Summary: It is a year after Pan's curse and oddly no one can remember anything that happened. Snow is pregnant. Charming is acting weird. Hook's gone. And Regina's, well, confused. Because not only has The Savior returned with all of her memories, but she's also returned with a magical three month old that looks like someone Regina once knew. Yet, nothing is ever quite what it seems. |AU|
Warnings: AU Season 3.
Pairings: Regina/Emma. Snow/Charming.
Author's Note: This is my first time really dabbling in this fandom and it is my first time really dealing with something like this as a concept so I would absolutely love some feedback on this! Please let me know what you guys think!
One
"It's not our price, it's mine. It is what I felt when I first held it. I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most." When the words fall from Regina's tightened lips, Emma thinks that she must have misheard the dark haired beauty. This whole situation has gotten so out of hand, so very quickly. Hell, her entire life has suddenly been that way, hasn't it? One second, she is sitting in her empty apartment, making a wish on her cupcake that she would not have to spend another birthday alone. Little did she know that wish would send her spiraling into a world of fairy tales, spiraling into a world of heartbreak with just an equal amount of despair and anguish hanging in the air. It sent her spiraling into finding out who her true parents are, into finding the son she gave up for adoption years ago and into finding her.
Regina Mills is a complex creature when mentioned in terms of Emma Swan's life. Not only is she the Mayor of this little quaint town that everyone calls home, but she is also the mother of her son. She is the one who took Henry in and saved him from the world of social work; she is the one who has clothed and fed her son for several years now and loved him to the best of her ability. She gave Henry something that Emma had never had, a better chance at life.
And for a very long time that is all that Regina was- just the adoptive mother of her son. Then, she became the Evil Queen. She became the reason that she spent her entire life in foster care, being sent from one home to the next because she was never 'good enough'. She became the reason that she never actually got to grow up with the parents that loved her and wanted her more than anything. She became the reason that Emma has done nothing but struggled and failed her entire life. And by God, she hated her for it with so much passion and rage that it nearly destroyed her.
Yet, somehow, in the mess of all of this, Regina simply became Regina. She may have been the Evil Queen in the Enchanted Forest, but in Storybrooke, Maine, at least as far as Emma is concerned, she is simply Regina. She is the woman who is afraid of falling in love because everyone she loves always leaves her. She is the woman who has the quickest wit of anyone that Emma has ever met in her life, only to have that wit balanced with incredibly good looks and a very intelligent brain. Regina became the person who saved her and saved her son without Emma ever truly knowing about. She became the dark to Emma's light and it slowly, but ever so surely, consumed her. Regina became the purpose that the sheriff had been looking for; Henry had brought her Storybrooke to return the happy ever afters and she knew that she could not stop until Regina got hers. After all, she may have been the person who deserved it the most.
And now? Now Regina is the hero; she is the woman who is making the ultimate sacrifice, even though it is going to kill her to do so. Emma can tell just how much this whole situation pains her by the reflection within her dark brown eyes.
"Henry?" Emma whispers, glancing back at their freckled, but worried son with frantic eyes. Regina's gaze follows her counterpart's to stare at her son who is nestled in the protected embrace of his father, tears burning within his own eyes. Sucking in a gentle gasp, Emma takes a step towards the Mayor, eyes searching for some type of answer that would not be found in a string of pretty words that would not even remotely make sense when said aloud. Regina bites her bottom lip, rocking on her heels softly as she looks up at the sky, trying desperately to keep the tears at bay.
"I can never see him again. Or you," Regina states coldly and Emma's heart plummets to the bottom of her stomach at the statement. Now, Emma does not quite know how it feels to have her heart ripped out of her chest, after all, she is not Daniel, but she is sure that it must feel something like this. It must feel like someone has reached inside of her and ripped out all of her essential organs and simply thrown them aside and told her that life certainly is not worth living.
And perhaps it would not be without Storybrooke.
Without Regina.
"Regina, no." It's a whispered scolding from someone in the crowd behind them- it's Snow, Emma thinks. Because it is always Snow; always trying to protect the daughter that she threw into the wardrobe to never return. Rolling her eyes in bitterness, Emma recollects herself, reminding herself that now was neither the time, nor the place, to open up that specific can of worms.
"I have no choice. I have to undo what I have started," Regina states ever so simply as if it had been ridiculous that no one had ever truly thought of this plan before. Shaking her head in disbelief, Emma takes another long step towards the dark haired woman but when the Mayor arches her eyebrow in just the right way, Emma stops in her tracks.
"The curse that brought us to Storybrooke?" Yep, definitely Snow, Emma groans.
"The curse that created Storybrooke. It doesn't belong here and neither do any of us," Regina's voice cracks and it is the first time that Emma sees the tears that are streaming down her cheeks. It is killing her in the most painful of ways.
But she's wrong, Emma sighs, looking at her through her own tear filled eyes. Could she not see that? Yes, they may be fictional fairy tale characters and in theory, they should not belong outside of their realm. But in practice? In practice they all belong here, especially Regina. She belongs with Henry. Just like Snow and Charming belong with Emma. Just like Rumple belongs with Neal. Everyone had a place here in Storybrooke. It is home.
"Breaking the curse destroys the town," Charming states, reaffirming what Regina could not quite find the strength within herself to say. Nodding through her tears, the dark haired woman runs her fingers through her tangled mess, watching as the curse slowly begins to engulf their small town, destroying everything within its path.
"It will wink out of existence as though it was never here. And everyone would go back to where they are from, with no chance of ever returning," Regina states, looking at the crowd of people who surround her.
"So, we all return to the Enchanted Forest?" Emma asks, hopeful. After all, returning to the Enchanted Forest would not necessarily be such a bad thing. She is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, if that did not mean that she got some kind of advancement in social class, nothing else would. Also, in the Enchanted Forest, Regina is the Evil Queen with an empire that is all her own; that could not necessarily be so bad either. It sounds a hell of a lot better than walking around with a criminal record and everyone judging her for being a foster kid and for having a baby in prison.
"No. All of us. Except Henry. He will stay here because he was born here," Regina voices, her eyes landing on their son. Jumping into action, Emma's hands quickly grasp at the curvature of their son's shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze as she looks at the woman before her, panic and worry sitting deep within her chest.
"Alone?!"
"No. You will go with him. You will take him because you are the Savior. You were created to break the curse. And once again, you can escape it." Regina mumbles softly, the tears in her eyes as a weak smile curls upon her lips. Emma Swan had somehow, someway, always been escaping the dark side of magic since the day that she had been born. First, the Regina's curse and now, now she is going to escape Pan's curse and everything else that occurs afterward. Like her mother, she had been the bane of Regina's existence; yet, in her own different way, she had been everything she had ever wanted.
"I don't want to. We will both go back with everyone." Emma states, squeezing Henry's shoulder as the brunette boy nods feverishly in agreement with his other mother. Regina, however, shakes her head with a weak chuckle, looking at the two people that she perhaps loved most in the world.
"That's not an option. I can't be with him, or with you. If I don't pay the price, none of this will work." Regina replies, squinting her eyes to appear slightly threatening. But if fear is what she had been meaning to instill within Emma Swan, she certainly failed the test. Because if Emma is feeling anything, it is the swirling rage that is deep within her stomach. How could she be doing this? How could she be taking everything that she had searched her entire life for away from her like this?
"Regina, I'm not doing this. You're crazy. I'm the Savior. There has to be another way to stop this curse. I'm not leaving everything that I ever wished for and dreamed about. That includes you," Emma retorts, locking her jaw tightly as her nostrils flare just slightly, "Storybrooke is home. Henry is home. My parents are home. You… you are home." Shaking her head as she pinches the bridge of her nose, Regina takes in a deep breath and Emma knows that she is trying to keep herself from crying.
"I've known you for some time now. And all I ever wanted was for you to get the hell out of my life so that I could be with my son," Regina's voice cracks as she looks between Henry and his blonde haired mother, "but really what I want is for Henry to be happy. And for you...for you to be happy, Miss Swan. We don't have a choice. You have to go." And it is in that moment that Emma realizes that she is not telling her, but rather she is begging her to go in order to protect her, to protect Henry.
"This is not fair. This is all my fault. If I had never gone to get Emma, if I had just lived under the curse with you, none of this would have ever happened. I thought I was alone. I thought you didn't love me. But I was wrong." Henry steps up, his shoulders square and his chest puffed out, trying so desperately to be the man that she perceives himself as. If this had been any other situation, Emma is sure that she would have been more than proud of him for owning up to the fact that he made a mistake; but there is just something about it now that is ridiculously bittersweet. Sighing softly, Regina leans down to meet her son's dark eyes and for a moment, she can see her reflection staring back at her. If it was biologically possible, she would swear that Henry Mills is her own son, just based on the fact that he looks just like her.
"Henry… I was wrong too," At this, Regina looks up at Emma with a heavy sigh, "I cast a curse out of vengeance and I'm… I'm a villain. You heard Mr. Gold, villains don't get happy ever afters." She whispers the last part ever so softly but it is just loud enough that Henry can hear it. He shakes his head with a twinkle in his eye and a very Emma Swan like smirk upon his face.
"You're not a villain. You're my mom." Henry states with a wink, flashing his bright smile at her and in that moment, Regina swears that her heart bursts with joy. Her whole life she had feared that her son would hate her when he found out the truth about her. After all, finding out that your mother is an Evil Queen is probably something that would emotionally scar any child, especially when he found out that he was the product of the Charmings. So, hearing this now, knowing that despite all of the curses, and all of the wrong that she has done, that Henry Mills still loves her with all that he is, allows the most fleeting reassurance to fill within Regina. This is the hardest thing that she will ever do, but looking into his eyes so full of unconditional love reminds her that this is the right thing. Looking up from her son, Regina's eyes land on Emma who is breaking away from her parents embrace. They share a gaze, one that would say more than words could ever truly express.
"Emma...there's something I haven't told you," Regina calls out once Emma approaches the line that separates Storybrooke from the rest of the world. Turning on her heels, emerald eyes are staring into the darkest shade of brown and for a brief moment, Regina forgets how to speak. Swallowing hard as she glances over her shoulder, she steadies her trembling hands and allows the truth to come from her pursed lips, "when the curse washes over us, it will send us all back. Nothing will be left behind here. Including your memories. Storybrooke will no longer exist. It will have never existed. These last years will be gone from both of your memories and everything… everything is going to go back to being just stories." Biting her bottom lip, Emma nods, staring down at her shoes as she tries to contain the tears from spilling from her eyes.
"That does not sound like much of a happy ending," She mutters sarcastically and Regina laughs softly with a shrug of shoulders. Licking her lips softly, she smiles at the savior and it is the first time in a while that Emma can feel the genuineness behind it.
"Oh, it is not. But I can give you one. I will do for you what I did for everyone else in this town and give you new memories. My gift for you is good memories and a good life for you. A good life for Henry. You will never have given him up. You will have always been together," Regina pauses as her voice breaks, and it is in that moment that Emma realizes that the dark haired woman will cease to exist to the both of them, "when I stop Pan's curse and you step over the town line, you will have the life that you always wanted. The life that I took from you."
"But it won't be real." Emma states and Regina nods quietly, looking down at Henry before she continues.
"No, your past won't be. But your future will," She whispers, the tears burning within her eyes as she lets out a strangled cry, pushing Henry toward his birth mother. It is perhaps the most selfless thing that Regina Mills has ever done in her entire life, and yet, it is perhaps the one thing that will kill her the quickest, "You have to go now. There isn't much time left." She demands, looking over her shoulder as the dark green curse engulfs everything around them.
Emma wants to say something, say anything that could potentially make this situation better; something that will make all of this go away. When she opens her mouth to speak, however, she is met by Regina's hand against her back, pushing her over the townline. The bubble of protection quickly surrounds the town and Emma finds herself standing on the other side, staring in at the people that she has grown to love.
Hook.
Neal.
Snow and Charming.
Regina.
The wind quickens and the curse rapidly begins to fill the entire town before Emma's tear filled eyes. Glancing over her shoulder at Henry who is waiting for her at the car, she cannot stop the cries that are slowly escaping from within her.
"Go Emma!"
Gritting her teeth, Emma shakes her head as she bursts forward, her hand finding it's way onto the bubble, exactly where Regina is standing. Their eyes meet in the most intense gaze the world has ever seen and suddenly, everything begins to slow around them, slow until it is only the two of them.
"I'm the Savior. I'm meant to bring back the happy endings. You deserve yours. I'm going to come back for you. It might take a week, it might take a year. But I will come back for you. Do you hear me, Regina?" Emma yells over the rushing wind, her voice cracking as the tears stream down her cheeks, "I'm not going to give up on you. I'm not like everyone else. I will come back and I will save you. You're not the Evil Queen anymore. You're Regina Mills. You're supposed to be here with me, with your son. I'm going to save you and you're going to live happily ever after. Just… don't give up one me!" She is crying and God, how she wishes that she could stop the heart wrenching sobs that are dancing from her lips. Regina shakes her head softly, the same tears mirroring within her own eyes as she gently places her hand on the other side of the dome, her fingers perfectly in place with Emma's.
"I'll wait for you, Swan."
"Regina, I lo-" But she is interrupted by the crushing thunder that echoes in the sky above them and Regina looks over her shoulder, watching as the clouds settle in over the people that are behind her. Biting her bottom lip as she cries, she shakes her head, staring back at the mother of her son.
"Go Emma! Get out of here! GO! Goddamn it, go!" Regina yells. It takes Emma a second, or maybe a minute, to register exactly what it is happening but when she does, her feet are carrying her to the car as quickly as possible. She does not remember starting the car, or actually driving away until she looks into her rearview mirror as she watches the clouds consume Regina. Choking out a sob, Emma begins shaking violently, her stomach churning and tightening, the sweat dripping down her face.
"Mom? Mom, are you okay?" It's Henry, but he sounds like he is miles away now. Pulling over on the shoulder abruptly, Emma throws open the driver's door and makes it only two steps away from the bug before she empties her stomach. There is a twinge inside of her- something that almost feels like a flutter and she looks down at her stomach to find a weird glow occurring. Closing her eyes tightly as another round of vomit sits in the back of her throat, Emma tries her hardest to keep her composure, at least for the kid. Swallowing hard, she reluctantly opens her eyes and when she does, everything is suddenly normal. The ache of her stomach, the fluttering, the weird glow, it is all suddenly disappeared. Biting her bottom lip, Emma looks over her shoulder to find the emptiness of what had once been Storybrooke.
It was all gone.
She's gone.
"Mom, are you okay?" Henry asks again, suddenly appearing beside of his mother. Sighing softly, Emma paints a forced smile upon her face as she gently clasps her hand over her son's shoulder, giving him a quick kiss upon the forehead.
"Yeah, we're going to be okay, kid. I promise," Emma whispers, looking back at Storybrooke with pained eyes before she climbs back into the bug and drives away. Everything is going to be okay, she reminds herself as she looks over at Henry, after all, it always is.
One Year Later
It is eerily quiet in Emma Swan's apartment tonight; something that is unusual, not only because she lives in the heart of New York City, but because normally her twelve year old son is causing some kind of commotion with his video games. Oh, and then there is Reagan, who makes her own contribution to the level of noises that normally fill this apartment. But tonight, everything is calm, quiet, peaceful.
Dancing around her kitchen as she makes one of Henry's favorite dishes, pasta, Emma has a tune stuck in the back of her throat. It is lightweight and happy, an emotion that has consumed her more often than not in this past year. Winking at her son who catches her gaze briefly before returning his attention back to his soccer video game, Emma cannot help but think about how truly blessed she is.
She has a great, steady job in the criminal justice field. She has a great apartment with reasonable rent, a feat that is nearly impossible to achieve in New York City. And she has great kids- that's right, kids. The thought still shakes Emma to the core and it still surprises her every morning that she is responsible for two lives. There are two tiny people that she grew inside of her running around the world; well, Henry is running, Reagan is only three months old and at best, maybe she could drool on top of the world.
Pouring the sauce in with the pasta, Emma turns to Reagan who is sitting in her lounger on the kitchen island, a toy duck within her grasp, jabbering about something that Emma only wishes that she could understand. She takes a moment to simply look at the three month old and she finds herself in awe of her. She has the darkest hair that Emma has ever seen with the most beautiful shade of dark brown eyes that absolutely light up her life, and the cutest little button nose that sits just perfectly on her face. She is absolutely stunning and looks nothing like her mother- Emma chuckles softly to herself. Maybe she gets it from her father- if only Emma could remember who that was.
"Whatcha doing, Munchkin?" Emma coos, tickling the bottom of Reagan's foot softly. The baby squirms with a grumpy glare, retracting her foot quickly as she clutches tighter to the duck within her baby fist. She gurgles something, before she places the duck in her slobbering mouth with somewhat of a giggle.
"Oh, you think hurting Mr. Duckie is funny, do you? My little villain," Emma smiles with a laugh all of her own. She stirs the pasta with a watchful eye before she picks the three month old from her lounger, cradling her softly in her arms. Emerald eyes stare down into a deep shade of brown and Reagan only blinks, staring up at her mother with the utmost curiosity.
"I am sorry that you will never know your father, kid. I'm sure he was a great guy. Or hell, maybe he wasn't. Maybe I did him a favor by never telling him about you. But, we don't need him, do we? No, no, we don't. You have me and your big brother over there and we're going to protect you and love you enough for like, five parents. I'd say we are doing a pretty good job, right, kid?" Emma asks and Reagan only stares up at her, blinking her long eyelashes before her chubby hand gently pats Emma on the chest.
"I promise you are never going to have to suffer like I did, okay? You're going to have the best life, ever. And you're never going to have to question how much you are loved because I am going to show you every single day. I love you, Rea. You might be a villain, but you're my little villain. And as long as you don't kill Mommy in the middle of the night, I may even help you take over the world," Emma winks with a chuckle and Reagan only chews on her duck, her fingers curling deep within Emma's shirt; something that tugs on the blonde's heart strings. All her life, Emma always wondered where she belonged, she always searched for the place that made her comfortable, that gave her purpose; and perhaps it is right here with her two, beautiful children.
"Mommy's always got you, Reagan," Emma whispers, her thumb gently tracing the swirl of dark hair around the crown of her head. She has the most beautiful shade of dark black hair that Emma has ever truly ever seen; and she cannot help but wonder where she gets it from. Softly, her thumb swirls around the jet black hair that curls just perfectly around her head, her eyes studying Reagan's.
Suddenly, she can feel herself being transported to a completely different world. It is as if she is watching an entire lifetime flash before her eyes. It is a land of forests, of fairy tales, of dances and dresses and the most perfect falling snow.
Miss Swan.
"Did you hear that?" Emma asks to Henry who wrinkles his brow, staring at his mother as if she had three heads.
Miss Swan.
"Hear what?" He asks and Emma shakes her head, staring down at her daughter, closing her eyes once more. She can see the shadows of people, hear the sounds of their laughter, the sounds of a beautiful life. There is an outlining of a beautiful woman and there is a bitter pain that fills within Emma's heart.
Miss Swan.
"That. Somebody is saying my name. Don't screw with me, kid," Emma states and Henry only shakes his head, his fingers making quick work of the controller that is within his hand. Reagan's fist tightens within Emma's shirt, pulling the fabric closer to her.
Miss Swan.
"I seriously don't hear anything, Mom. Maybe you should go to sleep," Henry replies with simplicity, as if it is only her exhaustion that is causing her to hallucinate. But she is not hallucinating, is she? Shaking her head softly, Emma just groans, readjusting her daughter in her arms, watching her face ever so carefully, but Reagan only stares back at her, the same blank expression upon her face, except for a half smile that attempts to curl upon her lips.
Miss Swan.
Just as Emma is about to say something else, however, there is a knock at her door. Looking at Henry who only shrugs before returning his attention back to the game, Emma lets out a sigh before approaching the door. Opening it quickly, she finds herself staring face to face with a man that is dressed in all leather and resembles very much that of a biker- or hell, maybe even a pirate.
"Ahh, Miss Swan. I've been looking everywhere for you. You know you are really…" His voice trails off, however, when he notices the infant that is nestled within her arms and his heart plummets in his chest. Fuck. "Shit, I guess you really were busy. Got yourself another little tyke, huh?" Hook gestures to the little girl who still stares at her mother, eyes full of curiosity.
"I'm sorry. Am I supposed to know you?" Emma asks. Hook rolls his eyes as he grabs the blonde, pulling her into a harsh kiss as his lips attack her own. Growling in disgust, Emma quickly pulls away, her fist finding his chest in a very hard thump, pushing him away from her and her daughter.
"Ah, it was worth a shot. Listen, I came here because I need your help. We need your help," Hook explains and Emma only shakes her head with a laugh.
"That is not how you ask someone for help. I don't have time for this. If there is something that I can help you with, my business hours are posted all over this town. You can come to my office any time. Other than that, I suggest you get the hell out of my apartment and you stay the hell away from my children," Emma demands, clenching her jaw tightly as a new color of life flashes within her emerald eyes. Ah, there is the savior, Hook thinks to himself as he leans against the doorway. He glances at the baby in the blonde's arms, noticing the color of her hair and the color of her eyes.
It is the exact same color as… but it can't be.
Can it?
"What's the little one's name?" Hook intrigues, gently holding his hand out as he tickles her foot. This time, however, Reagan does not pull away like she had previously with her mother. This time, she simply just lays there and stares at Hook, her brow wrinkling just slightly, a look that is all too familiar to the pirate.
Shit, maybe she really is, Hook thinks.
"That's none of your business. Please leave before I have to call the cops." Emma growls, grabbing the door, trying to forcefully shut it but Hook's hand stops it just before it shuts. There is a pleading in his eyes, a desperation written upon his scruffy face; something that had never quite been there before in the beginning of their conversation.
"Emma, wait! Please! Your family is danger! They really need your help! You have to come. Quickly!" Hook pleads, desperation echoing in his voice to the point that he is sure that he must sound pathetic. Emma's mouth slightly opens as she contemplates what he has said to her before she holds her daughter a little bit tighter in her arms, glancing over her shoulder at Henry who is too invested in his video game to even realize that they have company.
"My family is right here and if you think this is your way of threatening them, you can go to hell." Emma exclaims, slamming the door in the stranger's face just as he was about to say something else. Sighing softly, she leans against the door, her eyes venturing from Reagan's sleepy face to the tattoo on her wrist. It is faded somewhat, but the subject is still there of a Chinese version of a lion. She is sure that it is supposed to mean something, but honestly, she cannot think of what at this moment in time.
There's a vibration in the air, more like a tickle really and it just dances within Emma's ears, just soft enough that she hears it. Cradling her daughter in her arms, she watches as Reagan's sleepy eyes open at the sound of the vibration and a soft smile appears on her lips at the sound of it.
Miss Swan.
Okay, Emma sighs, what in the hell is going on?