Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time and all characters there related to are not mine, nor do I make any attempt to claim them or use. I make no profit from the writing of this, and promise to return all characters and places back to their original owners as soon as I am finished with them.

Warnings: Violence, and what I suppose could be considered some mild torture? Mild language (nothing worse than what's used on the show though)

Time frame: 2x01 "Broken" (AU)

A/N: Aradel here! And welcome to my first ever Once Upon a Time fic (that wasn't a short character-study vignette). I sincerely hope that you all enjoy the story, and I would dearly love any and all feedback! I'm still playing with the characters, trying to get them just right, so any suggestions or comments on that particularly would be lovely! Thank you for reading, and as I said above, I hope you enjoy.

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Whale slammed Regina back against the pillar with enough force to draw forth a grunt, his fingers digging into his shoulders with enough strength to bruise, even through her suit jacket. The Doctor smiled, but there was little warmth in the gesture – only cold pleasure and anticipation.

"Now," he hissed, his voice framed by the angry shouts of the growing crowd at his back, "where were we?" His hands shifted, and before Regina could move, she felt his long fingers closing about her throat.

Regina smiled, her lips twitching up into the same smirk he had only just cursed her for the moment before. "Do you really think you can kill me?" she asked, her voice low enough so that only Whale could hear her. She leaned forward, ignoring the feel of her windpipe being restricted as Whale's hands tightened. "I know who you are, Whale," she said, even more softly. "And you're a failure. You think killing a person is any easier than bringing one back to life?"

Whale missed the flicker of a true smile in Regina's eyes as he slammed his knee up into her stomach with all of the force he could muster. She doubled over in his hold, gagging and struggling to breathe as her body sought to dissipate the pain. She had only just managed to draw in a single weak, shuddering breath when Whale hit her again, this time just beneath the ribs, and then used his hold on her neck to smash her head back against the pillar at her back.

Bursts of light that vaguely resembled stars quickly gave way to spots of darkness as Regina's eyesight swam. She barely noticed when Whale glanced over his shoulder at the crowd behind him. She did, however, notice when he gave her a sudden push, relinquishing his chokehold on her, and sending her staggering toward the mob.

She felt a brief moment of panic as she felt their hands close around her, but then the fear was dashed away, bleeding from her like an ocean wave receding from the shore. They grabbed her, pulling her down to lay at their feet, each of them clawing for a taste of their hated queen's blood.

And bleed she did. She bled as Gaston lifted her bodily from the ground by the front of her blouse and delivered a sharp punch to her mouth, splitting her lip. She bled as one of the three stepsisters clawed her neck, digging four long gouges into her skin in the wake of the younger woman's nails. She bled as she was beaten upon the flagstone path before her own mansion, knuckles tearing skin, and savage kicks sent her sliding across the stone.

The abuse ended abruptly as Whale once stepped forward. Only now he was towering above Regina, a crooked smile on his face as he looked down at the broken and wheezing woman on the soil of her own front yard, curled up on one side the better to protect her face and stomach from injury.

Even as he stood there, however, Whale watched as Regina slowly straightened herself out, and rolled over onto her back, the better to look up into Whale's eyes. She glared at him, although the expression had lost most of its accustomed sting.

"Having fun yet?" he asked mockingly.

"Is that the best you can do?" Regina drawled, almost lazily, despite the blood dripping down her chin and dotting her blouse – the suit jacket had been torn off long ago – and the livid bruises already beginning to rise on her fair skin. She sniffed disdainfully, and forced herself up into a sitting position.

Whale knelt down, reaching into his jacket pocket as he did so. "Oh no, Regina," he said calmly, that cold smile back in place, "we've only just begun."

Two of the villagers came forward and knelt on either side of Regina. Grabbing her, they forced her back down to the ground, until she was lying stretched out on the stones. She didn't fight them.

"You asked me earlier if I thought it easier to kill a person," Whale said, as he withdrew his hand from the inside of his. A scalpel lay in his palm, the blade gleaming brightly in the noonday sun as he brought it to lovingly caress Regina's cheek. "The answer is yes," he said softly. "It is always easier to break something than to fix it again. And I am going to break you so badly, that you will never be able to be fixed."

The pressure of the blade against her cheek increased, and she felt the edge of the razor – blunter than it should have been, she thought off-handedly – pierce her skin. She jerked involuntarily, the instinct of self-preservation overriding all other thoughts or feelings. But then she held her head still as the scalpel traced down along the line of her jaw, leaving a red line it its wake, toward her throat.

"Wherever should we start?" Whale asked Regina quietly. Then, looking up, he screamed to the crowd, "Where should we start? Where should we start in carving into this bitch?"

"Let her go." A strong, female voice rang out, over the noise of the crowd. "Let her go!" The crowd shifted reluctantly as someone forced their way through, and the people began to fall silent as they saw who it was.

Whale turned, surprised to be interrupted, to see Emma Swan step out of the crowd and into the small circle that had cleared around the fallen queen and her torturers. Snow and Charming were right behind her, Henry's arm held firmly by Mary Margaret as his face drained of color and his eyes went painfully wide with shock at the sight before him. The remainder of the "rescue party" was arrayed behind the family, shouldering their way into the crowd.

"Let her go," Emma said again, this time quieter, but with no less authority as she moved forward toward the four on the ground. "Step away."

"And why should I listen to you?" Whale snarled, the scalpel hovering dangerously close to Regina's throat. One quick move, and her jugular would be cut. There would be no returning form that wound.

"Because I am still the Sherriff," Emma retorted. She struck, shoving Doctor Whale away from his victim. He fell sideways, only to lash out for Regina at the last second, where she was still lying unprotesting on the hard ground, the two others only barely resting a hand on her shoulders. Emma lunged forward, grabbing Whale's wrist, and savagely forced his fingers open, taking the scalpel out of his hand.

"And she saved you!" Emma looked up quickly to see David leaping up onto the front step a few paces away, bringing him up a few inches above the heads of the crowd. "All of you."

"And no matter what Regina did," Mary Margaret carried on, passion lacing her voice as she turned to look beseechingly at the crowd, "it does not justify this! This is cold-blooded murder…even worse. Can't you see what you're doing? You're doing just what she did."

"And more than that," Emma added, "this…" she hesitated, uncertain of what to call what they had witnessed as they first ran up, "this is against the law. I will not allow an angry mob to harm anyone in this town, especially the mayor."

"But she's the Evil Queen," Gaston argued, stepping forward heatedly. "She does deserve this." He took another step forward, around Emma and toward Regina, who was still lying helpless on the ground.

A small figure topped in a mess of dark brown hair tore itself away from Mary Margaret, darting forward to plant itself between the advancing warrior and the queen.

"You aren't going to touch my mom again," Henry shouted, crossing his arms tightly across his chest, and there was deadly determination in his tone, despite his boyish voice. "I won't let you."

For the first time, Regina stirred, lifting her head to see Henry standing just a few feet away. Neither of the men crouched beside her made a move to halt her; nor did any of the people in the crowd, who had fallen almost eerily silent at Henry's declaration. Even as they were all united in their dislike for Regina, the town was nearly as united in their love for her son.

"Everyone please," Charming said, raising his voice once more to speak to the crowd, "go home. We'll hold a town meeting this afternoon, but for the time being, it would be best if you all just stay at home until we know what all is going on."

The crowd began to murmur, and then disperse. Most of them moved away meekly, quietly, as if just awakening from a dream. "Or coming to their senses," David muttered, although too quietly for anyone else to hear him.

The two men kneeling beside Regina stood and, with hasty bows towards the Charmings, hurried away. Neither of them would meet anyone else's eyes, and kept their attention glued to the ground. Only Whale showed any true resistance, but even he turned and departed without a word, only a hard glare for the woman lying on the ground, now propped up on one elbow.

As soon as he saw the crowd begin to disperse, Henry turned and ran toward Regina. She was sitting up slowly, a strange expression on her face, and her eyes glittering oddly. Henry didn't seem to notice as all but threw himself in her arms, wrapping her in a tight hug. Neither did he notice her wince, but she seemed not to mind the pain her son was inflicting by his tight embrace for she made no mention of it, merely hugged Henry back just as tightly. Her eyes were closed tightly, and as Emma turned to look at them, she saw the former queen turn and bury her head in her son's shoulder.

"Come on," Emma said after a moment, walking over to Regina and Henry. "We should get you patched up."

Regina pulled away from Henry, and spared a glance up at Emma. "Thank you Miss Swan, but I am fine," she replied coolly. The effect was rather ruined by the fact that her face was covered in blood, as was the front of her blouse.

"Really, that cut on your forehead looks like it might need stitches," Emma pressed.

"And who would give them?" Regina asked, just as coolly. "Doctor Whale?" The name came out bitter and biting, causing Regina to curl her lips in disgust. She fell silent for a handful of seconds, regaining her hold on both temper and emotion. "No, thank you Miss Swan, but I will be fine."

"Mom?" Henry's voice had an instant effect on Regina. It was miraculous, Emma thought, watching as the woman's face softened, and what looked almost like a smile lit her brown eyes as she looked down at her son, who was nestled against her side.

"Yes Henry?" Regina asked softly.

"You're hurt," Henry said simply unable unlike his mothers, to keep the emotion from his voice. He was shaking ever so slightly as he pulled away and looked up at her bloodied face. "Emma and Mary Margaret and David just want to help. Why won't you let them?"

By then only those who had come to save Regina were left. All save the Charmings had kept a respectful distance up until that point, ensuring that the crowd dispersed appropriately, but now they drew near.

"I don't care," Grumpy was saying. "She should be locked up." He glared at the queen, making it quite clear who he had been speaking of.

"That might actually be a good idea," David said suddenly.

"What, so first you're practically begging to help me, and then you want to lock me up?" Regina asked laughingly. "Make up your mind, won't you?"

"It would be for your own good too," David said. "Who knows if – when – another group of angry villagers will try to attack you. And next time we might not be there to save you." He didn't mention that it had only been Henry's begging that had ultimately urged them to save her in the first place.

Regina's eyes went suddenly very cold, and she stiffened. Henry looked at her with concern, but she wouldn't meet his gaze. Instead, she merely said stiffly, "Fine. I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

She stumbled as Emma pulled her to her feet, and nearly fell with an almost inaudible cry. Emma reacted instinctively, catching the brunette before she could fall completely, and then hurriedly called for help. Grumpy jumped forward, a suspicious frown fixed in place as he took his place on the queen's other side, looping her arm over his shoulders. Henry meanwhile hovered by his mothers, uncertain and worried.

"Come on, we can take you to the station," Emma grunted, and began walking down the long walk toward the street, one arm tightened around the queen's waist to support her.

All of them studiously ignored the splatters of blood that marred the flagstones.

~sSs~

Emma turned the key, and the lock on the cell door clicked into place. Mother Superior had only just left, having finished seeing to Regina's wounds, and the others had gone with. It was time for the meeting, and Emma had promised to catch up with them as soon as she finished locking the Evil Queen in the cell.

She glanced up as she pulled the key from the lock, her eyes falling on the woman sitting stiffly on the thin mattress atop the cot in the corner. Regina was staring straight ahead, not looking at Emma, or anything in the room it seemed.

"Regina?" Emma asked, pausing as she made to turn away from the cell. Something was bothering her, eating at her like an itch she couldn't quite reach – something concerning the proud, battered former queen sitting coolly in the shadows. Regina turned, blinking, and looked at Emma. Her eyes glittered in the low light as her gaze met the Savior's, and she raised her eyebrows. "I have a question," Emma said. "Well, more like something that's bothering me."

"Yes, Miss Swan?" Regina asked, her tone frosty. "You are going to ask it regardless of what I say, so you may as well get on with it."

Emma frowned at that, about to refute that last point, but then she thought better of it. Regina had given her an opportunity to ask her question, and she didn't want to ruin that by yet another pointless argument, or contest of wills.

"When we arrived," Emma began, speaking slowly, trying to fashion her thoughts and feelings into words, "I expected to find you fighting the townspeople – quite possibly even toasting them to ashes. But you weren't. You weren't fighting them at all, even after we came to save you. Why?"

Regina leveled her gaze at the blonde, her face emotionless, and her eyes filled with deadened ice. For a long moment, Regina was utterly silent and still, and Emma began to wonder if the brunette was going to answer at all. And then, at last, Regina spoke. But what she said was anything but what Emma might have expected to hear.

"Who said I wanted to be saved?"