"You know despite our differences," I say "I can always count on you to get things done"
We left the beach after Ariel gave us the artifact we needed to defeat Pan, and now we are walking inside the woods.
The weather is a little bit chili now, Thank the Gods, and I magic a coat to cover my body.
Gold walks in front of me inside the jungle and as we do, I put all my thoughts of Emma on the back of my mind and feel grateful that I am with him now.
Grateful that I found him when I was all alone.
Because now I know I have a real chance to find Henry.
And Emma, well…
Honestly, I don't even know what to think of her anymore.
Part of me still can't believe she sacrificed our son for the hope that her ex-lover is alive.
And the other part can't believe she left me.
"Unlike the rest of them," I say "You were right, they are just a liability"
"What happened to them?" Gold asks.
"Pan told them Neal is alive and of course Emma took the bait," I say bitter "such a waste of time"
And the moment the words leave my mouth I realize what I just said.
Or better yet, to whom I say those words.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I say quickly.
"Oh, no, don't be," Gold says "Neal is alive"
"What?" I ask in surprise.
I stop walking abruptly and Gold turns to look at me.
"Pan wasn't lying," Gold says "My son is here on the island. I've seen him"
"You saw him and you…you just parted ways?" I ask "You realize he may have a way off the island"
"Let's worry about the travel plans after we get Henry," Gold says, resuming his walk.
"There is something you are not telling me," I say, following him again "What happened when you saw him?"
"Look, all you have to know is, the next time we see him, will be when I'm putting Henry in his arms," Gold says "When father and son are reunited"
That fucking asshole.
How dare he say this to me?
Henry is my son.
Mine and… and Emma.
Gold walks away from me, but I cant' bring myself to follow him anymore.
I just stay and watch him go.
Because just now I'm realizing that it may have been a mistake to team up with him.
At least with Emma, we… we did things together.
We did what was best for our son.
Not that this matters now.
There is no us anymore.
It was true, Neal, he is alive.
And Emma is probably in his arms right now, while he promises her the moon.
Promises her a fucking happy ending where they can raise Henry together as a family.
Promises her everything that I wanted to promises her.
Was Emma telling the truth when she said she didn't have any feelings for him anymore?
Was she telling the truth when she said she wanted to be with me?
No, of course not.
Who am I kidding?
Villains don't get happy endings.
I shake my head and walk after Gold again.
Whether I like it or not, he is my only hope to save Henry now.
We walk for about one hour in absolute silence inside the jungle.
I'm walking ahead now, in this path full of thick leaves that I have to push away from my face every time, and then suddenly, as I push the last one that will take up to the open field, I suddenly see her.
Emma!
And the rest of the idiots, but I don't really notice them.
I just look at her.
Just like she is looking at me.
And then my heart starts to race a marathon inside my chest against my will.
But I can't let her notice that.
So I look at the other idiots and Tinker Bell and clear my throat.
Put my mask back on and speak with as much superiority as I can.
"If this is your version of a rescue party," I say "You got here just in time"
"What are you two doing here?" Snow asks looking at me.
"The same as you," I say looking back at her "except we actually have a chance"
I look at Gold standing right behind me and to his hands, holding the object that will defeat Pan for good.
"Pandora's box," I say proudly "We can trap Pan for eternity simply by opening the lid"
"He is not getting anywhere near Henry," Neal says looking at Gold.
"Bae…" Gold says.
"Why?" Emma asks "What are you talking about?"
"There is a prophecy that says that Henry will be his undoing," Neal says "He didn't come here to protect him, he came here to kill him"
That bastard.
I knew he was hiding something, I knew there was something odd about his behavior, but this…
I take a step back, facing that imp.
"That's why you didn't want to find Neal before we got Henry back," I say hurt "because you knew he would spill your secret"
"Everything I did was to protect Henry," Gold says looking at me and then the others "To rescue him from Pan"
"It all makes sense," Emma says, pointing her sword at him "You left before we even made shore"
They all point their weapons at him but Emma walks in my direction, putting herself in front of me without never putting her sword down.
And it's actually quite cute that she thinks she can protect me… from him.
"You are all making a mistake," Gold says "I don't care if the boy is destined to be my undoing. I won't hurt him"
"Because that sounds just like you," I say, behind Emma.
"Without me, you will fail," Gold says "I'm the most powerful amongst us"
"That's why we can't trust you," Neal says.
"If I could give you my dagger I would, but I can't," Gold says looking at Neal.
"But you can give me Pandora's box," Neal says, pointing at the box on Gold's hands "I don't have to trust you if I can stop you"
"Son…"
Gold walks in the direction of Neal and gives him the box.
To be honest, and knowing him as I do, I didn't expect that at all.
Not that I'm fool enough to trust him.
I know he can snatch that box back in a blink of an eye if he wants to.
Emma shouts that we should get a move on, and we all walk inside the jungle again.
Tinker Bell says we are one day away from Pan's camp and we can put the plan Emma put together so long ago in motion.
And this time, we actually have a chance of winning.
But first…
We need to rest.
I hate that we have to stop again, especially when we are so close to finally find Henry.
But they are all tired, including me, and if we are going on a war against that boy, we need to be in our best shape.
We find another open field to set up camp, but I walk a little further away from then and into the woods.
I magic my tent and get inside, flopping on top of the bed.
What a night!
Out of all the things that happened tonight, seen Emma again was…
"Regina?" I hear Emma's voice from outside the tent "Can you remove the protection spell, please?"
"Go away, Miss Swan," I shout.
"Regina, please, let me in," Emma says.
"I don't want to see you," I say "Go away"
"Regina, I am not leaving," Emma says angrily "So please, just take the spell away"
"No!"
I hear Emma walking away and as much as I know that I'm the one who sent her way, I feel my heart bleed inside my chest again.
Shouldn't she have fought harder?
Since when Emma just…
I hear a loud sound of something colliding against a tree and then Emma's scream of pain.
I quickly rose from the bed and walk to the entrance of my tent, but then I just stop.
I don't dare myself to go outside.
Everything is silent for a second and then I hear steps getting closer and closer to my tent again.
Emma!
The steps get faster and faster which makes me think she is running and then… then I hear a loud thud again and Emma's voice screaming in pain.
And that's when my eyes fill with tears.
And my heart squeezes inside my chest.
And then I hear it again, her running and then colliding against the tree.
And that scream of pain again.
"Please, stop," I shout, my voice choked.
"Let me in," Emma says in a weak voice.
"I can't"
Emma runs in the direction of the tent and once again, my protection spell sends her flying against a tree.
"Emma, please," I cry.
"I won't stop trying,"
I hear Emma running again and this time I can't take it anymore.
I wave my hand in the air and remove the protection spell, and Emma just runs past me inside the tent.
"Hey,"
Emma smiles at me before falling down on the floor.
I look at her and I see blood running on the side of her head and I can only imagine how the rest of her body is.
"You are so stupid," I say before kneeling beside her.
"Totally worth it," Emma smiles at me.
I take Emma's body inside my arms and close my eyes to summon my magic and then let it flood through my hands to heal her.
Emma's face twitches in pain and that breaks my heart into a million pieces.
I hate seeing her like that.
It takes a lot of energy and magic to heal her, but honestly, nothing can put a price on the smile Emma gives me when I'm done.
"You healed me," Emma whispers.
"Why did you do that?" I ask.
"Because," Emma lifts her arm to touch my face "You left before I could say I'm in love with you"
"Don't say that if you don't mean it," I cry.
"I'm in love with you, Regina,"
Emma gets up and captures my lips on a kiss and I let myself be kissed by her.
Because at every movement of Emma's lips against mine, I feel like every cell on my body has come to life again.
Because when she touches me I feel my magic running through my veins, wanting to explode.
Because I missed her more than I will ever care to admit.
Because I know I'm desperately in love with her.
"I missed you," Emma says when we break apart.
"What about Neal?" I ask her.
"What about him?" Emma asks me back.
"You left me for him…"
"Regina," Emma interrupts me "I didn't leave you for him"
"Yes, you did!"
I let go of Emma and get up from the ground.
I walk away from her and cross my arms while begging my eyes to stop watering.
"I had to go after him because I owed it to him," Emma says behind me "But we are even now"
"How can I believe you?" I ask, with my back to her.
"You asked me once if I trusted you," Emma says "Now, I'm the one asking you. Do you trust me, Regina?"
I close my eyes and let the tears fall down.
Memories of the day we spent together the day I asked her that question comes rushing through my mind.
I was so happy that day.
It was so strange because, how could I be that happy when Henry was missing?
But Emma made me happy that day in a way I never thought I would feel again.
The question Gold asked me on the beach pops into my mind. Was I jealous of not having someone?
Yes, yes I was.
"I want to," I whisper.
"I know I hurt you," Emma wraps her arms around my waist "But I had to do that Regina"
"So, you'll always run after him?" I ask.
"What do you mean?"
"If something happens to him right now," I say, turning around on Emma's embrace "Would you go after him again?"
"No!" Emma says firmly "I wouldn't"
"You did it before"
"I owed him before," Emma says "I chose you"
"I heard that one before," I say sarcastically.
Emma leans in and captures my lips on a kiss.
"I chose you," Emma says looking intensely in my eyes when we break apart.
"I can't trust that yet," I say sincerely.
"I know," Emma nods "But I will show it to you that you can"
I nod back and Emma smiles at me before capturing my lips on another kiss.
We flop in bed together, kissing, touching, feeling each other's bodies.
And that wonderful feeling of belonging wash over me when we finally fall asleep inside each other's arms.