It was just as Emma was about to sit down that the bell above the diner's door signalled the arrival of the Evil Queen. She briefly looked down at her hot cocoa sitting on the table. For a whole week she had been looking forward to drinking one but something had always come up. Apparently this morning was no different. With a sigh, she looked back towards the Queen in all her velvet, seductive glory.
A familiar snarl twisted ruby lips before leather encased legs, sporting killer boots, propelled the woman straight towards the blonde; who couldn't stop her eyes from dropping to the necklace adorning a plunging neckline. Thankfully she was coherent enough to dodge the fireball thrown her way. Before she could retaliate, a stern shout drew both of the women's attention to Granny holding her trusty crossbow behind the counter. At the tilt of the older woman's head, the pair made their way outside. Battle stances were resumed when the jingle of the bell fell silent due to the door closing behind them.
Fireballs and bolts of magic shot from steady hands as they dodged one another's attacks. The Queen was caught off guard when a strong sensation gripped her throat and held her a foot off the ground. She gasped only for a moment before she fell heavily to her feet. Emma looked startled about what she had just done which gave her opponent the opportunity to return the favour.
"If you're going to do it, do it properly, dear."
"Let her go."
Brown eyes darted to the right, only to settle on ones that matched her own. "Oh look who it is, my better half," the Queen sneered.
"I said let her go."
"And I'm not going to so why don't you run along and pretend to be a hero somewhere else."
As she looked back at the struggling Sheriff, she was forcefully knocked off her feet and hurled to the side. By the time she was standing, Regina and Emma were side by side, ever the dynamic duo. The Evil Queen rolled her eyes in disgust at how domesticated and weak her other half had truly become.
"I came for you, Saviour or can't you fight your own battles?" With that and a quick twist of her hand, the Queen disappeared in purple smoke.
Emma looked to Regina, "She's right."
"No she isn't. Emma you don't have to do this alone. You have your parents, our son, the whole town. You have me."
"My parents, who are currently taking turns napping. The townspeople who only care if they're in danger. Henry, who I'm definitely not involving and you, Regina, I don't want you having to do this. If she wants me...for whatever reason she has today...I'll do it. I'll find a way to subdue her. I'll fix this." Emma looked at Regina with an emotion the Mayor couldn't quite place.
Just as she was about to argue, Emma disappeared in her own grey smoke. Thankfully, Regina easily followed the Sheriff's magical trail and so began a day that would not be forgotten.
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Emma and the Evil Queen seemed to play a game of teleportation as the day progressed. They would appear in a random location throughout the town, hurl magic at one another and then the Queen would disappear with a flourish of her hand; only to be quickly followed by Sheriff.
Regina had trailed them as best she could until a phone call from Henry, informing her about Snow apparently missing, caused her to send out a silent plea that Emma would be alright; before making her way back to the loft. Henry and his concerns always came first and she had to trust that Emma would get herself out of any danger.
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The day wore on, with the sun having an unkind bite in its rays for a few hours before storm clouds drew in. It was after a particularly heavy downpour, that the duelling pair emerged out of a warehouse shed into a passageway, not too far from the docks.
Earlier in the day, during a brief appearance in the forest, the Queen thought she'd use a sword to liven things up, only to find that the Sheriff matched her in skill.
Once again, metal clashed over and over, until they stood inches apart in a battle of strength. A small blast of energy sent them flying back from each other. The Queen landed on unsteady legs which buckled and Emma felt the impact of her behind hitting the pavement.
The two women eyed each other from either side of the passageway.
Emma noticed the Queen's sodden clothing; the torn and muddied hem of the bejewelled coat but particularly the corset which seemed to not be coping well with the heaving chest and stomach it encased. Her eyes took in the small details such as a missing earring, missing buttons off the coat; hence her ability to see the aforementioned corset, and how the Queen's intricate up-do was nothing more than limp hair plastered in disarray across her forehead etc.
Whilst she continued to peruse, the Queen asked out loud, "What are you doing?"
"Taking a break."
"A what?"
"Taking a..."
"I know what you said," she growled before pointing out, "But have you forgotten that we're in the middle of fight?"
With a hand to her chest, Emma replied in mock surprise, "No way. I thought I'd been running and poofing all over town, just for something to do."
The glare that was shot her way would usually be intimidating however, it seemed nothing but weary. Emma slowly rose to her feet and leaned slightly on her sword once she was upright.
"You'll blunt the point by doing that."
"Too tired to care, Regina."
"Don't call me that. I'm not her." The Queen crossed her arms over her chest, only to wince and return her arms to her sides.
"Sure you are or at least, you know...half of her. We'll find a way to fix that."
"Oh no you won't. You and your charming family can find something else." A small flame flickered around her fingers.
The Sheriff slumped back against the wall as it started to drizzle again; the Queen huffing in exasperation at the horrid weather they'd had to endure.
"Aren't you tired, Regina?" Emma sighed and took note of the pain radiating in her arms and legs; not the mention the twinge in her lower back. Apparently the adrenaline had most definitely worn off.
"Tired? Sheriff, I can last for a long, long time."
"Aren't your companions lucky guys then, though I'm sure you are left unsatisfied."
"Actually, Rumplest..."
"NO! Nope! You will stop talking right now. Let's call it a day." Emma went to move only to be shoved back against the wall of the warehouse.
Whilst her back protested, the Queen proceeded with, "Call it a day? This is a fight, Saviour. You die today."
"Go ahead, my arm's killing me. I keep myself in shape, sure but today has been something else. Just like in one of Henry's games, I'm out of mana and out of ammo. It's your lucky day."
The Queen took a good look at the Sheriff's dishevelled appearance; dirty marks covered her skinny jeans, holes littered her once white tank top, tiny nicks, some sporting congealed blood, littered her arms and of course her hair was a wet, tangled mess.
"What are they from?"
"I miscalculated at some point today and poofed into old Norma's rosebush garden. They look gorgeous but some of these hurt like a bitch."
Emma wasn't quite expecting the chuckle that fell from the Queen's lips, "Always the bumbling idiot."
"And you say that you aren't Regina," Emma smiled tiredly, "Go on, your Majesty. Let's get this over with. Not quite how my vision told it but can't be picky."
"I'm not going to kill you."
"What?"
"It won't be satisfying."
"Why, because no one's here to witness it?" Again, Emma was surprised when something resembling hurt flashed in the Queen's eyes.
Emma seemed to also notice the now partially revealed darker circles beneath her eyes and the slump in the usually perfect posture. "I'm tired too," the Queen admitted, "Robyn seems to enjoy crying throughout the night and well, perhaps it's been a while since my last battle." She shifted on her heeled boots.
"I remember what that's like," Emma thought back to her days listening to her baby brother, "Do your feet hurt?"
"Terribly."
"Come 'ere."
"What?" the rigid walls of her internal armour started to rise again, regardless of her exhaustion.
"Just come here," Emma sighed as she watched the droplets of rain, growing more frequent, hit then soak into the dark blue of the Queen's coat.
The Queen let out her own sigh before begrudgingly taking a couple of steps forward, only to slip slightly on the wet pavement, causing her to waver. The Sheriff's hand steadied her before sliding easily around her waist and pulling the Queen into a half embrace.
"Gees, this thing must weigh a tonne," Emma squished her fingers into the soaked fabric.
"You've no idea but I think the corset is worse."
"First thing to come off when home?"
"Definitely."
The Queen let out a sigh of relief when she was pulled closer into the Sheriff, easing some of her weight off of her feet. Regardless of the fact that she knew whose shoulder she was about to rest her head on, her fatigued mind couldn't seem to care.
"I still hate you, Sheriff," she muttered with as much venom as she could muster, which was apparently none.
"No you don't."
"You still owe me a fight." The tension in her shoulders and back seemed to dissipate, unfortunately the aches did not.
"Sure, why don't we schedule for Friday? I'm free Friday." Emma's other arm also came to rest on the Queen's lower back.
The Queen chuckled quietly, "I'll check my diary."
"You do that." Emma's head came to rest against the Queen's.
"If you tell anyone about this, I'll..." the rest of her threat was cut off by a yawn.
The Sheriff spoke through her own yawns, "You'll destroy my happiness, blah, blah, blah, yeah I know. Just five minutes, 'Gina and then this never happened."
After Emma slumped a bit more against the wall, the Queen's arms finally made their way around her waist.
"Make it ten, Emma," and with that, the Queen nuzzled slightly into Emma's warm neck.