Emma had barely walked into the school gym before she realized that this was a terrible idea. Even though it had been days since the end of the curse, Storybrooke was still upturned, people scrambling to fit their two lives together without bringing the town to a standstill. The gym was still filled with people, and they gradually went silent as Emma walked past. She tried not to look at them. It was too confusing – she'd only just started to know everyone's names, and now they each had a second name as well.
So many were guilty.
"Emma!" Mary Margaret's cheerful voice cut easily through the quiet room, and Emma braced for the inevitable hug. "I've been so worried! Where have you been?"
The blonde stiffened but didn't bother attempting to pull away. "You know where I've been."
"We just never expected you to be away so long." Mary Margaret pulled back enough to see her. "We only just got you back." There were tears in the other woman's eyes, and Emma forced herself to look away. "I thought you'd want to be with your family."
Turning her head allowed Emma to see David and Henry making their way towards her as well. She wasn't ready for this. She didn't know if she ever would be. Henry she could handle, but having parents was too great of a leap. Especially these parents. "Listen…"
"You belong here," Mary Margaret insisted. "With your family. Not with the person who ripped us apart."
Emma sighed. She didn't have the energy for this, especially not so publicly. "I'm just here to take Henry and go home."
Mary Margaret reluctantly let go, stepping back to fit perfectly into David's arms. "We'll see you at dinnertime, then."
Emma took a firm hold of Henry's hand. "Not your home. His. Come on, kid."
Henry dragged his feet but followed anyway. "Do we have to?"
Emma kept her eyes fixed on the door, trying not to look at the people around them. "She's your mom, kid."
"Snow White is your mom," he pointed out, glancing back over his shoulder.
Before Emma could respond, the door they were nearing opened. She didn't register anyone who walked in except one, and without taking her eyes off him she pulled her keys from her pocket and handed them to Henry. "Go wait in the car."
"But…"
"Go." Henry heard the strain in her tone and knew she was serious, so he followed her instructions instantly. She stepped forwards towards Whale, hands clenched at her sides. "I will not hesitate to kill you," she hissed under her breath. "If you so much as look at Regina ever again, I will destroy you."
Whale just laughed loudly. "Our savior, ladies and gentlemen. Threatening innocent civilians to protect the woman who terrorized all of us."
"Innocent, Doctor?" Now it was Emma who laughed as she moved to punch him.
Her fist never connected. Just as it was about to, Emma felt a strange electricity pulse through her. There was a flash of light, and then Whale was somehow lying on the ground feet away from her, Emma's hand still hovering in midair.
Not quite as satisfying as punching him, Emma couldn't help thinking, even as she stared at her fist in amazement. At least she'd still managed to bloody his nose.
"And now Regina's training her in dark magic, too?" Whale had a hand cupped over his face as people nearby helped him up. "We should have killed the bitch while we had the chance."
Emma glanced over her shoulder to see horrified expressions on her parents' faces. Horrified expressions all around, really. Rather than staying to argue that of course Regina hadn't trained her in magic, that she knew nothing at all about magic, she ran.
She found Henry in the bug and grabbed the keys from him hurriedly. "What's going on?" he asked as she sped out of the parking lot.
"You're going home is what's going on," Emma replied breathlessly. She knew Regina would kill her for driving so fast with their son in the car, but Emma could barely think. There was just the impulse to get to Regina before anything happened. The bug squealed into the driveway, Emma hitting the breaks just before she rear-ended Regina's car.
"What…"
"Inside, now." Emma ushered Henry up to the door, glancing over her shoulder as he unlocked it. No one was there, no one was coming. At least not yet.
"Mom?" The concern in Henry's voice instantly brought Emma and her thoughts inside. Her son was bent over Regina not far from where Emma had left her.
Emma quickly locked the door before rushing over to the woman crumpled on the floor. "Henry, get a damp washcloth or something." She brushed Regina's hair from her face, found a pulse, and carried her back to the couch that was still stained with blood from earlier that week.
Thankfully Regina let out a soft groan when she was lifted, and when Emma set her down her eyes were bleary but open. "Emma," she whispered.
"I'm right here." Emma sat down gingerly beside Regina and reached up to stroke her cheek. "What happened?"
"I couldn't do it." Regina blinked a few times. "I kept trying the spell over and over."
"And you tired yourself out?" Emma couldn't help a small smile, relieved that it wasn't anything worse. That no one had harmed her.
Regina nodded. "Magic barely works here. I don't understand."
Before Emma could tell her that wasn't exactly true, Henry was back. He thrust the much too wet washcloth into Emma's hands before taking a good look at his mother. "Mom? Are you okay?"
Relief flooded Regina's face at the sight of her son. "Henry," she breathed. "I've missed you so much." She reached out to him and was surprised that he leaned in to the embrace, if only for a moment.
Henry drew back again and noticed the stains on the white couch that dripped down to the carpet. "What happened here? What did you do?"
"Some people hurt your mom really badly," the blonde told him, glancing down at Regina to see if this was okay. She knew the other woman didn't want Henry to see her weak, but he needed to know. He needed to understand that Regina wasn't the monster here. "They tied her up and did terrible things. They nearly killed her."
Henry was pale, looking back and forth between his parents. "Who did that?"
"More people than I can name," Regina replied softly.
"Because of the curse?"
Regina slowly sat herself up. "Because I've done all that and more to so many people."
Henry was silent for a moment, considering. "Because you're evil."
"Henry!" Emma drowned out Regina's quiet assent. "That's enough. Go to your room."
The two women sat, silently looking at each other, while Henry thumped up the stairs. "You can't punish him for saying what's true," Regina said once it was clear that her son had slammed the door and flopped onto his bed.
"You did not deserve this," Emma insisted. "You know that."
Regina didn't answer. She couldn't imagine attempting to list her crimes, and she couldn't imagine that Emma would still be here once she did.
"You've been in Storybrooke 28 years," Emma continued, covering Regina's hand with her own. "And maybe you haven't been the nicest person, but I'm pretty sure that's not a punishable offense."
"I've done some things…"
"So have I. The fact is that you haven't been the Evil Queen for almost 30 years."
Regina shook her head. "That's who I am. Who I always will be."
Emma edged closer to wrap her arms around Regina. "Not to me."
The brunette allowed herself a half smile, sinking into Emma's embrace. "That's why you saved me when no one else would."
"I'm sure they would have if they knew."
"Regina."
She craned towards the voice as much as she could. Between the bonds and the pain and the exhaustion that was overtaking her, she couldn't manage to move far. But for the first time in hours, days, however long she'd been down here, there was something like hope.
Regina couldn't see or respond, but she knew that voice better than any other. Snow White.
"I hope you see that you deserve this. I don't approve of their methods, but you destroyed so many lives, Regina. You kept me from my child and my husband for years and for what?"
Regina groaned into the gag and sagged back down towards the floor. She didn't have the energy for this. If Snow would just get her out of here already she'd listen, but not now. Not like this.
"I hope it was worth it."
Footsteps came near, and Regina waited desperately to be untied. Nothing happened for what seemed like forever.
"I should have killed you when I had the chance."
The footsteps retreated, the door closed, and for the first time since Whale had brought her here, Regina cried. The one person who might take pity on her was gone. But at least no one else came. They finally left her alone, left her to die.
She hadn't counted on Emma.
"Hey." Emma's voice was low, concerned. "What are you remembering?"
Regina looked wearily at the blonde. This was one thing she couldn't tell her. That her mother, her friend, had seen what happened and refused to help. That while Emma was searching for Regina, someone she trusted knew exactly where she was and didn't tell.
Snow White was going to get away with the worst thing she'd ever done to Regina, and all because Regina had fallen for her enemy's daughter.
"I'm going to lie down upstairs," She reluctantly extricated herself from Emma's arms. "I need to get my strength back. I don't like being helpless, and without magic…"
"Magic or not, I seem to recall you having a pretty mean right hook," Emma told her. "I can teach you some moves once you're feeling up to it."
Regina nodded half-heartedly. Every step away from Emma left her feeling weaker, brought the shadows closing in around her. She collapsed onto her bed and instinctively reached for the bear Emma had given her, tugging him close to her chest.