A broken heart can never heal

" Shaya!" Regina cried out, running to her. She kneeled next to her, calling her name again and again, taking her face in her hands and trying to move it, but it was inert. Shaya looked so fragile now, with the pale, delicate face between her hands, her eyes closed. " No! Please, Shaya, please..." Regina tried to reanimate her. With all her forces, for many minutes, she tried, crying.

But Rapunzel didn't move. " Please! Shaya..." She gently slapped her face, but nothing happened. Regina crumbled on her, hugging her body, crying on the side of her face. " I'm sorry..." she sobbed " I'm so sorry..." Regina caressed her face, looking at it. Even in that moment she was beautiful. She followed the straight line of her nose, then the soft one of her lips. She had to try. " Forgive me." she whispered on her lips before pressing hers on them. She didn't know for how much she stayed that way. She just waited, but nothing happened. She gave off a desperate cry, hitting a fist on the ground. She looked at her again under the veil of her tears. It couldn't be true.

She wanted to save her! She did it to save her! She couldn't be... But there was still one hope left.

She furiously rolled up her right sleeve, and put her trembling hand on Rapunzel's chest. " Please Shaya, don't surrender..." Regina pushed, and quickly reached for her heart. She ripped it off. She almost chocked when she saw it. It was dark, very dark, but a single lighter spot right in the center of it. It was opaque now, not bright as the last time. But wasn't it the thing that had left her openmouthed: there was a gash that almost teared the heart in two.

Regina felt about to faint. She looked back at Shaya's face, a blurred pale oval beyond her tears.

The former Queen felt all of her strength flow away.

She did break her heart.

" Emma, Emma wait!"

" Something happened to Regina, mom, I have to go!"

" You're still weak, Em..."

" David help me stand up instead of saying bullshit."

" Sounds like a contradiction..." he murmured, but finally helping her. Snow handed her her blue leather jacket with a resigned face.

" Emma..."

" Let's go."

Emma walked out of the room, trying to ignore the dizzinesses. Her head was as a big balloon full of cement, but she clearly felt the pain in her heart, so she had to go. If Regina was... No, she wasn't. If she concentrated she could still feel that thin thread that connected them. She was alive, but she wasn't okay. They had to hurry.

Fortunately Henry was with Granny, and Mary Margaret had refused to leave her, sending Grumpy to find Rapunzel. Rapunzel... where could she be? Maybe the Lost Boys had used her to catch Regina. Perhaps she was the one with the " something more" inside. Aaargh, stupid Swan!

How could she not think of it?

Emma followed her parents into David's car. He switched it on. " Where?"

Emma froze. She had no idea of where to go. " I don't know."

Mary Margaret turned on the seat to watch her. David was looking at her from the rear-view mirror. Emma gazed at her mother. The teacher sighed.

" Okay. Em, try to concentrate. Perhaps you can feel something."

Emma nodded one, unconvinced, and closed her eyes. She imagined a dark place, with a bright, red spot at the center. That was her heart, she thought. No. Hers was white. And that wasn't simple imagination. She just knew it, as she knew that that one wasn't her heart, but Regina's. Black and red dancing light. She stretched her hand to touch it, and when she did it a shock run through her arm straight to her heart. Suddenly everything became white light. She blinked, blinded. After a bit, dark green silhouettes began to appear. Emma blinked again and again until her sight cleared. She was in a forest. Storybrooke's forest. She watched at her right, seeing a brook, and a little lake. The spring, she suddenly knew, even if she'd never been there.

Emma made a step back, and she was back in the car. She blinked, focusing her mother. She was calling her name.

" Emma? Emma, can you hear me?"

" What? Yes, yes..." she muttered. She had a furry tongue, and she felt as if she had just ascended a mountain. " In the forest... The spring! Tell me that you know where it is..." she added, hopeful.

Her mother frowned, but nodded. David had already started up the car.

" How do you know...?" he asked, giving her a glance in the mirror.

" I..." Emma had to stop to yawn. She was weary. " I have no fucking idea. Guess I was in Regina's mind. I just saw the forest, then the spring, and I knew that it was the spring even if I don't fucking know that that is the damn spring."

Mary Margaret stretched a hand to her, rubbing her leg, the only part of her that she could reach from the front seat. Emma felt immediately better.

" Don't worry, it isn't far. We'll be there in fifteen minutes. "

" If I could materialize from the fog as Gold and Regina we'd be there right now."

Mary Margaret looked disappointedly at her. " All magic comes with a price, Emma."

" It would be better if it'd come with a prize."

Mary Margaret's disappoint grew. " Emma..."

She sneered. " Sorry."

" Don't do it."

" What?"

" That grin."

" Why?"

" It's... It's Regina's, not yours. "

Emma did it again. Mary Margaret rolled her eyes and turned. " Get out of her head, it changes you."

Emma shook her head. Maybe Regina was right: Snow would have killed her. " I don't feel changed, just tired."

" Em, I'm your mother. Believe me if I say that it changes you."

Emma snorted. " You're just conditional on what I said to you."

Mary Margaret suddenly turned again to watch her. " Shouldn't I be? My daughter is going to fuse her mind with a cruel woman, the one who tried to kill me I'd add, and I should keep calm?" Emma chuckled and opened her mouth to answer, but her mother's groan stopped her. The Savior arched her eyebrows.

" What now?"

" You just did it! You just..." Mary Margaret turned, shaking her head, a hand on her forehead.

Emma watched questioningly her father, but he narrowed his eyes.

" Well, Em..." He stopped the car next to the corner of the forest. Regina's Mercedes was right in front of them. " That was quite an Evil Queen's chuckle, actually."

Emma snorted again and got out of the car. She had to lean on it for a while. Really, she was exhausted.

" Em, why don't you wait in the car? We can..."

" No, mom, I can do it, don't worry. I just need a minute. "

Mary Margaret reluctantly nodded. David took the gun.

" When you wanna go..." he said, taking a look around. Emma nodded. Yes, go. Hoping that she wouldn't faint in the middle of the forest or, worse, in front of the Lost Boys. She sighed, beginning to walk. Her father preceded her, and Snow was behind her, a knife in her hand. She was protected. What a good feeling.

They found Regina in short time. They heard her cry from distance, so they ran to her. When they reached her, they all paralyzed.

" Rapunzel!" Mary Margaret cried out, running to the body lying on the ground, lifeless. Regina was kneeled beside her, bent on herself. She astonishingly watched Mary try to reanimate Rapunzel. " What have you done to her?! Why did you kill her?" her mother cried, pointing the knife towards Regina.

The former Queen stayed still though, her eyes fixed on the body of the warrior, weeping. Her pain reached Emma in intense waves, leaving her breathless. She walked to them.

" Mom, let her..." she murmured, but her voice broke. She had locked gaze with Regina. Emma fell on her knees next to her, overwhelmed by her desperation. She began to cry, too.

" Save her." Regina whispered with harsh voice. She handed her something she was keeping with both hands as if it was the most precious and delicate thing of the world. Emma chocked when she realized its nature. Snow yelled.

Emma helplessly watched Regina. " I don't know how..."

Regina paled. " Please..."

Emma watched the heart. It was... broken? Was it possible? She put a shivering hand on it. It was lukewarm. It was a horrible sensation, to actually touch a heart, but she had to do it. She had to try, even if she was tired and didn't have an idea of what to do. " Close your eyes." came the broken voice of the former Queen. Perhaps she knew what to do. Emma squeezed her eyes.

" Clear your mind."

" Emma don't listen to her!"

Emma ignored her mother, and tried to concentrate. She imagined the black place, as she did before. There was no light there. It was cold, and empty.

" No, Emma. You can't reach her now..." Regina's voice was interrupted by a sob. She then sniffed and continued. " Find me. " She slightly touched her hand with a finger, and there was like a weak flash in the darkness. " I know you're tired, but you can do it. Come on, Miss Swan.

You're good in tracking people."

Emma smiled keeping her eyes shut, knowing that Regina was doing the same. She then focused on her, and found the golden line between their minds. She followed it, and a slight, red light appeared on the horizon of the darkness. She ran to it. Regina's heart was again in front of her.

She felt her impatience, and her own. She touched it.

Emma opened her eyes, and she saw herself, kneeled in front of her. Her eyes were opened, and bright. They emitted a white light, slightly green on the center, in correspondence of her irises.

" Regina, am I..."

" You're in my body, Emma. Now, let me guide you. "

Two voices from the same mouth. Emma felt a pressure on her right hand. She let it free, and it lifted, our of her control, and put the hand above the heart, covering it.

" Emma, I can't do it alone. We have to heal it. You have to do it."

" How should I...?"

" Wish it. Wish it with all of your strength, because your her last hope, Savior. "

Emma felt Regina's pain again. It was unbearable.

She watched Rapunzel. She had saved Henry, she had almost died for this. She had saved her mother, also. And she was a good person, and a friend. She wanted her to live. Rapunzel deserved

to live.

Emma felt as if a fluid warmth was running through her veins. She watched her arms, Regina's arms, and saw that her veins were actually bright, as if liquid light was running through them. That warm light flowed to their hands, and filled them with bright dancing shades. It lasted a few seconds, but with each moment that passed Emma was more tired, as if the flow was taking her forces with it.

Regina moved her right hand when the light disappeared. The heart was healed, but a deep scar crossed it. Emma felt Regina's regret as a stab wound. She stepped back, somehow, and she was in her body again, breathless.

She watched the former Queen. Her eyes were fixed on the heart. It looked as if she was waiting for something.

One, two, three seconds. Nothing happened. Regina franticly alternated the gaze between the heart and the body.

" Come on! Come on..." she was murmuring between her teeth.

Emma watched her trying to hold the tears, trying not to fall into pieces. She was about to stretch a hand toward her shoulder when the brunette suddenly moved.

Regina crawled next to Rapunzel's face. She bent over it, and kissed her. She stayed that way enough to make Emma realize what she was watching.

So she was right, she did it: she actually broke her heart. It was possible.

Regina broke the kiss, and leaned back on her knees. She looked at the heart in her hand, then glanced down, letting the arm fall on Rapunzel's body. She sighed, shivering.

" I'm so sorry, Shaya... " she whispered, eying her face. " I tried... I just wanted to keep you safe... from me." she said crushing Emma's heart, even because she was still feeling her pain. " You killed her." Her mother's voice awakened Emma. She looked at her: Snow was weeping, but she was furious.

" Mom..."

David glanced at her, but Snow ignored her.

" I love her." Regina answered, annihilated. Emma moaned, making all of them watch her: she aimed at Rapunzel's heart as, exactly when Regina had spoken, it had begun emitting a weak light. It was incredible!

Regina goggled at it, and took it with both hand again, treating it as if it was the thinnest gold foil. She moved her face closer to it. " I love you." she whispered with trembling voice. The light seemed to explode from the heart. Rapunzel suddenly opened her eyes and rose set, taking a breath as if she had held it till that moment. Emma had the time to see the two of them gaze at each other, their eyes glittering with tears in the heart's light, before fainting.

Everything hurt in her body, but she ignored it. Regina was right in front of her, her heart in her hand. It was bright, she was right. Rapunzel could barely keep her eyes opened.

Regina was watching her as if she was the most impossible and beautiful thing in the world. And yet she was feeling nothing. Absolutely nothing.

The former Queen moved her hand closer to her chest, but then stopped. She was sad, now.

Conflicted.

" I shouldn't do it. I should keep your heart, and so keep you safe." she said. It was a question. Rapunzel sighed. Did she want it? She was tempted, she had to admit it. No more love, no more sufferance. She tried to imagine the rest of her life with that sweet emptiness that she was feeling inside her chest. It wasn't bad. It was amazing! All of her pain had disappeared! Her brother, herself, Regina... nothing hurt anymore. But the rage... it was still there. Blood. She wanted blood, she wanted to feel it, hot and liquid on her hands while she pierced her blade into... She furiously blinked, breathless. She couldn't believe what she just thought. She looked at Regina in disbelief.

Rapunzel grabbed her hand and pulled it inside her chest, then coughing for the intense sensation. Warmth, pain, love. Shaya closed her eyes and sighed in relief. When she reopened them, Regina was eying her in confusion, frowned.

" What...?"

" I..." Shaya swallowed, trying to find back her voice and her bravery. " I wanted to kill you." she said, sadly gazing at her.

" You probably should. " the brunette bitterly smiled.

A thought, a memory of painful words hit her, crunching her heart, probably literally. Shaya narrowed her eyes, in pain. " But you said that..."

Regina was fast moving: she took her face in her hands and kissed her. Rapunzel closed her eyes. It was too good to manage to think. The pain faded away. She moved and got closer to Regina, clinging to her jacket. The former Queen broke the kiss just for a second, looking at her eyes. " I love you." she said. Rapunzel couldn't help but smile. She said it. She. Said. It. Didn't she?

" Say it again."

Regina slightly smiled, and gave her a soft kiss before murmuring again those three words.

" Emma!" Snow ran to her daughter a second after she fainted. She quickly took her daughter's head, careful not to touch the wound, worried that there could be others, but Emma looked unharmed. She was breathing. She looked asleep, Snow thought.

" Is she fine?" David asked, crouched next to her.

" David she fainted, it's obvious that she's not fine!"

" Magic always comes with a price..." he murmured, making her look at him. Snow felt her cheeks redden for the rage.

" I'm not paying again for her mistakes!" she growled pointing at Regina with a hint of her head. David leaned a hand on her shoulder. " Snow, Emma is just tired, she shouldn't even get out of bed..."

" Indeed." she answered, gritting teeth, eyes on Regina. The brunette noticed her gaze only when Snow stood up, fists balled with anger, each muscle of her body impossibly tensed. David's hand was still on her shoulder, but, unusually, it didn't have the power to calm her down.

As Regina put her eyes on her, Rapunzel did. Rapunzel. How could she still love that woman?

Did she know what love is? Because that looked more like an obsession...

" Snow White, I see rage in your eyes, but..."

" You can't love her. She..."

" Snow!" David moved between her and the two women, giving them his back. He put both his hands on her shoulders and bent to look directly in her eyes. " Snow, calm down! We have to take

Emma back to the hospital now..."

" Emma wouldn't need any hospital if it wasn't for her!" Snow pushed with all of her forces against David's chest, and he fell down on his back, took out of guard. She refused to feel sorry, and walked towards Regina, who in the meantime had stood up, pointing at the brunette with a finger. " You almost killed, no, you actually killed Rapunzel and Emma had to pay for your magic again! You..." Her angry words were interrupted by the sudden standing of Rapunzel. Her legs barely held her, but still she was challenging her, protecting Regina with her weak body and her fierce stare.

" Shut up." she just said. Snow felt as if she wasn't able to speak anymore. She goggled at her, opening her mouth to try to speak, but no sound exited from it. Rapunzel tiredly sneered. " I'm tired of your voice. And of all the shit which it gives sound to."

" Shaya..." Regina's voice, for the first time, sounded uncertain. Snow looked at her: she was half behind Rapunzel, a hand on her arm, but she was looking at her with a worried face. Rapunzel grinned, taking back her attention. Her eyes... Snow stopped breathing looking in them. They were dark abysses again, and bright as the sky at the same time.

" Don't worry, love. I would never hurt your step-daughter."

Snow gave a start. That was a paradox! Regina defending her from Rapunzel! Regina actually caring of her... No! Rapunzel must had misunderstood. Regina's gaze, though...

" I know, just... I don't like it when you use magic." Regina muttered, glancing down. Rapunzel gazed at the brunette with such a warm look that Snow, for a moment, forgot what was happening. Such sweetness was way too contrasting with the killer look she just gave her. The warrior then glanced back at her, and the knot Snow was experiencing in her throat suddenly disappeared.

" Sorry." Rapunzel said. Snow thought she was talking to her, until she noticed that she was still looking at Regina. The former Queen nodded once, gazing up at the warrior.

Snow had lost a bit of her anger, but not all of it. She snorted. " You..." she started, but as

Rapunzel suddenly turned to watch her as a wolf would look at a rabbit, she just swallowed. " Me?" she asked, slightly tilting her head. With one eyebrow arched, she pointed at Regina. " Or her, maybe?"

Still. She was still as a damn snake. Snow never felt so in danger. Neither David's presence could calm her heart. Snow gripped to her last hope: she moved her eyes on Regina.

" Stay away from my daughter." she said to her. Her voice sounded trembling even at her ears.

Regina heavily sighed, the shadow of a bitter smile on her lips. " You know that I can't, Snow." Rage, again. Strong, burning rage. " Then I'll make you do it." she growled, forgetting about the warrior until she completed the threat. And until she heard her laugh.

Snow watched her in disbelief. Rapunzel was actually laughing, leaning on Regina to keep herself standing. She frowned: she knew she wasn't that threatening, but so little to make her laugh even...

" Oh, sorry, Princess, sorry but... Ah ah ah! Do you really think that... Ah ah ah!"

Snow snorted, annoyed. Angry, in truth, and offended. " What?!" she asked in exasperation.

She thought that Rapunzel was her friend! How could have she been so blind? She was nothing more than a mercenary, and mercenaries act only for their interest. She saved her only to have the opportunity to fuck Regina, that was the truth. She was just a killer with an obsession for that woman, just as Regina was a murderer who used revenge as excuse. They were crazy. Maybe made one for another, but dangerous as hell. She had to protect Emma and Henry from them. And

David. And Red. And Grumpy, and all of the people. Laugh, Rapunzel, laugh. Underestimate me. " Do you really think..." the warrior paused to clear her voice. She was smiling, but there was a dangerous light in her eyes. " ...that I'd let you hurt her?"

Snow smiled: she thought that she was invincible, wasn't it? She was about to answer when Regina intervened.

" Shaya, stop it. I played this game for a long time, and it leads to nothing, you know it well. Snow..." Her step-mother watched her. She looked bloody worried. Since when Regina showed her emotions? " David is right, Emma only needs rest: that magic was powerful, almost impossible. She'll sleep for a while, but don't worry, she's fine."

Fine? " Fine?! She fainted! She should be sleeping in her bed, but she's lying in the middle of the forest because you fucking killed the psychopath that loves you!"

" What's a psychocat?"

" Psychopath. A crazy person, and if you dare calling her this way another time, Snow White..."

" You what? You'll kill me? You'll kill David? Or Emma? Or gimme another sleeping curse, Regina? What will you do?" she cried out, almost giving up to the temptation to punch Regina right in the face.

" No, idiot! I will smash your annoying face before you can even realize that I moved!"

Rapunzel suddenly burst into laughter again, contrasting Snow's rage. Snow looked at her shaking her head, barely holding her anger.

" Why the fuck are you laughing?!"

She shook her head, stifling another laugh, barely glancing at her. She then took Regina's head in her hands and kissed her, making her goggle. The kiss lasted just a few seconds. " You're beautiful!" she said, smiling widely, before letting Regina's face.

The former Queen stifled a laughter in turn, then found her demeanor. " You'd better reevaluate your parent duties and take Emma to the hospital, or I'll do. We shall see her tomorrow. I suggest you to go for a horse ride around nine a.m., so that such inconvenient misunderstandings won't happen again. In the meantime, I suggest you to think. I'm talking to Snow, Charming. You could even be a farmer, but you're a gentleman, too. You're always welcome. " Regina winked at him. Snow's jaw dropped. She looked at her husband. He was blushing! Snow turned to look at Regina with growing fury, but a purple fog had substituted her and Rapunzel's figures. Snow turned back to watch David, hands on her hips.

He quickly glanced down and moved closer to Emma. Snow goggled.

" Better if we hurry up, she'll be cold..." he said, covering her with his jacket and trying to pick her up.

" David...?"

" ... And she surely doesn't need a cold, too, so we should really move on..." he was already walking away with his daughter on his arms. Snow followed him with her mind so full of shit that it seemed empty.