Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time does not belong to me! All characters and references to the show belong to ABC and Channel 5

Once Upon a Time: School's Out! Chapter 13

He was sweating. His palms were clammy, and as James Nolan stood in front of the seated Mr Blanchard and Mrs Nolan next to Snow White-who was paler than her namesake-in Ms Gohrms English Lecture hall, he realised that he had never felt so scared in his life.

Mr Blanchard and Mrs Nolan sat in two of the classroom's front seats, waiting for their children to tell them why they were here.

Shakily, Snow White opened her mouth and spoke:

"Thanks for coming on such short notice" she said, her hands wringing as Mr Blanchard narrowed his eyes at her nervous tone.

"Snow, what's going on? Is everything O.k?" he asked, and Snow White licked her lips nervously. James took her hand, the warmth and comfort it brought giving her courage.

"The...the reason we called you here" she said, the words coming harder under her father's and James' mother's gaze "is because...is because..." she faltered, and James felt a wrench of empathy as he saw that she was visibly shaking.

She opened her mouth to speak, but James-despite his own fears-overtook her.

"Because we have something to tell you" he said, wrapping his arms around Snow White "Something...big"

At those words, Mrs Nolan's eyes narrowed at James in suspicion.

"James, what is it you have to tell us?"

Before James could answer, Snow White took a deep breath and just let out the news in a torrent.

"I'm pregnant!"

At her outburst, Mrs Nolan gasped in shock. She stared at Snow White's stomach in absolute horror.

"Oh God..." she whispered.

Reluctantly, James looked over at Mr Blanchard, and nearly had a heart attack there and then.

The mans face was slowly turning red, his fists were clenched and he was looking at James with a look so full of violence he almost flinched.

Quick as a flash, Mr Blanchard shot up in a movement so fast it was a blur, and punched James so hard in the face that he fell away from a horrified Snow White.

"Father!" she cried, while James groaned on the floor.

"You bastard!" he roared.

"Oh God!" Mrs Nolan cried again with her face in her hands. She looked at James as Snow White helped him to her feet:

"James!" she said "How could you have let this happen?!"

"That's exactly what I'd like to know!" Mr Blanchard yelled, looking ready to punch James all over again. He raised his hands to his face, groaning furiously.

When he lowered his hands, he stared at Snow White, horrified.

"How? How could this have happened, Snow? I thought I'd taught you to use protection!"

"Oh God..." James groaned.

"Father!" Snow White went scarlet.

"Mr Blanchard I swear!" James cried "We...we took precautions!"

"Oh God..." Snow White groaned as Mr Blanchard snorted disbelievingly.

James turned away from him and looked at his mother, guilt crushing him as he looked into her hurt, worried eyes.

Any other time he would break down crying, begging for his mother to forgive him. But he couldn't do that now.

He looked down at Snow White. She looked like she was going to start crying at any moment.

He had to be strong for her.

So, James stood behind Snow White and placed his hands gently, comfortingly, on her shoulders. He then looked at their parents, trying not to react to Mr Blanchards look of fury and the tears his mother was trying to hold back.

James took a deep breath, trying to keep as calm as possible.

"Mom, Mr Blanchard, please listen to us. We know you're...angry and hurt, and you have every right to be" he paused, swallowing nervously as their looks intensified.

But then Snow White reached up and took one of his hands, and he let the warmth from her touch bring him courage.

"But...Mom, Mr Blanchard, Snow White and I are scared, O.k?" he confessed desperately as Snow White nodded in agreement.

"We're more scared than we've ever been in our lives"

The look's on their parent's faces softened. Mr Blanchards face slowly turned back to a flesh colour, and Mrs Nolans expression turned from horrified to compassionate.

James took this as a good sign, and sighed.

"And right now, we really need your help"

OUAT

Rumplestiltskin was sat in the library with his phone pressed to his ear, tensly tapping the wood on the table as he waited for the person on the other line to pick up the phone.

After the dance, Belle had asked him if he had told his parents about them yet. When he told her he hadn't, she'd smiled at him sympathetically:

" Rumple...I know why you're less than eager to tell them, trust me! But...the sooner you tell them, the better, right?"

He'd sighed then and nodded, promising her that he would tell them the next day.

And he was, now, sitting in the library, gripping the table so hard he nearly broke the wooden surface as he waited for someone to pick up the phone!

Ring ring, ring ring, ring ring.

Rumplestiltskin started to drum his fingers against the table. Surely he could just tell Belle that his parents weren't home?

Ring ring, ring ring, ring ring.

They weren't picking up. Rumplestiltskin prepared to hang up-

"Hello?" came a female voice from the other end of the phone, and Rumplestiltskin almost breathed out a sigh of relief. Instead of his intimidating father, it was the voice Katrina Gold.

"Hello?" she said again "Who is this?"

"It's Rumplestiltskin, Mum" he said into the phone.

"Rumplestiltskin?" his mother repeated, sounding mildly surprised "Since when do YOU call home?"

"Since I have something to say" he quipped, and she chuckled at him.

"You watch your tone, my boy!" she scolded good naturedly, her tone then became more serious "So, what is it you have to say, son?"

Rumplestiltskin hesitated, the confession he had to make jamming in his throat. Katrina Gold seemed to catch onto this.

"Rum? Is something wrong? Has something happened?" she asked, starting to sound worried, and Rumplestiltskin quickly reassured her.

"No, no! No nothing's wrong. This is just...it's something important that I have to tell you" he sighed.

"Hm" his mother said apprehensively "Do you want me to get your father?"

Rumplestiltskin jerked, barely stopping himself from screaming NO! DON'T TELL DAD!

As much as he wanted to, he had made a promise to Belle to tell his parents. And he never went back on his word.

"Yeah" he said, nodding "Go and get him" he added while his grip on the table tightened.

"Mordred!" Rumplestiltskin heard his mother's faint voice call "Mordred, Rumplestiltskin's on the phone! He wants to talk to us, and he says it's important!"

"Tell him it can wait!" Rumplestiltskin heard his father call back "I'm busy!"

Rumplestiltskin listened to the heavy silence that followed after his fathers statement-and he wasn't really surprised that his father was too busy for him, there was always something more important-after several minuets, he heard his mother take a deep breath.

"Mordred" her voice started off calm "For the first time in years our eldest son has actually asked to speak to you. Now you either get your ARSE down here or I'll DRAG IT DOWN!"

Rumplestiltskin suppressed a smirk that soon faded as he heard his fathers voice, no so close that he knew Mordred had picked up the phone.

"Alright boy, what is it?" he asked in a bored tone.

Rumplestiltskin's throat clenched. This was it, the moment of truth...

"C-can you put me on speakerphone, Dad?" he choked out "I want Mum to hear this too"

He waited until his father had done what he asked, he then fought down the stirring feelings of fear and panic that were threatening to show, and made his confession:

"...Do you remember the last time you visited me? And father asked if I had found a...woman yet?" he groaned inwardly at having to use his father's phrase before continuing:

"Well, when I told you I hadn't that...that wasn't true. I've been seeing someone for a few months now"

"Aha!" his father's shout came through the phone surprising Rumplestiltskin. If he didn't know any better, he'd say Mordred sounded...proud.

"Well, it's about time, boy!" his father continued "So, you've finally got together with the Mills girl?"

Oh, for the love of God "No, Father" Rumplestiltskin said, and he could've sworn he could feel his father's shock and disappointment. His mother didn't say anything either.

Before either of them could say anything, Rumplestiltskin told them about Belle:

"Her name's Belle French, she's on some of my classes and she writes a column for the Mirror"

"Belle French?" his father repeated dangerously "I've never heard of her, Rumplestiltskin"

"Mordred..." his wife tried to silence him, but he ignored her.

"Is she rich? Does she come from a wealthy family?"

Rumplestiltskin felt a surge of anger at that. Of course his father would only care about money...

"No!" he snapped "Not that it matters!"

"Of course it matters!" Mordred shouted angrily "If you're going to be with someone, it should be someone who you can gain wealth from! Not some penniless whore who-"

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL HER A WHORE!" Rumplestiltskin roared, causing the entire library to fall silent and stare at him. Not that he cared.

"Don't you dare talk about her like that-"

"You little bastard, how DARE you speak to me in such a way!" Mr Gold screamed down the phone, but Rumplestiltskin was in too much of a blind rage to care. He opened his mouth to scream back at him, but his mother's voice shouted at both of them:

"STOP!" she shouted, with such venom that both men immediately fell silent.

"Right" she continued, her voice calmer than before but still slightly frustrated.

"First of all. Rumplestiltskin" he tensed "I'm glad you finally found someone. It's about time you found some happiness"

"Katrina-" Mordred started while his son was rendered momentarily speechless "Don't encourage-"

"No!" Rumplestiltskin heard her silence him with a tone of furious finality "No matter what you say, Mordred, the fact that Rumple has finally found someone to be with is a good thing no matter how much her family makes! Rumplestiltskin" she said to him "I've seen you at that College, making your way by profiting from other people's desperation, and I know that this Belle is good for you. You've been unhappy for far to long, my son"

The corners of Rumplestiltskin's lips twitched, threatening to break out into an actual smile.

"Thanks, Mum" he replied in a relaxed breath.

However, he didn't allow himself to feel relieved, until he heard the same words (or something along those same lines) from his father.

Not the most realistic of things, but one could hope.

"...Father?" he said softly, and he heard Mordred sigh.

"I suppose...if this is what you want, boy...then there is nothing I can do about it" he told him begrudgingly.

Yeah, like you won't try anything Rumplestiltskin thought to himself.

But it was better than nothing, so he responded in kind:

"Thank-you Dad" he said.

"Is that all you wanted to tell us?" Mr Gold asked with a tone of impatience, and he heard his mother sigh irritably.

"Yes, Father" Rumplestiltskin answered.

"Good" and before Rumplestiltskin could say goodbye or even ask if he could talk to Baelfire, his father hung up the phone.

OUAT

"Mordred!" Katrina snapped after he hung up, and he turned to his wife's furious eyes.

"What?" he said tonelessly "He was finished, wasn't he?"

Katrina opened her mouth to utter a heated response, but just at that moment she heard Baelfire calling for her from the garden.

With one last scorching look at her husband, Katrina walked towards her youngest son's call.

For a moment, Mordred waited. After making sure she was completely out of ear-shot, he picked up the phone and started dialing a new number.

The only way he's going to be with some slutty little reporter is over my dead body he thought as the phone rang.

After several rings, someone with a deep, English accented voice answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Edward Jones?" he said "This is Mordred Gold, I want to talk to you about you're daughter"

"Milah?" Jones said "What about her?"

"Just one question, Mr Jones" Mordred said, his voice coming out seductive, like he had an offer Jones couldn't refuse.

"How much would it take for you to enroll Milah at Fairytale College for the next semester?"

OUAT

"How far along are you?"

Snow White bit her lip, staring at the floor as she answered the fist question her father had asked in the past fifteen minuets:

"A-about seven weeks" she said, glancing up to Mr Blanchard breathing out heavily through his nose, his eyes clamped shut.

Snow White swallowed back the lump in her throat "Daddy" she whispered, and he looked at her.

"I'm so sorry" she whispered, her voice trembling and her eyes starting to fill with tears. A look of compassion came over Mr Blanchard's face, and he gently pulled his daughter away from James and into a comforting embrace.

"Oh Snow..." he sighed.

While that was going on, Mrs Nolan walked over to her son with a light expression of anger on her face. James braced himself.

However, instead of the torrent of rage that James had been dreading, Mrs Nolan mimicked Mr Blanchard, and pulled her tall son into a hug. He clung to her, relieved.

"Oh James..." she whispered into his ear "What are you going to do?"

James and Snow White pulled away from their parents, and Mrs Blanchard gave them both a stern but motherly look.

"Snow, James" she said, nodding at each of them "You know that we'll help you in any way we can"

"Of course" Mr Blanchard added, still sending daggers in James' direction. The bruise on James' cheek throbbed.

"But...do you know what you're getting yourselves into? Raising a baby, it's hard work!"

"Exactly!" Mr Blanchard put in "There are other options you could explore-"

"We're not getting an abortion!" Snow White snapped, her hands dropping to her stomach protectively. Mr Blanchard sighed.

"No" he said slowly "Of course not. But you could always put it up for adoption"

Snow White and James looked at each-other. Sure, they had talked about adoption, of course they had, but when Snow White had thought about giving up her own child...

"We talked about that" Snow White told her father "We want to keep it" she moved over to James and held his hand.

Mr Blanchard simply nodded, his lips pressed so firmly together that they were almost non-existent.

"James?" Mrs Nolan said, and James looked at his mother, who was still standing in front of him.

"Yes, Mom?"

She sighed "Parenthood is a huge responsibility, son. Are you sure that this is what you want?"

James looked down at Snow White, and she looked up at him, her shining green eyes suddenly scared. He smiled down at her, squeezing her hand as he looked confidently back at Mrs Nolan.

"Absolutely"

OUAT

It was quite late in the morning when Regina finally awoke in her bed, squinting in the brightness of the sunlight that streamed through the window that she had forgotten to draw curtains over.

Normally, a thing like that would have frustrated her to no end, and put her in a bad mood that she would have vented on anyone who had the nerve to cross her path.

But not that morning.

Slowly, carefully, Regina turned onto her left side until she was looking into the slightly flushed, still sleeping features of Daniel Hay, watching as he softly breathed in and out.

Regina smiled contently, reaching out a hand to gently caress his cheek as she recalled the events of last night. Every kiss, every sigh, every touch...

Daniel stirred under her hand and Regina reluctantly removed it, not wanting this moment to end just yet.

As he slept, Regina pulled herself up onto her elbow, keeping the bedsheet clutched around her torso as she looked down at Daniel's slumbering form. From where she had pulled up the sheet she could see everything down to his waist. She stared down at him, unable to look away his surprisingly muscled torso, still slightly unable to believe that last night had actually happened, that this...that he was now hers.

Daniel stirred again, and Regina led back down as he opened his eyes. He looked at her and smiled sleepily.

"'Morning" he said, his voice thick with drowsiness as he stretched his arms above him.

Regina chuckled softly "Good morning" she whispered.

Lowering his arms, Daniel cupped Regina's soft cheek in his hand, much like she had done a few seconds ago. She stared into his blue eyes, and wondered if he was remembering the previous night too.

Regina moved closer to him, pressing her lips softly to his. He responded immediately, the hand that was on her cheek slipping to the back of her neck, the other pulling her body so that it was pressing up against his. She heard him moan as her fingernails started to trace his chest...

Then, abruptly, Daniel pulled away.

"What time is it?" he asked. Feeling a little put out, Regina glanced behind her at her alarm clock:

"Almost midday"

"Oh" he said calmly, both of his hands going to Regina's back "I'm two hours late for work"

Regina raised an eyebrow, a small grin creeping onto her face "Well, hadn't you better get going?" she said.

Daniel shrugged, lifting his head closer to Regina's until they were sharing breath. From beneath her hands Regina could feel his heart rate increase.

"I think I'll just call in sick" he whispered, and Regina closed the distance between them.

OUAT

"We'll continue this when you come home next week" Mr Blanchard said to Snow White, eyeing James as he did so "We can talk about what we're gonna do then"

Snow White nodded, hugging her father. They were just outside of the College gates with Mrs Nolan, and they were stood outside Mr Blanchards car.

"I'll see you then, father" Snow White said as she pulled away. Mr Blanchard tried a weak smile before gently caressing his daughters face before he got into his car, glaring at James one last time as he did so.

"I love you, Snow" he called, and Snow White nodded.

"I love you too, Father" she smiled, waving as he drove away.

Mrs Nolan then came up to them, the stern look still in her eye, and her arms crossed over her chest. Snow White tensed.

Mrs Nolan however, only had eyes for her son. She took one of her hands in his.

"I meant what I said before, James" she said "I'm going to help you-both of you" she briefly looked at Snow White "Every way I can. You won't be alone in this"

Much like Snow White before, James smiled at his mother. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thanks, Mom"

Mrs Nolan smiled back at her son, she then got into her own car and, with a quick goodbye to both of them, she drove away from the College.

For a while, Snow White and James stared after them. Then, Snow White looked up at her love.

"Well, that's one problem down"

James looked confused "What do you mean?" he asked, and Snow White sighed.

"When we come back from the holidays. I'm gonna be starting to...show" she said, a hand going to her still-flat stomach.

"People might start to talk" she sighed, and James finally understood what she was saying. He gripped Snow White's shoulders and turned her to fully face him, looking directly into her vibrant green eyes.

"Snow White, you listen to me. If anyone, anyone, says anything to you or gives you any kind of crap about this, then they're gonna have to deal with me" he said firmly, the conviction of his oath beaming from his eyes.

Snow White smiled, and pecked him on the lips. "Thanks, Charming"

Charming smiled then too, his grip loosening from Snow White's shoulders until it was affectionate instead of forceful.

"Besides" he said "We don't have to worry about that until after the holidays are over"

Snow White chuckled, it sounded so simple and carefree when he said it like that.

"Yeah" she nodded "I won't worry until then"

OUAT

Next week was the end of the semester, and the students of Fairytale College were packed up and prepared to go home for the Christmas holidays. Several of them were stood outside the College gate, waiting for their parents to pick them up.

OUAT

Regina watched as Snow White kissed James goodbye before she climbed into her father's car. She heard them promising to meet up sometime in the next few days before Mr Blanchard drove his daughter away from the building. Normally, a sight like that would've made her want to retch but now...

It still made her want to retch, but not as much.

"Hey"

Regina turned to the direction of Daniel's voice, briefly remembering a time when it had been Gene who had waited here with her, year after year talking relentlessly in a bid to gain her affections.

But that was different now. As she glanced over Daniels's shoulder, she could see that Gene had found someone else to worship. If the way that his face was being eaten by Maleficent Pyro was anything to go by.

"Difficult to believe that Maleficent has become so taken with a simple Newsletter writer" she said, not really paying attention to what Daniel was saying.

"What?" she said, turning her attention back to him. He sighed.

"You still hate Snow White, don't you?" he asked.

Regina narrowed her eyes at him "Daniel" she said seriously "Snow White ruined my life. She sent me to the asylum and I...I can't forgive her for that"

"You need to forget about her!" Daniel told her, gently cupping her chin "What happened is in the past, you can forget about that. Move on"

"I have" Regina said, taking Daniel's hand away from her face. He looked confused.

"I said that I can't forgive her, Daniel" Regina explained "But...I don't hate her anymore" she looked around behind her, taking in James, waiting patiently for his Mom to pick him up. Ruby and Peter, laughing at something Thomas said while Ella blushed, and finally, Belle and Rumplestiltskin, who was trying to talk her out of coming to see him during the holidays.

Regina looked back at Daniel, shrugging "I might not like these people, Daniel but...I don't hate them anymore. I don't hate anyone anymore"

Daniel smiled proudly, a hand curling against her cheek. It would've been a perfect moment had he not then whispered:

"Not even your mother?"

Regina's entire body jerked, her stomach became stone and her heart missed so many beats she had no clue as to how she was still standing.

Her mother...her mother who was determined for her to achieve greatness...her mother who was willing to go to any lengths to get that greatness...

Her mother, who would never, not in a thousand life-times, approve of a simple, penniless bus-boy like Daniel Hay.

"Regina?"

Regina looked up at him, panic flooding her face "Daniel, my mother-"

At that moment a car horn tooted behind her, and Regina turned to see her mother's car starting to move next to the pavement where she and Daniel were stood. From her position Regina could see her mother in the drivers seat.

"Oh God..." she whispered, overwhelming fear rushing through her. Quickly, before Cora Mills could register who she was with, she rapidly spoke:

"Daniel, listen to me. My mother can never know about us!"

The statement was met by a look of surprise "Regina, what-"

"I'm sorry!" she cried "but she just can't. She has a very specific life plan for me and if she knew about this" she gestured between them "There's no telling what she would do to destroy it"

Daniel looked confused. He glanced up at Cora's car, which was coming ever closer.

"Regina" he said again, but she was already moving away from him.

"I'm sorry!" she called "I...I'll call you later"

She then walked over to her mothers car and climbed in the back seat. As Cora pulled the car away from the building, Regina looked out of the car window where Daniel was still stood. She sent him a regretful look.

"Regina" Mrs Mills stated her name, and Regina automatically looked towards the back of her mother's head.

"Yes, Mother?"

"Who was that...boy?" Cora's voice was tinted with suspicion. Regina inwardly cursed.

She shook her head, keeping her expression dumb.

"No-one, Mother"

OUAT

"People are still staring at us" Belle said, glancing over at Jiminy Cricket and Pinocchio Booth, who's were not-so-subtly looking in Belle and Rumplestiltskin's direction as they carried out a conversation.

"Are they now?" Rumplestiltskin said, whipping his head around to the Cricket and Booth. They quickly looked away and tried to remember what they had been talking about to begin with.

Belle suddenly chuckled "It's going to take a while to get used to this next semester"

"Used to what?"

Belle shrugged "Being out in the open...Not keeping this a secret. Our parents knowing" she giggled in disbelief "I just can't believe that...Rumple?"

At the mention of their parents, Rumplestiltskin's rare smile had disappeared, and he now had a faraway look in his eyes that told Belle that he was no longer following the conversation.

"Rumplestiltskin!" Belle said loudly, and he jerked his head back to her. She frowned.

"Rumple...everything is O.k with your parents, right?" Belle asked, sounding a little suspicious "You said everything was fine"

Rumplestiltskin opened his mouth to lie, to reassure her that nothing was wrong, and his superficial, prejudice father was perfectly O.k with dating a newsletter column writer...

O.k, lying wasn't going to work.

"Belle, my father is a particular kind of man, he believes that...when choosing a partner, you should choose someone who can help you move up in the financial chain"

Belle still looked confused "But...you said he was fine with this. With us"

"That's what he said, Belle. But I know my father, and right now, he's probably working out the best way to break us up"

"But you're his son!" Belle cried "Surely he cares about your happiness?"

Rumplestiltskin laughed "My happiness?" he repeated "Belle, my father hasn't cared about my happiness since the day I was born"

Belle bit her lip "But he can't do anything, can he? He won''t try and pull you out of Fairytale will he?" she clutched his upper arm as though she could keep him there through sheer strength. Rumplestiltskin shook his head.

"No Belle. He's never that straightforward. He'll do something much more cunning to get you out of the picture"

"Well, it's not going to work!" Belle said determinedly "Whatever he does, it wont keep me from you"

She then stretched upwards and kissed him fiercely, her hands going to his hair as his wrapped around her waist.

A sudden, loud and sharp tooting caused them to break apart and Belle turned to see to her burning embarrassment, Maurice French, in his car, staring at Belle and her boyfriend like he wanted to hit something. Probably the boyfriend.

"Hi Papa!" Belle called, her voice slightly shrill while Rumplestiltskin smirked. As Belle picked up her bags, he grinned at Maurice and waved.

"Rumple!" Belle hissed. Rumplestiltskin shrugged innocently and then helped her bring her things to the car.

After her things were piled into the boot, Belle waited until Mr French was back in the car to kiss Rumplestiltskin one more time.

"Whatever your father is planning" she said when she pulled away "It's not going to work. I love you, Rumplestiltskin Gold, and that won't change"

After Mr French had driven Belle away, Rumplestiltskin leaned on the railing of the College gate, staring after the car that carried his true love.

"I hope not, Belle" he whispered so that no-one could hear the weak fear in his voice "I hope not"

Right, that's it, my School's Out! Fic is officially done! Don't worry though, I won't leave you wanting because I AM planning on doing a sequal in the future.

By the way just thought I'd mention that I'm sorry this chap took so long to update but lets face it it's Christmas and I've been busy.

As this is the end of this fic, I would just like to give a huge shout-out to all those who supported me in every chapter of this little piece of fan-fiction, because you're all brilliant and your taste in fiction is impeccable:

SabreDae, BeachLover99130, RainMirror, MyraValhallah, Ary, nahbois68, reviewer, NCISGleek, Madame Jasper, Guest, Grace5231973, Skylie XD, Punkmusic4ever, geller516, Leafena, Readerpossessed, swingstate14, tonguemarksonmymirror, Diejj, Julie Winchester, Girlyemma96, and last, but by no means least, Magic Iris.

Thanks for your amazing support, your incredibly kind comments, and your wonderfully weird usernames. They meant the world to me (the comments, not the names) and I hope you enjoyed this final chapter.