Chapter 7

Spoiler Alert: Behold the end of captainswan!

She tried hard to be casual about it. She remained calm. She kept stone faced. She listened intently and focused on the task at hand. After Zelena first broke the news, she found her focus straying. Okay, so finding out someone's soul has been magically bound to your own is just a little off putting. There's no reason to be totally freaked out by it, right?

Emma's first reaction to finding out Regina has been with her ever since her supposed death was relief. For one, she wasn't crazy. For two, Regina wasn't dead! Then she started getting embarrassed. She remembered back to the last 24 hours. Regina had been there for all of it. The CPR, the crying, the drinking, the confessions...Oh God, the shower! Emma turned red just thinking about it. As she realized that Regina had been privy to some of Emma's most intimate thoughts and conversations, she was mortified. Regina must have been so disgusted hearing that Emma loved her. Emma knew Regina well enough to imagine her rolling her eyes and calling the blonde an idiot. What if it was more than that? What if Regina could feel Emma's thoughts and emotions, too? To say that Emma was not comfortable with Regina being privy to her innermost wants and desires was an understatement. She had to quickly dismiss that idea so she wouldn't simply wither away from embarrassment.

"Are you even listening to me?" Zelena interrupted her musing.

Regina had watched Emma's reaction to the theory and became embarrassed herself. Certainly it wasn't her fault that she was thrusted so violently into the savior's personal space, but she couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. She stood, hands intertwined at her hips, waiting for Emma to pull herself together and decide what to do.

Emma shook herself from her musings and refocused on Zelena. "Yes, yes. Since the fireball had been fused with magic made from my DNA, when it hit Regina it somehow bound her essence to me. You think you know how to bring her back?"

Zelena shrugged her shoulders. "I can't do anything without magic. But if Regina has the right spellbook and the right ingredients in her vault, I just might be able to guide the Blue Gnat through it."

Emma couldn't help but chuckle. "You mean the Blue Fairy."

Zelena rolled her eyes and threw up her hands. "Whatever."

"Well, I have magic, why can't I do it?"

Zelena looked almost offended. "A novice, at best. This is a very delicate spell that must be done by someone who knows what their doing. With our luck you'd end up getting us all soul bound."

Emma rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Fine."

Don't you want to tell the others?"

"Not yet. I want to be sure there's a way to fix this before we let anyone in on what's going on. I don't want to give them false hope."

Zelena nodded in understanding.

"Alright, well, let's go check out Regina's vault." Emma looked around as she started towards the door and scrunched up her face. "Come on...Regina."

Regina gave Emma her famous annoyed glare as her and an amused Wicked Witch followed closely behind.

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Emma rolled up her sleeves and looked around the vault. "Alright, Regina, where would this soul splitting spell of yours be?" She said it to the air as she started picking up books and moving papers around.

"I have no idea what spell she is referring to. I've never heard of such a thing," Regina said as she put her hands on her hips.

Zelena paused and looked over her shoulder at the savior. After a beat she asked, "Did she answer?"

Emma gave her a dirty look. "No. What am I looking for, anyway? I don't read Elvish."

Zelena raised her eyebrows in surprise. "How did you know what language that is?"

Emma didn't look up, just kept looking in futility. "Regina."

"She taught you?" Zelena asked in feigned interest as she rifled around on another table.

Emma didn't answer. Her memory brought her back in time.

"What is that, Spanish?" "We're not making tapas, we're making Magic. It's Elvish."

She smiled unconsciously before glancing back at Zelena. "She tried. I wasn't exactly a good student.

"You were a terrible student," Regina replied.

Emma's phone rang so she pulled it from her back pocket. She wasn't sure why she sighed in annoyance when she saw it was Killian. "Hello?"

"Emma! You said you'd be home an hour ago, where are you?"

"Oh, hey, Killian."

Zelena continued moving books around, but kept her ears open. Regina sighed out and paced around the room, also listening.

"Sorry," She lifted her free hand to her brow. "Listen, I'm in the middle of something, okay? I'll check in later."

"Swan. What is it? What's got you so distracted?"

Emma hesitated, and looked over to see Zelena seemingly ignoring her. She tried to remember that Regina was lurking somewhere around too. "I'mmmm...with Zelena. At Regina's vault."

"What on Earth are doing there? And with that Witch?"

"Killian!" Emma scolded quietly. "She just lost her sister."

"Of course, love," he forced out. Emma could tell he was just pacifying her. "Still. I thought you were going to work today, not to a magical rummage sale at Regina's."

Emma was shocked, and couldn't help but let her voice raise. "Excuse me! That's not what we're doing!"

Zelena raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips, continuing to flip through books with her back to Emma. Regina had no reason to feign disinterest. Instead she stood with her arms crossed watching. Her face was stone.

Emma hesitated, but knew she couldn't appease him with anything but the truth. "We...there's a strong possibility that Regina isn't dead."

There was a pause and then a sharp scoff.

Emma closed her eyes and licked her lips. Here we go.

"Emma. Come on," he said disapprovingly.

Emma perked up, eager to reveal the evidence. "No, listen, I-"

"No. No, Emma I won't listen. This desperation isn't very becoming," he scolded.

"No, for real, I-"

"I know you miss her for reasons beyond my comprehension, but this isn't healthy for you or Henry."

"No, you don't understand-"

Regina had taken a step closer, as if her proximity could somehow give Emma strength to stand up to whatever berating she was receiving.

"I understand perfectly, you don't want to accept she's gone, so you're reaching far and wide to come up with an explanation."

"There is an explanation, if you would just-"

"Now you've involved the Green Goblin who is simply preying on your delirium to somehow repay you for the past. Don't you see what's happening?"

Emma had stopped trying to interrupt. She put her hand on her hip and pursed her lips. She waited for him to finally stop talking. "Once again you aren't listening to me."

Zelena glanced at the savior who had her back to her, at the farthest part of the vault as she could get. Not that it mattered, she could still hear everything. And she wasn't the only one. "Listen up, Sis," she said under her breath. "The beginning of the end. There's still a chance. Hang in there."

Regina heard her but didn't process what she said or focus on it. She was too busy listening to the argument.

"Look, I know you need time to grieve, and I'll allow you to do so."

Emma raised her eyebrow. "You'll allow me to?"

"But we're married now, Emma, you have certain obligations."

Emma's voice was at full octave now. "Obligations?!" She heard him scoff, but she had had enough. "Is that what marriage is to you? An obligation? I need to do what you say because I'm obliged to?"

Regina wanted to slap that pirate into next week. She couldn't hear his end of the conversation, but judging by Emma's reactions, she could take a guess. That man did not deserve her. Regina's heart beat fast, hoping that this was finally the moment Emma realized it.

Realization hit Emma like a ton of bricks. That's exactly what marriage was to him. Obligation. She remembered the kind of place he was from, the kind of man he had been for centuries. She was foolish to think he had truly changed so dramatically in such a short period of time. As far as he was concerned, wives were meant to serve their husbands, be seen and not heard, have dinner on the table, and pleasure him whenever he desired. Whether he loved her or not, these were things he clearly expected and Emma absolutely was not okay with.

"Of course," she sounded defeated, yet relieved at the same time.

Regina purposely kept quiet. She had many opinions to voice on the matter, but she didn't want to chance her words and thoughts coming out of Emma's mouth. This had to be her decision and her's alone.

"That's exactly what marriage is to you. How could I have been so stupid?" She sighed and shook her head as she stumbled over to a chair and sat down, putting her head in her free palm.

"Emma-"

"No. I see it now! In the world you come from, marriage is about obligation. You buy and sell women. In my world, marriage is about partnership. And we not only love but respect one another. I don't see that happening here," Emma said firmly. As the reality of the situation sunk in, she ground her teeth together and was overwhelmed with feelings. Guilt, grief, anger, sadness, relief, freedom. They were all so confusing, she knew she needed time to process.

"Emma, come on, you know that's not true. Please, just, let me explain-"

"Not now, Killian. I have work to do. We'll talk more about this later," she said sadly. "Goodbye." She hung up the phone and dropped her hands into her lap. She took a deep, cleansing breath. She looked up to see Zelena watching her in silence. For once, the woman's presence didn't seem sinister or tense.

"Are you alright?" is all Zelena said. It was sincere.

Emma just looked at her for a moment before standing up. "I will be."

Zelena sighed. "I'm sure you'll work it out."

Emma started looking again through the books. "No," she said emotionless, "I mean I'll be alright when we figure out how to bring Regina back."

Regina had a strange feeling forming in her chest. It was light. Breathless. It made her knees weak. What was it? It was pride mixed with joy and a little bit of fear. If she didn't know any better, she would have said it felt like...butterflies.

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It only took about another ten minutes for Zelena to find the book she was looking for. Emma had to take Zelena's word for it because of course she couldn't read the contents. Zelena hurried about the vault looking for the final ingredient needed to power the spell. Emma's and Regina's hearts soared when she found it.

"Bingo! Minotaur dung!"

Emma scrunched up her face. "Ew. Seriously?"

Zelena looked at her and shrugged. "We have all the ingredients. Now all we need is that magical horsefly and we're good to go."

"Great," Emma sighed out.

"Time to bring the hero squad in on the plan now," Zelena said.

Emma shook her head. "No! What if it doesn't work?"

"The only way it will work is if they are here," Zelena told her.

"What? You didn't mention that before."

"I'm mentioning it now. One of the ingredients to bring Regina back to the land of the living is an affection elixir," Zelena blinked.

"What?" Emma and Regina said in unison.

"Mhmmm," was all Zelena said.

"There's no such elixir," Regina said suspiciously.

"What the hell is an affection elixir?" Emma asked, lip curled.

"Well, it's made from good feelings. Love, admiration, respect, all those things. And in this case..uh...due to the...specificity of the affliction...we need all the people who care for and...love Regina to help us make it."

"That's ridiculous," Regina said.

"Um, okay, sounds a little hokey, but you're the expert," Emma said.

"Right. Now, rather than move all these ingredients, it seems best to just bring everyone here. And of course we'll need Regina's body," Zelena quickly tried to change the subject.

"Alright then. I'll go gather everyone and...Regina...while you start setting up for whatever craziness you've got there."

Zelena smiled uncharacteristically wide. "Right. Cheerio!"

Emma shot her a strange look before turning to head up the stairs.

Regina knew she was about to be pulled away, so quickly walked up to Zelena. She peered down to see what book Zelena had claimed to find this mysterious spell in. It was a basic book of magic. Full of novice spells. There was no such 'affection elixir'. "What the hell are you up to, Zelena?"

As if on cue, Zelena sighed and shook her head slowly. "Just go with it, Regina. Just go with it. Trust me."

Before Regina could respond she was pulled up and out of the vault.