Okay, so this is an Outlaw Queen story inspired by my favourite show Ashes To Ashes. It is AU through and through. If you have never seen Ashes to Ashes do not fret, it just means the storyline will be more of a surprise! Oh and if you enjoy this enough to get to the end of this chapter, just remember to trust me. ;) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine.


"Hey Henry, what did Emma get you for your birthday?"

"The new Xbox! It's so good Mom, you can go online and play against other gamers!"

Regina chuckles at her son, his excitement making her smile, "Didn't you already have an Xbox?"

"Mum," he groans, "this is the new one!"

Regina's radio spurs into life then, 'charlie seven five to DI Mills?'

"Roger that?" Regina responds.

'Gunman taken female hostage, possibly armed.'

Regina sighs heavily, confirms that she's on her way, u-turning her car as soon as she can.

"Henry, Henry, get the..get the thing." She motions to him, navigating her way through traffic.

"I've got it!" He replies, grabbing her siren light and reaching out of the window to place it on the car roof top.

Henry loves this, the heroics of his mum being a Detective Inspector, of catching the bad guys and putting them away.

Once they reach the river bank she parks, kisses Henry once on the crown of his head.

"Stay here okay?" Regina says against his hair, before giving him a final squeeze and leaving the car. She approaches the officer nearest her.

"Really Sergeant? I'm on Henry's school run, he's right there in the damn car!?" She snarls, but the officer doesn't let up.

"He asked for you by name Ma'am. Jefferson's his name. Frankly he'll do anything."

"What?"

"He says he'll shoot her if you won't talk to him."

She sighs, "Armed response?"

"On their way," he confirms.

She takes one glance back at Henry, and he's smiling at her. She nods once in the direction of the man in front of her, and makes her way through the crowd that have gathered.

In front of her is a man, possibly in his mid-thirties. He holds a crazed expression on his face, his eyes wild and searching, unsettling in ways she cannot comprehend. On his head is an elaborate top hat, and he wears a long dark coat. In any other situation his dress could almost be deemed amusing, probably would be so on someone else. But not on him, on him it's just…creepy. In his arms are a young women, this must be the busker, Regina thinks. She trembling, making fearful shrieks every time Jefferson makes a sudden move or speaks. He's holding a gun to her head, his hand gripping the weapon tightly, his knuckles white next to her temple.

Possibly armed, my ass. She thinks.

"You asked to speak to me Jefferson. I'm DI Regina Mills."

"I know who you are. Don't look at me. I don't like it."

"Okay, I'll avert my eyes. We can come to an agreement Jefferson, but first this young lady has to be let go. Then we.."

He interrupts her.

"Then we what? I'll kill her! I'll kill you."

The woman whimpers, Regina itches to help her, to give her some sign that she is going to be okay but she can't, not if she has to keep her eyes away from Jefferson.

"You know what…" Jefferson mumbles and then he's shoving the woman, setting her free. Part of Regina relaxes, one step done. Then the gun is in her direction, barrel aimed towards her. She lifts her arms, reminding him without words that she is unarmed.

"I can help you Jefferson, talk to me. Tell me what you want."

He seems even more unhinged. "Stop looking at me, I don't like it."

Then he notices the armed response officers, circling around them.

"I see them, I can see them. I knew you when you were little girl Regina. I'm happy, hope you're happy too."

These words ring alarm bells. Her parents? Those lyrics? It takes her back, a car journey, a flash of light.

"What?"

"Yeah, I'm happy" Jefferson sings then, "hope you're happy too."

Suddenly Regina hears Henry's cry of "mum!" and he is running towards her. Jefferson is too quick for her, having seen him before she had. He grabs Henry, pulling him away.

"Hold your fire!" Regina screams, remembering the armed police officers surrounding them, her heart racing, her mind reeling. "Hold your fire!"

She darts her head from side to side, searching for any sign of Jefferson or Henry. Where had they slipped too?

Then she hears it.

It's loud, too loud. The sound echoing throughout her head. Her heart feeling like it had stopped.

A gunshot.

"Henry!" She cries, running down the street she thinks she has heard it come from.

"Henry?" She cries again, her eyes searching for him, anyone.

Then, miraculously, he comes round the corner, unharmed, if a little dazed.

"Mum?" he shouts, falling into Regina's arms, sobs racking though his body. Regina holds him as tight as she can, tight enough she could be hurting him. But she had nearly lost him, she holds him tight to make sure he's there, he's real and he's still in her arms. She soothes his tears, drawing patterns against his back, and when he is calmer she pulls away from him, leaving only their foreheads touching.

Regina stands with Henry, her arm draped across his shoulders, waiting for Emma. As much as Regina and Emma have had their differences since Henry wanted to track down his birth mother, she's totally useful for times like this. Times when Regina's job and being a single parent don't quite work, and Emma's flexible hours do. Henry's still quiet, still shaken from the morning.

"Emma's going to take you home, Henry," she soothes, her head resting against his, "I've got a stack of reports to do and…" He's sniffling then, and she turns herself so she's facing him. She takes in his tear stained face.

"Oh, Henry…" Regina sighs, before pulling him into a fierce hug. He melts into her for a moment, then stiffens and pulls away.

"You could've got killed in front of me."

"I told you to stay in the car." She scolds him, remembering she still hadn't scolded him for leaving the car and putting himself in danger, but she keeps her tone soft. "There are dangers in this world, but together, we can face anything right?" She begins, but he's distracted, Emma's bug parking beside them.

"Emma!" He cries, running to her and hugging her tight.

"How you doing kid? I say we get cake and then I'll beat your ass on Mario as a birthday treat?" Emma teases, her hand running through Henry's hair.

"Wait for me and we'll blow the candles out together when I pick you up, okay?"

"Okay!" Henry agrees, nodding. Then he's climbing into the car.

"Y'alright Regina?" Emma asks, awkwardly lifting her arm to scratch her head.

Their situation still isn't easy, despite their best efforts for Henry's sake.

"Yeah, I think we're good. Think he's a little shaken still." Regina answers, shifting slightly on her feet.

"I'll keep an eye on him."

With that, Emma climbs into the car and starts the engine, leaving Regina on the pavement. As they pull away Regina blows Henry a kiss, one he imitates catching. Still her baby.

Regina walks back to her car, taking in the events of the morning. Jefferson had claimed to have known her, her years on the job has her brain telling her not to believe what he said but he had set off alarm bells. She reaches her car, singing his words back to herself.

I'm happy, hope you're happy too.

Once in her seat, she turns to get her bag from the footwell behind her seat. Then, she gasps suddenly, recoiling back from the back seat, her heart thudding at a 100 mile per hour. For there, in her back seat, is Jefferson.

"Relax Regina, just drive." He instructs firmly, gun held in his grip, pointing at her for the second time this morning.

She does as she is instructed. Drives until he stops her, all the while stealing glances at him through her mirror. They reach the docks, and leave her car. He pushes her towards a boat, down a footbridge to embark on a small canal boat. Regina realises Jefferson has his phone in hand, and is now calling someone, unknown.

"Hello? I've got a piece of your past, standing right in front of me, Cora and Henry Mills' daughter."

Regina turns around at that, musters her courage.

"How do you know me?"

Jefferson doesn't answer, just shoves her down the footbridge.

Regina finds her strength again, doesn't turn around, but continues on; "they've been dead a long time you know. What could you possibly want?"

Jefferson just shoves her again. They enter the boat, and Jefferson indicates for Regina to sit. Inside the boat is all metal, from the floor to the ceiling. The sound of their footsteps echo along with Jeffersons voice on the phone.

"Yeah well, that's your problem." Jefferson tells the person on the other end and hangs up.

He turns his attention to Regina then, "I was part of an empire back in the day. We had dealers on every street corner."

Regina thinks back to the criminal psychology courses she had taken, desperately looking for the right words to say.

"And things went wrong? If you feel trapped I get that, those officers were itching for a fatality outcome.."

Jefferson doesn't let her finish.

Bang.

He shoots Regina straight in the head and the world in front of her goes black.


Thank you for reading!

I'm going to just say now, due to the Robin pain we all went through, Regina's not dead, it's an outlaw queen story after all!

Please leave me your thoughts :)