A.N. I haven't forgotten about my other story .. this just wouldn't let me go .. my SQ muse has been kicking me with all new s4 finale feels and well .. here I am .. swept away to Swan Queen land, once again. *sighs*

I listened to Storm by Lifehouse for this chapter ..

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The dagger clinks as it hits the pavement and Regina hears the sound echo all around her. To others it sounds as soft as two glasses coming together in a toast but to the older woman who is now pulling away from Robin and walking toward the fallen blade, well, the sound is deafening and hypnotizing. Robin calls her name and his hand grazes her arm as she inches away from him but she just feels determination now. Determination and a drive to reach that dagger and .. what?

Her mind falters at what will be next .. time seems to have stilled since she gazed at Emma through the swirling black funnel that should have claimed her, swept her up and away .. not Emma.

Please, never Emma.

She falls to the ground, her knees kissing the cold gravel as her fingertips lightly trace Emma's name that is now etched into the gleaming blade. She closes her eyes and remembers a vision she had tried to forget. Thought she had forgotten. Forgotten with the promise of pixie dust and a lion tattoo and a man who she thought she could love and be happy with. Her fingers dance over Emma Swan's name and she remembers.

Emma quickly places the scroll in her palm and the images gallop through her like a steed of wild horses. She is no longer standing in the middle of town, Pan's curse is not looming but there is a darkness around this version of Storybrooke. The sky is bleeding with it. The air is heavy and thick from it like a hazy humid day. The darkness isn't black though, it is a shade of gray and red. And for some odd reason she can't help but think of Henry's favorite scarf, like the two colors were made to be sewn together after all.

Emma is standing in front of her. Although she is different. Her eyes are .. cold and distant. No longer swimming in sea green but .. no! Regina shakes her head as she watches herself step closer to .. the Dark One?

Yes, Emma is the dark one. Her skin sparkles a twinkling gold that matches her eyes and Regina can't help but think of that vampire movie Henry loves so much to make fun of because as he puts it, "The book was just so much better, Mom."

She shakes her head again, brushing her sons voice away because God, this is Emma and what the hell is happening here?! She wants to run and grab Emma, shake her and herself even. Just wake them all up from this awful nightmare she is stuck in. But her feet won't move, she is stuck in place and her heart is hammering so loud inside her chest she is surprised the two other women can't hear it. But then again, they can't see her anyway, let alone hear her. She's a ghost, invisible to the naked eye.

She sighs and crosses her arms in front of her stomach, holding herself together as she watches herself, (which is entirely weird and too Back to the Future for her own good) inch closer to Emma ..

She witnesses a touch .. dare she say a light caress to Emma's wrist and there are words being said, but she can't hear them. Lips are moving and Emma shrugs, looking down at her own wrist and then ..

Regina gasps as she watches herself KISS Emma! Kissing Emma .. her head is spinning and she can almost feel the touch of soft lips against her own, a fluttering begins in her chest, like a batch of butterflies have been unleashed inside of her and they make their way down into the valley of her stomach.

She can't help but trace fingers along her own lips as she watches on. As a shimmer of light begins to unfold .. to unravel around the two kissing women and then Emma is changing. She can feel her .. can feel the lightness washing through Emma. And ..

She is opening her eyes, someone is lightly shaking her, calling her name.

"Emma .. "

The name is whispered softly from her lips as she gazes up at the woman peering down at her.

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Regina feels the dagger being pulled away from her touch and she opens her eyes in alarm. She is back in the present and an angry pirate is sneering down at her.

"Do not think for one second, you will be controlling Emma .. " He turns to walk away, gripping the dagger tightly until a fist connects with his jaw, sending him falling backwards as the dagger hits the ground once again in a clunk. A sound that echoes around everyone now. David bends down and sweeps the blade up into his own closed fist.

"No one is controlling our daughter!"

Hook is glaring up at the man, rubbing his chin as Regina stands and walks past him. She has to resist the urge to kick the fallen man, right in the gut.

Instead she opts for a well deserved glare, that only she can deliver and an even more impressive eye roll.

Really, what Emma sees in him, she will never know. Emma ..

The vision she had, the one she had buried since Pan's curse, since she had given Emma and Henry new memories, is now fresh in her mind and she feels Robin come to stand next to her, but she can't bring herself to look at him.

Guilt twists around inside of her because who she really wants to be gazing upon, to feel standing next to her once more, is somewhere lost and alone and is full of a darkness that should have been bestowed upon her. She trembles and wraps her arms around her mid section. She moves toward Snow and David before Robin can touch her. Before his voice can caress her ear.

David eyes her wearily and she can't blame him. She is hurt a little at his trepidation but she won't voice it. She needs that dagger though, she needs to summon Emma. She needs ..

What does she need? How is she supposed to explain all of this to the two idiots? They will not understand. She barely understands. And Emma? How is Emma going to understand?

"And a kiss .. a kiss is enough?" Belle asks.

"True loves kiss will break any curse .. " Regina smiles at her.

Regina's eyes shine with tears as she remembers that conversation. A walk she shared with Belle so long ago now, when she was merely trying to manipulate Belle, to get to Rumple. The Dark One.

Regina feels an overwhelming blur of emotions wash through her and then a fresh layer of blackness coats her as she faints and hits the ground.

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