A/N: Chapter 15 is now up! And as you will realize by the ending of this chapter (warning) that chapter 16 will be heartbreaking. I'll leave it at that and begin torturing myself and my heart with getting to writing the next update. I will try to have it up by today as well, but no promises.
Hang tight, everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter either way.
Chapter 15: Buried Past
Thirteen Days Later…
"I still can't believe you are actually leaving with her, Regina." Kathryn brings another one of Regina's luggage's into her art studio, setting aside with the rest.
"Do you think this is too much to take?" Regina scratches her head, looking at all of her luggage's.
Kathryn chuckled, "Well, she won't exactly have you living in a palace." She frowns at Regina's glare. "Sorry. I just think this is crazy. Don't you?"
Regina grinned, feeling like absolutely nothing could shatter their happiness. "It is. It's very crazy, but I don't care. I mean she asked me to marry her."
Kathryn wipes a tear from the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry, but I've never seen you like this before. I only wish I can find what you and Emma have someday."
"You will." Regina pulled Kathryn into a hug. "I know you will."
"I'm going to miss you so much, Regina." Kathryn's eyes closed, allowing a single tear to escape. "Who will I talk to now? Go shopping with?"
"I promise to call you every single day."
"Ugh, you better." Kathryn gives Regina's arm a gentle squeeze. "And don't worry about your art studio. I will watch over it as if it were my own."
"I know you will." Regina smiles, taking Kathryn by the hands before pulling her into a hug again. This time it was impossible for Regina to hold back her own tears.
"Have you told your father yet?" Kathryn asked, breaking up their hug.
Regina shakes her head. "No, but I will tonight. Emma and I don't leave until tomorrow afternoon."
"He's going to be so heart broken, Regina."
"I know. I will be too, but I will see him again. Before you know it, Emma and I will be back in Boston, hand in hand." She grinned. "And we'll buy our dream home, and we will always be together."
"What about your mother?" Kathryn frowns.
Regina rolls her eyes, "My mother won't even miss me. I'm sure she'll be glad that I'm gone."
"Morning, Joe!" Emma beamed as she entered his shop.
"Emma!" A bald man with a large gray mustache waved at Emma from behind a glass counter. "What brings you around here? I heard about you leaving tomorrow. New York, huh?"
Emma chuckled, "Yeah. I'll be working in a couple of mines, securing their safety."
"Securing their safety," the man shakes his head. "From all those comic books you read, now you're thinking you're Supergirl, huh? Saving people's lives."
Emma laughs, "I'm far from that. But if my calculations never fail me, no one will have to save anyone from downfall down there."
"Well, you take care of yourself, you hear? Your dad sure will miss you."
"I will miss him. And you." She carefully leans along the glass counter, her eyes looking down at all of the rings glistening on display.
"You are such a liar." He chuckles. "But tell me, what brings you to my humble servitude? Did your dad break his watch again?"
"No. This time the job is for me."
"What do you got for me?" He asked.
"This." Emma digs inside of her pocket, retrieving a small plastic bag and setting it down along the counter. Inside the bag was a single diamond about a carat in size.
"Oh," Joe raised the bag, allowing the diamond to fall into his palm. He took a single loop, placing it over his eye and examined it closely, watching it sparkle, the fine cuts along its edges. "Where on earth did you get this?" He looked up at Emma.
Emma grinned, "I found it."
"Where?"
"Can you keep a secret?" She whispered, seeing the man nod in response. "King Phillip's cave."
The man's bushy brows shot up so far that the loop along his eye fell. "You went deep within the cave?"
"It's our secret." Said Emma. "Can you make me something out of this?"
"Oh, I don't see why not." Joe holds the diamond carefully between his thumb and forefinger. "What were you thinking? A necklace?"
Emma shook her head, "Better. A ring."
Joe's blue eyes looked over the diamond, directly at Emma. "A ring?"
"An engagement ring." Emma smiled at the shocked expression on Joe's face. "I know it's small, but she won't mind and besides as soon as I can, I will get her something better. Can you help me?"
"Of course. It'll take me until tomorrow."
"That's perfect. Can I come pick it up in the morning?"
"Sure. When you're here, we'll talk prices. It won't be cheap, though." He gave her a warning look.
"Don't worry about that. I will give you some of my savings. I got a little extra from helping Graham at the bar." Emma waves as she's walking out. "I'll come back tomorrow!"
"You got it." The man chuckled, shaking his head.
"I got more bags outside, will you help me?" David huffed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Sure," Emma rushed outside, pulling out one bag after another from her father's truck.
Cora observed through the rolled down window of her car, parked just across the street. Her last conversation with Robin that was held in the privacy of his office replaying in her mind as she watched Emma.
Cora's eyes looked at the open file in front of her in utter horror. At her past. A past she determined to keep buried from anyone. "How did you-?" Her bloodshot eyes glared up at Robin.
"Find out?" Robin shrugged, carelessly. "Patience, my dear Cora." He stood up to walk over to his mini bar and served himself a drink. "A man is nothing without patience. My father always taught me that. Ever since I was a small boy." Ice clinked along a glass, followed by liquid pouring. "He loved repeating it to me, over and over and over until my ears bled. I hated it." He chuckled, turning around with two glasses in hand. He walked around his desk, setting down a second glass before Cora, taking a sip of his own.
"Have you," Cora gulps, her throat bobbing. "Have you told Henry?"
Robin's brow furrows. "Now why would I do that? If I had, don't you think you wouldn't be sitting here, speaking to me right now? You'd be out on the street, you and… Zelena."
"You can't tell him, Robin. Please. I beg of you, I'll do anything. Anything." Cora's eyes glossed over with immediate tears. Tears that did nothing for Robin.
Robin's eyes study Cora, "She doesn't know, does she?" He asks calmly.
"Who?" Cora's voice breaks.
"Zelena." A tiny smirk curls along the corner of Robin's lip as Cora remains quiet. "No. She doesn't."
Cora's bloodshot eyes glare into Robin. "She knows enough. What she needs to know."
"Ah," Robin's brows hit his hairline. "I see…" He stands up to circle around his desk, ending right behind Cora. "So, she knows about your colorful past," he bends over behind Cora, close enough to whisper in her ear. "But even then you made her think she was Henry's biological daughter. When the truth is… her real father is still out there. Isn't he? Oh, that's right. He's not with us anymore. You made sure of that, didn't you?"
Cora gulps. A single tear running down her cheek. "He was nothing," she murmured, turning to look into Robin's eyes. "He was a wasted space that needed to be cleaned up."
Robin chuckled. "I like your way of thinking, Cora. That is what most of the people on this earth are. Wasted space." He moves back to the other side of his desk, sitting back in his chair and taking a quick sip of bourbon. "Tell me something, because I'm curious." He flattened his tie. "How did you manage to hide for so long? How did you become the 'respectable lady' that you are now?"
"Luck." Said Cora.
Robin's Adam's apple bobbed as he laughed, "Luck?" He shakes his head. "People like you don't have luck, Cora. People like you slither their way places they simply don't belong."
"Is that why you called me here? To humiliate me?" Cora's jaw tightened. "Because if it is, I will not-"
"You will do whatever I tell you to do." Robin's voice overpowers Cora. His blue eyes turned a dark shade of blue.
"Just tell me what you want, then and get it over with." She seeths.
"My dear, Cora," Robin sits back, relaxing into his chair. "I don't want to humiliate you. I simply need you to serve me, and serve me well. Now that your daughter was so incompetent to do a simple task for me. I want you to find out the truth from her, and find out who Regina has been seeing while I'm gone."
Cora's eyes bulge out of her head that it's comical to Robin enough to laugh.
"Don't look at me that way. I'm not asking you to kill whoever this person is." Robin chuckles. "Simply… Report back to me. I'll handle the rest. In a way where Regina won't suspect that I had anything to do with it. You can even tell her that you did it."
"So, you rather me take the fall?" Cora's lip curls.
"Well," Robin shrugs. "A chess player has to use their pawns well or they're out of the game. Decapitated. Your coat has enough stains, it can sustain one more. It's not like your relationship with Regina is anything to admire, anyway. She's closer to her father, than she will ever be with you. It's simple. You do this for me, and Henry nor Regina will ever know about your past. You can keep playing the part of a grand dame in our society, and I will make sure that your past stays dead and buried."
"What do you want me to do?" Cora asked without an ounce of hesitation.
"Just report back to me. I want a photograph of whoever it is that dared to put his eyes on Regina."
Cora holds up her phone and snaps a picture. She clicks along her options, sending a picture of Graham as he stood next to Emma and David, greeting them. No way would she ever allow Robin to find out the truth behind Regina's actual interests. She couldn't allow Regina to embarrass her that way or the family. And she wasn't about to allow her past to finally catch up to her after all these years of hiding it.
"Is that him?" Robin's voice comes from the other end of the phone once Cora answers his call.
"Yes." Cora's eyes remain on Emma the entire time.
"Well done. I'll handle the rest. You just keep playing your part."
As the line falls silent, Cora's eyes remain on Emma once she's alone by her father's truck. "Wait here." She exits the car, and crosses the street. Her heels clicking along with her walk. "Emma Swan?"
Emma whirls around, her brows furrowing. "Yes?"
"I'm Cora. Regina's mother." She sees the features on Emma become tense. "No, no-" She holds up a hand, preventing Emma from extending hers. "Don't bother with introductions, I know very well who you are. I'm simply here to warn you to stay away from my daughter."
Emma's facial features frown. "Warn me?"
"That's right. You do not want to cross me. I have other plans for my daughter, and you aren't among them." Cora's eyes flicker over Emma's appearance.
"Look, with all due respect, but I think Regina is old enough to decide for herself who she loves and doesn't love, don't you think?"
"Love?" Cora chuckles, shaking her head. "And you think Regina loves you?"
"What's going on here, Emma?" David asks, glaring directly at Cora. "Who are you?"
Cora continues, paying no mind to David's presence. "She doesn't love you. You're just a thing of the moment for her. Something she will get bored of once she's had enough play time."
This time, David steps forward, "Look, lady- I don't know who you are but I will not allow you to speak to my daughter that way!"
"Dad-" Emma stops him, grabbing a hold of his arm.
"Then you tell your daughter to stay away from mine!" Cora's voice raises an octave.
"Regina and I love each other and there is nothing you can do to change that." Said Emma.
Cora's eyes glare directly into Emma's. "This is your final warning," she holds up a single digit. "Stay away from Regina. Or you'll be sorry."
Emma takes a step forward. "Get off our property."
Cora turns on her heels, crosses the street and mounts back into her car without another word.
"Are you okay?" David asks, turning to his daughter.
"Yeah." Emma's frown deepens as she watches the black car disappear into traffic.
Killian sat inside his car, waiting and watching Graham as he exited out of his job. He reached for his phone inside of his suit jacket, and dialed a number that he kept engraved in his memory, hearing the line ring once before his call was picked up. "He's leaving." He ends the call and activates the camera on his phone. A red dot flashing along the side of the screen.
"I don't want any trouble," Killian could hear Graham saying to two men who approached him with black ski masks on. He witnessed how one man plunged a metal pipe into Graham's abdomen, his body falling to his knees upon impact. A few punches followed by a few kicks were also delivered, giving Graham no chance to defend himself.
"Hey! What are you doing?" A female voice shouted, causing the two men to scatter into the darkness. And Killian to drive away. "Are you alive? Please, be alive." She breathed, dropping to her knees in front of Graham, smelling all of the blood on him as she reached for her phone inside her purse. "Hang on. I'm calling for help."
Graham could hardly move. Everything hurt. His head was throbbing. His eyes could barely open to see who had bravely saved him from being beaten more or possibly worse. All he knew was for a moment there was blurriness, followed by darkness.
Emma entered the hospital hand in hand with Regina. Her eyes wide as she spotted David, along with Ruby and Eugenia by his side. "Dad! What happened? Where's Graham?"
"He's fine. Doctor's say he'll make a recovery." David assured.
"It was awful, Emma." Ruby cried.
"What happened?" Regina asked.
"Apparently some guys jumped him. Ruffled him up pretty bad. They broke two ribs and gave him a concussion." Eugenia frowned, holding onto Ruby who sobbed against her shoulder.
"I don't understand," Emma shakes her head, her eyes going bloodshot. "Was it a robbery?"
"That's what the police are looking into. Strange thing is nothing was stolen. Not his wallet, nothing."
"Emma," Said David. "You should go in and see him. I know he would love to see you right now."
"I'll come with you." Said Regina.
Emma nods and walks along the hallway, hearing David inform her of his room number. As she neared the room, she paused, leaving her hand along the steel handle. 'Stay away from Regina. Or you'll be sorry.' Whether she wanted them to or not, Cora's threats still lingered in the back of her mind. Could it be? Did she do this to Graham? People with money certainly had a way of washing their hands from guilt they didn't feel for others.
"What's the matter?" Regina asked, feeling Emma's body tense at the door.
Emma's bloodshot eyes locked onto Regina's. She couldn't tell her that her mother paid her a visit today and that she practically threatened her. She couldn't tell her that she might be responsible for what happened to Graham. That would devastate Regina. "Nothing. Just worried about Graham."
"Graham is strong, Emma," Regina squeezes Emma's shoulder, clinging to the rest of her arm. "He'll pull through."
"Thank you for being here with me." Said Emma.
"Of course." Regina smiles. "Where else would I be?"
Emma gives a sad little smile before entering the room. Regina waits by the door, allowing Emma to walk further up to Graham. His face is coated with cuts and bruises along his face. A very visible cut is placed right along his left brow. His left eye completely swollen and shut. His hair is ruffled up in different directions.
"Hey, Em," Graham's one good eye weakly opens. A weak smile pulls at the corner of his lip. "It's good to see you."
"Hey, Graham," Emma smiles softly, taking the chair next to his bed. She shakes her head, "What the hell did you get yourself into this time?"
Graham chuckles, wincing as his hand rests along his ribs. "You should see the other guys." He smiled.
Leave it to Graham to remain with his sense of humor intact. Even in tough situations.
"I should have been there." Said Emma. "It should have been me. You asked me to work your shift tonight and I couldn't."
"Hey," Graham shook his head. "Don't do that to yourself. It wasn't anyone's fault. Just bad luck." His eyes looked up at the bright light ahead of his hospital bed. "I'll be out of here in no time. Don't you worry about me."
"The police will find out who did this," Emma assured him.
"The police," Graham chuckled, wincing in pain again. "They aren't going to throw a fuss over some random bar owner, Em. Besides, I can't even give a good description of the two creeps. They were covered from head to toe. It was dark."
A single tear drops from Emma's eye as she tightens her grip along Graham's hand. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"Thank you for coming to see me." He pauses. "I was such a jerk to you before, and I'm sorry about that. There were things I shouldn't have said."
"No, Graham-" Emma shakes her head.
"No. Shut up for a second, will you?" Graham's throat bobs. "I'm sorry. Emma, you're… you're not just my best friend. You're like a sister to me, too, and I only want what's best for you. I love you, and I- I know you're going to do great things in New York. I really do."
There's a knock at the door, and all eyes turn on Kathryn, popping her head in with a gentle smile along her lips. "Sorry. I don't mean to disturb."
"Kathryn," Regina steps further away from the door, allowing her to enter. "What are you doing here?"
"So, you know my guardian angel?" Graham asked Regina, his weak smile directed at Kathryn.
Kathryn's cheeks turn a shade of pink. "I wouldn't call myself that." Her eyes look to Regina. "I just came to check on him; make sure he was alright." She looks at Emma. "I was walking by the ear and I saw the whole thing take place. I already spoke to the police, but I'm afraid I couldn't give them much to go on."
"You saved him. That's what matters." Emma gives Kathryn's shoulder a squeeze. "Thank you, Kathryn."
"I couldn't let him bleed to death. It's inhumane." Kathryn nods. She looks at Graham. "I'm glad you're alright. Sorry, I didn't mean to bother." She looks to Regina. "I'll wait outside."
"No, please," Graham speaks up, shifting a little in bed enough that the pain starts up again. "Stay," he grunts.
Emma rushes to his side, helping him sit up along the bed. "Graham. Take it easy."
"I'm fine." Graham assured her. His eyes automatically find Kathryn's across the room. "Please, stay. You'll give me the chance to properly thank you. You know, everything happened so fast that I couldn't even see your face at that moment."
"Okay." Said Kathryn. A tiny smile curling along her lip as her eyes locked in place with Graham's.
"She's home." Cora speaks through her end of the phone, watching Regina through Henry's office window on the first floor. Seeing a yellow bug parked just outside the gates.
"Good," Robin's voice sounds on the other end of the phone. "Let her know that this was just a warning over much grave consequences that could happen to her beloved if she doesn't leave him. But remember. Keep me out of it. You do this for me, Cora and everything about your past goes away."
Cora's jaw tenses as she hangs up the call. Her eyes remained on the two shadowy silhouettes sitting along the yellow Volkswagen.
"Are you okay?" Regina asked, feeling stupid for even asking such a question as she sat in the car with Emma. Her hand brushed back a strand of loose blonde hair.
Emma nods, despite her eyes glossing over. "I'm just sad to be leaving him like this." She mutters.
"Graham will be fine, Emma." Regina assured. "We'll come to visit him every weekend. I have enough saved over, we can use that to fly back and forth if you need us to." She smiled.
Emma reached for Regina's hand, placing a kiss along its back. "Thanks again for being here with me. I honestly don't know how I could have done it without you."
Regina tangles her fingers along Emma's, giving them a gentle squeeze. "That's how it has to be. Always together. Right?"
Emma gave her best yet sad smile. "Always together."
Regina looked over at her house, seeing all the lights on. "I better get inside. I have to speak to my father about tomorrow." She turns back to Emma. "I'll meet you outside of the art studio tomorrow at one. We'll take a taxi to the airport."
Emma smiles at that. "I'll be there. And once we arrive at our very first apartment, we'll have our first meal together."
"Pizza," Regina grins. She leans in to place several kisses along Emma's lips, remaining close to her until their foreheads touched.
"I love you," Emma whispered.
"I love you, too." Regina breathed, quickly exiting out of the car. She waved back at Emma before heading into her house.
As the lights to Regina's bedroom flick on, Regina is stopped in her tracks by the sight of her mother, sitting on her bed. "Mother," she breathes. "You startled me." She walks further into her bedroom. "What are you doing in here, sitting in the dark?"
"Waiting for you. You seem to be making it a habit of arriving late lately." Said Cora.
Regina chuckled, dropping her purse along her vanity. "I'm not seventeen years old anymore, mother. Besides, I've been working at my studio. You know how busy it can become-"
"Stop lying to me, Regina. I know perfectly well where you've been and with whom. You don't need to keep covering your faults with your art studio."
Regina's eyes locked on her mother. "My faults?" She blinks. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"I think you do." Cora stands. Her eyes wide and angry as they stare into Regina's eyes. "You see, you insist on not being a child anymore, but you sure have been going out of your way on acting like one. Sneaking off until hours of the night, lying to our faces, bringing shame upon this family with your little summer affair with that…" she paused. "That girl."
Regina's heart pounds, her eyes growing wide.
"Emma. Isn't that her name?" Cora shakes her head, seeing the way her daughter's eyes change at the mention of Emma.
"How did you find out?" Regina croaks.
"You really shouldn't be concerning yourself with how I found out. Ask yourself… what will happen if Robin ever finds out that you and that girl…?" Cora scoffs in disgust. "I can't even say it, Regina!" She paces the room. "It's unnatural! Beyond you! What could you have possibly been thinking of mixing up with the likes of a nobody like her?"
"Don't talk about Emma that way! Emma isn't a nobody!" Regina warns her, pointing a finger.
Cora smacks away her daughter's hand, her eyes wild. "Don't you point that finger at me, young lady! And that girl is a nobody! She's worse than that! She has nothing to offer you, Regina and you are stupidly willing to throw your life away for her."
Tears stream along Regina's cheeks. "Mother. To you, everything I do means that I am throwing my life away."
"Because you are, Regina! Look at yourself!" She motions toward Regina. "Do you honestly think that you will get far painting pictures, and with your head in the clouds like you have been? The world spins with or without you in it. It doesn't wait for you to make a decision. And sometimes, those decisions have to be made for you!"
"I don't need you to make any decision for me!"
"Oh, but you most certainly do, dear." Cora takes a step forward, gripping onto her daughter's arm. "Now, you are going to stop seeing Emma and that's final."
"No," Regina shook her head, yanking her arm away. "No, that is not final! Because you aren't going to tell me who to love. You aren't going to tell me what to do with my life!"
"Yes, I will and you will listen to me because I am your mother!" Cora sighed. "I've told you. As long as you live under this house, you will follow my rules."
Regina chuckled, "Don't worry. After tomorrow, I will no longer be living under this house and under your rules." She continues even as Cora's eyes grow wider, "Because Emma has asked me to marry her, and I said yes. And we are going to be living together in New York, having our own life and there's nothing you can do to stop that."
"Regina!" Cora calls out, following Regina out of her bedroom, catching her along the hallway. "Don't you dare walk out on this family! I'm warning you!" She lifts a finger.
Regina yanks her arm away, "What are you going to do, mother? Lock me away in a tower? You can't stop me from living and loving the woman that I love. Just because you gave up on love years ago it doesn't mean I have to follow in your footsteps!"
Cora's hand swings, striking Regina's left cheek. Feeling the after sting. "Now you listen to me, Regina," she grabs her daughter by the shoulders, keeping her in place before her hand wraps along her jaw a little too roughly. "I have given you enough time to entertain yourself and play house with this girl. But it's time to wake up. And you will wake up," she tightens her grip along Regina's jaw as she wants to move away. "Or next time I won't go after that little friend of hers, I will go after Emma personally."
Regina's bloodshot eyes turn glossier as her heart completely stops beating. Her breathing stops with just enough oxygen for her to say, "You… you did this… you were responsible for-?"
"Yes."
Regina's eyes glare right through her mother. "You're lying."
"Try me." Cora's eyes darken. "I don't think you really want to find out what I can be capable of to keep everything I've worked so hard for intact." Her thumb wipes a tear from Regina's cheek roughly. "Now, come tomorrow. If you don't wish to see this girl's life meet a tragic end, you will break things off with her. You will wake up from this fantasy land that you've built, and start living in reality."
Regina's eyes closed as she allowed more tears to escape her cheeks. Her mother attempted to hold onto her face, but she finally yanked free.
"Don't be stupid, Regina. This little relationship of yours wasn't going anywhere. Think it over." Said Cora.
Regina's eyes darken with hurt and hatred toward her mother. "If you hurt her… I swear to God I'll kill you myself."
Cora chuckles, "There's no need for that, dear. Because you are going to do what you do best every single time Robin walks into a room. Lie and act through your teeth. It is what you do best after all, isn't it?" Her hand lands along Regina's shoulder. "Now, your father… you know that his heart hasn't been well. What do you think will happen to him if you make a big deal out of nothing? Do you really wish to carry his death on your conscience as well?" Her palm lands along Regina's irritated cheek. "Time to wake up, dear."
As soon as Cora walks away, Regina lets out a shuddering breath, followed by a sob as her back slams against the wall of the hallway until her entire body slides down, cowering along the floor.
"Regina?" Henry appeared along the hallway, kneeling in front of his daughter. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Regina couldn't speak. She just launched her entire body toward her father's and held on tight, desperately trying to feel protected, desperately pleading for help. She couldn't believe that her mother was capable of such a thing. She was certain of it. But even so, she wasn't going to risk Emma's life before it even had a chance to begin. She wasn't about to place her own father's health in jeopardy. Even if it meant breaking Emma's heart.