Regina sat alone in her office. She knew that Emma and Lily would be there soon. While Hannah had offered to keep her company, she had told her that it wasn't necessary and that she would see her again when she returned.
All the work she had done today to prepare for her being gone was geared toward that – her returning.
Making that clear to Emma was going to be one of her first priorities.
Of course, putting things in order would have been a lot easier if she had her magic. Looking down at the bracelet that they had put on her, she felt a twinge of anger toward Mal for doing this, but it was only fleeting.
She knew that her decision to go had surprised Hannah and perhaps even surprised herself, but after listening to Hannah's story and knowing what the Home Office had put her through, she would be damned if she would sit back and let them take Storybrooke – not without a fight at least.
Plus, she had revenge on her mind.
What they had done to her in the short time she was with them was enough for her to wish them destroyed. Yet, she had made no move to do anything to make that happen.
No, she had fled instead. Fled to a place where she could do magic once more so she would be protected.
After all, if it wasn't for her lack of magic in most zones in this world, they would never have captured her in the first place.
Getting up, she poured herself a drink and walked over to the one-sided glass where she peered down at her club. This had become the perfect place for her here in her new life.
Once again, she had reinvented her life – became something other than what she was in the beginning. This time, she had become someone who could use the worst of society to help the innocents in society.
She would make a difference in this town.
Taking another drink, she thought about what she had accomplished so far and what she had been planning on doing in the future.
Now that was put on hold so she could go back to the past.
There was a knock at the door.
"Enter."
One of her guards came in. "They're here."
She nodded and he left. Finishing off the drink, she grabbed her jacket and left the office. Once she made it out to the street, she saw Emma and Lily standing next to their rental car, neither looking happy to be there.
Walking up to them, she kept her expression neutral.
"What is the plan?"
"You get in the car, we go back to Storybrooke."
Regina laughed. "I'm not getting in that car and riding all the way back to Storybrooke with you two. Firstly, I wouldn't ride in a car like that. Secondly, if this is as urgent as you claim it to be, then driving all the way back is inefficient. But since I expected something like this from you I have already made arrangements. You can leave your car here, I will have one of my guys return it to the rental place for you. Let's go."
"And where are we going?" Lily asked.
"To the airport. I have a private plane waiting for us. We can fly to Maine and get a car there to Storybrooke. It should cut down on the amount of time I have to spend with you two, which I'm sure will be a blessing to you as much as it is to me."
She didn't wait for their reaction, merely began to walk back to the club where her car was parked. She instructed one of the men to take the keys from Emma and return the rental car and then she got into her own, not waiting to see if Emma and Lily were debating amongst themselves about this new plan.
Finally, the two women approached her vehicle and she saw one of her men get the keys from Emma and another take their bags and place them in the trunk. She was somewhat surprised when Lily came over the passenger side door and got in while Emma took the back seat.
Again, without waiting for a reaction, Regina began to drive.
"If this is some ploy to get us to take that bracelet off so you can get through airport security, you can forget it," Emma said when they reached the exit for the airport.
"Did you not hear me when I said private plane?" Regina responded. "We won't be going through airport security like some commoners."
"Did you go out and buy yourself a plane with the money you have been stealing from drug and arms dealers?" Emma asked.
"I did not. It belongs to an acquaintance who was nice enough to lend it," Regina said. "Not that I owe you any explanation."
"Did this acquaintance let you borrow before or after you took his or her heart out?"
Regina glanced in the rearview mirror to see Emma staring back at her.
"You know Miss Swan, it might be best if the two of us limit any conversation," Regina said. "Why don't we stick to pertinent information like what you know about the Home Office."
Emma proceeded to tell her about the Home Office and how they began to lay siege to Storybrooke. The telling was interrupted only by them arriving at the airport hangar and boarding the plane. Regina had already given the flight instructions to the pilots, but she checked with them once they were on board.
After the plane took off, Emma continued the tale, explaining how it was agreed by those with knowledge of magic that Regina was needed to strengthen the barrier. Emma couldn't help but notice that Regina kept her expression neutral throughout, never really reacting to any of it.
"How did you find me?" Regina asked when she was done speaking. It was not a question that Emma was expecting.
Lily chimed in this time and told her how they came to Florida on a report that Regina may have been involved in an altercation at a bar and how they found a bar where they discovered that the bartender knew who she was.
"Ah yes, an unfortunate episode," Regina said. "But also a good reminder for me to be more careful with my actions in the future lest they draw unwanted attention."
"So you really did assault a guy?" Lily asked.
"Yes," Regina answered. "He needed put in his place after he spent part of the evening harassing a couple of young girls at the bar. I put up with it as long as I could, but then I decided to intervene."
"Who were the girls to you?"
"They weren't anything. I didn't know who they were, but there was no reason for them to be subjected to this man's demeaning comments and unwanted attention. I made it known that he should refrain from speaking with them for the rest of the evening and he didn't want to listen," Regina said. "I made him listen."
"With your magic?"
"No. I had no magic there which is why I didn't intervene sooner. But I have found that a well-placed kick or elbow can get the point across just as well," Regina said. "Fortunately, the jail they took me to did allow for my magic to be used. Still, it was obviously a loose end that I should have handled better or else you two wouldn't have found me."
"I would have found you eventually," Emma said.
"Keep telling yourself that," Regina responded.
"Did you head to Florida as soon as you left Storybrooke?" Lily asked.
"I don't see where that is any concern of yours."
"You didn't come directly to Florida," Emma said. "If you had, you wouldn't be defensive about her asking. So, where were you?"
"Again, none of your concern. But while we are on the subject of Florida, let me make one thing clear to the both of you now. Once we arrive in Storybrooke, I will see what I can do about the barrier and perhaps about the Home Office itself. But when I'm done, I'm done. I will be returning to Florida at least in the short term, but I fully expect that no matter where I end up, I shall not see either of you ever again."
"Consider it clear," Emma said. "And why don't you make it clear to your son if you bother to see him when you return."
Regina didn't respond but a moment later she got up, she said to check with the pilots about their arrival time.
"What are you doing?" Lily said in a hushed tone. "Why are you being so antagonistic with her? We need her help."
"Yes, we do, but if she thinks that she is calling all the shots here, she can forget it," Emma said. "I get it, I messed up and she hates me, but this whole attitude of hers that Storybrooke doesn't matter to her, that Henry doesn't matter to her, it has to stop. I don't want to just be bringing Regina back, I want to be bringing the actual Regina back."
"What does that even mean?"
Emma sighed. "I used to be able to talk to her. I just want to be able to talk to her again."
"Ok, fine, great, but if you want to get to that point, then stop with this little war of words you two have going on," Lily said. "It's not helping and frankly after what I read in that letter, she isn't going to react well to anything but you being open and honest with her."
"I should never have let you read it."
"Maybe not, but you have been holding on to it way too long," Lily said. "And the only way either of you are going to get past it is if you start acting and talking like the adults you are."
"Tell her that."
Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm so done listening to the two of you."
Next question: Should Emma and Regina talk about where Regina was at before Florida or talk about the contents of the letter first?