towards Mr. Gold and Henry sitting at the front.
"Gold? Why?" Emma asked.
"I'm just saying — he and Regina have a history," Snow said innocently. "He's got a lot of power within the system too. Maybe he's got dirt on her or something… Maybe he can help you with her?"
Emma glanced at Gold, curiosity piqued. A chill ran down her spine— as if he could sense her gaze even with his back turned. She quickly looked away, unnerved.
"I'd be happy to arrange a morning meeting for you two," David offered. "I'm sure a member of the board would be thrilled to hear about your plans to focus on math, Emma."
"Alright, but not until my class has some time to improve," Emma said. Something about Gold gave her the creeps.
Ruby finally arrived with their lunch. Their game plan talk quickly changed to sports and gossip, and Emma enjoyed the rest of the lunch with Snow and David.
Emma wasted no time during those three weeks, possessed with a solitary purpose: math. She embraced the role, diving deep into the new methods. Late nights saw her poring over the teacher's guide and watching online videos of experts breaking down the concepts. Emma even spent lunch periods with Elsa for advice and observed her 8th-grade math class. Elsa advised ditching the ancient math books in favor of resources designed to meet the benchmark standards. Though the benchmarks were incredibly difficult, Elsa provided scaffolds and resources to support Emma's lower learners, easing some of her anxiety.
Henry started to show signs of loneliness, missing his mom, so Emma kept him busy with projects and special jobs around the class. Something Emma wished she had done earlier was assigning advanced students as helpers when they finished early. This found a ton of success with Henry. He eagerly assisted during reading time, showing students how to make inferences and use textual evidence. Many students preferred Henry's help over Emma's, feeling safer learning from a peer. Henry's confidence grew, and he started to joke and play around with classmates at recess. Emma felt a warm satisfaction seeing him cheer up, especially when Lilo returned from her suspension.
The class goal of a pizza party for passing the math test went over extremely well, improving classroom management. Emma borrowed a points system from Merida's 8th-grade history class: groups earned points for good behavior and lost points for disruptions. Sometimes, just hovering near the whiteboard points tally with an eraser was enough to snap the kids back to attention.
Finally, the day of the first fall benchmark test arrived. The entire school buzzed with anticipation. Emma arrived early to organize her desks into rows and place encouraging sticky notes and peppermints on each desk for her students.
"Alright, guys," Emma said, when school begun, bracing them all for the test as the clock counted down. She met each of their eyes. "I don't care what grade you get. I just want you to practice everything we've learned and do your best. Can you do that?"
Around the room, little faces nodded urgently. Her heart swelled. They'd developed such a close bond in the past few weeks, and she was proud of them no matter what.
Emma held up the timer, and the kids gripped their pencils. "Ready…" She trailed off, looking expectantly at Lilo.
"GET SET GO!" Lilo yelled quickly, making the class and Emma snicker. Emma hit the timer, and the kids set to work.
Settling into her desk, Emma listened to the sound of pencils scratching against paper. A sultry, spicy perfume caught her attention, followed by the click of heels at the doorway. Emma looked up, her heart stopping when she saw who it was. Regina Mills.
"Ms. Mills," Emma whispered, eyes widening.
"Mom!" Henry dropped his pencil, his face lighting up with joy. He glanced at Emma, who nodded, giving him permission to greet her.
"Focus, class," Emma reminded the kids who'd looked up from their tests. They dutifully obeyed, smiling as Henry ran past their desks, happy for him.
Henry engulfed his mother in a hug, and she kissed his head. Emma looked away to give them privacy, grateful that both Regina and Henry had kept their reunion quiet to avoid disturbing the testing students. Shortly, Henry returned to his desk, beaming, looking like the whole world had opened up for him. He set something down on his desk, and Emma noticed it was a little mongoose stuffie.
Regina stepped over to Emma's desk. Emma quickly reached over and pulled an empty plastic chair from her small group table. Regina sat down, smoothing her dress awkwardly.
"I hope it's okay for him to have that," Regina motioned to Henry's desk. "It's his lucky mongoose. It helps him calm down and focus on big tests."
"No problem at all," Emma said easily. Despite their past exchanges, she was happy for Henry to have his mom surprise him. "And welcome back," Emma added with a genuine smile.
Regina looked slightly taken aback by Emma's kindness, glancing away and readjusting her seat. "You mentioned you could use my help," she said. "Well, here I am. For today."
Emma couldn't hold back a smug smile at Regina's attempt to seem indifferent. She was grateful for the extra support. "Actually, yes. When we get to part two of the test, I have two students with IEPs who need one-on-one readers. Maybe you could take one?"
"Sounds simple enough," Regina agreed, looking around the room curiously. "It looks different in here," she remarked.
"We've filled the place with math and science," Emma replied, holding back a laugh. Posters of math concepts from group projects covered the walls. Regina took it all in, and Emma was shocked to see a hint of approval in her expression.
"That… is a first," Regina admitted.
After half an hour, Henry walked up and handed his paper to Emma confidently. He was usually the first to finish a test.
"Did you…" Emma began to ask if he took his time.
"I double-checked every question and showed my work on everything," Henry smirked, interrupting. "It was easy."
Regina scanned the paper from her seat, a smile breaking through. "Good job, Henry."
"You know what to do," Emma said, and Henry nodded.
"Yep!" He returned to his desk and pulled out a silent reading book: Of Mice and Men.
The timer went off after another thirty minutes, and the fifth graders cheered. Emma collected all of the tests and bundled them, ready for the scantron machine to grade. Regina surprised her by accepting the bundle and disappearing to the teacher's lounge to run the tests for her.
"Is it time for lunch yet?" a boy groaned.
Henry raised his hand. "Miss Swan, when do we get our results?"
"Ms. Mills is running them right now," Emma answered. "After lunch, I'll announce them. Remember, if a student gets 100% on the test, the entire class gets an ice cream float party, and if we all pass, we get a pizza party too."
Lilo kicked her legs under her desk in excitement. "Ooooh, I hope we win!"
"We can do it!" Henry encouraged, lifting the class's spirits. Emma lined them up and sent them off to recess and lunch.
When she returned to her classroom, Regina had beaten her back. She held a bubble sheet in her hand, and Emma already guessed whose it was.
"Well?" Emma pressed, shutting the door for privacy. "How'd Henry do?"
Regina blinked, clearly still in shock. "He got a perfect score."
"What?" Emma cried, elated.
"I swear I didn't mess with the results," Regina defended. "I would never do something like that. But what shocked me even more was who got second place."
"Who?" Emma demanded, eager.
"Lilo Pelekai. She got a 98."
Emma danced in place for a second, giddy. It was the best news she could have received, and Nani would be thrilled. There was only one more thing that would make this a perfect win and that was if...
"Unfortunately, Ms. Swan, not all of the students passed," Regina said, but without her usual malice or gloating. "Two students failed."
"Oh," Emma deflated like a balloon. She sighed, trying to recover. "Well, they'll be crushed not to get their pizza party. But at least they'll get something."
Regina, ever the analyst, perused the bubble sheets. "The two that failed. One is Jacinda, and the other is Riley Andersen."
Emma racked her brain trying to think of what could be holding them back. "Riley is new, just transferred a few days ago, so I'm not surprised. And Jacinda's family recently arrived from the Dominican Republic. I wonder if David has her English proficiency scores."
Regina nodded. "Could be a language barrier."
"Wait a second…" Emma paused, raising an eyebrow. "Are you… actually helping me?"
Regina stepped closer, defiantly clicking her heel. She glared. "No. I'm just interested in the students' STEM scores as a member of the PTA and school board."
Emma rolled her eyes playfully, enjoying this new side of Regina. "Would you like to continue not helping me and bring the kids in from lunch?"
"Very well," Regina replied, heading out the door without waiting for Emma, clearly nettled by her teasing. Emma stumbled after her.
The cafeteria, as usual, was chaos, noise, and pandemonium. Emma never understood how the lunch ladies and lunch monitors hadn't all quit by now. She and Regina approached the fifth-grade lunch table.
"… it's gonna be awesome," a boy cried, wiggling in his seat. "My mom's gonna have dinosaur gift bags for everybody."
Henry saw them coming and waved energetically, running over to them. He looked at Regina with the most excitement Emma had ever seen from him. "MOM! I got invited to a birthday party!"
Regina's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful! Did you accept?"
"Yeah!" Henry said, vibrating with energy. "It's this weekend though… Is that enough time?"
"We'll make it work," Regina promised, clearly delighted. "Oh, Henry, make sure to say thank you for the invitation."
"I will," Henry promised and returned to his lunch table. Emma's heart swelled, and she turned to Regina, who had quickly turned away, wiping her eyes.
"Be right back. A… contact came out," Regina said, and disappeared out of the lunchroom.
The next morning, Emma arrived at work early again. Only David and the head secretary, Aurora Rose, occupied the office. Lights from the gym in the next building over illuminated her walk, indicating Mulan's early morning practice with the basketball girls. The fall weather brought a chilly darkness, both on the drive in and the drive home.
"Good morning," Ms. Rose smiled at Emma, now accustomed to her early arrivals.
"Morning. I have a 7:00 with Mr. Gold," Emma said, a bit nervously.
"I think he might already be in the conference room," Aurora said, sticking a pen in her mouth, flipping through a clipboard, and squinting at her computer screen. "Go ahead in."
"Everything okay?" Emma asked, noticing her struggle.
Aurora smiled sheepishly. "It's just that, after marrying Phillip and getting pregnant, I was out for so long. These new software programs confuse me, and I'm too embarrassed to ask for help."
"You know," Emma said slyly, realizing basketball practice would end soon, "Miss Fa is really good with this stuff. I bet she'd help."
Aurora lit up and then tried to play it off. She blushed and distracted herself by straightening succulents on her desk. "Oh, thanks for the idea! I'll definitely ask."
Emma headed into the conference room, where Mr. Gold sat at the head of the table, legs crossed and checking his watch. He nodded when she entered but didn't stand up.
"Forgive me for not rising to greet you," he said. "Leg's troubling me today."
"No worries," Emma said, dismissing the concern with a wave.
"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" Gold said, folding his hands. "Why am I here? Is this about your little problem with the Queen of Storybrooke?"
Emma slid into a chair a few seats away from him, immediately regretting asking David to set up this meeting. Gold radiated a soul-sucking kind of energy, and Emma felt the need to be cautious. She thought back to Snow's idea of asking Gold for dirt on Regina and immediately regretted ever considering it. Panic almost set in until Gold sighed wearily. He shook his head and gave her a knowing grin, revealing a gold and silver tooth.
"I know everything about this school, dearie. If Regina is the queen, then call me... the court advisor, if you will."
His frankness prompted Emma to be direct. She held up her hands. "Listen, I'm not trying to pick a fight with anyone. In fact, Regina started it. I just want to teach."
Gold looked away, glancing at some of the art on the walls. "You did pick a fight with Regina when you made Henry your problem. You should have minded your business, and none of this would be happening to you."
Emma's shoulders sank. "Is there anything I can do to make her stop?"
"You're not going to beat her," Gold answered firmly. But then he met Emma's eyes. "So why don't you join her?"
"How?" Emma asked, her curiosity piqued despite herself.
Gold leaned back. "Regina values results, Miss Swan. Show her you're not just a thorn in her side but a valuable ally."
Emma frowned, considering his words. "And how exactly do I do that?"
"Stand your ground, but don't antagonize her. Help Henry excel and make it clear that you're here to stay. Regina may be fierce, but she's not unreasonable. She's a mother first and foremost."
Emma took a deep breath, feeling a mix of determination and trepidation. "Alright. I'll try."
"Good. And remember, I'm always here if you need... advice." His lips curved, flashing a gold tooth again.
Emma stood up, feeling the need to escape Gold's unsettling presence. "Thank you, Mr. Gold."
"Anytime, dearie," he replied, his tone dripping with mock sincerity.
After that intense meeting with Gold, Emma realized she needed a break from the constant stress of school, and the perfect reprieve came that weekend. Snow had threatened to take Emma to a museum followed by wine tasting if she didn't have birthday plans, so Emma had quickly called up her queer friends. Mulan, Elsa, Merida, and Ruby had all insisted on making her twenty-sixth birthday unforgettable, and so, that night, Emma found herself at Ursula's Den, the town's only gay bar.
The place pulsed with energy, neon lights casting vibrant hues over the packed dance floor. Emma wore a sleek, black jacket over a crimson form-fitting top and dark skinny jeans. Emma looked effortlessly stunning— blonde hair cascading in loose waves and a pair of ankle boots completed the look, adding a touch of edge.
Nursing a fizzing green and pink cocktail, a grin spread across her face as she watched Merida and Ruby tearing up the dance floor. Mulan leaned in close, her voice just barely audible over the thumping bass. "Having a good time, birthday girl?"
"It's perfect," Emma yelled, already slightly tipsy.
"Girl, we gotta get you to take someone home," Mulan said with a wicked grin. "How long's it been?"
"Too damn long," Emma admitted. She hadn't been laid in months.
"Go get another drink and talk to someone hot!" Mulan ordered. "Or else I'm gonna set you up with that weird old dude Merida tossed in the trash."
Emma laughed, cringing at the thought, and headed to the bar. She jammed her hands in her pockets, feeling suddenly a little out of practice. Storybrooke might be small, but the weekends usually brought in plenty of college kids from nearby schools. The thought of that disappointed her, but she scanned the room anyway. No one really caught her eye. Annoyingly, none of them compared to Regina Mills.
The line to the bar moved forward, and Emma caught a glimpse of a perfect ass and legs a mile long in heels, paired with an intoxicating spicy perfume: Regina Mills stood right in front of her. She wore a sleek black silk blouse with a deep V-neckline, paired with high-waisted, tailored trousers that accentuated her figure. Elegant stilettos added a touch of height and sophistication, and a delicate silver necklace and earrings added just the right amount of sparkle, making her stand out effortlessly.
Emma's heart dropped into her lungs, and her pace quickened. Why did Regina keep doing this to her? Showing up out of nowhere and making her nerves go wild?
"God," Emma muttered aloud.
Regina, finished ordering her drink, flipped around. As soon as she realized it was Emma, she raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. "Miss Swan," Regina said smoothly, her voice like silk. "Fancy meeting you here."
Emma swallowed hard, trying to play it cool. "Ms. Mills. Didn't expect to see you in a place like this."
Regina's smirk tightened. "A place like this? You mean— where people come to unwind and enjoy themselves?"
Emma nodded, feeling her pulse race. "Something like that."
Regina took a step closer, her perfume wrapping around Emma like a warm embrace. "Well, it seems we both needed a night out."
Emma chuckled nervously, her eyes flicking to Regina's lips before quickly looking away. "Yeah, I guess so. It's my birthday, actually."
"Happy birthday," Regina said, sounding a bit tipsy. "Let me buy you a drink." The bartender caught her gaze and nodded, making a second drink for Emma.
"Thanks, that's kind of you." Emma's heart fluttered. Was Regina flirting with her?
"Well, it's the least I can do," Regina admitted. "Henry's at his very first birthday party tonight. A sleepover. It made his whole week."
Emma smiled fondly. "I'm really happy for him, Regina." Then she flinched, slapping her head. "Sorry. Ms. Mills."
Regina looked at her dryly. "You can call me Regina outside of school. Otherwise, our friend here might think you have a kink." She eyed the bartender, who was grinning as she finished up their drinks.
Emma flushed red. "Please, can we go sit down somewhere?"
The bartender slid their drinks over. "Alright, ladies. I've got a Poison Apple Martini and one for the birthday girl. I'm gonna call it the Savior's Golden Cider, because you're saving me with your cute-ass flirting."
Regina's grin widened as Emma wished she could fall into a hole, break all her bones, and die instantly. Regina paid for their drinks and motioned to a seat away from the noise and gyrating bodies.
They settled into a plush booth, the dim lighting casting a soft glow over their faces. Emma's heart raced, the air between them thick with unspoken words and electric tension. Regina exuded an effortless confidence, cool and collected, and Emma realized Regina could pick up anyone in this bar. She picked ME up for crying out loud, Emma thought.
Emma took a gulp of her drink, accidentally swallowing too much. It burned down her throat, but the drink—a mix of spiced rum, apple cider, ginger beer, and cinnamon, with a rim of golden sugar—was delicious.
"This is really good," Emma said, eyes widening. "Thanks again. I feel better away from the noise."
"Don't mention it," Regina replied, her eyes fixed on Emma. She sipped her martini, a blend of apple vodka, sour apple liqueur, cranberry juice, and a thin slice of green apple.
Emma bit her lip. "I didn't know you were... you know."
Amusement flickered in Regina's eyes. "Gay?"
"Yeah," Emma said, feeling her cheeks flush.
Regina sighed, tracing the rim of her glass. "It's a long story. My ex-husband was an abusive, manipulating, and controlling asshole. I wanted to poison him, but law school taught me that was a bad idea." Her eyes glimmered darkly, but a sorrowful haze crept into them.
Emma's heart ached. "I'm sorry you went through that."
Regina huffed. "Then there was Robin, who slept with my sister and got her pregnant."
"Wow. That's... a lot." Emma cringed, but something about Regina's very dark, deadpan delivery was both brave and captivating. Regina had a way of turning her tragic stories into something almost humorous, making Emma want to laugh and cry at the same time.
Regina nodded. "It was. And then there was Daniel, the sweetheart who made me realize I was a lesbian. It wasn't fair to him to stay in a relationship where I couldn't give him everything."
"Or fair to you," Emma added, thinking of Killian. Her voice softened. "You deserve everything too."
Regina gave her an odd look, and Emma spoke quickly. "I mean, being gay isn't your fault. You don't need to blame yourself."
Regina nodded, sipping her drink. Emma took another gulp of hers.
"Did you know I was bi?" Emma asked after a moment.
"I didn't know what to think of you, especially after you dumped your guyliner photo in the trash the first time we met," Regina said, holding back laughter. "But I saw the pin in your classroom. That was brave."
Emma smiled, thinking of the student who'd given it to her. "I try to help kids like us feel better. Not so alone." Feeling more confident, Emma turned her glass in her hands, wanting to know more about Regina. "Did you have a good trip? Uh, wherever you went?"
Regina looked away, her eyes liquid. "Not really. If you must know, Miss Swan, my mother died."
Emma's breath caught. "I'm so sorry, Regina. I had no idea."
"Thank you. It's been... difficult. We had a strained relationship, but I still loved her, and her death left a vacuum in the company that I had to deal with." Regina sighed, clearly overwhelmed and exhausted. Emma realized Henry was right—Regina needed a friend.
Emma hesitated, then placed her hand on Regina's, giving it a quick pat. Something she picked up from David. Regina eyed her hand but didn't move. Emma remembered Gold's advice.
"You've been through so much. I know we're not friends, and you might not trust me. But I'm here for you. And Henry." Emma's eyes were firm. "I care about you both a lot."
Regina looked down, then withdrew her hand. Emma braced for a lashing, but it didn't come. Regina simply nodded. "Thank you, Ms. Swan."
"Call me Emma," Emma said.