Authors Note: Thanks for all the comments, favourites and follows, I had no idea this would be as popular as it is. Really everyone, thank you. Just remember though, this story is only taking after the 'Time Travellers Wife' concept; and therefore will obviously not take the story scene for scene. Hope I can do the concept justice though.


Chapter Two

Boston - Massachusetts
Emma (25 Years Old)

Her fifteen days of reprieve were nearly up. She knew the exact time she was due to travel again; a much older version of Regina had told her so. Emma had taken the afternoon off work, called in sick and faked a horrible cough. She sat rugged up on the couch, a mug of cinnamon hot cocoa cradled in her hands.

Apparently today had been something special between them; at least that's what the older Regina had said. Emma was apprehensive. She'd travelled a lot in the years since she'd gained the little quirk to do so, and each time was as scary as the last. She feared one day she'd travel and Regina wouldn't recognise, kill her on the spot - or worse, somebody else caught her.

The time finally came though. She could feel the gnawing tug at something deep inside her. She'd learned there was no point in resisting it; it would tear you apart in the most painful of ways possible otherwise. Instead she gently placed the half empty mug down and closed her eyes. One last gasp of air was all she could managed before she felt herself be ripped away from her couch, from Boston, from her very world.


Mills Estate - White Kingdom
Regina (10 Years Old)

To say Regina Mills was excited was an understatement. She had arrived an hour early to their little meeting spot. A lie was told to her mother. She was going out to categorise wild herbs for their magical properties. Her mother had eaten it up and handed her the information book for her to fill in with sample leaves.

Two moons had passed far too slowly for the little girl. She had spent as much of her time as possible with her head buried in books to try to figure out the mystery behind the hooded stranger, and had come up with a myriad of conclusions. Firstly the woman had to have been of magic origin, perhaps a fairy, or an elf. Secondly the woman had to be immensely powerful. Teleportation took a lot out of anyone, including her mother, and she was the strongest magic wielder Regina knew.

"Already waiting for me?" a voice chuckled out behind her.

Regina whipped around only to find the hooded figure a mere few feet away. For only a moment she was stunned at how the woman had managed to get as close as she was. Those odd grey eyes still shimmered beneath the hood, just barely visible with the little light the shadows allowed. "You're late actually."

"I'm never late, a Knight arrives precisely when they mean to," White laughed out, bowing her head slightly in greeting before taking her seat on the boulder she sat on two moons prior.

"You're hardly a Knight, you haven't any armour, or courage, or a sword" Regina quipped, taking as much a Queenly pose as she could muster.

"Ahh how the Queen's words sting her humble friend," the hooded figure feigned pain as she grabbed at her chest, mocking falling backwards slightly.

Regina couldn't help but let out a small laugh before coughing it back and attempting to show her 'royal' and passive face again, "Why should the Queen of the Black Kingdom make you her trusted Knight anyway hmm?" she leaned forward as she had seen the upper-class in court do.

"Because I'm brave," White started as she began to slightly pace, using her fingers to count her traits on, "I'm strong, I'm a decent sharp shooter, and because I'll protect you my Queen, now until the end of time," the hooded woman bowed deeply, before peering up at Regina with a playful smirk.

Regina rose to her feet, barely standing taller than the still bowing woman. She quickly searched the area for a stick before returning with it and motioning for White to kneel. The woman quickly did so, as knightly as someone in a heavy hooded cloak could possibly do.

With a cough to clear her nerves away, Regina laid the stick on the Knights shoulders, "Will you, the White Knight, forever swear an oath under the Black Kingdom, to protect the Queen and to be brave in the face of danger?"

"I sure do," answered White as informally as possible, earning a whack across against her neck with the stick, "I mean, yes your majesty, I swear an oath to you and all your kingdom to be the most brave and strong knight to have ever served you."

"Good that will do," Regina said gleefully, motioning for White to stand as she sat back down, "At least you've sworn an oath you can't go allying with the enemy."

White sat down on the boulder beside her, "And who might that be?"

"She's a Queen from a neighbouring land...her name is umm," Regina quickly glanced around the area, intent on not using her mother's actual name, still in fear that the hooded Knight was actually working for her "Coralyn."

"I would never ally myself with someone that goes by the name of Coralyn anyway," the heavy hood visibly shuddered, "For my first task, why don't I accompany you on a walk milady? Perhaps filling that little book of yours with some actual magical herbs before you return home might be a good idea. Just sayin' I know from experience how nosey some parents are."

Regina blushed before nodding and walking away, knowing all too well the hooded Knight was on her heels. They were quiet for a long while as they walked peacefully amongst the trees. She had tried to see the woman's hidden face by throwing not-so-hidden glances her way; nearly tumbling over several uprooted trees in the process.

The Knight was surely something. Except for her father, Regina had never really been treated particularly nicely. And even though the woman was a very private person, she liked her mysterious company. She felt safe. It was like she'd finally gotten the friend she'd wished for such a long time for.

"So..." she drawled slightly, picking leaves from a small bush, "now you're my Knight, may I please know your real name?"

The hooded figure stopped in her tracks. She opened her mouth to reply before closing it again, repeating this several times before just shaking her head.

"Why? It's only fair! You knew my name before I even told you! Why can't I know yours?" rather impatiently she flung her arms across her chest, heaving a sigh and a pout.

When still no answer came from the Knight, Regina huffed again and began to stomp off back towards the Kingdom, glaring daggers at the woman. She expected the answer she got but at the same time, she had been hopeful. And for that simple fact that her very own Knight had been the one to crush that hope, she felt inordinately sad.


Mills Estate - White Kingdom
Emma (25 Years Old)

She watched Regina walk away, her heart settling heavy in her chest. She didn't want to hurt the girl, but at the same time she didn't want to reveal herself. She was terrified. There was nothing not to fear when telling people your name like that - trusting them with that kind of thing. And yet a much older Regina's voice echoed through her head. Today marked something special between them. Emma wondered whether it was this - how was she even supposed to know?

All she knew was that at twelve, during a bad storm that had pulled her into this world, Regina had known her name and face; and at fourteen, during the famously named 'Horse Incident', Regina had taken to calling her 'Em'. Emma had been sixteen and twenty-one respectively during those few travels. She just wasn't sure when her name was exchanged in between those missing years she had not yet visited or just skipped over.

"Emma," she said, watching the girl a fair distance from her now, simply freeze on the spot, "Emma, my name is Emma."

She had waited for the familiar tug on whatever it was that allowed her travel when she had said too much to someone. And she had waited. And when nothing came she allowed herself to peer up through the shadows of her hood.

Regina turned around and regarded her. The girl had walked rather close in the moments Emma believe she was gone. And then she felt a small hand in her own, "Stop dazing out on me Knight Emma, we have kingdom work to be doing."

For all her worries, Emma was fine. It was obviously the right time to tell her. There was no insistent pulling at her soul - only a warm feeling that seemed to cause her to smile. She blindly followed the girl back to the clearing, only half listening in on her excited chatter. Knowing that the moment she was currently in was the moment that changed everything else made her feel both anxious and giddy.

She spent the next several hours discussing irrelevant things with her 'Queen', the sun was touching the horizon by the time they had finished. Emma smiled at the girl before her, "As much as this Knight appreciates your company, you need to be getting home, having your mother come looking for you and spoiling our kingdom wouldn't be particularly fantastic."

Regina look terrified for a moment as she realized the time before she scurried around and picked her book up and gathered her boots, haphazardly slipping them on. With enough manners drilled into her, she turned on the spot, "Knight Emma, when is your next quest to the kingdom due?"

"From me?" Emma shrugged, "You won't get one from me for a while yet I should think. But keep an eye out anyway. You never know which one of me you might get wandering into your lands."

The girl looked perplexed, suddenly far more interested in her Knight than heading home, "Which one of you? There's more than one?"

"Kind of, you're a smart person Regina, you'll work it on your own, trust me on that one. If you stay a little longer, you'll get to see me go again."

Regina didn't even give a second thought as she plopped herself back on her throne, "Where do you go when you turn to dust?"

"Home" Emma replied.

"Where's home?"

"In a land far beyond your own."

The next question came as a surprise to Emma, "When I see you next, will you remember me?"

"Perhaps..." Emma replied carefully before leaning down, feeling the tug in her gut, "But always remember this Regina, as long as you remember who I am, I will never forget you," her hands were always the first thing to disappear and even though she knew they were situated at Regina's shoulders, she could not feel the girl beneath her.

Regina frowned, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. Emma knew what she was feeling. It was the same thing she felt when she was twelve and this entire travelling thing had begun. Her first meeting was with a teenage version of the girl sitting before her. And leaving her only friend who seemed to know some much about her behind after only a few short hours, Emma had been devastated.

"You know my name now Regina," she said, feeling her legs disappear, "that means more than you can comprehend now. Stay safe."

And with that. Emma was gone. Dust yet once again travelling on the wind.


Boston - Massachusetts
Emma (25 Years Old)

Emma sat up with a start, her hands reaching out to a girl no longer in her reach. Her breathing was heavy and she felt tears well up in her eyes. Of all the times she had seen and spent with Regina at different ages, they had all told her of a day that seemed so sad and so happy at the same time. A day where Regina had given her purpose and Emma had given her hope.

Snatching up the diary beside the still lukewarm cup of cocoa, Emma flipped through the pages. Nine months. That was when her next travel was due. She threw the book in frustration. Nine long months of waiting. As much as she appreciated the older Regina giving her the times and dates in her own worlds setting - she hated the wait. And hated when Regina hadn't listed her age at the time of visit.

Sighing heavily Emma retrieved her cocoa and lay back against the lounge, looking out over the afternoon sky that encapsulated Boston. She'd be twenty-six before her next visit; and for a moment she briefly wondered whether or not trying to will the powers at work to let her spend it with her favourite version of Regina, would work or not.

With a laugh she shook her head at her own stupidity. Of course it wouldn't. Nine months

Nine.

Months.

She shut her eyes and instead let herself be taken briefly into her dreams of her travels. Before waking up again and settling into her nightly routine. Another year alone it seemed.


Authors Note 2: Not beta read again. Shhh. I'm just too lazy and impatient. I hope this chapter was alright. It was more difficult to write than chapter 1 and chapter 3, that's for sure.