Thanks for all the reviews. Favorites and Follows it means a lot to me. I would also like to point out this chapter may have mistakes in it since I haven't slept in a while and this is a quick update. Anyway hope you enjoy this chapter as I enjoyed very much writing it.
XXX
Emma rode the elevator up to the third story of the hotel. She had gotten a single bed room on the first floor whilst Regina had claimed the larger room on the third floor. She couldn't exactly argue with the woman since all she had, had on her when she left Storybrooke was her wallet which held twenty five dollars and two cents leaving Regina to have to pay the expenses - as the older woman had continuously reminded Emma.
Dressed in jeans, t-shirt and her signature leather jacket the elevator pinged upon arrival of the third floor and Emma stepped out into the creamy crowned decorated wall. She took longer strides down the hall turning corners when necessary, skipping over numbers that meant nothing to her. The only room she needed was room 302. Regina's room - and god she couldn't wait to get there and demand an explanation as to why they were in a town where people were launching beads at her from every direction not matter where she walked. Not to mention the crazy outfits and weird masks that she had run into just getting a coffee and breakfast.
Large gold metallic numbers read; 302, boldly. Taking a deep breath she raised her had and knocked twice then three times in succession creating her own tune. The door swung open and there stood Regina dressed in a multi-colored sequined jacket, frilly shirt and leather pants. Her hair was in the process of being completed. "What the hell are you wearing?"
"A little more respect would be appreciated Miss Swan especially after paying for your room, food and your new clothes," Regina looked the blond up and down briefy. "Even though your wardrobe has not changed."
"Just answer the question Regina. Why are you wearing that get-up?" Emma was seriously considering the woman was in the midst of a mid-life crisis And you decided it was a good idea to go on a trip with her? Emma looked around for a few seconds before realising that voice was her inner self. So you decided to come back after abandoning me? Chicken-shit! Now you show up. Emma scoffed at that.
Her inner voice had abandoned her to Regina for the past day since the past two days since she had left Storybrooke with Regina. They hadn't spoke except for brief sentences here and there, nothing massive, no conversations just the idle comment or two. A brief order here and there. She had tried bringing up Henry to disrupt the silence and start a conversation but nothing had happened, Regina either ignored her or changed the subject only to have it reverted back to silence. The woman hadn't even lashed out at her for any of her impromtu jokes or persistence of talking about Henry instead she just remained silent which was scary in itself. Surprisingly Emma actually wanted the woman to lash out at her so she knew that the Regina she knew was still in there somewhere.
"I believe you will find the answer to that question in the journal. Page 12." Regina nodded to her leather bound journal on the nightstand while she pulled four-five-six-nine beads neckalaces over her head and moved back to a duffel bag.
Emma hesitantly made her way to the journal, picked it up and flipped through the pages till she reached page 12. The title was sprawled across the top; Mardi Gras. Underneath it lied a large blank space and under that was written a brief description of Mardi Gras and why it was a good idea to add it to her Bucket List. "Really Regina? Mardi Gras? Couldn't of put Bungee Jumping in it's place? Or perhaps Skydiving? Hang Gliding? Hell even Base Jumping!"
Regina pulled out two masks and turned to face Emma. "My dear," she smirked, "You'll find that all four are on the list." Looking Emma up and down once again she cringed slightly. "Even though you're not dressed for the occassion, the mask should be enough."
"Oh hell no Regina. I said I would come on this trip but I will take part in none of this." Emma shook her head defiantly.
"Miss Swan you will take part or I will leave you in this town and continue on my own." Holding out the mask she added, "We can do this the easy way - or the hard way. Which way shall it be Miss Swan?"
Emma glared at the woman. Folded her arms across her chest and stood defiantly against the former Mayor. There was no way in hell that Regina was forcing the mask on her. Nah uh - no way was that mask coming anywhere near her face. Regina wouldn't touch her with that mask with a ten foot pole.
XXX
"You're paying for the hotel room damage. I will take no part in what was your fault," Emma shook her fault now donning a white mask with half a purple butterfly covering the left eye, gold lines expanding from the wings curling and extending in all directions.
"If you had off just co-operated the window, lamp, bed, dressers and floor mirror would not be broken. So you are partly to blame Sheriff." Regina informed donning her own glossy red mask with a white floral design across the white cheek reaching from the edge of the mask to half-way. Small yellow dots signified flowers.
Sarcastically Emma added, "You forgot the hole in the wall, the chair that is now dangling from the chandelier and the bathroom door that is now somehow glued to the wall, not to mention the toliet is missing and the sink is upside down." Emma gave Regina an arrogant look when the woman glared at her. Somehow out of all the damage no one had ended up injured - well physically at least. Emma's pride was mortally wounded. She had lost the battle to Regina and had ended up donning the stupid mask. "Fuck!" Emma swore feeling a small thud on her head.
"Language Miss Swan," Regina chided.
Emma rolled her eyes. A second thud, a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, sev- "I swear the next person to throw a fucking bead at me is going to be resembling one."
"What did I just say Miss Swan?" Regina pointed out with force before adding, "If you are going to be downing about this I will avoid you the rest of the evening. I will not have my good mood brought down just because you are upset over a bead."
"Well when you say it like that. I think I'll put a smile on my face."
"Really?" Regina hadn't thought that, that was all it took to convince her.
"No," Emma said seriously before frustratingly adding "You leave me and I'm going back to the hotel room and you can party Mardi Gras by yourself."
Regina chuckled at the frustrated tone coming from the purple and white mask. Emma looked funny, her hair splaying out over the edge, green eyes glaring at her whilst the rest fo the face mask turned up in a smile turning Emma's words into nothing more than a meaning less threat - check that even without the mask it was a meaning less threat.
"Stop laughing I'm being serious here," Emma stomped her foot in frustration the same way Regina had seen Henry do.
"Miss Swan you are being very childish." She said matter-of-factly.
"And your being a bitch."
"I do ever so love your large vocabulary." Regina said sarcastically pushing past her and into the crowd.
Emma watched after her for a while, her left eye twitching.
Thud!
Another bead connected with Emma's head. Turning to face the direction in which the projectile came from she found a group of what appeared to be teenagers dressed in weird costumes and masks that were way to feathery for her liking. She glared at the group of five daring them to do it again.
Since when had her glares no longer been effective. She soon found herself drenched in bucket fulls of multi-colored beads. Red, yellow, green, blue - opening her mouth a pile slipped out, now she could literally say she had tasted the rainbow.
The group of teenagers laughed gathered beads of the ground threw them at her and turned sprinting off into the sea of people - monsters - crazies - wackos - disappearing for good. Her left eye twitched furiously as she spat out the last of the beads. Begrudgingly she stalked off in the direction Regina had left, the beads popping and cracking as they were crushed underneath her boots.
Regina handed over five twenty-dollar bills to the over eager young men. They gave their thank you's to the former Mayor before running of excitedly. She smirked casually for a few minutes at the fiery presence behind her. Masking the smirk she let one of innocence fall over her and turned to face the Sheriff of Storybrooke. "Miss Swan I must say your outfit has improved marginally." She said looking at the beads that had refused to dislodge from the blond's clothes, "If you wanted beads Miss Swan all you had to do was ask me and I would have purchased a packet of them."
"Well your Majesty, these came free off price as I wouldn't want to inconvenience you." She spoke emotionless.
"Perhaps I may know of something that could cheer you up."
Emma shook herself. Beads flying in different directions, she earned a few cheers and pats on the back, obviously thinking it was on purpose. "I doubt it," she growled out.
"Oh Miss Swan I would beg to differ."
XXX
It was Regina's turn to be frustrated. For the past four hours she had regretted trying to improve Emma's mood. Four hundred dollars poorer and the blond with the red jacket was far from done.
"Chocolate Mousse with whipped cream." Emma pointed out to waiter who was also donning a mask. "I'll take a croissant with it."
A bear claw, vanilla cake, cherry pie, burger and fries, hot dog, a large portion of curly fries and numerous amounts of other food and Emma still had room. Regina's frustration turned to curiosity. She looked across the fifth restraunt they had been too in a matter of hours, to the Savior and pondered how the woman managed to say so thin and eat so much. She had never seen the woman so much as run a kilometer or even around the block and she didn't exercise. Fast matabolism perhaps?
Regina!
Surgery?
Hello! Regina! Anyone home!
Magic?
Regina! Thud! Bang!
"Ow!" Regina glared at the woman she had been staring at, "Miss Swan you kicked me."
"Yes I did," Emma nodded.
"It's highly innappropriate not to mention not responsible and rude to kick someone."
"It's rude to ignore someone." She countered, "I've been calling you for the last five minutes. Where were you? Wonderland? Get it? Wonderland!"
Regina sat there and stared at Emma for a few seconds waiting for the woman to realise that the joke was completely flat.
Emma laughed and shrugged. "I thought it was funny."
"Apparently the only one." Regina mumbled under her breath but loud enough that Emma had heard. "Miss Swan are you anywhere near done filling your hollow legs? We must get ready for tonight."
"Hey doesn't Mardi Gras have something to do with gorging yourself on fatty foods. Something to do with eating as much as you can before ash Wednesday or something like that?" Emma shrugged at Regina and smiled at the waited who placed a large chocolate mousse in front of her, scooping up the chocolatey goodness she inquired whilst shoving a mouthful into her mouth. "So what have you got planned for tonight."
Regina cringed but obligingly answered. "A Mardi Gras formal party."
It was Emma's turn to cringe. She hated formal parties, she hated anything with the word formal in it. "Can't we just watch the parades?"
"Miss Swan this party is exclusive invite only."
Emma eyed Regina wearily. There was something up with the woman. Exclusive party. Invite only. Regina former Mayor. Curse. No one had left Storybrooke before Regina. How the hell had she gotten and invite? Better yet when? "When did you get an invite? I didn't see you receive one."
Regina crossed her legs and pulled her skirt over her knees catching a brief glance in the corner of her eye of Emma running her eyes over her legs. She smirked briefly and answered the question. "That's because I haven't received one."
Emma squinted and asked hesitantly. "Then how do you plan on getting into this exclusive invite only party?"
Regina smirked. "I believe you would call it 'Party Crashing' Miss Swan."
Clatter! Ding!
The spoon slipped from Emma's hand, bounced of the plate and clattered to the floor as Emma stared agape at Regina. There was no way in hell that Miss Prim and Proper Regina Mills was going to crash a party. Sure wearing what she was wearing seemed far fetched but Regina Mills crashing a party seemed out of this world. "Where's Regina and what have you done with her?"
"Nothing Miss Swan this is very much me."
Emma shook her head reached across the table, knocking glasses, plates and decorations on the table to the floor. Gripping both shoulders she shook Regina violently hoping to bring the woman back down to reality - hoping to bring the real and sensible albeit slightly boring Regina back down to Earth. "Regina! Can you hear me? It's okay I'll get you out of there wherever you are and I'll find out who locked you in there. Mr. Gold!" She exclaimed to herself. Turning back to the woman she continued frantically, "I bet you it was Mr. Gold. But don't worry Regina I'll save you!"
"Miss Swan!" Regina growled pushing away Emma's hands. "Don't be ridiculous I am perfectly fine."
"Maybe you have a fever." Emma reached her hand out to Regina's forehead pressing the back of her hand against it only to have it pushed away. She waved to the nearest waiter and exclaimed, "I need the check! The check people!"
"Miss Swan don't cause a scene people are starting to look," she growled out feeling uncomfortable underneath the gaze of others.
"I'm sorry but listen to what your saying." The check arrived and Emma slid it over to Regina who sighed and dug into her dinner purse.
"I realise what I'm saying." She stood with Emma and they both made their way out of the restraunt across the road from the hotel. "I'll see you in at 8 tonight Miss Swan. Appropriate attire should be in your room by now."
With that Emma watched Regina make her way through the rainbow crowd of bead throwers. Appropriate attire? There was no way in hell Regina would go through with actually crashing a party. Regina was a responsible woman. A responsible woman who happened to curse an entire land. "Oh shut the fuck up! Oh shit! Not you! Ma'am I'm sorry!" She cringed and quickly took of down the street a cane wielding husband following after her. How did she get herself into this?
XXX
At 8 exactly a knock sounded on Emma's door. Groaning she pulled it open to find Regina standing there donning all black. A black wool skivvy and black pants. Oh my god! Perhaps she was serious. Emma had yet to change into the silk suit and matching black wool skivvy and pants.
"Miss Swan I do not see you in your outfit. Do you wish to do this the hard way again?" She arched an eyebrow perfectly.
Emma blinked and stepped back from the door allow Regina to step inside. "I didn't think you were serious."
"Very Miss Swan. Now please do get dressed."
Emma obliged still not believe Regina would go through with actually crashing a party. There was no way. The woman would get to the place it was being hosted and would chicken out - or hopefully she would.
A few minutes later Emma returned in the silk suit covered by a wool skivvy and pants. Thirty minutes later and they both stood across the street hidden in a large hedge looking at the large mansion like house that - if possible - was larger than Regina's house.
"This is where it's held?" Emma thumbed to the large mansion.
Regina nodded reached down the neck of the black skivvy and yanked out two black balaclavas.
Holy shit! She's actually seriously going through with this! We could be arrested! That snapped Emma into action. Instead of grabbing the balaclava she grabbed Regina's wrist. "What the fuck? We could go to jail for this. This is breaking and entering."
"Don't panic Miss Swan I thought this whole thing through. I've got us covered nothings going to happen."
"Does your Bucket List entail us getting jailed?"
Regina thoughtfully thought about that for a moment before nodding. "It is on the list but that won't be a part of tonights events."
"But breaking and entering is."
"I do believe party crashing entails breaking and entering." Regina nodded holding out the balaclava to Emma who looked scared shitless. "Are you in or out Miss Swan?"
"What sort of question is that?" Emma shrieked earning a few looks from passing guests who were exiting their car. Luckily all they saw was a hedge in the darkness not it's two occupants.
"Let me put it differently. Do you trust me Miss Swan?" Regina asked lightly surprised at the hopefulness in her tone.
Emma looked from Regina to the house - to what they were going to do, to breaking and entering, to more than likely prison. But surprisingly turning back to Regina whose chocolate brown eyes were staring back at her she found that; yes. Yes she did trust this woman. She trusted her with her life. "I do." She answered sincerely and took the balaclava.
With a nod Regina pulled the balaclava over her head leaving only small holes to see through. It was the only skin visible apart from her hands since long boots run up her legs under the pants.
Emma followed in suit and followed after Regina as the woman crossed the street stealthly weaving in between cars and staying out of everyones line of sight. Emma watched carefully follow each step to the exact detail. Somehow they had both managed to get across the lawn and to the fence at the side of the house without enacting any sensor lights. Briefly Emma wondered if Regina had ever done this before.
Beware: Dogs
Emma turned from the sign to Regina. Staring into the slits that were eyes. She had to look as ridiculous as she felt if Regina was anything to go by. But at the same time Emma had noticed while following in Regina's footsteps that the womans curves still managed to show under all that get-up.
"This is fucking crazy," Emma whispered fiercely. She watched Regina reach down into her skivvy neck once again and the hand returned clasped around a sealed package of meat - steaks. "Is your hotel room toliet in there by any chance?" They had still yet to locate the white porcelain bowl.
Regina rolled her eyes at Emma peeled open the seal reached in and pulled out one of the steaks. "By my calculations we have at most ten minutes to get to the back of the house. You must be quick Miss Swan no diddle daddling got it?"
Emma swallowed trying to remember why she agreed to this. You said you trusted the woman. The woman who cursed all of Fairytale Land. Has tried poisoning you. Has given you hell. Has framed Mar-Snow your mother for murder. Killed Graham. Should I keep going? Or is it enough reasons to question why you trust the woman?
Regina waited for the nod from Emma before launching the steaks over the fence. A few seconds later and Regina gracefully landed with a small thud on the frost covered grass.
"Shiiittt!" Emma exclaimed. "Omph."
Regina looked from the top of the tall privacy fence and down to the ground were Emma lay face down flat on her stomach. "Miss Swan do get up you are wasting valuable time."
Emma lifted her head up from the grass spitting out a mouthful of dirt. "I apologise your Majesty." Groaning she stood up and followed Regina along the wall ducking away from windows that were lit up to avoid plastering their shadows to fences. She felt like a video game character spy whose job was to steal valuable enemy intel.
Regina rounded to the back of the house looked over to Emma and motioned with a wave to the window above their heads. "Give me a boost."
"Your shitting me right?"
"Miss Swan do stop questioning me. Now give me a boost." She commanded and Emma did so.
Regina reached down her skivvy and pulled out a paint scraper. She scratched along the base of the window before slipping it under the window and prying it open. Pushing it open she placed her feet on Emma's head and boosted herself up and into the house.
Emma turned pulling the balaclava into place as Regina's head popped back out and the woman leaned out of the open window hands hanging out.
"Do a run and use the wall to boost yourself up to grab my hands. I'll pull you up."
Emma took a few steps back ran the short distance and once she was in range she placed her right foot on the wall and boosted herself up grasping the hands of the former Mayor - check that - former breaking the law Mayor.
Regina heaved pulling Emma up far enough that the woman could pull herself up and in the rest of the way.
Bang! Crash! Thud!
Regina held her breath wondering if anyone had heard the loud noise but the sounds of a bass beat starting and the DJ speaking told Regina that no one had heard and everything was normal. Still she whipped around to the whites of Emma's eye on the ground and lowly growled, "Do be quiet Miss Swan."
Emma stood up. "Sorry." She whispered innocently they crinkled her brow, "Hold up why am I apologising your the one who wanted to do this. I wanted no part in this."
"Then why are you here Miss Swan?"
"You threatened to leave me in this town by myself if I didn't partake in any of the activites."
"Really Miss Swan that's the best you have? You still have your phone and Snow White's number you could call and have one of them come pick you up."
It was true Emma could but her body and mind refused to allow it. They wouldn't cooperate with the fact that this whole thing was nothing but trouble. Serious. Big. Massive. Un-reversible. Trouble. Shaking her head she questioned the older womans white's, "What now?"
Reaching down her skivvy neck Regina pulled out a flash light and flicked it on lighting up the room that appeared to be a bathroom. She shone the bright light in Emma's face and watched as the woman cringed and squinted at the brightness, her pupils dilating as a hand came up to shield her face. "Strip." She answered.
"What?" Emma scoffed, "Regina if you wanted to get me naked there are so many other places you could do that. Inside somebody's house after breaking and entering is not one of them."
Regina rolled her eyes. "I mean out of the skivvy and black pants."
"Oh," Emma blushed lightly in embarrassment and was finally grateful for the itchy balaclava she had on.
Regina placed the flash light on the bathroom sink and pulled the skivvy over her head revealing the top of a silk white dress shirt, silk white jacket and silk black tie. She slipped out of the black pants to reveal silk white pants.
Emma followed suit revealing the opposite of Regina silk black dress shirt, silk black jacket and silk white tie before pulling of her pants to present silk black pants.
Regina nodded approvingly before reaching down the open part of the her shirt and presenting Emma with a face mask that was black with gold edge trimmings, gold curved lines and navy blue feathers protruding from the top in the middle and spreading out like wings. It covered just above the nose and reached up to the eyebrows but refused to go any higher.
Emma took it and stared questioningly at it. "You sure there's no toliet in your shirt?"
"It's called a seductress mask." Regina explained before reaching in and pulling out a second mask. It was a Venetian Half face mask that covered both eyes and was white with a white sequined veil and black feather protruding from the right side. It was adorned with fancy lines of black. Slipping it on Regina turned to face Emma and looked the woman up and down. "You look presentable. Ready to go?"
Emma swallowed once more and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Regina nodded grab the flash light switch it off and slipped if down the neck of her shirt throwing their ridiculous black get-up and balaclava in the the hamper. The people at the party would be so drunk that the owners would think it just belonged to some idiot and not think twice about it. Yanking open the bathroom door she and Emma entered the dark hallway.
"This way," Regina nodded in a direction and Emma reached out grabbing the older womans elbow.
"How the hell do you know? And how the hell did you know what we'd need?"
"That is a mystery dear that I shall probably never reveal."
Emma pulled on the arm she was holding. "Magic?"
Regina shook her head and answered, "I promised Henry I wouldn't use magic so I improvised. Bra's tend to hold a lot of items did you know."
Emma gulped and inahled deeply. God she did not need the image of Regina's bra in her mind cause that entailed thinking about the smooth skin that was under the silk jacket and shirt. She could put that tie to good use - or would Regina do that?
The ambience got louder the further they walked down the hall and eventually they were enveloped in the atmosphere of sweat, joy and mystery. Lights flickering around the room. The room was dressed in similar style clothing either black or white silk except for the bartenders and the bars waiters, waitresses who were dressed in all red including a full red face mask, gloves and boots. The only other color visible was their hair at the back it looked creeply like one of those horror movie parties.
Half an hour in and everything was louder and the room had fell deeper into party mode. Emma turned to Regina and asked curiously, "Do you know whose party this is?"
Regina nodded and pointed with her cocktail in the direction of a thin woman donning white and a man donning black. "Mrs. and Mr. Powell one of the richest people in the world. She's a bitch and he's a bastard."
Emma could hear the venom in Regina's words bravely inquired. "Why? What did they do?"
Regina looked around for a brief second before leaning into Emma and whispering in Emma's ear the few but important details that had Emma's eyes widening and Regina's distaste for them growing.
"So you came here for what?"
"Revenge of course." Regina smirked leaned back in her seat and looked devilishly at the two people she hated the most. Yes even Snow White and Prince Charming didn't come close to how much she hated the Powell's.
"How exactly?"
Regina's right eyebrow arched up to her hairline. "Is that a request to help."
"I've had three margaritas and two cocktails. Reasoning is starting to float out the window we left open." Emma said finishing of her cocktail and grabbing two more from a passing red man that for the past fifteen minutes she had been refering to as Cherries or was it strawberries? She slid one of them over to Regina and downed hers. "So what's the plan?"
Regina's smirk returned and in that moment Emma swore she could see the little Devil on Regina's shoulder smirking itself and clapping enthusiastically while the little Angel just held up a white flag in surrender.
XXX
Emma and Regina crept through the hall following after Mrs Powell and a man the woman had taken upstairs. Like cat burglars they slid up to the door and pressed their ears against it noses touching at the tips. Moaning could be heard on the other side.
Pulling out a small video camera Regina pushed open the door a crack and slid the camera inside until it was perfectly filming the man and woman entwining with each other. A cherry and a married woman.
"Bra? Really?" Emma said in disbelief.
Smirking, "Wouldn't you like to know." Regina flirted. She had, had enough to drink that her head was little fuzzy but she was still aware off her surroundings.
A few minutes more of filming and Regina and Emma backed away from the door shutting it as they went. They moved in tandem down the hall nodding at masked figures as they walked passed. Trying to blend in as best as possible. Slipping into the backroom they plugged the camera into the logged in computer and quickly updated the slide show to a movie.
"So what exactly is this?" Emma asked.
"At the end of the party the Powell's run a slideshow of the Mardi Gras events. I'm just updating it a little." Regina said as innocently as possible. "Done."
"So one down one to go. Right?"
Regina nodded. "How do you suppose we get him?"
"Is there a curtain behind the projector screen?"
Regina thought for a minute before nodding. "I believe so. Yes. Why?"
"I have an idea."
XXX
Emma and Regina reached out from the closet one grabbing the man the other encircling the mans mouth to keep the Cherry from screaming out. Emma hit him with the frying pan in the back of his head causing the man to crumble in their arms. Dragging the unconscious form to the back of the closet they dumped his body in the corner before looking at one another.
"I feel like an assassin right now. Efficient and deadly." Emma couldn't deny that together with Regina they made a perfect team. Bouncing ideas of each other and working efficiently together. In fact she had never worked better with anyone.
"Quickly grab the clothing and dress."
Emma nodded. "Keep watch."
Regina obeyed leaving the closet to stand out front of it in a guard stance while small thuds and banging could be heard from within. At a curious looking passerby's she explained, "Rat. Huge. Massive rat. My partners just trying to kill it."
Thud! Bang! Clutter! Crash! Crack! Thud! Bang! Shit!
"I think she missed." With that Regina watched the passerby's walk away with relief on her face.
The closet swung open and Emma stepped out dressed in red. "I dressed him in my clothes." Holding up her hands she shook her head, "Don't ask. Let's do this."
They crept down the hallway as a round of claps resounded signaling the beginning of the slide show and the end of Mardi Gras.
"Do it quickly we haven't got long."
Emma snuck into one of the back rooms startling a middle aged man and the mystery man he was wrapped up in kissing. Emma stared at them blinking in surprise. She had not expected Mr. Powell to be kissing a man - woman sure but man? No she had not expected that.
Clearing his throat Mr. Powell asked aggrivated with the intrusion. "What are you doing in here? You were specifically told not to come in this part of the house. Well answer!"
Emma inhaled and spoke. "Your wife is coming to find you. Come this way, I know a safe place." And either this man was desperate or completely stupid that he actually followed her through the house until Emma came to a halt in a large room. "Stay here I will find a way to keep your wife away."
Mr. Powell squinted, "Who are you?"
"Just a worker sir."
"Very well. Leave us and do your job." His order was filled with venom and disgust at the peasant dressed in red in front of him.
Emma nodded and left quickly shutting the door behind her before turning to Regina and agreeing. "Complete bastard."
Regina nodded leaning against the wall next to the curtain release button.
"I'm just surprised he didn't threaten me to keep my mouth shut."
"He's rich he believe's that if he pays you too keep your mouth shut, you will." She shrugged waited for the moans and groans she knew was to come and was rewarded for her patience. "Nearly time wait for our little home video to start." And it did a collective's rounds of gasps and chatter amongst the guests nearly drowned out the moaning coming from the video.
With nods at each other Regina hit the release button of the curtain hearing it clutter to the ground. A larger collective round of gasps sounded from the room on the other side of the door. Emma counted to five before a man burst through the door and ran down the hallway followed by another trying to pull on his pants. Emma turned to Regina and with a grin at each other they high fived one another.
Revenge was sweet. Even if it was revenge for Regina. Emma had to admit that yes it was the most fun she had, had in years and it was a thrill.
XXX
Emma and Regina walked down the street having left the party forty minutes ago. Their masks dangling around their neck and upper arms brushing against one another.
"I had fun tonight." Emma admitted.
Regina smiled. "And did we end up arrested?" She asked with amusement on her face as they they turned down the street leading to the hotel.
Emma laughed wholeheartedly. "No. No we didn't you can say it. Go on Regina I know you want too."
Regina smirked mischievously. "I have no idea what you're talking about Emma."
Emma pulled to a stop out front of their hotel with Regina. "Go on say it. I can handle it."
"Very well then. I told you so." She laughed and Emma thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.
A split second later a stampede of teenagers marched down the street carrying...Emma did a double take at what the teenagers were carrying - portraying as a shrine within the midst of torches, beads, masks and weird costumes. "Regina is that your rooms toliet?"
Regina looked at the toliet shrine as it faded in the distance before looking towards Emma. "I think I had to much to drink. Goodnight Emma."
With that Emma was left standing on the doorstep of the hotel lobby entrance smiling like a fool for that was the second time in less than ten minutes and one of the rare times Regina had called her 'Emma'. Her day was complete and no longer - at least for the moment - was she pondering what she was doing going on this trip with Regina. She was just - happy. Happy Regina had called her Emma.
Meanwhile inside her room Regina crossed of number 12. Go to Mardi Gras and number 21. Humiliate A Mortal Enemy.
Okay very long chapter. Next one won't be up for another few days hopefully by Monday. Hope you enjoyed.