A/N: Hello my dear readers! Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in posting this chapter. I can offer no excuse. I have merely been caught up in the tornado of the holiday season. I hope this longish update will make up for that.

So, after the difficult few days Swen has seen, I decided to post something to brighten our lives. My new favorite hashtag on social media is #SwanQueenBelongsToSwen and so it does. Chin up my loves.

I am sorry to say this will be the last update for another couple of weeks as I finish work on my story for the Swan Queen Big Bang. Please keep an eye out for that. I hope you like it. But a brief hiatus from PoY does not mean it is over by a long shot. We will see this to the conclusion.

Many thanks for Jenn for reading, responding, cheerleading and basically being awesome. You're my favorite.

"Emma?"

Regina Mills stood in her study, feet frozen to the floor. One hand grasped the top of her gray silk robe, holding it tightly closed about her. She couldn't will herself to move. She was in shock.

Moments ago she had been talking to Emma and then… Had she really just seen the other woman disappear into thin air? She had amnesia which could have been brought about by a head trauma. Perhaps she was hallucinating.

But her phone… it's laying right there where she dropped it.

Finally freed from her suspended state, the brunette picked up Emma's phone and pressed the home button. The screen came to life with the photo she had seen only yesterday. She and Emma and Henry smiled out at her from the device. On impulse, Regina swiped her finger right and redialed the last number. A picture appeared of Emma and a blonde man, both wearing gun holsters and badges, smiling and posing like Charlie's Angels. The words "calling Dad…" lit up across the top of the screen.

Dad? But he's so young?

"Emma? Where are you? I'm on my way to the docks now. Are you coming straight there or—"

"This isn't Emma. This is Regina." The woman tried to steady her voice but it was shaking just as her body was. "Emma…. Emma was… I'm so confused. She just…"

"Regina?! Regina. This is David. Where is Emma? Let me speak to her." David's voice filled her mind and made her focus.

"She… she isn't here. She was talking to me and… I think I'm hallucinating. You did talk to her a moment ago, didn't you? Is this real? She was here and then… it sounds insane but—then she was just… gone. In a puff of smoke." Regina's voice was quiet and confused. How could she have disappeared?

"In a puff—ok. Regina. Just, it's ok. Just stay there. Is Henry awake? Uh…" David's mind was racing. Why had Emma risked using magic in front of her? "When you think you saw Emma disappear, what happened just before that?"

"I was telling her about my dream. And… she called… she… she called you. She was mad about the pirate and I said it couldn't be real—it can't be real. It was a dream! But I mentioned a nun and she was so angry. Oh my god. She was so upset and then… Am I going crazy? I know she was here talking to me and then…" Regina began to cry. The frightened sobs broke David's heart.

"Regina? Don't cry. It's ok. I think I know where she is. I will get her back to you. But until then, just stay put. I'm going to send Sn… a friend, Mary Margaret there. She's your friend so please, let her in." David waited for a response but he only heard sniffling. "Regina? Are you listening? I need to go and find Emma. Stay there. Mary Margaret is coming. Okay?"

"O-okay." Regina struggled to answer. "I'll be here. But Emma…"

"You don't worry about Emma. I promise we will sort all this out. It's gonna be ok."

"Okay. Goodbye." Regina disconnected the call and perched on the edge of the sofa. Her mind was racing to match the pounding of her heart. It was then she noticed a tingling sensation in her fingers. She looked down at her hands, searching for the source of the feeling. The faintest purple light seemed to be shining from the pads of her fingers.

She balled her hands into fists. She was frightened. If all this was a dream, she wanted to wake up. Even if she ran away, where would she go? She didn't know where she was and she couldn't leave the boy here if this place wasn't safe.

Henry.

"Henry…" Regina tapped on the boy's bedroom door and pushed it open. He was sprawled across his bed, sleeping soundly. She walked to the edge of the bed, now tucking her glowing fingers under her arms. She was afraid to touch him with the purple light.

"Henry? Please wake up." She nudged the mattress with her knee and shook the boy gently.

After a few nudges, the boy sat up rubbing his eyes. "Wha… what's wrong? Mom? What's going on?"

"Henry, I…" Regina started crying again in earnest. "I'm sorry to wake you but your mother… she just…"

Henry was fully awake now and threw his feet to the floor. "Mom? What's wrong? Is something wrong with Ma?" The young man stood then and placed a hand on Regina's shoulder.

"No… maybe… I don't know. We were talking and there was this smoke and she just… disappeared. And now, my hands—" She held up her fingers for him to see. "What's happening to me? Do you see it? Am I hallucinating?"

Henry saw the purple glow around not just her fingers, but her hands now. Her eyes held a faint hint of the shade as well. Magic was boiling up in her.

Magic is emotion.

"Mom, listen to me. Everything is going to be ok. But you need to calm down. Just relax. I am sure we can figure all this out. You said Ma… disappeared? I need to call someone—"

"I called your grandfather. I think. David. He is sending someone named… Mary. Why is everyone so calm about all this? I'm freaking out? What's going on?" Henry pulled the near hysterical woman into a hug. He held his mother tight and patted her back gently.

"I know this all seems crazy right now, but I promise you… it's all going to make sense. But right now, you really need to calm down. Deep breaths. Just relax and let's go down and wait for Mary Margaret, ok?" Henry's deepening voice was soothing. Regina didn't remember raising this young man, but she felt a tender connection to him as he comforted her. He loved her and he wouldn't let anything happen to her. She could sense it.

"Ok. I will try to calm down but… Henry, she just—how? How did she do that?"

Again, Henry shushed his mother and patted her back. She laid her head against her son's shoulder and tried to take a calming breath. "Calm down. Just take a deep breath. I think Mary Margaret is here."

It was then Regina heard the frantic knocking on the front door.

~ (SQ) ~

As the smoke cleared, a very angry Emma materialized in the middle of the street. She wasn't where she had intended to be. In her anger, she had lost control and transported herself several blocks from the convent. No matter. She would walk the rest of the way.

The blonde's mind was racing. Why? Why would Blue do this? Did Hook force her? Could she retrieve Regina's memories? Emma walked on in the darkness, wrestling the darkness within her.

Her reasonable, rational mind told her that storming into the convent full of magical fairies and accusing one of Storybrooke's most trusted citizens of helping the pirate kidnap Regina was not a good plan. Sure, Emma was the Savior and had her light and dark magic… but Blue had magic too. And suddenly the blonde realized she had no idea just how powerful the woman was.

But there was another side to Emma. A less reasonable and rational side. And that side was currently winning the battle. That darker side wanted to break down the convent door and throttle the Mother Superior. To hell with all their magic. She had been complicit in the kidnap of the queen and had used magic against Henry. She needed to be punished. She had to be punished.

Emma began to jog. She couldn't allow this to go unpunished. She had to—

Emma stopped. What was she doing? She had just poofed in front of Regina. The woman must be terrified. And barging in on Blue wasn't going to end well. She needed the magic blocking cuff. But why was she feeling so out of control all of a sudden? Even when Hook had attacked her, she hadn't thought to use her magic despite her emotional state until after David had come.

Emma felt a strange tingling in her hands. She looked down to see a faint white light on her finger tips. Why? What was going on? She felt untethered, adrift and it frightened her. She shouldn't have gotten so angry. She needed a plan. She needed to protect Regina.

Emma could see the Sisters of Mercy house ahead of her. She could be there in a matter of moments. But no. She needed to go to Regina. She needed to talk to her father. She needed—

"Emma! Emma, wait!" David's voice cut through her thoughts.

"Dad? What are you doing here? Did you pick up Killian already?" Emma turned to her father who was sitting in his police cruiser, calling through the open window.

"No. But I did get a call from Regina. She's a basket-case. Why did you use magic in front of her? She sounded so upset. I sent your mother over to check on her." There was no patented David Nolan grin tonight. His eyes were full of concern. "Get in."

Emma faltered only a moment before jogging around to the passenger side and getting in the vehicle. The interior was warm and she realized only then how cool the night air had been. Her father turned the cruiser around and headed back toward the center of town and ultimately to Mifflin Street.

"Well? What happened?"

"I honestly don't know. I got so angry when Regina told me that she dreamed of a pirate carrying her down the stairs. I know Killian took her. But then she…Dad, I don't know how to tell you this, but she saw a nun. I think Blue is helping him." The certainty in her voice let David know not to argue despite his trust in the fairy.

"So, you felt this anger and then what?"

"I just poofed. I haven't used magic to travel in years. It makes me nauseous every time. But I did it. And I was so upset I missed my mark. I was aiming for Blue's room. I landed several blocks away." Emma rubbed her temples. Her head was pounding. She tried to calm herself, to get her emotions under control.

David said nothing as they drove for a long moment. "We need a plan. I can pick Hook up tonight, sure. But we need the cuff if we are going to take on Blue. And Emma, are you… are you sure she's involved?"

"Oh for fuck's sake! I have been telling you all along I don't trust her. Do you think I'd be out here in the middle of the night if I didn't feel pretty confident she was in on this?" Emma looked at her dad in disbelief. "Look, Killian could physically kidnap Regina and transport her, fine. But he would be no match for her with her magic. She'd have incinerated him where he stood. We know he used magic… blue powder, Dad. BLUE! God, I feel like an idiot for not realizing it sooner."

David considered his daughters words as he turned onto Mifflin. He had always trusted Blue. Always. But it was true she had lied to him and to Snow about the wardrobe carrying only one. And according to Regina, Blue nor any other of the fairies had ever tried to help her or answered her calls for deliverance. Wasn't that their job? Why would they ignore Regina?

David stopped the car a block from the mansion and turned to his daughter. "Emma, I am not saying Blue isn't involved. Anything is possible. But I am saying we need to be sure before we accuse her of—"

"Well, you weren't so generous when it came to accusing Regina of killing Archie? Now you want to be sure." Emma felt her magic again and took another breath. Why was she losing control?

"It's because we were so wrong about Regina that I want us to be sure this time. Remember your mother was wrongly judged when Kathryn was missing as well. I don't want to put anyone else through that if we can help it. And we can. Blue isn't going anywhere. Let's form a plan and talk to Gold before we make our move." David placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder and squeezed. "But right now, I think we have a more pressing issue."

"Regina."

"Yes, Regina. She was crying and thought she was hallucinating when she called me. What are we going to tell her about what she saw? I guess we could blame it on her supposed head trauma—"

"No. I don't want to lie to her. I've managed not to lie yet and I don't want to. I guess… I guess we will have to tell her the truth. Some of it, anyway." Emma rubbed her own shoulders trying to relieve herself of the tension building there. "God! What was I thinking?!"

David raised his eyebrows at her as if to echo her question.

"I wasn't thinking, Dad. I just wanted to kill them for hurting her. I just reacted… but now, this is bad."

"Well, it doesn't have to be. Maybe she will believe you. Didn't Henry say she was dreaming things? Maybe she has dreamed of magic and will believe you. Or, maybe you can do some magic and then she will have to believe you." David put the car back in drive and headed the final block to the large white house on the left. "But, no matter what happens, she's here and I believe true love will win."

"True love? Dad. There's no evidence that—"

"Evidence?" David laughed loud and genuine. "Oh, Emma. You have so much knowledge about so many things but true love is something I know all about. And your mother and I think you have it with Regina. But even if you don't… love always wins."

The cruiser stopped in front of 108 Mifflin and the pair got out and headed toward the house. This wasn't going to be easy. But it had to be done.

~ (SQ) ~

Henry pulled open the front door to find his grandmother there. Neal was draped over her shoulder in his footie pajamas, sleeping soundly. The pixie haired woman smiled at her grandson and then her eyes searched out Regina's. The former queen was standing nervously behind her son, peering at the woman on her doorstep.

"Regina, hello. David sent me. I'm Mary Margaret and I am… well, I'm your friend. May I come in?" Snow didn't want to do anything to upset the woman more than she already was.

"Sure. I guess. Come in." Regina smiled and wondered how she knew this woman. She was pretty and her eyes seemed to project hope and caring as she stepped inside.

"Hello Henry." Snow smiled at her grandson. The boy was disheveled, fresh out of bed, and he smiled weakly at her. He tried to convey with his eyes that things were worse than she might realize. He only hoped she could read his face.

"Hey. Want me to take Neal?"

"No, I think if it is alright with Regina, I will just take him in the living room and lay him down. Then we can all go to the study and talk. Would that be ok, Regina?" Snow smiled at her again, disarming and affectionate.

"I guess so. Is Neal… is he your son? I'm sorry I made you bring him out in the night air." Regina frowned thinking of the little boy pulled from his warm bed. His blonde hair was sticking out from under a blanket Mary Margaret had thrown over him.

"Yes, Neal is my son. But don't apologize. I care about you and he is a hard sleeper. He won't even know we went out. Don't worry." Mary Margaret moved up the steps and into the living room. She placed her son carefully down and covered him. She took a cushion from one end of the sofa and laid it on the floor beside her boy in case he rolled over and fell from the couch.

Regina watched as the other woman settled the boy down. She moved as if she had been in this home many times. Regina was glad to meet someone other than Emma and Henry who could again confirm she was indeed Regina Mills, Mayor of Storybrooke. This woman looked like someone she could trust.

Henry stood by his mother and kept a careful watch on her glowing hands but she didn't seem to notice. Soon, the three of them made their way to the study and each took a seat. No one seemed to know what to say but Regina hadn't lost her manners with her memories and tried to be a good hostess even in the middle of the night.

"Mary Margaret, would you care for something to drink? Or I could make us a snack if you are hungry."

"No, Regina. I don't need a snack, but a glass of water would be good." Snow wasn't really thirsty but she felt that letting Regina lead was a good idea. The other woman needed to feel comfortable with her.

Regina made to stand but Henry's hand on her arm stopped her. "You stay here, Mom. I'll get her some water. Do you want a drink too?"

"Yes. Thank you, Henry."

With Henry gone, the two women sat in silence. Neither knew what to say. Regina was sitting on her hands now, trying to ignore or hide the faint purple hue. She was scared. She was confused. And now she was sitting in her den entertaining a stranger. Her heart raced with the stress of it all.

The mantle clock ticked by the seconds and the women kept busy looking around the room. Occasionally making eye contact, they would smile and look away again. The only other sound was the rumblings of Henry in the kitchen filling glasses with ice and pouring water. The silence was unexpectedly broken by a tiny voice at the door.

"Mama? Where are you?" Neal was shuffling into the room.

"I'm right here, sweetheart. Did we wake you up?" Snow stood and stepped toward the door as Neal came into view, rubbing his eyes with his fists.

"Mama, why are we at Wagina's house? Where's Emma and Henwy?" The boy was reaching for his mother when he saw Regina eyeing him curiously from the small sofa. His face lit up like Christmas morning and he wiggled free of his mother's grasp and ran toward the other brunette.

Before she knew what to expect, the small boy plowed into Regina and tried to get his small arms around her. The woman leaned forward and scooped the boy up as if it were the most natural thing in the world and hugged him tight.

"Wa-gina! Where have you been? Why you haven't been to see me?" Neal had one pudgy hand on each of her cheeks and was giving her a very serious and scolding look.

Regina looked to Mary Margaret for help and back to the green eyed little boy. "Well, I have been away. I was in Boston. I'm sorry I didn't come see you."

"Boston? Where's dat?"

"Um… well, it is a city that is—"

"A city? Do they have tall buildings?"

"Well, yes. They do have quite a few tall buildings."

"I like tall buildings. I saw in a book at da liberry—" He frowned and looked at his mother.

"Library." Snow smiled at her boy.

"Yep. At da library. Did you bring me a surprise?" Neal patted Regina's cheeks then. No one seemed to notice that Henry had returned.

"No. I'm sorry. I didn't. Do I usually bring you presents?" Regina couldn't explain the warm feeling she had for this small boy in her lap. Despite her emotional and frightening night so far, she was feeling calm with this child in her arms.

"Uh huh. And cookies. I never did got a cookie in a million days." Neal's bottom lip jutted out so far at this revelation that Regina couldn't stop herself from chuckling. He was adorable with a pout. And she noticed for the first time that he looked a lot like Emma.

"Neal, it hasn't been a million days. I'm sorry, Regina. He's crazy about you and he has been missing you while you were… away. I'll take him if he's bothering you." Mary Margaret reached for her son.

"No. He's not bothering me." She smiled at the boy. "So you like cookies?"

"Yep. And you always gots da best ones, Gina. You keep 'em in your desk for me." He leaned close and loudly whispered those last words like a state secret.

Regina looked from Henry to Snow for some explanation.

"You keep a container of cookies in the bottom drawer of your desk at Town Hall. You bake them yourself—from scratch—for Neal and Henry and of course, for Emma. They all have a sweet tooth." Snow smiled at her and remembered how often Neal had rummaged through Regina's desk for a treat.

Henry stood and scooped his uncle up into his arms. "I think we have some in the pantry. Let's go check it out." Henry disappeared with the giggling boy, leaving the two women alone again.

"Seems like we must be pretty close friends." Regina felt the weight of worry settle back over her since the boys were gone.

"Well, actually I'd say we are more like family, Regina. We've known each other a very long time. Since I was a little girl." Mary Margaret folded her hands in her lap and watched her companion carefully.

"Oh. Then you must know me pretty well."

"Sometimes I think so. You are a complicated woman."

"Well, am I the sort of person who would…" Regina hesitated. She wasn't sure yet she could trust the younger woman. "Would I be someone who would hallucinate?"

"Hallucinate? What do you mean?"

"Well, I was talking to Emma and she just… disappeared. In a pillar of smoke. That counts as a hallucination right? Because there is no way that is real." Regina worried her bottom lip and glanced quickly at Snow, looking for judgment in her eyes. She found none.

"So she disappeared? Well, why don't we think of all the reasons you may have seen this. What could it be?"

"Um… I have amnesia so perhaps I have suffered some brain trauma. That could produce a hallucination."

Mary Margaret nodded her agreement. "True. What else?"

Regina thought a moment. "Perhaps I have a brain tumor. That could account for both the memory loss and the hallucinations."

Mary Margaret nodded again. "Ok. Brain trauma, brain tumor. What else?"

"I could be drugged. This could be a dream. Or…" Regina stopped. The only other explanation was ludicrous.

"Or what?" Snow prodded her gently.

"Or she really did disappear in a puff of smoke… like magic. Which is impossible and insane."

Mary Margaret leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees and smiled at Regina sweetly. "Is it?"

Before Regina could respond, the sound of the front door opening intervened. Emma's voice called out. "Regina?"

The brunette felt a shudder at the sound and jumped to her feet, stepping away from the door and closer to the fireplace. Snow called to her daughter. "We are in the study. Henry and Neal are in the kitchen. Is David with you?"

Emma stepped into the study, hands shoved in her pockets and glanced warily at her mother and then to Regina who was watching her intensely. David stepped in behind her and then stepped around her, hugging Mary Margaret and kissing her forehead.

"I found her out near the convent but she hadn't gone in yet. Is Regina okay?" He whispered to his wife, aware that Regina and his daughter were still standing, staring at each other.

"I'm not sure. We really haven't talked much." Snow pulled out of David's embrace. "I think I will go see if Henry will take Neal up to his room. Maybe the boys can get some sleep. I'll be right back."

When Snow returned, Emma and David were sitting side by side on one sofa. Regina was still standing by the fireplace. No one was talking.

"I got the boys settled in Henry's room. Neal was almost asleep by the time I shut the door but I am sure Henry will try to stay awake. Such a curious boy." The brunette sat on the other sofa and smiled over her shoulder at Regina. She patted the spot next to her. "Regina, come sit. Let's all talk."

The brunette made her way around and sat by the other woman, across from Emma. The blonde couldn't help grinning to herself at the idea that of all people, Regina seemed to trust Snow White… the last person on earth she would have trusted just a year or two ago.

Snow went on. "Now, Regina… Henry tells me that your hands are glowing purple. Would you like to show us?"

Emma green eyes went wide. Was Regina's magic trying to surface. That could be bad for everyone since she didn't know how to handle it. Her resolve to be honest with the other woman was even stronger now. Regina deserved the truth… no matter how insane it would sound.

Regina looked at Snow in shock and shook her head. She had no intention of revealing her hands to them. They were still folded together and hidden from sight. She was afraid of how they might react and frankly, she was afraid of what might be causing it.

"Like this?" Emma held her hands out, palms up. The faint white light was still dancing along the surface of her skin.

Regina gasped. "What… what is that? Why is it happening?" She still did not hold out her hands.

"It's ok, Regina. Let us see your hands." David encouraged her to reach out.

Regina frowned, looking from person to person until finally her eyes settled on Emma's green ones. How was it possible that the blonde made her feel something with only a look? Even terrified of what was happening and sure that she was hallucinating or suffering some sort of mental breakdown, Regina looked into those curious green eyes and felt a tug in her chest, a longing and a need to trust the other woman.

"Show me." Emma smiled crookedly. "I promise it is ok."

"Ok." Regina extended her hands. The purple light was faint but pulsating now. Emma reached closer to the woman and the light colors began to swirl with a glowing red hue on Regina's finger tips and a golden hue on Emma's. Regina withdrew her hand, balling it into a fist. "Have we been exposed to some radioactive waste or something?"

Emma laughed. There was a bite of sarcasm in Regina's quip. She wasn't serious. She was being a smart ass to protect her true feelings. How Emma had missed that. "No, no toxic waste or gamma rays. Regina, I need you to listen to me, ok. And try to remain calm. It is extremely important that you remain calm."

Snow and David exchanged looks. "Emma, are you sure you want to—"

"Yes, Mom. She deserves to know the truth and I don't see how we can keep it from her at this point."

"But Emma, she's been through so much already. Maybe you should wait—"

"I think she is right Snow. If she's manifesting like this already… we can't afford for her to get upset and not know what to do. She could burn the town down over a temper tantrum."

"Yes, but… I don't think telling her now is wise. She—"

"She is sitting right here. Now one of you better tell me what the hell is going on. And why did you call this woman mom? She's barely the same age as you." Regina arched an eyebrow high. She was definitely acting more like herself. Emma was certain coming to Storybrooke had been the right thing to do.

Emma looked once more at her parents for support and then turned to Regina, easing to the edge of her seat and leaning forward with her elbows on her parted knees. She wished she could have a giant do-over but the die was cast. She had to keep going.

"Regina, I need you to remain calm and open minded. I know you and as soon as I tell you this, you are going to shut me down and stop listening. But please, don't. Just try to hear me out. Ok?"

Regina wrinkled her face a bit in contemplation. "Ok."

"Ok." Emma blew out a long breath to try to relax. "Ok. So, the thing is… um. Wow. I don't know where to start. Ok. So, the thing is…"

Regina raised her eyebrows at the other woman. She was growing impatient. "Miss Swan, perhaps you should begin by telling me how you disappeared in a column of smoke earlier tonight. Then you may explain the glowing of my skin and the apparent maternal bond you have with a woman your own age."

Snark. Emma could work with snark. "Let's not go back to me being 'Miss Swan'. Emma will work just fine. So, the smoke. You weren't hallucinating, Regina. I did disappear. And the smoke and the glowing light and the fact that my parents are my age are all related to one thing."

"And what's that? Am I in a mental hospital and this is all part of my lunacy?"

"No. Open mind, remember? You aren't crazy or in a hospital. You are sitting here on your very real sofa in your very real home with your very real family. And what I am about to tell you is also very real. I disappeared because I… I can…well… I can do magic."

"Magic?" Regina huffed.

"Yes. I can do magic—"

"Oh for Christ's sake. Do you really expect me to believe you are pulling some kind of Houdini illusion bullshit on me? No way, Miss Swan. You vanished into thin air. I am definitely having a psychotic break. You should call that Dr. Hopper fellow and see if I can see him tonight. Does he do house calls because from the looks of things, you all might need to see him too." Regina stood and stomped her way to the side bar. "I need a drink."

Emma stood and stepped toward her. "No, not that kind of magic, Regina. Please. I really don't think drinking is a good plan right now. You don't have as much control when you drink and—"

"I don't have control? What difference does that make? You aren't making any sense—"

"Regina, please. Just come sit down and let's talk this through. Ok?" Snow was standing by Regina now, easing the tumbler of cider from her hand.

The mayor huffed again and flopped back on the sofa like a petulant toddler being put into time out. "Very well. Do go on, Miss Swan."

"Emma." The blonde sat back down. "Call me Emma. The kind of magic I am talking about isn't like an illusion. Chris Angel isn't about to pop up and amaze you on the sidewalk. I'm talking about real magic."

Regina laughed now but felt uncomfortable when no one else did. "Ok. Ok. Real magic." She rolled her eyes and gestured with a glowing hand for Emma to go on.

"I possess magic and it allows me to do things like teleport or poof in a cloud of smoke. I can also… well, do this." Emma turned her hand with a flourish and produced an apple Danish from the coffee shop in Boston. Regina gasped. "Magic, is driven by emotion. And that is why your hands are glowing. So you—"

"My hands?! Do you mean to tell me that you think I have magic too?" Regina stood again and backed away from the trio on the twin sofas.

"Regina, try to stay calm. I know it sounds nuts. I thought so too when I first came here and Henry tried to tell me… but it is true. You have magic. In fact, you are one of the most powerful people in existence. But you have to stay calm until you can learn to control it because, like I said your emotions fuel it and—"

Regina continued backing away until she finally hit a wall. The Charming pair and Emma knew the queen well enough not to approach her or make her feel cornered. They purposely stayed back, giving her space.

"She's telling you the truth, Regina. You do have magic." Snow tried to soothe the woman as she would a child.

Regina looked down at her hands. They were shaking now along with the glowing. She balled up her fists and folded her arms over her chest. Looking up, her eyes met Emma's and she stared for a long moment. She wanted to trust her. She wanted to believe her. But this was just too much. No way was she a magical being.

"I think I need you all to leave." Her voice was steady and calm despite her fear.

The Charming trio exchanged looks and Snow and David stood and headed for the door. Snow smiled at Regina meekly and promised that things would be ok before disappearing from sight. Emma sat down again and watched Regina from her periphery as the sound of Snow and David leaving with a whining Neal quieted and finally disappeared into the night.

"I meant for you to go to."

"What?!" Emma looked up then, surprise evident in her face.

"I need to be alone to think about all this… whatever it is. I think you should leave." Regina stepped to the study door and pulled it open, dismissing Emma.

"Like hell I am. I know you are upset but there is no way I am going anywhere so deal with it." As if to physically convey her intent to stay, Emma put her feet up on the coffee table, crossing her legs and folding her hands behind her head.

"Really Miss Swan. I don't want to be rude—"

"Then don't be. And stop calling me Miss Swan. I know you can't remember it but I've seen you naked… in a variety of settings. Miss Swan seems a little formal after that." Emma didn't see the other woman flush red. "Now, come sit down and let me try to help you understand what is going on. The fact is, whether you want to believe me or not, you can do magic. And there are at least two people in this town right now who have already tried to hurt you and likely will again. We need to deal with that. So, please… please, come sit and let's talk about this."

Regina stood at the door, hesitating. She felt like sassing the woman, like resisting. But the thought that danger lurked outside the door weakened her resolve. She closed the door and made her way to the other sofa. "Ok… Emma. Let's talk. And take your feet off the coffee table."

Emma grinned. She could feel her Regina just below the surface. She was there, trying to get out. The blonde nodded and put her feet back on the floor. "Now, I know you think I'm crazy or you are… but we aren't. Let me prove it to you."

Regina looked skeptical but shrugged her ascent.

"Hold out your hand and close your eyes. Think of something, anything really, that can fit in your hand. Just think of it. Please."

Regina rolled her eyes but extended her hand none the less. "I don't see the purpose—"

"Regina. Stop talking and just concentrate. Think of something that I could never guess and imagine it in your hand. Think about how it feels, the shape, the color, the weight of it in your hand. Are you doing it?"

She wasn't. But she would, just to prove to Emma that this was all insane. She settled on something no one would ever guess. "Yes, I'm doing it. I don't know why I am, but I am."

"Good. Now think about it and will it to be in your hand. Just let yourself feel it there, see it there, and believe it is there. Concentrate."

"Emma, this is stupid. I cannot—"

"Yes. Yes, you can. Stop doubting. Just see it and will it to appear. Think of the materials it is made from, the colors, the texture and size. Feel the weight of it in your hand and will it into existence." Emma watched the brunette's face and actually saw the moment when she stopped patronizing and began genuinely trying to concentrate on something.

Regina imagined it clearly. It was a small hair comb. The edge was in the shape of a butterfly and covered in turquoise and silver. It was beautiful and simple in its elegance. No one would ever guess it, so if this was a trick, it wouldn't work. She had never actually seen this thing in person. She didn't know how much it weighed in her hand. But she would imagine it.

She had held it in her hand in her dream. While she lay crying on the floor of the dark closet, she had pulled it free from her hair and held it under the door, letting the silver and turquoise twinkle in the light. It had soothed her as she whimpered before drifting to sleep. She imagined the way it had felt in her dream, scraping her scalp as her dark hair fell across her face like a curtain. She imagined the shiny edges and bright blue of butterfly wings.

Mother didn't like it but Daddy had given it to her. It was a special gift for his special girl. Mother thought it was an inappropriate gift for a man to give his daughter. But it was her favorite. Because Daddy loved her and Daddy would never leave her. Mother was cruel but there was always Daddy. He wanted to take care of her. It wasn't his fault Mother was so powerful. It wasn't his fault she kept them both in fear of her tantrums and punishments. He wanted to protect her. Daddy wanted to—

"Regina?" Emma's voice pulled her from her thoughts.

"What? Are you ready to give up this foolishness, Emma?" Regina dutifully kept her eyes closed. "I am sorry. I'm not trying to be cruel. But this is just—"

"Open your eyes."

Regina opened her right eye and looked at Emma. She slowly opened her left eye and for the first time, she felt it. There in her hand, amidst the glowing, purple light, was the comb just as she had imagined it.

~ (SQ) ~

Outside the window, the sky had begun to pink with the first rays of dawn. They'd been up talking and trying magic all night. Once Regina had gotten over the initial shock of the comb in her hand, her natural curiosity had surged to the surface. If this was her knew reality, she wanted to know everything she could about it… right now.

"So, why are we like this? I mean… magical?" Regina pulled her feet up onto the sofa under her. Emma had seen her do this same thing so many times over the years on movie night. She was relaxed and the purple had all but disappeared from her fingers now.

Emma stretched and pulled her socked feet up on the couch as well, mirroring Regina. They were facing each other and Emma felt a familiar tug in her chest as sleepy brown eyes peered across the small distance at her. Doing simple magic together had opened a door for the repair of their severed connection in a way the blonde hadn't expected.

"Well, that may be a story for another day. It looks like the sun will be up soon and I think we both need to try to get some sleep. You will be less in control if you are tired and until we get you familiarized with your magic… well, I think it would be best for everyone if you don't lose control." Emma yawned and stretched again. There was a lot left to explain to the other woman.

Emma had avoided risky topics like where does the magic come from, why are we magical, what's up with your ageless parents, and a number of other topics regarding memory loss and fairy tale queens. Regina frowned at the denial but her eyes brightened at a new idea.

"Well then, at least let's try that thing again with our hands."

"What thing?" Emma wasn't being difficult. She really wasn't sure what the brunette meant.

"Earlier tonight, when both our hands were glowing. We held them close and they were changing color. I admit it frightened me but it was also very beautiful. Can we do that again?" There was something enchanting about brown eyes filled with hope and inquisitiveness. Emma wouldn't deny her anything with that light in her eyes.

"Ok. I guess we can. I mean, I don't know why it was doing that. I don't know why I was glowing or why the color change thing happened. That has never happened before." Emma shrugged.

Maybe it was dangerous. Maybe not. But they could try. She flipped off the lamp on the table. It was just dark enough so the faint light on both their hands could be seen. Regina's was still a swirl of purple, Emma's white.

Regina extended her hands toward the blonde and Emma copied her. The tips of their fingers were not touching, but close and the colors had already begun to change. Regina's again turned a vague sort of reddish pink and Emma's a golden color. The longer their fingers were there, the more the colors intensified.

Emma was no longer watching their hands. She had eyes only for Regina. She watched in the dim morning light as her love stared at the kaleidoscope between them, a childish glee in her smile. The savior hadn't allowed herself to really drink the other woman in like this since she'd found her. She'd watched her sleep and stolen glances, but this was different. Now she gazed with adoration and longing. She had missed Regina. She'd missed the sound of her voice, the taste of her kisses, the scent of her skin.

The former queen seemed unaware of Emma's eyes on her. She smiled and moved her fingers causing a ripple in the colored light. She glanced up to see if Emma had noticed and her brown eyes locked on green. She didn't need her memory to know what she saw in them. Desire. And the intensity made her breath catch.

Regina looked back to their hands, raising her open palms up in front of her facing Emma as if she was pushing against an invisible wall. She said nothing but motioned with her head for the blonde to do the same. Emma lifted her hands up and mirrored Regina's, palms forward and almost touching hers. The light between them now sparked and arced, sending a tingling sensation through both women.

Now brown eyes looked for green eyes with an intensity that hadn't been there before. There was something intimate about this light display that Regina felt reverberating through her body like an echoed voice in a starlit canyon. On impulse, she raised up on her knees on the sofa for a better angle to observe both Emma and their nearly touching magic-hands.

Emma's heart was pounding in her chest. She hadn't anticipated that this particular magical display would envelope them so completely. But when Regina rose to her knees, Emma felt a warmth radiating in her body and a magnetic pull to be closer to the other woman. Brown eyes bore into her, embers of autumn under a forgotten sky. The sheriff rose to her knees too.

The new positions of their bodies made it possible to feel the other woman's body heat. For the first time, Regina noticed Emma's fragrance and felt the corners of her mouth daring to twitch into a smile. She smelled of leather and vanilla, clean and warm. As if in a waking dream, the brunette remembered another scent of Emma that made her heart race. She was suddenly aware of both the creamy skin on the blonde's throat and the perfect pout of her bottom lip. And though she couldn't explain it, she had an overwhelming desire to lap her tongue against both places. A shiver ran through her at the thought.

Emma watched as brown eyes darkened and wondered at the beauty of dilated pupils and goose-pimpled skin. If Regina had possessed her memories and been really, truly her Regina, Emma would have known what those signs meant. But how could they now. She'd known her little more than a day. No way in hell Regina wanted her. And yet…

Emma watched a sharp pink tongue dart out and moisten plump lips. She felt it more than saw it really. How she wanted to claim those lips. She couldn't really name the last time she had felt such a need to taste the other woman, a hunger for her touch. It was foolish to entertain. Regina didn't know what was going on. But Emma couldn't deny the longing in brown eyes.

Regina had long forgotten the magic pulsating between their hands. She had stopped observing the ever changing colors that had now morphed into a specific shade of pinkish-lavender. She paid little mind to the way the colors had left off from existing only between their trembling hands and had now begun to drift in the air around them. She only knew that she wanted to put her hands on Emma. She only knew there was a feeling… something more than physical desire, more than carnal need, something warm and inviting. Regina pretended not to know what it was.

Naming it would make this weird. Acknowledging it would destroy the wonder and ease of wanting. But the truth was there just the same. It was love.

Emma made a decision as Regina inched near-imperceptibly closer to her. If Regina made a move, she wouldn't resist. She wasn't strong enough tonight to take the high road. She was certain the magic was singing them both a siren song of the heart, drawing them together as they had been before the mayor had disappeared. But that was a minor detail. What mattered right now was the ache between her legs, the tingling need on her lips to kiss and be kissed. No, if Regina took the first step, she would not say no.

Regina pressed their open hands together, intertwining their fingers. The sensation was intense and skin to skin contact only heightened her desire as it weakened her resolve. She barely knew this woman. Yes, they were lovers and partners in another life, but in her memory they had only just met. Was it the magic? Or was it just her body reacting from its own secret memories? It mattered little. She couldn't live without claiming the sweet honey she knew waited beyond soft, pink lips.

Her mind supplied helpful images of Emma's porcelain skin, flushed and covered in a sheen of sweat, arching and writhing beneath her. The phantom tang of salt and sex filled her mouth and burned a hot trail across her skin. The tender caresses of Emma's hands against her own conjured other pictures of caresses and teasing and soaring off the pinnacle of bliss together on soft, gray sheets.

Regina's eyes darted down to pink lips. She was going to do it. To hell with the consequences. She couldn't bring herself to care. No matter who she had been, this was who she was and this ivory goddess in front of her was all she could see.

"Emma…" she whispered as she inched the final space, her thighs pressing into the other woman's.

"Moms! Are you still up? Is everything ok?" Henry turned the handle on the heavy door to the study as the women pulled suddenly apart. "What's with the pink glow? The whole downstairs is sparkly."

Henry stepped into the room as the pink glow began to fade, replaced by the soft yellow light of morning. His mother's sat on opposite couches, avoiding each other's eyes and smiling at their son. He was wrinkled and his face bore a crease from his pillow. His hair was a mess. He looked perfect to them both.

"Good morning, Kid. How about I make you some breakfast?" Emma stood and made her way toward the kitchen, a confused Henry on her heels.

"Why do I get the feeling I have the worst timing in history?"

Emma smiled and reached for a pan. She felt a hand close over hers that she hadn't expected.

"Here," Regina's voice husked beside her. "Let me. I may not know who I am, but I am pretty sure I should be the one making the eggs."

Henry and Emma both laughed at that. "See. You'll have your memories back in no time."

And the three of them sat down to breakfast of eggs and toast and fruit as if nothing had changed, no time had passed and Regina filed away a brand new memory.

Breakfast with my… family.