STORYBROOKE, MAINE, 2018.

Even after six years, Regina bangs down Mr. Gold's shop door as though she's ready to outwit him in one of his bargains. As soon as the bell above the door signals her entrance, she's reminded that he'd made the ultimate sacrifice for all of them the same day she did. She feels a little pull in her stomach at that--she'd loathed the man, but now that he's dead, she feels a little sick to think of it. Rumplestiltskin had been the one to teach her dark magic all those years ago. He had given her the curse in the first place. As much as she hates it, he did grant her some favors.

However, once she'd remembered that particular detail, she'd been expecting the shop to be deserted. That's why, when a familiar Aussie tone greets her from behind the counter, she starts in fright.

"Regina?"

"Belle!" She exclaims, startled. "What are you doing here?"

The brown-haired, icy eyed girl across from her gives an easy shrug, though sadness glazes over her features. "When I found myself back here, I thought maybe I should pick up, you know..where he left off. It's strange, you know? I thought I'd gotten over it, but being back here....it makes me miss him."

Regina's not one to pity, but as she looks at Belle, she knows the weight on her heart could easily be classified just that. "I'm sorry." She says softly, deeply; the fact hadn't escaped her that the couple's infamous chipped cup is sitting on the counter next to her. "I know you loved him."

"I did," Belle smiles with a sigh, "I do."

Regina doesn't know why the back of her eyes are pricking uncomfortably, but she doesn't like it. Disgusted with herself, she sniffs and casts her eyes towards the left. Perhaps all of her thoughts of seeing Henry again had gotten her all emotional.

Belle picks up on that, so she inhales sharply to clear the heavy air. "So! What can I do for you?"

Regina blinks rapidly as she's brought out of her stupor and remembers the reason she'd come in here in the first place. "Do you know where Gold kept his globe?"

"The one for finding people?" The Aussie asks curiously, then her eyes light up when she realizes what Regina needs it for. "You're looking for Henry and Emma!"

Regina nods, a slight smile escaping her at the mere thought. Henry. She'd finally frown well-accustomed to the fact that she would never see him again, not even once, not even a picture, and now she's here, making preparations to find him. Her ears rush with excitement; it feels as though she's walking in a dream. She's certain that any second she will wake and find herself in her cold castle bed--no ogres, no curse, just the rest of her lifetime stretching out in front of her with absolutely nothing to offer.

"Well, luckily for you, I just spotted it earlier." Belle extols, her spirits seeming to have lifted at the mention of her...step-grandson? She frowns a bit at that, thinking briefly how strange that title is, as she's much too young to be a grandmother. Shaking off the thought, she crosses the room and fetches it off a high shelf with the help of her monstrous heels. She sets it on a nearby desk and gestures for Regina to begin.

Regina waits with a lifted eyebrow, waiting for her to name her price. After a moment, Belle notices and gives her an easy smile.

"On the house."

"Well...thank you." Regina acknowledges with surprise, but also genuine gratitude. She hesitates a second more, before crossing the room towards the bare globe.  She hovers her forefinger over the sharp tip adorning the orb, then presses the pad of her finger onto the needle. A drop of blood bubbles from the wound, and Regina bites her lower lip from the unpleasant sensation. Quickly, she removes her finger and squeezes from both sides of the prick to send a splatter of blood onto the spotless sphere.

Henry. Henry. Henry. Emma. Henry. She repeats in her mind relentlessly as she watches the blood spread out and form into misty continents on the globe. After what seems like hours, she discovers the spot glowing, indicating where they're located.

"New York."

NEW YORK CITY, the next morning.

Sunlight brightens the darkness behind Regina's closed eyelids, and finally, after giving up trying to fall back asleep, she caves to the morning relentlessly trying to wake her from the large window located on her left. Her eyes flutter open, and blink repeatedly as her drowsy mind attempts to remember where she is. She's in a large bed with crisp, white sheets, and there's a little kitchenette to her right.....oh.

Regina sits up fully, and since no one is around to witness it, she stretches her arms back and gives out a decidedly un-regal squeaky yawn. She's in a hotel in New York, living out day one of certainly many that she will spend in this dirty city trying to find her son and his mother, let alone bringing them back with her. However, she's prepared, and she'd brought plenty of clothes and many of her belongings, as well as quite a lot of money to help her get started here. She's not unrealistic; she knows how extremely hard her task will be. But, for the sake of her son alone, she's more than willing to try. And not just try--succeed.

Day one: explore the city surrounding the hotel and look for clues as to where they are. Regina had followed as far as Gold's globe could take her, as she found the correct city and hopefully the correct area of the city of where they're located, but the rest she needs to do herself. She plans to look into some high schools around the area and inquire anything of Henry...Swan (she thinks with a shudder) and, using her somewhat limited knowledge of Emma, try to find where the blonde could be working.

And, if things turn out to be harder than she'd originally thought, she's prepared to find a job, and if the need arises, even rent out an apartment for her lengthy stay. She's willing to do just about anything.

Renewed and determined, she pulls back the ridiculously soft and warm comforter and slides out of bed in nothing but a scanty tank and tiny shorts. She's not used to sleeping in such common and indecent clothes, but she figures that if she's going to be here awhile she may as well look the part. She pads across the the room to the bathroom, where she dismantles her makeup bag. Time for war paint.

Regina sets out for her walk around the city without any destination in mind. Dressed in a pressed pantsuit and cat-eye sunglasses, she easily looks like a classy, well-off business woman, and her royal posture and walk clears people out of her path before she even meets them. To some people, this would be upsetting, but to her it's anything but. She's used to being alone, coldhearted, and feared--it comforts her, really--and she's more than willing to use her submissive tricks learned as Queen to make her way in this city. That's what she's always done to things that she feared; she'd conquered them. And she's more than a little frightened of this large, dirty, over-populated city.

You ruled a kingdom, Regina. You can certainly live in New York.

She would give just about anything, even her precious fourteen karat ring adorning her hand, to be able to conjure one of Henry's belongings, enchant it with a locator spell, and find her way back to Henry before the sun was even high in the sky. But this isn't Storybrooke, and this certainly isn't the Enchanted Forest, so she had to do this the hard way--and unfortunately the "hard way" is one she's very unaccustomed to. She finds herself almost wishing that Emma Swan were here with her to help her get along with no magic to find someone. Isn't that what the insufferable blonde used to do for a living before Henry dragged her to Storybrooke?

As soon as the thought enters her mind, she stops dead in the middle of the sidewalk, not paying half a mind to the people annoyedly passing her on both sides. That was what Emma had done for a living--She was a bounty hunter! Though she'd given both of them new memories, nothing about their personalities would change--why would Emma choose a different career? Finally, she had a lead. However, she wasn't sure how to continue from here--should she just go back to the hotel and research about bounty hunters and how to contact one? That seemed a bit stupid.

But, she was hungry, so she stopped by a healthy shop nearby to eat, and continued her aimless walk around the city. By the time she retired back to her hotel, she had a pretty good idea of the area around her, but was absolutely nowhere near closer to finding her son, and had not even a scrap of an idea of how to do so. The hope and resolve gathered this morning in bed had entirely withered away to nothingness; and now all she'd succeeded in doing was feeling hopeless and even more alone than she had back at the castle. Here, she didn't even have Snow and Charming--and though she loathes to admit it, she'd become a sort of friends with them during the lengthy time spent back in their homeland. She misses their idiocy more than she'd like to admit.

She curls back into her bed with the resolve to get off her ass the next day and do something. She can't live off the money she'd brought forever--it's more expensive here than she'd expected--and she certainly doesn't want to wander around every day while getting nowhere closer to Henry and Emma. As she closes her eyes, she fully decides to try to become employed. With a sense of purpose, she drifts into a fitful sleep.

---

"And tell me, Ms....Mills, why do you think you should secure this job opportunity?" The interviewer asks while leafing through a stack of documents, then folds her hands and stares expectantly at Regina sitting across from her.

Regina pretends the inside of her mouth isn't dry as she forces what she hopes is a charming smile onto her face painted with care to look slightly natural and mostly professional. She clears her throat a time or two as she desperately thinks of a way to bullshit her answer. "Because I have good experience with logging appointments and securing documents, and everything inbetween. I'm the mayor of a town, so I would say I have sufficient practice in this field and anything surrounding." She supplies confidently, even lifting her chin.

The interviewer has enough decency to look surprised. "Mayor?" She parrots, raising a half-skeptical eyebrow, then lowers it when she allows that Regina really does look the part--highly professional, confident, and seems to always know exactly what she's talking about.

"Yes. Storybrooke." Regina clarifies, hoping saying the name won't get her into trouble here, but she's said it in public before, while adopting Henry. She maintains a confident smile as she keeps direct eye contact with the woman she's sure is about to hire her at any given moment.

"Storybrooke? I can't say I've ever heard of that,"

"Well it's a....hidden gem." Regina answers, and twists her hands nervously under the table, out of her interviewer's sight.

"I see. Well, Ms. Mills, you seem to have to correct experience and potential we're looking for. I expect you'll be hearing from us shortly." She says while rising, motioning for Regina to do the same. They shake hands, (while Regina prays to the heavens that her hand isn't at all sweaty) and Regina thanks her and leaves the room.

Step two of the New York plan is complete. Step one was getting here, and step two was fitting in. If she ever found Emma or Henry, she'd want to seem completely normal and like a blank slate--she'd have to build an entire relationship from scratch. She wasn't exactly sure how to do that, but she's satisfied with today's work. She'd gotten a job, and though it's nothing compared to being the Mayor of a small town, a hospital receptionist in New York seemed like just the thing for her.

Once she's settled, she can continue on with trying to reunite with her son; though she isn't aware exactly how soon or where that will play out.

AN: I'm hitting y'all with embarrassingly short chapters, but at least I'm updating extremely fast and the story is finally picking up the pace. I promise Swanqueen is coming--and sooner than you think!!

Ugh, oh my god, my Rumbelle heart when I had to write Belle being sad over Rumple's death. I swear I got so mad at myself for making this story in this setting cause it kills me to keep them apart lmao. Someday I'll write a Rumbelle fic, y'all. Someday.

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