Chapter 9: Regina Triumphant?
Regina was surprised to see Emma waiting for her outside her office on Monday morning. The sheriff stood as she approached a serious look on her face. Slowing, Regina tilted her head. "Good morning, Sheriff. I doubt you're here for a social visit," she said.
"I'm afraid I'm not," Emma replied. "Can we talk in your office?"
Nodding, Regina pulled out her keys and opened the door to her office. She turned on the lights and headed straight to her desk, putting her bag down. Not even bothering with her curtains, she looked at Emma. "What is this about?"
"I got the results back for the heart we found," Emma said solemnly. "It is Kathryn's."
Regina's heart stopped and she sank into her chair, feeling as if her world had shattered. Anger surged through her and she vowed to make Rumple pay for Kathryn's death once Mary Margaret and Emma were dealt with. "So she's dead?"
"Considering no one can survive without their heart, I'm afraid so," Emma said. "I know she was your friend. I'm sorry for your loss."
Swallowing, Regina nodded. "Thank you, Miss Swan."
"There's more," Emma continued. "I got the forensic report back. Only Mary Margaret's fingerprints were on the box."
"I assume you'll be arresting her then," Regina said, her heart skipping a beat. It seemed Rumple's plan was working. Snow White and her pesky daughter would soon be out of Regina's hair.
Emma swallowed. "I still can't believe that Mary Margaret did it. Everything seems too easy. Almost like she's being framed."
"Well, I think we both agree that Mary Margaret is not a criminal mastermind," Regina said, hoping Emma's suspicions wouldn't ruin their entire plan. And there was also her so-called superpower to determine if someone was lying to her. Hopefully it went on the fritz as well as she said: "Of course she is going to make some mistakes."
"Yeah," Emma agreed, a faraway look in her eyes. She sighed. "I still can't believe it."
Regina leaned forward, trying her best to sound concerned. "Emma, if you can't handle this, I can call in someone from the state. I'm not saying this to threaten you or imply that you can't do your job, but out of concern for you and the case."
"That won't be necessary," Emma said, a hard look coming in her eyes. "I can do this."
"Are you sure? No one would think less of you if you recuse yourself given your friendship with the accused," Regina pointed out, not sure if she wanted Emma to take the bait or not. She couldn't tell if keeping Emma away from the investigation would keep her from finding out the truth or not.
Emma held her head higher. "I'll be fine. I won't let that get in my way. I promise you."
"Good," Regina said, leaning back. "Then I suggest you go arrest Mary Margaret Blanchard."
Emma, though, hesitated. "Right now? She's teaching. I don't want to do that in front of her students."
Regina was about to insist she did before remembering that Henry was in Mary Margaret's class this year. If his teacher was arrested in the middle of class, he would blame her for it and ramp up his attacks against her. She needed to think of him and so she nodded. "Alright. You can do it later today, once she's done with school."
"Yes, Madam Mayor," Emma said, starting to walk away. She then stopped and looked back in Regina. "I'm not going to rest until I get to the bottom of this."
"I would expect nothing less," Regina replied, trying to stay calm though her stomach flipped from her nerves. Based on the look in Emma's eyes, she worried the plan would backfire and Emma would prove Mary Margaret innocent.
No, she told herself. There is no way even the Savior can outwit the Dark One. Everything is fine.
Once Emma left, she let out a sigh. She picked up her phone and called Gold, cursing when she got his voicemail. "We need to talk," she told him. "Call me."
She hung up the phone as it buzzed. Regina wondered if Gold had already responded but her heart skipped a beat when she saw the text was from Robin.
I've heard the news. I'm outside Town Hall. Say the word and I'll come up.
Regina's insides melted at the fact he rushed to be at her side to comfort her. Tears filled her eyes as she quickly texted him back. She set her phone down and tried to take a few comforting breaths before he arrived at her office. But as the gravity of the situation hit her, she was unable to calm herself as it felt like someone had put her heart in a vice.
Her door opened and she looked up as Robin entered, already dressed in his EMT uniform. She stood as he approached her, sympathy in his eyes. "Oh, Regina, I'm so sorry," he said.
"I can't believe she's gone," Regina replied, her voice cracking. "I can't believe Mary Margaret murdered her."
"It's confirmed?" he asked, his eyes wide.
Regina nodded before saying: "Well, only her fingerprints were found on the box. And she was one of the only two people in this town who had a known motive to hurt Kathryn, so…"
She let her statement trail off but Robin filled in the blanks, nodding. He then shook his head. "I never thought something like this would ever happen in Storybrooke. People don't just murder other people here," he said.
"I know," she replied, trying not to think of the man she had killed shortly after creating Storybrooke or squeezing Graham's heart until it was dust. No one knew the truth about them and that was how it was going to stay.
"Come here," he said softly, opening his arms. She didn't need to be told twice and she quickly moved around her desk, stepping into his embrace. Robin held her close, rubbing her back. "Maybe you should take the day off?"
She sniffed as tears filled her eyes, shaking her head. "I need to keep busy. Or else bad thoughts will fill my head."
"I get that," he said. "Maybe you should work a half day and go see Dr. Hopper?"
"Maybe," she lied, knowing she would never go do that. "I guess I'll just see how the rest of the day goes."
He rested his cheek on her head. "Do you want me to come by for dinner tonight? I can cook and you can rest."
"Thank you but I'll be fine," she assured him, not sure she wanted him around for Henry's inevitable explosion after finding out who was arrested for Kathryn's murder. "Can I call you instead?"
"Of course," he told her. "You can call at any time. I promise I will answer."
She pulled away enough to give him a soft kiss. "Thank you. Even just hearing your voice goes a long way to helping me get through everything. Your support means so much."
"I'm glad to hear that," he told her. "Even strong women like you need someone they can rely on. I'm honored to be yours."
"You're amazing," she replied, trying not to cry.
He cupped her cheek. "I'm just trying to keep up with you."
"You and your golden tongue," she teased him, pulling away from him as her mood lifted. "You always know how to make me feel better."
"It's my job," he told her, turning his body so the patch on his sleeve faced her. He tapped it for extra measure.
She laughed, nodding. "And you are very good at your job."
"Thank you," he said. "I take pride in helping everyone in my community, especially when they need healing."
"Oh, so you hug everyone and kiss them?" she asked, teasing him. It felt better to do this than to wallow in her grief.
He shrugged. "Only the sexy mayors."
"Good thing the town only has one of those, huh?" she asked, leaning against her desk as she bit her lip.
"Oh, definitely," he agreed. "I don't know if we could handle more than one. I know I couldn't."
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying she's a handful?"
He grinned. "I'm saying she's more than enough and all we need."
"Smooth," she said, pushing away from her desk and walking toward him. "Very smooth, Locksley."
"Thank you," he replied, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against him. "But I meant it. You are more than enough."
A lump formed in her throat as those words stuck something deep down inside her. It felt like it filled a hole inside her, one she had been ignoring for years though she wasn't sure what had caused it.
You could find out by talking to Dr. Hopper, a voice that sounded like Robin whispered in her mind.
I'm not telling that overgrown cricket anything. He can't do anything to help me. Or rather, he won't.
"Regina?" Robin asked softly. "Where are you?"
She shook her head. "Sorry. My mind wandered."
"I could tell," he said, rubbing her back. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not right now," she admitted, not sure she could voice what she had been feeling without him advocating for her to see Dr. Hopper again.
He nodded. "Alright. When you're ready."
She kissed his cheek, relieved. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome," he replied, kissing her. He then stepped back, sighing sadly. "Unfortunately, I have to go to work now."
"Of course," she said, wishing he could stay with her for the rest of the day but knowing that was not possible. "There are other people who need you right now."
He took her hand. "You're always the most important one to me."
"I know," she said, certain of that fact. "And I'll be fine for now. Go. Save the town."
"Call me tonight," he told her. "Anytime. I'll answer. Promise."
She nodded. "Don't worry. I will."
"Good," he said, kissing her again. "I'll talk to you then. And if you need to, go home. Okay?"
"Okay," she replied, though she was certain she wouldn't do that. Home was too quiet and that let her thoughts get louder. She couldn't handle her own mind yelling at her while trying to process everything that had happened and could happen.
He looked comforted, though, and that was all that mattered. Robin left her office and she took a deep breath, finally opening the curtains to her office. She looked out at Storybrooke, at her carefully crafted happily ever after. It was her second chance at the happiness that had eluded her in the Enchanted Forest – a family, friends and now romance. Regina hoped Gold's plan worked and that Kathryn's sacrifice would not be in vain in the end.
Mary Margaret was arrested after school that day.
Emma had called Regina to tell her that Mary Margaret was sitting in a cell in the sheriff's station and was waiting for a lawyer. Regina had thanked the sheriff before quickly ending the call. She stood and told her assistant she had an errand to run so she was leaving early for the day. Her assistant had been surprised but had agreed to take messages for Regina as well as lock up for the day. Regina then rushed out, eager to get to Gold's Pawn Shop as when Emma mentioned lawyer, she had recalled the next phase of his plan.
He was going to be Mary Margaret's lawyer and convince her to take a plea, getting her out of Storybrooke. Once across the town line, she would be unable to return and the curse would be made permanent for her. She would never be Snow White again.
And while all of that was great, it meant that she wouldn't be able to talk with Gold once he became her lawyer. They couldn't risk the chance of anyone – especially Emma – suspecting that they were working together to railroad Mary Margaret. So Regina's choices were to either wait until after Mary Margaret was sent to prison or go see him now to get her answers.
She thought she would be able to wait with how fast everything was going but her anger and grief drove her to get her answers now. Maybe then she would find some peace with Kathryn's death.
Regina took extra precautions and parked a couple blocks over from Gold, in front of the Muffin Man bakery. She walked down the back alleys until she got to Gold's backdoor. Using her set of keys for every building in Storybrooke, she let herself in and walked into his backroom. To her relief, Gold was in his office and she approached the doorway.
"I had a feeling you would stop by," he said, not looking up. "I take it the plan is working?"
"Yes," she said, trying to clamp down on her annoyance and anger for the moment. "Emma just confirmed Mary Margaret has been arrested for Kathryn's murder."
He nodded. "Then I imagine I'll be getting a call to represent her soon. Our plan is almost complete."
"I know," she said. "But I need to talk to you about that."
"Are you getting cold feet, dearie?" he asked, finally looking up at her. His gaze chilled her to the core and she felt once again as if he was seeing right through to her very soul, a feeling she always hated.
She shook her head. "Not at all. I want to talk about Kathryn."
He sighed. "Why are you still focused on her?"
"Because she was my friend," she told him, unable to hold back her anger any longer. "Why couldn't you take anyone else? Why her?"
"Because there would be no one else Mary Margaret would have had a motive to kill," he told her, his tone rising slightly.
She didn't care as she stepped forward. "Why not get Mary Margaret black out drunk and frame her for a random hookup's murder? Hell, she had a random hookup with Whale a couple weeks ago, why not kill him?"
"Why would Mary Margaret kill him?" he asked her.
"I don't know," she said, annoyed. "He used her for sex and then rejected her and it was just one rejection too many and so she snapped."
He scowled. "That could describe half the women in this town. Dr. Whale has a very poor bedside manner from what I understand. We couldn't chance any reasonable doubt that it wasn't Mary Margaret. Kathryn was the best choice."
"What about David?" Regina asked, thinking of Snow's annoying prince. "We could've been rid of them both."
"Reasonable doubt," he repeated. "It could be argued that Kathryn did it and was framing Mary Margaret to get revenge on both of them for the affair."
Regina's frustration grew at how logically he was destroying her every argument. "Did it have to be murder? Couldn't you frame her for embezzlement or something? White collar crimes still get time and shatter her reputation. She would be too ashamed to return to Storybrooke, not that she could."
"I wanted to be thorough," he said. "White collar crimes could only get house arrest. Murder requires jail time."
"But did you have to kill my only friend?" she asked, hating how her voice cracked. The was the last thing she wanted was to show vulnerability around him. If anyone knew how to manipulate her weaknesses, it was him.
Now, his dark eyes pierced her before he shrugged. "You'll make more, if you're so desperate for friendship."
"Don't we all want companionship?" she asked him, not letting him shame her for wanting friendship and love. "Isn't that why you want to find your son? And what about Belle?"
He slammed his hands down and his eyes turned even colder. "Don't you dare talk about her."
She narrowed her eyes. "Is that why you killed Kathryn? To get back at me for Belle?"
"I did what I did so we could both get what we want," he told her. "So you should start showing me some gratitude."
"Maybe when pigs fly," she replied as the phone rang. "That's probably Emma calling to ask you to take Mary Margaret's case. I'm going to go and we'll have no more contact until this is all over, got it?"
He sneered. "Yes, Your Majesty."
She glared at him before leaving his shop, returning to her car. Regina climbed into the driver's seat and gripped the wheel, taking a deep breath. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she whispered: "I'm sorry, Kathryn. You didn't deserve to die. And I wish I could change it. But since I can't, I promise I will honor you every day."
Regina swallowed before turning on her car, wiping her eyes. She pulled away from the curb and headed home, knowing she had to face her son after having his teacher arrested even though she doubted she had the strength to do so.
"You can do this," she told herself. "You've gotten through a lot and you will get through this."
But she couldn't shake the feeling that her happy ending was really just a house of cards about to collapse completely.
Henry did not take the news of Mary Margaret's arrest well. It set him back to his old ways, accusing Regina of framing his teacher for Kathryn's murder to get rid of Snow White for good. And he even went so far as to accuse her of killing her own best friend to do it as the Evil Queen did not care who she hurt to get what she wanted. Once upon a time, that was true.
But it wasn't anymore.
They had shared a tense dinner before he had stormed upstairs, slamming his door for extra measure. Regina had managed to hold it together while she cleaned the kitchen and locked up the house for the night. She retired to her bedroom, changing into her pajamas before calling Robin and sobbing to him. He had soothed and comforted her, reassuring her that everything would be fine.
And so she kept repeating the same mantra in her head – I will get through this. I will get through this.
If only she believed herself.
Regina pulled up to the sheriff's station early the next morning after dropping Henry off at school. She parked her car and got out, walking to the front door. Emma was still at Granny's – Regina had passed her –and so that would give her some time with Mary Margaret. Even if she didn't have her memories, she was still Snow White and Regina was going to enjoy her final victory over her foe before going to plan the funeral for her first and only friend.
She used her key to let herself into the sheriff's station. The cells were obscured as she walked toward Emma's desk but she could hear movement nearby. Mary Margaret then called out: "Emma, is that you?"
"No," Regina said, stepping out to see Mary Margaret sitting on the small cot in the cell. "She's probably still waiting for her order at Granny's."
Mary Margaret's eyes grew wide and she jumped up. "Mayor Mills, what are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see the woman who killed my best friend," Regina said coldly, walking toward the cell as if she were stalking her prey. She had forgotten how empowering it had felt. "I wanted to make sure she is behind bars."
"I didn't kill Kathryn," Mary Margaret insisted, tears now pooling in her green eyes. "I promise you that I didn't."
Regina hummed, knowing that the woman was telling the truth but having to pretend she didn't for their plan to work. "I don't think your word is worth much these days, Miss Blanchard."
Tears now ran down Mary Margaret's cheeks as she sobbed. "Is this because David and I had an affair? I made a mistake but I ended it until he decided to leave Kathryn. I didn't force him or anything. He made that choice on his own.
"I made one mistake but that doesn't make me a murderer," Mary Margaret said, still sobbing. "I'm a good person."
"All the evidence points to you," Regina reminded her, feeling a thrill at seeing her rival so broken.
Mary Margaret shook her head. "I'm being framed."
"By whom?" Regina asked, though she knew the answer. It took all her willpower not to smile with triumphant glee.
"I don't know," she sobbed. "I don't know who would hate me this much."
Regina nodded. "That is true. Which leaves the possibility that these are just crocodile tears and you're trying to make us think someone is framing you to create reasonable doubt in the jury. But the truth really is that you killed Kathryn so you could have David all to yourself and not wait for the divorce to go through."
Mary Margaret shook her head. "I would've waited for as long as it took. David was worth it."
"Was?" Regina asked, unable to help herself after noticing the use of the past tense.
"He came in here earlier and looked at me like I was a monster," Mary Margaret confessed, sniffing. "Much like you're looking at me."
Regina hummed, thrilled by this development. Prince Charming wanted nothing to do with Snow White – it was even better than she could've dreamed when Rumple first proposed this plan. "Well, maybe that's because you are."
"But I'm not," Mary Margaret protested. "I don't deserve this punishment."
For a moment, Regina saw a flicker in Mary Margaret and knew that Snow White was still there deep inside her. It seemed Snow White was trying to get out but Regina knew that soon, the princess would be asleep forever and Mary Margaret Blanchard would be there to stay until death took her. She would never be a thorn in Regina's side and would be denied her happy ending forever, just like she denied Regina hers.
The image of Daniel lying still in her arms, his eyes unseeing, haunted Regina as she leaned closer to the bars. Her full hatred for the woman inside the cell was unleashed as she said: "Oh no, my dear. You do."
Mary Margaret gasped, stepping back as if Regina had slapped her. Pleased, Regina pulled away from the cell as a familiar voice rang out through the station. "I hope you aren't terrorizing my client, Madame Mayor."
"Of course not, Mr. Gold," Regina said, turning to face him with a pleasant smile. "Just having a little chat."
He walked toward her, his cane thumping loudly on the floor. "I wouldn't advise that. You are the mayor."
"My apologies," she said, though she didn't mean it. "But I was also the victim's friend. I came here as that, not the mayor."
"We both know you can't separate the two," he told her with a look that shook her to the core. She wasn't sure if he was just acting as part of their plan or really trying to convey a message to her. Was it a warning that she couldn't keep letting her desire for companionship get in the way of getting her happy ending?
But shouldn't her happy ending include companionship? Her happy ending should include Henry, Robin, Roland and any other friends she decided to make.
Regina held her head higher. "Well, I guess that's all a matter of opinion."
"Yes," he said coolly. "I guess it is."
The door opened again and Regina looked up to find Emma standing there with a bag from Granny's. Her eyes widened as she looked between Regina and Gold. "Did I miss something?"
"Just the mayor having an ex partie conversation with my client," Gold said. "Shouldn't there be someone in the station at all times?"
"I'm sorry, we're a bit short-staffed right now," Emma said, shooting a look at Regina. For a moment, Regina wondered if Emma suspected that she had played a role in Graham's death before shaking that thought from her mind. It was just likely a passive-aggressive way for Emma to suggest that Regina needed to help get a new deputy.
So she decided to pointedly ignore that look. If everything worked out the way it should, Regina was going to need a new sheriff and a new deputy so she could just replace them at the same time.
Emma set the bag down on the desk before looking at Regina. "Are you just here to talk to Mary Margaret?"
"Not anymore," Regina said, stepping forward. "Now I'm here in an official capacity. District Attorney Spencer will be here shortly to discuss a plea with Mary Margaret."
"What are you aiming for?" Emma asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Keeping my happy ending, Regina thought. Aloud, she said: "We would like to find Kathryn's body. I want to give my best friend the burial she deserves."
"So you and Spencer are going to offer us a plea if Mary Margaret shows you where the body is," Gold said, rubbing her chin. "I think we can listen to what you have to offer."
Emma frowned. "But Mary Margaret insists she's innocent. How can she tell you to find something when she doesn't know where it is?"
"All due respect, sheriff, but this is now between us lawyers," Gold told her. "We'll handle it from here."
"This is still my case," Emma said, scowling now.
"Not anymore," a cold voice said. Regina looked up to find Albert Spencer standing in the doorway, eyes fixed on Emma. "This is now my case, sheriff. Thank you."
Emma crossed her arms. "You can't just take my case from me."
Spencer stepped closer. "You haven't been sheriff long, Miss Swan, so I'll forgive your ignorance. But once you arrest someone, it stops being your case and becomes my case. So I will take it from here."
"I don't think I'm done investigating," Emma protested. "I think Mary Margaret is being framed."
"Well, that's a theory you can pursue on your own time," he told her. "But we have enough evidence to charge Mary Margaret and start plea negotiations."
Gold nodded. "Can you bring my client to the interrogation room?"
Emma gritted her teeth but nodded. "I will."
"Good." He looked at Regina and Albert. "Shall we?"
They nodded. Regina glanced back to see Emma opening the cell doors for a distraught Mary Margaret. She smiled, certain the plan was going perfectly. In a few days, Snow White would be out of her hair forever and Emma would likely be next once she couldn't prove that Mary Margaret was framed. Henry would be heartbroken but would soon realize Regina was the only person he could rely on and would stop treating her so horribly. With her little prince and her soulmate in her life, Regina could finally get the happy ending she deserved.
"I think this is a very generous offer, Mr. Gold," Spencer said as they stepped out of the interrogation room about an hour later. "I would encourage your client to consider accepting it."
Gold nodded. "I will talk with her about it. But the final decision is hers. I have to abide by her wishes."
"Of course," Spencer said, though it sounded as if he knew Gold would get Mary Margaret to accept the deal. He turned to Regina. "Madam Mayor, I am sorry for your loss."
Regina shook his hand as sadness at losing Kathryn washed over her again. "Thank you. And thank you for making sure the person who killed Kathryn is going to pay."
"You're very welcome," he said before returning to his car.
Gold then held out his hand. "Mayor Mills, a pleasure."
"I wish I could say the same," she replied coldly. "Not until your client accepts responsibility for what she's done."
"Understood," he said, walking toward his car. He paused as someone approached him, leaning against his walking stick. "Good afternoon, Mr. Locksley."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Gold," Robin said, pausing as he stuck his hands in the pockets of his green coat. "How are you?"
"I'm well. What brings you to the sheriff's station?" Gold asked, making Regina's stomach tighten. She didn't like how he was looking at Robin and she held her breath, waiting to see what happened next.
Robin tilted his head before motioning to Regina. "I'm here to see the mayor."
"Professional business?" Gold asked.
"Personal," Robin replied, his tone cold. "Is there anything else you would like to know?"
Gold shook his head, shooting Regina a look. "No. I think I know everything. Have a good day."
"You too," Robin said, venom dripping from each word. If Regina wasn't so nervous about what Gold was thinking, she would've been proud of her boyfriend.
Robin stepped up to her, looking concerned. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "I'm doing as well as I can be. Why are you here?"
"I stopped by your office to check on you but your assistant said you were here," he said, rubbing her arm. "Can I treat you to lunch?"
"How about I treat you?" she asked.
He raised an eyebrow. "You're the one grieving. I'm trying to console you."
"You've done that," she assured him, still not sure how she would have been doing if she didn't have him in her life. "Let me treat you as a thank you for everything you've done for me."
"You don't have to thank me for that," he told her, taking her hand. "I do it because I care about you."
Her heart skipped a beat as she leaned closer to him. "I care about you too. And that's why I want to treat you to lunch. It's not fair to expect you to pay all the time."
"I guess I can't argue with that," he said, kissing her cheek. "Thank you, darling."
"You're welcome," she replied, taking his hand. "Did you have any place in mind?"
He shrugged. "I never say no to Granny's but I figured I would let you pick. After all, this is supposed to be me consoling you."
She laughed, walking with him toward her car. "I know of a nice little bistro not far from here. We can go there."
"Sounds good," he said, going to her passenger side as she unlocked the car. They both climbed in and buckled up before she started the car, driving away from the sheriff's station and toward the bistro.
"So what were you doing at the sheriff's station?" he asked her.
Regina took a deep breath. "I went to see Mary Margaret. I had to look in her eyes and ask her why she killed Kathryn."
"Did she tell you?" he asked, sounding intrigued.
"No," she replied. "She kept insisting that she didn't kill Kathryn and she didn't deserve this treatment."
Robin nodded, crossing his arms. "Of course she's going to keep declaring her innocence. With all the evidence piled against her, her only hope is that if she keeps saying she didn't do it, people will start to believe her."
"Is it working?" Regina asked, concerned that the people of Storybrooke would rally around Mary Margaret and ruin her plans.
"Judging by what I've heard, no," Robin said. "We all seem to be in the same boat. We're all surprised and find it hard to believe that Mary Margaret could kill someone but all the evidence points to her."
Relief filled Regina as she realized the plan was working. No one else would support Emma's claims that Mary Margaret had been framed and that would give her more reason to leave town. This could all be over even sooner than she thought.
Pulling into the Ratatouille Bistro's parking lot, Regina found a spot and parked. "Well, Mary Margaret's been offered a deal. If she's smart, she'll take it. And hopefully tell us where Kathryn is so we can bury her."
"I hope so," Robin said, reaching out and taking her hand. He smiled. "Now, no more talk about that. Let's focus on happier things."
"I like the sound of that," she said, smiling as well. They climbed out of the car and he took her hand as they entered the bistro. She as going to have a lovely lunch with her boyfriend and not think about Snow White for the rest of the day.
Then tomorrow, she would destroy her rival once and for all.
"I'm sorry, Madam Mayor," Spencer said. "Miss Blanchard has rejected the deal and it looks like we will have to proceed to trial."
Disappointment filled Regina as well as annoyance. Why hadn't Gold gotten Snow White to accept the deal? Now this was going to drag out their plan longer as they waited for a trial and judge that would likely never come.
"I see," she said. "I'm sorry to hear that. What happens next?"
"We wait for Judge Godot to return," Spencer said. "But Gold has already filed a motion for a change of venue."
That surprised Regina and she frowned, her mind unable to figure out his next steps. "What does that mean?"
"It means that Gold will argue that Mary Margaret won't get a fair trial here in Mist Haven," Spencer said. "He will say that the jury pool is tainted because most people already have judged her so we won't find twelve unbiased jurors."
"What will you do?" she asked him, her mind spinning as she processed this new twist to the case. She tried to figure out Gold's end plan while waiting to hear what Spencer had to say.
He sighed. "That was the other reason I wanted to talk with you. I can argue it and part of me wants to as I'm sure Gold will try to get it switched to a big city. Jurors in big cities don't understand the dynamics of small towns and I worry Gold could successfully cast reasonable doubt and get Mary Margaret off."
"Okay," she said slowly, knowing that wasn't really a concern for her. But she couldn't let Spencer know that. "But the other part of you doesn't want to argue it?"
"We have a good case with strong evidence. Juries love evidence," he said. "And given that a jury in another jurisdiction wouldn't know her from Adam, it's very unlikely her tears and insistence she's innocent will sway any of them. It'll likely make a plea look more appealing rather than gambling with her life at trial."
Regina smiled, relieved that Gold knew what he was doing. "Maybe we shouldn't fight it then."
"Agreed, Madam Mayor," Spencer replied. "It would also require her to be transferred to another jail. When she's in a proper prison with real correction officers and not just her roommate, she may have a bigger change of heart."
"I have to agree," Regina said, trying not to feel so giddy. "Thank you, Albert. I appreciate the update."
"You're welcome, Madam Mayor," he said. "I just hope we can find her body so she can get the burial she deserves."
She swallowed past a lump forming in her throat. "Me too."
They ended the court and she stood, looking out over Storybrooke. Soon, it would be safe and she could continue with her happy ending. But she hoped she could give some solace and justice to her friend just as she was about to do for Daniel.
"I will find you, Kathryn," she whispered, pressing her hand to the cool window. "I promise."
She then turned from the window and took a deep breath, letting everything sink in as she realized what was about to happen. Mary Margaret was about to be sent out of Storybrooke, never to return. It didn't matter if she was ultimately convicted or not. Once she stepped foot outside the town line, she would be stuck as Mary Margaret while everyone in Storybrooke would forget about her forever.
It meant Snow White would be good as dead.
And not even True Love's Kiss could bring her back.
Feeling triumphant, Regina wanted to celebrate – even if she couldn't call it a celebration or tell anyone the real reason why. She picked up her phone and pressed the second contact on her phone, listening to it ring as she waited for the person to pick up.
"Hello, love," Robin said, his voice smooth and soothing. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I was wondering if you were free for dinner tonight?" she asked.
He paused for a moment before asking: "Like a date?"
"Yes," she replied, feeling bad as she remembered Roland. "Or it could be a family thing. You know I love spending time with Roland."
"And he loves spending time with you," he replied, chuckling. "But I want to be selfish and have you all to myself. Can we postpone to tomorrow? John has something tonight but he can watch Roland tomorrow."
Excitement built inside her. "That sounds great."
"Then it's a date," he said. "My turn to pick."
She chuckled. "Even though I asked you?"
"Yes," he replied. "I asked you last time and you picked. So now we're just switching. Seems fair."
"I suppose," she replied, sitting down. "Where do you have in mind?"
He didn't respond right away. Giving him some time to think about it, Regina clicked through a few emails before he said: "I need to think about it. There are a couple places but I'm not sure which one I want to take you to."
"Just let me know what I should wear. That's all I ask," she said, surprised. Usually, she would've wanted to know every little detail so she could be prepared. However, she trusted Robin and knew that she would love wherever he picked.
"Will do," he replied. "Talk to you soon, darling."
She repeated the sentiment before ending the call. Regina set her phone down, feeling more confident than she had since Emma Swan had come to town. Everything was working out the way it was supposed to. Her happy ending was once again within her grasp.
And this time, she was going to make sure nothing could threaten it ever again.
A/N: It looks like Regina's plan is certainly coming together. Will she get her happy ending? Or will it all come crashing down on her?
And what did happen to Kathryn?
I'm leaving for California tomorrow for a trip to Disneyland and I'll be flying home next Monday, so there will be no update next week. You'll have to wait two weeks to find out what happens next and I hope it will be worth the wait.
Thanks for reading!
-Mac