Part 17

The Stand

Regina winced inwardly as her past came rearing its ugly head and tossing it at the woman she loved. She dared a quick glance in Emma's direction just in time to see the disapproving frown and the tears staining her eyes. Rage filed her even more and she threw her hated glare toward her mother. "Save it mother, I'm not in the mood for your mockery or your tired waste of effort at trying to get to me. It won't work." Her gaze grew hard and steely and her voice was cold as ice.

Grinning her all knowing irritating smile Cora tilted her head. "I don't believe you dear."

"I don't care what you believe mother. You are dead to me!"

Sad sarcasm filled Cora's face as she stepped closer to her daughter. "Aww Regina, don't say that. I was so looking toward our happy reunion." She said her voice sweet and condescending as she collapsed a hand over her heart.

Regina snorted in disgust, but no fear edged her cold black eyes as she narrowed them in on the queen of hearts. Emma noticed the raw and hateful stare on the mayor's face as she sneered down at her own mother, and she felt her own fear as she barley recognized the woman she loved.

Emma closed her own eyes fighting hard to hide the lonely tear that escaped and fell down her cheek. In the distance she could hear the bickering between mother and daughter. She needed to escape, somehow, someway to free herself from both evil queens. The thought rolled over and over as exhaustion set in, and she fought hard to stay awake. Eventually sleep won out and the wicked glare was all she saw on her loves face as she drifted off.

A hazy glow filled the blonde's entire body and the steel bounds that tied her down felt looser somehow. She jerked her head up and immediately she saw Regina standing over her mother ready to strike her. How long had she been out? She wondered as she finally found the strength and ripped her hands free.

"Never again will you interfere in my happiness mother." Emma heard Regina yell at Cora as she struck her with a fierce electric blow casting her against the stone wall.

Battered and bruised Cora still held her head high. "You will never defeat me." She croaked.

"You clearly must have hit your head way to hard mother." The venom in Regina's voice rang out and Emma watched quietly in the distance, not knowing what to do or where to turn.

Cora grinned, as she darted her eyes toward the blonde. "Oh dearie, but it's true because I can see it."

The evil queen gave a wicked smile and seared her last glare at the woman who was no longer her mother. Slowly she raised her hands above her head and a dark black cloud filled the air as Regina became larger than life. Fire erupted from her hands, and gradually she aimed them at Cora. "Goodbye mother." She spat without even flinching.

Cora didn't even try to fight back she only smiled. "It seems my work here is done." Then the fire threw forth from Regina's hands and in a loud black wrath of smoke and flames the queen of hearts disappeared.

It took a few moments before Regina felt like she could finally calm down. She felt battered and weak but a feeling of calm filled her, a calm she had never felt in her life. She stared at the place where her mother was and she felt no remorse only the strange feeling of peace. She took a large breath to settle herself when a vision of Emma came floating in. She spun around to where the blonde was tied to. Only the chains hung alone. Panic filled the brunette as her eyes darted across the room in search of her.

"EMMA!" She called out.

Nothing but silence filled the room. She quickly spun around and began her search yelling again and again. "EMMA!...EMMA!"

"I'm here." The sheriff lightly whispered stepping out from the shadows.

Relief filled the brunette and her lip trembled slightly as she fought back her tears. "Oh god," she breathed, and ran toward the blonde.

Emma took a step back and held her hands up in front of her. "Wait," she said shaking her head. "I'm so confused." She paused taking a breath as her hands shook. "And I'm terrified." She admitted her own eyes glossy with tears.

Regina froze immediately only a few feet from the other woman, her forehead knitted in her own confusion. "Emma," she said staring blankly at her completely blindsided by what she had said. "You're scared of me?"

"I need to go." The sheriff told her, her voice at its lowest and nervous register. "I need to see Henry and make sure he is alright."

Regina blinked, and now felt so unsure of what to do. She tilted her head to the side trying to look into the blonde's eyes trying to read her. When she couldn't get a clear view she took a step toward her, and just as quickly Emma took two steps back. "What's going on?" The queen demanded her voice more harshly than she wanted.

Emma flinched and finally raised her head. "I don't think I can do this."

The brunette could finally see the green in her eyes, followed by the hurt and the fear in them as well. "Do what Emma?" She asked as gently as she could, and hoped she wasn't going to hear what her heart was trying to warn her as it pounded fiercely in her chest.

Emma couldn't look at her and she just turned away. "I can't be with you." She barely whispered.

"Why?" Now there was even more icily emotion coloring her tone, and it startled Emma.

The blonde caught her breath. "I just… can't." She muttered without looking at her. "I just need to be alone." She puffed out a harsh breath and gritted her teeth. "I gotta go." She turned and began walking without looking back.

"Emma…." The voice was very distinctive, husky and low. She began to follow after her then quickly halted and like a switch was lifted anger filled the evil queen. She clenched her fists at her sides and seconds later a puff of purple smoke and she was gone.

…..

Snow looked up as she heard the key rattle in her door lock and shock instantly turned into happiness as she saw her daughter turn and smile at her. "Oh Emma, I was so worried." She cried as she ran and engulfed the blonde in a huge hug.

"Emma," Charming said with just as much joy in his voice as Snow did. He ran and pulled her into a hug as well.

"Mom," Henry sobbed clinging to her along with his grandparents.

The blonde finally pulled away wiping the tears from her face. "Are you okay?" Snow carefully asked cupping her daughter's cheek.

Emma nodded. "Yes, I'm …..okay." Her voiced hitched at the end.

Puzzlement threaded Charming's brow, and Snow and Emma watched together as he quickly rushed to the door and opened it. They watched him as he looked up and down the hall then quietly closed it shut. Turning back toward them he then shook his head. "Where's Regina?"

Snow's face went pale. "Oh my god…."She gulped finding it hard to finish her sentence. "Did Cora?"

Sighing Emma just turned and slumped down on the couch. She tried to hold back her tears but failed miserably, bending her head into her hands she cried. Snow frowned at her husband and quickly knelt before her daughter, where she gently pulled her hands away from her face. "Sweetie," she said as softly as she could. "Did Cora do something to Regina?"

Emma sniffed shaking her head slightly. "Then where is she?" Her mother asked trying deeply to understand.

"I don't know." The sheriff's voice was tired and graveled, and she pulled her hand away from Snow's collapsing it back over her mouth as the tears ran down her face.

Henry crawled up on the sofa next to her. "Mom, where is my mother….where is Regina?" She glanced at her son and saw the fear in his eyes. Shaking her head no she immediately pulled him into another hug. "Oh Henry I'm so sorry." She clarified. "She was fine when I left her."

Snow took a breath of relief then regarded her daughter for a moment. Okay something isn't right. She thought ruefully. "What's going on?" She asked.

"Everything is fine." She lied, drawing her son back forcing a smile.

Snow gazed up at her husband giving him an I want to be alone with my daughter kind of a look. He cleared his throat. "Henry let's run down and get your mother something to eat shall we?"

Soon as they were alone Snow sat down next to Emma and drew her hand into her own. "Okay, tell me what's going on? Start at with the top and don't leave anything out."

"I left Regina." She blurted out.

"Wait….what?" The brunette felt startled by the tone in her daughter's voice.

Emma ran her fingers through her hair. "I just…" she felt flustered and she stood from the couch and began to pace around the small room. "I just couldn't be with her."

Snow sighed sadly as she heard the ragged note in her voice, and quietly stood so she was standing in front of her daughter placing her hands on her shoulders to stop her. "Stop," she said gently. "What happened?"

"I should have listened to you all along." Emma's lip quivered. "I've been so stupid."

Snow stared at her. "Okay Emma tell me right now….what happened?"

"Regina….I saw her. You were right she is evil."

Snow's eyes went wide and then took a moment to compose herself. "I think she was evil Emma…but she's different now I've seen the way she looks at you."

"It doesn't matter." The blonde huffed angrily. "Did you know…?" She began to cry again, and through her tears she stuttered. "She killed Graham."

Now it was Snow's turn placing her hand over her mouth. "Oh Emma, I'm so sorry." She said after a minute of letting the news sink in of how their former sheriff died.

"It was like seeing a whole other side of her today." Emma rambled on.

"Did she hurt you?"

Emma's face shot up fast and her eyes went wide. "Regina?"

Snow nodded. "No," Emma whispered. "She saved me." The blonde cried wiping harshly at her tears.

She took a breath then let it out slowly turning toward her daughter. "Cora hurt you didn't she?"

"I'm fine."

"Did Regina see her hurting you?"

"What does it matter?" Emma rasped, swallowing hard against the lump that rose in her throat.

Snow closed her eyes, and what came over her surprised her. Somewhere between the curse being broken, being held captive by hook, and then finding her daughter to only lose her again, she found that somewhere she had forgiven Regina. Maybe it was seeing the love she had for her daughter. "Emma," she whispered delicately. "You know you love her."

"What does love have to do with any of this?"

Smiling softly at her daughter, "Everything," she breathed. "You saved Henry, you broke the curse." Tears welled up in Snow eyes. "You found me, and you also brought Regina back."

"I didn't." She muttered weakly her eyes drifting to the ground.

"You did Emma." She said tilting her daughters chin back up. "You know you did….you were meant for greatness."

Tears now flowed between mother and daughter. "If it weren't for you, we would still be cursed." She sniffed. "And if it weren't for Regina loving you, you would be gone." She took a deep breath. "I guess something's really do have happy endings. Now don't be foolish child. Go fight for yours."

"How can I just forget what she's done?"

"You just forgive her, like I said it wasn't the Regina I knew or the one you love." She wiped the tears from her daughter's cheek. "Just listen to your heart."

"Wow how different just a few days can be." Emma said trying to lighten the mood they were in.

Eyes crinkling as Snow grinned. "Yeah you can say that again."

"I guess I better find Regina." The blonde exhaled carefully wiping the last remains of her tears from her eyes.

"Now I just hope she's not too angry." Snow informed her with a teasing arch to her brow. "It's going to be hell just to get her to listen to you."

"Shit," Emma said out loud, but intended it more for herself.

"Go…..I will explain things to your father and Henry."

The blonde nodded, turned to leave then quickly rushed back and pulled her mother in her arms hugging her tightly. "I love you …uh mmmom."

Snow held her breath and her tears as they pulled apart. "I love you…my sweet beautiful child."

...

* I Have a excellent banner for this story made by Ces1982...maybe before the story is over I will have figured out how to let you all see it.