As promised, I give you your most recent chapter.

"Shouldn't we wait before we go?" Regina asked, watching as Emma hurriedly gathered up all of the files and put them on her desk.

"Liza just walked over the town line and you want to wait?" Emma asked, looking at Regina in disbelief. "We need to figure out where she was and what happened to her. And of course, why she was let go. That's a big one."

Regina shifted slightly, as if weighing a decision. Emma caught the movement out of the corner of her eye. "What?"

"It's nothing."

"Regina, spit it out. What."

Regina sighed. "What if someone took the deal?"

"The deal?" Emma asked, confused. Then her eyes widened as she realized what Regina was implying. "The same deal I was offered. To take her place."

Regina nodded. "All I'm saying is that maybe we should wait to go see her. Let David handle interviewing her and getting the details. You've had enough stress put on you by this situation."

"No, I need to do this," Emma said. "For Avery."

It ended up working out better that Emma and Regina stay at the station. They waited patiently, as much as they could anyway, until they heard people approaching. As Liza came into view, Emma gasped and swayed on her feet, overcome by the obvious abuse that she had endured during her time with Bluebeard. Or whoever the hell her captive was.

Regina quickly grabbed Emma and got her back upright, slowly letting go when Emma nodded that she was okay. Mary and Jackson guided Liza over to one of the chairs in front of Emma's desk, both of them standing on either side of her as if keeping watch. Regina knew without a doubt that Liza would probably never leave their sight again.

Emma came around the front of her desk and knelt in front of Liza, getting to her level. "Hi Liza, my name is Emma. I know that you've been through a lot lately, so I'm going to try and keep this as brief as possible so you can go home."

"Okay," Liza said quietly. She blinked a couple of times to clear the tears from her eyes before looking up at Emma. Regina had to give her serious points for strength.

"I don't remember much. At least not when I was taken. I was grabbed and then they knocked me out with something. When I woke up, I was in a room."

"Were you restrained?" Emma asked.

Liza shook her head. "I was on the bed, but not restrained. It was a nice room, everything was super expensive and well taken care of. Meals were brought to me by servants, and I was washed and dressed every morning. Finally, I was let out of the room, and that's when I met him."

Liza looked down again, the tears coming back full force. Jackson reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, but quickly removed it when she winced from his touch. Regina winced in sympathy. Not for Jackson, but for Liza. She knew what the fear of being touched felt like.

Reaching behind her, Emma pulled a tissue from the box and handed it to Liza, who accepted it and smiled at her graciously. "He seemed nice at first. Charming. But I quickly learned that he had a temper. Anytime that I disagreed with him, or talked when I wasn't spoken to, he would lash out. Sometimes at objects, other times at me. Whichever was closer."

"After a couple of days he showed up to breakfast with a ring of keys. Said he was going out of town for awhile, and that I could go anywhere and into any room I wanted to. Just not to the basement. That was off limits for entering. I was curious, of course, but with his temper I didn't want to know what he would do to me if he found out I had gone against his wishes."

Liza paused, and everyone in the room held their breath. Finally, Regina spoke. "How did you get away?"

Liza looked up at Regina, as if just noticing she was there. "I kept trying keys until I found one that unlocked the front door. Once I got it open, I ran outside and he was waiting for me. He was smiling, and told me to get in the car. I sat in the back, in the total dark, and when he opened the door we were at the town line. He said someone had taken my place."

Emma looked at Regina, both of them sharing a look before Emma turned her gaze back to Liza. "I think that's enough for today. If we want to talk to you further, we'll get in touch with your parents."

Liza nodded, and Mary held her close as they walked out of the station. Regina and Emma watched them go, Emma walking behind her desk and sighing as she sat down in her chair. Regina leaned up against the desk, waiting patiently for her to talk.

"I have nothing more to offer. I was there when Avery was taken, I can't account for what happened when she was with her kidnapper. I don't know anything about this guy."

"Maybe you do and just don't realize it," Regina suggested.

Emma ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't know. What else could I possibly know? It's not like I ever met him."

"But what if you did," Regina pushed. "He wouldn't just be randomly targeting Avery and then Liza. It's their family. He followed them all the way across the country. That takes dedication and knowledge of the family. He had to have been around them."

"David got a description of the guy from Liza when she first crossed the town line so it was still fresh," Emma said. "Maybe if I read it I'll remember something."

Regina nodded before pushing off of the desk and walking toward the door.

"Regina."

"Hm?"

"You winced."

Regina looked at Emma in confusion. "What?"

"When Liza winced," Emma clarified. "Don't think I missed that."

Regina's jaw dropped. "Your back was turned to me!"

Emma smirked. "I was reaching for a tissue for Liza and saw the after-effect of it."

"This isn't about me. It's about you, and about Liza."

"Why did you wince?"

"Emma."

"Gina."

"Don't 'Gina' me."

"Then answer my question and quit deflecting."

Regina scoffed. "That's ironic coming from you."

"Deflecting," Emma sing-songed, grinning when Regina glared at her. "Your glares don't scare me anymore, Your Majesty."

Regina rolled her eyes at the title. "I know what it feels like. To jump when you're touched because someone wasn't gentle when they touched you. That's all."

Emma nodded in understanding. They had talked about this before, she just liked to remind Regina that sharing emotions and hardships didn't just go one way. She was going through a lot right now, and it surely wasn't easy on Regina either.

"I'm doing it because I love you," Regina said, chuckling when Emma looked at her in surprise. "I know you."

Emma got up and kissed her cheek. "I know you do. And I love you too. Now let's solve this case."