Emma panted with each quick step, wincing at the sting of heavy rain against her face. She turned sharply into the alleyway of two large business buildings. She ran as fast as she was capable of, only stopping when she came up to a dead end.
"You've got to be kidding me," Emma said, angerly kicking a nearby trash bin, causing the wheels to move, exposing a broken window.
Emma frowned and squinted trying to see with the little amount of light the cloudy sky provided.
Emma grabbed a old can from the ground, getting down to her knees and threw it into the room. Emma listened to any movement that wasn't caused by the can, but heard none. When she didn't hear anything, she broke off the rest of the window. Her heart beating faster at the sound of shuffling feet. She sped up and slipped inside gasping in pain as a piece of glass pierced her skin, she could feel the blood trickling down her side. Emma stood up quickly, moving the dumpster back in front of the broken window with all her strength.
She could barely make out the shuffling of a few feet, deeming it safe enough to turn around from the broken window. Emma took off her medium size black backpack and felt around inside for her flashlight, taking it out and putting the backpack back on.
Emma saw thousands of papers covering the floor, a couple of metal shelves with brown boxes, and a few file cabinets. Some of the file cabinets were tipped over and some of the shelves were on the floor. She could see blood spatters and what looked like parts of a skull and rotten flesh against a dented in file cabinet. She saw a medium size wooden board and put it in front of the broken window for added protection then turned around with her flashlight. Her flashlight landed on a set of stairs that were covered in black smudge and dust.
Emma walked up them and tried the door but it wouldn't budge. Emma squared her shoulders and started banging on the door with her shoulder. She groaned in pain as the front of her body collided with the floor. She tensed up as she looked around and saw a gun in her face. She couldn't make out the figure from the very dark room.
"No wait." Emma said quickly wincing as she put her hands up.
"How the hell did you get in?" the voice said. Emma could tell that the voice belonged to a woman.
"I broke the window down there and climbed through. I pulled the dumpster in front of it and put a board in front of it. I'm pretty sure they won't get in." Emma said her breathing had picked up and there was already a small pool of blood below her.
"What is your name?" the woman asked.
"Emma." she said flipping over onto her back with a wince. "Look, I get the gun in my face because I'm a stranger. But, I am bleeding a lot, and I…I am really dizzy," Emma said weakly from the blood she was losing.
"What do you want to do?" another voice asked.
"Get her up and take her to the medical room," the one with the gun said.
"I can walk," Emma said swatting away the person's hand and trying to stand up on her own.
"Stop being a pain and let me help." The new voice said grabbing her arm and helping her up. Emma winced as she was led to some room. Her vision starting to fade and become blurry.
"Put her on the table Ruby," Emma heard the one with the gun say as she was lifted and put on the table. Emma hissed because of the pressure put on her wound caused by the window.
"What is her…Emma Swan?" Emma looked up at the woman who said her name, looking at the familiar black shoulder length hair, scar above her eyebrow, and the determined look.
"Regina," Emma said with a smile, moving her curly dirty blonde hair that escaped from her ponytail back behind her ear so she could get a better look. "Well, this is definitely not how I wanted to run into you again," Emma chuckled and hissed as Regina poured alcohol on her wound.
"That is for spilling coffee on my essay," Regina said cleaning the wound. Ruby held up a small piece of a cylinder wood as Regina grabbed tweezers, gauze, a suture needle and thread. Emma finally looked at Ruby taking in her appearance, she wore her long black hair in a braided pony tail, she looked like she still tanned or maybe that was just from dirt Emma couldn't really tell.
"Thanks," Emma said taking the piece of wood then looked back at Regina. "And that was four years ago dude. Plus, I made up for it." Emma said putting the piece of wood in her mouth and biting down.
Regina poured alcohol over everything except the gauze before getting to work. Emma screamed and bit hard into the piece of wood, gripping Ashleys hand tightly from the pain.
"So, how do you too know each other," Ruby asked.
"We went to college together," Regina said as she got the last piece of glass out of Emily's side. Emma raised an eyebrow, her face red and sweaty from the pain of Regina cleaning the wound. "She is also an ex," Regina admitted. Emma took the piece of wood out of her mouth.
"Wait, you're gay?" Ruby asked with confusion.
"I'm bisexual," Regina informed her.
"You never brought it up," Ruby said.
"I was a little preoccupied with the undead coming back to life and eating people to discuss my sexual preferences," Regina said rolling her eyes. Emma smiled glad to see some things didn't change.
"I thought we were friends before all this," Ruby said. Emma watched her set up an IV in her arm and hanging up a blood bag.
"We were, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was preoccupied in my work to discuss real personal matters," Regina said.
"It's ok," Ruby said.
"At least she apologized to you," Emma said.
"I'm guessing the break up wasn't on good terms," Ruby asked.
"She broke up with me out of the blue. Now after that heartbreak she's torturing me," Emma panted, only wincing now from being stitched up.
"It wasn't that heartbreaking," Regina said.
"Maybe not for you," Emma said softly. She saw Regina look up. Seeing a look of guilt on her face.
"I'm sorry, I didn't…I didn't mean to hurt you," Regina whispered.
"I forgave you a long time ago Regina. But it is nice to hear you apologize after all these years," Emma said with a small smile. Regina smiled sadly and covered the wound then frowned as she saw another mark, lifting up Emma's shirt more to see the scar.
"You've been bit," Regina said. Ruby reached for her knife on her hip.
"Wait, it was a week ago," Emma said to Ruby not wanting to be killed. "Look at it, you can see the bruising and the healing," Emma said. Regina took a closer look at it and nodded.
"She's telling the truth," Regina said as she examined it.
"You're immune?" Ruby asked. Emma nodded.
"Check my left leg. You'll see a bite mark from three months ago," Emma said. Regina moved down and lifted the pants leg up and sure enough there was an old bite mark. "I have a couple of more over my body," Emma said.
"How?" Regina asked investigating more of Emmas body.
"I don't really know. I don't really know a lot about this science stuff. But, I know the undead still want to eat me, I'm honestly still the same except I don't turn when they bite me. I eat regular food, my heart still beats, no super human strength," Emma said. "Can you figure it out? You became scientist, right? I mean that is what you were studying in college anyways,' Emma said.
"Yes, I became a biomedical scientist. I actually used to work here, it is a CDC center," Regina said.
"I'm glad I ran into you then," Emma said.
"Did you ever become a detective?" Regina asked. Emma watched her going over to a cabinet and opening the doors.
"Yeah, I worked with my dad and his guys. My dad and I were on scene when this whole apocalypse thing started. It was the first time I got bit too," Emma said a sad look on her face and eyes.
"Where is he?" Ruby asked.
"He didn't make it," Emma whispered.
"I'm sorry. He was a good man," Regina said sitting on a stool and moving Emma's arm so she could look at her veins.
"Are you taking blood?" Emma asked.
"Yes, just a little so I can run some tests. Hopefully your blood holds the cure for all of this," Regina said as she stuck Emma with a needle and started drawing blood. "I need you to tell me about the bites, start at the beginning," Regina said.
"Well the first bite happened about a year and a half ago. I was in the police cruiser, with my dad, we were heading to a crime scene where someone had been attacked and killed," Emmas voice started to shake a little, trying to fight back the tears. "We went there and the guy…the guy was dead. I checked. But he…he moved and lunged at me, biting my leg and dad got him off but the guy went…went for his throat," Emma whimpered stating to cry now. "It tore his throat out and started…started eating it. After…after that happened my vision just…just went black. When I became conscious that thing was torn to pieces and my dad was dead. I went straight home to my mom and little brother," Emma sniffled wiping her tears away. Emma felt Reginas hand stroking her hair. Emma breathed in deeply at the familiar apple scent, her body relaxing.
"It wasn't your fault Emma," Regina said wiping the remaining of the tears away. "He loved you very much and he would do the same thing again to save you," Regina said with a soft smile.
"He always liked you," Emma said sniffling as she calmed down a little. "Did your mother and father make it?" Emma asked. Regina shook her head.
"No, she died a month after this started. And my father died of a heart attack after I graduated," Regina said. "Is your mother and brother alive?" Regina asked.
"I don't know. We got separated about a month ago, I've been looking for them," Emma said watching Regina pull the tube out and went to work.
"You've got to hope for the best," Ruby said putting a Band-Aid on the needle mark.
"I see she is still the same. Once she is in her work mode she's zone out," Emma said looking over at Regina, who was checking the blood and running it through a machine that she did not know.
"So, she has always been like this?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah, since I knew her in freshman year. How do you two know each other?" Emma asked.
"I worked in electric and I happened to be in here when the outbreak happened," Ruby said. "We sort of talked before the outbreak though," Ruby said.
"I'm guessing you two boarded up the place then," Emma said.
"Yeah, obviously not very well," Ruby said.
"Is it safe here?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, it is now," Ruby said softly. Emma frowned at the way she said it, it looked like she was hiding something.
"While she is doing that I guess I'll go look around," Emma said.
"I'll show you around," Ruby said. "So, how did the fresh bite happen?" Ruby asked leading her out of the room.
"It happened about a month ago, maybe two," Emma said following Ruby down the hall with a flashlight. "My mother, brother, and I were trapped in a basement, they were coming in from the bottom windows by those things. So, I made as much noise as I could, forced my way through to lead them away, and let my family escape. Most of them are from that day," Emma said.
"That was very brave of you," Ruby said.
"It's what I do, honestly half way through I blacked out," Emma said. "So, if you don't mind me asking in there you were really tense and aggressive but as soon as Regina made it known we knew each other you did a complete one eighty with your emotions, why?" Emma asked.
"Because Regina saved my life more times than I can count. I trust her with my life," Ruby said seriously. Emma nodded as they came to a stop in front of the door she broke through.
"So, here is your problem," Emma said holding up the two-inch nail. "You need longer nails," Emma said.
"I'm more of an electrical engineer," Ruby said.
"Well I am here now, I could help out and make this place a little more safe. That way I earn my stay," Emma said.
"That will be a good idea, you can go anywhere except to the last hall. I'll help out here and learn how to properly barricade this place then do that hall alone," Ruby said.
"What is down there?" Emma asked looking to her left pointing her flash light towards it.
"Nothing to concern yourself with," Ruby said.
"I'm going to need more than that if I'm to feel safe here," Emma said.
"It is where all of my research and experiments are," Regina said from behind her. Emma turned around and looked at her, she saw Regina holding a small brown box under her arm that looked like a shoe box. Emma looked at her for a few seconds, studying her.
"It may have been eight years since I've seen you Regina, but you are still easy to read. What is back there?" Emma asked. Regina clinched her jaw and let out a deep breath.
"Don't push Emma, please. I promise it is nothing dangerous," Regina said. Emma nodded.
"Ok," Emma whispered.
"Thank you," Regina said squeezing Emmas arm. Emma nodded watching Regina go down the hallway. Emma looked at Ruby.
"Well, let's get to work," Emma said.
Emma whistled as she walked down the last hall she had been checking on, chuckling at the large font on the door that said Regina Mills. Being her usual nosey self, she opened the door and shined her flashlight in the room and started snooping around the office.
Her whistling stopped when she opened the desk drawer and saw a familiar picture frame. Emma smiled leaning back in the chair with the photograph in her hand. It was a picture of Regina and her kissing on the steps of their college steps covered in snow and a mistletoe hanging above them. Emma traced the picture with a soft smile before putting it back.
"What are you doing Emma?" Regina asked her hand on her hip.
"Snooping through your stuff," Emma said with a smirk looking up at her.
"You haven't changed at all, have you?" Regina asked with a shake of her head walking over to the desk. "Move," Regina said.
"Or you could sit in my lap," Emma winked not getting up. Regina chuckled leaning against the desk.
"You definitely haven't changed Emma," Regina said with a smile.
"I have, I became a better kisser since then," Emma said getting up and standing up in front of her.
"Is that so?" Regina asked glancing down at her lips then back up.
"Yeah," Emma said leaning forward their lips just about to touch, "to bad you aren't going to find out today," Emma said with a smirk as she quickly pulled away and left the room. Not seeing Regina opening the same drawer.
"I got the last window boarded up in my part," Emma said wiping her forehead with a rag has she sat on the couch in the small break room.
"It only took us a week. Why did you take the wheels off of the trash bins and put them in front of the windows?" Ruby asked handing her a water bottle.
"When my family and I were trapped in that basement and those things were trying to get in through the windows it would have stopped them. It is just a precaution," Emma said taking a sip from the water bottle.
"Any luck finding them?" Ruby asked.
"Not yet, they aren't at the spot in the city we agreed to meet at just in case this happened," Emma said softly. "I still have one more solution, but I have to find a cv radio," Emma said.
"I don't know where that would be. But you are handy, you'll figure it out," Ruby said.
"Where is Regina?" Emma asked.
"Probably up on the roof checking the water collector and the green house. I should go check. I'll see you in a few losers," Ruby said smacking her leg as she got up.
"I'll be here weirdo," Emma said watching her leave. Emma put her water down on the couch and left the room.
Emma glanced down the hall seeing three doors, two which where boarded up and the last one cracked open with actual light coming through. Emma looked around and slowly headed down the hall when she didn't see Ruby or Regina.
When she opened the door she let out a gasp, on a table in the middle of the room was a boy that looked about eight that obviously had been bitten and had a fever but was passed out and breathing heavily.
"I told you not to come in here," Regina said from behind Emma.
"You said so yourself, I never changed," Emma said softly. "Who is he?" Emma asked. Regina sighed moving around her and approaching him.
"His name is Henry," Regina said. Emma watched her wiping sweat off his forehead and pushing hair out of his face.
"You seem more connected to him than just a stranger. And he has your fathers name," Emma said.
"That is because he is my son." Regina said going over to a table of lab equipment.
"How has he not turned yet?" Emma asked.
"I created a type of vaccine that slows the processes, but it doesn't stop it," Regina said. Emma frowned watching her put tubes of blood in some type of machine.
"What are you doing?" Emma asked.
"Your blood may hold the cure, so I have been using it to try and produce it," Regina said.
"And if you didn't do it right?" Emma asked. Regina didn't say anything to her. "I'm sure he will be ok, he has you as a mom," Emma said smiling slightly when she saw Reginas lips twitch up. "When did..when did you have him?" Emma asked.
"He was nine months when we met," Regina said.
"Is he why you left me?" Emma asked looking at Henry, he looked like a sweet kid. Emma looked back at Regina seeing her face now, but her eyes were looking down at the floor.
"You didn't need the responsibility of a child," Regina whispered. "We were growing serious and you were just supposed to be a one-night stand. But then we just…we kept seeing each other and became friends and I could feel that it was turning to more," Regina looked up and Emma could see the tears threatening to spill over. "I couldn't let you sacrifice your future career for us. Because I know you would have dropped everything for us," Regina said.
"That wasn't your decision to make Regina," Emma said. "I love you and I would have stayed by your side. Just because you had a kid doesn't change anything."
"You love me?" Regina asked lifting her head up. Emma smiled cupping her cheek and wiping a tear away that had escaped, loving the feel of her leaning into her hands.
"Of course I do, I never stopped Regina," Emma said. "Why do you still have my picture in your desk?" Emma asked needing to know.
"Just because I broke up with you doesn't mean I ever got over you," Regina said softly leaning forward. Emma glanced at her lips and leaned forward also.
"Oh woah," Ruby said as she walked in and saw them. Emma and Regina jumped apart and blushed.
"Mom," Henry said weakly. Regina licked her lips and went over to her son.
"I'm right here," Regina said taking her sons hand. "How are you feeling?" Regina asked.
"I feel like I could run a marathon," Henry said with a weak smile.
"Well you just might, I have a friend, a very good friend here and she is immune. I think I can make a cure for you," Regina said looking up and at Emily. Emma walked over to the table, her hands in her back pocket.
"Hey kid," Emma said softly.
"Hey, you are the girl in the picture in mom's desk," Henry said with a smile.
"What kind of picture?" Ruby asked wiggling her eyebrows at Emily.
"Not that kind," Emma rolled her eyes. Ruby chuckled.
"They were at college and kissing in the snow," Henry said.
"Hot," Ruby said earning a glare from Regina
"Well it is nice to meet you kid," Emma said. "I wish it was under better circumstances," Emma said.
"Not me, you get to save my life. Mom will have to take you back then," Henry said with a wide smile.
"Just between you and me, she had me back as soon as I saw her," Emma winked sitting beside his bed.
"Even sick you are trying to hook your mom up," Ruby teased him.
"Someones got to. Besides, it's not like there are many people for her," Henry said with a chuckle then started coughing. Regina sat him up and brought a cup of what Emma assumed was water. She watched him lay back down.
"When I get better I'll give you the hurt my mom and I hurt you speech," Henry said weakly and causing Emma to chuckle.
Another week went by and before Emma went back to the room with Henry in it. Her blood had stopped the infection from growing and the fever.
"Thanks," Henry said softly.
"I think your mom just likes to poke me with a needle," Emma said.
"She still has a picture of you, you know," Henry said.
"I know, I saw it in her desk," Emma said with a small smile.
Regina walked in with a clear liquid in a vial, running to Damon.
"This is it, I know it," Regina said. "Just one more," Regina said. Henry nodded letting his mom put the needle in his arm.
Henry started reacting to it and seizing on the bed.
"Henry!" Regina screamed holding his arms down. Emma helped her, hearing the heart monitor beeping quickly until it was beating no more. Regina had tears going down her cheek.
"This…This wasn't supposed to happen," Regina whispered.
"I am so…" but before Emma could finish the monitor started beeping again.
"What…what happened?" Henry asked with a wince.
"Don't you ever do that again," Regina said hugging her son tightly. After they hugged Regina took his blood to run test.
"So, what are the results?" Emma asked from behind Raven.
"They need a little longer," Regina whispered.
Regina opened her mouth to say something, but the computer beeped. Regina quickly turned around to read the results.
"It…It worked, there is no sign of infection," Regina said with a wide smile and tears running down her face. Regina turned around and hugged her tightly. Emma smiled and hugged back, glad that Reginas son was going to live.
"Can you guys kiss already?" Ruby said. Emma and Regina both blushed.
"What do you think miss. Swan?" Regina asked.
"I think it is about time," Emma said and kissed Regina soft and deep, feeling Reginas arms wrapping around her neck and deepening the kiss.
"Ok, let's not scar me," Henry said after they started getting a little more heated. Regina chuckled pulling back with a blush.
"Come on, we have a lot of work to do," Emma said pulling away slowly. "We have the whole world to save."