Hello again Daniel
Emma had taken Roan's advice to heart. She dressed herself in a stunning white outfit and bought a vibrant red rose and a bottle of Red wine. Tonight, she was determined to follow her heart, spy games be damned. She was going to shoot her shot with Regina.
Emma stood outside Regina's green door, her heart pounding with anticipation. She knocked, and she could hear Regina's footsteps approaching. Regina opened the door, looking down as if she were expecting room service. "Emma!" Regina gasped, her surprise turning into a tentative smile. "Hi."
Emma returned the smile, but it quickly faded when a hand appeared at the edge of the door and pushed it open wider. "Hello, Emma." It was Daniel standing there, a smug look on his face.
"Daniel?" Emma said in shock, not expecting to see him at this moment.
"Miss me?" Daniel inquired with a knowing smirk, clearly aware of the awkward situation he had just walked into.
Emma returned home feeling dejected, a bottle of red wine in hand. She contemplated drinking it alone in her room to drown her sorrows. When she arrived, she found Kathryn and Fred in the living room, her sister looking tired from a long day's work and the unexpected visit from the CIA.
Kathryn seemed surprised by Emma's quick return and inquired, "Hey, that was a fast date. Is everything okay with you and Regina?"
Emma forced a smile for her sister's sake and replied, "Everything, except her ex is in town." She looked away, avoiding eye contact with the TV screen, and mumbled, "This dude has a really nasty habit of popping into my life at the most inopportune of times."
Fred chimed in, calling Daniel a "stalker ex," and adding, "Not awesome."
Kathryn furrowed her brows and questioned, "Do they know that you and Regina are dating?"
Emma nodded and explained, "Yeah. I just think he's taking the whole 'we can still be friends' thing to heart."
Fred tried to offer some reassurance, saying, "Don't sweat it, Emma. This guy can't hold a candle to you."
Kathryn, on the other hand, suggested, "And what does he have that's so great?"
Emma rolled her eyes and listed, "Uh, I don't know, good looks, a penis, sophistication, an exciting career, and much more history with Regina."
Kathryn tried to comfort her, saying, "You know what? I'm sure that Regina will take care of it. This guy will be out of your life in no time."
But Emma didn't share her optimism and sighed, "Something tells me it won't be quite that simple."
Kathryn offered a listening ear, asking, "Do you want to talk? Watch something else?"
Emma declined, slouching in the chair and saying, "No, I'm good. I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna hang." She muttered, "I'm fine. I'm gonna be fine. So, I'm just gonna sit here alone, not technically, but, you know, emotionally." She was trying to put on a brave face, but deep down, she was troubled by the unexpected reappearance of Regina's ex.
Ruby watched Aladdin from across the floor, grimacing at the meticulous inspection he was conducting in the store. Emma joined her friend, and Ruby couldn't hide her concern, saying, "Okay, look at this. This is what I'm talking about. I'm worried about Aladin as the new assistant manager."
Emma smirked and asked, "Why, is he making you work?"
Ruby scoffed, "Please, Emma. I have mad work-avoidance skills."
"True... true," Emma agreed.
Ruby continued, "No, he's drunk with power. I once read that Mussolini started in retail."
Emma chuckled, "Really?"
"Hmm. Mm-hmm."
Emma shrugged, saying, "It could be worse." She gestured toward Mal, who had stopped in front of her, tapping her watch. "It could be Mal."
Emma patted Ruby's shoulder and went to talk to Mal. The older blonde stated, "Lunch break: Orange Orange."
Emma grimaced, "Yogurt again? Can't we have a meatball sub?"
Mal, clearly annoyed, replied, "We're not eating, idiot. We got a new mission."
Emma's curiosity got the best of her, and she asked, "Does it have anything to do with Daniel- why he's in town?"
Mal wasn't one to offer up information easily, and she responded, "I don't know. If I know Colt, he's probably here for a roll in the hay with Walker."
Emma couldn't hide her irritation as she followed the agent out of the Apple store. She suspected that Mal was trying to push her buttons, and she wasn't happy about it.
Emma and Mal were already seated in Castle's debriefing room when Regina finally walked in. Emma looked at the brunette expectantly and leaned forward to speak in hushed tones. "Any idea what Daniel is doing in town? He's not staying with you, is he?"
Regina responded tersely, "Not now, Emma."
Suddenly, the video chat activated, and General Mills spoke, "Is there something you would like to share with the rest of the class, Ms. Swan?"
Emma shook her head, turning her attention to the video wall. "No, sorry, General. Zipping it up."
General Mills began the debriefing, revealing the seriousness of the Fulcrum threat. She explained, "The Fulcrum threat is far worse than it originally appeared. We've learned one of their agents stole an encrypted microchip containing top-secret information out of the DNI."
The group exchanged nervous glances. The general continued, "The information on the chip contained highly classified intelligence—a refresh for the new Intersect."
Regina's face fell, and she asked, "Is there anything on that chip that could compromise our cover?"
The general responded with concern, "Unfortunately, yes." She revealed that Fulcrum had hired Von Hayes, a wealthy software magnate, to decrypt the chip and deliver the encoded information back to them. A picture of Mr. Hayes was shown on the screen.
"Mr. Hayes is throwing a lavish party at his Bel Air estate this evening," General Mills continued, and Emma couldn't help but smile at the prospect of the mission. "The finest dining, music, and food. Your job will be to pose as a married couple and steal back the chip."
Emma grinned, "See? This is what I'm talking about, General." She was excited to be in Regina's arms in this capacity again. "Finally, a mission I can sink my teeth into. Dust off the tux, polish up the dancing shoes…"
But the general had different plans. She interrupted, "No, Emma. This mission is going to require a real spy."
Just as she said that, the door opened dramatically, and Daniel walked in. Emma couldn't deny that she still had a small spark for him, even though she was mad at herself for it.
"Sorry I'm late," Daniel stated. "L.A. traffic's still the worst."
General Mills explained, "Daniel will be posing as Regina's husband. Emma, you'll be posing as a waiter. Try and flash on and identify the Fulcrum agent."
Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out a diamond ring, reaching for Regina's left hand. "Well, Mrs. Smith," he said, smiling. Regina nervously looked between Emma and Daniel, shocked by how ready he was to make her his wife.