The alarm clock beeped. I opened my eyes and saw the beautiful wind charm Henry gave to me yesterday hanging by my window. I immediately get ready for work. I'm actually excited because I have a date with my son later. As I walk by the town, I am feeling a sense of déjà vu and I don't know why, maybe because I am not used to people living in such harmony like this. The last time I saw this was when everyone was under my curse and they are all programmed to live in perfect harmony. This is no curse or design. This is just them living a happy life. I stopped by at Granny's for my morning cup of coffee. I saw Emma and Hook at the table having breakfast together and on the other table I saw my sister having a meal with Dr. Whale or as everyone knows him Dr. Frankenstein.
Granny handed me my coffee but I was so distracted by my sister and her choice of men that I didn't notice it. "Who would've thought that two would pair together", Granny said when she saw me staring at them. I looked at her and she's smiling at me. I took my coffee and gave her the money. I walked towards them. "Regina! Good you're here. I was just about to call you. Can you babysit Robin for tonight?" Zelena asked me when she saw me coming. I think I know where she's heading with this. "Why would you have me babysit your daughter?" I asked her back. I saw that look in her eyes. I saw that before back in the Underworld. "Well, Victor here asked me out tonight and it could go late so I need someone to watch her and she likes you, please", she answered and gave that puppy dog eyes. How can I say no to that? I gave Whale a look and he already got what I mean. "I'll take a good care of her and I will bring her back to you in one piece", he said. I looked at both them. They are waiting for my answer. "Okay fine, just this once. Next time, get an actual sitter", I said to Zelena.
Just before I leave the ground shakes and I dropped my coffee on the floor and it spilled on my Jimmy Choo's. "Oh, crap…what now?" I muttered in my frustrations. Emma and Hook stood up right away. We all went outside to check what just happened. My eyes widened in shock when I saw it. I felt like my throat went suddenly dry. "What is it Regina?" Emma asked me. She may be the savior but I am still a pro when it comes to magic than her. I raised my hand to have a good feel about the dark cloud of smoke clouding our sky. It's not possible. I pulled my hand right away. "It's a curse", I answered. I think I said that one out loud because everyone just went into a panic mode. "What curse?" Hook asked.
"In an hour this town will be under the dark curse again but a much stronger one with one catch, it will kill the lineage of your family", I answered.
"You mean me and my parents?" Emma asked.
"Yes, and Henry", I answered.
"Who casted the curse?" Zelena asked.
"I have no idea and we don't have time to figure that out. We need to get you out now", I answered.
We raided my vault while Emma and Hook warned the Charmings and Henry about the curse. This all pointless, I can't make anything that can counter that curse, not with that timeframe. Zelena went to my spell books. Then I saw something, the original dark curse sitting by the wall chest. "How is this possible?" I muttered. Zelena stopped and went to me. "What is that?" she asked me. It's exactly the same. "This is the dark curse and it's whole…I tore it to stop Peter Pan's curse from happening. That's what brought us back to the Enchanted Forest when you were in my castle", I answered. I have no idea how it got fixed. When I destroyed it, it just disappeared from my hands. Then I got an idea. "I saved everyone from Pan's curse by this. It told me what needed to be done. Maybe it can do the same thing again", I said to Zelena. Hope instantly radiated through her eyes. "Then go on do it", Zelena said. I held the curse on my hand then it hit me. Next thing I know Zelena is shaking me to wake up. "What just happened?" she asked when I woke up. "I know what I need to do", I answered.
I called Emma and the Charmings to meet me at the center of the town, the Main Street. I looked at each one of them carefully, memorizing what they all looked like before I will forget. "You found a way to stop it", Snow said excitedly. The woman I tried to kill for years who became my closest friend. "I didn't find a way to stop the curse. I found a way to save your family", I replied. Everyone is hanging on my every word. I brought so much pain to this family. This is my way of making for it once and for all. "You have to go back to the Enchanted Forest, all of you, including you Henry", I said. They all looked at each other trying to take in what I was saying. "But everyone in this town will be under the curse", David said. That is true including me apparently as much as I would like calling them my family we're not really blood related.
"Yes but the curse can be broken and I'm hoping that one day you will find a way to do that", I said.
"We will right away after we got there", Emma promised.
"No you won't right away. When I send you back, the wall between realms will close. There's no way to come back here", I explained.
"What?" Emma exclaimed.
"That's where you will come in Henry. You are born here which means you can come back if you find a way to do so", I said.
"I will Mom. I will come back for you", Henry said.
"Then let's get to it then. The curse is almost here", Hook said.
"You're not coming with them", I stopped him.
"What are you saying?" he asked me.
"The spell, it will only work with blood related beings. You are married to Emma. I'm sorry", I answered. I am expecting more arguing but he didn't say anything. He understood. After all, I am doing the same sacrifice as he is.
Emma and Hook said their goodbyes to each other. I casted the spell on the street and it created a door. Snow and David went it after they said goodbye to me. "We will come back", Emma said before she went in. Henry hugged me before he went to the portal. "Mom I don't want to leave you here", he cried. Tears fell from my eyes. "I don't want to let you go either but I can't let you die. Find a way to come back and break the curse. I know you can do it. I have faith in you, we all have. You are our hero", I said to him as I wiped away his tears. "I will…I will not let you all down. I promise. I love you Mom", he said. "I love you too", I replied and then he walked away from me and into the portal. I have no idea how long it will take for him to do that but I know he will do his best. I looked at Zelena. She's carrying her daughter. "Get into the portal", I said to her. She looked at me confusingly. "What are you talking about? You said that only works with blood related beings", she asked me.
"Yes, you and your daughter are blood related. I will send you back to Oz", I answered.
"But why?" she asked again.
"If you got hit by the curse, there's a chance you might be separated with your daughter and god knows for how long. You have to go now", I answered.
"You can come with us. We are blood related. We're sisters. Why won't you come with us?" she said.
"I can't. I have to be outside to make this work. Once you enter the door, you will be directed inside the hatter's hat. Just choose the door leading to Oz and you'll be fine. You can always watch me right", I said.
"It's not going to be the same being with you and hearing all your sarcasm about my fascination with green", she joked.
"We have to do this. You saved me a lot of times, now let me do the same for you and my niece", I said.
"But Regina…I don't want to leave you", she said while in tears.
"I don't want that too but we have no choice. Come on there's no time. Go", I said and then pushed them towards the door.
I raised my hand to stop the curse from hitting the door. I just need more time to let them get inside where they'll be going. I can see them inside. They are all watching me. They are calling me but the door won't allow me to hear what they're saying. "Tell them to get inside the doors. I don't know how much longer I can hold this. If the curse hit this portal before they got inside they will be crushed along with all the portals in it", I said to Hook. He went in front of the door and mouthed to them to go. I can feel the blood dripping from my nose. Few more minutes, this will actually kill me.
I looked at the door and they are gone. They went in. I looked at Hook. We both know what's going to happen now we're going to be cursed. "Are you ready?" I asked him. He gave me his old smirk. "You kidding? Living in a town for years maybe decades without aging, that sounds like immortality", he joked. We both laughed. I don't get it how we can still make fun of our situation. "I'm so glad to get to know you, Killian", I said to him and I can't believe it either but I'm actually crying in front of him. "The honor is mine, Your Majesty", he replied. Then I finally let go and let the curse cloud get us. I closed my eyes and picture me with Henry while reading his comic books, with Emma and Snow and David and how cramped up their apartment is, my sister who always dressed with anything green and her cute attempt to pass it on to her daughter. I smiled and then it went all blank.