A/N: more "implications"
They had spent the entire night combing through what remained of Ingrid's ice hideout. Now it was dawn of the second day of their search.
Robin was exhausted, and felt no closer to finding Regina than he had 24 hours ago.
They'd hoped to find evidence of Sidney, Regina, or the magic Ingrid had used at the icy location. There was nothing. In fact, most of it was gone.
"How can her magic be remaining?" Robin had downed half of his coffee in one gulp. Half of the town was gathered around the tables in Granny's. Regina would have been surprised to see how many people were worried about her. "If you're seriously thinking that her magic is somehow still helping Sidney, how is it still remaining?"
"Ingrid had strong magic. And there's all kinds of magic." Emma looked as exhausted as Robin felt.
"Could yours counter it?" Robin pressed.
"Probably," Emma consented. "And there's one place we haven't checked yet: the ice cream parlor." Robin started to push his chair back. "Robin wait!"
David grabbed his arm, pulling him down.
"We can't just run in there." Emma tried to calm him down. "We don't know what we're going into. If Sidney's got Regina in there, we don't want to startle him to the point that he hurts her."
"He's already hurting her!" Robin exclaimed. "He's been hurting her for days! We need to get her-now."
"Not when that might mean getting her killed." David's fingers tightened on his arm. "We're all exhausted, and we're all worried. And we're going to find Regina. But we need a plan."
****Scene****
Regina cried out as Sidney jammed the nail into her side. It was on the end of the broomstick, and the way he used it felt like she'd been kicked. Her mind played out when she'd had a tetanus shot, and couldn't remember.
"I enjoy playing with you." He knelt down on the other side of the bars so that he could look in at her. "No really, I like it. It's like watching a cat play with a mouse. You know how it will end for the mouse. Not used to being the mouse, are you?" He jammed the nail hard into her arm and Regina gasped again, breaking off into a choking sob.
"Haven't you had enough fun yet?" Sidney smiled as he stood, moving around to the door of the cage. Slowly, he unlocked the door, stepping inside.
"No, I haven't."
*****Scene****
They had made their way down the street to the ice cream parlor. Robin stood looking at the darkened windows. In one hand was his cross bow. Emma and David both had tried to convince him that he didn't need to use that-David and Emma both had a firearm. But he was not going in there without being able to defend Regina.
"She's inside." He rested his hand on the window. "She has to be. It's the only place in town."
"I agree." Emma nodded. "But we have to do this carefully."
****Scene*****
Sidney made her wait while he fixed his own clothes. Finally, he removed the gag and untied her.
Regina was cold, and tired, and sore, and miserable. His most recent actions only made her feel worse. She could feel him still inside of her, contaminating her body. Her arms and shoulders had long since gone numb.
She was worried about Henry. His mother had been gone for days. The only good thing she knew was the Emma would take good care of him. She'd protect him-no matter what. Henry had a good family…without her.
"Can we just get this over with?" Regina looked up at Sidney.
"After what we finally just did?" Sidney knelt in front of her. He stroked her cheek gently. "Of course not. I'll be ready soon for another round. Now get some rest. Wouldn't want you too exhausted for me."
****Scene****
Emma pushed open the door. The store was empty. For the moment, she heard nothing. There was no cry for help, no screams, nothing. It was too silent.
Sidney had just made his way into the main floor when he heard the door open. A quick glance into the storefront indicated what he feared-Robin Hood, Prince Charming, and the Savior.
As much as he hated to admit defeat-especially in this case-he was not getting himself killed over the Evil Queen. They could have her Majesty-if they still wanted her.
But if he was getting out of here in one piece, he had to move quickly.
Sidney lunged for the back door, threw it open and ran out into the street.
From the front of the shop, Emma heard the door slam open. She lunged for the doorway, with Robin and David a few steps behind her.
In the back of the shop, the door was open. But other than that, the room was empty except for a few boxes and discarded pieces of equipment.
To the right, a door was closed against the wall. Robin reached over and yanked it open.
The basement stairs lay before them. At the bottom, there was a faint glow of dim light.
Robin needed no encouragement. He took off down the stairs. At the bottom, he froze.
Directly in front of him was a cage that while tall, did not look wide enough to hold a human being. Even a small one-like the one it currently held.
"Regina!" He threw himself against the door.
Regina's head lifted from her shoulder. She met his eyes with shock.
"Robin?" She whispered weakly. Robin reached down, yanking the door.
"Where are the keys?" He asked gently, trying to hide the desperate urgency in his voice.
"Behind you-on the wall." Regina choked. Robin turned, spied the ring he was looking for. He began jamming keys into the lock. Fortunately, it took on the third key. It turned, and the door creaked open. Robin pushed it the rest of the way open and rushed inside, dropping down in front of Regina.
Her tears were flowing down her dirty face. There was dried blood on her forehead.
"I thought you'd never come." She sobbed, kissing him with tear-streaked lips.
"Shh," Robin kissed her lips lightly. "Let's get you out of here." He reached behind her and felt the bindings.
"Robin? Oh my god." David had come down the stairs.
"Just help me get her out of here." Robin was holding Regina against him with one arm while he felt the bonds. Metal…not rope as he'd been hoping.
David moved behind the bars. Kneeling down, he gently touched the handcuffs.
"Handcuffs. Regina, is there a key?"
"I don't know." Regina buried her face into Robin's chest. "He's never taken them off."
"Ok. We'll get them off. Emma!" David yelled.
"Sidney's not-. Oh god Regina." Emma froze at the foot of the stairs, her eyes scanning over the room.
"Outside, in the police car, are a set of bolt cutters. Go get them. Bring them down here." Emma wasted no time. She disappeared up the stairs.
Robin was stroking Regina's hair. She took deep breaths, inhaling his scent. He was so warm and comforting around her. She didn't really believe he'd come for her. But he was here now…but…
"He might come back." Regina lifted her head to look at Robin.
"If he does, I'm ready." David held the gun through the bars. "Don't worry, Regina. You're safe."
"He's right." Robin laid his forehead on hers. "We're going to get you out of here."
Emma came back downstairs, holding the bolt cutters in one hand.
"Still no sign of Sidney," she said as she dropped down onto the floor.
"Doesn't matter right now. We're leaving. Ok, put the cutters right there." David helped her position the metal against the chain holding the handcuffs. "Regina, relax as much as you can so we have as much slack as possible. We don't want to cut you."
"Lean back a little," Robin murmured, easing her back against the bars. "I'm right here. I'm not letting go."
David took the cutters. He squeezed hard, making his knuckles turn white. The chain snapped with a loud clank. Robin reached back and gently pulled Regina's hands in front of her. She winced as the blood began to return to the limbs. The pain of blood returning after that long was unbelievable. She knew this was going to hurt for a while.
"Can you stand?" Robin asked, rubbing her hands. Regina shook her head, her face contorting in the pulsing pain in her hands.
"I think I'm too weak."
"Ok." Robin stood up. Reaching down, he lifted her gently into his arm. Regina tried to put her arms around his neck, but they were still too numb and too sore. Robin tucked her into his chest as he followed Emma up the stairs.
Stepping outside, Emma opened the back door to the police cruiser so Robin could lay Regina on the backseat. He climbed in after her to immediately lift her back onto his lap.
There was no real way to examine how injured she was. He could see the bloody bruises around her wrists where the cuffs had dug in and cut her. There was clearly a cut on her head. It was coated in dried blood. Robin suspected that was what had hit the mirror.
He wrapped his arms around her. As David started the drive to the hospital, he whispered into her ear how glad he was to have found her, how worried he'd been, that she was safe now, and that everything was going to be ok.
When they finally reached the hospital, David opened the door. Robin stepped out and then reached in to lift Regina out.
Her arms were aching and tingling. She was so incredibly tired. She could barely respond as Robin carried her into the emergency room.
The second they crossed the doorway, the room went silent.