Hey guys! I can't apologize enough for the wait from the last update. I had a summer session of Uni to finish in order to graduate and that involved a lot of writing and all of my free time. On top of it my mother just had surgery and there have been complications along the way that I have been dealing with. Nevertheless, I couldn't stay away for too long. I really love this story. I'm having a harder time writing ABNH but that will be updated soon as well. I hope you guys enjoy this next installment. As always, it's a little dark and twisty. Enjoy!
"Henry darling," Gina smirked at her son. "It has been far too long since I have seen you!"
"Mom? What are you doing here?" Henry looked around the yard nervously hoping that no one came home. As much as this version of his mother scared him, he still loved her and wanted her to know how much he loves her.
"Well Henry, I have come to ask for a favor of sorts," Gina chuckled at her choice of words. She carefully devised a plan that would show Hook's true colors to Emma and send that good-for-nothing pirate right back to where he came from.
"A-a favor," Henry repeats. "What kind of favor?"
"Good question Henry. Well…"
Emma stared into Regina's fridge seeing only fruits and vegetables. Gross, she thought to herself. Pushing the broccoli and the raw carrots out of the way, she found Regina's secret stash of milk chocolate at the back of the fridge underneath a giant head of lettuce.
"Ah ha!" Emma exclaimed into the empty kitchen, smiling victoriously. She was feeling quite hungry today and she didn't want anything healthy. Opening the fresh package of chocolate, Emma broke off a square and popped it into her mouth, sighing happily. She was starting to enjoy food again; it was a small victory. She thought back to the conversation she'd had with Gina last night at the sand castle by the ocean. Emma had left her house after another round of faking it with Hook, too upset to quietly cry herself to sleep. She had magicked herself out of the house but decided a walk in the cool night air might do her some good. The cool wind exaggerated the tears in her eyes and left patches of dried tears on her red cheeks. When she made it to the castle, she climbed all the way to the top, sitting on the roof of the tower, legs dangling over the edge. A tiny smile made its way across her lips as she felt that familiar tingle of magic on her skin. She leaned into the soft touch of a hand on her cheek as Gina materialized next to her.
"Emma, whatever are you doing out here this late?" Gina looked at her with dark, concerned eyes. The tear streaks were still heavily tattooed on Emma's pale skin letting the Queen know that something was wrong.
"I just needed to get some air," Emma practically whispered her response knowing Gina would never accept that answer. The look she received confirmed Gina's lack of tolerance to her off-handed comment. "I-I don't want to talk about it," Emma continued, turning her face away from Gina's piercing gaze. Emma told Gina everything. Everything except that which she could not even say to herself.
"Emma, don't you know you can tell me anything by now?" Gina huffed in frustration. She reached over and intertwined her fingers with Emma's, not caring if the gesture was more intimate than they had ever been. She ran her thumb across Emma's hand as fresh tears fell from her face. "Tell me Emma. I won't judge you."
"I can't Gina," Emma rasped. "I just- I - can't." A sob ripped from her chest as she let the pain of everything she's been enduring consume her. Gina let go of Emma's hand, wrapping her arms around the younger woman next to her. She held Emma's head to her chest, rubbing gentle circles on her back with her free hand.
"Shhh," she whispered soothingly. "Everything is going to be ok. I promise." Gina's heart was beating so hard she knew the other woman could feel each throbbing beat. She was raging on the inside; knowing whatever was bothering Emma had to do with Hook. She had left Henry in the yard this afternoon, slipping into the vault to spy on Regina through her mirror. Regina was thoroughly boring that evening. She sat on the chaise lounge in the den sipping bourbon from a tumbler and reading an old novel from the Enchanted Forest. Therefore she knew Emma was not with Henry or Regina that night. All that was left was the filthy pirate in all his horny glory. Gina knew it was wrong but she had spied on Emma a few times when she suspected something was happening to her when no one was around. She had nearly magicked herself to Emma's home to wring the pirate's neck herself. The only self control she had was due to the fact that she selfishly wanted Emma to herself and knew the young woman would not approve of her spying. Gina imagined that same incident reoccurred often and Emma stopped trying to prevent the assault. Gina continued rubbing Emma's back lovingly, hoping to coax some information out of her.
"I-," Emma started, finding it hard to speak and the air in her chest had all but vanished when she started crying. She wanted to scream out that she didn't love Hook and that she didn't want to be with him. She wanted to press her lips to Gina's, finally declaring the love she had been feeling for nearly six years. But her parents wanted her to be with Hook. They wanted her to be the perfect wife and bare more children, to create a family with Hook. She couldn't say any of the things she wanted to say. The wedding was approaching incredibly fast like a vice cutting off the airflow with a tight grip on her throat. Emma lifted her face to meet the eyes of the stunning brunette next to her, feeling herself calm just a bit.
"Emma, I know. I know I shouldn't know, but I do." The Queen looked away, her face flushing in anger again. "I want to cut his tiny dick off and throw it to the wolves Emma! I want to pluck his eyeballs out, one by one and force him to eat them. But I won't. Because as much as I try to make you believe otherwise, I don't want to hurt you.
Emma's silence was causing Gina to panic. She wasn't supposed to admit that she had been spying. She didn't want to ruin whatever this building relationship they had was. Emma rubbed at the back of her neck before sighing loudly.
"I should be mad at you Gina," she started. She looked over at Gina, holding eye contact with a suddenly steady gaze. "I should be so mad at you for spying on me. I thought we were past this trust issue. I tell you everything. I don't understand why you felt the need to spy on me. But the truth is I'm happy someone knows. I'm happy someone sees the truth behind my relationship with my precious fiancé. And I'm glad it's you. Because you're the only person that understands me anymore." She dropped her gaze to her hands, twiddling her thumbs together. "To be honest, I'm ashamed of myself. I'm ashamed that I've stayed this long. I'm a coward Gina."
Gina reached over and gripped Emma's chin, forcing her to look back into her eyes.
"You are not a coward Emma Swan. You are by far the strongest woman I have ever met in my entire life. This torture you endure regularly is not something most people could handle. I don't know how you do it Swan. I killed a man for doing the same thing to me and I would do it again in a heartbeat." Emma's eyes welled up with tears, the words from the Queen creating roots in her brain and in her heart. "I will keep this a secret between us Emma but I will not tolerate this rape any longer. You and me, Emma, were going to stop this. Because Gods Emma, you have really whittled your way into my heart like no one ever has before." Before Gina could look away, Emma cupped cheek, keeping her head in place.
"Thank you Gina," she whispered. The tears continued to slide down her cheeks but Gina reached up and swiped the tears away with her thumbs. She leaned her forehead against Emma's trying to tamp down the urge to connect their lips the way she'd been dreaming about. Neither of them moved, a silent agreement to stay connected, not saying a word until Gina sighed and slipped off the top of the castle, disappearing into the dark of the night.
Emma's smile grew brighter as the feeling of warmth and love came crashing back to her, her memory nearly as good as the original.
"What are you smiling about, Ma?" Henry sauntered into the kitchen and plopped down next to his mother. "Mom's going to kill you for eating her chocolate again." He laughed as he reached over and took a square of his own. Emma swatted playfully at Henry's hands, not truly mad about sharing.
"It's a good thing I love you kid," she joked. Her stomach was starting to feel full again and she slid the rest of the bar over to Henry.
"You didn't answer my question," he said as he broke off another square of chocolate. "What's got you in such a good mood?" Henry looked at his mom with a smirk on his face. He saw he mother's evil half earlier that morning and he recognized that same look on her face as the one that Emma was currently sporting. When he gave his mother a pointed look Emma just shrugged her shoulders, not planning on mentioning anything in particular.
"Nothing really. Can't I just be in a good mood for once?" Emma huffed a little. She wasn't actually annoyed with Henry but she was going to play it that way.
"Umm I guess?" At Emma's pointed look he sent her one of his own. "You haven't exactly been the happy-go-lucky Emma that you used to be. I'm just worried about you Ma. Because I care." He got up from the table to throw away the empty candy wrapper. "Besides, I know you hang out with the Queen sometimes. You two aren't as sneaky as you think you are." He laughed a little at Emma's shocked look before backing towards the kitchen door. It was time to start playing his part. "It's ok Ma. I think you guys work great together. You really compliment each other's personalities." He bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing as he practically ran to the stairs leaving Emma to sit there gaping confused.
"What just happened?" Emma looked around for a moment and then chuckled to herself. That kid was definitely hers and Regina's. There were no doubts about it. Emma went back to remembering how good she had felt wrapped in Gina's arms the night before. She hummed quietly to herself and smiled as she gently touched her jaw where Gina held her.
Gina sat outside in her vault smiling brightly at the image of a blushing and swooning Swan in her mirror. Her plan was moving into action and she couldn't wait to make her next move.