AN: Cliffhanger? What's that? :P If you're reading this and liking it, please let me know yeah? I just want to know if I'm doing something wrong or if it's all good...Sorry for any mistakes, I feel I should remind people that English is not my first language.


Her daughter was slipping. Cora could see it, feel it. Regina and her ridiculous quest for love were slowly pulling her daughter further away from her grasp. She had tried so hard to force the childish want from Regina's mind, but it seems her daughter will be forever doomed to wander the sure path to misery and heartbreak.

She had tried to give Regina what she wanted. She had held her and stroked her cheek, like she'd seen other parents do with their children. And even now, a grown woman, her daughter soaked in the touch like a parched man in the desert finding water.

She was giving Regina what she wanted, what she'd always longed for; affection. So why then, was her daughter still slithering away from her?

The problem of course, was Emma Swan and her son. The spoiled brat born out of wedlock that her daughter had named after her docile, weak father. Henry. A child that acted and said things to Regina that should never be allowed. Why her daughter allowed such insubordination was beyond her understanding.

And Emma Swan, the lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Why in all the lands would Regina allow the offspring of her nemesis to live, to walk around freely, and oppose her so willingly? Her daughter had spent half a lifetime hating Leopold and Eva's daughter. And what better way to make the woman – girl - suffer than to force her to watch her daughter's misery?

Cora had both heard and seen what her daughter did during her days as the Evil Queen. And for those precious years, she had been proud. Regina had been merciless, relentless in her pursuit of what she wanted, and she had been so powerful.

But the woman she found in Storybrooke was not the same. During her 28 years as Mayor and her 11 as a mother, her daughter changed. Now she refuses to use all the power she has and she shows mercy where there should be none. Regina has become weak, pathetic, broken. And apparently she's regrown a conscience and the ridiculous need for love.

Henry is only a child; she can manipulate him easily enough. She can threaten him or she can use magic on him since his mind is still so open and unrefined. But Emma Swan, she will not be cowed. That woman has magic of her own; magic that prevented her from taking her heart. No, if she doesn't do something very soon, she will lose her daughter to that filth and the notion of family that she can offer Regina.

She has to get rid of Emma Swan. Her daughter will forgive her eventually, she always does. After all, Regina loves her.


Emma looks around nervously before stepping inside the cemetery. She has gotten a general location of the prison from Granny and since there aren't many mausoleums here in Storybrooke, it shouldn't be hard to find. The old woman was reluctant to tell her, saying it was stupid to go there since it would probably end up being a trap, but the sheriff had been unwavering.

If Regina wanted to lay a trap, she would have done so the second they got back. The woman had been so rattled when she disappeared yesterday that the blonde doubts she really paid much attention to what Emma had asked or what the Mayor herself had answered. No, Regina wasn't the problem. Cora was.

That's why the sheriff moves so cautiously around. Henry's other mom may be more or less harmless at the moment, but the woman's mother definitely isn't. Emma has no doubts that Cora will destroy her on sight if her daughter isn't nearby. And she can't blame the woman since the feeling is entirely mutual.

There's no movement in the cemetery other than the blonde though, and when she reaches the big, black door next to Regina's father's tomb that she is sure wasn't there when they left Storybrooke to find Neal, she just stops and stares.

She can't quite get herself to push at the heavy stone door. She's afraid of what she will find behind it, scared of what will happen once she goes through. Will she really be able to get through the protective barrier keeping unwanted company out?

Granny told her some had tried to break through, only to end up flung away and electrocuted to within an inch of their lives; a warning to the people who dare oppose the towns current rulers. Maybe she should have brought someone, just in case that happens to her?

Oh well, she's always been the jump first, ask questions later kind of girl. No time like the present to test her luck.

With a deep breath, Emma puts her hands against the stone and pushes with all her weight. Everything happens in slow motion. There's a prickling feeling moving from where her hands are touching the black door and all the way up her arms and through her body. She gasps as an invisible force wraps around her heart and chest, squeezing uncomfortably, before she starts to fall. Her hands disappear through the wall, followed by her head and body, and if not for the constriction against her lungs, the blonde would have shouted as she falls to the cold, hard floor behind the door.

The pressure on her body disappears, as well as the pricking as she lies face down and breathes as quietly as she can, not daring to move. When she can hear no sounds or movements around her, she chances a peak around.

There are dark stone walls surrounding her, unnatural flames glowing all around her and a long corridor leading downwards as far as she can see. Feeling suddenly ridiculous in her less than gracious position, the sheriff pushes herself up and brushes dirk from her pants and top.

"Right, you can do this," she tells herself as she slowly starts her descent, listening for any sounds as she moves. "Don't worry Swan, this isn't creepy at all," Emma mutters to herself, refraining from rolling her eyes at herself.


"Emma? Emma is that really you?"

The blonde rushes over to the metal bars. "Snow, you're okay," she says with relief, letting the woman grip her hand tightly and squeezing back in reassurance. The sheriff can't deny that a part of her had feared this might just be a trick and her parents were long gone.

The dark haired woman smiles at her, before she frowns suddenly and releases her daughter's hand. "Tell me something only you would know."

"I…what?" Emma asks confused.

"I need to know you're really you and not Cora or Regina trying to trick me." Snow explains and the blonde nods her head in understanding as she tries to think of something.

"Before we went to New York, Henry and I walked in on you and David in bed," she shares with a cringe, just the thought of it sending uncomfortable shivers down her spine. It was just so wrong, now that they're her parents.

Snow gives her daughter a look that's equal parts unimpressed and embarrassed. "Of all the things you could have picked, that's what you're going with…"

The blonde just shrugs sheepishly.

"Oh Emma, I'm so relieved you're okay," the dark haired woman exclaims and she really must be because her eyes are shimmering with unshed tears that makes the sheriff feel uncomfortable.

"Are you really okay? Are they treating you okay?" the blonde asks, wanting to steer the attention away from herself. Snow sniffs, clearly trying to reign in her emotions, and nods her head. "I'm working on getting all of you out. I just need some time okay?"

"How?"

"Regina." Emma flinches at the hard look on her former room-mates face at the name. Clearly, being held prisoner hasn't exactly softened her mother up to the other woman.

"No Emma, you can't trust her. You have to stay away, hide, if she finds Henry-"

"Look it's not what you think okay?" the blonde interrupts hastily, not wanting to listen to the woman's old warnings about the Mayor. She's heard it all before and she doesn't have time for it. There's a growing feeling in her gut that something bad is gonna happen soon if she doesn't finish up here quickly. "Henry and I are staying in your apartment and Regina knows. She's letting us."

The shock on Snows face is clear and she looks so very confused. "I don't understand."

"Like I said, I'm working on getting you out. You just have to trust me."

The look on the dark haired woman can only be described as utterly lost. She's clearly having a difficult time grasping what it going on. "You're living with Henry and Cora and Regina knows and they're letting you?" she asks, her voice higher pitched than is usual in her incomprehension.

Emma smiles wryly in that way only she can. "Well, Cora isn't too pleased, but Regina has forbidden her from harming us."

Snow looks blankly at her daughter, like she's just been pranked and is waiting for someone to yell 'SURPRISE.' The blonde shifts restlessly, unable to ignore that the uneasy feeling has been growing and that she needs to get the hell out of here.

"Look, I just came to make sure you were alright. And to tell you that if-" the sheriff stops herself and shakes her head slightly. "When I get you all out of here, you have to promise you'll help me keep people from harming Regina."

Her mother gasps and her hand twitches for a moment, as if she wants to reach out and shake some sense into her. "What?" the dark haired woman asks incredulously.

"She doesn't want to hurt anyone and I'm so close to getting her away from Cora and to release you, but there's no way she's gonna go for it if she feels we'll abandon her afterwards."

"How can you ask us to do that after all she's done? She's Evil Emma."

The sheriff glares at her mother. "No she's not, she's just lost and afraid and alone. And it's either that or spending a hell of a long time imprisoned here." She looks around quickly to make sure she's still alone. Her body is practically tingling now, screaming at her to run.

"I have to go, but I'll be back," the blonde tells the other woman, giving her hand an encouraging squeeze before she turns and takes off towards the exit.


Emma bursts out of the mausoleum, looking around wildly, almost expecting some sort of attack or something to happen as soon as she steps outside. It's with a great deal of surprise then, that she finds the Evil Queen sitting patiently and looking somewhat bored on a tombstone, like she's been waiting for the blonde to come out for some time.

"Regina," the sheriff breathes, feeling herself relax immediately. From the way her gut was screaming at her she expected Cora. Clearly, she and her intestines are going to have to have a talk later about giving her such a scare for nothing.

"Miss Swan," the brunette greets smoothly as she stands gracefully from where she's perched and glides towards her. "Had a nice chat with your mother?" the Mayor asks, lips curling in distaste at the mention of her sworn enemy as she comes to a stop only a few short feet from the other woman.

"Nice, right," Emma replies with a snort, thinking back to Snows reactions. She frowns when a hand moves to touch her arm and she looks at the other woman curiously.

"I've been thinking," Regina starts, her voice low and seductive, sending an involuntary shudder up the sheriff's spine. "You might be right."

"Right?" the blonde asks confused, trying to ignore the way her gut has started protesting again when the brunette's hand glides smoothly up to her shoulder.

"About my mother and…about us," the Mayor purrs, taking a step closer so they're well in each other's personal space.

"Us?" Emma squeaks, berating herself for not being able to sound more coherent as her heart picks up its speed and she feels herself grow warmer, even as her senses are screaming at her that something is not right.

"That's right," the brunette coos, her face moving closer and for a second the sheriff is sure the woman is about to kiss her and she feels her heart thundering in her chest, before she moves at the last possible moment so their cheeks brush instead as breath finds her ear. "We could have so much fun, don't you think?"

Her hammering heart comes to a sudden stop as her body grows cold, like she's just been thrown into a cold shower, as realization hits her.

"Cora," she growls as she tries to take a step back, only for the hand on her shoulder to dig painfully into her flesh and muscle. Before she can even move to push the woman back, there's a chilly feeling in her sternum. Automatically her hands move to feel what happened, her fingers suddenly feeling warm as something wet coats her fingers. Shocked, Emma looks down and finds her hands stained red.

And then all at once her body shudders as she feels cold, pain shooting through her as she gasps for breath and she feels her legs grow weak.

"Regina," she exhales on a shaky breath just as she feels herself start to fall.