Loooong over due! I hope you enjoy this new chapter! Thank you to those of you who have followed/favorited this little fic :)

Special thank you to mela16, The Corsair's Quill, Angel Bell, steph-the-fangirl-925 and chickwiththebluehair for your lovely reviews!

I hope you enjoy this, and also very very sorry for the slight Regina bashing . . . s1 Regina wasn't exactly a joy.

SLUT.

The word was slapped across the door and window of Emma's yellow bug, the sloppy handy work bleeding red against the yellow paint. All Emma could do was stare at it, anger and shock warring inside her. She tore her eyes away from the door of her car, glancing up and down the street as people milled past her. As Archie passed, he glanced from the door to Emma, quickly continuing on his way, avoiding her gaze. Actually everyone was pointedly trying not to look at her. Her anger was winning the battle, she struck out at the bug with a hard kick and a vehement curse. She turned away from the sight, but the word was branded behind her eyelids, appearing every time she dared close her eyes. She started back towards the loft and stopped.

This wasn't like her. She was Emma Swan, she had been through hell and back and she did not run away from anything. Especially some asshole with a bottle of spray paint.

Shaking her head she began walking towards the station, her frustration growing with every step she took as people came to complete stops to whisper and stare at her. Suddenly, Emma knew exactly how Ester Prim had felt with a scarlet A on her chest. Only she had the entire word 'slut' written on her car.

She was thankful when she finally reached the station, the moment she slipped through the door she felt the weight of the townspeople's stares disappear, and the crushing force on her chest went with it.

" . . . don't care! I am the mayor and I want her fired!"

"Regina, please-"

Emma moved towards the raised voices, stopping in her tracks as she watched Regina reach out and strike Graham hard across the cheek. Emma inhaled a sharp breath of surprise, alerting them of her present. Regina whipped around to face her, dark locks swaying with the motion. Her dark eyes became slits, her painted mouth curling into a cruel line.

"Miss Swan, we were just talking about you," Regina explained, her words holding a false sweetness.

"Regina I've had a crappy morning, I really don't need you adding to it," Emma said, a sliver of weariness slipping into her voice unbidden.

Regina just glared at her as she moved towards her. Emma had no time to react when Regina's hand came flying across her face, a loud smack filling the dead silence of the room. Graham lurched forward, reaching out to steady Emma, but the woman threw her hand out, stopping him.

"That is for my husband. You'll be pleased to hear he's leaving me," Regina growled. "You may have my husband but you will never have my son!"

Emma stared at Regina with wide green eyes. Killian-this was about Killian? Emma tried to open her mouth to speak when Regina's hand came back up, knocking Emma hard on the other cheek. Emma gasped, cradling her throbbing cheek in her hand as her eyes watered from the pain.

"And that is for kissing Graham. I should actually thank you, Miss Swan," the smile Regina wore was positively chilling as she continued. "You just gave me all the ammunition I ever needed to have the people of this town run you out."

Emma just stared at her in shock, unable to move as Regina leaned in close to her face, the woman's dark eyes meeting her green ones. "You will never seen Henry again. Neither of you will, I hope it was worth it."

With that Regina stormed past Emma, her shoulder knocking hard into Emma's as she went. Emma fell back against the filing cabinet, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

Slut, slut, slut.

Emma jumped when she felt something cold press against her cheek. Graham had fished a can of soda from the fridge, pressing it gently against one burning cheek. Emma glanced away from him as her shame grew.

"You don't have to-" Emma tried to push his hand away but Graham held fast.

"Emma, just let me help you," he said firmly.

Emma simply sagged in defeat, training her eyes on the floor.

"I . . . I only kissed him . . . and I never . . . it wasn't like what she said," Emma struggled to speak but the tears burning in her eyes made her throat squeeze, making speech difficult.

"Hush, you don't have to explain," Graham murmured. "Regina is just . . . sadly you've given her the perfect excuse to make your life hell. She's quite taken to the role of martyred wife betrayed by the man she loves."

Emma scoffed, wincing as the pain in her face flared. "She never loved him. You, Killian, Henry . . . you're all just . . . possessions to her. I don't even think she knows how to love another person."

Graham sighed heavily as he brought Emma's hand up to hold the can as he made his way to the water cooler filling a cup of water, taking a sip.

"Regina . . . her past is a complicated one," Graham began but Emma shook her head.

"No, I don't care. I don't want to hear it. Regina has treated Henry like crap since the moment I got here all in the name of trying to get rid of me. And the way she treated Killian by seeing you? Regina brought it on herself," Emma growled. "You kissed me, not the other way around. Did you bother to tell her that?"

"Emma, I am not the enemy here! I want to help you, I am sorry for kissing you . . . I was . . . am just as confused as you are. What Regina is doing isn't right but you have to be prepared for what's coming."

"Oh, yeah and what's that?" Emma huffed, removing the cold can from her face. "What can she possibly do to me?"

The look on Graham's face caused a dead weight to fall in her chest.

It was a look that clearly said 'SLUT' spray painted on her car and a few slaps were going to be the least of Emma's worries.

Killian had been on his way to see Emma when he caught sight of Mary Margaret beside Emma's yellow bug. He frowned as he watched the woman, furiously scrubbing at the driver's side door. He made his way across the street to her side cold rage seeping into his chest as he saw what she was trying so furiously to wash away.

SLUT.

"Bloody hell," he breathed, startling Mary Margaret who released a rush of air.

"Killian!" she breathed, her eyes moving from him, to the brush in her hand and to the bug. "I-"

"Has she seen this?" he spoke over her, his hands curling into tight fists.

Pain flashed across Mary Margaret's face and her hasty avoidance of his gaze was the only answer he needed. Killian cursed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Where is she, Mary Margaret?" he asked as he braced his right hand on the bug.

Mary Margaret hesitated. "Killian . . . I don't think it's the best thing for her right now . . . or for you. Give it some time for all this to die down-"

"Please," he hissed, checking himself quickly as he bowed his head and struggled to disperse the anger from his voice. "I need to see her, Mary Margaret. I need to know she's all right. Who knows what else Regina has managed to put her through."

Mary Margaret stared at him, an her expression of surprise giving way to empathy and understanding.

"You really care about her don't you? Emma, I mean. You aren't just . . . playing with her," Mary Margaret said softly.

Killian snorted, a smile filled with irony hitching up the corner of his lips. "I more than simply care for her, Mary Margaret. I never wanted to turn Regina's wrath on her."

Mary Margaret sighed turning to look down the street and back to Killian, gazing up at the sky.

"She's at the sheriff station," she rushed as though the words were unwillingly torn from her. "She should still be there."

Killian grinned, reaching out to squeeze Mary Margaret's shoulder as he moved past her. "Thank you."

With that Killian took off down the street at a run. When he reached the station he was slightly out of breath. He entered without hesitation, his forget-me-not blue eyes falling on Emma's slumped form sitting at her desk, her head cradled in her hands. Killian felt his gut twist at the sight of her defeated posture, and without thinking placed a a hand on her shoulder. Emma'd head shot up, her green eyes rimmed red as their gazes met. There was an unspoken misery in her expression that prompted Killian to slip his arm around his shoulder as he took a seat at the edge of her desk, her spinning chair turning so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Swan," he whispered against her hair. "I never meant for this to happen to you."

Emma took in a shuddering breath, holding it in before she released it on a sob.

"She said I'll never see Henry again," she whispered.

Killian's hold on her tightened, pulling her tightly against his chest, allowing her to bury her face in the leather of his jacket as a her tears fell. He knew what it did to a woman like Emma to break down and cry-and in front of someone else? It would shame her. The very fact Emma was allowing him to hold her humbled him.

"I won't let that happen," he swore to her.

And if Killian was anything in this realm or any other; he was a man of his word.

Ohhhhh Regina is ready to go to war! And Killian is ready to stand beside his Swan. Please review and leave me your thoughts :)