Hello my sweet, sweet doves! This was an unusually difficult chapter to write. Sorry for the delay, and enjoy, my lovelies!
Songs: Only a Memory and Think I'm Sick by Icon for Hire, Demons by Imagine Dragons
Regina woke slowly. Her throat ached from dryness, and she swallowed repeatedly and took stock of her situation. She sat in a chair, wood from the harsh edges pressing into her spread thighs. Her hands were attached to the chair with ropes, and cold steel bit into her wrists. She wiggled them lightly and winced, recognizing them as the enchanted shackles that tempered her magic. She was defenseless. Her ankles were also tied to the chair, making her legs essentially useless.
She swallowed again and raised her head from the uncomfortable angle at which it hung on her chest. Her back and shoulder muscles protested the movement angrily, telling her she'd been in this position for several hours by now. Something sticky cracked and pulled the skin of her face and chest as she moved. Blood. Her blood. Her last memory rushed into her, turning her stomach. Someone had waited for her and Ruby to return to the mansion and ambushed them.
Ruby. Her eyes flew open, body jerking to life with the spike of adrenaline. She regretted it immediately. Relentless pounding thumped inside her skull and her stomach pitched bile into her throat. She swallowed and closed her eyes, forcing her body to relax before she puked all over herself from the pain. The blow to her head had caused a concussion, she noted, adding it the mental list of injuries and facts.
Slowly, she raised her head again and waited a few minutes before cracking her eyes. A dark, windowless room greeted her. It was damp and cold and silent, like a tomb. The scent of mold and must tickled her nose. She was definitely underground somewhere in Storybrooke because her magic pulsed and banged against her, looking for a way out that would never come. A single lamp on the floor in the corner lit a small area. An extension cord trailed across the floor and she followed it with her eyes, but between her blurry vision and the darkness, she found no ending, no stairs or door, and no Ruby. She turned her neck as far as she could and glanced behind her. Darkness.
"Ruby?" She croaked out, hoping the other woman hadn't been severely injured. "Ruby?" She tried again. Where the hell was she?
Panic tore at her chest, and she fought for control of her breathing. What if Ruby had truly been killed this time? Cora was obviously responsible for this. Or Gold, but that likelihood was slim since he threw himself at Lacey every minute of every day now that he'd won her affections. Still, it was possible, and if they wanted her broken and submissive, killing her family would be the fastest path to that goal. She'd have nothing left to live for, except vengeance, and she refused to go there again if she had the ability to stop herself. It's not what Emma and Henry would have wanted, and she prayed her resolve was never tested.
Her head dropped again when no response found her. If the darkness concealed her friend, she remained unconscious or injured beyond responsiveness.
"I'll get us out, Ruby," Regina whispered just in case Ruby listened in the darkness and then gave herself over to the appealing pull of unconsciousness.
When she awoke the second time, her mind cleared much more quickly. Her head throbbed but her stomach had settled considerably. Her neck pinched and groaned and pissed her off with its general bitching from the position she'd left it. She rolled it side to side gently, trying to ease its suffering. The pain felt disconnected from her mind somehow. She felt it, knew where it existed and why, but it hindered her thoughts and movements very little. Perhaps she'd gone into slight shock from the situation.
She snorted and dismissed the thought. She was Regina fucking Mills as Emma or Ruby might have said, and dangerous situations were her forte. She got off on them. She'd never gone into shock for any type of pain or panic. Bracing herself against the agony and dizziness, she opened her eyes and nearly cried out at the sight that greeted her.
In the circle of dim light, Ruby lay unconscious, hands tied behind her back, ankles bound together. Dirt and dried blood covered her jeans and red shirt, matted her hair to her scalp, but her chest pulled the crimson fabric tight and then released the tension in rapid succession. She breathed. She lived. Regina relaxed.
"Ruby," she whispered, voice raspy and deep from lack of use. She swallowed, gathered her spit and swallowed again.
"Ruby, get up," she ordered with a little more force, and the wolf's face scrunched slightly.
"Ruby, you stupid mutt, get up!" Regina demanded now that she'd seen a sign of awareness from the other woman. Ruby was tough. She handled commands with grace and dignity. They'd cry and drink and make up later.
"I think the Roadrunner dropped an anvil on my head," Ruby grumbled. She tried to straighten her legs and cried out in anguish, a sound Regina knew would haunt her for many nights to come.
"Ruby, talk to me," Regina distracted her from the pain, her voice a sharp edge that cut through her suffering.
"Legs," she grunted. "She broke my fucking legs," Ruby spat as her anger overcame her pain.
"Get over it, you stupid mutt," Regina tossed at her. Anger helped Ruby cope, and she certainly needed the distraction. "It's no wonder Lacey left your pathetic ass for Gold."
"Hey, fuck you! Your mom is a goddamn nut bag, you know that? I'm surprised you didn't crush your own heart just to get away from her," Ruby unleashed her anger, not quite in tune with what Regina was doing.
"I think I'll have a go at Lacey next. She's practically giving it away," Regina smirked and raised one thin eyebrow.
"Stay the fuck away from Belle, you twisted bitch!" Ruby jerked herself upright, eyes glowing. She winced and growled into the pain as it crashed into her from the sudden movement. She levered her hands on the floor and scooted until her back hit the wall. She glared at Regina, eyes flickering wickedly in the darkness. Clarity and irritation settled into her features.
"You're a real bitch, you know that?" Ruby spat blood onto the floor, pissed but grateful for Regina's unorthodox methods.
"You're welcome," Regina replied and leaned back, alleviating the pressure on her shoulders and wrists.
"Fuck you," Ruby scraped. "Just, fuck you, Regina Mills. Fuck your psychopath mom and your goddamn magic and your perfect fucking happy ending. Fuck Emma Swan and fuck Snow White and Prince Twatwaffle and fuck blissful fucking Eva Zambrano. Crossing the fucking line sounds more and more appealing every goddamn second you are in my life." Ruby's rant ended in harsh coughing and flying spit.
Her head thumped against the wall audibly as she caught her breath. Regina controlled her own breathing and allowed Ruby's words to roll off her. There may be truth to them, but Ruby hadn't meant them. She only needed an outlet for her physical pain and the mental duress. Regina gave her that without judgment. She'd only been rescued from her first captivity less than two weeks ago. The nightmares began only a few days ago. Surely, even someone as strong as Ruby cracked under that strain, but the outburst was an indubitably Ruby reaction, which meant Cora hadn't taken her heart.
"Prince Twatwaffle?" Regina raised an eyebrow, an hysterical chuckle bubbling in her chest.
Ruby laughed. The anger faded as they giggled together at David's expense. It faded naturally, and Regina shifted uncomfortably. She'd hoped Ruby might have wiggled to her so that one of them could be released, but Ruby barely sat up from the pain in her legs. She'd never have made it across the floor.
"Ruby," it was gentle, searching. The wolf rolled her head towards the other woman but said nothing. "I'd never touch her," Regina said clearly, eyes never wavering in their connection to the younger woman's.
"I know that, you silly witch," Ruby replied, an amused glint in her eyes at Regina's need to even say the words. She sobered. "I really am happy for you and Emma."
"I know," Regina tried to smile, but it turned into a grimace. Her shoulders cramped and tingled painfully. "I'd numb your legs, but I have no magic. My shackles are enchanted to trap my magic within me."
Ruby snorted and leaned her head against the wall. "That sounds uncomfortable." Regina hummed a response. "How fucked are, Regina?"
"Rough anal with electric nipple clamps?" Regina offered nonchalantly. Ruby's mouth fell open. She commanded her mind to formulate a response and failed miserably for several minutes. Despite their situation, Regina was glad Ruby talked her into bringing her, if for nothing else than as a distraction from the pain and hopelessness of the situation.
"One day I will swear, I will get Emma Swan drunk off her ass and make her divulge all of the kinky details. Did you bring your old wardrobe over from the other side? Some of those dresses definitely set an unattainably high bar for tits and dominatrixes everywhere, this land included." Ruby joked, but Regina squirmed uncomfortably rather than smiling or rolling her eyes.
"I'm not certain Emma would enjoy them as much as you think," Regina confessed quietly. Ruby cocked her head to the side curiously.
"She has eyes, doesn't she? Plus, she knows what's beneath," Ruby searched for a reason behind Regina's sudden shyness about her appearance.
"I don't deny the arousing qualities or Emma Swan's susceptibility to them," Regina clipped regally but offered nothing more.
"Then what?" Ruby prodded, pushing Regina out of her comfort zone. Regina puffed and adjusted her shoulders again.
"She's…" she sighed again, and Ruby imagined if her hands had been unrestrained she'd have waved one in the air.
"She's gentle," Regina confessed quietly. The wolf's eyebrow scrunched downward, the conversation having taken an unexpected and very serious and intimate turn. "I've never… I mean… We should not be talking about this," Regina shut down and straightened her spine rigidly.
"Regina, it's just me here. It's okay. This is a really shitty situation. If we die tonight, you should go out thinking about something that obviously made you happy," the younger woman encouraged, pushing the sorceress to remember all the reasons she needed to find a way out of this mess. Regina stared at her, face tight with emotion.
"I've never, umm, made love before her," she started after a long moment. "Gentle never really cut it before," Regina admitted shyly, heat rising in her chest. They were held captive and both in massive amounts of pain and completely uncertain if they'd live long enough to see morning, but the thought of Emma's hands against her skin and wide green eyes watching every nuance of her body as she climaxed made her blush like a schoolgirl.
"So, Emma's the first to get you off with emotion instead of pain," Ruby clarified, speaking aloud more to sort her thoughts than ask a question. The crude words made both women smile, but it was short lived.
A door creaked open in the distance, followed by the distinctive tip-tap of high heels echoing what apparently was a hallway. Cora emerged from the darkness, and Regina stilled in anger for a moment. Everything slowed in her mind and then slammed into her like a breaking dam. She jerked against her restraints, animalistic grunts and growls tearing from her throat. Cora only smirked and watched her daughter struggle.
When Regina calmed after a few minutes, chest heaving, head throbbing, vision spinning and fresh blood dripping from her wrists. Cora huffed a short bark of mocking laughter and knelt beside Ruby. The wolf clenched her jaws and hardened her eyes, but even then the fear shone clearly.
"Leave her alone, Mother. She's defenseless, useless to you," Regina warned the older woman who only smiled wider.
"Oh Darling, the wolf has been ever so useful," Cora mocked Regina, but her eyes were on Ruby. She brushed knuckles over a blood-stained cheek, and Ruby jerked away in disgust.
Cora clicked her tongue in disappointment and waved her hand over Ruby's body. She healed her? The relief brought tears to the young wolf's eyes, and her body slumped further into the wall. Cora touched her face again, and this time Ruby leaned into it gratefully. Regina's stomach turned. Something was off.
"Thank you," Ruby said in the soft voice she used after an emotional moment with Regina. She'd never heard it any other time. Cora waved her hand, and Ruby's bonds fell away limply.
"Stand, Wolf Pup. You've performed your trick wonderfully. Perhaps I'll give you a treat later," Cora cooed at Ruby and helped her stand.
"Ruby?" Regina asked, her mind desperately spinning its wheels to catch up to the situation.
Ruby stood behind Cora's right shoulder, a stance she'd taken a dozen times when Regina needed silent support or protection. Cora occupied what was supposed to be her place. Her eyes bounced back and forth between them. Ruby had her heart. She'd felt it twice now, and only a few minutes ago, the reactions were all Ruby's, not a manipulation and not the deadened response of one with no heart.
"Have I pleased you, Cora, is she broken?" Ruby asked, insecurity shining in her eyes. Even in Cora's thrall, Ruby only sought love and affection and acceptance. Regina's stomach roiled and clenched, either from Ruby's actions or her concussion.
"Nearly, Wolf Pup," Cora answered, eyes on Regina, studying her reaction to the familiar nick name. Bile crept up her throat and saliva gushed into her mouth. She was going to puke so she remained silent and swallowed repeatedly.
"You see, my daughter, heart magic is so much more elaborate than the taking and crushing. You really haven't a clue what you wield, do you?" Cora turned her back and walked a circle around Ruby who stood docile and submissive. "She's magnificent, isn't she?"
Regina met Ruby's eyes, searching for something of her friend inside. The pain caught her off guard, the helplessness in those deep brown eyes. Her body obeyed Cora, but her eyes pleaded with Regina to save her, to kill her, to release her from her internal prison anyway possible.
"What did you do?" Regina asked coldly, eyes holding Ruby's though she spoke to Cora. She softened her face and conveyed a silent promise to Ruby with her eyes, telling her that she'd find a way to free her.
"I took her heart," Cora tapped her fingers on Ruby's chest and trailed them over her breast and stomach, stopping at Ruby's hip where they stayed. Ruby's eyes hardened slightly, the only indication of her torture. Cora grinned and held up a pouch at her waist for Regina to see without turning from the young wolf. A light red-ish pulse shone between the tiny slits between the fabric threads. Ruby's heart.
"I replaced it with my own. I knew you'd never trust her if I controlled her, her reactions and words had to be her own. Her intentions, however, were mine. You were wise in choosing her as your right hand, Regina. She's smart and resilient, quite the fighter. Cheeky little wolf discovered in only a few days that alcohol dulled my inhibitions, helped her think and act more like herself. Some days, I barely had enough control to maintain her silence about her situation. Of course, those days she also drove your beloved son around while rather intoxicated," Cora whispered and leaned close to Ruby's face. She pressed a kiss to Ruby's throat, and brown eyes clamped shut as a tear slipped out. She fought Cora's control. She could be saved.
"I had wondered if you'd fall for my carefully thought out scheme, Regina. Your weakness for these fools almost destroyed our reunion," Cora tossed over shoulder, hands still moving over Ruby's chest and face almost reverently.
"She's so strong and growing stronger with each day that brings us closer to the full moon. It's less than a week away, and if you'd held out much longer, she'd have told you everything. Our dear Wolf Pup nearly refused the command to restrain you and bring you here," Cora revealed, and Regina gasped. That's why Ruby had screamed at the manor. She had resisted knocking her unconscious. Had she used her fist?
"She's lucky you are so desperately pathetic," Cora continued, oblivious to her daughter's thoughts and reactions. "I'd have hated to crush such a resilient heart. After breaking the link in our lifelines, of course," Cora smiled up at the wolf, and Ruby stoically accepted her fate, her failure, knowing she could have killed Cora if she'd been strong enough to kill herself. Cora watched her struggle with fascination.
"You confessed so many things when you thought you were alone with your friend. Dear, sweet Emma Swan melted your frozen heart, separated your pain from your pleasure," she said distractedly, absorbing Ruby's beguiling war of attrition between her thoughts and emotions and her actions. Regina clenched her jaw and refused her mother's bait in spite of the sting of uncomfortable betrayal. Cora had heard every single conversation she'd exchanged with her best friend.
"How long?" Regina forced around the bile in her throat. How much had she learned? How long had her closest friend suffered in silence? Ruby's renewed abuse of alcohol made sense now. It wasn't because she'd given up and self-medicated because of Belle. She silently fought her mother's will.
"Since the day she was presumed dead," Cora laughed. "She was such a good girl on Hook's ship, playing her part perfectly. I rewarded her greatly. Hook is an attractive scoundrel, and it took very little urging from my heart to tap into that wolf passion that she keeps so closely guarded and locked away. The poor fellow limped for nearly a day afterwards," Cora laughed at the memory.
Ruby leaned forward and snagged Cora's neck in her hand, shaking bodily with the effort of defying the heart inside her chest. Cora chuckled and gently removed the hand, like a mother might a flailing infant. Ruby trembled violently but remained still.
"Don't worry, Wolf Pup. He won't return for an encore. The silly man has honor in spite his unsavory station in life. He disappeared when he discovered our little secret. I struggle to believe that he's never taken advantage of a compromised woman before you, Dear." She touched Ruby's face again. Regina bristled.
"Stop, Mother! You want to hurt me, then hurt me. Leave Ruby alone," Regina commanded, lips pulled into a sneer and proud that she'd maintained a calm and even voice.
Cora whirled with a smile on her face and crossed to her daughter. She knelt and gently placed her hands on her knees. Regina glared down at her with cold eyes and a confidence she never felt.
"Oh my darling Regina, my child, you and I both know the only way to hurt you is by hurting the people you love. It's your weakness." Cora's eyes filled with a sick sort of glee when Regina's filled with tears.
"I'm so sorry, Ruby," Regina whispered as shameless tears slid down her face. She met the wolf's gaze and found forgiving eyes staring back at her. Ruby hadn't given up on her yet. It lit her darkening soul. Ruby had promised to remind her of who she was while within her mother's grasp. Even under Cora's influence, Ruby kept her promise valiantly, her eyes her only tool.
"Don't stop fighting, Ruby. Emma will come for us," Regina offered what comfort she could in her position. Ruby squinted, and Regina knew she believed the same.
"And then the only one left would be your sniveling brat. He is easily enough disposed of without the savior to protect him," Cora laid out her plan as she stood and clicked down the darkened hall. She needn't have watched Regina's reaction. She knew exactly where her words hit.
"Ruby, come!" Cora commanded. Ruby hesitated, eyes pleading with Regina.
"I'll get it back for you, Ruby. Hold on a little longer and keep fighting. I'll get you back, I promise," Regina called after her best friend as she disappeared into the darkness.
The door echoed loudly on the stone walls, and Regina hung her head. She gave herself over to the tears of grief and frustration she'd held back in front of her mother.
Emma, please hurry. She pleaded silently as a scream tore from her throat.
