Chapter 14: Choices
She was furious the next morning.
Graham and Hook spoke with her for a while under the street light.
"The killer's still out"
"It could be her pimp"
"The Madame, you said, Emma? Ruby worked for a Madame? Well there's only one Madame in this city. Damn I was afraid o' this! It ain't gon' be easy.
"Yeah Cora Mills is like a queen sitting on the highest tower. She's untouchable."
Their words were still ringing within her head.
Cora Mills. Mills. Regina Mills' mother.
I can't fucking believe this! She should've said her mother was a fucking pimp!
Emma sat stiffly at her desk in the room, staring out her window, when Regina walked into her room.
"G'morning, Em!" she spoke brightly, kissing her cheek. Emma was quiet.
"What's wrong?" Regina had asked, sensing her anger.
"Your mother" Emma spoke through gritted teeth, "your mother was Red's pimp!"
Regina took a step back as she pushed her chair aside and stood up.
"You didn't bother to mention this?!" she nearly shouted at the brunette.
"I'm not so close to my mother and what she does was hardly relevant to us. Besides how was I supposed to know that cheap whore would end up being one of my mother's?!"
"Don't you dare!" Emma growled, "don't you dare insult my best friend!"
"Fine! But why is this bothering you?"
"Because sweetheart, your mother might've gotten her killed!" Emma hissed furiously.
"Bull shit! My mother is many things Emma but she is not a killer" Regina shook her head.
"Prove it then. Come down to the station with me and tell the cops everything you know."
"I…I can't do that."
"What?" Emma stared at her girlfriend in disbelief, "Regina, this is for Red. My best friend. The police caught the wrong guy and they're looking for the killer now. I wanna get her justice. Help me!"
"No" Regina shook her head, more determinedly, "I-I can't. It'll destroy my family."
"Regina, my best friend is DEAD!"
"Exactly. Let it go! Let the cops do their thing, don't get involved" Regina cupped her face in her hands, "don't stir things up Emma. It won't be good for any of us. Let it go."
"I can't just let it go! Regina, do you even know what you're saying?! If Cora is behind this you'd be protecting her. Do you really want to protect a murderer?"
"I'm protecting my father. He's a good man." Regina's voice was firm. Her hands left Emma's cheeks and disappeared within her pants' pockets. "You owe my father, Emma, he's given you a place to call home."
"What's your dad have to do with anything? The cops are after your mom!"
"She has my dad trapped in her web. If she goes down, he will too and I can't let that happen. So would you please forget everything?" Regina pleaded, "I don't want to lose you over this Emma."
"How? How can I just forget everything? Red was with me all those nights after August left me here. She held me though my tears, laughed with me when I got drunk, slept with me when I couldn't bare the loneliness in this shelter…I'm just supposed to forget everything? Forget the fact that I was having the time of my life while my friend lied bleeding on some dark alley taking her last few breaths? She died alone. No one deserves that kind of death, no one! You want me to let it go, Regina? I can't. I owe her everything. I will get her justice."
"And where does that leave us?" Regina crossed her arms over her chest. Her voice was arctic. Emma shivered under the glare of those dark brown eyes.
"I-I dunno…" she croaked, her voice breaking as she realized what was happening. Regina nodded and stepped away from her.
"Well then"
Emma's heart jumped as she saw Regina turn around and walk towards the door.
"No…Regina wait! D-don't go...I don't want you to go…"
"You also want to go after my family," Regina muttered, not facing her, "you can't always get what you want, Emma."
"I've never gotten anything I want!" Emma yelled. Her voice broke as Regina walked out. She followed her down the stairs.
What have I done….what have I done…
Her mind panicked as she ran after Regina. The brunette walked out through the main doors.
"Regina, please, please, can't we talk about this?"
"You made yourself very clear already."
Regina's voice was like sharp steel. Emma felt it pierce through her heart.
"Why won't you understand?! I need to do this for Red, I need to help in anyway I can…and you have information...help me please…don't….don't go Regina I'm begging you"
"I won't do it, Emma. I can't just hug you and kiss you and fuck you then just let you destroy my family. It's…this is not gonna work!"
"Regina, please. Please!"
"No."
They crossed the street. Regina storming towards her car with Emma trailing close behind.
"I love you, Regina. Don't do this to me" Emma cried out. Tears blinded her sight as she grabbed Regina's arm and flung her around, "I need you" she pleaded.
Regina stopped, heaving in her arms. Her cheeks were wet.
"I love you but I love my father as well, and what you're asking from me will ruin him. I can't do that Emma. You're always going to blame me if I stay with you. So I'm gonna leave you to deal with your mess."
"Mess? My friend was murdered goddammit you mother is involved and you're gonna walk away?!" Emma was once again furious. Anger was taking over the horrible ache that was slowly gripping her heart.
"Unless you decide to drop your ridiculous idea of brining my mother down, we can't be together."
Regina got into the car and waited. Emma stood, stunned by her words.
"I don't want you to go…" she pleaded weakly. The brunette's jaw clenched and she swallowed hard, keeping her eyes straight ahead.
"Then don't go after Cora."
"I can't do that, Regina." Emma whispered. The car roared to life.
"Then I can't be with you."
She stood helplessly as Regina's car rolled into the street and slowly drove away from her.
…
Regina cried as she drove home. The distant silhouette of the blonde disappeared on her rear-view.
Her head screamed. Her heart throbbed painfully.
I should go back…I should go back…madness…Emma…Emma…what am I doing?
She didn't turn. She swallowed back her sobs and kept driving forwards.
Upon reaching the mansion, Regina parked her car and ran through the doors.
"Daddy!"
"Reg- what?! Are you ok, dear? Regina!"
She hugged her father tightly and sobbed in his shoulder.
"Regina, my dear girl what's wrong? Talk to me."
"Just…just tell me one thing," she choked out, "what will happen to you if mother went to jail?"
"Why are you-
"Just tell me daddy! Please!" Regina wailed.
"I'll earn a couple years in prison as well. My businesses will go bankrupt or taken over by these bastards I'm feeding now. We'll lose the house. Our accounts will be sealed. You'll have to fend for yourself."
Regina hugged her father tightly and felt his loving hand caressing her head. She imagined him locked behind bars, tired and old. She imagined herself living on the streets.
All alone.
Homeless and without parents. Nothing could be worse. Regina shuddered at the unthinkable.
Emma is living through that and you left her. She only asked for your help!
She didn't ask for just anything dammit she asked me to give up my life and my dad. Cora goes down, then daddy will be right with her! He always told me this. We'd be ruined!
He's not without guilt.
I can't live on the streets.
Emma is.
I'm not Emma.
Regina left her stunned father in the hallway and walked up to her room. She collapsed on her bed and hid her face into her soft pillows. She cried her heart out for the girl she left behind.
…
Emma sat at her desk in the mail room staring blankly at the large pile of letters and packages in front of her. She'd been in the station an entire hour but hadn't stamped a single one of them, hadn't written the addresses or taken anything down to the mailboxes.
"Unless you decide to drop your ridiculous idea of brining my mother down, we can't be together."
She couldn't just forget about Red. She didn't want to lose Regina either. Her head and heart were battling with each other
You're losing Regina over this nonsense.
What if Cora is behind Red's death? Regina is protecting her.
She's protecting her father. Wouldn't you?
I don't have a father. I don't have a mother either.
If you did…wouldn't you…
Maybe. But if one of them was murdered I'd want justice. Red was my family.
You're losing Regina.
Her mind was relentless. She argued with herself going back and forth. Emma groaned in frustration and banged her head down on the wooden desk.
"Sheesh!" someone called from the door, "that bad?"
Emma looked up at the sound of that husky voice. Jane Rizzoli sauntered into her little room. She handed her a steaming cup of fresh coffee.
"Thought you could use one" the female detective smiled, "the guys are all grumbling today. Something about no donuts or lunch orders."
"I'm so sorry, Detective. I…it's…it's just been a tough day..." Emma mumbled. The detective waved off her apologies, "It's no big deal. It's not even part of your job, they got used to your favours."
Emma smiled and sipped from the warm cup. The taste of rich cappuccino filled her mouth.
"C'mon" she patted her shoulder, "Graham and Hook are discussing your friend's case. They want me to sit in."
"I'm not allowed in the meetings"
"You're allowed if I say so. C'mon! Don't you want to see how we do things 'round here? Solve cases?"
Emma shrugged.
"Wow you're really down today aren't ya? Come along, girl. We could use your help. You might remember something and help us out."
They walked out of the mailroom and headed upstairs. They found Hook and Graham staring at a board. There were scribbles in black and red markers- important details, names, dates etc. There was crime scene photos taped to the board as well.
Emma's heart nearly stopped as she saw the photos for the first time.
Sprawled on the pavement, lifeless in a pool of blood, was her best friend Red. A shot of the slashes on her body, the wounds. Close ups of her face, bloody and bruised. The next was just a shot of the blood. Then yellow tape. A bloody footprint.
"Shit! Graham, hide the pictures dammit!" Hook hissed at his partner as Emma walked into the meeting room with Detective Rizzoli. Graham hurried to take down the snapshots.
Her throat was suddenly very dry. She took a big gulp of her coffee. The drink only made it worse.
"Emma!" Hook smiled and pulled a chair out for her. She took the seat. Detective Rizzoli sat down beside her.
"Any progress guys?" Jane asked grabbing a yellow file from the table.
"Nothing strong yet. We don't have any witnesses other than the drunkard, Pete, we caught earlier. He swears he saw the killer. He's about 5'7. Dark brown hair. Dark clothes. Shiny shoes. That's it. We asked around the bar near the alley, no one saw a guy with that description. We don't have the damn weapon yet. And the girls on the street aren't talking much." Graham threw his hands up helplessly, "basically we have nothing."
"We found a footprint thought," Hook muttered, "we thought it was that drunkard's. Turns out his smelly feet are smaller. We don't have suspects to match the print with."
"What about that connection with Cora Mills?" Jane asked, scanning the file in her hands.
"We called, the Madame is too busy to give us time. Her secretary tells me we'll get a meeting with her as soon as her schedule clears up" Hook grumbled, "my gut tells me she's behind this."
"Yeah, but what's her motive?" the female detective asked," if Ruby died wouldn't that cost that woman? She was one of her girls."
Suddenly Emma remembered. That night at the club, the last time she was out with Red, didn't she say something to her?
"… I found this other guy, he's got a real funny name, he's another big player, supplies loads of girls, treats 'em better- I think I'm gonna join his crew, know what I'm sayin"
"Wait!" Emma spoke up, "Red was going to work for someone else!"
All three heads turned towards her. Graham spoke.
"Did she say who it was?"
Emma shook her head helplessly, "she said he'd pay her more…he's another big player…she thought he had a funny name."
"How about Rumpelstiltskin? That's a weird name."
Hook gaped at Detective Rizzoli who spoke.
"Rumpelstiltskin. It says here in one of the statements you guys took from the working girls. One of them slipped you a tip. Here it says, "Rumpelstiltskin's been stealing girls in this town."
"We thought the chick was on crack!" Graham rushed towards her, "well I'll be damned. His name does sound funny."
"If he is Cora's competition and Red was thinking about joining Rumpel, that gives her motive!" Hook rubbed his hands together.
"How?" Emma asked, confused.
"Well," Detective Rizzoli explained, "high profile pimps like Cora Mills need to protect their turfs. Their client information needs to be a secret at all cost. If Rumpel was stealing Ruby from Cora, he'd grill Ruby for information on Cora's clients and her business. He'd use it to get himself ahead in the race. He'd be able to black mail rich and important people using the information as well. He'd profit. Everyone would blame Cora. She won't be reliable anymore and end up losing her clients. Her business will be ruined. Rumpel is probably well guarded by his own men so Cora can't directly harm him. That leaves your friend Ruby- the traitor in Cora's eyes. She'd want to shut her up to keep her business safe."
Emma took a deep breath. It was a lot to take in.
"It's all speculation though, detective" Hook muttered, "we need proof to tie Cora to the murder. I'm sure she hired someone. She's way too classy to get her own hands dirty."
"We find this 5'7, dark brown haired douche and grill him till he's shits his pants. He'll give up Cora's name in no time."
"You gotta find him first, boys!" Detective Rizzoli stood up from her chair and stretched.
"We've got officers out everywhere. It's only a matter of time. I say we go visit this Rumplestiltskin and have a little chat" Hook looked at Graham who nodded.
"Sounds good to me."
"Can I come along?" Emma suddenly spoke up. All three officers looked at her, suddenly remembering that she was still in the room. Then they looked each others way. Silent questions passed between their glances.
They'll never let me come along. Oh well, at least I asked.
"Sure!" Jane smiled, nodding at the guys, "Hook, Graham, watch out for her ok."
"Will do, Detective. We'll head out in the next hour or two. I've got some paperwork to finish. Emma will be just fine." Hook smiled at her.
"Excited?" Graham asked Emma, smiling brightly, "I would've been when I was your age."
Emma smiled politely and thanked all of them. She walked out of the room leaving the three to discuss matters.
Was she excited?
Emma sighed as she made her way into the little mail room. It was past five. The sky was getting darker by the minute.
I only want answers.
She picked up the office phone and dialled Regina's number. She heard it ring through.
What am I gonna say?
"Hello?"
Emma didn't speak.
"Hello?" Regina asked again.
I love you…I love you so much, Regina.
She clutched the receiver tightly in her hands. Her voice was the sweetest. Emma could listen to her every minute of every day.
"Em-Emma? Is it you?"
Emma breathed heavily. She still didn't speak. She couldn't.
I chose life cause of you. You're my reason. But Red was my saviour when the nights were the darkest. She was there right beside me when I was the loneliest. Red taught me how to live. You gave my life purpose. How can I choose? I don't want to lose you. I don't want to give up on Red. You gave me all the wrong choices Regina. All the wrong ones. I want love. I want justice. I can't chose, Regina, come back to me. I love you.
She couldn't say any of it as the voice waited on the other side of the phone. Her lips didn't move.
The line went dead after a while.
Emma listened to the dial tone for a few long seconds, then dropped the receiver which was crushing her like a heavy stone. She lowered her head on the table and hid within her arms. She cried. Her tears rolled down her cheeks, slowly, and stained the mess of papers on the wooden desk.
…
*note: One hell of a mess they're in, aren't they? I brought back Jane Rizzoli cause a lot of you messaged me saying you wanna see more of her, maybe even Rizzles. I just might do it! Hah! Not sure when smut will be back, maybe in a chapter or two. The ending is near, I'm hoping to give this fic maybe five more chapters. We'll see as we go. Leave your thoughts, folks! Thanks for the lovely reviews!