Chapter Text
“Thank you so much for coming down,” she said, shaking his hand. “I’m very hopeful that we will be able to complete this deal with a satisfactory conclusion for everyone.”
He said something that she nodded and smiled at but didn’t actually hear. He was her last meeting of the day and was just a formality to get ink on the paper. As she walked him to the door of her office, she heard her phone buzz again at her desk. That was the third message in as many minutes which was odd enough to worry her.
“Yes, of course, thank you,” she repeated, “have a good night.” She practically pushed him out the door as she heard her phone rattle again.
“Madam Mayor,” her assistant pushed in before she could get the door closed.
“Yes, what is it?” If she hadn’t been concerned about her incoming messages, she would have noticed the distress in her usually unflappable assistant, but she was already headed for her desk.
“Madam Mayor, the news,” her assistant said, powering on the television in the mayor’s office. A television that was reserved solely for newsworthy reasons.
Regina grabbed her phone and saw all the messages were from Kathryn. She frowned, but before she could read them the news reporter’s voice filtered in through her senses.
“-A daring rescue followed by a partial collapse of the building. It’s possible at least one firefighter may have been caught in the collapse.”
Regina stared at a screen filled with an image of a multi-story warehouse with flames blazing out of all sides. Smoke poured from busted windows as multiple firetrucks blasted it with water.
“We’re going to show you the footage of the daring rescue, but this video is unedited and may be intense for some viewers.”
A bucket truck was fully extended falling just short of one of the upper windows where two figures could be seen leaning over the edge. One was a firefighter, rigging a rope of some kind to an overhead bar and waving their arm to direct the bucket to move over. In their rush, the firefighter knocked their helmet askew and then pushed it off, smearing a gloved hand over their face.
Regina gasped at recognizing the smoke-stained features. She didn’t realize she’d moved away from her desk until she felt her fingers digging into the back of the couch. “Emma.”
Her phone buzzed again in her hand but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the screen. She watched as Emma maneuvered the civilian over the edge of the building, a rope tied between them as she began to lower the man via her makeshift pulley down to the waiting bucket.
An explosion a floor lower on the adjoining wall blew out glass and brick and mortar. Water from surrounding trucks poured down over the area where Emma was working. They were all working together to save this one man and keep Emma safe. The civilian dropped into the bucket. The firefighters gave the thumbs-up to Emma, signaling they had him. Regina watched as the blonde clearly whooped and pumped her fist in the air. She then began to untie the rope.
A second explosion rocked the building. A larger explosion. Regina watched as Emma turned away from the open window. Smoke billowed out in a large plume obscuring everything as debris rained down on the bucket truck below. When it cleared, Emma was nowhere in sight.
Regina wasn’t aware that she had cried out. She didn’t realize she’d dropped her phone or that her assistant had picked it up, frantically answering the twentieth call from Kathryn. She could only see the flames and smoke that continued to billow out of the area where the firefighter had just been standing. All she could see was that last image of Emma, turning away from the window, her movements fast as the unexpected happened.
Regina sank to the floor as her imagination supplied the idea of the collapsing floor falling out from beneath booted feet, dropping the blonde into a fiery pit of busted concrete and melted steel. She could see Emma’s body, broken and bloodied sprawled awkwardly as water poured into the building and flames licked at the space around her. Had the fall been enough to kill her? Or would the smoke get to her first? She didn’t even want to contemplate the flames burning her…
“Regina! Hey, come on! Regina!”
Fingers snapped in front of her face and she started, jerking her head back and hitting the couch. She blinked and focused on Kathryn sitting in front of her, practically straddling her. “Kathryn.”
The deputy mayor exhaled in relief. “Hey, there you are.”
Regina looked around, dazedly. She was sitting on the floor of her office, leaning against the back of the couch. When had she…why had she… “Emma!” She scrambled to her knees, knocking Kathryn backwards, as she pulled herself up using the couch. The television had been muted but the news helicopter was still circling the burning warehouse. “Have they said anything more?”
“Uh…” her assistant hesitated.
“HAVE THEY SAID ANYTHING MORE ABOUT MY WIFE!” Regina thundered, stalking forwards only to be halted by Kathryn bodily stepping in front of her.
“No, they haven’t.” Kathryn juggled both of their purses and had multiple phones in her hand. “Now, come on, let’s go. You know they’ll call you as soon as they know something.”
“No, they won’t.” Regina was staring again at the news feed. “They’ll send that fucking red car to the house.”
“They’re not going to send the car because Emma is going to be fine,” Kathryn argued. She glanced at the screen as she tried again to get Regina moving. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
Regina jerked her arm away from Kathryn’s grip. “I want to go there.”
“What? No!” Kathryn shook her head. “No way.”
Regina turned blazing brown eyes on her best friend. “Take me there or get out of my way. Either way, I’m going.”
The ferocity of the mayor’s glare was marred by the tears rolling unnoticed down her cheeks. Kathryn already knew she’d be taking her, but she tried regardless. “They’re not going to let you anywhere near the site. You know that. And you know, Emma is not going to be happy when she finds out you’re there.”
“Emma will just have to walk out of that burning building and tell me herself then.” Decision made, Regina strode towards the door.
“Damn it.” Kathryn hurried after her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
David Nolan pulled up to the scene of the enormous burning warehouse. He quickly assessed the building as he moved to the car’s trunk. The on-scene commander began briefing him as he pulled out his jacket and helmet.
“Got a twenty-story building, mostly concrete and metal,” the commander said. “Most of the fire is on the top eight floors, but after that explosion on twelve, one of our team went missing – Emma Swan, Ladder 108.”
David flinched. He tried not to show it but hearing that Emma, of all people, was missing made his stomach climb into his throat. “Any radio contact?”
The commander shook his head gravely. “None.”
“Anybody with her?”
“All the other members of Ladder 108 made it out with the victims.”
“Okay,” David picked up the radio handset off his shoulder. “Deputy Chief 1 to communications. I’m on location and assuming command. Strike out a fourth alarm.” He turned to the commander. “Shut down all exterior operations, get your asses in there and find her.”
The commander nodded and hurried off. David glanced up at the building again, swallowing thickly. He switched channels on his radio. “Command to Ladder 108, Emma come in.”
“---”
“Command to Ladder 108. Emma, come in.”
“---”
David scrubbed his hand over his chin at the static filled silence. He tried again, “Emma? I know you can hear me. It’s David. Answer back.”
The radio crackled to life. “Lad-der 108 to…com-mand.”
David dropped his head in relief. Her voice sounded weak but she was still alive. “Emma, it’s David. How you holding up?”
“Floor collapsed,” she reported with a cough. “I’m pretty busted up.”
Emma admitting she was busted up without him repeatedly asking ratcheted up his fear. “Do you know where you are?”
“No,” she breathed. “I was on twelve when it gave way.” A dry chuckle. “So somewhere below that.”
Gallows humor was a staple for any first responder. “How you doing on air?”
“No good. Air’s out.”
David cursed under his breath. “All right, sit tight. I’ve got teams coming to get you.”
“Hey David.”
He waited then clicked the mike. “Yeah?”
Emma’s voice barely carried over the radio. “Imagine me getting myself…trapped in here…like some dumb rookie.” She huffed out a laugh. “You should have taught me better.”
“Well what do you expect?” He forced levity he didn’t feel into his tone. “I did the best I could with what I had to work with.”