Okay extremely long and I mean really, really long so hopefully you have the time to sit down and read this. This is part one in more than likely a two part series. Which means Snow will be around for more than two chapters as both parts will equal one Bucket List agenda. Hopefully you enjoy this as I definitely enjoyed writing this. Definitely loved this. Go SNOW! (At least in this chapter.)
Thanks to my reviewers, favoriters and followers. I owe you all a lot and this is too everyone of you guys/girls.
Disclaimer - I do not own Once Upon A Time or Rosalyn Wraights LAC.
XXX
"Okay sign here," the officer pointed to the small dotted line at the bottom of the page. "Both of you." He ordered.
Emma signed first and moved quietly out the way as Regina signed her name down next to her's. Since exiting the cell they had both kept their heads bowed and had refused to look up at Snow. Even though she couldn't see the brunette's face Emma knew that Regina was frustrated in requiring her arch-enemies support to get out of jail. Who would have guessed that Regina would end up requiring Snow's support to get out of trouble? Usually she was the one causing the trouble and Snow was the one running to stay out of it. Funny how things change Emma thought for a brief moment. A few more signatures here and there before the final form was slipped over towards Snow.
"If I were you I'd pick new friends," the officer spoke to Snow but huffed at Emma and Regina before gathering up the papers and turning away from them. "Your free to go."
Regina grabbed her gear off the counter along with Emma as they were quickly bustled out of the police station and into the fresh open air by Snow. The sudden intake of fresh air and not recycled caused her head to spin and the headache to return in full force, pounding away like a drum set in her head. She took a few seconds to gather herself before moving down the path leading away from the station and towards the mechanics, crossing her fingers that her Hummer was fixed and ready to go.
"Anybody going answer why in the world I received a phone call and two in the morning saying that we have your friend in custody for grand theft auto of a police car non-the-less, shooting a hunting rifle within restricted area, for damaging a police car, for avoiding police - anything else I missed?" Snow asked from beside Emma and behind Regina.
"Well we also TP'ed the police station." Emma added but cringed when a death glare was shot her way from the brunette in front of her.
"You what?" Snow shook her head. "Emma you I somewhat expect it from but didn't think you would actually do it," Snow reprimanded with a shake of her head before turning to Regina. Taking a rather nervous swallow she continued, "But Regina I would never in my entire life or even in my dreams think you capable of doing something like this. Were you both high?"
Emma corrected, "Drunk."
Another death glare.
"Well this is good news any how because now you can both come home and stop - you brought a Hummer?" Snow stood in front of the large hulking black machine that the group had just stopped out front of.
"Yes dear a Hummer."
"An actual Hummer?" Snow reached out to touch the large black vehicle but her head was quickly slapped away.
"Don't touch my Hummer."
"Your Hummer?" Snow inquired.
Emma nodded.
"I was thinking of sharing it with your daughter but..." she pointed towards the mechanic coming out of the store and her vehicle, "...you can see how well that went."
"You did this?" Snow asked shocked from her daughter.
Emma nodded.
"And your still alive?" Snow looked between her daughter and Regina before poking her daughter. "Wow you really are still alive."
"Miss Mills, your vehicle is in tip top shape, you checking it out today?" the mechanic asked with a wirey grin.
"Yes, will cheque work?"
The mechanic nodded. "Yes altogether two thousand and three hundred."
"You dropped the price or something?" Emma asked from behind Regina.
The mechanic shook his head. "After last nights fiasco I figured stealing a cop car takes guts and I admire people with guts. Plus getting arrested, now that we are all in the business of being behind bars I figured I'd lower it for family."
Regina blinked.
Emma could see Regina's body tense and she half expected the woman to start blowing things up. Instead she spotted a fake smile form on the former Mayor's lips as she quickly pulled out a cheque wrote on it and handed it over to the man who quickly disappeared after receiving payment.
"Well dear it was good seeing you," Regina smiled to Snow as she pulled out her keys.
"Well since we're heading back to Storybrooke I'll tag along with you guys. Cheaper instead of catching the flight...although I don't think they do cash back if you cancel a flight." Snow smiled in thought.
"I think you have the wrong impression dear. I am not coming back to Storybrooke until the list is done."
Snow blinked. "But I just got you guys out of jail. That's a sign telling you too come back."
"I don't think so dear."
Snow turned to her daughter. "Well you're coming with me." Snow grabbed her daughter by the elbow.
Emma grimaced. She really did feel like a small child right now.
"I-I can't mom."
"What do you mean you can't?"
"I promised Henry that I'd bring Regina back to Storybrooke and if this is what it takes then I'm going to do it." Emma said adamantly as she stepped away from her mother. "I'm sorry but I will not break a promise to Henry."
"He'll get over it."
Emma shook her head. "I'm sorry."
Snow sighed. "Can you guys at least drop me off for my flight back to Boston? Charming will pick me up from there."
Emma looked towards Regina who stood there looking at her nails in boredom. Emma gave her, her best pleading look. She couldn't very well leave her mother in a town with no way back. Wait - "How did you get here?"
"By bus, but the next one won't pass through again until next month and my plane leaves before that." Snow said with a small smile.
Regina rolled her eyes. This was her one chance to get rid of Snow White, leave her in a world that she knew nothing about, all alone. God she had enough trouble putting up with Emma, how much worse would it get if she allowed the blondes mother along for the ride.
"Please just to where I catch my plane."
Regina rolled her eyes once again but conceded. "Very well."
Emma let out a sigh of relief greatful that Regina wasn't going to abandon her mother on the side of the road. "So let's get going."
Regina pointed towards Snow, "You in the back and don't touch anything...anything at all."
Snow swallowed but nodded.
The group slid into the large machine, got themselves comfortable and clicked in their seatbelts. Regina slid the keys into the ignition before looking in the rear view mirror at the woman who looked around the vehicle rather oddly. Oh how she would have done anything, or have given anything to have seen Snow sitting on her very first plane flight. "Where exactly are you catching your plane from?"
Snow stopped her examination of the vehicle and quickly shuffled through her hand bag for the tickets. Pulling them out and opening them up she looked up at the two awaiting woman through the rear view mirror. "Some place called Las Vegas."
XXX
"Miss Swan there is no way in hell I am driving your mother to Las Vegas." Regina shook her head. No way in hell.
"We can't very well leave her in this small town with nothing can we?" Emma asked.
They where both standing in front of the vehicle arguing while Snow sat inside examining the interior of the vehicle while her daughter and Regina fought out front. The moment the words had left Snow's mouth Regina had gripped the steering wheel to ghost white hands and a few seconds later had forcefully stepped out of the vehicle moved to the passenger side and dragged Emma out of the car for what she said was a 'word'.
"You can't," Regina pointed to Emma before pointing to herself, "But I can."
"You'd really leave my mother in a world she knows nothing about?" Emma asked with a mixture of sadness, sorrow and disbelief.
Regina turned to looked at the pixie haired woman who quickly looked away innocently and pretended to do something else that wasn't watching them. She sighed sadly before turning back to Emma. Sharp and simple she answered, "Yep."
"What? Seriously? What the hell, if you leave her behind you leave me behind." Emma spoke with vehemence as she stood her ground.
Regina thought about that for a moment. "Well that would be killing two birds with one stone."
Emma looked at her shocked. "Really? Not even an 'I'll miss you'?"
Regina blinked. "Of course I'll miss you dear," she smiled, "Who else will provide me such entertainment on a daily basis?"
"Thank yo-" Emma blinked, "Hey I just got that."
Regina rolled her eyes before looking back towards Snow. "Well Las Vegas is on my Bucket List."
"Yes that's a good point." Emma said with a hopeful voice.
"I suppose I could drop Snow off at the airport." Regina nodded finally conceding as she turned back to the blonde, "Very well."
"Yes!" Emma fist pumped into the air as she turned to her mother giving her a thumbs up which was eagerly returned with a lot of interior bouncing.
Regina sighed. This was going to be a long trip but she couldn't deny that seeing Emma so happy made her smile herself.
XXX
"And a left here." Snow pointed out.
It had been two days since they had left the small town behind and had started their trip towards Las Vegas decoying along the way to mark off another Bucket List number and although Regina had given some thought and had put up a rather big argument about participating in any of her Bucket List items with Snow White she had eventually surrendered.
Looking towards Regina, Emma spotted the rather amused smirk the woman was wearing and briefly wondered when and why the woman's mood had changed dramatically. She had been fuming refusing to talk to anyone and everyone had remained in silence afraid that one word would set the woman off but somewhere along the line Emma had suggested they take a different route and try a Bucket List number to pass the time. Emma turned to stare out the front of the windshield where there was nothing but tree's and a dirt path.
"So what exactly are we doing?" Emma asked.
"Patience dear," Regina's said softly with an even bigger smirk. "I found a rather amusing flyer on the message board of the motel we were staying at."
Emma nodded, "What does that have to do-do-do...Regina paintball! Really?!"
Regina's smirk widened if it were possible. "Number forty three dear."
"We are so not doing paintball, especially with my mother. Have you ever done paintball?"
Regina shook her head.
"It hurts like really hurts, not to mention it leaves welts and bruises. What were you thinking?" Emma turned to stare back out the window where a bunch of women where waving crazily at the car. "Do you know them?"
Regina shook her head. "They're a group, this paintball was appointment only."
"Appointment only? Who the hell makes an appointment only paintball?" Emma shook her head. Paintball with Regina was deadly...now she knew why she was smirking. Mom's in for it now.
XXX
Half an our later and Regina, Emma and Snow stepped out from their tents and into the July sun turning their dark clothes into an overzealous branding iron. All of them wishing they where in the Artic and not currently making their way towards seven other women.
"Why the heck would they make us dress in dark clothes for? Especially in this heat?" Emma beseeched, "Jesus!"
As they got closer to the women Emma noticed that the women - all of them, were also dressed in black clothes.
"Okay everyone's here." A woman with light brown hair dressed to the 'T' in a black outfit spoke up, "Great. Can I get everyone to go sit around the table over there." She pointed it out and silently everybody made their way over towards it. Look overs were given by everyone before they all took their seats around the wooden table. "Okay we are going to start off with introducing ourselves and to settle curiousity I would also like for you to tell everyone what you do and why your here." She paused waiting for anyone to disagree, a few chatter rounded the table before it went silent again. With a nod she started, "I'm Felicia Couer and I'm an Investigative Reporter, I came here to have fun an meet new people."
The second woman whose hair begun to gray slightly looked up and around at the group. She was in her late forties gaining on fifty. "I'm Elise Newman and I'm a trauma surgeon. I came here because my wife," she nodded over to another woman whose dark black hair began to show signs of gray, "forced me to."
Felicia looked over towards the womans wife and nodded towards her.
"I'm Katherine Webster but you can all call me Kate and I'm here because I want to prove to myself that age will not get in the way of me having fun and that I can do whatever you youngin's can." She nodded adamant about what she was saying.
A woman with red hair raised her hand to speak next. "I'm Abigail Watson and I'm a firewoman and I'm here cause my boss said I should get a life and my girlfriend," she nodded towards Felicia, "happens to agree with him."
Another woman in the group laughed. "Funny same here." She looked around the table, "Names Desiree Caverly but can call me Dez and I'm a Homicide Detective with absolutely no life and that is why I'm here."
Regina kicked Emma who let out a small cry off pain and all eyes turned to the blonde who glared towards Regina.
"Uh my names Emma Swan and I'm a Sheriff for a small town in Maine and I'm here because bossy here decided to come here." Emma thumbed towards Regina earning another kick under the table.
"Regina Mills former Mayor of such small town in Maine and I'm here to complete a list."
"Bucket List?" Abigail popped up from the end of the table her beanie starting to fall over her eyebrows.
Regina nodded. "Yes."
"I could imagine what you've seen. All the things you've done and have yet to do," one of the women said giddily. She had blonde hair lighter then Emma's and she was smiling widely, "I'm Madeline Parker, I'm an artist and I'm here because I want to try paintball...what a creative way to use paint. Imagine all the colors. So pretty. Red, blue, green...what colors are we using? Mul-"
"We'll get to that," Felicia held up her hand stopping the exuberant womans ramble.
Snow raised her hand, "I'm a teacher and my names Mary-Margaret but most people just call me M. Last names Blanchard and I'm here because my sister is on a Bucket List trip with a friend of ours." Snow patted Regina on the back. "I'm just tagging along."
The last woman had short black hair and sat pulling her black clothes away from her body to allow some cool breeze to wash over her body. "My names Haley Thompson and I'm a Commercial Airline Pilot."
Maybe you could send Snow back earlier? Regina thought to herself and she looked over towards the pixie cut woman who was smiling brightly hand still on her back. Why did she have to go with sister? She didn't even want to be related to this woman? Not even in a friendly manner.
Felicia spoke up again, "Okay first up I'd like to point out that this is a competition and that the winner will win a trophy. Secondly, my brother, Link, owns this land. He never quite grew up, so he uses this place as a paintball arena with his friends. In the fall, it turns into a place where they slaughter deer during the hunting season."
Emma watched her mother and firewoman Abigail Watson pale. Her mother paling had more to do with the fact that she was more then likely imagining the poor animals who had families, Abigail on the other hand - she looked like a woman who was a vegetarian and had a hard time imagining animals in harms way, let alone being shot.
"Barbaric, but like I said, he never quite grew up." She made a quick scan of the landscape before turning back to the group. "So just be careful of wild life."
Abigail nobly wrested the attention away from her girlfriend. "So let's take care of the business side of this before we setlle into a pleasant evening. Fire will be important all weekend," she explained. "It's what will keep us warm at night and give us light. It is also needed for food. So your first task is to collect enough firewood to keep it going."
No one seemed thrilled by the idea, but regardless, they all stood to begin their hunting mission, their scavenger hunt. Before anyone could move Katherine piped in, "Wait whose camper is that then?"
Felicia and Abigail turned to the camper sitting quietly at the edge of the camping zones, looking far more cozier then any of the tents. "That's ours."
A gasp from Kate went up in the air. "Your going to make an old woman sleep on the ground in a tent?"
Elise held up her hand to stop Felicia and Abigail from talking. "First of all Kate you are only old when it's convenient for you, and second whose idea was this in the first place? Now zip it old lady."
Emma, Regina, Snow and the others looked at one another before placing their hands over their mouths to stop their chuckles from escaping. The group made to move again but before they could Felicia added, "And as long as you're out there, you might as well spend some time searching for your camping gear." She looked towards Abigail, and they both chuckled.
"We've scattered it throughout the forest. If you don't find it, you'll be sleeping without shelter." Abigail added with another round of chuckles.
Emma looked towards Regina, "I thought you said this was paintball. Hell I thought the sign said paintball and not a scavenger hunt."
"Are you saying your not capable of doing such a thing Miss Swan?"
Snow looked between her daughter and Regina. "Now you two behave. I have a feeling this is going to be really fun and enjoyable. Plus the ladies seem nice enough."
Emma looked around at the group of women. They all looked to be in the same predicament, wondering what the hell happened to the paintball part of paintball. It seemed nobody knew this was going to be a scavenger hunt.
"Well go on," Abigail pushed them forward. "Better get moving and they're all labeled."
Moans and groans erupted. Grownups? Adult women? Pfft in what universe? Regina looked at the two chuckling women and then at the group. They were in trouble. Well at least she knew why she had to give names, and sizes to the women over the phone.
It made Emma feel like she was a little kid headed off to summer camp. She was now half expecting the two women to ask them to write their names on their undies.
"And," Felicia repeated several times before anyone paid attention. "And so you know where to put your stuff if you find it, I need each of you to grab a name out of this bag here and then grab a piece of paper out of the bag Abigail is holding up. Whoever you pull out of my bag will be your team mate and whichever color you get from Abigail's designates which team and which area belongs to you."
She extended the first bag to the Homicide Detective. Reaching in Desiree pulled out a small piece of paper, flipped it over and read out loud.
"Wings, your with me." She waved the strip of paper in the air and everybody caught a quick glimpse of the name 'Haley Thompson'.
The two women moved a few steps away to allow the next woman to reach into the bag. Emma reached in a pulled out the small strip of paper, flipped it over and read aloud.
"Mary-Margaret," Emma looked up towards her mother. Damnit they were definitely in trouble. Looking towards Regina she saw the wide smirk plastered on the woman face. If Regina's look was anything to go by she would almost believe the brunette had planned this out just so she could shoot her mother and herself. Anger issues or what?
"Mayor ma'am," Felicia waved the bag towards the brunette.
"Regina's fine." Regina waved at them as she reached into the bag and withdrew her strip of paper, flipped it over and read aloud. "Madeline Parker."
A loud screech went up in the air as the woman tackled Regina in a fierce hug. "This is going to be so awesome!"
Emma and Snow looked at one another, hid behind their hands and chuckled amongst themselves at the look of dread Regina was now sporting towards the young giddy woman who was jumping around in excitement holding onto the crook of Regina's arm. Emma squelched down the bubbles in her stomach at seeing the young blonde enthusiastically holding onto Regina. Jealousy again Emma?
Katherine and Elise high fived one another happy to find themselves together in a team. One by one, one person from the partnership plucked out a small piece of colored paper. Emma and Snow were green. Katherine and Elise saw red. Desiree and Haley felt yellow. Regina and the exuberant Madeline turned purple.
"For now, you can be in any of the areas while you're out on your hunt," Felicia instructed. "Try to get a feel for the land, too. It will help you tomorrow."
The patrons had a curious look on their faces but it quickly vanished as they each dispersed and started their hunt deeper and deeper into the forest. Everyone was helpul and non-competitive for the time being and briefly Emma wondered if this was how the paintball game was going to be - if they were ever to do paintball.
Everyone worked together to create an enormouse pile of wood and tinder. Within an hour, everyone had completed the tasks. Couples began setting up camp while Felicia and Abigail got the fire roaring.
After Emma and Snow had set up their tents, they both moved inside it, trying to organize a bit.
There was a moment of silence before Snow spoke up again, "So you and Regina have been doing this the whole time?"
Emma shook her head. "Not this exactly but some pretty - weird things."
Snow chuckled. "Never thought I'd see my daughter hanging out with Regina."
"She's not that bad," Emma pointed out. "She's..."
"Confused and lost?" Snow asnwered with raised eyebrows, "She's looking for a place she belongs I know that." Snow turned to look out the tent flaps to where Regina and Maddy where finishing setting up their tents. "It still doesn't excuse everything she did."
"Doesn't it?" Emma looked towards her mother as the pixie haired woman turned to face her. "Sometimes our past shapes us to be who we are."
Exiting the tent each couple slowly made their way over towards the roaring fire. Emma took her spot beside Regina, Snow next to her and Haley next to Snow. Maddy took a spot next to Regina with Desiree sitting beside her and Elise, Katherine, Felicia and Abigail taking the last four spots around the fire. As the fireworks started Emma noted they where in fact on high ground with a clear view of the stunning display. She had never celebrated Independence Day before but sitting here with Regina one side and her mother on the other, and surprisingly even with strangers surrounding her she truly felt at home for once.
XXX
The utter peacefulness shattered into a million pieces when Felicia suddenly appeared from the periphery and pulled the trigger of an air horn. It startled everyone to immediate attention.
"Starting tomorrow," she said, "the air horn is your friend."
Emma cringed. Her ears doubting that.
Felicia went on to explain, "Whoever holds the air horn in this area - the inner sanctum - has the floor, and everyone else must listen." She looked to the group in challenge as she held the horn high.
No one dared to object, but Emma believed fear masqueraded as respect. She figured they were about to find out about the game.
Felicia handed the horn to Abigail, and she said, "We've decided that a civilized game of Capture the Flag might be fun."
Everyone looked towards Felicia as she sat down next to Abigail. Emma turned to face Regina civilized? My ass turning back to the women she gave them her full attention once again.
"There are a lot of rules to go over so listen up," Felicia said. "First off, your designated area is yours to defend, where you will hide your flags. Each couple gets three flags in their color, worth one hundred, two hundred and three hundred points. The objective is to sneak into enemy territory and steal their flags. All flags can be stolen back by their respective owners. Fair is fair. However you only get points for enemy flags you capture. No points for recapturing your own flags." She smiled warmly.
It sounded basic enough to everyone.
Abigail continued for Felicia, "You cannot hide flags under anything. They must be visible and within reach. That's important. Does that make sense to everyone?"
Emma looked around and noted ththat there appeared to be no confusion, but Haley raised her hand and asked, "How do we defend our flags?"
Felicia explained, "You can capture anyone who is in your zone. Simply touch them or hit them with a paintball, and you can haul them off to jail."
Emma noticed the Detective's weird look of explanation and yet it was ignored for the moment as, "Paintballs!" made its way through the crowd. Emma cringed feeling uneasy at the thrill it seemed to garner. Paintballs equaled pain for her. Lots and lots.
"Yes, paintballs," Felicia said. "But only one team member gets a paintball gun." Pulling out multi colored bags she held out a color to it's respective members, "Pick and we'll see who gets the paintball gun."
Katherine reached into the red bag and withdrew with yet another strip of paper. "Elise!" she called.
Desiree reached into the yellow one and withdrew her own strip of paper. "Desiree! Yes!" she cheered leant around the group and high fived a happy Haley.
Emma guessed it was because the Detective knew how to hold a gun. A slight unfair advantage. Emma reached into the green bag in front of her and withdrew the strip, "Mary-Margaret," she said falling into her mother's double name. Better then explaining Snow White to a group of trigger happy paintball women.
Madeline reached into the bag and withdrew. "It's me! It's me!" She bounced up and down quickly hugging anyone near by.
Regina sighed with relief. Even though she had wanted to hold a gun she had to admit that giving the excited woman the weapon might prove more lethal. Paint plus artists equaled chaos. Lots and lots.
The soon-to-be-armed ones chuckled, suddenly feeling very omnipotent. Regina looked towards Emma with sheer refusal to believe that they posed a real threat - with the exception of smirk the Detective was wearing. Katherine gasped. Haley laughed. Emma however didn't know what to think. A laughing gasp of refusal to believe that, Snow, the woman who couldn't harm a fly was going to be shooting a paintball weapon.
Abigail continued, "If you get hit with a paintball in the enemy zone, you are automatically jailed."
The look of explanation fell on the Detective's face yet again and finally it was answered.
"Anytime you get captured by a paintball or otherwise, you are at the mercy of your jailer or capturer. The jailer or capturer however you wish to put it has three choices. She can tie you to that jail tree over there." Abigail stopped and pointed to the tree near the clearing. "You must stay tied to the tree for fifteen minutes. The jailer, capturer can instead choose to ask you one question that you must answer honestly. 'I don't know' will only suffice if it is the absolute truth. The jailer, capturer's last choice is to take one item from you. If it's a concealed item, the jailer, capturer must name the object properly, and then you have to hand it over if you have it."
Abigail and Felicia went on to explain the safe zones: The inner sanctum and one's own territory were the only places where harm could not come to them. Further, at any time anyone could blow the air horn in the inner sanctum and everyone would have to report immediately for assembly. The person with the horn could rat on rule-breakers, and the group could decide on punishment. Also in the inner sanctum, rules could be renegotiated, and items could be traded.
Then Felicia explained charms. "We have three small beanbags with names on each: Goddess, Retaliation, and Probation. These will be scattered about. If you find one, you can keep it until you're ready to use it. After you use one, you have to come back here and throw it into another couple's territory. Goddess allows you to stun everyone in your line of sight for a total of five minutes, in which time you can either capture them or head into their territory without their defense. Retaliation allows you to capture a player within her own territory. Probation will get you our of jail immediately no questions asked." She added the last bit for a bit of humor.
Abigail took the imaginary microphone and spoke, "We also have four spells for you to use on your enemies. Each team gets a spell sign and car tie it to a tree anywhere within their own territory - as long as it is not within teen feet of a flag. You can also move it around as often as you want. There's the Alarm, which means that when you see this word on a sign you must loudly make an alarm sound until you can get out of enemy territory. If you see Freeze on a sign, then you have to sit down where you are for five minutes." Abigail laughed in anticipation for the next spell, "If you see Humiliation, you must sing at the top of your lungs the words to 'I Feel Pretty' while you run out of enemy territory. The last one is Damsel. When you see this one, you have to scream your partner's name and tell her to rescue you."
Felicia and Abigail laughed loudly and high fived each other and the grief stricked ready to pack and run women's faces in front of them. Felicia spoke, "Now here's the hard part."
Everyone shuddered to think of such a thing.
Abigail raised her voice a little with an authoritive tone. "The following rules are the most important. Violators will be dealt with harshly."
Felicia said, "One, absolutely no head-shots with the paintball guns."
"Two, no entering enemy territory without goggles on."
"Three, you cannot steal or ask anyone to surrender their camping gear or paintball supplies."
"Four, be honest."
"Five, do not hurt anyone or anything."
"And six!" Abigail exclaimed, "Have fun."
Regina was already planning her victory celebration by the looks of it as she asked, "And what does the winning team get? I think we should be clear about that."
"Losing teams will pay for breakfast and you will receive a trophy." Felicia answered earning a round of cheers. Apparently everyone was determined not to be the person paying for breakfast.
With that said Felicia and Abigail handed out respective team colored bandanas. Everyone turned them into head bands, each looking like their own versions of Ranbow. Then came the goggles: small and clear goggles that didn't make anyone look like flies or aliens. Next came the flags, plastic things with team colors stuck on six inch bendable sticks. Then came the large envelopes that contained each partnerships spell signs.
Everyone got a bit more hyped with each piece of gear they received but to the group of women's deflation. Abigail announced, "The game begins at sunrise. And if the paintballers could kindly follow Felicia, she will give you some instructions on loading and shooting."
The four women took off with Felicia, Snow throwing a wave back towards Emma and Regina. Abigail went back to her list at the picnic table, and Haley, Regina, Katherine and Emma sat around the fire. As Haley lit up a cigarette, Emma asked, "What's the saying about not being able to hit a barn?"
Regina replied, "Couldn't hit the side of the barn from the inside with all the doors shut."
"That's it, and that's them." Emma said earning a round of nods from all the women. "I don't think we have anything to worry about."
"Except for maybe Detective Caverly." Haley pointed out.
Everyone cringed but had to agree.
Emma tried to imagine her mother armed. Her mother could look lethal if she tried hard enough but the idea of her pointing a gun at anyone made Emma chuckled lightly. Regina's partner on the other hand made her think of a child, the artist would more then likely be more enthralled by the paint then anything. Though Emma had to admit she was glad Regina hadn't received the gun, who knew what disasters would happen if the woman had gotten her hands on a paintball gun.
Speaking confidently Regina said, "Ready to lose Miss Swan?"
Emma scoffed and waved her hand as the women around them snickered at the challenging tone. "I won't have to be ready to lose because I won't be, but if I were you I'd start getting ready because we are going to wipe the floor with you."
"Here come the lethal women. Quick put your hands up!" Haley exclaimed and everyone gave in throwing their hands into the air, even Regina.
"We have all been educated on proper use of firearms," Dez said giving a small bow as playful slaps were delivered to the Detective from gun weilding women. Apparently they had started getting along fairly well.
"It's quite easy," Elise said. "I think I can do it."
The other's concurred and Katherine rolled her eyes in the non-gun-weilders direction.
Emma noticed the mood was strange or perhaps strained. It was solemn and disturbed. Maybe it was because she was tired or because she was thinking about the pain that accompanied paintball in the morning.
An hour later and everybody had gotten to know one another fairly well but they all had decided to hit the sleeping bags since they would all have to rise with the sun. Emma crashed onto her sleeping bag followed by her mother who crashed silently next to her. The sound of quiet chatter as everyone got comfortable in separate tents made it's way around the camp, until it eventually but slowly died down to silence. Letting sleep overcome her Emma closed her eyes.
XXX
"Pancakes! I smell pancakes!" Emma exclaimed unzipping the ten and popping her head out of the tent. Drooling she looked around and sure enough Felicia and Abigail sat at their picnic table, periodically sticking forks in their mouths. Her mouth watered even more.
"Still thinking about your stomach Miss Swan?" Regina asked holding out a cup of coffee. "The drinks are free but the food, well let's just say the Detective is very good at following orders."
With that being said Emma caught sight of the Detective marching over the hill picnic basket in hand. Had that been out there all night? Emma briefly wondered.
The Detective strode up to Regina and bowed. "Your Majesty." She said handing over the basket.
Oh how truthful was that statement Emma snickered to herself hearing her mother behind her doing the exact same thing.
"Thank you dear," Regina smiled at the woman who shot a playfull glare towards her. Regina shrugged.
"Did you have to go hunting for that?" Snow asked popping her head out of the tent, "Berries and nuts?"
"Err no," Dez said shaking her head. "Hotdogs."
"For breakfast?" Emma asked a sullen look on her face, "But they get pancakes." She nodded to the two women.
"Don't argue with them, me and Regina tried this morning but it went nowhere."
Snow chuckled, "Then arguing with them really is pointless if Regina can't get them to agree."
Regina glared and Emma laughed to herself. Desiree laughed along although for different reasons she was thinking about.
An hour later and everybody had donned their cat burglar clothes and headed towards the inner sanctum as the CD player blared out 'I Fell Pretty', washing everyone's brain with the important lyrics that would take a part in the game.
"Looks to me like the sun is up. You guys had better get a move on!" Abigail said.
The crowd dispersed in all direction to get their areas set up. Emma noticed Desiree and Haley had yet to move. Emma shot them a quizzical look and received a dismissive wave.
"We set ours up hours ago."
Emma and Snow took off zooming into enemy territory, each taking a different color. Ahead of Emma loomed larger than life: a yellow flag with two hundred written on it, sticking out of the ground. "I got one! I got one!" Emma yelled.
She expected a 'Good job Emma!' or a battle cry from her mother at least. But all she got was, "'I feel pretty, oh so pretty. I feel pretty and witty and gay.'" and the sound of a laughing Regina as she watched Snow streak out of her territory singing.
Emma watched her mother whip past her with a laughing Regina hunched over with tears at the sight. She looked back to her mother who continued running whilst singing.
"And I pity any girl who isn't me today. I feel charming, oh so charming'...run like hell, Emma, because... 'It's alarming how charming I feel."
And Emma did. She ran like hell, flying over the yellow tape at the front. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Regina tackling Snow to the ground. Emma couldn't help her though. Speeding to the center of the inner sanctum, she yelled, "Two bloody hundred points!"
Emma bent to catch her breath and them watched as Regina perp-walked Snow to the Inner Sanctum Penitentiary for the Musically Insane with a satisfied smirk on her face. No matter where they where, gun or not, weapon or not, Regina still managed to get Snow. "That's not fair! You can't lock her up! We haven't even started yet."
"Then hand over the flag Emma," Felicia said holding out her hand expectantly.
Emma toyed with the idea. She really did. You had to believe that she did. Walking over to her lover, tied to a tree with a smirking Regina hovering over her...she looked so vulnerable, so beaten, so dirty. Emma hugged her mother briefly and vowed, "I promise to write. I promise."
Snow looked at her daughter in disbelief while Regina laughed beside her.
Emma took off in a blaze to protect their flags and the newly earned yellow one. Emma slid on her green headban and shoved the three flags into it. Down her shirt, she stuffed the yellow flag and the spell sign they had yet to hang. Making her way back to the inner sanctum she caught sight of Regina walking back into the midst of the colored tape.
"You look ridiculous Miss Swan with flags sticking out of your head." Regina rolled her eyes.
XXX
Twenty minutes later, Emma poked her head up over a shrub looking around as everyone moved towards yellow zone. Desiree and Haley sat patiently waiting. Desiree's gun set up and prepared to fire. Emma wanted to watch to see how perfect the detective's arim was but instead focused on Regina who took of into the red zone. The thought briefly crossed Emma's mind that with everyone gaining on yellow zone, there would be no one protecting the rest of the forest. Emma looked down to her mother who had only gotten out of the Penitentiary five minutes ago. Together they took off into enemy territory.
Emma zoomed through grabbing flags. Holding four altogether she turned coming face to face with a large group of glaring women ready to pounce. Slipping her hand down her shirt Emma pulled out a 'Freeze' spell sign and waved it about. "I got them! I got them!" Emma called out as her mother ran around tapping them all on their heads to theme of 'duck, duck, goose'.
Emma sped to the inner sanctum where Regina was already placing her flags on the picnic table. Snow brought up the rear with her prisoners who she quickly tighed to the tree. Distraught women looking on at their failed attempts. Emma slammed her own flags down on the table and cried out the points she had gathered as her mother teased the insolent captives.
Emma and Regina looked between one another. There were only two territories with flags left. Purple and Green. Regina took off in a flash into Green's territory and perhaps idiotically, Emma took of into purple's territory instead of defending her own.
Emma made a point of staring out the ground to avoid getting caught up in any spells. If she didn't see them. They couldn't effect her. Coming across a small pond, she noticed a canteen with a purple flag floated within the water, gently bobbing up and down. Emma could see the three hundred mocking her in her mind, it was quickly drowned out by Regina's face mocking her instead. Of course Regina would float a canteen with the flag out into the center of the pond where it would be unreachable without swimming.
"God damn Regina!" Emma cried out but all that came back was the echoing sound of her voice.
Emma groaned and begun to trudge out into the water. Waist deep, she lunged to retrieve her prize and hauled ass with heavy pants back to inner sanctum. She ran through the purple enemy zone but was greeted with a humorous tone at the edge of it.
"I'm assuming you either wet yourself Miss Swan or you've got our three hundred." She waved the green flags as Emma pulled to a stop and turned to face the brunette, "I seemed to have picked up a two and three. Imagine that." Regina laughed before sprinting after Emma ready to catch the woman as the blonde took off. It seemed an odd thing to be in pursuit of Sheriff but who cared right at this point.
Regina jumped for her but only managed to grasp a heel for a mere second or two before Emma pulled free. Picking herself up she ran again and by the time they reached Regina and Madeline's tent it was nearly dead heat. Regina lunged again, this time spot on, bringing down the blonde who gave a small cry of surprise. They both landed with an 'Ooff' as they landed on the snazzy purple tape that guarded Regina's territory.
"You don't have me!" Emma called, "I'm half out of your friggin territory."
"Now way your mine, Miss Swan!" Regina cried still grasping the woman in a firm grip. "I got you give me the bloody flag Miss Swan!"
Just them Felicia and Abigail ran to the scene of the impending crime.
"I've got her! I captured her! Tell her to give me the frickin flags back!" Regina somewhat order from her spot on Emma's back where she held the woman down.
Felicia and Abigail conferred for a few moments. Finally, Abigail declared, "We think it's a draw, Regina. We'll have to say that you didn't have her."
Emma rolled over with glee, sending Regina face first into the grass. "Haha!" Emma exclaimed jumping to her feet and doing a little dance. She had successfully won that round. "You shouldn't have let go when you had my shoe."
"What do you mean when she had your shoe?" Felicia asked.
Emma cringed, "Doh!"
"Haha!" Regina exclaimed jumping to her own feet.
Emma threw the flags back into the purple zone as Regina circled her. Like predator to prey. When Emma dove for her, Regina slipped out of the way causing Emma to fall to the ground. Regina sat on top of her and cried out in victory. "I got you again Miss Swan! And this time your going to jail!"
Regina dragged Emma, literally dragged the blonde to jail and the sensation was akin to a narcotic that would course through the bloodstream.
Snow sat on the ground tied to the tree with the rest of the women. Somewhere along the line it seemed things had been reversed. Madeline stood next to the group wide smile on her face as her partner dragged the blonde behind her towards the Penitentiary.
Regina tied Emma to the mix. All of them! Regina and Madeline had managed to capture every single on of them!
Yes! Yes ! Yes! Frickin' yes! Regina cheered inside her head as she and Madeline shared a rather big high five before dancing circles around their captives.
And then, the air horn sounded.
XXX
Felicia and Abigail stood in the middle of the inner sanctum. The air horn in Felicia's hand clearly identified her as the trigger-puller. She ordered, "Madeline, let everybody go."
Madeline did as instructed even thought Regina glared at the two women surrounding the air horn. Each parolee directed dirty looks in Regina and Madeline's direction as they moved to join Felicia and Abigail. "Everybody over here for assembly."
When everyone was finally seated Felicia spoke. "We didn't start this very well thanks to Regina, Madeline, Emma and M. Things got started a lot fast then we expected them too. At this rate you'll kill yourselves by noon."
The group all laughed and once again Regina and Madeline were recipients of dirty looks.
"We could just end the game now," Regina dare suggest. "Whoever has the most points wins."
Madeline second the idea, and the rest erupted into loud voices.
"I don't think so Regina," Felicia said, laughing. "But thanks for the wonderful idea. We had something different in mind."
Abigail continued, "We just wanted you to have some actual time to get set up and decide on a strategy. You guys didn't even get a chance to load. So..." She paused to make sure she had everyone's attention, "You have until ten-thirty to take care of business and then we'll resume the game. Do whatever you need to do by then but do not - under any circumstances - enter enemy territory."
"Clear?" Felicia asked and received no opposition.
XXX
An hour later and Regina and Madeline goggled, and determined, waited to defend what they had kicked ass to get. To hell with mercy!
"Go!" was yelled.
Nothing. Regina had expected an onslaught, all of the groups rushing them in an attempt to overwhelm. An oversupply off adrenalin coagulated, leaving the shakes and confused disappointment.
Suddenly from yellow territory the Detective raced and flew into Emma and Snow's area all at the same time. Haley entered the purple zone and both Regina and Madeline were prepared. Madeline and Regina shot their guns repeatedly as Haley barreled down on Regina. They continued firing their guns repeatedly but hit nothing but flora. Haley veered to the far side , did a sharp turn, and sped for the tape that cleaved the green and the purple. In an instant Haley and Desiree swapped territories. Desiree was now Regina's prey. The two women ran in confounding circles and then switched again.
Regina looked towards Emma, who was also obviously having the same difficulty she was at targeting either of them. Regina neared the invader only to have a different invader well out of reach. They weaved and bobbed in an orchestrated dance until they were almost near the back. And then, they repeated the process in the opposite direction. On one roll into Emma and Snow's area, Regina spied a gree flag in Haley's hand. Shit! The two women continued on to the front, frustrating Regina beyond belief, but she felt more hopeful as they were nearing an armed Madeline.
"Shoo them!" Regina screamed to Madeline, who aimed, fired repeatedly, and subsequently joined both herself and Emma in the ranks of the humiliated.
And then Snow shot.
In a time-stopping blink of an eye, green paint splattered across Haley's black T-shirt.
Then the loudest "Oh my God!" reverberated for miles. "Oh my God, this is so sweet!" Snow exclaimed in glee.
Snow shot Haley again. Haley dove to the ground, yelling to Emma, "I though you said she couldn't hit a barn!"
Emma cringed. Regina laughed.
Snow's jaw dropped, and then she smiled manically a very unlike Snow White thing to do. Taking aim at Emma and hitting her in the stomach. Then she shot Regina. Then Desiree and even the crouching Madeline. Pop, pop, pop! The gun went. Snow's wits snapped and crackled like a fuse on the verge of blowing.
"Oh my God, this is so sweet! I want one of these! Watch this, you guys!" she yelled, totally ignorant of the fact that victims did not like to watch their own demise. Snow shot everything and everybody, over and over, a look of delirious abandon on her face. She probably would have shot herself had the gun been shorter. She screamed another 'Oh my God' and then just started hysterically laughing, so consumed by the moment that she was no longer a part of real time.
Emma saw Felicia and Abigail approaching behind her. Help had arrived. Emma was so very grateful...and very, very green.
Abigail calmly shouted, "M, drop it!"
Emma thought that, that rational request was something herself and Desiree would say with all authority that their badge and real gun provided. You never make rational requests of the irrational unless your weapon. Abigail's verbal gun wasn't big at all, and suddenly the woman was green. Snow turned and shot them both. She held the trigger and spun in wild circles.
And then Regina rushed her. Brave and courageous and surprisingly fluid and fast. She took the painter down in a swift and desperate haul. She flattened her and sat on her stomach, tossing the gun out of reach and holding her arms to the ground.
"Oh Regina can I get one of those?! Emma, Regina please?!" Emma could picture the moment Snow returned with a paintball gun and shook her head, not something Charming would be happy about. Sadly Regina was picturing it too but with a mischievous smirk. "They are so cool! Did you see-" She tilted her head slightly, and for the first time, she noticed that Regina was more green than a frog obsessed with little children. "You look funny," Snow said through laughter.
"No you look funny Sn-Mary-Margaret," Regina countered. "You just massacred us, and now you're in trouble."
"I'm not in trouble!" snow said dismissively assured. "I did what I was supposed to do. Did you see how the pain just explodes and splashes all over? Oh my god, can I have one of my own?"
Brave Katherine and Elise approached, now that the threat had been eliminated. Katherine stared down at Snow and just shook her head. Elise did the same, her own gun by her side.
"Oh my God, Elise, did you shoot it? Isn't it sweet?"
"I'm going to shoot you."
Snow flew to a seated position, plowing over Regina, who apparently decided it was safe and wasn't agree enough to keep the woman restrained. Regina really had changed Emma thought to herself with a small smile.
Snow jumped to her feet and threw her arms into the air, "Do it, Elise. Shoot me! Oh my God, shoot me!"
Elise looked to Regina, Emma and Abigail who both shrugged their shoulders, slightly grinning.
Felicia, however, reasoned, "You can only shoot to defend your territory. Rules have to apply just like they should have - and will be - applied to M."
With a loud laugh, Madeline yelled, "Come mess with me, M. Come into our territory if you want to get shot!"
Stupidly, Snow found utter liberation in the idea. She hightailed it over the tape and presented herself in complete submission to Madeline, who had yet to hit the proverbial side of the barn. Regina's partner was paint-thirsty and craving her first kill.
Madeline raised her gun. "Are you sure?" she asked with a huge grin. With Snow's excited nod, she let loose, and a series of purple blasts riddled Holly's body, like a boisenberry splattering against the clothes. Both of them doubled over in laughter, and eventually Snow scooped her into a hug, and they continued the hysterics.
That was another point Emma made to herself: this erroneous belief that it was Regina and Emma who were unbalanced. It was so very far from accurate. All one had to do was look at them in their purple hug-dance.
Felicia shouted, "All right, you two. Get over here so we can deal with the green mess."
Snow came back, and as she did so, she scanned the green painted landsape. There existed no sense within her that she had done something wrong. Apparently, Felicia surmised the same, and asked, "Do you know what you did wrong, the rules you broke?"
"I did what I was supposed to do. I defended the green territory. Duh!"
"Was Emma - your partner, mind you - a threat to your territory? How about Regina and Madeline standing in their own territory? How about us, for Pete's sake?"
Snow beamed, "Oh, it just felt so good!"
"Well, I think you lose the gun for a while for breaking the rules."
"No!" Snow screamed, "Please don't take my gun. I promise, I promise I won't break the rules ever again. Please don't take my gun!"
"Give her half an hour in jail and be done with it," Haley suggested.
Consensus was quickly achieved, and Abigail and Felicia readied her for the perp-walk with a waving and smirking Regina, but Emma interrupted with a very good question. "If I captured Haley while she was in possession of a purple flag, who gets the flag? Is it the same as when Regina got to take her own flags from me?"
"You're her jailer now. Figure it out," Felicia said matter-of-factly.
Shit! Regina thought.
Emma moved to Haley and demanded, "Give me the green flag!" Haley surrendered it to her.
"Not fair! They broke the rules. We should get it back!" Regina argued.
"M broke the rules, not Emma."
Emma jumped into a victory strut. Strutting around like she owned the world while holding onto her purple flags. Regina moved over towards Madeline drenched in purple when the group heard Haley.
"I'm sorry, Des-" she began and then shrieked, "Where's Desiree? Has anyone seen Dez?"
Where the hell had that green Detective absconded too? Emma thought doing full circle in an attempt to find the woman.
Shit! Shit! Shit! Too many swear words for one day Regina...way to much time hanging around Emma Regina told herself.
In unison everyone turned toward the inner sanctum, and there she sat, raising her coffee cup above her head and smiling. If there was ever an opportune moment for Snow to go ballistic. Emma figured this was it.
Everyone sped to the inner sanctum. Desiree cockily pointed to the picnic table, and we discovered: a gree, two yellows, a red, and a purple.
"Everybody hit yello! Now!" Regina yelled, and the lot of them tore through into their territory. Haley and Desiree lagged far enough behind that one of us was sure to stumble on their last flag. Eventually an angry Katherine wailed "I Feel Pretty," and Elise screamed, "I got it! I got it! Head out through our territory. Move!"
Everyone cleared the yellow/red twist of tape and hauled ass back to the inner sanctum, arriving with both Emma and Madeline making "beep, beep, beep" sounds after having had the frickin' Alarm spell cast upon them. Elise slapped the yellow flag on the picnic table and declared, "Three hundred!"
XXX
The group felt the full-blown effects of age and frenzy, all of them working hard to recapture breath. Desiree and Haley appeared on the edge of their territory, laughing and just as breathless.
In the distance, Abigail and Felicia finished tying Snow to the jail-tree. Felicia offered her reminders of the Ws of warfare: who, when, and where. It was the absence of the 'why' rationale that scared Emma the most.
As they returned to the group, Emma nudged Regina. "Can you do something? Can you get her out of jail please?" Emma asked with pleading eyes.
"No way!" Regina showed no mercy and was more than revelling in the fact it had taken her so long and yet had been as simple as a game of paintball to have Snow White at her mercy. Tied up, for her to do what torturous things she pleased.
Emma looked at Regina. She showed no mercy. She did not do battle with mercy. It probably did battle with her.
"She showed no mercy when shooting any of us. And besides, I'm not her jailer." She stared at Emma and slowly meandered away from her. "And besides..." She moved further, watching Emma try to figure out what the hell she was up to. Regina was taunting the two women, moving towards Snow, and for a second Emma thought mercy had seized her.
"And besides," she said again, "her being in jail..." She started running. "Her being in jail leaves your territory not very well defended!" She was off into the green area like a paintball from Snow's gun.
Emma sprinted. Snow yelled, "Get her, Emma! Get her! Don't let her get awa-" Snow thought that sentence through for a second. Never in her life did she think she would be saying that about Regina in anyway that wasn't to bring her in to answer for her crimes, and yet here she was yelling and playing paintball with her daughter and the woman who had caused her such grief. Snow laughed, this was really getting weird.
A few minutes later Emma returned with Regina. Tying her too the tree with Snow. Regina looked up at Emma who stared at her thoughtfull. Am I to be company for Snow? Regina shuddered at the thought Would I be asked a question? Or worst of all, okay second worst thing, did she know I had her last flag and that a simple demand would bring it back to her?
Emma thought for a moment before turning to disappear into the yellow territory. Shit! Regina thought for the upteenth time that day.
Katherine and Elise returned with their red flag, Haley in tow. Desiree, surprisingly, escorted Madeline, who flapped a green flag as though she were a Southern belle close to a swoon. Manically they laughed as Madeline slapped it down for two hundred points.
"I wouldn't be too cocky," Regina said. "You might want to give thought to your own territory Dez, Haley." Then she got a taste of the maniac chuckle.
The two women scanned the area and quickly determined that one badass Sheriff was missing. Their thought to defend came too late, though, as Emma appeared from the red territory and plopped two yellow flags on the blessed picnic table.
"One hundred and two hundred!" She exclaimed. Then she turned to Regina, "I saw your big purplie one in there, too, but I'm sorry; I just couldn't lift it." From her back pocket, she retrieved her own green flag, saying, "But I did manage to lift ours."
Haley and Desiree seethed. Regina had no problem with mercy. The blonde had it coming.
Eventually, Abigail came to the tree jail, stating that time was up for the two of them, and Regina had never felt better to be released and away from Snow White. Far, far away. Abigail loosened the ropes, and Snow hugged her daughter proudly. Regina on the other hands rolled her eyes at the two women, jammed her hand down her shirt and pulled out a green flag.
"It's amazing what you miss, Miss Swan, you don't seem very well at paying attention." She sped to the picnic table for the ritual slap on the table as the air horn was pulled yet again.
XXX
Felicia read aloud the scores to the group of women standing in front of her. "Katherine and Elise have one of their flags plus a yellow one. They have three hundred points and are in need of a great miracle. Regina and Madeline are in third with seven hundred. They have one of their own flags, plus a red, two yellows, and a green. Haley and Desiree are in second with eight hundred. They have none of their own flags, but hold two greens and a red. And finally, we have M and Emma in first with nine hundred points, but don't let that intimidate you. They have none of their own flags and only two purples."
Elation, deflation: a lot a like it seemed. Emma and Snow were in first but they were also in big ass trouble if the women surrounding them had any say in it. Apparently they did.
"Now get a move on!" Abigail exclaimed, "The games back on!"
"Wait a minute, you guys," Elise said and then paused until all attention was had. "We decided that we're going to quit and just watch. Like one of our hostesses pointed out, we'd need a miracle at this point."
Dissension erupted, but Katherine shouted, "It's really okay. It's actually more fun for us to watch. We have a little area all set up here." She pointed to the lawn chairs and makeshift log-table. "So cut us old gals some slack and respect our wishes. It'll still be fun for us."
Then Elise said, "But we've still got out flag and a yellow one. In the spirit of the game, we've decided to let you got into our territory. Fight to the death if you have to, but they're in there for you to find. We've also taken down our spell sign so you don't have to worry about making like an alarm."
Everyone was a little disappointed, but it had been apparent they had not really been participating. They were a lot older then anyone else in the group, if you didn't count frozen time and only physical appearance. Perhaps they would enjoy being spectators more than getting shot at with paintballs.
Everyone did as instructed, forming a cluster at the front corner of yellow zone. Katherine and Elise wisely stoof off to the side. Everyone bent at ready, each eager to run over the others in pursuit of the prizes. Emma and Snow need them more than any other team.
Katherine yelled, "Go!" and everyone blasted off only to encounter that elation/deflation phenomenon.
"Goddess!" Elise instantly yelled, "Bow down, you idiots!"
Emma scoffed and looked towards Regina. That was more something Regina would say then be told. But believe it or not with a growl Regina did just that along with the rest of the group. Never in her days did Emma ever think she would see Regina bow down to anyone.
"I think I stepped into a portal," Snow said from the spot she was bowed down beside Emma. "Regina is bowing down," Snow laughed. "This day just gets weirder and weirder."
Emma looked to her mother as she crouched down to a bow while making the Twilight Zone sound. Weird it was.
"Goddess! Goddess!" Elise crowed.
Once everyone was bowed down on the ground. Katherine yelled, "Get them!"
Elise dropped the charm beanbag and opened fire with her gun in a way that would have left Snow in utter awe if she could be able to see it through the massive explosion of red paint.
"Idiots! Idiots!" Elise exclaimed.
What happened to not wanting to do this? That this was Katherine's idea? Emma thought as she looked to a very red and green Regina. It was true they were all idiots. There was a rule in life. Never trust strangers...and yet they had done just that.
The two women happily tied everyone to the jail tree, gloating, giddy, and glorying in their trickery. Then Elise made a beeline for the yellow territory while Katherine headed into purple. Apparently, green held no allure anymore, and for once Emma was glad.
Everyone sat like dunces until the two women returned, barely in time to set everyone free. Elise slapped down Emma's and Snow's green three hundred and their own one hundred. Katherine did the same with their three hundred, a yellow one hundred, and a green one hundred. Shit! Emma thought to herself.
They came to untie the group, but by the example Regina and Madeline had set previously, they first did a dance around the tree, taunting everyone. It looked like the rain dance, but it sure as hell didn't feel like it.
Everyone finally stood in front of them, beaten and actually looking as bloody as they all looked, all covered in bright red splotches of paint.
TBC - Part Two