Regina tapped the steering wheel as the traffic light turned red in front of her. Sometimes when she was driving Henry, the boy would claim he had superpowers, and that he just had to blink for the traffic light to go green, only with the force of his will. It was always cute to watch him blink randomly and cry out in victory when it worked. In that moment, Regina wished she had that superpower.

She could almost taste the despair in Emma's voice when the investigator called her, back in the restaurant. She had ended the date right away, even forgetting she had asked for dessert. The blonde had explained something, although, to be honest, Regina hadn't caught much of what the woman was saying. But took good note of the address. A police station, one she knew well. What she didn't know well, though, was the worrying starting to grow at each red traffic light as the most horrifying situations played inside her head. Regina obviously wasn't notorious for her optimism.

Regina found an empty spot to park next to the station, and quickly made her way in. It was not very difficult to spot Emma, really. The woman was sitting in a corner with her hands on her face, but the golden mane was a huge give away.

"Ms. Swan?" She called softly, almost relieved to see that no, there were no handcuffs on her wrists or any kind of surveillance, for that matter.

The investigator immediately dropped her hands, alert eyes rising to find Regina's.

"Regina," The woman answered with a big sigh, like her presence there was such a relief. But there wasn't much time to dwell on this as Emma was already speaking again. "I'm so sorry I called you the middle of your date, I-"

"What happened, Ms. Swan?" She interrupted. So apparently the investigator was fine, but something was still going on.

"August got arrested," Emma sighed again. "I panicked. The police just came in like bulldogs to arrest him and I panicked. I'm so sorry, I completely forgot about your date, it was like a reflex, you know? I was going to call you again to clarify it, but I didn't have the time."

Regina blinked, trying not to focus on the fact that she was Emma's call when something happened, and more on the other little piece of information.

"Your friend? The author?"

"Yeah, that idiot," Emma didn't seem very angry with her dropped shoulders. "I mean, I'm sure it's just a mistake. He is an idiot, but not a criminal. Again, I didn't mean to-"

"Did you talk to anyone, Ms. Swan?" She interjected, not interested in any apology.

"Mary Margaret was at the bookstore and came along. I guess she's handling."

"Mary Margaret?" Regina interrupted again.

"She's right there," She turned even before Emma pointed, finding her business partner at the reception balcony addressing one of the cops on service.

"We agreed that I should stay here with Emma, as someone less… worried… talked to the cops," An girl that was beside Emma spoke in a blank voice and Regina turned her head, noticing the woman for the first time. The face wasn't strange to her, but she couldn't pinpoint from where she knew the woman.

"I could talk to them alright," Emma scoffed. Regina stared at her, suddenly realizing that the girl was probably assigned to contain the investigator and avoid her from making poor choices of acts and words in front of the police.

"Stay here and try to calm down," Regina instructed directly to Emma as she decisively made her way to the balcony. Maybe Mary Margaret could better explain the situation so Regina could handle it herself.

"What's going on here?" She didn't mind to interrupt the conversation.

"Regina," Mary Margaret looked at her, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Ms. Swan called me," She didn't know why it was so pivotal to let her business partner know that the investigator had specifically summoned her, but it was nevertheless. "So?"

"August, Emma's friend, has been taken as a suspect for an armed robbery followed by murder, and Officer Gavin here is telling me he is being identified by witnesses right now," The woman glanced pointedly at the man, trying to make Regina include him on the conversation.

"Armed robbery followed by murder?" She hissed. "You know he was in a bookstore, right? Attending the launch party of his own book? So it obviously wasn't a flagrant. Did you arrest a man that wasn't caught in flagrant?" Regina demanded, her hand making contact to the wooden balcony.

"We had a warrant, ma'am," The man replied evenly, but his eyes were huge. "Orders from the Captain."

"Captain Humbert?" Regina narrowed her eyes when Officer Gavin nodded. "Well, so you pick up your radio and inform him that Regina Mills would like to speak to him," She said authoritatively, and perhaps it was her expression that showed she meant business, but the man did it anyway.

"Regina?" Mary Margaret looked at her inquisitively when they stepped to the side.

"I'm taking this case, Mary Margaret," She deadpanned. "Do you have any more information that could be useful?"

The woman looked at Regina, clearly scrutinizing her and trying to find an answer for whatever ridiculous question she had in her mind.

"You don't need to do this. I can deal with it," She said finally.

"I'm more experienced in Criminal, Mary Margaret. I've dealt with perhaps hundreds of cases with the same charges," Regina reasoned, trying to contain an eye roll.

"Why?"

"Why?" She repeated, trying to block the intense gaze she was receiving. "Because I'm Ms. Swan's employer and want her head clear to work properly and make the money I pay her worth," Regina probably could have been less aggressive with her tone, but Mary Margaret was making her lose precious time with stupidities.

"Right," The other answered, not looking very convinced. "But I'll be second chair."

"Fine," This time the eye roll wasn't contained.

"Regina?"

She turned on her heels to find Graham staring at her. They gazed at each other for a moment.

"Graham," She said finally, her back straightening immediately. "Can we talk for a moment?" It wasn't actually a question.

"Sure, let's go to my office," He smiled good-naturally; as it seemed, he hadn't changed a bit.

"Just give me a second," Her smile, on the other hand, was a little restrained. "I'll see what I can find out," Regina whispered to Mary Margaret, ignoring the curious look on her face. "Maybe it's for the best if you keep Ms. Swan company?"

She glanced at Emma. The investigator was eying them like a hawk, her feet bouncing on the floor. She was probably very anxious and in need of reassurance.

"Yes," Mary Margaret followed her eyes. "I'll do that, but keep me on the loop."

Regina nodded before looking back at Graham, who had courteously turned his head to the other side.

"Shall we?" She called.

She followed him through the station, and soon enough he was closing the door of his office. Regina placed her hands on her lap when he sat in front of her in the desk.

"So… How are you?" He asked, his eyes boring into hers.

"I'm fine," She answered simply, and then added, more for the sake of being polite than anything else: "And you?"

"Good, good," He stretched his arms on the back of his chair. "It's been a while."

"Indeed." It was awkward, as awkward as she thought it would be.

"You never called again," And Graham wasn't making it easier. She didn't regret a bit the way she had left things, but that didn't mean she liked those kind of situations, especially when she needed the ones she had not so kindly dispensed.

"I've been a little busy," It wasn't an apology, but Graham seemed to take it as one, smiling gently at her.

"Of course," He cleared his throat. "How can I help you?"

"The man you just arrested for armed robbery followed by murder…" She started, berating herself for not remembering the man's last name.

"August Booth?"

"Yes," Yes! "What's going on here, Graham? It wasn't a flagrant, this is an improper arrest."

"Regina, we had a warrant," The man said softly, wisely not wanting to ignite the woman's fury.

"What were the grounds for the warrant?" She demanded.

"We have a police sketch, he has records, our system did the math and he is a match."

The engines inside her head were tossing and turning. It could be worse, police sketches weren't the best of proofs.

"I wish to speak to him. You did not interrogate him yet, I presume? As his attorney, I have the right to be with him as I'm sure you're aware."

"I didn't interrogate him," He confirmed. "But he has just been confirmed by three witnesses as being the man they saw when the crime happened," Graham continued, his expression apologetic.

Ok, definitely not looking good. Regina cursed inwardly, because really? Three witnesses – it was a lot.

"Is he being persecuted already?" She asked finally, not allowing the sigh to leave her lips.

"He's about to be," Graham answered truthfully. "We have enough."

"The police inquiry can't be over already," Regina said forcefully. "He has yet to be questioned and I need to speak to him before that."

The man stared at her and she raised an eyebrow. Yes, with the evidence they had, they didn't need to wait. But they could.

They could.

"I'm keeping him arrested for forty eight hours as a suspect," Graham told her blankly. "But after that my hands are tied."

"Thank you," Regina nodded.

It was for the best, because with the poof they apparently had? Time before prosecution and trial was their best commodity.

"I'd like to speak with my client now."

~SQ~

Regina had a theory about extremely calm clients: they were either innocent or possibly a psychopath. When she entered the room where August stood, she was starting to get concerned.

"Mr. Booth, I'm Regina Mills and I'll be your attorney," She started.

The man smiled kindly at her and shook her hand.

"I wish we had met in better circumstances…" He offered, almost amused.

Regina, on the other hand, wasn't as entertained.

"Likewise," She sat in the chair in front of him. "I need to ask you some questions, Mr. Booth."

"Just call me August," He made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

The woman cleared her throat. The amusement was still clear on August's face. He was staring at her like he knew some big, secret joke, and Regina was an unwilling part of it.

"August…" She started again. "You should know that you can tell me everything. I am not the enemy here."

"See... I don't know about that enemy part just yet." His tone was not aggressive, more like a gentle statement.

Regina kept staring blankly at him. She could deal with this. August wasn't the first and certainly wouldn't be the last reluctant client of hers.

"Mr. Booth… August, I strongly recommend that you tell me the truth here. You may not believe in me, but I'm sure you trust your friend… she's very worried about you," She wanted to scream at him to just accept it already, but she feared it wouldn't have the desired outcome. So sweet persuasion it was.

And sweet persuasion scored again. Regina noticed right away his features softening even more at the mention of the investigator.

"Emma?" The man frowned. "I mean, I assumed she hired you, but she doesn't need to worry about me."

"But she has every right to worry. I presume you two are very close…" Regina reasoned softly.

"Yes, but this is just a misunderstanding. The cops said something to me about a robbery and a murder…" He scoffed.

Regina stared at him. He had no idea he had just been identified as guilty by three people, had he?

"Mr. Booth, you were taken into a room with mirrors, weren't you? Behind those mirrors they had people looking at you, comparing your features to a police sketch…"

"Yeah... But there is no way," He said confidently.

"August, three people confirmed it was you in that sketch," Regina deadpanned.

He motionlessly looked at her for a second before breaking into a chuckle, and Regina was now alarmingly concerned about the psychopath part of her theory.

"Emma mentioned you had a subversive sense of humor…" He said with a smile.

Regina's jaw dropped. A subversive sense of humor? Emma Swan would see the subversive… She started to threaten the blonde inside her head, because yes, it was preferable than wonder what else Emma had said about her.

"I assure you I'm not kidding," She said seriously, her eyes capturing his.

August stared at her in disbelief before probably deeming she was being truthful.

"But there is no way," He repeated in a weak voice.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Shall we move forward to the questions now?"

~SQ~

Emma was on her feet and almost running towards Regina when the attorney appeared in the hallway.

"So, how did it go? Are they going to release him?" She asked anxiously as her eyes scanned Regina's expression, but her face betrayed nothing.

"Perhaps we should sit, Ms. Swan. I believe Mary Margaret and your… friend would like the update too," The attorney answered, her eyes focusing on some point behind Emma's shoulder.

"They can wait," Emma said firmly.

Regina sighed.

"They had three witnesses. Three."

Emma blinked at her. "I don't get it."

Regina was gazing at her and Emma didn't know what to make of it. At first, when the woman started to take control, Emma had been certain they would be out of there in less than one hour. But almost three had passed and there was the attorney, staring at her like someone trying to find out how to deliver the blow.

"They've all identified him from the crime scene," Regina said finally.

No. She couldn't have heard right.

"He doesn't have an alibi," The attorney continued, her eyes never leaving Emma, like a woman in a mission.

The blonde could as well have been punched in the gut.

"They think August did it? They-" Emma's throat started to contract and her breath was suddenly more labored.

"Ms. Swan…" Regina took a step forward, a frown on her forehead.

She probably thought Emma was weak, that she couldn't control her emotions or some shit. Well, she would prove Regina wrong. Emma closed her eyes for a second, breathing deeply.

"It can't be possible. We have to talk to those people. They must have been drugged to think August would have done something like that," She said forcefully.

"No," Regina replied.

"Seriously, they were on heavy stuff, it's the only explanation. It was at night, right? It could have been anyone but August!" She spat, her head already starting to formulate all the possible theories.

"Ms. Swan," Regina repeated, her voice managing to sound like a reassurance and a warning at the same time. "I won't allow you to intimidate witnesses, we can't do this."

"But maybe the real author of the crime paid them! We have to know who these people are, we just have to!"

"But we don't," The attorney deadpanned, effectively shutting Emma up. "We don't, because I just bought us two days with the Captain. We have forty-eight hours to find out what we can, before the prosecution is involved. And I won't let you waste this opportunity by stalking people." Regina's voice was controlled, but firm.

Emma turned her head as her eyes began to itch. She felt as if she had just been scolded, and although the other made sense, she didn't get it! Regina just didn't get it!

"Ms. Swan, look at me," The attorney called her, and again, almost as a reflex, she followed the voice. "Do you trust me?" And Regina's voice was as soft as velvet.

"No," Emma blurted stubbornly, fighting back the pout, because seriously?

"I want to do what is best. I'm on your side, but you have to trust me."

Dark eyes shone with determination as liquid chocolate drowned Emma.

And she couldn't help but answer, "Ok… ok."

~SQ~

"I'm sorry, I came as soon as I got your message," Ruby said as Emma opened the door. It was morning now, early still, barely past seven. Emma hadn't slept, and was now holding her fifth cup of coffee as she allowed Ruby in.

"It's ok, I didn't mean to ruin your night, anyway."

"You wouldn't ruin anything," The brunette replied, heading for the kitchen where Mulan was pouring coffee for herself too. Yeah, Emma wasn't the only one deprived of sleep. "So, fill me in."

"There's not much I didn't tell you on the message. Regina forbid me to go after the witnesses, so…"

"Duh, you can't harass witnesses, it's against the law and wouldn't help your friend's case."

"I know," Emma said in a tired tone. "But we have to find out why the fuck they are lying about August being in the crime scene." Ruby didn't say anything, just accepted the cup Mulan handed her.

Emma raised an eyebrow, "They are lying, Ruby."

"That's a pretty harsh accusation, though," Mulan murmured between one and other sip.

"What the hell, Mulan?"

"Hey, don't misunderstand us," The cop said, raising a hand. "Nobody here thinks August did it. But we have to be smart about his defense. We gotta have pretty brilliant stuff to discredit three witnesses."

"Which we won't, because we can't investigate them," Ruby completed. "So there's no point dwelling on it."

"That's great, just great. August is rooting in jail and we can't do a damn thing!" Emma exclaimed, dragging her fingers through her tangled hair. Jesus, she was a mess.

She knew in her heart August hadn't done anything wrong. But she also knew, from experience, it didn't mean he wouldn't pay the price. People like her and August? They always paid the price.

They had paid the price for their parents mistakes - whoever they were. Then for the system's mistakes, fostering them in houses and with people that didn't have even close enough structure to raise children. They had paid the price of abusive mothers and fathers and siblings and bosses. And, yes, they had survived, but sometimes barely.

She was fucking tired of surviving. It was their time to live now, to enjoy life, for a change. August was a published author, Emma had a great job. Why things could never go right for them? She couldn't accept that. She had to do something. It was their time.

"I can't just sit tight," She said matter-of-factly.

"No, of course not. We just have to look at it differently, ok?" Mulan said softly, placing a hand in her shoulder. Emma knew her friend had to go to work in a few hours, and still she wouldn't leave her side the whole night. The officer was truly worried about August too, and Emma felt so grateful for it. "If you think that was a set up, let's try to figure out who would do that."

"Yeah, he has an enemy, or something?"

"No, he doesn't have an enemy," Emma rolled her eyes. "This isn't a fucking TV series. He's not part of a gang, he is a fucking novelist. That's ridiculous."

Ruby exchanged a meaningful look with Mulan that made Emma want to scream. But she wouldn't because lose her cool was not an option, despite her friends apparently thinking she'd already lost.

"Maybe someone he pissed off? An angry ex?" Ruby tried again.

"Yeah, he probably has a bunch of those, but really?"

"We are taking long shots into account, Emma," Mulan said firmly.

"Normally I would agree," Ruby replied, biting on her lip. "But we have too little time to go after conjectures right now. If nobody pops into your mind, let's stick to what we know. There was a crime, therefore there is a criminal. If it's not August, it means he is still out there."

Emma's head snapped up, suddenly awake. Of course! That was the only logical thing to do. How did she not think of that before? Jesus-fuck, she was a real mess.

"Yes! Yes, you are so right. We have to go after this guy." Emma ran to the living room and came back with a few sheets of paper. "On the depositions, the witnesses said the man seemed giddy, really nervous, that his hand was shivering."

"Not a pro, then," Ruby pondered.

"Not only that," Emma shuffled through the papers. "Take a look at this address. It's a tough neighborhood, there are at least two drug-dens near the place."

"You think he was high," Ruby followed her train of thought.

"Yeah, I do. And those guys always come back for more, right?"

"Not after you killed someone around there," Mulan said, shaking her head. "And that's considering that you have half a brain left."

"Ok, so maybe we won't bump into the guy, but what I mean is… maybe people besides those witnesses can give us pieces of information, right? People who live or work around, that are used to the neighborhood."

"Yes!" Ruby put her mug down with a get-to-business expression on her face. "You're totally right. Let's go."

They were halfway out the door when Emma turned to Mulan. "Hey, wait. Not you."

"What?" Hua frowned. "What you mean?"

"You're a cop," Emma started. "And worst, you're not assigned to this case. It's out of your jurisdiction."

"But-"

"You can't go," Swan shook her head. "I don't want you getting into trouble because of this."

"But Emma-"

"We'll keep you in the loop!" Ruby shouted over her shoulder, already unlocking her car.

Emma sent another apologetic glance at her friend before hurrying away.

~SQ~

Emma pressed the doorbell, shifting in the spot, feeling out of place as she stood on that threshold, her dirty boots on that fine welcome rug. She had a bad headache, probably because of the insane amount of coffee she had had. And because she hadn't eaten yet, and it was way past noon by now.

Anyway, there was a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. She and Ruby had walked around that awful neighborhood all morning, talking to people who would just grunt at them, in best case scenarios. But they didn't give up.

And now Emma had something to show for it.

So she was almost smiling as Regina opened the door for her.

"Ms. Swan."

Emma had called, of course, and Regina had given her that address. But even so the attorney managed to seem surprised, as if the blonde's presence there was a shock nonetheless. It was a feeling they shared.

"Hey, hi."

"Come in."

"Thanks," Emma tried to clean her shoes before going in. It was stupid, really, that she would worry about that when there was so much going on. But entering Regina's house felt somehow sacred. Like she was letting Emma into her real life. She tried not to look as curious as she was. "Is Henry around?"

"No, he is at a friend's house."

"Oh," Swan nodded, hands in her pockets.

"You said you have something I should see?"

"Yeah, yeah. I do."

"Let's go to my office, then." Regina lead the way, while Emma switched from studying the luxurious rooms around her, and studying the luxurious move of the attorney's hips as they crossed hallways.

"So, me and Ruby spent the morning talking to some people that work around the shop where the crime happened. To check if anyone else had seen anything that could help us find the actual criminal."

"And what were your results?"

"That's what I'm about to show you," Emma said, taking a laptop out of her backpack and opening it on top of Regina's desk. Soon enough, there was a black and white video rolling on the screen.

Regina stood in silence as the video came to a halt and Emma hurried to type something on the laptop.

"What exactly did I just watch, Ms. Swan?"

"Last night's footage of a next-door store's security camera," The blonde explained. "It took us a while to get the owner of the shop to give away the film. Some time and some money, of course. But that's a pretty clear view of the sidewalk. And that over there is the store that was robbed."

"I see."

"And that man… Look," She said, sounding a little breathless. "I was able to get a pretty good zoom and clear the image enough."

A new window popped up with a distinct picture of a tall man's profile. A scruffy beard hid most of his face, and a cap most of his hair, so the only part that image gave away was the curve of his neck. That was exactly what Emma was pointing out.

"See this? It's a tattoo!"

"That's what it looks like…" Regina said carefully.

"That's what it is! A goddamn yin-yang tattoo, which August doesn't have!" She exclaimed, as if she was trying to make Regina understand some complex idea.

"And what makes you think this tattooed man is our guy?"

"Because," Emma tried her best not to sound impatient. "It's the right time, the right location, the right description. The guy is wearing the same clothes the witnesses described on the sketch! It's him!"

Mills crossed her legs and leaned back on her chair. Yes, Emma was probably right, that should be their guy. But the truth was that she wasn't seeing any proof that man on the screen wasn't August Booth. Certainly looked like him – tall, white, bearded.

"The tattoo," Emma repeated like she had just read Regina's mind. "August doesn't have a tattoo. That at least could raise a reasonable doubt, right?"

"Ms. Swan," She said the name softly. "For all we know, that could be a fake tattoo. It wouldn't be the first case of a criminal using a trick like that to confuse the investigation. It's, in fact, such a known card that I don't believe it would stick in court."

"Are you kidding?" Swan stood up, facing Regina with narrowed eyes. "We have the scumbag on tape! On a freaking tape. And he doesn't look like August at all!"

"We both know that's not true," Mills said matter-of-factly. She wasn't about to let Emma dive into fantasies.

Emma fell silent for a moment, those green eyes burning Regina's with some fierce determination. Then they melted all at once, glimmering with tears the blonde refused to let run down her face.

"You don't get it. You just don't get it. I know it wasn't him. I know this guy, whoever he is, is not August. I know he has this freaking tattoo, and he is a fucking sick man, and he is not August Booth! You have to understand that!"

Regina got out of the chair to match Emma's stance. "I'm not against you, Ms. Swan. Mr. Booth is my client, and I guarantee all I want is for him to get the best outcome possible. Nevertheless, right now we don't have enough evidence to clear him out of a trial. And I say that to you as an experienced lawyer-"

"It's not enough," Emma blurted, interrupting the other woman. "Being an experienced lawyer, being the best lawyer, won't be enough if you don't believe it."

The words hanged in the air, as they both knew Swan wasn't talking about court. It wasn't enough for her.

"You gotta believe me on this," She went on, her voice now full of cracks. "Please."

"Ms. Swan…"

"I know you don't know him, but I do. I've known August for most of my life. We're talking about the guy who protected me from an abusive foster dad for six years! He got beaten up for standing in the way, but he wouldn't stop." This time her green eyes became an ocean. Regina thought it nearly impossible not to drown. They were bottomless, and her voice was a dragging flow. "And when I turned sixteen and we both knew it was only a matter of time before things got out of hand at home, he bought us that yellow death-trap I drive, and we lived in it for two more years!"

Regina gulped. She much preferred the screaming Emma. The woman in front of her now was someone she barely even knew. Yet, someone she longed to have in her life more and more. Someone that was as tough as they came, and Mills admired that. More than she could put in words.

"We are talking about the guy who didn't go to college because he was too busy working double shifts so I could study. The guy who is the only family I've ever had. He is my friend, my brother; he is the part of my life worth saving, so please! Please, trust me on this. Please!"

"Ok," Regina said at last, raising her hands to hold Emma's face and calm her down.

The blonde was trembling now, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but as soon as the attorney touched her, her heart eased its crazy thumping and she could breathe again. She had just said too much, she knew that, but she couldn't find it in herself to care, not in that moment. And she didn't think Regina was upset either, she thought Regina… understood.

Her hands felt so warm on Emma's face that the blonde only wanted to bury her head on Regina's chest and let all go. Then again, she never wanted to break that stare. Never. It held her together.

Regina's thumbs slid delicately through her cheeks, brushing away a few stubborn tears. Emma had the fairest eyelashes, but they were now darkened and wet and made her eyes look bigger and gorgeous. Her lips looked as red as a ripe apple, and as juicy. The attorney had to sweep those thoughts out of her head, not only because the timing was poorly, but also because it was too much for both of them to handle.

Nevertheless, the feeling was there, overwhelming. And it felt scary and amazing at the same time. It felt raw, pure, and honest, so Regina went on.

"Ok," She repeated. "We'll think of something. I trust you."

~SQ~

I guess it wasn't actually funny - at least not for August :( - but I had fun writing this! So hey, here is an idea: why don't you guys give me some theories of what might have happened (one for person, of course) and the first one to get it right gets to choose a character to show up in one chapter. Yes? No? Let me know! :P