"I wonder what a baby dreams about," Snow said as she puts her son, Neal, down for a nap.
Her husband David passed by. "Bullfighting."
Her adult daughter Emma also passed by while going to the kitchen, "Laser tag."
Snow sighed but quietly laughed at the humor they shared, taking a seat, looking exhausted.
"Neal will wake up at midnight for feeding. I better get some sleep."
"Emma and I will be leaving soon on patrol. You'll get quiet time."
Emma was in the kitchen fixing coffee next to Henry, who was packing a picnic basket. She peered over his shoulder.
"Whacha got going there kid? Is that a bottle of red wine? Box of chocolates?"
"It's for Mom."
"David and I can't drink while on patrol, thoughtful tho…"
"No. My OTHER Mom. I'm trying to cheer her up with this basket tonight. This isn't exactly the remedy I Googled for: How to get over a break-up when your boyfriend's wife time-travels from the past."
Emma gives Henry's shoulder a squeeze. "That is sweet, kid."
Just then Snow is startled by an aggressive tap on the window behind her on the couch. She turns and sees a crow. It caws. She opens the window to let it in and it hops in a bit, showing something attached to its leg. Snow reaches over and pulls a small parchment scroll. She opens it, then walks over to Henry. Everyone looks confused.
"It's for Henry. It's from your Mother."
Henry reads the note. His face falls and tears well up. "She doesn't want to see me."
Henry drops the note and walks out the front door.
--
Emma finds Henry at Granny's, sitting on the counter with a hot chocolate, extra cinnamon.
"Look kid, that isn't exactly what she said. I read the note. She needs space for just a little while, while she is dealing with things."
"She doesn't want to see me." Henry repeats.
"She is in a lot of pain over Robin Hood, and I'm sure this has brought up other painful memories in her past. She always has your best interest in mind, I know it."
"First she doesn't want to see you, now me…" Henry begins to look angry.
"The reasons she doesn't want to see me are different from her reasons for not seeing you. You said the other night you saw her sad. I bet she doesn't want you to see her like that. She wants to give you her best. Give her time."
"But someone needs to be there for her. She only has me."
Emma had no reply because it was kind of true. Emma would have counted herself as someone there for Regina, but in this case, she couldn't be, or rather, Regina wouldn't want her. Asking Henry to stay away was not for the same reason.
Emma ran her hand over Henry's head in comfort. "Trust me, she will come around soon. I promise."
"She's not making things better by isolating herself."
Emma had nothing to say to that. Her son was perceptive, and had a great heart. She hoped that as he grew older, he would not learn from herself or Regina to throw up walls and hurt those we love. She sat with him in silence and ordered a hot chocolate.
--
Emma texted David to go on patrol without her for a while. She was with Henry, so give her an hour.
They sat in silence for the hour. Emma reflected on what an amazing son she had. She felt as though she couldn't give genetics any credit to her son. Regina raised him so well. He was caring, considerate, and loving, and he understood what was best for others. That was certainly not a trait she could credit herself with. She was the gatekeeper of her heart, fended off getting hurt at any cost, and a runner. If it weren't for Henry, she would have split this town from the start.
Regina raised him right. And because of this, it was difficult to perceive her as evil. Even Henry believed her evil for a short while; but he was so young and didn't understand. Emma had recently faced Regina as the Evil Queen when she time traveled, but it only made her see more clearly how much Regina had changed. The love of Henry changed her. And there was something in that that drew Emma to Regina in a way that she had never been drawn to someone before.
The lights in the diner started to flicker. She hand Henry looked at each other curiously, then the lights just went out. They waited, expecting the lights to turn back on.
A customer cried out, "What happened, Ruby forgot to pay the bill?"
Granny came out from the kitchen, giving the heckler a stern look. She went to the window and looked outside. "Looks like the whole block is out."
Just then Emma's walkie-talkie sprang to life, hissing, "Emma?"
She took it from her holster and answered, "Here, David. What's up?"
"I think power for the whole town is out. I'm driving around in pitch black."
"Come and get me. Let's go check the main power lines."
Emma got up, threw money on the counter, and elbowed Henry. "Wanna come along? This can be Operation Nightshade."
"That's ok." Henry said. He didn't even look at Emma.
Emma tried to hug him, but he stiffened. So she let him be.
"There's extra money there if you want another coco, or something else."
She went to wait outside for David.
--
"How's Henry? Better?"
"No. We sat in silence for an hour. If it weren't for the power outage, we may have sat quiet forever! He didn't want to come along. I even gave it an 'operation' name, but he refused. He refused a hug. Ugh. That was painful."
"Sounds familiar."
"Oh, great, he is getting bad habits from me. Is that nature or nurture? Just one more thing for Regina to be upset at me for."
"It's not just you. Clearly he had two moms that put up walls."
Emma harrumphed. "It's not like him to pass-up an 'operation.' That makes me really worried."
"It's typical for his age to have extreme reactions. He will find his way back. You just have to be ready and persistent, and roll with it. Just like you have been persistently trying to talk to Regina. They may want to give up, but just keep trying. You can't let them down."
Emma smiled. She appreciated the dad's advice. She also liked that David validated her trying with Regina. It felt like everyone else but her and Henry didn't give a damn about her.
David and Emma drove down the main road out of town. David was the first to say something. "What the hell?"
Emma could see sparks coming from a down powerline, but the patrol car headlights were reflecting off of a wall structure blocking the road.
"Well, the main power line was knocked down. What the fuck is that?"
They jumped out of the patrol car to investigate. It is a wall of ice.
"Is winter here? Are we about to have a crossover?"
"What?" David looks at Emma curiously.
"Nevermind."
Emma approached the ice wall, touching some of the massive sharp icicles. When she did, she pulled back quickly.
"Too cold?" David asked.
"No. I could feel a strong magical signature. I mean it's obvious this was made by magic, and maybe by whoever made the Snow Monster. But that signature is strong, as if…" Emma looked around some of the other massive icicles, her senses guiding her to the source of the magic. Behind one of the icicles, she detected movement. She put her hand back to indicate to David to stay back.
He whispered, "Do you see something?"
Emma nodded. "Hello? Are you the one who made this wall? We are not looking to harm you. I hope you're not looking to harm us? We just need to talk. What do you want?"
A woman's voice echoed from behind the wall. "I want my sister."
Emma replied. "Ok. We are the Sheriffs of the town. We can do that. What is your sister's name? Maybe we know her."
She got no answer. Emma slowly walked towards the voice. She slipped behind the icicles that lead her to a passageway behind the ice. "Hello? Are you still there?"
Emma got no answer, but she kept moving forward, passing through the hole and into a small cave. At the other end was a beautiful blonde woman, about her height, dressed in a blue sparkling gown. Snow flakes were circling her like her own private snowfall, and the cold match her large, sad eyes. She reacted by holding up her hands and raising her, "Stay back!"
Emma held out her hands, "It's ok! I'm not armed, I'm not going to hurt you. Who are you? I've never seen you in town before. I'm Emma."
"Elsa. I'm looking for my sister. I found her necklace in that shop full of things. She has to be here!"
"Mr. Gold's? I'm not surprised. What is your sister's name?"
"Anna."
"I haven't run into an 'Anna,' but it doesn't mean she isn't in town. Like I said we can help you find her. Did you make this wall...and the Snow Monster?"
Elsa put her hands up defensively. "Yes, I have magic…"
"It's ok, I have magic too. Just not like this. Many people in Storybrooke have magic. Some good, some bad."
"I'm not bad. I just want my sister."
"I know, I know. I want to help you find her."
"EMMA! Where are you?" Emma heard David call out, his footsteps getting closer.
"Who is that? What does he want?" Elsa asked alarmed. She tensed.
"It's ok, it's the other Sheriff, my dad, David."
"Did you find who did this, what's going on?" David screamed as he came into the cave, gun drawn.
"David, put down the gun!" Emma yelled to David.
Elsa grabbed Emma by the arm, twisting her arm around her back, pulling her towards herself. "Stay back!"
"Emma, no!" David yelled.
"Everyone just calm the fuck down! Elsa, he won't harm you."
"He has a weapon."
"Yes, just standard procedure. David please put down the gun."
"Is this the monster that made this wall, and the killer snowman?"
"David, put down the gun, we can talk about this."
Just then the cave began to rumble. She was so close to Elsa that Emma felt snowflakes falling on her cheeks. The snowfall became thicker and thicker. "David, get out. I will be fine."
"I won't leave you," David called out, but an icicle from above came crashing between them. David backed out of the cave and ran for the patrol car.
The cave hole was blocked by more icicles. The floor beneath them cracked open, and Emma and Elsa both fell onto the floor, into another cave in the ice wall.
Emma got up, holding her head and checking for blood. "Wow, you know how to put on a show."
"I'm powerful. Your people should be careful and keep their distance."
"I can make that happen. So if you can just let us out of this cave, then…"
"Not until I get what I want."
"You're sister? Well, I can't really look for her from here, now can I?" Emma snaped, feeling herself shivering.
Emma's walkie-talkie was still on her hip holster and it started to hiss and crack.
"What is that!?" Elsa demanded.
"It's my radio. My dad is calling me. It's ok, it's not a weapon." She slowly reached for it and picked it up."
"Dad, can you hear me?"
"Emma! Are you alive, are you ok?""
"Yes, we are fine."
"Send your dad to go get Anna." Elsa demaned.
"Did she say something, what is she talking about? What is this about?" David asks.
"She is looking for her sister. She thinks she is in Storybrooke because she found a necklace of her's in Gold's shop…"
Elsa grabs the radio, "...and I want you to bring Anna here. Then I'll let go of your daughter."
David started to protest, but Emma grabbed the radio back from Elsa. "Dad, I will be fine. If you can go and see if anyone knows Anna back in town, this will be over quickly."
"I'm not leaving you!"
"Dad, I will be fine. Elsa talks big, but I don't think she means me harm." She looks at Elsa. "Right? You don't want to hurt me. I can see it in your eyes."
Elsa sneers at her. "Don't think I won't freeze the whole town to find my sister. She is everything to me."
"Yes, but we are good, right?" Emma looked at Elsa sincerely.
Elsa paused for a long moment before she nodded.
"Dad, please, go see what you can find out about a resident named Anna, and bring us back a report, in say, one hour? And find someone to fix that powerline."
--
Emma did not expect to be this cold in less than an hour. She started to pace back and forth, holding herself for warmth. She supposed her leather jacket was cheap after all just like Regina always said.
"So why aren't you cold? Special immunity?" Emma asked Elsa.
"It's my magic, so yes. I'm sorry you are cold."
"Any chance you can make a warm ice jacket?" Emma joked.
Elsa actually cracked a smile. Emma caught it. It almost made her forget about the cold.
Elsa looked at her curiously, "Why aren't you afraid of me?"
Emma raised her eyebrows. "Why should I be?"
"Where I am from, people fear my magic. Your dad called me a monster."
"He didn't mean it. He was upset. I have magic, I told you. He doesn't think I am a monster. He just happened to catch you on a bad day. But he was there to face the Snow Monster. What was up with that? You don't seem to be an Evil Snow Queen. Did you create that?"
"Yes. I was being chased. I was trying to chase people away from me."
"That would have been me, and this other guy. We were in pursuit of you. Got a report that you attacked a car."
"Attacked! I was walking down the road when this thing swerved at me, so I froze it to protect myself."
"Ah. I can believe that. Sleepy isn't the best driver. Well, you have made quite a reputation that isn't admirable."
"I just want my sister. When you bring her to me, we will leave."
"You care about her a lot. I don't know what it's like to have a sibling that close. I was orphaned most of my life."
"I'm sorry to hear that. But yes, Anna and I are close. She is the only one that believes in me and helps me with…" Elsa trailed off.
"Helps you with what?"
Elsa remained quiet. She saw fear in Elsa's eyes.
Emma asked, "This magic of yours. It's reactionary. It's manifest through fear. Anna helps you with it somehow that is why you are desperate for her."
Elsa gives her a dirty look. "It's none of your business."
"Am I wrong? Is that why you can't get us out of here; have to pretend to hold me hostage? Because that doesn't strike me as your M.O. Part of my magic powers is to tell a lie. And I know you are hiding something."
Elsa looked away from her. The cave gave a little rumble.
"Ok, settle down. I don't want to attack you. I just want to talk."
"What makes you think you know me?"
"Because I have powers too, and I am not great at controlling them either. I think we are a lot alike."
"Anna does help me focus my powers. She is the calm one. If I find her, I can make all this go away, and then we can leave and you will never have to see us again."
--
David returned in an hour, with a crew to fix the power line. David takes out his walkie-talkie. "Emma, are you still there?"
"Yes, I am." Emma says through clacking teeth.
"You sound weird, what is wrong."
"Just cold. What did you find?"
"Shit, Emma, are you going to freeze to death?"
"Does that mean you didn't find Anna?"
David grunts. "No. Nobody I found seems to know an 'Anna.' But I will go back and keep trying. There's going to be a lot of noise out here–crew fixing the power line. I hope that doesn't alarm Elsa."
Elsa's eyes well up with tears. She shakes her head.
"We will be fine Dad. See you in an hour."
Elsa speaks up, looking at Emma shiver even more as she walks around slowly with her eyes closed. She asks Emma, "Why can't you use your power to get us out?"
"I've been trying. But I can barely feel my hands and feet. Like I said, I'm not great at magic."
"Try again. Let me see." Elsa challenged her.
Emma kind of liked the challenge. So she stood before Elsa, looking on with rapt attention, while Emma tried to focus and perform. However, she was not successful. She didn't even produce a spark. "Sorry. I think I am just too cold."
Even though there was no visible evidence of her magic, the attempt caused Emma to lose energy. She suddenly felt colder than before. "I think I just need to lay down a minute."
Elsa grabbed her, "No, don't fall asleep. I think I felt your energy signature. I'm sorry, I made you waste energy!"
"I'll be fine. I'll just rest a bit and try again."
"Don't try again. It's my turn to try. Anna would not let me let you die on her account. Talk to me, Emma. Tell me more about yourself...were you born or cursed with magic?"
Emma let out a small chuckle. "Those are my only two options? Well, I guess born? Even though it feels like a curse." Her breathing became short and rapid. "I grew up in a land without magic. I didn't know about my magic until I came to Storybooke."
Elsa pulled her into herself like earlier, but this time with less malice. She tried to give Emma heat. "Keep talking. Then what happen after."
"Oh...there is so much that has happened...stuff like this, a daily thing if you live in Storybrooke," Emma tried to laugh, but just shivered. "Wanna hear something funny?"
"What's funny?"
"I'm supposed to be a Savior. I still don't know what that means."
Elsa laughed.
"Are you laughing at me?"
"No, with you. Where I am from, I am a Queen. Born with these powers. But I am the only one I have ever heard of with powers like mine."
"Great, another Queen," Emma murmured. Emma thought of Regina. It made her feel terrible to think she might die here and never get to talk to her again. She thought about the last time she saw her face, full of sorrow, yet still beautiful.
Elsa felt a vibration come from Emma. "What was that?"
"What was what?"
"You vibrated."
"Come again? I'm shivering…"
"No, like something from deep inside you sparked."
Emma did feel deeply when she thought about Regina, but how could Else feel that?
Elsa closed her eyes, searching for that feeling again. However, she started to feel a similar wave inside of herself. She thought about Anna, and she felt that vibration grow.
Emma slumped into Elsa. "Emma, wake up! Don't fall asleep. You're turning blue!"
Elsa could hear Anna's voice. You can't let her die. Elsa you can do this, you can get yourselves out!
Elsa placed Emma on the ground gently. "I have to try."
Elsa stretched her arms out and concentrated on making a hole to the outside. At first she wasn't sure if she could sustain the blast. But Emma grabbed her ankle. "You can do this, I believe in you, just like Anna does."
Elsa felt Emma's vibration again. It gave her encouragement. It felt like Anna giving her encouragement. Her concentration came into focus, and her magic strengthened, bending to her will.
She broke through the ice wall.
"Emma! Elsa! Are you ok? David came through, running to Emma who was trying to get herself up from the floor. Elsa helped him pick her up. They carried her out. David threw a blanket around Emma and walked her to the patrol car. "I have the heater running, just what you need."
Elsa followed David to the patrol car. When Emma was inside, she said, "I am really sorry for the way I behaved. I nearly killed your daughter."
"The point is now that you saved her. Am I right in thinking that you won't be causing any trouble like this again?" David asked her firmly.
Elsa, looking ashamed, replied, "Yes, you are right. I behaved poorly. I want to find my sister. I don't even know how I got to Storybrooke. I don't belong here, and I don't remember what happened to my sister. I need help looking for her if you are still willing."
David put out his hand, "Yes, I will help. My name is David. Welcome to Storybooke. Get the car," he opened the back door, "we can talk about all of this at the station."
--
At the station, Snow, Neal and Henry were there waiting for Emma and David to return.
"Mom! You're alive!" Henry rushed to her, giving her a big bear hug. "I'm already down to one mom, I couldn't bear to lose another."
She wrapped him with her in the blanket. "Hey, now, you haven't lost Regina. Trust me when I say I know she will come around."
Snow guided them both to sit, handing Emma a hot chocolate. "Extra cinnamon." She beamed at her, then kissed her cheek. Emma stopped her so that she could kiss Neal.
Elsa hung in the background, observing Emma and her family. It made her miss Anna all the more. Snow caught her attention. "Hi, you are…"
Elsa half smiled, but put out her hand, "I'm Elsa."
David explained, "Yeah, she is here looking for her sister. She found an object in Gold's shop that belonged to her, so she thinks she is somewhere in Storybrooke." David purposefully left out how she was directly responsible for what happened to Emma.
"Oh, I am sorry to hear that, but yeah, we will help you find her. I am the newly elected Mayor, so I will do my best to help you," said Snow, shaking her hand. "What is her name, maybe I know her?"
"Anna?"
Snow thought, "No, I don't know Anna. Henry, does that name sound familiar?""
"No. But don't worry. We are the Charmings, and finding people is what we do, because we don't like to give up…" Henry said with proud confidence, but he trailed off at the end.
"What's the matter, kid?" Emma asked him.
"I'm glad you're alive mom, but there is something I have to go do." Henry gave his mom a squeeze on the hand and got up and left the station.
--
Henry ran down Main Street and toward 108 Mifflin Street. When he arrived at the door, out of breath, he started to knock furiously.
"MOM! MOM! I know you can hear me! It's me...I know you're in there! I see the study light on!"
Regina, startled in her study, went to the front door slowly. She thought she made her note clear, that she would call for him when she was ready. He was disobeying her wishes.
"Mom! You can give up on yourself, but I'm not gonna give up on you!" Henry continued to call out to Regina. "And I'm not gonna go away just because you said. I belong with you. You need me right now and I need you!"
Henry waited. He was trying to hear the clacking of his mother's heels on the hardwood floor.
Regina stood motionless in the foyer, staring at the door. She had been doing nothing but crying all day, but at this moment, her crying was tears of love and joy at what Henry was telling her. When he went quiet, she thought maybe he had left. She didn't want him to go. She rushed to the door and opened it swiftly. "HENRY!"
She startled him. He had his arm raised to knock again. They stared at each other for a long moment before Henry walked into Regina with outstretched arms, "Mom."
Regina embraced her boy. She was so happy he came for her.