Author's note: New chapter people! I think this story has only 1, 2 more chapters top before it's over. The final battle is coming up and I hope you are all excited about it! Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated. No beta so all mistakes are mine. Enjoy!
PS:Italics are used as inner thoughts.
Somewhere near the White Kingdom
"Come on Emma." Charming said while getting on his horse to move forward. "We are almost there."
"I know." she huffed. "Why do you think I'm being reluctant at hurrying up."
"I thought the faster we got there the better it would be for Regina and you."
"Yes and no." Emma answered while jumping on top of Bug. "Because of our connection, sometimes Regina and I can share our thoughts and feelings." she smiled softly. "I know that the moment we get inside the White Kingdom I will have to close that connection."
"Close the connection?"
"Yeah, beings with magical properties can sense that my subconscious is shared with another magical being. Like a magical bond."
"And since Cora is there she would be able to sense Regina's magic inside of you."
"Exactly. The moment she finds that out she will know that the forgetting potion failed and that I'm still in love with Regina. We didn't think about this until our first night away from each other."
(Flashback to 5 Days Earlier)
"I'm tired." Emma complained to herself while feeding Bug. "I miss Regina, I miss my son." she whispered softly.
"And we miss you too." Emma heard Regina's soft voice and immediately turned around.
"Regina?!" she asked while taking her sword out and moving around camp. "Regina?!" she repeated and lowered her weapon when nothing moved around her. "And now I'm going crazy." she chuckled. "Damn it Regina you have truly made me become completely dependent on you."
"The feeling is mutual." Regina's voice muttered and again Emma stood up.
"This must be a trick, some sort of black magic. Or perhaps the forest is trying to get me astray from my way to the White Kingdom."
"Do not be silly dear. You are not imagining this but at the same time I am not in the forest. We can now hear each other's thoughts."
"What?" Emma thought to herself while sitting again near the fire. "Is this because of our Truest Love?"
"I suspect so." Regina murmured. "It seems that we have just discovered another property of our magical bond."
"What do you mean by another property?"
"Well, beforehand we were capable of feeling each other's emotions dear. We can also share our magic between one another and we can also share memories quite easily. It appears that consciously communicating thoughts between us is the next step."
"Makes sense." Emma said while looking at the dark night. "I felt your anger and sadness earlier." she commented. "Wanna tell me about that?"
"I did what had to be done." Regina said sadly. "The Huntsman betrayed us and he had to pay for that crime. It was not a pleasant thing to see." the brunette continued. "The people were angry at him and wanted to see him suffer. And as monarchs we sometimes have to give to our people what they want."
"The people wanted to see him pay because he hurt you Regina. That is their way of showing you that they support you." she explained to her fiancé. "I could see it on my way out, how sad they were at the prospect of you being heartbroken."
"And I am grateful for that." the brunette explained. "But now that we have this way of communicating we should take advantage of it. Our plan seems to be working perfectly because the moment you two left we caught a spy of my mother's."
"Did you get a chance to interrogate him?"
"Unfortunately not. My mother made sure she killed him before we could ask him any questions. But he did see you leave with your father, so we can assume that she sent an envoy to accompany you on your way back."
"She did." Emma agreed. "We met with them a few hours ago and we have set camp with them. Don't worry." Emma immediately appeased her. "I'm with my father completely separated from them. We do not trust them."
"Be cautious darling. Remember that the White Knights are not exactly role models or concerned at all about the safety of their kingdom. Besides, if these ones were picked by my mother then you have to be even more cautious."
"We are being careful. That beautiful sword you gave me is sitting right next to me."
Regina chuckled. "You should be sleeping darling. In a few days you will have to face my mother and you need to have all your emotions and feelings under control."
"I understand." Emma repeated. "I have to be basically emotionless if I want to show Cora and Snow that I forgot about you."
"Not only that dear, but you have to suppress your magic as well. Because you discovered your magic with me, the moment you drank the forgetting potion the memories of you performing magic should have disappeared."
"So theoretically I have no magic." Emma grumbled.
"Yes." Regina also huffed in annoyance. "And if I remember correctly, when the Dark One taught me about forgetting potions he said that when you make a person forget that they were in love the person became a shadow of who they were. This means that you have to be the complete opposite of your previous self: cold, calculating, mean, revengeful, conning, etc."
"So basically I have to be a complete bitch." Emma interrupted Regina.
Regina laughed softly. "Yes. You will have to be like all the rest of royals darling, and as much as it pains me to imagine, cordial to your mother and Prince Killian. Remember, Snow will know for what to look for because long ago she also drank a forgetting potion."
"So many things to look out for." Emma huffed. "I know it's annoying but it also has to work. We have planned this well and there is no way our mothers will know we are aware of their plans." Emma promised Regina when she felt her trepidation.
"The person I am most worried about is Cora." Regina confessed. "Your mother is just a pawn that is conveniently being helped by mother because of the White kingdom's army. But Cora has the support of the Dark One, and the Dark Curse is inside that castle under her protection." she reminded the blonde. "The moment she realizes something is wrong she will get the curse and disappear so she can regroup."
"Then I guess that means we cannot make a mistake." Emma simply replied. "The moment we get the Dark Curse from the castle it will be the moment we will be at peace. Once we take that away from your mother then there is nothing she can do against our combined magic. Remember, we fought against her and we won."
"I know." Regina agreed. "But I got taught to think that anything can go wrong and to plan ahead to prevent it."
"I can sense your enthusiasm." Emma smiled warmly. "Want to tell me what you have planned?"
"Instead of you going alone to look for the Dark Curse I was planning on sending Red with you. Surprisingly, the magical beings chose Granny to be their leader and not your godmother as I suspected. I imagine our mothers will think the same thing and hence will not expect her to be in the castle. Since you have worked on your transportation spell you could go get Red and then the two of you can reenter the castle. By that time when you two make it back in your mother should be meeting with Cora and Prince Killian. You have to go back to that meeting and stay there while Red looks for the Dark Curse. After we sound the horns and cause the necessary distraction you will leave the room and meet with Red. If by that time she has not been able to get the Curse then you will think of me and I will go find you."
"But what about your mother's protection spells? I mean, didn't she say that she had the Curse guarded and safe?"
"Indeed, but when you meet with Red she will have in her possession potions that can counteract my mother's spells. Remember we know all the spells she has absorbed and hence which ones she can use." Regina explained.
"You have thought about everything." Emma smiled warmly.
"The only thing I am able to do is just think about our plan." Regina confessed. "I am terrified of failing the kingdom. I am terrified of failing you Emma."
"We are a team." the blonde reminded her. "So everything we do, every win and loss we obtain is a joined effort. Let me be your Champion and battle for you. I'm definitely not weak and I sure am determined to win so we can get our happy ending."
"I know." the brunette said softly. "And I do trust you."
"I love you Regina." Emma reminded the witch. "So much."
"And I love you too." Regina said firmly. "With all of my heart."
(End of Flashback)
"So that's why you were adamant in having one of us always up and patrolling." Charming finally understood her daughter's behavior.
"We cannot trust Snow and we definitely cannot trust Cora." she argued.
"I know." Charming said dejectedly.
"I haven't forgotten my promise." she reminded him. "I will try to save Snow as long as it doesn't risk the safety of my child or Regina's." she whispered the last part.
"That's all I can ask of you." he looked at Emma who was deep in concentration. "Is something wrong?"
"Regina is anxious." she commented. "She is dreading the moment we lose our connection."
"Because she won't know what you are thinking."
"Yes, but during the last couple of days she has been trying to control her emotions around me. I think she's trying to get me used to not hearing her voice or feel her feelings inside of me."
"Perhaps." Charming said not convinced at all. "But if you're telling me this then you must suspect something else is going on."
"I can't stop myself from thinking that it has something to do with Henry." she whispered, for the first time admitting her insecurities and fears. "He's a special kid that, according to what Blue told us before I left."
"He has to be." Charming smiled. "He is the product of Truest Love and two powerful magical beings. The balance between the light and the dark, uniter of kingdoms and families." he continued saying.
"You're right." Emma exclaimed with complete awe and love. "He will do what Leopold couldn't do after marrying Regina. Which is why we must protect him and his existence. Neither Cora nor my mother can know about him."
"But you already knew all of this before we left the Dark Kingdom."
"Yes, what I'm truly worried about is that Henry's gestational period is not the one of a normal child. He grows faster and stronger by the hour, if what Blue told me before I left is still true."
"That's right, the two of you talked for a while before we left the Dark Kingdom."
(Flashback to 5 Days Ago)
"Blue..." Emma said while turning around the halls in search of the fairy. "I need to talk to you before I leave." she exclaimed and immediately felt the magic of the woman close. "I can feel you now so don't even pretend that you're not here." she stated and concentrated on making the woman appear.
A white mist appeared in from of her, which gave shape to the fairy who was smiling softly at her.
"Regina has taught you well." she said softly.
"Why are you refusing to see me?" she complained while pacing around the room. "Do you understand what I'm about to do? I'm leaving Regina and my unborn child unprotected. I need some security or promise that they will be fine while I save us all from Cora and my crazy mother!" she screamed the last part.
"Relax Emma." Blue tried to appease her right away. "I can understand the fear that comes with uncertainty. Our story has certainly shifted from the path it was moving when I helped your parents catch the Evil Queen before she could sacrifice her father's heart."
"Helped them? What are you talking about?" she asked the woman.
"What I will tell you right now Emma can change the way you see things, am I am doing so in the expectation that someday you will have to act on what I am telling you right now."
"I don't understand." Emma said angrily. "For once stop talking in riddles and just be honest Blue."
"Our reality is not the only reality Emma. Different paths can lead to different outcomes and different stories. As such, there is a reality where Regina was successful in casting the Dark Curse." she said tersely, trusting Fate again to know what they were doing by revealing this to Emma. "The Dark One used Regina's pain and sorrow to cast a curse that would take him to a magicless land where he would be able to find his long-lost son. Frozen in time, we were under Regina's rule in this realm where everyone had forgotten who they were." she continued saying.
"What about my parents? What about Cora? What about me? My son?" she rambled.
"In this reality your mother was not corrupted by Cora yet she still showed the capability of becoming dark by tricking Regina into killing her own mother. Your father was similar to the David you know, a coward with fear and yet capable of overcoming his fear for his family. Henry was born and he is the son of the Evil Queen and the Savior, which is how you are called in this reality. The three of you seem to be a part of every reality thought by Fate."
"Destiny." Emma whispered in complete awe and sadness at the same time. "Are Regina and I together in this reality?"
"You were not." Blue smiled sadly. "Yet the two of you always sacrificed your own happiness and life for the other." the fairy smirked. "Almost as if your hearts and magic recognized your bond and was waiting for the right moment to place you two together."
"Then why are we here now? I mean, are these other realities coexisting with the one we are now?" Emma asked completely confused.
"Yes and no." Blue explained. "In each reality there is the possibility of people either being good or evil. Some people tend to choose similar paths in different realities because of their souls' essence. Our souls' essence is our traits and personality that does not change no matter the reality. For example, your mother has always and will always be capable of being a good loving mother or the absolute destroyer of your happiness. The events and things she goes through is what may lead her to choose one path over the other."
"So this reality is the only one where we are consciously taking different paths and making decisions?"
"Correct." Blue said proudly. "After you make a decision this reality fuses with the one that arose from you choosing a path. But the essence of all realities comes from this one we are currently at."
"But which reality is true and which one is not? I mean, who even chooses this?"
"Fate." Blue simply replied. "The union you share with Regina is so unique that no other people in the world has had it, has it or will have it until the end of time. Because of this, the two of you are considered Fate's time-scale."
"Time-scale?" the blonde asked even more confused than before.
"The original reality that Fate wanted you to have was one where Regina and you obtain your happy ending. Some realities do not have you two sharing truest love, which was something that Fate found primordial you two have in order to face the Dark One or any other enemy that wanted to abuse of their power to mess with destiny."
"So in these other realities it is possible that Regina and I are happy without the other as our truest love?"
"Yes." Blue replied honestly. "But there is no bigger happiness than finding your truest love. The bond and magic is so powerful that you two were capable of creating life. That kind of power is not something to take lightly."
"And that's why Fate is so invested in keeping Regina and I together?" Emma scoffed angrily.
"Yes and no again. The interest Fate has in your family is rooted in the power you all have and the complexities of your souls, that is indeed true. But at the same time Fate needs you three because you balance the time-space of all realities. Each one of you has a role to play, even your unborn child."
"We all know that Henry will be powerful." Emma whispered, scared for her child.
"He is the most powerful one of all. He even made this reality possible." Blue smiled warmly.
"How is that even possible? I thought you said only choices could change a reality."
"And Henry mad a choice in another reality that send us all back to the original reality, this reality. He sacrificed himself so that Regina and you could have the opportunity at living your truest and happiest reality."
Emma started crying because of the love her child was showing the two of them. The bravery and selfishness he must have in order to give his own life for them. What about Regina and her, what were they doing?
"If there is one thing I know is that Regina and I, no matter what reality, would have never allowed him to make such a sacrifice."
"And you are correct. Regina was dying and you had no magic to save her. Henry was the only one capable of making things right and he did so by resetting all realities into this one."
Emma turned around to face away from the fairy that was confusing her even more with all the things she had just said. Everything she had just heard just made her feel more thankful for having Regina and Henry with her. Yet she experienced the sadness and helplessness of knowing that her mother was capable of loving her and that somewhere she was being the mother she had always wanted to have.
"Why are you telling me all of this now? And why only me and not Regina?" she whispered. "I will not keep this from her, I can't do that."
"And no one is asking you to." Blue replied. "In all honesty dear Emma, I am just doing what Fate told me to do. Fate told me to trust them and to tell you all of this."
"There is something else, isn't it?" Emma asked suspiciously. "And it has to do with Regina and Henry or you wouldn't have told me all of this now."
"Regina and you will have to make a decision. I don't know when or what decision. But when making this decision Fate told me to ask you to remember this conversation we just had. To remind Regina of this and give her the hope she will need." Blue smiled sadly at Emma and disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke.
"Wait, Blue!" Emma screamed while again using her magic to call for Blue. Nevertheless, this time there was no answer and she knew that she had to go soon if she wanted to reach the White Castle in time. "We will talk about this when I come back." she vowed and left the room.
(End of Flashback)
"Our magic has made Henry a powerful baby." she said tersely. "One that will play a huge part in our lives that may come sooner than expected." she whispered but her father still caught it.
"What are you talking about Emma?"
"Henry is going to be born in 3 months." she confessed to her father. "And once that happens then everyone will know about him and his powers."
"That's not everything Blue told you, is it?" he asked his daughter because despite everything he knew her and he was able to tell that something was bothering her deeply.
"There may be a time where Regina and I will have to make a decision that will affect us all, one that is not related to this war with Snow and Cora." she whispered while looking around.
Charming looked at her with surprise. "But I thought we were only in danger of Snow and Cora. That once we united the both kingdoms then we would have peace."
"That's what I thought too." Emma said dejectedly. "Now let's tell these men to set up camp here. We are near the walls of the White Castle, which makes this location a good one for Regina to land with our army."
At the Dark Kingdom
Regina was quickly passing around the throne room. Her scouts had not made it back from their usual route and she was concerned about their safety. They were a rouse because Emma and her were capable of mentally communicating with each other, often sharing their location and thoughts. Nevertheless, she had to pretend she was actively seeking out Emma, make her sorrow and desperation believable enough for her kingdom and her mother. Red had questioned her decision to have scouts follow Emma and Charming because she had allowed Emma to willingly leave. Nevertheless, she had argued that her mother knew her well from her time as the Evil Queen, and that losing her True Love would revert her back to her old ways, which included finding Emma and taking her no matter what. In order to do that she needed to know where she was and hence the scouts. But now it had been one day of not hearing from them and she worried that they had just given their lives for information not needed.
"You need to relax." she heard a scolding voice and saw Red walking towards her. "You do know that what you did was the right thing, right?"
"I just feel horrible about these men losing their lives for information we did not need." she answered softly. "I know exactly where Emma is, in fact I have been speaking to her for the last 5 days." she huffed.
"Has she felt your nervousness?"
"I think she assumes it comes from me worrying about her and our plan, which is part of the truth."
"Why not tell her about this." she pointed at Regina's growing stomach. "The Blue Fairy told us that the baby's growth is faster than what she had initially suspected. Instead of you being a month, as was her initial suspicion, you are now 6 and a half months pregnant!" she exclaimed and closed her mouth. "I think some people are suspicious." she whispered.
"What do you mean?" Regina replied while placing a protective hand in her stomach. The action did not go unseen by Red.
"They are wondering where their Queen is and if she gave up in getting her True Love. You are their only hope Regina, so if they think you have given up then they will also give up."
"I know that." Regina replied tersely. "But no one can know that I am pregnant. As long as Snow, Cora and the Dark One are out there Henry's existence is in danger."
"I know that too." Red said without backing away. "But Emma must be near the border of the White Kingdom and we still have to order our troops to prepare. Regina, I know you want more time but that is something we don't have. You need to address your people and tell them to move forward. And don't try to give me an excuse that involves your mother's spies because we have eliminated them and prevented anyone else from entering the Dark Forest."
"I need Emma." Regina confessed while looking down. "I cannot do this alone."
"And you are not alone." Red smiled softly at her. "You have loyal knights and soldiers willing to die for you. And I promised Emma that I would protect you and your child for as long as I breathe. I don't plan to back-up from this promise."
Regina took a deep breath and nodded in acceptance. "No sign of Blue yet?
"No. No one has seen her since Emma left the Dark Kingdom. Should we be worried about her?"
"I do not think so." Regina replied carefully. "I may not like the fairy, but one clear thing is that she cares about Emma and her unborn child. She will not do anything that could endanger the child and by extension me and the whole rebellion."
"Then why do you know her?"
"To magically transport an army is no easy deed werewolf." Regina joked. The two brunettes had gotten closer during their time together and both liked to mess around with one another. "So the aid of all magical beings would be appreciated."
"Gotcha." Red winked at the older woman who huffed in fake annoyance. "But now that you're more calm, explain to me why you're keeping the news Blue gave you before she disappeared a secret from Emma."
"I am not keeping them a secret because I intend to tell her the moment I see her." Regina replied tersely. "But I cannot endanger Emma's safety by giving her troublesome news. What she needs right now is to keep her feelings and emotions balanced. If I were to tell her that in 5 days I have gone from being 1 month pregnant to 6.5 months pregnant then she will do her damndest to come back to us. And we both know how careless Emma can be when she desires to do things quickly."
Red nodded in agreement. What Regina was saying did make sense, especially since she knew that Emma would react just as the witch suspected and would try to either face Cora, Snow and the Dark One alone or would try to acquire the Dark Curse by herself. All of these scenarios were not good for them and would prevent them from acquiring the positions inside the White Kingdom that they needed to support the rebellion and keep it moving after capturing Snow White. Regina was a realist and she understood that there would be some people, the members of Snow's court, that would try to stop them from acquiring internal control of the White Kingdom. Because of that they decided to swiftly enter the kingdom and take these men out of their positions so there would be no objections once she declared Emma and herself Queens. If there was one thing that Regina had to thank her mother was her education and all the lessons she took about politics, war planning and strategy because they were now being used to their full extent.
"The army of Abigail and Frederick, have they arrived?" Regina asked the werewolf who was quietly contemplating things.
"Yesterday afternoon. Abigail and Frederick are waiting to meet with you so they can be briefed about our plan."
"We need to wait for Emma to send me an image of the place she chose. After that the rest can be done by the end of the day."
"Then tomorrow morning we will wait outside the White Kingdom?"
"Indeed." Regina said while standing beside a wall and taking her clothes off. "Tomorrow we will go to war with the White Kingdom and I must address my people."
"You're not using your magic, right?" Red softly reminded her.
"It is difficult to not use it because I have gotten used to it. But I know that Henry needs it more so as you can see everything I do is with my hands."
"Remember Regina, you are meant to lead us to the battle, not fight it alongside us." she told the Queen who avoided her gaze. "You promised Emma to keep Henry and yourself safe. Fighting, especially now that you are vulnerable, isn't the way to do it."
"I know!" Regina snapped. "But I am not used to other people defending me or fighting for me out of their own free will."
"Then get used to it because that's what will happen tomorrow. Besides, Blue already warned you about the possible consequences of what could occur to Henry if you use your magic.
(Flashback to 5 Days Ago)
"Your Majesty." Regina heard Red say while bowing in front of her. "I found the Blue Fairy outside your door. She wants to have an audience with you."
"Send her in." Regina said sadly while sitting down on her throne. She had just seen the love of her life leave her and she was in no mood to be polite to the bug.
"Your Majesty." Blue said while approaching her. "I need to talk to you."
"I am not in the mood." the brunette replied angrily. "For any kind of speech or idea that you may have. I know it is not real but it feels real. It feels as if Emma did abandon me."
"But she has not. You have a part of her living inside of you, keeping you company and safe. You have your son." Blue smiled softly.
"I have my son." Regina remembered and caressed her stomach while looking at the fairy. "And how do you know it is a boy?"
"That is why I came to talk to you your Majesty. My earlier calculations about your delivery date were mistaken because you are right now approximately 2 months old."
"But that is impossible, I just found out yesterday that I was pregnant."
"This magic is unknown to me because Emma and you are the only case of Truest Love in existence. Because of that I cannot know what to expect from the product of your union." the fairy argued. "But I can feel it around you as I am sure you do and you can probably also notice that it is a clear mixture between Emma and your magic."
"I am aware that our child possesses magic." Regina whispered to the fairy. "I can feel his magic inside of me just as I can feel Emma's."
"Because the three of you share a bound of Truest Love. And as you must be aware, the magic of your child is powerful if it is already manifesting itself." Blue reminded her. "Which brings us back to me asking for this audience. I came to warn you about using your magic your Majesty."
"My magic will harm my child because it is Dark magic, correct?" she said sadly.
"We both know that magic is not good or bad, but yes, because you learned magic from the Dark One it is rooted in darkness. Nevertheless, although the magic may be dark that does not make you be evil. And also, your child is as much a part of Emma as a part of you, which means that he already has both, Light and Dark magic inside of him. Hence, your magic cannot hurt him your Majesty." the fairy appeased the woman who immediately relaxed after hearing this.
"Then why are you telling me to be careful with my magic."
"Your baby feeds of your magic, it is what allows his own magic to grow. Were his source of magic to end, in this case by you using your magic as well, then that could endanger his life."
Regina looked up from her belly and saw that the Blue Fairy was not lying to her. She was going to do anything she could to protect her child, even not use magic. She nodded her confirmation to the fairy who smiled in relief.
"There is another thing that I must tell you before I leave you." Blue said while approaching Regina who felt uncomfortable at the suddenness of the fairy's move. "It is primordial that you keep this child safe. He is powerful and many will want to either hurt or control him in order to move their own agendas. Do not allow this to happen and be ready to do whatever it takes to ensure his happiness." she said while smiling sadly at the Queen.
"Why do I feel that what you just advised me is a concealed warning? Do you know if my son's life is in danger? Answer me!"
"Your son's life was in danger the moment he was conceived. How long do you think it will take the Dark One, Cora or even Snow White herself to learn about his powers? We both know that power blinds people, it makes them become shadows of who they were and capable of doing unspeakable things. Your son will be seen as a pawn and not a person and you know this just as well as I do. Isn't that why you have been hiding in this room? To prevent people from seeing you are with child?"
Regina was going to use her magic to force an honest answer from the fairy but stopped herself from doing so when she remembered her promise to not hurt her child. Although there was some truth in what the Blue Fairy had just said she knew that there was something else the fairy was not telling her. And it bugged her to not know, to be left in the dark when it came to something so important as the safety of her unborn child was.
"You will get your answers soon your Majesty." Blue promised her. "Just remember what I told you and keep your child safe no matter what."
(End of Flashback)
"I am aware of that." Regina replied tersely while coming out from behind the wall in a regal dress that unlike her many others did not hung too close to her body. "I am experiencing enough worry and concern without you reminding me of my fears."
"I'm sorry." Red apologized because she realized she crossed a line. "I'm just worried about you and little Henry."
"And I thank you for that." the older brunette relaxed. "But trust me to place my child's safety before my pride." Regina started to move towards the door but then stopped herself.
"Emma!" she said loudly so that Red could be aware of what she was doing. "Thank the gods you are alright."
"I'm sorry for not answering you earlier but we were riding towards the White Kingdom. I think I found the perfect hidden place for our army. Secluded but still close enough to the gates of the White Castle." she heard the blonde's voice inside her head.
"I can see what you mean." Regina said while watching what Emma was seeing. "It is indeed a good place for our army to lay low." she then turned around and gave Red a look that demanded privacy. "I have missed you." she whispered.
"Probably not as much as I have." Emma vowed. "I wish for all of this to be over so that I can come home to you and Henry."
"We want the same thing." Regina promised but her thoughts about Henry's growth betrayed her and she knew that Emma noticed her hesitation.
"I didn't ask you about this because I thought you were going to tell me the moment you were ready." Emma started. "But I can feel something is troubling you each time you think of Henry. Please don't tell there is something wrong with him." the blonde whispered with fear.
"No Emma, nothing is wrong!" Regina promised because it was true, Henry was growing stronger with each passing day.
"Then why are you feeling all of these things?" Emma asked again. "Please help me understand."
"Our child is very powerful Emma." Regina started to say. "The Blue Fairy told me that he is already showing signs of magic."
"Blue talked to you?" Emma asked carefully.
"She talked to me after you left for the White Kingdom. Was she not supposed to?"
"Of course not." Emma said. "It's just that she also talked to me the day I left for the White Kingdom. And it was about Henry as well."
"What did she tell you?" Regina asked immediately disliking that the Blue Fairy had gone behind their backs.
"That Henry was going to be a powerful person and that made him be at danger from people who wanted to use his power."
"She told me the same thing." Regina added mostly to herself. "Along with a warning."
"What kind of warning?"
"She told me that as long as the Dark One, Cora and your mother are alive then Henry's live would be at stake."
"And she's not wrong. You have first-handedly seen the level of deceit and manipulation the Dark One, Cora and my mother are capable of going through if it makes them acquire more power in return."
"I know." Regina agreed with her fiancé. "And I can imagine the dilemma this makes you face my dear."
"There is no dilemma." Emma exhaled sadly. "My family will always come first, a family formed by you, Henry, Red, Granny and my dad. If their safety comes at the price of not saving my mother then that's a price I'm willing to pay."
"Killing." Regina said firmly. "We are talking about killing our own mothers." she added desperately. "And yet I can see myself doing so if it secured your safety."
"We both know our mothers have done us no favors." Emma whispered dejectedly. "And I know I promised my father to do my best to try and save Snow from the darkness but now I believe that this path she chose is not one that comes from being influenced by Cora."
"I do not understand." Regina said.
"That the darkness my mother chose was perhaps started by Cora. But everything she did afterwards she did so in order to maintain her new-found power. You see, Snow became dark because she, as every other human being in this realm, had the capability of being good or evil. And sadly she chose the wrong side."
"So you honestly think that Snow White is not being manipulated by my mother but she is enjoying the darkness my mother helped her discover?" Regina asked.
"I believe your mother thinks she is manipulating Snow." Emma said and prevented the older brunette from asking for a clarification. "While the reality is that the two of them are manipulating each other. Snow is getting your mother to do all her dirty work and in return your mother is going behind her back with the Dark One."
"So they are both playing the other." Regina realized. "We could use this to our advantage." she exclaimed.
"Thought so too." Emma smiled softly. "I think it just took me to remember that we are all capable of good or evil to realize that my mother was not under a curse or mysterious magic. And I believe my father is just hopelessly waiting for the final drop to not fall. I know he sees it too and yet he can't stop convincing himself that his wife will return to the way she was."
"I can understand your father." Regina whispered. "But now I cannot place your or Henry's safety before my desire of having a loving mother. I cannot be that naive."
"We cannot be that naive." Emma reiterated. "Which means that you have to stop hiding in your room and you have to go rally our troops. Remember, rally is not the same as joining them in the fight."
"I know dear." Regina muttered. "I was just on my way to address them before you contacted me. I will admit I was hesitant about facing them because you are not here. But you are right, we need to end this now."
"Good." Emma said firmly. "Because we will enter the White Kingdom tonight, which means that I will not be able to contact you until the attack."
"And not even then if it is possible. Remember, you can only call for me if by the time the honk horns you still have not found the Dark Curse." Regina reminded the blonde.
"Understood." Emma reiterated.
"Emma..." Regina said before the blonde closed the connection. "Do not leave me." she begged and knew Emma understood what she was asking her. Don't die.
"I promise you Regina, I will never leave you or Henry. In fact..." Emma smiled happily to herself. "I will always find you."