Author's Note: Hey all, here is the second of your every other day update till we finish this. It's 9 chapters in total and can't wait to share everything with you. GoH work still on track to update before we end this story.

Chapter 3: Dares and Desertions

Apple Valley, Ma

The Past

December 2007

The following week, Emma again arrived first at her mom's classroom for the Arts into Action meeting. She caught her mother and Regina mid-conversation. She didn't know if she should go in, so she turned her back to them and paced near the doorway.

"...don't think this group is a good fit for me. I joined because I assumed it would involve some kind of community service. Something that would be very useful on my transcript. Instead, with all due respect, Mrs. Nolan, it's art appreciation."

Her mom leaned back against her desk, arms and legs crossed. "It's your choice, Regina."

"Thanks for understanding."

"I do. I'm sorry that you have wasted your own time." Regina gaped at her in confusion. "This is your club. I told all of you that you own it. If it's not what you want it to be, it's because of you."

Outside, Emma smirked just a little. Her mom, she thought, and couldn't help being proud.

Regina's calm, reasonable voice bent with a hint of outrage. "You're the teacher."

"A teacher's greatest calling is to get students to seek answers. Why did you stay in this club for over a month? What were you hoping for?" Mary Margaret tilted her head, giving Regina time to answer, and continued when she didn't. "You cultivate an image at this school that shields you from being doubted or challenged. That must feel pretty safe. Maybe part of you is looking for something different? You're a natural leader, ten times as smart as most of the teachers, much less the kids. You could accomplish anything. Maybe even pull together a group as different as this one. If you want to."

Emma felt a tap at her shoulder. Jefferson, wearing a beret and several large crosses hanging low over his t-shirt, waved. Archie was just behind him. "Are we protesting or is there just something terrifying in that classroom?" He leaned and looked past her, spotting Regina. "Yikes, there is."

"Hey," Emma objected, nudging him.

Interest and realization flickered over his face. "Très galant." He lowered his voice. "Look, no judgements about...whatever you're into."

"I'm not…"

She didn't get a chance to finish her denial as he waved Archie inside and followed.

Regina retreated from Mary Margaret as soon as the rest of the club entered. For the first time she sat in the back, across the room from where Emma usually sat.

Her mom turned her attention to Archie, asking him a few questions, probably to check on him. Emma had heard her mom at home on the phone with his parents, suggesting a meeting with the principal. She kind of wished her mom would stay out of it, afraid it would just make things worse if anyone found out. Then again, she supposed all teenagers thought adults would make any given thing worse.

Group went on as per usual that day, except Regina's participation was lacking. The last meeting, or maybe the revelation about Regina's inaction, broke the group further apart; they put more distance between one another. Zelena took the chair closest to the door. Emma remained isolated in the last row. Jefferson was the only occupant of the third row. Archie on the other end of he front row.

###################################################

The next meeting, Regina stood at the front of the class. "Could I take a few moments, Mrs. Nolan?"

Emma's mother waved her hand, giving her the floor. "Please."

Regina didn't just stand at the front of the room, she claimed it as hers. She stood before them, in command, hands behind her back. A tingle raced from the base of Emma's neck down her spine.

"This group is called Arts into Action. But it isn't action to just talk about what art pieces mean to us. It isn't action to just sit here and think. We are missing the entire point." She didn't speak the words, she wove them, keeping her timbre soft and enunciating the words she wanted people to focus on. "Raise your hand if you've considered quitting because you're bored with what we've chosen to do so far." Everyone did so, even a reluctant Archie, with Jefferson raising both hands.

Emma came back to herself and resisted the impulse to join them. She would consider it betraying her mom. Mary Margaret looked serene, though, so maybe it was okay.

"Exactly," Regina nodded, granting her approval. "So, it stands to reason that should nothing change, this club won't last more than another week or two. said in our first meeting, that the vision of this club is to drive self-examination. To find out truths about who we are and who we could be. To challenge us to defy limits placed on us by others and our own interpretation of practicality. Arts into Action. She said this club would be what we make out of it. I believe we can do much, much better."

She removed a stack of papers from a binder on her desk and gave a handout to everyone.

"The 'Issuing of Dares'?" Archie read aloud.

"The suggested new format would be that one of us and only one us presents an art piece. All of us discuss what that piece makes them think." Regina's eyes met Emma's in a pointed stare. "All." She pivoted back toward the others. "And then the person who presents choses one of the other group members and issues a dare inspired by the art piece."

Emma scratched the back of her head, unsure how to react to Regina calling her out. "A dare, like in Truth or Dare?"

Regina nodded. "More or less."

"So I could dare you to allow someone to get past first base with you," Zelena barbed.

"No," Regina said firmly. "Look under parameters. Nothing sexual. Nothing dangerous. Instead, the idea is for us to try and push one another a little out of our comfort zones. Art. And Action."

"The last item on this list," Jefferson said, dangling it from his fingers, "says election of president."

"We need a leader."

"There's like five of us," Emma said.

Zelena sighed. "Let me guess who you think should be president."

Regina's stance, shoulders back and regal, confirmed it. "I have strong organizational skills. I know how to get things done and I, above all, have previous experience leading a club. I have been president of the debate club for two years now, I was elected president of the student council last year and likely will be again this year. I also am editor of the school paper. This group has the potential to be unique and powerful. A leader will help us stay on course."

"Um," Archie said, clearing his throat. "I think it's a good idea."

He could have been kissing up, but his face hid very little and Emma could only read sincerity.

"I refuse to call you President, but I will call you Grand Poobah," Jefferson said and flung the paper he held behind him.

Zelena rolled her eyes at him. "You're an idiot." Mary Margaret crossed her arms over her chest and fixed Zelena with a hard look. "I know, respect. Sorry."

"I am all about the dares," Jefferson said. "I'm in."

Archie pursed his lips and gave a nod. "I'd like to try, too."

Zelena leaned back in her desk, eyes squinting as she judged the situation. "What's to stop me from telling whoever challenges me to fuck off?"

"We'd have to assign a consequence," Archie said after a pause. "If someone fails to complete a dare, we should vote on what that should be."

Zelena kept weighing the room and asked her next question, slowly. "And that would mean anyone, correct? No one would be exempt, not even the president?"

"Correct," Regina said softly, meeting her sister's eyes in a challenge.

"Then I'm in, too."

"And what about you, Emma?" Regina and Emma's eyes connected as Regina prodded her with the question. "From now on, everyone needs to be a full member or not here."

Archie, in his own way, tried to stick up for Emma. "I don't think we should put anyone on the —"

"Shut up dweeb," At Zelena's words, Mary Margaret sighed, loud and aggravated. Zelena winced ever so slightly. "It's habit. I am trying."

"Emma?" Regina asked, awaiting an answer. Their eyes met and the feeling of sparks against her spine increased.

She mumbled, "Okay."

Regina nodded. "Good. I'd like to present next week to show everyone how this is supposed to work. And since this is the first dare, I'm going to ask for a volunteer. After next week, the person who presents will chose anyone they like."

No one said a word.

Regina set her hands on her hips. "You all agreed to this idea." Still, none of them answered. "This won't succeed if none of you has a backbone."

Emma did her best to fight the impulse she knew would only lead to doom. The longer Regina's features showed disappointment, the more it bubbled inside her.

She cursed inwardly. "I — I'll do it."

Everyone turned to her, the usually silent phantom at the back of the room.

"Thank you, Emma."

Jefferson glanced back over his shoulder, his brows raised in knowing amusement. Emma flipped him off. She felt her mom's inquisitive stare and sank down in her chair.

After the meeting, Mary Margaret lauded Regina with kind words and congratulations. She also wore an amused smile when regarding her daughter.

"Emma," Regina called. She said something to her sister, who left without her, and strolled toward Emma, hips swaying and taking her time. "Thank you for volunteering."

Emma never thought she had much of a libido. It sang high notes now, high enough to break glass, all through her body.

"Someone had to."

"I suppose so." She turned to go.

"Regina? About Archie. You — you helped me. Why not him?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Come on, Regina."

She could have remained impervious, safe behind her defenses. Instead, she stepped a little closer to Emma. "I leveraged the appearance that I was worried about my friends getting into trouble because your mother is a teacher. That protected my reputation. I don't have that option with everyone."

"You care that much about what they think of you?"

"You don't understand. I've put so much time and work into getting exactly where I am. You think my standing at school happened by accident? No, I planned it, then ensured that it happened. It makes every single thing I want in my future possible. It's not as if I join my friends when they do despicable things."

It sounded like bullshit. Emma frowned, gnawing on her cheek. She broke free of the Regina-summoned haze in her mind. "Right."

Regina's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

"Whatever your master plan is? Standing and watching isn't noble. It's worse."

She closed the distance between them, till their faces were only a few inches apart. Emma's heart raced harder than it ever had even after the most excruciating drill the coach threw at them.

"You think that because you have nothing to lose," Regina said. "You don't care about your future. You walk alone to classes, sit in the back when you get there and hardly ever say a word. You read during lunch, never interacting with anyone. The only thing in this school you have ever participated in is a team that doesn't want you on it. I've invested things. You know why I'm popular? Because I understand success is a series of choices. I'm a winner. Perhaps, should you ever decide to be anything other than an outsider, you'll understand a fraction of what that means."

Emma's own inner fire raged back. "Say what you want about me, I would never just stand by while someone I know got their asses handed to them."

"Really?" Regina laughed, a dry sound. "You know, pretending something isn't happening isn't noble either."

"I'm not pretending anything."

She gave another dark chuckle. "Archie gets bullied on a daily basis. Usually between classes. You say you'd help him? Then all you have to do is pay attention." With that, she turned on her heel and marched away, leaving an impotently seething Emma glaring after her.

#################################################################

Emma thought over the Archie situation and what Regina said about it for days after, including the weekend. She could sense that taking an action would mean commitment. Promising things, whether implied or stated, always felt covered in thorns.

By Monday, she decided to discreetly keep an eye on Archie for a few days, giving her the possibility of dodging responsibility if she could.

People slapped Archie's books out of his hands as he tried to walk to class. They took his glasses, played keep-away then tossed them in the garbage. A group of girls snuck up behind him, muffling their giggles and cut a lock of his hair.

It turned out that a lot of the time Jefferson hung out with him, which seemed like it might lift the burden of commitment from her. Except Jefferson was a lot of bark. He railed at people and got in their faces. They ignored him or included him in the harassment.

By Wednesday, the day before group, she'd made her decision. She strode toward Archie and Jefferson and helped them pick up books that had just been knocked out of Archie's hands.

"Right." Emma said, fidgeting, then heaving out a breath. "I'm not much for being social but what if I hung around with you two between classes? That's when most of the stuff happens, right? Not at lunch. And not on Monday afternoons because I have to go from weights to practice to taekwondo class."

"Are you offering to be our bodyguard?' Jefferson asked, intrigued and amused.

"No, just — three is harder to mess with than one, or two."

Archie shook his head, worried. "Emma, I appreciate it, but I'm not sure that's a good idea. I told Jefferson the same thing when he —"

Jefferson cut Archie off as if they'd had this particular discussion too many times to repeat it again. "I told you, I'm one of the peasants too."

Archie's voice rose, insistent and agitated. "Neither of you understand." He sounded like he might cry. "In this school, hanging out with me is like catching a disease You think they hate you now, but it can get so much worse."

Jefferson opened his mouth to answer but Emma cut him off, feeling a sharp pang because of his concern for them and not himself. "Or maybe it will get better. They're sorta afraid to touch me 'cause Mom"s a teacher. So, here's how this is gonna go. You're gonna meet me outside school tomorrow," Emma said gruffly, but squeezed his shoulder. "It'll be okay."

The next day, she made it a point to walk in front of Archie. A silent message that if they wanted him, they'd have to go through her. The one time a popular kid tried to get around her, she moved faster. She swung suddenly in Archie's direction, as if she needed to tell him something, which blocked him.

Jefferson made a point of waving to the bully who glared at them.

"Really?" Emma sighed at him. "The idea isn't to get us all killed."

Emma barely saw Regina until the club meeting on Thursday. Regina didn't give her a second glance, setting her books and folders on the desk, fingers laced over them. Her posture perfect, head tilted up. She waited for everyone else to arrive.

"As a reminder," Regina said, standing. "Today we will begin a new format. I am presenting, then all of you will share your thoughts on the piece. After that I will issue a dare to Emma, who volunteered to be the first one to take a dare. Then, next week, Emma will present and she will give a dare to...whoever. Any questions? Good."

Archie started to ask something but closed his mouth as Regina moved on.

She showed them a picture of a sculpture by George Seurat. There were four benches, two facing one way and two facing the opposite direction. On one bench sat a couple on the verge of talking, but not quite doing so. On the other, all the way at the end, was a figure sitting alone, arms crossed.

"This inspired me to think of how people connect to one another. Or" — for the first time in days, Regina turned her eyes to Emma — "refuse to."

In Emma's stomach, a sinking feeling began.

The others shared their thoughts, but Emma didn't hear them, gut twisting and hands feeling too dry, like the skin might crack.

Regina flashed small, satisfied smiles at her through the entire conversation.

"Which brings us to the dare," Regina said. Emma fought to keep a nonchalant pose. "As many of you know, the Winter Formal is coming up in a couple of weeks. My dare is that Emma attend for at least an hour. And that she actually dance for at least half of that time."

###########################################################

Apple Valley, Ma

The Present

Previously

"Thank you again for putting this together," Regina said to Archie, beating Emma to the punch before she could stand again. Regina hugged everyone in turn except Emma. Emma glared at her beer bottle, pretending not to notice her departure.

"Emma," Archie said quietly, eyes travelling between her and Regina. "Maybe —"

Emma turned hard eyes on him and he stopped.

She waited five minutes before making an excuse to leave.

Zelena moved toward her and hugged her. "I may be wasting my breath but after Archie's reunion, can you try not to be such a stranger?"

She gave a nod she didn't think she meant before breaking away.

End of Previously

The next day Emma arrived at Poe's Leaky Barn with Archie and Jefferson. She assumed they volunteered to pick her up, at least in part, to make sure she actually showed. The get together the night before showed her how right she'd been to avoid being around Regina. They prompted each other to tell too many truths, ones that were now loaded and bitter.

For this meeting and the next one, she would do her best to stay away from her and hold her tongue.

After Emma's mother died in the fall of her junior year of high school, Jefferson showed them the barn, which he named "Poe's Leaky Barn." Zelena almost immediately shortened his creative label to "PLB". They had no idea who it actually belonged to, but no one ever bugged them there.

Jefferson took off his newsies cap, lay on the top of the picnic table and linked his fingers on stomach.

It had always been in the barn. Later, Jefferson added several lawn chairs. They were still there but rusted to death. Emma doubted they'd hold weight.

Archie frowned at his cell. "It keeps showing only one bar. I have a client who has been struggling with the loss of an extended family member."

"Hey doc," Jefferson said. "Lately I've been having dreams of a sexual nature involving several people and a shark." Archie blinked at him. "I'm a switch. The shark is obviously the top. That's normal, right?"

Archie's cheeks colored slightly. "All this time, Jefferson, and I can never tell when you're serious."

"You think I'm more of a bottom?"

Archie's blush deepened.

"I think you're wearing a turtleneck in the summer," Emma said, plucking at it and defending Archie. "Your sanity has always been on thin ice."

Jefferson winked. He took pride in his quirks and those of the others.

"Sorry, we're late." Zelena entered the barn, Regina behind her. "Ms. Celebrity had a meeting with a producer."

Jefferson sighed. "I swear, if I had known cookies could make you famous, I'd have paid attention when you tried to teach us to make them years ago."

Emma straddled the edge of the picnic bench seat. "Now that we're all here." She pushed at Jefferson to get him to give up the tabletop. He jumped down. "Why don't we get going?"

She figured the less time she spent around Regina the better.

"My, my so bossy," Zelena teased. "Isn't it the president's job to call us to order?"

"Not for years," Regina said with a chuckle. "As if anyone could control any of you."

"Our very own grand poobah," Jefferson said. "I always thought we should get you a special hat, Regina. Something with a badge."

"I'll leave that kind of fashion statement to you."

Jefferson nodded. "Probably for the best."

"We can get started," Archie said, trying to accommodate everyone. They all settled in as he unfolded a piece of paper from his pocket.

"'Amor Fati' by Jane Hirshfield." He cleared his throat and read,

"Little soul,

you have wandered

lost a long time.

The woods all dark now,

birded and eyed.

Then a light, a cabin, a fire, a door standing open.

The fairy tales warn you:

Do not go in,

you who would eat will be eaten.

You go in. You quicken.

You want to have feet.

You want to have eyes.

You want to have fears."

They listened intently, all of them, falling back into the old habit Mary Margaret instilled in them of being open when one of them presented something.

"I don't know about all of you," Zelena began with uncharacteristic shyness. "But so much of my life now is about being comfortable. I left the firm but I'm still a divorce attorney. Not because I want to be, but because there's good money in it. A large part of me hates it. I don't feel much of anything when I work with my clients. I wanted to have a child by now. I suppose that's not the most feminist thing to say."

"Your freedom to make the choice is entirely the point of feminism," Regina said, a gentle offering. The sisters shared a quiet smile.

Jefferson scrubbed at his face. "I stopped painting. Nothing in months." He heaved out a sigh. "Everyone wants the fairytale ending, but all of those kinds of stories have monsters, right? The way it works is that you fight the monsters, and if you win, you get a happy ending. I'm really tired of being lost in a fairy tale that doesn't have a monster or an ending, just a lot of wandering around."

Archie rubbed a hand up and down his back.

That quickly, they were all back in a place they'd reached years ago, opening their hearts to one another.

They were all supposed to say something, that was how it worked. Emma scratched at her throat so aggressively, it probably left behind red streaks on her skin.

Regina, resting her chin on the thumbs of her linked fingers, stared at Jefferson, brow wrinkling and eyes troubled. "About the cooking show. I'm not entirely certain it's what I want. As Zelena said, in many ways, it's the safe path."

"Do you enjoy doing the show?" Archie asked quietly.

"I used to. After my first year, several old executives at the station were replaced. The new ones believe in data analysis. They examine the recipes people search for online and what types of cookbooks are selling. They want me to bake" — Regina's fingers made quotation marks — " whatever targets the right demographic. Two days ago I wanted to try a new cake recipe. I actually found myself searching statistics to try and sell them on it. They strongly encouraged me to go a different direction."

Jefferson hummed. "You didn't tell them to suck your fat one?"

She rolled her eyes. "As if I would say such a thing."

"Well, not in those words," he said. "You'd have to 'Regina' it up. But, seriously, why not tell them you're an amazing baker and you're who they hired."

"And you're an excellent artist. It's not always that simple. This new job opportunity would be as much about production values and chatting with guests as it would be about baking."

Jefferson's mouth twisted, both disturbed and thoughtful at the revelations of the last few minutes. "Of all of us, I assumed you had things figured out."

Regina shook her head. "No. Never."

"Emma?" Archie said, because all of them had gone but her.

"I'm doing okay. I need to keep training. That — that part hasn't been going all that well, but I just need to buckle down a little more."

They all stared at her. A response to the call to action was never supposed to be so vague or guarded. Or at least it didn't used to be, even from her. It took her longer than the others to learn to speak from the heart, but she'd gotten there. She just couldn't now. She played with the ties on her sleeveless hoodie. When she said nothing else, they all reluctantly accepted it. In high school, they would have called her out.

"You know what we need?" Zelena asked. "Beer."

Archie's forehead wrinkled. "But, we all just got —"

"Archie," Jefferson said, louder. "Beer is required."

"Now? Right now?"

"I think now is good. Zelena and I can go." He offered his hand to her. "Shall we?"

"One of your better ideas." She took the hand, and let him pull her toward the barn doors. "Be right back."

Archie waited a few minutes then tried to dial his cell phone. He frowned. "The service is terrible out here. I really should check on my patient."

Regina proffered her phone. "Do you want to borrow my —"

"I'm going to duck outside," Archie said, cutting her off.

Emma tensed, not wanting to be left alone with her former best friend. She tapped her fingertips against one another. Regina sat for another few seconds then rose, arms crossed over her stomach. They didn't speak. They just stared into nothingness, trying to avoid acknowledging one another existed until the others returned.

Being around Regina tore open the stitches of a wound she thought she'd recovered from.

She wished Regina would sit down so that she could be the one on her feet. Both of them working off the tension in the room by moving would be too much like sharing something.

The many trees around the barn darkened the interior. Emma turned on the flashlight she brought just in case. She placed it, still on, on top of the picnic table. Her fingers traced the number 'five' etched into the wood, next to the word 'flames'.

"You carved that," Regina said, coming closer.

"I remember." Each of them had also scratched in their names. The same day, years ago, Emma added her mother's name. It was hard not to stare at it. She swallowed a spiky ball of melancholy. Regina sat across from her and Emma took the opportunity to push to her feet.

"Do we really have to sit here in silence?"

Emma shrugged, already exhausted by this interaction. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything."

"So, on your cooking show, named after you, you don't decide on the recipes? What happened to opening your own bakery?"

Regina raised a brow. "What's really going on with your fighting?" Emma rocked on the balls of her feet, crossing her arms over her chest. Regina sighed. "And we're back to silence."

Emma toyed with the strings of her hoodie again. "You hate my fighting. So why ask about it?"

"I hated the results of the fighting."

"Fucking semantics, Regina."

Emma didn't mean to all but bring up that day. There were so many reasons why it would be a bad idea to revisit it in any more than a cursory way. She could still, with complete clarity, remember the soft, honest glow in Regina's eyes as everything they'd ever held back threatened to spill over.

"I went to every wrestling match you had after we became friends in high school. You told me that sports made you feel centered. You're right, if you aren't fighting anymore, I'm relieved. But what are you doing?""

The question made Emma desperate for Archie to come back. Mentally, she checked how long he'd been gone. Too long. Usually she could still her body and mind and just exist between deep breaths, dismissing everything else. Only right now she couldn't summon any of the calming images that usually helped her.

"Emma," Regina prompted.

She remembered that Regina used to call her cocky with a proud smile that sent such a strong surge of warmth cascading into her that she carried it with her for days.

"I can count the number of times you've called me in the last two years on no hands. If you were concerned then where the fuck were you?" Emma didn't give her time to answer. "I'm going to find Archie." She stalked out of the barn, hands in her hoodie pockets, balled into fists.

Fucking Regina. She didn't have the right to see shit no one else could. She lost the privilege to look into Emma's heart. It hurt that, even after all this time, the person who had deserted her still knew her the best.

"Archie," she called, not seeing or hearing him. "Hey, Arch?" She rounded the barn, checking all sides. The sun would set soon, it beamed down into the leaves, making them seem to pulled her cell phone from her jacket and called his number.

No answer, and she didn't hear it ring. She tried Zelena.

Same thing.

Tiny claws of an idea flexed in her mind and she returned to Regina.

"I couldn't find him. Zelena didn't answer either."

"Jefferson?"

Emma called him. Ringing started and eventually went to voicemail. "What the fuck."

Regina tried and, when she fared no better than Emma, stared at her phone as if it had betrayed her. "Zelena insisted on driving me here. Did you carpool with Archie and Jefferson?"

Emma closed her eyes in realization. "Yeah, they offered to pick me up."

Regina's phone, still in her palm began, to vibrate, making her start.

"Hi Regina, Emma." Arche said. From behind him, Jefferson's and Zelena's heads popped into view.

"Have you figured out you've been ditched yet?" Zelena asked.

"What the fuck, you guys." Emma growled, cupping her hand around the back of Regina's phone so she could see it too.

Archie cleared his throat. "The three of us have decided that it's no longer acceptable for you two not to deal with one another." He said it a bit woodenly, as if he'd rehearsed the words. "Emma, you've been particularly stubborn, and Regina, you've been unusually cowardly. We miss you, Emma. We're family. So, we've decided to issue both of you a dare."

"You could both refuse, but then you'd forfeit," Zelena said. "Which only one of us has ever have done. And you'd be doing it when we're trying to honor Mrs. Nolan."

"This is ridiculous," Regina pulled her phone from Emma. "I'm just going to call Lyft and go home."

Emma sucked on her teeth, wanting to hit something. She settled for kicking one of the decrepit lawn chairs. "I'm not doing it."

"We all agreed to a meeting, Emma. Complete with dare," Archie said reasonably.

She charged back to face his image, pointing at him accusingly. "You planned this from the start."

Zelena, Archie and Jefferson, with no signs of guilt, agreed that they had.

"You should at least hear the dare before you refuse." Zelena seemed very pleased with things and Emma guessed this was all her plan. "We dare you both to do one thing that truly scares you. You used to know one another better than anyone. So, Emma will pick the scary thing for you, Regina, and Regina will pick the thing for you, Emma."

Regina sighed, as Emma cursed and struck the chair with her foot again. "So, we're stranded here until we agree?"

"We just thought we'd give you a few minutes to process," Zelena said pleasantly. "You have a week to complete the dares or forfeit. Why don't you two chat?"

The screen went black.

"Those motherfucking assholes." Emma wanted to take more of her frustration out on the abused chairs, maybe even shot put one into space. "This is bullshit."

Regina paced, head down, hands behind her back. She stopped, staring up into the sky and thinking. "This requires some thought."

"It does?"

She rubbed her temple, seeming tired. "What if I agree to the dare?"

"I'll probably think you're a pushover."

"Because I want to uphold the memory of what brought us together? And honor your mother on her birthday?"

"Don't throw that shit at me."

"I am telling you my reasons. If you are going to say no, it would only be courteous, given the situation, for you to name yours."

Emma couldn't; the things locked inside her rattled in their cage. She needed to keep them there. "We both complete the dare, then we meet and tell the group. That's the way it used to work. Fine. If that's the price to be done with this? Fine."

"When would you like to proceed?"

"I have Monday off."

"Usually I work, however, Fridays are currently a rerun and planning day. I think I could convince the studio to switch it to Monday instead. Shall I phone the others and tell them we agree?"

"Don't you want to know what I'm going to pick for you first?" Emma couldn't wait to see Regina's face when she told her. The group wasn't wrong about how well they knew one another. "Remember that time we all went down Widowmaker Hill on skateboards, and you chickened out? That's my dare."

Regina paled, then thought for a long time, while Emma enjoyed her discomfort. She gathered her composure. "Very well. I — I believe I know what I will ask of you too. Have you ever been back to the arena where you lost that fight?"