AN: I am so happy for your reviews! I hope you will bear with me if I make it multichapter story? I got an idea for a plot I would love to write... ;)
Nobody knows what to say, so there's silence for a while, pierced only by muffled sobbing of Mary Margaret and Regina. The atmosphere is heavy and draining, even though there are no signs of the curse. And no sign of Emma.
The first one to talk is David. "Let's go home," he whispers with broken voice into Mary Margaret's ear and guides her away from everything. For the second time in their life they try to run away from their fate.
David's voice helped Hook to snap back into reality and without a word, he turned around and walked away in the direction of the docks.
Robin glanced at the three silhouettes disappearing in the distance and then looked at the slumped body of Regina, shaking with the unremitting weeps.
He took a few careful steps towards her and kneeled down with a sigh.
"Regina, it will be alright-" He was trying his best to soothe her. He put his hand on her back, sliding to Regina's hip wanting to take her into an embrace.
As soon as Regina felt the contact, she yanked herself away and her darkened eyes rimmed with redness and tears warned him from touching her again. He backed off instantly, he knew that he shouldn't push her.
He tried again though, his tone soothing and quiet.
"She sacrificed for you so you should-"
"Do not." Regina stopped him with her voice hoarse and weak, but her glare insistent and sharp.
"Regina-"
She had enough. She closed her eyes and focused on her magic. The curse tried to suck it out of her all, but as Emma stepped in, she interrupted the process. Regina gritted her teeth to stop another wave of sobs and dug her nails into her palms. She had to…
With that determination, she teleported herself away from Robin. From the place she lost Emma. From the place she was supposed to die at, knowing that her son is safe with his Mama. Then it all went terribly wrong.
She looked around to see where she had ended. She wished to be somewhere safe. So she found herself sitting at the stairs of her house. She was exhausted from the magic drain and from the crying, she didn't even feel the coldness of the stone under herself.
She tried to stand up, and for a moment she thought she had seen Emma in front of her. Like the first day they met. The head tilt and innocent "Hi."
Regina shook her head and picked herself up, stumbling to the door and sliding against them to the floor as soon as she closed them.
Regina opened her eyes and moaned as her stiff neck painfully let her know, she had slept in a bad position again. She looked around and was overflown with confusion, when she realized she was lying against the front door on the cold hard ground. The realization came back to her quickly.
She forbade herself to cry again. She had responsibilities.
She got up and smoothed her dress, checking her appearance in the mirror. She sighed at the reflection. Red swollen eyes and the trails behind mascara left on her cheeks, writing a story of another hurt. She quickly adjusted herself to look presentable. With eyes closed, she attempted a calming breathing technique she learned in the times her anxiety became the most unbearable. The last thing was putting on a mask, a routine which was professionally done by then.
Madam Mayor walked out of her mansion with distinguished clacking of heels.
The Mercedes parked in front of the Sisters of Saint Meissa Convent.
Regina got out of the car and walked towards the door, maintaining a composed expression while worry was eating her alive.
She knocked fiercely and waited.
Tinkerbell peeked through peephole carefully. Regina gulped, but didn't move an inch.
"Is that Mom?" she could hear Henry's voice behind the door.
"Yes, it is!" Tinkerbell exclaimed with an audible relief – they were expecting her sooner than that. She opened the door and in a second, Regina felt Henry's arms circling her in a hug.
"Mom! I'm so glad you're alright, I was so worried! What happened? I knew Emma wouldn't let you in it alone. Where's she?" Henry's words were rushed, but the tone was dropping in his excitement.
Regina's eyes met Tinkerbell's, who wore her worried expression again. Nobody told her anything, but at one point in history, she had known Regina and that was enough.
Regina slipped her arm around Henry's shoulder and guided him out, nodding to Tinkerbell before doing so.
"Henry…" her voice was thick again. "I didn't think there was a way to evade the curse… I wanted to… I wanted to let it consume me, whatever that meant."
Henry's eyes widened as he realized what that would have meant.
"But Emma didn't give up on me. She stepped in and saved me. She…. She sacrificed herself to save me." Regina said with pain tugging at her heart. She watched Henry's expression, how it portrayed sadness and confusion and a hint of anger – and how she was still able to recognize all of it.
"But- where is she? What happened to her?" Henry pressed in voice full of panic.
"I don't know yet, Henry. My intention was to pick you up and drive you home, and then pay a visit to Rumplestiltskin-"
"Do you think it was him?"
"I don't know if it was him or not, but he knows the most about magic and curses, he might have some information-"
"Mom, but with him everything comes with a price." Henry warned her as if she needed reminding.
She hesitated, considering her answer.
I have lost Emma, that's big enough price.
I have lost Emma and I'll find her no matter the price.
"I know." Regina simply nodded and led her son towards the car.
"I will look into the book for something while you're gone, maybe I find something helpful?" Henry offered when he slipped into his seat. He knew his mother would wish him to be present at her deals with Rumplestiltskin.
"That's splendid idea, dear. If somebody can find something there, it's you."
The car ride was silent. They were both engulfed in their thoughts, planning ways to save Emma or to find out if she was still alive. If Regina learned one thing from Henry, it was hope. So neither of them even considered the option of Emma not being safe.
Regina parked her car at the Mansion and as she stepped out, she saw somebody crouched on the stairs in the front, just like she had been hours ago.
She walked towards the person and noticed that their composure is actually calm.
It was Robin.
"Regina! Here you are!" Robin shot up and rushed towards Regina, wanting to hug her, but for the second time that day, she pulled away.
"What is the matter?" she asked nearly coldly, she wasn't in the mood for dealing with him. Her mind kept screaming Emma's name again and again.
"I wanted to talk." Robin said and paused, looking at Henry, who was standing two steps behind his mother, listening and watching the conversation.
"Well?" Regina raised one eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.
"May I come in?" Robin motioned towards the door and Regina nodded. They walked in, Henry immediately running up the stairs to his own room, where the book was.
"Please be brief, I have some business to get by." Regina said when she sat down at the couch next to him, but with further distance than usual.
"That's what I wanted to talk about. What are your intentions now that Emma's… gone?" Robin said after a short pause for finding the right word.
"I'm going to find her."
"How do you know she's not… gone forever?"
"I don't know that, but I have hope."
"Hope? You have hope?" Robin asked disbelievingly. "You learned to have that again?"
"Henry has taught me great things about love and family." Regina said with voice that sounded tired and resigned. She did not want to be having this conversation. She just wanted to get to Rumplestiltskin and squeeze some information out of him.
"What are you planning to do?"
"Research information and fight to get Emma back."
"Why does it matter so much to you? I haven't seen you this devastated since… Since you erased Emma's and Henry's memories."
Regina sighed deeply and closed her eyes to think of the right answer. Then she decided to go with honesty.
"My life has been nightmare for great length of it. There were three people who made my life better. And all of them were at one point ripped from me. One permanently, one temporarily and I have to find out which category fits Emma. My life hasn't been a nightmare since we started getting along. Since we became friends. I have to find her." Regina whispered the last sentence with tight throat.
Robin was watching her and it seemed that he took only one thing from it all.
"Am I not one of those people?"
Regina looked him in the eyes, which mirrored the sadness in hers. She put her hand over his tenderly, but stayed seated away.
"I had thought you were for a long time. But if you were, I should not suffer with insecurity over our relationship… Maybe I only need the time to sort things out. Or maybe pixie dust isn't everything."
Robin broke the eye contact and pulled his hand away.
"I left my wife for you, Regina." Robin sighed, which made his accusation sound weaker.
"Maybe you shouldn't have. I have told you that everyone I love only gets hurt. It's a curse."
"But you're still fighting for Emma."
"She's different. She's resilient."
