Different Beliefs

Chapter 20

"My dad passed away when I was twelve and my mom didn't take it well. She started drinking and gambling. Eventually she had such a high debt that we had to move away to Storybrooke. To this.." Emma gestured around and sighed as she leaned with her back against the wall.

"My mom didn't stop drinking. The opposite, actually. But now that we were in Storybrooke, she started sleeping around with everyone as well. I barely saw her. I took a job at Granny's and took care of myself. I hid the money, making sure my mom wouldn't take it and actually survived quite well on my own," Emma explained.

Regina saw that Emma had a hard time telling her all this, so she moved close to Emma and wrapped her arm around the blonde.

Emma gazed in the distance as she kept quiet for a moment, looking for the right words to continue her story.

"My mom often went on trips to Vegas to gamble, she still does. One day, after having left me on my own for like.. three months, she told me she was pregnant. I managed to keep her off the alcohol until Henry was born, but right after giving birth to him she disappeared."

A tear rolled down Emma's cheek and she quickly wiped it away. She swallowed thickly and fumbled with the blanket on the bed.

"She left me alone with him for three months. I had to take care of him, but I didn't know anything about babies. This was but a year ago."

Emma closed her eyes and sighed. "I didn't know whether she would return, but when she returned I wished she never had. She only wanted money and at first I did give it to her, but the last few times I refused and she gets very angry when that happens," Emma said softly.

She opened her eyes and turned her head to Regina before she offered her a sincere smile. The brunette seemed in shock after hearing all this and swallowed.

"My mom and I never had a good bond. She was eighteen when she had me and blamed me for ruining her life. I don't even know who Henry's dad is.." Emma sighed and quickly shook her head, wiping away every nagging thought.

"I'm sorry," she softly muttered and Regina looked confused at her.

"Ems," her voice croaked, "this is not your fault. I am so sorry that you had to go through all this. That you're still going through it."

She cupped Emma's cheeks with both hands and stroked her cheekbones softly. Emma straddled Regina's thigh and tucked a hair behind the brunette's ear.

"It's fine," she softly replied and her lips curled up into a smile. "There's nothing I can do about it."

"Why don't you go to a foster family?" Regina inquired and released Emma's cheeks, only to stroke her lap.

"At least I still have my freedom. Those families are horrible, that wouldn't help the slightest. Regina, promise me, you won't tell anyone about this."

Regina kept quiet, but gave Emma a nod.

"I swear, Regina. If anyone hears this, I am to be put in the foster system and Henry and I will part."

"I promise," Regina vowed and her eyes drifted off to Emma's lips. She kissed the blonde's lips tenderly and moved her hands higher up Emma's lap.

Regina broke their kiss and swallowed.

"What's wrong?" Emma questioned and moved away from Regina's lap. She didn't want to hurt the brunette.

"I'm scared that they're going to find out everything about you, because of me," Regina said. "My parents already know that Swan isn't your real name, it won't take too long before they find out that you live here alone with your brother."

Emma shrugged. "I'll figure what to do then."

Right at that moment someone knocked on the door. Emma looked up and grabbed her phone. Regina glanced confused at the blonde who got off the bed and gestured her to come.

"Okay, we need to go," she said and opened the window opposite the door.

"What? Why?" Regina asked confused, but she did follow Emma as the blonde was climbing out the window.

"It's either my mom or someone from social services at the door and I don't want either, so I'm going. Ruby would've texted if it was her."

Regina looked concerned at Emma, but imitated the blonde and they both climbed out the window.

Emma stayed as close to the wall of her house as possible while she slowly walked towards the front door. She hid behind some bushes with Regina as she watched a woman, that she did not recognize, knock on the door.

Regina put her hand on Emma's shoulder. Emma noticed Regina trembling, so she peeked over her shoulder at the brunette, who she'd never seen this scared.

"You don't have to be afraid," Emma whispered. "Nothing's going to happen."

She pecked Regina's nose and looked back at the woman, who was now calling someone.

"I don't see anyone, I don't think anyone lives here," Emma heard the woman say and she bit her lower lip.

"Mrs. Mills, this place is a mess. This is not a place where someone lives," the woman said.

Regina gripped Emma's shoulder tighter and swallowed. "She's calling my mom. Emma, I swear, if she sees us in these bushes.. my mom's gonna kill me," Regina whispered worried.

"She's not going to find us, just keep quiet," Emma replied.

"Well, you can look for yourself if you want, but there's no one in this house," the woman said on the phone and watched through a window inside the house.

Cora spoke on the other side of the phone and Emma saw the blonde woman in front of her house smile.

"Perfect. I'll wait for you here. See you in five minutes."

Emma turned around and gestured Regina to go back to where they left the house. They crawled back over the unkempt grass to behind the house and Emma looked around.

She sighed and dropped her gaze as she sat down in the high grass.

Emma was evidently thinking, until she suddenly got up and wiped the grass off her clothes.

"What are you going to do?" Regina questioned as Emma walked away.

"I'm going to sneak around the house and lie."

"What?" Regina questioned confused.

"Just come and follow my lead," Emma said and as Regina had no idea what else she could do in this situation, she followed Emma as the blonde walked through other people's garden to avoid being seen by the social worker.

Regina still hadn't quite comprehended what was going on. One moment, she and Emma were kissing, the next moment, she was fleeing because she was afraid of what her parents may be thinking of her kissing a girl.

And now, due to all her own problems, she'd ruined Emma's life. Emma had everything figured and now that she had been interfering with Emma's life and lifestyle, the blonde could lose everything.

Regina felt nothing but guilt as she and Emma were walking through the empty streets of the deprived neighborhood.

There was no way this situation was going to end well.