A/N: I won't promise anything, but I will try my very best to update another chapter later today. No promises though! And just in case I can't uphold that promise, here is a much longer chapter for your enjoyment with a little make out session between our lovely ladies. ;) Happy reading my lovely readers! Thank you all, as always. Love you all.
"Are you sure?" Emma asks, surprised.
"It's the line of his jaw." Regina nods. "He's the right build, too."
"Barney, are you getting this?" Emma puts the phone down on her desk and switches to hands-free. "You seem to have studied your ex-boss in some detail, Mrs. Swan," she murmurs, sounding none too pleased. Regina scowls at her, thankful that Barney speaks up next.
"Yes, sir. I heard Mrs. Swan. I'm running face recognition software on all the digitized CCTV footage right now. See where else this asshole- I'm sorry, ma'am- this man has been within the organization."
Regina glances nervously over at Emma, who is studying the CCTV picture closely.
"Why would he do this?" She asks her wife.
Emma shrugs. "Revenge, perhaps. I don't know. You can't fathom why some people behave the way they do. I'm just angry that you ever worked so closely with him." Her mouth presses into a hard line, thin line and she encircles her wife's waist with her arm.
"We have the contents of his hard drive, too, ma'am," Barney adds.
"Yes, I remember. Do you have an address for Mr. Locksley?" Emma says sharply.
"Yes, ma'am, I do."
"Alert Humbert."
"Sure will. I'm also going to scan the city CCTV and see if I can track his movements."
"Check what vehicle he owns."
"Yes, ma'am."
"What was on his hard drive?" Regina whispers.
Emma's face hardens and she shakes her head. "Nothing much," she says, tight-lipped.
"Tell me." Regina presses on. "Was it about you, or me?"
She sighs. "Me."
"What sort of things? Was it about your lifestyle?"
Emma shakes her head and puts her index finger against her wife's lips to silence her. Regina scowls at her. But as Emma narrows her eyes, it's clear that she should drop it for now.
"It's a 2006 Camaro. I'll send the license details to Humbert, too," Barney says excitedly from the phone.
"Good. Let me know where else that fucker has been in my building. And check this image against the one from his N.Y. Book Publishers personnel file." Emma gazes at her wife skeptically. "I want to be sure we have a match."
"Already done, ma'am, and Mrs. Swan is correct. This is Robin Locksley."
Regina grins proudly.
"Well done, Mrs. Swan." She smiles, her earlier rancor forgotten. To Barney she says, "Let me know when you've tracked all his movements at HQ. Also check out any other Swan Enterprises Inc. property he may have had access to, and let the security teams know so they can make another sweep of all these buildings."
"Yes, ma'am. On it."
"Thanks, Barney." Emma hangs up, her eyes focused on her wife. "Well, Mrs. Swan, it seems that you are not only decorative, but useful, too." Her eyes light up with wicked amusement.
"Decorative?" Regina scoffs, teasing her back.
"Very," she says quietly, pressing a soft, sweet kiss on her lips.
Regina chuckles. "You're much more decorative than I am, Mrs. Swan."
Emma grins and kisses her more forcefully, wrapping her arms around the brunette. Once they come up for air, both their hearts are racing.
"Hungry?" She asks Regina.
"No."
"I am."
"I'll make you something." She smiles. "What would you like to eat, ma'am?" She asks sweetly.
Green eyes narrow. "Are you being cute, Mrs. Swan?"
"Always, Mrs. Swan… Ma'am."
The blonde smiles. "I can still put you over my knee," she murmurs seductively.
"I know." Regina grins. Placing her hands on the arms of her office chair, she leans down to kiss her lips. "That's one of the things I love about you. But stow your twitching palm- you're hungry."
She smiles her shy smile and it makes Regina's heart clench.
"Oh, Mrs. Swan, what am I going to do with you?"
"You're going to answer my question. What would you like to eat?"
"Something light. Surprise me," she says, mirroring her wife's words from the playroom earlier.
"I'll see what I can do." She hurries off of the blonde's lap, out of her office and into the kitchen. Her eyes land on Mrs. Lucas, who is already there. "Hello, Mrs. Lucas."
"Mrs. Swan. Are you ready for something to eat?" She is stirring something in a pot on the stove that smells delicious.
"I was going to make subs for Mrs. Swan and myself."
The woman pauses for a minute. A minute that feels like Regina just ruined the woman's preparations.
"I'm sorry- I didn't mean to intrude on your meal plans for us-"
"Mrs. Swan," Mrs. Lucas smiles kindly. "This is your home. You can decide and do as you wish."
Right. My home. She is still getting used to married life.
"Mrs. Swan likes French breath- there is some in the freezer cut to subs length. I'd be happy to make it for you, ma'am."
"That's very kind," she smiles. "But I'd like to do this for her."
"I understand. I'll give you some room."
"What are you cooking?" She asks, interested.
"This is a Bolognese sauce. It can be eaten anytime. I'll freeze it." She smiles warmly and turns the heat of the stove down.
"Let me ask you. What does Emma like in a… sub?" She frowns, struck by what she's just said. She hopes Mrs. Lucas understands the inference.
Mrs Lucas smiles kindly, obviously picking up on Regina's nerves to her new role as a wife. "You can put just about anything in her subs,, as long as it's on French bread, Mrs. Swan will eat it."
Regina smiles. "Thank you." She moves to the freezer and finds the French bread cut to size in Ziploc bags. She places two of them on a plate, pops them into the microwave, and sets it to defrost. Mrs Lucas has disappeared. Regina searches for the ingredients to include in the sub. She can work together with Mrs. Lucas, she has no problem with that. She likes her. She also wouldn't mind her cooking on weekdays, as long as she was allowed to cook for her wife on weekends.
She fetches some turkey, Swiss cheese, a freshly ripe avocado, tomatoes and some honey mustard. As she's finishing up preparing the sub, Emma emerges from her study with the plans for their new house in her hands. She puts them on the breakfast bar, saunters toward her wife, and wraps her arms around her, kissing her neck.
"Barefoot and in the kitchen. I could get used to this." she murmurs.
"Shouldn't you mean, barefoot and pregnant?" Regina smirks.
Emma stills, her whole body tensing against Regina's. She releases her, clearing her throat, the evidence clear.
"That was a joke." Her eyes never leave her tense wife. "You do want to have kids someday, don't you?"
There's a pause from Emma. "Someday, sure. Eventually. But not yet. I'm not ready to share you." She kisses her neck again.
Share?
"What are you making? Looks good." She kisses her again, and Regina knows it's to distract her off of the baby topic. Good thing she can't get pregnant, if not she would have to explain to her that she dared to go behind her back to have a procedure done. How would she explain that? And she knew Emma would be angry about it.
"Subs." She smirks.
Emma smiles against the brunette's neck and nips on her earlobe. "My favorite."
Regina elbows her playfully against her ribs, hearing a laugh escape her. "Would you like a glass of wine?" She asks.
"Please."
It is nine thirty in the evening, when Emma finishes up looking over the plans.
"Are you going back to work?" Regina asks her.
"Not if you don't want me to." She smiles. "What would you like to do?"
"We could watch TV." Regina suggested, not wanting to read or go to bed just yet. She wanted to enjoy her wife a little more.
"Okay," Emma agrees willingly, while Regina follows her into the TV room.
Their time spent in the TV room has only been three to four times, total. And every time they are in there, Emma usually reads a book. She really isn't interested in television at all. Regina curls up beside her on the couch, her legs propped up, curled beneath her, her head resting against her shoulder. Emma switches on the flat screen television with the remote and flicks mindlessly through the channels.
"Any specific drivel you want to see?" She asks.
"You don't like TV much, do you?" Regina smiles.
Emma shakes her head. "Waste of time. But I'll watch something with you."
"Actually, I thought we could make out."
She whips her face toward her wife's. "Make out?" She gazes at Regina as if she's grown two heads. She stops the endless flicking, leaving the TV on an over-lit Spanish soap opera.
"Yes." Regina answers truthfully, not understanding the blonde's horrified expression.
"We could go to bed and make out."
"We do that all the time. When was the last time you made out in front of the TV?" She asks teasingly.
Emma shrugs and shakes her head. The flicking of the remote forgotten, while in very low volume, a couple argued on TV.
"Emma?" Was this another first? Has she never made out before?
"I've never done that," she says quietly.
Regina's brows hit her hairline. "Never?"
"No."
"Not even with… the Dragon Lady?"
Emma snorts. "Baby, I did a lot of things with the Dragon Lady. Making out was not one of them." She smirks at her and then narrows her eyes with amused curiosity. "Have you?"
Regina's cheeks flush. "Of course."
Green eyes grow wide. "What! With who?" She pauses, "Daniel?"
Regina's gaze drops. She just wanted to make out, not have this discussion about making out with Daniel. It didn't matter anymore. She's surprised however, once she feels Emma's hand cup one of hers, and when she looks up, her wife is smiling.
"Tell me," she persists. "I want to know. So I can kick the shit out of him the next time I see him."
Regina giggles. "Well, the first time…"
"The first time! There's more than one fucker?" She growls.
Regina laughs this time. "Why so surprised, Mrs. Swan?"
Emma frowns briefly, runs a hand through her hair, and looks at the brunette as if she was seeing her in a different light. She shrugs. "I just am. I mean- given your lack of experience."
She chuckles. "I've certainly made up for that since I've met you."
"You have." She grins. "Tell me. I want to know."
Regina hesitates at first, because she isn't really sure if this will make her wife upset or if she genuinely wants to know. "Do you really want to know?" She asks her.
Emma nods slowly once, and her lips twitch with an amused, arrogant smile.
"I was briefly in Texas with my parents. We lived there before moving to Boston, before moving here. I was in tenth grade. His name was Bradley, and he was my lab partner in physics."
"How old were you?" Emma asks, genuinely interested.
"Fifteen."
"And what's he doing now?"
Regina shakes her head. "I have no idea."
"What base did he get to?"
"Emma!" She slaps her wife playfully on the shoulder- and suddenly she's surprised as Emma grabs her knees, then her ankles, and tips her up so that she falls back onto the couch.
Emma slides smoothly on top of her, trapping her beneath her, one leg between Regina's. She grabs her hands and raises them above her head. The action was so sudden that Regina squeals in surprise.
"So, this Bradley- did he get to first base?" She murmurs, running her nose down the length of Regina's own. She plants soft kisses at the corner of her mouth.
"Yes," Regina murmurs against her wife's thin lips. She feels Emma release one of her hands so that she can clasp her chin and hold her still while her tongue invades her mouth, and Regina finds herself surrendering to their kiss.
"Like this?" Emma breathes when she comes up for air.
"No… nothing like that," She manages to say, as all the blood in her body heads down south.
Releasing her wife's chin, Emma runs her hand down her body and back up to her breast. "Did he touch you like this?" Her thumb skims over her nipple, through her camisole, softly, repeatedly, and it hardens under her expert touch.
"No." Regina writhes beneath the blonde.
"Did he get to second base?" She murmurs in her ear. Her hand moves down across her ribs, past her waist to her hip. She takes her earlobe between her teeth and gently tugs.
"No," The brunette breathes.
Credits on the soap opera roll, which make Emma pause, to reach for the remote and turn down the volume just a little more before facing her wife again.
"What about Mr. Hot-shot-photographer? Did he make it past second base?" She shifts to her side, slipping her hand inside Regina's sweatpants.
"No," Regina whispers, trapped in her wife's carnal gaze.
Emma smiles wickedly. "Good." Her hand cups at her sex. "No underwear, Mrs. Swan. I approve." She kisses her again and her fingers weave more magic, her thumb skimming over her clitoris, tantalizing her, as she pushes her index finger inside of her folds with exquisite slowness.
The very action causes Regina to let out a groan. "We're supposed to be making out." She says.
Emma stills. "I thought we were?"
"No. No sex."
"What?"
"No sex…"
"No sex, huh?" She withdraws her hand from her wife's sweatpants. "Here." She traces Regina's lips with her index finger, and Regina can taste her own slick saltiness. Emma pushes her finger into her mouth, mirroring what she was doing a moment earlier. Then she shifts so she's between her legs, and own sex pushes against Regina's. Emma thrusts, once, twice, and again.
Regina gasps as the material of her sweatpants rubs in just the right way. She can feel Emma push once more, grinding into her.
"Is this what you want?" She murmurs and moves her hips rhythmically, rocking against the brunette.
"Yes." Regina moans.
Emma's hand moves back to concentrate on her nipple once more and her teeth scrape along her jaw. "Do you know how hot you are, Gina?" Her voice is hoarse as she rocks harder against Regina's sex. Regina opens her mouth to response, but fails as the only sound that comes out of it is another loud groan. Emma captures her mouth once more, tugging at the brunette's bottom lip with her teeth before plunging her tongue into her mouth again.
Regina can feel Emma release her other wrist, and her hands travel greedily up her wife's shoulders and into her hair as their kiss deepens. When she pulls on Emma's hair, she can hear a groan escape her, their kiss parting, as she finds green eyes staring down at her.
"Do you like me touching you?" She whispers.
Emma's brows furrow briefly as if she doesn't understand the question. She stops grinding against her. "Of course I do. I love you touching me, Gina. I'm like a starving woman at a banquet when it comes to your touch." Her voice hums with passionate sincerity.
Jesus… how does she always know the perfect thing to say?
Emma kneels between her wife's legs and drags her up along with her. She tugs on the hem of her shirt, peeling it off of her body and over her head, dropping it to the floor, then pulls her wife onto her lap, making her straddle her, her hands clasping just above her behind.
"Touch me," she breathes.
Being asked, being allowed by Emma to touch her, being urged to touch her always caught Regina by surprise. She had come a long way. They both had. Tentatively Regina reaches up and brushes the tips of her fingers across her wife's bare chest, over her burn scars. She listens to Emma inhale sharply, see her pupils dilate, but it's no longer with fear. It's a sensual response to her touch. Emma watches her intently as her fingers float delicately over her skin, first to one nipple and then the other. They pucker beneath her caress. Leaning forward, Regina plants soft kisses on her chest, her breasts, and her hands move to her shoulders, feeling the hard, sculptured lines of muscles.
"I want you," Emma murmurs, and her very words are like a green light to Regina.
The brunette rids herself of her camisole in one swift move, before her fingers move into her wife's hair, pulling her head back so she can claim her mouth. Emma groans and pushes her back onto the couch, lying on top of her.
"I love you, Regina Swan," Emma murmurs against her wife's lips, her hips picking up their sensual rhythm of earlier. Her own sex grinding on her wife's teasingly, slowly.
The following morning, Emma squeezes her wife's hand as they pull up in front of New York Book Publishers. She is out of her regular clothes and back into her business suits, looking very much like the CEO she is. Her navy suit of choice, matching perfectly with her navy tie. It makes Regina smile.
"You know you don't have to do this?" Emma murmurs.
Regina is tempted to roll her eyes at her. "I know," she whispers, not wanting their conversation heard by Jones and Fa. With Gold out of town for a few days to spend time with his daughter. She smiles. "But I want to," she continues. "You know this." She leans in to kiss her wife's thin lips, noticing her frown doesn't disappear. "What's wrong?"
She glances over at Fa as Jones climbs out of the car. "I'll miss having you to myself."
Regina reaches up to caress her face. "Me, too." She kisses her. "It was a wonderful honeymoon. Thank you."
"Go to work, Mrs. Swan."
"You, too, Mrs. Swan."
Jones opens the door. Regina gives her wife's hand a reassuring squeeze before climbing out of the car and onto the sidewalk. As she heads into the building, she gives Emma a little wave. Jones holds open the door to the building and follows her inside.
"Hi, Gina," the new receptionist smiles from behind the reception desk.
"Hannah, hello." Regina smiles back.
"You look wonderful. Good honeymoon?"
"The best, thank you. How's it been here?"
"The boss, Hades is the same, but security has been stepped up and our server room is being overhauled. But Kathryn will tell you."
"I'm sure she will." She gives Hannah a friendly smile and heads to her office.
Ever since her position changed and became permanent, Kathryn had become Regina's assistant. Kathryn was determined and ruthless when it came to her job, and could come across as a little intimidating sometimes to others in the office, but she respected Regina and liked her. But Regina doesn't really like her fetching things for her around the office, even if it is her job to do so. The only thing she allowed Kathryn to get for her was her latte in the mornings.
"Hi, Kathryn," she says warmly.
"Gina, how was your honeymoon?"
"Fantastic. Here- for you." She places a bottle of perfume she bought for her right on her desk, to which Kathryn claps her hands in delight.
"Oh, thank you!" She says enthusiastically. "Your urgent correspondence is on your desk, and Hades would like to see you at ten. That's all I have to report for now."
"Good. Thank you. And thank you for the coffee." Wandering into her office, Regina rests her briefcase on her desk and gazes at the piled up letters. She has a lot to do.
Just before ten there's a knock at the door.
"Come in."
Marian looks around the door. "Hi, Gina. I just wanted to say welcome back."
"Thank you, Marian. I have to say, reading through all this correspondence, I wish I was back in the South of France." She jokes.
Marian laughs, but her laughter is off, forced, and that even makes Regina cock her head to the side and gaze at her very much like Emma does to her.
"Glad you're back safely," she says. "I'll see you in a few minutes at the meeting with Hades."
"Okay," Regina murmurs, and Marian shuts the door behind her. The brunette frowns at the closed door. What was that about? She shrugs it off. Suddenly, her email pings- it's a message from Emma.
Wife.
I sent the email below and it bounced.
And it's because you haven't changed your name.
Something you want to tell me?
Emma Swan
CEO, Swan Enterprises Inc.
Attachment:
Mrs. Swan
Love covering all the bases with you.
Have a great first day back.
Miss our bubble already.
X
Emma Swan
Back in the Real World CEO, Swan Enterprises Inc.
Crap. Regina closes her eyes and quickly replies back.
Wife.
I am all for a baseball metaphor with you, Mrs. Swan.
I want to keep my name here.
I'll explain this evening.
I am going into a meeting now.
Miss our bubble, too…
P.S. Thought I had to use my phone?
Regina Mills
Editor, New York Book Publishers
This is going to be such a fight. Regina can already feel it. Sighing, she gathers all of her papers for the meeting.
Like every Monday morning, Kathryn brings her lunch into Regina's office to join her, to eat their lunches together and discuss what they want to achieve during the week. Kathryn brings her up to speed on the office gossip, too, which was lacking- considering she was away for three magical weeks on her honeymoon with Emma. As they are chatting, there's a knock on the door.
"Come in."
Hades opens the door, and standing beside him is Emma. Regina's eyes grow wide at the sudden, gorgeous sight of her wife. What is she doing here? She is dumb struck, numb even. Emma shoots her a blazing look as she walks in, before smiling politely at Kathryn.
"Hello, you must be Kathryn. I'm Emma Swan," she says.
Kathryn scrambles to her feet and holds out her hand. "Wow. Mrs. Swan. H-how nice to finally meet you," she stutters as they shake hands. "Can I fetch you a coffee?"
"Please," says Emma with a warm tone in her voice.
And with a quick puzzled glance over to Regina, Kathryn walks out of the office past Hades, who stands as dumb struck as Regina on the threshold of her office.
"If you'll excuse me, Hades, I'd like a word with Ms. Mills." Emma puts too much emphasis on the Ms and the brunette's last name.
So, this is why she's here… Okay.
"Of course, Mrs. Swan. Gina," Hades mutters, shutting the door to her office as he departs. Regina soon recovers her power of speech.
"Mrs. Swan, how nice to see you." She smiles, far too sweetly.
"Ms. Mills, may I sit down?"
"It's your company." She waves at the chair Kathryn vacated.
"Yes, it is." She smiles wolfishly at her wife, the smile not reaching her eyes. Her tone is clipped.
She is bristling with tension. Regina can feel it all around her, around the office. It makes her heart sink.
"Your office is very small," she says as she sits down facing the brunette's desk.
"It suits me."
Emma regards her neutrally, and Regina knows she's mad. She takes a deep breath before speaking again. This is not going to be pleasant.
"So what can I do for you, Emma?"
"I'm just looking over my assets."
"Your assets? All of them?"
"All of them. Some of them need rebranding."
"Rebranding? In what way?"
"I think you know." Her voice is menacingly quiet.
"Please- don't tell me you have interrupted your day after three weeks away to come over here and fight with me about my name."
Emma shifts and crosses her legs. "Not exactly fight. No."
"Emma, I'm working."
"It looked like you were gossiping with your assistant to me."
Regina's cheeks heat. "We were going through our schedules," she snaps. "And you haven't answered my question."
There's a knock at the door.
"Come in!" Regina shouts, and Kathryn comes in with a tray in her hands, a jug of milk, cream, sugar, and some coffee in a French press- she's gone all out. She places the tray on Regina's desk. "Thank you, Kathryn," she mutters, embarrassed that she had just shouted loudly.
"Do you need anything else, Mrs. Swan?" Kathryn asks, all breathless. Regina wants to roll her eyes.
"No, thank you. That's all." Emma smiles her dazzling, panty-dropping smile at her. And Kathryn flushes and exits simpering. Emma turns her attention back to her wife. "Now, Ms. Mills, where were we?"
"You were rudely interrupting my work day to fight with me about my name."
Emma blinks once. "I like to make the odd impromptu visit. It keeps management on their toes, wives in their place. You know." She shrugs, her mouth set in an arrogant line.
Wives in their place? Regina's brow raises. "I had no idea you could spare the time," she snaps.
Green eyes first. "Why don't you want to change your name here?" She asks, her voice deathly quiet.
"Emma, do we have to discuss this now? Here?"
"I'm here. I don't see why not."
"I have a ton of work to do, having been away for the last three weeks."
Her eyes are cool and assessing- distant even. It startles Regina how Emma can appear so cold after last night, after the last three weeks. She must be mad. Really mad. When will she learn not to overreact?
"Are you ashamed of me?" Asks the blonde, her voice deceptively soft.
"No! Emma, of course not." She scowls at her. "This is about me- not you." She sighs, rubbing away at her temple. "Emma, when I took this job, I'd only just met you," she says patiently, struggling to find the right words. "I didn't know you were going to buy the company-" What else could she say about the event in their brief history? Her deranged reasons for doing so- her control freak ways, her stalker tendencies gone mad, given completely free rein because she is so wealthy. Regina knows she just wants to keep her safe, but it's her ownership of N.Y. Book Publishers that is the fundamental problem here. If she had never interfered, she could continue as normal and not have to face the disgruntled and whispered recriminations of her colleagues.
She rubs her temples once more, breaking eye contact with her sometimes child-like-irritating-wife for a short minute. "Why is this so important to you?" She asks, desperately trying to hold on to her burning temper. She looks back up into her wife's impassive green eyes, they are luminous, and give nothing away, her earlier display of hurt feelings now hidden. But even as she asks this question, deep down, Regina knows the answer before Emma gives it.
"I want everyone to know that you're mine."
"I am yours- look." She holds up her left hand, showing off her wedding and engagement rings.
"It's not enough."
Regina blinks. "It's not enough that I married you?" Her voice is barely a whisper.
Emma blinks, registering the horror displaying in her wife's beautiful face. "That's not what I meant," she snaps, running a hand through her hair, brushing back a few fallen golden strands, which are surprisingly longer than before.
"Then, what do you mean?"
Emma swallows. "I want your world to begin and end with me," she says, her expression raw.
What? That's what this is about? Her comment completely throws Regina off track. She's done more than tug at her heartstrings this time. It's as if she's punched her right in the stomach, leaving her winded and wounded. Suddenly an image of a small, frightened blonde haired, green-eyed girl, mismatched, ill-fitting clothes comes to her mind.
"It does," Regina replies without guile, because it's the truth. "Emma, it does. I'm just trying to establish a career, and I don't want to trade on your name. I have to do something, Have my own identity here. I can't just stay home and choose wallpaper and go over menus with Mrs. Lucas all day, I'll go crazy. I'll suffocate. I've always worked, and I enjoy this. This is my dream job; it's all I've ever wanted. But doing this doesn't mean I love you less. You are the world to me." She feels a lump in her throat that she can't gulp down, and tears sting at her eyes.
Don't cry. Don't you dare cry. Not here. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry. She repeats it over and over in her head like a mantra.
She scoffs, more to keep herself from crying. "Would you change your name if I asked you to?" She challenged her.
"Yes. If it meant that much to you." Emma answered truthfully. There was nothing she wouldn't do for the woman she loved. No question. No hesitation.
Regina sighs. "Look, we are talking about my name. Everyone already thinks I got this job because of you, when the reality is-" she stops once she sees Emma's eyes widen before her.
"Do you want to know why you got this job, Regina?"
Regina can't say anything. She's frozen.
"The management here gave you Locksley's job to babysit. They didn't want the expense of hiring a senior executive when the company was mid-sale. They had no idea what the new owner would do with it once it passed into his or her ownership, and wisely, they didn't want an expensive redundancy. So they gave you Locksley's job to caretake until the new owner-" she pauses, and her lips twitch in an ironic smile- "namely me, took over."
What? "What are you saying? That it was because of you that I got this job?" She's honestly terrified of the answer.
Emma smiles and shakes her head at her wife's alarm. "No. Relax. You've more than risen to the challenge. You've done very well." There's the tiniest hint of pride in her voice. "I don't want to suffocate you, Gina. I don't want to put you in a gilded cage. Well…" She pauses, her eyes darkening. "The rational part of me doesn't."
There's a small pause from Emma, and a dead silence from Regina, because what can she say?
"So one of the reasons I'm here- apart from dealing with my errant wife," Emma continues, narrowing her eyes at the brunette seated before, "is to discuss what I am going to do with this company."
"So what exactly are you planning?" Finally Regina speaks, cocking her head to one side, mirroring her wife's action. Her tone sarcastic.
Emma's lips twitch with a hint of a smile. "I'm changing the name of the company… to Swan Publishing."
What the shit?
"And in a year's time, it will be yours."
Regina's mouth drops open, so wide that her jaw hits the floor.
"This is my wedding present to you."
What? Regina blinks. Her mouth opens wanting to voice something, but nothing- absolutely nothing- comes out of it. No voice. She's gone totally mute.
"So, do I need to change the name to Mills Publishing?" Emma asks, and her tone is as serious as is her expression.
"Emma," she finally whispers. "You gave me a watch… I can't possibly run a business."
She tilts her head to one side, her lips turn into a frown. "I ran my own business from the age of twenty-one."
"Yes, but you're… you. Control-freak and whiz-girl extraordinaire." The brunette scoffs. "Emma, you majored in economics at Harvard before you dropped out. At least you have some idea. I sold paint and cable ties for three years on a part-time basis, for heaven's sake. I've seen so little of the world, and I know next to nothing!" Her voice rises.
Emma stands. "You're also the most well-read person I know," she counters earnestly. "You love a good book. You couldn't leave your job while we were on our honeymoon. You read how many manuscripts? Four?"
"Five," Regina whispers, crossing her arms over her chest.
"And you wrote full reports on all of them. You're a very bright woman, Regina- brilliant at what you do. You're smart, you're driven, and you got to where you are- not because of me- but through dedication and hard work. I'm sure you'll manage."
"Are you crazy?"
"Crazy for you," Emma whispers.
Regina snorts, being the only reaction she can manage to give. "You'll be a laughingstock. Buying a company for the wife, who has only had a full-time job for a few months of her adult life."
"Do you think I give a fuck what people think? Besides, you won't be on your own."
"Emma…" The brunette gapes at her, not knowing why but in the moment, she laughs, all too suddenly.
"Something amusing you, Ms. Mills?"
"Yes. You."
Emma's eyes look amused. "Laughing at your wife? That will never do. And you're biting your lip." Her eyes darken… in that way.
Oh, no- no way, Swan. Not here.
"Don't even think about it," Regina warns her.
"Think about what, Regina?"
"I know that look. We're at work."
Emma leans forward, her eyes glued to brown ones, dark green and hungry. "We're in a small, reasonably sound-proofed office with a lockable door," she whispers.
"Gross moral turpitude." She says every word carefully.
"Not with your wife."
"With my boss's boss's boss," she hisses.
"You're my wife."
"Emma, no. I mean it. You can fuck me seven shades of Sunday this evening. But not now. Not here!"
The blonde blinks, narrowing her eyes once more. Then, the unexpected happens. She laughs.
"Seven shades of Sunday?" Her eyebrow arches, intrigued. "I may hold you to that, Ms. Mills."
Regina groans, rolling her eyes. "Alright, stop. If it means that much to you, I will change my name."
Emma grins. "Good." She stands. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Her hand reaches for the doorknob, freezing in place. "I'll see you this evening at home, Mrs. Swan. I'm rather looking forward to seven shades of Sunday."
Regina scowls, because her wife is just impossible sometimes. But, damn it, she loves her.
"Oh, and I have a stack of business-related social engagements coming up, and I'd like you to accompany me."
Yes, fine. Now, kindly leave!
"I'll have Ingrid call Kathryn to put the dates in your calendar. There are some people you need to meet."
"Alright. Sounds good." She says, rubbing away at her temple.
"Laters, baby." Emma winks and is out the door.
Regina sits back in her chair, feeling as if she had just been run over by the bulldozer that is her wife. Running a business? This company? Hers? How could she possibly do this? Emma has clearly lost her marbles this time. Regina Swan, owner of Swan Publishing. Hm. There's a knock at the door, and Kathryn pokes her head around.
"Everything okay?" She asks.
Regina nods, frozen.
"I know you don't like me doing this- but can I make you some tea? You really look like you need it."
Do I ever! Regina nods. "That would actually be wonderful, thank you."
She smiles. "Coming up, Gina." She leaves, shutting the door.
Regina stares blankly at her computer screen, still in shock. How can she make Emma understand? The only way she will understand… Email!
Mrs. Swan
I'm not an asset! Next time you come and see me, make an appointment, so I can at least have some prior warning of your adolescent overbearing megalomania.
Yours
Regina Swan ←- please note name.
Editor, New York Book Publishers
Three minutes later, there's a reply.
My Dear Mrs. Swan (emphasis on My)
What can I say in my defense? I was in the neighborhood.
And no, you are not an asset, you are my beloved wife.
As ever, you make my day.
Emma Swan
CEO and Overbearing Megalomaniac, Swan Enterprises Inc.
She's trying to be funny, bring humor into it. Regina groans and gets back to work, not bothering with a reply.
Emma is quiet when Regina climbs into the car that evening.
"Hi," the brunette mutters.
"Hi," Emma responds, warily- as she should.
"Disrupt anyone else's work today?" She asks too sweetly.
A ghost of a smile appears on the blonde's thin lips. "Only Hopper's."
Oh. Speaking to Dr. Hopper.
"Next time you see him, I'll give you a list of topics I want covered," she hisses.
"You seem out of sorts, Mrs. Swan."
Regina glares to the back of Jones and Fa's heads in front of her.
Emma shifts beside her wife. "Hey," she says softly and reaches for her hand.
But Regina is in no mood. Again, she doesn't know what has been up with her exactly, but she is so mad. So mad, she yanks her hand away from Emma's, taking the blonde completely by surprise.
"You're mad at me?" She whispers.
"You don't miss much, do you?" She hisses. Folding her arms across her chest, she gazes out of the car window. She doesn't turn to even look at Emma. Why was she so mad? She couldn't understand it, but she was really fucking mad.
Once the car pulls into the garage, Regina doesn't wait to have the car door opened for her. She simply storms out, briefcase in hand and rushes toward the elevator. Not bothering to see who was beside her as Jones reaches to press the button on the keypad.
"What?" She snaps at him, thinking it might be Emma.
"Apologies, ma'am," he mutters.
Emma comes and stands beside her raging wife to wait for the elevator and Jones retreats.
"So it's not just me you're mad at?" Emma murmurs dryly.
Regina finally looks at her to see a trace of a smile on her face. "Are you laughing at me?" Her eyes narrow.
"I wouldn't dare," she says, holding her hands up like she's being threatened. Her long golden strands all over the place, more than they were this morning.
"You need a haircut," Regina mutters, turning away from the blonde. She steps into the elevator.
"Do I?" She asks while brushing her strands away from her face. She follows her in.
"Yes." Regina taps the code for their apartment into the keypad.
"So you're talking to me now?"
"Just."
"What exactly are you mad about? I need an indication," she asks cautiously.
Regina turns, her eyes wide. "Do you really have no idea? Surely, for someone so bright, you must have an inkling? I can't believe you're that obtuse."
"You really are mad," she whispers.
"What gave it away?" Regina scoffs, making her way out of the elevator. "Hi, Gold," she mutters.
"Mrs. Swan," he nods. It's great to have him back.
Regina drops her briefcase in the hallway, she heads into the great room. Mrs Lucas is at the stove.
"Good evening, Mrs. Swan."
"Hi, Mrs. Lucas," the brunette mutters. She can see Emma by the breakfast bar, removing her suit jacket and letting it hang on one of the bar stools by the breakfast bar. Watching her like a hawk as Regina reaches for a glass inside one of the cupboards, walk toward the fridge to pull out a bottle of wine.
"Do you want a drink?" She asks super sweetly.
"No thank you," Emma says, not taking her eyes off of her wife. She feels like she's suffocating, so much that she loosens the knot on her tie and opens the top button of her shirt.
Regina pours herself a large glass of sauvignon blanc, watching Emma run a hand through her golden strands, brushing them back, her expression that of a caged lion with very little space, not sure of what to do or say next. It was rather tragic to see. Good! Screw her!
Mrs. Lucas has left the kitchen, obviously no stranger to the tension lingering in the room.
"Stop this," Emma whispers. She takes two steps between them so she's standing in front of Regina. Gently she tucks her hair behind her wife's ear and caresses her earlobe with her fingertips, sending a shiver right through her.
Then, suddenly, a bit of her mood has changed. What the fuck? Is this what I've missed all day? Her touch? She shakes her head, causing Emma to release her ear.
"Talk to me," Emma murmurs.
"What's the point? You don't listen to me."
"Yes I do. You're one of the few people I do listen to."
Regina takes another swig of wine.
"Is this about your name?" Emma asks.
"Yes and no. It's about how you dealt with the fact that I disagreed with you." She glares up into green eyes, expecting her to be angered.
Her brows furrow. "Gina, you know I have… issues. It's hard for me to let go where you're concerned. You know that."
"But I'm not a child, and I'm not an asset."
"I know." Emma sighs.
"Then stop treating me as though I am," she whispers, imploring her.
The blonde brushes her wife's cheek with the back of her fingers down, and runs her thumb across her bottom lip. "Don't be mad. You're so precious to me. Like a priceless asset, like a child," she whispers, a somber expression on her face. Her words distract Regina.
A precious child? So a child would be precious to her?
"I'm neither of those things, Emma. I'm your wife. If you were hurt that I wasn't going to take your name, you should have said."
"Hurt?" She frowns deeply, and straightens upright. She glances down at her watch and sighs. "The architect will be here in just under an hour. We should eat."
Regina groans inwardly. Fantastic. My freight train of a wife isn't enough, now I have this flirtatious bitch to deal with too.
She scowls at Emma. "This discussion isn't finished," she mutters.
"What else is there to discuss?"
"You could sell the company."
Emma snorts. "Sell it?"
"Yes."
"You think I'd find a buyer in today's market?"
"How much did it cost you?"
"It was relatively cheap." Her tone is guarded.
"So if it folds?"
She smirks. "We'll survive. But I won't let it fold, Regina. Not while you're there."
"And if I leave?"
"And do what?"
"I don't know. Something else."
"You've already said this is your dream job. And forgive me if I'm wrong, but I promised before God, Reverend Walsh, and a congregation of our nearest and dearest to uphold your hopes and dreams, and keep you safe at my side. And that all that was mine was yours, too."
"Quoting your wedding vows to me is not playing fair."
"I've never promised to play fair where you're concerned. Besides," she adds, "you've wielded your vows at me like a weapon before."
She scowls, rolling her eyes. Damn her! She's right.
"Regina, if you're still angry with me, take it out on me in bed later." Her voice is suddenly low and full of sensual longing, her green eyes heated.
What? Regina blinks.
Emma smiles indulgently.
Is she really allowing me to tie her up in bed? What is going on?
"Seven shades of Sunday," she whispers. "Looking forward to it."
Holy crap!
"Eugenia," Emma's head turns to the older woman. "We'd like to eat now, please."
"Very good, ma'am." She smiles kindly.
Emma's eyes don't leave her wife's, she watches her vigilantly as if she's some exotic creature about to bolt. Regina takes another sip of her wine.
"I think I'll join you in a glass," she says, heading for the kitchen to reach for a glass for herself.
After dinner, Regina is in the bathroom looking over her reflection. She scowls at herself. What the hell has been going on with you? She asks herself, not quite knowing the answer. Coming back from a wonderful honeymoon, wrapped up in her own little bubble of happiness with Emma, and back into reality was hard enough as it was.
And if her day wasn't shitty enough, now she had this woman to deal with. Zelena Greene.
Well, she wasn't getting the better of her this time. Emma was hers and hers alone and she would let it be known if it was the last thing she did. Looking at herself in the mirror, she is wearing her gray pencil skirt and a sleeveless white blouse. She undoes the first two buttons, exposing a little cleavage. She washes her face, then carefully redoes her makeup, applying more mascara than usual and putting extra gloss on her lips. She brushes her hair over from root top all the way down, thanking God it's straight today. She goes into her walk in closet in search for her best heels.
Once she emerges into the great room, Emma has the house plans spread out on the dining table. She has music playing through the sound system. She knows this song. It's by the Weekend… Call Out My Name, if she recalls correctly.
"Mrs. Swan," Emma says warmly, then looks quizzically at her wife.
"Finally, something I've heard before. I like this. It's nice." Regina says, referring to the song.
"It's very calming, sensual and relaxing," Emma agrees, and raises an eyebrow. "Have you done something to your hair?"
"I brushed it," says Regina.
Ignoring the plans on the table, Emma walks toward the brunette, a slow saunter in time to the music. "Dance with me?" She murmurs.
"Now?" She asks, shocked.
"Yes," she pulls her wife into her arms, wrapping them around her waist, her nose burying in jet black hair and swaying gently from side to side.
Regina's head spins because Emma smells like her heavenly self. Oh… this is definitely what I've been missing. Her eyes close, slightly stinging with unshed tears. And she can't explain her sudden need to want to cry.
"I hate fighting with you," Emma whispers.
"Well, stop being such an ass."
Emma chuckles, her hold tightens around Regina. "Ass," she repeats, obviously loving that use of word from the brunette's lips.
"Yes, an ass."
"I like it."
"You should. It suits you."
Emma laughs once more and kisses the top of her head. And suddenly, Regina feels right at home.
Gold clears his throat, hating to interrupt as he appears at the entrance way, and both women suddenly part from their happy little bubble.
"Ms. Greene is here," he announces.
Of course she is. Such perfect timing, too.
"Show her in," Emma says. She reaches over and clasps Regina's hand as Ms. Zelena Greene enters the room.