Kathryn was sitting in the back of the limousine as she was being transported to her next client, she had no idea who it was. When she arrived back at Gold's after her last client she thought she had some free time before her next one but she was told to shower quickly, as there had been a change of plan and she was expected to be ready to leave for a different appointment at midnight. Of course she did as she was told without question and she was ready and waiting in her room when Peter came to collect her.
She was staring out of the blacked out window, not really paying any attention to the streets whizzing by, that was until she started to recognise the street that lead to Emma's home. She knew it couldn't be Emma she was going to, Regina had her regular appointment with her tonight and after her first and only failure of an appointment with the soccer star, there was no way there could ever be a second appointment, especially now that things were sorted between Emma and Regina. So it confused her to no end when the car passes through the gates of the athletes property and continues up the drive until it stops in front of the steps of the mansion. Before Peter unlocks the doors of the limousine he turns around to tell Kathryn to make sure both she and Regina do whatever Emma wants. Kathryn has no idea what to make of that but she dutifully nods her head and gets out of the car when she hears the click of the doors unlocking.
When the knock at the door comes at midnight it startles both of the women on the couch, even though they were expecting it, they were both deeply consumed by their own thoughts as they held onto each other. Regina sits up as Emma goes to answer the door to Kathryn.
Her fake smile falls from her lips when the door opens and she can see Emma has been crying. Panic fills her but it's all for Regina. "Where is she?" She demands in a way that she never done since being under Gold's control, in the back of her head she knew it could get her in trouble but she really didn't think Emma would do that to her, and besides, her overriding emotion was concern for her friend. She walked into the hallway without being invited.
"She's in the lounge." The blonde answers as she nods her head in the direction of the room. Kathryn storms off ahead, leaving Emma to close the door and follow behind her.
Kathryn finds her friend sitting on the couch with her head in her hands and it only increases her concern.
"Regina?" She cautiously questions her friend, worry and confusion evident in her shaky voice. She sits down next to the brunette and wraps her arms around her in a comforting embrace that had become far too regular recently. "What's happened? Why am I here?"
Regina lifts her head and wipes the few stray tears that had sprung to her eyes when she heard her friends voice at the door. They were tears of relief though, she didn't want to believe that they could both finally be out of the grip of the deranged imp, but as soon as Kathryn turned up she knew that they were. She knew Emma would save them both.
"We are safe now, Kathryn." She says with a weak smile. "We are finally safe."
"What do you mean? What are we safe from?" She asks as she pulls back from her friend, holding onto her shoulders.
"Gold. We never have to go back." She's almost laughing as she says it.
"What do you mean?" She looks from Regina to Emma who is now sitting on a chair opposite them.
"I think I should get us all a drink. Is wine okay?" Emma offers from where she's sitting.
"Will someone please tell me what is going on first?" Kathryn begs in frustration.
"Gold put a camera in my bag and told me that I had to film Emma and I having sex. He wants to have power over her like he does with us, but I couldn't let that happen. I told her, I told her everything." She rushes out her words and looks over at Emma.
"I'll go get the wine." Emma states before making her way to the kitchen, leaving the two friends to have some privacy for a moment. She takes her time and opens a beer for herself, taking a few swigs before she grabs a couple of glasses and a bottle of wine from the fridge. When she walks back into the lounge, Kathryn is listening intently to the every word Regina is telling her about the last few hours, and about August and Killian. She puts the glasses and alcohol down on the coffee table in front of the couch and pours both the ladies a hearty glass of wine before passing a glass each to them.
"Is it true, are we free?" Kathryn asks the blonde as she takes the proffered glass.
"I won't let either of you go back. The battle with Gold has only just begun but I will make sure you are both kept safe. I promise you that."
"I will certainly drink to that!" The elder blonde laughs and raises her glass. Regina takes her glass from Emma and they clink their glasses together and against Emma's beer bottle before they all take a big swig. They all knew they weren't out of the woods, not by a long shot. Gold was the most devious creature any of them had ever encountered and they knew it would indeed be a battle they were facing, but there was too much at stake for any of them to back down.
"Do either of you want anything to eat?" Emma then offers. After hearing from Regina how Gold would withhold food from the women he held captive, she wanted to make sure the woman knew that it wouldn't be a problem they had to deal with anymore.
"Yes, please. I didn't have the chance to have anything before coming here." Kathryn instantly answers in the affirmative.
"I don't think the food I made earlier would be any good if I reheated it. Would a sandwich be okay?"
"Lovely. Thank you." Kathryn readily agrees.
"Regina, are you feeling up for a sandwich now?" Regina's hunger had surpassed the nausea she had felt earlier so she also readily agreed. Emma once again left them in privacy as she made a mountain of various sandwiches, more than the three of them could eat. It was her small attempt at making sure both the women knew they would never go without anything ever again.
Once they had all eaten their fill and the bottle of wine had been drained of its last drop, Emma had suggested that they get some rest as the following day was when the real work began. Regina and Kathryn were more than happy with that suggestion, neither of them used to being able to sleep in complete peace without worry of one or more of Gold's goons coming in their room to satisfy their own depraved needs.
"Do you both want your own rooms or will you be sharing one?" Emma asks both the women.
"Am I not staying with you tonight?" Regina asks, a little concerned about why Emma would not want to share her bed with her.
"You can if you want, but the choice is yours." The blonde kindly states.
Regina smiles at the fact that she had a choice, something she wasn't used to in her life. Emma made her feel safe but there was a deeper comfort attached to Kathryn, they had been friends for all of their adults lives, they had been through everything together. Kathryn was happy to see the genuine concern in green eyes as Emma looked at Regina.
"I think I would like to share with Kathryn for tonight." She felt a tiny bit nervous admitting that, in her heart she knew Emma wouldn't react badly but it had been deeply ingrained in her to please those around her and to choose their happiness over her own, making this decision for herself felt alien to her.
"You both know your way upstairs so if…" She trailed off when she realised said. She had no idea that Regina already knew about Kathryn's visit the previous week. Her eyes widened and she looked at Regina, waiting to see anger or betrayal in the deep brown eyes that she loved.
"It's okay, Emma, I know." The brunette reassures her.
"You do?" She unsurely questions as she looks between the two women.
"Well, I'll go find a bedroom and leave you both to discuss this." Kathryn announces as she grabs her purse and makes her way out of the lounge.
"I'm sorry, Regina. I was being stupid and thought it would help me get over you." The blonde managed to quickly get out, her voice wavering.
"It's okay, Emma. You don't owe me an explanation."
"I feel like I do. It feels like I was being unfaithful to you, even though we aren't together. It was hurting me because after that morning I left you to sleep in late I thought I had messed everything up and you'd never want to see me again. I really didn't think I would see you again. It was my stupid way of trying to block my feelings for you. I also had an appointment with someone else, after Kathryn." She glumly admits, wanting to get it all off her chest.
"I know." Is all the brunette replies. It wasn't pleasant for her to think of Emma with anyone else but she knew she had no claim to the blonde.
"Does that change what you said earlier, you know… about us maybe making this real one day?"
"No, of course not. I already knew about it when I said that. I meant it. When this is all over I would love for us to see what could happen between us. I don't hold it against you." Sure she felt a small pang of jealousy but Emma was a free woman, she was not.
"Okay, good." The blonde smiles as her cheeks glow with a slight pink tinge. "I'll just grab a couple of bottles of water for you both and bring them up to you."
Regina takes a step towards the blonde and leans in to place a gentle kiss on pink lips. "Thank you, Emma." She knows those two little words can't convey just how grateful she is for everything the blonde has done for and everything she has promised to do. "For everything" She added so Emma knew she wasn't just talking about the water.
"You're welcome." The blonde replies before going to get the water, leaving Regina to make her way upstairs to get ready for bed. Emma follows her up a few moments later to find they have picked the bedroom opposite her own, she puts a bottle down on each bedside cabinet. "Feel free to raid my closet if you want to borrow anything to sleep in."
After doing just that and getting ready for bed they all say their good-nights, Emma and Regina lingered near each other for a little longer than necessary before finally parting ways for the night.
XXXXXXXX
"Right! You need to go!" The blonde commands as she sits up in the queen size bed in a huff.
"What? Why?" The brunette self-consciously asks as she sits up.
"Because I can't sleep with you tossing and turning next to me. Just go to her." The blonde states, knowing very well the reason for her friends restlessness.
"I don't know what you mean. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all." Regina replies as she crosses her arms over her stomach.
"How long have we known each other? You can't fool me. You can't sleep because you know Emma is in the room across the way and you want to be with her. Just go."
"No, I should be here with you." Regina tried to convince herself as much as Kathryn. Her friend has always been easier going and more adaptable that she ever had.
"For the first time in a very, very long time, I have a chance to sleep without worrying about being rudely awoken and I want to make the most of it. So just go before I kick you out." She playfully nudges Regina to make sure her sensitive friend knows she isn't mad.
"Do you think she would mind?" She hopes her friend gives her the answer she wants to hear as she nervously chews on her thumbnail.
"Are you kidding? I thought I was going to have to find a crowbar and pry her away from your side earlier. She wants to be around you as much as you want to be around her. I bet she's in the other room pining for you as we speak. Now go. Goooooo." She puts her hands on Regina's back and lightly starts shoving her out of the bed. "Go be with her and let me sleep in peace." She gives her brunette friend a warm smile before wrapping herself in the duvet and turning around to try and sleep. A sure signal to the brunette that she was fine to sleep in the room on her own.
Regina smiles to herself, thankful for her understanding friend and happy to soon be in the safety of Emma's arms. She slips out of the room, closing the door be herself. She stands in front of the door to Emma's bedroom, a room she had been in many times before without hesitation. Now she stands in front of it, unsure whether to just walk in or knock. If Emma was sleeping she didn't want to wake her up but the urge to be with her was overwhelming. She opens the door slowly and peaks her head around it.
"Regina?" The blonde anxiously whispers into the darkness as she jumps out her bed, ready offer the brunette whatever she needs. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I was just wondering if I could sleep in here with you?" Her voice becomes smaller and quieter towards the end of the question.
Emma is standing in front of her and reaches out to hold her hips, her thumbs gently stroking the cotton that covers the slightly protruding bones beneath. "Of course." The pitch of her voice increasing with relief. "I haven't been able to sleep knowing you were so close but not here with me." The darkness conceals her blush at the revelation. She takes the brunettes hand and leads her to the bed that they slip into it together. Emma drags the duvet over them and pulls the smaller woman against her, happily sighing as Regina snuggles into the crook of her neck and holds around her waist. "Nothing feels as right to me as being next to you." Emma whispers into soft, dark hair.
"I couldn't agree more." Regina states as she lightly drags her lips against the side of Emma's neck.
Emma feels her dick stir, as usual it never takes much from Regina to have that effect on her. They both know this won't be going anywhere but the familiar intimacy offers a much needed comfort to both of them. Emma slips her hands under the borrowed tee Regina is wearing, simply needing more skin on skin contact. Regina guides the blonde onto her back and half lays on her, her lips never breaking contact with the skin of her neck. Emma knows she should try to distract herself from the brunettes ministrations in order to stop her dick from hardening any further but she doesn't want to. She wants to be consumed by everything Regina. Soft, plump lips work their way up her throat until they are caressing the blondes. It's slow and gentle, neither of them rushing it or deepening it. Emma can feel the warmth radiating from the brunettes thighs just below her hip and Regina can feel the blondes hardness brushing against the outside of her leg through her tented underwear. But that's not what this was about, their emotions are driving them, not their libidos. They continue to kiss, their tongues never doing more that gently brushing as their hands console and reassure. Eventually the both succumb to much needed sleep, wrapped in each other.
XXXXXXXX
The three of them were all sitting in the lounge, sipping on coffee, waiting for August to soon turn up. Their positions were changed from the night before, Regina was sitting next to Emma on the couch, pressed closely together, and Kathryn was sitting on one of the chairs opposite to them. The blonde athlete had called in sick for her training session, feigning illness as the reason for not turning up. Regina had tried to convince her to go and continue on as normal, she wanted to keep the disruption to the blondes life to a minimum, but Emma wasn't having any of it, she wasn't going to leave the brunettes side until August turned up and would hopefully offer them some sort of reassurance. Gold had no reason to suspect anything, not until Tuesday when neither of the women returned to him, but Emma didn't want to take any chances.
Emma had earlier text August the code he would need to enter the gate to get onto her property. The loud, sharp knock at the door signalled his arrival.
"I'll go let him in." The blonde informs the two women as she gets up to go answer the door, giving Regina's shoulder a light squeeze as she leaves.
"It's going to be okay." Kathryn reassures her friend as she swaps seats to sit with her, picking up on her nervousness.
"I know. It just feels so real now that other people are here and getting involved. Do you really think August will be able to help us?" She says, looking to her friend for answers.
"I sure will. That bastard is not going to get away with this." The bearded man answers from the doorway.
Emma sneaks past him and introduces them all. "August this is Regina and Kathryn, ladies this is August." They shakes hands and Emma and August both take the chairs opposite the couch.
"Right, let's get down to it. I had the short story from you last night, Emma, now I need the full version with as much detail as possible."
Regina and Kathryn start at the beginning, each telling their story about how they ended up in Gold's possession. Kathryn had run away with her boyfriend when she was eighteen. Her father thought he was a waster and had tried many times to break them up by setting her up with men he deemed to be more appropriate. Eventually, tired of his efforts of trying to ruin her relationship she eloped with him to Maine. The first few weeks were everything she had dreamed of, just her and her boyfriend doing as they pleased. That soon changed as the money she had taken from her very rich father began to run out. She had known that her boyfriend had had a casual relationship with drugs but it soon became obvious that it was no longer casual. She quickly began to regret her decision to run away when he became violent but she made excuses for him, it was the drugs, not him, and she thought if she could get him off the drugs things would go back to how they used to be.
The normally strong woman was crying as she relived the painful memories in front of everyone in the room but she knew it had to be done. Emma offered her a tissue from the box on the coffee table. Wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath she continues as Regina holds her hand.
She tells them all them of how one night her boyfriend brought home a friend to their barely furnished apartment in a run down part of the city, for some drinks. It turned out he wasn't his friend but his dealer and Kathryn was payment for his latest fix that he couldn't afford with money. The next day he was apologetic and made promises about getting himself clean and how it would never happen again. Being young and in love she believed him, she still thought they could make it work. The next time it happened she packed up all of her belongings, ready to run back to her father to escape the life she had made for herself, but he work up before she had the chance to leave and that's when he life changed forever. He locked her in their bedroom and when she left it a few hours later, she was being dragged out by his dealer, undoubtedly in exchange for his next fix. As bad as she had thought things were at that point, it was nothing compared to how things became when the dealer handed her over to his boss; Gold. That was a fresh wave of Hell, but a bright spot appeared in her life when she met Regina.
She gives Regina a weak smile when she remembers the first day they met, Regina returns a sad smile. The brunette was a broken girl the day she was dragged into Gold's building, that was to become her home for the next decade. Kathryn had already been there for a few months and took her new roommate under her wing, showing her the ropes and being her shoulder to cry on when things got too much, which was every day in those first few months.
Emma was wiping away a few stray tears that had managed to escape without permission as she tried to be strong. August was enraged. He had met many women with similar stories to Regina's and Kathryn's when he worked for the police. That's the reason he does what he does now, he was sick of these innocent women never getting any justice. His experience in the police force taught him that if you were a prostitute you were invisible. No one cared and no one helped, not the legal system that should have protected and saved the women, no one.
He was doing the best he could down in Florida to help as many women as he could but he knew it would never be enough. Not whilst men like Gold were free to do as they wished.
August's phone started ringing as they all sat in solemn silence, absorbing the full impact of the evil man they were up against.
"It's David Nolan. I almost forgot we had a phone call planned. Keep quiet and I'll put him on speaker phone." They all nodded their heads in agreement.
"Hey David, thanks for calling." August answers in the lightest voice he can manage after everything he had just learnt." He puts it on speaker phone and places the phone in the middle of the coffee table.
"Hey August, long time no speak. How's life?" David replies cheerfully.
"Not too bad. I'm afraid this isn't a social call though. I'm after some information. Do you know anything about a business man named Mr Gold, he's from your neck of the woods." He hadn't told David that he had rushed up to Maine, still unsure of who he could trust after Killian's betrayal.
"Mr Gold?" David's voice was stern and commanding. "Why are you asking about him?"
"You remember Killian Jones from the academy? I called him to ask if he knew of any jobs going in the police department he works in. I think my early retirement was maybe a bit too early. Anyway, he pointed me in the direction of Mr Gold, said he's always willing to hire ex-cops. Something about personal security. I just wanted to see if you knew anything about him before I travel all that way to meet him." The lies fell easily from his mouth. He couldn't take the chance that David was on Gold's payroll.
A big sigh came through the speaker phone. "I can't go into details but you need to stay away from Gold… and Killian. I'm serious. Don't even tell Killian that you have been in touch with me. I know we haven't spoken in a long time but you really need to trust me here. Turn down the job and get on with your life." David warns his old friend.
All four sets of eyes are focussed on the phone on the coffee table. A small smile plays on August's lips. "You're investigating him aren't you? You're onto him." He confidently voices.
David was a surveillance officer in the FBI but it hadn't occurred to August that his friend would already be investigating Gold.
"Just stay away from him August. For your own good." David says with finality.
"If you are investigating him. I have two inside witnesses that can help put him away for life. I wasn't looking for a job. I needed to know I could trust you." August finally admits
"We need to meet." David states.
"I'm in Storybrooke. Give me an address and we can discuss this face to face."
David gives him the coordinates for a cabin in the middle of the woods on the outskirts of the town, confident that no one would bear witness to their meeting in such a remote location.
After he hangs up the phone August looks at the two women that are huddled together on the couch, the stress of the situation eating at them.
"This is a good thing ladies. A very good thing. David works for the FBI and if they are already looking into Gold they must be pretty confident they have a case against him. Your testimony could be the thing that takes him down. You'll be the heroes." He's doing his best to try and convince them that this is a good thing. He knows all too well how fear can make a witness back down and an entire case implode on itself.
"More like targets." Regina snaps.
"Don't worry. You're identities can be kept out of it." He tries to reassure her.
"When we don't return to him on Tuesday he will know it was us and he will know where we are!" She almost shouts, her voice flooded with panic.
"We will keep you safe. Between Emma, myself, and the FBI, we can keep you safe. I'm going to meet with David now, when I return I will have answers for you." He understands her fear, he's seen it a million times. But just like Emma, he will protect the two terrified women.
Emma goes to sit next to Regina, who is gripping tightly onto Kathryn's hand. "I don't care what it takes, I am going to make sure you are both safe and that Gold pays for everything he has done. I will hire security guards for outside the house if that is what needs to be done. Gold nor any of his little bitch boys will ever get near either of you, ever again." She spits out vehemently.
Kathryn gives a sad smile but trusts that Emma will make good on her promise. Regina leans into the blonde and tries keep her tears at bay. As scared as she is, she doesn't doubt the blonde that has taken care of her every time they have been together.
XXXXXXXX
A quick thank you to the lady who called me out on FB for not having been regular with my updates recently. Sometimes it's good to be reminded that people are waiting, it certainly made me start work on this chapter a lot sooner than I otherwise would have. Sorry for the wait but I hope it was worth it.