*note: TRIGGER WARNING: BLOOD, BRIEF VIOLENCE, SLIGHTLY GRAPHIC.
It's nothing too intense, but I'm putting the warning up just to be safe. The warning applies to the parts after the second horizontal line break.
Chapter 18:
She couldn't sleep.
Every time she tried to close her eyes, she went back to the hallway- his finger closed around her neck…squeezing the life out of her…her world turning black…
Regina sat up on the bed. The woman beside her didn't stir.
Emma was sleeping on her stomach. Her clothes were piled at the foot of her bed- torn shirt and pants were one blood-stained mess. She couldn't bear to look at them.
I should throw them away. Burn them maybe.
Reminders. They were reminders.
She reached beside her to pull the blanket over Emma's body. Her hand brushed over the long strip of bandage covering her back. She shuddered at the contact.
Regina couldn't see it but the gashes were there, below the protective layers, from which her girlfriend had bled through as she had fought for her. Her hands had soaked in crimson as she had tried to cover it up, stop the bleeding while the paramedics arrived.
She had only managed to get a glimpse of that ghastly wound. The scar he had left on her beloved.
Cold night air rushed through Emma's window as Regina got up from the bed. She walked out into the balcony.
Regina closed her eyes as she leaned on to the slightly damp railings. Moisture from rainwater stuck to the underside of her arm.
I brought this upon her. She got hurt…because of me…
The pain in her heart was so strong it hurt to simply breathe.
Emma. Sweet, wonderful, beautiful. Emma. Her lover. Her girlfriend.
She could've died tonight…
Regina shuddered under the moonlight. The thought of living in this world- where she would no longer see the mischief in those green eyes, where that voice would no longer whisper softly in her ears, those arms would never wrap around her body, the chest she rested her head upon each night feeling it's rise and fall- would be still, the space on the bed beside her would be empty- was unthinkable.
She cursed herself for even imagining it.
No…no…
She wanted to run into the room and gather that woman in her arms, hold her close, feel the warmth of her body so she could forget…forget what had almost happened tonight.
"Regina…"
Emma was calling out for her from within her bedroom. Regina quickly made her way inside.
"Regina?" Emma called out again, half sitting on top of her mattress.
"I'm right here, hon" Regina sat down on the bed, reaching out for Emma's hand. She felt fingers grip it tightly.
"I thought…you…I…woke up and you weren't here…" Emma mumbled.
Regina swallowed down a sob, "I'm here…right here" she whispered softly as Emma lied back down. Regina did the same beside her. Emma moved closer towards Regina to rest her head on her chest.
"Don't leave ok?" Emma whispered one last time, before slipping back into her dreams.
Regina gently traced her fingers into the blonde waves and caressed the arm that had wrapped around her.
I love you so very much…
"Never. I'm never leaving you." she whispered holding Emma close to her heart.
Six hours ago…
"Why won't you listen to me, dammit ?!" Emma growled at her. Regina simply stared at her girlfriend's frustrated form.
"Emma, it's been weeks. I'm not going to hide from that man anymore. I'm going to live in my house and run the shop the way I've been doing for years. I don't mind having the cops outside but you need to stop being so over bearing-
"Overbearing?! Trying to keep you safe is 'overbearing'?!"
"Well you've already installed three different locks on the door. You stay watching over me all day and night, not going to classes, or to work-nothing! How long are you going to keep it up, huh?"
Emma glared at her.
"As long as I need to" she declared, crossing her arms.
"Well I won't have it. I'm alright. Henry's staying with daddy at Bill's cabin. Graham's out on a manhunt. Everything is working out just fine. You should go home, relax, take a shower, grab new clothes and come back tomorrow."
"And leave you. For the entire night. Here. Alone?"
"There is a cop car standing outside my house, Emma, what more do you want?"
She's being so ridiculous.
Regina was tired of having her back against the wall. She had asked Graham for a gun, got herself licensed. He had also helped her mentally prepare for any attack on herself.
I can fight him.
"Just leave Emma" Regina huffed, slightly annoyed, "I'm not some weak, fragile thing you need to watch over all the time"
"Is that why you think I've been watching over you?"
"Well your actions say as much I-
"Whatever." Emma shrugged, cutting her off, as she turned and stormed out through the front doors.
Regina rolled her eyes. Emma was so dramatic sometimes.
Yeah. Whatever.
She closed the doors behind her.
He watched as the blonde stormed out on to the street and headed off towards the parked cars on the other side.
Atlast.
He slipped into the back yard, climbing down the fence. The night was dark. Streetlamps were dim.
The cop car sat at the front of the house. He had watched for days as the officers made their patrols every fifteen minutes during the night.
He knew he could easily get into the yard, unnoticed.
He was a predator of the night. He could hide in the shadows.
He stood facing the kitchen window.
He brought his little knife out if his pocket and slipped between the wooden cracks of the window frame. He chipped into the wood, cutting through slowly. He worked soundlessly under the shadow of trees
His bent his knife to lift the little hatch up from outside. The window was open before him.
He climbed into the house.
A soft light was coming from the living room. A lamp, probably.
She's there. His heart pounded in anticipation. His prey was only a few feet away, reading a magazine on the couch with her back towards him.
He lurched forward.
"Sshhhhh….not a single word, my dear" he whispered into her ear as Regina tried to scream. His hand muffled her voice, grabbing the struggling arms behind her.
"mmm it's been so long…" he breathed the smell of her hair, his beard dragged across a smooth forehead. His weapon twitched at the familiar scent, aching to be free from its confines within his jeans.
"You didn't tell me about the boy…I kicked you out so you could roam the streets like the filthy whore you are…you're nothing...you-
Sharp pain filled his ribs. She'd elbowed into his chest.
Bitch.
He tried to regain his hold on her. She kicked.
This time the pain was between his legs. He felt air leave his lungs as his weapon screamed within his pants.
Regina had bolted for the door, her fingers working frantically on the countless bolts…nearly there…
"Oh no you don't!"
Regina tried to scream as his rough hands grabbed fistful of her hair, yanking her away from the door.
"You think you can escape me? Whore!" he spat on her face.
She kicked again but missed this time. He laughed at her attempt and threw her against wall.
Her shoulders burned as she collided with the concrete.
Then he pressed against her.
Regina felt bile rising in her mouth, she tried to scream, bite into the hand that muffled her voice nearly choking her, his hand was working to free his pants…
God…no…no…
That's when she heard the loud bang. The front door flew open.
"What the-
Emma didn't give Daniel a chance to finish as she lunged forward, going straight for his throat.
They crashed against the wall.
"Regina run!" Emma yelled, Daniel threw her onto the floor.
Regina ran into her bedroom and locked the door behind.
She grabbed her cell phone that sat on top of her dresser.
"911, what's your emergency"
She prayed they'll send help soon as the sound of punches and loud crashes came from the living room.
Then she heard Emma scream.
His knife sliced over her skin.
Pain shot through her body like hot lava. She gasped as he struck her again. And again. His knife striking like a sword over her back.
"tsk tsk…playing hero are we"
He yanked her off the floor by her hair and looked at her face. She smelled alcohol in his breath. His beard only a few inches away from her face.
"I'm going to kill you, then fuck your bitch and then kill her too" he grinned, showing his missing teeth.
"NO!" Emma growled and punched into his stomach. As she felt air rush out of his mouth she struck again. Then kicked between his legs. He fell on his knees.
"You-fucking-bastard-will-NOT-ever-fucking-come-near-
She punched at his face. Blood splattered everywhere. From his face. Off her back. Her shoulders screamed in agony.
He didn't get back up.
Regina…oh god I've to see…
"Regina it's me!" she punched on the bedroom door. It opened.
A gun was pointing at her.
"Regina, it's just me. He's on the floor…don't…"
Regina lowered her hand as Emma gently took the gun away from her.
"The cops were gone…they were switching shifts…I…forgot my keys…he just-"
Emma gasped at the sudden pain.
She could almost hear her skin tearing under the teeth of that sharp blade.
She felt herself dropping to the floor, knees giving away.
Daniel had struck her shoulders, perforating the skin with his knife.
"NO! EMMA!"
Regina screamed.
"YOU BASTARD!" Regina shouted as Daniel lunged towards her. Emma watched, writhing on the floor in unbearable pain.
He's pinning her against the door.
No….
He's got his hands around her throat, squeezing, his knife looming dangerously close to her chest…
No…no…
Her arm felt like a weight of billion tons as she tried to raise the object in her hand and aim. Her shoulders screamed in agony.
Emma felt the cold metal creak as she pulled the trigger. The small gun went off with a loud bang.
Daniel dropped to the floor, clutching his thigh.
"You fucking BITCH!" he swore as blood poured out of his wound.
I'm gonna kill him…
Emma kept the gun pointed at him, as she tried to sit up. Regina was frozen against the door.
I'm gonna kill him…
All I have to do is pull the trigger again…end his miserable life…he'll never hurt her again…ever again…
I'll kill him…
"Emma…"
A voice spoke softly from behind over the loud swearing that was coming from Daniel's direction.
It was Graham's.
"Emma, it's ok now. You can drop that gun."
"He…he…he hurt her!" Emma spat, disgusted at the filth that was rolling on the floor, "I'll kill him!"
Her body burned from her exhaustions, something warm was ticking down her back, drenching her ripped clothes. She knew it was blood.
"I know Emma, let us put him away. He'll never hurt her again. I promise."
Graham's voice was soothing, comforting, reassuring. She slowly dropped the gun.
Suddenly there were too many people. Emma felt as though time had stopped the few seconds she had the gun in her hand.
Cops were everywhere. Graham yanked Daniel off the floor and dragged him out of the house. An officer bagged the gun and knife separately. Yellow tapes rolled out.
Her eyes looked for Regina.
"Call the 'medics!" someone yelled behind her. She crawled towards the woman who was sitting on the floor.
"Regina…" she strained to speak, her lungs burned as adrenaline was wearing off. Her body was on fire as pain was coursing everywhere.
Soft hands gently touched her face. She tried to wrap her arms around her girlfriend, tell her it's over…
Suddenly everything around her seemed to dissolve. Her head felt like lead.
Emma collapsed on Regina's lap.
Blood. Her hand was soaking in a pool of red as she pressed against the flow.
So much blood…
"Emma? Emma?!"
She tried to shake her up.
No…she can't…she's not…
"She's passed out ma'am; we have to take her to the hospital"
Regina's eyes shot up towards the men in uniform standing in front of her.
Minutes later she was sitting in the ambulance, by Emma's head, as they rushed towards the hospital.
Tears trickled down Regina's cheek. She didn't bother wiping them. Her hand was holding Emma's, gripping tightly.
She knew Emma wouldn't be able to hear her. She said it anyway.
"Don't you dare die on me, Emma Swan. Don't you dare leave me alone."
Emma didn't stir.
The loud siren blew out, piercing through the night, as the ambulance raced towards the hospital.
*note: See. I could never make Regina go through something so dreadful again. Even I, as the writer, won't be able to handle that. I wanted Emma to kick Daniel's ass, make him suffer for what he's done. Graham got to nail him as well. Also, see how realizations hit Regina in the beginning of this chapter, due to the night's events. She can't live without Emma and Emma can't without her. They've finally reached that point in their relationship. That was my idea all along, to show you readers that SwanQueen, together, can survive anything.
We're getting closer to that happy ending I promised. You folks ready?
P.S…I might...possibly...be thinking about Emma in a tux and Regina in a white dress in the near future…stay tuned? ;)