"Of all the nerve." Grabbing the handset and dialing Regina is fuming. "Typical, no answer." Hitting the switch hook to get the dial tone back, Regina tries another number. "Voicemail. No matter, you cannot hide from me." Concentrating for a moment. When the smoke clears, the Mayor's Office is unoccupied.
Appearing outside the Sheriff's Office, Regina can see that the infuriating blonde has her booted feet propped up on the desk and mentally fills in the rest of the image-the chair rocked back on two legs, arms crossed across the atrocious red leather jacket, head slumped forward, fast asleep.
"Sheriff Swan! Really! Are you always sleeping on the job? That would certainly explain why you did not answer my calls." Stepping fully into the office, Regina halts mid rant.
While Emma is rocked back with her feet up, the blue ice pack resting on her cheek and over one eye was not anticipated.
"For your information, I was busy separating these two fighting at Granny's" Emma gestures behind her at the holding cells occupied by Grumpy and Happy "and I thought I would let my face rest a bit before I called you back. Why that one is called Happy, I will never understand."
"Yes, well. Be that as it may, I expect you to always promptly call me back." Trying to regain the head of steam she had worked up.
"Okay. I take it this isn't a social call." Sitting up, her feet hitting the floor and one hand catching the ice pack, "What may I do for you, Madame Mayor?" The swelling had gone down quite a bit allowing the eye to open fully but judging from the tiny gasp Regina emitted the bruise must be impressive. At least the throbbing had lessened.
"While I do appreciate that you are finally getting your paperwork in on time, Sheriff, I simply cannot condone the use of city funds for this." Letting several pieces of paper hit and scatter across the desktop.
"What? I discussed with you the need to restock and update the Emergency Response Kit at our last council meeting. Honestly Regina, I checked with several approved venders to get the best stuff at the lowest prices." Emma picks up and starts scanning the paperwork, very familiar with what she had spent a week looking up, comparing and haggling over.
"I suggest you check item number 87, Sheriff."
Thumbing to find the correct page in the pile, Emma sees 'Rope Burn' listed from . "Got it. Must be a first responder item." Fumbling for the file folder containing all the research and reasons for justification of the expenses involved, "Hold on a sec…"
"I'll save you the trouble Sheriff. I already looked up item 87 on Amazon. Did you really think I would allow you to bill my city for your perversions with that unwashed, uncouth, rabid raccoon masquerading as a pirate?"
All thoughts of finding the file folder forgotten, Emma stands abruptly "My what? With who? What the hell are you talking about?"
Regina stalks around the desk and into Emma's space. "It is a song, Sheriff. By Janet Jackson. I can only assume you were expecting that I would not check into something costing $1.29 and let the expense go through. Your days of thievery are not totally behind you, it would seem. Perhaps an audit of the Sheriff's Office is in order."
"For fuck's sake Regina, that was a mistake. I thought I billed that to my own account. I have never, would never use city funds for…Hook?! You think I bought that song…oh for the love of…you would think that…and that sort of thing is not perverse!" Narrowing her eyes, Emma has an epiphany "You are upset because you are jealous, not because of the cost!" Punctuating her words with a jab of her finger against Regina's chest.
"Do not be absurd, Sheriff, I am hardly jealous. I am simply concerned that that…person," the venom dripping from her words could almost be heard dripping onto the concrete floor "is a bad influence on you."
A disgusted noise comes from Emma throat "Hook has absolutely no influence on me and you know it."
Stepping closer, looming larger than her stature, Regina pushes one more time "We all know your choice in men leaves quite a bit to be desired, dear. Neal, Walsh, and now the one handed, land bound pirate. If not for him, then whom?"
"Low blow, Regina. Low blow." Digging into her front jeans pocket, Emma pulls out crumpled bills. "Here, take the two fucking dollars and get out." Tossing them on the desk, Emma sits down and holds the ice bag back on her face.
The resignation in Emma's voice makes Regina tilt her head. "It wasn't him, was it?" Leaning down to look into her open eye "Who? Who has your favor?"
"Leave me be. I have prisoners to attend to and paperwork to fill out." Kicking back on the chair to put her feet back on the desk, Emma's jacket shifts revealing a blood stain on her white shirt.
"Dear, I believe you are bleeding. Come along to the bathroom." Regina waits.
"Figures. This day is just getting better and better." Emma stands up, leaves the ice bag on the desk and walks over to the holding cells. With an odd, zigzag wave she addresses the dwarves. "Which one of you stabbed me? And don't lie. I will figure it out. Each of you had a knife, both of your fingerprints are on file, and a DNA test of the blood will tell me whose knife it was. Let's get this out of the way."
Both look at Emma and then over her shoulder at the Mayor, to them suddenly standing there.
"I guess it was me," Grumpy admits "but I was going for Happy. Sorry, sister."
"For the last time, I am not your sister."
"Aw, come on, Sheriff, it's a figure of"
Emma makes the odd wave again and walks towards the bathroom. Regina follows.
"I see you are finally making use of your magic."
"Yeah, well. That spell comes in handy. Prisoners can't see or hear what is going on in the office and I can mute their constant whining but still see what they are up to."
Once in the bathroom, Emma sits on a chair by the sink and takes off her jacket inspecting it for damage. Regina goes to the wall mounted locker system to pick up the first aid kit.
"Take off your shirt, Sheriff, once you are finished with that horrendous jacket." Regina orders while washing her hands. "Do you have a clean shirt here?"
"Yeah, yeah…good, just a little blood…what? Oh, no. I'll just soak this one while you patch me up…"
"Yes, you working without a shirt on is very professional." Emma can picture the eye roll that inevitably goes with the snark. "Give it to me, Ms. Swan." Drying her hands, Regina walks over to the waste can.
Turning to approach Emma, Regina's breath audibly catches. There sits the Sheriff, her head bent down, hands inspecting the bleeding wound in a lacy black bra that sets off her skin wonderfully.
"Sit up dear, so that I may see your injury better." Regina kneels next to the chair, hands reaching to touch but stop just shy of contact. Meeting Emma's eyes, silently asking for permission. Receiving a slight nod in reply.
The gasp that filled the air was not one of pain.
"It doesn't seem to be a stab but a fairly deep, long cut." Regina murmurs while her hands probe gently. "I think I can heal it…I am sure I can." Taking more time than is necessary to evaluate the cut, appreciating the warm skin, muscles twitching underneath her fingertips, the scent of Emma that is impossible to ignore this close.
Regina's touch is even better than she has ever imagined. Emma's eyes flutter closed while her hands flex open and closed, repeatedly sending requests for permission to touch Regina, pull her closer, something, anything.
Seeing the movement out of the corner of her eye, Regina asks quietly "Am I hurting you?"
No reply.
"Are you in pain?"
Still no response.
Stilling her hands on Emma's abdomen, looking up to study her face, Regina pleads "Emma, please answer me. Does this hurt?"
"Why did you stop?" Opening her eyes slowly as if coming out of a daze, Emma quickly reads the concern in Regina's eyes. "Oh, umm, no you are not hurting me, this is nice. Sure, if you wanna heal it that would be great. Don't wanna haveta leave you to go to the hospital anyway…I mean go to the hospital…Whale and all, you know."
"Alright. Hold your arm up to make this area" patting above the cut "more taut," Regina instructs waiting for Emma to comply.
Emma just continues sitting, looking into Regina's upturned face, a lazy smile slowly blooming.
"Emma, really. Hold your arm up or there may be a scar." When there is still no attempt to obey, Regina loosely grasps Emma's wrist to raise her arm. Looking at the cut still gaping open, Regina lets her hand glide further up Emma's arm to hold it up farther. "Clearly, this is not going to work if you are not willing to cooperate, Ms. Swan."
Releasing Emma's arm to dangle off the side of the chair, Regina stands with her hands on her hips. "I didn't realize you had lost enough blood to lose the ability to follow directions, Sheriff. If this is the case, perhaps you should go to the hospital."
"No, no hospital, Regina please, heal me. Just put my arm where you want it and I promise to hold it there." comes the mumbled reply.
"This is your last chance, Sheriff." Regina again grasps Emma's arm, raising it higher and higher while watching the cut to see when the skin closes. Leaning in to speak quietly into Emma's ear, Regina instructs "Now, leave your arm exactly here. No moving or I will stop. Do you understand?"
"Oh, god, yes. I understand…and it was you, you I was thinking of, no one else…" and then, nothing.
My phone is ringing? Oh, good. It stopped. Too comfy to move anyway. Wait, who is talking?
"No, I assure you she is quite fine here. Resting, of course. I ammore than able to keep an eye on…It was the concussion in addition to the blood loss from the cut that caused her to lose consciousness…She refused to go to the hospital, so I summoned Rumple. Yes, it was lucky that I stopped by the station. I will have her call you when she awakens. No, I will most certainly will not wake her right now. I am aware of the procedures for caring for a person with a concussion…Goodbye, Snow."
Heavy sigh.
Cracking open the 'good' eye, Emma sees that she is indeed in the Mayor's house. On the couch, in fact.
"That was Snow?" Emma croaked.
"Oh, you are awake. Good." Regina places the cell phone on an end table and sits on the coffee table. "Do you remember what happened?" Taking Emma's hand in her own, the other resting lightly against her forehead.
"Well, I remember breaking up the fight at Granny's, getting clobbered and cut, then you were at the station." Emma's face scrunches up in thought. "Something about one of the purchases I made…we were in the bathroom? I gather from your end of the phone call that I passed out and have a concussion. Is that about it?" Turning her head into the warm softness, the delicious feeling of fingers combing into her hair.
"Approximately. How do you feel?"
"Okay, I think. Sounds like I owe you but a simple 'thank you' isn't enough."
"Yes you do, Ms. Swan. As a matter of fact you owe me one dollar and twenty nine cents," classic Regina smirk "but we can discuss proclivities later."
And it call comes rushing back with a ferocious blush and a squeeze of still joined hands.