Disclaimer: I own none of the characters as that honor and right goes to ABC, Adam and Eddie. With the exception of Maggie who is an original character.

WARNING: This chapter contains some tense moments involving controversial situations. If you think that will bother you please stop reading now.

Note: This chapter is about moving several of the characters to a point where they need to be going into the battle to save Red. By virtue of that a lot of things happen and there is a lot of talking and only limited action, but it was necessary to setup the upcoming battle. A question to ask going into the next chapter is can a person be held responsible for horrors they committed while in the throws of dark magic? Can a person ever be forgiven when they've committed unspeakable horrors? Would you be able to give a person a second chance if the destroyed your life? To what lengths would a person go to redeem themselves in the eyes of those they wronged?Emma isn't done being faced with difficult decisions. Can she ever fully reconnect with her family and repair the familial bonds that have been strained by her deceptions? Is love strong enough to overcome anything? If you want me to continue please leave a review and I will try and get the next chapter ready to go up as soon as I can. Remember the more reviews the more encouraged I am to get the next chapter ready.

CHAPTER 29: RED BLOODED REDEMPTION OF A DARK SOUL

Emma was standing at the edge of the living room as she watched Whale valiantly fight to save Maggie's life. Behind her the room had been cleared with the exception of her parents, August, and Jacob. Regina and Daniel had been put in the custody of Frederick, Thomas, and Jefferson. Cinderella along with Abigail and Granny were left to drag the reluctant Henry upstairs. Even with her back turned Emma knew her son was putting up a fight, but she agreed with the others that this conversation was best left to the adults. Once it seemed like everyone had settled Emma took a deep breath and turned around.

"It's time to fill in some of the blanks of the past week," James told his daughter.

"Yeah, like how the hell you're alive," August stated with a bitterness that Emma knew she deserved. "We buried you Emma. We mourned you. So please tell us why you'd put the people that love you through that."

"Let her talk," Jacob advised his son.

Emma looked from person to person before she began.

"For all intents and purposes I was dead," Emma began her explanation. "The fact I'm standing here is both pure dumb luck and the worse thing to ever happen."

"Come again," August asked with a confused look on his face.

Without realizing what she was doing Emma's hand had settled on her stomach.

"There are multiple realms, but only one timeline," Emma replied. "The very structure of our world dictates that only one timeline can exist for the realms to sit along. It's what allows easy and safe travel between the realms."

"It came to our attention that a fracture has caused an instability to the timeline," Bae added. "That fracture has caused an alternate future to override the one that was meant to be. Initially I thought it was an event in Emma's past that caused the fracture and with a little interference we thought we had it fixed."

"Timeline fracture? Alternate future? Do you realize how insanely ridiculous this sounds," August questioned them.

"You have no idea," Emma replied with a heavy sigh. "The short of it all is we figured out the fracture event and it wasn't what we had originally anticipated."

"What was it," Snow asked.

"I can't…I can't tell you…" Emma replied and she diverted her eyes to avoid having to see the looks she was sure she was receiving.

"What do you mean you can't tell us," August snapped angrily. "Our entire world is being turned upside down and here you are still keeping things from us."

"Oh you're one to talk," Emma snapped back with an equal amount of anger. "You are the king of keeping secrets, so don't go there…"

"Stop," Snow yelled. "This internal bickering is only serving to divide us while Rupelstiltskin is out there doing gods knows what to Red. So save the anger for after we've rescued her."

Snow walked over to Emma and looked at her daughter with a stern motherly look.

"You're allowed your secrets," Snow told Emma. "However, when those secrets start to affect the lives of those around you it is your obligation to tell us what the hell is going on."

Bae had been standing by silently, but he could tell Emma was being backed into a corner.

"If I may," Bae spoke up. "It's not that she doesn't want to tell you. It's just that the magnitude of the situation we now find ourselves in is grave and ever changing. The fracture event has already occurred and it almost destroyed all of you once."

"For gods sake," August snapped. "Stop with the cryptic bullshit and just come out with it."

"August, control yourself," Jacob scolded his son.

"None of this is helping," Snow snapped.

"We need to know the truth," James countered.

Everyone was talking over one another and Emma couldn't handle it.

"I was supposed to die," Emma yelled over them. Suddenly the room went quiet again and all eyes turned to Emma.

"What do you mean you were supposed to die," Snow questioned.

"I was meant to die, I mean really die, from that gunshot wound," Emma replied. "As in go away and never come back. I was never meant to survive and Maggie was never meant to be born. The sad irony is the timeline would have been able to compensate for me, but Maggie..."

"The timeline couldn't compensate for her," Bae added.

"Maggie's birth is the fracture event," Emma revealed. "I was always meant to be pregnant with her. I just wasn't meant to actually live long enough to give her life."

"You're trying to tell us that Maggie is the cause of all the darkness destined for our future," August questioned. "Then why send her back after Red?"

"There was a moment…" Emma stated then hesitated. She glanced over the shoulder at Maggie and took a deep breath before looking at the others again. "Maggie begged me to let the world go on without us. She said it'd be better for everyone. To be honest I knew then and know now that she was without a doubt right. All of you would have been better off without us. But I couldn't…"

"You couldn't what," Snow questioned.

"If it had just been my life that had caused the fracture I would have not come back, but it wasn't. From the moment I met Maggie and learned who she was it wasn't about me anymore. I couldn't strip her of her chance at life. I had to try and find a way to let Maggie live without the world being thrown into turmoil."

"So you thought it was a good idea to send her here and move up the timeline of chaos," August questioned bitterly.

"What the hell is your problem, August," Emma snapped angrily. "Maggie is your daughter too! I'd think you would be a little more understanding of the fact that I'm trying my damndest to save her life!"

"Is she my daughter," August snapped back and strode over to Emma. "You've obviously taken it upon yourself to make all the decisions concerning her! From where I'm sitting you've turned me into a glorified sperm donor!"

"Who the hell are you," Emma questioned. "Because you're not the same man who traveled time and realms to find me. That man fought his way back into my heart and I loved him for that. Whomever you are you're not him."

"Yeah well watching your one true love die in your arms and burying her can change a man. Oh yeah, never mind, it was all just a show, so I'm supposed to just be okay with what you did," August replied sarcastically.

"No, August, you're not supposed to be okay with any of this. You're even allowed to hate me for what I did. What I can't wrap my head around is why you seem so pissed off over my efforts to save Maggie," Emma replied.

James opened his mouth to stop them, but Snow put her hand out and urged him to not interfere. They exchanged looks and the look in Snow's eyes told him that whatever was going on between Emma and August needed to be allowed to play out.

"I've known Maggie for all of a day," August stated. "I've known you for almost your entire life. We have a son together. If it comes down to you, Henry, and the salvation of all those innocent lives destined to be lost then I'd be willing to live in a world without Maggie."

"I did not just hear that," Emma replied in a shocked tone. "So, what, you want me to abort the pregnancy? You want to sacrifice your own daughter?!"

"No, Emma, I don't want to! But I also don't want to know that the world was thrown into complete chaos because we couldn't make the right decision!"

Emma reached around under her jacket and pulled her gun. She clicked off the safety and slammed it into August' hands. She held his hands and positioned the gun towards her stomach and walked into it. Emma looked into his eyes with a fire that he'd never seen before.

"Then do it! Pull the trigger! Because the only way this pregnancy is being aborted is if you kill me too! So come on August! Be all responsible and do it! Pull the goddamn trigger!" Emma demanded in an even and controlled tone that was even terrifying to those watching the moment unfold.

"Emma…" August spoke her name in a soft yet firm tone.

"No! Don't Emma me! You think it's so easy to make life and death decisions then make one! Pull the goddamn trigger! Pull it!"

August tried to pull away, but Emma had a firm hold on his hands around the gun.

"Emma…please…don't ask me to do this," August begged as his tone changed from angry to scared.

"Do you think I wanted this burden? Do you think I wanted to have to make a choice between my daughter and all the other people I love? Because I sure as hell didn't ask for any of this, but unlike you I can't just write Maggie off without a fight," Emma declared. "If you want to make decisions about our daughter then here's your chance. Pull the trigger and save the goddamn world or choose to fight for her and help me save the future for our children!"

"I can't," August screamed back and tried to pull his hands free again, but Emma wouldn't let him go.

August looked Emma in the eyes and he saw her fear. As he held the gun he began to understand the decision she had to make and it terrified him to think of losing her. Even more, no matter what words came out of his mouth in the heat of the moment, Maggie had started to wiggle her way into his heart. He glanced over Emma's shoulder and saw Maggie on the table fighting for her life and when his first thought was that he hoped she would survive he realized the decision had already been made. He yanked his hands free from Emma and clicked the safety back on the gun. He turned the gun and handed it back to her handle first.

"How do we fix the timeline and save our daughter," August asked as Emma took the gun back and slid it into it holster.

Emma was doing her best to hide her shaky hands as the adrenaline of the moment washed through her. She hadn't planned to go that route, but in the heat of the moment it just happened before she could stop the cascade of emotions.

"Everything that needs to be done is in play," Emma replied. "Now all we can do is wait and pray Maggie pulls through. We can't move forward without her."

"What's already in play," Snow inquired.

Emma hesitated to reply.

"They need to know," Bae stated when he saw the uncertainty on Emma's face.

"With Rumpelstiltskins help we created a potion to block the effects of the Blood Moon. As you know Bae forced that into Maggie when she was affected. A betrayal by Rumpelstiltskin wasn't entirely unexpected, so as far as he was concerned at the time he acquired Red the potion was still in play," Emma explained. "What he isn't aware of is that the potion was flowing strong in Maggie's blood when she met Red in battle. This is going to sound horrible…"

Emma hesitated and glanced over her shoulder at Maggie again. "I'm sorry kid," Emma whispered.

She looked back at the others.

"When Regina set Red loose in the square and Bae sent Grumpy to warn all of you I knew Maggie would go. I knew she and Red would fight and I knew Maggie would still be weak from her struggle with the Blood Moon," Emma stated.

"You expected her to lose," Jacob realized.

"That's why I was there with Bae," Emma confirmed. "At full strength she could take Red down without hesitation…"

"Don't count on that," Snow interrupted.

"She is the strongest and most powerful being on the planet, but she doesn't embrace her power and therefore there is a lot of untapped potential in her. Until she learns to embrace her power she will always have vulnerabilities in a fight," Bae explained.

"We were counting on her not being able to pull out a win against Red," Emma stated. "We knew there was no way to get the potion into Red, so we put it into Maggie with the expectation that when they met in battle Maggie would be injured and Red would drink of her blood. In a high enough quantity the potion in Maggie's blood should have seeped into Red's blood stream."

"I gave her a particularly concentrated dose to build up a strong flow in her blood," Bae explained. "Unfortunately it caused an extreme immune response from her body. That's why her fever got so high before her body could compensate."

"What we hadn't been able to predict was Henry showing up and trying to redeem Regina. I had planned on using Daniel to redeem her to avoid putting Henry in a position where he was at risk. When he showed up Maggie was hurt, but nothing that her body couldn't heal," Emma stated.

"Unfortunately by that point the potion was already working its way through Red's body," Bae added.

"That's why she became unresponsive to Regina," Snow deduced.

"Given a little more time I believe Red would have been able to regain control," Emma replied. "I hesitated to take the shot and by the time I realized Red wasn't going to be able to stop her wolf Maggie was already on the move. By that time I didn't have a clear shot until Red already had Maggie by the throat."

"If I'm hearing this right, are you trying to tell us Red may be in Rumpelstiltskins custody hurt and free of her wolf," Jacob questioned anxiously.

"No maybe about it," Emma replied. "She was already fighting the Blood Moon before she got another rush of Maggie's blood. Wherever she is she's got my bullet in her and she's very human."

"She can heal from a bullet," Snow replied.

"No, she can't," Emma stated. "I traded my regular bullets for silver tips just in case I had to drop her. She won't heal from that bullet until it's removed and the longer it stays in…"

"It could kill her," Jacob finished.

"My father will find a way to keep her alive," Bae reassured them. "He may be a backstabbing bastard, but he is power hungry and as long as he sees Red as a potential weapon he'll keep her alive. We have a little time to work with, but not much."

"Then what do we do," James inquired.

"We gather together a recon group and try and find where in the hell he is holding Red. Then the moment Maggie is healed enough we go get her back," Emma replied.

"If she heals," August reminded.

"She will," Bae reassured him. "She's a fighter."

"I suppose there is still more you're not telling us," Snow wondered.

"There is," Emma confirmed. "I wish I could tell you everything, but we just don't have the time."

"I'll get the group back together and we can formulate a strategy to search the town for Red and Rumpelstiltskin," James stated. "The rest of you just focus on getting Maggie battle ready because as soon as we find Red I want to get her back."

"I'm coming along too," Jacob declared. "I can't just sit around here doing nothing while Red is out their fighting for her life."

"Understandable. Snow and Emma I'll leave you both here with Whale and Henry to look over Maggie. August and Bae I'm going to need you to help in the search for Red," James ordered.

"What about Regina and Daniel," Emma inquired. "I gave him my word that no harm would come to Regina."

"I'm not trusting Regina," James declared. "We can lock her up in the basement."

"No," Emma replied reluctantly. "I can't say I trust her, but she's got a bigger role to play in things going forward. We can't afford to alienate her from the group. Leave her and Daniel with us and I'll keep an eye on her."

"I don't like that, Emma," James cautioned. "She's not to be trusted."

"The Evil Queen, yes, but Regina used to have a good heart. I watched her throw herself between a charging wolf and Henry without any thought for her own safety. I have to believe that the good noble kind woman Daniel speaks of is still in there somewhere. You have to trust me on this," Emma begged her father.

James hesitated for a moment and finally nodded his head.

"Fine, I'll leave them with you, but you keep your gun at the ready at all times," James ordered.

"I will," Emma agreed.

"You okay with this," James asked Snow.

"I have to be," Snow replied as she noticed the look of conviction in Emma's eyes. "If Emma has faith then I trust her judgment."

While James spoke with the others Emma walked over to the dining room to watch Whale replace the bandage over Emma's neck. When he pulled the old one away her breath caught at the still bloody mess it had been covering.

"She's fighting," August stated in a soft tone as he walked up behind Emma.

Emma didn't say anything to him. A part of her was still hurt and angry that his first instinct had been to sacrifice Maggie.

"I'm sorry," August sighed when his attempt to talk with her was met by silence. "Losing you…it was the worst thing I've ever been through in my life. Then to find out you were alive the whole time…"

"Neither of us is free of blame in all this," Emma finally replied. She kept her eyes on Maggie, but she respected August enough to at least acknowledge him.

"Where do we go from here," August asked when he realized how thick the tension was between them.

Emma turned and looked at August with a look of sadness and acceptance crossing her face.

"We never could get our timing right," Emma replied. "Something has always come between us. First it was fairy dust and fate then time and alternate realms now it's the fate of the world. I'd say maybe it's time we take a long hard look at the facts and realize that maybe we're being kept apart for a reason."

"Emma…please don't…" August begged her.

"I'm sorry, August. This isn't how I wanted things to go either," Emma replied.

"Then fight for us," August stated. "I know I didn't have the right reaction to Maggie, but that doesn't mean we throw away everything we have together."

"I've only got so much fight in me and all of that is going to saving the world and our daughter. This…us…it's not meant to be," Emma stated with a heavy sigh.

"Don't do this, Emma. Please, we're going to have a baby and we have Henry. We can make this work," August begged.

"Our kids will always have their father in their life, but we can't be. Our love has already caused enough problems. It's time we cut our losses and part ways," Emma declared while fighting to keep her emotions in check. Emma leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'll always love you…"

Emma turned her back and started to walk towards Maggie.

"I'm never going to stop fighting for you," August declared as he watched her walk away.

Emma paused for just a moment before continuing over to Maggie.

"How's she doing," Emma asked Whale as she tried to push her emotions back in check.

"The blood loss has severely dampened her ability to heal," Whale replied. "Your magic transfusions are helping, but I would expect a being of her magical strength to be healing considerably faster than this. Something simply isn't adding up."

"I'll give her another transfusion of magic," Emma replied. "Perhaps it'll at least help these more serious wounds mend."

"You're not hearing me, Emma," Whale replied. "Something is blocking her natural ability to heal. You can transfuse her as much as you want, but she's going to keep struggling unless we can figure out what is causing her inability to heal."

Emma looked down at Maggie and she reflected on the conversation she had just had with her parents. Her eyes grew wide as she came to a startling conclusion.

"Damn her," Emma exclaimed. She pulled her gun and dashed through the living room. She didn't give anyone a chance to ask questions as she ran up the stairs two at a time. She slammed the door open to the room where Regina and Daniel were being watched over. Emma disregarded Daniel's pleas as she shoved him to the side. She grabbed Regina and slammed her against the wall.

"What the hell are you doing," Regina questioned.

"You don't get to ask the questions! What the hell did you do to my daughter," Emma demanded as she easily flicked the safety off her gun and pressed it against Regina's neck.

"I have no idea…"

"Wrong answer," Emma growled as she pressed the gun tighter into Regina's neck. "The next words out of your mouth had better be the truth or be damned the promise I made Daniel. I promised I'd offer protection to Regina the good hearted woman he remembered, but if you start lying to me that voids my agreement. Now tell me what the hell you did to my daughter!"

James and everyone else were now looking on from the hallway.

"Please…Emma," Regina croaked around the pressure of the gun.

Emma pulled back on the pressure ever so slightly so Regina could talk.

"I didn't know who she was the night I took Red. All I knew is she was a wolf like Red," Regina replied. "She was just another thing getting in my way…"

"Cut to the chase," Emma demanded. "What did you do?!"

"I coated Red's fur with wolfsbane," Regina admitted. "The second Maggie locked her jaws onto Red it would have been consumed. I didn't know Emma…I'm sorry…you have to believe me…"

"Damnit Regina," Emma snapped angrily. "Why the hell didn't you tell us this earlier?!"

"She seemed to be healing with your magical transfusions," Regina replied. "I thought she would be able to compensate for it with your magic surging through her."

"Well she can't! She's downstairs still bleeding and fighting for her life because of what you did! If you had been honest she could already have been healed," Emma snapped.

"I'm sorry…what else do you want me to say," Regain asked. "I didn't know she was your daughter…Henry's sister…"

"You better pray to the gods that Whale has an antidote and Maggie heals properly!"

Emma slammed Regina against the wall one last time before letting her go. She turned to Daniel with a serious look on her face. "If Maggie dies from this our deal is void. In fact I'll probably be the one putting a bullet in her."

"Understood," Daniel replied with a look of disappointment shot in Regina's direction. "I'll make sure there is more transparent honesty going forward."

With that Emma stormed out of the room and ran back downstairs to tell Whale of the revelation.


Red was wounded, but she had managed to take down all the Dark Knights that had dared to enter the hall she was protecting. She would face any and all threats if it meant giving Snow the time she needed to reach the nursery. The wolf prepared for another fight as the sound of boots could be heard coming down the hall. It wasn't until the Evil Queen appeared that Red truly understood the magnitude of the situation she was in. Still she made a promise to Snow and she'd lay her life down to protect her if that's what needed to happen. Red barred her teeth and charged towards the Dark Knights protecting Regina. As she leapt into the air she felt the sting of an arrow pierce her fur and she fell to the ground just short of Regina. She immediately recognized the pain of silver and wolfsbane.

"Let's go," Regina ordered her Dark Knights as they made their way past the downed wolf. "Find me that baby!"

Red tried to get up, but her paws kept giving out from under her. As she collapsed to the ground, into the growing pool of blood, she knew she was out of the fight. Snow was on her own now and she could only pray to the gods that her friend reached her family before Regina found them.


James had led a group from the house to search the town for Red and Rumpelstiltskin. Regina and Daniel were on the couch while Snow sat on the other side of the room. They were all watching Whale work on Maggie.

"This is the last vile of antidote," Whale explained to Emma as he injected it into Maggie's IV. "I have no way of knowing how much she ingested, but so far I'm not seeing any progress in her healing. Once the antidote kicks the wolfsbane from her blood we should start to see immediate improvements in her healing and vitals."

"That's the fifth vile," Emma noted. "Shouldn't the first have done the job?"

"Ironically her body still has a rapid metabolism normally tied to her ability to heal. In this case it caused the poison to spread faster and is causing the antidote to be less effective," Whale explained. "It should be building up in her system now, so I'm hopeful that we'll see progress."

"We'd better," Emma replied. "We can't lose her…"

"I'm doing everything I can," Whale promised her.

"Keep me updated," Emma ordered the doctor. "I have some business to tend to."

As she walked through the living room she glared at Regina and motioned for her to stand. Reluctantly Regina did stand after a nudge from Daniel. Emma had intended to let Daniel fully bring Regina to their side, but they had simply run out of time and Emma accepted that she had to take an extreme measure.

"You and I need to have a little talk," Emma declared. "Outside."

Emma pointed towards the door and followed Regina out of the house and onto the porch. Once the door was shut and they were alone Regina didn't know what to expect.

"I'm trying my damndest to not kick your ass for what you've done," Emma stated. "Everything you've done since the day we met has been the actions of an evil vile monster. Yet when I brought Daniel back all he could talk about was this kind loving good hearted woman he loves. I'm trying so hard to believe that whatever darkness has consumed you has left some of that kind woman intact, but you're making it really hard for me to believe any of that woman is left. So, here's your chance to convince me there is something left inside you to fight for."

"Daniel has been gone a long time," Regina replied. "I can't say that the woman he remembers is even alive anymore."

"You're doing a crappy job of convincing me," Emma replied.

"You said you wanted me to be honest, well this is me respecting that request. I can't say with any certainty that there is any good left to redeem," Regina admitted. "I've done a lot of horrible things and I can acknowledge that, but to be honest I feel no remorse for my actions."

"After what Daniel told me I wanted to know more of your story," Emma stated. "I had Bae look through Henry's book and he recounted to me your story. The story of you and my mother…"

"Your mother is the one responsible for whom I became," Regina replied with an angry fire in her eyes as she remembered.

"No, she's not and the Regina who risked her own life to save an innocent child wouldn't think that," Emma declared.

"You don't know me," Regina snapped. "Your mother took everything from me!"

"In fact it was your mother who took everything from you," Emma countered. "The only part of the story that was confusing me was how someone who was so obviously pure of heart could turn so dark and vile. I think you would have been angry and upset, but the true Regina would have never sought vengeance on a child. It took some digging into your story to really understand what changed you into the Evil Queen."

"You already know what turned me into who I am," Regina replied.

"Yeah, I do, but it's not whom you've blamed all these years," Emma stated.

"What are you talking about," Regina questioned.

"I grew up being bounced from home to home," Emma replied. "I've seen the very worst humanity has to offer and lived through hells I would never wish on anyone. In that time I've also seen what abuse can do to a person. I have seen some of the purest of hearts turn dark in an effort to survive."

Regina didn't know what to say, so she remained silent. She didn't want to admit it, but what Emma was saying was hitting an emotion soft spot she didn't like to admit existed.

"There are things I purposely didn't tell my family," Emma continued. "Like how we could so easily destroy the Blood Moon by dispatching its creator and severing the blood link. I could have put a bullet in you in the square and ended all of this."

"Then why didn't you," Regina questioned. "Why hide that bit of information from the others?"

"Because most of them would have killed you without hesitation," Emma replied. "Not that I blame them. Yet no matter how much I want to do the deed myself I know killing you isn't the answer."

"It's the easy answer," Regina stated.

"Agreed," Emma replied. "But two wrongs don't make a right."

"What are you talking about," Regina wondered.

"Your mother was abusing you long before you ever met Daniel. I must admit that I admire the strength it took for you to not give into the darkness after all she inflicted on you," Emma stated.

"How…no one ever…" Regina stammered as Emma said things she never spoke of.

"Daniel loves you very much," Emma stated. "He was worried about you one night, so he followed you home. He saw…he saw things. After that he followed you home every night and watched over you. He knew he couldn't take her on, but he was always close by if you needed him."

"I never…I never knew…"

Emma saw tears begin to form in Regina's eyes and she knew she was starting to cut through some of the darkness.

"That night at the stable he wanted to whisk you away to free you from the pain she was inflicting on you," Emma revealed. "That man loves you with his entire being and I know you love him equally. So did your mother and she used that against you. His passing broke you and made you more vulnerable to her dark magic. She crushed his heart, but that wasn't the only magic she used that night."

"What? I was there. All the magic she used was on him," Regina replied with a quiver in her voice.

"The thing about memory is it serves to protect us by making us forget certain horrific traumas," Emma stated. "After she killed Daniel your guard was down and your heart was broken. You were at your most vulnerable, so she saw an opportunity and she took it. She reached her hand into your chest, but instead of ripping your heart out she used her powerful magic to fill it with the darkest of darkness. I believe you'll know the magic as the corruption."

Regina's hand shot up to her chest and flashes flickered before her as her brain tried to show her the truth to Emma's words.

"It must have been excruciating pain," Emma continued as she saw a break in Regina's normally cold eyes. "Yet the woman Daniel tells of is a fighter and stronger than she ever realized. I am betting a lot of lives on that fact. I believe that in the moment you realized you were no match for her and I think you were so strong that you were able to protect your purity from her. That's what made it impossible for her to control you as she had believed she would be able to. Somewhere deep inside you've got it locked away."

"No…" Regina replied with a quiver in her chin.

"That purity and love has been fighting to break free for years. Henry is so important to you because he found a way to reach through the darkness and pull some of that love out. Daniel was able to pull you to our side because the love you two shared was powerful enough to remind you what love felt like. Together they were able to pull that bound purity and goodness to the surface, but it's still firmly locked away," Emma declared. "I'm willing to help you fight the darkness, but you have to be ready to rejoin the side of good."

"Emma…" Regina called out with a quiver in her voice and tears trickling down her cheeks. "Help…"

Emma extended her hand to Regina.

"I'm right here," Emma replied in a reassuring tone. "You have to make the choice to fight."

Regina reached out but cried out in excruciating pain and collapsed to her knees. Emma fell to her knees at Regina's side. The sound of the scream drew Daniel and Snow to the porch.

"Regina," Daniel cried out.

He tried to run out of the house, but Emma threw up her hand and a magical barrier separated the two groups.

"What the hell is she doing," Daniel demanded of Snow.

"I have no idea," Snow replied as she felt the barrier Emma had thrown between them. "I didn't even know she could channel this much magic let alone control it."

Emma held her hand in front of Regina.

"Take my hand," Emma urged Regina. "The darkness feels you slipping away and it's trying to keep you in its control. You have to fight!"

"I…can't…" Regina gasped as she grabbed her chest as the pain intensified.

"Take my hand! We can do this together!" Emma wanted to just grab Regina's hand, but she knew for this to work the other woman had to want the help. "You can have everything you ever wanted in life, but you have to beat the darkness first! Come on Regina, fight!"

Regina's vision was going blurry as the pain kept growing in intensity. She could still make out Emma's hand, so she fought through the pain and grasped Emma's hand.

"Help," Regina begged.

"I've got you," Emma promised her. "Hang on, this is gonna be a helluva ride."

Emma took a deep breath and with her other hand she pressed it against Regina's chest. It took her a moment to find the right blast of magic, but she was able to press into Regina's chest.

"Keep breathing," Emma soothed her. "We have to undo this the exact way it was done."

It was weird and creepy for Emma, but she knew the role Regina had to play in coming events and they didn't have the luxury of letting the dark magic dissipate on its own. She closed her hand around Regina's heart as Regina struggled and tears streamed down her face freely as excruciating pain surged through her.

"Find the purity and love you locked away," Emma ordered her. "You must let it free of its binds as I pull the darkness from your heart."

Even through the pain Regina heard Emma and she searched her soul for the bound magic Emma believed existed. A part of her was surprised Emma was right while the other part of her felt relief. She grasped onto the magic as she felt a surge of Emma's magic blast into her heart. Blasts of colored light flashed before her eyes as she felt a weight lift. Emma removed her hand and Regina clung onto Emma's arm as all of those years of locked away emotions rushed through her. She began to sob and tears flowed freely as all the pain of her past actions hit her.

"I'm so sorry," Regina sobbed.

Emma held Regina and let the other woman vent the built up emotions. Emma held up a hand and released the barrier keeping Snow and Daniel back. Daniel ran forward and slid to a stop at Regina's side.

"What did you do to her," Daniel demanded.

"Undid the evil inflicted on her," Emma replied breathing heavily.

She slid away from Regina and let Daniel pull Regina into his arms. Emma stood and immediately realized the error in that action as the world closed in around her and everything went dark. Snow was barely able to catch Emma before she passed out. She eased her daughter to the ground.

"Damnit! Whale," Snow screamed. "Whale!"


"Red," Jacob screamed as he ran down the hall and saw Red on the ground in human form with an arrow sticking out of her.

"Wolfsbane…silver…" Red choked out.

"Hold on," Jacob begged her. He snapped the back of the arrow off and Red cringed in pain.

"Get it…out…" Red begged.

"This is going to hurt," Jacob said remorsefully. He pressed against the arrow and pushed it out of her as she cried out in pain.

He pulled off his shirt and wrapped it around her.

"I have to get you to Doc," Jacob stated as he lifted Red into his arms. Grumpy appeared in the hall with them.

"Dark Knights are coming this way," Grumpy warned them.

"We have to get her to Doc," Jacob stated. "She has to have the antidote before the curse hits or she may not survive the transition into the other realm."

"He was with Snow and James the last I saw of him," Grumpy replied.

"Then we have to get her to his workshop," Jacob ordered. "I know where he keeps the antidote."

"Snow," Red choked. "Find Snow…"

"She'd want us to protect you," Jacob replied as Grumpy led the way through the enemy infested castle.


Emma was unconscious on the couch as Whale checked her over. Bae paced the room with the others after Daniel found him and delivered Snow's request for him to return to the house. James kept August as they continued on their search of the city. Snow knew they needed Bae's insight into Emma's plan to determine what had happened. They all watched nervously as Whale scribbled down notes regarding Emma's vitals.

"She overtaxed her body," Whale stated as he looked up at the group. "Resting is the best thing for her now."

"So she and the baby are alright," Regina questioned.

"She's still pregnant. That's all I can tell you for sure," Whale replied.

Regina looked concerned and worried as she rubbed a hand over her still tingling chest.

"Why did she take such a risk," Regina wondered. "After all I've done why would she risk her own life for me?"

Daniel stood beside Regina and rubbed a hand along her back.

"She believed from the moment I finished telling her who you used to be that she could save you," Daniel confessed. "I didn't expect such extreme measures though."

"Regina has a vital role to play in what is to come," Bae explained. "Apparently Emma thought we didn't have time for Regina to beat the darkness on her own."

"Did you know about this," Snow questioned Bae.

"No," Bae replied. "I didn't even know her magic had progressed to this level. I had no idea she was capable of controlling the amount of magic it took to do that."

"I felt…I felt overwhelming safety when she connected with me," Regina revealed. "It was like light and warmth washing through me and this sense of peace."

"No, she couldn't have…" Bae's eyes grew curious at Regina's explanation.

"Couldn't have what," Snow questioned.

"Regina, when she reached your heart, tell me exactly what you felt," Bae demanded.

"Lots of pressure and pain at first. Then I felt her magic surge within me and this weight lifted. There was a bright blast of colors that flashed before me. Then just calm," Regina explained. "When she pulled her hand out…every emotion I've wanted to feel flooded through me."

"Damn you Emma," Bae exclaimed. "Why the hell didn't she tell me she could do that?"

"Do what," Snow demanded.

"Have you ever heard of the cleansing," Bae questioned.

"Everyone has heard of it, but it's just part of a story," Snow replied. "Every child knows the story of the valiant noble prince who was captured and had darkness forced into his heart by an evil sorcerer. He was made to do the bidding of the evil sorcerer until one day the gods named a pure hearted peasant girl as their servant. They blessed her with the purest magic in all the realms and her power was stronger than even that of the evil sorcerer who had cursed the prince. She was able to subdue him and used a magic known as the cleansing to purify his heart and drive the darkness from him. He was so smitten with her after his rescue that they went on to marry and lived happily ever after."

"It wasn't just a story," Bae declared. "Those events actually happened and I'm a bit surprised you seem oblivious to your blood connection to that story."

"What are you talking about," Snow inquired.

"The peasant girl was your great great great grandmother on your father's side," Bae revealed.

"Which means…," Snow questioned.

"It means it's no coincidence that of all the princes and princesses of our realm that you and James gave life to the savior. Purity runs as strong in your blood as valiant nobility runs in James' family line. My father may like to believe he made Emma the savior by using the true love potion in the curse, but in reality her destiny was written long before either you or James were born," Bae stated.

"Do you think she knows the true strength of the magic she possesses," Daniel inquired.

"I think she knows even more than she has told me," Bae replied. "She's carrying the fate of the entire world on her shoulders. I don't think she's trusted any one person with the entirety of her plan let alone what she is truly capable of."

"She knew," Snow stated. "Emma went out that door with a plan."

"I wish I had been here to see her use that power," Bae stated. "It must have been a sight to behold."

"She blocked us behind some sort of barrier," Daniel stated. "Whatever she was doing with Regina she didn't want any interruptions."

"What I'm curious about is how the hell she knew how to use that magic," Bae replied. "Magic of that caliber normally takes a lifetime of training to even contemplate controlling."

"She knew exactly what she was doing," Regina stated. "There wasn't even a moment of hesitation."

"What do we do now," Daniel wondered.

"We wait," Snow replied. "We can't do anything until the scouting patrols return with information on Red's whereabouts. Even then we can't do anything until Emma and Maggie are back in fighting form."

Regina was trying to hold herself together, but every horrible thing she'd done since that night in the stable was threatening to overwhelm her. She had to try and make amends for at least some of what she'd done.

"Snow," Regina spoke softly. "Can I have a moment of your time?"

Snow looked to the unconscious Emma then to Regina and gave a nod of her head.

"Let's go to the kitchen," Snow suggested.

The two women left the room and entered the kitchen where Snow went to work making two mugs of hot chocolate.

"I'm having a hard time believing everything you did was because of dark magic," Snow admitted. "I know it's entirely plausible, but I also know the tricks you've played in the past."

"I don't expect understanding or forgiveness," Regina replied. "I just…I want to tell you how incredibly sorry I am…"

"I've been the recipient of your false apologies and condolences before," Snow reminded her. "Emma seems to think you have a part to play in what is to come and she seems to think what she did could redeem you, but I'm not so sure."

"Neither am I," Regina admitted with a heavy sigh. "I've done a lot of horrible things, Snow. I should have been strong enough to repel the dark magic, but if I ever knew it was there I never tried to fight it. That makes me every bit as responsible for the Evil Queens actions as it does my mother for inflicting it on me."

Snow set a kettle on the burner to boil water. She leaned against the counter and looked over at Regina. She saw a pain in Regina's eyes she hadn't seen since she was a child and they had just met. She could remember wondering why a woman who seemed to have everything had so much pain in her eyes. Yet she found it hard to believe an evil like Regina could just be cleansed away.

"You can't blame everything on her," Snow stated. "Had she been controlling you the whole time then that would be different, but I was there when you had your own mother banished to the other realm. You long ago surpassed her power and control. At that point you surely had to know something was going on."

"I don't expect you to believe me," Regina replied. "All I knew was that the power I felt was seductive and overwhelming. I was consumed by vengeance for what happened to Daniel and you were simply an easier target than my mother. It wasn't right and my actions have no justification. I know saying I'm sorry will never be enough, but know that I feel unexplainable remorse for my actions and I will spend the rest of my life trying to make up for all the pain I've caused."

"I'm not sure life is long enough for you to make up for all you've done," Snow stated.

"Agreed," Regina replied. "All I can do is try and right as many wrongs as I can. Since it all started with you I just wanted to...I wanted you to know how sorry I am…"

Snow saw tears forming in Regina's eyes and it was startling for her to realize they were real tears and not the fake ones she had become accustom to from her. The kettle finished boiling and Snow prepared the two mugs while she could hear sniffles from behind her. Regina was obviously fighting against emotions she hadn't felt in a long time. Snow sprinkled some cinnamon into the mugs and handed one to Regina.

"Forgiveness won't come overnight," Snow stated. "When I look at you all I can see is the woman who ripped my family apart. Perhaps one day I'll be able to separate the monster from the victim, but that day isn't today. With that said, I have a lot of faith in my daughter and if she believed you could be redeemed I'm willing to at least entertain the idea that you may be a different person now. All I can say to you is actions speak a lot louder than words. You can tell people you're sorry, but it'll never mean anything until they can see your true remorse in your actions."

"Most people will never be able to grant me forgiveness…myself included," Regina replied as she sipped at the hot chocolate.

"Then perhaps you should start by granting yourself forgiveness and going from there," Snow suggested. "If you believe you are worthy of forgiveness then it'll be easier for you to make the hard choices that will prove that worthiness to others."

"You're a good person, Snow," Regina stated.

"I've made my fair amount of mistakes," Snow replied.

Snow watched Regina brush away some stray tears.

"I can't grant you forgiveness," Snow declared. "But what I can do is promise to give you a fair chance. Show me that Emma is right about you and I'll consider giving this version of you a clean slate, but I will always hate the Evil Queen."

"As will I," Regina agreed. "Thank you, Snow, I will do everything I can to prove to you I am not the same monster as the Evil Queen."

"I look forward to it," Snow replied.

The two women stood in the kitchen drinking hot chocolate until the front door flew open and James entered with August and Jacob. They entered the living room to find the men all sharing anxious looks.

"We found her," Jacob declared.

"She's not in good shape," James stated.

"Where is she," Snow inquired.

"He's holding her in that abandoned house on the edge of town. We left Thomas and Frederick out there with their units. They'll watch the house until we can formulate a rescue plan," James replied.

August went to Emma's side and took her hand in his.

"What happened to her," August asked Bae.

"She used to much magic cleansing Regina," Bae replied.

"She did what," Jacob inquired as he overheard Bae's response.

"Emma apparently had a few more cards to her hand than she felt she needed to share with any of us," Snow replied. "She'll be fine and Maggie's healing is progressing at a much faster pace now that the antidote has done its job. We just have to wait."

"I'm not sure how much time we have to wait around," Jacob stated.

"We couldn't see much, but what we did doesn't give me faith that Red can hold on much longer," James informed.

Regina was listening to the others talk and she saw an opportunity to start her path to redemption. She snuck away to the dining room and looked down at Maggie.

"I hope this works," Regina whispered.

She placed one hand on Maggie's neck and the other on her side. Regina closed her eyes and took a deep cleansing breath. She looked deep within her soul and connected with unfamiliar good white magic. A pulse of white light blasted from Regina's hands into Maggie. It took a couple beats before Maggie's eyes shot open and she inhaled a deep breath of air. Seeing Regina caused an immediate protective instinct to kick in. She leapt from the table and grabbed Regina by the throat. Maggie shoved Regina against the wall and her eyes flickered to that of the wolf.