A/N: Okay guys... I 'm starting for starting another one... .but if you like it then... I'm not sorry. but usually when I get this creative something ends up falling off on the wayside... and I don't want it to. Anyway I hope you enjoy this new little story. I have been sick all weekend in and out of the Emergency room and because I was high on pills as I watched this movie last night and really truly had to write it. Enjoy

Save the last dance

On Pointe

She supposed Storybrooke was a quaint little town. Definitely not what she was used to in that hustle and bustle of Boston. Everything was quiet. Even so late in the afternoon. Regina looked at her watch it was Three thirty. She looked back out and wondered if there were even any kids her age in this town. They weren't out and about. School should be out by now.

It didn't matter. Nothing did. She sighed and looked around the diner as she sat at the booth furthest in so she could look out of the window and see her Dad coming through the door when he did show up.

She wanted to be noticed by no one, or approached by no one. "What will you have?" asked a voice above her head startling her back to this reality she loathed.

Regina looked at the older woman for only a moment answering. "Coffee black… two sugars." and looking down at the magazine she had been absently leafing through since she sat at this disgusting eatery.

"Ooh.. Ballet American. I love Ballet. Always wanted to be a ballerina, but never had the body for it." The old woman said trying to be friendly. Regina looked the woman over critically and shrugged. "Do you dance?"

"I used to." Regina answered, gazing back out of the window. The older woman walked away to get the order started, and the girl began to get lost in a memory…

She used to loved to dance. Her first recital, when she was five, was magical. She on the stage with her pink tights and fluffy tutu. She looked out at the audience, and her mommy and daddy sat front and center. She smiled and was the best little ballerina on stage. Her mother stood and clapped proudly, and her daddy beamed at her. This was where she wanted to be. She knew that then with extreme clarity.

When she was ten, Regina was the best in her dance school. She moved with such grace, that she garnered envious glances from all of her friends. But by then, Regina no longer loved to dance. Her father had left that year, and her mother became hardened. As she danced, she scanned the room for Cora. Surely, she was there her hard judging eyes trained on her daughter.

Seven years pass, as Regina dreaded the apparent occupation of her life. Her mother had put everything in getting Regina's Star to rise. But Dance was no longer the passion that drove her. It was only fear. Fear had replaced the love she had to the artform. In her in home studio.. Regina leaped across the room As she prepared the routine for an audition for Julliard school of the arts in New York. Cora stood in the corner watching as the leap was executed flawlessly and revolved into a pirouette. Regina paused at the look on her mother's face as she spun out of it.

She furrowed her brows noting her mother's displeased face. "What's the matter?" Regina asked. "It was good."

Cora shook her head. "Everyone there is going to be good Regina, you have to be better." Cora came closer to her daughter correcting the disappointed set of her shoulders. "Your Technique is off. Your knees still knock when you do your free form. Did you not notice?"

Regina sighed, "Mother, It's-" The sigh had earned her mother's anger, but the sentence had been pointedly interrupted by her mother's hand slapping her across her face.

"It's not supposed to be fine, Regina." Cora said to her daughter who leaned on the Barre reeling from the blow. "It's supposed to be special. and all it does is lay there. There is no passion behind the movement and that they are bound to notice. Then they will know that you are not special enough to get counted in."

Regina began to cry. "I can get in…"

"Stop your insipid whining. Your free form is atrocious and you know it." Cora bit back at her daughter.

Regina clutched at the necklace around her neck. A clover her father gave her before one of her recitals for luck. Regina believed in it, and had always come out on top because she had always believed she would. "I'm sorry…"

"Break is over, get back to it…."

Regina fingered the necklace around her neck as she blinked away the horrible memory. "Nice necklace." The old woman said setting the coffee down in front of Regina.

Regina nodded and took a sip of her coffee. "Thank you, My dad gave it to me for luck."

"Does it work?" Granny asked.

Regina shrugged noncommittally. she wasn't sure if it had worked or not, "He left me with … whatever… No it doesn't work."

In a suburb of Boston Regina and Katherine her best friend groomed themselves in front of the mirror. It was one of those rare occasions that Regina had come to school with her hair not already in a bun. It was down hanging down past her shoulder. She sighed and ran her fingers through her long dark brown mane and pulled it up to begin building her bun.

"Awww, I like when your hair is down." Katherine said.

Regina smiled. "So do I… but I must dance." She answered and began her work on the intricate , yet simple hairstyle.

"Wanna pray? We should pray." Katherine said waiting for Regina's hair to be finished before pulling her aside. "You are about to leave to audition, and I won't see you till tomorrow so we should pray now."

Regina looked around the bathroom. There were a couple of girls walking in. She felt strange holding hands with her in public. Katherine was very affectionate with her hands. It wasn't that Regina didn't like it, but it was that she did like it. A little too much. If anyone knew it, this could totally ruin her. Her mother… she was already a horrible person, and Katherine… she was a Christian for god's sake. She would flip call her a sinner and never talk to her again. "Kath… No. I … not here."

Katherine rolled her eyes and bowed her head. Regina bowed her own embarassed praying for no one else to walk into the room. "Awesome father, here is about to audition for Julliard. You and I both know she is going to rock this. She is ready… Please let them love her… even if she screws up." Katherine looks up at Regina and smiles. "Amen…"

"Amen." Regina said a blush coming to her cheeks.

Katherine patted her face and chuckled, "You're so cute… anyway, God's gotten me outta all kinds of shit. I am so sure he can handle getting you into Julliard."

Regina smiled and headed out of the bathroom. Her phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket. "Mother?"

"Regina, are you on your way?"

"Yes, mother." Regina answered with a sigh.

"Do not get insolent." Cora said. "I just called to ensure you were on your way and that you felt prepared dear."

"I just wish you were coming with me. I'd feel more prepared if I didn't have to take mass transit to the audition."

"Regina. We discussed this… besides, you pass this audition you get your car back."

"Mother, wouldn't it have been more productive for me to have gotten my keys back this morning?"

"Don't be insolent Regina. I'll get to the audition as soon as possible. Break a leg." her mother cut the line and Regina screamed in frustration. and stomped on to the city bus sitting near the window and barring anyone from sitting next to her.

Regina hated that woman sometimes. but she still sought her approval. Why she needed such a person's approval was beyond her. If it were anyone at all other than her mother, she would have dismissed them. But this was mother. why couldn't she just love her the way she was. What if mother knew who she really was. What she hid from everyone, sometimes even herself…

Later, Regina stood on stage looking out on to the audience past the judges. she looked to see if Cora had arrived. The music cued up to her regular routine. The routine that she knew in her sleep and executed it flawlessly transforming the nerves and fear of failure into a notable and powerful performance. When she was done she finally looked at the judges. each had a non descript look in their face, and only one locked eyes with her. Her visage too much like Cora's. Regina flinched and looked out past her to see if Cora had arrived. She had not.

"What is the theme of your free form?" The judge asked.

Regina stiffened and looked back at the judge. She sighed, as she didn't have a theme she didn't have anything like that it was just flat. Mother had said so. "I think the Theme in the dance is fairly clear." she said unsure.

The judges nodded and they cued up her music. Regina tried to elevate her body above the music. But her nerves were shot. What unnerved her most was that her overbearing mother had not appeared at the door yet. but it was still possible that they wouldn't let her in. Still… the young ingénue did not rise to the occasion and she faltered under the judge's stony gazes. Once it was all over, tears brimming from her eyes, Regina heard. "Thank you, Next!"

She ran from the stage, rushing past waiting dancers, angrily unhooking the necklace at her neck. It felt as if it were choking her. "God… Oh god, she's going to kill me." She cried out as she went into the dressing room and began to tear off her leotard, the bun from her hair everything.

Regina crammed everything into her dance bag and just sat and cried on her seat imagining the hell she would pay once she got home, adding to it the lack of transportation she would have for the rest of the school year.

She walked out of the dressing room having cried herself out, and as she headed out toward the exit, one of the school officials stopped her and pulled her into a secluded hallway and asked her to sit. She did so reluctantly and a state trooper got down so that he could be eye level with her. "Ms. Mills… There has been an accident…"

Regina's eyes shut tight at the memory of that day. She didn't know if she should have been glad that the end of the abuse had come, and God had indeed delivered her. Or sad… because even as evil as she was, Cora had been Mother. She clutched at the necklace tightly and took a deep breath.

She opened her eyes, as she exhaled noted that the moon was out. She looked at her watch, it was quarter til five in the evening. She groaned at her father's lateness and looked around at the now full diner during a dinner rush.

She looked to the counter and there was a Teen waitress serving two other teens and joking around with them. Regina watched as the Brunette waitress flirted openly with both the boy and the girl. Regina rolled her eyes at the blatant display but realized, that maybe she would be well accepted. Maybe she didn't need to hide herself behind a mask. she could be whoever she wanted to be.

The Blond girl laughed and ran her hand through the long blond hair. "Ruby, I can't stay here flirting with you Henry is waiting for me." She turned and Regina's breath hitched at the most beautiful green eyes that she had ever seen. The girl smiled at Regina and she couldn't help the twitch that came to her lip. The smile was radiant.

"Emma, he isn't going anywhere." The whining waitress said. Emma turned back to Ruby and laughed goodnaturedly at the brunette's pout. " You never hang with us anymore."

Emma that was her name. Regina wondered how old she was what grade she was in. "Rubes, I have to go home to my Bae. I see you at school tomorrow." Emma said and laughed at the whine that followed as she headed out of the door.

With that last word, Regina's hope was dashed. Bae… That was big right? sometimes she felt a little disconnected from other kids her age. she had not been a normal kid. now was her chance. and she was gonna do it out. No more hiding. No more pretending, no more guys. Not that she had time to date... But she had made up crushes before, just to seem normal.

The bell above the door rang as Regina watched Emma's retreating back. but as she stepped out of the Diner, A man of middling age walked into the building. "Excuse me mayor." Emma said with a pleasant smile and ran past him down the street.

Finally, Regina was able to focus on the man. He was the same height but he was thicker around the middle than he had been the last time she saw him. "Daddy." She whispered getting up. She wanted to run to him to hug him she had missed him so much. but stopped herself. He'd left her with that woman and never looked back. Sure, Mother had never been abusive when he was home, but it was his fault that she had been abused at all.

She stood as he neared her. "Hi," he said to her.

"Hi," she replied.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I got caught up in the office and… " he sighed. "I'm sorry Regina."

"whatever." she said.

Henry paused a beat looking at Regina. Taking in how much she had grown. How much of a woman she was now. He sighed at his missed opportunities and nodded. "You have your things?"

"In my Trunk. Why couldn't I have just driven to your house?" Regina asked.

"Because I was not there, and I thought you could probably eat something after your travels."

"Well I wasn't hungry… I'll follow you with my car." Regina said heading towards her lexus. "I'm exhausted."

Her father nodded and they both headed to their respective cars.

a/n so I hope you like that and lick that little gray button. All reviews faves and follows are totally appreciated. I don't know when I'll update,. But let me know what you think. 'Til next time, much love!-S.K.