Chapter 21

The next few days were uneventful except for the fact that Emma was psyching

herself in and out of seeing Henry.

I had told him that evening that we had spent together over dinner, and he was both excited and scared to see his mother in such a state.

I had consoled him and told him that she was doing her best, and until we could find a way to help her, he just needed to stay strong.

Those were easy words to say, but doing was in entirely different thing altogether.

When I returned to the cell the next day something seemed to have shifted between Emma and I.

I myself knew that I could no longer deny my feeling for her, but how would I act as if I didn't feel that way when I was with her.

I caught myself staring longingly at her when she wasn't looking, and even caught her staring back at me at times as well.

Things also shifted because it seemed as though she was back to being quiet again. She said minimal words to me, and seemed to be even more engrossed with her writing in that damn notebook.

So instead of trying to pry it out of her I just decided to go on as we had been before, and hopefully she would start to open up to me soon.

But it was as if she was even more on edge lately, and it wasn't just because of seeing Henry.

It seemed like she was struggling more and more, and I swear that sometimes she would start to sweat and her breathing would become erratic, but she was still just sitting quietly like nothing was wrong.

So many times, I wanted to just reach out to her, to ask her to share what was troubling her, but I couldn't find the words.

What sort of demons was she fighting? I only wish she would speak to me.

I noticed her hand clenching and opening up while we were watching television, it had to be early afternoon and it had been a very quiet morning.

As I was finally about to build the courage to finally ask her what was wrong, Ruby decided to grace us with her presence.

I have to say I minded her the least when it came to visitors, but I feel like I had finally built up the courage to confront Emma on what was going on.

Instead I turn towards Ruby as she walks up to the cell with two bags in her hand, and an encouraging smile on her face.

"Hey Em, I thought I'd bring you and Regina some lunch." She said as she sauntered up to the cell bars.

As soon as she heard Ruby's voice I could see her physically stiffen, and without thinking I quickly put my hand on her thigh, which was her closest body part to me in order to soothe her somehow.

It was an intimate gesture, and I regretted it almost immediately, especially since it made Emma jump off the bed and away from me.

She seemed to also mumble something to herself, and shake her head at nothing really, and it felt like a stab in my heart that she jumped so quickly from my touch. It makes me wonder more often than not what exactly I am doing here. How am I of any help to her at all when she barely speaks to me, and I swear we have these moments when things feel right, only to be ruined by moments like what just took place.

I swallow back the tears as I stand and immediately look towards Ruby.

If she saw this she paid no mind to it as she started passing things through the bars, and laying them on a table within reach. I'm thankful that she did not react to it.

It seemed that I no longer knew how to act around anyone as I dusted off my pants. I looked to Emma to see her approaching the food, and could vaguely hear Ruby speaking to her in a more hushed and sensitive voice. This was something they did from time to time, almost like Emma was able to tolerate and open up to Ruby more than the others.

I decided to take this as my cue to go to the restroom and make myself scarce for a few moments.

I immediately locked the door and let out a sob that I had been holding in. Gasping out I reach for the counter and look at myself in the mirror.

I looked a mess, and wondered when I had just let go. How long had it been since I had worn a power suite or even a nice dress?

Ofcourse I knew there would be no reason to dress in such a way while being in a cell all day, but it felt like I was losing myself in the process.

Or I was becoming the woman I was always meant to be, but always hid.

Either way, things were definitely changing within me and I didn't know who this new vulnerable, emotional mess was.

What was she doing to me?

I always prided myself on my looks, on my power, and the ability I had to take control of a room just by walking in it in. And now look at me?

But the thing was… I felt freer being this person than I had when I was who my mother molded me to be.

If only I had let Emma see this side of me before…

I hear yelling and head towards the room that they are in. As I walk out I don't quite understand what is happening.

Ruby is holding Emma's notebook and standing far away from the cell, but she's not the one who I am worried about.

Emma has her hands through the cell and she's reaching for Ruby with all that she has. She's trashing around and banging on the bars, and yelling intelligible things.

"Emma please, why have you been hiding this? I can help you, this is not your fault and you are not going crazy. How could you thin.." Ruby tried to reason with her, but she's not having it.

"Give it back right now Ruby, I'm warning you. You shouldn't meddle in things you know nothing about. You should know better than to touch my shit, I could kill you….." Emma is shouting and I can see she is losing control.

I immediately rush to her side, and try to calm her down as I see her body starting to shake from anger.

"Emma, what." I start to say as I put a hand on her shoulder and she quickly grabs my hand and twists it while pushing me back and into a nearby wall. I am thrown off by her strength and force and it literally knocks the wind out of me.

That's when I realize that there was a blast behind her push and she used her magic.

"Emma please.." I say as I try to get back up.

I notice behind her that Ruby is closer to the cell now, and I can tell that fear is flashing in her eyes.

"Just shut the fuck up, both of you. And actually get the fuck out of here." She says panting and then shes mumbling to herself again. Then she looks to me with such remorseful eyes, but then in a flash its replaced with something else and I can see her eyes growing darker and I know she's losing control.

Its like she losing a battle with herself, and then all of a sudden she is grinning at me.

"Or, on second thought. Why don't you stay, and come a little closer while you're at it." she says as she slowly stalks closer to me, and I see hunger flash in her eyes. She's almost stalking up to me like I am her prey.

"Emma don't…" Ruby pleas.

Emma turns to her, slowly stopping her stride and grins at Ruby.

"Oh don't worry Rubes, you can have her when I'm finished with her. I know you always had a thing for her" she winks and turns back around.

I hear a gasp and don't know whether it is Ruby's or mine at this point as everything slows down around me.

I cant help myself as my face flushes at the thought of Emma having her way with me, but not like this, never like this, this is someone who is completely out of control in every sense of the word, but I need to try and get through to her.

She turns slowly back to me, and is looking at me up and down, "Don't think I didn't notice the way you look at me.. Madam Mayor, I can feel you staring and I find it rather pathetic. You are like some puppy dog, always looking at me like I'm ruined, but other times I know you want to touch me.. and don't think I don't hear you saying my name in your sleep." She says, and I cannot move, I cannot say anything because although she is out of control, she also seems to be absolutely right.

"Emma stop this… what's the matter with you? You can control it, don't give in…" Ruby says again, this time she's yelling, and I know that she understands what's happening here.

"Oh no, I think that I am in real control now, finally. After weeks of trying to be a good girl, I think its time we have a little fun" she says and turns back to me, "don't you agree?" she smirks.

I am still at a loss at how quickly things have escalated.

In seconds Emma is directly in front of me and I push myself further back against the wall.

I know Ruby is shouting something but I don't hear her, I don't see her, all I see is Emma and the way she is looking at me.

Its like liquid sex is oozing out of her, and I can feel her need, her need to have me.

"Emma.." I say as she brings up her hand to stroke my cheek. "I know that this seems like the right thing to do right now, but you don't want to do something that you will regret." I try to reason with her by playing on her guilt and duty to protect, and help others.

"Oh you see, that's where you're wrong. I think I'm finally going to do something that I know we both want. Why are you even fighting this? I know you want it..." she says and comes close to me, passing my cheek to whisper in my ear, "I can smell it on you, you are ready for it." she says.

That's when I look to Ruby and I know she's heard what Emma heard by the way her eyes widen.

Emma knew there was no point in whispering since Ruby has hyperactive hearing, but she just did it for affect and I feel myself grow more wet with her proximity.

I don't think that Emma even realizes that she's using her magic to make me aroused, eventhough it is completely against what my heart and mind want at the moment.

I need to make a move soon, I cannot let her think she has the advantage.

"Really Ms. Swan, how pathetic are you?" I ask, even though I know I'm playing with fire.

"Me? Pathetic? You better watch your mouth. I am offering for you to consent to what I'm about to do to you. Or would you rather it be forced?" she asks as she starts to laugh sinisterly, and perhaps I shouldn't have pushed because I have never feared her before this moment. I don't want to remember her like this.

She brings her hand towards my neck and forcefully raises my chin so I'm looking her dead in the eyes.

"Or would you rather I fuck you like my good old grand daddy? Huh, is that it, you like it a little rough and forceful?" she laughs again, throwing her head back and the instant pain I feel is overwhelming. It feels like my heart is literally breaking and my legs give in as I slide to the floor.

"What the Fuck Emma! Can you hear yourself? Get the fuck away from her right now!" Ruby yells from outside the cell, and I can hear her pounding on the bars. But it all sounds so far as I feel Emma begin to lift me off the floor.

Then I'm being put on the bed, and in my daze I cant really make out what the other two women are saying to one another.

I don't know what is happening as I can't get the words that Emma said to me out of my head. How could she say that to me? To imply taking joy out of such a horrible time in my life, and something I had confided in her during a moment when I thought we were building a solid friendship? Is this my punishment for all the people I have killed and hurt? To find love and then have it rip my heart in two?

I feel weight on me and suddenly snap out of my inner musings to see Emma above me, and looking down upon me with unadulterated lust and it makes my stomach turn.

It's the same look that Leopold used to give me, looking at my naked body as he disrespected me in every way imaginable. Holding me down, as I cried internally but never made a sound out loud.

That will not happen again, not if I can help it.

"Emma, I will tell you this only one more time. Get off of me before you do something you regret. Think of Henry, think of Ruby standing over there. Don't let it take over you. Don't do this." I plea with her, but make sure to keep my voice firm, I do not need her to see any fear in my eyes.

She leans down and pins my hands above my head, still straddling me on the bed, and my body has already locked down. I am not fighting her because I know it will not help, and it will only aggravate her. The only hope I have of getting through to her is with words.

"Just give in Regina, its so much fun, we could have so much fun together. You and I, the two most powerful people in town, hell in the world now that I'm the dark one. No one could stop us. We could get revenge on all those who have wronged us, you could be my queen." She says this as she slowly leans down, purposely grinding her center into mine as she leans down further.

"We could do anything together, and I'm offering for you to join me willingly." She says as she licks my lips, and then kisses me roughly and finishes by biting my lower lip.

"Emma, this isn't you, but yes, we could do anything together, dear, we could still have it all without you having to do this. Please don't do this." I tell her, andmy body betrays me as a single tear falls from my eye.

"If you're not with me, then you are against me Regina. Think about it, I could just take this black heart of yours.." she says and then before I can say anything her hand is massaging my breast, and it feels so wrong, so against what I ever wanted for us that I cry out.

"I could use you as a sex slave like Graham, isn't that what you did. How dare you judge me when you are no better, and then you killed him because he wanted me. Well who's the evil one now? Huh? Hey Ruby, did you know that Regina killed Graham, oh yeah she did because she's evil and that's all she'll ever be." She says as she turn and grins at Ruby while bringing her hand under the waist band of my leggings.

That's when I turn to Ruby as well and I see that I'm not the only one crying.

I see her on her knees outside of the cell and she's crying, but they are angry tears and I see that her hands are bleeding from banging on the cell.

Its then that I realize that I have to get out of here, that I cannot help Emma. I hate to leave her without trying more but if I stay any longer she will do something to me that I will never be able to forgive her for. No matter if she was in control or not, I'd never be able to look at her the same.

"I want you to look at me right now, and listen carefully. I had a dark heart, and yes I was evil but Henry changed that. Remember the good Emma, because you also changed me. You made me a better person even if I didn't want to acknowledge it, you believed in me when others didn't. I won't give up, but I cant be here any longer." I tell her as she looks down at me again, and I swear I saw a moment of regret flash in her face before it was replaced with anger.

As she slips her hand further down, I transport myself outside of the cell and turn to see her fall face first onto the bed.

I look down to Ruby, and crouch down and take her into my arms as I teleport us back to the house, but the last thing we see before we disappear is a very angry looking Emma running towards the cell door.