Mayor Regina Mills is furious. Something is different. Something is wrong. She initially notices it as she walks down Main Street, just as she has every morning. Every monotonous morning, she walked past the same people, inevitably going about their same routines like zombies. Especially that bitch, who cost Regina everything. Precious Mary Margaret would go meekly through her morning, greeting the subjects who once admired her, but now, to whom she was an inconvenience. The cricket's dog would bark furiously from the end of his leash, yanking the weak, spineless little man along. Ironic how he was a bigger man when he stood only a few inches tall. Standing atop a ladder, fixing a perpetually broken sign, the woodcarver would fumble his tool at her greeting. His annoyed remark would be greeted with her apology. As if an apology from that little bitch would ever suffice, would ever right her wrongs!
Only today is different. The unfortunate peasants are deviating from their sanctioned paths. Mary Margaret conspicuously misses crashing headlong into the mayor because she's too busy gawking with a crowd. A crowd assembled at the boarded-up doors of the library, gawking up at the clock. For nearly fourteen years, that clock has read eight-fifteen. No change, no movement. Time has stood still, and the unmoving clock tower has stood as a symbol of that. Not that anyone knew that little tidbit. Until now, however, as it reads eight-thirty and chimes out half of a tune. It's never made a tune on the half-hour before because it's never reached the half-hour before! That actually elicits awed gasps from the crowd. What a bunch of sheep!
A young girl voices Regina's sentiment all too clearly. "Wow, and I thought I was easily entertained." It's a fitting assessment. But Regina doesn't recognize the girl's voice, which should be impossible. She made this town, dammit! She knows every inch like the back of her well-manicured hand! She meticulously decided on every minute detail! She recognizes everyone here because she brought only the people she wanted here. Those who needed to suffer terribly for aiding that little bitch Snow White were cursed to suffer here, and everyone else...well, they were no longer her concern.
Another sarcastic comment from the girl draws Regina back from her consideration. "Couldn't possibly be some dedicated civil servant miraculously using taxpayer dollars efficiently for once." Oh, how fucking dare she? Who the hell does she think she is? The barks of laughter and the shaking shoulders–the contraband of joy in her town–as the crowd disperses only serve to cause Regina's blood to boil that much more. Were this the Enchanted Forest, a heart-ripping would be too quick for her. This girl would suffer. Burning at the stake might suffice for her. Or one of those nasty, slow-acting curses Rumplestiltskin had instructed her in. She hears but barely listens to a response in a man's voice, too busy picturing a ball of raging fire in her clenched fist. Which makes the girl's reply all too fitting. "Yeah, and we don't even get killed for making jokes." Oh, if only.
Now that the crowd has dispersed, it leaves only two unknown people standing there, both backs to the mayor. One, a long, lanky girl with blond curls and shabby clothes, the other, a dark-haired man dressed in black leather. She detects a gleam of light on metal and sees it's at the man's left hand. Or where his left hand should be…
Hook. Captain fucking Hook! What the hell is he doing here after all this time? The last time she saw him was as he delivered her mother's corpse. He took his leave of the castle and apparently got beyond the reach of her curse. Somehow, the minor detail of the citizens' fugue states had reached him. Hook wanted to remember and savor his revenge. He wanted his Crocodile to remember, too. But more important than any of that. How the hell did he get here? Escaping the curse was one thing–and certainly no easy feat–but crossing realms, or finding the means to do so, should have been damn near impossible. And why was he here? Cold fear runs through her heart in a split second. It can't be a coincidence that Hook arrives, with an adolescent girl in tow, and the clock tower starts moving.
Toes stepping on her feet and a body crashing into her shoulder disrupt the queen's fuming. "Madam Mayor, I'm so sorry." A lowered, meek voice apologizes. Regina turns her fierce glare on the schoolteacher. Kneeling to recover her fallen notebooks, Mary Margaret keeps her eyes cast down. As well she should.
"You should be!" The mayor barks out in a harsh voice through her gritted teeth. Evidently, her voice is louder than intended, because she draws attention from Hook and the girl. The girl frowns and cocks her head. Funny, Snow used to do the same. Hook seems to be stifling a smug smirk, the arrogant bastard. Mary Margaret's pathetic apologies are completely ignored as the schoolteacher scampers away. Regina's glare meets Hook's eyes, and he seems to get the message that the queen would appreciate a word. He turns to the girl, hand kindly on her shoulder, and speaks briefly and quietly. Regina doesn't overhear what's said, but she sees the girl nod and walk aimlessly down the street. The strange girl walks, critically surveying the town as if she's searching for answers, clues to be found in every nook and cranny. Who in the hell is she? What is she doing in my town? Hook seems to sigh, drawing back into the same man she sent to execute Cora.
"Your Majesty, lovely to see you, as always." Hook drawls. His thumb hooks on his belt buckle, drawing Regina's eyes down his body. Over his ridiculous pirate garb that has him standing out like a sore thumb and the completely outrageous amount of chest hair on display. His smirk only grows as he notes the path her critical eyes have taken.
"It's Madam Mayor here, thank you," Regina spits back. "Who the hell is she?" The mayor jabs her hand in the direction that the girl took. Hook's smirk grows, just a touch. "What the hell are you doing here? How the hell did you get here?"
"Would you like answers, or do you wish to continue spitting questions at me, Your Majesty?" Regina silently glares. His smirk is too damn smug. Almost like victory. "Now, to acknowledge your burning questions, I'd like a few answers of my own." He leans in close and lowers his voice to a vicious snarl. "Like why the hell you didn't inform me I wouldn't remember my quest for vengeance. And why the hell you never mentioned that little tidbit about your dear mother's heart," he pauses. Regina's blood turns to ice in her veins at the mention of her mother. She's dead. Cora's been dead for years. She can't reach you here. She can't hurt you here. "Her heart wasn't in her chest."
"Neither petty detail seemed relevant," Regina replies as blithely as she can with a careless shrug while her anxious heart hammers away. Mother is worlds away. She can't reach you here. Besides, she is dead, she tells her panicking mind. Being worlds away didn't stop Hook though, did it?
"It didn't seem relevant that the woman you sent me to assassinate by ripping out her heart was no longer in possession of one?!" The captain snarls, glaring at her.
"She was the Queen of Hearts, Hook. She was in possession of several." Regina snarks back. It seems to rock the captain's equilibrium for a moment, as he reels away from her. His glare is still staring holes through her head. "Now, my answers, Captain. The girl, who is she?"
Hook smirks, even though his disdainful blue eyes aren't in it. "Jealous, love?" Regina simply cocks a perfectly arched brow in scathing response. He thumbs his belt buckle again as he answers. "Her name is Emma Swan. She's my ward."
"Your ward? You adopted someone? They authorized you to adopt someone?" After Owen Flynn, she looked into the process. Just as Rumplestiltskin said, she was left with a hole in her heart after enacting the curse. One she longed to satisfy with motherhood. But the legalities and the paperwork took so long, and the waiting lists were even longer. Perhaps Hook found some way to cut through the red tape.
"Well, it sounds better than the far more accurate description." His smile is thin as he arches his brows in prompting. "Now, what the hell I'm doing here is quite simple. It's only been my life's purpose since long before you were alive." His voice drops again, from cavalier to deadly in a split second. "I'm here to skin myself a Crocodile."
Regina smirks. "There is the pesky detail of him not remembering. No one in this town does." She still feels victorious, even as Hook's expression doesn't change. Rather than looking taken aback, as Regina hopes, he looks like a man whose gamble just paid off.
"I've waited centuries. I'm willing to wait a bit longer." The defiant answer itself unnerves her, but the way his eyes flick to the clock tower and that smug smirk returns, makes her blood run cold. Fear is something she hasn't experienced in a long time. Now, it's wreaking havoc on her entire body, much as she tries to maintain the composure of a queen. "As to how I got here, it's quite the fascinating tale. One that involves cutting your dear, sweet mother out of our deal, going behind her back, stealing her protection spell to climb a beanstalk, and finding the means to create a portal." Hook's words fall from his lips like he has every idea, and not a single care, the kind of damage he's doing.
"She's alive?" Regina asks in a shaky whisper.
"Oh, aye. Very much so, last I checked. And she seems particularly keen on a mother-daughter reunion." His cavalier tone could actually be mistaken for pleasant, if she didn't despise him so much. No no no no NO! She can't be! She was dead! I wept over her body! The body...that Hook brought me. He mentioned something about a deal.
Regina's panic turns to fury, ice-cold to molten lava. She draws in close to the pirate and growls, "You had one job! One job to do, and you couldn't even do that right!" His unapologetic shrug and slight smirk make her wish for nothing more than a fireball to erupt in her fist.
"She made me a better offer. One where I could retain my memories, a detail you seemed to erroneously think was irrelevant." Regina can only glare at the man. "What can I say, love? Pirate." He clips the 't' with an absurd amount of glee.
"You fucking bastard. Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"Is everything alright here?" A soft-spoken man's voice cuts across her raging fury. She diverts the overwhelming force of her glare on the cricket. Umbrella in one hand, leash in the other, he seems to quake. Watery eyes dart back and forth under his wire-framed glasses. The mayor realizes she's making a scene. She's in the middle of Main Street, no more than half a step from a strange man no one in town has ever seen before, hissing and spitting an argument. She's the mayor. No, she's the queen! She's far too dignified to stoop to such a juvenile display.
"Perfectly alright," Regina grits through her teeth in a voice that suggests anything but. Not waiting for Hook's or the cricket's responses, she turns and stalks away. Heels clacking against the pavement, she seethes.
He left her alive. Mother is alive! Hook and Mother made a deal, whereby she survived the assassination attempt. Mother is in the Enchanted Forest, or whatever remains of it, right now. Given that Hook is here, and he somehow made his way, Mother can't be too far behind. What if he's here so he can scout ahead for Mother? What if he's learning everything he can so there won't be any surprises for Mother when she arrives? She remembers Hook saying he cut Cora out of the deal, so at least there's that. Thank God for small mercies, that it's just Hook she has to contend with, not her mother as well.
She stalks to city hall in a rage, snaps at her assistant that she's not to be disturbed, and locks herself in her office. Palatial white marble, done completely in patterns of black and white, with the only splash of color being the red apples in a bowl on the table. Regina paces back and forth, her heels clacking loudly on the marble floor. Her thoughts stew on the revelation that her mother is alive, and apparently seeking a reunion. Regina clings to her anger because it's the only thing keeping her fear at bay. Her thoughts are interrupted by a chime in the distance. Her eyes jump to the window to the clock tower, now reading eleven. Ten chimes follow the initial one, and her concentration is broken by a different chiming.
"Mayor Mills speaking," she answers the phone formally.
"Madam Mayor, it's Sidney Glass. I was hoping to obtain a quote for the Daily Mirror from you on the clock tower. Maybe an interview, if you're available? Everyone's talking about it. It would look exceptional in your next campaign." Something to look exceptional in the foregone conclusion of the next election. Regina lets out a calming breath and puts on a brave face.
"That sounds excellent. I'll meet you in front of the clock tower, say, twenty minutes?"
Good lord, somehow she actually forgot about the clock tower. Hook managed to turn her focus from the clock tower chiming away to the dread of her mother. Time is moving forward again for the first time in thirteen, nearly fourteen years, and Hook managed to distract her from that fact. Her curse stopped time, and now it's moving. God, does this mean it's weakening? Regina arrives in front of the clock tower five minutes after hanging up the phone with Sidney. Pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, she glares up at the clock tower. How in the hell did this happen? Hook doesn't have magic. He couldn't have affected this.
"Madam Mayor, you're looking sophisticated, as ever." Sidney's smooth, ass-kissing voice draws Regina from her consideration. She composes her smile and poise, caressing her hands down the royal purple dress that hugs her curves in just the right way. Straightening her gray blazer, she turns to Sidney with her sultry, red, insincere smile.
"Sidney, thank you. And I must say, the cut of that suit is perfect for you." He smiles with his thanks. "Shall we get started?" He withdraws a recorder from his pocket and turns it on to get her answers. "Now, we all know this clock tower hasn't moved, well, as long as anyone can remember." She chuckles slightly at the private joke. "That's why I have made such public works a vital part of my platform. This little piece of our charming little town has now been restored. It took a very long time and a lot of hard work to secure the funding with the city council. But I want to tell you all, the voters of this town, something." She gestures back at the clock tower as Sidney snaps a few pictures. "This is how hard I have fought for you. And when I'm re-elected, this is how hard I will continue to fight for you. Taxpayer dollars will be put to good use, efficiently and effectively." He asks a few other questions. Her only slight hiccup is when he asks what specifically the problem in the mechanics was, what exactly needed fixing all these years. She waves the question off with a smile and a vague non-answer about the technicals.
"And Madam Mayor, if I may, the library-"
"Is not up for discussion. We're done here." Her voice is formidable and haughty as she responds. The elected official beholden to the will of the people is gone. The ruthless queen who seized power via regicide is back. Regina stalks off with the reporter hustling not far behind, asking questions like a dog begging for scraps. She returns to her office quickly, locking herself away to complete bureaucratic paperwork for the upcoming budget address. After a few moments, she's interrupted by the harsh ringing of her phone.
"Mayor Mills," she answers through her gritted teeth.
"Madam Mayor, you told me you wanted to be kept in the loop," Graham begins.
Well, that sounds encouraging. "Yes?"
"I've got a breaking and entering in the library." The library? Who the hell would break in there? "I've got her here in lockup if you'd like to speak to her." Her? If this is that girl Hook brought with him…
"I'm on my way." Regina is curious about what she'll find. Of all the things she expects as she makes the walk to the sheriff's station, this isn't it. The blond girl from this morning sits on the cot in a holding cell. Her legs are crossed, her spine is rigid and upright. Chin turned up, she looks the mayor right in the eye with a challenge in those guarded green eyes. Something about those eyes, and about that obstinate chin, looks awfully familiar.
"She broke into the library. I found her reading," Graham supplies.
"Give us the room, please," she requests firmly.
"I really shouldn't, she's-" Graham protests, only to be cut off.
"Need I remind you, you work for me. You do as I say. Now, give us the room. I'd like a word with Miss Swan." Regina barks out. Glancing at Miss Swan, her eyes are wide, eyebrows elevated, as she glances between the two adults, assessing the situation. Cocky little bitch doesn't look concerned, though, does she? She only looks focused. Conflict on Graham's face, the sheriff turns on his heel and goes as far as the hall. Figuring it's the best she'll get, Regina turns to the girl in the cell. The little bitch has the audacity to appear bored, fiddling with a necklace in her hands. She channels all the disappointment she can from her memories of her mother. "Miss Swan, do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"I've invoked my right to remain silent."
"Then remain silent and listen," Regina hisses, glaring at the insolent child. The little bitch cocks her head at the harshness of Regina's tone. "You and Hook need to pack up and leave. Now!" The girl's pale eyebrows raise. The corner of her mouth turns up slightly in a bit of a smirk.
"Seems a bit rude to call Jones by his lack of a left hand, label a man by his prosthetic, don't you think, Madam Mayor?" She shrugs. God, it's like she doesn't have a care in the world. If this is what it's like to have kids, I regret all the time and effort invested into becoming a parent.
"You two need to leave this town immediately!"
"Why?"
"You're causing trouble." The girl merely answers with a single eyebrow raised, a behavior so damn similar to Hook that it only serves to further infuriate the mayor. "What was so special about the library?" The girl doesn't answer, simply faces Regina head-on. "You broke in for a reason. Why? What were you reading?" Regina thinks for a moment, considering any incriminating evidence she may have left in the library. Aside from the odd appearance to the elevator's entrance, and her friend in the basement, there's nothing in the library in regards to her curse. Or there shouldn't be. All she remembers stocking it with was a spread of books from this world. Anything about fairy tales in that library should only have been children's stories that Miss Swan could find in any other library. "What are you up to?"
"Up to?" Her head cants to the side with the eyebrow this time.
"Yes! Up to! What in God's name is Hook's plan? What the hell does he have you doing?" Regina ends up shouting, both hands gripping the bars of the holding cell. Emma Swan, to her intense frustration, continues to look completely unaffected, sitting casually with her back against the brick wall. How many times has she had adults shout at her, to remain this unaffected? Regina wonders idly. Or how toothless did Hook tell her I am? Taking a breath, Regina turns and paces away, then returns. Her calm composure slightly restored, she adopts a different track. "What do you know about the clock tower?"
The girl sits, indifferent and silent. Green eyes blink steadily back at Regina from inside the holding cell. It's only a few moments before her composure is gone once again. "The clock tower! It never moved until you got here! You and Hook! What the hell did you do? Why is it moving now?" Her voice grows in volume and intensity as the questions rattle off.
"Madam Mayor, are you feeling okay?" The girl's voice almost sounds concerned.
You sound like a raving lunatic, screaming at a child about a clock tower moving. God, if she didn't think there was something suspicious before, she sure as hell does now. Turning and taking a few steps away, Regina regains her composure before returning to the cell door. She calmly turns her questioning to a separate track, one that needs to be addressed. "Does the name Cora mean anything to you?"
Emma shakes her head. "Absolutely nothing. I don't know anyone by that name." Her green eyes are unwavering. For all the emotion that seems to swirl hidden behind them, the girl isn't lying. She truly has no idea who Cora is.
Thank God for small mercies. "What does Hook have you doing?" Regina looks closer, taking in the bruises and cuts the girl is barely covering. Her voice is softer, almost something approximating kinder as she continues. "I can help you, but only if you tell me. You don't have to stay with someone who's hurt you." That, finally, breaks through the indifferent mask. It hardens and reveals some annoyance.
"I'm fine, really. Jones didn't hurt me." The words sound rehearsed, as if she's used to making similar excuses. Regina offhandedly notes the use of 'didn't' rather than 'wouldn't' as well. Regina's dark brows shoot up as she notices. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't insult my intelligence by pretending to care. I'm just going to sit in my time-out in a holding cell, if it's all the same to you." Her pale brow furrows for a moment. "Is this how small towns like this conduct police work? They have the mayor interrogate criminals? Do you really have nothing better to do?" This infuriating little bitch!
"Of course, I have more important things to do," Regina snaps.
"Then don't let me keep you," Emma answers. Regina turns the full force of her glare on the girl, something that both in the Enchanted Forest and here has caused the subject to run for cover. But no, not Miss Swan. The girl sits, calmly unaffected and indifferent. In one last effort, Regina grabs the bars, pushing in as close as she can. Emma raises her eyebrows.
"This is your final warning. Leave town, or I will make you regret it." Regina bites out through her teeth, glaring at the unaffected child sitting indifferently in the cell. God dammit, what does it take to intimidate this little bitch? Turning on her heel, Regina stalks away, catching Hook and Graham in the hall.
"Aye, sheriff, I'll keep a better eye on her. Lass can't get her hands on enough reading material, evidently. Doesn't read books, she practically consumes them. Smart as a whip, as a result, that one." His chuckle almost sounds fond. "Of course, that's not an excuse, but you know how children are." Hook's voice sounds almost fond as he pays bail for Emma. But it's a weak excuse if ever Regina's heard one. Graham seems to take it in stride though. "Swan!"
She scrambles to her feet. Finally, she looks sheepish and affected by her surroundings. What Regina couldn't accomplish with all of her threats and yelling, Hook manages with a single eyebrow. The girl squirms a bit. Oddly, though, neither of them look too upset about the circumstances. "Yes sir?"
"Come along. And keep out of trouble, aye? If doors are locked, they're likely that way for a reason, lass." Hook's voice is almost fondly exasperated. It seems to alleviate some of the sheepishness. After Graham unlocks the cell door with a warning look, Hook leads Emma by the shoulder out to the hall. Regina listens closely to their quiet conversation for as long as she can without being obvious. "First shore leave away from Neverland, I'd always have to fetch a new crewman from the local prison. Nice to see you keeping that tradition alive." So he's being completely honest with her. Regina shrugs off the consideration.
Everything else has been outside of her control today. Now, she needs something she can always control. With her power slipping everywhere else, she needs power over him.
She turns to Graham, running both hands across his strong, toned chest. Graham tenses, just as he always does. She digs in her nails, the way that always makes him respond with that sexy growl of his. He grabs her hands in his and sets them down by her sides. "Madam Mayor, no. Not now. Not here. I'm at work." Regina pouts, pulling closer as he pulls away.
"You seem tense, Graham." Soft and smooth, she runs her fingers over the fabric of his shirt as it strains over his biceps. "I can help you unwind." Regina purrs as she presses her breasts to his chest. Graham leans away, tensing. Closing his dark eyes to shut her out and turning his head away as she leans in to capture his lips with hers. God, what the hell is going on today?
"Graham," she whispers, voice a smooth seductive purr. Like the purr of a great jungle cat, hiding the danger and threat. "Look at me." One hand smoothing over the scruff of his cheek, Regina turns his face towards her, firm and insistent despite his resistance. How the hell is he resisting? Why is he resisting? "Come on, pet," she whispers the word directly into his ear, biting down on the lobe.
With a sigh, Graham opens his resigned, stormy eyes and meets hers. Mechanically, he unbuckles his belt, pulls the leather through the loops, and hands it off for Regina's enjoyment. And this little victory doesn't feel like it should, but she gets her control over someone. Regina gets to exercise her power over someone.
She enjoys her control until it's well past dark. Graham's hardly responsive, simply lying there and taking what Regina gives him. Regina then walks back to her car at city hall and drives to her palatial mansion. Passing through the garden, she greets her familiar apple tree. A smile curves her red lips as she thinks of a new means to make Emma Swan leave.
The next morning, she's up with the sun, driving down to the end of the docks near the old wooden boathouse. Hook's ship sticks out like a sore thumb, towering over the boats. Regina parks her car where it's hidden in the shadows but still has a good vantage point of the ship. She gathers the basket of apples and two books hidden underneath. Though hidden may perhaps be too strong a word for the one, a huge monstrosity of fairy tales. She ascends the gangplank smoothly to greet Emma putting a mop away below deck and tossing a bucket of water over the side. Hook is nowhere to be found. Good, I want a word with the girl alone. As she waits for the girl to return above deck, she plants the 'borrowed' books from the library. She places them where Emma and Hook may not spot them right away, but Graham definitely won't miss them. If the apples work, then the books are a going-away present. I can be generous.
Emma returns and cocks her head as she spots the mayor. Her eyes dart towards a hatch quickly before she straightens up and faces the mayor head-on. Regina pulls her lips into a pleasant smile, holding the basket out as a peace offering.
"Did you know the Honeycrisp tree is the most vigorous and hearty of all apple trees? It can survive temperatures as low as forty below and keep growing. It can weather any storm. I have one that I've tended to since I was a little girl. And to this day, I've yet to taste anything more delicious than the fruit it offers." She selects an apple from the top of the basket and offers it to the girl watching with a confused expression.
Miss Swan blinks a few times. "Thanks," she answers, accepting it like a live grenade.
"I'm sure you'll enjoy them on your way home," Regina offers a polite smile.
"Actually, we're gonna stay for a while." All confusion and wariness gone from her countenance, the girl makes a confident assertion. Plucky, she thinks.
The smile is wiped right from Regina's face. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."
"All due respect, Madam Mayor, but the fact that you have now threatened me twice in the last twelve hours makes me want to stay more." She shrugs with a slight grin and replies with confidence that no child her age should possess.
"Since when were apples a threat?" Regina asks with an insincere smile, feigning innocence.
"I can read between the lines." Emma's voice, in contrast, is hard.
The girl's bluntness is the final straw on Regina's patience. "It's time for you to go."
"Or what?" Emma challenges.
"Don't underestimate me, Miss Swan. You have no idea what I'm capable of." Hook chooses that moment to come above deck, glancing around. He already looks exasperated with Miss Swan. As he spots Regina, his expression shifts to more genuine annoyance.
"Your Majesty, I feel I should remind you, no one sets foot on the Jolly Roger without permission from her captain." Hook states, stepping on deck with the authority she would expect from a captain.
"And I should remind you, it's Madam Mayor. No matter how hilarious you think you are, Hook." He rolls his eyes and turns to Miss Swan. Regina notices the girl pulling in on herself, trying to shrink away.
"Swan, I'm not angry with you." His voice is far softer when speaking to the girl, Regina observes. Her eyes pop up, wide with surprise. "You're never cooking again, savvy?" He cushions it with a slight grin.
"Understood, sir." Emma answers, chewing her lip. What the hell happened? Cooking disaster? Regina sniffs and catches the smell of smoke coming from both their clothing and the ship. Ah. Fire and a wooden ship are probably not a good combination.
"Where'd you get that?" His eyes narrow as he asks, pointing to the apple in Emma's hand. She points to the basket in Regina's. "Don't eat that," Hook snatches the apple and chucks it over his shoulder. Splash. Emma blinks, eyes darting between the two adults in obvious confusion. Does she know about the curse? What exactly has Hook told her? He's been honest about himself, apparently, but was he honest about everything else? Regina wonders. "Head on down to the galley, aye? I'll join you in a few minutes." Emma nods and takes the hatch Hook just emerged from. Hook then turns back to the mayor with a glare. "Trying to poison the lass, Your Majesty?"
"Well, it seems it would do you and your ship some good to get rid of her."
"Stay the hell away from her. And get the hell off my ship." Hook glares her down until Regina descends the gangplank and returns to her car. I wanted to be reasonable about this. I tried being friendly. I tried buying them out. I didn't want it to come to this. Reaching into her purse, she takes out her phone and calls Graham.
"Sheriff, I have reason to believe that there is stolen property on the Jolly Roger, the old sailing brig at the end of the docks. Jones' ship." Graham lets out a quiet sigh that crackles over the phone.
"Stolen property?"
"I was just there and saw books stolen from the library. It seems Miss Swan stole from our local library." There's another crackling sigh on the line. He mumbles something she can't quite distinguish but sounds like 'Christ, you've got to be kidding'. Regina can practically hear the rolling eyes on the other end of the line. Anger boils in her veins. "Graham, this girl is a menace."
"I'm on my way," he sighs. Fifteen minutes later, Graham pulls up in the cruiser. Regina can hear the muffled voices as Graham ascends the gangplank. It doesn't take long for her to spot the planted books in Graham's hand. Faintly, she can hear two men's voices arguing, but she's too far to distinguish the words being said. Regina takes a certain amount of pleasure, seeing Miss Swan go stiff as the handcuffs are snapped in place. Even at a distance in the morning light, she watches Emma Swan go pale at the bite of the metal cuffs behind her back. Graham leads her down the gangplank.
As they pass Regina's car, she hears Miss Swan's protests. "You know I didn't have anything when I left the library. You know I wasn't carrying anything when Jones bailed me out. You know I'm being set up. Those aren't mine. You know that." Graham only sighs an answer.
"Regina may be a touch intimidating, but I don't think she'd go as far as a frame job." He sounds as if he's been making this argument since he arrived on the ship, but doesn't sound overly confident. God, he should sound absolutely certain in that defense! How the hell am I losing him?
"How far would she go?" Emma shoots back. Apparently, she's found her fire again. "What does she have her hands in?" Regina feels her hackles rise at the girl's biting tone. You presumptuous little bitch!
"She's the mayor. She has her hands in everything," Graham states simply.
"Including the police force?" Emma challenges.
Graham levels the girl with a look. "I did inform you of your right to remain silent, yes?" Finally, his voice is hard and dismissive, cutting off the incessant protests. Smirking as they pass her and reach the cruiser, Regina shifts her car into gear and drives off.
Regina's having a productive day. Yesterday was a fluke. Yesterday is over. Today is a new day, and back to their regularly scheduled programming. The curse is as strong as ever. She has nothing to worry about. Hook's presence, Miss Swan's presence, the clock tower that mysteriously started moving the second the two arrive, they're nothing to be concerned with. She's working through the budget in her home office. The address hardly needs to be perfect, but it's always nice to polish. The possibility of her being recalled is laughable. Victory courses through her, at finally having things under control. The clock tower moving doesn't have to mean the beginning of the end. Storybrooke still remains just as firmly under her thumb as ever. And the newest thorn in her side is currently locked up in jail. A droning buzz from outside cuts through her concentration. Standing, she turns to look out the window behind her. And freezes for a moment in shock.
Emma Swan stands holding a buzzing chainsaw, cutting through a thick branch of her apple tree. The branch falls to the ground, dropping bright red apples, with a loud crack that can be heard even over the buzz of the chainsaw. Emma glances up to the window with a challenge written across her face. Outraged anger overpowers Regina as she storms to the yard.
Arms swinging stiffly by her sides, Regina tears through the yard to the sound of testing buzzes. Taunting squeezes power the chainsaw, matching the small taunting smile on Miss Swan's face. "What the hell are you doing?!" She shouts over the noise.
"Picking apples," Emma replies cheerfully.
"You're out of your mind!" Her brown eyes are wild with fury.
"No, you are if you think a shoddy frame job is enough to scare me off. You're gonna have to do better than that." Those green eyes of Emma's are narrowed in a challenge. Her voice drops. "You come after me one more time, I'm coming back for the rest of this tree. Because sister, you have no idea what I'm capable of." Striding away with the chainsaw in hand, she leaves the mess of the fallen branch and the apples. "Your move," she dismisses. Regina glares at the girl's retreating back. Just who in the hell does this little bitch think she is?!
Graham arrives on the scene quickly after her summons. Regina's still spitting mad. He finds her kneeling in the grass, salvaging the apples she can into a basket. "She destroyed city property. I want her arrested," she barks out furiously the second she notices his presence.
"Again?"
Regina turns back with a sneer. "What are you waiting for?"
"I'm just not convinced arresting her is the right plan." Graham cautions with a level voice. Regina angrily rises to her feet. Did I ask your opinion? "And I'm not talking about your tree. We both know she didn't steal those books."
"Oh, do we?" Regina feigns.
"I mean, she looked pretty shocked when I leveled the charges against her."
Primly fixing her skirt, Regina returns to her apples. "She doesn't like being caught."
"Or because she was set up." Graham offers simply. Regina glares at the senseless destruction, the sawdust littering the neatly clipped lawn, the rosy apples contrasting brightly against the green grass. Why the hell is Graham challenging me? Why isn't he doing as I say? "Regina, one of those books, there's no proof it was even from the library. And yes, I checked the catalog of books. There were no markings, no proof where it came from."
"Which one?" Regina bites out the question.
"The old leather-bound volume of fairy tales. Yes, it is the one I found her reading in the library-"
"So that should be proof enough!" Regina cuts him off impatiently.
"But that's not evidence that the book originated at the library. It's nowhere in the catalog, and it's not like there's a librarian to ask." He sighs wearily. "Regina, it's going to look like you're targeting the girl, and for what?" For questioning my authority, for disturbing the careful peace in my town, for ruining my happy ending, for irrevocably changing things! Take your pick!
Regina whips back around, reaching her feet once again. Stepping towards Graham carefully, she sneers. "I think something is clouding your judgment. I don't know what the hell it is, but you need to get over it. Right the hell now!" Even standing shorter than the man, while in her heels, Regina cuts an intimidating figure. "Remember, I made you sheriff. And I can take it away just as easily," she warns in a low voice. Graham knows the amount of control she exerts in this town, he should know better than to challenge her, especially like this.
"You want me to arrest her again, I will."
"Good." She primly returns to the apples on the ground.
"But she is gonna keep coming after you. And I know you, you're gonna keep coming at her and you will do whatever it takes to get her out of here." You've got that right. "And you may succeed," he hedges.
"No, I will succeed." There's not a single doubt in her mind. Regina whips around to face him again. She defiantly told everyone who doubted her curse and her strength the same thing. She would succeed. This town, this curse and everything that came with it, this is her happy ending. In this world, the only happy ending will be mine. How dare he challenge her? How dare anyone oppose her?
This is my happy ending, and I'm going to fight for it with everything I have!
"Regina, if this escalates, think what will happen. She's a child. You're the adult. She has nothing to lose. You have nothing to gain." The simple statement takes some of the wind out of Regina's sails. He has a point. And if her fuming short-fuse temper would allow her to grudgingly acknowledge it, he also has some perspective.
What I have to gain is the stability of my curse. What I have to gain is maintaining my already tenuous control. What I have to gain is keeping my happy ending. I suppose I'll have to be more subtle in the future. Fine. If she's so determined to stay, I'll just have to make Storybrooke a living hell for her.
Graham leaves to respond to a call at the Rabbit Hole. Apparently a drunken disorderly, already at this time in the afternoon. At the very least, Leroy engaging in a drunken fight in the middle of the afternoon is a normal occurrence. Back to the regularly scheduled programming. He's clearly not going to be charging Miss Swan with anything. And that's fine. She has a few last ideas to try.
The water of the harbor sparkles in the late afternoon sun as Regina returns to the docks. She parks by the old boathouse and ascends the gangplank of the Jolly Roger, spotting a shadow and shining white-gold hair climbing in the rigging. Excellent. Her heels clack against the boards. "I do believe I was quite clear, Your Majesty. So your continued disregard strikes me that you may be a bit dim. Now, get the hell off my ship." Hook is sitting on the stairs to the quarterdeck, sharpening his hook. He doesn't even look up as he addresses her.
Regina offers a simpering smile. "Now, Hook, is that any way to greet an old friend?"
"We were friends? I seem to remember brutally murdering my way through your cell block, assaulting and attempting to murder your useless prisoner," he pauses. "Ahem, chess piece, then being hired for an assassination, for which I was tested and auditioned with another murder. That hardly qualifies us as acquaintances." His calm account shocks Regina for a moment. Hook doesn't bother to lower his voice either, so the girl likely should overhear him. "I may not know how this 'friend' thing works, but I assure you, that is not it. Now, get the hell off my ship. Or I will escort you off myself. Because the asking was me being a gentleman."
"I can see you're going to be remaining in town for the foreseeable future. I think it's time we made peace." Hook scoffs.
"So you're not here to plant faulty evidence for another baseless accusation?"
Regina condescendingly shakes her head. "Hardly. I don't want a fight with you, Hook. You're far more useful as an ally than an enemy. It's very clear you're not going anywhere, and I inevitably have to accept that." Those infuriating eyebrows answer for Hook, clearly spelling his disbelief across his face. "You came to town with a goal, and you're going to see it through."
"Aye," he draws out impatiently. "Is there a point to this visit?"
"What if I could give you the one thing you've always wanted? What you wanted for centuries, your life's purpose." She leans in close, lowering her voice. "Your revenge." The words drip off her tongue like honey. His blue eyes are clearly calculating the possibility. He stands and begins pacing the deck before he turns back to her, expression closed off. Closing off the obvious interest.
"I'm not having anyone hand me my revenge. My life's purpose will be beholden to no one." So stubborn, so proud, so god-damned annoying. "I've unwittingly made that mistake before and am not inclined to repeat it."
"Yes, yes, I know. But the little snag of his forgotten memories is a small bump in the road. What if I could solve that for you?" Her nose crinkles on the words, her eyebrows moving as she speaks, feeling satisfied. "Clear the way, so to speak?"
He brushes off her suggestive tone. "And who would you have me kill this time?" Say what you will, the bloodthirsty pirate's quick. No beating around the bush, no euphemisms, and no need to censor my words.
"Miss Emma Swan." A gasp sounds out from the crow's nest. Hook's stormy eyes close. Regina's mouth curls up in a smirk. "Kill her, and I promise to restore your Crocodile's memories. I believe you still have the enchantment that would have been used on my mother. Bring me the girl's heart, and I restore the Dark One's memories. Then you can go about your violent revenge to your heart's content." Hook turns away, his shoulders tense. Regina moves in for the kill.
She lays a hand lightly against his back. Violently, he jerks away, forcibly throwing off her touch. She lowers her voice and continues regardless, whispering in his ear. "He's a mortal man here. He has no magic. You can kill him while avoiding the terrible fate of becoming the Dark One yourself. Hell, you don't even need to find his dagger. Any old death will do here in this world. And all you have to do is hand me the heart of that insufferable little brat." He says nothing, keeping his tense back to her, leaning against the rail of the ship and staring out to sea. Glancing around his form, she sees him clutching his right forearm in the cradle of the curve of his hook.
His deafening silence is condemning as long, gangly legs scramble frantically from the rigging, falling from about fifteen feet above the deck. Miss Swan lands hard with a thunk, the connection with the ground audibly winding her, but picks herself up. For a moment, her wide green eyes flick to Hook's tense back and shoulders. The queen relishes as the girl's face pales then falls. She immediately sprints away. So something could make that little bitch afraid. As fond of her as he may have acted, that crack was already there. I don't have to make a new divide. The one that was already there was all too easy to shamelessly exploit. She trusts him about as far as those skinny little arms could throw him. And no matter what he does, I seriously doubt he comes back from this. Tears are streaming uncontrollably down her face when Regina spots her.
"Oh, was she here the whole time?" Regina feigns remorse, a hand over her mouth.
Emma's footsteps thudding on the wooden gangplank seem to bring Hook back. When he turns, his regret and remorse are written all too plainly across his face. They both watch the girl's long legs carry her away, down the docks to the desolate beach. As he turns to Regina, his blue eyes are murderous and for a second, Regina thinks she has him. She knew it would be easy, but she never expected it to be that easy. Offering the one thing he wants most in this world or any other, it was only too easy. In the next second, he roughly seizes her by the throat, pinning her against the mast.
"The last time I was reliant upon you for my revenge, you blatantly lied to me. I'm not trusting you this time. I'm not making myself subordinate. I am not your errand boy. Get the hell off my ship. And if you ever threaten my ward again, I will kill you." He hauls her by the hair down the gangplank and tosses her away from him. Wide-eyed, stunned, Regina lands in a heap on the ground. She watches as he runs off in the direction Emma took down the beach, calling out the girl's name.
Well, it should work. He should have taken the offer. It's a real shame he didn't. But at least the girl didn't stick around long enough to hear him refuse. Self-preservation will have that terrified girl running desperately for the nearest bus stop. Regina returns to her tree–what's left of it, her mind adds unhelpfully–still clearing the mess. Idly, she wonders just how far the girl may run. Were she in Emma's shoes, standing between the ruthless pirate Captain Hook and his revenge, she wouldn't stop running until she reached Los Angeles, at least. Not that Regina would run, but if she were that scrawny little brat, the smartest thing to do would be run. Run fast and run far. She's brushing the remaining sawdust from her precious tree, by dark as Mr. Gold steps onto the property.
"What a mess," he remarks.
"Not for long. What can I do for you, Mr. Gold?" She asks politely.
"I was just in the neighborhood, thought I'd pop by." He wags a finger. "Lovely to see you in such high spirits."
She chuckles grimly. "Well, it's been a good day." It may not have started that way, but the ending has been rather satisfying. Hands on her hips, she continues. "I just rid the town of an unwanted nuisance." She brushes her hands together with her accomplishment.
"Emma Swan. Really?"
"Yes. I imagine she's halfway to Boston by now."
"Oh," Gold scoffs lightly as he plucks an apple. "I wouldn't bet on that." His voice is all too smug and satisfied like he knows something she doesn't. He limps back over on the cane. "I've just seen her strollin' down Main street with the good Captain Jones. Thick as thieves, they looked." His clipped accent is quiet, calm. There's a certain bite to 'good Captain Jones' that barely registers with Regina. At the moment, she tucks it away for further consideration.
"What?" Regina demands. That's impossible. There is no god-damned way that girl went from fearing for her miserable life to 'thick as thieves' with Hook. No way he should have been able to salvage, well, whatever the two of them had. If she knows anything about Hook, she should definitely know how vital his revenge is. No one and nothing comes before it! He'd lie, steal, cheat, and kill, anything he has to, just to kill Gold! Regina understands that about Hook. She's able to relate to that. Hell, she killed her own father to cast this curse!
It's very possible Gold is lying about Hook and Emma Swan. The girl doesn't seem like the type to be 'thick as thieves' with anyone. He seems awfully smug about the revelation. But Regina, as she considers, reluctantly concludes he's likely telling the truth. Telling the truth would make this far worse.
"Perhaps you should have come to me." Gold faces her head-on. "Miss Swan is a problem you can't fix. I'm only too happy to help." He nods slightly, as he tacks on. "For a price, of course."
She chuckles slightly. "I'm not in the business of making deals with you anymore." She turns back to her damaged tree, turning her back to Gold.
"To which deal are you referring?" he asks while critically examining the apple in his hand. She turns back with a glare, anxiously examining his face, his expression, his posture, his mannerisms. Does he remember? For a moment, she pictures the little imp, covered in scales, dirty teeth, giggling as he clings to the bars of his cell. 'You shall heed my every request, so long as I say…please!'
She whips back around, facing Gold. "Did you want her to come to town?" She barks out the unusual challenge. Gold's expression remains impassive, unreadable. "You wanted all this to happen, didn't you?"
"Whatever do you mean?" he asks quietly. The curse breaking! Time beginning to move forward! Me losing everything I've worked for! Regina considers for a moment. No, he has more to fear by Hook being here than I do. He doesn't want Hook here any more than I do.
The thought calms her down. But she can't help but think there's something off about Gold. There are a few beats before Regina continues down the same track. "Do you know something?"
"I have no idea what you're implying." That same voice, whispering out the statement, lacking any emotion. That same impassive face, meeting her challenge with a small, pleasant smile.
"I think you do." The corner of his mouth turns up ever so slightly, deepening the lines of his face. So he does know something. "Who is this girl, the delinquent, this Emma Swan?"
"I would say you think you know exactly who she is." His voice is a quiet confirmation, saying a lot while really saying nothing at all. Regina's heart thuds rapidly in her chest. 'All curses can be broken!' Every beat of Regina's heart seems to suggest what she's feared since the morning before.
She remembers her stepdaughter clinging desperately to the bloodied, unconscious body of her true love, asking contemptuously about a child, demanding to know where she was. Her black knight answered that the child was gone. It was in the wardrobe, and then it wasn't. That infuriating hope sparkled in Snow's teary eyes as she gasped, 'she got away.' She smiled as she turned her face up, stating with absolute certainty 'you're going to lose. I know that now. Good will always win' as she stared into the bloodless face of her beloved, cradling his head. The ominous clouds of the curse rolling in and the violent destruction they wrought in the nursery didn't phase Snow, though.
"I really must be going." Gold's voice is quiet and unassuming. He turns and begins to limp away. Regina steps around, coming to face him.
"Tell me what you know about her!" she aggressively demands.
"I'm not gonna answer you, dear. So I suggest you excuse me." She makes no move. "Please," he bites out. Regina feels struck down as the overwhelming force of her deal with the Dark One irresistibly compels her to grudgingly allow Gold to pass. He bites the apple in his hand with satisfaction. Her mouth drops open in her shock as she turns to watch him leave, carelessly tossing the apple over his shoulder at the hedge. Cold fear floods her, again, as she considers the possibility that the Dark One is awake.
Conclusions and new information from just the past two days hit Regina like a ton of bricks. Cora is alive in the Enchanted Forest. Hook is here in Storybrooke. Emma Swan is the beginning of the end of her curse. Time is moving forward. Graham is starting to resist her control. And Rumplestiltskin is awake. Unless she gets creative with the other possibilities of getting rid of Emma Swan, she's going to lose.