Authors note: No Killian Jones, no Robin Hood, just pure SwanQueen… oh, and in this fic the dagger disappear with Emma.
The darkness calls your name.
,,Regina…"
Regina sat up in her bed with a gasp. She was sure she heard somebody say her name, or had it been a very realistic dream? She listened carefully, but there was no sound. Henry was at his grandparents for the night, so she was completely alone. It must have been a dream; Regina decided and fell back onto the bed.
She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but of course it was impossible, Regina had always been a light sleeper, and now it was even worse. Because every time she closed her eyes she saw Emma Swan's face, and heard her words: "You have worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed", right before she sacrificed herself for Regina. And now Emma was The Dark One, and gods know what that would do to her, Regina thought. For Regina it had been fairly easy to become dark; once you've seen your fiancée get murdered by your insane mother, and with a teacher like Rumpelstiltskin who kept pushing you towards the darkness, the choice had been very, very simple for Regina. But Emma hadn't been pushed towards the darkness, she had chosen it voluntarily. How was that gonna affect it? Was it possible for her to be a good Dark One, or would she become just as evil and twisted as Rumpelstiltskin?
It's easy to become dark, but it's very, very hard to become Light again, Regina thought to herself. She couldn't help think of the last thing Emma said: "you have worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed!" What happiness? The former Queen asked herself. Of course she had Henry, and she was finally beginning to see eye to eye with Snow White and David, and she felt at home in this world, but she hadn't found love yet. Or had she? After their adventure on Neverland, she had formed some sort of forced friendship with Emma, and as the time passed while they searched for Henry it had become less forced, and she had started to enjoy spending time with the blonde. And when they all had returned to The Enchanted Forrest without Emma and Henry, Regina hadn't only been thinking about her lost son, she had also been thinking about her son's mother.
When Snow White's curse had brought them all back to Storybrook, Regina had immediately started to await The Saviors return, and finally, when Emma had returned, Regina had been ecstatic to see her again. Of course she couldn't tell Emma or anybody for that matter.
But yet, something had definitely changed between them. When they teamed up against the Queens of Darkness, Emma had practicallybeen attached to her hip. She never once left Regina's side, and she had insisted that Regina came with her to New York to search after Lily; her excuse had been that she wasn't powerful enough to meet the daughter of Maleficent. But Regina knew that was a direct lie. Emma was powerful; even more powerful than Regina, so why would Emma insist to bring Regina? Was she just trying to be friendly, or was it something more?
After reuniting Lily and Maleficent, things had immediately become much more complicated. Isaac and Rumpelstiltskin had turned everything upside down in this new book "Heroes and Villains". Regina had been a bandit, Snow White evil, and Rumpelstiltskin The Light One. All had been one big confusion, and then Rumpelstiltskin had attempted to kill Henry. Regina sacrificed herself for him, even though she didn't know him in the book. And then Henry became the next Author. He had reversed everything. And Regina would never forget the sight of relief on Emma's face when she found out that Regina was alive. Regina had begun to fantasize; what if she told Emma how she felt about her? What if Emma felt the same? How would Henry react if he was to find out that his two moms were in love with each other? Would Emma move in with Regina and Henry on Mifflin Street? Emma had often mentioned that she wanted to find her own place, so why not? Regina had considered all of that, and was just about to pull Emma aside to come clean, when the Dark One suddenly materialized around them. The darkness had surrounded Regina, snuffing on her Light, and then Emma had sacrificed everything for Regina. Her former enemy.
Regina had been so close to find love again, and then she had lost it once more. That, of course was horrible, but the fact that she couldn't tell anyone was even more dreadful.
,,My happiness was with you, miss Swan. Ironic isn't it?" Regina asked out in the darkness. Of course there was no answer, and she didn't expect that Emma could hear her from where she was now- where ever that was.
Regina pulled the blanket up over her head, and between all her thoughts of happiness and Emma, sleep finally caught up with her.
She rolled onto her other side, wrapping the blanket tighter around her in her sleep. There was not a sound in the bedroom apart from her deep, steady breathing until….
"Regina….."
Regina awoke once again; heart pounding in her chest. She sat straight up in her bed.
,,Hello?" she called out into the darkness and mentally kicked herself for being such a fool. When had "hello" ever worked on someone who was hiding in the darkness?
,,Is someone there?" Another mistake. ,,look, if you are playing some kind of sick joke then I suggest you reveal yourself. You don't want to toy with me." Regina could have sworn she heard a distant laughter.
,,Alright, this is your last chance. Either come forward or stop bothering me."
She waited. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Complete silence. Whatever or whoever must have come to their senses.
Regina lied back down and wrapped the blanket around her yet again. She really needed to get some sleep. Tomorrow morning would be yet another chaotic day with a devastated Snow White, a prince Charming who would tear all of Storybrook down to find his daughter, a Henry who would pretend to be alright and play the "brave" card, but deep down miss his mom terrible, and of course Regina's own, private pain.
She shut her eyes tight, trying to force herself to fall asleep, and surprisingly enough it worked. She soon slumbered into the deepest sleep she had in years, dreaming only about good things. Thus passed about an hour or so until…
"Regina…. Regina!"
Regina awoke abruptly, and tumbled out from the bed; her white nightgown flowing loosely around her ankles.
,,What do you want?!"
"Regina…."
,,What kind of sick game are you playing?!"
"Regina….Regina… Regiiiiina."
,,Yeah, I gathered as much, you idiot. Who the hell is this?!"
The faint laughter became higher and clearer, and it hit Regina that she knew that laughter. She knew that voice.
,,Emma?" She asked hesitantly, and made the fireball she held ready, disappear into thin air.
,,I am here, Regina."
,,If you are here, why can't I see you? Is it some kind of invisible spell?"
"I am not in your house, Regina."
,,Then why can I hear you, Emma? It's as loud as if you were standing in my living room."
"I made my voice stronger. For you."
,,Is there any way I can see you?" Regina asked, knowing that this very well could be a trap. Emma was now The Dark One, and it was impossible to know what it was doing to her.
"Come towards my voice, Regina."
,,I already told you, that it sounds like you are in my house."
Immediately the voice became lower and more distant. "Just follow the sound of my voice."
And so Regina did. She left her bedroom, walked down the stairs, and out of the front door.
Standing on the main street of Storybrook in the lamppost's dim light, Regina asked: ,,Where are you now?"
"Walk towards the forest, Regina."
Once again Regina obeyed. Feeling like some sort of inner force pulled her towards the forest. She passed Granny's Diner and Doctor Hopper's clinic. And she passed Snow and David's apartment. None of them were asleep. Snow couldn't sleep in these days, and David liked to keep her company, to chase the dark thoughts away.
David glanced incidentally out of the window and saw Regina as she was illuminated by the streetlight.
,,Look at that, Snow," he said and turned his wife's attention to Regina.
,,She shouldn't be walking around alone in the darkness, David. She could get hurt!" said Snow and rushed out of the door, her husband following her closely.
,,Regina!" Snow yelled. ,,Where are you going?"
Regina turned her head and was about to tell them what she heard, when Emma's voice spoke to her again:
"Don't answer them. Come towards my voice."
And Regina turned around and started to walk again.
,,Regina!" Snow yelled again. ,,Regina! Please answer me."
But Regina didn't answer; she simply followed her own instructions.
,,What the hell is she doing?" David muttered.
,,I don't know, but I don't like this. Let's follow her!" said Snow and wanted to rush after the older brunette, but David gently but firmly grabbed her wrist and said:
,,We can't do that, Snow. Henry is asleep upstairs."
,,But what if something happens to her?"
,,You and I both know that Regina very well can look after herself. Maybe she just can't sleep and wanted to go for a walk. Alone."
,,In the middle of the night?!" Snow retorted.
,,Well, what do I know about Regina's habits."
,,Hmm, maybe you're right . But I would feel better if she was asleep."
,,I know you would, but she's a big girl, and she can manage on her own without us breathing down her neck."
,,I know." Said Snow.
,,Come back inside now, I'll make you some hot cocoa with cinnamon."
Snow smiled fondly at her husband. ,,I hope my yelling didn't wake up Henry."
,,Then we'll make him some cocoa, too."
And then Snow let her husband escort her back inside.
