You'll be safe, she told herself.
She had run after she told Henry that she did love him. The curse was broken, almost as in a trance she had run. Not home, and not to her vault, but to town hall. She had locked herself in her office and she had felt numb enough to start ripping through budget reports. If she could just focus for a minute, for an hour, for three, maybe she could stop feeling as if her world was crashing in on her, was suffocating her with each wave of acceptance. The curse was gone, long live the queen.
She wanted to drink, but knew she shouldn't. She decided one glass of cider, to numb her nerves and help her focus. Budget reports… would these even matter tomorrow?
Surely, this was not the enchanted forest, paperwork still had to be completed. Didn't it?
She had been expecting a mob, but no one came. When the clock finally tolled at midnight she realized she had just run out of papers to sign. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, a tremble, then a bite at her lower lip.
She would have to go home, alone.
She dug her nails into her arm and hissed at the pain. She needed to focus, needed to walk home, alone, in the dark.
She locked up and glanced out at the surrounding street, bathed in an eerie orange glow. Old time street lamps, why had she not updated them in 28 years?
She shivered it was colder than she thought it would be this time of year. She took her slightly shaking hand off the door and moved out onto the drive from the office to the road.
It happened quickly. She heard footsteps, running, shouts.
"There she is!" She turned, her escape blocked off.
Whale and Jefferson came rushing at her.
She was thrown into the brick wall, jamming her wrist. When Wale came at her again she raised her other hand, as if to call up a spell, but none was forthcoming. There was no magic here.
He pulled her up by the throat, slamming her back into the cold, unforgiving brick.
She winced, clawed at his hands. She was not going out like this.
She got a lucky shot to his groin, as he shifted his hand against the wall for support, Regina dropped to the groundl gasping, trying to crawl away.
Jefferson rushed in and kicked her hard in the stomach. She screamed, she tried not to as she knew no one was coming to her rescue.
"You Bitch, you kept me away from my Grace!" He grabbed her by her shirt, ripping under her wait, and struck her across the face.
Wale now recovered stood over the moaning woman.
"See Regina, there is no happy ending, not for people like you."
He stomped on her hard again, Regina could feel herself blacking out. Just as she was sure she was about to lose consciousness, she screamed for help.
She heard the two let up long enough to laugh, and then they heard a shout and boots pounding on the pavement. Regina registered a gunshot.
She needed to run, but she couldn't move, she rolled her face away from the noise, her hair now diffusing into a puddle.
Emma had heard the scream. She raced toward the sound to not only find that it was Regina who had called out for help, but that it was Wale and Jefferson attacking the woman.
Emma had shouted, what she couldn't remember, and sent off warning shots to scare the two larger men away.
They ran off, terrified of the gun.
Emma saw the dull, defeated look in Regina's eyes. When they registered who the blond was there was a slight flash of panic.
Emma knelt on the damp ground and placed her hand on Regina's cheek.
"We need to get you out of here…" She uttered looking around nervously, how many people were out tonight for Regina's blood?
Regina tried to push up on her arm, but hissed in pain.
"I can't." Tears started falling. Emma, Henry, the curse breaking, she couldn't keep it down any longer.
Emma pulled her up into her arms.
"Hey, shhh it's ok we're going to get you help." With a strength that can only be produced by an adrenaline rush, Emma scooped up Regina and carried her to her car. She had parked several blocks away at granny's but right now she had the strength. She set Regina in the back of her car. Wanting to race off to the hospital, but stopped when Red walked out from the diner.
"Emma? What happened?!" Red's voice faltered.
Emma was in a hurry she didn't have time for this.
"Red Regina was attacked, I'm taking her to the hospital…"
She was promptly cut off.
"Emma if Wale did that to her what do you think the rest of the hospital would do? You can't take her there, it isn't safe… not for her." Red had sympathy pouring out of her eyes. She could she how bruised and bloody the woman was who lay in the car.
Emma glanced back and fourth between Ruby and Regina.
"Then… what…what do I do?"
Ruby shook her head, "I don't know, but I wouldn't take her home…"
Emma nodded, "Fine… the apartment."
And with that she was jumping into the car and speeding off.