She's My Daughter

My Saviour

Selena POV

It had been two months since I had last seen Regina. I had told her that I would love to go and live with her in Storybrooke, but only after I had finished my exams here. She had offered to find a place here for us to stay, but I refused. I would only get distracted if I was living with her and I needed to focus. So she paid for the hotel room for another two months and we parted ways, her a lot more reluctantly than myself.
"But you will come once your exams have finished, right?" She kept asking me.
"Yes." I said for the millionth time. And then she'd beam and move on.
When the day of her departure came, she looked on the verge of tears. I almost cried myself at how much this woman cared about me, but I didn't. I couldn't let my guards down, not even now. But I did let her hug and kiss me goodbye.
"I'll be back for you in two months, okay? Exactly two months." She sniffed, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. It was weird seeing this woman, who was so normally well put together and strong, crying, so I acted on an impulse and kissed her cheek.
"Two months." I promised. It, however, had the opposite effect as instead of cheering up, she began crying even more. Slightly alarmed, I began awkwardly patting her on the head, before I realised how bloody strange that was. It did cheer her up though.
"Good luck with your exams, you'll do brilliantly. And don't forget that it's white clothes on Monday's, Wednesday's and Saturday's and coloured clothes on the other days, okay?" She said as she rummaged in her bag for her passport.
I laughed. "Yes ma'am." And gave her a mock salute. She tapped me affectionately on my nose, gave me one last kiss on the top of my head and reminded me to call her every day before she was being ushered through the doors and out of sight.

*****

It had been two months and now I stood waiting in front of my school for her to arrive and pick me up. I had told her that I could get on the plane myself, but she was having none of it and just kept telling me she wanted to be with me. I still didn't know how she could get past the legal system here, though. I mean, I'm an unregistered runaway and she just comes in and picks me up, with no legal claims to me. I shrugged. I figured I would ask her about that when I saw her.
"Who are you waiting for, fatty?" I heard a shrill voice ask behind me. I sighed. It was this lot again.
"I'm talking to you, you fat git!" Zoe Bald said as she came in front of me, her hands on her hips. Zoe was a girl who had bullied me for the past five years of my life and not once had she grown tired of it. At first, I could stand up to her but as time went on, I just became immune to her insults and, well, slightly fearful after she set a maniac after me. Long story.
"No-0ne." I said, as I met her piercing blue eyes.
"Oh yeah, you don't have anyone to wait for, do you? Mummy and daddy don't want you, do they?" She laughed, and her bunch of giggly baboons laughed too.
I ignored her.
"Why don't they want you, fatty? Is it because you stink like shit? Or is it because you're so fat? No no wait! I know what it is! It's because you're worthless." She sneered. I gulped, not wanting to show that her words got to me.
"Yeah, fatty, why don't you just run into the middle of the road, no-one will miss you!" One of her cronies yelled. A single tear spilled down my cheek as I thought about the time I had nearly killed myself.
"Aww is little ickle fatty crying? Does she want mummy to wipe away her tears? Oh wait, she can't!" Zoe crooned and they erupted in laughter once again.
"Nobody would ever want a freak like you." Zoe said softly. My wrist seemed to burn with her words, almost as if my scars were crying too.
"Actually, you're wrong." A strong voice called out, and Regina slammed the car door shut, her brown eyes ablaze with fury. I stared at her and the girls did too, their mouths agape at how it was possible that anyone, especially someone like Regina, would ever want someone like me.
"Selena, dear, what's going on?" She asked as she came to my side.
"Nothing." I muttered. Zoe, however, seemed to regain her confidence.
"Aw look, ickle fatty does need someone to take care of her!"
I looked down in shame. I couldn't bear for Regina to see me like this. So vulnerable. But she saw things differently and approached things in a very...unique fashion.
"Hmm...well seeing as Selena here is going to be the star of my next Broadway show, I think you should probably stop calling her that."
"What?" Zoe demanded, her jaw dropping.
"Yes, when I fostered Selena I decided to let her audition for my latest show and, well, she's a natural." Regina said calmly, but her eyes were still glinting dangerously. "Oh and she's going to be starring alongside Dylan O'Brien." She added as an afterthought. If possible, their jaws dropped even further.
"Now come on dear, I've left the penthouse unlocked." Regina said, turning to me and holding out a hand for my luggage. Grinning, I handed it to her and followed her into the car.
"Oh, and if you ever bully my daughter or anyone else again, I will find you and I will destroy you...if it is the last thing I do." And with that, Regina Mills slammed the door shut behind her, leaving behind a gaggle of nothing more than bad memories.