Chapter 25

"You've reached Regina Mills I cannot come to the phone at this time please leave a message and I'll get back to you shortly."

Emma shook her head and dropped the phone on her sofa. She knew Regina was probably boarding or already on her plane back to Storybrooke by now but she wasn't picking up her phone. Emma had tried calling and texting but received no response.

When Regina first left, Emma was pissed she couldn't believe all the things she had said about her. She had ranted and threw things enough so that Tamara had to come in and have her sit down on the sofa and calm herself before Henry arrived home from school.

"I just don't understand it Tamara. I thought she was enjoying her time here and we were moving forward. Things seemed to be clicking in place but all of those things she said, I just don't get it." Emma said to her shaking her head in disbelief.

"I'm sorry Emma I really am I wish I could help you." Tamara said as she put her arm around her boss and friend as she consoled her.

"Thanks I almost feel like going to the airport to find her but she won't answer my calls or texts even if I do I doubt she would see me or talk to me."

"Henry and Fergus will be here soon and aren't you supposed to be going over to your parents for dinner tonight?"

"Oh shit, I forgot about that. I don't know if I can, you know how they are."

"Actually I think it might do you some good. Moms always known best and once she finds out you won't be able to cancel anyway." Tamara chuckled as Emma groaned and slipped down further into the sofa.

"Yeah I'll call her and let her know it's one less for dinner."

Regina had paid extra to get on the next flight home. Even with two stopovers she really didn't care, she just needed to get out of Los Angeles. Her only regret was Henry; she had grown fond of him and felt bad for not saying goodbye in person. She just hoped he was young enough to forgive and forget her.

On her first stopover, she called Zelena and told her she was coming home early and if she could have someone pick her up if she couldn't do it herself. Zelena shot off question after question but Regina refused to answer them, only allowing that she made a mistake by going to L.A. in the first place and now all she wanted to do was come home and move on.

"GRAMM!" Henry yelled once he was freed from the car seat. He jumped out of the car and ran to his grandparent's house.

"Henry my boy," Mary Margaret called holding her arms out waiting for her grandson's embrace. She picked him up and swung him around in a circle before putting him back down.

"Mom, he's getting too big for you to be doing that." Emma admonished then smiled as her father came out and did the exact same thing.

"Oh Emma, how are you doing?"

Emma just shrugged but couldn't help the stray tear that fell. She quickly wiped it away before her mother grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. "It'll be okay Sweetie we'll talk after dinner all right?"

"Yeah sure thanks."

"Come on in Tamara and where's Fergus? We could make this a big family dinner."

"Thanks MM; Fergie is back at the house I'll give him a call." Tamara told her with a smile.

When Emma first hired Tamara and introduced her to her parents, they hit it off right away and even though she was hired as a body guard, they had become close friends.

Emma was a little more quiet than usual at dinner which was understandable. They kept the conversation going trying to have a good time at least to keep up appearances for Henry. When he came home from school, he wanted to play with Regina and ran into her room before his mother could explain. When she ran up after him, they found a note addressed to him from Regina.

She apologized for leaving without saying goodbye but that she would always be his friend and he held a special place in her heart. Emma had done all she could to not break down but Henry seemed to accept the note even though he was still sad that she was gone. He ran off to his room to draw her picture so they could send it to her.

After dinner, the boys went outside to play and Mary Margaret, Tamara, and Emma were cleaning up, washing dishes.

"So do you want to talk about it? I can see it's tearing you up inside."

"Not really, no."

"Please Honey; it'll do you good to get it out. Come on put the dishes down and come sit with me." Mary Margaret cooed and took Emma's hand and sat down at the table.

"I really thought things were great and moving forward in the-you know romance department." Emma started then blushed realizing what she said, but she and her mom were close enough that it didn't bother Mary Margaret. Emma took a big breath and continued, "Dinner here went really well she liked you guys a lot and she adored Henry and he adored her."

Emma closed her eyes then thinking over the past few days and what possibly could have gone wrong. "Our date went well I think. She did seem a little quiet but she came around."

"Where did you take her?" Mary Margaret asked hoping it wasn't one of the places she and her friends would go.

"I took her to The Realm, the girls said it was the best place to go and it's really nice, fancy. I thought she would be impressed."

"Fancy and pretentious Emma, from what I had heard about Regina from you and what I saw when she was here was that she was an easy going person not one you would need to impress. Yes, she may have money like you but I didn't see her as one to flaunt it or even want anyone to have knowledge of."

"I don't flaunt my money."

"Well I'm just saying I think Regina might have enjoyed a place a little less showy." Mary Margaret knew what she was going to say next might hurt her daughter but she knew she had to say it. "A lot of the women that you've dated only seemed to want to be wined and dined at the finest places like The Realm but from what I could see Regina wasn't attracted to you for your money or your celebrity she was just attracted to you."

"Are you trying to say women are only interested in me because I'm on a TV show? Gee thanks a lot Mom." Emma retorted in anger and stood up.

"Emma, please sit down and let me explain." Mary Margaret implored reaching her hand out to her daughter.

Emma sighed and sat down shrugging away from her mother's touch. "Go on explain that one."

"Most of the women you date are not the right ones for you and I never said anything to you about it because you're a grown woman and can make your own decisions. But you know yourself those women weren't what you wanted and they never worked out. Those women were setups from your friends and I believe they picked those particular women because they were just like them."

"What?"

"I don't want to hurt your feelings though I think I have already so I'm just going to keep going because I've wanted to tell you this for a while now." Her Mom explained and reached over to take Emma's hand.

"Mal, Ursula, and Victoria are not the greatest friends to have at least to me." Mary Margaret stated looking at Emma then to Tamara who had finished the dishes and was leaning against the counter, arms folded and nodding in agreement.

"You think that too?" Emma asked Tamara seeing her nod.

"Yes, I think they use you and you don't see it because they were there for you at the beginning. They're using you and they probably have been from the start." Tamara told her knowing Emma wasn't going to like it.

"Using me? What the hell do you mean by that? They saw me and helped when I needed to get the right kind of clothes for all those events Sydney had me go to."

"When you hired me I checked out the people you were acquainted with most especially 'the girls'. Let me ask you, do you always pay when the four of you go out? Do any of them pay a tab?"

"Um no I always pay but I want to because of everything they've done for me. They've got their own money."

"No they don't. They're all struggling to keep what little money they have."

"What the hell are you even talking about?" Emma asked confused and wondering why her mother and bodyguard would be saying these things about her friends.

Tamara and Mary Margaret look at each other. Mary Margaret squeezed her daughter's hand having her focus again. "When you're with them or even a couple of days after you've partied with them you are so different Emma, you can be a little well sometimes I find that you can be...um well."

"A class A Bitch," Tamara finished for Mary Margaret who looked sheepishly and blushed in agreement.

"Excuse me? What the fuck is going on here?"

"Emma you must see it yourself, I've noticed you get frustrated and once you calm down you seem like yourself again but they seem to have some sort of power over you that when you're with them you sorta turn into them and it's not a good thing."

"I can't believe you guys are saying all of this. I...can't...I...just…" Emma stopped, got up, and went out the front door slamming it behind her.

"I'll get her." Ferguson said. He had been standing by the patio door when he heard raised voices and wondered what was wrong. He walked through the kitchen and out the front door after Emma.

When he got outside, she was on the sidewalk pacing, muttering, and cursing. He stood there and watched for a little bit impressed with her more colourful vocabulary. It was then he stepped up to her and stopped her pacing.

"Hey, I know you're upset with them but they only have your best interest at heart. We all care about you and only want what's best for you. Tamara isn't the only one who did background checks."

Emma looked up him with anger and was about to tell him off but he put up his hand to stop her rant.

"You hired us to protect you and Henry we check everyone who comes in contact with you even Regina."

"Fine, I get that so I'm sure you have more to say too."

"I do and you're not going to like what I say either. Your three friends were hired by Glass to look after you. He knew you were out of your element so he hired those three to dress you, school you on how to be a celebrity. They were to teach you how to be, where to go and they did but when you were fine on your own Glass stopped paying them and then they just held onto you to continue the good life with you as their bankroller."

"Those women don't care about anyone but themselves Emma. To be honest you are the only one who has lasted this long. Usually once their jobs were over, they lose interest and move on to the next big fish."

Emma couldn't form words, not knowing what to say. She felt like throwing up and turned away from her son's bodyguard. After a few minutes she heard the door close and she turned back to see her Mom and Tamara standing there.

"I know this is hard to hear and it's coming at the worst of times but we should have said something to you sooner. We saw it and didn't say anything and that's something I regret. It was one of the reasons why your father and I moved out here with you." Mary Margaret began.

"When you would call us you seemed so different and distant almost lost and we couldn't stand being so far away from you so we decided to move here to be close and well watch out for you and Henry of course."

"The first time you introduced me to your friends I was taken aback by them because they weren't nice, they didn't want anything to do with Henry, and they were rude and obnoxious."

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Emma asked still in shock by it all.

"That's just it we should have but you seemed to really care about them and always talked about how great they were to you. You knew them better so I just left it but I shouldn't have I should have said something at the beginning and I'm sorry that I didn't." Mary Margaret told her.

"Regina and I spoke the morning after your date and she was concerned about you in regards to 'the girls' because of how you acted the night before and the things you would say about them. It seemed that Regina picked up on it from the start and as I said she was concerned about it."

"I...I need some time. I have to get out of here...Um Mom can you keep Henry tonight. I... just I have to go."

"Emma let me drive you." Tamara yelled out although she was ignored by Emma who jumped into the car and took off. Tamara jumped into the SUV and followed.

When Regina finally landed in Portland, Maine, she waited for her suitcase and had a brief moment of déjà vu of arriving in L.A. when Emma and Henry picked her up. It was one of the few good moments of the trip.

Sighing as she waited for the luggage to come down the carousel shoot she heard her name and turned around to see Zelena running towards her with her arms out. She crashed into her hugging her and hugged her tight. The gesture had Regina's eyes watering and then she began to cry.

"I thought I was all cried out by now. I thought I might flood the plane before we arrived."

"Oh Regina what happened?"

"Not here I need to get home. Please." Regina pleaded then went back to find her suitcase. While she waited, Zelena filled her in on what happened in Storybrooke the week she had been gone which was pretty well nothing out of the ordinary.

As Zelena rambled on Regina checked her phone and saw a number of missed calls and texts from Emma. She couldn't handle listening to or reading them so she just deleted them and put her phone away.

The drive home to Storybrooke was quiet until they got to the road for the cabin and Regina started to cry again. Zelena couldn't stand it any longer, pulled over, and shut off the car. "Regina, please tell me what happened so I can help you."

"There's nothing to help with. I shouldn't have gone it was a mistake. She wasn't the Emma I fell for, she acted like the cliché show off celebrity, and her friends were awful towards me and everyone they came in contact with."

"Emma? That's hard to believe she seemed so nice and kind."

"Tell me about it, we had a few good days when it was just us or with her son, Henry. He's adorable, sweet, and kind as are her parents. I just don't know who Emma really is, it felt like she needed to impress me and show me the celebrity life but by doing so she seemed to have lost herself in it." Regina replied wiping tears from her cheeks. "God I swore I wouldn't cry over this woman any longer."

"It's still raw you're going to be upset for a while and that's normal Regina. Just let it out."

"I didn't hold anything back when she came home I wasn't very kind to her but I was so upset from those, those three witches of Hollywood I just couldn't hold it in."

"Three witches of Hollywood I love it! You know if I had been there I would have shown them my wicked ways and put them in their place." Zelena smirked wishing she had been there.

"Yes I know you would have but we were in a very public place I didn't want to embarrass myself or Emma. She just went along with them y'know. I couldn't understand it she said they liked to joke but they were cruel far from being funny. And Emma's attitude at brunch was similar to our dinner she was just like them."

"Well maybe she's lost herself becoming a star. It can happen; we read it all the time in the gossip rags. Some stars get into booze or drugs maybe she's just unsure of whom she's supposed to be or who she really is and she's mimicking someone that she thinks is the way to behave."

"Be it as it may I'm done and I just want to go home." Regina stated then took Zelena's hand.

"Thank you for picking me up and pulling over to talk. It's hard for me to let things go and talk about it. I'm not good with things like that, as you know. Over the past couple of years, you've been slowly getting me out of that habit and I'm so thankful for that and for you. I'm glad you're my sister, I love you Zelena."

"Thank you Sis, I love you too. We'll get through this and you'll move on. So why don't I start up the car and get you home?"

It had been a week since Regina left and Emma was back full time at work keeping herself busy and her mind off the brunette. After she left her parents' home, she drove to Hollywood Boulevard to find her friends and wasn't disappointed when she saw them outside a club talking to the bouncer.

She found a parking spot and caught up with them before they went inside. She pulled them out of the line much to their annoyance, "Tell me is it true? Are you guys just using me?"

"Oh Darling what did your dear Reva say to you? We're your friends we wouldn't use you." Ursula soothed putting her arm around Emma giving her a squeeze.

"Yes Emmy what is this about?" Victoria asked wondering if their meal ticket had finally caught on.

Ignoring them all Emma continued needing to know the truth. "Did Glass hire you to look after me?" Emma asked angrily. The more she thought about what her Mom, Tamara, and Fergus said the more she could see how blind she had become especially with these three.

"Yes, he hired us in the beginning to make sure you fit here in L.A. What's wrong with that?" Mal replied still miffed they missed their way into the club on the back of another celebrity and their party.

"But that was a long time ago what about now? Have you been exploiting me to get into clubs to pay for your meals and booze? Were you ever my friends at all?" Emma asked looking at them.

The three women looked at each other and shrugged. Victoria huffed and pulled out her compact to make sure she still looked flawless. "Well it looks like the jig is up girls, time to move on. I got a call from Tiana Sabine recently she's got a new up and coming model that needs work."

Emma just looked at them in disbelief. How could she have fallen for it? She couldn't believe how stupid she'd been all this time.

Mal walked up to Emma and smiled, "It's been fun Darling, and you are different from any we've instilled our style onto."

Ursula smiled as well, "It's true, you were always so kind. It was almost admirable at first but tiresome as the time went on but you were also very easy to mold and you almost became one of us. Too bad, you've got the looks and the body just not the right affectation as we have. There are only a few who have what it takes to be like us."

"Thank fuck for that." Emma muttered and walked away from 'the girls' hoping she'd never see them again.

"This is Lance Lot from the Hollywood Escape, news has it that Emma Swan from the TV series Pen & Coop is no longer in harm's way. As we reported back in June of last year, Ms. Swan attended the Darling, Maine Comic-con; it was during this time that she was attacked not by one but two different hired killers. Ms. Swan evaded the two assassins with near death experiences not unlike her character from the series. The FBI, Interpol, and Scotland Yard joint task force have captured the man who allegedly hired the two assassins to kill Ms. Swan, a man by the name of Mr. Tom Gold.

Mr. Gold was captured on Weaver Island a remote island off the United Kingdom known for their spinning of wool. Reports say that Mr. Gold is the father of Neal Cassidy who is the father of Emma Swan's son, Henry.

In other news, Tiana Sabine has fired her latest model, Ivy Drizella, who was arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour at The Underworld last Friday..."

Emma turned off the TV; she had been notified by De Vil that they caught Gold on Weaver Island a couple of days ago. She said that the man seemed to have lost his mind and was actually spinning wool and muttering to himself. The few locals who lived there said that he just showed up one day on a small skiff and sat down and started spinning not saying a word to anyone.

"Is the man nuts, faking it or what?" Emma asked relieved he'd been caught but still wanting to know why he wanted her dead.

"We're not sure. He was taken to hospital to assess his competency. Criminals like Gold have a right to understand the proceedings against them and assist in their own defense. If he's incapable of understanding and assisting then he is legally incompetent." De Vil explained, "He might spend the rest of his days in a mental institution."

"Has Neal been notified?"

"That's being done as we speak. Scotland Yard will be dealing with the crimes committed in the United Kingdom but he's been arrested for the attempts on your life so he's being brought here at least he should be. Scotland Yard may have him charged for other crimes first. Either way the man will be in jail or in hospital the rest of his life. You don't have to worry about him anymore. You're free."

"Yeah I'm free."

"You don't seem all too happy, Swan what's with that?"

"OH no, I'm ecstatic that he's been caught don't get me wrong. It will be nice to walk down the street not always looking over my shoulder or have body guards following me around. I just have other things on my mind. Thank you for calling me and thank you for all of your hard work catching him. I know it hasn't been easy for you and I appreciate all the updates as well."

"Just doing my job Ma'am," De Vil imitated and then chuckled at using the words Emma's character says in each show.

"Don't tell me you watch my show?"

"If I tell you I would have to kill you, Swan. Hey, I have to go lots of paperwork and all. I'll call Prince and Knight as well, they've been following the case and have been updated like you. They'll be very pleased that Gold has been caught."

"Thanks again De Vil I really appreciate everything you've done. Take care of yourself." Emma said then ended the call. She was so happy Gold was caught but it brought back the sadness in her heart from the memories of her time on the run with Regina.

Over the months, she tried calling Regina time and time again but to no avail then in January the number was out of service. Thinking Regina had enough of the calls to change her number told Emma to stop trying to get in contact with the woman who plagued her thoughts and dreams.

After calling her parents who moved back to New York just after New Year's and Neal, she went upstairs to look in on her sleeping son. Even though their lives were no longer in danger, she decided to keep Tamara and Fergus on, the reporters and paparazzi were still after Henry's picture.

She walked around her house looking at the awards, pictures of her cast mates, and her family. The season of Pen & Coop was soon ending just another month of filming left. Staring out the window, she thought about the last few years what she's accomplished and what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

She took out her phone and dialed her manager, "Elsa we need to talk."