I know this is a rather short chapter, but I've not had much time to write these last couple days, work is a complete bitch I tell ya. Plus I got an apartment for me and my girl, so Ive been dealing with that. I'll be moving the first of Feb. So it will be a while before my internet will be hooked up. I'll try and post another chapter before then, so hang with me.

I just want to thank everyone that commented, followed and favorited this story it has been an awesome experience to write and I'm no where near finished.

AN: Dont own em.

After breakfast Emma and Regina did not speak another word as they cleared the camp. The horse ride through the forest was completed in amicable silence. Regina let Emma take the lead as she assumed they were nearing the village. The forest started to thin and in the distance Regina could see smoke billowing out of roughen huts. Emma stopped on the outskirts of the forest and turned her horse towards Regina. "We are about to enter the village. They are not used to outsiders coming to their village. Just stay by my side and I will explain your presence when we are asked. Do not make comments on their state of living. They take pride in what little they have." Emma stated

"Okay, I will follow your lead." Regina replied. "Just let me transform myself."

Regina closed her eyes and waved her around her body. Her hair changed to a reddish blonde and her clothing changed to something similar to Emma's attire.

Emma gave a curt nod and smiled then they proceeded toward the village. Regina saw a transformation in Emma. She rode straighter in the saddle and you could see a look of ownership come over her. But quickly Regina was rudely reminded of the unsanitary conditions of the village, a stench of raw sewage completely over took her senses; and it took a lot not to gag. When they entered the village children sat listless outside of their huts. Their hunger filled eyes begged silently for food. The gloom and dismay was as thick as a morning fog, and Regina had to force her face to remain emotionless. The adults walked around in the mud and muck with no purpose or hope. Their bodies were racked with disease and hunger; there was no joy in this place. Regina now knew why Emma thought she was nothing. To have come from a place such as this and to be so dedicated to life was amazing to Regina.

"Emma!" a small boy of about eight yelled.

Emma stopped her horse and got down. She did not hesitate to kneel in the mud to be eye level with the child. "Chris, how are you my love? Where are your parents?" Emma fondly reached out and brushed the boy's hair out of his eyes.

"Mother is washing laundry down by the creek and Father is out back cutting firewood." The child shyly looked up at her horse and his eyes grew large. "Is that for us?" He asked excitedly. Regina was taken aback she had never known anyone to get that excited over a dead deer. She once again had to bite back the emotions that were lodged in her throat. To imagine the one man she thought she could trust had done this to her people. The people she thought she was protecting.

"Yes, Chris can you run off and get your father? Maybe he can use one of his famous recipes and make this last for a while?" Emma said. Regina watched Chris come to life under that one statement as he ran towards the back of a hut. Shortly there was a man that came around the back and walked toward Emma. It was as if Regina was not sitting on horse at all. The man only had eyes for Emma, he engulf her in a hug and held her tight.

"Thank you, Emma. Chris told me what you had done. We must hurry and get it inside before Gold comes around. You should not have taken the risk. "The man said. He quickly grabbed what was left of the deer and took it straight into the hut.

Emma turned toward Regina "You need to get off your horse now. We will go to my family's hut. We shall stay the night there. Then tomorrow we can further question people. To ask about updates and how Gold has been treating them since I have been gone. But I can tell you from the conditions of the village it has not been kind."

Emma did not wait for Regina to respond she grabbed the horse's reins and began to walk. Regina stared after her. She did not know if she could handle tomorrow at all. The thought of staying in these horrid conditions made her want to weep. To imagine someone living like these, to endure these hardships; was something she could not fathom. Regina was so angry with herself; she wanted to make changes right now. But instead she slid to the ground and followed Emma.

She approached the hut that Emma had entered and opened the door. The room was icy cold and it had nothing to do with the temperature. Emma stood by the fire, which she had already had blazing hot; but Emma's eyes were icy cold. Regina took a step back and almost fled from the hut, but not one for running she stood her ground, but stayed a safe distance. "Well, obviously something is bothering you my dear. So please do not hold back on my account." Regina said.

Emma glared harder and Regina took stock of the fact that Emma appeared to be holding a weapon behind her back. Regina coughed and began to speak again when Emma cut her off. "I don't know what angers me more. The fact I trusted you and believed that you wanted to make a difference. Or that I honestly thought that you would come here and not look down on anyone." Regina tried to speak again. "No, don't bother defending yourself. I saw the way to you looked down at Chris. How you snarled your nose at the stench that surrounds this village. How you looked when Thomas hugged me. Yes, I know his clothes were probably filled with vermin. But do you honestly think due to the high taxes that he can afford the material to make soap?" Emma had exhausted herself from speaking. But Regina could still see the rage and hurt that was deep rooted in her eyes.

Regina held her hands up in mock surrender "Emma, you misunderstood my facial expressions. I tried in vain to not show any emotions, as you requested of me. But when we approached the village and I saw for myself that the living conditions were actually worse than you had described. I could not help it; a rage like no other had come over me. Not towards the people of this village and certainly not you. But towards Gold and myself see I trusted him. I put faith into a man that I thought was doing the right thing. Here today I was proven wrong. It seems also that I cannot even trust my own judgment but I have no one to blame but myself. That look of rage, disappointment and utter disgust you saw; that is how I felt towards myself."

Emma had calmed down quite a bit, she has this uncanny ability to tell whether or not people are laying, she can see it in their face and she believed Regina.

"Okay, I believe you." Emma stated simply.

"That quick?" Regina wasn't questioning, just surprised.

"Well you see, I have this ability to tell in people are lying or not, I've always been that way. You're not lying, so I believe you." Emma said with a small smile.

Regina smiled back sweetly. "Then let us just lie down and try to get some rest. For I fear tomorrow will be a very tasking day for me, for all of us to be honest."

Emma nodded, she agreed tomorrow would be a trying day. "Alright let us get some rest and hopefully tomorrow you can do a better job about hiding your emotions. If not they are not going to take kindly to you." Emma stated and began to get ready for bed.

Regina nodded and got ready for bed; she knew she was in for a long night.

What did you all think? Let me know!

Please be patient with me in the next couple weeks for updates.

Thank you for reading!