Chapter 7

"Regina, what happened? Are you alright?" Ruby asked, rushing to her side the instant she reappeared.

"Emma…you said…she was fine…she…Zelena…what did…Zelena's spell do?" Regina demanded, struggling to breathe a little, having being pulled back into the room with some force. She focused on calming her breathing so she could speak more clearly.

Ruby stared at her in surprise.

"You remember?"

"The spell Miss Lucas…What happened to Emma?" said Regina, urgently.

Ruby looked carefully at Belle before looking back to Regina. How were they going to explain this? They couldn't, there really wasn't a way, she had been running this over in her mind for weeks, there was no clever little loophole they could take advantage of, it was a pretty impossible situation. In all the time spent watching over the unconscious woman, trying to figure it out, she had come up with only a single, risky idea… She was a little afraid of the consequences, but she realised it truly was the only option - there wasn't another way to help Regina.

She had faith in her friends - they would find a way to save her.

She took a calming breath.

Belle had been observing her, sharply attuned to the werewolf's expressions as she ran through the options in her mind. Only a beat after Ruby had made her decision did the librarian realise what her friend was about to do.

"Ruby, No!" she said, alarmed. "We can find another way."

"We don't have time Belle. She needs to know. Regina is the only one who can put everything right again." Turning to Regina she clasped hands with the older woman. "I trust you Regina, you'll figure it all out. Remember that you're not alone, okay?"

"What?!"

"Just hear me out, it's important that you listen to what I'm about to say…" She chose her words carefully. "You should know that you did have visitors, those first few days that you were here. Both Tink and Henry came to see you," she enunciated each name, as though trying to convey some kind of message to Regina, one that Regina was failing to understand.

"If you can't find out what happened from somebody else, then you have to find out for yourself…" the werewolf continued, intently. "…Oh and as strange as it sounds - Charming is Team Regina, you can trust him." She added.

Regina stared at the younger woman, confused. All the while Ruby seemed to be building up to something profound. Nothing good by the concern she saw etched in the librarian's face. It suddenly occurred to her, that maybe Emma was gone, that Zelena had succeeded in killing the Saviour where she had failed in killing Regina herself. That the real reason behind all the secrets and unanswered questions was that everyone was afraid of how she would react to the news.

Her newly restored heart pounded hard in her chest as Ruby took a deep, purposeful, breath.

"Regina, Emma is…" Ruby began, but before another word left her mouth, a crack of red lightening illuminated the room and she dropped to the floor like a rag doll.

"Ruby," cried Regina, her usual formality lost in the alarm she felt for her friend. She knelt down instantly, checking the werewolf's breathing and heartbeat. She established quickly that the young woman was still alive, though not conscious. Drawing on her magic, she poofed the girl carefully onto the bed.

Initially, Belle had fought her own internal panic in order to hang back and give Regina some space with Ruby. She stepped closer to the bed now. Regina looked up, catching her eye.

"You both knew this would happen, didn't you?"

Belle nodded.

"What the hell is going on?"

"I literally can't tell you Regina - nobody can."

"So am I correct in thinking that the reason nobody will tell me what is happening around here is because they are aware that they will get hit by dark magic if they do?"

Belle nodded again.

Regina growled angrily.

"Zelena…when I get my hands on her, she will regret the day she ever set foot in my town…" she said through clenched teeth.

Ruby began to stir.

"Hey," Regina said fondly, as the younger woman's eyes fluttered open.

"Um, hey," Ruby said, in what sounded like more of a question.

"That was a fairly stupid thing you just did," Regina said affectionately, squeezing the werewolf's shoulder gently.

Ruby looked around the room in confusion.

"Do I know you?" she said looking from Regina to Belle. "Where am I?"

Amnesia. Regina noted that Belle did not seem at all surprised by Ruby's questions, quite the opposite. She knew this would happen toowhich means that Ruby knew that this would happen...

"You should kiss her," Belle said, interrupting her thought process.

Two pairs of wide eyes turned to the librarian.

"I beg your pardon?" Regina exclaimed.

"Woah, hey, am I like, in the middle of a girl porno shoot?" Ruby said, grinning wolfishly despite the disorientation.

"Don't be crass Miss Lucas."

"Miss Lucas? Is that me or you?" Ruby whispered aside to Belle.

"You," Belle confirmed.

"Oh."

"What I meant was that True love's kiss can break any curse," Belle explained.

"Yes, but why would I…wait…" Ruby knew this would happen, she repeated to herself, knew that she would lose her memories…the cogs began to turn in her head. "She said that Henry came to see me, and Tinkerbell… am I correct in thinking that if I tracked down my son or the pixie that I would find them in a similar state of memory loss?"

"Yes." Belle said enthusiastically, as though Regina had guessed the correct answer in a bizarre game of charades.

She followed the path of the same train of thought, talking aloud more to herself than Belle.

"And anyone trying to describe what happened to either of them…that person would end up in the same situation."

"Yes." Belle answered unnecessarily.

So Emma and Henry are likely both suffering from memory loss and if anyone had tried to explain that to me, then they too would be afflicted by the same amnesia curse…

"So, to quote Miss Lucas, if I can't find out what happened from anyone else, then I have to find out for myself." It was more a statement than a question, but Belle nodded once in reply.

Overcome with gratitude, Regina pulled Ruby into a hug and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, you stupid, brave girl. I'll find a way to bring you back, I promise. But first - I have a witch to roast!"

At that she evaporated in a cloud of purple, leaving a confused Ruby staring at Belle.

"You're very pretty," Ruby said, after a beat. "Your friend too, though she's kinda…intense."

Belle chuckled. "You're such a charmer, but, you should know, I have a boyfriend." That last part felt uncomfortable to say for some reason. Maybe it was the way the werewolf's face dropped a little in disappointment.

"You do? Wait, do I have a boyfriend?"

"No, but you do have a…Queen."

"Like an actual real life Queen?"

Belle nodded.

"Well, check me out." The werewolf grinned, puffing her chest out proudly in an exaggerated fashion. "…Is she as pretty as you?" she added cheekily.

Belle shoved her lightly.

"Stop it, now," she said kindly, "before both of us wind up on the receiving end of something much fierier than a bunch of flowers."


For some unknown reason, Regina's attempt to apparate to the Charming's residence had dropped her several streets away. Having tried another couple of times unsuccessfully to magic her way there, she had decided to walk. Clearly her magic was not back to full potency. About three blocks from their apartment she hit a sophisticated magical barrier. The trace signature of the magic's essence was one she was very familiar with.

"Rumpelstiltskin." She said aloud.

As if her calling out his name had summoned the Dark One, he appeared before her.

"Sorry dearie, the Charming family do not wish to be disturbed right now."

"I want to see my son," she demanded.

"I'm afraid young Henry does not wish to see you anymore," he said without conviction.

"Cut the crap Gold, I know he's under a memory curse. Remove the barrier."

"Ahh…even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I am required to do the bidding of the bearer of the dark one dagger and right now I'm afraid, that bidding includes enforcing a magical restraining order against you."

Regina clenched her fists in frustration.

"Zelena!" she said with distaste. "Where is she?"

He eyed her curiously. So she hadn't managed to figure out what was going on yet.

"You'll find your dear sister completely powerless and locked in a cell at the police station."

"What?! But then who is pulling Snow White's strings and cursing everyone?"

"Sorry dearie, I'm as much bound by the effects of divulging information to you as anyone one else in this town. Please stay away, I'd hate to have to harm you." he said with some menace, before disappearing in a cloud of gray smoke.

Regina kicked out angrily at the impenetrable force field. It might as well have been a brick wall for all she could pass through it. What in the world was she going to do now? She couldn't help Emma and Henry if she couldn't even get to them. And if it wasn't Zelena, then who was this unknown enemy?

She gave the barrier another frustrated kick for good measure.

To be continued…


A/N Thank you for reviews, follows and favourites. You guys rock!

Always happy to answer questions or explain anything confusing.