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Chapter 23 The Night Everything Changes

Emma was suddenly awakened by her phone chiming loudly throughout the apartment. She blindly reached for it, groaning at being disturbed at such an early hour. Her eyes widened to see it was four in the morning and Regina was texting her. She immediately sat up, knowing something was wrong as she swiped it open. Regina wanted to meet her at the docks. She didn't even question her. She texted she was on her way and rushed to get dressed. She had a bad feeling and drove as fast as she safely could toward the beach. She wondered why Regina asked to meet her all the way out here and not in town. She parked the bug, seeing Regina illuminated under the light post, bundled in her black coat and sitting on the bench facing the sea. The sound of the waves and the smell of salt and fish filled the air as she stepped out of the car and rushed over to her. The sun hadn't even risen yet, and it was freezing. She wondered how long she had been sitting out here.

"Regina?" she said softly, almost breathless as she placed her hand on her shoulder and then immediately pulled back when Regina fearfully jumped and looked up at her with glistening eyes and tear stricken cheeks. Her eyes were full of raw fear as if for a moment she had been expecting her husband instead. Her fearful reaction or the tears weren't what caught her attention. It was the dark bruising on her swollen and partially shut eye. She gasped in horror, coming around to face her and kneeling before her.

"Oh god, Regina…" she whispered, unable to believe what she was seeing. Her own voice shuddered with a threatening sob. She forced herself to keep it together as she took her hands in hers. Her heart broke as she looked into those dark eyes full of so much fear and pain. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Her eyes swept over her, checking for any more visible injuries. Regina only averted her gaze, pulling her hands away and wrapping her arms around herself. Seeing she was growing uncomfortable, Emma got up and sat beside her.

"It's time to pull you out, evidence or not. You can't continue to take anymore abuse from him."

"I know…" Regina whispered, her voice shaking. "I just needed to get out of the house before he woke up. I can't face him after last night. I can't take another beating… I can't… I can't do this anymore. He was drinking and he just…" She suddenly broke down and Emma was pulling her into her arms and holding her, comforting her the best she could.

"You don't deserve any of this," Emma said softly, trying to quell the anger she felt rising up within her for the sick bastard that dared to put his hands on her. Regina needed her. Her friend needed her right now, and running off to the mansion to punch the bastard in the face wouldn't help right now. Regina shook with shuddering sobs that racked her body and left her suddenly breathless and whimpering in pain. Emma pulled away immediately just as Regina's hand flew to her ribs. Her face was full of tears, and her dark eyes full of agony.

"You're hurt," she stated, not even asking anymore at this point. "Let's get you somewhere more comfortable."

"I asked you to meet me here because I was afraid he would find me at the loft," she admitted, wiping her eyes, being especially careful of her bruised one. Emma couldn't help but notice that Regina wasn't wearing any make up. In fact, she was even wearing some black yoga pants and boots, the most casual she's ever seen besides seeing her in her pajamas the night she told her about her past. Something about this moment was different. She looked younger, more vulnerable without the heavy make up and fancy suits. Regina trusted her to be vulnerable in front of her and that made Emma's heart swell with affection. Despite the tears, and the bruised eye, she looked so beautiful.

"Forget about waiting till Thursday. I'm pulling you out now. We could grab Henry and drive to Boston right now."

Regina shook her head, stubborn as ever as she sat up and wiped the tears from her face. Her expression grew hard almost as if she were shutting down. She pushed her emotions back and her gaze hardened. Emma shivered at the sudden change to her demeanor, how she had switched from vulnerable to closed off in just a split moment.

"I can't risk anything going wrong. We need the head start that Thursday will provide us. He won't know something is wrong until hours later. If we leave now, he might find us just as we are approaching the town line."

Emma nodded, completely understanding her rationale but not wanting to wait any longer. The woman beside her was barely holding on at this point. Her face was bruised, her right eye swollen and dark. Her breathing was labored, and a hand on her ribs indicated she was in pain.

"What did he do to you?" she asked, solemnly, a bit afraid to hear her answer. Regina let out a resonated sigh that turned into a hiss of pain. Emma frowned, thinking she needed to be in the hospital right now. She doubted Regina would agree to it.

"He was angry that I had accused him," she started, her voice was a bit detached as she stared out into the ocean with glazed eyes. There was no emotion. "He was drunk and he kicked me. He made me sleep on the bathroom floor." Her clipped and short answer made Emma believe that she wasn't exactly telling her the whole truth. She wasn't going to push her. Regina didn't owe her an explanation.

"Do you have your phone on you?" she asked.

Regina nodded, slipping her hand into her coat pocket and pulling it out.

"I turned it off."

"Tell him you're on campus and come to the loft. You need to rest, I can see how exhausted you are. You're in pain."

"I'll be fine," she insisted although she turned her phone back on and sent him a text anyway, telling him she was on campus preparing for class tomorrow and would lose reception. She turned off her phone, slipped it in her coat pocket and took the hand Emma offered.

Regina winced as she stood. Pain flash across her face as Emma helped her to her feet. She was breathing heavily with a hand clutching her right side. Emma gave her a moment, a supportive hand on her forearm as she gained her balance and controlled her breathing. She needed a hospital. Emma knew something had to be broken with the amount of pain she seemed to be in.

"You need to get checked out," she said, tucking her arm into Regina's and guiding her to the bug. Regina stubbornly shook her head.

"Too risky. He'll be notified, and trust me; he won't be happy."

She was right. Leopold would bring her back to the mansion and possibly even punish her for going to the hospital. Emma decided to make it a priority for her to get checked out the minute they left Storybrooke.

They made it back to the loft and Emma cursed as she realized the building didn't have stairs. They were on the second floor but still had a tortuous amount of steps to climb. She turned off the engine and let out a frustrated sigh that caught Regina's attention as she unclipped her seat belt.

"What is it?"

Emma unclipped her own seatbelt before turning to the brunette. She was leaning heavily against her seat, her hand never leaving her side. She looked a bit pale from the jostling of the car ride.

"There's no elevator," she said, sounding a bit sheepish. She should have thought of that before persuading her to come home with her. Regina sat up, almost as if trying to prove she was well enough to take the stairs. She was putting on a brave face.

"Well, we better not waste time," she said, pulling open the door and not even waiting for Emma to help her out.

Either she was incredibly good at masking her pain, or she was just used to dealing with it on a daily basis, because despite being injured, Regina was able to climb the two stories. Emma wasn't sure whether she should be impressed or heartbroken that this didn't seem to be a new challenge for her.

Despite Regina hiding her pain, Emma saw right through her mask, especially when they made it to the door. She was shaking at this point, and her complexion was even more pale than it had been in the car. Her breathing was labored again, and she could no longer hide the pain in her eyes. She wondered just how hurt she actually was and cursed the asshole silently in her head.

She opened the door, letting her walk in and immediately catching Mary Margaret's shocked gaze from the kitchen.

"Regina?" she asked, coming from around the counter and approaching her with deep concern. "Are you ok? What are you doing here?" They both knew it was risky for her to be here. If Leopold found out, he would lose it and probably punish her for it.

"She's hurt," Emma explained, guiding Regina to the couch. "I figured she just needed a moment to feel safe and rest so I asked her to come over. Your father is at home passed out from his binge drinking last night."

"I'll get some ice," she nodded, not needing any further explanation as she headed for the freezer.

"Thank you," Regina said, not making eye contact and instead taking off her coat and letting Emma take it. She slipped off her boots and tucked her feet underneath her as she sat down. Emma hung her coat and put her boots by the door just as Mary Margaret brought over an ice pack and some aspirin with water.

"Here," she said, handing her the aspirin and water first. Still no eye contact as she took the items and washed the aspirin down. Emma exchanged a concerned glance with her roommate before sitting beside Regina.

"Can we see?" she asked, gesturing towards her ribs where she still kept a protective hand over them. Emma was kind of afraid to look but she knew they needed to tend to it as much as they could if Regina refused to go to the hospital.

For a moment, a flash of apprehension clouded her eyes but then slowly, Regina lifted her shirt just below her breasts. Mary Margaret gasped and Emma had to force herself not to react. She had to force herself from storming out and throttling the bastard in his sleep. Her ribs were black and blue, the worst Emma has ever seen them. In fact there was a slight unevenness, indicating a possible fracture. The bruising was so horrific and with the labored way she was breathing, Emma knew there had to be some kind of break.

"Oh my god, Regina! No… You need to get to a hospital. Forget the plan, we need to grab Henry and leave now before he wakes up. I could put a restraining order against him." Brown eyes finally met hers, looking at her with a sudden hardness that had Emma shutting her mouth.

"We're sticking with the plan," she stated, an air of finality in her tone. "I am not risking him finding me again. Not when I have Henry this time."

"Why are you so afraid?" Emma asked, unable to understand her fear behind running away. She's done it before hasn't she? But then with one look at her roommate's face, seeing the sudden grief and understanding in her eyes, she remembered Mary Margaret once mentioning that the last time she ran away she lost something. Emma had no idea what it was, but clearly it scared Regina so badly she wasn't willing to break their plan.

"Emma," Mary Margaret shook her head as a warning to stop. She gently placed the ice pack on the worst of the bruising and then whispered her apologies when Regina hissed in pain.

"So you're going to wait 5 days until you see a doctor!" Emma couldn't help but snap in frustration.

Regina looked at her furiously, her eyes blazing and that anger that she was so famous for sparked up like a hot flame. She stood up fast, seemingly forgetting that she was hurt until she was crying out in agony and both Emma and Mary Margaret were immediately guiding her back down.

"Damn it," Emma cursed herself for losing control of her emotions. She encouraged Regina to lie down while Mary Margaret placed a pillow under her head. She placed the ice pack on her ribs and then took her hand and got her to hold it in place. Regina grew extremely pale, almost looking green as if she were about to pass out.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, kneeling beside her and combing her hair from her face in a comforting and reassuring manner. "I didn't mean to upset you. Deep breaths, just breathe through the pain."

"Emma," her voice trembling. "Let me do this my way, please."

Emma had no choice but to back down. Regina was so dead set on the plan, she wasn't changing her mind. She nodded, although she had a bad feeling about all of this. Something was telling her to screw the plan and get her out, but one look at the hurt and fearful woman trying to breathe, Emma knew she would honor her choice even if she didn't agree with it.

"Ok," she nodded.

Regina didn't answer, instead she closed her eyes and curled up the best she could, intent on falling asleep. Emma felt so helpless. She needed some air. She stood, grabbing her jacket by the door. She could feel the weight of the mausoleum key in her pocket. Mary Margaret rushed after her.

"Where are you going?" she asked, a hint of panic in her eyes.

"I'm just going for a walk," she said and Mary Margaret raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I'm not confronting him if that's what you're afraid of." She didn't even wait for a reaction. She was rushing out the door and out to the bug.

She wanted to confront him. She wanted to burst into the mansion and punch Leopold in the same eye that he punched Regina in. She wanted to kick him in the ribs until he couldn't breathe from the pain. She wanted to lock him in the bathroom and make him sleep on the cold floor just like he… Like he made Regina do last night. Regina had looked so exhausted this morning; not just from the lack of sleep, but she was exhausted from the abuse, the pain she had to endure on a daily basis.

Despite her reluctance to wait till Thursday, she respected Regina's wishes. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel, forcing herself to drive past the route that would take her to the mansion. Instead, she headed straight to the mausoleum. She wanted to check it one last time before she returned the key to Regina.

She pulled up to the cemetery and parked the bug in a secluded area just in case. The mausoleum loomed over the headstones in an eerie and haunting way. Emma shivered in the warm air as she approached the doors and unlocked the metal bolt with her flashlight in hand. This time she was determined to find whatever it was that Leopold was hiding.

The door opened with a loud daunting creak as she stepped into the dark cement room. Dust and mold invaded her senses. Webs and dirt hung from every corner and dead flower petals crunched beneath her boots. She switched her flashlight on and took a look around. It was all the same as the last time she was here. Casket in the center, dead flowers and petals on the floor, dusty, dirty and dark.

She was just about to give up and was on her way out until she was spooked by a bat fluttering from its hidden corner behind the door. She cursed, her flashlight falling and rolling across the floor beside the casket. She knelt down to pick it up and that was when she noticed the marks on the floor as if the casket had been moved more than once.

"What the hell?"

She placed her flashlight on one of the empty shelves, pointing it towards the casket and tried moving it. Shockingly, it moved pretty easily as if someone designed it that way. It was a hidden doorway to god knows what.

She stepped back, her mouth falling open in shock. What the hell did this lead to? It was a dark tunnel that led underground. She took a picture with her phone for evidence and then grabbed her flashlight and descended the steps. It led to hallways and rooms all filled with junk. It looked as if it was once a cellar. She came to a room and noticed a file box she recognized from the station. She immediately grabbed it and rushed out, not wanting to be in the tunnels longer than necessary. Because the box was from the station, she had a feeling it held documents that she may have been looking for.

She rushed back to the bug, dumped the box in the trunk and sped back to the loft.

She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing Regina knew she was hearing the sound of the door closing followed by Emma's voice. She was talking to Mary Margaret about finding something from the mausoleum and then something heavy was being placed on a hard surface with a thud. Regina had only meant to close her eyes for a moment, but apparently she had fallen into a deep enough sleep where Emma had time to leave for a brief period of time and come back.

"How is she?" Emma's voice was suddenly full of concern.

"She was asleep the entire time," Mary Margaret replied. "We need to wake her up soon and get her back before he starts looking for her."

"I know, but just give her a little more time. She didn't sleep last night."

There was a pause and then, "You don't want to send her back…"

"Of course not," Emma whispered, keeping her voice low. "I'm afraid to send her back there."

She must have been really tired because she ended up drifting off again before Mary Margaret could answer back. Emma's concern for her washed over her like a warm blanket or maybe someone was actually placing a blanket over her. She felt a soft hand readjusting the ice on her ribs and then reaching up to comb her hair from her face. She caught a whiff of warm vanilla and coffee… Emma.

She's never felt safer.

Regina was mostly in and out of sleep throughout the day, only waking up enough to catch snippets of conversation here and there in hushed tones that she couldn't make out. It wasn't until later in the day when Emma was gently shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes, looking up and meeting soft green orbs and realizing she was kneeling beside her.

"Hi," Emma whispered, a soft smile on her lips as she gently cupped her cheek, her thumb rubbing soothing circles on her skin. Regina found herself leaning into her touch, the warmth of her palm comforting after a rough and cold night. She wasn't sure when touch had become so freely between them. She was surprised that she didn't have the urge to push her away. For some reason she craved the comfort and affection her dear friend so freely gave her. For a moment she had forgotten she was hurt and was about to sit up until Emma stopped her.

"No, no easy," she said, sitting beside her and putting a gentle hand on her forearm. "Sit up slowly." Her soft gaze had turned to deep concern as she helped her slowly sit up, being mindful of her injuries. "I need to show you something."

"What time is it?" Regina asked, suddenly aware of how late it was. She slept the whole day away. She glanced towards a window to see the warm late afternoon light. Leopold would be up by now. "I need to go," she panicked, not even processing the words Emma had said. She slowly got up, her ribs felt stiff and achy but not as painful as they had been this morning.

"Regina," Emma followed after her to the door as she slipped her boots on. "I went back to the mausoleum and you won't believe what I found. In fact we don't even need to leave Storybrooke. You don't even need to go back tonight. I found evidence on Leopold that could get him arrested and sent to trial."

"What are you talking about?" she sighed in frustration as she painfully slipped her coat on. The small exertion had her leaning a hand against the wall for support.

"I found documents!" she explained, rushing over to a box on the table. "I went back to the mausoleum and he had a secret tunnel under the casket. It has hidden illegal documents, Regina." She opened the file box and Regina slowly came over to take a look. She reached in and pulled out a file folder. She frowned, opening it and realizing in shock it was the actual true records from her crash. The records Sheriff Flynn had taken before he had replaced them with Leopold's altered ones.

"I went through them," Emma explained. "There's also illegal documents between him and Gold in adopting Henry. There's documents of him taking money from the town. He even had Gold procure the documents for your parents to sign off on your marriage. Every illegal or shady thing he's ever done is in this box. I did it. I found the evidence we needed to put him away."

"Why would he keep this?" Regina asked.

Emma shrugged.

"Is there anything in there that would explain Sheriff Flynn's disappearance?"

"Not officially, but there is a money order receipt for a large amount of money made out to Gold on the night he disappeared. You think Leoopold hired him to get rid of him?"

A cold shiver ran down her spine, because as brutal as her husband was to her, she would have never thought he would go as far as having someone killed. A deep kind of fear resonated from within her. How far would he go to keep his dark secrets hidden? If he knew she was on to him, she was sure he would kill her.

Henry… He was home alone with him and she wasn't about to leave or confront Leopold when her son was still in that house. She started to panic, afraid that if she sent Emma to retrieve him something bad would happen. She needed to get Henry to safety first. She needed to be careful because she wasn't going to risk losing her son.

"I… I need to go! Henry will be home any minute and I don't want him alone with him."

"But Regina! Wait!" Emma went after her as she rushed for the door. "The bus is coming in five minutes, Swan. It's safer if he doesn't see you dropping me off. As long as Henry is still in that house, I will not risk anything."

"This changes everything," Emma said.

"I know," she sighed. "I will see you tonight," she promised, finally agreeing to alter their original plan. Emma was right. This box changed everything. If he didn't get put away for the abuse towards her, then surely his illegal actions would. Not only did they have proof of his abuse towards her, they also had the original reports from her accident and that meant he couldn't touch her anymore. She planned to escape tonight.