Emma knew she shouldn't be in the vault without Regina, but she hadn't seen the woman in three days and all of her texts were being ignored. She even tried communicating through Henry once, but he came back with literally nothing from Regina. She hadn't said anything to Henry's questioning.
So here she was. In the vault. Snooping. Because the last time she had talked to Regina was when they were in here, and Regina stormed out as if Emma had insulted her, which she hadn't. Or at least… she thinks she didn't say anything.
A book was laying open on a nearby table. Emma walked over and looked at the picture, trying to figure out what the page meant because she sure as hell couldn't read the words. There was a picture of… a vial with two strings in it? It looked like one was red, and one was blue, and where they intertwined turned purple.
She was leaning closer to get a better look when a piece of dust flew up her nose, causing her to sneeze. When she did, a strange smokey substance rose from the book, encircling Emma.
"Ah, shit," she said, just as she felt herself being sucked out of the vault.
-—-
She appeared at the edge of a forest at the end of a trail. In the field beyond, she saw an extravagant looking house. She took a step towards the house when she felt herself get caught on something.
Looking down, she noticed it wasn't her that was caught on something— it was the ornate cream dress she was wearing. Of course she had to be wearing a dress. "Really?"
"Oh my!" she heard a voice pipe up from behind her.
Emma turned and saw a little girl, probably barely eight years old, standing on the forest pathway. She had long brown hair that was curled down to her elbows, and deep brown eyes that seemed almost too familiar. She was wearing a plainer dress that was covered in dirt near the bottom and she had a basket full of apples in her hand.
"You are a very pretty princess," the girl said with a smile. She crossed one foot over the other and curtsied.
"Oh, no, kid, you don't need to bow or anything like that," Emma said. "I'm not—" Well, technically she was a princess.
The girl didn't seem to notice that Emma cut herself off. "Mother says I should greet all royalty with respect. Would you care for a glass of water?"
Emma shook her head. "I'm okay, but thanks. Can you tell me where I am?"
"You are at my house," she said, gesturing towards the field behind Emma. Emma took notice of her use of the word 'house' and not 'home.'
"And… who are you, exactly?"
The girl's eyes widened. "My apologies. It was rude of me not to introduce myself." She stuck one of her little hands out. "My name is Regina Mills. And who may you be?"
Emma was absolutely gobsmacked. "Regina?" She took the girl's hand in her own and felt the familiar twisting feeling in her stomach as she was pulled away, the child Regina's yells echoing in the distance.
-—-
She fell on the ground this time and noticed she was in the same place. The leaves were barren, however, and there was a light sheet of snow littering the ground.
"You're back," she heard from behind her.
She stood and turned and saw who she assumed was Regina, except now she was dressed in trousers and a jacket. Her hair was braided down her back and she looked to be thirteen.
"I guess I am," Emma said, unsure of what was happening.
"You disappeared rather quickly all those years ago," Regina said, her voice slightly deeper than before. "I didn't even get a chance to learn your name."
Emma looked at the ground, contemplating her choices. She could tell Regina the truth, but it might change the future, and that was something Emma really didn't want to do.
"Princess… Buttercup," Emma answered. "And before you try, you really don't need to bow or curtsy or anything."
Regina tilted her head but gave a slow nod. "As you wish."
Emma's forehead creased. "Have you seen—" She shook her head. "Never mind, that's impossible."
A shouting from the house interrupted their conversation (if you could call it that).
"That is my mother," Regina said solemnly, her lips pressed into a thin line. "She is looking for me." She glanced over at Emma. "Will you come with me?"
Emma shrugged. "Yeah, sure." If the Cora of this time was like the Cora that Emma had met a few years ago, this would not go to well.
Regina placed a hand on Emma's arm to guide her towards the house, and the moment she did, Emma's stomach twisted and she was pulled out of Regina's grasp once more.
-—-
This time the location had changed. Emma was sitting on a tree branch. She clung to the trunk and tried to look around as best she could.
"Princess? What are you doing up there?"
Emma looked down and saw Regina. This Regina was more recognizable than the other two, and it was clear that a few years had passed.
"You know, I'm not really sure," Emma said.
"You don't seem to be sure of a lot of things," Regina said with her telltale smirk.
Emma shrugged. "Yeah, that's me. I'm kind of a mess, to be honest."
Regina laughed, and Emma felt her stomach tighten at the unfamiliar sound.
"Does that mean you agree that I'm a mess?" Emma asked with a smile. Maybe this Regina was closer to her Regina than she thought.
But Regina shook her head. "You're not a mess, Princess Buttercup. You're still the beautiful princess I saw when I was just a girl."
Emma felt her stomach tighten more at Regina's compliment. She smiled down at the girl in response and Regina smiled back. Emma took a moment to memorize her face, young and carefree.
"Are you going to come down anytime soon?" Regina asked.
"I'm… not really sure how to get down," Emma said, looking down. There were a few other branches below that she could try and crawl down. It would be a lot easier if she wasn't still wearing that stupid dress.
"I will help you if you need," Regina said, stepping towards the trunk.
Emma nodded and maneuvered herself so she could slip a leg down towards the closest branch beneath her. She felt her toe scrape it and firmly planted it down. Just as she was moving her other leg down, she felt herself slip a little.
A hand that wasn't hers was placed on her leg to help steady her, and the tightened feeling in her stomach become a lot less pleasant.
-—-
Emma landed firmly on her ass when she reappeared. She was sitting beneath a tree standing tall in the middle of a field. "Fuck," she muttered as she started to feel the pain of the landing.
"Regina! Stand back!" a male voice announced.
Emma looked up and saw a young man with brown hair standing with his arms outstretched, protecting an older Regina who was smiling behind him. She was wearing a riding outfit with her hair braided back.
"It's okay, Daniel," Regina said, her eyes still on Emma as she gently laid a hand on Daniel's arm. "This is Princess Buttercup."
Daniel glanced back at Regina before turning towards Emma, his eyes wide. "You're Princess Buttercup?"
Emma smiled shyly, not sure how to act around the man she knew would be dead much too soon. "Yep. In the flesh."
He smiled a rather charming smile. "I've heard stories about you. Regina is quite fond of you," he said. "She keeps referring to you as her guardian angel."
"Guardian angel?" Emma asked. "But I haven't done anything…?"
"Yes you have," Regina argued. "Whenever you appear, something good always happens."
Emma shook her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"When you appeared to me as a little girl, I was covered in dirt. Normally when I would go back home in such a state, Mother would be… very angry," Regina said quietly, "and I would be punished. But when I went home that day, she was not upset— in fact, she was happy to wash my dress herself! It was very unlike her. And then when we next met, we were interrupted by my Mother calling. She was originally upset that I had missed my teaching session, but she then was fine with it and I was still served dinner that night."
"She makes you miss meals?" Emma asked with surprise. Not that she should be surprised— this was Cora they were talking about.
Regina continued on as if Emma hadn't spoken. "The next time when you were sitting on the tree branch was the day I met Daniel," she said as she turned and grasped one of Daniel's hands in her own.
"A most wondrous moment," Daniel said softly to her, bringing her hand up and laying a gentle kiss on the back of it. He turned to Emma with a smile. "To be honest, I wasn't sure you were even real."
"I wasn't either," Regina admitted, "but if you can see her, then she must be real."
Daniel stuck a hand out. "My name is Daniel. I work at the Mills' stables."
Emma shook his head, already noting that she wasn't feeling the same tightening feeling she did when she came into contact with Regina. "Nice to meet you." She looked around and noticed they were nowhere near the house. "Where are we?"
A blush formed on Regina's cheeks. "Daniel and I were out riding. This is… our secret hideaway."
Daniel turned towards her, his face crinkling. "Are you sure we can trust her?"
Regina smiled reassuringly, taking his hands in hers. Emma simultaneously wished she was the one holding Regina's hand and that this story wouldn't end as tragically as she knew it would. "Of course. She only stays for a few minutes at a time as it is." She turned to eye Emma. "Though why, I don't know."
Emma sighed. "Trust me, I wish I knew, too."
"I'm sure you will find the answer you seek soon," Regina said, bringing up a hand to rub Emma's arm consolingly.
Just as Emma predicted, there was a tugging in her gut, and she was gone.
-—-
Emma was startled to find herself in a large castle room. She heard crying and turned to see an older Regina with her head hidden in a pillow.
"Regina?"
The brunette looked up, her make-up smudged and tear tracks staining her cheeks. "Princess?" she asks quietly.
Emma rushed over to her side, not thinking of the consequences to come as she pulled Regina in for a hug right before she disappeared.
-—-
She reappeared in the same room. This time, Regina was standing by the mirror, applying makeup to her face. She was dressed in a black dress (robe? jacket? what even was Enchanted Forest fashion?) with a dangerously low v-neck cut outlined in silver gems and a red skirt underneath.
Emma was definitely entering the Evil Queen time period.
Regina caught her eye through the mirror and arched an eyebrow at her. "Oh, good, at least something will go my way."
"What's… what's with the outfit?"
"You like?" Regina asked, turning to face her with a smirk. "I'm not sure how appropriate it is for a funeral, but it will do."
"Funeral?" Emma asked. "What the hell did I miss?"
"A lot," Regina said bluntly. "You're not exactly the beautiful savior I once saw you as."
Emma took a step back. "What do you mean by that?"
Regina turned, her mouth twisting into a snarl. "It means you're an atrocious excuse for a guardian angel."
"I'm… I'm sorry, Regina—" I'm not even supposed to be your guardian angel I don't even know what's happening—
"You're pathetic," Regina muttered. "You don't bring happiness. You just use some good event to mask the eventual horridness of your true deeds."
"True deeds? What the hell are you talking about?" Emma asked, raising her voice.
"You killed Daniel!" she shouted back. "After you left, I thought your good deed was Mother accepting us! But she didn't, Princess," she spat. "She ripped his heart out!" She continued on before Emma could respond. "And your little attempt at a hug? One night of freedom away from my miserable excuse for a husband, but one night doesn't make up for every other night!" Emma could see tears brimming in her angry eyes. "What do you have to say for that?"
Emma was absolutely flabbergasted. "I don't even know the fuck I'm doing, Regina! I don't know why I'm here, why I keep popping in and out of your life— I just wanted my Regina back, is that too much to ask for?"
"Apparently!" Regina shouted, marching up to her and getting right in Emma's face. "I don't know who you really are, Buttercup, but I swear I will destroy you." She brought up a hand to Emma's throat, and just as she gave a light squeeze, Emma was gone.
-—-
Emma still felt fear as she reappeared in the bedroom once more. This time, the room was empty, and Emma actually let out a sigh of relief. If this pattern continued on, then Emma was probably in the middle of Regina's reign as the Evil Queen. And Emma did not want to see the Evil Queen.
The door burst open and Regina sauntered through, slamming the door shut behind her. She closed her eyes and let out a breath. When she opened them, she immediately saw Emma. "Ah, you're back." She started walking towards Emma, pausing when she noticed Emma walking back. "Oh, please. I'm not going to hurt you. I can't touch you without you disappearing, remember?"
"You know that?" Emma asked.
Regina gave a short laugh. "Of course I do. Just because I'm evil doesn't mean I'm dumb."
"You're not evil," Emma said out of reflex.
"Oh really?" Regina asked with an arched eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"
Emma shrugged. "I know you, Regina. You've done some really fucking terrible shit, but I know in the end you'll redeem yourself and become a really great person."
"In the end?" Regina asked curiously. "Can you see the future?"
"No, not… technically," Emma answered. "Just trust me when I say that no matter how bad things are, you'll find your happy ending." She smiled reassuringly.
The corner of Regina's mouth turned upwards in an attempted smile, but it quickly turned into her signature smirk. "Why hope for a happy ending when I can just take what's rightfully mine?" she asked as she traipsed towards Emma, backing her up against a wall with barely inches between them. "And you, my dear, are rightfully mine." She leaned forward and slammed her lips against Emma's.
And then the world went black.
-—-
"Emma! You stupid idiot…"
"I heard that," Emma mumbled as she felt her senses come back to her. Her head was throbbing as she opened up her eyes. She saw Regina hovering above her, her hair cut shorter than the last time she'd seen it and dressed in a fitting pantsuit. "Regina? Is it really you?"
"You are the most irresponsible child I have ever met," she responded.
Emma smiled. This was definitely her Regina. "It's good to be back." She sat up, rubbing her head where a bruise was probably forming.
"Yes," Regina agreed, sitting back on her ankles. "You definitely had quite the adventure."
"Do you… remember everything?" Emma asked softly.
Regina nodded, looking down. "Yes." She looked back up at Emma. "And I'm sorry for how I treated you the last few times. I was… not in a good place." she paused. "And I know you're not a possession to be owned."
Emma shrugged. "It's fine. I know you were in your crazy stage then."
"Quite," Regina agreed.
"It's too bad you ruined our first kiss, though," Emma said, her eyes widening once she realized what she said.
Regina noticed, her eyebrows raised. "Oh? Have you been picturing our first kiss?"
"Uh— I mean— maybe," Emma muttered, looking away. "So hey, uh… Look, not that I want to change the subject—"
"You definitely want to change the subject."
"—but… where the hell have you been for the past few days?" Emma asked quietly. "Why have you been avoiding me?"
It was Regina's turn to look away. "I… I'm sorry for avoiding you," she said slowly. "I… discovered something that startled me, and thought it would be best to not confront it." She picked up the book that lay near Emma— the one she had been looking at when she was first transported. "It's… a prophecy of sorts. In essence, it talks of true love springing from hate, but a journey would need to be taken before that love could be revealed." She hesitated. "It… alludes to a savior who saves their true love from the worst times of her life."
"Am… am I still the savior in this case?" Emma asked gently.
Regina nodded. "That was what I assumed from this. I was scared, so I ran."
Emma smiled in understanding. "I know the feeling."
"But you fulfilled your task anyway," Regina said. "I still remember what would have happened in some of those scenarios if you hadn't showed up. My mother… the King—"
Emma laid a hand on her arm, happy to not feel that tugging motion again. "It's okay. I understand." She let her hand slide down Regina's arm until it was holding her hand. "And I'm happy I could at least help out a little. Couldn't really change the whole course of events, unfortunately."
"As horrible as my life has been, if it hadn't happened as it did, I wouldn't have been led to you," Regina said with a shy smile.
Emma grinned. "So you want to try this out? See if it works?"
"I don't know if we really have a choice at this point."
"There's always a choice Regina," Emma said. "I'm not going to force you into something because some prophecy says we should."
Regina gave a small smile. "Thank you." She took a deep breath and let it out. "I suppose I would be amendable to trying something."
"Good," Emma said, trying not to sound as excited as she was on the inside.
"How… how do we start this?" Regina asked nervously.
Emma shrugged. "Well, you could kiss me and we go from there."
Regina shoved her teasingly but began to lean forward. "As you wish."