Hello everyone, I am sorry for this delayed update, but I hope you guys are still interested to know what will happen in this fic. – I have been busy with life but now I got a bit of time and it seems my muse is back.

So, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 2: "I don't know…"

Regina's Home

"So, what are we gonna do?" Henry asked. He was sitting down on the couch in the living room with his other two mothers. Regina was just pacing around behind the couch; Emma had stopped looking at the brunette because she was already getting dizzy just by watching her moving around non-stop.

"Well," Emma paused for a moment before shrug, "I guess we stop her." There weren't many options in this matter, they just had to stop her before she destroyed this town because it was clear that was her plan.

"Stop her? Do you think it's just that easy?" Regina said a bit angry, but she kept her view down while pacing around.

"Well no, but…what choice do we have?" Emma said as she looked up at the other woman, when was she going to stop pacing? She'd create a big hole in the ground, and the noise of her high heels hitting the wooden floor was starting to annoy Emma. "Don't worry, we got this," she said, hoping it would calm down the mayor, but of course, nothing could calm her down at this moment.

"We don't got this, Emma! We barely got it last time!" Regina let out a groan of frustration at the end of her words and Emma frowned at her. She could understand that this was a touchy subject and that she was upset, but there was no need for her to take out her anger on the blonde. Even though, Emma should be used to it by now.

"Hey, calm down, we will figure something out," even if Emma was trying to calm Regina down, she was starting to get upset because she knew the mayor was about to turn into that kind of person that Emma didn't like to deal with so much, which was her angry side that usually pushed people away.

"Don't tell me to-" Before Regina could continue her words, Henry had quickly interrupted because he already knew how this was going to end. It's like they traveled a couple of years back and he was dealing with them bickering with each other again.

"Okay! Listen!" He started before to stand up from the couch and look at his both mothers, "we know why she is here and we know who she wants the most. So that's a pretty good advantage we have over her, right?" He forced a small smile.

Since it was Henry talking, Regina seemed to easily calm down, but she was still very worried and upset about this, however, with her son, she would never pour her anger on him, not anymore. "Henry, we still don't know what she is going to do, and she wants your mother, I assume something horrible is coming."

"Yea, but ma's tough and she got us. We won't let the Evil Queen get her," Henry said like he was reassuring his brunette mother because he truly believed that they were strong enough to stop the Evil Queen again. "Right, ma?" He looked at his blonde mother.

Emma was distracted by her own thoughts because at the moment Henry mentioned the Evil Queen wanted her, she felt like the height of the world was on top of her shoulders again. She was already thinking that if all went to shit then she could offer herself to the Evil Queen and work out some deal with her to save her family, but if the Evil Queen's goal is to destroy her family it doesn't really matter if she offers herself, right? And why the hell did she needed her hair for? Was she going to do some weird ritual? Emma hoped she wasn't going to be anybody's voodoo doll.

"Ma? Hey, you there?" Henry snapped his fingers in front of his mother, trying to get her attention and that seemed to work because she quickly snapped out of it and blinked twice while looking up at her son.

"Huh, yea, sorry. Did you ask something?" She cleared her throat before rubbing her palms against her thighs, she was already getting nervous about this, even if seconds ago she was trying to calm Regina.

"I said that we aren't going to let the Evil Queen take you and that you are strong, you can handle her as well," he repeated himself.

"Oh yes, of course. We can handle anything she throws our way," Emma said with a big grin because she noticed her son was hoping she'd get along with his optimism and of course she wanted to let him know that nothing bad would happen because she wasn't going to let it happen. – However, even if Emma successfully managed to fool her son, she didn't manage to do the same thing to Regina, who easily noticed that the blonde was also nervous and upset about this, and she felt kind of relieved because then it meant that Emma was indeed going to take this seriously and that's what Regina needed at this moment.

"Great!" Henry replied with a big smile as he clapped his hands together and looked at his other mother over his shoulder, "I know the first thing we need to do."

"What is it?" Regina asked with a curious frown as she approached them with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"We need code, like a password. So, we know who is the real one and who isn't, even though I noticed it wasn't you, mom, but it took a while," Henry suggested because it seemed the easiest way to figure out if they were dealing with the real Regina or not. The Evil Queen could do the same thing again to them.

"Oh, that's a great idea, kid," Emma commented as she stood up from the couch, "what about 'hot cocoa'?" She asked with a silly grin and Regina only threw her a not so amused expression.

"Why not something more elaborated and that it doesn't involve our favorite food?" The mayor suggested.

"Geez, bummer," Emma mumbled under her breath and Henry chuckled before coming up with the perfect password.

"What about Swan Queen?"

Both women stared at their son with a perked-up eyebrow, wondering where the hell he came up with such thing, but they slowly connected the dots and realized that the code was them.

"That's actually kind of cool, kid."

"I guess it's not so bad."

"Yea and it doesn't involve food! Well, unless people eat swans nowadays…" his tone got lower while he started to wonder if there existed people eating swans, it wouldn't surprise him that much though.

Emma chuckled at her son's silliness, glad that he also had traits of her personality in him and so did Regina, but she wouldn't admit something like that out loud.

"Great! Now that's settled what about we go meet up with Grandma and Grandpa and let them know? Oh, and aunt Zelena. Perhaps they can help us on coming up with a plan," he suggested and both women agreed that that was the best thing to do right now and they could also keep an eye on their family to make sure the Evil Queen wouldn't get them.

Regina's Vault

"Hmn, this place should be darker," the Evil Queen mumbled as she walked through the vault. She realized that Regina still didn't put up a spell around this place, that meant that she was probably still at the diner, freaking out and the Evil Queen only smirked at that thought. Nothing pleased her more than to know that just her mere presence would upset someone so badly; especially someone like Regina because her other-self was so ungrateful with her. Despite being miss good shoes now, it didn't mean that she didn't need her anymore, sooner or later, Regina would need her dark power, would want her dark magic, because that was the only thing that was strong enough to go against her, and the Evil Queen would show her all that and refuse to give her anything, so she could watch the world she loved so much getting destroyed by her own power.

"Now, to the second part of my plan," she said as she twirled her fingers around and the strand of blonde hair she took from Emma showed up between her index finger and thumb. "My little saviour, little do you know how much I want you and I know you want me to, I saw the desire in your eyes," she was talking out loud, like Emma was there, but all that was there of her was her hair, however, she was going to solve that pretty quickly. She then twirled the fingers of her free hand and something unexpected appeared on her palm.

Snow & David's Home

"I can't believe this," Snow whispered with a trembling voice as she quickly sat down on a chair before her legs would fail her.

"So, she's back," this time it was David talking and he placed a comforting hand upon Snow's shoulder.

"Yes, she is, and we have to do something before she starts doing whatever she has planned," Regina said, getting all upset again because she hated talking about this, she hated everything about this situation. It was very hard for her to face her old-self before, and now she feels like she can't do it again.

"That damn witch," Zelena mumbled with a bitter tone as she held her child upon her lap.

"What are we going to do? It's not like we can do the same to her like last time, clearly, it didn't work," Snow said as she looked up at Regina who only frowned down at her.

"Tell me something new," she almost spat out those words and Emma quickly rose her eyebrows, noticing the quick change in Regina's temper. She knew that Snow and she were still working things out between them but still, it has been awhile since Regina spoke to Snow that way.

"Whoa, okay, let's take a step back real quick," Emma interfered, noticing that her mother was also ready to reply to Regina's words and she wasn't going to deal with an argument between them because they had enough problems. So, she gently grabbed Regina by the elbow and brought her to another division of the house, so she could talk to her without anybody hearing or interfere, and Henry seemed to catch up on that because she heard her child quickly starting a conversation between his family, so they could be distracted. "Okay, what's going on?"

Regina allowed Emma to take her away from there because it was the best thing she could do, but it was getting hard for her to calm down. "What kind of question is that? You are blonde, but not that blonde."

"Ooookay, maybe I deserved that, but seriously now, Regina," she cleared her throat before continue, "are you okay? I know this is upsetting you very much, but you seem too angry. Is something…changing in you? Like is she messing up with you?" Emma was genuinely concerned if the Evil Queen had done something to Regina by being back in town.

"What?" Regina looked confusingly at Emma before crossing her arms in front of her chest for what it felt like the hundredth time since their encounter with her old-self. "If you are going to ask me the password, it's Swan Queen and no I am not possessed by her."

Emma sighed out at the other woman's attitude, she didn't want to make things worse, "okay, I am sorry for assuming. But you seem really upset, Regina. Wanna talk about it?" She suggested, hoping that would help.

Regina pressed her lips together but then let out a heavy sigh, slowly uncrossing her arms, "I just feel like she's going to take over me any minute now and I will hurt you all; or that she will use my appearance again and start causing trouble in town, making every citizen hate me again."

Now that made more sense to Emma and she couldn't judge the mayor for feeling like that. Obviously, this was a very sensitive matter for her and she didn't want the town to hate Regina again either. "Hey, don't worry. We will stop her, okay? And you did a lot for this town, a lot of good stuff, people won't forget that" she said with a small smile, hoping it was cheering her up. – She stretched out her arm and put her palm against Regina's bicep, rubbing it gently, "and I won't let her possess you like some exorcist movie, okay? I promise." Now that got Emma a small smile from Regina, she understood the reference and Emma felt proud about that because she remembered one weekend Henry and she had planned a horror movie marathon and managed to have Regina watch it with them as well. It was probably the fewest times Emma witnessed a terrified mayor jumping and grabbing onto her arm for protection.

"Thanks, Emma," Regina mumbled as she looked up at green eyes with a smile and Emma smiled at her as well. They were definitely having a moment and Regina actually thought about hugging the other woman if she hadn't groan out in pain.

"What's going on?" David quickly asked after hearing his daughter; he approached the two women.

"I-I don't know," Regina replied as she grabbed Emma by the shoulders, wondering what was happening with her. "Emma, what's wrong? What's hurting you?"

Everyone gathered the two of them in a matter of seconds and all Emma could hear was their worried voices but the most present on her mind was Regina calling out for her to tell her what was wrong so she could help her out but all Emma could do was just press her palms against her temples, feeling a massive headache, she had never experienced such pain, so much that it was literally bringing her to her knees.

"Emma!" Regina shouted again for the blonde, dying for the woman to just tell her something, anything, but it was now clear her head hurt her, but why? And why couldn't she just say something?

Emma opened her mouth to tell her about a headache, but all that came was a scream of pain because on that right instant, another wave of pain came over her and this time it was right on her heart like something or someone was tightening it, almost making it explode. – And in a matter of seconds, she felt her head hitting the wooden floor underneath her and the last person she saw was Regina, who was…crying?

A couple of minutes before in Regina's Vault

The Evil Queen finished setting up everything she needed for her spell. The ground was marked with a special seal and in the middle of it, there was Emma's hair and the Dark One's dagger. Yes, she managed to get a hold of the dagger and she was going to use it to turn Emma into the Dark One again but this time more submissive as in the only person the Dark One would obey to would be the Evil Queen even if somebody else grabbed the dagger and commanded the Dark One to do something, it would have no effect because it only responded to the Evil Queen. – She was basically tying Emma to her, like an invisible string connected both of them.

When she finished murmuring the necessary words of the dark ancient spell she found, the seal craved on the ground glowed for a few seconds and the light struck her as well. She felt pain invading her body but instead of screaming, she just laughed and embraced the pain the spell gave her, enjoying every single moment of it.

Once it was over, she fell to her knees, gasping for air. She noticed that the only thing left on the ground from this spell was the dagger, so she slowly crawled towards it and picked it up, seeing the name of 'Emma Swan' was craved onto the dagger. "You are finally mine, savior," she mumbled those words with a hoarse tune, clearly the spell took a lot of her energy, but that still didn't stop her from laughing again and holding the dagger close to her chest. – Everything was going like she planned to.

"Dark One! I summon you!"

Meanwhile at Snow and David's Place

"Mom, what's wrong with her? Is she going to be okay?" Henry was on his knees along with his brunette mother who held Emma's head upon her lap.

"I-I don't know, Henry," Regina's voice trembled as she moved strands of Emma's hair to uncover her face. She didn't know what to do and she was shaking, she even allowed a couple of tears to roll down her cheeks but now she was trying to keep herself strong because of her son and because she wasn't exactly in the most comfortable place for her to let her guard down like that.

"What happened between you two? Was she alright before?" Snow asked as she also got on her knees, ready to reach out to her daughter if she hadn't heard her other child crying out for her. She had left him upstairs in his crib, she cursed under her breath and looked at David who simply gave her a nod before she stood up and went upstairs to take care of their son, David could handle this while she was busy with the baby.

"Do you think this was the Evil Queen's doing?" Zelena asked while rocking her daughter in her arms, who seemed to get slightly agitated by this event.

"Maybe, I don't know," Regina replied, starting to hate herself for not knowing what was going on. She really had no answer for this and it scared her to death. Emma had promised her that everything would be alright before, could she just wake up and keep her promise? Please, Emma… she thought, almost begging, to herself.

Before they could continue brainstorming what had happened to Emma, somebody knocked on the door, in a very rushed way. "Who could it be?" David asked with a frown and looked at his family as they all looked back at him with a frown. Perhaps he should open the door carefully, they didn't know who it was, and it wouldn't surprise him if it was another threat, even though he doubted the Evil Queen would knock on the door.

When he opened the door, none of them were expecting to see Belle on the other side. "Belle, what are you doing here? What's wrong?" They noticed that she was red and slightly sweaty; she looked like she saw a ghost.

Henry slowly stood up and approached his grandfather to take a better look at Belle, and so did Zelena.

"It-It's Rumple, he is…something bad happened to him," Belle managed to say through her heavy breathing; she probably came running all the way here.

"What happened?" Henry asked, hoping it wasn't another tragedy, they already had his mother to take care of.

"I don't know! I just came to the store and it's like a storm ravished that place. Then I saw Rumple passed out on the ground and I have tried everything to wake him up, but nothing seems to work," she said while her voice broke because she was already crying, "I haven't seen him like this since that time he wasn't the Dark One."

Zelena was ready to ask something about that, curious to see Rumple's state; perhaps his case was connected to Emma's, but then she heard a loud gasp coming from behind her and when she turned around she noticed that Emma's body was no longer upon Regina's lap. There was only Regina on her knees and staring at her own hands.

"Where's Emma?" David quickly asked as he approached Regina.

"She-She's gone…" Regina managed to say while looking down at her hands. In a moment Emma was there but then she just vanished into thin air.

"Then it means…" Henry started with a shocked expression, "…this is the Evil Queen's doing," Zelena finished with a frown.

Regina slowly clenched her fists and jaw, as she did everything in her power to not break there on that moment; she fought against the urge to disappear in a purple cloud of smoke and appear in her vault which was like her panic room. In there she could explode in any way she desired, but she needed to keep her posture, for Henry.

"Mom," Henry mumbled, tears already forming in his eyes, he wasn't feeling so positive about this anymore. So, he rushed his way towards his brunette mother who was already on her feet and he threw his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly and she returned the embrace as well, knowing everything they both needed right now was this comfort.

"What are we going to do?" Belle muttered as she approached David and Zelena and brought a hand to cover her mouth, feeling a sob coming. Zelena noticed this so she decided to wrap an arm around the shoulders of the petite woman, she wanted to comfort her, but she feared it would freak out the brunette but to her surprise, she leaned into her touch and buried her face in Zelena's arm.

Everything was happening so fast; would they really find a solution for this? Or were they destined to suffer once again from the Evil Queen?

So, what do you guys think will happen in the next chapter?