Emma growled as she yanked on the bars of the jail cell she was currently stuck in. "Just let me know how she is!" She yelled into the empty room.
She knew there had to be someone watching her. She had done this before; the waiting, the unanswered questions, the judgement. This was another one of Regina's games, she was sure of it.
When the car spun out of control, Emma didn't black out like she thought. She had merely squeezed her eyes shut tightly and the shock from the impact temporarily paralyzed her. She opened her eyes to see the car had slammed into the 'Leaving Storybrooke' sign on Redmonde's side, and Red herself was unconscious but breathing.
Almost immediately, a police car arrived on the scene. An ambulance followed soon after, and Red was whisked away without question. Emma was taken out of the car by the Sheriff and sat in the passenger seat of the police car.
"Are you alright? I'm Sheriff Graham. We should go get you checked out, that was a pretty hard crash."
"I'm fine! I just need to get out of here!" Emma snapped, attempting to get up.
The man held her still, looking into her eyes with a concerned expression. "You could be hurt. What's your name?"
"Emma Swan."
The blonde looked up to see a man approaching them. He was in his mid-thirties, a bit scrawny, and had an air of cockiness that made her uncomfortable. He knew who she was; it was clear to see that he worked with Regina.
The Sheriff stood as the wiry man approached, almost seeming to shield Emma. He crossed his arms over his chest as he loomed over him, a good 4 inches taller. The blonde looked back and forth between the two, indecisive on whether or not to run for it.
The Sheriff had been Regina's bed buddy, but this new stranger seemed dangerous, possibly life-threatening. Emma had a trusty intuition; it's what made her one of the best drug dealers in Boston. She just knew when something wasn't right, and this man wasn't someone she wanted to be around.
"Sidney Glass. What do you want? There's no story for you here," Graham said.
The smaller man didn't seem to be affected by the Sheriff's coldness, however, and stepped forward to get closer to Emma.
"Emma Swan. You are in a lot of trouble," Sidney tsked, a smirk on his slightly wrinkled face.
"She's done nothing wrong," Graham defended her, a warning tone to his voice. "She's a stranger to this town. She needs medical attention."
"I beg to differ, Sheriff." Sidney casually stepped forward and peered into the totaled car. "She was the driver of this vehicle, am I correct?" The man glanced over at Emma who slowly nodded.
"There's open alcoholic beverages in here. Have you done a breathalyzer? Checked for an I.D.? Anything that follows protocol?" Sidney asked question after question, hounding the Sheriff.
"No, I have not. The girl is clearly in shock, give her a break!" Graham snarled.
"The mayor will want to see this. Bring the girl to the jail; I'll send a doctor over to tend to her injuries," Sidney ordered, glancing over at Emma.
"And what makes you think you have the right to give orders now? Are you the Sheriff?" Graham asked.
Sidney leaned forward and said something inaudible to Emma, but what he said must have made an impact on the Sheriff, for he quickly climbed in the front seat of the cruiser.
"Graham, please don't take me to jail," Emma pleaded. "All I was doing was trying to get out of this town. Regina- she's crazy, insane. She kidnapped me, brought me here from Boston. I think that man, Sidney Glass, he's helping her. She's forcing him to. Just take me out of town, I swear I will leave and never come back."
The Sheriff's hands clenched the steering wheel until his knuckles lost color. He refused to look her way. "Those are huge accusations, Miss Swan. You have a lot of evidence pointing your way on the guilty side."
"What happened to giving me a break, huh?" The blonde snapped, glaring at the man.
But the Sheriff blatantly refused to say anymore, and after doing mugshots and locking her in the cell, Emma was left alone.
She was screwed. Redmonde was the only person who had come close to being an ally, and with some convincing Emma was sure she could have gotten her help. Now she didn't know whether she was okay or seriously hurt. And if the Sheriff wouldn't help her for whatever reason, be it blackmail from Sidney Glass or his devotion to the Mayor himself, she had no way out.
Despair filled her whole being as Sheriff Graham entered the room with Regina behind him.
"Thank you, Sheriff," Regina not-so-subtlety gave the man's arm an intimate squeeze as she flashed him a winning smile.
Graham nodded and locked eyes with Emma before quickly dropping his gaze and leaving the two alone. He looked guilty, and strangely worried, though Emma wasn't sure if the concern was for her or himself.
"That didn't last long, did it?" Regina opened up the cell door and entered, shutting them both in.
"You did something. You set me up. But I don't give a damn about that. Is Redmonde okay?" Emma questioned.
"Sit," the brunette ordered, physically pushing the girl onto the small cot before taking a seat in front of her.
She had to admit, she didn't expect Emma to draw attention to herself like she did, put herself in the open. Things were dire, however, seeing as how the blonde was probably panicked as she realized she couldn't leave the town.
Emma reflexively flinched away from the woman's touch as she was examined.
"No internal bleeding, no concussions... a few scratches and bruises here and there, but other than that you're perfectly okay. You're lucky." Regina held her chin still and stared into her eyes. "Do you see now why I wanted to keep you home? So you don't do something stupid like this. This mess is going to be difficult to clean up."
"Good," Emma thought smugly, strangely proud at her destruction.
The blonde tried pulling her chin away, but the Mayor held her firm.
"Were you driving while impaired, Emma?" Regina demanded. "Answer me! Don't think I won't leave you here overnight."
"What happened to keeping me holed up? Locked away from the world like some distressed princess?" Emma snapped.
Regina chuckled darkly. Her princess was very distressed from the looks of it. And things were about to get more dower for the girl.
"Graham," Regina called out.
The Sheriff entered the room, pretending to be interested in the file he was holding. "Yes, Madame Mayor?"
"Was Emma the one drinking?"
"No, Dr. Whale says the waitress was the one drinking the alcohol, and Emma's breathalyzer came up clean. She's clear to go home, and Granny Lucas has the insurance information. You might want to throw in some money for road repair, the town sign is pretty bent out of shape," the man answered.
"How is she?" Emma pleaded, prompting both of them to look down at her as if noticing she was in the room for the first time.
"She's uh- okay. A mild concussion, sprained ankle... Granny's not very happy with her, she's making her man the registers as soon as she gets out of the hospital tomorrow," Graham said.
"I'll be leaving Emma here overnight, Graham," the Mayor said, petting Emma's hair in a disturbing yet loving gesture. "I expect you to stay here. Do not let her out of your sight."
With that, Regina leaned down and pressed a kiss to the blonde's forehead. "I'll see you in the morning, my Swan."
Emma's cheeks burned as the Sheriff stared at their strange interaction. With an echo from the door shutting, the two were left alone. Graham sat down at his desk and shifted through paperwork, while Emma paced to and fro in her cage.
"She used to treat you like she does me, didn't she?" The girl questioned.
The Sheriff's head snapped up and a steely, guarded look clouded his features. "I beg your pardon?"
"Do you know how old I am? I'm 20. Old enough to provide for myself. Regina stalked me, drugged me, held me captive in her house for the past week and is treating me like an infant. She's psychotic!" Emma snapped.
Graham looked bothered at her statement but chose to ignore her.
"I should have expected the silent treatment from her fuck buddy," Emma muttered as she sat down.
That caught the man's attention. "I will not have you disrespect me in my own office!" He growled.
The two fell into silence for a few minutes. Emma fought to think of a plan. She couldn't leave town, she must have been implanted with a chip or something by that crazy doctor who did her surgery. It wasn't like magic was real. If she could just go see Redmonde, tell her the truth and make her understand...
The blonde was shaken out of her thoughts when she realized her cell door was being opened. Graham swung the keys in his hand, a guilty look on his face. As his amber eyes flicked up to meet hers, Emma saw compassion behind them.
"I thought Regina was up to something when she was making all of those trips to Boston. I'll let you out to go to see Red in the hospital, but only for an hour. You have to promise me you'll come back here," the Sheriff said.
Emma nodded, and a small smile crossed her face. "Thank you."
The man nodded and Emma hurried off before he could change his mind. Luckily, the hospital was close by and with a quick glance around for Sidney or Regina, Emma slipped in.
An older woman hustled towards her, muttering to herself as if she was angry at someone. "Damn girl. Can't keep a hold on that wild spirit."
"Um, excuse me?" Emma spoke up.
The woman stopped and looked at her as if she had been startled. "Yes, dear. What is it? I got a diner to take care of one staff member short."
Emma shifted nervously from foot to foot. This woman didn't seem too friendly, though she also didn't seem malicious. Just cranky, which was probably because of her age.
"I was looking for Redmonde. I'm... Gerda, Ingrid's sis- "
"So you're the one that got my Red into all that trouble. Do you know the Sheriff wants to charge her for drinking in a car? That's gonna be on her official record for life. And that ruins my reputation. Tell your sister she just lost my business at that ice cream shop. And it'll do ya best to stay away from my granddaughter."
With those words, the woman stomped away even more sullen and cross than she was. Emma sighed and looked around. There was another lost ally that could have helped her.
Red's voice echoed down the hallway, giving Emma a path to follow. A right turn down the hallway led her to the room she was looking for. Redmonde was sitting up in bed, a scowl on her face with her arms crossed.
"You know we can't increase your pain medication, Redmonde. Your Granny has given us strict orders," a nurse was saying.
"Old bat doesn't know what she's talking about! I'm in agonizing pain here!" Red argued.
"Here, why don't you order some lunch? Take your mind off your... injuries," the nurse said before quickly leaving her alone.
Emma entered the room just as Red tossed the menu aside. "Hey. How are you doing?"
"Oh, hey Gerda. I was wondering how you were. I'm okay, as okay as I can be. Bruised head, fucked up ankle. I'll survive," Red answered, perking up slightly at the sight of the blonde.
"I'm okay. Some bruises and scratches, nothing major." Emma sat down on the edge of the brunette's bed. "Listen, I'm here to talk to you about what we were discussing right before we crashed."
"How it was weird we couldn't leave town," Red finished.
Emma stared down at her hands, chewing on her bottom lip. "Right. Well, there's more to it than that. It's just... difficult to explain."
Red held up her hand to stop her. "You don't have to explain anything. It's nice enough you came to check on me. All my Granny did was bitch because I'm not able to help out at the diner 'til tomorrow. So, thanks."
The girl grabbed Emma's hand and squeezed it, offering her a kind smile. Emma couldn't tell her the truth, not yet. She was so much like Ruby in so many ways, and Emma couldn't bear the thought of losing this new friend simply because of her situation. She would eventually tell her, just not quite yet.
"You wanna stay and watch some TV? It's flashback Friday, they're showing a bunch of old 80's horror films," Red offered.
Emma agreed and ordered some lunch for the two of them. They had just started some Stephen King movie and Redmonde had just dozed off when a loud crash at the door caught Emma's attention.
A petite, dark-haired woman blushed and bent over to pick up the plastic trays of food she had dropped. Emma moved to help her, being careful not to wake the sleeping brunette.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude," the woman that looked to be around Regina's age apologized. "I was just bringing lunch."
"It's okay," Emma answered, picking up the remainder of the items dropped. "Those pain meds wore her out, I think. She's out for a few hours at least."
"Thanks. Hey, you uh- must be new to our town. I'm Mary Margaret." The woman reached out and grasped her hand.
Immediately, Emma felt a warmth travel from her arm throughout her whole body. This woman was someone she could trust, she just knew it.
"I'm Emma. I've only been here a week," the girl answered, wanting to be as honest as possible.
"Well it's great to meet you, Emma. I'm a schoolteacher, I volunteer quite a bit here in the hospital. Early out for school today, so I'm just making my rounds," Mary Margaret said. "If you need any help around town with anything I'll be happy to help out."
Emma glanced up at the clock. She was supposed to be heading back to the Sheriff's station now, but she supposed a few more minutes couldn't hurt.
"Do you mind if I join you on your rounds?" The blonde asked.
The older woman's face lit up. "Sure! I was just about to deliver these flowers to John Doe."
Emma followed the woman to a private room where a blonde-haired, handsome young man lay on a hospital bed. Mary Margaret set the flowers down on the bedside table, smiling fondly at the unconscious man.
"Good afternoon, John Doe. How are you doing today?"
Emma glanced back and forth between the man and the teacher. She was talking to him as if he was awake. Could he hear her?
Mary Margaret turned to face her. "This poor man has been in a coma for as long as I can remember. Nobody knew he was when he was brought in, so here he has stayed ever since."
Emma stepped forward to look at the man more closely. There was something familiar about him. Her eyes caught the sight of a large scar just underneath an exposed patch of gown. She gently traced her fingers across it. It seemed as if the man had gone down fighting. Poor guy.
"He sure is a charmer. Aren't you, John?" Mary Margaret teased.
"So, nobody knows who he is? He's been in a coma for years and no one has cared to try to find out what happened or who his family is? Who he is?" Emma asked, slightly bothered.
The girl was more than surprised when the older woman gently touched her arm. It was comforting, like how she imagined a mother's touch would be.
"Oh, honey." Mary Margaret reached out to wipe away a tear Emma hadn't realized had fallen onto her cheek. "I've tried everything I can think of to help him. He has no family. And his doctor says if he hasn't come out of his coma yet, he most likely never will. He has a will to fight, though. He was on life support years ago. They took him off it and he never gave up. So we can't give up."
Emma found herself hugging this perfect stranger. Although everything in her life had gone to shit and she was stuck with a complete psycho for what most likely would be the rest of her life, she felt secure in this woman's presence.
The school teacher pulled back, a kind smile lighting up all the way to her eyes. "Would you like to get some lunch with me, Emma? My treat."
A throat being cleared interrupted them. Emma looked up to see Sheriff Graham standing near the elevator, indicating her hour had been done for a while.
"I would but I'm- "the blonde glanced over at the man. "I have some things to take care of. I promise I will meet up with you soon."
Mary Margaret smiled at that comment. "Of course! Here's my number."
Emma tucked the woman's number in her pocket, knowing she would guard it with her life. She never had anyone treat her with such respect and genuine kindness before.
Sheriff Graham even offered her a smile as they climbed into the elevator. "And here I was worried you would run off. Instead you find a date with the elementary school teacher."
Emma actually laughed at the man's comment, deciding maybe she could survive a couple days here in this town after all.
Little did she know, Regina had been watching the whole time. She had watched the Sheriff release her from her cell from a mobile monitor. She then followed the girl to the hospital, intending on stopping her as soon as she had her little chat with Red. Until she saw her run into Snow White.
Her blood had immediately boiled and she wanted to storm in there and rip Emma from the former bandit's embrace. But she had held herself back, forcing herself to merely observe from a corner. The way Emma looked at her made her want to rip out both their throats. And when Snow had given that little hope speech about her 'Charming', it made Regina want to throw up. Emma would not have anything to do with her real mother, that much was certain.
So, the next morning, the woman woke Emma at the jail bright and early. Graham was ushered out of the room and Regina pinned the girl down with once hate-filled glance.
"You're coming home with me, Emma. And you will not be leaving for a very long time. I've graciously allowed you to use my bathroom the whole time you've been here, given you comfortable clothes after your surgery, fed you regular food. No more."
Emma was paralyzed by fear as the woman changed her into a sparkling pink dress with a diaper underneath. She shrunk back as Regina held up a glittering silver collar.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Regina commented, smiling widely despite her anger. She quickly fastened it around the girl's neck before attaching a leash. "Come."
With a sharp tug, Emma was forced to stumble along behind her. She coughed and sputtered for a moment until she caught sight of Graham just outside the room. The man refused to look her way, but it was obvious he had seen her.
Emma's horror intensified as she saw where her captor was leading her. "Regina, please- "
"Shut up!" The woman snapped, tugging on her collar once more.
The bell above the diner door rung loudly, and an eerie silence came across the busy place. Emma's eyes immediately rested on Red's, who looked confused as she glanced back and forth between her and Regina.
"I'd like to make an announcement to you all. This, is Emma Swan. She is new to our town. And she is mine. No one is allowed to speak to her, or interact with her while we are out. She belongs to me, and only me. And as some of you may know, she charmingly ran away from me and destroyed town property. So, if you see her out on her own I expect you to call me right away, no questions. She may have told some of you some deceitful tale of how I've treated her: if any of you have concerns, you come straight to me. Do I make myself clear?" Regina snarled.
The diner was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. No one dared move a muscle or say anything. Even the waitresses stood in place. The only one who wasn't fazed by the Mayor's speech was Granny.
"Alright, Madame Mayor. We hear ya. Now get back to work!" She ordered the staff.
And just like that, everything unfroze. Everyone gave Emma a wide berth as they passed, afraid to even glance her way. The only one who dared was Mary Margaret. Emma's cheeks burned in embarrassment, delighting Regina even further. This form of public humiliation worked out beautifully.
"Let's go home, Little Swan," the brunette purred, scratching the blonde's scalp with her long fingernails like one might do to a dog. The woman made sure to give Snow an evil glare before turning and leading Emma away.
The blonde was silent the whole way back to the mansion. Now that Regina had scared everyone into submission, she was trapped. Truly trapped. She didn't even bother to hide her tears as Regina leaned over to unbuckle her.
"Welcome home, baby," that sinister voice whispered in her ear, filling her to the brim with hopelessness.