"Mom?"
I ran upstairs as quickly as I could, and saw Henry roaming the hall. I ran over to him and held him close, reassuring myself that he was alright.
"Mom, are you okay? What's going on?"
I didn't answer him. Instead I let go and rushed to the bedroom, terrified that my mother might already be there. I burst into the room, fireball ready to throw, but the only person there was the formerly-sleeping Emma. Of course, my entrance startled her awake.
"Regina, what the hell?" she shouted, seeing the fireball and the terrified look on my face.
Seeing that Emma was alone and not in any current danger, I snuffed out the flame, laid down next to her, and cried.
"Regina," Emma said, drastically changing her tone. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"It's happening," I whispered between sobs. "It's happening again."
Emma gently rolled me over so I was facing her and wrapped her arms around me. I didn't fight it, and cried bitterly into her chest.
"Now, Regina, whatever it is, I will do my best to make it better, but I can't do anything unless you tell me what's wrong."
"It's happening again. Will she ever stop?"
"Who's doing what?"
"My mother...she's going to destroy my happiness again."
"But, Regina," Emma said, pulling away from me slightly, "Cora is dead. She can't hurt you anymore."
I shook my head. "She's not dead. I don't know how, but she's alive, and she was downstairs in our kitchen just a moment ago."
"She was what?" Emma exclaimed.
"She was here," I repeated.
"Oh my god, Henry!" She sat bolt upright and started to get out of bet.
"No, it's okay, he's alright," I said, grabbing her arm to stop her. She nodded and laid back down.
"But what happened?"
"Well, she told me that she was sorry about everything she had done." I chuckled bitterly. "And I actually believed her! Then, she found out that we were married...and said that if I couldn't see reason' then she would 'knock some into me.'" I looked up into her beautiful green eyes, and fresh tears filled mine and spilled over onto my cheeks. "She wants to kill you, Emma. I can't...I can't lose someone else I love. I don't think I can take it."
A look of understanding and determination spread across her face. "That won't happen, Regina," Emma said, stroking my cheek with her smooth, pale hand. "You should know by now, I don't die easily." Her lips curled into that cocky half-smile is grown to love so much. I almost had to laugh at that. Almost.
"I know you won't die." I sat up and wiped the tears from my cheeks. A second later Emma sat up, too, facing me. "I won't let her kill you," I said, my voice hardening in determination. "I would do anything to keep you safe."
"I know you would," she said, placing her hand gently on mine, "but two is better than one." She smiled. "Let's defeat her, but let's do it together."
I grinned and nodded. Then she pulled me into a tight hug. As my face became hidden behind her golden hair, I let my smile fall. As much as I believed in Emma, I couldn't share her optimism. I'd seen what my mother was capable of, and when she didn't want someone around, she almost always found a way to get rid of them for good. The thought of losing someone else I loved was...I couldn't even think of an appropriate adjective.
I decided two things that night.
1) Emma Swan was not going to die.
2) I would do everything in my power to make sure she was safe, even if that meant giving up my mother,
Or my life.