Emma could feel herself starting to slowly go insane as she watches over Regina for what feels like days. Night had just fallen over the disgruntled trio, adding to the dejected atmosphere.
Neal watches them both, carefully observing Emma's actions. He was wary, sure the blonde was close to snapping as she looks over the inert vampire. But Emma remains motionless, almost zombie-like as she twiddles her thumbs, keeping her eyes locked on the brunette.
Neal couldn't stand the silence any longer. "You hungry?" He asks quietly from his chair.
Not removing her eyes from Regina, the blonde shrugs. "I already ate."
He sighs, "A bag of Fritos and a bottle of water is not a meal." Emma shrugs again, uncaring. "Ems, you gotta eat something…"
"I'm not leaving her."
"I know, just let get you something from room service, okay?" Neal pleads, shifting in his seat. Emma doesn't respond, seeming to have submerged back into the bubble she'd sealed herself in for the past hour. Neal sighs dejectedly, knowing he had to pull her out of the unhealthy demure. "You know this isn't going to be like the other times you've...had to go through this…" He begins quietly.
Emma stiffens immediately, "Neal…"
"Emma, hear me out. I-I know you hate what happened before...but this is different...She's a vampire, she'll come back. We may not know when just yet...but at least we have the promise of her return." He watches her carefully, looking for any cracks within her steel wall. "She's not going to leave you, Ems." He whispers.
The huntress flinches, heart pounding against her chest. "I know. But thats the problem, Neal. I wish she would." Her eyes briefly flick to his. "But I can't...I don't." She huffs, finally meeting his worried gaze. "This is my fault and I-"
"Hold on, how is any of this your fault?"
"For some insane reason, she's willing to die for me. Even though she should be looking out for herself, keeping herself safe for that guy." Her head dips slightly, strands of hair tumbling down her cheek. ""But she insists I need to be protected."
Neal pauses, the wrong words trembling against his tongue. "I think thats a conversation you and Regina need to have." He starts slowly, "Don't pretend you don't feel the same, Emma. You're problem isn't that you don't want to care, it's that you care too much." He searches wide blue eyes, "It's okay for you to feel...something, Ems."
Emma quickly looks away, wall ascending rapidly. "I don't….Neal, I only want to make sure she's safe. I took this case, so she's my responsibly. And we both can see what a great job I did with that." She glances wryly to Regina's cold form, "We've never taken a case like this before. I'm use to killing, not protecting, and I never dreamed that I would ever..." She pauses, tucking a strand behind her ear. "I do care, Neal but I can't allow myself to even think of…" She sighs. "I'm just her bodyguard."
Neal's eyebrows rise. "I'm not sure she agrees." Emma looks to him in confusion, terrified to even consider the meaning behind his words, "But, again, thats something for you and her to discuss. You know, a month ago, you wouldn't have given a second thought to her well being, she would've just been another monster to you." He smiles at her gently, "But you see her for a person, not a creature of the night. Hell, I'll admit it, I even managed to like her. She's saved our lives countless times over."
"She didn't have to. She could've left us to die." The space between her eyebrows disappears as Emma stares down at the woman. "I'm only holding her back." She whispers, lifting a finger to stroke her stony cheek.
"I think you make her fight harder. Just like she makes you." Neal comments softly, wrapping his arms around his tucked knees.
Emma allows her lips to curve into a small smile. "Maybe."
The pair lapses into a thoughtful silence, preparing themselves for a long, sleepless night.
Regina could feel herself slowly regaining breath, her lungs gradually expanding. But she couldn't move, her entire body feeling like a weight was laying atop it. Her limbs were heavy as lead as the feeling of blood beginning to resume flow causes prickles of heat to shiver through her muscles.
The last time she'd experienced this, she was slightly disappointed she'd come back, at that time, she had nothing to fight for. But now she had to get to Emma, the woman must be going insane with worry over her. And even Neals best efforts wouldn't be able to calm her.
She had to get up. But how, when all of these weights were pinning her down? Feeling her heart begin to re-start, thumping evenly against her ribcage, Regina releases a sigh. Suddenly, a whirl of motion can be felt beside her, a presence of some sort leaning down to her. Regina twitches her fingers, wanting to reach out to whoever it is but the weights wouldn't allow it. She whimpers in flusteration, tired of feeling helpless.
"Regina?" A soft voice mumbles near her ear, whispering sweet breath onto her skin. "Can you hear me?"
Yes, she could. And she wanted to acknowledge it, but was burdened with that stupid pressure pressing down on her limbs. She twitches her fingers once more toward the sound of the voice, praying they would notice.
"Neal! I think she's coming back!" The soft voice grows excited, full of happiness. It warmed Regina's newly-beating heart, knowing someone was that thrilled to have her return. "Regina!? Move your fingers again if you can hear us." Regina complies, twitching fingers on both her hands. "Thank God." The voice breathes out, accompanied by a much deeper toned mutter behind it.
Anticipated silence falls over the vampire as the voices pause while she begins to feel further limbs strengthen. She tests out her arm, slowly lifting it upward and a warm hand quickly grasps around her fingers, squeezing tightly. She returns the gesture, blinking her eyes open. Two pairs of concerned eyes meet her gaze.
As her mind clears, Regina swiftly recalls her current situation. Gripping Emma's hand, she swiftly sits up, eyes-wide. "Are you okay?" She asks, flicking her eyes between the two hunters in concern.
Neal nods once, obviously swallowing down his relief, as Emma merely gazes at her as if she could hardly she was there, still breathing. Regina stares back expectantly, opening her mouth to ask again when she's abruptly yanked into strong arms, the sweet scent of hotel soap and vanilla engulfing her nose.
"You died for 24 hours and then have the nerve to ask if I'm okay? You're unbelievable, Regina." Emma mutters into her hair, wishing she would never have to release the amazingly soft woman.
Regina breathes out a chuckle, tightening her arms around the blonde's neck. "Sorry for the inconvenience." She reluctantly pulls back, looking to Neal. "What happened? Did anything try to attack while I was...absent?"
Neal shakes his head. "It's been oddly peaceful since you, erm, clocked out." He blushes lightly, shuffling his feet. "The dog and banshee disappeared as soon as you stopped breathing." Emma distinctly winces at the word, burying her head into Regina's shoulder. "We took shifts in case anything decided to attack while we were one-man short. But turns out nothing takes interests in us unless you're milling around." He tries to chuckle but it quickly dies at the sight of Emma's frown.
Regina lightly runs her fingers through thick blonde hair, trying to sooth the woman. "I'm sorry if I put you through any pain..."
Emma suddenly jerks away from the woman, bewildered blue eyes rounded, "Are you serious?" She whispers, sliding off the bed. "I had to carry your body back up here, Regina. You were...lifeless. Cold." She shudders, sliding off the bed, "I didn't know when you'd come back, I didn't know if you were in pain, or-or if you were even still in this world." Her agonized gaze flashes to widen chocolate eyes. "So yeah, I was in quite a bit of pain." She hisses.
Regina recoils from the brash words, mouth slacking open in shock. She slowly rises from the comforter, careful not to reach out to the fuming blonde. "Emma...you know I didn't mean to-"
"Yeah, I know. No ever means to die, right?" The huntress chuckles darkly, eyes smoldering.
The bewildered vampire looks to Neal for guidance, eyes flickering between their natural color and a deep purple. The man nods, stepping forward to put a hand on Emma's shoulder, she roughly shakes him off, quickly dipping her head to hide the tears rushing to her eyes.
"Ems…" Neal mutters, turning as the blonde rushes past him, yanking open the door and disappearing down the hall. A deep silence falls over the dismayed room, the vibration of the door slam still echos lightly. Neal looks back to Regina, their large brown eyes mirroring.
"I-what did I do?" She whispers brokenly, a part of her wishing she hadn't awoken.
Neal quickly shakes his head. "Nothing, Regina. Just...give her some time, okay? She...isn't very good at dealing with emotions."
"Right. Snarling werewolves are no problem, but as soon as sensibility is brought into the situation…" She huffs, flipping her hair from her eyes. "What is she so afraid of?"
"The same thing anyone with her past would be. Being hurt by someone she cares about...again." Neal shrugs as Regina tenses. "She's been through a lot and her walls are sealed tight, thats why I was so surprised when she opened up to you so quickly."
The vampire snorts. "You and me both. I'm surprised she's allowed me inside her sheltered mind at all, what with her past with my kind." She shifts her arms beneath her breasts, huffing. "She's definitely one of a kind." She comments quietly, allowing her stern stature to drop. "The last thing I want is to hurt her and I'm afraid I've done just that. I-I can't bear the thought of losing her, as crazy as it sounds. Knowing full well either way I'm going to." The vampire was speaking more to herself now, the space between her eyebrows disappearing in sorrow.
Neal glances to her steadily, feeling his heart give out for the woman. He knew exactly what she was going through. Huh, never thought he'd be hearing that turning through his mind.
"She likes you more than she'd like to let on, trust me." He smiles gently at her, finding it surprisingly easy to do so. "Just talk it out so we can work on the real problem here. I don't need you two fighting like a bunch of teenage girls." He smirks.
Regina chuckles, finding a hidden respect for the man. "Thank you, Neal. I know it must be hard for you, but I'm glad you're still here. Even if it's only for her." He shrugs shyly, tucking his hands into his pockets. They smile at another, glad for the odd understanding formed between them.
Regina quickly sobers, shoulders drooping slightly. "Why do you love her?" She mutters.
Neal pauses, choosing his words carefully. "She's complex. You have to admire her stubbornness, no matter how much it gets on your nerves." They both chuckle once. "She's just...one of a kind." He flicks his eyes to the sullen brunette. "Guess we're both in over our heads huh?"
Regina begins to protest, but she was too tired of swallowing down her emotions. Instead, she sighs sorrowfully, "Yes, I suppose we are."
It was close to midnight by the time Regina decided to go look for Emma. Overwhelmed with worry and anger, the vampire begins to search for the runaway blonde, checking all the obvious places before digging deeper into the motel.
An hour pasts and still no sign of the huntress. Regina almost decides to give up and let the woman endure out her childish tantrum till she comes to her senses, but her stubborn determination pushes her through the smallish building. She exits the elevator to the basement, one of the last two places the vampire hadn't checked. The laundry room was stored down in the dusty dampness as well and the whirl of machines greet her ears as she walks down the dimly lit hallway.
Rounding a corner, Regina is welcomed to the sight of Emma asleep atop a still dryer, hair splayed across her face, hiding her puffy, red eyes. The brunette cautiously reaches out to tap the woman, not wanting to startle her. Emma quickly blinks awake, squinting up at the vampire.
"Hi." She greets shyly, swiftly pulling her hand back.
"Hey." Emma grunts, sliding herself up against the wall of the contraption.
"You really didn't want to be found, did you?" Regina softly begins, eyes gazing around the shallow room. "I went on quite the treasure hunt to find you."
The blonde shrugs, rubbing her eyes. "This was the first place I thought of. When I was little I use to come sit by the washers when I was upset. It's weird, but the noise calms me."
Regina's lips curve upward slightly, finding the short story adorable. "You are one of a kind, aren't you." She whispers, wanting to twirl a strand of blonde hair around her finger.
"I'm just me." She mumbles, pulling her knees against her chest. "So I'm guessing you want to talk?"
"You're not obligated to, but that was my initial goal when I was searching this place." She huffs.
Emma glances at her through her mane of hair. "Sorry. Death is a bit of a sensitive subject for me."
"I imagine it's similar for most people."
Emma looks to her sulky, "Look, Regina I-" She sighs, fluffs her hair from her face. "I am sorry for snapping but what had you expected?"
"Well, being yelled at certainly wasn't on my to-do list!"
"You were dead, Regina! Did you really expect me to be okay with that!?"
"Of course I knew you wouldn't be happy about it, but it wasn't something I could just easily control." The vampire growls, slightly regretting ever finding the blonde. "I hadn't planned on dying, Emma!"
Emma's eyes narrow darkly, "Right." She mutters, sliding off the dryer. Before she could sidestep the brunette, her back was digging into the cold white steel, wind rushing from her chest. "The hell-?"
"You're so hard-headed sometimes." Regina sighs, holding out a hand to keep the struggling blonde in place. "Emma, you have got to realize I never want to do anything that would hurt you."
"Seriously? Now isn't really the time, Regina." Emma gasps, wincing as her side is pierced by the sharp edge of the machine.
Regina huffs irritably, but lessens her grip on the huntress. The blonde leans heavily against the dryer, clutching her side. "Sometimes you deserve it." She replies simply, shuffling her feet. "But I care too much about you to allow anything…and I apologize for any pain I might bring you...in the future."
Emma swiftly meets her gaze, anger subsiding. "The future? You...plan on staying even after finding him?"
The vampire dips her head shyly. "If you'll allow it."
"Why wouldn't I?" She slowly starts toward the woman, "Wow, I'm an asshole." She mutters.
"I can't particularly argue." Regina smirks. Emma laughs and steps further into her personal space, pressing a hand against her cheek. Regina immediately leans against her touch, eyes fluttering close contently.
"I missed your warmth." Emma whispers, gently rubbing her thumb against her supple skin. The vampire silently lifts a hand to cover her own, feeling their hearts beat in tandem through their palms.
"It's happened before." Regina mutters, slowly meeting Emma's gaze. "In the beginning of my new life, I was bloodthirsty, in more than one sense. It was a fight, a close one, but I had let my cockiness blind me." She presses her cheek harder against Emma's hand, wanting to distinctly hear the thump of her heart. "My condition was...irregular, so most figured I would perish immediately." Emma flinches, pulse quickening. "To be perfectly honest, I wasn't to sure of it myself. But when I did return, I realized this new life wasn't about the bloodlust. I was immortal but I had been wasting so much time,so I decided to go off and do everything I'd once dreamed of."
Emma blinks, "What do you mean 'irregular'?" She frowns, multiple questions swirling against her tongue. "Besides the obvious, what makes you any different?"
Regina pauses, teeth darting out to nib on her lower lip. She pulls away from the huntress, wrapping her arms around herself. "I wasn't turned the same way others were." She sighs, figuring now that she'd begun, there was no way Emma would leave her be until she knew. "My mother was -is- a witch. So magic was an inheritance." Emma's eyebrows rise, "But she craved the idea of immortality and I admit, I was a bit intrigued by it myself. Power is everything to her and there is no greater privilege than becoming apart the undead."
She was bit and within the span of a few months, became one of the most feared vampires in history. Stories were written about her to frighten children, give villagers nightmares as they pictured her creeping through their homes as they slept." The women shudder in unison. "I realized I didn't want to join that world if that what it was going to be like. But of course, whatever Mother wants, she gets." Regina's tone hardens suddenly, red specks flickering into her irises. "I refused to be bit, I feared the sensation of a monsters fangs sinking into my skin. So she arranged to meet with a scientist, one who was well-known with the events occurring in the NightWorld."
Regina pauses, looking to a wide-eyed Emma. "Am I frightening you?" she asks quietly.
Emma quickly shakes her head. "I want to learn everything about you, Regina." she whispers, still caught up in the woman's story.
Regina allows a small smile as she goes to sit atop the dryer, motioning Emma to join her. Clearing her throat, the vampire softly continues. "I never caught the man's name, he seemed irrelevant to me at the time. But from what I had heard, he was conducting a way to create a new vampire-way-of-life through injecting a serum of vampire venom. I hadn't known at the time but I was his guinea pig," Her tone sours, black eyes flashing. "The venom allows the subject to obtain the characteristics of a vampire without the bite. But somewhere in my transformation the magic swimming within my veins allowed a good portion of my human tissue to linger along with my vampire DNA." She meets silence blue eyes warmly, "That's why my skin is warmer than a normal vampires, when I experience human emotions, it triggers the human cells still lingering inside."
"Well that information would've came in handy a few weeks ago." Emma pouts. "I was up for days wondering about that!"
Regina smirks. "A bit of mystery is never a bother, dear." She lightly nudges the blonde, sighing.
Emma watches her carefully, wondering how long it's been since she'd shared that story. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For telling me. I get that it must not be a favorite story of yours."
Regina smiles. "No. But I figured it was time for me to tell it. It's over now, I am what I am." She sighs.
"Yeah, you're perfect." Emma sighs as Regina stiffens in surprise. She chuckles, resting her head against the woman's shoulder. "Did the scientist try the serum again with more people?"
"Yes. But most perished before the serum could take full effect, while others were mutated to such an extreme they became a danger to society. They had to be locked away."
"Where?"
The vampire shrugs. "No idea. I ran as soon as the pain wore off. Mother wanted me to join her clan- and I use the term loosely- they were more of a gang than anything." She frowns, "I eventually found Ruby and my clan, then years later I found him" She smiles lightly, though a deep pang burns within her chest. "And now I have you." She swings her head to gaze at the blonde.
They reach for each others hands at once, lacing their fingers together. The pair sits in silence, leaning against the others warmth. "Is it bad for me to say I'm kind of glad your clan kicked you out?" Emma mutters, tightening her hold around slender fingers. "Cuz if not, I wouldn't have met you. Thats selfish though, right?" She chews on her bottom lip as her chin tilts upward.
Regina shifts her dancing eyes, "No. You're just human."
Emma smiles, snuggling down against her. "I think I can live with that."