A/N: Hey Everyone, apologies for the delay in updating. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and there are a few suggestive adult *potentially triggering and threatening themes throughout this chapter. Thank you for all your continued support with this story.
Regina hadn't been able to keep her eyes off Emma the entire way to the hotel. The dress she had picked for her was even more stunning on her than she could have ever imagined. Teamed with the blonde's beautiful, big blonde curled hair and dazzling smile, she was the ultimate picture of perfection. Regina couldn't have been prouder to be attending the soiree with Emma that evening if she had been going with royalty.
They wandered into the party almost unnoticed. People were huddled in little groups and spread throughout the room. Some sat at tables deep in conversation, whether business or pleasure Emma wasn't sure, but they looked cosy. Others were stood together, whiskeys in hand and they were definitely talking business. Their stance and actions whilst talking gave that away.
Emma could feel her palms sweating as she stood shyly just behind Regina. She had glanced around, taken in the scene and quickly averted her eyes to the floor. Every woman in the room was dressed in black, including Regina, so she felt she was sticking out like a sore thumb in her long silver evening gown. She could feel the heat in her cheeks where she was blushing and her throat was dry. She was so nervous, but she was glad of one thing, she hadn't seen Leopold amongst the crowd.
She hoped he had decided to not attend as it would certainly help her nerves. Since telling Regina the truth about what had happened with her husband, Emma had hoped she would never have to see him again. It wasn't that she didn't trust that Regina hadn't let on that she knew his dirty little secrets but she might have said something, and she remembered the threat he had made. When she felt Regina's hand slipping into her own she swallowed hard and glanced at the brunette.
"No need to be nervous" Regina whispered gently.
Emma nervously smiled and squeezed Regina's hand as the brunette smiled reassuringly at her. Then suddenly they were on the move. Regina stepped forward, pulling Emma gently with her which made her almost trip in the heels she was wearing. She walked with her until she came to a stop by a small crowd of two men and a woman.
"Evening" Regina stated warmly with a smile as she broke the barrier of their little huddle.
"Mrs White, good evening." Greeted a man Emma had never seen before.
He was with Regina's assistant Sidney and the receptionist Belle, who she had met the day she had met Regina. He wasn't overly tall but was well dressed in a suit and tie, his long greying hair flowed to just above his neck and he carried a cane. Regina greeted him with a smile and the shake of a hand.
"Nice to see you again Mr Gold"
"And you dearie. I see you have a friend. I don't believe we have been introduced" the gentleman stated as he took a step forward towards Emma.
Regina smiled. She knew Emma would make an impression on her lawyer. She quickly introduced them, and formally introduced Emma again to Sidney and Belle again even though they were already acquainted. Mr Gold seemed to stare at Emma for a moment, as if registering properly who she was and finally smiled as he reached and took her hand.
"My pleasure to meet you Miss Swan."
He placed a feather light kiss upon the back of her hand, holding it and slowly releasing it as he stepped back. Emma felt herself lightly blushing at the gesture. She quickly retreated her hand back to her side and squeezed Regina's with her other where it was still tightly in its grip. Silence fell in their little group and was just becoming awkward when a young lady wandered passed with a tray, offering drinks. Each of them took a glass of champagne, except Emma who was promptly handed a glass of orange juice by Regina.
"Mrs White, do you mind if we step aside. I have a little business I wish to discuss with you" Mr Gold declared.
Regina nodded and smiled, accepting of course. She knew that the business Mr Gold wanted to discuss must be important now that he had met Emma. She released Emma's hand, stroking her arm gently and giving her a reassuring smile before stepping aside with Mr Gold. She wasn't entirely comfortable with leaving Emma, but as she was with Sidney and Belle, she trusted them to take care of her.
Emma sipped her drink feeling uncomfortable. Regina's assistant and receptionist were practically strangers to her and the silence was unbearably uncomfortable. They attempted to make small talk with her but it was a struggle, and the answers were short and sweet because Emma's attention was solely on watching Regina and her lawyer. They were deep in conversation now having taken a seat at a nearby table and Emma just wished she knew what they were talking about.
After what seemed like an eternity, Emma finally got the urge to pee and never had she been so thankful for the interruption. She quickly made her excuses and headed towards the bathroom as Leopold walked in. Luckily she hadn't seen him, but he had clocked her and as she disappeared he quickly scanned the room for his wife. He was absolutely furious that she had the audacity to bring her little pet whore to a business event so pivotal to their company. When he spotted her with Mr Gold, he made a beeline for the table.
"Mr White, pleasure to see you again" Mr Gold greeted with a forced smile as he rose from his chair.
Leopold was standing beside Regina's chair and nodded to Rumple Gold, as he waited for him to take his cue and leave him with his wife. Regina sat in silence, keeping her composure and not saying a word as she discreetly checked to see if Emma was still with her employees. She was relived not to see her there and slowly rose from her seat hoping she would get away from Leopold without a scene.
"Don't you dare walk away from me Regina" He hissed as he grabbed her wrist.
His grip on her was intense, but she stilled and didn't struggle. She was determined to show strength through her silence and composure rather than give in and give him the scene he so desperately wanted. He had tried it so many times and always failed. Regina would never show that she was weak when in public with him. For years she had put up with him pulling and pushing her around and suddenly she supposed tonight would be no different. There was of course one positive if that was the case. If he was busy controlling her he wouldn't go for Emma.
She turned and looked up at him with a cold and stony expression of warning. He was seething and in a foul mood. She knew from his heavy breathing and the scowl on his face. He too didn't want to make too much of a scene, but he did need to put her in her place. Taking her, he pulled her into one of the slightly darkened corners of the large function room and kept a tight hold of her wrist and one of her arms keeping her close to him. He leaned down, as if he was scolding a naughty child and hissed his words at her in anger.
"How dare you, bring that cheap, little whore to this event. Send her home immediately Regina or so god help me I'll….."
His voice was low and threatening.
"You'll what?" Regina retorted in a hushed voice of her own.
She suddenly had a gleam in her eyes that was almost daring him to hit her for all of his clients to see, and in fairness she was begging for it but he wouldn't give in. He knew what he had to do and he would take care of it. He gritted his teeth as he tried to hold his temper with her and she stood her ground, staring him in the eye until she felt his grip tighten even more on her wrist.
"You will behave yourself tonight Regina. You are my wife now start acting like it!"
Regina scoffed knowing he was going to leave visible bruising on her wrist. His threats were empty words. There was nothing he could do to her that he hadn't done before. Although he hurt her she dealt with the pain tremendously and would never, ever give him the satisfaction of thinking he was really getting to her. No matter how she felt on the inside, she could cope, she knew she could.
Emma emerged from the toilets a few moments later, looking straight in the direction of which she had last seen Regina, only to notice that the table was now empty. She felt a little panicked and unsettled at the brunette's sudden disappearance and began scanning the room for any sign of her. Her heart beat fast as upon first glance she couldn't see her but then she noticed her, tucked away in a secluded corner with him, Leopold.
He had his arm possessively around her, keeping her tucked closely at his side as joked and talked enthusiastically with a few other men in suits. Emma couldn't really see them properly and she didn't recognise any of them in the shadows. She knew Regina was uncomfortable though. Her posture seemed tense and very still. She could see what Regina meant by Leopold being control and she had experienced it first hand to know just how bad it could be. She took a deep breath and slowly started to make her way over to them.
As she got closer she realised she did recognise someone other than Leopold, it was George. The sound of his deep chuckle made her skin crawl and she felt physically sick. Still she continued until she was right up close behind Regina. The brunette hadn't noticed her or tried to look, but Emma felt her tense and heard her gasp when she lightly brushed her fingers against her own in taking her hand. Regina's head snapped and her worried look instantly faded when she saw it was Emma, as did the gentleman's conversation.
Leopold glared at the young blonde then at his wife. He really was furious about her being there. Regina glared back at him as an awkward silence blanketed their small group. George peered around Leopold at Emma, being sure to make eye contact with her that Emma instantly avoided by looking at the floor.
"Well, well…." George stated with delight.
He wasn't that surprised to see her because of course Leopold had made him aware of Emma's presence in their lives again, but he was surprised to see her there. Leopold hadn't mentioned Regina would be bringing her new toy with her and it amused him. He stepped across the little group, closer to Emma who sucked in and held a breath when she felt his shadow over her. He leaned in closer, so much so that she could feel his breath against her cheek.
"Hello again, Princess" he greeted in a low voice, before kissing her cheek lightly.
"Leave her alone!" Regina suddenly snapped.
It earned her a glare from her husband, and another as George raised his head, flaring his nostrils as he glared at her. He looked to Leopold, a silent warning delivered to remind Leopold to keep Regina in check. She was out of place speaking to him in such a manner, and he knew she knew it. A very scared and nervous Emma took a step back as soon as she felt it safe to do so. She knew Regina was in trouble but she couldn't focus properly after George's familiarity with her.
"Come with me." George ordered taking her hand.
He held it in a tight grip and pulled Emma away forcefully before she could even protest. As much as she wanted to retaliate though, she knew Regina wouldn't appreciate her making her scene so she went with him against her will. He took her through to near the restrooms. It was more secluded and out of the way, somewhere they were unlikely to be seen or disturbed.
Emma was breathing fast as he shoved her up against the wall and held her there in place. Now she was terrified that history was repeating itself. She screwed her eyes up tight and trembled as his grip on her arms only increased. Then he let out a slow deep chuckle.
"You scared Princess? Do you think I am going to hurt you?" he asked in a deep, slow voice.
He was so amused with himself, she couldn't tell if he was joking or not. She slowly opened her eyes, them darting back and forth as this time she made eye contact with him. Yes she supposed she was scared, and she did think that. She didn't respond though, keeping her lips tightly sealed as she glanced down to see his hands moving down her arms as he shuffled up and in close to her, trying to look intimate as a gentleman passed them and disappeared into the restroom.
"Pregnant whores aren't my thing" he whispered, as he lowered one of his hands gently to her baby bump.
Emma held her breath and swallowed, keeping her gaze firmly on his hand as it just rested on the front of her growing bump. She had no idea what was happening but if he was trying to make her uncomfortable, it was working. Emma looked into his eyes again when he started whispering, nasty horrible insults at her and was almost on the verge of tears.
"You are a dirty little whore. No one wants you here and whatever you are trying to get from Leopold. You will lose" he threatened.
Emma lips parted a little as she tried to remember how to breathe. She was in shock, and she definitely didn't know why he was threatening her. She wasn't trying to get anything from Leopold, so she knew the two of them had clearly been speculating together. Emma slowly started to think about what she could say when she suddenly found herself crying out in pain instead.
"Miss Swan?" cried a concerned voice.
George had released her and was walking casually away as if he had had no involvement, as Emma sunk down the wall a little. She was holding her baby bump towards the bottom on the left hand side. She was in so much pain where he had somehow managed to discreetly give her a good thump. She looked up just in time to see Killian Jones crouching before her, concern etched on his face as he reached out and gently caressed her arm.
"Are you ok? What happened?" he asked.
"Oh, oh just cramp from the baby. It will stop in a minute"
Emma felt terrible for lying but she didn't want to agitate George any further. Killian seemed like the confrontational type and if she told him, it would only make things worse. She took a few deep breaths and winced as with his help she slowly got back up. He was overly attentive checking her and pulling a handkerchief from his pocket for her to wipe her teary eyes. Extremely concerned, Killian asked her again, and as before she confirmed she was alright and that it was just cramps from her pregnancy. Of course he knew nothing about pregnancy so he decided to give her the benefit of a doubt, and offered to get her a drink.
"No, no I should take a moment. I'm sorry" Emma rambled as she headed towards the ladies room.
Killian nodded, understanding of course and headed towards the bar. It wasn't far from where the restrooms were located and meant he could keep an eye out for Emma returning to the party. He ordered a rum and slowly started sipping it as he waited.
"Where's Emma? What have you done?" Regina accused as soon as George came wandering back over.
"Just a gentle reminder of what she is, and where she belongs" he coldly admitted.
"Leopold, let go of me" Regina raised her voice a little as if daring him to hit her in public for the second time that evening.
"Be quiet Regina, or you will regret it" Leopold threatened in a low whisper.
Regina was seething, and people had slowly started looking over. She resisted the urge to struggle and simply reached inside her purse to retrieve her cell phone. He had done it now, she was going to show him, and his horrible little friend George just how in control she was. This was her time to shine and she wasn't going to waste it. She sent a quick message to her friend Kathryn inviting her last minute to attend. The press were going to have a field day with what she now had planned.
"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom" Regina suddenly chirped.
She half expected Leopold to escort her, so when he released her and allowed her to leave his side it most certainly was a surprise. She hurried across the room towards the rest rooms where she was promptly stopped mid stride by Killian Jones at the bar.
"Mrs White, lovely to see you again" he stated as he extended his hand to her for a shake.
She politely stopped and smiled, hesitating but then took his hand, shaking it and returning the greeting. Regina really didn't have time for small talk right now, her mind was focused on trying to find Emma so she was surprised when she was the very subject that Killian brought up next. He was telling her how nice it had been to see Emma again, and when Regina asked somewhat desperately where she was, he chuckled lightly and told her Emma was in the restroom. That should have put Regina's mind at ease but it didn't.
"I really am sorry Mr Jones. I am going to have to excuse myself"
"Oh, yes please of course" he acknowledged with a kind smile.
Regina smiled back but didn't hesitate in getting away. She hated to be rude but Emma had to be her priority. She raced towards the ladies, pushing through the door and didn't know what to expect. She was surprised though when they seemed empty and quiet. She glanced up and down the row of stalls, each of them displaying that they were vacant on the locks as she started to walk along them, checking them for Emma because when she called out her name, no answer came; there was only silence.
"Emma?" she asked as gently as she reached the last stall.
She was relieved to see the lock marking the stall as occupied and there was no guarantee it was Emma, but she hoped to god it was. She called the blonde's name again gently, her heart racing as she waited for a reply. There was a long pause and then a sob. Regina was relieved, even though she knew she shouldn't be by it, but it meant that in some respects Emma was ok.
Regina rested her head and hand against the stall door and asked gently if Emma would let her in. Again it went silent and she worried that maybe George had hurt her badly. She pleaded and pleaded as she listen to the odd sniffle and sob coming from inside. She hated not being able to see if Emma was ok.
"Please Emma. I just want to make sure you are ok?"
Regina's head was turned by someone coming into the ladies, where they had up until now been alone. She exchanged a quick look with the woman staring and glared until she disappeared again by turning around and leaving. With a sigh Regina pleaded one last time. When Emma still failed to open up the door she rolled her eyes at the thought of what she was considering doing next. She stepped back from the door, peering to the stall next to her and shook her head as she waited no longer.
"Emma…..if you won't let me in, then I am coming to you"
Regina talked in a laboured voice as she entered the stall next door, put down the lifted toilet seat lid and clambered up on it in her heels. She wobbled getting her balance. Her attire really wasn't suited to the activities she was suddenly partaking in. It definitely would have been so much simpler if Emma had just let her in. She continued to talk to Emma as she moved around noisily in the next stall. She stretched her arms up and grabbed the partition between them, using it to pull herself up so that she could peer over it.
"Emma!" she gasped.
The blonde was stood, huddled in the corner with her head down as she cradled the small bump on her tummy. She looked in a right state. Regina frowned knowing George was to blame and tried to push the thoughts of the worst from her imagination. She needed to learn the truth.
"Hey, are you seriously going to make me climb over this thing?" Regina asked.
Humour wasn't exactly appropriate to the situation but she needed to get Emma's attention. It worked and the blonde glanced up quickly to see the brunette peering over at her. Emma quickly sniffled and wiped at her teary eyes and wet cheeks. She had hoped Regina would just leave her there but she clearly wasn't in luck. She had heeded George's words. Both he and Leopold were going to make her life a misery until she disappeared, so it didn't really matter how she felt about Regina, them being happy wasn't even a possibility. She sniffled and quickly looked away again, moving from her corner and going to the stall door.
"Thank you!" Regina let out an exasperated sigh as she struggled down from the toilet seat in an inelegant way.
Emma unlocked the door but didn't step out from the stall. Regina gave it a gentle push and squeezed inside with Emma. Behind her she locked the cubicle again to ensure no further interruption and suddenly it seemed as if they were in their own little bubble. Still sniffling, the blonde had once more retreated to the far corner of the cubicle and Regina just stood staring at her for a moment. It was on purpose. She was checking Emma all over for any sign of a struggle or harm, but she seemed to be alright.
Regina was about to ask what happened when Emma suddenly came at her, arms open and wrapped them around her tightly in a cuddle. She quickly wrapped her arms around Emma too and kissed the top of her hair, where she rested her head on her chest. The sobs came harder and faster and Regina could feel Emma's tears creating a damp patch on her chest.
"George. He threatened me" Emma quietly admitted.
"I can't do this Regina. They are going to hurt me. I can't…..I can't stay" the blonde cried quietly.
"Oh Emma." Regina empathised as she gave her a tighter squeeze.
She waited a moment as Emma just cried before she pulled her back from her gently and asked her to look at her. When Emma's head lifted and she sniffled staring into Regina's magical, glistening and slightly teary brown eyes, she spoke gently.
"Listen to me. You are not going anywhere Emma and they won't hurt you. I will take care of you. You are, well I, I think I love you" Regina admitted quietly.
Her voice had become more vulnerable as she admitted her feelings for Emma; her truest feelings. She swallowed gently and leant in slowly, hoping that Emma wouldn't back away because of her use of the L word. Their lips met, just touching as Regina kissed her lightly. Emma sniffled as her lips melted into Regina's and she just lost herself in the passion of the single kiss they were sharing.