TW: Implied Rape, not graphic
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Belle lay curled up on the sofa asleep, her arm drooping off of it, so that her fingers just touched the book that had fallen from her hands as she fell asleep.
When she had arrived, Snow and Charming had taken off almost immediately, thanking her for looking after Henry and Neal.
Belle had tried to tell them about Mara, but they hadn't been listening. She had stayed, and began reading, but soon her eyes had drooped, and fallen asleep, despite her best efforts, as she knew she had to keep an eye on Henry.
Henry hadn't noticed Belle falling asleep, and jumped as her book hit the floor.
"Belle?" he said quietly.
She did not stir. Henry slowly got up, giving Regina's hand a kiss, then gently placing it beside her.
"I'll get you out of there, I promise mum." He forced a smile.
Quietly Henry headed towards the door, grabbing his jacket and scarf. He looked back sorrowfully at his two mothers. Henry reached out to the door handle, as the door opened.
Hook appeared through the door, and smiled as he saw Henry.
"Hello," he boomed,
"Shhh." Henry quickly replied, he grabbed Hook's arm and pulled him out the front door.
"What's going on?" Hook asked.
Henry could smell the rum reeking off him, however he knew he needed help, and that Hook was the most likely to actually help him do what he wanted to.
"I need your help," Henry whispered, starting to head down the stairs. "I want to go confront Mara." He said determinately.
Hook laughed slightly, but could tell how serious Henry was.
"I'll help you lad,"
"Really?" Henry asked, pausing on the stairs.
"Yes," Hook smiled, joining Henry on the stairs, "The sooner we save Regina, the sooner Emma can get out of that…nightmare."
Emma opened her eyes and found herself in an ornate room, a large bed sat beside a large balcony. Emma heard a small sob, and saw Regina sitting on the balcony. She was wearing a light blue ball gown, her legs dangling through the bars.
Emma headed over and sat down beside her.
"Hello," Emma smiled, she saw Regina was holding a bottle, and her cheeks were stained with tears.
"Don't you ever change?" Regina laughed, turning to look at Emma, in her white t-shirt and jeans as always.
"We can't all dress in beautiful ball gowns." Emma smiled back.
Regina laughed, and wiped the tears on her cheeks. "You can have it."
"You wanna talk about it?" Emma asked, trying to sound casual.
Regina smiled sadly, a small hiccupping escaping her lips.
"Tomorrow it will be a year since I married him, and yesterday was the anni….anniversary of Daniel's death." She held back her sobs, "He doesn't even notice me, I am sitting her drinking, while they sit down there partying." She sniffed, then laughed, "I am a mess."
Emma wrapped her arm around the teenager, and pulled her close.
"It doesn't have to be like this." Emma carefully said, thinking hard of the best way to try and convince Regina to believe this wasn't real.
Regina laughed, "Oh Emma, not this again, this is real, can we not….. just talk."
Emma smiled, and took the bottle away from Regina, placing it away from them, then taking Regina's hand.
"What you want to talk about?" Emma smiled
"Tell me about you? Your life? Where are you from?" Regina blurted out, pulling away from Emma's arms, and turning to her.
Her big brown eyes were glistening and Emma had to turn away.
"I have a son, named…" she pauses for a second, deciding whether to lie or not, "Henry."
"That's my father's name," Regina says with a big smile. "Tell me something else."
"Why don't you tell me about you?" Emma asks
Regina looks down at her hands, which are neatly sitting in her lap.
"You've been with me my whole life, you know everything." Regina quietly answers.
"I don't know what makes you happy. Like what's your favourite colour?" Emma smiled, trying to lighten the mood again.
Regina gave a small smile, "I like pale blues, and violets."
"My favourite colour is yellow." Emma smiled back.
Regina screwed up her face slightly, but quickly tried to make it look neutral again.
"What?" Emma asked, seeing her face.
"Nothing…." Regina hesitated, "It's just a bit garish don't you think." She smiled cheekily.
"How dare you!" Emma replied, pretending she had just been mortally offended. "That is my favourite colour!"
Regina laughed, and Emma smiled back at her, looking up at the girl. She liked seeing her happy, even though she only saw her during her worst times, she still seemed so innocent, so….it was at that moment Regina planted her lips on Emma's.
Emma pulled away, almost immediately, looking at Regina in shock. How old was she? She must be barely 17, she couldn't be doing this.
"Regina, I….." she began.
The door to the bedroom was flung open, and there stood Leopold and two guards. My grandfather, was the first thought that rushed to Emma's head.
Regina jumped up immediately.
"Your Majesty, I…."Regina began to stammer, but the King raised a hand, to silence her.
"You have made a fool of me." He hissed. He motioned to the guards, one of whom grabbed Regina roughly by the arm, and pulled her towards the King. The other picked up the bottle, which was still on the floor.
"Please, I'm sorry," Regina said as she stood in front of Leopold, head bowed.
"Leave us," he barked at the guards, both left as Leopold circled Regina.
"It's been a year, and yet all you do is embarrass me. Drunk, at a ball, no consummation, some wife you are."
He roughly grabbed her, and ripped her dress at the back, so that it fell away from her shivering body, leaving only her petticoat.
"Fight him, Regina. I know you have magic, use it." Emma shouted, running in front of Regina, and holding her hands. "Believe me, you can be happy."
Leopold was now standing in front of Regina and he held her chin tightly, pushing his lips onto hers. As he pulled away, Regina let out a visceral scream sending a magical force towards him. Instead of knocking him back though it just dissolved around him.
"What?" Regina mumbled, "How?"
"So you are like your mother." He laughed cruelly, "I have protection against magic Regina. I am not a fool."
Emma grabbed Regina's hand, "Please trust me, know none of this is real." There was a pit of dread in the bottom of Emma's stomach. She needed to get out of here, she needed to get Regina out of here.
"If I ever die from magic Regina, whether you played a part in it or not, I have ensure, you will die a most painful death." Leopold coldly stated, "Do we understand each other?"
"Yes," she quietly said.
"Yes, what?"
"Yes, your majesty."
Leopold smiled, and came closer to Regina, his hand stroking her face gently.
"Now, I think it's time, I took what's rightfully mine."
Regina's whole body went ridged as he dragged her towards the bed.
"Emma," she whimpered, as her body hit the mattress, and the King clambered on top of her.
"I…." Emma began, she had not followed, and instead she stood with her back to the bed. In that moment Emma just wanted to run, she didn't want to see this. She couldn't.
Emma felt a surge of magic from inside her, and knew what was happening.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed.
The last thing she heard as she disappeared was Regina crying out for her to help her.
Emma awoke with a shout, gasping for air. Belle jumped awake, and approached Emma, who was sitting nearly doubled over.
"You're awake early." Belle said, curiously, turning to look at Regina, who was still deep asleep.
"I...I abandoned her." Emma spoke, trying to her voice as calm as possible.
"Emma?" Belle asked, turning back to the saviour.
"Henry?" Emma said suddenly, looking at the empty chair, "Where's Henry?"
"He was, oh no." Belle said, "I'm so sorry Emma, I fell asleep,"
"Henry," Emma shouted, storming up the stairs, two at a time.
"Emma, I think I know where he is." Belle called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Where?" Emma demanded running back down stairs.
"I think he went to confront Mara." Belle delicately said.
Emma face filled with a mix of exasperation and worry. "I'll go find him, can you please stay with Neal, and…. and Regina."
"Of course, but there is something you need to know Emma. Mara is regaining her powers, as Regina gets weaker."
"Great," Emma sighed, grabbing her jacket, and heading out of the flat.
Belle lifted Neal into her arms, and gently rocked him, as she prepared him a bottle, then sat beside Regina, as she fed him.
"Emma….." Regina gasped suddenly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Belle noticed bruises around her neck, and wrists, hand shaped bruises.
Hook and Henry stood at the entrance to the basement, when Hook turned to Henry.
"How are we going to get past that Nurse?" Hook asked, "It's not like we have permission to be here."
"Don't worry, I can handle that. There is a reason we stopped at Granny's" Henry smile, strutting into the reception area.
"Hello, Henry." The nurse said, "What can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to know if Mara had said anything about my mum."
"Henry," the nurse sighed,
"I brought a coffee," Henry smiled, passing it to her, however instead of letting her take it, he let it fall onto the desk.
"Oh Henry!" she shouted.
"I'm so sorry."
"Just head home," she sighed, leaving for the staff bathroom.
Henry nodded at Hook, who came into the reception area, as Henry grabbed the keys.
"Nicely done." Hook smiled.
Henry didn't respond, he was too nervous, to see the women who had cursed his mother. The two of them headed down the corridor.
Henry paused outside the door that was Mara's fear knotting in his belly.
"Maybe this isn't such a..." he began, he stopped though when he heard Mara's eerie singing from the other side of the door.
"Queenie, Queenie, quite contrary, How does your blood flow?"
"Stop it," Henry shouted, putting the key in the lock, and pulling the door open.
Mara cackled, as she shoved the door hard, hitting Henry on the other side, and sending him skirting along the floor.
She burst through into the corridor, flashing a smile at Henry on the floor.
"Thanks... Little Prince." she snarled as she disappeared in smoke.
Hook rushed to Henry helping him up, as Emma came bursting into the basement prison, gun raised.
"What happened?" she gasped.