Thank you all so much for the reviews and follows and favourites! I've been overwhelmed by your support. Now, where were we...
"I just want to state, for the record, that I'm only here for Emma. She's the only reason I'm doing this."
Snow rolled her eyes and shot a side longed look at her husband.
"So you've said sweetie."
Charming shrugged unapologetically. "I just want it understood."
"Yes, yes you're only here for Emma. Regina is the devil. I've got it! Can we just get on with this?"
An awkward and tense silence strung itself between them, coarse like a rope. The closer they'd gotten to Gold's shop the more on edge the two of them had become. Charming would have been the first to point out they they weren't afraid – no way! They just knew they had to be cautious. Rumplestiltskin had a way of pulling the carpet out from under your feet.
And neither one of them could say how far they'd fall if he tried anything like that today.
On the steps of the darkened store, Snow was regretting her hurried promise to Emma. It wasn't that she didn't want to help Regina. Lord knows there's was a complicated relationship - even she couldn't say how she felt about her former step-mother – but Snow didn't want to see her hurt.
She also didn't want to disappoint Emma They were just starting to feel comfortable around one another and she desperately wanted that to continue. Snow knew what a big deal it was for her to ask for help and she wasn't going to bail the first time Emma came to her for something important.
Wrestling all of her nagging doubts to the back of her mind, Snow pushed the door open, the bell issuing a soft ring throughout the store.
She could feel Charming close at her back and was comforted by the strong heat his body was giving off. She couldn't have done this without him and she appreciated his presence – even if it had been difficult to secure.
The shuffle of feet came from the back room, as did the sound of Gold's cane striking the floor. Another few seconds and he was striding out from behind the curtain, an amused and knowing look on his impish face.
"Well, well, well," he intoned smoothly "To what do I owe this royal pleasure?"
His words might as well have been hissed in the manner of a snake. Snow had the feeling that Gold knew exactly why they were there and was taking great joy in what had to be their obvious discomfort.
"We've come about Regina," said Snow in a voice that sounded stronger than she currently felt.
"I see." Now there was a definite smugness to his voice and a small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "And how is our dear Mayor? Feeling a little...green around the gills is she?"
"I think you know exactly how she is Gold!" burst Charming. His tone was sharp and pointed like the sword he loved so much.
Snow could have hit him. They had agreed that she would do all the talking and that Charming would only be there for back up. If there was one tactic that wouldn't work with Rumplestiltskin, it was throwing a tantrum.
"Temper, temper. You really should try to work on that your highness. It's not at all a becoming trait."
"Please Mr Gold," Snow pleaded "Do you know what's happening to Regina."
Rumplestiltskin looked as though he would have very much liked to continue berating David for his poor manners. As it was though his own loyalty to etiquette dictated that he answer the question.
"Well I'd imagine that little spell she inhaled is giving her quite a bit of trouble. Death curses are funny like that."
"Can we stop it?" Snow asked.
"The death curse? There are a few remedies that I've come across in my time."
Charming let his impatience best him again, furious that Gold seemed to be treating this like a game. "Well? What are they?"
A serpentine coldness flashed in Gold's eyes, a warning that despite his light tone he was growing angry with the Prince's insolence. His voice slithered, slow and deliberate.
"And how exactly would passing on this information benefit me? Hmm? What gifts can the darlings of the Enchanted Forest promise me in exchange for Regina's cure?"
Snow took a deep breath, aware that the next few minutes were critical. If she wasn't careful she'd be walking out with answers for Emma and a pair of cuffs for herself.
"What do you want?" she asked hesitantly.
Rumplestiltskin stroked his chin, a mock portrait of thoughtfulness.
"I'd say a hair from each of you should do the trick."
Charming cut in again, suspicious and wary. "What do you want with our hair?"
"What can I say, I'm sentimental." At the cutting looks he received from both the Charming's Gold decided to desist with his teasing, for now. "My spells often call for a variety of hard to get ingredients. There'll be no adverse affects for either of you I can promise that."
Snow and Charming exchanged looks, asking silent questions of each other.
Gold watched them closely."Well, do we have a deal?"
Plucking a hair from her own head. Snow placed the dark strand in Gold's open palm. After a few seconds of hesitation Charming did the same. Gold closed his fist over the hairs greedily, slipping them into a nearby tube. He watched while the hairs intertwined and gave off their trademark pink glow before stashing the tube beneath the wooden counter.
"Wonderful," he said, dusting his hands off. "Now, onto the matter at hand."
Gold splayed his hands on the counter, leaning forward as if in excitement. The theatricality of the moment was clearly a delight to him. He was the puppet master and he reveled in his role.
"True love will of course break any curse. Though I don't think the stable boy is quite up to giving kisses do you?"
Charming went to angrily interrupt again but Snow placed a calming hand on his chest, not wanting to prolong this conversation. The deal having been struck she just wanted to get the information they needed and get out.
"Are you saying true love is the only thing to stop a death curse?"
"Do you really think I'd have had you pluck hairs from those terribly pretty heads if all I had to share was bad news?" Gold tutted. "There is one other way."
He came out from behind the counter now, limping towards them and coming to rest uncomfortably close to Snow. This was all a part of the performance she realised, another rehearsed act to draw out the drama of it all.
"What do you know of conduits?" he asked silkily.
"Conduits?" Snow asked, puzzled. "You mean like electrical conduits?"
"The principle is the same in science as it is in magic," Gold acknowledged "When an energy source is too great for the vessel housing it a conduit is needed to funnel off the excess power."
"Do you have one of these magical conduits?" asked Snow hopefully.
"Naturally, I have all manner of devices in my shop. But I'm afraid that won't help Mayor Mills any."
"Why not?" Snow tried and failed to keep her voice calm, her patience wearing thin.
"Because the deal between us was for tactics, not trinkets. I'm afraid as helpful as a little true love will be for my potion stores it doesn't buy a conduit."
"What will?" Snow asked.
But Gold was already retreating to the back of the shop, signalling an end to their discussion.
"You have nothing more I want dearie. It looks like Regina's out of luck. A pity, she was an awfully good administrator."
With that final jibe he disappeared behind the dark and heavy curtains, leaving stunned and hopeless silence in his wake.
Snow looked up at her husband with desperation plastered across her face. "What are we going to tell Emma?"
Emma listened carefully to her mother's retelling of the events at Gold's. She tried to keep her responses minimal and indifferent, not wanting to alert Regina to the fact that they'd come up short. The dark haired woman may have been in unspeakable pain but Emma knew she was listening carefully to every word that was said – trying to piece the story together.
With a final "Ok, thanks" Emma pressed the 'end' button on her phone and placed it on Henry's bed side table.
Attempting to school her features into a blank expression, Emma looked up into Regina's clouded eyes. Within a few seconds she knew that her poker face wasn't successful. The same look of resignation she'd been wearing when Emma first arrived settled back onto Regina's face and she looked away.
"He wouldn't help."
She said it as though the statement was no surprise to her, as if she'd never expected her former mentor to lend a hand in saving her life. Regina was used to people turning their backs on her by now.
"Not exactly," Emma admitted. "He told us how to save you. He said we'd need a...conduit? He just wouldn't give us one."
"A conduit, of course." Regina breathed. She sounded like a student who'd been shown the answer to a very easy question on a quiz.
"Yeah. Do you know where we can get one?" asked Emma hopefully.
Regina was already shaking her head. "In order for a conduit to withstand magic it has to have magical properties. I used the last of my magic objects opening a portal to get that apple."
The memory of this, of sacrificing Daniel's ring and ultimately poisoning Henry rolled inside like a wave , spreading an awful sinking guilt into every part of her.
"Okay, well there must be somewhere else we can get a magical object." Emma urged. Despite racking her brain for an answer Emma couldn't think of anything. She didn't even know anyone else who had magic apart from Gold and Regina.
And herself.
"Regina..."she started breathlessly. "Can a magical person be a conduit?"
Regina furrowed her brow and pondered the surprisingly insightful question. "I...I don't know. Maybe. It's possible that siphoning the curse out of me and into another magical person would destroy it. That person's magic would have to be light though, otherwise they wouldn't be able to fight the darkness of the curse."
"That's it then!" exclaimed Emma excitedly.
"But that won't help us." Regina's voice was breaking up again. "Even if Gold were willing to help us his magic isn't light. And the fairies aren't powerful enough to withstand something like this. Who else is there?"
"Me!"
They could both hear the crackling in Regina's lungs as she took in air, her breathing hitched as shock hiccuped in her chest.
"You?"
"I have magic! In the Enchanted Forest Cora tried to take my heart but she couldn't. Gold told me that it was because I've got magic. And I'm magical because I'm the product of true love – so that's got to mean my magic's light right? I can be your conduit!"
Regina tried to sit up but quickly buckled against the aches that were flooding her limbs. Ignoring the fact that the movement was causing her head to swim and her vision to become spotty she began shaking her head violently.
"No!" she said vehemently.
Emma was bewildered. "What do you mean no? Yes! This is it, this is the plan."
Regina continued to shake her head. "It's too dangerous. You could be killed and we don't even know if it would work. Who will take care of Henry if we're both dead?"
Emma wasn't backing down.
"Look I know I'm new to this magic thing but if I can fight off your mother that must mean I'm pretty powerful. Regina I can do this! I want to do this!"
"I'm not willing to take the chance." said Regina with an air of finality. "I won't let Henry be alone."
Emma didn't know what to say. It was obvious that Regina had made up her mind. And if there was one thing Emma knew, if was that once Regina made up her mind about something that was it, there was no changing it.
"What are we going to do then?"
Regina fixed her with a steely gaze that must have taken all of her energy. She was vibrating with the strain of concentration, determined to say her piece while she still had the strength and presence of mind to speak.
"You're going to let me die. And then, when it's over, you're going to go home and take care of our son. That is what we're going to do. You have to promise me."
"Regina...no...I ca..."
"Emma, promise me!"
The use of her first name made Emma pause. Sensing that the blonde's resolve was weakening Regina reached for Emma's hand and clasped it tightly, conveying everything that didn't need to be said aloud in order to be communicated between the two women.
With nothing left in her arsenal – no weapons of steel or miraculous kisses – Emma had nothing to offer Regina but her word.
"I promise."