Regina came into the cellblock the next morning very, very early. She glared over to Mary Margaret Blanchard's cell making sure that she was still asleep before she opened Emma's cell as quietly as possible. She knelt down and took in the young beauty's face. She almost hummed her awe, but instead she let her hand reach through her hair and stroke her blonde locks a few times before coming to rest on her shoulder and shaking lightly.
Emma jumped, prepared to scream or kick or punch or wail or… something, but when she saw those big chocolate cow eyes she smiled and rested her head back into her pillow and whispered, "G'morning."
"Good morning, Miss Swan." She whispered back and smiled apologetically, knowing that she startled the pregnant woman. She didn't speak again, but she did offer her hand to the younger woman.
Emma smiled and took it, letting herself be pulled to stand before, still holding hands, being led back to Regina's office.
As soon as the door clicked behind them, Mary Margaret Blanchard and Ruby were both up, faces pressed between metal bars.
"Oh my God did you see it?" Ruby asked in hope.
"Yes! They were holding hands!"
"WHAT!?" Ruby was a little too excited
"SHHHHHHH!" and "Shut up!" was heard from the other women of the block.
"You shut up!" Ruby rolled her eyes and looked back over to the black haired woman, "What exactly did they say? I couldn't hear anything."
"I don't know… but there is definitely something brewing at Storybrooke Penitentiary…"
Regina led Emma into a room that she hadn't shown her the night before, "This is my private bathroom."
Emma looked around amazed, "It's got a shower… and a tub." She slumped forward, "Oh, a tub with salts and soaps and bubble and flower petals… that's nice."
"That's actually drawn for you… I wasn't bragging." Regina smirked behind the blonde.
Emma turned around with a shocked expression, "For me?"
"You deserve it, you haven't had a proper bath in God knows…" She pointed to the counter, "There are morning essentials: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, face wash, hair brush, and razor, but I have to be in here for all of that… County rules… it prevents shivs, not that I believe you will make one, or need to make one, but…"
Emma smiled, "Alright, I'll let you know when I want to shave my legs… We can even keep the door open, talk a bit? That way you're doing your job." She looked at the brunette.
Regina nodded, "I jut have a quick phone call to make and then I will sit just outside the doorway."
After only a few words exchanged between them, Emma called, "Okay, I'm ready for the razor."
Regina didn't look in her direction harldy at all except to give Emma what she needed. She sat on the lid of the toilet and wouldn't look her way.
Emma bit her lip. She was curious why she wasn't looking, but didn't comment. Instead she tried to get the woman to talk, "So… there are rumors about you, you know…"
"There are rumors of everyone, I'm sure." Regina said as she studied her hands.
"There are sexual rumors about everyone and the fact that they pick prisoners to bone until no longer needed or wanted?"
This caused Regina to look up at her. Emma was grinning a wide grin, finally getting a reaction from her, "I never did any such thing…"
Emma gave her a look, "Really? Because they asked me before they realized I was pregnant if I was your new chippie…"
"They did not!"
"Okay, they didn't use the word, 'chippie'…" Emma looked into those brown eyes, "Everyone needs to get some sometimes… I'm not judging you, just making conversation."
"I did not use him for sex. He… wooed me…" She looked off to the side, "Until I realized he was using me for sex because he and his 'girlfriend' were having a fight… then I started using him…" she shrugged.
Emma nodded, "Good for you."
"You're not going to call me a liar? I'm sure most everyone else would."
"Nah, I have like this superpower… I, when I really, really want to know, can tell when people are lying…"
"Why couldn't you tell eight months ago?" Regina raised a harsh brow.
"Okay," Emma laughed lightly, "That was well deserved, but mean…" She looked down at her leg and ran the razor across from it, "I didn't want to tell then… I wanted the one night stand as much as he did…"
"Why one night?"
"Because I don't like to use men for longer…" She admitted without realizing until it was too late, "Uh-oh, secret…" She looked apologetically over to Regina as she covered her mouth.
"So you like to use women for longer?" Regina gave her a knowing smile.
"Have you ever been with a woman?" Emma asked a bit of her temper flaring.
"Yes."
"Because if you have then you—what?" She looked to Regina with wide eyes.
"Yes." Regina said again, smirk well placed on her mouth.
"Good… Then… then you know…" Emma continued with her leg then switched. It was silent for a few minutes before Emma looked over to the brunette who was again, avoiding her gaze and studying her hands, "Turn around." She said.
"What?"
"I'm gonna get out and you are obviously very shy so turn around so that you don't see anything." Emma moved and heaved herself up as Regina turned to the side on the lid then turned her head fully, resting her elbow on the tank of the toilet.
Emma dried off and found clean underwear to the side of the rest of the products on the counter, "Oh! Is this for me?"
"Is what for you?"
"This underwear?"
"Well… I don't exactly keep mine lying around and I don't exactly wear boyshorts."
The blonde smirked, "I'll bet you don't." She mumbled as she kept the extra-large towel around her and looked at all of the other goodies she was getting to use thanks to the Matron. She glanced in the mirror and found playfully glaring eyes turned toward her.
"I told Milli to get more for you and that is what she came back with after checking through your things…"
"Well… thank you for getting me clean, new stuff… It means a lot." She smiled her thanks then said, "Turn back around." Regina did, knowing that the blonde wasn't going to wait to explain herself this time and Emma put on the new underwear before putting back on the orange jumpsuit.
"Are you hungry?" Regina asked as they walked back into the main office.
"Yeah…" Emma nodded as if just realizing her hunger.
Regina smiled and offered Emma her hand for the second time that day, "Let's go for a walk…?"
Emma smiled and took her hand, "Alright." She smirked as they made their way outside.
As they made their way to the bottom floor and throughout a maze of a hall they came to an exit, "Now… I must warn you… no one has ever come out here during my reign except for me. You are going to be the only one that has come out here with me… except for the chef when I eat." She said as a side note.
"Oh, so I'm special, eh?" Emma smirked and giggled as she saw Regina turn red.
"What I'm trying to say is that if you tell the other prisoners that you were in my garden, they will ask question after question… It's like the promise land or Eden to them…"
"Oh, that's…" She tried to peer through the window, "I'm too interested now."
Regina smiled at the blonde who caught her eyes a moment before she opened the door.
"Oh wow…" Emma's jaw was dragging as she walked around, "What is this like the tree of knowledge? I mean, I know the bible doesn't specify, but…" She looked up at the large apple tree in the center of the garden, "I don't know, it looks pretty knowledge-y to me…"
Regina laughed, "It's not literally Eden…" She joked.
Emma looked to her, "Well… you should have specified…" She was still looking up at the sun through the branches and leaves and brilliantly red apples.
"I planted this when I was very young… My father was the Warden here."
Emma tilted her head and looked sideways at her, "Ah, so… disciplinarian runs in the family."
Regina smirked, "My father was actually a very, very kind man… he wasn't anything in comparison to my mother… She…"
The blonde turned fully to her after Regina trailed off and started inspecting apples, "She what?" the younger woman asked while she leaned against the tree.
"She was a wicked woman." Regina wouldn't look Emma in the eye, but it wasn't for the same reasons as earlier. She reached up and grabbed an apple, rubbed I clean on her shirt and offered it to the blonde, "Taste."
Emma stared at the apple a moment, "You can talk about it… if you want to. I won't say a word. I'm good at keeping my mouth shut." She said before she took the apple from the other woman's hand and bit into it, "Oh holy mother of God." She moaned out.
"Good?" Regina smirked.
Emma became suddenly playful, "Why yes, Matron Mills, I'd say your forbidden fruit is the best I've ever tasted."
Regina's jaw was the one to drop at this point. She coughed a brief second before she looked up to see the chef putting all the contents of his tray on the garden table. The chef was a kind man. He knew to leave well enough alone and never say anything to anyone about what he may or may not see.
After a lovely and revealing breakfast, on both of their sides about their childhoods, Emma couldn't help but make the definite decision that Ruby and the rest of them had no idea what they were talking about when they told her to watch out. She had been watching out all morning… Regina didn't lie to her once. She was genuine and sincere… She was officially in like with the woman. That was the official conclusion she came to after a very eye-opening nap in the Matron's office after the best breakfast she'd ever had in her life.
She looked around as she sat up and found Regina working away on some kind of paperwork. She stood up and walked to the window, giving a half smile as she passed by the woman's desk. She saw all of the inmates in 'the square' is what she learned it to be called. She knew she should be down there. She bit her lip as she thought about what she should do.
"Is everything alright, Emma?" Regina took off her glasses and looked at the blonde inmate.
"I should be down there…" Emma looked to the brunette, "I really, really, really enjoy all this special treatment, but I should be down there… I mean, the other inmates will start talking and start calling me and you on the special treatment... and I don't want you to have to deal with that…"
Regina nodded, "If you think it's for the best." She stood and walked over to the blonde, "But I'd really rather you come here in the mornings for a shower or bath… I'd rather you not have to use the communal showers."
Emma laughed, "I happily accept that condition." She walked to the door.
"Should you decide you like it here more, the door is always open for you, Miss Swan." Her throat constricted and she didn't know why.
"Oh don't worry. I'll be back…" She gave the brunette a bright smile before walking down to the square.
She saw Ruby, Mary Margaret and whom she assumed to be Ashley and another blonde and a redhead all sitting on a bench lining the basketball court.
"Come on August! Don't let him foul you like that!" Mary Margaret yelled.
"Babe!" A man on the court looked at her bewildered.
"Just because I'm your wife doesn't mean I have to root for you, David… You were clearly fouling him." Mary Margaret crossed her arms defiantly.
Ruby looked over to the newest blob of orange coming their way, "Hey, hey pregnant lady." She smiled and scooted over a bit to let her sit down.
"Hello." Emma smiled.
"Who's this?" Graham came over to Ruby who gave him the cup of water she was holding.
"This is the fresh meat." Ruby grinned and gave Emma a wink, "She's the matron's replacement for you, boo." Ruby leaned in and kissed him.
Emma gasped and looked down.
"What?" Ruby eyed her suspiciously.
"Nothing, he just… has the hiccups… again." Okay, so I lied… what am I supposed to say, 'Uh, when you guys were fighting, he was the one that seduced the Matron?' Not likely.
Ruby rolled her eyes, "A girl can move on from the past, Emma."
"I wasn't gasping at… That wasn't it… He—" She sighed and rubbed her stomach, "He has the hiccups." She mumbled.
Graham looked at her, "Listen… Whatever you do, just make sure to watch out. You have no idea what she is capable of."
"And no offense, but you have no idea what I am capable of." She gave him a fake smile.
Graham raised his brows in delight, more in an impressed delight.
"Woah!" Ashley started laughing.
"Look out…" The redhead, the one with the accent… Belle was next.
"New girl's gonna start taking names soon." The other blonde grinned.
The other four men on the court were all laughing as well.
"Come on, Graham, let it go."
Graham only put up a hand, "What are you capable of?"
Emma knew she shouldn't act as if she were the matron's newest bitch, but she couldn't help it, "Well, I got to see the garden this morning and I got to take a bath—What?" She stopped talking as she saw all of their faces drop.
"You've been inside the garden?!" The blonde she didn't know asked.
"Come on Kathryn! She just said that! Keep up!" Ruby shook her head, "What was it like?"
"Was it beautiful?"
"Was it ugly?"
"Were there bunnies and deer and squirrels and birds?"
"Was it everything you could ever want a garden to be and more?"
"Was it dead like her soul?"
"Mary Margaret!" Kathryn scolded then looked down shamefully before looking back up, "Was it?"
Emma smirked. Obviously these people didn't get out much, and this garden thing was like a freaking unicorn or something, "It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen…" Emma happily rubbed her stomach, "There's this apple tree—"
"Did you eat from it?" Ruby asked.
"Oh. My. God." Emma closed her eyes as she remembered the taste of the apple that morning.
"I'm so jealous." Ruby shook her head and pouted, "You've been here like all of five minutes and you've already seen the one thing that none of us have!"
"Yeah, who are you?" Graham asked.
"I'm Emma Swan… bitches." She laughed, "I'm sorry… I don't usually call people I don't know 'bitches'… It just felt like a 'bitches' moment, you know."
Ruby started laughing then stood tall and stamped her foot, "I told you all 'bitches' moments were real!" She sat back down and laced her arm through Emma's, "You're my new best friend, Emma Swan."
It was at this moment that the lunch bell rang. It was like the 13 high schools she went to all over again. The food was at the same disgusting level and everyone was off in pods. She walked with Ruby to where they all were.
"So, Emma…" One of the boys started, "I'm David by the way…"
"Hi David." Emma extended her hand and he took it.
"What brings you here?" He asked pleasantly.
"I Carrie Underwooded my baby daddy's car… which I guess was technically his wife's…" She shrugged.
"Oh… Well…" He obviously didn't know where to go with that, "Nice to have you with us."
"What does that mean?" Belle asked Ashley and her boyfriend, or husband, or whatever he was… her 'Clyde'.
"It means she 'dug her key into the side if his pretty little souped-up four wheel drive—'" The blonde man stopped singing, "Sorry… I couldn't resist." She shrugged, "I'm Sean by the way."
"And this is Frederick." Kathryn said, "I'm Kathryn. That's Belle and Ashley… just in case you haven't been introduced yet."
"Hello everyone." Emma smiled.
Everyone took to their meals quite quickly. Emma only pushed hers around. After lunch was over, and after Emma didn't eat a damn thing, she decided to go see the matron again. She saw Milli, Sidney, Gold and a guy with blonde hair all talking. She smiled but didn't look at any of them as she passed by and walked for the Matron's office door.
"Hey!" Sidney yelled at her, "Where do you think you're going? This floor isn't permitted to you, inmate. Get back to your cell!" Sidney grabbed her arm and yanked at the pregnant girl so that she'd start following him.
"But Regina said that I—"
"Regina?!" Sidney raised his voice and squeezed his hand harder on his arm.
The other three did and said nothing.
"I-I-I-I mean Matron Mills said that I could come by—"
"You really think I'm going to believe you?"
Regina's door opened as Sidney started pulling at the blonde inmate towards the exit.
"Sidney." Regina voice was stern and low. It was very threatening. Sidney could actually hear every last threat come from that one word. He knew he was in for it later… He just didn't know how he was going to make the matron see that he was doing it for her own good.
He turned to face the matron and dropped Emma's arm. He 'guided' the blonde inmate towards the matron by 'accidentally shoving' her forward. Emma stumbled a few steps, but gained her balance quickly. She shot Sidney a death glare before walking over to Regina. The matron stood to the side and gestured for her to go in before she stood in the middle of the doorframe once more.
"Dr. Whale we can discuss specifics at a later date, but I trust that we have everything we will need to provide Miss Swan with the utmost care?"
"Yes ma'am." The blonde man nodded.
"Thank you." She looked from Gold to Milli then settled her angry glare to Sidney, "Do your damn jobs." She pushed into her office. "Are you alright?"
Emma nodded, "I'm fine… been handled a lot worse by scarier dudes."
Regina gave her a firm look, "Yes, well.. You shouldn't be 'handled' at all. You're eight months pregnant for crying out loud." The brunette sat next to the blonde on the couch.
"Is everything okay?"
Emma nodded, "I'm a little hungry…" She bit her lip.
Regina chuckled, "Ah, inmate cuisine not really to your liking?"
"Not after the passed couple meals you've given me!" Emma said, "Seriously… how is that stuff and the stuff you eat even close to the same cooking?"
Regina leaned in, "It's not… I have my own personal chef… well my very small staff does as well… when they are on my good side, which is why they are such loyal workers… A way to an employee's heart is through free, five-star meals…" She winked.
Emma nodded, "That would definitely work for me."
"So… what would you like?"
~0~0~0~0~0~
"What do you suppose is really going on with them?" Graham asked.
Ruby thought about it, "I don't know… I mean… the matron wouldn't schtup a pregnant girl…"
"And she wouldn't use inmates for sex." Graham whispered in her ear… he'd confessed the truth a long time ago… but Ruby refused to let Graham sully his reputation because he had a moment of weakness and the Matron was the only woman that kind of compared to her… she actually took it as a compliment… in a weird way that wouldn't make any sense to anyone.
"Shh." Ruby turned to him and pecked his lips.
"I bet they're related in some way and that's why she gets to stay up there." David said.
"Oh! That's good… I bet that she wants to take the baby once it's out." Sean took a turn.
"Sean!" Ashley hit him, "She took our baby because we're both incarcerated! She didn't take it because she wants one for herself! We have no way to take care of her!"
"I'll bet that she's going to use her as a double agent. No one share anything personal with her." August piped up.
"Oh come on August… it's not like the officers don't already know our dirty laundry." Belle looked at the scruffy-faced man.
"I am concerned for our new friend though…" Mary Margaret looked to everyone.
"Why?" Frederick asked.
"I just get the feeling that everything is going to change… really, really change… soon."
"I'm sure nothing bad is going to happen…" Kathryn piped up, "I mean… I'll bet that Matron Mills is just trying to make her stay as comfortable as possible… Emma is about to pop at any moment; I'm sure she's just sympathizing…"
"But why? Why is she sympathizing?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Maybe she likes her… Maybe she saw her face and everything fell into place and now she's like in love… just from looking at her once!" Everyone looked over at her, "What?"
"There's no such thing as love at first sight, or first kiss…" Mary Margaret shook her head.
"Now, I wouldn't say that." David gave her a crooked smile.
"Seriously!" Ruby said, "I'll bet they're in love by the end of the month… I have a nose for these kinds of things. You all know I'm right!"
They all looked at the brunette and began thinking about it.