BACKGROUND! So, everything that has happened in Once Upon a Time to the end of the 5th season has happened. Except, Hook actually moved on and didn't come back. And Henry succeeded in removing magic from Storybrooke which zapped everyone back to the Enchanted Forest. Due to the way the magic transfers, Emma and Henry get false memories, but the timeline for everyone else picks up at right before Regina casts the curse. Instead of casting the curse however, Regina allows the Charmings to live in fear, never implementing anything due to the fact she can't kill her father. The story picks up a few months after, Snow giving up the thrown at a fear for her happiness. However, she helps run Charming's kingdom. The two have a rocky truce, and Regina still hates her, but she's not actively trying to kill her. Although, they still fear her. There's probably some details you're wondering about, but they'll reveal themselves in time. This is my first fan fiction so bare with me. As always, I own only the story and not Once Upon a Time or its characters. I hope you enjoy!
"Get up!" she exasperated as she tried to pull the boy from the bed, "I'm not strong enough to pick you up… Please wake up!" A tear began to drift down Emma's face as she sunk to the ground, not phasing the boy. The smoke began to engulf the women and the child as Emma fell unconscious.
"What is the meaning of this? No one can set a part of my kingdom ablaze except ME!" The tall stunning brunette, dresses regally in black, spat towards her guards. That's when she heard the woman's screams. Not being able to immediately reach one of her guards, she broke out in a sprint towards the sound, unsure what compelled her to do so.
She pulled on the door of the cabin with no avail, but with the wave of her hand the door swung open. The room around her was hot and flaming, trying to put it out with her magic, the queen had no effect. Still looking for the small voice, she pushed through the flames. She could feel her sweat boil on her forehead as she traveled deeper into the home. Every part of her instinct told her to flee, but something deep in her soul told her she couldn't.
She reached the back room, holding two beds, one on each corner. The far corner was empty, but as she turned her head, she saw a young boy, around 15, unconscious on the bed. A blonde woman on her knees beside the bed, blood dripping down her side, and her face against his chest. The smoke began to become too much for Regina, and she could feel her skin burning. She put a hand on each of the strangers, and transported them to outside of the house. The queen fell to her knees, coughing furiously, until her head spun and she passed out onto the ground, next to the women and the boy.
Regina came to in her quarters. Frantically, she jumped up from her resting place. Fear resonated in her gut. Who had seen her weak? How many people now knew she could be hurt? Who saw her without her scowl? All of this for a woman? Her mind drifted to the duo she had saved, who knew how many hours before. She recalls the women's stature, her long, curly hair… Her long legs and soft jaw line… The blood dripping down her side. The boy, unconscious on the bed. What had happened to them? She felt such a connection to them, but knew she had never met them before. She would remember their faces forever, even though she only saw them briefly.
As Regina attempted to fully lift herself out of the bed, she felt dizzy. Her body ached and pleated for her to get back into the bed, but she had to go check on the strangers. As she went to use her magic to change her outfit, she failed. Her heart began to beat out of her chest. She had no clue what caused her magic to be on the fritz or what it meant for her kingdom. Too sore, and in a hurry, she didn't dress herself regally. Instead, she put on a black tunic and riding pants just before she headed down the hall of her castle.
She reached the infirmary on the opposite wing of her castle, exasperated from the swirling emotions in her head. She was greeted by her guard but nodded and waved them off. As she stepped into the room she was greeted with soft brown eyes. As the teenager looked at her, all she wanted to do was hold him. Why did she feel so close to some child she had never met? As she stepped further into the room she saw the wound to the left side of the boy's head. Regina walked closer to the bed, her eyes parting from the gaze of the boy. As she approached the foot of the bed, a bit of fear washed his features, but not enough to defer him. "You're the Evil Queen…" he spoke, just barely audible.
Regina stood there for a moment, unsure how to respond. She knew she desperately wanted this child to like her. Love her even. But she was unsure how to approach the topic. "I. Uh… Yes. Yes, I am," She spoke, trying to convey at least a bit of confidence.
"I don't get why everyone says you're so scary."
"Well, dear, you have not seen me in action."
"Hmmm. But I still don't think you actually mean to be as cruel as they make you."
"We'll see, dear."
The boy broke his gaze and fixating to the bed on the other side of the room. Housed under the blankets was the blonde Regina could not get out of her head. She felt something for her. She felt as though this woman could know her, break down her walls, and this frightened her. "Do you think you can help her? You have magic, right? I heard the doctor talk, he doesn't know why she isn't waking up…" The boy's rambling interrupts her thought of the blonde, just to replace them with a worrying in her gut.
Regina ponders for a moment. Her magic has been on the fritz since the fire, she had no idea what was causing it. She could try, but it might not work. Or worse, she would hurt this woman she had a desire to protect. I don't even know her and want to protect her, what the hell? She wanted to heal her though. To look into her eyes. She took a breath. Deciding to try. "I can try. Between the two of us, however, my magic hasn't been the most responsive."
"Anything will help," he looked down to fiddle with his hands, "I-I need my mom." He looked up to Regina pleadingly, his eyes glazed over with tears she knew he was fighting. She nodded, and before even realizing, Regina was over at his side, her hand resting above his. She looked down at their hands, expecting him to pull away. Except he didn't. Instead he lifted his hands around her neck and hugged her. Genuinely hugged her. Warmth spread through Regina's chest and she pulled the boy close. After a few moments her pulled away, offering a faint, "Thank you," before ushering Regina across the room.
Regina stood beside the blonde's bed. She just stood there, staring at the woman, committing her features to memory. She could not wrap her head around the bubbling in her stomach when she saw the blonde. She looked down to notice the gash in the woman's side. It was deep, most like from a sword she observed. She would have to commend her doctor, however, the wound looked appropriately cared for considering the extent of the damage. Her eyes kept wandering as she observed the bruises that freckled the blonde. "Um.. young man… what happened for her to be in such rough shape?" she addressed awkwardly, she didn't even know the boy's name.
"Henry," he grinned sheepishly before his eyes glassed over as though he had seen a ghost. Shaking himself from his memories, he sighed. "We were a bit down on our luck after my dad died, my mom took to supplying the best way she knew how…" The boy trailed off momentarily. Regina rested her hand on his shoulder as to reassure him. "She's really strong and a good fighter so she started working for the wrong group of thugs… She did it at night so that I wouldn't figure it out, but as I got older I grew less naïve. I tried to tell her we could find another way, but we were barely scraping by as it is. But now… well look at her… and she did it for me…" He pulled his eyes from his mother, glazing a hole into a spot on the stone floor.
Regina lifted his chin with two fingers, their eyes meeting. "Henry," she mulled over the name, she enjoyed that he shared a name with her beloved father, they would like each other, she thought. "Nothing that has happened to your mother is your fault. She did what she believed was right to supply for her son, and although it was rash, I respect her decision. And now that you're here, I will help the two of you. First up: we get your mother and yourself better." She looked down at the boy in front of her, taking in his head wound, "Speaking of, you need to get back into bed, young man," as stated as she shooed him back to his side of the room.
Her looked up at her, a gleam of protest in his eyes, before turning and obeying. He reached his bed, flopping down in a way that made Regina internally giggle, but also want to scold him. His eyes met hers once again from across the room. "I think my mom is going to like you," He stated, a coy smile gracing his lips.
"Very well, we might as well see if we can wake her up than," she responded, turning once again to the woman she desperately wanted to meet.