AN: Another new story, thought I'd try a non-SQ one for a change, after a request from vampygurl402.

Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT, etc...

Emma tore up the invitation without reading it. She didn't want to attend Storybrooke's annual Halloween celebration. Halloween made her think of death, reminded her of everyone she had ever loved…and lost. Despite the myth that the dead could return for the one night each year, she knew better. She had it good authority from various fairy tale characters that it was just that. A story. Not even the Evil Queen or the Dark One could return them to the living. Dr Whale had tried, and failed.

So she told them she had to work. Her father offered to take Henry trick or treating. She agreed without needing to think about it. Since breaking the curse she had become worried about Regina. If she spent the evening staking out the mayor, that would count as work. So she borrowed a less visible car than her own yellow bug and went to see what Regina was up to.

Luckily the thought of visiting the Evil Queen at Halloween for candy was a little too scary for both children and the parents, so the street was quiet. It was an hour before she saw any movement in the house. She watched the lights move from room to room as Regina caringly switched off the ones she was no longer using. When they disappeared altogether, Emma checked her watch. It was way too early for bedtime.

She slipped quietly from the car, trying not to slam the door shut and wishing the lock didn't have to beep. Edging around the house, she checked the windows but the rooms were empty. When she looked in at the kitchen, she saw lights edging a door, which she assumed would lead to the basement of some kind. She paused. If she was going to go inside she needed a reason. Regina wouldn't appreciate her breaking and entering and there was no excuse to go in as the Sheriff.

A moment later and the lights changed colour. Emma frowned. Regina was using magic. Her gut warned her that wasn't good. She tried the back door. The handle turned. It wasn't locked. Inside the house she followed the lights to their source. She walked slowly down the wooden steps, expecting to hear one creak at any moment, but they didn't give her away. A large cabinet had been placed against the stairway blocking Regina's view of it. Emma peered around it, frowning when she realised Regina was not alone. She couldn't hear their words, but it was clear that both Regina and Rumplestiltskin were concentrating fully on their tasks. It was time to make her entrance.

"What is going on here?" she tried to sound casual.

Rumplestiltskin smiled at her, tilting his head and placing the glass object in his hand down on the table. "What are you doing here, dearie?"

Regina heard the noise and turned back to the table. She continued with whatever she had been doing before, ignoring Emma.

"Regina you know magic isn't the answer, whatever spell he has you doing for him…"

"Actually it's the other way around." Rumplestiltskin explained with a laugh. "This is a favour for her."

"We're almost finished Miss Swan, why don't you run back upstairs and return to Henry before I file charges for breaking and entering." Regina warned her without turning around.

"Your door wasn't locked and I'm the Sheriff, I was worried something might be wrong and now I see that it is…"

"Everything is fine."

"Then tell me about that spell."

"It doesn't concern you."

Emma stepped closer to the table, glaring at Rumplestiltskin to move out of her way. He laughed again and moved round to the other side of the table as Emma tried to make sense of the contents. There was no spell book to explain their task. After another hour of watching them work, she couldn't see anything that suggested dark magic of any kind, but she didn't want to leave.

"Well, that's it almost done." Rumplestiltskin muttered holding up the glass to the light before looking at Regina. "Are you still sure this is what you want?"

Emma hopped down from her seat. "What does she want? What will that do?"

Regina glanced at her watch. "You said just at the stroke of midnight?"

Trying to get between Rumplestiltskin and Regina to stop him from passing over the finished product, Emma faced Regina. "Tell me what is going on right now."

"There's nothing for you to worry about. Use your superpower and you'll know I'm telling the truth."

"Why not tell me what it is then?"

"Time, dearie." Rumplestiltskin reminded her, and suddenly Emma realised the glass jar had passed to Regina without her noticing.

She grabbed at it as Regina brought it to her lips and tilted to swallow the contents. Rumplestiltskin watched as the magic, which appeared more as ribbons of light than a liquid, shot out from the falling glass. As they flew towards Emma, the blonde's eyes widened and her body began to fall towards the ground. He reached out a hand and caught her with his magic, easing her down slowly. A few strands remained, hovering in the air. There had been enough for two doses, one his and one Regina's. He saw her realise that fact and reach for them, faster than he could. Within seconds he was lowering her body to the floor as well. It appeared he would have to wait another year before trying the spell for himself. At least this way he could study if it had any after-effects.

"What did you wish Miss Swan?"

Emma woke to Regina shaking her. She pushed the older woman away and tried to stand. They were in the middle of a forest and there were leaves on her clothes. She looked around, not sure if she was still in Storybrooke. As soon as she was on her feet, Regina moved towards her again.

"Your wish, what was it? If you've messed things up for me…"

Emma looked around. "What happened?"

"You weren't supposed to…"

"I don't care." Emma shouted back at her. "Where are we and how do we get back?"

Regina sighed. "We don't. Not yet."

"Explain. Now."

"It's a Halloween spell, something Rumplestiltskin created."

"And?"

"At Halloween you can get a second chance to be with the someone you love, someone who has died."

"So, you're telling me you were trying to raise the dead?"

"Not exactly. When Whale tried it in his own land, he created a monster. We knew we couldn't bring anyone back permanently, but with good magic we could wish for a time that they had never died. We could experience a lifetime with them, the one we never got to have, the one we missed because someone took them away."

"I can't stay here. Henry needs me."

"It's only temporary. It will feel like lifetime for us here, we'll age and eventually died and that is when we'll return, as midnight strikes back in our world, at the age we left. No-one else will ever know."

"If Rumplestiltskin is the Dark One and can't age and die, wouldn't you have been stuck here forever?"

"I guess we'll never know."

"You wished for Daniel?"

"That is none of your business." Regina turned away, looking for a path to lead them out of the forest.

"If I'm going to be here too I'll find out sooner or later."

"Who did you wish for?"

"No-one, I didn't know what the spell did." Emma moved to follow Regina as she chose a direction.

"Your heart must have been thinking of someone for it to work on you."

"Nope, sorry. Everyone I love is alive."

"Everyone?"

"Do you know where we are? Is this Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest?"

"You're wasting time Miss Swan." Regina picked up her pace. "I have someone to find, and so do you."

Emma reached out to grab Regina's arm, but she was too slow, and had to settle for half-running after the ex-Queen.