Thank you to CrimsonLash for the beta-ing of this chapter.

Emma was pissed once again. Her blood was boiling, and her heart was racing at an alarming speed. The sweat droplets on her forehead started to stream down her nose. Fuck. Her legs were carrying her in the only direction she knew could give her peace. The gym in the yard.

She tried the indoor gym but the air was filled with Regina's power hovering over her like an eagle over the unsuspecting little chicken. Yes, Emma thinks of herself as a chicken now. She is a little, barely visible, ball of emotions that jumps at every sound that comes out of Regina. At the same time, it is like that woman is some kind of seed that Emma wants to devour and gain all she needs from it.

She stopped at the front gate separating the prison from the yard, and waited for the guards to let her out. The metal wheels screeched, and she winced at the sound and stepped out. While looking around, she took in the scenery.

Amanda's people were circled around her, as she talked animatedly. That bitch is probably planning something fucked up. Her greyish hair bounced around happily at her every movement, punctuated by her wildly gesticulating hands.

Their eyes met for a moment, but it seemed like forever. The threatening look Emma received from Amanda was louder than that of any combination of words could emit. At this, the blonde refused to just wait for something to happen. She needed to act. To strike first.

She strolled over to the lifting bench and positioned herself. She found the act of lifting weights a method to enable her to think more clearly. Though she was focused on the weight above her, Emma could still observe her surroundings in her peripheral vision.

Emma's train of thought drifted to the times of days long past. The drugs. These damn substances that always seemed to meddle with her life. Her father had always loved them and tried to force her to take them. The only good thing in the whole fucked up situation she called life was that she didn't indulge as her father did. She remembered the times when he would give her the little plastic bag with the white powder and then scurry off into the other room to do his share. She remembered bolting from her chair and dumping all of it in the sink. She remembered watching the water wash away all evidence of the powdery hell. I'm at least strong, Emma beamed at herself. Having decided to not take drugs, not even one single time, was a huge step which had required a lot of strength.

"If you are not lifting, get up. I wanna use it." Amanda's voice snapped Emma out of her thoughts.

Her green eyes opened and focused in on the older woman looking down at her.

"I'm tuning myself."

"Tune faster. I need my workout."

Emma snorted. She looked Amanda's body up and down. It hadn't seen any serious workout for quite a long time.

"Yeah, you really do need one. Hardcore." Emma teased with a smirk knowing all too well that the war was on again.

Amanda's blood boiled. All she was seeing was red.

"Rug Muncher!" she screamed before lifting the rod, freeing it from its resting place and dropping it over the younger woman's face.

A dead silence engulfed the prison yard. The prison's two rival leaders are at each other's throats and the result wasn't going to be pretty. Everyone froze in their spots, and their eyes remained focused on the pair.

Emma was quick, thank God, to raise her hands to soften the inevitable impact of the cold metal with her face. Fortunately or not it landed on her nose. The sound of bone cracking resounded throughout the whole yard causing everyone to gasp.

The guards burst onto the scene a little too late. They had to separate Emma from Amanda, both of whom are on the floor, a bloody mess of limbs and fists. The younger woman was latched onto the older woman like a predator on prey – tearing flesh without mercy. The view that greeted the medical staff, who were quick to follow the guards, was nothing less than vicious. Amanda's face was covered in blood from the various wounds that marred her face. Emma was in bad shape as well, but the damage was concentrated on her nose.

The younger woman was still fidgeting when the Governor and the prison advocate arrived on the scene a few minutes later.

"Fucking bitch! I'm gonna cut you up into so many pieces they'll have to use a fucking zip lock bag." Emma screamed. This taunt in no way helped her situation.

"Yeah? Try me." Amanda responded in a mocking tone. It was as if she was not at all aware that the blonde had the balls to make good on her word.

It took all of the four guard's man power and a 'Get Swan to the isolation block' from the Governor to separate the two women. Both women were breathing heavily, and their eyes remain locked on one another. Neither women ceasing to throw daggers at the other.

The phrase if looks could kill had never been more accurate.

But then Amanda decided to add more fuel to the fire.

"Did you know that your bestie's fuck toy put the drugs under your pillow case?"

And that's when Emma felt an enormous surge of rage, her blood literally boiling in her system, and her heart pounding painfully against her chest. She tore herself from the guards and launched her body at the older woman. She managed to swing once, her fist finding Amanda's jaw. The sound of cracking bone was the only thing to penetrate the yards otherwise undisturbed silence.

The older woman fell back, and her head painfully connected with one of the other lifting benches before her body finally hit the ground. The impact caused the back of her head to bleed profusely.

"Get her out of here this instance. Straight to the isolation block." Regina screamed again at her subordinates, knowing all too well that the damage was done. A wave of desperation overcame her, as she followed the guards who were dragging Emma off the scene.

Once the blonde was removed, all the other prisoners started to resume their previous activities. A group of inmates gathered around Amanda, each trying to see if she was alive, but the medical stuff were efficiently doing their jobs in securing off the perimeter. There were two guards that were in charge of crowd control.

Pathetic, Erica thought as she stood facing the increasing crowd.

"I know you want to see Amanda but, please, give the medical team enough space to tend to her. An emergency team is on their way as we speak. So fear not, she will be alright. Now, all I ask from you is to show a little respect. If you want her to get well, step back."

Of course there were women who looked back at her and didn't move from their spots. Some of whom who actually hated the older woman for what she had done to her own child.

And then there were the women who stepped back out of fear, and or out of respect. Whatever the reason was, Erica was grateful.

The question that remained at the forefront of her mind, superseding all else in that moment was where could Franky be? If she was not nearby than she probably was in her cell with Mia. Erica couldn't help but feel the sting of jealousy. Although she knew she had no rights over Franky, the fact of the matter still remained. Erica could not change how she felt about Franky no more than she could tear the sun from the sky.

Regina silently observed the scene before her. The guards were manhandling Emma, all in effort to get her into the isolation cell. Her heart clenched at the sight of the blonde's angry green eyes. The knots in Regina's stomach only grew bigger and more twisted in response. It pained her deeply that she couldn't prevent this from happening. She just prayed for Amanda to be alive and to recover quickly, otherwise she would be in for a very unpleasant meeting with the Mayor and the Head of the police.

And that was not something she quite fancied.

Jamie, the brunette head of the medical staff, kneeled next to Emma to take care of her broken nose. The blonde flinched and groaned in pain but remained still, allowing Jamie to take care of her.

Minutes later Emma's nose was stabilized with a bandage and the brunette left the cell followed by the guards.

Their footsteps slowly faded away into the background as Regina leaned on the doorframe. Her eyes never leaving the woman lying on the floor. That woman, who was just thrown into the small space like garbage, was guilty of only defending herself. Nothing more, nothing less. She was provoked. Her buttons were pushed and the fighter in her was awakened.

"Did you know?" Emma's small voice cut through her thoughts.

Regina blinked a few times trying to figure out what Emma was talking about.

"About Mia?"

Oh, that.

The way Regina's throat muscles flexed gave Emma the answer she needed, but not wanted.

"Fuck you," she said through gritted teeth. She was more pissed off at herself for feeling the way she did towards the Governor, than she was at the actual woman herself. Her gaze remained leveled on some random, but suddenly interesting spot on the floor.

"Emma... I was trying to... avoid all of that." Regina explained with a trembling voice. She tried to control herself. To regain a steady composure.

"Yeah, you did a fine job." Emma just about snarls.

"What did you want me to do?" Regina snapped.

Emma's eyes found Regina's in an instant. She was taken aback by the look of sincerity and worry scrawled over Regina's beautiful face.

"To come to you and tell you that the only friend you had in your entire life might be responsible for you being accused of doing drugs?"

Seconds later Regina continued. "I did the best I could. I stopped the external investigation into the drugs. I told them that the drugs were stolen from the evidence's locker and that they are unmoved from an old case."

"And your husband bought that?"

"Do not involve him in this."

"Why?"

"Because this is prison matter and I am trying to keep it that way."

Emma remained silent. There was a great possibility that Daniel didn't actually know at all. She stood up slowly and within two steps she closed the distance between herself and Regina. Now standing just a breath away from Regina's supple lips, Emma began to think her actions were not the best. Such close proximity to those crimson lips was pure torture. All the pain she felt from the fight was instantly muted by those damn feelings. A silver lining in the otherwise dark cloud.

"Tell me something. Why are you really keeping this from him?" Seeing the stoic expression of the woman before her caused Emma to conclude that she wouldn't get an answer. "Is it because of us? Because if he were to investigate the drug situation here, he'd probably see you and me...in deliciously compromising positions?" The last words were spoken with a purr.

Regina shivered at the sound and licked her lips. Stay strong, she schooled herself.

Emma leaned forward pressing her lips onto Regina's. It was just pressing, without movement but it was enough to make their pulses speed up.

Regina's initial reaction was to push Emma away with her hands. She hit Emma's collarbone unintentionally, and brushed over one of her breasts. Her lips were still, debating with herself whether she could go through with her plan. She had to. She had to get control over the prison before Daniel and Henry found out about the fight.

Her lips started to move against Emma's once again.

It's just for control of the prison she reminded herself as her whole body melted against Emma's. It's just a safety measure she tells herself when she allows Emma's tongue into her mouth. It's not real she lied to herself when her moan is being swallowed by the hungry mouth covering her own.

Emma didn't know why she was kissing Regina just then. That woman was using her and will continue to do so because it is convenient. Because it's a prison matter and nothing more. The way Regina's tongue danced sensually with hers was just her way of gaining control. The way Regina pushed herself onto her was done just to reel her in.

Right?

It was Regina who broke the kiss, fear evident in her hazelnut eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but her mind was frozen, any string of thoughts instantly torn to shreds. She observed the look of adoration in Emma's green eyes. It caused a sharp pain in her chest.

She surged forward pressing her lips softly against Emma's and whispered, "I love you." Tears streamed down her face as she made her confession.

"What?" The younger woman was shocked. She looked at Regina, blinking rapidly as she tried to comprehend those three simple words. Those three simple words that when strung together created a phrase that meant the world. A phrase that everyone waited to hear.

Except Emma was not everyone. She had never waited to hear such a powerful trifecta, for she and everyone else never deemed her to be worthy enough.

"I...I do. I just..." Regina admits.

"No. You don't." Emma shook her head and stepped backwards. Detaching herself from the other woman didn't make her feel any better.

"I-I..."

"No. You are just toying with me. And I am stupid enough to fall for it." Emma stared at the door for a while and then back to Regina. "Franky was right. Love doesn't exist between these walls. It's just an illusion."

Regina swallowed hard and leaned her head on the wall. "And you believe her? After I just told you she framed you?"

Emma threw her a venomous glare. "So I'm supposed to believe you, the one who uses me as a pawn in whatever sick game you feel like playing?"

Regina opened her mouth and she swore the words were on the tip of her tongue, but they refused to fall. Why is it so hard for me to lie?

Well, it's not really a lie.

It's more of a using the truth for her advantage. It's using people, not lying to them. Isn't it better?

"Yes, because you feel the same way towards me as I do to you." Regina stated knowing Emma couldn't argue that.

The younger woman felt like a little deer cornered with a gun pointed at her. If she agreed with Regina she would be shot, or in her case, labeled a drug user...again. If she rejected... She couldn't really do that because she would then be lying about her feelings. The one thing she was certain of was that Regina loved that she could control her like this. It was probably the sole reason the Governor agreed upon their secret affair.

"Why didn't it come to anyone's mind to get the two women on the opposite sides of the yard? How did you let them get so close?" Erica shouted at the guards.

She stood in the middle of the rest room surrounded by the men and women in uniform. She wasn't the tallest woman but her larger than life pose, one that she has picked up from her mother, was enough to intimidate everyone. Though, she had to admit to herself, Regina was much better at this.

Graham took a step forward.

"We answer before the Governor. Not you." He voiced what was running through everyone's thoughts.

Because they all had thought about how odd is was that the Governor was in the isolation block with the prisoner and the prisoner advocate was instead presently lecturing them.

"By the way, why she is not here? Why is she with that woman?" Ruby, a red-headed woman, asked furthering Erica's inability to gain command over them.

Again, Regina was better at this. And where was she? With her lover? And where was Franky?

The phone in Daniel's office rang. He picked it up.

"Yes." He answered while his eyes were still focused on the budget for the prison.

"Chief, there is woman who wants to talk to you about a 'private matter'." Kathryn, his secretary informs him.

Lately this had been happening far too often for her liking. It was same mysterious woman who sought to talk with the Chief about 'private matters' each time. And it was sure not his wife.

"Put her through, Kathryn."

He waited just few seconds before the woman on the other end of the line began to speak.

"Emma fought Amanda and is now being kept on the isolation block."

"Reason?"

"I don't know. I wasn't there."

"Well..." Daniel exhales. "This is actually a good thing. Her being on the block."

"So it's a good thing that Regina is with her?"

He looks up, lost in his thoughts. This was not how it was supposed to go. This wasn't his plan. But it had the potential to turn into something quite valuable.

"You there?" The woman inquired wondering if Daniel had just hung up on her.

"Yeah... Here. Just... this could be a good thing. I just need to change my course of action. Thank you again."

" You're most welcome."

Yep, I'm stopping here. The plot for the story is written. Now I just have to write it. *evil laugh*

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