Chapter Warning: Depictions of Violence, Mention of a past rape.
Chapter Fourteen
"Henry, what's wrong?" Regina asked. It was her birthday breakfast and he was not happy at all. While she had heard him wake up excited he had stomped back upstairs angry. So no morning of silent reading while she hoped Henry kept Emma from wrecking her kitchen. When she got to his room, he simply put on a brave face and told her that breakfast was already ready. Confused she followed him downstairs and saw that Rose had apparently snuck in early with a key Regina never gave her. She knew immediately that Rose had pretty much set herself on Henry's shit list for good.
"How are you waffles?" Rose asked him making conversation.
"Waffles taste disgusting," Henry told her sending a glare at Rose. Emma nodded. If the waffles hadn't been bad enough, Rose had got herself her own birthday pajamas. It was more their mother son thing, and Emma only got birthday pajamas because she was his mother. They didn't go around getting their friends birthday pajamas, and the few people she dated that was around for birthdays never got pajamas.
"Henry, that's not very polite," Rose told him looking upset.
"My moms' say I should always be honest when they ask me a question," Henry told her innocently.
"Henry, don't hide behind that, you meant to insult me, be honest about that," Rose told him. Regina and Emma both made a face at one another. This was the start of a familiar argument where they were forced to side with Rose because Henry was being blatantly disrespectful to an adult. Regardless of what started it, and Regina was getting tired of it.
"Hey I'm excited for my presents," Regina interrupted. She wasn't interested in sending her son to his room on her birthday. Rose looked at her and smiled.
"Of course, dear, today is your birthday, why don't you go first Henry." She smiled at him. He glared back at her as he stabbed at his food. Like Emma, if Rose tried to make dinner for the family, he picked at his food until Regina cooked something else. Normally she might not have, but then for about a week he was living off crappy grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner after she'd gone away on business and Rose had taken it upon herself to attempt to cook dinner those nights. And everyone forgot she had left prepared meals that just required Emma to use the microwave.
"You're so kind," Henry grumbled. He turned to Regina a spark of excitement back in his eyes. He looked at Emma to tell her.
"Well since I beat out Rodriguez for Sherriff, I finally saved some of my own money, and we bought you a week's worth of chocopologies and Henry and I will be going camping in the outback…. with Neal if it's okay with you." Neal was still in France, but he often skyped with Henry, and they played Space Paranoids together. He especially skyped on Game days as they both loved football, although they were still at odds on which teams to support.
"And I scheduled a massage for every day that week and no work," Henry told her excited. "We leave tomorrow." Regina was ecstatic inside.
"You mean I get the entire house to myself?" They nodded.
"And we're going to clean it all before we leave."
"Yes, this is the best present I could have asked for this year," Regina told them happily.
"No, not yet," Rose told her, "I found out about the week off, so instead I made it so you and I could have a couples' week in the Bahamas babe." Henry went red in the face. He stood up angrily and headed for the stairs.
"I'm not going camping, I'm grounding myself now," He told Emma. He stomped upstairs and slammed his door a few times. Regina frowned.
"I can't do this," She said out loud.
"Oh honey it's okay, motherhood is tough he's almost a teenager, this time will pass, we all go through it," Rose told her.
"No, not Henry, he has every right to be upset today." Emma stood up quietly and took her and Henry's plate into the kitchen, but she could still hear everything.
"What he's acting like a little brat…." Regina held up her hand and Rose stopped talking.
"Yeah he is, but it's for a reason. I've tried letting you two work out your differences. I had hoped that by now you two would have come to an understanding. But instead it's become all-out war. The more he pushes you away the more you push for only couple time and insist he's in the way. And the few family activities you plan, you always exclude Emma…"
"Emma's not family…." Rose started. Regina sighed.
"See that, you're still jealous, I knew it. I told you more than once that if I'm with you I'm not looking at Emma, and she's even gone out on a date or two with Rodriguez. But you still don't see her as Henry's second mother. You're still thinking that, that's a position you're going to fill, but it's already taken. I feel like you're trying to shit on what we're trying to do for our son instead of spending years in court trying to keep him from one of us."
"I'm not trying to shit on it, I understand what you're doing," Rose told her.
"Do you, because you just told me Emma wasn't family. Emma is Henry's mother, that makes her his family, and Henry is my son, that makes him my family, and by that extension Emma is my family too. Not to mention in a totally fucked up way she's actually my step-granddaughter if you want to make it more official in your mind."
"All right, all right fine, she's family and I'll apologize to her about saying she's not and not inviting her to family activities."
"That's a start, but I want you to also think about how you insult Henry every time you exclude her. And that's only one part of why we are where we are. The other part is you don't know Henry at all, and I hate to say it, but even…. Robin knows Henry better than you." Rose cringed.
"No, he doesn't."
"What's Henry's favorite thing in the world?" Regina asked her.
"You?" She asked tentatively. Regina shook her head.
"No, I didn't ask who one of his favorite people are, I asked what's one of his favorite things to do," Regina replied. Rose frowned and thought.
"Space paranoids."
"That's his favorite game, try again." Rose frowned some more and before she just was at a loss. "He likes to plan surprises and give incredibly thoughtful gifts if he can. And he likes to be included if you have your own ideas and he likes to give them special names. Emma and Henry have been planning operation Happy Birthday since November. Secretly buying and stashing chocopologies, planning the camping trip to get them out of the house, and talking to all my friends to be sure they could pick up the slack at work for me as their part. And he even tried a little with you, showing you this year's pajama's design. And then you took that design and had your own made."
"I just wanted to fit in," Rose told her indicating the pajamas.
"No, you alienated him, these pajamas are literally only our thing and the only reason Emma gets pajamas is because she's his mother. It's a mother son thing. And if that wasn't bad enough, you snuck in before he woke up and made breakfast without him. Today and Mother's Day he really enjoys getting up early, letting me pretend to not have heard him get up, and surprising me with breakfast. This year he had planned a sweet potato quiche I had been wanting to try."
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize he was planning, I just thought I would do something nice." Regina looked unconvinced.
"I'm not really convinced you knew our birthday morning routines, I talked about it. Look Rose, I enjoy our time together, you were good for me in the beginning. But now having you as my girlfriend is causing more problems with Henry than I would like. I need someone that Henry can get along with and accept as a parental figure even if he never calls you mom. And I also need someone who won't become a barrier between me and my son. I think it's best if we go back to being good friends." Tears appeared in Rose's eyes.
"How can we do that, we've gotten so close," She cried. Regina looked down sadly.
"I'm not sure, but I'm gonna try, we were friends first so we don't sleep together anymore that's all that changes for me. You were always still one of my close friends, and when we got closer sex to me was what changed. So no more sex. Please understand I have to do what's best for Henry and I always." Regina rubbed her arm. Rose cried. She let her cry into her shoulder before she changed and went home. Regina sighed and cleared their plates, Emma was in the kitchen pretending like she hadn't heard the break up.
"You okay?" Emma asked Regina. Regina wiped her eyes and once again looked unconcerned.
"She was getting too clingy in her jealousy, and at Christmas I thought she was deliberately setting Henry off so we had to send him to his room, because you didn't stick around after that either if Henry wasn't there. I just couldn't prove it until the pajamas and the breakfast."
"How did you know what we were planning?" Emma asked her suddenly. Regina grinned.
"I accidentally found where you stashed the sweet potatoes, and I knew it could only be that because I had been talking about it in the hopes that you'd hear me," Regina admitted. Emma laughed.
"So you're not torn up about Rose?" Emma asked. Regina shook her head as she dumped the waffles. No one had really eaten except Rose.
"Not really, I wasn't that attached anyway, because she had too many problems with Henry. It was just nice to have someone love me for a change while I was so stressed if that makes sense."
"Too much sense actually," Emma told her. Regina nodded.
"You know better than anyone," Regina replied. "Now I think Henry would like to make me breakfast or it will probably be lunch by the time you two get it right." Emma laughed.
"Have a little faith Regina," Emma told her. Regina scoffed and laughed before she left the kitchen and went to the bottom of the stairs.
"Henry, if you're not too mad to keep celebrating my birthday with me, I'm really hungry for breakfast and there's nothing to eat down here!" Regina called up the stairs. Emma stood by the kitchen door waiting for Henry.
"Yes, there is, you have your stupid waffles for breakfast," Henry yelled down still sounding upset.
"I don't see any waffles; do you see waffles Emma?" Regina asked her.
"No, no waffles down here," Emma said loudly enough for Henry to hear as she watched Regina. She tried to contain the hope in her heart that maybe Regina would see her now, that she wouldn't be invisible anymore. She let her eyes drift down from the back of Regina's head and down her long black hair, her back, and down to her ass. She had requested shorts that year with her birthday pajamas and they were the best decision Emma ever made in her opinion. She looked up suddenly as she heard Henry come towards the stairs and ask her if there really weren't any waffles.
"Mom, are there really no waffles."
"Regina's telling you the truth, there are no waffles and I think she's quite hungry now." He came all the way downstairs looking at them suspiciously.
"Where's Rose?" He asked them knowing she wouldn't have let them just dump the waffles just to please him.
"We broke up, she won't be over here as my girlfriend anymore," Regina told him seriously. He frowned.
"But I don't want you to be unhappy," He grumbled.
"The only way I'll be unhappy is if you're unhappy. Anyone I date has to be compatible for us both not just one of us," Regina explained. "And Rose wasn't compatible with you."
"You don't hate me because you can't date her anymore?" Henry asked looking at her worried.
"Henry no one is more important than my relationship with you, if I lose you, I've lost everything." She smiled at him and he smiled back at her. They hugged and she kissed his forehead.
"Then you go back up to bed." He tried to push her and she chuckled and went upstairs. She got settled in the arm chair in her room with her book. She grinned as she finally started it. She didn't even notice that three hours had gone down with no call for breakfast. She frowned wondering if everything was okay. She put her book down and went to her door; she was surprised she didn't smell anything burning.
"Uh Henry, Emma?" Regina called. "I'm really hungry now." She went downstairs and found them both curled up on the couch napping. Regina snuck a polaroid of them before going into the kitchen. She was surprised to see a perfectly made quiche in the oven. It had just finished so she took it out before it burned too much. She saw that they had cleaned the kitchen and there were several attempts in the trash. She let it cool as she reset the dining room table and plated some for everyone when the time was right before she walked over to her son and Emma.
Regina couldn't help but note their similar features and how adorable they were on Emma just as they were on Henry. She sighed inwardly as she wondered what it might be like to be with Emma. Would it be good or bad, did she want more from her or something like she had with Maleficent and Red. Regina didn't even know, but it didn't matter as Emma had already stated she wasn't interested.
"Wake up guys," Regina told them softly. She shook them. Emma jumped awake.
"Oh no, Henry the quiche!" Henry jumped up too in that moment as they pushed passed her and ran into the kitchen. It took them a minute or two of looking around for their quiche when they noticed Regina at the door."
"I saved it from burning too much, now come on, I'm eager to try." Henry frowned when he saw it.
"Aww Mom I'm sorry, I wanted it perfect without burning anything, I always burn," Henry complained as she pulled him close.
"Hey no, don't be sorry, I'm excited to try it, not everything you make its going to look pretty and perfect, sometimes it'll look a little rough, and you just have to give it a little taste." Regina ate a piece without giving anything away before she fed a piece to Henry. He smiled.
"Mom it's really good," He said to Emma. Emma looked surprised as she tried her own. Like Henry she looked very pleased with herself.
"Oh it's almost like you made it Regina," Emma told them. They all laughed and enjoyed the quiche until it was gone. They went out windsurfing for the afternoon with friends, before Regina watched Emma and Henry thoroughly clean the house. The next day she sent them off on their camping trip and she was left to enjoy her chocopologies, a deep tissue massage, and finally her bath and book.
"Best birthday gift ever," Regina sighed as she sank a little deeper into her bath after putting her book down and popping another chocolate covered truffle in her mouth.
"So Henry's out, that means we get to pick the movie," Emma said excited. They were supposed to take turns on who decided the movie, but more often than not, Henry chose, and he almost always wanted to watch some terrible film that wouldn't even get credit at the Sundance festival lately as suggestions from Neal after the camping trip. Henry was at a sleepover leaving Regina and Emma to have dinner alone like he had planned. Except Regina missed dinner because of work which he was not happy about when he texted to find out how they were getting along without him. He was such a concerned son.
"I know whose actual turn is it?" Regina asked.
"Can we make it mine, because I've got a great movie choice," Emma told her eating some popcorn. They each had their own bowls, normally there was only one so Henry didn't eat too much junk, but they had shamelessly made their own. When Regina got home she found out Emma had tater tots for dinner and was not happy she hadn't saved her any. But she got her back by making a chayote salad with chocolate covered truffles sprinkled on top. Emma was so upset she hadn't thought of that.
"Yeah sure, your reward for reminding me that as an adult when my child isn't around I don't have to make smart dinner choices every time."
"Yes," Emma grinned. "Because I already preset starship troopers."
"The first one?" Regina asked her tentatively.
"Yes, of course, but I also have the others for comparison," Emma told her seriously.
"Hmm…well I only have one question for you," Regina stated. "Did Rico deserve her?" Regina looked at her seriously and Emma looked back at her just as seriously.
"By her, I can only assume that you mean Dizzy and the answer to that one hundred percent hell no."
"And what's the difference between a civilian and citizen?"
"The difference is a citizen has the courage to make the safety of the human race their personal responsibility. Would you like to know more?" Regina and Emma grinned at one another before Emma pressed play.
"Oh shit I almost forgot, want a beer?" Regina asked feeling thirsty. Emma nodded. Regina hurried to the kitchen and raced back with beer and a pack of gummi worms and a tub of ice cream.
"Dude cookies," Emma told her glancing over.
"Oh how could I forget?" Regina went back for cookies. Soon they were scooping ice cream out with cookies and watching Dizzy die amid tears.
"He should have loved her more," Regina cried.
"You know nothing Johnny Rico," Emma cried at the screen.
"What are you two doing?" Henry asked looking at them confused.
"Henry what are you doing home so late, I thought you were spending the night," Regina told him trying to pretend like she was not having cookies, gummi worms, and ice cream.
"You never let me have cookies and ice cream together with gummi worms. It was the best idea I ever had and you told me no."
"Did you come home because you were sick?" Emma asked him trying to distract him.
"No, I left my pajamas."
"Then your friend is waiting for you to come back, you had better hurry," Regina told him. Henry grumbled and went upstairs. They quickly cleaned up and pretended like he hadn't seen it. He glared at them and their one empty bowl of popcorn.
"What are you watch…. aww you're watching starship troopers without me," He cried. "Did Dizzy already die."
"She just went son," Regina told him solemnly. He frowned.
"She was too good for him anyway." They nodded.
"I know, she was," They replied. He sighed.
"I'll be back soon don't forget I'm at Lionel's." He kissed their cheeks and left before they brought back out the beer and ice cream.
"Here's to plausible deniability in the future." Emma nodded as they clinked beer bottles. They finished.
"Oh you missed it but in the Summer there's a cosplay festival soon."
"Oooh we should go as starship troopers. You could go as Dizzy."
"I couldn't pull off her red hair, but I do like Carl, I wanna be Carl, I've got his brains."
"Well I'm definitely the Johnny Rico here, I'm too stupid to know what I have right in front of me." She held Regina's gaze a little long but Regina looked away, and hid what she was thinking. "Regina?"
"Hmmm?" Regina asked looking up from opening the second beer she had grabbed after Henry had left.
"You like me right?" Emma asked.
"Yeah sure, you're a great person and you've just blossomed as a mother figure to Henry and not just his friend."
"Thank you, but that's not what I meant. I asked if you like me."
"Well you had me at would you like to know more," Regina laughed. Emma chuckled too and looked away. She took several deep breaths.
"This is so hard for me, I'm not used to this, because of Lilly."
"I know it took me so long with Henry to remember what a normal family did, and when I remembered my father, I finally knew what to call Henry. I didn't name him right away you know." Emma nodded.
"While that's true, it's not what I'm getting at. I'm trying to say I like you…." Regina and Emma were silent for a long moment.
"Oh," Regina replied surprised as she put her beer down on the table. "And you're sure it's not just because I found you in Turkey and took you away from Lilly?" Emma nodded.
"Yes, I'm sure it would have worn off by now especially since you were unavailable and Rose wasn't exactly quiet." Regina nodded she had told Rose more than once she had to be quieter. Eventually they just didn't do that stuff when Henry was in the house because he thought there was a werewolf in the house. "I think I've loved you for a long time before that, but I just didn't want to admit that before." They were silent. "Do you think you can like me?"
"I…." Regina was at a loss for words. Emma looked down.
"It's okay, I'm disorganized mess, you don't go for that, I'm Macy's and you're Hugo Boss, Lilly was right I'm useless and no one would ever want me but her…. OW!" She held her nose and glared at Regina who was poised to flick her again.
"Say shit like that about yourself again and I'm going to resort to flicking your nose annoyingly and intense tickles," Regina warned her seriously. "You're not Macy's, you're fucking fifth avenue. You're such a nerd, didn't you see I liked you since you kissed me on my last birthday and you broke my heart?"
"I broke your heart?" Emma asked surprised.
"You kissed me and you made me think about you like that, and then you just took it all back and said you could never like me." Emma's face went red.
"Because I was embarrassed and I couldn't take being rejected by you, and proving Lilly right. I just wanted to be rejected on my own terms."
"Silly Emma could have saved us a lot of trouble, but then I guess Maleficent wouldn't have a granddaughter soon. Small bright spots." Emma nodded. Regina picked up her beer and sat back.
"What no kiss?" Emma asked.
"If you want it interrupted by Henry, sure, Henry's at his friend Lionel's house. And now is about the time he calls home for me to pick him up because Lionel already has to share with his brother and it's cramped. And his brother does not clean. Lionel almost always prefers to come here, but than his mom gets suspicious." Emma laughed as Henry called just then.
"Be there soon buddy," Regina told hm.
"Was that pout even real?" Emma laughed.
"I think so in part," Regina told her. They finished their beer and got their shoes and jacket. The pod made them take a breathalyzer test before entering.
"If you blow over a certain limit, it takes you home, not your next destination or the hospital." Emma chuckled.
"I should really know that as the Sherriff, why don't I know that?" Emma asked her.
"You should step up your game," Regina told her. Emma nodded. They picked up Henry amid apologies and he snuggled up against Regina before she carried him in.
"Oh you're getting way too big for this buddy," Regina told him sadly.
"Well I had better do this as much as I can," He told her kissing her cheek. They tucked him in bed and kissed him goodnight. They went back downstairs to clean up, but Regina had other plans to finally kiss Emma. Emma seemed to be thinking what she was thinking too as they moved towards one another to kiss when Regina's emergency ring went off.
"Of course," Regina grumbled. She picked up the phone and took the call upstairs. Emma frowned and not for the first time wondered why Regina never took emergency calls in front of her. Emma finished cleaning up and when she was done, Regina was downstairs and dressed for travel with a black duffle bag.
"I gotta go, there's stuff for grilled cheese, and leftover cooked meat still frozen for tacos. I shouldn't be gone for more than two days." Regina left quickly, but she came back and kissed Emma deeply. "So you don't forget." Emma couldn't help but grin back at Regina. Soon she was gone. Regina dwelled on her kiss through the ride, but quickly filed it away for later when she didn't have to deal with anything pressing. It was twenty-four hours later that she was parachuting down into African Congo with Graham.
"Another fucking regime change and they always come for my diamonds," Regina grumbled as she got settled in gated house in Kinshasa. The house was open to everyone for use, so it was guarded by a small army, especially since, in the house the diamonds were prepared for transport. She mixed in African men to be loyal only to her, and they enjoyed more money than other men. She took men off the streets with families. Provided housing, clean water, education for the children, and food. In return the men guarded her assets and the women worked tirelessly to prepare the diamonds.
"Welcome back Madam, I have prepared your bath and a change of clothes for you," a young girl greeted in French. Regina frowned.
"What are you twelve?" Regina asked her in French. She nodded as she curtsied to Regina.
"Are you the daughter of one of the women working here, we usually send girls your age to school." The girl shook her head.
"I have a son, my Aunt she use to work here before she died. When I came here my cousins begged them to let me stay with them, and they said I could if I worked." Regina frowned.
"How long have you been here?"
"Three years."
"And how old is your son?" Regina asked thinking if she were twelve that would mean she'd had him at nine or ten which was entirely too young.
"Eight months," She answered.
"Who is the father?" Regina asked as if she were merely curious.
"He says I am not to tell anyone that comes here that," She told her truthfully.
"Well I'm more powerful than him, I give him his money, so you tell me." The girl whispered that it was her overseer.
"Thank you, now you mentioned a bath." The girl nodded relieved she was not in any trouble. Regina told her to stick very close to her. After her bath and change of clothes, she had a meeting with the overseer, the head of her guards, the head of packaging, the head miner, the representative for the African guards and their families, and Graham.
"So what happened?" Regina asked as they sat down.
"New Regime changed and they sent soldiers down to the mines when they realized that a payment was previously in place with the government," The overseer told her.
"Why was there no payment?" Regina asked him.
"We're paying them entirely too much, I was hoping to negotiate with them," He told her as she looked through her financial records
"So you thought," Regina told him already wanting to kill him. "So let me finish the rest of this tale for you. So when no payment came they went to the mines from where the payments originate from. Where Mr. Kyenge barely escaped with his life as he stated to them multiple times that he was unable to negotiate a deal. And then I got an emergency call with a demand for a higher price than I have previously paid in history." Regina sighed as she found what she was looking for, a report stating that the government had been paid when in fact they hadn't. She showed it to Graham who didn't visibly react as he looked at his screen. Regina clasped her hands together in front of her.
"They hold our people my Queen," Mr. Kyenge spoke. She nodded at him and the woman who represented the common people's interest as they referred to it.
"We will free our people," Regina told them. She looked back at her overseer. "Mr. Bissette, I don't pay you to think, now set up a meeting immediately." He nodded and left out. Graham put on a headset next to them and seemingly combing through the roster of their guards to select the best people for the job.
"Mr. Halifax, update on the security of this villa."
"To be honest my Queen, I feel that some of your African guards have been compromised with promise of keeping most of the diamonds for themselves and family members. Mr. Bissette may have made his own deal. I have men loyal to me, who know what you can do. And Mrs. Bembo she has been great in helping me keep the other African guards from straying. They don't know that we know, but we have strengthened their loyalty. Especially in such a time of unrest we have brought their families behind the walls. You noticed the full courtyard." Regina nodded. The home was as big as a hotel, so they had been quite spread out.
"So we are compromised if he is in league with the government."
"We believe he is," Mrs. Bembo told her.
"And you will see my Queen that he has asked me to doctor the financials," the head of packaging told her. "I had no idea the payments never made it. I swear to you that, my own husband is in those mines, I wouldn't jeopardize his life when he makes money by doing a job with regular breaks, and can come home at night." Regina nodded.
"Choose only those loyal and pack up all stock for transport. We will be moving you to the other safe house." They nodded.
"I'm on it now," Graham told her. She nodded.
"Go, go now, see it done, and prepare for our meeting with the government." They nodded. Regina easily switched out the bag that contained her diamonds, as she suspected Mr. Bissette was more than aware of her moving them. Instead she hid them behind a wall. Naturally on his team, she saw men who would be loyal to him on their way to meet the government. A few he left behind to follow the families who carried her diamonds he thought. But there would be a surprise waiting for them.
"Finally someone who can negotiate with me," a man said as she got out of her armored car behind the mine gates. Her people looked tired as they slugged through the mud and worked under the fear of a gun. This had never been the case.
"You call this a negotiation as you hold my people hostage?" Regina asked him.
"Your people?" He asked with a laugh. "These are my people that toil in my people's soil not yours."
"It's mine until you buy it from me," Regina told her. "And they are my workers therefore my people. And you are mistreating my people as you force them to dig at gun point for my diamonds. No regime change, changes my legal rights on my land." He glared at her and pulled out his gun.
"I could shoot you where you stand, and then what?" He asked.
"I'll shoot you where you stand," Graham told him with a gun to the back of his head. They hadn't seen him come in. He released his gun and Graham took it before backing off.
"Now let these people go home, there's a truck waiting for them and we'll discuss the terms of our negotiation," Regina told him. She already noted that there were only a few dead bodies from her African guards, and the rest were all in military uniform now.
"No, you care a lot about them." He looked at his men. "Round up the people, hold them all at gun point. Kill them if they try to run or she tries anything." He nodded and they did so making Regina frown.
"What do you want?" Regina asked.
"Fifty million in cash, Euros, and a passport out of here to France, don't say you can't do that, because Mr. Bisette here says that you can." Regina nodded her head as she took out her gun and shot Mr. Bissette in the head. All guns were pointed at one another but thankfully a shootout didn't start.
"In return I'm going to need my mine back, my people, and the guards that betrayed me," Regina told him easily. He nodded to his second. And her old men were brought forward. "We seal the deal with their deaths." He nodded again and the soldiers were shot execution style. Regina already had his money demand so she produced a duffle bag full of cash.
"Let my people go, and you will relinquish the mine as soon as you have your passport in hand." He nodded. She tossed him the bag and the people were let go and put into trucks. They took the bodies of the loyal men that died for proper burial. Regina got back in her car. As she left there was an explosion and poisonous gas was released. She left the men she had assigned to clean it up. She took the diamonds with her and destroyed the house. They set up shop in a new city, got new workers for the old mine who had no idea who paid them. New guards who were also ignorant. And moved the loyal people to a bigger mine and different compound. She would work on the loyalty of the old mine later, but for now production had to return. Normally only twenty-eight percent of what was found went out on the legitimate market, but for now all of it would unless they found anything rare.
"Mr. Kyenge and Mrs. Bembo, in a few days you will see to it that the new people are properly adjusting to their mining and guarding jobs there. New housing will be provided for them and their families and help with schooling in the coming months. Only after they show me what they can produce from the mines. I will be assigning a new head of packaging, someone very loyal to train someone else. Mrs. Dufort will want to stay with her husband. You two will return to your families in due time, but you are the best at your job. We will assign them official representatives later." They nodded as they sat in the car. She knew they were scared of her, and they had every right to be after she'd just had so many men executed for disloyalty. But they also had respect for her, as she didn't treat them like slaves.
"I'll stay behind and look after the security situation," Graham told her. "At the very least I want you in South Africa." Regina frowned. He looked at her sternly. She gave in when she found her normal buyer there. Red was waiting for her in South Africa, but she wasn't surprised. She looked almost normal clothed in a red hoodie if not for the wolf on either side of her.
"Our friend won't arrive in the city until tomorrow," Red whispered. Regina nodded. They secured the diamonds before she got some rest and skyped with first Graham and then she skyped with Henry. He was sad she wasn't home, but Emma had burned dinner so that had led to a cookie, ice cream, and gummi worm dinner to his delight. Which wouldn't have happened if she were around, because she didn't burn their dinner.
"Yeah hey so I've burned dinner like every night and instead of takeout I'm honestly not sure how I got talked into giving sugar for dinner. He's a little crazy." Regina nodded as she watched Henry running around in the background using a blanket as a cape. Emma looked back too worried. "He really enjoys the Superman movies."
"I feel really sorry for you, but I'm glad I'm not there," Regina laughed.
"He doesn't sleep anymore or bathe," Emma whispered. "When did you say you would be back, I need you, and he just doesn't respond to me even when I hold up your flip flop." Regina laughed until tears came out of your eyes.
"You can't just hold up the flip flop that doesn't do anything," Regina told her
"Well I even tried the yelling in Spanish when he's being impossible, and he just laughed at me. I honestly didn't even get him off to school after the first day because he was so hopped up on sugar and had crashed in the morning. I hate when you get called out on emergencies, there's no food ever."
"First off get rid of all the sugar in the house, please get him a bath so he can change his underwear. Hose him down if you have too. Call the maid service for the house and call Maleficent tonight and see if she has any of her bedtime soup."
"Bedtime soup?" Emma asked. "Why is it called bedtime soup, who eats right before bed?"
"Trust me, make the call," Regina told her as she hid a yawn. "I'll hopefully be on a plane tomorrow night, but it will still be over a day of traveling. Emma was about to say something when she looked horrified.
"NO Henry the blanket doesn't act like a parachute!" Emma dropped the phone and ran. Regina called after them worried about what exactly her son had tried hopped up on sugar.
"Emma, Henry, someone talk to me, I'm worried." Emma appeared struggling to hold onto Henry.
"We're good, everyone's alive, hurry home…. please," Emma told her before the phone cut off. Regina just looked at the phone relieved. She called Maleficent herself, who said she would take care of it. Assured that Maleficent would save her kid and house, she was able to get some rest.
"I am unamused, Mr. Cordeval," Regina told him as if she were extremely bored. She was dressed to kill in a black suit. She crossed her legs showing off her heels and sat back while she stirred her tea. Red sat to her left also dressed to kill figuratively and literally in a red dress. Her wolves rested on either side of her seemingly harmless. Mr. Cordeval looked nervous as he stood in front of her. "You've kept me waiting two days, and it is only by luck that my business has kept me in the area longer or else I wouldn't have met you." He tugged at his collar.
"My apologies, ma'am." Regina noted he didn't give her an explanation like usual. She nodded to Red who stood up. Her dogs sat up but didn't move from by the chair. She patted him down before looking into his briefcase.
"Sit down Mr. Cordeval," Regina instructed. He sat down and wiped his brow with his handkerchief. Red looked around before frowning as she probably made eye contact with the guards.
"Why don't we go on a little ride, I find it rather stuffy in the hotel," Red told them. Regina nodded. Mr. Cordeval stood up nervously and followed them out. He looked around him constantly. They entered the Hummer Limousine, and Regina clicked a pen as if she were going to write, but she didn't do that with the pen.
"So Mr. Cordeval, you have heard of the conflict in the DRC, and as you know per regulations I am unable to move my diamonds there legally otherwise." He nodded.
"DRC diamonds cannot be counted as coming from a South African mine, I don't have that kind of pull."
"But your company in Antwerp and Tel Aviv can provide the needed cash for diamonds. How you get them on the legitimate market is not my concern," Regina told him. "We're prepared to start our offer at fifteen million Euros."
"The stones have to be looked at, we can't just take them," He told her nervously. Regina produced one stone for him. He looked over it in the car and nodded.
"This is good quality as always, these would definitely be going for production in jewelry." Regina nodded.
"Naturally," Regina replied as she took back the diamond. She looked bored, but really she was aware that something was off with Mr. Cordeval. She looked at Red who was looking quite concerned.
"We should return to the hotel and let Mr. Cordeval out. He can think on our offer," Red told her. Regina nodded if someone other than her suggested they think on the offer, she took it as a security concern.
"Of course, Mr. Cordeval you're probably tired." The driver pulled up in front of the hotel again. Mr. Cordeval quickly got out pass the wolves although they made no move to harm him. He shut the door and walked in.
"I haven't had a report from the guards in ten minutes," Red told her. Regina unclicked the pen.
"Still don't hear anything?" Red shook her head with a frown. Regina frowned as well.
"Let's walk in calmly then, we have nothing to hide." Red nodded. The driver opened the door again after Red tapped the window. She took up her wolves' leashes and led them in calmly. Regina talked about hanging out by the pool to relax. Red agreed with her. They were barely in the foyer when they were surrounded.
"Hands up now!" They held their hands up. Her wolves sat unconcerned with the guns pointed at them.
"Is there a problem?" Regina asked them noting the Interpol badges mixed in with local Johannesburg Police. They were arrested as the wolves picked up their leashes and followed Red.
"I wouldn't try and touch the leashes," Red told them as a police truck was opened. The wolves hopped in ahead of her. Regina got in and Red followed. They didn't know what to do short of shooting the wolves.
"Escape?" Red asked quietly. Regina shook her head.
"We'll be out by the end of the day, I wouldn't worry about it." Red nodded and Regina heard her click her handcuffs back on making her chuckle a little. Red laughed too as she shrugged. The officer next to them looked alarmed and looked at Red's hands but they were empty.
"How…" He started as he pulled on her cuffs and found them secure. He checked Regina's as well and they were also secure. They arrived at the police station and were taken to separate interrogation rooms after being searched. One of the wolves followed Regina and lay in the corner watching her as if he was very happy dog. A dog catcher came in.
"I don't recommend that at all. He's being a good boy and not threatening anyone, leave him be." The wolf sat up again and started to growl. "Remus stay." Remus moved from side to side, but didn't attack. "If you let him continue no word from me will get him off that man, and if you kill him, we will drag this station and Interpol through the mud for his wrongful death." The officer sat down and placed a diamond on the table.
"Diamond trafficker now really," He said.
"Do I know you?" Regina asked him. He frowned.
"I was the lead investigator on the case of Mr. Blanchard's murder." Regina didn't give any indication that she recognized him. "I lost everything because I couldn't catch you."
"So how did you end up here?" Regina asked him.
"Mr. Blanchard's daughter was so kind enough to get me here, she suspected that you were still a criminal living in that criminal's paradise you created. And thanks to Mr. Cordeval's testimony in exchange for protection from you. You're going to rot in jail for a long time."
"I'm sure that would make them very happy if I were actually guilty of such a thing, but you'll find that diamond has been registered as part of the Kimberley process and is from a legally owned diamond mine here in South Africa."
"We have you on tape saying they were not from South Africa."
"If they aren't from South Africa where are they from?" Regina asked him curiously. She could already see from the look on his face, he didn't know. "That's what I thought, send someone to my hotel room if you like, you'll find the Kimberley process papers, stating they are from a conflict free area which is South Africa." He glared at her.
"We're going to rip that room to shreds and find everything." Regina nodded.
"Good." She sat back and waited for him to leave. It was a twenty-four hours and some interrogation, before someone came back and told her she was free to go along with her friend. Regina stood up and grabbed Remus's leash easily. She was looking through her things making sure everything was accounted for including the diamond when Red appeared with Romulus. She looked tired like Regina, but otherwise unharmed. She checked her own things before they waited for several of their men to appear and gather their things.
"This isn't a knife free zone, please return my work tools," a guard told them. "We expect our guns handed over outside of the zone." They all left and their guns were handed back outside of the zone. They checked them before continuing back to the hotel. They gathered their things and headed for the airport. Regina checked on her guards, most had no clue that their necklaces held microphones. On the island everyone was monitored in some way on these missions. No one had talked as far as she could tell.
"Send Male for him, it wouldn't be wise for you to get your hands dirty here," Regina told Red after they had scanned all their stuff for listening devices. Regina had her men destroy their guns before they got on the plane. She produced new guns for them before she made sure every guard arrested was on the plane and listed.
"You're all off duty until further notice," Regina told them. "They suspect you so stay out of Africa in the meantime."
"Yes ma'am," They replied. Regina nodded. It was a long flight back to first Australia, where she dropped her guards off, most of them had family off the island even though they had residences on the island. Until the expansion they wouldn't be allowed to move their families. It was another six hours before they were on the island landing strip, which was an old aircraft carrier for the private jets.
"I need a long shower," Regina groaned as they locked up the diamonds from DRC, and a good amount of South African diamonds with their papers.
"I hear you, and what are we going to do, how do we sell our diamonds in Antwerp and Tel Aviv?"
"We don't, I have an idea, but we'll discuss it at the council meeting tomorrow," Red nodded as she scheduled one. They wouldn't send Maleficent off until afterwards anyway. Regina's phone rang.
"Right now?" Regina asked. She sighed. "Fine, fine, but we video chat in Graham." Red made a face as they tried to just freshen up a little before they left the island vault and went to the council room. Maleficent was already there asking Scarlett why she thought the meeting couldn't have waited. Maleficent was on Lilly watch.
"Maybe not Maleficent, I forgot, that Lilly had preterm labor that stopped." Red nodded. "We'll figure it out." They took their seats.
"Ladies, gentlemen," Scarlett said. "I called this meeting into order for a reason, I have several issues to discuss not including two of our council members being arrested on diamond trafficking." Graham was on screen. "First off Mr. Humbert what is your current location?"
"Classified," Graham responded. Scarlett looked perturbed at his response. She cleared her throat.
"I ask you again Mr. Humbert where are you?"
"I say again that information is at the moment classified. Now please you said you had more important issues to discuss."
"Fine, we'll come back to your location. Now first order of business is we are now a country, we should be establishing one currency to really enter the global market."
"What so we can do poorly, we have more imports than exports at the moment," Red reported. "We're trying to change that, but tourism isn't going to sustain us on the financial market."
"Perhaps if we got rid of your useless wolves we could have room for beef."
"As much as I like beef we simply don't have the room for it," Regina told them. "And right now it is benefiting us to get it from America. Because we are a new buyer, I was able to secure the US President's support in our efforts to buy the Marquesas, Mangravera, and Pitcairn islands.
"Some of these islands aren't even inhabited," Scarlett told her. "And the ones that are would increase our population by over a thousand people. How do we explain that to those who are living in the small apartments unable to move their own families here after loyal service to us?"
"Well Scarlett as you know, we have been slowly expanding short of somehow setting off a volcanic reaction in this region."
"You mean that black eyesore we have forming?" She asked.
"Yes, that current black eyesore of volcanic rock we bring from Hawaii which has a volcano constantly erupting. We've able transport lava and rock here," Regina told her. "Our scientists have been working around the clock on keeping our technology up to date in such a way that we're able to do that to build this island out of environmentally friendly materials.
"Well there will be no deal for these islands we need to make better what we have," Scarlett told her. Everyone looked taken aback. "I have spoken with the President earlier today telling him we would be withdrawing our offer from the French, and that he may want to withdraw his support as well. I was surprised to find that he wanted to know if this effected the millions of jobs we were bringing to the American people. And I thought what jobs, and then he explained that the beef we pay for anyway was part of the agreement. I thought this was an extreme misrepresentation of funds."
"Scarlett you were here when that was discussed that we would be teaching LGBT youth in America, to operate and fix a sanitation system like our own. Upon completion of training we would be the world's leading provider, we're trying to establish a monopoly and an export essentially. And publically yes we get the beef for free, but as you can see I negotiated a lower price, as privately his support for our getting those islands was needed. And what right have you to decide alone to cancel our deal with the President?"
"What right have you to make that deal without true consult, I should have looked more at what you had given me?" Scarlett asked her. "I am the leader of this island, it is my duty to see that you are all acting morally responsible, especially now that we have secured the treaty and you're no longer criminals. You are only a judge here Regina, no more, no less." Regina looked taken aback. She looked around to see if this were some kind of coup, and it was not. Most didn't make eye contact with her and they were either in disbelief or confused.
"I see," Regina said. "Scarlett, at what point, were you appointed Queen?"
"When I was brought here to be the island's moral officer and I began to be the face of this island. My decision has always been the deciding vote in this council."
"No, you just choose to vote last," Maleficent told her. "You have one purpose on this council without a criminal record that is why you were appointed as the face of this island publicly. But you are not the face of this island privately." Scarlett looked taken aback.
"Do you intend to start some sort of coup?" She asked her.
"I can't start a coup against someone who is not in charge," Maleficent replied.
"Hmph, I am very much so in charge, and I came here with the intention today, that we finally make things clear. I am not receiving the respect deserved and I thought we would benefit from a public coronation of myself."
"Scarlett it will be over my dead body that you crown yourself Queen of this island," Regina told her seriously.
"Well than you leave me no choice, but to throw you in jail." Scarlett motioned for two officers to approach. One was Rodriguez and the other was a lower officer. "Take Regina into custody on grounds of treason against her Queen." They didn't move towards her.
"Take Scarlett in on treason against her Queen," Regina told her standing up. Rodriguez nodded. She walked forward and they arrested her amid her cries about a coup and needing those loyal to rise up and help her.
"Well that was dramatic," Regina commented. She walked over to where Scarlet sat. The council sat in a round room, and could look down on a main floor, where people could bring petitions, complaints, and more to them. A stair led down to it, but mostly they just went out the door on their level.
"Let's see, she was aware of our arrest, and she agreed to cooperation with Interpol in an ongoing investigation of my and Red's activities. She has agreed to search my home for illegal diamonds and turn them over to Interpol if found."
"Cooperation with outside law enforcement is strictly prohibited under the law enforcement act unless it is voted unanimously by the council and at least two thirds of the people after they have been presented with an argument for and against this course of action," A man stated. He was Italian mafia, but he had since retired.
"We'll have to bring her up on those charges as well," Red muttered over a yawn. Regina looked up at Graham.
"See our people to safety, you get out of there, they'll be looking for you next. We'll send you boat coordinates."
"Understood, I'm still near Kinshasa, I'll make my way into the Republic of the Congo." Regina nodded as he signed off. His safety was more important.
"Let's see, she's cut our deals with the Hawaiian government, I'll be making calls all night, re-securing materials. As for the money issue, the central bank has been great at acquiring funds from Australia or New Zealand, we're a very popular destination place. But having the ability to take every currency we've had no problems exchanging what we need to in either Euros or American dollars. We are even able to legally charge a fee for exchanging money for those going into New Zealand and Australia.
"Exporting crime is always lucrative," someone else muttered. They all nodded.
"I don't see any other leaks, but I'll assign a team to comb through her last emails and calls. Red you get to bed, Maleficent stay with me a moment longer, and the rest of you are dismissed."
"Oh Regina, we may as well brief them more on the diamond crisis," Red pointed out.
"Oh right." Everyone sat down. Regina returned to her seat.
"So, the situation in the DRC is critical, our mines are still safe as far as I know from the regime, but given this Interpol business our people are not. At least our well known people. The soldiers serving there now, don't know farther than the company that signs their paycheck. Graham has the most information that one might find incriminating, but as a fellow council member we can safely say that he would not betray us." They nodded. Graham was higher up than most of them except Maleficent and Red.
"We were able to salvage some diamonds from the DRC, but they were not put through the Kimberley process, we were going to simply sell to Mr. Cordeval, the amount of diamonds we had would not have been accepted given the current conflict in the DRC."
"So what do you propose we do with them?" They asked.
"We will have them processed here and sold on the island. We do not cooperate with the Kimberley process. No criminal act is made here and since these diamonds were mined before the conflict and we are the legal owners of the mine, we cannot prosecute ourselves for selling something we already own. Jace works with a jewelry designer and perhaps it's time we stopped sending her work off the island to be made.
"We would have to increase imports of gold and other precious metals."
"With the tourists that come through here and after the ball, there were quite a few requests for pieces like we wore," Maleficent pointed out. "I know for a fact we have made some custom pieces just not here on the island. I'll work with Jace and Scotia make a report on how lucrative this might be by adding more imports." They nodded.
"That pretty much concludes our business, put out to citizens that they are to tread lightly in Africa, and avoid it all together if any military training and they are not already stationed there." They nodded and stood up to leave. Maleficent stayed.
"You need my services, but I simply cannot with Lilly so close." Regina nodded.
"I was hoping one of your trainees was up for the job." Maleficent sighed.
"Not on this, not when he's got the protection of Interpol. They just aren't seasoned enough." Regina nodded. "I would suggest you call Mr. Gold, getting around law enforcement is his specialty." Regina nodded with a sigh as she wrote it down. There would be no rest for her tonight.
"Oh and Henry and Emma are having a distraction day, he was upset he didn't hear from you for over two days. She left their phones at home on purpose." Regina nodded. She gathered up her papers and walked out of the council room and to the pod room behind Maleficent. Maleficent went to Lilly and she went to her office. She started with Interpol telling them that they would not be cooperating with them as they were not a member of any agreement allowing Interpol jurisdiction on their land. And that Scarlett was not allowed and no longer was in any position to make such a decision. They were huffing and puffing about it saying they already had officers coming from Australian office as part of the agreement. Regina agreed that they would be fed, water, given fuel for their aircraft, but that otherwise they would be sent back on their way the same day. Next she had to call and make sure that the teens were not put out on the street. Several had already been taken to group homes, but Regina talked to over twenty social workers to return them to the program. Some of which were more than relieved as it was the first supportive learning environment they had ever been in.
"I will have the man removed from the facility immediately," Regina told the social worker, as she looked up the man's name on her database. And then crossed it with the American database. They had welcomed criminals on purpose, but certain people they did not associate with and that was rapists, pedophiles, and anyone who would kill even them just for the fun of it. "I know we close ranks, but we have an internal reporting system. We'll call her for testimony in the next two weeks. If you wish to keep her out of the facility until then, I perfectly understand. But my main concern is that she still attends classes. She will be behind, and I don't want that for her future."
"She will attend classes, if that man is removed tonight." Regina nodded even though she was on the phone.
"I will see it done, I will call you back when it is taken care of." She hung up after another moment and contacted the facility in Detroit. She had facility guards already take him into custody and stressed that if he were lost or killed, it would result in a loss of jobs across the board. She called another number sending a team. Once they had him in custody, she alerted the girl who returned to the facility. Regina sent out an alert that stronger criminal background checks must be done since their society was more easily managed without certain people.
"Thank you Mr. President, I'm glad you had the sense not to trust Scarlett, because that would have been very bad…." Regina trailed off on the part of where she said it would have been very bad for him. Regina yawned as she hung up and her stomach growled. She looked at the clock, it was three in the morning. She had gotten back yesterday at four in the evening and she hadn't slept well or at all really since she was in Africa, three days or rather four days ago now. The last people to deal with were her workers and Hawaii. They were happy to reinstate the agreement as they were dismantling a few safety nets that would keep billions of dollars of real estate from being destroyed completely in the event of a volcanic eruption from Mauna Loa. It was four when they were done. She shut off everything, grabbed her bag and jacket and left her office. All was quiet in the control rooms with only a few monitors. She prayed no emergency came. She stopped and had a boat rendezvous with Graham, before she continued on. She practically slept completely in her pod, but didn't do so. It was already kind of light out as Sunrise would be occurring soon. She entered her house, it was still a mess and Regina couldn't give too shits. She went into the kitchen looking for food, but the fridge was empty except for half a Salami sausage, crackers, and some mozzarella cheese sticks. It would just have to do. She grabbed a bottle of water and slowly crawled up the stairs in her opinion. She peeked in on Henry, he was passed out with Emma. She let them be and went to her room. She put her food and water on the bed, got her long awaited shower before she fell onto her bed took a few bites of salami before passing out.