Save Me

Chapter 17

Emma knew, that Mary Margaret and David normally went out for dinner during Emma's therapy sessions. So she knew that no one would be at home.

Her feet moved faster over the hot asphalt than she could think and even before she knew where she was going, the blonde arrived at the empty house which she had recently been allowed to call her home. Her eyes were blurry and tears still streamed down her cheeks. With shaky hands the girl turned the key in the lock and stormed into the house.

On her way to her room, she stumbled over a few steps and Emma knew that she would soon be full of bruises. But she didn't care.

As fast as the girl could, she packed her backpack with all the essentials she needed and a moment later, Emma stood in front of the fridge, stuffing the leftovers from the day before into her bag.

The blonde didn't know where to go, but she knew that she couldn't stay here. So she ran. Wherever her feet carried her. Maybe she overreacted but Emma didn't want to risk being brought to a foster home again.

As her steps slowed down again, the girl wiped the tears in her eyes away and glanced around.

She stood in front of a lake, surrounded by trees and across the lake she could make out something that brought the tears back into her eyes. The bench where Regina and Emma sat when they first went for a walk with their ice cream.

The girl looked around again but no one was to be seen. Exhausted, she dropped to her knees and let all of her emotions free rein. The anger she felt deep inside of her turned to sadness and rejection. The girl curled up on the floor. Over and over a loud sob was to be heard that made all the birds fly away. 

On the other end of the city, Regina sat at her desk, trying to distract herself with work. She did the only thing seeming logical to her. She put up her walls and hid all her feelings behind them.

Unemotionally, she rummaged through the files of all her patients to look for something to occupy her. But as she came across Emma file, her walls broke down and the tears threatened to run down her cheek.

But suddenly the door to Regina's office was torn open and as fast as she could, Regina wiped the tears away and thus all visible signs of her feelings.

"Regina? Where is Emma?!", an upset Mary Margaret asked.

Confusion was written all over Reginas face as she stared at the two newcomers. "She left two hours ago. I thought she had gone home immediately"

"Her backpack and all her belongings are gone!" David reported alarmed and Mary Margaret asked: "Do you know if anything happened or where she could be?"

Regina's mind filled with guilt. "I... I-" her voice broke off and the two visitors fell silent, they had never heard Regina stutter.

"Regina? What happened?" Mary Margaret aske, taking a step closer.

The therapist got up and hurried to the door. On her way out she took her coat and pulled it on. "We have to look for her immediately!"

David and his wife followed Regina confused. "What happened, Regina?!" Mary Margaret asked again.

But Regina didn't answer the question. Instead she said "I'm driving with my car. David, you and Mary Margaret look for her together. Call me if you find her!"

With that, she slammed the car door shut and drove off. Feelings of guilt ate her from the inside out and she tried to remember all the sessions she had with Emma to find a clue to where she might had run off to.

An hour later, she had almost driven through whole Storybrook and desperate tears were streaming down he cheeks. Her view got blurry so she parked on the side of the road.

Sobbing, she let her head fall against the steering wheel and allowed herself to be vulnerable for just a moment.

The brunette started to relive all her experiences with the blonde once more. That's when it suddenly came to her. The sea, Their first 'date'

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Regina could see Emma from afar already. Huddled on the floor, she could make out the red leather jacket that belonged to the girl. With screeching tires, she parked her Mercedes and stormed towards her.

"Emma ?!" she called out, but the blonde did not move.

With a racing heart, the therapist knelt down besides the girl in the grass and shook her shoulder gently.

"Emma? Please wake up, "she whispered and as if on command, Emma began to open her eyes.

Relief washed over the woman as she realized that Emma was okay.

Confusion was written all over the blondes face as she glanced around until she remembered what had happened just hours before. Her features hardened and her body stiffened as she slipped back a bit to get some distance between her and her therapist.

"Miss Mills," she said stiffly.

Regina felt a sting in her heart as Emma called her Miss Mills and tears welled up in her eyes again. But this time she managed to squint them away.

"Emma, ​​I'm sorry! I should never have acted the way I did! "Regina tried to apologize.

Emma gave her a scowl and said, "Right. You shouldn't have"

"I'm sorry, Emma! I don't know how to make it up to you, but I'm sorry! Please, Emma, ​​forgive me, "Regina begged with tears in her eyes.

Emma saw how much Regina regretted what she had done. But she couldn't forgive the woman. The anger outweighed and she just couldn't understand why Regina would ever act like that.

"I don't want to talk to you ever again. Go, "Emma growled, turning her back on Regina.

"Wait, Emma. Please let me explain "

A bitter laugh came over Emma's lips. "Explain?! What do you want to explain to me? That it's not normal to behave like a child at the age of 16 ?! That I should grow up?!" Emma was getting louder and louder. The girl paused for a moment and Regina wanted to clarify that that was not what she wanted to achieve. But there was no time as Emma started to talk again.

"I am extremely sorry that I was locked in a room for the past ten years! I'm sorry that I did not see the sun for ten years. I am sorry that I was raped more often than I got to shower. I am sorry that I was not allowed to enjoy my childhood. Is that what you want to hear?! That I'm responsible for everything?!" Emma shouted, but her voice broke off, saying it all out loud made it all the more real, a tear crawled down her cheek and a loud sob escaped her lips. " Maybe you're right, maybe it's all my fault "Emma said through loud sobs before she turned around, took her backpack and walked away.

Regina stood there like glued to the spot. She knew she should run after the girl. That she should calm the girl. That she should talk with her about everything. That she should be there for her and clarify that this was not what she meant.

But she wasn't able to will her feet to move.

Emma had been raped. For the past ten years.

The thought never left Regina's mind. Everything around her vanished as she realized what a big mistake she had made by calling Emma childish. The only thing she could see was the blonde girl slowly disappearing in the distance.

Still Sorry. 💕