A/N – Hello Swan Queen Fans. This is my first Swan Queen fan-fiction so please give it a chance. I am going to try and make it a slow burn, but when the fame burs, it is going to burn bright. Hope you all enjoy and please leave comments and review; I would love to hear what you all have to say.
Chapter 1: New Beginnings
New home. New people. Same disappointing outcome. I'm 17 now. Soon no home will take me and I'll have to live out of my car. I don't know what I keep doing wrong. I try and stay out of trouble, do my work. I'm a good student. I really don't see what else I could do.
"Swan!" I stood out of panic. "We got you a new home. Let's move." I picked up my single bag and my car keys. That was everything I owned. So I followed out the station and towards the cars. Graham got into the police cruiser, and I got into my little yellow bug, and followed behind him. No way in hell I would go in the same car as him. Last time I did that, since I turned 16, he tried to kiss me at a gas station. Who does that to a person? No, I promised I would keep my distance from him.
I have never really had much luck with men. Most of the dads at my homes have either been drunks, or abusive. And if there were any boys in the house they normally enjoyed playing rough. I learnt to handle myself, but that was up until there were about 13, 14 at that point they started getting a bit too strong to beat in an arm wrestle. I stayed out of the way from then on, and let them get on with it. I guess that's why my image of men has never been very positive. I never had a good example.
Graham pulled up in front of a place that looked more like a business than a home. I grabbed my stuff from the passenger seat, and climbed out the car.
"Here you are. Don't screw this up. If you wreck this up I don't know if I can find you a new home." He says it like I mean to get kicked out of places. I turned to face the front of…
"Granny's?" What was this place? Before I could ask Graham anything, he was already back in the cruiser and hitting the road. Guess I was introducing myself. He hasn't exactly liked me since I got him in trouble with his super visor about the gas station incident.
As I entered the building I saw a café basically. A bar, tables, people. They all looked fairly happy and I stood out like a sore thumb. A girl, who I assumed worked as a waitress here, judging by the apron wrapped around her tiny waist, came up to me. She was wearing clothes…I think.
"Hi, I'm Ruby. Can I help you with something?"
"Yeah, I think I'm meant to be here. Graham just…"
"Oh you must be Emma Swan. Granny has been expecting you here all day. Come on, I'll show you around." She was spunky, I liked it. It was a nice change from the usual disappointed greeting I got.
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We started off with looking around the ground floor, but there wasn't much to see, so Ruby led me up the stairs.
"So how long have you known Granny? And also, what is Granny's actual name?" Ruby turned to look at me and almost seemed petrified.
"Never call Granny by her first name. She absolutely hates it."
"How can I call her it, if I don't even know it?"
"Exactly, if you don't know it, you can't get in trouble for it. There are very few people that actually know her name, myself included, and she prefers to keep it that way."
"Okay, well that answered my second question. What about the first? How long have you lived with Granny?" We made it to the second floor and Ruby guided me down the hallway.
"Oh well, I'm Granny's actual granddaughter. My parents died when I was younger. They liked to go camping a lot, but they would leave me with Granny. They thought I would wonder off and get lost. One time they went camping, and were found by a pack of wolves."
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I had no idea." Shit. Great start Emma. Upset the granddaughter of the women you're being cared for by.
"Don't sweat it. Really, I moved on a long time ago." It turned quiet as we slowly made our way down the windy hallway. "So what about you? I told you mine. Can you tell me yours?" I could tell she was treading carefully, and it was kind of sweet.
"It's just been me for as long as I can remember. I've been in and out of homes since I was a baby. Some places were nicer than others but none of them ever lasted very long."
"Wow, and here I am feeling sorry for myself. At least I knew my parents."
"Hey like you said 'I moved on a long tm ago.' And the last thing I am looking for is sympathy." She turned away from me and we didn't say another word until we reached the room at the end of the hall.
"Here you are. Room number four. Do you want me to help get you settled?"
"No thanks. I think I can find everything just fine."
"Okay cool." She turned to walk away just as a question popped into my head. I had to stop her. The question was too much for me to wait to have to ask her.
"One quick question though." She moved to face me, and I suddenly became nervous to ask.
"Shoot"
"Okay, well. Please don't take this the wrong way, but if Granny has you, why would she take me in?" She leaned onto the door frame mulling the question over.
"I don't know. I've been kind of rebellious towards Granny lately. Maybe she thinks taking in someone my own age, I might become friends with them and be a 'better behaved child.' I mean don't get me wrong, I would love to be friends with you, you seem like a really nice person, but I doubt it would change anything with Granny."
"Fair enough. I won't pry any further." I opened the door to my room, and picked up my bag. "So can I stay in here all night or what?"
"Oh gosh no. comedown to the diner whenever you're ready for dinner. Just grab a table, I'll be sure to get to you as soon as I can. I got to go before Granny realises I left. You sure you're gonna be alright?"
"I'm sure. Go before granny, who I have yet to meet, realises you're gone, and you get in trouble."
"Thanks." She turned and practically sprinted down the hallway. Once she was out of sight, I entered the room and had a quick look around, before sitting down on the bed.
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I guess I must have dozed off because when I looked over at the clock it was 7:45pm. I rolled out of bed and unpacked a few of my things before I took a quick shower and headed down stairs. I grabbed a booth around the back and waited for Ruby to come over. As I waited I saw all the customers come in and out of the door. Not long after I sat down, Ruby came over.
"So, did you find everything okay?"
"Yeah, I took a little nap; it's been a long few days."
"Fair enough." She pulled out a pen and pad and opened her mouth again. "So what can I get you?" I took a quick glance over the menu and made a very easy decision.
"I'll have the double cheeseburger, fries and…" the bell above the door caught my attention and so did the gorgeous figure walking through the frame. "…you can tell me who that is." Ruby turned her gaze to the girl walking through the door and smiled.
"That is the mayor's daughter." She faced back to me still smiling "Be careful. Her bite is much worse than her bark."
"She's heading this way. Why is she heading this way?" My voice was beginning to sound panicked, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why.
"Oh crap, I forgot, this is her table."
"You're kidding right?" I managed to calm myself before she arrived at the table. She came up beside Ruby. For a teenager, she dressed as though she runs her own business. Tailored suit. Silk purple blouse, hugging her in all the right places. And heels that could easily be used as weapons.
"Excuse me, but I'm afraid I think you'll find that you are sitting at my table." Her attitude certainly matched her outfit.
"Well I don't see your name anywhere on the table, so I think I am perfectly free to sit here." The girl raised one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows, in both a questioning manner, but also an amused form. Ruby clearly began to find the conversation awkward, so made to leave the booth.
"I'll bring you your food in a minute. And do you want your usual?" The question was directed at sassy pants, who simply nodded. Ruby quickly let and left the girl and myself to our own devices. I continued the conversation first.
"So you can either join me, or find another table, because I am not moving." She took a deep breath and then slid in to the seat opposite me. Didn't actually expect that. "We haven't been properly introduced. Emma Swan" I stretched my hand across the table towards her. She was slightly hesitant, but took it none the less.
"Regina Mills."
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A/N – Okay, hope everyone liked it. I am planning on making a playlist for this fan-fiction, so if anyone has any song they think are Swan Queen material, message me and let me know, so I can give it a listen. Thanks again, and don't forget to comment.