Please note that I had started chapters 1 and 2 before season 4 premiered which is why some of the events on the show don't excatly match up. Things will be a little out of order.

Also I'm going to just briefly mention the events with Elsa because thats not really an important part for this story which is why I don't want to spend so much time on it. And there's no snow queen.

As for Captain Swan, in this fic Emma isn't as interested in him as she is in the show. As far as this fic goes she only kisses him like she did in the 3x22 and then by the end of this chapter you'll see what happens to thier "relationship".

Feel free to ask any questions. Enjoy and I'll update soon :)

Chapter 3 People Tend To Get Hurt

The information Snow and David had gotten from Gold was vague as usual. He trapped a powerful sorceress and that was all that they knew. He was threaten by her powers and had used the bottle to contain her. If he knew more, and they were sure that he did, he wasn't letting on. And after a long day of searching for this mysterious sorceress, they decided to call it a day.

"You don't have to walk me to the door. I can assure you I won't do anything evil on the way there," Regina stated as she and the sheriff got out of the yellow bug and walked up to the mansion that night.

"You and I both know anything could happen from the car to the door Regina. This is Storybrooke, home of fairytale characters and evil snowmen," Emma replied with sarcasm because it was easier than admitting why she had accompanied her home. She was worried. She wanted Regina to not feel alone even if it was as little as walking her to the door.

"So you're just looking out for my safety sheriff?" Regina asked, her tone as cold as the monster they had blown up hours before. She was pushing Emma away.

"Someone has to," Emma said and Regina looked at her, surprise flickering in her eyes for just a second because no one has ever been concerned for her, and then it was gone. Her eyes, her expression became steely once more and she looked away only to notice the door slightly open. She frowned in confusion because she had definitely locked the door before she had left and Henry had been with Snow all day. There was no way it could have been him that left it open.

Catching her confused state, Emma followed her line of sight and carefully pushed open the door. "What the hell," she whispered, taking out her gun. "Stay here."

Regina didn't even argue and Emma silently stepped inside. It was dark and she took out her flashlight. From what she could see the house had been ransacked. She moved from room to room, each one just as destroyed as the next, and when she was sure the culprit wasn't here, she made her way back downstairs.

"Whoever was here, they're gone," Emma said, letting Regina in. She turned on the light and saw the anger and fear swirling in those eyes as she took in the mess of her home. Furniture was thrown and destroyed along with everything else.

"Who would do this?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous but Emma could hear the fear there. She could hear the anxiety at the knowledge of someone invading her home, destroying her things. Who would do this? There was a whole town of people out there who was out for Regina's blood. If that small mob this morning was anything to go by, then they had a new problem on their hands. Yet again there was a new villain in Storybrooke, and yet again Regina was getting blamed.

"We'll get a list of suspects together. David's pulling the night shift, I'll call him to sweep the place for evidence."

"There's no need," Regina sighed in defeat, kicking at the broken furniture on the floor with her back to Emma.

"Don't you want to find out who did this?" Emma asked and Regina turned to finally look at her.

"Don't you see? Every person in this town is a suspect. Everyone thinks it was me that had frozen that barn. This is never going to end Emma because no matter how many times I save their lives, they'll always see me as one thing. I'll always be the Evil Queen to them."

"They shouldn't be allowed to get away with this," Emma fired back. "Your past is behind you and it's time for people to see that. We need to find who did this."

"And then what happens next!" Regina cried out in frustration. "All they did was ransacked my home. What are you going to do? Lock them up for a night and make them pay a fine? It won't stop them from punishing me and besides… I deserve it." Those last words were so low Emma had barely heard them but she did. Regina couldn't even look at her.

Emma could see the self-loathing. She could see how much Regina believed what everyone thought she was, what Marian had shouted at her. She believed she was a monster. She believed she deserved to be punished over and over. This had to stop. She wanted Regina to see what she saw; a hero. Someone who had changed. She wasn't the Evil Queen anymore and she was no monster.

"Regina," Emma said, her voice soft as she approached the brunette and raised her chin so that she would look at her. "You don't deserve this. You don't deserve to keep proving yourself over and over everytime there's a new attack. This has to stop."

Regina simply looked at her, letting her in and Emma could see the storm of emotions inside those eyes but then Regina was pulling away from her hand and slowly, that cold front came back up. She was backing away and Emma felt like they had taken two steps back.

"Well, let me know if you come up with any suspects. I'll just be here cleaning."

"Nope, you're coming with me," Emma said, quickly stepping in front of her before she could go for the broom. Regina's glare became murderous but Emma didn't back down. "You actually think I'm leaving you here unprotected after this?" she asked, gesturing to the mess before them. "David literally had to hold back an angry mob this morning. A man nearly strangled the life out of you and then we come back to this and you expect me to just leave?"

"I have my magic, I'll be fine," she stated, her tone cool and stubborn.

"Regina please."

"No."

"You can't stay here, at least not until David sweeps the area for evidence."

"Are you actually insinuating for me to stay in a tiny loft with Snow White and her offspring. I don't think so."

"Then I'm staying."

"What part of I just want to be left alone don't you understand!" Regina snapped and before Emma could stop her she waved her hand and the whole house was exactly the way it was before. Nothing was out of place, leaving no evidence of the crime that had taken place.

"Regina, what the hell!" Emma shouted furiously because she had erased the evidence. She had erased the only possible clues as to who did this.

"Get out Swan, now!"

In that Instant Emma rounded on her. She didn't get to do this. She wasn't going to push her away. She wasn't going to give up and Emma wasn't going to let her.

"You're hurt I get that. You're angry and you have every right to be but you don't get to do this. You don't get to push away the people that care. After everything, you can't just give up."

"After everything?" Regina scoffed, shaking her head in disgust because this woman knew nothing. She didn't know what she had to survive through. "You don't even know the half of it."

"Regina..."

"No, you know what I'm done playing hero with you people. You're on your own. And don't worry about me, people tend to get hurt."

Emma didn't know what to say to that. Those last words tore at her heart. Regina was like her. No one cared enough and when they did, they got hurt. She always got hurt and Emma knew exactly where Regina was coming from.

She didn't even have the chance to say anything else. Regina waved her hand, purple smoke surrounding Emma and when it cleared she was standing in Snow's kitchen.

"Son of a bitch," she grumbled under her breath just as the power went out.

It's insane how quickly everything just took a turn that night. She, David, and Hook ended up finding the sorceress who had created the ice monster. Turns out she wasn't what they thought she was. The sorceress, Elsa, was a queen who couldn't control her magic and after being trapped in an ice cave with her, Emma could feel herself freezing to death.

She laid on the floor and as Elsa tried to keep her awake she could only think of Regina. She shouldn't have left things the way they did. She didn't want to die with Regina being angry at her so she held on…

She held on for Regina.

She didn't know why it mattered so much. She didn't know why she cared about what Regina thinks of her. Maybe it's the guilt for ruining her relationship with Robin. Maybe after everything they've been through, Emma saw her differently. Maybe she saw her as a friend.

And as Hook held her up, the moment she was rescued it was then that she realized she had no interest in dating the man. All that mattered was making Regina happy again.

That was all that mattered.