[Chapter 5]
"Mr. Gold, I need to have a word with you." Regina ordered as she stormed into the man's shop.
"If this is about your father, dearie, I already told you nothing can be done just yet." he said.
"No, this has nothing to do with my father. You are taking custody of Emma Swan's child once he is born, correct?" she inquired.
"Yes. She came to me for help and I obliged." he said with a slimy smile.
"What if she changed her mind? What if she wanted to keep her child?" Regina asked.
"She is hardly paid enough to raise a child, dearie. She barely gets enough to pay her rent on time."
"What if she had help?" Regina asked.
"And who would that be?" Gold inquired.
"Me. I will get a job, too. I will adopt the child myself if I have to." Regina stated with determination.
"And if the rebellion in your country is broken up and you have to return?" Gold asked.
"I will take them with me. I can make them legal citizens." Gold contemplated her statement for a minute then came to a conclusion.
"Alright, dearie. We'll make a deal. If you can get a well-paying job above minimum wage and have a total of three thousand dollars saved up by the time the baby is born, I will sign the baby over to you. If not, the baby stays with me."
"Deal."
To: sidneyglass83
From: jhh2ue872h2
I hear you want to learn more about this Regina. I am trying to expose the truth of this woman's evil deeds and perhaps you can help us. I can give you all the information you need. I have attached a file of everything I know about her. Expose this witch, and stay safe my friend.
"Hi." When Regina came back to the apartment, Emma was just leaving hers. The blonde gave her a smile and that ever-so-eloquent greeting.
"Hello, Emma." Regina smiled back.
"So, I'm on my way to my appointment, but I wanted to ask you something first."
"What is it?" Regina asked.
"About the kiss last night... does this mean we can date?" Emma to Regina with a shy smile.
"Date?" Regina hadn't heard of that word.
"Yeah, you know, we go places together, usually with food, and it's usually really romantic and stuff..." Emma explained.
"I have never done this... dating." Regina said.
"Good, 'cause once I come back, I'm gonna romance your pants off!" Regina raised an eyebrow and Emma turned bright red. "I- I mean it's just gonna be good. I'm not gonna take off your pants or anything. Unless you like that..." A car horn honked and interrupted her rambling. "I'm... gonna go..." Emma nervously laughed and got into the car waiting for her. Regina saw Mary Margaret in the driver's seat. Katheryn had told her about how David and Mary Margaret had an affair. Ever since, Regina felt a strong dislike for the other woman. She ignored Mary Margaret, but waved Emma off.
Emma sighed as she settled in her seat. Seriously, Emma?! 'Romance your pants off?!' Why on Earth did you think that was the thing to say? Oh, yeah, that's right! You don't think before you open your big mouth!
"You okay, Emma?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Emma answered.
"You seem to be spending a lot of time with Regina." MM commented.
"Yeah. She's cool." Emma answered.
"So, do you like her?" MM asked.
"What?!" Emma asked, just a little too high-pitched. "What makes you say that?"
"Emma, the day she moved in, you asked me if I thought she was single."
"I did?"
"Yes, you did. It's okay if you do. I completely support you 100%."
"Actually..." Emma said. "I'm kinda taking her out later today."
"Emma, that's wonderful!" MM said excitedly.
"Don't celebrate, yet. I don't really have much planned. Oh, and can you donate some pb&j? I'm all out." Emma said.
"You're going to feed your date peanut butter sandwiches?" Mary Margaret asked. "Emma, a date needs to be romantic! You can't do that with pb&j!"
"Well, what do you expect me to do on my budget? My only other option was ramen!" Emma exclaimed. "I was going to take her to the lake and have a picnic."
"Then why don't I order something from Granny's while you're at your appointment? You can take that on your date."
"Sounds better than sandwiches and Twinkies." Emma agreed.
After Emma drove out of sight, Regina got to searching the Storybrooke Daily Mirror's wanted ads for a job. She desperately wanted to find a job as soon as possible so she would be able to help Emma keep her baby. Though, as she scanned the paper, each job sounded worse than the last. Bagger at the grocery store? No. Waitress? Not enough money. Job at the cannery? Absolutely not! Regina scanned until she found one that seemed acceptible. Assistant to the Mayor. That sounded perfect. Regina made her way to the Town Hall.
Regina knocked on the Mayor's door and entered when she heard permission given. She held her head up high and entered the office.
"Yeah, what do you want?" the mayor asked.
"I am here for the assistant job." Regina said bluntly.
"Alright. All you'll need to do is answer the phone, write down any important dates on the calendar, and file important files. You start tomorrow. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to go to." Regina was surprised. It was that easy? Maybe saving Emma's baby will be possible?
"I got a job." Regina told Emma the second the blonde got out of Mary Margaret's car.
"You what?"
"I got a job as the Mayor's assistant." Regina explained.
"That's great! You can tell me more over lunch. Follow me." Emma said as she grabbed Regina's hand and led her towards the lake. On the grassy area by the lake was a blanket set out with a picnic basket. "Ruby and Mary Margaret paid for it." Emma admitted. "But it's nice, right?"
"Yes, it is." Regina took a spot next to Emma on the blanket while Emma rifled through the basket to set out the food. There was a grilled cheese for Emma and a kale salad for Regina, which they washed down with bottles of root beer.
"Emma," Regina near whispered. "Thank you for doing this."
"No problem." Emma smiled.
"No, really. No one has ever done something like this for me. Since Day 1 you have made me feel welcome here and have been such a great friend. Which is why I have something important to tell you." Regina held Emma's hand. "Just promise me you will not treat me any differently after."
"I promise. I mean, I told you I stole a car. Thievery is usually a deal breaker when it comes to new friendships. So, what is it you wanted to tell me?" Regina bit her lip and took a calming breath. She leaned in, to make sure absolutely no one could listen in and revealed,
"I am really Regina Maria Elana Blanca, Queen of La Isla del Encanto. My country is in the middle of a rebellion and I was sent here after my husband was murdered." Emma's eyes were wide as she took in the news.
"Seriously? Wait, is that why your father was hurt?" Emma asked.
"Yes. They will not stop until every last royal is dead. They think they're being saviors for the poor, but all they do is cause death and destruction to my beautiful country."
"But why?" Emma asked, taking the news surprisingly well. "I mean, I get that rich people can be pricks, but that's no reason to want them dead."
"My husband... was a good ruler... except for the fact he refused to aknowledge the first sign of trouble. He believed every person had a 'place' and they should not go against that or they may throw everything out of balance. Even me. I was to look beautiful and 'perform my wifely duties', which included giving him a son."
"Wait, I thought you said you couldn't have kids?" Emma asked.
"I did. I told him, but he merely said I was not trying hard enough."
"Okay, not gonna lie. If he weren't dead already, I'd have kicked him in the balls for that." Emma said. "Why'd you marry him, anyway?"
"Well, I was eighteen. I was in love with our stable boy, Daniel. We were out together when I saw a girl on her horse. Her horse was running wild with her on it, so I jumped on my own horse and ran after her. I saved her, not knowing who she was. Her father, the King, heard what I did, so he came to our home the next day and he asked for my hand in marriage. I wanted to tell him I was in love with another, but my mother accepted the proposal for me. All my mother ever wanted was to become Queen, but when that never happened, she forced that dream onto me. She did everything she could to get me to become Queen. In fact, I believe she spooked the girl's horse, knowing it would run past me." Regina squeezed Emma's hand.
"What happened to Daniel?" Emma asked.
"Well, after the proposal, I ran to him and told him what happened. He said we could run away, just the two of us. He had enough money to get us on a boat to Puerto Rico and start a new life, but the King's daughter overheard us. She asked why I didn't want to be her mother, but she was too young to understand. I told her Daniel was my True Love and nothing was stronger than True Love. I also told her not to tell anyone, especially my mother. She seemed to understand, but that evening, when I went to the stables to meet Daniel, he was not there. Instead, my mother was waiting for me. She told me he ran off without me, that he never really loved me, but I never believed that. I think she may have had him killed." Emma gasped.
"She what? Did you confront her?"
"During my days as Queen, I tried to find proof of what she did, but she knows how to cover her tracks." Regina said. "I could do nothing about it."
"How long were you Queen?" Emma asked.
"Eight years. There was a breech in security one night. The King and his daughter were killed in their beds by a snake bite. I had just 'performed my duties' to the King and could not sleep, so I was out in the garden. The next morning, the people began spreading rumors that I had killed them. They always complained I was too young, too inexperienced to run a country, and that is what the rebellion used to fuel all the riots. I never wanted to be Queen, but I do love my country. If I knew it was being run by someone who will keep it beautiful, someone who can do good for the people and rebuild what the rebels destroyed, I would gladly step down." Regina sighed. "But the only way they would ever be satisfied is with my death and the destruction of my country."
"So that's why you're here?" Emma asked.
"Yes. It seems Mr. Gold was an associate of my mother's. He lives here and thought it would be a good place to hide me and still be able to keep an eye on me."
"Thank you for telling me the truth, Regina. I know it must have been difficult for you." Emma said, pulling Regina closer so the woman could lay her head on Emma's shoulder. "Does this mean I have to call you 'Your Majesty'?" Emma asked.
"No. That is what I like about Storybrooke. Here, I am just Regina. I can make my own choices." Regina buried her face into Emma's shoulder.
"So... did they have relationships like this? Back in your country?" Emma asked.
"What do you mean?" Regina looked to Emma.
"You know, with two women, or two men?"
"I would not know. I lived a very sheltered life and I had very little friends growing up." Regina said. "But my father always told me that love was love, no matter who it was with."
"Your dad sounds like a smart man."
"He is."