Regina was unconscious when Emma found her. She seemed to be under the effects of a sleeping spell, and Emma only knew one way to break it—no, two, but what if? The idea was outrageous and a blush crept to her face.
"Just get it over with… it's just a kiss… and it's not like it'll work anyway but… Argh! Just do it… No," she said to herself. But If it didn't work, it would be too painful, and she would've made a fool of herself to think that she might be—No. Regina already had a different name in her heart that occupied that place.
She held Regina in her arms and slowly leaned closer, admiring for a long moment how much more beautiful the mayor looked from up close. Green eyes studied crimson lips, but she shook the strange thought away, and opened the little bottle with potion to pour over Regina's forehead instead.
A white beam of magic shone upon Regina and her eyes opened lazily, meeting with green in astonishment.
"Oh my God. It worked," Emma exclaimed and Regina was stoked, thinking Emma had indeed kissed her.
"You…" was all Regina could utter, and her eyes welled up with tears.
She had been denying her feelings for so long but now it was clear whom her heart truly belonged to, but there was still hesitation because Emma's love might not be romantic, but rather: familial, as was their True Love to Henry.
"We have to go," Emma urged her to come along but Regina was still weakened from the spell, and her limbs didn't fully respond.
"How did you find me? And who's watching Henry?" Regina asked worriedly.
"With this map, and Hook is. Come, let's go before anyone comes," Emma responded and helped her get on her feet.
"Him?!" Regina felt her stomach churn in anger and hurt; the same feeling she would always have because it was the pirate whom Emma was with.
"Yes. Mary Margaret and David have been lying to me all this time and I can't trust them. Or even you," Emma glared at her. "I know you knew their secret, but we'll talk about that later," she said angrily. "But I would rescue you anyway because… it's the right thing to do as Savior," she said her title like it tasted like vitriol.
"So you know… Emma, I had to. Unlike your mother, I can keep a secret. Especially if it might hurt the one I—" Regina stopped before her mouth revealed more. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept things from you."
Regina couldn't prevent her tears from falling. This feeling was too much for her to bear and Emma was a clueless idiot who would never notice she was killing her slowly with her indifference. Even after sharing a kiss of true love, the blonde seemed oblivious of the special bond they both shared; it could only mean Emma loved her as a friend.
At seeing Regina's tearful face, Emma felt her heart squeeze inside her. This was an image she didn't want to see again and felt guilty for snapping at her. She was angry at her parents, not at Regina – well, a little, but not because of the secret she kept from her.
"Regina… I asked you to pull out and let me protect you," Emma said to the mayor as her thumb wiped a tear away. "Look, I'm not angry for the secret. I'm angry my parents put you in danger and it's my fault you almost get killed," Emma's eyes felt sting from the rage.
"Emma… I'm fine," Regina tried to calm her.
"No, it isn't. If anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself. I can't lose you, I can't lose my family," Emma broke down in tears, and her words made an echo in Regina's soul, but she didn't want to get her hopes high anymore.
The underground cell was dark and cold, and Emma had only been able to find Regina with the enchanted map Belle gave her from Rumplestiltskin's shop.
The prison was located deep in the forest, inside a cloaked cave no one but the Dark One could locate without this map, which served both as guide and key to the magical jail.
Regina had been locked there after failing to provide Rumplestiltskin with the book page, proving herself a traitor, and her punishment for such offense would cost her a steep price after the others found the Author to make him write them a victorious story.
They heard noise coming from the entrance and Regina asked Emma to go hide behind a pile of old rags and barrels outside the jail, and then they saw Rumplestiltskin approach Regina's cell, where Regina pretended to be still unconscious.
Rumplestiltskin waved a hand to undo Maleficent's sleeping spell and Regina opened her eyes to meet her former mentor.
"If you plan to kill me, why not do it once and for all, Rumple? Why bring me here? Are you afraid your grandson might learn what you did to his mother?" Regina questioned him.
"I kept you here for your own safety, Regina. Our interests may no longer align but I do not wish for your death, and I can't always keep watch on Cruella. She would bleed you in your sleep." The Dark One told her.
"Well, look who's gone soft after living in the ordinary world," Regina said with sarcasm.
"Not really, dearie. As you know, I don't take kindly to betrayal, so your fate will be worse than death," He smirked at her. "I will have the Author write a story in which the Evil Queen lost her son to the family where he belongs with. Baelfire will be back, and the Savior will make sure you never see their son again."
"No…" Regina lost her breath. "You won't keep me away from my son, he's all I have!"
"You should've thought about that before choosing the wrong side, dearie. Look where good gets you," he sneered. "But don't worry… He will be with the one person you tried protecting with your cover. Emma Swan… and my son, as should have always been," he said bitterly. "Now, if you excuse me, your Majesty, I have a story to re-write."
When Rumplestiltskin disappeared, Emma came running to Regina's cell again.
"Emma you have to go now! I can't puff you out of this cave without my magic," Regina told her desperately. "Go!"
"I'm not leaving without you," Emma responded, and looked in her pockets but didn't find what she needed to open the jail once more.
"Looking for this, Ms. Swan?"
They heard Rumplestiltskin's voice again, and saw his figure emerge from the shadows, holding the enchanted map in his hand.
"No way," Emma mumbled.
"You keep underestimating me. When will you learn?" He said condescendingly. "Since you're both so intent in keeping each other safe, you might as well share a cell." He waved a hand and made Emma appear inside a cell next to Regina's, a magical entrapment that stripped them off their magic. "Enjoy your stay, Emma."
Rumplestiltskin's plan had worked. He had lured his most important opponent in this quest for the Author into a trap. He had desguised as Belle to provide Emma with the map, while Maleficent and Cruella tracked down the Author on the run.
He knew Regina too well, and her protectiveness of Emma when Cruella threatened to ring her neck, confirmed his suspicions. Regina loved Emma, and Emma, being the Savior, had to go save her damsel in distress. She had no choice but to do as her fate dictated — thanks to her parents' choice of making sure she grew up to be a hero.
From the other side of the bars, Emma asked Regina to have faith. "We will get out of this. Trust me," she asked her but the brunette was devastated after hearing what would become of her fate if Rumplestiltskin and the Queens of Darkness got hold of the Author.
"How can I have hope when I'm trapped here powerless and he's out there threatening to take my family from me and give it to his dead son?! But I'm sure you would like that, wouldn't you? That's why you're so calm." Regina narrowed her eyes on Emma accusingly.
"What? No. I mean, it would be amazing if Henry could have his father back but—"
"But nothing! Henry is all I have, and I'm not about to lose him so that… person can gallop into the sunset with you and our son, taking away my happy ending," Regina cried out.
"We're your happy ending?" Emma's eyes glimmered, and her hands took Regina's in them gently.
"That's not what I—" Regina averted her eyes and looked downcast.
"Hey, don't do that. With you, remember, I always know when you're lying," Emma smiled warmly, and with her finger she lifted Regina's face so their eyes would meet again.
"No one is taking away our happy ending," Emma said softly and Regina's mouth parted in astonishment. "Our?" She asked incredulously of what Emma was implying.
Emma looked at Regina's lips and inched closer, waiting, hoping, for Regina to accept her kiss. Regina was nervous, she couldn't believe this was happening, but if this was a dream and she was still sleeping, she would take Emma's kiss — even if it was only a fantasy, for it was better than nothing.
When their lips touched, it felt like a wave of light traveled through their bodies, bringing back the warmth the cold cell had taken from them. A rainbow of magic swept through the forest, and all of Storybrooke, and when they parted from the magical kiss, they noticed the cell bars keeping them apart had vanished with the power of True Love, and they were free.
"Emma…" Regina let out the name sweetly.
"I love you," Emma assured her, and caressed her cheek gently. "Now let's go save our story."
Regina smiled brightly. She laced her fingers with Emma's and used her returned magic to poof them out of the cave and appear in the Author's house, where they had left the story book. They would trap the author again in the page and destroy it. They wrote their own story now.