Won't Someone Save Me From Me?
A/N: Did some research on omegaverse AU. Some facets of it will remain the same in this story and other things I will put my own twist on.
When morning dawned upon the newly changed town of Storybrooke, Maine, many residents finally went through the final changes that this new destruction of the curse had wrought upon them. Some celebrated it, others reviled it, but none were more put out by it than one Emma Swan, Sheriff and Savior of such town.
"Mom! Dad!" Emma squealed out in horror and early morning shock and covered her eyes with her hands as she ducked back up to her room.
"Sorry Sweetie, but we're going through our heat and rutting cycles!" Snow called after her in a strained voice- what it was strained with, Emma knew too well.
"You could have warned me! Anything, even a freaken note!" she protested, cheeks flushed. "God, now I need to wash my brain with bleach," because how else could she get the image of her parents fornicating on the kitchen counter out of her mind? She ate there. All of them did!
She couldn't stay here. She needed to leave. She could hear them all the way from here and it was making her skin crawl. it wasn't like she hadn't walked in on them before, but this was ten times worse because it was like they were going at it as animals. Hastily, she got dressed and then not taking the risk of walking back into them, she poofed out of the apartment and right into Granny's diner into her usual booth.
"Rough morning?" Ruby swooped in, placing down a mug and pouring coffee into it in one swift motion that only waitressing for 28 years straight could bring her.
"You have no idea. I walked in on my parents...uh, you know," Emma cleared her throat awkwardly as she sipped the steaming drink gratefully.
"Ah!" Ruby's eyes narrowed in understanding. "Don't worry. That's a perfectly normal thing. I bet they're going through their cycles. Married couples tend to do that together. I wouldn't be surprised if a pup came out of this."
"Ruby you aren't helping!" Emma growled out, feeling more disturbed than she had before. She didn't want to think of her parents making another baby.
"Sorry," Ruby said in a manner that meant she really wasn't. "I'm just trying to keep you up to date on what's happening now."
"People are going to have crazy amounts of sex. Got it," Emma said flatly, eyes unamused.
"Well, warned you the first time and it didn't work cuz you walked in on your parents. Hopefully, this time it will stick," she flicked Emma on her furrowed brow and walked off to take an order.
This was going to royally suck. Was this going to happen to her too? Was she going to randomly have sex with strangers on the streets? She didn't feel like it. And would Regina do the same?
Distaste flooded Emma's mouth at the prospect of that. She felt a protectiveness over her friend. She didn't wish her to sleep with strangers, to fall victim to this stupid hierarchy of needs and wants.
It was more than just a protectiveness, there was a tinge of jealousy too. Regina was too good for any of these town hicks. She deserved someone fitting. Emma would have to guard her. Would have to make sure she was fine. Same went for Henry. She would guard them both from this new annoying development.
Finishing off her drink angrily, she tossed a few bills on the table. "Thanks for the drink, Rubes."
She left the diner and poofed over to Regina's mansion, knocking on the door. Hopefully she could catch the woman before she went to work. The ornate door opened up to a Regina dressed for work, stunning pantsuit on. "Emma," her eyes widened and her lips parted as she drank in Emma's scent greedily. Gods, she had dreamed of it at night, craved it even during the farthest reaches of slumber and now here it was, presenting itself like a gift to her. She fluttered her eyes to try to stem the want aching in her body, that made her mouth restless, made it tingle with the very notion of pressing against Emma's flesh.
Emma too was overwhelmed by Regina's scent. It was just...so much and not enough at the same time. It made the air pulsate between them with a tension that smothered and gnawed at Emma's bones, ordering her to do something, to annihilate the space between them.
This stupid curse breaking was going to dredge up emotions Emma didn't want to deal with. Emotions towards Regina she had repressed and repressed until it barely touched her conscious mind. She only hoped this alpha beta thing wouldn't make their relationship more complicated than it needed to be. Emma shook her head to focus herself, so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice Regina had to collect herself as well.
"What are you doing here so early?" Regina asked at last, finding the right words to fit the shape of her tongue.
"I...I thought I could check up on Henry." Emma hated how discombobulated this new spell could make her feel around certain scents.
"Henry's fine, actually. I sent him off to school," Regina admitted. "I didn't want to, but he urged me it would be fine and that he would wear the protective amulet I gave him."
"Oh...that's good." Emma is relieved her son hasn't been cursed, but at the same time she is let down, because she had wanted to see him, had hoped Regina would invite her in. "But are you sure he's going to be fine? Does he even know what's affecting the town?"
"I told him all he needs to know. I spared him the more gruesome details," and at this Regina lets Emma into her house because she senses a long conversation will need to be underway; additionally she does have information she must convey.
"But what if he happens against a couple, ya know, doing the deed in public?" Emma musters out, uncomfortable in mentioning such a thing.
Regina arches a brow at the wording. "It's not as high a concern as you think it seems to be."
"I think it is. I caught my parents in the act," she admits and her cheeks turn a lovely shade of crimson.
Regina looks gleeful at this, though she doesn't laugh outright at Emma's discomfort.
"It's not funny," Emma sputters out, growing redder. "I need to like, forget the last three hours if I want to not be permanently scarred."
"I have a memory spell if you'd like?" Regina offers and Emma shakes her head; she's not really serious serious. They've entered Regina's study now where books are spread out all over her desk.
"You're not going to work today?" Emma asks, perusing the organized chaos in the room. It's something that only Regina can do: function in the messiest of situations and still come out in control and triumphant.
"No," Regina sighs out, lets her fingers run along the back of her chair as she gazes at the books. "I was doing research on this. Hoping to find something useful."
By Regina's lacking tone she can tell nothing has been found yet. "I'll help out," Emma offers. "Mulan can take my shift at the station." She shoots off a quick text to her deputy and receives an answer in the affirmative seconds later.
With that the two women settle down and begin to scour through the ancient texts. Regina is behind her desk, Emma stationed on the couch. They lose track of time and Regina is about to suggest a break since she knows Emma's concentration must be waning when Emma's stomach loudly announces itself.
Emma looks sheepish but Regina only smiles lightly. "Trust your stomach to interrupt our studying."
"Sorry. But I didn't have breakfast when I got here. Granny's?" she arches a brow in question.
Regina hasn't really been outside since the curse hit and she's worried about her reaction to Beta's and Omega's in town. But hiding away will do her no good and with Emma on her side, she trusts nothing bad will occur.
With a slight nod of her head she agrees and they both poof right to their destination.
"Man, I could eat everything on this menu," Emma admits as she opens up the menu. She had been staving off her hunger for as long as she could so that they could find a solution faster but her mind had dragged, her eyes turned sluggish and her intellect slow. She needed something to boost her mental capabilities.
"I don't doubt it," Regina chuckles and waits for Ruby to come take their orders. She already knows what she's going to get. A salad. As she waits, she taps her manicured fingers on the table top and stretches her senses to get a read on what's happening. Her hearing, eyesight, and sense of smell have sharpened considerably and she's assaulted by dozens of stimuli. It's painful and grating at first but she knows it will pass within moments. Otherwise everyone in town would go crazy.
Emma finally sets down her menu, ready to order. Ruby comes up to them and naturally Regina's and Ruby's eyes lock. Alpha against Alpha. They size each other up silently and come to the conclusion that neither is dangerous as of now, but will be watched carefully in the future.
Emma misses this exchange. "Grilled cheese and hot chocolate," she says and Ruby takes the menus back, Ruby's eyes partially trained on Regina to watch her for any suspicious actions.
This is Ruby's territory and Regina is not welcome here; she should tread lightly.
Regina was Queen Alpha, she would never bow. This whole town was her territory. If Ruby so much as glanced at her wrong she would beat her face in with her bare hands. Cocky little upstart Alpha, thinking that just because she'd staked this diner out that it was her's and she could command-
"I've been thinking about something," Emma interjects Regina's harsh, aggressive thoughts that have consumed her and distracted her during the last ten minutes, prompting an unintentional silence between mayor and sheriff. Regina takes a cleansing breath before speaking, before forcing her mind to the blonde in front of her.
"About what?"
"I uh, was wondering if there was a way to get Mary and David out of their...cycling," Emma puckered her lips up at the horror of this morning.
"I'm afraid there isn't. The only cure is time."
"Ah, well that's just great," Emma mutters sarcastically and runs a hand through her locks, unleashing a bolt of pheromones that have Regina scooting forwards, hungry. "Where am I supposed to stay then?"
Ruby approaches them with their meals ready, ears having overheard. Nosy wolf.
"What's this I hear about you needing a place?" she inquires, purposefully ignoring Regina. This does not rub Regina the right way.
"I...my parent's, you know. I told you what happened in the morning," Emma says in a small voice, wincing at having to repeat this story so often.
"You could always stay with me. My bed is big enough," Ruby offers and her words are casual enough that it sounds like a friendly offering but Regina knows better.
"Nonsense. She will board with me. I have a whole room she can use," Regina cuts in and Emma's eyes flicker to her, confused by the amount of aggression in the mayor's voice.
"As if she wants to stay over with someone as stuffy as you. She'll have more fun with me," Ruby speaks, now forced to acknowledge the other woman she has been ardently avoiding. They stare at each other, gazes piercing and heated, like they are trying to set the other on fire. Regina could, if she wanted to, with so much as a flick of her finger. But the fact that Emma is her, holds her back from doing so.
Emma is baffled by this. Why the hell are the two of them acting like this?
"She doesn't need fun. She needs to help me with some work, therefore she will stay in my residency for the night," Regina grit out, grinding her teeth together. Her hands gripped the table too harshly.
"God, you even talk like a grandma, boring!" Ruby intones like a spoiled teenager. Emma's eyes widen at this exchange. Okay, why the hell is her friend being rude to her other friend? This isn't normal. There's too much testosterone in the air.
"Ruby, Regina," she begins but is swiftly ignored.
"Better she have a grown woman than a spoiled brat like you who can barely tie her laces together," the mayor bites out and Ruby's eyes sharpen.
"I know your reputation, Queen," she uses the sobriquet like a weapon. "I won't let you get your hands on Emma overnight now that the system is back in order. I know what you want to do to her."
"You are sorely mistaken. I have respect for Emma unlike you. I know very well what adventures you've partaken on under the sheets. The whole Forest knew of your crazed debauchery!"
"Coming from the Evil Queen's mouth, I find that funny!" Ruby scoffed, hands on hips, lips curled back in choler. "You decimated whole towns-"
"That's enough!" Fed up, Emma rises to her feet and slams her hands on the table top. "What is going on between the two of you?" Outraged eyes rake over them. Regina can feel her cheeks color. She cannot believe she got wrapped up in petty little Alpha squabbles like this. But she wasn't going to let some other Alpha claim Emma.
Ruby doesn't look shameful, just demanding. "Pick, Emma. Me or her?" There is a weight to her words that signal this decision will be more than just about sleeping arrangements but Emma misses the cue.
"I'm going with Regina. We do have work to do on solving this spell. But thank you for the offer, Ruby." Emma makes her tone as even as possible to nip this thing going on between the brunettes in the butt.
Ruby only looks angrier. "Enjoy your meal," she spits out and storms off. The rest of the patrons of the diner look on at the booth where Emma and the mayor are sitting. "Mind your business," the sheriff hollers at them self-consciously and sits down, her food now long cold.
"Is that...is that a normal thing?" Emma asks in a quiet voice when everyone else turns to mind their business.
"I did not mean to slip up. But yes, it happens between Alpha's. We're on what Ruby considers her territory and since I'm an Alpha, one she should have heeled to since I'm above rank, she was just waiting to challenge me over you. No doubt her ego has been hurt badly by your rejection of her."
"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings-!" Emma protested, explaining for no reason because Regina fully understood. "I just...it makes more sense to stay the night with you."
"Don't worry about these things. When we revert this mess, everything will go back to normal, or as normal as it can be."
But even with Regina's gentle words it did nothing to make Emma feel better. The only good thing that came out of it was that she was more determined now than ever to break this curse.
She picked at her cold food. "Then we better revert it and quick. After we eat I'm getting my stuff from my place and then I'm going over to yours."
Regina acquiesced the plan with a nod of her head. But if only things were that easy. Meals completed, the two women separated ways and Emma materialized inside her house, holding her breath in worry that she'd see her parents once more. But the kitchen was clear, thankfully- not that Emma would ever touch anything in there ever again.
She crept up the stairs, timidly calling out, "Mary? David?" She could hear some noises from upstairs but she wasn't sure where they were coming from. They seemed to be coming from her bedroom?
She pushed the closed door open and instantly regretted it.
"My room? Seriously!?"
"Sorry Emma!" came David's and Mary's combined cry as they kept going at it.
"Absolutely unbelievable," Emma huffed under her breath, slamming the door shut and she stomped down the stairs, forced to leave without any of her clothes.
"What happened to getting your clothes?" Regina asked when Emma returned empty handed in a cloud of aggravated smoke.
"My parents," and the way Emma said it was explanation enough.
Sighing, Regina said, "I suppose you can have some of my clothes to borrow for the night." She patted a stack of books on the table next to her and Emma sat down next to it. It was time for investigating once more.
Research seemed to go more slowly this time and Emma found herself bored halfway through, fiddling with the pages, sighing heavily, and shifting her body. It was bothering Regina. "Really, sheriff if you cannot sit still than I shall have to ask you to do something more useful, because you are distracting me right now." Regina looked up from her book, lips tight.
"I don't mean to be bothersome," Emma relented, "But these books are so dry and there is nothing to be gained from them."
"They are not entirely without merit. But it was too much to hope your limited vocabulary could keep up with the knowledge inside."
Emma could tell by Regina's half crooked smile that she didn't mean it spitefully. "How about I go on some patrols or something? Send out my feelers and see if anyone knows anything about this? If they saw something suspicious about this spell breaking out."
The idea of Emma going out by herself into a town full of alpha's and beta's when Emma's own status wasn't known did not sit right with Regina. "I'll go with you. I could use a small break too." She got up and closed the book with a little too much force. There was no way she was going to let someone like Ruby hit on Emma!
Emma coolly observed the tightening of Regina's body and the narrowing of her eyes. Had she said something to upset her friend? Why was Regina coming with her? Not that she didn't mind the company but still, Emma felt like there was another motive behind this.
"Uh, sure. But doesn't it make more sense to split up? Storybrooke isn't big enough to need the both of us-"
"No," Regina breezed past Emma, words wound up. "You've given me an excellent idea. What if this wasn't some fluke of the curse? What if someone did this deliberately? We need to find them and their reason for doing this." Regina was already pulling on a jacket. "Come on, Miss Swan. Daylight is wasting."
"O-okay," Emma stuttered. Regina really wasn't going to give her a choice here. She strode out after the woman, getting into her Benz.
"Where are we even going?" Emma queried, strapping in.
"First, we must find where this magic came from. There has to be a magical signature somewhere or another. We're going to drive to the forest where there is less magical interference and determine there the location of the magic."
Emma bobbed her head along to Regina's logic. "And then?"
"Then we go where it leads us."
The drive to the woods was short, and both women stepped out of the car, going a little ways into the brush before they knowingly turned around and grasped each others hands. Magic thrummed between them naturally and Emma let her eyes slip closed as their magics intertwined together in a myriad of colors and smells. Ever since this new spell had hit town, Emma could smell their magic and it was a heady combination of light and pure and dark and seduction.
Regina too was prone to it, biting gently on her bottom lip as her body sang along. Her concentration was waning and her purpose for doing this incantation in the first place slipping so she forced herself to shake her head to center herself.
When she got her answer, she pulled free of Emma, the two of them having drawn closer to each other unconsciously.
"Did you...find something?" Emma cleared her throat and let her eyes pop open.
Regina shook her head. "Nothing. It seems no one has been meddling with the curse, or the remnants of it keeping us in Stroybrooke."
"Yea, how is the curse even still functioning if I broke it?" Emma had never really understood the intrinsic's of magic and all that and she probably never would so she wouldn't pretend to do so. Yet, knowing the nature of Regina's curse was vital in this case, thus she kept her focus solely on the words formulated from Regina's lips.
"The curse was meant to take everyone's happy ending away. Which meant memory loss and separating loved ones from each other. It also meant teleporting one realm into another where nothing had existed before. When you broke the curse, it brought time moving again, it brought everyone to their senses and to each other. But it didn't bring us back to the Enchanted forest which it should have. I counted that as a blessing," Regina's nose wrinkled up at the thought of no indoor plumbing and no modern comforts. "But now...I wonder if perhaps that part of the curse is finally breaking and we are slowly by slowly being sent back to our home realm? That would explain the return of our primal instincts." Regina was now more or less brainstorming to herself, deep in thought.
Emma's brow furrowed up. "If that's the case, then what do we do?"
"We need to talk to Rumple. He was the one who ultimately designed the curse so he must know what it means and how to stop it. If the curse is breaking entirely than I don't think stitching back the Alpha part of the curse will do much in the long run. It'll hold it together like a shoddy patchwork job on ripped jeans, but eventually it will rip."
"Off to Rumple it is," Emma said lackluster as they headed towards the car once more. No body liked dealing with the imp because there was always a catch. And he was...creepy, kinda. Emma didn't know if it was just her, but she would get the heebie jeebies from him sometimes.
They drove over to his place, the door twinkling upon their entrance.
"Ah, my favorite duo, the savior and her white washed queen," he grinned at them from behind the counter.
Regina's features soured at his wording but she wasn't here to give him a tongue lashing. Despite her high Alpha status, he was the only Alpha ranked higher than her in this town and this was his land, so it would best be respectful here. "We came for some advice."
"And just like always, there is a price," he practically sang.
Inside the store his scent blasted Emma and she wrinkled up her face. It was not a pleasant smell. It was the stench of darkness, and evil deeds. It was rust and copper and the cold whisper of a life taken. Underneath it, the cloying smell of scales and mud, of places where slithery things crawled. And it was powerful above all. Brimstone and meteors ripping from the sky, and screams rubbing throats raw. Emma shivered and felt herself shrivel a bit, the animal instincts in her shrinking. She knew he was in power here. She could discern certain smells now- both his and Regina's having a fiery quality that spoke of dominance but whereas hers was comforting and reliable, his was frightening and sickening.
Even Regina knelt to him, her proud slant of her shoulders lowering in deference and respect to him. Emma fought against her instincts. She would not be afraid of him.
"Now is not the time for that, Rumple. We're facing the threat of Storybrooke possibly disappearing." Now that Emma said it out loud herself, it actually hit her. Shit, she might be stuck in medieval land and she was not living for that. She liked pizza and TV and comfortable jeans.
Rumple rolled his eyes. "Not anything different from out of the ordinary than," he said dismissively.
"This is serious, Rumple. Unless you fancy living in a hut made of sticks that is infested with rats, it would be in your best interest to help us," Regina chided.
"How can I help you if I know nothing?" he said in a flippant manner that was pissing Emma off. How could he be so nonchalant about this? Their whole world was going to fall apart.
"You know this curse. You were the one who designed it. So you would know how to fix it," Regina insisted.
"And why should I fix it? When I am just as much a victim of it as anyone else?"
"Damn it Rumple," Emma barked out, losing her patience. "Tell us if you'll help or not!"
"I don't owe the two of you anything." He only smiled evilly at them. "I think I'll let you two handle this for once so if it fails, I won't be the one blamed for it."
"Rumple-" Emma growled out, ready to use her law enforcement background to throw her weight around but Regina's tight hold on her wrist pulled her out of the store.
"Why are we just leaving?" Emma complained as she stopped Regina's path to the car.
"Because he's not going to help us. And also because he's hiding something from us."
There was conviction in Regina's eyes at this. Emma did not doubt her hunch. "What is he hiding?"
"I'm not sure yet, but I think he may have more to do with the curse breaking than we know. And now, we have to find out what," Regina declared as she got into her car, Emma following suit. As they drove away Rumple watched them from his store window, his eyes stormy.