good evening* readers!
this story is planed out till the smallest details (has always been ever since QoH), and there are around four - five more chapters left to write. despite my rather irregular updates, do not fret, I will finish this! after all, what kind of storyteller would I be if I didn't finish my own stories? :)
enjoy reading!
ps.: who on earth would go for a hike in the woods in those cloths AND without a proper camera claiming to be a nature photographer?! and how could a mere tent survive a storm that easily trashed a car?! Oo

Chapter four: A bench and the Alarm

Emma Swan has no intentions to obey the mayor. – 'Or is she the former mayor now?' It doesn't really matter, somehow the naturally authoritative and confident air around Regina prevents Emma to think of her as a mere... citizen, she supposes. As a result the former Queen will always be The Mayor for Emma.
'Until she has a new title, that is.'

For a moment she muses, if her life isn't difficult enough without purposefully angering Regina, but then she shrugs her new found conscience off. It certainly doesn't do any good for her to spend this much time with Snow White. Even if said fairytale character is one's mother. This thought instantly makes her cringe. She still isn't used to the radical changes in her life. And on a more childish level maybe she is in denial too. Emma doesn't know this for sure, and she certainly doesn't want to deal with this, that was the reason why she crept out of that flat this morning after all.

Besides, it's not like she is disobeying the Regina's... request per se, she is merely freely interpreting, what the Mayor simply implied, she did leave the house... She snorts in a very un-ladylike manner imagining Regina's reaction to this particular justification. But then her mood almost immediately darkens...

Yes, she doesn't want to go back... there, where she knows the cracks on the ceiling so well, where she... 'No. Don't!' Emma Swan takes a deep breath and forces her mind to safer topics. She worries her lower lip, her eyebrows are furrowed when she glances back at the imposing white house over her shoulder.

Fact is that the years spent in the foster system thought Emma to listen to her gut, and now her gut says that something is extremely fishy with the Mayor. She recalls how sensitive Regina seemed to be to the light, how different – absolutely un-Mayor-ly she looked, how pale she was, and worse she was getting even paler in the short period of time Emma spent in her house. Regina's almost unnoticeable fidgeting and unconscious pulling on the arms of her pullover made Emma just believe even more in her theory. Because if a woman of Regina's calibre, with her experience both as queen and as politician, with decades of controlling her body language, well if she happens to fidget it's almost as alarming as someone else's scream.

So yes, Emma Swan might have snatched two thick blankets in Regina's hallway on her way out, and yes she might have stopped to listen carefully if the Mayor followed her, however today of all days Regina refrained from showing her out.

Which leads Emma to her current predicament. She is stealthily, using all her experience as a former thief, sneaking across Regina's yard towards the infamous apple tree, she reaches the bench standing a few feet away from the tree, and looks around one more time. Still not seeing any sign of Regina the blonde carefully puts down her bounty. Shame colours her cheeks slightly, as she lets her fingers run over the exceptional quality of the fabric. She couldn't even name it, even if her life depended on it. She snorts in amusement once again this small detail too is so Regina.

However, her merriment quickly fades. Shame hits her again she even feels the need to justify her actions to herself... 'It's not like I stole from her.' She unfolds one of the blankets and puts it on the bench. 'I am merely just borrowing.' She glances back at the house, there still aren't any sounds coming from the mason, no indications at all what Regina is up to. Emma once again feels the uneasiness settle down in her chest. She lies down on the makeshift bed, and covers herself with the second blanket. This isn't the first time she sleeps under the free sky, she was a runaway as a teenager after all, but this time it is somehow different. She nervously bites her lower lip as she thinks through all of the small oddities she picked up from Regina's behaviour today. If a person as secretive as Regina couldn't prevent showing all these small signs, then there is something deeply wrong. Plus logic says several small things could add up to one big and most likely very ugly thing, if the troubled brunette is somehow involved in it.

So yes, Emma Swan feels she has a very legitimate reason to be concerned. This time she is listening to her gut, not ignoring it, she stays close to Regina, she wants to be here until it happens. Because something is bound to happen, Emma is sure of it, however this time she is willing to stay in the middle of it instead of running from it. This time there is a boy, who has faith in Emma, faith that she could protect him, faith that she is good, that she is capable of doing good. Emma Swan frankly has no idea how to be a mother, but she does know that she loves that kid, even if his affection scares her sometimes. She would do anything to protect him. And now apparently she is going to protect her son's other mother too, after all she was the one, who made it possible that she could get back to him.

Emma pulls her hood over her head, snuggles deeply in her blanket, closes her eyes and sighs contently.
She doesn't want to unleash the true extent of the Evil Queen's wrath upon herself, that's why she obeyed Regina's wishes and left the house, but she is willing to endure the Mayor's wrath, so yes, she stays in the brunette's garden, for a few more hours just to be safe and just to be near if something did come up. In a few hours she plans to talk to Regina again, maybe she has more success this time, until then she is going to catch up on her sleep.

Emma closes her eyes and tries to ignore the small stray thought of killing two birds with one stone. She tries to ignore that by practically camping out in Regina's yard (she must wonder if she has any suicidal tendencies after all), she is avoiding going back to... that flat, avoiding meeting... the people who are related by blood to her.
'Blood. Family. Responsibility... Birthright. Fuck!'
She huffs annoyed at herself, pulls up the blanket over her nose, and snuggles up in it. Her breathing slowly evens out, and in a few minutes Emma Swan is sleeping soundly, never hearing the muffled sound of a body hitting the floor in the house.

An alarming, thoroughly disturbing sound violently, carelessly cuts through the chilly, early afternoon November air over Storybrook. Its unnatural shrillness could effectively reduce anyone to a teary eyed, anxious mess, so it isn't that much of a surprise, that Emma is practically scared out of her sleep. In her first fright she falls off of the bench, her arms flailing around her without any grace, her blonde hair tangled, or sticking up at odd angles, her heart is wildly beating, and she tries to fight her way out of the blanket as the disturbing sound repeats itself over and over again. The shrill tones make her just even more afraid, she has no idea what the source of them possibly could be. Finally she finds her way out of the blankets, her minds begins to clear up the last remains of sleep, but the repeating, anxious and somewhat... mechanical? ...sounds prevent her to form any coherent thoughts.

'Shrill. Mechanical. Repeating. Associated with fear... Mechanical...
Oh, fuck!'

She significantly pales, and hastily crawls under the apple tree. 'Fuck my life! Air raid sirens in Storybrook? What the hell is going on?!'
She fearfully looks up to the sky, however she can't see anything, no fire, or smoke. She carefully listens, but of course there isn't any sound of planes zooming by, only the nerve-killing sirens creating a bizarre war time atmosphere, somehow transforming the air into fear that one could choke on.

She waits a few moments but nothing changes, the sirens keep repeating their excruciating sound. Emma glances back at the manor, Regina could be still in there, and she most likely could answer all her questions. So with a final look around, Emma runs back to the house. She can't shake the feeling that this is just the beginning of something really bad, and that things are about to turn downhill... Emma barrels in the mason, barely managing not to take the entrance door off of its hinges.

"Regina!" She frantically shouts, and begins to hastily walk down the hallway, without taking her sneakers or her jumper off. "Regina? Are you here?" She turns to the left, since there are still no sign of Regina. "Do you hear this?" She walks into the Mayor's study... "What on Earth is this so..." ...and her voice trails off, as her eyes fall upon the small figure lying on the ground.

She rushes forward, falling to her knees next to the brunette, and fearfully extending her hand, however, for a long moment it just hovers in the air. Emma has never seen the normally so confident woman so... fragile, or so lifeless. She lies on her side, her arms sprawled out, the right one under her head, she is extremely pale, her eyes are shut, dried blood on her face, and on the floor in front of her. Her mouth is hanging open slightly, in its corner a small amount of a white foamy substance.

"No, no, no! Fuck! Regina, no!" Emma fearfully whispers, and her own voice snaps her out of her haze the same time. Her hovering hand quickly reaches for Regina's pulse, which is slow but steady. This discovery of course makes Emma sigh in relief for a moment. Then she promptly but gently grabs Regina's chin, opening her mouth she puts two fingers in, feeling if there is anything blocking the airways, and feeling for any injuries. She is still unsure if the blood on the floor is a result of Regina biting her own tongue too, or "merely" her nose bleeding. She finds everything clear, she uncertainly moves the brunette, bending one of her legs, stretching the other out, adjusting her hand better under her cheek, and stretching her other arm out. Her eye fall on Regina's phone, she debates if she should call the hospital. But frankly, Emma isn't that sure that anybody willingly would come to the former Evil Queen's house, not to mention the fact that the strange alarm is still frighteningly and by now maddeningly active. So she moves to check Regina's eyes, pulling back one eyelid after the other...

"Oh my... What have you done?!" Emma painfully whispers as she sees the obviously magical shade of green swirling in Regina's orbs, mixing with familiar brown spots. Now Emma knows for certain that this problem is of magical origin, and nobody in the hospital could help Regina, so there is nothing else but waiting for the brunette to wake up.

Emma stands up, pads to the couch, grabs the blankets she can find there and covers Regina with them. She then goes to the nearest bathroom, takes a fresh towel and a bowl of warm water. Back in the study she slowly, carefully washes down Regina's face several times, cleaning her lips and the blood from and around her nose. For a long moment she just holds the towel in her hand, but then shrugging she cleans the floor too. It's not like Regina is consc...

"Miss Swan..." Regina's voice is extremely weak, but she still manages to sound somewhat reprimanding.
'Shit.'
"Uhm... uh... Hi?" Emma sheepishly tousles her own hair at the back of her head and awkwardly smiles down at Regina. The Mayor's eyes are just partially opened and still somewhat green. Emma silently and curiously observes Regina as her expression slowly morphs into one of wonderment. Regina doesn't look nor stares down Emma, as she normally would do. She doesn't even try to hide her obvious vulnerability behind lashing out, behind hurtful remarks. And Regina doesn't wear her usual mask of controlled anger or superior indifference. Emma could almost read her. By now Regina's eyes are widely open, now Emma can see the green lingering in those deep brown irises, and to her utter bewilderment, Regina's face is practically alight with the purest fascination. Her eyes move around the room, falling on everything, seemingly taking in everything, it is almost like this is the first time in Regina's life that she really sees...

Emma almost doesn't want to interrupt this peaceful moment. The sight of Regina looking at the world like a happy and utterly curious child, well it certainly is a one in a lifetime moment. However she has questions.

"Regina?"

The brunette slightly lifts her head, and her green-brown eyes fall on Emma for the first time. Her eyes widening even more, and now she is staring at Emma in absolute astonishment. Without blinking. Emma of course quickly blushes and begins to squirm, until finally she is so uncomfortable that she voices the first question that crosses her mind, without any second thoughts:

"What the hell happened to you?" 'Subtle much Swan?' She groans at her own clumsiness.

Regina immediately closes off, her face becomes devoid of all emotions, even looking into her strange coloured eyes doesn't indicate anything what she might be thinking. Emma is silently cursing herself.

Regina moves to sit up as regally and gracefully as she can manage, she almost instantly turns paler, and Emma notices, that she winces as she moves her arms.

"Hey Madame, slow down, don't get up yet, unless you want to..."

Regina silences her with a mere look of hers, and Emma for once doesn't want to fight her over this. Regina reaches up, slowly touching her cheeks, her eyes falling to the wet towel beside Emma's hand, and to the blanket that still covers her somewhat. For the briefest moment surprise crosses her features, she fleetingly looks at Emma, wordlessly nods once then proceeds to stand up. Once she is standing, and seemingly the dizziness has passed, she clears her throat and in a still softer voice than usual addresses Emma:

"You are not to speak to Henry about this, under any circumstances, do you understand me, Miss Swan?"

Emma too slowly stands up, regarding Regina warily, wordlessly for a while, almost as if she were searching for something. Regina's menacing gaze is as effective, as always, however the glimpses of tiredness, and dare she say – hints of fear, not to mention the in her eyes still swirling green colour, throw Emma off of guard. Her observations coupled with the more than alarming request well, if nothing else, it is clear that Regina's situation is extremely sever. And if Emma wants to have any chance to understand it, or help even if she can, well she has to trade carefully now...

As she is about to voice her question, Regina tilts her head, her gaze turned to a window, the shrill, mechanical sound of sirens is still dully echoing in the background. The brunette eyes widen, worry crosses her features, and she moves towards the door, seemingly forgetting about Emma being there in the first place.

"What is this sound Regina?"

Regina turns back clearly surprised by Emma's question.

"You...? You can hear it too?" Before Emma could even finish her spectacular eye roll, Regina answers her own question. "Of course you can. Spawn of true love, you have magic in you..."

"Excuse me, but this noise is enough to kill all small animals in the immediate vicinity of Storybrook, why on earth wouldn't I hear it, if I have a pair of fully functioning ears?!" Emma huffs outraged.

"Oh, but that's where you are wrong dear. This alarm could only be heard by persons with magical abilities."
Regina smiles that fake politician smile of hers. With that she turns on her heels, and walks out of the room, her movements as fluid and as graceful as ever. Nothing indicates, apart from her eyes and her unusual paleness that she had to be unconscious for at least an hour, and that till very recently.

Emma stares at her shoes for a long moment. She is worried about Regina without a doubt. In fact, she is fearful to admit, what everything that she got to know today could mean in the long run. The disturbing request concerning Henry is still echoing in her mind. She has no choice she has to accept the stubborn woman's apparent wishes. She won't ask her outright about her situation, or at least not right now. However till that happens she always could accompany her and learn more by observing.

"Wait up! What alarm? What do you mean?" She catches up with Regina at entrance door. The brunette stops, faces Emma and explains:
"The wards around Storybrook have been breached, of course."

With that she turns around, adjusts her black coat and thick cashmere scarf and walks down the porch.
"Close the door behind you, Ms. Swan."

Emma does as asked swallowing back her retorts and jogs up to Regina. The brisk tempo the brunette is dictating while striding down the street, makes Emma suddenly want to pat on her own shoulders for choosing a pair of trainers and her only pair of baggy jeans.

"Wards?"

"Yes. Did you honestly think we – as in the magical community here would let our town unprotected once the curse broke?" Regina asks almost sweetly.

"Well, I haven't thought of it actually..." Emma trails off.

"Don't blame yourself dear, it really is entirely your mother's fault. Who else would have found their one true love in Charming? But I suppose your father must have other qualities that make up for his inability to uphold an intellectually inspiring conversation..."

"Really, Regina? You had to go there?!" Emma cuts her off.

"Oh, still not comfortable thinking about mommy and daddy having..." Regina begins to say with a cruel smile.

"Enough! Don't... Don't call them that!"
If Emma's angry hiss, the emotions swirling in her eyes, or her red cheeks surprise Regina, she doesn't show it. However her eyes linger curiously for a while on the younger woman, and she does slow down her strides. She obviously can see that she has pushed too far, but she merely nods instead of an apology, naturally.

Emma clears her throat uncomfortably. She desperately wants to think about anything beside her f... them. She knows Regina is lashing out, because she saw her in a vulnerable state, but still, she won't let Regina to walk over her emotions like that. She looks around nervously, she has no idea where they are heading, and the still echoing sounds of the sirens do nothing to get her less anxious.

"About the ward and the magical community..." She trails off, she doesn't know, how to ask, even after waking Henry up in the hospital, after the wraith incident, after her time spent in Fairytale Land, even after her face-off with Cora, she still is uncomfortable with speaking about magic.

Emma uncertainly looks up at Regina and meets her strange green-brown eyes, once again reminding herself just how grave the brunette's situation is. Regina appears even with all her practice in controlling her body language extremely tired, and for the first time Emma notices a deep underlying sadness in those eyes. She has always known that the sometimes tyrannical older woman with all her anger, hatred and hidden angst must be broken too. She just never had realized how much. Every step they make down the street demands more and more energy from Regina.

'Because of her condition? No, there is something more... Wait. Wards, alarm, magic... Not only her condition, but the possibility of facing her own mother too...'

At this realisation Emma almost reaches out to stop the other woman, tell her she should rest, but then... If she were in her shoes, she would do the same. Push herself again and again to her limits, because of... because of Henry... 'Oh Regina...' Now Emma thinks she understands Regina, she has to do this, while she can...

"Your mother is here, isn't her?" She asks tentatively at last.

"Yes." They are silent for a long moment, neither of them knowing how to continue, until Regina ignores the topic, and extremely unusually for her begins to explain something else:

"The wards have three functions. The first is repelling all outsiders from this world, not letting anybody in Storybrook. The second is detecting any portal jumpers from our old world, or any other world, this ward also alerts each and every magical person in Storybrook if a portal jumper was detected. Lastly, the third is to keep the jumpers at the exact place they tried to enter the town, until the magical community can get there and decide about their fate."

"The magical community? Does this mean you worked with the good side together?" Emma is gaping at her rather unattractively.

Regina actually rolls her eyes at Emma.

"Oh please, the fairies and the good side?! Don't base the way you see the world on Henry's book or on your... on Snow White's extremely questionable morals. You are a grown up woman, who had an anything but sheltered life. However how your parents would love to deny it, you are more than capable of making your own choices!" Regina's outburst leaves both of them speechless, both woman have a slight blush on their cheeks, albeit for different reasons.

Emma heard how Regina caught herself and used Snow White's name instead of her relation to Emma. Add to this the implied sentiments, Emma can't help but give Regina a goofy smile. Regina, trying to appear indifferent, just lifts her brow, perfecting an unimpressed mask on her face as a way to balance her previous small speech out. At the end she says in a true Regina Mills fashion:

"Do hurry up dear, we wouldn't want a fate turning conflict play out without any amount of that infamous Charming heroism, which is always very well hidden beneath thick layers of idiocy..."

Emma can't help but smirk at the brunette's sass. Because this is one of the reasons that help her feel normal.
And yes, she is going to help Regina, however how difficult that might be.

She lengthens her strides and catches up with Regina again.