Chapter 2.
Emma wandered the city avoiding the task at hand. She could find Regina's apartment, if she tried harder, but the possibility created searing anxiety. She took her time, strolled through the city, ate her lunch on a park bench and generally wasted her time in aimless thought.
Emma found herself wondering, again and again, about the purpose of this trip.
The residents of Storybrooke wanted Snow White and James Charming to combine forces with their daughter—the town's Sheriff—to find Regina Mills and kill her.
No arrest, no trial, just a quick sentence of death.
At the edge of their fury and their machinations was, as always, Rumpelstiltskin. He had gone even madder with power and used magic at every opportunity. Many of the spells he cast were focused on the creation of angry thoughts and vengeful acts. The infection that had spread through Storybrooke was rooted in revenge. Emma could only hope that Regina's own disposition had somehow improved.
Emma reached into her coat pocket and snagged Regina's cell phone. The phone had been abandoned when the Mayor left town. Emma kept the phone fully charged, just in case.
In case someone called it.
Like just then…
Emma thumbed the talk button and said, rather loudly, "Regina?" She couldn't believe it. If it was Regina, how would she have thought to call her own phone? Brilliant, really, what a brilliant woman…
It was not Regina though. A woman's voice responded after a full ten seconds of silence.
"Oh my god! Please do not tell me that you're her wife?"
Emma burst into surprised laughter. Then she squirmed. Wife.
"Yeah, ummm…" Emma fiddled with the edge of her blue leather jacket. She fidgeted and thought over at least the quickest of plans. "We're separated. Who might this be by the way?" Emma did her best to channel the suspicious partner vibe. She convinced the now contrite woman on the other line to meet her within the hour.
In the meantime, Regina rented a car with tinted windows for the week, after circling the block in her own car and spotting Emma on a random park bench. Emma was chattering into a cell phone, laughing about something. Regina wondered—was that Henry on the phone? Or perhaps it was Snow? Or, maybe, a lover? Did Emma have somebody back in Storybrooke, waiting for her? Regina frowned.
She spent the rest of the day following Emma around. Regina enjoyed the irony of stalking Emma while Emma was supposed to be trailing after her.
Emma really did eat the worst foods, Regina decided. Pizza was followed by beer followed by some kind of greasy bar food. Regina tapped her fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. She watched Emma for well over an hour.
"Oh shit!" Regina cursed aloud as Enid—or whoever she was—strolled casually toward Emma. "How in the hell…" Regina muttered to herself, starting her car. The two women were definitely talking.
The one-night-stand whose name Regina never did bother to remember, was only too happy to bad mouth Regina to Emma. Regina started the car and peeled away before she could bother to worry about what these two were saying about her.
In the meantime, Emma was doing her best to act the part of the sad and confused estranged wife.
"She told me, at first, that she was a lawyer." Eunice said, angrily stubbing out a cigarette. That was her name—Eunice. "Then she said that she was a former Congresswoman. She laughed when I told her that I didn't recognize her. She said that she had been fired for misconduct and misappropriation of funds. Something about buying a playground structure with State tax dollars…"
Emma had to hide her laughter behind fake coughing. "That's Regina, all right," she choked out. She had to end their conversation quickly and faked a crying jag to accomplish the task. Eunice stared at her, utterly confused by the strange show of obviously insincere emotion.
"Cut your losses." Emma snickered to herself as she walked away. A piece of paper with Regina's address was in her pocket, she had what she needed, and she wondered about taking her own advice.
Emma wanted to take some time to think about their situation before actually confronting Regina. She needed a run, so after returning to her hotel room for the night, she donned her workout clothes and hit the concrete. Emma knew that she was just procrastinating. Avoiding Regina, despite her assignment, seemed like a much better idea than actually speaking to the woman.
Despite the exercise and a light dinner afterward, Emma didn't sleep very much that night. She couldn't help but to ask herself: had she really forgiven Regina? Emma preferred to wander off in her mind before actually confronting her feelings. She had suspected, at times, that Regina was borderline psychopathic which, really—she wasn't qualified to make the assessment. Something else then. A broken soul; a woman lost in her grieving. Emma tried to conjure anger.
Emma tossed and turned, staring at the light that bled into her room around inadequate curtains. She flipped onto her back and looked at the ceiling. Sleep crept up on her, once or twice. Each time, she dreamt that Regina was shouting at her.
By morning, Emma was seriously contemplating leaving town. She had been in Philadelphia for a week.
Emma threw on the same outfit she had once met Regina with for the very first time, when returning Henry, and made her way slowly to the address Eunice had given her. It was 5am. Way too early for Regina to anticipate discovery.
Someone had already beaten Emma to the punch, however.
Emma heard voices as soon as she arrived and pressed her ear to the door. A male voice, angry, loud, and Regina's voice, equally angry, echoed in the hallway. The door was heavy, but the deadbolt could easily be picked. Emma needn't have worried. Whoever entered Regina's apartment had not given her enough time to lock up.
Emma heard a strange, strangled cry from Regina, then the telltale 'thump' of a body hitting the ground. Everything happened in slow motion, but also incredibly quickly. Emma threw herself against the door and hit whoever was on the other side of it.
It was Jefferson. The Mad Hatter, whatever he was. Emma drew her gun on him as he smiled and gestured theatrically down to where Regina lay bleeding and unconscious.