A/N: This chapter was not easy for me to write, but I hope you guys still like it. Also, there are going to be some Regina/Robin moments, but I promise this is a SwanQueen book. It just takes them a bit to get there.

Alternating POV

Everyone sat with bated breath as they watched Emma stare down at the plate of food sitting in her lap. Snow had been the one to get up and make it for her. The plate contained two grilled cheeses and a soda. It wasn't healthy, but at the moment everyone only cared about getting Emma to eat. She might be the Dark One but they all felt eating would help, emotionally at least.

Regina took in a deep breath as Emma let out a low growl, directed at the opposite corner of the room. Not even a second later she dived into the grilled cheese with a fervor that made Regina nervous. Henry, who hadn't let go of Emma the whole time, seemed to not have noticed the growl and grinned at his other mother's actions.

All of the food and drink was gone in a blink, and Regina had no idea how anyone could eat that fast. She knew Emma loved to eat but the speed at which the sandwiches disappeared was not something she had ever seen from her before. 'Not that I ever paid attention to her eating habits or anything.' Regina lied to herself.

A hand brushing against her back brought her back to reality. Robin gave Regina's shoulders a soft rub, an attempt at comfort, and she let herself lean into it. Around this time Emma jerked slightly, whipped her head to glare at Regina and Robin for one second, then closed her eyes and looked away, muttering slightly under her breath. Regina narrowed her eyes and shifted. 'What the hell was that? I've never seen Emma even look as scary as a puppy. That was something completely different.'

Snow chose this moment to ask the question burning in everyone else's mind, "Emma… How are you, uh, how are you feeling?" Henry sat up and looked at Emma intently, the worry he felt evident. Emma shuffled in the bed and looked at her hands. She waited a few moments to respond, "I, uh… I guess I feel… fine?" She looked out the window, "I'm not hurting or anything, and I don't…" She growled softly for no reason Regina could discern, "I don't feel evil. I'm not really feeling anything at the moment."

"They expect you to, you know, They don't trust you, hell, they even put a magic dampening cuff on you; like a rabid dog that needs collaring." Nadie jeered at Emma. Emma just took in a deep breath and pushed down the rising frustration. Now was not the time to lash out, especially since it seemed it was all in her head. None of the others even noticed the constant chatter from the terrible bitch standing in the corner of the room. 'Not that I can even let them know. If I let this slip, then they'll also know how I messed up.'

Emma was so focused on ignoring Nadie that she missed part of what Regina said, "… while you were asleep?"

"Huh?" She replied.

Regina sighed, "I said: Did anything happen to you while you were asleep?"

Emma shifted again. She really didn't want anyone to know what happened, especially Regina. 'She'd probably get angry that I used dark magic to save her and Henry, even if it was just in a hyper-realistic simulation.' So, she deflected instead, "How long was I asleep?"

It was her family's turn to shift uncomfortably, "19 days, Emma." Snow said softly, almost guiltily.

"Damn." Emma whispered, then pulled Henry closer.

"If you hadn't been so stupid, we could've been finished much sooner." Nadie growled.

"I'm not stupid." Emma retaliated in a murmur.

"Ma? What did you say?" Henry's eyes narrowed in concern, much like Regina.

"That's a long time. Didn't feel like that to me." She said much louder, "So, what's the plan now? Is there a plan?"

It was silent for a moment as the adults decided if they wanted to push Emma for more information. David spoke up first, "Well… We've all been taking turns… researching about the history of the Dark Ones, and the location of the sorcerer."

"Ooh! I know this one!"

'Shut up Nadie,' Emma pleaded silently.

"Have you found out anything?" She asked. Everyone looked down, too regretful to look her in the eye.

"Of course they haven't! Dark Ones are much too complicated for your dumb little friends to even scratch the surface. Plus the sorcerer, she's long gone!" Nadie stepped closer to Emma, "You're stuck with me."

Emma sent a quick glare at the evil woman, then leaned forward and spoke in a low tone, "Tell me you found something."

Regina looked up and held Emma's gaze, "We are not giving up. Literature on Dark Ones and the sorcerer is very limited, but we will find something."

'Even if it's the last thing I do.' Regina added in her mind. She watched as Emma's face fell into a semi-snarl, then into a blank stare. Emma never acts like this, Regina thought. Sure, she got angry or frustrated, she repressed her emotions, but this felt different: like it contained something much darker. In addition, Emma kept looking at the same corner of the room like it was a monster, and Regina felt like she was missing something.

"Maybe now that you're awake we will have some more luck." Snow added, unwilling to let the sour atmosphere linger. David nodded supportively and moved to put his hand on Emma's, she jerked it away before they touched. She shook slightly as she did so.

"How about this! Let's go burn down the clock tower!" Nadie quipped, "Release all that anger and frustration, get back at those stupid peasants who thought they could mess with you!"

Emma jumped up from the bed, causing Henry to fall back into the bed, "Well, let's get started again, no use wasting time sitting around here." The others stood up at the same time. "Emma, you just woke up! No one's expecting you to be doing anything yet."

Emma looked at Snow, "I've just gotten over a week of rest! I need to do something."

'Who knows what I might end up doing if I don't distract myself.' She thought privately.

The intensity at which Emma spoke made Regina step forward and raise a hand slightly, "Emma, you can help, we just don't want you overwhelming yourself."

'... Or doing something that a Dark One would do.' Regina thought guiltily.

Emma sighed and crossed her arms, "Fine. Can I at least take a shower and put on some clean clothes? These ones stink."

"Of course, but you should probably know something first, before you look in the mirror." Regina said. Emma's face became slightly concerned, "What?"

"Well, your hair…"

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Regina and Robin sat at the island in her kitchen, each nursing a freshly made cup of coffee. Silence hung in the air, neither uncomfortable nor comfortable; it just simply was. Fatigue clung to Regina, covering the intense emotions she did not want to even think about.

Robin watched his soulmate stare intently at the warm liquid in front of her and wished he could help her work through what she was going through. He knew she held some insecurities, and the situation with Emma was bringing them out more than usual. She felt guilty that Emma was experiencing what she felt she was supposed to, and he had no idea how to help her.

So, he did the next best thing, he gave her a hug. Regina sighed and leaned into him, "I just don't know what to do. We've looked through so many books, and there's barely any information." Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke.

Robin rubbed her arm softly and nodded, "Well, it has only been a few weeks, maybe… maybe something will still come up?"

Regina leaned forward and laid her face into her hands, tired and drained. "I just don't want to fail her. She's counting on me— us."

Once again Robin nodded, "Of course."

They sat there for a while, once again silent, quietly hoping for a quick solution.

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Emma let the hot water run down her back, letting it burn away the tension she felt. Everything within her felt shaky, unsettled. While talking with her family it was easy to push down all the things she felt, but now that she was alone it was becoming almost impossible. Angry tears grew in her eyes, masking other, harder to face, emotions.

Images flashed through her mind before she could stop them: Snow's back being torn apart; dozens of StoryBrooke citizens clawing at her as she watched David get pushed from a tall building; Regina being torn apart by a tornado of darkness. She hated Nadie for making her experience those things. It did not matter that none of those situations happened for real, they were real to Emma at the time.

Pushing all those thoughts aside Emma finished washing up. She needed to do something other than thinking. After drying off she quickly put on her clean clothes, a tank top and sweatpants. She took a few seconds to look in the mirror and catalogue the differences, the main ones being her pale skin and white hair. She also noticed her eyes were also a very dark shade of green, nearly black.

Sighing, she pulled back and sat down on the edge of the very nice, extravagant, bathtub. Then she put her face in her hands and sat there. Tomorrow, she would be rejoining the world, fighting to keep her personality intact, to stop Nadie from taking over.

But for right now she just wanted a hug.