Looking up at the disarray of crumbling brick that surrounds her, the Mayor feels her sense of doubt deepen. The sun that had earlier cast its blazing rays down upon the lot has set in favour of a mild-mannered moon, but the lingering scent of hot tarmac remains. Still, what had seemed like some forgotten pocket of a cesspool city by the light of day now seems all the more ominous and foreign, as the quiet echo of several arguments is met with the underlying static of television sets blaring through open windows, and the whir of rickety old fans.

Boston is hot tonight.

And Boston is dark tonight.

Still, she tries to find solace in the possibility that it might be easier to find her prey by the light of the moon, as it is unlikely that she will still be roaming the streets.

Oh really? And you're surmising this from what previous knowledge exactly?

None. For all she knows, the young woman she seeks could work nights in this world's version of a tavern... In fact, she almost wishes for it.

What might Snow make of that?...

She finds the notion unlikely, however. She had been surprised upon reaching the address she had noted down, as she hadn't pictured the Lost Princess becoming quite, so, well... Lost. That said, there is a vast difference between living in squalor and selling one's body, and she simply doesn't believe that Emma Swan having stooped to doing the latter would be genetically possible.

"Alice didn't seem to think she'd be gone all that much longer anyway..."

No, but then Alice had also seen fit to climb up onto a cistern and escape through a bathroom window.

So perhaps we won't take her word with all too much meaning...

Sighing, Regina purses her lips and scans the yellow pockets of light stippling hulking brick once more. She has no clue where to start; her call to the gentleman listed as the landlord for this prestigious establishment having been answered with a grunted reply that he wasn't at liberty to divulge any personal information, followed by the irritating shriek of a dial tone.

There may be little less in the world as offensive as the mocking ring of a dial tone...

She has a sneaking suspicion that if she had provided a little more incentive than just the sultry purr of her voice, she might have been rewarded with what she'd wanted, but had refused to give in to her pride and try Sandy Heffernan again.

Supposing she'll simply have to do this by means of elimination, she squares her shoulders and prepares to make her way over to the first of the doors she had been interrupted in knocking upon earlier today.

She doesn't get that much further this time around.

"Well, look who's back..."

Whirling around with her eyes wide, the Mayor scans the open lot before her dark gaze falls on two of the men she remembers from earlier.

Denny

She reminds herself; remembering the blonde's words as she had sat perched up on the wall.

The brunette casts a quick glance up to her side but determines that- this time- she is alone.

Well... Apart from Denny.

And his friend.

And their dog.

The mutt is small- coming no higher than to his master's knees- but stockily built and with a large jaw hanging open to reveal a great number of teeth.

"What do you want?"

She snaps irritably, refusing to take a step backwards, however much she might like to.

"You still looking for someone, darlin'?"

"I'm warning you..."

"Warning us?! You hear that, Rav? The little lady here is warning us!"

"What are you gonna do, sweetheart? Just what are you gonna do?"

"I..."

"I think you better quit your big talk yapping and give a little thought to our situation... Maybe try being a little bit nicer... A little sweeter... A little sugar goes a long way..."

"I... Shut up, Denny."

She snarls, before understanding very swiftly that she's made a grandiose mistake. The pockmarked face of the man to the left falls in an ugly fashion, and his meaty fist whitens around the chain of the leash.

"What you say...?"

Denny takes a step closer, Chomper or Rex or Cujo or whatever the mutt's name might be tugging at his restraints and snarling audibly.

Up above, Emma scratches Cass dismissively behind the ear and murmurs softly

"Uh oh..."

Pushing the cat off of her lap with a low follow up of 'oh boy', she offers a wistful glance at her shoes, before catching the telling rumble of Max's growling and simply shrugging; pulling herself up to stand silhouetted in the open window before leaping lightly onto the roof of the hold-all with practiced ease.

The corrugated iron clangs under her weight, and she pushes herself up onto her feet so that she stands looking down on the lot with her arms folded irritably over her chest.

"Can't you guys ever just play nice?"

She growls, but unlike before, Denny shows no sign of taking her arrival as his cue to leave.

"Oh no you don't, not this time, you little bitch! This time you're gonna keep your nose out of our business..."

"Business? What business? All you guys are doing, if you ask me, is fucking around where you shouldn't be... It's a shame that that's not a business; you'd be stinking rich!"

"Get lost, doll."

"How about you back off, Rav?"

The young woman warns, but her bark doesn't seem to be having the same effect as it had before, and both men simply laugh.

"The bitch was dumb enough to come back. She's asking for it."

"Asking for what?"

Regina interjects with a strained quality to her voice, and the men simply laugh.

"Oh, don't worry, doll, we'll show you..."

Denny drawls as he moves in on the brunette. Watching as the darker woman begins to move back nervously- her heels loud and jarring on the tarmac- the blonde frowns and jumps down from her perch; wincing as several small stones bite at her bare feet.

"Look, why don't you guys just-"

But the rest is lost as the Mayor makes a panicked move to the side and the mutt takes this as a cue to attack; wrenching himself free of his master's hand and running forth with the metal links of his chain sparking as they drag against the ground.

"Max!"

Denny yells, but his dog is having none of it, and the brunette screams before her voice gets drowned out by the shrieking of tyres.

Headlights flare across the lot, and the dog dodges with a yelp of surprise; the Mayor falling to her knees during her own attempt to escape a nasty bite. Reacting to the dangerous roar of the engine- the lime green of the Dodge responsible lost behind the blinding white of its lights- the blonde falls down on top of the darker woman and struggles to pull her up, shouting in her ear over the sound of ominous revving

"Get up! Get up! Get up! Come on! Fuck! Up!"

She hoists the brunette clumsily up onto her feet and half drags, half pushes her towards the corner, just before squealing rubber heralds the monstrous vehicle entering the lot in a tailspin, accompanied by several loud cheers and whistles of exuberance.

With the driver's side window down, an ageing blond sticks his head out of the tinted glass and yells

"Come on fuckwads! Get in! Pigs are out! No time to play! Leave Swan be and get your asses in!"

Whistling for the mutt-

Max, the brunette thinks hazily

-to follow, Denny and Rav jump into the car with the dog springing up and over to land in-between them on the back seat.

Tyres screeching as the Dodge takes off in a streak of lime green, the two women are left panting in the receding scarlet of the taillights.

"Shit! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Emma yells as she snaps out of her fear and brushes herself down shakily.

"Why did you leave?!"

"Why the hell did you come back?!"

The blonde growls, doubling over as she massages a stitch in her side from where her tugging at the darker woman has caused her to strain herself.

"I..."

Regina simply shakes her head, looking down at the torn knee of her dress pants in shock.

It is only once the younger woman straightens herself back up and runs a bloodied palm through her hair with an irritable huff that she is able to process what just happened.

"... Swan."

"Huh?"

"... Your name's not Alice... Is it?"