Chapter 5:

Emma stands on the dock outside of the Mills Memorial Day party. Emma decided to wear a white dress for the occasion that resembles a Roman toga. Her blonde hair fell in gentle waves down her back.

"Emma!" Tamara calls out to Emma.

"Hey." Emma responds while reaching towards Tamara.

Tamara is in a bright pink gown with cap sleeves and her hair down framing her face in large curls.

"You look amazing." Tamara tells Emma as she grasps her hands.

"I look amazing?" Emma asks. "Look at you. Look as this party! Congratulations." Emma tells Tamara while looking around and gesturing to the party around them.

"Well, it's too early for that. Haven't you seen Titanic?" Tamara asks Emma being her usual overly dramatic self. Tamara begins to pull Emma through the crowd of people on the dock.

"So how well do you know these people?" Emma asks Tamara gesturing towards the people on the dock and on the boat.

"Well enough to know who to keep away from and who to snuggle up to." Tamara responds with a raise of her eyebrow.

"Mm. Quick tutorial?" Emma asks Tamara intrigued by any insight Tamara could provide that Emma did not already know.

"Okay. The girl in the orange Escada dress?" Tamara starts her tutorial as she gestures towards a girl in an orange dress on the boat.

"Mm-hmm." Emma replies.

"That's Mayor Bloomberg's niece. And the women she's talking to, now this one is important… Megan Foster, shoe buyer for Barneys of New York" Tamara tells Emma as they continue to walk down the dock.

"Ohh…" Emma replies to Tamara. Emma's eyes come across a dark haired man in a gray suit. "Gray suit boy is kind of cute." Emma knew fully well who he was but she was interested to see what Tamara would tell her about him.

"That's Neal Mills, Regina's tragically privileged spawn. Neal wrapped his convertible around a tree last summer after one too many" Tamara tells Emma as they continue they journey down the dock. Emma continues to watch Neal as she continues her conversation with Tamara.

"Didn't hurt his face much." Emma replies with sass.

"Yeah, it didn't work out quite well for the waitress he was shagging. His parents paid off everyone and their mother to keep him out of jail." Tamara informs her.

Tamara leads Emma onto the boat to continue the who's who tour of the Hamptons. Tamara walks around the deck and points out a few different socialites Emma just has to know and has to meet. None of these people interest her so she just smiles and nods as Tamara continues talking.

As they round the deck to the side of the boat facing the water Tamara states, "And the plot thickens…"

"Who's that?" Emma asks. She overhears the man talking to a random woman in an orange dress he asks her "You ever been on a private jet? I've got two." Emma knows full well that this was August Booth and she knew his pick-up attempts were futile but she was curious to see what Tamara had to say about him. August was a unique individual who had the tendency to rub people the wrong way.

"August Booth," Tamara starts. "Former tech boom whiz kid and perennial pain in the ass. If you emptied the bank accounts of everyone at this party, it wouldn't add up to the interest his makes in a week."

Emma overhears August with his camera phone speaking to someone in the room he just ducked into. "There he is, old blue eyes," August states.

"August!" She hears the man reply. By now, Tamara and Emma have reached a part of the deck where they can now see into the room August ducked into.

"And that is Queen Regina." Tamara says as a woman in a pale pink dress with long dark brunette curls cascading down her shoulders comes into view.

Emma watches as Regina interacts with her husband and August. Regina has not aged a day since Emma last saw her. Regina still holds herself with the same regality she did when Emma was a little girl.

"Hello, August" Regina says to August with a smile.

"Hello, Regina" August replies curtly.

"How are you?" Regina asks August.

Tamara leads the way down the dock paralleling the room that Regina, Robert, and August are in. Emma stares into the room as they walk by. Emma watches as Regina works the room. Regina hugs one person then moves to the next to kiss their cheeks. Through the window, Regina's and Emma's eyes meet for a moment.

"I think she spotted you." Tamara whispers in Emma's ear as they continue to walk down the boat deck.

"Good. Introduce us." Emma responds with a smile.

Tamara leads the way as they walk into the room where Regina is. Tamara walks over to Regina as she is having a heated conversation with Belle Scarlett.

"Mrs. Mills, forgive me for interrupting I just wanted to introduce you to a dear friend of mine. Regina Mills, Emma Swan" Tamara says.

Belle turns back around and continues her conversation with another part guest.

"Hello, Mrs. Mills." Emma expresses with a polite smile.

"Ah, Ms. Swan. I was wondering who the late add to the roster was." Regina responds tersely and with a forced smile.

"Well, Emma's new to the Hamptons, but she really wanted to take part in your fundraiser." Tamara informs Regina with one of her bright and sincere smiles.

"Oh. How well do you to know each other?" Regina asks directing the question towards Emma.

"We volunteered at the Met this winter. Mhm, apparently being a sustaining patron just wasn't enough for Emma." Tamara replies to Regina's question first.

"Mm, I try to give back as much as I can." Emma tells Regina. Emma turns her head and notices Belle is still only a few feet away. This is her chance.

"Belle, hi." Emma calls out towards Belle. Belle turns around and forces a smile onto her face when she realizes it is Emma who called out her name and that Emma is talking to Regina.

"Oh, don't tell me you've taken up volunteering at the Met as well." Regina declares in an annoyed tone.

"Emma is renting my house for the summer." Belle responds after scoffing at Regina's comment.

"Ah." Regina says in acknowledgment.

"We met briefly on the beach" Belle tells Regina looking Emma straight in the eye. Belle is hoping that Emma won't anything about Robert and Belle. This is her chance to poke the beast and she is going to take it.

"And the yesterday at the South Fork Inn. I hope your husband's feeling better." Emma adds with fake sincerity.

Emma watches as Belle gives her a death glare for her comment. Emma can see Regina's face in the corner of her eye as the realization dawns at her. Belle avoids looking at Regina and Regina smiles at Tamara and Emma before walking away.

Belle looks so defeated as Regina walks away from them. The look on Regina's face as she realized Belle was with her husband yesterday at the South Fork Inn was priceless. Emma wanted to smile at how well her plan was working but she controlled her emotions and didn't let anything show on her face.

"Regina, wait." Belle calls out as she walks away towards where Regina walked off.

Regina turns around and smiles at Belle. Regina says nothing and walks away. Belle turns around and smiles as if nothing happened. Belle nervously takes a sip of her champagne.

This is just the beginning, Emma thinks to herself. Belle and the rest of them have hell to pay and they won't even know what hit them.