Ever since the Mills case entered her life, Emma woke up with the sun not wanting to waste any time in solving it, regardless of how her tired body felt. Last night only added to her urgency to figure out this case. She and Regina finally shared a kiss, a real one, and it filled Emma up with life for the first time in years. As thrilling as it was though, they kept it simple, their hands coming up to keep each other close as their mouths gracefully explored the others, but pulled apart before things became too heated. As much as Emma wanted more, she needed to solve this case freeing Regina from Robin first. It was the only way to finally sort out their feelings properly.

Emma didn't want to brush off their moment last night entirely though. She decided to leave Regina a note, but kept it brief since she didn't know how much Henry would be informed about what was going on between them just yet.

Thanks again for last night. Everything was wonderful. Getting another early start, don't want the lead from yesterday to cool off. See you both tonight, text or call me if you need anything.

Emma flipped her jacket over her shoulder and left her apartment with a grin pasted on her face for the first time in years. She sauntered out of her building almost with a skip, waiting for the birds and flowers to announce her arrival, but as she turned the corner, she caught Granny's warning eyes halting every good thought inside her and replaced it with a flooding terror. Granny's eyes shifted up and to the left signaling something suspicious around the corner. Emma didn't want to spook whatever it was though and proceed toward Granny's truck like it was any other day.

"The usual," Granny announced knowing the game.

"That would be great, thanks Granny." They exchanged a few more casual lines before Emma took her order and made her way to her Bug parked not far from Granny's truck. She sipped her coffee keeping up with her show and turned the corner only to come to a sudden stop. There was a figure standing in the middle of the walkway at the far end of the block with a hoddie covering their face, but their eyes burned into Emma. She placed her to-go items on the hood of the car, taking another quick glimpse at the figure as she pretended to fiddle with her pocket, searching for her keys. Then, in a flash, Emma spun on her heels and bolted down the street. The figure stumbled before jetting behind the building down the next block, but Emma kept pushing, hoping to catch up with them. As she turned the corner, the figure was still making their way toward the next end, but Emma had gained. She growled as she willed her legs to push on faster not wanting this stranger to duck and hide away now that she was cutting into their lead.

Emma's instincts kicked in, slamming her breaks on her heels as she reached the end of the corner. She collected her breath with her back pressed against the brick building, gun drawn, then spun around the corner lower than usual as a fist came up to where her face should have been. The punch missed Emma completely and with the momentum of the swing coming across, Emma quickly brought the butt of her gun up and bashed it down on the back of the figure's head, crashing them into the sidewalk.

"Ouch," he cried like he had done nothing wrong, cradling his head "was that really necessary?"

"You're kidding me right?" Emma shot back taking a few steps away from him with her gun now aimed at the invader. "You do realize you just swung at me?"

He spun around, fear in his eyes as he shot his hands up, waving them in front of his face, "technically, you chased me. I was in fear for my life."

Emma rolled her eyes recognizing the man immediately from his picture that had been rotating around the precinct the last twenty-four hours, "nice try, now get up Mr. Scarlet, you're coming with me."

Will Scarlet kept his hands up, eyes still locked with terror as he came up off the ground. "Beggin' your pardon Detective, but I'd rather you shoot me, then have you take me down to your police station."

Emma examined his words and statute sensing the fear in him building and it had nothing to do with her. Again her instincts kicked in and she began lowering her gun, but didn't put it away just yet. "Why don't you want me to bring you to the precinct?"

"Because my adoring brother would kill me as soon as he had the chance, police custody or not, and he would make memorable."

"And why is that?" She asked right back.

"I think you already know the answer to that."

Emma decided to give Scarlet a shot at explaining himself and gave him directions to an old warehouse location on the other end of town, dark, quiet and discrete. They traveled separately causing Emma's nerves to go into overdrive. If Scarlet decided to bail, he most likely would never resurface, and her whole case would fall apart and everything, including whatever hope she had to start something with Regina would fade into nothingness, leaving her world cold and empty once again.

Emma pulled into an abandon underground garage a few buildings down, making sure to keep a lookout for any wandering eyes. If Scarlet was able to find her, Robin was close behind.

Scarlet was already ten minutes late, setting Emma on edge as she paced around the vacant building, when she heard a creak of a door from the far end of the structure. She went to call out, but she couldn't tell if the person approaching was Scarlet from the darkness sucking out the light of the building. Emma's hand dropped to her weapon as she extended her neck squinting at the visitor.

"Detective," came the smug British accent.

"Yes," she replied still unsure who it was until Scarlet threw his hands up, "I guess you have trust issues of your own?" He joked.

Emma shook her head as she locked her gun in its holster and stepped into the only ray of light creeping through a torn off part of the roof.

"So, is this your personal torture chamber?" Scarlet went on.

"You know, for someone accused of attempted rape and assault, you're certainly in high spirits."

Scarlet sighed finally getting that she wasn't in the mood for his games. "I know, but to be frank, the charge should have been murder."

Emma took a step back, her hand reaching for her gun again, but Scarlet backed up shooting his hands up in the air once more. "Woah, woah, woah, I said should have been."

"But it was you," Emma shot back unyielding. His joker mouth didn't have a response for that. And he stared at her ashamed, finally nodding after another minute passed.

"Put your hands behind your back," Emma demanded, seeing the admission sent a blinding rage through her body. He hurt Regina, and not just a scratch. He came up behind her, terrifying her as he bear hugged her so tightly he left bruises up and down her arms, slashed a knife down her chest and shirt, then punched her so hard it knocked her out.

"I thought you said you wanted answers," Scarlet replied.

"I do," Emma spit, "But you still assaulted Regina."

"Regina?" Scarlet questioned, triggering Emma to march up at him until his back slammed into a pillar. "You said you have answers," Emma went on, eyes unblinking with the gun pointed straight at his heart, "Now start talking before my patience comes to a complete end."

"Ok, ok, "Scarlett replied, "just give me some breathing room, would ya?"

Emma glared at him, wanting to cause him pain, but knew that would do nothing for her, Regina, or the case. She stepped back holstering her weapon again and waited for him to let another sarcastic remark fall from his idiotic lips so she could at least punch him once.

"What would you like to know?" He asked taking the rage pouring out from her eyes seriously.

"Everything."

Scarlet took a few minutes, pacing in tight circles as he scratched the back his head, but he finally opened up about Robin. Growing up, Robin could do no wrong. His parents always spoke highly of him, but his mother was the worst. She treated Robin like a king, and as each year passed, he began acted like one. Robin felt like the world owed him everything. The only person who used to keep his head on straight from time to time, was their childhood friend Marian. She never bought into his full-of-himself attitude. She made him and Scarlet, since he was basically Robin's lapdog, understand that there was more to life than being the all mighty, all powerful in everything. That there were those out there less fortunate and since life was handed to them on a silver platter, Robin should think about giving back. And he actually began to change, or so they thought.

Robin loosened up his better-than-the-world way of living and did what he could to help others when he could. But by doing this, a new form of superiority began to develop within him. It was like he was doing those less fortunate a favor just by being in their lives, then he began to get media recognition for his work. Again, he was doing things for himself, to make him and him alone look like a magnificent figure head, a god, putting Marian, who he had married during this time, and everyone else on the back burner, leaving Scarlet to care for all of them.

Emma continued to listen as Scarlet went on, already sensing where this was going. Marian and Will fell in love. She eventually built up the courage to ask Robin for a divorce and by doing, so she landed with his hand tattooed on her face. There was no going back for her after that, or any chance to save whatever good lied left in Robin. Marian waited a few weeks until things began to settle between them, then manipulated the divorce papers in for Robin to sign each day since he never glanced at what he was signing, he just admired his godly signature as she slipped the divorce papers in with his business work for him to sign. When she placed the finalized divorce papers on his desk and left, he felt disgraced. Everything good left in Robin had stemmed from Marian, but once she left, it all boiled up inside him and evaporated away, leaving only hate behind.

Marian disgracing Robin made him feel like a fool and because of that he wanted her gone. And Scarlet was the one ordered to do it. Robin had covered up every minuscule crime Scarlet committed after their father passed away of Cancer, and stated because of that, he owed him. When Will refused to hurt Marian, he found himself arrested for drinking and driving even though he had passed out in the back seat of the car with the keys in the glove box. Robin had to prove to Scarlet that he had the power to make anything happen or not happen. In order to protect Marian, Will took her away to another country leaving the house in disarray so that people assumed she either ran away or something worst had happened. Yet, Robin was never satisfied, he always sensed Marian wasn't really ever gone, but after a few years of no word from her, he let it go. Then he met Cora.

Cora was Robin's soul mate. They both craved money, power and importance, no matter what the cost. She basically sold her daughter to get to Robin, turning a blind eye to all of Robin's outburst whenever Regina reminded him of Marian. Regina acted faster than Marian though, she was in and out of his life within a year, there so called marriage, only lasted a couple of months, disgracing Robin all over again. Once was bad enough for him, but twice, this time he wanted proof she was dead. He actually requested Scarlet to take out her heart. He wanted Regina dead and Henry back with him so he and Cora could mold the boy into a son of their choosing. It was totally morbid.

Emma had to stop him after that. She heard enough. Robin was a narcissist who refused to be insulted. He played on the hero role who gave to the poor so well he had everyone fooled. He was a smart, cunning, powerful and a rich figure head. Emma backed up losing her breath, again at a lost with this case. Robin had played Will so well that even if he didn't go through with the initial plan, everything still pointed at him. The evidence, all of Robin's associates, and Will's reputation which Robin also somehow controlled had Scarlet all wrapped up ready to deliver to the police. How was she supposed to beat someone like that, she Emma Swan, foster child, growing up with nothing, defeat a man who had power and control over everything.

"Detective?" Will said cocking his head concerned.

"Sorry," Emma replied looking into his lost eyes. Scarlet was like her, a rag doll for others to play with. In a way, Emma was fortunate compared to him. She had people in her life now that loved and supported her, while he only had Marian, the woman he loved, but barely saw, everyone else was a vampire, waiting to suck him dry. She hated that he fell prey to Robin's plan and attacked Regina and he would have to pay for that eventually, but now she needed to protect him.

Emma's confidence returned as she promised herself that no one was above the law, no matter who they were or how much money and power they had. Men like Robin needed to be reminded of that.

"Come on," Emma instructed.

"Where are we going?"

"Some place safe."

Emma and Scarlet had to wait until after the breakfast rush, but Granny met them not far from the warehouse. Emma stashed Will in her truck and eyed him, not in the mood to hear any smart ass remarks about his new bodyguard, but her glare was nothing compared to Granny's and he hopped right in, lips sealed.

"So, what's the plan?" Scarlet asked before Emma closed the door.

"As soon as I know, you'll know."