If anyone hasn't already please read and review my completed fig The Price of Magic. I'm fairly new to this writing game and worry that I'm guilty of focusing on the storyline too much? rather character emotions, although this fic will get more emotional in the very next chapter...
Part five
Emma had spent the first part of the morning questioning the staff at the mayor's office, Regina had been in her office earlier but had left and her secretary wasn't expecting her back and no she hadn't said where she was going.
She had spent the second part of the morning in the less than glamorous setting of the Rabbit Hole, nursing a drink and eavesdropping on the questionable clientele who frequented the local watering hole before noon. Unsurprisingly, she heard nothing, it had been so much easier when her targets didn't know who she was, the Sheriff drinking on her own didn't exactly go unnoticed and the place soon emptied. She noticed the barman's look of relief as she was leaving, clearly she was bad for business.
She decided to pay a visit to Regina's vault, just incase the missing keys allowed access, although she was sure Regina would have secured the vault with magic and already checked, she felt uneasy about assuming it was secure, she didn't know what Regina kept down there but whatever was hidden down would be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Wrapping her thin jacket around her as she strolled through the cemetery, it was getting cold although the sky was still blue, the air felt cooler as it swirled around her though there was no wind.
Quickening her pace she made her way to the Vault, she could see the building emerging through the trees and as she got closer she could saw a figure in the doorway, she couldn't see who it was but she was sure it was not Regina. She broke into a jog, the person was not heading her way but disappearing around the side of the building. Cursing she ran past the stone walls of the Vault, and called out.
The person did not turn but there was no need she knew who it was, recognizing the green scarf streaming behind him as he too broke into a run.
She hesitated whether to chase after him or check the Vault, he had left the door open which meant at the very least the Vault was currently unsecured besides she knew where to find him.
Turning around, she made her way to the Vault and took the narrow stone stairs down into corridor, following it into the main chamber. The candles were burning low but there was still enough light to see, the room looked undisturbed, no obvious signs of a tampering, the shelves seemed untouched, dust covering most of the objects. She recalled the last time Mr Gold and the others had visited, he had waved his hand over the shelves checking for missing objects, perhaps she could do something similar but wasn't really sure how. Raising her hand she focused on missing, taken objects but nothing happened maybe an incantation was needed, she was under no doubt Regina would not be offering any more magic lessons since she had returned from her trip to the Enchanted Forest past but Regina would know and seeing the Vault had indeed been visited by a well known thief, she had to make sure everything was encountered for, she had to call Regina.
Surprisingly her cell had almost full reception despite the fact she was under ground, typical she could barely get a signal in her new apartment but here no problem.
Hitting Regina's number she thought she would wait for Regina to arrive before telling her who she had seen leaving the Vault, a conversation she was not looking forward to.
The vault was echoing her cell ring but Regina was not picking up, annoyed she pulled the phone away from her ear, as she did so she realised the phone was not echoing but another phone was ringing, Regina's phone. The answer phone kicked in and she hurriedly pressed the redial button and followed the sound of ringing back to the entrance of the main chamber. She knew other chambers lay off the narrow passageway but she had never entered them. The sound was coming from the left so she tried the first door, pushing the heavy wooden door open with one hand, phone the other, she called out Regina's name. The room was devoid of possessions with the exception of four free standing candle holders, candles tapering in the draught, a large stone slab was positioned at the centre of the room, the room was cold and grey the only colour was the blue of Regina's dress, vivid against the stone slabs.
"Regina" Emma called, rushing towards the woman lying on the floor, kneeling at her head, she lifted her wrist checking for a pulse, it was strong and steady. Emma lightly shook Regina calling her name again, rolling her slightly she checked for any sign of injury. There was no wound she could see except for scrapped skin on her palms, indicating she had tried to stop her fall by grasping at the stone slab.
Emma raised her hand to Regina's face intending to check her eyes for signs of concession when Regina's eyes fluttered and she let out a low groan.
"Hey" Emma said as Regina fully opened her eyes, she watched as the dark haired woman blinked a few times, groaned again and started to sit up, pushing off Emma's restraining hand.
"What happened?" She asked. "Were you attacked? Was it Robin?" Regina, fully sitting up now and rubbing her head, stared at her in open shock "what no, of course not" she said almost softly.
Regina took a deep breath and then stood up, shaking off Emma's help as soon as she was upright.
"I saw him leave, I thought maybe" Emma trailed off.
"Why are you here Emma?" Regina snapped at her, deflecting her question.
"Why were you on the floor Regina?" Emma pushed back.
"I, I caught my heel on the floor and tripped over, must have hit my head that is all" "Really?" Emma asked "Yes really Miss Swan, as you will notice the floor is quite uneven" Regina grimaced pointing at the floor and her six edge heels. Emma nodded unsure, it was plausible but Emma had seen Regina run over rough wooden and shiny marbled floors in those six inch heels with never so much as a slight misstep but it was possible, the room was gloomy and the floor uneven.
Regina was on the move reaching the door, she indicated to Emma they should leave. Deciding to let it drop, she started to suggest Regina should visit Dr Whale to check for concussion when the other woman cut her off with a demanding "and just why are you here Emma?".
Pushing back her annoyance at Regina's incessant rudeness she explained her reasons and quickly updated Regina on her search for the missing keys.
"Keys? Miss Swan, oh yes those were returned this morning".
"What!" Emma stuttered "I've spent all morning looking for those" she grumbled.
"Must have slipped my mind" Regina smiled sweetly.
Regina remained cold and unhelpful as they walked back to their cars after locking up the Vault with keys and a spell. Regina answered her with one word "No" nothing was taken from the Vault. "Yes" she had seen Robin and finally "No" she didn't know who had taken the keys. None of her short answers had been lies Emma decided but Regina was definitely holding back.
After her shift was over, she decided to stop by Mary Margaret's, if the town needed her they could phone her cell, she was officially working from home tonight, she wanted nothing more than a hot bath and a glass of wine or two but first she needed to voice her concerns out loud, Killian would listen but he would also gently remind her of the pitfalls of sticking her nose into Regina's business but Mary Margaret would share her concerns.
Sat at the counter, watching her mom wash umpteen baby bottles, glass of wine in front of her she confessed "Something is not right, I don't know if it a personal issue or something else but I can't shake this feeling that something is off with Regina, apart from the obvious"
Mary Margaret hummed "Emma I know you feel responsible for what happened with Robin and Regina but it really is none of our business, however this plays out Regina is not going to take kindly to you asking questions".
"I know, I know" Emma sighed she had not told her mom about what she saw at the party, if Regina and Robin were continuing their relationship then she definitely did not what to be involved, they were both adults and heaven knows it was not her place to judge and she certainly wasn't going to have that conversation with her mom again but then again Regina was unconscious on the floor when she found her.
"However, I do share your concerns" Emma's head snapped up and watched as Mary Margaret turned away from the sink and walk over the counter, drying her hands on the tea towel Henry had brought for her, emblazoned with world best grandma in bold red script, sighing Mary Margaret took the other seat and continued "I don't think she lied to you about falling, I think she fainted. I went to see her yesterday early evening, she did let me in and we talked, mostly about Neal, it wasn't great but it was okay but as she was showing me out, she almost fainted, obviously she denied it but she was very pale". "You think she's not eating?" Emma asked "No, I checked with Henry and he assured me she is"
"Yeah me too" Emma said guilty. They sat in silence for a few moments, finally Emma spoke "she's Henry's mother, he loves her, if she is unwell or in trouble of some sort then we need owe it to him to make sure she gets help, whether she wants it or not and if she hates me even more for it then so be it" she sighed.
"We will talk to her in the morning" Mary Margaret agreed.
After note - just incase anyone is wondering this is not a pregnancy fic.