Miles To Go

Chapter Forty-Nine

A week after the Nolan baby made it's arrival into the world and the very same day as Cora's arrest, Emma paced the floor in her office, avoiding the mounting paperwork that was waiting to be completed on top of her desk.

For the last week she had been at peace of mind once she found out that Cora Mills had been taken to Boston, placed in a cell, and was charged with accessory to the murder of Bridget Sinclair. But not an hour earlier she had gotten the call from Carter explaining to her how the charges didn't stick once they brought her before a judge, the evidence tampered with and they had nothing else to hold her with and had no other choice but to let her go.

That meant in a few short hours, Cora Mills would be back in Storybrooke, maybe even sooner than that since Carter informed her she immediately hired a driver once she was released. This made Emma's already high stress level skyrocket through the roof.

"Em?" Ruby said as she tentatively knocked on her open office door. "It's five."

"Is it?"

"Yeah, so, do you want a ride home or are you walking?"

Emma groaned, almost forgetting that her Bug's engine had died on her this morning and Regina was going to the country club after she left the office to sign some paperwork for the wedding ceremony and reception as well as the rehearsal two nights before that Saturday.

"Yeah, sure."

"What's going on?" Ruby asked as they left the station, passing a sleepy, mumbling Booth as he came in for the night shift. "Em? You've been in your office for the last three hours pacing. Who called you earlier?"

"Carter did."

"And?"

"The charge they had against her didn't stick. The judge threw out the case and they had no other reason to keep her."

"That is ridiculous!" Ruby exclaimed. "So, what? They just let her walk free?"

"They have nothing against her! Nothing but Regina's word and they can't use that as significant evidence to keep her locked up behind bars where she belongs!"

Ruby stopped her just before they reached the red car and she placed both hands on Emma's shoulders. "One way or another, she'll get what is coming to her. The psycho bitch is going to mess up and it'll be all over for her."

Emma took a few deep breaths and sighed as Ruby pulled her into a hug. When they parted, they got into the car and when Ruby turned over the ignition, loud driving rock music filled the silence and neither moved to turn the radio down while Ruby drove Emma home.

The house was empty when Emma let herself in, the sound of the door shutting behind her echoing in the quiet. She kicked off her boots, dropped her keys and badge on the table just inside the dining room, keeping her gun holstered to her belt as she made her way to the kitchen to grab a cold beer out of the fridge.

Emma twisted off the cap and leaned up against the counter by the stove, pulling a long swig of her beer and then another. When would this end, when would she not have to worry about Cora Mills interfering with her life with Regina? Pulling another long swig from the bottle, Emma blew out a frustrated breath before effortlessly downing the rest of her beer.

**********

Regina sat across the small table from Kathryn inside of Storybrooke Country Club, a glass of red wine in front of each of them as they waited for the manager to return with the paperwork needed to book the wedding in just a few short weeks. They hadn't been waiting for long, but the manager had warned her that it may take a short while to get all the necessary paperwork in order.