"Should we be doing this?" Regina asked. She opened the stall and Rembrandt trotted out.
Maybe other people couldn't see it but Regina could tell when he was annoyed with her for not visiting all the time. Although Emma had come more often than she expected after their failed date so long ago. She smiled to herself at how it was so Emma to learn to ride a horse for a date. And even with her hesitance around Rembrandt, she'd heard praises from Michael on how well they got along.
"This will be good, Regina. Alone time," Emma said.
Regina pursed her lips, still uncertain about the whole idea. Yet she still led Rembrandt out of the stables following Emma and KitKat.
"Is alone time a good idea right now? The Wicked Witch is out there, and we don't know who she is."
"So?" Emma fastened her saddle to Kit Kat and then moved to get Regina's onto Rembrandt.
"We are the only magical protection the town has we can't have a…date. Is this a date?"
"If it's not will you agree to it?"
"No. Emma-"
"No, Regina. Emma is right. We need a break. You were just thrown around Granny's like ragdoll," Emma said.
"But-"
"As nice as yours is no buts." To make her point final, her hand made an audible sound against Regina's ass causing the other woman to jump. "Get on the horse, Regina. We have people backing us up but for now we deserve some alone time."
"And what if we run into some flying monkeys in the woods?" Regina asked as they both mounted their horses.
"Like you said we're the magical protection. It'll be an efficient date. Two birds, one stone." At Regina's apprehensive look she gestured to the pathway leading to the trail. "I'll protect you, Your Majesty. After you."
After throwing a withering look over to Emma, Regina rode off.
Enchanted Forest
Killian sighed again earning an eyeroll from Regina. It was yet another door they'd walked through but this time what was beyond it seemed to have Regina's interest. He frowned at their surroundings.
"Make yourself useful and keep watch, pirate," Regina said. She marched into the room with a bit more confidence than he'd seen in a long while. It didn't take much to see the separation from Emma and Henry was getting to her. Maybe a bit faster than he was expecting.
"Good thing I bought a bow…and you gave me my hand back, Your Majesty. What am I keeping watch for?" He asked.
"As I said someone managed to get inside, so keep watch for the intruders," Regina said.
Her annoyance was palpable, so he went about the task given. Although, there wasn't even another way in that he could see. Could've guessed Regina had given him busy work. Bow in hand, Killian glanced to Regina as she pulled out a box from the vanity and sat it on the surface. An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach as she pulled her gloves away from her hands and opened the box.
"Regina…what is that?" He asked.
"Nothing that concerns you."
"Well, as your friend a lot of things with you concern me."
"As a friend you would do well to mind your own business."
"Doesn't look like you're taking any shields down from here. Care to enlighten me?"
"No." The vanity rattled at the force of Regina's hand smashing into the surface.
The uneasy feeling turned into a boulder. It'd been a long time since he'd ever considered aiming a weapon at Regina Mills. He had no fear of her doing him harm or even their caravan awaiting them. But there was a reason to be wary and it was unsettling. It pained him to aim her down.
"I won't ask again," Killian said.
"How dare you threaten me…do you have any idea-"
"Talk to me, Regina. I'm no Robin Hood or Snow White but I assure you my aim will be true." Regina's anger weakened but she continued back to the ingredients in the box. "What are you making? I know it has nothing to do with the shield."
"You won't go away, will you?" She sprinkled something into a vial and Killian's stance wavered, the bow tilting downward.
"Not a chance in hell, love."
Silence drowned the tension until Regina surrendered. "A sleeping curse."
"Didn't that have something to do with…fruit?" He frowned.
"That was from Maleficent. I finally learned how to make one of my own."
"Why…? This is why we're here, so you can make that? It's why you didn't want me to come with you."
"I wouldn't have just stumbled upon these ingredients out there."
"Say that's for the witch, Regina." She scoffed, waving her hand over the complete curse, glowing purple under her hand. Seeing the thing she planned to prick her own finger, Killian advanced on her. "Regina don't."
She waved her hand and the bow vanished. In response he flicked a dagger hidden in his boot at her, knocking away the cursed pin. Regina stood up from the vanity with a growl. Her fingers only twitched and he was rooted in his spot.
"Why are you doing this?"
"We are stuck here. I refuse to live a life like this." Regina picked up the pin and turned to him. "Without them. I refuse."
"You're just going to give up. Just like that."
"Don't worry I will take down the shield before I put myself under."
"You're not the only one hurting, Regina. Snow and David lost their daughter and their grandson. Neal lost his son. They know your pain. You aren't alone in your suffering."
"It's different. The Charmings have each other. Baelfire has his father, wherever he disappeared to, and you. He has you. I had Emma and Henry."
"You have me, too, Regina. You have me and I need you. We all need you. Emma isn't here to be the savior and we need someone to save us so we can get back to them. Us against a witch, without you is no contest, love."
"You are my friend, Killian. I haven't forgotten that. I appreciate it but I can't go on without them."
"This is a permanent solution to a temporary problem." Killian struggled against the restraints even though he knew it would do no good.
Regina stopped in front of him with a sad, wistful smile. "If you truly believe in a way back to Storybrooke, then this solution will be temporary as well."
She walked away out of the room, leaving his feet pinned to the floor, yelling after her.
A terrible,terrible dread coming over him at what she was about to do.
"Regina…Regina!"
"We could be too late." David shook his head and sighed as they trudged forward to the farm house. "Obviously, she scattered once you and Emma found this place the first time."
He'd mentioned going back to check out the farmhouse while Emma and Regina took a leave for a few hours and Ruby and Robin Hood decided to tag along. Once they offered, Snow wasn't going to let David deny the help since she couldn't go with him.
"It still doesn't hurt to see what she left behind," Ruby said.
"Can't go a day without a crisis. First this curse and then the attack on the diner?"
"You mean on Regina? What the hell does she want with her anyway?"
"I'm sure we knew before we were cursed," Robin inserted with a sigh. "All of this is unsettling…losing memories. Losing some time is fine, I suppose, but an entire year?"
"Yeah, it's new for you. We're veterans," Ruby said, "It's not a great accomplishment to have – wait a minute…"
They all halted a few feet away from the storm cellar. Ruby remembered everything from the day she was here with Emma and something was different. "The lock wasn't busted before," she said.
David and Robin exchanged a look before David step forward to examine the lock. It was either broken with magic or with brute force and knowing which would have been a clue as to who opened it.
He reached out to examine it, not thinking of any warnings Regina would've thrown with magic involved. So, he, as well as Ruby and Robin, were caught off guard by the blast of green magic that send him flying backwards between the pair behind him. He landed hard in the frozen grass with a groan, yards away from the cellar.
"Make sure he's alright, I'll check inside," Robin said.
Ruby nodded and hurried over to David. "Are you okay?" she asked, relieved he was starting to sit up. But her relief didn't settle at the sight of something green traveling up his neck and quickly disappearing. "Do you lose any more memories?"
"I don't think so," he said, "What the hell was that?"
"Nothing good. Probably a shield…some sort of defense mechanism. But your best guess is as good as mine."
"Uh, I think you'll want to see this," Robin said. His voice sounded far away and they both stood to peer into the entrance of the cellar.
David walked down first and Ruby followed. Something cold crawled on her skin during her descent - dark and damp. Something ominous in the air. She fought off the strong shiver and stopped at the base of the stairs, making out two cages in the center.
"Cages? For the monkeys?" Robin questioned.
"No…not monkeys," David said. He reached for the string above him and with a pull a dull light shined bright enough to reveal what was still remaining inside of the vacant cage on the right.
"Is that…?" Ruby frowned at the spinning wheel in front of them. She glanced down at the floor and then under her feet. She bent down and picked up something very…telling. "Who else can spin straw into gold?"
"Rumpelstiltskin."
"Is that good or bad for us?" Robin asked.
"I don't know. It's always a toss up with him but if I were to guess, this Wicked Witch keeping him in a cage might just make her an enemy of his."
Ruby pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "We have to interrupt their date, don't we?"
"I'll call them," David said, hoping he would get Regina rather than Emma. She had been very firm about the date she'd planned not being disrupted, and he dreaded having to be the one to the exact opposite of what she said.
Unlike the last time they rode this trail, it was much calmer, and KitKat had learned not to throw Emma off at the first sound coming from the woods.
"Do you even know where we're going?" Regina asked. She rode beside Emma, silently impressed by how natural she seemed on the horse. No one could even guess she's normally terrified of them.
"Yes, as a matter fact I do. I planned this date in great detail. I know where we're going and what we're going to do when we get there." Emma looked Regina up and down with a smirk. "I hope you're not too strapped into those pants because they're definitely going to come off."
"You are sorely mistaken if you think I'm participating in a rendezvous in the woods, Miss Swan," Regina said.
"I thought it was romantic. Romantic picnic…"
"And ants and spiders crawling into unspeakable places. This isn't a cheesy romance movie, Emma."
"I brought a really big blanket for us to sit on and a blanket to snuggle under. Come on, Gina."
"Don't call me that."
"You're such a Grinch." Emma grumbled.
"Comes with me being your True Love. Chaos and dysfunction…and Storybrooke."
The mention of Storybrooke, reminded Emma a conversation she'd avoided even thinking about since she and Henry came back. Her heart ached at the thought of being without Regina for that missing year but they lived a good life in that year. No witches or demonic shadows. Just petty crime and hot dog stands. The more mayhem the Wicked Witch caused the more Emma began to long for that simpler time.
"Emma, what's wrong?" Regina asked. The sudden quiet startled her. Once they got to quips, Emma was rapid fire with a silly punt or a suggestive innuendo.
"Um, yeah." She raked her hand through her hair. "I hate to ruin the date with serious talk-"
"I don't mind serious talk."
"You'll mind. Trust me."
"What's going on?"
"With everything going on, I just… Aren't you tired? At every turn there's another curse or villain."
"Comes with the territory, I suppose. Technically, Storybrooke's existence is a curse."
"And you don't think it's going to get old?"
"Where is this coming from Emma? What are you trying to say?" Regina asked. She pulled up on the reins to stop Rembrandt and Emma followed suit.
"I'm saying I…I think I want to go back to New York, Regina. You and Henry…I don't know about this feeling of constantly having to worry about the both of you. We had a good life in New York. It was just missing you."
"You would leave your parents, your friends for a simple life?"
"You cast the curse for a simple life."
"I cast the curse for revenge, Emma. I wanted people to suffer. You're not the kind of person to leave anyone behind if there's a risk of them being in danger. You're the Savior to the town. But you are Emma Swan and that's not how you operate."
"If I'm the Savior name one thing that I've done that someone else couldn't have done."
"Break my curse."
"Other than that."
"Okay fine, but that doesn't mean anything. You are special whether you're the savior or not. Anybody can be called the savior but how many people do you know are willing to do all the things you do to protect strangers. And if that's not enough to convince you, then your magic makes you special. The power in you can never run in anyone else's veins."
"You're just saying that…You have to. You're my soulmate."
"A soulmate can still tell you when you're being stupid, my dear," Regina said, beckoning Rembrandt to continue moving in time with KitKat. "You're overthinking. When the curse was broken, a dam of chaos followed it. It won't be like this always. Besides you can continue to argue with me on the subject but in the end I'll always be right."
"Yeah, you shut my shit down really fast." Emma muttered, ducking under a low branch.
"I don't desire to move to New York but I'm not shutting down your concerns. I don't like your solution but we're a partnership."
"I guess you're not that bad…"
A branch snapped ahead of them and Regina immediately looked to Emma ready to act if KitKat decided to take off with her. He didn't startle the same as he did last time they ventured out on horseback not until the snap turned into a screech. Regina cursed under her breath for ever muttering the words 'flying monkey' while they were out in the woods because that is just what had to show up.
Rembrandt reared up at the sight of the green creature flying towards him. Regina kept her grip on the reigns – managing to impress Emma since she'd surely be on the ground. He stirred as Regina wouldn't let him take off and KitKat panted anxiously.
"It's okay," Emma said, patting his neck.
The creature screeched, coming to a hover over them and darted quickly towards Regina. Before either of them could formulate a plan, it was snatching Regina off her horse. Rembrandt took off once he was free of his rider and KitKat followed once Emma jumped off.
"Regina!"
Emma chased after them as they weren't getting far with Regina fighting off the claws ripping her shirt and digging into her shoulder. Emma stopped at the fireball erupting from Regina's hand.
"Regina it could be Hook!"
"Son of a-" Regina closed her hand.
She opened her other hand and bright flash of white magic blinded the monkey, causing it to release its hold on her. The fall caught her off-guard but something stopped her before she crashed into the ground. Regina heard Emma laugh uneasily.
"I did it," Emma said.
Regina relaxed at the sight of the ground not rapidly coming towards her. She glanced to the creature writhing on the ground a little bit away from her and looked back to Emma.
"Could you put me down gently, Miss Swan?"
Emma lowered her hands slowly until Regina was a carefully placed on the dirt path and then she walked over with her attention shifting between the monkey and Regina. Regina was slow to get up and Emma helped her all while feeling guilty for bringing her here on a date of all places. Her shirt was ruined, and the spots of blood stained on her shirt at her right shoulder.
"What are the odds? Attacked twice in a row…" Emma sighed taking a careful peek at the injury. The creature screeched and struggled against invisible bonds much to the pair's confusion. "What's wrong with it?"
"I don't know."
"Should we try to capture it? Maybe find a way to change it back…might be able to tell us who the Wicked Witch is."
The monkey continued to screech and thrash and unsure what to, out of inexperience, Emma and Regina could only look on. And hope it wasn't going to result in more injuries. Regina put up a simple shield for precaution, wincing at the pain shooting down her arm. As if on cue the monkey partially regained some composure and went at them only to bounce off the shield. And then, surprisingly, it went back to thrashing around as if it conflicted with itself.
"I'm confused," Emma said.
Regina snapped her fingers and a purple cloud formed around the creature and then the screeching turned more human. Pained grunts and cracking. They both listened as it seemed the magic was giving way to a transformation. An agonized cry rang out from the cloud and a hand – a very human hand – planted itself onto the ground and Emma knew immediately.
"Neal?" Emma stepped up to the barrier. "Neal!"
"Emma," came the hoarse reply. "Em…"
"Regina." The urgent look in Emma's eyes force the woman to drop the shield. But she was ready to be on the offensive it was trick.
"Be careful," Regina said as the purple smoke started to vanish.
But quickly it was relieved that there was no threat as Neal Cassidy was revealed to now be in place of the flying monkey. He was in tattered clothes and he look ragged and unkept. And unconscious. Emma knelt next to him checking for a pulse.
"Is he alright?" Regina asked.
"He's breathing." Emma turned to her. "I think we just got the upper hand. He has to know, right?"
"Yes, he knows who she is."