Author's note: Hey! I know people have been waiting eagerly for this chapter, so here it is! This chapter is dedicated to...*drum roll* dominicqueShizuma- Thank you for your motivating and generous reviews from the start THANK YOU to everyone! You are all the best and If I get just the right amount of reviews then I might be able to update quicker O.o it's all up to you!
Lois13-I'm glad you love it! and you're from FRANCE! OH my god I'm learning French! Love from AUSTRALIA! Hahaha
Anyway this chapter is sort of a filler and it explains some things about Emma and her being an escort. Sorry if I disappoint
Escort Services: Chapter 5 - The Perfect Two
"Regina..."
Emma immediately pushed Karla away from her and watched anxiously as the brunette slowly walked over to them. Regina had her arms folded tightly across her chest with her jaw clenched. Her expression was impassive yet unmistakably cold and hard edged. She glanced from Emma who seemed rather speechless to Karla who was quite pleased with herself. Regina's gaze remained on the notorious blond and she moved to her wife's side.
"Miss Francis, for your own safety, I would highly recommend that you stay away from my wife." She suggested coldly with her brown orbs piercing menacingly into the green pair in front of her.
Karla scoffed and took a step closer to Regina, "And what if I don't, Madame Mayor?" She challenged mirthlessly with a growing smirk.
Regina gave a cold smile and proceeded to move dangerously closer to the blond. "If you don't, then I will make sure that you are arrested for sexual assault against my wife and end up permanently recorded on the sex offenders list." She scowled deviously with contempt.
Karla's grin immediately faltered at the threat. Unfortunately for her she knew first hand exactly how powerful the Mayors in Maine were. Yet to her dismay she didn't want to take the chance that Regina Mills was any different. "You wouldn't?" She pitched slightly.
A cold chuckle escaped her lips, Emma felt a chill trail her spine at the sound. "Dear, we both know I would." She uttered forcefully before taking a gentle step back towards Emma's side, she unfolded her arms and slid an arm territorially behind Emma's back and around her waist. The blond without another thought emulated the action and pulled Regina closer.
Karla rolled her eyes, "You don't really love her, do you?" She inquired incredulously to Emma who only frowned angrily at the question.
"Of course I do!" Emma retorted back aggressively. A moment later the anger dissipated and she recomposed herself, "Karla..." she glanced at the blond before darting her eyes to Regina who was eyeing her curiously. "I love Regina." She locked eyes with the brunette and for a brief moment felt her insides melt unexpectedly at her own admission that seemed to come out so easily and seem way less than a terrifying concept to comprehend. Regina's heart lurched at the confession but suddenly realised that the reality was that Emma was getting paid to say things like this. Regina recomposed herself mentally before facing Karla.
"And I love Emma. So if you pull a stunt like that again, you will find yourself wearing an orange jumpsuit in the state prison." Regina smirked; she was an astute woman and was quite satisfied with how things had panned out.
Karla glared silently at the pair before instantly storming out of the bathroom in fury and humiliation. Regina broke off their contact and faced Emma properly with her arms retracting to their original position across her chest. "Care to explain yourself, Miss Swan?" She offered bitterly with a cold stare.
Emma's lips parted, but nothing came out. Not even a sound. She wasn't sure how to approach what had occurred a few moments ago as everything went by her almost instantaneously. Regina scoffed in contempt, "You know what? I take no interest in your excuses. I'm leaving and you're fired." She snarled impatiently before exiting the bathroom.
Emma immediately snapped out of her daze, "Fuck!" She exclaimed before following the brunette. "Regina!" She called out loudly while being careful to keep her voice down. The Mayor ignored her and turned down the main entrance hall on her way out. Emma quickly shuffled along and noticed that Regina wasn't too far. "Regina, stop!" She hollered after the brunette. She disregarded Emma's call, yet before she knew it she felt a strong tug on her arm and noticed that Emma had pulled them into one of the many lavished lounge rooms in the mansion.
Emma closed the door shut and faced a raging Regina. "What do you think you are doing!?" She exasperated with a flail of her arms. Emma walked over to Regina and pointed to the black leather couch.
"Please, just sit down and let me explain." She requested calmly while she held her hands up, almost in defence. Regina's expression shifted to an impassive one as she didn't move a muscle. Emma's eyebrows dipped, "Please..." She began to plead; her expression displayed a hint of urgency. The Mayor rolled her eyes and reluctantly sat down at one end while Emma took a seat in the middle.
Emma drawled in a deep breath, "In the bathroom, Karla came onto me. I made it clear that I wanted nothing more to do with her but she didn't believe me and thought otherwise." She mumbled the last bit with a small shrug.
"You expect me to believe that?" Regina scoffed in disbelief followed by a cold laugh.
Emma ducked her head and sighed with fatigue while massaging her temples. She looked back up at Regina, "Yes, because it's the truth." She spoke earnestly, her voice laced with sincerity.
Regina nodded, "Very well but you're still fired." She uttered almost dismissively.
Emma chuckled, "And exactly how are you going to explain to the other Mayors that I'm no longer attending the celebrations?" She inquired with her chin resting in her palm with her elbow on her knee.
Truth was Regina hadn't got that far...yet. She gave a small shrug, "I'll think of something." The Mayor flicked her fringe back.
Emma leaned up and slapped her hands on her legs, "Well, I guess i'll call a cab then." She stated softly before standing up. Emma turned around and moved over to the door and suddenly halted. She pivoted on her heel and faced Regina, "You know, I think i'm actually going to miss you..." Emma chuckled with a cheeky smile.
Regina remained silent and ducked her head as she was unable to suppress the small smile that graced her usual cold features at the blonds' admission. She heard Emma open the door and before she knew it, it had already came out.
"Wait!" She called out abruptly. Emma paused and snapped her neck to face Regina. Great...now what?, she thought lamely. "Let me ask you a number of personal questions and...you can keep me as your client." Regina offered and Emma instantly smiled before shutting the door.
"Deal." That was a good one, Regina thought to herself pretty pleased with her quick thinking.
Emma moved into her last position next to the Mayor and sighed deeply, "What would you like to know about me, Madame Mayor?" She gave a weak smile. The only reason she had accepted the offer was because there wasn't much to tell at all...ok, perhaps that wasn't the only reason. Regina frowned as she began to think of a question. She cleared her throat.
"What happened between you and Karla?" Regina pried without subtly.
Emma forced out a breath and leant into the comfort of the sofa, "We were together for four years. We got together when I had just started out as an escort. It was actually really bad timing..." She chuckled at the memory of when Karla found out that she worked as an escort.
"So you and her were serious?" Regina frowned slightly.
Emma nodded, "Yeah, we really were. I was going to propose to her and everything but..." She trailed while staring aimlessly at the dim lights above her.
"But..." The Mayor encouraged, quite eager to know what had happened between the pair.
"She was into politics. It was her everything, she lived it and breathed it. And I always saw these sex scandals erupt between politicians on TV. I remember thinking..." She paused momentarily to breath out a low chuckle. "That will never happen to me." She darted her eyes towards Regina. "Well...It did." She casually shrugged while twiddling her thumbs.
"I'm sorry." Regina consoled quietly.
Emma quickly smiled and shook her head, "Trust me, it was for the best. I was too oblivious to see her true colours; her assistant unknowingly brought them out for me." She sighed in content while looking on at Regina who seemed to be registering what she had heard. "Next question." Emma grinned cheekily.
"Do you want children?" Regina asked out of the blue.
Emma seemed a bit taken aback by the question but immediately recomposed herself and decided to answer the question truthfully. "I had a son who I gave up for adoption around 10 years ago when he was only a few days old." She admitted quite shamefully.
Regina was unmistakably visibly shocked by the unexpected answer. "Oh...d-do you ever think about him?" She stuttered like a babbling fool. The fact that Emma Swan had a child that was biologically hers somewhere on the planet shocked her. Never in a million years would she had thought that the blond would have been the type to want children.
"Every day." Emma replied instantaneously. "If I could track him down I would." She stated softly.
Regina's face softened, "Why can't you?" She frowned.
"I asked for a closed adoption, I have no info on him or his foster parents. I wanted to give him his best chance." She confessed sombrely with a weak smile.
"Him?" Regina smiled lightly at the thought of her own adoptive son, Henry.
Emma smiled, "Yeah, it's a him. I always wondered what a male version of me would look like." She chuckled at the thought of her unaware about son.
Regina couldn't help but feel as though she had to congratulate the woman on being so strong in this predicament with her son, even strong enough to joke about it. In fact that was going to be her next question.
"Why do you joke around all the time?" Regina questioned with a layer of sincerity.
Emma drawled in a deep breath, "It's a coping mechanism, I need the humour to get me through the day...it distracts me so that I don't dwell on anything in the past." She stated with a solemn expression. She ducked her head down and continued, "It's also a defence mechanism. When I'm nervous, frightened, scared, anxious, I will continually throw jokes around. Sometimes I am just generally funny and sarcastic but other times it's a completely defensive move. While people cross their arms over their chest in defence, I crack jokes." Emma lifted her head up and gave a faux smile. Regina slowly nodded with a unexpected sensation of sympathy.
"Does it depend on the people who you are accompanied with?" The Mayor asked currently intrigued by the blonds' response.
Emma nodded, "Yeah, definitely. When I have clients who are funny or too silly then I will pull back and be serious for my own safety. But when I'm paired with someone who is serious and rigid then I feel compelled to be absolutely hilarious." Emma smiled shyly and the brunette couldn't help but give a small smile at the admission.
"It's like me and you." Emma pointed back and forth between them. "You act like some army general while I act like a court jester. We balance each other out. I mean if we were really married then in order for us to work as a couple we would need the serious part to our relationship- which would come from you, of course. And then we would need that less serious part to our relationship- which would come from me. We'd be a perfect match. The perfect two." Emma gave Regina a relaxed yet genuine smile.
Regina quirked an eyebrow, "Me and you?"
Emma nodded furiously, "Yep. We'd be like..." She briefly paused in thought, "Ketchup and mustard, Tom and Jerry, spoon and fork-Oh and if anyone ever tells you that a spork is a thing, well its not!" Emma pointed at her warningly before continuing, "And like...the Evil Queen and the White Knight." She shrugged but watched cautiously as Regina's eyes dilated at the mention of the names and her lips parted slightly.
Regina shook her head mentally. No. It can't be. There's no way she can be Snow White's daughter. Well, that would explain her arrival in town unharmed. No, it's impossible! When she had summoned herself and the rest of the fairy tale characters to Storybrooke she had heard her Snow's daughter was left on a highway and sent abroad. She quickly snapped herself out of her daze. "Well, we would be in a very troubled relationship." Regina responded coolly with her jaw clenching slightly at her new thoughts that were pervading every part of her conscious mind.
Emma scoffed, "You don't say..."
This is my chance, Regina thought. She cleared her throat and shifted her position on the lavish furniture. "What are your parents' thoughts on your degrading choice of career?" She interrogated subtly with a mere crinkle of her nose.
Emma threw her hands up in the air, "I don't know, why don't you ask the people who found me on the side of a highway?" She exasperated. Regina's body stiffened at the revelation as her suspicions had been undoubtedly confirmed, however, an unknown sensation suddenly coursed through her body. She felt a deep compassion towards the woman. Well, after all she was the one who was liable for the blonds' misfortunes. She gave Emma a look that indicated her to continue.
"I don't know where or who my parents are but I must have been as useless as a penny for them to have left me on the side of a highway." She grumbled frustratingly with a slight shake of her head. Albeit Regina had known this woman for a measly few days or so, it was lucid that Emma was experiencing a virulent amount of inner turmoil. The Mayor had no idea what was happening to her but she felt a strong internal pull towards the blond and it was freaking her out.
"No, you're not." She murmured gently. Her soft tone caused Emma to snap her head up to look at the brunette. The sincerity and gentleness behind her brown orbs almost made Emma melt. She shook off the feeling and cleared her throat.
"Well, that makes one of us." She joked again and Regina unconsciously tilted her head slightly to assess Emma.
"Why haven't you quit? Escorting, I mean."
Emma sighed and ran her fingers through her golden tresses in thought. "I like it...too an extent. I mean I travel across the country and meet new people...it's a wonderful sensation to feel like you have a friend. Even though, the whole thing is based on a lie." She gave a weak smile. "And my foster mom owns the business; in fact I was there when you called. You spoke to her on the phone."
Regina nodded, "I remember. She seemed very peachy." She recounted with no malice evident in her tone.
Emma chuckled, "She is. After shifting from home to home for many years she adopted me when I was 17. I love her, she is the closest to a real mother I have ever had or come across. And yes, there are sometimes when I wonder where my real parents are and what made them abandon me. "She gave an anemic smile at the thought of her birth parents.
Regina reluctantly let her durable walls relent, "I'm very sorry for your misfortunes." She shocked herself by placing her hand comfortingly over Emma's that was resting on her knee. Their eyes locked instantly and Emma felt her breath hitch in her throat at the sudden contact.
The pair of them believed it had been minutes since the approach, however, in reality it had only been a few moments and neither of them had moved or broke the long gaze. Regina felt herself become lost into Emma's emerald orbs. The flutter erupting deep inside her was no mistake as she felt strong sensations stream through her veins. Little did Regina know that Emma was experiencing similar symptoms. For a second she was beyond sure that she was going to melt if she gazed at the brunette for any longer. Regina diverted her eyes towards the floor and removed her hand from Emma's. She cleared her throat and once again summoned her usual cold demeanour. Emma shifted uncomfortably and darted her eyes around the room in an attempt to find an escape.
"Why did you screw that woman today?" She asked bitterly with her arms folding over her chest.
Emma smirked, "I knew you were going to ask this question. You were jealous." She tilted her head.
"I was not jealous, Miss Swan. Just answer the question." She seethed.
Emma pondered the question for a moment. Her salacious smirk faltered and she bit the inside of her cheek anxiously at her answer. She tilted her head down and suddenly found the lavish carpet imported from Sweden strangely interesting. "If there's anything in life that I crave more besides wizz fizz..." She paused briefly with a delicate smile. "It's affection..." She trailed. Regina's demeanour softened at the admission. "I was deprived of it for most of my life and so I got it from exes, strangers...anyone." She shrugged casually, but couldn't shrug off feeling very self-conscious.
"So it wasn't for fun but rather solace and affection." Regina raised her eyebrows. She couldn't deny she was mildly shocked by the answer. Emma rolled her eyes at the Mayor's tone but gave a small nod. Regina studied her carefully and could definitely see it. She truly was one of the Charming's yet to her own surprise she didn't despise the saviour as much as she thought she would've. She only saw a woman who seemed lost and broken, it made her heart ache.
"Next question, please." Emma moaned as she noticed the Mayor was studying her.
"Why are you still willing to have me as a client? Why not leave...me?" She inquired shakily yet a little perplexed but failed to disguise the softness and vulnerability laced through her tone. Emma instantly sensed it and leant up from the sofa. She twiddled her thumbs feeling quite unnerved by the Mayor in a general sense.
Emma smiled, "You intrigue me...a lot. To the world you portray this cold hard-edged business savvy woman with walls as high as a skyscraper- you hate feeling vulnerable and so you always need to be in control. However, on the way here you laughed and smiled, and it was genuine. Not like the fake ones you displayed in front of the other Mayors." She summed up with a clap of her hands.
To say Regina was shocked was...let's be honest, a complete understatement. Her lips were parted slightly at Emma's statement. How the blond was able to perceive and understand those awfully true observations about how she acted escaped her. Although she would never in a million years admit it, Regina was touched by how Emma seemed to care about her enough to make such observations about her. Emma understood her in a way that nobody ever had and it made her quite anxious. She flicked her fringe back and tightened her arms.
"You still haven't answered my question." She attempted to add malice in her tone but the slight shakiness in her voice gave her away.
Emma chuckled, "I still plan to tame you." She stated adamantly.
Regina rolled her eyes while suppressing a smile at the blonds' determination, "You will not succeed, dear.
Emma shrugged her shoulders, "Well I'm not giving up on you." She smirked.
"Why not?" Regina retorted in irritation.
"Because I care about-" Emma's eyes widened slightly as she realised exactly what she was going to say. And apparently so did Regina by the mildly shocked expression on her face. Emma gazed into the brown eyes before her. Regina tentatively leaned up from the sofa, she shivered slightly as her knee grazed Emma's. The Mayor's lips parted as she noticed Emma hesitantly lean in closer to her.
Before either of them knew what was happening their noses brushed delicately against each others. Emma's eyes flicked between Regina's crimson lips and brown eyes. Regina closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath as she felt Emma's breath hit her cheek. "You." She whispered earnestly against Regina's cheek. The blond moved her hand to rest on Regina's shoulder and brushed their lips together...
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