The wrong swan

17

"Something bad happened... Something really, really bad"

Regina was shaking and crying, she had been since she arrived home earlier that day. She never talks to anyone when she is like this but she knew she could trust Emma with anything and, quite frankly, she needed to finally let it all out. Emma was still looking at the brunette in shock, feeling scared at what was to come.

"Regina, talk to me please... What happened to you and who's baby is that" Emma asked in a soft tone, putting her arm around the brunettes shoulder.

Regina flinched away from the touch in a subconscious movement, instantly regretting it. Emma moved her arm away, scared she hurt or frightened the woman. Regina shook off her feeling and moved up closer to the blonde, cuddling into her soft embrace.

"As I've said before, my father is a cruel man. Well he's not my father but I have to call him that or..." Regina started, unable to bring herself to say what she wanted to. She moved away to show the blonde her stomach, a dark bruise on the side. "Usually I'd cover them up with foundation but I didn't have time tonight"

"H-he done this? This isn't the first time is it" Emma asked in shock, knowing she didn't expect that of all things.

"No, he's physically abused me for as long I can remember. Hence, when we were kids, we never had sex in the shower and mostly in the dark. As for... As for sexual abuse, he has since I was 8" Regina replied in a shaky voice, never saying those words out loud.

"What? You need to talk to the police or"

"No! I can't go to the police, he will hurt me"

"I won't let that happen, Regina, this is serious" Emma quickly said, still in so much shock at what she's heard.

"It doesn't matter, I don't go there as much anymore anyway. I was always told that blood is thicker than water, the day I found out about him being my step dad was the dad I packed my things and watched to leave and go to the police... He didn't like that" Regina explained in a scared tone, burying her head into her knees.

"Well, what do you want to do" Emma asked in a soft tone, slowly rubbing the brunettes back.

"First things first, I have to get an abortion" Regina replied quickly, looking up to wipe her tears away.

"Have to or want to?" Emma asked, looking at the brunette with a curious face.

"Want isn't a choice with him" Regina simply replied, bringing herself to stand up quickly.

Emma saw the shields across the woman as she tried to stop herself from crying. She stood up and stopped Regina from walking away, softly holding her arm to bring her back. They looked at each other with a nervous look, neither sure what the other was thinking. Emma softly placed her hands on Regina's cheeks and looked into her eyes, using her thumb to wipe Regina's tears away.

"You can't keep this to yourself anymore, at least talk to me about it" Emma softly said, continuing to brush the woman's cheek.

"I don't know how" Regina nervously replied, her bottom lip trembling due to her fear.

"Start by showing me"

"No! I don't want you to see that"

"You don't need to be afraid of me, I won't hurt you or judge you" Emma gently said, moving one hand to fix the messy brunettes hair.

"Ok, the worst is on my stomach" Regina hesitantly said, looking to the side so she didn't have to watch.

"May I" Emma asked for permission, gesturing the to bottom of her top.

Regina simply nodded as she kept her eyes away. Emma lifted the brunette top half way up, enough to see the huge, black, bruise. Her mouth dropped at the sight of it, it had clearly been made two-three days ago. She looked up to see Regina shaking and the fear on her face from all this, it was so new to her and so scary. Emma went down onto her knees and held the top up, placing a gentle kiss upon the bruise. Regina frowned at how soft the touch was, looking down at the woman in shock.

"You kissed it?"

"Where are the rest"

Regina couldn't believe such a soft touch on her bruise, especially after the week she's had. She lifted her long sleeved turtle neck over her head, revealing all kids of scratches, cuts and bruises up her arms. The worst were around her wrists. Emma lifted them up slowly and placed a soft kiss on either wrist, trying not to show how much shock she was in. She stood up and kissed each bruise on the way up one arm. She then moved across and kissed each bruise up the other arm. Emma got to her neck and she could see the faded red marks around it, almost gone but still there. She kissed it softly on her way into a hug, causing Regina to cry me.

"I'm scared" Regina sobbed, holding the blonde as close to her as she could.

"It's ok, you are allowed to be" Emma softly said, rubbing the woman's back to help sooth her. Regina's cries got harder and louder, the pain she had kept in all those years was finally being let out. Emma felt stupid she hadn't noticed all those years but Regina was a master at hiding them. To hear the brunette cry like that, caused her to let a tear or two she'd. "It's going to be ok" Emma softly said, hiding the small crack in her throat.

"I want it to stop... Please, I want it all to stop" Regina begged, clinging to the blondes clothes in fear.

"I know, it's ok. I'm going to make it stop, I promise" Emma replied in a gentle tone, staying calm for the woman.

"I'm sorry for everything I've put you through, I'm so sorry. I know I put too much pressure on you coming out and all that but it's only because madly in love with you and some fucked up part of me still wants you to be mine. I don't mind with your dad, it's the rest of the world that I thought would be different. Then I'm the lesbian that married a man, granted he knows I'm gay but I still did it. I'm sorry, I really am" Regina said in tears on the woman's shoulder, feeling like a terrible person.

"No, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't care what the rest of the world thinks. You don't need to worry about that right now, we are going to sort this out and I have an idea" Emma explained in a cracked voice, teared up by what the woman said. Regina was still crying on the blondes shoulder, she wouldn't dare let anyone see her face like this. "Do you trust me"

"Of course"

"We need to talk to my dad"

"No! Are you crazy" Regina snapped in shock, her whole body tensing at the thought.

"Just listen. We don't have to tell him everything, just the small details. He can provide you with protection in the house while we talking to the police and build a case. Once he's arrested, he can't hurt you" Emma quickly said, hoping not to get interrupted again.

"I don't know, this is really scary" Regina nervously said, slowly pulling away to see the blonde for reassurance.

"I won't let him hurt you" Emma said in a soft voice, knowing that is what the brunette needs to hear.

"Why are you doing this, why are you helping me so much" Regina asked in a shaky voice, knowing no one has ever offered her this much help for anything.

"Because I care about you and, yes, I still love you, I won't let anyone hurt you" Emma softly said, pulling the brunette back into her arms.