"Where is it?"
Regina huffed as she sat back on her heels, breathless from her fight with the old wardrobe in front of her. She'd been digging through the contents of the basement for the last twenty minutes trying to find a book- a journal really- that she hadn't thought about in decades.
"It has to be here! Mal never throws anything away," she growled at the cluttered walls, daring them to say she was wrong.
With another huffy breath she pushed up from her place kneeled in front of the massive old piece of furniture and moved to a set of trunks she hoped held the contents of her early life. Prying the latches up, Regina quickly began to sift through old dress up clothes and various other things she vaguely recognized as hers. Each layer she pushed aside brought on a new wave of memory that made her chuckle.
Oh to be young again.
Reaching the bottom of the trunk, her fingers skimmed the stiff spines of old books long since forgotten. "Please be in here."
Tucked beneath a love worn copy of the Secret Garden in the corner of the chest Regina found the ragged old volume she was searching for.
She drank in the sight of the distantly familiar journal with reverence. This had been the bearer of her secrets. The listener of her every worry and annoyance with Zelena. It saw the pain she felt when her father died and the utter desolation when her mother joined him less than a week later. This faded little journal with the black stallion on the cover had stayed with her until she no longer had faith in the contents it held.
This was where she'd dreamed in casting. From the good to the bad to the hopefully naive.
Without a pause she thumbed through the book, her then looping cursive stared up at her in all its innocent splendor as she scanned the time washed pages for a spell she'd cast not long before giving the journal up entirely.
Brittle clematis petals fell in to her lap and she knew she'd finally found the section she was after. Her sharp gaze swept over the words she once begged the universe herself to be made real.
"A true love spell to never fall in love. For every petal I pluck I'm wishing for something that won't ever exist. I refuse to ever fall in love."
Each line that followed made her heart pound more furiously against her chest than the last. This couldn't be real. It was a coincidence. It had to be a coincidence.
They will be honorable, brave, and kind.
They'll love apples and cinnamon and will make me laugh.
They will have eyes that change color,
And will be kissed by the sun.
When I see them it will feel like coming home.
And should I need them they will know and come without fear.
I will know them by the flower they wear.
They will be my savior.
The air felt thin. Or maybe it was because she'd forgotten how to locate her lungs to properly get a breath in.
She battled back the thoughts that had already begun to surge up, threatening to drown her whole. This just wasn't possible. No. Clearly this was wrong. It was nothing more than a coincidence that the woman with the golden halo of curls had eyes that would shift from green to blue and that she happened to love the cinnamon in her coffee this morning. Everyone in town loved that coffee. And so what if she happened to be a detective? That didn't exactly mean she was brave. And just because she was coming around to be sure that no one was lurking around the property had nothing to do with kindness. She was just doing her job. You know, detective-ing.
Her saving grace from her quickly spiraling thoughts came in the way of a faint ring from the doorbell above, though that too proved to be a double edged sword. It would be Emma up there waiting to be let in.
The same Emma she was now dreadfully worried about being more than she'd bargained for.
Again the doorbell sounded and Regina could only curse beneath her breath as she jumped into motion, taking the old whiny stairs two at a time to make up for her dawdling.
"Hey," Emma chuckled awkwardly when the door was finally opened, a broad smile that harnessed the strength of the sun slowly stretched across her face. She teetered back from the balls of her feet to her heels as her hands found their home in the back pockets of her jeans, adding to the hopeless charm that clung to her in the most endearing way Regina had ever seen. "Thought you were standing me up for a minute there."
When I see them it will feel like coming home.
Regina's traitorous thoughts taunted her viciously, making her cheeks flush in silent embarrassment. She averted her gaze to her shoes rather than stare at the woman who was simultaneously keying her up while also calming her frayed nerves with just her presence alone.
"No, I was just- I was in the basement looking through some old things. I didn't hear the doorbell at first. I'm sorry I kept you waiting."
"Yeah I can see that," Emma snickered and reached out to swipe her pocket freed thumb across a bit of dusty muck that stuck to Regina's rose stained cheek. "And it wasn't a long wait. So no worries."
If Regina was flustered before it was nothing compared to how she felt now as her body struggled to process the searing path Emma's finger left along her skin, leaving a blazing patch of crimson in its wake. "Um, I… Yes. How- Would you, um." Brow furrowed in frustration, Regina shook her head and tried to think past the gentle touch she'd just received. "Would you like to come in? You still have those questions, right Ms. Swan?"
"Emma," the blonde answered kindly but firmly, a smile fixed on her thin pink lips. "And yeah I do have some things I wanted to discuss but I was thinking maybe we could walk around out here while we talk. Kill two birds with one stone. I'd hate if something happened because I wanted to sneak one of those apple turnovers I heard about yesterday instead of making sure no one was lurking around."
A breathy snort escaped the older woman before she could rein in her amusement. One corner of her pursed lips curled into an almost smirk as she dipped her head a bit, the flustered feelings in the pit of her chest dissipating in light of the hopeful glint in the officer's bright blue gaze.
"Alright, let me go grab my coat and I'll be right back," she said with a small nod before backing away from the door, leaving it open to give Emma the view of her retreating form.
A view the officer didn't mind at all if she were being honest as she swayed from the balls of her feet to her heels and back again.
In the kitchen, littered among her purse and a small stack of mail on the table, Regina picked her pea coat up and, after a short pause, she grabbed a near by paper towel from the roll and scooped up one of the last remaining turnovers before she headed back to the porch. Wordlessly she held the pastry out to the shocked detective and waited until her hands were free to slip her arms into her jacket.
"Shall we?"
Emma hummed her appreciation for the baked good she was handed, a faint hint of pink tinging her fair skin as she laughed. "Is this because I mentioned it or because you're trying to butter me up?"
"I guess that depends on what you want to know," Regina joked, leading them off of the porch steps and out into the yard. It was a pleasant spring afternoon, the sun's rays warm as they washed over her face despite the crisp chill that still clung to the cool beginning of April air. It was days like this that made the long months of winter seem worth it. She loved this time of year.
"So…" She drawled pointedly, casting a glance at the blonde beside her and waited for her to begin while they leisurely strolled towards the back of the house.
In an attempt to stall, Emma took a bite of the turnover to give herself a moment to pull her own scattered thoughts together. She didn't anticipate the rush of pleasure the sweet flakey bite would incur nor the moan that subsequently crawled up her throat as she swallowed the down apple cinnamon goodness.
Instantly her pale cheeks flamed red with embarrassment. Bringing a hand up to cover her mouth she choked out a weak laugh. "Shit, sorry. This is just- wow. You made this?! And those muffins at the shop too didn't you! How did you get so good at baking?"
"Magic?" Regina teased, her lower lip finding its way between her teeth as she fought to hold back a laugh. A tactic that failed when incredulous blue eyes shot her a cynical glare. "My Aunt taught me. She use to say that as long as you loved whoever you were baking for you could never go wrong. So I guess that's the secret. They're made with love."
"Cute," Emma tittered, shaking her head before taking another large bite. This time managing to hold back any more embarrassing moans. "Have you always been close with your aunt?"
"You could say that," Regina answered hesitantly. "My parents, they passed away when I was six. Our Aunt Mal took us in and raised us here," she said as she motioned at the land around them. "I don't know where Zelena and I would be if it weren't for Mal. She took us in when we'd lost everything and she did it again when my husband passed away last August."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up such heavy things for you," Emma sighed, her free hand finding its way to the older woman's arm with an apologetic squeeze.
Regina smiled softly, "It's alright. You didn't know."
They walked around the side of the house in silence until Emma cleared her throat, drawing soulful brown eyes to hers once again. She couldn't quite explain the need to share a part of herself with the gorgeous woman beside her but before she could stop the words from slipping free she was sharing a part of herself she rarely let anyone in on.
"I uh, I didn't even know my folks. According to my file I was left in front of a fire station with a note that said 'I tried' when I was a few weeks old. No birth certificate, no medical records. Nothing to go on. Just a note and a guess to when my birthday would be. I don't know which would be worse the never knowing them or knowing them for a while and losing them."
Emma wasn't about to go into the rest of the sob story that was her life. The one that had her bouncing from group home to group home throughout the state of Florida until she eventually aged out of the system, never once having been adopted. That was at least third or fourth date material for sure.
"I think they're both pretty equal," Regina mused with a sad curve of her lips thus pulling Emma from her thoughts of what it might be like to actually go on a date with the devastatingly attractive woman she walked with, telling her all the things that she'd only ever kept to herself.
"Yeah you're probably right."
Silence descended upon them once more as they walked the grounds, giving Emma time to mull over thoughts of losing so much in only a matter of years like Regina had while she finished off her turnover and tucked the used paper towel into her coat pocket.
Nearing the old oak tree, Regina shook with a shudder that had nothing to do with the spring chill in the air and everything to do with the uneasy feeling the gnarled old branches above made her feel. It was silly, she knew, this was just a tree but gazing up at the bare twisted branches... It felt as though they were watching them like it had felt this morning with Robyn. Almost like the out stretched boughs were waiting for the right moment to reach down and snatch-
"Hey, you okay?" Emma's concerned voice broke the silence, startling Regina enough to visibly flinch away from the sound. Without thinking about it, Emma wrapped an arm around the trim waist she'd spent more time thinking about last night than she did on the paper work she was suppose to be filling out and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Dual looks of shock met as mahogany sought out the deepest depth of stormy blue, both frozen in place by the weight of Emma's arm that ignited the air around them with tension that pulled in all the right places.
One staggered heartbeat, two, three. After five painfully slow beats Emma carefully retracted her arm back to her side, not sure what to do with it now that it had traveled into new territory. Wonderful territory. Territory that was warm and inviting and not at all the kind of territory she should be thinking about when investigating a possible missing persons case on top of the homicides that brought her all the way out to the sticks to begin with.
"Is this…" She trailed off, licking her lips nervously. What the hell do I do with my arms normally!? She freaked, frazzled beyond belief. With all the awkwardness of a thirteen year old boy, the detective crossed her useless limbs across her chest, tucking her hands into her armpits to keep them firmly away from Regina's enticing curves. "Is this where they saw the, uh, guy or whoever?"
Regina cleared her throat and nodded. The heady thrum of something she couldn't quite place - excitement, fear, want? - pulsed through her the moment Emma's hand found purchase on her hip. It was just a half hearted hug. A squish! Nothing more than that and yet the thrill it sent coursing through her had her moving towards the swing to put some distance between them least she shove the other woman against the tree and-
"Y-yes," she stammered around a small cough against her balled up fist. She wasn't going there. Nope. She was definitely not going to think about what those freshly wet lips would feel like pressed against hers. "The sheriff already looked around the area. He couldn't find any foot prints other than the children and my own. I doubt you'll be able to do any better."
"Hmmm," was all Emma said in way of acknowledgement as she began her own investigation, grateful to have something other than Regina to focus on.
After a few minutes of watching the blonde walk around the tree and surrounding space, Regina sighed. "Emma?" She started, feeling foolish for the way her voice cracked at the end when she said her name. "What did you want to talk about? Those questions you still had. We've already told you everything that happened."
Emma glanced up, her gaze already holding skepticism. "Yeah, I heard what Zelena wanted you to say but I'd like to hear your side of things. What really happened out there Regina?"
"I told you, he beat my sister and tried to…"
"He tried to kidnap you," Emma placated, her hands raised to halt the defensiveness she could already see growing in the brunette. "I'm not doubting that. I have an entire case back home centered around him as the prime suspect in three homicides and your sister fits the bill for the kind of girl he was going after. So I'm not doubting you but some of your story just doesn't add up. Nik is not the kinda guy who just disappears without a trace and I don't think he'd have left the both of you alone with his car in some podunk town. I can tell that something's got you spooked."
Emma took a step closer to the tense woman by the swing, offering her the kindest most reassuring smile she could muster. "Look, I wanna to help you. I know you're in some kind of trouble and I want to do whatever I can to help but the only way I can do that is if you start being honest with me."
"And how do you know I'm not being honest with you?" Regina challenged, her chin jutted up despite the slew of fear that had unfurled within, threatening to turn her into a tearful mess at Emma's feet if she continued to watch her with those understanding eyes that seemed to see through the facade she'd built up.
Dipping her chin to her chest, Emma chuckled, her right hand coming up to rub her thumbnail against her lower lip ruefully. "Your eyes give you away... Plus, I kind of have this, I dunno, thing that lets me know when people are lying. I'm not saying you're flat out lying to my face about everything but I don't think you're giving me the full truth and for me to be able to do my job right I need you to be completely honest with me Regina."
Regina floundered and dropped her gaze to the ground. What was she suppose to do? Come clean? How could she explain everything that'd happened without the web of lies and get the younger woman to understand she was just trying to save her sister not once but twice? How could she put into non-incriminating words that the world would be a much better, much safer, place without a deranged man like Nik Thanos running loose?
The words formed on her lips, ready to be purged but the faces of her children, those sweet innocent faces she brought into this world, flashed behind her eyes as she vacillated between doing what Zelena said was right and doing what she'd wanted to since the beginning.
"Emma I-"
"Do you trust me?"
Hesitation flew out the window as Regina resolutely answered yes, firmly nodding her head though she had no actual foundation for this belief, no tangible proof that she could trust Emma. But somehow, in her gut, she knew that she could.
"Then talk to me Regina," Emma implored, boldly taking another step closer. "Tell me what really happened. Do you know where Nik is? Did you or your sister accidentally do something to him? I can help you. I want to help you. You're a good person, I can see that. I just- I don't want you taking the fall when it comes to this creep. Let me help you."
"It's not that simple. God I wish it were that simple!"
Tears stung the backs of Regina's eyes as she moved away from Emma back towards the house in a vain attempt to put distance between herself and the situation that threatened to swallow her down to depths she wasn't sure she could surface from.
"Regina," Emma called, her feet already pulling her after the brunette. The detective could tell by the way her stiff shoulders trembled that Regina was crying or at the very least was about to. "Regina wait. I didn't mean to push you like that. I just want to… Figure this out."
It didn't take her long to catch up to Regina who stood rooted in place near the nicely picketed garden a few yards away from the old home. "I'm sorry. If you say you don't know where he is then you don't. I shouldn't have-" her words cut off short as her gaze landed on what had Regina so entranced. There along the edge of the fencing near the large bushy lavender was a cluster of brilliantly golden daffodils. Only they weren't really clustered. "Does that say- are those flowers spelling… Nik?!"
Oh my god, ooooh my goood, O-H-M-Y-G-O-D. Regina's brain refused to move on from the shock of seeing flowers, flowers that had not been there this morning, less than a foot away from where Nik was buried.
Above them a murder of crows swooped over head and landed among the withered arms of the oak tree, their raucous cawing sent a shiver down the length of Regina's spine. Something bad was growing in the tension filled silence that loomed between the two women as they stood gaping at the floral arraignment that easily equated to 'red rum' in Regina's mind.
"I don't know what the hell kind of game you're trying to play at," Emma seethed, edging back from the display. "But whatever this is isn't funny. You'd better think long and hard about what you want to do Regina because that offer to help you won't stick around forever."
Startled, Regina turned away from the daffodils to stare wide eyed at Emma as the officer continued to back away.
"Emma, wait. Please!"
Emma simply shook her head, too irritated at being played a fool to respond at first. Pacing a few feet away, she whipped back around, her face a wash of frustrated indignation. "When you figure out what the hell you want to do come find me. I'm in room 12 at Granny's. But I swear to god if you keep lying to me you had better find yourself a damn good lawyer because none of this is looking good for any of you, just so you know."
Without another word the detective stalked off, her head still shaking as she made her way around the corner of the home and out of sight, leaving a terrified Regina behind to wade in the weight of her statement.