Olivia wandered down to the diner at around 9am. She almost felt as though she were playing hooky, but had to keep reminding herself that she was technically on holiday, even though it didn't necessarily feel like it.
"Good morning, my dear." Granny peaked over the counter to address Olivia.
"Good morning mam." Granny peered over her glasses.
"None of that now, it's Granny to you. Tell me, how was your night? Did you sleep well?"
"I did thank you and the bed was extremely comfortable."
"I'm glad to hear that, if you need anything, just holler. Can I get you something to eat? A Coffee?" She added as she continued to wipe down the sides from the pre-work coffee rush.
"Please, a flat white."
Just as she turned to take her coffee to a booth, Emma marched through the door, clearly flustered. She instantly bee-lined to the counter.
"Hey Granny, has Regina been in this morning?"
"No dear, why? Has something happened?" Emma unconvincingly shook her head.
"No, probably not. Listen, can I grab a coffee to go please?" Granny nodded and set to work.
"Emma!" Emma turned to see Olivia now sitting at the same booth they'd occupied yesterday. She motioned for her to join her. "Everything okay?" Olivia asked understanding that it obviously wasn't.
"No, yes, no, I don't know." Olivia placed her hand over Emma's.
"Why don't you tell me and we can see if we can figure it out together, hmm?" Emma thought for a minute, there was no-way she wanted to upset Regina further, or break her confidence, but she had to do something, the question was, how much could she tell that was deemed necessary?
"Regina and I had a very good conversation this morning. I didn't really think of the potential aftermath though. She walked out in a maelstrom of emotion, albeit she was very calm, almost shocked I don't know… I allowed her the space. I finished what I was doing and went to have a quick shower. The plan was I was going to take her to work." Olivia squinted shaking her head slightly as though she didn't quite understand enough. Emma groaned, placing her head in her hands.
"Emma, I am going to need a little bit more than that." Another groan came from behind the hands as Granny placed her coffee to go on the table.
"I cannot possibly fathom how to stress to you how much this woman values her privacy. She really, really does not take kindly to someone breaking her confidence." That was an understatement she thought as Olivia pinched her lips in understanding.
"Okay, I can understand that, but Emma, if you think there is even the potential that she is in danger … or even at risk of harming herself..?" Emma's face shot back up; she was white as sheet. Would Regina harm herself? Had she ever tried? Did she not only lash out at other people, but herself as well? That was it, she couldn't risk it.
"Okay, what I am about to tell you is the minimal I think you need to know, and it has to stay between you and I."
"Of course."
"She woke up really early this morning. I'm talking 5am early. It took a hell of a lot of work to get it out of her, but the long of the short is, she wanted to get to work early to avoid Robin. I guess he isn't an early riser, I don't know. Anyway, it turns out she is scared of him." She took a deep breath. "He did rape her, at least once by force, around a month ago. It was that which caused her to try and end things with him." Olivia closed her eyes for a moment. She'd hoped this wasn't the case, but did have an inkling. She turned her attention back to Emma as she continued.
"You must understand something else about Regina... This is kind of normal for her." She quickly elaborated after seeing Olivia's concern and confusion. "I mean, she grew up believing certain things were expected and that she had certain obligations. She was taught this, by her mother, who was – not good." Emma closed her eyes, knowing Regina would already kill her if she found out what she was sharing, but Olivia was right, she desperately needed help with this, and it was too risky not to accept such expert help when it was offered.
"She was married off as a teenager to a man, God knows… in his sixties at the very least. My very limited understanding is that she had very little say in anything… it's likely that until I clearly laid things out for her this morning, that she didn't even have a clue she'd been a victim of anything. She just thought it was something you had to do, possibly something that everyone does, but now I'm surmising again."
"Right, come on." Olivia stood up and pulled on her coat, Emma quickly followed her lead.
"Where are we going?" Emma was so grateful Olivia was being assertive right now.
"We need to find her. Where do you think she may go and where have you looked?"
"She said she was going to work; it was the first place I checked. It was dark and locked up, even her secretary wasn't there. That's when I came to see if she'd popped in for her usual coffee."
"Mobile?"
"Off, but I'll try again." She dialled her number and it went straight to the answer machine. Emma shook her head.
"Okay, is she the confrontational type?" Emma puffed out, what a question.
"Ordinarily, hell yes, but with how she was this morning, honestly… I've never seen her so… I don't know what the best word is? Defeated, scared, broken?" Olivia nodded along as she contemplated. They were walking down Main Street as though they had a clue where they were going.
"Okay, let's make sure she isn't with Robin then. Where the hell is this creep's camp?" Emma directed Olivia to the bug and they set off towards the woods.
"It really is in the woods isn't it?" Exclaimed Olivia as she stepped over branches and pushed overhanging shrubbery out of the way.
"Yep, it's no too far though, assuming anyone is there at all."
It wasn't long before they neared the camp. There were around six sturdy tents set up in an almost circle. A fire was lit in the centre and several men were sitting around, cooking what appeared to be a small rabbit. The two women spied from behind a tree not too far away, on the lookout for anything suspicious.
"Do they really live here?" Olivia couldn't believe these grown men were just sat around casually in the middle of the day, cooking their food as though this was life. There was something a bit carefree and almost compelling about the thought. But it was still weird, a bit too weird. There had to be more to this. "Is it a commune?" Emma thought about this for a moment.
"I guess if you take the definition literally I suppose it is, though I'm not sure they would class it as that. Regina literally lives in a mansion, it's hard to imagine he thinks she's his soulmate." Emma shuddered at the thought.
"Is that what he said?"
"Oh yeah, he believes whole heartedly that she's his soul mate."
"That's… pretty twisted." Emma was grateful that at least someone else thought as she. She was getting pretty tired of talk of true love and soul mates. "So I'm assuming that's a part of their belief system?" Olivia added.
"Belief system?"
"Well, yes. Groups such as this tend to have specific belief systems and follow one particular person. Often times they'd do anything for that person. Perhaps Robin as the leader wanted Regina specifically because of who she is within the town. I don't know I'm just speculating. Do they try to recruit people, what do you know of them?"
"Honestly, as much as I don't like them, unless we really are missing something, I don't think they honestly fill enough of the criteria to be classed as fully fledged cult, as much as I don't like Robin. Are they weird, sure, but I do think this is simpler than that. I think they just banded together a while ago due to circumstance rather than some higher belief or calling. You could also call them our homeless population, it would probably be more accurate. Robin genuinely believing Regina is his soul mate seems pretty unique to him. Maybe he's just a bit obsessed with her." She shrugged, considering more options. "Until I find anything to suggest otherwise, I'm not going to label them a cult."
"Okay, well, that's fair enough." They both had a scan around for a while, until Robin stepped out of the largest tent, alone. The men began chatting amongst themselves as though it was just a normal day, and nothing seemed overly suspicious.
"Come on, let's go and have that little chat I promised him." Emma led the way.
"Sheriff!" Robin's voice was full of distain. "Why are you here, isn't it enough that's you've poisoned Regina against me?" Emma grit her teeth.
"I am pretty sure you managed to achieve that one all on your own." He merely narrowed his eyes.
"What was it you wanted?" He spat out.
"I want to know if you've seen Regina since last night?"
"No Sheriff, I haven't seen her since you decided to take my spoils." She looked confused for a moment, before anger began to boil as she realised his meaning, bloody fairy-tale characters. "Don't deny it, I know you went back to her house…" he leaned in closer… "you're a twisted form of nature." Neither woman could stop their jaw from lowering slightly. Emma counted to ten in her head, grateful for her training, but also a bit annoyed that Olivia was there so she couldn't just deck him.
"Whatever Regina does, or wherever she goes, is no longer any of your concern. In order to for you to know I took her home, you must have followed her." She stepped closer this time. "Understand this; you are not to go near her. She made her wishes perfectly clear last night and this time, you will respect them." He sneered.
"If I catch you crossing any line, I will be arresting you. Start by making an effort to avoid her and if you do see her, do not approach her under any circumstances or you will be looking at a stalking charge." She narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw before adding; "at the bare minimum."
"Wow, what a piece of work and to think Mary Margaret had described him as once beguiling, goes to show you never can be certain about anything." Olivia sat in the front seat watching Emma drive with white knuckles on the steering wheel, apparently they were heading towards the dock. There was a bench there that Regina favoured.
"Mary Margaret wears rose tinted glasses, permanently." Emma checked the clock. It was now 10:30 am. She rang Regina's office phone just in case, no answer. They pulled up to the dock.
Emma instantly ran out of the bug and ran to their bench; Olivia was hot on her tail. She collapsed her hands onto he knees when she reached it. No Regina. Emma was really trying not to panic now. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked to Olivia who was pointing towards the jetty. There she was, her longer hair and black coat flapping in the wind as she gazed out to sea. Emma crashed, landing on the bench, she was okay; she was okay. "Give me a minute and compose yourself Emma, she's going to need you." Emma nodded, trusting Olivia to do her job. She watched as the detective walked on, nearing Regina's size as she approached.
"You've a beautiful small town here Regina." Regina slowly turned her head, as though she only partly realised she was no longer alone. Her eyes were red-rimmed and nose red from the cold sea air. 'A beautiful town', she thought. If only she knew what a curse it actually was. Everything felt like a curse right now. She'd always known her life had been manipulated, stolen from her in many different ways until she'd finally given in, but she had no anger left in her, no energy for it either. Perhaps it was just her and she was the curse or cursed. Robin had been pleasant to begin with, chivalrous, polite, it really didn't take long for his true colour to shine, or had she somehow done that too him. Maybe her kiss was poison? Perhaps there was a phrase that she'd been cursed with that when someone supposedly loved her, they'd turn somehow; her mother, Daniel, the King and now Robin. Just like every time Rumple said please during the curse she had to comply. It was those little things. The little things like that which meant someone always had control over her will. It had to be something about her. It didn't happen to anyone else, certainly not to that extent.
That was the main thought that plagued her right now. This woman standing before her could never understand. She knew nothing of magic, curses, she could never understand. "It was meant to be a beginning, a new beginning. This town, for me at least. Now it's as tarnished as everything else. I destroy everything."
"Why did you come to this spot?" Olivia shivered. Regina must have been freezing. It was freezing enough without the Icy sea air blowing their way too.
"To breathe."
"Emma's been worried sick about you. She's dragged me halfway across town." Regina took a moment to glance across at the other mother of her child. She did look beside herself.
"I can't destroy her too, it would destroy Henry. They were better off when I wasn't around. Everyone is. I destroy everything I touch." It was more common than not for a victim of sexual assault to blame themselves, but this felt like something else, something bigger.
"Tell me what you've destroyed?" Why not? Perhaps she'll scare her away too.
"I rip out people's hearts, I destroy them. I watch them die or become shells of themselves." Olivia narrowed her eyes, attempting to work out that meaning, because of course she didn't take it literally.
"Did you rip out Robin's heart?" That was actually a good point. She didn't. In fact, until the… incident… all she'd tried to do was please him, make it work, because everyone had insisted she belonged to him, was his soul mate. Snow, David, Tink, even Robin himself. She really wished Emma had been sent back with them to the enchanted forest. She was the only one that usually made any sense.
He'd been chosen for her, or she'd been chosen for him somehow, as had the King, Rumple and her mother. They all felt they owned her somehow, but not Emma, or Henry. They even forgave her faults and accepted them. "No." She finally answered. "I really tried to give that one a chance, tried to be what he wanted me to be and even that didn't matter. He still took…" Regina finished with a wobble in her tone and a quivering lip. She returned her gaze to the sea. "Everyone is chosen for me and everyone takes from me." Now that made a lot of sense to Olivia. Who stepped closer to follow her line of sight.
"Last night you made a choice, your own choice to walk away. It sounds to me like that is what you need to do from now on. Follow your own path, one that is not dictated by a parent or a man, or over enthusiastic and insistent friends." Regina nodded, considering her words for a moment. She was right and what Emma said this morning rang truth. Now was her time to be anything SHE wanted to be, just Regina. Make her own choices.
"Emma." Olivia snapped to face her. "Aside from my Son, Emma is the only one in my life to truly encourages me to make my own choices. To follow my… heart." She just about avoided saying blackened. That certainly wouldn't help right now. Olivia smiled a sad smile.
"I think Emma really cares for you, deeply." Regina tilted her head towards the lighter brunette, almost in shock, but clearly considering her words. "She told me what Robin did to you." Regina looked horror-stricken. "She had no choice, I'd kind of figured it out anyway and when you disappeared she thought the worse." Regina calmed a bit, trying to convince herself that unlike Snow, who she believed was only thinking of herself when spilling her secret, Emma was doing so for her. She needed to believe that. She had to.
"If you want to submit a formal statement, we can try and put a case together, have him arrested?" Regina seriously considered that, but she knew the chances of the case going anywhere were slim. Her only potential saving grace would be that he still held the old world values. He may assert his right to her and hang himself.
"I can't, I can't do that." There was no way she could speak the words to do that. Olivia placed an understanding hand on her arm.
"I get that and it's your choice, but I will be around for a few more days, with the potential to extend if needs be." She added a small, reassuring smile.
"Thank you... I think I need to talk to Emma now." Olivia hung back as she watched Regina compose herself and walk elegantly back to Emma. This mess aside, there'd always been something familiar about Regina, including her name and her gut wrenched when she realised why.
