I don't own anything. Written for my girlfriend who is very like a more adorable version of Emma Swan in real life.
…
It had been an uneventful day in Storybrooke. An uneventful day, following an uneventful week, following an uneventful month. Something which had been thus far unheard of in the previously sleepy little town in Maine. Ever since she'd got here things had been chaotic, with one disaster after another. Sheriff Emma Swan had been relieved at first, but relief turned quickly to boredom. She had nothing to do, no way of leaving, and not even Grumpy had caused so much as accidental damage lately.
She'd had a lot to get used to, sure. A son she'd never thought she'd see again, living with her in a small apartment shared with her long-lost parents, in a town chock full of magical, fairy-tale beings. Interesting right? Except none of them were doing anything, and all she had to do right now was paperwork about litter levels, assigned by the fanatical Mayor Mills.
They'd gotten off on to the worst start possible, she and Regina. Not only did she pose a threat as a mother figure for Henry, but taking an axe to her beloved tree, being the daughter of her worst enemies, breaking her curse? Hadn't endeared Emma to Regina at all. The woman was a constant thorn in the Sheriff's side, even when she'd had real work to do. Now she was all but intolerable, sending Emma on daily trash patrols so as not to waste city tax dollars.
So, when someone had delivered a package to the station, her curiosity had been piqued. Anything for something else to do. Tearing off brown cardboard and pouring out packing peanuts had left her with a dusty old tome, with worn out pages and faded writing. She was fairly certain that Amazon didn't deliver to made up towns, but it was a welcome distraction from the current monotony. She eagerly sat down at her desk and began to read, speaking aloud and trying to puzzle out some of the more illegible sentences.
….
'You're saying we can't get more than 100ft from each other until this wears off?' Emma questioned, still at a loss. She'd started reading, and suddenly she'd woken up in the hospital, with her parents and Doctor Whale looking at her with concern. It was only when a chuckling Mr Gold had walked in, followed by a furious looking Mayor, that things started to fall into place. According to her Dad, who'd seen her faint as he dropped by with a coffee and a Bear Claw, she'd dropped where she stood.
Regina had been brought in by her secretary. Emma didn't know how, that woman was shorter than she was and weighed nothing, fear must be a really powerful motivator. She only imagined how badly the Evil Queen would haunt someone who failed to physically carry her down the street to the hospital. Both women had regained consciousness almost immediately after getting there. There was no medical reason why their hearts had stopped, but as soon as her dad had mentioned finding Emma with a book, Regina had called for Gold, and went to pace in the hall.
She'd been sent a spellbook, and had accidentally performed a spell, though she had no idea what it had meant, it must have been in Latin or something. Whatever it was, it had hit her and Regina simultaneously, and Gold had instructed them to stay in the same place for now, since they'd also both woken up once they'd been in the vicinity of each other. He'd gone to the station and confirmed what he'd initially thought, that the spell Emma had mistakenly read was a kind of binding spell, that they always had to be within a certain distance of each other, lest their hearts immediately stop beating.
'You can keep away by all means, just don't expect to be able to also have a heartbeat while you do so.' Gold replied with a smirk.
'I can't believe you could be so stupid Emma. Actually no, I can believe it, this is exactly like you. Reading a magical book without any thought of consequences!' Regina exclaimed, furious at the blonde. Time and time again she had been pulled into scrapes because of the idiot girl and her inability to think before she acted. Anybody else would have thought to verify the nature of a strange book before reading it aloud. Even having brought up without magic, she'd been to the other realm, she knew the dangers! Instead, she'd conveniently forgotten everything about being a detective and decided to trust the strange tome at a glance.
'How was I supposed to know it was a mystical lost magic book that somehow makes you stuck to your worst enemy?' Emma responded, defending herself. It wasn't as if she knew what the spell was going to do, she wouldn't have chosen to be inseparable from the vicious Mayor, she was fond of her limbs and wanted to be out of the line of fire as soon as possible. Regina had been especially insufferable recently, and she wasn't keen on seeing her any more than she had to.
'We're hardly stuck Miss Swan. You may stay 90ft away from me at all times, you may have the extra 10ft as leeway in case you forget the situation we are in.' Regina smirked, wanting to get a rise out of Emma. She knew she'd have to be at least somewhat accommodating, it wouldn't do for her to die too if Emma forgot about their predicament and wandered off.
'What am I supposed to do, keep you on a leash so I know how far I am?' Emma responded indignantly.
'I do hope you're joking.' A haughty expression crossed the Mayor's face. If anyone was going to be wearing a leash in this situation, it certainly wasn't going to be her.
'I am obviously joking. But how am I supposed to be able to tell? Where am I going to stay, my place is on the other side of town and I can't see you giving up your McMansion anytime soon.' Emma responded thoughtfully. As much as she was loathe to stay with the Mayor, she needed a place to sleep.
'My 'McMansion' Miss Swan? It is no concern of mine where you sleep. I suppose you could have the yard, as long as you don't sully up the place, or damage my tree again.' Regina was confused at the reference but understood the tone. Her house was very large, almost excessively for she and Henry, especially since the boy was no longer living with her. Nevertheless, she wasn't overly fond of the idea of allowing the accident-prone girl in front of her to destroy her carefully decorated home. She accepted its necessity but relished the opportunity to get in another jab about her tree.
'Regina, I am not sleeping in the Yard. I'm staying on the couch, this can kill you as much as it can kill me you know. I don't think Henry would like to lose both Moms on the same day, do you?' Emma asked, trying to reason with the older woman.
'He has one Mother, but I suppose I see your point. I assume you won't be bringing him with you for our little sleepovers?' Regina responded bitterly. Her son still wasn't okay with her yet, but he was beginning to warm a little. She'd only spent a small amount of time with him recently, Emma not seeing fit to encourage the interactions. She supposed she didn't blame her, she had been particularly difficult lately. Things had been so uneventful recently, she needed the distraction that riling up the blonde provided.
'Given our likelihood of blowing up the house if we get into it? He'd be safer at my parents.' Emma smiled, drawing the tiniest of quirked lips from the Mayor.
'I suppose I agree it's for the best. I don't want him to walk in on me cleaning your blood out of the carpet.' Regina responded, smiling dangerously in an attempt to throw unbalance the Sherriff. Her attempts rarely worked though, and she doubted this would be the exception.
'I'm pretty sure you shouldn't say things like that to the Sheriff, Regina.' Emma laughed, smiling.
'It's Mayor Mills or 'Your Majesty' to you Miss Swan, and I can say whatever I wish to you, I'm your boss. Not that anyone could tell you are even employed by the amount of work that you do.' The Mayor responded angrily at the informality. She wasn't really angry of course, but she had to keep the other woman in line if she was ever going to get anything done.
'Yeah, alright, don't lose your hair. I need to go to my place to pick up some stuff, unless you want to lend me one of your shirts?' Emma responded. She also needed to tell her parents, waiting in the next room, about the new arrangements. She doubted her mother would be overjoyed.
'And never get it back? No thank you. I suppose we could go now, but don't expect me to go inside that hovel, I might catch something. I'll wait outside.' Regina replied, knowing all about the cramped quarters her son was living in. She longed to bring him home.
'Is this a compromise already? And here I thought you'd kill each other before the day was out!' Gold smirked at the two women. The enemy binding spell was a fiendish one, and he doubted that the women would come out of it unscathed.
Both women looked darkly at Gold, before leaving. The man had been helpful, but there was always a price with him, and he seemed far too happy about their situation for either woman to feel comfortable.
