The team headed upstairs and walked inside the Honey moon suite again. No one dared to say a word as silence conquered the entire room again. Regina inserted the copy of the tape inside the DVD player and sat on the couch across the tv waiting for the system to process the disc.
"Come on already!"
Regina mumbled annoyed and tapped her fingers on the coffee table slowly losing her temper and patience. Snow glanced over her step mother and swallowed hard.
"Give it some time!"
"Magic is faster than technology and that is a fact!"
The brunette mumbled back at Snow White and rubbed her temples.
David stood up behind Emma slowly massaging her shoulders. He could feel the tension inside the room but there was no point trying to enlighten the mood. Regina would probably kill him. Killian sat down next to emma on the couch and cleared his throat focusing on the tv that looked like a big shiny box to him. No matter how many years they had been living in Boston, he never managed to become a technology wiz. He always got confused. Especially with phones and their tiny buttons.
A couple of seconds later a sound came from the tv as the dvd started playing. There was a footage of the garage at 12:03AM. No one was there. There were no cars leaving the hotel or entering the hotel. At the left corner of the screen there was another tiny image of the hotel gates. Nothing there as well..
"Go forward!"
Regina groaned and handed emma the remote controller. The blonde woman nodded her head annoyed and pressed the double arrow button. The seconds written on the tv started moving faster and faster when David yelled at emma to press the stop button.
"What? Dad there's nothing here!"
"You think so?"
He approached the tv and pointed his finger at the lower part of the screen. There was a dark corner inside the garage and a man's figure standing there in silence.
"What's that?"
Killian narrowed his eyes.
"That could be anyone! We can hardly take a look on his face!"
Regina complained in distress and approached the tv to have a closer look as well.
"Well that could be robin."
Snow said and crossed her hands under her chest.
Emma pressed the continue button and the image started moving again. The dark figure remained still for the next ten seconds when the mysterious man turned on his phone and the brightness of the screen made his face characteristics pretty obvious.
"It's robin!"
Regina cheered.
"Is that a good thing?"
Snow asked and frowned.
"Yes! It means I'm not crazy!"
She stood up and looked at Killian with a determined look on her face.
"I don't even see why you're here... since we are managing to solve this case on our own."
She gave emma a death glare and walked inside the kitchen.
Emma stayed still processing Regina's words. Weird she thought. Regina was the one that called Killian in order to invite him over for backup. Her words didn't match her actions... She frowned staring at the tv when Killian disturbed her thoughts by placing a soft peck on her right cheek.
"Hmm?"
"I can't wait to have some alone time with you."
He whispered and kissed her lips.
"Yeah... that would be cool."
She replied unemotionally not looking at him.
"Is everything okay love?"
He encircled his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. She could feel his warm body embracing her with lust.
"Yes! Everything is fine. I guess I'm just a little stressed."
She said and pulled away.
"I'm gonna go make something to eat. We all need a break. Are you hungry?"
Killian shook his head negatively and the blond woman headed inside the kitchen to find Regina enjoying a glass of whiskey.
"Being pregnant and drinking alcohol is not the smartest idea madam mayor."
"Do you have to remind me?"
"I'm just trying to protect you."
Regina finished the drunk and threw the glass in the sink. She fixed her lipstick and twisted on the chair to find a more comfortable position.
"I don't need protection. You from the other hand have your mighty pirate by your side to protect you!"
She looked down and played with her fingers. Her strong mask was slowly fading and the place of her smirk took a small frown on her lips.
Emma couldn't believe in her eyes... Regina was jealous! The evil queen was actually jealous! What a blast!
She raised both her eyebrows not believing her eyes and approached the former mayor.
"Regina you're jealous?"
Her tone was soft but slightly teasing.
"I'm not made of rock."
The brunette woman replied annoyed and crossed her hands under her chest.
"As long as we are done here I promise that I'm gonna tell him!"
Emma mumbled and held Regina's soft hands inside her own sympathetically. A warm smile formed on her face as her entire body was radiating love and support towards the older woman.
"He's gonna hate you. Henry is gonna hate both of us..."
"We can make it work! Like we always do!"
Emma claimed and run her finger through the mayor's dark hair trying her best to cheer her up.
"We don't need him."
Regina whispered in order not to get heard and finally looked inside Emma's eyes with a couple of tears forming at the corner of her dark orbs.
"What do you mean?"
"We could have done this without his help!"
Regina whined and wiped away her tears. Pregnancy hormones were absolutely sky rocketing and that made the queen pretty irritated. She never meant to express her feelings that way... especially now. But she couldn't help it.
"Regina you invited him! I never doubted your skills to solve this case!"
Emma claimed with her eyes wide open. Regina looked at her and grinned evilly.
"Don't put the blame on me miss swan! You invited him over here cause you couldn't deal with me anymore."
She finally confessed and a dose of criticism in her voice.
"What are you talking about? You called him crying and asked for his help to find Henry!"
Emma fought back annoyed.
"No! I never did such thing! You were the one who called him and asked for his help claiming that our collaboration was weak and that I wasn't the kind of person who can work with the buddy system!"
She groaned and looked at her filled up with annoyance and anger. Emma's jaw dropped and her forest green eyes widened open in astonishment and fear.
"He tricked us!"
"What?"
Regina whispered and approached the blond woman. Of she had heard Emma's words... of course she knew what the blond woman was talking about. She had tested that theory way too many times to doubt now. She just needed a moment like this one to make sure. It was too late though... she never found the courage to tell Emma the truth! And look at her now... filled up with terror and petulance.
"Regina... the second person who's helping robin with all that shit is Killian... it must be him."
Regina remained still with a poker face covering her emotions and feelings. How was she supposed to react after all? Now is not the time to confess everything... it would just make things worse! It would make emma turn against her.
They had no time to lose with squabbling.
"Okay listen to me... in case we have another serial killer out there, waiting for us, we gotta be ready! I need you to be strong Swan do you hear me? Get your shit together and walk out there like nothing happened! I'm gonna call the police as soon as we leave this room! We have to be careful... and always remember that people like him can smell fear and trust me they like it!"
She commanded Emma trying her best to hide her guilts and pushed the blond woman outside of the kitchen. Emma walked inside the living room to find that the entire place was sunk in darkness. There was no sign of lighting.
"Ugh Regina?"
Regina followed her and glibly hold the sheriff's hand. She could feel the goosebumps now... things were getting out of hand... she could sense that.
"Hello? Snow? David? That's not funny."
She said in croaky voice and tightened her grip on Emma's hand.
Suddenly a lamp was turned on. They could see Killian looking at them with a broad smile on his face. He started clapping sarcastically and walked towards them. Regina took a few steps back and bashed on the wall behind her... shit.
"Well done Emma! You're a genius! Even your mum and dad found out before you did... you had to have an entire conversation in the kitchen first in order to find out that it was me and Robin! Congratulations my love! Even your little hoe over there knew! Regina... you could have made it a lot easier but no! You hesitated! You hesitated to face the consequences for once again. Maybe if you had told her the truth earlier you wouldn't be standing here now facing death. It's okay madam mayor... you're facing the consequences now."
"YOU KNEW?!?"
Emma yelled at Regina with disappointment covering her entire face.
"I.. I kinda did... I was a little suspicious."
"oh tell her the truth already! She knew I bailed Robin out of prison! They told her! The coroner called her accidentally and told her that the DNA on the rum bottle belonged to me but she didn't tell you about this either."
Emma looked down. Tears were storming down her face like rain. She couldn't stop them... she felt betrayed and hurt at the same time. She forgave Regina for so many things... but she wouldn't be able to forgive her about this one! Regina's mistake might had just costed them their son's life...
She death glared over Regina and then back to Killian.
"Why? Why Killian?"
"You really have to ask why?"
He asked with an arrogant smile on his face. He approached both women and placed his hands on Emma's shoulders. The blond woman remained still, not daring to move a muscle. She hated the sensation of his touch... she despised him.
"Oh come on pirate you're gonna tell us anyway."
Regina interrupted and rolled her eyes.
"Wow. I'm impressed queenie. Even though I could just crush your head right now you still have the audacity to talk back at me."
He raised the sound of his voice and approached Regina's face looking at right inside her soul. The brunette woman wouldn't let herself break now. She had to make it out there alive with Emma! And Henry! She couldn't let them down again.
"Serial killers always explain their story to their victims before they kill them. You've been working on this plan for ages... the least you owe me is an explanation. Why here? Why now? Why with her?"
Regina asked and bit her lips in nervousness. At this point she would even doubt herself and her own powers. Some people were right. The only thing that made her powerful and reckless were her magic powers... well guess what. She was alone in this battle. No weapons or magic. She had to stand up for herself without the ability to just vanish inside a purple cloud of smoke...
It's not time to die... it's just not the right time she thought to herself and took a deep breath. She was gonna survive... At least she was gonna save emma. She owed that to her.
"Thought that scaring the shit out of you guys would be fun. Plus... exhausting you both with an unsolvable case first would make it easier to get you both killed now."
"Why Paris?"
Emma sobbed.
"Why not? Perfect destination for vacations, perfect destination to die."
Killian said and smiled broadly.
"WHAT'S THE REASON KILLIAN?"
Emma screamed at the top of her lungs and looked at him devastated.
"The woman standing next to you. She tore everything apart because of her fucking ego! You might were able to forgive her, but I couldn't! Neither Robin."
"This can't be it..."
Emma said through greeted teeth and Regina looked away.
"Oh... maybe she skipped to tell you a tiny information about her. Oh yeah! We were a thing back in storybrooke! Oh yes... your current lover, the woman you used to hate with your heart and soul because she hurt your son and family, the woman that tore your family apart and made you grow up on the streets all alone, was screwing with me!"
He laughed nastily and rubbed Regina's cheek. The queen looked away in embarrassment and pain covering her face. She looked gloomy and speechless... this time she had nothing to say in order to make things any better. It was end game... and she had officially lost Emma. Tears run down her cheeks as she let out a sob instead an apology.
Emma glanced over her with a harsh look on her face.
"Is that true?"
She asked and swallowed hard. Regina shook her head in devastation.
"It's true..."
Emma mumbled and looked back at Killian.
"One more question! What did I do? What did I do to you?"
She cried out. Her face red and the veins on her forehead ready to pop.
"You would have known it was me emma... you wouldn't let me get away that easily... you've been always in love with that woman! You wouldn't allow me to touch even a hair from her! I just decided to finish the job now that I can... forgive me."
"You're an animal!"
"No! I'm a pirate! I fooled you once and now I fooled you twice.. but now matter what I do you're innocent emma! You're always gonna believe that people can change! Just like your mother! How stupid!"
He tightened Regina's wrists on the tune behind her and then did the same thing with Emma. Both women sat down on the floor, next to each other silently. Regina couldn't find the courage to look at emma.
"Where are my parents?"
Emma asked in hesitation.
"They won't be a problem. They think you guys are in the airport."
He admitted and walked outside of the room heading inside the kitchen. Regina kept staring at the blank wishing that she was dead. She didn't want this... she didn't wanna face the consequences again. She was tired...
"I'm sorry emma..."
"SHUT IT! I don't wanna listen to your voice ever again or see you!"
Her words felt like a stab. Regina looked away as more tears slipped down her cheeks. The door of the kitchen opened And the guest star of the night walked in.
"How are you babe?"
Robin asked smiling broadly at Regina...
-to be continued
