A/N: Hey everyone, another chapter for you!
I'm getting quite a quick turnaround on these, but they're getting a little bit shorter, so sorry about that:p
Enjoy!
Emma was still sitting confused and a little bemused after her conversation with Ruby when her phone rang. Seeing it was her father, she answered. "Hey, what's up?"
"Emma. Someone's called in, reported seeing someone entering Regina's crypt. They said they'd never seen her before; someone needs to get down there."
Emma sat up abruptly and began to pull her boots on with one hand. "Right, I'm on my way." she hung up the phone and grabbed her gun from a drawer and rushed out of the door. She called Regina while exiting the building and jogging to her car.
"You aren't at the crypt by any chance are you?!" Emma barbled down the phone in a loud and panicked tone.
"Well, good afternoon to you too, Miss Swan! And no, I'm not. Henry and I are at Granny's. Why, what's happening?"
"Someone's there. We think it's the witch."
"Let me find someone to watch Henry; I'm on my way."
"Regina, no. Leave it to me."
"If you think I'm letting you go in there alone, you are seriously mistaken." Regina hung up, and Emma started the engine.
Arriving at the crypt in record time, Emma ran as fast as she could to the entrance. It was sealed with what she presumed to be magic, and despite all of her best attempts to get through, it was impossible. Regina transported herself there soon after, with the sound of her heels hitting the gravel approaching well before the woman herself. Just as Emma fired a shot at the lock, Regina appeared next to her.
"Solid shoe choice, Regina." Emma muttered sarcastically to the woman as she prepared to take another shot.
"Are all New Yorker's so… trigger happy? You can't shoot your way through magic, Emma. We need to work on this together." Regina sighed at the woman and began to think.
"Fire, right?" Emma suggested, stretching her neck and shaking her arms as if preparing to run a marathon.
"We shall see." Regina responded, and, taking one of Emma's hands in hers, the two of them raised their hands in the direction of the door. A ball of fire was made; bigger and stronger than Emma had ever seen. The two women swung their arms back and aimed the fireball at the door, but it extinguished upon touching it.
"Might I suggest brute force, in that case." Regina exhaled sharply, as if it was a slight inconvenience stopping her from continuing her day. The two women again joined hands, and this time Regina jerked them forward as if throwing something at the door. Emma felt a shift of some kind of energy leave her hands, throwing her and Regina back a little. Upon standing back up and dusting herself off, however, she noticed that the right side of the door had opened.
The two women walked in; Regina stood tall and confident, with Emma just slightly more apprehensive at her side. As Emma started to scope the crypt, looking for anyone, Regina began to look to see if anything was missing or out of place.
"Anything missing?" Emma called out to Regina, who stood behind her.
"Not.. That I can see." Regina answered, a little unsure. "Wait, what's that?" Regina pointed to a shadow in the left hand side of the crypt.
"Freeze!" Emma shouted, as if a detective in the real world chasing a burglar. The figure turned, and a shrill laugh could be heard as it disappeared through a puff of green smoke into thin air.
"What is it with you people and disappearing like that? You don't play fair." Emma sulked a little, kicking the table at her side.
"Did nobody ever tell you that life isn't fair, dear? Well, the same goes for magic. At any point in a fight, there's always one person that's a step ahead. We'll just have to be that person next time." Regina crossed her arms and continued to survey the room.
"You don't think they were after a… heart, do you?" Emma had always been careful in broaching the subject of Regina's past acts with her, but in this circumstance it seemed like it may be the only explanation.
"I can't think of any other reason she would come in here. I'm not sure what value any of these would be though, there's nothing particularly special about the people in here." Regina looked confused, as she went from row to row checking all of the boxes were in order.
"Unless she was looking… for someone's that isn't here?"
"My mother's." Regina took the words that Emma had been too afraid to say right from her thoughts. "She was a powerful foe; I imagine in the right hands her heart would be incredibly valuable."
"But her heart isn't in one of these boxes, is it?"
"No. Clearly this person isn't familiar with Storybrooke or the events that have transpired here; she seems to be working off expectations."
"Well that puts us at an advantage then: we know everything there is to know about this place. Or at least you do." Emma smiled a little at the other woman.
"You're forgetting the year we all have missing from our memories. Anything could have happened then, and we don't have the slightest clue what." Regina frowned and gritted her teeth, stereotypically infuriated at being a step behind her competitor. "So what do you suggest we do now, Sheriff?" Regina began to exit the crypt, with Emma following closely behind.
"Carry on as we have, I guess. We could probably do with having someone on call at all times, in case anything goes down."
"Good idea. Might I suggest that me and you do something too?" Regina asked, more seriously than Emma would expect.
"Oh, we can do anything" Emma responded, raising her eyebrows at Regina.
"I think you could benefit from some help brushing up your magic skills. When we work together we produce powerful magic - the most powerful magic - but you need to be prepared to do some by yourself."
"But what about all magic coming with a price? I'm not sure I want to get involved in any of that." Emma seemed a little unsure, and conflicted about what the best move would be here.
"You can't allow the fear of repercussions stop you from doing this, Emma. I can assure you that isn't stopping our friend from planning whatever she is. Believe me; it wouldn't even cross her mind. We're fighting for good, that counts somewhat." Regina slowly walked back down the path to the exit, occasionally brushing against Emma as she did so. "Besides, you have serious potential. It would be an incredible shame for you to waste it for the sake of fear."
"Hey, I'm not scared, I'm just cautious.." Emma defended herself.
"No, you're scared." Regina interjected. "Although that's probably a good thing; the best magic is often born out of fear. In the real world, fear can stop even the strongest person from doing things. In our world, fear is what forges strength. Even the weakest of individuals can wield the greatest power."
"I hope you aren't calling me weak.." Emma teased, taking the brunette's hand in her own as they continued to walk.
"No dear, by all accounts you are one of the bravest people I have come across. After all, you are the saviour."
Emma sighed a little. "Yes, yes I am."
"Right, come on. That rock over there." Regina pointed at a rock off a little into the distance with a wave of her hand.
"What about it?" Emma felt as though she'd missed a part of the conversation.
"Move it. Not with your hands, before you try and get smart with me: with magic."
"Uh, I'm not sure…"
"Just focus." Regina let go of Emma's hand and turned to face her. Their faces were mere inches apart. "You have to believe you can do it. You've just proven that you're much stronger than you give yourself credit for, so use it. Show yourself what you're capable of."
"..Ok." Emma saw the earnest look in Regina's eyes. She trusted her. She had faith in her being able to do something; a trait that people had rarely shown towards Emma in the past.
Emma focused all of her willpower on the rock, and surely enough, after a few seconds it flew up into the air.
"Now just set it down again." Regina commanded, but as Emma tried, she seemed to lose control, and the rock went hurtling off in a downwards trajectory towards the forest.
"Hey that wasn't bad… for my first attempt." Emma defended herself, smiling a little at her magic seemingly having a mind of its own.
"You just need to gain a little more control. I'm sure that practice will make perfect." Regina looked down and smiled to herself at Emma's immaturity, before they continued to walk back to Granny's.
"No doubt Henry will be eager for us to regale this tale to him upon our return."
"Of course! Kid goes nuts for a bit of magic." Emma laughed; her son clearly took after his adoptive mother on that. "Do you think that he…"
"Has magic in him too?" Regina had seemingly read Emma's mind. "I wouldn't doubt that. Especially with us as parents. That's something we will have to broach with him in the future, when the time is right."
"You can be the bad cop in that conversation." Emma laughed again, imagining Henry's reaction at being told he needs to keep his own magic under control.
"I always am, dear." Regina smiled back.