"Do you want me to come in and help you?"
"Don't you dare, I can do it on my own!"
Emma rolled her eyes and let herself sink back into the leather sofa where she had been sitting for over an hour now. The potted plant behind her poked her in the neck as soon as she leaned too far back and the fan above her blew far too cold air into the stuffy room for her to find it pleasant. She had already flipped through the fashion magazine in her hand three times by now.
"What are you doing in there? A few shirts, pants and underwear, how long can that take? You're supposed to be wearing functional clothes, not going to a ball!" A frustrated noise from behind the curtain of the changing room made Emma smile.
"Miss Swan, I realize you're comfortable in your kicks and scuffed jacket, preferably with sweatpants. I don't feel comfortable if my clothes don't have at least some style... What a load of crap!"
A thump sounded and Emma was already on her feet, but as Regina continued to swear like a city soldier, she was probably all right. The blonde looked apologetically at another customer who was engaged in a conversation with a sales assistant as they passed the changing rooms. "I just want to let you know that you can be heard. And I'm going to come in now."
"Emma, don't you dare!"
"Too late." She had already poked her head between the curtain and the partition and was looking at the mess of clothes on the floor around Regina. The thudding had only been caused by a crutch that had fallen over, adding to the mess.
Regina looked at her angrily and crossed her arms in front of her upper body, which was only covered by a bra and the bandage around her ribs. "I told you to stay out!"
"Oh my goodness, don't act like that. You're not even naked, then I could understand the excitement, so relax a bit."
"You want me to what?" Regina asked dangerously quiet.
Emma immediately rowed back, as she should have realized that she couldn't talk to her like that, especially not after they had just pulled themselves back together. "I'm just saying... It's getting late, the sofa out there is getting really uncomfortable after a while and I'm pregnant, my baby is really hungry. If you tell me what I can get you, I'll get it for you. Or I'll help you with the sorting. With all this stuff, do you even remember what fitted you and what didn't?"
"I can't get into the pants," Regina suddenly said, before looking away from her. "I can't stand on one leg and when I sit down to get dressed, I can't bend over that far because my ribs hurt."
Emma took a deep breath. She realized that she now had to be even gentler with her. "Regina, it's not that bad."
"It's very bad!"
"No, it's not. I'm happy to help you with it. And it doesn't have to be funny if we don't make it funny, all right? Can I come in with you?" She could see the muscles in Regina's jaw working before she nodded slowly, her eyes still averted from her. "Okay," her lips formed a whisper and she drew the curtain back behind her once she was inside the cabin. "Definitely too tight for three people," she grinned briefly as she realized how cramped it actually was.
Regina didn't feel like smiling, however, so she simply held out a pair of trousers to Emma without saying a word.
Emma grabbed them and pulled them up her legs before helping her up from her seated position and pulling the garment all the way up. Her heart skipped a beat as she brushed Regina's back with her belly. "So, what do you think?" she asked quickly.
Regina took a quick look at herself in the mirror before nodding. "That's probably all I can expect." Even if you couldn't see it, the bald spot on her head still bothered her immensely, in addition to the slightly stooped posture she had adopted due to the pain in her middle and her unsteady stance. She simply didn't feel comfortable in her skin. The pants were also a little too baggy, but she assumed that she would soon return to her normal weight if Emma continued to stuff her with fast food.
"It looks good and I'm not saying that because I want to get out of here quickly," Emma stated, who put a hand on her arm from behind and returned her gaze in the mirror.
Regina gave another curt nod.
They repeated the procedure with four more pairs of pants before Emma gathered everything they were going to buy, Regina sat back down in her wheelchair in front of the changing room and they made their way to the checkout.
The 'Fiery Glow' was just pulling into the harbor when Hook stepped onto the upper deck with his things. The crossing had taken just one day, giving him four days to get back to the ship in time for the journey back.
"Thank you for your kindness, Captain," Hook addressed the ship's captain, who was supervising his crew as they moored the ship and began to unload the goods.
Redhat bowed his head slightly. "You have worked well and earned your place. If you are still interested in coming back with us, be at the harbor at sunrise in four days. Otherwise, we'll leave without you. Any stragglers will be on their own."
Hook nodded and slung his duffel bag over his shoulder. "Aye, I have understood. Good luck with your merchandise sales." With that, he hurried across the gangway from the ship and shortly afterwards had the solid planks of the jetty and a little later the cobblestones of the harbor under his boots. It was a dense crowd and he was unintentionally bumped aside more than once as someone tried to make their way through the crowd with baskets full of fruit, vegetables, fabrics and many other treasures.
As he left the main hub and stepped through a narrow alleyway onto the actual trading square, four days suddenly seemed far too short a period of time when he saw the many colorful stalls. Awnings were stretched as far as the eye could see, under which merchants shouted their treasures and potential buyers scurried between the stalls like ants, trying to outbid each other.
Hook's eyebrow shot up in disbelief and he took in the sight for a while until someone bumped him roughly against the back again, causing him to stumble two steps forward; only now did he realize that he had stopped in the middle of the alley, almost completely blocking the already narrow passageway.
"New here?" the voice of a woman next to him asked, whom he hadn't even noticed when he had fled into a doorway.
"Aye, just passing through."
"Travelers are usually on the lookout. What are you looking for?"
Hook eyed her hesitantly. She looked completely average and unremarkable and her narrow face, framed by chin-length dark blond hair, would have been lost in the crowd.
A smirk formed on her lips. "Ah, I see. I figured you weren't here to buy a box of tomatoes. And why should you trust me?"
"I'm not actually looking for tomatoes, even if their juicy flavor does have its appeal," Hook finally nodded when he couldn't find a reason not to confide in her. After all, it wasn't illegal to buy or possess magic beans. "I'm more looking for business of a different kind. Magical items and the like."
She scrutinized him from head to toe with curious eyes. "You don't look like a magic wielder to me. Are you a wizard's servant?"
"I am my own master and I need a magic bean to open a portal safely."
Snorting, she laughed. "A magic bean? What makes you think you'll find it here? These beans are extremely rare, if not no longer available at all. And you probably couldn't afford the price anyway."
"Can you help me, or am I just wasting my time with this conversation?" he asked gruffly, already leaving the steps of the entrance to the house.
"Try your luck on the Moonlight Alley. There are a few small stores there that should suit your needs better than the market. But be warned: not all mages sell herbs and tinctures. There are also shady characters here who deal in the dark arts. And there's another problem. They won't let you in." She pointed in the approximate direction of the alley.
"Thank you, even for the warning, though I'm quite sure I can take care of myself. Let that be my worry."
"I'm sure you will." She bowed her head, turned, and within moments the crowd had swallowed her as if she had never existed.
Once again, Regina could only watch as Emma put the bags in the car, which made her furious. She finally wanted to be able to do something again and not let her friend do all the work.
"Don't scowl now. At least you've got something to wear now," Emma pointed out, who met her gaze for a moment and slammed the trunk lid shut.
"But I'm not a little kid who's all right with the world once she's got nice clothes. I still think about the fact that you have to play my nanny in your condition and I still don't like the idea."
"And I've told you many times that I don't mind. I'm sure you'll return the favor eventually, even if you don't have to." She propped her forearms on the roof of the car and looked over it at Regina. "If I hadn't had you, I wouldn't have been here for a long time. Think of the countless times you've saved my ass. I can never make up for that anyway, so I'd say you don't owe me anything and we're even at best."
Regina looked at her, still scowling, and shook her head. "Those were life and death situations. When you rescued me from the burning town hall, you said that's what decent people do. Well, now I know you're right. But this isn't one of them. This is just an annoying problem you've had to deal with since you tracked me down here."
"My goodness, Regina. Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same if it were the other way around. Come on, this conversation is completely unnecessary. I mean, we're hanging out together now because we're the only ones left of our family. Is that such a bad thing?"
"It's got nothing to do with it! When you finally get that..." She broke off, her eyes widened and her voice turned into a shrill scream: "Emma, watch out!"