AN: Started this on Tumblr and decided to expand upon it here. Hook and Hood are mentioned here and there, but they aren't at all important to the story. If you know me or just know my work you know my SQ fics are always all about Swan Queen. Hood and Hook can go to Hell.

Rated T for now, but that might change later. Also, I didn't disclose any warnings for this story because any violence wouldn't be too graphic or dark. I will, however, post the necessary warnings in the notes section for every chapter any warnings apply to.

Regina walked out of the castle without Emma by her side. Snow, David, and Hook all looked like they'd been kicked when they realized Regina hadn't been able to convince Emma to come home with them either. She was their last hope, except for maybe Henry. But no one wanted to risk his safety so they'd sent Hook in first before David and then Snow had tried to reason with the blonde, the new Dark One, separately. Nothing any of them had said seemed to convince Emma the small town she'd been ripped away from when the darkness had consumed her was the best place for her.

It was then Regina decided she would try her best to encourage Emma to join them, but she wasn't sure the blonde was in any mood to hear a single one of them out. She was sure that the other woman wasn't ready to return and she was sure that the darkness would enjoy her a while longer if Emma hadn't already started to enjoy it first. So she'd walked the short distance through the clearing and up the pathway to the Winter Palace she'd made her home decades ago, before the curse and Storybrooke.

She kept her eyes on the palace entrance as she approached, but she felt several pairs of eyes on her. Among the Charmings and Hook-and Henry who was supposed to stay with Roland at all times in case the twelve year old got any bold and heroic ideas about rushing into the castle by himself-Robin had decided to join them despite him not even knowing Emma. It wasn't as if he could help. But he'd insisted to be there for her and she couldn't say no to him. She thought she probably should have, but she'd denied her chance with her soulmate a few times before and it had never ended well for her. Maybe if she kept him around now that their paths had properly crossed for longer than a fleeting moment at a tavern, her story wouldn't end in heartache this time.

When she'd reached the palace doors, she thought after everyone else who had tried to talk to her that Emma would have put up a barrier to ward off any other unwanted visitors. But there had been no barrier. Regina hadn't even sensed much magic in the air around her. There had only been only hints of it that she knew were just enough to have sent Hook flying into the door, which he'd then responded to by scurrying out of the palace to report back to the group that Emma hadn't even heard him out before she'd forced him on his way. She'd supposed, however, that the lack of magic was replaced with the eerie stillness and quiet that surrounded her.

She'd clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides as she took a deep breath before she slowly moved forward and pushed the doors open enough for her to slip inside. Once she'd made it into the palace without immediately being thrown back out, she closed the doors behind her and crept further inside. As she'd walked into the center of the first floor and stopped directly in front of the grand staircase with a few feet between her and the first step, she'd looked around and failed to spot Emma. At that moment she'd wondered if Emma hadn't expected any other visitors beyond her parents and boyfriend. It certainly would have explained the lack of magical protection around the large estate. But all her theories about why Emma hadn't warded off any further intrusions disappeared when she heard a familiar yet modified voice from the top of the stairs while Regina's gaze had been directed toward the kitchens. As soon as she recognized the only other person inside the dimly lit castle, Regina had whipped her head around to face forward and then she saw her. Dressed in all black, blonde hair matted down with copious amounts of hair gel to keep long locks slicked back in a tight bun, lips as red as blood-or a honeycrisp apple, Regina's mind unhelpfully supplied-and sharp eyes directed at her, there had been Emma Swan. One hand had rested on the banister as she'd leaned her weight on it and her other hand had sat on her slightly cocked hip. Regina's tongue had clicked against the roof of her mouth as she'd gulped and stared wide-eyed at the other woman, her lips parted and mouth dry. Emma had grinned down at her as soon as she had and Regina had instantly felt weak in the knees.

She remembered flashes of their encounter as she rejoined the others well beyond the palace walls and licked her lips when certain images flashed to the forefront of her mind. She was distracted by the memories and barely even realized where she was let alone how she got there. When her attention was finally pulled back into the present, it was to the sound of Snow's breathy voice as she asked over and over again, louder each time, "What happened? Why isn't Emma with you?"

For the first time since she left the palace, she looked up and saw David as he held Snow back with a gentle but firm hand to her shoulder. Next to them was Hook who looked at her with a raised eyebrow and questioning eyes. Behind him she saw Robin. He looked mostly confused, but there was a deep, penetrating emotion in his eyes that Regina identified most closely to devastation. There was no way he could have known what happened while she was inside the palace, could he?

"Regina!"

Her head snapped to the side to see Snow White, frantic and desperate with her loyal husband beside her with a similar expression in his sad eyes. Both were losing hope by the second.

"Please, tell us. What happened," Snow begged until her features morphed into a dangerously curious look. Her brow furrowed and her lips pulled and pursed into a thin line before she tilted her head ever so slightly to the right as she looked at Regina. "Why is there glitter on your cheek?"

Regina immediately felt her body heat up, a blush more than likely on her face and quite possibly her chest if she dared to look down and confirm it was there. She didn't dare, but it seemed Snow had no problem following the trail of glitter along olive toned skin were it stuck to her neck and clavicle.

"You're- You're covered in it," Snow said and looked slightly disgusted even though Regina doubted she knew the source of the glitter. If she did, she probably would have lunged at her by now no matter how much they'd repaired their relationship in the past year. She wouldn't blame her either if that was what Snow decided to do once she figured it out for herself, because there was no way in hell Regina was going to tell anyone what happened with Emma. Especially not in front of their son.

"Regina?"

Her focus shifted to Robin. The devastation had spread from his eyes to the rest of his features. His lips were slightly parted and at some point had formed a frown. Heartbroken was a more accurate description for how he looked, Regina thought.

She opened her mouth to try and explain or to say nothing at all, she wasn't sure, but she never got the chance to see which it would be because an inky, dark blue cloud of smoke swirled around them. In the blink of an eye, they were back in Storybrooke and had to squint at the sudden onslaught of sunlight.