Wow... Once Upon A Time's family tree just got jacked the shit up. If you are up to date with the show you know what I mean. O.O

I Do Not Own Once Upon A Time.

That Mischievous Grin

Chapter Ten

By LoveMeNever

It had been two weeks since Sheriff Graham was killed, Emma still hadn't taken over as Sheriff, and Jaime still sat in the police station cell for breaking into Mr. Gold's shop. She pissed off the wrong powerful man. That and, she was not about to pay yet another fine.

She currently laid on the uncomfortable mattress with her hands behind her head staring with nothing but boredom up at the ceiling. For two weeks she had not heard from Regina or Ruby. It was pretty safe to say that her chances of keeping that job at Granny's was next to none.

Exhaling sharply, Jaime swung her legs over the side of the cell bed looking to see what Emma was doing. The blonde had been awfully quiet ever since she got back from Gold's.

When Jaime saw Emma toying with the Sheriff's badge she felt sorry for her. She could tell Emma was having a hard time coping with Graham's death, hell everyone could tell. Jaime understood the feeling, being closed off for so long and finally letting someone in and then they just vanish or they disappoint you or betray you.

Whoa... when did I get so philosophical?

"That doesn't belong to you Ms. Swan." Jaime and Emma turned to Regina when they saw her enter the room.

Jaime tried to will herself out of Regina's sight. Lucky for her the Mayor was to busy telling Emma that, in a nut shell, there was no way she was becoming the new Sheriff. She tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation but she wouldn't be herself if she didn't.

She was naturally a curious person.

She noticed Regina do a double take when their eyes met. Surprise was evident in the elegant woman's face.

"Jaime?" She got her bearings and turned to Emma hoping for an explanation.

Part of Regina knew what this was, Jaime probably did something reckless to investigate her attack. That would explain why she hadn't seen or heard from the woman since the day at the diner. In truth, she had been worried that she had been attacked or killed.

She went to Jaime's house, the diner, and the Rabbit Hole but alas she never found her. Now that she thought about it this should have been the first place she looked.

"Hey Madam Mayor!" Jaime said cheerfully despite her current residency.

"What on earth are you doing in here?" Regina tried to sound as shocked as possible.

"I broke the law. Or at least that is what Emma keeps telling me." She leaned on the cell bars and gave Emma a funny look. One that said 'She tells me I did something wrong but she doesn't believe it herself'.

The day she arrested her Jaime talked to Emma about her plan; trying to find something on Gold to prove he attacked her. Emma claimed that she didn't believe Gold was the one responsible but her eyes told Jaime otherwise. Mr. Gold was about the only logical suspect... other than Regina but Jaime highly doubted she would have done something to that extreme. Well, maybe she could have but then why would she be so nice to Jaime? Besides, she only had it out for people who had done something to her.

Jaime had never even met her before she was in the hospital.

"May I have a word alone with Jaime, Ms. Swan?" Regina demanded more than asked.

Emma gave Jaime a 'You're in big trouble' kind of look before shutting herself off in her... or Graham's office.

Regina cleared her throat before speaking. Jaime was not about to get the first word in. "At least you have a legitimate reason as to why you didn't show for our... date." She struggled with the last word making Jaime snicker.

"Yeah... I hope you didn't wait to long for me to show. I'd hate to see that someone of your status waiting on someone in jail." She laughed and so did Regina.

"No when you never showed I decided to catch up on some research."

Truth was Regina had waited most of the night on her to show up. She knew that Cheshire had a habit of arriving when she felt like it and not when was planned so a part of her just assumed she got distracted. Apparently she had; just not in the way Regina expected.

Jaime winced seeing right through the lie. I am absolutely the worst person on the planet.

"I suppose this sort of ruins my changes of ever redeeming myself?" She grabbed the bars with her hands when Regina got very close to her.

"We'll see." Regina almost whispered. Her face was only inches from Jaime's and she could feel her hot breath on her lips. If she had no control over herself she probably would have kissed her but she knew Emma was probably keeping an eye on her.

Something weird was happening with Jaime. Her heart was pounding and there was a body heat emitting from the Mayor that made her go crazy. She saw Regina's eyes flicker back and forth between her eyes and her lips. She swallowed hard and tried to get a hold of herself.

"Right-o..." She cleared her throat and tore her eyes away from Regina and to the interesting clock on the wall. Usually, she was the one making her victims go crazy but with Regina... she got so shaken up and flustered.

As if living up to the name Henry gave her Emma was the savior from her knees about to give out at any moment. The blonde burst out of the Sheriff's office rather loudly and Regina quickly backed away from the cell.

"Ms. Swan, when will she be released?" Regina asked her.

"Whenever her bail is paid and she'll be charge free if Mr. Gold drops them."

Regina glanced back at Jaime like 'Really? You did something to Gold?'. "Then consider the bail paid for."

Jaime almost didn't hear her, having been shaken up from their previous close proximity. "Wait, what? Why?" Emma appeared just as shocked, speechless more like.

"I am paying Ms. Foster's bail." The Mayor repeated. At this point she didn't care if it was strange that she was defending and helping Jaime so much. She felt she owed the woman in a way, because she's the one who cast the curse on her and put her into this mess. It was her fault.

"Um... s-sure." Emma stuttered. She was confused to say the least. The Mayor was looking at her expectantly and then Emma realized she wanted her to unlock the cell. When Emma grabbed the keys and unlocked the cell door Jaime looked just about as confused as she was.

She was much better at hiding her surprise though.

Jaime stretched and groaned. "Ugh I totally think you need to get new beds in that cell!"

Emma agreed. She was in the same cell not long after she arrived in Storybrooke thanks to the kindhearted Madam Mayor.

"Your car was sent to the tow company. I'll tell them you'll pick it up soon?"

"Yep! Thank you." Jaime grinned.

"I'll let you get back to... whatever it is that you do, Ms. Swan." Regina said while smirking and elegantly walking out of the station. Jaime shrugged and ran to catch up with her.

"Regina, wait up!" She came to a stop when she reached the Mayor. "You didn't have to do that. As a matter of fact you shouldn't have... so why did you?"

Sure, the Mayor did seem interested in her but why was the question. No one had ever made any effort to help her and she couldn't really blame them. She wasn't the most trusting person. But Regina did trust her, or acted like it, anyhow... she was the first person to make that effort.

Regina stayed silent for a moment trying to figure out something to say. She couldn't tell Jaime that in a different life they were extremely close; she'd think she was crazy. "You are the first person to not run and hide every time you see me." Is the excuse she came up with.

It wasn't a total lie; many people did shy away from her. The only ones ballsy enough to stand up to her were Emma, Gold, and Graham who was no longer an issue.

Jaime walked with the Mayor out to her car, it was across the street directly in front of the police station. "Running and hiding are words I'm familiar with. I used to hide all the time. For some reason I don't want to anymore. Not since the attack, isn't that weird? I thought it would be the opposite."

Regina knew exactly why; Emma, the savior, was changing Storybrooke. And it's residents, too.

"Perhaps you take things differently than others. As far as I've seen your very different, in a good way."

"Different denotes neither good or bad. It simply means not the same." Where did I get that from?

Regina's heart leaped. That was Cheshire's way of speaking.

On the other hand Jaime was slightly confused with herself. When she spoke the words she didn't think, they just slipped off her lips like she had said them a million times. She was sure she hadn't though. She started getting a headache and the tingling feeling she picked up ever since she touched that necklace at Gold's.

"I suppose you are right. So, Ms. Foster... care to explain why you were in that cell for two weeks?"

Jaime laughed nervously. "You know how I said I wanted to investigate my own case?"

Regina nodded.

"I launched it after the diner and broke into Gold's shop trying to find some sort of evidence."

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Nada. I wasn't even sure what to look for in the first place. I was hoping something would jump out at me." Jaime wondered if she should tell Regina about the necklace in the shop and how it felt familiar and also gave her an electric charge straight to the brain that still tingled every now and then.

Nah, it was probably nothing.

It might sound strange if she told the Mayor that she was now suspicious of a necklace; she'd have her thrown back into that cell. Maybe a cell of a mental health institute.

"I see, well picking a fight with Mr. Gold is not a matter to be trifled with. He takes everything personal." Regina stood by her car on the drivers side with the door open. She debated asking Jaime to come along.

Jaime knew it sounded like she was speaking from experience but she ignored it. "I suppose this adds yet another favor in your belt?" She smirked at the Mayor.

Regina smiled knowingly. "It does. When the need arises that is."

Jaime's heart fluttered a little. Normally owing people favors was not a good thing but in this case... it was the best thing that could happen. Unless of course Regina intended on making her do something absolutely terrible. She doubted that though.

"Well, should you ever need a favor..." Jaime slowly walked towards the Mayor and held her gaze with eyes narrowed. "You'll know who to call." She bit her lip and raised her eyebrows suggestively. She was totally getting her mojo back or so she hoped.

That hope crumbled when Regina smirked evilly and leaned very closely to her giving her chills. Oh great mother superior... why does she affect me so much? Jaime instinctively took a step forward without even realizing it. Regina let out a pleased hum at that.

"You can count on it."

Then Regina chuckled and got into her car leaving Jaime staring at the spot she was just standing in. Damn... and I thought I could charm anyone.

Jaime entered Mr. Gold's shop. The owner stood behind the counter counting money his gaze barely lifted before he scowled. It was like he knew who had entered even before he saw her. That was a little creepy Jaime had to admit.

She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well..." She open and closed her mouth a few times, trying to get the words out.

"Are you going to stand there like a gaping fish or actually say something?" Gold answered sharply.

Jaime scowled. "Yes. I am going to say something thank you very much." She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry for breaking into your shop. Okay?"

Gold snickered, he could imagine how hard that must have been for her since she hated his guts, it gave him pleasure that the feeling was mutual. "Why did you break in?" He already knew the answer.

There was something about his face that made Jaime not want to answer. If she was going to get the charges against her dropped though, she needed to play nice, for once. "I was... looking for something."

"You'll have to be more specific, Ms. Foster."

"Right-o... I didn't really know what I was looking for." She tried to clarify without being to clear. Gold didn't need to know that she suspected him of attacking her and leaving her for dead. Or at least close to it.

Gold walked around the counter leaning heavily on his cane. Jaime noticed the smallest dent or nick on it. Curious. Wonder what happened to it. She stopped herself, she couldn't keep assuming things. There was no way Gold would beat her with his cane and still carry it around like nothing happened. Or maybe that was his goal, it wouldn't make sense why he would so all the more to throw people off the trail.

No, Jaime just no. Stop it.

"You don't know and yet you still broke in? He chuckled. "Ms. Foster you're not making yourself out to be a very intelligent woman."

Jaime's eye twitched and she felt anger rise in her chest. She could not let him get to her, that's probably what he wanted. "I was checking to see if you had something of mine." She lied, and Gold saw right through it.

"Then why didn't you come when the shop was open? Are you just not that patient?"

Shit. I'm digging my own grave deeper and deeper by the second. "Look Mr. Gold, it was sort of a spur of the moment thing... I usually am not this reckless. That's why I would be eternally grateful if you didn't press charges." Jaime pleaded with him. She was almost disgusted with herself practically begging for forgiveness.

So much for pride, who needs that anyway?

Gold smirked he knew all to well that the woman was always that reckless. A thought occurred to him. If he needed her help handling Regina in the near future then the former Queen would listen to Jaime. She was probably the only person that could get through to Regina.

That could come in handy. Especially if said person owed him a favor?

"How about we make a deal, Ms. Foster. I drop the charges and you... you owe me a favor."

Jaime didn't like the sound of that at all. What other choice did she have though? "Fine."

Gold smiled, "Is there anything else you'd like to say or anything I can do for you?" He saw her glance at the necklace he knew she had once possessed.

"What can you tell me about that necklace?" She pointed to the circular necklace. She wanted to know why she felt like she knew it.

The jolt it had given her before, it didn't seem normal, or at least she didn't think it was coincident that she miraculously got a headache as soon as her hand touched it.

"It's actually broken, in the center there should be a silver round cat eye. Superstitions say that this particular type of necklace wards off Black Magic, spirits, and virtually anything harmful."

"I see. Creepy." Jaime shrugged. Must have been some bad juju that gave her the headache. "I better get going."

"Very well." Gold watched Jaime retreat to the door but he spoke again stopping her. "Ms. Foster, I hope you'll stay out of trouble now."

She half smiled knowing there was a fat chance of that happening. Trouble found her these days whether she wanted it or not. She proceeded to exit the building, there were a few other things she needed to take care of. Her supposed job being one of them.

Back in the shop, Gold grinned and giggled wickedly. Things were going to get interesting.

The sun was starting to set so Jaime tried to rush to the diner. She had picked up her car from the tow company so 'rushing' was a little more easier now. She mentally braced herself for whatever awaited her in the diner with Granny. And possibly Ruby.

When she walked into the diner she saw Emma, Mary Margaret, and Henry seated at one of the booths. Those booths were the crowd favorite apparently.

Mary Margaret looked distressed, Emma was flat out sorry for her, and Henry was more interested in watching Jaime as she walked in. He checked his book and he knew exactly who she was. The Cheshire Cat. He elbowed Emma, who turned to him confused then to where his eyes were.

"Jaime, Gold called me and dropped the charges. How the hell did you manage that?" She asked incredulously.

"Magic." Jaime joked but she saw Henry tense up. "Kidding. It must be that my incredibly good looks work on everyone." She smirked half glancing at Ruby cleaning off a table not far from them.

"Oh hey Jaime! It's good to see you up and moving around!" Mary Margaret said cheerfully. Jaime grinned at her.

"It's good to be out and about!" Jaime saw Emma give her a look like 'You've been out and about a little too much.' "What?" She shrugged at Emma innocently.

"Why don't you join us for a bit?" Mary Margaret asked while patting the seat next to her. The only one who seemed against it was Henry.

"Emma can I talk to you?" He asked his birth mother. She seemed confused but let him drag her out of earshot of Mary Margaret and Jaime. Which was only a few tables down towards the back of the diner.

"What's up?"

"It's about Operation Cobra."

Emma sighed, of course it was about that. "What about it?"

"It's Jaime, we can't trust her!" He exclaimed in a hushed whisper. He glanced to make sure Jaime didn't hear him, she was talking to Mary Margaret about something and seemed distracted so he continued. "She's dangerous. In my book, she was friends with the Evil Queen and she helped her trick Snow White. It's what led to Snow White being put under the sleeping curse and the curse that brought them all here!"

"Henry, are you sure? She seems like an okay person. Wait, who was she in your book?"

"The Cheshire Cat. And she that's why she was so dangerous. No one believed she was evil." Henry seemed pretty certain of this. "The Evil Queen and her were almost unstoppable together."

Emma held up her hands for him to slow down. "Whoa, kid. Don't you think that's a little overboard?" She could almost, almost believe Regina might have been capable of casting a curse, if she lived in Henry's imagination, but Jaime? She was beaten half to death and couldn't defend herself. That didn't exactly scream dangerous.

"Regina almost didn't cast the curse because of the Cheshire Cat that's why Rumpelstiltskin wanted her out of the way."

Okay, this was getting a little too weird for Emma's taste.

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