Emma Swan was nervous. There was no other word that could describe how she was feeling in that moment. She was pacing around her flat wearing underwear. She hadn't dared put on a bra yet because that would commit her to a certain type of shirt, and she just couldn't handle that yet. None of her clothes made sense. There were her usual jeans, t-shirt, and leather jacket ensemble that Regina had seen a thousand times. There were quite a few skin tight dresses. That seemed too fancy for Granny's. She literally didn't have anything in between. She sat down on her bed letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Emma, are you ok?" Mary Margaret asked from her door.
"No." Emma groaned.
"Can I come in?" She asked. Emma slid a white shirt over her exposed torso so that her roommate could enter. Mary Margaret took in the clothes scattered around the tiny room.
"Are you going on a date?" She finally asked.
"Apparently I am going naked." Emma said sitting up to look at the heap of clothes again.
"Who is the lucky lady?" Mary Margaret asked trying to hide her curiosity.
"It's Regina." Emma said letting a smile spread across her face. She saw the serious look on her roommates face and decided to ignore it. She didn't know why the two didn't get along, and she really didn't care.
"Oh." Was the only response she got.
"My jeans don't seem special enough, and my freaking dresses are too nice." Emma said pointing to the garments like they were the most offensive objects she had ever laid eyes upon.
"Hold on one second." Mary Margaret left the room then and returned with a gift box in hand. "I was going to wait until next week to give you this." She began handed Emma the box.
"What's it for?" Emma asked a little surprised. She rarely got gifts.
"No reason. I saw it when I was shopping with Ruby, and it seemed like your style." Mary Margaret answered as Emma pulled out the gift. It was a button up shirt with a collar. It was almost the exact same color green as Emma's eyes.
"Wow. It's perfect." Emma said smiling up at her roommate.
"You just need those dark jeans, and you can wear your boots. A little more dressy than normal but not overdressed." She said with a smile.
"Thank you." Emma said standing up to dress. "I mean it. People never do nice things for me for no reason. I really appreciate it."
"Things are different now Emma. You live here, and we all care about you." Mary Margaret responded. She left the room then for Emma to get changed.
Ten minutes before eight Emma was sitting in the back room at Granny's. Ruby had gone all out. There was a single table in the room with a table cloth, beautiful place settings, and a candle flickering in the dim light. There was soft music coming from a speaker in the corner.
Emma felt the atmosphere in the room shift before she looked up, and she knew that Regina was standing in the doorway. She stood with a smile as the lovely brunette entered the room. She took in Regina's appearance. High heels met black stockings that disappeared under a tight shirt with a slit in the side. Regina's perfect waist was covered by a button up shirt very similar to Emma's except crimson in color. Emma let her eyes rake up to the unbuttoned button that left tan skin on display for her eyes only. Regina blushed at the way Emma's eyes looked over her body.
"You look fantastic." Emma said stepping closer.
"You don't look so bad yourself sheriff." Regina said with a smile.
"These are for you." Emma said gesturing to a vase of flowers that she had sat on another table.
"They're beautiful. Thank you." Regina said with a smile. She walked behind Regina to pull her chair out for her.
"I've never seen this place so dolled up." Regina said taking in the room. "Must be easy to get things done when someone who works here admires you." Regina's tone was playful even though Emma knew she was convinced that Ruby had a thing for her.
Granny brought them a bottle of red wine before bringing their food. Emma had decided on baked chicken, mixed vegetables, and mashed potatoes. She knew how healthy Regina was, but she couldn't ignore the fact that she'd be starving without some potatoes.
They ate in almost complete silence. Glances were exchanged across the table as Emma watched how elegantly Regina's spoon entered her mouth. Emma found it strange that she didn't feel the need to fill the air with conversation. She just smiled at the brunette when forks hit empty plates. Granny came to take them away, and Emma wasn't sure what to do next.
She stood abruptly as the song changed and offered Regina her hand. Regina smiled up at her and took it. Emma's arms wrapped around the brunette's waist pulling her closer. Regina's arms connected behind Emma's neck as her head rested on the blonde's shoulder. They moved slowly taking in the moment. Emma didn't want to break it. She didn't want to stop this feeling that encased her whenever Regina was close to her. She felt safe. She felt loved. She shifted when a head was lifted off her shoulder as green eyes burned into brown. She saw fear. She saw vulnerability. Most of all she saw love.
Emma leaned in then and softly let her pale lifts come into contact with crimson. The kiss was so delicate and soft like Regina's lips were glass that could shatter at any second. Emma savored the taste before she felt a jolt shoot through her body. It was like nothing she had ever felt before.
All of a sudden chaos broke loose. The ground felt like it had shifted, and Emma felt her body tingling. Regina was standing in front of her with her arms locked around Emma still. The love in the brunette's eyes was replaced by raw fear.
Voices were getting louder in the diner and getting closer. When they entered the room Emma stood protectively in front of Regina on instinct.
"Can I help you?" Emma asked with a bite to her voice. There was hostility in the air. There was hatred.
No one said a word until Mary Margaret and David Nolan busted through the crowd. Emma was taken aback by the tears that were streaming down Mary Margaret's face. She was flabbergasted by the fact that her hand was firmly in David's.
"Emma." She said softly rushing over to pull the blonde into a crushing hug as David wrapped his arms around both of them. Emma didn't move. She kept her hand firmly in Regina's. She stepped back slightly to wrench her body out of their hold.
"Get away from her Emma." Mary Margaret said quickly.
"What the hell is going on?" Emma asked.
More people were filling the room and Emma now almost had Regina pressed against a corner behind her. All eyes around her blazed with anger.
"She needs to pay for this." Mary Margaret said. "Your curse is broken. I told you it would fail. Good always wins."
"Curse?" Emma questioned as realization hit her like a ton of bricks. She spun on her heels. "It's true?" She asked looking right at Regina. The words were almost whispered, but they spoke volumes. Regina didn't answer. She just looked down as a tear left her eye. Emma couldn't help but to reach up to her face and wipe the tear away. The moment was broken by Dr. Whale yelled that Regina needed to be murdered. Emma turned around then literally holding out both arms to block Regina with her body.
"No one is murdering anyone." Emma said with a stern look happy that her gun was holstered at her side. She couldn't take on this mob alone.
"She took you from us Emma. For twenty eight years." Mary Margaret said with sadness lacing her voice.
"I am the sheriff." Emma barked. "This will not resort to anarchy. I will handle this." Emma grabbed Regina's hand then. She stepped forwarded as the sea parted. She kept her eyes trained on each person she passed daring them to lay a hand on the woman behind her. Regina held her head high refusing to look indignant to anyone in the diner.
They made the short walk to the station before Emma finally pulled in shaky breath.
"Emma, I'm so sorry." Regina said once they were in the safety of the station.
"Don't." Emma said immediately. "I just found out that Snow White and Prince Charming are real, and they are my parents. Parents that I have searched for my entire life. Parents that I thought abandoned me. I grew up thinking that no one loved me Regina. I grew up thinking that I was not capable of being loved." Emma let the tears flow freely then. This was all so confusing, and she didn't know how to handle the ache in her chest. The doors burst open then and Mary Margaret, David, and Henry came slamming though the door.
Henry was the first one to reach Emma and Regina. "Don't let them hurt her." He said grabbing on to Regina's legs as tears filled his eyes. "I know she's evil, but she's my Mom." The little boy looked up at Emma with a pleading expression on his small face.
"No one is going to hurt her." Emma said looking up at David and Mary Margaret.
"She has to pay." David said looking at Emma.
"With all due respect Dad." Emma said bitterly. "I need answers here, and this isn't your land. Here we don't murder anyone unless they have committed the appropriate crime."
"I think you will find this crime more than appropriate." Mary Margaret snarled.
Emma turned to Regina then and took both of her hands in her own as Henry stepped back. "Why?" Emma asked softly.
At that moment the ground began to shake. Emma thought it was an earthquake, but Regina felt what it really was instantly. She felt the tingling sensation as it laced through her veins. She reached for Emma's hand then grounding them from the spinning. She had no idea Emma was feeling it also.
David stumbled redrawing everyone's attention back to him. "What the hell was that?"
"Magic." Regina said simply. David recoiled then fear entering his eyes as he looked at Regina. All hell broke loose then as screams came from outside. David ran towards the station's entrance with Emma pulling Regina behind him. Henry tried to follow, but Snow stopped him. She locked the boy in her arms and pulled him to the safety of the sheriff's station.
Gold was standing in the middle of the street. Emma looked up to see a dark hooded figure circling around him. He was looking up at it, and it appeared to Emma that he was controlling it.
"Is that a fucking dementor?" Emma screamed.
"It's a wraith." Regina said fear shining in her dark eyes. The wraith swooped down then grabbing David. Emma watched as what looked like smoke pulled from David's body into the wraith's black hole of a mouth. Emma looked at Regina frantically. Her eyes widened as a fire ball formed on Regina's hand. It hit the wraith knocking it to the side, but it didn't stop until three more landed on it. David staggered then. Emma grabbed him keeping her hand firmly linked with Regina. Snow looked on in shock as David slowly got his bearings.
"What the hell was that?" Emma asked.
"A wraith." Regina answered. "You'd almost be correct in calling it a dementor."
David stood then displaying the mark on his hand. "Can we kill it?"
"No." Regina answered with a sigh. "It won't stop until it has consumed its target."
"What do we do?" Emma asked pleading with the brunette who still held firmly to her hand.
Regina thought for a second before an idea hit her. "Do you still have Jefferson's hat?"
"Yes." Emma said confused.
"We send it to another dimension." Regina answered.
The station became busy then. Henry was sitting in the office with Ruby. Ruby was there to protect him in case something went wrong. She'd displayed her wolf strength to Emma when she lifted a desk by herself to make room.
David was standing behind the hat to get the wraith to come towards it. Snow was standing near the office door tears streaming down her face.
"This is very dangerous." Regina said. "The wraith could kill us all."
Regina stood then looking down at the hat as Emma stood next to her. Emma pulled Regina towards her in a passionate kiss. David looked anywhere but at them. Ruby grinned while the Red inside of her wanted to be angry. Henry looked disgusted and turned his head. Emma forced her tongue into Regina's mouth getting lost in the feeling forgetting the situation and who they were around.
Snow cleared her throat then. "After this is over we can talk about how disgusting it is that your mouth has been on my daughters, but right now this isn't the place."
Emma pulled back then looking at a flushed Regina.
Regina squatted down next to the hat pulling the blonde with her. Regina spun the hat. It spun a few times as blue and purple swirled around it. Then, it stopped.
"Touch me." Regina said looking at Emma. Emma didn't say anything as she wrapped her hand around Regina's upper arm.
"How will this work?" Emma asked.
"You're the product of true love dear. The most powerful magic." Regina answered.
She swirled the hat again as what looked like a blue and purple tornado sprung from it. The two women stood as Snow opened the door. The wraith entered immediately. The women had miscalculated assuming the wraith would go around the portal to David. It headed right for Regina. Emma shifted to push the brunette out of the way as the wraith knocked her off balance sending her into the portal. Regina had been trying to grab her when she lost her footing and tumbled into the portal as it sucked in the wraith behind her.
David jumped but landed on cold ground as the portal closed. He stood with Henry, Ruby, and Mary Margaret staring down at the floor shock on all of their faces.
Emma landed on the ground with a thud as the brunette landed on top of her. They stood quickly as the wraith flew over them and threw the sky.
"We need to get out of here." Emma shouted.
"We're safe. It only goes after the marked." Regina said.
"Why did it go after David?" Emma asked.
"I think Gold commanded it too." Regina answered looking around at the forest that surrounded them.
"Where are we?" Emma asked thinking they were still in her world.
"Welcome to the enchanted forest." Regina said gesturing around her with both hands.
Emma's mouth fell open as she stared at Regina. Her world had just been turned upside down, and she didn't think it would be righted anytime soon.