Chapter9

Emma squinted at the bright light that made it through a single crack where the drapes didn't quite meet, hitting her square in the face. She rolled over, attempting to dodge the annoying ray of light.

She had a slight headache but wasn't nauseous. It was a good thing, she thought, considering it could have been much worse. She had woken up many times in her previous life sporting horrible hangovers and nausea that would last most of the day.

The blonde took a deep breath as she stretched her limbs. There was a familiar scent that invaded her senses. Glancing around the room, she knew that there was no one else, but that smell. That sweet, earthy scent. Her heart sank to her stomach as memories of the night before came rushing back.

She ran her hand through her long wavy locks as she sat up. Regina must surely hate her now. The blonde knew the older woman wouldn't allow her to be around Henry after what happened.

Emma stood up, looking down at her attire while breathing through the pain in her side. She had her boy shorts on and an oversized t-shirt, which definitely wasn't hers. She couldn't resist pulling the material up to her nose to smell it. Yep, it smelled like Regina.

The blonde looked around the room but didn't see her clothes. Maybe the other woman had washed them or something. She noticed the walls were painted blue and most things in that room told her that it's a kid's room. Randomly set on different levels of the bookshelf, sat dinosaur figurines. She smiled to herself and thought of Henry. A small desk sat near the window. She imagined that's where Henry did his homework.

Framed awards adorned the blue wall by the door. They were for different achievements: perfect attendance, straight A's, even awards and ribbons for science fairs. Emma was impressed.

She opened the door and peered out into the hallway, hoping to find her clothing then slip away unnoticed. This way, she didn't have to face the other woman and see the disgust painted on her face.

She slipped out into the hallway closing the door as quietly as she could.

"I see you are awake," a woman's voice came from behind her, Emma spun to the other direction.

"Kathryn, right?" Emma said shakily.

"Yes, and you're Emma." Her expression was unreadable.

Emma smiled politely but avoided eye contact. She didn't know how to face this woman. She felt horrible for what happened to her. She remembered seeing her at the warehouse last night, but before she could think of something to say, the woman spoke again.

"Come to the kitchen. I made breakfast." She said walking down the hallway, leading the way.

Emma didn't respond, she just followed the other woman. She looked around at her surroundings as they made their way towards the stairs that led to the lower level of the house. Framed pictures lined the walls. Most of them were of Henry at different ages. A few were of Henry and Regina.

Right before they arrived at the first step, a picture of a little girl, Dr. Mills and his wife caught the wavy-haired blonde's attention. She stepped closer to get a better look. Regina was beautiful, even as a child. The brunette got her looks from her mother. She was absolutely radiant.

Emma couldn't help smiling at the photograph. Everyone looked happy.

"I think she was about ten or eleven in that picture," Kathryn said, standing beside her.

Emma's smile faded because she knew that as happy as they seemed, Mrs. Mills passed away shortly after. It reminded her of her own mother and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

Looking away from the picture, the younger blonde smiled softly, hoping the sadness she felt wasn't evident on her face. The older woman didn't seem to notice and she continued on their path.

The house was a large two-story home. Warm beige covered the walls. White crown moldings and trim contrasted the dark cherry floors and staircase railing. The high ceilings hid most of the recessed lighting. An expensive foyer table sat by the entryway at the base of the staircase. It looked like it was made of hand-turned wood and heavily lacquered, making it shiny. At the center of the table sat a wooden bowl filled with pocket change and a set of keys. The decor was elegant, yet it felt cozy, like what a home should feel like. She found herself wishing she had grown up in a home like this, but instead she grew up in sterile skyline penthouses. There were very few intimate family photos and the ones that had been there were removed when her mother died.

She followed the older woman through the kitchen located to the left of the entryway. The cherry wood covered the entire main floor of the house. Floor to ceiling white cabinets covered one side of the kitchen. The dark granite countertops had just enough specks of white, making the light dance on the surface when the sun hit. The room was divided by a large island.

"Have a seat." The older blonde said, gesturing towards the stool on the other side of the island.

Emma did as she was told. Climbing on to the bar stool, she winced at the sharp pain as she slid into her seat. She watched the other woman pull two plates from the cabinet. The silence in the room was nerve-wracking.

"So, how are you doing?" Emma asked, attempting to make small talk.

The woman kept her back to the younger woman as she plated their breakfast, "Doing better, I suppose."

There was another long uncomfortable silence, "I'm so sorry for what happened to you."

Kathryn turned around and put the plates down on the island. Without making eye contact, the woman said, "Me too, but it's not your fault. I don't blame you."

Emma looked down at the plate of biscuits and gravy and smiled, "Thank you. It looks delicious."

The older blonde smiled as she began eating from her own plate.

"I'm sorry about last night. I thought I could handle everything, but then things got out of…"

"Hey. Stop apologizing." She interrupted, "You thought you were doing the right thing." She glanced up at Emma.

The younger woman picked up her fork and paused before taking a bite, "Yeah, well, obviously it wasn't, and I'm sure now Regina hates my guts."

Kathryn stood up turning back towards the wall of cabinets, "Coffee?"

Emma nodded, "Sure, thanks."

The food was fantastic, the memories of what she had done only a few hours ago came back to haunt her again. The younger woman was finding it difficult to eat, but she forced herself to take a bite.

"If Regina hated your guts, you wouldn't be in her house. Regina is a very complicated woman, but once you can see through her tough exterior, you'll find she is not the bitch she likes people to think she is." The older blonde said as she placed two steaming cups of coffee in front of her.

Emma gave a half smile, but her mind went to Regina and Henry. She could only imagine what it was like being married to Robin Locksley and watch your only child get hurt over and over again by the man Henry was supposed to admire most. Robin was really no different than the blonde's father. The only difference between the two was that Robin was at the height of his career. There was no way for him to move up the chain further than he currently was. Robin Locksley would never be able to gain the power that David Nolan spent a lifetime to secure.

She reached across the granite countertop, picked up the steaming cup of coffee and took a sip before holding it in her hands, "Where is Regina?"

"She's upstairs, asleep. She only got home an hour ago and she was exhausted." Kathryn said before sipping from her own cup.

The younger blonde nodded, but the guilt washed over her making her stomach flip. Dr. Mills and Regina cleaned up her mess. Her eyes stung with tears but she shook them off, "Do you know where my clothes are?"

Kathryn eyed the younger woman's t-shirt and her eyes widen, but then relaxed, "Regina probably got rid of them, but I'm sure she has something you can borrow." She picked up her plate and turned towards the sink, "Just so you know, if Regina hated your guts, you wouldn't be wearing her favorite U of H t-shirt."

Emma looked down at the shirt. It was a University of Houston t-shirt. She assumed that was where the brunette had gone to college. She blushed slightly as she tried to hide her grin.

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"Henry! Come down here." The boy's father bellowed from downstairs.

Henry rushed to the study where he knew his father would be. He managed to return home while the old woman was still asleep and before his father had come home.

Robin didn't look at his son when he asked, "Did anyone come over last night?"

Henry knitted his eyebrows in confusion, "No sir. Was someone supposed to?"

His father looked distraught, "No. It looked like some of my things had been moved around and I thought…" His words trailed off and he looked up at his son, giving him a fake smile, "It's nothing to worry about. I'm sure it's just my mind playing tricks on me."

Henry nodded his head and turned to leave when his father stopped him.

"Um, Henry? How would you like to spend the day together?" He asked as he stood up from his chair, walking around the desk to where the boy was.

Henry wasn't sure how to answer that. He raised an eyebrow in suspicion, "What do you mean?"

A part of him did want to spend time with his dad, but the other part just wanted him to go to work so he could find Emma and talk to her.

"I mean, you and me bud. We can go see the new Star Wars movie then grab some lunch. Whatever you want to do." His father said with a huge smile.

Henry couldn't help the smile that crossed his own face. Even though he was still angry with the man for hitting his mother and for always treating her badly, he was still a nine-year-old boy. He wanted his father's love and approval more than anything, "Really?"

Robin's smile remained, "Of course. Go grab your coat and we'll go."

Henry's grin was killing his cheeks, but he couldn't help it. He ran out of the room and up the stairs as fast as his feet could carry him. He grabbed his coat and his cell phone and rushed back downstairs where his father was waiting for him by the door. Maybe today was the day that things would start to get better.

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Regina sat on the front porch swing, sipping her coffee. The rain seemed to come and go in spurts. It was still chilly and she wrapped herself in her fluffiest robe.

Her mind drifted back to the early hours of this morning and the events that had taken place. Not only had she brought a Nolan to her house, but she had been helping her father to cover up a murder. If anyone ever found out about this, she and her father were screwed.

She brought Kathryn and Emma back to the house. The younger blonde passed out before they even got in the car good. She helped the older blonde get Emma changed and ready for bed. She hesitated for a moment when she went to retrieve something for the woman to wear. She pulled her favorite shirt from the drawer and figured the woman would be more comfortable in that, rather than in pajamas. She remembered Emma telling her that she likes to sleep nude but she wasn't going to let her sleep naked in her son's bed.

Her father removed all of the dead man's personal effects and gave them to Anton. They washed the body from head to toe before the giant helped load the man into her father's car. Anton and his crew did the 'clean up' at the warehouse. Regina wasn't sure what it had entailed but she knew that they're better off not knowing.

Her father met her at the clinic with the body. To her surprise, there was an old incinerator. Her father had never used it, but he assured her that it still worked. He told her that it was used many years ago when the clinic was a hospital. The incinerator was probably used to dispose of amputated limbs and other biological waste.

She felt numb as she watched her father fired up the old incinerator and pushed the body in. Every emotion known to man had run through her from the moment she arrived at the warehouse. Kathryn seemed to be holding up better than her and for that, she was grateful.

After the pair burned the body down to ashes, except what was left of the heart and a few bits of bone, they stripped off their own clothing and burnt them. They instructed the crew to do the same. Luckily she and her father always kept a change of clothes at the clinic.

Her father often stayed overnight at the clinic to sleep. When she moved out after college, her father rarely went home. She knew he hated going home to an empty house.

Once the brunette arrived home, she couldn't resist the urge to check in on the blonde. She recalled thinking how innocent and beautiful the woman looked when she was asleep. Her stomach fluttered, making her hand move subconsciously over her belly.

Once she took her second shower for the morning, she climbed into bed. Even though she was extremely tired, she found it difficult to fall asleep. Her mind refused to quiet down. Thoughts were swirling around in her head. At first, it was worrying that they could get caught. Then, she worried about what would happen to Henry or her father. Her final thoughts were of the blonde that had been wrapped in her arms, noting how comfortable and normal it felt. Her eyes grew heavy and finally sleep claimed her.

"You got in late this morning," Kathryn said sitting down beside her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Regina continued to stare at the wet street in front of the house, "Yeah, it was a long night."

"How are you holding up?" The blonde asked before she took a sip from her own cup.

Regina turned and looked at her friend, "I'm fine. Just tired and worried that we have put everything we worked so hard for in jeopardy. I hated knowing that they could get away with what they did to you, but I'm not sure that this is better." She blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill.

Kathryn reached over and squeezed the other woman's knee, "She did what she thought was right."

"That doesn't make it right. I get that she was furious at what happened to you, hell so am I, but taking the law into your own hands doesn't make her or us any different than them." Regina said, placing her coffee up on the porch railing.

Kathryn took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, "No, it doesn't make what she did right, however, I don't feel guilty about anything. I don't feel sorry for any of those men..."

Regina interrupted, "They were boys. College boys, Kathryn."

"They were old enough to know right from wrong. Have you been to a college campus in a while? They preach against rape and the many forms of it, at least they do at U of H. Those boys, or so you call them, knew exactly what they were doing. Hell if anything, Emma showed them mercy." The blonde retorted as she raised her voice.

Regina knew what her friend was saying made sense, but at the same time, everything felt wrong. Maybe this was the best justice her friend could receive for what they did. Her mind went back to the broken blonde she held last night, "One wasn't so lucky." Her voice was above a whisper.

Kathryn nodded her head in agreement. Locking eyes with her friend, she said softly, "And Emma has to pay for that for the rest of her life."

"I know," was the only reply the brunette had. Regina found a moment where she wished she was still holding the younger woman and she shook her head. What in the hell was wrong with her? "Did you take her back to the club?" She asked.

Kathryn nodded and another smile played at her lips when she noticed the slight disappointment cross the other woman's face, "Should I have waited for you to get up?"

Regina knitted her eyebrows together, "What? No." She seemed to stutter a bit.

Kathryn grinned widely, "Regina Mills, you like her."

The brunette stood up, snatching her coffee mug from the railing, "What? Don't be ridiculous."

"Uh huh. You know I have known you for most of our lives, right? I don't recall you ever having a thing for another woman." Kathryn winked.

Regina tightened her jaw, "I do not have a thing for anyone, especially Emma Nolan."

Her friend smirked, "Sure you don't."

Kathryn's teasing was getting on her nerves, but rather than stand there and argue about it, she stomped into the house. Her friend's laugh sang out from behind her. She didn't hate Emma Nolan, but she wasn't sure she would call it like and definitely not the kind of like Kathryn was talking about.

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Emma hadn't been back at the club for more than an hour when she heard a knock on her office door. She glanced at the large round clock on the wall. Once her brain was able to register the roman numerals, she could see the clock's hands showed 2:30 PM, "It's open."

She regretted her words when her brother appeared only a second later. He smiled in her direction as he shut the door behind him, "So how are things here at the club going?"

The blonde gritted her teeth to avoid the yelp that was threatening to escape her throat when a sharp pain shot through her side. She laid down her pen and gave him her full attention, "Things are good." Everything seemed to be running smoothly. That wasn't a lie. It was just everything else in her life was a mess.

"That's great news." He smiled as he walked over to the glass wall that overlooks the bar and the dance floor. "Have things been taken care of with the other matter?"

Emma knew he was talking about the date rape situation, "Yes."

She watched her brother nod in acknowledgment as he continued to stare down at the club, "That's good." He stuck his hand in his pockets and turned to look at her, "Father will be pleased."

She smiled tightly. Emma hated the way August acted like their father's little-trained monkey, "Speaking of father, when will he be back?"

Her brother walked towards her desk and took a seat in a chair across from Emma's, "In a couple of days, if all goes well. He is brokering a deal with a very important client."

Emma nodded in understanding. All that meant was the business he was after was worth a lot of money. He didn't care about the people. It has always been the dollar signs and the reputation.

"I heard a disturbing rumor today." He said as he inspected his fingernails.

The blonde clenched her jaw. She hated when his tone turned cocky as if he knew a secret and wanted to run to their father, "And what rumor would that be?"

He continued, pretending to worry about his manicured nails, "I heard that you were seen going into Regina Locksley's home early this morning and didn't come out until sometime in the afternoon."

Emma closed her eyes to calm herself. She had to find the fucker who kept running their mouth. She couldn't upset her father right now and even more so, Robin, "Look, August, I can explain."

He raised an eyebrow, "This should be good."

She narrowed her eyes, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged, "Nothing. You are you, Emma. I thought this club and the deal with father would help you grow up, but…"

Emma interrupted, "Nothing happened between Regina and I. I swear. I haven't slept with any woman since I got back to this god damned city, so give me a break."

August stared at her for a moment, trying to gauge her honesty, "All right. If you weren't sleeping with her, then why were you there?"

The blonde sighed, "I had an altercation with someone and I ended up with a couple of cracked ribs. She was treating me under the table."

August pursed his lips and then nodded, "Okay, I believe you. You are going to have to be more careful. Father has eyes everywhere and one wrong move…well, you know how he can get."

She knew exactly how the man could be. She hated sneaking around, but she didn't have a choice. Emma looked hard into her brother's eyes, "Please don't tell father or Robin. I swear I haven't done anything with her and I don't want her to have to pay for my indiscretion."

August pulled a cigarette case from his breast pocket and opened it, "Would you like one?"

Emma only smoked when she drank and luckily she didn't have any cigarettes on her last night. She was sure the brunette wouldn't have approved, "No thanks."

He pulled one out and put it between his lips. Shutting it, August slid the silver case into the breast pocket of his black suit. Emma pulled her mother's Zippo out of her pocket and walked around the desk to light his cigarette. He took a deep drag before blowing the smoke out in a huge white cloud and looked up at his sister.

She slid the Zippo back into the front pocket of her pants and stared back at her brother. She wanted to trust him so badly, but she was also afraid he would rat her out the first chance he got.

August stared into his sister's eyes, "Why do you care what happens to Mrs. Locksley?"

Emma wasn't sure how to answer the question, "Come on August. She doesn't deserve to have Robin play dirty in court when it comes to Henry. It's not fair. Being what our father wants isn't as easy for the rest of us as it is for you."

He snorted a laugh and stood up. Loosening his tie with his left hand, he walked over to the mini bar against the back wall. She watched him pick up a tumbler and poured the amber liquid close to the brim. August downed the entire glass of bourbon in one gulp, and then took another drag from his cigarette before turning back to his sister, "You think it has been easy for me? I've struggled my whole life to be what father wanted. I thought when Will was born that it would take some of the pressure off of me." He let out a hollow chuckle, "We know how well that went."

Emma leaned against her desk watching her brother, surprised at his admission, "That's why you hated Will."

Tears well up in her brother's eyes. He turned back to the bottle of bourbon and poured himself another glass, "I never hated him." He took a small sip this time and turned back, "I hated myself for not being more like him. I had something in me that wanted father's approval more than anything. Did you know that when I was in college, father monitored my grades? I got a B on a business plan proposal and father canceled my credit cards for two weeks. He told me what a complete failure I was and that he wasn't even sure I was his son." He sat down on the sofa and sighed, "Things didn't get better for me until Will started fucking up. You know, sometimes I think he did it on purpose." He smiled sadly, "Father stopped giving me a hard time after that. I guess he figured I was the best that he was going to get."

Emma pushed herself off the desk and took a seat next to her brother. Silence hung in the air, "Do you remember what mom looks like?" The blonde asked, staring blankly at the coffee table.

August took another sip, "Yeah."

The blonde pulled her wallet out of her back pocket and opened it up. The old torn picture she had of her and her mother when she was small sat just behind her driver's licenses. She pulled it out and passed it to her brother, "This old photo is the only one I have of her." Their mother's face was worn away, leaving a faceless woman holding a smiling blonde toddler. A lone tear ran down her cheek, "I can't remember what our mother looks like August."

August quickly sat his drink down on the coffee table and put his arms around his sister, "What do you remember about her?"

Emma thought hard, "She had jet black hair and she always wore red lipstick. She smelled of lavender and lilac."

"She had the kindest caramel colored eyes you have ever seen. Her smile would warm an entire room. You know, there's a lot of her in you." August said with a smile.

Emma rolled her eyes, "I have father's hair and eyes, but nice try."

"Trust me Em, that's all you got from him. Your smile runs a close second to mom's and your heart is just as big as hers was." He squeezed her lightly, "I should have been a better brother to you, Em."

She laughed lightly, "I guess I could've been less of a brat to you."

August let go of his sister and stood up. He tightened his tie and wiped away his tears, "I have to get back to the office. I won't tell father or Robin, I just hope you know what you're doing little sis."

Emma tilted her head slightly, "What do you mean?"

He picked up the glass and downed the rest of the amber liquid, "Robin doesn't like competition and he can get nasty. Father has more love for his faithful lawyer than he has ever had for any of his children."

He set the empty glass down and left her office. Nothing was going on between Regina and herself, so she didn't know what he was referring to. However, she did know her father would have sold her or her brother to the highest bidder had there ever been any offers.

Anton poked his head in, "Hey, everything okay?" He asked seeing her wiping her eyes.

"Yeah, actually everything is fine." She said with a tight smile.

He nodded, walking into the room, "I was just bringing you your cell phone. You forgot it last night after everything, so I grabbed it."

"Thanks." She said taking it from him. He started to walk away, "Hey Anton. Thanks for everything and I'm sorry about last night."

The giant smiled and shrugged, "The fucker deserved it."

Emma licked her lips, "I don't mean about that. I meant about the drinking."

"Hey, you're a grown woman. You were under a bit of stress, so I'm not judging." He chuckled, walking towards the door.

"If my father found out, you would've lost your job." Her eyes were apologetic, "I will do better, okay?" She said with a small smile.

He nodded his head, "I know." He left her to her thoughts.

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Henry couldn't remember a time his father hadn't constantly checked his phone. They watched the entire movie without one call or email. Afterward, they went for lunch at a burger joint, which was very unusual for Robin Locksley. He never let Henry eat anything that wasn't considered healthy.

He hadn't felt this happy in a long time. This was the first time his dad had ever wanted to spend time with him. It felt like the best day of his life. Maybe his father wouldn't turn out like Emma's.

Henry watched his father as he sipped his milkshake with caution. The burger he was eating wasn't a real burger. It was made of tofu, but his dad seemed to like it. After several minutes of them eating in silence, Robin smiled at his son, "Are you having fun?"

Henry grinned and nodded his head, "Totally."

Robin picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth, "Maybe we should have more days like this. Would you like that?"

Again, the boy grinned, "Would I ever?"

The boy took a bite of a French fry as he watched his father's face. He was still smiling but it didn't reach his eyes, "So, I was thinking about trying to make up with your mom."

Suddenly Henry didn't feel well. His mother had been miserable when they were together. He couldn't remember a time when she was actually happy being with his dad.

"Don't you think that would be great? You would have your family back together." He said reaching across the table and slapping Henry in the arm with a big grin.

Henry's smile disappeared. He looked down and shrugged.

"What do you mean?" His father mirrored his shrug. "Don't you want me to come home? Then you could spend time with us together instead of this weekend dad bullshit." He asked with his own smile fading.

Henry didn't want this day to end, but now he knew it was just a trick. Disappointment flooded the little boy, but anger was quickly making its way to the surface, "No."

Robin raised an eyebrow, "No?"

Henry pushed his milkshake away, "No, I don't want you to come home."

Robin's eyes narrowed, "Why not?"

Henry sighed, "Mom's happier without you there."

He watched his father's jaw muscle flex and knew he had hit a nerve, but he wasn't going to lie about that. His father has a bad temper. He was watching from the top of the stairs the night he hit his mother. His mom swore it was the only time, but Henry found it hard to believe. Not to mention the times he had heard his mother crying in their room because Robin had chosen his job over them.

"You are an ungrateful little shit, you know that?" Robin sneered. "I have given you and your mother everything and this is the thanks I get? I took off of work to be with you today."

"No, you didn't. You only spent time with me because you were hoping I would beg mom to let you come back." Henry said, as his voice became louder.

"Don't you dare talk back to me. I am your father and…" Robin started.

"That's all you are to me. You don't deserve mom, so stay away from her!" The boy yelled before jumping up and running out of the restaurant. He could hear his father shouting as he ran out to the busy sidewalk