A/N: sorry this is so late, and it's not the last chapter after all, one more to go.
At the troll bridge, Snow and Charming are surrounded by 4 trolls. They try to fight back, as the leader of the trolls, taunts them. Charming then charges, with his sword held high, but he is no match for the brute strength of the trolls. He is knocked down, but struggles with two of the trolls. Snow is also fighting with one troll, breaks free and starts to head off the bridge.
"Go! I am right behind you!" Charming yells, as Snow reaches the end of the bridge.
Emma and Regina are racing through the dense forest, to get to the troll bridge in time to help her parents.
Running down the road, Snow shouts, "Follow me, they don't know the forest like I do." She turns her head expecting to see James behind her but sees no one. Stopping, she peers down the road, expecting him to show up, but he never does. Tensing, realizing he maybe in serious trouble, she first looks down the other directions, contemplating if she should just run, her hand on the sack with the ring, forgetting him. Making up her mind, she turns back, running to the troll bridge.
On the bridge, Charming is down on the ground, being held by two of the trolls, as the leader raises his sword to send a killing blow to the Prince's neck.
"STOP!"
The trolls look up, seeing Snow standing on the bridge.
"Drop the sword or I'll turn you all into bugs." Snow glares at them, as she shifts her weight on her feet. She readies her fist, grasping something in it. She quickly shifts her eyes to her fist then back to the trolls. "Dark fairy dust."
Charming look perplexed at her, knowing she doesn't have any dust left.
Just then, Emma reaches near the bridge, but stops, as Regina catches up. They both duck behind some shrubs, watching. They can see the intense stand off, but are afraid to make an appearance yet, so as not to startle Snow and give the trolls a chance to attack again. They listen in as Snow continues on.
"So you let him go, or I will be peeling you all off the bottom of my boots." To emphasize her meaning, she pulls her fist back, ready to toss the dust.
The trolls immediately drop their weapons as they let Charming go. "We don't want any trouble."
Charming stands up and backs away from them.
"Good, and while you're at it," Snow makes another point with her fist, "we will forget this ever happened."
Pulling the sack of gold, the trolls nod as they place it on the bridge wall. They turn and slowly crawl over the walls and disappear.
James stands up, rubbing the back of his neck. He glances over at Snow, "You saved me."
Looking contrite, Snow answers, "It was the honorable thing to do."
"But how? You used the dust on yourself."
"Sand." Snow opens her fist, where black sand falls out. She shrugs. "Trolls aren't exactly known for their cleverness."
Gazing at Charming for a few seconds, both lost in their own thoughts, Snow finally turns as she says, "C'mon, we should go, they could come back."
"Right." Charming grabs the coins off the bridge and follows Snow off the bridge, back onto the road.
The two pass Regina and Emma, then stop just bit further. Charming pulls a bag out of his waist. "So you probably want this." He hands it to Snow.
Regina smirks at Emma, as takes Emma's hand, squeezing it. "Seems your parents didn't need our help after all. I am impressed."
Emma gives Regina a raised eyebrow, then winks. "Not bad for a couple of idiots"
Snow pulls out the pouch with the ring in it, "You can't get married with out this." Hands over the pouch as she takes the bag from James.
Regina takes a quick look at Emma, sees Emma getting very emotional watching her parents.
James pulls the ring out of the pouch, moving it around, letting the sun catch the highlights of the stone, and metalwork. "I know, not your style."
Staring at the ring, Snow quips, "Well there is only one way to find out." She snags the ring, putting it on her right ring finger, then holds hit out, admiring it for a long moment. Some where deep in her mind, something is clicking, but her stubbornness quickly buries the spark. "Yea. Not me at all." Shaking her head, she pulls the ring off, handing it back to James.
Putting her arm around Emma, the woman she has come to love, even if she has yet to say it out loud, Regina pulls Emma close to her. She quietly whispers near Emma's ear, "It's okay Emma. Not everyone gets a chance to watch their parents fall in love."
Sniffing, Emma gazes at Regina, she blinks, nods, then turns back to watch her parents.
Charming bends down to retrieve a large sack. "Well, where ever you are going, if you need anything..."
Snow smirks, "You'll find me."
Regina rolls her eyes, but wears a smile none the less.
Charming smiles kindly, "Always."
"I almost believe that."
The Prince hands Snow the sack. She takes it, then turns slowly, heading down the road, away from Charming. He in turn starts to walk in the opposite directions, stopping once for a quick glance back, a melancholy look upon his face, then continues on his journey.
Regina is alarmed at the scene. "Wait, their heading away from each other. I can't believe this...are they so blind to see what is right in front of them? They truly are idiots." Regina starts to move, but is halted by Emma.
"No. It's okay." Emma wipes away her tears, as she grins. "That's how it happened the first time. It took my parents a while to accept their feelings for each other." Emma squeezes Regina's hand.
"It must run in the family," laughs Regina, as she gazes at Emma, squeezing her hand back.
They stare at each other for long moment, then Emma grabs the book, opening it up. As she flips through the mostly blank pages, slowly images and words reform on the pages.
"Look, we did it," whispers Emma. "It's all coming back."
"Yes, and this means we can go home." Regina smile, tears now forming in her eyes. "We need to get back to Marion, and then to Rumple."
They both stand, and head off quickly.
Eventually, they come back to where they left Marion lying on the ground. She still is unconscious. Regina checks to make sure she is okay. "You really did a number on her."
"I didn't think I hit her that hard."
"Well we can't carry her back to Rumple's castle, so I am hoping by calling him he will come to us. Just in case, let us least get her up, so we are connected, as I am not sure what will happen, once I summon him." Regina stands, and with the help of Emma, get Marion up. Both women hold her, while Regina starts to summon, "Rumplestilskin. Rumplestilskin. Rumpl.." The trio is engulfed in a thick, swirling black cloud of smoke. When it clears, they are in the main room of Rumple's castle.
The two women lay Marion on the floor. Emma walks up to Rumple, smiling, "We did it."
"Hello dearies. I take it you fixed your mistake, your parents are back together?" Rumple is standing at the head of the table, working on some kind of potion. He waves his hand. Regina gives him a raised eyebrow, wondering what he just did.
"They are right back on track." Emma smiles at Regina, then faces Rumple again. "We are ready to go."
"I see, and you brought luggage." He points at the floor. "Who is that?"
Emma gives the dark imp a guilty look. "I sort of saved her from the Queens's dungeon."
Marion, who is behind both women, starts to come to. She rubs the back of her head, and groggily looks around.
"But now you changed the timeline again. Are you really just that dense or did some one drop you on your head as a child."
"Hey!" Regina has had enough of Rumple's snide comments, "Emma did what she always does, follows her heart, to help others , and in this case she was not going to let someone die if she could help it." Rumple starts to say something, but Regina points, "Ah Ah...no..she will be coming back with us. As far as the timeline in concerned, if Marion is suppose to be dead here, her going to the future with us will not effect this timeline."
"Hmmm...that is true. What ever."
"I am not going anywhere with you!"
Emma, along with Regina turn to face Marion.
"You!" With panic in her eyes, Marion starts to back up, pointing at Regina. "You're the Evil Queen. I don't know who you are," She points at Emma, "but all of you, stay away from me."
"Damn, that's what he did." Glancing at Emma, Regina growls, "he removed the glamour spell." Trying to show a calm smile, Regina tries the friendly approach, "Hey, it's okay. We are not going to hurt you. You have to forgive Emma, she sort of panic back there when she hit you."
"Wait...she's Leia?" Marion points at Emma, then realizes who Regina is, remembers the clothing they still had on. "You..were that Prince Reginald? You fooled me into believing you were the good guys, but...but you're the Evil..."
"HEY!" Both Marion and Regina jump at the shout from Emma. "She is no longer like that so drop the 'E' word already."
Marion frantically glances around, then starts to back up toward the door. Suddenly she is immobilized, unable to speak.
Regina turns to Rumple. "What are you doing! Let her go."
"Nothing doing. You just fixed the timeline, she can not leave." Cackling, he rubs his hands together, "Now, how should I do away with her."
Pointing her finger at her former mentor, Regina stalks closer. "You don't do anything to her. I will not let you kill her. We are bring her back with us. To Storybrooke. Back to her family. I have done a lot of terrible things, many, many terrible things, but," Eyes welling up with tears, Regina, glances at Marion, "if I can rectify just one previous evil I have done, than let it be this, let me return her to her husband and son."
During this time, Emma as quietly moved next to Regina, putting a hand on her back, giving her support.
Regina tries to make Marion understand, "I promise if you release her, she will not run."
Not able to speak, Marion finally blinks two times, as a sign that she agrees.
Sighing, Rumple grumbles, "Very well." Twirling his hand in the air, Marion in released. She stands, but she also does not say anything.
Emma turns back to Rumple, "Can you get the portal open?"
"Well, no can do. Sorry."
"WHAT?" Regina shouts. "What do you mean you can't open it!"
Emma is stunned, after spending days getting her parents back on track, all for nothing, stammers, "Then what are you working on."
"This is for me. A forgetting potion. I know too much about my future. The only way to protect it, is for me to forget it." The dark imp continues to mix liquids together.
Regina glances at Emma, sees how distraught she is, then asks, "What about the wand, you said it could help us?"
"Oh, that. Well apparently those who used the portal can reopen it. Even if you," Rumple points at Regina, "regained your magic, she would need magic. You both would need to combine your magic to make the wand work." Rumple grabs the wand, giving Emma an evil glint, "You forgot to mention you possess magic, light magic even." He tosses Emma the wand.
"I had magic...but I don't anymore." Emma slumps her shoulders, "Damn it, we were so close to getting home, and once more I fuck it up."
"Emma..." Putting her hand on Emma, Regina tries to comfort the upset blonde. "So then there is nothing you can do." She asks the dark man.
"Oh..there is one thing I can do, put you someplace safe, where there is nothing around you but my collection, and you can not mess with the future once more." With that, he snaps his fingers, and the three women are enveloped in black smoke and disappear.
As the dark smoke dissipates, Emma waving her hand to fan away the mist in front of her face, she glances around. They seem to be in a large room, with four walls that go up, way up. Regina looks at Emma, then herself. She eyes the room. "Well seems not only did he return us into our original clothes we came in, but he ported us to what looks like his vault."
"How do we get out? I am not seeing any doors." Moving around the room, Emma tries to feel for an opening, to see if one is hidden behind some bookshelves.
"We don't. Least not in the traditional sense. This is the Dark One's vault. He doesn't need a door." Pointing at the wand in Emma's hand, "That is our only way out."
Tightening her hand around the wand, Emma brings it up, "Then we are up a creek with out a paddle, cause I don't have magic anymore, and your's still is crap right?"
Regina snaps her fingers, and a very faint spark very briefly ignited. "Yes, it would assume so."
"Damn it...we were so close! We did all this for nothing!"
"Emma, we will figure this out."
"Only thing to figure out is how much more I can fuck this up." Frustrated, the blonde walks over to padded bench seat. Sitting, she puts her head in her hands and starts to shut down.
Regina watches the blonde anguish over their situation, Emma's dejected posture, wringing her hands. Wanting to give comfort, she starts to go to her, but then Marion finally comes out of her trance. "I don't know what is going on. I don't understand you. What type of clothing is that." She points her hand briefly at Regina.
"Oh, this is just what the fashion is like back in our time. Though some of us," Regina quickly glances at Emma, smirking, "have a abhorrent sense of what fashion is."
"Why didn't you let him kill me. That's what you wanted, or do you still plan on torturing me."
Sighing, Regina turns back towards Marion, slowly moving toward her. "I am not into that anymore. And I don't want to kill you. I meant what I said when I told you, and Rumple, that I just want to reunite you with Robin and your son." She stops short, still seeing the mistrust, and fear in the taller woman's eyes.
"I understand not trusting, nor believing anything I say. I have never given you any reason to do so, but I mean it, when I, well we," Regina indicates Emma, still feeling the pull to go comfort Emma who is still withdrawn, "just want to help. Robin and Roland miss you." Regina tries to convey in her eyes that she is telling the truth."
"How do you know my family so well. There is something you are hiding." Marion wraps her arms around herself, trying to hold in her misgivings. She wants to believe all this, but it's so...crazy. People from the future, her family there? "If you want me to go with you, believe that this...whatever it is, then you need to be honest me."
"I...it's complicated, but as we are not going anywhere for a while." Regina moves over to a chair, and gracefully sits. She indicates for Marion to do the same. "First off, you need to promise not to get upset, err..well, least try to remain calm anyways."
"Why do I have a feeling I am not going to like what I hear."
"It's really not that bad. Nothing ever came of it."
"Wait...you...and...Robin? Like...are you..?"
Regina lowers her eyes, staring at the floor, nervously rubbing her fingers together. "We...were...sort of close...we didn't DO anything, but it is a long story, but the short version is..." sighing, the former Evil Queen, goes into her brief relationship with Robin. While doing so, she ascertains Marion's mood through out her tale. Finally after telling her about how they first met back in the Enchanted Forest, and about the breaking of the second curse, where as Marion interrupted, being confused by these references to curses.
"Wait..I am lost with all this talk about curses...what curses."
"Again..it's a long story, if we get back to Storybrooke, I would be more than happy to explain it all to you, but the gist of it is that, I originally cast a curse to bring everyone to a different place, one that I sort of created through the curse, it was suppose to bring me happiness, and give everyone else miserable lives. This was 30 years ago..during that time everyone was pretty much stuck in a timeless bubble, where they never aged, everyday was pretty much the same day every day. Actually..when I think about it now, even I was miserable." Shaking her head, reflecting on those thoughts, something was formulating in Regina's mind. Storing that feeling, she continues on with her story. "Then over a year ago, the town was hit with sort of a reversing curse, that sent us all back to our old realm." Seeing the confused look at Marion's face, Regina smiles, "I told you this was complicated. Anyways it took us about a year to recast the first curse that brought us all back home..." At that last word, Regina stopped. For the first time, she realized something..that Storybrooke IS her home. Tears spring to her eyes as she glances at Marion, "We...we had lost our memories of that past year, due to my sister...my half-sister...and that is the time we were briefly together."
"So you're saying your not with my husband then."
Cringing at the way Marion says husband, Regina once more glances around, trying gather her emotions. "No...just before we came through that portal to here, I had broken it off with him. Due to several things that happened, I found that I really didn't have deep feelings for him. He really misses you, as does Roland. The times we were together, he was always mentioning you, some memory, and I could see he still had a deep love for you." Regina wipes some tears away, "That is why you needed to come with us. After being here, and seeing my former self, I have realized how much I really have changed, I am not that woman I became over 30 years ago."
"What changed you?" Marion motions toward Emma, "She had asked me back in your...err..the Queen's dungeon, if it was possible for the Queen to change. At that time I told her no, I did not think anything could possible change you. But now, I see I may have been wrong. What changed your heart?"
Immediately, Regina's chocolate brown eyes flashed an endearing gaze at Emma, who was still sitting quietly, her legs pulled up, her head resting on her knees. Knowing that Emma has been listening this whole time, she tells Marion, "It started 13 years ago with a little boy, whose birth mother at that time, was not in a good place to raise a child. She gave him up for adoption, to give him his best chance. I adopted him. At that time I did not know who his mother was, but he brought something into my life I had not had in a long time. Some one to love and care for. Then a couple of years ago, his mother shows up," Regina nods her head at Emma, "breaks my curse, and things started to change. I started to change. Henry started that change, at first it was for Henry that I wanted to redeem myself. To show him that I did love him, but at that time I wasn't very good at showing it. I had spent too many years looking for vengeance, living with this dark anger. But then slowly, this void that I had inside my heart, one that, someone once told me would never be filled as long as I sought revenge, started to fill in. As I resolved my past with Snow, and some of the other towns people, that void became smaller. But what really, truly made it complete, was when this obnoxious, irritating, bull headed, yet funny, courageous, adorable red leather clad blonde whirlwind came into town. See the reason I broke it off with Robin is I realized I was hopelessly in love with someone...her." Regina slowly stands, then moves toward Emma.
Hearing that last part, Emma's head jerks up, her eyes wide. Getting up, she tentatively regards Regina as she approaches, the wand still clutched in one hand. Seeing the pensive look, Regina stops, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah...I was just thinking of something Neal said to me. That you know you really have a home, because when you leave it, you miss it so much. I just want to go home." Emma breaks out is a sob, as Regina gathers her in a hug.
Regina just holds Emma, as Emma buries her head in the brunette's neck. "Hey...Emma, shhh..." Kissing the top of Emma's head, she continues to rub up and down Emma's back, giving comfort.
Very quietly, Emma whispers, "Do you mean it?"
"What?"
"You love me?"
Smiling, Regina pulls Emma's head away, gazing deep into those soulful sea green eyes. "Yes. Yes I love you."
Gazing down for a second, then back to Regina's eyes, Emma asks, "How...how long?"
Chucking, Regina moves her hand down to grasp Emma's. "Not sure exactly, but deep down, I think it started that night Henry brought you to my front door." Emma's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, "But at that time, well you know..I was not in a good place yet."
"Yeah, we didn't exactly get along at first."
Regina laughs.
"Back in New York, when I first drank that memory potion, the first memories that flashed in my head were of Storybrooke, Henry, and...you." Giving Regina one of her heartfelt, adoring smiles, Emma states, "That's when I realized I was in love with you."
"You..you are?" Regina stammers, grinning, as she deeply hoped that her love for Emma was reciprocated.
Emma nods, "Yeah, though like you, I think deep down it was hidden for a long time. But...when I came back, and seen how happy you were with..well...him, I thought maybe I wasn't seeing something between us after all. It hurt, and course when I get hurt, I put up those walls and..well...I..."
"Run."
"Yeah. That was why I was leaving. Then, when I was planning on going back to New York, where I was happy, least for that year, though there were times when something was niggling at my mind, I was hoping I find that contentment again, get on with my life, and maybe find that happiness I felt then. But now, after being here, seeing my parents, hell living my parents story, helping them find each other," Emma smirks at Regina's eye roll, "and get their story back on track, I realized that I could run, but I would never be happy." Emma gazes down, a small, lost look appears.
Regina move her hand up to cup Emma's cheek, rubbing it with her thumb. "What is it?"
Closing her eyes at the sensation of the warmth of Regina's hand, Emma sighs, then opens her eyes again. "When I went to hug my mom, after Blue restored her? That look she gave me, when I seen that distant, cold, unrecognizable reflection in her eyes, it killed me inside. It made me realize what SHE, and my dad, have been seeing from me. That's how I was reacting to them all this time."
For a brief moment, both women just gaze into each other eyes. Understanding. Emma puts her hand on Regina's shoulder, playing with a few strands of the soft, silky dark hair. She watches her hand, then a gentle smile appears again, that soon reflects through her eyes as she once more stares into those warm pools of milky brown, conveying the love she feels for Regina. "It's funny, but, back then, when Henry brought me to Storybrooke," Emma's eyes move around Regina's face, then briefly land on her lips, then back to her eyes, "I thought he was just bringing me here to bring back the happy endings..." Moving closer together, both women breathing the same air, "but I didn't see what he was really doing..." mouths with in a whispers breath away, love shining in sea green and chocolate brown, "he was bringing me...home, to my parents, to him...and...you."
With that last word, Emma presses her lips against those soft, plump ones she has been dying to kiss for some time. Regina moans, as she feels the first tentative kiss, the taste of Emma is exquisite, she relishes the feel of them finally kissing. Grasping Regina's head with her hand, running her hands through Regina's hair, Emma deepens the kiss, moaning as lips move against each other, then as Regina wraps her arms around Emma, the blonde's natural sweet smell enticing her body, she swipes her tongue along Emma's lower lip, and getting consent, she tenderly winds the tip of her tongue around Emma's. Suddenly there is a bright flash of white light, that pulses out from the couple. It blindly illuminates the room..then pulses outwards, then it's gone.
Breaking apart, breathless, both women look around, then eye each other.
Emma stammers, knowing what that light was,"That...that was..."
Regina just gives off her best smile, "Yes..." She surges forward again, grasping Emma, kissing her for all she's got, as she mumbles against those lips she is fast becoming addicted to.
Suddenly they hear a throat clearing. They glance at the source, having forgotten in the heat of the moment that they are not alone, Marion stands smirking. "Is that suppose to be glowing like that?" She is pointing at the wand. It was glowing a bright white.
Emma swings the wand up, staring at it, "Regina, it's working...we did it!" Regina flicks her hand and a palm sized fireball emerges. "Yes we did. Now...let's go home."
Pointing the wand away from her, Emma concentrates, thinking about Henry, her parents, and friends back in Storybrooke. Quickly, a swirling large mass appears in from of them. "Okay..it's open!"
Regina eyes Marion, "You ready to go to your family?"
Marion shows a bit of fear, but nods, "Yes, I am ready." Regina tugs on her arm, looks at Emma, "You got this?"
"I got this!...Regina!...I love you!" Emma yells over the noise from the portal.
As Regina glances back at Emma, yelling, "I love you too!" Then she and Marion jump into the portal. Just as Emma is about to take her jump, she is grabbed by her arm, from behind.
"Wha...?"
"No dearie...I can't let you go just yet." Rumpelstiltskin has appear, and is holding Emma back.
"What are you doing! I need to go now! Before it closes!" She struggles against the grasp.
"I need you to tell me...what happens with me and my son! Do we reunite!"
"I...Uh...what..."
"Tell me! Or I will hold you here!"
"Yes...yes you reunite with your..son..." Emma shows a sad look, her eyes brimming with tears.
"What aren't you telling me!"
"He...he died...Please! You have to let me go back to our son!."
"Bae?...dead...but...how.."
"He died saving us, saving us all. Please, he died a hero...don't let his death be a waste." Emma imparts a pleading gaze, "I...I loved him."
As Rumple lets all this sink in, he quickly downs the forgetting potion, and with that, the dark imp lets go of Emma's hand, and she falls through the portal. Once she is through, it closes.
He glances around, as if in a daze, then, "What the hell, why am I here?" He snaps his finger and he disappears.