After dinner, Regina headed over to get the television to bring over to the house with Henry following her and Emma busying herself cleaning up the kitchen. They had spoken with Henry before dinner about not telling anyone that the sheriff had kissed his mother and of course he wanted to know why and the answer "because" wasn't good enough for him. Emma carefully explained in a way a two-year-old could understand that other people might not like knowing that two women had kissed and he proceeded to say that it was stupid before Regina explained to him in a far better way.
"It's like a secret," she whispered to him. "And you know what to do with a secret, don't you?"
"Put it in pocket and keep it?"
Emma smiled at the way Regina could reach out to Henry on a whole different level, much like a mother would. She placed a hand over her heart when she thought about how it was very possible that Henry would start looking at Regina like his other mother as time passed on by. It was something she hadn't considered when she found out Neal had been killed in battle and that there was the possibility of Henry ever having a second parent again. Henry adored Regina and it hadn't taken him long to embrace her with open arms. Like mother, like son.
Emma dried her hands off on the dishtowel when she heard the front door open and she walked out into the living room in time to see Regina carrying a small television while Henry held the door open for her. Regina placed it on the floor by the window and wiped at her brow with a smile.
"You're going to need a stand for this," she said. "Deputy, you can shut the door now."
"Aye aye, Sheriff," he said, slamming the door shut while saluting her.
"Henry, please don't slam the door again," Emma said as she scooped him up from the floor.
"Okay, Mama."
"I have an end table in my room we can use," Emma said to Regina. "It's big enough for the television until I can pick up a stand for it."
"Do you want me to—"
"It's the dark brown one. It is in the corner beside the dresser," Emma replied and Regina went off to her bedroom and Emma shifted Henry in her arms until he was comfortably on her hip. "Are we going to have to call you Deputy forever?"
"No," he giggled. "I like it."
"Better than Henry?"
"Gina's daddy's name is Henry too!"
"Is it really?" Emma asked in surprise. "Did she tell you that?"
"Yep."
Emma smiled and kissed the side of his forehead as Regina came out of the bedroom carrying in the dark wood end table. She placed it by the window in front of the plug in the wall and she picked the television up and carefully set it down on top before plugging it in. She turned it on and fiddled with the rabbit ears on top until the fuzzy picture became clear. The local news station in Portland was on the air and Emma set Henry down on his feet and he ran over and plopped himself down about two feet in front of the television and stared up at it in awe.
Regina walked over to where Emma was still standing and she gently took her hand in her own and led her over to the couch. She sat down first and instead of pulling Emma down beside her she pulled her down on to her lap and wrapped her arms around her while placing a kiss to her shoulder. Emma shifted on her lap and turned her head to face her with a smile.
"Thank you," Emma whispered. "You have no idea what this means to Henry."
"I have an idea," Regina chuckled quietly. "And you're welcome, Emma."
Emma nuzzled her nose against Regina's, feeling her smile just as she stole a quick kiss. Regina's hand swept up her back and to the nape of her neck, holding her right where she was to kiss her deeply. She couldn't not allow herself to be swept away in the moment and indulge in the sensual kiss, yet she hesitated because of her son that sat on the floor not even three feet away from them. It was Regina's reassuring rub of her fingers along the nape of her neck that encouraged her to relax just long enough to indulge in the kiss before Regina pulled back with a small smile dancing over her lips.
Neither moved for the next few hours and when Emma noticed that Henry had fallen asleep, she moved from Regina's lap. She gently picked her sleeping toddler up from the floor and carried him into his bedroom. He woke up just long enough for Emma to change him into his pajamas and get him to go to the bathroom before she tucked him into his bed and joined Regina back on the couch in the living room, not surprised to find two glasses of wine sitting on the coffee table.
They were kissing before Emma even sat down on the couch and she hiked up her dress a little and moved to straddle Regina's legs. They kissed deeply, hungrily, neither stopping until breathing became an issue for both, but after one quick breath, they were back to kissing passionately and Regina's hands skimmed up the outside of Emma's thighs, stopping when her fingertips reached the raised hem of her dress. Regina moaned against her lips and pulled back while stroking her thumbs over her thighs.
Emma saw the hesitation in her eyes and she placed a soft kiss to her lips before moving to sit on the couch next to her. She smiled and reached for both glasses of wine, handing Regina one and smiled at her once again. She smoothed down the hem of her dress and took a sip, swallowing hard when Regina's right hand fell on to her right knee and toyed with the edge of her dress.
"Can I ask you something because it's all I've been thinking of?" Regina asked and Emma nodded, taking another sip and watching as Regina lifted her glass and placed it on the small amount of space that there was between them on the couch. "Why would Henry tell me that he loves me?"
"He's a child, Regina. He says what he feels without holding back. It's just how he feels. We—we see you every day. You're a part of his life now. Of course he loves you."
"But it hasn't—it hasn't been very long."
"No," Emma said with a small shake of her head. "It hasn't, but it feels so much longer than it's been, doesn't it? Why is that?"
"I—I don't know," Regina murmured, her eyes glancing down at her hand that was on top of Emma's knee. "I wish I knew."
"Me too."
"I—I meant it when I—I told him I loved him too," she whispered and Emma smiled, taking one more sip of her wine before placing the glass on the table. She reached for Regina's and placed it next to hers and turned to face her. "He's such a sweet boy."
"He is."
"He has such a loving heart," Regina continued.
"Just like his mother," she smiled and she reached up to tuck a few strands of hair behind Regina's ear and trailed her fingertips down her jaw and under her chin, turning her head up so their eyes met halfway. "Regina, I—"
"Emma, don't," Regina stopped her. "It's far too soon."
"That's not what I was going to say," Emma laughed lightly and she saw the tension ease up as she dropped her hand from Regina's chin. "I wanted to tell you that I am so glad you're my neighbor, my friend," she said quietly. "I cannot imagine my life in Storybrooke without you."
There was a sense of urgency when their lips met again and Emma could taste the red wine on Regina's lips and tongue. She lightly traced her fingers down Regina's right arm, stopping as she placed a hand over hers, encouraging her touch, to slide her hand under the hem of her dress, to tell her without words that it was okay to touch, to explore, to take things one step further.
Emma roughly grabbed at the front of her navy blue shirt, kissing her harder, deeper as Regina's fingers danced along her inner thigh, inch by tantalizing inch. Just as she felt her fingers brush along the apex of her thighs, Regina pulled back from her lips and slid her hand out from under her dress with a shake of her head.
"Emma, I'm sorry," she frowned. "We can't do this. Not tonight."
"Because it doesn't feel right?"
"Emma—"
"Because it's too soon?" Emma asked, shaking slightly as she reached for her glass of wine and down the rest quickly. "God, Regina, I want you. I want all of you and I want you to touch me!"
"Emma—"
"It's because I've never been with a woman, isn't it?" Emma continued, feeling a fire in her veins in a way she never felt before. "What the hell are you holding back for, Regina? What are you so afraid of?"
Regina stood up, clearly angry. She kept her back to her for a moment before spinning around to face her. "I'm afraid of you breaking my heart when you realize you don't want this, that you don't want me!"
"Regina—"
"Yes, I'm holding back and waiting for when it feels right because you've never been with a woman before and that scares me, it scares me because you might realize once we've crossed that point of no return that you don't want this at all," Regina said, careful to keep her voice low. She was shaking slightly and Emma stood up and took her hands in her own. "I've been here before, Emma, I've been with women who think they know exactly what they want and then it turns out that she changed her mind, but you're different, Emma, you're different because I am fucking falling in love with you and I can't stop. I can't. I keep trying to stop and I can't."
"Hey, Regina?" Emma whispered softly and she let go of her hands to gently cup her face. "I am not those women and I do want this, I want you. I know I'm not as experienced as you are, but that doesn't mean that I'm not willing to learn," she said with a small smile. "And maybe spend hours and hours practicing too."
Regina laughed and shook her head, but the tears that welled up in her eyes didn't go away. She blinked and a few tears rolled down her cheeks, tears that Emma quickly kissed away. When Regina's arms slid around her waist, she pulled her head in to her neck and held her close.
"I'm sorry for pushing you," Emma whispered into her hair and inhaled sharply. "It's just that every time I kiss you I—I—"
"What?" Regina asked as she leaned back to stare into her eyes. "What is it, Emma?"
Emma blushed as she leaned into her ear. "I get so...wet."
Regina moaned and tightened her hold on her, both of them swaying slightly into their embrace. Emma couldn't fight the blush that settled on her cheeks and she sighed softly, loving the feel of Regina's arms wrapped tightly around her. Emma wasn't sure how to proceed from that moment on, especially not after seeing how emotionally vulnerable Regina had been when expressing her feelings about the state their relationship was in, her fears, and not to mention the fact that she had told her she was trying to stop falling in love with her and couldn't.
When Regina backed away from the embrace first, Emma offered her a smile and reached up to gently wipe away the remnants of tears along her cheeks. Suddenly her mouth felt dry as she stared into the beautiful brown eyes she had learned every detail of in the short amount of time she'd been in Storybrooke and she knew, she just knew she wasn't falling in love with her, she was in love with her. She had never been a firm believer in love at first sight, but this was exactly what it was and she didn't want to fight that feeling, she wanted to embrace it just as she was embracing the woman who had inadvertently stolen her heart from the very first moment they had laid eyes on one another the night she and Henry arrived in Storybrooke.
"I'm sorry," Emma whispered again, placing the softest of kisses upon Regina's lips. "I won't push you ever again and I'm sorry for getting so...mad at you for rejecting me."
"Emma," Regina sighed. "You don't need to apologize."
"I do. Everything is just moving so fast and we're both having these feelings and—and—"
"Breathe, darling."
Emma inhaled slowly and deeply, a smile curling over her lips at the name Regina had called her. It had rolled over her tongue and past her lips so deliciously that all Emma wanted to do was kiss her over and over again until she said it again. They were still swaying slightly as they held on to one another and Emma placed a finger to Regina's lips and slipped out of their embrace. She turned on the old radio that sat on the lower shelf of the built in book case, keeping the volume low enough not to wake Henry, but loud enough for them to hear the soft, sultry jazz that played on the station she had it tuned to.
With a smile she walked back over to Regina and wrapped her arms around her neck as Regina's arms slid effortlessly around her hips, their bodies moving until they were flush against one another and slowly swaying to the beat of the music softly playing. Emma's gaze never left Regina's and she swept her hands down her back and over the ample swell of her ass, treading carefully over the grounds of allowing her hands to explore without taking things too far.
Regina groaned quietly and moved her lips to Emma's neck, a hand reaching up to pull her hair aside to provide her full and complete access to the warm skin beneath her left ear. Emma sighed at the way that Regina kissed over her pulse point and dragged her hot, wet tongue along her skin before nipping at it playfully and soothing over it with hot, open-mouthed kisses that lingered and lingered. Emma could hardly take much more of it as the constant throb between her thighs became unbearable and she pulled Regina away from her neck and kissed her slowly, deeply, and passionately.
They continued their ministrations until the radio station switched to a talk show and they parted from their close, warm embrace with hesitation. After they had another half glass of wine together, Regina was the first to bring the night to an end. Emma found herself almost clinging to her as she walked her across the front lawn and to her own door. She glanced around, albeit a little nervously before kissing her good night and stepping back, watching her as she entered the house and slowly shut the door behind her.
During that last glass they had, they agreed that it was best that Emma went to the Nolan farm the next morning and spoke with David about leaving the job to work as the new dispatcher down at the station. It was also agreed that under no circumstances would Emma wear a dress or a skirt or anything other than pants while she was working because Regina had, with a flushed face, admitted that it would be next to impossible to fulfill her duties as sheriff if all she could think about was the fact that Emma most likely wasn't wearing anything at all beneath her dress. While the thought was enticing, Emma knew that it was Regina's way of keeping things slow between them and for all the right reasons too. As the night wore on and she lay in bed alone, she began to understand exactly where Regina was coming from and why she was so afraid of giving in.
By the time the sun began to rise in the sky, Emma had barely slept at all, the thoughts in her mind going a mile a minute and not allowing her much time to rest at all. By the time she had dressed and gotten Henry up and out of bed, Regina was letting herself into the back door as she did each morning only this time she came carrying two mugs of steaming hot coffee since Emma hadn't had the chance to put the coffee on with all her distracted thoughts clouding her mind.
"Good morning, darling," Regina whispered, handing Emma the mug and leaning in for a soft, quick kiss. "I noticed you hadn't put the coffee on, so I took it upon myself to—"
"Are you spying on me, Sheriff Mills?"
"No I—I—"
"I wouldn't mind if you were," Emma finished with a smile and she leaned in for another kiss, one that lingered and held promise of so much more. If only Henry wasn't right there despite his focus being on the Cheerios in the bowl in front of him. "Thank you for the coffee. I um, I didn't get much sleep last night."
"Oh?"
"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Emma said, kissing her once more before moving to grab two clean bowls out of the cupboard. "Would you like some cereal?"
"Are we not going out for breakfast this morning?"
"I thought it'd be nice just to stay here and have breakfast with just the three of us."
"Oh?" Regina raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"
"Because I want to be able to kiss you at least a dozen times before we drop Henry off at Johanna's and a dozen times more before you drop me off at the Nolan's," Emma replied lowly with a wink and poured them each a bowl of Cheerios, filling her own with some milk before she slid the jug across the counter to Regina so she could fill her own bowl with however much or little milk she wanted.
She caught the blush that crept over Regina's cheeks, one she attempted to hide from her as she allowed her hair to fall into her face as she poured some milk into her bowl. Emma just smiled and scooped a spoonful of Cheerios into her mouth as she carried her bowl over to the table and sat down next to her oblivious two-year-old son.
While the quota of kisses wasn't fulfilled by the time Regina dropped her off at the Nolan farm an hour later, at least half of it had been, including an impromptu stop a quarter of the way along the narrow, quiet road for a kiss that left both their hearts racing and their skin flushed with arousal. Emma stood by the picnic table and watched as Regina's Mustang drove off down the driveway, a longing left behind in her heart that she tried to shake to no avail.
"Emma?" David called out as he walked out the front door. "We've got a busy day ahead of us today. You ready for some hard work?"
"Actually, David," Emma said as she turned to look at him. "There is something I need to talk to you about before we start..."
[X]
Two weeks had passed in the blink of an eye since Regina appointed Ruby Lucas as her newest deputy and Emma Swan as Ruby's replacement at the dispatcher's desk. In the first handful of days, it had provided ample distraction for her, especially during those slow hours where she sat behind her desk in her office and filled out useless paper work for the mayor and found her gaze wandering out the door and at the desk where the beautiful blonde sat behind, learning all the codes from the manual that Ruby had lent her. She noticed everything from the way Emma would chew on the end of her pencil while studying the manual, to the way she fidgeted during downtime and tried to no avail to entertain herself by using scraps of newspaper bunched up into a ball and tossing them into the waste basket.
When news of Bobby Gold's release had been uttered around town, Emma was on edge and so was Regina, but after one week and no sign of him around and about in town, Regina knew that it was no reason to let her guard down, especially not when it came to protecting the very woman she was falling in love with and the two-year-old that had captured her heart completely.
Two hours in the morning for the past two weeks were spent with Ruby, part of it at the makeshift shooting range she'd arranged to be constructed in the back lot behind the station. She spent one hour teaching Ruby how to shoot with a steady hand and the other teaching her everything else and everything she could remember from her days in the academy before she was hired as an officer at the age of twenty-five. In those two hours, her thoughts continuously strayed back to the blonde seated behind the dispatcher's desk and the current state their relationship was in.
Ever since that one night, Emma hadn't pushed her for more and Regina hadn't made the next move to take their relationship to a whole other level. She wanted it to evolve naturally and not on the impulse of their strong, deep emotions they clearly had for one another. Despite that, there were still the evenings filled with kisses and wandering hands long after Henry was put to bed and fast asleep, evenings that left her feeling empty the moment she returned home and retreated to her empty bed.
That Monday afternoon, however, there was just something different in the air when Regina returned from patrol and only she and Emma Swan were inside the station. Ruby was off in Portland taking the written exam to become a certified police officer in the state of Maine and with no prisoner's in the cell, it was eerily quiet when she entered the station.
Just like every day since Emma had started working as dispatcher, she wore a pair of pleated black pants and a conservative white button down blouse. Her hair was neatly pulled back and she looked nothing short of professional and her attire alone put Ruby Lucas' to shame when she had held that very same position. Still, it didn't stop Regina from allowing her eyes to do a more than appreciative sweep over the blonde's body and it didn't stop her from licking over her lips hungrily as her libido once again threatened to betray and destroy her.
Emma wasn't seated behind the dispatcher's desk, instead she was bent over one of the lower filing cabinet drawers, sorting through some of the more recent paperwork Regina had tasked her in putting away. She smirked and folded her arms over her chest as she leaned up against the cabinet near Emma, waiting for her to notice that she was standing just a few feet away. She licked over her lips as her eyes roamed down Emma's back and over the slight curve of her behind and she let her eyes linger as Emma stood up and turned around, jumping when she nearly walked right into Regina.
"Hey," Emma laughed uneasily. "I didn't hear you come in. Stealthy."
"Hey yourself," Regina said, uncrossing her arms and leaning in to plant a light lingering kiss on her lips and one that Emma stammered and pulled back from just seconds later. "Were there any calls while I was out?"
"No," Emma said with a flustered shake of her head. "It's been quiet all morning."
"And how is the filing coming along?"
"I just finished actually."
Regina smiled and reached for her hand and without a word she led the way into her office. She shut the door and proceeded to close the blinds that covered the walls and the door, wanting nothing more than to kiss away the confused state that Emma fell into the very moment they entered her office. She turned to Emma with a hungry, predatory look and grabbed her hips, moving quickly to capture the blonde's lips with her own. Emma moaned quietly, her fingers tangling into Regina's hair and she allowed her the kiss for a moment before she pulled back with a soft gasp.
"Regina?" Emma whispered. "What are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious?" She asked and Emma stopped her from kissing her again. "What's wrong?"
"We can't do this here."
"Nobody is here and we're in my office."
"Regina, you're like one of the boys who used to drag all of the pretty girls into the broom closet in middle school," Emma laughed.
"Believe me, Emma, I am definitely not one of the boys," Regina murmured, leaning in to kiss her again and she slipped her tongue past Emma's lips when she felt her relax a little. She stumbled back when Emma's hands moved from her hair and swept down her chest and grasped at both breasts. "Emma..."
"Hmm?" Emma murmured, their lips just a hairsbreadth apart. Regina inhaled sharply as Emma's right hand trailed down between their bodies along her abdomen and between her thighs, grasping over her pussy over her jeans. "Definitely not one of the boys."
Regina shuddered as her arousal surged through her body and her hips rolled forward, seeking out more of Emma's sudden and unexpected touch. As suddenly as her hand had moved between her, Emma pulled it away and her cheeks flushed as she shook her head and laughed nervously. It had been a bold and daring move and further than Emma had gone before despite weeks of wandering hands during some very intense and passionate kisses that they'd shared.
Regina took a step back and breathed deeply to gather her bearings and find a shred of her resolve. It took every ounce of her strength to fight the urge to take Emma right there on her desk and she moved to sit in her chair, her breath shaky as she exhaled.
"I'm sorry," Emma murmured quietly, her eyes downcast towards the floor. "I—I took it too far."
"Emma, it's okay, darling. Things just..." Regina trailed off as she licked over her lips and crossed her legs tightly in an attempt to calm the throbbing between her legs. "It just got out of hand."
"And it can't happen again?"
"I didn't say that," Regina chuckled throatily. "Just perhaps not here. I think you may have been right before when you said that we can't do this here," she said quietly just as three knocks resounded on her closed office door. "Yes, who is it?"
"Kathryn."
"Come in, Kathryn."
Kathryn Midas opened the door and strolled into the office with an armful of papers that she promptly placed down on Regina's desk. "Mayor Gold has requested that these all be filled out."
"What is all of this?"
"Information regarding your, ahem, new employee and newest deputy whom is most definitely not qualified for the job."
"She's becoming qualified as we speak," Regina replied curtly. "Is that all, Kathryn?"
"I'm just doing what he asked me to," Kathryn said quickly. "I—I can't lose my job because I don't agree with most of the things he does or says." Kathryn cast a glance at Emma and raised a sculpted eyebrow at her. "Can we talk privately, Sheriff?"
Regina nodded and Emma hurried out of the office, shutting the door behind her. "What do you have for me, Kathryn?" Regina asked and Kathryn moved to pull out a few papers hidden within the pile she'd brought over. She handed Regina one, a list of names, and leaned against the edge of her desk. "This is what I asked for the other day?"
"Yes," Kathryn nodded. "That is everyone that works for Mr. Gold at the cannery, every one that isn't on the company payroll, but Mr. Gold's personal one."
"Thank you."
In just the span of a week, Regina had learned that Kathryn Midas was a powerful ally and one, surprisingly despite her position at the town hall and appointed as the mayor's secretary, one that could be trusted. The woman had been witness to many of the less than professional and shady doings that the mayor was involved in and while she wasn't completely in the know, she knew far more than anyone else. Regina had taken a risk and used their newfound friendship to confide in her over drinks a week ago that she had reason to suspect Gold was on the very wrong side of the law and that she was looking to take him down.
She had still been in contact with Agent Chapman, but neither side had anything more to go on in recent weeks. Regina was hoping that the list of names Kathryn had just given her would be the next small break in the case and give them another lead on Gold and his "family business". While she had been out on patrol earlier, there had been whispers from some of those "workers" that another shipment was due to head out by the end of the week, but Regina needed something solid enough to prove that this would be happening and then she could make the call to Agent Chapman and he and his team could come in and put a stop to the next shipment.
"Any word on where Bobby is hiding out, Kathryn?"
"No, Mr. Gold hasn't said anything, but I did overhear him on the phone this morning and I believe he was talking to his son."
"Do you think he's in town?"
"He came back from Portland with Mr. Gold," Kathryn nodded. "I haven't seen him, but that is what his personal driver told me."
"And he didn't question why you were asking?"
Kathryn shook her head no. "For all he knows, I was asking out of my own curiosity. Sheriff, I am on your side and I believe I am a damn good actress for when it matters most."
"Let's hope for your sake that you are, dear."
Kathryn tittered and shook her head. "Mr. Gold has other people on the payroll although it is unclear as to what their specific role or job is. I can get you an itinerary of who is being paid through Friday before the shipment is supposed to go out."
"Thank you, Kathryn."
"I could do a little digging for you if you'd like," she said and Regina cocked her head to the side curiously. "On Bobby. I can find out if he's in town and where he's staying."
"I'd appreciate that. I want to stay a step ahead of him and know where he is at all times."
"I'll give you a call later if I find out today," Kathryn said and she pushed herself off the edge of the desk. "How about you join me for a drink tonight at the Rabbit Hole?"
"Kathryn, I'm—"
"Seeing someone?" Kathryn asked and Regina kept her expression stoic. "It's no secret that you are obviously already a taken woman, Regina, but I am asking you to go for a drink as a friend."
"All right. What time is good for you, dear?"
"Seven?" Kathryn asked and Regina nodded her head. "Perfect. I'll see you then."
"Kathryn?" Regina called out before she could reach for the door. "What do you mean it's obvious that I'm already a taken woman?"
"We'll talk later," Kathryn chuckled and leaving Regina's mind spinning.
Regina breathed out heavily and sat back in her chair as she looked over the list of names that Kathryn had brought for her. She propped her booted feet up on the desk and read over the names, recognizing a few as a couple of men she'd met responding to domestic disturbance, drunk and disorderly, and mischief calls since she'd been in town. Regina had her own list, tucked away in the top right drawer of her desk; a list made of all the random scraps of paper the former sheriff had left behind.
There were the same names, some with just initials replacing the first or last name, but it was essentially the very same list. Regina furrowed her brow and sat back in her chair and replaced her booted feet back up on the edge of the desk, staring at both lists she held in her hands. It was the same. The names were exactly the same. Had the former sheriff known about what Gold was behind? Had he been conducting his own investigation? Was that why he met an unfortunate end in a "hunting accident"? Regina groaned and pinched at the bridge of her nose as she laid her head back against the top of the chair.
If that was the case, Regina knew she had inadvertently put herself in a very difficult place, a dangerous one at that since she had no idea just what Gold was truly capable of. She placed both lists back into the drawer and started to sort through the paperwork that Kathryn had brought over. A lot of it was unfinished reports on different calls the former sheriff had made in the weeks leading up to his death and there was a note on top of the pile requesting for her to finish the reports by all means necessary.
Gold, you bastard, Regina thought as she reached for a toothpick in the jar near her phone and placed it between her lips, chewing on the tip angrily. She knew what the shady mayor was doing requesting for the paperwork to be completed. He was drowning her in menial tasks to keep her busy and stuck in her office while he and his band of cronies were up to no good.
"Hey," Emma said as she knocked on the office door lightly. "A call just came in."
"Oh? What's the nature of the call?"
Emma scrunched her face, obviously trying to remember the right code from the book Ruby had lent her and she sighed. "A fight just broke out down at the Rabbit Hole. Claudia called it in."
"That would be a 10-10," Regina replied with a small smile and she dropped her feet to the floor and rose to her feet. "You'll get it, darling," she said gently as she reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "I shouldn't be long. It's probably Leroy again."
Emma nodded and stepped aside so she could head out to the cruiser that was parked out in front. Regina hopped in the cruiser and made the quick drive down to the Rabbit Hole, leaving the lights flashing and the siren off as she climbed out and readjusted her pants before making her way into the dimly lit bar. Claudia, the bartender who mostly worked afternoons, pointed out towards the back and Regina nodded and made her way to the door that led to the washrooms and the stairs that went out into the back of the building.
She had no doubt in her mind that Leroy was involved in the fight and she stormed into the men's washroom and found him holding another man in a choke hold by the sink. Regina just shook her head and grabbed a hold of Leroy by the shoulders and yanked him off the other man.
"Hey, Sheriff!" He drawled out drunkenly as she shoved him face first against the wall and cuffed his hands behind his back. "He started it! I swear!"
"You always say that, Leroy. Come on," she sighed. "You're going to sleep it off at the station."
[X]
Emma sat at the desk and fidgeted with the pencil in her hand while she had the book Ruby had lent her to study from laid out in front of her. She hated that she couldn't remember the call codes as easily as she thought it'd be. There wasn't too many, but there was enough that she did find herself getting confused over ones that meant similar things yet didn't.
Her eyes glanced over at the clock, waiting for Regina to return to the station and it had been almost ten minutes since Claudia had called in the fight down at the Rabbit Hole. She sighed and tapped the pencil against the edge of the desk and shut the book as her vision swam. Blinking, she dropped the pencil on to the desk and headed over to the small fridge to pull out a bottle of coke to sate the thirst that came with the heat inside the station.
It was the middle of September and she was sure the heat would've died off and gave way to those cool autumn days she had grown up loving, but the summer had stuck around longer that year and she hated it. She tried to find a bottle opener, first checking the deputy's desk and then in Regina's office, but she didn't want to snoop too much and ended up back behind the dispatcher's desk and used the edge of the hard wood to pop the cap off the bottle.
She barely had the bottle to her lips when she heard the front door of the station open and she straightened out her shirt and fixed a sultry smile over her lips while she waited. But the footsteps she heard echoing down the hallway were heavier than what would belong to a woman and she swallowed hard as a lump rose in her throat and she turned in her chair as the sound of deep, throaty laughter reached her ears.
Her heart stopped when she saw him and the cool bottle of Coke slipped through her fingers and shattered on the floor by her feet. She was shaking and before she could make a move to make the call to Regina's radio, a hand slammed down on the desk hard.
"Well, well," Bobby Gold sneered. "Pops told me you were working here now, but you know I couldn't quite picture it. Had to see it to believe it for myself."
"What are you—"
"Did I tell you that you could talk?" Bobby snapped and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her to her feet roughly. "Do you have any idea what the hell I had to go through because of you, bitch?" He asked, his breath hot on her face as his grip on her wrist tightened. "It's a good thing my Pops came through when he did because there was talks of me spending eleven goddamn months in prison. Prison because of a prissy little bitch like you wouldn't open her goddamn legs and keep her goddamn mouth shut."
Fear struck Emma hard and she couldn't find the words or even the strength to fight him off, to get herself free from his grasp. Bobby laughed, the sound of it that of a psychopath.
"I ought to teach you a lesson," he growled into her ear. "Bitch."
Emma felt him strike her hard in the side of the head and as the room around her faded to black, she only just faintly heard the sound of Regina's voice followed by the sound of a gun being shot.