Hey, all. I'm back! Thanks so much for your patience between updates as I finished up my latest novel, Fragmented. You can find more information about it and my other original releases at my website, elizalentzski dot com.

Hope you enjoy this update. Let me know your thoughts!

Chapter 3

After hanging up with Snow, Regina went through her nightly rituals to prepare for bed. She pulled her hair away from her face with an elastic headband, washed away the makeup from the day, and brushed and flossed her teeth. She had remained untouched by Father Time for decades. Now, unprotected by the curse, Time was the only thing she feared these days. She should have enjoyed more vices when she had the chance, she thought to herself.

Outside of her hotel room on the thirty-first floor, New York was still abuzz with activity. Even from this elevated level, she could hear the sounds of the city below: the annoyed honk of a taxi cab, the random cheer of a group of people. Through the blinds she could still make out the flashing lights of Time Square reflecting off the mirrored exterior of adjacent skyscrapers.

Once in bed, Regina stared up at the ceiling. Her mind was too busy for sleep. Now that she had made direct contact with Emma and Henry, all of the words of warning Snow and David had hammered into her head were re-surfacing. They had entrusted her to cross the town line to check in on their respective children, but she wasn't supposed to have had pancakes with them. The Charmings should have known better than to trust her with this.

The temptation to spend more stolen time with Henry had been too great, however, and she'd never had a particular talent for denying herself that which she desired. But magic always came with a price; re-connecting with her son would have consequences.

In the morning there was something she had to do. It would be unpleasant, and if Emma ever found out … Well, she wouldn't worry about that now. The only thing that mattered was Henry. She pulled the comforter under her chin and willed herself to sleep.

She hadn't known what exactly she'd been expecting, but this certainly wasn't it. Natural light flooded through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the two-story Williamsburg furniture store. The stately brick building had once been a factory of some kind at the turn of the century, but it had been gutted since then, and now featured custom, handmade furniture.

Regina ran her lacquered fingernails along the polished curve of an elaborate wooden dining room chair. Living in the Enchanted Forest, she had come into contact with talented wood workers. Her own taste for interior design and decor was impeccable like everything she did. Whomever had crafted the furniture on display had real talent. It was too bad that person turned out to be Emma Swan's boyfriend.

A simple internet search for New York, furniture, and Walsh had provided Regina with the directions to an Oscar Walsh's furniture store. Regina had discovered that the man who went by his last name was a skilled artisan, but what kind of man was he? Armed with a pencil skirt, red-soled stilettos, and a fitted dress shirt unbuttoned to the third button, it was Regina's intention to find out.

"Can I help you?"

Regina looked up from the wooden chair and pasted on a dazzling smile. "I certainly hope so."

Oscar Walsh wasn't much to look at. Tall, angular, narrow shouldered, and gaunt in the face, he looked more like a scarecrow than a man. Really, Miss Swan? Out of the million partners available in this city and this is with whom you've chosen to align yourself?

Given she and Emma's mutual attraction to Graham, Regina had assumed they had comparable taste in men. Perhaps the fake memories Regina had magicked into Emma's brain had scattered her taste in men.

Regina stuck out her hand. "Regina Mills," she introduced herself.

Walsh took her hand in his boney, long-fingered one. "Oscar Walsh. It's nice to meet you. What can I help you find today?"

Regina twisted her mouth into a helpless look. "I'm in the market for an office desk, but I have very particular tastes."

Walsh shoved his hands into the front pockets of his corduroy pants and rocked back on his heels. "We have a good variety on the second floor, but if none of them strikes your fancy, we could always custom design something."

"Custom?" Regina echoed. "Who does all your custom work?"

"Me. This is my store, and I do all the construction and design myself."

Regina clasped her hands together. "That's quite impressive."

Walsh ducked his head, and shaggy brown hair fell into his eyes. Regina frowned at the modest reaction. This was no man. This was a foolish boy. Certainly not a strong father-figure for her son.

"Would you have time to show me what's available?" Regina asked, sure to flutter her long eyelashes. "I'd love to get the tour from the man who actually made all of these beautiful things."

"Of course." Walsh bobbed his head. "They're on the second floor." He swept his hand in a guiding gesture. "Right this way."

Regina's high heels clicked on the flooring on the way to the escalator. She could hear the rubber soles of Walsh's step behind her.

"This is an impressive operation," Regina observed over one shoulder. She tried to keep an open mind about the man, but she couldn't understand what Emma saw in the understated man. Compared to the lovers Regina had taken to bed in her days as Queen, Walsh wouldn't have been on her radar.

"Thanks."

"Not too many people nowadays say they want to make furniture when they grow up," Regina remarked as they ascended the escalator together. "How did you get into the business?"

"I suppose it kind of fell into my lap," Walsh shrugged. "I've been doing it for so long, it's hard to pinpoint the origin."

Regina made a humming noise and pretended to inspect the available merchandise on the second floor although she had no intention of actually buying anything. Under different context she might have been tempted, but it wasn't as though a delivery truck would have been able to navigate its way into Storybrooke now with the second curse in place.

She frowned at the memory. Surrounded by the sights and sounds of New York, it was too easy to forget that she had a mystery to solve when she returned. What had happened to their missing year? Why couldn't she remember? And how come they were back in Storybrooke?

Regina ran her hand along the smooth, level plane of a mahogany desk. "Very nice," she approved. "I love a man with skilled hands." She spun on her heel abruptly, nearly bumping into the man following closely behind her. "It's so rare to find nowadays. Everyone is so reliant on computers and robots."

A lopsided grin came to Walsh's face. "You won't find any of that stuff in my workshop."

"Oh, I'd love to see where you work." She flicked the tip of her tongue against her bottom lip. "I'm sure it's absolutely fascinating."

"It's not that interesting; just a bunch of old tools."

You're the only Tool I currently see.

"So what do you think?" Walsh asked. "See anything you like?"

"I see potential," Regina purred. She deliberately dragged her eyes up and down the man's body, repressing a shudder as she did so. "But like I said—I have particular tastes."

"Could I interest you in custom work?" he asked. "Maybe we could go over some ideas for a design?"

Regina frowned, nearly pouting. "Would you be available to meet with me after hours? I'm not in town for very long, and I have a very busy schedule."

"I, uh, I don't usually—"

Regina cut him off. "I'll make it worth your while," she said, grabbing onto his skinny bicep. "My hotel has a lovely penthouse bar. Very cozy. Why don't we meet there later and put our heads together on this?" She didn't let go of Walsh's arm. "Oh my," she gushed. "Your arm is rock solid."

"I, uh, it's from the wood working."

"Oh, from what I've seen, I'm sure you know how to handle that wood." This was ridiculous. "Say you'll meet me later."

"I, um, yeah. I could do that."

"Fantastic. I'll see you there, around eight." She squeezed his bicep once more for good measure. "Don't keep me waiting, Mr. Walsh."

A wide grin adorned the man's face, and he eagerly nodded his head.

Regina flipped her hair out of her eyes and made her way towards the furniture store's exit. She didn't have to look back to know that Walsh was watching her and the slight sway of her hips and backside as she left.

He was, after all, only a man.

Regina dialed the ten-digit number into her phone and waited for the call to be picked up.

"Emma Swan, here."

"Miss Swan? This is Regina Mills—"

"Regina. Hi." Emma laughed on the other line. "Are you always so formal?"

"Usually, yes," she admitted.

"What can I do for you?" Emma asked. "Need me to track down some scumbag who owes you money?"

"Nothing as exciting as that, I'm afraid. Would you be free to meet me for a drink later? I know it's probably an inconvenience of me to even be asking, but I've had a long day of meetings, and I really don't like the idea of drinking by myself."

"Henry's good to watch himself for a little while. I suppose I could slip away for a drink while he's doing homework."

"That would be lovely. I'm afraid I'm not too familiar with this city yet though. How about meeting me at the bar in my hotel?"

She clutched her phone and awaited Emma's reply.

Regina had chosen the Manhattan hotel for its proximity to Henry's school and the apartment he shared with his birth mother. It also happened to have a lovely rooftop bar and lounge that was open through all the seasons. The bar was partitioned in half with one section open air and the other part a glass-enclosed lounge. In the current winter chill, all of the fire pits were aflame and portable heaters dotted the square footage of the penthouse bar. Taking advantage of the numerous fireplaces and other fire features, Regina sat at a small table, nursing an apple martini. It was no cider, but it was alcohol, and it settled her nerves as she clock watched.

A flash of blonde caught her attention and she watched Emma Swan make an appearance. Their eyes locked, and Emma waved in her direction. Unbidden, Regina found herself smiling and waving back.

Regina couldn't ignore the carefree look on Emma's face as she crossed the rooftop to join her. Without the unbearable weight of the Hero Complex, the blonde looked years younger. And Henry had looked so happy and content with his new life and memories, she'd wanted to pull out her own heart to not feel the pain of it. She was happy, naturally, that he was so well settled in his new life, but she couldn't deny the sadness that came from knowing she hadn't been able to provide that same level of joy for him when he'd lived in Storybrooke with her.

"This is awfully fancy," Emma observed in lieu of a proper greeting as she took in their surroundings. "What exactly is it that you do?"

"Politics. I'm the mayor of a small town in Maine."

"Mayor?" Emma whistled lowly. "You've been holding out on me. You should have told me I was in the presence of royalty."

"Storybrooke is very small," Regina dismissed. "It's really not a big deal."

"Storybrooke? That sounds made up."

"I can assure you it's very much a real place."

Regina admired the view when Emma removed her black wool coat to reveal the sapphire blue dress hidden beneath. It was a far cry from the tight jeans, leather boots, and Henley tops she was more accustomed to seeing her sheriff in. Her hair also looked more curly than usual and there was a touch of red on her lips.

"That's a lovely dress," Regina admired. "The color matches your eyes."

Emma looked down at her body as though she'd forgotten she was wearing the outfit. "Yeah, well when you told me where you were staying, I thought I should clean up a bit."

Regina's gaze traveled down Emma's body from her confined breasts, down her tight abdomen, and swept across how the dress's material clung to Emma's hips.

"You clean up well," Regina murmured.

Regardless of her personal distaste for Emma Swan over the years, Regina could admit the other woman's body was enviable. More upsetting was the transfat and cholesterol Emma routinely ingested, without it adversely affecting her figure.

She raised a hand and a waiter arrived at her elbow. "What are you having? Scotch? Whiskey?"

"Uh, no." Emma snatched the laminated drink menu off the tabletop and gave it a cursory scan. "I thought maybe I'd go for a cabernet."

"I'm sorry." Regina frowned. "I don't know why I thought you were a bourbon drinker." She could have sworn hard alcohol, not wine, was Emma Swan's drink of choice.

"I'm a little rough around the edges, I know," Emma laughed. She self-consciously touched her curled locks. "Don't let the gun and hard exterior fool you though, I'm all girl."

Regina cleared her throat. "Well thank you again for meeting up with me, Miss Swan. I really do hope I'm not putting you out."

"It's still just Emma," the blonde woman gently corrected. "And you're not putting me out at all. I'm actually glad you called. I can't remember the last time I was out with an adult."

"What about your boyfriend? Walsh, was it?"

"I said 'adult,'" Emma said with a cheeky grin. "Walsh is a great guy, but all the men I've ever dated seem to have a Peter Pan Complex."

"They don't want to grow up," Regina hummed.

"What about you?" Emma asked. "Are you married? Boyfriend?"

Regina shook her head. "No. I'm very much single."

"Who's the as whole who broke your heart?"

Regina lifted an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I recognize that look when I asked if you were married," Emma said. "There was a guy once, but now there's not. So who broke your heart?"

Regina wet her lips and worked to keep her tone even and unaffected. "I can assure you my heart is very much in one piece."

Emma grinned and leaned back in her chair. "Suit yourself, but I know you're not telling me the complete truth. I can tell when people are lying."

"Your Super Power," Regina said without thinking.

Emma chuckled. "That's funny. That's exactly what I call it. Weird."

Regina swallowed hard. She hoped Emma wouldn't dwell on her slip up or catch her in a lie. "That must be quite the gift. I wish I could tell when people were lying."

"It's been a necessity over the years. Before Walsh came along, it was just me and Henry for a long time. Lots of assholes in the world who would like to take advantage of a single mom and her kid. I had to be vigilant. Henry's the most important thing in my life." Emma's cheeks colored. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get carried away."

"Don't apologize." Regina smiled warmly. "Your commitment and dedication to Henry is admirable."

"Do you have any kids?"

Regina dropped her gaze to the table and fiddled with the glass stem of her funnel-shaped drink. "Once upon a time."

The other woman must have sensed she'd stumbled onto uncomfortable territory, so she quickly changed the subject. "So how long are you in town for?"

Regina looked back up and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "I'm really not sure. I had thought it would be a quick business trip, but circumstances have changed that will be keeping me in this city for a little longer. I'm glad you could meet up with me tonight, though. I was worried you'd be busy."

Emma snorted. "Where else would I be on a Tuesday night? Henry's got school in the morning."

"You could have been out with your boyfriend," Regina pointed out. She didn't like the way the final word caught in her throat.

"Naw, he's catching up on paperwork for his business tonight."

"Paperwork. Hmmm." Regina leaned forward, feigning interest. "He owns a furniture store, is that correct?"

"Yeah. That's how we met. Henry and I had just moved to town, and I needed to furnish our apartment." Her eyes focused on something or someone just beyond Regina's right shoulder. "Speak of the devil," Emma murmured.

"What was that, dear?"

Emma raised her voice. "Walsh?"

The stick-thin man who'd been standing at a distance and scanning the rooftop, jerked his gaze in the direction of the voice. "Emma!"

"What are you doing here? I thought you had to work tonight?" she called to him.

"I-I…" Regina felt the man's eyes fall on her. His features scrunched in confusion, and Regina raised an eyebrow while her painted lips twisted into a cruel smirk.

"I got done early," he said. "I wanted to surprise you; Henry said I'd find you here."

Emma's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I didn't tell Henry where I'd be?"

Walsh scratched at the back of his neck, looking all the world like he wanted to disappear. "You didn't? Huh. That kid must be an even better detective than you."

"What's with the fancy duds?" Emma prodded. "Did I forget an anniversary or something?"

Walsh tugged at his suit jacket. "No. I had a meeting today." The man had changed clothes from earlier that day. Gone was the denim shirt and corduroy, replaced with a fitted suit. He wore no tie around his neck, and the dress shirt was open at the throat.

"With the President?" Emma questioned.

Regina leaned back in her chair and smiled. For once it was nice not being the recipient of Sheriff Swan's Twenty Questions. Her skepticism had made her superb at her job, and Regina felt not an ounce of sympathy for the furniture store owner.

"You're a bit overdressed yourself," Walsh returned.

"Only because I didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb in this place," Emma defended.

"Well maybe I was doing the same," her boyfriend deflected.

As much as Regina was enjoying the animated back and forth, she didn't enjoy being ignored. "I don't believe we've met," she interrupted.

Walsh's gaze snapped to land on her face. "What?"

"Regina," she said coolly, extending her hand. "Regina Mills."

Walsh carefully took the pro-offered hand. "It's nice to meet you, Regina. I'm Walsh. Emma's boyfriend." Not taking his eyes off the raven-haired woman, he grabbed a nearby chair. "Mind if I join you ladies?" The legs scratched against the concrete of the rooftop flooring. Regina winced at the ugly sound as the man positioned himself between Emma and herself.

"So what's the story here?" he asked, briskly rubbing his hands together for warmth.

"I was meeting Regina here for an after-work drink," Emma said, returning to her own seat.

"How do you two know each other? I don't believe I've heard you mention a 'Regina' before."

"We don't know each other," Regina supplied. "Not really."

Walsh's heavy eyebrows bunched together.

"Henry was nearly mugged on his way home from school yesterday," Emma stated. "Regina intercepted before anything bad could happen."

"Stop. You make me sound like a super hero," Regina chuckled in her low rasp.

"The way you confronted that guy in the alley, I nearly thought you had super powers. You should have seen her," Emma said. "Jimmy Choos and a Prada bag, thinking she could take on some punk from Brooklyn."

Walsh pressed his lips together. "I'm sorry I missed it."

"I nearly missed it, too. If I'd shown up on time, Henry wouldn't have been in that alley," Emma said glumly.

Regina rested her hand on top of Emma's and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't beat yourself up about it, dear," she soothed. "Henry's fine."

"I need a drink," Walsh blurted out. He stood up, nearly toppling his chair over. "I'll be back."

"O-o-k," Emma said, a pale eyebrow rising on her forehead. "Yeah, so that's Walsh," she sighed, her eyes following her retreating boyfriend.

Regina leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other. "He seems charming."

"Usually more so," Emma noted, her eyes still tracking Walsh who now stood at the inside bar, trying to catch the attention of the bartender.

"If you'll excuse me," Regina said as she stood from the table. "I'm just going to freshen up in the powder room."

Regina was privately pleased at how flustered Emma's boyfriend was behaving. She had sought the man out that morning to ascertain if he was good enough to be in Henry's life, but based on her interactions with him today and his arrival at the hotel bar, she was going to make it her mission to split up the happy couple.

Regina spotted Emma's paramour near the bar's bathrooms. She saw the man's barely checked anger simmered just beneath the surface. Regina knew that look well. It was her own anger from which her magic stemmed. She tilted her chin up and drew back her shoulders, readying a biting insult.

She had expected backlash from the man for her subterfuge, but not physical aggression. His palms connected flat against her shoulders and she found herself being shoved against a wall. She made a noise of protest as the back of her head and her backside smacked against a wall.

Walsh leaned in menacingly, so close Regina could count the freckles on his nose. "I haven't figured out what your game is, lady, but I'm on to you."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Regina feigned ignorance.

"We'll see about that." His eyes flashed a neon green. Regina thought at first it was a trick of light, but immediately suspected something was amiss. "Stay away from Emma," Walsh growled menacingly, "whoever you are."

Regina straightened her shoulders and tugged at the bottom of her blazer. "I believe that's up for Emma to decide, not you."

The man looked like he had more to say, but thinking better of it, he snarled and turned on his heel in a hasty exit.

In her own realm or in Storybrooke, fear was not an emotion Regina permitted. But in this place without magic, she realized just how vulnerable she was. She'd been physically accosted twice in this city in as many days. Snow and Charming had urged her to be efficient with her time beyond the town boundary, but her stubborn pride had gotten in the way of her taking their words of caution seriously.

When she had composed herself, Regina returned to the table to find Emma sitting alone with their empty glasses.

"What happened to your boyfriend?" Regina asked with mock innocence, taking an empty chair beside the other woman. "Don't tell me he had to cut his evening short."

Emma frowned and swirled the dregs of her drink in the bottom of her wine glass. "He left. It's okay though. He was acting weird."

"Oh dear. I hope there's no problems in paradise." Fake genuineness wrapped around Regina like an old friend.

"Paradise." Emma laughed ruefully and shook her head. "Honestly I wonder sometimes why I even bother. It's always just been me and Henry, and we like it that way." She paused and ran her finger along the rim of her glass. "Although it can be lonely when your only company is a teenaged boy."

Regina knew that only too well, but she had no way to verbally commiserate without risking revealing too much.

"Sorry," Emma apologized and shook her head. "This probably isn't the evening you had in mind when you invited me."

"Quite the opposite, my dear, but you saved me from another night of mindless television." She cocked her head to one side when she saw Emma's lips moving, but heard no words. "What's that?"

Emma's parted lips moved again. "I'm your savior."

"I-I guess so."

Emma's speech patterns, the phrases and sayings she used, sometimes made Regina think the memory spell she'd put on Emma and her son wasn't as strong as she'd thought-like her memories of Storybrooke were bubbling just below her consciousness. Or maybe the enchantment was weakening with time in this world without magic or with Regina's continued presence. But as long as those emerald eyes continued to stare blankly back at her, she was safe.

Regina settled their tab despite Emma's protest.

"I'll walk you back to your room," Emma offered.

"That's really not necessary."

"It's New York," Emma said, slipping into her wool coat. "Creeps come out of the woodwork even in a classy place like this."

Regina thought about Walsh and the flash of neon green that had momentarily illuminated his eyes. "Okay," she conceded.

They made friendly small-talk on the short elevator ride down to Regina's floor. Regina asked questions about Emma's life, although she knew all the answers and had even been responsible for some of the memories that Emma shared. For herself, she remained just vague enough in her answers to not get herself in trouble, but provided enough detail not to rouse Emma's suspicions.

Regina stopped in front of her hotel room door and fished the keycard out of her clutch purse. "Thank you for seeing me to my room."

"It's no problem," Emma dismissed. "It's probably silly of me, but I know I'll sleep a lot better tonight knowing you made it back to your room safely."

"That's very chivalrous of you," Regina remarked. She found Emma's concern touching, but also curious.

Emma's hand reached for her face, and Regina flinched.

"Sorry." Emma clenched and unclenched her hand that continued to hover in the air. "There's something in your hair."

"Oh."

Emma leaned in closer and carefully removed a bit of something from Regina's raven locks.
"There," she murmured, lingering too close than Regina thought proper.

Regina stared at the thoughtful, emerald green eyes. From this proximity, she could detect Emma's light perfume.

"Is that drywall or plaster?" Emma worked the material between her thumb and forefinger. "Were you at a construction site or something?"

Regina touched her hair in the place Emma's hand had just been. She must have hit her head harder than she thought to have knocked debris from the wall. "Who knows how these things happen."

Breaking the temporary spell she found herself under, Regina unlocked and opened her hotel room. Her manicured fingers curled around the door's edge. "Would you like to come in? To make sure there's no monsters hiding beneath my bed?"

"Oh, I should probably get going. Henry will be…waiting."

Regina bit down on her lower lip. "Mmhmm."

"Well, have-have a good night, Regina," Emma stuttered. She appeared unwontedly awkward as though she didn't know how to say goodbye.

"You as well, Miss Swan."

Regina entered her hotel room and shut the door behind her. She leaned against the back of the door and released a long breath. She closed her eyes and the visual of Emma leaning towards her played on the backs of her eyelids. What had just happened? She had wanted to kiss Emma. She had wanted to be kissed by Emma Swan.

Walsh's words from dinner echoed in her head. What was her game? At this point, she had no idea.

TBC