Hai! So basically this is like, a preview-y type thing of later on in the story, and the actually plot itself starts awhile before this particular scene comes up, so yeah. I couldn't get this particular one out of my head tho, so I figured why not just put it up as a kind of prologue with a brief plot summary and see if anyone's actually interested in reading it, so yeah.
I don't own anything, really. Except the trees. The trees in this story are entirely my own, ok? Ok.
Summary: Emma's a senior in college, but she has to get one last credit; which lands her in the college's singular Philosophy class, run by the one and only Regina Mills. The two bond, yadda yadda yadda, but Emma soon finds out that her Professor has more than one secret that she keeps from the world, and it's making its way back to haunt her.
There we are! Pleaseeeee tell me if you'd be interested in my continuing! Thanks ya!
Emma gathered her things from the table and slowly made her way out of the campus library, hollering a goodnight to the woman at the desk. She checked her phone once more to see if Regina had answered her, normally the woman was pretty quick to reply. Figuring her phone was most likely dead, the blonde pushed through the final glass doors into the parking lot and stopped. Regina's car still sat parked in her parking spot, causing Emma's brow to wrinkle in confusion.
Where the hell was she?
Inhaling the cool air, Emma's nose wrinkled at the smell of cigarette smoke. The school had a pretty tight policy on smoking, and, she glanced over to the guard station, someone could get in trouble if caught. Checking her phone once more, Emma decided that she's go check Regina's office one last time after she warned whoever was the source of the smoke. Sliding her phone into her pocket, Emma adjusted her books in her arm and turned the corner of the building.
She tilted her head in confusion.
"Regina?"
The brunette didn't even turn her head, instead, she continued staring at the pavement as the cigarette burned in her hand. Emma took in the woman's appearance; Regina still wore the grey Celtics sweatshirt Emma had given her, a pair of dark, ripped skinny jeans, and what appeared to be black flip-flops. Emma chuckled inside, the brunette woman had no qualms about wearing flip-flops in the cool autumn air, and Emma would go as far to say that Regina probably would wear a sweater in the summer heat if it suited her tastes. All this was beside the point, though, because the blonde was becoming rapidly more concerned with the current state of Regina.
She looked like she was in self-destruct mode.
Emma had half the mind to chew out the other woman then and there for one, smoking, and two, sitting in one of the less lit part of the campus by herself, long after dark. However, the imperceptible puffiness around Regina's eyes caused Emma to soften significantly, as well as piquing her curiosity. Why was the brunette doing this? Setting her books on the small, stone bench next to the curb that Regina occupied, Emma slowly walked over to the other woman, lightly gripping the wrist that held the cigarette, and gently eased it from Regina's fingers.
She tossed it to the ground and put it out with her foot, "You don't smoke." the blonde sighed, sitting down on the curb as well.
Regina only sniffled a little bit, her gaze never leaving the pavement.
Emma scooted towards the woman, eternally grateful that Regina didn't pull away when she wrapped an arm around the brunette's shoulders, pulling her into her side. Emma softly layed a kiss to Regina's hairline and ran a hand up and down her back. Her mind was racing; what in the actual hell was going on?
"He's found me." Regina says brokenly, her voice nothing but a soft whisper.
A puzzled look adorns the blonde's face at this, "Who, Gina? What are you talking about?"
"Leo."
Oh. Oh.
Emma's grip on Regina unconsciously tightens at the mention of the woman's ex. This would definitely explain Regina's behavior. She was beyond scared, she was beyond terrified, the woman was so mortified by the mere thought that her ex-husband was on her way, that it had reduced Regina's decision making skills to about a solid zero. Which, pissed Emma off beyond words. She was so not about to let that man put Regina through anymore bullshit. That much was clear.
"I'm not gonna let him hurt you, Regina. He's not going to get to you, okay?" Emma whispers harshly, lightly squeezing the brunette once more.
"It doesn't matter, Emma. I shouldn't have involved you. God, I should've just left you alone." Regina's talking fast now, her being on the verge of tears becoming more and more evident as she speaks.
"No, Regina. Don't ever say that. I'm not about to just abandon you because some prick is going to try and march back into your life. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and don't ever doubt it." the blonde tucks a loose strand of Regina's hair behind her ear as she speaks, silently trying to comfort the woman.
Emma feels Regina wipe her face with her hand before she's pushed away, the brunette shaking her head as she backs up.
"You don't get it, Emma!" Regina cries, "He's found me again! He's coming for me again! But this time, he's gonna do it." her voice cracks as she looks to the blonde, "He's going to kill me."