Author's note: More Snow/Emma bonding, something that we never really get enough of on the show.
Chapter 22
Over the past fifteen minutes, the expression on Regina's face has swiftly cycled from constant worry to overwhelming relief to irritation. Upon hearing that Henry was safe, the pinched expression she'd been wearing nonstop ever since arriving back in the Enchanted Forest was replaced by one of relief, though it was quickly replaced by irritation after learning of Gold's plan.
"So let me get this straight." Regina places her hands on her hips and purses her lips. "Henry told you that Gold wants us to…return the magic to the trees?"
David runs a hand over his face. "Yes." He sighs heavily.
"That's impossible!" Regina throws her hands up in frustration. "Completely ridiculous." She turns to Blue. "And you said that the one that Emma went through was the last of its kind, right?"
Blue nods. She too looks anxious. "Yes, it was."
"Henry made it sound as though we can somehow place magic into a suitable tree and it will work in the same way the one fashioned for Emma did." David says.
Regina shakes her head. "I don't see any way of doing that. If that damn tree was the last of its kind then that means that there are no more! You must have misheard."
"I didn't." David says emphatically. "That's exactly that Gold said to Henry to tell us. If he told us then obviously it can be done."
"Except that it can't!" Regina shouts sarcastically. "Are you as naïve as your wife, Charming, because I know everything there is to know about magic and I'm saying that it can't be done. God, do you ever listen?"
"Enough." Blue holds up a hand. "If Rumplestilskin says it can be done then there has to be a way."
"And no offense, Regina." David adds. "But I'm pretty sure Gold knows more than you do."
Regina rolls her eyes. "I still know more than you."
David ignores her. "How will we place magic in the tree?" He asks Blue. "Where will we even get it?"
She shrugs. "I don't know. I can discuss with the other fairies, but this was a type of magic that we never dealt with."
"Is there a way to, I don't know, extract magic from somewhere?" David suggests.
Blue's expression suddenly goes sour. "Yes, I believe there is. Legend has it there is a dagger, very similar to Rumplestilskin's, that when used in the proper conditions can extract magic, allowing something or someone to absorb it. Except I have no idea where it is. It is the darkest of magic, one that we fairies never dare to touch."
Regina looks up grimly. "I think I know where it is."
"Where?"
"If Gold's suggesting it, it must only mean one thing. That he has that dagger hidden somewhere in his castle."
It's a start. Even though Regina has no idea where the magic will come from, she figures that retrieving the dagger would be the first step to getting back to Storybrooke. They can worry about where to extract magic from afterwards.
Although Greg and Tamara are really nothing but irritating, even Regina has to admit that they are somewhat helpful. Not as magic consultants or anything (Tamara's college degree turned out to be worthless. Shocker.) But as manual laborers.
Since her magic is still pretty unstable, that leaves the out the option of poofing over to Rumplestilskin's old castle and quickly finding the dagger. Which is pretty annoying, as hiking has never been Regina's thing. Carrying a huge backpack while walking around? No thanks. At first she hadn't even wanted them to come with, for they'd only slow her down. But they'd practically begged, even offering to carry the huge backpack of supplies, so she'd begrudgingly agreed.
"Almost there." Regina says as she climbs up the final hill, hating the feel of the sweat trickle down her back. Behind her, Greg and Tamara are huffing and puffing as they follow.
"Wow." Greg whistles as the castle comes into view. "That's pretty incredible."
"You should see my old castle." Regina mutters under her breath. "Even more magnificent." Funny thing is, though, since she's been back here she's barely missed it. She could've gone back anytime, yet chose to remain in the Charming's hovel along with the rest of the commoners. Regina chalks it up to needing to team up to David and Blue and everyone else to find a way back to Storybrooke.
Or maybe she just doesn't want to be lonely.
"Here we are." She says, waving a dismissive hand at the doors. To her relief the doors fly open, eliminating the need for the crowbars Greg and Tamara carried.
They step inside the dank building. Like the Charming's castle it bores signs of abandonment and wear.
"Step carefully." Regina instructs as she waves her hand. Much to her luck the wall of torches lit up. "I know Rumplestilskin and he'll have traps set up." She doesn't actually know where the dagger is kept but she has a suspicion. Knowing him, it'll be somewhere near and dear to his heart. Where else would that be other than where his precious chipped teacup used to be stored? Crossing the great room to the smashed cupboard where she knows Rumple used to keep his teacups, she flings it open and smiles when her hand snakes into the back of the velvet lined cabinet, coming into contact with a hard knob sticking out of the wall. "Bingo." Regina says as she twists the knob and holds out the dagger in success.
"That it?" Tamara asks as she steps up to Regina. Greg is standing about twenty feet back, rooting through his backpack for God knows what.
Regina nods. "Careful." She says as Tamara reaches a hand out to touch it. "One scratch from this thing and you're dead." But she does allow Tamara to hold it, knowing full well how magnificent a magical item is to a mere mortal.
"We have what we came for?" Greg steps over to the women. He looks over at the dagger in Tamara's hand, a look of barely disguised longing on his face.
Regina frowns. "What I came for." She reaches over to snatch the dagger back from Tamara, who holds it out of reach.
"No." A slow smile that doesn't quite reach her suddenly snake like eyes crosses Tamara's face. "What we came for."
Regina purses the two. "Am I missing something here? I only allowed you two imbeciles to accompany me on this journey on the condition that you assist me."
"Ah, and that's where you're wrong." Greg says as he throws a coil of rope to Tamara.
Regina's mouth has gone dry. "What?"
"We've been playing you." Tamara says smoothly as she begins to unravel the rope. "The entire time. The ogre was the first step to gaining your trust."
"Wait." Regina blinks. "You two did that?"
Greg throws her an ugly sneer. "Looks like we're not as stupid as you think we are."
"Why?"
"To complete our mission." Tamara answers.
Regina forces a sarcastic laugh. "And what mission would that be, dear? To find proof of magic to become rich and famous? Write a book? Or make a movie, perhaps."
"No." Greg's expression has become menacing. "To steal magic to find my father."
Father. And then Regina realizes who this man is. "Wait. Owen?"
"That's right." Greg replies. "I'm not that helpless little boy anymore. I spent years tracking him down, trying to find people who would believe me. And eventually I did. I realized that all I had to do to locate my father would be to find and possess magic."
Regina rolls her eyes condescendingly. "And how are you going to do that, mortal?"
"Why, you told us how. With this." Tamara holds up the dagger.
No. Regina feels as though the wind has been knocked out of her. How could she not have noticed this? In that moment, she realizes what's about to happen. She raises her hands, fully intending on throwing a fireball, her preferred weapon of choice, but forgets that her magic is unstable and useless.
They laugh loudly at her failure. "That's right. That's not gonna work." Greg snickers as he approaches with a burlap sack. "Tie her up." He instructs to Tamara, who holds out the coil of rope.
Before Regina's world goes dark, all she that runs through her mind is anger at how stupid she's been.
For the first time since her baby's death, Snow feels as though a light has come back into her life. She doesn't know what it is about Emma that makes her so happy. She knows nothing about Emma, other than that she is from another realm, but feels so connected to her.
"Tell me about the other Snow White." Snow says as she turns to Emma. They are seated on the window sill again, the deck of cards between them, scattered after a couple games of BS.
Emma raises an eyebrow. She briefly mentioned the existence of a second Snow White in her realm during their game, which of course piqued Snow's interest. "Umm, ok. Are you sure? I don't think you're going to like it."
"Just tell me." Snow urges. "I'm curious."
"Ok then." Emma crosses her legs and turns to face Snow. "Well, to start with, the Snow I mentioned is fake. A fictional character that only exists in stories and movies."
"What's a movie?"
Emma frowns. "It's like moving pictures…" She picks at a loose thread on the fabric of the seat. "Kind of hard to explain. All you need to know is that back in my world you're just a story."
"A story, huh? I'll bet it doesn't do me justice."
Emma stifles a giggle. "Oh, man you have no idea. For starters, everything that you told me about you, living in the forest as a kick ass bandit on the run from the Evil Queen? Meeting Prince Charming while on the way to retrieve his mother's ring from a band of trolls? Yeah, none of that."
Snow is aghast. "What?"
"The story of Snow White I grew up with is nothing like you. You're…cool. In my opinion the actual Snow White is nothing more than a whiny little princess."
"Why, thank you." Snow smiles. "But what's she like?"
"A completely spoiled, stupid brat who deserved everything she got." Emma launches into a tale about a self-centered Evil Queen who sought to destroy the young princess due to her beauty. She was right, the story has some of the right elements, such as the Huntsman sparing her and the seven dwarves, but it's also ridiculously wrong in so many aspects.
When Emma gets to the part where the Evil Queen, disguised as an old hag, tricks young Snow into eating the poisoned apple, Snow lets out a noise of indignation. "That's crazy!" She protests. "She just…eats the apple?"
Emma nods, her lips pressed together to hold back her laugh. "Yeah. Stupid, right?"
"You were right. She did deserve to die. How naïve."
"…and then Prince Charming wakes her up with a kiss." Emma rolls her eyes as she finishes. "True Love's Kiss, can break any spell, blah blah blah."
Snow smiles at this. "At least that part's true."
"Seriously?" Emma gapes. "Oh, no." She groans melodramatically. "You're one of those. A hopeless romantic."
Snow shrugs. "Whatever you want to call it. Oh, come on. Don't give me that look. You're worse than a child."
Emma sticks her tongue out childishly. "Better?"
"Much." Snow says as they erupt into giggles. "Are all the stories of us back in your land like this?"
Emma nods thoughtfully. "Oh, yes. I mean there are obviously similarities but they're also nothing like you people. Mulan hanging out with Aurora? That never happened in the movies I watched as a kid."
"I would love to visit your world someday." Snow comments. "Read those stories for myself."
"Maybe you will." Emma smiles. "We can laugh at them together." Just then, her stomach erupts in a loud growl.
"Someone's hungry." Snow teases.
"Since when am I not?" Emma counters, pushing herself off the seat. "Be right back. I'm gonna go look for something edible. Hopefully not more chimera."
Snow smiles to herself as she watches Emma leave, already looking forward to more of the blonde's stories. She settles against the seat to wait. But as ten, then fifteen minutes pass Snow slowly becomes worried. What's taking Emma so long?
Another ten minutes later, an anxious Snow pushes herself up in search of Emma. She reasons with herself that maybe Emma just got lost (it is a pretty big castle) or maybe her ankle hurt and she had to stop. Or perhaps she got distracted talking to Charming.
But that does nothing to stop the worry quickly building in the pit of her stomach. She has the strangest feeling that Emma is in danger.
And her feeling turns out to be right; as she is rounding the corner she suddenly sees an unconscious Emma being shoved into a large burlap sack by two figures.
Author's note: OMG whats gonna happen next?
