Bahahaha, oh I know, that was cruel of me, so here we go, another update! More than 3,900 words!

And this fic surpassed 100 reviews! Just wow, thank you! And a note because a lot of people mentioned it: I am not abandoning the fic! I just have a system wherein I update my fics in order, so it sometimes might take me a while to update all the fics, but I'll get around to it.

Alright, moving on, let's see if this chapter makes things better!

Or worse~

When the smoke cleared, Emma saw she was in Regina's bedroom, no longer held by the wound branch. Instead, one of the standing candelabra's arms was coiling around her from behind, keeping the thief in place.

Trying to gauge Regina's anger, she saw that the monarch was furiously pacing around the room and seemingly ignoring her, so Emma ventured to speak first. "Please, Regina-"

"Silence!" Regina whipped around to face her, eyes wide, mouth set into a snarl, and Emma saw she also had the smallest amount of moisture in her eyes. "Do you honestly think me that stupid? Was this a giant game for you? Is that it? 'Make the Evil Queen suffer for what she did to my parents'?"

"No!" Emma exclaimed, not wavering when she saw Regina stalk over to tower in front of her, looking positively seething. "Please, just let me explain. I beseech you. You said you wanted to chat, so please, just hear me out, okay?"

Regina's eyes were darting wildly over Emma's own, searching for something, some kind of trick perhaps. Finding nothing, she gave a curt nod. "Very well, if you think that's going to help you."

"At the very least, I want to clarify." Seeing Regina wasn't fazed, Emma began. "I know it was wrong of me to keep the truth from you, and I'm sorry. But I didn't lie about how I felt about you. I do care for you Regina, so much. I was afraid that, once you found out who my parents were, you'd hate me for it. Or at the very least never have given me a chance to see where this went."

"Shouldn't you at least let me make the decision for myself?" Regina asked, snarling the words. "If I didn't want anything to do with the two idiots, then perhaps trying to trick me into falling for you, their spawn, doesn't help, now does it?"

"But it wasn't a trick!" Emma countered, exclaiming her words with a sense of urgency.

Regina sighed. "And how am I supposed to trust you?" she asked after a few moments of deliberation.

"Because you know me. I told you the truth about everything else in my life. I merely never mentioned anything about my parents."

The royal's lips quivered into a minuscule smirk for a fraction of a second as she quipped, "Not exactly an inconsequential detail."

"I just wanted you to give me a chance. When I rescued you from the carriage, I didn't know who you were. If I had, and my intentions were truly malicious, why would I have saved you? And when I had my suspicions, why would I have taught you how to use a sword? Or taken off that manacle that trapped your magic?"

"Multiple reasons. There is the saying of a fate worse than death. For all I know, you wanted to make me suffer before doing me in and vanquishing the despicable Evil Queen," Regina responded without missing a beat, a mocking tone to her moniker.

Emma rolled her head back in anguish and let out a groan. "We can keep doing this all day, Regina. I had no ill intentions, despite your misgivings on my veracity, and I'm prepared to prove it any way I can."

This piqued Regina's interest. "Any way whatsoever?"

"Yes. Just say what and I'll do it for you." The thief nodded. Thinking about it for a second, she amended, "Barring a few exceptions."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I won't kill my parents or do anything drastic," Emma explained with a disarming smile.

Regina took the jab in stride and gave a small smile of her own. "Oh drat. Very well, I will think of something."

Emma beamed, and then frowned as she looked down at herself. "Am I gonna have to stay like this the entire time while you come up with something? Because I promise I won't run off."

After considering her words for a moment, Regina acquiesced and released Emma from her confines, setting Emma down gently. Thankful for the freedom, Emma flashed Regina a smile before she stretched her sore and contracted muscles.

Meanwhile, Regina went to sit down on the settee as she thought. Of course she had to have fallen for Emma, fate had a way of being like that. And Emma did have a point. If she had known even the slightest bit about her parentage, Regina would have shoved her far away. As it was, Emma did make her happy. She had been looking forward to getting to see Emma tomorrow, but this complicated matters.

Glancing at Emma, she could see that the blonde was conflicted about having caused Regina so much distress. Deep down, she hoped Emma really did mean no harm, but Regina had been tricked and taken advantage of too many times to easily accept Emma's promises, no matter how genuine they sounded.

"Would you have told me the truth eventually?"

Emma was still standing where Regina had released her when she heard the quiet question. "What?"

Regina turned to fully face Emma, and then patted the empty space in the settee. She wasn't even sure why she wanted to potentially cause herself even more pain, or what it would prove, but it was the only question currently tumbling around in her head, she had to know the answer. And it wasn't like she could take it back. Despite Emma's questioning response, she was sure the other woman had heard her loud and clear.

Once she was seated, Regina repeated herself. "Would you have told me the truth about your parents if I hadn't found out about it today?"

"Yes," Emma responded almost automatically. "I wasn't sure when I'd get the courage, but you deserve the truth. I mean, this is telling me that that conversation would've been a disaster, but I would've told you."

Something told her that Emma was being truthful. "And what of your parents?"

"What about them?"

"Well, I assume they will found out about us eventually as well. What if their reaction is less than favourable, as I'm assuming will be the case?"

Emma could see where this was going. She could also see the uncertainty Regina was trying to hide. She itched to grab Regina's hand and offer some physical comfort, but in their current situation, it probably wouldn't be well received. "I would choose you. I would pack my stuff, and come crash here. Granted I might also bring Henry along, little bugger is glued to my hip most of the time."

In Regina's mind, that sounded blissful. Emma with her, and the addition of the young child that had taken a shine to Emma. But life was never that simple.

Someone began knocking at the door.

"What?!" Regina growled, glaring at the closed door as if she could pulverize whoever was on the other side.

"I-I'm sorry to disturb you, your Majesty," a timid voice could be heard. Clearly this messenger didn't want to be in the position to deliver what was surely bad news. "But there's a contingent of very angry outlaws heading to the town's gates. What should we do?"

Regina glanced at Emma, who let out a small groan and sunk her head in her hands. Of course her parents would be coming full force. "Close the gates and man the stations. I will deal with it personally."

"Yes, your Majesty, right away."

Once she heard the retreating steps of the guard, she turned to Emma. "What are we going to do?"

Emma was wildly thinking of ideas, and settled for one. "I might have an idea. Do you trust me?"

Regina was still angry at Emma. Being lied to, even with good intentions, set her on edge. Although Emma had apologized, and left a perfect mental image of an idealistic future, she was still hurting. But right now was not the time to get pedantic, otherwise there'd be no future for them whatsoever. She nodded, because despite said hurt and anger, she did trust the woman she had come to care for. "Yes, what's the plan?"

"Take me to the edge of the forest by your kingdom," Emma simply said.

Even though she had a multitude of questions, Regina nodded and stood up, Emma following suit. With a wave of her arms, they were now where Emma had requested. They could see a multitude of people rushing towards the Dark Kingdom, holding anything varying from pitchforks to torches and swords. There was even a cart trailing behind. "The plan?"

"Easy. You go and meet that mob at the gates. Explain to them that you don't have me locked up, I'll show up coming from here, they see you're telling the truth, we part ways, and I later just explain you were looking to intimidate me and left me in the forest."

It sounded like a straightforward plan. "And...you'll come see me later?"

Emma desperately wanted to kiss Regina's worry away, but, once again, she doubted they were in a position where Emma was welcomed to do such an intimate gesture. Instead she just smiled and nodded. "I promise. Now go, I'll be there soon."

With one last look, Regina decided that she needed a small comfort, so she surged forward and claimed Emma's lips with her own. Their kiss was short and bittersweet, but it allowed both women to feel a bit better about their plan. "Stay safe," she said once they parted.

"Always am," Emma responded with a wink.

When Regina appeared by her kingdom's gates, she felt a smidgen of fear at being faced with the incoming mob. There were at least 30 angry people headed her way, and at the front were her two least favourite people: the Charmings.

When they were a few feet away from Regina, they stopped, weapons at the ready, while Snow took a few additional steps forward, Charming right behind her. "Where is she?"

"She who?" Regina asked, pretending to be aloof.

Charming's hand tightened over his sword hilt, the tip glinting in the sunlight. "Don't lie to us, witch! Where is Emma?"

In the distance, she could see Emma approaching, but she had to stall until she got closer. "How should I know? I don't keep tabs on your child."

"You took her! You said you were going to talk to her, so don't you dare try to lie to us," Snow enunciated.

Regina nodded. "I did speak with her, and I let her go. Where she went after that is none of my business."

Seeing that Emma was nearly there and she knew she couldn't keep distracting the angry parents in front of her, she added, "Ah, there she is now! What did I tell you?"

"Mom, dad!" Emma exclaimed, coming up to stand by the pair and hugging them tightly.

"Emma! Are you hurt? Did she do anything to you?" Snow asked, running a critical eye over her daughter, checking for any injuries or discrepancies.

Emma chuckled and shrugged their worries off, offering the smallest of looks towards Regina before saying, "I'm fine, see? In one piece. She was all bark and no bite."

Normally that kind of line would cause Regina to take offense and prove the speaker wrong. But she was willing to be demure for Emma's sake if only to expedite getting the Charmings out of here and stop them from snooping and finding out that not only she and Emma had met prior, but that they were courting - although the definite status of their relationship was currently in the air.

David seemed ready to take Emma's word, but Snow had had too many experiences with Regina's devious tricks to accept anything at face value. Not to mention that she knew that Regina would never accept Emma's dismissal of her prowess, and not show her might to counter it. Narrowing her eyes, Snow turned accusingly to Regina. "What did you do to her?" she demanded.

Regina was genuinely baffled at the question. "I've done nothing to her, Snow. As you can see right in front of you, she's perfectly fine."

"No, no, you've done something." Then an idea struck her. "You took her heart, didn't you?!"

Out of all the different outcomes and possible things for Snow to accuse her of, it had to be this. "Excuse me?"

In Snow's eyes, Regina's lack of outright denial was indicative of her guilt. "You did! You took my daughter's heart! You're controlling her and plan to use her against me."

Before she could do anything else, an arrow was pointed at her heart, courtesy of Snow, and Charming was gripping his sword tighter, ready to attack. The rest of the mob seemed eager to get violent, their voices growing in excitement. Suddenly, Emma stepped in front of Regina, facing her parents and the mob, arms out. "Enough."

"Emma, honey, you're not yourself right now. Please, step aside. We know it's hard for you to not listen to her commands, but-"

"No, stop!" Emma exclaimed, cutting Snow off. Everyone was surprised, Emma never talked back to her mother like this. Lowering her arms, she announced, "My heart is in my body, and I'm of sound mind and body. In fact, I'll prove it to you."

A pause, and then, "Erhm, how exactly do I go about that?"

Regina piped up, "You need a magical practitioner to remove it."

"Alright then!" Emma turned around to face Regina. "Do it."

At that moment, Regina was sure Emma had lost her mind. And she probably wasn't very far behind from losing her own when she found herself hearing Snow voice thoughts she herself was partially having.

"Emma! Are you crazy? Getting your heart removed is painful and dangerous! And you can't trust her."

Emma turned her head to face her parents. "Well you want proof I have my heart in my chest, and she's the only magical being I see in the vicinity, unless you want to head back home to find out there?"

She did have a point, and despite how much Snow hated the idea, she had to admit that it was a sound plan. "Very well."

Regina wished she could say something to dissuade Emma, or to reassure her somehow. Anything was better than just having to silently and emotionlessly stare at Emma, as if she wasn't scared shitless of hurting her lover. "This will hurt," she bluntly stated.

"I know," Emma said with a nod. She had her back to the mob, so she was free to give Regina small reassuring smile without anyone else seeing. Stepping forward, she clenched her fists beside her, tense, waiting for Regina to remove her heart.

"You must relax," Regina said, extending her arms so her palms rested by Emma's shoulders. Since her thumbs were hidden from view, she gently rubbed the area near Emma's clavicles in a gesture of soothing comfort. "I will make this as painless as possible," she added in a quiet whisper. "Just follow my instructions."

Relaxing her arms and hands, Emma nodded and whispered back, "I trust you."

Regina wasn't sure if she was nodding to assure Emma, or herself. She shifted her hands a bit. Now her left hand was lightly clutching Emma's shoulder, and her right palm was resting over Emma's heart. A bit louder, she commanded, "Now, breathe in, deeply."

Emma did that, and at the same time, she felt a discomfort in her chest. Looking down, she tried to not panic as she saw Regina's wrist connecting with her chest, the hand completely out of sight. "Relax, I'll give you a moment to adjust."

Trying to inhale and exhale normally, Emma increasingly realized that Regina's hand didn't feel intrusive, even as she felt it slowly clutch her heart gently. Also, she could have sworn she was imagining it, but it almost felt like Regina was stroking her heart, giving it - and in turn, Emma - feelings of hope and reassurance that everything would work out.

"Do you think you're ready to allow me to remove your heart?" Regina asked after a moment of silence. Behind Emma, a few villagers shuffled, and someone coughed.

"Yes."

Regina nodded and quirked her lips the slightest bit upwards to try and reassure Emma with a smile. "Good. Now breathe in again."

Emma did so, and after a few seconds, Regina added, "Now breathe out."

With the exhale, she felt Regina clutch her heart a bit tighter, and tug it out. She hissed at the discomfort.

Barely imperceptible, Regina murmured, "I've got you, you're safe."

Once the heart was fully removed, Emma's first instinct was to collapse to her knees. As her knees and palms connected with the earth, she tried to get her bearings. It felt so strange to not have her heart inside her. But at the same time, she wasn't afraid of what might happen. Regina held her heart; she was safe.

For her part, Regina was staring reverently at the pulsing deep red organ in her hand. It seemed to have flecks of yellow lines resembling veins surrounding it, but now was not the time to examine. Her lover was by her feet, and needed her heart back. Kneeling, she lightly rested her free hand on Emma's right shoulder once more. "Emma?" she ventured quietly. "How are you feeling?"

Raising her head, Emma tried to give her a comforting smile. "Weird."

Behind her, it seemed that Snow was thinking it was taking too long to finish things up. "Put her heart back, now."

Raising her head to stare at Snow, she rolled her eyes and gave a light scoff. "I'm trying to make this as painless as possible for her. You can't rush me, otherwise she'll get hurt."

"Oh don't start spouting off nonsense Regina. Why do you care what happens to Emma? If anything you're probably revelling in her pain right now."

Regina's eyes flashed dangerously. She had half a mind of outing their relationship because she was not going to allow Snow to diminish what she felt for Emma. But then she felt something strange in her right hand. Looking down at it, she saw Emma's heart, and felt this warm pulsing light exude from it. Looking curiously at Emma, she saw the blonde sit on her heels and mouth, "I love you."

This was what she was feeling in her hand via the heart. Proof of Emma's love. If she had any doubts that Emma was truly had good intentions, this banished all worries.

"The heart, Regina, now." Snow broke through the happy bubble Regina was in, and she looked up sharply once more.

"Yes, of course." Looking back at Emma, she gave her shoulder a soft squeeze to let her know she had heard and understood. "Now, breathe-"

Snow was clearly losing her patience. "Oh for heaven's sake, Regina, must you do this?"

"Do you want me to harm your daughter?" Regina spat. "If you don't, then you'll allow me to do this my way."

"Enough stalling," Charming growled, coming to stand behind Regina, pointing the tip of her sword to the nape of Regina's neck. "Now! No breathing exercises."

"Dad, please, let her do it properly," Emma pleaded.

David eased up on the sword at his daughter's words, but let out a huff of impatience.

Regina let out a nervous breath. Giving the heart a soft rub once with her thumb, she positioned it in front of Emma's chest. "Breathe in."

Emma did so, and Regina slowly pushed it in, knowing that too much pressure or not enough would really hurt. Even just hearing Emma's soft hisses and shudders pained Regina.

"Let her go, now!" Snow commanded. Charming's sword was still resting threateningly by her neck, but Regina was determined to do this right.

"If I let go now, I'll hurt her!" Regina exclaimed, not even looking up, eyes trained on Emma's chest, as if she could see through to where she was placing the heart. But she knew from experience that placing the heart back properly was trickier than removing it. It had to be placed just right.

"Time's up, witch," Charming intoned, his sword pressing just a little bit further to cause a reaction.

What happened next was a rush. The sword's pressure caused her to flinch, and therefore let go of Emma's heart as she jerked her hand back, trying to move away from the sword. She heard Emma's gasp and heave, clawing at her chest trying to reach the misplaced heart.

Silently cursing her knee-jerk reaction, she whirred back around and stuck her hand back in, desperate to finish the job and put the heart in its proper place.

However, the Charmings and their people thought Regina was trying to do something else. Namely remove the heart once again, and in the confusion, escape with it. As everyone readied to attack, Emma saw from the corner of her eye that an archer was a little ways away, readying to take a shot at Regina. Barely able to think through the pain she felt in her chest, she did the first thing that came to her mind, and that was to push Regina out of the way.

"Emma!" Snow exclaimed as Regina lost her balance and thudded to the ground on her back, Emma on top of her. "Get away from her!"

When the blonde made no effort to get up, Regina frowned. As she looked down, she nearly heaved when she saw the arrow that had pierced Emma's side. "Emma..." she breathed.

Emma was ripped away from her, and the hand that had just been inside the thief's chest now felt strange, empty. Just a few minutes ago she was holding her heart, being silently told that she loved her, and now: "Begone, witch!"

Regina didn't need to be told twice. Sparing just one glance at Emma, she called up her magic to transport her away from there.

Don't say I didn't warn you!

While I leave you guys wallowing in pain, I'll be updating Equals, and In Sick and In Health.

I hope everyone enjoyed this! As much as you can enjoy the pain I suppose...