Chapter 17

In her room, Violet lays on her stomach texting her friends on her phone. She looks up when she hears a noise coming from across the room. Adam walks through the open glass door of her balcony and into her bedroom. She left the door open to bring a breeze into her room.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asks him.

He climbs into bed across from her.

"Risking death to prove that I'm still into you and reminding you, you should still be into me." He tells her.

"You are so full of yourself."

"Come on. I could've broke my neck climbing up here. The least you could do is put on a bikini and come watch me play volleyball."

Violets head snaps to her left when she hears a knock on her door. She pushes Adam onto the floor on the side of her bed that can't be seen from the door.

"Get down" She whispers.

"Violet, its eleven o'clock." Her mom's voice calls from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, Mom. Happens twice a day."

Her mother waltzes into her room in a purple bandage dress.

"Well, my meeting is starting right now and it'd be nice if you would put on one of the dresses I bought you and made an appearance."

"Sorry. I already made plans."

She sighs. "Outgrow this, please, I beg of you. Oh, and you might want to let Adam know that the drainpipe he scurried up is in full view of the conservatory."

She starts to walk towards the door before telling Adam good morning over her shoulder as she exits the room. Like an idiot, Adam waves from the floor.

"Morning, Mrs. Gold." He shouts.

They both laugh as Adam sits up from the floor.

\*****/

Regina sits on her chair, more like throne, in the conservatory while Tamara speaks to her guests on the couch. Tamara is discussing the plans for a party for Marcus Tremaine, a state senator and former federal prosecutor.

"And in keeping with your husband's image, we're planning a sort of upscale barbecue." Tamara informs the senator's wife and his campaign manager.

"Are you sure the courtyard can hold a hundred guests plus media? I mean, the senator loves his media." The campaign manager asks.

"Mhmm. I know how much he covets the spotlight, but I promise you, there's enough room for everyone." Regina informs him.

"And if Regina says 'Don't worry.' You take that to the bank." Marcus says as he steps into the room and sits in between his wife and his campaign manager.

Regina's husband and son step into the room as well a few steps behind the senator.

"Speak of the devil. Senator Tremaine." Regina says with a forced smile.

"Thank you."

"How was the golf game?" Regina asks her husband.

"Neal spanked us old-timers." Robert responds.

"Lucky round." Neal says with a smile and a shrug of the shoulders.

"Steve, are we done here? Cause I'd like to get back to the hotel for a shower." Marcus says.

"You should stay here." Roberts suggests.

"Oh, no. We'd, we'd hate to impose." Cecelia remarks.

"Nonsense. That's why we built this home. Isn't that right, Regina?" Robert says with a smile.

Regina smiles another forced smile.

"Well, all right, then. Perfect." The senator replies agreeing to stay at the Mills Manor.

"All right." Robert says.

"All right. I'll send for your bags." The campaign manager says to Marcus as he gets up from the couch. "And here. I took another pass at your candidacy speech." He hands the speech to Marcus.

"Thanks, Steve."

"Mrs. Mills, I'm so sorry I'm late." A voice calls out from the other side of the room.

Regina looks up to see Emma enter the room behind Neal in an emerald green sundress. Emma and Neal greet each other as she passes him.

"I know you were counting on some of my ideas" Emma says.

"Well, we've already just wrapped, Ms. Swan. We managed to get it under control without you." Regina comments.

The senator places his speech on the coffee table and turns to face Emma.

"Emma Swan." He says with a smile and open arms.

Regina watches as Emma steps into the senator's arms like they are old friends.

"It's nice to see you again, Senator Tremaine." Emma says with a smile.

"What a small world." The senator remarks.

What a small world indeed. How is it that Emma just happens to know the senator?

"Robert, Regina, why didn't you tell me you knew Emma?" Marcus asks directing the question at Regina.

"Well, we've only just met." Regina comments. "How do you two know each other?"

"Ms. Swan was a senior volunteer in my first campaign." Marcus responds.

\*****/

Emma thanks the staff member who lets her into the Mills Manor. She hears the senator's voice from the conservatory. She smiles. She is right on time, just like she planned.

"Mrs. Mills, I'm so sorry I'm late." Emma calls out as she walks into the room.

Emma greets Neal as she passes him. The looks on Regina's face when she walked into the room can only be described as utter disdain.

"I know you were counting on some of my ideas." She says.

"Well, we've already just wrapped, Ms. Swan. We managed to get it under control without you." Regina comments.

Emma watches the senator like a hawk as he places something on the coffee table and turns to face her.

"Emma Swan." He says with a smile and open arms.

Emma steps into his open arms with a smile.

"It's nice to see you again, Senator Tremaine." She says with a smile.

"What a small world." The senator remarks. "Robert, Regina, why didn't you tell me you knew Emma?" Marcus asks directing the question at Regina.

"Well, we've only just met." Regina comments. "How do you two know each other?"

"Ms. Swan was a senior volunteer in my first campaign." Marcus responds.

Emma remembers watching the tapes of her father's trial where Marcus acted as the prosecutor.

"And what was the name of the organization you believe David Nolan was laundering money for? The same Americon Initiative that claimed responsibility for blowing up Flight 197 last summer?

"Did you come here to help me finish what I started?" He asks her breaking her out of her reverie.

"Well, I'm a big believer in finishing what you start."

Emma planned on finishing what she started during the last campaign and watch Marcus Tremaine burn for what he did to her father.

"Then you have to stay for dinner." Marcus insists.

"Well, its summer in the Hamptons. I can't believe the young lady doesn't already have plans." Regina chimes in.

"Actually she does." Neal responds chuckling. "With me."

"Well, there you have it. Excuse me." Regina says before walking out of the conservatory.

Emma loves watching the perfect façade Regina puts up crack. She cannot wait for her larger plan to unfold so she can start to take down the Mills family one by one.

A/N. Like Adam, Steve is not an OUAT character. I did not deem him important enough to make an OUAT character.