A/N: Hi, so, this chapter has a bit of Emma's backstory and a smidge of Regina's. I mentioned that Snow is not Emma's bio mom in this. David is her biological dad however. I think that's all I need to mention. Enjoy?
Chapter Two
Swan's Auto Body Shop...
The very popular and most preferred auto repair shop in Downtown Storybrooke. Her only competition was Michael Tillman's Marine Garage located uptown. They weren't much like rivals though as one would expect. Michael and his son and daughter who, ironically enough, turned out to be fraternal twins, called Skid Row home but he set up near Main Street which was located uptown. This meant that he and Emma didn't really compete for business, but once in a while, someone from uptown would wander to her garage for help. He didn't care, however. Emma had drinks with the man many times and chatted about trucks, sports cars, and motorcycles with him. She supposed they got along because they weren't competing for customers. There was nothing to squabble about, which was good, because Emma was quite competitive-a trait she had gotten from her mother.
Emma's mother was fiercely competitive and that was how she and the shop became so successful. Emily Swan was a businesswoman and a lover of all things fast. She loved to push things to its limits, including herself. She raced cars and motorcycles, but the odd part was that was not what killed her; it was a drunk driver. Emma seldom thought about the accident that took her mother away from her and left their father broken. It was best to not talk about it because it caused their father to shut down.
In fact, this led to them seldomly bringing up anything about their mother. Any memories of Emily would come from the few who knew her, and people tell Emma how much she looked like her: from her green eyes to her blonde hair, to even her dimples and the cleft in her chin. Her father would nod in agreement and say that Emma even developed her mother's love of motorcycles and cars, then he would change the subject.
Emma was not the racing type like her mother, but she desired speed and adrenaline, especially when she was young. She would race her brother on her bicycle or talk him into taking their bikes or skateboards to the top of a hill and riding them down. In reflection, that was a terrible idea but, she couldn't help herself. The rush and the slight fear of relinquishing all control to fate was what she was chasing. Fortunately, she had somewhat grown out of that. She became a bit less impulsive for her father's sake, if nothing else.
Besides, she found someone who got her heart racing and blood pumping, Regina Mills. Oh, Regina Mills lit Emma on fire in ways she could never imagine. It had been so long since Emma had been open to something like this. She hadn't allowed anyone to have a hold on her like Regina in years. She knew that getting wrapped up in a woman that she only met once, was reckless, but she couldn't help herself. Regina rendered her helpless with her pretty brown eyes and pouty lips. Emma wanted her so badly, but she knew that she had to be patient.
Patience wasn't her forte when it came to things she wanted, but for her, she will work on it. In the meantime, she had a business to run and that kept her mind busy. The auto body shop was her mother's. Her father ran it after her passing. When Emma became older and expressed interested in the shop, the old man retired and sold it to her. Emma proudly followed in her mother's footsteps by becoming a mechanic. She had already developed the woman's love for motorcycles when she was a small child. Emma was very fond of her mother's black Harley Davidson Heritage that her father kept in his garage. It went by the name of "The Black Knight." The beautiful black stallion had become somewhat of a memorial to Emily. She was not on it the night the drunk driver took her life. Dad teased that The Black Knight was Emily's third child. She customized it herself until she made it her own. It was absolutely breathtaking and drew attention everywhere she rode it. It was somewhat of a celebrity amongst the bikers in Skid Row.
Though they didn't speak of Emily, the Black Knight was left behind to remind them. And her three-foot green iguana. Emma credited her mother for her love of reptiles as well, but even more so, for her love of motorcycles. Her mother's Black Knight was Emma's first crush. She admired it her entire life growing up and she still did. It inspired Emma when she had purchased her Softail Deluxe. She customized it so that it would be worthy of her mother's bike. Emma's father and brother constantly reminded Emma that the Softail Deluxe didn't need much work because it was a "badass" bike on its own. They were right, so Emma didn't go overboard, only tweaking what was necessary so that it was white and chrome, made a few adjustments to the engine and so on. It took months but when she finished, she felt that it was worthy of the Black Knight. She christened her new love the White Knight and the two of them were inseparable ever since.
She loved that bike as much as she loved the shop and she felt that brought her closer to her mother; the woman she only remembered tiny things about, closer to the woman she missed out on getting to fully know. She could be near her at the shop, and on the back of her bike, and that had to be enough.
This job was the dream though. She was the boss, she made good money and she made her own schedule. She also got to work on cars and bikes. Two things that she loved. Her life felt whole.
Emma lounged back in her black office chair and put her black heeled leather boots up on her desk, crossing her ankles and pulling her phone out of her tight, light blue jeans pocket. She tossed her phone on the desk and picked up her laptop, placing it on her stomach. Before opening it, she glanced up and looked through the two large windows on either side of her office door that had a perfect view of the shop. She could check what everyone was doing without having to leave the comfort of her own little space. Currently, two of her workers, Neal and Graham, were working on a pick-up truck. Bella was off working on a red sedan. Dean was speaking to a customer. They were all pretending to be busy, but Emma knew better. She grunted to herself with a shake of her head. At least they could multitask; she trusted them because they knew what they were doing. This was why she could be in her office; micromanaging wasn't her thing.
She was running on zero sleep and hot cocoa. After the pretty brunette pulled off, Emma ran off to shower, then stuffed her face with a bowl of cereal. She left Elias and Rex downstairs. By the time she returned downstairs, her employees were filing in. She was a bit on the cranky side since she was so exhausted, so she grabbed Rex from Elias and went to her office and barricaded herself inside. Elias must have warned them since no one had bothered her yet.
She looked at her lizard who was currently sitting on her desk snacking away on blueberries, content as can be. She smiled at the sight.
She opened her laptop to where she had left off on her favorite zombie show. She hit play and the theme music began playing. She rubbed her hands together and sat back, ready to enjoy herself. Well, almost because there was a knock at her door.
Emma looked up and she could see her brother through the glass window on the door. She raised a hand and waved him inside. He nodded and opened the door.
"Em!" He greeted as he stepped inside. Emma smiled at him.
She was always happy to see him. The man often divided his time between Emma and his own business. He worked as a repairman and was fantastic at that given his upbringing. Their father was a handyman when he met their mother and even had his own business, but after she passed he took over the mechanic shop to keep it alive. He taught Emma and Eli everything he knew so they could fix anything. Emma chose cars, like their mother, and while Eli had followed in their father's footsteps, but he was his own boss making his own schedule.
"What's up, Eli?"
He shrugged as he walked over to the visitor's chair in front of her desk and plopped down into it. "Watching that show?"
Emma nodded. "Didn't get to watch it last night."
"Helping that pretty brunette with the dark sexy eyes, huh?" He teased. "Worth it?"
Emma laughed. "Hell yeah. You saw her."
Elias chuckled and dropped a paper bag on the desk. "She's cute. I won't lie. I would have missed all my shows if she was into me..."
Emma grinned at her brother. Regina made it very clear that she was interested in Emma and not the male twin. Emma sort of felt for him because she could tell that he really dug Regina. He couldn't even keep his eyes off her the entire night. "Her friend is cute."
Elias nodded. "Well, yeah. She didn't seem interested though. Besides she seemed a little mean..."
Emma could tell that he wasn't interested in Kathryn and she wasn't going to push. She put her feet down on the floor and sat her laptop back on the desk. Emma glanced at Rex who was still snacking away then she plucked the offered bag from the desk and opened it. The smell of cheese and toasted buttery bread hit her first. She dug in and pulled out the wrapped sandwich.
"This had better be what I think it is or I'm going to let Rex eat you," Emma said as she unwrapped the paper surrounding it. Her brother simply laughed. She was pleased to find a grilled cheese inside of the paper. "Oh good. We don't have to kill you this time."
Elias smiled and put down a takeaway cup in front of her. "Good. I get to live another day."
Emma smiled. "Yeah. Good. I would kinda miss pushing you around." She said taking the cup. It was hot cocoa judging by the smell.
The twins shared a smile.
Elias was a bit timider than Emma was. He was the quiet one of the two, while Emma was bold and outgoing. She was often his wingman when he tried to date and she would practically threaten to beat him with a bat if he didn't ask a girl that he liked out. She was very aggressive about her brother socializing and putting himself out there but she felt that it was for his own good, and Elias didn't complain. She loved hanging out with him, but she felt that he needed more friends other than his twin sister and Graham.
He opened his own bag and pulled a burger out with onion rings. Emma pulled out her fries. Rex decided not to stick around and have lunch with them; having his fill of blueberries he wandered off. "Want to watch the show together?" Eli asked. "I missed it too."
"Sure." She turned her laptop so that they both could see it then hit play.
Elias groaned. "This guy's freaking hog! It's so beautiful after all of the apocalypse shit."
Emma snickered. "Yeah. I know how that bike turns you on."
He snorted. "Shut up. Like how ladies on Harleys turn you on?"
Emma shrugged. "Ladies on any kind of bike gets me going."
Elias grinned and Emma raised a brow. She did not like that look. "Imagine Regina on a bike."
Emma glared at her brother for putting that image in her head. Now she will not be able to think of anything else but Regina dressed in skin-tight denim and leather, straddling a bike. She groaned. Her brother laughed. "I hate you."
"You're welcome." He said through his laughter. "You think she has any tats or piercings?"
Emma shook her head. "No. She doesn't seem like the type. I'm not assuming. It would be a pleasant surprise to find a hidden tat or piercing, though."
"You're getting ahead of yourself." Elias pointed out. "Who's to say she'll let you see what's under her clothes?"
"Now who's getting ahead of themselves?" Emma asked with a raise of her brows. "She could have a tat anywhere. Behind her ear, her ankle, her shoulder blade. All of which could be seen with her fully dressed. I'm in no hurry to get her clothes off."
Elias raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, don't take my head off. I'm just saying...I know how you are with sex."
"I'm careful." Emma reasoned. "Don't make it into more than it is." Anyone would want to be careful after what happened to her. "Besides, don't worry about my sex life. I'm your sister. It's weird."
Elias' eyes widened and he gave her a look, "And it's okay for you to worry about mine?"
Emma pointed at him with the fry in her hand. "If it wasn't for me, you'd never get laid."
Elias stuck his tongue out at her and Emma laughed. She was just teasing him. "But seriously... did she call?" He pushed.
Emma shook her head. It was too early. "No. It's fine. I didn't want to pressure her. That's why I gave her all of the control. I didn't want it to seem like I was fixing her car to get in her pants because that's not me. I just wanted to help. I hope to hear from her again but not because she felt obligated to call. I want her to want to see me again, you know?"
He nodded. "I totally get it. She would be pretty dumb not to be into you though. You're a catch. You're good looking, I can say that because I'm your twin..." He held up a finger. "Plus you own your own business. You're doing great. And you two had hella chemistry."
Emma shrugged. "It's up to her."
"She was flirting with you."
"Some women just like to flirt."
Eli sighed. "Is the great Emma Swan doubting herself?!"
Emma laughed and threw her empty grilled cheese wrapper at him. "Hell no!" She fell serious. She knew that she got Regina interested in her, and confident that she would hear from Regina again. "She got in my head. I'm digging her and I only met her once. That would make anyone a bit... you know..."
Eli got his sister better than anyone else. "Yeah. She's something."
Emma nodded. "Yeah. Special."
"She'll call."
Emma shrugged casually. In truth, she would love if she called, but only time would tell. "I hope so."
Sleeping was out of the question for Regina and Kathryn. Regina squeezed in a quick shower, dressed in a simple white blouse and black pencil skirt, then quickly did her hair and makeup. That barely left enough time to make a travel mug of coffee and grab a muffin. She sprinted out of the door leaving her sister sitting at the kitchen island slightly confused. But she told her she loved her on the way out.
Regina arrived to work without a second to spare, but she lingered by the elevator to wait for Kathryn before going up. Regina felt the need to brace herself. They tried to stroll into the office of the Daily Mirror as if nothing was bothering them. She observed her co-workers as they worked busily and nervously in their cubicles; that air of uneasiness was still there within that office. She and Kathryn hid out in their joint cubical.
By midday, Regina grew anxious. They had to tell their boss, Mr. Gold, that she and Kathryn did not manage to get a story for him. He was likely to crucify them right there on the spot, but perhaps all wasn't lost. She was hopeful that the news of a more interesting story would keep him from publicly executing them for all of her co-workers to see. Regina was running on fumes at this point; a few seconds from breaking down as her car had. She eventually mustered up enough courage, and she grabbed Kathryn and headed for Mr. Gold's office. She shook her head as her designer heels clicked across the hard floor. She smoothed down her white blouse and black pencil skirt, a nervous habit of hers.
They stopped in front of Gold's door. She gave Kat a look, who nodded to indicate she was ready. They knew it was best to just rip the bandaid off and get it over with. As Regina raised her hand to knock the door swung open. Sidney Glass came stumbling out. His eyes were wide and he was sweating and shaking. Whatever happened in there must have been disastrous which meant that Mr. Gold was in a very unpleasant mood.
"You okay there, Buddy?" Kathryn asked as she looked into the man's frightened eyes. He looked like a rabbit that narrowly escaped being mauled by a rabid wolf.
He shook his head and wiped a layer of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He was clutching his camera like a lifeline. "Apparently, I never come up with good enough stories and he's going to fire me if my next one is a dud." He said in a shaky voice.
"What?" Regina gasped in surprise. Sure, Sidney Glass was odd and a bit sleazy when it came to Regina but none of the journalists were anywhere near as dedicated as he was to the newspaper.
"I thought your story on the nuns and their candles was excellent. You certainly made something boring into something interesting." Kathryn pointed out. "Hell, almost made me want to join the convent, but then I realized that I like sex too much."
Regina snorted, then hummed in agreement. It's not like there were many things to write about in a sleepy town like Storybrooke. "Also your photography skills are truly something."
"Agreed," Kathryn said with a nod. She patted the man on the shoulder. "Don't let Gold get you down. He's just cranky because he wants his son to follow in his footsteps and the kid can barely compose a tweet."
That made the man laugh a little but he was still jittery and his nervousness was becoming contagious. "Yeah. Well, I just hope I find something. Writing is sort of all I have."
Regina could relate to that. Her entire life was investigating, researching, and writing. Ever since she was a child she wanted to know everything about everything. Then she always wanted to share what she learned with everyone who would listen. As she grew older, she learned to use her words to invoke emotion and reactions. She discovered journalism with the Storybrooke Junior High Newspaper and the rest was history. In high school, she wrote for the paper too. She felt naturally at home amongst fellow reporters and journalists. She didn't know what she would have done without it. "You'll find something. Don't you worry." She gave him a reassuring smile and she saw instantly when his feelings for her resurfaced. She internally groaned then.
Sidney Glass was an okay guy but he came on kind of strong and he felt like if he asked her out enough times, perhaps he could wear her down. It's been years and he still has not gotten the hint. It was not news to anyone that Regina fancied women. She had been dating women since her early teens. But the girl who truly awoke that part of her was Mallory Grey; tall, blonde, a few years older, bluest eyes imaginable. Mal was her first for everything and she couldn't have asked for a better person to share those things with. No one questioned her preference for women ever; no one even batted an eye. Perhaps they were afraid of Regina's mother. Cora Mills was not one to be trifled with and they knew she would kill for her children.
"Good luck, Sidney." She said shortly and abruptly in the form of a dismissal. The smile fell from his face and he nodded his head. He stepped aside.
"Have a good day." He said quietly, then he walked away briskly.
Kathryn waited for him to disappear around the corner before she whispered into her friend's ear. "Ouch."
Regina shrugged. "I didn't want to give him a chance to ask me out again. He always does it. He knows that I'm only attracted to women but he still asks me out every couple of weeks as if I magically turned straight." She shuttered. "It's annoying and creepy."
Kathryn scoffed. "If you were straight would you date him?"
Regina glanced over her shoulder at her. "You're straight. Would you?"
Kathryn frowned and shook her head quickly. "Hell no."
Regina snorted. "Exactly."
Kathryn giggled and Regina stepped up to her boss' office door again. She raised her hand and rapped on the door lightly.
"Well, come in or go away. Either way, stop lurking at my door." The man spat on the other side of the door.
Regina blew out a breath. "Here we go." Kathryn murmured as Regina turned the knob and they stepped inside.
Mr. Gold sat behind his desk in front of the windows where the dark curtains were pulled closed making the entire office appear dark and cold. Files were scattered all about his desk and his laptop was open. There were newspaper clippings taped to a bulletin board with post-its with little notes scratched onto them. The man looked at up at the two women and gave them a very disinterested once over.
"I hope you didn't wear anything like that to the restaurant." He said plainly before going back to reviewing what appeared to be a draft of some sort.
Regina looked down at her black pencil skirt, red blazer, and white blouse. Her black stockings were a wonderful addition as well as her black designer heels. She felt like she looked great and so did Kathryn in her beige dress and brown sweater.
"I did not," Regina said defensively. "We looked fantastic last night as we do today."
He glanced up again and gave her a very bored look. "Oh is that what fantastic looks like these days?"
Regina felt the anger building up within her chest so she opened and closed her palms a few times in order to calm herself. She then forced a smile and stepped closer to the man's desk. "Mr. Gold," she began but she was cut off by the man again.
"Shut the damn door." He barked. "What is the point of having a door if the lot of you always leave it wide open?"
Kathryn scurried over and shut the door quietly before joining Regina at the aged wooden desk. The man looked up at them and raised his brows in question. "May I help you, Ms. Mills, Ms. Nolan?"
"Actually yes," Regina said with a smile that could get anyone to do anything. So far it's been ineffective with her boss but she was hoping for a miracle.
He waited a moment before he sighed dramatically. "Well, what is it?"
Kathryn jumped but Regina remained unfazed. She placed her hands on the man's desk and ignored the glare that she received for it. "Okay..." she began. "You know how you sent us to Skid Row to spy on those restaurant employees..."
He dropped the papers onto the desk and leaned back. He locked his fingers and placed his fist under his chin. "Stop wasting my time and just tell me how you've failed me so we can move on and I can give you another assignment."
Regina and Kathryn gasped in surprise. "We have never failed you!" Kat cried.
"I knew it was only a matter of time before you did." He said simply.
Regina bit the inside of her cheek and reminded herself that the Daily Mirror was the only newspaper in town and if she were to get fired, she would be out of a job indefinitely and she did not want her mother to be taking care of her again. "Mr. Gold, the restaurant was a bust." She raised a finger when she saw him preparing to insult her again. "But... when Kat and I almost died on our way back, I found something that may interest the people of Storybrooke."
He shook his head. "What? Almost died?" He rubbed his forehead. "Don't bloody die, Regina. Your mother would have my head."
"You sent us to Skid Row. Did you honestly expect us to survive?" Kathryn asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought you were trying to get rid of us."
"Why would I want to get rid of my best two journalists?" The man snapped. "Don't be ridiculous."
"Anyway..." Regina waved that off.
"What happened?" He even looked the slightest bit concerned.
"My car broke down and we were stranded."
"Understandable. Your family has too much money for you to still be driving that dinosaur around."
Regina narrowed her eyes at him. "It is a classic and a gift." She said defensively. She raised a hand. "Anyway... as luck would have it, a mechanic was going by on a motorcycle... She stopped and took us back to her shop where she fixed my car."
"That is lucky." The man said.
Regina hummed with a nod. "Yeah, but while we were waiting for the tow truck, I discovered a flower shop. Inside the flower shop window was a plant... it looked like a fly trap but almost alien. I want to make it up to you by giving you this story."
Gold was quiet for a moment before he rubbed his forehead. "What time did you get in? Did you sleep? I'm sure you're delirious."
Regina huffed and leaned closer to him. "I am in perfectly sound mind." She caught his eyes. "I couldn't take pictures because my phone was dead but the mechanic I was talking to informed me that this plant had tripled in size in two weeks. Don't you think that's odd?"
"I do but it's a plant, Regina."
"Gold, trust me. Okay? Look, the mechanic even told me later that the plant is like the talk of Skid Row. It's very popular there. Think about if the popularity gets out and other news outlets get involved? This could be huge. We need the scoop on this before anyone else gets it." She waved a finger at the man. "You know that I have a nose for this sort of thing. Let us have this story. I promise it will be magnificent."
Her boss hesitated. She knew that she could prove herself if only given the chance. She saw the exact moment the man gave in and she grinned before he even said anything.
"Fine!" He said throwing his hands up. "Make me proud, Regina."
"Okay, Sir," Regina replied as she grabbed Kat's hand. She began dragging her friend towards the door. "Have a nice day." She called over her shoulder as they slipped out into the hallway.
"Shut the damn door!" The man shouted. Regina quickly pulled the door closed. She looked at Kathryn and the blonde woman breathed out a small nervous chuckle as she rubbed the back of her neck.
"We survived." She said almost in disbelief. Regina hummed with a nod. She was just as shocked as Kat was. Gold must have been tired since he didn't skin them alive but she wasn't going to push her luck. She grabbed Kathryn's hand and began pulling her along.
"Now, we have to talk to that Mushnik guy and see if we can set up an interview." She said as they began walking back through the office. Kat followed her to their cubicle.
Regina plopped down behind her desk as Kathryn sat at the desk facing hers. "Kat find the number for 'Mushnik's'."
Kathryn nodded. "On it." She turned to her computer and began typing away. It only took a moment before Kat looked up. "Got it." She said with a grin. She picked up her office phone and began dialing the number. Regina watched as her friend waited with the phone pressed to her ear. Her eyes widened then she handed the phone off to Regina. Regina rolled her eyes and took the phone. Kathryn could have just done this herself.
She pressed it to her ear and heard a man's voice. "Hello, hello, what do you want?!" He demanded. Terrible phone etiquette for a business.
"Hello," Regina said politely. "I'm-"
"What do you want?!" He shouted and Regina had to move the phone from her ear for a moment to avoid any damage. She sighed as she put it back in place.
"My name is Regina Mills and I am a journalist for the Daily Mirror. Storybrooke's newspaper."
He fell silent as if he was remotely interested. "Okay, go on, what do you want?"
"Well, am I speaking with Mr. Mushnik?" She asked.
"Yes!" He shouted.
Regina sighed and composed herself. If she hated one thing, it was rudeness. "Well, Mr. Mushnik, I've recently caught sight of that intriguing plant in your store window and I am very interested in doing a piece on it. I was wondering if you would like to do an interview with our newspaper?"
"How much is that plant in the window..." Kathryn started singing and Regina waved a hand at her to shut her up. Her friend snickered and Regina rolled her eyes with a small smirk.
"An interview?" He asked.
"Yes, sir," Regina said brightly.
"It will be in a newspaper?"
Regina chuckled. "Yes. The Daily Mirror."
"Publicity." He whispered to himself before addressing Regina again. "Yes."
"Excellent!" Regina said happily. "Okay, what days are you free?"
"Can you come to the shop?" He asked.
"Uh..." Regina looked at Kathryn and judging by the look on her best friend's face she could tell that she could hear the conversation. The blonde woman shrugged. Neither of them were looking forward to returning to Skid Row but they needed this story. "Sure."
"Fantastic!" He said.
Regina shut her eyes. "So which days are you available?"
"You can come to the shop anytime." He informed her.
Regina nodded. It was Tuesday. She needed time to prepare. "How does next Thursday around noon sound?"
"Thursday is good." Answered the man.
"Wonderful!" Regina said with a smile. "Once again, my name is Regina Mills and my partner Kathryn Nolan is accompanying me."
"Okay."
"See you Thursday."
"Okay bye bye now," Said the man before he hung up on her. Regina shook her head and handed the receiver back to her friend.
"This should be interesting," Kathryn said through a breathless laugh as she hung the phone up.
Regina smiled and nodded. "Indeed. In more ways than one."
Thanks for reading.
