David was called in to the hospital not knowing exactly what it was he would be heading into just that he was needed. The moment he saw Emma and Regina he knew something terrible had occurred. Regina was trying to comfort Emma with words but she didn't seem to be listening. "Emma. Regina."He greeted them cautiously. Instantly Emma's shields went up and he saw her school her expression just a little more.

" Dad." She said. Her eyes only met his for a fraction before falling away to the hospital floor. Regina stepped in.

"Charming a word." She ushered him out of hearing distance but Emma would have to be a complete moron not to know what they were about to discuss.

"What's happened?" He asked.

Regina took a moment to consider her approach.

"There is no easy way to say this David." Regina's voice was soft, and sad. "Emma was raped." His brow furrowed and she could tell he was just as ready to hunt down the man.

"If she can't tell you about it I can fill in the blanks..." He nodded and went back over. Emma reluctantly looked at him.

"Hey sweetheart..." He said. "Regina told me what happened. I need to take down your statement. You know how this goes..." She nodded and a couple minutes they had pushed through the painful encounter. Emma left out the fact that Regina had seen it all to spare further embarrassment and she knew all that really mattered was the description.

When it was finished he offered to drive her home but she didn't want to face her mother yet.

"I'm going to stay at Regina's." Both Regina and David looked surprised but they wouldn't deny her.

"All right." He said. "I love you."

"I love you too." She smiled sadly at him and they shared a quick embrace before he left.

"I hope that's okay with you."

"Oh of course Emma. Anything." Regina had only been surprised to discover she still felt safe with her. That she would still feel protected under her roof.

"Let's go." she held out her hand and Emma latched onto it like a vice.

Regina wouldn't let her sleep alone. It didn't feel right and she was worried the blonde might do something brash.

"Emma please I'd feel better if we shared a bed."

"I can't..." She whispered.

"Why?"

Silence while Emma shifted her weight around.

"It's dumb."

Seeing her looking so lost had her pulling Emma into her arms.

"Please Emma." She placed a kiss to her temple and waited for Emma to speak her mind. Emma sighed into her and took a deep breath.

"I feel dirty and I can't stand knowing that you saw it happen...you saw me at my worst...I just..." Emma broke off into sobs.

"None of that matters. I just want you to be safe... Emma when you went missing I realized I need you. " Emma squeezed her just a little tighter. " and that I care for you more than I thought. Don't push me away Emma. I'm here for you now. I'm sorry that I wasn't before. But I'm here."

Emma let her guide them to the bed. She pulled back the covers and they slowly settled down. Regina kept her arms locked around her and Emma nuzzled in her side fighting back sobs. She could feel the blonde shaking and the guilt of not being able to stop him washed over her. She wouldn't cry though Emma was the one in true pain. After a couple minutes of soothing her, Emma's breath steadied and she fell asleep, with dried tears tracks along her cheeks. That night Regina refused to let her guard down and stayed up until the light poured in through the windows and Emma began to stir.

"There has to be something in here ." she growled tossing aside another useless tome. There were dark circles around her eyes and she had been searching for hours. David looked over at her empathetically.

"Regina you look like you could use some rest. I'll keep looking. Emma is safe right now."

"No we have to find him before he gets away."

"Maybe Gold-"

"No we will not go to that imp. Nothing good ever comes of it."

"You need to rest if we want to get him...You're of no use sleep deprived. Do it for Emma." He replied rationally. He made a compelling argument and she was dragging her heavy feet back to her bed within the hour.

Emma spent the first half of her day wrapped in blankets and watching Netflix. It was the only way to restore some normality or rather a distraction from her current situation. Both Regina and David had her sheltered in Regina's house until they got the man. She was touched that they cared that much but irritated that she was stuck here, stuck thinking about what happened.

Halfway through her Walking Dead marathon she heard Regina moving around upstairs.

She wouldn't have given it a second thought if a cry hadn't followed it. She leaped out from beneath the blankets and bound up the stairs two at a time.

She pushed back the bedroom door revealing a fully awake but disoriented Regina sitting up in her bed.

"Emma?"

"Hey." Regina looked right through her.

Regina called out her name again but this time there was a tremble in her voice.

"I'm right here." She walked to the bed feeling just as confused as Regina.

"I can't see." Regina sounded panicked. She sat beside her on the bed and reached for her hand. "Emma . I don't understand what's happening."

Regina squeezed their connection and tried to remain calm. It lasted for a couple seconds before she suddenly jerked her hand free to clutch at her temples.

Regina cried out and Emma moved closer to her on the bed.

"Its him." Regina gasped.

"What?"

"He's trying to... Emma go! "

Regina looked distraught, and as though she were fighting off a swarm of bees. "GO!"

The sudden desperation in her voice had her leaving. Regina suddenly got really quiet and the tears started. She froze in the doorway. It felt wrong leaving her like this but Regina pleaded with her to leave one last time.

Regina was covered in sweat and had been thrashing about for the last half hour. Whoever this man was he made sure to punish her, he wasn't finished. Memories of past regrets and pain flooded her vision. Daniel leopold her father and now Emma. She relieved the moments feeling every ounce of pain like a newly opened wound. He cursed her to some strange dreamscape and she was half aware of reality and what was just in her mind. When Emma came into the room her vision faded and there was only blackness. She was still stuck in the strange state. Then she felt a presence that wasn't Emma. The magic she had felt it before. That man he was trying to invade her mind .she pleaded for Emma to leave fearing something terrible would happen if she stuck around. He was strong and she wasn't sure if she could fight him off.

"GO!"

Now it was just her and him fighting for control. She wouldn't let him. She channeled all of her magic into pushing him out and with fire burning in her hands she expelled the hold he had over her. Her breaths were labored but when she regained herself she couldn't help smiling. She knew how to find him now. She dressed and went to check on Emma who was nervously pacing in the living room.

"Regina." She sighed. "What the hell was that?"

"A sleeping curse. Not an ordinary one either..."

Emma looked concerned for her.

"I'm fine. But we need to talk." Emma was about to offer some form of protest but she wasn't asking .

"I need you to tell me everything you can about him. I think I have a way of finding him but we need the upper hand this time. "

The words this time hung uncomfortably in the air as they both thought back to the other night. Maybe she was asking too much from Emma right now.

"Never mind Emma. I'm sorry I asked-"

"No you're right." Her reply was stronger than she anticipated. "Its the best we can do. But Regina I don't know much more than you..." Emma trailed off there because finishing that sentence would be like driving a stake through her heart. She knew what Emma was going to say. Because you saw what I saw.

"We know what he looks like, that he has magic...and he is a twisted psychopath."

"Did anything odd stick out to you?".

"Besides the crazy? No."

Emma continued to consider the question though and after a moment her brow lifted with surprise.

"Wait...he had this box. I don't know what it was but it looked important to him. I think he tried to keep it out of sight but I saw it before he pocketed it."

"What did it look like?"

"It was black and I think there was a gold serpent on it..."

Regina gasped.

"I know who he is...how didn't I see it before?" She ran a hand through her hair and met Emma's imploring gaze.

"His name is Drakar . He was a member of my court before he became obsessed with achieving power. He talked of snakes and mythical beasts that granted it. I bet you that box gives him his magic..."

She hoped Emma wouldn't wonder why he wasn't coming after her instead. Now that she finally could put a name to his face she knew the answer. Just like her, he had learned from the best and Cora always said love was weakness. However, she knew his weakness. His thirst for power and control.

"So you know him?" Emma sounded small.

"Knew him. Not well but enough to say he was as rotten as I was at the time."

Emma looked like she was going to be sick.

"Did you..." Emma swallowed back a lump. "Did you ever rape anyone Regina?"

"God no! Yes I was malicious and vindictive but I never forced myself onto anyone!"

"Good..."

"Do you really think that I would do that? After going through that myself?" This whole conversation was stirring up past and present emotions and she quickly found herself nearing tears of heartache. If Emma truly thought her capable of that then maybe she didn't deserve happiness. Maybe redemption wasn't possible.

"I didn't know you then. I've only heard stories Regina. I'm sorry if I offended you. I just needed to make sure..."

"Well now you know." Emma nodded sadly at her. "Drakar didn't stay around long. I fired him for stealing from the treasury. He's lucky I didn't kill him. Now I'm wishing that I had."

Emma stood with her hands in her jean pockets, nervously looking at her feet before finally changing the subject.

"I could use a drink."

"So could I ..." She sighed.

Before even getting their drinks Regina had already determined how to exact their revenge and come tomorrow night Drakar would wish that she had killed him ten years ago.