AN: Prompt from Sarabera24 on AO3: How about Regina is in love with both Elsa and Emma and she has to choose between the two.
Hey this was A Prompt from Sarabera24 for being the 100th comment on "Approximately 525 600 Minutes" on AO3:
Whoa, I have no idea why I came up with this, I'm pretty sure this was definitely not what you were expecting but for some reason I couldn't get it out of my head. Please refer to TW, this is not a fluffy one shot. Major Character Death.
A Choice.
The dust settled and the sky started to turn golden with the sunrise, casting shadows that stretched far along the ground. There was no sound, no movement, there was nothing. Regina slowly picked herself up off the ground and steadied herself onto her feet, her shirt torn and her body bloodied and bruised. She took a tentative step forward and raised her hand in front of her face, shielding the intense rays from her eyes.
They had spent the entire night battling with the Blue Fairy and her Fairies; they had declared war against all non-Fairy magic users. Tinkerbell led the rebellion against Blue, only to pay the ultimate price days ago. Regina looked over at the Blue Fairy's body, and with a flame from her hands, she set it ablaze.
Smoke billowed from the charcoal trees that surrounded her, while the ground was icy and cold. She took another step. Her eyes went wide in horror. In the distance she could see Jefferson standing behind two figures. She stepped closer.
On the ground in front of her were the two women she loved. Both were on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs, gagged, and a gun pointed at the back of each of their heads. Their bodies were bound by a bright light, preventing them from using their magic.
"Fairy dust…" Regina's eyes turned to rage as she took another step forward.
"Tsk tsk tsk, you know you shouldn't take another step forward, your majesty." Jefferson cackled and pressed the gun further into the blondes' heads, "You make one wrong move, and both their brains will be splattered across the ground."
"Blue is dead, Jefferson, you don't have anyone to fight your battles for you anymore." Regina took one more step, "Let them go. The fairies don't control you or your abilities anymore."
"NO! YOU DON'T GET TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" He smiled maniacally before leaning in close to Emma, pressing his cheek against hers while caressing the side of her face with the barrel of the gun. He turned his gaze back to the brunette and spat, "You think this is about the Fairies controlling me? I MADE them a DEAL. The two precious golden haired WOMEN you LOVE for my PORTAL JUMPING."
"Why? Why would you help them? They have done nothing but terrorize us since Blue started this war." She pleaded with Jefferson, fear in her eyes.
"BECAUSE your ACTIONS got GRACE killed! You and your precious Saviour. Did you even THINK about who you were killing? ALL those 'monsters' you KILLED. They were PEOPLE…they were family…"
"Jefferson, we did it to save Storybrooke—"
"NO! YOU DID IT TO SAVE YOURSELVES! YOU AND YOUR PRECIOUS HENRY!" He stood up and cocked the hammer of the gun.
Emma pressed her eyes tight, fearing the worst. She was sure this would be the end of her life, tears fell slowly from her eyes as she looked deep into the eyes of the mother of her son.
She took a deep breath.
Click
Nothing.
The Hatter erupted in a deranged laugh, "That chamber was empty, your highness, the next one, I promise you, is not."
He turned his attention to the other blonde to his left, "And you. The one who thawed the bitch's heart. You should have let her DIE in the icy prison you MADE for her two years ago!" Elsa's blue eyes connected with Regina's, she was scared and alone.
The Hatter looked back up at the former Queen, his eyes twisted and filled with madness, "So, My Queen, I will offer you a choice. You tell me which one of these meddling fools gets to LIVE."
"Why would you do this? You're quarrel is with me, what if I offered you my life for theirs?" She begged, desperation in her eyes.
He shook his head in amusement, "You think that is an option? GRACE had NOTHING to do with your fight with Zelena. And now she's DEAD!" He narrowed his eyes at her, "Two YEARS I lived without her, and the Fairies finally gave me a CHANCE at REVENGE. And now you get to feel the PAIN you caused ME. NOW. CHOOSE."
Regina started into both women's eyes, the pair nodding slowly back at her; both ready to accept whatever choice she made.
She looked at Elsa, the woman who, in the last two years, spent every day helping Regina control the Evil Queen inside of her. The woman whom had coached her on white magic, when the Fairies refused to. The woman who loved her, with all her heart. Regina admitted to herself months ago that she loved Elsa, she had cared for her in a way no one else would have bothered. She had patience, she was kind, and she did not judge her based on her past.
She turned her gaze to Emma, the Saviour….her Saviour. She challenged her through the years, pushing her to her limits. She was the mother of her son, and she saved her time and time again. She thought about all the times she was stubborn and all the times she had threatened to leave; but somehow she would always come back – because a hero would come back. Over the years the two became friends, maybe more than that. A part of her heart belonged to Emma, she knew that it always would. They shared a deep connection, an understanding of one another, they were neither villain nor hero, both of them caught in shades of grey. Always fighting between what is right and what is wrong. They were each other's support but neither of them depended on the other…they just wanted to be there.
"Tick Tock, you're running late, Your Majesty." He pressed the guns further, pushing the blondes' heads down, their eyes forced to stare at the ground.
"Jefferso—"
"WHO. WILL. IT. BE?!" He was losing his patience, "YOU NOW HAVE 5 SECONDS TO DECIDE WHO YOU WANT TO SAVE OR BOTH OF THEM WILL DIE!"
She looked at Elsa.
"5"
Then back to Emma.
"4"
She thought about the moment that Elsa shielded her from Hans' sword from piercing her heart.
"3"
She thought about the time Emma fell into the portal when she saved her from the Wraith.
"2"
Then she thought about home.
"1"
She closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to witness what would happen next. With a quiet breath she whispered, "Emma."
Jefferson smiled in triumph.
"Wrong answer."
The sound of the gun echoed through the air.
Regina opened her eyes, only to find the Saviour motionless on the ground.