It was a seemingly normal night on the streets of Storybrooke. A cool breeze was blowing, and most of the town shops were closed. She had just began the familiar short walk from her office to her car, when she heard the most unsettling cries. It was a desperate cry for help, a mix between a sob and a plea, while on the verge of breaking. She knew what it felt like being the one crying out for help, to cast aside pride and dignity so you may simply escape unscathed. There was only one difference, help never came for her. The panic swelling in her chest had her racing towards the sound, disregarding her poor footwear, and the fact that she was heading into an unknown situation. Her stomach dropped with dread the moment she found who it was that had been calling out for help.

The savior needing saving. It was an unlikely scenario but it was suddenly a reality.

"Get... the fuck... off me..." Emma gasped. The blonde was pinned down, by a burly man she didn't recognize. Her voice lacked any real strength and Regina knew it was a battle she had been fighting for a while, one she was losing. Her torso twisted and her hips jerked but the man's grip on her wrists proved too strong. Her shirt was ripped off, cast aside like a discarded piece of trash, and her jeans were pulled halfway down her hips. Regina felt disgust towards this man's advance, but most of all rage. A boiling resentment that seemed to consumer her entire body like a flame. How dare he touch her like that and treat her like some whore. Emma Swan was not a streetwalker, and she sure as hell wasn't acting like one.

A wave of her hand sent the man flying Into a nearby brick wall. He howled in pain but she immediately thought to knock him out with another wave. No more of that.

Emma shuddered in relief but no amount of strength could help her take back her pride. She was supposed to be strong. She was the sheriff yet she couldn't fight him off.

Regina went to her side, and offered her the coat of her back.

"Thank you..."Emma breathed, as she wrapped the fabric tight around her. "If you hadn't...he would have..."

"Shhh I know." She kneeled beside her now, uncaring of the dirt meeting her slacks if it meant easing away Emma's distress. They weren't exactly friends but she had somehow come to care about her and seeing her so...frightened really pulled at her heartstrings.

"Emma are you hurt?"

The blonde shook her head but sometimes Injuries weren't physical.

"Let's get you up." She said. Emma cast the man lying on the floor an anxious glance. "He won't be moving anytime soon. At least for a couple of hours don't worry." She watched Emma's shoulders slump in relief, then something she never thought she'd see happened. Emma started crying. Full, heart wrenching sobs, that with each wrack off her shoulders her own heart ached just a little more.

"Emma. You're safe now."

"I-I know...Regina thank you. Thank you so much." The blondes breath came in small bursts, as if she had to remind herself every so often to breath.

She didn't know what to do how to deal with this type of Emma. She was so broken, so shaken.

"Emma. I'm sorry..." She didn't know why she was apologizing. It's not like it had been her fault but any other words seemed wrong. She shuffled closer to her on the sidewalk. That small shift towards her was enough of an invitation for Emma to grab onto her. Strong arms wrapped around her, holding onto her like she would be swept away if she didn't. The amount of need behind the embrace was just as surprising as the act itself but she returned it, knowing the feeling. It was a secret she kept buried but at a different time it had been her in Emma's place. She swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth and let Emma recover.

"You're okay." She whispered. The blonde was trembling, caught up in a storm of emotions. Her words didn't help, or seem to even reach her ears. "Emma. I'm going to take you back to my house. We can't stay here its cold and you're shivering." The blonde nodded and released her grip. That's when they both became aware of her state of undress. Emma's jeans were still halfway off her body, but Emma didn't have the strength to pull them up. Had she truly been fighting him off for that long?

"Let me..." She gripped the jeans waistband and gave it a firm pull. They were a tight fit, no wonder she couldn't get them up. Luckily for her the man struggled just as much taking them off her.

The moment they rested above her hips, Emma once again gave her thanks.

"Of course. Emma. " She didn't need to thank her for this though. Any decent being would do the same, even an evil queen.

"Do you think you can walk?" If she couldn't pull up her jeans she doubted she had the energy to do that.

"Maybe." Emma took her hand and she pulled her to her feet. She swayed for a second but held up. Just in case she kept an arm behind her.

The car ride to her mansion was silent, but they weren't concerned with filling that silence. Sometimes a little silence spoke volumes.

A/N: I had a guest reviewer misinterpret this chapter and I just want to clarify that when I was writing about a streetwalker I wasn't suggesting Regina would think differently if it were a prostitute that were being raped. I simply mean't that she ruled out all the possible scenarios in her mind, that what was happening wasn't mutual and that as far as Regina knew Emma didn't offer that kind of service to complete strangers... Again Regina is against rape, prostitute or not.