Regina was in a world of pain and exhaustion. She buttoned her slacks, pressed the wrinkles from her shirt, and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Regina knew Snow's announcement triggered something that she'd been ignoring for months. When Killian dragged himself upstairs for bed, Regina gave into the coughing fit that'd been bubbling in her chest since she got home. Her phone was in her car and too far away to call for help. Using magic wasn't an option, and she wished she hadn't sent Ruby home. But Regina somehow made it upstairs to her bed. She fell asleep within seconds.

When Regina woke up, she took extra care with her appearance. Satisfied, Regina touched her chest, listening as her heart slowed. Of all the things that Regina expected to die from, Cordis Stasis was not one. Some believed Cordis Stasis was a myth, an old warning about the dangers of a broken heart, but it was real.

When Regina had her first tremor, she assumed it was stress. The fifth time it happened, Regina knew. Next came the migraines, and Regina spent those moments locked in her office with the lights off and a cold cloth over her face. After the migraines came the dizzy spells, the nosebleeds, and the memory loss. Regina became an expert at pretending nothing was wrong, but she'd run out of time. Her heart would stop soon, but her magic would keep her alive until it also ran out.

Regina clicked her teeth. She needed to see Rumple, but first, Regina forced her body to move down the stairs. She found Killian eating a bowl of cereal in his "fancy" pajamas. To him, fancy meant something other than boxers and a ratty tank top.

Killian gave her an odd look and asked, "You all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm going to see Rumple before I go to work. I need his help with a spell."

"Are you sure?"

"I am. Promise," she lied.

"Okay then. I'm off today, so I might go to the ship and do some cleaning."

"Be safe," she said. "And stay out of trouble."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine."

Regina wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth. Regina kissed the side of his head and let her magic curl around her until she was gone.

Regina landed in Rumple's store off-balanced and crashed into a shelf. She winced when something fell behind her, but her head was spinning. Rumple grabbed her by the waist and held her upright as a dizzy spell passed over her. A sharp pain went through her chest, and she willed her body to stay with her for a few more minutes. Rumple led her to the back and sat her down at his desk. The trip from her home to Rumple's shop took more energy than she expected.

Rumple kneeled in front of her and frowned.

"You know, don't you?" he asked.

Regina nodded.

"How long?"

"Since the migraines."

"Regina, why didn't you say anything?"

"What would you have done?" she asked. "I don't know where they are."

"But –

"It's okay," she said tiredly. "It's okay. But I need you to promise me something. Please, take care of my family. I know what I'm asking but keep them safe. Don't let them fight or blame themselves. Please. And tell Emma that she has always been my new start."

"Regina…"

"Please, don't let Snow hurt any more of my family," she cried, her vision fading. "Please."

Rumple saw the life fading from her eyes. He wanted to tell her about the portal. He wanted to ask if she got the call, but what was the point? Regina was at the end. Her body slumped forward, and Rumple cupped the back of her head. He hated seeing the woman he mentored reduced to a mother with nothing left to give. He owed her more than a promise, but he gave her what she wished.

"I promise."

Rumple ground his teeth when the body in his arms went limp. The other Dark Ones in his head, entities that never shut up, were silent for the first time in decades.

Killian jumped in surprise when Rumple appeared with Regina in his arms. His eyes fell on Regina. The purplish tint on Regina's skin was familiar. Killian had seen the aftermath of Cordis Stasis during his travels while on the sea, and it was easy to spot once the curse took its course. Killian replayed the interaction with Regina from that morning, and he sank to his knees.

"Gina," he whispered.

She'd been saying goodbye.

Killian heard Rumple move past him, but he stayed where he was. He knew he needed to call Ruby, but he couldn't bring himself to move. Cordis Stasis, as curable as it was, often left magical beings in comas for months, or years, as the source of their heartbreak was unable to be reversed. And Killian knew if they couldn't find Regina's children in time, there would be no coming back. He forced himself to move when Rumple came back downstairs. As much as he disliked the man, he brought Regina home.

"I need to call Ruby. Do you have a phone I could borrow?"

"No, I left it at the shop. What about yours?"

"Dropped it in the sink. Damn. Guess I have to actually find Regina's phone now," he sighed.

"Find it?"

"Yeah, she lost it yesterday. Said she couldn't remember where she had it last."

"Regina doesn't have her phone?"

"I just said she didn't," Killian huffed. Then he snapped his fingers and added, "Wait, I think I know. She always leaves it in the cupholder."

Killian ran out of the room into the garage, unaware that Rumple followed him. Killian opened the car door and grabbed the phone from the cup holder, frowning when he saw the blinking notifications on the screen.

"Shit, she has like twenty missed calls," Killian sighed. "Most of them are from Emma or Ruby, but there's a weird one too. Where the hell is National City?"

Rumple plucked the phone from his grip and stared at the number. He frowned and said, "Do you know how to unlock it?"

"Yeah?"

"Do it. And play that voicemail."

"What? Why?"

"I know we do not get along, but I need you to trust me and play that voicemail."

Killian unlocked the phone and pressed play. It was nothing but static until they heard-

"Hi, Mom, it's me. Kieran."

Killian leaned on the island and said, "You never told her."

Rumple rubbed his temples in frustration.

"I didn't know if it would work, and I didn't want her hopes up."

"But you found them?"

"One, but I think I can find the others too. I used the magical residue left in the handprints from the journal Regina gave me. It was a leap of faith that was too late."

Killian lifted his head and asked, "Hold on, do you still have the bean you used for Kieran?"

"Yes, but I am not sure I can use it again. The portal was unstable when I used it the first time."

"What about the second one? Do you think it will work?"

"I believe so?"

"Okay, if the broken heart curse is cured when the source of trauma is reversed, then all we would have to do is reunite Regina with her children, correct?"

"Yes, but I cannot promise-

"Listen to me, I never told Regina because there was no specific realm for us to search, and the power source can only sustain maybe one or two trips, but I have a dragon's eye."

"How on Earth did you get a dragon's eye?"

"I stole it," Killian deadpanned. "But that's not the point. If we can find a way to combine the magic from your bean with the stone, we-

"-can sustain a portal long enough to have direct contact," Rumple finished. "But we're going to need help."

Ruby paced the empty diner with her hands on her hips. Granny left to sit with Regina, leaving her granddaughter and Killian alone with Rumple to figure out a game plan. They'd been going back and forth on the best course of action for hours. It was one thing to open the portal, but it'd been decades. They had no idea where the portal would open, as it wasn't as specific as Rumple wanted it to be. Finding the kids after wouldn't be as easy as they wanted it to be, and they were running on a short timeline.

"Who do we send?" Rumple asked.

"Me," Ruby said. "They know me, and I can get them here."

"No chance. If you get stuck there, Granny will kill us. I'll do it," Killian said.

"You can't even last during a trip to Target," Ruby argued.

"Well, if we can't send Rumple, we can't send you, and I can't go, who-

Killian and Ruby glanced at the door as Emma walked into the diner. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she went up to Killian. She punched him in the jaw, and Killian fell into the bar. Emma turned on Ruby, who flinched.

"I asked you hours ago if you'd heard from her!" she shouted. "So why the hell did I find out from Granny that Regina was essentially in a coma?"

"We didn't think-

"No, you fucking didn't," Emma snapped.

Ruby's face twisted in guilt, and Killian rubbed his jaw, bowing his head. Emma turned to Rumple.

"I want in on whatever you're planning," she said.

"We're opening a portal to one of the children," he explained. "But we don't know where it will open or if it will stay open long enough for us to make it back before it closes."

"Whoever goes through could get stuck in that realm," Killian added in a low voice.

"I'll do it."

"No, Emma-

"I said, I'll do it." Ruby flinched, and Emma exhaled and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry, but I'm the only one here who can survive in another realm. My absence can be explained as something dealing with the "Savior" business. So I'm going. End of discussion."

Emma had her gun tucked safely in her waistband, and she stared unimpressed at the glowing rock Killian called the dragon's eye.

"Are you ready, Savior?" Rumple asked.

"Yes."

Rumple placed the bean on the dragon's eye, and he poured the same water over it. The four of them shielded their face as the portal swirled to life in a bright swirl of green and white. Emma rubbed her hands on her pants.

"I cannot promise more than fifteen minutes," Rumple said. "When it closes, it closes."

"Got it."

Emma exhaled, and then she threw herself into the portal. Her body twisted and curled in on itself, and she landed in someone's living room. She squinted at the sudden change of light, the spots in her eyes causing her to feel dizzy, but she froze when something cold pressed against her temple. Emma held up her hands at the familiar sound of a gun cocking.

"Wait, wait! My name is Emma Swan. I am here looking for Princess Isabella."

There was a long pause before a pair of boots appeared in her vision, and Emma looked up to find a brunette with long hair, and she swallowed at the literal fire burning in the girl's eyes.

Shit.

"Please, give me a chance to explain?"

"You have five minutes, and my name is Bella, not Isabella."

"Noted."

Bella waved off Charlie, who moved the gun away from Emma and pulled Emma off the ground.

"Thanks." Emma glanced at Charlie and added, "Also, I'm usually the one pointing that at people."

"You a cop?" he asked.

"Sheriff," Emma said. "I used to be a bounty hunter, but that's not important at the moment."

"You're running out of time to explain what's going on," Bella said. "And who you are."

Emma visibly grimaced and said, "I would rather keep that last part to myself until we get to Storybrooke. Preferably until Ruby tells you."

"Ruby's alive?"

"So is Granny. Storybrooke, where I came from, is the town your mother created in the curse-

"What curse?" Bella asked.

"Right, you don't know about that. Fuck, I would love to tell you, but I have no time to do it, so I can't get into the entire story. But everyone, or mostly everyone, from the Enchanted Forest, lives there now." Emma scratched at her jaw. "But I was born in the Enchanted Forest. I didn't grow up there. I was put into a wardrobe-type portal when I was an infant."

"On purpose?" Charlie and Bella asked in unison.

"It genuinely is complicated, but question, what day is it? I was told to ask that."

"November 5th, 2016," Bella said.

Emma blinked at her, and she cleared her throat, saying, "I'm not a portal expert or anything, but what are the odds you have the same date that I do in Storybrooke?"

"That should be nearly impossible. What time is it where you're from?"

"I think it might be closer to nine p.m. The portal messed with my head," Emma said, wincing.

"You're three hours ahead of us," Charlie said, pointing to the clock. "We're on West Coast time."

"Oh, makes sense seeing that Storybrooke's in Maine. What state is this?"

"Washington."

Emma hummed and looked around.

"That explains the overall dreariness outside."

"Hold on." Bella held up her hands and took a deep breath. "Are you saying I've been in the same realm as my mother this entire time? And that she's in Maine, of all places?" she asked.

"Storybrooke is protected by magic, so the town doesn't exist unless you know it's there."

Bella scoffed and ran a hand through her hair.

"What, so why are you here? My mother too busy to get me herself?"

It was a joke that didn't land as Emma grimaced and said, "Your mother has Cordis Stasis."

Bella's stomach lurched, and she fought back a wave of nausea.

"Sorry to interrupt, but what is that?" Charlie asked.

"It's when magical beings experience emotional trauma. Seeing as magic comes from emotions, the trauma makes the magic toxic, wearing down the heart until fractures appear. From those fractures, raw magic leaks into the bloodstream. When it goes unchecked, it causes the physical body to shut down and the heart to," Bella paused, "stop beating until the fractures heal."

"Oh. That sounds…bad."

"It is," Bella murmured. "The only way to cure it is to reverse the event that caused the trauma."

"Right, which is why I'm here. Regina needs all of you back to have a chance to live," Emma said.

The three of them shielded their faces as the portal started to collapse.

"Look, I know this is a lot, but this is the fastest way to your mother, same realm or not. We have to go if you're coming," Emma said.

"You should go, Bella," Charlie said. "I'll explain everything when the others get back."

Bella lunged forward and hugged Charlie.

"Hey, none of that. You're still in my world, so I'll see you again. You text me when you get there."

"I promise," she whispered.

Bella pulled away and rubbed her hands on her pants.

"Fuck, this is the worst way to see my family after all this time," she said.

"Too late to back out now," Emma said, grabbing Bella's hand.

Bella yelped as Emma fell backward into the portal, tugging her along with her. Bella clenched her eyes shut, feeling a squeeze on her heart and body, and she groaned when she landed on solid wood. Emma clamped a hand over Bella's mouth, looking around with narrowed eyes. Bella didn't bother asking what was wrong. She felt the fear and wariness rolling off Emma in waves. Footsteps sounded in the distance on the stairs, and Emma kicked the bean off the stone, letting it roll under the table. The portal flickered out like a light, and the duo was cast in near darkness. Both froze when a voice echoed through the door.

"I already told you. Emma's not here."

Emma and Bella stiffened, and Emma focused her magic and got them out of there before the door opened.

Ruby twitched when she heard a thud coming from the cabin. She was in the front of the group with Neal, who was too busy arguing with Rumple to see the light coming from under the door. Snow and Killian were behind her, and Ruby was glad Snow wasn't tall enough to see past Ruby's shoulder.

Come on, Emma. Get out of here.

The light went out, and Ruby relaxed. Snow White stopped at the door where they opened the portal, and David pushed Killian forward into Ruby.

"Tell us the truth," he warned.

"I already told you. Emma's not here."

"Fine, then let's see for ourselves."

Ruby held her breath as Snow opened the door, and Rumple had his hand prepared and ready to cast a spell, but the room was dark. Ruby's enhanced sight let her see the remnants of magic, signaling Emma had only just left. Snow searched every corner, but if you didn't know what a dragon's eye stone looked like, then you wouldn't think anything of it. Just like Snow as she barely glanced at it.

"She's not here," Snow said.

"I told you that," Killian pointed out.

"Then where did she go?" Neal asked, pushing him.

"Oy!" Neal pushed him again, and Killian clenched his fists. "Knock it off, Baelfire," he warned.

"I saw Emma come on board with you three, and now she's just gone? Bullshit."

Neal pushed Killian again, and Ruby figured it out a little too late. Killian swung on Neal and caught him in the stomach. Neal went down, and David pushed past Ruby. He pinned Killian to the wall and cuffed him.

"You're under arrest for assaulting an officer. Emma's not going to get you out of this one, Hook."

"Officer of the law?" Ruby exclaimed.

Even Rumple seemed disturbed by that, and Snow nodded.

"Neal was deputized this morning," she said.

"Are you serious? This is ridiculous, Snow."

"Stay out of this, Ruby." Snow glanced at Rumple, then added, "And I suggest you take a good hard look at the people you associate yourself with," she said.

Ruby ground her teeth and glared at Snow.

"Why do you think I stopped hanging around you?"

Snow faltered at that, and Killian huffed.

"Go home, Ruby," he said. "I'll be fine."

Ruby knew what he was telling her, so she stomped up the stairs and stormed off of the ship, bursting into a dead sprint once she was out of sight.

Bella landed in the foyer of some kind of mansion, and she pulled away from Emma. The near-dead plants in the room came to life as soon as she arrived, and Bella made a mental note to water those later. Her hand shot out, catching an arrow in mid-air, and she snapped it in half. Emma gave her a weird look, but Bella ignored it. She turned around, finding Granny at the top of the stairs. Bella grinned and ran down the hall, taking the stairs two at a time. She wrapped Granny in a hug and buried her face into her neck.

"Hi, Granny. I've missed you."

Granny broke the hug first, and she kissed Bella's forehead.

"I've missed you too, young one. You look well, healthy."

"Lots of pizza," she joked.

Granny never cried, but her eyes were watery, and something was trailing down her cheek. She wiped it away and looked down at Emma.

"Thank you for bringing her home," she said.

"It's no problem. I need to head out before someone shows up here. You guys gonna be okay?"

"We'll be fine. Go stop your mother from terrorizing the town."

"Mother?" Bella repeated.

Emma paled, and Granny cleared her throat.

"Go, Emma. Be safe. Regina needs you as much as she needs her children."

"I need her too," she murmured.

Bella cocked an eyebrow at the comment plus Emma's reaction, but she filed it away for later. Her magic was tugging her further up the stairs. She dropped Granny's hand and followed the feeling into a large bedroom. She heard the front door open and close, but Bella's attention was on the body lying on the bed. Her knees buckled when she saw her mother, but she managed to find her footing and shuffled across the room. She dropped down to the floor and grabbed Regina's hand. In a matter of seconds, Bella's a little girl without a father, looking at the first mother she'd ever had on death's door.

"Hi, Mama," she greeted, her voice cracking.

There was no response, but Bella didn't expect one. She kissed Regina's knuckles.

"I can't believe you cut your hair," Bella forced out a laugh, "I- this is not- I might steal some of your clothes until you wake up. I kind of left a lot of stuff behind to get here. And you should know Emmett's alive too. Sort of? I'll let him explain when he makes his way here, but we're okay. I don't- I haven't heard from Kieran. She's somewhere out there, but I'm going to find her. I promise. But you need to fight this because we have to put our family back together again. And I-"

Bella choked out a sob, and the dam over her emotions finally broke.

"Mama, don't leave me. Please, I can't- I'm not strong enough without you."

Bella fell forward and cried into Regina's side. Unbeknownst to Bella, Granny watched from the hallway. She covered her mouth to stifle her gasp when Bella's magic curled and wrapped around Regina's body. Even in her old age, Granny had better sight than a good portion of the town. She saw the hand not clutched in Bella's twitch, almost as if Regina was forcing her body to move. Granny held her breath, but nothing else happened. She slowly backed away from the door and made her way downstairs.

It was working, but if they couldn't find Kieran or Emmett, it would be for naught.

Emma stormed into the station and ignored Neal and David. She took out her keys and unlocked the cell that held Killian. She removed the cuffs from Killian's wrist and rubbed the red marks.

"Thanks, Swan."

"I'll get a statement from you tomorrow. But I think it'd be good if you went home."

"What are you doing?" David asked. "He assaulted a police officer."

Emma ignored him, and Killian left the station. Emma was too wired and exhausted to deal with Neal and David, but she had no choice. She turned and put her hands on her hips, summoning a bit of Regina to help her deal with them, but the thought of Regina made her more exhausted.

"David, you had no right to deputize him without my permission."

"You said we needed help."

"Competent help," she corrected. "I have half a mind to put you on suspension."

"He assaulted Neal, and by law, I am allowed to arrest him."

"Did Killian hit Neal for no apparent reason and with malicious intent, or was he defending himself from what he believed was an attack on his person?"

Neither one responded, which told Emma all she needed to know. She went over to David and held out her hand.

"Gun and badge," she ordered.

"I was doing my job!"

"Give me your goddamned gun and badge, David," Emma snapped.

"That's not fair. We were trying to save your life," Neal argued.

"From what? What were you trying to save me from?"

"Killian and Rumple are not good people-

"And you are? Fuck, Neal, get out of my face. Put your gun and badge on the table and get out. I'm too tired to deal with your bullshit tonight. I'll deal with you in the morning."

Neal ripped off his badge and slammed his holster on the table. He left the station, knocking over a few chairs in the process, and Emma felt a headache coming. She returned her attention to David.

"This is my last time telling you to hand over your weapon and identification, Deputy."

David clenched his jaw and unholstered his gun. He handed it to Emma, who threw it on her desk. He passed her his badge, and Emma made a dismissive gesture.

"You are released from duty until further notice," she said.

David snatched his jacket off the chair and left. Finally alone, Emma sat down at her desk and rubbed her eyes. Her life just got a whole lot more complicated.