I'm long overdue with an update, but now that I finished my other sqbb fic, I can work on finishing this one!

So yes! Regina now knows Emma's secret, and now things will start to gain speed!

So let's not delay!

The next morning, Emma can't deny that she's nervous. She's waiting by Regina's personal elevator on the ground floor, holding two coffees like always, but she's wondering why Regina wants to meet her here. She hears Regina's heels as she enters the building, and although Emma can't see the foyer from here, she hears that everyone seems to quiet a bit at that. Even if they aren't employees of MillsCo, they still don't want to feel her wrath, as her reputation precedes her.

But Regina isn't focused on them, she's taking quick purposeful steps towards the elevator, and in turn: Emma.

"Good morning Ms. Mills," Emma greets with a polite smile, holding out her coffee. "Here's your coffee."

Regina shakes her head as she takes out a keycard to activate the elevator. "You can give it to me when we're upstairs, Ms. Swan."

Well there goes theory #1, that Regina wants her coffee a few minutes earlier.

There's a ding as the elevator car arrives, and they step inside. As Emma has her hands full, Regina presses the button, and the doors close.

"Now I can properly greet you," Regina says as she moves towards Emma, and the blonde just has enough sense to move her arms out so that the coffee doesn't spill when Regina moves her body flush to Emma's and kisses her soundly.

Emma lets out a faint moan at that. She hasn't had many kisses in the past to compare, but she knows without a doubt that Regina's kisses are magical. They make her weak in the knees, and the Girl of Steel doesn't really do weak.

When they finally part - more than likely due to the elevator nearing its destination - Regina grins at her. "Good morning."

"Morning," Emma responds breathlessly. And it's not easy to make a Kryptonian breathless.

Regina sighs near her lips. "I would love to continue kissing you but alas. Keep up with me will you?"

As the elevator lets out a ding once again, Regina is already moving back and straightening her blazer. Emma follows behind as at least three people begin bombarding Regina with questions and requests and "I'm not sure if you got Ursula's email but..."

Emma manages to keep up with the hordes of conversation topics, just in case Regina misses something and she needs to remind her boss. It's one of her duties, and being back in the familiarity of her job lets her relax a bit. The threat of someone being after Regina has her on high alert, so she's glad for the reprieve.

As they near Regina's office though, something makes her pause. It's a faint sound, but Emma's enhanced hearing is now focusing on that rather than office conundrums. It's a mechanical sound, and as they near Regina's office, it grows louder.

And louder.

Click, click, click. Whir.

Regina puts her hand on the handle to her closed office door, and Emma frowns. The door had been left open last night, and the custodians usually leave everything right where they saw it last.

She pulls the door open and Emma thinks fast, barely having time to put the coffees down on her desk. "Take cover!"

She tackles Regina, and feels sharp stabs of pain on her back. Pain. Emma's confused at that strange and rare feeling, but she's growing weak. Too weak to focus on the why.

"Emma?" she hears a panicked voice calling to her, and someone's moving her.

"Ruby," is all she manages to say before she loses consciousness.

When Emma finally manages to open her eyes, her sight is blurry; but she can still feel that she's face down on a hard surface. A table. She groans as she feels pins and needles on her back. She feels so weak.

"Emma?" She recognizes that voice. Regina. As her vision focuses, she sees Regina sitting on a chair, hand reaching out to clasp Emma's hand in her own.

"What the hell was that?" Emma mumbles. She recognizes where she is, a conference room at MillsCo.

"Kryponite fragments," a new voice says. Marian.

Emma groans. "How long was I out?" She tried to see if she could sit up, but two firm hands - one from each woman - kept her from moving.

"Just a few minutes. Marian helped me to carry you here, and she called your sister and the DEO," Regina explained. "They're on their way here."

Emma nods, and flashes Regina reassuring smile. Regina squeezes her hand to show her appreciation for the gesture, and Marian chooses then to go back around so she's in Emma's view.

"So, am I going to get the story on how this came to be?" She's looking at their joined hands, and she just knows that Regina found out. It's the only explanation.

Emma groans. "First I want the Kryptonite off my back, then I'll tell you all about it."

Before anyone can say anything else, the door bursts open and Emma sees a troop of DEO agents, all decked out in Hazmat suits. They usher Regina and Marian away, and begin on painfully extracting the Kryptonite.

Outside, Regina is fuming. "Honestly, if it was radioactive, we'd probably already be screwed."

"We don't want to take any precautions." The two women turn around and see Director Fa and Ruby standing there. The Director continues to speak, "We have no idea if the Kryptonite has been laced with something, but exposing you two even longer would be unwise. Now if you'll excuse me, I must meet with my security personnel in order to proceed."

As Director Fa left, a frown begins to grow on Regina's face. "Security personnel for what?"

"You," Ruby responds, hands clasped behind her back. "Since the attacks keep growing, we have to put you under protection. Now, can someone explain to me what happened?"

So Regina tells her, Marian is also listening intently, and when she's done, Ruby narrows her eyes.

"You...know?" Ruby asks tersely.

Regina nods. "Yes I do. And as I have promised your sister, her secret is safe with me."

"Is it really?" Ruby growls, arms now crossing in front of her menacingly.

Regina looks affronted. "Yes! I keep my promises, as hard as it may be for you to believe, and Emma trusts me to keep it. I would hope you can trust her judgment, since you clearly don't trust me."

Marian attempts to diffuse the situation by changing the subject. "Is Emma going to be okay? I mean it was a lot of Kryptonite."

Ruby turns to her and nods, tension dissolving from her face, replaced with worry. "I hope so. They should be done removing the Kryptonite soon and we'll get a report."

Marian's phone rings, and she excuses herself, much to Regina's chagrin. She knows Emma's sister doesn't exactly like her, Marian had told as much earlier when she had called her after the attack, so to be left alone with her doesn't sound all that pleasing.

It doesn't take long for Ruby to attack anew. "I hope you understand that if I hear even a peep of you betraying my sister, I will come after you."

Regina huffs. "Is that how low you think of me? That I would betray someone I genuinely like and might be able to have a relationship with? I am the owner of a world-renown and respected media corporation, not a gossip columnist for TMZ or People Magazine, so I suggest, Agent Lucas, that you back down."

Ruby spluttered. "Wait, you like Emma? As in romantically-"

"Yes, the bitch with the heart of ice has actually fallen for someone. Shocker, I know." The sarcasm was palpable in that answer, but Ruby figures she deserves it.

"Okay, maybe I have been a bit harsh on you," Ruby begins.

"A bit? Could've fooled me," Regina bit back.

Ruby flinches. "Look, Emma has always been too trusting. She sees the best in people, and I'm just worried that one day, someone will use that to betray her, even hurt her. Or worse, kill her."

Regina can understand where Ruby is coming from, and nods. "She's lucky to have you."

Ruby smiles at that and extends her hand. "Truce?"

Taking the hand in her own, Regina nods cordially. "Truce."

When they let the other's hand go, Walsh comes bounding down the hallway, Marian following a few paces behind. He glances at Ruby with a deep frown. "Your buddies at the door really weren't keen on letting me through, Marian had to vouch for me." As he finished catching his breath, he grows worried. "How is she?"

"We'll know in a bit," Ruby reassures him.

Walsh glances at Regina momentarily, but Regina doesn't quite catch what the look means, only that he doesn't seem happy she's there.

Then, an agent walks out, Hazmat suit removed, wielding a flashlight of sorts. "Kryptonite wasn't modified, so they're just finishing removing the pieces and we can discharge her. However, I must check to see if any of you caught some haywire fragments."

Regina and Marian hold out their hands for inspection while Ruby and Walsh watch from the side. The agent passes the pseudo-flashlight over their hands and arms and, apparently finding nothing, clears both of them before then turning to Ruby and Walsh's direction, the light still on.

Ruby frowns at the incoming agent. "Hey Rory, we weren't here, you don't have to check us."

The agent, Rory, points to Walsh. "I can see some Kryptonite on him from here on his arms and hands."

"Walsh?" Marian and Ruby ask, turning to him.

He tries to play confused. "Maybe my desk was infected and I touched it?"

Rory shakes her head. "With the amount I can see, he could have practically bathed in it."

"I-I wasn't even here! I was late with traffic and I could've never planted-"

Ruby grew serious. "We never said anything about planting anything, Walsh. Turn around and place your hands on your head, you're under arrest."

"What?! You're accusing me of planting Kryptonite?" he splutters.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Ruby says. Marian is shocked at this development, and Regina doesn't know enough about Walsh to warrant knowing if he can be trusted or not.

As Rory advances to put cuffs on him, he slams into her and knocks her back before he sprints away. Ruby curses and touches her earpiece as she chases after him, relaying orders and leaving Regina now reeling alongside Marian at this new development.

They both collect themselves enough to help Rory up, but she doesn't go after him. "I'm not really skilled with chasing, plus he has a head start; I'm more useful here. I'll let you know once the process is complete and you can see Emma again."

"Thank you," Marian says, and after Rory leaves, she leans against the wall and slowly lowers herself to the ground. "I never would've guessed Walsh."

Regina says nothing at first, going to sit beside Marian, in a more delicate and refined way of course. The day may have taken a turn towards chaos, but she still has an image to preserve. "But why would he target me? I'm not that bad of a boss am I? I mean, I hardly know him."

Marian shakes her head. "He doesn't seem like he's working by himself, he's probably your attacker's front man, all evidence points to him so they can charge him for everything, and you'd still have no idea who the attacker can be."

Regina sighs. "He was in a prime position to plant everything, he has clearance and knows my schedule. Whoever hired him is smart."

Marian nods and hums. "But how? I mean, I'm sure Walsh is paid decently so I can't imagine him looking at the classifieds searching for extra jobs."

"And I'm positive that there're no classifieds in the paper looking evil henchmen to pull off murderous plots. But I'll investigate later." Regina looks longingly at the door of the room Emma is in, and sighs.

"I'll start researching," Marian says, giving Regina's shoulder an affectionate squeeze and standing up.

"You're not going to stay?" Regina asks. "You can wait. I didn't mean that the research had to start right away."

Marian smiles reassuringly at her. "Look, Emma's tough and I'm sure she'll be fine. You have a maniac out there who just upgraded to a potential murder, because I have no idea what those shards would have done to you if Emma hadn't been there. And I don't like doing the waiting game, so I'll keep myself busy. On the bright side, I'll have peace in the office."

Regina had gotten everyone out of the office to wait downstairs in the lobby until it was safe, so Marian did have a point on it at least being quiet. "Okay. Let me know if you find anything."

Marian nods and takes her leave.

After five minutes of waiting, Regina decides that she can't stay still, and resorts to pacing. After five more minutes, she decides she would busy herself with work and takes out her phone to check emails. She's done answering the first email when she feels a warm and soft hand on her shoulder.

She turns and, in a very uncharacteristic move, jumps into Emma's arms, burrowing her head in Emma's hair. "You're okay."

Emma returns the hug just as tightly - she could hug tighter but she doesn't want to hurt Regina - and smiles. "Of course I am, I'm Supergirl."

Regina scoffs and rolls her eyes, breaking the hug so she can glare at the woman in front of her. "Don't get cocky on me."

"I'm not cocky."

Regina doesn't deign that with an answer, because she's just so happy that Emma's okay, and that her first instinct had been to protect Regina, it's just so selfless and caring of her; it's all catching up to Regina, now that she sees Emma, okay and fine. "Thank you," she says after a moment.

Emma's confused. "For what?"

"What do you mean for what?" Regina voces how perplexed she is at the nonchalant response. How can Emma not know? "Saving my life and risking blowing your cover?"

Emma shrugs with a smile. "You're worth all of it."

"Really? You're beginning to sound like a cheesy rom com movie Emma," Regina teases with her own smile.

"But I got you to smile," Emma notes proudly. "Now come on, I'm sure Ruby is going to grill me five ways to next Tuesday, so we should get a move on."

Together, they walk back to Regina's office, while Regina fills Emma in on what happened with Walsh. She's pale when Regina finishes. "But...he's my friend. He even helped make my costume. How-"

Emma tapers off as she sees Ruby there and stalks up to her. Although she's still in her modest civilian clothes, she's walking like Supergirl, determined and confident.

"Emma! You're okay." Ruby runs up to her to give her a big hug, and for a moment, Emma relaxes into it. Then she's all business when the hug is done. "What happened with Walsh?"

"We have him in custody, but he's not being helpful. Talking about wanting a lawyer and unlawful incarceration." Ruby rolls her eyes and Emma bites her lip.

"What if I talk to him? Maybe I can find out what's going on?"

Ruby shakes her head. "Director Fa has forbidden anyone from talking to him, she's taking him to the DEO base and having a chat with him...she has no idea what to expect, so she's not taking any chances. Seeing you might provide him some leverage to stay quiet, and we don't want that."

Emma sighs and loses some of her bluster. Regina places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "So what can we do?"

"Go about as if nothing's wrong, and as soon as we know more, we'll let you know." Ruby put a comforting hand on Emma's shoulder. "I know this is a shock, Walsh was a friend, but I'm sure there's a reason for how this happened. Just in case, we've left a squad of agents watching over you."

"Yeah," Emma says dismissively, and shuffles over to her desk.

Ruby turns to Regina and sighs. "Watch over her, okay? You may be able to get through to her. Meanwhile, I'll tell the guys downstairs to start letting your employees back up."

Regina thanks her and then walks to where Emma is sitting, acting as if nothing's wrong. "With me, now."

Emma blinks in confusion but then scrambles out of her chair to follow Regina. They enter the office, now clean from whatever mess had been planted for Regina...by Walsh. Reminding herself of that keeps bringing a pang to her stomach. She trusted him, he helped her during missions! How could he have done this?

Her thoughts are interrupted when she sees they are in Regina's spacious walk-in en-suite closet. It's not long before Regina has Emma against the wall and is kissing her softly.

When they part, Regina just moves so she can look Emma in the eyes. "Hey, I know this is hard and confusing, but don't get lost trying to figure out why. You couldn't have known."

Emma bites her lip then says, "Ruby's right, I'm too trusting."

Regina sighs. "Do you remember what I told you? It's a good thing that you're such a beacon of hope and goodness Emma, and you're so willing to trust everyone. Although yes this can serve as a cautionary tale to be more careful, this is what makes you so unique, and makes Supergirl such a beloved icon. Don't let that part of you go because of one bad experience. The betrayal stings, I know, but use this to grow, not build a wall to hide behind, okay?"

"Okay." Emma nods with a small smile and gives Regina a kiss.

The office is populated once more by the time they make their way out of the closet, and as Emma sits down, she feels invigorated with Regina's speech. She's right. Walsh did help her before and she still has a lot of great allies. Perhaps Walsh isn't doing this out of his own volition. Maybe there's something more going on. She can't dwell on that right now. Now, she wants to get lost in the mundane world of work.

And it works. She makes it all the way through lunch without a problem, barring the few people who came up to her to ask if she's okay and hadn't she gotten shot at with Kryptonite? What is she doing here? Shouldn't she be at home? Or at the hospital?

Emma diplomatically assures everyone that it was more of a light show than anything, and that she's fine. It's a close call to her secret identity, but still manageable.

However, her peace ends at 1pm, when news of the attack picks up traction on TV and social media. It's national news within 15 minutes, and Emma's phone is ringing off the hook. After fumbling with three calls, Regina walks to her desk. "Tell everyone I'll be holding a press conference tomorrow morning promptly at 9am in the plaza. Maybe that way they will leave you alone."

Emma smiles gratefully at her and manages to handle the rest of the calls by relaying Regina's message.

And then she gets a vastly different call.

It was Billy, a security guard in the lobby. "Hey Emma, I'm really sorry, I tried to stop her but she wouldn't take no for an answer. I know Ms. Mills told us to ban her but there's no way to stop her, she's a lady to be reckoned with!"

"Who-" Emma is about to ask, but then she sees who it is, walking her way radiating confidence and power. Cora Mills. "Don't worry about it Billy."

She hangs up and tries to catch Regina's attention, but she's too late, Cora is in front of her desk, and she's not happy. "Well, I'm surprised you haven't been fired yet. I figured that your incompetence coupled with my daughter's inability to keep a secretary for longer than two mistakes meant you'd be long gone by now. Anyway, I wish to have a meeting with my daughter, so cancel all of her plans for the afternoon, I will not accept interruptions, is that clear?"

Emma barely manages to nod when Cora is already walking into the office and shutting the doors behind her. Emma doesn't waste a second putting her enhanced hearing to good use.

Regina looks indignant at having her mother there, and worse at how she treated Emma. "Mother! You have no right-"

"Oh do shut up Regina. You're on the national news because you've been getting daily attacks and being ridiculed by an amateur prankster. But it's not surprising, I practically waltzed in here, there's no security in this place preventing me from entering without an appointment, so it's not a wonder you're being targeted, you might as well have a neon sign announcing how easy it is."

"Is that all mother?" Regina asks, clearly not at all in the mood for this. Emma's surprised that Regina doesn't retort with the fact that Cora's technically banned from the building, so the problem isn't security, she's just not a woman you can say 'no' to. Not if you want to continue living, that is.

But Cora either doesn't notice her daughter's disinterest and sarcasm, or she ignores it, since she continues. "Of course not. No daughter of mine will sully the Mills name because she treats her safety like yesterday's paper. If you won't get a man to protect you properly, then at least hire a proper bodyguard. Like Claude, he's a good man, and not a bad choice for a suitor, if I may add. He doesn't wear a cape like your newest mascot, but he's still a worthy candidate."

That is apparently the final straw. "Enough! I have brought nothing but pride and fame to our family, and my love life is completely forbidden from being brought into debates, am I clear?"

Cora is stunned for a second, so Regina adds, "And I don't care if Claude is Superman himself, if you like him so much, then you get involved with him. Now get out of my office!"

Emma's so enraptured with the argument, she fails to notice someone walking up towards her desk, not until they literally knock on the surface. She startles and looks up, and then she frowns.

She's looking at a woman with vibrant green skin, and she can't help but gape a bit. Another thing she can't help? The sudden onset of fatigue she feels. "C-can I help you?"

"Why yes! You can let me enter that office so I may witness that glorious argument from the front row," the woman responds with a wicked smirk.

"I'm sorry, she's busy, perhaps you can come back later? I can take your name and pencil you in?" Emma tries.

The woman scoffs. "And here I thought family got the special privilege of barging in sweet Regina's office. But no matter. Don't mind if I do."

Before Emma can do anything - and it's incredible how much slower her movements are all of a sudden - the woman is already barging in herself.

"Zelena!?" both women chorus when they notice the newcomer.

The woman, Zelena, smirks wider. "Surprised to see me?"

Outside, Emma is rapidly searching for a Zelena Mills. She's sure she would've heard if there existed another Mills woman, especially one who was green. She still keeps her ear trained on the conversation as she begins to read about an explosion in a lab five years ago, with lots of casualties, including the death of renown scientist Zelena Mills, Regina's sister.

"You see, it's easy to pretend being dead when no one cares enough to look," Zelena is saying, venom in her voice.

"You were dead! Your body was-" Regina couldn't bring herself to say exactly how Zelena's supposed body looked like after the explosion, but she continues. "And they found your DNA on it so there was no one to search for. We mourned you!"

"Mourned me?! Please. Mother definitely looked like she was grieving me when she was at a political fundraiser not two days later, laughing it up and flirting. And you, holding that extravagant party to yet another banner year for MillsCo. Look how quickly I was forgotten. It's not surprising, after all, both of you never cared about anyone else but yourselves."

Cora looks rightfully chastised, though it's to be expected after being called out by both her daughters within minutes of one another. But while Regina had no more strength to fight Cora, she's heading up to bat against Zelena. "You have no right to claim whether or not I mourned for you. I have been demanding that Gold Laboratories investigate the safety measures they were taking, and to reconsider their projects' dangers, but I was stonewalled, so I'm holding a side investigation of my own. I even opened up a scholarship in your name to encourage more young girls to go into science, and you have the galls to barge in here and act like I'm mother when she's right there?"

At first, Emma thinks Zelena's backing down. But on closer inspection, she sees Zelena's shaking in fury. "Platitudes!" she exclaims, stalking closer to the desk, and Emma is already getting up and walking to the office by the time Zelena splays her hands on Regina's desk. "I will not take those false niceties from you. You've always hated me, hated the competition that I provided against mother, so I doubt you would truly miss me. But anyway, I'm not here to fight."

Emma waits by the door, closing it behind her, and she meets Regina's eyes for a quick second before the latter looks at Zelena once again. "No? Then pray tell, what do we owe this glorious revival to?"

Zelena lets out a cackle, and begins pacing the room. "You mean you haven't figured out who has been sending you all those wonderful little surprises every morning?"

"You!" Then it dawns on Regina. "All this time, you were talking about the investigation I'm doing on Gold. Not on Supergirl."

With a scoff, Zelena rolls her eyes, and Emma can see the family resemblance. "Of course not, has the fame really gotten to your head and destroyed whatever brain you once had, sis?"

"Well you did sign with that ridiculous shield," Regina mutters.

"Oh you haven't heard the news, of course. See, as you well know, the explosion was from a project I was working on. But what you don't know was that it was a project with Kryptonite. I'm now a being made entirely out of Kryptonite. The power it gives me," Zelena sighs wistfully. "Can you believe I once tried to consult every single doctor that had even the minor experience with Kryptonite, to fix me? And then I realized, I'm perfect like this."

Well, that explains the fatigue, Emma thinks dryly.

"All this power at my fingertips, no one would dare underestimate me. Not you, nor mother. And especially not your little assistant here."

Emma freezes, and all three Mills women are now looking at her. Zelena walks up to her, and Emma tenses. The doors open inwards, so if she tries to slip out, she has to step back to open the doors, and who knows what Zelena will do if Emma's in even closer range. Right now, she's risking her secret identity if she acts like Supergirl.

"Leave her alone Zelena," Regina orders.

"Oh but I'm only having a little bit of fun. I wonder what will happen to a Kryptonian when I touch her. Aren't you curious?"

Cora gasps. "Wait, that's Supergirl?"

"Yes mother, do try to keep up," Zelena deadpans, having backed Emma up against the glass doors. Didn't Ruby say that DEO agents would be on standby and keeping watch? Where were they?!

"Now, don't move, this won't hurt...or maybe it will, I have no clue!" Zelena grabs Emma's arm with one hand, and Emma feels the burning sensation of Kryptonite on her arm, burning through the clothes to reach her skin, like the feeling earlier on her back, but this is more intense, more concentrated.

Emma lets out a pained gasp, and she flinches. It hurts like nothing she's ever felt before.

"Let her go!" Regina exclaims., rushing to Zelena, hoping she could pry her sister off. But Zelena just swatted her away, using her hand to deliver a staggering blow to send her back towards her desk.

"To the contrary, dear Regina. I want to see you suffer, and as I understand it, this little pretty is the perfect starter." Zelena tightens her hold on Emma's arm and then brings her other hand closer to Emma's face. "Now, let's up the ante, shall we?"

Well I suppose everyone knew it would be Zelena judging by the cover, but tadaa! The big baddie reveal. And Walsh, which probably was expected, because Zelena and all that.

As you can tell, I try to riddle the story with various ouat characters, I'm sure they're all recognizeable.

But special shoutout/mention in this chapter to Claude, the big dude from the special Very Big Gay Ep of ouat who ripped out a payphone because Cruella/Hades demanded it in order to squash hope. I wonder what that guy's deal is, and since this show has a knack of making the randomnest character intros and stretching stories, rather than dealing with, I dunno, the main characters, might as well do that.

Can you tell I'm bitter?

Anyway! What're our heroes going to do now?

You'll soon see! I'll update Date in the Name of the Law and then right back to this!