"Come on, baby…" Emma said softly, pressing down on the gas pedal more urging the car faster around the twists and turns of Storybrooke's back woods. The car was old and didn't take high speeds very well, but, Emma was going to push the poor vehicle to its maximum performance level despite the danger of crashing. Regina was in danger and that was all Emma cared about. Funny, how Emma cared about Regina as much as she did. Despite her ego taking hold and quarreling with the town mayor on almost every occasion and her less than honorable encounters with the woman as well, Emma deep down cared for the woman far too much than she should and it wasn't unrequited. No four letter word was uttered, though. The two women were both too high on their horses to admit that they had any love for the other. In their minds it would only make them weak as well as the fact that it was only sex between them. Only sex, yes, that caused Emma to floor the yellow bug as break neck speeds deep into the woods of Storybrooke. Turning a corner, Emma noted a large boulder on the left of the road shaped like a heart. Mr. Gold had stated that directly behind it was a trail that could only be taken by foot. Easing the car to a halt, Emma opened the glove box and grabbed her handcuffs and her gun. Once she was out of the car she quickly clipped the effects to her belt and set off down the trail. The ground was still wet and the trail was muddy, but, still she trekked on. For almost half an hour she walked through the dense woods. When the trees began to thin out, she found herself at the road again just a little ways away from where her car was.

'What the hell?' Emma thought, running back to her car. 'Did I take a wrong turn?' Her brain questioned as she leaned against the car, trying to clear her mind and think straight. As she took a deep breath, the Sheriff realized that her front tire was flat. Turning to see the comparison, she saw that all of the tires had been slashed and there was a heart scratched into the paint of the back of the bug. Instinctively she reached for her gun her skin tingling and her senses on edge. As soon as her fingers made contact with the holster, a cloud of black smoke threw her against the car with a loud bang. Her shoulder was the first to hit the hard metal, then her head which cause her eyesight to black out momentarily as she fell to the ground. Struggling to get back up, because god damn it if she didn't go down without a fight, another surge of black smoke sent her flying across the road and holding her against the heart shaped boulder. Her head hitting yet again, the last thing Emma saw was an older woman who looked oddly like Regina walking towards her with a smile.


Her head throbbed. Emma knew that she has hit the boulder hard, but she didn't think it was anything major. Though, as she came to, she realized that she had lost feeling in her hands from her wrists down. Her eyes were far too heavy to keep open but she could hear faint speaking. Pushing aside the constant sharp pain fleeting through her temple, Emma listened.

"Regina…" An older woman's voice cooed. "What are we going to do with you? I have your Savior right there."

"Mother-" Regina's voice began, suddenly cut off by a cry of pain followed by a small gasp for air. Emma noted that her voice was softer than her usual tone.

"I must say, my dear. You sure do choose the most unattractive people to give your affections away to. She is even worse than that stupid stable boy I destroyed." The woman continued in her sharp tenor, her location changing from place to place. "Oh! Memories." Emma couldn't ignore the morbid reminiscent tone in the woman's voice; She had already assumed it was Cora. "What was his name again? Dante, no. Dorien. Ah, no."

"Daniel…" A soft whisper, barely audible in the silent room from where Emma was positioned, came from Regina.

"Yes! Daniel!" Cora said elatedly. "Well, this savior," The woman turned and walked towards Emma, who resisted the reflex to jump at the close proximity of the sharp voice. "This Sheriff won't be very hard to handle. She might even be easier to take care of than that worthless stable boy."

Regina hissed from across the room and the elder woman moved away from Emma. "Do be a dear, Regina. Keep an eye on her while I go upstairs to freshen up for our guest. She will be out for a little while longer." A loud thud and a cry of pain was heard from where Emma knew Regina's voice had come from, followed by a grunt of pain. Footsteps were heard going up the stairs as Regina shuffled over to Emma.

Soft hands caressed Emma's cheek, pushing the blonde curls out of her face. "Emma…" Regina whispered softly, her breath tingling Emma's face. "Emma!"

Emma opened her eyes to see beautiful brown ones staring into her own. "Regina."

"You're alive!" Regina sighed, wrapping her arms around Emma, who discovered that the reason for her discomfort was that she was tied up with her hands above her head. "I thought I had lost you too." Swiftly those familiar soft hands untied the leather straps around Emma's wrists, allowing her to move once again. Weak arms sought comfort around Regina's torso. "Please tell me Henry is safe."

"He is." Emma breathed, burying her face into Regina's hair. "He is alright…"

Regina leaned back to stare into Emma's green eyes again, her own tearing up breaking into soft sobs. "I always trusted that you would be the one to save me… I'm so sorry. I didn't know that she was here—"

"Shh… It's okay, Regina." Emma cooed gently. "We will get out of here. I promise you."

A hand reached up to stroke Emma's cheek gently like earlier, as familiar eyes locked once again. "Thank you, Emma." The blondes hand moved over Regina's hand as a soft smile graced her lips. Instinctively Regina began to lean forward into Emma, trying to show her affection with a kiss.

"Well, well, well." Cora's voice rang from the stairway. "It seems my lessons were a waste on you, Regina. Haven't I always said that love is weakness? To think you'd learn…" Smirking wickedly, the old woman advanced.