A/N: This plot was plaguing my mind for a while now, so a fever and inability to sleep tonight let me work on it without sabotaging the schedule of my other fic. Hope, you'll like it.

Two halves of a whole

Emma really didn't like this idea. From the very start it seemed fishy to her.

How can a person be whole with a half of her gone? Would she be the same person or would she be absolutely different? Would she revert back to the person she was before the Queen? Would she stay the same sassy, incorrigible, but so loving Regina, they all knew and, dare Emma say, loved?

And the question that worried her the most, how could one half live without the other? After all, they were parts of one personality, they completed each other, shaded some qualities and made some shine brighter.

These thoughts plagued her mind as she watched Snow White inject the serum into Regina's arm.

When all her doubts reached their peak, Emma realized: she had to stop them, had to talk them out of it, make Regina understand that, even with all her demons, she was a unique person. If she reached a breaking point now, she still had a family that would look after her, stand by her throughout anything, support her with everything they had and love her regardless.

"Wait," Emma started saying.

But it was too late.

Snow had already injected the serum and stepped away from Regina.

At first, nothing happened. Regina was just looking at them with wide-opened eyes.

Suddenly, a shudder ran through her body. Her russet eyes widened even more; in them you could clearly see an unconcealed agony.

Abruptly, Regina bent over and dug the nails of both of her hands into the scalp as if trying to scrape it off.

Emma was more than ready to rush to the brunette, but a hand on the shoulder stopped her. Blond glanced to her left and saw Snow shake her head, telling her daughter to just wait.

As sharply as she crouched, Regina straightened up, this time clawing at the skin of her neck, chest, then going down the sides of her torso and back up to her head.

Now mother and daughter were able to see the Mayor's face. It was twisted in pain and was colored into a strange shade of glowing red. Her mouth was opened in a silent scream.

Regina's spine arched back, her limbs tensed into straight lines, and to their surprise another figure started to separate from Regina's body.

With every passing moment it was getting more and more creepy.

One second there was only one Regina, the next there were two of them: one dressed in the modern clothes from before separation; the other was in a fancy medieval black dress, littered with shiny gems, with her hair in an elegant updo.

Two identical women just stared at each other for a couple of seconds. The Evil Queen was the first to break the tense silence.

"Look at what you've become," disgust was written all over her face.

Regina just kept staring at her counterpart and breathed deeply, recovering from the exertion of separation.

The Queen didn't waste any more time and threw up her hand with intention of attacking, but Emma was faster.

"Regina," when the Queen was immobilized, Emma wanted to voice her concerns, but Snow interrupted her.

"This is your chance. Destroy her," Snow's voice held no doubts.

The Queen only chuckled. "You? Destroy me?" she was mocking her other half. "You don't have what it takes," she proudly tilted her head up.

Regina kept staring at her, her breath still a little labored, her brows frowned. There was an internal battle inside her head.

"You are weak," this was the last straw. No one dared call her weak, even herself. "You need me."

"No, I don't," in a second, Regina's hand was inside the Queen's chest, squeezing her blackened heart and pulling it out.

"I'm sorry," her eyes showed regret, but she was determined to get rid of the darkness plaguing her.

So she crushed the heart with a one fluid motion and it turned into dust. As well as the Queen.

Everyone just stared as the wind carried away what was left of the Evil Queen and her heart.

Finally, Regina looked up at Emma's concerned face, their eyes met and a small smile graced the brunette's face.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Then another...

And one after that...

Fear filled Regina's face.

She clutched her chest, where her heart was contracting for the very last time.

"Emma," she stumbled forward and felt strong arms catch her petite form.

Emma just couldn't comprehend what was happening. One moment Regina just stood in front of her with a small, but meaningful smile on her beautiful face, then she was clutching her chest and falling over.

Emma automatically reached out to the older woman and caught her, sinking to the cold floor with the brunette still safe in her hands.

"Regina... Regina!" Emma shook her by the shoulders, trying to gain her attention, but the woman just stared into the darkness of the night, gasping for air. Then her russet eyes rolled back into her skull and her whole body started to convulse.

"No... Nonononono," Emma lightly slapped Regina on the cheek. "Don't close your eyes, Regina. Don't you dare leave us like this," Emma begged.

Emma concentrated and called her magic forth. She tried to use everything she had, and their bodies started glowing with white power, but it only slowed down the inevitable and gave them only a couple of minutes.

"Emma," Regina's gaze focused on the blond and she put a delicate hand on Emma's cheek, brushing away the tears, she didn't even know were running down her face. Magic managed to return the brunette to consciousness and gave her some strength. But it won't last long. "Looks like we had one heart for two. Who knew, my demise would come from my own hands. It's funny, if you think 'bout it," Regina chuckled and a shudder ran through her body.

Emma scowled and just held the brunette closer. "No, don't you say it. I'll try again. I'll save you," Emma closed her eyes and concentrated on her magic one more time.

"Em-mah," with a hand still on the blond's cheek Regina forced her face closer. She already felt the live force leaving her once again. "There's n-nothing you c-can do."

Emma still kept shaking her head in denial. "No, you can't die. You can't leave us now. Please, Regina."

"L-look after, Hen-Henry," Regina whispered between gasps. "Tell h-him... tell him, I love him, and y... yo..." she was not able to finish the sentence.

Her eyes closed.

Her body relaxed in Emma's hands.

Her pulse and breath stopped.

Regina Mills was dead.

Emma looked at the still body in her hands, desperately wondering, how did she allow it to happen? She had a feeling this serum was a bad idea from the very start and did nothing. Absolutely nothing. How would she ever be able to look Henry in the eyes? And more importantly, how would she live with herself now?

'No, this couldn't be the end. After everything we've been through, she can't just die like that. I won't let her. I'll find a way.'

"No, Regina!" Emma shouted in frustration. "Wake up! It's not funny. Wake up!" she shook the breathless woman and then just tightly embraced her and started swaying back and forth. "Please, Gina. Please, wake up and kick my ass for using this stupid nickname. Please..." the last part she whispered right into the brunette's ear.

"Emma," she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked at her mother with eyes full of tears. "Emma, let her go. She is... She..." Before that Snow was in speechless shock and only her daughter's shouts brought her out of it.

"Don't say it," Emma felt fury consume her. It was Snow's idea. She proposed it. Proposed to rip a perfectly whole person in two and destroy the heart of one of the halves. Blind fury was coursing Emma's vines like liquid fire.

But then everything abruptly stopped.

The realization washed over the blond.

Snow White. Charming. Two halves of a whole. Heart.

Maybe someone would say that this solution was too farfetched, dangerous and really unacceptable, but Emma was willing to risk. If it would bring Regina back to them... to her, then she was willing to do anything.

Emma shook Snow's hand off of her shoulder and laid Regina on the floor.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Snow's worried voice came from behind her.

"Don't interfere," blond's voice was hard as steel, and, as if her magic felt what she wanted, a barrier appeared over two women, keeping Snow White outside.

Emma took a calming breath and plunged her hand into her own chest. She never did this before, except for when she was a Dark One, and definitely not to herself, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

In the next moment, she was sitting with two halves of her heart in hands.

"It must work. I believe."

Emma put one half to Regina's chest and pushed.

It went right through.

A sudden gasp came from the body beside Emma. Regina opened her eyes and saw a grinning face of Emma Swan over her.

"Don't tell me, you're dead too, Ms. Swan," brunette sassed without any bite in her voice, and Emma's grin grew only wider.

For a moment, silence hang in the air, then a loud laugh ripped through it and Regina was tackled in a tight bear hug.

"You're alive. Thanks, Gods," Emma sighed and only held Regina closer.

"How's it possible?" Regina whispered and pulled away from the embrace to look Emma in the eyes.

Only one glance at the blond's hand was enough for Regina to understand everything.

Emma was still holding in her hand one half of her heart.

A/N2: For now, it's complete, but if you'd like me to continue, let me know, 'cause I have some ideas, in which direction this fic could go. Though, I have to warn you, if I decide to continue, it won't be soon.

All in all, tell me, what you think, and, please, notify me of any mistakes you see, so I can correct them.

Thanks for reading,

Elia