Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Disney, ABC, Once Upon a Time, or the cast/characters of.
Special thanks to Sailor Sayuri for my very first SQ fic review! Some have wondered why Henry already has his memories back even though, in this story, Zelena is still around. Well… I would say something to the effect of "you'll find out soon enough," but, really, it just fit in better with where I plan to take the story. Also- I am in the market for a beta reader. If you know someone or if you would like to help out, just give me a shout!
J Thanks for reading!
Chapter 2: Wicked Ways
At the diner, Henry keeps sneaking glances at Robin and Roland, who are sitting behind them in the corner booth, smiling and talking over their meal.
"We could go over, say hi, if you want," David offers, following the youngster's eyes.
"What? Oh. No, that's really okay."
"Something bothering you, kid?"
Henry shrugs a bit and continues to work on his ice cream. After a few moments of silence, he finally answers. "I just wonder if everything is going to change with us now, you know? Me, mom, and Emma?"
David takes a deep breath, thinking about exactly what to say to him. "Well, honestly, it probably will if things work out between your Mom and Robin, but it could only make things better, right? Hey, at least you can have a little brother," he adds, trying to make light of the situation. He notices Henry doesn't seem to warm to the idea at all.
"It's just when things were getting sorta okay with my family, this happens," he motions towards Robin, who, unbeknownst to Henry, has made his way up behind him.
"Hello there, young Henry," he smiles before taking the seat beside him.
He turns slowly, figuring he must have overheard him. Over Henry's head, David smiles apologetically.
"I get the nagging suspicion you and I may need to have a talk. A man-to-man, no?" Robin grins, throwing a wink towards David, before turning his attention back to Henry.
Roland squeezes in between the two of them, prompting his father to ruffle his hair and pull him up into his lap. Henry turns his focuses intently on his ice cream, really wishing he could just disappear right now.
"Nope. We're good. I'm fine." He waits a few seconds in silence, then slides off the back of the seat. His eyes search the diner frantically before, thankfully, landing on a familiar figure outside. "I'll be out talking to Archie," he calls to David as he wraps his coat and scarf around himself.
The two men watch him go, the bell ringing loudly as the door swings open and then shut. Robin sighs and plops Roland down on the now-empty seat. He happily takes over where Henry left off on the sticky treat in front of him.
"I apologize, your majesty. I meant nothing malicious by my words."
"I know that. No worries, huh? I'm sure he'll come around eventually. And here, I'm just David."
Robin nods. "David."
"Well, I suppose I better go check on my grandson." He places a bill down on the counter and gestures towards Robin and Roland before walking out of the diner to catch up with Henry.
"David's right, you know? About Henry. I'm sure he'll get used to the idea sooner than later," Ruby grins, cleaning up after the two guys. "Regina was all he had for the longest time, and then Emma came. He sort of felt everything was, I don't know, complete? Plus, he's really protective of his mom, much like Emma."
Robin's jaw sets. He's apparently not the only one who has noticed the young, pretty sheriff's seemingly-misplaced loyalty to Regina.
"Yes, it would appear that she's quite the prize in this realm."
Ruby eyes him suspiciously, but then shrugs it off. "Yeah, no. It's not like she's the Evil Queen or anything," she laughs, turning back to her waitressing duties.
Robin puts his own money down on the counter and picks Roland up. "We've got work to do, my boy."
_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._
"You're not focusing, Miss Swan!"
"Shh! I'm trying. If you'd stop treating me like a child I might be—"
They both stop what they are doing and look up when they hear faint rumbling over-head.
"Shit. Did I do that?" Emma asks, backing away from the wall and putting her hands up as if to claim innocence.
"Well, it certainly wasn't me." Regina eyes the tomb's ceiling wearily. "It sounded pretty distant, though. It's probably nothing."
Emma nods in agreement before turning her attention back to the task at hand. "Am I ever going to get the hang of this? Don't you think this seems like a pretty big step. I haven't even been doing magic that long and I—"
"Miss Swan! Enough. If you doubt yourself, you are never going to accomplish anything. And no, telekinesis is one of the less difficult aspects of magic to conquer."
"Greeeeat," she drags, "that makes me feel better."
"I wasn't trying to make you 'feel better'. I was trying to motivate you to try harder. I've seen what your magic can do. And this? Well, it is nothing compared to that."
"Was that a compliment?"
"No. It was merely an observation."
Emma rolls her eyes. "So what now?"
"We keep going."
Emma nods and follows Regina's lead once again, outstretching her hands towards the wall and closing her eyes.
"You don't have to actually touch the wall. I just want you to get a feel for what you are trying to do."
"Which is?"
Regina sighs and puts her hands down in frustration. "Making this wall move with your mind, Miss Swan. Or whatever it is you have in that pretty little blonde head of yours," she shoots back, sarcastically.
"You think I'm pretty?"
"No. Can we please continue?"
"Okay, got it. I'm moving the wall. To where? And why?" She drops her hands in defeat. "And is there even anything behind it? I mean—"
She stops rambling when she feels Regina's body pressed into the back of hers. Her breath catches in her throat and she prays to the gods that the brunette didn't pick up on it. She involuntarily shivers when Regina begins talking mere inches from her ear.
"Focus."
Really fucking hard to do with your entire perfect body against me.
"Visualize. Be patient. Relax," Regina whispers.
Nope. No. Not happening. Not like this.
"No offense, Regina, but I think I can handle this without the weird pep talk, okay?" She steps away from her and suddenly misses the contact.
She takes a deep, steadying breath before attempting to focus all she has on the wall.
"Couldn't we have started with, I don't know, a pebble or something?"
Regina rolls her eyes, getting angry. "NOW!"
Emma jumps, and when she does, the tomb begins to shake, dust and rocks falling rapidly from the ceiling.
"Christ! Come on!" Emma grabs Regina's wrist and begins to pull her towards the stairs. Forever in heels, Regina trips and falls, pulling Emma down with her.
"Always in those fucking shoes!" Emma yells, standing to brush the dirt off of her palms.
The rumbling from the gut of the tomb grows louder. She reaches down to pull Regina up, but stops when she notices the face she is making. She looks to be in tons of pain. And she certainly isn't making much effort in the way of getting up on her own.
Emma mumbles something that sounds an awful like "not again" under her breath, then bends down, scooping Regina up into her arms, quite easily. Regina looks at her, brown eyes widened.
How?
"Weight-training," Emma offers, as if reading her mind.
Once on ground level, Regina flicks her wrist and the shaking stops. Emma puts her down gingerly onto one of the stone benches against the wall, careful not to hit her ankle.
"Really?! You couldn't have just done that while we were down there, you know, about to be crushed to death?"
Regina shoots her a hateful look. "Considering I was jerked around, thrown to the ground, then lugged out by a brute, no, I don't suppose I had an opportunity to do so."
Before Emma can develop a comeback, her phone begins to ring.
"David."
Regina's lip curls, unable to hide her disdain for the man in her current state of discomfort.
"Yeah?"
"Emma. I need you to get to the square as fast as you can. It's Zelena. She's back."
"I'm on my way! Get Henry somewhere safe!"
She hangs up the phone and looks towards Regina, who now has fear written all across her face.
"Zelena."
Emma nods. "I'll be right back, okay?"
"What? I am not staying here! My son is in danger and I am the only one who can go up against my sister."
"No!"
"Excuse me?!"
"Regina, for fuck's sake. We don't have time to bicker right now. You're hurt and you can barely move. You're not going! I can handle this. Trust me."
She bends down and reaches into Regina's coat pocket, looking for the small bag containing the protection stone.
Regina, always being able to one-up her, takes the opportunity to grab her wrist. "Not without me."
The desperation in her eyes almost kills Emma.
"Fine." She pulls the brunette up and hooks her arm around her neck, walking her swiftly to the car. "But you're staying in the car."
It's only a matter of minutes before they're screeching to a halt where everything is going down. Emma, without thinking, jumps out of the car and heads towards the crowd that has gathered to watch the occurrence. She spots David who has Henry behind him protectively and his sword drawn.
Damnit! The stone!
Her eyes flash back towards the car before they land on Zelena, who is making her way across the road towards Henry and David. Needing to act fast, Emma begins in her direction to cut her off.
"Hey!"
The green face flicks around, eyes lighting up when she sees the confident blonde strutting closer to her.
"Ah, yes. The savior. You finally made it. I've been waiting for you."
Noticing Zelena heading for Emma, Regina opens the car door and does her best to get out. Once she manages to stand, she leans against the car, her eyes desperately searching for Henry. She clutches the small stone in her pocket.
"For me?" Emma can't hide the shock in her voice and the confused expression she's sure has betrayed her cool demeanor.
"Of course, for you. Although I should be thanking you for breaking this inferior little curse my evil sister put upon all these…" she stops and looks around in apparent disgust "…interesting people."
"Cut the crap, greenie. What do you want with me?"
Zelena scoffs. "Hasty, aren't we? You'll find out soon enough exactly what it is I want from you. As for the rest of you…"
The crowd gasps in horror as she waves her hand around, peering at them.
"You'll get what's coming to you as well. But first, I—"
"Enough, Zelena!"
Emma looks around upon hearing Regina's voice. The crowd parts and she hobbles through, a flame glowing in her hand. "That is… quite enough."
"Regina, you're hurt. You shouldn't—"
Emma takes a step towards her, but Zelena simply flicks her out of the way, sending her crashing into a nearby hydrant. She feels the middle of her back crack against the hard object, her breath being knocked out of her body. She groans and tries to steady her vision, now foggy by the impact.
"Emma!" Henry runs over to her and kneels down; trying to make sure she's okay.
"Kid, you alright?"
He nods and shows Emma the tiny bag scrunched up in his hand. She smiles.
"She did it," she grunts, before almost blacking out from the pain in her back and head.
"Emma! You have to get up! She's going to hurt mom if you don't. You're the-"
"I'm the savior, yeah, yeah. Got it." She forces herself to sit up, with Henry's help. "I guess we can't let that happen, can we?"
He shakes his head, seriously. "No. You have to do something. Now!"
She somehow makes it to her feet and looks over the crowd, then up some more.
"What the—"
Her eyes flash back down to see Regina on the road, her hands raised in defense.
Zelena's cackle cracks in the air as she moves her hand, willing the car in the air to follow the motion.
"This? Is not good."
Regina tries her best to conjure up something, anything, to stop Zelena, but she can't. The pain coupled with her exertion throughout the morning has taken everything out of her. She lowers her hand and sighs. At least Henry has the stone and, as long as he does, he'll be okay. That's all that matters.
"Giving up so easily, sis?
"Isn't that what you wanted?"
"No, not exactly. But I'm no fool. I'll take what's being given to me. First, I'll break your body, then I'll break your precious heart," she says, sarcastically, as she uses her other hand to conjure up the glowing organ. She squeezes it tightly, causing Regina to twist in pain. She smirks, and then drops her left hand. With that, the car comes flying down from the air towards Regina's crumpled form.
She closes her eyes and prepares herself for imminent death.
A few seconds pass before she hears the crowd's collective intake of air.
"It's Emma!" Someone in the crowd yells out, motioning for people to look towards the sidewalk.
Regina's eyes fly open and make their way towards the blonde and her young companion. Emma's hands are out in front of her, shaking. She looks up and notices the car is inches from her head. She gulps and crawls away from it backwards.
With Regina out of harm's way (for the time being), Emma drops the car down to the ground slowly, and then rushes to the injured woman.
"Are you alright?"
Regina doesn't answer, but instead, looks up at Emma with something resembling fondness gracing her usually-rigid features. "You did it."
She smirks. "Yeah, of course I did."
"If your public display of affection is over, I'd like to get back to the task at hand," Zelena spits, moving towards the two women.
David jumps in between them and points his sword into Zelena's chest. She looks down, unimpressed, then laughs and tosses him to the side, much like she had done with his daughter just moments before.
"Now… to get what I came for, to take away your happy ending."
Regina looks over towards Henry. Although she knows he has the stone, she can't stop herself from being worried. "Run, Henry!"
As he takes off into a full sprint, he runs smack into Robin, who is making his way towards the scene with his bow. "Henry! Here, take Roland inside. You'll be safe there."
Henry grabs the young boy's hand and pulls him into the bed and breakfast, locking the door behind them, and running up towards the window to make sure his parents are okay.
Zelena stops in her tracks. "Henry?!" She giggles. "Oh. You actually thought I was—oh, dear no!"
She conjures up the Dark One's dagger and toys with it between her fingers. "The savior," she whispers.
Emma's eyes flash to Regina's before settling onto Gold, who is making his way towards her, his eyes dark and criminal.
She stands up and over Regina, protectively; ready to kill if she must.
"Don't fight it, dearie. You'll only make it worse for the both of us."
"You're not going to touch her, you hear me?!" Emma balls her hands into fists and prepares to pounce.
"It's not her I came for," he slithers, "it's you."
Within a flash, Emma is being pulled away, powerless, from Regina.
"Emma!"
"I told you all this time, my darling little sister, that I would destroy your happy ending."
Regina looks at her, confused. She jumps when she feels strong arms pull her to her feet. She turns to see Robin, holding her up. Her eyes immediately go back to Emma, who is being held and muffled by Gold. She sees the terrified look in her emerald eyes and struggles against Robin to be released, to help her.
Zelena scoffs, watching the demonstration. "Even without your heart, you're still a sucker."
"What do you want with Emma? My son is what I care about most. Let her go," she tries, knowing that there is nothing Zelena can do to hurt Henry.
"Your son? You thought I wanted that brat? No, love. I prefer the one who might prove useful to me some day. Light magic, is, after all, the one thing that can break you." She laughs. "Perhaps it is her heart I will claim next and have her finish you off for me. Oh, the sweet irony!"
Regina grits her teeth, a million emotions coursing through her pulsing veins.
Zelena motions for Gold to begin taking Emma away and turns back to Regina one last time, inching closer and closer to her as she speaks. "No, sis. I want to make sure you have no chance at happiness. I will rip your future… your savior… away from you right before your eyes."
She stops mere inches away from her face and whispers wickedly, "I will ruin her."
With a flourish of a green hand, the three of them disappear.