Chapter Fifty-Three: The Fire
"No, Billy, I don't want to hear your excuses," Emma said over the phone "You are going to pick up Regina's car here in the garage tomorrow morning and you are not going to give her car back until it's good as new"
"Emma, I just came back from the conference," Billy said on the other side of the phone "I'm not opening the shop for a few days"
"I don't give a damn, Billy," Emma said "You are taking Regina's car from the garage tomorrow morning and that's final"
"Okay, okay, fine" Billy sighed "I'll stop by tomorrow to take her car"
"And you are not giving it back…"
"Until the car is good as new," Billy laughed "I got it, Sheriff"
"Good," Emma said seriously.
"Anything else you want to force on me, Sheriff?"
"Nope," Emma smiled "But I'll call you if I think of anything else"
"Haha very funny," Billy said "I'll stop by with the tow in the morning"
"Thanks, Billy"
Emma shook her head and smiled when she turned off the phone. It was good to finally have the business with Regina's car all workout. It was such a simple thing to do, all she had to do back there was drive Regina's car to Billy's shop or call Billy asking him to pick up the car.
Emma sighed and leaned on the chair.
If only she had done that sooner.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds and took a long big breath in.
At least she was having a second chance now, a chance to do the right thing. Emma tried to get her hopes in check. She didn't want to let the expectation of what happened between her and Regina a few nights ago in the car consume her every thought. She was going to fight like hell to win Regina's trust again, yes. To win back her love. But for now, she was just happy to be able to do the right thing.
"Hey, Emma," David's voice said, "Is everything okay?"
"Oh, hey," Emma said blinking her eyes open "Yeah, everything is fine"
"You look tired" David pointed out.
"Thank you," Emma said sarcastically.
"Wrong thing to say?" David asked making a face.
"What do you think?" Emma arched an eyebrow.
"Ah, damn it," David sighed "Apparently I'm doing that a lot lately"
"What are you talking about?" Emma asked.
"Nothing, never mind" David brushed her off.
"Well, I'm out to make my rounds," Emma said as rose from the chair.
"I'll go with you," David said "You don't mind the company, do you?"
"I don't," Emma looked suspiciously at him "But it's seven-thirty at night now. Didn't your shift finish at five?"
"Yep," David nodded "It did"
"David?"
"Please don't make me go home, Emma," David said "I'm begging you here"
"Trouble in paradise?" Emma asked while putting on her jacket.
"It seems like everything I say to Mary Margaret now is the wrong thing," David said as he and Emma started to walked out of the Sheriff Station "I don't know what's happening, she is stress like all the time now"
"Are you sure you haven't done anything to piss her off?" Emma asked.
"Well, obviously I did," David said "But I have no idea what"
Emma smirked and opened the Sheriff's Department cruiser door. She entered the car with David doing the same on the passage seat. With the two of them inside properly bucked up, Emma turned on the engine and maneuvered the car out of the garage.
"How is it going with Archie?" David asked.
"Excuse me?" Emma looked sideways at him.
"Oh, I'm sorry," David said quickly "I sorry, Emma, I didn't mean to, I mean I didn't want to pry or anything, I was just…Ah damn it"
"David it's okay," Emma laughed "I'm not your wife"
"That doesn't mean I won't find a way to piss you off too," David smiled.
"True that," Emma smiled back "And things with Archie are going well"
"That's good," David said "I don't know what happened, but I do know you weren't in a good place a few months ago"
"No, I wasn't," Emma nodded.
Oh, boy. If David only knew how bad she really was a couple of months ago. To say she was in a bad place didn't even begin to cover how badly she had fucked everything up. But Emma didn't want to think about all the mistakes she made in the past. She wanted to focus on the future now, she wanted to focus on making amends and most importantly, she wanted to focus on be a better person. A person who doesn't run away from her problems. A person who owns her mistakes. A person who fights for the people she loves.
"So, what was that thing with Billy earlier?" David asked pulling Emma out of her train of thoughts.
"What?" Emma asked looking quickly at him.
"You were scolding him earlier" David laughed.
"Oh," Emma shook her head "I have Regina's car in the garage. I needed him to go in and pick it up but his lazy ass is too tired from the trip"
"Why is Regina's car in the garage?" David asked.
"It died on her a couple of od nights ago," Emma said "I offered to collect and bring to the station until Billy came back from his trip"
"So, are you and Regina back together?" David asked.
"No, we… we are not," Emma said sadly.
"But you love her, don't you?" David asked looking at Emma.
"I do," Emma nodded "But I've done things that…. I hurt her"
"I'm sorry, Emma" David said.
"Thanks, David"
"She loves you too, you know?" David said "The way she cared for you, the smiles the two of you shared together… I don't know what happened between the two of you but I do know this is not the kind of thing that just disappears"
"I wish you are right, David" Emma smiled sadly "But Regina has every right to not want me back"
Emma took a turn right and entered the woods street, as she liked to call. The drive around town had been chill and for once, Emma didn't mind have company in the car with her while making her rounds. She and David had their problems in the past, but they worked through it all, especially after he tossed away her tox exams after the car crash. She wasn't on duty that night, but the repercussions could have potentially destroyed her career considering his wife was the Mayor and wanted Emma out of the Sheriff's position.
Emma leaned her body on top of the steering wheel when she saw something on the right that called her attention.
"Is that…" Emma said, "Is that smoke?"
David cracked the window open and the unmistakable scent of smoke entered the car. Emma looked above the trees, where a grey fog had formed.
"Emma isn't that…."
"Regina's stable," Emma said eyes widened.
Emma felt her heart raced inside her chest as her grip on the steering wheel got stronger. She took a turn to the right and speed up the dirt road, going straight to Regina's stable. She could hardly breathe. Her mind was forming all sorts of scenarios and she could only hope none of them was true. She entered the guest parking lot and parked the car carelessly before leaving the car. She ran in the direction of the fire with David right behind her.
Emma stopped in front of the building looking at the flames consuming everything. For a moment she couldn't react, she just stayed there staring at the red flames dancing while trying to remember how to breathe again.
"Emma, I called the fire department," David said bringing Emma back "There are on their way"
Emma nodded and looked around. She saw Robin, sitting on the ground wrapping something around his hand.
"Robin," Emma screamed and ran in his direction "Where is Regina?"
"Emma she's in the building," Robin said looking scared at her.
"WHAT?"
"I tried to get inside, but part of the ceiling fell and I couldn't pass through," Robin said "I even burned my hand"
Emma felt tears formed behind her eyes. She tried to breathe but it was impossible, whether it was because of the smoke or something else entirely, she wasn't sure. She looked at the building, the flames were getting higher and higher, the fire was destroying everything around it and soon, it would consume the building as a whole.
Emma turned around and started to run in the direction of the burning building, but before she could get inside, she felt something, or whether someone, pulling her back.
"Emma, you can't go inside" David screamed.
"Let me go," Emma shouted trying to get rid of his strong grip.
"Emma, no," David looked into her eyes "The firefighters will be here any minute"
"She may not have a minute," Emma said tears falling down "Please, David. Let me go"
"Emma…"
"What if it was your wife?" Emma said desperately "What if it was Mary Margaret? David, please!"
David looked into Emma's eyes and nodded, slowly losing his grip on her arm. Emma nodded back and ran inside the building. It was hard to breathe inside. The smoke was really, really strong and Emma had to cover her mouth and nose with her arm. She went up the stairs but before she could get to the first floor, she saw the blocking Robin was talking about. The beams that came down from the ceiling left a hole in there that Emma really hoped wouldn't bring the whole building down. Emma removed her jacket and used it to push the beams down on the edge that wasn't on fire yet. She pulled and pulled and pulled until it finally slid downstairs. When Emma moved her head back up again, everything spun. She had to use a lot of strength to get rid of the beam and the lack of oxygen was making everything harder.
Emma fell down on the floor and coughed. She covered her mouth and nose with her jacket in order to try and get some clean oxygen, but it didn't work. There was smoke everywhere and the fire was burning hot. Emma pushed herself up and forced her legs to move, stumbling to the end of the hallway where Regina's was.
"Regina," Emma said out of breath "Regina are you in there?"
"Emma?" Regina shouted, "Emma is that you?"
"Regina!" Emma said putting her hands on the door.
It was hot.
So hot.
Why was the door so hot if it wasn't on fire?
"Regina, can you get to the door?" Emma asked.
"I can't," Regina cried "It's on fire, I can't get anywhere closer"
Emma heard Regina coughed uncontrollably on the other side of the door and then something crashed on the floor.
"Regina?" Emma screamed hitting on the door.
"Emma, I can't breathe"
"Regina, I need you to step away from the door, okay?" Emma said "I'm going to bring it down"
Emma took a step back and used her whole-body weight to kick the lower part of the door.
She kicked once, with a lot of force.
The door didn't move an inch.
She kicked again and coughed when her nose was assaulted with smoke.
"Regina, talk to me," Emma said and kicked the door again.
"Emma, I can't," Regina's fainted voice said "I can't breathe"
Emma kicked the door a fourth time and the door frame started to give in.
"Just hold on a second, okay?" Emma said desperately and kicked the door again "Just talk to me, okay? Regina, talk to me!"
Emma kicked the door a fifth time and saw the frames around were all loose.
"Regina?" Emma shouted.
No answer.
"Regina?"
Emma's heart started to beat fast inside her chest. She took a few steps back and ran to the door putting as much force as she could on her shoulder to bring the door down.
"Regina?" Emma tried again.
And again, there was no answer.
Emma took a step back again and ran to the door using her shoulder to bring the door down. The door got looser but not enough for her to get in. Emma took a step back again but had to stop a second. She put her hand on her knees to support her body and coughed. She was tired. She could hardly breathe and her shoulder was burning. She pushed herself up and ran to the door, putting all her body weight onto her shoulder. The door cracked a little open on the side and Emma saw Regina lying on the floor with fire around her.
"Regina!" Emma screamed desperately.
Emma gasped for air as she walked back again. She was weak. Everything hurts. Emma closed her eyes and tried to catch a breath but only smoke entered her nostrils. She opened her eyes and saw Regina on the floor through the crack in the door. Emma straightened her body and ran to the door again, putting as much bodyweight as she could against the door. The door busted open, hanging just by the door lock and Emma rushed inside the room.
"Regina?" Emma held Regina's face between her hands when she kneeled beside her "Regina, please talk to me"
Regina didn't react.
"Oh, God, please Regina" Emma cried "Please don't do this to me, please"
Emma lifted Regina in her arms, feeling every single muscle in her body protest. Her right shoulder was burning with pain, her legs were weak and the extra weight made it nearly impossible for Emma to breathe. She walked past the door and turned her head to the side when a coughing fit hit her. Emma leaned against the wall for a little support, feeling the hot wall on her back. Emma looked around her, everything was orange and black. The flames were high, higher than they were when Emma first walked in. Emma adjusted Regina in her arms and winced at the pain. She looked down at Regina's pale face and forced her legs to keep going, to keep walking. She needed to get Regina out of the building, she needed air, they both did.
Emma walked down the stairs, trying to force her legs to go faster. Everything started to get blur, Emma could hardly see where she was going anymore. Another beam fell behind them and Emma looked back to the fire consuming the stairs. She reached the base of the stairs but there was so much smoke around her that Emma couldn't see the door.
She wasn't going to make it.
"I'm sorry," Emma cried looking down at Regina.
But then a breeze of cool air entered the burning room and touched Emma's face. She looked around her trying to find the source of the breeze but the smoke made it nearly impossible for Emma to see anything. Emma closed her eyes for a moment, visualizing the building. She had been there many, many times before, she should know by heart now where the door was but the lack of oxygen and the pain in her body was making it impossible for her to think straight. Emma heard David calling her name and looked to her left. She pushed Regina up in her arms again and started to walk, the cool breeze started to get stronger, and even though Emma couldn't see an inch in front of her, she knew she was getting close.
She walked past the door and took a deep breath when fresh air hit her nose and lungs. Emma kept on walking with Regna in her arms as far away from the burning building as she possibly could until her knees gave up and she fell on the floor with Regina in her arms.
"Emma" David rushed to her side "The firefighters are here"
"She's not breathing," Emma said breathlessly.
"We need paramedics," David screamed.
The paramedics arrived and pushed Emma away, but she didn't move an inch. They put the oxygen mask in Regina and hooked a machine on her to take her vital signs.
"She got a weak pulse," The older paramedic said "We need to move her to the hospital"
"She's alive?" Emma asked the paramedic, her eyes filled with tears.
"Yes, but we need to take her to the hospital right the way"
"Emma, you need to go in too," David said.
"I'm fine," Emma gasped for air "They need to take her first"
"You can ride on the back with us," The paramedic said "You need oxygen too"
The younger paramedic arrived with the gurney and they carefully put Regina in. David helped Emma walk after them to the ambulance and then helped her to get inside. The older paramedic gave Emma an oxygen mask and suddenly, Emma didn't feel so dizzy anymore. She looked at Regina completely still on the gurney and held her hands between hers. She pulled the mask over her head and brought Regina's hands to her lips.
"Please, don't leave me," Emma whispered.
The monitor beeped and Emma desperately looked to her side. The paramedic said everything was stable and Emma looked down at Regina again. She was so pale. Her lips were slightly blue. She looked like she was sleeping. Her hand was still trapped between Regina's when Emma felt the lightest of squeeze in her hand.