Although Hook and Hood are in the story, there are not real mutual open displays of CS and OQ affection. They are there because they were in the spoilers.
SQ Prompt: I had this dream last night based off of the emma/dagger spoilers. Basically emma sacrificed herself for regina and after she dropped to the ground, regina broke out of robins grip ran to emma where they had a whole little scene thinking emmas dead that ended with regina waking her up with true loves kiss.
It was only a matter minutes that Emma had the dagger in her upward stretched hands, summoning all the darkness to leave Regina and take her instead. The former evil queen fell to the ground when the evil that was sucking all the light and hope from her frame moved from her to the savior.
"She has worked too hard and come too far for her happy ending!" Regina heard as she was commanding oxygen to fill her lungs and right her breathing. She saw Emma clutching the Dark One's dagger above her head and she watched in horror as Emma was engulfed by the dark thick swirling smoke. No! What is she doing?
Regina made it to her feet somehow and stumbled forward to get to Emma, terrified at the dark heaviness that had been coursing through her when she was overtaken by the darkness, enveloped in the depths of anger, despair and bitterness; absolutely devoid of goodness. The woman Regina was now would not wish that upon anyone. There was so much pain and loathing, and now she watched Emma's body convulse as it took her over.
It was more than instinct that had her moving closer to get to Emma. She felt arms grab and close around her, pulling her further away from the savior.
"Regina! No!" Robin's voice was a distant beckoning in her overwhelming need to save Emma.
"Emma! Emma!" She struggled and tried to break free but couldn't. There was so much noise. So much darkness now mixed with explosions of fire surrounding the savior.
Regina sensed the dread and doom of the moment moving past the point of no return. It was too late now. She heard a tortured cry from within the grey cloud and attempted to wrestle free again.
Then in a forceful blast hurled everyone onto their backs. Regina was free from Robin's hold but the wind had been knocked out of her as she lay on the cold hard concrete. She shook her head trying to retain her consciousness and willed her eyes open even though it was excruciatingly painful to do so.
Emma. Very slowly she rolled onto her side and glanced to where the blonde was and the view severely frightened her, for in the distance lay Emma's limp body. The dagger lay a few feet away from her. She began at a crawl to get to the savior and then somehow was able to get back on her feet, struggling to make her way to Emma, and falling to her knees when she finally got there.
"Emma?" Regina cradled her face. Felt down her body, hoping that there was some movement, some breath, some life. Placing shaky fingers to the woman's pulse point she sensed nothing at first, but then thought she felt a very dull beat.
"NO!" came a cry over her shoulder and Regina did not have to look away to hear that Mary Margaret was standing behind her and she imagined the woman's muffled sobs were from leaning against her husband's chest.
"Regina…" David uttered, Regina hearing the question in his voice.
"I don't know, David."
"SWAN!" Hook fell to his knees, crouching over Emma and Regina fought the urge to push him back but failed as she stuck a forearm out and firmly nudged him aside. She inexplicably felt selfish and wanted no one else to touch Emma but her. This woman who just made the ultimate sacrifice… for her. Regina clenched her jaw and slanted her head looking with a furrowed brow at Emma with new eyes. "Can you save her?"
Regina narrowed her eyes at the pirate, who was never good enough for Henry's other mother, but her eyes softened just a little when she saw the pained concern on his face. He loved her; that much she could see.
Love. LOVE! There might be a chance. She desperately clung to that chance with all her heart. Glancing at Hook it pained her to think of what she was about to say, but Emma's life hung in the balance and she would rather have Emma alive and well than anything.
"Kiss her." Regina ordered, leaning back on her haunches.
Hook had a momentary look of confusion. "What?" Idiot!
"True love's kiss." Regina enunciated the words slowly to him as if the man were a 3-year old. "True love's kiss might bring her back. She is under a powerfully dark and fatal curse. We don't have much time, you fool! Kiss her!"
Hook nodded and licked his bearded lips, leaned forward and placed his lips over Emma's. Regina's eyes closed and she looked away. When the man's head lifted, a sinking feeling tugged at her heart when there was unfortunately no change in Emma's condition for the better. As a matter of fact, Regina's mouth opened on a terrified gasp as Emma's face was growing paler and the veins were becoming more apparent, turning a darker color.
She could hear, Mary Margaret sob louder. Hook tried kissing her again and when Emma's state did not improve he howled in frustration, "Why isn't it working?!"
Regina's eyes widened in astonishment. "You arenot her true love."
An almost whisper dropped from his lips. "What?" He looked down at the blonde. "But I love her." He stared into Regina's face for answers but the only one she could give him seemed to register in his mind then too as his face fell. But she does not love you. Hook fell backwards and moved slowly away and sat dejectedly with his head leaning on his forearms propped on his knees. Regina almost felt sorry for him.
"Snow! David!" They were at her command immediately, kneeling beside her and their daughter.
"Regina…" Mary Margaret grabbed her and they knelt together, holding hands and Regina thought that this was all too reminiscent of another time in her castle when they were leaning over David's lifeless body and Snow was trusting her, begging Regina to save them by splitting her heart. Now it was her daughter instead of her husband.
Regina peered into Snow's eyes urgently. "You know what to do. You," she looked at David now too, "know better than anyone the power of true love's kiss. Believe in it. Kiss your daughter."
Both mother and father knelt on either side of Emma and bent slowly forward and kissed her color turning cheeks together and they lingered for good measure. Regina held a breath wishing this to work like nothing else she had wished for in her life.
When they came up Mary Margaret looked upon her daughter, the blonde's condition worsening still and she hugged her daughter and shook weeping. "No, Emma, no. Please come back to us. Please."
A lone tear fell from David's face and he sniffed and his eyes shot up to Regina. "Henry!" Regina's expression sobered and she nodded.
"I'll go get him," she heard Robin say behind them and studied the dark changes fleeting over Emma's face.
"Snow," she whispered. Mary Margaret understood and rose up to stand with her husband, cradled in his arm, to let Regina get closer to Emma.
The mayor looked down at the sheriff with a miserable smile and shook her head sadly. "After all the times I tried to get rid of you, unsuccessfully, you're finally going to leave us now when I don't want you to? Why must you always be so contrary and do the exact opposite of what I want you to do, Miss Swan?" Regina inched closer and took Emma's cold hand in hers. "Fight the darkness, Emma. You can do it. I know you can. I believe in you; like you believed in me." Regina grinned widely, tears spilling over. "And look. I'm living proof that it can be done." She sniffled and stroked Emma's cheek tenderly with her thumb. "Henry's coming, Emma. He'll break this and we will deal with this like we have everything else up to this point. Together. Our magic blocked out the light of the moon, remember?" She fought for breath on a weak laugh.
"Regina," she heard a sliver of hope in Mary Margaret's gasp. "You kiss her."
Regina raised her eyes to Mary Margaret who came closer, the goofy hopeful smile that the woman liked to wear on her face. "What?"
"Regina. Please." There was so much to say, Mary Margaret thought. So many suspicions and thoughts that had crossed her mind for months, almost years, and so much she wanted to tell her former enemy about herself and her great capacity for love, but there was no time now. All that mattered was Emma. "Please, Regina," she begged desperately, "Please, kiss my daughter."
Regina was frowning and gulping. Her eyes flew up to David's and he gave a small smile. "Please, Regina."
Regina looked down at Emma and it was as if time suddenly stood still and their life together flashed before her eyes. That first meeting in front of her house when Emma returned Henry from his crazy trip alone to Boston on a sole bid to find her and bring her back to break Regina's curse. At first sight of Henry's birth mother, it was as if the rug had been swept from under her, but little did she know that the woman was there to save her. Of course she saved everyone, but it was clear to Regina now that in some destined way, the savior was actually sent to save her. Everything else that happened after that moment, power saws to apple trees, mine shafts, Neverland, other curses, they were all steps she took toward her own redemption, one that may never be complete but one that her soul desperately needed. Emma was a bigger part of that than Regina gave the woman credit for.
She gulped again and with affection in her eyes she leaned forward and placed a kiss to Emma's forehead while breathing her scent in, a scent Regina realized now was one she had been subconsciously recognizing before; every time the woman walked into a room, it made itself known. A scent she had unconsciously cherished when they both hugged Henry at the same time.
She lifted up and placed her forehead against the blonde's knowing that she and the savior had never been this physically close before. Their noses touched. "Please," Regina whispered, "Come back to me, Emma."
And then without thinking, the queen lovingly brushed the tip of her nose against the savior's and placed a soft lingering kiss upon Emma Swan's lips.
The change was instantaneous! A wave of light shimmered through the town and lifting her face, Regina saw the effects of the curse begin to fade and break. The savior's face took on a natural and healthy glow and her body shook briefly as dark smoke exited and swirled with demonic screams back into the metal of the dagger. Regina saw the writing of the dagger fade and the blade was left blank.
Regina looked to the Charmings and found Snow, hands covering her mouth in relief, eyes blinking happy tears watching on with David as Emma's body was surrounded with a luminescent silver light; her magic was mending her, with Regina's, whose hand, that was holding Emma's still glowed with her own magic. Regina could feel it. Could feel her own magic battling to save and heal the savior as well, so she channeled it to move from her body into Emma's. They were both shimmered now and it wasn't long until Regina felt a slight stir and then a sharp gasp as Emma blinked her eyes open, fighting for breath.
"EMMA!" Mary Margaret was on her knees and Regina felt so thankful that the blonde was alive.
With the help of Mary Margaret and Regina, Emma was pulled to sit up and she leaned back on her palms, shaking her head for clarity. She looked up and several feet away she saw Hook standing sadly. Then she looked at the ground at her feet and then up to Regina knowingly. "You saved me." Emma took in Regina's appearance, red puffy eyes, and tear-stained cheeks.
The mayor gathered herself by flicking her hair back with a finger and regaining her regal composure. "Don't I always, Miss Swan?" The haughtiness in her tone was such a regular occurrence that Emma often just overlooked it as how Regina regularly spoke. She looked at the ground again and back to Regina blinking but with her mouth curling up at the ends.
"You kissed me."
Regina's mouth opened and closed and it was clear she had no witty or snarky comeback for that so she remained silent and Emma took delight in rendering Regina Mills speechless. Her green eyes searched Regina's face as if reawakening to old feelings she had compartmentalized for silly reasons that escaped her now.
"She kissed you twice actually," Emma heard her mother explain absently yet overjoyed. She also caught the mayor's gape at Mary Margaret willing her to shut up. It only made Emma's grin bloom a little wider on her face at Regina, who was looking a tad bit embarrassed now.
"MOMS! MOMS!" Henry's shouts and running footsteps broke their attention and the two mothers looked over just in time for Henry to hunker down and throw himself into their arms and the three of them were on the ground hugging him to them, laughing and kissing his cheek.
Robin had followed behind him and when he took in the sight in front of him he patted Hook on the back. "Well done, mate. How did you finally do it?"
Hook scoffed. "I didn't. Regina did it."
Henry sat up and his eyes darted between his two moms as they looked sheepishly at each other.
The implications of Hook's statement took a few more seconds than it should have to sink into Robin. "Regina? Regina kissed Emma?" Hook bitterly nodded his head. "But that would mean…"
Henry's eyes goggled and he beamed at Regina and Emma. "Cool."
"Aye… I need a bottle of rum." Hook placed a hand on Robin's shoulder. "You best come with me, mate, and leave the lovebirds alone."
"But… Regina!"
Regina looked at Robin then and gave him an apologetic smile and then turned and in contrast smiled broader, brighter and in a more loving manner to the people in front of her and Robin nodded, seeming to realize a choice had been made. He and Hook turned and morosely walked away.
"Hey," Emma squeaked a little at aching muscles. "Help me up."
"Are you sure, you should be getting up so quickly?" David asked, ever the concerned father, as he carefully picked up the dagger and stuck it Mary Margaret's bag, wanting it safe and out of harm's way. "Perhaps you should take it easy. After all you just absorbed a dark curse."
"You should heed your father's advice, Miss Swan. After all, I was in it for a brief moment too and know how powerful and painful it was."
"Alas, just one more thing we have in common, Regina."
Regina scoffed, and with a smile on her red tinted lips, turned and bantered, "Really Emma, I know you said that you were going to give me my happy ending, but taking a dark curse for me is a little drastic, don't you think?"
"I wanted to make sure you knew I wasn't lying."
Regina gave a tiny chuckle and raised mirthful happy eyes to the savior. "You're crazy."
Emma's expression sobered and her mouth twisted a little ruefully, "Crazy to not see what was right in front of my face? Yeah."
Regina silently eyed Emma over from head to toe and then studied her face. "It seems I am guilty of that very same thing."
They stood just staring at one another slowly beginning to smile. Beside them smiling even more largely were Mary Margaret, David and Henry, the latter seemed ecstatically happy.
Emma's eyes stayed on Regina's face as she took a step closer. Regina's lips parted in anticipation and her gaze fastened on the blonde's lips. The queen wanted honestly to kiss the woman again and little did she know that Emma had wanted the same thing. However, Emma being Emma and not at all the type of person to do anything expected of her opened her mouth and said, "I want a burger."
Regina's eye brows lifted and her jaw dropped and then soon laughter erupted all around them. "You nearly died and now you want to eat? I fail to understand what it is about absorbing a nasty curse that builds up a powerful hunger in you, Miss Swan."
"With BBQ sauce, and extra pickles," Emma went on and Regina wrinkled her nose up. "And tomatoes and some onion rings in it." The conversation seemed to get everyone to start walking toward Granny's.
"You ARE crazy." Regina quipped and then looked down to where Emma's hand had grabbed hers, giving it a heartfelt squeeze before intertwining their fingers together. They walked down the street behind the three other members of their family and David was filling Henry in on all that happened while Mary Margaret's head leaned against her husband's shoulder.
Suddenly Emma stopped and tugged on Regina's hand and the brunette glanced at her quizzically. The younger woman swiftly checked the status of the group walking in front of them and was satisfied that everyone had their backs to them. She caught Regina by surprise by cradling her face and bringing their lips together. As they kissed, Regina's hands of their own volition, stroked and gently pulled the back of Emma's arms to draw her in closer and she felt the savior's lips move and part, tasting and nipping at hers, so she kissed back with equal fervency and it was glorious.
When they stepped back from one another, they were slightly breathless and Emma justified, "I wasn't awake for the first one."
"This one was better." Regina nodded and smiled.
"Yeah?" Emma smiled and they resumed their stroll, hand in hand, along the sidewalk. "Words can't describe how good that felt. I can't wait for the next one."
Regina squeezed her hand. My happy ending. "I doubt you'll have long to wait."
THE END