Author's Note: I did a thing. Reviews/follows/ always welcome and appreciated.
Emma brought a fry to her mouth and began to chew as Regina slumped down in the seat across from her, looking unpleased.
"We're running out of time. I think it's about time we delve deeper into your magic and what it can do." she said.
Emma stopped chewing. "Hello to you too." she said.
Regina pursed her lips. "I'm serious. I feel like something is coming and we're completely unprepared. We havn't even touched the tip of the iceberg of what you can do, Emma and we both have to be at our best in order to defeat the Wicked Bitch. How about we continue our lesson tonight on a higher level?" she asked.
Emma sighed and put the fry she was about to pop into her mouth back on the plate. "Look, I get it. She's powerful. Maybe the most powerful person we've had to face, but I'm still learning. I'm completely new to this. It took you much longer to learn everything than the time you're giving me. I'm okay with learning the basics and going from there, but there's no way I'm prepared to be at my best when I just started."
Emma's eyes left Regina's and focused on something from behind her. Turning, Regina saw the cause of Emma's distraction. Hook had just walked into Granny's. As he just finished ordering, his eyes landed on the both of them. Regina waved and he did so in return before asking Granny to cancel his order and briskly strolling back out.
Turning back towards Emma, Regina found it odd he didn't stop to chat with her. The pirate was, after all, gaga over her and everyone knew it.
Seeing the split second of hurt and confusion in Emma's eyes at Hook's apparent avoidance of her, Regina tilted her head for a moment then gathered her things.
"Well, let me know when you decide to stop tiptoeing around your magic and when you want to get serious. I'll be ready."
Emma nodded, but said nothing as Regina stood up to leave.
A few hours later, at the Charming's apartment, a knock came at the door as Emma and David were going through baby things with Mary Margaret.
Pausing to answer the door, Emma was somewhat surprised to see Robin Hood at their door. "Robin?" she asked. "What's up?"
Robin, out of breath and looking panicked, made Emma realize that something was definitely up. "It's Hook. The Wicked Witch has got him."
Moving quickly, Emma grabbed her jacket as she overheard David tell Mary Margaret Emma's eyes widened. to stay there. A few seconds later, he was following right behind her, Robin guiding them.
Slamming the car door, she ran towards the docks, Robin and David at her side. The closer she got, the more her heart raced. Upon reaching the docks, she could see Killian tied to the mast of one of the ships at the harbor, the ship farther out than the rest, surrounded by water. She was running faster now. As she picked up speed and got closer, the weather began to change. The wind became furious, whipping her hair and cutting her skin. The skies got darker, thunder began rolling in.
Panting, Emma ran, until she was suddenly thrown back. Landing on her back hard, the wind being knocked out of her, she shook her head and got up again, going slower this time as she realized she couldn't continue on. There was some type of force field keeping her out.
She could see Killian in her line of sight. The ship he was on (and not the Jolly Roger, she might add) swayed in the horrendous weather. She could hear him through the force field, just slightly. "Swan!" he called. As soon as he called for her, to her horror, she saw the ship begin to slowly sink into the ocean. Frantic, she looked for David and Robin, who she could no longer see.
"Emma!" David called from behind her. Looking back, she saw the two of them a ways away behind her. "We can't move!" called David. Try as they might, David and Robin were unable to take a single step further.
Emma's breathing became ragged. Turning back towards Killian, she continued to bang on the force field. "Killian!" she called. The panic coming out of her as the ship continued to sink was making it difficult for her to focus on what she could do.
Looking around the force field, she anxiously stepped back and tried to calm herself down. Remembering what Regina told her, closed her eyes and looked inward. Opening her eyes, she waved her hands, praying it would work.
It didn't.
The ship was sinking faster now, the weather not much better.
Trying again, Emma collected herself as best as she could and waved her hands, trying desperately to think about the force field shattering. Again, nothing happened.
"Swan!" Killian called out. "Killian!" she called back. She was panicking now. She needed to focus on her magic but her sheer terror at the scene in front of her, at the possibilities, was keeping her from doing so.
As the water began to rise towards Killian's feet, she banged harder on the force field and, once she did so, she felt it shake just slightly. Hope rising within her, her expression changed as she noticed the ship stopped sinking. Good! She had some time to get this right, but she had to move fast!
A figure coming from her right caught her eye. Furrowing her brows, she watched Gold head towards the ship. Waving his hand, he beckoned the ship closer and stepped aboard.
Looking around quickly for the Wicked Witch, she was nowhere to be seen. She was controlling Rumple to do whatever he wanted. As she watched Rumple walk towards Killian, her heart hammered and sheer panic and terror began to set in.
"No." she whispered. "Killian!" she yelled. Banging harder against the force field, she noticed a blue light begin rising out of her hands as she banged on it. Stepping away again and closing her eyes, she waved her hands and the force field slowly began to crack. Gold was stepping closer to Killian. She was running out of time.
Her eyes widened in horror as Gold stopped in front of Killian, raised his hand, and plunged it through Killian's chest.
The agonizing yell from Killian as his heart was removed mingled with hers.
"NO!" she screamed, tears welling in her eyes and falling, and suddenly the ground was shaking, the trees were swaying, the rest of the boats were moving on their own. The ground rumbled beneath them, the thunder clapped the loudest it had, and, finally, the force field shattered into a million tiny pieces.
She fell forward from when she was leaning on what was now gone. Looking up, her eyes red from the tears and her throat throbbing from her agonizing scream, she met Regina's eyes.
Looking behind her and around her quickly, panting, she saw nothing but a calm and steady sea. Killian was nowhere in sight and neither was Gold.
"What…?" She was beyond confused. Her eyes landed on Regina. "What the hell is going on?! Where's Killian?" she yelled.
Regina extended her hand to help her up. "Hook's fine. It was an illusion. None of it was real." she explained.
Emma's eyes widened and she slapped her hand away, getting up on her own. As she shook her head in disbelief, anger began to buzz through her, replacing the fear.
"No. I saw it. I saw Gold…" she paused, the sight and thought of it too much for her.
Regina slowly stepped toward Emma. "I'm sorry it had to be done this way, I am, but I needed you to reach into your magic at a deeper level and I obviously wasn't going to use Henry to do that."
Emma shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. There were too many memories and emotions running through her.
Glaring at Regina, she noticed the sincerity there. She was sorry. Still…Emma was furious.
"I cannot believe you would do that! Do you understand how terrified I was?!" she yelled.
Regina sighed. "And do you understand that what you just saw could very well become a reality if we aren't ready? Instead of Hook, that could be Henry having his heart removed!" she yelled. As Emma continued to glare at her, silent, Regina continued.
"I got exactly what I wanted. For you to see the depth of what you could do. My plan worked. That was all emotion and pure power came from that. You've tapped into your emotions it and it only gets better from there." she said.
Emma closed her eyes. The thought of this happening to Henry was something she couldn't bear. Though she was pissed at Regina for the lengths she went to and the turmoil she caused her, the end result was something beneficial to them and everyone they loved.
Opening her eyes, she just had one question. "Why did you use Killian?"
Regina crossed her arms and tilted her head. She thought back to the exchange between Hook and Emma earlier that was the catalyst to her plan. "That's a question I can't answer for you." she replied.
Later that night, as Emma lay in bed, the memories of the day and what she saw kept replaying in her head. Her fear over Killian being harmed was causing her to evaluate how she truly felt, and that was a terrifying thing in itself.
She couldn't tell him. Not yet. But she could admit it to herself, and that was a start.
End.