Henry covertly punched in the code on the keypad next to the door in the hospital. When the door swung open, he crept down the stairs. No one else was here in the insane asylum this time of night. It would be an hour before the next shift of employees came in.
For the past few weeks, he had been sneaking down to see the woman locked in a far cell in the asylum. He would grab a stool, and stand so that he could open and peer through the tiny window, and then put notecards with questions up against the glass. The beautiful, crazed woman inside would nod or shake her head to answer the questions. She was lonely, and Henry assumed she appreciated the little company the strange young boy offered.
Henry had strong suspicions about this woman, and he felt it was time to share them with someone. He wanted desperately to go to his real mom, Emma, and tell her that Belle was being kept down here, away from Mr. Gold, most likely by his mother. But Emma had come to a place where she tolerated the mayor, even enjoyed their banter, and Henry no longer felt he could trust her entirely with the information. When he crept back up the stairs 45 minutes later, Henry had resolved to discuss the matter with Mary Margaret. At least herhatred for Regina could be relied upon.
He ran home, and snuck in the back door, before running up the stairs and slipping into bed.
…
The next morning, Regina called up the stairs, "Henry! I have to drop you off early this morning. I have a meeting to get to. Come ON!"
Henry ran down the stairs. "That's okay, I'm going to walk. Bye!"
Regina stared after him, a sad look in her eyes.
…
Henry found Mary Margaret at a booth in the diner, just as he knew he would. He slid in opposite her, and she flashed him a surprised smile. "Henry, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I have… I have something to tell you. Something… to do with Operation Cobra." Henry squirmed a bit in his seat. He had forgotten that little detail… that Mary Margaret didn't believe any of this.
He proceeded anyway. Henry explained his suspicions—everything. In hushed tones, of course. He did recognize the need to be discreet. Mary Margaret's eyes widened as he spun his tale about Mr. Gold and Belle, and how his mother had Belle trapped in a cell beneath the hospital. But the disbelief was still there. Henry sighed. Would anyone ever believe him?
And from the booth in front of him, Mr. Gold rose before tossing a few dollars on the table and limping out the door.
…
Emma was working late at the sheriff's office that night. She was sifting through mounds of mundane paperwork, cursing her luck that it had all piled up today of all days. She was supposed to be at the mayor's house, eating dinner with the distant woman and her son. Just minutes ago, Emma had dialed the mayor to inform her that duty called, and she wouldn't be able to make it.
Had Emma been imagining things, or had Regina actually sounded… disappointed? She shook her head and smiled, contemplating the odd truce that had developed between them over the last few months. They were NOTHING like friends, and still picked fights with each other just for the hell of it, but beyond that, Emma could genuinely say she enjoyed the older woman's company.
And their much improved relationship hadn't gone unnoticed. Gossip had mostly died down now, but their "friendship"—if you could call it that—had been a hot topic a week or so ago. Now people just kind of accepted it, that the mayor and sheriff weren't going to kill each other anytime soon.
Emma looked up from her paperwork to find Mr. Gold staring at her. She gasped. "What the hell?! When did you come in?"
"Now, now, Miss Swan. That's no way to greet a citizen of Storybrooke." He snaked his way around the office, cane in hand. "Years ago, Emma, you gave up a child. A love. You gave him up to a home you thought would be better for him. For ten years, you had not heard a word. I don't have to ask you what that's like, dearie. To be separated from something you loved for so long."
"I HAD to give up Henry. He deserved better than me!" Emma protested.
"Ah, ah, ahh. But do you really believe he got a better life here? With… that woman? That… wretched…"
"Yes." Emma interrupted. "Of course he did. Regina loves Henry. You know that."
"Ah, so it's true. You have developed a sense of caring for our cold, emotionless mayor. Well THAT, dearie, is where you went wrong." He swung out so suddenly, Emma was caught completely off guard. The cane he had been leaning on swiftly reared back, and then connected with her temple in a resounding CRACK.
Emma's world went black.
…
"MOM!" Henry screamed as he ran into the mayor's house that night. He was sobbing as Regina walked briskly from her office to see what he wanted. Upon seeing him, the mayor knelt down and embraced him.
"What's wrong, baby?" She questioned, pulling back and looking him in the eyes. A sense of regret clouded his vision, and it made her stomach turn.
"He has her! He's got Emma! It's all my fault… I didn't know he was there…" his voice broke off in sobs and she could only make out a few words after that, "Belle… asylum… Emma… office… blood… gone…"
Regina had heard enough. Her face assumed her cold mask, and she turned to Henry, speaking in clipped tones, "It is imperative that you stay here. Understand?"
Henry nodded, but Regina knew better. She knelt once more.
"Henry, if you come after me, Emma could only get hurt. You need to allow me to handle this, do you understand?"
Henry nodded more fervently this time. "Mom… will Emma be alright?"
Regina regarded her son warily. "I'll make sure of it."
…
Regina entered the pawn shop with all of the authority she could muster, given the situation. The open sign had already been flipped to closed, even though the door was unlocked—a clear sign that the pawnbroker was expecting both her presence and her fury.
The store was dark as Regina entered; the only sound was the soft click-clackof her heels against the wooden floor. She stalked her way to the back room of the store, like a tigress hunting her prey.
And then she saw her. "My God… Emma!" Tied to a chair in that back room, gagged, eyes listing aimlessly, and with a huge purple welt forming on the left side of her head, sat the sheriff—the mother of her child.
Light chuckling came from behind Regina, and she turned too late to see Mr. Gold shutting the door. "My, my, Regina. What ARE you doing at my shop at this hour?"
"You know very well why I'm here. Release her." Regina sounded every bit the regal queen Henry thought she was.
"Oh, dearie. HAVE you forgotten who is in charge here? I will release her if and when I please. In the meantime, we are going to do things… MY way," Mr. Gold pulled a silver pistol from his pocket, and cocked it, aiming not at Regina, but at Emma.
Emma growled through her gag. It seemed as though she had finally come into consciousness more completely. Her eyes were wide with fear and disbelief. She glanced between Regina and Mr. Gold, a look of mistrust gracing her features as she tried to follow what was happening.
"Now, Regina. I've heard you have something of mine." Mr. Gold sat himself heavily in the armchair behind his desk, pistol still aimed generally in Emma's direction.
"So that's it then? I give you what is yours, and you return to me what is mine?" Regina glanced over at Emma.
"Oh no, no, no. You don't get off that easily. You lied to me. You told me she was dead. My Belle has been DEAD for all of this time. Except that she hasn't. You're a sadistic witch. So you will pay. Emma will die. You'll have to explain it to Henry. He's an intelligent child, you know. He will figure out that you're truly at fault. He will hate you—never forgive you. And you will give me Belle." The pawnbroker leaned forward in his seat, one hand resting heavily on his cane while the other haphazardly motioned with the pistol. An evil, toothy smile stretched across his lips.
"Come now, Gold," Regina swallowed, attempting to hide her fear. "You once said that if both parties have something the other desires, a deal can always be struck." The mayor knew that if she couldn't persuade Mr. Gold otherwise, she would lose her son. He would never be able to look her in the eyes again without the accusation overwhelming her. She had made him a promise—to return Emma safely—and she intended to keep it.
"Ah…" Mr. Gold appeared to consider. "That I did. Alright then." He untied Emma and removed the gag, gun still trained between her eyes. "You, then. Take her place."
Regina gasped. She was taken aback, but she shouldn't have been. This is exactly what she should have expected from someone as slick and devious as Gold.
She considered her options, but her decision was already made. Either way, she lost Henry. But if she died, she would be redeemed, and he could live out a life filled with love and the possibility of happy endings with Emma. That would never be the case if she allowed Emma to die that night.
"Yes. Do it." Regina's eyes flicked down, and then over to Emma. "Tell Henry I loved him."
"Regina, no! Henry needs you," Emma protested vehemently.
Regina took her hand, looking her square in the eyes. "Not as much as he needs you. Not as much as he needs me to die."
"Isn't that precious? Sorry, Regina dear. The decision's already been made. And you're NOT in control of this deal."
Regina realized that the gun was still pointed at Emma, just before the flash and the pop of a gunshot. And then she felt a sharp pain in her left side, like she was being torn apart from the inside out. Reflexively, she had jumped in front of Emma. She had taken the bullet. It was the only way. She had kept her promise.
Regina entered a state devoid of sound and feeling as she fell to the floor. The last thing her eyes registered was Emma sobbing and shaking her, her eyes pleading. Then the world faded to darkness.