I don't own these characters; Disney/ABC does.
14: Because I Know It's True
Emma and Ruby sat in the sheriff's station, scowling and rubbing their eyes. They had a meeting with the loyal Council in a few minutes and had a feeling how that would go. They had felt ignored before as individuals. Now, they could be ignored as a department.
"Why are we doing this to ourselves?" Emma asked, not sure what she meant. She should be relaxed. Last night was amazing, and not just the sex. It was the whole family atmosphere. She was part of a family. It seemed impossible. Or too good to be true.
"We care about the town and want to keep people safe," Ruby replied.
Emma blew out a breath and palmed her face for a moment. "There is that." Caring about the town was nothing more than a headache and was probably going to give her an ulcer. "Why does it feel like we're the only ones?"
Ruby snorted and leaned far back in her chair with her arms folded across her chest. "I think everyone cares, but in their own way. Our way just happens to be the right way."
Emma laughed. "I'm sure that's how a lot of people feel."
Ruby shrugged. "A feeling doesn't make it true."
Emma threw up a hand. "Preach."
Ruby glanced at the clock. "We should get going."
Emma's eyes rolled without any mental commands from her brain. It was just how her body reacted to the Council now. "I go late to these." They could only waste so much of her time now.
"That was fine when Regina was in charge and it probably made her all hot and bothered, but this might be the reason they're giving you a hard time."
Emma scoffed. Okay, so this was a habit from when Regina was mayor, but she had liked to be late and get on Regina's nerves. She also liked being late for the Council because it helped save her sanity. She could only listen to them being bullheaded, stubborn assholes for so long.
Emma shook her head. "I'm not changing who I am for them, like when they complain I don't show up in uniform. I don't work for them. I'm here to keep people safe and they're making that harder with every stupid power play they make."
"They are doing that. Maybe if we play nice, it'll be different."
Emma sucked her teeth. "No. I'm not playing a game to do the right thing. This town is on edge. If they're going to put themselves in charge, it's on them to prevent that."
Ruby regarded her with sad eyes for a long moment. "Oh, you poor kid. I'm not even from here and I know everything boils down to politics."
"Yeah, well, I'm not giving into that crap. I want people to feel safe, all the people, not a select few. Everybody has a right to safety and security, especially at home."
Ruby held her hands up. "You won't get any argument from me disagreeing there."
Emma frowned and tried to keep from getting riled up. "Now, why the hell can't they see it that way? Why don't they want to help everyone? Why does it have to be good for some and not for others?"
Ruby shrugged, but did not say anything else. Emma had hoped Ruby would have answers. Ruby lived in the Enchanted Forest. She knew how these people thought, but this was as much a mystery to Ruby as it was to her.
They left for the town hall after that. Ruby grabbed her deputy jacket on the way, but that was the only bit of uniform either of them except their badges. What did they need uniforms for? They were the only police in town and everyone knew them.
The Royal Council awaited them in the meeting part of the town hall. The Council had too many people, almost twenty, and did not want to admit it. They did not fit in any other room together where they would seem equal. In the meeting hall, they took the old City Council's positions and were all able to look down on people from high on their thrones. They had to add space, but they all fit and passed judgment. It made Emma more reluctant to meet with them.
"Greetings, Sheriff," Prince Thomas said. He sat with his father and that was one of the reasons the Council was so big. Everybody showed up with an heir or consort or Ladies-in-waiting for no reason. It only added to the noise. Maybe when it was just them, having a big team allowed for them to shout each other down. For her, it seemed like there was a gang of people trying to tell her what to do, but they did not make any sense and she did not feel obligated to listen.
"Hi, I just want to keep this brief. Me and the deputy don't have a lot of time." Her phone buzzed on her hip. What fresh Hell is that?
"Our time is precious as well," Matilda said, like she needed to one-up Emma. "So, please, proceed."
"First, you have to stop rejecting deputy choices. It's my decision. I'm the sheriff." Emma and Ruby had accepted a couple of duty applications only for the Council to butt in. "It's bad enough you keep submitting people who don't deserve the job, which is just a waste of my time, but we need more hands on deck and no one you suggested could hack it. You can't tell me who to hire."
Wesley Sax cleared his throat. "That's incorrect. We have final decision on all town matters and those applicants were undesirable."
Emma folded her arms across her chest. "You just made that rule up while we were gone after you put yourselves in charge." Regina did not even have that sort of power when the Curse was intact.
"Be that as it may," Maurice said, sitting in King George's seat more than likely because he was on the run. "We couldn't help but notice you were trying to hire former members of the Evil Queen's guards."
"Your point? That doesn't make them bad applicants," Emma replied. They were probably the best applicants she had. Unfortunately, the Council refused to accept that, refused to pay if she hired them, and the former guards were not sure it was a good idea anyway since people had been harassing them since the Curse broke. How likely were the people to believe former Black Knights were there to protect them? Not very, unfortunately, even though a bunch of them were pretty cool.
"We know the Queen offered you those names," the Blue Fairy said, shaking her head.
Sax sneered at her with hard, cold blue eyes. "We're not looking to put any of the Queen's people back into positions of power."
"You really should be arresting them," Maurice said.
"Like we told you," Edmund Kent said, as if finishing a complete order.
Emma glanced at Ruby and cocked an eyebrow. Ruby frowned. So, Ruby had probably been outright told what they did not say directly to Emma. Of course, Ruby talked one on one with Snow, so she probably had a more detailed conversation. If only Snow could have such a conversation with her daughter.
"Why would I arrest people who haven't done anything?" Emma inquired.
King Michael, Thomas' father, slammed his fist on the table. "They have done something! They're villains! They committed unspeakable acts back in the Old World."
Emma did not flinch. "But, none here. They're not criminals here." She pointed to the floor.
"But, they committed crimes," Snow chimed in. "We need to protect the people from them."
"That's not what it looks like on my end," Emma replied.
Snow scowled. "You don't know how dangerous they are. They're evil and they're always set to destroy us and all that is good."
Emma clinched her jaw. Her own mother, which meant her father, too. Of course they would stand against her. When could she ever rely on them for anything?
"I'm not arresting people over crimes that didn't happen in my jurisdiction. Hell, maybe not even on my planet. Crimes I have no evidence of. If anything, they need me more than anyone else around here. They need someone to protect them from the people. They need justice. How many former villain attacks have we had? You guys seem fine with mob justice, but not actual justice and I can't get behind that," Emma said.
"You think you know justice better than we do, jailbird?" Kent had the nerve to say. There were gasps and most of the Council looked at him with wide eyes.
Emma put her chin up. She was done being ashamed of going to prison. She was done acting like she was the problem. Something was wrong with them. "Is that how you feel?"
David glared at Edmund. "Watch what you say to the person who broke the Curse. She's the only reason we're back to ourselves."
"She didn't break it fully. Had she done that, this wouldn't even be a conversation. We'd be back home, in our own kingdoms, and everything would be in order. Maybe you do everything half-assed," Michael said, eyes locked on Emma.
It took a lot of willpower to not kick anyone's ass. Emma made a fist. "Maybe if you guys had stopped Regina and Gold back in the Enchanted Forest we wouldn't be having this conversation. Funny how many kingdoms couldn't take down one. And again, it's funny who you want arrested. Still haven't heard a single person ask about Gold. Guess his 'get out of jail free' card works fine."
Gold had been lying low since they got back from Neverland. She had not seen or heard much about him. It would seem he was reveling in Neal's presence, but she knew better than to ever count him out. There was too much going on for him to not have some sort of exit strategy.
"You haven't seemed so offended over Regina being punished as your servant, even though you're claiming people aren't committing crimes to be punished," the Blue Fairy said.
"That was her choice. She decided to surrender to you, expecting you guys to be the unreasonable, unrealistic hard-heads you definitely are. I'm not hunting down law-abiding citizens for you and putting them in jail for shits and giggles," Emma replied. Who the hell did these bastards think she was? Did they think she would just do whatever the hell they wanted? She was not their attack dog.
"Yet you're willing to take the Queen's recommendations on who to hire as deputies rather accepting one of the many applicants the Council has suggested. Couple that with the fact that you freed Regina from her shackles barely a day after she was in your custody, I don't think you have the best judgment," Matilda said.
Snorting, Emma rolled her eyes. "Says the people who refuse to let me hold any person loyal to them, despite who they hurt or property they destroy, resulting in zero arrests as the town turns into the Wild West, so hi, pot. I'm kettle."
"You will show this Council its due respect," Sax practically bellowed, like his loudness made him scary.
"No, I don't think I will. I'm not arresting people because they used to be villains back in Fairy Tale Land. That's not justice. I'm not hiring whoever you want to be deputies because I need people I can depend on, not your lackeys. I'm here to keep the town safe, the whole town," Emma replied. "Come on, Ruby." She marched out, her faith deputy one step behind her.
-8-8-8-8-
Regina made her way to Archie's office, messing with her cuffs. She put them on whenever she left the house, hoping to avoid giving anyone an excuse to bother her. It did not seem to be wise or working. She was followed the whole way by angry townies, screaming at her, insulting her, and worse. They pelted her with rocks, rotten fruit, garbage, and other things, but kept their distance.
Regina breathed a sigh of relief once she was safe inside. The door, once closed behind her, felt like a shield against the outside world. Archie's assistant, a waif of a lad, looked at her and she thought his eyes might fall out of his skull.
"That bad?" Regina asked, knowing she looked like some level of Hell. She just did not know which one.
"I hope this isn't one of your better outfits," he replied, sorrow in his tone and a pout on his glossy lips.
Regina sighed. "One of my best actually. I wasn't allowed many choices." The few outfits allotted to her had been ravaged by things like this.
"So unfair." He shook his head. "These people have nerve."
He got up from behind his desk and tried to clean Regina off, brushing off her clothes. She waved him off, knowing this was a herculean task. He did not heed her and did his best to clean her up, using his pocket square as a napkin to sweep away what he could.
She was not surprised by his actions. He was partial to her because of the Curse. In Storybrooke, he was an assistant to a respected doctor and an upstanding member of the community. He had money, a home, and a loving boyfriend. He had none of those things back in the Enchanted Forest and probably never would.
"You poor dear. Those savages," he muttered as he moved around her.
"They do have a right to be upset," Regina replied.
He scoffed. "Some, yes. Others just don't want to admit you did us a favor."
She cocked an eyebrow. "Kidnapping and brainwashing are favors?"
"Hey, I'll take that if I can eat every night, which I can here. There were times in the Enchanted Forest, I couldn't even eat the trash. And begging is hardly fruitful when you're begging poor people. Or if you beg rich people, they blame you for being poor and lazy, like they didn't inherit their wealth. So, let me be one of the few people to say thank you."
Regina found herself speechless and could only say one thing. "You're welcome."
He smiled and finished trying to make Regina presentable. He dabbed a cut she felt on her forehead, likely from a rock. He even coiffed her hair. She smiled at him as he stepped away. It was a genuine smile. It seemed like it had been such a long time since she smiled at a regular, normal human being.
He opened Archie's office door to let her in. Archie was in there, waiting for her. He offered her a smile as she stepped inside. She gave him a small smile in return while the assistant closed the door behind her. It was easier the second time. She owed that young man a thanks. She went and sat on his couch.
"Were you harmed on your way over here?" Archie asked.
"Pelted with rocks, garbage, and insults. I thought I'd be safe with these." Regina held up her wrists, jingling her irons.
He frowned a little. "I'd think it'd be more dangerous for you. It advertises you're powerless."
"It is dangerous, but like there are people who would attack me, there are people would and will defend me if things get too dangerous. The cowards know what they can and cannot get away with. Throwing rocks and garbage is hardly threatening." It was annoying, yes. But, ever since she had been put in the hospital, the mobs knew better than to do it again. She was not sure why, but she suspected. They should worry about themselves rather than worrying over me. Their victory is about to be snatched from them with more maliciousness than mine was.
He nodded. "So, you've said you don't wear the shackles at home."
"No, I don't. Emma and Henry don't like them."
"But, you do?"
Regina bristled. "Who said I do?"
"Well, you mention Emma and Henry, but left out yourself." He pointed that out in his stupid, calm voice, like things were no big deal.
"It doesn't need to be said. It's obvious." She sat up straight and glared at him. She was not ready to discuss this. "It's more than obvious."
He was nonplussed. "But, it is something you volunteered for."
"It was this or a cell. At least I get to be around Emma and Henry."
"You could've fought, as you always do. You have magic. Powerful magic. I've heard tales we've never truly seen the depth of your magic."
Regina waved him off. "Blue likes spreading that rumor to make people fear me even more." Of course, Blue was not the only one who talked about it. Regina never thought about how strong her magic was supposed to be. The most she had seen, or at least been able to tap into, was to cast the Dark Curse and even for that she needed to murder her father. How strong could her magic be if she could not bypass that genuine piece of horror? "I didn't want Emma or Henry to see me as a villain any more."
He did not miss a beat. "What about you?"
Scowling, she glowered at him in a way that made her shackles burn her wrists. "What about me?" She came to the office with a chip on her shoulder each and every time, but deep down always acknowledged she needed him.
He met her scowl with a small frown of his own and leaned forward a little. "You keep leaving yourself out of things. Do you still want to be a villain?"
Regina touched her collar. The cold, hard, smooth metal should have calmed her, but like the wrist bonds, felt like it burned. It felt like it could strangle her if she let it. "I never wanted…" It was not a role she meant. She hardly accepted it, even now. It just seemed like every move she ever made put her on that path, got her to that point, and there was no way to get off that road. The only thing she could do was keep moving, which only took her further into the darkness, deeper into the abyss, so the wisest move seemed to be to stop moving.
"You never wanted to be a villain. We were having sessions before, it sounded like you were unclear how you got there."
Sometimes, Regina could not figure how she got to many points in her life, but as she felt her collar under her fingertips, her thoughts were a bit clearer. "I made so many poor decisions, hoping they would make me happy. I'm trying to do better." I can do better if I focus on what's important. I just have to remember what's important. And with that in mind, her collar still felt like it would be the death of her somehow.
"I figured as much once you started our sessions again." He offered her another smile.
"Yes, I need to get myself together. For Emma, Henry, and myself." She gave him a nod. "They believe in me and, now, I need to believe in myself. I need to make good decisions."
"Why?"
"Because I want what we are. We've become a family. I want that. I don't want to ruin it, as I've ruined everything." She traced her collar. It would ruin everything. So, she would bury her desire and try to forget it.
He tilted his head. "Have you ruined everything?"
She almost snorted, but kept it in. "Archie, come on. Evil Queen. You've been living under my Curse."
He chuckled a bit. "Yes, but some of it is a matter of interpretation. Look at Zach. He's fully in favor of the Curse."
She nodded. "He was telling me."
"I've had many people come in, quite confused as to why they're all right with the Curse. There are so many breakdowns. I can't begin to tell you how many people this has touched in a positive way. And, yes, you were the Evil Queen, but look at your kingdom. How you came to power was wrong."
Regina's jaw clenched as her fury flared, as it tended to do whenever she thought someone challenged what she did to Leopold. "Well, Leopold was no saint." And she would never get sick of people acting like he was.
"I'm not defending him or you. But, even your attitude shows there's always more than one view of every situation. To so many, Leopold was a saint. To you, he was a demon. Who's right and who's wrong? You maintained a thriving kingdom, even as your own citizens plotted against you. You didn't ruin that."
Regina ground her teeth together for a moment. She did not even get a chance to see the growing kingdom as a success, too busy scheming on her own or tackling rebels. There were good things on her resume at the time, though. "And yet I lost my kingdom just the same. I ruined it. I will ruin this, as I ruin all things. I thought this might change things."
His face scrunched up a little. "This?"
She held up her hands, rattling her chains. "This." She twisted her nose up.
"How would the chains change things?"
"First, they gave me an excuse to be with Emma and Henry. The irons reminded me what was important. I had to, I would endure anything for them."
"And then?"
Her brow wrinkled. "And then what?"
"You said 'first.'"
She nodded and blinked. "Oh, right. Eventually, I used them as a crutch to not have to make decisions for myself. I'm a servant. I'll just let Emma tell me what to do. My life has always been smoother when following rather than trying to lead."
His forehead wrinkled. "Regina, you know that's not true in the grand scheme of things. Whenever you cede your control, you're spoken about what happens in your life. Your mother, King Leopold, Rumple. None of those were happy times. You were physically hurt less, but in all other aspects you've told me how hurt you were. Each one of those people almost destroyed you. You've said they made you lose you."
Sighing, Regina's shoulders went slack. She had lost herself, but there was a chance of finding or creating a new her. "But, it's not like that with Emma. I like it." She admitted before she thought to stop herself. She flinched.
He blinked, but to his credit, jumped right into the next question, like she had not said something outrageous and utterly insane. "Okay. Are you conflicted by that?"
Her shoulders dropped more. Well, it was out there now. "No."
He leaned in a little, like he needed to study her further. "But, you are conflicted." A statement. A true statement.
"A secret will always destroy me when revealed." Another true statement.
"You think that if Emma finds out about this she'll distance herself from you?"
She glared at him, but it was hardly anything annoyance and that was directed at herself more than him. She rubbed her arm, feeling disquieted in her own skin. Who was she now? Who was this person? "Wouldn't she? She's… good." Good at ordering you around, without even realizing it most of the time.
"Regina, you've trusted Emma with not only yourself, but with your son. You need to tell her what that means. I understand it's scary to put yourself out there, but you trust her."
The idea made Regina's stomach turn and she swallowed down bile trying to escape her throat. "I can't tell her."
"You trust her with you and your son, but not the truth?"
Regina dropped her head along with her heart. "The truth is not kind." It never had been. The truth killed Daniel. The truth got her labeled as the Evil Queen, when she killed Leopold for how he treated her, like a possession, while everyone else thought he was the peak of goodness. The truth killed her mother. The truth was nothing more than destruction.
"It's not, but I think you and Emma both understand that. You also understand each other, which is why even when you hated each other, you were unable to stay away. Besides, wouldn't it be best to know if this person you've given yourself to wants to carry your weight?"
Regina snorted through her nose. If she could have, she would have breathed out flames. "Spoken like a person who's never been thrown away."
He did not even flinch. "Regina, we both know this isn't about me."
Her face twitched. "You just want to watch me burn everything around me."
"You know that's not true. I only want to help. You know I'm one of the people who isn't angry over the Curse. It's nice not to be a cricket." His eyes sparkled as he smiled at her.
Regina chuckled and glanced away for a moment. "I'll bet. I still think this is horrible advice."
"Because you're scared. You know you'll feel better once you say something. Tell me I'm wrong."
She opened her mouth, ready to call him on it, but they both knew she would be lying. It felt good when she told Emma how she felt. It worked out. She had been scared, weighed down by not saying anything. Maybe it was time to lighten her load. Maybe it would not be so bad.
"Emma seems to like telling me what to do," Regina said in a low voice.
"Maybe have a conversation with her then." Doctor Hopper's cheeks were flushed. Regina held in a laugh.
-8-8-8-8-
Emma could not wait to go to bed. Tense did not begin to cover it. After the meeting with the Council, she had to deal with a literal fire, the bare bones of a fire department trying to put it out, and the arrogance of the arsonist to stick around to watch the pizza shop burn to the ground. She was so confident she would beat the wrap, she had smirked the whole way to jail. Less than an hour later, Council members were calling for her release. The pizza shop was owned by a villain and too many Lost Boys hung out there for "anyone to feel comfortable," according to Edmund Kent, parroting the words of the damn arsonist. Emma had to resist the urge to break her face as she walked out of the sheriff's office.
There were other acts of violence and vandalism and Emma felt like they could not stop it. Things were crumbling around people, around her. The fire department could not keep up as they had lost most of their people, including the chief, as they were bad guys in some way. It was like Storybrooke was now Arkam Asylum and the inmates were running the place. Innocent people were hurt, property was damaged, and the goddamn people in charge were letting it happen. She wanted to just make it all better, but it was impossible.
It did not help that she had run into more than her fair share of distressed people today. She literally had to talk a woman off of a ledge. She and Ruby had to find a place for several squatters who were living in an abandoned store and they were all under the age ten. Thankfully, a school teacher was happy to hold them, along with a handful of other abandoned kids. Who the fuck abandoned kids?
Emma swallowed all of her anger the moment she got home. She just wanted to be happy at home. Instead, she felt like she was going to fly apart at the seams. So, she went to bed early. Maybe the next day would bring different, better things.
"Emma, could we maybe talk?" Regina asked as she came into the bedroom.
Emma sighed. She did not need another problem. She really did not. She wanted to take a shower and go to bed and never get out of bed.
"Is it about how I cut Henry off when he was complaining about his teacher?" Emma had not meant it, but she did not want to hear about Henry moaning over a teacher doing her job, especially when she did not need to. He needed to not call her about stuff like that when she was out in the field, too, which she told him. He was bitching and moaning over the teacher using the day to teach the students how to knit to show them how she remained calm. Henry had the gall to think it was a waste of time, said as much, and then called her to try to get validation for that.
Regina waved that off. "No. He needed to be shut down on that. He seems to forget the stress his school is under, which I think is a good thing, though. The school is doing so much to make things seem normal."
"Then what do you want to talk about? I kinda just wanna hold you and fall asleep." Emma needed to forget today was a thing.
Regina smiled softy. That was the right thing to say. It was nice to know she could at least say the right thing to Regina.
"Well, that can definitely still happen if you let me say this," Regina said.
Emma shrugged and sat down on the edge of the bed. "All right. Hit me, but not really. I doubt I could take one of your punches right now." She grinned at Regina.
Regina chuckled a little, but it sounded forced. Emma's heart leaped into her throat. Was Regina about to tell her something to further ruin her day? Well, that's my luck. What if she's leaving? This is too much and she'll take Henry and I'll be here in Crazyville alone.
"I know you've suspected I have other reasons for wearing the collar than I've stated," Regina said.
Emma threw up her hands a little while her heart continued to beat a mile-a-minute. While it did not seem like it was what she feared, it always could take a turn. This was Regina, after all. "You're not that hard to read. So, what's the deal?"
Regina took a deep breath. "I wear it because I like the idea of belonging to you. I like when you give me orders, even if they don't sound like orders. I like… well, I just like being yours and you controlling me."
Emma had expected a lot of explanations. None of them were that one, though. She never would have thought Regina could tell such a lie with a straight face. Yes, she was a practiced liar, but this was way beyond her usual lie. What the hell was Regina doing? She did not need this crap right now.
"What the hell are you playing at?" Emma glared at Regina wanting to wear her down already.
"Playing at?" Regina had the nerve to look confused.
"Yeah!" She shot up from her seat. "Is that what this whole thing has been, some game? Now, you're moving on to the next phase of your scheme to see how stupid I am or something? You wanna fuck with me psychologically? I don't need this shit! I almost had a woman jump from a five story building and now you're trying to yank away the rest of my sanity? You think I'm that fucking stupid?" Emma's face was already red from screaming. Did everyone think she was just an idiot? Did she have "asshole" written across her forehead or something?
Regina flinched. "I'm confessing a personal secret to you."
"Oh, bullshit! You killed your fucking husband for your autonomy, but you're just going to give it to me?" Emma scoffed. Really, how stupid did Regina think she was? God, that stupid Council was right. She's trying to use me, trying to get me to let my guard down, so she can fuck shit up again. Well, she miscalculated. Emma would never mistake herself to be so important that Regina would actually give her control over her.
"I trust you," Regina said through gritted teeth.
Emma scoffed. "Yeah, so you say. But, nobody ever actually trusts me. I'm a known fuck-up! We both know this is another trick to try to get control of Storybrooke. You got me to let my guard down. You got me to trust you—"
Regina's eyes burned with rage. "Obviously not! If you trusted me at all we'd be having a different conversation, but you see me like everyone else. I'm nothing more than the Evil Queen. A villain and I always will be."
"Not like you've ever tried to prove anybody wrong."
Regina's jaw twitched. "You know what, you're right. I can only ever be a villain." She went to the door.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Emma stepped closer. She would need to tackle Regina if she made a move for the shackle keys. She could not let Regina get free from her collar to wreak havoc all over town.
"Just fetching my cot. After all, this is my punishment for being a villain." Regina went across the hall and retrieved her cot.
"So, you're going to sleep on this cot now? Such bullshit." There was no way Regina would sleep on that cot now that her plot was uncovered. Emma prepared for an attack that did not come, yet anyway.
Regina did not say anything. She set up the cot and then went to the closet. She grabbed the chain that had been meant to keep her attached to the wall.
"Regina, seriously?" Emma did not buy this shit for one second. Regina was about to do something.
Regina did not reply. Next, she went to the nightstand and grabbed her wrist irons. She put them on and then chained herself to the fireplace. Emma watched until Regina laid down.
"Really? This is bullshit," Emma said. Regina was up to something. She had to be. It was the only thing that made sense.
Regina put the cover over her head. Emma was not sure what to do and stared at Regina for a long time. Regina was up to something, but Emma was not sure what. She would not let Regina get the better of her, though.
-8-8-8-8-
Next time: Regina might go out of her way to prove Emma right.
