CHAPTER 7

******FLASHBACK******

Regina had an almost Pavlovian response to the sound of the lock in the box being turned. Normally the lock turning in the door meant that her husband was coming for her and when he left she'd be battered, bruised, and torn. But he was dead and she was in Storybrooke now.

Her body instantly seized up and she was frozen while her mind reeled trying to figure out what was going on.

The night had begun like any other. She helped Henry with homework while she got dinner ready. She loved cooking, it relaxed her and having Henry in the kitchen with her was always a treat. After dinner, the two decided to have an impromptu movie night. They went to bed shortly thereafter.

She had jerked awake at the first click of the lock. She peeled her eyes open slowly to stare into the sneer of Jefferson's maddened gaze. She gasped and tried to sit upright when another set of hands clamped around her wrists. A bracelet was locked onto her arm and she turned to look into the leering eyes of Dr. Whale.

He shook his finger in her face, "Nuh huh uh Madam Mayor. No magics are going to get you out of what's coming to you." His and Jefferson's cackling caused anger to rise inside of her.

Her blankets were ripped away and she began to panic. She covered it with anger hoping that by accessing the Evil Queen they'd scare off, "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Get the hell out of my home!" she was enraged. She tried to access her magic but all she felt was a numbing sensation almost as if she had been sedated. She tried pulling at the bracelet but Whale took both her wrists in his hand and held them above her head.

The pair laughed some more. Then, Jefferson leaped forward and clamped his hands around her throat. She struggled against him and he slapped her hard. Her eyes bulged as a real fear begin to rise within her. She knew they had really lost it.

She shuddered completely helpless as he leaned his face into hers, "You wouldn't let me forget. Even when I begged you to. Tonight you'll do the begging and I'll do the laughing. We're going to help you by jogging your memory. We'll see how you like it when you remember EVERYTHING, Your Majesty. And I promise you, once this night is over, you will never forget again." As he spoke, his hands went down her body and underneath her nightgown. She heard the tear of fabric as her underwear were ripped clean off her and tossed over his shoulder.

Her eyes moved over to Whale who licked his lips in anticipation. She turned away sickened. She was ashamed at the hungry predatory look on his face.

Bile rose up inside of her as she heard the sound of a zipper being lowered before her legs were ripped apart. She tried to fight him but he quickly and easily overpowered her.

His body pressed down upon hers and felt like a boulder above hers. She felt his hardness press against her thigh and she closed her eyes and clenched her teeth together willing herself not to cry out. It took every ounce of her willpower to stop the sobs in her throat from coming out when he pushed insider her tender flesh with all of his weight.

Her hands formed an iron grip on the sheets as he continued thrusting as hard as he could. Tears sprang to her eyes and she began sobbing in time with his moans and his relentless thrusting. Pain ripped through her body as he picked up speed. He released himself inside of her and she felt as if someone had just squirted her with hot lava. She was sure the scalding liquid would leave a burn.

Finally, it was over and she curled into a ball as Jefferson and Whale laughed. She tried to get the bracelet off but Whale held onto her wrists again and pinned her down once more. She brought her knees up to her chest and kept them there. Whale began to hit her with his fists until her body unfurled.

"My turn," he said as he kissed her sloppily. He leaned down to her ear, "And I want to hear you scream."

Whale ran his hands down her sides then up to her chest again. "You walk around this town as if you were mightier than thou. You wouldn't give me the time of day no matter how nicely I asked for just a simple date. Say no now," he dared before crushing her lips with his.

She turned her head to the side and spat out the taste of him. "You had to tie me up to get me here. Why would any woman want anything you had to offer?"

Whale's face contorted and his fist came down on her face again. He began to whale away at her.

She bit into her lip to keep from crying out. She didn't want Henry to hear her. Years of abuse at the hands of Cora and later Leopold had taught her how to restrain her cries. She knew the worst part would be to give in to him.

She heard him unzip and turned her face away. Her body was now throbbing from head to toe. She felt his mouth brush her breasts as his cold hands molested her body. He put himself between her thighs and invaded her deeply. Tears of pain, sadness, and shame poured from her as his deep thrusts caused ripples of pain to shoot through her.

Finally, it was over. "You got what you wanted. You can leave now," she hated how weak her voice sounded but it couldn't be helped.

Whale reached down and grabbed a handful of her hair. He pulled her roughly from the bed and spat into her face, "Oh, we've only just begun." Jefferson's chuckles followed her as he dragged her down the stairs and into the study.

They found the bar and poured themselves a few drinks. Whale pulled her down onto his lap as she tried in vain to push his hands off of her.

Jefferson dropped a bottle and let out a howl before the two keeled over in laughter. She made a run for the door hoping to get some advantage over them. He caught up to her before she reached the stairs and she fell down, hitting her head on the marble steps. Darkness began to cut off her vision and she welcomed the oblivion.

When she awoke, she was thankfully alone. She kept her eyes closed as she took a mental inventory of her body. The pain shooting through her was excruciating. She was bleeding from her orifices and lying face down. She had a filthy taste in her mouth and began to gag. She had to crawl to get to the bathroom.

After her stomach settled again, she laid on the floor until her body stopped hurting long enough for her to move. She ripped off the bracelet she had been wearing and flung it across the room. She picked herself up and climbed the stairs before turning on the shower. She ignored the scalding temperature as the water pelted her, mixing with her blood and tears.

After she got out of the shower she stripped her bed and cleaned the floors. She checked on Henry thankful that he hadn't stirred throughout the entire night. She packed him a bag and then called Emma.

****PRESENT****

The nightmares were usually the same. The lock in the door turning. And then her husband lunging for her.

This time though, instead of her husband, it was a three headed monster. Regina screamed in her dream and awoke to find tears on her face.

Regina's cry had alerted Emma. She sprang up and over to her side.

"Shh, shhh. I've got you." And she did. Emma had her arms around Regina and pulled her onto her chest much like she had that morning. And Regina lay in her arms and wept until she had no more tears left.

Emma stroked her hair and made cooing noises to her. She rocked her back and forth as one would do to a child.

She was surprised and could hear the surprise in Regina's voice as she began to speak.

She held her through the telling of the ordeal she had just endured. It had been much worse than she had imagined.

Emma wasn't sure if she could've functioned as well as Regina had in those final moments. She had a newfound respect for the woman's power to overcome and endure. Now, she just wanted to be there for her.

Emma began to formulate a plan as she held Regina through her tears and trembles. Emma knew there were no words to say to this. Raping someone was one of the worse things that a person could do to someone else. Regina may have done things in her past but no one deserved that.

Emma pressed her lips to Regina's temple. She held her through the ensuing flood of tears until she was spent. When she became limp in her arms, Emma lifted her and carried her upstairs to her bed. She put her down and lay beside her. She wrapped her arm around her and held her close to her tightly. They both fell into a fitful sleep.