The Fragility of Losing Someone - Chapter 4

A/N: Apologies for not updating this sooner. My stupid friends challenged me to stay of and Tumblr for a week. And against all odds, I succeeded. But I'm back! No need to worry. More updates will be coming soon. Also keep an eye out for my new SQ fanfiction that I'm currently planning. I seriously love the idea, and I hope you will too!

I am also accepting short SwanQueen prompts! I need to get some more practice at writing in… (I won't write smut, however much Katie wants me to…). Apologies. Please PM me them and I'll try get them completed!

The pair woke up to a loud rumble overhead, dust falling over their bodies. Both noticed the sharp rocks digging into their backs, the dampness of the ground beneath him, yet neither noticed the electricity coursing through their fingers, deep cracks sounding in the air.

Another harsh rumble emitted from below, a piece of rock falling hazardously close to the woken pair, the only light emitted being the discarded heart casting a soft red glow over their pair.

"What's happening?" Emma mumbled, nursing her head after a particularly violent shake slammed her head into the rock wall behind her.

"Get up, Miss Swan, it seems like the towns in trouble. You are the Saviour after all," Regina kicked the half asleep blonde, causing a slight groan to resonate. Regina was already on her feet, feeling the effects of her rough sleeping arrangements, the trickle of fear still running through her veins.

She stilled her face again, moving to the neutrality she'd got so used to maintaining over her long tenure as Mayor. Her thoughts were broken by a fourth shake, this time dislodging a large piece of rock overhead. She pushed the blonde swiftly out of the way, who had only just got on her feet, hearing the crash of the rock as it hit the ground only a metre away from where the pair had been.

A look of shock graced the Sheriff's features, her eyes now void of sleep. She stared blankly at Regina, not quite believing the brunette she thought had hated her just saved her life. She was pretty sure that piece of rock would have crushed them both. The room was now devoid of the soft light the heart had illuminated so peacefully, so contradictory to the nature it was taken.

"You pushed me out the way to save yourself, didn't you?" Emma once again got on her feet, wobbling slightly, dusting off her leather jacket. She was pretty sure it had torn somewhere…

"Of course I did, Miss Swan. Why else would I have done it?" Regina murmured, walking past her into the dark corridor of the entrance. Neither mentioned the worried glance Regina passed over the blonde when she pushed her to the ground, or the lingering touch to check she was alright.

The pair squinted at the harsh white walls of Regina's study, noticing the damage the earthquake had caused. The usually neat desk where Regina sat as Mayor was unusually disrupted, papers surrounding the dark mahogany.

Regina noticed the glint of gold beneath the papers, the shining frame glistening out from under the paper covered floor. She shakily picked it up, careful to keep her fingers away from the jagged, broken edge of the photo frame.

A pair of smiling faces looked up at her, a woman she certainly did not recognise. She knew it was herself, but it was back when she was revelling in her freedom of Storybrooke, away from her mother and the hatred of the Kingdom.

Yet now, she felt the darkness seeping back into her; her only source of light had been the slightly chubby four year old in the picture, smiling up at the camera. She remembered when he acted like she was the only one in the world and was his Saviour. Oh, how ironic it was that the real Saviour was in fact his real mother, and she was just nothing more than an Evil Queen.

A faint shout sounded from outside. She hadn't realised her company had moved out of the room, her mind still full of images of a little boy who she missed so much. She told herself, back when Daniel died, that she wouldn't love again, that the pain was too great for so little gain. Yet remembering the tiny little bundle in her arms the day she got him, cooing softly as he slept in her arms. She so wished they could return then, when his book hadn't tainted his memories and his feelings were only of love and admiration.

The view of red leather once again invaded her vision. She was sure Charming's little princess was invading her space more than usual these days. She seemed to be close, constantly.

"Regina? You're hurt!" Emma pulled the frame away, a red similar to the pulsing heart smeared over the jagged edge of glass.

The brunette clearly hadn't noticed the cut as she delved into her memories, her thoughts now drifting to the blonde mother in front of her. She was definitely invading her personal space. The usual musky leather smell of the Sheriff was muted by the covering of dirt on the jacket. Since when did Regina ever notice what the blonde smelt like? She's only thinking these things because she's missing Henry… Right?

"It's nothing, Miss Swan. No need to get melodramatic. Just think, if I get blood on you, you won't be able to see it because of the ghastly red of your jacket," Regina murmured, pulling her hand lightly away from the intrusions of the woman next to her.

"Give it to me, Your Majesty," Emma's voice dropped dangerously as she latched onto the olive skin palm. Her hand ghosted slightly over it, removing the grits of dirt covering the palm. Her hand stilled and her eyes went wide as she realised her hand felt all electric again, a purple mist surrounding her palm as she stared intently at the offending red line, prominent against the smooth skin.

The cut knitted itself together neatly, disappearing until a faint pale line was left. The purple mist faded, the pair standing in shock.

"What the fuck was that?" Emma murmured. She had magic? She was pretty sure it was either taught or inherited, but she certainly hadn't learnt it, nor did her parents have any magic.

"Magic. I thought you would know that by now," Regina's mouth was slightly dry. There was only one reason why someone would be able to produce magic that was not magically trained. It couldn't be. Unless the blonde had had a mysterious fling with Gold, but she was pretty sure she didn't want to think about that. Magic was unpredictable here, it couldn't be the reason.

"What happened outside, Miss Swan?" Regina recovered from her thoughts, pushing them down when memories of her son fought their way through again.

"That earthquake? I think you should come and see," Emma turned slightly, looking down at her hands slightly, careful not to touch anything on the way out.

Regina pushed her large front door open lightly, eyes widening at the large cracks in the street before her, "What happened?"

"I don't know," Emma looked around, noticing the large clock tower they'd all come to love caved in, the clock broken in two, "It seriously did some damage."

"Storybrooke is dying," Regina whispered quietly, combing her hair out of her face, "my home is dying."

Emma realised then that the older woman beside her had a great connection with Storybrooke; it was her home, and she was pretty sure it was the only place she had ever actually called home.

Emma walked down the steps, carefully dodging fallen rubble of Regina's grand house, "Do you know why it happened?"

Regina looked at the normally bright green of her apple tree, instead the dark brown leaves surrounded the floor – the apples lying abandoned on the green grass. She remembered the last time she'd seen the tree properly, before Emma had come with the news that Henry had gone missing.

"I think it's Henry. I think you're not the true Saviour. I think he is," Regina eyes shone brightly, realising if she didn't find her son, all her happiness would be taken from her.

She subconsciously realised that she referenced the blonde beside her by her usual formal name in her thoughts. She cast her thoughts back, when started thinking of Em- Miss Swan as anything other than the Charming's annoying daughter that wanted to ruin her life? But then she remembered the other woman out to ruin her life; and she was so much more dangerous…