Week Ten:

Emma-

Emma was feeling down now that Ruby was gone. There were only four girls left, and Emma was feeling pressured. Seeing Regina in the bottom two was terrifying for Emma. She couldn't imagine getting through the last few weeks without her girlfriend. Regina gave her strength.

"I can't believe Ruby is gone." Ella commented as the four remaining girls sat at the table eating dinner together.

"I know." Tink agreed. "It's crazy that it's just the four of us now."

"The competition is going to get even more intense." Emma said.

"I sincerely wish you all the best of luck." Regian told her friends.

Emma wondered who would be going home this week. She really couldn't say at this point. They were all amazing models, and each one had their strengths. Emma was a little worried. Was she the weak link? Was she next to go?

The girls were given Tyra mail for their challenge that week. The clue said: "Don't FOURget your lines". They all knew it was a commercial challenge. They had been waiting for this day. Emma was nervous. She had a hard time remembering lines, and she often got flustered when she had to act. It usually came across as monotone.

"You're going to do fine." Regina tried to reassure her, but Emma couldn't shake the feeling that she was going to bomb her commercial.

When they got to the location of the commercial, Emma was completely in awe. It was set at a beautiful castle right on the lake. Emma had never seen a castle in person before. She'd never even been to Disney. Emma may not be your average girly, girl, but she she felt like she was in one of those romance movies.

"Hello ladies." Jay greeted. "I know it seems a little odd that your challenge is a commercial today, but as a top model you can't just take a pretty picture. You have to be able to move on camera and recite words."

The girls all nodded. It honestly wasn't a surprise that the commercial was today. There had never been a cycle of ANTM without at least one commercial shoot.

"So, today you will be selling this new lipstick designed by Robin Locksley. The lipstick is called Lip Locked, and is the best lipstick for keeping your lips bold and beautiful all day without rubbing off on anything." Jay explained. "In your commercial you will be acting as tourists. We have split you into groups of two, so you will be doing this commercial together. So we will shoot the same commercial twice for judging. One for each pair."

Emma felt a little relieved. Having one of the other girls to bounce emotions off would help a lot. It would feel a little less like acting if she was talking to another model. She just hoped she didn't bring down her partner in this.

"Tink and Ella, you are our first pair, which means Emma and Regina will be our other pair."

Emma was ecstatic to be shooting with Regina. It was fitting that their first photo and their first commercial would be them together. Emma was feeling more confident because she knew she and Regina worked well together.

"Here are the lines, memorize them. There aren't many, so it shouldn't be too hard."

MODEL 1: Need a lipstick that shines even after a long day of touring a new city?

MODEL 2: A lipstick that survives a glass of wine?

MODEL 1: Well, here's the deal. Lip Locked is an all new line of custom lipstick that sticks to your lips and nothing else.

MODEL 2: Lip Locked is guaranteed to be your new best friend. It comes in 13 unique shades, so you can always have a color that matches your look.

MODEL 1: You'll never want to trade this lipstick in.

MODEL 2: You can wear this Lip Locked to a rock concert.

MODEL 1: Or to a 14th century palace!

MODEL 2: Wherever you go, Lip Locked has your back!

MODEL 1: This is a lipstick that will be your best friend.

MODEL 2: Or your lover.

MODELS TOGETHER: Lip Locked, by Robin Locksley.

Emma was relieved that their wasn't too many lines. They were pretty easy, and at least they were in English. Emma remembered on previous cycles sometimes the girls had commercials in Japanese, French, Spanish, etc. She couldn't imagine that.

"Do you want to be model 1 or 2?" Emma asked Regina as they sat down to the make-up station.

"Hm, I'll be model 1." Regina said.

"This is going to be fun." Emma grinned.

"It will be." Regina agreed with a smile.

The two read through the lines a few times before they practiced them out loud together. After a few run throughs, Emma was confident that she had her lines down. She just needed to work on the emotion behind the words. She knew one of the downfalls girls had on these commercials was sounding too robotic and she didn't want to make that mistake.

"Okay, Emma and Regina, you're up." Jay called to them.

Emma knew Regina enjoyed going first. She always said that she psyched herself out if she watched others go before her. Emma, however, didn't mind having the extra time to prepare. Today, though, Regina would be happy. They were going before Ella and Tink.

"The best advice I can give the two of you is to just be your natural selves." Jay instructed. "Build off of one another. Have fun. Don't make it forced."

Emma nodded. That made sense. She hated watching commercials that seemed way too rehearsed. She usually skipped through them if it seemed too fake. She took a deep breath. She could do this. She could be herself.

"Need a lipstick that shines even after a long day of touring a new city?" Regina recited with a smile.

Emma took a sip of the wine colored water she had been given as a prop. She recited the next line flawlessly. As they continued on, it became like second nature. Emma laughed when she felt like it was appropriate. She and Regina definitely brought great energy to the set.

"This lipstick will be like your best friend." Regina said laying her head on Emma's shoulder.

"Or your lover." Emma winked.

"Lip Locked, by Robin Locksley." They said in tandem.

"Cut!" Jay called out. "I loved it! I want to actually add something to the end of your commercial. Robin Locksley is very inclusive, and he is an LGBTQ+ ally. So I think it would be really cool if we added an "or both" after you says best friends or lovers, and maybe we can sneak in a kiss."

Emma and Regina agreed, excited that they had inspired Jay. They did one more run through with the added lines before they were done for the day. Jay explained that Tyra might not choose that take, but her was glad they tried it.

"That was so fun!" Emma told Ella and Tink as they were walking up to set.

"Ugh I'm so nervous!" Tink replied. "I keep fumbling through the lines."

"Just relax, be yourself." Regina advised. "You can do this, Tink."

"Thanks, but I'm not very good at commercials." Tink admitted. "I'll be lucky to get through one take."

"We got this." Ella tried to pump her up.

Jay called them to the set. He gave them some words of encouragement before they began running the takes. Tink struggled from the very start. She was clearly uncomfortable and her words seemed forced.

"Tink and Ella, let's take a moment." Jay suggested. "Ella, you are doing really well, but you could have a bit more emotion in your eyes. Tink, I think you need to stop worrying about saying the words perfectly, and just pretend your talking to one of your friends."

The girls nodded and thanked him for their advice. Jay's words seemed to help a lot. Emma noticed that Tink loosened up and was able to sound more casual. Ella also was doing better after their quick talk with the director.

Ella and Tink wrapped up their last take. Jay called the four of them over to discuss how the day had gone. It was technically still a challenge so Jay needed to decide on a winner.

"You all ended with a good commercial so that's a plus." Jay told them. "Tink, you definitely struggled at the start but once you relaxed, it got 20 times better. Ella, you were a little bug eyed at first, but after I critiqued you, it was a complete 180. Regina, wonderful job. My only advice for you is that for the next commercial, be careful not to tilt your head too much. You naturally hold your head high, so just make sure you don't do it too much. Emma, I was very impressed by your work. I didn notice there were times you tended to talk a bit fast, so just be cautious of that. At the end of the day, I am proud of all of you, but of course we can only have one winner. So, without further ado, Emma is our winner today. You will get a lovely dinner at a 5 star restaurant and will be taking home this one of a kind emerald necklace."

Emma was able to take Regina with her to the restaurant. They were taken by Limo right to The Dark One. It was apparently known for its mysterious feel, but amazing food. Emma ordered a steak dinner and Regina got the glazed salmon.

"This food is so good." Regina moaned as she took a bite of her fish. The sound was doing things to Emma she was ashamed to admit.

"We should get dessert too." Emma suggested with a wink.

"Get your head out of the gutter, Swan." Regina chuckled. "The dessert you want will have to wait."

"I know." Emma assured her. "But seriously, the chocolate brownie sundae looks to die for."

Regina looked at the photo of the dessert Emma was gesturing too. She nodded in agreement. Emma had quickly learned that chocolate was Regina's kryptonite. She'd have to keep that in mind for Valentine's Day.

"I am so glad we did well on the commercial." Emma said.

"You were a natural." Regina complimented.

Emma blushed again. She knew compliments from Regina were always sincere. Even though Regina was technically her competition still, Emma always wanted to impress her.

"So, now that there's only four of us, do you think it will be us in the final two?" Emma asked her girlfriend. "I mean, completely honestly."

"I think we have a really good shot." Regina said. "I am almost certain that you will be the top two."

"What about yourself?" Emma asked her with a frown. "You are without a doubt the best model here."

"I may have some natural talent, but I think you have much more passion that I do." Regina admitted.

"It's going to be us in the final spots." Emma said. "I believe it wholeheartedly."

"Well, if not, promise me that you will win." Regina gave her a smile.

"It's going to be us." Emma repeated. "But if by some chance it's not. Fine, I promise."

*EMMA CONFESSIONAL*

"I can't believe it's down to the final four girls. I think watching Ruby go home made things feel even more real to me. One of us is actually going to win America's Next Top Model soon! I love Ella and Tink and I think they are such amazing models. They are also really good friends and just people in general. With all that being said though

Regina-

Regina Mills was looking at herself in the bathroom mirror. She was in the top four of America's Next Top Model. It was unbelievable. She ran her finger over her lip scar absentmindedly. Cora had always said it was a shame that Regina was damaged. A mark on her face would make it so she would never be a model, which also meant she'd never make her mother proud. But, Regina had proven Cora wrong.

Growing up, Regina wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and go onto law school. She was a brilliant student, and her father had always supported her dreams. When Regina was fourteen though, her father died in a horrible car crash. She had been devastated. Cora began to push Regina onto a different path, and eventually, she caved.

Regina had an older sister, Zelena, who her mother adored. She would always tell Regina that her sister was the beautiful one in the family. It made Regina very insecure, and it often put her at odds with Zelena. Before this competition, Regina didn't believe in her own beauty. Emma had helped her start to see herself in a different light.

"Morning." Emma greeted, sneaking up behind Regina in the bathroom. She put her arms around Regina's waist and kissed her cheek.

"Good morning, love." Regina smiled.

"We just got mail." Emma told her girlfriend. "It said something about being in with the seasons' trend."

"Photo shoot?" Regina asked.

"Probably." Emma guessed. "But hey, we're almost done, and then when you're the winner, we can move to New York together. Maybe we can even get a cat."

"I'm a dog person." Regina smiled.

"Me too." Emma smiled back.

"And, it's when you win, Emma."

"Nope, no way." Emma said pulling away. "I don't wanna hear it, la la la."

"You are a child." Regina giggled as they exited the bathroom.

"You love me." Emma smirked.

"I do." Regina agreed, leaning in to kiss Emma. "Now, come on, I want coffee and breakfast before the photoshoot!"

Emma was right, the theme for the photoshoot did involve fashion seasons. The four remaining girls were each assigned a season to portray in their photos. Ella was given winter, Tink was spring, Emma was summer, and Regina was autumn. They were given outfits that fit the seasons they were representing and a whole set dedicated to it as well.

Ella was up first. She was dressed in a pair of jeans, a turtle neck sweater, a winter jacket, a beanie, and scarf. The set was covered in fake snow. She played around a bit in it, and tried some new poses. Regina was impressed when Ella got down on the ground and posed as if she was making a snow angel.

"Good creativity." Jay began when Ella finished. "I just want to see more expression in your face."

Next up was Tink. She was wearing a raincoat, rain boots, and was given an umbrella. Her set was covered in flowers with some puddles of water. Regina noticed right away that all of the different props and accessories were overwhelming Tink. She was stuck and she couldn't get out of it. She managed to get a few shots at the end, but it wasn't a lot to go off of.

"Tink, you know what I'm going to say." Jay sighed. "You got into your own head again. That's always your downfall."

Regina felt bad when she watched Tink walk off with tears in her eyes. She had been watching her friend slowly breakdown over the past few weeks. The stress was starting to get to her.

Emma came onto set next. She was dressed in a sundress, sandals, and sunglasses. She had a set that was brightly lit like the sunshine and a game of hopscotch was set up. Emma used the game to her advantage and played around with her dress, making it twirl.

"Really good job, Emma!" Jay complimented. "I love how much fun you seemed to have on set today!"

Regina was the last one up. They had dressed her in a pair of dark jeans, a dress coat, and riding boots. Her set had a pile of leaves, and a park bench. She did a few shots on the bench, before playing with the leaves. She tossed them around, and layed in the pile.

"You are so natural!" Jay told her. "I'm always stunned by you!"

As happy as Regina was to know she did well, it was hard knowing some of her friends hadn't done as well. The closer they got to the end, she wondered how much she really deserved this. If her father was still alive, she doubted she would even be here. She loved modeling, which surprised her, but she wasn't certain it was 100% her passion.

SQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQ

When the final four girls arrived at judging, the vibes were even more somber than previous weeks. After today, the whole competition would change. It would be a showdown between the final three and then the last two girl would be in their first real fashion show. From there, a winner would be determined and the competition would be over. Even if she lost, Regina knew her life wouldn't just go back to the way it was before ANTM.

"Wow, four girls left." Tyra greeted them. "We are down to the last few days of this competition, and I'm sure you are feeling a lot of things."

Regina nodded from her spot by the other girls. They had all discussed what they were feeling: anxious, tired, excited, and ready to take on the world. They had all changed in so many ways since they got here ten weeks ago.

"Well, I want you all to know that I am so proud of all of you. This competition tested you emotionally, physically and mentally, but you each proved just how bad you want it and just how good you are." Tyra smiled at them. "So without further ado, let's see this week's pictures. We'll start with Emma."

Emma walked up to see her photo. Regina could tell she was feeling confident. They had chosen one of Emma playfully jumping on the hopscotch board. She looked young and fresh, and stunning. Regina was always so proud to see Emma's picture.

"This is exactly what a fashion magazine would want to see." Nigel said. "You want to be able to appear younger, and you have pulled that off."

"I agree!" Tyra said. "Your film was full of energy this week, and I was very proud."

Emma returned to her spot by the other girls as Tyra called Ella up next. The picture was of Ella trying to make a snow angel. The pose was stunning, but Regina already knew what they were going to tell the blonde.

"Your body is great." One of the judges commented. "This is a very creative pose, but your face is lacking."

"That's exactly what I was going to say." Nigel replied. "Ella, you are beautiful, but your eyes tend to lack emotion in your film. You need to think of things that help you show emotion. Like your daughter for example, your eyes light up when you talk about her. Bring that to set."

Ella thanked them for her feedback. Regina gave her a small encouraging smile. She knew Ella had what it takes to be a good model, she just needed to believe it herself. Tyra called Regina up next. They had picked a picture of Regina tossing some leaves into the air with a hint of laughter on her face.

"Regina, this is lovely." Tyra said. "I love the playfulness. You usually pose more seriously, so it's wonderful to see you step out of your comfort zone and embrace your silliness."

"Absolutely true!" Another judge said. "You are a chameleon and I love it."

Regina was glad for such good feedback. Whenever she doubted why she was here, it seemed the judges were able to convince her she belonged here. It was a good boost to her confidence, and she was glad she had made them happy with her picture. Last up was Tink. The photo was one of her holding the umbrella open in front of her.

"Tink, your face is gorgeous, but the body language is a bit awkward." A judge commented. "You seem a bit lost in that department."

"It's how your whole film was." Tyra stated. "I wish we could talk Ella's body and your face and merge them into a perfect shot, but we can't."

Tink walked back to her spot looking very defeated. Regina felt bad, she knew Tink was extremely hard on herself. It was hard to see how upset she would get when she didn't live up to the high expectations she set for herself.

The judges sent the girls out so they could deliberate. As they exited it hit Regina that after today, they would only send one more girl home. Then it would be a showdown for the title of America's Next Top Model. Tonight, that dream would end for someone.

SQSQSQSQSQSQSQ

When the girls were called back into the room a while later, Regina could feel everyone holding their breaths. Even the judges looked sad to have to send one of the girls home. They were all so close, and yet, only one would make it all the way to the end.

"I only have three photos in my hands, and these photos represent the three of you that will still be in the running toward becoming America's Next Top Model. The girl that I do not call must immediately return to your house, pack your bags and go home." Tyra said almost immediately. "This has been a long ten weeks. You've been through a lot of ups and downs throughout this competition. I believe that you all have potential to be America's Next Top Model, and tonight's decision was one of the hardest we have had to make."

Regina felt her heart pick up pace. She tried to calm her nerves, but panal never got any easier. She had felt confident when they were reviewing pictures before, but you could never be certain. Maybe the judges knew about the doubt she'd been feeling and decided she didn't deserve to win.

"This week, the best photo goes to, Regina." Tyra announced, causing Regina to gasp. She couldn't believe she had best picture. "Runner up is Emma."

Emma let out a sigh of relief as she took her picture and then joined Regina off to the side. They watched sadly as Tink and Ella approached Tyra. Regina had no idea which one of them would get sent home. It was anyone's guess.

"Tink and Ella. Two beautiful girls who have blown the judges away in previous weeks. But, this week, you both lacked what the other had. Ella, a lovely pose, but no emotion in your face. Tink, a stunning picture close up, but the pose was so so awkward. " Tyra said. "Which makes the decision even harder because you both have what the other girl desperately needs. So it came down to the commercial challenge this week. Ella, you're still in the running to become America's Next Top Model."

*REGINA'S CONFESSIONAL*

"This week had so many ups and downs. I hate feeling like the girls who are being sent home want it more than me. It's not that I don't love being here, I really do, I just...I can't say that modeling is my whole life. I have other passions too, and I feel like I'm cheating. When I see Emma's whole face light up when she talks about winning this competition I can't imagine taking it away from her. I don't know. Maybe these ten weeks have just gotten to my head. I just can't wait for it to be over and to be able to go to New York with Emma. That's my passion. I know that without a doubt."

A/N Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while, I've been on a Criminal Minds kick lately and have started attempting a fanfic from that fandom, but I found my muse for SQ again! I will be virtually in lockdown for the next month as all of my classes have moved online and essentially all I can do is hangout in my apartment with my cat and fiancee. So, all my free time will provide for hopefully some updates! I have two more chapters left for this fic and then an epilogue! Let me know how you liked this chapter :) -Kaila