"Snow." James grabbed Snow's arm and tugged her away from her desk. "Come with me."

"What are you doing?" She tried to pull her arm free, but James gripped it firmly and tossed her a desperate look over his shoulder.

"Please. It's Regina. She's hurt." The look of determination that crossed Snow's face and the way she quickened her stride reminded James just why he loved her. Snow still hated Regina and some part of her probably always would, but she was willing to set it all aside - if not for Regina's sake then at least for Emma.

She didn't ask any questions until they reached Regina's room (not that Regina ever used it, but James hadn't wanted Emma to return to their room unexpectedly and find her before he and Snow could come up with a plan). As soon as she saw Regina lying still on the bed with Red sitting in a chair beside her, she spun around to face him. "What happened to her?"

"She fell off her horse," he said. "She...she said her heart was being crushed." He swallowed, struggling for better words to explain what happened, then gave up with a helpless shrug. He glanced at Red who was watching Regina. She held her hand, stroking it gently.

"What?" Snow paled. "How?"

"Her mother," Red growled from the bedside. James shivered at the dark look on Red's face as she lifted her head to look at them. "Her mother has her heart."

"How long?" Snow's gaze darted back to James.

He wracked his brain, but nothing came to mind. The whole time Regina had been screaming and thrashing in his arms and the whole way back to the castle, he had had to be calm and collected. Now that Snow was here, now that Red was no longer screaming for Regina to wake up, he felt the adrenaline rush seeping away. Exhausted, he allowed his shoulders to drop. He turned to Red for help.

Red's expression darkened further. "It didn't happen when we went to see her mother. I have a feeling it was a long time before Storybrooke..."

Thoughts swirling, James backed up until his legs hit a chair, and he fell back into it. He buried his face in his hands. "What are we going to tell Emma?"

He heard Snow take a deep breath then, "Nothing."

"What?" James said, staring at her in disbelief.

Red balked. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. She's your daughter, James. What do you think she'll do if she finds out about this?" Snow flashed him a playful smirked. "Something stupid for sure."

James eyebrows rose. "Says the one who robbed my carriage."

Snow smiled. "All things considered, I think that was an excellent decision." James allowed himself a small smile. Then Snow frowned. "Regina didn't tell anyone when she went to see her mother because she didn't want Emma to find out. While I'm still not happy about that, I could see her point..."

"Right." James rose to his feet. "So how do we get her heart back?"

They all glanced at each other blankly.

"We'll have to wait until she wakes up," Red said. "Can someone go get Rumpelstiltskin?"

. . .

Regina bolted upright, gagging. A hand clapped over her mouth, and she heard Red's voice say, "You need to swallow." With difficulty, she swallowed the potion. It burned all the way down her throat. She coughed, eyes watering.

"What the hell are you doing?" she said because it was better than saying "I'm alive?"

"Just a potion to wake you up, your Majesty."

Regina groaned. "You again."

Rumpelstiltskin smiled; Regina eyed him warily. She felt the bed dip, and she turned to see Snow sitting on the edge of the bed beside her, looking grim.

"Where does your mother keep your heart?"

Regina opened her mouth and then memories came rushing back, and she closed it again. James moved around the bed to crouch beside Red's chair and looked Regina straight in the eye.

"Please, Regina." His eyes appeared to be a bit red. With a jolt, Regina realized he actually cared. He reached out and placed his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We're trying to help you." Before Regina could protest, he added, "It will help Emma too."

Cheating bastard. Regina sighed. "Wonderland."

"Wonderland?" James asked, standing up.

"My mother is the Queen of Hearts."

Silence. Deafening silence.

"Shit," Red said. Then, "Wait. If she's a Queen in a different world, why does she care what you do?"

"If she's the mother of a Queen in this world, she will have incredible power and status in two worlds - not just one." Regina allowed that to sink in. "She believes one's projection should always be upwards. She's not going to stop just because she reaches the top in one world. She'll just add another world instead." She sighed. "I had hoped that I was free of her. I never should have gone to see her. I don't know what I was thinking..."

Snow let out a slow breath. "We need to get your heart back. Before Emma finds out."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "And how do you suggest I do that?"

"May I make a suggestion?" All heads turned to Rumpelstiltskin. Regina couldn't believe they'd forgotten he was in the room. "A Hatter would get you through to Wonderland. I'm sure Jefferson would be willing to take you through."

"Jefferson?" Regina stared in disbelief. "Jefferson wouldn't take me through again."

"Not you alone, of course, but perhaps you and the Queen?" The sly smile on his face was just begging to be blasted off, in Regina's opinion.

"I can go," James said. Regina turned to look at him, and he met her gaze. "I'll go with you. I know how to fight, and you have your magic. We should be able to get in and out with your heart before anyone can raise an alarm."

It occurred her that she should argue, but the determination on everyone's faces and the tantalizing idea of having her heart back - of being able to feel fully and to never have to worry about her mother again - were too strong. She nodded.

"Excellent," Rumpelstiltskin said. "I happen to know where you can find Mr. Jefferson and his lovely daughter."

. . .

They had dinner as a family that night, a pleasant surprise for Emma and Henry who had gotten used to switching off every night between Snow and James and then Regina. Regina knew they were even more surprised - and in Emma's case, suspicious - about the fact that Snow and Regina were being civil. Not friendly, but the tension between them had thawed slightly since that afternoon.

A knock on the door drew their attention. "Enter," Snow said.

A guard stepped into the room. "There's a visitor for...Princess Regina."

Regina raised an eyebrow. She wasn't officially a Princess yet, but the guards seemed to think that her engagement to Emma was good enough, and she wasn't a Queen anymore (she probably wouldn't be again, no matter what she had told her mother). She made a mental note to come up with a different title for the guards to address her by because Princess just didn't seem to suit her.

"Please, see them in," James said.

Regina glanced at Emma to find her watching Regina curiously. Henry watched the door intently. When the visitor entered, Regina felt like the breath had been knocked from her body.

Cora smiled, still wrapped in an elegant traveling cloak. "Hello, dear."