"I still don't think it's a good idea, but I get what you are saying. So how do you want to split up?" Emma finally caves to the inevitable.
"Snow and David will rescue Red from Cruella, you can handle Ursula and I have a score to settle with Maleficent." Regina explains. "Simple."
Snow and David are already pulling charged batteries, attaching them to radios when Emma points out "Um, okay, I guess. But what about Gold?"
The coldest chuckle Emma has ever heard, even colder than the 'Evil Queen' she had met, is followed with "Oh, don't worry dear. Belle and I have worked out something special for the lying imp."
Cruella and Maleficent have been dealt with. The reinforced, fairy dusted convent cells are more than adequate for holding them while the fairies heal Red.
There has been no word from Emma. Her cell goes directly to voice mail, radio calls go unanswered. Focusing for a few seconds, Regina open her eyes wondering why Emma would be at the station.
The clicking of heels down the hallway alerts Emma that she is out of time. Three quick, silent spells follow.
Not waiting to turn the corner into the Sheriff's office, a voice calls "Where is Henry? I just stopped by the diner and he isn't there." Standing in the doorway Regina looks elegant and angry, a combination that usually makes Emma's heartbeat speed up.
Ignoring the question, Emma poses one of her own. "How did it go with Maleficent?" Watching as Regina's eyes travel around the room, searching.
Stalking closer to the desk, Regina still refuses to make eye contact. "She never really had a chance against me." A grin of wolfish delight. "And now she never will."
Emma masks her true reaction, reaching for a pen with one hand and pulling paperwork towards the middle of the blotter with the other. "Good to hear."
"And how did you fair with Ursula, dear?"
"Oh, she wasn't nearly as difficult to deal with as you implied." Waving the hand holding the pen dismissively. "That's why I stopped in to finish some things."
The dig worked, making Regina take the remaining two steps to be flush against the far side of the desk.
"Really. I would have expected that she would have been a bit of a challenge for you."
"Nah, a little research showed me her weakness. Then it was just a matter of exploiting it."
"Weakness?" Regina balls her hands into fists. "You think the most powerful undersea witch has a weakness?"
Emma's office chair rolls back suddenly, a strong but supple arm coiling around her waist. Before the arm could lift her, Emma grabs the hand triggered spray bottle nestled between her legs, spraying the arm and then blindly spraying where Regina stands.
Regina enters the Sheriff's Station at a swift clip almost slipping on what appears to be water on the floor. Regaining her balance, her eyes sweep the outer office. All seems as usual. Noticing a puddle in the open doorway of the Sheriff's personal office, Regina forms a fireball.
Peeking in, the first glance reveals more water pooling on the floor, an overturned chair, and documents strewn across the desk.
But no Emma.
Stepping in while extinguishing the fire ball, there is something not right. The air is heavy with…some sort of sickeningly sweet flowery scent. Like a floral-slash-candle shop vomited its entire partially digested inventory in this enclosed space.
Stepping around the corner of the desk, Regina spots an empty spray bottle on the floor. Taking a longer, slower, look around she realizes there is a narrow door that was not there before. Cautiously opening the door, fireball ready, Regina finds Emma sitting on an old metal folding chair.
"Really, Ms. Swan?" A deep sigh. "Hiding in a closet?" Raised eyebrows and shaking her head.
"Seemed like a good idea at the time." Comes the sheepish reply.
"Do come out of there and tell me what is going on, dear."
"I think I'll just sit here a bit longer, thanks." Emma is scrutinizing every inch of the woman before her. "Why don't you tell me what you have been up to?"
The ringing of a cell phone startles them both.
Regina fishes her phone out of her coat pocket, eyes still on Emma.
"Yes?" Listening to the caller, Regina's face scrunches up in distain.
Emma bets it's Snow.
"Of course, Snow. Emma is right here…what do you mean? He isn't at the Diner?" a piercing glance at Emma. "I will call you back." Pulling the phone from her ear, Emma can hear Snow still talking before Regina thumbs the end button.
"Where is Henry?" Regina's body language brooks no hesitation.
"He is safe."
"That is not what I asked, Ms. Swan. You will tell me this instant-Where. Is. Henry?"
"Calm down, let me explain. I am almost certain you are the real Regina."
"What are you talking about?"
"Your walk had the right cadence. You look like her. You are wearing exactly what she was wearing earlier. You speak like Regina. You smell like her, as does the magic you performed. But I have to be sure. Tell me something only Regina would know."
"Alright. The scar on the left side of your chest. If someone is rude enough to ask you about it, you tell them you had a mole removed. However, it was a foster" Regina stopped speaking. She was loath to refer to that man as any sort of parent. "It was the adult male of the household. He had too much to drink, beat you until you were unconscious and then used your chest as an ashtray."
Emma is nodding and grimly smiling.
The closet dissolves, Henry is sitting on a cot caught between happiness that this is truly Regina and upset over what had happened to Emma.
"I'm sorry Moms, I left the Diner to get a radio. I wanted to know what was happening."
"Henry!" Regina sidesteps Emma in the chair to hug Henry but stops. He is holding a fish bowl. A fish bowl with a tiny Ursula inside.
Turning back to commend Emma on her use of magic, Regina sees blood dripping off the seat of the chair and a slumped Emma.
"You forgot to tell me that the suckers had teeth. Tiny, razor sharp teeth. In each sucker."
"I didn't know. When I impersonated her I had never met her, so I went by descriptions I had read."
"Yeah, she mentioned something about it being her turn to be you. Too bad she did such a terrible job at it."
"I had no idea you paid such close attention to me, Ms. Swan."
"I believe it was Sun Tzu who said 'If you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.'"
"Yes, and 'Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance' which you used to your advantage. How did you beat Ursula?"
"I remembered reading about fishing for octopus with bleach back in the '60's and how you have to be careful to maintain a specific saline level in home salt water tanks. So I mixed bleach and rock salt, put some on the floor and the rest in a spray bottle."
"There, all healed. Shall we join the festivities at Granny's?"