THE STAIRCASE
By Red Charcoal
Warnings: Non-consensual sex references. This is dark. It's my first fic. So for themes and novice errors, you have been warned.
CHAPTER TEN: HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
Regina felt drained by the time Dr Hopper left. She had been right – it hurt plenty. He had asked her point blank who the 'Leopold monster' was Henry described and, with uncharacteristic candor, born of 23 days without enough sleep and her jangled nerves hanging by a thread, she had told him. Well as much as she could.
She had told him of the rapes by her then domestic partner, a man so big and brutish and powerful no one could protect her from him. A man who she had successfully kept out of her brain for three decades. Until Emma Swan. And then, like spidery fingers clawing at her brain, the memories had come leaching out again.
Archie Hopper had viewed her with the most godawful expression of pity and then suggested, in a roundabout way, whether it was possible some of the punishment she was meting out to the sheriff was really her way of punishing Leopold.
She had looked at him then with pure disdain. Did he not fucking get what Swan had done to her? So she had told him about that, too. In detail, so there would be no further misunderstandings.
More abject pitying looks followed that set her teeth on edge.
He had then suggested that she was a woman of immense power now; a contrast to the powerless victim she had been when with Leopold, so could she possibly be using every resource at her disposal to right a very old and terrible wrong? On the wrong person?
She had sucked in a particularly outraged hiss at that. Was Hopper particularly dense? She couldn't listen anymore. Wouldn't.
Just as he had been spitting out some sort of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder babble, she had virtually waltzed his tweed-jacketed ass to the door and told him to keep his absurd conclusions to himself and that their session was now over.
And then she had walked elegantly back to her pristine white leather sofa, folded her hands in her lap and, to her complete horror and shock, had started to weep.
She had never wept before. She had been denied it at every turn in her past. Appearances had always been forced to come first.
Now, though, she wept. She wept over Leopold and her terrifying misery of a marriage, dear Daniel and her father's pathetic weakness, her mother's cruelty, and, finally, she wept over what had happened with Swan.
Emma. She hated she wasted even a single drop of saltwater on her. Yet she felt so betrayed. Swan was a woman she had been starting to trust. A woman she had, although she would never say it out loud to a soul, at times admired. On occasion even felt some sort of something for her. It had been so intangible. She hadn't even gotten close to defining it before the sheriff had ripped it all away. All because Swan was too stupid not to think, not to pause for even half a second to really look into Regina's eyes and see the fear there. If she had, she would have known to stop it all before it started. Before the rest of Regina's fragile walls could be ripped down by that thoughtless moment in time. Leaving her forced to remember. Forced to confront him again.
It had taken years to unsee that raping brute's face.
And now...
So Regina Mills wept.
And even when Henry crept downstairs and asked her in a scared small voice if she was OK, she had simply gathered him up in her arms, not speaking, not capable of it, and hugged him as though her life depended on it, while she cried on his shoulder.
And, through some miracle, the child who hated her and who told her of her evilness day in, day out, had simply held her, patting her back kindly, and whispering to her it would be "all right". Just as she done for him countless times over the years with every bump and scrape.
Finally, face puffy, eyes red, she had pulled away, beyond humiliated and muttering at what a mess she must look, Henry had simply cupped her cheek and announced she looked beautiful. Then he had shocked her even more by leaning over and kissing her. He had whispered in her ear so earnestly that he hoped Dr Hopper had taken away the Leopold monster for good.
She had given a watery smile and said she hoped so too.
So when the knock came at the door, the last person she wanted to see – or expected to see - was one Emma Swan. The cheek of her, after all that had happened, to impose herself on her again, uninvited.
Henry had opened the door to her before Regina could object and pointed to his mother in the lounge.
Regina sat there frozen. She knew what she looked like. And judging by the way the blonde was eyeing her sideways, she knew it was obvious exactly what she had been doing this past hour.
"Miss Swan, what do you want?" she asked tiredly, not bothering to stand. She doubted she could anyway.
"I, uh, are you OK?" She was looking up at her with those big puppy eyes and Regina couldn't take it anymore.
"Get to the point," she snapped waspishly, ignoring the question.
Emma placed a small digital voice recorder on the coffee table in front of her. "It was Sidney Glass. He set me up. He sent the text from your phone. I have him on a secret recording."
Regina felt her mouth drop open. She stared at the blonde.
"Why?" she asked hoarsely. "He is one of my most trusted employees."
"I … it's all on the tape." Emma took a step, backing away, and Regina's suspicions were immediately aroused.
"What is it that makes you so nervous you can't say it to my face?" she asked, eyes narrowing.
"It's… really, it's on there. All on there." And then she flushed.
Regina's eyebrows lifted. "Well why don't we listen to it together then," she suggested silkily, vastly curious as she watched the blonde shake her head vigorously and attempt to politely decline.
"I insist, Miss Swan," Regina said and reached for the device. She eyed her narrowly and pointed at the armchair opposite her. "Sit." It was not a request.
Emma sank slowly into the chair. "I really don't think you want me here when you hear this," she whispered. "Some things were said and uh…"
She faded out.
Regina ignored her and worked out where the Play button was. She pressed it and placed the device between them on the table, sliding her eyes back up to the blonde. She watched as the other woman shifted anxiously in her seat as though it were too hot. Her hands twisted themselves into knots.
Regina listened to the conversation without speaking, although her lips thinned when she realised how Sidney had done the deed. Was there no one trustworthy left in her life?
When they got to the part about semi colons, her eyebrows lifted. It was actually a surprisingly astute observation. Her eyes met the woman opposite, and she noted she was now chewing on her nails nervously.
By the time she heard Sidney admitting to the setup she was seething. And Emma was no longer even meeting her eyes. In fact she was staring at her boots. Regina wondered what on earth was coming up next. And then she heard it.
"Oh fuck! You love her, too!" Emma's voice. The emphasis on the 'too', impossible to mistake for anything but a confession of love. Love for her.
Regina blinked.
Emma blushed the deepest red and hugged her ribs. Regina stared at her in astonishment as they then listened to Sidney list all the telltale signs of Emma's feelings. Lip gazing, ass staring.
Regina felt uncomfortable and awkward just looking at the tortured blonde. She had now twisted herself into a human pretzel on the chair.
Finally Sidney explained he wanted to get Regina all to himself and she felt a flash of rage. All this pain she'd endured so Sidney Glass could moon over her exclusively?
She heard a disturbing growl and realised it had come from her own throat.
"Regina?" she heard the blonde ask uncertainly, her voice a mere husk. "Where are you going?"
The mayor looked around and realised she was on her feet.
"Where do you think?" she snarled.
"I, uh, are you sure you should drive in this condition? Or at least let me drive you."
"No," she said stalking over to get her coat. She looked around for her keys and her eyes fell on concerned green orbs watching her. "You may leave though."
"Regina…"
"Go, Miss Swan. And thank you for bringing this to my attention." There was no gratitude in her voice, she realised as she said it, just a coldness that indicated her intent. She saw Emma shiver just out of the corner of her eye.
The blonde rose and followed her to the door.
"Henry!" Regina called upstairs. "I need you to pack your backpack. You're staying at Kathryn's for the next little while."
A head appeared at the top of the stairs and small eyes flicked back and forth between his two mothers. A look of relief seemed to cross his face that they weren't trying to kill each other and his mother wasn't insulting Emma for once. He disappeared again to find his bag.
"Miss Swan," Regina said quietly, "I would appreciate it if you took Henry to Kathryn's for me. I will call her on the way to … my destination."
"Me?" Emma asked in wonder. "You're letting me take Henry somewhere?"
Regina frowned. "I am. It's best you agree before I change my mind."
"Yes," she said and nodded fervently.
"Good. And don't think this changes anything between us, Miss Swan," she said in a low growl. "We still have … many issues to overcome. But I concede you were indeed a particularly well-used pawn in Mr Glass's vicious little scheme."
Emma looked at her with a hurt 'I told you so' face and opened her mouth. She shut it again, however, and said nothing with a sad grimace.
Regina appreciated the lack of protest. She was too tired for fights on any more fronts. She could feel Emma's unspoken questions, though. What's changed now? Did you think I was lying before?
"Hearing is believing," Regina finally explained softly. "I found it too hard to believe before. It sounded so absurd - what you did to me was an accident?!" she snorted and glanced at Emma. "But now all of me understands that it happened as you said. Do not misunderstand me, Miss Swan, I am not absolving you of your part - what you did was both terrible and stupid. But now ... now I truly see it exactly as it happened."
She turned away as Henry ran up to them and missed a look of utter relief fill the other woman's face.
. . . . . . . . .
Sidney Glass, Regina decided, looked like he had just accidentally filled his pinstripe pants. His eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. His face had an agonised look as if he was indeed expelling excrement in his underwear against his will.
It could not have happened to a nicer person.
"You disgusting little weasel," she snarled the moment she had entered the newspaperman's office.
The man actually tried to lean away from her. As if he could escape her.
"Whatever she told you, or what you heard is…"
"The truth!" Regina snapped and leaned over his desk, latching onto his tie and pulling upwards, hard.
He made a satisfying gagging noise and the mayor couldn't resist doing it again before letting go.
"You have no idea what I went through because of your sick little scheme."
"Then have the sheriff arrested!" he blurted. "You shouldn't let someone who raped you walk free."
She slapped him so hard his teeth rattled.
"Shut the hell up," she demanded. "You will say that to no one else or I will make sure you are spitting up your teeth for the next month."
"But she was the one who hurt you!" he pleaded.
"And you were the one who masterminded it and made it happen. Without you, she wouldn't have laid a finger on me. So really, little man, it was you who tried to rape me, wasn't it?"
"No Madame Mayor! I would never do that!"
She punched him suddenly in the nose and watched as a satisfying spurt of blood dribbled down towards his mouth. He made a strange yelp of pain which she found oddly satisfying.
"Let's try this again, my dear, because I am starting to think you have a hearing deficiency. And if you don't have one, I will make sure you soon do. Now if you sent someone to my house to hurt me, who was it who really hurt me? Hmm?"
"But I didn't want her to hurt you. You were supposed to be outraged and then send her on her way."
Regina narrowed her eyes, trying to quell the inferno of rage. "So what you're saying is this is my fault?" she challenged, her voice suddenly dangerously quiet.
"N-No!" he sputtered. "I am saying she got carried away."
"Carried away? Actually, Miss Swan followed your instructions to the letter."
Sidney's eyes grew wide.
"Oh you didn't know that?" Regina hissed. She got up into his personal space and locked on to his enormous eyes. "She didn't stop until she had ticked every single box on your filthy little message. I am just glad it was a short message. I would hate to see what would have happened if you had suggested whips and chains as well."
Sidney swallowed anxiously.
"So, once again, who hurt me?" she asked sweetly, watching as the blood dribbled into the man's mouth. He licked it away nervously.
Sidney muttered something.
"I can't hear you," Regina spat. She squeezed his cheeks with a pincer hard grip, mashing his face. "Try again." She let go and slapped him once more.
"I did," he admitted. "I hurt you."
"Good," she said and leaned back for a moment, eyeing him. She gave a cold smile. "Next you'll be telling me you always hurt the one you love."
She sneered and noted with a smirk his skin had flushed darkly.
"For the record, Mr Glass," she announced after a thoughtful pause, "If you were the last man on earth I wouldn't want you to lay a finger on me. In fact, so we're very clear, I would even rather bed Miss Swan before you. So, you simpering fool, whether you successfully run Emma Swan out of town or not – it would have made no difference."
She was satisfied by his appalled gasp.
"And also for the record – there was a reason I assigned you all those filthy, underhand little tasks over the years. No one else was fit for them. But you? Well you scooped them all up and came back for more, like a pitiful little puppy dying to please me."
Sidney's head dropped and Regina smiled coldly. "Oh, what's wrong, dear?" She gave him a mock frown. "Did I say something to make you sad? Yes? Well then, now we're even."
The journalist's head lifted in surprise.
"Oh did I say even?" she corrected herself. "I actually meant you are about to suffer greatly for what you did to me. Every little nasty scheme you have been up to your ears in will be scrutinised by the mayor's office. We may actually have to report some of them to the public … shame about that."
"If you do that, then I will bring you down with me," Sidney snarled suddenly. "You can't do this to me! And I will tell everyone what Swan did to you. How she got her grasping fingers all over you. How would you like the shame of that!"
Regina felt a blinding flash rip through her body. It was an almost liquid searing fury.
"My shame?" she whispered and ran a hand seductively down his face. Then her knuckles lifted and sharp nails snagged onto skin and bit hard. "My shame. You get me assaulted and talk about MY shame?
She breathed against his cheek, delighted when he recoiled fearfully. "And you plan to challenge me? Do you feel somehow that you do not deserve to be punished?"
Sidney swallowed, trying to pull his face away from the fingernails drawing blood.
"My dear, dear, Sidney, you are a pathetic weasel. I can't believe it but you are actually making me appreciate the sheriff. At least Swan just manned up and accepted her punishment. She apologised and she endured everything I threw at her. She didn't whine and complain and threaten me.
"I even humiliated her in front of the whole town at a council meeting while she sat there and took it, just because she wanted to make things right…"
Regina faded out as she considered that for a moment. In spite of herself she was impressed. Her train of thought was distracted by a smirk from the man opposite.
"Oh you find that funny do you? That nasty little meeting?" Regina snapped. "She is braver than you will ever be, you cowardly piece of dung. Now look at that - you are actually making me defend her."
She gave a derisive snort, half appalled, half astonished.
"As for your other little threats?" Regina waved her hand. "The prosecutor and I are old friends. And should I ensure certain documents reach his hands, he will make sure the mayor's office looks cleaner than a nunnery, and the newspaper's office looks as dirty as a coal mine. We may even have to shut it down.
"So you can either lump my punishments or I will simply double down and throw the entire book at you. What'll it be?"
Sidney scowled. "Fine," he grunted. "What do you want me to do?"
"First," Regina said, leaning back thoughtfully, "I have decided an apology is in order."
. . . . . . . .
"Emma! Wake up! Wake up!" Mary Margaret's altogether too perky voice roused the sheriff from her slumber way too early.
"Whatisit?" she mumbled. "House on fire?"
"No! It's the paper! You're on the front page!"
"Uggh again? What's Regina say I did this time? Rob a bank?"
"No! It's way better," Mary Margaret exclaimed excitedly.
Huh?
Emma sat up and rubbed her eyes, then grabbed the paper thrust in front of her.
TOWN HALL MEETING RETRACTION
The Office of the Mayor is concerned about a number of inaccuracies presented at the last Town Hall meeting concerning the Sheriff's Department. Mayor Regina Mills said yesterday that an investigation was underway as to how the errors were passed on to her as fact. In the meantime she wishes to correct the following:
The crime rate has not gone up 1600% under Sheriff Swan. It has in fact declined 4%
Lost dogs have not increased by 700% under Sheriff Swan. In fact no dogs have been reported missing.
Public inebriation and streaking offences have declined 12% under Sheriff Swan, and it is not accurate she participated in either of these crimes, and certainly did not do so while singing obscene dirty limericks.
Motorcycle gang street warfare, vigilantism and a new Ku Klux Klan chapter have all been found to be false reports.
Reports of pornography found on the Sheriff's computer were actually a Good Ladies Lumberjack clothing catalogue.
In light of the above retractions, Mayor Mills would like to withdraw her pledge for a recall on the Office of Sheriff. She apologises for anyone affected by these inaccuracies.
Emma let the paper drop in her lap.
"This is great news, Em!"
The blonde said nothing and simply shook her head. It was incredible. Regina Mills didn't 100% hate her guts any more. Maybe 99%, sure. But this was a start.
"Em?"
She stared at the story and read it over again.
Regina didn't hate her.
"Em are you crying?"
"No," she whispered. "Well yeah. But, you know, happy tears."
She felt one small bundle of excited roommate land on her and arms wrap around her. "I am so pleased for you, Em."
"Me too," she sniffed.
Her phone suddenly beeped and Emma reached over to grab it. Her heart raced as she saw who the sender was.
"It's Regina," she said. She felt Mary Margaret lean over her shoulder and they read the text together.
"Miss Swan, Farmer Nate needs his pig pens mucked out again. I expect you there in 20 minutes. Try to be on time for once. R."
Emma found tears suddenly landing on her phone in huge fat dollops.
"Hey, Em, don't cry, it's not so bad as all that. I can come along if you like. If nothing else, for morale support."
Emma shook her head. "It's not that," she husked, "Look – the initials…"
"R?" Mary Margaret said. "So what? It means Regina, right?"
"Not that initial. It's what's missing. She didn't write YDM!"
"YDM?"
"She would sign off all her texts with YDM – it means You Disgust Me. And look!" Emma waved the phone again. Another tear splattered over the screen and Emma laughed and sniffled at the same time.
"No YDM," she whispered in wonder and shared a delighted look with her roomie.
She shook her head again and felt a new sensation she hadn't felt in weeks. Hope.