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 14: WATCHING
The sheriff had dropped off the paperwork on surveillance equipment sales in Storybrooke the next day. Regina had barely registered it. But suddenly, three weeks later the mayor had called her in saying they had to discuss it. Emma was nervous. She hadn't seen nor heard from the brunette in that time. And now, standing before her, she was horrified by what she saw.
Mayor Mills looked like a haggard, exhausted mess. Word around Storybrooke was to steer clear if you didn't want your head bitten off.
Emma answered some basic questions about her report; questions the mayor could have easily answered on her own. The brunette fell silent and Emma, assuming her duty was done, hesitantly turned to leave.
"Did I say you could leave Miss Swan?" came a scratchy voice.
Emma's eyebrow lifted.
"We have more to discuss."
Emma nodded and waited. Question after question on increasingly obscure topics kept Emma leaning from foot to foot, baffled as to what Regina was up to.
The mayor had kept her standing for more than an hour before finally exhausting all possible topics of conversation. And still, as the silence now dragged on as Emma waited to be dismissed, she felt sure the mayor had yet to ask the one thing that was really on her mind.
Whatever the hell that was. And so she stood, waiting.
"Miss Swan...''
Here it comes, Emma thought, wondering if now she would be asked to leave Storybrooke.
"I was wondering...''
Regina paused again and looked pained. Emma also felt pained - literally - as her calf muscles had been screaming from standing at attention in the office for this long. She shifted her weight again.
"If you don't want to, you may say no...''
Emma's eyebrows lifted. So she wasn't being asked to leave.
"Would you come over tonight and sleep with me?''
The blonde's mouth fell open.
"Not like THAT!'' Regina snapped, appalled, and a deep redness infused her cheeks. "Near me. I meant. For security reasons! Forget it. It was a mistake to ask. Get out!''
Emma still gaped, trying to understand. She thought back to the night she had stayed over. How relaxed Regina had initially seemed the next day at the meeting. The darkness under her eyes much lighter.
It had been a joy to see her like that and for a moment, crossing the floor, she had completely forgotten herself and been mesmerized by the other woman. How different she seemed. And then the meeting turned pear shaped.
Regina was now glaring at her, pointing at the door.
Emma simply drew back a chair and sank into it gratefully.
"You don't want me to leave,'' she said softly, ignoring the angry scowl. "And you should never be embarrassed to ask. About the sleeping thing. If you can't sleep because you don't feel safe, and having someone there helps relax you and give you a rest without nightmares, let me help. I can pick up my sleeping bag and be there whatever time you want. What's a good time?''
She decided by phrasing it as a fait accompli, Regina would be so focused on picking times, she would forget to be humiliated about asking.
The mayor however merely stared at her - well aware of being manipulated. Even for a good cause. The blonde remembered too late this was the other woman's forte after all. Manipulation.
Emma swallowed nervously and waited for the next salvo. Attack most likely.
"Did I say you could sit, Miss Swan?'' Regina sneered.
The best defence is an attack. Of course.
Emma shrugged. "No.''
"You don't actually listen to what I say very often, do you? I say get out, you sit down. I say forget about tonight, and you say what time? Is this a personal or genetic failing of yours - to do the polar opposite of my wishes.''
Emma flushed a little at that. Always that would hang between them. She nibbled at her lower lip and waited some more.
"Leave, Miss Swan. For once in your life just do as I say and leave.''
Emma nodded and rose obediently, a little disconcerted she had completely misread Regina - once again.
She was just reaching for the door when she heard one word.
"Eleven.''
Emma paused and without turning merely nodded and repeated in a low voice: "Eleven.''
And then she was gone.
At 11pm Emma dutifully scaled the wall of Regina's mansion, puffing a bit this time due to the pack on her back which included a sleeping bag and pillow.
When she reached the French doors she spotted Regina, already in her nightwear, covered with a silk robe, staring at her in complete astonishment.
"What?'' she asked as she opened the door. "You said 11?''
"I had rather expected you to knock on the front door like any civilised human being. But maybe I just answered my own question,'' the mayor said and pursed her lips.
Emma just lifted her shoulders in surrender, muttering about not wanting to wake Henry and began to lay out her sleeping bag on the threshold to Regina's bedroom. She could feel brown eyes on her, watching her closely.
"Why there?'' the brunette finally asked. "To make a quick getaway?'' She lifted her eyebrow.
"I didn't want to impose on your bedroom without, uh, permission.'' Emma looked at her questioningly.
Regina stared for a long beat before finally pointing to a space on the floor. Near the bed, but not too near. Emma nodded and pulled the sleeping bag towards it.
The brunette turned and slipped off her robe and Emma could see a pale blue pencil-strapped nightgown, which went to midway down her thighs. Muscled-olive skin legs stretched below it. Bare.
Emma quickly made a science of looking down at the floor, plumping her pillow and unzipping the bag. She removed her boots and placed them by the door. When she looked up, Regina was in bed, watching her with dark, unfathomable eyes.
"What?'' Emma asked nervously. "Am I doing everything to your satisfaction?''
Shit, she cursed herself. That came out a lot more sarcastically than she intended.
Regina's lip curled. "For now.'' She turned and snapped off the lamp and rolled over.
"Night, Regina,'' Emma said, sliding into the bag.
She heard a muffled grunt. It was not entirely polite, but Emma smiled. She could have sworn the mayor had simply said "Emma.''
It was the thrashing that first alerted her. Emma's eyes snapped open and she felt instant confusion until she realised where she was. A muffled cry - Regina's voice - was like cold water on her face.
"No, you bastard,'' she was crying and pushing against her heavy blankets as if fending off an intruder. "Get OFF me, Leopold! I said no!'' Emma gasped. Suddenly she understood a lot more than she ever wanted to. These were the nightmares. The secret behind the mayor's eternal sadness, rage and defensiveness. And Emma's actions had been the one to bring the memories back to her, to haunt the mayor's nights.
Without thinking she unzipped herself from the bag and crawled onto Regina's bed, lying beside her, on top of the bedding.
"It's OK,'' she whispered soothingly trying to pull away the blankets the mayor was fighting ferociously.
The motion increased suddenly and a wild fist flew Emma's way, scoring a direct hit.
"SHIT!'' Emma blurted out in pain. She felt the crazed woman freeze and her head turn.
"Who's there?'' came a small frightened voice.
Emma slipped her hand over to Regina's and gently soothed a thumb over her trembling, cold wrist.
"Just me, Regina. It's Emma. You were having a nightmare.''
There was silence as the brunette digested that.
"What did you hear?'' she asked, voice croaky, afraid.
Emma contemplated lying. Sparing her feelings. But how would that help her?
Her silence must have been telling.
Regina snapped: "Well?''
"Enough,'' Emma finally conceded. "I am so sorry, Reg...''
"What did I tell you about you saying that word?'' The voice was indignant now. "I don't want to be reminded. Or pitied.''
Emma's thumb continued to rub Regina's hand soothingly. "I know. But I can't help wishing you weren't feeling this way.''
The other woman's hand retracted quickly and pulled under the blankets. Regina turned onto her side, curling into the foetal position, facing away. She was such a pathetically tiny lump in the big bed. Emma wondered what to do next when she heard a small voice. "Me too.''
Emma sucked in a breath. "Do you want me to leave?''
"Suit yourself,'' Regina spat, but her voice gave a small quiver.
"That's what I thought,'' Emma said understandingly, and drew back the sheets. The bed dipped as she got under them.
"What on earth are you doing, Miss Swan?'' the brunette's head whipped around, eyes wide.
"Nothing but giving someone who needs it some comfort. I will be here, beside you, until you go back to sleep. If the nightmares return, I will make sure to wake you immediately and talk to you about other things until they leave, and you will go back to sleep. I've had experience with this. I had a ...''
She stopped. Well she'd forgotten how this story ended up.
"A what, Miss Swan,'' came a small, curious voice.
"A cellmate once ... who had very bad dreams. This technique worked.''
There was silence and Emma could hear the rise and fall of the brunette's breathing as she debated.
"Stay on that side of the bed at all times.''
"Of course.''
"And if you touch me in any inappropriate way so help me I will eject you right over my balcony.''
"I'd expect nothing less.''
"Fine. And if you tell a soul about this, you will never see Henry again.''
"Threats aren't necessary, Regina. I would never talk of this.''
"It's not a threat. It's a promise.''
"I know.''
"And no snoring.''
"That's kind of out of my hands, Regina.''
"So you DO snore? I should have guessed.''
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you calling me common or something?'' Emma injected just the right amount of faux outrage to make Regina snort.
She smiled to herself.
"Not this time, Miss Swan. I am merely noting my son does, too.''
Emma chuckled at the idea of their ten-year-old snoring and was delighted when she heard a snuffle from the other side of the bed which meant she wasn't alone in that amusing thought.
"OK Regina, get some sleep, I'll be right here.''
"Just so you know, this isn't necessary,'' the muffled voice retorted. But they both knew it was for show.
Emma grinned into the darkness. "I know,'' she replied softly. "It's just to make me feel better.''
"Of course. You're so much trouble ...'' the voice faded out sleepily. Regina couldn't even be mean convincingly in this state.
Emma reached down for her pillow and slid her head on it. "I know,'' she whispered and without thinking drew her hand to lift the blanket up Regina's shoulder. She pulled back just before she stroked the tangled riot of brown hair nearby. She watched as Regina instinctively snuggled the blanket tightly around herself and fell into a deep slumber.
And so Emma Swan watched.