Author's note: I apologize for any spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors and really I have no excuse other than I do a piss poor job at editing.
Disclaimer: Not now or ever will I own the rights to OUaT
A cold numbness swept through Regina as the words left Emma's mouth. Archie was… dead? Impossible! Why, she had seen him yesterday… Talked to him… well, more like fought with him…
"Ar-Archie's dead?" She asked quietly. Her voice was barely over a whisper, disbelief laced through it.
It wasn't enough to convince David. He merely rolled his eyes and continued to sling accusations at her. Ruby claimed to have seen Regina entering the doctor's office and that was all the proof he needed. Emma on the other hand wasn't so sure. After all she'd practically boasted many times about being able to detect lies. So far no warning bells had gone off with Regina. Hell, none had gone off with Ruby either.
"Why should this time be any different?" David spat. He glared at the Mayor waiting for an answer.
She had none to give; at least, not willingly. Regina would never tell them that this time was different because he was her friend. The only one she had. As much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, the bug had managed to wriggle his way past her defenses. Regina looked away from David afraid he'd spot the truth in her eyes.
Of course the Prince took her silence as an admission. He pushed away from the table, flung the door open, and went to join his wife. Emma sighed and made to follow after her father. She paused in the doorway and glanced at Regina. "For what it's worth," she muttered, "I don't think you did it."
Regina's head snapped up and Emma thought she saw a sliver of hope in her eyes. Before she could confirm it the sliver was gone, brown eyes guarded once more. "I don't need your sympathy, Miss Swan," she snapped. The blonde stared for a moment longer before she sighed again and was gone.
Her shoulders slumped weighed down by her grief. She wanted to cry, could feel the tears prickling in her eyes. She almost did but at that moment she heard the voices of the Charmings through the mirror. No, it would not do to cry here with them in the other room. Not even if it would help dissuade them. Regina would wait until she was alone. Alone and safely away from prying eyes.
Lost in thoughts about who could have killed such a kind-hearted man (the list of those who'd want to frame her was endless so there was no use in going down that path) she didn't notice David come in.
"You're free to go," he huffed, making it obvious he was not pleased with the decision.
Regina nodded curtly, blinking back tears, and shoved past him grateful to be free from the Sherriff's department. Shaky hands unlocked her car and she drove almost recklessly to her house. By the time she reached the front door her cheeks were already wet with tears.
How could he have been so stupid? That question had crossed the good doctor's mind countless times in the hours he'd been… wherever the hell he was. He would have sighed, would have smacked himself across the forehead. Too bad he was bound and gagged and tied to the wall. All the time he'd been sitting here gave him ample hours to replay his encounter with Regina. Or fake-Regina as he'd begun to call her.
Archie had been finishing off some notes on one Mr. Dumpty when he'd heard a knock on the door. He glanced at his clock in confusion noting it was well past his office hours, but didn't stop from getting up and opening his door to reveal… Regina? That should have been the first tip-off. When Regina got upset with him (which, to his chagrin, was often) she absolutely refused to see him for days after. Even passing in the street she'd ignore his presence. The second tip-off should have been Pongo. Out of all the residents in Storybrooke she was one of three (the other two being himself and Henry) the Dalmatian never barked at. But, at the time he had written off the first as Regina wanting to change and the second as Pongo being tired. With a quick reprimand directed at his dog, Archie crossed to his file cabinet. He rifled through the folders for one marked 'Mills, R.' and so didn't even notice when the woman snuck up behind him.
That third, and final, tip-off was one that alerted him to something wrong. Regina had always made it clear that her personal space was to never be invaded during their sessions. She always made a point to sit in the chair farthest from his and if the doctor tried to move closer the mayor would simply get up and start walking around his office. Yet here she was less than two feet from him with a cold stare he hadn't seen in months.
"Regina is there something-" Her hand shot out before he could finish the question and Archie found himself unable to breathe. He tried with all his might to suck in some air but all he succeeded in doing was to choke on nothing. With impressive strength fake-Regina had lifted him into the air well above her head. Archie tried to pry her hand away, tried to ignore the gleeful smirk on his friend's face. His vision wavered and he could feel his limbs growing lethargic. The grasp he had on her hand loosened as purple smoke engulfed his body. The last thing the doctor remembered before succumbing to sweet unconsciousness was hitting a wooden floor and a shadowy figure looming over him.
When he woke up he'd found himself bound and gagged and tied to a wall. He couldn't feel his hands anymore and his legs were well on their way to slumber as well. That's when he heard the voices. He glanced up and saw two figures through the grate that he knew to be the door to his prison. His eyes widened in surprise seeing the woman. Archie had never met her personally but the tales he'd heard from Regina allowed him to recognize her mother. Besides, the two of them looked greatly alike. He failed to recognize the man with her.
A grin played on said man's face. His hands were clasped behind his back and the only movement he made was to bow as Cora departed with a farewell of, "Play nice, boys." Archie's stomach dropped at the connotation of her words as the stranger pulled the door open and hopped down beside him.
"Evening, Dr. Hopper," he said with that grin making Archie shudder with dread. "I'm Captain Killian Jones, owner of this little party boat. Well, I say 'little' and 'boat'." Killian edged closer to the cowering man. "Don't worry; the 'party' part is true." He patted Archie's cheek roughly before drawing back and holding his hook up for him to see.
The doctor's eyes widened with fear, his body trembling with apprehension. He gulped unsuccessfully and looked anywhere but the Captain, struggling against the rope.
"Now, now, Hopper," the pirate laughed, "don't get too excited. The party doesn't start 'til tomorrow." A finger glided over the silver hook and tapped the sharpened point. "But to stave off your curiosity, how 'bout a little teaser?"
Author's Note: Thank you for taking the time to read my little story! I would love to hear any feed back whether it's about the story itself or something as simple as 'Good/Okay/Horrible job'. I've been shipping Archie and Regina together since season one and decided my first Once Upon a Time fic should be dedicated to them. I really hope it's well received. The first few chapters are planned out, but there will come a time where I'll be fresh out of ideas so be forewarned.