"I still do not see why I have to come on this trip," Regina snarked from the passenger's seat.
Emma rolled her eyes before responding with a smirk, "You mean besides the fact that you are the one who cast a dark curse placing a whole town's worth of people in a land without magic, where time stopped and no one aged; and then that curse was broken and people started to age, they wanted to leave town or go to college, etc…yada yada, long list of things they can't do because they have no credit history, tax or income history, social security number…?" Emma trailed off looking more and more amused as her travel companions face hardened in annoyance.
"I understand why the trip needs to be made, Sheriff, I just feel you would be perfectly capable of infiltrating a government building on your own. You were a thief once upon a time after all," Regina ended with a good natured grin towards the blonde. After everything they had been through: curses, wraiths, countless magical enemies, and loss, they had found in each other someone who could understand their special brand of dark humor and banter back.
Emma scoffed in mock offense but carried on as if Regina hadn't said anything, "Or maybe it's because the best way for us to get access to a government building is to attend the Small Town Governments of New England conference being hosted in the JFK Federal Building. Where departments like the IRS and Labor Bureau reside, making it the more effective way to guarantee that computer curse you've concocted will provide a government paper trail for Storybrooke's residents." Emma ended the sentence with a jab of her pointer finger in the air to emphasis her point.
"It's not a curse," Regina corrected. "It's more of a potion...mixed with a computer virus."
"Remind me to thank that Arnold kid again for helping design the computer code," Emma commented before continuing on. "Or maybe it's because we have to use magic in "The Land Without Magic," She stretches her right arm out to air quote in the Mayors face, "to make this work. Which requires not only the previous preparation of extracting True Love and putting it a bottle so that we can conduct magic but also as much magical power as we can muster to make it work, i.e. more than just one magical person who is still for all intents and purposes a novice."
"You wouldn't feel like such a novice if you actually completed the magically homework lessons I give you." Regina replied acquiescently, knowing the Sheriff was correct even if she would never admit it out loud.
"Besides, Madam Mayor, it would be a bit strange for the Sheriff to show up alone to the Town Government and Law Enforcement Communication seminar we had to sign up for. It's literally all about how the town law enforcement and the mayor can partner to improve their towns." Emma finished with a small tap to the steering wheel as the final exclamation of her argument. It was such a small and subtle gesture most people wouldn't notice it, but more and more these days Regina has found herself noticing these things about the fiery blonde who came crashing into her life years ago. There was always a hum of energy about her; she could never sit totally still, she would fidget constantly in meetings, she would talk with her hands or drum on the steering wheel. With most people, Regina realized, the constant need to move would drive her crazy, and there was a time where Emma was a part of that list. However, these days, she finds herself attempting to suppress a smile as she watches Emma's fingers happily dance along to the radio too lost in her own thoughts to counter the blondes argument.
tap tap taptaptap tap tap taptaptap…
That was until she decided her fingers made good drum sticks. As they pulled up to a red light the blonde took the opportunity to go into a full blown drum solo. Quickly, yet surprisingly gentle, Regina grabbed Emma's right hand holding it down on the center console. "Must you always make so much unnecessary noise?"
A dry chuckle escaped Emma's throat as she tried not to think about the warm hand that was currently holding her own. "It's a good song…" Emma sheepishly reasoned, aware that if she moved or made too much of a conflict out of it Regina might remember she was still holding her hand. Geez Emma thought, am I really this touch starved? Snow hugs me all the time,-too much sometimes even. The light changed to green and Regina released her hand. They started moving again, neither one noticing the small dissatisfied frowns that crossed both of their faces at the loss of contact. Even now, as they headed further and further past the town limits, cut off from magic, it was like they could still feel their magic reaching out for the others. How am I supposed to survive a whole weekend alone with her in such close proximity without an ogre or a life or death curse to distract me, Emma silently panicked. Unbeknownst to her, Regina was having a very similar internal monologue.
This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. Let me know if this is a story worth continuing.
-I.M.