A/N I don't have any rights to these characters (obviously). Also, warning for darker(ish) fic, with mentions of abuse and such, so please don't read if that triggers you and what-not.


Emma sat on her park bench, staring out into the depth of the water, breathing in and out rapidly as she tried to calm her heart beat to the sound of the waves crashing against the edge of the docks. This was her place to think.

How could she be here, in this godforsaken town with its godforsaken people and this bloody fucking weather that wouldn't let up so she could pull herself together and out of the dreary mess she kept finding herself in for one fucking second! It wasn't like her to wallow this way, for something to pull her down like this and destroy what little happiness she had gathered.

As the sun began to set behind dark clouds, Emma was unable to sit still any longer, and slowly she stepped forward. Instead allowing the wind to push her even closer to the water, sending shivers down her spine. Her red jacket did little to protect her from the chill that was seeping both out of and into her skin. Bringing her hand up running it through her hair, revelling in the way it grounded her, allowing her to order her thoughts without having to address them.

Breathing deeply Emma was about to turn and walk back to the loft when a loud crash of thunder broke into her mind as she gasped unaware of the sudden onset of rain seeping into her clothes and skin.

Instead she was 8 years old, pressed back against a cool wall, with her hands covering her face in the only form of protection she had learned. A rough grip was circling her forearms digging into her like sand paper and dragging her away, before clumsily throwing her off balance causing her to fall sideways. Her arms had slipped down from her face in an attempt to protect herself from hitting the ground. She was aware of a deep voice incoherently mumbling drunken words of anger before she was being flung into a mirror with the loudest crash she had ever heard. Warmth was trailing down her back in streams as glass mixed with flesh, and she curled her small frame into a ball to finally be left there on the floor. Yet instead she felt feet kicking into her sides and -

Emma's eyes flew open as a hand wrested on her shoulder. It took her moments to realize she was drenched, though it didn't seem to be raining much any longer, and that her hands were up around her face the warmth there signalling that she had been crying.

"Emma?"

The concern with which her name had fell from those lips was almost to much and Emma pulled away before vigorously rubbing her eyes in an attempt to rid them of the liquid pain she was certain had been coating her face. Turning around with as much cockiness as she could muster Emma attempted a smile that she knew was more of a grimace before muttering, "Madame Mayor" it coming out a little quieter than she had hoped.

"Can I help you?" She attempted to continue, but she was to exhausted for this, the teasing and bickering which was expected from these encounters.

"Would you like to enlighten me as to why you are out here?" The Mayor spoke unable to hide the concern she felt for this women that had turned her entire life upside down. "I would think that after you worked so hard to become sheriff of our little town you would do better to complete your duties" She tried to continue, as if this was the only reason she had spent the past two hours searching in the pouring rain, after attempting to call her god knows how many times.

"You know me Regina, never doing anything, just sitting on my ass all day" It took all of the energy Emma had to just utter the words let alone add any vigour behind them. She knew right away it lacked all of the anger she had been trying to convey, coming out as a plea, begging the Mayor to instead just leave her alone.

"Come on Emma, talk to me…"

Before Emma was able to analyze the sincerity in the women's words another crash of thunder brought her again back into her mind.

She was watching as a vehicle slammed into the side of her car, the screech of metal against metal over powering anything else but the eyes of the girl she loved staring at her in horror before fluttering with pain and closing forever. Her hands unable to move, to change their course as metal scraped concrete and the vehicle flipped over and over jostling her spine and logging a piece of metal into her thigh sending waves of pain that caused her body to shake un-controllably. The vehicle finally coming to a stop with four wheels off of the ground, she tore off her seatbelt, reaching for Lily, shaking her. Tears were streaming down her face and she was screaming when a light shone through the passenger window, a crash as the glass broke and they were dragging her away. Taking her away.

"EMMA! Look at me!" Regina had been trying to catch Emma's blank gaze for what felt like eternity. So when she could tell Emma was all there Regina didn't know what to do, what to say.

"Are you okay? Emma what is wrong?" The Mayor had placed a hand on either of her forearms in an attempt to shake her out of whatever trance she had fallen into, but now that Emma was coherent she had no idea where to place her hands, deciding to leave them where they were, stroking her thumbs up and down in hopes of offering reassurances.

"I'm guessing saying I'm fine isn't going to go to well right now huh?" Emma mumbled, looking anywhere but into the deep brown that was trying to read her every movement. Realizing abruptly that she was freezing, her body finally gave in and began to shake uncontrollably, soon she was shivering with teeth clacking.

"D-do ya think you could intero-g-gate me someplace w-warmer Reg-g-ina?" Emma tried to get out before dizziness over came her and she instead found herself with her back against one of the park benches looking into deeply worried eyes.

"Can you walk?" Regina asked realizing that Emma wasn't going anywhere without her help.

"I don't think I could carry you, though I'll damn sure try" was the last thing Emma heard before she was enveloped into the darkness of her past.