Present Day- Storybrooke
"A localization spell? What are you doing, Regina?
- I'm going after her. If she left by herself, we have to get her back, and if not, then…
- I'm in.
- Emma, I know you wanna help, but I don't need you breathing behind my neck at every step I take.
- I'm not asking for your permission. A prisoner escaped, that's part of the sheriff's job, isn't it?"
Already tired with this discussion, Regina nodded, and ended pouring the spell on the necklace. First, nothing happened. Then, it got up, rushing from the office. They ran after it, and followed it to the forest mansion, where it suddenly fell down.
"What the…
-Emma, look!"
A silhouette was leaving the storm-shelter and staggering to them.
"Zelena?" asked Regina in a soft voice.
The witch stopped at their side, trying to ignore how cold she was.
"Hi, sis. What's up?"
But she looked exhausted, and the queen could see it.
"What happened to you, Zelena? How did you leave the cell?"
A voice suddenly came out from the dark.
"What happened to her? I happened." Rumplestiltzkin left the shadow and bowed to the girls before joining Zelena's side. She quickly moved away, but he caught her arm.
"Hi, Savior. And hi, my dear queen…"
At this words, he froze Emma and threw a sword to Regina.
"Now if you want her, you're gotta have to face… Me! Are you gotta save the person who ruined your life twice, dearie?"
Regina caught the sword and pointed it to Rumple.
"I will."
With a giggle, he crossed his dagger with her sword.
"See, dear, that's exactly what I was…" he disappeared and reappeared, the dagger pressed against Regina's neck "expecting to you. How brave, indeed…"
Regina turned and the weapons crossed once more. She almost drove his dagger down, but he was still laughing. She suddenly noticed, in a panicked moan, she couldn't free her hands from the sword. Neither could her feet move.
"So brave, actually, that my dagger can now absorb this courage. And when it's done…"
He disappeared again and landed a few feet far.
"I'm done with you!" he screamed by throwing a fireball to the helpless queen, still stuck with her sword.
"No!"
It went really fast. Zelena was standing frozen, hands still tied with the cuff, and watching her sister fighting for her. That's when it hit her: she had no one else left. No family, nor friends or lover. No escape, no way to get her revenge or take back what she lost, nothing to fight for. No one, except from this sister she hated so much. She couldn't lose her, not now.
She jumped on the wizard and grabbed the dagger, his magic ray burning her right side. She rolled on the ground, and managed to kneel to command the Dark One to stop. He dropped his fireballs, and released Emma. He didn't cry nor complain. He was used to losing; he was a villain, after all.
Regina rushed to her sister.
"Zelena, you're injured! Don't worry, I'll fix it"
The woman curled up on the ground, hiding her wound from the Queen's powers.
"Don't bother. I don't care about dying.
-You won't die, it's only superficial. Anyway, you just saved my life. For the second time! And what about your baby?
- You don't need to worry about the baby. It's not Robin's, anyway"
Regina froze.
"Wait. It's not?
- Nope. 'Just needed a father. So leave me alone and get back to your beloved thief! I said I didn't mind."
Regina stood up and slowly began to leave, giving quick looks to her curled up sister. Then, she changed her mind.
"Hell, no. I'm not leaving you here.
She kneeled to face her sister.
"So whose child is it? Do you want me to find him?
- No!" yelled Zelena.
She managed to rise on an elbow to look into her sister's eyes, giving her the darkest look she could.
"Dare doing this and I assure you I'll be a lot worse than Rumplestiltzkin." She muttered in a threatening voice.
-Eh, take it easy! I won't, I promise. But you can't give up now, Zelena. You saved me. And you've got so much left to do!"
The witch laid back on the ground and sighed.
"Have I? I lived my whole life looking at my past. Results, my past is crap and I have no present left, because I ruined it myself. So tell me why I would want to live?"
The crying in her voice was more obvious at each word she said, despite how much she wanted to hide it. Regina crouched by her side and shyly touched Zelena's belly.
"Because you do have a future."
This time, there was no way Zelena could hide her sobs.
-Do I?
-Your little one here's gotta be the best kid this world has ever seen" smiled Regina "Well, the best boy after Henry, of course."
Zelena smiled through her tears, and sat against the small wall.
"The best girl, sis.
-A girl? Oh God, you're so lucky! I wished so much I could dress Henry like a princess, but he would never let me!"
This time, both girls were laughing. A move from the former Evil queen, and Zelena's wound disappeared. She stood up and lent a hand to her sister who rose as well.
"So you're coming?
-Of course, sis. I wouldn't want Robin to get worry about me!
-Oh shut up!" laughed Regina as they joined Emma who was still taking care of the Dark One.
Just before they join her, Zelena stopped.
"Wait, I'd like to ask you something, first.
- Go ahead?
- After everything I did to you, how can you be so nice with me?"
Regina gazed her sister who was nervously twisting her hands.
"I have two reasons. The first is… Remember when we first met?
- Of course I do.
- You stopped me when I was trying to curse myself. I wanted to forget, and I almost succeeded. Without you, I would perhaps still be asleep, and I would never have loved Robin, nor seen Henry again. I wanted to die, just like you. And now, thanks to you… I know life is worth fighting for. I want you to know it as well; I want you to find happiness."
Zelena kept quiet for a while, before shyly asking:
"And what's the other reason?"
Regina smiled.
" You're family. And I once heard that family means nobody gets left behind.
- I never had a family.
- You'll see, it's nice" answered the queen by taking her sister's hand.
Zelena wiped a tear with her free hand, in a soft laugh.
"Fucking hormones. I just can't stop crying!"
