Chapter 4

"Is she down?"

Emma nodded and came into the living room and flopped down onto the sofa across from Audrey. "It took a while. She was excited seeing Henry again, but then all the drama at the diner got her upset. She had a lot of questions."

Audrey snorted, "I have a few myself after all that. I still can't believe I met all of those storybook characters."

Emma smiled and shook her head, "I know. It's a head trip, that's for sure." Emma reached for the tumbler on the coffee table that Audrey had poured for her and as she drank the thick, red liquid inside, her fangs became prominent.

Both ladies sat in silence, drinking their blood tumblers and thinking. Audrey broke the silence by clearing her throat, "May I ask you something that will upset you?"

Emma stared at Audrey and then finally responded, "I know she looks like Regina. I don't know why. We were never together.", and then Emma continued sipping her blood and closed her eyes as she laid her head back on the back of the couch.

Audrey nodded and took a sip, "Fair enough. You have to admit though. The resemblance…it's uncanny." A few more seconds of silence and then, "Robin didn't seem too pleased." Audrey took another sip and smiled.

"I don't want to talk about the Pine Cone.", Emma growled. After finishing her blood, Emma leaned forward on the couch and stared at her empty glass. "Do you think they're married?"

"Thought you didn't want to talk about him.", Audrey smiled and leaned forward to sit her empty glass on the long wooden table between them.

"I don't. I just…it's hard…you know…to see her again."

Audrey got up and moved to sit beside Emma and wrapped her arms around her friend, "I didn't see rings on their fingers so no, I don't think they're married."

Emma let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, "I didn't even look, I was so upset." After squeezing her glass, Emma sat it down and stood up. "I need a stress release. I'll be back in an hour.", then Emma disappeared in a plume of white smoke.

It was the first time Audrey had seen magic used. Her eyes bulged and then finally she collected herself, "Wow. That's gonna take some getting used to." Audrey then picked up the glasses and went to get ready for bed.

Emma had returned to the piano in the clocktower that gave her so much peace in the past. Using her magic, she removed the dust and pulled out the piano bench to get comfortable and stretch out her fingers. Again, without sheet music as her aid, she began playing. The song? Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody On A Theme of Pagnini, Variation 18.

Passersby outside began hearing the music and all stopped in awe and shock that their ghost had returned to entertain them. As some people were stressed, they believed the Gods had sent him back to them. Others, on dates, took each other's hands and began slow dancing in the street.

Regina happened to be walking by having just come from the hospital to suture her hand wounds. After realizing her hand wounds were worse than first thought, she magicked herself to the ER. Her emotions were too disjointed to be able to heal herself. She then decided to walk home to try and think about things.

Emma had moved from song to song, each more romantic than the last. Her fingers gliding seamlessly and smoothly across the ivories, her eyes closed and her body swaying in place. Emma's breathing had slowed considerably and her face had become smoother as her facial muscles relaxed.

Outside, Regina stared up at the clocktower with her eyes closed, listening to the crisp notes as they settled in her mind and detoxified the poisonous thoughts circulating in there. When the final song ended, Regina looked around and noticed everyone smiling and holding each other. The atmosphere had changed in the streets, everyone seeming lighter.

'This is no coincidence. The ghost showing back up when Emma returns.' Regina continued to stand there and stare at the clocktower working through her puzzle. 'Emma said she never had lessons. She couldn't read a note and I know she wasn't lying. I know her better than anyone.' "I will catch you, Ghost." Regina then smiled and continued to walk back home.

What the listeners didn't realize is that Emma didn't stop playing because she was done. She stopped because she sensed another like herself nearby. Emma magicked away and to a nearby building. She stood there for moment, smelling the air and then used her inhuman speed to track the intruder.

'Who is this? There aren't supposed to be any here in Storybrooke. There's no way for them to get in. Are they related to 'him'?' She noticed that she was running towards Regina's house, but thought nothing of it. Emma's eyes began glowing red when she saw a familiar form walking towards 108 Mifflin. 'Regina.'

The figure was running directly towards Regina, but then stopped noticing he was being tailed by another like him. Emma didn't slow down though and ended up crashing into the stranger.

Hearing the commotion, Regina turned around just in time to see two people slam into the pavement; the top figure with a mass of blonde curls and a white wife-beater. Muscular arms were prominent as Emma grabbed the intruder by the collar.

Emma stared at the glowing red eyes looking back at her and the evil grin on the man. The man had dark black hair and tanned skin. His face had stubble on his jaw and upper lip. He had a medium build and wore jeans with a bomber jacket and hiking boots.

The two bodies began wrestling on the pavement, but were moving at an insane speed that Regina had never seen before. She began to jog over to the scuffle as best she could in heels.

"Who are you and what do you want?", Emma demanded. She was standing up and slamming him against a parked car on the side of the street. The man then grabbed Emma and turned them around, slamming her so hard into the car that the car alarm went off. The car door had a dent in it and the window had been shattered from the impact. That got Regina to stop approaching. Her jaw was dropped that Emma was still standing as if nothing had happened. It was then she saw Emma's eyes glowing red.

Emma pushed her attacker off, sending him flying across the street and against another car whose door got smashed in from the impact. The man was stuck in the mangled metal and trying to free himself before Emma could reach him. Again, Regina noticed that the man wasn't in pain. If anything, it seemed as if he was just stuck in a child's ball pit and trying to get out.

Emma slowly walked over to her enemy as Regina watched. It was like Emma was a wild animal playing with its prey. Then she heard Emma speak. "I will only ask one more time. Who are you and what do you want?"

The tanned stranger tried to move faster to free himself, but was struggling. Emma noticed when he looked up at her, 'He's newly changed. Must be working for someone.' "Do you work for him? Did he send you?" Emma then raised her hand with her fingers pointing to the sky, the top of her hand facing her enemy. Her nails grew and turned into sharp, curved claws. Emma then launched from her spot and with crazy speed, was on the guy before Regina could blink. Her claws were embedded deep into his neck and then with a slashing motion, his head was removed. His body turned to blood and was all that was left when Emma stood up and retracted her claws.

Regina stood shell shocked. She wasn't afraid of Emma, but rather for Emma. Emma turned her head to look at Regina and that's when Regina saw the fangs. Emma was a sight; covered in blood, eyes glowing red and fangs protruding from her lips.

Wiping the blood off of her face with her arm, Emma tried to slow her breathing before asking, "Are you alright, Regina?"

Regina just stared at Emma, not hearing what she had asked.

Emma turned to face her now, but didn't approach her, "Regina, did he hurt you? Please tell me you're okay." Emma knew vampires could attack from distances via the mind.

Regina just continued to stare. Emma didn't want her secret to come out, let alone like this and to Regina of all people. Tears formed in Emma's eyes as she stared at the woman she loved. 'She must think I'm a disgusting monster. If she didn't want me before, there's no way she'll want anything to do with me now.' Swallowing hard, Emma used her super speed to run away and escape back to her cottage.

Car alarms kept going off alerting their resting owners of the problem. Lights began shining on house porches as people walked out to see what the ruckus was. Regina simply stood in silence absorbing all that she had seen. A hand then pat Regina on her shoulder causing her to turn around and see Kathryn.

"Regina? What happened? Are you okay?", her friend asked concerned.

With her mouth still wide open, Regina just nodded and stared at the pool of blood on the smashed car.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Emma paced her bedroom running her hands through her tangled mane.

KNOCK, KNOCK

The bedroom door slowly opened and Audrey poked her head in, "Em?" She stepped in and saw Emma covered in blood, "Oh my God, Emma! What happened?" She ran up to Emma and checked her over for injuries.

"He's here. I mean, I think he's here. I just ran into a fledgling and had to kill him. He was after Regina."

Audrey stopped examining Emma and stood there shocked, "How did they get into Storybrooke? I thought you said the outside world couldn't find it."

"That's just it! They can't find it! It doesn't make sense. How did he get in? How does he know about Regina?" Emma continued her pacing with her arms crossed. "I should never have come back. I knew this was a mistake."

Audrey watched Emma pace. She knew it wasn't a mistake for Emma to return. She saw the bond between her friend and the beautiful queen. The way Regina looked at Emma told Audrey that it wasn't one-sided. She knows Robin saw it too. He was fuming. "It wasn't a mistake, Em. Especially if he's found your family and friends. It's good that we're here to help them."

"She saw me, Aud. She saw me turned." Emma kept pacing and looking at the floor.

"Oh no. What did she say?"

"NOTHING! She said absolutely nothing. Just stared at me like I was some kind of freak!", Emma choked out through tears.

"Sweetie, she was probably just in shock. You remember what it was like for us when we first discovered the existence of vampires." Audrey continued to watch Emma before speaking again, "Go take a shower and get cleaned up. I'll go get some blood so you can replenish." Audrey then walked out of the bedroom.

"Feeling better?", Audrey asked as they sat in the living room again while drinking their tumblers of blood.

"A little", Emma finished her drink and licked the excess blood off of her lips.

Just then there was a light knock on the door and both women looked at each other confused and nervous.

"I'll get it. You just stay here and take it easy.", Audrey stood up and walked out to answer it.

Emma could hear muffled voices talking. Obviously Audrey warned them about Tristan sleeping. Footsteps were then heard getting louder and when Emma looked up, her eyes widened, "Regina."