Snow could feel Charming next to her, struggling against the chains that bound him, desperate to get free.
She sat regally, looking like a queen as she observed their captor on the opposite side of the room. It was her stepmother, in that ever-familiar imposing black outfit with her hair pulled so tightly Snow wondered if she had a headache.
She wasn't surprised that Regina had captured them. Disappointed, yes, but not surprised. After all, they had taken Snow's kingdom back from her and turned it around. Their people were happy, their daughter safe. That was all that had mattered to Snow… at the time.
But the more Snow watched Regina, the more she realized something seemed… off about her. Regina wasn't bragging. She wasn't mocking them. There were no theatrics. She was just… pacing the room. It all seemed so very un-Regina like.
"I can't believe we let her capture us like this. How humiliating," Charming muttered as he continued to struggle. "And Emma… there's no way she's going to be able to fight."
Snow rolled her eyes. "And why not?" she murmured back. "She's our daughter, is she not?" Perhaps it hadn't been the best at teaching her how to fight but… everyone was pushed to their limits. She had been, all those years ago, and she was able to fight those thugs with Hercules. And with Henry being there with her… well, perhaps Emma would be okay.
But right now, for once, Emma was not what was on her mind. No, there was something very strange about Regina's behavior.
"David…" she murmured, watching as Regina continued to pace the room in frustration. "Does something seem off to you with Regina?"
"You mean other than the fact that she dared to show her face in our kingdom again?" he muttered, slumping his shoulders.
"No," she whispered. "She hasn't been bragging or monologuing. In fact, she hasn't even really been paying attention to us at all since we got here."
"Oh. Maybe she grew up, same as we did."
"That's the problem, David… it doesn't look like she's aged at all. She's no Rumplestiltskin after all. She hasn't even made a demand other than Emma come save us. You know that's not like her," Snow whispered.
"Snow, it's been forty years since we've seen her. She isn't the same person anymore. Neither are we," David said softly.
"So why would she decide to attack us again if she isn't the same?"
He sighed. "I don't know. Maybe she just misses the kingdom."
Snow gazed over to the former Evil Queen and frowned as she turned to face she and David.
"Where is that daughter of yours?!" she demanded in that familiar harsh tone. Even so, there was something about her face that was making Snow suspicious.
"Gathering our army, presumably," David replied. "Or our grandson."
Something rippled in Regina's face – a mixture of fear and dread. But not the sort of dread Snow had seen on her the night they had defeated her. No, this sort of dread was one she'd seen many times on herself and on her daughter.
It was the face of a mother afraid that their child was going to get themselves into danger.
Now she had her.
"You're not Regina," Snow said simply.
That startled her. "What? Of course I am, Snow White."
"Snow…" David said slowly, a warning tone lacing his voice.
"You aren't. The Regina I knew back then wouldn't be afraid of our grandson coming for her head. Not when he has only just been knighted. Who are you?"
A bit of relief flooded Regina's face, Snow noted. "I'm Regina. I'm from… I'm from a world where I won. Not you."
Snow and Charming stiffened, their chains rattling against the cement floor.
"What? Why are you here then? Revenge on behalf of our Regina?" Snow asked.
"No! I've come to get our Emma back to my realm!" the new Regina replied.
She frowned. "What? Your Emma?"
"Yes. Even though I managed to cast the curse, you still have Emma in your life. I've come here to get her back. At your request, Charming."
Charming frowned. "Why would I ask you for anything?"
"Because… as strange as it sounds, we're allies. We're family."
The words cut into a part of Snow she hadn't dared to think about since the night the war ended.
Once upon a time, Snow White had wished for that. She'd had it, long ago. Before she knew what her father had done to Regina, before she'd realized how manipulative Cora really was. But it had been too late for Regina, in this world. To know there was a world where Regina was saved… it gave her hope. But even so… if Regina was here to take Emma, an Emma that wasn't their daughter…
Where was their Emma then?
"Why should we believe you?" Charming asked before she got the chance to speak.
Regina sighed. "If you don't believe I've genuinely changed… then know that I'm doing it for Henry too. He's already lost his father. I don't want him to lose Emma too."
Snow felt her face fall. "The Regina of this world wouldn't care about Henry…" she murmured. "She wouldn't even know about Henry. But… not even in your world was Neal safe?" That broke her heart. Emma had loved Sir Neal.
Regina shook her head. "No. Unfortunately not." There seemed to be more that she left unspoken, but Snow didn't want to press it.
"Where is our Emma then?" she settled on.
"I don't know. I assume if I leave with Emma she'll come back."
Snow took a deep breath and looked at Charming, who exchanged a similar look of worry.
"We'll trust you," Snow finally agreed. "What do you want us to do?"
"I need Emma to reawaken her magic, so I need you to do exactly what I tell you."
"Magic? She – she knows magic?" Charming asked with wide eyes.
Regina fidgeted. "Yes. Her being the Savior enabled her to use magic. I've… been the one teaching her. I need to wake her up from being… um. So weak. Frankly, I'm surprised you raised her to be such a coward, Snow. After everything we went through I would have thought you'd want to raise her to be like you."
Snow frowned. "So you think that your Emma is so much better than mine?"
"I never suggested that. You were a warrior, Snow, in my world and in this one. You didn't raise your daughter to be the same?"
"I wanted her to grow up safe and happy. Unlike I did."
Regina flinched back. "Yes. I understand."
Charming's brow furrowed. "How – how did you and a different Emma end up in this world anyway? With the curse not cast there was no way to get anywhere else."
"A wish. Emma made a wish to go to a place where the curse had never been cast. A vindictive genie granted it. I made a wish to follow her in here."
"Mommy? Daddy?!" Emma called, still some distance away.
Okay, maybe Snow understood what Regina was saying about her daughter. It was very strange that her thirty-something daughter was still calling her "mommy".
"Just... follow my hands. If I crush these fake hearts pretend you've died. I… I don't want to hurt you, but I need to make it real to try to force her memories to come back."
They nodded and swallowed. She didn't like the thought of hurting Emma, but if it was the only way to save her (even if it wasn't their Emma), Snow would do anything to help… and they did. When Regina's fingers flexed to squeeze the heart, they gasped in pain, and when the fake hearts crumbled to dust in Regina's hands, she and Charming fell over, pretending to be dead.
Emma's scream tore her heart apart, but then something else happened. Emma had screamed out Henry's name, there was the sound of someone hitting a wall, and Snow's head shot up, eyes wide.
"Wh – Emma? Henry?" she asked, taking in new confident form of her daughter and the unmoving, statuesque grandson frozen with his sword out.
Emma startled, stepping back in surprise. "You're alive? But I thought – "
"Then they did their jobs right. Come on Emma, you don't think I'd kill them, do you? They're innocent in all of this," Regina groaned, stumbling up from the floor near the far wall. "And as for Henry… don't worry, the spell on him will wear off as soon as I poof you all back to your palace."
"And our Emma will return to us too?"
"I'd guess she'll reappear at your castle when we're back in our world," Emma said, looking at the two of them almost like they were strangers rather than her parents. "It was nice… seeing what my life would have been like if the curse hadn't separated us. Except… I don't think her wardrobe is really for me. Too, uh. Childish. No offense."
Snow shook her head. "None taken. Just please, be safe when you're home. You might not be the Emma I raised, but you are still my daughter."
Emma seemed flustered at that, but smiled gently. "Thank you. I'm still getting used to the whole parent thing, so hopefully this will help."
There were so many questions that were running through her mind, but she knew there was no time to ask them all.
Snow reached up to press a kiss to Emma's forehead and Charming hugged her, cupping her head much like he did when she was a child.
"We love you Emma," Charming said. "Never forget that."
Emma smiled. "I won't. I love you too. Good luck with your Emma and Henry."
"Thank you. Goodbye Emma…"
With a wave of Regina's hand and a puff of smoke, they were back in their palace.
True to Regina's word, Henry became mobile again, caught in the middle of a monologue. "Evil witch! I'll make sure you – "
"Whoa there soldier, put the sword down. It's okay," Charming said, stepping in front of Henry. "We're safe now. We're all safe."
Henry's eyes lit up with relief. "Gramps… Grandma… but where's – "
"Henry? Mommy? Daddy?"
Emma ran into the room, a look of confusion on her face. "Why is everyone so worried? Aren't we supposed to be celebrating Henry's knighting?"
Snow sighed in relief, hugging her daughter. "We'll explain later. Come. Let's go celebrate."
Charming looked at the nearby guards. "You heard the Queen. Make sure everyone is prepared for the ball."
The guards nodded and hurried off, and Snow chuckled softly. "By the way Emma, tomorrow, I think I'm going to start teaching you how to shoot a bow and arrow, like I did."
She looked startled. "What? I – alright. I'd like that."
As the royal family made their way into the ballroom, Snow couldn't help but wonder what happened to the other Emma and the good Regina, and just how it was that she and Regina had once again become a family.