Thank you so much for the awesome reviews. As promised, here's the latest. :D
Emma stood at her desk, staring down at the one and only Sheriff's badge. She didn't know how to feel about the loss of Graham though some time had passed. She wouldn't consider herself close to him, certainly not close enough to call her his friend, but he'd given her a job. He gave her a chance and no one in her life until then had done that.
She would forever be thankful, grateful, but she would also regret using him to get back at Regina. They could've had something and she decided to piss on it instead of take a chance. Though she wasn't the luckiest soul when it came to love. She'd been wrong about a person before and she didn't want to make the same mistake twice. She learned at way too young an age paying way too big a price to mess up like that again.
But it still hurt. It hurt her to think she could use someone like that, especially when she would never get the chance to apologize.
She sighed and began to put the badge on until an already all too familiar voice shattered her almost calm mood.
"That's not for you," Regina flatly said from the main hallway.
Emma took a deep breath as she stuck her tongue between her teeth and turned.
"It's been two weeks since his funeral and a little longer than that since his..." Emma trailed off as she couldn't bare to say the word death. "I think I've more than proved myself competent enough for the job since then."
"Miss Swan, I can assure you Sidney Glass would be a more appropriate Sheriff," she callously said, her face stone cold as she sized up the blonde.
"What, Sidney? The reporter? He doesn't know anything about law enforcement."
"And I suppose with your criminal record you do?"
Emma clenched her jaw shut.
"Did I upset you, dear," Regina asked as she walked further into the office, approaching Emma with a satisfied smirk.
"He's just a reporter," Emma growled after a moment. "I've been deputy for over two weeks now...and you think he'd be better at this?"
"Yes. My point? Anyone would be better suited for this job than you."
"Unless you're calling for an election, I don't see how you've got a choice," Emma said as she gently placed the badge on the desk.
She leaned against the lip of the desk, slightly perched on top of it as she crossed her arms over her chest to wait out Regina's next move.
Regina grinned at Emma as she gave the younger woman a once over. She could see the weakness in Emma, see the fire in her heart dying out quickly. As much as she wanted Emma torn apart, she wanted more of a fight in the girl. It had been far too long since she'd had a worthy adversary and she didn't want to lose that entertainment just yet. She'd break Emma Swan, but she'd do it slowly using more than just witty insults and a few exchanged punches in a graveyard.
"There's no need for an election. I won't go so far as to say that you're right, but I'm sure having you act as Sheriff will somehow be beneficial to me as well as the rest of this town."
"Thank you."
Regina chuckled.
"I wouldn't take that as a compliment, Sheriff."
"Oh, I didn't," Emma raised her eyebrows as she maintained her defiant attitude.
Regina continued to grin, pleased with Emma's resilience.
"Just don't make me regret my decision, Miss Swan," Regina said as she turned and headed for the exit, her heels clicking along the way.
"I made you hate me enough to try and strangle me," Emma mumbled. "I sure as hell don't regret a thing so far."
Though Regina continued to move toward the door, she still managed to hear Emma's words and grinned again.
So she wants me to hate her, Regina mused. This is going to be a lot more fun than I thought it'd be.
Emma lifted the badge back up to the top left side of her red leather jacket and pinched it through the material. She didn't know why Regina hadn't put up much of a fight about her being Sheriff, but she knew she needed to watch out for the brunette. And that was something she had no problem doing.
On her first day as Sheriff, Emma kept with her routine she'd formed in the last two weeks. She grabbed her breakfast and took her lunch breaks at Granny's and made a point to strike up a conversation with Ruby. She'd never had a routine before and decided starting and keeping one couldn't be so bad.
Ruby smiled at her when she walked in and took her seat at the bar. She waited for Ruby to finish serving another customer before the promiscuously dressed woman made her way over to Emma.
"Hey," Ruby greeted.
"Hey," Emma forced a smile.
"Aw, why do you look so upset? Wait, did Regina fire you because you wanted to be promoted to Sheriff?"
Emma shook her head.
"Oddly enough, she didn't fight me on that. Well, there was a moment when I thought she was gonna challenge me, but she didn't push. As of today, I'm the new Sheriff."
"That's great," Ruby beamed. "So...why are you sad?"
"I've just been working for the last two weeks. Henry and I haven't really had a chance to talk during that time and...it's been kind of boring, lonely."
"We should go out tonight!"
"What? No."
"Yeah! It'd be perfect. You'll get out of the apartment, have a chance to loosen up. Girl's night. Just a few hours drinking with friends, not worrying about anything we normally have to deal with during the day."
Emma looked uncomfortable just thinking about it. Truthfully, she'd never had friends, never had someone to lean on or talk to, someone to hang out with like Ruby had suggested. There was a time when she thought the father of her kid was it, the one who'd always be there for her in all those ways and more, but he took off. He'd abandoned her just after she'd let him in, let him in enough to knock her up before she went to prison for trying to help him.
She sighed.
"All right. We'll go out," she agreed.
"Yes," Ruby smiled as she made a fist and pulled it in toward her stomach as a symbol of her victory.
"Is there even a bar in this town to do that kind of thing," Emma asked after a moment.
Suddenly, across the diner, a man grunted as he knocked into a table and caused the sugar to crash to the floor. He grumbled and groaned as he took a swig from his flask then carried on toward the counter.
"Ruby," he barked. "I'd like a...a...what do you call 'em? I don't know... It's, uh...burger! Yeah, I'll take some pickles."
Ruby chuckled as she shook her head, looking from the man to Emma.
"Where do you think Leroy here goes every night," Ruby said as she pointed to the drunk.
Emma smiled.
Ruby looked back at Leroy who took a seat at the bar and pressed his forehead against the counter top.
"One hangover special comin' up," Ruby told Leroy before she spun on her heels and went to place the order.
"Thank you," he groaned as he waved a hand in her direction, his head still on the counter.
"If you're hung over, why keep drinking," Emma asked out of curiosity.
"Why not? Life sucks."
Emma looked over Leroy and recognized his defeat. She'd been in a place like that before, after she was released from the prison. The first couple months after she got out, had given up her son for adoption and landed a decent but not spectacular job was hard. She could tell by Leroy's incessant drinking that he was in a place very similar.
She reached out and rubbed his back, between his shoulder blades, to comfort him out of empathy until Ruby returned with a glass of water.
"I'll come over to Mary Margaret's around eight so we can get ready. And if you let me, I'll even do your makeup."
"Ugh," Emma stuck her tongue out in disgust about the makeup. "I'm a minimalist. I really don't like all that crap over my face. Maybe some eyeliner and a little mascara, but that's it."
"Trust me, when I'm done with you, you won't only look great but you'll feel like you don't have anything more on than you normally do. Promise."
Emma sighed again before she reluctantly agreed.
"See you then."
Emma gave Ruby a crooked smile as she accepted a to-go box with her established "usual" and headed back to the Sheriff's station.
Emma's day hadn't gone much better since lunch at Granny's. Being Sheriff was a lot like being deputy except when the time or situation called for it, Emma would have a lot of decision making to do and vast responsibilities to uphold. She took it one day at a time though, happy to be Sheriff and have a more solidified chance to stay close to Henry.
After another plain shift at the station, she retired to the couch at Mary Margaret's apartment as the dark haired woman marked a stack of papers with her red pen.
"You now what this place needs," Emma asked as Mary Margaret worked at the island. "Alcohol."
Mary Margaret smiled.
"Well, I only get paid about once a month. Whatever money I get goes to the apartment and my basic needs, also known as food and water. You're free to use part of your paycheck to get some, though."
Emma turned to lay on the couch, facing the front door as she looked over at Mary Margaret before continuing the conversation.
"You're absolutely right. Tomorrow I'll go to the store and pick up a couple things. What kind of liquor do you like?"
"I'll survive without anything, but thank you."
"Are you sure? The offer covers anything you want. You could ask for the expensive white wines or some kind of girly drink and I'd get it for you."
"Hmm,when you put it that way," Mary Margaret's smile widened. "I could use some wine and it wouldn't hurt if I could occasionally make a margarita or two."
"That's what I'm talkin' about," Emma grinned. "And tomorrow we shall have that."
Mary Margaret laughed seconds before someone knocked on the door.
Emma got off the couch and opened the door for Ruby.
"Good evening, ladies," Ruby flirtatiously said as she walked in and took notice of both Emma and Mary Margaret.
"Hi, Ruby," Mary Margaret cheerily greeted.
"Are you ready to shake your grove thing tonight," Ruby asked Emma.
"I only wanted a drink. You never mentioned anything about shaking."
"Oh, come on! You've got to dance during girls night. And there's gonna be a good selection of guys there."
"I thought girls night was supposed to be a night for girls to hang out, just friends doing fun things together," Mary Margaret chimed in.
"Yeah, but if one of those girls has a chance to get lucky that night, the other girl shouldn't stand in the way."
"So...no cockblocking," Emma simplified.
Mary Margaret smiled as she gasped.
Ruby laughed.
"Uh, yeah, but women don't have cocks."
"Speak for yourself," Emma slyly smirked.
Mary Margaret shook her head, her mouth agape as she went slack-jawed
"Nice," Ruby suggestively raised her eyebrows. "Though I'm not sure that comment will get you a guy."
"Fine by me. I'm not on the market so I'm not looking."
"Not even a one stand?"
Emma fake laughed.
"I had about two years of noting but random hook ups. Never bothered to remember the guy's names and I never bothered to stay the night."
"Are you telling me you got the guys to agree to do it at their place and not yours? That never happens," Ruby said, surprised.
"I made it hard for them to say no," Emma shrugged.
"Damn. You're officially my hero."
Emma smiled.
"Well, I can't let you go out looking like that," Ruby started after a minute, looking over the blonde.
"Then I guess it's a good thing I wasn't planning on going out like this," Emma said as her facial expression displayed the slight offense she took to the statement.
Ruby turned Emma around by pushing her shoulder away from the door and lightly forcing the blonde toward the bedroom. Her fingers gently pressed against Emma's back as they made their way across the apartment.
When they made it to Emma's room, Ruby looked through the closet for nice clothes Emma could wear. She stumbled upon a few dresses and dropped her jaw, stunned at the selection.
"I know we've only known each other a couple weeks, but I was not expecting this. How come you wear jeans and a T-shirt when you could dress up?"
"Because I don't like frilly shirts or tight dresses. Skirts might be better than dresses, in my opinion, but I bend over and crouch down and do a lot of things that shouldn't be done in revealing outfits."
"Oh, honey, sometimes that's half the fun," Ruby grinned.
Emma rolled her eyes.
Ruby flipped through the dresses and found one she couldn't take her eyes off of as she removed it from the hanger.
"This one. You have to wear it," Ruby insisted.
Emma scrunched up her face in reluctance.
"Don't make me do this the hard way because I will strip you and yank this dress on you no matter how much you struggle."
"Geez. Is it that important I wear it?"
"Hey, this dress will get you laid."
"Yeah. I should know. It's gotten me laid the three times in my life I've actually worn it. Put it back."
Ruby frowned.
"Seriously? This dress is orgasmic."
"Then you wear it."
"You really don't want to get any tonight?"
Emma shook her head.
"It's not my top priority, no," Emma answered.
"Okay...will you still wear it," Ruby made puppy dog eyes. "Please?"
She pouted as she stuck out her bottom lip and silently begged.
Emma took a deep breath and released it in a sigh.
"Fine," she groaned as she swiped the dress out of Ruby's hands.
Ruby smiled, pleased with her way of persuasion.
Emma stepped into the bathroom to slip into the dress and tousled her hair to give it more volume, more bounce, after she adjusted her breasts within the tight fabric.
The dress was black and perfectly clung to Emma's curves, well-fitted to her shape. It had one sleeve that draped across her right shoulder as the hem of the dress stopped a little less than an inch above her knees.
She walked out to show Ruby who grinned as she looked Emma up and down.
"Not done yet, but already you're a natural beauty," Ruby said.
"How much more is there to do," Emma frowned.
After ten minutes of applying eyeliner and mascara to a fidgety Emma as well as fixing up Emma's curls, Ruby took a step back and admired her work.
"Wow," Ruby breathlessly said as she carefully ran her hand under Emma's curls.
"What?"
"You look so gorgeous. I'd sleep with you," Ruby admitted.
Emma cleared her throat before she spoke up.
"Uh, thanks," she nervously smiled. "Um, is that what you're wearing?"
Emma waved a hand at Ruby's current attire and caused both of them to look over the outfit.
"Yeah. What, you don't think it looks good enough?"
"No, I think it's great," Emma said as she scanned over the red and black backless dress.
The red covered her breasts while the black hugged her curves from below her breasts to halfway down her thighs. It was skimpy and alluring and made Emma feel less attractive than Ruby made her seem.
"Put it to you this way, I'd fuck you all night long after just one look."
"Thanks," Ruby grinned. "Play your cards right and you just might do that."
Ruby playfully winked and Emma chuckled as a small blush crept across her cheeks.
"I'm flattered you'd let me," Emma continued their banter.
"Of course! You're funny, witty, smart, and above all else, sexy."
"...Okay. If we really want to have a girls night out, we're eventually gonna have to leave the apartment," Emma smiled.
"And we're leaving," Ruby smiled from ear to ear.
Emma chuckled and walked out to the living room.
Mary Margaret's jaw dropped when she saw Emma.
"Wow, Emma. You look amazing," she complimented her roommate.
"Thank you. Oh, wait. Did you want to come with us," Emma asked as she looked between Mary Margaret and Ruby.
"Oh, yeah! You should definitely join us," Ruby added.
Mary Margaret shook her head with a smile.
"No, thanks. I've got way too many papers to grade. They may be in elementary, but the papers take a long time to check."
"Aw," Ruby frowned. "Then you'll come out with us next time."
Emma nodded.
"I won't argue with that," Mary Margaret smiled.
"Good," Ruby said before she looked at Emma again. "So, we're gonna go. Hopefully, Emma has something interesting to gossip about tomorrow."
Mary Margaret chuckled.
"I'll be impatiently waiting for a story then," she told Emma.
"I'll try not to disappoint," Emma smiled as she and Ruby started to migrate toward the door.
"See you two later," Mary Margaret said as they reached the door.
They both looked over their shoulders and smiled.
"Enjoy your papers," Emma said.
"Ha, right. Thanks. Have a great girls night," Mary Margaret replied.
Ruby blew Mary Margaret a kiss.
"We'll miss you," Ruby said before the two of them left.
With Storybrooke being one of the smallest towns Emma knew, it didn't take long to get to the bar. It was near an opening to the woods and a little off the beaten path, but not completely out of the way.
As Emma parked her bug in the tiny parking lot outside, she thought the location was secluded enough to have a drink or two in peace, but not so much so that no one would hear someone scream if they were attacked. It was the one place in town Emma felt she'd fit in.
She and Ruby got out of the car and crossed over a gavel coated path to get to the wooden porch that was less than an inch off the ground. The entrance was a bit worn down with lots of earth tones coloring the outside of the building, but the inside didn't look as dingy.
Red accented the mahogany wood work though most of the bar was modern and a little upscale for the Podunk place.
It was more than Emma expected, but she liked it. As she looked around, she noticed she didn't know much about them.
"Already glad you went out" Ruby asked as she threw an arm around Emma's shoulders.
Emma smiled.
"I'm not regretting it," she answered.
"Well, I'm sure you'll have a good time tonight. It's time to turn that frown upside down."
Emma let out a breathy chuckle before Ruby led her over to the bar. They took a couple seats on the dark red stools. The bartender flung a towel over his shoulder and approached them not long after.
"What can I get you, ladies," he asked.
"I'll take a whiskey," Emma ordered.
"And I'll take a martini. Shaken," Ruby said.
"Comin' right up," the bartender nodded then turned to get their drinks.
"Okay," Ruby started. "I want to know more about Emma Swan."
"There's not much to know," Emma remained evasive.
"I'm not buying. You had Henry, right? What's the deal with his father?"
"Not in the picture. Never was."
"Does he know about Henry? That he's here?"
Emma shook her head and reused to look at Ruby when she replied.
"He never knew I was pregnant."
"What? Did you guys break up before you took the test?"
"Something like that," she muttered as she tried not to remember.
Ruby frowned as she looked Emma over.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't pry. That's probably a sore subject you'll only talk about if you're near pass out drunk."
"You're not wrong about that. The more I drink, the looser my lips become, but even then I don't like talking about it."
"Sorry."
"It's okay. You didn't know that about me and now you do," Emma flashed a smile as the bartender finally returned with their drinks.
Ruby smiled back, glad to see Emma could still lighten the mood after being asked about something personal and off limits during conversation.
"Thank you," Emma said to the bartender as she slid her whiskey closer. "Start a tab."
The bartender grinned and nodded.
"I like your style," he complimented Emma.
Emma furrowed her brow in response while Ruby's lips curled into a wide smile at the man.
"I've heard little about you," the bartender started to explain. "But I know you've got balls. You're the only one here that'll stand up to the Mayor. And I can only assume that by starting a tab so boldly, you can probably drink anyone under the table."
"I don't know about anyone," Emma replied. "But I appreciate you thinking so highly of me."
"And you've got a sense of humor," the bartender smiled.
Emma pursed her lips as she grinned.
"You're a badass and more than okay in my book," he winked at her.
"Thanks," she chuckled as he went back to his other customers.
Ruby smiled at Emma and nudged her by bumping biceps with the blonde.
Emma smiled back before she took a swig of her whiskey. She scrunched up her face as she felt the burn of the alcohol on its way down her throat.
Ruby spun the olive around in her martini a few times before she gave in and had a sip.
Music played in the background, not loud enough to overpower the several conversations in the room, but enough for people to find the rhythm and dance if they wanted.
A group of nice, young looking guys stood against the wall with bottles of beer in their hands as they talked and watched people dance. One guy in particular took an interest in Emma though as his eyes strayed from his friends to the blonde at the bar.
He looked at the other guys then to Emma and smiled when she glanced around the room, their eyes meeting across the way. He gently waved at her and she politely smiled back.
Ruby took notice of the interaction and grinned then took another sip of her martini.
Emma turned back around to face forward, paying no attention to Ruby's grin.
"You shook ask him to dance or something," Ruby suggested. "He's really cute and he's clearly into you."
Emma shook her head.
"I don't think so."
"Seriously? Have some fun, will you?"
Before Emma could say another word, the guy appeared behind them and introduced himself.
"Hi," he started with a large smile. "I'm Matthew. Stop me if I'm being too forward, but I'd love to dance. Would you care to join me?"
Emma forced a smile after finishing another swig of whiskey.
"I'm...sorry. I don't think that'd be a good idea."
"Have you always done what's good for you," he asked, grinning. "Because if you ask me, that's no way to live. A little crazy good times never hurt anyone."
"Giving up my son for adoption after being incarcerated for about eleven months begs to differ, but thank you for the offer."
Matthew's jaw dropped a bit, surprised at her answer.
Ruby furrowed her brows as she opened her mouth, stunned and disappointed in Emma.
"Then I'm sorry that was your experience," Matthew slowly said as he turned and walked back to his group of friends.
"What the hell was that," Ruby asked as she lightly smacked Emma's arm.
"Sorry. I just...I told you I didn't come here to meet anyone."
"That doesn't mean you should reject a nice guy so harshly. And bringing up Henry like that? What's gotten into you?"
"I don't know," she tiredly answered and tipped back her drink, tripling the burning in her throat with the big gulp.
"Are you okay," Ruby changed her tone from upset to concerned.
"I don't think I've been okay for a long time," Emma sadly answered.
Ruby sighed and sympathetically rubbed Emma's back.
No matter how dolled up Emma got, no matter how naturally beautiful she looked, seeing Henry always made her feel as guilty as she was thrilled to be close to him. It wasn't his fault and the guilt was something she worked on the last ten years, the thought of him being somewhere in the world without knowing if he was safe or healthy always bringing her down. She didn't want to be her parents, the ones she never got to know, but she knew all the damage her life had done to her and didn't want to pass that on to her kid.
Now every day was another challenge as she tried to change for Henry. She tried to get her act together and start doing things a mother would do for her kid, making sure he was okay and not abandoning him like she had the first time.
"You know what," Ruby started. "You're gonna dance."
"What? No. No," Emma groaned.
"Yes, you are. You need to let go of whatever is getting you down. So...you're gonna dance. With me," Ruby smiled as she took Emma's hand and dragged her away from the bar.
Emma frowned the entire way to the dance floor, but Ruby refused to let her friend go home miserable. The whole point of a night out was to lift the blonde's spirits as well as spend some time bonding outside of the diner.
The song switched over to something more worthy of swaying hips and slight grinding and Ruby decided to take the lead as she continued to hold Emma's hand until the blonde started dancing on her own.
Ruby was careful to keep some space between the two of them, but didn't hold back with her alluring moves. It only took a matter of seconds before every guy in the place was shamelessly staring at her, though neither she or Emma paid them any mind.
Ruby smiled at Emma as she slowly started to let go of her hand. The sincere look in her eyes got Emma to smile back as she finally began to loosen up. She moved with Ruby, though it'd been a while since she'd danced, and ran her hand through her hair.
The two of them weren't the only ones dancing, but most eyes were trained on them and only them. They only bothered to look at each other as they shook out all the stress from the week and forgot about all their real world problems they knew they would have to face tomorrow.
Ruby turned around, her back to Emma, and dipped to the ground. She closed some of the distance between them and slowly came back into a standing position as her body teasingly brushed against Emma's.
Emma bit her lip as she nervously and reluctantly chose to play along with Ruby. She spun the waitress around and pulled their bodies flush against each other. She used her knee to push apart Ruby's thighs and slipped her leg between them. She wasn't sure where the line was between them as she seductively danced against Ruby, but when the brunette grinned at her in response she knew she hadn't crossed it.
Ruby casually draped an arm around Emma's neck and kept her other arm at her side as she swayed and moved her center against Emma's upper thigh, Emma's dress riding up a few inches as Ruby's threatened to expose her choice of underwear for the evening.
Their dance didn't last long though as a loud drunk stumbled toward the dance floor and broke a few glasses from various tables on his way.
Leroy.
The town's worst drunk was at it again. He barely managed to open his eyes as he struggled to get closer to the two women.
Emma's jaw dropped as she and Ruby simultaneously pulled away from each other. They focused on Leroy as he grinned like he had a secret and slurred his words when he finally spoke.
"H-hey, pretty ladies. I can...be sexy, too."
Emma raised an eyebrow as she worried about what Leroy would do to show his proclaimed sexiness and didn't have to worry long.
Leroy peeled off his shirt and throatily chuckled as he awkwardly waved it around his head. His stomach rolled around in a circle as he twirled his shirt and try as everyone might, no one could look away from him.
Emma knew as Sheriff she should stop Leroy from doing anything crazy, but she couldn't focus her thoughts on anything other than his chest hair and jiggling stomach as he made a complete fool of himself.
"Wha- Uh," Emma could only make sounds, her thoughts incoherent and jumbled up in her head as she watched Leroy lower his shirt to his side and start to dance to the music.
"Yeah! You know you want this," he said as he rubbed his stomach.
"Okay," Emma finally managed to say a complete word. "This...has to stop."
Emma moved forward and reached out to take Leroy's hand.
Suddenly, Leroy grabbed Emma's wrist and pulled her closer. He forced her to dance with him even as she tried to wrestle her way out of his grip.
"You smell good," he said seconds before he leaned in and tried to kiss her.
Emma contorted her face in disgust as she pulled away from him then pushed his chest to separate them.
"All right. You need to go home, sleep this off."
Leroy frowned.
"No," he loudly barked.
"Yes. Now come on. Let me drive you," Emma reached out to him from a safe distance, but he angrily swatted her hand away and headed for the exit.
"Leroy," she called out.
"I don't want to sleep! I don't...want to go home."
Emma sighed then turned to Ruby.
"I'm sorry. I'm gonna go after him. Take the car," she handed Ruby the keys.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. This could take all night. I don't want to leave you stranded. I'll be fine."
"Okay," Ruby agreed as she accepted the keys.
"Thanks for the dance," Emma smiled before she turned and followed Leroy.
When she got outside, Emma saw him running away from the bar toward the woods.
"Leroy," Emma shouted.
He didn't run fast, his weight being a deterrent, but he had a head start and Emma knew she couldn't let him get away from her.
"Come on, Leroy," Emma continued to shout as she took off running in her heels.
She chased him down the road for a few miles until she was able to catch up to him. He surprisingly showed no signs of slowing down so she tried to reason with him.
Headlights lit up the road beside and a little ahead of Emma and Leroy as they continued to run.
Emma gritted her teeth and picked up her speed as the car slowed down. After a few long strides, Emma lunged forward and tackled Leroy to the ground. The two of them fell to the side of the road and tumbled into the woods.
Though there wasn't much of a dip from the road into the grass, Leroy put up a fight and caused the two to roll further into darkness. Emma grunted as she flipped over and over again, struggling to take control of the situation through their forward momentum. She landed on her back more times than she could count with a harsh thud as Leroy's dead weight crushed her on impact. She always managed to push him off of her and fall on top of him, but he wouldn't give up.
They didn't stop rolling through dirt and grass, hitting a number of twigs and pine cones along the way until they crashed into a tree. The air left Emma's lungs as she was sandwiched between the scratchy bark of the tree and Leroy, all of his weight pressed firmly against her.
He pushed off the tree and scurried to his feet, nearly slipping in the leaves around them, but Emma forced herself onto her feet as she grabbed Leroy's arm and pulled herself up. She held him back as she did so and clawed at his wrists as she yanked them behind his back.
She didn't have any cuffs on her so she clamped her hands around his wrists and used them as makeshift cuffs. They wouldn't hold him if he tried to run, but she knew if he bolted again she could easily trip him into submission.
She guided him back toward the road in about a minute and stared at the black Mercedes parked in the shoulder area.
Regina stood with her arms crossed against her chest in wait for the two of them, a smirk on her face when she took in the sight of Emma covered in dirt, her hair a tangled mess as a twig and a leaf found a home in the blonde tresses.
"Nice night for a rough and tumble, Sheriff," Regina joked. "Great place for one, too. A secluded forest off a lonely road. You truly do know romance, don't you."
Emma panted as she stopped with Leroy a few feet in front of Regina.
"Well, I'd rather be out here rolling around with someone than pleasing myself in my car on the side of the road like you, Madame Mayor," Emma quipped.
Regina pursed her lips.
"And what makes you think I'd do that?"
"Why else would you be out here, alone, making sex jokes. Not getting laid lately?"
"I'm not sure I'd be so cocky if I'd just been found in the woods with the town drunk. He's not exactly a catch."
"Doesn't matter to me. I can do much better than you in that department."
"Would you bet on that, Miss Swan?"
"I got Graham to want me more than you, didn't I?"
Regina parted her lips and nearly gasped at the remark.
"That was Graham's mistake. You, dear, are no grand prize. You're trash. Something people only use maybe once or twice than get rid of when they're done with you."
Emma felt her blood boil.
"See. I can play just as cruelly as you," Regina added. "And I'm more than comfortable betting I'll win every time."
"We'll see about that," Emma grinned then started to push Leroy back toward the bar.
"What's with you two," Leroy drunkenly asked. "It's like...tension, but...different."
"I suggest you take your boyfriend back into town, possibly the Sheriff's station since he's publicly intoxicated. I'm not sure you're aware of this, Sheriff, but that's against the law...in any state."
"I know the law."
"Oh, right. Seeing as how you used to break it."
Emma shook her head and continued walking.
"Miss Swan," Regina stopped her again.
Emma slowly turned around and looked at Regina, bored and no longer pleased.
"How exactly do you plan on taking him back to the Sheriff's station without a car?"
"I have legs."
You most certainly do, Regina mused as she looked over Emma from her heels back up to her green eyes.
"It's a long way back," Regina quickly and forcefully explained.
"Are you offering me a ride," Emma sighed.
Regina chuckled as she shook her head.
"Of course not, dear. Don't be silly."
"Then what's your point?"
Regina took a few steps toward Emma, their faces inches away as she disregarded Leroy beside them.
"Well, you may be proud, but I doubt you want to spend the rest of your evening walking all the way back to the station with a heavy, shirtless man."
"Hey! Did you just call me fat," Leroy asked Regina, offended.
Regina shot him a glance, but didn't waste her breath answering his question. She looked back at Emma and grinned.
"If you want a ride, all you have to do is ask."
Emma took a deep breath and released it in a long sigh through her nose. She gritted her teeth as she stared at the woman in such a way that if looks could kill, Regina's heart would've stopped in seconds.
"Will you give me a ride?"
Regina's grin widened, but she wasn't fully satisfied.
"That doesn't sound like someone who really needs a ride. Why should I waste my valuable time driving you around if you could find some other way to get where you need to go?"
Emma shook her head, but sized up Regina. Regina's power then would come from Emma's begging. If she didn't beg, Regina would lose the upper hand and go home unhappy. Knocking the older woman down a peg or two was worth the long walk to Emma.
"You're right. I don't really need a ride. I'll see you around, Regina," Emma sweetly smiled though both women knew underneath that smile was an overly confident grin.
Emma turned around again and started walking, pulling Leroy along.
"Are you sure you don't want a ride," Regina tried to keep the desperation out of her voice as she struggled to have control over Emma.
She took another step toward the blonde though Emma kept walking.
"Unless you're offering, I'm good. Thanks," Emma didn't even bother to look over her shoulder when she spoke.
Regina balled her hands into fists and thought about a way to get Emma to beg.
The ring on her right hand caught in the faint light of the street lamp and reflected it as Regina's eyes glowed purple. She grinned as she stared at Leroy's retreating figure when suddenly, he kicked Emma in the back of the knee and sent her down on the ground as he took off running again.
Emma landed on her hands and knees with a yelp.
"Damn it," she muttered as she watched him sprint back toward the bar.
Regina's eyes went back to normal and she laughed.
Emma nearly growled as she got back on her feet. She turned back to Regina and closed the space between them, none the wiser.
"May I please have a ride," Emma asked in a low tone.
Regina shook her head.
"Before we lose Leroy, how much groveling do I need to do before you agree?"
"Getting back down on your knees would be a nice start."
Emma glanced from Regina's eyes to her lips before she did what the woman wanted.
She knelt in front of Regina and looked up at the brunette with wide, less angry eyes.
"Please, Madame Mayor, will you give me a ride? I'll be gratefully in your debt should you chose to accept," she said in her smart-ass voice, not at all sincere about the words she spoke.
"Miss Swan, have you done this before," Regina feigned flattery.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Emma teased.
Emma held Regina's gaze for a long moment before she looked around at the empty road and surrounding woods.
Regina took Emma's chin in her hand. She forced Emma's gaze back on her and caused the blonde to gulp when their eyes locked once again.
"Get in," Regina sternly said.
Emma tugged her face away from Regina's grip and stood.
Regina watched Emma head toward the Mercedes like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.
Emma eyed the Mayor carefully as she went to the passenger's side door, making sure Regina didn't attack her from behind. She opened the door and slid inside before Regina reached the door.
Once Regina got in, she turned the car around and drove after Leroy. The radio remained off as she kept a steady pace down the road while Emma looked out all the windows in search for the drunk. Regina's eyes weren't as trained on the road though as she took the time to look over Emma in the seat beside her.
When she could look away from the road, she stared down at milky thighs hidden under strips of dirt, a few scratch marks on them from what Regina assumed to be twigs or stray branches on the forest floor. Emma hadn't adjusted her dress when she entered the car as the hem hiked a little more than halfway up her thighs.
Emma rested her elbow on the car door and placed her head in her hand. She tiredly looked over at Regina and noticed the brunette staring at her thighs. She furrowed her brow as she pulled her dress down with her left hand, which got Regina to look up at Emma then quickly look back at the road.
Regina cleared her throat then spoke up.
"So...where were you tonight that actually made you look like decent for once?"
Emma rolled her eyes and went back to scanning the road for Leroy.
"The bar."
"Trying to pick up a stray," Regina asked with a smirk.
"I was out with Ruby. Not that it's any of your business what I do and who I do it with."
"Ah, Miss Lucas. Have you been keeping company with her long?"
"Since when do you care about my personal life?"
"I don't, dear. Make no mistake. I'm simply keeping tabs on the people in my town."
"Because that's not creepy," Emma sarcastically said.
"I just want to make sure they're not getting themselves into trouble, Sheriff. Things have been a bit different after your arrival. Can't be too safe anymore."
"I'm not a threat to anyone but you, Regina. You know that," Emma shot back.
Regina shot Emma a sideways glance and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She sighed before she continued.
"How was the bar?"
"Seriously? You're still asking me about what I did tonight?"
"Would you rather sit in complete silence?"
"Why can't you just turn on the radio," Emma asked as she leaned over to turn it on.
Regina swatted Emma's hand away.
"I don't allow music in the car. You're more likely to have an accident."
"Whatever you say."
After a few more seconds of only hearing the tires on the open road, Emma spotted Leroy slowly running alongside it.
"Pull over," Emma removed her elbow from the door.
Regina obliged and waited in the car as she watched Emma chase after Leroy once again. That time she didn't need to resort to tackling the man like a linebacker, which admittedly was less entertaining for Regina, but she still watched as Emma pulled Leroy back to the car.
Regina unlocked the back door seconds before Emma pulled it open and tossed Leroy in the backseat.
Emma shut the door behind him after she secured his legs inside the car and got back in the passenger's seat.
"Where do you want to take him," Regina asked.
"To the Sheriff's station. He's gonna need to sleep this one off and I can't really trust him to be on his own."
Regina didn't say anything as she put the car in drive and took them to the station.
When Regina parked the car outside the Sheriff's station, Emma looked at her before she got out.
"Um, if it's okay with you, could I get a ride back to Mary Margaret's after I get him inside?"
Regina took a minute to think it over.
"Why don't we discuss it once you've taken care of the current situation."
"Okay," Emma agreed after a moment.
She shut the passenger's door and got Leroy out of the car. She shuffled him upstairs and helped him into one of the jail cells along the far wall. She locked him up and waited until Leroy got comfortable in the cot before she headed back down to the parking lot.
She saw the Mercedes still parked out front, the brunette waiting patiently inside, and looked surprised. She wasn't sure what Regina's vague answer to giving her a ride home meant, but she half expected the Mayor to take off unannounced while Emma was dealing with Leroy. And yet, Regina had stayed.
Emma decided to be bold, though she didn't know where she stood with Regina, and got back in the car.
"Does this mean you'll take me home?"
"Well, it's late and I'm not sure I want to drive to your dreary apartment in the opposite direction when my house is just down the way."
"So you waited here to tell me you're not giving me a ride?"
"I never said I wouldn't give you a ride, dear. I just don't want to go to your apartment."
"Then what are you saying?"
"If you want a ride, I can give you one, but it'll be back to my place."
Emma looked at Regina, blatantly confused.
"You...want me to go home with you?"
"No. Let me be clear with you. This car is only going to my place. If you want a ride in this car, that's where you'll end up. If you want to go back to your apartment, you can walk."
Emma settled a little in the seat as she thought about it, still a bit confused.
"I don't have all night, Miss Swan. You've got three seconds to either stay in this car or get out and walk."
Emma looked worried as she stared straight ahead. She relaxed her muscles and sat naturally in the seat after a moment.
Regina grinned as she started the car. Within a few seconds, she backed out of the parking lot and noticed Emma put her seat belt on before they drove off.
Feed back is always welcome. Thanks for reading. I'm gonna try to keep updating every weekend, but we'll just have to see how that turns out.