It was well after midnight by the time they crossed the town line. Regina pulled the van up to the hospital's emergency room entrance, assuming that her status as mayor would let her get away with parking in the ambulance bay. That, and the fact that both Emma and she had been out of town for the day dramatically reduced the likelihood of anyone in Storybrooke being gravely wounded. Emma was out of the van before Regina killed the engine, standing guard over their little group as they slowly climbed out.
Robin emerged from the sliding door as she crossed in front of the van, reaching to intercept her. "Shall I help you with Zelena?" he asked. She shook her head. Roland was sound asleep in his car seat, but she knew all too well the perils of waking a small child in the middle of the night. He'd either have an epic meltdown or be awake and bouncing off the walls for hours. Either way, Regina didn't want to put Robin through that. Not tonight, anyway, when they were all emotionally spent.
"No," she said. "I'll take care of this. Emma will take you to Granny's, or to the camp if you'd prefer."
"Regina, this is my responsibility. I'll not leave you to handle this alone."
She averted her eyes. "Believe me, I have no intention of handling this alone. But for now, please, take Roland and get him settled. There will be plenty of time tomorrow to decide what to do." He opened his mouth to argue, but she stilled him with a look. "Please."
His blue eyes locked onto hers, and she could almost see the wheels turning in his head. She knew Robin had too much honor to leave her alone to deal with Zelena, but he also knew her well enough to know when not to push. Finally, he nodded and reached out to her, wanting to touch her in some way, but she stepped back. "I'd better get her inside," she said. Zelena's eyes were beginning to blink rapidly, and Regina had seen this potion often enough in her childhood to know when the effects were wearing off. She crawled through the rows of seating and unbuckled Zelena's seatbelt, gently guiding her out of the van.
"Do you want me to come back?" Emma asked.
"Please," Regina answered. "I might need your help securing her in there."
Emma nodded. "I'll be back in twenty." With that, she pushed Robin toward the passenger seat, and they were on their way.
"Come on, Sis," Regina muttered. "Time to see your new home."
The hallways of the basement asylum were just as dark and dreary as they'd been the last time Regina had come down here, the day she'd freed Sidney from the very same cell that would be hosting her sister. Zelena was beginning to push back against Regina's guiding arm, and she knew that her sister was only moments away from regaining full consciousness. She forced Zelena into a seated position on the thin mattress against the wall, perhaps not as gently as she could have, and leaned against the door to wait for the rest of the potion to work itself through her system.
Regina took advantage of the silence to truly study Zelena, looking for any sort of family resemblance. She could see Cora in the shape of Zelena's mouth and the curve of her face, but she couldn't see anything of herself. She wondered if a casual observer would look at them and know they were related. Regina had always wanted a sister – someone to not only buffer her from her mother's temper, but also to whisper secrets with in the dark of night. And of course, she thought, I have to get this. A sister who wanted to destroy any chance she might have at happiness. Regina chewed her bottom lip absently. Fate, it seemed, took great pleasure in learning her secret desires and completely screwing her over.
Coming out of the potion wasn't like breaking a curse, when awareness rocketed through the brain in a single second and a flood of memories and feelings crashed like a tidal wave. Rather, it was like waking up slowly on a lazy weekend morning. Zelena's eyes focused on Regina's face, and she turned her head one way and then the other to take in her surroundings. She looked back at Regina, dully at first, but it wasn't long before Regina recognized the anger coming back into her sister's eyes.
"So," Zelena said. "You're here."
Regina nodded.
"I take it we're back in your little town, then?" Contempt filled her voice.
"The only part of it you're going to see, yes." Regina replied coolly. She kept her arms crossed over her chest, trying to physically restrain herself from taking a swing at Zelena. She was trying to be a better person, but her knuckles remembered how good it had felt to land a punch on the savior all those years ago, and she wasn't entirely sure that she wouldn't do the same here. Sister or not. Pregnant or not.
Zelena studied the concrete walls, and then her eyes flicked to the heavy reinforced steel door. "You think you can keep me in? You couldn't stop me from coming back from the dead and crossing realms, but you think some stone and metal are going to hold me?"
Regina couldn't help herself from egging Zelena on a bit. She was trying to be a better person, yes, but that didn't mean she was trying to be a good person. "If you think you can get yourself out, be my guest," she said with a smile and a wave toward the door. "Take your best shot."
Zelena's hand whipped up; Regina instinctively braced herself for a blow. The cuff, however, seemed to be doing its job. Regina could see Zelena's anger and frustration build as she tried unsuccessfully to summon her magic.
"Oh, dear," Regina sighed. "Doesn't look like that's going to work."
Zelena stared at her palms in disbelief, finally noticing the heavy leather cuff on her wrist. "What is this?" she spat, pulling at it with her free hand.
"Consider it a gift from your mother." Regina turned her back to leave.
"You think you've won, don't you?" her sister's voice, a challenge, rising behind her.
"Well," Regina said over her shoulder, "you'll be sleeping here tonight, and I'll be sleeping in a nice warm bed in my beautiful house, so yes. Yes, I think I've won this round. I'll be back with Dr. Whale tomorrow."
"It must kill you," Zelena said smugly, just as Regina's fingers reached the handle. "Knowing that I had Robin. Knowing that he made love to me, made a baby with me, while you slept all alone in that big bed in your empty house. Knowing that I got everything you wanted."
Regina felt the old emotions flare up - rage, anger, thirst for vengeance – but she also felt something new. Pity. The whole situation was pathetic, really, and so was Zelena. Words her sister had thrown at her months ago swirled in her mind. "You know what your problem is, Zelena? You just don't live your life. You keep trying to live mine. And I'm not going to let you have it. See you in the morning, sister dear."
She let herself out of the cell, securing the heavy door behind her. Emma was waiting on the other side, leaning up against the wall and looking nearly as exhausted as Regina felt.
"All good?" Emma asked.
"I think so," Regina replied, "but I need your help locking her in there. I can't use my blood magic on the door. Obviously."
Emma balked. "Regina, I don't know how to use blood magic. Also…with a name like blood magic, I really don't think I want to know."
"Oh, relax, Swan. It's not dark magic. It's actually a protective spell. Just give me your hand and I'll do the hard part. You just focus on channeling it to the door." Regina took Emma's hand and focused her energy on the magic needed to create a blood lock, letting the words and emotions flow through her into Emma. Emma's free hand glowed with a silvery light, which she directed to the cell door. A shimmer of light and a pulse of energy against the steel, and the lock was set.
Emma smiled. "She's locked in."
Regina nodded.
"And you needed my help to do it," Emma said with no small amount of satisfaction.
Regina rolled her eyes. "Come on, Savior. I'm done with this day."
Regina had never been so grateful to see her house as that moment when Emma killed the ignition on the minivan. She moved to open the door, but paused for a second.
"That conversation I had with Robin…how much did you hear?"
"Enough to know you're still pretty pissed," Emma replied.
Regina sighed. She had never meant for Emma to hear any of it. Frankly, she had never intended to say any of it. "I'd- I'd really prefer if you forgot it immediately," she said.
"Done." Emma said without hesitation.
"Thank you." Regina opened the door and climbed out of the van. "Thank you for everything." She gave a brief wave as Emma pulled away from the curb, and then turned to the house where her bed was waiting.