At four thirty Ashley slipped on Emma's apron as Ruby practiced her best scowl while Mary-Margret rolled her eyes and Soleil bounced anxiously between them. "Good luck," Ashley gave them a nervous smile from behind the counter.
"Psh, the wolf pack has nothing to fear!" Ruby struck a pose.
"We are not a wolf pack, a pack of idiots maybe," Mary-Margret huffed pulling on her woolly cap.
"Really?" Emma eyed the cap "you know you're going to be part of a group that's about to intimidate someone and you pick a woolly hat with a fuzzy ball on top?"
"My leather pants and cape are in the dry cleaners," Mary-Margret said sarcastically. She eyed Emma's own outfit, which was jeans a large t-shirt she got at her baby shower and a fake red leather coat she couldn't close over her baby bump, "and considering what you're wearing you hardly have room to talk, preggers."
Emma laughed at that. "Someone's been spending too much time with – Leroy!" Emma hit herself on the forehead as she spotted Leroy crossing the street with his tool box. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about him. "I'll be back in a sec," she said quickly before waddling out.
"Leroy! Hey Leroy!" Emma yelled not caring that almost everyone in the street was looking at her.
"Can you not yell after me in public?" Leroy stopped and crossed his arms making to move to head towards Emma. "It doesn't look good for a pregnant woman to be rolling towards me as fast as her kankles can carry her. People might get the wrong idea."
"Then maybe you should have walked towards me instead of having me follow you," Emma huffed. She was actually a little out of breath from the short walk. Stupid Leroy. "Ashley is taking over the diner for a bit so we're one short for our lynch mob. I was hoping to get a guy to replace her but I guess half of one will have to do."
"As amusing as that sounds, I'm busy," Leroy smirked.
"Doing what?" Emma scoffed at the idea he actually had a life.
"I'm helping out the nuns. Astrid promised me a special reward when I'm through with fixing their electric," Leroy's smile of happiness was somehow worse than a leer.
"Are you screwing a nun?" Emma said both impressed and horrified that anyone found Leroy attractive let alone a nun.
"No," Leroy snorted, "Astrid is like a bloody fairy, all sparkles and rainbows, her special surprise is probably a picnic in the snow where she forgets the blanket and we freeze our asses off."
"Come on Leroy you have to help. We're practically a team," Emma said nudging the irritated man.
"No, I have to fix the nuns circuit boards, I don't have to do anything with you," Leroy grumbled.
"Oh come on, how's Soleil's problem ever going to get sorted if Emroy doesn't fix it?" Emma smirked
"Emroy?" Leroy repeated with a snort, "this is why I'm the one that makes up the cute nick names fatty boom boom."
"Oh, come on! You know you want to come. Besides being the town drunk you're also its biggest gossip and this is drama!" Emma wheedled.
"Fine," Leroy sighed "but if we were a team we'd definitely be called Lemma."
Emma rolled her eyes, "no way. Emroy is way better, oh when we're finished can you have a look at my boiler? It's been making funny noises."
"Bodyguard, electrician and now plumber is there anything you don't think of me as?" Leroy grumbled.
"Love interest," Emma quipped with a grin as she led him to where she had left Mary-Margret and the others.
"Oh ew, no need to be disgusting," Leroy shuddered so convincingly that Emma was actually insulted.
XxXx
"Is this the right address?" Soleil asked again as they studied the brightly lit building. It was directly across the street from city hall (Emma couldn't help but wonder which window lead to Regina's office – probably the cleanest one.) The front was one giant window with a set of scales on it and behind the glass door a male secretary sat guarding the office and shuffling papers.
"This is the place," Emma confirmed as she eyed the people in the waiting room. One guy was handcuffed to the chair glaring sullenly around the room. A skinny man was stealing candy from the front desk every time the secretary looked away while Jade, a woman that had caused trouble in the diner on Halloween, sat popping her gum looking frustrated.
"Trust Jade to be in a defence attorney's office," Ruby snorted as she spied the woman.
"Forget her. How are we getting past the secretary," Mary-Margret asked sounding resigned.
"I'll think of something," Emma said boldly as she opened the door. Her plan was to set Ruby and her short skirt on him. "Hello we're looking for the guy that owns the place?"
"Well if it isn't trailer trash and the scarlet pimp- her-bell," Jade sneered leaning back in her chair, "someone finally bring charges against your criminally stupid selves?"
"Big words for a woman that's probably here trying to beat a prostitution rap," Ruby retorted.
"I can see how you would think those were big words," Jade smirked unconcerned "I would call you a hypocrite but I wouldn't want you to get confused so I'll just settle on right back at you bitch."
The secretary finally looked up and didn't seem at all surprised to see a rag tag group standing before him. "Jade you know the rules. No fighting with the other customers or else you'll lose your turn," his eyes then swept over them critically pausing on Leroy, "you're back again?"
"Last time didn't count, the case didn't go to trail so I didn't need a lawyer," Leroy sneered and crossed his arms.
"You know who owns this place?" Mary-Margret said with annoyance.
"Yeah, don't you guys?" Leroy asked confused before he frowned in annoyance, "you mean you didn't even bother to check out-"
The phone rang and the secretary held up his hand as he answered in a monotone, "Drake Defence Offices, how may I help you? Oh Madame Mayor," the secretaries boredom melted away as he snapped upright like Regina could actually see him. "You need me to do what? That's not really my –no sir, er ma'am, right away." He was already standing and grabbing his briefcase before he had even hung up the phone. He was nearly out the door before he glared at them, "you all need to wait there until I can make you an appointment. The rest of you – try not to kill each other."
"Yeah like that's going to happen," Emma snorted heading straight for the door that the secretary had been guarding.
"Of course the waitress who can't count can't see that there's a line," Jade glared.
"Wait!" Soleil cried, stopping Emma's retort.
"Don't tell me you've changed your mind after all this?" Mary-Margret raised her eyebrow.
"This will be the first time I'll see his face," Soleil smoothed down her hair self-consciously. "What if he's really creepy or if he doesn't listen to us?"
"We'll make him listen," Ruby growled and rubbed Soleil's shoulder reassuringly. She glared when Jade looked like she was about to open her mouth again. Surprisingly the other woman sat back with a smirk and didn't say a word.
"And so what if he's ugly, how does that make a difference?" Mary-Margret asked.
"Not ugly! Creepy! There's a complete difference. I don't mind if he's plain or normal or even a little ugly like Leroy, but if he's creepy like Mr Gold that makes him knowing about my grandmothers much worse," Soleil explained although Emma didn't get it.
"Well Leroy knows the guy so is he creepy?" Emma asked.
"After that ugly remark I aint telling you jack," Leroy muttered and folded his arms.
"Oh come on! Just open the door!" Ruby yelled impatiently. She shoved past Mary-Margret and Emma to throw the door open wide, "okay you pervert-!"
The door banged against the wall but that wasn't what cut Ruby off so suddenly. Behind the desk wasn't a creepy, ugly or even normal man. It was a woman.
"Darling I think I've just received that little gift you were talking about," Millicent sat back in her leather chair her eyes narrowing. Without another word she hung up the phone. "Well, don't just stand there, either come in or get out. You're not the only people here to threaten me today."
"Ah, well, actually – Emma?" Ruby stumbled over her words before she pushed Emma in front of her.
"You're Soleil's stalker?!" Emma blurted out. She had come prepared for anything except this.
"Do shut the door, unlike some of us I have a reputation to maintain," Millicent snorted at that before she reclined in her leather seat from behind her big desk. She looked far too at ease for a woman who had just had her office invaded.
Like school children they shuffled into the office. With the door closed and all of them surrounding the blonde lawyer's desk they should have felt like they were cornering her. Instead it just felt crowded and awkward.
"Well?" Millicent said expectantly.
Emma shot a nervous look at Mary-Margret who was wasting no time looking completely vindicated that she had been right all along. "Uh-leave Soleil...alone?"
"Is that an order or a request dear?" Millicent raised her eyebrow in smug amusement. However there was a sharpness to her gaze that held no trace of humour. "Not that it has anything to do with you, isn't that right?"
That made Emma flounder a bit and she looked back nervously at Soleil. Soleil seemed to snap out of whatever daze she was in and pushed to the front of their little crowd. Her face was unusually grim as she stood firm before them all.
"The deal is off, I don't want anything more from you," she then placed a webcam and various cables on the desk where its twin sat on top of Millicent's monitor.
"I see, and why might I ask?" Millicent said slowly making no move to take the camera.
"First of all I wouldn't have done it if I knew we were practically neighbours. Second, you're way out of line bringing my grandmothers into this," Soleil said her voice cutting as she mentioned her grandmothers.
"Darling what does the fact that we're neighbours change a thing? Whether I was on the other side of the world or not I had no intentions of seeking you out. In fact you're the one that has went to all the trouble to meet face to face," Millicent pointed out calmly, "as for your grandmothers – I did nothing to bring them into our little business arrangement. I've told them nothing of your livelihood and I certainly didn't spend all that money to look at them. As for the gifts, well, I didn't want you to miss our sessions due to hospital visits and the like – which happened around the time one of the old dolts broke her wrist."
"Don't you call them names," Soleil actually growled and it was surprisingly intense. Emma made a note to never bad mouth her grandmothers.
Millicent rolled her eyes but spread her hands wide like an apology, "I do beg your pardon, but the old dear was cutting into our sessions and I only sought to remedy that. I fail to see what I've done wrong here."
"You over stepped. It's my job to take care of my family," Soleil said.
"Which will be greatly hampered if you terminate our agreement," Millicent gave them a sharp smile. "So why don't we talk about this before you go rushing to conclusions," her eyes flickered to the rest of them, "you're a big girl, you can surely talk for yourself?"
"There's nothing to talk about, stay away from my family," Soleil warned again before she turned and left.
With surprising quickness Millicent shot after her. Mary-Margret was practically shoved out of the way as the lawyer for the first time lost her cool.
"Sonny!"
Soleil stopped short in the waiting room and turned. Millicent froze just shy of touching her and straightened out her power suit trying to smooth over the fact that she had just run after her. Emma, Leroy, Ruby and even Mary-Margret were wedged in the office door not wanting to miss a single second. Even Jade and the others in the waiting room watched avidly.
"Only my friends call me Sonny," Soleil's mouth was a thin grim line and Emma really couldn't understand where the happy ditzy blonde she knew had gone.
"We're not friends but we certainly aren't strangers either," Millicent spoke and for the first time she didn't sound smug or superior. "It wasn't completely selfish motivations that moved me and I am sorry that they intruded on your life unwanted. Don't walk away in anger," her voice got softer and fumbled before she forced herself to carry on, "I can't stand the thought of you hating me. Can't we talk even once?"
Jade snorted and ruined the heavy moment causing Millicent to flush. The lawyer turned a searing glare on the exotic dancer that made her practically shrink in her seat.
"No one deserves to be hated," Soleil said slowly seeming more like her normal self. She sighed, "we can talk."
"Good," Millicent turned sharply like nothing untoward had happened at all but her cheeks were still flushed, "the rest of you can get out of my sight before I start plotting my revenge," she glared particularly harshly at Jade.
"You sure you want to do this?" Emma asked as she skirted around the pissed off lawyer.
"Yeah," Soleil sighed looking resigned, she managed a small but heartfelt smile at them all, "thank you guys so much for this. I'll find a way to repay you all I promise."
"You do that," Leroy scowled and both Emma and Mary-Margret swatted him.
"Don't listen to him, we're always happy to help out a friend," Mary-Margret hugged Soleil with a smile.
"Yeah people have got to learn that you don't mess with the wolf pack!" Ruby cheered.
"Ruby that is not a thing!" Mary-Margret snapped.
XxXx
"So Soleil's stalker was a girl?!" Ashley repeated with huge cartoon eyes. They had made it back just in time for the lull that occurred after Regina's visits. Emma felt slightly bad that sweet Ashley had to put up with Regina but the blonde had reassured her that the mayor had been in a good mood and only insulted her twice.
"No she was definitely a woman," Mary-Margret snorted.
"About the mayor's age," Ruby confirmed.
"And Soleil is still with her?" Ashley frowned, "do you think that they will...?"
"Oh God no," Mary-Margret pulled a face, "Soleil isn't like that she has more sense."
"More sense?" Ruby echoed raising her eyebrow as she shifted to look at Mary-Margret.
"To get involved with a stalker, especially a female one," Mary-Margret elaborated. Seeing Ruby's less than pleased expression she hurried to add, "I'm not a bigot but you have to admit that it would be weird if Soleil suddenly started to – you know..."
"...Pet cats?" Ruby offered snarkilly as she cocked her hip.
"Oh don't make me out to be the bad guy, I'm just saying that it would take a little time to adjust to such a change," Mary-Margret huffed turning to Ashley and Emma for support, "you guys know what I mean right?"
"It would be a little...weird," Ashley hugged herself as she quietly agreed. "Do you think she would hit on us?"
Emma hadn't really thought about it. Sure she was a little shocked and she had never actually met any gay people despite being from a big city and spending time in juvie, but that didn't change how she thought about Soleil. She tried to redirect the conversation away from such a volatile topic so she didn't have to exam her own thoughts. "We don't even know if Soleil is that way and even if she is, it's no guarantee that she would go out with Millicent."
"You guys are asses," Ruby said scornfully. "I can't believe the way your acting. I hope Soleil isn't actually bi or gay or anything else you're uncomfortable with because you guys suck at supporting friends."
"Hey! That's not true," Mary-Margret protested, "first of all why are you getting so upset when Soleil hasn't even said anything? And it is a little weird – most people are straight, so yeah, I'll take time to adjust to someone I hang out with who's not. That doesn't make me a bad person."
"No it just makes you a narrow minded one," Ruby retorted glaring, "and the reason I'm upset is that we're all supposed to be friends. I accepted a lot worse stuff about you guys without batting an eye because that's what friends do. At least that's what I thought it meant."
"What worse stuff?" Mary-Margret scoffed.
"You really don't know?" Ruby scoffed right back before pointing at each of them in turn, "Emma's an ex-con con, you're judgement with low enough self esteem that you had a one night stand with a guy that spend most of your date checking me out, and Ash do you really want me to bring your secret into this?"
"Ruby!" Ashley hissed one hand flying to her stomach as her eyes bulged in desperation.
"Whale was a nice guy," Mary-Margret lied hotly causing Emma's super sense to go off.
"Yeah, as my Granny's good friend Mr Cash said 'let he without sin cast the first stone,'" Ruby stormed out of the diner and slammed the door angrily behind her.
"Why is she so upset?" Ashley wondered.
"Do you think maybe she likes girls too?" Mary-Margret asked looking uncomfortable at the notion.
"You guys really missed the point of that entire conversation didn't you," Emma shook her head exasperated.
XxXx
"Hello dear," Regina gave her a wicked smile as she entered the diner that night, "the entire town is abuzz with the news of a certain defence lawyers bedroom predilections. You really did a fine job in causing a scene."
"You knew all along," Emma had realised that earlier but Regina's amusement confirmed it. She had tried to believe that it was just Regina once again failing to grasp the impact of her actions on normal people but she looked far too self satisfied. "I can't believe you let me out your friend – that's really low."
"Excuse me?" Regina's amusement melted away at Emma's scowl.
"You encouraged me to cause a scene to humiliate someone you called a friend. Now the whole town knows she's a lesbian and its partly my fault," Emma threw a wet rag at Regina to try and ease her guilt.
Regina dodged the projectile with a curl of her lip before she turned back to Emma. "Millicent is a what?"
"You know she prefers women to men don't try and act stupid!" Emma snapped.
"Stupid has never been a moniker that I've donned willing or had thrust upon me," Regina sneered, "as for her bedroom preferences, of course I knew she also took women, what of it?"
"Now the entire town knows!" Emma snapped.
Regina just looked at her and it became clear by her face that she was still waiting for Emma to elaborate on the problem. Emma's anger faded somewhat and she rubbed her forehead with her hands, "you have no idea what you've just done, do you?"
"On the contrary, I'm well aware of my actions," Regina's smug smile returned, "Millicent left me a lovely voice message promising me untold horror when she's through grovelling. This was a rather wonderful payback for the time she organised for my mother to catch me in flagrante with Graham. The message is so wonderful I'm thinking of making copies to put in a Christmas card."
"So this is some messed up game of pranking each other?" Emma asked confused.
"Ms Swan," Regina said in a softer tone as she went to stand near the counter, "Millicent and I have a friendship that never really grew beyond the playground. Neither of us are good at apologising and are absolute champions at holding a grudge. This is a way to air our grievances without resorting to a duel. Trust me when I say that we've done much worse than this to each other."
"Aren't you worried? This is a small town, people might not react well to her tastes," Emma pointed out. "Mary-Margret and Ashley aren't exactly thrilled at the idea."
Regina snorted, "Ms Blanchard is hardly a model of tolerance. Spoilt doesn't even begin to cover her. As for the other one, isn't she a child?"
"But they probably won't be alone," Emma frowned.
"Ms Swan, in this town, in this world, there are a number of things people hate about each other and they will always find something to hate about someone. Millicent has never hidden her tastes, she at one stage was Jade's biggest client and was caught saddling the stable master, those that choose to hate her for this will have already been turned against her long ago," Regina explained.
"So you only did it because it was already an open secret, you wouldn't have really outed her in such an embarrassing way, right?" Emma smiled getting Regina her coffee as a peace offering.
Regina looked at her levelly as she took the cup, "I think you know me better than that but I will lie to you if you would prefer it."
"I'm so glad we're not friends," Emma gave up with a sigh.
"That's something for you to look forward to in the future then," Regina gave her a wolfish smile that made Emma shiver. "Now, let's go home."
XxXx
A/N: The Emroy/Lemma conversation came from Jules-Day who commented about it in their review. It made me smile so I just had to include it, hope you don't mind too much.