This one's much shorter than the rest, but the next chapter will make up for it. Thanks for the encouraging words :) they keep me going. I hope y'all enjoy what's to come!

Regina woke with a start feeling her heart jump into her throat at the sound of Jefferson yelp, then a loud crash. She flew to her feet and tried to focus her eyes enough to see what the hell was going on.

"I see I can't leave you to your own devices without you bedding the town scoundrel." Rumpelstiltskin scolded. Regina watched as Rumple used his magic to pick her sleeping companion up while he grabbed at his throat seemingly choking.

Regina knew she couldn't beg and plead for Rumple to stop, he would only hurt Jefferson more. Regina knew the best thing to do was to act like Jefferson's discomfort didn't bother her. She walked over to her vanity and sat down and went about letting her hair down.

Just as Regina suspected, Rumple huffed then let the younger man down. Jefferson stood trying to regain his breath. The imp got right in his face and snarled.

"I don't know what your playing at, or what you have planned for our queen here, but i need her. You, i could really do without. If you come near her again, i will kill you."

Regina flashed Jefferson a sympathetic look through the mirror as he picked up his clothes and the rest of his dignity and scurried out of Regina's bedroom.

Rumple turned to Regina with a scowl on his face that scared the teen.

"Your freedom is a thing of the past."

"What does that mean?" Regina huffed, her annoyance making her brave.

"It means, Your majesty, that you will be spending your days cleaning my shop where i can keep an eye on you."

Regina frowned and looked back at herself in the mirror. "I'm not a servant"

"You're right. Your a sorceress in training, and if you wish for me to spend anymore of my valuable time on your magical progression, you will do exactly as i say."

Regina thought for a moment about telling Rumple she didn't want anymore of his training, but she couldn't. There was still that giggling little imp dancing in the back of her brain taunting her with the knowledge of how pathetic her life would be if she didn't become powerful enough to control her own destiny. She would continue to be the one people pushed into the mud in their own journey to the top. Using her until she was all used up. This was all she had.

Regina nodded then looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Get dressed, i'll transport us both to the shop so you won't be seen."

Regina did as she was told and quickly changed into a pale blue sundress and matching heels. These bright colors and styles were shoved into the back of Regina's closet and she was sure they had never been worn before, but she liked them.

Regina quickly pulled her brown curls into a loose ponytail and joined Rumple in his shop.

The shop was dusty and cluttered and just the thought of having to clean it was overwhelming. Regina had no idea where to even start.

The brunette turned to face shelves that were packed to the gill's with seemingly random objects arranged in no kind of order whatsoever.

"You'll start in the back."

The back was a disaster.

Regina started by climbing on a chair and pulling down books that were clustered randomly on a top shelf.

The teen was growing more and more frustrated by the moment. "I'm a queen for god sake's"

"Less complaining more cleaning" Rumple shouted from the front of the shop.

Regina threw a book down to the floor hard.

I should just set this place on fire. She thought to herself, but then her smirk fell as she remembered her weakened magic. Regina looked to the book she had just thrown and concentrated fully on picking it back up telepathically. It shook a bit then raised up about an inch only to fall back to the floor. Regina panted trying to recover from the overexertion. Soon she will be back to normal, but she didn't know how long that would last.

The teen went back to the mind numbing task of cleaning the back room and the next thing she knew, two hours had passed.

Regina knew Emma would be at the mansion soon ready to start their magic lesson. This made the queen really sad and she was extremely disappointed that she couldn't even make it to the first lesson. She sighed. She probably wouldn't have been a very good teacher to begin with. Regina huffed this absurd thought from her head. Learning magic had been something the teen had excelled at, why should teaching magic be any different. She knew she could do a better job than the imp. The teen often recalled thinking Rumple could have used more efficient and less cruel tactics to teach Regina the same principles. But he was a sadist and enjoyed her misery. Regina looked over at the books thoughtfully and then smiled. She would learn as much about magic as she can and teach Emma to be a powerful sorceress. She would teach the blond what she learned from the books and also what Rumple had taught her, but much more gently then how the imp had instructed Regina.

The young queen carefully picked through the books and found a few options that would help her come up with a lesson.

The brunette regretted how Jefferson was treated this morning, but she couldn't help but think that things worked out perfectly. This shop was the best place to find tools to aid in Emma's education. Regina buried herself in a book as she did a mediocre job of polishing the book shelve itself.

Rumple called in from the front of the shop. "I'm going out, and I'll know if you leave."

Regina didn't answer him, just looked up from the book at the very well polished book shelf that she could see herself in. The bell above the door chimed signaling his departure. Regina walked over to the imp's work desk and found a blank sheet of paper and a strangely slender writing utensil and started writing down notes and things to remember.

All too soon after Rumple had left, there was another chime of the bell. Regina didn't know weather or not to call out, or go see if he was back. What if it wasn't him. Regina folded up the paper and stuck it in the top of her dress, and went back to sorting books, just in case it was him.

"Regina?" A hushed voice called.

Regina carefully walked toward the front of the shop and peered around the corner. It was Emma.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asked scaring the blond two feet up into the air.

"God!" She whined putting a hand to her racing heart. "I'm looking for you, you weren't at the mansion."

"Rumple has me sequestered here doing manual labor." Regina said throwing down the rag she had been using on top of a display case, then she pouted, "I hate it"

"Well you have your work cut out for you." Emma took another look around.

"You shouldn't be here. I'm already in enough trouble."

"What's the guys problem now?"

"It doesn't matter." Regina deflected while turning a hanging mobile. "I couldn't teach you magic today anyway, it's just going to have to wait until i can come up with something."

"Oh, that's alright" Emma shrugged unable to hide the disappointment that Regina had felt earlier herself.

"But i am going to teach you Miss. Swan" Regina reassured the downhearted sheriff. "I've been reading and coming up with the best place to start, i think you'll be at the level i'm at now in no time at all.." Regina got excited as she rambled on about the lesson plan she had come up with then stopped herself. "Sorry, i know this probably doesn't mean much to you." the teen apologized realizing that she had been carrying on too long.

"No" Emma said smiling. The sheriff thought it was cute the way Regina had lit up when talking about her plans for Emma. Wait, cute? But at the same time Emma thought it was a little sad that Regina felt the need to apologize for her excitement. Emma wished she could lay into the person who made Regina feel stupid for voicing her feelings about things, the person who told her to be quiet and that her interests didn't matter.

"Why do you want to help me learn magic?" Emma asked.

Regina shrugged bashfully "I think it would be best for both of us."

"Best how?"

"You would be able to protect herself in the future. For me its more like an outlet."

"an outlet?" Emma scrunched up her face. " like a hobby."

"More like a reason for me not to kill myself."

"Hey" Emma frowned.

"You know what i mean" Regina sighed then straightened when she realized how long she had been talking to the blond. "You should get going."

"Why? Don't want Gold to know that his teaching's are bout to be passed down to the riff raff." Emma joked.

"Your hardly riff raff, princess." Regina smiled at the face Emma gave her. " and i am not passing anything down, that imp was a cruel bastard and i intend on altering almost every lesson he ever taught."

"Good i don't want to end up like..." Emma stopped herself and winced looking to the girl. Regina's face was still, and didn't betray any emotion what so ever. "I'm sorry R'gina"

"It's fine Miss. Swan. You really need to leave now."

"Regina i didn't mean anything by that it's just..."

"Miss Swan Rumple could be back any moment and I'm not going to be useful to either of us if I'm dead." Regina motioned toward the door stoically.

Emma sighed but did as she was told. She turned back to Regina and that's when's she saw the hurt. "Regina, thank you for taking the time to teach me. It means a lot that you think I'll be any good at all of this."

Regina forced a small smile and a nod. " I'll make sure you don't end up like i did Miss Swan."

"When will your sentence be over today?"

Regina just shrugged. She really had no idea.

"I'll come over tomorrow morning"

"I might be here "Regina pointed out.

"Then I'll come over here. There's a big meeting tomorrow at town hall and Gold will have two and a half hours of that to look forward to, if he wants to keep his small business license and his shop." Emma smiled.

"Won't you have to be at this meeting too?"

"No, I'll have someone cover for me"

"Fine, I'll see you tomorrow, go. Before i turn you into a mop and bucket." Regina whined pointing to the door.

"Alright, jeez." Emma raised her hands as she shuffled out the front looking around to make sure the coast was clear.

Later on that day Regina sat seated on the top of Rumple's work desk as she worked on polishing jars full of long dead bug specimens that went into a large case. Regina stared at a preserved butterfly propped up by tiny needles through the wings and torso. For some reason she didn't want to put this one back, it reminded her of someone.