"The curse it's coming. There's no escape!" Grumpy yells, running towards the group of people standing in the middle of the street.
A couple of eyes widen and a few gasps can be heard. "What- what does this mean?" Emma asks, her voice breaking. David and Snow are in each other's arms instantly.
A few moments of silence go by before Regina speaks up. Emma can't see her face but she's pretty sure she knows the woman feels just as broken as she does right now, maybe even more. "It means.. that everybody will go back to where they're from. "
Henry's grip on her tightens and she pulls him closer. "As in.."
"Yes." Regina says, turning around to face Emma and Henry. Emma lets go of him as he rushes into Regina's arms, crying loud and holding her so tight she is sure it actually hurts Regina a bit. She turns around herself and runs into her parent's arms. "Mom. Dad." She speaks, her voice low and a few tears escaping her eyes. She feels Snow's tears land on her shoulder and it makes everything so much harder because yes, they are a pain in the ass, but they are her parents. She's finally found them and now she's going to lose them again.
She squeezes them hard before they push her into the direction of the two man standing awkwardly. When she stares at them something insides her switches, like it is all very clear suddenly. Yes, they are both great and she's sure she could be somewhat happy with them. However, they aren't what she wants. The reason she can't choose is because neither of them will give her what she so desperately wants. Her own happy ending. Yes, choosing Neal or even Hook would make her parents –and almost everyone else- very happy, but not herself. She walks over to both of them, allowing not much more than a hug.
"Emma." Neal starts but she cuts him off. "No. I don't want to hear it. If this is the last time we're going to see each other I need to be honest." She looks at Hook too now. "I like you both, I do, but this was never going to work out. Neal… we've had our chance and I although I still love you it will never be the same again because I will always feel that stab in my heart when I look at you. Hook, you are a great guy, if you see past all of the pirate crap, you're just not someone I picture myself with 20 years from now."
Hook winks and smiles, but there's a slight tremble. "Good thing there's probably not even a tomorrow. At least, not where we'll be together." She can't bring herself to smile
Finally she walks towards her family. Regina is still holding onto Henry, tears running down her face. "Regina." She says, making the other woman's eyes focus on her finally. She wipes angrily at her tears and takes a deep breath. She looks down from Emma to Henry and back. "It's okay, you can say goodbye." Emma speaks. It is as if there is no one else around but the three of them. Because yes, this is her family and god why couldn't she have realized all of this sooner.
"Henry." Regina begins, kneeling down in front of him. Henry is crying too, but he doesn't stop his tears. "Henry I want you to know that I will find a way. I will find a way to find you again and I promise that when I do, I will never let go of you again."
He sniffs. "Ho-how can you be sure?" He sounds just like little Henry again. Emma steps closer and places a hand on Henry's shoulder, but her eyes are focused on Regina.
"Because she is your mother, and a mother always finds her child."
Henry turns around and looks at her. "You promise me you'll search for Mom? For all of them?"
Emma nods with a smile on her face and Henry mimics it. Regina is crying again though. "Henry wait." She grabs both of his arms, silently gesturing him to pay attention to her again. "There is a chance I will not remember who you are, if we go back to where we're from I'm going to be the Evil Queen again, not your mother."
Henry shakes his head wildly. "No. You will still be my mother. Even if you won't remember me, I will still be here." She frowns until he lays his palm flat on the clothes covering her chest, right above her heart.
Instead of answering him she just pulls him in again. After a while Regina lets go and pushes Henry into the direction of Snow and David.
Emma knows that it's their turn now, their turn to say goodbye. Tears have started streaming down her face again but she's glad to notice that she's not the only one. Regina seems to have lost the capability of holding herself together too.
"Emma." She says, her voice surprisingly steady.
The blonde just shakes her head and wraps her arms around Regina. Who cares what everyone things, who cares if this is the best thing to do or the 'right' thing. She holds on tight until the other woman just melts into her touch and starts crying quietly into her neck, for only them to hear. "It's okay." She rubs up and down Regina's back and the grip tightens.
They stand there for a while, completely ignoring everything around them, everyone around them. Suddenly Regina tenses underneath her and Emma pulls back with a frown on her face. "Regina, are you-"
Lips are pressed against her own all of the sudden and Emma's knees almost gives in. This isn't fair though. When she tries pushing her away, the older brunette breaks the kiss apart but keeps their foreheads apart. "Wait, Emma." The blonde shakes her head and desperately tries to break away from Regina. Her heart is beating rapidly and she's in complete panic. Why did she have to do this now of all times?
"Please." Regina says softly and it's enough for Emma to look into those brown eyes, filled with different emotions. She sees fear, desperation, emptiness but also.. love. Emma stands still, feeling everyone's eyes on her. She allows Regina to come close again, so that their faces are inches apart once more. When the blonde looks into her eyes this time, they're purple. She doubts if this is such a good plan but it seems like Regina can read her mind. "Please Emma, just let me do this." Slowly the younger woman nods and this time her eyes are closed as she feels the lips connect to her own. It's different this time. Now that she isn't fighting it, everything feels overwhelming. Not just that 'madly in love butterflies all over the place' overwhelming but something more too. Something a lot like.. magic. She slowly drifts away in the feeling, until everything fades to black and Regina's lips are no longer on hers.
When she opens her eyes again she's in Regina's backyard. It's not hard to tell because of the enormous apple tree standing not far away from her in the middle of the yard. She frowns though, seeing that it's still completely intact, no harm done. Just when she wants to take a step forward she hears something. Laughter. It's from a child. It becomes louder and louder until a five year old runs past her, chased by the woman she has grown so fond of. Her heart skips a beat when the boy turns around and looks right at her. "Henry!" she screams. She tries to move but she can't. Her feet are glued to the ground. "Henry!" She screams again, but her five year old son is tickling his mother now, not even noticing her. Tears form into her eyes and she shuts them, wanting desperately to get out of this.
The second time she opens her eyes things are much more quiet, and she can move this time. She's standing in the hall of Regina's house, right by the front door. The house seems so quiet she almost thinks that nobody is home. That is, until she hears the sounds coming from upstairs. As she walks up the stairs, she uses the bar to lead her up. She's surprised when she notices she can't feel it. She can see her hand on the material but she feels nothing. She finds that the voices come from the master bedroom. She tries to understand, but there are no words recognizable. No, this is the sound of a baby. She quickens her pace and walks into the bedroom. What she sees is enough to make her eyes tear up again. Regina is asleep, her hand protectively holding the baby that is resting comfortably on her belly. Henry. He's not fully awake but he's talking happily and she swears she feels his eyes resting on her once more. "Hey there my little boy." She says in a soft voice. Henry stirs a bit and Emma's eyes shift to Regina's face. Her hands reach out to the woman and her son but before she gets the chance too, she's pulled back into darkness again.
This time when she opens her eyes she shuts them again immediately. No, she wants to go back to that bedroom. Something catches her attention though. She's standing in Henry's room and hears footsteps coming up the stairs. It's loud, and so is the screaming that comes with it. "Henry stop it right now!" Regina screams and Emma doesn't even need to see her to know that she's desperate and hurt.
"No! I'm going to find my real mom and you can't stop me Regina." Emma's mouth drops open at Henry's words. What did he just say? The door to the room is pushed open and she screams when she realizes it's going to hit her. The pain never comes though, the door went straight through her.
"Henry please, you can't go to that woman." Now Regina comes into view and the blonde wants to wrap her arms around the woman, to tell her that it's going to be okay. "Her name is Emma and she loves me."
"And I don't?" Regina says, an eyebrow raised but it doesn't hide the real pain at all.
"You can't, you're not my real mother."
Emma shuts her eyes hard, wanting nothing more than to get away from this. She does realize what Regina's doing now. When she opens her eyes she's no longer in a certain moment. Things are flashing by, there are birthdays, first girlfriends, more fights, sports games that he wins. Every moment that meant something, good or bad, is in there. She's surprised though, when she finds herself in the final moment that Regina has guided her too.
It's different this time. She's not herself. In fact, she's looking at herself and her son which means she can only be one person. One look at the blue blazer says enough. She feels herself – or well Regina – speak the words she remembers from just a few days ago. "Henry! Honey!"
She watches her own self smile at the discovery that her son is alive and well and she actually feels Henry wrap his arms around Regina. When he pulls away she locks eyes with herself and then she just knows, she realizes. In that one stare she feels Regina's love for her, all of it. It's so strong that it feels like it just wants to burst from her heart. She wants to stay in this moment forever, these moments, but once again she is pulled away from them.
She doesn't open her eyes but the feel of Regina's lips against hers are enough of a sign that she's back again. She breaks the kiss, still slightly in shock. This is more than she can handle.
Emma feels her tears again and she's stopped cursing herself over them.
"Don't forget me." Regina says softly.
Emma smiles sadly. "I won't remember anything else."
A tiny body presses in between them just before everything turns black again, and Emma knows by the painful way her heart clenches, that it's because of the curse this time.