A/N: Italics are thoughts and limbo dreams. Reviews are welcomed. I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1: Stuck In A Place I Don't Call Living
It worked. The damn saying of "True Love's kiss is the strongest magic of all" ranged so true that day. For Emma, not only did she save her son's life that day, but she also found her parents and something to live for. Only to have it all strip away from her.
"Why did I have to protect Regina?! I could be home right now spending time with Henry. Yet me and you are stuck with in this Ogre infested land, Regina's bat crazy mother hunting us down, and a sketchy pirate in this so-called 'Enchanted Forest' fending for our lives alongside a princess and a soldier – or whatever it is she calls herself." She whispered to her mother when they were a little ways behind the princess and soldier.
"Emma," Mary Margaret glared. "Be nice. This is your home too. You saved Regina because you promised Henry you'd protect her. I know you didn't intend on that promise leading you all the way to another realm, but it did. Before the curse struck, I'm sure you would have loved it here as I once had. Aurora and Mulan are trying their best to get us back home to our family and friends. If it weren't for them, I don't think we would have made it this far."
The two women stopped when the ones ahead did, taking in their surroundings instantly.
Mulan laid her bag on the ground at her feet and knelt to untie it. "We'll stop here for the night. Why don't you two go look for firewood while I set up camp?" Dark eyes glanced up at the mother-daughter duo before resuming her work.
Emma sighed but didn't object to the task she was given. She nodded at Mary Margaret, turning to her right to go into the forest. The blonde scavenged the forest floor for any dry wood as she let her mind wander. Although she had spoken a bit harshly on ending up in the Godforsaken land because of the mayor, she was glad that she was able to protect her; especially from her mother. Emma had her fair share of shitty parents in the foster system, even downright evil ones, but none of them compared to how evil and heartless that woman was. It was a wonder Regina still had any good in her at all.
Still the question lingered in her mind: why was she so hell bent on protecting the very woman who made her entire childhood and time in Storybrooke a living hell? To protect Henry. That's why. Emma shook her head. She knew that wasn't it. It was only part of her adamant streak in protecting and saving the woman time and time again. No person had ever made her lose sleep. Not until now. And now that she was trapped in some unknown place, it only increased her already racing mind to Regina. She found herself actually missing their perplexed altercations, constant bickering, and most of all, their constant insults.
She returned shortly before the sun disappeared fully behind the forest to find her mother already back and setting up the wood she had found. Emma kneeled down beside her, letting the small heap she'd found fall in front of her. "Need any help?"
Mary Margaret shook her head with a small smile. "I've got it. You go rest. I know you haven't been sleeping in a while. I'll wake you if anything comes up. Promise."
Emma knew better than to ask Mary Margaret how she knew things. She guessed it was some mother ability she'd yet to pick up. She studied the woman's movements for a minute before rising to her feet. "I guess I'll see you in the morning then."
Meanwhile in Storybrooke…
With Henry staying with David, Regina had all the time in the world to spend on how she could have done something differently that day. What if she had saw the wraith before Emma? What if she saved her and went into the hat herself? It would have taken care of the town trying to rid her, having her son looking at her as if she were the most loathed woman on earth, and she wouldn't have guilt suffocate her. Emma would finally have her son all to herself.
Miss Swan… The very woman who was plaguing her every waking moment and sleepless nights had somehow found her way partially into her black heart. She didn't care for her, but she didn't hate her any longer either. Regina was fond of the woman's oddities. From her monstrosity on wheels to her boots and leather jackets. Not to mention her shining personality. The woman swore like a sailor, didn't comply with her boss, and always, always had a smart ass retort waiting for her. Yet she found herself missing all of those qualities as the months drew by without them.
Regina didn't know what to make of her new found emotion. She pegged it on just being guilty for the sheriff protecting her, but deep down she knew that wasn't the only reason. The mayor flipped over in her bed to glance at her clock, noting it was just after midnight, and then flipped back over in increasing irritation. She closed her eyes again, hoping sleep would succumb her.
"Hello? Is anybody there?" A voice called out. "Help!" It yelled again.
The voice was instantly recognizable to the mayor. "Emma?" She called out in surprise. "Where are you?"
"Regina…" Relief was obvious in the way she said her name. "I'm over the cliff, can you lift me up?"
Regina ran over to the edge and kneeled down, peering over to find the woman hanging on by a branch. Her eyes trailed from Emma down to the rushing water below, gulping at how far the drop was. "Hold on. I'm coming." She stood up and glanced around for the first time, frowning when she found nothing to help. The mayor took a deep breath remembering that she'd just gotten her magic back. "I hope this works…" She whispered, squeezing her eyes shut, picturing a long, sturdy rope and a tree to anchor it.
When she opened her eyes, Regina grinned to find the exact image before her. Her hands gripped the rope tightly around to tree to make sure it wouldn't break then wrapped the middle of it around her waist. She ran back over to the edge and threw the rope down. "Grab on, I'll pull you up."
Emma saw the rope coming down beside her, making a mental note to ask how the mayor found such a thing in a deserted setting. She latched onto the rope just as the branch she was holding on to began to snap. The blonde felt the rope instantly rise towards the surface, the brunette coming into view seconds later. Regina grabbed Emma's waist to finish pull her up over the edge, losing her balance and toppling onto her back with a soft ooft. They quickly untangled their limbs and stood to their feet, regarding each other wearily.
"How did you get that rope and tree? I don't remember seeing those lying around earlier."
"I used magic." Regina shrugged. "It was a life or death situation and I don't think Henry would have liked me anymore than he does now. Speaking of now…" The mayor took in their surrounding again, this time realizing where they were. "You're asleep…and so am I…" A frown tugged at her lips.
"And yet we can talk to each other in this…place?" Emma asked curiously.
The brunette nodded. "Limbo is what it's called. Besides the dead, I'm not exactly sure how one who is alive gets here. I do remember Gold briefly told me that two people must be connected, but he never said what that connection is. How did you end up over there?" Her chin jutted towards the edge of the cliff in front of her and behind Emma.
Emma rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest, resting all of her weight on one leg. "Of course. Leave it up to Gold not to give a straightforward explanation. I was looking over the edge to see how far the water running below was. I don't know what really happened, but I lost my balance and toppled over the edge. It did make me feel like Cliff Hanger though." She smirked.
"Cliff Hanger?"
"Yeah, the guy who got stuck on the side of a cliff – never mind." She waved her hand dismissively. "How's Henry holding up?"
Regina shrugged, her face falling at the subject change. She fidgeted – something she'd never done until Emma came into town – and looked into green eyes. "I'm not sure. I let him go home with David and he hasn't spoken to me since. He wants me to find a way back for the two of you. He blames what happened to you and Miss Blanchard on me. And for once, we're placing the blame on the same person."
The blonde stepped closer and took the brunette's hands in hers, hiding the shock when she wasn't denied contact. "Oh, no, don't do that Regina. Don't blame yourself. It could've happened to anyone – " brown eyes narrowed. Emma corrected herself immediately. "Anyone in town who happened to get caught by a wraith would have the same, or similar, outcome. I was protecting you. Henry shouldn't blame you for my knight in shining armor move. It was purely my fault. And Mary Margaret jumping down the rabbit hole was pure choice. So stop blaming yourself. We are the only ones to blame." The sheriff gave her a reassuring smile.
It seemed to have done the trick. Regina was smiling back at her, but it didn't take long for the happiness to fade. "How are you really?"
Green eyes widened. Did Regina Mills just ask her how she was? She let out a laugh, falling back into her same sarcastic attitude. "Well let's see… I almost got squished by an Ogre, your mother took on the image of Lancelot then threw me against the wall of my own nursery while almost killing my mother, because of that I ended up torching our ride home, we came across Hook, who turns out is working with your psycho mother, climbed a beanstalk, almost got squeezed to a pulp by a giant just to get a damn compass, and now we're trying to get our hands on the ashes from the wardrobe to get home. But to do that, we have to stop Cora from trying to cross over. And we have no fucking idea how on earth we are supposed to stop that crazy bitch without magic. Other than that, we're perfectly fine; no broken bones or anything." Emma concluded, taking in the brunette's frozen expression. "…Gina?"
"My…my mother is there? Trying to come…here?" She whispered, fear creeping into her voice when Emma nodded in confirmation. "Shit…" Regina bit her bottom lip like she did when she was younger. "I need to speak with Gold."
Emma frowned. She opened her mouth to respond but clamped it shut when she heard her name. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Emma."
"That. Someone's calling my name."
Regina shook her head. "I don't hear anything besides the water below and your voice."
"Emma, wake up sweetheart."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "I think…I'm waking up…" She looked down at the space between them, a bit of fear setting in when she realized her body was fading. "I am waking up…" Green orbs locked on to brown, pale hands clutching olive ones as if trying to hang on. "Tell Henry that I love him and we will be home soon."
Regina nodded, a sense of dread creeping up her spine as the body before her began to disappear fully. "I will. Meet back here in ten hours. And Emma…please be careful. I need you." Her last words hung in the air, them only being echoed to her as her hands still stayed stretched out towards where the other woman's hands once were. Part of her hoped that Emma somehow still heard the words while another part of her wished that she hadn't even spoken them. That wasn't her biggest fear though. Her mother was back.
Emma gasped, her eyes shooting open quickly to find similar green eyes studying her intently. "I saw her." She sprung up quickly, eyes now gleaming with more hope than before.
Mary Margaret's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she tried to imagine what woman could make her daughter so happy. "Who?"
"Regina."
