Hi! So I know what you're all thinking, why on earth is she starting something new when she already has so many stories on the go. Well the answer to that is that I am crazy, ha, and also, I will not be writing this alone. Last week I had the idea to do a collaboration with some friends of mine PurplePix13 and Sparkles21. They are both awesome, so if you haven't read their stories already, go check them out! Also credit to Sparkles21 for the awesome cover!

We will be alternating writing chapters, starting with mine, so I hope you enjoy! :) xox

Regina looked out of the window, simply watching as the plane edged its way through the clouds, it seemed as though when she was up here that the world disappeared and all there was were the fluffy looking candy cotton water formations. The metal transport hovered above them and it just seemed so peaceful. She closed her eyes and hummed to herself, she was starting her new life, away from America, away from her controlling family, she was finally going to be able to explore who she was and figure things out for herself instead of being constantly told who she had to be and what role she had to play.

Looking through those college prospects' she had quickly made the decision that the best place for her to go to university wasn't in America, she needed something new, needed freedom and somehow, even being an international student, college in England was a hell of a lot cheaper, so for her it was a win, win situation. She got to leave the grip her mother had upon her and she wouldn't be in as much debt when she finished her course.

Oxford was a prestigious university, known worldwide for its academic standing and that was what Regina was looking for, somewhere where she could blossom into her own person and achieve her dreams, on her own. After all, where better to study English literature than in England itself? The homeland of all the classic writers, the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, Dickens, Shakespeare, Orwell, the list was endless. She opened her eyes again, looking back at the clouds and the blue sky, taking a deep breath she relaxed in her chair, this really was the start of something new.

"Regina."

And her peace was shattered, she turned to look at the older woman as she took her seat beside her, she'd excused herself to go to the bathroom and that had been the only peace and quiet Regina had for the whole flight, why had she even insisted on coming with her, she was perfectly capable of settling in on her own, she didn't need her mother to help her.

"Those bathrooms are less than satisfactory," Cora Mills stuck her nose up as she took the seat beside her again, Regina made no reply and picked her book up again, starting to read, she found it hard to concentrate on herself when her mother was talking and constantly moaning about things that really weren't important. "I mean you would think that paying for business class would mean that the bathrooms were at least big enough to move around in…" Cora paused and Regina sighed quietly, "are you listening to a thing I'm saying to you?"

"Yes," Regina nodded, "you said that the bathrooms were less than satisfactory," she shrugged, who actually cared enough about aeroplane toilets to make petty comments about their size? Her mother, that was who, she was so finicky and she nit-picked at every single minor detail, just another reason Regina couldn't wait to have her own place. She could leave her stuff wherever she wanted to, not put things away, she could be as messy as she liked and no one would be there to tell her off for it; well, she could do all that, but she was a neat and tidy person, so she doubted she would, but the possibility was there.

"Well they are, I shall be leaving a review about this, it simply isn't acceptable."

"Of course, it isn't," Regina agreed, she had learnt over the years that the best way to deal with her mother, was to agree with practically everything she said.

"I mean have you seen it? Go look at it."

"I don't need to go just now," Regina rolled her eyes, losing her place in her book and letting out a frustrated growl, starting from the beginning of the paragraph again.

"Well it is much too small, Regina go look, tell me your opinion on the matter, I think…"

"Mother! Please, I am developing a migraine," she sighed, it wasn't a lie, hopefully it would get her mother to stop with the annoying comments which really weren't helping the butterflies that were present in her stomach, she was both nervous and excited, she was looking forward to freshers week and being able to have fun without her mother's eyes being on her constantly.

"A migraine? You didn't say anything about that before sweetheart," Cora pressed a hand to Regina's head gently. Regina had said she was smothering, but hadn't said that her mother didn't love her, because it was evident she did, maybe just a little too much and Regina knew that it was killing her mother allowing her to go off to England to study, but she needed to, she really did.

She felt guilty for snapping at her and shrugged her shoulders, "I just want to sit here and not move," she breathed, "maybe then it will go away." She adjusted her reading glasses so they sat on the edge of her nose and mused that she had probably been staring for too long at nothing in particular.

"Okay dear," Cora sighed, brushing her fingers through her daughter's hair, "can I get you anything? A water? Some snacks or something? They have those chips that you like."

"I'm fine thank you," Regina whispered, there was a part of her that was going to miss her mom, but one thing she knew for certain was that she was going to appreciate the peace and hopefully quiet that living alone would bring.

"If your certain."

"I am," she nodded, looking back to her book and tracing the cover with her fingers, swirling them over the indentation where the title had been pressed into the hard cover, the golden lettering having been worn away from the amount of times she had touched it. She opened it and read the message on the first page…

Dearest Regina,

I want you to have this book and I hope it inspires you never to give up on your dreams, it certainly did that for myself when I received the book from my own mother. I know you may be a stubborn one, all the women in our family are, but your heart will find its way to happiness, I promise you that. I have witnessed your loving nature and know that you are as pure as they come, a diamond in the rough as they might say.

I wish for you to achieve everything women of my own generation might have been prevented from doing and more. Reach for the stars and you never know, one day you might just catch one.

I love you so very much my dear, never forget that.

Regina smiled at the words, she had read them so many times, turned to them when she needed comfort and solace, they usually worked, the message although small was powerful quite like the woman who had given her the book. Her grandmother had been an inspirational woman, someone she had admired completely, she was strong and feisty and as she had pointed out herself in the little note, stubborn. She was right about Regina being too, she knew she was, she always had been, her grandmother knew it and she had died when she was twelve years old, Regina was now eighteen, in most ways she had grown so much, but a large part of her was still that twelve-year-old girl who wanted to explore the world.

She closed the book and held it close to her, she had read it countless times, over and over again until the pages were practically dropping out. Her grandmother's message had been embedded into her brain and she didn't need the book to remember what it said, nevertheless, she liked having the physical object that she could hold onto, the memory wasn't enough.

Regina was lost in thought and she didn't recognise her mother speaking to someone and when she looked up, she saw that there was a stewardess stood beside them, "yes madam, I understand…"

"I don't think you do, my daughter has a migraine and you are telling me that there is no possible way for you to make sure no light gets into this area of the plane?"

"Mom," Regina shook her head, really? She couldn't be serious, that was an insane request. There were other passengers, so of course there was no way for them to black out the whole section.

"I don't think it's an unreasonable request."

"Seriously?" Regina rolled her eyes and shook her head before looking at the flight attended who seemed to be completely baffled, "if you have an eye mask I am sure that would be adequate," she smiled as the woman nodded and hurried off to find her what she had asked for, clearly not wanting to risk facing the wrath of Cora Mills a second time.

"Next time we are flying with a different airline," her mother scoffed, "first the toilets and then this, I am not impressed, do they really not care about the well being of their patients? It doesn't seem like they do. That bathroom is practically a public restroom, shoddy quality."

"Mom you don't even use public bathrooms," Regina groaned, her head rolling back on her shoulders as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Of course, I don't because they are shoddy and goodness knows what you might pick up from them, it's just not hygienic Regina, it really isn't."

"Please stop," she muttered under her breath.

"Maybe you should take your hair down out of that style, I'm sure having it so tight on the top of your head can't be helping in the slightest."

You aren't helping in the slightest Regina mused, before giving in and moving her hand to her hair, releasing it from the confines of the bun it had been restricted in, allowing her long raven locks to roll down her body, stopping where they just about caressed her waist, flowing over her breasts with ease. She had been growing it out for years and it was currently the longest she'd ever had it, most of the time however she favoured just throwing it up and pinning it back. As much as she loved her hair, it annoyed the hell out of her when it got in her face or obstructed her from doing something.

"Does that feel better?"

"A little," she shrugged, not really, now she just had hair everywhere. She couldn't wait to get off this plane and get some fresh air, she couldn't help but think that it was all the emotions running through her that were causing the headache, she was stressing, as usual, she stressed about everything so it wasn't really much of a surprise. "How much longer?" she asked, opening her eyes and turning to look at her mom.

"Not long now, I still don't get why you couldn't have gone to university in the states."

"Two hundred and twenty-seven," Regina counted.

"Oh would you stop doing that," Cora huffed.

"It's the truth."

"There is no way I have said those words that many times."

"You have actually mother, probably more in fact."

"Well, I don't think you gave me a straight enough answer."

"I think I gave you plenty of answers the very first time you asked, you know why I want to go to school there."

"What just because your grandmother went to school there?"

"No, that isn't the only reason," she tutted. It was a reason though, it had swayed her when it came to choosing between Oxford and Cambridge, she wanted to walk in her grandmother's footsteps, following her influence, not that they were studying the same thing, but she felt that she couldn't have chosen a better woman to take inspiration from. "Mom, you know I need to do this right?"

"Yes," Cora stated quietly, "but it doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

Regina turned to look at her, realisation setting in, her mother was trying to put her off going to England and she thought that by criticising ever minor thing that Regina would change her mind, it was sneaky, very sneaky, but it wouldn't work, she was going to school there whether her mother liked it or not, small plane bathrooms be damned. "Does what I want not matter?"

"Of course, it does, but I just don't understand why you want to be apart from your family, from everyone who loves you."

"Because I want the chance to be able to do things on my own, I want some independence, some freedom and whether you like it or not, this is giving me that opportunity and I am so glad that you and daddy agreed to let me do this."

"All we want is your happiness sweetheart," Cora sighed, running her fingers over her daughter's cheek, "and your success, but that isn't as important as the happiness, you know what they say, money can't buy you happiness, unless happiness is a new Prada bag and a pair of Jimmy Choos, in which case it can, it most certainly can."

Regina looked at her mother with a humoured grin on her face before quipping, "I prefer Christian Louboutins," she sniggered, earning a laugh from her mother.

"You did bring those didn't you," her mother hurried, "you might need them if you decide to go out."

"Me going out? I don't think so," she shook her head.

"Regina, why else would you come to England where the legal age to drink alcohol is 18?"

"Mom…"

"It's mum dear, use your proper English vocabulary."

"Mum, you know I will not be drinking so…"

"Well you might need the shoes for another reason, have you…"

"They are in my case," she nodded, "one pair, the rest are in transit." She was having all her things shipped over and hopefully they would be arriving within the week so she could begin filling her new apartment, something that for her was an exciting prospect, she would have so much more room for things now she was living alone. She had initially wanted a roommate, but her mother wouldn't allow that, insisting that she was sure she could meet new friends from her classes and in the corridor, she didn't need to share her space with anyone.

So, unlike the regular student, Regina had a two-bedroom apartment all to herself. The room also had a bathroom with a tub, a living space which seemed quite big and a modern kitchen which she had to admit looked amazing, all that was hers to do with as she pleased and she couldn't wait to take control of it.

"Which pair are in your case?"

"My three inch pair," she replied, standard black heels that she wore practically every day in high school, whilst the rest of the students were wearing sneakers and jeans, she'd be wearing heels and pencil skirts.

"You mean your slippers?"

"Yes," she grinned, turning her head back to the window and continuing to stare in wonder at the clouds, they were a combination of marshmallows and candy floss, they looked so soft just floating below them.

Regina knew she was privileged, her parents were rich, really rich and she was left wanting for nothing, they would give her anything she requested, but it was usually them giving her things she hadn't asked for, little gifts for no reason. She wasn't a spoilt brat though and she loathed it when people would call her one, she might be spoilt but in no way did that mean she held herself higher than anyone else. "What day are you going home again mom?" She asked, looking at the woman sat beside her.

"Tuesday and we have a lot to do before then," Cora stated, "why, are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No, of course not, I was simply asking that's all." She still didn't know why her mother felt the need to accompany her in the first place, she would have been perfectly fine on her own, she didn't need a babysitter, but her mother wasn't having any of it, Regina had just about been able to persuade her father not to come along for the ride. She was already going to be strange enough being an international student, without mommy and daddy bringing her to university.

Part of her was quite happy her mom was coming with her though, it would have been rather daunting being in a strange country all alone, moving in alone, she wasn't quite ready for that step just yet.

"Nervous?" Cora questioned her fingers playing with Regina's long hair.

"A little," she nodded, biting down on her bottom lip.

"Real answer please young lady."

"Yes, I am nervous."

"I knew it, you always tap your knee when you're nervous."

Regina looked down and surely enough her knee was bouncing, she stopped it with her hand and shook her head. "Maybe I'm very nervous," she whispered, grasping her book that much tighter.

"You're going to be fine sweetheart," her mother breathed, pressing her lips to her daughter's temple, "you're going to be more than fine, you'll be perfect, you are perfect my baby."

Regina smiled and hugged her mother that much tighter, she was high maintenance, but there was no doubt whatsoever that her mother loved her, even though her overprotective nature made it seem like she didn't at times.

The stewardess finally appeared back holding the eye mask, "I'm sorry about the delay, I had..."

"Thanks," Regina quipped taking it from her, wanting her to go away before her mother decided to bring up how long it had taken her to come up with it in the first place. The woman scurried away and Regina looked at the eye mask in her hand, stroking her fingers over he black silk material, before glancing at her mother, a devious smirk playing upon her lips and she teased the elastic that was made to keep the eye mask in place, making it flex and release. Suddenly she allowed it to leave her hands and it pinged at her mother managing to knock her reading glasses clean off her head, causing them to hang from that chain she had them attached to, it was all designer though of course, her mother just wouldn't admit to the fact that she needed a chain so that she didn't lose them whenever she took them of for some reason.

"Oi you," Cora gasped looking at her daughter in shock, "did you just fling that thing at your mother?"

"No," Regina shook her head, trying to stifle a laugh and failing to do so, allowing it to tumble from her lips.

"You did you cheeky madam," Cora chuckled and leant down to pick it up again so that she could fling it towards her daughter.

"Okay I might have," she giggled, picking it up and placing it on her head but not over her eyes, taking off her reading glasses and carefully placing them in their box, running her finger over the etching of a feather on the side, before shutting them in and picking up her drink to take a sip of the cool lemonade, the ice cubes had melted but it was still cold enough to have her sighing in contentment.

"Why don't you get some sleep sweetheart," Cora hummed, pressing a brief kiss to her temple, "hmm?"

"I think I might," Regina nodded, "I didn't sleep all that well last night."

"Okay, I'll wake you up when we're about to land."

"Thanks," she smiled, resting her head on her mother's shoulder as she placed the eye mask over her eyes. She was positively shattered, she needed to sleep, she curled her feet up under her and tried to concentrate on falling asleep, after a couple of minutes her limbs grew slack and she drooped against her mother, falling asleep on her.

"Regina."

She groaned and shook her head, burrowing further into her mother's arm, she was still so tired and she didn't want to wake up.

"Regina honey, you need to wake up and fasten your seat belt, we're landing."

"I don't want to," she moaned, feeling her mother take her eye mask off for her. She reluctantly opened her eyes and tried to readjust them to the light. If they were landing, that meant that they were there, that they had arrived in England, there was no turning back now, she was doing this, she'd have to even if she didn't want to, which she did.

"Did you have a nice sleep?"

"Not really," she shook her head; she'd probably have been better off not going to sleep, because now she felt even worse, she was completely drained of all energy. She just wanted to get to her new place, flop down on the bed and completely just zone out for at least ten hours.

Once out of the plane they found their luggage which Cora had someone carry for them and they continued on outside, it had taken a little while through border control with making sure that Regina's student visa was okay and all Regina wanted to do was sleep. The fresh air had helped, but the first thing Regina noticed was that it was freezing out, nothing like the warm weather they had at home in California.

She slumped against the wall and glanced at her mother who was talking to the man that was pushing their luggage for them. She didn't know what they were waiting around for, why didn't they just grab a cab to get to the accommodation, there were plenty of them waiting in taxi bays, after a ten-and-a-half-hour flight, waiting was not something she wanted to do, she just wanted to get there. "Mom what are we…" She saw a limo pull up and groaned internally, "seriously?"

"Come along dear."

"Mom, we can't pull up in a limo!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's embarrassing, why can't we just get a cab like any normal person?" What the hell would people think if she turned up in a limousine? She prayed that no one would see her, but knowing her mother, she would make sure that they did.

"Because we are not normal people dear and you couldn't even pay me to get in one of those taxis."

Regina shook her head and pushed herself up from the wall, grabbing her hold bag which she had insisted she was carrying despite her mother's protest to it, why should anyone else carry her bag when she was perfectly capable of doing so? She literally flung it into the limo before moving inside and sitting down. Her hair was really annoying her, it was all in her face and the wind had caused it to stick to her lip balm which was currently the only make up she was wearing, her mother had told her to dress up and she had done the opposite to be quite honest. She was wearing tight black leggings and a deep purple sweatshirt with a simple white pair of converse, she looked like any other teenager.

She managed to tame her hair and watched as her mother joined her inside the limo, "I don't know why your being so childish."

"Mom, I don't want to be known as that spoilt rich kid anymore and that is exactly what's gonna happen when we pull up in a limo."

"What's wrong with being rich?" Cora shrugged, "I definitely wouldn't have minded being known as rich when I was younger."

"You don't know what it was like growing up like that."

"Oh I can't imagine, please tell me all the hardships of you cushy life," her mother stated sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

"You don't understand do you," Regina sighed, "this is a chance for me to have new friends, real friends who aren't after my money or only friends with me because I have the latest clothes. I want to find people who want to be my friends because of me and not because of how much money my parents have."

Cora went quiet and Regina shook her head, taking her iPhone out of her pocket as she unlocked it and saw a text from her father that she hadn't realised she'd received.

I hope you had a safe flight my darling, the house is already too quite without you here, (or maybe it's quite because your mother isn't here yelling at me ;) ) but I understand why you had to spread your wings and fly. I'm missing you, but I know that you will just love it in England, don't forget your old man though will you. I love you Regina, so much. Xxx

She grinned and shook her head, she could imagine her house being quite without her mother being there, no matter what part of the house you were in you could usually hear her which was insane because the house was huge. She looked across to her mother who was still staring at her, "what?"

"I don't know how I'm going to be able to leave you here."

"Mom, I'll be fine."

"What if something happens and I can't get to you?"

"Trust me, nothing will happen, I'll be fine, honest I will, there's no need for you to worry about me."

"That's what mothers do, they worry about their children."

"I know," she nodded, shuffling closer to her.

"I don't understand why you couldn't have gone to college somewhere closer."

"Two hundred and twenty-eight," Regina laughed as her mother simply shook her head and kicked her playfully.

The limo pulled to a stop and Regina peered out of the window at an apartment building, it looked nice, she hadn't properly seen it before, but she had looked at it online. There was a little garden which had rows of flowers a couple of steps up to the main door. She grinned at her mother and opened the door, only to nearly be knocked off her feet by two guys who were seemingly fighting.

"Will ya give it a rest already mate…"

"You grabbed me if I do remember correctly."

"Nah, not a chance it happened like that," the taller guy chuckled, only for the other to change his hold on him and put him in a head lock.

"Say you're sorry."

Regina watched and sighed, "excuse…"

"Not gonna happen."

"Will, say it…" the guy said, using his knuckles to rub against his friend's scalp.

"Hey…"

"Nope. I know it were the truth."

"It wasn't the truth, so…"

"Excuse me!" Regina shouted a bit louder, causing them to stop almost as though it was a comedy sketch, looking up at her. "You just nearly knocked me out," she scoffed, shaking her head at them and hoping to god that they weren't going to be in the same building as her.

"What on earth is going on?" Cora asked, stepping out behind Regina and glaring at the boys, "how old are you to be behaving like this in the street?"

They immediately released each other and looked at the older woman, "you're on your own here mate," the taller one stated, before hot footing it down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. Regina looked at the other boy who seemingly wasn't in any hurry to run after his friend, glancing at his face and meeting his eyes she couldn't help but be a little stunned at the intensity of the blue stare she was met with.

"At least one of you isn't a coward, now I suppose you can help carry my daughter's things."

"Mom!"

"I would love to help you," he nodded, not looking away from Regina, "and I am sorry for that little incident. Are you okay?"

"It's fine," Regina whispered, gaining her strength back, but not smiling at him, maintain her expressionless gaze, before looking away and grabbing her hold bag from inside the vehicle.

As soon as she turned around he was right there and she was caught off guard a little, nearly falling backwards into the limo. She would have done if it wasn't for him catching her and putting her right on her feet again, "careful there," he chuckled, his fingers resting on her waist.

"Did I give you permission to touch me?" she scoffed, moving out of his hold and tightening her grasp on her bag as she glared at him.

"Sorry," he quipped, "here, let me take that for you," he gestured to the bag.

"I am perfectly capable of carrying my own bag thank you very much," she tutted, "I don't need you, or anyone else for that matter, to help me."

"Apologise milady," he held his hands up and backed away from her. She looked up at him again and noticed that his hair was very dark blonde if not brown, maybe it could be classed as a golden brown and he had light stubble covering his jaw. Why was he grinning at her like that? It was really annoying and just worked to frustrate her further. "So, what room you in?"

"Room?"

"Apartment or whatever."

"Oh, 23," she muttered.

"Seems we'll be neighbours then, I'm in 21. Robin Locksley, nice to meet you," he extended his hand to shake hers, but she simply glanced at it and back to his face.

"Regina Mills, wish I could say the same," she replied before flicking her hair as she turned her back on him and walked inside, leaving a shocked Robin stood with her mother on the sidewalk.