I am sorry for the delay. Life happened. Damn you life! So anyway weirdest thing ever, yesterday was my 20-year high school reunion. Dude I really never thought I would make it that far to see that. I didn't go. I wanted to, but my wife had to work and long story longer, with my new disabled status, I couldn't go alone. I didn't really want to burden my mom to take me, plus as much as I love my mommy, it was my high school reunion, how weird would that be? Anyway back to the story

Anyway back to the story. Once is not my property, blah, blah, blah.

Chapter 14

Regina answered the door ready to eviscerate the person who interrupted her progress. "What?"

"Hey Regina, just wanted to let you know we were knocking off for the night and we'll be back around 9. We just have to lay the gravel. If that's alright?" Graham tentatively asked, sensing Regina's irritation.

Emma let Regina handle the door and took a deep breath. Her head was spinning, her heart was beating harder than a herd of horses thundering across the fields, her stomach felt like a flock of butterflies, and her knees were so weak. Emma walked to the dining room and sat down in a chair at the table.

She picked up a notebook with projects in it that Regina had scheduled and tried to center herself. It wasn't working and she still felt like she stuck her finger in a light socket. She didn't know which way was up or down. Regina had always had that effect on her already and this new development magnified that.

"Is it safe to come up?" Killian asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Emma smiled.

Regina joined Emma and Killian in the dining room. She kept her eyes trained on Emma while she asked Killian on the progress of the electrical panel.

"I'm ready to try it, I just wanted to give you a heads up, in case it exploded," Killian said somberly.

Emma looked at Killian and then at Regina wide eyed and worried. She was going to ask a question when Killian burst out laughing.

"I'm kidding, Love! Relax. I just needed a tool from the truck. It's not quite ready." Killian chuckled on his way out the front door.

"He's a prankster and a joker. You'll learn not to take him seriously the longer you are around." Regina watched Emma for a minute, "I had Killian bring my generator up. I'll be out at the well getting the holding tank clean and sanitized. You are welcome to join me if you'd like."

"No, I'll let you ride solo on this one," Emma smiled keeping her eyes on the list of projects she seemed to find more interesting all of a sudden.

Regina walked behind Emma, bent down to her ear and whispered, "I'm not leaving you alone in this house tonight so we will have plenty of time to talk, or not talk."

Regina kissed the spot below Emma's ear softly, feeling her shiver as she pulled away. Regina grabbed her keys and sunglasses from the table and walked out whistling. Emma let her breath out, not realizing she was holding it.

Emma pulled a bucket out from under the sink and dumped three bottles of water into it. She was going to clean as much as she could. There are five years of fine dust and grime on every solid surface, and she was determined to get it clean.

Cleaning or working was Emma's drug of choice when things got tough or she needed to run away from life. When holidays came around Emma would be in the office pulling all nighters or in her apartment cleaning and re-organizing. If someone at the office or an associate would take an interest in her, she would make up an excuse for not going out and pull another all nighter.

Emma hadn't been kissed by a woman since college. It was easier being alone, no expectations and no disappointments. She didn't want to explain herself to anyone, but most of all she didn't want to let anyone down.

When she ended her relationship with Lily, all those years ago she broke her own heart as well. Lily begged Emma for an explanation, asking what she did, what had changed, and what she could do to fix it. Emma, coldly told her, "this isn't who I am. Sorry." She returned the gifts Lily had given her and closed the door on her heart.

Emma's heart is as dusty and dirty as the house she is cleaning. No matter how much she scrubbed or re-organized things around her, nothing is ever good enough. She just isn't good enough for anyone.

Emma looked up from scrubbing the floor, feeling eyes on her and caught a glimpse of feet from a dark figure as she looked up. They moved swiftly from the kitchen doorway and into the dining room.

"Hello?" Emma threw her rag in the bucket and stood up. She walked tentatively into the dining room and looked around, double checking the dark corners. She jumped when Killian walked up behind her.

"Whoa, hey Love, didn't mean to startle you," he held his hands up, meaning no harm.

"No, worries," Emma said letting her breath out slowly, "how's it going?"

"Well, one more day, I promise you. In the mean time, Regina is sending me for pizza and beer. If you need anything, here is the walkie for Regina and I'll be back." Killian handed Emma the walkie-talkie, "oh and can I borrow your car?" Killian held his hands up in mock prayer.

"Yeah, let me get you some money for the pizza." Emma handed her car keys over.

"No, no, don't worry about it, I'm calling in some favors" He smiled a deviant smile and raised an eye brow. "I have a friend who, seriously owes me."

Emma went back into the kitchen to survey her progress. It was much cleaner, but nowhere near her everyday standards. It would do till the water was back on. She dumped the brown dismal water down the sink and laid the rag over the water spigot to dry.

The late afternoon sun was waning and Emma could feel the temperature dropping with it. She went ahead and busied herself with making a fire and taking stock of the wood pile outside the back door. There would be enough for tonight, and maybe tomorrow, but the supply was getting low and needed to be re-stocked.

The night settled in and Emma grew antsy. She could see the big flood lights in the field where Regina was working, almost a half mile out from the kitchen window. She wished Regina would call over the walkie, or come to the house. She hadn't heard from her in 4 hours and was getting worried.

The front door slammed shut and Emma heard loud foot falls coming towards the dining room. She went to meet Killian and maybe help unload his arms.

"Thank God you are back, I am starving!" Emma said rounding the corner from the kitchen to the dining room.

"Killian?" Emma called out perplexed, setting her water bottle down on the table. She silently crossed the dining room and looked out the window in the living area, to the street below. Her rental car was still missing, and the truck, she assumed was still in the field with Regina. She let the curtains go and heard an eerie giggle waft down the stairs.

The candles she had lit around the living room earlier mysteriously went out. The smell of sulfur floated in the air and the fire that blazed in the hearth instantly died. The house was left saturated in darkness. Emma felt her anxiety and fear of the situation grip her as she stood frozen, the air felt like the inside of a vacuum.

She slowly flexed her hands and looked up to the ceiling as little feet ran across the floor above her. Emma knew there was a flashlight on the mantle above the fire place if only she could get her feet to obey her head. She moved forward feeling someone grabbing her foot.

She bolted, fighting to get free and she quickly lost balance, falling forward into the dark. Emma threw her hands out in front of her, grabbing and reaching out into the air. She finally made contact with the floor, but not before her head smacked the elevated stone hearth of the fireplace. A bright light flashed behind her eyes before she lost consciousness.