Chapter 4.

Emma and Regina sat on the couch talking for hours. They avoided talking about Emma's past, as they always had, but something with the blonde's behavior was driving Regina a little crazy. She just had a strange feeling and couldn't ignore it. The two had been talking for months in the forest. She thought they were both very comfortable in the other's presence, but maybe she was wrong. Every time she lightly nudged or brushed against Emma she would tense and pull away. It was a behavior Regina kind of knew, or had a feeling about, but didn't quite understand if that makes sense. She knew something bad must have happened to Emma to cause that type of reaction. She also knew Emma didn't want to talk about it.

Aside from that though, Regina was really enjoying Emma's company, but she wasn't a person who just looked the other way when someone she cared about was obviously hurting. Regina cared for Emma more than she had cared for anyone before. So she knew something had to be done.

"Miss swan?" Regina asked carefully after Emma finished telling her about that time she and Ruby had each dropped food on the same customer, and Granny had been forced to give the poor fellow free lunch for a week as an apology.

"Yeah?" Emma grinned and met Regina's dark green eyes.

"Why do you pull away everytime I touch you?" Emma bit her lip and started to fidget with her fingers.

"I said I didn't want to talk about my past!" Emma snapped but Regina didn't back down and that threw Emma off. Most people didn't push, not even Granny or Ruby, but Regina did. A person she just barely knew, but felt like she had known for years.

"You don't have to snap at me Miss Swan." Regina said through gritted teeth and Emma felt bad for her outburst.

"Sorry I just…" Emma began as she shifted in her seat. She looked down at her hands and took a deep breath, refusing to met Regina's eyes. Damn it she's good! Oh what the hell? "When I was 12 I lived with this family and the foster dad was a real ass. He was an alcoholic and the wife wasn't, but she wasn't much better either. I guess me and the other 5 foster kids there were just a check to them. The boys got beaten but I was the only girl. He..umm.. tried to beat sense into me, as he said, because I refused to….. you know, please him."

Regina wasn't completely surprised but still she felt sick to her stomach. All she wanted to do was embrace Emma, and hold her tight, then whisper in her ear that she was safe here. Nobody would ever hurt her again! But she sat frozen in her seat, knowing her touch would just make things worse.

"So one night he woke me up. He was sitting on top of me, naked, and smelling like a whole damn brewery. When I tried to get away I realised he had bound me to my bed. He just laughed at my screams and I think they just turned him on even more. Then he, um you know..raped me." Emma spoke with a weak voice. Regina felt her heart shatter instantly.

"Oh my god." Regina breathed out then met Emma's tearful eyes. "I'm so sorry. God you were just a child…"

"Since then I've not been good with the whole touch thing ehm.." Emma shrugged and rolled her sleeves up. "These scars are from those damn ropes. I carry the memory of that night with me every day." Regina couldn't look away from the not so obvious scars. She had never even noticed them, but they would be years old by now and very faded. She couldn't believe her eyes.

Shit Swan! You haven't even told your family about this.

After Emma told Regina her story, she was surprised by how much more relaxed she felt. She had always kept her problems and issues to herself, and refused to tell anyone about them. She believed that her burdens shouldn't burden others. Now though, she started to think that maybe she should share. Emma was also surprised Regina hadn't reacted differently when she told her about the rape. Emma felt like broken goods, a bit like a broken record but Regina still smiled at her and Emma felt her heart almost stop. She almost felt happy for real. A feeling she wasn't used to. Not really.

Suddenly Emma's phone buzzed and the blonde groaned when she had to tear her eyes from Regina's.

R - Sis where you at? I don't think even you can run for 3 hours

"Shit!" Emma said and Regina raised an eyebrow.

"Something wrong dear?" she asked.

"Yeah well I forgot the time and Ruby… just. I. Dammit. I gotta go" Emma groaned and ran out to the hall and put on her shoes then left suddenly. Regina rolled her eyes before she turned off the lights and headed for bed. A goodbye would have been nice.

Ruby and Belle both jumped when Emma opened the door. Granny had agreed to let Belle stay the night, and she popped her head into the living room because she had heard the door.

"Well there my little sister is!" Ruby grinned and Belle gave her a gentle wave. Belle and Emma hadn't really had the chance to get to know each other that well since Ruby always was over at her place. Ruby was also very overprotective.

"Yeah I'm.. I'm sorry I.. I forgot the time" Emma panted and sunk down into the sofa so quickly she didn't notice the look Granny and Ruby shared with each other.

"Nobody's angry with you Emma, Ruby and I just wondered where you were. It's getting late. We were just worried." Granny said with a gentle tone before she disappeared back into the kitchen again.

Ruby felt bad for even sending the text. She knew how Emma's demons from her past families still haunted her, and knew the fear of getting thrown out was always there. So when Belle broke the silence she almost thanked God.

"So what did you do more than run tonight?" Belle asked curiously and Emma cleared her throat.

"Ehm I.. I ehm.."

"God Swan, we're family here. Spit it out" Ruby teased and Emma couldn't help but burst out into laughter.

"You're a nosy big sister, you know that right?" Emma shot back and received a glare from Ruby.

"And you're the annoying little sister hiding something from your big sister!" Ruby huffed and crossed her arms and almost looked like a little child.

"I spent some time with Regina." Emma shrugged and both Ruby and Belle became speechless for a while.

"Regina?" Ruby asked. "Regina in as Regina Mills?! The mayor's daughter?"

"Ehm yeah? Well Ex Mayor..."