Hey everyone! Thanks for all the support :)

This is the last chapter before the games begin. Took a lot of thought but finally worked all the events out!

I still don't own these characters but still like to have fun with them...

The venomous laugh echoed in Emma's head, keeping her in a daze as she stared at the wooden floor of the ship. The cluster of loud voices around her did nothing to break her thoughts as the rest of the crew brain stormed the ways to get out of the underwater kingdom. I am in a ship under I don't know how many leagues of water, I am being held hostage by Ursula from the freaking little mermaid, and I think I just met Ariel and King Triton. I am underwater facing Ursula. From the little mermaid. My mom is snow white. Her lips moved silently as the thoughts repeatedly looped through her head. The situation had become increasingly overwhelming and Emma yearned for some semblance of control in it. The voices dropped briefly rousing Emma from her panic, and drawing her attention to brown eyes staring straight at her. Regina. She took a deep breath staring back. Ursula recognized her. Regina's a target. She took a shaky breath in this time. Fear flooded her at the thought of Regina being someone's shock toy again. We need to protect her. Slowly focusing her eyes on the rest of the scene in front of her, she scanned the room for answers. We need a game plan.

Rumple and Charming had been screaming at each other for close to an hour now, only briefly interrupted by the yelling of Regina and Snow over them. Everyone was scared, everyone had a plan, and no one was listening. Regina was just about to put Charming in his place again, when her attention was drawn to the dazed and uncharacteristically quiet blonde. She must be scared out of her mind. The blonde seemed to sway and Regina had to fight the urge to walk over and steady her. Green eyes met hers and stared intensely as she could almost see the thoughts running rampant through her head.

"We need to win these games," she said loud and sternly. The room hushed and looked at the former mayor. "I have heard of these games before. We cannot get out of them by using magic," she looked at Rumple, "or fighting our way out of the kingdom," she shot a glance at charming, "or attempting to negotiate with Ursula," predictably her gaze was directed at Snow. Now her attention shifted towards the sheriff on the other side of the room, "We need to be strong. We are not getting out of the games so we need to figure out how we are going to win them. She knows us. She knows all of us, except Emma. And she will underestimate her." She paused letting everyone soak in what she was saying, and debated on whether or not to share the last part. She chewed slightly on her bottom lip and found green eyes, they were bright and staring encouragingly back at her, "My moth-, Cora, helped design these games when I was a little girl. They will be grueling and challenging. We will need to bring everything we got. It is designed to push us and show our true intentions for being in this land. We need to win. We need a game plan."

"Do you have magic?" Charming asked.

Regina blinked at him, "Yes, it has returned." Her skin had been tingling with it since they emerged from the portal, itching to be released.

"Can you use it under water?" He asked genuinely.

"Yes, fire won't extinguish here, but it may be harder to use," she offered.

"We need weapons," Snow piped up.

"They will supply us with weapons and a bow for you I'm sure dearie, they want it to be a good show," Rumple chimed in.

Hook finally spoke up looking embarrassed as he asked, "How are we competing in these games if we can't even leave this.. this.. ship bubble! We can't breathe underwater!"

He looked as frustrated as everyone felt.

"Magic dearie, afraid you won't look good with a fin?" Rumple almost said gleefully.

"What?" Emma choked out.

"We can use magic to… transform ourselves sheriff" Regina nodded.

"We're going to be turned into mermaids!?" Emma's eyes went wide.

If the mayor didn't feel so bad for how overwhelming it all was to Emma, she would have laughed, but holding back that thought she still saw the panic in green eyes. Snow moved towards her daughter, drawing a frown on the mayor's face.

"Honey it will be okay. It's a quick spell." Snow tried to soothe her daughter. "Merpeople are very agile in the water."

Emma pushed herself away from the embrace Snow directed at her. This is too much. "We need to get ourselves out of here and get to Henry and unless someone has a genius plan on how to poof us to Neverland, I'm going to bed!" and with that she stormed out of the galley and down the hall.

Silence filled the room.

"Well with that I'd say Ms. Swan has the best idea so far, we should all get some rest before tomorrow's challenge." The Mayor spoke softly and walked out of the room.

Regina didn't know why but she felt the need to find Emma. She soon found herself in the shared cabin facing the blonde who was laying on her bed, arms thrown over her eyes. She felt nervous, and unsure. Something the evil queen wasn't used to feeling.

"Emma," she tried.

"Regina," the blonde said softly.

The mayor took this as permission to approach her bunk mate. Slowly she made her way over to the bunk, not sure what she was going to do when she reached it. A manicured hand reached out to the still form, hesitating before resting on an arm.

"You are a target Regina, she's coming after you," the blonde said shakily, arms still covering her eyes.

The brunette was surprised at this. All of this and she's worried about me being a target? "Let me handle Ursula. She won't be targeting you, she will underestimate you and I know how much you love proving people wrong," she cooed.

A small snort escaped the blonde as she peaked up from under her eyes, finally looking at the mayor near her. "Oh please, I'll be too busy trying to figure out how to use my whatever fin to swim."

Now it was Regina's turn to stifle a snort. "My dear it's just some gills and webbing, it really isn't all that terrible," she said waving a hand, "besides I can't wait to see Hook as one." She grinned nudging the blonde.

The mood around Emma eased some before turning somber again. "This is all too much. The whole underwater kingdom and evil squid thing. I don't want you to be a target," she looked up into chocolate eyes, "I don't want anything happening to you. I can't see you be tortured again. I-"

She was cut off by the bed dipping and Regina sitting down next to her. Emma eyed the woman before slowly sitting up and nudging her shoulder with her own. She watched as an abundance of emotions swirled behind chocolate eyes.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Regina finally said looking deep into green eyes, "I won't. I'd rather her come after me than you."

Emma shook her head.

Regina leaned back against the wall watching the shadows dance across it, allowing her thoughts to slow in the quiet. Emma soon leaned back copying the mayor but decided to lean her head on the brunette's shoulder, the smell of apples and spice calming her. "Emma," she breathed in the vanilla radiating off the sheriff and rested her head on the blonde hair, "How good are you at mazes?" She smiled.

Thanks for reading! let me know what you think... please?

If you have any ideas let me know, the next chapter should be up this weekend.

Enjoy :)