I am aware that the last chapter ended on a nasty cliff hanger and I made an extra special effort to get this out to you. I hope it was worth it. Everyone that continues to follow this story it means a great deal to me, but there are those that need a special shout out. Reviewers you rock! Thank you.

The power radiating off Emma was palpable, it held promise of pain and torment and yet Cora continued to goad the Sheriff. Emma's body vibrated with the uncontained magic coursing through her. Growling a warning Emma stalked towards the witch, the magic swirling and crackling visibly around her.

"Emma?" It was softly spoken, a whisper but it was heard. The Sheriff halted to look over her shoulder at her lover holding her top half off the floor, staring wide eyed and confused at the turn of events that had brought them to this point. "What have you done?"

It was not an accusation, that much was clear, everyone could see the change in Regina. Even if it was not quite so dramatic as that of the previously blonde Saviour. When no answer was offered Regina lifted herself up graciously accepting the helping hand that David provided. She didn't approach Emma instead choosing to continue their stare off.

"Really dear a kiss and you are back to being the weak little girl that you were before I taught you to be more." Cora hissed, drawing the Saviours dark gaze. "Dear Emma how do you like her now that you've taken hold of the darkness that was instilled in her? Hmm, is she everything you'd wanted?"

"I am not weak mother, I was never weak." Regina walked slowly towards Emma, until she was right beside her. "Emma, Henry, Daniel, daddy, my love for them has been my strength all these years even when I didn't want to admit it. I should never have let you get into my head, never have allowed you to make me doubt my greatest strength." Tentatively Regina took hold of Emma's hand, a radiant smile lighting up her face when Emma accepted the gesture without resistance.

Cora wasted no time in using the little distraction Regina had provided throwing a fireball at the lovers. Emma knocked Regina out of the way with their joint hands, leaving Regina stumbling backwards before righting her sense of balance. David and Leroy hit the ground, each grabbing one of Jefferson's legs and pulling them out from under him to let the fireball streak past without harm. Cora, too focused on her own attack being unsuccessful, did not see Emma's counter attack until the last moment. There was just enough time to through up a ward to protect her from sharp bite of lightning that would have shocked her into submission.

"Well played dear. I had no idea you were so adept at using magic." Cora sneered.

Shrugging Emma did not answer, a cocky smirk that rivalled that of her lovers plastered on her face. Waving her hand towards David, Leroy and Jefferson, the men were engulfed in the familiar smoke of transportation, removed from the sanctuary.

Regina saw Emma's gaze turn to her once more, and it did not take a genius to know what she was about to do. Nor was it lost on Regina that with the current level of magic coursing through Emma there would be very little she could so to stop her. "Emma, no!" Ignoring the desperate plea of her lover, Emma repeated her actions.

The smoke cleared leaving Cora and Emma in their standoff. "Alone at last dear."

"Not for long." Emma's voice was gruff and filled with malice that did not truly belong. Stalking towards the old witch, Emma snarled with each step backwards Cora took to retreat from her advance. Dashing towards Cora Emma grabbed the other woman's upper arms and grinned as they were engulfed in the same smoke their companions had only moments before.


The men appeared in front of Granny's Diner, for David and Leroy the magical transportation was disorienting, leaving them both in varying levels discomfort. Leroy remained on all fours retching, swearing to any higher power that would listen that he'd never complain about a hangover again. David kneeled on the ground his head resting on his knee. Turning his head at the sound of rustling clothes, David could not contain his jealousy at seeing Jefferson raising to his feet unbothered by any form of unease.

A second cloud of smoke appeared, leaving Regina standing in the middle of the street several paces away from them. Looking distressed and pissed off at the same time. Leroy's racket caught her attention and she joined them returning David's earlier favour she leant him a hand as he got unsteadily to his feet.

"It will pass." Was all Regina offered when David gave a weak smile in thanks, his face decidedly paler than normal. The door from the diner swung open and they were joined by Mary Margaret, Ruby, Belle and Henry.

"Mum!" Henry yelled launching himself into her open arms. "Are you alright? What happened? What was with the smoke? Where's Emma?" Were the rapid attack questions.

Tightening her hold on Henry she gave him another squeeze, then pushed him back a bit to answer his questions. "We're all fine Henry. Emma…Emma saved me and kept us all safe."

"You didn't tell us where Emma is." Snow pointed out from her supportive position by her husband.

For the third and final time smoke appeared and cleared. Leaving the final two from the Evil Queen's sanctuary in the middle of the street. Cora was flung backwards, skidding down the street while Emma stood her ground.

Feeling Henry tense up, getting ready to call for his birth mother, Regina covered his mouth leaning down to soothingly whisper in his ear. "You will see her soon Henry. For now dear you must be quiet, do you understand?" Feeling him nod, Regina lowered her hand. "Good boy."

Unfortunately no one gave Mary Margaret the same advice. "Emma!" Turning eerily slow to gaze at her friends and family, Emma's face showed none of the warmth that had always shown through for them before. Cold and vicious a shiver ran down the spines of her loved ones.

Drawing her sword she slashed it through the air towards Cora without looking, a visible wave of magic soaring towards the witch. Still dazed Cora was unable to dodge the attack, slicing a deep wound into her arm she screamed bloody murder. Faces peered through windows all along the street wise enough to know that it is never safe to interfere in a battle between witches.

"What's the matter Cora? You can't take what you dish out?" Emma sneered, casually strolling to her. Trailing the tip of her sword along the road. "Are you afraid Cora?"

"Of you dear? Not at all." Cora's bravado faltered , as Emma feigned another swing of her sword and Cora winced. "What is it that you plan to accomplish dear?"

"I thought you were intelligent, I'm going to kill you Cora." Emma's voice was hard and honest. "When I told Regina not to I genuinely thought that letting you live would be better, the right thing to do." Emma tilted her head to the side in contemplation. "Clearly I was wrong. You can't be trusted."

Cora huffed. "You don't have it in you to kill me Saviour."

"You're wrong dearie." Gold called out from the side of the street. "Just look at her. The Saviour is not in control of herself. She is being ruled by the evil that you cultivated in your daughter." His cane clicked with each step he took as he crossed the street. "The Evil Queen is no more, in her place stands her no longer White Knight, carrying the burden that held her in evil's embrace for so long."

Gold was not expecting the blast that swept him of his feet. "Shut up Gold!" Emma snarled. "Don't act as if you are innocent from causing Regina heartache and harm. You are just as responsible for cultivating the evil in Regina as Cora is."

Wisely Gold remained silent and unmoving, surprised to find himself strangely worried at Emma's present state. He had not anticipated Emma absorbing magic from Regina as well as the darkness within her. In hindsight it should have been obvious, without the evil inside her Regina would not be able to use dark magic or rather would struggle to find it in herself to do so, it only made sense that her capacity to use dark magic was transferred with it. Yet there was something strange about the magic that Emma was using, it wasn't purely dark magic as he would have expected. It seemed that even in her current state the child of true love was still using light magic. A combination that was proving to be doubly devastating.

Deciding that Gold was no longer a threat Emma turned her back on him, just in time to see Cora launch an attack at the bystanders. In the blink of an eye Emma stood before them, specifically before Regina and Henry. Easily deflecting the attack from them, with a casual flick of her hand.

It was soft, gently hardly noticeable but she could feel Regina's hand on her back. The purpose of the action was lost on Emma, the sense of it not quite clicking in her current state of mind. But it was nice, reassuring and it jump started something inside her. Unknown to her friends and family her eyes started to flicker between deep purple and soulful green. The battle between Emma's true soul and the evil that didn't belong churning within her.

Cora saw her chance, minute as it may be. Pulling Emma towards her with magic she prepared the magical blade that was forming in her hand. Twisting in the air Emma wrenched herself free from the magic that bound her. Her sword held firmly in her grasp she charged Cora her blade wrecking the magic formed in the witches hand. Her eyes seemed black in the dwindling light of dusk.

Emma swung her arm round her back to the sword on course with Cora's neck. "No!" Regina screamed running to join her lover and mother. Grabbing Emma's arm Regina halted the swords descent in the nick of time the blade resting upon Cora's shoulder. Slowly Emma's eyes drifted to Regina's imploring face. "Please Emma don't kill her. Please."

"Regina, my dear Regina." Cora whispered her daughter's name said with reverence.

Regina did not break her eye contact with Emma. "I love her Emma. She's my mother I will always love her, please there has to be another way. You told me to be the better person, now I'm telling you the same."

Emma pushed down with the flat of her blade on Cora's shoulder forcing the witch to her knees before them. With her free hand Emma dragged Regina behind and round her into a one armed hug. Holding her close, no space between them the Saviour nuzzled into her lovers neck, a joint sigh of relief and belonging leaving them both. Tangling her hand in Regina's raven locks Emma placed a kiss her at the tender spot behind her lovers ear that she knew could make Regina purr.

"Forgive me, my love." It was said so softly Regina was not convinced that she hadn't just made the words up, until she was once again shoved away from her lover she heard the Emma's sword clang as it hit the road seconds after she did.

Emma fell to her knees in front of Cora, one hand held the witches head and the other hovered over where her heart should be. A glow emanated from the pair shadow and light surrounding them. In Emma's hand a heart formed and Cora gasped when it was plunged into her chest. Tears formed in the older woman's eyes and Emma threw back her head letting out a heart wrenching scream. Emma's hands left Cora, the witch falling to the ground. Emma scrambled to her feet clutching her head between her hands.

"Well done dearie, colour me impressed. You actually did it without anyone dying…yet." Gold spoke up from the back of the group

Stomping up to and grabbing Gold by the shoulders David shook the shorter man then roughly pushed him backwards. "What's that supposed to mean Gold?"

Managing to right himself, Gold straightened out his jacket. "Look at her your highness." Gold lifted his cane to gesture to Emma, folded over in half her body shaking violently. "Your daughter is in agony, with not just the evil from Regina but Cora as well. Let me tell you that is no small feat."

""Emma are you alright?" Mary Margaret called out making to step towards her daughter she was stopped by Ruby's hand on her arm and the brunette's gentle shake of her head. Emma not reacting in the slightest to her mother's shout.

"Emma's not home at the moment. In fact it wouldn't surprise me if she's gone for good." Gold chuckled looking every bit the dark one, enjoying the suffering around him.

Regina propped her unconscious mother up against the fence, not quite as gently as she could have done. "You're wrong Rumple."

"Oh really? Tell me then your Majesty, how do you plan on saving the Saviour?" Gold asked, grinning in the maniacal way that was familiar to all that had crossed his path in the Enchanted Forest. "Her soul, true and pure, is being ripped apart by the evil that previously possessed you and your mother."

"She's not going to die. She can't." Henry piped up, clutching his arms tightly round his mum's waist. "And if she was evil like you say she is, she wouldn't have put Cora's heart back."

"Yes that was unanticipated, the magic required to call Cora's heart to her was particularly impressive. Even for me that would prove problematic." Gold nodded sagely, he had tried to conjure things from their home world since magic had returned to no avail. To see the Saviour do so without even trying was irksome to say the least. Especially when Cora's heart was held under particularly powerful spells to keep it safe. "Dear boy, there's nothing that can be done to save her now. Her death is a certainty, it is only a matter of time."

"Emma's a fighter." David stepped up to Mary Margaret's side, his belief in his daughter unwavering as the rest of them.

"Look at her she doesn't even recognise any of you, nor is she even aware that we are still here. She is but a shell, Emma is already dead." Gold sneered, determined to make the good fools see the sense in his words.

"Love, true love is the most powerful magic of all. Someone I truly admired told me that when I was younger, she was right." Mary Margaret focused on Regina as she repeated the words that had given her the courage to believe and fight for love all her life.

"Love can't save a soul!" Gold slammed his cane against the tarmac to drive his point home.

"But it already has." Regina ran her hand through Henry's hair, the thought that he could do with a haircut striking her as an inconvenient revelation at this point in time. It was close to physically painful for her to see Emma in such torment, made worse by the fact that Regina was somewhat responsible for it. "Emma's love for me got her into this mess. So it stands to reason and good form that my love for her should get her out of it."

"You can do it mum, I know you can." Henry tilted his head up grinning, his chin resting over her breasts.

A look on his face that she recognised from when he was younger, a look that had mostly been directed at Emma since she arrived, the 'you're my hero' look. It warmed her heart more than she could ever have imagined. "Of course dear. Stay put alright?" Smoothing down his hair, an act that was soothing to both mother and son Regina gave a reassuring smile.

"I love you, mum." He squeezed his arms tighter around her.

"I love you too Henry, now be good and stay with your grandparents." Kissing his forehead she gave him a little push in the right direction. With a sharp nod Henry stepped back between David and Mary Margaret, both of them placing a supportive hand on the boys shoulders.

"It won't work dearie. It's too late for her." Gold hummed in a sing song manner that was indescribably irritating.

"I refuse to believe that." Regina glared at the man, turning her back on him she turned on her heel ready to approach her lover.

Genuinely confused at the stubborn belief that Regina was exhibiting Gold could not stop the word that escaped his lips. "Why?"

"Because I believe." Was the quiet reply.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gold asked sounding more like a petulant child than the loathsome creature that he was.

Ignoring Gold, Regina slowly made her way towards her agonised lover. It was a strange experience to be the one that was approaching someone with their magic swirling and crackling dangerously around them. She could not help the niggling doubt in her mind that she was going to end up hurt when Emma clearly had no control over her power. Tentatively she reached out to get hold of Emma in some way, only for her to snap it back before it could make contact with the younger woman. Cradling her hand against her chest Regina screwed her eyes shut willing the burning sensation to die down. When her eyes opened they were met with obsidian orbs, no trace of colour held within them.

"Emma." Slowly Regina reached out again determined that even if it hurt she would remain steadfast. With Emma actively aware of Regina trying to touch her, the magic surrounding her did not oppose Regina's second attempt. She couldn't deny that it hurt to see Emma flinch just before her hand landed upon her cheek, it wasn't easy to see your lover uncomfortable with your touch. Stroking her thumb soothingly over the skin beneath it, she was rewarded with Emma leaning into Regina's touch.

"I believe Emma, what you've been telling me all this time. You were right." Disappointment grew inside her when Emma remained impassive at the admission. Instead of being the smartass that would have smirked cockily and looked overly proud at one upping her lover.

Emma tried to withdraw, stepping back and away. But Regina would not allow it, wrapping her free arm around Emma's waist she held her tightly against her. Laying her head in the crook of Emma's neck Regina tangled the hand, that had rested upon Emma's cheek, into the pitch black hair that had replaced radiant blonde.

"I love you Emma." Holding Emma that little bit tighter she drew back to look into obsidian eyes, hopefully for the last time. "I believe that love is strength. With all my heart I know it's true. Please come back to me."

Crashing their lips together Regina kissed Emma for all she was worth. Not letting herself become disheartened when her lover did not immediately respond to her. It was difficult to tell how much time had passed, when she finally felt Emma reacting to her kiss. The tremors that wracked through Emma were powerful, their embrace causing Regina to feel them almost as much as Emma. Gasping Emma fell to the ground Regina following and settling on the younger woman's lap. Their tongues duelled for control, a desperation for contact that neither could ever remember feeling before.

As the tremors in Emma died down their kiss became more languid. Until the parted their foreheads rested together, stealing small kisses from one another. Emma's arms fell from around Regina's back as she slumped forward into her lovers embrace.

Mumbling into Regina's neck Emma's voice rasped. "You saved me."

"About time I returned the favour, wouldn't you agree dear?" Regina replied, tenderly laying a kiss in amongst the returned blonde hair. "I'd do it time and time again dear."

A sloppy kiss was landed on Regina's neck before the whispered. "Love you."

"And I you. Rest now my beloved." Emma's breath evened out, unable to remain conscious any longer. Seconds later Regina joined her, both woman falling the short distance to the road beneath them. Unaware of their worried friends and family rushing towards them.