Emma soon found herself in a new area of town she had never been to. It was a nightclub, of sorts, only classier than the noises and people that occupied The White Rabbit. The whole place looked like it belonged in a fairytale book.
The floors were a beautiful white marble, the walls white with a gold trim. Round tables were draped with fine white linen, sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Quiet classical music played through the speakers mounted on the walls. People talked quietly around them, lounged on suede couches and seated at the surrounding tables. Most of them were dressed in clothes similar to Regina—elegant nightlife clothes, unlike the partying type Emma dealt with 3 nights a week.
Self-consciously, Emma glanced down at her blue jeans ripped at the knee and her hoodie that said, 'Bite me'. It was meant to be taken as dry humor but now it seemed anything but funny, given the circumstances.
"You should have told me where we were going. I would have dressed up a little," Emma said as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Regina merely smiled. "You look fine, Emma. I'll be taking over my sister's nightly duties, so I thought I would invite you out." The older woman looked around, her smiling fading the slightest. "Most people don't care to talk to me. You were the only one who openly did."
Emma frowned, feeling sorry for Regina. Everyone seemed to have an assumption about the older Mills sister. And all of them were proving to be wrong, so far. Pushing away the anxiety creeping in on her, Emma leaned forward, offering the Mayor a smile.
"I wanted to make up for what happened with Zelena. Everything is really fuzzy, it's like it was a dream almost."
Regina guided Emma over to a couch, taking the glasses of wine offered by a nicely dressed waiter and handing one to Emma. "Here's to a new start. Friends?"
Emma nodded, softly clinking her glass to the older woman's. The champagne was smooth, much too classy for a street rat like her, but she drank it anyway. Regina shifted closer to her, nearly making contact with her thigh.
"I think you can help me with my town problem, Emma. You can use that power you wield inside you to help me cast a spell, ward the town so the mortals are safe. I can help you control it. However, I need to trust you, and I need you to trust me. I need to get to know you, of how you were before you came to Storybrooke."
Emma stared down at her lap, taking a long sip of her drink. She hadn't intended on talking about her past ever again. If Regina were to find out why she was running, what she did… she'd turn her in for sure.
"There's not much to tell, honestly. I was raised by nuns, believe it or not. But when I started becoming rebellious, I was put out on the street." Emma shrugged, her mind drifting back to the night where she had arrived home from a night of partying to find her stuff on the front stoop. "That's how I lived until I came here."
Regina nodded, hiding her disbelief. Interrogating the girl wasn't the way to get through to her. Besides, Emma was the first person openly willing to consider being her friend. Not to mention, she was very desirable in Regina's opinion.
"What about you? Who were you before you became Madame Mayor of Storybrooke?" Emma changed the subject, bouncing her leg up and down nervously.
Regina chuckled ruefully and shook her head. "I don't think you'd care to know 100 years of knowledge about me. It's quite boring."
Emma set her glass down, propping her head on her hand. "Tell you what—if you tell me something about yourself, I'll tell you a secret."
Regina fought not to roll her eyes. Secrets? Were they teenagers? Although she had to admit, the girl was rather sweet.
"Alright, Emma, you have yourself a deal. Let's see… I had a brief rebellious stage, believe it or not. Are you familiar with Woodstock?"
Emma nodded eagerly, leaning forward. "It was 3 days of peace and love and music in 1969."
Regina chuckled at the blonde's reaction. "I was there. Tie dye clothes, short shorts, homemade beaded jewelry. Even participated in some… illegal acts."
"Public indecency?" Emma joked with a sly smile.
Regina was surprised as a laugh bubbled up from her throat before she could stop it. She hadn't laughed like that in years ever since… no. She couldn't fall for Emma Swan. She couldn't go through that again. She straightened up, draining the rest of her glass.
Emma seemed to notice the change in her and shifted slightly away. "I bet it was amazing."
Regina smiled politely, the memories flooding back to her. The crowds of thousands of people standing together, piled into vans, making love. The music of the 60's, the passionate artists that were able to hypnotize the audience with their waves of music, the sweet smell of the weed being passed around… it was truly unforgettable.
Regina gently nudged Emma's leg. "Your turn."
"Oh." Emma set her glass down, straightening up in her seat. "Well, my life hasn't been nearly as exciting as yours. Though I admit, I dabbled in some illegal activities myself. But I can truly say that here, in this town, I feel safe. You don't scare me, and neither does your sister."
Regina momentarily forgot about her past feelings and moved closer to Emma. "I can promise you that you will be safe here. Whatever in your past you're hiding from, it can't touch you here." The woman sensed Emma becoming emotional and grabbed her hand, stroking her thumb across it. "It means you can be honest."
Emma shook her head, quickly pulling her hand out of Regina's grasp and swiping it across her eyes. "I wasn't a good person outside of Storybrooke, Regina. I came here to start over."
"You can. I can show you how to use your magic, how to control it, if you'll let me. Would you like that?"
Emma forced herself to meet Regina's eyes, her gaze straying slightly to the woman's parted lips, exposing her fangs. She balled her hands up into fists as feelings of desire rushed to the surface, her brain screaming at her to give in, that she needed that high more than she needed air.
Regina recognized the look that came over the blonde so suddenly. It was one similar to her own after a feeding. This poor girl was addicted, but it wasn't just to the feeling of a vampire bite. Zelena hadn't gotten her hooked—she had been hooked long before. She had a feeling that was a huge reason why Emma had come seeking refuge. And in order to help her, she would have to learn what triggered her first.
"How about we move this conversation to my house? I can show you my magic there," Regina offered.
Emma glanced at her phone, seeing it was nearly 2 in the morning. "I really should be getting back to the diner. I'm working tomorrow and I kind of have a routine I stick to so I'm not exhausted during my shift."
Regina waved the comment off. "You'll stay with me for tonight. Don't worry—I'll make sure my sister behaves."
"Okay." Emma followed Regina out to her car, nodding off slightly on the drive to the mansion. She jerked awake as Regina reached over to unbuckle her seatbelt, clearing the sleep from her eyes.
"Easy, dear. It's just me," Regina softly murmured.
Emma found herself blushing, thankful that they were enshrouded by darkness to hide her embarrassment. "I haven't been sleeping very well," she admitted.
"For that I have a remedy. Follow me inside, Miss Swan." Regina left the girl to follow her, leading her to the kitchen. She gestured to the dining table, turning to the fridge where she poured milk into a pot and began heating it up. "Would you mind watching this for a moment? I need to check on my sister."
"Sure." Emma stood and began stirring the liquid.
Regina headed upstairs to Zelena's room, pleased to see her sister was still deep in sleep. Thank god for sleeping spells. Just to be sure, she quietly locked the room from the inside out. Emma and Zelena had already seen enough of each other to last them both a while.
The milk was nearly to a boil when Regina returned to the kitchen with a pair of pajamas in hand. She couldn't help but smile as she noticed Emma lean over and sniff the liquid, scrunching her nose in displeasure.
"I take it warm milk is not a go-to sleep remedy of yours," Regina commented as she grabbed a glass from the cupboard.
Emma took a seat at the table. "Can't say that it is. My remedy for no sleep is a bottle of wine."
Regina set the cup of milk in front of the blonde, taking a seat next to her. "That must be a wicked hangover."
Emma shrugged and took a sip of her drink. "You get used to it."
Regina took a deep breath, figuring it was now or never to let Emma in on her plan. "I know how you feel, Emma. How vampire bites, alcohol, whatever else—affects you. I was truthful when speaking of your magic—it is very powerful and needs to be controlled. However, I want to help you get over this other more pressing issue."
Emma stiffened in her seat, staring down into her cup. "I'm managing that on my own, thank you. No offense, Madame Mayor, but I don't need your help."
"You say that, yet I know it's not true. You crave it. I can read your aura. You're defensive, nervous." Regina leaned close to the blonde, allowing her fangs to poke out of her mouth a tiny bit. "I will give you what you want. But only if you agree to let me help you."
Emma glared at the older woman, abandoning her drink and suddenly regretting coming over in the first place. "How is biting me going to help get over this craving?"
"Because if you agree to my conditions, you will be cut off from everything else you use to feel good. Whether that be alcohol, pills, drugs. You will stay here to recover. And this bite is your only saving grace to staying sane while you become clean," Regina explained.
Emma stood to go, having heard enough of this speech. Regina was crazy if she thought Emma was going to allow control over her like that. For all she knew, the vampire simply saw her as a free pass to all-access blood city. It sounded like Emma wasn't the one with the problem here.
"You're insane! You don't want to help me, you want to use me, to keep me as a little blood pet for you and your sister. No fucking way."
Regina nodded in understanding. "I'll give you a day to think on it and when you're ready, I'll explain in further detail. In the meantime, feel free to stay in the guest bedroom on the main floor. Take a right out of this room and go down the hallway, first door on the left." She handed the blonde the pajamas.
Emma wordlessly took the clothes, mystified at why she wasn't bolting out the door and back to the security of the diner. Was Regina influencing her with her magic? Or was Emma seriously considering her offer? Shaking off her feelings of doubt, she slid under the covers and drifted off to sleep.
XXXX
Regina woke the next morning and dressed for the day. She headed to Zelena's room with a juice box, unlocking the door to see her sister just now waking, rubbing her eyes in confusion. "Morning, Z. How are you feeling?"
Zelena glared at her grumpily, apparently not remembering the state in which Regina had found her in. "What has you so chipper?" She grumbled, accepting the juice box and quickly finishing the blood inside.
"It's a beautiful morning, I slept well, I've learned quite a bit about Miss Swan," Regina answered.
Zelena's brow furrowed in confusion. "The new mortal? Since when have you had time to see her?"
"Last night, while you were asleep. I covered your shift so you could catch up." Regina smirked as she noticed Zelena's magic crackling with energy as her mood shifted from confused to angry.
"You put me under another sleeping spell?! I thought you agreed to leave me be!" Zelena snapped.
"I was saving your ass! You should be thanking me." Regina turned toward the mirror and fixed a stray hair, admiring herself and smirking at her little sister's expression. "You fooled around with Miss Swan and her magic took control of you. You're lucky it didn't end up killing you both."
Zelena's anger dissipated at her sister's words. Her aura's color turned back to normal, and she stretched her muscles before shedding the clothes she had been wearing for the past few days. "So what is your plan, then? Send the girl away?"
"Actually, the opposite. I'm offering her a place to stay so I can help her with her magic among other things."
"And you just expect me to stay away from her while we're living under the same roof?" Zelena shook out her curls with a sigh. "That's just asking for trouble."
Regina turned back to face Zelena. "Which is why you won't be staying with us. If Miss Swan accepts my offer—she has yet to decide—I'm going to ask you to occupy one of the empty town houses for as long as it takes for me to help her."
Zelena's mouth dropped open in shock. "You're kicking me out? First you take my duty, then you force me out of my own house?"
Regina rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. I know for a fact you use some of those houses to feed and hookup with some of the regular townspeople. I'll give you your nights back if you promise to leave Emma alone during this time. She doesn't need the temptation that you willingly provide."
Zelena frowned at the sunlight outside, crawling back underneath the covers. "Fine, do whatever you want. Just leave me alone to sleep a while longer."
Regina headed to the door, her hand on the handle when Zelena spoke again.
"Cutting her off right away is going to be torture. You can cut her off from alcohol and whatever else and that is bad enough, but our magic… that is cruel."
Regina pursed her lips, having already considered this fact. "I know. It's why I'm not cutting her off completely."
Zelena sat up again with interest. "You're going to feed from her? You haven't fed directly since—"
Regina held up her hand to cut her sister off. "I know, Zelena. But Emma can help me keep everyone in Storybrooke with her magic. But before she can fully tap into her power, she needs to get rid of her demons." She sighed with the shake of her head. "Promise me you'll behave."
"If it'll make you happy, then I will."
XXXX
Downstairs, Emma got dressed into her clothes from last night, making sure to leave Regina's pajamas folded and the bed made. It was the least she could do, considering the Mayor had allowed her to stay the night out of kindness. Her phone lit up and buzzed with 4 new messages, 3 from Red and 1 from Mary Margaret.
Red: Where the hell are u, Em? Text me back!
Red: I'm bored… :( This scotch isn't gonna drink itself!
Red: It's 9 AM and ur still not back! U better be prepared to give me deets of ur hookup, bitch!
And lastly, Mary Margaret: Red texted me worried sick about you. Be safe! Text us back when you can.
Emma hurriedly texted back her friends, Regina's offer at the front of her mind. She pulled her hair into a side braid, taking her time as she weaved the strands back and forth. Was she ready to give everything up and accept the help she knew she needed? It wasn't going to be easy, that was for sure. Her mind began to slip away again, and the room began to fade.
"Emma, you don't have to do this. I will run with you." Neal stood facing her, hands up in surrender, eyes widened with fright at the gun held steadily in her hand.
The sirens grew louder, the lights closer. She had to make a decision. Shutting her eyes, she squeezed the trigger. The gun went off with a loud pop that echoed in the alley. Neal stood motionless for a moment, crimson red blood staining the white t-shirt he wore and spreading across his chest with every beat of his heart.
"Emma?" He mouthed as his body began to fail, sending him crumpling to the concrete.
Emma stood in shock, dropping the gun in disbelief as she watched the man she used to love die before her very eyes. Her hands shook, her mind racing. She had to get out. Dropping the bag full of drugs she ran, converse pounding against the ground, beanie flying off her head as she sprinted away.
She ran until the sirens faded, until the city lights twinkled behind her, leaving her in darkness. She ran until she felt as though her chest was going to explode. Her lungs burned, her breaths ragged. She turned and threw up into the trees next to her until she her stomach was empty. Then the tears came. Her life was over. She was never going to live a normal life—she would forever be wanted, hunted down. All over a simple misunderstanding. Because she had let drugs take over her life. She had fallen under Neal's charm. He had betrayed her, and she had killed him.
Tears blurring her eyes, Emma curled into a ball on the ground as rain began to fall from the sky, matching her mood. It was only until the sun began to rise that she noticed the green sign reading 'Welcome to Storybrooke'. She had run miles, far away from the city. Maybe this could be her safe haven. Forcing herself to stand, she stumbled over the town line. This was her last resort.
The memory faded away, leaving Emma staring into the mirror with tears staining her cheeks. She owed it to herself, to Neal, to try to better herself. Regina's offer was the only way to do that.
Emma went to the kitchen where Regina stood drinking from a glass, perched over a pile of paperwork. The woman straightened up when she saw her, offering her a warm smile. "Good morning, dear." The Mayor's smile faded as she noticed Emma's appearance. "Is everything alright?"
Emma shook her head, squeezing her hands into fists at her sides. "I need your help. I want to get better."
Regina folded her hands, giving her full undivided attention. "I thought you might say that. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help you."
Emma sat at the table and took Regina's hand. There was something haunted there, an echo of sadness behind the woman's expression despite her calm demeanor. Maybe Emma could be of help too, while she was at it. She could do this. "Thank you, Regina. I'm ready now."
