Emma gazed outside and leaned against the wall watching De Vil's luggage being loaded onto the back of the carriage. She's was talking to one of the guards who was packing the carriage.

"I hope you enjoy the ride and to hell," Emma said just as Cruella looked up at her and waved. She waved back and smiled at her. Just as she was going to push away from the wall, she noticed James near the carriage and wondered why he was there. "Oh, no, no, no," Emma muttered. She left her room and entered Regina's study which is her former room. Regina has allowed her to enter the study at any time she wants, but not her office.

Regina looked up from writing the latest batch of orders for her husband and noticed Emma's smiling face. "Yes?"

"I thought you would be ready to take your walk. Why aren't you ready?"

"I am going out later."

"Why? You know you have to go out and exercise in the morning—"

"Emma, are you deaf? Didn't you hear what I said? I am not going out now. I have to write several orders, and I do not feel like going out in the cold."

"You need go out and I have my orders."

"From who?"

"Nurse Blue told me earlier today."

"You mean, Mother Superior? I am not going!"

"We are not going to visit Father Henry. I thought you might like to go down to the river. I want to take you there."

"I don't want go there," Regina replied as she continued writing. Regina sighed and put down her ink. She looked up at Emma with an exasperated look on her face. "Why are you so eager to take me out of this place?"

"I do not want to kill you if that's what you're thinking."

"No, you could have done this in here rather than at the river."

"Too messy and I would have to clean it up," Emma quipped, making Regina shake her head.

"it's going to be a lovely morning."

"It's cold and windy."

"A lovely fresh morning."

Regain leaned back in her chair and stared at Emma, "I am not sure what you are up to, but fine. I will go out, but only for a short time."

"I'll go and tell James—"

"James is driving Cruella De Vil back home. Cora has been satisfied with the news so she's calling her home."

"All right, well, I'll go get two guards," Emma reached the door before Regina stopped her.

"No, I do not want other guards. Go downstairs and tell James to assign someone else."

"Are you sure? James might want a trip up there to see the Dark Throne."

"I do not care what James want!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Emma gave her a mock salute and walked out of the room. She looked back, smiled and then raced down the stairs and jumped at last two steps and landed with a thump. She ran outside to where James was about to get into the carriage.

"Sergeant James! Stop!"

James stopped and looked back at Emma come rushing towards him, "yes?"

"Queen Regina wants you to assign someone else to take Cruella De Vil."

"Why? She said she wasn't going out this morning. We will be back by midday."

"She changed her mind."

James shook his head, "she's ruining my day."

"Trust me, she's not," Emma muttered under her breath. James ordered to another soldier to take Cruella De Vil then followed Emma back into the house. She smiled as James grumbled and they walked up the stairs.

Emma walked back towards the home followed by Regina and her guards after their brief walk to the river. They stopped in the courtyard, where several soldiers were loading several carriages. King Leopold was standing outside. "What's going on?" Regina asked as she approached her husband.

"There's been an accident," King Leopold replied. He put his arm around Regina's waist. "De Vil's carriage has hit by a landslide, and they lost control."

"Oh, no."

"We are sending crews down to the gorge to retrieve the carriage and the body," King Leopold kissed Regina on the cheek. "I know she's a dear friend; I am sorry."

Emma walked away and into the house. As she was walking up the stairs, she stopped, looked back and smile before continued her journey up the stairs. Walking into her bedroom, Emma closed the door and went to the window to watch Regina, King Leopold and several soldiers down below. "For every time there is a season, a time to live and a time to die …. She can fuck herself," she said aloud and doesn't care if anyone hears her. Moments later the door opened after a gentle knock alerted Emma. She turned to see James enter and close the door. He stood with his arms folded.

"It was you."

"It was me? I pushed the carriage down the cliff?"

"No, I mean -"

"There was a landslide. We get them and they do cause accidents. I remember a few years ago, an old man's story about a carriage got stuck into one. The wagon went right over the edge. Terrible."

"Emma…"

"Was she friends of yous?"

"No, I hated that woman, but …"

"Do we have a problem?"

"No," shook his head.

"Right then," Emma threaded her arms through the crook of James' elbow and looked up. "Do you remember what Father Henry always says?"

"What does he say?"

"We work in mysterious ways. Maybe it was time for Cruella De Vil to be called home. It just happens. I am happy that you were not driving the car," Emma looked at James and smiled.

"Yes, so am I," James walked out of the room leaving Emma alone. "Nope, we don't have a problem," she said aloud and chuckled.

Sweat trickled down Emma's face as she sat crossed legged on the floor in Regina's office. Regina couldn't risk using her magic around so many guards outside to keep them cool. She was practicing magic and Regina has been nagging and correcting her then ordering her to do it again and again until she's perfect. The only way to get some relief from the heat, Emma found, was to sit on the floor, which wasn't covered by any rug, and leave the door open hoping for a draft to cool things a little.

King Leopold has given her the job to do. The fact was Emma was Regina's maid didn't stop him from giving her jobs time to time. The last six months had been a trying time with the Evil Queen and the rest of the White Kingdom made a huge impact on their population was brutal. There were hopes and rumors rising throughout the Enchanted Forest about the good side are slowly returning to their place. Nurse Blue has left the throne and returned to her duty as Mother Superior when the dwarfs started collecting fairy dust in secret. Little by little, everyone are having courage to find ways to help the former Charmings and the White Kingdom along with several other Kingdoms.

It had also been a difficult time for Emma, who was now working with Regina and Father Henry. At times, it was hazardous, and couple of times Emma thought their duplicity would be uncovered. More luck than planning, each time something else happened that was far more important and diverted attention from their mission.

It was also months of revelation as Emma and Regina's often testy but heated relationship started to develop lately. It began on the night of that first bath when Emma helped Regina. That night Emma saw not a demon's spawn as she described Regina on numerous occasions, but a broken soul. Emma placed her hands on her knees and let her back rest against the long chair. She looked up at the curtains that were still; not a single breeze blew through the window to ruffle them.

"I hate this!" Emma muttered as she failing specific magic is to call something.

"Try again, Emma," Regina encourages and remains her of her savior mode and her mode to save others that will help to embrace her magic.

"It's too hot, Regina," Emma grumbled.

Regina went over to the desk where Granny had left a jug of lemonade. Her long dark hair was up in a ponytail which made her look much younger. Emma watched Regina pour the lemonade into glass for her. She looked away the moment when Regina turned her way. Regina smiled and offered Emma the drink, "you might like to drink this."

"Thank you," Emma smiled and gladly to take a brief break from this to accept the glass. As she did so, Regina looked down the small black smudge on the wooden floor. Regina sat down on the softa and pointed at the black spot, "what happened?"

"I got angry just a little when I couldn't conjure a simple rock, so the rock blew up."

"You are getting there, Emma," hovering her hands over the black smudge to clean it up then conjured several rocks and woods, "try again." Emma focused on getting rid of rocks as Regina was thirsty again, so Regina went over to the desk to pour glass of lemonade for herself. Emma got distracted watching her long black ponytail contrasted with the white material. The midnight blue highlights in her hair shimmered in the sunshine as she stood at the window, oblivious to Emma's stare. Emma was utterly mesmerized by the sight of Regina in the sunlight. She closed her eyes for a moment to memorize the image of Regina. She secretly smiled as her heart grew warm for Regina.

Regina turned around and was puzzled at seeing Emma sitting there with her eyes closed, holding the glass and smiling. "Emma?"

Emma opened her eyes immediately, "um, yes?"

"What are you doing?"

Emma drank the last of the lemonade and put the glass to one side, "umm … I was … umm," she stammered. "Nothing," she said weakly and smiled at the puzzled look on Regina's face.

"All right," Regina replied, not quite sure what had transpired. "It's nearly noon. Do you want to take a break?" The daily noon was a welcome relief from the heat of the day, and Regina found she enjoyed the quiet that it brought. It was one that she loved, from noon to midday, the town fell silent as everyone rested from the heat of the day and to remember the former glory, it become an tradition in the White Kingdom as the last Charming has passed away.

"Yes," Emma gladly stopped and nodded vigorously and stood up. She braced herself against the sofa and fell into it rubbing her legs. "I think I've ben sitting on the floor for too long."

Regina didn't respond but cleaned up the mess with her magic but watched Emma helped clean up a bit on the desk. Emma looked up and noticed her face, "you're upset."

"No…"

"You are also a terrible liar," Emma replied matter-of-factly. "Did you forget that I can spot a liar a mile away? You have a little furrow between your eyes that goes all scrunchy when you're upset, or you're not feeling well."

"My 'scrunchy' face on?"

"I see it many times over the last six months," Emma shrugged.

Regina brought her fingers up to massage the area between her eyes, "I didn't know you paid so much attention to me or is that were the ideal target is located?"

"No, my target was a little higher up," Emma teases with little hint of lust. They looked at each other than chuckled together. "Why are you upset?"

Regina held up the paper to explain, "this is addressed to Cora."

"Why are you so afraid of her?"

Regina shook her head, "I don't want to talk about it, Emma."

"All right," Emma replied, "I think I'll go now and go up to my spot."

"And then what?" Regina continued, not knowing why she was even asking since it was none of her business.

Emma smiled, "is this an interrogation?"

"No, an interrogation is where we use the feathers," Regina replied and teases with copycat mock of Emma's salute. It had indeed been the first time she had shown this much humor and Emma appeared to be shocked for a moment and then laughed.

Regina leaned against the desk and crossed her arms across her chest. Seeing Emma double up laughing was a pleasant sight and it made her feel good.

"Oh, that hugt," Emma said in between bouts of the giggles, "I didn't think you had a sense of humor."

"I hide it well," Regina chuckled at Emma's skeptical look. They both smiled at each other and Emma was the first to break the contact by shyly looking away with a light whisper, "oh fuck."

"Um, I'm going to go now."

"Where?"

Emma looked back and smiled, "Didn't I say to my spot and cabin?"

Regina nibbled her lower lip and wondered if she could ask Emma if she could come along. Despite her better judgment, despite everything that screamed at her to keep Emma's at arm's length, she found herself wanting to know about this woman she had come to care for more than she could admit. She wanted to be with her so bad, it was like playing with fire, a tiny voice echoed in her mind, but she ignored it.

"Do you want to come with me?" Emma asked from the open doorway.

"Can I?"

"Did I just ask you if you want to come with me? Yes, you can come with me."

"Only if you're sure …." Regina continued a little timidly. She was feeling awkward, and she hated it, but she really wanted to go with her and get out of this place and away from the bastard. She wanted to be free and Emma is the person that offered her that freedom she craves.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

"Oh, all right," Regina nodded while flicking her fingers as she changes her dress, a curvy tight dress that doesn't hide her cleavage but comfortable enough to sit on the ground if needed. Emma stared at her for a moment to appreciate her beauty then Regina was about to join Emma when she turned back and picked up her handbag. They walked silently down the stairs and out of the building into bright sunlight and high humidity. Regina nodded at her guards, who marched behind her.