I Am Emma Swan

Chapter 18

Tears welled up in Regina's eyes thinking about if they really had Henry and what they could have done to him. She blamed herself for getting him so deeply involved with this. Even though Henry was the one who found out about Emma she should have handled it herself.

He enjoyed a good adventure and always had input when she was writing her latest mystery novel.

He and Judith were the sounding board for her when she was trying to make something work in her stories. For being so young he was very intelligent and she enjoyed that he wanted to help and be apart of her brainstorming, and spending time with her. Most kids try and spend as little time with their parents as they could but Henry always wanted to help because he thought it was fun.

And now Judith was missing most likely dead, Emma had been drugged, held hostage and been forced to do something illegal and here she was lying on a bed tied up and gagged. She had no clue where Henry was or if he was all right. She needed to get out of here and call the police. Hoping that the sheriff wasn't part of this.

'This is crazier than the books I write.' Regina thought to herself. Trying to concentrate on the situation she was now in she remembered researching how to get out of being bound. Thinking about the website she searched, she recalled the one site describing different methods with different body parts tied up.

'Being bound at the ankles try and force them apart by bracing the toes of your shoes and knees together.' It wasn't easy laying on the bed so she rolled herself to the edge and sat up and tried maneuvering her feet. Doing so she could feel the restraints loosening she also remembered another site mentioning taking off your footwear as well to slide the bindings off.

"I would wear boots today of all days." Regina mumbled to herself through her gag as she used the edge of the bench at the foot of the bed. She looked around the room to find something sharp for friction to get her hands behind her back untied.

Finally, after struggling for quite some time, Regina managed to get her boots off, she continued the movement of toes to knees and she felt the rope loosen even more. Using the edge of the bench she finally slid the rope down over her heel and it was easy to remove then. "HAH!" Regina quietly cheered now free to walk around the room to find something to get her hands free.

She knew from her research to always make yourself bigger if you're going to be tied up so that when you make yourself smaller it loosens the bindings a little. 'It's just harder with them behind me instead of in front. Hmm this edge looks sharp.' Regina thought as she wriggled her hands behind her just to squeeze one out but he had tied them tight. She turned around and started to rub the rope against the edge of the bureau hoping to get free and fast.


Emma locked her bathroom door before showering, she didn't trust Neal still having nightmares of him hovering over her trying to kiss her. Shuddering at the thought she quickly showered and dried off and then put on her robe before going back into the bedroom. Neal wanted to pick out her outfit so she had to go out and get it.

Walking into her room she saw Neal sitting in a chair next to the wardrobe he nodded towards her bed where a pale blue dress laid along with undergarments. She cringed thinking he went through her things like that. She almost wanted to go commando but thought better. She decided not to wear the panties and bra he chose and instead picked out a new set.

She felt a little like her old self going against him even a little. She would love to punch the smugness from his face though its as if he knew she would do that. She went back into the ensuite and got dressed.

When Emma came out of the bathroom, Neal was standing next to the wardrobe looking at it strangely. She would give anything to knock him out and get out of this house, but she couldn't, not knowing where Regina and Henry were. But she still felt embolden to tell him off.

"You're not going to get away with this y'know."

Neal turned away from the wardrobe, his anger towards the woman building again. "And if I were you, I would shut up and talk when spoken to. When Gold gets here, he's going to ask you some questions and you will answer them correctly or all bets are off." Neal raged grabbing Emma roughly by her shoulders shoving her against the wall. "Do you understand me?"

Emma wanted nothing more than to make him suffer for all that he'd been doing, so she smiled and answered. "Oh, I understand you." Then with all her strength she kneed him between the legs and shoved him away causing him to collapse onto the floor.

Gasping in pain Neal laid on the floor. Emma turned to run out the door when the wardrobe moved and out came a man, she believed was Eugenia's driver. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at her he looked over at Neal who was getting up, he chuckled. "Marital problems, Cassidy?"

"Fuck off Hatt! What the hell are you doing here anyway?" Neal grumbled and stood up.

Jefferson Hatt didn't say anything but nodded towards the door to continue the conversation. Neal realizing Hatt had information Emma couldn't hear he grabbed her arm and pushed her out of the bedroom.

"Back to the storage room for you and if you try anything your friend and her kid are dead!" Neal warned as he shoved her into the small room then locked the door.

"What the hell Hatt? Where's the kid?" Neal asked walking back to Judith's bedroom.

"There are a lot of tunnels back there and it's dark I only had my phone flashlight and then my phone died. I thought I had him at one point but lost him then I ended up here. It a freaking maze and the few doors I came across wouldn't open probably from not being used."

"Fuck, we need to catch him I won't have him ruin this for me."


"Well mister? Who are you and what are you doing here?" Mary Margaret asked the boy holding onto his arm to keep him from running.

"I'm Henry! And the bad people you work for have my mom somewhere hostage!"

"What? Now come on young man, don't play games with me why are you here? How did you get in the house and why are you so dirty?

"I just told you that my mom is being held hostage with Emma and you're just standing there asking stupid questions! Are you in on this?"

"Mary Margaret? What's going on?" David the gardener asked walking into the kitchen wondering what was taking her so long.

"I…I found this boy wandering around and was asking who he was. Do you know him?"

"Oh yeah we've chatted before. I told you that you weren't allowed in here buddy." David ruffled Henry's hair. "Maybe you should let Mr. Cassidy know. He told me to make sure um Henry? Didn't get back in here."

"I haven't seen Mr. Cassidy but Mrs. Cassidy was just here perhaps she's in her office now. Let's go Henry."

"NO! They're bad! They've got my mom and Emma hostage! They're going to hurt them! LET ME GO!"

"Mary Margaret what's going…on?" Eugenia called out before walking into the kitchen almost stumbling when she saw the boy her son had been looking for. "Well master Henry we meet again. I believe you were told to not come here again; the sheriff even told your mother. Come with me young man. Now."

"No!" Henry yelled looking at Mary Margaret and David "Don't let her take me! She's bad she's got my mom and emph!" Henry's tirade was cut short with Eugenia covering his mouth with her hand.

"That's enough!" Looking to her maid and gardener, "I'll look after this juvenile delinquent with the wild imagination and you two get ready for Mr. Gold when he arrives, I hope you have prepared the finger foods I requested and you've used the freshest from David's vegetable garden?"

"Of course, Ma'am I was just finishing wrapping the brussels sprouts with bacon everything else has been prepped I just need to put them in the oven."

"Good, dear good. Once we have gone over everything with Mr. Gold, we'll call you in to witness our signatures." Eugenia replied pinching Henry's arm then squeezing tighter to keep him quiet and still.

"I can escort him to the gate if you like Mrs. Cassidy." David suggested about to go to Henry when Eugenia pulled him back.

"No! I mean, thank you David, I have him you go help Mary Margaret then get ready yourself."

Mary Margaret turned back to the table and the tray of spinach artichoke squares she had finished prior, baffled from the encounter with her employer and the young man. She felt bad for him a little being handled by Eugenia but there was something she couldn't put her finger on. It wasn't his story of his mother being held hostage upstairs but what was it he said? She couldn't recall.

"Hey, are you alright? You zonked out there for a bit." David asked rubbing her arm giving her a warm smile.

"Um yeah, it's just something Henry said, I'm not sure."

"As Mrs. Cassidy said, he's a boy with a wild imagination I had one when I was his age."

"Hmm yes, I'm sure. So, I had better get this food ready for our guest and you better get into a suit if you're going to be the waiter or is it the footman for the night."

Chuckling, David gave Mary Margaret a hug, "Right, I'll be back in a few to help you get ready." David agreed and then quickly gave Mary Margaret a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be right back!"

Mary Margaret smiled watching David jog out the back door. He was so handsome and kind she really liked him after getting to know him here at the estate. She had it good this year, a great job and employer and a boyfriend. Things have gotten so much better since her first days here and Judith and the Cassidy's. It was a rough start but once Judith got over thinking she was…Emma.

"He said Emma, he said my mom is being held hostage with Emma."

Mary Margaret drifts back to the first day Judith awoke and how upset she was and how adamant that she her name wasn't Judith.

"I really have no idea who you are or who this Judith Cassidy is. I am Emma Swan so please stop calling me Mrs. Cassidy or Judith dammit!"

"Oh my God!" Mary Margaret shrieked dropping the tray of food onto the floor.