"Gods fucking damn it!"
Her tire was flat. After a terrible night both professionally and personally she was topping it off with a flat tire in a part of Washington she wasn't familiar with in the slightest. In high heels and a red dress. This was not a stellar evening for Emma Swan. She put her hands on her hips and looked up and down the street, not finding anything open or another person around, before huffing and grabbing her phone out of her purse. The screen lit up and told her that it was after two am right before it died in front of her eyes. "You have got to be shitting me." She groaned and dropped it back into her purse before starting to make her way down the sidewalk, rounding a corner as she mumbled to herself about her rotten luck.
It had started at birth with her parents taking one good look at her and dropping her off on the side of the road with nothing but a blanket that had the name Emma monogrammed on it. Life and a name were all she inherited from two people she had never met or been able to track down. From there things only got worse as she started bouncing around the system before running away, becoming a street kid and eventually a bail bonds woman with an expunged record. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost ran directly into a sign on the sidewalk.
Roni's. OPEN 10 AM TIL LATE.
Homemade burgers. Cocktails. Local beer on tap. Live music.
Looking up she saw a neon light that also read Roni's in green, red and white. Emma figured she didn't have anything to lose and there was probably a phone somewhere inside that she could use. Opening up the door she took a look around and wasn't sure what she had been expecting but it certainly wasn't the more then empty bar she walked into. The interior was charming and the exposed brick immediately caught her blue green eyes as well as a woman cleaning off one of the tables while swaying a bit to the music that was playing.
"Excuse me, do you know where I can find the.." She stopped short when the black haired woman turned and Emma felt like the wind was knocked out of her when those smoldering brown eyes were suddenly focused on her, a smirk on devil red lips "Owner?" She finished softly and had to keep herself from gaping like a fish at the literal goddess in all black from her boots, jeans, and t-shirt to her curly raven hair. Wiping mocha hands off on a bandana hanging from one pocket she cocked a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and Emma hurried to say something else. "I was just wondering if he had-"
"Wait wait wait, princess. He? You're looking for the owner?" Emma nodded her head and watched as those hypnotic eyes gave her a once over before she shook her head in response "Haven't seen him." Just like that she turned back to the table as if cleaning it was the most important thing in the world at that moment which only agitated the blonde. Did she work there or not?
"Listen lady, I've had the night from hell and my bug has a flat so the last thing I want to deal with right now is a waitress on a power trip who can't be bothered to tell me where her boss is." She snapped and crossed her arms over her chest in indignation; if this place was useless she might as well go check somewhere else for assistance.
"Hey Roni! I need a refill over here. Chat up the pretty lady some other time." A guy from the bar called with his beer glass held up and Emma felt the color drain from her face as the woman she'd just accused of being a waitress went behind the bar, grabbing his glass and filling it to the brim before setting it back down on the coaster with an unimpressed look as she tossed sarcasm his direction.
"You're being a shitty barfly right now, Leroy and an equally shitty wingman. How am I supposed to pick up women if you are always demanding my attention? I won't get any phone numbers that way you know?" Skilled hands set a pair of shot glasses up on the counter and she started preparing something to pour into them as the mortified bonds woman took a seat at the end of the bar, opposite the apparent barfly named Leroy and searched for a way to apologize for being an asshole until the clink of glass hitting hardwood caught her attention. Emma looked up at the shot glass filled with a drink that was bright red in color before turning her gaze to the woman leaning against the bar.
"Welcome to Roni's. I'm that guy. I figured I'd make you a shot to help dial back some of that misplaced rage you're projecting on innocent bystanders. It's on me, princess." Roni picked up the second shot glass, raised it in a half toast and then knocked it back before starting to turn away again when Emma reached out to grab her forearm to stop her from leaving but instantly letting go when she was given a look that could kill opting instead to hold both hands up in a form of surrender.
"Look I'm sorry, you're right. I shouldn't have assumed anything or taken my night out on you. I really am sorry for snapping also for the physical contact," She took the shot and examined it closely, marveling over the way it matched Roni's lipstick "What exactly is this?" She turned it one way and then the other as if doing so would give her all the answers or be the instant cure to all the bullshit she'd gone through. Putting her hands back on the bar she watched Emma with curiosity, wondering what the blonde was doing in her establishment before smirking at the way she was inspecting the shot like a detective hunting for clues.
Leaning forward on her elbows she folded her hands and rested her chin on them. "It's called the sleeping curse and it's just one of my creations. I could tell you exactly what is in it but then?" She clicked her tongue and shook her head "Well then I'd have to rip your heart out and I've lost too many customers that way already." Emma gave a wry smile and one last look at the shot, tilting it towards Roni before drinking the entire thing. The main flavor was apples, sweet and delicious followed by something bitter that burned all the way down her throat. Entirely unfamiliar but incredible.
Grabbing both shot glasses she smirked "Gotta say I didn't think you'd have it in you, blondie so color me impressed. They are usually pretty deadly. What was it you said that brings you to my lovely domain this evening? We don't have a formal dress code here so I'm sure that fiery number isn't for me." She gestured to the dress she was wearing as she started to make something else with a much taller glass in front of her "Damn shame too since it just so happens to be one of my favorite colors." Emma looked down at her clothes and sighed as she remembered why she was even wearing it in the first place, suddenly craving another drink when the events of the night played back over in her mind.
Roni pulled a lethal looking knife from somewhere beneath the bar and two apples, one red and the other green, before slicing them while the blonde rubbed her temples and looked on with interest at the bartender's process. "I have a flat tire and a dead cell phone so I needed a place to call someone to fix it. I would do it myself if I had a damn spare tire but I don't anymore," Practiced motions turned two whole apples into slices and she ate one before dropping two into the empty glass "Do you have anything stronger then that shot?" Emma knew that she could spend half the night just watching the methodical way Roni worked and the alcohol was tempting her to drown her sorrows.
Nodding her head as she ate yet another apple slice while her free hand poured an amber colored liquid from a crystal decanter into the glass "I do and as luck would have it a cell phone with full battery life but it's going to cost you," Emma scoffed and was about to make a snarky comment when long fingers set the drink in front of her "Magic always comes with a price after all. So you answer my question and I'll hand you a phone, deal? What kind of a lousy date did you go on that left you with a flat tire to deal with all on your own?" Roni could hardly believe there some poor excuse for a man that wouldn't have helped the lovely blonde out with such a predicament but apparently there was.
Emma wrapped her hand around the glass and frowned at the question, knowing that it was fair enough to ask but hard to answer. "The last one with that asshole. He was my fiancée and I want to put emphasis on was. I caught him cheating on me so I wouldn't want his help with a tire or anything else for that matter. Is this another one of your creations? Just as deadly?" She switched topics over to the alcohol as quickly as she could since the mere mention of Killian her former fiancée infuriated and nauseated her, picturing the smug bastard only made her grip the glass tighter.
Roni shook her head and filled the barfly's beer back up before he could interrupt her again, gesturing at the amber drink in a pale hand. "That one's from me too. Consider it an apology on behalf of all decent people that you had to deal with a cheating piece of shit," She reached under the bar and held a cell phone out towards her "Feel free to call triple A or anyone you want but I should warn you, they probably won't get here anytime soon. You'd be better off waiting until I close up and letting me handle it. I might have a donut or something in the garage and I am quite talented when it comes to vehicle maintenance. At the very least I could cash in a favor someone owes me. Your call. Literally, princess."
She took the phone and looked at her reflection in it's screen as she weighed the options, she didn't want go impose on Roni after she'd already been helpful enough but Emma didn't feel like chancing her luck with triple A. "Hey Roni?" She turned to give the blonde her attention again "When do you close?" Pale fingers extended the phone back to the bartender and Roni smiled, pocketing it before pointing at the glass. "Have some of that, princess. You've got an hour until I shut down and a hell of a good reason to drink."
Emma lifted the amber beverage and took a sip only to be surprised by the flavor, an apple cider? "Good right? I grow the apples myself. Well, not the green ones, never been a big fan of them," Roni made another shot and continued talking as she walked the length of the bar "Why don't you follow me, Blondie? I've got a second sure fire way to tackle that justifiable anger of yours." Standing up she watched as the beautiful woman approached a dartboard and she smiled.
"If only I had a picture of Killian to put up there." She mused as she joined Roni, stealing one of the stools nearby to sit on and drink more of the cider. "Imagination dear, utilize it. Now we're going to throw these and pretend that when they impale the dart board they're actually going right into his dick." Emma snorted and had to move the drink away before she inhaled it, shaking her hand and grabbing one of the napkins off the table she was at to wipe off her face. Roni smiled over at her and stood back with a handful of darts, tossing one and then another with obvious skill as each landed close to the center.
Whistling low Emma shook her head "I hope we're not playing against each other here. I'm nowhere near as good as you are and I don't want to have my ass kicked anymore then I already have tonight, Roni." She took a long drink from the apple cider and watched as two more darts landed near the center with wide eyes, it was like the black haired woman was making a circle around it with the darts.
"Oh no, princess, we're on the same team here. Team Fuck Killian," A dart hit dead center on the name of Emma's former fiancée while Roni looked like she had a sour taste in her mouth "Ugh, what kind of old Irish bullshit is the name Killian? Let's talk about something else. Tell me about you instead of your ex lesser half." She took the shot to clear her palate of the jackass name and held the other darts out. Emma got up, took the darts, and switched places with Roni as she tried not to focus on the douchebag they had been discussing.
She watched as the bar owner took down her circle of darts and stepped back, her arms crossing over her chest after she set the darts on the table. "Well, what do you want to know? We've covered my bad taste in men, my shitty luck, and what I wear on a date," She waved a hand over her dress and then focused on the game at hand, her first shot barely making it on the board "And now you've learnt that I'm total shit at darts. I mean what else is there to talk about, Roni?" Emma chuckled and rubbed her free hand over her face at the total failure in front of the other gorgeous woman.
Roni shook her head and walked over to Emma "There's a lot to unpack there but let's focus on one thing at a time and right now that's your form, princess," She stood behind her and placed a hand on her hip, changing her position like an instructor in a yoga class "Here, widen your stance a little. Put one foot at the throw line and the other just a bit behind that one," Emma did as she was told but was hyper aware of the way Roni's touch was still on her, the hand leaving her hip and sliding along her spine before coming to rest against her lower back "Good, good just like that. Alright Blondie release the tension in your body so you have a more relaxed posture but keep your shoulders straight. Now on your follow through focus on that pretty bull-" She turned to show her confused expression over her shoulder and Roni smirked "The circle in the very center, dear. Not me." She lifted her hand to turn Emma's attention forward again which sent a wave of perfume wafting under her nose and intoxicating her more then the shot or cider had. Roni then took a step back to watch with curiosity to see if her teaching would pay off at all and beamed with pride when the dart landed just to the right of the bull.
"Holy shit, I did it!" Emma laughed and shook her head, disbelieving that she was able to get as close as she had with her first attempt being so far off. "You're a decent dart professor, Roni." She tossed another one and while it wasn't as close it was still leaps and bounds better then the stray dart on the edge of the ring. Roni wore a smug expression while she gave half a shrug before picking up her empty shot glass to set it behind the bar and make one more for herself, thankful that her tolerance had only gotten better the longer she owned the bar.
Emma tossed another dart but found herself distracted by Roni working again, she was a spectacle when she was concocting drinks and it was more interesting then the darts. "Now THAT I'll take as proof of my teaching abilities," Blinking she turned to look at what Roni was pointing to and saw that the dart was dead center "You've managed to impress me twice in one night, Blondie. Consider yourself the first to do so." She poured another drink for Leroy and held up her finger, telling him it was the last for the night, before she picked up her shot and rejoined Emma. "Like I said, tell me about yourself." Their positions switched again with Emma taking a seat to enjoy more of the apple cider and Roni picking the darts out of the board before taking a similar stance at the throw line.
"Well I'm not the worst at darts now, apparently," An unimpressed expression made her smile and she shrugged, taking a long drink from her glass as the smile faded "What's there to tell? I could tell you I'm an orphan that was left on the side of the road at only a few hours old but that's just sad. I could tell you just how I caught Killian cheating with someone I know but that's just sadder." Roni paused as she was about to throw another dart and frowned as Emma spoke. "I could tell you this isn't the first time a guy has royally screwed me over which makes this the second worst time but that's just the saddest. Not much happy in my fairy tale I'm afraid, Roni."
She set down the darts in favor of her shot and joined Emma at the table, looking at the blonde with sympathy and understanding. Emma turned to stare at the two slices of apples in her drink but was caught off guard by a hand on her own. "You've absolutely had some losses there, princess and I'm no stranger to loss but do you know what that tells me? You're a fighter just like I am," She looked up to see Roni smiling at her "And that means you can handle anything life throws your way. If there's no happiness in your fairy tale then you need to take the writing into your own hands. But first-" She let go of Emma's hand with a soft squeeze and picked up her shot "Let's drink and I'll tell you something about me. Go ahead and ask me anything. You've got one question to find out what you want to know." Blue green eyes focused on the small scar on Roni's red lip and she tapped her drink against the shot glass before taking a drink.
"Alright. If I've got one question then I better make it something really important. So, Roni, tell me. What happened to give you that little mark on your lip?" She ran an invisible line over her own and tilted her head as Roni took the shot, a small frown on her face and she set the empty glass back on the table. Emma was about to suggest a different topic when the bartender nodded her head and pushed the shot glass around the table.
"Important huh? Must really be distracting you. It's not a pretty story, Blondie. I was into dressage as a child and in one of my practices I wasn't paying attention when the horse I was unfamiliar with suddenly bucked me off. Sent me into a fence but it wasn't anything compared to the verbal beating I got right after. Was that worth wasting your one question? You could have asked how I came to own this glorious bar or why I'm so damn good at darts but you wanted to know about my scar." Roni looked over to see Emma's drink was down to the two apple slices and she pointed at them. "Try one of those. They already have natural sweetness and they absorb the cider. It's delicious."
Emma reached in for one and took a bite, nodding her head at the way the apple slice tasted. Roni was right. "Sorry you got a lecture after getting hurt, talk about adding insult to a literal injury. It healed up beautifully though." Roni smiled before getting off of her seat to take her glass to the bar, she grabbed Leroy's and gestured to the door as he was the last one in the bar. She shut and locked the door behind him once she saw he was in his cab before turning to look at Emma again.
"Closing time, Blondie. Let me clean up a bit, count the register and we'll see about fixing that car of yours." Roni reached for a rag and made her way around to check on the tables, pick up any abandoned glasses and make sure the place wouldn't be too bad when she came in the next day. Emma finished off her cider before getting out of her seat and starting to look around a little. There was art hanging as well as a few personal photographs on the wall and she paused at one of Roni and a younger guy. Both were wearing huge grins and Roni had one arm around him while the other was holding up a signed napkin with the two of them standing in front of the bar.
"Who's the kid?" Roni chuckled and shook her head "Bizarre. That's exactly what I call him. His name's Henry and he's like my adopted son, comes into the bar from time to time. You just missed him actually. He left right before you came in. A little while ago I made him sign one of my napkins because he's going to be a successful writer one of these days and I decided I want to have the first autograph so I played him for it. Henry's pretty damn good and I almost lost but I was determined, I've got the autograph framed in my apartment since it's so valuable and I don't want to risk anything happening to it." She stopped next to Emma and wiped her hands off on the black bandana once again, smiling as she looked at the photo as well. "I tried to actually adopt once but it didn't work out in the end. I like to think Henry was the second chance and he's an amazing kid. If you ever come back I'll introduce you two."
Roni turned back to the bar and moved over to the register, starting to count until the sound of a glass being put into the sink and the water running grabbed her attention. Emma had joined her behind the bar and was now cleaning the glasses that were waiting to be done. "Hey now, princess you don't have to-" "I want to. You spent the last hour and some change hanging around with the saddest person in Washington without complaining once so the least I can do is a couple glasses while you do everything else, Roni. If you want to pay me back tell me how you got so good at darts?"
She set her phone on the counter and started some random playlist at a soft level, smiling at the question. "My father taught me. If it was up to my mother I wouldn't have been learning such a useless past time, it's unladylike and hardly dignified," Roni rolled her eyes and sighed "I think that's another reason I like the kid so much, he's got the same name as my late father. They're both Henry's and they both let me win at darts. I miss my dad everyday; he would have loved it here. He'd be closing this place down with me every night even now." She looked around her bar with a sad smile, wishing her father could see what she'd accomplished but her phone chiming cut through her thoughts and she looked to see a text message from her sister.
"Damn, what is Kelly doing up this late? Look princess, whatever dishes you've done will have to do. I've got to take care of your car and go check on her before I wind up having to use everything I made tonight as bail money," Emma dried her hands off and grabbed her purse before joining Roni at the door "Come on, we'll take my ride and try to get this sorted." She locked up behind them and started down the sidewalk before remembering Emma's attire. "You might not like this too much, Blondie. I hope it doesn't fuck up your dress."
Looking down at her clothes in confusion she was about to ask what Roni meant when they came to a stop and it made sense. The bar owner was taking a helmet off of a black motorcycle and holding it out to Emma. "You can't be serious? Roni? A motorcycle?" She looked at the helmet in her hands and then at the owner of the bike who was already putting her own black helmet on as she got on the vehicle with a shrug.
"I know it's not the same as whatever royal carriage of yours that is currently out of commission but it's what I've got," Her phone chimed again and Roni checked it with a scowl on her face "Fucks sake Kelly! Would it be alright if we went to check on my sister first? I hate to inconvenience you but I'd also hate to have to pull her out of a drunk tank. Again." Emma was still standing on the sidewalk with the helmet in her hands and Roni slid the visor up to look directly at her, wondering if she was frightened of riding on motorcycles. "Hey, Blondie?" Emma finally tore her eyes away from the helmet to look over at the other woman "You're gonna be fine. I'm a fantastic driver whether there's four wheels or just two. All you've gotta do is hold onto me, okay? I'm not going to let you get hurt. I promise. Just trust me."
That was asking a lot but the blonde took a step over to the motorcycle, pulling the helmet on as she did before shaking her head. "I'll try, Roni. Let's go check on your sister," She pulled her dress up a little bit and noticed the way Roni's eyes went right to the newly exposed portion of her thighs "What? I'm not ripping this thing, it's one of my good ones." Emma slid onto the back of the bike and wrapped her arms around Roni's stomach, clinging to her as the bike roared to life and made her own stomach do flips. "This thing is a deathtrap!" She shouted through her helmet and not only heard a throaty chuckle but felt it rumble through the body she was pressing herself tight against as Roni dropped her visor and started to steer the bike away from the bar.
The ride wasn't very long but it felt like an eternity to Emma who was clinging to Roni as tight as she possibly could with her helmet pressed against her shoulder and her eyes shut. When she pulled to a stop and shut the bike off the blonde still hadn't released her grip, which made Roni laugh yet again, sliding her hand over one of the pale one's laced against her stomach. "Hey hey hey, we're here princess. You made it without a scratch just like I promised you would," Emma felt electricity surge from Roni's touch along her hand and finally lifted her head up to look around "Come on and admit it Blondie, it was kind of fun wasn't it? And you learned a valuable lesson about that dress- you can wear it even if you date a biker."
Emma reluctantly let go of Roni to take off the helmet and shake her blonde curls out before turning to the bar owner as she got off the motorcycle. "It was mostly terrifying with several brief moments of what could be roughly considered fun. You ride on this everyday?" She asked and Roni nodded with a proud smile as she set her helmet on the handlebar, patting the gas tank a few times.
"My Rocinathe is a good steed and he has never let me down. I've been riding all my life; I just graduated from horses to horsepower. Of sorts. I hope I didn't terrify you too badly? I'd hate for you to be turned off of motorcycles now. Especially when they are usually a turn on." Roni flashed that smirk which was equal parts sinful and wicked as well as sexy and enticing. Emma slid off the bike as well and handed the helmet over to her, watching as deft fingers secured it back to the bike. "So what's the verdict on motorcycles? Sexy or scary but in my opinion," She took a step closer to the blonde "Sexy sometimes can be a little scary, it's not the worst thing in the world to mix them together a bit."
Emma shivered and she wasn't sure it had anything to do with the faint breeze rolling through the street, wrapping her arms around herself as brown eyes searched her expression for a moment longer before reaching into one of the leather bags on her bike and pulling out a jacket. "No Roni, you don't have to-" "I want to. You're cold and you've probably been cold the entire ride but didn't say a thing about it. Besides," She slid the black leather around pale shoulders and tilted her head "You look damn good in leather." Adjusting the jacket by the collar she nodded after a few more minutes of inspection as if she had just decided yet again that Emma looked fantastic in her clothes when a shout from above made her tear her eyes away.
"Is that Ron I spy with my green eye?! And ooh, she brought someone cute to meet her sister! I'm ever so flattered. Come up, come up!" A red headed woman was leaning over a balcony and yelling down to them, making Roni visibly agitated as she looked up and down the street. "Shut up, Kelly! Some people sleep at night!" She seethed and then turned to Emma when the red head disappeared "We better get up there before she starts screaming about the newest TV show she's marathoning and how we just have to watch an episode. Can you tell which is the more likable sister?" She rolled her eyes and led Emma into the apartment building before taking the stairs two at a time, wanting to hurry before Kelly had a chance to start making even more racket.
When she opened the apartment door her eyes widened in concern, it looked like a tornado hit and Kelly was sitting in the middle with a glass of wine like a lost doll amongst the wreckage. "What the hell happened, Kel? Your texts have been incoherent and this place looks like shit. Did a burglary take place? Where's Robin?" Roni moved into the apartment, stepping over a smashed photo that drew Emma's attention. Kelly, Roni's sister, was in it with her arms wrapped around a blonde man and she suspected he was Robin. She lingered in the doorway, unsure of whether or not to follow.
"No no, you answer me something, Ron. Who is the bombshell wearing your leather jacket in my doorway?" Kelly pointed in Emma's direction and spilled some of the red wine with the movement which made her sister groan, grabbing a towel from the debris to clean it up while ignoring the slightly slurred question for the moment. She grumbled something about being her sister's keeper when Kelly put a hand on her shoulder. "Is she your new girlfriend? It's been a while since you dated and the last one was an absolute dragon. You and Mal-"
"Kelly, I love you and as your sister I will do you the courtesy of warning you that you are on very dangerous ground right now," Roni was wearing an expression Emma hadn't seen before, it was anger and it burned through her brown eyes as she tossed the towel somewhere into the mess of an apartment "Blondie is a friend of mine that I need to help after I make sure my intoxicated sister is going to be okay. Now where is Robin?" She cupped her sister's face with concern and Emma noticed the difference in their skin tones, Roni had a gorgeous tan coloring with her dark eyes and hair while Kelly was very fair with freckles and bright hair and eyes. They looked like complete opposites with Roni in all black and Kelly wearing a bright green sun dress.
"Robin left. We had a fight and things turned hectic," Kelly poured more wine in the glass only to frown when Roni took both the bottle and her glass "And this is why I didn't go to your bar after he left, you always cut me off too early little sister!" She rolled her eyes and took the wine into the kitchen while grumbling under her breath yet again. "You, Blondie," Emma looked over to see Kelly was focusing on her now "Are you really just my sister's friend or are you two sleeping together? Roni loves knowing everything about my life while keeping her own a total mystery but I have a feeling you won't lie to me. You've got this honest look about you."
Emma decided that standing in the open door wasn't the best idea and she stepped inside, shutting it behind her before moving closer to Kelly without tripping over anything. "We aren't sleeping together. Roni told you the truth," She spared a glance over to the black haired woman who had rejoined them with a glass of water and some pain pills in her hand "We're friends and I like to think I'm free of any dragon like qualities, I don't breathe fire and I am not big on devouring knights whole. Your sister even continues to call me princess for some reason."
Kelly smiled and took the offered water and pain pills. "A princess huh? Princess Charming no doubt. I'm sure Ron has her reasons for the nickname. I like Blondie myself, very on the nose, and my sister does have a thing for blondes. Shame you two are just friends since you're exactly her type. To a T." Roni shot her another withering look and started picking up the broken picture, careful with the shards of glass but not wanting her barefoot sister to chance walking through it.
Emma chuckled and found herself a seat on the couch near Kelly, curious to hear more about the guarded bartender. "I'm Roni's type? Really? Does that mean I'm some how like this dragon or is it a good thing?" She saw the way Roni's shoulders tensed at the word dragon and she was a little slower when reaching for the next piece of the frame, clearly this topic was something that stressed her out.
"Oh no no no, you're more like what she WANTED the dragon woman to be. Mal put up a good front when they first got together, made it seem like she had a heart of pure gold instead of jagged stone. She played the part of a princess when she was really the beast that ate her," Kelly scoffed and leaned a little closer to Emma, speaking softer "Roni was starving for a little affection or even a kind word when that bitch finally showed her true form. Cheating piece of shit that she was and she slept with one of Roni's closest friends to top it all off. Can you imagine how that had to have broken my little sister's heart?" Blue green eyes turned to watch as the bar owner refused to meet either of their gazes and carried the broken frame into the kitchen to throw it away, getting a better understanding of why Roni said that she understood Emma's predicament well.
"Yeah, I can imagine how badly that had to hurt," Emma said softly and then turned back to Kelly "What happened with you and Robin? He didn't destroy this place did he?" She was concerned for the inebriated red head who looked so at home in all of the destruction around her and she couldn't help but wonder if the guy was some massive asshole, maybe the three of them were incapable of picking a proper partner? They could form a club.
Kelly sighed and shook her head "Not singlehandedly, no I did most of it after he left. I'm skilled at causing chaos, just ask Roni. She's the good sister, no matter what our mother thinks. I mean look at the way she takes care of me," Roni was back in the room and had cleared a lot of the clothes that had been strewn about, still moving through the wreckage "She could be out taking you on a date when she's here picking up after her drunken excuse for a sister. Roni, I am getting you a medal and you'll have to hang it in a place of honor in the bar. How about it? One that says World's Best Sister in big bold letters."
Roni dropped an armful of clothes into a laundry basket and brushed her hair back from her face "Right now I just want you to give me the gift of knowing you're sleeping peacefully in your bed, Kel. Can you do that?" Kelly nodded and Roni clapped her hands together "Marvelous. Let's get you into that bed then. You can pester princess and I some other time," Helping Kelly up she groaned when her older sister leaned heavily into her "Blondie will you help me by getting her other arm? It feels like I'm carrying my sister with a house on top of her right now."
Emma nodded and slid her arm around Kelly as well, helping Roni walk her sister into the bedroom and lay her down. "I hope I see you with my sister again, Princess Blondie. You could be really good for her and she needs something good for her. It'd be a welcomed change. But you better treat her like the queen she is or I'll lay into you just like I have done to Mal time and time again. A bit of advice?" Emma smirked and leaned forward as Kelly gestured to have her come closer "Just don't take her to a bar on any of your dates. Woman lives at her own fucking bar for Christ's sake. Take her to hear some music, Roni won't admit it but she's a sucker for a live performance."
Roni chuckled and separated the two, pulling a blanket over Kelly, as she sighed "I don't need you giving dating advice to my friends, Kel. FRIENDS. Like that damn TV show you never shut up about from the nineties," She tucked her older sister in and then looked at her after Kelly said something about her being such a Monica "Yeah yeah I love you, big sister. Get some rest and I'm gonna lock up when I leave. Call me when you wake up and we'll go get lunch." Kelly nodded, kissed her cheek before rolling onto her side and Roni gave her a smile as she turned off the light, leading Emma out of the room with a shake of her head. "So that's my sister. You might have been better off with triple A at this point. I'm sorry, Blondie. I really am but I am more then ready to go tackle a simple tire change after all of this bullshit."
"Is what Kelly said true?" Emma asked and crossed her arms over her chest "I like to think I'm more of a Rachel or even a Joey myself-" "No Roni, not about Friends. About the exact opposite, did this dragon really pull a Killian on you? Is that what you meant when you said you understand?" The smile that was on Roni's face after her Friends quip disappeared and was replaced with a pained expression as she leaned against the wall, staring down at her boots instead of looking at Emma.
It wasn't something she liked to talk about and she would have never brought it up herself but she could thank Kelly for the unwanted reminder of a failed relationship. "Mal did put up one hell of a facade at the beginning with roses and waxing poetically, I fell for it like a fucking sucker. I thought I loved her up until the minute I found her in my bed with my biker buddy August. I tossed the mattress off the balcony and almost took out his bike and part of her car with it," She shifted her gaze up from her shoes but still not looking at her with a shrug "It just goes to show you that anyone can fuck with your heart and your life, anyone can be a Killian or a Mal but what did I also tell you when I said I understand?"
Emma smiled "You said you and I were fighters. Even with whatever life throws at you you can handle it but that doesn't make what happened right in the slightest," She reached out to touch Roni's arm and it made her finally look into blue green orbs, not pulling away for a change "She didn't deserve you, Roni and hopefully she never crosses my path or I'll make sure she knows it. Now why don't we go see if I'm still terrified of your motorcycle?" Roni couldn't help but laugh and she nodded, leading Emma back out of the apartment and making sure to lock it behind her before taking the stairs in a comfortable silence with the blonde.
"I don't see how you can't love Rocinate, just look at him! He's an absolute babe magnet and has the kindest face in the whole world," She unfastened the passenger helmet and looked over at Emma "Tell me if you really hate my bike and I'll call a cab. Even if I don't want to." Emma gave Roni a look and then pulled the helmet on, giving her answer in the simplest way she knew possible before getting onto the back of the motorcycle. "There's hope for you yet, princess," She pulled on her own helmet and the minute after she was on the bike there were arms wrapping tightly around her "Maybe one day we'll get you confident enough to ride this beast without gripping me so tight or even all by yourself." Emma's responding snort was drowned out by the vehicle roaring to life and pulling away from the curb.
"Oh, I see your problem already." "Really?" "Yeah, your tire is flat." Emma fought the urge to throw the helmet still in her hands at the snarky woman crouched by her car, sitting on the bike to keep out of her way. It was fascinating watching Roni work, she got the flat off at a pace that rivaled a NASCAR pit crew before checking her cell phone. Apparently the bar owner was well connected and had cashed in a favor from a mechanic she knew, beaming when a truck pulled up and taking the spare he offered her.
"Thanks Tillman. I salute your services and I'll see you the next time there's something I need for my baby. No I'll do you one better, stop by sometime for a drink on me." The mechanic waved one arm out the window and drove away while Emma looked on in amazement. "What? I told you I can fix your car. Thankfully you're a smart enough woman to come prepared," Roni pat the toolbox as she knelt back down to get the spare on "And I'm resourceful enough to have earned a favor from a mechanic. Together we make quite a pair, Blondie."
Emma shook her head and leaned her elbow on the gas tank with her chin in her hand "Yeah, the bar owner and the bail bonds woman, we sound like one hell of a crime fighting duo. You hit them with some booze or a dart. Then when they are good and fucked up I'll serve them court documents." Roni chuckled as she continued to work making the blonde no longer content to watch from the bike, getting up and walking over to the woman. "Where'd you learn to work on cars? And motorcycles, I'm assuming."
"You assume," She paused her sentence to let out a grunt of effort as she was tightened the spare on "Correctly. I can fix both. My dad taught me, he was pretty big into muscle cars and repairing ones that were old and forgotten. Like I said earlier when I was a kid my mother was strict and very adamant that I was to be a prim and proper lady which was the exact opposite of what I wanted so I'd sneak off and hide out with my dad. He fully supported his tomboy daughter and her desire to be a little grease monkey instead of a lady. Some of us are princesses," She shot a look over at the blonde crouching near her "And the rest of us are… stable hands."
Roni finished the job and sat back to admire her handiwork "Why I do believe this stable hand has fixed your carriage, princess. You're all set to attend the ball and dance with as many princes as you can handle. Just avoid the assholes, like any named after an Irish beer." She stood up and brushed the hair out of her eyes, resulting in a smudge of black going across her face. Emma couldn't help but laugh and Roni looked at her with a bemused expression, assuming it was over the jab at her ex.
"Roni, this is the cutest you have looked all night," She bent to examine her appearance in the side mirror and snorted at the mark on her face "Not that you weren't all that bad to begin with." Roni turned to smirk at the compliment and Emma felt her face heat up as those dark eyes burned on her skin. "How can I thank you for fixing my car? You'll have to let me make it up to you somehow." She changed topics with ease as she pulled the keys out of her purse and unlocked the car, Roni putting all of the tools back into the box before setting it back in the trunk where it came from with the flat.
"No thanks necessary Blondie. I'm always around to help a pretty lady in need; I'm kind of like a knight right? Saving the damsel in distress is the reward," Emma got into the bug and plugged her phone into the car charger and turned to smile at the woman bending over "But if you're adamant about paying me back you can do me a favor. Work on that damn throw of yours for darts and maybe turn into a real challenge for me someday. You know where to find me, fair princess." Roni pushed herself away from the bug and started back to her motorcycle, grabbing the helmet as she got settled into the seat. Emma watched her go before she realized she was still wearing Roni's leather jacket, it had gotten so familiar that she'd forgotten all about it until the bar owner was out of sight, and she knew the only means of contact that she had would be the bar.
The smile that crept over her face was slow but blossomed as she contemplated whether or not accidentally forgetting her own jacket was Roni's way of seeing her again. "Clever girl." Emma mumbled as she started to drive, planning on paying a visit to a bar with wonderful atmosphere and a gorgeous owner.