A/N: Time for a new story! Fun fact: this story concept is actually something I thought of back in middle school when I was hardcore into creative writing/wanted to be a novelist, but I never found the energy to write this particular story. Now two decades later, I finally found the motivation (and hopefully my writing will be better now than it would have been then! haha). This story is intended to be something along the lines of Dark Matter, Gone Girl, Girl on the Train, etc...mystery/suspense with some thriller aspects. At its core, it is not a love story, but I think it will be a fun read nonethelss.

A few notes: this story will focus on the collaboration and support between Regina and Emma. While I like the SQ pairing, I also really love their friendship and the dynamic between two strong women, and that's what motivated me to use them to tell this story that's been in my head for years. Yes, there is established OQ in this, but that is a a subplot and not the focus (it is not an OQ love story fic), but Robin will be important to the development of the central storyline (after the first handful of chapters that are more introductory). I hope that both OQ and SQ fans can enjoy this, since it really doesn't focus on any romantic relationships and instead focuses on the larger story I'm trying to tell. It's a friendship, plot, and character-driven story.

This is a very ship-neutral story since there won't be any sex, dates, etc. that would upset fans of either ship. I hope that OQ fans won't have any issues with where I take this story (there won't be any adultery). I also hope that SQ fans can enjoy this even though Regina and Emma are not going to end up in bed together. I've tried to make it very clear in both the description and this A/N what this fic is about, so if you're looking for an OQ romance story (or a SQ romance), then don't click on it. Stick with fics that have your ship paired up in brackets (I have written both OQ and SQ romance fics, which you can find in my profile, but this is clearly not one of them).

To the anons who keep leaving reviews asking me to untag Robin because it's a SQ story and therefore think I'm trying to bait OQ fans or am being disrespectful, that is certainly not my intention, as it is not a SQ story in that way. I have both Robin and Emma (and Cora) tagged because they are characters who play or will play an important role in this story...there are no ships in this story, so all characters are tagged on their own. I want SQ shippers to know Robin will have substantial involvement in the story later on, and that this isn't a SQ romantic endgame. I also want OQ shippers to know Emma is a main character. If I didn't have Robin tagged, I would probably have many more readers, but I imagine some SQ shippers would feel like I was baiting them by not including Robin in the tags. I can't please everyone when the fandom is so divided along ship lines, so I'm trying to be as transparent as possible in an effort to avoid having fans of either ship getting upset when the other character shows up in the story. Personally I ship both OQ and SQ, but I know most people don't, and I certainly respect that. If you don't like a particular character, don't click on a fic where that character is tagged...that's why the character tags exist. Plus, to reiterate, this is not at all a romance fic, which is why I didn't tag any pairings.

I anticipate this being a pretty substantial fic in terms of length and complexity, so I hope you give it a chance even if it isn't your usual genre. If you do, I hope you'll enjoy the ride.

"Yes, Robin, I know. Have a safe flight and I'll see you when you get back from London," Regina Mills said as she tapped her Ventra card against the cardreader before passing through the turnstile. "I love you, too. Give my love to your parents." She dropped her phone and her wallet back in her handbag as she walked quickly toward the stairs to the Brown Line L platform, the sound of her Prada stilettos echoing throughout the stairwell. She got there just in time to see the train departing. "Of course," she mumbled to herself, looking around for the train tracker display to see how long she'd have to wait for the next train. After her third night staying late at the office to work on a VIP client's project, she was looking forward to getting home and taking some time for herself. A bubble bath, applewood candle, and a glass of pinot noir were in order.

At 11pm on a Wednesday, the Brown Line station was nearly deserted. It was an unusually warm spring-like day for late March in Chicago, so she bypassed one of the platform's warming stations and walked farther down, taking a seat on a bench. She waited patiently for a few minutes until the next train came, quickly jumping into the last car and sighing with relief when she saw it was empty. Grabbing a forward-facing seat near the back that she deemed clean enough, she sat down and took out her phone. Despite Robin often telling her she had a tough aura that would intimidate anyone who dared to approach her, she opted to forgo her earbuds this late at night – she had had one too many close calls with late-night train passengers looking to snatch a wallet from a distracted, vulnerable woman - or worse. Instead, she scrolled through her email, groaning when saw four new messages from Jefferson, her project manager. She had only left the office twenty minutes ago, and yet already she was falling behind.

Deciding that she would wait until the next morning to deal with whatever issue had come up at work, she tossed her phone in her bag and leaned back against the seat, listening to the clanking of the train on the electric tracks below and trying to stay awake as the train car hypnotically swayed back and forth. She was disturbed from her trance when she heard a sound behind her – not a usual mechanical noise, but something that sounded like the combination of a cough and a moan. She looked over her shoulder, but there wasn't anyone there. She must have imagined it, she rationalized. She was exhausted, and thus she must have drifted off despite her efforts to stay alert. She convinced herself that was it until she heard the noise again. This time it was louder, and she knew she didn't dream it.

She stood up and cautiously walked toward the back of the car, past the last row of seats to the small partition separating the seating area from the small vestibule at the end of the car. "Holy shit!" Regina dropped to her knees at the sight of a petite woman crumpled in the corner. The woman's blonde hair was stained with blood, and her face was badly beaten and starting to bruise. Regina was about to check for a pulse when she heard the woman whimper. She quickly got up and pulled the emergency knob near the door to call the train conductor. "Yes, I'm in the last train car and there's an unconscious woman back here who has been assaulted. She's in bad shape. She's bleeding and needs an ambulance right away." Upon hearing the conductor confirm that he would call for help and stop at the next station, she went back to the woman and kneeled next to her. "Hey, can you hear me? My name is Regina. What's your name?" Regina was grateful that she decided to wear her gloves despite the unseasonably warm weather as she lightly tapped the woman's cheek, which still had a small amount of blood leaking out from what looked to be a deep knife cut.

The woman groaned again, but didn't open her eyes or respond to Regina's question. Instead, the woman involuntarily rolled her head to the other side, giving Regina a glimpse at the back of the woman's head for the first time. Her low ponytail was thoroughly saturated with blood and more was accumulating in the hood of her jacket. "Fuck," Regina said as she looked closer. She immediately removed her own scarf and pressed it to the crown of the blonde's head, hoping to stop any residual bleeding. "What the hell happened to you?"

The train lurched to a stop, and Regina had to use her free hand to brace herself against the partition so she wouldn't crash into it. As soon as the doors opened, two paramedics and a police officer rushed in. "Over here!" Regina called, directing them to the back of the car.

"You found her?" The officer asked as the paramedics started assessing the woman.

"Yes," Regina said, realizing that she was shaking as one of the paramedics took the scarf from her to continue holding it against the woman's skull.

"What happened?"

"How the hell should I know?" Regina looked at the man as if he were an idiot before collecting herself. She took a breath. "I heard a noise behind me…a groan…and when I tried to locate the source I found her like that."

If the officer was offended by her attitude, he didn't show it. "How long ago was that?"

"Umm, I don't know. About 30 seconds before I called the conductor using the emergency button. I got on at the Merchandise Mart stop and I was only on here a few minutes before I saw her, if that helps."

"It does, thank you Miss…"

"Mills. Regina Mills."

"Thank you, Miss Mills. And you didn't see anyone with her or anything suspicious?"

Regina shook her head. "No. I was the only one in this car when I got on. And no one got off this car at the stop when I boarded." As Regina finished giving the officer her statement and contact information, she watched the paramedics place the woman on a gurney. As they continued to complete their initial treatment of the woman before transporting her, Regina saw just how injured she was. The paramedics had unzipped the woman's fleece jacket and her white tank top was completely covered in crimson. Regina let out a small gasp as she assessed the damage, silently praying that the woman would survive, but realizing that it was entirely possible, and perhaps likely, that she wouldn't.

As the paramedics finished their final preparations and started to wheel the gurney off the train, Regina spoke up. "Is it okay if I go with you?"

The paramedics exchanged a look with the police officer and shrugged. "Sure, but be quick about it" the taller one said as he guided the gurney toward the train doors.

Regina looked back at the officer. "Can I…?" she asked, gesturing toward the paramedics who had already left the train and were wheeling the gurney down the platform.

"Yes. Please call me if you think of anything else that might be helpful to us as we investigate. Anything at all, no matter how minor you might think it is." She nodded as the man handed her his business card. She wasted no time in hurrying down the platform to catch up to the paramedics, following them to their ambulance.

"I'm August," the paramedic told her as she jumped in the back of the rig while he hooked up an IV for the patient.

"Regina," she said, observing the methodic execution of his routine.

"Is she a friend of yours?"

"No," Regina shook her head, realizing that the paramedics hadn't heard her conversation with the officer. "I just found her when I got on the train."

"Oh. Well, it's a good thing you sought help when you did. She's taken quite the beating and has lost a lot of blood, from the looks of it."

"Yeah…do you think she'll be okay?" Regina stumbled forward slightly as the ambulance sped out into traffic.

August shrugged. "I hope so, but honestly I have no idea. She's alive right now, so we can only hope she stays that way. We'll know more when we get to the hospital and the doctors learn the full extent of her injuries."

Regina nodded and bit her lip as she looked over the woman in front of her. She seemed even smaller lying on the gurney than she did huddled in the back corner of the train.

"Regina?"

"Hmm?"

"If you've never met this woman, why did you ask to come with us?"

Regina leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, which were still trembling. "I…I don't know. I guess I didn't want her to be alone, and I wanted to make sure she would be okay. It's not like I could just go home and pretend none of this happened. I may as well see how she is."

August nodded in understanding. "Well, she's lucky to have you."

Regina said nothing, continuing to watch the woman's shallow breathing beneath the straps of the gurney. "What happens next?" She asked, not looking up.

"Well, that's up to the police. I'm sure there will be an investigation. She doesn't have a purse or phone with her, so I'm guessing she was probably mugged. Hopefully, if and when she wakes up, she'll be able to tell the cops who she is and what happened. Until then, she's a Jane Doe."

Regina's adrenaline had started to wane, and her exhaustion allowed her mask to break as the gravity of the situation finally hit her. She fought to hold back her tears as she thought about what this woman, this Jane Doe, had been through. Regina had witnessed the aftermath of countless muggings during her time in the city and had never seen anything like this. Despite August's assumption, Regina knew this wasn't a random mugging gone awry. She knew foul play when she saw it. This appeared to be a deliberate, heinously violent attack, and one that Regina ventured to guess the woman wasn't supposed to survive. On some level, Regina wondered if it would be best if the woman never woke up. Maybe it would be less painful that way.

"Are you okay?" August asked Regina. The Jane Doe was as stable as she could be considering her injuries, so there wasn't anything for August to do for her at that time other than monitor her vitals. Instead, he focused his attention on the brunette sitting across from him, her dark eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I'm fine…just thinking," she said, quickly wiping the undersides of her eyes with her forefingers. "I wonder if she has any family who is missing her."

August sighed. "She probably does. But without any identification, we don't know who to contact."

Regina looked up at him. "So, that's it?"

"There's not much else they can do, usually. Normally someone eventually comes looking for a John or Jane Doe and they're able to identify them. But in this situation, I'm sure the police will do everything they can to figure out who she is even if no one comes for her."

The ride to the hospital wasn't long, but to Regina it felt like an eternity as she kept her eyes trained on the woman stretched out in front of her. They pulled up to the ambulance bay outside the emergency room of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and after the gurney had been removed, August took Regina's hand to help her out of the back of the rig. "Thank you," she said, absentmindedly straightening her black wool coat as she reached the ground.

"I'll escort you in and ask that they keep you updated, but they probably won't know anything for a few hours."

"That's okay. I don't mind waiting. Thank you, August."

"Is there anyone we should call for you?"

"No, I'm fine. I have my phone, anyway."

He led her through the automatic doors as they rushed the injured woman back through the emergency department to a vacant room. He introduced Regina to Belle, one of the night nurses who was at the reception desk and informed her that Regina would be her emergency contact until they learned more about the woman. Belle directed Regina to the waiting area and promised to keep her updated on Jane Doe's progress.

The emergency department waiting room smelled like antiseptic and stale coffee. Regina looked at her phone's clock for the sixth time since she had sat down a half hour ago, not-so-patiently waiting for news about the woman. It was a little after one in the morning and a rerun of Happy Days was playing softly on the television in the corner. As she wasn't a fan of the Cunninghams, Regina had decided to distract herself by creating narratives about the other people in the waiting area as she idly spun her engagement ring around her finger with her thumb. She located a small family sitting together in the corner of the room. The father sat with his arm wrapped around the mother, and a small boy was asleep in her lap. A slightly older boy and girl sat together in the chairs, attempting to read magazines but clearly distracted. All three children were in their pajamas, and Regina thought they resembled the Darlings from Peter Pan. She silently wondered what made them come to the emergency room in the middle of the night – who the loved one was who brought them here. Her eyes drifted from the Darlings to an older gentleman reading a newspaper and a young boy resting against his shoulder. Since she was in the Disney character mindset, she decided this odd pair could be Geppetto and Pinocchio. She let a small smile cross her lips as she thought back to watching that movie the previous weekend with Roland, Robin's six-year old son her future step-son, during their Disney movie marathon.

"Regina?" She lifted her head and looked toward the voice. She saw Belle walking toward her, her navy blue scrubs stained darker with what Regina assumed to be blood. Immediately, she assumed the worst and started to stand. Belle must have noticed the change in her expression, so she sped up to meet Regina as she stood up. "She's stabilized and they're taking her to surgery. Her scans revealed that she has eight broken ribs and a collapsed lung. She also has quite a bit of internal bleeding in her abdomen, along with a small subdural hematoma – a brain bleed – all of which they're hoping to correct with surgery," Belle explained, her Australian accent's lilt making a complex medical situation sound much less intimidating than it was.

"Will she be okay?"

"I hope so, but we'll know more in a few hours," Belle did her best to give Regina a reassuring smile. "Oh, we did find an ID, so she isn't a Jane Doe anymore. She's a smart girl. She had it tucked inside her sports bra. We found it when we started prepping her for surgery."

"What's her name?"

Belle hesitated, but decided there was no harm in revealing that information, as Regina was her emergency contact and they were no closer to finding out who the blonde woman belonged to. "Emma."

Regina smiled. "Emma… That suits her," she said to herself. "So if you found her ID, you know where she lives and can find her family, right?"

Belle shook her head. "It was an out-of-state college ID, not a driver's license, so unfortunately we don't know much of anything yet. But, the police are working on it and will contact the school to try to get as much information as they can, and hopefully they can locate her family soon."

Regina nodded. "Good…that's good."

"Look, Regina, she's going to be in surgery for awhile, and the police won't be able to find out anything from the college until normal business hours later today at the earliest. Why don't you try to get some rest. I promise to come out and tell you as soon as Emma's out of surgery, or if anything changes."

"Thanks, Belle," Regina smiled and sat back down, trying to get comfortable. She knew it would be a long night.

Regina jerked awake when her elbow slipped off the arm of the chair. She yawned as she looked around, noticing that both the Darling family and the Pinocchio duo were no longer there. She glanced at the clock on the wall – it was 5:22am. She tried to settle back in the chair, but despite her exhaustion she didn't think she would be able to fall back asleep. Regina picked up her phone and quickly texted Jefferson to let him know she wouldn't be coming into work today. After deciding that she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon, she stood and walked over to the reception desk. "Excuse me," she asked the petite woman behind the counter. "Where's the nearest place to get some coffee?"

"There's a Starbucks inside the hotel about a block East of here, and there's also one just on the other side of the hospital. Take your pick."

"Great, thank you," she pivoted to walk away before abruptly stopping and turning around to face the receptionist again. "If nurse Belle comes back with any news about Emma, can you let her know that I'll be right back?"

"Of course."

Regina picked up her coat from the back of the chair and threw it on before making her way outside. Despite the previous day's warm weather, Chicago's winter temperatures had returned in full force overnight. The crisp air hit her hard as she hurried down the street, the wind whipping around the tall buildings with vigor. She wished she had her scarf to protect her from some of the bitter wind, but then the memories of the bleeding woman – Emma – came back to her and her lack of a scarf seemed insignificant.

With her coffee in hand, Regina rushed back toward the hospital to see if Emma was out of surgery. She wasn't sure why, but she somehow felt responsible for the woman and a need to know what happened. Regina assumed this was due to her innate curiosity and desire to help solve other people's problems. Although she left her upstate New York home just after her eighteen birthday to escape her controlling mother, and therefore forfeited her plan to attend college on her mother's dime, she had managed to build a successful career for herself during the past fifteen years. She spent a few years outside of Seattle, mainly to throw her mother off her scent while she took a few community college courses. During that time, she crashed in a spare bedroom in an apartment belonging to her high school boyfriend's older brother. He was an engineering student at the University of Washington, and he had taught her some basic coding and programming language one afternoon while working on a class project. Fortunately for Regina, she was a quick learner and had an aptitude toward the subject. Her natural inclination toward technology had allowed her to join Jefferson's tech startup immediately upon her arrival in Chicago when she was 20, and she had continued to work for Hatter Inc. as it grew from a tiny startup to a million-dollar firm.

Walking back through the automatic doors of the emergency room, Regina headed toward the seat she had claimed in the early morning hours. Before she could sit down, Belle came rushing toward her. "Regina, I'm glad you're back. Emma's out of surgery and has been moved to a room. I can take you to see her if you want."

"Yes, please."

"Then, follow me."

Belle led her through double doors to a hallway connecting the emergency department to the rest of the hospital. After several turns through the labyrinth of hallways, they eventually made it to the elevator bank in the lobby of one of the pavilions, stopping briefly at the visitor's desk to get Regina a visitor's pass. Regina followed Belle as she stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the sixth floor, where they arrived moments later. Belle stopped by the nurses' station on the floor and Regina showed the charge nurse her the pass before following Belle to Emma's room.

Regina tentatively paused outside the closed door. "Is she awake?"

Belle shook her head. "No, not yet. She likely will be out for at least another hour or two, or potentially longer. The anesthesia from the surgery is still wearing off, and she's had a tough ordeal. We won't know anything until the anesthesia is completely out of her system. Given the head trauma, she could be unconscious even after the anesthesia is gone."

"Like a coma?"

"Yes. But, we're hopeful. Her post-operative neurological examinations have all been promising, and the surgeon said he was able to treat the hematoma and get her intracranial pressure back to normal. That's a good thing," Belle explained, placing a comforting hand on Regina's forearm. "Now, are you ready to go in?"

Regina nodded, so Belle opened the door, allowing Regina to walk through. "I have to head back down to the ER and then my shift ends at 8am, but Ashley at the nurses' station down the hall can help you if you need anything or have any questions. She'll be on duty until late this afternoon. Feel free to stay as long as you'd like, and you can come and go as you please as long as you have that badge," she said, gesturing toward the visitor's pass on Regina's jacket.

"Thank you, Belle. I appreciate your help," Regina said. The petite Australian woman smiled before slipping out of the room.

Regina walked over to Emma's bed and studied the woman before her. "Oh, Emma. What the hell happened to you?" she whispered. The sound of the heartrate monitor chirped in the background as Regina looked around at the various devices attached to the woman. Regina watched the faint swell of Emma's chest every time she took a breath, relieved that she was at least breathing on her own. Someone had cleaned up the bloodstains and cuts on her face, but her bruises had settled in, leaving more than half her fair complexion covered in various shades of dark blue. Regina sat down in the chair next to the bed and waited.

Regina realized she had dozed off when she was startled awake by some voices in the room. "Sorry, we didn't mean to disturb you," one of them said as she sat up straighter in her chair.

"No, it's fine," she replied, blinking a few times as her eyes adjusted to the fluorescent overhead lighting.

"I'm Doctor Whale, and these are two of the residents on her case," the man in the white coat said as he extended his hand toward Regina.

"Regina," she said, accepting Dr. Whale's proffered hand before shaking hands with his two colleagues.

"Oh, yes, you're the one who found her."

Regina nodded. "Yeah. How is she doing? Will she be okay?"

"We are hopeful. I just finished another neuro exam and all of her reflexes and responses are as expected."

"So does that mean she'll wake up soon?"

"I hope so. She's exhibiting reactions to pain that a patient in a coma would not, so I would expect her to wake up as soon as the anesthesia has completely passed through her system. We're weaning her off her sedatives to help encourage her to regain consciousness, but she's still on high doses of pain meds, so that may delay her waking by a bit. We just need to give her some time."

Regina thanked the doctors for the update as they turned to leave the room. She stood up to stretch her legs and to throw away her empty coffee cup, recognizing how hungry she was when her stomach growled. She looked at the wall clock and realized she hadn't eaten anything in the past fourteen hours. Glancing back at the still unconscious woman on the bed, Regina picked up her purse and decided to run down to the cafeteria in search of breakfast.

Fifteen minutes later Regina exited the elevator on the sixth floor, another coffee in one hand and the last bite of an overly chewy bagel in the other. She discarded her napkin in the trashcan by the nurses' station before turning down the hallway toward Emma's room.

"Oh, Regina! I'm glad you're back," Ashley said as she hurried her steps to meet Regina in the middle of the hall. "Emma's awake. She's asking for you."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this first installment, and I'd love any feedback!