Mifflin Street

Emma woke, gasping from her very vivid dream, slowly regaining consciousness, and feeling a thin layer of perspiration across her entire body. Slowly breathing out, she turned heavily to her left side, gradually opening her eyes. Expecting to see either a half-empty bed, or a sleeping wife beside her, she was instead confronted by the vision of her wife, sitting on the bed, wide awake, fully clothed and made up, looking straight at her.

"Good morning. Sleep well?" Asked the brunette beauty, sporting an odd look Emma didn't recognise.

"Yeah, I s'pose," She grunted bleary-eyed. "Hmm...what time is it?"

"Just after eight thirty. Pleasant dream?" she asked, a knowing look on her face which the younger found disconcerting.

She tried avoiding the question. "I guess. Where's Rollie?"

"Out," however, her wife was not to be so easily distracted. "Tell me about it? Your dream?" before finally adding, "Emma Locksley?"

Emma's eyes widened and she tried desperately not to look guilty. Shit, how did she...? "Umm…I'm sorry, what?"

"Your dream, dear. You said, "Emma Locksley, I like the sound of that!"" Regina noticed the look of panic on her wife's face.

"No. You…must've misheard. Why on earth would I say that?"

"Why indeed?" said the brunette cryptically, before rising, nodding to the other woman's side. "Coffee, water and Advil's on the side table…" before walking silently out of the room.

Emma cringed internally. Oh fuck! What else did I say?

Emma felt herself running up a long staircase, holding onto someone, giggling and dragging him behind her. "Shush, quiet! We don't have long!" before pushing open a door to reveal an ornate bedroom with a large four-poster bed at its centre. Giggling, she felt herself being turned around by strong arms, gently enfolding her in a hug, as he lifted her off the floor, her legs wrapping around him as his lips pressed against hers. She broke it with a chuckle as he carried her across the room, laying her on her back on the bed.

Seeing the look of sheer lust in his hooded eyes, he parted her thighs for him to lay between them. "My lady…" he breathed, as she felt the large bulge press between her legs, sending a pulse through her. "May I?" he continued as he rose again, kneeling back and sliding his hands down her thighs and up, under her skirt. Slowly, he eased his fingers into her panties, gently pulling them, and her tights, down, where they snagged on her shoes.

"At least take my heels off first, Mr. Impatient!" she panted, as keen as he was. His hands now caressed her legs, and down to each foot, relieving her of her Jimmy Choos in a matter of moments, raising her legs and kissing the top of each foot, before finishing the removal of her panties in a flourish, leaving her spread before him. "Emma, you are a vision!" before moving back on top of her and kissing her passionately, her mouth opening wider to greet him and forcing her tongue out to perform a dance with his own. "Mmmmm…" they groaned simultaneously.

As lips parted to draw breath, he peppered the small amount of cleavage exposed with light kisses, before working his way rapidly south, to where, he thought, she needed him most. Placing more kisses and gentle bites on the inside of her thighs, he rapidly moved to her centre, sliding a broad flat tongue across her entrance and taking the little pink bud between his lips to squeeze gently. She hissed loudly. "Ooh, god! That's just…no…no time! I need you up here! I need to see you - I need you inside me. Now!" she ordered.

"As you wish, my lady!" he purred, voice low as he tried to contain himself. "You're sure you're ready?"

"Definitely. Get-inside-me-now! Don't waste time!" she panted, rising up from the sheets to grab his belt, yanking his pants down and thrusting a hand into his boxers, relieving his raging hard-on from its confines. Almost angrily, she lowered her mouth onto the purple dome, sucking hard whilst pumping the shaft hurriedly, ignoring the loud gasp. "Ooh, go easy there, Emma! I've only got the one!"

She pulled away in a matter of moments, to lay back down. He swiftly rose, pulling the shoes, trousers and boxers off hurriedly, before turning back to her, lifting her flowing white wedding dress and silk underskirt to expose her once again. Without further delay, he slowly lay over her, lining himself up and taking his weight on his forearm, as he slowly guided himself into her. She wrapped her long legs around him as his brim lightly skirted her folds, before gently easing inside, carrying on slowly but firmly, until his entire length was fully consumed within. "Aaaahhh!' she breathed, "you're larger today. Feels bloody enormous!"

"Can you blame me? You've never looked more gorgeous, more damn sexy - I've never wanted you so much! Gina's going to fuck your brains out when she gets her hands on you! But I'm first…" he grunted, his pace increasing rapidly, as he almost pulled his entire length out, before slamming back in harder and faster. This was truly heaven for both of them and Emma groaned her approval, gritting her teeth as she felt her peak quickly approaching. "Harder! Oh god, yes! I'm close, so close! Just keep going – just like that – yes, just like that…just…ooh shit…aah…..yes…yesss!" The full force of the orgasm hit her hard, her body going into spasm as the wave, from deep within, shook her as she screamed.

As she sought to catch her breath, she felt him holding back until she had fully settled. "Don't stop, don't you dare stop, Locksley! Come for me! I want to feel you explode!" She pulled her legs tighter back around him, gripping his arse cheeks and digging her nails in to pull him in even tighter, as she felt him draw close. Eventually his whole body tensed as he finally slammed into her for the last time, as he climaxed, deep inside.

As his breath finally calmed, she looked up into those beautiful sapphire blue eyes that had so captivated her, while he gazed adoringly down on her.

"That was incredible!" she pecked his lips. "But we'd best get back downstairs; she said don't take more than fifteen minutes. I just hope this dress hasn't crushed. She may know what we just did, but I don't to make it so obvious to everyone else!"

"Okay, just give me a moment..." he remained still, softening inside her. "It may have just been, as you called it, a 'quickie', but you still almost killed me, Emma Locksley!"

"Good! 'Emma Locksley', I like the sound of that! It's going to take me a while to get used to, though."

"Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere. I love you."

"But I love you more, Robin Locksley!"

As parts of her dream slowly came back to her, she realised what Regina must have heard. But how much of it? And where the hell was she in it? What the hell did it even mean? She's never had a dream like that before, and definitely didn't think of Robin that way! Did she? Groaning inwardly, she slowly got up from her now sweat-soaked side of the bed, looking at the clock.

After a longer shower than usual, she dressed, slipping into a single white T and jeans. She slightly dreaded going downstairs where she just knew Regina would want to continue their last conversation. Or at least the previous night, about her 'date'. She tiptoed downstairs silently, heading into the kitchen with her now-cold coffee. She stopped as she caught the sight of Regina sitting on a stool at the worktop, coffee in hand and immaculately dressed as usual. She wore a silky knee length blue A line dress which poured over her legs, sporting a small silver necklace, a birthday present from Henry, and a very suspicious look.

"Good morning, my darling! Feel better now? There's fresh coffee in the percolator..."

"Yes, better thanks." She replied, not sure where this was going. Was she annoyed? Suspicious? What?

"I thought you might need some extra sleep after last night, so I asked Zelena to collect Honour. She came around an hour ago, when she took Robyn to school. Henry didn't come back last night. He decided to stay at Hank's with Violet. I think they're probably in some sort of relationship now, so perhaps it's time to meet up with Sir Morgan? Or invite the pair of them around for dinner?"

Emma sighed with relief at the change of subject. "Uh, yeah sure, sounds good. Though I'm not sure he'll come if I'm there! It may be five years ago, but I think he's still sore at me taking Vi's heart like that. He's tended to avoid me unless strictly necessary." Sir Hank Morgan had always been suspicious of Emma, despite her reputation and Violet's own forgiveness of the dark deed.

"You were a Dark One then, Emma, as everyone knows! And it's even more reason for us to let him get to know you properly. Hank's quite fond of Henry, and he trusts him with Violet. Henry said he's nothing like as stiff as he used to be and apparently, he's now dating some woman from Sherwood. I want to do this, Emma. Who knows, Violet might be part of our family one day."

"Okay, then let me ask him? Perhaps if I go in with the full, grovelling apology once again?"

"Well it wouldn't hurt, would it? I understand Philip has offered him the sheriff position temporarily, or at least encouraged him to stand for election."

"I thought Mulan wanted to run for sheriff? At least after she's had the baby. Don't say Phil's trying to be all sexist and putting his foot down now he's marrying her? I heard he doesn't want her to stand…" Emma had always found Philip a bit too pompous for her.

"On the contrary. It seems he told Mulan he'd happily back her if she wanted to stand, but he would resign as Mayor if she won. He thinks it's wrong for a current Mayor to be related to a current Sheriff. 'A conflict of interest', as he put it. So, he's asked Sir Morgan to stand in temporarily while they disband and investigate Keith Nottingham's goings-on. They're setting up a new team. Your father has been invited to join temporarily as a deputy. He declined a full-time post."

"Hank for Sheriff? That's a surprise. I'm also surprised dad turned down a full-time role. I thought he was getting bored on the farm."

"Seems not. I also heard that Phil had earlier offered the sheriff position to someone else. Apparently, the council's first choice was unanimous, but he declined…"

"Who? Who declined?"

"Robin."

Emma burst out laughing. "They asked Robin to be Mayor? That's hilarious! The Outlaw, the Prince of Thieves! He's spent most of his life fighting against sheriffs, and now they want him to become one?"

"Why not? He's ideal. He's noble, honest, protective of others and a natural leader. And now he has powerful magic too! Seems perfect for the role to me. However, I gather he felt he had too much to do building up Sherwood."

Emma stepped across to the percolator to refill her coffee. However, the brunette wasn't finished yet.

"So, my darling, tell me all about your date? I want to know everything!" she said, patting the stool next to her, brooking no argument. "I want to know about the food, who was there, what you talked about, everything! Then yes, my dear, I want you to tell me about the mysterious 'Emma Locksley'!"

"So, this is it?" said the former Mayor Spencer (and previously King George), sneering as the motley collection of former deputy sheriffs, guards, servants and travellers squeezed into the reception room of his comfortable but shabby, run-down mansion on the edge of Storybrooke. "This is all we could muster, Nottingham?"

"It is my lord! We haven't spoken with the standing army yet, as we're unsure how many of them are now loyal to Prince Philip…"

"HE'S NOT A FUCKING PRINCE!" he roared. 'He's a two-bit soldier pretending to rule!"

Keith Nottingham waited until the puce-faced man calmed. "Maybe so, my lord, but he has loyal followers. Bearing in mind the secrecy required, I thought it best to be cautious and stay with people we know to be loyal to you. At least until we have more leverage."

Spencer harrumphed, knowing the former sheriff was right. "Very well, very well. Gentlemen, gather round," he said as the twenty or so men leaned closer as he sat at the head of his table. "As you're aware, I have been illegally removed from the mayorship by a usurper!" he thundered. "Sheriff Nottingham and his men have also been wrongfully ousted, and it appears the city is being taken over by a rag-bag of assorted criminals, led by Briar and supported by some of the so-called 'heroes'…"

One former royal guard stepped forward. "And by the Dark One! Don't forget that. And the Evil Queen, so the Saviour will no doubt follow her blindly. They all have magic…"

"As do the Sorcerer and now, Locksley!" shouted a former Sargeant-at-Arms, now a recently deposed deputy. "I've heard those two now have more magic than the others all put together! How the hell do we beat them without magic of our own?"

Spencer slowly smirked into a sly grin. "By fighting them somewhere where no magic exists, so we're all equal. That's where!"

Emma told her wife all about the fantastic restaurant she and Robin had wined and dined in the previous night. The perfect food, the wines, the pier setting on the lake, the service. "It sounds wonderful! We are so going there on our next anniversary. Was it very expensive?"

"Well I'm not sure. Pierre, the owner, said he was picking up the bill. A favour to Merlin apparently. Something about saving his daughter's life. But I sneaked a peek at someone else's bill and that was just over a grand…"

"Pierre? You met Pierre Roch? You met one of the best chefs in the world?" Regina was truly impressed. "I didn't think he still cooked. Emma, I've three of his books in the kitchen, the man's a culinary god!"

Emma chuckled at her enthusiasm, sounding like a groupie at a rock concert. "Yeah well, our Pierre was all grovel to Hood, fawning all over him! He knew all about him apparently. Didn't know me, though. Just assumed I was his wife!"

"Hmm. Hence the 'Emma Locksley' tag?" The brunette surmised. Emma picked up on it quickly, realising it was a better excuse for what she'd said.

"Yeah, he already knew I was called Emma, so he didn't think I was Marian. He kept calling me 'Lady Locksley', actually!"

"And you didn't bother correcting him?" Regina arched a brow. "You didn't tell him you were already married to someone else?"

"Well, the food and service was unbelievable! I didn't want to disappoint." She saw the quizzical look in the older woman's eyes. "You're not…you're not upset, are you? We didn't actually say we were married. He just assumed…"

"Surprised yes. Upset, no. You were on a date, after all. Was there any romance?"

Emma blushed. "What do you mean?"

"I think it's obvious what I mean. Did Robin kiss you? Hug you? Make out with you? It's a simple question."

The now beetroot-coloured blonde decided attack was the best form of defence. "Gina, where are you going with this? You asked me to go on a date with your soulmate! You said you wanted us to get together, for goodness sake! I even remember you saying you'd be okay if we made out! What's going on?"

Regina looked silently at her partner, before smiling warmly, placing a hand on the blonde's arm. "I did, and I'm not upset. I did say that. As I also said yesterday, I actually hope you two become closer. You've allowed me to share myself with him, so if it means we can all grow together, well, that's even better."

"So, you're okay if I told you we had a rather hot make-out session in the back of the limo on the way home? You'd seriously be okay with that?"

"Yes Emma, I would. Did you?" she leaned closer. "Tell me truthfully now. I promise you I will not be upset."

Emma looked deeply into her wife's eyes for any sign of insincerity. Seeing none, she relaxed slightly. "Yeah actually, we did…"

Regina's smile grew wider. "Thank you for being honest. Did you enjoy it?"

"Gina, I'm not in love with him! I'm perfectly happy with you, my wife, thank you very much!"

"I know, but you're definitely attracted to him, aren't you?"

"I can't believe you're asking me all this! Yes, he's a lovely guy. He's kind, gentle, surprisingly intelligent and actually listens to a woman when she's talking! And he's a pretty good kisser." The last comment made Regina laugh, making the blonde ask, "What?"

"Nothing, it's just exactly the same thing a certain thief said to me, five years ago! I'm pleased you had a lovely time, Emma, really." She stood up to walk away, before stopping at the door, her back to the other woman as she left with a final thought.

"Though if you think I believe that 'Emma Locksley' comment you made before you woke up, you must think I was born yesterday…"

Earlier that morning, before Emma woke, Regina told the children about Ruby and Dorothy's request for them to be official pageboy and bridesmaid for their wedding. As expected, they were thrilled, especially Honour, who definitely wanted to wear a bridal dress. "So, I get a big white dress?"

"Sorry my love, white dresses are only worn by the bride, or brides, who are getting married! However, you get to wear a beautiful dress anyway. It's a soft lemony colour. You'll love it, I promise! And you, Roland, you'll be wearing a very handsome suit of your own, matching the Best Man, if there is one. I think." The wild-haired ten-year-old just nodded in agreement. He had more important things on his mind. "Will there be chocolate cake? And sausages? I like those ones on sticks…"

Regina smiled, enveloping him in a hug. "I'm sure there'll be plenty of nice food there. Now, I've left your clothes for the wedding on your beds. Let's go up and measure them, shall we?" The pair ran upstairs without further ado. Honour, because she loved dressing up and Roland, because he just wanted to get it over with before he left for the day.

Sherwood

A little later, after using her magic to make final adjustments to the clothes, Regina apparated just outside the new Sherwood village, remembering that Merlin and Gold had specifically prevented magic being used within, an invisible force blocking it.

As she walked into the small clinic at the front, she was once again amazed by the sheer scale of the building within. Since her last visit, she was surprised to see the reception had been kitted out with furniture, desks and a large seating area. Merlin had used the word 'Tardis' to describe the magic that allowed so much space inside, completely at odds with the small building outside. How could that magic remain in a place with no magic? she pondered. She looked up to a large glazed canopy above, which allowed a well-lit ambience. The glass was stained in a very light shade of green, reflecting the forest beyond. She drew breath in admiration as a soft voice was heard at her shoulder.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said the voice, making her jump.

"It is! I'm just amazed at the size of this place. Hello, Caroline!" she said, pleased to see Robin's cousin again. She bore a striking resemblance to him. Dark blonde, with those amazing blue eyes, a little lighter, but quite similar in shape. "It's lovely to see you again."

Caroline didn't hesitate, stepping forward and placing her hands gently in Regina's and placing a small, soft kiss on her cheek, instantly replicated by the other woman. "Hello, Regina, it's lovely to see you too! I feel we have so much to talk about, don't you?"

"Definitely. I know so little about your family, apart from what Robin's told me, of course. I gather you know we were together before…well before…"

"Before he was murdered? Yes, I'm aware. Some of the fairies, John and Tuck have filled me in on some of the details. I'm glad you found love again."

She could tell the sincerity in the blonde's eyes. "Yes, well, Robin will always be a major part of my life. I was pregnant when it happened. Without Rollie and Honour, I don't know how I would have survived." He voice had reduced to almost a whisper.

"And Emma, of course! I can see how much you love each other. Come, let's find a table in that café, get some tea and have a bit of a gossip…"

Regina grinned, "Tea. I hated it before Robin; I'm kind of hooked on it now…" She laced her arm within the other woman's, letting her lead on.

Robin spent the morning organising the new water supply and drainage system for Sherwood, involving using magic to connect Merlin's newly installed plumbing system. The dwarves had supplied the underground tunnels, and several skilled craftsmen had supplied plans and checked the overall quality of work. As the pumping system was turned on, the crowds stood in awe as they now had the unimagined luxury of fresh water delivered to their homes, indoor plumbing and lavatories, plus a heating system in the hospital and clinic.

"This is a bloody marvel, Rob!" said Little John as walked towards the outdoor swimming pool. "I'm not sure I'll get used to it anytime soon!"

"It's what everyone should have had long ago, John. Tents should be reserved for camping trips, not for children to sleep under permanently."

As they stood admiring the results of a morning's work, Robin noticed David Nolan and Mayor Philip appear, a worried look on both their faces.

"David, Phil? Something wrong?"

"Could be. We went in to take over the sheriff's office this morning. Nottingham's team were nowhere to be seen."

"Go on," encouraged Merlin, now appearing beside Robin. "What did you find?"

"It's what we didn't find that bothers me!" said Philip. "The town armoury was in cellars under there. We just came back. Everything's been stripped out! Hand guns, rifles, swords, ammunition. Everything."

Robin looked worried. "You think Spencer's behind this?"

"Probably. Hank Morgan and I tried to arrest Keith Nottingham this morning, but he's disappeared along with several of his old deputies. We're wondering if you could help us track them down? As they're heavily armed, we thought…"

"You thought right, Mr. Mayor. Of course we'll help," insisted Merlin. "Robin, as we may have armed men on the loose, I suggest you get your men to corral all the people we can find into the safety of the clinic and hospital. They should be safe there for the moment if John and the men keep guard. There should be plenty of space. Mr. Mayor, I suggest you two come with me to the station? David, I don't really know my way around Storybrooke yet. Could you all hold on to me and imagine the front door of the station? There's just a chance they've left some magical trace or clues. Gentlemen, shall we?" With that, the sorcerer blinked, engulfing the four of them in his familiar smoke trail, whisking them outside Storybrooke Police Department.

As the Mayor and David re-orientated themselves, Merlin waved his arms around and above, in a weird pattern. "Don't mind me. I'm putting an invisible shield over us, just in case someone's waiting to surprise us!" He explained. Merlin led the way, breaking into the station with ease and using magic to blast the armoury door from its hinges. They walked in to the stripped rooms, no weapons in sight.

"David, why on earth does a little town like Storybrooke need so many guns, anyway?"

"A lot of them are confiscated, Robin. Some captured when people have tried to invade. There was some seriously nasty stuff down here! Pump action assault rifles, sabres. A couple of cannon. Even a few small grenades! Quite a few modern things from the land without magic..." David explained, Robin looking aghast at the potential threat that now could put the new town at war, by the storage of so many senseless killing machines. Merlin walked into the room, running his magic across the surfaces.

"There's nothing obvious here. No magical traces. We need to cover the rest of the town. David, do you have anything that could have been used with the weapons? Cloths, holdalls, that kind of thing? I may be able to put a tracking spell on something to at least figure out where everything went."

The three emerged from the front door of the station. Merlin immediately twitched, sensing danger. "Gentlemen - keep your eyes open! I don't think we're alone!"

He'd hardly spoken when a small swishing sound came from the car park. David's senses went into overload, as he saw a steel tipped arrow clang against something. The magical shield Merlin has created for them! Before he could even tell them to duck, he heard and felt repeating loud metal noises bouncing off the same shield, immediately followed by the deafening roar of a machine gun. "Some bastard's just tried to kill us!" he breathed, shocked at the potentially deadly experience.

"It would seem so. Stay close please!" said Merlin, calmly reached a hand out, lifting the two unsuccessful assassins from behind a car, to face him, their hands seemingly paralysed by their sides. He lowered the pair directly in from of them all. "Gentlemen, it would appear you tried to kill us? Who ordered you to do this?"

"We ain't sayin' nothin'!" croaked one of the men. "Do what you will! You can't kill me - you're the Sorcerer!"

Merlin gave him an evil smile. "Indeed. I am supposed to be the good one! However, when people attempt to kill me, all bets are off!" And with that, Merlin looked down toward the man's crotch, squeezing the air hard as the effect was replicated on the man's testicles. He squealed in agony, his breath escaping him. The other captured assassin stood looking at his comrade in horror as Merlin then released the grip, a lit blowtorch now appearing in his hand. "Now then, it would be easier if you just told me everything, as it's quite hard to return your balls to their original state once I've started!"

Despite his initial cockiness, the first man now looked utterly terrified, while Merlin was worryingly calm. "So, three, two, one. No? Okay, here goes…" and with that, Merlin lightly brushed the white-hot blame over the top of the man's crotch, causing instant agony. Even Philip and Robin flinched at the site.

"Now sir, you tried to kill us, so I have NO hesitation in killing you. Very painfully!"

"All right, all right! It was Nottingham!" the man screamed. "He made us steal all the guns. Everything. He's going to attack you!' he yelled hysterically, trying to avoid the look of contempt from his comrade. "That's better! Now gentlemen, when and how?" With that, the other silent man was pulled effortlessly upside down to hang in the air, blood rushing to his head. "Okay, let's not waste any more time! Gentlemen, excuse me a moment…" The Sorcerer attached his fingers to the man's head, deliberately scanning his mind, filtering and seeing everything the man had experienced over the last three days. David and Philip stood motionless, unable to help. What the hell's he doing?

After less than a minute, Merlin dropped the man with a satisfying thud, as his shoulder slammed into the ground. With a flick of his wrist, the two would-be-assassins were transported away. David raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry Deputy, they're still alive, merely transported out of the way for the moment. Now gentlemen, you're correct in assuming it's Spencer and Nottingham. The weapons from your armoury were carried down to Spencer's cellars at his home, though it appears they plan to attack Sherwood today, as magic cannot be used inside the clinic."

"That doesn't make sense," Philip frowned, "we have enough people in Storybrooke to fight them. We have the reservist soldiers plus magic. You, Emma, Regina and Robin can defeat them easily without force, the moment they appear!"

"Perhaps they want to take hostages and bargain with us?" suggested David.

Merlin looked grim. "Unlikely. Spencer isn't stupid; he'll always face a threat from us. My guess is he'll want to do something more permanent to eliminate it."

"Then we'd better warn the others!" groaned David as Merlin again transported the three of them back to the camp.

Sherwood Clinic

Inside the clinic's cafe, Regina had been enjoying 'High Tea' with her new friend when it started. Carrie Locksley was warmth and kindness personified, and she couldn't help noticing the similarities between her and Robin. "You have similar eyes. You mentioned Maria, his sister? What's she like?"

Before Caroline could answer, a loud burst of noise could be heard from the reception area, followed by several screams and someone shouting loudly "EVERYONE – DOWN ON THE FLOOR! NOW!"

The diners all stood, anxious to figure out what was happening, when a moment later, three armed men burst through the door, followed by another five or so. The men, all burly with assault rifles hanging over their shoulders, spread themselves around the room. "You heard! Down on the floor, now!" He followed the order with a rapid burst of gunfire into the ceiling, causing panicked screams from several diners.

Although initially paralyzed in surprise, Regina stood, ramrod straight, composing herself. She'd dealt with aggressive soldiers before. In fact, she'd even burned quite a few of them that dared cross her! Walking up to stand directly in front of the leading man, she barked, "How dare you!" Without further ado, she tried to summon a choking spell to lift the intruders by the throat. But nothing. No magic! She'd forgotten where they were! Now her voice carried a slight trepidation as she continued. "How dare you interrupt us! Get out before I fireball the lot of you!"

Unusually for Regina, the man she addressed didn't step back and showed no fear. That worried her. "Magic not working, your Majesty? We're all on a level playing field here! Which is just as well, as I've been wanting to do this for so long…" With that, the former royal guard, at six-foot-three, towering well above her, drew his fist back and punched her hard in the side of her face, just missing her nose. Regina, never having needed to physically defend herself without magic before, now felt her whole body fly back into a table before collapsing onto the floor. The pain was unbelievable! And she knew her face was going to swell badly from the blow.

As she stayed down, dazed and trying to compose herself, she heard Caroline race in front of the assailant. "Bastard!" before slamming her own fist into his nose. She followed this with a swift knee up between his legs, making him howl in pain. Unfortunately, as she looked with satisfaction at her handiwork, another man grabbed her forcefully by the hair, spinning her around to face him. She froze as a heavy, cold piece of metal was pushed under her chin. "Any more of that my dear, and I'll fire! Your brains will be splattered all over this pretty room!"

The first man, who had been nursing his battered testicles, now stood. "After all the shit you've put us through over the years, you should be the first…" With that, he pulled a handgun from its holster, pointing it directly at Regina. "Goodbye…Evil Queen!"

Regina braced for the worst, with no magic, she was both human and powerless. She was about to die. Hearing the click of the gun's safety catch, she closed her eyes slowly, expecting never to open them again. However, fate had something else in store! Unbeknown to her, Carrie knew what do to in these situations. The blonde relaxed her shoulders, feigning surrender. This caused the soldier holding the gun under her chin to relax, giving her a small chance. Seizing its barrel, she slid it to one side before slamming her forehead into the soldier's nose! He stepped back in pain, allowing Carrie to seize the gun, turning it and slamming the handle hard into his head. The soldier about to execute Regina, temporarily distracted, felt the force of Carrie's body now over the top of him, trying to seize his own gun and shielding Regina. However, the soldiers were highly trained, so the brief scuffle was rectified by a rifle butt being slammed into the back of Caroline's head, rendering her unconscious.

The first soldier, Malcolm, one of Spencer's most loyal guards, now stood, rechecking his weapon before once again pointing it at the former Evil Queen.

Before he had the chance to fire, Albert Spencer burst into the room, accompanied by even more armed men. "What the bloody hell are you doing man? We need her phone, dammit! Get the fucking phone! And follow your orders!"

Malcolm seethed. It was obvious to Regina that whatever she had done to him in the past, he wanted her dead. "Sorry sir!" he bleated, before grabbing her and lifting her to the table. "Your phone? Now!"

Regina, seeing the now prostrate woman who'd tried to save her, didn't argue. She pointed to her bag, whereupon he turned it over with one hand, its contents spilling as her smartphone bounced out. Spencer walked across to pick it up. "Now, it's very simple, Regina. I'm going to send a message to all the Heroes, telling them you're being held hostage. So, I need your pass code, now. And before you waste my time, I'm going to count to three, after which young Bernard here will execute that woman. After that, we'll go around everyone in the room and do the same before we finally get to you! You've killed hundreds in your time, so I'm sure causing more suffering won't bother you too much? So, the number if you please?"

Reluctantly, the code was given, and another of Spencer's former deputies, more versed in technology, set about launching a pre-agreed text to everyone in her contacts list:-

Regina Swan-Mills: 'Spencer has taken hostages. We need to meet, IMMEDIATELY. Everyone with magic, come to Sherwood Clinic'...'

Emma and Robin, like many others, received the message simultaneously. Robin had just apparated outside the village with Philip and Merlin, anxious not to draw attention. Showing the text to the others, he fumed. "Seems things have already started! What do you think?"

David studied the text. "It's highly unusual for Regina to request help! She normally wants to handle things herself."

Looking more closely at the text, Robin agreed. "Also, I don't think this is from her! Someone's got her phone."

"How do you know that?"

"Punctuation. Gina's a stickler for good grammar, written or otherwise. She doesn't do upper case words and once said ellipses were a sign of lazy writing."

"So, your conclusion?"

"Someone other than Regina wants us in there!" concluded David. "We need a plan before we go in. It sounds like they have Regina, but Emma and Gold may not have replied just yet. I'd best call them!" As he picked up the phone to dial his daughter, Robin brought his hand over David's wrist.

"Wait! We can't be sure they haven't been captured themselves! In which case, Spencer could be reading their phones. No magic, remember?"

David nodded, realising there was a small chance he might be putting his daughter, possibly her wife, in danger too. "Okay, fair enough. So, what do we do? We can't just wait until everyone with magic arrives! It may be too late for Regina and whoever else is in there!"

Robin thought Merlin looked far calmer than he should. Though considering he was almost two millennia old and immortal, he shouldn't have been too surprised. "Okay Merlin, you've probably faced worse situations than this, it's your turn to offer suggestions!"

"Well now, as I see it, you have a potential threat in a place where magic is cancelled; with who knows how many armed people defending it, and with who knows how many people trapped inside, and others possibly walking into a trap. I suggest we look more closely at the situation. David, I suggest I immediately transport you back to your wife and son. You, Snow and any others put the word out to stay away from Sherwood and ignore Regina's texts. Make sure your grandson stays away too. Henry has magic, but it's new, so he may do something rash."

The Sorcerer than opened his own phone and shared his contact details. "Text me within 30 minutes with the code 'Charming', then we'll know you're safe. If not, I'll assume you've been compromised and act accordingly." With a small click Charming was gone in a spiral of smoke.

"I've a plan," said Robin. "Though first, can you apparate us just in front of the Sherwood magic boundary while also keeping us invisible? I need to see what's going on first."

"Of course," said the Sorcerer, as though the magical act was simplicity itself. "And I can keep a sound barrier around us too. Robin, our mind meld should have taught you all this?" he teased, "weren't you paying attention."

"My apologies, O great Sorcerer - there was an awful lot to take in!" he said in mock apology, as the familiar mist swirled around them once again, depositing them amongst trees, yards from the front of Sherwood Clinic.