"I should go find her," Snow suggested. Emma wasn't sure if this was a good idea. "She may not want to be found." Snow shook her head and grabbed an umbrella. Regina was soaked, running toward the forest. It was dark and no one was out because of the storm. She had taken off her heels halfway down the street and now she was carrying them.
When Snow rounded the corner, she saw Regina slip into the woods. Regina slowed down when she was hidden by the towering trees. Snow quickly followed, "Regina," she said out of breath. Regina was panting too as streams of rain ran down her face and body. "Leave me alone." Snow reasoned, "Regina, you can't be out here. You'll get pneumonia." "I don't care." Snow's demeanor became sympathetic. "Regina, the baby." Regina's eyes widened and she sighed. "Well then I'll make shelter here, but I'm not going back tonight." Snow knew she couldn't be reasoned with. "Okay, I'll leave. Just get out of this rain and stay safe. Okay?" Regina nodded her head and looked at Snow curiously. Who would've thought that she would be the one to come to her aid? That she would end up being the maternal figure in their relationship.
With her magic, Regina cut a hole at the bottom of the tree and stacked branches outside of it like a door. She was in total seclusion. No one could watch her, judge her, or reprimand her. So she curled up into a ball and cried the hardest she has ever cried. Bottled up emotions were escaping as she rocked back and forth, crying herself to sleep.
When she woke in the morning, she was startled to see a shadow at her makeshift door. She heard growling and was tempted to vanish, but curiosity kept her. The gap between the branches widened as the dog made his way into the hallow tree. He started barking. At first Regina thought it was braking at her until she noticed its eyes were fixed on something behind her.
A vicious raccoon the size of a small dog was crouched, ready to attack her. As the dog moved closer and barked louder, the raccoon scampered off into the hole from which it came. Immediately, the yellow lab approached Regina who was cautiously remaining still. After the dog sniffed Regina's hand, he began to lick her face. She smiled and giggled. The little girl inside her was praying that it was a stray so she could keep it. It may be the only thing she has anymore.
Her clothes smelt like mildew, her make-up was smeared, and her hair was a mess. With a snap of her fingers, she was clean and dry, dressed in a brown coat. After being with the dog all day in the forest, she decided to head back to town that evening. She has to face Bae at some point.
She and the dog began their walk into town. Regina decided to let Henry name it if he would ever talk to her again that is. When she arrived on the main street, she noticed something was off. The people always whispered things behind her back, but this time it was different. Everyone seemed to be waiting for something. Every fiber in her being told her to run and get out of there, but before she could Emma and Charming were running out of the station toward her.
"What did you do to her?!" Charming yelled. "Do what to who?" Regina stood there as people gathered in a circle. "Snow, she went after you. She's missing. You're the last person who saw her and the only one without an alibi." Regina didn't know what to say. Emma told her to turn around as she slapped the handcuffs on her. The dog remained outside of the station all day.
Emma didn't even bother doing the proper interrogation in the designated room. She just shoved Regina into the cell. "Where is she?" Emma asked in a low and threatening tone. "I don't know," Regina said in a slightly sarcastic tone. On one hand, it bothered her to be accused, but on the other hand she can't blame them. The motive is there. The alibi isn't.
"You think this is funny?!" Emma's reaction caused Regina to stiffen. "Rumpel, Jefferson, and all other suspects have alibis but you. You were the one she was looking for. Did you see my mother after you left the house?" Regina's eyes shifted as she said, "Yes." She regretted doing so immediately. It was one of the tell-tale signs that someone is hiding something, but she did it for a different reason. She didn't like feeling vulnerable, and she definitely didn't like the fact that Snow was the one who helped her.
"Regina, I swear to God I will personally put the pitchforks in their hands and let them in here," Emma threatened, pointing in the direction of the mob that was slowly forming outside. Regina just rolled her eyes. Emma walked closer to the cell. "What happened?" Regina spoke clearly, "She found me. I told her to go away. She said to get out of the rain. She left." Emma gave a suspicious look. "She was dead set on finding you and you want me to believe that she just left?" Regina smiled, "What did you expect Miss Swan? That we would sit down and talk over tea? She knew I wanted to be alone. She just came to make sure I didn't do anything stupid."
Emma ignored Regina's sarcasm. She wasn't sure what to think. Her super power mustn't be working. Regina is the only one who would and could do this. "Where did you stay last night?" Regina replied, "There is a large tree towards the front of the forest. It has a giant hole in it and is hollowed out." Emma turned to Charming, "Check up on that."
When he returned, Emma and Regina both stood up from where they were sitting. "Well?" Emma asked. Regina looked confident as if she would be exonerated until she saw what he had in his hand. "Snow's umbrella was 10 feet from the tree," Charming said. He turned it around to show the blood that was on the handle. They both looked at Regina whose eyes widened as she swallowed hard.