PROMPT: Young Regina falls through a portal and finds herself in Storybrooke at the end of s2(no Neverland). Everyone likes her and she starts talking so hopefully about her future and everything - Regina can't handle it and starts screaming at her. Emma calms her down and Rumple helps them to get YR back.
Emma is just walking across Granny's, sipping from her morning hot chocolate when a sudden light washes over the room, coming from a tall mirror between doors to the toilets.
There are some shocked gasps before everyone calms down and watches a person falling on the floor from the mirror, letting out a small shriek.
No one dares to do anything or say anything. Not even the blonde, still standing in the middle of the diner. The stranger slowly stands up and raises her head.
"Regina?" Emma blurts out, a pure shock written on her face as on other people's faces.
The petite brunette looks highly confused and Emma takes a moment to look at her. She wears a blue riding clothes and high riding boots. Her hair is knitted in a single braid and she barely wears any make-up. And this Regina is a little bit younger than Mayor Mills although the difference is scarcely noticeable.
"Where am I?" the young girl asks, looking scared and insecure.
Emma steps closer to her. "How did you get here?"
"I was looking for something in our basement when I suddenly stumbled upon this strange mirror and here I am." Regina bites her lip for a moment, then widens her eyes. "Oh my, mother will be so mad if I am late for my tea time."
"Ehm, how old are you again?" Emma asks her, frowning and pulling out her phone.
Regina looks around, suddenly aware of all those people staring at her. "I am almost eighteen. Why are you asking? Who are you?"
"I'm a friend, don't worry," the blonde assures her while texting the present Regina to immediately come to Granny's. This needs to be explained.
It doesn't take long and Regina rushes into the diner, sure that Henry is in troubles. Mr. Gold follows her along with Belle. If they joined her somewhere outside, Emma doesn't know and really doesn't care at the moment. Another surprise is her parents, walking in the diner as if they knew something was up.
The blonde sighs, clearly exhausted and turns to Regina. "We've got a problem."
"What is it? Where is Henry?" the brunette immediately worries.
Emma shakes her head. "No, no. Henry's fine, still in school. There is something else, though. It seems like," she lowers her voice and leans closer to Regina, "we've got a visitor from the past. Your past, to be specific."
Regina asks, "What? Who?" at the same time as her younger version gasps, "What does that mean?"
Young Regina continues, "Oh my goddess. I know where I am! You are me, only older. And you… you must be Snow White!" Regina widely smiles at the brunette standing beside Emma. "I've just met you today, therefore I'm in the future."
Mary Margaret politely smiles back. "That would be me." Then she whispers to Emma. "She's just saved my life. She hasn't been proposed yet and no one has been killed." She is very cautious not to be heard by Regina.
"Well," Emma lets out, "Regina, do you think you could stay here for a while? Maybe get some tea? We've got to work something out."
As the older Regina still stands completely still and unusually quiet, the younger one nods and sits down at the near table. Emma grabs Regina's elbow and takes her out of diner, followed by Rumplestiltskin with Belle.
"What do you want, imp?" Regina finally speaks. "Isn't this your doing?"
Rumple grins. "Not at all, Regina. I simply wanted to offer you my help. I happened to have a potion to get her back where she belongs."
"Really?" Regina lets out doubtfully.
"Don't forget, dearie, that I used to know the future. Something like that had to happen. It will bring something else."
"Like what?"
"Wouldn't you like to know that?" Rumple grins.
Regina inhales to answer and it surely wouldn't be a nice answer, so Emma quickly replies for her. "The potion would be great. Can you do that now?"
"All magic comes - You know what, this one is free," he quickly corrects himself as Belle looks at him with a lifted eyebrow. Then they both disappear in a purple smoke.
Emma runs her hand across her face and sighs. "We should get back in." She checks the brunette in front of her. "Are you okay?"
"Of course I am, Miss Swan," Regina mutters.
Both of them freeze as soon as they walk in. Younger Regina sits where they left her, but now she holds someone's baby and smiles at him, is surrounded by almost everyone in Granny's and happily talks with them. No one looks at her badly, no one accuses her of anything, no one tries to hurt her.
She hands the baby to his mother and looks at the two women standing between the door. "So where is he?"
Regina takes a deep breath. „Where is who?"
„Daniel. I'm not stupid, I know what's happening here. I will have to escape to another realm because mother won't allow me to be with him, right? But will I at least bring daddy?" She looks so hopeful, so innocent…
Regina swallows hard and blinks a few times to chase her tears away. "I… I can't tell you. I don't know what happens once you're back in the past. Something could go differently if you knew." And something definitely would – Regina would try to save Daniel. The young Regina who doesn't know she's got a son who could easily disappear if she changed the past.
"Do we have children?" the young girl keeps asking and looks around at everybody. "I and Daniel often talk about wanting our own children. One day we will run away and get married. I cannot wait. I know our wedding will be beautiful."
Regina's face is soon soaked with tears, and her young version notices right away. "Why are you crying? We won't have any children?" She sadly smiles. "It's okay. I don't care. As long as we're together, nothing else matters."
Emma reaches her hand out and places it on Regina's back as she feels the woman is on the edge of her powers.
The girl happily smiles and dreamily sighs. "I love him so much. I would die if anything happened to him. I would… oh dear god, I can't even imagine what I would do. It would rip my heart out."
And that is it. The last sentence is also the last blow into Regina's patience, and she screams out angrily, hurtfully and completely brokenly, "Shut up! Shut the hell up! You know nothing! Nothing! Wake up, for God's sake! You can't be such a hopeful fool!"
As Regina screams, Emma grabs her waist from behind before she can attack the young frightened girl. "Regina! Calm down…" The blonde tries to hush her, but Regina keeps yelling until her voice gives out and she starts shaking and crying and sobbing.
If she weren't in Emma's arms, she would surely fall on the floor, but the blonde savior holds her tightly and eventually shifts her position so Regina buries her face in the blonde's hair. Emma hears Granny telling the customers of the diner to leave her bistro and is thankful for that. Regina is very private woman and that outburst of hers was enough to make her feel weak.
Ruby goes to the front door to turn the notice to 'closed', and then looks back at the people who stayed – Charmings and Regina along with her younger version.
Young Regina's eyes are wide and she looks scared and confused. She doesn't know what to think and doesn't even want to imagine anything that could lead to the older woman's tears and sobs.
"Is Mother still here?" she asks quietly. Snow runs a hand over her face and looks at the former evil queen worriedly. "Does she still use magic on me… you? Does she still hurt you? And Daddy still stands aside, doing nothing to stop her, doesn't he? Nothing has changed."
Regina shakes her head and tries to gather herself and not to see everyone's staring because of these information. Then she turns around, relatively calmed down even though her heart still aches. "No. None of them is here. I don't know what – "
Suddenly the door opens and Gold walks in. Obviously he was careful enough not to appear in the middle of the room in a purple smoke which would surely scare the young girl even more – her experiences with magic aren't exactly good.
"It's done," he tells everybody.
"What is it?" the girl asks.
Regina takes the vial from Rumple. "It's a potion. It will get you back to the past."
"Indeed, and you will not remember anything from here," Gold adds.
"She won't?" Regina frowns, but obviously is glad. If she went back, afraid of her future and aware of the pain that was going to come, some changes would be possible. "Alright." She hands the vial to young Regina. "Drink it."
Trusting her own self, only older, would not intent to hurt her, the young brunette drinks the potion without doubt, and rapidly blinks, unaware of any change. "Now what?"
Rumple shrugs. "Walk through the mirror, it's simple." Then he nods and walks away.
The girl stands up and walks across the room, nervously swallowing. She want to be back from this madness, but before she can step right into the glass, a hand on her elbow stops her. She turns around and sees her older self.
"What is it?"
Regina doesn't say anything though she just leans forwards and hugs the petite brunette. Then she whispers, "I know you won't remember, but it doesn't matter. You must be strong and brave. I can tell you now - you will get better one day. I promise." And then she lets her go, watching the insecure girl disappear.
And the strong arms are around her again. The blonde holds her one more time, even though Regina doesn't cry or sobs or shakes. She just looks at the mirror where now stands the Savior, her arms wrapped around the woman who used to be a frightened little girl, a hopeful teenager, a broken young lady, a mistreated wife, a misunderstood queen, a lonely mayor…
"She will handle it. She is you after all. She's strong," Emma tells her and Regina knows she's right. She leans into her touch and lets herself be held again.