Regina

Regina sighed. She was now in the hotel's bed. Emma was less than 10 minutes away from her. She'd rather be with Emma and her daughter, not here. She wanted so much to explain herself to Emma. She wanted to let her know that she changed. That she would never hurt her again. That she loved her and wanted to be with her. She wondered, how could she win Emma back? She couldn't force Emma to come back, nor did she want to. She wasn't going to stop trying. She wasn't going to go away. She loved Emma. And When Regina Mills love someone, she loves them with her whole heart and soul.

She set up, and ideal forming in her head. She grabbed an piece of paper off the desk, the hotel's stationary and began to write.

Emma

Emma spent the whole day starring out of the window. She just couldn't concentrate. She was looking for a car that she had never seen before to pull up in the parking space in front of her house. Or even a taxi, a carrier perhaps. She didn't know. She knew Regina wasn't going to leave, that was so...Un-Regina like. But then again, how much did Emma know Regina anymore? She may have changed. People change right? It's been 8 years. Maybe she was giving up.

Emma's mind was also distracted with work. She needed a way to get out. She should have never taken the job in the first place. Her thoughts taking her back in time to the moment that started it all.

Flash Back. 5 years ago

Emma looked back and forth down the isle of the super market. She catches glances with a man looking at her from the isle across the room, before he goes back looking at what ever it is, he was looking at. She was on the 9th isle, where the baby supplies were. She picked up an off brand pack of diapers. Vada sat in the buggy in front of her happily playing with her baby blanket. She was almost 2 now, yet she still carried her blanket every where she went and would have a melt down if anyone tried to take it from her. Emma didn't mind. She was attached to her baby blanket as well. She missed it every now and then. She hadn't seen it in a while.

Emma walked up to the counter nervously. It had been a while since she had to do this. She handed the woman the pack of pampers.

"Awww" The cashier coed looking at Vada. "She's so cute. What's her name"

"Her name is Vada" Emma answered.

The cashier smiled. It was an older woman, about 50ish. "And I see you have another one on the way" The woman said pointing to Emma's protruding belly. "It's sitting so low, it must be a boy" The woman grinned. She reached across the counter and grabbed Emma's wrist. Emma grasped. "I have never been wrong" The woman states before laughing out loud. Vada thinks the old woman laughing is funny and laughs too. "That'll be four dollars and 82 cents" The woman says.

Emma pulls out a five and passes it to the woman. Her heart is beating so fast in her chest she thinks she may explode. Sweat is burning her eyes but Emma forces herself not to blink at risk of looking guilty of something. The cashier passes her her change and receipt. "Thank you" Emma mutters.

"No, thank you" The cashier states with a smile.

Emma nods and turns around almost crashing into the man she had saw earlier. He has a knowing smirk on his face as he looks at Emma. "My apologies" He states. "I must have been standing too close" He says. He steps back and allows Emma to pass.

Emma quickly nods and leaves making her way for the car she and Lily shares. Lily blows a sigh of relief as Emma gets to the car. Emma picks Vada up and places her in her car seat. She gets in the front of the car and awkwardly sits down. She's crying by now.

"Oh Emma...relax" Lily says with a sigh.

"Lily, I don't want to do shit like this. Especially not in front of my daughter. I want to be a good role model for her" Emma cries.

"Well, Emma. The three of us can't live off the one paycheck you get" Lily states.

Emma opens her mouth but Lily interrupts.

"Before you say anything. I know, I should have a job. I'm looking. But, no one is hiring me right now. Until then...we have to do this" Lily states pointing to Emma's belly.

"I'm hiring" A voice at Emma's window states scarring them both. Emma visibly jumps before she calms down turning to see the man that was in the store. "I saw what you did" He says to Emma.

"I don't know what you are talking about" Emma states becoming afraid.

"Really?" He reaches in the car and pulls Emma's shirt up along with the padding and some food and other random items Emma picked up around the store fell out.

Emma bit her lip. "Are you going to snitch?" She asks. "I do this so that my baby can eat, I-"

The man held a hand up. "I'm not going to snitch. Like I said, I'm going to offer you a job"

"Why? Doing what?" Emma asked. She wanted to tell him to fuck off, but she didn't want to be rude, especially since he didn't rat her out.

"Delivering. It pays well" He states.

"Delivering what?" Lily asks.

He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a bag of skittles. "Candy" He states.

Emma gives Lily a funny look, because really? Candy?

"Let me see that" Lily states. She reaches over Emma and the man passes her the candy. "I bet that's not even candy" She says when she opens the bag up and looks inside. "Maybe it is" She pulls out a red skittle and looks at it.

"Andy" Vada whines trying to reach for it.

"That's not candy for babies" The man states. "That's molly"

"That's Vada" Lily corrects.

"No, the stuff you have in your hand is Molly, MDHD"

"Oh" says Lily. She hands the man back the bag. "Emma's not a drug dealer"

"She's a thief" The man shrugs.

"I'm not a-" She starts but stops. She is a thief. It's for a good reason, but...it is what it is.

"Look, deliver for me and you will be set for life. I mean, look at you, your a pretty girl. A cop wouldn't look at you twice" The man states. He looks at Lily then says. "Not you. No offense but you look...guilty"

Lily shrugs. "That's why she goes in the store. I tell her that all the time"

"It's too risky" Emma shakes her head and mutters.

"It's not risky at all. You won't be standing on a corner. I will give you a bag of "candy" and you can drop it in the mailbox. You don't see the customer, you don't interact with anyone. You can make your own schedule. You will get paid...25 bucks a delivery. Say you make 10 deliveries in one day, that's 250 dollars a day, work four days a week, that's 1000 dollars a week. No more buying almost spoiled bread out of the grocery store"

Lily picks up the braid. "Em! This bread expires in three days" Lily complains.

"Shut Up Lily" Emma snaps.

Lily rolls her eyes. "Hell, if she don't take the job, I sure as hell will" Lily states.

"Well, you can't deliver, but are you good at anything else?"

"...computers...hacking...researching...that kind of stuff" She responds.

"I think I'll have a position for you, but only if blondy here agrees to join me" He states seriously.

"Come on Emma!" Lily states. "It sounds easy. And we need the money"

"I don't want to be a criminal Lily. What kind of example is that setting for Vada"

"You're daughter never have to know. You don't have to bring your work home. I don't. I've been managing this business for 7 years now. Every night I go home with a fake briefcase with paperwork in it. My wife and kids no nothing about it what I do, yet they are living like royalty. I'm actually thinking about going global. I need people I can trust on my team. I need you" He tells Emma.

"It's too risky" Emma mumbles. She likes the ideal of never having to worry about feeding Vada, or clothing Vada, or being hungry again. Right now she and Lily were living in a shitty apartment, and she worked like a dog to make sure that they keep that shitty apartment. Maybe if she take that job, she can afford it.

"It's not that risky. Just follow the rules. Besides, can you believe I went through the airport with a bag of "skittles?" Each "skittle" is coated with an natural herb glaze that masks the smell of the Molly. Dogs won't be able to smell it, plus the glaze is a bit additive. Just bonus for me. The only way you will be discovered, is if you don't follow the rules, and get messy. You don't talk to clients. They don't talk to you" He states seriously.

"Well, how do you get paid then?" Lily asks.

"The black market. Then the funds get converted into cash...by another guy who is on my team" He states. "Besides...no risk, no reward...a very generous reward" He adds with a smile.

"Come on Em. We have to do this" Lily begs.

Vada starts to cry in the back causing everyone to pause conversation.

"She's hungry. I have to get her home" Emma states putting on her seat belt.

"Give it some thought. Here's my car. I'm Percy by the way" He states handing Emma his card.

End Flashback

Emma didn't want to "deliver" She had to...When that month ended, she didn't have enough money for electricity. Her plan was to just do it long enough to save up enough money, maybe go to college, but it was too easy. The longer she stayed, the harder she realized it would be to get out. She knew things, she knew people. Dangerous people. They would get suspicious if she just up and left, she knew it. She's seen people leave, she's seen what happened to them. She was advancing, now she made more money per delivery. She was at 50 bucks now, worked 4 days a week. It was easy. But now, all that was being threatened. Now they were going offline as well. She was promised that they she wouldn't.

Emma heard a noise at the front door and rushed over to it. It sounded like sandpaper being rubbed together. She looked down and there was a letter. On the top was a name. Her name.

Emma.

She knew exactly who it was from. She recognized the penmanship right away.

It was from Regina.

To be continued...

Author's notes: Hey guys, I hope you liked this chapter. Please tell me what you thought :) If I get 10 reviews on this chapter today, I'll upload another chapter today. I just love reading your reviews!