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Regina knocked on Emma Swan’s door above Granny’s Diner and was surprised when the blonde answered the door in her underwear. Momentarily forgetting herself, she quickly recovered, “Did you know the Honeycrisp tree is the most vigorous and hardy of all apple trees? It can survive temperatures as low as 40 below and keep growing. It can weather any storm. I have one that I’ve tended to since I was a little girl. And to this day, I’ve yet to taste anything more delicious than the fruit it offers.” Regina extends a single apple from the basket to the blonde.
Emma takes the piece of fruit offered. "Thanks. I'm not gonna deny that Honeycrisp apples are the best, but if they're so good, why are you bringing me a basket of Red Delicious?"
Regina is caught off-guard. "...what do you mean? These are Honeycrisp apples. As I said, I grew them myself."
"I have no doubt you grew them yourself, but these are," Emma whipped out her cell phone and quickly googled them, then revealed to Regina the result, "Red Delicious."
Regina scrutinized the items in her basket and those in the picture, back and forth. "Well," she stood up straight, "they are a gift anyhow. Good day, Miss Swan," and left abruptly.
Regina paced in her home office, drinking her cider, and ranted to herself about the gall of this woman not to accept a gift graciously but to have the audacity to correct her, not to mention answering the door in her unmentionables. Then Regina grew angry at her cider because it was made from the offending fruit grown from her apple tree. She threw her glass, "What the hell is Red Delicious anyhow?" The image of the blonde in her red undergarments popped up. Regina shook the image out of her head, stomped over to the phone, and called up Kathryn. "Get over to my home office. Now."
A few moments later, Kathryn let herself into the house at 108 Mifflin Street. "What's so important, Your Majesty ?" she only half-joked after being summoned by the mayor, even though she was her best friend. The blonde noted the strong smell of cider, located the scene of shattered glass and looked at her simmering friend with concern.
"What the fuck are Red Delicious apples?" Regina questions.
"Oh, shit. How'd you find out?"
Regina looked at her friend in surprise, and the sense of betrayal was quickly covered with vehemence. "What do you mean, 'how did you find out?' Why didn't you tell me?!" Regina raged.
"This," Kathryn gestured to Regina and the mess of glass. "This right here is why I never said anything. You're…You…Shit, Regina. You're an evil fucking queen, that's why!" Kathryn shouted. "There. I said it. Are you happy now?" she huffed and sat on the couch.
"Wait," Regina attempted to process what she was hearing, "You think I'm evil?"
"All I know is, you turn into a raging bitch whenever anyone corrects you or tries to cross you. So, we don't. Ever."
"What are you even saying?"
"For example, when I no longer wanted to be married to my idiot husband, you pressured me to stay with him because you had to have things your way. Forget the fact that I had to go home to the blithering idiot mooning over the other idiot, school teacher, volunteer, goody-goody."
Regina just looked at Kathryn, shocked at the turn of events for today. "I don't even know what to say, Kathryn, except….get the fuck out of my house."
Kathryn stood, obviously hurt, and sneered, "Yes, Your Majesty," which cut a little too close to Regina's icy heart. Regina flinched when the door slammed.
Ever since the supposed savior came to town, Regina had lost her son, now her best friend, and her apples—each of the things that brought her joy. It was all the savior's doing. She would pay for this.
Pound, pound, pound on Emma's door. "You need to get the fuck out of my town. Immediately."
Emma looked at the brunette like she had lost her mind. "Is this because of the apples?"
"No!" Regina snapped a little too defensively. "No," she said again, "Your presence here is ruining everything!" she began pacing. "Since you arrived, you have destroyed everything that I built here. So, you need to leave. Right now."
Emma watched the woman pace. She listened and then leaned against the wall. "Nah, I'm getting pretty comfortable here."
Regina stopped pacing and turned toward the woman dangerously. Her fingers flexed, muscle memory attempting to summon a very threatening fireball. "All you have done your whole life is run and abandon anything and everything, but now you want to stay? Just to ruin my life and destroy the happiness of everyone around you?"
Emma stood up defensively, "What are you talking about? What happiness have I destroyed?"
"You broke up a marriage, made me lose my best friend, and have my son convinced that I am the evil queen!" Regina would've sworn she could feel a fireball in her palm.
"Broke up whose marriage?" Emma's face was all screwed up. "And since when do you have friends, let alone a best friend?"
Regina glared. "Kathryn Nolan's marriage."
"Oh, please. That's a shit show those three need to work out as the adults they are. It has nothing to do with me. You were listed as David's next of kin at the hospital. Apparently, you're her best friend, so you should've told Kathryn where her husband was, and then MM wouldn't have sat with him or fallen for him while volunteering at the hospital. So, if anyone is to blame there, look in the mirror, Madam Mayor."
Regina was to blame for far more than that, but the savior didn't get to be right or win this argument. The brunette stepped into the blonde's personal space. "You need to get out of my town. You have no idea what I am capable of, Miss Swan."
"The fact that you keep threatening me only makes me want to stay longer."
No one had ever stood up to her like this before, not as the queen or the mayor. She hated how much she liked the challenge. Regina found herself distracted by their close proximity, thinking about Emma's red undergarments once again. Her voice was low and raspy, "Get the fuck out of my town. Stay away from my son. This is your last warning." The brunette stomped out and slammed the door as she left.