A Small Voice in the Dark

Disclaimer: The characters, likeness or anything involving the show Once Upon a Time belongs to them. No profit obtained.

A/N : Chapter 1 through 5 have been restructured. Please note: This a MULTI-SHIP story but the endgame will be our girls. All mistakes are mine and mine alone.

Chapter 1: Present Day

Regina Mills was many things but a patient woman she was not. She sat in her chair, back straight and legs crossed in front of her, fresh fruit in a plastic bowl sitting in her lap. Her attention was focused on the travel trailer in front of her. It was by no means the trailers that you see on the set of a movie but an older model. It's old and battered look with peeled paint and dents with the sign of "pretty, pretty princess" on the left side by the door fit the mood of the set.

The set was a strung together cluster of relics. Old battered chairs and plastic tables were arranged in an organized matter around the empty factory. The director Emma Swan called the movie set and the accompanying relics "organized chaos." The quote fit and somehow, she felt comfortable doing her job. Her mother would have told her with distain and containment in her voice that this work space was too good for her stature. She named her Regina after all, she should be treated like and queen.

The factory was once a booming space that supplied many jobs and the remaining pieces of equipment were pushed up against the walls. The sets themselves were beautifully crafted and the many scenes that were filmed there were realistic. It was a space were Regina could act and fall into her character with ease.

They were currently taking a lunch break. It was early though and it usually was not because of an early start but because of one the lead actresses. The sign of "pretty, pretty princess," fit Lily well, for she was the classic mold of a difficult star.

The raised voices were mostly or Lily, the significate other of the director. She could not make out most of the words but a few were clear as day. And Regina's name was on Lily's lip. She shook her head and speared another piece of her fruit and chewed it slowly. The other occupant of the fight was that of Emma and she could not make out her muffled words. She could guess based on their many squabbles that she was trying to talk Lily down, to reassure her of whatever was bothering her.

"And all you do is fucking," and the crew and her heard Emma cutting off her words saying "don't you dare, don't you fucking dare, this had nothing to do with her, it never does. You use her as an excuse, where is it." That was alarming because Emma rarely raised her voice. She started to rise from her chair but a hand squeezed her shoulder and gently pushed her down. She turned and the smile and kind eyes of her co-star Belle reassured her that everything would be alright.

Two of the crew members moved past Regina and were standing a few feet from the trailer, waiting. The sounds coming from the trailer suggested a struggle and the men were standing there, ready to intercede. The crashing of something breaking against the wall, followed by a thump and yell filled the air. The door opened shortly after and Emma stood there, blood slowly running down her head from a cut on the right temple.

"Get in here and help me," her voice higher than normal and strained filled the silence of the set. Emma turned and moved back into the trailer followed by the two men. "Get off me, get off me now, you fuckers," were heard from Lily as the two men stepped out of the trailer each holding an arm of Lily as they walked her away from the trailer. Emma followed a few seconds later, her outer shirt covering her head and stepped down and away from the trailer. The white undershirt spotted with blood was the last thing that Regina saw as she left the set.

"She has had worse,' Belle told Regina trying to reinsure her. Regina turned her head and upper body and regarded the woman. She put her bowl down on the table besides her and she stood up and started to walk away from Belle in search of the blonde. Belle removed her hand from her shoulder and watched her leave with a smile on her face and a shake of her head. She turned and walked away from Regina and further into the set, in search of Lily.

The click of Regina's heels moved toward the break room. She entered the room and found Emma sitting in her battered chair, shoulders hunched, head bent and her elbows on her knees. Her right hand held her shirt to her cut. Regina knew that she had heard her but she did not raise her head.

'Emma are you...," but she could not finish her thought. Emma raised her head and her pained filled eyes and dried blood on her right side of her face stopped her from finishing. Emma moved up from her slouched position and held her hands out and dropped her shirt into her lap.

"Come," she said in a breathless voice. Regina disliked being told what to do but it was not a command but a request. Emma's eyes meet Regina's and Regina moved toward her never breaking eye contact. Despite everything that had happened she grabbed Emma's outstretched hands, squeezed them and allowed Emma to guide her to her chair.

Post A/N: The most precious thing that we have in this world is time. I am truly humbled that you taking some of your time to read this. Thank you.