Hi there! I had originally posted this one my first account, but it was hacked into and became full of bugs. I can't even log into it properly. A few people wanted me to continue this story though so here we are :). Sorry to those who've already read the story but I wont be posting new chapters right away. Still hope you enjoy!
3 years, 2 partners, 100 weapons.
Yet Emma can't see herself ever tiring of it. Sure it's life-threateningly dangerous and she would get thrown into the crazy house if she ever told anyone what she did for a living. But she knew this was the job she was born to do.
She glances over at her current partner, Neal. He was a good guy, kind of clumsy to be honest. But he always had her back and that was the kind person you needed in this business.
She looks back down to the loaded gun laid out in front of her. Smiling, she strokes it softly; it was the first gun she had ever held. She was fifteen and out in the woods with her foster dad and brother, ready for her first deer hunt.
Her eyes flash as she realizes it wasn't the deer that was being hunted.
She remembers the day well. They had been laughing over peanut butter sandwiches when her foster dad had heard a rustling in a nearby bush.
"Stay close, you don't want to rush it." He orders, creeping towards the bush with Emma and her foster brother close behind. "Deer are very nervous animals. If frightened they'll run off, which in turn, will scare the rest and end our hunt. We don't want that do we, Goldie?" he scruffs the top of Emma's head, making her giggle.
The rustling grows louder, almost in anticipation. Emma slows her walk, allowing her brother to step in front of her. "What's the matter, Goldie? Scared?" he taunts, grinning.
She glowers. "No. I just think we should slow down when we creep up on it."
Her father nods. "That's true. But if we take too long it'll run away." He gives her a reassuring smile as the bushes shakes violently, growls emitting from it.
"I don't think it's gonna run." Emma whispers, her voice trembling.
"Stay behind me." Her father orders, putting an arm out to stop them. Slowly, he inches towards the bush.
"Daddy be careful!" Emma mumbles, clinging to her older brother.
He glances back to reassure her but in that one millisecond his guard is down, the creature jumps out of the bush and straight for his throat. He gasps as he struggles with it, but the creature was too strong. It pins him to the ground and with a sharp turn, snaps his neck.
Her father lay bloodless on the ground in a matter of seconds.
Before either of the children had time to fully react, the creature turns to them. It wasn't ugly, far from it; in fact it may have been the most attractive man Emma had ever seen. He grins at them, blood dripping from the stubble along his chin. Taking a small step forward, his hands become visible. Or rather… hand.
Emma gasps quietly at seeing the shiny silver hook gleaming at them beneath the fabric of a long, leather trench coat. The man-creature raises the hand but before he could end their lives a loud, ear-piercing shriek echoes through the clearing. He freezes and gives them one last glare before sprinting off at a god-like speed into the woods.
Emma and her brother never spoke nor saw of the creature again.
"The info we need on this case just came in from the office." Neal calls Emma out of her memories, waving her over to the computer resting atop a desk.
Shaking her head clear, she makes her way over. "What'd we got?" Her eyebrows crease in concentration as she squints at the screen.
"This map points to the monsters location." Neal points to the cluster of red dots littering the right-side of the map projected on the screen. "That's where we need to go."
"So let's go!" Emma picks up her gun and starts for the door.
"We can't. We still need to wait for orders from the office." Emma sighs but places her gun carefully back on the table top. Neal chuckles. "Always so impatient to get started."
"We have a lot of ground to cover with a minimal amount of time. Sorry for wanting to get going." She rolls her eyes and leans against a table as they wait for the signal from their home base.
Minutes go by before the blue light fizzes into focus above their heads. The shaky image of their captain appears before them. "I see you're all ready to go." He nods his head over to the tables lined with weapons.
Emma folds her arms across her chest as she stares at his hologram. "Get to the point, Gold. We don't have all day."
Gold's eyebrows rise. "I suggest, Miss Swan, that you find patience before you decide to go out into the world and blow a persons head off in the middl-"
"Those things aren't people. They don't have souls." Emma snaps, vibrating with anger.
"Though I agree that they aren't human, they do, on the contrary, have souls." Gold smirks down at the team. "And we happen to have one that is in need of our assistance, or more accurately, yours."
Emma's jaw drops. "You can't be serious. What makes you think I would ever help those monsters!?" she shakes her head. "I kill Gold, I don't protect. Not for them."
"Perhaps the fact that you would be able to kill countless others for the protection of just one will change your mind." Gold sing-songs coldly down at them. "Should I send her in?"
"Her?" Emma scoffs. "They have genders?" Neal smirks beside her.
"Miss Swan, I wouldn't mock her kind in her presence. She has a bit of a...ah…temper." Gold advises.
Emma's eyebrow lifts. "I'm the one who has to protect her ass. What's she gonna do if I die?"
"I believe I am perfectly capable of killing you and finding another mortal to assist me. I've heard your kind is…disposable." A silky voice calls out from the entrance.
Emma whirls around, gun in hand. Her eyes lock on a gorgeous woman with hair as black as night, dressed in a satiny red and black gown. A smirk is plastered across her perfect stone face as she steps further inside the compound. Emma pauses, stunned by her beauty but her blood boils. "A vampire!? Seriously Gold why couldn't she be a shape shifter or something?" she mutters.
The frightenly beautiful woman cocks her head to the side. "Problem dear?"
Emma slowly lowers her gun, but doesn't remove her finger from over the trigger. "Not at all. We just weren't expecting a third wheel on our trip." She spits, glancing at Gold's image murderously.
"We?" She peeks around Emma to look at Neal, who stands shock still upon seeing her. "I see you have set up quite the team here, Gold." She smirks up at the hologram.
"The best in the business, dearie. I suggest you listen to them."
"Hmmm." She walks forward and Emma pulls her gun back up, ready to shoot. Chuckling, she steps closer, the nozzle of the gun pointed at her partially exposed chest. "Go ahead." Her nose scrunches as she sneers, "Pull the trigger."
Emma frowns and adjusts her grip on the gun. They meet each others eyes in a silent challenge. A couple beats of silence pass by before Emma slowly lowers her weapon once more.
The vampire smirks. "That's a good girl." She looks up to Gold. "I don't suppose you told them of my dilemma?"
Gold sighs. "No, Regina, I haven't. I figured you'd want to do it yourself."
"You assumed correctly." She turns back to Emma. "Now I suppose you must have questions..."
"Hell yeah we do. Why should we trust someone like you?" Neal speaks up for the first time.
The brunette scowls at him. "If you would allow me to finish I would have elaborated." She begins to circle them, tight fabric swishing against the floor. "I have a slight problem with my clan. They accuse me of having…affections for a mortal." Her voice drops suddenly.
Emma releases a dark laugh. "You? In love with my kind?" Her icy blue eyes narrow. "I bet they're just mad that you didn't share your meal." She snaps.
A low growl emits from Regina's throat. "I didn't hurt him. I-I wouldn't do that…" The coldness of her eyes gives away to what might be…warmth?
Emma blinks. "You…love him?" she asks softly.
Regina's arrogant attitude has vanished. "Yes and such a bond is forbidden. They -my clan- plan to kill my love…and then me." Her eyes lower to the floor.
Emma watches her for a long moment. "I've heard enough." Emma turns to Gold. "I'm not taking this case."
Regina's head snaps up, eyes burning with hatred.
Neal looks sharply to Emma then glances up at the hologram. "Emma…you've never turned down a case before…" he mutters.
"I know that. But I'm turning down this one."
"Why?"
She glances at the infuriated vampire beside her. "I have my reasons."
"Miss Swan, I don't think they would be a wise idea."
"And why not?"
"For one thing, I'll bash your head into this filthy floor." Regina growls near her ear.
Gold gives her a pointed stare before turning to Emma. "Besides that point. Not only will Ms. Mills be terribly upset but her clan as well. They would have picked up on her scent and be lead here where-Well I think you know what happens next."
Emma ponders this for a moment. "So I either help this…thing." Regina bares her teeth. "Or risk the entire existence of the home base and my career being destroyed?"
"Don't forget you would be dead." Neal adds in helpfully.
Emma looks to him sourly. "That too."
Gold nods. "So have you come to a decision, Miss Swan?"
Emma could feel every eye in the room on her. She sighs and nods. "Fine. But on one condition." She whirls on Regina, stepping into her personal space. "If I feel even a trace of disloyalty…I will have your head sliced off and mounted upon my wall so fast you won't even have so much time as to open your filthy mouth and scream." She hisses dangerously. "Are we clear?"
Regina merely smirks. "Crystal." Her dark pupils dilate at the smell of Emma's blood.
Emma pulls back in disgust. "If we're going up against a whole clan of bloodsuckers I'm not leaving this place until I have every known weapon in history strapped to my body." She tells Gold.
"I'll have a new shipment sent out." Emma nods. "Alright. I'll let you all get acquainted, have a safe case." He nods to them and fizzles out, the blue glow fading into the air.
Emma turns to Regina, eyes narrowing. "I hope you aren't afraid of getting that cold skin bruised up." She smirks as Regina's eyebrows rise.
##
"I think we made a mistake." Emma mutters to Neal as they watch their newest member complete the obstacle course.
"Why? I mean she has a pretty good reason to not kill us. Why would her kind ever come for help if they didn't really need it?"
Emma glances at him. "You have no idea what these monsters are capable of. Being in love doesn't change that fact. If she's really telling the truth." She presses a button to increase the tempo of the challenges being thrown the vampires' way.
Regina had exchanged her dress for a pair of cargo pants and a black turtleneck, still managing to look elegant as she flips away from the hoard of knives shot her way, landing gracefully on all fours.
Neal watches her with a simmer of respect and admiration. Or maybe he was just checking her out. Emma rolls her eyes in disgust. "That's just sick, Neal."
"What?" He does a double take at her. "No! I-I wouldn't n-not with-" his face turns red and he looks away.
Emma smirks. "Seems to me someone needs to keep their di-" The pair jumps as a knife embeds itself into the glass, causing a trail of cracks to crawl up the window. Furious, Emma stomps through the door, pressing the button that ceases the challenge.
Regina is standing in the center, smirking as she twirls a knife through the air.
"You blood sucking bitch!" Emma growls, stepping into her personal space. "You could've killed us!"
Regina doesn't flinch. "No idea what you're referring to, dear."
"The knife! You could have taken our fucking eyes out!"
"I hadn't realized that my protectors were such drama queens." She smirks.
Emma's eyes narrow dangerously and she takes another step forward, forcing Regina to step back. "Don't fuck with me." She hisses.
Regina meets her glare evenly. "Wouldn't dream of it." Their stare intensifies, both refusing to down from the challenge.
"Alright, alright ladies." Neal steps between them, careful not to touch Regina. "We're supposed to be fighting the dummies, not each other." Regina glances at him before huffing away. Once she was a safe distance apart Neal faces Emma. "What the hell was that? We're supposed to be protecting her not trying to kill her ourselves!"
Emma keeps her eyes focused on the vampire as she speaks. "She needs to learn her place." A mischievous smirk Neal has seen all too often forms upon her lips, knowing it never lead to pleasant events.
"This isn't going to end well, Emma. Someone is going to get killed, mostly likely you." Neal whispers to her as they walk into the wide stretch of backyard where yet another obstacle course has been set up.
Emma rolls her eyes at him. "Oh please. If I had ever lost a fight to one of her kind I wouldn't be here wasting my breath talking to you." She looks over to Regina walking some distance ahead. "Or my time helping a blood sucker." She hisses.
Regina pauses and whirls on them, the air beside her whistling. "What is the point of this?" She gestures out to the empty space, "I obviously don't need any training. Why can't we just get going already?"
Emma frowns at the vampires' impatience. "We're still waiting on the fresh supply of weapons. Not everyone is born with a pair of fangs." She shoulders past her.
Regina bares her teeth, turning to glare at Emma's back. "I don't have any."
"What?"
"Fangs. Vampires don't have fangs. At least, not me. If you're going to lash out a mediocre insult, at least do your research, dear." Regina sneers, pushing past the blonde.
Emma frowns but doesn't respond. She stays rooted in place as she watches Regina advance further into the field. Glancing back at Neal, a slow smirk creeps upon her face. Neal cringes at the thought of the consequences Emma's little stunt would bring.
Regina doesn't seem to be paying attention to their exchange. She continues to walk towards the start of the course, adjusting her stance to get ready to run.
As she applies pressure upon the ground a trigger is set off, causing an explosion to burst into the air, making the vampire hit the dirt.
Emma stifles a grin, crossing her arms over her chest. Regina growls as stands to her feet. Her eyes lock with Emma's, blazing in hatred. She takes a step forward but is swept off her feet when a rope trap springs up around her.
Emma chuckles as she strolls over to the infuriated vampire. "Need some help?"
Regina snarls down at the huntress through the holes of the net. "Go to hell!"
"I'll let you take care of that for me." She steps up to the net, almost nose to nose with the monster. "Listen up, bloodsucker, I don't care how strong you are, you don't ever disrespect me on my turf." She snarls. "I'm giving you one more chance, but if you step out of line, I will take you out. Permanently." Emma huffs then turns on her heel.
Regina releases an inhuman growl. "Fine. You have your standards and I have mine." She struggles to break her pinned hand free from the ropes.
Emma chuckles, not glancing back. "And just what is that?"
Once her hand is free from entrapment, Regina conjures a fireball into her palm. "Oh you'd be surprised just how much I'm capable of." She shoots the flame towards the hunter, creating a scorching hole in the rope.
"Emma, get down!" Neal calls out, running to her. Regina rolls her eyes and pushes her hand towards Neal, sending him toppling backwards.
Wide-eyed, Emma turns to face the vampire. "What the hell!? Vampire don't have…th-they can't." She begins to back away from the pissed brunette.
Regina chuckles darkly. "I told you you don't what I'm capable of. I gave you a chance, hunter," She flings out a hand elegantly, forcing Emma to become rooted to the spot. "You didn't take my offer so I guess we have to do things my way." She grins as Emma is flung against wall of the Home Base.
The blonde groans in pain when her back hits the hard metal. "Please…"
Regina walks slowly to her, taking time to sway her hips. "Oh now we've lowered ourselves to begging?" She stops mere inches from Emma's face. "I don't buy it." She snarls, wrapping her fingers around her neck.
Blue eyes widen at the touch, "Please…I-I'm sorry…" she croaks out.
Regina tilts her head to side, smiling sourly. "Hmmm. Better. But not good enough." She licks her red lips and leans into her.
Emma closes her eyes and waits for the sensation of pearly white teeth to break skin. But it never came.
Instead she felt the surprising softness of the vampires' lips upon hers. Her eyes bulge open and she starts to pull away but is suddenly overwhelmed with calmness washing over her body. She feels her eyes begin to droop and her body press against the brunettes'.
Regina breaks from the kiss with a re-newed ego. Her fingers slide from Emma's throat up to each side of her cheeks. "I thought you'd see things my way, dear." She grins and roughly releases her grip.
Emma wipes her mouth free of any traces of the vampire. "What the hell was that?"
"Me telling you how things will go."
"You kissing me isn't going to change anything." Emma growls, pushing passed her.
"Never said it would. But you know what you felt when I kissed you?" Regina begins to follow her. "Power." She whispers near her ear.
Emma stops and whirls on her. "Power? So when you kiss people you obtain power over them?" her eyes narrow. "Is that what you do to that guy you 'love'?"
"I wouldn't dare! He means much more to me than you know." Regina huffs, "His love for me and mine for him have nothing to do with power." She adds quietly. "The kiss was to throw you off guard, prove I had control over you…it's what I do to confuse prey."
Emma watches her for a moment. "So…that's it? I'm just prey to you?" Regina doesn't respond. "If I can recall you were the one who came to me for help, so why should the prey help the predator?" She steps into the vampires' personal space. "Why?" her voice hardens.
Regina meets her glare evenly. "Because I know what you want to get out of it." Her voice was low, sultry. Emma blinks in confusion, her eyebrows pulling together. Before she can ask the vampire averts her eyes over the limp heap behind them. "I think you better go check on your friend." She nods in his direction then walks away.
"Neal!" Emma rushes to his side. "Are you okay?" she helps him sit up slowly.
"…Yeah, did she hurt you?" He groans, rubbing the back of his head.
Emma watches him in concern. "No, no she…she uh…kissed me." It was odd to hear it out of her own mouth.
"What!? And y-you let her!?"
"I didn't really have choice, Neal." She frowns at him, "Come on, lets go get you examined." She starts to pull him to feet but he yanks his arm away. "Neal…you're hurt…."
"I'm fine." He snaps, struggling to his feet. "I'm fine…and ready to kill that bloodsucker." His turns to Regina standing by the smoking rope paces away. His teeth grind together as he rolls up the sleeves of his shirt.
Emma, against all odds, throws out a hand to stop him. "No! We can't, you can't."
Neal pauses. "Why not? You're the one who wanted to murder her in the first place!" his eyes narrow. "What made you change your mind?"
Emma hesitates half a second. "We have a mission to protect her and though I don't like it, I sure as hell won't let a vampire stop me from getting my job done." Her lips purse as she focuses her gaze on the brunette.
"What was that force she had?" Neal mutters, clutching his side.
Emma flicks her eyes down at her partners wound. "No idea. She doesn't seem to be a normal vampire, if normal can be applied to their kind." her eyes narrow. "Maybe her whole clan can do that, which means we have our work cut out for us."
Neal sighs, "Can't we ever have a normal day?"
Emma chuckles. "Not in this business. Come on, lets go check out that wound." She places a hand on Neal's back, guiding him inside. As they walk away she feels the vampires' eyes on her but refuses to make eye contact. Along with trying to block out the taste of apples and lilac still lingering against her lips.
"Ouch! Geez Emma could you be a bit gentler?"
Emma rolls her eyes. "Don't be such a baby. It's only a bit of alcohol; didn't you ever get scraps on your knees as a kid?" Neal winces as the solution hits his skin.
"I do hope he starts crying, that would be a delicious topper to my day." Regina smirks from her pose in the doorway.
Neal flushes but tries to cover it with a scowl. "What are you doing in here?"
"Everyone left so I got lonely." She steps into the room, giving Emma a wink.
She bares her teeth in disgust. "We aren't here to be your friend, nor will I ever be." She sets down the cotton ball and faces the vampire. "I am here for one reason and that, luckily for you, is the only thing keeping you alive." She takes a step toward her, anger pulsing through her veins.
Regina's smirk doesn't falter. "Your anger isn't completely directed towards me." Emma pauses, "My kind has done something to you, haven't they? Something terrible." Regina lowers her tone. "No human has ever reacted so violently to anything I have ever done, no matter how…slight." She slides closer to the rage-ridden hunter. "What was it?"
Emma's frame shakes in rage but she refuses to allow angry tears to break free. "None of your fucking business." She speaks through her teeth. "You need to get out." Neal tentatively places a hand on Emma's forearm, she roughly shakes him off.
Regina tilts her head to the side in observation. "So I was correct. It makes se-"
"GET. OUT!"
The vampire flinches in surprise but begins to back herself to the door. Before exiting the room completely she gives Emma one last glance. "It seems you and I have something in common after all." And closes the door behind her.
Emma's eyebrows furrow in confusion. Neal watches his partner in concern, "Emma…."
She turns away, not wanting him to see the few tears that slipped down her cheeks. "You should go too."
Neal frowns. "Want me to talk to her?"
Emma shakes her head. "Just go, Neal." She runs a shaky hand through her hair. "And don't hurt her."
He nods and touches her arm briefly before leaving. Once Emma hears the faint click she allows hot tears to roll down her face. Her legs give out from beneath her, not making a move to try and get up from the cold floor.
Sobs rattle her chest and her buries her head in her hands, feeling like the small helpless little girl she was all those years ago.
"I didn't realize you possessed any emotions besides anger."
Emma doesn't lift her head, knowing who was standing in front of her. "I told you to get out."
"I would have thought you realized I don't follow directions very well." Regina drops down in front of her. "I won't tell anyone." She promises quietly.
Emma peeks up at her perfect face. "Why?" she sniffs.
Regina shrugs. "Everyone deserves a chance to let down their walls." She leans back on her hands. "Even my kind." Her dark eyes sadden.
Emma faintly recalls the brunettes' words to her before exiting the room. "What did they do to you?"
"I thought you weren't here to be friends?"
"I'm not. But that won't stop me from asking."
Regina pauses. "I see. Sadly, that story is only one I tell to friends." She meets Emma's eyes briefly. "Meaning I have no one to tell." Her voice drops, emitting a deep sadness, an ancient depression Emma was sure she could never begin to understand the true meaning of.
"I'm sorry." Apologies weren't something Emma was good at, so the words tumbling out of her mouth felt alien, more so for whom they were directed to.
Regina allows a small smile. "As am I, to you. Though I don't know what they did, I can assume it was something unforgivable."
Emma nods. "That doesn't even begin to describe it." She pushes her hair from her face, sighing.
Regina takes in the beauty in front of her. She had countered many attractive humans in her ever cycling life-span but this one had to be one of the most alluring. She had to admit what was most attractive is the fact that the woman didn't even seem to realize how beautiful she was.
Emma lifts her eyes to see the vampire staring at her. "What?"
"Has anyone ever commented on your features?"
Emma blinks, a bit taken back from the question. "Like complimented me or told me how shitty I look?"
The brunette chuckles. "Definitely not the latter. I was just curious because you don't seem to know."
"Know what?"
"How pretty you are." Emma freezes in utter surprise. Regina smirks at her expression and rises nimbly to her feet. "I suppose I was right of your ignorance. Pity really, one should always know if they're attractive or not." She begins to walk to the door.
Regaining her voice, Emma calls out. "What about you? Do you know you're…pretty?" Breathtaking really, but Emma wasn't going to give the monster that luxury.
Regina pauses in the doorway, eyes burning into Emma's as she speaks. "I do now, seeing that you just told me." With that, she exits the room.
Leaving an extremely confused, blushing Emma behind.