The blonde suffers a feeling of intense doubt following her decision to stop by the Station before heading to the Mayor's house- swapping her bug for the cruiser- praying such actions haven't cost her too much time.
"It'd be just like you to fuck this up... After she came through for you the way she did..."
Oh for fuck's sake, can the self-pity party wait until later, Swan?
She laughs out loud at this- wondering momentarily if perhaps she really is losing it just a little- imagining that if ever there was a time for her seemingly instinctual depreciation of self- her ever pessimistic view on things- it would be now.
Racing in through the gates to the luxurious drive, she plays the piercing notes of the siren as she swerves to a halt outside the stone steps at which a group of about seven or eight individuals are clustered with fists pounding at the door.
"Hey!"
She assesses the damage quickly, and is relieved to see that, while the angry citizens who stand valiantly against their Queen on the doorstep create a terrifying racket, their rage seems to have been channeled primarily into infuriated cries and the incessant pounding of fists. The only real sign of vandalism is an empty crater where once there was a window to the side of the door, but the smashed pane is high, and she imagines it would be almost impossible to enter the house through the jagged opening.
She isn't willing to take any chances.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
The furious threats abate, as one by one the angered citizens turn to face her; the blonde possessing more authority than she should in her hooded sweatshirt, but the heavy material that casts her face into shadow leaves just the angry flash of her teeth, and the long hair that tumbles down over her chest leaves them in no doubt as to who stands before them.
"My dear, she is the Queen! And here in this land, she shall not ruin us the way she did before! She must be punished for her sins! She must be destroyed!"
"Have you lost your fucking minds!?"
The blonde growls at the squat little woman who speaks up with such hateful conviction. She recognizes the majority of the furious mob by face alone, having seen them around and about but never exchanging words. Miss Ginger she knows well however, and she decides the small woman is just as irksome as whoever the fuck she is now as she was before the breaking of the curse.
Turns out even magic can't make shit shine.
"Step away, all of you, you're trespassing..."
"She's the Queen!"
"And I'm the Sheriff!"
"My poor love, you seem frightfully confused. We have no use for you here, things have changed! She deserves to suffer what she has coming to her... We don't need a Sheriff..."
The small woman laughs and shakes her head as several of the men behind her nod in agreement. Stalking up the steps slowly until she stands directly before the scowling redhead, Emma looks down at her with glittering eyes that flicker from the shadows of her hood; the height advantage she has over the squat woman allowing her to lean into the other's face.
"You know who I am... All of you... You may not need a Sheriff, but you sure as hell needed a Saviour. Now get out. This isn't your fight."
Her voice is low, and she's surprised by how calm she has managed to keep her tone, but the effect works in her favor; uncomfortable glances shared between those stood with their fists still raised on the doorstep, before one by one the angered citizens slink off towards the gates.
It is unwise to anger the Queen. But it is unwise also to go against royalty.
Standing with her arms crossed over her chest, the Sheriff watches stonily as the last of the small mob- Miss Ginger, of course it would be that jumped up little shit- make their way up the generous driveway and out into the street.
They actually listened to me...
Ducking back into the cruiser, she drives slowly up to the gates before pulling to a stop at an angle, blocking the driveway neatly. She decides it was worth the detour to the Station after all, hoping the cruiser will demand a little more respect than her own car.
You say that now... What if it had cost her her safety?
"Oh shut up! I'm doing my best here!"
Not good enough.
"Stop it!"
She growls angrily, supposing she must look quite mad standing around muttering to herself in the pink glow of dawn. Looking up at the mansion she has come to know so painfully well, she shoves her hands into her pockets and marches back up the drive, mounting the stone steps slowly before rapping her fist against the door.
"Regina?"
She receives no answer but she hastily consoles herself with the thought that this is hardly surprising; what with the furious knocking on the smartly painted wood not five minutes ago. Slipping aside the ornate covering that falls over the keyhole, the blonde yells through the gap in the wood, feeling ever so slightly foolish.
"Come on, it's just me!"
She cocks her head to the side and listens, pulling her lip between her teeth and nibbling nervously. The hallway lies cloaked in darkness, much like the rest of the house from what she can see, and she finds she is suddenly a little less bold with her declaration as to the brunette's sure safety than she was upon her arrival. Glancing up at the smashed pane to her side, she muses that if one were to truly try and wriggle through, it might just be possible.
Jumping down from the steps and pulling herself up onto the narrow ledge, the bottom of the jagged gap is in line with her hips, and she supposes if she could maneuver herself with a little care, she may just be able to slip though.
Possibly.
Doubtfully.
"Well, nobody ever got anywhere without trying..."
She hisses as an angry vertical shard catches her elbow, before knocking the dangerous tooth of glass out of the way with her sleeve-covered fist. Pulling herself up with shaking arms, she is halfway through when the front door opens, causing her to cry out and barely keep herself from tumbling back down into the flowerbeds.
"Miss Swan... What on earth are you doing?"
The Sheriff lowers herself back down to balance on the window ledge, casting a look over at the Mayor who stands with her silk robe pulled tightly around her waist and her arms crossed over her chest.
"What the hell does it look like I'm doing? Why didn't you answer the door?"
"... Perhaps I fear death threats showered upon me through my keyhole by an angry mob more than you do... Or perhaps, just perhaps, I was afraid our dear friend Rumplestiltiskin was up to no good and had taken on your sweet, dulcet tones in an attempt to lure me downstairs..."
"My sweet-... Taken on my voice? Well... How do you know I'm not him now?"
"Because, you're the only person I know that would be idiotic enough to try and crawl through my window, dear."
She offers the Sheriff a small smile and the younger woman rolls her eyes, huffing irritably.
"Yeah, well... I'm the fucking Sheriff! It's my job to make sure everyone's alright..."
"Oh, you're just a regular knight in shining armour, Miss Swan."
The blonde sighs in frustration, clambering down from the ledge with minimal grace before shoving her hands into her pockets and regarding the Queen awkwardly. The darker woman's trademark sultry tone does little to hide the strained weariness in her eyes, and the Sheriff's expression softens a little as she notes the nervous pull to scarlet lips that the brunette strives to hide with a too-smug smile.
"Are you okay?"
"...I've been better."
"I meant... I meant because of what happened just now."
"I see... Yes... Yes, in that respect I'm fine... A little perturbed to have my rest disturbed in such a callous fashion, but physically I'm no worse for wear."
"Um... Well, that's good..."
"I wish the same could be said for yourself."
"Huh?"
"Your elbow; you're bleeding... Honestly, dear, are you incapable of staying in one piece?"
"Oh... It's nothing, it's just a scratch."
"Hmm. I think I'll be the judge of that."
The Mayor reaches out for the blonde's arm, only to find the younger woman scowling at her in confusion. Rolling her eyes, she mutters irritably
"Just let me make sure you're fit to go, dear."
"Regina, please... I'm fine..."
"I'm sure you are, Miss Swan, but I dread to think what germs might plague that old glass... Please... I promise you... No doors will keep you captured... I merely wish to check over your injuries before you leave me."
Emma frowns, rolling back the soft fabric of her sweater.
"Seriously, it's nothing..."
The brunette shakes her head, taking hold of the younger woman's arm gently and inspecting the thin laceration that lines her forearm. She lifts her hand to heal the blonde but the Sheriff pulls away with a grimace.
"No... No more magic."
"But, I...Very well."
Shrugging in defeat, the Queen ushers the blonde through the front door and into her kitchen, growling irritably at the latter's protests the whole way.
"Emma... Just let me do this for you."
Not waiting for an answer, she grabs the first aid kit from above the sink and sits the blonde down on one of the stools that line her kitchen island and maneuvers the Sheriff's arm out in front of her. The younger woman is correct in in her declaration that nothing is amiss; the cut just below her elbow shallow and artificial, but still the brunette presses an antiseptic wipe to the reddened flesh gently, watching the blonde, hawklike, from the corner of her eye.
"It's okay, Regina..."
"I can see that... I needed to make sure."
"Yeah... Well..."
"Emma... I... I can't do this. I... Will you allow me a chance to explain? Just one day... That's all I'm asking... Give me one day to explain to you why I did the things I did..."
"Regina, I could give you twenty four hours, I could give you twenty four years... I still don't see how you could convince me you were in the right to do what you did..."
"I'm not even going to attempt to argue I was in the right, dear... I just want to explain why things happened the way they did... I'm not asking for understanding, Emma... I'm praying for forgiveness... I... I can't let you go... Please.. Just one day... Haven't I earned that much from you?"
"...I..."
"Emma. I love you."
"And I want to love you!... I do love you... But, I... Regina... I've been screwed over too many times to-"
"-You love me. That's all that matters... And I refuse to let that change. Come, I'd like to go upstairs... I wish to show you something..."