AN: Thanks for all the continued support. Here is the next update. And if you're a Dark Dynasty fan I recently updated that story as well.

Chapter 6: Flying with Regina

Ask her a week ago and the last thing Snow White thought she'd be doing is flying cross-country with Regina.

Not that she didn't like Regina. Well, the New Regina. It was still odd, getting used to this new version of her stepmother. She was so used to Regina making her life a living hell, but Regina was the only chance she had at saving her daughter.

Emma.

Snow White blanched as she thought about what had happened to her daughter only a couple of nights ago. Engulfed by the dark curse and swept away till God knows where.

All Snow White wanted to do was summon her, but of course they couldn't do that. Not after what Belle had said.

She could only imagine what her baby was dealing with right now. The things Belle said made Snow shudder. They had to help Emma, which was why they were trying to track Rumpelstiltskin down in London.

London.

Apparently, the former Dark One had decided to bail town when he woke up. And quite frankly, Snow White was okay with that. She really wanted nothing to do with Gold, but Gold was the only person, the only person that might help Emma right now.

Because he knew what she was going through. And could possibly help her.

Though, Snow wasn't stupid. She doubted that Gold would come forward with the information. Even without the curse he was a selfish bastard, she was sure.

It was just in his personality. Just look at his Storybrooke alter ego if you needed any further proof.

But she didn't know Gold before the curse.

That's what Belle kept telling her, that he could be different. That the curse could twist and contort someone to a person you couldn't even recognize.

She couldn't imagine Emma acting like him, or worse if what Belle said was true.

"Rumple could control himself more than most," The bookworm said when they had asked her about the curse.

"What do you mean?" Snow had said because from what she saw Gold was practically a monster.

Belle sighed, "Have you done much research about the Dark One, Snow?"

The answer was obviously no. Like her daughter, Snow White really had no time for books. She blamed Regina partially for that, since during her formative years when she should've been reading she had been running for her life.

Yet, Regina was their friend now. Odd as it sounded it was true, and she had been great about helping them tracking down Gold.

She was the only reason they were having any luck finding Gold for that matter. She knew about how to navigate the modern world, how to call at the airport to track him down.

To London of all places.

London, to Snow White, seemed as far away as the Enchanted Forest. She never thought she'd go to the place. It was an ocean away. Yet, here she was now. Well, at the airport in London where Regina was trying to figure out where they were going to stay and somehow track Gold's hotel room.

Seemed after he booked the plane ticket, he started paying in all cash, which made the trail grow cold a bit.

Regina believed that she'd find him eventually.

She wished David would've been here so she could've confided in him. But he was in Storybrooke trying to protect it from God knows what. They knew that Regina couldn't go out into the world herself. She was likely to slip and kill Gold, and they needed him alive.

Snow hated that.

They needed Gold to save their daughter.

That is if she could be saved.

Belle had warned her before she left. They had been alone. Honestly, Mary Margret had really never been close to Gold's soon to be ex wife. Or wife. She wasn't sure if they were together or what. Belle had seemed so distraught with what Gold had done those past few months in Storybrooke, but there when she saw the woman's face after she thought Gold had perished, well, there were still feelings there (obviously).

However, Belle hadn't wanted to talk to her about feelings. Not hey weren't that close. Instead she sat Snow White down and told her the truth

"You do realize that even if Rumple can tell you a way to find her, that she might not be able to control the darkness."

"You said Gold could probably tell her how to." Snow stated.

Belle shook her head. "No. Rumple's case is unique in that he had something to hold on to."

"Henry," Snow said. "She can hold on to Henry. And Hook. And her family."

Belle shook her head. "Henry can survive without her. He has Regina. Hook doesn't need her, much like I didn't need Rumple. Rumple had Bae. I think after Bae died, he broke. It wasn't the same. It didn't matte our marriage didn't matter in the end, Snow."

Snow White frowned. She was going to argue that Emma was different than Gold, but Belle stopped her in her tacks.

"I know what you're going to say next. You're going to say that she's different than Rumple. But did you know Rumple before the curse, Snow?"

Snow shook her head. "Surely, he couldn't have changed much. When he was Mr. Gold and before he brought magic to Storybrooke, he didn't have the Dark One's dagger controlling him."

"That's where you're wrong." Belle said. "The Dark One's curse holds no matter where you are. The Blue Fairy was wrong. Just living in Storybrooke with no magic allowed him not to curse people on a daily basis. It didn't provide permanent relief. The mind is permanently altered. Oh there are parts of the old Rumple there, I assume. Neal told me and parts of the man I love, but the darkness is there. It will be there with Emma, Snow. She won't be the same."

It was a fair enough warning, but Snow White didn't want to believe it. "We can fight this." She remembered telling Belle. "Emma will be around people she loves, that has to help."

"Sometimes," Belle said. "Love isn't enough."

Was it not enough?

But true love was the greatest magic possible, even Gold had said that. She tried telling that to Belle, but the woman shook her head. "Oh, Mary Margret, please don't. There is no denying that what Rumple and I have is true love. But we have problems. The Dark One aims to destroy its host. Look what it did to Rumple in the end. I just, I just want you to know what you're getting yourself into."

"She's my daughter!" Snow said because there was no way she was giving up on Emma. Not now. Not ever.

"And he was my husband." Belle stated.

Snow sighed heavily as she watched Regina trying to find anyone at Heathrow who might give them a lead on Rumple.

No one seemed to have anything though. Not that Snow was that surprised. The airport was a large place. You could probably fit about four Storybrookes in it. Maybe more.

Regina finally came back to where Snow was. She looked calm and collected as always in her crisp pantsuit and hair that didn't even seem to get messed up during the seven-hour flight.

"I booked us a room." She said, "Gold seems to be paying cash for everything. Not surprisingly. If he didn't have the limp and that accent, I doubt anyone would've recognized him at Logan. I wish there was magic here, tracking him would be so much easier."

Snow nodded. "So, it's a dead end."

Regina shrugged. "If there is one thing that I know, it's that I know Gold. I am going to figure this out. We'll find the weasel and get the answers we're looking for. But as of tonight, yeah, I think it's best we head to some sort of hotel and get some rest. I need to call Robin, anyway. Make sure my sister isn't bewitching him."

Inwardly, Snow groaned. As much as she was glad Regina was happy again, she did not care for her relationship with Robin at all. It wasn't Robin himself, the relationship was just ridiculously complicated and seemed to have devolved into a bunch of soap opera drama.

Honestly, she sort of wish Gold really would've killed Zelena when he had the chance. She was more annoying than she was worth.

"I know," Regina said. "Totally disgusting."

Yes, but not for the reasons Regina thought. The two of them might now have a tentative friendship, but that didn't mean Snow wanted to hear about Regina's romantic woos. It was difficult, considering that this was the woman who had tried so many times to kill Snow White even to the point of cursing an entire town of people.

"Regina," Snow said. "I just want to find Gold and go home and summon my daughter. God, I can't believe I said I want to summon Emma. That is so wrong."

Regina nodded. "I really don't know what to say, Snow. I didn't think that this would happen."

"Emma as the Dark One." Snow White said. "Can we get a drink?"

It was silly. It was irresponsible really. But it was really the only thing she wanted to do since this mess began which was how she and Regina ended up in a pub in the UK that first night out.

"I still can't believe we're in a pub." She said to her former stepmother who was nursing an appletini.

Snow White would never get the fascination with that fruit. She personally hated it. Probably because she had been poisoned by apples more than once in her life by said woman.

Instead, she was drinking some concoction the bartender guaranteed would turn her frown upside down.

The pub they had gone to was odd. Full of men and women in funny clothing. Regina mentioned that they were probably going to a Con or something.

Snow had never heard of a Con, but then again she had been stuck in Storybrooke for the past three decades. Regina had not.

There were a few people in normal clothes at the bar. Snow noted a couple in the back. They looked like business types both in suits and seemed just as out of the crowds as they did.

They were obviously close too, the way the auburn haired woman had her hand on the dark headed man's leg.

There was something familiar about the man, Snow thought for a moment, though Regina quickly interrupted her thoughts.

"Disgusting. Those two really should get a room already." Regina snapped.

"It's cute," Snow said trying to appear upbeat as usual, but the way they were pawing at each other wasn't exactly cute. It was a little more than the typical PDA you saw in Storybrooke.

Not that much action went on in Storybrooke, especially since Hook decided to become committed to Emma. And Emma wasn't a fan of PDA.

Regina shrugged. "Well, given the other cliental in this joint, I guess they would be considered respectable."

"You should stop staring," Snow said. "They're bond to notice eventually, and the last thing we need is you getting into a bar fight."

"A bar fight!" Regina cringed. "I am a queen, queens do not get into bar fights. It would merely be a trifle. And I don't start trifles, they're so blasé."

Snow rolled her eyes and motioned the bar tender for another drink as she continued to people watch. The Leaky Cauldron, that's what the bar was called, had more than convention goers and business types grouping each other, Snow soon discovered. They also had some rather interesting drinks.

One called fire whisky.

Damn that stuff was strong. She had asked the bartender for the strongest thing available and her head was already starting to feel tipsy.

"What is in that stuff?" Regina asked looking at her.

There were two Reginas, Snow noted. God she felt so drunk, she told Regina that.

"I am not carrying you out of her, Charming." She said.

"'s not my last name." Snow slurred.

She had only had one of the drinks, she thought.

"Ugh." Regina said, "There's no way in hell we're getting you back to the hotel tonight."

Snow White didn't hear her. The next things she knew she was hearing Regina talk to some guy.

"Stuff's pretty strong. Your friend should've known what she was getting herself into."

"She's not my friend," Regina said.

"You were drinking together." The man said.

"I had no idea you were paying attention." Regina snapped.

Snow White opened her eyes. There were two Regina's and as well as two versions of that guy who was making out with that girl earlier. He was taller than Snow thought he was. And sort of cute. In a weird way he reminded Snow of Charming. Hmm, maybe he dumped his girlfriend and got together with Regina. They would look cute together, Snow thought.

She laughed.

"Miss, can you stand up?" The man asked.

Snow White giggled what a stupid question. Still though, she tried to stand up, only to find the world blurry. She started to fall when she was caught.

"Damn it, Tom. Can you stop serving fire whiskey to everyone?" The man said his voice sounded closer now.

"You should've let her fallen on her ass, would've taught her a lesson." Regina snapped.

"Now that wouldn't be very chivalrous." The man said, "Not like the Golden Boy of Gryiffindor would act."

"Golden Boy of Gryiffindor?" She heard Regina say. "You must be drunker than I thought."

"Nowhere near as drunk as your friend, though I do plan on getting positively wasted with my partner by the end of the evening."

"TMI," She heard Regina mutter. "Can you get me to a cab."

"She'll be puking in the cab." The man said. "Tom, can you get them a room."

"Yes, Mr. Potter, sir."

"They have rooms in this hovel?" Regina said. "You can leave her here. I think I'd prefer the Ritz."

Woegina…" Snow heard herself say. "Don't leave me."

But the next thing she knew when she opened her eyes, she was alone in what appeared to be a small, rather drab hotel room.

Snow White groaned looking for any sign of Regina, there wasn't. But there was a note saying with some money that stated as soon as she was sober and done being hung over she could call a cab to meet Regina at the Ritz.

Inwardly Snow cursed at being left at a hotel in a city where she had no idea where she was.

This was so like Regina.

Why did she insist on getting drunk last night? Sure, it allowed her not to think of Emma and it wasn't like they could do much when it came looking for Gold anyway, but how stupid could you be?

She sighed as she went into the bathroom as she felt the first pangs of nausea in her stomach.

Way. Too. Drunk.

Why did she drink that drudge the bartender threw at her she wondered as she tried to recollect her thoughts on the last night?

It pretty much stopped with Regina drinking her appletini.

She hoped she didn't do anything that stupid.

Eventually, after she had gotten rid of the entire contents of her stomach, she was feeling a smidgen better. Enough to begin her search for Emma again.

Snow felt immense guilt at the fact that she had spent precious time indulging in liquor the night before. Even though she remembered only having one glass. As soon as she made it downstairs, she was surprised to see that the pub was still full of convention dwellers and that Regina was there with a look on her face.

Like she knew something.

Spotting Snow, she motioned her to come over to where she was sitting.

Snow instantly frowned as she saw again, how completely put together Regina was. She had been knocking back those appletinis, shouldn't she had been as hung as Snow?

But nope, Regina looked fresh as a daisy.

Snow would've blamed magic, but this was the part of the world that didn't have magic.

"You look focused." Snow White said. "Is that coffee your drinking."

"It's tea." Regina said. "And it's terrible. This place is worse than Granny's. But I did discover something interesting about it."

"Did you?" Snow said.

"Yes," Regina said. "Magic."

Chapter 7 Preview: Hermione gets tortured by the ever so delightful Ms. Greengrass.