SUMMARY:

This story is complete, but I will be posting it in 3 chapter increments. Starting 4/25/17 Rating is more PG-13 until later chapters. Some warning for Language.

Henry has been bullied all through High School by Neal Gold and his cronies. These two started fighting because of their parents friction, but Neal and his friends just kept escalating things. Right when Henry's ready to transfer to West Point to leave Storybrooke High, a newcomer to town opens Savior's Gym, changing his life and his Mother's forever.

Emma Swan moves to Storybrooke from Boston to be closer to her foster-brother, David, and his wife. She's fulfilling her dream of opening and operating a gym where she can teach boxing, self-defense and yoga. Also with hopes of reuniting with a beautiful brunette from her brother's wedding.

Regina Mills has spent the last six years juggling Mayor duties with trying to protect her son from bullies and fights that have almost landed him expelled from school. When Emma Swan is introduced into their lives and offers a helping hand in Henry's education, she's not sure what to think of the hot blonde of her dreams.

Henry was on a bench in front of his school, sitting next to its principal. He had cotton stuffed up both nostrils to stop bleeding, and was sporting a black eye. His head hung low in shame, he knew he was in major trouble… again.

"I'm 16, Mrs. Nolan. I think I can wait for my mommy on my own." He cast a glance at the woman sitting next to him.

"Very funny, Henry. You know I have to talk to your mom about what happened today."

Mary Margret Nolan had been principal of Storybrooke High since Henry had started. Before that, she also just so happened to be his Middle School English teacher.

She had witnessed this quiet young boy with a gift for writing, repress his talents over the past couple of years because of bullying. This may have been only the first fight of his junior year, but Henry had a history.

After his fourth confrontation his sophomore year, Mary Margret had to help keep Henry from being expelled. She recommended to the school board that Henry receive counseling instead of kicking him out of school. With his grades being above average, it was allowed.

"We could just not tell her." Henry tried.

"Henry… It's not like you could hide that black eye or the tampons up your nose." Mary Margret wanted to take pity on him so badly. She knew Henry was not a bad kid. Nudging his shoulder with hers, "I thought things were going well. Especially with you seeing Dr. Hopper."

"It was. I mean, it is." Henry turned to her with a heavy sigh. "Those sessions may help me from getting angry, Mrs. Nolan. But it doesn't stop other guys from being a-holes. You know?"

"I know." Mary Margret nodded, patting his shoulder. "So what did young mister Gold do today?"

Henry's sore jaw and fists clenched. "He started going after my Mom again. He kept calling her Mayor Mega-Bitch."

"So you decked him for that?"

"No. I swear I was going to walk away. Just this time he took it too far. He started making lewd comments about her. Then he called her a MILF." Henry was red with anger.

Mary Margret's face scrunched up in question.

"It stands for Mom I'd Like to F-"

"Oh I got it! I got it." Mary Margret interrupted.

"Anyway, he got some of the other guys from the wrestling team going, and they all started chanting MILF over and over again." Henry flexed his iced hand. "I lost it."

Mary Margret let out a heavy sigh. She knew being the mayor's only son had its added challenges for Henry. All townspeople had opinions of their town's stern Mayor. A lot of times, children heard their parents disdain for her, and turned it onto him.

Regina Mills had been the Mayor of Storybrooke for almost 6 years now, and before that she had been head of the School Board. Being in the spotlight in a small town, made her and her son easy targets.

"I'm sorry, Henry. I really wish there was something more I could do for you. You're a good kid. You need to start focusing on graduating and what you plan to do after."

"I'm getting the hell out of here is what I'm doing. Maybe even earlier than planned." Henry pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Mary Margret.

The woman opened the pamphlet and gasped in shock. "Henry… West Point?"

"Why not. I can go there for a couple of years, then enlist when I graduate. It's somewhere no one knows me. It's in New York, not too far that mom will freak out." Henry folded the pamphlet back into his pocket.

"But Military school? Enlisting? What about your writing, Henry? You've always told me you wanted to write." Mary Margret wanted to yell NO to the kid, but she knew it wasn't her place.

"I could still write… maybe as a, you know… Hobby." Henry shrugged his shoulder, trying hard to hide his sadness at willing to give up his dream to escape torment.

"Henry, why would you-" She was cut off by a black Mercedes pulling up to the curb.

Regina Mills stepped out of her car with clear anger on her face. Jaw clenched, she shut her door and walked toward her son and the school's principal. When she reached them, she looked sharply at Henry and motioned behind her, "Car. Now."

Henry didn't hesitate as he picked up his bag and walked toward the dark car. Throwing a look over his mother's shoulder to get the principal's attention. He gestured with a finger over his lips, silently begging her not to discuss his plans.

Mary Margret threw him a mildly annoyed look for asking her to keep his secret. Regina and she might not have started out as what most people considered friends. But over the years of working for the schools, and Henry's run-ins, Mary Margret was sure she was the closest thing to a friend the strong woman ever had.

Regina hung her head slightly when she heard the car door close. "What happened this time?"

"Gold." Mary Margret said simply. Seeing Regina flex her knuckles the same way her son had just moments ago. "Neal Gold had his whole team goading him. As far as I know, Neal and Henry were the only ones exchanging blows this time."

"Has Mister Gold's hell-spawn been reprimanded?" Regina asked, spitting out the older man's name with clear hatred.

"I was told that as School Board President, he would be handling his son's punishment personally. As well as that of the other wrestlers that were present." Mary Margret crossed her arms in anger.

"Which means none of them will be in any real trouble." Regina took a heavy breath. "I swear that son-of-a-"

"I know, Regina. I know." Mary Margret squeezed the angry woman's arm.

"Makes me wish I had never left the board. It's my fault the acting Mayor has no power over the school board." Regina had one hand on her hip and the other running through her hair in frustration.

"That's because at the time, Mayor Glass was incompetent and didn't care about the school system." The young principal said in a huff.

"I know, Sydney only cared about looking good in the papers. If I was still president of the school board, though, all these kids would already be in juvie." Regina released a heavy sighed. "Now we have a president that still holds a grudge against me for suspending his son in grade school over six years ago."

"Neal tied a kid to a basketball stand in the middle of winter, at the age of ten. That poor child was out there for two hours before anyone noticed he was missing. The little sociopath should be the one in therapy, not Henry." Mary Margret defended.

"I know that, and you know that. But Gold's had it out for me since then. I honestly think it was his main motivation to take my seat on the board when I left. To protect that little demon child." Regina ran her hand through her hair. "I don't know what to do anymore, Mary Margret."

"I wish that was all, Regina, but Henry just showed me something I think you should know about." Mary Margret looked behind the Mayor's shoulder to make sure Henry was not listening in. "He's thinking of transferring schools… to West Point."

Regina's eyes widened. "New York?! Military School?"

Mary Margret nodded sympathetically. "Don't confront him about it yet, ok. Just stay calm, and see if he'll talk to you."

Regina took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. Giving a weak smile, "Okay."

"We'll figure something out, okay." Mary Margret gave her a brief hug.

Regina she teased, "Thank you, M&M. I'm just happy you suck at keeping secrets."

"Don't call me that."

The women shared an amused smile.

Regina turned to leave. "See. I'm getting this whole, friendship thing down."

"Teasing me is not friendship, Queenie." Mary Margret winked back.

They parted ways, and Regina silently got into the car with her son. The ride through town was silent, as Henry just stared out the window with a far-off look.

Regina thought it was much the same way he used to as a child, but without the flash of a content smile. Back then Henry would talk to her about anything and everything on his mind, without prompt.

"Am I grounded?" Henry asked in an almost whisper.

Regina had not even considered it. "No, Henry, you are not."

Henry turned a raised eyebrow to his mother. Not wanting to dare question her answer, in fear she would change her mind.

"Did you want to talk about it?" Regina softly prompted.

Henry hung his head again. "Not really."

Regina simply nodded as they stopped at a red light at the main intersection of Storybrooke, in front of the town library and clock tower.

Henry pointed across the street. "Check it out. Someone's moved into the old hardware store."

Regina turned to said building. Boards that had been covering the windows were now gone. The windows now had paintings on them. One of boxing gloves over a ring, another of two fighters in karate gear, and the last of silhouette of a person in a yoga pose.

A blonde woman in tight jean shorts and a white tank top exited the building holding bottles of waters. She directed two men raising a sign above the doorway. Regina felt a lump jump in her throat as she took in the perfectly muscled arms and legs… and everything in between.

Once the sign was hung, and a tarp taken completely off, the blonde's excitement beamed at the revealed sign stating, 'The Savior's Gym.'

"Sweet! A gym!" Henry exclaimed. A smile reaching his eyes in a way Regina had not seen in a long time.

She looked back to the building, watching the blonde woman now patting the men on the back and handing them water bottles.

"Mom, can we go check it out? Please?" Henry was practically vibrating in his seat.

"Oh, Henry I don't think so. The last thing we need is for you to hone your fighting skills. Need I remind you why you have a bloody nose and a black eye?" Regina moved through the intersection and away from the new business.

Henry's shoulders slumped and the light that had shone briefly, was gone. As much as it pained her, she refused to entertain the idea of Henry fighting more than he already was.

Emma took in her new sign and beamed in excitement, patting one of the men on his shoulder.

"That looks perfect guys!" Emma handed the two shorter men bottles of water.

"Thanks, 'mam." The stocky blonde man with a happy face tattooed on his arm, smiled brightly and accepted the bottle.

"Emma. Please call me Emma."

"I'm Michael, but everyone calls me Happy."

The blonde smiled at Happy and turned to the other, more serious looking man with a short beard.

The burly man, with the name tag 'Leroy' on his uniform accepted the bottle of water with a short nod, and curt, "Thanks. So, what you doin' here?"

Emma looked up at her sign and back to him, wondering what disconnect there was.

"I…'m opening a gym." Emma quirked. "A place people can come learn to box, some self-defense, bit of karate, and other martial arts, as well as some yoga."

Leroy looked her up and down with a huff. "From you?"

Emma matched his mocking smile and let out a laugh. "Yeah. Me."

"I guess I'll just have to see it to believe it." Leroy grumbled and went to fold up the ladders.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Well, Leroy. Why don't you two come by once I'm open? First class's on me."

Never one to turn away something free, Leroy nodded. "Alright. But I doubt there's anything you can teach me, sister. I've been taking on guys three times my size all my life." He said with a glare and walked away.

Happy waited for him to be out of earshot, "Forgive him, Emma. Leroy's a bit of a sour apple. What he said is true, though. The Guy's constantly fighting. Drinking doesn't help one avoid brawls, though."

"I see." Emma watched the angry man throw the ladder into the back of his van. "Well my offer still stands. If you two want to come back."

"Oh, I'm in. Maybe I can talk to a few of our brothers. See if they're interested." The man smiled impossibly brighter.

"Brothers?"

He laughed lightly, "Of sorts. You'll see."

Emma reached out her hand to shake his, "Thank you, again, Happy?"

Happy shook it and smiled, moving to grab the other ladder to follow Leroy. "Can't wait for opening. Let us know if you need any more help. My brothers and I are all pretty handy."

"I will. Thanks."

When the men were gone, Emma turned back to her sign and couldn't calm the smile on her face. Excited for her new venture in the small town.

She turned to look up and down the main street, seeing if she could spot the dark Mercedes she had seen earlier. The beautiful brunette she recognized behind the wheel. Nowhere to be seen, she sighed and began heading inside.

A man's voice stopped her in the doorway. "It's looking good, Ems."

Emma turned at the sound of someone approaching. "Hey!"

Mary Margret and David Nolan took turns hugging her.

"Oh Emma. How exciting!" Mary Margret was nearly bouncing in excitement. "I can't believe you're almost ready to open."

"I know. Thanks again for the awesome artwork on my windows, Mouse."

Mary Margret gave her a look at the nickname. "No problem. How are things moving along with your studio upstairs?"

"Good, actually. Now that the gym's done, I can start the finishing touches upstairs and move out of your guest room." Emma punched David in the arm playfully.

"Hey, you know there's no rush, right?" He said sincerely.

"I know, but it'll be nice to have a place of my own again. That reminds me though, can I recruit you guys in helping me paint?" Emma shone her puppy dog eyes making the couple laugh.

"Of course. This weekend okay?" David offered.

"Perfect. Come on, let me show you the inside."

Emma led them inside the gym, taking one last look around for the Mercedes.

Another time.