Chapter 4.
Trigger warning for abuse and foul language
The next morning found Regina in front of her bedroom mirror trying to hide the bruises and bloodied scratches across her face and failing miserably. The area around her eye was a deep and violent purple with spots of dark blue and green, the scratches that had bled a lot the night before had now scabbed over, and her raven hair seemed as though it was matted to the dried blood.
Regina should've known not to provoke her mother when she was in one of her moods as it always ended in Cora hurting her somehow. Regina shivered as she remembered their worst fight.
They had been at a party for Zelena and her husband, possibly their anniversary and Cora hadn't liked the young woman that Regina was talking to instead of trying to find herself a well-educated, well-spoken, handsome husband. Regina knew very well that almost all of the men there that night were married themselves or at least engaged, so it would've been a pointless mission anyway.
Cora held it together while their driver parked the car in the driveway and opened Cora's door for her, then opened Regina's door, got back in the car, and went to park it in the garage at the other end of the grounds.
"How dare you disobey me Regina!" Cora shouted as soon as the door was closed behind them.
"Mother, what are you talking about? I haven't done anything!" Regina reasoned, kicking off her heels.
"Exactly my point! I asked you to try and find a husband and you insisted on spending all night talking to that girl! You deliberately disobeyed me!" Regina turned away from her mother with the intention of climbing up the stairs to her bedroom when her mother jerked her backwards and spun her around to face her
"You do not turn your back on me Regina, I swear that you were always the most defiant child I have ever met. You couldn't just do what I asked of you. Well, lets see you find a husband after the lesson I am going to teach you." And with that, Cora struck her daughter across her face and punched her in the stomach, Regina groaned and doubled up, but her mother grabbed her hair and forced her to stand upright.
"Mind over matter Regina! Stand properly and don't slouch!"
Fighting to keep standing straight, Regina clenched her teeth and forced herself to ignore the pain ricocheting through her while looking her mother in the eye. This didn't seem to please Cora, if anything, it made her even worse.
"Straighten those legs Regina, you must start exercising to get rid of those thunder thighs! Dear God! I have one daughter who is almost nymph-like and beautiful, but you! You are possibly the ugliest girl I have ever clapped eyes on." Cora ranted as she kicked her daughters shins. Cora was wearing her pointed-toed stiletto heels, so the kicks really hurt but still Regina forced herself to stand straight and look her mother in the eye.
"Get out of my sight you piece of shit. I can't bear to look at you anymore"
Seizing the opportunity to escape her mother's wrath, Regina ran up the stairs, slipping due to her own high heels and grazing her knees on her carpet. Shutting her bedroom door behind her, Regina heard the creak of her mother's expensive liquor cabinet and the clink of ice cubes being poured into a glass, then a pause before she head the almost silent glug of liquid being poured from a decanter. Whiskey, most likely, her mother never could go night without whiskey.
Alone behind her locked door, Regina let herself cry silently. Her mother hated crying and used to knuckle her daughters tears away and press their mouth into a grim parody of a smile. Even now, Regina rarely let herself get upset, but tonight her mothers ugly words coated her like slime and her punches and kicks left dark bruises.
"If she finds out more about me, then she will kill me" Regina thought to herself and figured then and there that she needed to get away from her mother as soon as she could.
Regina sighed again, and washed her face, carefully pulling away the hair that had matted itself to the dried blood on her face, wincing slightly. Her eye was puffy and very painful, but it didn't look badly hurt. If she could cover the bruises, then she might be okay. Henry would notice though, he was an observant child, and he would probably ask how she hurt her eye. Great. Barely two days and she was already coming up with cover stories for her mother.
Regina picked her phone up and facetimed her sister who answered on the third ring and gasped when she saw her younger sisters face
"Oh Regina! What happened?" Zelena cried
"Mother happened. Zel I don't think I can cover this with my makeup! What on earth do I do?" Regina panicked
"Stay there. Is Mother at home? I can come over with my special concealing makeup that I used when I was pregnant with Robyn and had some discolouration across my face. Its good stuff."
"Mother left early and said she would be gone until tonight but I'm getting the little boy from school again today. I can not turn up looking like I did a bad job walking into a wall" Regina winced again as she gently prodded around her eye again, just to check that nothing was broken.
"I'll be there in ten minutes. I'll let myself in" Zelena smiled sympathetically and hung up.
Regina then pulled on some of her smarter black sweatpants and a baggy sport shirt that belonged to her sisters husband that she had borrowed but never given back. She then quickly braided her hair back to prevent it catching against her face again.
She was packing her laptop into a bag and looking out her white converse when she heard her sister's key in the lock and then Zelena's voice
"Gina, where are you?"
"In my bedroom Zel, come on up with Robyn, she can play with my phone" Regina called back and seconds later, her sister appeared in her doorway.
"Oh Regina, she really went to town on your eye, does it not hurt awfully?" Zelena asked in a shocked whisper.
"It just aches a little, it hurt more last night but I must've slept through the worst of it. My hair was matted to it this morning, but it's okay now I think" Regina sighed again and tried not to tense up.
"I'm going to give it a little clean just so it won't get infected, then I'll cover it." Zelena explained as she popped open a little green box and pulled out some wipes, Regina tried her hardest not to wince.
Meanwhile, at the swan household…
"Mama! Wake up! You've slept in, we're going to be late!" Henry shouted and Emma's eyes flew open.
"Oh crap! Henry, are you sorted?" Emma asked as she hopped around her bedroom and pulled on a fresh pair of leggings and a pair of faded ankle socks.
"I'm ready, did you sign my homework folder? I left it on the kitchen table" Henry said as he put his dirty bowl in the tiny dishwasher.
"Sure did, kiddo, I left it next to your bag so you would remember it. Oh! And Regina is getting you from school again because I have to work late again tonight. You be a good boy for her but I already know that you will be. Now, come on!" Emma grinned as she shoved her son's arms down his coat and pulled him out of the flat.
Emma caught the bus into town and wandered around the shops, looking in the windows. She couldn't have afforded to buy herself anything from these expensive boutiques and frankly she didn't want to anyway. These clothes weren't really her style, she loved comfy and practical clothes like her sweatpants and leggings and her footwear was mostly converse or vans that she got from thrift or charity shops. Her red leather jacket was her favourite article of clothing, it had been her armour when she was pregnant with Henry and had people constantly tossing her dirty looks and disparaging remarks. It fostered a sort of protection against invisible barriers and Emma clung to it as it made her feel more confident when she was having a bad day like the ones that she used to get quite a lot, but thankfully it had been a while since she had felt like that.
5 years ago
(Henry is 2, Emma is 19)
Emma groaned lightly as she fought to open her eyes, the sunlight streaming in through her bedroom window indicated that today was going to be a good day, but all Emma could think about was that she felt a bone-aching exhaustion wash over her like a cold shower and she shut her eyes tightly, and rolled over so she was facing the wall and didn't have to look at the bright sunshine.
Emma called these her "Gone Days" when she just wasn't quite there and wished she was somewhere, anywhere, else than where she currently was.
Her parents looked after her son when she was feeling like this which was a great help, but Emma hated relying on them quite so much. They had never once complained about what a drag it must be to have their grown daughter and toddler grandson cluttering up the place with all their stuff.
Emma heard the muffled sound of Henry laughing at something, probably his grandmother who fussed around him as though he were her own son. That was what made these days even harder, hearing her son laughing and giggling and knowing that he wasn't laughing and giggling at his mother, but instead at his grandparents.
There was a soft knock at her bedroom door and it was her father with a tray of breakfast and coffee for her, even though Emma wasn't especially hungry, her father always made her breakfast in bed when she didn't have the energy to get up.
"Morning Princess, how are you feeling?" David asked, sitting down on Emma's queen-sized bed
"Morning Daddy, I'm not too great today actually, bad thoughts and all that. How's Henry? Did he wake you guys up in the night?" Emma said, stifling a yawn as she sat up and ran a hand through her bedraggled curls.
"Henry is absolutely fine; he's eaten all his breakfast and your mother is reading him stories as we speak. We heard some crying in the night, but it didn't disturb us at all. What's brought on the bad thoughts? Do you want your mother to come and talk to you and I'll take Henry out for a couple hours to the park?" David suggested as he handed his daughter her coffee which she accepted gratefully.
"maybe, that doesn't sound too bad actually. He loves the park but don't forget that he's frightened of the twisty slide and you'll need to go down it with him on your knee and please don't feed him any ice-cream otherwise he won't eat all his dinner. Can you send Mom through in about an hour? I'm going to take a shower and sort my hair out." Emma said, as she reached for her bathrobe and faded pink bedroom slippers
"Sure Princess, but eat some breakfast first, please?" David used his wheedling smile and Emma grinned at him.
"fine, I'll eat some breakfast then take my shower." Emma promised as her dad kissed her forehead before leaving her to get ready to take Henry to the park.
Just as Emma was fighting the urge to flop back down into her bed and neglect taking a shower at all, Henry toddled into her bedroom and stood beside her bed with his arms up, wanting Emma to pick him up and give him a cuddle.
"Mama, I love you" Henry said as Emma sat up with his chubby arms wrapped around her neck.
"I love you too, Henry. Mama will always love you, no matter what" Emma promised
"I need you Mama, come park" Henry demanded as he pulled at her arms and legs
"Not today Sweetheart, Mama can't today" Emma explained lightly, feeling even worse that her son was asking to spend time with his mother and she couldn't do it.
"Mama, please? Come park and play?" Henry asked, his blue eyes filling with tears.
Emma had always wondered how Henry had gotten blue eyes. Emma's eyes were a fantastic emerald green, and what she could remember about Henry's father's eyes were a dark brown or hazel, her father had her green eyes and her mother had Henry's bright blue eyes, it made Emma wonder if she had given birth to a mini version of her own mother at times.
"Okay Henry, Mama will come to the park with you and Papa and maybe Nana will want to come too" Emma promised, kissing the tip of Henry's nose and hearing him giggle delightedly, unaware that her own parents had been watching the entire interaction and smile at each other. This little boy might just be the thing that would save their daughter.
Snapping out of her flashback, Emma saw that she had been staring at a pair of black shiny Doc Martens and they had been reduced in a clearing sale from 75, all the way down to 27 and Emma couldn't resist them. She had enough money to buy them and they went perfectly with the soft but shiny leather of her jacket, making Emma look slightly older than her years which was always a bone of contention for her; looking incredibly young for her given age.
Fifteen minutes later, she was on the bus holding the new shoes in their shoebox.
*AT REGINA'S HOUSE*
"Zelena, what on earth?! I look worse than I did when you started!" Regina ranted as she caught a glimpse of herself in her sister's makeup mirror.
"Oh ye of little faith! I haven't finished yet so shut up and let me do my job! It will look better once I've put your foundation over the top, this is just to mask the discolouration or bruising in this case." Zelena promised her panicking sister who rolled her eyes but obediently kept quiet.
Twenty minutes later, Zelena held the mirror in front of Regina's face and Regina had to admit that she did look a lot better. The bruising had went from a dark purple to almost invisible, though if she tilted her head a certain way, you could see a shadow around her eye but Regina resolved not to tilt her head that way until the bruising had faded significantly. The application of her own olive-tinted foundation had made a huge difference, in fact, if you didn't know that she was trying to cover such a dark bruise, you likely wouldn't be able to tell that it was even there.
"Thanks, Zelena, you've really helped me out" Regina said, giving her older sister a grateful hug
"Hey, I know what mother can be like when she's in one of her moods and I am surprised that it wasn't worse than this. She can be really violent" Zelena remembered sympathetically
"Tell me about it. Do you remember the night of your engagement party? She really did a number on me when we got home" Regina shivered despite the heat in her bedroom
"I remember. What caused that? I don't remember you doing anything" Zelena asked as she began to pack up her makeup
"That's just it. I wasn't trying to find a husband at the party instead I found a girl who I recognised from college and we were talking about the assigned reading. Mother hit the roof when we got home" Regina admitted, not quite meeting her sister's eyes.
"hey, remember you're always welcome with Robin and I, and this little monster would love to see you more. Please Regina, if it gets any worse, please say that you'll move in with us. You don't have to hide who you are with me and I just want you to be safe. You're still my baby sister" Zelena said, suddenly dangerously near tears.
"I'm not hiding Zel, and I will absolutely move in with your family if Mother gets any worse. The only thing is that I am financially dependant on her and she will almost certainly cancel my credit cards and take away my funding for university. That's the only thing keeping me here" Regina said, helping Zelena pack up her stuff and getting little Robyn ready to go.
"We can help you out sis, Robin and I are comfortably well off, and you wouldn't need to get a job until after you've finished at university. Please don't worry, we can make sure that you're safe and happy" Zelena promised, blinking away her tears but Regina still saw them.
"If you're sure, I won't do anything unless you and Robin are okay with it. Please talk to him about this situation Zel, he'll listen to you better than anyone else." Regina gave her sister another hug and this time it was Regina who felt a sob catch in her throat.
"it's okay. Robin and I have already discussed it, and he says you're more than welcome to come to us whatever happens. Gina, please don't leave it too late for us to help you" Zelena assured her and Regina could only nod dumbly, she felt that if she opened her mouth again, she might never stop crying.
"We'd better be off, keep me up to date with Mother and if she raises a hand to you again, call me and Robin or I will come pick you up. Keep yourself safe Regina. I love you" Zelena picked up her daughter who was yawning languidly and hugged Regina for a third time before departing in a cloud of expensive perfume. What did Zelena mean by hiding who she was? Regina wasn't hiding anything from her sister, she never had.
Thinking that she might be able to grab a sandwich from her favourite deli shop before getting to Emma's apartment, Regina picked up her phone and her laptop chargers, threw them into a bag, picked up a hoodie and her car keys, and left, locking the door behind her. She arrived at Emma's place in record time, having about half an hour before she had to pick up Henry from his afterschool club, so Regina pulled put her laptop and began on her assigned reading for her next college semester but found that she couldn't really concentrate. She kept thinking back to what Zelena had said about her moving in with them if life at home got any worse, and Regina had to admit that it sounded a lot better than living with Cora. Zelena wouldn't get her to throw out all her clothes or demand that she goes to the gym or stop her eating whatever she liked. Regina admitted to herself that it sounded awfully tempting but resolved that it would be a worst-case scenario because she didn't want to reveal the horrors of her life with her mother to anyone, much less her own sister.
