This was not her bed. The ground beneath her was uneven. Hard edges dug into her spine, and it seemed to sap the warmth from her body. Groaning, Regina attempted to push herself up, but the palm of her hand was met with sharp gravel tearing at her skin. She inhaled at the pain, eyes flying open.
Panic settled in her chest as she realized she didn't recognize anything around her. She was outside, the cold night air seeping through the fabric of her clothes. They looked more worn than she remembered. Maybe it was just the moonlight, but the colors seemed faded, and the edges were wrinkled. There was a large run in her stockings on her right leg. The lumps she had felt beneath her were concrete stairs, leading up to an enormous house. The house - no, mansion, - itself was beautiful, bathed in the silver light of the stars. Arching windows caught the light, and there were turret style spires twisting up towards the clouds. A small wooden sign stood out in the yard.
Granny's Bed & Breakfast.
Frowning, Regina pressed a hand to her forehead. She had no memory of coming out this far. Last she could remember, she'd been in her apartment in the city, prepping for her latest social services case. She'd been putting together a file for a child who'd been reported missing by his father…
Her mind went blank after that. She tried to push herself up once again.
"Oh, hold on! Wait, I'll help you!"
Turning, Regina squinted to see a small, pixie haired woman running up a large driveway that curved behind her. At the end of the gravel road was a small parking lot, and off to the side, a two car garage. Lights shone from inside the windows, and she thought she could make out a figure moving inside.
"How are you feeling?" The woman asked her as she reached Regina, bending down to brace a hand on her arm. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to leave you. It was only for a second; I thought you were asleep." The woman was maybe a few years younger than her. This close Regina could make out her soft features - a button nose, flushed cheeks, though perhaps that was from the running, and warm, dark eyes. Her lips were pink and turned in a soft smile, and there was not a smudge of makeup on her face. Regina felt overdressed by comparison, sitting on the ground in rumpled business casual and a painted face.
"Disoriented," Regina replied, her voice gravelly. "Where am I?"
"You're at Granny's." The woman hoisted Regina to her feet. "I'm Mary Margaret. I live here. Take it slow now. You were having car trouble on the main road over there. My husband found you. I think you hit your head, so be careful."
"Car trouble?" She echoed, glancing back towards the dirt road that edged the sprawling lawn. The benz was nowhere to be seen.
Mary Margaret nodded. "It looked a bit like you hit something. A deer, maybe? It's just a small dent. My husband is taking a look now." She gestured back towards the garage. As Regina turned to look, she saw that there was indeed somebody inside. She could just make out a blonde man waving to her. She lifted a hand and gave a small wave in return. "Can I ask where you were going in such a hurry?"
"I, uh…" Regina shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't remember."
Frowning, Mary Margaret turned and began to lead her up the stairs. "You must have hit your head pretty hard. Let's get you inside and into a warm bed, and I'll call the doctor first thing in the morning."
Regina nodded, too exhausted to protest.
The inside of the house was as opulent as the exterior. Plush red carpets lined hardwood floors, and paintings marched across the walls. A small counter in the foyer read "Check In/Check Out", but there was nobody behind it. A row of ornate keys dangled from ropes attached to golden hooks at the bottom of an overhead cabinet. There were a few missing, Regina noted - occupied rooms.
As they passed what seemed to be the dining room, Regina caught a glimpse of a pretty woman about her age, blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. She was wearing a loose-fitting t-shirt, but even under that Regina could see the well-defined muscles of her arms. She was hunched over a cup of something, but she looked up as the two women passed, expression unreadable. She stared outright, watching Regina with darkened eyes and lips pressed into a hard line. She did not stand up. She did not speak. Mary Margaret paused just as they were passing the doorway, backing them up a step so they were within the woman's sight once again.
"Emma dear, we have a new guest! Aren't you going to say hello?"
The blonde continued to stare at her with those haunted eyes for several more moments before she glanced towards Mary Margaret and frowned. She fixed that stare on the other woman, though this time it had hardened, something of a challenge. Finally she sighed, glancing back to Regina.
"Hello, Regina. Welcome to Granny's." There was about as much emotion in the statement as was in her gaze. With that she returned her eyes to her cup.
At the edge of her vision Mary Margaret frowned, and the hand on Regina's arm tensed. "Thank you." Her tone was terse. She nudged Regina further down the hall.
As they walked away, Emma muttered under her breath, just loud enough to be heard, "Enjoy your stay."
"You'll have to forgive my daughter," Mary Margaret began as she led Regina into a small bedroom and flicked on the light. The floor was laid with the same stained and polished hardwood as the hall and entryways, and a wine-red plush carpet covered the area in front of the bed. A dark wooden wardrobe stood to one side, left of a window with a gray-plush lined seat. A small vanity with a mirror occupied the other wall, and a nightstand with a lamp stood beside the bed. There was a cracked door that Regina could just see led to a bathroom. Besides that the room was empty.
"Your daughter?" Regina asked, unable to hide the disbelief from her voice. Surely she couldn't mean the blonde woman from the dining room? She gave another once over to the petite woman who had found her outside. Her skin was flawless, free of wrinkles, cheeks full and boasting a youthful flush. By contrast the woman downstairs was weathered. Still beautiful, still young, but worn.
"I'm older than I look," was all she said. She gestured around to the room. "Well, get some rest. We'll get the doctor out here in the morning and get all this sorted out. Oh," She added, a bit sheepish. "I hope you don't mind. We brought your suitcase up from your car."
Regina shook her head. "No, that's fine, thank you." Normally somebody going through her car would not be okay with her, but right now all she wanted was to crawl into that bed and fall asleep. Her privacy was the least of her concerns.
"All right then. Just give a shout if you need anything, then." Mary Margaret closed the door behind her, and Regina collapsed into the plush comforter of the bed and drifted into a black, dreamless sleep.