Chapter LII

Middle Game

AN: TW for Gore.

I wanted to step away from this story for 2 months to write a short story for Halloween 2020. A short story became a novel-legth fic that I posted for Halloween 2021. I apologize for the long hiatus and honestly did not mean to leave it on a cliffhanger.

Emma stared at the map. She saw nothing. There were no more answers now than there had been twenty minutes ago. She had little red-tipped pins poked into the paper. They marked each arson location. It looked random. She couldn't find a pattern, the firefighters couldn't find a pattern, they had nothing.

It had all started with an old storage shed full of junk. It had hurt no one, the property damage was minimal. Even the owner had shrugged it off as jackass kids messing around with matches. It had been mischief, a victimless crime.

Every fire since then had escalated to something worse and bigger. It wasn't mischief anymore. There was a victim, a face and name, that had redefined the facts.

Connie Deluka.

Emma checked her notes. Deluka was thirty-two, married, and the mother of three children under eight. She taught music at the middle school. She played the organ at her church and gave piano lessons in her living room. All her students loved her and she didn't have a single enemy in town.

Connie had been home alone. Her two older kids had been at karate and ballet. Her husband, Wesley, had been killing time and looking over paint chips at the hardware store. Their youngest child had been in a stroller with his father.

Connie's last piano student left at four-thirty. Then Connie, probably grateful for a quiet house, laid down for a nap.

Emma scrubbed at her face. Sick to her stomach with the whole situation. This shit didn't happen in Storybrooke.

The Delukas were remodeling their master bedroom. They'd and had taken their smoke alarm off the wall to paint. By the time the next closest alarm woke Connie it had almost been too late. It was a miracle she'd survived. She was in the ICU with third-degree burns to thirty percent of her body.

Emma wasn't even sure if Storybrooke's hospital had the equipment to help her. Hell, she wasn't sure Whale and his curse-educated staff had the knowledge.

Their asshole arsonist had graduated to attempted murder. Not only that, the fires were becoming more professional. More calculated. More dangerous. The house had burnt to the ground, faster and hotter than any of the previous fires. According to Hill, their arsonist had spent time inside the house setting up the fire. The team who went in had mentioned t empty cans of paint thinner, wood stain, and even linseed oil. They had been all over the floor. After they put out the fire, they had found spray paint cans and a destroyed microwave in the kitchen.

This fire had been pre-meditated, thought out, freaking planned. He had not brought his usual gasoline. He'd known that the Delukas were remodeling. He'd known the family and the house. Which meant that he must have known their schedules. He would have known that Connie would be home. Right?

Connie smiled at her from the driver's license photo tacked to a big board. She had to figure this out. She had a young mother in the hospital and a homeless family with three children. They'd lost everything. They didn't even have insurance. They'd let their policy lapse when the curse broke.

Emma had nothing. Knew nothing. Could do nothing. She paced the small space of the main Sheriff's office. David was on patrol and Ruby wasn't coming in until later. After Ruby came in, she would get milkshakes with her girlfriend and kid. Something that Connie couldn't do. Emma wasn't a criminal profiler or even a detective. She had been a bounty hunter. She chased, but never like this. Guys skipping on bail had nothing on a serial arsonist.

Emma had poured over Merida Hill's annoyingly precise and perfectly presented reports. They'd documented every arson. She and her team had pegged them as serial very early on.

Emma paced more. Hill hadn't found a pattern. There had to be a pattern, though. There always was. Emma had always been good at finding patterns. That was how she'd chased down her assignments. It had paid her bills for several years.

So what did she know about fires and people who started them?

Professionally, not much. She'd usually gone after white-collar criminals. She remembered a few kids in the system that had liked to set fires. Most of them had been boys, and most of them had ended up in juvie. They had been angry kids who wanted to watch the world burn. Was this a kid, though? At first, she had thought so. Now? Not so much.

Storybrooke hadn't experienced crime during the curse. Some people were drawn to crime though. Some of those people were drawn to fire. Surely there had been arsonists and pyromaniacs in the Enchanted Forest, right?

People could throw around fireballs like it was nothing. At least a couple of them had probably liked it a little too much. There hadn't been firefighters to stop them back there either.

Firefighters knew a lot about fire. They weren't all perfect either. Which was something Emma had to keep in mind. There were plenty of cops and other first responders with savior complexes. She let out a groan at her own stupid play on words.

Well, she had to consider all the options. She didn't want to think one of Storybrooke's first responders was doing this. They were her colleagues, her coworkers. Still, Hill had been an assassin once, so she had to look into it. If there were assassins, there could totally be arsonists.

Maybe someone was trying to cover their tracks? She'd heard plenty of stories about "unfortunate" fires leading to big insurance pay outs. Worse, the fires could be destroying evidence of other, worse, crimes.

Now that there weren't cursed personalities in control, maybe a ye olde mafia was reforming?

Emma stared at the board. Could all the victims have been connected in the Enchanted Forest? She didn't know. Regina, David, and Ruby might know something. She made a mental note to ask around. Maybe Little Miss Muffet or the Dish Who Ran Away With the Spoon was a secret pyromaniac. Stranger things happened in Storybrooke all the time.

Emma paced some more. There were too many maybes. She wasn't doing enough. Connie was in a medically induced coma because of this jackass. There had to be something else. She would ask Regina if there was some kind of emergency fund or charity that could help the Delukas.

Emma kept pacing. She couldn't imagine how Wesley Deluka felt. If some asshole set a fine and hurt Regina, and destroyed their kid's home, Emma would destroy him.

Emma stopped mid-step. She grabbed a post-it note and pulled a pen out of her pocket. She wanted David to watch Wesley, just in case he tried to take justice into his own hands. She put that bright yellow sticky note on David's desk by the picture of Snow.

She needed to make another list too, a to-do list. Go to city hall and look at the firefighter records. Just like she'd told David, they were all available on the town hall database. Speaking of David, he would cover Deluka. Ruby could patrol and keep an eye-out for more trouble.

Also, hadn't Regina had said something about fabric softener?

Emma walked back to her office and flopped down in her chair. She smiled at the picture frame on the corner of the desk. It was the picture from The Ball. Her, Henry, and Regina were all fancy and smiling together.

Family photos and honey-do lists. Emma Swan was now, officially, domesticated. It had taken a badass Evil Queen to do it. So she was still pretty tough.

All in all, it wasn't such a bad thing. Emma had spent so many years avoiding settling down, putting down roots. Now here she was, building a life in a tiny town in Maine. With her kid and a girlfriend. A girlfriend who packed her lunches and even made amazing post-workout smoothies. A girlfriend that made her smile and laugh. Who made her feel more comfortable and accepted than she ever had before. For the first time in, maybe forever, Emma was happy.

Her ancient desk phone rang and Emma let out a long groan. If Pongo was lost again, Emma would write Archie a big ass ticket this time.

"Storybrooke Sheriff's Office" She was trying to be more professional. "Sheriff Swan speaking-"

"Emma!"

She hissed and pulled the receiver away from her ear. Leroy was screaming and even if he wasn't there was a lot of background noise. It sounded like he was calling from a WWII movie.

"She's here! Cora is here!"

"What!" Emma couldn't believe her ears. That was the last thing she wanted to hear. The line went dead. Emma slammed the phone down.

"Fuck!"

Emma grabbed her Glock19 from her desk and she grabbed the shotgun too. She needed a damn bazooka. Whatever it took to get Cora far away from her family and home.

Emma took a deep breath and picked the phone back up and dialed a number from memory.

"Well hello-" Regina answered. "-Miss Swan." Her voice was husky, happy, and a little sexy. She couldn't have Henry yet. She would not be using her sexy voice if the kid was with her. Damm it. She was about to ruin Regina's day.

"Regina. It's Cora. Your mother has made her move." Emma knew exactly where too. There was only one place where Leroy could drink this early in the day. "She's at Granny's."

Emma heard Regina's breath hitch. She could imagine the fear flash in her beautiful eyes.

"Emma-"

She could hear the argument forming on Regina's lips.

"Baby, I'm going. It's my job. You need to stay safe, stay with Henry."

She knew it was a pointless argument, but she had to try. Emma wanted Henry and Regina safe, sound, and far away from Cora.

"Don't you dare! Miss Swan, my mother is dangerous! She will kill you!"

Though Regina was trying to hide it, Emma could hear that it scared her to the point of panic. Not that Regina would ever admit it.

"I will be there. I am on my way. Do not do anything until I arrive. I will take care of my mother after I secure Henry and-" Regina paused for a moment. "-and the schools."

Then she was gone. Damn it! Regina hung up on her. Emma's heart, which Cora had tried to freaking rip out, was hammering in her chest. She couldn't run away, though. She was the Sheriff and she had to act like it. She grabbed her radio. Emma took a deep breath and tried to remember everything she'd ever heard on every cop show she'd ever seen. Damn it!

"This is Sheriff Swan. I need all hands on deck. All first responders and able volunteers. Cora Mills is attacking Granny's Diner. She is armed and extremely dangerous. I need the ER and EMTs on alert. I need all schools to lockdown! Regina is on the way to help at the school. Someone friggin' answer me!"

She knew she hadn't done that right, but didn't care. She'd said what she said and made it understandable. Emma hoped someone was listening.

"This is Deputy Nolan." David finally responded.

"David, I need you to start a blockade three blocks out from Granny's on all sides. No one in and no one out."

"10-4." David didn't ask further questions and didn't argue. She hoped like hell he would do exactly as she ordered this time.

She clipped the radio on her belt and worried. The thing was silent. No one else, including Ruby, had responded yet.

"This is Fire Chief Hill" Merida Hill's voice was crisp, clear, and annoying. "I've contacted a couple of people at the school so they should be responding soon. My team is rolling out. Blockade procedure and-" She hesitated. "I have three sharpshooters, not including myself."

Emma blinked. That had sounded more like a question than a statement. Hill was deferring to her and waiting for an answer.

"Good-uh-I mean 10-4. I want you to get the best angle and be ready to shoot to kill. You run everything up high. Coordinate Dav-Deputy Nolan on the ground."

"10-4."

Arrows and even bullets wouldn't stop Cora, Emma knew that. It could slow her down, though. She thought of the scars on Regina's shoulders. Yeah, snipers were a good idea.

"This is Storybrooke General ER. We are on standby and both ambulances are on the way. We've got a couple of nurses following by car."

This was running exactly how Emma had hoped. Even Whale was responding and doing what she asked.

"10-4. Have the ambulances and nurses wait at the blockade. We need to clear out the threat before we send more people in. She knew enough about Cora to know that she would not hesitate to kill bystanders. They didn't need to give her more victims.

A plan, a half-assed one, was coming together. Now she ran. She sprinted out the door. She had to stop Cora. She had to make sure Cora didn't hurt Regina or anyone else.

Emma ran, boots slapping the sidewalk. She kept going. Each foot-fall ran up her leg and to her heart.

Regina-Henry-Regina-Henry-Regina-Henry-Regina-Henry-Regina-Henry-Regina-Henry.

She skidded around the corner and finally saw Granny's, what was left of it. It was a scene from an action flick gone wrong.

Cora and Esmeralda were having a full-blown magical showdown in the middle of the street. Emma's jaw dropped. This wasn't just fireballs. They were, well, this kind of magic would give David Copperfield a heart attack! Damn! It was huge and wild and destroying everything.

She opened her mouth to say, something. She never made a sound. Instead, her heart dropped into her stomach. Violet smoke. Regina appeared in the middle of the fight. Between her Mother and her Mom. Between their crazy powerful magic spells. She had put herself in a deadly situation with no way out.

Emma didn't think, she moved. She had to move, had had to protect, she had to save. The world went blurry. It felt like time stood still. She was moving, but everything else stopped. Even Regina was as still as a statue. Emma reached for her, and had Regina, her Regina, in her arms in what felt like seconds. She pulled her close, wrapped around her, and was ready to die to keep her safe.

"Regina!" The name screamed by multiple people, reverberated, echoed, and warped. It seemed to go on forever and pass in an instant.

Emma's body vibrated, buzzed and shook. Pure energy, but it wasn't painful. It was like she, they, were wrapped up in a lightning cocoon. It was bright white and warm, somehow safe. Then it was all over. The light faded and things moved again. It was like the special effects team quit.

"Emma?" Regina's voice was a whisper. Emma straightened up and pulled Regina along with her, checking for wounds as they moved. When she saw Regina was okay, she could finally breathe again.

"You-" Regina smiled at her, eyes full of wonder. "-saved me." Regina's smile grew wider. "You used magic. It was beautiful."

She had? It was? Emma's magic barely worked. When it came to protecting Regina, it always seemed to work.

"Whatever it takes." She pressed a kiss to Regina's temple. Emma would always save her Queen. She didn't exactly know how to do the flashy magic again, but she had a shotgun. That was almost as good.

Emma turned towards Cora, careful to keep Regina behind her. Then she saw the mess, the gore, and the destruction. She saw Ruby, Mulan, and Grumpy. They were in various stages of fucked up.

She had no words. She cocked the shotgun and aimed it at Cora.

It was a beautiful day. She would pick up her Little Prince. They were going to the comic shop and then High Tower Pizza for an early dinner. She had even changed into casual clothes so she wouldn't look "too royal or mayoral". (Emma's words) Followed by milkshakes with Emma and Esmeralda. She had also promised to bake him his favorite treat, cowboy cookies. If Emma played her cards right, she would make sure Henry shared.

Oh, who was she kidding, she would make sure Emma got some. This was all her idea. Emma had insisted that she and Henry spend one-on-one time. She had jokingly called it Mommy and Me time.

Spirits! She didn't deserve Emma and Henry. She could spend another lifetime atoning and she still wouldn't deserve them. She sat in her car and waited for school to end. It reminded her of Henry's kindergarten year. She had not been prepared to let him go for the entire day. He had flourished, and she'd been a nervous wreck for the first three months. She'd waited like this every day, ready to destroy any teacher or child who dared upset her son.

Regina refused to worry today. Henry was doing well, better than ever. Time was moving forward, and he could finally have a normal childhood. Regina had the radio on and hummed along to a David Bowie song. Everything was lovely. When her Blackberry buzzed, she smiled. Emma was calling from the Sheriff's Office. She still hadn't replaced her cell phone.

Her good mood quickly evaporated. Emma's words, fast and furious, made her stomach drop. Cold fear flooded her veins. Mother. Granny's. Emma. Mother would kill Emma, kill anyone and everyone that got in her way. She couldn't let it happen. She yelled at Emma over the phone. The words came out, but she barely registered that she was speaking. She ended the call.

Regina's mind raced. She had to keep Henry safe. She had to keep all the children safe. Mother did not mind hurting children. Regina shuddered. She wouldn't let her mother hurt any of these children as she had her. She couldn't. No one deserved that pain. Not even she had deserved it. Worst of all? Mother had enjoyed it.

She wasn't letting anyone hurt Storybrooke's children. Regina got out of her car and was grateful that her knees held her up.

The school day was over. Children were streaming out of the front door. Some headed to the bus, others to their parents' cars. Many, so many, had walked to school and thought it was safe to walk home. She couldn't let them.

Regina rushed to the middle of the school's driveway. She knew that this would not be easy, but she couldn't stand by and do nothing.

"Stop!" She used her command voice. This voice had controlled armies and city council meetings alike. "Go back inside the school!"

She looked around at the adults. Teachers watched over their fleeing students. Parents picked up their sons and daughters. They couldn't leave. They would walk right into a warzone.

"The town is under attack!" She continued and hoped her voice didn't betray her anxiety. "The school has to be locked down immediately!"

Most turned to listen to her, but some did not. Two children, a boy, and girl, kept walking. They were already almost off of school grounds.

No!

She teleported three feet directly in front of them. She instantly recognized the children. It was Hansel and Gretel or Ava and Nicholas Zimmer.

"You need to go back into the school. It is too dangerous to leave."

Ava threw her arm out to stop her brother. Then she stepped in front of him, putting herself between Regina and the boy. Protecting him from The Evil Queen. She could hardly blame her.

"Screw you, Lady! We're going home!" The girl was angry, scared, defiant. Brave.

Regina knelt so they were eye-to-eye. Not only were the children staring at her, so was everyone else.

"I know that you have absolutely no reason to believe me. Ava, Nicholas, you are right to doubt me. To hate me."

She looked at them each. Ava's blonde hair was long and loose, her green eyes were full of suspicion. Regina realized she might as well be looking at a young Emma. Nicholas was small with dark hair and eyes, so much like Henry. They were innocent.

They were Henry's age. The same age as they had been when she had sent them to the Blind Witch's cabin. That had been an unforgivable act. They were children, just babies. Then in Storybrooke, she had tried to lash out and hurt them again.

"What I did to you was cruel." Regina shook her head. "Beyond cruel. It was evil. I can't go back and fix that."

All her schemes, atrocities, and misdeeds, and there had been many. The things she had done to these two children, babies, had been among the worst.

"But please. My mother is attacking the town. I know I'm evil, but she is a monster. She will hurt you because she can. Please stay here or a while. Stay where there are people to protect you." She held out her phone. "You can call your father. His shop is close enough to the attack and he will tell you to stay here too."

"Is your mom as big of a bitch as you are?"

Ava met her eyes, defiant and unflinching. She was too cynical and jaded for a girl her age. Regina knew that was her fault.

"No."

She couldn't be angry at Ava's words. She was braver than most people in the town. No one stood up to the Evil Queen. They would form a mob, but no one (except Emma) had ever looked her in the eye and called her a bitch.

"She's worse. Worse than I ever was or could be. I didn't want her here in Storybrooke. I sent her all the way to Wonderland to keep her away." She dropped her head, "She came to Storybrooke anyway."

"You're afraid of her." Nicholas spoke less and softer than his sister, but he was not wrong.

Regina would not lie, even if it was embarrassing. "Yes."

Wide hazel eyes met hers. "And you're going to stay here? With Henry and keep us all safe?"

What he was asking, what he was remembering, was obvious.

"No. I fight my own battles now. After everyone goes back inside. I will cast a protection spell around the school-schools." She smiled, "Luckily they were all bunched together by the curse. When you are all protected, I will go deal with my mother."

Hansel, or Nicholas if he preferred, regarded her for a moment. "Okay." He grabbed Ava's hand. We should go inside."

Regina almost fell to the ground, relieved. The children were listening. The others who had been watching them were turning to the school, going back inside. If she acted now, she could protect the entire area.

"Get away from my students!"

Both she and the Zimmer children flinched and jerked around at the scream. Leah Weathersby stormed towards them.

"Mom?" Henry was with the school's principal. His little face was lined with worry and a little guilt.

Leah had one hand on Henry's shoulder and she had a bright pink detention slip in the other hand.

What on Earth was going on? Henry never got in trouble at school. He was on the honor roll, had won several school citizenship awards. He was a model student!

Regina stood up and raised her chin. She was at a disadvantage and did not like it.

Leah was the principal and dressed like a queen. She had a powder blue wrap dress and a white blazer. Her hair and makeup were impeccable.

Regina held no title or job anymore. She'd dressed for a day with her son, complete with blue jeans and flats. She had her sleeves rolled up past her elbows!

No. Regina could not let her insecurities stop her. This was too important, too much was at risk.

"I don't know what you think you are- "

Regina's eyes darted to Henry. He was upset like he was in some trouble. Regina scowled. She didn't like this at all, but had no time to correct the situation.

"The Queen of Hearts is attacking the town. You need to get everyone inside and lock down the school."

Leah squeezed Henry's shoulder again. His face twisted in discomfort that bordered on pain.

Regina's temper snapped and she felt a fire burning in her gut. How dare anyone hurt her Little Prince? If her mother wasn't rampaging through town, she would destroy Leah. Then she would call Emma to help her hide the body.

"And take your hands off of my son." The usual threat of her cutting the offending hand was left unspoken.

Henny shrugged out Leah's grasp and stepped around his classmates. "Mom?" He looked around, "What's going on?"

Regina wanted to protect him. She didn't want him to know anything about Cora. She had terrorized Regina her entire life. She didn't want Henry to have the same boogeyman haunting him as she did. She had also promised she wouldn't lie to him, though. The urge to protect battled with her promise. Her promise won out.

She smoothed her hand over his hair. "My Mother is attacking the town. I need to make sure everyone is safe before I go deal with her."

Leah scoffed at her words. "This again? Are you and your new bosom buddy Belle off to cast a new curse? She stepped closer, a scowl etched into her haughty face. Your tricks don't interest me."

All eyes were on them. Children, adults, everyone was watching, waiting.

"Why would I lie about-" No. Regina didn't have this tune for arguing with idiots. Leah was trying to goad her. She wanted The Evil Queen to lose her infamous temper and make a scene.

"You aren't the Queen or Mayor. You have no power here anymore." Leah looked around. "Go about your business. The Evil Queen wants to start a riot for her own amusement." Leah looked around, haughty and regal. "She wants you scared and weak. She wants you all to rely on her so-called protection.

Regina felt anger rise in her chest. She should have squashed Leah like a bug years ago. Her hand clenched into a tight fist. Even without fire, it would be so easy. Magic buzzed in her fingers.

"Mom?"

Henry. Her promise. Her new life.

Regina looked around. Justin "JJ" Johnson's gaudy red sports car sat nearby. He'd tinted the windows as dark as he legally could. It wasn't a mirror, but it would have to do.

"Sorry about this, JJ." She snapped her arm out and threw magic at the car's tinted driver's side window. It was a hasty and sloppy spell, but it worked.

The dark glass rippled and her mother appeared. So did Leroy. Mother had him held in the air. Torturing him. Beyond that Granny's was in shambles. Mother had already destroyed part of Storybrooke.

People around them watched and were rightfully terrified. They grabbed their children and pulled them close. Even Leah took a step back.

Regina turned away from the glass and looked around. "I need everyone to go inside. My mother is powerful, but I can cast a protection spell to keep all three schools safe. I have to do it now, though." Now, while Mother was distracted by hurting people at Granny's.

The image faded and then it cracked, spider-webbed, and crumbled into small pieces. JJ and his fifth-grader daughter were inside the car. Leo was pale and shaking.

"I thought." He lifted a shaking hand to his mouth. "I thought she was dead. For good." He got out of the car and motioned for his daughter, Zoey, to do the same.

He walked with a limp, and Regina wondered if her mother had been the one to cause the injury.

"Mrs. Weatherby, I'm taking my daughter inside." He looked around. "I suggest the rest of you do the same." Zoey came close to him.

He pushed past Leah and headed back to the school's door. Others followed without further argument.

One lone figure pushed their way out against the crowd. Jillian rushed over, radio in hand. She went right past her boss, Leah, and to Regina's side.

"Majesty?" Jillian's wife must have radio'd over. "We haven't enough weapons to hold off that woman." She looked worried. "We have a few fighters that want to go over to Main Street if you'll allow it."

Leah's face contorted into a scowl. Everyone was deferring to her and ignoring Leah. If Regina had the time, she would take a moment to gloat.

"Ms. Hill!" Leah glared at her.

Regina ignored Leah. She didn't have time or energy to bicker. "No. Everyone needs to stay with the children."

Regina applied Enchanted Forest knowledge to her mayoral knowledge of Storybrooke. " In fact-" Her mind raced over all the possibilities. "-send Fre-I mean Jim over to the High School. I don't need anyone getting too excited." There were too many teenagers that had spent too many years training for or participating in war. Usually against each other.

Jillian nodded her head. "Of course, Majesty. I'll send Hadiza over to the middle school too. She'll make sure everyone behaves."

Regina nodded. "I'm going to cast a protection spell around the perimeter. Arm anyone you trust and have them patrol the border of the spell. I do not know what Cora has planned."

She sighed, anxiety and fear swirling in her chest. "Jillian keep the radio close and I need you to- " She gently pushed Henry towards her. Jillian was one of the few people, outside of Emma, that Regina trusted with her son's life.

Jillian stepped forward and nodded. She pulled him to her side. "I'll protect him like he's one of my own."

Regina knew she would. With Henry safe, she could fight Mother.

"Henry." She took a deep breath. This was hard and terrifying. It could be the last time she saw her precious son. "Stay inside, Little Prince. Do what Jillian tells you." She reached out and tipped Henry's chin up. "Remember that your classmates look to you. Keep them calm and inside. Your mother and I will come and get you when everything is over."

She hoped she and Emma would make it back to school and their son. "Go on, Sweetheart. Nicholas and Ava, you too."

"We should hurry, Mrs. Weathersby." Jillian started directing everybody back inside. "Once she starts casting, she won't be able to stop. Her magic is too fast and strong." She sounded a little smug, like she was bragging. "Once the protection spell goes up, no one can go in or out."

Regina watched them walk away and focused on her magic.

"Mom!" Henry broke away from Jillian and ran back to her. He threw his arms around her in a tight hug. "I love you!" She held him close and rested her chin on his head. "I love you too, Henry."

She let him go. "Inside now."

Regina watched Henry and everyone else go inside. When Jillian locked and barred the door, she knew it was time. She raised her arms. Regina focused on protection. She had to keep them safe. Henry, Ava, Nicholas, all the children, their teachers and parents, everyone. Storybrooke was her protectorate. Nobody, not even her mother, would hurt her people today.

Magic flowed from her fingers. She crisscrossed layers of protective spells over the schools. She focused on keeping everyone and everything as safe as possible. No one could come in like Mother. No one could go out like Henry. She felt a little dizzy but didn't stop casting until she was sure it was impenetrable. High above her bands of black and violet magic painted the sky.

Regina dropped her hands and the magic faded into an invisible force field. It would hold until she returned to remove it. If not her, then Esmeralda.

Regina smirked. Snow would probably demand the Blue Fairy's help. The gnat could try to untangle her protections. She'd fail.

Regina smirked and teleported, leaving the school in a plume of violet smoke.

"Mother! What are you doing!" She re-appeared and only had seconds to survey and react. She saw Mother and Esmeralda. She also saw two very powerful spells. Regina threw her arms up to protect herself. She didn't stand a chance. Her world was narrowed into a chaotic mix of red and blue magic.

"Regina!"

Light, blinding white light, surrounded her. It was warm, comfortable and smelled like cinnamon and leather. Arms, strong and soft, wrapped around her. Holding her. Protecting her.

"Emma."

Her own personal savior. Emma had used her magic, instinctually, to protect her. Regina turned in Emma's arms. "You saved me." Emma would never stop surprising her.

Emma grinned at her. "That's my job, protect and serve." The surrounding light faded and Regina saw the full extent of the damage. Her town, her perfect little world, was in shambles.

"Are you-" Regina was furious and spoke before thinking. "-out of your minds?" She stepped out of Emma's arms. "There are innocent people here! You're ruining everything, Mother!" She whipped her head around to look at Esmeralda. "This much magic is a small space! Spirits! The whole town could fall down around us."

"Oh my God!" Emma's voice jolted her out of her fury. "Ruby!"

Emma rushed over to Ruby and Granny. Regina focused on her mother.

"Stop this, Mother! Stop attacking my town, my people!"

Mother smiled. It was wide and toothy, terrifying. Regina knew that smile, and it meant nothing good.

"Regina, stop the theatrics. Honestly." Cora scoffed, "These people don't care about you and I know you don't care about them. You are a queen and they are nothing."

She spat out the word with a fury that made Regina flinch. She remembered that tone. More than that, she knew what Cora did when she took that tone.

Regina had been right to protect the children.

"They swing between begging for your help and calling for your head. As soon as they don't need you to sign a paper or brew a potion, they will attack. They will turn on you, Regina. You'll be all alone."

"Shut-" Emma roared "-up!"

"You're wrong, you wicked old witch!" Aurora, who was tugging on the pipes that held Mulan, screamed. "Regina has changed! She's nothing like you!"

Esmeralda, as quick and as quiet as a cat, came to Regina's side. She put a hand on her shoulder.

"Now. This is not your fight. Esmeralda physically turned her around. "This is where you are needed, Nightingale."

Regina blinked. She was a novice healer, at best. Ruby needed Esmeralda or Whale, or both. Regina's expertise was hurting, not healing. She should be fighting her mother.

"Baby." Emma looked up from where she knelt by Ruby. "It's bad."

She looked over her shoulder.

"Take care of your people, Regina. I will handle this-" Her face twisted into a fierce scowl. "-menace."

An explosion of magic behind her told her that the ceasefire was over. Cora and Esmeralda were fighting again.

Regina was conflicted. She could jump in and help Esmeralda. She should show her mother that she was not welcome. She had to keep Storybrooke safe.

She looked between the fight and the bloody lump that Ruby had been reduced to. Esmeralda didn't need her help, but Ruby did. Regina turned her full attention to Ruby and immediately felt in way over her head.

Eugenia had seen countless fights. She'd led her own band of hunters and had collected plenty of pelts in her day. She'd tangled with trolls, stared down ogres, and fought an Evil Queen. Nothing had shaken her like this.

Ruby, her Red, was dying. She was lying on the ground, bleeding out, and there wasn't a thing Eugenia could do to save her.

Ruby was half-shifted and stuck between wolf and human. She was pale, and her fur was falling out in clumps. Jagged gray lines spread through her body. There was silver in her bloodstream and it was killing her faster than the blood loss.

"Ruby." She grabbed her hand, still mostly paw. "It's going to be okay, Girl. You're going to be okay."

She was lying. To Ruby, to herself. This was what she tried to stop, to keep her granddaughter away from. To keep her daughter away from. She had lost Anita and now she would lose Red too.

Eugenia could smell it, blood and silver clogged her nose. There was no coming back from this. Her baby was dying. She was going to lose her granddaughter. Not someday in the future, right now.

Ruby was fading fast. Her heartbeat was too fast and thready. Her Red was racing towards death. Eugenia couldn't save her. She was going to lose her granddaughter.

"Stay with me, Girl! Fight! Fight for me! Fight for that sweetheart of yours! Fight! Stay with me!"

They needed a miracle, and those were in short supply.

Eugenia would do anything to save Red. She would happily give her own life. Take the wound, the pain, the silver, the death. God. Gods. The Spirits. The Moon. Whoever and whatever could take her as long as her girl lived.

A bright flash of white light made her wince and turn away. She threw her hands over Red's eyes too.

When the light faded, she could see that Emma and Regina had arrived. Now three of the most powerful magic users in town (maybe the world) were standing on the street. Not to mention the Savior.

Neither Regina nor Esmeralda even noticed them. They were too busy with Cora. Regina was screaming at Cora. Accusing her, chastising her, furious at the situation.

The Evil Queen was on their side, for whatever good that did.

"Oh my god!" Emma came right to them. "Ruby! Fuck!" Emma looked her over. "I've got ambulances coming over, but-fuck!"

The Savior summed it pretty well.

It took both Esmeralda and Emma to take Regina's attention away from her mother. Still, she hesitated. Eugenia knew Esmeralda was training Regina to use her magic for good, but could she help? Would she?

Eugenia's face was wet with tears. Her baby was dying and she would do anything to save her. Eugenia had lost everyone. Her husband, her daughter, her entire world. All she had left was her Little Red. Eugenia could not lose her too.

Pride be damned. She looked up at the Evil Queen. "Save her." Desperate times called for desperate measures. "Please." Eugenia would make a deal with the she-devil if it helped Ruby. "Save her and I'll do anything, give you whatever you want. Any favor, any boon. Just save my Red, please."

Emma pulled Regina the rest of the way over and helped her kneel beside them. "You can do it, Baby. I know you can. You've done it before. You saved me. Now save Ruby."

Emma sounded strong and sure. "You can do it."

Regina was pale and wide-eyed. She looked uncertain, wary, scared.

"Ruby." Regina put her hand on Red's leg. "I am not-I can't-you have to choose a form. Wolf or woman. Can you hear me? I need you to shift."

Eugenia shook her head, all confidence drained away. The Evil Queen could no more heal than Eugenia could fly.

"She can't shift" She screamed at Regina and hated that her voice cracked and went hoarse mid-sentence. She wasn't afraid of The Evil Queen. She was afraid for her granddaughter. "She has silver poisoning! Do you even know what that means? You don't know what you're doing!"

Eugenia's chest tightened, and it was hard to breathe. Her heart was beating off rhythm. She needed one of her damn nitro pills, but those were inside and she wasn't moving.

Regina didn't snap back at her. She only shook her head. "Right. Right." She moved her hand from Ruby's leg to the gaping hole in her chest. The black spear shaft disappeared. Blood and silver rushed out like water. Ruby let out a little whine.

"This will hurt." Regina's voice was soft, her tone worried. She sounded scared.

"It already hurts!" Eugenia couldn't believe Regina was so callous.

Regina took a deep breath. "I wasn't talking to Ruby. I have to get the silver out of her."

Then, without further explanation, Regina put both of her hands onto Ruby's chest, fingers in the wound. Ruby tried to pull away, tried to escape the pain. She was constantly shaking now, having seizures. The silver poisoning was attacking her nervous system. It wouldn't be long now.

Eugenia opened her mouth to tell Regina off, but stopped before a single word came out. She knew little about magic, but she believed her eyes.

Regina's eyes were wide and full of her violet magic. Violet light pulsed under Regina's skin and in her eyes. She was still and silent. Dark pops of energy crackled along Regina's arms and back. Eugenia didn't know what was happening but prayed it worked.

The jagged gray lines that marred Ruby's body receded back to the wound. Eugenia had never seen anything like it. No Child of the Moon survived silver. It didn't happen.

The lines faded from Ruby. She finally fell limp, all the silver was gone. No. It wasn't gone. Jagged gray lines crawled up Regina's arm. Gray criss-crossed her skin from wrist to forearm. It kept climbing until it disappeared under her now bloody shirt. Sweat poured off of her; it stank of magic and fear. The cords of her neck and the vein on her forehead were prominent and pulsing. The muscles of her arms were taut, her muscles twitched and ticced.

Regina was pulling the silver out of Ruby's body and into her own. It wasn't what Eugenia had expected, but it seemed to work. Ruby's breathing, while still very labored, was getting better. The bleeding slowed. Regina was helping.

Now Regina was the one who shuddered and shook. Her arms up to the elbow were solid gray. She coughed and her body jerked so hard that tears slid down her fever-red cheeks. Molten silver tears were scorching down her face, leaving blisters in their wake.

Regina had said it would hurt, but Eugenia hadn't realized how bad it would be. Had Regina?

Eugenia could tell when the last ounce of silver left Ruby's body. She laid still, her breathing was deep and even. Regina, on the other hand, looked awful. Every inch of visible skin had a sickly gray tinge. She was shaking and wobbling, like she was about to fall or pass out.

Hurt didn't scratch the surface of what Regina had to feel.

"Red." Regina's voice was rough, raspy, and had a bad slur to it. "I can't heal you yet. I need you to change forms."

Silver tears were still streaming down Regina's face.

"Mrs. Lucas." Regina held out her hand. "I need your help, please."

Eugenia grabbed her offered hand. "Anything."

Regina smiled, it was weak and fake. "Think of Red. Her human form, how she looks at work, how she played as a child. It will help her change.

That was all too easy. Red had looked like her mother as a child. Wild hair and bright green eyes. She could see her sweet girl with missing baby teeth and scraped knees. Then when she was a teenager she had been so much like Anita. Smart, independent, rebellious. Just like her mother, like her hard-headed grandmother. Eugenia held the image of Red in her mind and hoped it was what Regina needed.

Ruby's body contorted and seized. Her fur disappeared and her body changed to a fully human state. She didn't heal. Her body was broken and bloody. Her eyes flew open, still full moon yellow.

"G-Granny?" Ruby coughed, blood-flecked foam gathered at her lips. "Gina?"

Her girl was alive, but fading fast.

Across from her, on Ruby's other side, Regina swayed and her eyes fluttered. She was about to pass out, only halfway done healing Ruby.

Emma braced Regina and kept an arm around her. "Stay still, Rubes. We're gonna get you fixed up." Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's body to brace her. A bright white glow came off of Emma, surrounding her like an aura. White pops of light crackled off of her.

Regina leaned over Ruby, and kept going, focused on what she was doing.

Sweat beaded and streaked down her forehead. Her hands shook but glowed a strong and steady violet again. The light reflected and refracted off the silver in her skin. Regina mumbled to herself. She was coaching herself through the healing process. Black crackles sparked off of Regina.

Regina may not be an expert healer, but whatever she was doing, it was working. Ruby's breathing evened and became stronger. Her color improved, and the gaping hole in her chest closed. Eugenia could see flesh, bone, and skin knitting back together. Red was getting better, but Regina was deteriorating again.

"Baby, ease off." Emma had a hand on each of Regina's shoulders. She kneaded them rhythmically. Her face was lined with worry. Her eyes darted from Regina to Ruby and back again. "She's okay now. I think Whale can finish up. Stop!"

Emma didn't seem to notice but her white glow grew stronger and there were more sparks. Her white sparks and Regina's black sparks danced together and mixed. Some of the white glow soaked into Regina.

Eugenia wasn't sure, but if what Ruby had told her was right, Emma's magic could somehow replenish Regina's. If it did, she wasn't giving enough. Regina's purple glow flickered and faded.

Ruby's wound was closed and had scarred shiny pink against her pale chest. Burns and blisters disappeared without a trace. Even the knife-knick from chopping onions that morning healed. Regina healed Red. She had lost a lot of blood and was still in shock, but she would live.

Regina was their miracle.

"Regina!" Emma shifted around so she was at Regina's side and not her back. She laid a hand on either of Regina's ashy gray cheeks. "Ruby's okay now! Stop! Stop!" Emma gave her a shake. "Baby, stop!"

Regina's purple glow waned and the black sparks were few and far between. She was exhausting herself, and the fight wasn't over yet.

Cora and Esmeralda were still slinging magic at each other. Esmeralda wasn't losing, but she wasn't winning either. She could use Regina's help. She couldn't faint now. She had more work to do.

"Regina Xaviera Mills!" Eugenia grabbed Regina's shaking hand and squeezed it hard. "Stop!"

The combination of Regina's full name, her tone, and her wolf-enhanced grip, got through to Regina. Her eyes fluttered, blinked, opened, and finally focused.

The magic stopped.

Regina went slack and let go of Eugenia's hand. She carefully moved her other hand from Ruby's chest. She used her hands to brace herself.

Eugenia wanted to thank her, to hug her, to scream from the rooftops that Red would be okay. Thanks to the Evil Queen.

Her chest relaxed and the burning in her gut eased. She wasn't going to have to bury her granddaughter. If Storybrooke burnt down to the ground and Ruby lived, then she would be okay with that.

She let go of Regina and grabbed Ruby's blood-coated hands. She pulled them to her chest, to her heart. Her granddaughter was okay. They would be okay.

Then the wind shifted, and the scent on it slapped her in the face. Eugenia knew that stench and knew it well. It was impossible, though. Not here, not now.

"No."

She looked at the street, coated in blood and water, and saw the ripples.

"We have to get her inside." Eugenia's mind raced. "We all need to get inside!"

Regina looked up, her dark eyes wide, sharp, and focused. "Oh Spirits!"

She knew too.

"What?" Emma shouted. "What now?!"

Emma looked around, desperate to see and stop the threat. Confusion and fear were all over her face. She knew something was wrong, but didn't know what. She knew the source of the problem, though. So did they all. Everyone turned to Cora.

Now that she knew that Ruby would survive, Eugenia looked around the street. It was like a nor'easter had ripped through town. Buildings and even the asphalt had been torn apart. Esmeralda was breathing hard, and favoring one leg. She was bleeding, breathing hard, but still standing.

Eugenia shifted her focus to Cora. She'd never had dealings with the woman personally. She'd heard all the horror stories, though. She'd brushed them off as tall tales and embellishment. Obviously not. As powerful as Cora was, though, Esmeralda had hurt her. Cora was off-balance, wobbling a bit. Her right arm was hanging limp and her shoulder bulged. It was dislocated for sure. She was covered in blood and her clothes and hair were disheveled. She wasn't a monster or a Dark One. She was human and was running out of steam.

Both Esmeralda and Cora had paused their fighting. Esmeralda twitched her head to the side. "You fool! This is insanity!"

Cora's reply was to laugh. It was a deep and disturbing sound, void of joy. Lacking any sort of humanity. Eugenia grit her teeth so she didn't shudder, but every hair on her body bristled. She felt her long-quiet wolf stir. The woman was deranged.

Eugenia stole a glance at Regina. The woman looked stricken, frozen with wide eyes that were full of familiarity and fear.

Cora's laughter stopped as abruptly as it had started and for a moment, there was quiet.

"Mother." Regina's sounded small and scared. Like a child. "Please stop!"

Cora took a deep breath.

Someone, somewhere, screamed.

"Cover your ears!"

Regina reacted first. She fell over Ruby and clapped her hands over her ears. Emma quickly followed. She bent over Regina's body to cover the brunette's ears for her. They both formed a human shield around Ruby.

Cora let out a shriek. Eugenia covered her ears just a second too late. It was awful, loud, and higher than any sound that a human should be able to make.

If there was a window left standing, it shattered. Eugenia fell to her knees. The shriek was physically painful.

Emma pressed the side of her against Regina's back. Her other ear was uncovered and blood trickled out of it. Emma's face twisted in discomfort, but she didn't flinch or move.

As soon as it started, it ended. Cora stood tall and triumphant in the street. Her smile was borderline demonic.

Then, as if the witch wanted to instill more terror, she dissolved into a cyclone of crows. They circled, screeched, and swooped down over them before disappearing into the sky.

The ripples intensified, and the street shook.

Cora was gone, but the damage was done. The shriek wasn't to hurt or distract. The ripples intensified, and the street shook. She had shrieked to call them.

"Oh-" Emma's voice sounded oddly distant, low, muffled. "-fuck!

Ogres stomped down Main Street. Ogres in Storybrooke. Eugenia looked over at Regina. The woman was still on the ground, panting and running out of magic. Ogres in Storybrooke and they were all out of miracles.