Author's Note: Written for a prompt on Tumblr, which was as follows. Angst request! Swan Queen, Emma dies. As such, I need to preface this with a CHARACTER DEATH WARNING.
Emma knew what she had to do. She'd known it since the day the curse broke - probably before if she was being honest. But in the months since they'd been back in fairy tale land, it had come into sharper relief, like a Polaroid picture slowly developing.
The first few days after the curse had broken, when they hadn't been able to find Regina, the image had started to appear in the form of Henry and the complete devastation he'd shown. No matter how many times he had proclaimed Regina's evilness and said that Emma was his real mother, it was obvious in those days without her that Regina was the only mother he'd ever known and he wanted her to be his mother. Emma had promised that she would bring Henry's mother back to him, no matter what.
When they'd finally found Regina, Emma had thought that she'd kept her promise. Their family had been reunited and the citizens of the kingdom had been surprisingly forgiving. But as the months went on and she watched Regina struggle to love her and Henry in the way that they loved her, the image became clearer still. She knew Regina loved them, she had no doubt about that. But she also knew that she couldn't love them fully. There was something stopping her.
So she'd gone to the only person she knew could answer her questions. And Gold - or Rumple now, she supposed - had answered them with Belle by his side, bringing the picture into perfect focus.
When she'd gone back to her chambers in the castle, she'd found one of the few items that had come through from Storybrooke. She wasn't sure why it had come through at first, but now she knew exactly why it had.
Emma's fingers curled around the brim of the hat Jefferson had forced her to make and then, before she could think better of it, she flung it, watching as it began to swirl out of control. With a deep breath, Emma jumped.
The world swirled around her.
When everything finally stopped spinning, she paid no attention to the various doors that lined the long circular hall she found herself in. Instead, her focus was solely on the mirror that was in front of her.
"Through the looking glass," she muttered to herself as she walked through the glass without a second thought.
She found the room filled with hats and felt her heart squeeze just a little. In the middle of it all sat Jefferson, his eyes glazed even as his hands worked frantically, making another hat.
"Make it work. Make it work." He mumbled over and over.
"Jefferson." She whispered, moving closer to him. "Jefferson."
His eyes shot up and settled on her, widening as they took in the sight of her. "Emma."
She reached out and carefully pulled the scissors from his shaking hands. "Stop, Jefferson. You don't have to do that anymore."
He yanked his hands back, still looking crazed. "I have to make it work."
"No." She shook her head gently. "You don't. You don't have to do this anymore. I'm here to get you back to Grace."
"How?"
"Through the hat, of course." She smiled.
"No." He shook his head, ready to deny, but Emma's fingers wrapped around his hand.
"Jefferson, I know the rules of the hat. One in, one out. I came in, and you're going to go out."
"But -"
Emma shook her head again. "I won't be going back, Jefferson. But I do need your help before you go. Do you think you can help me?"
Jefferson pulled his hat off and bowed to Emma. "Anything you need is yours."
"Good. I need you to take me to the Queen of Hearts."
The Queen sat on her throne, the veil covering her face. She was whispering to her guards when Emma moved forward.
"Take off the veil, Cora." She demanded, her voice hard. "And stop all these games."
For a long moment, silence stretched and the guards began to move closer to her, but Emma stood her ground and then The Queen herself stood, her hand coming up to pull off the veil.
"What do you want, cheeky girl?" Cora hissed at her, eyes flashing.
Emma straightened her spine, fighting the urge to rip the woman's throat out. "I want a trade. My heart for Regina's."
"Emma." She heard Jefferson gasp behind her, but ignored him.
Cora moved closer, circling the blonde, eying her. She took in Emma's outfit. The blonde was wearing pants - so unlady like - and what appeared to be a white cotton shirt under a hideous red jacket. Scuffed up boots were on the blonde's feet, completing the look of a complete vagrant. "And why on earth would I agree to this trade?"
"Simple. Because you want Regina to suffer."
"I do not -"
"Oh, yes, you do. And what better way to make her suffer than to give her her heart back, give her the ability to love, and then take mine? I love your daughter and she loves me."
Cora scoffed at the notion of Regina loving anyone, let alone this pitiful excuse for a woman. Emma ignored her and continued on with the point she knew would catch Cora's attention. "You'll have control of me and I'll never be able to love her back the way that she wants."
"What are the terms of this deal, dear?" Cora asked, licking her lips in a predatory way. Emma knew she had her.
"You give Jefferson Regina's heart. He leaves through the looking glass and returns it to her. I stay here, trapped, and you take my heart in her place."
"Why would you willingly give up your heart?"
Emma's eyes flashed. "Because I love her."
"Enough to die for her?"
"Yes." It was said without hesitation.
A wicked smile spread across Cora's face. "My daughter has a tendency to attract riff raff who are willing to die for her. At least she chose someone pretty this time." Cora ran her fingers through Emma's hair.
Emma jerked back. "Do we have a deal, or not, Cora?"
The Queen grabbed Emma by the wrist and pulled her into her vault. Emma's eyes scanned the little gold boxes, watching as Cora opened one vault and pulled out a heart. Emma felt nausea rise up and she swallowed hard. She turned to Jefferson and grabbed his shoulders.
"Jefferson, listen to me. I need you to take the heart and leave. Don't look back, not even for a second. Take it to Regina. Tell her I love her. And then go get your daughter. Forget about me. Can you do that?"
Jefferson looked at the determined look on Emma's face and nodded, reaching out to carefully take the heart from Cora's hand. Emma waited until the heart was cradled in Jefferson's hands before she turned to Cora.
"Emma, no!" The shout came from the entrance to the vault, but Emma couldn't respond to it, because Cora had already plunged her hand into Emma's chest. With an evil grin, she pulled her hand back out and Emma saw the glowing red heart beating in Cora's hand - her heart. Her body slumped to the floor.
"Well, well," Cora's voice filled the air as Emma struggled to stay conscious, fighting the pain and numbness that were slowly taking over her body, "so lovely of you to join us, Regina dear."
Emma's eyes cut to the entrance way, where Regina stood along with Henry and Rumple. She had no idea how they had gotten into Wonderland, but she wished more than anything that they weren't here now. This would only interfere with her plan.
"Jefferson." She gasped his name out even as Cora cackled and Regina rushed to her side. "Get them out of here. Take the heart and get them out."
"Emma!" Regina was beside her then, pulling Emma's body into her arms. "What did you do?"
Emma smiled up at her, letting her hand rest on Regina's cheek. "I love you."
Tears pooled in Regina's eyes as she looked up at her mother. "What did you do?"
Cora looked at Regina with the same expression she'd worn that night all those years ago. "I saved you once again. Thinking you'd ever be happy with this peasant. I taught you better than that."
"No. Emma. Emma, what did you do?" She begged again, cradling the blonde against her.
"She made a deal with me. A trade." Cora smirked. "Her heart for yours."
"No!"
Regina's eyes snapped up, staring at the heart pulsing in her mother's hand. "Emma. No."
"Jefferson has yours." Emma told her. "Take it and go."
"NO." Regina clutched Emma tighter, forcing her voice not to shake. "The deal is off. Take my heart back, Mother."
"Poor, weak Regina. Have you learned nothing over the years? Once a trade has been made, it's been made." To show her point, Cora squeezed the heart in her hand, taking dual pleasure from Emma's screams of agony and Regina's sobs of misery. Then she turned on Jefferson. "Now, Hatter, do your part."
Jefferson stood frozen, taking in the scene before him. "Jefferson, please." Emma's lips moved but the words didn't come out. Still, he heard them and knelt down beside Regina.
"No. No, Jefferson!" She protested, trying to get away, but Jefferson grabbed her arm and shoved the heart back into her chest.
After that, everything happened in a blur. Regina screamed and cried as all the emotions that had been pulled out with her heart flooded her. Henry finally moved from his place in the doorway and rushed forward to the spot where his mothers were. Cora laughed, enjoying the painful scene.
"Emma, no, please." He begged as he collapsed next to her, grasping her hand.
"It's okay. You've got your Mom back now." She assured him with a forced smile.
"No, Emma, this isn't how it's supposed to end." Tears poured down his cheeks.
"I'm the savior, remember? I had to save her most of all." She reached out and touched his cheek. "I love you, kid."
"I love you too, Emma." He sobbed, clinging to her.
"Such a beautiful little family scene." Cora mocked.
Regina clutched Emma and Henry tighter to her at those words as she stared up at her mother through tear filled eyes. "Please, Mother."
"Begging, Regina? How crass." Cora sneered and then held the heart out for all to see. "Perhaps if you'd done as you were told and stayed a queen instead of falling in with this commoner, you wouldn't have that problem."
Cora's hands closed around the heart, squeezing until dust slipped through her fingers.
"NOOOOO!"
The scream that went up was feral and Cora laughed wildly at the sound. She didn't even realize that it wasn't Regina who had screamed, but Snow who had entered the vault with James just as Cora crushed Emma's heart in her hands. Her laughter was cut short however, by the sword that was suddenly jammed through her throat. Blood spurted as Snow pulled the sword out, and Cora's body fell, a puddle of blood beginning to surround it. Snow fell too, the red seeping into the white of her dress as she dropped the sword and pulled out a hunting knife.
"You killed my daughter." She sobbed, stabbing Cora in the place in her chest where her heart should've been. Cora's eyes widened as she realized exactly who Emma was, just before the light went out in them entirely.
"You destroyed Regina. You deserve to die." She continued to sob, her hand shaking and slippery with blood as she continued to drive the knife into Cora's lifeless body.
"Snow." James tried to pull her away, his own hands shaking and tears clouding his vision. "Snow, please."
"Emma. Emma, please." Regina begged, pressing her lips over and over to the blonde's which were steadily growing colder. "I love you."
"True love's kiss has to work." Henry cried. "She can't be dead."
But Emma lay still in her arms, just as Daniel had. "Emma! Emma! Emma!" Regina sobbed over and over.
Jefferson and Rumple stood, watching over the grisly scene. The Queen's guards had made a move to attack when Snow charged The Queen, but Rumple had used his powers to block in the vault, keeping the guards out and trapping those inside in the nightmare.
Slowly Jefferson moved over to Regina, trying to get her to release her hold on Emma's still form. "Regina, you need to let go."
"No." The former queen sobbed.
"Regina, she's gone." He whispered the words, trying to soften the blow.
"NO! No. Not Emma." Regina suddenly turned wild eyes on Rumple. "Bring her back." She demanded.
Rumple actually looked saddened as he shook his head. "Even I can't bring someone back from the dead, dearie."
"God damn you!" Regina railed, finally allowing Emma to slip from her grasp as she stood up, staring at Rumple with pure hatred on her face. "You claim to have power, but you're weak!" She spun on Jefferson then. "And you! You gave me this heart, only so it would break forever!"
"She wanted -"
"This wasn't about what she wanted! She's dead! That's not what she wanted. That can't be what she wanted!" Regina's eyes were glazed over as she yelled at them.
"Regina, please." James' voice came from where he was still on the ground, holding Snow against him as she continued to sob.
"And you! It's your fault she was here in the first place! Did you do this purposely? Have a child so I'd fall in love with her only to have her killed, too?"
"Mom. Stop."
Regina stared at Henry unseeing. "You told her she was the savior." She accused harshly. "You told her she was the hero. You made her believe she was invincible!"
Henry wept bitterly at Regina's words, but she didn't notice, her eyes already trained on Cora. "And you! You are the worst. You took her from me. You took her like you took everything else. Are you happy now, Mother? Are you happy now?"
Regina fell to her knees, slamming her hands against Cora's chest. It was only when she felt the blood sliding over her hands that her eyes and mind cleared enough to realize that Cora was dead. She stared at the bloodied body of her mother before taking in James and Snow, both covered in blood, and she realized what had happened.
"Regina." Snow sobbed, and Regina was reminded of the little girl that she'd saved on that day so long ago, who had looked so frightened.
Jefferson moved forward and this time when he put his hands on Regina's shoulder, she didn't pull away.
"Why?" Regina's voice was broken.
"Because she loved you." Rumple spoke the words. "She loved you and your boy. She made a promise and she intended to keep it."
Henry whimpered softly.
"What promise?"
"To bring you back to me, no matter what." He whispered.
Regina turned and look at the little boy, Emma's head resting in his lap. She could almost imagine that the blonde was just sleeping. "Henry?"
"Emma promised that she'd bring you back. That she'd bring my mom back."
"But she couldn't. Not completely. Because without your heart -"
Regina's hand flew to the place where her heart now resided again, clutching at the skin. She wanted to reach in and rip it out herself now.
"She knew she wouldn't get out of here," Jefferson said softly, his hand closing over hers. "It's why she came to find to me. To give me your heart and send me back. She knew it and she did want it, Regina. More than anything else, she wanted you to have your heart back. To be whole again."
"I'm not whole." Regina whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks again. "Without her, I'll never be whole."
"No," Snow agreed, her voice shaking, "none of us ever will be. But you're you again, Regina, the way you haven't been since -"
Regina turned away, not allowing Snow to finish the sentence. She crawled back to where Emma's body still laid, unmoving. "Please." She whispered, but nothing changed.
Jefferson looked to the outside of the vault where The Queen's guards had all amassed, looking murderous. "You all should get going soon." He said softly. "You need to get out of Wonderland."
"Aren't you coming with us?" Henry asked, looking confused. Emma had wanted Jefferson to go back, to be with his daughter.
Jefferson smiled sadly and shook his head. "Same number out as in. You can't leave her here. She needs to go home with you."
"Jefferson." Regina looked up at him. It had been easy to leave him behind when she hadn't had a heart to feel his friendship, but now, even though she knew she'd never leave Emma here, she still didn't want to leave Jefferson either.
"You don't abandon family, Regina." He reminded her, his eyes scanning over them all.
"How very true." Rumple nodded. "However, we did not come here by hat, and so the rules do not apply. My powers should be strong enough to take us all back. But Jefferson is right, we do need to go. Now."
Without a word, Regina lifted Emma's body into her arms, cradling her against her chest, where her heart now firmly beat. She turned and stared down at Cora's body, stained in blood, the evidence of what a mother - a real mother who loved her child - could be driven to.
"She wasn't a peasant. She was a princess." Regina's spat at her mother's body before she turned and headed for the entrance, her head held high. Everyone else followed.
Using his powers, Rumple created a force field around the group which stopped The Queen's guards from attacking them as they moved from the vault and back towards the mirror. Though most of the guards didn't try to attack, instead watching in fascination as the group moved. They walked in a circular formation with Rumple in the front and the rest of the group surrounding Regina, who moved slowly with Emma's body held tightly in her arms.
When they reached the mirror, they paused for Rumple to use his magic and Regina turned, glancing over Henry's shoulder to the place where The Queen's castle and her vault stood. Then she turned back and watched as Rumple stepped through the mirror first, followed by James and Snow, and then Henry at her urging. Jefferson stayed behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Regina shook her head and spoke bitterly before she stepped through the looking glass.
"I hate Wonderland."