Chapter 15
-.-.-.-.-.-
As part of the plan, Emma and Regina would enter the clearing by the wishing well first. The rest of their allied troops would form a perimeter around the area. Most of the merry men were scattered throughout the woods with Ruby, Hook, Robin Hood, and Charming leading a small group of two or three. Six of the seven dwarfs were somewhere in the woods ready and waiting to go to battle to save their beloved Princess.
Since Regina and Robin had arrived at the shop to meet the rest of the assembled band of rebels, Regina had been quiet and withdrawn. Emma wanted to question if Regina was alright, but knew she wasn't. It was clear to anyone who took the time to look that Regina was sinking into herself quickly.
"We'll get Henry, back Regina. And your heart. I promise."
"It is not only Henry that I am worried about."
"My mother is more than capable of taking care of herself. She'll be fine." Snow White had faced the Evil Queen and lived. That had to mean something, didn't it?
"Foolish, stupid, ignorant, woman!" Regina mumbled angrily under her breath. She had refused to meet Emma's eyes since they had begun their trek through the woods. "I am worried about you! And yes, your mother and our son. But I am worried about you. She will go after you immediately. You are her biggest threat. Her weakness is white magic. Which you possess in abundance. She will send all of her beasts of prey after you."
"I can take care of myself, Regina. I'm not some feeble little thing you have to protect."
"But don't you see?" Regina felt the urgent need to shake Emma's shoulders so that the blonde could realize what Regina was trying to tell her.
"See what?"
"That I cannot lose you. Or Henry. I cannot bear to be without you again." Regina felt her voice catch in her throat. "I cannot lose you, Emma." Regina's eyes glassed over with tears as she stared longingly into the blonde's blue eyes. "I love you."
Emma blinked, her heart racing within her chest as her body seemed to infuse itself with warmth. She wanted to tell Regina that she wouldn't lose her. That they wouldn't have to be without each other ever again, that everything would be okay. She opened her mouth to respond in kind to Regina but her words died in her throat when just five yards ahead of them beyond the trees Mary Margaret's scream of agony echoed towards them.
"Mom…" Emma felt her heart plummet into her stomach. Her feet brought her racing out from the trees faster and less alert than she should have been. Her hand shook as she held onto her gun.
The sight of Henry standing above Mary Margaret with his own gun turned Emma's blood cold. She felt sick to her stomach thinking that her son was responsible for Mary Margaret's pain.
"Henry, drop the gun!" Emma ordered her son as she held her position several feet away from the wishing well. Zelena was on the opposite side of the well, the stone structure blocking most of her from sight, but left just enough for Emma to get a clear shot when the time came.
Along the well there were several candles burning with foul scented herbs and there were three chests aligned in the compass locations of the well.
"He won't listen to you, Savoir. I'm afraid he's only obedient to me."
"You mean subservient to you."
"Hmm…perhaps that is what I meant. Either way, dear, you best be putting away that gun. You wouldn't want dear Henry here to get nervous and pull the trigger, now would you?"
Emma's jaw cracked as she ground her teeth together. No, she wouldn't want her son to pull the trigger and shoot her pregnant mother. Slowly, she lowered her gun as she watched Walsh step out from somewhere behind the well, closets to where Zelena stood and Emma could not see due to Henry's position.
"Mom…are you okay?" Emma asked her mother, though her eyes never left Zelena and Walsh as they whispered softy between each other.
Mary Margaret was laid out upon several pillows and what looked like a picnic blanket. It would have been a serene sight if it weren't for the bright red blotches of her skin, the sweat coming out of every pore, and the way she was clutching feebly at her stomach.
"Fuck…" Emma whispered under her breath, realizing that the scream her mother had released was because she was in labor.
"Emma…it's too early!" Mary Margaret cried, hardly able to lift her head high enough to get a good look at Emma.
Emma knew somewhere just beyond the tree line, Charming was panicking. Emma was panicking and it wasn't even her child; just her sibling. The panic helped her focus though. It kept her centered and aware of her surroundings. Like how the earth around them was slowly shifting. It wasn't as if it were an earth quake. It was more like from deep within the earth itself the magic that had saturated the soil for the last two years started to rise up from it to assist Zelena with her spell.
"Where's my son's heart?" Emma asked, unable to look at the zombie like eyes her son possessed at the moment. It was like looking into someone who didn't have a soul and she couldn't' see her baby like that. Not her Henry.
"That depends, Savoir."
"On what?"
Zelena looked up from her preparations with a sickeningly sweet smile, "Just what are you willing to give me to get it back?"
"What do you want?" Emma didn't want to play Zelena's games. She wanted to get right to the point of the matter, and if that meant she had to make a deal with the devil's mistress, than she'd do it. She'd already made a deal with the devil himself and come out fine on the other side. How hard could it be to do so again?
"Well, that's simple. What I've always wanted from you, my dear white knight." Zelena slowly stalked her way around the circular well so she was now standing just behind Henry.
Emma snarled, "Which is what?!"
"Your heart of course." Zelena batted her eyelashes as if trying to entice Emma. It just made the blonde sick and seemed to infinitely entertain the redhead.
Emma knew she couldn't refuse this offer. "If I give you my heart. You'll give me back Henry's."
"That would be the deal."
Emma looked between Henry's statuesque figure and her mother lying helplessly on the floor, unable to move from her spot with the fear of Henry pulling the trigger.
"Don't do it Emma!" Mary Margaret insisted. "There has to be another way."
Emma took stock of everything around them. Of the cavalry she knew waited in the bushes and of the flying animals she knew were hidden somewhere above their heads in the trees just waiting for the right signal.
"Do not even think about handing that woman your heart." Regina ordered from just behind Emma.
Emma had forgotten the older woman had even followed her out from their hiding place.
"Well, if it isn't my dear darling sister. I did wonder how long it would take for the spell to be broken. I have to say it took longer than I thought it would." The fact that these meddlesome peons defeated not only Pan but Rumpelstiltskin astounded Zelena. They couldn't find their way out of a paper bag. Zelena smirked, "Who did break it? Was it the White Knight and her darling pirate?"
Regina stiffened, Robin had mentioned how the curse had been broken the night before. Regina hadn't processed regaining her memories the night before. She recognized that she had the memories of the past year while kissing Emma but had been otherwise consumed for the better part of the evening. She knew that what she and Emma had done may have been right for them, but she owed Robin more.
She hadn't wanted to hurt him. He was a good man. A kind and generous, if not annoying, man. His qualities were similar to Emma's in many ways and yet they were very different. Robin might be her destiny but Emma held her heart in ways that no one ever had, or ever could.
Perhaps the fairy dust had been mistaken. Perhaps it had chosen for her the best match available at the time. Emma was still years from being a twinkle in Snow's eyes at the time. Regina had never trusted in Fairies before, and she refused to put her trust in their magic. They had never helped her in the past and even now they lay away in their convent far from the danger like cowards. Their magic wasn't going to dictate to Regina who she be with. Not when she wanted nothing more than to attempt to have the love and life Emma spoke so passionately about from her fake memories.
Zelena's curse had been broken by true loves kiss. Regina had been frightened to admit that her love for Emma wasn't more than a fleeting emotion. Emma was her true love. There was nothing of greater value to her than Emma and Henry. Regina stood behind Emma willing to do anything to ensure the safety of her and their son. Anything…!
"Yes." Emma lied. Better for Zelena to think that Emma truly loved Hook than Regina. It would keep Zelena from using Regina against Emma as much as she might have if she knew the truth.
"Well then, congratulations, Savior. You've found your truelove. Now it's time for you to give me your heart in exchange for Henry's."
Zelena opened the palm of her hand and both Emma and Regina were transfixed to the sight of the glowing gold heart sitting in the center of her hand.
Emma and Regina involuntarily took a step closer to Zelena at the sight.
"Give my son back his heart!" Regina demanded, her hands itching with the need to take that precious heart away from her crazy sister.
"Not until I receive what I want." Zelena noticed how Emma looked beseechingly at Regina, as if hoping the other woman could give her a reason not to give up her own heart to save their son. To help strengthen Emma's resolve Zelena took a moment to whisper something into as she began to squeeze the heart she had in her hands.
Henry screamed in pain and stumbled upon the small incline of the hill. His hand still holding the gun with it pointed at the ground between where Mary Margaret lay in labor and Emma who stood only twelve feet away.
"Stop!" Emma and Regina screamed at the same time as they each took three steps towards Henry.
The gun Henry was holding went off, stopping both women from approaching any further. Though their bodies were angled in a way that would allow them to race forward the moment the coast was clear.
"Please, stop. Stop!" Emma begged as she found herself clutching at her shirt above her own heart.
"I'll kill you. I swear to you, I will. Release his heart!" Regina threatened, her body trembling with the overwhelming need to protect her son.
Zelena tilted her head to the side as she laughed at the desperation within both women and how Emma became self-sacrificing while Regina reverted to her darker side and issued useless threats.
"I'll give it to you." Emma panted as she gave her word. "Stop, stop hurting him."
"No! Emma!" Mary Margaret protested while Regina lost her breath over Emma's willing sacrifice.
Regina knew that the moment Zelena had Emma's heart she was going to crush it. Regina grabbed a hold of Emma's shoulder to hold her back from walking to her certain death. Emma was Zelena's only weakness and she had all the cards. Regina had nothing to scrounge up to save them from this situation. "You can't!" Please…Regina wanted to beg. "She'll crush it." Regina knew she could not stand watching another one of her lover's hearts being crushed in front of her very eyes.
"Then let her." Emma stared into Regina's panicked eyes. "I'm sorry." Emma whispered, wishing she could express how very sorry she was that she wouldn't be able to show Regina just how happy they could be together. "Take Henry's heart and get him out of here. Save my mom if you can."
Regina bowed her head once. Her gaze falling away to the floor, unwilling to stare longingly at Emma's face as if it were the last time she would see it filled with color and life.
"No, Emma! Be reasonable!" Mary Margaret begged even as she yowled in pain and clutched at her stomach as the baby prepared to make its entrance into this world.
Regina shook her head minutely from side to side, unwilling to fully agree to this plan. It was a catch 22. She could lose Henry, or she could lose Emma. She could only save one.
Regina fought for control of her emotions. She needed to close herself off and she needed to do so now. She could not bear to watch Emma die in front of her with her emotions so open and raw. With a sinking heart Regina released Emma's arm, her fingers gliding down the length of Emma's arm till not even the tips of their fingertips could touch anymore.
Emma stepped towards Zelena resolutely. She would do anything to protect her son.
"No! Emma..." Snow turned pleading eyes to Zelena. "Take my heart. Please, take mine!" Snow begged, her pleadings appearing deaf to those around her.
As Emma made it closer to Zelena she stopped, "You take mine, and give Henry's to Regina."
Zelena smiled, "Deal." The green skinned woman handed Walsh, Henry's heart. "Give that to Regina when I have Emma's heart in my hand."
Regina stepped forward to receive Henry's heart, glad to no longer hear Henry's pained moans as Walsh did nothing to harm the heart within his hands.
"Now, Savoir, let's see about getting that heart of yours." Zelena thrust her hand into Emma's chest. Emma bit down savagely onto her lip to keep from crying out at the pain. Zelena frowned as she tried to pull Emma's heart from her chest, but found she couldn't. Emma knew this would happen and waited, unwilling to explain that no one could take out her heart. Emma smirks as she focuses on the love she has for Henry and Regina and her mother.
Zelena struggles to pull the heart out, groaning in frustration. "What magic is this?"
Emma smirks as she meets Zelena's confused gaze, "Mine." Just as Emma had done to Cora, she pushed the witch attempting to steal her heart back with nothing but thoughts of love. The beam spread out like that of true loves kiss and pushed Zelena backwards. The green witch stumbled and had to grab onto the well to keep upon her feet.
"You tricked me!" Zelena's lips curled up with a snarl.
The beam passed harmlessly through Henry, Regina, and Mary Margaret but pushed Walsh around. Regina took the opportunity Walsh's disorientation offered her and grabbed Henry's heart. As she held the organ protectively against her chest she backed away from Walsh and made her way towards Henry.
"Henry! Shoot Regina." Zelena commanded.
Regina smirked, thinking her sister's orders were for nothing since she no longer had control over her son. She held Henry's heart. Zelena had no power over Henry.
Emma turned to see Henry raising his arm and his finger squeezed the trigger.
"NO!" Emma screamed, the sound of the gunshot echoing with her scream around the open forest.
Snow covered her mouth to stifle her own scream as she turned horrified eyes towards Regina.
Regina's smirk slowly slipped from her face as she took an involuntary step backwards. The heart she was cradling close to her chest felt warm, but there was a burning sensation that hurt more than anything she had ever felt before. It tore through her stomach and left her short of breath. She couldn't even scream or question how they had been tricked by Zelena yet again.
"Regina!" Emma tried to turn around in an attempt to get back to Regina before she collapsed. Her attempt was thwarted when Zelena wrapped her in a binding spell, the green magic keeping her still, forcing her to watch as Regina collapsed to her knees and then fell backwards onto her back, still protectively clutching Henry's heart to her chest.
Emma snapped her head back to look at Zelena who was exaggeratedly pouting as she looked down at her fallen sister. "Good boy, Henry." Zelena patted Henry on the shoulder as she walked passed him, "How are those contractions coming along, your majesty?" Zelena asked with a wicked sneer as she walked passed Mary Margaret, who couldn't even attempt to reach out to grab at Zelena without curling in on herself in pain. The baby was coming; the contractions were only minutes apart.
Zelena's feet sank into the soil as she stepped right in front of where Regina lay. She clicked her tongue, tisking, at her sister before she bent down and took the heart Regina feebly tried to keep a hold of.
"Do be a good little sister and stay alive for a little while longer." She patronized Regina by patting her on the cheek before she walked over to where Walsh was collecting himself. She waved her hand over the heart in her hands and everyone watched as the gold tint of it disappeared to reveal a blackened heart. It was not Henry's heart.
"As promised. Your heart." Zelena stuck the organ back into Walsh's chest.
Walsh reveled in having his heart back after so long a time. He frowned as he looked at the people around him, truly feeling things for the first time in nearly three decades. The weight of his actions fell upon his shoulders and left him struggling with the emotional onslaught.
"Now that, that's done." Zelena turned her eyes back to Emma. She walked up to the blonde who was struggling defiantly against the bindings Zelena had around her. "You won't find it as easy to break free of these binds." She had made sure to strengthen the spell that would trap Emma after seeing how 'easily' she'd broken free of the last.
Zelena walked a slow circle around Emma. She looked at Emma like she was a puzzle that needed to be solved. "How to get your heart."
Emma stared out into the forest around her, wondering where the others were. Surely the sound of the gunshots should have sent them into action!
"Damn you! Damn you!" Emma cursed as she tried to force her shoulders from right to left, but couldn't get them to move more than a centimeter.
"No, Savoir. Damn you!" Zelena hissed her face a hairsbreadth apart from Emma's. "Damn you and your mother, and your grandmother." Zelena's hate for all three women darkened her already green skin to a nightly forest green shade. "Damn your whole family line for everything they stole from me!"
"We didn't do anything to you. You attacked us first." Snow attempted to delegate knowing that at this point they had very little options.
"But you did. Your mother stole the life I should have had when she betrayed my mother and forced her to send me away. My mother should have been Queen of the White Kingdom. My mother should have raised me in the castle YOU grew up in."
Snow's eyes widened. They'd known that Zelena wished to change the past, but none knew just what the gain would be for her. Now it was becoming clear.
"Who is your father?" Snow asked, suddenly feeling sick thinking this wicked woman might be an older sister to her as well.
Zelena chuckled, truly amused. "Fear not Snow White. We are not related."
A part of Snow was grateful to hear that. "Perhaps in another life we will be." Zelena smiled, truly delighted at the idea. "How fitting. The life of your children will give me—will give us, the life where we are siblings."
Snow felt sick to her stomach. She turned away from Zelena and emptied the contents of her stomach just before another contraction hit and she screamed in pain with it.
"Now, Savoir." Zelena looked at Emma again, allowing Snow to suffer through her labor alone.
Henry in the meanwhile still stood with his arm outstretched, the gun in his hand that he'd already fired aimed at Regina ready to fire again should the order be given.
"How to get your heart..." She considered Emma critically before she snapped her fingers together, realizing how she could get the blonde's heart.
"Henry, be a dear and point the gun at your grandmother." Without conscious thought Henry followed Zelena's directive, his body turning to face Mary Margaret. "Now, you have a choice, Emma. You can give me your heart or I can have Henry kill his grandmother and uncle or auntie. He's already killed his mother. Save him the horrors of knowing he's killed his grandmother too."
"Henry…Henry, fight it, Henry. Fight it!" Mary Margaret coached, knowing it was impossible to break through the type of control that Zelena had over her grandson. Not when she had his heart.
Emma grimaced as she ground her teeth together. "And I have your word that you'll let him go, and my mother?"
"Yes." Zelena lied. Zelena had no intentions of letting any of them go. She needed all four hearts to make this spell work. She needed the heart of the truest believer, to guide her with the faith only it could to the moment in time she needed. She needed the truest of hearts, the heart of true love incarnate, to power the spell. She needed the most resilient heart to withstand the laws of time and push her through the barriers around each time line. And finally she needed the heart of second chances, the heart of the littlest charming yet to be born, to give her a second chance at a new life in the new world she was creating for herself. Zelena would have her happy ending and the White-Charming bloodline would die to give it to her.
Emma cringed as she recognized the lie. But what choice did she have? Regina was laying on the ground bleeding to death, her mother was in labor a month early, and her son had just shot his mother!
"Tick tock, Savior." Zelena gave Emma a few more seconds before she turned to address Henry, "Henry pull the…"
"Alright!" Emma screamed, stopping Zelena from giving Henry the order to kill Mary Margaret. "Alright. You have to release me. No one can take my heart but me."
Zelena seemed skeptical, but she released Emma's torso from the spell, allowing Emma to move only one of her arms.
Emma's hand slowly rose to her chest and she focused on everything she was feeling. The pain and agony of knowing Regina was right behind her, hurt, bleeding and dying. The horror of having watched Henry shoot Regina and hearing Henry's and Mary Margaret's cries of pain.
Closing her eyes Emma pushed her own hand into her chest. She felt very little pain as she found her heart within her chest and slowly began to pull it out. Breathing as evenly as she could Emma withdrew her heart and held it in her open palm.
"Emma…" Mary Margaret breathed out resignedly. There was nothing either of them could do, and they both knew it.
'Damn it, David. Now would be a great time to come and save the day;' both mother and daughter thought simultaneously.
Unlike Henry's heart which was gold, Emma's heart was a swirling mess of colors, predominantly silver and blue. Though there was a spattering of grey and black and gold. It didn't even look like a heart. It looked like a miniature lava lamp. The swirls of color were constantly moving and pulsed a pure aura of light in a pattern matching that of a beating heart.
Zelena stared at Emma's heart in awe. She'd never seen such a beautiful heart before. "You truly are different than them, Savoir." Zelena's breathy awe translated into how gentle she took the heart from Emma's hand and cradled it in both of her own. The wicked witch took a few moments to marvel at the splendor of the heart.
Just a few moments.
Moments that passed quickly.
There was still work to be done.
"Thank you for your sacrifice, Savoir." Zelena genuinely thanked Emma as she walked up to the well and put Emma's heart into one of the extravagantly decorated chests. "Now we can truly begin."
End Chapter 15
