Lost and Found: A SwanQueen Story

Chapter 26

Regina tilted her head upwards and allowed the hot stream of water to cover her face. She sat down and pulled her knees to her chest, silently sobbing. It can't have been her. Surely. She couldn't kill her own doctor. But all the evidence was piled against her. Oh, God. She was already a murderer. She was going to go to jail. She couldn't be trapped again. No. No. NO! Regina screamed unknowingly, causing a worried Emma to smash the locked bathroom door in and run to see her. Regina stopped as soon as she saw Emma. The blonde turned off the shower and bent down to Regina's level.
"Are you okay? Regina?" She placed her hand on Regina's knee and Regina couldn't help it; she fell into Emma's arms and cried. Emma cuddled her close and rocked her gently.
"It's okay, it's okay. I promise you its all going to be okay." Regina pulled out of Emma's embrace and looked at her.
"I got you all wet." She sighed. Emma giggled a little.
"I don't mind, lovely. As long as you're okay. You know it wasn't you, don't you?" Regina nodded, looking at the floor.
"I know. But the curse. How would they know that? Or how... how would I know that?" Emma shook her head.
"I don't know, babe. But I do know that I love you and we are going to get through this just like we've gotten through everything. Together." Regina smiled at Emma and kissed her slowly.
"Now. We do have one problem." Emma stated. Regina looked at her in confusion.
"I think I may have broken the bathroom door!" They both laughed together and kissed again. They were going to get through this. Emma was right.
~~
Emma walked down the stairs to where Zelena was waiting, with Mal.
"How long have you been?" Zelena sarcastically asked. Emma shrugged.
"Had to change." Emma said, brushing it off.
"Why?" Zelena asked, clearly irritated.
"Because Regina was in the shower and she needed a cuddle." Emma sighed. Zelena made a face of disgust and Emma sighed.
"Not like that! She was upset. I was reminding her that there wasn't any chance that she killed Lily. That's all." Zelena and Mal looked up at that.
"Why would she have killed Lily?" Zelena said, her voice worried now.
"Oh... um she was chanting whatever was written on the note in Lily's hand, during her night terror this morning. But she was with me the whole time. It doesn't make sense." Both Zelena and Mal gasped at the news. Mal looked as though she was going to say something, but she saw Regina coming and bit her tongue. Emma smiled and ushered her girlfriend over as Regina lingered awkwardly in the doorway. She slowly walked over to sit beside Emma and looked at Mal, with fear and regret both shadowing in her eyes.
"Mal. What time did you find Lily?" Emma asked tentatively. She saw Mal think for a second.
"It must have been around 10:00am. I don't really know. But the doorbell went so I went to answer it and I opened the door to see Lily lying on the porch. She'd come to see me the night before and we'd had a good talk and I'd explained why I'd given her up and she took it well. Of course as soon as I found her I called the police and then before they arrived I ran straight here." She said quietly, between deep breaths. Zelena comforted Mal and Emma excused herself and Regina for a moment. Once they were out of earshot Emma turned to Regina.
"We have to tell David she's here. If we don't it'll look like she did it more than anyone, because she ran from the crime." Regina nodded and went for the phone, but just as she picked it up, there was a knock on the door. Emma ran and grabbed it, to see the faces of David, Graham, Mary Margaret and Henry. Henry pushed past the others and hugged his mom, clearly frightened, then David spoke.
"Emma. Is Mal here?" He asked gently. Emma just nodded in response and allowed them into the house. David walked through to the dining room, where they were all sitting, and sighed deeply. He looked firstly at Mal, but his gaze moved towards Regina.
"Regina Mills you are under arrest for the suspected murder of Lilith Page. You don't have to say anything..." Emma stormed through cutting David off, to see him halfway through handcuffing a both bewildered and terrified Regina.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Emma screamed, pulling Regina away from her father.
"It wasn't Regina!" She said as if it were obvious. David looked at Graham who then went to pull Emma back, but she wasn't moving. Regina had been behind bars enough.
"Emma... I know this is hard..." David tried.
"DO YOU?" She screamed again, "Because you're not the one who's had to watch the person you love being locked up over and over again for being herself. For being a little bit different to everybody else! It proved to me that there are fates worse than death! But do you know what? We are trying to get through this together! And you come in here and think you can take her away from me again?! I don't think so!" Emma shouted, moving Regina behind her. David shook his head and Henry walked over to stand by Emma's side. David shook his head, once more in annoyance.
"Emma. We found the murder weapon. It had Lily's prints on it and Regina's. I'm sorry." Emma just stared at him for a while, as did Regina. After a moment the brunette gasped and fell into a chair, crying more than ever. Henry comforted her the best he could. They all waited for Emma to react, but she did nothing. Minutes of utter silence between her and David went by, before finally she spoke.
"She's being set up. I was with Regina all morning and Lily was alive this morning, because Zelena saw her and rushed right here. You have two witnesses. She didn't do it. We'll prove it." Zelena moved forward and stood beside Emma.
"She's right. You can take us all to the station, but we'll all be leaving. Nobody will be left locked up." Emma nodded and smiled at Zelena who returned it willingly. David nodded and Graham led them all to the police cars. Mal, Zelena, Mary Margaret and David rode in one, while Graham, Emma, Regina and Henry took the other. Before getting in Emma looked at her girlfriend and hugged her tightly.
"I'm not going let them take you. I promise." She whispered, sobbing slightly. Then they both climbed in and the engine started. Regina stared out of the window, her stomach churning. She knew, by the look on Graham's face she was headed for a cell. Maybe there were worse fates than death.