It was 7:15 sharp when Emma met with David and Hook at the Charmings' loft. The sky had transformed into a gloomy gray— a sign of events to come— crickets came out of hiding and chirped in the bushes, and the moon was prying itself out of the clouds' clutches. Having changed into a non-milk-stained shirt and jeans, Emma double-checked her pockets and confirmed that the potions were still in her possession before leaving the mayor's house; there was no room for mistakes at this point. One wrong move or miscalculation, and there was no telling who could get hurt.
Before they'd gotten to her parents,' Emma had sworn Henry to absolute secrecy that he wouldn't say anything about her and Regina to anyone, no matter what. Being the understanding son that he was, he pinky promise hesitation. He felt bad that Emma thought he would just spread it like gossip. That was the last thing he'd planned to do.
Once the group was in complete concurrence with their tactical plan, it was time to start rounding up the troops. They all escorted Mary Margaret and Henry to Gold's Pawn Shop, where Red, Belle, and the dwarves were awaiting their arrival. Since Zelena's threat, everyone had been on high alert and there was always someone by Mary Margaret's side. The people in the store had been the first citizens to know about approaching danger, and though it was a tightly packed space, the characters went about their tasks like subservient soldiers. They might as well have worn camouflage uniforms and saluted to David and Emma. Hook, not so much.
"Granny's at the Diner," Red relayed. Her strikingly scarlet lips matched the streak in her brown mane, but that didn't take away from her long legs. "Archie and Marco are there too."
"Ok. We're going to do some border patrol and make sure anyone who's not already indoors, will be," Emma said hastily as she mentally flipped through the other details. Already braking out into a cold sweat, the Savior fought to keep it together. People were counting on her.
Snow caressed her enlarged bump compulsively, as if that alone would keep her baby out of the clutches of evil. If she hadn't been pregnant, she'd be out with her husband and daughter, slinging arrows at predators. But, the fact of the matter was that Snow was expecting, which meant no fighting whatsoever. The Princess swallowed her own disappointment and put on a brave face. "Be careful out there. Even if there aren't any flying monkeys around, you could still get hurt."
"Don't worry. We'll be all right," Emma assured with, what she assumed was, a convincing smile. No one believed her for thousand dollars. "You just make sure Henry and my little brother or sister are safe." While David and Snow shared a kiss, Emma addressed her son; his big, green orbs pleaded for some sort of alleviation of his panic. He worked to push the bad thoughts away, to separate himself from them, but they kept crawling back. "Hey, it'll be ok, Kid. No one's gonna touch you. I won't let them." Pulling the boy into her arms, Henry pressed his face into her shoulder and listened to her heartbeat. "Remember the promise you made to Regina?" she asked when she released him. "You gotta keep up your end, ok? Just until I'm back."
"I know," Henry said clearly. He sounded so grown up, so adult-like, it was incredible. Had she not known him, Emma would have taken him for a college student.
"Good." With that, she, David, and Hook, who hadn't anyone to say goodbye to, stepped out into the cold winter's night. The glacial current stung hit them like bee stings and whipped against their naked skin. It wasn't long before their fingers and toes were frozen.
While the men started to walk away, Emma held back briefly and knelt to the ground. Holding the stick of chalk she'd summoned on her own, she drew several lines in front of the door like Gold had instructed her, all the while trudging through the icy blasts that assaulted her. This way, she knew for sure that her family would be all right until she returned.
After spending her entire afternoon in the mausoleum, Regina materialized onto the grass in the middle of the cemetery. Mossy gravestones and hulking monuments were her only company as she exited the morose structure. Inhaling deeply, her lungs expanded as far as they could go, and fresh air flushed through them, filling them as if they were balloons. Regina wasn't surprised to see stars already shimmering above her, twinkling away. The birds that had occupied the trees just hours before had all flown to their own homes for the night and the only sound Regina heard was her own breathing, even and calm.
Sashaying through the courtyard, a new surge of adrenaline circulated through her veins and traveled from head to tow. Regina had utilized her time by stretching her magic and taking a few minutes to meditate; well, not meditate so much as visualize how she was going to get rid of Zelena. Nevertheless, it soothed the doubt that had sprouted within. By the time evening had set, Regina had never felt more composed. With every that step she took through the knee-high, chilled grass, the Evil Queen's morale boosted even more; like mercury in a thermometer, she was reaching her full capacity. It'd been a long, long time since Regina had felt this charged, she was beginning to think she could take on an entire legion of ogres.
At the other end of the forest, Zelena was on her own trek with Rumplestiltskin in tow. No longer bound by any sort of leash, Gold was untied, though not free by any means. As long as the Wicked Witch had his dagger, he would never be free. The more he contemplated the notion of freedom, he wasn't sure he'd ever want to be free again after tonight. Whatever Zelena had up her sleeves, whatever she needed him for, he was sick just thinking about it.
Twigs snapped in half and pebbles were kicked to the side as Zelena strolled down the gravel trail. The wind sounded like a howling werewolf, though that didn't faze the woman at all. She treated it more like encouragement, as though the earth were cheering her on, supporting her in her efforts to achieve her ultimate goal. The hem of her skirt touched the ground, but she never let it drag. This was too important of an evening to allow her dress to get damaged, and people were going to watch, she wanted to look her best. She couldn't wait to see the look on everyone's faces when she defeated the woman who'd stolen her life. Zelena's birthright would finally be claimed in front of the town— a town that would soon belong to her. All she had to do was win.
At 7:53, Emma and Hook were just driving back into town. Instead of the pirate going about his assigned task, David went around each establishment and used his charm to persuade the owners, for she was sure that Hook would only get doors slammed in his face. As a result, Emma and the man in leather sojourned out into the woods and gathered as many Merry Men that would fit in the bed of David's truck. Robin Hood and his son were among the few, though he and Emma had nothing to say to one another.
It had gotten exceedingly darker in the 35 minutes that they'd been away. The gloomy gray sky was now a vibrant purple and the stars had never looked more entrancing. The half moon had completely rid itself of any fluffy curtains and was given a front row seat to festivities. There were no critters to be found, as they had all fled to their own dwellings. Even the most meager of insects had the good sense to avoid this part of town.
Parking the milk chocolate-toned truck a block away, Emma and the rest of the guys filed onto the sidewalks. She wasted no time in giving orders as they meandered down the pathway. "Granny's, Gold's, and the library are the only ones open for shelter. We need at least two of you to guard each one, and since there are seven of you, one of those places is gonna have a third. You," she said to Regina's apparent fiancee and his kid, "you can put him in with the folks at Gold's."
Draping a protective arm around his young child, Robin interjected. "Do pardon my forwardness, m'lady, but I insist that we can all do much more outdoors than in. Each of us has experience in combat."
"No," Emma shook her head indignantly. "My job's to keep everyone away off the street. You can either do what we asked, or you can go back to the forest, but I'm hoping you won't." It'd been a while since she had to use her bail bonds person tone, the one that basically screamed, "I'M IN CHARGE SHUT THE HELL UP." If she had to do it again, though, she would. Emma got a little pleasure from saying it to Robin, the eerily content, woodsy man. "Anyone else got a problem?" She scanned the small group of warriors, all of whom were clever enough to remain silent, and checked the time on her phone: it was 7:58. "Ok, go find somewhere to keep watch. And. Stay. Inside."
The Merry Men dispersed to their different stations, all with some sort of weapon; either a bow and arrow or a sword. "Well done, Swan," Hook commended with a wink. "I must say, your father was right: you are one hell of a leader."
Emma was going to criticize the man for his joking nature at such a bleak time when she saw a figure coming towards them in the distance. At first glance, she took it to be Zelena; with the flowing coat and heels slapping against the road. But, as the woman got closer, Emma realized it was Regina. "Get to Gold's," she advised her ally tersely. Without giving Hook the opportunity to protest, she jogged up to the mayor. Something was different about the brunette, Emma could sense it. It was the way Regina carried herself, as if she was no longer distressed. She walked with her arms at her sides, as opposed to their usual spot in her pockets. Her vivid, strawberry-colored gloves almost gave Emma vertigo. "Are you ok?" the blonde asked.
This time, Regina answered truthfully. "I'm fine."
Using her super power, Emma was unable to detect a lie. Sweeping the space around them, she gave Regina the bag and when their hands touched, neither of them were in a rush to pull away. "Everyone's safe. We'll be right here," Emma pointed to the window across the street. When Regina saw Henry, her nerves were reactivated, though not as strongly as before. "Regina," Emma whispered, though no one was around to eavesdrop. "I—"
"Go," the Queen dictated firmly.
"What?"
"Go! Now! Stay inside!" Regina hissed through gritted teeth. Emma wanted to ask more, but then followed Regina's vacant glower. Two shadows were approaching Main Street; that was all Emma needed to know. Like a jaguar retreating into the jungle, she bounded over the curb, coasted through the protection charm, and tumbled through the open door where her family lifted her up. Soon, everyone had their noses plastered against the glass in anticipation.
The sharper the image of Zelena became, the tighter Regina fastened her jaw. There was no way in hell that she was going to let the Witch trigger her emotions; Regina was going to do everything she could to keep a placid front. From behind Zelena, the Queen spotted Gold straggling along; he looked just as he always had in Storybrooke: clean-shaven, dapperly dressed, and wearing a sharp frown. It was evident in his scowl that he wanted to be there as much as he wanted to be in Neverland.
When there was just a meter's distance between the two robust ladies, Zelena came to a halt and her skirt matched suit. Her slightly crooked, pearly whites glinted under the moonlight and became Regina's focal point. If she was upset at the lack of a peanut gallery, she didn't show it. "Well, little sister, here were are; together again. Too bad mother dearest isn't able to rejoice in the family reunion," Zelena sulked mockingly.
"That's right, you never got to meet her, did you?" Regina retorted evenly. The glass vials were burning a hole through her pocket, and she had to use all the restraint she had not to use them just yet.
A flash of fury flickered in Zelena's eyes, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. She gestured to Gold as if he were some prize in a game show and made him spin around. "What do you think of this? Doesn't he look dashing? You'd never have guessed that his son died just two days ago." Gold bit down on his tongue until he tasted salt; it was the exact reaction Zelena wanted to provoke— she was just getting revved up.
"What are they saying?" Emma elbowed Red, the only one who could possible hear through three-inch thick barrier.
Concentrating with all of her might, Red said, "They're just insulting each other. Is that was siblings do?"
Back outside, Regina studied Zelena's facial features and her body language. She wasn't an expert, but was positive that there had to be some sort of sign that Zelena had her own reservations. Much to her own dismay, Regina didn't catch any. Her sister stood as tall and and as noble as she'd ever seen. "Well, you wanted me and now you've got me." Closing the gap until there was just a foot of space left, Regina annunciated her words deliberately. "Do your worst."
"Is that what you think this is?" Zelena chortled in a bout of mania. "Did you honestly believe it would be that simple?" She shot a gloved hand out in Regina's direction and an invisible helper clamped down on the brunette's throat. "No, no, dearie; I want a real fight." As her sister flailed helplessly, Zelena sent Regina soaring down the street and onto the roof of a minivan. The headlights were activated and the horn blared incessantly at the sudden impact. Metal that only dented when involved in an accident with another car lined Regina's form like chalk at a crime scene.
Suppressing the impulse to rush outside, Emma counted how long it took for Regina to get up. The blonde's blood boiled as she watched Zelena marched towards the damaged vehicle; she was already enjoying the night, and it had just begun. Regina had just scrambled to her feet and sent a titanium mailbox skyrocketing in Zelena's direction, but her sister deflected it. Zelena heaved her into the air again, squeezing even tighter than before.
"Do you have an any idea what I went through?! Do you know what our mother did to me?!" Flinging Regina into Granny's Bed and Breakfast, Zelena was already strutting through the remnants of her destruction. Although the two had interacted in the Forest, it'd been a brief meeting. Regina left with only a sense of what fueled Zelena so; she hadn't actually been told of why the woman was directing her pent up insecurities at her. "The years I spent living in squaller when I could have been in a castle!" Zelena yelled as she barreled towards her crumpled sister; aged screws and splinters of wood covered Regina from her collision with the door. There was a line of blood running down her left temple, but that was nothing to the Witch. Zelena went after the Queen again, this time, using both hands; her eyes were glossed over and pupils were the size of nickels. She willed her grip to compress around Regina's throat and reveled in the woman's strife. "I wore rags and you wore ball gowns! I was cast away as a freak and you were bloody worshipped!" Zelena rambled on as she launched the woman into the ice cream shop's window.
Broken pieces of glass crunched under Regina's shoes as she forced her body to support itself. Every bone and every muscle begged her to sit down and rest, but her mind wouldn't let her. Regina Mills's will could not be bent, not even by a little bit of magic. Fixing her gloves and wiping the thick, sticky substance from above her eye, she leapt over the empty windowsill and adjusted the straps on her coat. "Is that all you've got?" she jeered as she valiantly limped back into the arena.
Emma was just about to hurl herself into the ring when Regina reentered the frame. The mayor was all but hobbling on one leg, but the sheriff could tell that she wasn't ready to surrender. Emma was going to give it one more shot before she gave Zelena what for. When she glanced over at Henry, the teenager looked as if he'd stopped breathing. He was as still as a flag post and the color had drained from his face. "Come on, Regina," Emma muttered under her breath and crossed her fingers.
Mending her injury on her own, Regina redistributed her weight until she gained her balance. As she approached Zelena, she wore her signature "Prepare to die" grin, though that didn't distract her. "I ruled over the Enchanted Forest for years," Regina commented. "If you want to break me, you're going to have to try harder than that."
Somewhat infuriated that the woman was still standing, Zelena cracked her neck and knuckles, flared her nostrils, and employed every bit of magic she had inside of her; the invigorating power sent her on an unbreakable high. Her thin arms flexed as she tugged the unseen rope that was tied around Regina's trachea and raised the woman ten feet off the ground. No mercy and no pity was exhibited as the younger of the two thrashed wildly. "You stole everything that belonged to me! You never deserved any of it, you spoiled brat!" Zelena shrieked as Regina gagged for air helplessly; her entire form spasmed uncontrollably. It pained Gold to watch, it really did, but there was nothing he could do. "And now," the accented woman exhaled, "I'm going to steal everything from you!"
With that final venomous warning, Zelena propelled Regina straight into the clock tower. The frosted plating shattered and millions of shards splashed out from the opening. Regina's fall had been broken by the metal-bridge just behind the cover, though it still hurt nonetheless. She felt as if she'd just been trampled on by a pack of wild buffalo. To be honest, she wasn't even sure if she was still alive.
A long, pointed fragment was sticking out of her calf and that's how Regina knew she was, in fact, still living. The stoic woman removed it without hesitation, winced slightly, and pulled herself up. From all the way up in the tower, she got a bird's eye view of everything below. She could see Zelena's devilish smile and Gold's miserable snarl. She could even see the roof of her house from this angle. However, the one thing Regina hadn't been prepared to see was Emma darting into the street and charging at Zelena.
"Hey!" the blonde huffed in a boxing stance, as if that's how she could beat the Witch.
"What have we here?" Zelena inquired, freezing the Savior in her spot and tying her hands behind her back. She reached for the Dark One's dagger and commanded Gold to restrain Emma; which he did everything in his will to thwart. Zelena released her newest prisoner from the spell as soon as Rumplestiltskin had her. "Emma Swan," she gleamed. "And what is this?" Zelena plucked the third and missing bottle from Emma's front pocket.
From the clock tower, Regina hastily searched for the pouch and opened it; there were only two containers in there. The stubborn blonde had swiped the other one. "Dammit Emma!"
Shaking the potion in the vial, Zelena examined it critically. "I know what this is. I see my sister has been teaching you the ways of magic. Well, if I know her, and I think I do, she must have come prepared." She spun on her heels and summoned Regina back to the ground, chortling at the brunette's sprained ankle from landing so hard. Zelena kept her back towards Emma as she pat down Regina for the other potions. Regina tried to fight back, but her efforts were nothing short of failure. When she located the sack, the Witch let it drop onto ground and basked in the harmony of broken glass. "Oops," she feigned an apology.
Regina was expeditiously losing fuel. With every structure that she crashed into, she was getting weaker and weaker. Her powers were dwindling and she was in desperate need of a recharge. She was starting to see double, no matter how hard she tried to focus. She was only truly cognizant of one thing: Emma needed her help. Regina lifted a heavy hand and concentrated on the traffic light, but nothing happened. She wasn't strong enough.
Emma squirmed in Gold's grip and focused on Zelena's dress. Implementing the directions Regina had given her, she thought of what she wanted to happen and applied it as best she could. Within seconds, a small flame ignited at the base of Zelena's skirt. Emma's celebration was short-lived, though, as it only aggravated the Witch even more. The fire that the Savior had created was extinguished swiftly, and Zelena pounced on Emma; she yanked a fistful of golden curls and relished in the woman's mewling. "That wasn't very nice."
"Being nice isn't my strong suit," Emma shot back boldly.
Still pulling the prisoner's hair back, Zelena put Gold's dagger in her shawl, and shook the potion in front of Emma. The solvent sloshed around several times before Zelena uncorked the top. "Tell me, oh great Savior, what do you suppose would happen if I were to drink this?" She acted as though she were about to consumed the elixir, tipping the bottle above her mouth. When Emma didn't answer the question, Zelena pinched the captor's cheeks together. "Better yet, what do you suppose would happen… if you were to drink this potion?" If she had expected a reply, no one would have guessed, for without letting even a second tick by, Zelena placed the vial in Rumplestiltskin's hand and forced him to pour it down Emma's throat, while she watched on in delight. The blonde sputtered and choked, everything that would prevent the potion from reaching her insides. But it was too late. Gold overpowered her.
"NOOOO!" Regina yelped, her entire body slumping forward. As if it were happening in slow motion, Emma's knees went limp and her eyes roll back as she plummeted to the ground. Down she fell until all of her was flattened against the cement. She laid sprawled out as if she were asleep in her own bed. From Gold's shop, Red and Belle were doing everything they could to stop the family from racing outside, for the war was still raging on. Henry, though, was inconsolable. It took what dwarves were left to hold him back as he pounded his fists against the window.
Regina gathered every bit of power that was left and clawed her way to the Savior. Just like in her dream, one of them had fallen. The only difference was, Emma wasn't cradling her; Regina was cradling Emma. She kept expecting everyone to pour into the road, just like she'd imagined. She waited for the rain that never fell and for the gasps of shock that never came. In this reality, it was just the four of them.
"Is that… torment you're exhibiting? For a woman who was born to be your enemy?" Zelena hovered over the women like a demon taunting its pray. "Oh, Regina, how… pathetic." She planted herself by Gold and teased him with his own knife.
Extremely close to cracking, Regina swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Emma's body heat was still active, though she was getting colder by the second. Removing her own outer layer, she folded her coat and placed it under Emma's head like a pillow, ready for one more round. As gracefully as she could, the Queen stood up yet again, fully prepared to kill Zelena. "You haven't won yet! I'm still standing!"
"For now," Zelena agreed. "Don't you see? You've gone soft, Regina. I thought Cora taught you better than that." Ready for the final knockout, she clutched Gold's blade at her side and moved at a turtle's speed, only to prolong the suspense. Everything had lead up to this, right here. The years of waiting, the decades of torture, and the lives tossed away had all been instrumental in making Zelena's dream become a reality. It almost didn't seem like it was happening at all; it was too good to be true. She had Regina right where she wanted her.
"Who says she didn't?" Regina rebutted gallantly. She had a spurt-of-the-moment idea, one that she was willing to risk everything for just to see it succeed. "After all, I was the one she raised."
Her legs were just about to give out from under her when Zelena ceased her sluggish strides. If she was going to kill Zelena, Regina would rather have done it without a crowd, though she was aware of the spectators in the shop across from her. "Cora may have raised you, but I will always be better a better Witch," Zelena uttered with resentment, mere centimeters away from her sister. "I have the advantage here. Unlike you, I don't have a family. I don't have anyone to love. As a result," Zelena thrust her hand into Regina's chest and clutched the woman's heart, "I am not weak."
Regina's hunched forward as Zelena grabbed the most vital organ in her body. She could feel everything; every little twinge in Zelena's pinky, every pulsation in her thumb. Regina had so often been the one to steal another person's heart, it was rare to ever be on this end of things. Although she'd always been successful in taking what she wanted, Zelena, however, was not so lucky. The Witch jerked on Regina's life source but was met with failure: the heart wouldn't budge. Confident that her plan had worked, the Queen smirked at Zelena. "That's where Cora was wrong, sister. Love isn't weakness; it's strength."
Like an unexpected storm, a bright, yellow force expelled from Regina's core, tossed Zelena into the air and she landed flat on her bum. The Dark One's dagger clattered to the ground and Gold snatched it before anyone else could. He no longer felt dirty or maimed; he was back in control of his own actions. He and Regina exchanged a quick nod before he lunged at Zelena, who hadn't hardly any time to defend herself.
"Emma!" Limping back to the Savior's bedside, the Queen stumbled over her own heels and kicked them off into the road. What she had to do was abundantly clear to Regina, but she still hesitated before fixing the mess she should have seen coming. "I told you to stay inside, dammit," she muttered as she stroked the blonde's forehead. Emma was neither blanched or blue; her nose and cheeks were pink and her heart beat vigorously, safely in her chest. No longer aware of her surroundings, only of what she felt, Regina's spirit guided her through the motions. Sinking down until she was next to Emma's ear, the brunette closed her eyes and said, "I love you." With the gentle touch that could only be an attribute of a good person, Regina placed her lips on top of Emma's, and this time, she wanted it to last.
A second, equally potent force radiated from their kiss and swept over the entire town. An explosion of oxygen reactivated Emma's system as she gasped for air and jerked forward. Blinking in rapid secession and meeting Regina's relieved eyes, the blonde smiled up at her healer. "I love you too."
"Moms!" As soon as Henry saw that Emma was all right, he wriggled out of Leroy and Happy's hold, broke down the front door, and dashed outside to his mothers. He slammed into both women and threw his arms around them like he'd done when Pan had left his body; he took in the homey scent of apple cider and the brush of Emma's hair against his neck. Regina knew that sparkle in his emerald spheres; it'd been there everyday since the moment she first held him. As soon as she'd kissed Emma, an influx of video clips played out in Henry's consciousness and returned to their previous compartments, where they would stay for the remainder of his life. Henry had gotten his memories back.
"Are you all right? Are you hurt?" Regina questioned hastily, cupping his cheeks and searching his slender form. Her own pain was nothing in comparison to Henry's safety.
"I'm ok… Mom," Henry breathed, just glad to see his mother again for who she really was. "I missed you." Regina's bottom lip quivered as hugged him again, wanting to freeze this moment in time.
One by one, anyone who had sought a place to hide came filing out of their shelters and into the street. It wasn't long before Emma and Regina were surrounded by puzzled townspeople, all of whom were buzzing with questions. There was no right way to answer them, and frankly, neither of the women had the energy to even attempt to.
When David and Mary Margaret flocked to their daughter, and David asked, "What happened?," all Emma could do was look from Regina and their son, to the rest of the crowd and say, "It's a long story."
A/N - So, I've obviously been on a writing binge the last few days, which is either a really good thing or a really bad thing. Based off of your impending reviews, I'll find out, haha! Anyway, I've just been working on finishing this story (the last chapter will be uploaded tomorrow), and then I'll probably take a week or two off. It's getting down to crunch time with scholarship applications and a project I still haven't started (best procrastinator in the world). However, that doesn't mean I won't be writing- just not publishing right away. Big side note, I know. I hope you enjoyed that update and I hope you like how this ends! Stay tuned, folks!