AUTHOR'S NOTE: WARNING: This chapter contains material that may be triggering for some readers. Mentions of rape. Please read with caution. Not sure how well this chapter went, so... be gentle with reviews! I tried hard. :/ Also, Merry Christmas to everyone and their families!

Though Regina had been the one to end the call, she was the one to cry. It was Emma who became stoic and cold, her entire demeanor changing the way she interacted with others, including her closest friends.

"What's up with you, Em?" Ruby asked, scowling. "You got something stuck up your ass? There's surgery for that, you know."

"Shut the fuck up, Ruby," Emma snapped. "I don't need your shit right now."

"Hey... Emma... Seriously," Belle tried, putting her hand on the girl's shoulder. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"I need a drink," Emma sighed, dropping her head into her hands.

Later that night, sitting in her room alone, she downed a few shots of rum before deciding to send one more text.

'Hey, Killian. You goin out tonight?'

'Only if you are.'

'I will if you do.'

'Done deal. I'll see you in twenty.'

But the night was far from expected. At the house party they attended, it took the drunken young man hardly any time to put his hands on her, sliding them up and down her sides as they danced close to each other. Emma, just as intoxicated, hesitated, and he moved closer, pulling her hips towards his own and pressing himself against her. When she tried to pull away, he drunkenly grabbed her wrists and held her close, grinding his hips against her.

"S-Stop,"she slurred, trying to pull away, but he was stronger, and held her in place with one hand and fondled her chest with the other.

"You know you want it," he said over the music.

Being drunk themselves, no one seemed to notice the struggle, so Emma was on her own, and found herself unable to get away from his touch. When he backed her against the wall and reached between her legs, groping her there and slamming his wet mouth against hers, Emma began to cry.

"Don't start that," he ordered. "I hate when girls cry. Don't kid yourself, baby. I'm the best you'll ever get."

Finally, she broke free as he stumbled and attempted to regain his balance. Bolting from the room, she disappeared into the throng of college students and ran out of the house.

Unfortunately for Emma, he was both strong and fast, and caught up with her quickly as she walked the wooded path in the trees back to her dorm room. Grabbing her by her hair, he threw her to the ground and straddled her, tearing at her jeans and struggling to undo the clasps there. Screaming, but with no one around to hear her that late at night, Emma thrashed beneath him as he dropped his own jeans to his knees. Just as he was about to undo the buttons on her pants, she managed to grab a medium sized rock, and she slammed it against the back of his head. Instantly, he collapsed on top of her, with his pants down. She struggled to throw him off, sobbing and screaming as she was finally able to roll his unconscious body away. She ran the rest of the way back to her dorm room, nearly tripping multiple times, as her coordination had been almost completely erased by the alcohol.

The first time Emma dialed the number, there was no answer, and she declined to leave a voicemail, knowing she needed to talk to the girl directly.

'I nneed yyouu,' she typed, too intoxicated to spell the sentence correctly.

As soon as the message went through, her phone rang. It was Regina.

"Emma?"

"Regina," the girl sobbed into the phone. "He tried to rape me."

"Who? Emma, what happened?"

"K-Killian. He... He..."

"You have to go to the police, Emma! Now!"

"I n-need you," Emma continued to sob. "I need you h-here."

"Are you drunk?"

"Y-Yes... I'm s-so sorry, 'Gina."

"Go to the police. They'll take a statement, and you can charge him with sexual assault. You have to do it now," Regina told her, then gently added, "I'm so sorry I can't be there for you right now. I'm so sorry I can't take care of you. That I couldn't protect you. But you need to do this. You need to be strong for me, baby."

"I c-can't."

"You can, Emma. You have to."

"N-No!"

"Do it for me, baby. Be strong for just a little bit longer."

"I c-can't. I need you here."

"I'll come see you this weekend. I'll take the train. But right now, you need to do this. It can't wait."

"You'll really c-come s-see me?"

"Yes. Call me when you're leaving the station, okay? I'll be right here, waiting for your call."

"Okay."

"Good girl. Now go. Be strong."

"Regina."

"What, baby?"

"I'm scared. I'm still d-drunk. They're n-not gonna b-believe me.""

"They will. You can do this. They're going to take care of you and make sure he gets taken into custody so he can't do this again."

"Okay. And Regina?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I'm s-sorry. I l-love you."

"I love you too, Emma."

The visit to the station was a painful one, as she had to re-live the moment as she explained what happened, and after she gave her statement to the police, a very nice cop drove her back to her dorm. As soon as she reached her room, she dialed Regina's number again. By this time, she had sobered up.

"Regina," she said into the phone, sniffling and struggling to hold back the tears.

Hearing that Emma was choking on sobs, her lover told her, "It's okay to cry, baby. I'm right here."

"Can we chat online? I need to see you."

"I look like shit and I'm in my PJs, but of course. I just hope I don't break your computer screen with my hideous face that's lacking makeup right now."

"You always look beautiful. Especially first thing in the morning, when you're not wearing makeup."

"You're so full of shit," Regina laughed lightly, then opened her laptop. "See you in a minute."

Emma hung up and made the call on the computer, but as soon as she saw the girl's face, she began to cry again.

"Hey," Regina said. "It's alright. It's gonna be okay."

"I'm just glad he didn't... you know..."

"Me too, honey. I hate that I'm so far away..."

"Are you really going to come home for the weekend?"

"Yes, if you want to see me."

"I do," Emma said softly, her eyes still flooded with tears. "I miss you so much, Regina."

"I miss you too, Emma, and I'm so sorry that all of this happened. I do trust you. Please believe me... I was just... I was having a bad night, I took it out on you, and I'm sorry."

"I just want you to come home," Emma sobbed, lowering her head. "I need you here. I can't take this. You're too far away."

"I know, baby. I know. Just tell me one thing."

"Anything."

"Did that promise ring really mean something?"

"Of course it did," Emma told her sincerely. "I've never felt this way about anyone. You're all I want. I don't know what came over me... I was just so hurt..."

"I know, and I'm sorry. How can I make this right? I'll do anything."

"Come see me."

"I will."

"Can you do one other thing for me?"

"Anything, my darling. Anything."

"Will you stay online with me while I fall asleep? I'm afraid I'll have nightmares."

"I will. I'll leave my computer open all night, so if you get scared, you can just yell and wake me up, and I'll be right here."

As Emma lay on her side, her eyes closed, in front of the camera, Regina smiled.

"You look so peaceful when you sleep. I know you're not peaceful right now, obviously, but when you're tired, you look like such an angel..."

"Oh, hush," Emma yawned. "You shut up."

Regina giggled softly, saying, "I love you, Emma. Get some sleep."

"I love you too, Regina. Thank you."