A/N: I have the most fantastic readers! You guys are amazing support and I appreciate your reviews on the first chapter to this new & fun filled ff. I bring you the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy! :)
Sidney Glass, in other words Regina's lawyer stood outside the court. The plan was that they would both meet there for her court date, only problem was… she was a bit late.
"Regina, where are you?" asked Sidney as he held his phone to his ear, "I told you to be here half and hour early." he smiled as a cab pulled over, making his way down the long steps, "Now I see you. I'm still leaving you this message to let you know that I hate being your lawyer and you're killing me. Goodbye."
Regina smiled at him as she made her way out of the cab.
"Hello. You're late." said Sidney.
"Fashionably late." replied Regina as she walked past Sidney, heading up the staircase as he followed close behind.
"You better start taking this seriously, Ms. Mills. It's you against the BPD."
"How can I take this seriously, Sidney? It's a fender bender." she rolled her eyes.
"Well, we have four minutes."
"Oh, hold on. I have to take this." said Regina as she stopped walking up mid staircase as she digged around her purse for her phone as it rang.
"No. Four minutes."
Regina turned to look at the man, "This will take one, and then we'll have three." she answered her phone as she placed it by her ear, "Hello?"
Rogers made his way out of his door, "It's Rogers. I have something for you."
"Oh, hi. Yeah." she stepped away from Sidney a few steps down, she could see it on the man's face that he was becoming impatient, "I need to call you back in an hour."
"No. It can't wait, Regina. I might already be in trouble with this shit." Rogers walked down the sidewalk in a hurry pace.
"Wha-? Rogers, I'm kind of in some hot water myself over here."
"Dunkin' Donuts by the park. Half an hour. Bring cash. Five hundred or I'm selling it to somebody else." he hung up the call as he made his way into his car.
"Oh, no- wait."
"Ok. Let's go." said Sidney as Regina turned to look at him.
"Oh, no. Wait. I have to make one more phone call."
"Regina." Sidney glared.
"I will- I promise." she held her hand up to stop him from saying anything else, practically pleading, "I will be right behind you." it's not only that she thought this who situation was stupid, but she really needed that story. It's the big break she had been looking for.
"When the judge calls your case, you better be sitting right next to me." Sidney warned, allowing Regina to make that last phone call. Little did he know that Regina would leave to meet up with Rogers, leaving poor Sidney waiting and wasting time in that courtroom.
In exactly three minutes, the judge was looking right at him as she asked about Regina's whereabouts.
Sidney smiled as he stood, "Well, she was here, your Honor. And, I think she deserves points for that. And, I'm quite sure she'll be coming through that door any second." he turned towards the doors of the courtroom as people around him murmured. His face falling in embarrassment and disappointment, "Any second." he turned quickly to look at the judge, "Rather than keep the court waiting, if we could set another appearance date."
"Counsel, your client's bail is revoked. A bench warrant is hereby ordered by this court. Next case." her hammer echoed around the courtroom as it was slammed down on the desk. As of now, Regina Mills was a wanted felon.
Rogers was waiting in his car by the Dunkin' Donuts parking lot, drumming nervously at the steering wheel with his thumbs as he looked around, waiting for the brunette to arrive. He knew there was a possibility that he could be followed, what he didn't know was how soon. His window to the driver's side door was suddenly shattered as a man came along with a crowbar, breaking through the glass as they pulled Rogers out of his car, forcing him to climb into a black truck as they drove away with him.
A taxi was pulling over exactly in the very moment the black truck was driving away. Regina stepped out of the car as her eyes followed how the truck drove away, tires screeching on the pavement and all as she stared in awe, unaware that Rogers had just gotten kidnapped.
"Goddamn it. I mean, how many more pair of shoes does your mother need me to pay for? They're twins, for God's sake." Jefferson shouted as he walked out of his home.
"It's not my fault!" Grace shouted at her father as he left.
"Borrow your sister's shoes." he walked to the building next door, which on the window it read, Jefferson's Bail Bonds. As he made his way inside, turning on the lights to the small business, his eyes fell on a certain blonde as she was passed out on the couch.
He shook his head, "Hey princess. Your drooling on my sofa." he spoke with a firm voice as Emma opened her eyes as she slowly straightened back up.
"You do have an apartment, don't you?" Jefferson asked as he tossed his keys on his desk, "With a bed of some kind. Ruby should be in any second. I suppose you want to get paid?"
"Yep." replied Emma as she rubbed her eyes, "Well, I got him, didn't I?"
After opening up the business and Emma waking up to her fullest, the blonde leaned against a mailbox that was outside their work building as Jefferson loaded up his car with camping equipment for him and his two girls.
"So, I said to her, 'They're my kids. If anyone is going to take them camping, I am,' which she took literally, as opposed to the spirit in which it was said."
"You mean the spirit of bullshit?" asked Emma as she stood up right with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Got any plans for the long weekend?" asked Jefferson.
"The usual." Emma shrugged.
Jefferson chuckled, "What? Getting drunk on cheap whiskey and smashing your fist through a wall?"
"Jealous?" Emma asked sarcastically.
"No, I understand. Fourth of July and all. Don't worry about it." he placed a pack of water bottles inside his trunk, "I'll get somebody else."
Emma's brows furrowed as she realized he was asking in reference to more work, "Somebody else for what?" she asked.
"An open bond just came in. But, you know what?" he pointed his index finger at her, "Your thing sounds a lot more fun. Don't worry about it, I'll find somebody else." he bent down to pick up another camping item to load up into his car.
"Whoa, Jefferson. I need this gig. Come on, Jeff, I'm in the hole."
"You're always in the hole." replied Jefferson.
"What's your point?" asked the blonde.
"My point is, I just don't know if you're the right person for the job. This thing could be a disaster." he reached into his back pocket as he pulled out a paper, walking up to the blonde as he unfolded it, "But, you asked for it."
Emma took the piece of paper in her grasp as she was staring down at no other but the mug shot of her ex wife. Her mouth partially opened as she looked up at Jefferson, "Is this a joke?"
Jefferson shook his head, "Nope."
Emma couldn't help but grin, "She got arrested?" not believing at all that the perfect Regina Mills would ever get herself arrested.
Jefferson smirked, "I don't understand it myself, but all I know is that she skipped bail."
Emma chuckled, "Why the hell did you post it?"
"Hey, I'm a businessman. I don't have time to wait for you. All I know, is that I'm out 50,000 if she's not in that courtroom Monday morning." Jefferson packed up the last item into his car.
"You're telling me that I'll get 5 grand to go pick up my ex-wife and bring her to jail." it wasn't a question, though Emma was still surprised that the one fellon she was now going to be chasing after was Regina.
Jefferson nodded, "You're a good listener." he walked away, leaving an all smiling blonde. Not only would she get to have the pleasure of doing what she did best with her now ex-wife, but she'd enjoy seeing the all perfect Regina Mills behind bars, while she got paid good money for it. This was going to be a piece of cake.
Emma couldn't help but laugh as she jumped for joy, "Yes! Yes!"
"I take it you're interested?" asked Jefferson.
"Oh! Am I interested?" Emma ran up to Jefferson as she hugged him.
"Oh, God. Ok." Jefferson held his arms up, letting the blonde get through her excitement, closing his eyes as the blonde placed a big wet kiss on his cheek.
"You are the best friend any girl could ever have." said Emma, her smile never leaving her.
"Jefferson-" said Ruby as she walked up to the duo, her eyes growing wide in surprise as Emma grabbed her, placing a big, long kiss to the brunette's lips, dipping her back in the process as she quickly brought her back up. Even Jefferson was standing there, looking with his mouth opened at the blonde's sudden excited and crazy behavior. This is the most they've seen her in a while.
"Okay." Ruby blinked as she looked over at the ecstatic blonde, "Can I have my gum back, please?"
Emma chewed on the gum that she hadn't realized she now held in her mouth as she took it out, returning it back into Ruby's as she sent her on her way into the building. The blonde turned with a huge smile to look at Jefferson, "You know what this is?" she held up Regina's police mugshot, "This, baby, is karma."
Jefferson suddenly grew concerned. Maybe this was too much of a job for Emma, maybe having her chase down her ex-wife was a bad idea, "Okay. Are you sure you can handle this?" he asked, worried she would let her emotions get in the way. Emma had taken the divorce pretty bad, despite Regina driving her crazy- she still loved her.
"Why wouldn't I?" asked Emma.
"Because it's her, and around her you're not exactly rational." replied Jefferson.
"Sweetheart, I won't even break a sweat." she assured him as she then walked away, pumping her fist in the air.
Emma went directly home and showered. She stood in front of her bathroom mirror as she brushed her teeth. She went into her bedroom as she put on a pair of skinny jeans her belt, she took out a gray dress shirt she had in her closet as she put it on, buttoning up the buttons, tucking into her jeans as lastly, she placed on her red leather jacket. She loved that jacket- Regina hated it. It was perfect. Her hair never looked better as well. It was golden her locks were in place, she was ready. Only thing that was left, which she soon after collected were her wallet with badge inside it, her gun and two extra loaded gun clips. Not that she'd need them with Regina, but she liked being prepared. It was the cop still in her. Before her gambling problems destroyed it all, along with her marriage.
She drove off in her yellow bug, soon arriving in front of Regina's apartment building. She rang the buzzer on the intercom and got no answer. She figured Regina wasn't home, so she did the next best thing… Emma was climbing around back over a wall, jumping down as she fell, due to her boots getting stuck in mud.
"Shit." she said as she quickly got up with no worry, and opened up the back door that leaded into the brunette's kitchen.
Emma's green eyes looked around her place as she helped herself to an apple, taking a big bite out of it as it crunched between her teeth. She walked into the dining area followed by the living room. Everything was in its rightful place and spotless. It was a big apartment, not at all like Emma's taste in decorations, but she did have to admit, Regina always did have great taste.
She looked behind her as she felt her boots were still sticky, her eyes falling to her own muddy footprints which were now marked on to the white carpet of the livingroom. She chuckled to herself as she ruined the carpeting even more by purposely smearing mud with her other boot, cleaning it off on another part of the carpet. She then helped herself to the brunette's toothbrush as she purposely dropped it into the toilet, drying it back up as she then placed it back in it's container like nothing had happened. Next was her bedroom, she had helped herself onto her bed as she enjoyed a bag of doritos, which some were lying right on her bed spread, while Emma also erased recordings that were stored in the DVR of the brunette's favorite series. She soon stopped, her head snapping up to attention as she heard someone coming into the apartment.
Regina in that very moment had heard a noise as well as she went into the apartment, she made her way around the corner as she grabbed a hold of a picture frame, ready to hit whoever had broken in.
Emma made her way down the hallway very quietly as she took her gun out, a small grin on her face as she knew whoever had arrived, had to be Regina.
"Hello, my love." said Emma as she pointed the gun to… Robin, who quickly held his hands up in fear.
As for Regina, it wasn't her apartment she had gone into, but Rogers whom she had been looking for the whole day. She gasped as it was a cat who had made all that noise.
Emma was now sitting on the couch as Robin sat across from her, as she demanded to know how on earth did he ever get into the brunette's apartment.
"I was, uh… I was in the neighborhood and I had lent her some paintbrushes months ago, and she just refuses to-" he held up his hands as Emma aimed her weapon at him, not believing a word of his made up story, "Okay, okay, okay, look- she didn't show up to court today. And I think it's because she has a lead on some story. I want to work on it with her as a team because I… because I'm kind of hoping it would help solidify… our thing."
Emma tilted her head slightly as she glared at the man sitting before her, she always knew this guy had a thing for Regina, even while they were married, but she never imagined she would go for him.
"Are you sleeping with her, Robin?" she asked, already hating the idea.
Robin's eyes fell on the gun as it remained in the blonde's hand. She could be pretty terrifying for a woman.
"We have a history." replied Robin, stammering a little.
Emma laughed, "A history, huh? Yeah, well, good luck with that."
"You're not Rogers." Regina's head snapped up at the sound of a neighbor's voice, as she had been bent down, trying to get Roger's cat to come out from underneath a chair in his apartment.
"No, I'm not. I'm actually looking for him." said Regina.
"Under the chair?" the woman asked.
"No. But, maybe you could help me."
"I can't fit under there." said the woman as she stood by the door.
"No-"
"Who are you?" she asked the brunette.
"I'm… I'm his- his girlfriend." Regina stood as she placed her hands on her hips.
The neighbor raised an eyebrow in question, "He doesn't have a girlfriend."
"Well, you wouldn't know that, because we just recently started seeing each other."
"Maybe I should call the cops."
Regina walked up to the woman, "No, no. Look, Rogers is in trouble."
"What kind of trouble? Money trouble? Drug trouble?" asked the lady.
"I don't-"
"Sex-change trouble?"
Regina slightly tilted her head, "I don't really know. I just know that he's missing."
"Yeah, well, I had a lousy week too. My cousin Linda fell off a cruise ship." said the woman.
"Oh. Ow, I'm so sorry." replied Regina.
The woman shrugged, "Grown women should really know how to swim."
"Mhm." her brows furrowed, "Now, would you mind if I just took a quick look around just to see if I can find some clue as to where he might be?"
"The thing is, Robin. She'll make you think she's interested in you." said Emma as she took a drink from a carton of orange juice that Regina had in her refrigerator, "But, really she's only interested in her big hot shot career."
"Yeah, yeah, sure." Robin smiled as soon as he realized who the blonde was, "Oh, wait a minute. Wait, you're Emma, right? She talks about you all the time."
Emma had this look in her eyes at the man's words, it was almost like a glimpse of hope that Regina still loved her, "Really?"
"Oh, yeah. Absolutely." replied Robin, which made Emma smile a little, "Yeah, she hates you."
Her brows furrowed as her smile faded, "Wait. What do you mean? She hates me?"
Robin nodded, "Oh, yeah. Big time. She says you're like the most selfish, immature-"
Emma began walking up to Robin, "Wait. I'm selfish?"
"Yeah. Stubborn."
Emma chuckled, "I'm immature?"
"Well, I don't know, but that's what she says." replied Robin.
"You know what? Forget it." Emma soon became angry, "I'm not even going to dignify that with- whatever." she turned to pick up the house phone Regina still had working in her apartment.
"Yeah. Hey, look, I'm on your team." replied Robin.
"No, you're not, Geraldo." Emma turned to look at Robin, "I don't allow reporters on my team. Oh, and for the record, I'm the one who hates her. Okay? So, just shut up and stop pissing me off." she turned her attention back to the phone as she pressed on the redial button. As the line rang twice, she heard a woman saying the name of a hotel that was all too familiar to her.
Emma chuckled as she hung up the call, "Figures. Run home to mommy."
Regina was still looking through Rogers' belongings, digging through a pair of his jeans she picked up from the bathroom floor. She took out a paper coaster he had brought home from the bar where he worked as she read a note he had scribbled on the back about an audit.
As she drove off to a clue she had picked up about a horse racing track, she decided to call David, given that he was a cop he could probably help her with Rogers' whereabouts.
"Rogers, the guy from the bar who works as a bartender?" David asked over the phone.
"Yeah, and I'm really worried about him. His car was there, his window was smashed. There was something not right." replied Regina.
"What was he looking into?" asked David as he made his way into the Narcotics section in the building.
"That suicide on Rivington a couple of weeks ago. Something about it just doesn't add up."
"Why? What do you got?" he asked.
"Well, I was at traffic court the other day and I met a guy who swears his car was parked in front of that building where the suicide took place at Rivington."
"Stolen plates." said David.
"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking." replied Regina.
"Look, if I hear anything on Rogers I'll let you know, but you, be careful, okay?"
"Okay, great. Thank you, David."
Emma got in her car as she drove off to pay a visit to Cora Mills, her ex-mother in law at the hotel she not only owned but it was where she had her theater shows. And, right behind Emma? Was Robin, who chose to follow her to be lead to Regina.
"More pink, Tony. I want to sparkle with the illusion of youth." Cora spoke into the microphone that was placed in front of her, "And with a room this small, hell forget it."
Emma was making her way towards the stage in the dining area of the hotel, a small smile on her lips as she stared up at her ex-mother in law, "Hello Cora."
"Emma?" Cora placed a hand above her eyes as the light was blocking her from seeing the blonde all too well, she smiled as Emma waved back at her from below, "Emma, sweetheart." she began walking off stage as Emma began walking towards her with a smile of her own, "Come and give your mother in law a hug."
Emma extended her arms out, ready to embrace the older woman, "It's been a long time."
Without warning slapped the blonde across the face, "That's for being a shit and for ruining my daughter's life."
Emma turned her head back to look at Cora, "You're daughter's fine." she assured her.
"Well, then that's for ruining my life." said Cora as she laughed, "Come here." she embraced the blonde as Emma had another smile on her face as both women shared a long overdue hug.
Truth was, Cora and Emma always got along great, the woman was hard on the blonde when she needed to be, but Emma appreciated her tough love. Especially after she didn't have parents of her own. After that slap and loving motherly hug, they both sat down on stage as they continued their conversation.
"It still kills me, you and Regina splitting up. What happened between the two of you devastated her." said Cora.
"Yeah, devastated her right to the top." Emma's tone was sarcastic.
Cora smiled as she nodded, "She has done well, hasn't she?" she continued as the blond nodded, "Listen, my Regina may be a strong, independent woman on the outside, but on the inside, she's just a girl wanting to be loved by her woman."
Emma looked into Cora's eyes as she listened attentively, she knew when the woman was talking serious, and right now she was, "I mean, come on. Such a beautiful couple and you threw it all away. The grandchildren would have been angels. Not that I wanted grandchildren." Cora's face became angry in that moment, "You idiot."
Emma chuckled as she supported herself on her elbow, "I've missed you, Cora."
"I'm going to pretend I believe that." Cora smiled over at her daughter in law, because to her Emma would always be her daughter in law.
"I'm looking for your daughter." said Emma on a more serious note.
"Oh?"
"And, I know she called here."
"We were going to grab a bite, but she blew me off for some interview." replied Cora, "Said she needed to go somewhere to suck up some luck. Like I'm supposed to know what that means."
Emma thought about what that meant as a smile formed on her lips. She knew exactly where Regina was. They may be divorced but the blonde still knew her wife to the very last detail. Once upon a time ago, Regina and her would go to all the greatest betting places, and one of those places was the race track, which Regina was in right now.
