Chapter Text
Darkness had been what she had fallen into and when she had awoken, it was where she still found herself in. There was black all around, and the pressure around her wrists and ankles had made her heart beat out of control. The panic was seizing her and when she moved her head to the side, she had felt the slight brush of fabric on her upper cheek. She'd been blindfolded, and she had to assume the man who had broken into her home and knocked her unconscious had been the one to do it. That would explain the pressure around her limbs too.
He had most likely tied her to the chair she was sitting in. And a good yank or two with her arms all but confirmed it. The sharp sting cut into her wrist, and she bit at her bottom lip at the hurt she had caused herself. She was breathing heavier the moment she heard the footfalls coming from behind her. Despite not being able to see, her head still snapped in the direction she had heard the intruder came from. Her teeth ground down, and she wanted to ask what he wanted from her, but she didn't want to be the one to break the silence. She didn't to give away just how scared she was. But she also didn't want him controlling the scene either.
When a hand landed on her shoulder, she shuddered away, jerking her shoulder, though didn't dislodge his hand, and she spat out, "What? What do you want?"
"Just a little cooperation." He replied coolly. The back of the hand moved to stroke down the side of her cheek, and she whipped her head around, her teeth baring and she tried taking a bite out of him. He pulled away too fast, with a damn chuckle. "I want you to tell me where you've stashed Henry."
Henry. She knew these latest atrocities and this latest group to invade Storybrooke had been after her son; Emma didn't know why, but she'd felt it prudent to hide him away. Only a few people in Storybrooke knew where he was. "If you think for one second that I would ever give up my son to you assholes, than you're stupider than you look."
"Oh." He murmured as though he had an ace up his sleeve. She could feel his presence slide in behind her and felt the way he started tugging at the back of her blindfold. "Oh, I think you'll cooperate." The knot it had been tied in, at the back of her scalp had loosened, and the dark fabric had fallen away.
She was in a darkened room, with some dim cheap lightbulbs hanging over top. Just enough to illuminate the area. Emma could see that she was no longer in her home, it was smaller. Closer to that of the cabin that was in the woods, but the architecture was all wrong to be the cabin. Not a wood panel in sight. Her mind stopped taking in her settings, when she noticed another person sitting just in front of her, in a similar chair. Due to the dim lighting, Emma could only make out the curvaceous shape of a woman. Squinting her eyes, she was able to make out enough features to realize Regina was there before her.
She had a piece of fabric, presumably from the same cloth that had been around her eyes, shoved in her mouth, so far, and tied so tightly that her lips had been pulled back. She was biting it with her white teeth, and her brown eyes were frantically staring at her. Though she was more frantic over hearing that Henry was the one they were truly after, and she was already shaking her head no. She didn't want Emma giving him up, not for the likes of her. Her black skirt was skintight to her thighs, which were bound up to the chair, and ropes were laced up her arms, keeping her firmly to the arms of the chair.
Almost as if they were afraid of her magic if she could freely move her hands to conjure it. Emma stared hard at Regina. She had heard the voice of the man beside her, asking her again for Henry's whereabouts. She'd also distinctly heard him threaten Regina and Regina's life if she didn't comply. However, she couldn't stop staring at the brunette. The strength that she so often projected was now muted over their shared concern over Henry and his wellbeing. Though it was more than that. She didn't like seeing Regina bound and gagged, her life threatened, all because of her.
Regina didn't deserve that, she needed to be protected, every bit as much as Henry did. She loved them, and she couldn't bear to see them in pain, or hurt. She loved them. She loved Regina, the realization came to her in a blind flash. It had steam rolled her so quickly, and seamlessly. The woman she was in love with was propped up in front of her, helpless, and Emma's acknowledgment of the love she felt for Regina, a love that had been there for months and she just never knew of it, was quickly morphing into anger.
She hated this man that she didn't even know the name of. For intruding on Regina, knocking her out and kidnapping her, in much the same way he had done to her. Only a sick individual would think to use them against each other, in order to get their hands on a child. Her eyes were started to grow white, and when he next placed a hand on her flesh, the magic she didn't know how to control, had shot out of her like a bullet. It had flung him across the room, and he bashed the back of his head into the far wall and was knocked out. The bindings holding her down had fried and broke away.
Emma's chest was heaving up and down, overwhelmed by everything. But she was on her feet and moving over to Regina in a flash. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Regina. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."
Undoing the gag in her mouth first, Regina had spat the taste of the cotton out, her own panic falling away now that they were free. "Your fault? How is it-"
"He came after me. And thought to use you against me. I love you." She was tugging at the ropes, freeing Regina before she crashed into her, hugging her and apologizing yet again. Feeling it was her own emotions for the queenly woman that put her in harm's way. "I love you." She stated more assuredly. "And it was my love that made you a target."
"Emma. EM!" Regina cut through her constant pleas, and apologies. She'd heard her right, and her heart had filled with warmth over her admission and guiltily her fear and her own blame. Emma loved her. She'd harbored such feelings for Emma for a long time, but had never crossed the line with her, valuing their friendship above all else. But she couldn't let the blonde believe she was to blame. She caressed her cheek, which caused Emma to break in her babbling and gaze up at her. "He wanted Henry. I was a target, regardless. I doubt these idiots knew of our feelings for each other, not when we didn't even know ourselves...until now."
Emma took a moment to soak in Regina's own confessions of love, in her own way. And a breath of relief escaped her. She was leaning in, their foreheads touching and then she was brushing their lips together. The touch was featherlight, and made her skin tingle, and gave her insides a quiver of delight. She had to assume that this was what a true love's kiss felt like. More special than a kiss shared between lovers. Something unique, that had exceeded every anticipation and expectation Emma had ever had.
When they broke away, she cocked her head to the side. "What are we going to do about him?"
"Oh." Regina started to smirk wide. "I've got a nice dark hole I'm thinking about. He's going somewhere where he can never harm another living soul again."