"What caused the wave?"
"Who is attacking us now?"
"How are you going to stop the new threat?"
"I bet the Evil Queen is behind this!"
"Why haven't you arrested her yet?"
"Lock her up!"
The ongoing chorus of barely intelligible shouts continued for several minutes before Emma could even begin. She had simply stood up in front of the group and opened her mouth to speak, and the onslaught had begun. Finally reaching her breaking point when she had heard shouts that contained "Evil Queen", Emma raised her voice over the din and barked out a command. "SILENCE!"
Every jaw in the hall dropped at the power they felt at the command. For that was exactly what it was, a command, and each person present felt compelled to comply. Slowly the audience sat, waiting for Emma to begin the meeting properly. The two royals sitting behind the blonde remained frozen, watching Emma from when she had approached the podium, until her command had been shouted; and they saw that her entire demeanour had drastically changed. She had approached with her usual laid back swagger, confident but relaxed. Now she stood ramrod straight, shoulders back, every inch of her posture commanding respect, her royal heritage clear to all. And the effect on each was vastly different.
David was beaming, beyond proud at the commanding and powerful presence that his daughter was displaying in front of the crowd that he considered his subjects. It was the second time that day that he had been struck by how she was beginning to show her heritage despite being raised in another realm. She was every inch the daughter he had envisioned taking over the throne to their kingdom.
Regina, however, was shifting uncomfortably in her seat, pressing her thighs tightly together. 'What the hell is going on?! Why am I reacting like this?! It's just Emma controlling the crowd. Taking charge. Acting like she is in control… Damn it! Why is this affecting me this much?! It's not like we haven't spent more than enough time together for me to get over this. Why is this happening again now?' The arousal that Regina was trying desperately to ignore only continued to heighten as Emma began directing the meeting.
"First, Regina had nothing to do with the wave from last night. She has actually volunteered to over-see the repair efforts." Holding a hand up to halt the grumblings that began, Emma continued. "The wave last night was a magical accident, my magical accident. As you are well aware, I have not lived in the Enchanted Forest, and have only been learning to use my natural magic for a short time. I apologize for the damages and for the panic that it caused for many of you, as I was the cause of the wave, independent of any other magic user in town. Now, at the back of the hall there is a sign-up sheet that I would like for everyone to use, whose property was damaged by the wave. Please list the damages that occurred and I will be by within the next few days to repair the damages. As I will be doing the repairs with magic, Regina will be supervising and assisting me to ensure that there are no further issues, as stated before. Additionally, as we have seen how easily your homes can be affected, there is a second sign-up sheet that is open to everyone who would like magical wards placed on their homes to prevent magical damages in the future. This is a town with magic, which I am still learning to use and although not very likely, should anything occur in the future, I would feel better if you allowed us to ensure your safety."
Pausing, Emma waited for the murmuring of the crowd to quiet down again before continuing. "Finally, as several people expressed to David last night, there are a large number of you who feel that you should have access to weapons to protect yourselves, your families, and your homes from danger, magical or otherwise. We are not discouraging you from protecting yourselves, but we will not be allowing weapons to be handled by those that have not had proper training. As many of you have some experience with the typical weapons of the Enchanted Forest, we have arranged for open training to anyone who is interested under my good friend Kara's supervision. Kara?" Emma motioned for the fiery redhead to stand.
Grinning, Kara stood, swaying her hips unashamedly, before taking a place directly in front of Emma. "Thank you Princess. As Emma has stated, myself, as well as Mulan, will be offering training classes to anyone interested at the high school every Tuesday and Thursday from 6pm to 9pm, and an extended class on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. We will be covering everything from hand to hand combat and self-defence, to sword fighting and archery, to emergency preparedness, and defence against magical attacks. We will work with groups based on skill level, and what your desires are to learn about. Everyone is welcome, and we hope to see you all there." Turning briefly to smile widely at Emma, Kara moved to take her seat again in the front row, throwing an obvious wink to the oblivious Sherriff.
Regina caught the gesture and was shocked at how angered she was by it. 'I know she is her ex, but Emma has made it quite clear that they are done as anything more than friends. She has her mates now. Kara should take the hint already and back-off what clearly isn't hers.'
"We hope that by offering the classes, you will feel more confident about being able to take care of yourselves and your families, if something were to happen in the future." Pausing again, Emma could see several of the audience members were not pleased with the way the meeting was going, although the majority seemed to be happy about the opportunities to feel more secure. Scenting the air, Emma could smell that the general audience at large was calming at the plans being laid out for them. But there was another scent in the air, much stronger than the others, and was much closer; the heady scent of arousal that was mouth-wateringly tempting. It called to Emma, drawing up her new wolf instincts, causing her body to instantly focus on the desire suddenly racing through her system, a painful ache developing between her own legs.
Shutting her eyes, Emma focused on the smell of the audience and breathed deeply, hoping to distract herself from the alluring scent. It did not work, and the scent continued to dominate the others, making it hard to concentrate on anything else. She knew if she opened her eyes, they would be a vibrant yellow, and her transformation would be revealed before she was ready. 'What the hell?! Someone is finding this arousing? God they smell so good. Where is that coming from?' Emma became lost in the scent, turning her head towards the source. Opening her eyes, Emma was looking directly at Regina. 'MINE!' resounded through Emma's thoughts, both human and wolf. "'Wait. Where did that come from?'
Seeing the almost neon yellow eyes of the Sheriff, Regina knew she was being caught up in her instincts, but trying to fight it desperately. Moisture flooded Regina's now soaked underwear, making Emma visibly twitch on stage. She could see how Emma's grip had tightened on the podium, and the way she seemed to struggle to remain where she was.
Regina opened her mouth to speak but surprisingly, Emma turned back to the crowd, keeping her eyes closed for a moment. Clearing her throat, Emma continued in a slightly wavering voice.
"The final issue that we will be addressing tonight will be my leave of absence from the position of Sheriff for approximately the next two months. This is so that I can devote my time to learning better control over my magic, so that we can hopefully avoid any further accidents. I will be leaving Mulan as acting Sheriff and David will continue to act as Deputy. We will also be looking for volunteers to help out around the station and the sign-up sheet for those positions is at the back of the room as well." Finally feeling calmer, Emma opened her eyes to look over the crowd.
"Why isn't the Prince in charge while you are off playing with your magic?" Came a loud and slightly slurred voice from the back corner. It sounded like one of the dwarves, but Emma couldn't be sure which one.
"Yeah, and why should we trust the Evil Queen to help put protection spells on our houses? What's to say she doesn't put something up that will turn us into gnomes?" Came another voice from the crowd.
Hearing the distrust from the crowd while her instincts were running high, Emma struggled to remain calm. David, who had been shocked and hurt at the surprise announcement, began smiling broadly towards the voice that had asked for him to be in charge of the station while Emma was off, not noticing that his daughter was having trouble remaining calm.
Regina, however, was quick to step up beside Emma and place a firm grip on her forearm, taking the lead for a moment. Emma struggled for a moment as the intensity of the scent increased, but at the touch, calmed instantly.
"I will not be placing the wards on the homes, nor doing any of the repair spells. It will be Sheriff Swan that will be performing all magic, but over several days, and under my supervision. As she will be expending a great deal of her magic in doing the repairs and wards unassisted, she will not be able to do this in a single day. As this will be such a large project, Sheriff Swan has asked me to supervise her to ensure she does not overtax her abilities, as this could lead to another incident. Additionally, as I am sure that my word will not be sufficient for everyone, perhaps the Blue Fairy would be willing to verify that any and all wards placed on the homes are safe and only cast by light magic?" Smirking towards the back corner of the room, Regina knew that Blue would never publically refuse to check on the safety of the townspeople, but that she would be overworked for at least the next week checking every single ward placed. And Regina knew that Blue hated to be away from the other fairies; micromanaging their daily routines was what she lived for.
Not many people had been able to observe the Blue Fairy before the curse, but Regina, with the help of her mirrors, had watched how Blue had been directly involved with every wish granted, and especially every wish that was refused. Regina may have been Queen, but she knew how to delegate. Blue had to be consulted on each wish, and often preferred to grant them herself, if possible. The fairy was truly a control freak, wanting only those she deemed 'good' to receive the fairy's blessing. Having to be away from her point of control and power would drive Blue's frustrations to an all-time high, and Regina could not help but enjoy tormenting her.
"That will not be a problem in the least, your Majesty. I would be glad to verify the wards to anyone who asks." Blue replied with a tight-lipped smile, clearly not thrilled with the prospect of additional work.
"Wonderful. Now as for the questions regarding the Prince being left in charge during Emma's leave, I am sure there is a very logical explanation. Emma?" Regina had maintained her grip on Emma's arm throughout her brief address to the crowd, relaxing only enough to gently rub her thumb in small circles, hoping to relax the Sherriff. As she felt the tension leaving Emma at the gesture, she knew that she would have to turn the floor back over to her.
Lost in the scent of Regina, Emma missed the entire interaction between Regina and the crowd. "Hmm?"
Seeing the blonde's distraction, Regina nodded to the crowd before stating quietly "Your reason for leaving Mulan in charge while you are gone?"
Shaking the fog from her mind, Emma seemed to refocus on the meeting she was supposed to be conducting. "Oh. Right. Yeah. So, I am leaving Mulan in charge instead of David for a few reasons. One, David has a baby at home and we all know how hard that can be. And two, Mulan is impartial to everyone in this town. She doesn't have history with many of the people here, and no matter the history she does have, she is always by the book. Regina is the Mayor and has to work closely with the Sheriff's department. We are all aware of the history between my family and her, and for the sake of the town while I am off, I think it would be best to keep everyone at a bit of a distance." Grinning at the crowd, Emma attempted to play the situation off with a bit of humour, having resumed her usual mannerisms after her momentary distraction.
A few stray chuckles rang through the crowd, but were quickly silenced by the disapproving glare of the Prince in question, who crossed his arms over his chest, before beginning to pout. David had been so proud of Emma for the way she was handling the meeting, but he had had no idea about her taking a leave, or that Mulan was being made acting Sheriff in Emma's place, and he was hurt that she felt he couldn't be fair. His pride was winning out over his logic, and he was struggling not to contest the decision publically. He was the Prince, after all, and her father. That should count for something in his opinion.
"Are there any other concerns that anyone would like to address, before we wrap this up for tonight?" Emma watched the crowd carefully. She knew not everyone would be happy with her decisions, but it was for the best if the town were to keep running smoothly while she was off dealing with becoming a wolf.
"What were you doing that caused the wave?" Came a slightly accented female voice from the back. It sounded vaguely like when Snow had tried mimicking Belle's accent over dinner one night. It would not surprise Emma if it were her mother trying to out her for becoming a wolf, given how she had taken the news earlier that day.
Emma had hoped to avoid this question, as it would not only call out the fact that she had found her mate, but also bring up that she had been bitten by the wolf. She knew how the townspeople had reacted to Ruby in the past with regards to her wolf, and did not want to give them anything else to worry about, especially since they had no reason to. Quickly, a surprising voice came from the back to redirect the crowd, from the same general area.
"I don't think that is something we need to be worrying about right now. We should focus on the repairs and protection of our homes, and with those interested in joining the classes being offered, doing so." Snow had captured the attention of everyone in the room when she spoke, many accepting her word before Emma's, as she was the Princess they had followed for years. "So please everyone, sign-up on the lists at the back here, and we can get started on putting everything right tomorrow."
The crowd immediately broke up at Snow's dismissal, many making their way to the tables at the back or over to speak with the Princess. 'Why am I not surprised they take her word over ours or that she would try to start something to take charge like that? I am just the person they call Saviour after all.' Emma grumbled in her mind.
Rolling her eyes at her own thoughts, Emma turned to Regina, who had yet to let go of her arm, still rubbing small circles with her thumb. "Thanks for stepping in back there. I lost myself in the instincts again for a minute." Blushing at the thought of the scent that had been the cause of her distraction, Emma cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
"Not a problem, dear. You did very well up to that point and given how difficult I have heard it is to control those instincts, I am sure you are doing a wonderful job." Regina tried to ignore the blush that was attempting to rise to her own cheeks as she remembered the commanding presence Emma had during her initial presentation to the town. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I am just going to speak with my secretary and have her cancel my meetings for the rest of the week, so we can get the repairs and wards completed."
"Uh, yeah, sure, no problem. I'll just go talk to David, and make sure he has your apology ready. Oh, and thanks again for not making him do it publicly."
"You are welcome, dear." Watching Regina walk away, the sway of her hips transfixing her, Emma shook her head again, attempting to make herself focus. Her thoughts and instincts were running haywire through her mind and she could feel a headache starting at the base of her skull.
"Hey David. Sorry for springing this on you." Seeing the stony look he gave her, Emma knew that he was upset with her decision. "You understand, right?"
"Not really, no." Crossing his arms, David stood to his fullest height. "You should have left me in charge, or at least spoken to me beforehand. I helped run a kingdom, Emma. I can handle running the station for a few weeks."
"Look, I hadn't decided until just before the meeting that I would be taking time off. I need to get used to all the changes that I am going through right now, and it's not easy when every little thing is setting my instincts off. This is a lot to process, and things are going to change a lot for me really quickly, so I am going to need the time, and not need to worry something is going to happen because you and Regina can't work together. You are supposed to be giving her a written apology tonight because you were accusing her, again, of something she didn't do. I don't want to have to worry that you are going to accuse her of everything that happens while I am off; and I want you to still be working when I get back, not behind bars yourself or burn to crisp. I did what I though was best for everyone."
Hearing that Emma had put the town before anything brought back David's sense of pride, and seeing that Emma was truly upset, David relaxed his stance before pulling an envelope from his back pocket. "You are right. It's about what's best for the town, and Mulan is unbiased with everyone. I did do the apology up, like you asked. And I'm sorry for over-reacting. I know you only had the best interests of everyone in mind when you made the decision."
"So we're good? No hard feelings."
"We are fine. I'll just go drop this off to Regina quickly before I meet up with your mother." David pulled Emma into a stiff hug before walking off towards the brunette.
As Emma waited at the front of the hall for people to finish signing up on the lists at the back of the room, she began to feel strange.
It was similar to how she had felt the other night after she'd been bitten, the burning sensation spreading through her body, causing her to begin to sweat. The loud din of the meeting hall was hurting Emma's ears and her sense of smell was going into overdrive. Although her eyes had returned to their normal color and her fangs had vanished from earlier, her senses were still painfully alert throughout the meeting and had started to become increasingly painful since Regina had walked away. A sense of vertigo began to seep in, the room feeling like it was tilting slightly under her feel. Whimpering pitifully, Emma attempted to cover her ears and muffle the sounds, taking a seat off to the side of the room.
David and Regina, who had both been speaking quietly regarding the apology, immediately noticed the change in the blonde. David reacted first, quickly crossing to her. "Emma, are you ok?"
Whimpering again, Emma pressed harder at her ears when she heard David's voice so close. "Too loud." The scents of all the townspeople began to swirl around her, adding nausea to the pain and dizziness. David's cologne was too strong. The hum of the people talking. The scratching of pen on paper. "Too much."
The pain increased, causing Emma to begin panting, tears leaking from her eyes, her body tensing. It felt as if her head were trying to split itself open. Pulses of pain began to rip down her spine, making her twitch slightly in her seat. Her jaw felt as if it had been injected with liquid fire.
Regina finally made it to Emma and David, catching the pained words and the tears beginning to drip down Emma's face. Kneeling down, Regina immediately checked her temperature at her forehead with her wrist. Although Emma had begun to sweat, she was ice cold to the touch. "Emma, I need you to listen to me." Speaking softly, barely a murmur, Regina waited for Emma to look at her. "What are you feeling right now?"
As Regina's scent washed over her again, Emma felt herself relax slightly, almost beginning to feel drunk with the relief from the pain she felt. Inhaling deeply again, Emma leaned towards the source of the scent before opening her eyes. Wincing at the bright light, Emma looked into Regina's concerned eyes and tried to focus enough to see properly. "Everything is too much. Too...intense. I'm so hot, but I feel cold too. And it hurts, so much. My head, my jaw, my back." Whimpering again, Emma tightly closed her eyes and leaned forward until her head rested on Regina's shoulder. "It's all too much. 'Cept you. You smell nice. You make it not hurt. Mmm." Nuzzling into the crook of Regina's neck, Emma's voice had taken on an almost childlike quality, though the words were notably slurred towards the end.
"David, we need to get her to Ruby now. I don't know what's happening exactly, but it must be related to the transformation." Regina began to absently run her fingers through the hair at Emma's temple, attempting to sooth her pain.
"Why do we need to take her to Ruby? We don't know what's going on, and if she is in pain, we should take her to the hospital." David protested, not understanding how Ruby would be able to help.
"If I am correct, and it's related to the transformation, there is nothing that the hospital can do for her. Ruby is already a wolf, and so is Granny. They should be able to help her more than anyone right now."
"Fine. I will get the cruiser and drive her over there as soon as everyone clears out of here. Let me have her." Uncomfortable with the way Emma had curled into Regina, David tried to pull Emma back towards his own shoulder. Feeling her body being pulled away from her source of comfort, Emma let out a weak growl and pushed back towards the soft scent and gentle hand that was soothing her. Emma had almost curled her body onto Regina's lap, and was grumbling contentedly at the soothing fingers in her hair.
"David, she can't wait for these people to leave. Something could be seriously wrong, and she would suffer the entire time." Looking down at Emma's pale form, and back to Regina's almost panicked expression, David was torn. "She needs to get there now. I give you my word, I won't harm her. She's…family. I just want her to be alright."
'What the hell don't I know?! I'm missing something here for Regina to say that, especially about Emma. But Emma clearly wants Regina to be the one to help her.' Seeing Emma shiver, David knew he had no choice. "Get her there now. If she gets any worse, or they don't know how to help, promise me you will take her to the hospital. I'm trusting you this time, so don't make me regret it."
"I promise I will take care of her." Regina nodded once, looking back down at the woman almost cradled in her arms before vanishing in a cloud of purple smoke with Emma still safely curled in her arms.