Emma had been reading news and information online about Gold's heir, Gideon. She called Driz and asked her to talk him into doing an investment with her on a new project and he agreed to meet her.
"About the investment of the Gold bank, you can ask Regina directly from her since she has been helping my dad, she knows everything you need to know." He was proud to represent the family, she guessed.
"Well, that's too bad since Drizella has to replace her soon."
"Really? That's amazing then! Now that Regina is free, she could be my secretary instead. You know I've been asking her for years and she kept denying it." He said excitedly, too much for her liking.
Emma's face was all but unsatisfied with the answer she got. She hated the gushing feeling in her stomach at the thought of Regina working with him, so close together. She'd never believe that there wasn't something going on between them as Gideon was so eager, enamored even to have Regina close to him.
"Thanks for today then. I'll keep in touch with you." Emma cut short, bored of his face suddenly.
"You're welcome. Anytime." He smiled and they said goodbye.
She stopped smiling the moment her back turned to him.
First, it was the talk with Gideon that had her all riled up, and now the wrong paper that Ruby handed her while she asked for a detail of a meeting.
Ruby accidentally gave her the resignation paper from Regina instead.
She thought back to what Gideon said and it made her angry. She would not let Regina go in peace or work with that man ever.
Emma squeezed the paper in her hand into a fist.
Regina hurried to her old mecedez after she just finished a long meeting. Turned out her car suddenly died down on her today. Graham came out just in time and called the mechanic for her. So now they stood watching her car being towed away.
"Thank you for calling the mechanic for me, Graham." Regina smiled.
"Don't worry about it. This mechanics is superb! He works neat and fast. But how are you gonna get home now?" He asked with worry.
"Calling a cab is the only way for me."
"I can drive you home, is that okay?" He offered.
"Oh, thank you!" She accepted his offer with a small smile.
But before they could get to the car, Graham's phone rang and he picked up. It was Emma who calling. Regina stood waiting for him to finish the call.
"Um, I have to go to the factory now. I'm sorry I can't drive you home today, Regina." He turned to make an apology to her.
"It's fine I can-"
"Emma said that she would be driving you home. She told you to wait for her at the front building and she will pick you up. She said don't run or go home without her, please." The last past must be of him begging her.
She understood and nodded, not wanting him to have any more trouble with Emma.
Emma would pick her up? That sounded strange.
After being left alone on the sidewalk last night, she determined to not work for Emma anymore. The more she tried to be nice the more Emma seemed to hate her. She couldn't live like this. The last event that they faced to face was bad enough as it was.
She just wanted to be in peace and not have more problems following her because of the blonde.
So she simply stood there and waited.
"I've been preparing the event since this evening, there was nothing wrong happened." Snow frowned as she spoke with Graham.
"But Emma told me to help you here! She said it was urgent. I even stated that I was busy since Regina's car broke down and I was going to drive her home, Emma still insisted on me coming here and that she would be the one to drive Regina home." He said, fanning himself as he rushed to get to the factory in the late hours.
"That right there! That was why she sent you here!" Snow gasped.
Graham scratched his head in confusion.
"What reason?!"
"I think Emma wants to have a talk with Regina about resigning." Snow made a point with her finger.
"What? I don't think so, why would she make me drive for hours here?! That makes no sense!" Graham was upset.
"Well, It's worth the drive here, Graham! If it can change Emma's mind, not firing Regina."
"Is that too much?"
"You talk like you don't know what Emma is like, Gram?" Snow chuckled. "She can do more than that if she wants."
Emma stood watching Regina pacing back and forth below the building, waiting for her for hours now she assumed. She was still in her office, looking down through her window. When she asked Regina to wait for her the sun was still set and now the sky was dark and it looked like it's gonna rain soon.
Not a moment later, It's raining.
She watched as Regina walked in her heels, and hurried to get inside the building when she slipped and fell on her knees. The paper in the work files in her arms flew all over and soaked. Regina kneeled in the rain and gathered them.
She left her office, umbrella in hand, and stood over Regina in time as Regina stood up from the fall.
Their eyes met as she saw Regina's damp hair pasted over her forehead and her dress was damp from the rain. She resisted the urge to wipe her dark hair away for her. Regina finally tugged her wet hair back behind her ear.
They stood so close under the same umbrella. She continued to watch as Regina shifted uncomfortably in her feet.
"Let's go." She said and walked away without waiting for Regina.
She went in the car first, watching Regina hit by the rain again, and ran to get inside the car.
"Careful! Don't let the water ruin my seat! I hate it." She coldly stated.
Regina flinched on the seat at her reprimand, flipping her wet hair back from her face again. Emma squinted her eyes as a droplet of water from the brunette hit her.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to." Regina turned to say sorry to her. Emma snapped her head back at her.
"You intended to do just that."
Regina sighed.
"Just like when you intended for me to stand waiting for you until it's raining, isn't it?" Regina stared hard at her. She didn't say anything.
"If that's the case then we're even." Regina finished and leaned back against the headrest, whipping water from her face.
She would know Regina wouldn't keep quiet and be a saint forever to not get back at her somehow.
The rain had stopped when they reached Regina's home.
"Thanks for driving me home." Regina reluctantly said and was about to get out of the car.
"Wait." She waited until Regina turned to face her. "About the resignation. I won't allow it."
"I don't care if you allow it or not, I'll quit the other way." Regina stared straight not speaking with her in the eyes.
"You ran when you're impatient. You ran when you're afraid to tell the truth." Emma snapped.
Regina finally turned to look at her, eyes hard as ever.
"I never run from anything."
Her blood boiled at that. She couldn't believe her own ear.
"What about writing a note and leaving to marry off a man, then coming back as a whole new persona? You tell me then if it's not running then what is it?!" Emma yelled.
"It is called starting a new life. When life throws in a new condition and you can't choose it. I have to leave the past and start a new one. If you still think it calls running then I won't explain any further." Regina was getting out of the car for real.
"If the past can be easily forgotten then have you ever loved someone?" Emma asked, seeing Regina's hand still on the doorknob.
"I shouldn't be asked of that. I was married, remember?" With that Regina got off the car.
She got off too and followed her to the gate.
"But being married doesn't mean you're in love with someone. Some married for money."
Regina stopped and turned around to face her. She stepped closer to her face, wanting to see any emotion in those brown eyes. Anything that made her not hate her even more than she was.
"Yes, dear. For someone, money is more important than love."
Hearing that it was like someone tore her heart out and tore it apart again.
"So this is the real you, right? The old Regina I used to know wasn't like this at all."
"I don't know what version of her you know of. I don't recall the past that hurt me, I let it go."
She couldn't do any of that when Regina was the one who came back to her, maybe to haunt her forever for being such a damn fool. For believing in their young love.
Emma gripped her arms tightly and abruptly pulled her closer, searching her eyes for something in there. It hurt to see such a cold stare right back at her.
"And you chose to forget me, is that it, Regina?" Emma asked. She jolted Regina's arms again when Regina only blinked at her.
"If the old Regina hurt you, you should forget all about her and move on."
That was not the answer she had wanted to hear from the brunette herself. She was hurt and disappointed again and again by this woman who stood in front of her. If Regina asked for forgiveness right then, she might even come back and grovel at her feet.
"Mommyyy!"
A tiny voice screamed from inside the house as Regina turned around, leaving her cold. The gate of her house was open and a little boy came running out to greet her. Not long a second voice followed.
"Not so quick, buddy! You'll fall!"
Apparently, Gideon was here. She gritted her teeth at them for acting like a big happy family.
Regina lowered herself down to face her son.
"Come, say hello to my boss, Henry," Regina said.
"Hi! I'm Henry!"
"Oh! Miss Swan! Good to see you here." Gideon came up behind Henry and put his hands on his tiny shoulders, locking him in a position not to run again. He looked back and forth between her and Regina.
"My car broke down and it's raining so Emma volunteered to drive me home." Regina smiled at him.
"That's bad. How's your car now?" He asked.
"In the garage, I have to check up tomorrow for the result."
He turned to thank her and she wanted to puke.
"Thanks for driving her home. I'll take care of the rest from now on, so you don't have to bother about her." He gave her a sincere smile.
She simply looked at him and gave him the tiniest nod.
"I'm hungry, mom." Henry looked up at his mom with wide brown eyes.
"Why haven't you eaten, mister?" Regina pretended to gasp and slightly scolded him.
"He wants to wait and eat with you," Gideon added and rubbed Henry's hair. "Let's go, shall we? I don't want this little man here to starve before his bedtime!" He chuckled.
"Okay, come, Henry." Regina adjusted the strap on her shoulder and took his tiny hand in her.
Before they were all going inside the house, Gideon turned around and asked her.
"Do you wanna stay for dinner, Miss Swan?"
"Um, no. I don't wanna intrude on you guys's family time. Excuse me." She gave them a polite smile. She took a glance at Regina and Regina avoided her gaze anyway.
She turned back to her car, all the while hearing their little chitchat. She couldn't help but turn her head back to see the last glimpse of Regina's back, holding hands with her son and Gideon beside him, walking together back inside as the gate of her house slowly closed in on her, the outsider.
She took a hard jump into the pool and swam as many labs as possible after she went back from Regina's house.
The happy family picture still haunted behind her eyelids.
Regina left her and now played a family with her stepson when the brunette said nothing was going on between them.
Why would he be at her house at this hour, preparing dinner and looking after her son?
She didn't believe any nonsense thing Regina told her.
All she knew was Regina broke her heart and continued so.
She dived up from the water as her oxygen ran out, and stood in the middle of the pool. She was hurt and angry.
Regina left for money.
She was rich now and seemed to be a second to that national bank's son.
Regina never smiled at her or laughed at her like she did with him.
Regina never paid attention to her, never being truthful to her.
She slapped the water with her arms, it was harsh and her skin burned, like her heart that was now burned for something else for Regina entirely. She yearned for something that made Regina feel like she did right now.
Suffering and madness.
She wanted revenge.
A phone rang on her bedside table pulling Regina from her slumber.
She rubbed her eyes and sat against the headboard, reaching out to take the call. It was Graham.
"Hello?" She squinted her eyes as she turned on the night lamp.
It was five in the morning for heaven's sake.
"Sorry to call so early! Emma told me to pick you up at your home before seven and send you to the factory today." He sounded like he was brushing his teeth.
Regina wasn't sleepy anymore, hearing how early it was to go to work. She was still in bed.
"Seven?!"
"She has something for you to do." then a brushing sound continued.
After hurrying up and dressing herself in a skirt and a blouse, Regina puffed her hair in the mirror before going out to meet Graham. Not long after they arrived at the factory, Regina, Graham even Snow had to rush here and stand listening to Emma's instructions for the day.
"Tomorrow, we'll have an overseas visitor tour of the Swan factory. I want you to clean this area up." Emma said while pointing at her and at the junk piled that was high up almost to her head. It was filled with cardboard boxes on the ground.
Regina gasped looking around the factory that was filled with dust and boxes.
"Clean up everything, moping and dusting. Oh! Set up the drinking area and clear the dust up there too." Emma pointed above their head.
They all looked up to see the cobweb gathered on the roof's tiebeam.
"I want it all to be perfect today." Emma smiled.
Regina's lips still parted from the order she had to do today, she didn't know being a secretary, she was being told to clean up this whole place like a maid.
"What? Clear the roof up there?!" Snow pointed her finger up in the sky and asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, I want the visitor to be super impressed."
"I think it's too much for, Regina. Let our maid and staff do it, wouldn't that be better?" Graham blurted out beside her in a concerned voice.
"No. I let our maid clear the out front and I also let the staff prepare the room. No one was free except… your secretary."
"You can't let Regina do all this alone?!" Graham confronted Emma.
Regina looked back and forth. She shouldn't go with a skirt today then.
"I don't know how you do it but I want everything to be clean today." Emma especially looked at her.
She stared back, not backing down either.
"Fine." Regina accepted the nonsense task she was assigned to do.
"Regina I th-" Snow was about to add something to her when Emma interrupted again.
"Snow, could you be so kind as to look at the new wastewater treatment machine that I just ordered for the factory, please?" Emma said then turned to Graham. "You, Graham, go inspect the shop and run me the details later, okay?"
"Alright." He said then turned to her. "Maybe I'll-"
"Go now, Graham!" Emma yelled and he flinched. "Okay! Gee, Emma!" He was confused but still did what the blonde told him and left.
Emma was thinking something in her head while she kept looking at Regina like that. She stared back until Emma turned and left her in the factory.
After everyone left her alone in the factory. She started her task.
She put boxes in a cart to clear the area.
She carried empty boxes and at one point, her heels were the problem for her task today, she kicked them off and walked barefoot, leaving her feet covered in dirt and dust. She didn't care at this point how dirty she'd get, she'd get everything in perfect order and prove to Emma that she could take and do whatever Emma threw her way.
She sweep and mop the damn floor. Sweat gathered on her forehead, she used the back of her hand to wipe away the sweat and put her hair into a low ponytail at some point. She was sure her face must have some dark spot on it. She didn't have time for a bathroom break when half of the factory was still not clear.
She looked at the time and it was two in the afternoon.
Shit
It was almost over. She looked up at the dust and cobwebs on the wall above her and ran to gather the ladder with a boom in hand because the duster was not long enough for her to reach the top.
Damn, Emma Swan.
She coughed when the dust flew to her face as she was dusting the dirt off on the top of the ladder. She scrunched her nose up in disgust.
A sneeze and then she cursed the name Swan before she went back to her task.
Her eyes caught sight of the blonde stood watching her from the garden. She thought Emma was crazy for pointing at her watch and mouthed her to hurry up. She sighed and turned back to her task not minding the blonde any further.
Graham rolled the cart full of boxes to her when he got a call from Emma to run another errand instead. Emma seemed to give everyone something to do that was not helping her. It was clear when Graham was here for just ten minutes helping her and Emma told him to go elsewhere.
She had been on the ladder for sometime now, wiping the glass when her balance was lost and the ladder made her sway. She put her hand against the glass wall and a yelp escaped her throat.
Suddenly the ladder was still again, she looked down and saw Snow was holding the ladder still for her. She sighed.
"Regina! Be careful!" Snow yelled up at her.
"It's high up! Let me do it for you, Regina. I think you can't reach that." Graham was concerned and offered himself instead.
He tried to help her down but she was scared of the fall because it was pretty high up. She shifted her foot and the ladder swayed again.
"What are you guys doing?!" Emma's voice came out of nowhere and spooked them all.
Graham and Snow looked at Emma and he accidentally stumbled back against a bucket of water and fell backward, pulling Snow with her who was holding onto Regina's ladder.
It was that moment when her muscle memory reflex as Emma took big steps when she saw the ladder was about to fall and Regina screamed.
She held the fallen brunette in her arms as they both hit the ground safely.
Regina was practically laid spawn on top of her. Emma ran out of breath when she looked up at those brown orbs.
She saw sweat run down the bridge of her nose and a smear of dust across Regina's cheek. She stared at her and a flash of fear and relief was there in her brown eyes.
Emma reached out her thumb to wipe the dirt away from her cheek, making Regina look at her expectedly. Before Regina put her hands against her chest to pull herself up. The brunette was breathing hard.
"Are you okay, Regina? Are you hurt?!" She asked frantically, hands grabbing her shoulder. Emma scanned her body, looking for injury with a concerned face as she saw Regina trembling slightly maybe from the exhaustion or from the fall she wasn't sure.
She really looked at her and the sight made her heart sink, Regina was barefoot, her hair was in a messy ponytail now, and some strain had fallen on her forehead. She pushed her fallen hair away.
She didn't know if the accident made her realize what almost losing her again felt like.
Suddenly Regina was being pulled into a hug, and Emma put her chin on her shoulder. Regina was surprised but didn't pull away. She really saw it, the concern, the worry, the care in those green eyes before Emma pulled her in a hug. She didn't imagine it.
A coughing sound, Snow to be exact, made Emma abruptly pull away from her and stand up. Regina sat there, confused at what just happened.
"I said don't come here to help! What are you guys doing here?!" Emma asked Snow and Graham, both still sitting on the ground.
"Did you use your pity then, huh? Bringing both Snow and Graham here to help you?" Emma suddenly turned cold toward her. She gasped at the accusation.
What was wrong with the blonde?
"Wait, wait, Emma. Regina didn't ask for our help but we're just come say hi! To see the progress." Snow interrupted with an explanation.
"You saw it now?! Go back and do your job!" Emma ordered.
"But-"
"No, but, Graham, come with me." Emma turned to her again. "If you're fine, then just get back to work. You have to finish the task today if not you aren't allowed to go home." Then Emma walked away.
She wiped at her arms where she fell.
"Are you al-"
"Graham!" Emma snapped
Graham sighed and she gave him a small smile indicating that she was fine and he hurried up behind his boss.
"Thank you." Regina took the coffee from Snow's hand as they sat on the bench together on the break.
"I know that your first impression with Emma was not so good." Snow was sweet, trying to comfort her. "Me too, you know the first time I met her I really think she was crazy."
"How?" Regina put the cup down, intrigued to listen to the story now.
"She was crazy for reaching out to me when my small fabric factory was about to shut down. She didn't ask much just to borrow my machine, she said she had idea, of how to sell and that she would do everything by herself." Snow chuckled with a small smile. "She promised we'll grow rich together. I believed her when she handed me my first check. Do you how much she made back then, Regina?"
"Tell me." Regina smiled.
"Ten million! I asked her why would she work hard and wanted to be rich at a young age. Because I didn't her with parents or has anyone with her back then. She told me she used to have a girlfriend, but she left her and so Emma told me that she wanted to be rich, a millionaire even, maybe that person would look back at her somehow."
Regina was overwhelmed, she was glad that Emma could do this and succeed at what she loved to do all by herself.
"I still don't know who she was. But her ex really pushed her into the Emma Swan today." Snow turned to face her.
"I told you all this because I want you to know that Emma has been through a lot. She may seem cruel and hurt others. But if you get past all that you'll see that Emma is a lovely person. She loves her employees very much too. I hope you get past her exterior one day." Snow smiled.
"Maybe what she did with me is a punishment, not a choosing employee process like you, Snow." Regina looked up when Snow was silent and saw her looking all confused at what she was talking about.
"Thanks for the support, Snow. You think you're lucky to have a boss like her, right? But I think she's the lucky one to have a friend like yours. I have to go back to my cleaning now."
It was late, almost eight.
Emma walked into the factory, wanting to see the progress of Regina's works. She was surprised to hear a tiny voice mixed with a low tone telling a story.
She stood hidden behind a high rack and poked her head out. Regina was on the phone with her son as she was telling him bedtime story.
It was a story about a butterfly that promised to come back to bring all the food to the land and in the end it succeeded.
The brunette was so animated, in contrast to the daytime when she was in the office. Regina was smiling and laughing as her son probably missing his mom and didn't want to go to sleep.
"Henry what did I tell you? Do you remember?"
Emma couldn't help but grin at the sight. Regina had to act hard but really Regina was a softie.
"Yes, you have to go to sleep once I finish the story. Goodnight, sweetheart, love you." Regina put the phone down and sighed, hands rubbing her tired face.
She stepped out of her hiding rack, hands in her pocket as she watched Regina slowly slide on top of the desk and about to close her eyes when she noticed her standing there as Regina shifted on her side facing her.
"Em- Miss Swan! How long have you been here?"
Regina suddenly sprung up from the chair, facing her. Hand putting hair behind her ears.
Her lips twitched at the almost slipped name.
"Long enough to hear the promising story you tell. Don't you think it's too much that you are teaching your kid to keep the promise but you can't?" Emma couldn't help but taunt the other as she was almost caught staring.
Regina's face looked so tired, the brunette let out an exasperate sign.
"I never forget my promises, if I happen to forget, that means I never make promises with anyone. I can't help it if you are still clinging on to the non existing promise." Regina turned around to go outside. Emma followed her.
"I know that a person like you, promise mean nothing compared to money."
"Yes I do love doing an over time shift. I'll count every second as my paycheck." Regina gave her a sarcastic smile.
"Fine! It's just a tiny amount of money for me. It's worth it when I get to see you…suffer."
Regina pressed her lips together and sighed, not wanting to talk with the annoying blonde further so she left to find a cab home.
"Wait! You can't go, Regina." Emma shouted, pulled on her arms and she had to close the car door.
"I'll drive you home." Emma said.
"No. Don't worry, I'll let you pay for my ride as well as my late night shift. And I'll arrive at the office in time tomorrow morning."
Regina was annoyed and tired, she spoke for a long run, not letting Emma interrupted her. She turned to open the door, suddenly a hand grip her arm, pulled her backward to the strong body behind her.
"I said I'll drive you." Emma said in her ear.
She lost her temper at the childish act from the blonde. She pushed Emma away, hated to be touch and told.
"I told you I don't wanna go with you! What the hell is wrong with you today? I let you use me all day, wasn't that enough?" Regina let out an angry rant. Seeing Emma's face not admitted what she did, made her angry even more.
"Just stop acting like a child!"
"What are you implying?"
"You're the one who did everything out of temper, without seeing any reason! You never think of someone else's feelings but your own."
"Are you accusing me?!"
"I wasn't praising you! You worked me like a dog. I won't stand this abuse. Even if you won't let me quit I'll still walk away! You know that I used to do that before. I'm not afraid to do it again."
Emma gasped.
It was with so much emotion Regina ever said to her.
"Wait!"
She yelled but the brunette already got in the cab and told the cab to drive away from her. She kicked the dirt as her eyes stared at the car pulling away, thinking of her next plan.
