Chapter 7

Regina's pov

"Well, what is it?" Hook asked impatiently from the other side of my mirror; he was clearly worried about Emma, though it was quite amusing to see him so dependent on me.

"I may have some potion left which you can use to enchant your hook and rip your own heart, the same one that I gave you to rip out my mother's heart. You'll have to break into my vault and then find the potion, you remember what it looks like, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." He replied simply. "Also, the Charmings happened to land in the Enchanted Forest, or so we believe – since they aren't here – so it may be an idea to try and find them. You together may be able to find a way to come back here."

"You know that will be almost impossible? Over here I am still the 'Evil Queen' and officially banished from anywhere but my castle. The people who escaped the curse will be out to kill me if my face is seen anywhere, and I don't think anyone needs that." I took a deep breath then carried on, "but, I will try. Is there any way that you could contact the Charmings and, I don't know, give me a 'royal pardon' so I don't have to worry about being assassinated."

"I can try, but I can't be certain that they will be able to receive the message." The blue fairy said, also stepping into frame.

"Good. I hope all goes well, Guyliner, and you manage to save Emma." I quietly laughed to myself as they began to fade from the mirror, Hook clenching his jaw and giving me a particularly unimpressed look.

I walked upstairs from my vault to find Robin and tell him the news, starting to increasingly worried about what would happen if this time, we couldn't get back to Storybrooke, we couldn't save Emma. I couldn't help but run my fingers along the aged walls of the palace, the walls which I had longed to touch again. How strange it was to be back home, yet I now was working out how to get back to Storybrooke.

"My love, you look troubled," Robin's voice called out as he walked towards me through the corridor.

"I managed to talk to Hook, the Blue Fairy is helping him." I replied, blurting out whatever words came into my head, even if they were without explanation.

"Wait, wait, wait. You say that Hook is back and safe in Storybrooke?"

"Yes, thank goodness someone is there with Henry, who is back too. Emma's with them, but she's missing a heart and the pirate has no idea what he is doing when it comes to magic, as with everyone else and the Blue Fairy wouldn't pull out a heart if her life depended on it. We have not got a lot of time to get back, even though the fairy put a preservation on her, I'd say Emma has about a week left on the clock without a heart. I have pointed Hook to my vault which might have what he needs in it, but I'm not sure. And if I'm honest I'd rather get home sooner than later since my son is alone with a one–handed pirate without a shred of sense." The words came out of my mouth in a waterfall, the control that I leant on to not let my emotion get the better of me crumbling with every heartbeat.

"What of Snow and David? Are they in Storybrooke too?"

"No, that too. They are in the Enchanted Forest just like us, and we are going out to find them."

"But, Regina, the people in this realm will be out to kill you,"

"Yes, Hook said he'd contact the Charmings and tell them to give me a royal pardon so I don't get murdered while trying to find them."

"Are you sure about this, it is incredibly risky, and I won't lose you again."

I took a step towards Robin and took his weathered hands into mine, squeezing them with reassurance, "despite everything that was between us, Emma is my friend and I will do everything I can to save her. She is also Henry's mother, and I can't let her die, for his sake. And if you ask me, I don't think that anyone needs an angry, desperate, grief-ridden pirate on their hands who just lost his true love." I moved my hands up to his stubbly cheeks, and looked into his sad, stressed eyes, and gave him a smile that was so full of my love for him.

He gave me a small smile back, filling me with hope and happiness. "I will follow you anywhere you chose to go, and I believe you have made your choice," Robin leaned forwards and pressed his lips against mine with such tenderness yet so much unmasked passion, "my queen."

"Ahem," a small voice squeaked, waking us from our moment of intimacy. A servant stood in the doorway, his cheeks bright red with embarrassment. "Awfully sorry to disturb you, your majesty, but word has it that Queen Snow White has given you a full royal pardon and it is a punishable crime to attack you. Very bizarre, if you ask me, that she should give such a thing out to you, who she should hate."

"You have missed very much that happened in Storybrooke, I'm afraid." Robin said with a great big grin. "If you would, please saddle up two horses for a journey to the royal palace."