AN: I apologize to everyone reading this that I take so much time, I am not giving up on this story, I will finish it if it is the last thing I do, but please be patient with my slow writing 3

Regina was standing in front of her closet, thinking. Not even an hour ago she got magic beans from Tinker Bell and found out that the man she tried to pursue and to make future with, wasn't actually her true love, her soulmate. She wasted so much time by trying to make it work even when it felt so wrong.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She saw the exhaustion in her own eyes. She didn't know who her soulmate was, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. Maybe this time she should just wait. She would know, just like she knew with Daniel. Or maybe this time it will be a person she actually chooses. She shook her head to clear her mind. She had to save Emma now.

Her lips curled into a small smile as she thought about it. Emma. The one who unexpectedly became her friend even after their rough start. The one who always saved her. The one whom she owed so much. Now it was time to save the Saviour.

She reached into the furthest end of her closet, where she kept the clothes she thought she would never wear again. She kept those as a remainder of her past, the good and the bad memories. She used to fear that putting some of the outfits would turn her evil, that it would help her slip into the old ways. But after all this time, after all the redeeming process and after even being called a hero several times, she stopped being afraid of that.

So she pulled out black leather pants, one of the more comfortable black corsets and burgundy jacket. She wanted it to be practical and wanted to look intimidating to Morgana, which would unlikely happen in pencil skirt and petroleum shirt she shared with Emma since the day Emma "borrowed" it the first time.

She got dressed and took the beans into a leather pouch, which she hid in a pocket of her jacket. With one flick of her hand, she styled her hair into a bun. Then she slipped into high boots and broke into satisfied smile. She took a deep steadying breath and tried her magic, summoning random things around the room. After succeeding every time, she concluded she was ready.

She opened the door of her bedroom and walked down the stairs, where Henry was standing.

When he saw her, he gaped. "Wow, Mom you look…"

"Evil?" Regina tensed in fear when Henry couldn't finish his sentence.

"No, cool!" he exclaimed with a wide smile.

Two pairs of footsteps were heard before Mary Margaret and David walked out of the living room, spotting Regina and staring, reflexively cringing a bit at the memories of what woman dressed like that had done to them in the past.

"What are you doing here? I thought I would drive Henry to you." Regina stated, unpleased at the fact that they were in her house without her knowing.

"Henry called us, he thought it would spare some time and you could rescue Emma sooner." David explained and Henry gave Regina an apologetic smile.

"And we wished to say goodbye and wish you good luck." Mary Margaret offered with a light smile.

"No hope speech, please." Regina stopped her with a delicate raise of her hand. Composure of a queen indeed.

Henry ran to her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. "Good luck Mom." He mumbled into Regina's shoulder. This was all hope speech she needed. Her lips curled into touched smile and she pulled Henry closer in their hug.

"Thank you for doing that Regina."

Regina sighed as Henry pulled away, but kept his hand around Regina's waist.
"Don't thank me too soon. You don't know if I win."

"You're a Hero, Mom, heroes always win."

"He's right," Mary Margaret said and David nodded.

"When are you going to be back?" Henry asked and looked up to her.

"I don't know Henry, I have never met Morgana, I don't know how powerful she is and I don't know what she's done to Emma…"

"You're more powerful than her." Henry stated and Regina wished he was right.

"I should get going then." She decided and Charmings nodded with a supportive smile. Regina placed a kiss on top of Henry's head and then let go of him.

"Goodbye." She said as she walked out of her house.

"See you soon!" the three people, her family, shouted behind her and walked out on the porch, watching as Regina took one bean out of her pocket and threw it on the ground in front of her.

The land swirled with magic and purple smoke as the portal opened.

Regina focused on imagination of Morgana and her castle and the location in the Enchanted Forest. With a deep breath she jumped in and let the portal swallow her whole.

She fell hard on her knees and huffed. What she noticed first was the immediate overwhelming scent of the Forest. She smiled sentimentally and pulled herself up, checking her clothes and seeing no damage. She looked around and found herself in the middle of forest, no castle to be seen. She sighed and decided to find someone to ask.

The branches crunched under her feet, birds sang, but that was all to be heard in the silence of woods. After a few minutes of walking, she came across a path and looked to both sides, having a slight Deja-vu feeling that she was riding there in her carriage once or twice. She turned right and continued walking in silence. Her mind was swirling with thoughts and plans what to do when she finds the castle of Morgana and how she would find Emma.

Her pondering was interrupted by sound of crackling branches, that wasn't her own. She turned sharply to the source of the noise and raised her hand, ready to defend herself.

"Who are you?" she asked, her eyes searching for any sign of movement. "I mean no harm as long as you have the same intentions."

At that, a person stood up from the tall grass and faced her with curious expression. A young maiden, long ginger hair in a braid, her clothes typical for peasants, with a little bit of dirt.

"Who are you?" the maiden asked and eyed Regina suspiciously. She thought the woman in front of her looked like the Evil Queen, but softer. And with less eyeliner she guessed.

"I'm-uhm… Do you know where Morgana's palace is?" Regina decided not to tell her name, afraid it would wreck her chances to get helped.

"What? You want to go there?" The maiden asked with terrified expression on her face.

"I have to. Would you please tell me the way?"

"You're on the right path, just continue for another ten minutes or so… But why are you going there, haven't you heard what she's done?"

"Actually I haven't." Regina answered and lingered in the place instead of running off as she planned to.

"She wants to take over all the seas, she wants to defeat Triton and god knows what else, because since the Evil Queen placed the curse, there's maybe half the population that used to be here."

Regina flinched at hearing her old name. The girl didn't notice.

"So what has she done?" Regina pressed, wanting to know some information since she was wasting time there.

"She's been trying to get some villains to her side, good way or bad way. She's capturing our boys to build an army. She burned two villages down because they refused to give their sons away. We're all afraid that this time, she will beat Triton and then it will be easy to take over the Enchanted Forest, with the trident combined with her magic…" The girl ranted on and at one point, tears welled to her eyes.

"Why has nobody tried to stop her?" Regina didn't understand that.

"Triton has, but as long as she has the necklace, she can't be killed. Not that he would do it." She shrugged matter-of-factly.

"Has nobody else tried?"

"Are you new in the whole Enchanted Forest? The two most powerful people were taken away with the curse." The girl said impatiently. They were advised not to stay alone and she didn't believe this stranger could help her in need.

Regina nodded in understanding. She turned to look at the path she had to take and took a deep breath.

The maiden quickly said "Good luck in surviving." and ran off as fast as she appeared.

So Regina walked out towards the palace.

It really took her about ten minutes. Ten minutes of planning what to do. Where she should go first? Face Morgana directly or attack from behind? Or should she first try to find Emma to beat Morgana together? They have always been stronger together.

The forest grew thinner and opened a view of a magnificent palace. Regina stopped for a minute, scanning the building for most convenient entrances, and appreciating the architecture even though her castle looked better.

She walked closer, but carefully, not on the main path, not wanting to be noticed. She was creeping around to the high ornamental wrought iron fence, when she hitched in shock.

The very well-known blonde was in the garden, pulling a pail with water from a stone well.

"Emma?"