A/N Sorry it's been a while, I have a lot on at the moment, be I really appreciate everyone reading my stories and enjoying them.
This chapter is a bit of a filler, its comes with some explanations and ties up a loose end so that our ladies can move forward and we can move on to the murder trial. So without further ado.
End of an Era
"What, when? How?" Regina stammered down the phone early the following morning.
"The evidence that the police were analysing was the cctv footage from the front of your lake house, it's a shame that you didn't have any covering the pool area too really" Mal replied, "that would have showed the whole scene."
"Yes, quite, but Robin was insistent that we didn't have any in that area, he valued his privacy when he was using the pool." Regina sighed.
"Yes well, it would seem that the footage from the front of the house was enough to put someone else in the frame and get you well and truly out of it" Mal exclaimed triumphantly.
"So, who is in the frame and what actually happened to Robin?" Regina asked.
"I'm sorry Regina, I know it's frustrating but I'm just not at liberty to discuss that yet, I promise that you won't have to wait long before it all comes out but for now all I can tell you is that you're off the hook."
"I understand and thank-you Mal" Regina smiled relief coursing through her veins despite her unsated curiosity because it was finally over, or at least it was for her, and for the first time since her arrest Regina felt like she could finally breathe again.
"You're welcome sweetheart and I'm not going anywhere yet; you aren't in the frame anymore so I can be here as a friend now and I'll see you through this until the end" Mal promised.
"I appreciate that" Regina replied her smile growing, it was always nice to spend time with Mal but they didn't get to do it nearly often enough, and though this wasn't under the best of circumstances she was still glad of the time that they had suddenly found for one another and who knows maybe with Robin out of the picture they would be able to continue to see more of each other in the future.
"What's going on?" Emma asked from the other side of the kitchen her head cocked curiously as she watched Regina hang up the phone.
"I'm off the hook" Regina turned to face Emma looking a little stunned.
"You're what? that's great news, but how, why, what's happened?" Emma gasped quickly closing the distance between them and placing two grounding hands onto Regina's upper arms and giving them a gentle squeeze.
"The evidence they were looking at, it put someone else in the frame" Regina explained.
"Who?" Emma asked.
"Mal couldn't say but I think I could probably guess" Regina shrugged, and Emma dropped her hands to her side.
"Zelena" Emma stated eyes narrowing as Regina nodded.
"Zelena's back?" Henry asked as he entered the kitchen at the tail end of the conversation, taking a piece of toast from the stack that Regina had left in the centre of the kitchen island when she had gone to answer the phone and beginning to butter it as Regina replied.
"No Henry, Zelena's not coming back because I'm going to stay home with you from now on" Regina smiled, and Henry nodded toast crumbs flying everywhere as he bit into his slice.
"Now get yourself a plate young man" she berated playfully, and a blushing Henry moved to do as he was told.
Regina's relief quickly turned to disbelief which only caused her curiosity to burn hotter.
"Regina baby, try to relax" Emma mumbled sleepily from her side of the bed later that night, "And get into bed will you, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet if you keep up that pacing" she moved the blanket patting the empty space beside her, inviting Regina to join her.
"Don't be ridiculous it would take much more than a bit of pacing to wear a hole in this carpet" Regina scowled "have you seen how thick it is, it's premium quality."
"Babe It's just a figure of speech" Emma's replied her smile rapidly turning into a concerned frown.
"Oh god" Regina groaned suddenly stopping and dropping onto the bed with her head in her hands "You're right I do need to relax."
"It's okay" Emma spoke softly as she sat up and placed her hands on Regina's shoulders pressing her thumbs into base of the brunettes neck and working through the tension and knots there, Regina let her shoulders drop and released a soft hiss of pleasure her head dropping further forward to give Emma's hands better access "this past week has been a lot for anybody to take in" Emma said reaching out to pull Regina into her embrace when her hands had begun to cramp, a move that Regina didn't resist she willing allowed herself to lay in the bed beside Emma and cuddle into her soothing warmth.
Sleep still didn't come to Regina easy that night and she spent a long time staring into the darkness while listening to Emma's steady breathing. But when sleep finally did stake its claim over her, she slept soundly safe in Emma's arms.
A knock on the door announced Mals unexpected but welcome arrival the following afternoon, she was flanked by the Sheriff who followed her across the threshold when Emma let her in.
"Is Regina around?" he asked, and Emma nodded.
"Yeah, she's in the kitchen" she said looking at the two new arrivals curiously before leading them through to where Regina sat sipping coffee.
"Mal" she greeted brightly at the sight of her friend following Emma into the kitchen "And Sheriff Humbert" she frowned a little as he too followed "this is an unexpected surprise."
"Yes, sorry for the intrusion" the sheriff replied "Is there somewhere we can talk, we won't keep you long" he promised.
"Yes, we'll go through to the lounge, but can I get you anything to drink first" Regina asked.
"I'll take a coffee please" Mal smiled, and Regina nodded and moved to make it.
"Nothing for me thanks" the sheriff said.
"Where are the children?" Graham asked as they settled into position in the lounge, "I wouldn't want them to overhear this conversation" he explained and Regina's heart began to pick up speed, was this it? was she finally about to find out what happened to Robin.
"Henrys at a friend's, he won't be back for a couple of hours yet and Roland's playing in his room, don't worry we'll hear him long before he reaches this room if he comes down, the boy is like a baby elephant bouncing around the house, it's impossible for him to sneak up on anybody unheard" she chuckled fondly, appearing a lot calmer on the outside than she currently felt on the inside.
Graham nodded his response and cleared his throat nosily.
"First please let me be the first to apologize for your wrongful arrest, I'm sure that you are aware by that we've found evidence against somebody else whom we have now detained" he glanced briefly at Mal before his eyes returned to rest on a nodding Regina.
"Yes, Mal told me yesterday and I must say that I am most relieved" Regina smiled.
"Yes, I can imagine that you are and also curious no doubt as to what actually occurred and who killed your husband" he replied.
"You could say that" Regina nodded even more intrigued now then before.
"We viewed the cctv footage from the front of your house and only one person was picked up arriving and leaving between the last time that Robin was seen on it alive and well waving you all off earlier that day and his death, in fact forensics confirmed that the time that Zelena left the house coincided with Robins time of death, no one else entered or left the house between her leaving and my officer arriving, so between all that with the other evidence that we have collected we have been led to conclude that she killed Robin then fled the scene" he said.
"So, Zelena, did go back to the lake house" Regina breathed.
"Is that not a surprise to you" the Sheriff frowned, and Mal threw a warning look Regina's way that said be careful what you say as loudly and clearly as if she were speaking the words to the brunette.
"Yes and No" Regina shrugged "I mean I had my suspicions, you do when you suspect that your husband is cheating on you don't you sheriff" she said, he remained silent, listening intently as she followed up with "but she told me she was going to the Rabbit hole, so I didn't know for sure".
"Yes, well we can confirm that she did go back and when she left a little while later there was no sign of Robin" he told them.
"So has she confessed?" Regina asked.
"Not as of yet and while it would of course be helpful it doesn't really matter too much" the sheriff assured her "the evidence against Zelena is stacking up, we know we have our girl and I don't think that a jury will have any difficulty convicting her" Graham nodded confidently.
"And can we know what this other evidence is?" Emma asked "or is that part still all hush, hush?"
"I see no harm in telling you" Graham shrugged, "as long as you're okay with hearing this Mrs Locksley" he added looking at Regina.
"Yes, I'd like to know what happened to my husband please Sheriff" she said humbly, and the sheriff nodded.
"During the toxicology the same drug that the hospital found in Zelena's system was found in Robins body, only the levels in him were far higher, high enough to kill him by themselves in fact" the sheriff explained.
"But they didn't" Regina stated "Kill him by themselves I mean" she elaborated.
"No, they didn't" the Sheriff confirmed "as you know we found your husband in the pool, a suspected drowning" Regina nodded, and the sheriff continued.
"So we concluded that when Zelena realised that he had drugged her drink and fearing for her unborn child's life, she dropped the rest of Robins supply of Rohypnol into Robin's drink and when he started to pass out, which would have happened very quickly, Ms Ozwald tipped the deck chair that he was laying on up so that he rolled off into the pool before she fled, strong swimmer or not Robin didn't stand a chance" he stated.
Emma and Regina both gasped at the conclusion, both falling into a brief silence as they thought back to when Robin had also drugged Regina with the same substance, apparently, he was a serial offender and it had finally come back to bite him in the ass so to speak.
"So, what happens next?" Emma asked finally breaking the silence.
"Next it goes to court and you'll both probably be called as witnesses" he said looking between the two women.
"Us, but why when we weren't even there" Emma exclaimed.
"Not as witnesses to the crime" the sheriff said "more like character witnesses and the defence might try to use you in an attempt to cast doubt to the jury, but don't worry you'll be fine, just remember you won't be the ones on trial and Mal here will talk you both through the process, though I'm sure that you're somewhat of an expert already" he said to Regina remembering their past conversation about her previous career.
"And on that note I'll take my leave" he said standing up when Regina failed to respond, "Oh, I must give you this before I go" he said taking Regina's passport from his breast pocket and handing her a document to sign confirming that it had been returned to her.
"Any chance of you removing this god awful thing too" Regina suddenly asked flashing her ankle as she signed.
"Of course," the sheriff replied as his eyes falling onto the monitor still affixed there "I'm so sorry that should have already been moved by now" he added.
"Yes, well no harm done, but if you could just remove it now" Regina said handing the signed document back which the sheriff folded and slipped in his pocket before he dropped to his knees and hastily removed the ankle monitor, taking it and the device from the study with him when he left.
"Oh, and Sheriff" Mal suddenly called after his retreating back, he paused partway down the drive and turned back to face the door where Mal was standing.
"I expect the paperwork that I asked for in my procession by lunch time tomorrow, while I appreciate your need to investigate and everything that, that entails, my client is innocent and her assets have been frozen for quite long enough and she has a family to support and her husband's funeral to arrange."
"Of course, Ms Dreggan" Graham replied with a curt nod "I'll see to it immediately."
"God this is going to sound terrible" Regina groaned as soon as the front door was closed.
"What is dear?" Mal frowned confused.
"Robins funeral" Regina replied, "I hadn't even thought about it yet, but I guess I really should start making arrangements, any idea when they'll be releasing the body?" she asked.
"I'd imagine it'll be very soon, they've got no reason left to hold it any longer, and Regina you've nothing to feel bad about, you're husband was murdered, then after you were accused of committing the crime, arrested and your assets frozen, you discovered that your husbands pregnant mistress who was also your children's nanny. did it so I think it understandable that Robins funeral arrangements were the last thing on your mind" Mal smiled kindly and moved to give Regina a quick hug, "Remember you're not alone in all of this Regina" she said stepping back to peer into Regina's dark eyes.
"Thanks Mal" Regina smiled back at her friend.
"No thanks necessary" Mal replied "Now I think you've heard enough to process for one day, so I think I'll make a move too leave you and Emma to talk things through, I'll be in touch soon" she said and Regina nodded, moving to see Mal out before she closed the door behind her and moved back into the house.
Across town a defiant Zelena sat in the interview room for the third time since her arrest with her newly appointed state funded lawyer sitting at her side and an air of misplaced confidence oozing from her.
"Ms Ozwald I don't I don't think you're taking this very seriously" the pained lawyer implored.
"Oh please" Zelena scoffed "No jury in their right mind is going to send a pregnant woman to jail, No Mr Glass, I will not plead guilty or take any kind of plea that involves prison time, I'd sooner take my chances in court" she stated.
"If you insist" Mr Glass sighed and swallowed anxiously before timidly adding "But I have to inform you that this goes against my advice."
Zelena simply nodded and continued to look straight on, her hand resting on the tiny swelling beginning to form under her sweater.
"Your advice Mr Glass is not welcome" she replied "Now do your job and get me off of these charges" she said rising to her feet and moving to meet the guard who would take her back to her cell leaving the nervous lawyer to nod and mop his sweaty brow behind her.
Meanwhile Regina unable to delay the inevitable any longer now that it had been bought to her attention picked up the phone with a sigh and dialled the coroner's office.
"Ahh Mrs Locksley" the coroner greeted once Regina had introduced herself "You were next on my list to call, first let me tell you how very sorry that I am for your loss" He said the right words but to Regina he didn't sound sincere in the slightest "But I'm sure that you'll be relieved to hear that your husband's body is ready to be released now" he added.
"Thank-you Mr..?"
"It's Doctor" the voice filtered back at her "Doctor Whale."
"Well, thank you Doctor" Regina said, "How much longer can you keep him there?" she asked.
"Well the quicker he's gone the better really" Whale told her "But it's a small town and I'm not exactly buried in bodies over here, excuse the pun, occupational hazard" he laughed at his own joke while Regina unseen on the other end of the phone rolled her eyes feeling grateful that she didn't actually give a shit about Robins passing because if she had then talking to this tactless fool would no doubt have broken her.
"He'll be fine here for a little while longer, I wouldn't leave it too long if you're thinking of having an open casket though, not even my fridge's can delay decomposition indefinitely." He told her.
"Thank-you for that most enlightening conversation, Mr Whale" Regina replied quickly placing the phones receiver back into its cradle and cutting off the call before the doctor could complain about her misuse of the word Mr in his title.
"Well, no time like the present I suppose" Regina muttered under her breath as she picked the handset back up again.
"No time like the present for what?" Emma asked having come up behind her, but not entirely unnoticed by Regina who had heard her footsteps approaching just before she had spoken.
"Arranging Robin's funeral" Regina sighed dialling the number for the only funeral directors in town.
"I'm not sure that he deserves a funeral" Emma grumbled.
"You're right, he doesn't" Regina replied "but the boys deserve to be able to say their last goodbyes to their father" she added pointedly and Emma's face instantly flushed red.
"Of course, they do" she mumbled eyes dropping to her feet.
"Anyway it might look a little weird if I didn't give my husband a funeral" Regina shuddered at the word husband in reference to Robin, she'd be happy to never have to be associated as his wife again which raised more questions that she wasn't quite ready to face yet but she knew that to escape him entirely would mean another big move because she'd never escape that particular chapter of her life for as long as she lived in this small town.
Still one step at a time she thought as her call was finally picked up, funeral arrangements first, big moves later.
"I'd like to make arrangements for my husband's funeral" she shuddered again and Emma noticing moved in close and pulled Regina into her warm embrace dropping a kiss onto brunette hair as Regina listened and began to answer the funeral director's questions.
"Cremation please" Regina said, Emma raised an eyebrow at that but remained silently holding her lover as she continued to give all the relevant information across the phone.
"Cremation huh?" Emma finally spoke up as soon as the phone was nestled in its cradle once more, she knew of Robin's desire to be buried as much and Regina did.
"I don't care what he wanted, they can burn the bastard" Regina replied and Emma nodded silently in return, she wasn't about to argue with that, if Regina had to make a show of putting on a funeral for that asshole then she should feel free to execute the event however she saw fit and if that meant turning Robin to dust then that was what should happen.
"So, when's the funeral?" Emma asked.
"Next week" Regina sighed "Everything's booked provisionally for now, but I have to wait for Mal to get my funds released before I can afford to pay and make everything official."
"Annoying but makes sense I suppose" Emma shrugged "I'll just be glad when all of this is over, and we can finally move on".
"You and me both darling" Regina smiled moving in to share a chaste kiss "you and me both."
Fortunately the day of the funeral arrived without a hitch, the sheriff had been good to his word and gotten the requested paperwork back to Mal by mid-morning the following day and Mal had in turn been successful in releasing all of the money in Regina and Robins joint accounts, releasing what was in Robins individual accounts was taking a little longer but Regina as his wife and sole beneficiary would get that soon enough too, and in the meantime she had more than enough to cover Robins funeral costs and anything else that she, Emma or their boys might need in the joint accounts.
"I don't see why I have to go to this damn thing" Henry grumbled as Regina adjusted his tie.
"If you really don't want to come then you can stay here with Emma" Regina replied.
"I can?" Henry asked sounding surprised.
"Of course," Regina smiled patiently at her son as she reached to adjust his tie "You don't have to go if you really don't want to, funerals aren't for everybody."
"You're not coming Henry?" a wide-eyed Roland asked catching the tail end of the conversation as he entered the room kitted in a similar black-tie attire to his brother, Emma held back in the doorway also sporting a dark trouser suit.
"Of course, I am buddy" Henry smiled reassuringly upon catching the pinched worried look in his little brother's face "mom was just giving me my options."
Roland visibly relieved rushed forwards and threw his arms around Henry squeezing him close and Regina smiled at both of her boys proudly careful to catch Henry's eye over Roland's head and give him silent little nod of acknowledgement and approval.
"The cars are here" Emma suddenly spoke up nodding toward the window where she had just caught a glimpse of the sleek black vehicles pulling up outside, from her position by the door, "It's time to go."
Both boys nodded and separated to follow Emma down the stairs and out of the front door with Regina bringing up the rear.
It was a rather sombre party of four that left the house and made their way down the drive to slide into the car that would follow behind the one that carried Robin's coffin. An array of emotions flowing between them, bubbling, unspoken just below the surface where some would remain carefully hidden from the outside world while others would bubble over sooner rather than later.
Regina for example could not show the relief that she felt inside while her youngest son cried in her arms over his loss.
Henry, unsure of what to feel or how to show it remained stoic throughout the ceremony, standing rigid with his fists clenched at his sides most of the time, only moving to comfort Roland while Regina had her own face buried in Emma's shoulder as though seeking comfort in her embrace.
Anyone watching would think that she was fighting to hold it together, seeking comfort in a friend, only Emma and Regina knew different, the brunette couldn't pretend to grieve for Robin, not really, sure she could hold in her feelings of relief that he was gone and even hide her joy at finally being with Emma but pretending to grieve a loss that she did not feel, she simply could not do. No burying herself in Emma helped create a façade but mostly it just gave her an excuse to be closer to the blonde.
She sang the hymns and sat through the speeches about Robins life from people who never even truly knew him, for them he was merely playing the part of the good guy while behind closed doors he was secretly revealed as the villain.
She quickly passed on the opportunity to get up and talk herself again burying her face in Emma shoulder while Emma wrapped her arms around her and told the room at large that Regina was just too emotional to talk, and then everybody seemed to develop simultaneous sympathetic looks as they quietly murmured their understanding, even from her position of hiding her face away Regina could feel them, those looks from people feeling sorry for her and understanding her grief it made her skin crawl.
She pulled her face away from Emma just in time to watch as the heavy red curtains close on her ex-husband for the final time a sigh of relief escaping unbidden from between her lips fortunately anybody nearby who heard it easily mistook it for a gesture of sadness, everyone that it except of course for Emma who was alone in knowing the truth about Robin.
Then with no further reason to stay there Regina took Roland by the hand bowing her head as the closing song concluded still unable to force tears that didn't want to come, she remained dry eyed and hoped that nobody would notice or if they did that, they would think that she was just being strong for her children's sake, she followed Emma out into the fresh air with Henry trailing behind them.
They stood together Regina looking politely interest over the vast display of flowers that people had bought, even pretending to read some of the tags, front and centre was the blue and white splay that Roland had chosen which were displayed in large letters that spelled out Daddy, and in Regina's humble opinion were the only flowers within the ridiculously large display that had been dedicated to Robin that weren't a complete waste of money.
She stayed in place until Roland began to get restless and then they all headed back to the car Regina feeling an intense sense of relief at that part her obligations being over as they pulled away from the crematorium and headed back home for the wake.
It was going to be a long day she thought with a sigh as they pulled up on her drive with a convey of people not far behind them.
"Can I go to Nicks?" Henry asked before they had even gotten out of the car "I don't know if I can face the wake too" he shuddered and Regina nodded her understanding wishing that she too could get out of this next part but knowing that she couldn't, Henry however could and why not spare one of them from suffering through what was still to come if she could.
"Of course, you can" she smiled, Henry nodded and grunted his thanks before hopping out of the car and heading towards the house to change, Regina on the other took a deep steadying breath and followed him in, bracing herself to face the afternoon still to come.
As she greeted and served guests, all of whom extended their deepest condolences Regina wondered again and again why people did this, grief over a death surely had to be the most legitimate reason to shut oneself away from the world and ignore everybody for a while without looking rude in the process, so why in the hell did people subject themselves to this, well, hell?
When she voiced her thoughts to Emma the blonde looked at her and simply said.
"Why don't you do it?"
"Do what?" Regina replied unwrapping yet another tray of tiny sandwiches.
"Go shut yourself away until they all leave" Emma smiled.
"Now that sounds like heaven" Regina sighed resisting her sudden urge to lean in and kiss Emma for her understanding.
"I mean it" Emma insisted her voice dropping to a whisper that only Regina could hear "Just go upstairs, I'll make your excuses, you wouldn't be the first widow to suddenly become overwhelmed with emotion and have to excuse yourself from her late husband's wake" she said with a wink "People would understand and you've given more than enough to that bastard, don't give him anymore, go chill upstairs and let me take over down here, I'll come find you when the coast is clear" she said.
"Hmm sounds good" Regina agreed "but I fear that there may be a problem" she sighed.
"Really?" Emma's eyebrow quirked in question.
"Uh huh" Regina nodded "You see I really am starting to feel very overwhelmed" she said pointedly "And I am afraid that I simply won't make it up there without some help" she sighed again then let out a strangled sobbing noise and almost threw herself into Emma's arms taking a few nearby guests by surprise.
"It's okay Regina" Emma soothed as she fought to keep the laughter off of her face, laughter that freely showed unseen, on the beautiful face currently buried in her chest, "Let's get you upstairs, it's been a long day and you should really rest" she said glancing up and catching a few sympathetic and understanding looks on some of the faces that she passed as she headed for the stairs helping Regina along with her, she even heard a passing comment from a guest surprised that Regina had lasted as long as she had without breaking down.
The second that the door to the guest room had clicked shut Regina was clutching Emma's suit jacket and pulling her in to claim her lips.
"God, you have no idea how much I needed that" she panted breathlessly when they parted minutes later.
"Not god, just Emma" Emma replied cheekily, and Regina let out a laugh "And as much as I wish I could hole up in here with you for the rest of the day, that would probably look weird and Roland might need one of us, so I should get back downstairs" she sighed regretfully and Regina nodded reaching up to wipe her lipstick from Emma's lips with her thumb before finally declaring her good to go and releasing her all be it begrudgingly she too would have liked to keep Emma here with her.
Emma returned to the lower floor and fulfilled her duties as hostess for the remainder of the wake making Regina's excuses for her whenever anybody asked after her and assuring that she was okay and simply resting, she even managed to excuse herself a few times under the pretence of checking on her grieving friend, not so often that it would arouse suspicions but she also never missed an opportunity to slip off to join her.
Regina for her part was always happy whenever Emma's head popped around the door. The first time she had been caught a little by surprise having just stepped out of a hot refreshing shower still donning nothing but a towel, but she had soon relaxed in Emma's presence standing for Emma to dry her back and help her into one of the blondes own tank tops and shorts, she'd leaned in to kiss a now fresh faced Regina then tucked her under the blanket with the TV remote in hand, then resisting the urge to slip in next to her she had ventured back downstairs to inform concerned guests that Regina was currently sleeping and she didn't want to disturb her.
The guests nodded and went back to mingling not asking about Regina again until they were moving to say goodbye at which time Emma followed the same routine moving to check on Regina then returning to tell the guests who were ready to leave that Regina was still sleeping soundly and as she hadn't slept well since Robins untimely death and today had left her emotionally drained Emma didn't have the heart to wake her.
The guests again nodded their understand asking Emma to pass on their best regards and thanking her for taking such good care of Robin's family as they left without further ado and Regina who had moved into the landing once she had been told that the guests were leaving hovered at the window that she had watched Emma stretching on the drive from less than two months prior, now she watched the guests leaving her husband's wake instead carefully keeping out of sight of anybody who might pause and look back which nobody did.
She stayed pondering the last few months of her life even after the final guest had left, so much had changed since she had watched Emma down there on that sunny morning before their jog.
She startled a little when arms suddenly snaked around her waist from behind.
"Sorry" Emma murmured in her ear "I hadn't realised that you hadn't heard me coming, everyone's gone now" she added, Regina simply nodded and relaxed into Emma's arms without saying that she had guessed that much already.
"Roland and Henry?" she asked.
"Roland's, passed out on the sofa which means that we should probably get the little mite into bed and Nicks dad is driving Henry home as we speak so we probably have five minutes before he gets home" Emma replied leaning down to pepper Regina's neck with light kisses as she spoke.
"Five minutes huh" Regina breathed huskily turning in Emma's arms so that their lips found each other in a deep, long, passionate kiss that would only be interrupted when headlights lit of the drive behind them a few minutes later.
"Damn" Emma breathed stepping back out the kiss and heading down the hallway towards the stairs ready to greet her son and thank Nicks dad, "rain check" she called over her shoulder as she went, and Regina threw back her head in laughter as she called back.
"Definitely" her tone filled with promise.
