Chapter 2
Emma slowed her pace as she neared the room. She knew Regina would not want her pity or sympathy. She couldn't get the feeling to go away and knew her face would give her away. The Mayor would be mad at her for being late, or breaking the glass to her office door. The blonde's brain was racing ninety to nothing as she came to the open door.
The sheriff looked at the once ferocious, assertive woman, and her heart sank. Regina was in an upright position on the bed, but her eyes stared down at the red leather jacket that was now in her lap. There was an almost empty look in them, and Emma knew that look all too well.
Clearing her throat, Emma knocked on the door frame. The Mayor's head snapped up, and the blonde got a good look her swollen eye. It looked as though Regina had gone a couple of rounds in the boxing ring with a world champion.
Emma must have expressed how bad it looked because Regina looked down. It was almost like she was ashamed. The sheriff cursed herself inwardly for not hiding her expressions better.
"The doctor said you wanted to see me", she said.
Regina didn't meet her eyes as she responded. "They said I would need a r-rape kit, and said a female officer could be in attendance."
Emma heard her stutter over the word, but said nothing. She also knew that this was Regina's way of asking her to be with her for the procedure. A police officer didn't need to be present while it was being performed. Instead of telling her this, the blonde nodded.
"What did the doctor say about your head?" Emma asked changing the subject.
"I have a concussion and a cracked cheekbone." Regina answered as if this happened all the time, but then her eyes widened, "Where is Henry?"
Emma braced herself for the fury that was about to happen, "David said he was asleep, so he called Granny. He thought it would be better if we knew what was going on before worrying him."
The fury did not come, instead, the Mayor nodded her head as if agreeing, but said nothing.
"Regina, I know you don't want to talk about this right now, but I need to know what happened. Who did this to you?" As Sheriff, Emma did need the information. As someone who cared more than she liked to admit for the mayor, she needed to know.
Regina's lifted her eyes and met the green ones of the sheriff, but then looked down again. "I know, but does it have to be right now?"
Emma wanted to take away all her pain, sadness and shame but knew she couldn't. "No, but it's better to tell me what you know since it is fresh on your mind."
The mayor let out a soft, yet sad chuckle, "Oh I assure you, it will stay fresh in my mind."
Emma just stared at her, her heart hurt for this woman, but she smiled in a tight line, and nodded. Just when the sheriff was about to ask her something, a voice came from the doorway. "Miss Mills, I am here to take you to get the kit done", an unfamiliar nurse announced in a sweet voice.
Regina's eyes shot up at Emma in with a hint of panic. The blonde stepped closer to the mayor, "I'll be right there beside you".
SQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQ
After the horrible process of the rape kit procedure, Regina was taken back to her bed. She couldn't think of anything more embarrassing or humiliating than that procedure.
She thought she wouldn't be able to look the blonde in the face after that. She was surprised at how much comfort having Emma there brought her. During the kit, Emma had tried to crack jokes about anything other than what was going on. She would ask about Henry so that the brunette's mind was taken off of what was being done to her. At one point, Regina had winced in pain, and the Sheriff grabbed her hand. The Mayor wasn't sure what had changed, but she felt safe with the blonde, and she didn't want her to leave her side.
She could feel Emma eyes on her, but she was afraid to return the gaze, for fear she would see pity. She could handle a lot of things, but not Emma Swan feeling pity for her. She had always been so strong, especially in front of the blonde. Here she is, stripped of her dignity, and now feeling so weak and vulnerable. A small amount of anger started to build in her chest; she was so mad and disappointed with herself. This would not have happened in the Enchanted Forest. This would not have happened to the Evil Queen. Why had it happened now? Why couldn't she stop this? She remembered trying to cast a fireball, but it was as if her magic was gone, even now she couldn't feel it.
Her emotions must have been swimming on her face because she suddenly felt a warm hand on hers and she looked up.
Emma looked concerned, "Are you okay"?
Normally, she would have bitten the blonde's head off, or have made some sarcastic remark, but she didn't. She just stared into the green eyes and squeezed the hand that was holding onto hers.
She had a sudden need to tell Emma everything she was feeling. The only trouble was the fear that it would be used against her or maybe the blonde wouldn't be able to handle it. She didn't know, but her mind was being pulled into a million different directions. Regina was starting to feel nauseous. The room started spinning, and the urge to empty the contents of her stomach grew at an alarming rate. Just as she bent forward to heave, Emma was there with the trash can, her other hand rubbing the brunette's back.
After she was sure she was done, the Mayor sat up straight on the bed. Emma went into the bathroom to wet a washcloth. She brought it to Regina and wiped her mouth before she sat the cloth down on the rolling bed table.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" The mayor asked before she thought it through. This caused her to flinch as she realized how unappreciative her question sounded.
Yet Emma didn't seem phased, instead she smiled, "Because you're letting me."
A small smile crossed Regina's lips, but she frowned on the inside. Emma was right. She was letting her, which was completely out of the norm. The Mayor always snapped at Emma for almost every nice gesture she had ever shown towards her. The brunette just shook her head of her thoughts. No matter what messed up bizarre things were going on in this town, Emma had always tried to be nice. This was true except when Regina had pushed all the sheriff's buttons. Such as the time the blonde assaulted her apple tree. She almost laughed out loud at the memory. It seemed so long ago now.
Emma's look became more serious, "You have to tell me what happened, Regina."
The brunette let out a heavy sign and looked at the jacket that was now lying in a chair on the other side of her bed. Her eyes looked up at Emma, then back down. "I was waiting for you to bring the reports, and after about an hour, I decided I would go ahead and put my stuff in the car. I was so aggravated at you." She gave a sad smile, "Then Henry called to inform me that he was staying with you and the Charmings. I got onto him about him being the child and me the adult, and that he didn't get to tell me what he is doing. I guess I was so distracted, I didn't see or hear anyone enter behind me. When I opened the office door, I heard a footstep. Thinking it was you, I turned to yell at you, but I was struck by something hard on the side of my head. I stumbled forward, and someone pushed me towards the couch. I fought back and the couch got flipped, then the conference chairs. I tried to use my magic, but I couldn't. I couldn't even feel it, it was gone. I was losing a lot of blood and felt like I was about to pass out when I was punched hard in the face. He threw me against the desk." Regina took a shaky breath and then continued, "I tried to get up, but he punched me again and again I fell. This time I couldn't fight anymore, hell I couldn't think straight. I was jerked up and they bent me over the desk, they ripped off my clothes, and had their way."
A tear had slipped past Regina's eye and she turned her head away from Emma to wipe it away. She expected Emma to look at her in disgust. Instead, when the brunette looked up, a tear was sliding down the blonde's face too. The same as the Mayors, Emma tried to wipe it away for fear of the other woman seeing.
"Did you see who it was", the Sheriff asked in a low, almost growl.
Regina was a little startled at the sound the blonde had made. There had not been very many times the Mayor had seen Emma upset or angry, but this scared even her.
"No. He never said a word, and there are a few things that I still can't recall", the brunette stated.
"Do you have magic now", Emma asked out of curiosity?
Regina waved her hand in the air, but nothing happened, "No, it's gone".
Emma pulled out her phone, "I'm texting David to come and get the rape kit, so we can get it to the lab for testing".
"Let me see her! Move out of my way, I am family, she is my mom", Henry's voice was loud and clear coming from somewhere out in the hallway. Regina and Emma looked at each other with surprise. The blonde hurried out the door to intercept their teenage son.
Fear welled up inside Regina, and she was starting to shake. She didn't want her son to see her like this. She was supposed to be his protector and she couldn't even protect herself. She fought back the tears that were threatening to come. She could hear Henry closer now, "Why didn't you tell me she was hurt?"
The brunette could barely hear the blondes respond, "Henry, calm down. I didn't mean to not tell you, I was."
"All you ever do is lie, just like them", he cut Emma off.
Regina could only assume he was talking about the Charming's. "She's my mother, and they told me it's nothing to worry about. Then I get here and hear a nurse talking about a rape kit for Mayor Mills."
The Mayor's heart sank, and her stomach rolled, making her feel as though she needed to hurl again. She should have told Emma to get him. The last thing any mother wants is for their child to see them like this, or to know what they went through.
Henry came through the door, the angry face he had shifted to a worry.
"Mom", he yelled as he ran towards her bed, he slowed when he noticed her eye, but then leaned down to wrap his arms around her.
Regina hugged him back, as she looked at the sheriff. Emma stayed by the door with one hand on her hip, the other pinched the bridge of her nose, lost in her thoughts. The Mayor wanted this to be over so badly. She would try and put on the strong face with Henry, and everyone else. It wasn't for their benefit, it was for hers. She knew that if she continued to let herself be afraid, or show any other weak emotion, she would crumble. The world would see her fall.
Henry stood up, with tears falling down his face. He turned and glared at Emma, "This is your fault!"
Emma mouth fell open, "What?"
Even Regina was taken aback. She reached her hand out to stop Henry, or at least to calm him, but he continued, "You promised you would protect her! Where were you?"
The mayor saw the look that swept across the sheriff's face. It looked like guilt, but that is not what she should be feeling. Regina pulled on Henry's arm to get his attention, "Henry, honey, this isn't Emma fault. If anything, she saved me. I wouldn't be here if she hadn't come by the office."
The teenager glanced down at Regina, and then back up at his birth mother. "You wouldn't have had to be saved if she had protected you."
"What am I supposed to do, Henry, go everywhere with her? I didn't know this was going to happen." Emma's voice had raised several octaves and her cheeks had turned a reddish hue.
Henry walked over to Emma, who was now as tall as she and shoved her back into the door frame. "You wanted this to happen, or you would have kept your promise." He walked out of the room and down the hallway.
"Is everything okay, Emma", David's voice asked from behind her.
Emma turned to her father with a confused look, "Yeah, everything is fan-fucking-tastic."
David said nothing to the remark, instead he asked, "Where is the evidence and I will take it down to the l"
He stopped when he saw Regina's face, "Holy shit! Who in the hell"
This time Emma cut him off, "She doesn't know, that's what our job is."
Emma could see the anger well up in her father's features. He may not trust Regina that much, but he sure as hell would never let some jackass touch her without permission.
He quickly turned to a chair by the door. It had all of the evidence collected from Regina's clothes and body. Each item was in individual baggies and placed into a larger paper bag, he picked it up and then turned to the Mayor. "We will get him, Regina", He turned and walked away.
Emma's phone vibrated in her hand, looking down she saw it was a text from Snow. 'I had Ruby take Henry for the night so that he could calm down. Can I see Regina?'
Emma released a loud sigh, glancing over to the mayor, who had gone quiet. "Henry is with Ruby", Emma watched Regina's reaction to gauge her next comment. When the mayor only nodded, the blonde continued, "Snow wants to see you."
The brunette's eyes shot up to meet the sheriff's, "why? I guess she really does want to see me fall."
The statement hit a nerve with Emma, "No she doesn't, Regina. She cares about you."
The mayor rolled her eyes, "That will be the day."
Emma walked towards the bed. "She was crying before she even knew what had happened to you, and are you forgetting my superpower? I can tell when people are lying."
Regina tried to look as though she wasn't phased by what she had said, but her eyes gave her away.
Emma smiled softly, "Besides, she won't leave me alone unless you agree."
The mayor stared at her for a moment and then agrees by nodding her head slightly. The blonde was relieved, she quickly texted back, 'She said you can come.'
"Emma, about Henry", Regina started.
"Don't worry about it", the blonde interrupted, with a fake laugh.
Regina knew how hurt the sheriff was over what their son had said. It was written all over Emma's face, but the brunette could do nothing now to fix it.
In less than two minutes, Snow was standing in the doorway. One look at Regina's face and tears flowed down the short haired brunette's face. She walked slowly over to the mayor's bed.
Emma watched as snow approached Regina, and she could see the uneasy look on the queen's face.
The sheriff stepped around the bed. She put her hands on the mayor's shoulder for encouragement. Snow bent down to hug the queen. Emma felt the tension in the mayor's shoulder, but then she relaxed into the hug.
Emma's phone vibrated again and she looked down at it. It was a text from David, 'We will have to wait until the lab opens at eight am Monday morning.'
The sheriff looked down at her watch, it was 12 am Saturday. She knew the lab would be closed, but there were a couple of lab technicians there overnight. one of them she knew personally and he owed her a favor.
The blonde squeezed Regina's shoulder again. "I am going to step outside the door and make a quick call", she said raising the phone up, as if someone wouldn't believe her.
No one said anything as the sheriff exited the door. In the hallway, she punched in the number, placed the phone to her ear and waited. After several rings, a man answers the phone, "Storybrooke labs."
"Gordon, I need a favor", she said.
The man on the other end seemed nervous, "What kind of favor Sheriff Swan?"
Emma laughed, "It's not illegal Gordon, calm down. I sent my deputy there with a rape kit that needs to be tested, and I need it started tonight."
"I'm really busy sheriff, why can't it wait until Monday", he asked.
Emma's voice grew stern, "because I need it now Gordon, and I want you to be the one to work on it. It's very important I find out who did this. You owe me, Gordon. If you do not do this for me, then I will bring up the hybrid marijuana plants that you have growing in your garage. Do you have any idea what the police do to drug plants that get confiscated, Gordon." She didn't wait for a response, "They burn them. Then you will sit in jail for the little mishap that I let you go for a while back. Then who will take care of you poor grandmother?"
Gordon laughed, "You wouldn't do that. You would get into trouble too."
Emma gritted her teeth. "Your right, but at this point, I don't care. You will open the door for my deputy. If you don't, I will not only do what I said, but I will also", Emma's voice yelled the last part, "STOMP A MUDHOLE IN YOUR ASS!" She hung up the phone and slipped it into her pocket.
Emma was in deep thought when she walked back into the room and looked up. The two brunettes were staring wide-eyed at her.
"Is everything all right Miss. Swan," Regina asked.
Emma still distracted, "Yeah, I have to run down to the lab for a little bit, but I will be back. Will the two of you be okay until I return?"
Emma missed the look of panic that flashed across Regina's face. She leaned down to kiss Snow on the cheek, then without thinking did the same to the mayor.
"I'll be back soon", she called over her shoulder.