When the brunette awakens, the bed is warm, and the scratchy, over-laundered cotton feels inexplicably good against her bare flesh. She flutters her lashes open slowly- a smile already finding her full lips- presuming that the Sheriff will still be deep in slumber beside her, what with it still being before eight am.
As it is, she is met with nothing but the vacant, white expanse of a rather rumpled top sheet, and the heavy folds of the pushed back throw. Frowning, she rolls over onto her back stiffly and raises herself up onto her elbows to find the younger woman casting an eerily pale silhouette between the bed and the door; her stance curiously combative.
"Emma?"
She murmurs curiously- wondering just what has roused the blonde and herself in the first place- before she catches the low voices that have presumably lent the Sheriff her animalistic caution.
...Emma...Come on! You need to talk to me! Please... Just open the door...You cant-
-Son, she's not in there...
How do you know?
Because she's in here...
And then footsteps crescendo towards their door at an alarming pace, and the blonde throws back a look of naked panic, before two things happen:
The door swings open, despite its need for a room key to garner entry, and Emma finds herself swiftly engulfed in a purple haze before she stands -frozen- with her jaw dropped; clad in jeans and a t-shirt.
"Emma..."
Bae inquires nervously, and she whirls round to face the door with her teeth bared; the brunet and the pawnbroker waiting at the threshold.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"
She growls, and Regina slips swiftly from beneath the covers- now suddenly clad in clothes similar to those she had worn the night before- to stand behind her; eying Gold caustically.
"You had no right to do that, Gold..."
"It was rude, and I apologise... Fortunately, I didn't 'interrupt' anything-"
A poisonous glower from the two women and a confused frown from the man that stands a little in front of his father beside the dresser.
"-But I gave you your time to come to terms with the curious fact that there exists a previous relationship between the two of you, Sheriff... Your continual absence and negation to at least pretend to be civil is rude also-"
"-Emma, please... I... This is all crazy... I know that... And I know you're angry with me, and you have every right to be... But please... Just give me a couple of hours... That's all I ask. Just let me explain why I did it..."
Bae interrupts- dark eyes wide and pleading- and the blonde hates herself as some lost, forgotten, younger part of her psyche melts and ripples with desperate joy; a voice dusty with lack of use piping up shrilly 'He's back! He came back for you! It's going to be okay now! You're loved! You're safe! You're neede-'
"-I shouldn't give you that right...-" She interrupts that hateful chirping coldly, "-Not after all this time... But I will. You can explain why you did what you did. You can tell me what was so fucking important... You know, I almost-... No. We're not doing this now... You want to spin me a story, then you can buy me a drink and do so... But we talk alone. Not in front of him."
She points to Gold, who raises his palms in mock surrender with an expression that suggests he finds the Sheriff's hard tone pathetically droll.
Regina takes a step forward so that she stands almost directly behind Emma and addresses the little man with stern warning
"You and I need to discuss a few matters also, Gold..."
"Oh, now why doesn't that surprise me? You know, I do believe young Emma has expressed the wish that you desist jumping to her-"
"-This has nothing to do with young Emma. This has to do with the intricacies of what you've done... I have questions, and you will answer them."
"Oh my! Such power! Such Orders! Tell me, Sheriff, is this one of your turn ons? Do you get Madame Mayor here to tell you what to-"
"-Get out."
The blonde hisses with a flash of teeth that speaks of murder. Again, Bae looks at her with that confused frown- just about bordering on comprehension- and she supposes that this at least answers the question of just how in-depth Gold's explanations as to the current situation have been. Pulling herself to her full height, she draws herself up to the pawnbroker threateningly- the brunette that watches on not missing the faint look of familiarity and appreciation that touches the younger man's face as he too plays voyeur- and looks down on him with a snarl.
"You and I are through, Gold. I've given you what you wanted... Now make good on your own word, and leave Regina and I be... We have no more business, you and I.
Behind her, Regina thins her lips as she wonders how true this might be once Gold learns of Henry's paternity.
The little man himself simply bows in a way that is almost insulting before regarding the Sheriff pensively.
"Hmm... Just how do you plan to get home, Miss Swan, if you and I are to avoid each other as you so desire."
She offers him a thin smile and raises an arched brow.
"Public transport?"
Her reply is dripping with sweet honey, and the pawnbroker finds his eyes flashing to the scars that mar skinny wrists before wetting his lips and holding her cool gaze with his dark one.
"I see. Well, in that case, I offer you a parting note of gratitude... You did well, dearie."
Holding out his hand with a wry smile, Emma looks down at the proffered appendage icily before tossing back her hair and grasping it in her own; a knowing smirk crossing irritable features as she allows him to shake it.
"I always do."
Is the simple, cool answer, and, while neither of them are aware of the incident; Regina and Bae both cock an eyebrow at her response.
Looking over to the younger man that stands aside watching her a little too intently for her liking, the Sheriff snaps at him in a businesslike fashion.
"If you want to talk, I'm going to want to drink, and I doubt you want to do that at seven in the morning. Gold has my number; text me where you want to meet. Twelve o'clock... Don't fuck it up."
Bae recoils slightly- having learnt hard and fast over the last twenty-four hours that the blonde has changed, but never having thought she would have become as glacially cold as he has seen her- while the little man beside him chuckles mirthfully.
"Ah, young love... So be it. Miss Swan, Your Majesty... Good day to you both for now..."
He takes his leave- beckoning his son along behind him, before turning his jaw to speak over his shoulder with impish cruel humour
"Oh... And loving the ensemble, Sheriff... Most enjoyable..."
Before closing the door behind him.
Emma frowns, running a hand through her hair and looking down to study herself irritably. Without the adrenaline of the two men encroaching on her space, she notes that she doesn't recognise the soft cotton that clings to her frame at all, as well as imagining she also has a fairly good idea as to the cause of Gold's glee, and she turns to the brunette with a low sigh.
"Really?..."
Regina shrugs, not knowing whether to chuckle or give in to the red anger so quick to make itself known as she notes what she has let the others in on.
"Sorry, dear, I worked with the time I had. Magic doesn't work in the way where I could have just swept your clothes off the floor and dressed you-" she inwardly breathes a belated sigh of relief that their actual discarded garments reside on the other side of the bed; lace and silk, strewn and ruined, mercifully hidden from view "-I had to conjure up something from my imagination..."
Emma raises an eyebrow, plucking at the thin, pristinely white fabric that clings to her sinfully; allowing a generous strip of midriff to peak out over the top of curious, indigo jeans.
"...And in your imagination... I don't wear underwear?"
She sarks, placing her hands on her hips and looking down pointedly.
"Usually? No... But I assure you this was simply a case of having to work unusually quickly."
"... Hmm... Well I suppose I can't get too mad... Thanks..."
"Not a problem... Though it's not as though Baelfire hasn't seen such sights for himself..."
The note of irritation in the darker woman's tone is tangible, and the Sheriff swiftly bites back her awkward, catty taunt of asking the Mayor if she might be jealous.
It's a moot question.
She knows she is.
Instead, she replies without a single hint of humour
"A long time ago... And he won't be seeing them again."
Regina sighs, and then offers a kinder smile.
"... I know that really, dear."
"Mhmm... You however..."
"What about me?"
"Well-" The blonde quips; plucking at the hem of tight cotton and shucking it over her head with some difficulty due to its restrictive size- "You can see such things whenever you want... And we still have... Hmm... Four and a half hours to spare..."
"Is that so...?"