Ok this was going to ba something else but it just took on a life of its own. Apologies in advance. I am a dog lover so please don't be too upset at the content of this chapter. Promise it will all be o.k. in the end!
Emma Swan left her lawyers office in a slightly better mood than she had gone in with. She hailed down a taxi and got in, instructing the driver to take her to the Storybrook apartment complex. She pulled her phone out from her back pocket and switched it on. There were 28 missed calls and 14 messages from, she assumed, her crazy and soon to be ex. She rolled her eyes and turned the phone back off. She knew Lily would still be at home and she wasn't in the mood to face her just yet.
"On second thoughts, take me to The Rabbit Hole please." She instructed the driver and settled back into the seat. A few drinks would take the edge off before she went home.
"Henry, you had better not be on that computer!" Regina yelled as she kicked off her stilettos and dropped her bag in the hallway of the apartment. She heard him shuffling in the office and knew for a fact he had been disobeying her direct orders to stay off the computer. She walked into the office and leant in the doorway.
Henry shoved some papers at her and raised his eyebrow with sass saying, "I might be suspended but I still have assignments to hand in."
Regina couldn't argue with that and if she was being honest, the no Internet rule was probably a bit too harsh considering he was already grounded and suspended. "2 hours a day, got it. That's all I'm willing to concede."
"Thanks Mom!" Henry smiled widely and hugged his mother with such force he almost winded her. She smiled and hugged him back. She may be a hard ass lawyer but when it came to Henry, she was a pushover and she wouldn't have it any other way.
Regina set about getting dinner prepared. It had been a crazy day and she was dying for some carbs. She pulled out some ingredients from the perfectly organized and labelled cupboards and began preparing her signature lasagne. Henry sat up at the kitchen island and watched his mother preparing the food. He really admired everything she did for him. She worked so hard to take care of him and give him everything he could ever need. He loved her dearly and wished she would meet someone who loved and respected her as much as she deserved. The thing was, those jocks at school hated him because of her. Because his mother was the one who messed up their mothers' lives. Bruce and Brian the jock twins to be exact.
It had started six months ago when his Mom had won the case for their cheating father, leaving the twins Mother without a penny or any legal right to see her kids. Bruce and Brian had been forced to move to Boston to live with their Dad who they hadn't ever had a good relationship with. They knew damn well that their father was only using them to spite their mother and blamed the lawyer who destroyed people's happiness. They had only been at Joseph Radley Middle School for a few weeks when they saw Henry getting into their father's divorce lawyer's car. After some enquiries, they discovered Henry Mills was the son of their sworn enemy, Regina Mills, and had since made his life a living hell.
Henry knew his Mom would either sue or get him a reputation as a snitch so he kept quiet, resorting only to physical violence when he was backed into a corner. Besides, he knew that his Mom wasn't really like that. He remembered she was going through her own divorce at the time and how she hadn't been her normal self. It was a mistake for her to take that case, but she was only doing it for him, like always. He knew everything she did was for him so he could take a few punches for her.
Emma sat at the bar drinking her third Jack Daniels on the rocks. She was usually a beer drinker but needed some Dutch courage to face Lily. She pulled out her phone and braced herself for the messages she was about to read. There was one from an unknown number. She clicked it open and smiled. It was from Ms. Mills her divorce lawyer apologising for being late. She really did have a stick up her ass that woman, but totally in a cute way.
Stop it Emma! She thought to herself. She wasn't even divorced yet and she was already looking at other women, well one to be exact, but either way, it was too soon. She downed the rest of the glass and signalled for the bartender to fill it up again. She scrolled through the other messages.
Lily: 13:04Where are you? I'm worried.
Lily: 13:05Why are you ignoring me?
Lily: 13:06Emma, I love you. Please drop this divorce crap. I promise I'll stop being a bitch.
Lily: 13:15Fuck you! I'm gonna smash up your records if you don't switch on your phone...
Lily: 13:23Bob Marley sure is high right now.. yeah high over Boston.
Lily: 13:42I'm sorry honey. I'll buy you new records ok. Please talk to me. Xoxoxo
Lily: 15:38Ok so the record store didn't have Simon Garfunkel but I managed to replace most of them. I swear I'll find it though.
Lily: 16:01Fuck you and fuck your shitty records! I am DONE with you. You don't deserve me.
Emma had to laugh. Sure, she was angry about the records but it wasn't as bad as the bug. She rolled her eyes and clicked open the next message.
Lily: 17:28 Emma I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. You do deserve me. We are a team. What do you want for dinner? Xxx
Lily: 18:05Dinner is ready my love. Are you close?
Lily: 18:19Well typical. Dinner is ruined. You're so inconsiderate. After I've slaved away to make a nice romantic meal, you don't even bother to come home.
Lily: 18:20 If I find out you're with another woman, I will fucking kill her, and you, and your horrible dog!
Emma looked up at the clock on the wall. 19:45 She wouldn't, would she? She looked at the last two messages.
Lily: 18:28Well Pongo enjoyed the dinner even though it was cold. But he does seem to be looking a bit, hmm tired?!
Lily: 19:02 Christ Emma! I hate you! I hate what you make me do to get your attention. I'm at the vet when you can be bothered to get in touch. Look I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take it this far.
Emma turned white and sobered up instantly. She handed the bartender two twenty dollar bills and ran out of the bar. She hailed a cab and went straight to the Vet. When she arrived she saw Lily sat crying in the hallway with her phone in her hand.
"What the hell have you done Lily? Where is Pongo? What the..?" She trailed off exasperatedly and began pacing up and down the corridor.
"He's fine. I swear Emma. He just needed to have his stomach pumped before the rat poison metabolized." Lily shook out the words.
"RAT POISON!" Emma shrieked "You heartless, evil bitch! I'm calling the police."
"Emma please, don't. I'm sorry, It was an accident I swear." Lily pleaded but Emma was already on the phone. Some of the vets and other pet owners had heard the yelling and came out to see the commotion. Lily tried to run when she heard Emma on the phone but the angry pet owners and vets restrained her.
"Miss, you aren't going anywhere. It is a criminal offence to mistreat animals." One of the vets said.
A few minutes later the police arrived, took a statement from the witnesses and led Lily out of the practice. One of the officers told Emma that she would need to go to the station also. She checked in with the vet who was treating Pongo who assured her he was well but needed to be kept in over night. She reluctantly left with the officers.