A/N: I just wanted to thank you all for reading, and for being patient with the pace of the story! The chapter after this one will focus on the party, where there will be an Outlaw Queen scene which, although arguably minor, leads to the further development of their relationship; I'll try to get this chapter written and uploaded within the next day or so. And in the chapter following that, Regina has an almost fatal 'accident'. I have the majority of the story planned, and I'm working on developing some other ideas and scenes to incorporate them into the story. If you have any advice or criticism please let me know, all helps me to improve J
Thanks,
HQ21
Regina had intended on spending some more time in her office after arriving back at school with Henry, Robin and Roland. But they spent considerably longer at the stables than she had intended. Despite their age difference, the boys got on very well, and Henry asked if Roland could join the club he was a member of (a Scouts club of sorts). Roland was delighted by the invitation and Robin granted his permission immediately. Regina was relieved by this, and slightly surprised that she had not considered the idea herself; the club involved a lot of outdoor activities which encouraged independence whilst also focusing on teamwork. It would also give Roland the opportunity to meet other students. Regina explained the finer details of the club to Robin as they made their way back to the school, informing him that the club was led by Mr Hook and that they met every Thursday and Saturday afternoon. They arrived back at the school shortly afterwards and parted ways, with Regina taking Henry to their apartment, her son casting furtive glances and small smiles in her direction.
Regina headed down to her office slightly earlier than usual the next morning, keen to make up for her absence the evening before. She greeted Katherine pleasantly as she strolled through the office, the scent of freshly brewed coffee emanating from her travel mug as she walked. Regina was feeling calm and relaxed, as she knew that everything was in hand for the day ahead; she had got a considerable amount of work done the day before, the plans for Friday's party were progressing wonderfully, and would be finalised in the after school meeting with the staff later that day. Her breath caught in her throat slightly at the thought of this meeting, and the image of Robin Locksley sitting opposite her. She blushed slightly at the thought, before exhaling sharply. However, Regina's morning of contentment was soon ended as she stepped into her office.
The moment she opened the door and looked towards her desk she sensed that something was not right. She felt her body still and her breathing deepen, the coffee cup feeling heavier in her grasp. Her eyes quickly surveyed the room before her, assuring her that there was no immediate danger, as she reached for the light switch, bathing the room in artificial light. Regina allowed the door to close behind her slowly, as she made her way towards her desk, her eyes falling upon the objects which had caused her chest to tighten with panic the moment she entered the room. Regina stared at the desk and placed her coffee cup upon it, lowering her bag to the ground and walking around the desk. She adjusted the angle of the photograph of herself and Henry as a baby, which appeared to be slightly out of place, before pulling out her chair and staring at her laptop, her narrowed eyes widening in fear: someone had been using her laptop. Regina remembered quite clearly the sound of the lid of the laptop clicking into place as she shut it before leaving the office the previous afternoon, but now she noticed that the laptop's lid, whilst down, was risen an inch or so above the base.
Regina turned on her laptop and entered her password, checking through her encrypted files and emails to search for any signs of hacking or unauthorised access, but she found none. Her emails and the delicate files upon the computer seemed to be unaltered. Regina then unlocked her desk drawer and was relieved to find that her master keys were still in place. And yet, Regina still felt wary and on edge. She rose from her desk and headed briskly towards the oil painting of a horse which adorned her wall, removing it and placing it on the ground before opening her safe. She pulled out the contents and looked through them critically, noting that (unlike her desk) everything seemed to be present and where it should be. She sighed in relief and replaced the items, securing her safe once more and replacing the painting. She then headed towards her door, which she opened in a single swift movement before heading towards her secretary's desk.
"Katherine, did you go into my office?" she asked carefully, watching as the blonde turned towards her with a look of confusion. Clearly not. "Has anyone been in my office? Either this morning or yesterday after I left?" Regina pressed.
"No, Principal Mills" Katherine assured her, rising from her desk as she spoke. She recalled hastily leaving the office the previous evening with Mr Hook, and she found herself unable to meet her boss's gaze.
"Katherine, what is it?" Regina asked, her tone adopting an authoritative edge, causing Katherine to turn instinctively towards her.
"I… I left the office yesterday afternoon, very briefly, only for thirty minutes or so-"
"Did you lock the door and activate the alarm?" Regina asked, her voice low and stern, as she already knew the answer.
"No" Katherine returned immediately, watching as Regina closed her eyes in frustration and lowered her head slightly. "Principal Mills, I-"
Katherine was cut off as Regina rose a hand before her indicating for her to stop.
"I gave you very specific instructions to lock the door and activate the alarm whenever the office is unattended" she stated in a low tone. "What was so urgent that would cause you to-"
Regina stopped asking her question as she Katherine averted her eyes from her once more and looked towards the ground. Regina rolled her eyes and sighed, before taking a step forwards.
"Due to your negligence someone entered my office and tried to gain access to my laptop" she began. "There are very sensitive confidential files on my laptop and indeed in this office, which is why there is a need to lock and alarm it when it's unattended" she continued, her voice eerily calm. "Thankfully the laptop appears to be uncompromised and nothing is missing from the room" she explained. "I'd imagine it was just a curious student acting a fool, although I would like you to check this room thoroughly and notify me if anything is missing" Katherine nodded immediately in understanding, as Regina turned and headed back towards her office. "And Katherine" she continued, turning towards the pale Katherine as she reached her own office door, "if your desire to have a high school make out session with a member of my staff leads to you leaving this office disarmed again, I will fire you" she declared, entering her office and closing the door firmly behind her.
Regina leaned against the door and took a deep breath to calm herself, closing her eyes as she slowly released it. Her heart was racing in her chest and she felt incredibly angry; that over-sexed secretary had no idea what harm could be caused if the wrong person gained access to the office. Although no harm seemed to have been done, and her safe and its contents appeared undisturbed, Regina could not fight a feeling of deep unease. As she said to Katherine, it probably was just one of the older students snooping, perhaps for a dare or even to find the answers to the end of term exams. Either way, it was a serious breach and should not have happened. Regina inhaled deeply once more and opened her eyes, making her way back towards her desk at a slow pace. Although she regretted the tone she had used with Katherine she felt that, under the circumstances, she showed remarkable restraint in not firing her on the spot. Regina walked around her desk and drew out her chair, sitting down and typing on her laptop once more. A few moments later her eyes drifted to the oil painting which concealed her safe. She tapped her fingers lightly on her desk, pursing her lips as she considered the information contained within the safe. Her eyes grew fearful and she turned back towards her laptop, rereading her most recent emails to Emma Swan, before spending the rest of the morning installing full-proof security to her laptop.
Zelena Gardner walked confidently across the courtyard and towards the gym facilities of the school, her red hair dancing in the wind as she headed towards the locker rooms. After spending the majority of the night perusing the material from Regina's laptop and Henry's file, she brazenly decided to undertake another search of Regina's personal rooms: her apartment. From her own access to student files, Zelena had familiarised herself with Henry's timetable, and knew that he had gym after the first break. She'd snuck into the locker room shortly after the students had changed, and searched through the boy's bag for his keys. After taking the key in question, Zelena headed directly to Regina's apartment, which she searched thoroughly for almost an hour (finding little of interest apart from some letters from Daniel, pictures of Henry and personal items of Regina), before the time required her to return it to the boy's bag before he noticed it was missing. Her task that morning had taken slightly longer than she had anticipated, and so she had very little time to spare in returning the original. She opened the door to the locker rooms and saw Henry's bag amongst the rows of lockers and benches. As she stepped into the room the bell sounded, and the sound of chatting children and light footsteps came towards the room. Zelena frowned in frustration and crept back out of the room, closing the door behind her and heading back towards the main building. Zelena had a lesson to teach, Henry's next lesson was Geography, and she was keen to return the keys before lunch, in case he needed to head back to the apartment. She would simply have to be more direct.
An hour later, as the students were packing their books and stationary away and heading to lunch, Zelena walked confidently into the classroom and approached Henry, who was standing next to the large wall at the back of the room which featured the map the school had been working on. Henry's bag was over his shoulder and he was adhering some of his work to his section on Australia. Zelena glanced around the room, observing that Mr Hook and the girl she recognised to be in one of her classes were discussing some work in detail, and were so far unaware of her presence. She turned her attention back to Henry, taking a few steps towards him, her eyes on his backpack as her hand rested upon the key in his pocket. Just as she was about to withdraw the key and deposit it safely back into his bag, the young boy turned around and greeted her with a pleasant smile.
"Hi Miss Gardner" he greeted, turning towards her, his backpack now unreachable. Zelena's composure did not falter.
"Hello, Henry" she smiled. "I hope you've completed your tasks for our lesson later this afternoon."
"Yes, Miss Gardner" he replied cordially, remembering the work in question. "Violet and I are going to go over it at lunch" he smiled.
"Excellent" she grinned, taking a step towards him as she spoke. "This map is the talk of the teachers' lounge" she smiled. "I simply had to sneak a glimpse at it."
"Yeah, it's pretty cool" Henry stated, casting a glance towards it. "I've been researching Australia" he declared, pointing towards the country on the map and pinning up his last piece of work. "Have you ever been?"
"No" she responded simply, her eyes glancing across the brightly decorated and highly informative wall piece. "I've been to South America recently, though" she stated amiably. "Do you know where that is?"
"Sure" he returned, turning to the side so that his backpack was towards Zelena. She quickly removed the key from her pocket and dropped it between the slightly open zippers, just as Henry pointed towards the location she'd just mentioned. "It's right here."
"It certainly is" she smiled.
Before Henry could respond, the sound of clicking heels upon the ground caused Henry to turn towards the door.
"Mom" he said, stepping past Zelena.
Regina stepped into the room and glanced from Henry to Zelena, greeting the teacher politely.
"Can I have a word with you, sweetheart?" she asked Henry.
"I'll see you this afternoon, Henry" Zelena stated, excusing herself from the conversation and heading towards the door. "Excellent work on the map." Henry thanked her and turned towards his mother, who took several steps towards him as Zelena walked from the room and turned to walk down the corridor. Instead of leaving, she pressed herself against the wall and listened intently to their conversation.
"Henry, I need to ask you something, and I want you to know that I won't be mad, okay?" she asked gently. Henry nodded in understanding.
"Okay" he stated, his pleasant and chipper tone not betraying his confusion.
"Did you go into my office yesterday or this morning? When no one else was there?" she asked gently. Zelena felt a moment of overwhelming panic.
"No, of course not" Henry asked. "I was with you the whole time" he smiled. Regina sighed and nodded, crossing her arms before her as she did so. She thought he may have gone looking for her in her office before she arrived that morning, but it was a long shot, and one she hoped would be correct. "Mom, is something wrong?"
"No, sweetheart, nothing's wrong" she smiled, drawing her hand gently down his cheek as she spoke. "I think someone might have gone into my office when I wasn't there, and I was wondering if you'd gone in to try and find me, that's all."
"Was anything missing? Or broken?"
"No" Regina returned simply. "Why?" she added, her tone lighter and slightly accusatory. "I do hope you haven't been playing dodgeball indoors again, I'm not sure how many of my ornaments can handle it" she smiled, placing her hand upon his shoulder and leading him from the room.
"That was one time" Henry stated, the sound of his approaching voice causing Zelena to walk briskly down the corridor and ascend the stairs to her rooms.
Zelena could hear Henry and Regina talking in the corridor until the young boy turned towards the dining hall and Regina headed back towards her office.
Regina's smile fell as soon as she and Henry parted company, her eyes narrowing in confusion as she walked towards her office. The more she considered it, the more she found herself battling the deeply unsettled feeling she had been experiencing since entering her office that morning. No child had ever entered her office when no one was there before, due to the alarm which her inept secretary was supposed to set. There was a large bowl of candy adorning a table to the back of her offices which remained untouched, and which she felt certain would prove to be far too much of a temptation to any young intruder. She also kept a small amount of cash in the office which, like the chocolate, remained untouched. Regina was an intelligent woman who felt extremely uncomfortable when things were uncertain or incomplete; she didn't understand who would be in her office or why, and this troubled her. Her mind was so focused upon figuring out the problem that she paid little attention as she turned right into the next corridor, causing her to walk straight into an approaching teacher. Regina inhaled sharply and took several steps back, her eyes wide in shock as she stared ahead of her, and found herself standing opposite Robin Locksley.
Regina sighed.
"I'm sorry, Mr Locksley" she stated simply, pressing her lips together into a small smile, as she made to move around him. She expected a polite or perhaps witty retort, but received neither, and instead he said something completely different.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his tone gentle and inquisitive.
Regina stopped walking for a moment, flexed her fingers and sighed.
"I'm fine" she returned, turning on the spot and facing him with a confident expression.
Robin watched her for a moment, his eyes scanning her curiously as waited to see if she would continue, before taking a few steps towards her. Normally he'd use her name to get her attention, but referring to her as 'Principal Mills' seemed too formal under the circumstances, and he didn't feel that they were quite at the stage where he could call her Regina.
"No, you're not" he returned, his tone so gentle that the comment itself did not seem as challenging or direct as it normally would to Regina. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice adopting the tone she suspected he used with his pupils when posing such a question.
Regina watched him for a moment, her eyes meeting his and holding his comforting gaze, which instantly calmed her. She felt herself relaxing in his company, and for a moment she began to question whether she was overreacting. As she looked back up at him, as he waited patiently for her to speak, she considered that perhaps the best way for her to figure this out was to discuss it. Perhaps what she truly needed was a second opinion.
Robin's initial intrigue quickly developed into concern, as the usually calm and composed Regina Mills appeared to be uncharacteristically nervous and hesitant. He couldn't imagine what it was that was troubling her.
"You'll think I'm crazy" she began, her eyes drifting away from his.
"I'm sure I won't" he replied gently. "Please" he stated, the word causing her eyes to meet his once more. "Tell me what's wrong" he stated, his tone as gentle as before.
Regina swallowed and inhaled, sighing as she considered how she felt as though she were about to admit some terrible wrong-doing to another person. It almost felt like she was on the other side of the Principal's desk.
"I think someone broke into my office" she stated simply, watching him carefully for a reaction.
She expected to receive a laugh or instant dismissal, or perhaps even a suggestion that it was two students getting a little too acquainted in a place which would be so daring to enter. And yet, she did not.
"Okay" he returned, finding himself relieved at the nature of her explanation. "What makes you think so?"
Regina explained the situation surrounding her secretary failing to set the alarm and the discrepancies in her office. She explained her suspicions that it may be a student, her conversation with Henry, and the reasons why she was struggling to fully convince herself that it was an innocent event. Robin listened attentively as she spoke, nodding in understanding and never once interrupting. He watched her with a calm and interested expression which calmed her greatly. Not only did he not seem to think she was crazy, but she found that talking to him about this seemed almost cathartic. After she had said it all out loud, she found herself slightly more convinced that it was the simple act of a student, which she felt certain Robin himself would agree with. After a few moments of silence, and after Robin had fully considered the information, he nodded in understanding.
"It sounds like quite the mystery, doesn't it?" he returned. "Like a page torn directly from an Agatha Christie novel" he stated. At first Regina thought he might be teasing her, but as he turned towards her with a sincere expression she realised that this was not the case. "And you say you've checked your office thoroughly and are satisfied that nothing is missing?"
"I checked my entire office and then asked Katherine to do the same" she stated, turning from him as she spoke. "Which I hope she has found time to do between her work and her… extra-curricular activities."
Robin chuckled lightly in response and Robin turned towards her.
"I fear gossip of the antics of Katherine and Killian have already reached my not so delicate ears" he stated, causing Regina to roll her eyes. Robin smiled at her and took a few steps towards her, speaking in a hushed tone. "Let's just say that I would avoid the small room in the gymnasium where the hockey equipment is kept." Regina's eyes widened and she scoffed in disgust.
"I knew I should have just fired her" she stated, crossing her arms and pouting. Robin chuckled.
"What?" he asked. Regina turned towards him.
"I came down on her pretty hard for her… lack of thinking last night" she explained, causing Robin to nod in understanding. "I told her that if she did it again I'd fire her."
"You'd fire her for not thinking to set an alarm?"
"I'd fire her for not thinking with her head" Regina corrected, causing Robin to smirk in response. She was fiery, and sharp. And he liked it. She was also incredibly attractive when she was in a huff, pouting as she was.
"I understand" he stated sincerely. "You need to be able to know that you can rely upon your staff."
"I do" Regina agreed "But it's not just that" she added, turning towards him with a slightly unsettled look. "There is a lot of confidential and highly sensitive information in my office. It is always locked and stored securely, either in physical files or on my laptop, but I cannot afford for any of it to be compromised" she continued, her authoritative tone returning.
"Alright" he stated, his reassuring teacher-voice returning to him as he took another step towards her. They were standing so close that Regina could almost feel the warmth his body emitted upon her own skin. "Why don't we go and take a look at your office?" he asked.
"I told you, I've already checked" she returned. "And you've only been in my office twice, so you wouldn't be able to tell if anything was out of place."
"Which is precisely why I would be the best person to look" he explained gently, watching as she continued to look up at him. "Someone less familiar with the office would perhaps be able to note if something was amiss, and a ntew perspective on an existing problem is always an advantage" he continued. "And also, as I've only been in your office a couple of times, I may be likely to notice if something is slightly different to what it was before. Sometimes we overlook things and make assumptions due to our over-familiarity with them" he continued. "Does that make sense?"
"I think so" she stated, considering his words for a moment. In truth, she was just grateful that he wasn't dismissing her concerns entirely. "You really wouldn't mind?" she asked hesitantly, as Robin returned her question with a smile and the shake of his head. "You are on your lunch break" she explained, as Robin stepped beside her and they began to walk together towards the office.
"I've already eaten, and it's no trouble at all" Robin returned gently, seeking to placate the concerned Principal. "Besides" he added, moving aside from the door to Regina's office as she moved to open it, "my employer very kindly pays me during my lunch break". Regina smiled in response. "The least I can do is make myself useful" he stated, as Regina opened the door and stepped inside.
Robin followed Regina into the room and greeted the subdued secretary, who he considered was licking her wounds rather like an injured puppy. He followed Regina into her office and looked around the room with interest, as she gently closed the door behind them.
"Your secretary seems a tad nervous" he stated.
"She should be" Regina returned in a low tone as she walked past Robin and headed towards her desk. "There's a large bowl of chocolates on the table behind you, and I have a few hundred dollars in my drawer, all of which is accounted for" she stated, glancing around the room for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "Everything else seems fine" she stated, confusion entering her tone. "The chocolate, money and safe were all undisturbed."
"You have a safe?" Robin asked with interest.
Regina nodded distractedly as she continued to study the room. Robin turned from her and glanced around the room, his eyes searching for the location of the safe.
"You won't find it" Regina returned.
After less than a minute Robin turned on the spot and removed the paining of the horse from the wall, holding it proudly in his hands as the safe was revealed. Regina's features fell.
"How did you know?" she asked, shocked.
Robin offered her a reassuring expression.
"Unlike the rest of the artwork in this room, the frame of this picture was uneven, which I'd wager was due to you checking it in haste this morning" he returned, watching as she nodded in agreement. Regina wondered whether she could have acted similarly with her laptop the night before. "There are also a couple of wear patterns on the lower edges of the frame, which would suggest that it was been removed several times."
"Indeed" Regina returned with a sigh. "Perhaps I should move the safe to my personal rooms."
"It'd imagine it's safer in here" Robin returned. "This room is almost constantly attended during the day, and at night it is alarmed" he stated. "And you said yourself that the contents were untouched?" Robin asked, glancing towards the safe.
"They appear to be" Regina stated, walking towards him as she spoke, her eyes fixed upon the safe.
"There aren't any tool marks which would seem to indicate a recent break in" Robin stated, his voice low and almost whispered. Regina turned towards him with an accusatory look.
"Were you a lock picker in another life?" she teased.
"No" he returned simply. "Not in another life" he added with a smile.
Regina rolled her eyes in response. He was teasing her. Again.
Robin replaced the picture and ensured that the frame was hung evenly. He then spent the next twenty minutes examining the room, during which time he learned more about Regina. He could see that, graduated from a prestigious American university, had a fondness for classic British literature, and was once a keen swimmer, according to the evidence on a book shelf to the left of her desk.
"You ride as well as swim?" he asked, holding up a framed photograph of her amongst a college swim team. The image appeared to be about fifteen years old, and was protected by a frame.
"Yes" she stated, walking towards him and smiling pensively at the image. "I find it very relaxing."
"Indeed it is" he asked. "You used to swim competitively?"
"In college, yes" she returned. "But I dropped out after that season" she stated, indicating towards the photograph as she spoke.
"Why was that?" Robin asked gently, regretting the question as soon as he caught sight of the expression upon her face.
"My boyfriend, Daniel, was the captain of the team" she began. "He died".
Robin's body tensed and he internally reprimanded himself for his intrusive questioning, placing the picture carefully back where he found it.
"I'm so sorry" he stated sincerely, and Regina offered him a polite smile.
"Thank you" she returned, her voice low and gentle. "It was a long time ago" she added as she crossed her arms, her voice gaining confidence as she spoke. "I keep that picture here to remind me of the time we spent together, and everything he taught me".
Robin glanced towards the image once more and then back towards her desk, noticing that from a sitting position she would have a perfect view of it.
"He must've been quite remarkable" he stated kindly.
"He was" Regina smiled. "He came from a modest background, achieving a full academic scholarship to the school" she continued. "He wanted to be a Human Rights' Lawyer" she stated, her eyes brightening as she looked at the image. "He was so different to anyone else I'd ever met."
"It sounds like he had quite an influence on your life" Robin returned gently, and she nodded in response.
"I was so fortunate to have known him" she explained. "Even if it was for just a couple of years."
"I'm sure he felt the same way" Robin stated, his eyes befalling the good-looking swimmer with dark hair and an honest smile.
"I hope so" Regina stated quietly.
"I'm quite certain of it" Robin returned with confidence, meeting Regina's eyes as he turned towards her. Before either of them could utter another word, the bell sounded, announcing the beginning of afternoon classes. "And I fear that is my cue" Robin stated, watching as Regina nodded in response. "Your office appears to be perfectly safe. You've ensured that it will be properly alarmed in the future, nothing is missing and everything appears to be in its place."
"Thank you" Regina stated, her tone warm and kind, "for indulging the ridiculous fears of your sleep-deprived employer."
"There was nothing ridiculous about your concerns" he stated sincerely. "And for the record, I'm very glad that you felt able to talk about them with me" he added, and both he and Regina knew that he wasn't just referring to the break in at the office.
"Me too" Regina agreed, her arms still crossed across her chest.
Robin smiled in response before making his way out of the office, closing the door gently behind him. Regina slowly walked back to her desk and eased herself into the seat, closing her eyes and exhaling deeply as she clasped her hands on the desk before her. Her eyes drifted solemnly towards the framed photograph of her college swim team, and onto the face of her beloved Daniel. She then remembered the conversation she had just had with Robin, and how happy and how safe he seemed to be able to make her feel. She tore her gaze from the photograph, as guilt began to wash over her once more. She inhaled deeply and felt her hands trembling upon the table, before turning back towards the photograph with a hesitant gaze.
"Love again" he had told her as she held him in her arms. At that time she didn't think such a thing would be possible. But as she found herself thinking of the kind and compassionate Robin Locksley, she wondered if perhaps it could be.