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Part 2
It's been a week since Regina was kidnapped. During that time Emma had thoroughly investigated Regina's house and had managed to find prints on the door knob and not just anyone's prints… Tamara's. This didn't sit right with her. Tamara is Neal's fiancée and why on earth would Tamara be visiting Regina. She didn't even think they knew each other. So she decided to investigate a little further. She asked Neal some questions and he had nearly gotten upset when he learned that Tamara was a suspect for Regina's disappearance but she managed to get him to let her search the hotel room. To her disappointment she didn't find anything and now a week later she was in the station going over her notes in case she missed something. It wasn't long till she got that phone call from David who had been tailing Tamara all week. At first he and Snow had trouble accepting the fact that Regina was actually kidnapped. They thought that maybe she had just decided to leave or maybe gone back into hiding after trying to kill Snow but after a lot of arguing and facts Emma managed to convince them that something really did happened. After that argument they got into another one over whether they should really help Regina but the fact that she was still Henry's mother was enough to convince them.
"Emma, I followed Tamara out to a cave far into the forest. I'm on my way back but I think we should check it out and Greg Mendel was with her too."
"Greg? How does he fit into any of this?" she asked as she processed the fact that Regina might be held hostage in that cave.
"I don't know but I don't like it."
"Neither do I," she said. "Once they get back I'll have Neal distract Tamara while Snow distracts Greg so that we can search the cave. If Regina's in there Greg is probably the one who's been checking on her since this is the first time you followed Tamara there." David agreed and once they hanged up she called Neal and Snow.
David and Emma were sitting in the car with the lights off. It was night and they didn't want to blow their cover. After staying put for twenty minutes to make sure there was no one around they got out and approached the cave. They slowly walked into the dark cave and the moment David and Emma shinned their flashlights they gasped. Regina was on the floor chained to a metal pole at the back of the cave. David right away spotted some lanterns on the walls and lit them with matches that were conveniently on the floor underneath them.
"Regina!" Emma cried out as she rushed over to the fatigue brunette. As soon as the cave was dimly lit she can see the exhaustion and dehydration in Regina and that worried her. Had they given her water at all? What she didn't know was that Regina had thrown her tray of food at Tamara on her second day here. Tamara had gotten so angry that even despite Owen's protests she had now refused to give Regina any food or water. It was to her advantage. Regina was now weak which will make it easier to gain her power once she found a way to do it.
"Regina… come on wake up," Emma urged her, taking her face in her hands.
"Is she ok?" David asked from where he was standing guard at the entrance, his gun ready in his hand.
"No, she's dehydrated. She won't wake up. We need to get her to the hospital."
"Can you get her free?" he asked. Emma looked at the metal chain that connected to the collar around her neck. It looked sturdy and doubted she'd be able to break it. After tugging on it she gave up and decided to use magic. She didn't know why Regina didn't just teleport herself out of here. She focused her magic on unlocking the collar and right away got her answer the moment the collar glowed purple and Regina's body convulsed. At that moment Regina cried out in pain, waking from her weakened sleep.
"Dammit…" Emma mumbled under her breath as she realized the shock collar was enchanted. "Hey... hey its ok. I'm sorry," she whispered as she gathered the woman in her arms to comfort her. Regina's body racked with pain and the tears were streaming down her cheeks. Never in her life had Emma ever see Regina look so vulnerable. She couldn't help but comfort her. It wasn't long till Regina's cries had finally died down and her body had stopped convulsing.
"How did you… you find me?" Regina asked, her voice weak and barely above a whisper.
"I'll explain later," she said as she laid the woman down and stood, trying to figure this out. She thought about using her magic to dig up the pole but she didn't want to risk shocking Regina again so instead she took out her gun and shot at the chain that was linked to the pole. Fortunately it worked.
"Come on, let's get you out of here," Emma said as David came over and picked Regina up. With Emma in the lead and her gun ready, she led them out only to be confronted by no other than Owen. It was then that David's phone rang, probably Snow calling to warn them that she had lost him.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, his voice dangerous. Emma only raised her gun higher.
"Get out of the way," she threatened.
"I'm sorry but I can't let you leave," he said as he suddenly pulled out a control and pointed it at Regina. "Drop your weapons or I'll keep shocking her until she dies." He would do it and Emma and David had no choice but to listen. They dropped their guns and as soon as Owen bent to pick them up Emma took advantage of his mistake. He broke eye contact which gave Emma the opportunity to lunge at him and knock him out with her fist. He fell to the floor unconscious.
"Smart move," she smirked as she picked up the control and slid it into her pocket. Emma handcuffed him and searched his pockets for the key to Regina's shock collar but found nothing.
They had just managed to get Owen in the police car and before they can even get Regina in the front seat, Tamara's chilling voice sounded from behind them along with the click of a gun.
"Put her down," she threatened. Emma and David slowly turned, facing their enemy. Regina was barely conscious as David laid her down on the ground.
"Now step back," she ordered.
"What do you want with her?" Emma asked angrily as she and her father hesitantly obeyed.
"Her power of course," she smirked as she suddenly pulled Regina up and pressed the gun to the side of her head. "Now I'm going to give you a choice here. You can leave and not say a word to anyone about this or I can kill her and your father and take the magic from you instead."
"How do you know that I…"
"Have magic?" Tamara asked, cutting Emma off. "You really do need to learn how to keep that ex of yours quiet. You never know who he'll be giving valuable information to." Emma cursed under her breath at those words as she tried thinking of a way out of this. She couldn't let anything happen to Regina. Henry will be devastated and if this insane woman were to get Regina's magic, who knows what she would do to the town.
"Ok, how about this," she said. "How about you let Regina and David go and take me instead."
"Emma!" David exclaimed in shock. There was no way he was losing his daughter again.
"Deal," Tamara said calmly but yet sounding so dangerous. She violently threw Regina to the floor and took the collar off so she can snap it on Emma instead. However, David defiantly stepped in front of her when Tamara approached her.
"No, you're not taking my daughter," he growled and just as Tamara was about to retaliate a sharp agonizing pain struck her from behind and lifted her into the air. It was as if an invisible hand was holding her up and strangling the life out of her. All Emma and David could do was watch in shock. Emma really didn't have a plan. All that mattered was keeping Tamara from getting Regina's magic which was why she immediately handed herself over. She didn't even expect Regina to save her once that collar came off. She watched as Regina weakly lied on the floor with her hand descended into the air to hold Tamara. Her eyes were dark with anger and Emma knew if they didn't stop her, she'd kill her. She picked up Tamara's gun that had fallen on the floor and handed it to David before rushing over to the former queen.
"Regina! Stop!" she cried as she knelt beside her. She didn't answer. If anything her grip on Tamara's throat became tighter. "You don't have to do this. We can find another way."
"As long as she's alive she will keep coming after me and she will come after you. With every breath she takes this town isn't safe… Henry isn't safe." Her voice was weak and Emma could see the strain magic was having on her body. "This ends now." Her grip became tighter and Tamara gasped, clawing at the invisible hand around her throat. Emma wasn't getting through to her so she decided to take on a different approach.
"Henry will never forgive you if you take another life. He loves you Regina. He wants you to change… to be good. This isn't the way." Those words got through to her because she finally met Emma's gaze
"Then what do you suggest we do with them?" she asked angrily but underneath all that anger Emma could see the exhaustion and she knew she needed to get Regina to the hospital as soon as possible. Whatever solution they decided on, it would have to be quick.
"Whatever was keeping outsiders from entering Storybook, do you think you can cast a similar spell on the border?" Regina nodded in response, right away picking up on what Emma was asking. She waved her hand and both Tamara and Owen disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.
"Where did you send them?" David asked in awe.
"Home," was all Regina said before waving her hand again. This time all three of them had disappeared in the same purple mist that had engulfed Owen and Tamara and had ended up at the edge of the border.
"Regina, I doubt they're going to make it back here in the next few hours. It's better if we get you to the hospital first and then you can cast the spell when you have your strength back." Regina didn't answer. Instead she shakily got to her feet and approached the border. She held her hands out and willed the magic to her. She closed her eyes and all Emma and David could do was watch in awe as she started speaking in some foreign tongue they've never heard before and before they knew it a bright light shot from Regina's hand and they could see the shield going up around the town. The power was strong and as weak as Regina was Emma could see her struggling to stand. She had stopped chanting as Emma approached her and slid her arm around her waist, giving her the support she needed to stay conscious. It was then that Emma felt the magic coursing through her. Regina was channeling it through her.
"Hold out your hand," she whispered, meeting her gaze for just a second before focusing on the shield. Emma did what she was told and held out her hand. White magic shot through it, combining with Regina's and adding into the shield. When it was done, the world became dark again by the night sky and Regina collapsed with Emma holding her before she can hit the ground.
Regina woke up to the sound of the hospital monitors beeping. She can hear the rustling outside from the hospital staff and patients talking and getting to where they needed to go. It was then that she felt a soft presence curled up on her side and an arm slung protectively over her stomach. She slowly stirred, trying to wake herself up and it wasn't till she heard Henry's voice that she opened her eyes.
"Mom?" He sat up, taking her hand in his as her brown eyes barely opened.
"Henry… what happened?" she asked tiredly.
"You saved us. You saved the whole town from Tamara and Mr. Mendel and then Emma told us how you cast that spell to keep outsiders from coming in. I knew you could change. I just knew it," he said all this in one breath making her smile affectionately. Her heart warmed at the thought that she finally did something right for her son. It was then that she suddenly remembered the video footage on Owen's phone.
"Henry! The phone! They had footage of me using magic."
"I know. Emma was worried about that too and had gone to the Blue Fairy. She said since you recast the spell, the evidence would automatically be erased once they were over the border. You're safe mom." At those words she visibly sighed in relief and relaxed. Henry curled up next to her and she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. He looked at her in confusion. "I shouldn't have let myself get easily manipulated by my mother. I just wanted you back Henry and I know now that magic isn't the way to do it. I truly am sorry."
"I know," he whispered as he put his arm around her and hugged her tightly as if he were afraid she'll disappear if he lets go. This whole ordeal had really scared him.
"Hey… hey what's wrong?" she asked softly as she pulled away to look at him. His eyes were full of exhaustion and she wondered if he had even slept at all since she was brought here.
"It's just I thought I lost you when you went missing and I never got to tell how much I love you." Those words had brought tears to her eyes and she couldn't help but embrace him.
"I love you too Henry and I promise I 'll never leave you again." Those words hung heavily in the air between them and it wasn't long till he had finally fallen asleep. She kissed the top of his head before looking up and seeing Emma standing at the nurses' station a good distance from the open door. They had helped each other and after everything that had happened they knew it was a turning point in their relationship. After hating each other for so long, they had nothing but understanding and respect for one another. Emma gave Regina a single nod and she smiled in response before Emma walked away, leaving her alone with her son.
End
