Chapter 5

The grey picture of the teen stared at Emma as she looked at it, her eyes following the traces of the rusty badly -done tattoo that made the skinny boy member of the Lost Boys, the gang known for stealing on the middle and upper parts of town. His mouth and eyes were open, ichor staining the tips of his frosted hair-tips and his old-looking clothing. Found near the forest, almost at the other side of town where Ashley had been found, the boy's body seemed to have tried to be discarded judging by the soil that stained his face and jeans.

Glancing at her notes, the blonde sighed. The sky had begun to turn grey by the time both Regina and herself had arrived to the forest, clouds covering the sun that had, until then, shone on Storybrooke's streets. The forest floor beneath her boots had given in softly, the myriad of leaves creating layer after layer of muddy greens and browns Emma had been staring at for the longest of times as she took on the image that awaited once they had reached the small human-made hole in where some of the forensics were collecting samples.

Another one, her mind said, turning her hands into fists as she eyed the young face that could be seen beneath the ichor. So young… she added, noticing that the kid couldn't be more than 17. The symbol on his naked forearm the last thing she had needed to discover that she was right; There have been only one member of the Lost Boys who have reached adulthood. They were proud of only consisting of kids from the streets, all of them above 18. The boy they had now lying in front of them probably would have been one of the oldest, maybe just about starting to leave on their own, outside the gang.

At her side, Regina had let out an almost imperceptible sigh before crouching in front of the kid, the words "This could be Henry." written all over her face. Emma considered on touching her shoulder, telling her to go and let her do the job even if she was upset as well. However, as it tended to happen whenever they were at work, she hesitated.

"We need to catch whomever that is doing this." She finally settled on saying, a curt nod telling her more than enough.

The forensics report had come just as quickly as the second one. It appeared that they weren't the only ones who had been told to do their job as quickly as possible and so the very same details of bruises and ichor were described on the rough papers that were on display above the picture Emma was currently looking at. Next to it, a small note written by hand displayed a few lines written by the medical examiner herself, traces of Mix making Emma's pendant to warm at it.

"I've done a second autopsy to our John Doe. We didn't see any bruises at first due to the degradation of the skin and ichor thanks to the humidity of the docks. He doesn't have the same amount than Ashley -it appears that she fought harder, but he has some lines around his neck and wrists enough to make us suspect he was, at least, tied up."

The Lost Boy, whose name was still being confirmed by Ruby, had similar lines around her neck and wrists, the way his chapped lips were parted looking almost like a macabre half-smirk as Emma stared at the picture yet again.

Regina had disappeared after they had come up from the morgue. Probably wanting to get ahold of Henry, see if he was alright. Emma had found herself wanting to do the same ever since she had gotten there, bile climbing up her throat.

The pattern that was beginning to form front of them was clear however; whatever that was happening only seemed to happen to people that weren't going to create any kind of alarm. The

John Doe, Ashley, the Lost Boy… all people easily forgotten by the newspapers. Luckily, they appeared to not have heard anything yet because after three deaths she was sure that it didn't matter if they weren't part of the elite; some of the papers would have a field day if they could paint the Division as doughnut-eater people unable to do their jobs.

Sighing, she glanced at Regina's desk. The sun had come back less than an hour ago, just as she seated in front of her notes and had started to seek for any kind of connection between the three of their cases. The rays did nothing to cheer the bullpen's atmosphere in where many colleges kept glancing at where she was, some muttering in barely audible voices what Emma bet was the case. Things were starting to heat up.

At the same time, she thought on Regina again, on how she had left with a thankful smile, promising to come back as quick as possible. Shaken, the brunette had left the bullpen in a flurry of movement so quick Emma would have said it had been magic.

Magic doesn't exist. She thought, thinking again on what may those three kids had felt with so much Dust on their system. A connection with something bigger, something that hadn't really be strong enough for centuries now? That was what many consumers of Dust said it was like to have taken some of it. The thought of consuming had never crossed Emma's mind however, the story of her parents -the ones she didn't remember, and how they had been forced to consume it in order to meet Cora's deranged plan preventing her to do so.

The thought of Cora made her think on Regina again; the brunette would never say it so but the case was taken its toll. First the dust, then Gold and now the kid, barely older than Henry. Everyone had some cases that struck too close and this one seemed to be Regina's.

A shadow crossed over Emma's features but she kept herself on check, knowing that there was little she could do from there. Henry had been informed after all, Regina had gone to talk to him, be sure he was all right, ease her mind. After that she would be back there and they would work on the case. Just like they usually did.

Her tired eyes went back to the almost nothing information they had of the John Doe, scanning the lines she had already re-read a thousand of times. This time, however, her right hand which had been playing with a pencil, stopped in mid-movement at something she hadn't thought on until now. Excited, she went to the information they had managed to gather from Ashley and the frugal lines from the Lost Boy.

There was something there, she realized, a tenuous connection. One so fragile she didn't even think on going to White to talk about it. It, however, could help them to make some breach.

"Damned Gold." She mumbled as she rose abruptly, her mind going quicker than her legs. "He was right all along."

"Henry, I only asked you to refrain yourself for going out with the Lost Boys…"

"They are good guys! Why are you telling me this right now? Did you need to ask me to come back home only to this? Because it could have waited."

Regina sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. As she had crossed the threshold she had realized Henry wasn't on good spirits. That being something from school or anything else she didn't know since the boy had refused to talk until he heard what had prompted his mother to ask for him to leave school an hour early.

Truthfully, back when Regina had seen the teen in front of her the only thought that had come to

her mind had been; he looks far too young. It had been at the bullpen when she had realized that she had seen him on Henry's company. Henry had used to know Pan, the gang's leader and the only one who kept on the gang even after reaching 18. He had babysat Henry for a while when Henry had been younger and he had idolized the older boy to the point that when Pan had begun to appear on police records Regina had prohibited Henry to come near Pan in fear for Pan to be a bad influence on Henry. Now, as the face of the kid had come clearer on her mind's eye the thought of Henry being in danger had blinded her for everything else.

"Emma and I are investigating a case." She finally said, staring at Henry who kept on looking at her from where she stood, feet firmly planted on the floor and arms crossed in front of the stairs that led him to his room. "Some of it has something on the Lost Boys, I only want to be sure you are safe."

She hated being so crude, so cruel. She, however, felt that there wasn't anything else she could do. Henry flinched visibly at the news but kept his angry expression.

"And?" He said, his voice breaking at the end. Regina found herself wishing for the time to be able to fold and go back to yesterday's night in where everything had gone smoother, easier. She knew that Henry, introvert Henry, appreciated the friendship some of the Lost Boys gave him. The idea of him being in danger because of them, however, paralyzed her.

Biting her lower lip, she let her shoulders fall in defeat. So quickly she had go home her badge and bracelet where still on her hand alongside with her own buzzer. She could see Henry glancing at those, not used to seeing her armed like she currently was inside home.

"We are still trying to make a profile, find the links between… everything. Emma…"

"I'm sure Emma wouldn't tell me to stop seeing them just because of this." The answer was said surly, an echo of the teen the boy was. Regina's relationship with Henry was easier than before and she knew that she should've probably explained herself better instead of barging and just tell Henry that she knew he still met with some Lost Boys from time to time but she had only feel urgency once she had remembered that she had seen the kid before.

"She…" She tried to say, only to fell silent as Henry grabbed his backpack, irate.

"In fact," Henry said through gritted teeth, slightly flushed due to his anger. "Why don't you go to talk to her? You two spend so much pretending not to be talking about what you should be talking that's making my head ache! You don't want me to have any friends? Fine! But don't use Emma against me."

"Henry Daniel Mills!"

The scream, however, was made too late and the teen was already going to his room, backpack dangling from his shoulder, as she called for him.

In that moment, her buzzer let out a whirring sound and woke from its sleep. Considering how she had left the bullpen the call could only be from one person and so she looked quickly at Henry's direction before closing her eyes.

"I need to go." She called towards the now closed door. Nothing came out of it. "I will try to be back as quickly as possible."

Something close to a grunt floated downstairs. Trying not to think on Henry's words she turned and left, activating the alarm and closing the door twice just in case.

Some days she just hated her job.

"You don't look very happy." Emma said as Regina approached her, hands smoothing the creases on her coat. The brunette sighed and shook her head before closing the remaining distance between the two of them.

"It's nothing." She replied defensively, knowing very well by Emma's arched brow the younger woman had definetely picked up on something. "Henry and I had a fight." She added, the last bit of her conversation with him still echoing on her ears.

"You two spend so much pretending not to be talking about what you should be talking that's making my head ache."

Pinching the bridge of her nose she smiled tightly as Emma patted her hand briefly before clearing her throat and pointing to an underlined sentence on one of the many reports she had spread over her desk. Grateful that the blonde hadn't investigated further, Regina read the sentence, frowning at it.

"What's…?" She begun, only to be cut short by Emma who emphatically pointed at the line again, a smile on her lips.

"Remember what Gold told us? About the Blue Fairy. Although I don't trust him that got me thinking and so I started to read the information we had of every murder. Know what I found? Our John Doe worked for the southwest part of the docks according to the clothes he was found with. Very near to the entrance of the Fairies warehouse. Ashley? Although we don't have any information of where she had been living we can know that two months ago she worked for a small branch of the factory, cleaning and readying parcels. The Lost Boy was 17 Regina, he was about to get kicked out of the gang, he needed quick money. I can't really prove it 100% without his name and we all know how difficult is for us to discover the real names of the Lost Boys but his clothes had the same color coding some plants of the factory has. I rechecked; he could have been a messenger. If that adds up our three victims shared one thing; to who they worked for."

Regina stared as Emma finished talking, a giant smile on her face. She sighed, Emma was right; she couldn't prove anything of it, not with enough strength for it to be considered a clue by a jury. It could, however, help them into having a string they could start to follow.

Glancing at the bullpen first and then at the closed door in where White still hid from the rest of them, she swallowed and turned back to Emma.

"Are you implying that Reul Ghorm is helping this… author?" She all but said it through gritted teeth. If Emma had come up with that idea the first months they had known each other she would have already dissed the idea as stupid. Now, however, she was open to discuss it.

"If you two talked…"

Emma shrugged and run a hand through her locks. It was a farfetched theory. One that they wouldn't be able to get ahold to without a proper order and, at least, discovering what was the Lost Boy's real name. She had written a note for Pan, leaving it to the usual ways the leader of the gang ended up knowing everything he needed to know.

"I don't know. She perhaps can help us into, at least, crossing that idea out of the way. I sent a cable to her office. She is still there and she will be attending us in half an hour. That's why I

asked you to be contacted… but if you prefer I can go alone and tell you about it later. Or tomorrow." She added in an afterthought.

Regina considered it only to humming a quick "no" even before the idea of not knowing fully formed into her head. She had a duty to do.

"Let's go to see Ghorm."

The headquarters for the biggest factory on the city were erected very close to the northern trail, a road that delved deep into the forest in where the lost boy had been found. The detail wasn't lost on Regina who hummed as both Emma and herself approached the imposing edification created almost entirely out of stone. Something done, apparently, so no grain of dust and no drop of ink reacted to copper or any other conductive element as they were being processed and packaged.

The factory had smaller shops all through Storybrooke and through the even smaller villages scattered on that part of the forest, the more than famous symbol of the silhouette of a winged fairy raising to an undepicted sky looking back at them as they approached the main doors, guarded by two men who barely looked at them twice once they showed their badges.

Inside, they were quickly ushered to the third floor of the place by a small yet diligent fairy not looking older than 25. Her name, according to the tag she displayed on her chest, was Nora and she mumbled little tidbits of information regarding the factory as if she was merely showing it to them. The air felt strangely permeated with ozone and Regina could feel the bracelet protesting slightly as Emma's pendant warmed visibly on her neck, leaving even a small red mark on her pale chest as they moved upwards.

"She will attend you two now." Nora finally said with one final nod and a slight tremble on her right hand as she pointed to a set of closed wooden doors.

They barely had a moment to look at each other before the door opened, letting them enter a rectangular-shaped office with books upon books covering the walls in a, surprisingly, neatly done order neither of them could discover as they looked at the brunette woman dressed in blues and greys who stared at them from her desk's chair.

Reul Ghorm was, by herself, an institution. She looked something in between a strict teacher and the kind of person you would never even dream on saying not to. Her hair was done in a comfortable bun that rested atop her neck, makeup done tastefully and eyes sharply set on everything at once, like a bird of prey. Her neck, wrists and fingers were naked of even the simplest accessory and even though the air was still full with ozone her office felt void of any machine with the only exception of a mailbox and brass lamp with similar manufacture to the ones they had back at the bullpen. The floor of the office was covered in a thick rug that swallowed the sound of their footsteps in a way Regina felt unnerving and as they approached the other woman - one hand extended- she felt the beginning of a headache beginning to settle behind her eyes.

Emma didn't seem as suspicious as her although Regina knew her well enough to know that, for being so obvious and honest about her feelings, sometimes even abrasive, Emma knew very well when to hide her thoughts or discomfort.

"I'm Emma Swan." The blonde reached Reul Ghorm with a polite and quick smile, seating just a second later on one of the chairs in front of the other woman's desk. "I was the one who sent the cable."

"Pleased to meet you." Ghorm's voice was soft yet slightly too high pitched for Regina's tastes. Almost as if the woman tried to impose another tone over hers in a way that not always worked for her. Sitting at the other chair and crossing one leg over the other, Regina studied the CEO. Gold had said enough for her to be as suspicious as Emma. However, the woman didn't pin on her radar as being nothing else but a probably lover of the classes that divided the city. She, however, wasn't the living lying detector.

"I'm Regina Mills." She finally said, eliciting a mirror-like reaction from Ghorm who merely smiled before asking the dreaded question.
"What can I do for you?"

Regina glanced at Emma. They didn't have anything to really base their theories yet. That made this meeting shaky at best. The blonde, despite that, didn't miss a beat and she extracted a set of papers from her leather jacket Regina quickly recognized as carefully done copies of the forms they had been looking at since the beginning of the case.

"We're following a thread in our investigation regarding a set of murders." Ghorm's eyes widened slightly at the word and clasped her hands together, her head tilted to the right as Emma pointed to the name of Ashley. "We are merely crosschecking the facts we already have and we were wondering if you could give us confirmation that Ashley Boyd worked for the factory."

Regina kept staring at Reul, not missing the way the other brunette schooled her features at the name of Ashley.

"I don't know the names of every single one of my employers but I could ask for that to be checked if that's what you need." The answer came succinct and Regina glanced at Emma quickly before the younger woman hummed before pointing at another sentence on the copies she was holding. Already seeing where the blonde was going Regina beat her to it, her face a perfect copy of Reul's careful expression.

"We also would want to know if you employ the Lost Boys from time to time."

This time Reul's brow visibly twitched as she nodded carefully. "The older ones work occasionally for us, that's correct. Everything is perfectly legal; usually they are mere errand boys. I feel that it's a way to give them something to go to once they are expelled from the gang. Why?"

The last sentence was said with a smile and a feigned expression of confusion that only made Regina's neck to prickle as Emma at her side cleared her throat.

"As I said, we are just revising our information. Lastly, is there any place where you hold your workers' information and pictures? Could we take a look at them?"

Reul Ghorm smiled tightly and stood, walking through the rug until she opened the closed door occasioning a flurry of movement as Nora stood from her chair and glanced at her, expectantly.

"Yes, Miss Ghorm?"

Reul pointed at both Emma and Regina just as Emma stood from her chair, making Regina do the same.

"Help them in whatever they may need, dear. And officers?"

The last question halted Regina's step just as she crossed the door, making her stare at a now set of completely void eyes that didn't warm when the CEO smiled.

"Next time you need my help run it first with my secretary. As much as I want to help in any way

I can I can't stop my day. Not even for the Division. I hope you can understand."

The doors closed behind them as quickly as they had opened, leaving both Emma and Regina staring at a now slightly flushed Nora.

"So…" The young fairy said while fidgeting with a pencil. "What would you need my help with?"

A note arrived later at night to one of the more far away houses in town, its stone and wood walls dark enough to be hidden in plain sight with the tall trees and dark foliage around it. Inside, written in a neat calligraphy only a line welcomed the inhabitant of the house.

"We are running out of time."

Another note quickly did the opposite journey back into the center of the city.

"Let's step up the game then."