happy endings | ouat (slow updates)

matters of the law

post s01ep08 desperate souls & pre s01ep09 true north - matters of the law

"Congratulations," a voice that was becoming far too familiar to him for his liking drawled from by Graham's shoulder. "You seem to have caused quite the stir."

He shuffled from his left foot to his right, eyes fixed on Emma as she sat on a bench next to Henry. He was a ball of human nerves. "Yeah, I like to think we're making a difference. People shouldn't feel like her mayorship is a dictatorship."

"Yes," he said, voice taking on an indeterminable edge. "The people seem to have quite a bit to say to our dear old Madame Mayor."

Graham's curiosity got the better of him, and he turned in the direction of Rumplestiltskin's voice and glanced at Regina a few metres behind him arguing viciously with the front of what was becoming a queue of angry citizens. Leroy was all but foaming at the mouth as she tried to manoeuvre past him and his six equally fuming friends. She looked up fleetingly, and her expression hardened as she caught sight of Graham and Rumplestiltskin. Planting a hand firmly on a dwarf's chest, she shoved him away and sent two of his friends down like bowling pins. But Graham didn't have time to figure out how he knew that expression, because it was Regina's mouth which was foaming as she stalked up to him. Next to him, his impish companion settled into a comfortable smirk.

"You." Regina spat, her saliva miraculously missing both of her targets. "What did I tell you, Graham? What did I tell you?!" She reached into her pantsuit pocket and in a dangerously sharp move, threw Graham's sheriff badge at him. The intensity of her fury seemed to increase after he caught it, and her expression was positively deadly. "You may have won this battle, but there is a much bigger war coming your way. You took the only thing I love from me, and now I'm taking him right back."

Rumplestiltskin seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, basking in Regina's wrath like she was issuing praise. "Bold words, Madame Mayor. But do you really think we're all going to stand here cowed by your empty threats any longer?" He tilted his head in a cat-like gesture with amusement.

The object of his attention broke into a fierce grin, white teeth on display. "Empty threats? Tread carefully, Gold. I have her."

The power vacuum that existed between was so thick it was almost tangible. Gold leaned on his cane with two hands, eyes darkening as his smirk reached them. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Around them, the assembling crowd waited with bated breath. Regina all but hissed. "But you do. Deep in there, I know you do. You can't risk standing against me."

"I think you'll find," Rumplestiltskin leered, "I can and I am . In what world, Madame Mayor, do you have power over me?"

She chuckled darkly, his irony not lost on her but him giving her the perfect expression to keep up the pretence it was lost on him. There was an upheaval in the crowd as someone pushed through it, Emma revealing herself and Henry to the murmurs of the town and Graham's panic.

"Emma-" He half-whispered, looking her in the eye and trying to get her to understand. Eyes blazing, she avoided his gaze.

Henry stepped in front of her and folded his arms. "You're not taking me. You can't." He glared at his adoptive mother defiantly. "I'm not yours."

This elicited a similar response from Regina, who also crossed her arms and spoke strongly. "Oh, really? I think you'll find that I can." There was another, louder rustle amongst those gathered as a face unfamiliar to Graham pushed to the forefront of the crowd. Regina eyed him with significantly less contempt than she usually gave people. "You're late."