So Does This Make Us Both The Other Woman?

13. Hearts And An Apple Turnover (Some Poisoned, Some Not)

She wedges the Tupperware container under her arm and glances once at the missed calls from Emma still marked on her phone when she pushes open the door to the sheriff's office. Emma hasn't left any voicemails, but she's been stubbornly calling several times a day and Regina has been ignoring her with equal stubbornness.

Answering the phone would have meant forgiving her for storming out of the house like a child when she'd been sick and should have known better, and Regina hadn't been prepared for that conversation (Never mind that it would lead to a discussion of the reasons why Emma had stormed out. Never mind that) for days. It doesn't help that Emma's so damned easy to forgive, and she'd wanted to hold onto her resentment for just a little longer.

And now she's finally ready to talk on her own terms. She doesn't know how this conversation might end, where they might be when it's over. There's too much left unsaid between them, too much that Emma doesn't understand, and she's determined to try to communicate it again.

"Emma, I wanted to–" She stops, glowering at the sheriff's desk with startled displeasure.

Hook tips his head in acknowledgement. "Afternoon, Majesty."

Her lip curls unpleasantly. "What are you doing here? I don't recall putting money in the town budget for a deputy who spends more time flat on his back on the ground than doing anything useful."

"Always a charmer." He puts a foot on the desk. She stares pointedly at it until he removes it again, grinning up at her like he thinks he's endearing enough to get away with it. Her expression doesn't change. He's no Emma Swan. "I'm sorry to say that my lady is still quite incapacitated. She sent me here to rescue any cats that may need her assistance today."

"She's still sick? It's been days!" she says, distracted from her disdain. She's been halfway expecting Emma to charge into her office and demand that they talk, and she's been nearly...disappointed that it hadn't happened. If Emma's still holed up in the Jolly Roger, that'd explain it, at least. "Where's David? Shouldn't he be standing in for her?"

"Alas, David's been booted from the house as well. They've taken over my cabin and have Smee out on errands for them all day. He's talking about leaving the ship." He grimaces, and Regina's almost grateful that Emma had left for a moment. "What's in the container?"

She glances down at her Tupperware. "It's an apple turnover." She'd made it to add some levity to what was going to be a tense confrontation. And there's the added bonus that she's never seen Emma run off when there's dessert to be had, of course. "No poison this time."

Hook looks blank. She sighs irritably. "Never mind. I'll go deliver it to her."

She's halfway out the door when Hook says, "You know, a man always knows when he has a rival for his lady's heart."

She stops, trepidation crawling down her shoulders to her chest. "How convenient for you."

"There's no shame in it, love." He smiles genially and she wants to hurl a fireball directly into his smug unshaven face. "We may not agree on much, Regina, but I believe we both do have this one thing in common."

Her arms are crossed when she turns, her teeth gritted together, and Killian Jones is the last person she wants to have this conversation with. Emma might be a close second-to-last, but at least it's her business. Hook is just a bystander who happens to be Emma's flavour of the week, nothing more. "And what is that, exactly?" she demands. "What are you implying?"

He quirks an eyebrow. "I don't think I need to imply anything here. We both know that your heart belongs to my lady. You may be dallying with the outlaw for now, but your face betrays you time and again." He's still smiling and she feels unclean under it, exposed about something that should never have been his or anyone's but hers or Emma's. Her heart is none of his concern, and he should be focusing on worrying about Emma's heart instead, she thinks savagely, so they wouldn't have any problems at all. "Emma is...well, she is magnificent. I'm not surprised you love her."