Cerres
Chapter 7
Warning: Mentions of rape of a young girl! Be warned and stay away if that's too harsh of a topic for you!
"Regina?" Jefferson's voice echoed in the room. "Are you all right little one?"
"I'm fine Jefferson." Regina squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't wish to leave her crate again, not after what had happened the previous night.
"You haven't come out. Did something happen?" He kept his voice quiet as he settled down before the opening of her crate sensing they were going to be there for a while.
"No, nothing happened. I'm just tired and I don't really feel well."
"I can get you something," He offered. It didn't escape his notice that she hadn't touched her breakfast.
"No, I just want to go back to sleep. I couldn't really sleep last night."
"Why?"
Regina shrugged, "Just couldn't."
"You've slept fine before, what changed?'
"Jefferson, just please leave it alone. I don't wish to speak on it."
He lifted his hands slightly in a placating gesture. "All right little one. We won't speak on it. I'll bring you some lunch in a bit."
"I'm not hungry."
"Even if I make an apple pie for you?"
Regina's nose wrinkled, "No, I think it might make me sick and I don't want to get sick on my favorite food."
"All right. I'll leave you to rest. I have to go to the market in a bit. I'm afraid I have strict orders to lock your door when I leave. Would you like me to bring you anything to entertain yourself? A book or something?"
"No, I'd rather just sleep."
Jefferson nodded, "All right. Will you at least try and eat lunch for me?"
"Will it make you happy if I eat a few bites?"
"Even a few is better than nothing. I'm going to take this tray but will you at least try and drink some juice? It won't do anyone any good for you to get dehydrated."
"I will. Later."
Jefferson nodded and carefully rose to his feet. He was worried for his little friend. She wasn't her usual spunky self. Something was off and he knew the only person that would know anything about it had left for work very early that morning. In fact he had just barely been awake when the woman had walked out the door. Something had happened last night and he was now determined to find out what it was.
"Here are those pages you asked for ma'am." Emma looked up at David's words. She arched a brow.
"You don't have to call me ma'am David. You're my brother."
David shook his head with a small smile. "I know, I just like to tease you and you look like you had a rough night."
"I did."
David nodded, "I know you miss her." He began and Emma lifted her hand cutting him off.
"It's in the past and now that the day has passed I'm content to leave it be. Besides I have other things to worry about."
David nodded, "Yes, of course. You asked me to bring Dr. Whale to you."
"I need to speak with him and the girl he bought recently."
"I don't know that he will bring her. She's rather wild from what I've heard."
"It doesn't matter. I need to know what she knows and he will bring her to me or I will stop bringing back those little monster bits he likes to experiment on." Emma offered a vicious smirk. It appeared even more dreadful given the large bags under her eyes.
"He's trying to find a cure."
"He's trying to play God." Emma countered right back. "And there is no God; not anymore. So call him down here and tell him to bring his newest acquisition to me. If he doesn't, threaten him until he sees the light."
"What are you going to do with the girl's information?"
"Does it really matter to you?'
"Of course it does. You're talking about killing innocent people."
"Innocent?' Emma snarled. "You haven't seen the way my little pet reacted when I touched her. You haven't seen the way she cried and begged me to leave her be. They will pay for they dared to touch what is mine."
"That was a long time ago Emma. Those men could be dead."
"Or they could be very much alive. If they are indeed dead, then I will take great pleasure in spitting on their rotting corpses. If they are alive, they will pay for what they did to her."
"And if the girl doesn't remember anything?"
"Then I will figure out another way to find out what happened to my little one."
David stared at her and she glared back, daring him to say otherwise. He dipped his head. "All right, I'll find a way to get him and the girl here."
"See to it you do."
"Emma, you bitch. Get out here." James Whale stormed into the Emma's office, slamming the door into the wall as he stormed through.
Emma looked up and set her pen down as he stalked towards her. "You bitch," He snarled again. "How dare you threaten me in such a manner."
"I didn't threaten Dr. Whale, I promised. Did you bring the girl like I asked?"
"You think you can order me around like one of your damn minions!" The man slammed his hands on the desk. It was a fairly useful intimidation tactic and one that Emma herself had employed and had used on her in the past.
"I don't think anything; I know I can. You depend on me and my men to produce viable samples for your so called work."
"My work is essential to our survival."
"I highly doubt that seeing as we've survived just fine for almost sixty years now." Emma sneered as she stood up. She stared the man directly in the eye. "You walk a fine line Whale. You're considered a freak by most of our society but because Mayor Mills likes you, she's keeping you around for her own purposes but if you overstep that line…let's just say I've got more pull with the Mayor than you do."
"Now you're threatening me and I have half a mind to take that little dog you wanted and go home where you'll never find her again."
"You do that and I'll be certain you never get another sample ever again." Emma sat back down. "Get out of my office Whale and don't ever show your face here again."
The man set his jaw, his blue eyes glittering with anger before he turned and stormed out of the office. The girl was sent in a few moments later.
Emma rose to her feet, looking over the beautiful taller girl that fell to her knees due to the harsh push from the person outside the office.
Emma rolled her eyes as she strode forward and helped the girl to her feet. Like Regina, she immediately pulled away and eyed her. The blonde stepped back and brought her hands up, allowing the girl to see she meant no harm. It didn't escape her notice that the girl's eyes, just like Regina's, darted around the room obviously looking for an escape method of some sort.
"We're too high up for you to escape. You might want to reconsider trying to jump out the window or run out the door. Everyone outside is armed."
"I wasn't…"
"You were. You're just like her."
"Who?" The girl shifted and moved away from her putting her back into a corner. It was a good survival tactic. Let you see the room and anyone that was trying to come at you.
"Regina, my little one."
"Your little one?"
"Yes, my little one."
"So why did you bring me here? To tell me…torment me further with the knowledge that my only family is just as trapped as I am?" The girl's hazel eyes burned with hatred.
"No, I need your help."
"With what?"
"Regina confessed something to me…she said she was raped when you two were out on the streets." Emma folded her arms and made her way back to her desk. She pulled herself onto it carefully knowing the paperwork she had scattered needed to get finished. Mayor Mills after all demanded perfection.
"What do you care?"
"I care plenty…because no one touches what belongs to me."
"She doesn't belong to anyone…least of all you."
"Do you want to see the men that hurt your friend punished for what they did?"
Ruby shook her head, "It doesn't matter, they won't be. Hell you might even praise them for a job well done."
Emma was off the desk in a flash. Her hand darted out before she could stop it. The loud slap of flesh meeting flesh echoed in the room. Ruby's head turned from the impact.
"Don't you ever speak that way again. Do you understand me?"
The girl glared at her as she turned back to look at the other woman.
"Tell me what you remember of that night and you have my word that I'll make the men that hurt her pay."
"Why should I trust you?"
"You shouldn't but you will because what do you have to lose?" Emma took a step back. "Tell me what you remember about that night."
Ruby continued to glare at her before she finally spoke. "We'd only been out on the streets for a few weeks. Regina had just turned thirteen but it was hard to keep track of that kinda thing."
Emma nodded, "What happened that night Ruby."
"Stop rushing me and I'll tell you," The girl huffed angrily. "We hadn't eaten in about three days. I remember I was crying and Regina was trying to comfort me, telling me we'd find food soon and not to worry because she would take care of everything. She always took care of me." Ruby frowned. "Anyways, we were trying to find a place to sleep that night but Regina said she would find us food before we did that. I said it wasn't a good idea but she was determined."
"She's a stubborn little thing." Emma agreed softly.
Ruby nodded, "Yes she is." They shared a small smile. "Anyways we were walking towards our hide out for the night when these…men came past us. They were dressed really nicely and they were laughing and acting like they didn't have a care in the world." Ruby paused. "Regina decided to go up to them and ask them if they could spare something…anything to help us get by. The leader I guess it was. He had this big ring on his finger and he hit her. He hit her so hard her lip busted wide open. Blood went everywhere and she hit the ground. I ran forward and I tried to hit him for hurting her but they all started beating on us. I barely got away and Regina told me to run." Ruby choked up as she looked away. "When I came back, she was…god she was bruised up and there was blood all over her thighs and she was naked from the waist down and I knew…I knew what they'd done to her. But we never spoke of it."
"Do you remember anything about the men? Anything at all?"
"They all looked pretty ordinary but the leader did have this ring. It was this big hulking thing and I remember thinking his hand should feel heavy from trying to hold it up."
"What did it look like Ruby?"
"It was gold and it had a lion's head on it. There were these two big diamonds shoved into it's eyes."
"Was he a tall man with dark hair?"
Ruby's brow furrowed as she thought for a moment before she thought. "Yes, he was."
"Then I know who did this."
"You do?"
"I do and I promise you here and now Ruby, I will make them pay for what they did to Regina."
Ruby studied her for a few moments and nodded, "All right. I believe you. Please don't let me down."
"You have my word and I don't give that lightly. I will see them punished and they won't hurt any other girl ever again."
