Henry went running out of the dinner when he found out what Emma was planning to do. Regina wanted to stay and rage and yell at Emma herself but that would have to be later. She first checked the GPS on Emma's phone but he left that in a flower put right outside of Granny's. She'd gotten his scarf from the room he and Emma had taken up at Granny's and was walking behind it as it lead her to her son.
"Hey there?" She said as she picked up the scarf that had landed at his feet. He was sitting on a bench not far from the farm that had once belonged to her deranged but verdant sister.
"You aren't going to fight with Emma again?" He asked as he threw a rock into the pond. "I mean I don't want to go back to New York but I also ... "
"I'm not going to fight with Emma," Regina reassured him, making a promise against her own anger. "She's just scared and doesn't understand. We can make her understand that this is your... and her home... together."
Henry tilted his head, "You aren't mad?"
"Oh, I'm deeply annoyed with Emma right now. But so are you... and on the scale of things I worry about, someone trying to make you do something you don't want to do is very low my headstrong prince."
She smiled and brushed a bit of hair behind his ear.
"I learned that somewhere."
She laughed, "I can't imagine where."
That's when she saw the pillar of light. "Henry go back to town and tell Emma there is something wrong at the Witch's barn."
He nodded and she started to carefully try and investigate the powerful magic she could feel, but before she could determine exactly what was going on part of the barn's wall collapsed and there was a great magical current pulling her towards the light. She had a good grip and could have stayed out but she saw a smaller body fly past and Henry's voice screaming. She immediately let go of her grip and they both fell through the portal.
The two of them landed hard with a thud in the mossy growth of a forest floor. Regina scrambled to her feet and helped Henry up, quickly checking that he wasn't injured. "Where are we?" He asked, "This doesn't look like Storybrooke."
She straightened up and dusted herself off, "Or when might be the better question given Zelena's magic." She put a hand on Henry's back protectively and nodded towards what looked like smoke from a cooking fire not far off. They had only walked about fifty feet though before she saw it. "No no no no..."
"What? What is it, Mom?"
She walked over to a tree, the poster hanging from it slightly on the other side and ripped it from its nail. She'd gone ghost white.
"Mom?"
"Where... and when are we."
She showed him the poster. There was a beautiful innocent looking princess, with the words WANTED SNOW WHITE FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE QUEEN. MURDER, TREASON, AND TREACHERY. "Cool!" He said with a big grin.
"Very very not cool," Regina said. "I... I'll figure out how to get us back to Storybrooke Henry. But the Enchanted Forest is very dangerous." She didn't add, especially with the Evil Queen. Someone she particularly didn't want Henry to ever see.
"I've read the book Mom. I know it's dangerous. But ... we get to go an adventure together. You've been fighting the Wicked Witch for how long and I didn't even know?"
She smiled a little, of course he'd be more annoyed at missing the adventure than not knowing he was in danger. "Come on, I've got to get my bearings. My kingdom was big and those posters don't tell where we are." Though now Regina was even more alert to where they were.
When they got close to the village Henry put his hand on Regina's arm, "Mom, maybe you should let me go and ask where we are? You might draw the wrong kind of attention."
She smiled a little. He had a point. "Perhaps. Though I'm not exactly dressed to oppress."
He rolled his eyes, "Ask what village this is, and maybe try and find out some news so we can figure out when we are as well as where."
Regina stayed in the bushes, but made sure that she could see Henry at all times as he walked into the village. He had strange clothes but that wasn't that unusual for a traveler from a foreign land. He spoke animatedly to a young girl not much older than him and Regina felt a pang of protectiveness until he thanked her and came back to where she was hiding. "This is the North Woods... you guys were really creative in your naming places you know that?"
She smiled, but only vaguely, "Apparently the rumor is that Snow White has been woken from the Queen's curse and that she's been trying to get people to join her in opposing the Evil Queen." She winced and Henry shrugged a little apologetically. "There are rumors that they are nearby..."
"We should probably avoid your grandparents," Regina racked her brains because something was bothering her. The North Woods... and then she remembered. She'd seen this village before. "Come on Henry we need to get away from here. Now."
"Why... are grandma and grandpa near?"
"Yes," Regina said quietly, "But so am I."
She took his hand and started running deeper into the woods, cursing that she wasn't in more practical shoes but glad for the suit rather than corset and skirts even if she stood out like a sore thumb. But she'd stand out like a sore thumb here anyway.
The Black Knights arrived in the village behind them not long after. When they heard the screams Henry wanted to turn back but she found some heavy growth and a hidden creek bed they could hide in. "We can't save them Henry. We ... I'm sorry we can't save anyone here. History is set and if we change anything it could have disastrous consequences in the future."
Once they were hidden she waved her hand and it glowed white for a moment.
"What was that?"
"Protection spell. The soldiers will be searching the woods for runaways. It will keep them from seeing us in here."
"Runaways from what mom?"
She didn't say anything but kept an eye out through the foliage.
"Runaways from what mom?" Henry asked more seriously, and she bit her lip, his tone making it clear he could guess and was thinking the worst.
"After Charming woke Snow they tried to raise a revolt in the population. They'd gotten some followers in the North Woods and I..."
She didn't want to say it and he just nodded. He knew who his mother once was. "Everyone back there?"
"They were destined to die, Henry. There was nothing you could do. Nothing either of us could do. Believe me I wish..." Regina trailed off. The idea of having even one less life on her butchers bill was appealing much less the number she knew the Evil Queen would take this day. But unlike Zelena she had a future she cared about and wanted to protect instead of rewrite.
She reached over and squeezed Henry's hand, glad they had managed to get far enough from the village that he wouldn't hear the screams. The Black Knights did search the woods, twice passing near their hide out. Hours passed and finally the soldiers left.
"Shouldn't we go back and check on the village."
Regina shook her head, "There is... there is nothing living left in that village to check Henry." As they had waited the slaughter out she'd remembered it. Remembered her soldiers lining the villagers up. Remembered demanding information. Of finding a little girls doll dressed as a bandit with black hair and red lips... and killing them all with her own hands.
She remembered the pile of bodies that was behind her and it didn't matter if they had to walk miles out of the way she didn't want Henry to walk into that village again, especially after he had spoken to that girl.
Regina was quiet and worried but night fell and there was no sign of the soldiers. They'd moved on to another village she knew, they were heading east and hopefully away from the carnage the Evil Queen was reaping.
They couldn't walk through the night and eventually they'd have to find a road, but they'd have to rest. She had Henry gather some fallen wood, it was green but she'd no doubt she could make it burn and they set a small camp fire. The fireball in her hand took but a moment to light the pile of wood and they had a small camp fire to keep them warm.
"Mom?"
"Yes, Henry?"
"You know I love you right?"
She smiled warmly, she did of course, not the day before they'd shared True Love's Kiss... something she still hadn't had time to process. "Of course I do."
"You know I know about your past? I'm not going to stop loving you because of whatever I see here."
She smiled a little sadly, "Henry, reading about it in a book and ... seeing what's back in that village. Those are different things."
"You remembered doing it? Killing those people?"
She nodded. "It's a weird sensation, remembering something as you are doing it somewhere else."
"The book doesn't say much about right after Prince Charming woke Snow White."
Regina laughed a little, "The book doesn't say a lot of things..." She stopped speaking though and held her hand up.
There was rustling around them and, and two figures coming out of the shadows, "Can we join your fire..." The young man's voice was clear and unmistakable. Regina stood and so did Henry as Snow White and Prince Charming stepped into the firelight and saw Regina's face for the first time. He drew his sword and she an arrow. Regina stepped in front of Henry protectively.
"What the hell is going on here?" Snow said looking at her stepmother dressed in strange clothes with loose short hair and a young boy. Regina flexed her hand for a moment thinking about a fireball, but that would have only confirmed to the two heroes who she was.
"Please lower your weapons... I can explain."
