Emma took off the ski mask but remained standing. Regina was sitting in the center of the couch, wearing a tight and small red dress, her legs were crossed and she had her hands folded in her lap. Her lips were pressed together making neither a smile nor a frown.
"Can I get you anything to drink?" Regina said as she flipped her hand up and a glass appeared in it, filled with an amber liquid. She took a drink of it, her eyes never leaving Emma. "No. Again, take a seat, Miss Swan."
Emma moved over to the plush chair next to the couch and sat down. Regina continued to drink from her glass while Emma sat there not saying anything. She realized Regina was waiting on her to speak.
"Henry misses you," she said finally.
A cruel, mocking laugh came out of Regina that Emma was not expecting.
"Is that the best you came here with?" Regina said. "After all this time that's the best you can do. I ought to send you back to that hotel you're staying at and not let you back in until you come up with something better. How utterly disappointing Miss Swan," Regina said. She paused, cocked her head to the left. "Or I'm sorry is it, Mrs. Jones, now? Well, I don't see a ring, so perhaps not."
She finished off her drink and got up from the couch, going over to a stand near the window and pouring more into her glass. Emma watched her as she moved – her movements slow, deliberate, as if she was putting on a show.
Regina turned back toward Emma but didn't move to retake her seat. "If your only purpose in coming here was to tell me the boy misses me, I believe you can take your leave now. Would you like me to transport you back to your hotel room or can you handle that yourself?"
"I'm not going anywhere," Emma said getting to her feet. "Unless it's back to Storybrooke with you."
"Oh dear," Regina said, making a tsk, tsk noise. "I'm afraid you have wasted a trip to our beautiful state then as I have no intention of returning to that town ever again. Even if I did, you would be the last person I would go with."
Emma noticed a hint of emotions in Regina's eyes at that last sentence – a flicker of anger.
"Look, I get that I'm probably the last person in the world you want to see, but I'm here now and I'm not leaving Florida without you," Emma said. "Do you think it's just Henry that misses you? Why do you think Lily is with me? It's because Mal is worried about you and then there is Zelena and your niece Robyn. There are people who care about you back home. That is where you belong, not here, doing whatever it is that you are doing here. So tell me, what's it going to take to get you to return with me?"
"It's never going to happen," Regina said. She took her seat back on the couch, taking another sip of her drink. "Now I will forgive you breaking and entering this time, but I think it's time for you to leave."
"I'm not …"
Before the next word was out of her mouth Emma felt Regina's magic grab her and when she opened her eyes she was in her hotel room. Lily was there, talking on the phone, but when Emma appeared she paused. "Emma just returned," Lily said. "I'm going to guess that means it didn't go well. I'll call you back."
She hung up the phone. "I take it the queen wasn't receptive."
"Damn her," Emma said. "I'm going back."
She left the room slamming the door behind her. While she could have used her magic to transport back, she didn't like doing it over long distances and she decided the walk back over would make her less angry and maybe give her time to think of a way to get Regina to listen.
The way Regina had referred to Henry as "the boy" had set her teeth on edge. Regina – at least the Regina Emma thought she knew – would never have such callous disregard for their son. Then there was her pointing out that Emma would be the last person she would return with, which wasn't surprising to her, but at the same time, it hurt to have it confirmed. She knew this was going to be tough if and when she found Regina, but she wasn't expecting such a blatant dismissal.
If anything she thought Regina would be more emotional, lash out at her. That didn't happen though. Regina was snarky, yes, but somehow it was different than what Emma was used to – it was almost like snark for snark sake without the emotion behind it.
When they had first begun the search for Regina there had been discussion about what having only half a blackened heart would do to her. It was mostly conjecture, although it was pointed out that having no heart was what made Cora as dangerous as she had been.
Emma had chosen to believe that Regina would never go that far, never turn into her mother. Regina still had part of her heart, which in Emma's mind meant that a part of her wanted to keep from following in her mother's footsteps.
Although they knew there was another reason for leaving half of her heart behind. She had explained it in another letter that she had mailed so it hadn't been received until a few days later.
The closer she got to the club, the less certain Emma was that she even knew what to say to Regina. She briefly thought of turning back around and confronting Regina tomorrow. It was a very brief thought. She was still angry and she wasn't about to let Regina get the upper hand.
As soon as she got across the street from the club she used her magic. But as soon as she disappeared she then reappeared back where she was standing. She tried it again with the same result.
Her phone rang – a private number.
"Hello."
"Did you think that I was going to let you have free access to my club?" Regina said.
"I'll come in through the front door if that is what you want, but we aren't done talking."
That laugh rang out through the phone right before Regina hung it up.
"God damn it," Emma swore.
Knowing she didn't have a choice right now she began the walk back to the hotel.
….
The next afternoon Emma was waiting across the street from the club, a coffee in hand and sunglasses on to block the already bright Florida sun. She had slept in after her late night and after speaking with her mother on the phone she had spent some time strategizing on how to approach Regina next. They hadn't gotten very far.
Now here she was waiting for the club to open so she could go in and ask for Regina. Lily was out doing her own information gathering. They needed to find out what Regina's connection was to the club and what she was doing here.
She saw someone walking toward the side door – she assumed an employee entrance – and she dashed over to intercept.
"Hey, wait," she said stopping the guy before he could disappear into the building.
"We ain't open," he said, and tried to close the door on her but she slid her foot into block it.
"I'm here to see Regina."
"No one here by that name."
"Cut the crap, I saw her here last night upstairs in that office or lounge or whatever it was," she said. "Now you can go tell her I'm here or I will wait out here until you open or whatever I have to do in order to see her."
"No one here by that name," he repeated. "Now remove your foot from the door or we'll see how many slams of the door it takes to break it."
He didn't look like he was joking but Emma almost called his bluff anyway. "Tell her I'm out here waiting to speak to her."
She removed her foot and he slammed the door. She waited and waited and no one came out. As some more employees arrived she also told them to let Regina know she was out there. They all either ignored her or told her there was no one there of that name.
She waited until the club finally opened and then she tried the front door only to have the bouncer refuse her entry. He told her she had been barred by ownership.
Although she hadn't expected it to be easy, she still found the situation aggravating. She only wanted to talk to Regina – get her to see reason, get her to agree to come back and most of all she wanted to apologize.
Calling Lily, whom she had kept in contact mostly through texts during the day, she asked her to meet her there.
All of this waiting around was wearing on her patience, but maybe that was the point. Maybe this was Regina's way of giving her a hard time before agreeing to speak to her.
Lily arrived in their rental car and they headed to get something to eat.
"Did you find out anything useful because my day was a bust?" Emma asked.
"Not a whole lot, but something is up with that club," Lily said. "I talked to the detective that your friend suggested I speak to. He wasn't easy to get going, but once he did he had some interesting things to say. He is part of a drug task force and they had been investigating some heavy hitter here in town who had been bringing in drugs using various methods. Seems like every time they would catch a break it would be a red herring for an even bigger shipment or else the methods of transport would change. Then all of a sudden nothing. All their leads dried up but the drug market was going as strong as usual if not stronger. "
"What does that have to do with the club? Do they think that drugs are running through it?"
"That's the thing, they don't have a clue. Everything they have been able to find out about it shows the club is 100 percent clean. It's a legitimate business, but also one where not only do the main drug suppliers frequent but so do those who are into other illegal avenues – gun-running, racketeering, hell even those suspected of doing things like insider trading or hacking. Sooner or later anyone who is anyone in regards to illegal activity ends up at the club. Rival gang leaders go in there and drink together like they are the best of buds. The only area that doesn't seem to have any contact with the club is human trafficking. They have all these surveillance photos of these criminals go into the club but can't seem to get anything of use inside the club."
They chose a restaurant near the hotel and went inside. While they ordered their food Emma gave thought to what Lily had said.
"If they don't have anything on the club, why was this detective reluctant to speak about it?
"Strange happenings," Lily said. "Just strange stuff happens around that club and he doesn't want to sound like a crazy man by talking about it. For instance, the DEA has sent undercover guys in there, hell they have even sent in actual drug dealers who they had caught and are hoping to use to get info, and everyone who walks out either does so saying how great the drinks were or some other innocuous remark about the place. Oh, and when they send people in with a wire, it starts off working fine and then they either get interference or just a lot of loud music. This detective is on the level, like totally straight-laced and he is beginning to think that club is haunted."
"Magic," Emma said. "It has to be magic."
"Yeah, which is what I was thinking which means Regina is the one behind it," Lily said. "Which means we are dealing with the Evil Queen."
Emma wasn't ready to go down that path although her parents had spent a lot of time trying to prepare her for what Regina was like at her worst. The thing was her parents didn't want to believe that Regina would revert either – her ever hopeful mom wanted to believe the good in Regina was too strong now for that to happen.
"I can't believe that she's gone that far," Emma said.
"Can't?"
"Yes, can't. Because if she has then not only am I too late but as everyone keeps reminding me this is all my fault."
Lily sighed. "It's not your fault. Regina is an adult and she chose to leave."
"Yeah, but it was my actions that pushed her in that direction," Emma said. "Maybe I should have just apologized right off the bat last night."
"Let me ask you this, do you even know what you are apologizing for?"
Emma opened her mouth to respond but then closed it. She knew why she needed to apologize. Regina had made it pretty clear in her letter why she was leaving and that reason was directed straight at Emma.
"I just have to," is all she ended up saying.
They ate dinner and swung by the club once more and while the bouncer refused to let Emma in, he told Lily she could.
"Go find her," Emma said when Lily paused to give her a questioning look.
Lily went in and Emma went back to the car, already texting Lily. "When you find her, tell her to lift the stupid ban so I can come in speak with her or better yet, have her come out here."
She sat in the car impatiently for 15 minutes before she was texting again. "Have you found her? What's happening?"
When minute 22 came around Emma was calling Lily's phone. No answer. More phone calls and texts were sent in a flurry between minutes 23 and 34.
At minute 36 when Emma was walking back toward the club to push her way in if she had to but Lily came walking out.
"What happened?" Emma asked. "You weren't returning my calls or texts."
"What calls and texts?" Lily said pulling out her phone. She showed it to Emma where there was no indication that Emma had contacted her at all.
"Did you see Regina?"
"Yes," Lily said. "As soon as I walked in some guy showed me up to that office thing and there she was talking to another man whom she dismissed right after I got there. Then things got weird."
"Weird in what way?"
"I kind of think she offered me a job in her criminal organization."
Before she explained more she suggested they walk back to the car. Once they were inside Emma was pressing her for more information.
"She gave me a drink, didn't ask if I wanted one or anything just handed it to me and told me to sit. She said it like that, "sit," like I was a dog or something, but not in a stern way. That is one cool lady is all I got to say because she could have been talking to me about the weather or gardening from the way she kept her voice calm," Lily said. "Anyway, she says she could use someone with my skills, someone who wasn't afraid of anything and knew how to walk on the other side of the law. She said if I was interested I was to call this number tomorrow night before 11 and she would have someone pick me up."
She showed Emma a cream-colored business card that had a phone number embossed on it.
"Is this her number?" Emma asked.
"No," Lily replied. "I asked her what this was all about and she said to find that out I would need to call that number if I was in. She said the one condition she had was that it was just me – if she saw any sign of you trying to follow me the deal was off."
"Did you tell her no?"
"No," Lily said. "This could be our only chance to see what the hell she has been up to. I don't think we are in the position to say no. We don't have a lot of options here."
"We also don't have a lot of time to be dicking around so you and her can go play Bonnie and Clyde."
"Are you mad at me over this?"
"No, but did you even try to convince her that she needed to leave here and come back to Storybrooke?"
"It didn't seem like the right time to bring it up," Lily said. "I'm telling you, whatever she is into this isn't good. The guy she dismissed when I walked in, I recognized him from one of the photos the detective showed me, he is the head and I mean the head of the largest drug-running operation in the region. And when she told him to go, he went like he was used to doing as he was told. Believe me, these kinds of badasses do not like being told what to do."
"I know you don't want to hear this," she continued. "But maybe instead of trying to convince her that she is missed and wanted back in Storybrooke, we just tell her the truth of why we are so desperate to get her back?"
"I told you before it won't work."
"It won't work if we don't try it."
"No, it would be pointless," Emma said. "She left Storybrooke. She split her own heart. She left her son behind. If she doesn't care about her life in Storybrooke enough to come back then she isn't going to care that her coming back is the only way to save the town."