Authors note: Sorry it's late, but I wanted to work on finishing On The Face Of It first, and that's almost done. Anyways, hope you like the chapter.
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A full week -seven days and one hour to be precise- later, Emma was sitting on her knees on the floor of Mary Margaret's apartment, facing a large carton box that was taped shut with black duct tape. She had been trying to cut it for the past minute, using a pair of scissors. But the fucking tape was strong. Emma sighed as she dropped back on her haunches and wiped some sweat from her brow. First she had to carry four heavy boxes up three flight of stairs, and now she was trying to cut through what appeared to be the strongest tape ever made by mankind.
Even though she had just bought it at a Walmart store in Boston.
"Is everything okay?" Mary Margaret asked as she came walking into the living room- which was also a kitchen and a bedroom and... basically everything.
"Yeah." Emma mumbled. "Just this fu- annoying tape." Emma said with a grin. It felt weird to swear around a middle school teacher.
"Nice save, Emma."
"Thanks. Anyways, I can't get the box open."
"Have you tried stabbing the box. Just slam the scissors in." Mary Margaret suggested as she reached over the kitchen counter and grabbed a pear from the fruit bowl.
Emma shook her head in the negative. "I was just about to try that." She said softly as she raised the pair of siscors and slammed the scissors right through the carton.
"Yeah sure." Mary Margaret grinned.
Emma chuckled as she put the scissors down and opened the box. She may not have much stuff, but the things she did have were kind off important to her. Like her baby blanket or the bracelet Peter had given her for their one month anniversary. Even though Emma was not a jewelry type of girl, she still thought it was pretty.
"So this is all your stuff?" Mary Margaret asked as she took a bite out of the fruit.
"Yeah." Emma answered as she closed the box again and pushed it to the side. She slowly stood up and turned to look at the schoolteacher. "I'm not really sentimental about this kind off stuff."
"Oh no I didn't mean it as anything bad or something." The brunette started in an apologetic tone.
"It's fine." Emma smiled. "Really." She put her hands in the pockets of her jeans and leaned against the wall. "So, next thing on my list is a job. Do you know if there are any job applications around here."
"Ehm. Yes actually I do. The sheriff is seeking a new deputy. I think you would be perfect for the job seeing that you're a bounty hunter and all."
Ironic, was the first thing that popped into Emma's mind. Her whole youth she had been on the other side of the law and now this woman suggested she would become a deputy sheriff. But the schoolteacher was right, it would be perfect. And she would at least earn some money.
"Thank, I'll check it out." Emma smiled.
...
Emma took in a deep breath of fresh air as she walked towRds the sheriff's station. After she had asked Mary Margaret for directions of course. Sure, she had been here for two weeks already. But she had mostly been a round Main Street, or Granny's, or Regina's house.
Regina...
She hadn't really seen the mayor since their talk at the harbor. Sometimes quick glances when she brought her son to school, or when they stopped by Granny's for something to eat. But they hadn't talked.
And something inside Emma missed that. Their playful banter had been some sort of outlet for Emma, and the blonde was pretty sure Regina hadn't hated it either.
Maybe she had spooked Regina off by her suggestive comments, but the brunette had been the one to start the whole sexual tension thing.
It was so weird.
Emma stopped once she reached the sheriff's station. She grabbed the doorknob and opened the glass door. Her footsteps echoed throughout the empty hallway. Emma had no idea what direction the office was, but it would be logical if she would just have to follow the hallway, right?
And for one time, Emma's logic had actually been right. She stopped by the doorway, the sheriff - Graham, Mary Margaret had said his name was - was on the phone with someone. His back was towards her. Emma scraped her throat to draw his attention and the man turned around immediately. He held up a hand, signaling for Emma to wait a second.
"Yes, I will bring you the budget report this afternoon, Madame Mayor." The sheriff said as he hung up.
Apparently it was Regina he had been talking to.
"What can I help you with Miss..." Graham asked as he stood up and moved towards the coffee machine.
"Swan, Emma Swan. I live with Mary Margaret Blanchard." Emma answered.
"Ah so you're the one MM rented a room to." Graham said with a smile as he pushed the button, causing hot coffee to trickle into a white styrofoam cup.
"Yeah, I'm 'the one'. But please call me Emma." Emma couldn't help her sarcastic undertone when she said 'the one'.
"So what is it you came for, Emma?" Graham decided to ignore the sarcasm.
"Mary Margaret told me you were looking for a deputy." Emma said as she dropped into the chair, facing the sheriff's desk. "And I need a job so..."
"And why do you think you're qualified for the job?"
"I am a bounty hunter, so that means I know how to find people."
"So you have experience with the law?" Graham asked as he scribbled something down on a notepad.
"You could say that."
"That doesn't sound very sure, Emma." Graham said with a smile as he looked up again.
"Well, I mainly catched the guy and dropped them off at the nearest police station." She answered with a grin.
Graham nodded as he scribbled another thing down. "Well, Emma." He started. "I think you're prefect for the job, though I don't think it's quite as exciting as you think it is. It's mostly saving cats out off trees and the occasional search for doctor Hopper's dog, Pongo."
"Good thing I'm not allergic to cats then." Emma joked.
Graham chuckled. "It sure is. Now I think I have your first real deputy task for you." He said as he grabbed a yellow file from the corner of his desk. "Could you bring these budget reports to our mayor?"
Emma couldn't help but grin as she nodded and grabbed the file. "Of course."
...
Regina sighed as she put down her last signature of the day. She pushed the papers further up her desk and leaned back into her black office chair. Her hands rested on her protruding stomach as she closed her eyes for a second. Just a second.
But her peace and quiet was quickly interrupted by harsh knocking. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched her neck. "Come in." Regina said, expecting that it was Graham with the budget report.
But apparently she was wrong because a certain blonde stomped into her office instead.
"Miss Swan." Regina asked in mild surprise as she stood up and leaned her hands flat on her desk. "What are you doing here?"
Emma grinned as she moved closer to Regina and dropped the yellow file next to the brunette's tanned hands.
"I'm here to give you the sheriff's budget report."
Perfectly manicured eyebrows raised in suspicion. "And pray tell, miss Swan, why would you be the one to drop these off?"
"Actually, Madame Mayor, it's deputy Swan now."
Regina's face may have remained calm, but inside she was more then furious. That woman had gotten a job at the sheriff's station. How?! Her hands trembled with vicious rage as she planted them even harder onto her marble desktop. "Oh is that so?" She asked calmly.
Emma just continued grinning. She had seen the flash of rage inside those beautiful bro- wait, what?! They were just eyes, Emma. Just simple brown eyes. Where she could just get lost in, but that was beside the god damn point.
"Oh, you know. Seeing that I'm living here now, I figured that I also needed a job. At least be happy that I'm contributing to making your town safer, Madame Mayor."
"And why would I be happy about that, Miss Swan? First you come into my town and ruin my life once again. And then you decide to come live here and now work here."
"Oh come on, Regina. Don't play the I'm-torturing-you-by-staying-here card. If I remember correctly, you're the one that started this whole mess in the first palce. You came to my apartment, slapped me in the face and called me a slut!" Emma said with a small tremble of anger in her voice.
"My husband is dead!" Regina yelled back.
"Not my fucking fault!"
"You are the worst person I've ever met!"
"And you're a bitch!" Emma screamed back.
"Your were screwing the father of my two children and you call me a bitch?! I jus-" Regina stopped abruptly as she felt a painful pang in her lower stomach. Her hand immediatly grabbed her stomach as she slightly doubled over. Her face turned an almost ghostly white.
Emma's face turned from angry to worried when she heard Regina's pained gasp. "Oh my god, Regina." She breathed out as she quickly rounded the mayor's desk and grabbed the woman's arm for support. "What is hurting?"
"Miss Swan there's no need." Regina started when the pain subsided. "I'm fine-" this time Regina moaned softly in pain when she had tried to move.
"Oh you're not fine. I'm taking you to the hospital." Emma stated. She spotted Regina's purse on the couch. "I'm just going to grab your purse and then I'm going to drive you to the hospital.
Regina's first instinct was to deny that there was something wrong. But it felt like she was being stabbed in the stomach, so she really couldn't waver the blonde off. And thus she nodded. She didn't know what was happening, she had never felt this before.
Emma grabbed Regina's purse and hung it over her own shoulder. "Where are your car keys?" She asked, knowing that it was a terrible idea to make the mayor step into her bug.
Regina panted as she grabbed her stomach. She was starting to feel nauseous by the pain. "In my purse."
Emma nodded as she quickly opened the bag and rummaged through it. There was just so many stuff in there, but she finally found the keys. There was a small keychain attached to it, it was a foto of Henry and Peter and it caused a pang of guilt deep inside Emma. But she quickly shook it off.
"Alright, we're slowly going to walk towards the car, okay?" Emma asked as she resumed her place next to the brunette and supported her as they slowly walked towards the door. Regina nodded as she visibly swallowed, trying to keep the nausea at bay.
"Almost there." Emma said softly as they finally reached the parking lot. "It's going to be fine, Regina."
Emma grabbed the keys from her pocket and opened the door. She carefully lowered Regina into the black Mercedes and then quickly rounded the car to step in herself.
The car ride to the hospital was quick. And Regina was so grateful for that. She didn't want to puke her guts out in front of Emma- miss Swan.
"I need help!" Emma yelled out the moment she and Regina stepped foot inside hospital. Dr. Whale immediatly came walking towards them.
"What happened?"
"My- my stomach. I think there's something wrong." Regina said as she rubbed her stomach.
Whale nodded as he quickly turned around and grabbed the nearest wheelchair. Emma slowly lowered Regina down and before she knew it, the brunette was being pushed away.
"Thank you miss Swan, we'll take it from here."
Apparently she was no longer needed.
...
"Hey." Emma said awkwardly as she stood in the doorway.
Regina looked up from the magazine she was reading. It surprised her that Emma was still here, after all it had been over an hour.
"Hello, miss Swan." Regina said softly.
"Well, I think you can call me Emma after all that has happend." Emma said with a smile as she stepped into the room.
"Yes, I guess so miss Sw- Emma." Regina said as she closed the magazine and laid it down on the bedside table. "That's going to need some getting used to."
"I figured." Emma grinned.
"I want to thank you miss Swan. For bringing me to the hospital even though it wasn't that major."
"Of course. So if you don't mind me asking, what was wrong?"
"Round ligament pain." Regina sighed. "I just need to take it easy for a while. So after I get released in about." Regina glanced up at the clock. "Half an hour, I'm going home."
"Oh, alright. Great- well not great that you have that, but great that it's nothing major-"
"I know what you mean, miss Swa- Emma." Regina smiled.
"Yeah, okay." Emma smiled, trying to stop the small blush from forming on her cheeks. "I'm gonna let you get some rest."
"Yes, that would be great." Regina nodded as she laid back into the pillows.
"I guess I'll bring those budget reports to your house then this time." Emma grinned as she quickly walked out of the room before Regina could object.
...
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