****TW: Brutal Rape****
CHAPTER 5
Regina had never felt so alive. It had been so long since she'd been riding. She'd missed it. The wind blowing through her hair, the sun on her face. For the first time in a long time, she felt free.
The first town that she and her Father came to she gave him some gold coins she had taken from the treasury before they left and had him get them a carriage and more horses. She went to the markets in search of provisions that they would need for the road. He was the man so it was his responsibility to take care of these things. Also she wanted to stay out of sight as much as possible. Leopold tended to have spies and eyes all around.
She would've loved to just poof them there and be done with it. But since she'd never been to her Father's Kingdom before it would've been more dangerous to try. So she settled for the weeks' long journey they had ahead of them.
It was while she was wandering the streets waiting for her Father's return that she heard the most angelic of voices. It was calling to her from a narrow side street.
As she followed it, she noticed she'd wandered into a seedy part of town. But she couldn't get that voice out of her head. There was so much feeling vibrating from within. Sadness, loneliness, but also hope. She had to find where it came from.
She came out next to the market's food stands. There she saw a young boy not much more than 6 singing. A big smile grew on her face as she took in the dirty sandy haired boy and his torn clothing. He was performing for alms. He had a hat thrown on the ground for passersby to toss him whatever coins they had leftover.
Her breath hitched as she took all of him in. The boy was small but because of the obvious malnutrition she guessed he was a bit older than what he looked. He was nothing more than skin and bones. But the glow emanating from him as he sang made Regina's heart dance.
She was standing and watching when a man who had his face twisted into a scowl came out of his shop. He tossed a bucket of water on the boy. "Get the hell out of here you mangy street rat. We don't want your kind here."
The boy stood gasping but he quickly wiped his face down with his hand. He bent to gather his things. Regina ran to the boy to help him. "He was doing nothing wrong. He was merely making your customers happy by giving them a beautiful song," the boy smiled at her as she handed him his hat. She took out some coins of her own and added to the collection.
"Do you live around here dear?" The boy smiled and shook his head. He gestured around as if to say wherever.
"He's nothing but a mangy street rat. His people are all Mogwai. Nasty little gremlins. He sings and yet he can't even talk."
"Who looks after him?" Regina was alarmed. She'd made sure there were no homeless children or adults in her town.
"I told you. No one. He sleeps in a box back there."
Regina's jaw dropped. She couldn't let this stand. "Then he's coming with us." She turned to him, "Would you like that? To come with me?"
The boy smiled and grabbed ahold of her hand. She began to walk them back towards the front of the markets. Regina smiled back at him and led the way back to the main streets.
She reunited with her father who explained the horses were at the town stable for the night. He'd gotten them a room and made sure it had 2 beds. Regina explained about their new passenger. She told him that from now on he was going to be staying with them.
She had her Father take him to get some suitable clothing while she finished her shopping. They met back at the inn where a bath was set up for Regina. Then her Father would help the little boy while Regina put together some dinner for the three of them.
She finished her bath quickly so that her Father would have plenty of time with the young boy. She hoped he didn't have lice. She remembered when Henry had come home with it from school. It was awful. She was tempted to just set the furniture outside and set it on fire as opposed to all of the cleaning it involved.
Their new companion came back from the bath rooms with a huge smile on his face and completely bare. Now that he was cleaned up Regina could get a really good look at his face. He was adorable. He had light sandy colored hair, huge brown eyes, and a wide open smile. Her father followed behind him looking decidedly more weary.
"Hello handsome," she held out her arms and he ran right into them. He wasn't afraid of affection. That was a good sign. She patted his bare tush. He also wasn't shy in anyway. She chuckled as he grinned up at her unashamed.
She brought him over to the bigger bed. She and he would share the large bed while her Father took the cot. She helped him into a sleepshirt she'd bought for him. And showed him the new clothes her father had helped him pick out earlier that were going to be for the day.
"Now, we need to know what to call you."
He nodded and looked around. He grabbed a pen and paper and wrote in a messy childish scrawl. Gizmo.
Regina's eyebrows raised as she showed her Father the paper. Her Father just sat down heavily on his bed. "Are you sure this is a good idea Regina?"
"I can't leave him here to fend for himself. Anyway we have plenty to share," Regina began to set out dinner for the three of them.
Gizmo ate everything on his plate. When he was done Regina gave him the rest she'd been saving for breakfast in the morning. She was glad he had a huge appetite. He needed to fatten up. They'd deal with the lack of etiquette later.
It was late and they needed to be up early to continue on their journey. They still had at least a week's worth of riding before coming to her Grandfather's Kingdom.
Regina crawled in bed with Gizmo. She told her Father goodnight as he climbed into his bed. She turned out the light but they could still see plenty with the fireplace roaring away.
Then Gizmo began to sing. She swore the child had an angel's voice. He sounded like pure heaven pouring into your ears. Despite the early night Regina fell asleep quite fast.
XO
Emma had taken to following her Mother around. She was usually in Regina's rooms. She came to learn a lot of new things about the woman she'd never known.
It seemed the feud between she and Snow had started sometime later. Because this Snow wanted nothing more than for her Mother to come back for her.
Emma felt bad. She'd told Regina to stay the hell away. And now her Mother was missing her something awful. Emma more than anyone knew what missing their Mother felt like.
She'd watched as Snow prayed repeatedly to the faeries to bring her back to her. Emma snorted. Her prayers had always gone on unanswered.
She missed her son. Her battery on her phone was running low and she didn't want to drain it completely. She really should've gotten some prints made that she could keep around with her in her wallet. She was only just starting to get to know the boy. But she knew no matter what he was hers. And she would do anything to get back to him.
She was thinking of calling on Rumplestiltskin. She didn't know if it was click your heels 3 times or call his name 3 times and then he would come but she knew she had to try. This wasn't over. It couldn't be the end. She never even told him goodbye. She'd only told him that she was going to be right back after she'd talked with Regina.
Her hands tightened into fists at the thought of Regina turning her into a liar. She was done with all this savior and fairy tale crap. As soon as she got back home she was going to grab her son and leave. Permanently. Her parents were welcome to come along but that was up to them.
Snow was still asleep under the pile of Regina's dresses that she'd developed a habit of cocooning herself in when the door to the room opened up. "Snow," a deep voice bellowed. From here it sounded really slurred.
Snow rolled over with a yawn. Then she rose to her feet. "Coming Father."
Emma followed Snow into the next room. Her father stood there in a sleep shirt. Emma's pulse began to quicken. Her heartrate and breathing sped up. He was leering down at his daughter who was still wiping sleep away from her eyes and yawning like she was his last supper. Emma flashed back to what Regina had said before she left. That she didn't like the way he looked at her. Right now Emma knew exactly what she meant.
"Father, have you found my Mother yet?"
The King stared at her a moment longer. Emma wished she could somehow get her to understand she needed to run. But Snow was instead looking up at her Father expectantly awaiting an answer.
Emma looked around for a weapon of some sort. She stuck her face out the door and saw guards posted around. She began banging on the walls and screaming trying to get their attention. They didn't so much as blink hard. She sighed and went back into the room praying that she was wrong about the vibes she was picking up from the man.
He now had Snow seated on his lap. One of his hands was rubbing up and down her back where it would pause as it came to the curve of her hip. Then up and down again. The other was caressing her thigh. "Snow, you're a big girl now. You no longer need a Mother," before she could protest the King held up a hand to silence her. "Mother left us. You and I. And that's fine. Now it's time for you to take over your Mother's duties. It's time you became Queen. You would like to do that wouldn't you?" His hand came up and traced its way down her cheek and jaw. He turned her face closer to his.
Snow began squirming trying to get out of his arms. But he had a tight hold on her. He threw her back against the bed.
Snow tried to scramble away. "Father, please. I just want Mother," she whimpered.
"You're the Queen now. Queens don't need their Mother's. It's better this way," Emma watched in horror as Leopold tossed away his sleep shirt.
Snow grew even paler than she already was if that was possible. She stood and made a run for the door. She opened it and screamed, "help! Help me!"
The guards outside stared at her with fear and shock etched across their faces. They looked back and forth between Snow trying to get away and their King completely nude and sipping at his wine.
"Close the door and go away," the King bellowed. Emma cursed them as they followed his orders. They pushed Snow back inside the room and quickly shut it. "Snow!" he yelled. "Get over here and do as your Father says."
Emma walked into the bathroom. She began to yell for Rumple. She screamed his name over and over and didn't stop. She put her hands over her ears and willed herself away while screaming for Rumple to save the two of them.
Not when she heard the cries from the next room. Not when she heard the moans and grunts and the cries of pain from her Mother. Not when she heard Leopold telling her it would hurt less if she didn't fight him. There were sobs then a scream and then more sobbing as she heard the bedsprings making a rhythmic noise. And finally, with a loud grunt from Leopold, it was over.
When he'd finished with Regina he'd stumbled back into his own rooms. Now with his daughter he instead passed out beside her.
Snow continued to cry softly throughout the night.
"You rang?" Rumple appeared with his usual flourish.
"You imp!" Emma strode towards him with her fists clenched. "You knew about this didn't you?! DIDN'T YOU!?"
Rumple merely blinked slowly. "Exactly what this are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about Regina resetting the timeline. And then taking off. And leaving Snow here with - ," Emma remembered Regina wanting to take Snow with her but she had pulled out every threat to ensure that didn't happen. She thought that Snow and Regina hated one another. But the heartache she'd watched Snow experience the last few nights left no room for doubt. Whatever made them hate one another had to have happened later. But right now the two of them definitely shared some kind of love. It wasn't the way she'd seem Regina look or try to give affection to Henry. But it was something. And that something was better than this right now.
Emma was seething, "Make it right. Make it right, right damned now you imp. Or so help me I'll -."
Rumple giggled. "Oh, sorry. Being threatened by an ant is quite hilarious. Go on dearie. You were saying," Rumple flashed her his palm to let her know that she had the floor.
"I'm the Savior. I - ."
Again, Rumple cut her off. "Were," at her look of confusion he rolled his eyes and placed his hand on his hip. "You were the savior. You were a child of true love. Now that the timeline has reset and Regina has made different choices you are no more."
"Then why am I still here? Am I cursed?"
"Oh no, dearie. It takes a lot more than this to curse someone. No, you've merely been temporarily relocated here so to speak. While the timeline resets. You will still be born. Just not to Prince Charming and Snow White. Now that your parents have consummated their relationship, it will only be a matter of time before your appearance," Rumple gestured into the next room where Leopold was snoring away loudly while Snow was crying softly. Emma herself wanted to curl up and cry.
Rumple grasped a strand of Emma's hair with one of his pointed sharp nails. She gasped aloud seeing that her blonde locks had now turned into raven curls. "You are no longer the daughter of true love. You are now the daughter of true hate," the imp began a fit of maniacal giggling.
"You've got to stop this. You've got to do something!" she screeched. "Please," her voice broke as the tears that had been threatening her began to roll over. "I'll do anything." Rumple merely looked bored. He began inspecting his long golden sharp nails. "Regina!" Rumple's eyebrows raised practically to his hairline. "I'm a bounty hunter. I know where she's going. I could find her and bring her back to you so that she could recast the curse."
"You would trade her for your Mother?"
Emma swiped angrily at her eyes. "You're damned right I would! I'll drag her by her hair kicking and screaming if I have to! She did this! She did it to all of us! I need to get to Henry and you still need to get to Neal. I can help. I can bring her here to you. No matter what it takes. I always get my perp."
Rumple gave a large exaggerated sigh. "If only it were that easy. But Regina is no longer any use to me now. She's chosen a different path. All that beautiful rage is just gone," Rumple shook his head and pursed his lips. "Oh well."
"But your curse. I could help - ."
Rumple waved her away dismissively. "My curse will be cast. There is a new Evil Queen. Regina was a powerhouse of rage but my new Queen has rage and hatred stewing inside of her. And she has been born tonight through blood and tears. She will soon emerge in all her glorious horror and then I will get exactly what I want," the imp grinned causing him to look even creepier.
Emma couldn't accept this. "Listen you imp," she pulled him by his lapels up to her face. Rumple merely regarded her with humor in his eyes. "You have spent my entire life screwing with me. You had me thrown in a damn tree to become your damned Savior, to have to live out a hell of a life wandering alone. No one to ever care about me or for me until my son turned up at my door. Now I'm not letting you take any of that away from me. I will do whatever you want. But you will get me back to my family. Back to my son. And I will grab him and leave. You and Regina can play whatever sick games you want to after that. Just spare me my son and my family. Please," Emma's voice broke on the last word. "He's your grandson too you know."
Rumple waved his hand away, "I'll have others." He pulled himself out of Emma's grasp. "You however - ," Rumple threw back his head and laughed. "Let's just say that isn't the last you'll see of Regina Mills."
Rumple began to make his way toward the window. He sat on the ledge and Emma watched as he shot magic toward where she kept her phone in her pocket. And then into the mirror that hung in front of the vanity. "Call it a wedding present." He waved, and then he was gone.
Emma's phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out. She gasped when she saw the battery on full. She flipped through the video and picture files. She nearly cried from relief of seeing photos of her son and family.
Rumple's voice floated through the air making Emma jump and look around nervously. "Now you shall forever be reminded of that which you have lost. Thank you," he cackled away.
Emma looked up glaring at him before she looked back into the mirror. In the picture she could see Regina dressing for the day. She was still wearing those ridiculous clothes that everyone here wore but it was easy to tell that Regina's were expensive. And even for old time clothing they still looked really good on her.
She walked out of what appeared to be the bathroom into a room that she had been sharing with her Father. "You ready?"
A young sandy hair colored boy rose. He was no older than 6 or 7. He ran over to Regina with a huge smile on his face and grabbed ahold of her hand.
Emma's breath hitched as she thought of Henry. She walked up to the mirror as Regina conversed with the boy and her Father Henry. She began to cry harder now. She began to beat her hands on the mirror, "You bitch! You fucking evil bitch! I swear I'm going to make you pay for this!"
She beat at the glass until her hand couldn't take anymore. Then she slid down onto the floor wailing huge sobs that racked her body. She cried until there were no more tears. Then she slept.