Love Me Apocalyptic
Chapter Six: The Truth will Shake you to the Core
I am my own disease that lives inside of me/I can't go fix my ways
They're held inside by my shame
I can't fulfill the need that's screaming out of me
-4th point, I am my own Disease-
"Your test results are in," Whale said, flipping the pages on his clipboard as he came into the doctoral office. Regina sat primly on the patient's table, ankles crossed and hands folded on her lap.
"And?" she asked impatiently. "What do they say."
"Well, other than low blood sugar levels, as well as low iron levels and a high white blood cell count that indicate your body being under a lot of stress, you seem fine."
"So there's nothing...?" Regina trailed off, waiting for him to fill in the blank.
"No. Hormonal levels are in fluctuation but that is normal for someone in your age."
"So it's menopause." She stated, the line of her mouth flat in distaste. It seemed despite her body's physical age, her actual age was causing the two of them to collide and make her body act older than it was.
"It seems that way," he said, sitting down at his desk. "Now, this is normal for a woman in your age-"
"Save it," she said brusquely as she got up and pulled on her blazer. She didn't need a creep like him trying to make her feel better. Though she couldn't believe she was actually getting older. She supposed that made sense given how time was running in her town again. It just felt odd, after being so ageless for so long, for something so human to affect her. But, now wasn't the time to dwell on this, not when she had vampires in her town.
"I have reports on Hook if you need an update," Whale said as he got up to walk her out the door. That kept her from leaving just yet.
"Any changes?"
"I found that feeding him animal blood keeps up his health the same as human blood does. So they can be feed alternatively."
"I don't care about his sustenance. I care about a cure. Have you come closer to finding one?"
Whale shook his head and Regina sighed out. "As usual it'll be up to me to solve this issue." She would have to go back to her office and research up any new findings on human's reporting of the vampire outbreak. Hopefully she could find something of use there.
She exited the clinic with purpose and drove over to her office. She had barely gotten started on her research, merely turning on her computer and sitting down behind it, when Emma barged in, brows deeply furrowed.
"Emma, what's wrong?"
She slapped down a form onto Regina's desk. "I went to check up on the Queen's of Darkness. Imagine my shock and surprise when I find Maleficent is missing. Ursula filed a missing persons form for her and Cruella," Emma tapped the paper, slightly breathless from how quickly she had come here.
Regina sat up in her chair and plucked the paper up, scanning it as if it might hold the answers to what happened. "What did you tell her?"
"Obviously, Cruella's missing because she's a vamp and we can't tell Ursula that. But Maleficent? I don't know what could have happened to her. I told Ursula I would look into it, but honestly I'm worried Maleficent might have vamped out and that she could be running around town. After all, they were in contact with Cruella up until she fully turned. We need to do a search party. Now." Emma looked panicked, eyes stormy and face ashen.
"Emma, calm down," Regina instructed, needing to be the even headed one here. "It does us no good to panic. We need to approach this rationally. Maleficent, if she were to turn into a vampire, would not have reached that stage yet. The incubation period lasts a while before the actual change erupts and according to my calculations, we still have a good three days before that happens."
"What if your calculations are wrong?"
"I am rarely wrong," Regina said, keeping her voice calm for the sake of Emma, but it seemed to only agitate her more.
"Now is not the time for arrogance," Emma snapped out. "I don't want a vamp running around town. You saw what they can do."
"I am well aware of what they are capable of. You are not, given the way you blindly rushed into danger outside the town and nearly killed us all. So, stay put. If it will calm your nerves we will go on a search later. But first I have to do some research. There is no point in capturing these vampires if we cannot provide them with a cure at the end of the day." Regina tossed the report aside and went back to her computer.
This clearly was not what Emma wanted. She opened her mouth to argue but Regina cut her off. "Go to Granny's, have a bear claw, or some hot cocoa, and I will call you when I am done. And don't do anything dumb," she leveled a stare at Emma because they both knew she was prone to rash decisions. And it would be a miracle if Emma actually listened and waited like Regina ordered.
"Fine," Emma set her jaw and rushed out of the office, slamming the door on her way.
With her gone, Regina was able to get back to her research. With an updated computer that she had procured from the outside world so she could be more with the times, she scrolled through countless news reports, from the smallest to the big. Her eyes began to burn and hurt from staring at the screen for so long, and her legs ached from sitting for so long but at last she found some science articles.
News nowadays was scattered because almost all forms of organization were disorganized if not outright shut down due to the chaos outside. But someone had clipped some articles and posted them to their website in hopes of spreading the word.
'Scientists have found that the virus is genetically caused. The only question that remains is which genes show a susceptibility to this virus?'
The article had actual very little volume to it but it did provide a big clue to what was happening. At least it wasn't air borne and neither was it passed by saliva or blood exchange. That was a relief. But genes...? How could genes determine if one got the virus or not? That seemed a bit absurd. She would need to send this to Whale and get him to genetically test Hook. But would that even be possible? Last time Regina had checked, they were fairytales and wouldn't have a genetic code. Still, it wouldn't hurt to try.
She printed out the article and made way over to Whale.
Emma stood in front of Killian's room, watching the man through the one way mirror. He was currently sitting in his bed, reading a book. His hook had been removed so he couldn't hurt anyone so his one hand was hidden up his hospital sleeves. His beard was bushier and his hair wild. He clearly didn't have time for personal hygiene. Emma felt bad seeing him like this.
He didn't seem violent or crazy right now. Just like a man who had been imprisoned wrongly. She placed a hand on the glass as if she could somehow reach out to him this way. She wanted to talk to him but she didn't know if that was such a good idea. She didn't want to disrupt him and trigger the vampire in him, because despite the fact that he looked casual right now there was no telling how he would react. He was her Killian but not him at the same time. She sighed and rubbed her head.
She hated this. This feeling of being unable to do anything. Of having to sit around. Regina had ignored her concerns about Maleficent being a possible vampire and had told her to wait around. Why wasn't the mayor worried? Calculations could be wrong and Maleficent could be out there murdering innocents.
Emma glanced at her watch. Already it had been four hours of idling, the bear claw's sugar only agitating Emma more, and making her limbs restless. If Regina made her wait any longer than she was going to just go and do the search on her own.
"You know he hasn't gotten any better," Whale's voice startled Emma and she nearly jumped when she faced him. He had silently made his way into the long white corridor.
"He hasn't?" That was depressing information to be provided.
"Why should he? His body has been transformed by the virus. Who knows if even when we develop a cure if that will be enough to turn him back to normal."
"What do you mean his body is different?" That caught Emma's attentions and not in a good way.
"His muscles have transformed. They're...stronger and the proteins that make them up are different than a humans. It's what makes them faster and supine, more like the predator needed to hunt down their prey. That applies to the muscle know as the brain as well. It's rewired to a more primal state. They are capable of thinking like us, but more often than not are horrid at holding back their emotions or wants like we do. Their frontal lobe is shot. Additionally, his hearing and eyesight are extraordinary, like those of birds of prey. Not to mention his sense of smell. Better than a dog's almost."
"And you don't think that would be retracted once he turned back human?"
"I do not know. Finding a cure...the cure would have to be the exact opposite of the virus. It would have to be able to undo all the work the virus has done. In short, it would need to revert his muscle structure, his eye sight, his hearing, everything. A total system recall. But constructing something like that would be difficult. I would need to find the virus in purest form in order for me to reconstruct it in the lab and then undo it."
"And where would we find such a pure form of the virus?"
Whale shook his head, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. "Your guess is as good as mine. All we can do is hope Regina can somehow find a way to find it."
Emma's mind began to whirl with possibilities. What if they went into the outside world? Perhaps they could find something there? Could find the virus and take it back to Storybrooke and work on making the cure here?
But she knew Regina would never let them do this. And without Regina or Whale to guide her, Emma would have no idea on what to look for.
She sighed heavily. "What else can you tell me about Killian?" she wanted to know just how bad the situation with him was so she could be motivated even more to help him.
Whale looked on at Emma, with an odd look in his eyes before he turned to look at the window. Killian was still reading his book, entirely immersed in it. It seemed something of human intellect still resided in him.
"I'm surprised the mayor hasn't filled you in on the conditions of a vampire. She is the expert in this case. She was the one who told me everything about them."
"She hasn't told me everything." And Emma wonders why that is. Emma only has a rudimentary knowledge of them that renders her capable of identifying the full out vamps. But not one in transition except that they get sick with flu like symptoms.
"Emma," Whale sighed out suddenly, exasperated that she wasn't getting something that he hadn't even told her. "Regina came in today for a check up."
"She finally did?" Emma raised a brow in shock, wondering at all how this was related. Was Whale worried that Regina might collapse on them during the fight against vampires? "She said she hadn't been feeling well for a while."
"And how long has she not been feeling well?"
"Um," Emma thought back, not too sure. "I noticed about a week back, but maybe it's been longer? Did you give her something to help her with it?"
"No," he shook his head. "I told her it was menopause. But I don't think that's the case."
Emma didn't like the sound of this. She swallowed hard. "Then what is it?"
"Keep an eye on her, will you?" Whale said mysteriously before he strode off down the hall. Emma would have shouted after him, demanding more from him, had fear not choked her up.
Shit.
Like promised, Regina went on a search party with Emma later that evening. They scoured the whole town, even using magic to try and track the missing woman down but to no avail. Nothing came up.
"I don't understand. How could she just disappear?" Emma cried out, kicking the side of her parked car in frustration.
"She has magic, it's possible she's using it to cover up her tracks."
"But if she's vamp, then surely she can't control it as well. Whale told me that vampires brains are rewired to think on a more basic level and to be susceptible to primal urges which should make magic control harder."
"When did you talk to Whale?" Regina inquired, uneasy at Emma interacting with the man for whatever reason.
"When I was bored, waiting on you."
"Maleficent is a proficient magic user. Even if her mental capabilities are impinged upon she would still be able to control her magic."
"That's just great," Emma commented sarcastically. "Now what do we do?"
"We can put up a warning for her through the police department that way if anyone sees her they can report to us."
"What if she vamps out and hurts someone? She could be anywhere." Emma threw her hands up.
"When that time comes, we'll deal with it," Regina said calmly and with deadly promise. "I did want to tell you that I found something promising about the cure."
Instantly Emma forgot about everything else. "What?" she asked eagerly, hoping to put an end to Killian's suffering and to all those other humans out there as well.
"The humans have found that it's genetic."
"Genetic?" Emma wasn't expecting this.
"Which means that trying to cure a story book creature of it might not be possible. I don't think we have DNA Emma."
Emma's stomach sank, all hope eradicated. "Then how would Hook get sick if he doesn't have DNA and this is genetic?"
"That is something I hope Whale can help with. I hope you don't mind but I've had Whale doing minor non intrusive tests on Killian. Such as blood work, and the likes. I know you don't want us studying him, but small tests like this are needed to make sure he doesn't expire prematurely."
"Why would he die beforehand?" Emma asked warily, shoving her hands into her pockets and fixing Regina with her best glare. What was Regina up to? Was she doing something behind Emma's back?
"Because we've been feeding him animal blood and other supplements to blood to see if vampires can be more humanized and we don't want to hurt him." Regina didn't say that he was a valuable test subject yet that she didn't mind if he was in pain. He deserved it for hurting Emma the way he did.
"I thought you said you weren't going to harm him. I said that I didn't want him to be experimented on. That you should do it to me-"
"Except you're not a vampire and he is. And we're not harming him. We're making sure he stays alive and healthy. If we relieve him of a pint or two of his blood than so be it. It's the least he owes us for this whole mess." Regina said this unapologetically. She was not going to stand down to Emma, not when she needed results and answers.
Emma twisted up her lips. She didn't like this but she had no choice but to agree to it for now. She would trust in her friend's intentions. "And Cruella. Where is she being held? I didn't see where she was kept."
"She's kept in a separate area. We don't want two highly dangerous individuals in the same area in case of an outbreak. And Whale is testing her as well. He should be running the genetic tests soon and see what comes out."
"Hopefully, only good news," Emma rubbed her brow in worry.
They stood there, silent a moment, the croaking of frogs and the buzzing of late night insects filling the air around them. Emma was deep in thought about something, no doubt about Mal's whereabouts while Regina pursed her lips and figured out the best way to broach the next topic without revealing too much of her motivation behind it yet making it truthful enough that Emma's lie detector abilities would not see through it. "Also, Emma, could you take Henry?"
"You want me to take Henry?" They were more used to sharing Henry, but neither of them ever gave him up before the allotted time he had with them was concluded.
"I don't want to worry him. I need to do some research at my place and you know how curious he is. I don't want him accidentally stumbling across something that will scare him."
Emma nodded her head. That made sense. "Okay. How long do you want me to keep him?"
"Just until this is all over. I'll let you know," Regina smiled, glad for Emma's cooperation. There was another reason she wasn't mentioning but Emma didn't need to know it.
"It's no problem for me to take the kid on. Are you feeling better? You seem better." Emma knew Regina had been to the doctor but she didn't want to reveal that Whale had expressed concerns about her. Some very mysterious concerns.
"I went to get a check up with Whale. He told me it was menopause and while I still feel like a mess, knowing what it is is helping me cope with it."
"Just make sure to take it easy if you still don't feel up to it," Emma said in concern as they got into her car to drive back. It was night out now, their search having taken a long time. Henry would be asleep at home by the time Regina came back.
"I'm not the type to back down because of a little health concern," Regina replied as she pressed her head against the cool window pane, watching the road curve as they drove to her mansion.
Emma said goodbye before driving off and Regina entered her home, feeling starved as usual but not in any mood for anything in particular.
Regina's stomach rumbled in protest of her hunger but as she opened up the fridge nothing there enticed her. Instead she wrinkled her nose up in disgust. This menopause thing was really beginning to bother her. When the hell would it be over? She had a town to protect and would really like to be at full strength. She would like to be able to eat again.
Instead, she decided to go upstairs and get some sleep. But as she passed Henry's room, something stopped her. It was this most wondrous scent and her stomach clawed at her in desperation to have whatever was making that good scent inside it. Frowning, for she wondered if Henry had snuck some food up here, she opened the door, making out his form in the dark room easily. He was breathing steadily and his heart was slowly thumping in his chest.
Regina sniffed the air- the scent was strongest here and she sat down on Henry's bed, gently brushing his hair from his face as her eyes lowered to the pulse on his neck. Eyes traced the veins in his skin with intent as she listened to a steady heartbeat, saliva flooding her mouth. He was so delectably cute today.
She would have sat there, staring at him forever if he had not stirred in his sleep and caused her to bolt off his bed like she had been doing something she shouldn't. And she shouldn't be doing this. Heart pounding in her chest she realized that the scent was coming from Henry.
And what was worse was the hunger she felt at it.
Something finally clicked in her head and all the puzzle pieces surrounding her illness fell into place.
"Oh god," she whispered to herself. And backed out of the room as quickly as possible even as pain shot through her stomach and a thirst parched her throat. "Oh god," she moaned out and stumbled to her mirror like a drunk woman. Her upper jaw felt heavy and there was a prickling sensation there. She opened her mouth and her eyes widened in horror when she saw what was there. Two new teeth were breaking free. Two very sharp canines.
She clamped her jaw shut, hand over her mouth as panic whirled inside her.
How could she miss all the signs?
She knew all the symptoms yet they had gone over her head in this case.
Oh, the irony of this.
She had foolishly thought herself invincible.
She had to do something about this. It had to be a bad dream. Yes, she was hallucinating from lack of food. Sleep. Sleep would help her.
With shaking hands she changed into her pjs and slid into her bed, swirling her wrist to lock her bedroom door just in case. And then, trembling and refusing to think about things, about the hunger gnawing inside her, she forced herself to go to sleep, wrapping the covers around her like a cocoon. Like she used to do when she was a young child, terrified and hiding under her covers like they could shield her from her mother's wrath.
The morning wasn't any better. Regina woke up, pallor pale and dark circles under her eyes. She couldn't sleep properly, her hunger waking her up with cruel fingers that forced her to curl in on herself and nearly sob in pain as she refused to go down the hall where Henry's scent goaded her.
And while it wasn't as bad now, it was still here, like a companion that never left.
Her jaw throbbed and running her tongue over her new canines she knew why. Everything was sharped for some reason. She could hear the soft stirring of Henry waking across the hall. Could see the dust specks floating down, could smell the sweet smell of flowers that floated in through her windows.
With dread heavy in her heart, she knew what she was. She had fully transitioned.
Without a doubt, a vampire.
She had become the filthy thing she had desired to kill. To cure. To protect this town from.
Having an unexpected existential crisis, Regina curled into a small ball under her covers and stayed there. For once in her life, she was utterly lost. What did she do now? Could she even do anything?
A knock came at her door, sounding like a gunshot to her hypersensitive ears.
"Mom? Are you okay?" Henry asked timidly. He had noticed she wasn't downstairs making breakfast for him.
"I'm...I'm okay Henry. I...just need you to go to Emma's house today. Pack up your things and go," she said, tongue feeling weird around the new additions in her mouth.
"Um, mom you don't sound fine-"
"Just go," she ordered, a hint of panic in her words. "I promise I'll be fine and that I'll explain everything to you later."
There was a long silence before he sighed. "Okay. Love you mom."
"And I love you too," she almost choked up as she said that because just last night she had been tempted to drink his blood. Her precious Henry's blood. Her own son.
It was a good thing she had told Emma to take Henry in yesterday because there was no way she could keep Henry around.
She listened intently for him packing up before he left the house and only then did she let out a breath of relief. She plopped down on the mattress, rubbed her face and tongued her fangs, and began to brain storm ways to deal with this predicament. She wouldn't let it pull her down. She would be strong. She would defeat this virus. She mustn't give into despair. Quickly, she got dressed and then went into her study pulling out every book she could find on vampires and got down to study.
She was set on having a quiet day at home when a knock came at her door, making her jump. She still wasn't used to how sensitive her hearing was.
Wondering who it could be, she opened the door and found Emma standing on her doorstep.
"Regina, are you okay?" the blonde woman immediately asked, and all Regina could do was grip the door frame hard as she was assaulted by a million different things at a time. There was the smell of Emma- sweet and powerful, like a rose with thorns. And her blood- even sweeter, carrying an undercurrent of vanilla. The pounding of Emma's heart, strong and steady thrummed in her head like a musical melody that got stuck and would play on repeat to delirium. The way the blood sloshing through her veins sounded magnified and like it was occurring right in Regina's ear drums.
But the strongest reaction was the sudden bolt of arousal that literally doubled Regina over. The blood lust was expected, this was unexpected and it made it all the worse because Regina didn't know how to deal with this. It was like a kick to the gut and she couldn't breathe. She could feel her body heat up and the usual hunger she felt was replaced by something lustier. Something more carnal.
"Regina, are you okay?" Emma asked not for the first time, noting in consternation on Regina's physical appearance. The woman was doubled over and her cheeks were flushed red.
"Just...just a cramp," she breathed out, straightening up and pushing away Emma's efforts to reach out for her. "I'm okay." But that was a big fucking lie. She was so not okay. But she would not let this virus win.
Emma didn't think Regina was okay. She could practically smell the lies coming off of her. What was Regina hiding?
"I'll come in and help you," Emma shouldered her way in before Regina could stop her.
Inside Regina was freaking out because she didn't know how she would react to possible food. Other vampires snapped and killed any humans in their vicinity because of the control their hunger had on them. Regina didn't want to hurt Emma.
"Emma, I'm fine. Really. Go home. Or go to the station and work on finding Maleficent." Regina tried to sound like she wasn't begging even though she was. Her arousal still twisted in her guts and while it drowned out her hunger for blood mysteriously, she didn't want to feel so aroused. Her body was out of control in an entirely different manner and it filled her mind with dirty sordid thoughts about Emma.
She could feel the monster of the virus calling inside her, urging her to mark Emma. To take her for her own. To seduce her. It was pure agony because Regina knew she couldn't do this to Emma. Couldn't have her like that. She needed to keep the blonde far away from her.
She clenched her hands so tight her nails broke through her skin and crimson dots escaped. And still the pain barely did anything to stall her thoughts. Thoughts of pining Emma against the wall. Of bending her over the counter and fucking her. Her throat was parched for an entirely different reason while the spot between her legs throbbed with wet heat. She felt assaulted by her own thoughts; betrayed by them. Where the hell were the even coming from?
Shit, Regina had never gotten this wet before and so quickly. What was wrong with her? Why was she feeling this way?
Emma had wandered into the kitchen to brew some tea for Regina, hoping it would do something to ease Regina. As she got the kettle out and filled it with hot water, she spoke. "Henry showed up at my house today and said he was worried about you. That you were holed up in your room this morning and not feeling well." The kettle was set down and the burner lit.
When Regina didn't respond, Emma turned around and saw the woman wasn't in the kitchen. Where had she gone? Cautiously she exited the room and entered the dining hall only to see Regina sitting statue still at the table, hands fisted and pressed into her face.
Fear raced through Emma. "Regina, are you okay?" Emma raced over to her, hands reaching to touch her, to make sure she was fine. The action only stiffened Regina up more. She had been lost in her internal struggle of trying to hold back and restrain herself from touching Emma, from fucking her, and Emma's touch only made it so much harder.
She grit her teeth and tried to mentally signal to Emma for her to stay away, to leave. Her throat was too tight and dry and she felt like she wouldn't be able to get a single word out. "Regina, talk to me. What's going on?" Emma pried Regina's hands from her eyes and found the brunette's brown eyes had darkened heavily, almost to the point of being black. That couldn't be right. Emma had to be seeing things.
Regina couldn't hold herself back anymore, not when Emma was so close by with all her wonderful scents. She roughly pulled Emma towards her, burying her nose into the line of her neck and inhaling deeply. Emma was so warm and enticing in her arms and her fingers dug in to draw Emma deeper, to hold her all for herself.
And she smelled so wonderful, the pulse of her neck right under Regina's lips. All she had to do was open her mouth and Emma's sweet blood would be hers.
"Regina-!' Emma squawked out, shocked and flustered by the older woman's tight hold. They never touched, much less hugged like this. Something must really be wrong with Regina, but what? What was she not telling Emma?
Take her. Use her. She's yours, hissed something inside Regina. It wasn't so much a voice telling her what to do than a general feeling. Regina had to fight it. She had to. But why should she when Emma was already in her arms, so willing and pliant and trusting?
Not yours. Not yours. She reminded herself, an endless mantra in her head.
Just a little taste of her skin. It told her. Just get a little lick. Taste what is yours.
And it would be so easy to do that, to suck her flesh into her mouth and taste the salt of it.
Regina let out a little whimper. God this was tearing her apart. She could literally feel her morals fighting with the lack of inhibition her vampire side had afforded her.
It was a battle of wills now and Regina would be damned if she would lose. She had the most practice with holding back her evil desires and she would do the same with this virus.
Through the power of sheer will alone, she pulled free of Emma's arms with a sloth like pace. She averted her eyes, shame coloring her cheeks. She couldn't believe she had just done that. Had hugged Emma. They never held contact like this.
Emma stayed put where she was, kneeling in front of Regina who was still on her chair. "What are you not telling me, Regina?" Her eyes were wide and searching but blank with lack of knowledge or suspicion as to the real truth. She had no idea to how close she had been to getting bitten.
But all Regina said, past a throat too tight was,"the water's boiling." And then she got up with as much decorum as she could manage and stepped around Emma, retreating to her study.