A/N: So. I hope everyone had a good thanksgiving, or just a good weekend if you live elsewhere or don't celebrate. Sorry this is so late, the next one might be a week late as well. Still trying to get my muse back. When I had this in a place where i was willing to post I didn't tempt fate by getting my friend to check it over, just posted it.
"Emma. I really hate to say this, I truly think that your therapist is right" Lucy spoke as she slid a sandwich in front of her friend. Knowing the best way to break anything to the blonde was to appease her ever hungry stomach. "What you need to do is face your old town, your parents. I believe you just need to face that town. Your parents. So you can move past it all"
While Emma wanted to a complete child. To kick, scream and whine about her friends opinion. However their was a delicious salami, provolone, swiss, muenster and garlic sandwich in front of her face. Alright, at that point, in her face. So instead she contemplated her words as she shoveled the massive mess into stomach.
Not that she would ever admit it out loud, but two days after she had kissed her ex-wife, and subsequently fell asleep crying while clutching onto her person, Emma had begun to see a therapist. As much as she detested the thought, it was honestly the best thing she could do. She knew she couldn't talk to anyone else, and she didn't want to just dump everything onto Lucy all of time.
Which was how she had ended up back in the little town she had vowed never to step a single foot in while still alive, or even skeletal. Lucy and her therapist had convinced her she needed closure to move on. To get past the love that still burned on deep inside of her soul for her ex-wife, so she had come back.
"I. This. I only agreed to a small, keyword, small barbeque. Just" She used air quotes on the next word "family" Emma spoke with wide eyes and a swinging jaw. Betrayal, anger, and a slew of other not so good emotions swirling in her gaze.
Her parents had converted the park's vast open fields into a gigantic, whole town sized, welcome home party. As if she were staying, as if this was the sort of thing she would like. it wasn't she hated it. And they knew that, but they had never cared what she wanted. The not so charming couple knew absolutely nothing important about their daughter, and cared about none of her wants.
Once she had been able to see, as Carter had been on her shoulders. Hands over her eyes. Snow had demanded that she not see the setup, right then Emma should have known but she had fought back the fear and suspicion gliding up her throat at the woman's words. Should have known her mother truly didn't care at all.
So the kids had loaded up on her. Carter claiming her shoulders, Rhydian had jumped onto her back. Arms tightly around her neck and one leg wrapped around the right side of her body. As Paris had claimed her left hip. Face buried in her chest, as Rhydian's was in her neck. Leaving Lucy to glare at Regina, who had her arms crossed and who was glaring right back.
"Why, honey is it just family" Snow stated cheerfully. Pretending she hadn't seen the air quotes. With how blind she was to Emma's emotions and feelings she probably really hadn't. "The whole town is just one big family" Then she scowled. "Who is she?" Lucy turned her glare to the older woman.
The woman who was Emma's mother had previously never laid eyes on Lucy, but Lucy had seen her picture. Regina had showed her. They had been alone in the second car, as all the kids had enough of their constant bickering, as neither had been allowed to be alone with Emma. So, they'd rented a second car halfway through the trip. The kids in Emma's SUV, the two women in the taurus. It had been a semi-tense trip.
"Oh. This is Lucy. Lucy. This is Snow. The woman who claims to be my mother" Snow glared at her daughter, before returning her glare to this new woman who she saw as a threat. "And these two munchkins are Carter and Paris" Emma's answer was robotic. She had shut down for a few moments to fight back the urge to strangle her mother.
As the minutes ticked by Emma tried harder, and harder to just so of disappear. She wanted nothing more than to grab her son, grab her friends children, toss them all in the car and hit the pedal so far into the floor of the car it popped out the other side. Being here was far, far, from where she wanted to be.
The only thoughts the savior was having besides running off and escaping the hell that was the barbeque welcome home party was strangling her dumbass birth parents, kissing Regina, and wondering how in the hell she'd ever allowed anyone, even her friend, to convince her that this was even in the same realm of a good idea.
"Emma, uhm, look, could we. I would like a few minutes alone with you, I'd like to talk. Privately." This had, surprisingly, fallen from the wolf's lips. Her eyes darting to look at both Regina and Lucy, who were standing on either side of the blonde. After a moment, against her better judgement, Emma nodded.
Together, but still several feet apart, they walked over to an abandoned table as to not be overheard. Even before RUby had opened her mouth and let out a single syllable Emma had already been filled with anger. She had decided not to act on it, to work through it internally. Decided to listen, to respond only if absolutely necessary, to try and make it out of this shit packed day without any bloodshed, fights, or otherwise violent happenings.
Five torturous minutes passed, five minutes that felt to the blonde like she'd been chained to a wall and was having her skin peeled off with a cheese slicer, over, and over again. Five minutes that, truthfully, felt like an eternity. Where her blood boiled inside of her body, so hot that she was surprised that steam wasn't coming out of her ears like she was in some classic cartoon.
That time was eaten up with nothing but lies. Filled with fake apologies that would ring false to a deaf, and blind, person. The whole time Emma had not been allowed to say a word, the older woman talking on and on. Not stopping to breath.
Ruby's entire goal to try and get Emma to understand just how much Ruby truly loved Regina. The only thing that even remotely rang true was that Ruby believed she was in love with the once evil queen, and after what seemed like the millionth fake apology she couldn't listen for a single moment longer.
The world itself seemed to become deathly still as Emma grabbed the woman's head and yanked it down as she simultaneously brought her knee up. Slamming it with as much force as she had into Ruby's face. However she didn't let go of the woman, simply tumbled down on top of her. Throwing punches wildly, yet, they all landed in the wolf's face. That was how they came to be in a full out fight.
Not that they had the time, or presence, to notice, but almost everyone was crowded around them in a giant circle with a single minute. Not that either would have cared about their audience if they had in fact noticed. Leaving plenty of room for them to roll around and attack each other. Growls and curses escaping both sets of lips as blood splattered and bones protested.
"Lucy, M- er. Regina. I'll just take these guys over to the slides, away from this" Henry assured the two woman as he gathered up the sort of twins into his arms. "Rhydian, now" He knew that they would listen, he was a good kid. He indeed followed obediently, but, sluggishly, as the two others struggled before going limp when they finally realized they had no choice.
The crowd was screaming, and one man had some sort of giant ego problem as he had been stupid enough to enter the ring to try and get the two women to separate. All he had managed to do was be pulled into the ever rolling mess that was the two women to be spat out less than two minutes later with a darkening eye, a broken wrist, and suspected broken ribs.
"Never has she even had a temper" There was a slight bit of fear, and arousal, in Lucy's tone as her eyes stared at the scene before her. "Who on earth is that woman? Why would Emma snap like this, this is nothing like the woman I lo-know"
Wincing at her almost word choice Regina glanced at the woman who was now looking at her. Her throat dried completely. She didn't want to tell her, didn't want this to be happening at all. What she wanted couldn't be done. There was no way to go back in time and stop this from happening. So she swallowed her pride.
"This is nothing like the Emma I love, that I know. This is the Emma that has been cornered by Ruby. After all this time, the dam has broken. And I don't know what to do" Regina admitted. The words like sandpaper in her throat. Lucy let out a little gasp, clearly surprised about Ruby.
Not long after that Emma managed to pin the wolf beneath her own body. Ruby's arms were locked to her sides by Emma's powerful knees. One of Emma's hands were on her left shoulder, locking her torso to the ground. Blood was straining far more than clothing, and both were breathing heavy.
"I loved her more" Shouted Emma, the past tense form of the word crushing Regina's heart. This was the first time Emma had spoken a single word to Ruby since leaving town. Her anger was tainting every cell of her body. "Regina was my everything, and you destroyed that. Annihilated me. From the inside out. I was your friend, your best friend, and you didn't give a single fucking shit about me"
"She was always meant to be mine, she should be mine! MINE you hear!?" Growled out Ruby menacingly, and Emma slammed her fist as hard as she could into the woman's already busted up face. The cracking of bone could be heard upon impact. Emma repeated the action a second time.
"I will tell you this only once Ruby Red Lucas. Only one of us is human, or anything close to. Because had you been me, and I had been you, nothing, and nothing would have EVER allowed me to make a single move on Regina until she'd left you" With that said Emma wrapped her fingers around the woman's throat.
Fully intent on crushing the very life around the woman who'd destroyed her. Blinded by the rage inside, ignoring the pain that she had been unable to leave behind. The anger that had been bottled deep inside of her was loose. Emma knew she was acting like a monster, but as Ruby struggled to breath. As her eyes began to gloss over. Well she just couldn't bring herself to care about ending her life.
"Does that woman h-have a crossbow?" Squeaked out Lucy as an elderly woman she hadn't been introduced yet entered the wide circle with a hefty, ancient, looking weapon. "What's she gonna do!?"
"That's more than enough you two. If you don't put at least four steps between you this very instant I'll put a bolt in both of ya, and I won't feel no guilt about it neither" Granny said sternly. Aiming at Emma's arm. She didn't want to kill, maim sure, kill no.
There could have been an orgy going on behind her, there could have been an army of guns pointed at her and Emma could have cared less. So she did not let go, clearly lost to her anger. Eyes that had gone more feral, the kind of eyes that could have made Grannies own demented daughter put her tail between her legs and run.
"She's not joking, she really will shoot!" Regina said fearfully as she grabbed onto her rival's hand and tugged her into the center of the circle. Granny looked at her, raising a brow in warning. "And she'll shoot us too! We we have to get Emma off of Ruby, NOW"
Without thought Lucy followed Regina's orders. Grabbing on of Emma's arms, as Regina grabbed the other. Even with their combined strength they couldn't get her off of Ruby, and the wolf was close to death. You could see their was little fight left to be had just by her posture alone.
"Em, please, let go. Think of Rhydian, who will take care of him if you kill her?" Despite the situation Lucy was able to use a soothing, calming voice. "Just let her go. What will happen if you go to jail? If you die? Please, think of your baby boy"
Regardless of the fact it had been Lucy who had spoken those words the blonde looked to her ex-wife first. Eye softening, the rage depleting, but only she looked at Lucy, her hands loosening just a little. Then, as her eyes met Ruby's she finally let go of the wolf. Now that she wasn't attached anymore the two women pulled Emma off of her completely.
At first they'd dragged Emma on her knees awkwardly. Then the blonde jumped to her feet, and stormed several feet away. Staying on the outskirts of the inner circle, sending murderous glances at Ruby. She made sure to steer clear of all four people inside with her. The wolf who was breathing heavy, the elderly woman who was still ready to shoot any who moved wrong. The woman who loved her, and the ex-wife who'd helped destroy her.
"This was a mistake" Dripped like snake's venom from her lips. "I should have never, never come back. I should have never subjected my son to this horrendous place. There is absolutely nothing for me, nothing but pain and anger. An anger, a rage that scared me. That I fear I can not control"
Like Moses and the red sea the people parted as Emma walked away. Not looking back, bleeding hands formed into fists. Anger, rage, and pain exuding from her like a bad stench. No one made a move to go after her, not a soul. Nor did anyone care enough to even contemplate helping the woman who had nearly been killed in the fight.
A/N: I will do my best to update as soon as I can, but no garuntee can be made that I'll have it by friday like I am supposed to. As always please leave your thoughts.
