AN: I know that Marian should be dead and that it was Zelena all along, but… I didn't like that idea, so I decided to ignore the canon and just go my own way, so Marian's alive and so is Zelena. ;)
Emma and Regina walked away from Marian kneeling next to Zelena after being assured that it was really alright.
They were walking in silence, Emma turning her head around from time to time to check up on the weird pair they left behind, until she lost them behind all the trees.
Then she discreetly eyed Regina by her side. She seemed tense.
"You alright?" Emma asked and softly brushed her fingers against Regina's forearm.
The brunette let out a shallow sigh and shrugged.
"What are you thinking about?" Emma tried again, tilting her head and unintentionally giving out a puppy eyed look.
"Henry." Regina stated simply and continued staring in front of herself, her steps carrying her almost mechanically.
"Marian said he's alright…" Emma started reassuring her, but stopped suddenly. "Wait. That's not what you're worried about. You're worried about what he will say about us?"
"What if he doesn't approve? What if we disappoint him?" Regina voiced her fears and Emma noticed that she allowed herself being weak in front of Emma. Again.
"Hey, I don't know as much about fairy tales and Enchanted Forest as you, but… when there was true love, there never were any obstacles with people accepting it?" Emma said and she knew she was right. And that she had never felt this hopeful and in love. Not even with Neal.
Regina finally looked at her and a small smile tugged at her lips.
"I'm not gonna stop trying." Emma said and Regina's smile grew a little wider.
"I have intense feeling of déjà vu, Miss Swan." Regina teased and they both broke into a grin.
"I have kept my promise so far, Madame Mayor," Emma raised her eyebrows and then shook her head. "Man, we're a pair."
In that moment, Emma felt Regina's fingers intertwining with hers, sudden tug and then their lips crashed together.
After a while Emma broke into a smile and Regina pulled away.
"Something funny?" she raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow, still holding onto Emma's hand.
"I don't think true love's kiss is gonna fix our town, plus we already used our one shot-"
Regina rolled her eyes and silenced the "overly humorous" blonde with another kiss.
"Now let's go," Regina whispered against Emma's lips and then stepped out, dragging Emma behind herself until she caught up with her pace.
"What do you think we will find?" Emma asked and mindlessly caressed Regina's hand with her thumb.
"Storybrooke in various stages of ruins, ran by the two idiots who are outright incompetent and not able to fix the damage." Regina snarled and Emma laughed at the fact that no matter the situation, Regina was still the bureaucrat and Mayor she dealt with after coming to Storybrooke all those year ago.
"You know, if you want them to accept us, you should stop calling them 'the two idiots'," Emma warned with a playful smile.
"Does it matter? Snow will see this as a perfect revenge against her-" Regina shrugged with a smirk.
"Wow, this story has gained quite a dynamics!" Emma laughed and Regina couldn't help but join her.
Regina knew all the shortcuts, so it took them only another few minutes to get to the edge of town. Regina tapped her fingers nervously against the back of Emma's hand and she felt a reassuring squeeze in return.
"If you want to keep it secret until we figure it out, we can do that, you know?" Emma stopped them mid-tracks and tugged at Regina's hand to turn her face to face.
Regina studied her gaze and saw nothing but sincerity. She didn't have superpower like the blonde in front of her, but she could read her as well. "I suppose it would be easier that way."
Emma nodded with a smile, because she understood. She leaned in and locked their lips for the last time before breaking the contact and letting go of Regina's hand.
"But I want to be there when you tell Robin." Emma grinned and walked out towards the town centre. Regina shook her head in amusement and briskly followed her.
When they got closer to the centre of the town, they stopped and looked around. There were many buildings damaged and burned, black ashes covering the walls. There were holes in the pavement and bricks torn from buildings lying around. Some buildings were half-smashed and the clock hands were hanging off the clock tower.
But the town wasn't abandoned.
Emma had look of confusion plastered on her face as her eyes followed a group of nuns in white dungarees stained with paint.
"Your mother always had a charming way to manipulate people into cooperating." Regina remarked at the sight. "Talking about her, we should find her and ask-"
"Pun intended?" Emma asked with a smirk forming on her lips.
"Excuse me?" Regina turned to her with puzzled expression.
"We have to FIND my mother who has CHARMING ways to manipulate?" Emma emphasized with a grin and Regina waved her off.
The closer they were to the Mayor's office, the more people they could see, so they were sneaking around, not wanting to be noticed and cause a disarray. Which was exactly what they cause when they walked into the office.
"EMMA!" Mary Margaret shouted and ran from the desk overflown with papers, squeezing Emma in a tight hug.
"Hi Mom," Emma squeaked and threw a look at Regina, who was standing by. "Where's Henry?"
"He's safe, with David. Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Mary Margaret said, pushing Emma at arm-length and inspecting her to see any injuries.
"I'm absolutely fine-" Emma said and Mary Margaret nodded impatiently, turning towards Regina.
"Regina, thank you for saving her, you're a hero. How did it happen?"
Emma's and Regina's eyes met and slight blushes crept into their cheeks. Regina cleared her throat first.
"That is a matter for another time. Now – what happened to the town and why the hell didn't the fairies or Gold fix it?"
"Because Gold isn't here, he… disappeared with Belle who is trying to make him the man he was before, restore their true love-" Mary Margaret started with a dreamy smile.
"And the fairies?" Regina pressed impatiently.
"After Morgana and Zelena left, they just couldn't do any magic, Blue has been working on trying to find out why and how to break the spell."
Emma was listening with furrowed brow, lifted her hand and summoned grilled cheese into the palm of her hand.
"I think magic works just fine," she said and took a bite, when the other two women turned to her. Regina tried to create a fireball – and without a problem she did.
"Either way we need to kick-start their magic-" Emma pondered, only to have Regina jump in.
"Or that shady bitch is plotting something. I never trusted her."
"You mean Blue?" Mary Margaret's eyes widened.
"Indeed I do." Regina said and turned to Emma. "First we see our son and then repair the town?"
"Agreed, Mom, where's Dad and Henry?" Emma turned from Regina to Mary Margaret, wiping the in-love look away from her own face.
Mary Margaret looked anxiously at Regina and remained silent.
"What is it? What's going on?" Emma asked and looked between them all.
"They're in your vault Regina, I'm sorry, I know it's invading of your privacy-" Mary Margaret started babbling and explaining in hurried voice.
"That clearly is," Regina growled and felt the anger rise in her chest.
"-but Henry was worried about you two and insisted that maybe there's something in your books that could help." Mary Margaret finished quickly, but the look in her eyes was the same scared look Regina saw when Snow was a child. And the anger immediately dissipated at the three words.
Henry was worried.
Regina didn't wait for anything else, took Emma's hand into hers and poofed them away.
