Realm of Shadows
Summary: As Emma repays the favour owed to Mr. Gold it becomes the key to unlocking many things in Storybrooke.
Pairings:Emma/Regina (eventually)
Disclaimers:I do not own OUaT or any of it's characters. I do, however, like to take them out of their boxes and play with them.
A/N: It's been awhile since I've written fanfiction, so any comments that help me become a better writer are always welcomed. This is unbeta-ed (any volunteers? ;) So all mistakes are mine alone.
Chapter Two
Be nice, be nice, be nice. Emma repeated her mantra in her head as she pulled up early the next morning at the Mayor's office.
"Good morning, Sheriff, I'll let the Mayor know you are here." Regina's assistant smiled at the blond woman in the foyer.
"Thanks, Michael. Want an apple fritter?" Emma held the pink cardboard box in her hands and opened the lip towards the man.
"Sorry, honey, I'm not too fond of apples." He smiled conspiratorially at Emma and put his finger on his lips. "But don't tell the Mayor our little secret." Emma laughed,
"Alright, how about a bear claw?"
Michael' face lit up. "Oh yes. I do love a good bear claw." He gently pulled a pastry out of the pink box as the light on his desk phone blinked. "Good luck, sweetie. Madame Mayor is all ready for you."
"Sheriff Swan…" Regina sat regally at her marble desk and quirked an eyebrow at Emma. "…So glad you could manage to be here on time for once."
Be nice, be nice, be nice. Emma smiled as she entered the large room and walked over to the Mayor's desk. "Apple fritter, Mayor?" Emma watched the Mayor closely and saw the flash of surprise before Regina's poker face kicked in.
"Ms. Swan, this isn't a social visit. It's a business meeting." Emma pulled out a bear claw and sat it on her side of the desk then pulled out an apple fritter and a fork for the Mayor and sat it next to Regina.
"Coffee?" She asked as she sat the box next to the coffeemaker and poured herself a cup of brew. She took Regina's silence as a yes and poured the Mayor a cup of black coffee. "One sugar, right?" She surprised herself in knowing how the other woman liked her coffee. Again her question was met with silence. She walked back with the two cups and handed one to the Mayor. "I realize this is a business meeting, but I think we both would do better with a bit of breakfast. So cheers." Emma raised her coffee cup in salute before sipping at the hot creamy concoction.
Regina eyed her warily before tasting her own coffee. She sat it down and pulled out a thick folder marked -Sheriff's Office- and began the meeting. "It's a new fiscal year, Sheriff, and I realize this is your first time going over the budgets, so I'll walk you through them. This is the approved budget for this upcoming year. You will need to write a proposed budget for next year and submit if for review by July 1st." Regina was surprised when the Sheriff pulled out a notepad and began writing.
"Ok…" Emma pulled her copy of the budget closer. "Explain away."
Regina began at the top and went over each line item that concerned the Sheriff's Office. Salaries, Office Supplies, Uniforms, Fuel, Phone, Utilities, Repairs, Equipment for the Office, Equipment for the Patrol Car, Compensation for Overtime, Employee Benefits, Recruitment Allowances…everything had its own budget line and dollar amount. Emma made notes on each one and asked relevant questions that popped into her head. She wasn't unfamiliar with budgets, after all she had run her own business for many years as a Bail Bondsman, but this was a lot more complex and official.
"Wow…." She ran her fingers through her long blond tresses. "How many department budgets do you have to oversee?"
Regina had been nibbling at her apple fritter throughout the meeting and swallowed the current bite before answering. "Twelve, sometimes thirteen. Then I have to make sure that as a whole this town comes in at or under budget. Sometimes one department needs additional funding for an emergency situation and I have to figure out from where to draw that money. There are also funds earmarked for specific projects each year. I pursue the bids, and then make my recommendations to the City Council. Then I oversee the actual implementation of the project and its funding. But, I'm probably boring you." Regina took a sip of her coffee as Emma considered the information.
"That's a lot to juggle…" And she found herself honestly saying. "You're very good at this, Regina."
Regina scowled at the use of her first name and refused to accept the compliment. "And when exactly did you become an expert on city management?"
Emma took a deep breath, trying to not rise to the bait. "What is the Hospital's budget line number and dollar amount for office supplies?"
Regina didn't hesitate before answering. "Number 2132 and twenty-five hundred thirty dollars."
Emma smiled. "Madame Mayor I don't need to be an expert on city management because it's obvious that you are."
Regina's eyes narrowed as she searched the statement for any hidden insults. Finding none, she retorted "My being good at my job only makes it harder for you. I expect monthly budget updates and that you will, in fact, stay within your budget are the forms you need to submit, with receipts, for reimbursements." She handed Emma a stack of papers. "In triplicate, of course. Also Sheriff…." She leisurely eyed Emma from top to bottom. "I realize that you are overly fond of that red pleather jacket you wear, but there are times I need you to be in full dress uniform as Sheriff; Ceremonies, funerals and the like. Since you have a generous budget for that particular line item, I would request that you go and spend it."
Emma put her hands in her pockets to hide that she had balled them into tight fists. Pleather, my ass, this is the real stuff, Lady. She forced her face to be neutral as she gave a tight smile and replied. "As you wish." The rest of the meeting went quickly and uneventfully.
As Emma went to leave Regina stood and walked her to the doorway. "Oh, and Sheriff Swan, twice weekly updates are still expected, I'll see you Friday. You can see yourself out."
Emma dropped by Worthington's Haberdashery and made an appointment with the tailor. She grabbed a thick catalog of uniforms they had on display and headed back to the Sheriff's Office. She was busy folding the corners of pages in the catalog when the bell at the door rang and she glanced up to see Mr. Gold. "Really? Twice in two days Mr. Gold. To what do I owe this honor."
The man smiled patiently and limped over to the Sheriff's desk. "I was, ah, doing some cleaning of my files this morning, Sheriff, and I ran across this one." He tossed a thick manila envelope onto her desk. "I thought it might pique your interest. You said finding people was a skill of yours, so, there you go. Have a lovely afternoon, Miss Swan." He turned and left the office.
Emma put her catalog aside and opened the old envelope. Newspaper clippings, old sheriff reports and various photos were stuffed inside the file. She looked perplexed as she began sorting the information into piles. Sherry Preston officially declared Missing. The newspaper article included a small 2 inch black and white photo of a smiling young woman. After a thorough investigation by the Sheriff's office, Sheriff Graham had declared that Miss. Preston probably left town of her own accord. No further time or resources will be allotted for investigation into the case. Emma stared at the small photo, then noticed the page number at the top right of the article. Page five. Why wouldn't this be front page news? She thought of the small town newspaper that often ran mundane headlines such as Truck loses tire; Hits the curb
Two hours later she had somewhat organized the files into seven specific cases. All missing persons; all cases gone cold and dropped. What the hell happened? It's not like Graham had much else to do around here. Regina….The thought came unbidden to her mind. The Mayor had the Sheriff under her thumb and other parts of her body for as long as anyone could remember. If Graham had dropped the cases, Regina was somehow behind it. As she locked up the folder in her desk drawer Emma realized she'd have to tread very carefully if she was going to pursue the cold cases.
