Five Minutes Earlier
"Leo, let's talk about how I can help you," she began. "If you get in your car and drive home, then that's the end of this. Nothing bad needs to happen, no criminal charges will be filed and we can all get on with our lives."
"Yeah, that's not happening," Leo sneered, fingers flexing slightly on the grip of the gun. "I came here to get my wife and my son. I'm not leaving without them."
He took another step forwards, in the direction Regina had fled. The brunette had already disappeared inside the nondescript door outside which he had stood the previous night. Inside that building was his son. And his wife. But Leo knew he couldn't get inside without a code. This woman must know the code. She could help.
"Take me to Regina," Leo said, another step closer to Emma.
"No." The answer was simple because the question was stupid. Of course Emma wasn't going to take an abusive man to her girlfriend.
Dark eyes narrowed. "Who the fuck are you?"
"My name is Emma Swan," Emma repeated.
"Yeah, but why are you standing in my way? Regina is my wife. What's it to you that I've come to take her home."
"This is Regina's home now," Emma replied coolly. "And I'm standing in your way because I am protecting Regina and Henry from you and your abuse." Those were the facts, after all.
"Abuse?" he barked with a short laugh. "Whatever she's told you is bullshit. She's lying. I'm her husband. I'm Henry's father."
"You can be those things and still be abusive, Leo. You hurt them. You hurt Regina and Henry. Maybe you didn't mean to, but you did and Regina decided that it wasn't safe for either of them to stay with you. She chose to leave and she chose to bring Henry with her."
"They're my family. It's got nothing to do with you," Leo snarled, yet another step closer to Emma. "Now move the fuck out of my way or I'll make you."
Inside her ribcage, Emma could feel her heartbeat thumping. She briefly thought of the irony, as if her heart was aware it may be coming close to its last moments and wanted to squeeze as many pumps into its remaining seconds as possible. But then she forced her mind back to the situation at hand. The gun, more specifically, which was pointed directly at her. Leo's face was red with fury as he waited for her to move.
"I'm sorry, I can't do that."
Leo almost growled as he lunged forwards. Emma tried to seize his wrist but the man wrestled himself away, using his considerable weight to overpower her. Quick as a flash, Emma found herself knocked out of the way before he advanced again, this time jamming the barrel of the gun into Emma's side. She winced in pain, shrinking away from the brutish man who had managed to wrap his arm around her neck, twisting himself so her back was held tight to his front. The cold metal barrel shifted slightly, pointing directly into Emma's abdomen.
"Walk. Now."
Slowly, because there was nothing else to do, Emma started to make her way towards the door of the shelter. Please have called 9-1-1, she thought to herself, knowing that she left Mulan with clear instructions to do exactly that if anything should go sideways. Well, things were going sideways as far as Emma was concerned. Leo pressed the gun a little deeper into her flesh, forcing her to stumble slightly. She kept walking, straining her ears for any sign that help was on the way. Nothing. Complete silence. It was New York City and yet, somehow, there was no comforting wail of a siren in the distance.
"Police! Drop your weapon!"
Emma faltered in her step at the shout from behind them. Leo stopped too, then whirled around on the spot, dragging Emma in front of him and positioning her, now his hostage, between himself and two uniformed cops who had appeared at the far end of the street.
"Back off," Leo bellowed. "Or I'll shoot her."
"Put the gun down, sir," one of the officers said, taking a step away from her partner and into the road, dividing Leo's attention.
"Just back off, ok?" Leo yelled again. "This is nothing to do with you."
"Sir, you're holding a firearm and pointing it at a civilian," the police officer explained. "Can you put down the gun for us, please, and no one needs to get hurt."
Behind her, Emma could feel Leo's body begin to tremble. He was scared, feeling trapped, desperate. And Emma knew from experience and her training that these emotions made people unpredictable. Leo had already behaved irrationally and now, threatened by police, he was even more on edge. Emma closed her eyes briefly, trying to steady her breathing. Regina and Henry are safe, she reminded herself. And Leo wasn't getting access to the shelter. One way or another, he wasn't going inside.
"Just stay away," Leo said, eyes glancing from the officer on the sidewalk, directly ahead of them and the woman who was now at a forty-five degree angle.
"Sir, can you let her go for us? Then we can talk about what's going on and see if we can come to some sort of solution."
"Nothing's going on. I just came to get my wife and kid."
"Is this your wife here, sir?"
"No!" Emma protested. The idea of being married to Leo made Emma's stomach coil.
Leo hissed with anger and pulled Emma closer to him, ensuring that the cops couldn't shoot. "No, this bitch isn't my wife," he agreed. "My wife and my son are inside that building over there. Just packing up our things and then we'll be on our way."
"Great, well, while we wait," the office continued, taking another step towards Leo and Emma, "do you think we can put the gun down?"
"No, I don't think so," Leo sneered. "And back off," he added, realising that the officer was advancing. "Both of you, back the fuck off."
The man's body was tense, hard and hot against Emma's. The thought of his overbearing presence above Regina's made her physically sick. She wanted desperately to be free of him, to be released from his sweaty arm wrapped around her neck, for the pressure in her side where the gun dug into her flesh to disappear. But she was powerless. There was nothing she could do except wait.
"We can't do that, sir," the officer said, although he had stopped walking. "Now, if you can let the woman go, perhaps we can talk."
"Nah, if I let her go, you shoot me. I think I'll keep this troublemaker close by," Leo said, tugging Emma roughly back, forcing the two of them to stagger a few steps backwards.
"Sir, please let her go. No one needs to get hurt. We're not going to shoot you."
"Oh yeah? Then why has your mate got her gun pointed at me?" Leo yelled, suddenly changing tact and pointing his gun at the female officer now in the middle of the road who did indeed have a glock pointed at the man.
In that moment, the other police officer pulled his weapon too, pointing it directly at Leo. But everyone involved knew he couldn't take the shot. Emma was too close. It wasn't worth the risk.
"Back the fuck off," Leo yelled.
No one moved. Well, Emma's body moved. She was shaking. Had it not been for Leo's arm around her neck, she suspected she would have collapsed. Her knees felt weak. Briefly, she was angry at her body for acting in such a way. She needed it to be strong and responsive in the face of danger, not just embody the terror which, she admitted to herself, flowed through her veins.
"Sir, just lower your weapon," the female officer said, just as the sound of sirens reached their ears. At last, backup was coming.
Leo heard them too, knowing he was soon to be surrounded. What to do? How to get out of this? They wanted the blonde woman free. But that would result in his immediate death. He had to keep her. She was the reason he was still alive. He stepped backwards. The police officers mimicked his movement.
"Fuck off out of here," he exploded, knowing as he spoke that it would never happen. "This has nothing to do with you. It's my family."
Something snapped inside of Emma. Despair? Desperation? An abrupt confrontation of her own mortality? "Regina's not your family any more," she yelled, pulling angrily at the arm around her neck, fingernails digging into plump flesh. "You can't have her."
Leo roared in anger, shifting the gun back towards Emma, but before he could fully redirect the barrel, a crack of gunfire sounded on the street.
They were falling, hard. The sidewalk sped up to meet them as both bodies collapsed in a heap. Emma's lungs were crushed as the weight of the man landed on top of her, pinning her to the ground. A scream, followed by moans of agony. Whimpering. A groan. She had no idea who made those noises. Wet breath puffed erratically on the nape of her neck. Against her shoulder blade, something warm and wet began to spread. Bile rose in her chest at the gruesome sensation and she vomited. The last thing she was aware of before she passed out was the increased volume of the sirens and the heavy boots rushing towards her. And then there was blackness.
Eyes blinked slowly open, lights above her too bright. She squinted, closing her lids against the glare. Beneath her was a hard, cold surface. Where was she? And then the memories returned. Snapping her eyes open once more, she pushed herself up.
"Woah, hey there."
"Kathryn," Regina frowned, realising who was kneeling beside her. On the floor. In the corridor. At the shelter. Swan's Shelter. Swan. Emma. She resumed her efforts to get up, forcing her aching body into a sitting position. "What happened? Where's Henry? Where's Emma?"
"Henry's in the common room and I don't know where Emma is," Kathryn admitted. At that, Regina scanned her face and realised the blonde was paler than usual.
"Where's Mulan?"
"Talking to the police," Kathryn replied, gesturing towards the door which led to the reception.
"Police? How long was I out?"
"Ten minutes maybe? Not long. You gave us a fright though. I was bringing the girls out for brunch and came across you and Mulan on the floor."
"Where's Emma?" Regina repeated.
"I told you, sweetie," Kathryn said, reaching out as if she was going to check Regina's head for a bump which may have caused a concussion. But Regina recoiled and Kathryn dropped her arms back to her side. "I don't know where Emma is. Mulan just asked me to wait here with you. She was standing by the door for a minute or so, just looking at her cell phone. Then she told me to wait with you while she talked to the police and disappeared. I've been here ever since. Do you know why the cops are here? Has something happened?"
"Henry's safe?"
"He was with Roland the last time I saw him. I told my girls to go back to our room when Mulan asked me to wait with you. No one else has come down this way. Do you know what's going on? Mulan looked really freaked out. Are the police here to speak to one of us?"
"No," Regina replied, now getting to her feet. Kathryn rose too, hands poised to catch Regina if she wobbled. "I have to find Emma. Can you stay with Henry?"
"Yes, but what's Emma got to do with you fainting? And what's going on here today? Mulan wouldn't tell me anything, just made me promise to stay with you. Is everything ok?"
"My husband is here," Regina admitted through gritted teeth. "And the last I knew, he was pointing a gun at Emma. Please, just, look after Henry?"
Kathryn opened her mouth to answer but seemed to decide there were no words to respond to the revelation, so she closed it again and nodded. Regina muttered 'thanks' before pushing herself away from the wall against which she was leading to start walking, on shaky legs, towards the reception door.
Only one thing mattered to her in that moment. Now she knew Henry was safe, she had to find Emma. The door handle felt cold beneath her fingers. She gripped it hard, not sure what to expect on the other side. Actually, she knew exactly what to expect. There were two outcomes and she dreaded hearing both of them. One because, much as she hated Leo, she couldn't begin to think about how she could explain to her son that his father was dead. The other because, well, because she didn't think she could handle losing Emma.
The reception was busy. Half a dozen cops were there, along with several civilians who appeared to be being interviewed. Witnesses. But to what? She spotted Mulan at once, standing beside the desk with her fingers twisted together. Regina scanned the rest of the room. Was that a smear of blood on a police officer's cheek? Whose blood was it? She forced herself to put one foot in front of the other until she reached Mulan.
"Regina, shit, what are you doing out here? Get back to the common room please," Mulan said as soon as she registered the woman stood beside her.
"Where's Emma?"
"What?"
"Emma, where is she?"
"She's on her way to hospital," Mulan admitted, relaying the information she herself had just learned. No specific details about her boss could be gleaned from the cops, despite Mulan's pleas.
At the news, Regina's knees gave out but the police officer interviewing Mulan caught her before she reached the floor. "Is she … was she …?"
"She's ok, we think," Mulan replied, crouching down to Regina's level after the man lowered her gently to the floor. "Look, you really can't be here. The police will want to talk to you about Leo but not yet."
"This is then man's wife?" the police officer asked.
"Yes, I'm Leo's wife. Well, we're separated. Is he ok?" Regina asked.
"Not really. But he's alive. On his way to hospital too. He'll make it."
"Was he shot?"
The police officer nodded. "Yes, and I am going to need a statement from you. Now, please."
"Let's use Emma's office," Mulan offered. She had wanted to protect Regina from having to discuss her abusive husband, at least until she or Belle could speak with her. The psychologist was on her way in already but Mulan thought it would be detrimental to Regina for the interview to commence without additional psychological support. She knew, however, that she was unable to prevent the police officer from taking the statement. The most she could do was be there for Regina as she told her side of the day's events.
"Wait, can I see Emma first?" Regina asked. "Was she shot too?"
"No," the police officer said. "Miss Swan was not shot. She's going to the hospital because she lost consciousness. It's standard procedure. She'll probably be released in a few hours."
"So she wasn't hurt by Leo?"
"Not deliberately," the police officer replied. "Look, we can go through all this but ideally I'd like to start at the beginning so…" He gestured towards the open office door and, begrudgingly, Regina entered, followed by Mulan.
"Excuse me," she asked a passing nurse. "I feel fine. I don't need to be here. When can I leave?"
"You were brought in by paramedics, so you've got to wait to see a doctor, sorry," he said with a sympathetic look for the woman propped up in a hospital bed.
"Miss Swan, please, we're trying to finish this statement," a detective said, forcing Emma to focus on him rather than the retreating nurse who, for a short moment, Emma had hoped could get her out of here. "So, you were saying that you saw a notepad on the seat of the victim's car which had a name on it."
"Yes, Regina's name. And the address of the shelter. I don't know how he got that. We're off grid for a reason. There's no trace of us online. Anyway, as soon as I saw that, I knew who the car belonged to and who he was here for. Regina had gone down to the bodega, so I headed that way but met her and Leo already coming back. Is he dead?"
"What?"
"Leo. Is he dead?" Who else would I be talking about? Emma thought to herself.
"Oh, no, he's not dead. He's in surgery, I think," the detective replied. "So, what happened when you met Regina and Leo on the street?"
"I put myself between him and Regina."
"Why?"
"Because he's a dangerous man and it's my responsibility to keep Regina safe."
The detective looked at the woman before him for a moment at Emma and then wrote something down in his notebook.
"Ok, then what?"
"We backed down the street and when we were close enough, I told Regina to run inside. Then Leo pulled out the gun."
"Did you know he was armed?"
"Not before I saw the gun, no."
"Then what happened?"
"I tried to calm him down. Keep him talking. I figured Mulan had called you guys so knew I just had to wait it out and make sure the situation didn't get any worse. But he got angry when I said I wouldn't move out of his way and … I don't know how he got me in the chokehold. I'm trained in self-defence. I should have stopped him."
The detective shook his head. "Don't think like that. You did nothing wrong. You were in a dangerous situation and you survived. That's all you need to know."
"Yeah, well, it's my job to protect the women in my shelter and I wasn't able to do that."
"You did keep them safe, Emma. They're all safe now because of you."
Emma shrugged. She wasn't so sure of that. What she was sure of is that she wanted to be back at the shelter in that moment making sure Regina and everyone else was still safe. Leo's appearance had rattled her confidence in the safety and security of the shelter as a whole.
"Ok, after he took you in the chokehold, what happened next?"
"The police showed up seconds later. But on foot. I never heard the sirens. I was listening out for them. I didn't hear the cars approaching until almost at the end, almost before I blacked out."
"There were two uniforms around the corner and they heard the call on the radio. Said they'd check it out," the detective explained. "Then radioed for backup as soon as they saw that there was a civilian in danger."
"Yeah, well, once they showed up, Leo decided to use me as a human shield. You know, so your cops couldn't shoot him without risking a civilian casualty. It sounds like they were great shots," Emma added, realising that despite Leo's plan, the man had been taken down.
Before the detective could ask another question, a doctor arrived to check Emma over. As soon as she took in the congealed bloodstain on Emma's shirt, she pushed the detective aside and began to work.
"It's not mine," Emma said, as the woman reached up to pluck at her shirt collar.
"Yes, and we'll need your shirt as evidence," the detective added.
"But it's mine. I'm wearing it. What am I supposed to wear instead of my shirt?" Emma asked, it wasn't like she could walk around in just her bra. That wasn't socially acceptable.
"We can find you something," the doctor assured. "Detective, do you need to continue questioning my patient right now or can the rest of the statement wait?"
"It can wait," the detective admitted, retreating away from the bed as the doctor's eyes darted towards the door, indicating that he should leave. "I've got to get back to the station anyway. I'll call you to arrange a time to finish off later today."
As soon as the two of them were alone, the doctor asked Emma if she was comfortable removing her shirt. Emma did so, shrugging it off so she was sat on the bed in just her bra. The doctor ran her hands over the smooth skin of Emma's back, where bruises were already beginning to form from the fall. A purple bloom was also appearing just beneath her ribs on her side where Leo had jabbed his gun.
"Are you feeling ok? Any dizziness?" the doctor asked.
"No, I just want to get out of this hospital. Can I leave?"
"Give me a few minutes," she smiled. "I know hospitals aren't anyone's favourite place but it's important I make sure there was no internal damage caused during your fall. That was quite a weight which landed on you."
Emma's eyes narrowed and she swallowed at the memory. The feel of Leo bearing down on her made her shudder. It was repulsive. It was something Regina had experienced all too often, Emma's mind unhelpfully supplied.
"Please, I'm fine. I just need to get back to the shelter."
"You run Swan's, right?"
"Yes," Emma nodded. She was known at the local hospital. There had been many times in recent years when she'd brought a new guest to the hospital for treatment. Similarly, she'd received referrals from there when battered women had arrived and needed somewhere safe to stay.
"This guy was after one of the women you're providing accommodation for?"
Emma nodded, teeth gritted together as the woman pressed against the bruise in her side lightly.
"How did he find her?"
The blonde swallowed. It was a thought which had been running through her head the moment she had realised who was in that car. How had Leo found Regina? She was confident the woman herself hadn't made contact. But somehow, over a month after she walked away from her life in Maine, he had reappeared. How? And if Leo could find them, did that mean the other women were in danger from their former partners too? A chill ran down Emma's spine at the thought but she forced herself to listen to the doctor who was speaking once more.
"He's a monster," the doctor said as she peered into Emma's eyes, shining a small torch into them. "Keep doing what you're doing. The world needs more people like you. The woman are lucky to have someone who is willing to give their lives for them."
Is that what she had done? Emma thought to herself. Well, yes. She had made the choice, in a split second, to put herself between Regina and Leo. She had told Regina to go back inside, even when the brunette protested. It had been Emma who Leo had taken hostage, nor Regina or Henry. It had been Emma lying on the sidewalk, clothes soaked with the man's blood as he lay, wounded on top of her.
Would she have done the same thing, made the same choices if it had been another woman and not Regina in danger? Yes, Emma answered at once. She would do the same for any of the women in her care. That was her job.
"Right, you're all clear to leave. But if you feel any dizziness or sickness over the next forty-eight hours, sit down and call an ambulance, ok? I don't think you've got a concussion but it's still possible you hit your head when you fell."
"Ok, I understand. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Emma. I hope I don't see you or any of the women at the shelter here any time soon."
"Me too," Emma mused, slipping from the bed and then stopping. "Um, my shirt?"
"Oh yes," the doctor said, realising was topless, her pale skin already displaying a spattering of bruises which she knew would only spread and darken over the coming hours. "Hang on, I'll find something in lost and found for you."
By the time the police officer had everything he needed, Regina was slumped back in Emma's chair, feeling exhausted. Mulan had sat beside her, listening intently. At times, she had rested her palm on Regina's arm. She knew the basics of the woman's history but the officer asked a number of probing questions. Insensitively, if you asked Mulan.
The officer bid them both good day and promised Mulan the shelter would be contacted with an update of Leo's condition when the precinct got word. And then he was gone, leaving Regina and Mulan together in Emma's office. Both women, although neither voiced it, felt out of place without the blonde.
"Do you need me to do anything?" Mulan asked. "Do you want some water?"
"No," Regina replied quietly. "I need to see my son."
Mulan nodded and helped Regina to her feet. Together, they walked back into the reception area from which most of the police officers and witnesses had now dispersed. Belle was there, however, having poked her head into the office but been assured that Regina was ok upon her arrival. Instead, she had helped one of the officer's build up a profile of Leo, based on what Regina had told her during their sessions over the previous weeks.
With the counsellor by her side, Regina made her way into the back of the shelter. There were a number of women milling around the corridor and the moment the two of them appeared, they rushed forwards, clamouring for information.
"Please, I'll come and speak with you shortly but just let Regina through," Mulan said, kindly but firmly.
"Where's Henry?" Regina asked, ignoring all of the other questions levied at her.
"I'll get him," one of the other mothers said, rushing ahead of the brunette and disappearing. Mulan steered Regina into her bedroom.
With a helping hand, she sat down on the edge of the bed and looked around. Nothing had changed. And yet, since she had last been here, waking up with a smile on her face after her night with Emma, everything had changed.
"Where's Emma?"
"I'm not sure. Still at the hospital, perhaps," Mulan said, taking a seat beside Regina. "She'll be back as soon as she can be. You guys are pretty close, right?"
Regina's cheeks coloured but before she could say anything, Henry appeared. "Hey Mom, I'm hungry. You've been ages!" Behind him, Kathryn mouthed 'I did feed him,' as if in defence of her babysitting skills.
"I'm sorry, my little prince," Regina said, opening her arms wide and beckoning her son forwards.
There was something in the woman's expression which made Henry go to her. He wrapped his little arms around her neck and hugged tightly as his mother enveloped her.
"Mom, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," came the whispered response, the hug getting even tighter. "I just missed you."
"Where were you?"
"I had to talk to some people," Regina replied. "Did Kathryn make you some food?"
"Yeah, she did," Henry admitted, pulling back and looking into his mother's glassy eyes with confusion. "But I wanted to have breakfast with you. And Emma. Where's Emma? I thought you were going to ask her to come and eat with us."
"She's … she's busy right now but she'll join us when she can," Regina forced out.
"I'm here Henry," came a voice from the doorway. "I'm sorry I missed breakfast. Can I join you for dinner instead?"
But neither woman heard the response. Regina dissolved into tears and Emma crossed the room in three strides, gathering the sobbing woman into her arms. Mulan stood up and stepped away, immediately aware that she was interrupting something. Raised eyebrows at Kathryn were met with a shrug.
"Come on, Henry. Let's go and see what my girls have found for us to watch on TV."
Only when the door snapped shut did the hug end, the room now empty except for the couple. Regina uncurled her arms and looked up into Emma's face. Reaching out, she cupped her cheek, the warm flesh against her palm a silent reminder that Emma was alive.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.
"There's nothing to be sorry for," Emma replied, her own thumbs swiping tears from Regina's face. "You did nothing wrong."
"You were in danger. Because of me."
"No," Emma said firmly. "I was in danger because of Leo. It wasn't your fault, Regina. And I did what I did because I wanted to protect you. And that is my job, of course. I would have done the same for any woman or child in here. But, when I was I the hospital earlier, I realised there was another reason why I protected you, separate from the shelter. I did it because…" She glanced down. This wasn't how she imagined saying these words. Hardly romantic. But life was short; she'd learned that today. It was important to live in the moment. "Because I love you."
A/N: So, this chapter was going one of two ways. I had a storyline mapped out for either Emma or Leo getting shot. I couldn't decide so I got my girlfriend to choose. You're all lucky she's less of a sadist than I am as I was leaning towards a much more angsty ending!
In other news, there have been several reviews over the past few chapters referring to my work as 'lazy writing'. I have a full time job, I run an ethical business in the evenings and I also have a family, relationship and friendships to fit into my free time. I spent 4-6 hours of my Saturday, every week, writing for you guys. I love what I do and I publish because I want to share my work. I know not everyone will like it and that's fine. 99% of my reviews are positive and I love you guys so much!. But if you don't enjoy the work, perhaps just don't read. Every writer on these fanfic sites is creating for the love of it and we don't need negative, unhelpful feedback, especially when it comes to the way we choose to spend our free time. It's off-putting and makes us question, for a brief moment, why we bother. I suppose your argument is that I am not bothering but this writing is a big part of my life and I would not consider myself lazy. The word was hurtful. Please, think before you review. Your words are powerful and you never know how they are going to affect a reader. Says the writer who just left you on an 'I love you' cliff hanger ...