The wrong swan

37

It's the following week, Regina was reading a book about poetry in her girlfriend bed. Emma walked out of the bathroom while towel drying her wet hair. She dropped the towel into the wash basket as she stretched, feeling her whole body was stiff.

"You still sore" Emma asked, slowly making her way onto the bed.

"Yeah, I think I pulled a muscle. We should have just done it the normal way, no more kamasutra shit" Regina replied with a chuckle, looking beside her to see the blonde.

"Definitely, I do not bend that way" Emma added with a large stretch, feeling her body stiffening up.

"Neither do I, I wouldn't need you if I could" Regina said, giggling as she looked back at her book. Emma went onto her phone and clicked onto tiktok, starting to scroll through. "Here, this one is beautiful" Regina said with a smile, nudging the blondes shoulder to get her attention.

"Read it to me" Emma requested, pausing the video to look at the brunette.

"When I die, plant flowers over my grave so when the seeds bloom, you can pick me and hold me again" Regina said with a smile, a soothing voice to make the poem sound even better.

"I like that, you should do that when I die" Emma said with a chuckle to the brunette, moving up closer to her girlfriend.

"I'd say something cute about me wanting to die first but I'm probably going to kill you at some point" Regina laugh, pushing her hand through the blonde locks.

"Oh yeah, how would you kill me" Emma asked, smirking as she knew the brunette had watched many crime shows.

"I'd chop you up and keep you in the basement freezer at my house. I'd stick some of you in a blender every day and flush you down different toilets around my work" Regina replied, remembering back to a murder that took years for police to solve.

"That's pretty smart but I'm your girlfriend and everyone knows the other half done it"

"Very true"

The pair both laughed together as they moved up closer. Their lip joined in a soft kiss, locking eyes as they pulled away. Emma moved a few strands of hair behind the brunettes ear and cuddled closer, kissing her head softly. They smiled and pulled away, lying back beside each other to continue what they were previously doing. Emma continued to scroll through tiktok, having the volume low in order to be respectful of the reading brunette. An awareness video came up on her page.

"A young girl was raped-" the video started before Emma quickly scrolled, not wanting the brunette to hear it.

Regina had already heard. Her left hand had began to tremble at the sound of the word raped in the video. It has always been a trigger word for her and causes huge panic attacks whenever she hears it. Her breathing began to pick up, her chest moving up and down in a rapid pace. The shake in her left hand had spread across to her right and down to her legs. Emma noticed and quickly reached out to the brunette, grabbing her hand to help steady it.

"Hey, it's ok, Gina. Deep breaths, come on" Emma quickly but softly said, sitting up to make sure the brunette can see her. Regina was breathing deeply and squeezing her eyes shut, her whole body out of control. "Come here, it's ok" Emma whispered, pulling the brunette into her arms to hold her close.

"Make it stop! Make it stop" Regina begged, gripping her own hair in fear and panic.

"I need deep breaths, slowly do them with me" Emma replied holding the panicking woman close as she slowly breathed.

Regina could feel Emma's chest against hers, moving slow and steady. She began to mimick the breaths in order to help her calm down. As Emma inhale, Regina would exhale to create a steady  moment. Soon enough Regina was breathing normally. She then began to sob onto the blondes chest, gripping her top as all the awful memories in her past played in her head.

"It won't stop" Regina cried, moving her hands to grab her hair in fear.

"Open your eyes and look at me" Emma softly said, moving away to look at the brunettes face. Regina shook her head, scared to open her eyes in case she saw him. "Regina, it's only me. Open your eyes and look into mine" Emma instructed, using a soft and relaxing voice as she brushed the brunettes hair. Regina slowly opened her eyes to see the green pair she knows and loves, the pair that never fail to comfort her. "See, it's ok. Do you want to talk about it"

"No" Regina quickly answered, her body still freaking out at this stage. Emma just looked into her eyes, knowing she will talk soon. Regina focused her breath to slow her thoughts and body down. "Ok... All I could see was him holding me against the wall and looking into my eyes" Regina explained, knowing the rest was felt in her body rather than seen.

"It's ok, he's gone now and it's just me. I'm not going to hurt you, you're safe" Emma softly soothed, knowing these are the type of words the brunette needs to hear for reassurance.

"Thank you" Regina whispered, moving closer to cuddle the blonde close to her.

They held each other as close as they could, both breathing slowly to create a steady pattern. Regina began releasing her grip around the blondes clothes as she finally relaxed. Emma kissed her head softly and stroked her hair to keep her in this calm state, hating she can't make this go away. For as long as Emma had none Regina, panic attacks like this had happened but she never noticed the trigger word until it was all revealed. As they were soon drifting to sleep, the sound of a young girl scream was heard.

"MUMMY" Stephanie shouted in a fearful tone, cracks revealing she was crying.

"Wait here" Emma instructed, quickly getting out of bed and to her door. She went down the hall and into her daughter's room, seeing her curled into a ball in the corner of the bed. "Hey, kid. What's wrong" Emma softly said, rushing over to be beside the 3 year old.

"Monster was chasing me and telling me mean things and throwing things and... And" Stephanie explained, sobbing her little heart out as she held the covers close to her.

"It's ok, Steph, it was just a dream" Emma softly said, brushing her hand through her daughter's hair to calm her.

"It was really scary, mummy" Stephanie said with the saddest face the mother had ever seen on her.

"I know, kid, it's going to all be ok though. Mummy is here now" Emma soothed, moving to hold the young girl close. She then got an idea. She lifted the young girl up and sat her on her hip, waking her out the door. "I need you to d something special for me"

"W-what is it" Stephanie's cracked voice asked, holding onto her mother tightly.

"You know how you're scared" Emma started, stepping into her bedroom to catch her brunette girlfriend's attention. "Well Regina is scared too. I need you to keep her safe for me and she'll keep you safe" Emma explained, walking to the bed to lie her daughter in her spot.

"I'll keep you safe, Gina" the little girl said, wiping her tears as she looked at the brunette.

"Thank you, baby girl. I'll keep you safe too" Regina replied with a smile, moving closer to hold the young blonde. Emma kissed Steph's head and gave her a small smile, moving to the other side of the bed. She kissed Regina softly while brushing her hand in her hair. "Thank you"

"It's ok. Good night, you too" Emma said with a soft smile, walking to the door to leave.

As she looked over her shoulder, she saw Regina cleaning Steph's face dry from tears. The young girl the reached up and dried a tear from the brunettes face. She smiled as she knew they'd help cheer each other up and sleep well.