Chapter four
She was sick of being asked the same thing over and over again. When the doctor entered her room, she sat up.
"The dog wasn't mine, I think it was Archie's. And I don't know if he was vaccinated."
The doctor grinned. He had a weird blond hair that didn't match his dark eyebrows, but Regina liked him.
"We took precautions about that," he said. "Archie said the dog's okay, just a little aggressive. Are you in pain?" he pointed her upper lip.
"No," she said with a shake of her head. The anesthesia was the closest to drugs Regina had ever tried, and it felt incredible combined with painkillers. However, she was not high enough to forget about Emma Swan and that incredible display of worry. "Dr. Whale, where-?"
"Your friend is asking for you. Can I send her in?"
Regina blinked, and something down the pit of her stomach made the effects of the medicine feel nothing in comparison.
"Sure," she nodded. 'Friend' was definitively not the term to define them.
Emma Swan took a hesitant step inside. Her jeans were dirty, and her curly hair was a mess. There was a perfect rectangle missing from the hem of her t-shirt, and she had a bandage around her right wrist.
Regina had never seen so many emotions flash past those greenish eyes. She had never seen that in anyone else's eyes, if she were honest.
XXX
Emma felt her knees buckle at the sight of the incredible Regina Mills, the girl of her dreams, on a hospital bed with a deep cut above her upper lip.
The blonde approached her bed slowly when Dr. Whale left.
"Does it hurt?" she asked quietly.
"No."
Emma nodded, awkwardly watching the room at large.
"How's your wrist?" Regina asked timidly.
"Oh," she scoffed. "I'll live." It hurt like hell, but no way was she going to tell Regina that.
There was a tense, embarrassing silence. Regina wanted to thank her for saving her from a worst outcome and driving so fast to the hospital, but the words just failed her and didn't come out. Emma looked expectantly at her, but not as someone who's waiting for a medal or anything. She just looked -
The door burst open and Cora Mills marched in, infesting the air with expensive perfume and hairspray. Her eyes widened at the sight of her daughter's face.
"Oh dear, Regina! What happened? Your face is- You!" she hissed dangerously when she noticed a disheveled Emma Swan next to her. Emma was taller than Cora, too, but somehow she looked like she was shrinking under her stern look. "Of course it had to be something you were involved! Look what you've done to her face!"
"Mother-"
"Do not interrupt me when I speak, Regina. I want to see Whale now. He did this?" she pointed at the stitches. "He'll have to re-do it, then. There's no way Mr. Locksley will take you to Prom with you looking like that."
"You should be glad that your daughter can do so much better than that dillhole!" Emma snapped at Cora.
Regina held her breath.
"What did you say to me, girl?" Cora hissed, narrowing her eyes exactly like Regina did, except that this gave Emma the impression that she might piss her pants.
However, the blonde held her chin up. Her dad had taught her how to act brave even though you were scared shitless.
"I said dillhole," Emma muttered, but then she stared defiantly at Cora. "Only a dillhole wouldn't want to take her to Prom."
"Why does it sound like you're wounded, dear?" Cora asked her with an unpleasant chuckle. "You should try and dress like a proper girl, Miss Swan. Other than that, I appreciate the favor you did to me. Now I can take the case to the Council and finally get you expelled."
"Mother!"
Cora turned to Regina. "Watch your tone, young lady," she said calmly. "You may speak now."
"She saved me from a dog attack! She got bitten to get rid of it! Look at her arm! I would probably have my entire face ruined if it weren't for her!"
"Your face is not ruined," Emma said quietly to Regina. Then, she spun on her heels and left the room.
"I don't care if she saved you," Cora muttered, turning to her frantic daughter. "I want this delinquent out of Storybrooke High, and I want Ingrid Swan and her bad brood out of town!"
Regina closed her eyes and sighed, unexpectedly hoping that her mother wouldn't succeed on that. There was just something about that imbecile, and Regina couldn't stop thinking about the way she looked at her – like she… cared a lot. It was weird how it made her whole body warm up in a way it never did.
"Gather your things," Cora said, snapping her back to reality. "I'll talk to Doctor Whale. You can go wait in the car."
XXX
"Okay, you have two minutes to explain and give me a good reason why I shouldn't ground you and take your car keys."
Ingrid Swan could sound scary when she wanted to, but she always sounded so disappointed that it felt far worse. Emma didn't think she would have the heart to take the only thing her dad left for her – the GTI - but she was not so sure about being grounded.
Ingrid had missed her night shift at Granny's and had put every neighbor in charge of calling her in case they saw Emma, and she was really, really mad when, past seven thirty, Emma got home with a bandage on her wrist, her t-shirt with blood stains and a large chunk of fabric missing on the front. So she lost her shift because Miss Attitude was fighting on the streets like a hooligan.
"Regina Mills was attacked by a dog, and I… took her to the hospital, mom."
Ingrid folded her arms across her chest and studied her daughter with her blue eyes narrowed. She always knew when Emma lied to her, but this time it didn't sound like a made up story even though it sounded absurd. They were sitting on a table with mismatched chairs on their front lawn, and even though it was precariously illuminated, she recognized the look on Emma's face.
It was the same James had when he told her he had been summoned to serve in Vietnam. Back then, there was no way she could have told he was lying when he promised to come back alive. Emma was eight when the government officers knocked at their door with a flag and a medal.
Ingrid sighed. "Fine. But you're not getting out of the house after school for a week? Deal?"
"I'll take a month, if you succeed in one simple task," Emma threw her a smirk that meant no good. "I'll bet you can't write your name on a straight line with your eyes closed."
The blonde woman laughed, but then she looked sad again. "Nice try, Emma. Is it your grades or detention?"
Emma rolled her eyes, taking the form out of her backpack.
"It's the third time, kid!"
"I know, mom, but this time it wasn't my fault!"
"Oh really? Was it Regina Mills again, and you did something heroic to get punished in her place?"
"Hi."
Both Emma and Ingrid gasped and turned around. Regina stood by the fence with something wrapped in tinfoil on her hands. Henry Mills, who was a tall, kind looking man, stood right behind her.
He was the secretary of finances for the City Hall and soon-to-be Mayor of Storybrooke, and yet he looked a lot less intimidating than his wife. He gave Regina a soft nudge, and both took a step up the front walk of the Swan house.
"Good night, Mrs. Swan," he said with a soothing voice and smiling at the pair. "Emma."
Ingrid stood up, wiping imaginary dirt from her hands on her jeans as she looked back at her daughter and then at the Mills. She walked up to the pair and beckoned Regina in to sit with Emma.
"I'll never forget what your husband did to our country and this town, Ingrid," Henry said when the girls were out of earshot." I see you working harder than anyone, and your daughter just saved mine. I'll have the city council drop the charges and you don't have to worry about rent for a while."
"I can't accept that, Mr. Mills, I-"
"Regina is the most important person in my life, so this is nothing, really."
"But Mr. Gold will never-"
"Leave him to me," he said with a kind smile. "Anyone who would take a dog bite for Regina deserves to have a home."
Meanwhile, Emma and Regina were standing ten foot apart from each other, avoiding making eye contact for no reason in particular.
Emma felt a little embarrassed that she was still wearing her school clothes. Regina was clean, wearing a small bandage on her lip, and she could even catch the scent of her shampoo with the soft breeze. Her hair smelled nice.
Regina parted her lips to speak, but her father called out for her. She sighed and looked at Emma.
"Thank you," she said quietly, and offered the Pyrex wrapped in tinfoil. "This is for you. Have a goodnight."
Emma accepted it, and she hoped with all her soul that Regina didn't catch the goosebumps erupting on her arms when their hands brushed against each other on the exchange. Her skin was soft and hot. Emma liked it. Emma could hold that Pyrex forever.
Reality came crashing back at her when her mother un-wrapped the tinfoil and a delicious-looking apple turnover revealed itself. Ingrid was grinning; the Mills were gone and Emma stood just there watching the empty curb.
"So your girlfriend can cook, huh?"
"Mom!"
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Hello! Well, I thought it would give an interesting twist to the story if they met before those scars… It will make more sense later, I promise. I'm really glad you're enjoying so here's one more. Dedicated to the best cook in town: my very own little muse.
Until next time!
