Disclaimer: Hmm, strangely enough, I still own nothing!

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, and favorited the first chapter! I'm so thrilled that so many people are enjoying this story, even if you are confused. Don't worry, I think this chapter will make a lot of things clear(er) and the third chapter should fill in the rest of the blanks.

Much thanks to Melissa for betaing and a happy belated birthday to starophie. It must be fate that you and my favorite beta were born on the same day!


They were running out of time. She could see that David had finally convinced everyone to leave, but it had taken too long. It looked dark outside the diner, and she knew it was because the leaves were blocking the light. The forest was coming back much too quickly.

They were never going to make it.

Emma watched as everyone began filing out of the diner, but she couldn't move. As much as she didn't want to, she knew it had to be done. It might be their only chance.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret called as the last few people were filing out. "Come on, what are you waiting for?"

Emma swallowed hard, steeling herself. Convincing her mother would be hardest of all. Without meeting Mary Margaret's eye, she said, "I think I should stay."

"What? " Mary Margaret exclaimed. "No! Emma, you can't stay – you'll die!" She strode over to Emma and grabbed her hand. Emma looked up at her. "We have to stay together. I won't lose you again."

"What's going on?" Henry had returned, and Emma could see David was right behind him.

She bit her lip. It was hard enough to tell her mother she wanted to stay without the rest of her family there, too. "I think I should help Regina," she explained. She glanced at Henry, but his expression was inscrutable. Emma turned back to Mary Margaret. "I don't want to lose you, either. But whatever Regina's doing, it's not working – or it's not enough. If I help her-"

"Emma, there's no guarantee you can help her," Mary Margaret pressed.

"But I have to try," Emma insisted. "It's the harder path, but it's what's right. If Regina and I work together, we might be able to give everyone enough time to escape."

She knew Mary Margaret and David would see the truth in her words. Her parents would never stand for building new lives on Regina's blood. If there was a way they could save her, too, despite the fact she was their mortal enemy, Emma knew they would take it.

"You're right," Mary Margaret said at last. "But you have to promise me that you will get yourself to safety in time."

"I promise," Emma said, nodding. "I'm not trying to be a hero; I just want you to be safe."

She looked back at Henry. His expression was nervous, and she felt her chest tighten. She knew that this was a risk, knew that she was doing exactly what Neal had told her not to do. She shouldn't leave Henry; she couldn't let him grow up the way she had, unwanted and alone. But he wouldn't be alone. Even if she didn't make it – her chest felt tighter at the very thought – her son would grow up with two loving grandparents.

"Mom." Her lower lip quivered. "Dad."

They opened their arms and she stepped into their embrace, blinking back tears. She felt Henry join them, wrapping his arms around her waist. They were letting her go, but she could feel her resolve breaking. She couldn't lose this; she couldn't lose her family.

What if this was the last time she saw them?

"It's going to be okay, Emma," David murmured. "You are strong; you can do this." He pulled back and she met his eyes. "And when it's all over, we will find you."

Emma clenched her teeth, straining with effort to contain the failsafe with magic. She had to keep going. For her parents. For her son. She closed her eyes and for a moment, she was back in Gold's shop being coached through her first real spell. She could still smell the dust, still feel the suffocating tension hanging in the air…

Emma blinked. Gold's shop was gone.

"You doing okay?" Regina asked.

"Fine," Emma muttered. She wondered how long Regina had been watching her.

"You didn't have to do this, you know," Regina said quietly. "You could have…" She paused. "You could have left me here."

"Not really," Emma said through gritted teeth. "My son still calls you his mother."

Regina's smile was fleeting, but Emma still caught it. Regina seemed to consider this for a moment and then said, "You can relax a little. You'll conserve more energy that way." Her expression was knowing, as if to say, I've been doing this since long before you were born.

Although she didn't quite trust Regina, Emma allowed her muscles to become a little less tense. She had to believe that even if Regina had tried to sabotage her in the past, she wouldn't do so when her own life depended on it. If they failed to keep the device going, it would mean certain death for both of them. And she knew that Regina wouldn't risk that, not when it would mean Henry would have to grow up as an orphan.

"We're going to see him again," Regina said, as though she had read Emma's mind. "This is going to work."

"How can you be so sure?" Emma asked. "I can't imagine you've done this before."

"No, not quite," Regina admitted. "But I have seen your parents at work, and when they put their minds to something, anything can happen. They can get entire villages to rally around them, follow their every word." Emma expected to hear a tone of resentment, but was surprised to find none. Regina sounded like she almost admired those qualities. Emma wondered if she was jealous. Despite holding power for many years, Regina had probably never managed to get her subjects to worship her the way that so many of them had clearly worshipped Snow White.

"But what about the town line?" Emma asked. "Even if they do cross it in time, will it protect them from the failsafe? And what about their memories? I mean, is that potion going to work on all of them in time?" She hadn't really questioned the plan when her parents had proposed it, but now, way down in the mines with nothing to do but expend energy on a tiny diamond explosive, she could think of nothing else. Despite her resolve, and despite the fact that she had chosen to come down here, she was starting to worry that it would all be for nothing.

"The town line will work," Regina said. "I designed this diamond to destroy only the town."

Emma almost laughed. "That's comforting."

"They won't die as long as they're on the other side of it," Regina continued. "And the potion will work, too. I don't know if they will all drink it in time, but it should work instantly. It did for Mr. Gold and Belle."

"Right," Emma said slowly. At least the plan wasn't completely doomed from the start. She half-wished that Mr. Gold had stuck around, if only so he could contribute some of his magic to slowing the device down. On the other hand, that would probably be one favor that no one would ever be able to repay.

"What do you think will happen to them if they don't drink the potion in time?" she wondered aloud.

Regina frowned. "I'm not sure it'll matter. As long as some of them know who they are, they can convince the others to drink. The potion's not connected to the failsafe."

Emma began to nod, but suddenly froze as the diamond began vibrating. She saw Regina's expression change, too, and she knew they were out of time. Emma concentrated all of her energy on making the vibrations slower, but even with her redoubled efforts, she feared it wouldn't be enough. The diamond only shook harder.

"It's not working!" Regina exclaimed, clearly frustrated. "I think this is the end."

Emma's eyes widened. "Is it enough? What if they haven't reached the town line yet?"

"I don't know," Regina replied. "But we'll have to take that risk. If we don't leave now, we'll both be dead."

Emma bit her lip. She didn't want to leave, not when there was a chance that her family wasn't safe yet, but she knew she had to. She had promised them that she wouldn't die in the mines. Not today, and not like this.

"On the count of three, then?" Regina suggested. "The diamond won't explode immediately, but be ready to run. We won't have much time." Emma nodded, and Regina continued, "Okay. One—two—"

"Three!" Emma cried, unable to hold on any longer. She pulled herself from the diamond and tore after Regina as they sprinted out of the mines. The ground was already shaking; the magic was wearing off quickly – too quickly. Emma raced through the streets (thankfully empty – she hoped that meant everyone had managed to cross the line), her heart pounding in her ears. She could barely see where she was going, but she knew there was only one way out. She glanced sideways and saw Regina was still with her, although she looked exhausted, too. But they had to keep going; they had to. For Henry.

Suddenly there was a deafening blow. The entire ground seemed to give way. Emma barely had time to cry out before she was flying through the air, hurtling to what she was sure would be death.

It ended in darkness.


A/N: Dun dun dun. Reviews make my world go round and I'll be posting again soon!