Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT or it's characters.
A/N: After falling in love with OUAT, Lana Parrilla, and Swan Queen I decided to try my hand in this fandom. This is an idea that has been growing for about a month now. I'll explain more about it in the next chapter. This chapter is just to set the stage and see if there is an interest in this idea. There will be some similarities to the show, but this is AU so there will be a lot of differences as well. Like I said, more will be explained if there is a desire for the second chapter.
WARNINGS: Spousal abuse/rape (I've read more graphic scenes and less graphic scenes than the one I wrote, but if this makes you uncomfortable proceed with caution. I will always put the warnings at the top of the chapter)
Enjoy!
Emma Swan entered her Boston apartment, rolling her sore shoulders. It was her birthday, couldn't she have had an easy night? Was it really necessary for her to chase some bail skipping ass hole for three blocks only to tackle him when the dip shit hit a dead end? Oh, well. Her job for the night was over. Now she had a lonely night of chinese food, wine, and the new Avenger's movie to look forward to. And her cupcake. She wasn't sure what had possessed her to buy it, but she had and it would be silly to let it go to waste.
Emma took it out of the packaging carefully and set it on the counter. She scrummaged around her junk drawer for a few minutes and then pulled out a candle triumphantly. She lit the flame with the lighter she kept in her pocket and then leaned down to look at it.
Another year gone.
Another year alone.
Maybe next year would be different.
And maybe one of these years that would actually be true.
Sighing, Emma closed her eyes and blew out the candle. Licking her lips in anticipation she lifted the pastry to her mouth. Before she could even take a bite there was a knock on her door. Surprised, she went to answer it.
"Down here," A little voice called out. She looked down and saw a small boy of about nine or ten smiling up at her.
"Uh, are you lost, kid?"
"No," The little boy smiled. "Do you have juice? I drank all mine on the bus," He brushed past her and into the apartment. "This place needs a lot of work," He commented after looking around.
"Who are you?" Emma asked, looking down the hall for anyone this kid might belong to. "Where's your mother?"
"Well, I'm looking at one of them."
"Excuse me?" Emma asked her eyes bulging and mouth dropping open in shock. "I don't have-"
"Did you give up a baby boy ten years ago?"
"How did you-"
"I'm that kid. I'm Henry."
The blonde's mouth opened in shock. "Holy shit! Are you serious?"
"You better not let my mom hear you talking like that in front of me," Henry chuckled grimacing a little.
"Why aren't you with your mother?"
"She wouldn't have let me come if I'd asked her and we really need your help."
"Help with what? Where do you live anyway?"
"Storybrooke, Maine."
"There's an actual town called- wait holy shi- cow your mom has gotta be going crazy right now! She's gonna think I kidnapped you or something!"
"I'll tell her you didn't," Henry assured her patting her shoulder. Emma smiled at him, but an intense pain washed over her. Would this have been what it was like if she had kept him? Would he have been the adult in the relationship? Always taking care of her when she should have been taking care of him? Shaking her head as if to physically dispel those painful thoughts she grabbed her keys from the countertop.
"We need to go now, before your mom and dad send out the national guard."
"He's not my dad!" The previously sweet faced little boy snarled. Anger and disgust flashed over his features sending off warning bells in Emma's head.
"Ok, ok. You're mom's probably worried though, right?" Emma hoped. She would feel awful if she had given her kid up to neglectful parents. The guilty expression on Henry's face was enough to set her at ease.
"Yea. I didn't want to lie to her or worry her, but you have to help!"
"Help with what?" Emma asked again.
"I live in a cursed town and you have to break the curse."
"What?" Emma asked, her keys crashing to the floor. Of all the things she had been expecting as his reply that was definitely not one of them.
"Ever heard of the Gods and Goddesses on Mount Olympus?" Henry asked, bending to scoop up her keys and giving them back to her.
"Uh, yea I think they covered that in like the eighth grade or something."
"My whole town is full of them," Henry replied, his voice completely serious. Emma couldn't help but chuckle. "It's not funny, we really need your help!"
"I'm sorry, but those myths are just that; myths. As in not fact."
"I have proof!" Henry exclaimed pulling a worn children's book from his backpack. He handed it to Emma. It was clearly old, but very beautiful. It was a dark purple with gold etching on the cover that read, the Queen's Curse, in elegant script. Emma flipped through the pages and saw beautiful paintings of Mount Olympus and a few Gods and Goddesses.
"This doesn't really prove anything."
"If you lived in my town it would. There are too many things to be a coincidence. My mom says that my intelligence and my curiosity are two of my most important traits. That intelligence and curiosity are telling me that this is real."
"Ok, so who are you supposed to be?"
"I'm not in it since I was born after the curse had already happened," Henry explained.
"Who am I?"
"The savior."
"And who's this?" Emma asked, showing Henry a picture of a beautiful Goddess dressed in a long white dress decorated with intricate patterns of swirls and symbols etched in purple thread. The woman was beautiful, with dark eyes, even darker curls, and olive sun kissed skin.
"That's my mom," Henry told her. "She cast the curse to take power from Zeus, but it backfired, I think. The book doesn't give a lot of information except what happened the night you were born."
"Right, the night I was born."
"Please, believe me. Just stay in my town for one week and you'll see," Henry pleaded. Emma stared at her son and then the book. This was crazy, but at the very least she had to take him home. She needed to make sure he was in a good home before she left him anywhere.
"Come on, Kid. Let's get you home," Emma told him, handing him back his book. His shoulders slumped and she felt a pang of guilt. "You can tell me more about your book in the car."
"You believe me?" Henry asked excitedly.
"I didn't say that, but maybe you can convince me," Emma lied. The smile on his face made the lie totally worth it.
Emma felt her mouth drop open in shock as she pulled her beat up car to a stop in front of what had to be the beautiful house she had ever seen. The lawn was manicured to perfection, with crisp dark green grass, and tall trimmed hedges lining the perimeter and the house was large, white, and regal looking.
"Uh, kid, what did you say your parent's do?"
"My mom owns the stables and my...dad...he's the mayor," Henry practically choked on the word dad sending another red flag off in Emma's head. Something here wasn't right and she knew she had to make sure her kid was in a good home. She didn't go through the agony of giving him up just so he could land in a home that wasn't any better than some of the foster homes she had been in as a child.
Suddenly, the door flew open to reveal a very distraught, but Holy Mother of God, gorgeous woman. Upon seeing Henry in the passenger seat of the car she visibly relaxed, at least a little. Henry jumped out of the car and dropped his backpack to throw his arms around his mother (ok, that word hurt a little more than Emma had expected). Despite the pain at seeing her son being someone else's son it warmed her heart to see the love and concern radiating off this woman in waves. Maybe she had been overreacting earlier.
"Regina, stop coddling him," A firm voice from the porch demanded. Regina instantly tensed and Emma saw Henry hold on just a little bit tighter. So, not overreacting then. Emma knew signs of abuse when she saw them.
"Are you alright?" Regina asked, pulling away from Henry, but keeping her hands on his shoulders.
"I'm fine, Mom."
"Where did you go? Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" Henry seemed to grow uncomfortable then, like he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He looked at Emma over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. Regina followed her son's gaze and then brown eyes met blue and Emma knew right then and there she could spend forever looking into those eyes and never truly know them or get tired of looking at them.
"Mayor Mills," The man on the porch said in greeting, although his tone was anything, but friendly. Emma took a moment to study him and found herself wondering how Regina had ever ended up with him in the first place. He was a much older man and not entirely ugly looking, but not the most handsome older man she had ever seen either. He looked like how she would imagine a college professor would look...or maybe a Mayor of a small town. Despite his appearance, Emma hadn't even seen them directly interact yet and it was clear to her their was no love between this couple. He cleared his throat expectantly and she instantly felt flustered.
"Oh, um I'm Emma Swan...Sir."
"And how did you come to find my son?"
"He found me actually," Emma replied, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. She could still feel penetrating brown eyes watching her every move. "In Boston," She finally added.
"Henry!" Came the immediate scold from the boy's mother. "You could've been hurt."
"I'm sorry, Mom," Henry muttered, clearly realizing now was not the time to argue his case.
"Why did you go looking for this woman, son?" the Mayor asked, his voice hard. "Speak up, boy," He demanded when Henry muttered something under his breath. "Strong young men do not mumble."
"She's my birth mother, Sir," Henry admitted. Emma felt a pang of guilt when she saw the hurt and betrayal flash across Regina's beautiful features The emotion was gone almost instantly, a carefully constructed neutral mask taking it's place. Apparently, Henry had seen the emotions as well and she heard him desperately try to cover his tracks.
"Henry, go in the house and get ready for bed," Regina ordered, cutting off his feeble attempts to make up for the hurt his words had caused.
"But Mom, I didn't-"
"Now, Henry!" Regina snapped, standing rigidly and regally Emma couldn't help but think. Henry's shoulders slumped and he tossed one last pleading look behind his shoulder at Emma before grabbing his backpack and disappearing into the large mansion.
"Well, isn't that something," The Mayor commented, with just a little more amusement in his tone than Emma liked. Even in the dark at this distance she could see Regina was struggling to control her emotions.
"Henry's adoption was closed," Regina said, ignoring her husband's biting remark. "You have no right to him."
"Whoa, I'm not here to fight you for him. He showed up at my apartment in Boston, I just drove him home. That's it," Emma promised. Regina glared at her suspiciously while Emma tried to get her entire being to exude sincerity.
"Regina, go inside," A rough voice commanded, causing Regina and Emma to break the intense gaze they had just been sharing.
"You're not here to take him?" Regina asked, her voice still unsure.
"No, I promise," Emma replied.
"Regina!" He shouted again, causing Regina to flinch. Emma's suspicions of abuse suddenly became cemented in her mind. Regina shot one last glance at Emma, much like their son (wait, their son?) had done only moments earlier, although hers was less pleading and more suspicious, before disappearing into the house. The intimidating man in front of her continued to study Emma until the door slammed shut.
"I'm really not here to cause any trouble."
"Of course you're not, Ms. Swan. Have a safe journey back to Boston," He said, not entirely sincerely, and then followed his wife and son into his fortress.
Emma turned and headed back for her car. As she drove through the streets of Storybrooke she became more and more anxious. It was clear to her that the Mayor was not a good father or husband. There had been no love in his eyes or tone when he had looked at or spoken to his family. He hadn't even looked the least bit concerned when Emma had dropped Henry off. Regina had though and that made Emma smile. That was what she had wanted for her kid. Someone who cared when you weren't around. Someone who missed you when you were away and someone who was happy to see you when you returned. Emma had never had that, and even though it seemed Henry wasn't getting that from his father, he was definitely getting that from his mother.
Even so, the Mayor's actions tonight left a bad feeling in the pit of Emma's stomach. Should she stay a week like the kid had asked and try to help? But how much help could she really be? She wasn't a Domestic Violence Counselor, she wasn't Regina's friend. On the other hand, Emma's heart was screaming at her to stay and see what she could do. Looking down, it seemed a sign had been waiting in her front seat. Henry's book was laying innocently on the faded leather.
"Clever kid," Emma muttered. She looked up and her mouth almost dropped in shock for what had to be the seventh time that night. In front of her sat Granny's Inn, with the vacancy sign displayed below the ornate lettering. Making a quick decision (she was always better at those anyway) she pulled her car into the small parking lot adjacent to the quaint Victorian home. Looks like the kid was getting his week.
"Is the boy asleep?" a deep voice asked, startling Regina ran the brush through her hair one final time. She nodded, praying he would leave her alone. She rose from her vanity and headed towards the door. A firm hand on her bicep stopped her.
"I need to get some work done before-"
"No, you don't," he told her, shoving her towards the bed.
"Not tonight, Leopold," Regina pleaded, not bothering to try and get off the bed. He would only force her back onto it. Her body tensed, but she kept her limbs pliant as he slithered over her. He removed his robe and began sliding her panties down her legs. Regina shut her eyes and tried to block out everything around her.
"How does it feel to know he doesn't really love you," Leopold suddenly viciously asked, causing Regina's eyes to snap open.
"What?" She choked out, her chest tightening painfully.
"He went looking for his real mother tonight, Regina. Apparently, you aren't the mother he wants."
Regina tried to ignore him, but the same thoughts had been plaguing her since Henry had told them who Emma Swan really was. Had he run from her? Was he so miserable here the risks of going to Boston by himself didn't matter? Rough hands on her breasts broke through her painful thoughts and she bit back a cry.
"He does love me," Regina snarled, needing to hear the words out loud.
"If that were true, my dear, he wouldn't have gone all the way to Boston to find Emma Swan," Leopold replied, one hand moving from her breast to between her thighs. Regina jerked away on instinct, bile churning in her stomach. "No one loves you, Regina," He whispered harshly in her ear as he slid into her. A cry escaped Regina's throat and she didn't know if it was emotional or physical pain that had released it. Maybe it had been both. "If anyone did love you, then you'd have someone to help you and you wouldn't be stuck in this marriage," His thrusts became quicker and deeper and Regina gripped the comforter with white knuckles to keep from striking out at him. That would only make this worse. "And you know why you have no one to help you, don't you?" He moaned as his pleasure grew. "You deserve this, Regina."
"Stop," Regina pleaded.
"Stop what, my darling? Stop telling you the truth or stop this?" He asked, slamming into her a little harder. Regina bit the inside of her mouth so hard she tasted blood, but it kept her from screaming. She couldn't risk waking Henry.
For a few moments the only sounds in the room were Leopold's muffled grunts in her neck. Silent tears raced down Regina's face as her mind tormented her as much as her husband was tormenting her body. Thoughts of her son, her only reason for getting up in the morning, hating her, thoughts of Leopold being right. Maybe she was worthless and deserved to be with her abusive bastard of a husband. She had no one else in her life. No parents, no friends, and now that Emma Swan was here, she might not even have her child in the near future. There had been something though, about Emma Swan. She had seemed genuine and kind. No one had quite appreciated Regina's beauty in the way Emma had tonight. She had felt the blonde's lustful eyes on her, but it was the first time someone had looked at her with lust and not looked liked they wanted to possess her.
She was ripped away from thoughts of kind blue eyes when her husband slammed into her one last excruciating time. He rolled off her immediately and she was immensely grateful that he wouldn't be wanting a round two tonight. Her heart and between her legs ached, but she waited patiently for him to fall asleep. As soon as she was positive he was fully asleep, she rose painfully. She carefully slid off the bed and was pleased to see no blood staining the freshly washed sheets.
After showering until her skin turned bright red, she quietly made her way downstairs and into the den.
Emma entered the Inn and saw a woman about her own age flipping through a magazine behind the desk. She didn't look up when the door opened. There must be something in the water, Emma decided as she came face to face with another gorgeous citizen of Storybrooke. That or maybe they really were all Goddesses. The woman had long dark hair with a few rebellious streaks of red. Her lipstick was as red as the streaks in her hair and as red as her tight tank top. A tight tank top that hugged her toned curves beautifully. She wasn't as beautiful as Regina (although she found herself thinking they sort of resembled each other) but she was breathtaking in her own right. She had a kind of seductress air to her and she hadn't even looked up yet.
Emma uncomfortably cleared her throat and the girl looked up completely caught off guard.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," She stuttered. "We rarely ever get anyone, especially this time of year, so I wasn't expecting-"
"Ruby, calm down and offer the poor girl a room," An older woman chided.
"Sorry, Granny," Ruby replied rolling her eyes before glancing back at Emma. "So, how long are you staying for?"
"A week."
"Business or pleasure?" Granny asked, startling Emma a little. She would have expected that question to come from Ruby and in a flirtatious way, not in the suspicious way in which the old woman had asked it.
"Pleasure," Emma answered, not feeling up to explaining. Her head needed a pillow.
"Here's your key. It's the second floor, third door on the left. Next to mine," Ruby smirked, her eyes glinting with well practiced seduction. Granny huffed behind her.
"Room'll cost $50 bucks a night. We don't serve breakfast, but my diner is right next store."
"Granny makes a mean french toast," Ruby grinned.
"Uh, thanks," Emma stammered, heading for the stairs, key in hand.
"Where are your bags?" Granny suddenly asked.
"Oh, uh this is sort of an unplanned stop."
"Not in any trouble are you?"
"No, no absolutely not. I...uh ran into some family here on my way through town and thought I'd stay awhile," Emma lied, well it wasn't a complete lie.
"Family doesn't have any room for you?"
"Granny! Leave her alone. We hardly ever get any business," Ruby admonished. Granny was stubborn, however, and refused to be deterred.
"No extra bedrooms," Emma replied. Granny studied her for a minute through the glasses perched on her nose and then nodded. Apparently satisfied, the woman disappeared deeper into the house.
"Don't worry about her," Ruby assured her. "She's gotten paranoid in her old age."
Emma cracked a genuine smile at that and then disappeared up the stairs. She had only been in Storybrooke for like an hour and she had already met the most gorgeous woman she had ever seen, agreed to spend a week with the son she gave up ten years ago, met a Mayor that was probably abusing his wife and running his town with an iron fist, been flirted with mercilessly by a woman she would have normally bedded in an instant but for some reason hadn't, and been interrogated by an old lady.
What had she gotten herself into?
Regina settled herself on the dark leather couch in front of the crackling fire with a glass of apple cider and a sigh. The pain between her legs had already lessoned considerably and this alcohol was going to quiet her thoughts. She might just be getting some sleep tonight after all.
Or not.
Her body tensed when she heard soft footsteps on the stairs, but relaxed somewhat when she recognized her son's presence. Ever since he was a baby she always knew when he was near. Even if she couldn't see him, she knew when he was close by.
She didn't say anything as he approached her, her shame at still feeling the icy fingers of betrayal turning her mute. He kept silent as he took the still full glass of cider from her loose grip and poured it back into the decanter on the bar. He disappeared into the kitchen and Regina heard the sounds of the dishwasher being pulled from it's alcove and then pushed back in. He was standing in front of her in the next minute and looking at her nervously. She instantly opened her arms and he crawled into her lap, snuggling into her embrace with a contented sigh.
"I didn't bring her here to replace you. I brought her here to break the curse-"
"Henry-"
"When the curse is broken you'll get your powers back and...you can stop him. He won't be able to hurt you anymore," Henry insisted. Regina felt her heart swell with love and crack with heartbreak in one painful moment. Her baby boy had done this for her. He had gotten on a bus by himself, taken it to Boston, tracked down his birthmother, and brought her here, all to help her.
"It's not that simple."
"Yes, it is. The curse is real, you just don't know it because the curse wiped your memory," Henry argued, leaning back to stare into her eyes.
"But if I'm the one who cast it, like the book says, wouldn't I remember my old life? Wouldn't I have made my life here better?"
"Someone screwed up the curse. The book, I think somebody changed it to make it harder for whoever found it to figure it out."
"Henry-"
"Please, mom," his tiny voice pleaded, making him sound much younger than he really was.
"Someday, he won't be the Mayor and then you and I will go someplace far away from here," Regina said, her hand moving to stroke his back. He sighed and leaned his head on her chest, scrunching his body so he could hear her heartbeat. "Where would you like to go when that happens, my little Hercules?"
"Boston was kind of cool," Henry muttered, his eyes already heavy with sleep.
"I read somewhere that in Florida you can walk on the piers and see free dolphins playing and feeding on brightly colored fish," Regina replied, the familiar tone of her voice only furthering Henry's decent into sleep.
"Anywhere is good, as long as we're together and he's not there," Henry answered, before allowing his eyes to slip closed completely. "Will you sing to me?" he asked. Regina smiled softly, warmth and love filling her heart.
"I remember tears streaming down your face,
When I said "I'll never let you go."
When all those shadows almost killed your light,
I remember you said "Don't leave me here alone."
But all that's dead and gone and past tonight.
Just close your eyes,
The sun is going down,
You'll be alright,
No one can hurt you now,
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound.
Don't you dare look out your window,
Darling everything's on fire,
The war outside our door keeps raging on.
Hold on to this lullaby,
Even when the music's gone, gone.
Just close your eyes,
The sun is going down,
You'll be alright,
No one can hurt you now,
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound.
Just close your eyes,
You'll be alright,
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound.
As Regina finished the song she felt a deep sense of loss, like something was missing from her life. The lyrics always made her feel like she was forgetting something important, but for the life of her she could never discern what it was exactly that this song was trying to remind her of. Pushing the thoughts away for another day, Regina lifted her son into her arms with only a little difficulty and carried him to his bed. She laid him down on the bed and looked towards the door. She really didn't want to risk going into her room and possibly waking Leopold. He would wake either angry or horny and she didn't like either option. Making her decision she lay down next to her son, pulling the throw blanket at the end of the bed over her body. Henry snuggled closer to her in his sleep drawing a smile from her. What could she be forgetting that was so important when she had all that mattered to her laying beside her? Still, the feeling nagged at her until she finally succumbed to sleep.
A/N 2: I also did not write the song. It is called Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift feat. the Civil Wars. The song plays a significant role in this story that will be explained much later. Please let me know how you liked it. Did you know who the mayor was right away? I'm a little unsure about this chapter so I would love some feedback. :)