Author's Note: Originally this chapter was about twice the length but I didn't realize it at first as I've been handwriting this story in my math notebook. Anyway, I broke it into two sections to make it a little easier to digest. As always, I love to hear all of your feedback; the good and the bad. Thank you all so much for continuing to read this. Sending love to each and every one of you :)


Chapter Nine: Dealing with Dirt

Leave it to Emma Swan to unknowingly but effectively ruin Regina's well thought out plans for the morning. It should have been as simple as throwing some clothes in a bag then moving right along. But no. Now, Regina had to literally do the blondes dirty laundry. Such a task is fit for a peasant, not a queen. Regina's lip was upturned at the simple thought of the demeaning task set before her. Nevertheless, the dutiful Mayor wasted no time in shoveling handfuls of dirty laundry into a large trash bag, while mumbling a long strain of expletives not so quietly.

Within moments, Regina was lugging the bulging bag down the stairs and into her car. She was glad that for once she parked so near to Mary Margaret's dingy apartment. Normally she favored parking down the block, fearing that perhaps some of the dilapidation of the old building would infect her car but today Regina simply did not have time for her meticulousness.

Forgoing her previous plan to confront Jefferson about his poison once more, Regina instead drove the opposite way back to her manor on Mifflin Street.

Jefferson, for one, should have known better. Especially after that last little stunt he pulled. 28 years of frozen time. To an outsider, it may seem like a lifetime. 28 years of life and one should have graduated from college, become successful in their chosen career, and even have begun a family. 28 years and all Jefferson had accomplished was wasting his time away with those ridiculous costumes and noxious potions. 28 years and Regina should have known better.

Within the first three years of their cursed lives, Jefferson had made it clearer than vodka that he knew about the curse. He remembered everything from his previous life, including his daughter Grace that the Evil Queen so savagely ripped away from him. He swore that he'd make her pay for her sins but Regina merely laughed in his face. In this land and the last, Jefferson was nothing short of mad. The more she thought it about, the more she cursed herself for not putting the man safely in a padded cell upon arrival to the new land.

Perhaps right next to that insufferable Belle.


Two hours passed and the blonde was still sound asleep. In that moment, Emma couldn't have appeared more ethereal if she had tried. The serenity of the scene before her was not lost upon Regina. And yet, she attempted to push the thoughts from her mind, refusing to deal with them. The disturbing dreams seemed to have passed, if Emma's being wrapped in a cocoon of sheets wasn't testament enough to that observation. She looked…much younger without the crease between her brows and the frown of her lips.

Regina stood at the edge of the bed, watching as Emma's chest rose and fell softly in her sleep. A small smile found its way onto the Mayor's stoic face as she felt suddenly very domestic standing at the edge of the bed, folding the sleeping woman's overwhelming amount of white tank tops, with decades of expertise.

Nice work burying those thoughts Your Majesty.

Regina shook her head, walking away from the bed to deposit the clean clothes in neat stacks on top of the dresser. Unbeknownst to her, Emma's eyes parted slightly, watching Regina as she crossed back and forth from the bed to the dresser.

"Morning," Emma croaked. Regina's back stiffened at the sounds of Emma's scratchy morning voice.

"Miss Swan," she spoke curtly. "How are you feeling?"

Emma stretched, raising her arms above her head and lifting her torso from the bed, twisting and turning in ways that would impress even the most elite contortionist.

"Just tired," Emma yawned. "And hungry," she added as her stomach wasted no time complaining – quite audibly - of its empty state.

"I have an errand to run," Regina said, turning around to face the blonde. "Would you like for me to pick up lunch from Granny's?" she asked, crossing slowly to the bed where Emma still lie. When she looked into Emma's sleep enraptured eyes, she was met with a guarded look of suspicion.

"Uhh, sure…thanks?" Emma managed to say.

The response Emma received was one of those dazzling Mayor Mills smiles, as Regina lowered herself onto the bed. She slowly, tentatively, brought her hand closer to Emma.

"What are you do-"

"Checking your temperature," Regina cut Emma off before she could finish her question.

Regina's hand was cool on the blonde's mildly feverish skin. Emma found herself shutting her eyes and relaxing slightly under the Mayor's surprisingly gentle touch. The entire scenario was oddly intimate which caused a bit of discomfort to swell in Emma's gut. It felt…wrong. This was not how Emma Swan and Regina Mills interacted. Theirs was a relationship focused on one-upmanship and bickering. And this? Well, this was just a hop, skip, and jump over the line.

"I told you." Emma whispered. "I feel fine."

Regina snorted in amusement, but still Emma couldn't open her eyes, too afraid to look into the Mayor's chocolate orbs. Too afraid to see what emotions lie there. Too afraid to face that look of condescension that Regina wore far too often.

"Forgive me if I don't take your word, dear." Regina said, removing her hand from Emma and standing once more. "It wouldn't be the first time you've lied to me. Probably won't be the last."

Emma chuckled briefly, opening her eyes but not looking at the woman standing above her.

"Yeah, you're probably right," she agreed without hesitation. "But don't you act like you're all innocent over there."

Regina didn't respond. She couldn't. Aside from either insulting the other woman, what could she really say? Emma was right. Regina lied. A lot. Practically every hour of every day. Hell, her whole existence in this depressingly mediocre town was a god damn lie. Emma would understand that soon enough. But until then, Regina had to place all the pieces on the board. One little piece out of place would be disastrous. One insubordinate pawn was all that was necessary to bring her carefully calculated plans hurtling from the stratosphere.

Emma noticed the emotions running through Regina's dark eyes, shifting slightly so that she was sitting up against the headboard and doing her best to ignore the stiffness of her muscles.

"You okay?" she questioned. Both women were acutely aware of the absurdity of their current situation however neither of them spoke of it. The entire ordeal was so awkward that even if they wanted to speak about it, neither of them would even know where to start. So it had become a silent understanding to not comment about it. Not yet, at least.

"Just fine, dear." Regina responded after a long beat of silence. She forced a smile in which she hoped appeared more convincing that it felt. "I'll be back within the hour. Do us both a favor and try not to do anything stupid."

"No promises, Madame Mayor."

Regina rolled her eyes and crossed the room to the door. After only a few footsteps she heard Emma call out her name. With a sigh and unspoken curse, Regina turned around, flicking her hair from her face and looking rather impatiently at the blonde.

"Yes, Miss Swan?"

"I uh…just…thank you."

Regina's features lightened instantly. She was definitely not expecting that. Something was gnawing away deep inside that hard little heart she possessed. In that moment, Regina found herself caught so off guard that she didn't even trust herself to respond. Instead she practically rushed from the room, growing more and more uncomfortable with the nagging feeling in her chest. Simple words, with simple meaning but it seemed like so much more. Regina had left the scene so quickly that she missed the single tear fall from Emma's eye.


Parking her flashy Benz out front of the dreary corner store, Regina readjusted her Prada sunglasses before exiting the car. She took note of the dilapidated sign stretching across the storefront which read in large, childlike block letters 'Cheshire Clothing Company'. The windows were in an equal state of disarray and appeared not to have been washed for many years. Even from behind her tinted shades, Regina could easily see the caked on grime from the salty air and exhaust fumes. Her nose crinkled with disgust as she pushed her way through the front doors and silently questioned why her day seemed to revolve around the single theme of dirtiness.

The inside of the shop was no more inviting than the outside. Shelves and racks of clothing were stocked with intricately crafted clothing options, from dresses to hats and everything in between. Along the right wall was an array of too-short skirts and too-tight shirts. It became all too clear that Miss Lucas did her fair share of shopping in this seedy little blemish in Regina's otherwise picturesque town. She walked slowly to the counter at the back of the store, staring intently at the man who seemed unaware of her presence. His back was turned as he dusted off the well-illuminated shelves which were home to dozens of mannequin heads, each proudly sporting some eclectic hat.

"Jefferson," Regina purred.

"Ahh, Your Majesty," The man replied without the decency to turn and face her. "I was wondering when you'd pop in for a visit."

"Oh my dear Jefferson, I would have hoped you'd learned from your mistakes."

"Whatever do you mean?" Jefferson turned around with a cocky grin on his face.

Regina, however, was not amused in the least. She huffed and pulled out the pint size bottle from her purse, slamming it on the glass counter top.

"Don't play stupid with me, Hatter. You know exactly why I'm here."

"Oh, dear," Jefferson's tone changed to sound more concerned than he felt. "Someone must have stolen that from my stash. Shame, though, I really ought to be more careful with my belongings." He shrugged.

Regina slammed her hand on the counter, feeling the rage boiling under her skin.

"Cut the shit, Jefferson." She warned. "I've got no time for your games."

If he was intimidated by her power, Jefferson surely didn't show it. "Don't tell me someone was unfortunate enough to drink this?" he questioned, not even trying to hide his amusement.

"I'm warning you," Regina sneered, leaning over the counter. "There is no one here to stop me from ripping your worthless heart from your chest and crushing it between my fingers."

Jefferson considered this more a moment. Taking a step back and crossing his arms, the once beheaded man threw his head back and cackled in delight.

"Okay, Your Majesty, I confess…I may have suggested to an ignorant, defenseless, and slightly intoxicated person to give it a try. It tastes like butterscotch you know?"

"The reminder is unnecessary." Regina snarled.

Jefferson clapped his hands together. "That's right! I had completely forgotten that you've had the pleasure of tasting The Wonder Land. Tell me, did you enjoy your trip?"

A wave of magic surged through the room as Regina's anger boiled over. Jefferson looked slightly taken aback as the ground beneath them trembled with power.

"Enough!" Regina yelled. "Give me the antidote."

"I'm afraid I can't do that Your Majesty."

"So help me god I will lock you away for the rest of your days Hatter!"

"As if I'm not already imprisoned!?" He yelled with exasperation and arms circling wide. But then he just smiled and looked at the Mayor once more. "So I take it our dear Sheriff drank the contents then?" he asked in a gleefully childish tone. When Regina averted her eyes, the mad man cackled loudly once more.

"You are insane." Regina spat as she tried to squelch the anger resonating within her. "You poisoned an innocent woman!"

Jefferson laughed. "Oh how the tables have turned. I daresay the irony of this situation is particularly humorous."

"Snow White was not an innocent woman."

"Perhaps," Jefferson reasoned, not really caring for justification. "But the way I see it, Emma Swan has a job to do. A job which she clearly doesn't believe in. I am merely speeding up the process." He shrugged. "Tell me, Your Majesty, has she gone insane yet? Has she attempted to strangle you for all the wickedness you wrought on so many innocent and undeserving people?"

"That is not your business nor is it any of your concern."

"Fair enough. I'll tell you what, how about you and I come to an agreement then?"

Regina laughed, waving her hand to dismiss the ridiculous notion. "I've already had the displeasure of making one too many deals in my lifetime. Why do you think I'd ever consider making one with you?"

"Because Madame Mayor, I'm willing to put my head on the chopping block to say that this is a deal you won't be able to refuse."


Her body ached, and as hard as she tried, Emma was unsuccessful in finding a comfortable position to lie in ever since she awoke. Her mind was exhausted, even after the many hours of sleep she had gotten. Regardless, she felt as though she hadn't slept in days.

With no relief from her dull, aching muscles, Emma laid sprawled out in the center of the bed, staring at the ceiling and idly twiddling her fingers to the beat of silence. Bored beyond tears, Emma suddenly wished she had her cell phone; a well-played round of Bejeweled would definitely ward away the boredom. But as she glanced at the bedside table, finding no phone, Emma exhaled and irritated sigh and flopped her head back onto the pillow. She'd have to wait until Regina got back because hell if she really felt like searching through the room for her device. Not with the way her muscles were aching right now.

Regina…

Still torn between fantasy and reality, Emma struggled to make sense of their brief exchange not so many minutes ago. Was she truly being nice? Surely not. Regina Mills was many things; intelligent, quick-witted, damn good looking, and dedicated. But she was not nice.

So then what the hell is up with her playing caretaker all of the sudden? Regina absolutely despised Emma. So why go through all the trouble to take care of her. As Mayor, surely Regina has more important things to be doing. Like managing an entire fucking town for starters. Why not just drop Emma at Mary Margaret's doorstep and call it a day?

As confounding as the situation was, Emma couldn't help but feel slightly happy with the way things turned out. Seeing Regina like this made Emma realize that she too, is human. And if actions truly spoke louder than words, well then Regina was practically screaming at the top of her lungs. Maybe, she wasn't as bad as people make her out to be. Perhaps no one can – or cares – to see past her cold exterior.

Emma could understand why people wouldn't want to. Hell, the woman runs Storybrooke with an iron fist. No one in their right mind would approach the aloof woman and ask her over for a night of jolly good shenanigans. Then again, Emma understood why Regina ran the town the way she does. Authority doesn't come easy and – 21st century or not – it comes even harder for a woman.

It was then that Emma realized there is so much more to the raging brunette than people cared to find out. The alleged evil woman had opened her home – albeit grudgingly – but she nonetheless afforded Emma with a safe haven in this mess. She helped break her out of a terrifying and humiliating hallucination. She even cracked a joke. And now? She had, of her own accord, retrieved and washed all of Emma's clothes and then offered to get her lunch. An evil woman would do no such thing.

Emma hated the fact that she needed a caretaker. She was a stubbornly independent woman, damn it! She didn't need anybody. Yet she so eagerly welcomed it from the one woman who was practically her mortal enemy. Emma closed her eyes, too exhausted to ponder the subject further. Seconds later, however, her eyes opened once more.

"Fuck," she muttered as she threw the blanket off of her aching body.


"You really expect me to agree to this?" Regina inquired, raising one eyebrow to further emphasize the incredulity of Jefferson's proposal.

"I do."

"Well then you're even more of an idiot than I originally assumed."

"This is the way a deal should work. Both parties should receive something…beneficial."

Regina smiled that famed politician smile.

"I don't need to make a deal with a lowly miscreant such as yourself to gain the benefit you're offering."

"I urge you to reconsider. This poison will show Emma the truth. She will realize her role as the Savior and she will break your curse. And with any luck, she'll add your neck to the list of things to break." Jefferson hissed.

Regina took a moment before answering. She leaned in, inches away from Jefferson's face.

"You're right about one thing, Hatter. Miss Swan will learn the truth and she will realize her role as the Savior," Regina smiled. "She will be my Savior."