Author's note: For those of you who are interested, please check out my new Once fanfic, Scattered.

Chapter 17

Regina stared at her mother, aghast. "What?" She breathed.

"How attached are you to Scarlett?" Cora repeated.

"Mother. You're not suggesting we…"

Cora chuckled. "No. Well, not unless Emma doesn't cooperate. But I have a feeling she'll do anything for her daughter."

This did nothing to comfort Regina, as she continued to gape at Cora. "B-but…."

Cora perused her daughter. "Why, Regina, my darling, don't tell me you're becoming soft."

"Well…" Regina trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. "I…"

"Did you actually think we could keep Scarlett?" Cora laughed meanly. "She's nothing but a pawn. Bait for our swan."

"It wouldn't be a bad idea." Regina argued. "It's just…" She looked away, not wanting to admit the truth.

"Sweetheart." Cora stood to face her daughter. "I know that you miss Henry. Really, I do. But love is weakness." She said firmly. "Look at what its cost you. It's the exact thing we are counting on to ensure our victory. We cannot lose focus."

Regina nodded. "You're right, Mother." Her eyes shifted into sharp focus. "So what exactly is your plan?"

~Long Gone~

Emma sat in the living room. She had an itch on her beak yet she couldn't exactly scratch it with wings. Ugh. Being a swan sucked. She missed human things. Above all, what she wouldn't give for a shower. Real swans lived in water so they were constantly clean. But they couldn't let her go out, so she was stuck. Stuck in this apartment. Stuck in this stupid swan body. Stuck lying in the living room, watching mindless hours of TV. She ached to go outside and stretch her wings, but of course that was out of the question.

They still had no idea how to fix things. Gold had practically disappeared, and he was their only hope. The only one with magic. Mary Margaret had suggested true love's kiss but that had been shot down, since Emma made it clear that she did not love Graham anymore. In fact, she didn't know if she ever did.

She lay back down, closing her eyes. Lately all she'd been doing besides watch TV was sleep. It was all she could do to pass the time. She heard the click clack of high heels in front of her. Figuring it was just Mary Margaret passing through, she kept her eyes closed and tried to fall asleep.

But instead of growing faint, the heels grew closer and closer until it sounded like they stopped directly in front of her. Irritated, Emma looked up. Who was it and what did they want?

She opened her eyes to see a pair of tall black boots standing directly in front of her. At first she thought it was just her mother but then she realized there was only one other person who wore boots like that.

Regina.

Emma immediately shot up, looking around in panic. But there was no one around. No one around to see Regina. No one around to save her. No around to hear her last screams as Regina killed her. As a swan, she was completely defenseless.

"Oh, don't worry." Regina smirked as she took in Emma's futile attempts to get her family's attention. "I'll be long gone before they see."

She bent down to Emma's height. "So, white feathers suit you." She mocked. Emma honked angrily and tried to bite Regina, but the evil queen dodged her beak.

"Oh, someone's a bit feisty." She sneered as she straightened back up. "I have to say, I never would've thought you were smart enough to find your way back. Have to give you props; guess you don't fit the whole blonde stereotype."

Emma glared at her through her swan eyes.

"Anyway, I'm not here to mock you. Though it is rather fun." Regina snorted derisively as she strolled around the apartment. "My my, I see we've gotten a little lazy on the tidying. Oh, wait, must be hard to do that when you don't have hands."

"I'm here to offer you a deal." Regina continued. "You know your precious little daughter Scarlett?"

At the sound of Scarlett, Emma started flying around and honking angrily as if to say what in the hell have you done with my daughter?

"Settle down." Regina said condescendingly. "Wouldn't want to get feathers all over the carpet now. You need not worry, Ms. Swan. I haven't harmed a hair on her little head…yet." She snickered.

Yet? What exactly did that mean?

"That's right. Yet." Regina emphasized that last word. "If you want to save that little brat, you will willingly come with me and my mother. You will sacrifice yourself for your daughter."

Emma leveled her with a stare that meant to say, or else?

"Or else she dies." Regina finished. She smiled slowly, her red lips spreading across her face. The smile of someone who knew they'd already won. "What will it be?"

~Long Gone~

The moment Graham set foot in Mary Margaret and David's apartment, he could feel that something was off. Terribly wrong. He'd stopped by to drop off some more aquatic plants for Emma, hoping that maybe she would listen to him. Listen to him explain and apologize.

"Emma?" He called, for he noticed that the spot she usually occupied was empty, save for a couple white feathers. It felt quieter than normal. Usually the TV was on or Henry was chattering away to his mother in the living room. But today all was still.

"Hello?" He called, searching every room. He knew Mary Margaret and David had gone out grocery shopping, and Henry was out at Granny's or something. But where was Emma? Graham grew more and more anxious as he came to the realization that the apartment was empty.

He knew that there was no way Emma could've escaped. The windows were all locked, mostly for her safety, and it wasn't like she could open doors with her wings or beak. There was something larger at play here. Something was really, truly wrong.

Just then, he thought he heard a high pitched giggle coming from down the hall. Cautiously, he tiptoed towards the living room, sending a quick message to Emma's parents as he walked. He came to a stop as he saw the small figure seated on the couch in the living room.

"Hi Daddy!"

"Scarlett?"

Author's note: Oh hey, she's back. Or is she...mwahaha