23 Years Prior
There was a knock on the door, Regina was just coming to. Her head throbbed, and the memories came flooding back. Mal. The crash. The girl. It was all her fault.
Wasn't it?
As she lifted herself up she saw she was alone in the room. The smell of fresh laundry and newly baked bread hit her nose, her sister's house always smelled that way. She appreciated it, as she had forgotten to the night before. Then she heard the voices, new ones, ones that she could familiarize.
"We have her car in impound, her mother told us she never came home, might've come here." A man said.
"What happened?" Zelena asked, feigning ignorance. Regina slid out of the bed and down the balcony of the stairs, where she could see the tops of the officer's heads.
"An accident, car spun out, girl's crash landed into a tree. The driver was a girl named Mallory Brig, sustained an injury to her right clavicle, but she'll live." He cleared his throat. "Witness says that Regina fled the scene before the ambulance got there, given from the blood alcohol content of her friend, we assume that your sister was intoxicated as well. However, without proof that's merely an assumption. We don't know why she would run if she wasn't doing anything wrong."
"Is she in trouble?"
"Well we don't know that. Miss Hood? Did your sister come around here last night?" He asked.
"She might have stopped by early on."
"Okay, and you do know that if she did, and you don't let us know, or if she's here right now. Then, we will have to report her as a missing persons? So, it's best to just save yourself and us the trouble, and tell us now."
"She knocked on my door after I'd gone to bed, didn't say much except that there was an accident."
"And she's here now?" He asked, Regina's blood went cold and she wished she could just collapse into herself. Zelena didn't say anything, but the steps that sounded closer each time were answer enough. Regina knew she wore a look of utter guilt when her sister rounded the corner and came into view.
"Come on." She said and turned back around. Regina was about to protest, but realized it would have no impact, so she just stood and tried not to fall as she shook with each step. Once she hit the base of the stairs she took a deep breath and straightened the brown long sleeved shirt she was wearing, it was soft. She played with the seam as she stepped into the foyer where two officers were standing at attention.
"Regina Mills." The blonde man, who's voice she recognized greeted. "I'm Officer Bell." He extended his hand to her, she took a deep breath and shook it weakly.
"Okay." She said quietly and nodded.
"We found your car." He began. "And your friend. Want to tell me why you left her there?"
"I uh, I was scared." She said, no use lying now. "Is she okay?"
"She sustained a minor injury, required a few stitches, but she'll be fine." He replied. "Why did you leave her there? Scared you'd get caught?" He asked.
"I don't know, sure, I guess." She shrugged.
"What did you have to get caught for?"
"Out past curfew, my mother wouldn't have been happy to find out I let Mal drive my car." She went one.
"Mhm. Blood tests shows that when your friend was driving under the influence of alcohol, quite heavily. Did you know about this?" Regina nodded. "Then why would you get into the car?"
"She said she was fine to drive, I guess she- I guess she lied." Regina looked down, played with her hands.
"Maybe it was because you were intoxicated as well, hm?" The shorter, smaller officer with black hair and a large nose asked.
"I-" She shook her head. "No."
"You shouldn't lie, witnesses say that they saw you at the part they were coming from and you were both drinking. Now, it's better you just tell the truth so we don't have to take you in for withholding information. Okay, so let's do this again. Were you intoxicated last night? Is that why you ran away?"
"Yes." Regina answered. "I was and I was afraid of what would happen if I got caught."
"You didn't stop to think that we would find your car, and your friend, and the girl who saw you at the crime scene?"
"I guess, I just wasn't thinking. I was just scared. I didn't mean to be a bad friend." Regina replied.
"Okay, we're going to need you to come down to the station to fill out a report."
"What?" Zelena asked. "You couldn't have just waited to grill her then?" She asked. "No, you have your information, now I suggest you leave."
"No disrespect Mrs. Hood, but your sister here is in quite a bit of trouble."
"For what? She wasn't the one driving, and don't tell me it was for drinking because if there was a party then there were also hundreds of other kids doing just that."
"She lied."
"Then she told the truth."
"She fled the scene of the crime."
"Crime? It was a crash, and she called for help, her friend is fine, and her car is totaled, she won't be driving or even going out for a long time."
"Yes, but-"
"But nothing, please, out of my house." Zelena cut off and ushered them out. "Fill out the damn report yourselves, let my mother know she's fine." The officers were out the door before they could protest much, and Zelena was slamming it shut. "Fuckin' pigs." She muttered.
"Zelena I-"
"Don't. It's fine. You hungry?" She asked.
"No, I'm good." She pinched her wrist.
"No, you should eat something, absorb some of the alcohol, come on." She pushed off the door and into the kitchen. "Robin's still out." She shook her head.
"Okay." Regina sat on the stool by the island. "I'm scared." She said.
"Of the cops? Don't be, they're idiots." She returned.
"No, of Mother." Regina answered.
"Oh," Zelena paused, the turned around, hands on the stove. "It's okay, I won't let her do anything, Regina, you can stay with me until this all blows over."
"But what if-" Regina began.
"Stop." Zelena interrupted just as the doorbell rang. "Hold on." She pointed to Regina and headed back to the door. The girl could see the entrance from where she sat, and if she leaned forward a bit.
Zelena swung the door open and looked down to see a short blonde girl, Regina couldn't see her face. "Hello." The girl chirped. "I'm Tink Bell." Zelena chuckled, the girl's smile fell. "No." She scolded. "Anyways, I'm here to speak with Regina Mills. I assume she's here?"
"Uh, Regina." Zelena called, the girl in question stood and made her merry way to the door. "Friend." She gestured towards Tink. "I'll be in the kitchen." She turned and walked out, leaving the two girls standing in the entryway.
"Come in." Regina said after a moment and stepped aside. Tink, clad in a gray hoodie and black denim shorts, stepped in and allowed Regina to close the door behind her, where she stayed.
"So, what happened? Why'd you leave?"
"Why do you care?" Regina countered.
"I don't." She looked down. "It's just I feel like it's my fault because," She bit her lip. "because I left you."
"It's not. It's mine, you went to get help." Regina assured.
"I know, but you practically begged me not to go, it was a stupid decision, especially knowing that you were emotional and not to mention wasted off your ass." She uttered.
"Look, I made the decision to run, I knew what I was doing, nothing you could have done would have prevented that and it doesn't matter anyway." Regina said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I would have gotten in trouble either way and now at least I got to sober up first."
"Yeah but-" Tink tried.
"But nothing. Look, thanks, you seem like a nice person, but this isn't your problem." Regina went on, moving off the door she opened it. "See you around."
Tink was about to open her mouth but just shook her head and strutted out the door and to her car, and drove home.
Present.
The light seeped in through the open window and past the curtains. Regina was the first one up, she considered her options. She could run, but with Henry it would be hard. For a brief moment she considered leaving him with Emma, she was a good mother and it wouldn't be the worst thing she could do. That thought only lasted until she took a sip of coffee, then she realized that it was absolutely ludicrous and there was no way she would just leave her son in the company of anyone, no matter who they were.
"Morning." She heard from behind her. It was Emma, she turned to see her leaning against the doorway.
"Hey." She said and turned back to look out the window at the morning that was just beginning to turn. "Should I open up?" She asked.
"Uh, yeah. If you don't," Emma paused, she looked around. "If you don't.. mind." She finished.
"What's wrong?" Regina looked about to see what she was staring at, finding nothing,
"Uh, nothing, I just had.. a moment. Is it cold in here? I'm.. cold." She said quickly.
"No it's-"
"Gotta go, thanks!" Emma sped out of the room. Regina trained her eyes a moment on the spot she once occupied then shook her head, placing the coffee on the counter she went to go open up shop.
"Just another day." She muttered, placing the sign outside the doorway.
All day, she spent it baking and selling flowers and baked goods to the customers. Reese came down for a couple of hours to work the counter, but they never talked, and she never saw Emma. Never saw Bell. It would have been suspicious if she wanted to give it a second thought. She didn't, she just wanted to work and carry on working because it was the only thing that made any sense.
"Reese." She called, leaning on the window, the girl turned quickly at attention.
"Yep." She said. "Sorry, yes?" She corrected.
"Where's your mom?" She asked.
"Not sure, upstairs last time I checked but she was getting ready to head out."
"She say where?" The girl shook her head. "Hm."
"What's going on?" Reese asked.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"I mean, Tink is back, you're living with us and the walls are pretty thin so it's not like I didn't hear you guys.. conspiring last night."
"It's not my place to say." Regina stood and pulled her hair up into a ponytail.
"Bullshit." Reese protested.
"Excuse me?" Regina raised a shocked brow.
"I said bullshit." Reese iterated. "This is ridiculous, I'm not stupid, I know something's up with you. You've been shady since the second you stepped foot in here."
"I don't know where you-"
"No, and you lied. Your name isn't even Heather, makes sense because that's an awful name, but why lie?" She crossed her arms. "Huh? You running or something."
"You need to learn your place, young lady." Regina scolded.
"I'm right." She said. "You are running. Is it the feds? Bigger?"
"Doesn't matter. You're asking the wrong person, it's not my place to tell you anything, like I said. Ask your mother if you really need to know." Regina told. "Also, you're copping an attitude with me and you need to reel that in. I don't deserve it and I will not tolerate it, I expect you're going to apologize."
"Yeah, sorry." She mumbled. "I'm going to go."
"That's a good idea." Regina replied, shaking her head as she turned the oven off and pulled out the batch of scones. Her nose scrunched up at the smell. "I hate scones."
Tink woke around noon, the first thing she saw was Emma's foot on the wall beside her. She turned to see the woman stretching across her.
"Hey." Emma muttered.
"What's up?" Tink asked, blinking roughly.
"Not much, just avoiding Regina. You know?"
"You seem on edge." Tink answered, sitting up on her elbow.
Emma let out a cold laugh. "That's the understatement of the millennium."
"What's up?" She asked.
"What's up? What's up, huh? Well for starters I'm living with a traitorous psychopath and her infant child. Which is my fault. Then, I hire her, trust her and fall for her, kind of." She looks bitter, shakes her head. "Fuck, Tink, this is all bad."
"Emma, stop. There's nothing you could have done."
"I could have-"
"Nothing, seriously, you didn't know. Stop fucking worry about what you could have done and worry about what you're going to do."
"Well that's the worse part. I don't know what I'm going to do."
"Well, we'll figure it out." She took Emma's hand in hers and shook it.
"I hope so." She rested into the touch. "Tink, what do you think we should do?"
"Honestly?" Emma nodded. "Kill her." Emma nodded again and looked down. "But that wouldn't be a real solution because we'd still have the kid to worry about and I don't kill kids."
"What if we did though? Kill her."
"Then it'd be over, we'd get the bounty and no one would ever have to worry about her ever again." Tink said. "Emma you're not actually thinking that we-"
"No," Emma muttered. "No, no, I'm just.. trying out all the options." She said, Tink was still unconvinced. "They are quite limited, you know."
"I know, I know." Tink nodded. "I mean, if you want to save her, you would get her a new identity and send her on her merry way, but," Tink popped. "it might already be too late."
"What does that mean?"
"It means," She looked down. "they might already know she's here." She whispered.
"Might? Or do?" Emma asked slowly. Tink remained silent.
"Do." She answered, and Emma felt her heart drop.
"How long?" She asked.
"We have a week, then they send in reinforcements."
"And?"
"And she dies." Tink finished.
It's nice to be back. I almost lost this story.