Everything Has Changed

Chapter 2 - Bruises

Time passed, and yet it didn't. Days went by, the sun rose and set, seasons changed, and everything was exactly the same. Only Zelena, and of course Cora, noticed that nothing was changing. That in fact, though they were living and moving, they were frozen. Never changing, never moving forward.

Regina woke to the same white walls she had every day since she had married Leo. She tried to get out of their bed, only to find herself trapped beneath the weight of her husband. She lay there deciding what to do. If she moved him he could wake, and that wouldn't be pleasant, but if she didn't get up then when he did wake breakfast wouldn't be ready and there would be a punishment for that later on. She sighed. Mary Margaret would need breakfast before school as well, she was going to have to risk it.

She slowly moved her legs out from underneath his. He had had her pinned to the bed, so that she couldn't escape him. She slowly shifted her hips back and forth until only his arm was wrapped around her waist. She grabbed one of the throw pillows from the floor and she slid it under his arm to fill the space she had occupied. She stood up quickly and quietly made her way to their bathroom, careful not to wake him.

Once she was safely in the bathroom she took the time to assess the damage done the night before. He had come home late, much later than was even normal for him. She had fed their daughter hours before, but she had kept her dinner in the oven along with his. It would make him angry to have to eat alone. He had thrown the door open so loudly that she was worried he would wake Mary Margaret. She had met him in the kitchen, where he was struggling to take off his jacket.

When she reached up to help him he had thrown an arm out toward her. He had struck her cheek with the backside of his hand. "I don't need your help girl! I can take my own coat off!" She had instinctively grabbed her face, but she hadn't let the tears escape her eyes. She couldn't cry, not in front of him anyway. He would only take that as a sign of weakness, and she couldn't bear too be any weaker in his eyes. Instead she moved around the kitchen grabbing their dinner from the oven. He had eaten in silence, never once speaking to her, not even glancing her way. Regina hadn't minded, if he ignored her she didn't get hurt.

She had looked up when he grabbed her arm and wrenched her upright. "Upstairs, now." He had growled in her ear. A single tear fell from her eye as he shoved her up the stairs in front of him. She was grateful he had been walking soundly. She couldn't imagine Mary Margaret's reaction to seeing her father this way. They had barely reached their bedroom when his hands found her again. He had grabbed her waist and pulled her tightly to him.

She knew better than to fight him. It would only be worse if she did. He had kissed her sloppily and then shoved her away towards their bed. She stumbled and caught herself on the edge before she hit the floor. He advanced on her, lifting her so that she was lying back on the bed with him between her thighs. He had grabbed her legs and moved her around until she was where he wanted her. He then used his fingers to rip away her cotton shorts and her thin panties. She had been bare before him from the waist down.

He had loosened his belt and dropped his pants. He stood before her, ready and wanting. Two of his fingers had grazed over her before they dipped inside; he wanted her good and ready for him. When he was satisfied he removed his hand and brought it to her hip. Holding her in place as he forced his way into her. She bit back a cry as he thrust inside of her. She had lain underneath him, squirming and writhing to get away as he had had his way with her.

When he finished he had fallen to her side and lay there. His legs tangled with hers, both arms holding on to her tightly. She was his possession, to do with as he pleased. Nothing more.

Regina was checking herself over in the mirror now. The bruises on her hips and breasts would be easy enough to hide. Long sleeves would cover the ones on her arms and wrists, but it was her eye and the cut on her lip that were going to be harder to explain. She looked back at the bedroom door; she could hear Leo's snores coming from the other side of it. She grabbed her makeup and did the best she could to hide the damage he had done to her complexion. When she had done all she could do she quietly slipped from their room and went to make breakfast.