Emma's pacing, watching her boot-covered feet stomp across Regina's plush ivory carpet. She doesn't know how long she's been at it--perhaps half an hour, or maybe a whole one--and she's started to feel a twinge of exertion, but she'd much rather keep herself distracted while studying the ground, than entertain the alternative. The alternative involves acknowledging Regina, making awkward small talk while they both actively ignore the elephant in the room, and looking at the all-too-familiar mansion that this version of herself hasn't seen in almost seven years. She can't handle it right now.

But despite the soft sounds her flat-heeled brown boots make on the carpet, she can hear the sound of the brunette breathing, which reminds her far too much of laying naked in bed slick with sweat, spooning her, falling asleep to the comforting, rhythmic sound of her breathing.  God, there wasn't a feeling like that anywhere else in the world. The back of Emma's neck is beginning to sweat, her heart rate quickening as she revisits the recent past. They'd been so happy. But....lies. All lies.

Is there really such thing as happiness built entirely on lies? Or just pure, pathetic obliviousness? Not for the first time, Emma feels the harsh, bitter twinge of betrayal from deep within. Regina had gotten Emma to love her, love her hard, then yanked herself away as quickly as she had come. Emma had been blissfully ignorant, drinking up all the love she received while pouring out even more, putting her entire heart into the most perfect relationship she'd ever experienced. Emma nearly scoffs out loud at the thought. Perfect. It's scornfully laughable, and Emma feels mortification stab through her heart. She'd invested completely in a seemingly beautiful relationship made entirely out of utter bullshit. So, yeah, mortifying.

"Would you stop pacing? She should be here any minute now." Regina's voice breaks Emma away from her bitter thoughts, schooling them back on her current situation. Right. Iris.

"I'm just a little nervous." Emma lies, because it's easier than the truth.

"It'll be fine," Regina reassures her, in a softer tone than Emma can recall her using since the truth had come out. "We won't be hurting her. It's far better this way."

Emma finally stops pacing and sits down on the couch, a cushion's length away from Regina. As soon as she sits, her right leg begins to bounce rapidly. "I never said I was having a conscience problem," Emma corrects her, because no matter the situation, Emma feels the need to keep her pride intact. "It's just that, messing with memory potions freaks me out, since you said that thing about giving one to Henry before it's ready." It's not entirely false. That conversation had scared her, but she's far more nervous about a very important point in their plan. Much like earlier today when convincing Henry, they'll have to play the part of the women Iris met only a day earlier: hand-holding, happy girlfriends. Emma's hair stands on end at the thought of being that close to Regina, acting like she's dating her once more. There's already too much tension between them while sitting on opposite ends of a small couch.

"Emma." Regina says, reaching across the empty cushion between them and placing a calming palm on Emma's bouncing knee. Emma flinches, but only slightly. "Don't worry. I have it under control." Despite her choppy words, there's not the slightest bite to her tone. Emma watches those chocolate-colored eyes, so wide and truthful, and looking as though Regina has so much more she wants to say.

"Regin---" Emma starts out in a whisper, not quite sure why she's even speaking, and either one or both of them has moved, because she glances down and sees that the space between them is clearly less--

And then she's cut off by the startling sound of the doorbell. Regina's hand twitches off Emma's knee and they both stand as quickly as their legs can support them. Regina instantly schools her features to act as if nothing had happened, and pulls down her red blazer to fix the crinkles. Regina turns towards her, the slightest pull of a smile curling her lips. "Showtime."

Regina taps right into character, swinging the heavy white door open and gracing Iris with a warm smile. "Welcome," she greets, stepping aside to let her in. Emma's almost impressed. Not sure what to say, she gives Iris a close-lipped smile and a wave.

"Thank you," she addresses Regina before absently crossing her arms. "So, uh, anyone wanna tell me what I'm doing here? The invitation was kinda vague." She frowns, eyes flicking around the foyer. "Where's Henry?"

"Out," Regina supplies vaguely, and Emma steps over to Regina, clasping her hand in her own slightly clammy one.

"It's nothing, I--we just wanted to give you the ol' 'don't screw around with my son' talk." Emma explains, and she's not sure if Regina meant to squeeze her hand harder or not. She curses her palm for being sweaty, and she's sure Regina's just about repulsed by now.

Iris bites back a smile, holding her hands up in surrender. "Uh, I don't know what you think this is, but it's a casual relationship."

"Still," Emma breezes, making a show of smiling at Regina. She's almost disturbed by how little she has to act in that moment.

"Would you like something to drink?" Regina asks, tapping into her hostess role, and Iris nods once.

"Water's fine, thank you."

Both women don't realize they're still holding hands until Regina's moved away towards the kitchen, and their fingers tangle together, arms outstretched to accommodate it. They quickly drop their hands, and Regina walks quickly into the kitchen, absently holding the same hand over her heart. Willing herself not to think about Emma just now, she conjures the correct potion in her mind, this one a light blue, and fetches a cold glass of water. She uncorks the vial, her paranoia causing her to fake a cough to mask the sound of it, though certainly no one but she could hear it. She pours every last drop into the drink, stirring with the false end of a fork to mix it thoroughly. After a moment, just as it should, the faint color disappears completely, leaving behind only clear, fresh looking water. One, two, three ice cubes and a sliced lemon on the side.

Regina makes quick work of walking out of the kitchen then, her nerves not showing in her confident strides, spiked heels clicking against the tile. With another sweet smile, she hands the glass to Iris, fingers slipping on the slight condensation, then drops her hands to her sides. "Why don't I show you to the living room?"

Iris nods, beginning to step forward, then takes an absent sip of her refreshing-looking water. Regina and Emma freeze in their tracks, watching the potion do its quick work. Iris's entire face clouds over, eyes becoming heavy-lidded then opening wide as memories of only the time she's been in Storybrooke exit her mind. Before she has a moment to comprehend, Regina raises her hand and casts Iris into a harmless, magic-induced sleep. The water slips from her grasp, but in the nick of time before her limp body touches the tile, Emma's underneath her and breaks the fall by partially catching her. The water sprays out of the glass, soaking Emma's jeans and she quickly turns her face away before the shards of glass from the cup fly towards her. Regina waves her hand near the mess, making it disappear, and asks if Emma's alright.

Emma only nods, somehow thinking she needs to be quiet so as not to wake the girl she's placing carefully on the tile. She opens the front door just far enough to glance outside; the sun had set and a few street lamps flicker, shining on empty sidewalks. "The coast is clear," she throws over her shoulder, and the corners of her mouth twitch upward briefly. Somehow, the whole feel of the moment feels a lot like an Operation, her newly restored memories flooding her with a strong sense of deja vu, her mind's eye showing her Henry as a little boy, constantly coming up with code names. For the first time, she allows herself to think about how much she misses her son--the real one, with real memories. Her face hardens as the mission sets into place. For a moment, Emma  reflects that if she's so affected by Henry, how much more must Regina must feel about this version of her son. Her heart caves for a moment then, but for the time being, she puts her heartbreak on the back burner and focuses on her son.

Behind her, Regina sets to work on levitating the knocked-out girl above the ground, deep purple magic surrounding her. Almost instantly, Emma feels the weight of Iris's body lifted off of her, and she pushes off from the tile, hands sinking into her wet denim. Turning around, Emma pushes spurts of glowing, white magic from her palms to make the job easier for Regina, but she's never been particularly good, and Regina had only been teaching her magic for a bit before Pan's curse happened. The magic halts and fizzles out, and Emma looks up behind a sheet of blonde locks at Regina, a dark shade of pink dusting her cheeks.

"We'll work more on your magical abilities when this is over," Regina promises, continuing to hold the girl several feet in the air. "Would you start the car?"

Emma knows she's being ridiculous, but she can't help but feel some degree of shame at her job having been downgraded to the chauffeur. She steps outside to the Mercedes, digs the key into the ignition, and turns on the air because she knows Regina would want the AC. A voice in her head scorns her for being like an obedient puppy, and she groans at her own heart, shutting off the cool air and cranking up the heat instead out of spite.

Moments later, Regina appears in a puff of smoke outside the passenger door, Iris still suspended beside her, and Emma jumps in surprise. She grumpily exits the vehicle and meets Regina on the other side of the car. "Jesus, Regina, you gave me a heart attack." Only a few days ago, amnesiac Emma could have said those same words in endearing jest, but now she spits them out at the brunette, and Emma just catches the quick eye roll Regina dishes out.

"My apologies. Next time, I'll give you a call before I plan to show up to my own car with a body to hide. Forgive me if I'm trying to avoid anyone seeing this." Regina grits out before gripping the handle of the backseat door and flinging it open.

Emma throws her hands in the air out of pure frustration, but knows that Regina's right. Despite her attitude, she walks to the other side, opens the opposite door and helps Regina lay Iris across the backseat. Emma grabs a blanket underneath one of the seats and drapes it across the girl, then slams the door shut. She climbs into the driver's seat, waits until Regina's safely in the passenger side with her seat belt fastened before she throws the car in reverse, backing out into the street.

She needlessly glances in her mirrors to check for headlights behind her, but the town is deserted, so she begins to make her way down the road, struggling to look casual, keeping the speed neither too fast or too slow. The silence is thick before Emma finally glances towards the brunette. "You know, the way you were talking a second ago, you made it sound like we killed her or something." Emma comments in partway jest, gesturing with a nod to the backseat before she trains her eyes on the road again.

A smirk curls at the edge of Regina's pouty lips for a mere second before it disappears. "Really, Miss Swan, you do entertain dark humor."

It takes all Emma has to not slam on the brakes. Miss Swan? God, it hurts. Don't 'Miss Swan' me, we've been through too much. Her mind races with the simple name that left her stinging like the aftermath of a slap, but she keeps quiet. She bites the inside of her cheek and pulls closely to the curb next to Iris's parked car at Granny's.

"Let's just get this over with." She mutters, and flings open the door to the backseat to drag the sleeping girl out onto the street. "Little help here?" She directs towards Regina, and the brunette reluctantly rubs the fabric of her nice pantsuit on the pavement as she helps Iris up from her knees. Finally, they maneuver her over to the sidewalk, and Regina almost lazily flicks her wrist and wakes Iris from the harmless spell.

Wasting no time, Emma helps the still-incoherent girl up and Regina falls into action right beside of her, dusting off Iris's jeans. "Are you alright? That was a bit of a fall."

Iris looks around, thoroughly confused at the strangers helping her up from a sidewalk in a town she doesn't recognize. But to the left is her car, and... "Where am I?" It's one question out of many, but it's the first sentence that exits her lips.

"You were just telling us that you stumbled upon our little town in your travels, then you must have fainted." Regina lies easily, and from behind her Emma backs her up, smooth like butter and Regina's heart grows in her chest for a moment.

"Yeah, you sure you're good? Maybe you should get checked out or something."

Iris looks on, brow furrowed, and gingerly touches her forehead. When she doesn't feel a single stab of pain or discomfort, she drops her hand and gives the two women a smile. "I'm okay."

"You said something about needing gas for your car? It's just down the street there." Emma continues, pointing down the road at an angle. "It's on your right. Can't miss it."

Iris thanks them, latching onto the gas story, because why shouldn't she? She's a traveler after all. Perhaps when she has a chance, she'll go for a check-up, but for now, she credits the short black-out to malnutrition. Her stomach rumbles in agreement, and she steps into her car, waving quickly at the two women who were so kind to her before making her way slowly down the road towards the gas station.

Regina watches the car creep down the street for a few good seconds before turning towards Emma, smoothing a few flyaway pieces of dark hair behind her ear that the wind had landed in her lipstick. She looks on at the blonde for a moment or two, feeling strongly as though she should say something. And, god, how she wishes that everything could return to the way they used to be. But the entire atmosphere around them has changed--six months of lies unraveled and the presence of magic hanging thick in the air surrounding them. She hesitates a little too long, and the blonde begins to take a step in the opposite direction, when Regina finally finds her scratchy voice.

"We um---made a good team out there, didn't we?" It sounds utterly pathetic, even to her own two ears, but her tentative smile remains, slowly slipping farther and farther off her face as the silent seconds tick by.

Then finally, Emma turns her head to stare her in the eye, the lines on her face deep with stress and hurt, eyes wide but also hollow. It's a look that Regina hasn't seen, not for many many years. It's not a look from her Emma, and god, she just wishes it was. She wants something, anything to fill the hollow space in her chest, where her heart is beating far too fast, but with dull thumps that numb her chest and make her feel as though the organ isn't there at all.

Then, "I'm just glad we did what's best for Henry." Then she's gone. Regina feels the blow hard, practically sees the brick walls materializing before her eyes as the blonde uses their son to put a chasm between them. Because the last thing Regina wants is for sweet, beautiful Henry to be the last piece of tape holding the two of them together, the only thing worth associating with each other. But maybe, maybe that's all they are.

And Regina could kick herself, kick herself hard, because she's not an idiot. She knew exactly what would happen the moment she slipped the potion into Emma's whiskey.

But still, Regina's arm is outstretched towards Emma, watching her slip away into the quickly darkening dusk. Her mouth is open, almost as though she wants to call her back, but her tongue is steel-heavy and covered in sandpaper in her mouth, and she can't. She can't. Her arm drops to her side and she walks to her Mercedes, her head buzzing with numb emotion, and she jerks the car into drive. The sky is starless as she makes her way back to empty mansion.

AN: hey everyone, sorry for such spaced-out updates. I honestly just got back from vacation a week ago. I was sleeping, trying to rest but I'm terribly busy and I've just started college classes again so Friday night was the only time I could come up with to finish the chapter. Hope you all can understand and enjoy!

I would love to see your comments about your thoughts or questions or anything at all. :)