Bumping Into You

Part 13

"Babe?" Lily prodded her, she didn't like the glazed over stare in her girlfriend's eyes. "You okay?" She frowned as she started to connect the dots in her head. "Emma, this guy, do you know him? Neal Gold?" At the mention of his name icy green eyes fluttered and focused on Lily, by the expression on Emma's face she knew the answer without having to be told. "You do know this hump. Is he" This was hard for Lily because she was about to bring up what she knew was a sore subject with Emma. "Is he from Storybrooke? Is that how you know this guy?"

Emma could only nod as she tried to push back the fuzzy and blurry memories. The feel of the bed on her back. His hot breath. His deep ugly voice. His hands on her, everywhere. Presently she could feel her heart racing and she swallowed the rapidly forming lump in her throat. Her voice was quiet and Lily strained to hear the whispered words. "He tried to rape me."

"What?!" Lily's shout made Emma jump and Lily quickly apologized without words by placing a comforting hand on Emma's arm. "This fucker tried to rape you! Oh babe, what happened?" Her words turned soothing while her thumb rubbed gently over the back of Emma's cold skin.

Her eyes remained down as she replied slowly after taking a deep calming breath. "It was a graduation party and he drugged me. He took me into his basement and I couldn't fight back, I could barely move. He would have done it to if" Her eyes finally rose and met Lily's compassionate dark ones looking back at her with love. "If Regina hadn't rescued me." Emma could see the pain flash on Lily's face for a fleeting moment before she replaced it with a concerned face.

"Regina." Lily said evenly and her tone was drained of emotion. "Regina Mills saved you." Of course she did. "Well, good. I'm glad she was there before something awful happened." I can't escape from this woman.

Emma could tell that her girlfriend was upset about the fact that Regina was involved. She was well aware of the insecurity and jealousy that Lily felt toward the other woman and it made Emma feel sorry for her. It was unfair to Lily and Emma knew it, she just didn't know if there was a way for her to get past this. Or if she even wanted to. The only way to escape this was to do what she always did when the subject of Regina came up, she changed the subject. "I'm coming with you to help you catch him."

Lily shook her head. "No Emma, I don't want you seeing this bastard again. In fact, I think I'm going to refuse the job. I don't need the money this bad." She tried to squeeze Emma's hand but the blonde agent pulled her hand away. "We don't need this. We don't need him back in your life." The withdrawal of her girlfriend's hand hurt her but she hid it behind determined eyes.

Emma shook her head. "No. I'm going with or without you." Her voice was firm and her decision final. "I need to be the one to get him. I'm going to nail the bastard." Lily leaned back in her chair, defeated, she knew there was no arguing with her.

"Fine. Let's go."

Holding the shopping bag by the handles with the stuffed wolf resting inside it, Ruby took in the bustling activity at 108 Mifflin Street. There were delivery men carrying nursery furniture, she spotted painters carrying drop cloths and rollers, and a few contractors speaking with the lady of the house. I guess it pays to be the mayor. Ruby assumed that ordinary folks wouldn't be able to get all these workers here on less than a day's notice. As she got closer she saw that the contractors were being directed by a shorter woman and while the men towered over her, it was clear that the woman holding the bundled baby in her arms was running the show. She got closer and heard Regina speaking to the men in a polite but stern voice.

"I don't care that it's not necessary right now, I want the entire mansion baby proofed from top to bottom. He's going to be growing bigger everyday and I will not have an unsafe environment for my son." The lead contractor nodded and signaled for his men to go and get started, their swift obedience made Ruby grin. Only Regina Mills could command that much authority while gently bouncing a baby in her arms. Getting closer, Regina spotted her and her eyes registered momentary confusion before she composed herself. "Miss Lucas? What brings you here?" She said politely if not necessarily in a friendly manner.