A/N: Lyrics not mine, they belong to my long time favourite: Rob Zombie- 'Teenage Nosferatu'. As always, I hope you enjoy, and please comment. :)
Standing in the doorway and watching as the small brunet flips through the colorful pages of his book, Regina frowns as Emma listens amiably enough to Henry's frantic chatter; long legs crossed on the cool stone floor with her back against the sofa.
"Miss Swan... Could you come here for a second?"
The blonde glances up at her in confusion, having expected the Mayor to come an join them after finishing making her promised batch of coffee. Using Henry's skinny shoulder to help pull herself up- the boy sighing playfully- she makes her way over to the brunette who beckons her out into the privacy of the hallway.
"What's up?"
"What exactly were you thinking?"
"...How'd you mean?"
"I asked you to bring Henry home. Not include him in all of this... Don't get me wrong, dear, I appreciate your kind words just now, but you really must have something wrong with you if you think bringing my son into the fray of things is a good idea!"
"He's my son, too."
"Well, then I'm thankful you have so far had little to do with his keeping!"
Green eyes regard the Mayor dangerously, and Regina hazards a guess that the only thing keeping the younger woman from retaliating with hateful venom is the visible evidence of everything which has transpired between them at her wrists.
"Don't."
"Emma, he-"
"-He'll find out about this whether we tell him or not, Regina, believe me!... I'd much rather have an idea what the kid's getting up to and how much he knows, then have him take it upon himself to perform his own investigation... Because he will!"
"... Did you tell him what happened?"
"He asked. I confirmed."
"How much?"
"What do you mean?"
"What did you tell him?"
"Like... Nothing. I'm not an idiot! I just told him that, yes, Mr Gold, uh, 'took' me, and that he wanted something. Henry asked about my wrists and I told him it was no big deal and that you fixed them."
"... And you claim you're not an idiot..."
"Shit, dude, I had to tell him something! The kid-"
"-Miss Swan, I am not your 'dude', nor anyone else's... You need to tell Henry the truth."
"What truth?"
"The truth about what Gold- Rumplestiltskin- did to you! Emma, you tell the boy that he merely stowed you away for a little while until you were able to escape and you do him no favours... You could have died..."
"Oh, and I'm just supposed to just pull the kid aside and be like 'Hey, guess what!? So, I was bleeding pretty profusely, and I blacked out a couple of times, and'-"
"-Oh stop being so ridiculous! You're a grown woman; act like one."
"Then what-"
"-He doesn't need to know the details, but you can't just brush this off!... Emma, if you only knew what a state you looked when I f-found you! I...I-I..."
"Alright!... Alright... Ok...Please... Can we not talk about it? Shit..."
"But you have to!"
"Fine. I'll talk to him..."
The pull to the blonde's mouth speaks volumes as to just how keen she is on the idea, and the Queen sighs, leaning against the wall and regarding the Sheriff with troubled eyes.
"I wish I could understand how you work sometimes... I don't... I really don't think this is a good idea."
"What choice do we have?... So far as I read in that book, we don't stand much of a shot against the Dark One. Not if he decides to come after us now..."
"Rumplestiltskin is powerful, true, but I am too, Emma... He may possess a greater strength, but if we lie low, and we-"
"-That's the thing though..."
"What is?"
"If we 'lie low'!? So far, since the curse broke, I've been at yours, and I've been at home... Hardly 'lying low' in a sense of secrecy. Do you not think that if Gold meant me harm- and I speak of my own safety as it is myself he made this goddamned 'deal' with- he would have shown up by now? He has his magic back! And me?... My part in all this is done! I played my part, and now I'm just plain old Emma... If Gold meant to finish me... Any of us... Wouldn't we know about it by now?"
"My dear, such faith is foolish..."
"It's not faith. It's logic. I'm not saying the man isn't a threat. I'm simply saying... I think this may be Gold's version of an opportunity- a chance- and I plan to take it... And, hell, if I'm wrong, then so be it... I'm not going to be any less screwed if the Dark One plans to screw me, you know?"
"If he plans to what now?"
Regina raises an eyebrow and the blonde blushes and rolls her eyes.
"You know what I mean..."
"... Sadly, I do... Why must you so often be right, dear? It really is rather irksome."
"My cross to bear, dear."
Shaking her head in bemusement, the brunette takes the Sheriff's arm gently and pushes her back towards the drawing room.
"I'll leave it to you to tell Henry what he needs to know. I'll place a call to Sydney... By the sounds of it, you and I are in for a little trip down town."
I am the shadow. I am tomorrow
I am the hero with a bloodied whip...
I am so hazardous,
My name is Lazarus.
I am a pirate on a devil ship.
"Hey!"
Rolling her eyes, the brunette withdraws her hand from the volume control as Emma taps it irritably away.
"Your taste in... Are we calling this music!?... Is truly appalling."
"Yeah, well, my car; my say."
The blonde grumbles, and Regina sighs as she recognises their inane bickering for what it really is; comfortably familiar noise to fill the tense void of time as they make their way slowly towards Gold's shop.
So far, the Sheriff has stalled her faithful bug twice since leaving the Mayor's, and though she mutters to herself as to the pitiful state of her car, neither woman is fooled into thinking the reasoning behind her fractured driving is anything other than the ominous task which lies ahead.
I am the sickness. I am the quickness.
You are the virgin dying in the spring.
A hungry fat cat,
looks at you black rats...
I am a dark and wicked thing-
"-Please, just turn it off!"
The brunette huffs- just a little too high- as she slams her palm against the volume dial; pausing the hateful track as it lilts towards its conclusion. Her breathing is laboured and Emma glances nervously over at her before swallowing audibly and returning her attention shakily to the road.
"Remember what I said... If he was going to hurt us, he would have done so already..."
"I fear you are deluding yourself that all pain must be physical."
"How do you mean?"
"... I have a lot to lose..."
"You and me both... But I'm not going to let that happen."
"I know you think you mean that, but-"
"-Regina. I mean it. He's not hurting you. He's not hurting Henry. He's not hurting me. Not if he wants me to play his game... And he does... I'd bet my life on it."
"... That's what I worry about."
"It will be okay, I prom-"
"-Don't."
"Fine. Get your coat. We're here."