A/N: hi hello I'm back kind of. first off real quick disclaimer because i don't want anyone to get upset.
in this story, the person that does do the bad thing doesn't have a nationality. they don't have any affiliation mainly because i didn't want to have anyone feel like they were being targeted because Daniel (yes, i'm going to sin) is an ambassador to Syria. i have ZERO problem with anyone of a differing nationality, and frankly i didn't know what country to pick and i just don't want anyone's feathers ruffled, okay.
also, the only reason Albert Spencer (king george) is in here is because something does happen and i didn't want to have to write a bunch of proceedings that would go along with Emma being responsible for the mess.
so yes, that's it, and i hope i didn't bungle this chapter. if you wanna talk or say anything about the story, please feel free to review, PM me, or contact me on tumblr swanqueensaywhat okay, okay. thank you so much for the support, and i hope you enjoy x
Emma Swan was aware that she needed to stop biting her nails. In fact, she was deeply attuned to the fact, and was reminded once again by the piercing pain that came with drawing blood.
"Son of a bitch!"
Graham trained his eyes to the blonde and shook his head, "You gotta stop biting 'em, Emma."
The blonde agent wiped her now bleeding finger on her jeans, "I know. But come on, how is this not killing you?"
Graham sighed, turning his head back to the monitors lined up on the wall of the van they currently resided in.
"It does, Em. And I know none of us are comfortable not having control over what's happening. But there's nothing we can do."
"We're the goddamn Secret Service!" Emma cried, standing up and bringing her hand to her mouth, "This is bullshit."
"Homeland wanted the operation, you know Regina wouldn't have approved if she felt she had the choice."
Emma forced herself to sit back down, eyes shifting to the live news coverage of the President's walk down Constitution Avenue with the returning Ambassador to Syria, Daniel Colter. She had been apprehensive to allow Regina to stroll down the street, even if it was a Fourth of July parade. In all honesty, it had come down to Regina's pouting (something Emma could never resist), and the fact that the brunette was close friends with Colter, the two of them going back ages. So, of course Emma wanted Regina to be happy, and if it meant letting the brunette have this moment with her childhood friend after his return, then Emma would just bite the bullet.
However, being forced to hand over the security details over to Homeland had left a salty taste in her mouth.
Emma and Graham watched in silence as Regina and Colter walked arm in arm down the street. The blonde agent felt her breath lodge in her throat as the camera angle zoomed in on Regina, a wide smile plastered on the woman's face as Daniel said something to make her laugh.
She was breathtaking.
Graham popped another peanut butter cracker into his mouth as he listened to the various comms and watched his friend.
"You've got it so bad for her, Em."
The blonde rolled her eyes at her friends laugh, "And you're in pretty deep for those crackers."
Emma swatted away the man's hand as he reached out to hit her shoulder, and they went back to watching the coverage in a comfortable silence. The blonde reclined in her chair as the news anchor briefly recited the upcoming weather before returning to the coverage for the parade. What she wasn't expecting, however, was for the loud crack that came through the television speakers.
"Oh, shit!" Graham cried, scrambling for the radio.
Emma could only watch as both Daniel and Regina fell, a sickly shade of crimson flooding the blonde's eyes.
Three Hours Earlier:
Emma grinned as Regina through yet another towel at her.
"Emma Swan! You will leave me alone this instant!"
The brunette President cried out another plea for her agent to stop as she was chased through the hallways of the White House.
"You put mayonnaise in my shampoo bottle!" Emma hollered, sprinting after the woman.
Regina briefly stopped to laugh, her arm wrapping around her stomach, "Your face was priceless!"
Emma shook her head as she enveloped Regina in her arms and began to tickle the woman, "You betrayed me in the worst possible way! You went for my hair!"
The brunette squirmed away from Emma's fingers to turn in her agent's grasp. Wriggling her arms out of Emma's hold, Regina twined them around the blonde's neck and tangled her hands in Emma's curls.
"Your hair feels fine to me, babe." Regina grinned.
"Yeah, because I had to wash it like twenty times to be sure it wouldn't be nasty!"
Regina couldn't help but giggle again, placing a soft kiss on Emma's neck, "And now you know to be careful in the shower."
"Last time I checked I was in your bathroom, not Psycho."
The brunette curled a strand of blonde hair around her finger as she bit her lip, "I guess you might want to check twice, then, dear."
Emma only shook her head, smirking as she leaned in to fuse their lips together.
"Here I thought you were supposed to be the mature one."
Regina only laughed, nuzzling the soft skin of Emma's throat, "I guess it's just something about you, Agent Swan."
Tightening her arms around Regina's slim waist, Emma held the woman closer and placed a few kisses to the side of her head.
"Speaking of Agent Swan," Regina leaned back, "I need to get ready. The parade is in less than three hours!"
"I get to kick back and relax, so."
"Emma Swan, you are not going to through a temper tantrum, are you?"
Emma sighed, tangling their fingers together as they walked to Regina's room.
"I just don't see why you had to let Spencer take over."
Regina stroked Emma's thumb with her own softly. She had known giving the security responsibilty over to Secretary Spencer would upset Emma, but she hadn't wanted to start any squabbles with the man with only a few months left in his career.
"It's purely politics, Emma. You know I want nothing more than for you to be by my side rather than 'kicking it back' as you would have."
The pair came to a stop inside of Regina's room, Emma's hand coming up to cradle the brunette's cheek.
"I get that, Regina, I really do, but," Emma sighed, looking away from the intense mocha of her lover's own gaze, "Your safety isn't 'just politics' to me. It's so much more than that, it's so much more important, an-and vital, and-"
Regina silenced her blonde agent with her lips, kissing Emma hard as she grasped the soft hair at the base of the blonde's neck. She felt Emma nip her lip softly and smiled, breaking apart with a soft kiss to the corner of the blonde's mouth.
"It'll be okay, Em. You'll still be there, and Spencer isn't incompetent."
With an exaggerated sigh, Emma released the brunette, "Fine, but you totally owe me dinner and a movie."
"Deal," Regina smiled, tugging her sullen looking agent further into her room, "Now, do you want to help me get ready or not?"
Emma's eyes lit up, her heart beating quicker as Regina bit her lip with a smirk and raised an eyebrow.
"That's what I thought."
Emma playfully chased Regina farther into her room, causing an eruption of giggles from the usually stoic Commander in Chief.
An hour and a half later found the two women nearly ready to go. It hadn't taken Emma long to change into her casual wear, jeans and a plain white tee shirt doing the job. Regina had gone for a light pair of black dress pants, the material fitting to her legs nicely without being too hot for the relatively cool (but still pretty warm) July weather. She donned a black tank top as well, accompanied by a sheer, off white colored blazer. The number, paired with matte black heels was simple, yet elegant, and had Emma going crazy.
Twirling a wavy lock of brunette hair, Emma placed a soft kiss to Regina's cheek, "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"
"Stop," Regina blushed, "You don't need to feed my ego any more than you already do."
Emma smiled, "Can't help it. I'm a little jealous of Daniel for getting to walk with you today."
"Oh, hush." Regina laughed, hitting Emma's shoulder, "You get me for the rest of you life, Emma Swan."
"Still, though."
Regina huffed, pulling Emma towards the garage, "You'll be fine, you oaf."
"Ouch," Emma smiled, opening the door for Regina as they made it to the lower level, "You wound me, Madame President."
"Keeps you on your toes, Agent Swan."
"Okay, so I'm gonna hand you off to Spencer down here, but if you need anything at all, anything," Emma stopped, looking deeply into Regina's eyes, "You've just got to say the word, alright?"
"I got it, Emma. Don't worry."
Regina gave Emma's hand one last squeeze before they stopped outside of the garage so that Regina could be driven the short way to Constitution Avenue.
"I love you so much, Regina."
The brunette's eyes softened, "I love you too, Emma."
Emma placed a soft kiss to the woman's temple before opening the door and ushering her out.
The blonde watched as Regina's face broke out into a mega watt smile upon seeing Daniel already waiting in the car.
"Daniel!"
Emma watched as the two embraced, Regina looking so young and carefree once more. The sight caused her own smile to edge its way onto her lips, before the door was shut by none other than the Secretary of Homeland Security, Albert Spencer himself.
The blonde's smile faded and was replaced with a scowl.
"Agent Swan."
"Sir."
"We at the Pentagon appreciate the Secret Service's cooperation on this matter-"
Emma sighed, "Cut the bullshit, Spencer. She may not want to be on your bad side, but I don't give a shit."
Spencer squared his shoulders, "Watch it, Swan."
The blonde ignored him, "You listen to me. If anything happens to her, if these political games hurt her in any way, I'll be coming after you, and you can put your fucking money on it."
"I said stand down, Agent Swan!" the man roared, "You may not answer to me, but you will not threaten me in any way, do you understand?"
Emma laughed bitterly, "It's not my job to be professional with you. It's my job to keep Regina safe, something I suggest you start focusing on."
With that, the blonde made her way to the surveillance truck she'd be with Graham in, the burning stare of Albert Spencer present on her back the whole way there.
Present:
It took Emma a few seconds to breathe as she watched the love of her life crumple to the ground. Radios went crazy, the mantra of 'shots fired' being repeated over and over again. The blonde watched on live television as swarms of agents flood the scene, ambulance sirens coming through the speakers as coverage was cut.
"Graham."
The man's face was ghastly white, his eyes darting back and forth between Emma and the television.
"Emma, it's gonna be-"
"Don't." Emma gritted out, her legs shaking as she attempted to stand. "Find out where they're taking them, then get us there."
"Emma…"
"Just do it, Graham!" the blonde shouted, shoving everything off of the desk before burying her head in her hands as hot tears rolled down her cheeks.
Fifteen minutes later, Graham was pulling into the George Washington University Hospital. Emma was springing out of the back in seconds, but the man was still in too much of a shock to do anything about the blonde.
A flurry of agents, police, and national guardsmen were outside of the entrance, but Emma butted her way through like hell was on her heels. She made it inside the emergency room, only to be stopped by Spencer.
"Swan…"
"You!" Emma nearly screamed, shoving the man in the chest, "Where the fuck is she?!"
The man didn't even fight back, his sickeningly pale shade matching his attitude as he let Emma release her frustration.
"I said, where is she?!" Emma cried again, tears brimming in her eyes and spilling over her cheeks.
A small voice from the door to the operating rooms stopped the blonde in her tracks.
"Emma?"
The blonde's head whipped around, her whole body following suit. Regina stood there, eyes bloodshot from crying, her white jacket stained red from blood splatters. Her shoes were gone, there was blood smeared on her skin, her hands, but she was alive.
"Regina…" Emma breathed, relief coursing through her body.
Regina was there, she was alive. Another wave of tears welled in the brunette's eyes, and Emma's heart clenched for the woman. If it wasn't her blood, that could only mean it was Daniel's, and the blonde agent felt her stomach drop for Regina.
"Come here, sweetheart."
Emma jogged over to the brunette President, tugging her through the doors and into a small examination room. Shutting the door behind them, Emma wasted no time in wrapping Regina up in her arms, lifting the brunette slightly as she held the woman close. Regina's arms wrapped tightly around Emma's neck as she buried her face in blonde curls, sobs wracking her body.
"They killed him, Em. He just got home and they killed him."
"I'm so so sorry, Regina." Emma whispered, placing the President on the examination bed, "I'm so sorry for your loss."
Emma climbed onto the bed as well, pulling Regina into her lap and cradling the brunette's trembling form to her chest.
Regina continued to cry into the blonde's neck, her delicate hand clutching Emma's tee shirt, the only thing anchoring her to reality.
"It'll be okay, Gina," Emma soothed, running a hand over the brunette's back, "It's gonna be okay."
"Don't leave me, Emma," Regina whimpered, "Please."
"Of course, sweetheart. I've got you now."
Gradually, Emma felt Regina's weight slump into her as exhaustion took over, and she repositioned them on the bed. She notified Graham of their location so he could tell the doctors before once again pulling Regina close to her. Emma carefully kissed Regina's tearstained cheeks, the soft rise and fall of the brunette's chest the only thing keeping Emma sane.
"I love you more than words can convey, Regina." Emma said quietly, tangling their legs together as the woman cuddled deeper into her collarbone.
The blonde knew this was far from over, but all that mattered was that Regina was safe, was still in her arms, and as long as she had that, Emma was sure they could take on the rest of it together.