A/N - First of all, I'm sorry for the delay. I had a bit of a block on this chapter. I hope you still like it! Secondly, thanks for all the reviews. They made me really happy :P I hope this is a satisfying end for you all 3
Much love, Rachel xxx
Tamara gasped as Emma stared at the object in her hand. Transfixed, she applied a slight amount of pressure pressure. She had actually taken a heart. The thing that only a select few were said to be able to do without it tearing them apart inside. Tamara fell to her knees, clutching her chest with the pain.
"EMMA!" screamed Regina.
The saviour realised what she was doing and quickly loosened her grip, still holding the heart in her palm. Confused as to why Regina, of all people, especially considering she'd just suffered electrocution at her hand, would have qualms about her crushing it to dust.
"You're going to kill her, Emma," added the brunette, quieter now and her voice undeniably hoarser.
"She deserves to die, Regina! She tortured you! She kidnapped our son!" retorted Emma, staring down her captive with daggers.
"You won't be able to live with yourself if you do it… Only my mother, Rumplestiltskin and I have souls dark enough that we remain mostly unaffected if we take the final step," said Regina, wearily, as if she'd repeated the same thing over and over again.
Emma took a deep breath to calm herself.
"Get those straps off her, NOW!" she ordered.
"No! I've not finished yet!" growled Tamara.
"I'd be thanking Regina. It's thanks to her that you aren't dead already. That's the sort of person you tortured!"
"She's an evil…"
"Not another word, Tamara. Release her!"
With a hell of a lot of mumbled protesting, Tamara walked over to the machine, both Emma and Regina staring at her warily should she try anything. But the threat of her heart being squeezed was enough to keep her threats and curses verbal only. She entered a passcode on the screen and began to flip a series of dials.
"There. You can undo them now," she snapped.
One hand clutching the heart tightly, Emma fumbled with the leather bands, sighing in relief when they came undone easily enough and without any further electric shocks.
"Can you stand, Regina?" she asked, trying to share her gaze between the two women.
"I think so…" replied Regina.
Gingerly, she pushed herself off the metal frame, grimacing at the pain. Emma saw it and offered her hand to pull her gently to her feet. As soon as she released her, Regina gasped and almost toppled over, unsteady and weak.
"I'm so tired," murmured the mayor.
"Just five more minutes and then I'll take you out of here, ok? Just hold on to that for a minute."
"It hurts, Emma. It hurts," she whimpered.
"I know, 'Gina, I know it does. We'll get you to Doctor Whale soon. You're going to be fine. I promise."
Regina nodded and sat on the edge of the bed, her vision hazy and her legs unable to support her weight. She felt emptiness inside her, where her magic had been forced out, but she didn't mention it. What good would it do?
"Hands behind your back, Tamara. And don't try anything," demanded Emma, sharply.
"You're making a mistake. Trusting her," spat Tamara.
"Get over here now!"
Her order was obeyed and as soon as her ex's fiancé was secured in handcuffs, she slammed her heart back into her chest with more force than necessary. Tamara gasped before straightening herself and glaring daggers at them both.
"You'll both go to hell!"
Emma was about to slap the other woman in sheer fury when Regina spoke up.
"Maybe I will," she said "But you'll go there first, Miss Tamara."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Of course not, dear. Merely educating you. Because the next time you try to torture the magic out of someone, they will overpower you and they will kill you. Not everyone will just give themselves up."
"And you won't kill me?"
"No, no I won't. I'm changing. I'm trying my best to become a better person for my son," said Regina, deadly calm "But rest assured, the next time you touch my son or anyone else in my town, I will kill you. Understand?"
"How do you plan on doing that without your magic, Miss Mills?"
"The old fashioned way. Don't doubt me, Tamara. I don't need magic to accomplish things. Unlike you, it would seem."
The two were locked in a fierce battle, neither about to break the eye contact first. Regina, despite her faintness and her fatigue, managed to hold the unblinking gaze, burning like an inferno just waiting for fuel.
"Wait! You actually took her magic!" stated Emma, appalled.
"My methods are full proof," retorted Tamara, smirking.
"Give her it back, Tamara, or so help me!" threatened the blonde.
"No, Miss Swan, I don't want it back," interjected Regina.
"WHAT?" echoed both captor and rescuer.
"I said, I don't want my magic returned," replied the brunette, simply.
"But Owen said you were willing to do anything for your power…" said Tamara "He said power and your son. The two things that affected you most."
"I'm afraid to disappoint you, dear, but your boyfriend misinformed you," countered Regina, with a sickly smile "I don't want magic in my life. I don't need it in my life."
"Are you sure, 'Gina?" questioned Emma, doubtful.
"Yes, Miss Swan. Quite sure. Magic is not worth the price it demands," finished the mayor "And please, never call me 'Gina."
"Right, fine, well… I suppose I better call David to escort the two prisoners to a jail cell until we think of what to do with them," decided Emma.
The sheriff whipped out another pair of cuffs and slapped them on Owen before dialling her father. He could deal with them for now.
Emma supported Regina as they walked outside. The brunette was trying to hide the fact that she was too weak to stand on her own although the blonde thought it was pointless. By now, half the town would know what had happened.
"Are you hungry?" asked Emma.
"A little," responded Regina, although she was ravenous.
"Me too. Come on, we'll go to Granny's."
"Emma, no… I want to just… go home…"
"No-one blames you, Regina. You're a hero. For saving Henry. It'll be ok."
"Just take me home, Emma…"
"You have to face them sometime. Come on, I'll even be right by your side."
"How reassuring."
"I'm offended, Regina, truly offended.
"Good."
"If it makes you feel any better, I couldn't have handled that bitch the way you did."
"I merely put her in her place, Miss Swan, nothing particularly special."
"Well, I'm glad you never used that tone on me. It would have scared the shit out of me."
"Must you be so crude? I do not want Henry to grow up listening to such foul language."
"As the queen commands."
"I can still use the same tone if you keep irritating me!"
"I'm glad you gave up magic, Regina. Henry will be so much happier knowing it."
"As much as I love my son, Emma, I didn't do it for him."
"Oh, then who did you do it for?"
"Myself. I've been controlled all my life. This is the only thing I've ever done that's good, for myself."
"Even better. Maybe you can be happy, too. You deserve to be."
"Happiness doesn't exist for people like me, Miss Swan. This isn't a fairytale."
"You'll find true love, Regina."
"I had true love already. It cannot be replaced."
Emma could see that Regina had opened herself up enough and was only going to retreat further inside her shell if she kept trying to push her, so she let it be and gave her a warm smile instead.
"Let's go then. I need a burger and double fries."
Regina rolled her eyes but half-limped after the woman, thankful for the crutch, in more than just the physical sense.
Regina leaned against the seat as she sipped her banana milkshake. Normally, she would not have even given thought to having such a thing, but Emma had persuaded her with puppy dog eyes to at least try it. And well, it was rather nice.
"I told you you'd like it," smirked Emma as she sipped her own chocolate one.
"It's… not too bad. Unlike that chocolate monstrosity you have," countered Regina.
"You're just jealous."
"Of your ridiculously unhealthy choices? Hardly."
"Hey, milk is healthy."
"Not with all that added sugar."
"And you learnt all about additives in twenty eight years? Just something you found interesting, I suppose?"
"Boredom does strange things to people. I just chose to channel it into something productive."
"Well, you should have at least ordered a burger."
"One milkshake and a salad is quite enough, Miss Swan."
"If you insist, Madame Mayor. But you are missing out."
The food came and Regina abandoned her grace as the smell brought on horrible hunger pangs. She devoured her salad and instantly wished she had ordered something more substantial.
"Here, have my fries," offered Emma, her smile distorted with her crammed full mouth.
"Thanks," said Regina, not even bothering about the amount of calories they contained.
This time, she forced herself to eat slower. God, these were nice. Maybe she should indulge more often.
"How are you feeling?" asked Emma, wiping her mouth with the napkin.
"Better," replied Regina "Thank you. For… coming to my aid. I'm grateful."
"No, thank you. I dread to think what those monsters would have done to Henry if you hadn't saved him."
"It's a mother's responsibility to protect her child, Miss Swan. You did not have to protect me. So thank you."
"You don't need to thank me, Regina. It was the decent thing to do."
Regina nodded, absentmindedly. She tried to focus her mind away from the pounding headache in favour of coming up with a plan of action.
"They can't stay in Storybrooke; Owen and Tamara… They have to leave," she said, finally.
"Regina, they tortured you and tried to kill you. We can't just let them walk free," responded Emma, surprised.
"I know… But… well… you have magic, don't you?"
"I guess…"
"We can send them across the line. Then you can construct another barrier, like the one the curse created. No-one else can get in and their memories will be wiped. It's not ideal but…"
"Regina, it's a good plan but… I'm not sure I can do it."
"You took a heart, Emma, advanced magic. You are more than capable of a simple barrier spell."
"I don't know…"
"Once I am feeling stronger, we'll go to the line, send them over and you can channel your magic to me. I'll construct it with your power."
"Ok… But only when you are well enough. You've been through a lot and they can wait until you reach full health again. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Good. Now, if we're all finished here, I can walk you home and make sure you are alright and have everything you…"
"Emma, I hate to ask but…" trailed off Regina, suddenly embarrassed.
"But what?" asked Emma, kindly.
"Well… nothing. It doesn't matter…"
"What is it, Regina? You can ask me, you know."
"It's just… I was wondering if maybe you and Henry could stay… For a few nights… Just until…"
"Course we will, 'Gina. I'll get David or Mary Margaret to bring him round later."
"Thank you. For everything," nodded Regina, glad that she wouldn't be alone. She didn't think she could face the silent darkness.
"No problem. I am supposed to be a saviour after all."
A/N - So, there it is. Concluded. I do hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it :) Thanks once more for all the support you gave me and also, if you could leave one last review telling me your opinion on it, I would be eternally grateful.
I am also taking requests although I can't promise when they will be fulfilled!
Much love, Rachel xxx