Chapter 6
Archie was startled from the dream interpretation research he'd been conducting by a knock at his door. He was somewhat confused about whom it might be since his first appointment wasn't for another hour but he moved swiftly to answer it all the same. Standing on the other side was Emma Swan; who appeared to be somewhat anxious given the furrowed brow and the crossed arms.
"Emma, what can I help you with?" he asked, concerned.
"We need to talk," she expressed, stepping in without invitation.
"But your next appointment isn't for another week," he noted as he shut the door.
"I know," she replied, "this isn't about me. It's about Henry."
Dr. Hopper's face changed from confusion to concern at this statement, "What do you mean? Is Henry alright?"
"Physically he's fine, just missing a few hundred tears," Emma explained. "This whole dream thing that's going on with the town is really bothering him; like a lot. He's worried that it means the curse is breaking and that, if that happens, the entire town is going to be out for Regina's blood. He believes it so much that he made me vow to protect her if that ever happens. It's torturing him, Doc, and I really don't know what to do at this point besides talk to you about whether or not letting him surrender to this fantasy is still the best idea."
"I see," he nodded, thinking through what might be the best protocol for the situation. "The thing is, Emma, these dreams coincide extremely well with his psychosis. Honestly, the parallels are so endless that even I'm having issues trying to make sense of them outside the context of the fairytale."
"Whoa, Archie," she put up her hands as if to reign in a horse. "Please tell me you aren't starting to believe in it too?"
"No, no," he shook his head and paced. "Nothing like that, I just... there are sometimes these fleeting thoughts about reality and what it really means. You have to understand I'm afflicted by the dreams too. But I certainly don't believe that I used to be a talking cricket."
"Are we sure about that?" Emma looked at him sideways.
He sighed aloud at the insinuation, "Yes, of course. All I'm saying is that people are starting to question things. Things that adults should never question. Things that they know aren't real, but seem so given all of the coincidences. But these are adults with lives and mortgages and relationships. Imagine if you were a child. This only further serves to ingrain the truth of the fallacy into Henry's brain. This unarguable proof of his theory and to try and shake that up would only do one of two things: disrupt his sense of reality on a catastrophic level, or further ingrain him in his isolationism and belief."
"Or maybe he just has a bad day at the shrink, comes home and cries to his mom, gets taken out for ice cream and forgets about the whole thing after receiving a couple of very expensive video games that will help him play out other fantasies."
"Emma, it's not that simple," he said, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Then make it that simple!" she demanded and then realized her tone.
Breathing in calming air, the desperate "kinda-mom" tried to continue.
"Archie, it's hurting him now. I was reticent about it when he brought me to this place, I played into it and even liked it when I'd get to see the smile on the kid's face, but now... Now it's too much. He's scared to death that his mom is going to die. I can't just sit back and watch him feel that way if there's something I can do about it."
He simply stared at her, trying to calculate the harm it might do to unravel this very intricate web he'd allowed to exist for so long. But Emma didn't want to wait.
"Plus, things have changed," she explained as a last ditch effort. "Since Regina and I have been... doing better," she settled on, "he hasn't been so focused on bringing her down. He's actually just kind of been living in the now. He's been happy and that has everything to do with the outside, not the inside. The fantasy is what's causing him to regress and I want to you end it tomorrow during his session."
He shook his head, "I don't know if going cold turkey is the best solution to this problem, Ms. Swan. And frankly, even if I did, you don't have the authority to tell me to do so. Only Mayor Mills can do that."
Emma narrowed her eyes and smiled at him, "That shouldn't be a problem considering she's the one who sent me. Regina gave me the rundown about how you once threatened to testify against her in court should I try to take custody of Henry the last time she asked you to shut this thing down. You can call her right now and get the go ahead or you can take me at my word. Either way Dr. Hopper, this ends tomorrow."
Archie was taken aback by Emma's very demeanor as she made her demand and started to leave the room. There was something both familiar and off kilter about the way she was behaving.
"I hope you plan to keep your next session, Sheriff," his tone was worried and warning, causing her to stop in her tracks. "One of you is certainly starting to change but I'm not so sure it's Regina. Perhaps she's rubbing off on you more than you're rubbing off on her."
Emma took in his words and turned to swiftly approach him.
"You don't even understand that you're part of the problem, do you?" she pressed. "Everyone in this town demonizes Regina, even the one person who is absolutely supposed to uphold an objective opinion. How is she ever supposed to be able to trust, let alone love and respect others, if she can't even receive that from the person in charge of her mental well being?"
Before he had a chance to answer she simply shook her head and walked away saying, "You can cancel our next session, Dr. Hopper. I think I've finally figured things out."
He jumped as the door slammed behind her and stood there contemplating both her words and his own. Archie wondered if it was possible that his mind had been manipulated by all of these dreams... Especially the ones that featured an evil queen that looked so much like Regina.
"Yes dear, he did call and I told him I'm in complete agreement with you and defer to your judgement," Regina spoke earnestly into her cell phone. "Thank you so much for believing in me."
The last words she swallowed as if they were a lump in her throat the size of Wonderland.
"No," she added, "Sadly, I won't be able to make it to lunch. I've got an important business meeting, but I do hope to see you at dinner."
She smiled sadly at the reply.
"Of course you can stay the night, dear," was her reply. "I'd like nothing more. I'll see you later."
She ended the call and strolled into the shop as if she were about to make a purchase on a gently used guitar... but she wasn't.
"Gold!" she demanded before the bell on the door had even stopped ringing. "Where are you?"
"Right here, Your Majesty," he said casually, holding a box before him that he knew was about to change Emma Swan's world. "Shall we completely dismiss the pleasantries?"
Regina snarled at him, "You know damn well what I came for, now give it to me and hold your smart tongue."
"Bit demanding today, aren't we dearie?" he toyed with her. "Considering the position you're in, I'd be rethinking my tone about now."
She took in a deep breath and tried to even out her inflection.
"Given that you're the one who put me in this position, I would think you'd be more than happy to hand over the goods but, no matter. Can I please have the bottle?"
He pushed the box towards her but kept a tight grip on it as she went to pull it away.
"A word of warning for this gift's unlucky recipient," he said, his words full of foreboding. "There's a nasty new rule attached to this magic in the current world in which we live. Once the bottle is full, the shell that once held the life-force shouldn't dare go past the town line. If the sheriff tries to leave Storybrooke the enchantment will be broken. And a body without a life-force... Well that's just-"
"A corpse," the words fell from Regina's mouth as her eyes took on a dead stare.
"That's right," he nodded. "If you want Ms. Swan to live through this. You're going to have to keep her from trying to escape the Evil Queen."
Her eyes misted as they met his again.
"You bastard," she spat.
He narrowed his eyes at her, "You really do love her don't you?"
"I don't see how that matters," she said, quickly wiping an escaped tear from her cheek.
He huffed through a smile and finally let the box go.
"It matters because now this amuses me far more than it did before," his cruel tones seeped directly under her skin as he finally released the box. "Regina Mills: murderer, manipulator, destroyer of an entire world is now about to ruin her own happy ending because she simply can't give up control. Couldn't have happened to a nicer girl."
The fire in her gaze could have rivaled the heat of the sun.
"If ever I find a way to bring the magic back I will break every single part of you," she snarled.
Gold's smile only grew, "I doubt that very seriously, Your Majesty. It's not often that the student outsmarts the teacher. But I do admire your spirit. You know where to find me should that ever happen?"
"Go to hell," she shook her head and made her exit.
"Oh no, dearie," he said to no one but himself, "I'm fairly certain that's where you're about to send yourself and Ms. Swan."
Once again, Emma sat through another silent dinner at the Mills' residence and tried to figure out what was going on with Regina. It was just the two of them because Henry decided to participate in some sort of lockdown orchestrated by the nuns. When the meal ended the blonde head shook as its owner thought desperately about what she could possibly do to fix the situation while she finished cleaning up. She knew it probably had something to do with all this dream nonsense that was going on throughout the town but she had no idea how to fight something that wasn't actually real. She decided to go for the normal pleasantries as she entered the study to find Regina pouring two tumblers of cider.
"Dinner was great, as usual," she offered a hopeful tone as she sat down on the couch. "Thanks for having me over."
A sad smile crossed luscious red lips, "I enjoy your company. I know it seems so strange to say that after everything that's happened in our past but I truly do."
Emma couldn't help the full-on grin that took over her features, "I like hanging out with you too. A lot."
"I hope you continue to enjoy it," Regina muttered, half to her companion and half to herself as she eyed the dark liquid in the bottle she'd procured from Gold.
The statement caused Emma's face to fall once more.
"Regina, please tell me what's going on with you," she begged. "I can't help you if I don't know what's going on inside your head."
Brown eyes misted over as she tried to find the right words for a reply, "I'm going to have to tell you something tonight that you're not going to like. In fact, I'm pretty sure you're going to hate me for it. But I have to do it all the same."
Emma swallowed hard and tried to imagine what it could possibly be. Maybe it wasn't about the dreams. Maybe it was about their complicated relationship or, even worse, Henry.
"Is it about Henry?" she asked, fear cutting through her voice. "Are you having second thoughts about how much I get to see him now?"
"No," Regina shook her head adamantly as she grasped the bottle and twisted off the top. "No, I promise you, I won't try to do that anymore. Henry loves you and I do believe now that you love him. I won't allow you two to be separated."
She poured the liquid into one of the glasses as a tear fell to join it.
Emma let out a sigh of relief as Regina moved to sit next to her, both drinks in her hands.
"Is it about us?" she asked, her face falling again. "Have you... have you decided that this isn't what you want? That I'm not what you want?"
The ache in her chest reminded Regina so much of what her life was like before her mother killed Danielle. Back when happiness did exist and was to be cherished and protected because it could so easily be taken away. What she was about to do to Emma was absolutely terrible, and here the woman was worried that she didn't want to see her anymore. The irony was breaking her heart.
"No," the dark locks shook as she held tight to the glass that would change both of their lives forever; not quite ready to give it up. "No, quite the opposite. I want you in my life very much."
Finally Emma smiled again, "Ok, then I'm gonna need to you to calm down because whatever this thing is we can figure it out together. Because I don't know if you've noticed but I'm kind of a big fan of being in your life. It's the first time in a long time that that's happened for me. I mean, you said it yourself; I used to run a lot. I didn't have any kind of anchor before but then I met Henry and I had a reason to stay. And after that you... well you spilled coffee on me and let me in. It feels good."
The words put Regina completely at war with herself. On the one hand she wanted to throw the drink across the room and bury her face in Emma's neck while she told her the truth about everything... but, on the other hand, she knew that the only way to truly protect Emma and ensure that they stay together was to hand the glass over. The insecure and afraid portion of her brain finally won out. The Savior of Storybrooke had just told her that she wanted them to be together. One way to ensure that was to go ahead with her plan. So, with a heavy hand and a guilty conscience, she handed the cursed drink over to the one person who actually might be her true love.
There's something that happens inside you when someone destroys your trust. When they do something so heinous that you can't even believe it's real at first. It's as if your very window to reality suffers a crack that will always be there as a reminder of the distortions you previously allowed yourself. A part of you breaks and is never fully repaired again. It's supposed to keep us from making the same mistakes twice. Like a burn from touching a hot stove.
But, for Emma Swan, all of that was much bigger when she realized that she couldn't trust Regina anymore. Because it wasn't just her reality that was broken; it was everyone's.
As the last few drops of liquid slipped past her teeth and down her throat a burning started deep within her chest. And it had nothing to do with the alcohol.
"Regina, something's wrong," she said as she grasped at her throat.
"I know dear, but it's going to be alright," she moved to help steady her, "I promise."
"No, my chest; it's tight," Emma rasped through jagged breaths. "I think I'm having a heart attack or something. Arrhghaa."
She screamed and fell to the floor on her hands and knees, when suddenly it felt as if her entire being was ripped from her body through her mouth. Her eyes strained to stay open as she witnessed a shimmering purple mist escape from her throat and funnel into a small bottle sitting on the coffee table. Falling to the floor after the violent episode had passed, she watched as Regina moved to stopper the bottle and then come back to her side.
"It's ok," she said, stroking Emma's face. "It's over now. Everything is going to be alright."
"What are you talking about?" she asked as she started to pull herself into a sitting position. "What's going on? What is that thing?"
Regina looked at her as tears ran down her face, "It's the only way that I can truly protect you."
She stroked the face framed so beautifully by flowing blonde curls as she continued, "And it's what I was afraid to tell you earlier."
"Then tell me now, Regina, what is in that bottle?" Emma demanded as she stood.
Regina stood as well; scared to death of what she was about to admit.
"It's your life-force, Emma," she said plainly. "Your mortality is now held within that bottle. While it's in there you are impervious to any life-ending harm as long as you stay within the confines of this town."
Emma looked at her as if she'd gone completely insane but the mayor did not falter.
"You can't be serious," she said as she moved closer to her. "Regina, I may have had a bad case of heartburn and a momentary acid flashback, but that is certainly not my life force trapped inside a glass vial! Please tell me that you don't actually believe that."
"I don't believe it, Emma, I know it," she looked down. "I know it because that's what I used it for. I did this on purpose so that we wouldn't break the curse and you wouldn't get hurt."
Or leave me. She added to herself in her own head.
Emma became intensely worried as she moved closer to the woman to try to calm her down.
"Oh my God, Regina please, you have to come back down to Earth with me. There is no curse. I know that there are a lot of weird things going on in the town right now but you can't start believing all of this stuff. It'll drive you crazy."
"I'm not crazy," the dark head shook sadly. "I'm trying to tell you the truth."
"And what happens if I smash that bottle, huh?" she asked, moving to do just that.
"Nothing will happen, Emma. The bottle is enchanted; it can only be opened by me."
"Oh, yeah," she grabbed it and put her fingers on the stopper. "Watch this."
But as she tried with all of her might to pull the top from the bottle, it simply would not budge. After a few seconds of failed attempts, she let loose a frustrated 'fuck it' and hurled the bottle toward the hardwood floor. It's only reply was a resounding thud of victory as it remained intact.
"What the hell?" she asked.
"I told you," Regina's voice was starting to take on a frustrated tone as she walked over to pick up the bottle and remove the stopper. "It can only be opened by me."
Once again, Emma's eyes grew wide as she tried to understand the situation she found herself in. She shook her head to try to clear her thoughts.
"I must have loosened it for you," she theorized.
"Ugggh," the frustrated brown eyes were rolling now as she put the stopper back in the bottle, "Fine, try again."
She tossed the bottle to the disbelieving sheriff who, once again, tried desperately to open it and failed.
"I don't understand," the blonde head shook as she tried to fathom the secret of opening the bottle.
"That's because you're not listening to me," Regina came closer and snatched the bottle back. "Emma, this is real. All of it's real. The fairytales, the curse... Henry isn't crazy and I need you to believe me because there's a rule that comes with this bottle and you must abide by it"
Green eyes narrowed, "You really do believe this, don't you? You think that you're the Evil Queen and that you somehow trapped my life force in that bottle."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you," she replied earnestly stepping closer to her. "I had no choice."
"Do you have any idea how screwed up this is, Regina?" Emma moved back. "I mean, even for you. Let's just say for a second, I can suspend disbelief enough to ride on this crazy train and believe that not only are fairytales real and you're Snow White's evil stepmother, it also means that you've basically betrayed me in one of the most psychotic ways imaginable."
"That's why I'm so sorry," Regina said emphatically.
"So, you would really do that to me? Take my life from me?"
"To protect you," Brown eyes begged for her belief.
"Oh Regina," tears formed in her eyes as she spoke. "You need to see Dr. Hopper and talk to him about this. And I need to get out of here because this has become far too insane for me to deal with right now."
As she turned to leave, Regina pulled her back by the arm.
"Emma, I know you don't believe me about this but you have to promise me that you will not leave town. If you cross the Storybrooke line the magic in this bottle will cease to exist and you'll die."
Emma's chest heaved as her anger grew, "You know what? That's exactly what I'm going to do and you're going to come with me. I'm going to prove to you that this is all a load of crap and then we are going to spend a little time apart so you can think about how trying to control others isn't the answer to all of your problems."
"Emma, no, you can't," Regina implored, scared beyond measure that Emma would actually try to leave and end up dead. "Please don't make me prove this to you."
"How the hell do you think you're going to prove this to me?" she asked, arms out.
Regina swallowed hard as she moved toward the fire and pulled the stopper from the bottle again; a single drop of liquid resting at its base.
"This drop represents one year of your life. If it's extinguished, that year will be lost forever," she explained sadly.
"Oh my God, fine," Emma said, throwing her hands up in frustration.
And before she could recognize what was happening, Regina watched as Emma grabbed her hand and flicked it toward the fire. The instant the drop touched the fire the sheriff fell to her knees and screamed in pain. Once again she grasped at her chest as fire shot through her entire body. It was the worst pain she'd ever felt in her entire life and if seemed to go on forever.
Finally, when it started to abate, she found herself cradled in Regina's arms; a litany of 'I'm sorrys' issuing forth. She tried with everything she had to explain this away but she couldn't. The only thing that made sense was that the woman holding her was truly an evil queen from a fairytale and she'd just taken her life away from her.
"It really is all true, isn't it?" She asked, her eyes caught in a far away gaze.
"Yes it is," was the solemn reply.
"And if I leave town I'll die?"
"Yes."
Emma broke away and stood to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"Away from you," she answered without looking back.
The words cut through Regina like a knife. She'd trusted Emma when she said she'd be there for her even if she was the Evil Queen and now there they were: the Savior and the villain completely at odds with each other. Just as Gold had wanted.
"How quickly we all return to what we know best," Regina spat as she stood. "I recall just last night you spouting off words of acceptance and loyalty. Now that everything is real and in your face, your reaction is to leave. How very predictable of you, Ms. Swan.
Emma stopped at the venomous tone and considered her next words.
"Oh believe me, I'm not leaving for good," she turned back and moved right into Regina's face. "I'm not leaving until I find a way to get whatever that purple stuff is back and when I do, I am going to do everything I can to not only break this curse, but to get my son as far away from you as possible."
"That's going to be rather difficult to do with your life literally in the palm of my hand," Regina fired back and found herself thrust against the wall with Emma's hands clutching tightly at her shirt
"Has this been your plan all along?" she asked. "All of it? All of the flirting, the dinners, the kindness; has been nothing more than bullshit tactics to get me right where you wanted me?"
Regina's anger began to dissipate somewhat at the implications. For some reason, even though it seemed that they were getting dangerously past the point of no return with each other, she didn't want Emma to believe that what transpired between them before was malicious.
"No," she answered back softly, "that was all real."
Tears born of anger, hatred and loss started to break free from the emerald eyes that bore back into her.
"Then why are you doing this? Why can't you just give me the bottle and let us work this out?"
"Because even if I hadn't changed in your eyes, you've changed in mine," Regina said defiantly; her anger returning. "You looked at me just as they all did in that different world. You chose to run instead of staying to fight. You lied to me too, Ms. Swan. You just didn't realize it until tonight. Now, back away from me. I won't be requiring your services tonight."
The implications that bubbled just below the surface of both her words and tone forced a shiver through Emma's body that frightened her to the core. She had known this woman as the vindictive Mayor Mills and she had experienced her as the passionate and audacious Regina, but right now Emma knew that she was looking into the eyes of the Evil Queen. Stepping back she wondered if she would ever see the other two faces again.
Then a wicked smile grew upon lips that had just recently caressed her own and Emma knew that those chances were very slim. She was the quintessential mouse being toyed with by the cat at this point; and that thought scared and angered her beyond words.
Archie awoke from the first dreamless sleep he'd experienced in weeks to the sound of someone banging on the door to his apartment. Jumping quickly out of bed he grabbed the robe that lay slumped over his reading chair and jogged to answer the door. To his immense surprise, he saw a distraught Sherriff Swan on the other side.
"Emma, what's wrong?" he asked.
"There's been a change of plans regarding Henry's therapy," she told him as tears ran down her face.
"It's ok," he said, beckoning her inside. "Why don't you come in and we'll talk about it."
"No, um... I can't, I need to get home," she wiped at her unruly tears. "Just please do whatever you think is best for him. And if you think that's keeping up this fairytale thing then do that."
"Emma, something is obviously very wrong with you right now. I think you need to talk to someone about it."
"I can't do that," she said, though she wished so desperately that she could. "Just please promise me you'll do everything you can to take care of Henry. Even if it gets scary with Regina. Even if you have to fight me on it. Please don't let anyone lead you astray from what's right with the kid."
She thought for a moment about who Archibald Hopper truly was and a small but real chuckle escaped her lips.
"Just let your conscience be your guide," she said with a somber smile. "Ok, Archie?"
His face showed the pain he felt for her, but he nodded all the same at her request, "You can count on me, Emma."
"Good," she nodded. "I need that right about now."
A/N: Alright guys. I'm done with the other fic I was working on for a while so I should have more time to work on this one. I hope you like it so far.