ONCE UPON A... WHATEVER
SAVE ME...
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Regina looked up from her desk as Mary Margaret walked into her office unannounced. She gave the other woman a momentary glance before going back to her work. She didn't have time for this.
"Regina answer me."
"I'm rather busy at the moment Mary Margaret if you could come back later." She said rather curtly. A little bit of the old Queen coming to the fore.
"Busy doing what?"
"Getting some answers."
"Would getting these answers have anything to do with the items you got from the pawn shop?" Regina looked up. She wasn't really surprised that she knew. Belle was probably on the phone to her the minute she walked out of the shop. She sighed as she got up from her desk to pour herself a drink. "Well?"
"Since you've obviously been talking to Belle you already know the answer to that question." Regina said as she took a sip from her glass. "Aren't you the least bit curious about what happened in Camelot?" She placed her now empty glass on the table and walked over to Mary Margaret. "Don't you want to find out why we couldn't stop it?"
"Of course I do. You know I do. But to try a summoning spell without the dagger could be very dangerous Regina."
"What's dangerous is letting her play these games with us. What's dangerous is letting her convince everyone that the real Emma is in control and not the Dark One." Mary Margaret bit her tongue as Regina continued. "Now the summoning spell will bring her to me." She gestured to scroll on her desk. "And amulet I got from Belle should serve as a suitable substitute for the dagger. At least for a little while."
"How long is a little while?" Mary Margaret asked skeptically.
"Hopefully long enough to get some answers from her."
"Assuming of course she tells you the truth."
"If the amulet works the way it should it'll be just like using the dagger. She'll have no choice."
"It's still a dangerous risk. Why do it?"
"Because I have to know!" Regina snapped. "I have to know where this is coming from. I could see it that night we came back. That look in her eyes. With you and David it was disappointment, the others contempt perhaps. But with me…" She trailed off. "That look…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and exhaled. "It was only there for a moment. That was a look of pure hate."
Mary Margaret shook her head. "Regina that's not true. Emma blames us all for whatever happened in Camelot. Please don't place the blame for everything on yourself."
Regina chuckled slightly. "I'm not. She is." She raised her hand to stop Mary Margaret from interrupting. "As I said you didn't see look in her eyes that night we came back. And yes she holds us all responsible for letting the Darkness take her. But she blames me and she hates me for it." Mary Margaret tried to interrupt again. "Snow…" She froze at Regina using her real name. "Something happened back there. Something I did… something so awful… that I… we lost her." A single tear slid down Regina's cheek as she closed her eyes.
Mary Margaret moved toward Regina and she tried not to notice how she flinched slightly when she wrapped her arms around the other woman. As she held her former stepmother, the carefully crafted veneer of strength Regina had been projecting, mostly for Henry's sake, started to crumble.
"I have to know…" Regina whispered. "Don't you understand? She sacrificed herself for me and somehow, someway I betrayed her." Tears were now flowing from her eyes. "I have to make it right." Snow held on tighter, tears forming in her own eyes as the Evil Queen sobbed her stepdaughter's arms.
Later that evening a small group stood before the library clock tower. Regina was on her hands and knees drawing an elaborate design in chalk on the ground. David and Mary Margaret were watching with interest.
"What's that supposed to do?" David asked.
Regina sat up on her knees. Looking was from the drawing she in her hand and back to the design on the ground before her. Satisfied that it was accurate, she held out her hand and David helped her up.
"This is ancient magic according to Belle probably as old the Dark One itself. If I did this correctly as long as I have the amulet and stay within the circle I should be protected. Emma won't be able to harm me. You two however don't have such protection so I would advise you not to engage her in any way. Hopefully her attention will be focused entirely on me."
Mary Margaret stepped up to her again. "Regina please don't do this. Or at least wait till we get the dagger back."
"The dagger could be anywhere. The longer we wait the harder it will be to free Emma. I need to know what went on while we were in Camelot. If we know that we're one step closer to saving her." Regina gently pushed Mary Margaret and David away from the circle.
As they watched Regina take her place in the center of the circle and begin to silently chant to herself David whispered to his wife. "I don't like this."
"I don't either but she's determined to do this." Mary Margaret sighed. "Where's Robin I thought he would be here to help protect Regina." She asked looking around as if just noticing he wasn't there. In fact she can't remember the last time she actually saw Robin.
"I don't know." David answered. "He's been keeping to himself since we got back."
"I hope there's no trouble."
"I'm sure it's nothing. Probably just everything going on with Emma. He's probably giving her space and time to deal with it." He put his arm around her. "They're true loves everything will work out."
Before Mary Margaret could respond they both heard Regina call out.
"Dark One I summon thee!" The golden amulet in her right began to glow. "Dark One I summon thee!" The wind began to pick up around them and it seemed to grow just a little bit darker. "By the rites of the Ancient and the mercy of the Maker, Dark One I summon thee!"
There was the faint sound of thunder in the distance. Then the sound of heels clicking on the pavement. And finally a voice from the darkness.
"You know you do have my cell phone number. You could've just called Your Majesty."
Emma was walking slowly to her (former) friend. Her blond, almost white, hair drawn tightly back into a ponytail. Her hands resting in the pockets of her black leather overcoat. The high heeled lace up boots echoing with each step. She stalked toward the circle and stopped at the edge. She brought a hand up and tapped the air in front of her. It flashed white for a brief second before dissipating. "That won't last long you know."
"Long enough."
"Long enough for what?"
"For me to get the answers I seek."
"You want answers, read a book."
Emma turned to walk away. Regina held out her hand and the amulet flared. "Stop!"
Suddenly Emma found she couldn't move. She spun around and glared at Regina. "Well aren't we the clever little kitten. That won't last long either." She turned to walk away again. But Regina yelled 'STOP' and she was frozen once more. "You're starting to annoy me Your Majesty." Emma glared at her.
Regina stood before the Dark One. "I want to know what happened in Camelot. I want to know what happened between us."
Emma sneered at her. "Go to hell."
"You've been summoned by the ancient rites Dark One. You will answer the question!" Regina yelled back at her.
Thunder began to rumble around them as Emma's anger grew. Lightning began to flash in the heavens. Snow instinctively grabbed David's arm as another thunderclap exploded above them. She looked over at her daughter whose face was a mask of fury. She had to fight the urge to turn away.
"Answer me!" Regina shouted again as another flash of lightning and thunder went off. She tightened her grip on the amulet, pouring more of her magic into it intensifying the glow. Emma winced in pain as she fought the command. "Tell me what happened!"
"You happened…" Thunder roared. "You… did this to me…" Emma replied. Lightning and thunder erupted above them. "You made me into this…"
"No…" Regina gasped. "We were trying to save you. I was going to save you."
"You abandoned me." Emma spat back. "You left me to drown in the dark."
Regina shook her head. "No." The amulet glowed even brighter. "I would never... I want the truth!"
The others could feel the rage coming off Emma in waves, but Regina paid it no mind. She was determined to get the answers she seeks.
"Regina!" Mary Margaret shouted, but it was clear the Queen didn't hear her.
"Tell me!" The thunder increased. The wind began to howl. "Tell me what I've done!" More lightning and thunder. "TELL ME! TELL M…"
There was a final blast of thunder and Emma screamed.
"YOU BROKE MY HEART!"