When they approached the portals Emma felt the change of air the same time she saw Regina's shoulders cave forward. When she met the brunettes eyes she saw what she herself felt too -pain. Regina noticed her gaze and immediately regained her normal posture, her face a mask. Her eyes focused on the portals.

"What did I miss? How did you get the dagger?" Emma broke the silence, trying to distract herself.

"Miss Lucas jumped over there, through one of those portals and got the dagger" Regina explained. Her voice was quiet.

"How did you protect her from the influence of the water?" the blonde wanted to know.

"We made a special memory potion with ingredients from Gold's shop. However there was only one dose" the other woman answered.

The pain got worse with every second the stood near those portals. Emma felt tears welling up. All those painful memories she pushed to the back of her head emerged now. And there were lots of them.

Suddenly someone grabbed her hand and it all became better.

"Use your magic to shield you" Regina instructed her. "Imagine all the good things you experienced blocking the painful ones. Like a barrier around you."

Emma looked at Regina and took one breath. She exhaled, letting go of all the pain and misery she felt, replacing it with something better. Something she felt whenever she looked at Regina.

"Thank you" the blonde said but didn't let go of the other woman's hand.

Regina nodded, holding on to her as well.

"Ya know ..." Emma started, her gaze fixed on the swirling light, "when all of this is over. Why don't we go out for dinner?"

She could feel Regina's gaze on her, hot and burning and suddenly felt the need to fill the silence, "I think Henry would love that."

"He would, indeed" Regina smirked. Emma couldn't help but feel like the brunette was aware of her intentions all along. She felt heat rise to her cheeks.

"Do you mind eating at my place? I have a new recipe I wanted to try out for so long. And as half of the town wanted to see me dead today, I don't think Granny's would be the right place to eat" Regina suggested.

"Yeah, of course. I'd love that" Emma replied, looking at the brunette and smiling widely.

Regina smiled back and opened her mouth to say something, when her phone's ringtone interrupted her. She looked at the display, a frown on her forehead.

"Henry, is everything alright?"

Emma couldn't hear what his answer was but she saw all she needed to know in the change of Regina's expression. The frown deepened, the light in her eyes vanished, her fists clenched.

The call ended. The brunette looked up at Emma, small tears glistening in her eyes now.

"They have Henry."

Emma's heart stopped for a second, "What? What are we gonna do?"

"Not we. I" the other woman corrected her. "It's me they want."

"No! This is suicide, Regina!" Emma protested, begging the brunette with her eyes to let her help her.

"Someone has to stay and watch the portals, Emma" Regina reminded her. Emma knew she already made her decision but there was no way she would let her sacrifice herself.

"Regina, please, let me help you! We're gonna figure something out. There has to be another way!"

The other woman's eyes softened, "I'm sorry, Emma. We have no time to find it."

"But … I am the savior, I have to do something!"

"You're not my savior Emma. More than that, you saved the people from me" Regina reminded her, shooting her a sad smile before she disappeared into a cloud of purple smoke.

"Regina!" Emma shouted angry and ready to follow her. But it was just like fate was pulling them apart because the moment the blonde closed her eyes to concentrate a deep howl echoed through the cave. Emma's eyes flew open. There was a huge animal on the other side of the portals watching her.

"What the ..."