Trapped Together

As if the look of Lily's old apartment building wasn't depressing enough, there was a thick stench of mildew in the air attaching itself to Regina's clothes making her feel damp and filthy all over. Regina couldn't wait to put this part of their trip behind them. At the same time, she needed Emma to cool off a little after she almost pummeled Lily's old neighbor. She went to suggest they take the stairs hoping it would help, but Emma had already slammed the down button to the elevator, so she left it alone.

The old creak of the wires bringing the elevator up added to the sickened feeling building up inside Regina. This chunk of metal opening up to greet them looked more like a medieval death trap than an elevator. Once they stepped in, Emma turned and began hitting the buttons before the doors even closed, then began to pace in tight circles as they started their decent. Regina took a few quiet deep breaths. She knew if she didn't keep her bearings, the elevator or Emma would surely kill her.

The elevator made its way down creaking and rattling in a bumpy crawl. Regina stared at the levels, slowly striking three, then inching its way to two. Just as she was about to let out the air she had been keeping in the entire time, the elevator stuttered then screeched to a halt.

"You can't be serious," Regina mumbled not wanting to set Emma off, even though the blonde would pop regardless. Emma tapped at the ground button several times to no avail then moved to the door open button, but everything was dead.

"Perfect," she snarled, squeezing her fingers in between the doors.

"Emma," Regina tried to step in not wanting her to make things worse, but Emma wasn't in the mood to listen to her this time.

"Do you want to get out of here or not?" She seethed.

Regina threw up her hands and backed away letting the all mighty savior yank the elevator door open like the incredible hulk. They could peek through and see the ground, but only an inch of open space presented. There was barely enough room to get an arm through, let alone their bodies.

"Get down here and help me push up. Maybe we can drop it some more."

"You're kidding right?" Emma's ice stare answered. "Emma the door is one thing, but the elevator?"

"It's on a pulley of sorts," she growled lying on the ground and started to push. The elevator creaked, but didn't budge.

"Emma please," Regina pleaded more with concern than annoyance. Emma ignored her growling some more as she put more effort into her push, only receiving a plum face in return.

"Let's just wait for help. I don't want you to get hurt."

Emma slammed her hand against the elevator, bending her wrist back too far and doing exactly what Regina feared.

Regina rolled her eyes and offered Emma a helping hand, but the savior slapped it away, shaking her wrist as she stood up. "Why do you even care?"

Regina stared at Emma trying not to scold her or look hurt. After everything they've been through, especially these last few months, how could she even ask that? They worked as a team, did lunch as friends, and had dinner with Henry and her parents as a family. She knew Emma saw all this too. She was only blinded by rage at the moment. "For the same reasons you do," she simply said looking away.

Emma let out a heavy exhale as she massaged her wrist, still frustrated, but beginning to calm down. "I'm sorry," she mouthed too ashamed to actually say the words, but with the elevator quiet now, Regina heard it and smiled.

"I'm going to call the fire department, because with the way this place is being run, I don't think help is on its way anytime soon." Emma let out a half smile. She walked over to the back of the elevator next to Regina and leaned beside her as she called. Afterwards they stood there in silence for a while, both needing a few minutes to get their thoughts in order. Their road trip had been like this the entire way, Emma hot one minute, cold the next. Regina understood, but she hated seeing her like this.

Regina glared at the floor of the elevator in disgust before slumping down knowing they would be waiting for some time. Emma glanced downward, their eyes connecting instantly somehow able to say more without words, something neither of them had experience with anyone else before.

"So, now what?" Emma asked crouching down beside her.

"You're the bails bonds person last I checked."

Emma smirked; they were back as a team. "That I am, but Lily's like me. We don't tend to leave many trails."

Regina nodded and reached out to lightly pat Emma's leg, "You'll think of something."

Emma's eyes fell on Regina's hand. She went to retreat it, thinking she had gone too far, but Emma placed her hand on top of hers and kept it there. They smiled down at their contact, unable to handle the warming looks the other would be wearing. Emma then laced her fingers with Regina's, her anger finally vapor in the air. "Thank you," she whispered still not looking up.

"For what dear?"

"For being here," she paused, "I mean, I know it's mostly for Robin," she started to babble getting a silencing squeeze from Regina.

"Me being here is much more than about Robin. I wanted to be here for you too."

Emma smiled, "to push fate back?"

Again Regina squeezed Emma's leg, "Yes, however," she went on after glancing at the horrid contraction they were stuck in, "it looks like fate decided to throw us a curve ball."

Emma let out a genuine laugh as she relaxed beside her. Regina couldn't remember the last time she saw the blonde look so happy, possibly one of their lunch's weeks ago. "This time, I'm glad it did."

Their eyes locked again and Regina reached up to tuck Emma's wild hair behind her ear, wanting to see the full glow of her smile. Her fingers slide down under Emma's chin for a moment, letting her own happiness shine back at her, "me too."

Regina knew Emma had a tough road ahead of her still. Killing someone wasn't something you could just put behind you. She would have to learn to deal with it, as well as her parents' decision to place the darkness into Lily. As she brushed her thumb to Emma's cheek, she hoped she could soothe away some of the darkness, even if it was only a fraction of it. Until then, her place was right here beside the savior. Together they would make it through this, as they did with everything.