Rockabye

Chapter Seven

Maine

"H-how do you know that lullaby?" Regina pushes once again because her captor somehow doesn't understand the question.

The stranger glares at Regina in confusion, her head tilting to the side like a lost puppy. Her eyes search Regina's glossy and swollen eyes for some answer. She wonders if Regina really doesn't recognize her from all those years ago, but that just doesn't seem possible to the captor.

The strange woman clears her throat and straightens her posture, reminding herself that she is the one in charge. She has the upper hand.

"It's a melody from my past," the woman vaguely answers.

Regina's heart races almost as fast as her mind. She blinks away her tears and leans as far forward as her restraints will allow. She inspects the stranger's hair, her eyes, her nose, her mouth, her fingers, her clothes...everything and anything to give her one clue as to who this person is.

"Are you from the foster system? Were we in a home with you?" More tears fill those brown orbs, blurring her vision once more and stealing away any connections to her past.

The other woman furrows her brows just as there's a light knock against the door. Her partner peeks his head through and nods just once, but Regina is too lost in her tears and memories of her past to notice.

"Who would have thought mentioning your name would have such an effect on Emma. I guess we underestimated you, yet again."

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Boston: Age Fifteen

There's a sea of people easily maneuvering around the paths like a stream flowing peacefully. Children are squealing in delight as gusts of wind from the carnival rides, brush against Emma's face. There's a cold bite in the fall air, but none of this matters to the blonde as she focuses on one thing and one thing only.

"Do you see your friend?" Ingrid questions as Emma nervously bounces with anticipation next to her. She can practically see the electrifying energy buzzing from the teen beside her.

It took Ingrid some time to arrange this meeting for Emma and Regina to reunite. Besides, she thought it would be the best birthday present for Emma that would hopefully lighten her spirits on this day. She understood why the young girl dreaded this day so much, so she hoped this would be the perfect plan to keep her happy and blissfully distracted.

"No," Emma mumbles as she checks her watch yet again. "You told them four o'clock, right?" Emma accuses with her moody attitude slowly seeping through her words.

"I did sweetie," Ingrid confirms, never faltering and crumbling to the cranky teenager beside her.

Raven tresses, those long raven tresses come into Emma's view, ceasing her heart and creating an obscene amount of butterflies to swarm around her stomach. Her palms breakout in a sweat and tingle to touch her friend. It's now occurring to Emma just how much she missed the only good thing that ever came into her life.

"Happy birthday," Regina announces as she stalks her way closer to the fumbling blonde.

It could most definitely be Emma's imagination, but she swears Regina's voice, is deeper...huskier, than the last time she saw her. Which in fact, was only a few months ago.