Chapter 8

Emma's dreams continued the same way for the next two years, each night dreaming of the same woman, standing under the same clocktower, time frozen at eight-fifteen. Every night she tried to find out more information about the woman, and every night she was given the same answer. "All I can tell you is what you already know." The woman repeated. Each morning Emma woke with a smile, the feeling of the woman's hand on her chest still lingering. Emma continued to visit the woman when she could, stealing a few moments here and there to gaze at the woman peacefully sleeping in the glass coffin. When she turned eighteen, she was given more responsibilities that took her away from the mysterious woman, and Emma found herself missing the sight of her.

Everything changed drastically one night a few months after her eighteenth birthday.

"Please don't take me back there." A small voice said behind her, as she pushed open the gate, the hinges squeaking slightly as it swung open.

"I have to." Emma said, as she walked quickly up the front walk, the young boy following behind her. "I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you.

"I don't have parents…" the boy whined, catching up with her. "Just a mom, and she's evil."

"Evil? That's a bit extreme, isn't it?" Emma asked, looking down at the boy in front of her.

"She is. She doesn't love me, she only pretends to." The boy said, his voice sad, as he looked down at the ground. Emma's heart broke suddenly, knowing exactly how it felt to think you were unloved. She wanted to hug the boy at that moment, but held back.

"Kid, I'm sure that's not true." Emma said, bending over to look at the boy face to face.

Suddenly, the front door flung open, and a woman rushed out towards them.

"Henry?" The woman yelled, running towards the young boy on the front walk. "Henry!" She said again, pulling Henry into her arms.

Emma froze when she saw the woman in front of her, clutching her son tightly. She was the most beautiful woman Emma had ever seen, and her heart pounded in her chest as she watched the mother and son reunion.

"Are you ok? Where have you been?" She asked, her voice laced with concern. "What happened?" She asked, finally looking over at Emma, who's lungs forgot how to breathe the brief moment the woman looked over at her.

"I FOUND MY REAL MOM!" Henry yelled, rushing past his mother, running into the house. The woman looked hurt as she took her time looking over at Emma.

Emma could see the hurt in the woman's eyes when she finally made eye contact for the first time.

"You're…You're Henry's birth mother?" She asked, her voice caught in her throat slightly.

"Hi." Emma said, smiling awkwardly.

"I'll just go check on the lad, make sure he's alright." Emma heard a voice say in the background. Her eyes never left the woman standing in front of her. She could almost feel how hurt she was by this new information, as she tried hard not to show the emotions on her face. She was silent for a few moments, Emma could tell she was trying to compose herself before speaking again.

"How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?" She asked after a few moments, a smile on her face for the first time. Emma's heart nearly stopped when she saw the woman smile.

"Got anything stronger?" She asked, as she followed the woman into the large house.

[~~~]

There was an explosion as soon as the woman opened the door, causing them both to fly backwards, hitting the stairs behind them hard. She could feel the fire before she saw it, as the stairwell quickly filled with smoke. They had been fighting before the explosion, and Emma was trying to push aside her anger as she assessed the situation. They both coughed as Emma quickly lifted the debris off the woman's leg, which had briefly pinned her to the stairs.

"Alright, come on, let's go." Emma screamed, choking on the smoke. "We got to get out of here." She said, offering her hand to help the woman up.

"I can't move!" The woman said, her face twisting in pain. "You have to get me out!" She yelled, frantically reaching for Emma's hand. "Help me!" She said, her face falling in fear when Emma hesitated.

Emma looked down at the woman, her eyes full of fear, as Emma turned her gaze towards the flames shooting through the door in front of them.

"You're going to leave me, aren't you?" The woman asked, anger replacing fear on her face, as Emma moved past her towards the door. She could feel the heat from the woman's touch through her jacket, as she angrily shoved the woman's hand off her arm, and jumped through the flames, leaving the woman alone in the stairwell.

Emma searched the room frantically, finding exactly what she was looking for a moment later. Grabbing the fire extinguisher, she rushed back from where she came, extinguishing the flames, clearing a path as she made her way back to the injured woman she had momentarily left behind. She grabbed her arm and quickly pulled her to her feet, wrapping her free arm around her shoulder, as she helped her hop out of the building on her good leg. It was the first time she had been this close to the woman, and although they were attempting to escape a fire, her heart was pounding for different reasons. Standing so close to her felt right. It felt right to have their arms around each other, holding each other close. Despite all the fighting and hatred they felt for each other, there was something about this woman that felt right for Emma.

"Oh oh ow! My Ankle!" The woman said, after Emma kicked the door open, leading them outside to safety. "Set me down GENTLY!"

"Seriously? You're complaining about HOW I saved your life?" Emma asked, gasping for breath.

"The firemen are here!" The woman said, rubbing her sore ankle. "It's not like we were really in danger." She said, hiding her face briefly from Emma.

"Fine. Next time I'll just…I'll just…" Emma said, her anger for the hateful woman building back up. "You know what? Next time I'll do the same thing. And the time after that because that is what decent human beings do. That's what good people do." Emma said, as she stormed away from the woman, her heart pounding in her chest.

[~~~]

"IT'S NOT WORKING!" The woman yelled, as she crouched on the ground in front of the hat. Behind them, the wraith was wailing, as David frantically lit the banister on fire.

"What is the problem?" Emma asked, as she briefly turned her attention to the woman, her hand reaching out for her subconsciously, as she tried to take in the situation around her. Emma still didn't quite understand this world she suddenly found herself in. One with magic and soul-sucking wraiths. A world with portals and magical wardrobes that transported newborns to different lands.

"Magic…" The woman said, her voice angry. "It's different here."

"NOW WOULD BE THE TIME!" David yelled behind them, swinging the flaming broom in the air around him.

Without thinking, Emma crouched next to the woman, her hand automatically moving to her arm, as if drawn to her by a magnet. The moment her hand touched the woman's arm, the hat began to spin wildly, purple smoke spilling out of it. The woman's face shot up to meet Emma's, her eyes wide with confusion. Emma couldn't focus on the opening portal in front of them. All she could focus on was the feeling she was getting, after touching the woman. She could feel energy coursing through her, energy coming from the woman next to her. She could feel her own energy pouring into her in the brief moment they shared.

"IT'S COMING!" David yelled, causing their moment to end, as Emma looked up to see the wraith coming towards them, moving straight towards the woman.

Emma didn't even think, she just reacted. She shoved the woman out of the way before the wraith could attack her, causing it to fall into the newly opened portal in front of them. The rest happened so quickly, it was all over before her brain processed what was happening. The last thing she heard, as the wraith pulled her into the portal along with it, was her mother screaming, "I'M NOT LOSING HER AGAIN!"

[~~~]

"I'll try to contain its energy as long as I can." The woman said, as they approached the glowing diamond.

"It won't be long. Soon we'll have the bean and we can get the hell out of here." Emma said, as she nervously shifted from side to side. She had a bad feeling about this, but she didn't know why.

"Slowing the device…is going to require all the strength I have." The woman said, her brown eyes meeting Emma's. There was a sadness behind them that Emma had never seen before.

"You're not coming with us, are you?" Emma asked, as she stared into the woman's eyes. "When you said goodbye to Henry, you were saying goodbye." She added, her heart shattering at the revelation.

"He knows I love him, doesn't he?" She asked, the sadness even more evident in her voice.

"No, there has GOT to be another way." Emma pleaded.

"You were right, you know…" She said. "Everything that's happening, it's my fault. I created this device. It's only fitting that it takes my life." She said, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. Emma was barely holding it together as she listened to the woman explain why she felt she needed to sacrifice herself to save everyone.

"What am I supposed to tell Henry?" Emma asked, as she felt the anger growing. She was angry that the circumstances would take the woman from her.

"Tell him that in the end, it wasn't too late for me to do the right thing." She said, smiling at the idea of finally making her son proud.

"Please…" Emma whispered, her heart silently pleading for the woman to stop.

"Everyone looks at me as The Evil Queen…including my son." She said, her eyes filling with tears. "Let me die as Regina…" She added, her voice cracking with emotion. They looked at each other for a few moments, before she prepared for the task that would inevitably end her life. Emma turned and started to walk out of the mines, turning around suddenly after taking only a few steps.

"Regina…I…" Emma started to say, when a sudden burst of energy poured from Regina's hands, attaching to the diamond before her.

It was too late. She was too late. Regina was going to die, and Emma missed her opportunity to tell her how she truly felt about her. Emma turned around and started running away. Away from Regina and the trigger.

A little while later, Emma found herself back down in the mines, this time with her parents and Henry in tow. Their plans had been ruined. There was no bean to take them all safely out of Storybrooke. All hope had been lost.

"I can't contain this much longer…" Regina said, struggling to hold on, as the trigger continued to suck the magic from her. The reality of the situation finally hit Emma, as she realized that they were all going to die, and there was nothing they could do about it.

"Mom…Dad…" Emma whispered, as she slowly walked towards her parents, their arms pulling her in for a strong hug, Henry pinned in the middle of them all. After a few moments, he pulled himself away, making his way over to Regina.

"I Love You, Henry." Regina said, as Henry approached her. "I only wish I was strong enough to stop all this…" She said, as she looked down at her son. "I'm just not…" She cried, as Henry wrapped his arms around her.

Emma pulled away from her parents suddenly, as a lightbulb went off in her head.

"You may not be strong enough…" Emma said, as she walked over to Henry and Regina. "…but maybe we are." They looked at each other for a few moments, their eyes wide with shock, as Emma slowly approached the trigger. Her parents grabbed Henry, and the three of them stepped back, giving Regina and Emma some room, as Emma took the last few steps towards the trigger.

Her heart was pounding in her ears, as she shifted her gaze between Regina and the trigger, slowly raising her hands. She didn't know how to use magic, she had only just found out she was capable of the act. She trusted her instinct and followed Regina's lead as she lowered her hands, light blue magic shooting out of the palm of her hands, aimed straight towards the trigger. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus on the trigger they were desperately trying to stop. All she could think about was the woman standing in front of her. All she could think about was Regina. Their bodies began to shake as the intensity of their magic increased, a sudden burst of energy throwing them back, hitting the ground hard, the empty trigger landing on the rock with a clink.

"We're alive!" David said, struggling to make his way towards Emma, who was laying on the ground a few feet away. Emma struggled to stand, her eyes instantly searching the room for Regina, who was struggling to stand a few feet away.

"We did it!" Emma said, pushing past her parents to make her way to Regina.

"Yes we did!" She smiled, as she looked deep into Emma's eyes.

Emma woke up suddenly, her eyes scanning the room to figure out where she was. Her dreams had been so real she didn't know where she was for a few moments. The sun was just starting the rise as she pulled herself out of bed, rushing out of her bedchambers.

She had to see her.

The rising sunlight filled the room as Emma pushed the door open, making her way over to the glass coffin.

"Your name is Regina…"

Each night, Emma continued to have vivid dreams about Regina, and their time in the strange land called Storybrooke. Each day, Emma woke up with a feeling of longing in her heart, a longing for a woman she had never met. Before long, Emma made it her life's mission to find out as much information about the mysterious woman as she could. She spent all her free time searching the royal libraries, looking for anything she could find that would give her some insight as to the life of the woman she couldn't stop thinking about.

One afternoon, Emma discovered a large volume hidden behind a large stack of books, buried deep in the royal library. The inscription read "The Evil Queen's Reign of Terror." in large letters. Emma read the pages inside in horror, finally understanding why her parents had sheltered her from the truth. Regina had killed hundreds of people on her quest for revenge against her mother. Still, no matter how many different accounts she read, she still couldn't bring herself to blame the woman who was asleep, hidden deep within the castle walls. She always maintained faith that, although she had done unspeakable things, she was still a good person. Buried next to the book was also a wooden chest, locked tight by a large lock. Emma spent hours searching for the key, but searching for a small key in a large castle was like searching for a needle in an enormous haystack. Once again, she never gave up hope, because deep down, she knew that whatever was inside that chest, had belonged to Regina.

"Emma…" Regina whispered, walking slowly over to Emma. They were standing at the town line, the sign that read "Now Leaving Storybrooke" only a few feet beyond the front of Emma's car, the sound of thunder brewing in the background. "There's something I haven't told you yet…"

"What now?" Emma sighed, her heart already shattered. She had to leave town. She had to take Henry and leave before everything was destroyed. She needed to leave her parents, but most importantly, she had to leave Regina. Her heart will always regret not telling the woman how she felt about her, and now it was too late.

"When the curse washes over us, it will send us all back. Nothing will be left behind." Regina explained. "Including your memories." Emma's heart started to break again as she tried to process the information. "It's just what the curse does. Storybrooke will no longer exist. It won't ever have existed. So these last years…will be gone from both of your memories…" Regina explained, her own heart shattering. "…and we just go back to being stories again."

"What will happen to us?" Emma asked, trying to remain composed, as she spent the last few moments with her family.

"I don't know…" Regina muttered.

"That doesn't sound like much of a happy ending." Emma said, her eyes fixed on Regina.

"It's not…" Regina whispered, her voice getting caught in her throat. "But I can give you one."

"You can preserve our memories?" Emma asked, her heart filling with hope.

"No. I can do what I did to everyone else in this town." Regina said, taking a deep breath to gain composure. "And give you new ones."

"You cursed them, and they were miserable." Emma said, feeling confused.

"They didn't have to be." Regina admitted, reaching to grab Emma's hand. Emma's heart began to race the moment Regina took her hand in between both of her.

"My gift to you is good memories. A good life for you…" Regina whispered, turning to reach for Henry. "…and Henry. You will have never given him up. You'll have always been together." Regina said, her voice laced with emotions, as she struggled to keep the tears at bay.

"You would do that?" Emma asked.

"When I stop Pan's curse, and you cross that town line, you will have the life you've always wanted." Regina explained, a stray tear falling from her eye.

"But it won't be real." Emma said, trying to contain her own tears.

"Your past wont, but your future will," Regina said, taking a deep breath. "Now go…" She said, trying to maintain a smile. "There isn't much time left. The curse will be here any minute."

Henry hugged Regina tight as Regina kissed his forehead one last time, before taking a big step back. Emma stared at her with nothing but pain in her eyes. This would be the last time she saw Regina. Her mother stepped forward and pulled her focus away from Regina, as she silently kissed her forehead, giving her a brave smile, before Emma turned and made her way to the driver's side of her trusty Yellow Bug. She climbed behind the wheel and started the engine, as Henry climbed into the passenger's seat beside her. Emma took one last look in the rear-view mirror as she put the car in gear, watching as Regina destroyed her curse, turning around to face the bright green cloud of smoke that was quickly approaching them. Emma kept her eyes glued to the back of Regina's head, as she drove over the town line, leaving her family behind. The moment the bug crossed the town line, her eyes focused back on the road in front of her, as they lost their memories of Storybrooke, Maine, and the people who inhabited it.

[~~~]

"How long do you think we have?" Regina asked, as she placed her box of ingredients onto the table in her office, eager to begin working on the memory potion.

"Until whoever cast this curse realizes you're not actually on the run from me? But until then, no one is going to suspect we're working together." Emma said, making her way over to Regina, who had already begun to unpack the materials needed for the portion.

"Let's see it." Regina said, turning her attention back to Emma.

"Is that enough?" Emma asked, as she passed the nearly empty vile to Regina, taking a seat at the table.

"Ah, to use…no…" Regina said, staring at the vile Emma had handed her. "But to replicate? I think so…" Regina said, prying the tiny cork out of the top of the vile.

"We could start waking people up, figure out who the hell sent everyone back here." Emma said, as she gazed back up at Regina.

"And I can make Henry remember me…" Regina said, her mind wandering to her son, who still didn't know who she really was. "Thank you." Regina said, her eyes soft, as she glanced over at Emma, before beginning the task of replicating the memory potion.

"For what? We haven't done anything yet." Emma said, a slight roll of her eyes.

"You saw how quick this town was to blame me." Regina said, turning her attention back to Emma. "But you, you believe I didn't cast that curse. I know that wasn't easy for you."

"Sure it was. I knew you were telling the truth." Emma said, her voice soft as her gaze found Regina's once again.

"Even though everything that has happened has put me right next to Henry?" Regina asked, returning to her task at hand. "Maybe this was some super complicated ingenious plan…"

"It wasn't." Emma said, interrupting Regina. "My superpower may not be perfect. But with you, Regina, I always know when you're lying." Emma said, smiling at Regina. "This time you're not. You didn't do it." Emma added, as Regina turned her attention back to her, her eyes softer than Emma had seen in a long time.

"Even though you know I can't live without him." Regina said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"There you go. Telling the truth again." Emma said, her heart pounding as she smiled up at Regina. Regina's eyes spoke volumes, as she looked over at Emma, speechless.

[~~~]

Emma entered the vault, already knowing Regina was down there. She could sense her somehow, even before she saw her standing in front of her mirror, her head down low.

"What do I have to do, to get you to leave me alone, Swan?" Regina huffed, turning around when she saw Emma's reflection behind her. "Go. Away." She growled.

"I'm an idiot!" Emma said, standing a few feet away from Regina.

"Finally, something we can agree on." Regina said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm an idiot because I've been down this road before." Emma said.

"Irritating me? Yes you have." Regina said. Her eyes once again spoke volumes, and this time it wasn't good.

"No, when I was a kid. Someone came into my life for a while, and I thought we were going to be…best friends. But this girl lied to me, and I pushed her away because of that lie. And she asked me to forgive her, but I never did." Emma said, as Regina once again averted her eyes. "It took some time, but I realized that was a mistake and I regretted the decision. But by then it was too late. The damage was already done. I don't want to make the same mistake again, Regina." Emma said, her voice softening, as Regina raised her head to meet her eyes again, the expression on her face less harsh than it was a moment ago. "Living in Storybrooke, I've got my son, and my parents. And I love them. But they can't always understand me. They don't know what it feels like to be rejected and misunderstood. Not like I do, not like you do." Emma said, pausing a moment. "And somehow that makes us, I don't know…unique. Or maybe even special." Emma said, as Regina's gaze once again returned to the floor. "I wasn't looking for you to assuage my guilt. I was just looking for you to be my friend."

"You thought we were friends?" Regina asked, her voice sounding shocked, as if she didn't believe that Emma could ever consider her a friend.

"Crazy, right?" Emma laughed, relieved that Regina's mood had shifted to a better one. "But…I thought it could be that it was possible." Emma said, her voice almost a whisper. "I'm not going to stop trying. Even if you still want to kill me." She said, her voice sounding sad, as she turned to walk away, her heart breaking with Regina's rejection.

"Emma, wait." Regina said a moment later, causing Emma to turn back. "I don't WANT to kill you." Regina said, her voice sounding more vulnerable than it had when Emma walked in.

"See! That's a start!" Emma said, her voice sounding cheerful, her heart suddenly full of hope. Hope that maybe Regina could come around and someday feel the same way she felt for her. Until then, Emma would be happy to be friends with her.

[~~~]

Emma's green eyes frantically scanned the screen as the periodicals on the screen flashed before her. Her eyes froze in shock as they focused on the blurry picture of a baby, with a star shaped birthmark on her right wrist.

"Lily…" She muttered, as she stared at the screen in disbelief.

"Ain't fate a bitch." Regina said, startling Emma. "You know this girl. How?" Regina asked.

"She…was…my friend." Emma whispered, her voice filled with regret.

"Oh. The one you told me about. Who you said you pushed away?" Regina asked, her voice growing soft, sitting on the edge of the desk.

"How is this possible?" Emma asked in disbelief. "Of all the kids in the world, the one I end up friends with is the one my parents banished?" Emma asked, looking up at Regina for answers.

"Emma, there are powers beyond our understanding, and your parents messed with them." Regina said, looking back at Emma.

"So the only friend I ever had, wasn't even my friend by choice?" Emma asked, her voice full of sadness.

"I know…" Regina said, her voice just as sad as Emma's. "It hurts, doesn't it." Regina added, as she averted her eyes. "I've been there too…"

"Yeah?" Emma asked, as her eyes snapped up to Regina when she heard the sadness in her voice.

"Do you think it's a coincidence that I just so HAPPENED to adopt the Savior's son?" Regina asked. "Our actions are our own, but fate pushes us." Regina said. Emma's mind was running a mile a minute when Regina mentioned fate, and she thought that maybe it was fate that brought the two of them into each other's lives. "Maybe it's time to push back."

"How?" Emma asked.

"Well, I have to go to New York to rescue Robin from my insane sister, and you have to find this girl to redeem your parents, and show Gold he's wrong about you, that he can't change you." Regina said, a smile forming on her face. "What do you say we help each other?" Regina asked.

"What? Like a road trip?" Emma asked, her face remaining cool as her heart skipping a beat at the idea of spending time with Regina.

"If that's what you want to call it." Regina answered.

"I'm ok, Regina. I don't need a babysitter." Emma muttered under her breath.

"But maybe I need you…" Regina said after a moment, her voice sounding sincere. "You've lived in New York. I've barely been outside of Storybrooke." Regina said, Emma's eyes wide as she looked up at the brunette in front of her. "How about it, Swan? How about we make today the day we BOTH beat fate?" Regina said, her face hopeful. Emma could hardly contain her excitement at the idea of her and Regina helping each other. Looks like they were taking a road trip to New York.

[~~~]

Anger was coursing through Emma's veins, as she chased down Lily, eventually causing Emma's bug to come to a screeching halt. Lily climbed out of the car, slamming the door as she tried to get away from Emma, who was already out of the car and rushing towards her.

"Hey…HEY!" Emma said, grabbing Lily's arm, twisting her around. "You know. You know everything. Did you know when we were kids?" Emma asked, her eyes wide with anger, as she fired the questions.

"Of course not." Lily replied.

"But now?" Emma asked, trying desperately to calm down.

"Yeah." Lily said, her eyes boring into Emma's. "I learned it all."

"How?" Emma asked, desperately clutching to keep her emotions in check. She could see Regina standing in the background, her presence the only thing keeping her sane.

"Does it really matter? It doesn't change anything. You screwed me over before we were even born." Lily said, her demeanor changing suddenly.

"I had no more say in what happened than you did." Emma said, desperately trying to see Regina over Lily's shoulder.

"But your parents did. And the minute I get to Storybrooke…" Lily started to say.

"YOU LAY A HAND ON THEM, I END YOU!" Emma screamed, snapping, as she shoved Lily to the ground.

"EMMA! STOP!" Regina yelled, her voice pulling Emma back from the darkness.

"Yeah? And how are you going to do that without your magic, Savior?" Lily asked, as she climbed back to her feet, swinging hard.

Lily's fist made contact with Emma's face, knocking her back. A crack of thunder erupted, as the headlight on Emma's bug exploded suddenly. Emma's eyes filled with anger as she wiped the blood from her lip.

"Your parents were monsters, Emma. They banished me and threw you in a wardrobe. And now, here you are, ready to die for them because you're so perfect. A Savior." Lily said, anger growing in both women. "Well they deserve to be punished. And there's only one way to stop me, and you know it." She said, as she lunged towards Emma once again. Emma threw Lily to the ground, before she was completely lost in her anger.

Emma pointed her gun at Lily, who kneeled in front of Emma, arms open. Regina watched in horror, as Emma continued to hold the gun in front of her, her eyes wide with anger.

"Of course it ends this way. It just makes too much sense." Lily said, accepting her fate.

"I'm just trying to stop you from doing something you'll regret." Emma said, shifting her eyes to Regina for a second, allowing her to briefly regain composure.

"You can't." Lily said, trying to rip Emma's composure. "Thanks to you, I'm hardwired for bad decisions. So come on. Put me out of my misery. You know the truth. We both know my life isn't worth saving. And if you let me go, I will destroy everything. That's what I do. So come on, be the hero and end this right here before it even starts."

Emma was losing her composure, and tightening her grip on the gun she still had pointed at Lily. She was so caught up in her anger, she didn't see Regina begin to slowly inch closer to her.

"Come on, Emma…" Lily said, egging her on.

"Swan!" Regina said, attempting to grab Emma's attention. "Put the gun down." She said, her voice stern but surprisingly soft. Emma was silent as she stared at Lily in front of her. "If you pull that trigger, you will be the one who ruined your life this time. And Henry's. And your parent's. And everyone else's."

"I have to protect them." Emma said, her eyes unblinking.

"Then lower the gun!" Regina said. "Your parents need a hero, not a murderer."

"I'm already a murderer." Emma said coldly.

"Cruella was an accident." Regina said, her voice softening. "But if you cross this line, the journey back isn't easy…trust me, I know." Regina said, pausing for a moment. "This is what Gold wants you to do. So DON'T!" Regina said, pleading with Emma. Emma's gaze softens slightly at the sound of Regina's pleas. "Emma. You're better than this."

Emma felt the anger disparate as she slowly lowered the gun, Regina's words once again bringing her back from the edge. She desperately wanted to hug Regina at that moment, to feel her arms wrap around her. But she also knew if she did that, Emma would completely lose it and sob in her arms, and right now, she needed to remain strong.

When Emma woke up she could still feel the anger from her dream coursing through her veins, the need to be near Regina still just as strong. She didn't understand why she kept having these strange dreams in a strange world, with a woman she has never met before. But deep inside, she liked the dreams. She liked spending every night with Regina, even if it was only in her mind. The sun was just starting to peek through the clouds as Emma climbed out of bed, her heart still longing to be near Regina, as she quietly made her way down to the forgotten room where the forgotten woman slept.

"In one of my dreams last night, you said that fate pushes us. Do you think it was fate that brought me to find you?" Emma asked, as she gazed down at the sleeping woman in the glass coffin. "If it is fate that brought me here, could you ask fate to help push me towards the missing key I've been searching for? We could call it an early birthday present." Emma laughed. "I'll be twenty-four next week, if you care…" Emma said. Just then, a sunbeam came through the window, illuminating Regina's face. The light reflected off something just below Emma's sight, catching her attention. Tucked underneath Regina's waist was what looked like a small key, the top peeking out.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Emma laughed to herself, as she carefully pushed the top of Regina's coffin aside, just enough for Emma to stick her hand inside and retrieve the key, her heart stopping for a moment, as her hand grazed Regina's dress. Emma carefully replaced the lid, looking down at the small key in her hand, rushing out of the room without saying goodbye.

She ran back to her room, and pulled the chest out from it's new hiding place under her bed, resting it gently on top of her bed. Settling into the middle of the bed, Emma slowly inserted the key into the small keyhole in the lock, turning it until the lock clicked open, finally allowing her access to the mysterious chest. She slowly lifted the lid and discovered the chest was filled with several items. A silver hairbrush, an intricate looking glass with a large crack extending from one corner to the other. What really peaked her interest was the stack of ten or so leather bound books, the bottom ones looking worn. She carefully pulled out one of the books, slowly opening the cover. "Regina" was written on the first page, in elegant cursive.

"These are your journals…" Emma whispered, as she started pulling the rest of the books out, trying to put them in order based on the dates of the first and last pages. When she opened the cover of the book that looked to be the oldest, a thin gold chain fell out, landing softly on the blankets in front of her.

Emma gently lifted the delicate chain and inspected the small pendant attached to it. A small circle with the letter "R" swung slightly in front of her face, a wide smile reaching across her face. Just as she was about to jump out of bed and run back down to Regina, there was a soft knock on the door, indicating her free time was over, and her royal duties were just beginning.

It would be another few days before Emma was able to see Regina again, sneaking down to her forgotten room in the middle of the night. She slowly pushed the top of Regina's glass coffin aside, as the moonlight creeped in the window.

"I found this." Emma said, dangling Regina's necklace in front of her face. "I thought you might want it back." She whispered, gently reaching inside, clasping the delicate chain around Regina's still neck. "I also found your journals. Would it be alright if I read them?" Emma asked, half expecting Regina to respond.

She stared at Regina for a few moments, before a shaky hand reached to gently cup Regina's still face. The moment her hand touched Regina's face, she thought she could faintly hear a voice in the back of her head, one that wasn't her own, whisper "Yes." Emma smiled as she nodded, before replacing the lid.

"I'll see you soon." Emma said, as she made her way to the door. "I'll see you in my dreams…"