Notes: Alright, sorry it took me so long to update this one and sorry this chapter feels a bit rushed. Somehow, I lost my muses for this one but hopefully, they'll fully come back after this. Enjoy!

Locked Up

She was the designer of her own catastrophe…

That right there was the only recurrent thought bouncing within Regina's skull as she planted both feet right in front of Cruella De Vil's cell in block B, chin tilted up and a defiant glint taking over her eyes.

Yes, that was exactly what she was… master and ruler of her own ill-fate… and as the women who had been lazily passing the time in the confinements of that cell got to their feet and grabbed her harshly to drag her in, it came into her mind that she was also her own worst enemy.

Realizing all of that shouldn't come as a surprise though; after all, that she ended up in jail was the direct result of her reckless acts.

It really was, it was her own damn fault as nobody made her associate herself with Gold in the first place… and nobody but herself decided that the only way to get revenge on everything the man did to her family was to steal from him and gather information of his shady business to take him down.

No. She did that on her own… just as she basically walked into the lion's den by getting into Cruella's territory that day.

"Well, well, well... look what the cat dragged in." Cruella said in fake amusement as she climbed out of her bunk bed. "Regina fucking Mills in my castle."

Arching an eyebrow, the wretched woman clicked her fingers and in a matter of nothing, her cronies surrounded Regina, one of them brutally twisting her arm behind her back and thus making the brunette wince.

"What do I owe the pleasure? Did you come so that I can finally mess up that pretty face of yours or will you finally feed me something I can give The Boss man."

Very careful of not taking her eyes from the woman's and on the lookout that her chin wouldn't drop an inch, Regina snarled her lips, hoping for her own sake that her plan wouldn't backfire on her.

She knew chances of that happening were high… and not for the first time she threw a silent curse under her breath for not having enough strength to go with her original plan.

Now, as for that one, all she had to say was that she sat on it for more than a couple of days and sure, it would have been so easy to go with it and simply expose Emma for what she really was. After all, it was no secret that inmates held no love for undercover Feds so going to Cruella and telling her all about that would have been enough to get Emma off her back…

But… because there was always a but, at the end she couldn't do it.

Why?

Well, as much as in pained her to admit it, she didn't do it for Robin's sake and in all fairness of being honest, she had to recognize how much that pissed her off.

It was just that… after the one he pulled on her, she didn't want to have any sort of consideration towards him… hell, she didn't even want to have him in her mind or to see him or anything related to him… but still, whether he was an unwanted memory or not, he ended up being the reason why she was risking her neck with this one.

He may not deserve it… but part of her wanted to believe that there was a slight chance that something of what they had was real and that tiny little part prevented her from doing something that could end up causing him trouble…

Yeah… that's how much he messed her up with his false intentions and half-truths, and because of that, for some reason she was even putting him first when it came to her her plans of revenge.

Not like it mattered in that moment, revenge was revenge and as long as this worked, the reality of why she was going this route would forever remain with her.

"Let's cut the bullshit, Cruella. I came to stand here, face to face with you because you see… I don't need to use the newbies to carry on with my messages. You and I have our own issues to deal with, but those issues are ours and nobody else's, so next time you send Emma to menace Mal's kid I'm going to personally come here and kill you, you understand?"

"What?" The blonde scoffed, the grin in her face fading a little.

"I have to tell you this, I thought you were a lot of things but a coward was not one of them… but to have someone do your shit because you don't have the guts to do it yourself? You are all disgusting."

"What the fuck are you talking about, what kid am I supposed to be menacing?" Cruella asked in a dry chuckle and yes, Regina had to bite hard into the inside of her check to prevent a satisfied grin to corrupt her face.

She was not there yet, but if she made Cruella believe Emma had a deal with Gold behind her back, she would do anything in her power to destroy her competition and that, way, she could keep her hands clean and yeah… she wouldn't expose Robin as the one who gave the information that Swan was actually an undercover agent.

Arching an eyebrow and then snorting when the woman gave her a puzzled look, Regina hissed. "Don't play dumb with me. Emma was clearly trying to get Mal to talk so that she could tell…" Stopping there, Regina narrowed her eyes, in her mind hoping to give the impression that what was she was about to say was something that just occurred to her. "You really didn't know? I mean… does that mean she's working behind your back? Wow, I have to give it to Gold, he is-"

Before Regina could keep talking, Cruella lifted a hand and hit her across her face as hard as she could. It made Regina's head jerk to the side and hissing in annoyance, she darted her eyes angrily towards the other woman's.

"Gothel, go clear the bathroom, you… bring me this Emma to the last stall. Now."

Without any more preambles, two of Cruella's cronies walked out of the cell and they were soon followed by the rest of them. That way, Regina was taken to the now deserted showers and a minute later, Emma was brought in; by the way she was complaining, apparently against her will.

"Can you tell me what the hell is going on here?" The undercover agent asked and much like Regina's still was, her arm was twisted to her back as a way to restrain her.

"That's exactly what we are about to find out. Regina here is telling me you are trying to work Mal so that you can have her tell you the things you know… I want to know. Is that right?"

At the question, Emma frowned and Regina was going to give it to her, she never gave the impression of being distressed.

"I may have tried to get her to talk, yeah, on your behalf of course. You were working this one so I thought I could get that other bitch."

Cruella was on Emma's face in a matter of nothing. "I smell fucking lies! Are you working with Gold? You thought you could steal this one out of me right in front of my face."

And there it was; Emma was officially Cruella's problem. If she was lucky, those two would destroy each other and leave her alone so that her plans of escaping that prison could be carried out in peace.

That was what she hoped for… the best-case scenario, but because destiny seemed adamant on tearing her a new one everyone in a while, that was not how it played out.

"Someone get the rope and tie it around her neck, we are going to have an execution in here."

"What?" Regina meant to say, but the one to voice it was Emma. "You can't be serious… I'm not working with Gold…"

Too shocked to react, Regina just blinked, one time and then two times, and it wasn't until she watched Emma fighting those who were trying to put the rope around her neck that she came back to her senses.

"What the fuck Cruella? You can't do that." And really. She gathered that in less than five minutes, the guards would storm in and end such a circus, so why even bother?

Besides, she hadn't exactly planned for Emma to be killed… let alone in front of her eyes. Yes, she wanted them to destroy each other but this… it was too much.

"Shut up, because if you don't tell me what I need to know, you will be next; so start singing little bird…"

And yes, this is why she was the designer of her own catastrophe. She put on this silly plan so she wouldn't have to get her hands dirty and well… it looked like that was exactly what was about to happen.

Sighing, Regina moved her eyes to Emma and to the way the noose closed around her neck. She wasn't sure how and when, but Cruella's friends had thrown the other end of the rope over the wall that dived the showers from the toilets and they were pulling hard at it, making Emma lift from the ground almost completely.

And shit, closing her eyes in the middle of such chaos, she used the elbow of her free arm to hit the woman who has been holding her still.

Maybe it was the element of surprise or maybe just the fact that she put all her strength into it, but the thing was that with a choked gasp, the woman loosened her grip so that she was able to escape.

All of what happened next happened too fast. She may have hit Cruella square on her jaw and she was sure she received a sharp jab against her ribs, but things only started to clearer when she was grabbing Emma and pulling down on her.

Her intention? Making her feet touch the ground.

It was hard though and she struggled a little with that, because every time she yanked on the woman, at the other side someone would pull harder… and then there was the way Cruella jumped on her to prevent what she was doing and yeah, things got messy.

They brawled, no holds barred, but only for a short while because like she knew it would happen, the guards came in and she was roughly grabbed from behind.

She only had time to quickly catch a glimpse of Robin kneeling down besides Emma to check on her and also, of Scarlett dragging Cruella in the opposite direction.

"You've really outdone yourself this time, Mills… really." The guard who was forcefully restraining her and pushing her through the corridors barked in her ear and she actually did a double take.

"Me? Are you fucking kidding me?" She spat, planting her feet firm in the floor because hell no she was not going to have this asshole talk to her as if she has been the one trying to lynch Emma Swan in the showers.

"Keep walking or I'll drag you, don't test me."

Furrowing her brows, Regina snarled her lips, her legs refusing to move. "Fuck you, asshole."

Letting out a dry chuckle, the guard who she recognized as Cassidy lifted her off the floor easily and started to move. "You are really a gem, aren't you?"

Regina fought him, hard… enough to make him tighten his hold and cuss at her. She did it just because… yeah, maybe it was her fault things turned out so badly, but she has actually tried to do the right thing at the end and this was her reward?

"Really? You want it rough… alright." He hissed when she at one point elbowed him.

Later, when she was finally put down and no, not in the most pleasant way, she was abruptly surprised when she was hit with a sudden spray of water.

The impact was sharp as a hundred needles getting incrusted all over her skin and cold as ice itself, and it actually took her a few seconds before she realized she was being hosed down.

That right there made her gasp and close her eyes, her face turning sideways not to get affected. It was actually an awful thing to do to a person, inmate or not, but she refused to open her mouth to ask him to stop.

He wouldn't, she knew… besides, she could take it… this was not the first time they did this to her, as the sobering experience was one she lived once before.

"That's enough, Neal."

Listening to the familiar voice and yes, that accent that was constantly invading all of her senses, Regina's posture became rigid as the spray of water died down.

She didn't look at him or at Neal though, and instead put all of her effort not to tremble with the force of her cold as she stared intently at the wall.

It was hard… and she obviously ended up shaking all over.

"She's all yours, man."

Biting hard into the inside of her cheek, the brunette saw out of the corner of her eye the way the man walked towards her and well, she couldn't help but to feel a weird sense of uncertainty settle deep within her being now that he was near.

It happened every time she would see him walking through the corridors or making guard in a corner…It was an anxiety that would take residence in her stomach, an uncertainty that gnawed viciously at her bones and to a certain point it was a confusion that would invade her brain at any given hour.

Needless to say, right in that moment, his sole presence came to be an unwanted force that was preventing her from thinking straight.

"You alright?"

Unable to help it, Regina moved her eyes to him. What kind of a question was that? Still, she clenched her jaw and wrinkled her nose to answer him as calmed as she could.

"Never been better. Doesn't it show?"

Now, she has meant to say that in the most detached manner possible, but the cold and the way those piercing eyes of his were digging into her own eyes made her voice come out pathetically weak. So much that for a moment she thought his eyes showed a bit of empathy.

That right there made her look away; because she was still unsure about what to think of him, of what he said to her the last time they talked and about what was it that she felt for him.

"Can I go now or will you let me freeze to death here?"

As if taken out of a trance, Robin shook his head and ran a hand down his jaw; then, he started to take off his jacket. "I'm afraid I have to take you into solitary."

She scoffed, still trembling. "Of course. And you'll make me go there in these wet clothes and then make me spend an entire week there for doing nothing. Typical."

"Regina…" He started to say, he even reached for her…

"Don't." She hissed, lifting a hand and taking a step back and as a response, his face fell. "Just don't."

Now, seeing the way he dropped his eyes and bit into his lips made her want to reach for him and apologize… but she didn't…

She was too confused… too mad to allow herself to do that. Besides, what was the point? If things went as planned, she was going to be out of there soon and Robin would become a distant memory of something that simply went terribly wrong.

"At least take this until I get you a change of clothes." He handed her his jacket and eyeing him suspiciously, she took it. Then, without exchanging any other word, he took her into solitary.

He left her there, so she took off her wet clothes and covered with his jacket. By the time he came back, she was also wrapped with the thin blanket of the bed.

"Here." He said, and instead of putting the uniform by her bed and just leaving, he sat in a corner of the mattress and ran his fingers through his hair.

It was like a déjà vu moment… and for almost a whole minute, all she could do was stare at his profile.

Who knew? Maybe this was going to be the last time she was going to be able to look at him from such a short distance and she wanted to drink into the moment, maybe memorize his features, the exact color of his hair and how he always clenched his jaw when in deep in thought.

"What was that back there?" He asked at last, his voice a raspy whisper breaking the silence.

"You mean your friend hosing me down as if I was an animal?"

"Not… that, that's something I'll discuss with Neal. I meant at the showers; Emma told me."

Humming, her eyes rolled. "So she's not dead. Bummer."

Robin watched her intently, as if trying to figure her out. "She's not. Apparently thanks to you."

Twisting her lips, Regina rolled her eyes once more and out of things to do, she slid her hands into the pockets of Robin's jacket. "Well… I didn't want you to bury your girlfriend. Funerals are not necessarily the most fun things to do so yeah, you're welcome."

"We still arguing about that? Emma is not my girlfriend. I've never been interested in her and I'm pretty sure the sentiment is mutual."

"Yeah, so you say."

"God, you're unbelievable."

"Among many other things." Regina added, her eyebrows shooting up and her fingers closing around something plastic that felt too familiar and that has been in Robin's pocket.

Out of instinct she took it out, part of her knowing what it was; but then when she saw it, she felt something inside of her tug at her heart.

It was a small bag of skittles, resting right on her open palm as she stared at it.

"Well…" Robin cleared his throat. "I've been meaning to give you those for a while now..."

Lifting her chin so that she could look at him, the brown-eyed woman parted her lips and blew out a breath, her eyes on his and his on hers, but not wanting to get caught up again in this, she scoffed and shook her head.

"Me? Are you sure, or is this something you give around to see who is stupid enough to fall for your good looks?"

He groaned. "Okay just stop, really."

Wanting to have the last word, she shrugged. "You can't tell me what to do."

"Why didn't you tell De Vil Emma is an undercover agent?" He asked, not minding her attitude.

"I'm not a snitch."

"Really? Is that it?"

Wrinkling her nose, Regina rolled her eyes. "Yes. Now, if we are done with the questions, can I go? If not, can you leave me alone already?"

Blowing out a breath, Robin looked away and got to his feet. He did it without saying a word, and before he could get too far, her instinct kicked in and she lifted to her knees, grabbing his elbow and making him turn to her.

"Wait…" She began to say, but Robin didn't give her a chance to go on and just kissed her, lowering his hands to her waist as soon as her lips were secure against his, pulling her closer that way.

Now, Regina wasn't sure if that was what she has wanted to do, but as soon as she felt his tongue brushing against her, her lips parted to grant him access and as she was apparently doomed to repeat, she kissed him back; her annoyance on hold as her own hands went up into his hair.

Sighing, she pressed to him, drinking on sensation. His tongue felt warm as it swirled against hers and she could faintly detect a hint of coffee on him. It felt good, he felt good.

They kissed for a while, long and deep until she was sure the taste of him was going to be forever in her mouth and until her lungs felt about to explode; after that they kissed even more, his breath becoming hers while their tongues dueled slowly, exploring one another while his hands ventured a little lower so he could press her even more into him.

Then, when his hands were venturing right where his jacket ended right over her ass, he pulled away.

Licking her lips, Regina kept her eyes closed, lowering her head as she tried to decipher what just happened.

"There, are you still going to stand there and deny this is real?"

Opening her eyes and facing him, the brunette swallowed on dry. "Robin… just… don't do this."

Not now that she was so close of getting out and also so close to being completely attached to him…. She couldn't do it…

"Look at me." He said. He was still holding her to him and his hands lowered even more, resting over her ass before crushing her completely to him.

But she was not having any of that. She wasn't ready to look him in the eye so instead, she went back to kissing him.

He easily got into returning the kiss, taking control of it and even grabbing her so that he could press her to the bed, pinning her body with his and claiming all her senses by the feelings provoked.

He stripped her off his jacket, and his hands were now running down her sides, moving lower and lower through her body until they reached her hips and then back to her ribcage.

Feeling feverish, no longer cold and wanting to feel even more of him, Regina wrapped an arm to his neck and pushed into him, and as she did that she felt the unmistakable feeling of his erection pressing to her thigh.

Letting out a soft moan into his mouth, she felt her entire body tremble. But as all good things, the kiss came to an end when he broke the contact once again.

Breathless and flushed, she looked at him. It was then when realization hit her. She wanted him… and she couldn't have him.

"Robin." She meant to tell him that they should stop, but he was using one of his hands to make his pants come undone and yes, instead of standing strong against him, she helped him, pushing them down his hips and out of the way.

When he entered her, she felt her entire world spin around her and the burning sensation that took over her entire being was simply overwhelming.

It felt amazing, the way his body rocked against her and into her as he swallowed her moans with his kiss… it was intense, her hands reaching for him, grabbing him as if she was desperate for more,; desperate to touch him all over and to tell him how good he felt inside of her; but as he moved within her all she could do was kiss him back and push against him, wanting to take all of him.

As what to be expected, it didn't take long for her body to succumb to him and as his thrusts kept going strong, her release washed over her, making her trash underneath him.

As she rode the delicious wave she felt him tremble against her and she assumed he was close as well; with that in mind she tightened her legs around him and pushed him deeper until he broke from the kiss and with his eyes fixed onto hers he pressed his forehead against to hers.

"I'm going to pull out." He breathed out and fixing her eyes on his darkened ones, she shook her head.

"No."

"Shit Regina… I can't."

Opening her mouth because yes, a correctional officer having unprotected sex with an inmate was shaky ground as she could easily go and accuse him of many things… but that wasn't her plan, she just wanted to feel him, to hold him as he reached his peak inside of her even if it was this once. "I want to feel you, I want you to come in me."

"Shit… oh." He growled low in his throat and with a hard thrust, he gave in.

She felt him, his body tensing as he flooded her with his essence… she felt all of him at once, her eyes fixed on him. His lips parted and his breathing ragged made her want to hold him forever, but because she couldn't she just watched him.

Once the momentum dwindled down, her fingers ran through his hair and her head pushed forward to give a slight bite to his lower lip, pulling it into her mouth so that her tongue could run over it.

"Regina…" He began to say but before he could finish she pressed her lips against his.

"Don't say anything."

He didn't, they however kissed long and deep. For a while that's all they did, but then he helped her clean up and with the promise that they needed to have a real talk on his next shift, he let her go.

They were not going to have that talk. That was what Regina was thinking when Mal found her at the library, sitting over the desk and staring at the pile of books scattered all over the floor.

"Is it time already?" Her friend asked and without looking at her, Regina nodded.

"Good, I couldn't stand a minute longer in here; would you do the honors?"

Blinking and finally looking at Mal, Regina breathed in, her hand reaching for the set of matchs the woman was holding in her hand.

"Yes."

"Nervous?"

Regina thought of Robin, wondering what he was doing and wishing she could see him one last time… but there was no time for that so lighting one of the matches, she shrugged. "No, not nervous." With that said, she grabbed one of the books and lighted it up.

Snorting, Mal started to do the same, and when the pile of books began to burn, they walked out of the library and got ready for what was about to come…