Chapter Three - Emma

A strange thing just happened involving a stranger and my tits. Now I am standing alone in the middle of the driveway, watching said stranger stroll into my house, well my parents' house with her large heavy suitcase rolling along with her. I am feeling very strange about this strange thing with a strange stranger.

It's odd that I am so bothered by my intimate introduction to this Regina character. Normally I am happy to have a woman motor-boating me within a few seconds of us meeting. Forwardness is a good quality in my book. I've spend years traveling bail bondsperson, making money and I set up small bail bondsperson business. I mastered the delicate art of cutting to the case. Saved me from wasting my time on straight women. The only time I've been with a man is a smooth-talker Neal, Henry's father. He's a good man, nevertheless and he died years ago. Ever since, I haven't found a partner so lately, I have been working and party with girls. I like women who's as forward as I am, especially when she happens to look like Regina, with her shiny dark black hair and olive skin and long legs. So sexy, and her dress hugged perfectly as if I want to grab her ass. A lady like that literally throwing herself at me would usually seem like a lovely early Christmas present.

But there is something very weird about Regina and Henry.

She's dating my son.

I mean no offence to Henry, obviously the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I am certain he's attractive to a certain kind of woman. It's just that nobody has ever been able to find said women- not Henry nor our meddling grandparents nor exclusive, expensive dating apps. I have even tried setting him up before with a sweet, geeky girl. Nothing. Apparently, she didn't mind when he tucked his napkin into his shirt to eat his spaghetti and she found his cheesy pick-up lines charming. Henry has been overly too eager and overly awkward. Am I supposed to believe his life-long losing dating streak has been broken by a woman like Regina?

No way that is possible. Regina is a alpha. She had a perfect posture and a confident stance. Her make-up was perfectly flawless, and her lips are screaming fuck-me-red. She is even wearing a suit! Seriously! This woman genuinely sat through a car ride all the way from wherever she lives in a pressed, suit. It might be comfortable, but it is so obvious that Regina is perfectly preened, highly polished, dominant woman. I cannot work out for the life of me how she ended up with my son. Something is off here!

The front door closes behind the two of them now, and the sound of Henry babbling on endlessly now about the history of the manor fades away. I turned down the invitation to join a grand tour of "his" childhood home, seeing that it is actually my childhood home as well. I've been getting to know my way around here for a good thirty years now, and I 've been shown all Dad's rare antiques swords and Mum's carefully matched furnishing more than enough times to last me another sixty! Besides, I've got to stay behind and away from fucking sexy woman alive.

I swing the wooden door shut behind me and stood outside with a sigh. I sat myself down on the porch chair. I am an loose cannons of the family. Honesty, for all the fuss of my parents have made over the years about my "reckless lifestyle," even though I am thankful they adopted me into their family. They paid for everything, my entire education, fed me and put me under the roof. My parents didn't like how I choose to become bail bondsperson and how I set up business on my own. I refuse to accept a dime from Nolan's family. I worked hard to build a life for myself out of my own pocket. The only time they were happy that I was with Neal for few years, he's an asshole smooth-talker. We had something in common, we come from broken home and for awhile, we had fun stealing and sneaking into buildings then I got pregnant with Henry. I am pretty sure Regina and Henry has gone into their room, so I am safe to go back inside. The TV control is on the other side of my room, teasing me from its perch on top of the fireplace. My phone is on my nightstand attached to the speakers pumping music and it's weird to be back into my room.

My adoptive parents designed my room and sound-proof my room when I turn into a teenager because I started listening to loud TV and music way up high. They never complained once, and they are amazing and sweet parents then out of the blue one day, they hired people to remodel and sound-proof my room. It got completed with days, fast. My room is not like other rooms, it is like a small home in my room. It has fireplace, small couch, my own restroom and it has little bit of everything. Still, I've got to get used to it if I want to move back here. A key part of settling down is accepting the whole "settling" thing. After traveling so much and arresting people, I feel like it's time for me to stay put for a while, and my business can still run with my employees.

The plan was to get myself a nice place somewhere near here, but I never could find a place on my own. There wasn't a reason to since I have no one to share with. I convinced my father to let me help ruin the family business instead. Recently, I have been making small changes to help me settle down a little. I might apply to be a deputy in town, and do my job and shit. I think it will be great working here and stop traveling to chase people.

My parents are planning to retire soon, and they were hoping to hand the business over to me. I cannot let someone else to take their business from them, I cannot do that to them since they adopted and welcomed me into the family. It belongs to us and it needs to be protected. That is what I am going to do; is to protect this family and our business to give Henry and future children a future.

All I've got to do is to show my family that I can be trusted with this job. The idea to spend my entirety of this Christmas break demonstrating my maturity and dependability. For starters, I've turned up this year without anyone on my arm. Showing up here single and not looking to mingle will go some way towards making me look more settled and sensible.

That means no yelling at Henry to shut up because his guided tour of the mansion has ended. Hearing him saying …. "in the great hall, we have loads of period features in this house and everything else is a faithful restoration. Except for the spa! …"

Ugh. I dare him to say period feature one more time! He sounds likea bloody estate agent- not a guy settling his new girlfriend into his family home. This is exactly kind of awkwardness that Ican't see meshing with Alpha Regina with my son! Although, she seems to enjoy the tour, commenting excitedly on things she likes the most.

I hear them walking pass my room, pointing at my room, "this is my mom's room."

"Oh, is she …?"

"She's not in spa at the moment," Henry clarifies. "There's music coming from her bedroom, so she's in there. The spa is all ours, my darling. Follow me."

Their footsteps retreat down the hallway. I am not surprised that Henry hasn't bothered showing off my room. It's too homey to elicit excitement from Regina. The wallpaper here isn't even vintage. Instead, Henry tells her all about the "state-of-the-art" bedroom of mine. It's so fucking weird that his room is next to mine, I really wish I am in another room or put them some where else!

Just as their voices starts to fade, I hear something odd as I turn down my blasting music. "No!" Regina cries out in surprise. Then she quickly forces a laugh, "Sorry, I wasn't expecting you to grab me. Not around the waist. So .. you can let go now." Another strained giggle. "Sorry, I only slipped a little bit. Let's save the handsy stuff for later, darling. We can do all that when …"

Her voice finally trails off. I frown. An estate agent and a buyer has way more chemistry than those two! Why is she so weird about him touching her? I noticed that she flinched when he put an arm around her out on the driveway as well. And that smile she pinned on when she looked at him seemed so false to me. And what's with the "darling" thing? I have never in my life heard my son call anyone that term of endearment. It sounds so stilted and forceful like it's a joke. I am so good at spotting a liar, but I known Henry. He never lies, so that's why I feel something is off, something weird between those two.

In a. few minutes, they're back in the hallway.

"Don't bother arguing with me about it," Henry says. "Let me treat you. You have done so much for me, Regina. You're incredible. The least I can do is to give you a little thank you. Consider it as a Christmas gift if you like."

Huh? He's offering his money? Surely she won't accept tha—

"Fine!" Regina says. "Thank you. You have worn me down with your complete and utter insistence on being lovely," she lets out a little giggle and then pauses, having what I hope is an awkward moment to feel embarrassed about all of this. She quickly breezes on in a new playful voice: "Shall I get you new clothes? New shoes? How about a Christmas bonus …?"

Her jubilant voice dwindles again as they climb the stairs to the first floor. I strain to hear more, but they're gone. I flop back against the sofa. Those two dynamic is too weird for words, I cannot place it. She sounded so interested about the vintage wallpaper and the Cadillac than she's interested at my son.

She can't be a gold-digger, can she?

Maybe a spy to steal the family business?

Regina doesn't seem all interested in my son because she is not interested in my son. She's interested in something else, maybe his wallet or our family business. Maybe she has something against Mary Margaret. This slick, sexy woman is only here to slither her way int our family. I feel sick. Anger and outrage form a tight fist in my belly, making it all tense and knotty.

Then the guilt of heavy lump is in there too. I watched this sexy woman go swopping into my family home and all I can think about was how wonderfully long legs were and how completely bizarre it was that she's dating my son. And already I am thinking bad of her?

I remembered my son, he was so desperate to find a girlfriend, to find love and it's all a lie. I knew it! All makes sense now, they are lying about their relationship, but why. That's what I cannot make sense of, why would they -? No one messes with my family, and nobody messes with my son on my watch.

I calmed myself down and sat on the bed, Regina –Emma Swan is on to you.