Set after the events of 3x17. Minor Outlaw Queen and Captain Swan to start. Swan Queen Endgame.
My take on the defeat of Zelena and the curse.
Frustration.
That was probably the most accurate word Emma Swan would use to describe her time with Regina Mills.
They'd both been working together and training together for almost 2 weeks now. Trying desperately to get Emma's magic up to any standard to defeat Zelena.
Emma dropped her hands for the hundredth time and groaned in frustration, "Ugh! It's still not working!"
Regina inspected her nails and rolled her eyes, "Once again Emma, I've given you all the tools to do the spell, you just have to use them."
Emma squeezed her fists again and spun to face the former Evil Queen who casually leaned against the hood of her Benz with a bored expression.
"Well, Regina, you've done nothing but give me snide remarks while watching me fail over and over!" The blonde nearly went wild at the small smirk that appeared on Regina's lips at the mention of the failing, "But I'm starting to believe that you throwing me into intense near death experiences will be the only thing that'll work!"
Regina pushed up against the Benz into her usual regal stance, "Well how about I throw you into a highway and you see how many cars you can throw off the bridge?" The brunette mockingly tapped her chin, "Oh wait, Mommy and Daddy have forbidden you to go to such lengths with someone, as they put it, as 'reckless' as me."
Emma sighed again and rubbed her forehead, "Okay... look, maybe we could do something along those lines again and just not tell them?"
The savior raised a curios eyebrow at the Mayor who in turn stared the blonde down with a glare.
"No."
Emma blinked, "No? I thought you'd jump at the chance to go against Mary Margaret's wishes?"
Regina clenched her jaw and brushed down her fitting mac coat, "Yes well, we do need you in one piece Miss Swan."
Emma smirked and rubbed her shoe into the grass, "You sound like you care, Miss Mills."
To Emma's surprise, Regina actually chuckled and shoved her hands in her pockets. A rare silence fell between the two as Emma looked around the scenic view of the forest, unbeknownst to Regina's gaze that never left her.
"You're all Henry has."
It was spoken so quietly, so softly, Emma was afraid if The Queen said it any firmer she'd break.
The Savior whipped her head towards Regina and hesitantly stepped forward.
She placed a cautious hand on Regina's arm and gave her a tight lipped smile, "Hey, you're still his mother, okay?"
Regina fought the tears that threatened to form as she looked anywhere but the blonde.
"He's going to get his memories back and we're gonna defeat Zelena together."
The Mayor flicked her hair back and breathed out, "Yeah well, I wish I could believe that."
Emma let go of Regina's arm defeated and looked back down.
Regina noticed the disappointed tone in Emma's demeanor and couldn't help the sinking feeling that consumed her.
"But we're going to get that magic out of you, near death experiences or not." The former Evil Queen shot the savior a rare bright smile as she looked back at her again, "We've just got to keep practicing."
Emma tried to shake away the feeling she got from the smile and nodded her head, "Yeah you're right. So, any other methods Rumple used?"
Regina was once again thrown off by the question, remembering her reluctance to learn magic. A very long time ago.
"Regina?" The mayor whipped her head up from her trance, "Look, you can't keep things from me. Not when its important."
The older woman's demeanor took an instant turn as she smiled that wicked "Evil Queen" smile.
"Trust me, Miss Swan, you wouldn't have wanted to do the things I had to do." Regina spoke with that familiar harsh venom laced in her voice, but Emma detected that well guarded emotion that was deeply hidden.
Emma shook her head in frustration again, "We're not getting anywhere! Stop being so cryptic for god's sake!" Emma practically screeched towards Regina as she dared to gain closer on her,"Just what the hell did Rumple do to you that amplified your magic Regina!?"
Regina's eyes were wild as she took a step towards Emma, their close proximity going unaware to both women, "He made me into a monster!"
Emma flinched as she watched Regina's eyes soften.
"We may have our difference's Miss Swan, but I do not wish you that fate."
Emma's emerald eyes met deep brown. The Savior never noticed how deep Regina's eyes actually were.
Hurt. Loss. Pain.
Her eyes told everything her words never could.
"Regina I'm-"
The Mayor held up her hand cutting off Emma and breaking the closeness the two women had just previously formed. "Save it."
"I think that concludes for today Miss Swan." The walls were back up as Regina wrapped her scarf around her neck and gathered herself.
"Seriously? Look Regina I get I may have brought up some bad memories-"
"You just don't get it do you?" Regina sighed through a tearful smile, "How I learned magic doesn't have to be the way for you. You don't need to become someone you hate Emma."
Emma's breath hitched at the genuine statement from the Queen. The use of her name. The longing gaze.
She was pleading.
"Okay, we'll do it your way. I won't mention it again." Emma replied just as softly as Regina nodded, satisfied with her answer.
The Brunette turned to leave as Emma blurted, "I don't hate you!"
Regina raised that trademark eyebrow and smirk, something Emma found charmingly attractive from the former Evil Queen, though she hated to admit it.
The blonde gave her a small smirk back, "We didn't always agree at first. And yeah we occasionally fought..." The two women both let out small laughs, "But I could never hate you Regina. I could never hate someone who loves our son as fiercely as you do."
Regina swallowed the lump in her throat and bashfully smiled.
"I don't hate you either, Emma."
Emma felt a pulse of magic shoot through her whole body as she slightly jerked, "Hey, I think I'm ready for another try!"
Regina looked torn as she looked between the blonde and her car, "I actually have some where I need to be. I'll call in to Snow's this evening?"
Emma tried to hide her disappointment as she shot the Mayor another pained smile.
Regina gave her a small nod and strode the few paces towards her car, unlocking the door.
"Where are you going to?" Emma asked in a small voice.
Regina bit her lip, "Checking to see if my heart's still safe."
Emma furrowed her brows, "You're still hiding it? Where?"
Regina gave her a guilty look, "Not so much as where, but with whom."
"What!? Regina you've left your heart with someone!?" Emma grew in exasperation, "Zelena wants to crush it!"
Regina sighed again and looked towards the blonde, "Look it's complicated. But I trust Robin and I trust-"
"You've left your heart with a man you've just met!?" Emma's eyes widened as her jaw dropped.
"I don't expect you to understand." Regina harshly spat back, opening her door to her Benz. "See you tonight."
Emma swallowed a lump in her throat as she watched the Queen speed off.
To her left, a small fire began to ignite from the grass.
Snow, Charming, Emma, Hook and Henry all sat in the Charming's apartment doing various things to pass the time.
Hook stared longingly towards the Savior, dreading his impending cursed kiss.
Charming and Snow debated baby names as the pregnant woman dished out some food.
Emma made small talk with her son while hastily watching the clock for Regina's arrival.
Every eye widened at the woman who casually strode through the door.
Zelena.
Immediately Emma stood to protect Henry. The confused boy was about to protest as his mother shoved him back behind her, but began to scare at the way the people in the room stood in defense to the woman who walked in the room.
"Oh, supper's out... I came just at the right time." The red head smiled wickedly as she took her green gloves off, examining the room. "I don't want anybody to get hurt, so where's my little sister?"
"She isn't here." David piped up, his stance with Mary Margaret similar to Emma and Henry.
The Wicked Witch tutted disapprovingly, "Such a shame, you see I want something of hers. Is it here by any chance?"
"Regina isn't foolish enough to leave her heart in here, you're wasting your time."
Zelena smiled at the new voice and turned towards the sound, "Ah, the Savior. Come to try and take me on again?"
Emma stepped forward, eyeing Hook to keep watch of Henry. "Whatever it is you want, it's not here."
"You're right, she's not foolish enough to leave it here." Zelena stalked the room, still looking everywhere to see if something caught her eye. "Of course she was foolish enough to leave it with Robin Hood, but I paid a visit to the Prince of Thieves earlier and it seemed to have vanished much to his surprise too."
Snow and Emma shared an equally confused look.
Zelena shrugged her shoulders, "Oh well, guess she needs an incentive."
The Wicked witch swooped her arms around the room, sticking everyone's feet in place as her hands moved in the direction of Henry.
The boy lifted off the ground and moved towards the Wicked Witch.
"Henry!" Emma shouted hopelessly as her body refused to move, watching her son's neck come colliding into the Wicked Witch's hands.
Zelena tightened her grip on the young boy as he winced. "Sorry, you're just collateral damage." Zelena smirked towards a struggling Emma, "You can thank Hook for this."
Emma whipped her head to the pirate, the tears swelling around her eyes. "What is she talking about?!"
Zelena chuckled wickedly, "That doesn't matter anymore, his death will surely break the Queen." The Witch eyed Henry again, "You're some what of a Legend young man, you saved her heart."
Before Henry could ask questions Zelena dramatically tightened her grip around his neck, leaving the boy gasping for air.
Zelena smirked as Henry began loosing consciousness, but her stance was impacted by a large fireball hitting the side of her body.
The Witch dropped the boy as she collided into the wall, hissing as the burn fiercely licked up the side of her body.
Regina raised another fireball as she walked through the threshold of the door into the living room.
"Don't you dare touch my son!"
The Queen threw the fire towards Zelena again, who this time managed to deflect it.
"Oh come on, sis, I was just testing you." The Witch smirked again as she lifted Regina's body and threw her into the wall. "Although hurting him would be most satisfying."
Regina struggled to regain herself as she watched Zelena plunge her hand into the unconscious Henry's chest.
"Wait!" The Queen called out desperately, "I've got it! I've got my heart, just please."
Zelena considered her sister as she slowly removed her hand from Henry's chest.
Emma cried in relief.
"Swear?" Zelena cautiously asked her sister.
Regina wiped the tears as she stepped from the crater she'd made in the wall. "Swear."
The Queen pulled her heart from the black leather bag and held it up, it's deep red seeping through the blackness like a diamond in the rough.
The Wicked Witch chuckled and stood, stalking over to Regina.
"Crush it. I don't care, just do not hurt him." The Queen whispered out as her broken eyes bore into Henry's small body still on the floor.
Zelena took the heart and held it up. "Feels incredible." The Witch whispered in awe as she eyed the heart. "To hold the most resilient heart in all the realms. Of all of time."
Everyone in the room eyed Zelena.
Regina held her head up high, waiting on her impending death.
Zelena managed to look away from the heart back to her sister, "I don't want to crush your heart, dear." The Witch smiled brightly as Regina looked on, perplexed. "I need this heart. I need it to go back. To destroy you. Well, all of you in that matter."
Regina gritted her teeth, "What the hell are you talking about?!"
Zelena carefully placed the heart in her own bag, "Typical Regina. Always thinking she knows everything. You're problem is you don't even know you're own past. That's why you'll lose."
Before she could retort, Zelena magicked herself away in a puff of green smoke.
Finally, the Charming's, Hook and Emma were all released from their hold, the latter running towards her son.
Regina gave a pained look at Emma carefully holding their son's head in her arms, cradling him and whispering 'You're okay' as she stroked his hair.
The former Evil Queen ignored the concerned questions from Snow and Charming as she walked carefully over to Emma and Henry.
"Is he okay?" She asked softly, as Emma wiped a tear and nodded.
"You can hold him if you want." The blonde smiled.
Regina looked torn, "What if he comes around?"
Emma gave the Mayor a small smile, "Regina you just saved his life."
Regina closed her eyes and sighed out relief as she carefully sat beside Henry with Emma opposite.
The Queen gently took the boys hand and stroked it, her eyes boring into him.
Emma gently lifted him into Regina's arms.
The Queen released a breath as the tears let go.
Emma couldn't help but think she looked hauntingly beautiful.
Regina stroked his hair back in the same manor as Emma did.
She smiled at the memories of little Henry.
"I remember when I first held him." The Queen whispered out through ragged breaths, "I remember his love just shining so bright." Regina gently traced a finger over his features, "He brought me back to life."
The Mayor swiftly wipe a tear and smiled, "I'd kiss his little feet and watch for that perfect smile."
Emma smiled and placed her hands on top of Regina's.
Energy coursed through them both.
Regina looked up at the Savior, "You made him beautiful."
Emma's breath hitched at Regina's words as the magic that ran through both of their hands flowed through Henry.
The young boy slightly coughed as he came around.
Regina made no hasty move as he looked up at her.
"Mom?"
The Queen's soul ignited as she watched his familiar eyes gaze upon her.
"Henry!? Y-you remember me?!" Regina gasped as she placed her hands either side of the boys cheeks.
"I remember!" Henry shouted excitedly as he shot up to hug both his Moms.
Emma was still speechless.
David came closer, "Wait he remembers? He's healed? How?" The Father held Snow closer to him as they both rejoiced.
Emma looked up at her parents smiling, "I don't know we just touched a-and..."
The Savior turned to look at Regina over Henry's head.
"We got lucky." The Mayor whispered out as she looked away.
Emma knew Regina wasn't telling her something, but that could wake.
"Hook." The blonde whispered in realization, breaking the hug as she searched for the pirate.
Emma stood, her eyes immediately meeting the man who stood behind her parents.
"Mom, Dad, take Henry out of here."
The Charming's eyed her before agreeing to take the boy and having a catch up.
"Are you going to start making out or shall I take my leave too?" Regina casually added.
"No. Stay." Emma stated quickly before turning back to the Queen, "I need to talk to you too."
"Swan-"
"No." Emma cut Hook off quickly. "You know you can't lie to me, so tell me, what was Zelena on about?"
Hook's eyes pleaded with the Savior, but she didn't budge.
"What happened with Ariel the other week... I lied." The Captain spoke out dejectedly. "I didn't help her get to Prince Eric, or any of that-"
"The mirror showed me them together?" Emma asked more to herself, "Who got them together then?"
Hook continued to stare into Emma's eyes as silence engulfed the room.
"I did."
Both the Pirate and the Savior turned back to Regina who stood emotionless with her hands on her hips.
"You knew he lied and you didn't tell me?!" Emma asked exasperatedly.
Regina tutted and pointed towards herself, "Like you would have believed me." The Queen huffed and stared between the two, "As far as it looked his story made sense with what you were seeing, and what the Evil Queen just shoots in and screams 'liar' towards him? You know you wouldn't believe that."
Emma rubbed the bridge of her nose, "I would have Regina! Jesus this is such a mess! You know I know when you're lying!"
Regina narrowed her eyes between the two in front of her, "I believe your feelings would cloud your judgement."
Emma physically stood back, shocked at the Queen's statement.
The Savior turned back to Hook, "That doesn't matter anyway. What do you know that you're keeping from us?"
The dark haired man sighed out, "The Wicked Witch cursed my lips. If we kiss, your magic will be taken from you."
Emma narrowed her eyes, "What's the catch?"
Hook swallowed as he shared a quick glance at Regina, "She said she would kill and hurt those you loved."
Emma was rendered speechless again as she brought her hand to cover her mouth, tears threatening to spill.
"Swan, I'm sorry I didn't know-"
Hook's world span as a fist collided with his jaw.
The man was knocked back a few paces as he gripped his jaw looking on wards at a very angry Regina Mills.
"You ever put my son in jeopardy like that again Killian, I swear I will rip your heart out."
Regina felt a strong hand grip her waist.
She was startled by the gentle touch, yet a touch managed to soothe her.
"Calm down, Regina." Emma spoke softly as she stepped in front.
"I can't believe you would betray me like that!" The Savior shouted at Hook as he continued to soothe his jaw, "Henry was almost killed!"
"Swan, I'm sorry-"
"Stop it. You don't get to be sorry." Emma cut the pirate off again, turning back to the Queen for answers.
Regina swallowed and sighed, "You're going to have to kiss him Emma."
Emma looked on a the Queen, surprise etching her face. "But we need our magic to defeat her! If we keep Henry safe we could-"
"It's not just Henry though is it." Regina whispered out, "We can't keep everyone safe. The only way we're going to win this war now is to out smart her."
Emma felt a rush of emotions course through her. Regina Mills, former Evil Queen was concerned for everyone's safety.
The Savior couldn't get lost in those deep eyes again as she looked down, "How do we do that?"
Regina smiled, "I don't know. But we've got to keep fighting."
Emma gave Regina another small smile as she turned back to Hook.
"Let's finish this."
The Pirate stepped closer to the blonde and pulled her in, their eyes closing as their lips met.
Regina couldn't help but feel a pang as she looked away.
Emma felt a drain go through her.
Like a light had left.
They pulled apart and Emma downcast her eyes from the man, disgusted.
"Regina let's go find my parents and make a plan." Emma spoke hurriedly as she grabbed her red leather jacket, "I'll be waiting outside."
"Swan-" Hook began to move after the blonde, but his feet became stuck again.
"Ah, ah, Captain." Regina shook her finger, "I think you've done enough damage."
"Takes one to know one your majesty." Killian bit back, smirking.
Before he knew it, the Queen's fist collided with his eye.
Regina leaned into his space, "That's for hurting Emma."
The Queen stalked out of the room after the Savior before Hook could even question her new motives towards Emma Swan.
Regina found Emma outside leaning against that ugly yellow bug.
"It's kind of a shame my sister couldn't have destroyed that in our fight the other week." The Queen sassed, smirking at the blonde and her car.
Normally Emma would chuckle or shoot her a small smile, but the blonde stayed still, staring off into the distance.
Regina couldn't stop the emotion and concern as it laced her voice.
"Are you okay?"
Emma finally looked towards the Queen, her heart swelling at how protective she had been.
"I'm fine." She lied. Regina knew it too. "But there's more pressing matters we've got. Any plans on our next move?"
Regina chose to respect Emma's wishes and ignored her obvious hurt feelings as she nodded. "Well, we need to learn more of Zelena's past. And there's a way to do that."
Emma stood up straight from her car, her full attention captured. "How do we do that?"
Regina clenched her jaw, unsure of her own words. "We contact my mother."
Emma gasped, "You know how to do that?"
The Queen nodded, "I know what we need. Just gather every one at my place and I'll be there shortly."
Regina made a move to go to her own car but was stopped by Emma's firm grip on her arm.
"Wait, something else is troubling you." Emma stated knowingly as green eyes met brown again.
"I..." Regina began, feeling that electrical current of magic flow through her from Emma's touch.
"Regina?" Emma whispered softly, closing in on the woman.
The Queen swallowed.
"I'm trying to work out why my heart is out of my body yet I'm feeling emotions with more intensity than I've ever felt them."