A/N: So far, this story has focused only on Emma's activities. This chapter has a bit of Regina-centric plot in it!
"I've decided," Emma declared, sitting across from her counsellor on Monday afternoon. "I'm going to have the baby and give him or her up for adoption."
Booth nodded slowly, watching the young woman before him. She seemed so confident, assured in her speech but her body language told another story. Emma was hunched in on herself, her fingers fidgeting with the loose thread on the arm of the chair, and her eyes were a little wider than usual.
"You know you don't have to decide yet, Swan," Booth said, kindly. "You're still in your first trimester and there's plenty of time to think through your options."
"I don't have any options," Emma said, steely. "I have no family, I can't keep the baby whilst I'm inside. I have to give them their best chance and that means adoption."
"I understand your reasoning, but let's wait to confirm anything until after the ultrasound next Friday. I don't think you need to rush this and you need time to process the fact that you are pregnant. You only found out three days ago and you're probably still in shock."
"If you say so," Emma shrugged. "But I won't change my mind." The blonde stood up to leave.
"Do you want to talk about this Swan? The pregnancy in general I mean. It's a lot to take in and you're very young. I'm here so inmates can speak confidentially about their problems," Booth reminded kindly, worried that Emma was struggling with the enormity of her situation.
"No, I'm fine, thanks," Emma said shortly, turning to leave.
"If you won't talk to me, perhaps you can talk to one of your friends," Booth called at the blonde's retreating back.
Emma paused for a moment before exiting the room without another word.
Regina closed the door with a snap and turned around. Faery, Feinberg and Trident were sat opposite her, waiting patiently for their leader to speak. The brunette regarded the three women before her as she stalked over and stood in front of them. They had been a tight knit group for two and a half years. She had trusted the women more than anyone else inside, which wasn't saying much as Regina didn't truly trust anyone any more. They had done her bidding, were faithful and loyal, and Regina knew they thought they were acting in her best interests. But things had changed. Emma had changed them. And the three women needed to back off.
"Do you remember the conversation we had yesterday?" Regina asked. Three heads nodded. "So you remember when I told you I would be eating dinner with Swan?" More nodding. "Then perhaps you can explain to me why I found her hiding in her bunk, afraid to show her face in the dining hall last night," Regina growled, staring intently at her thugs.
Trident looked confused and glanced at the two blondes, both of whom wore unreadable expressions.
After a long pause, Faery spoke. "We ran into her in the bathroom Mills," she shrugged. "We told her to leave you alone."
"Why?" Regina exploded, her shout echoing around the small meeting room to which she had stolen the key.
"Because you deserve better than a skanky whore," Feinberg snapped back.
If looks could kill, the lanky blonde would have been burnt to a crisp as Regina levelled her gaze towards Feinberg.
"Who I spend time with is absolutely none of your business," she hissed, taking a step towards the women. "I have protected you and provided for you the entire time we have been inside. And now you have the gall to think you know what's best for me? If it weren't for me, your lives inside would have been miserable. Instead, I have made you rich, kept you safe, and supplied your ridiculous drug habit. During our conversation yesterday I never once implied I did not want to spend time with Swan. I never once asked you to threaten her. You went behind my back and claimed to be doing my bidding. How am I supposed to trust you now?"
Silence filled the room as the two blondes sat, still tall and stubbornly staring down their leader. Trident watched the whole conversation curiously, unaware her two friends had gone rogue.
Regina sighed and crossed her arms. "I no longer need you two, to be honest. The drugs are gone, I've made my money. The addicts have been placated. Why should I continue to offer you my protection?"
At that, Faery laughed and stood up. She had a good three inches on the brunette and stared menacingly down into her leader's face. "Your protection? Oh come on Mills. You know you need us more than we need you now." Regina frowned. "We're the muscle. You don't get your hands dirty and frankly, you couldn't protect yourself at all if someone started on you."
Regina scoffed. "Why would anyone start on me?"
"Well, let's find out shall we?" Faery said, turning to look at Feinberg. The platinum blonde got to her feet and the two marched from the room.
"What about you?" Regina asked, turning to Trident.
"Those two are idiots Mills," she shrugged, "but they're right. You've made a lot of enemies in here and without us, you're an easy target."
"Then I suppose you have a choice to make," Regina said, unfolding her arms and placing her hands on her hips.
"I'm sorry," Trident said after a pause. The black woman stood and walked out of the room. Regina watched her go, feelings of anger, vulnerability, and betrayal flickering through her mind.
"Did you talk to them?" Emma asked as Regina dumped her dinner tray unceremoniously on the table and slid into the seat opposite her.
"Yep," Regina said, shortly, looking around the almost deserted dining hall. No one was paying the two of them any attention but the brunette had been on edge ever since her three personal bodyguards walked out on her.
"And?" Emma asked, frowning at the brunette's attitude.
"They won't be bothering us any more," Regina declared, stabbing a carrot with more force than was necessary.
"Great!" Emma grinned. "What did you say to them?"
"I told them to back off. They did."
"What does that mean?"
"They no longer work for me, with me, whatever they did … They walked out," she said with a sigh, dropping her fork onto her plate and running her hands distractedly through her hair.
Emma looked at the woman before her. She looked smaller, more tired, less composed. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked, confused.
"I'm not sure yet," Regina admitted, raising her head to look into the concerned green eyes before her.
"But they're going to stay away from us?" Emma asked.
"Yes," Regina nodded. "But I can no longer guarantee other people will not."
"What other people?"
"Two years as a drug lord makes you enemies, particularly in prison," Regina shrugged.
"Shit," Emma muttered.
"I'm sorry," Regina implored, moving her foot under the table to stroke up and down Emma's calf, not wanting to risk any more obvious physical contact. "I don't want to put you in danger."
"Are you in danger?" Emma asked, slightly panicked.
"Time will tell," Regina said, darkly. "But for now, I think we should keep our relationship quiet. I don't want to make you a target for anyone wanting to exact revenge on me."
"But I want to see you, spend time with you," Emma argued. "I can take care of myself. I lived on the streets for months and my nickname was 'Scrappy'."
Regina laughed at the pride in Emma's voice as she spoke.
"I want to spend time with you too Emma but we need to be careful ok?"
Emma nodded despondently.
"Look, give it a few days and I should know the lay of the land. Do you want to meet on Saturday night again? Most inmates will be watching the movie so we shouldn't draw too much attention."
"I feel like your dirty little secret," Emma remarked.
"Oh no Emma," Regina pleaded. "Please don't say that honey. If I could, I would shout it from the rooftops but I can't risk it. Anyone who may be vying for my blood could use my feeling for you again me and I can't take that risk."
"I know," Emma nodded. "But it still sucks."
"Yes," Regina. "It definitely does suck."
Emma giggled at the way the word sounded coming from Regina's mouth.
"So," Regina asked, relaxing a little as Emma laughed. "Saturday?"
"It's a date," Emma grinned.
"Our second date," Regina mused.
"Technically it would be our third."
"How do you mean?" Regina asked.
"Well, I'd say what we were doing right now - talking, eating - was pretty date-like."
"You just want it to be our fifth date already," Regina laughed.
"Why?" Emma cocked her head. "What happens on the fifth date?"
"I don't put out until I've been treated to at least five meals or events," Regina smirked.
"Seriously?" Emma gawped. "After what happened on Saturday, you're still insisting that I court you before I get into your pants, again?"
"Yep," Regina grinned. "And the date had better be good Miss Swan. You should start planning now."
With that, the brunette stood and took her empty tray to the dirty dish station, leaving the blonde to frown at her now cold food, trying to work out how on earth she was going to organise a date in a prison.
"So you're officially dating the queen?" Red asked incredulously.
"Yep," Emma grinned proudly. The two of them were sat on Emma's bed on Friday evening and the blonde had finally confided in her bunkmate after realising she needed some help.
"I thought you had a boyfriend before you ended up in here," Red frowned.
"I did," Emma nodded, "but I guess I don't care about gender when it comes to who I am attracted to."
"Fair enough," Red smiled. "Are you happy?"
Emma's goofy grin should have been enough for her bunkmate but she needed to hear the blonde say it. "Yes," Emma said, her eyes slightly glazing over as she thought of the brunette.
"Eurgh, you're so sappy!" Red laughed, nudging the blonde teasingly. "So what do you need my help with?"
"I have to plan a date by tomorrow evening and I've got no ideas!" Emma explained. She had spent all week wracking her brains trying to think of something to do with Regina and had come up empty.
"A date in prison," Red mused. "Well, you're pretty limited but you could take her to the movies. They screen one every Saturday night."
Emma shook her head. "We're trying to keep this quiet at the moment. You're the only person I've told and Regina only spoke to Trident, Faery, and Feinberg."
"Those three know?" Red asked, eyes wide.
"Yes," Emma confirmed. "It's a long story but Regina had to tell them. Anyway, we need to come up with an idea for tomorrow where we can be alone. The movie is kinda our cover as most inmates will be there and not snooping around the rest of the block."
"Hmmm," Red thought, tapping her chin. "Well you can't go outside and have a romantic stroll in the moonlight. Are there any rooms you can get into?"
"Most are locked or dark. Turning the lights on would draw guards' attention."
"You can have some fun in the dark," Red grinned, winking at Emma.
The blonde laughed but shook her head. "Regina claims she won't do anything more than kiss until the fifth date."
Red threw her head back in laughter. "Well done Swanny, how did you manage to get the only prude lesbian in prison?"
"Well I wouldn't exactly say that," Emma smirked.
Red stopped laughing immediately and shuffled forward on the bed. "Tell me everything."
Emma shook her head and mimed locking her mouth with a key. "Nope, now help me plan this date please or else I'll never get back in her pants."