She hears the first knock on her door just after ten o'clock.

"Come in."

As soon as the blond steps inside her office she recognizes her as one of Emma's friends.

"Hello, it's Elfie right? What can I do for you today?" Regina asks sincerely.

"I like it when people call me Tink! And I'm here because I need someone to talk to."

Tink sighs inwardly. Emma had ordered her and Lily to go to Miss Mills' office and pretend they wanted to talk to her.

Tink doesn't really know what she should talk about. She supposes she can tell the counsellor the truth about her using drugs and getting caught, but she doesn't want to.

"Why don't you sit down and tell me what is on your mind."

Regina takes a seat in her comfy leather chair and watches Tink curiously taking a seat on the couch opposite.

'This feels so much like therapy,' Tink thinks.

Neither of them say anything. Regina doesn't want to push the girl into making forced smalltalk and Tink still has no idea what to say. After fifteen long, uncomfortable minutes Tink ends the silence.

"I don't like the food!" She blurts out. Regina frowns; it isn't exactly the first thing she was expecting to come out of Tink's mouth.

"Why don't you like the food?" Regina decides to persevere, just glad that the girl is finally speaking.

"I don't know, I just don't. It tastes awful. The only time I've actually enjoyed eating in this place was this morning - when Emma made the eggs. She knows how to cook, she should make every meal."

And before Regina can fully comprehend it, Tink starts rambling.

"I never really learned to cook. No, my parents didn't have the time to teach me. My school didn't have any cooking courses either. I wonder where Emma learned…Can you cook, Miss Mills?" Tink poses the question but doesn't wait for an answer as she continues her deluge.

"You probably can. My favourite food is chicken and french fries. I don't even know how long it's been since I ate that. When I did drugs and had hunger pangs I would always eat french fries. What do you like? I bet you like salad; with your figure you can't eat anything greasy. Models probably only eat salads. I wanted to be a model when I grew up but I'm too small. That's how I got my nickname: I'm like Tinkerbelle, the little fairy from Peter Pan. My brother started calling me that…"

After another ten minutes of rambling non-stop, Tink finishes her diatribe. She looks at Miss Mills who is gaping at her.

"So thank you for the talk, it was really nice. Most of the time people tell me to just shut up, but not you… You're a really good listener." Tink smiles and leaves the office as suddenly as she had arrived.

Regina has to take a minute to adjust to the relative silence of the room. Tink had given her a lot of information about herself. Regina was able to write some important notes that could help her when dealing with the girl in the future.

Mainly, Regina has found out that Tink likes to talk and has a good bond with her brother, but less so with her parents - the poor parent-child relationship perhaps explaining why Tink had turned to drugs in the past. Regina walks to the cupboard and starts filling Tink's File with the extra information. Maybe she could schedule a meeting with the girl's parents and have a family counselling session.

Not much later there is a second knock at the door and a girl, Regina remembers her name is Lily, doesn't wait to enter - instead walking straight over to the couch and lying down.

"I need to tell you shit," she says rudely.

Regina has to bite her tongue to prevent herself from saying anything about the child's behaviour.

"Alright, start at the beginning."

Regina picks up a pen and some paper, putting her glasses on as an afterthought.

"What do you want to hear?" Lily asks. Regina looks up from her paper and frowns; she doesn't like Lily's attitude.

"You came to me, Lily. You can talk about anything you want."

"I don't want to be here."

"Then why did you come? Did someone make you?"

"She always wants to be the boss! We have to listen to her and obey her every wish."

"Who? Who do you have to obey?" Regina feels certain she already knows who the girl is referring to, but she still wants to hear her say it.

"Emma fucking Swan! She's the boss! I don't want to be here and I don't need to talk to you. I know I have problems but I'm not going to talk to you about them."

"Alright, let's forget about Emma for a second and focus on why you don't want to talk to me."

Regina can't believe it. Emma had actually forced the two girls to come and see her. It wasn't how the deal they had made was meant to work and Emma wasn't going to get away with this.

Lily is quiet for a while and Regina sees that she is struggling with something. Lily clearly wants to get something off her chest but feels she can't.

"How about I tell you something personal about myself? I'm putting my trust in you, so you can do the same with me."

Lily looks nervous but nods.

"Okay. I think I was about five years old when my mother hit me for the first time. She had taken me with her to have tea with one of her friends. I wasn't allowed to talk or play, I just had to sit down and be quiet. After about an hour I had to go to the toilet, but every time I wanted to ask my mother if I could, she told me to be quiet. I couldn't hold it for long and I wet myself. My mother was so furious she dragged me out of the house and hit me so hard that she split my lip." Regina let her fingertips trace the little scar on her upper lip.

"After that time something changed in our relationship and she would hit me whenever I wasn't looking or behaving up to her standards."

Lily stares at her in shock.

"She sounds awful!"

Regina gives her a small smile. "Yes she was."

"She isn't alive anymore?"

"No, she died when I was twelve."

Lily is silent again, considering the benefits of opening up to Miss Mills.

"Okay, I'm ready to talk now."

Regina puts her hand on Lily's and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

"I got a letter from my biological mom."

"Is that so?" Regina stands up to take out and look over Lily's file. Lily has been a foster child since birth, given up by her mother without any means of making contact. Until now it seemed.

"Yes… She wants to see me, but I don't know what to do. Why should I want to see her when she gave me up and left me in the system?"

Regina can see moisture beginning to build up in Lily's eyes.

"Perhaps she would like to explain her actions. Have you written back to her?"

Lily shakes her head.

"Would you like some help with that? You can use my office, no one will disturb you, and if you want me to read it over, I will - but only if you want me to."

"I do have a lot of questions for her. I don't know."

Regina takes her hand again.

"Do you want my honest advice?" Lily nods.

"The most difficult thing to do will be to see her. So if you start writing to her it will make it easier to get answers to your questions. And it will give you a chance to prepare yourself to see her. What do you think? Does that sound like a good idea?" Lily nods again.

"Why don't you come back tomorrow morning and you can start your letter."

"Okay."

Lily sits up and smiles at Regina.

"Can I…is it allowed…I mean…can I hug you?" She asks nervously.

"Of course, honey."

Regina leans forward and Lily hugs her tightly. It takes longer than normal but Regina feels Lily's hostility towards her subside.

"Thank you, Miss Mills," Lily says when the hug is over.

"Anytime sweetie."

Emma, Belle, Tink and Lily are enjoying their lunch in the cafeteria when Mulan joins them. Emma gestures to Lily to move so Mulan can sit down.

"So, back from isolation?" Emma asks innocently.

"Yes and I heard I have you to thank for that?"

"Yes indeed."

Mulan bites her lip and looks down at her plate. She knows what this means; she will have to listen to Emma. She owns her now.

Emma walks into Regina's office with a cocky smile. She sits down and waits for Regina to acknowledge her.

"Do you know how to knock, Emma?" Regina asks without looking up from her paperwork.

Emma nods, but since Regina can't see her she sighs irritably.

"Yes, I know how to knock," she says in a supremely bored voice.

"Then why don't you go outside again, knock and wait for me to tell you to come in."

Emma rolls her eyes but does as she is told. She has to wait five minutes until she hears Regina say she can come in. When Emma re-enters Regina has moved from behind the desk and is sitting in her leather chair.

"So what do you want me to do for the next three days?"

"Well, there has been a change. You will not be working here for just three days, it will in fact be a week."

Emma puts her hands on her hips and looks at Regina defiantly.

"What kind of bullshit is that? We made a deal!" She says, pointing between them to emphasise the point.

"The deal was that you would promote my counselling work - not force girls to come here! Do you think I'm stupid? Did you think I wouldn't figure out how you got those girls to see me?"

"What does it matter? You got to talk to some girls," Emma shoots back.

"Of course it matters! I want to genuinely help these girls and to do that they need to trust me and come to me willingly."

Emma sighs again.

"Still, I'm not working here for a week."

"Yes you will, Emma. It's your punishment and I shouldn't have taken you up on that deal in the first place."

"NO I WON'T!"

"YES YOU WILL!"

Regina is standing up as well now and their faces are so close together that she can feel the puffs of air leaving Emma's lungs and see the girl gritting her teeth.

"I'm going to make your life miserable! You'll quit before the week is over!"

"Don't count on it. I honestly don't care what you do to me. I will NOT give you the satisfaction of quitting! Now get out of my office and find Ruby Lucas; she will tell you what to do for today."

Emma takes a step closer to Regina, backing her up against her desk. If she looks closely she can see the vein on Regina's neck throbbing like crazy.

"Fine! Have it your way!" Emma slams the door as she leaves the office.

Regina's legs feel like they've turned to mush. She holds on to her desk and forces herself to take several deep breaths. For a second there she thought Emma was going to attack her.

Emma is beyond frustrated. Regina has gotten under her skin and she wants the woman gone. She barges into Belle's room and lets herself fall onto the bed next to the girl.

"What's wrong?" Belle asks, putting down the book she's reading.

"I need to think! I need a plan."

"A plan for what?" Belle doesn't really know what to say. She hasn't talked to Miss Mills, but she figures something must have happened with the new counsellor for Emma to be this aggravated. Belle has known Emma for a long time now: she knows that even when Emma is being rude and manipulative, it's just an act. She puts up these walls to protect herself and, try as she might, Belle hasn't been able to break them down.

"I need a plan to get rid of Miss Mills. I don't even understand how she is annoying me so much."

"You want to make her quit?"

Emma nods solemnly.

"Yes, but nothing I can think of is going to work. She already told me she isn't going to quit, no matter what I do."

"So in that case...You want to get her fired?" Emma tenses and sits up straight.

"Yes, exactly! Do you remember educator Whale?"

"Is that the really creepy one who got fired two years ago?"

"Yes, that's the one."

'But…He…But he got fired because he slept with one of us. How are you going to do the same with Miss Mills? I mean, you don't even know if she likes girls."

"I need information on her!"

"EMMA!" Ruby cries, stalking into Belle's room. "You were supposed to come and find me for your work this afternoon."

Emma gets up but turns to Belle one last time.

"Tell the girls I need to talk to them this evening before lights out."

Belle nods and watches Emma leave. She doesn't like the other girl's plan at all. All she wants is to be left in peace to read her books until she can get out of this crazy hellhole.

It's twenty minutes until lights out when Emma finally finishes her work. She had to clean out the educator's showers. The filthy brown water had left the most disgusting smell. Ruby had brought her a sandwich for dinner and she hadn't been able to finish it for fear she would throw up and have to clean that up too.

When she walks into her room everyone is waiting for her. They sit in a circle on the floor and wait until Emma is ready to tell them what's going on. Lily can't stand the anticipation.

"So why are we all here?" She asks, not liking what is happening one bit. If Emma is planning something she is definitely going to be involved and she desperately doesn't want to be.

"I need information about Miss Mills and I need you guys to get it."

Emma closes the door of the cell and sits down on the ground with her friends.

"I need her file - her personal file from Mrs Lucas' office."

Lily laughs, shaking her head in disbelief and a few other girls look incredulous.

"Are you crazy? How do you think you're going to get your hands on that?"

"I'm not going to get my hands on anything. You are," Emma says seriously and Lily pales.

"What! How am I going to do it? I can't do that."

"It's actually rather easy," Emma explains, "your sentence is almost done, so you can ask to speak to Mrs Lucas about what the rules are when you leave. She gives advice to every girl who gets out and helps them on their way. We all know Granny has a sweet tooth, so she'll leave her office for at least five minutes to get some tea or coffee and homemade cookies. Once she's gone all you have to do is find Miss Mills' file, take the most important papers and hide them in your bra."

Lily gets up and starts pacing the room. Everyone watches her warily.

"If I fuck this up I can get more time. You know that right?"

Lily wants Emma to really think about what she's asking of her.

"Well one, you're not going to fuck this up, and two: if anything happens I'll take the full blame and get the extra months. You're the only one who can do this," Emma says, getting up and taking hold of Lily's shoulders.

"I need you to do this, Lily. Ask me for anything you want, just do this for me."

Lily is conflicted: she likes Miss Mills because she agreed to help her with her mom, but she loves Emma like a sister - even if they fight all the time - and she's known her for three years.

"I want you to help me write a letter to my mom."

Emma drops her hands.

"Your mom? Like, your real mom?" Lily nods.

"She's been contacting me and Miss Mills was going to help me write back, but if you're planning to do something to her she won't be able to. And you're a foster kid too, so I think you really could help...Help me write the letter and I'll do it."

Emma gives herself a second to think. Lily's mom had found her. When Emma was younger she dreamed of having a mom and dad and doing normal things together like going to the park or the swimming pool. In her dreams she felt happy because even if she couldn't put a face to those parents, she felt loved and taken care of.

"I'll help you, Lily!"

Regina storms into the staff break room and grabs a mug, setting it down on the table with a bang. Graham, who was already in the break room, looks at her with concern.

"What happened?"

"Emma Swan, that's what happened. I try and try to help these girls and she fights me every step of the way."

Graham only chuckles in response.

"What's so funny?" Regina asks bitterly.

"Emma. She is a handful, I'll give you that, but she's a good person underneath it all."

"Well I'm sorry, but I have yet to see anything to make me believe she's a good person."

Graham fiddles with the coffee machine before answering, pouring some of the steaming liquid into his and Regina's mugs.

"How much do you know about her?"

"Just what I read in her file, which isn't much," Regina admits, sighing.

"Well, for the assault on her foster father she got sentenced to stay in Edmonton for three years. She was only twelve at the time. She's been here for five years."

"Yes, I did wonder about that. How did she manage to get two additional years?"

"When you show severe bad behaviour you get another six months. But everything she does that is classified as 'bad behaviour,' in the end, is something that will benefit the girls. Like last time, she broke several shower doors, the shower heads, even the tiling. There was so much damage that Mrs. Lucas had to install brand new showers."

Regina is shocked at this new insight into Miss Swan.

"You have to give her a second chance," Graham continues and grins impishly, "well…probably more like several chances. You have to break down her walls without yelling or getting mad and showing her that she's getting to you. Let her come to you, don't force her. You'll soon see that she's a very intelligent girl."

Regina rubs her temples. He's right, she knows it. She is going to have to take things slow with Emma.