Familial Ties

AN: just a fun chapter between Regina and Emma before a really heavy chapter 5

Chapter 4

*Storybrooke* - Present Day

Emma and Regina had been in the mayor's office for a good ten minutes without any talking. When they got to the office, Regina quickly and efficiently walked around the room gathering up some glass equipment, some packs of herbs and other small items, and bottles of colorful liquids. On the next gathering round of the room, she came back with a couple ancient looking magic books and a bottle of water from the mini fridge that she always kept stocked in the office.

Emma couldn't help but touching items. She picked up a beaker and pipette and thought back to the bit of high school education she got. "What did you do? Buy a basic chemistry set?" Without waiting for an answer Emma went on and picked up a bottle that was filled with something that looked like fish eggs, and wondered how caviar was used in potions or if Regina was just hungry. She made a disgusted face at the idea of eating that delicacy.

Regina took the cap off the water bottle and took a long drink as she didn't remember having anything since the small cup of apple juice earlier in the day. She tried not to roll her eyes at Emma's need to touch anything in sight. That touching thing usually got them into trouble. Setting down the half empty water bottle, she finally decided to answer the blond and to warn her about the volatile ingredients before anything bad could happen. She could just imagine what the public would think if the Savior was blown up days after she came back and after another curse was set. "Actually it was a very high end chemistry set…"

Emma couldn't help it she tried to keep from laughing, and so it came out as a mix between a giggle and a snort when she tried to pull the laugh back. "Of course it was," she said not even looking at the other occupant in the room as she was too busy. She placed the bottle back down and then picked up a vial of an iridescent green fluid that seemed to shift to an ocean blue when she swirled the bottle and the light hit it.

When the precious bottle of Dark Fea eyes was put back on the table, Regina breathed a sigh of relief but then groaned as the blond just couldn't leave stuff alone. "Really!? Must you touch everything? You are even worse than Henry was when he was a toddler."

"I know."

That small statement reminded her why she was playing chemist in the first place . Not only did Regina want her own memories of the last year back, she so wanted her son to look at her with, if not love, recognition. As it stood now, he was still living out the memories that she had blessed Emma and Henry with so they would have their own Happy Ending. Her anger over the situation caused her tone to take on a harsher quality than she meant, "If you break that vial of dragon's blood, Miss Swan, you had better know where to find another dragon to slay." She couldn't help but softening when she saw the look that she saw so often on Henry's face when he knew he was caught doing something he shouldn't. Oh how she missed him.

The vial was slowly lowered to the table as Emma was now too afraid to move quickly and break anything. Once she pulled her hand back away from the table, she let out a deep breath of air, rocked on her heels, and clasped her hands together in front of her as it was either that or sit on them. "So what's the plan?"

Regina didn't look away as she was too busy setting up the equipment. She really did love that this world had well-made items she could use to make potions. It was much easier than cobbling together items that didn't always fit securely together, and at least so far she had never had the glass stirring rods melt. The wooden ones she used to use in the Enchanted Forest seemed to dissolve in the more corrosive mixtures. Once she even had a wooden stirring rod go up in a flash of flames when she was creating a strong potion that could be used to blast through stone. She attributed that accident to the use of the dragon's blood in the already unstable mix; she never did get that potion to work and so never was able to use it to breach the fortified walls around Snow's castle to let her soldiers in. After a few losses of wooden stirrers, the Evil Queen tried to use sticks made out of metal. However, no matter what type of metal she used, the potions were destroyed…sometimes violently. "You are going to sit there quietly," she pointed toward the couch and while she didn't look that way, she knew that Emma sat as the sound of a loud sigh and someone all but collapsing on the leather couch reached her ears.

"And I am going to try and recreate the memory potion that you used." Regina pulled out the small bottle that Emma gave her that once was filled with the useful potion. She took off the cork stopper and took a deep whiff of the remaining droplets. She had a deep look of concentration on her face, and then she pulled a few ingredients and moved them to a spot in front of the glass contraption: a very small box with some black pebbles and the bottle of what Emma thought were fish-eggs. She took another sniff of the bottle and then pulled out a bottle of sparkling pink liquid and set it with the other items she had chosen. Knowing that she had determined all the ingredients she could base on smell, she tilted the bottle with her finger covering the opening. When there were a couple drops of potion on the tip of her right index finger, she lifted it to her mouth and took a small taste. She had her eyes closed to try and help close out all distractions to help analyze the make-up of the potion. She did not see the movement out of the corner of her eye, nor did she hear the thudding of feet barreling toward her as she assumed she was safe in her office and therefore did not try and have all of her senses monitoring her surroundings.

Regina moved the bit of potion that she was able to obtain around her mouth so that the various taste buds could try and figure out what they were sensing. She noticed sour, about the amount that she would taste when drinking a cool glass of water with a lemon in it. She noticed a hint of sugar, not too much, but just enough to try and make the foul concoction taste slightly bearable. It was the bitter heat that was the strongest, and between the burn on the back of her tongue coupled with her not feeling well she wondered if she might be ill. She took a deep breath and then felt something in the air that could not be attributed to the potion and so registered that something or someone was behind her. Moments later her right wrist was grabbed in a vice and pulled to the side. It wasn't planned, but more of a knee-jerk reaction from someone who had been marked for death for many years. If it came to fight-or-flight she was definitely going to fight. She quickly and forcefully pulled on her magic and twisted just enough to see the face of the attacker as she wanted to see the look in their eyes right before she sent her fireball between them.

The moment Emma realized that Henry's pregnant mom was going to taste the potion, she fearfully bolted to her feet and ran like a linebacker. While she didn't tackle the Queen to the ground, she did run into her hard enough to push them both into the table and jostle it. She grabbed Regina's right hand and pulled it away from the startled woman's mouth. "What are you doing?" She all but yelled. It was then that she saw the petrified look on the face in front of her, and the large fireball that was being held way too close to her face. All she could think was, 'Way to go, Swan.'

Within a split second Regina realized her mistake when she saw the messy blond hair, the frightened green eyes, and that damned red pleather jacket. She pulled the magic back in and the fireball extinguished. Between the magic that had coursed through her at break-neck speed, and the shot of adrenaline that spiked when she thought that she was being attacked, Regina felt a deep confused weariness weight down her shoulders. Deciding it would be best to take a break and figure out what the hell Miss Swan was thinking, Regina started toward the previously occupied couch. A shocked Emma was still holding onto the wrist she had grabbed and so was dragged along behind the mayor like a puppy with the tail between its legs.

Regina tried to calm her breathing. She leaned back into the comfortable couch, tilted her head to rest on the back, and took a few deep breaths like Archie had once taught her…not that she would let anyone learn about that. A few minutes of awkward silence later, Regina sat up a bit and just glared at Emma and then her trapped right wrist. "What the hell was that about?"

A dazed Emma noticed the glare, and pulled back her hand as though it was burned. "Regina, you can't go around trying unknown potions. It could be dangerous to you or the kid," she looked down quickly toward Regina's stomach and then back up to her face. "And even then, you are having issues with magic, so are you sure potion making is safe?"

The brunette didn't know whether to feel elated at the concern she saw from Emma, or annoyed at the disruption. Regina just took another calming breath. "You had no lingering effects from the potion other than getting your memories back; therefore it can be assumed that it would not harm me either…plus none of those ingredients are even toxic by themselves."

Emma looked apologetic and still not convinced. "I once mixed two cleaning products together. I was hoping if I made a good impression on my new foster family they might keep me." She shrugged and played off the hurt she still felt. "They were safe by themselves, but the gas it created when mixed….not so much."

Regina shook her head in amusement, "Only you, Miss Swan." She decided to leave out the time she had made a deadly fume by accident that peeled off much of the skin on a nearby guard when she was trying to just make the person feel like their skin was burning. She wanted to use it as a means of torture that would keep the victims alive longer for questioning, not that she couldn't just rip out hearts and make them confess…but she couldn't let the jailers have no fun. When she looked at the guard, the Evil Queen knew the potion needed adjustments – yeah, she would leave that story between her and a dead soldier who would never tell the tale.

"Will it help if I step you through what I'm doing?" At Emma's nod, Regina continued, "Okay, magic lesson 101: introduction to potions." She walked back over to the table and grabbed up the last two ingredients she thought she needed based on taste: a fine red powder, and the vial of dragon's blood. "Creating a potion is not the same as the magic I've used, well tried to use, today. All magic can be grouped into two categories: active magic or passive magic." As she talked she started to mix the ingredients. "Active magic uses a piece of yourself: your hopes, fears, desires or in my case, usually anger. Passive magic on the other hand uses items around you that are already imbued with magic: so the ingredients I'm using in potions, or even using the Dark One's dagger in order to command him. Written spells fall in the middle as power can be woven into the words to help augment your own. The saying 'The pen is mightier than the sword,' is very true where spells are concerned."

"So if I have this correctly, active magic is like foolish wand waving or silly incantations and passive magic is more like making potions to bottle fame, brew glory and all that."

Regina turned her gaze from the beaker she was stirring to look at the blond, "A sound comparison, if you want to make it so pedantic as to be about an 11 year old boy's magical studies, then yes, and don't forget the stopper of death…granted, what's the fun in that?" She sent over a wicked smile at the connotation in the last few words.

Emma couldn't help the wide grin from those words, "Oh My God! You know Harry Potter references."

"Please, I have…we have a 12 year old son, of course I got him interested in the books." Her amusement at seeing Emma so carefree quickly drained from her and she turned back toward the potion so Emma couldn't see the anguish on her face. Her words came out in a sorrowful whisper, "I was hoping Henry would see the good in magic and so when he learned about me he wouldn't fear me…instead I was put in the 'worse that Voldemort' category." She chuckled ruefully.

Emma stepped in closer to Regina and put a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "We will figure this out, Regina."

Not wanting to fall apart emotionally, especially in front of another, and as the ingredients were mixed and now over the flames so she could collect the evaporated fumes, the only thing to do was to carry on her lesson in order to change the topic. The former Queen shifted to pick up the packet of fine red powder; the movement also helped as it pulled her away from the compassionate grasp as she wasn't sure she would be able to hold her emotions at bay if she didn't.

"One of the ingredients I determined by taste, before I was so rudely interrupted," she would probably have smiled at the apologetic look on Emma's face if it wasn't for the mask she had put in place to not fall apart. "This is ground chili pepper. It was probably used as it helps normalize activity of the nervous system, and as we are trying to get back hidden memories if makes sense that something to help the normal brain function would be used. It is part of the nightshade family of plants…"

"Aren't those all poisonous…you said none of the ingredients were toxic," Emma asked with a hint of worry coming through her annoyed tone.

"Some plants in that family are toxic but not all. You probably know a few plants, naming a few: potato, tomato, petunia, belladonna, tobacco, mandrake…"

"You mean like those crying baby plants?"

"Miss Swan, not all things magical come down to a Harry Potter reference." Granted, at the moment, Regina mused that if she had one of those she would use it to knock out the blond in order to get her to be quiet.

Regina placed the spice down and picked up the container with the small black stones. "Pieces of a blackened heart…not much of this was ever made as only one attempt somewhat worked. One time when I wondered if there was a way to heal a blackened heart, before I was totally Evil, I had the idea to actually remove the piece of heart that was darkened. Kind of like how doctors would remove dead tissues to help in healing. The first few times led to death, as the moment I broke into the healthy part of the heart, it would turn to dust. So finally I tried to just chisel out the majority of the taint, before I put it back in place."

"Did it work?" Emma whispered out, not sure she really wanted the answer but too curious not to ask.

"Yes, and no. Tanner lost most of his darkness but as that was such an integral part of him, it was like he had a lobotomy. All of his cunning was related to dark deeds, so he died soon after from a stupid bar brawl." Regina stared at the small stones, her forehead wrinkling in confusion, "The only two people who have this item, as far as I can remember, is myself and Rumple." Her fear, that maybe she did backslide and decide those bad memories should be erased, taunted her. She quickly pushed her worry away to continue on.

When Emma saw Regina pick up the bottle of small black blobs, she couldn't help but wonder aloud, "Caviar? How would you use caviar in a potion?" While Emma hated being the butt of a joke, she decided it was okay this once as it actually cracked the former Queen's mask a bit.

Regina just chuckled at her unschooled pupil. "No, these are dark fae eyes. But caviar does sound good right about now," her humor increased as she saw Emma's disgusted. "The eyes would help to see the truth, whether the memories were good or bad. The eyes had to be harvested while the creature was still alive and there were brain signals to the eyes; Both were needed in order to not only get the strength form the darkness of the fae, but also from the darkness of all the dastardly deeds they have witnessed in their lives." She rolled her eyes when Emma giggled and choked out 'dastardly deeds,' before totally losing it. The brunette mused, "You are disgusted at the idea of caviar, but laughing hysterically about dark fae eyes?" When Emma finally got herself under control, Regina went on, "They are a cross between a fairy and an imp…"

"Do you think they…you know…and had a mutant kid?" Emma tilted her head as she wondered, "Maybe that is where the 'no dating' rule came from for the fairies?" At a deep laugh and then a revolted look on Regina's face, Emma almost whined, "What? It was a valid question."

Regina got her laughter under control but still had the smile on her lips as she tried to lessen Emma's hurt feelings. "Yes, it was a logical question. But you try picturing Blue and Rumple…" she had a slight sneer, but her eyes still twinkled in merriment as she mocked the blond, "…you know…and having a mutant kid."

Emma definitely understood where the hilarity came from as all she could do was giggle and then shudder at the idea. "You know this is nice. What I always imagined girl talk at a sleep over would be like," her eyes glazed over in sadness at what she missed "And I don't count the orphanage I was at for a while that had 10 girls sleeping in one large room." She pulled herself back into the present and shifted the topic off of herself as she knew that Regina still blamed herself for the life Emma had growing up. "Did you ever do anything like that- girl talk or friends staying over?" When she heard the answer, Emma wanted to kick herself for bringing up Regina's past too…they both had their demons.

"I didn't really have friends growing up, and even if I did, no one from our providence would have wanted to spend the night. They all feared my mother, which they had cause to do…even I did."

Wanting to change the topic back to something safer, Regina picked up the small flask of sparkling pink liquid, "This is essence of fairy infused with pink baby's breath, which amusingly is also known as pink fairy. Since fairies and fairy dust can help people get their wish, it would also be helpful in a potion where there was a wish component…like getting memories back for this one."

"I should tell Grumpy to send Sister Astrid some pink fairy flowers." Emma didn't realize how much she interwove name from the Enchanted Forest with those from Storybrooke. "And what is essence of fairy?"

Regina gave a raised eyebrow in question, "Do you really want to know?" She watched Emma nod after the look on her face went from curiosity, to worried, to an attempt at an emotionless face…but no one could do that as well as Regina did. "It's the blood of a fairy mixed with their supply of fairy dust. The stronger the fairy, the stronger the mixture, as not only would the power from the fairy be great, they also carried a greater amount of fairy dust than most." She held up the container toward the light so they could see the sparkles shine, "you can tell this is from a fairly strong fairy because of how deep the color is, and it has lots of sparkles."

Emma just nodded even though she didn't have anything to compare the colors and sparkle-ability with, so she just took Regina at her word.

"Oh, and this stays between you and me. I do not want a certain Blue gnat to get wind that I own some."

Emma didn't see the wistful look on Regina's face as she picked up the vial of dragon's blood. Instead the blond joked, "So did you have to send a fireball through any dragons? Would be funny if so because usually the dragon is the one spitting fire." When no answer came, she turned to face the other, "Regina?"

Regina tried to smile in memory, but it didn't meet her eyes, "Maleficent knew I needed some for a potion I wanted to experiment with. She allowed me to take some when she was in her dragon form…that's why this is so priceless."

"So she was a friend?"

"I guess…in a way."

Emma felt horrible about killing someone who would even minutely show some compassion toward the evil queen. "I'm so sorry, Regina."

"It's okay. She wasn't the same here…something happened when she came over. While I trapped her in dragon form, I didn't take into consideration what the new place having no magic would mean. I guess without any way to ever change back, she lost any shred of humanity that she kept when in her dragon form…she was left as only an aggressive beast, and not a magical shapeshifter." Regina blinked back the tears, and was glad to see that the potion was almost finished as she so wanted this day over with. "Anyway, as dragons are known for their wisdom, it would make since in a potion to make people know something once unknown."

Trying to lighten the mood in the room, Emma grabbed at her head and groaned, "Brain overload."

"Well I have had almost 70 years to learn, if not practice, the field dear… you can't learn it all in a day."

The room fell silent for a while as both of the ladies pondered different things. Finally Emma turned toward the ex-Queen. "I was wondering something…"

"Will wonders never cease." Regina couldn't help it. She had missed the playful banter in the last month.

"Regina, I'm serious."

"So was I, Dear." At the so not-amused look on Emma's face, Regina relented, "Okay, what was this wondrous idea?" She couldn't totally stop with the quips at someone else's expense.

Emma just glared and then decided it wasn't worth the argument. "So based on all this today, for some reason your active magic is acting up. Right?"

"It would seem so."

"So then how did you seem fine when you almost fireballed my ass?"

Regina paused contemplating the question. It was well-reasoned, and she was annoyed that her fledgling student thought about it before she did. Trying to sound scathing to cover up the fact that she had no clue, Regina sarcastically sneered, "Very good, Miss Swan. Maybe there is a brain in that head after all." She wanted to throw the potion bottle when Emma just smiled at her knowingly and started whistling a tune that oddly sounded like 'If I Only Had a Brain' from the Wizard of Oz. Regina just shook her head at the antics of the aggravating blond.

She pondered the question with the humming for background noise. The only issues she's had today was when she tried to do magic in the town hall, and when she was told she was pregnant and tried to run. "I've never heard of a magic user having issues like this. Possibly since a child would need me to sustain it, there might not be enough left to pull from to activate the magic correctly." She didn't realize that as she spoke her right hand lowered to her still flat stomach. Regina thought back to the moment earlier in the office: Emma grabbed her wrist, she reacted in fright, and so pulled on her magic without real thought, made a decent fireball….Emma grabbed her wrist. She raised her gaze, her eyes wide, to stare at the blond and remembered when Emma had jump-started her magic with the Mad Hatter's tophat. She schooled her features. "Maybe as fire magic was the first thing I learned…it comes easier and with less pull than others." She had some extra research to do now: return memories, find who set the curse, and now figure out how Emma strengthened her magic. No pressure.

Emma stared into the dark eyes. She could tell Regina was lying, but she didn't understand why. For some reason she didn't feel like confronting Regina about it now, so Emma just nodded and said, "Makes sense."

Regina mused that nothing made sense at this moment. They should still be in the Enchanted Forest, while Emma and Henry should be living happily with no memories what so ever of a town called Storybrooke and its inhabitants, and she so should not be pregnant. What had happened in the last year? She wanted, no needed, for all to remember. Not just to get Henry back, but also as the not knowing was tearing her up inside. The horrible what-ifs she kept imaging were at least hopefully very far from the truth.

She picked up the finished potion and swirled it around in the light to make sure it look correct and there were no bits of eyes or spice floating in it. Feeling satisfied that it looked okay, Regina tipped her head back and swallowed the potion in one go. She waited for it to work…and waited; finally feeling angry and heart-broken when she knew she had failed. She hurled the potion bottle at the wall to try and bleed off some of her emotions as she couldn't do that currently with magic. She walked over to the couch and collapsed down on it in a mix of exhaustion and devastation.