Notes: Holy shiznit, that's a lot of story follows. Thank you. New chapter in 24 hours. :)


'Holy shit, Belle! What was that?' The magic settled in Regina's body, making her dizzy that she had to double over. Ruby was on her in a flash, rubbing a hand in comforting pattern's on the brunette's back.

'I-i don't know, Rumple didn't tell me that was gonna happen. He told me it would be funny...'

The buzz dissipated and Regina was able to gain her strength and the event quickly slotted to a twisted puzzle in her mind. She was doing a good thing for Belle and this was Rumple's way of getting rid of her for good. This was his plan all along, disappear so that everyone will let their defenses down and when vulnerable, go for the kill. He even used Ruby and Belle, people that she's come to treat as friends to do it. That bastard.

She stood up, swatting Ruby's hands away and moved back. 'Rumple has corrupted his darling Belle. Was this your plan all along? Was this all an act to kill me?'

'Regina, wh.. no. No, of course not. That box was a gift from Rumple.' Belle cautiously approached.

'A gift to kill me! Was this your way of getting back for being in that tower?'

'I've forgiven you for that, Regina. I swear, this wasn't to hurt you. We didn't know what would have happened!'

Regina scoffed. 'If you didn't, Rumple did. He's still a coward, letting other people do the deed for him.'

'No, I promise!'

Ruby's eyes has been ping ponging back and forth between the two ladies and she finally stepped in. 'Regina, Belle told me this was a gag gift from Rumple. You have to believe us.' She then turned to Belle. 'Didn't the gift come with a card? Show it to her.'

Belle pulled the card from her chest and read it briefly. The fair cheeks of the brunette flushed and she looked indecisive. 'Maybe... maybe you should just believe me, Regina. You did lock me in a tower for 28 years. That's why I'm this fair today, I barely had any time to sun.'

'Belle just give her the card!' When Belle just cringed, Ruby took the card from her and read it herself. 'Oh..' Ruby giggled. 'Well, this will definitely exonerate Belle.'

Regina took the card from the ladies exasperatedly and read aloud what was written in Rumple's whimsical handwriting. 'Dearest Belle, this is something to make you laugh. Open the box now so we can enjoy it before bump uglies tomorrow.' Regina couldn't help but retch, causing Ruby to laugh out loud. 'I get it now. This is how you plan to kill me. By burning that image to my brain.'

Belle snatched the card and crossed her arms. 'I'll have you both know, Rumple was a very passionate man and he...' Ruby's laughter turned raucous and she dropped to the bed holding her middle section. '...he likes to get creative. There is nothing wrong with that!'

Regina shuddered and raised her arms to get the librarian to stop. 'Alright, alright. I believe you. Even years after the curse was broken, you can't really blame me for thinking that people are still out to get me.'

'I'm not, Regina. I'm your friend, I'm sorry about what happened and I will help you in any way...' Belle turned to Ruby and slapped her in the thigh. 'Stop laughing!'

The wolf was out of breath in glee. '...bump...uglies...' Then the laughter resume, Ruby slapping the mattress as she smothered her face in the pillow.

'As I was saying, I will help you with this. I'll start reading the books.' Belle grabbed the first one she could and skimmed through it, looking for the keywords red powder and what she feared as well, sex magic.

Regina watched her for a minute, feeling herself for something different but aside from the dread that this was something humilia ting, she felt as before she opened the box. Some reading of her own was needed, the rally was appreciated but Belle didn't know what she was looking for. 'Belle, leave this to me. You're not magical. I'll handle it.'

Belle put down the book. 'Can I do something else? Again, I'm so sorry.'

'I'll let you know if I feel anything differently. Now, I should go and start.'

Ruby stood up and seized her laughter enough to ask. 'Hey, Regina, can you let me know too?'

'No.' Regina flicked her hair and walked out of the room.

The two woman were left, Belle pulling out a chair and slumping on it. 'God, I hope it isn't something very embarrassing for Regina. That woman's been through enough already.'

'Regina's gonna be fine, Belle. She's like queen magic bad ass, she can handle it. I hope it's something amazing, like having a permanent negligee on her. Did Rumple ever do that to you?' Ruby looked off, imagining Regina in the scenario she just mentioned.

Belle only glared.

'You know what, never mind. Don't answer that.' Ruby stood up and went to her friend. 'Do you still feel up to cleaning? I could just do it if you want. You can head on to Granny's and have iced tea or something, my treat.'

Belle smiled at her friend's sentiment. 'No, I'm fine. We should stop cleaning for now, I don't want to cause any more magical mishaps.'

'Alrighty, let's go to Granny's and eat something.'

'Okay.'

They both stood up and walked to the front door.

'How about being a dominatrix? Did Rumple ever did a magic thing on you...' Belle looked back with burning eyes and a cocked eyebrow. '...okay, alright. I'm not gonna ask... but seriously what if that's what's gonna happen to Regina-'

'Ruby!'

'Fine, shutting up now.' She chuckled to herself as they walked to the diner.

[x]

Regina spent the rest of the day like an animal coiled for attack. Every little twitch, sound or feeling made her jump and she was quick to check if her appearance has turned to something obscene. A few weird looks were thrown at her when she felt herself, mostly her breasts, on the meeting she asked adjourn when she felt a little hot. Albeit short, Doctor Whale took pleasure in the Mayor's actions, leaning back in his chair and leering. The Mayor cleared her throat and threw him a stern glare enough to die down the pitched tent.

The Mayor was just about to go home when she felt a draft above her and did the same exam. When Regina saw that she was still the same, she realized that it was just her air conditioning unit.

I need to know what the hell this does before I go crazy.

She drove as fast as she can and ran to her book case, pulling out books in a frenzy. It was already 8 when Henry's voice boomed in the house, declaring he was already home. The growing boy found his mother before she could and he quickly questioned the crazed look of their library. Regina was quick to sate his fears that another villain was coming to wreak havoc in Story brooke, reasoning that it was just intense research for a defense mechanism if ever someone were to come. She hated lying to her son but she couldn't divulge information that will permanently scar him when current sessions with Archie were just getting fun.

Preoccupied with finding the cure, it completely slipped Regina to cook dinner, forcing her to order a pizza. Henry was thrilled at this development and scarfed down three slices. After they both cleaned up, Regina helped Henry with homework then let him retire to his bedroom. With his newly found addiction to a game named 'Minecraft', her son will not be out of his room until he falls asleep. The brunette continued her search for what the magic really was and so far she's coming up empty. She had nothing to go on but the color of the dust, which was red and that it buzzed around her body before it settled. It certainly wasn't enough to go on since most magic dusts do that.

It was already midnight when she stopped. Regina scoured through most of her collection of magic books but saw nothing that will clue her in on what the dust did. Maybe she should consult Tink tomorrow since fairies usually deal with dust. The Mayor moved to her bedroom and did one last in depth check on her body to see if something was wrong with her and she was still tip top. On her way to the bed, her phone rang.

'Belle? It's midnight. Did you need something?'

A slurred voice came through. 'Msorrrry, I just want'd to know if you're okay?'

Regina grinned at the image of perfect little Belle, shit faced. 'I'm fine, Belle. Nothing has happened to me so far.'

'Okay. That's good. I remmberd something I thought you should know. I think Rumple has already... Ruby! Stop touching me! ...already um... used that magic on us.' She heard a giggle and Regina cringed again. 'I think I remember what it's called. It's ummm... It's called love bug or something?'

'Love bug?'

'Mhmm, love bug. I forgot what it does but it was pretty funny.' Belle then screamed and laughed out loud. 'I remmberd, hik! Oops... because we were drinking when Rumple gave that to me and said you want to-' Regina ended the phone call right then and there, not wanting to hear anymore details about Rumple's ex life. She went back to the library and looked up the meaning of the dust. With a name, she was able to find it quickly.

'A magic dust that turns your true love into an adorable human lady bug.' Her eyebrows furrowed when it wasn't followed by anything more. 'That's it?' She turned the pages further and back but that single sentence was the only one who told her anything about dust. The book was pushed back to it's original slot and she went back to her room. Sleep was slowly taking over her and with a couple meetings tomorrow looming over her head, she let it win.

[x]

After setting up a morning meeting with Tink, Regina quickly went to work. Budgets have to be signed and everyone was waiting on her go signal before they can start their pending plans. It was a tedious task that she insists on overseeing because she simple cannot delegate this to anyone else. She tackled the Sheriff's office first because Emma dogged her for days about a new deputy and a new computer.

She had just flipped the opening page of the document when her phone rang and displayed Emma Swan on the screen. 'Sheriff Swan, good morning.'

'Regina! You have to help me!'

Regina heart stopped at Emma's pained voice. 'Emma, what's wrong? Is Henry okay?'

'Oh, yeah, yeah, Henry's fine. I shouldn't have sounded so frantic, sorry.'

'Miss Swan! Do not do that!'

Emma nervously giggled. 'Heh... Miss Swan, someone's mad.. Anyway, I need your help, I woke up and I'm..I'm not me! Please, please help me... I can't even get out of my room...I'm pink and red!'

Regina closed her eyes and willed away the headache forming with a couple circular motions of her fingers to her temple. Her patience quickly wore thin. 'Miss Swan, I'm hanging up.'

'No! Please, I'm not kidding. Can you like poof to my room? Please? Regina, please help me, I'm not kidding. I just need you to come to me and see it!'

Emma sounded desperate enough and as much as Regina hated herself for it, she believed her. 'What is happening with you, Miss Swan?'

'I can't even explain it. Please just poof to my room or something.'

'I cannot poof to your room, Miss Swan. Just tell me what's wrong and I will try to resolve it after my day at the office.'

Emma huffed. 'Please, Regina. I am begging you, please just come see me.'

Regina finally flicked the document close and slammed it atop all the documents that she had to read. Emma will obviously not back down and to spare her the stress, she decided to see what the blonde was fussing about. 'Give me ten minutes. If this is some joke, Miss Swan, I swear to you-'

'I'm not kidding, Regina. Thank you.'

The brunette ended the call and quickly grabbed her bag. She was trying to be more normal, especially now that no other magical beings have challenged them so she opted to drive. The door was open when Regina got there and she breezed on in. The sooner she can attend to whatever the hell Emma needed, the better.

'Holy shit!'

Regina was on the bottom landing when she heard Emma's scream and ran upward the stairs. She followed the sound of more cursing and stood behind a locked door.

'Emma!'

The door seemed heavy and the brunette was much too light to expect it to open if she throws her body to it. She waved her hand over the knob, making it open. So much for not using magic.

'Regina!'

She opened the door and saw Emma lying on her bed, looking normal. Cautiously, she approached, anger over being duped already boiling in her veins. 'Would you care to explain, Miss Swan?' To help her stop creating fireballs, she crossed her arms and turned her hands into fists.

The blonde stood up from her bed and looked down on herself. 'Oh my god, I just changed...'

'Miss Swan! You have just disrupted my morning over this joke! If you're done with your laugh, I will be going-'

Emma's eyes were large and scared, she was somewhat shaking and was breathing rapidly. 'Regina, this is not a joke. When I woke up, I looked different! I looked red and I had bump on my back...' The blonde stalked to the Regina and held her arm. 'I had antennas...'

'A+ on your acting skills, Miss Swan but I am really not amused.' She jerked Emma's arm away and walked to the door.

'Why don't you believe me, Regina? After all that we've been through?'

The sudden dramatic shift made Regina turn back to Emma.

'I knew that would get you. Now, Regina, I'm not lying. I had six fuzzy legs coming out of my sides! It was like I was wearing an adorable Halloween costume that I couldn't get off!'

Adorable...

Regina shook the thought and proceeded to leave the room. No more of Miss Swan's tomfoolery. She was already late to her meeting with Tink and she would much rather deal with that than deal with this.

'For God sakes, Regina, I looked like a lady bug!'

That stopped her cold. For the second time that morning, she entered back Emma's room. 'You looked like a what?'

'A freaking lady bug!'