[Indianoutlawesq]

Part VI

RW

Regina sat sipping her whisky in her study. She looked around the room and wondered just how long she would be able to keep this place. Even though no one was her equal magically, being on the road to redemption meant she would have to abide by the rule of the town and maybe, eventually give up the place. Though she embezzled from the town, she spent most of that money on clothing, discovering Amazon once the internet arrived at Storybrooke. She heard the doorbell ring, forcing her to huff and set her drink down hard. Looking though the peephole she saw the stranger looking back at her.
“What the hell does he want?” She said aloud to herself. The door opened and Regina greeted him with a fake smile. “What are you doing here?” Looking down at her outfit; “should I just undress now or do you want to humiliate me more.”
“You are most welcome to undress, fine with me, however I have something for you.” Aaron Wright held up a dress, wrapped in a plastic drycleaner garment bag. “I found a one hour cleaner in town, thought you would like this back.” Regina snapped the dress away from him and just glared at him.
“Anything else?” She said about to slam the door in his face.
“There is this.” He held up a small box. Tentatively Regina took it and opened it. It was a necklace with a small charm.
“What is this for?” She said in a snarky way, holding any emotions close to herself.
“Peace offering for my rudeness earlier, partly because I keep taking your clothing by accident but mostly, after asking around it seems no one knows what today is?” He looked at her eyes; she looked a bit lost, almost asking a question without speaking it. “Happy Birthday!” Will had seen her driver’s license and did not just noted the weight, but the birthday as well.

For nearly 30 years while the town of Storybrooke was frozen in time and the two years since no one, no one had remembered or even bothered to ask it was her birthday. Everyone was too busy with their own lives to care about hers. Even though they celebrated all their birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions; hers was always left out. In the Enchanted Forest she would have a yearly gala, even going so far as to offer a one day’s amnesty to the likes of Snow White with the hope of someone giving her a genuine gift. It never happened. Now a complete and total stranger, one who admittedly was not wrong on his first assumption about her, has giving her a present. Fighting the urge to tear up, Regina did the next best thing.

Reaching for his collar she jerked him into her foyer and planted a deep, deep, deep full tongue kiss on him. Stunned his arms were just open until she grabbed one hand of his, manipulated the fingers under her blouse, though her bra strap. The other she put down the band of her skirt and he could feel her tuck it into a thong. Closing the grip on his hand, Regina disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving him holding ALL her clothes. Looking at his prizes he heard her call to him from the living room. As he entered he saw her lying on the couch, provocatively. Totally nude except for black high heels and her new necklace, his male instincts took over.

The next morning Regina looked up from her pillow. Exhausted from the nights activity she looked over at the other pillow to discover her lover was gone. A note and an apple were all that remained of him.

Loading up his car in front of Granny’s Diner, the stranger received a big hug from Ruby as he handed her an envelope with a picture memory card inside. The envelope was marked private. Emma walked up to him.
“Are you leaving us?” She asked.
“Yes, I got my photographs and now I have to see my publisher.” Emma looked around the town and back at him. He understood. “Don’t worry, as I said I have little place in my life for magic, besides you all have your own problems, don’t need me adding to them.” Emma looked at her watch then at the clock tower over the library. The stranger saw this and chuckled. “You know that clock tower isn’t really there.” (Google it) He began driving away. As the car pulled away his Arizona license place read “WRIGHT.”

A purple haze of smoke appeared next to Emma as she watched in confusion the stranger leaving. Regina, a fully dressed Regina, was standing beside her now. Emma didn’t even bother to look over; she just knew she was there.
“You know you are letting Mr. Wright get away.” Emma said in her usual serious tone.
“More Mr. Wright now,” Regina returned.






Epilogue

A moment of silence as Regina pondered the last day’s events. His rude comments, her continually being humiliated and stripped, and finally how he managed to scratch an itch she so much needed scratching. As her memory flashed her fingers fiddled with the frog necklace.
“Pretty necklace,” Emma stated.
“Yes, it was a gift from him.” Regina answered.
“Good, I’m glad he found something in Gold’s shop for you; by the way Happy Birthday.” Emma smiled, and then saw the face of Regina’s change from contentment to distain.

The shop door of Gold’s Pawn flung open as a gust of energy preceded Regina’s entry. Belle looked up, not as worried as usual when Regina entered.
“What can I do for you today, Regina?” Belle said. Regina pulled the necklace away from her neck and tossed it on the counter.
“What is this? What kind of sorcery does this toad represent?” Regina demanded to know.
“Oh this? Yes the stranger came in; he said he was looking for something unusual. And this is the most unique thing here.” Belle slid it back toward Regina.
“Unusual! What kind of power does this have? Is it enchanted with a love potion; is it an amulet which blocks inhibitions, what does it do?” Regina was almost yelling.

Belle picked up the necklace and looked at it fondly. She walked around from behind the counter and scanned all the various items surrounding her.
“You see, I wondered the same thing. This stranger came in and said he was looking for something unusual. Now we have some really unusual items but I have to say this has to be the most unusual here.”
“What does it do?”
“Well, after he left I searched all the logs and various books Gold left behind. This necklace is unlike anything else here. For you see he once bought out an old thrift shop that tried to compete with him. He melted down everything they had to sell but for some reason this charm never made it to the furnace.”
“Again, what does it do?”
“That’s the unique thing. For every item in this store has some mystical connection to the Enchanted Forest, but this item was made here and has no magic what so ever. It is nothing more than a frog charm.” Belle smiled.

Comments Welcome,
IO