A/N: Thanks for the faves and follows. don't be shy to tell me what you think! even if you hate it. Thanks.-S.K.
The Proposal
Regina
I turned to Emma as she followed me toward my office. "Have security take Archie's Break Phone and have them put it in my conference room."
"Okay." She said trailing behind me.
"Bump the 9 am to 9:30 Till I can talk to the View about Belle's book."
"Sure, Hey Regina, did you read that one Manuscript I gave you?"
"Yeah and it was shit. It won't sell"
"Shit? That was the kind of book you used to publish not this pretentious crap Belle is putting out now." Emma insisted.
I stopped and looked at her. "Right… well I'm not buying it." I said then turned to walk into my office. "We're are going to be working this weekend to look through Archie's files and his manuscripts."
"THIS weekend?" Emma said stopping by her desk.
"Yes, this weekend. why do you have plans?" She nodded. "Well cancel them"
"But I was going home for Granny's 90th birthday…" I didn't want to hear the particulars I just kept walking. "Fine you know what, you're saving me from a weekend of misery anyway." She said I smirked as I settled into my desk.
Emma
I sat at my desk and sent out a memo about the bump in time for the staff meeting. Then I picked up the phone and called my mother. "Hello?"
"Hey mom."
"Emma! I can't wait to see you this weekend."
I groaned. "I'm not… I can't come this weekend. Regina is making me work."
"We haven't seen you in Three years!" My mom said. in the background I could hear my dad objecting angrily.
"Mom, I know… Tell Granny I'm sorry and I'll see you all as soon as I get a weekend." I said
"If we didn't bring Henry to you in the summers you'd never see your own son."
"I know mom, I miss him too and I know Dad is angry but I've worked pretty hard on this promotion and I'm not gonna-" I saw Regina approaching out of the corner of my eye and I switched up my speech. "We take our submissions very seriously and we will get back to you." I quickly hung up the phone and looked up at her.
She arched her brow. "Was that your family?" she asked
I nodded. "yeah."
"They ask you to quit?" She deadpanned
"Every single day." I answered and thankfully the phone rang at that very moment. "Miss Mills office?"
"Could you please send miss Mills to our office?" Mr. Gold said
"Okay." I said and hung up I looked at Regina who was waiting patiently. "Mr. Gold Wants you upstairs."
She grunted and rolled her eyes. "Okay, come get me in ten minutes we have a lot to do."
"Okay!" I said and turned to do some more work.
Regina
I headed toward Gold's office determined to get this meeting over with. "Good morning miss Mills." His secretary said. I ignored it though. I didn't really have the energy to exchange pleasantries.
"Good morning Mr. Gold I said walking into the office."
"Miss Mills! Congratulations on The View Thing." He said.
"Thank you!" I said with a smile. "This isn't about my second raise is it?"
He chuckled. Well, "Regina, do you remember when we didn't want you to go to the Frankfurt book fair because you weren't allowed out of the country while your visa papers were under review?"
I nodded. "Yes I do remember."
"And what… you went to Frankfurt didn't you?" Gold asked.
"Well we were going to lose Leopold to Viking I couldn't let that happen." I answered with a shrug.
"Unfortunately the U.S. Government don't care much about what Book publishers have to go through." Gold said leaning forward and picking up a piece a paper on his desk. "I just got off the phone with an INS officer."
"So we're good right?" I said confidently. I know I had forgotten to fill something out but really I am so sure I can make up for this.
"Regina your visa application has been denied, and you are being deported."
"Deported?" I said in shock.
"Apparently there was some paperwork that was not turned in on time. "He stated matter of factly
"Oh come on! I'm not even really an immigrant. i'm from Canada." I shook my head. "There has got to be something we can do."
"We can re-apply, but you have to leave the country for a year." Gold stated folding his arms across his chest.
"A YEAR?" I said. "Oh… Okay well I guess I can take care of everything from Toronto."
"Actually Regina, you can't be deported and work for an American company." Gold said.
"Oh my god." I said placing my head in my hands.
"We will just turn operations over to Archie Hopper."
What? "Archie Hopper?" there was no way that was happening. if Archie took over... "You mean the guy I just fired, Archie Hopper."
"One in the same Dearie." He said with a hint of a smirk that I really just wanted to slap off his face. "we are dying to have you here, but we have to get things done and there is no one more experienced."
"no way, no way… I'm begging you please."
"If there was any way that I could help you through this-" there was a knock on the door and Emma peeked in. "Excuse me we're in a meeting." Gold said.
"I'm sorry…" she said hesitating a little taking in the tense situation before her.
"What… what?" I asked exasperated. this is not the meeting that I need out from.
"Um… Mary from The View is on the line she is on hold…" Emma started. and I really wished she would stop talking I wasn't going to leave this meeting till I had a solution to my problem. "I told her you were otherwise engaged and she insisted so…"
She signaled with her head for me to follow her out, and I got an epiphany. Engaged. My bosses knew I was gay… Same sex marriage is legal in New York. I can get married now… and stay in the country. "Uh… " I signaled for her to come closer and turned to Gold. "I understand the predicament that we are in and I thought you should know…"
I looked at Emma. She was clueless of course as to what was happening but she walked into the room like she had extreme confidence in me and that's why she was the best candidate for this. "We are getting married." I took her hand and pulled her closer