A/N: Okay, so I realize I missed updating last week. End of semester pressures and all that jazz. So, I'll also be uploading the fourth chapter today as well. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to regular updates now! Thanks to everyone who has messaged me and for the follows/favs. I own nothing Once Upon a Time related.


Chapter Three: Untamed Curiosity

Sienna eyes studied the hunched figure of a woman sitting at the counter from behind the morning edition of the Storybrooke Mirror. The woman under scrutiny had gone unnoticed for quite some time and it was highly probable that she would have remained unnoticed if the service at Granny's was any better. In fact, Regina's impatience with one scantily clad waitress had been the only reason she lifted her eyes from the paper in the first place.

Being the Mayor of Storybrooke definitely had its perks. One of which being that, Regina Mills didn't need to exercise patience; she was treated as royalty at every Storybrooke establishment regardless of the whether or not the owners loathed her. Because she was the Mayor. She had power. But now, with her job in transition to the retched Snow White, Regina found that the little perks she'd come to enjoy were not quite the same. And it seemed as though the Lucas girl was just breaking her into garden variety life a few days too soon.

While this fact indeed angered the almost-ex-Mayor, she found it was not nearly as terrible as one might think, especially now that she didn't have an agenda full of meetings and schemings to see to. So while she wasn't quite fond of waiting, it was made more bearable knowing that she needn't rush to her first of many pointless meetings of the day. As far as she was concerned, in three more days when the official inauguration of the new Mayor was to take place, Regina would never need to worry herself over another pedestrian meeting again.

And yet, her impatience was a characteristic that still required training. And as such, she averted her eyes from the morning paper to locate the young waitress and inquire as to why she had been waiting 20 minutes for a bowl of oatmeal and fruit salad. When Regina finally located the waitress in question, she was giving a beaming smile to a hunched over figure sitting at the bar. At first glance, Regina wouldn't have known that person to be one of the two town Sheriff's. Had it not been for the blonde hair peaking from beneath a drawn hood, Regina may not have come to the conclusion that the rather sickly looking person sitting at the bar was indeed Emma Swan.

The simple fact of knowing that she was breathing the same air as the spawn of the Charming's had caused some unforeseen side effects in her current mood. Regina's impatience quickly grew to a seething anger as she recalled the awful events which had taken place only a few nights ago; the night when she witnessed the reunion of Hood and his darling little Roland with a woman whom Regina had thought to be dead.

But even with the anger boiling in her veins, she found something strangely satisfactory and almost cathartic about the blonde's current demeanor. And so she resigned herself to sit back and watch as the hooded woman toyed with her rolled up silverware all the while staring at the generous proportion of food in front of her. There was a small part – a very small part - of her that desired to know what malady the blonde was afflicted with. She hoped it to be something terribly befitting for the 'happy ending home wrecker', but knowing Fate as the cruel mistress she is, Regina figured it was more than likely due to the breakup between the blonde and her pirate.

She heard of the breakup one evening while sipping a glass of cabernet franc at the Rabbit Hole. Though she typically abhorred that establishment, it was the only place in town she could get a drink and avoid Robin, Marian, and the whole coterie de heros. She wanted to be alone. But being alone in her too-large house was simply saddening. Each room mocked her with echoes of laughter from a brief but euphoric past with Robin. And so while Henry was staying the night with the Charming's, Regina allowed herself a reprieve from her heartache in a bottle of wine at the repugnant bar. She wanted to be alone. Not lonely.

Sometime later while she sat silently at the bar, the short man – Mr. Smee, she recalled – had begun announcing rather loudly to some other men that Emma had broken the captain's heart.

So, perhaps that was the reason for the Sheriff's current state, though it hadn't escaped Regina exactly how ridiculous that sounded. Even after losing Neal, on more than one occasion, she had never seen the blonde react in such a way. Whatever was currently troubling the Sheriff had to be much more than a mere breakup.

Regina blinked, realizing she'd been staring at the blonde while lost in thought. She noticed that at some point Emma had unrolled her silverware and was currently knuckle-rolling the fork with nimble fingers. After a moment of hesitation, the blonde pulled down her hood and stabbed at the biscuits.

The hitch in Regina's breath was nearly audible as she glanced at a fuller view of Emma for the first time since that night. Even from her position at the opposite end of the diner, Regina was shocked by the sallowness of her skin. Emma had always been a fair woman, a complexion inherited from her mother, but this was something else entirely. She looked ill and almost ghastly.

The blonde had brought a small portion of food to her mouth and passed it through her lips slowly, chewing on the bit of food unenthusiastically. Although Regina's current position only allowed her a partial view of the Sheriff's face, she could make out the darkness surrounding the woman's right eye. She couldn't be sure if the left eye bore the same markings and as such, curiosity tingled under her skin as she desired to know whether the woman had been unfortunate in an altercation…or if there was something more to the darkness bruising alabaster flesh.

Regina's impatience mixed with her curiosity had excited her nerves and ignited a fire of intrigue in her mind. She found it more and more difficult to wait patiently in her booth for the little waitress to arrive with her breakfast. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, folded the paper and stuffed it beneath her arm before hoisting her purse to her opposite shoulder. The dark woman strode with purpose to the counter until she was standing only a few feet from where the blonde was sitting, swirling her fork in the unappealing, lumpy slop on her plate.

"Excuse me, Miss Lucas, but I've decided to have my breakfast to go," Regina stated to the waitress whose back was turned as she fiddled with the espresso machine.

A clatter resounded from Regina's left and she turned her head just in time to see the Sheriff dropping her fork suddenly on the plate before her. Emma stuffed her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie and appeared to be mumbling something inaudibly at her plate of food.

"Sure, Regina, it'll be right out," Ruby called as she trotted to the service window separating the kitchen from the dining room.

"Miss Mills," Regina corrected the waitress. She sat at the stool, leaving only one desolate seat between herself and the Sheriff.

"Whatever!" Ruby hollered back.

Regina unfolded the newspaper once more and feigned interest in one of the stories on the front page while simultaneously watching the blonde from the corner of her eye. It took a large amount of practiced self-control not to have chuckled when the blonde was so startled by her presence. And it took even more now not to snipe at the younger woman. Instead, she made a show of sighing irritably and looking from her paper, past the Sheriff, and to the service window where she had last seen Ruby.

"Anytime now Miss Lucas, some of us have schedules to adhere to," Regina said, rolling her eyes. "Oh, Sheriff Swan, I didn't see you there," she finished in a bored tone which juxtaposed the shrewd smile stretching across her face.

Emma froze. Her once hyperactive awareness of her surroundings had been compromised by her wallowing so much so that she hadn't even heard the woman sitting beside her approach. Nor did she smell the signature apple and vanilla aroma that surrounded Regina. And while all the voices around her registered as a dull humming in her mind, the former Evil Queen's voice resounded clear as vodka. So when she'd heard the woman calling out to Ruby, Emma froze.

She was positive that disappearing altogether at this very moment would be a welcomed blessing. She made note to ask Rumplestiltskin about the validity of an invisibility cloak. Having one of those suckers right now would be invaluable. But the fact of the matter remained, she did not have an invisibility cloak nor could she simply disappear. Perhaps she should have learned how to poof away in a cloud of smoke before pissing Regina off so badly.

Emma had no idea what to even say to the woman. She didn't have the energy to get into a verbal spar nor did she have the overt desire to even face the woman knowing that she looked about two steps away from death's door. Hell, she wasn't even sure she'd be able to utter a word to the woman without her pale cheeks glowing unabashedly red with her own embarrassment and shame. So the Sheriff resigned herself to giving a slight nod and a polite utterance of Regina's name in acknowledgment of her greeting.

A sniff of disdain followed and Emma could feel the dark woman's eyes roaming up and down her body, drinking in all of her pathetic state. Under the Mayor's scrutiny, Emma knew the reddening of her cheeks was inevitable as she felt the heat begin to rise up her neck, all the way to her ears.

"Well I must say that this conversation is rather one-sided. What's the matter, Sheriff? Cat got your tongue?" Regina snarked, studying the blonde and noting way her jaw stiffened. "Or do you simply prefer to converse with biscuits?"

"Leave her alone, Regina, she's not feeling well," Ruby interjected, setting a take-out tray in front of Regina with impeccable timing.

"Miss Mills," Regina corrected again. "And I can see that our dear Sheriff is feeling rather…under the weather. You look positively atrocious, dear."

Regina took a bill from her purse and handed it to Ruby instructing her to keep the change. She collected her takeout tray and readjusted her purse on her shoulder before standing up and giving the blonde woman one last look.

"Oh, and do see to it that you make it a point to shower Miss Swan, I daresay your odor is rather offensive," Regina stated before turning on her heel and exiting the diner.

"What was that all about?" Ruby asked, refilling Emma's coffee cup once more and wiping the few scattered droplets of coffee which landed on the counter.

Emma pushed her barely touched breakfast away from her causing the brunette waitress to eye her suspiciously. It was unlike the blonde to leave leftovers on her plate, especially such a large amount. Ruby chose not to comment on it though, satisfied that she had at least eaten a few bites.

"Nothing," Emma finally said, pulling her hood back over her head.

"Look, Em, I know that Regina is still sore about the whole Marian thing but she's tough, she'll be okay," Ruby offered.

"I know she's tough. That's kinda what I worry about."

"Hmm yeah, I guess you're right. I mean, cursing an entire kingdom over a spilled secret is pretty harsh."

"Not helping."


Regina walked to the Mayor's office with her head held high. Seeing the Sheriff in such a pitiful state had brought her a perverse sense of joy. Schadenfreude or not, it seemed to be the beginning of a suitable punishment for the woman. She didn't care how or why Emma suffered. Regina simply wanted her to suffer. After all, she deserves to pay the price for destroying Regina's happiness. Had she not learned anything from her mother?

Then again, there was that pesky little thought in the recesses of her mind which desired to know exactly what was causing the blonde such pain. It was that damned curiosity again. She reasoned that she truly did not care, but she did need to know. Such information could be a powerful tool and Regina intended on using any means necessary to ensure the Sheriff suffered for as long as possible. Because if Regina was made to feel the emptiness of another lost love then surely the one responsible for bringing the loss about should feel just as bad.

Feeling the positively delighted that she once again had a person to make suffer, Regina entered the office where Snow was already sitting behind the desk holding Neal in her arms and making soft cooing noises.

"Good morning, Regina," Snow said with a smile on her face.

"You're in my chair," Regina pointed out as she lowered her takeout tray and purse to the table. "I do hope you've managed to keep your child from vomiting all over it."

Snow rolled her eyes but nonetheless removed herself from the chair so that Regina could sit down. She bounced Neal in her arms as she walked over to the crib that had been set up in the office.

"That's only your chair for another three days."

"I'm well aware of that," Regina said with a roll of her eyes. As if she needed another reminder.

Snow smiled and shook her head as she walked back over to the desk and lowered herself into one of the seats opposite from Regina.

"So…how are you?" Snow questioned, her voice imbued with compassion and concern.

"I'm fine." Regina snapped back as she booted up the computer. "I prefer not to broach the subject of my personal life."

Snow's smile faltered. "Yeah, okay, I just want you to know that if you need anything I'm here for you."

"Oh my dear Snow, do you really think I'd confide anything to you?" Regina questioned, raising a brow as she tried to keep from laughing in the woman's face. "I doubt you would be able to keep anything to yourself even if I sewed your lips together."

Snow opened and closed her mouth a few times.

"…I thought we were passed this?" She lamented with a sad smile which earned a scoff from Regina.

"Why? Because we went camping in Neverland? That was no kumbayah friendship building wilderness trip," Regina said, piercing the fairer woman with a heated stare. "We are most definitely not passed this."

Snow sighed in defeat, no longer wishing to be on the receiving end of Regina's venomous barbs. She put her hands up as a show of surrender and went to check on Neal before immersing herself in another day of learning the ins-and-outs of being the Storybrooke Mayor. Regina had already showed her an overwhelming amount of things ranging from financial spreadsheets to business proposals and even taxing projects meant to improve the beautification of the town.

Regina waited patiently for the still-pudgy-from-pregnancy woman to return to the desk and in the meantime, she opened her takeout box and peckishly stabbed at the fruit salad with her fork. After a few nibbles of tart fruit, Regina dumped he entire tray in the trashcan. She cleared her throat and addressed Snow from across the room.

"I hear that the Sheriff is unwell," Regina said, raising a brow.

"Who? Daivd? No he's fine."

"The other Sheriff."

"Oh…" Snow said, worrying her lip as if she wasn't sure what to say on the situation. She walked slowly back to her seat before Regina's desk.

"I trust she will be well enough to attend the mayoral inauguration this Saturday?" Regina questioned.

"I hope so, yes," Snow nodded. "She's got uh…chimera flu."

"Chimera flu?" Regina questioned, skepticism made clear by her arched brows and chiding smirk.

"Yeah, I guess she picked up when she and Hook, well…you know," Snow said with a shrug of her shoulders. She squirmed in her chair, feeling suddenly uneasy about lying so directly to the woman before her.

"Mhmm," Regina hummed. "And has our dear Captain displayed any signs of this sickness?"

Snow paused. "I don't really know. I haven't seen him since the night they returned. Do you think he's okay?"

Regina nearly laughed. "I neither know nor care about the well-being of that coxswain though I fear the Rabbit Hole may be missing their most valued patron."

Much to Regina's surprise, Snow chuckled lightly then slapped a hand over her mouth as if she was embarrassed to have laughed at such a comment.

"I'm sure he'll turn up at some point," Snow shrugged again. "So what's on the agenda for today?"

"I'll be showing you how to balance the town's expenditures and revenue as well as instructing you on how to allocate funds for various offices and business in town that require additional assistance."