Once Upon a Time 1. The Feast

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 1: The Feast**

The grand dining hall of the Charming Family Palace was buzzing with people. Most Emma recognised from Storybrooke, others whom must have been left trapped inside the Enchanted Forest after the original curse. The room was lined with tables and Emma sat at the head table to the left of her Parents, with Henry between herself and Snow, and Regina sat to her right. After the Wicked Witch of the West had been dealt with and her parents saved they had decided to throw a celebratory feast and had invited the whole Kingdom. It had been Emma who had pushed for Regina's presence.

If Emma had been able to recall the events at Storybrooke during her year absence then she would have undoubtedly presumed that Regina would have succumbed to the crazy air of the enchanted forest and got lost in dark magic again. However, the brunette had proved everybody wrong and stayed on the straight and narrow; albeit in a nomadic existence in her own castle.

Emma knew the thought of never seeing Henry again must be crippling for the once Evil Queen and the reunion had been touching to say the least. In fact, even Emma had received an awkward hug and a broad smile although hers was probably borne through relief that the supposed saviour had turned up. The return of that part of her memories had probably been the most shocking, even more so than the fairy tale parents in a magical land. It would have been less shocking if she could have regained her memories at a much gentler pace but time had been at an essence so she'd had to experience them all flooding back in one supercharged go.

She WAS glad to get them back. She was glad to have her parents and friends back and in a way she was glad to know the truth. However it had been hard to shatter all the happy memories Regina had created for her and replace them with the foster care, and the adoption and everything else. Not that those happy memories had completely gone, but it felt rather like waking up from a dream. She remembered them clearly at first but it had been 5 days since then and they were gradually becoming less clear and vanishing all together. Emma was desperately trying to retain the memories of Henry growing up because even though they were not really her memories she suspected Regina had used her own memories of their son to implant them.

'Their son'

It had felt strange when she had first said those words out loud again and it still felt strange when she thought about them. She had become so used to him being 'her son' for the last year that it was hard share again. It had given Emma a real insight into how Regina had first felt when Emma had first turned up in Storybrooke except in Regina's case it would have been multiplied by ten.

"You look even less impressed by all this than I do dear…and I don't even want to be here" the brunette's voice rang clearly through her thoughts and Emma turned her head to find herself nearly nose to nose with the other woman who had obviously leaned in close so not to be heard by others.

"You're not here for this" Emma pointed out, "you're staying here for a couple of days so we can organise some sort of routine for Henry. This is just an unfortunate by-product...dear."

Regina chuckled at the blonde's attempt to impersonate her but didn't move away and Emma's eyebrows crept up in surprise. The laugh mocked her yet not in an unpleasant way but it was obvious the brunette was going to follow it up with a glib comment.

"I thought you Charming's liked displaying your heroic's to all who will listen and look."

_And there is the comment_ thought Emma as she followed Regina's gaze down the table to her father. He did indeed look very pleased with himself for his selfless heroics in Operation Witch Hunt. She still hadn't adjusted to the ridiculous Fairy Tale outfits everyone was wearing. At least he got away with wearing trousers though.

"Yes" Emma replied playfully, "there is nothing more I love doing then dressing up in one of my mother's horrible white dresses and having three hundred people sit and stare at me."

"I think you look quite fetching" Regina quipped before smirking and leaning back in her chair so she was no longer in quite such close proximity. Emma glanced down at the brunette's outfit, drawing another smirk out of Henry's other mother. The brunette was wearing a rich purple low cut dress which really accentuated her features. It was a far more attractive look than the wedding dress look-a-like that Emma had been forced into.

"You look disappointing" Emma replied dryly, "you don't even look evil….where is all the black?"

"Well you look like a picture of innocence and virginity and we both know that isn't true" Regina threw back quickly before gesturing with her thumb towards Henry.

Emma rolled her eyes yet again and glanced across at Henry. Their son was still picking at his plate of food but not at any great speed as he was intently watching them.

"What?" Emma asked her son who continued to stare even though both his mother's gazes were now upon him.

"Did you miss us?" he asked the brunette who had leant forward in her chair so she could see him properly. There was an awkward pause as Regina looked between Emma and Henry.

"Erm…I missed YOU" she said directing her gaze at Henry but when he looked disappointed by the answer she continued on, slurring awkwardly through the next few words.

"…both very much. Obviously."

Emma couldn't help but turn her head back towards the brunette and smirk victoriously at what Henry had made her admit. Even if it wasn't entirely true and said under duress it still felt like a little victory. Besides, Emma was sure that Regina had missed her a little bit, even if only for their verbal sparring matches. They had started on the quest to find Henry in Neverland as reluctant allies and gradually ended up as something more than that. _Reluctant friend's maybe_? Or just something completely undefinable. _Frienemies_? Emma felt like she had just coined a new phrase for the English dictionary. Not that they had dictionaries in the Enchanted Forest. They had definitely both come out of Neverland as better parents and better co-parents. It had all been such a mess before Henry had been kidnapped but they had a fresh start now and this time Emma wanted to do it right.

"I'm tired…can I go to bed mom?" Henry broke the odd direction her thoughts were going in with a welcomed request. It meant she could finally make her escape.

"Of course" Emma and Regina replied on cue, both standing up. Their synchronised movements drew the attention of most of the room but especially Charming and Snow. Emma chanced a glance at them but couldn't quite read the looks on their faces. No doubt they probably expected her and Regina to fight around about now.

"We're just going to take Henry to bed" Emma informed them; inwardly praying that they would just let all three of them go without playing twenty questions. There was no such luck though.

"Both of you?" Swan looked disappointed that Emma was leaving an event that was being thrown in her honour; "but the feast…"

Emma had a horrible feeling Regina was going to be allowed to escape and she was going to be made to stay. Of course if she wanted to be mean she could pull the 'my son' act and escape but that would mean leaving Regina to face the party alone after Emma had persuaded her to stay in the first place. She had also just sworn to herself that she'd be a good co-parent with the brunette.

"Regina hasn't had the chance to tuck Henry in for a year so…you know" Emma conceded defeat. She was about to sit down when she felt Regina's hand land on her shoulder.

"And I don't know my way around your happily ever after fairy tale palace" the brunette added; giving Emma back her escape route even though Henry was perfectly capable of finding his room without her help.

"Exactly" Emma agreed, nodding wholeheartedly.

Henry was nodding vigorously too which seemed to sway Charming and Swan from any more questions. Emma was convinced that the 'charming' charm had skipped her generation because Henry had it in bucket loads and she had…an uncanny ability to just about survive things…but absolutely no ability to just flutter her eyelids and get away with anything.

"Night granddad and grandma" Henry said his goodbyes and hugged Emma's parents before guiding his two mums to safety and out of the grand dining hall.

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Emma sat on the bottom end of the bad and watched as Regina sat on the edge of the side of the bed nearest to Henry and wished him good night. The brunette dropped a gentle kiss to their son's forehead before standing up. The older woman just looked so ecstatic to be able to see him again that it made Emma's heart wrench.

The blonde took the opportunity to lean over the bed to sneak a kiss in too. He usually didn't allow so much cuddly stuff anymore; he was growing out of it, but was obviously willing to make an exception for Regina's sake for a little while. Emma was going to make certain she got to take advantage too.

Emma stood up too and followed Regina to the door, turning back to glance at Henry who was in the process of blowing out the nearest large candle to his bed. When she turned back again she found that Regina had done the same and that they were now face to face again in Henry's doorway. The brunette smiled and turned away again leaving Emma momentarily stunned. She was not used to seeing Regina smile so warmly. She had probably only seen it a couple of times before and that had been when the brunette was trying to straighten herself out for Henry. Then it had all gone to hell again when Emma had let that stupid dream catcher convince her that Regina had killed Archie, even though her gut feeling strongly went against it.

"Thank you" Regina spoke up after Emma had finally moved out of the doorway and closed the door to Henry's room; leaving them in the deserted corridor.

"For what?"

Emma was confused. As far as she was aware the only thing she had done was rescue her own parents. Although she had saved the enchanted forest from evil in the process but it didn't seem likely that Regina would just start randomly thanking her for that.

"For asking me to stay here tonight" Regina replied softly, "for giving me the chance to be one of his moms again."

Emma felt her heart wrench again as she watched silent tears fall down the brunette's cheeks. Regina tilted her head and tried to wipe them away with her thumbs but to no avail. When that didn't work then the brunette resorted to laughing lightly to try and hide the obvious embarrassment she was feeling. Emma knew she wasn't in the habit of making public displays of emotion or weakness, in fact Emma had only seen her cry a couple of times and all of them over Henry.

"You are one of his moms Regina" Emma stated, "you're the woman that raised him and he loves you."

Regina smiled through her tears and nodded. The kind words only seemed to make her tears fall faster though and Emma found herself taking an involuntary step towards the brunette and then another. She had very rarely initiated physical contact with Regina and when she had it had been to punch her, pin her against a wall in anger and hold a knife to her neck so she wasn't really sure if anything would be welcomed. Apparently she was in an adventurous mood though because she dared to try and comfort the brunette by placing her hands against either bicep and grasping lightly. The brunette stilled and looked directly into Emma's eyes. There was surprise there and a little bit of fear but then there was a light smile.

"I'm glad we are all back together again" Emma continued, letting her thumbs gently massage the muscles of Regina's upper arm. Regina's eyebrow's twitched at the words and there was a look of resigned disbelief.

"Seriously" chuckled at the other woman's doubt, "I'm so serious I'm actually gonna hug you."

This drew a small laugh from the brunette but she didn't move backwards are make any attempt to escape. Emma stepped forward to draw her into a light hug when suddenly there was a terrible loud bang and the floor and walls shook violently knocking both of them off their feet. Emma landed ungracefully on top of the other woman but before she could even think of trying to climb off her the floor shook again violently and there was the sound of cracking stone. Emma knew what was coming, part of the wall was going to cave in so she kept her body over the brunette's and wrapped her arms around the back of her own head to try and protect it from falling debris.


	2. Not in Kansas

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 2: Not in Kansas**

Emma cringed as the debris from the castle wall fell all around them and on top of them. Luckily the stone was fine and seemed to be doing little damage other than covering her in dust. When it finally seemed to stop falling she tried to push herself up and off Regina only to find she was still being held in place by the other woman's hands. Somewhere during the rain of stone and dust the brunette had placed her hands on the back Emma's head too, doubly protecting the blond from injury.

Registering Emma's movement the brunette dropped her hands back down to her sides. Emma knelt up and pulled Regina into sitting position. She was disorientated from all that had just happened, so disorientated she didn't even register that she was technically straddling the older woman's lap.

"Henry" Regina suddenly cried out, breaking Emma from her confusion and nearly catapulting the blond of her.

"Oh god" Emma reacted instantly. She jumped to her feet and pulled Regina up with her, not even bothering to release the woman's hand as she threw the door open to Henry's bedroom. What she saw in front of her made her freeze with horror. The bed was empty and the wall in front of them was mostly missing. It was like somebody had pulled it down as none of the rubble was in the room itself.

"Henry" Regina called out into the empty room. The brunette was obviously praying that he was hiding somewhere and was safe. There was no response, Henry was gone. Regina's grip on Emma's hand tightened to an uncomfortable level and Emma turned to try and calm the brunette but before she could say another word something hairy and airborne slammed into them and knocked them of their feet again.

They both landed on the floor with Emma partly on top of the brunette again. This time they hit the ground so hard Regina groaned in pain at the blonde's weight crashing down onto her. Emma rolled off instantly trying to get a look at what had attacked them as it flew away and out of the gaping hole in the wall. What she saw seemed impossible…but then again they were in the enchanted forest and fairy tales were true. There was no longer such a thing as impossible.

"What the hell was that?" Regina groaned as she sat up alongside Emma; holding her chest like she had had the wind knocked out of her.

"It was a flucking monkey!" Emma exclaimed, the shock of what she had seen causing her to slur her words together.

"Pardon?" Regina raised her eyebrows as the two of them clambered to their feet for the second time in the last minute.

"It was a Fu… a flying monkey" Emma explained, deciding against using any profanities. Regina looked at Emma in horror and then turned her attention back to the hole in the wall.

"Well that is not good" the brunette deadpanned.

Regina made her way towards the hole in the wall and stood at the edge, looking out over the Charming's palace gardens and the enchanted forest. There was no sign of Henry or any more flying monkeys Emma followed and stood alongside the brunette, watching her intently and waiting for an explanation. Regina looked out over the view for another few seconds before turning back to the blond. It dawned on her that Emma didn't know what was going on.

"Flying monkeys come from the land of Oz" the brunette explained. "They were controlled by the Wicked Witch of the West."

Emma opened her mouth to speak but then closed it. It was an action she repeated several times as the words settled in and her thoughts swam around her head. _Henry had been kidnapped by flying monkeys. Henry had been kidnapped by fling monkeys. Henry had_….

"But she's dead…" Emma shouted out as the part about the Wicked Witch of the West sank in.

"Yes well it's not in any of the stories but she had a daughter" Regina admitted, nervously running her fingers through her hair. "I'm guessing she's pretty grown up by now."

"Oh shit" Emma cursed. They were facing the wrath of a grieving daughter….and she had their son. Nothing about that could be good especially as Emma had no idea how they were meant to track flying monkeys. _How the hell were they meant to find Henry?_

"Emma" Regina mumbled her name. It was so quiet it was virtually inaudible but Emma did hear it. She looked up to find Regina staring at her with wide and tearful eyes. The brunette was having the same emotional battle as Emma and the blond reached out and grasped her elbow trying to anchor her somehow. Regina grasped at her elbow in return and the two stood, eyes locked, until suddenly there was a loud interruption.

"Emma!" the blonde's mother, Snow White, cried out as she, Charming, Neil, Hook and several other people piled into the room.

"Dad, mom!" Emma turned towards her parents as Regina released her hold of Emma's elbow. "We think the Wicked Witch of the West's daughter has taken Henry!"

Emma glanced towards Henrys other mother to find that the brunette had turned to look out of the gaping hole again, trying to regain some composure before dealing with everyone else. Emma still hadn't released the brunette's elbow and Regina returned the grasp yet again as she took several deep calming breaths. Her fingers dug uncomfortably into Emma's elbow but the blond ignored the pain. Right now the contact was anchoring them both and preventing either or both of them from having a panic induced melt down.

"What happened?" Charming spoke up: his eyes bright with concern. The onlookers, including Ruby and the Dwarfs, all peered from behind her parents and Emma felt her mouth go dry. _This could not be happening._

"We were in the corridor and then suddenly there was a loud bang and the castle shook" Regina replied to his question, finally turning to face the crowd of onlookers. The older woman released Emma's elbow and dropped her hands to her sides as she spoke.

"Yeah we felt it" Hook spoke up. "It shook the whole palace pretty bad."

"Yeah well" Emma continued the story, "when we got back in here Henry was gone and there was a crazy flying monkey."

There were several gasps when Emma mentioned the flying monkeys and everyone gapped even more at the pair of them who still stood on the very edge of the floor by were the wall was missing. No one seemed to be offering up and practical solutions or ideas, not even Regina and Emma felt a little bit like just throwing herself off the edge. As tempting as it was it would not save Henry.

"She'll have taken him back through the portal" the voice of a young girl called out from behind the crowd of onlookers. They all parted and turned to see who had spoken and Emma found herself being pulled by Regina towards the voice. It was indeed a young girl, no more than fourteen years old, with long brown hair that was pulled back into two plats. She wore a knee length blue dress with a white undershirt. The look felt strangely familiar to Emma.

"What portal?" Regina asked briskly, too concerned about finding Henry to be polite apparently; "And who the hell are you?"

The girl was a good few inches smaller than Regina but she looked up at the brunette who was leaning imposingly over her with very little sign of being afraid.

"My name is Dorothy Gale" the young girl said confidently. Regina straightened up and turned back to Emma, her eyes wide in surprise. The blond felt as surprised by the news as Henry's other mother looked and she was even more surprised at the fact Regina was caught off guard by the revelation.

"I thought if I followed her through the portal it would take me home" Dorothy continued, "but that's now what happened."

"No…this definitely isn't Kansas" Emma remarked dryly. This was turning out to be another very bad and very strange day.

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**This is a shorter chapter than those to come but it would have been massive if I had tried to put 2 and 3 together so I had to compromise! Thanks for the feedback! Keep it coming x**


	3. The Strongest Bond

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 3: The Strongest Bond**

Dorothy had informed them that she could lead them back to the portal so Emma had ran into her room and thrown her own clothes back on in record timing. When she appeared back in the corridor she found that Regina had somehow magically changed into black leather pants, boots and a long black jacket. It was a strange mix of the modern world Emma knew and the fairy tale costumes. The outfit was a hell of a lot more practical than the purple dress the brunette had previously been sporting though. Snow appeared a few seconds later dressed in trousers and a fur coat and one of the servants had bought them two leather backpacks with leftovers from the feast and hides containing water.

"Are you ready?" the young girl asked.

"Lead the way" Emma replied instantly. She knew that the longer they waited the more they fell behind the creatures they were chasing.

The walk through the Enchanted Forest was spent in relative silence. Dorothy led the way and Emma and Regina walked side by side behind her with Charming, Snow, Hook and Neil following them. Emma occasionally glanced across to the brunette but Regina had her head down and was ploughing forward and didn't seem to notice. Finally they could see a dim and unnatural light up ahead that Emma guessed must be the portal Dorothy was speaking of.

"It's just ahead in the clearing" the girl called back to them. Regina's pace sped up even more and Emma had to jog to keep up with the brunette as she overtook Dorothy.

They reached the clearing the girl mentioned and stopped. The portal was straight ahead of them above a flat rock, not dissimilar to a grave stone. It was small, only the size of a large dinner plate and emitting a strange shimmering blue light. They stared to move forward again and Regina knelt down in front of the stone and began to read the inscription on it.

"The witch took my dog Toto" Dorothy turned towards Emma, looking at her with pleading eyes.

"We'll try to find him back too" Emma promised. She knew that Henry loved dogs so with a bit of look the two would be together when they found him. The dog was hardly a priority but Emma felt like she owed the girl the leading them to the portal so she had to try.

"My friends are all waiting along the road; they are spying for the Wizard of Oz" the girl continued.

"Spying?" Charming chirped up from behind them. He had taken the words right out of Emma's mouth.

"Oz is going to send a great army to raise the castle to the ground and destroy the witch" Dorothy explained, "they will have left yesterday so you will only be a few hours ahead of them on the road."

Emma felt her whole body tense. If they didn't get to the witch's castle first then Henry was likely to be killed as collateral damage. There was no time to lose.

"Once we get through the portal do you know how to get to the witches castle?" Emma quizzed the young girl.

"The portal leads to a verge on the side of the yellow brick road" Dorothy informed her. "You have to follow the road west…which is to the right when you arrive on the other side."

Emma heard the word 'you' and gave the girl a quizzical look. It sounded like she had no intention of coming with them even if she wanted her dog back badly.

"Aren't you coming with us?" she asked, making sure she'd interpreted the girl's words correctly.

"She can't" Regina finally spoke up. "Only two of us can go through this damn thing."

"What?" everyone chimed in at the same time. Emma stepped around Dorothy and knelt down next to Henry's other mom.

"What does it say Regina?" she asked, trying to read the scrawled inscription herself but failing miserably.

"That from the enchanted forest to Oz only two may pass through the portal" Regina summarised. "Oh and it says that they can only activate the portal by placing their entwined hands against it and sharing a kiss. A kiss of two with the strongest bond. Two who are entwined by fate."

Regina turned her head and looked at the blond as she spoke. Emma felt her jaw drop and her chest tighten. How the hell were they meant to chase their son to another land through a portal that they couldn't access?

"It's okay Emma" Charming placed his hand on her shoulder. "Your mother and I will go get him."

Regina jumped to her feet nearly knocking both Emma and Charming over. Emma could tell that the brunette's frustration was just about to boil over into rage. Clambering to her feet she tried to think of a way to placate the brunette.

"How about no" Regina shouted straight into Charming's face. "I will be going to get my own son."

Emma cleared her throat to try to grab the older woman's attention and the brunette swung around to look at her. She threw her hands up in the air in a mixture of apology and frustration.

"We…" Regina wildly gestured between the two of them. "We will be going to find OUR son."

Emma hoped that Regina could back that bold statement up with a plan but instead all the two of them received was a disdainful and rather unhelpful laugh from her father.

"Sure okay" he declared. "Go ahead and kiss your true love then and off you go."

Emma groaned and grabbed Regina's waist, hauling the brunette back towards her before she had a chance to try and rip Charming's throat off. Emma loved her father but that kind of comment was far from helpful. She wished everyone would just shut up and let her think because something about the inscription seemed odd to her and she couldn't quite place it. Not with all the bickering and noise that was going on around her.

"Unless you think you know a spell that will convince that portal that you and Emma are each other's true love I think you may just have to accept the grandparents are going Queen" Hook offered up.

It wasn't that Emma didn't trust her parents, of course she did. It just didn't feel right that they should go when it was her and Regina's son. _Why the hell did everything in the enchanted forest and magic only work with loves true kiss? Then again…that's not what the inscription said._

"It doesn't say anything about true love" Emma verbalised her thoughts in the hope everyone would stop bickering for a minute. "Please just shut up for a second and let me think."

Emma released Regina from her grasp and the older woman turned to face her, the brunette's expression was one of frustration but she remained silent as Emma had requested. Emma rubbed her face with her hands, desperately trying to reason through the swirl of thoughts that had overtaken her. The inscription didn't say true love it only said the kiss of two people who share the strongest bond. A bond didn't have to mean love. People had bonds for all sorts of different reasons. Suddenly everything clicked into place.

"Regina kiss me" she instructed the brunette.

"Pardon?" Regina's eyebrow's nearly lifted straight of her head they raised that high. It was obvious Emma was going to have to try and explain before the brunette agreed to lip lock with her but then if the position was reversed then Emma would need a bloody good explanation too.

"It doesn't say true love's kiss" the blond gestured towards the stone as she spoke; "It says the kiss of the two with the strongest bond."

Regina continued to look blankly at her and when Emma looked past the brunette and towards the others it was clear that no one was following her train of thought. In fact they all looked like they thought she had lost her mind. Perhaps she had.

"Emma I really don't see where you are going with this" Snow was the first to raise her concerns which wasn't a surprise considering her and Regina's history. Emma took a deep breath and pushed on with her explanation.

"Love is great and all I'm sure but tell me, what bond is even greater than that?" she directed the question at Snow.

"A mother and her child" Snow replied, a smile warm smile breaking out on her face. Emma nodded and turned back towards Regina who was looking at her quizzically.

"Henry's our child and we are doing this for him" Emma reasoned. "It may be a reluctant bond but it is an unbreakable one and fate has certainly thrown us together."

Regina smiled at the word reluctant but there was a look of dawning on the brunette's face. She could now see were Emma was going with all this. The older woman's gaze dropped to the ground and Emma waited for her to say something. When Regina didn't look up or speak for several seconds Emma pushed on again. She was aware that it was awkward and embarrassing but it had to be worth a try.

"Look at me Regina" she coaxed the brunette by placing her hand under the dipped chin and raising her head. Regina looked straight into her eyes and smiled lightly again. "Do you want to save Henry?"

Regina reached up and grasped Emma's hand. For a second Emma though she was being pushed away but then the brunette entwined their fingers and drew their entwined hands towards the portal. Emma gasped when their joined hands pressed against the light. It was a strange tingling feeling that spread throughout her body. It wasn't unpleasant exactly, just weird and slightly ticklish.

"You know this is going to be embarrassing if it doesn't work right?" Regina tried to quip as they locked eyes.

Emma ignored the comment and lent in slightly, slowly closing the distance inch by inch. She knew everyone else would expect her to be repelled by the idea of kissing the brunette with her once being the evil queen and that wasn't the feeling she was getting. She was nervous; so nervous she could feel the muscles in her neck twitch and her mouth went dry. She involuntarily felt her tongue dart out to try and wet her dry lips and the brunette's eyes dropped to her mouth. Suddenly the distance had completely vanished and Regina's lips were on hers in a firm but gentle kiss. The brunette's lips moved against hers and Emma felt the older woman's free hand entwine in her hair. It had been Regina, the one who had seemed reluctant, who had closed the final distance and started the kiss.

They had only been kissing for the briefest of moments when Emma felt the energy of the portal soar and the light around them became a hell of a lot better. Before Emma had a chance to register what was happening she felt herself and the brunette being pulled rather roughly into the portal and the world started to rapidly spin.


	4. On the Right Path

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 4: On the Right Path**

The spinning of the portal was so violent that when they were cast out of the other side Emma found herself and Regina tumbling unceremoniously towards the floor. The blond manage to twist them so that she landed on her back in what was thankfully quite soft moss and Regina landed sprawled out on top of her. Emma backpack bounced across the moss and a few feet away from them.

The brunette pushed herself up onto her elbows so her weight was no longer completely on Emma but didn't move any further. Emma's head was spinning from their journey and from the way the brunette was blinking rapidly so was hers. Finally the brunette's gaze settled on Emma and the blond couldn't help but smirk. The brunette shook her head.

"Don't look so smug" Regina grumbled causing Emma to just smile more. Regina chuckled in response and her body was still pressed close enough to Emma for the blond to feel the vibrations from the laugh down the length of her body.

"Just say thank you" Emma chided.

"Why?" Regina deadpanned. "It really wasn't that good a kiss."

Emma rolled her eyes at the brunette's remark. If it wasn't for the fact that Regina had a slight smile playing across her lips Emma would have been seriously offended rather than just the slight offence she was currently feeling.

"I didn't exactly have much time to impress did I before we got sucked through the portal" Emma retorted. "Anyway I was referring to my act as the human cushion."

Regina glanced down the space between them and chuckled again before rolling off the blond and sitting up. Emma sat too and began dusting the pieces of moss that had stuck to her coat off as best she could.

"Well let's just call it two to one" Regina replied as she watched Emma struggle. "I think you'll find I've been under you twice already today dear."

Emma heard the words and instantly raised her eyebrows. She had no idea if Regina had meant the innuendo or not but there was certainly one there. The brunette just raised one eyebrow back at her and smirked before mouthing the word _'what' _at her. Emma was stumped for words as the other woman stood up and reached out her hand. The blond grasped the offered hand was pulled to her feet. Even though she had been in several altercations with the brunette before she had forgotten how physically strong she actually was. She'd discovered it for the first time when the brunette had punched her outside the Mills family tomb in Storybrooke.

"Well we are in the right place" Regina broke the silence as she gazed over the blonds shoulder. Emma turned to look at whatever the older woman had seen. Just a few metres away over the other side of the small clearing there was a glittering road.

"One yellow brick road" Regina stated; before heading towards it. Emma picked up her backpack and followed along behind her until the brunette stepped onto the road and stopped. Emma stopped alongside her and surveyed what lay ahead of them if they turned right. The road led through quite dense woodland, the area closest to them seemed fairly similar to the enchanted forest. However the land had a slight incline and she could see that up ahead there was an area of even denser woodland, so dense it looked like it would virtually cut out all natural light.

"Do you think this road leads us all the way to the Wicked Witch's Castle?" Emma asked the brunette. Dorothy had said to follow the road but that had been her only instruction.

"Well if we walk far enough we shall sometime come to someplace" Regina replied; her voice dropping an octave compared to its usual tome. "Let's hope that someplace contains our son."

"And Toto" Emma added playfully as they began to walk side by side along the road.

"And Toto" Regina agreed dryly; casting Emma a cursory glance just to make sure the blond knew that she found the idea of rescuing a dog ridiculous.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I've just realised that it's light here" Emma broke the comfortable silence they had been walking in. "It was night time in the enchanted forest."

"You've just noticed?" Regina exclaimed; her tone more shocked than unkind. "Emma we have been walking for over an hour!"

"Shut up" the blond grumbled. She'd been too distracted by her thoughts of saving Henry to really pay attention to what time of day it was. It was only when she had thought about how long it would take them to reach that eerie bit of forest and considered that it may be nightfall by then that it had dawned on her.

Regina smirked at the childish retort but either chose not to or couldn't be bothered responding. Back before the curse had been lifted and Regina was just the Mayor of Storybrooke then Emma would have expected a seething comment as part of the course. A lot had changed since then. They were no longer warring over Henry but battling together for him and Emma was no longer Regina's employee. They were equals…well in theory anyway. The Saviour and the 'Evil' Queen; what a fairy tale their story would make.

"Have you ever been here before?" Emma was genuinely curious but she was really just asking to keep some conversation going. She liked silence but not for such an extended period of time.

"No" Regina monosyllabically replied. It was hardly the start of a lengthy conversation so Emma tried a different tact.

"So there is no one here who you have offended other than the Wicked Witches Daughter then?"

The blonde's voice held enough mirth for Regina to understand that although it was a question there was no malice in it. If anything there was just acceptance of the past for what it was….the past. Emma was all for living in the present.

"Not that I know of" Regina sighed, her voice resigned. "I've offended a lot of people though so I suppose one of them could have come from Oz."

Emma snorted in a completely un-lady like way before chuckling at the brunette's words. Regina glanced sideways at her and the brunette's face broke out into a smile.

"I'm glad you find my remorse amusing Miss Swan" Regina shook her head as she spoke but her tone was light. Emma couldn't help but smile again at the word 'remorse'. She had never heard the brunette use the word before, not in that context anyway. In Neverland the older woman had told Pan that she felt no regrets because her actions had brought her Henry. Regret and remorse were two different things. They may not seem in definition that far apart but in reality they were very different. Emma had learnt a lot about both in her lifetime.

"I find you amusing" she finally replied, making an active decision to keep the mood light and not delve into history.

"Thank you…I think" Regina replied with some confusion.

Emma wasn't used to having the other woman on the back foot. In the past she would have instantly moved to capitalise on her advantage but at some point down the line those urges had drifted away. It had started when Regina had helped bring Snow and herself back from the Enchanted Forest. No perhaps it had been even earlier, perhaps it had been the moment the curse had lifted and Regina had pleaded with Henry to believe that she did love him. She wasn't really sure when it had started but she could pin point the moment she had completely wanted the animosity to stop. It had been the day that Henry had been snatched and taken to Neverland. Regina had willingly sacrificed herself in the mine to give the others a chance of escape. When Emma had realised her plan and tried to talk her out of it the brunette had said something that had resounded within Emma and touched her deeply. The brunette had virtually begged to let her 'die as Regina'. It was in that moment that Emma had known that there really could be a way back from all the darkness that had plagued the brunette's heart for all those years.

"Emma are you okay?" Regina's concerned voice broke the blonde's reverie and Emma whipped her head to the right to look at the other woman.

"Sorry I was lost in thought" Emma admitted. Her response seemed to satisfy the brunette as she didn't pry any further.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They had been walking for another couple of hours when Emma felt a shift in the forest around them. The umbrella of branches seemed to tighten and darken the way ahead and the air was thick with something Emma couldn't place. It felt worse than unpleasant. This was obviously the black bit of forest she had earlier seen on the horizon.

"Suddenly I have the creeps" Emma voiced her concerns.

"What?" Regina replied without even turning to look the blonde's way. Emma could tell that she was not the only one to suddenly feel on edge as Regina's earlier relaxed posture had vanished and a wave of tension seemed to role from the older woman.

"We seemed to have passed from normal woodland into…somewhere else….creepier!" Emma exclaimed. Regina came to a halt and looked around their surroundings and Emma found herself doing the same.

"It's an enchanted forest" Regina muttered, "and not the good kind…there is dark magical energy everywhere."

Emma may have spent most of her life in a world were these things were considered tall tales to entertain children but even she knew that this was not good. The forest emanated danger and the blond worried what effect a build-up of magical energy may have on Regina especially as the older woman had avoided using it apart from out of necessity for the past year or so. Would it be like waving crack cocaine under the nose of a former addict?

"Are you okay?" she asked the brunette as evenly as she could. She didn't want to sound like she was making an accusation because although she was concerned she did also have faith in Regina. A fact her parents would no doubt still not approve of.

"Yeah I'm fine" Regina responded calmly, "but your right this place is creepy."

Emma tried to much her growing nerves down again and reminded herself that they were following this path to find Henry. She began walking again and Regina fell into step alongside her but the brunette was like a hawk looking constantly side to side. It did little to quell the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of Emma's stomach.

They had moved another couple of hundred metres down the road when the sound of snapping undergrowth somewhere of the left of them made them both halt.

"What was that?" Emma asked as the sound repeated again but this time much closer.

There was another loud snap and suddenly movement in front of them. Emma felt herself being pulled back against the brunette and away from the side of the road. The area lit up at the same time to reveal a sizable male lion staring at them.

"Hey hey hey hey careful" the beast spoke up, lifting one of his front paws up like he was surrendering. "I won't harm you."

Emma looked back at Regina to gauge her reaction to find that the source of bright light had come from a large flame the older woman had conjured in her hand. It was no wonder the lion had stopped in its tracks as the brunette's fight instinct had obviously kicked in and she was about to flame grill him. The light suddenly went out again as the brunette relaxed and the road fell into the dull state it had been prior to the arrival of the creature.

"You're the lion" Emma found herself saying involuntarily even though it was rather obvious. "You are an actual talking lion."

"Do I know you?" The beast asked in confusion. Its deep voice reverberated around them but not in a threatening manner. It reminded Emma of the lion from the Tales of Narnia series she had seen as a child.

"No but we know Dorothy" she managed to reply despite her shock at the animals existence. "She told us the way to the Witch's castle so we can find our son."

"And Toto" Regina added sarcastically from behind the blond.

"And Toto" Emma agreed, glancing back at her companion to smirk at her.

The lion looked between the two of them and after a few brief moments of silence he nodded and stepped closer to them so he was now stood on the road with them. Emma was enthralled by the way his hair airily bounced as he moved, it was like something from a hair product advert.

"Well this isn't a place you want to be travelling through especially when it gets dark" the lion informed them matter of factly.

"And why is that?" Regina asked, finally releasing her grip of Emma's backpack. The blond didn't bother to move away from the brunette even though they were so close that the back of Emma's right shoulder was pressed against the front of the other woman's left shoulder. The contact was comforting considering the current turn of events.

"The dark forest has a spell cast over it" the lion explained wearily. "Here it is nearly impossible to tell what danger is real and what danger is in your own head."

"That doesn't sound good" Regina stated flatly, "but it we have little choice but to go on."

Emma turned her head to look at the brunette and their eyes both contained the same steely determination. If this was the path to their son then this was the path they were taking.

The lion cleared its throat and they turned their attention back to him. The beast seemed to be standing far taller and far more proud than before.

"Courage my friends" he declared bravely, "I will guide you through the forest."

The lion began to move down the yellow brick road and after one more glance at each other the two women began to follow. Emma couldn't help but smile at the lion's words as, despite her poor knowledge of fairy tales, she did know that the lion in the Wizard of Oz wanted the gift of courage. It seemed that he had in fact found it. She only hoped her own courage held out in this creepy creepy place.


	5. Dark Dreams

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Chapter 5: Dark Dreams**

They had been walking for what felt like hours and Emma no longer had any idea of what time of day it was. The light from the outside world just didn't seem to penetrate the cover of trees and the forest just emitted an eerie white glow the entire time so it was never completely dark but not quite light either. It wasn't just the light that was eerie though it was the noises or at sometimes the lack of them.

As a general rule for forest seemed to be totally silent and without bird song or any of the normal noises you'd associate with woodland. The air was completely still so there wasn't even the sound of wind rushing through the leaves. Occasionally though Emma could here rustling in the forest to either side of them giving her the distinct impression they were not alone.

"I think something is watching us" she uttered quietly to the brunette who was walking alongside her. Regina's eyes darted towards the tree line to the right of them and she nodded in agreement. The two had somehow drifted so close to each other that their shoulders bumped occasionally as they walked. Normally such close proximity to someone would irk Emma but in a place like this there was safety in numbers.

"You must remember that nothing in this forest of any danger will venture onto the road itself" the lion spoke up from a few yards in front of them. Emma had been quiet and another person would never have heard her from that kind of distance away but obviously the beast's sense of hearing was greater than theirs. His heightened senses were a quality Emma was glad of in a travel companion in this time and place.

"So if we stick to the road then we are safe?" she asked. It sounded far too simple, there had to be a catch and sure enough the Lion provided one.

"Yes" he agreed, "but the forest will try to trick you to lore you of the road. You must always be vigilant."

Emma thought back to his earlier words about it being hard to tell what threat was real and what threat wasn't. If she understood him right then they could possibly see things on the road that would try to scare them into the forest. She certainly wasn't about to go in there of her own free will.

The lion silently marched on and Emma turned her attention back to her travel partner. In some ways she was glad that only the two of them could undertake the rescue. Having the others increased their skill set and of course there was always strength in numbers but in Neverland they had all bickered constantly. It had been tiresome to say the least and at times a hindrance.

There was no other pairing more suitable to rescue Henry than his two moms and not just because they were bound through Henry but because in a strange way they complimented each other. Anytime they had worked together and not against each other it had been surprisingly successful. They balanced each other out and complimented each other in ways that Emma didn't really understand. The fairy tales would claim it was a balance of good and evil, black and white but in reality it was nowhere near that simple. They met in the middle in a shade of grey. Emma had always been able to temper Regina's fire and Regina had always been able to draw the strength out of Emma to take that extra uncomfortable step. They also both had a sort of connected magic which complimented each other. Emma had given it some thought before and had theorised that somehow the original curse had linked them in some kind of way that she couldn't quite understand. She had always intended to ask Rumple about it one day but sadly that was no longer an option.

Emma heard the woman she had been analysing take a deep sigh to the side of her and the blonde glanced her way. Regina was also deep in thought but Emma could see that she was upset. She'd seen that look several times, most notably when Henry was stuck down the mine with Archie. It was a teary wide eyed look that always caught Emma off guard because of the intensity of the emotion. With Regina emotion that was usually hidden behind thick walls.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked cautiously. She knew full well that the walls may erect again quickly if questioned.

"Henry" Regina replied honestly, her expression still raw; "I've only just got to be with him again Emma…"

Emma grasped at the other woman's hand which was only inches away from her own and gave it a slight squeeze. The brunette looked surprised by the contact but squeezed back before Emma released her.

"I know" the blond tried to sooth away both their fears. "Soon Regina…we'll all be together again soon."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Emma had no idea what time it was but considering they had been awake all day in the Enchanted Forest before walking all day in Oz she was sure they had been awake for at least 40 hours without sleep. It was starting to take its toll on her as her eyes stung, her head felt foggy and her limbs felt heavy and weak. She was too tired to even feel spooked out by the forest any more even though she could hear faint noises again.

She threw a glance to her right to see if she could spot anything moving and was surprised to find that there was a small clearing by them, or at least an area with no dense underbrush. There was still a thick canopy above them. She was just about to look away when she saw something that made her crash to a halt.

"Is that?" she asked. Taking a step towards the edge of the road and squinting through the clearing. She couldn't see them now but she was convinced she had seen a woman peering out from behind a tree; a woman who had been dressed in green with long red hair.

"What?" Regina asked, stepping behind Emma and looking over the blonde's shoulder.

"There was a woman just over there in that clearing" Emma stated, pointing in the direction of the tree she had been peering around.

"I can't see anyone" Regina replied as she took another step to draw alongside Emma. Emma noted the look of concern on the brunette's face but she knew she wasn't seeing things. The woman had been there.

"She was there I swear" Emma said firmly, "she might need our help."

The lion had said it was unsafe to stray off the yellow brick road so if this woman had gone into the forest then she was in danger. Perhaps it had been the sight of the lion coming that had scared her and made her hide.

"Look there she is!" Emma exclaimed as the woman peered out from behind the tree again. This time it was in full sight of Regina as well so the older woman would know she wasn't going mad.

The red haired woman looked terrified and beckoned with her hand towards them. Emma took another step but before she could step of the road and into the clearing she was pulled back so firmly that she stumbled backwards and into a sitting position on the floor. Emma turned to protest to find that Regina had been the one to grab her and still retained a death grip on her shoulder.

"Be gone" the lion roared across the clearing as he reached the two women. Emma glanced back into the forest to see that the red haired woman had vanished again.

"It's a dryad" Regina said by way of an explanation as she knelt down in front of the blond and grasped both shoulders. Emma found herself staring into chocolate eyes. The last time they had been this close whilst vertical they had been leaning in to kiss by the portal.

"A what?" Emma asked the older woman, still slightly dazed after being ripped off her feet.

"Dryad…They are tree nymphs who use their beauty to lure their victims in. A trick usually used on horny men and not one I'd have expect to work on you!" Regina chuckled at her own comment, drawing a scowl from the blond.

"I can appreciate when something is beautiful" Emma muttered under her breath as she dropped eye contact with the older woman. The words had not escaped Regina's ears though and the brunette raised a suggestive eyebrow which only caused Emma to blush when she glanced back up at her.

"The forest trying to lore me off the path?" Emma awkwardly surmised as she looked away from the brunette's intense gaze again. Trust her to be caught out by something she thought she had to rescue not something she had to fear. That was dodgy 'Charming' DNA passed down from her parents for sure.

"You obviously have hero written all over you…saviour" Regina quipped, her words echoing Emma's thoughts. The brunette stood and unceremoniously pulled Emma up using the straps of the bag over her shoulders.

"Saviour yourself" Emma pointed out dryly as she dusted herself off after being on the floor. Then it dawned on her that despite her own embarrassment a good deed should not go unrecognised.

"I'm presuming you just saved my life so thank you" she added; drawing a smile and even a slight colouring of the cheeks from the former Mayor of Storybrooke.

"We should stop and rest now" the lion suddenly spoke up causing the two women to jump slightly. Emma had certainly forgotten his presence whilst she had been eyeball to eyeball with the brunette.

"How quickly will a day's advantage evaporate if we are on foot and Oz's men are on horseback?" Emma asked wearily. They were on a time frame here and if they didn't get to the castle first they may no longer have a son to rescue.

"Quickly" the lion admitted, "but the army will have set up camp before the dark forest for tonight. You must rest even if just for a short while or forest will play on your exhaustion."

Emma looked to Regina who had remained quiet since the lion had begun to speak. The brunette looked weary and tired too but was obviously as reluctant to stop as Emma. She glanced into the forest and sighed before nodding her ascent. It was agreed. They would try and rest a while.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_A small but surprisingly strong hand gripped her throat and Emma's eyes flew open. The hand pressed tight and the blond couldn't draw breath. Flashes of green and red moved before her eyes as she tried to focus and fight off her assailant but she couldn't move her hands…they were pinned above her head. She tried to kick free but their weight was straddling her and forcing her down. Nothing she could do was shifting whoever was above her and she was running out of time. She was chocking and her head was spinning and then she saw the face of her attacker….it was the face of the enchanting red head she had seen in the clearing…_

"_Emma!" she heard her name but it was so far away. Was someone coming to help her?_

Suddenly the grasp around her throat loosened and Emma launched up at the woman hovering above her. Now her hands seemed to be free she grasped at the figure looming over her and swung them round so she was now on top.

"Emma it's me" a familiar but raspy voice ripped through her consciousness as the blonde realised that the person she was harshly pinning to the ground was brunette and not the red haired dryad. She released her rough grip of the woman's neck and buckled, collapsing on top of Regina and she gasped for breath.

"It was just a dream" she heard the other woman murmur softly in her ear as gentle hands stroked through her hair. "Emma breathe….I think you are having a panic attack."

Emma tried to focus on anything but the nightmare she had just been having. All she had to ground her was the rise and fall of the chest below her and the hands scraping across her scalp. Never in a million years would she have imagined being rescued from a nightmare by Regina Mills AKA the Evil Queen although she had imagined chocking her a few times over the last couple of years.

"Jesus Regina I am so sorry" she managed to choke out she finally managed to take a deep breath and oxygen filled her lungs. "I thought you were strangling me."

Emma rolled of the older woman and onto her back as she tried to explain but she was still too breathless. She closed her eyes and pressed one of her palms against her chest to try and sooth the ache she felt there. When she opened them again she found that the brunette was leaning over her again but this time more cautiously.

"You dreamed I was strangling you?" Regina asked; her voice deep and quiet. Emma could just about make out a flicker of hurt in the older woman's eyes through the curtain of her own blond hair that had fallen over her face as she'd rolled onto her back.

"No it was that goddamn Dryad" Emma assured the brunette; "but then I woke up with you leaning over me and it's dark and I was disorientated."

Regina made a relieved grunting noise and surprised the blond by reaching down and moving the curls that had sprawled across her face. The tips of the brunette's fingers brushed lightly across Emma's cheek bone in the process and the blondes eyes fluttered involuntarily shut at the contact. She opened them again when the contact was gone to find that the brunette was sitting upright again and no longer leaning over her.

"It's this place" Regina stated disdainfully before softening again at the guilty look on the blondes face. "It's okay Em it wasn't your fault."

Emma understood that it was the effect of the forest, she really did, but it didn't prevent her feeling guilty still. It was a good job that Regina had a commanding voice or Emma may have snapped back into reality seconds later and really hurt the other woman. She sat up and stretched out, feeling all the muscles of her back and neck creak after spending a couple of hours asleep on solid bricks. Once she'd stretched Emma was handed a water container from the brunette who was rustling around their packs.

"We should get moving again" a deep voice suddenly reverberated making Emma jump again. She'd forgotten the lion was there after her panicked wake up and suddenly wondered what he had made of the theatrics that had just occurred. "It is dangerous to linger in one place more than a couple of hours."

With that the lion rose to its feet and began to walk again leaving no room for argument. Not that Emma had any intention of arguing, she would be glad to reach the end of this god forsaken forest. So she scrambled to her feet, still grasping her water, threw her own backpack on and another long day of walking began again.


	6. True Courage

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Chapter 6: True Courage**

The two women and the lion had been on the move for a short time after waking and although Emma had calmed since her nightmare it was impossible to totally relax in the current environment. As they had the day before, Regina and Emma walked side by side with the lion leading the way in silence.

It wasn't an uncomfortable silence between them and Emma had been so lost in her swirling thoughts that she had barely noticed. She was currently deep in thought about being awoken from her nightmare by the brunette. She had given some consideration to the fact that Regina had been kind and understanding about the dream but it was the brunette's words from a year ago that seemed to repeat again and again. When Pan had been in Henry's body and had asked Regina to keep him safe to trick her into taking him to the vault Emma had felt that something was wrong. When she had tried to explain to Regina the brunette made a remark about having soothed Henry's nightmares for ten years.

It had seemed inconsequential until now but Emma was starting to see a new side to the older woman. She had seen the 'mother'; that occasion had been one of many, and Emma was used to seeing the softer side of the brunette emerging for Henry. When Regina had awoken her from the dream Emma had seen that softer side too albeit she had accidently nearly choked her for it. It made her wonder what her world would look like if Regina was there to sooth her nightmares and chase away her demon's every night.

It was a weird train of thought to be on, especially considering their rather shaky history. Times were changing though and they were now on solid ground with a shared goal….to make Henry happy. It was also now out there, thanks to the portal, that they were fated in that bond. They had kissed. It had been for a purpose not pleasure…but they had kissed and suddenly it felt like it changed everything. Emma just wasn't sure what exactly that change meant and to where it was leading them.

Just as Emma was beginning to wonder what the blank faced brunette was thinking and feeling there was a strange blaring sound from behind them. It sounded from a great distance away but echoed and rippled down the road like a gust of wind.

"Is that a horn?" the blond asked.

"Yes, the army must have just entered the forest" the Lion replied, slowing to walk alongside them. "The horn is to warn off mystical creatures."

"Then we are not very far ahead" Regina bluntly stated, throwing the blond a frustrated look as they continued to walk.

They had been walking for less than an hour since Emma had awoken from her nightmare. That time added to the five hours or so they had walked the day before gave them a paltry 6 hours advantage on the army at best. Emma wasn't a great expert on the movement of armies but she knew that horses were quicker at walking than humans. It meant that in around half a day their advantage would be gone. Emma wasn't sure of the distance to the witch's castle but she was under no illusion that it was within a twelve hour walk.

"Is there any way of speeding this up?" she asked the brunette. Emma was all too aware of the problems with using magic, especially in the dark forest of all places but there was an element of desperation kicking in. What price would they have to pay to bend time and get to Henry sooner?

"I don't know where I'm going so I can't just magic us there or I would have done that the second we landed in an unceremonious pile on this side of the portal" the irked brunette replied. Emma tilted her head and looked at the older woman disapprovingly. A simple no would have sufficed but then she it wouldn't be Regina if she didn't snipe at something occasionally.

"There is a short cut" the Lion cut into what had become a staring match between the two women; "but it involves going in there."

The beast stopped and turned to face the dark expanse of forest to the women's left. Emma and Regina stopped next to him and followed his gaze. The blond was sure she had heard the lion correctly but part of her needed to clarify. He had told them after all that it was incredibly dangerous to stray from the road.

"In there?" she asked, pointing into what looked suspiciously like an abyss.

"The road curves around part of the forest" the lion explained, "If we cut through the dark forest you can meet the road later on in the meadow."

Emma had to admit that sounded promising but if it was only going to cut minutes of the journey time then it would not be worth it. They did have to be alive to save Henry.

"How much time will that save?" she asked the beast, wondering if he had taken a similar route before. He had appeared out of the forest when they first met him so he obviously wasn't too scared of venturing of the road. He however was a quick and strong lion and they were two human beings.

"Three or four hours" the lion responded quickly.

"Then we take the short cut" Regina declared. The brunette was already on the move towards the undergrowth when the lion spoke again.

"There are great dangers in there, you do understand that?" he asked, his question directed at both of them even though Regina now had her back to him.

The brunette stopped and turned back towards Emma and looked her straight in the eyes. Emma could see a familiar steely determination there, a look she'd seen many times on the older woman's face during their time in Neverland. Regina would go in to that forest with or without the others if it meant getting to Henry faster but for a three hour short cut that wasn't an issue as Emma was all in for joining her. She continued to look back at the brunette, determined eyes focused on determined eyes, as she informed the lion of their decision.

"We take the short cut."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They had walked and walked for a couple of hours and Emma was back to being as on edge as she had been on waking after her nightmare. The whole atmosphere of the dark forest unnerved her and gave her a constant chill down her spine. It wasn't one thing in particular but a mixture of the constant dark, the eerie silence and the feeling of permanently being watched. Regina, who still walked in step alongside her, was silent but seemingly calm. Every time Emma looked at the brunette she seemed to be looking straight ahead and marching on. She on the other hand couldn't stop looking from side to side and front to back into the surrounding woodland.

They were meant to be staying as quite as possible and stealthily making their way across the forest without attracting any unwanted attention; so every time Emma stood on something that crunched or cracked she felt herself involuntarily jump slightly.

Finally they stopped by a large oak tree that stood next to a small pool of water, supplied by a spring trickling out of some rocks.

"The water is safe here" the lion stated quietly.

The two women took of their packs and filled their virtually empty water skins. They were travelling light with only one water container each and some scraps of bread and meatloaf from the feast. There was enough food to tide them by but they had been limited on water and Emma's mouth was incredibly dry. Emma gulped down several mouthfuls before topping the skin back up again and placing it back in her bag. As she placed it on her shoulders again the lion stepped next to her and drank from the pool.

As the lion was drinking the ground shook lightly, causing even the beast to jerk its head up and look around. When there was no further tremor the lion lowered its head to the pool again but Emma was not about to let her guard down.

"Okay I am pretty scared right now" she whispered quietly. Emma wasn't in the mood to care about sounding childish; she just really needed one of the two travel companions to distract her.

"I read somewhere once that true courage is in facing danger even when you are afraid" Regina stated, her voice low.

"Are you calling me courageous?" Emma latched onto the brunette's words and tried to make a joke out of them. Humour was meant to help in times like this right? Regina turned to look at Emma and a small smirk formed on the older woman's face.

"Of course you are" Regina replied, her tone dry. "You are the saviour after all."

Emma groaned at the use of the 'S' word as Regina herself had once referred to it as in Neverland. The blond doubted she'd ever get comfortable hearing people referring to her as such. She didn't feel much like a 'saviour' now; she was virtually quaking in her boots. She wondered if the brunette felt the same.

"Are you?" Emma dared to ask, her tone shaky.

"Afraid?" Emma clarified her question when the brunette looked back at her with a knitted brow and look of confusion. Once the word was out Regina's face turned to recognition and the older woman sighed.

"Of course I am Emma" she replied seriously, "because despite everyone's perception of me I am not completely inhuman."

Emma felt the remark like a sucker punch but she didn't have time to react or try to come up with something remotely intelligent or heartfelt to say as the Lion suddenly silenced them.

"Quiet" the beast commanded with its voice dangerously low.

Suddenly to the left of them there was a loud cracking sound and the ground shuck again slightly. The noise had come from a distance away but it was still threatening.

"What is it?" Emma whispered towards the brunette, relieved to see that she was now not the only one on edge. Regina was stood rigidly alongside her and facing out in the direction the sound had come from. Her eyes darted across the trees in search of a clue to explain the noise. Then they heard it again but this time it seemed closer.

"Something big" Regina said mysteriously from alongside her. The blond found that the inches that had separated the two of them had vanished and they were now shoulder to shoulder but she had no recollection of whether it had been her or Regina to close the gap.

There was another load crack and a kind of guttural groan that sounded like nothing Emma had ever heard before. It sounded pretty goddamn scary and the second Emma felt Regina's had grab her wrist she knew there was real danger.

"Emma…run" the older woman instructed, virtually dragging the first couple of paces until Emma's brain caught up and her legs began to move of their own accord. The two of them started falling slightly behind the bounding lion who was leading the way.

"Regina?" she called out as she tried to keep up with the brunette who had a surprising turn of speed on her. She really wanted to know what kind of danger they were in.

"If it is so important to know what we are running from" Regina managed to force out between panting as they moved, stumbling and crashing into undergrowth as they went. "It's a Troll."

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Emma's limbs hurt so much it felt like she had been running for hours but in reality it had been ten minutes. No amount of pain in her calves was going to slow her down though as they could still hear the loud cracks behind them.

"Keep running you are nearly at the edge of the forest" the lion called as he suddenly broke away from the pair and turned back. Emma wondered what an earth he was doing but she didn't want to slow and loose Regina who was still managing to stay a couple of metres ahead of her. There was fearsome roar from behind them and Emma realised that he was trying to scare or slow the Troll's. She hoped the brave creature was okay and would not get hurt for trying to help them.

Another few metres and she realised that the forest was thinning suddenly and that they must be near the edge. She glanced back to see if the lion was following them again but could see nothing.

"Stop!" she suddenly heard the brunette cry from just in front of her and Emma turned her head to face forward again and panicked. Regina had come to a crashing halt because they were at the edge of a cliff. Emma tried to slam on but the momentum carried her forward and she tried to throw herself backwards. It sent her body feet first skidding across the loose stones and over the edge of the cliff.

She slammed her eyes shut expecting the worst when suddenly she felt her whole upper body being jerked back into something warm. She wasn't falling. She was dangling dangerously over the edge and her legs where against the cold rock of the cliff side but she wasn't falling. Regina had managed to grab her as she skidded past and the older woman had an arm wrapped around her and under her arms. Emma looked up at the brunette in shock as she pulled Emma back onto the cliff side, using a tree by the edge to find some purchase with her free hand.

They both ended up lying on their backs alongside each other just inches away from the cliff; both gasping for the air that had been in short supply when they were running.

"Urgh my back" the brunette groaned through raspy breaths.

Emma knew that for Regina to have stopped her falling like that she must have put real strain on herself physically with no guarantee that she wasn't going to just end up tumbling over the edge with her. It had been incredibly brave. Regina had saved her life before but in a more indirect way and always through magic. This had been a physical act of saving just Emma and it touched and shocked the blond deeply. Things really were changing.

"You saved me" she gasped, feeling the need to try and verbalise the myriad of thoughts swimming through her head. To emphasise her words Emma grasped out with the hand nearest the other woman and took Regina's hand in her own.

"Well it would be pretty difficult for us to rescue our son if you were a pile of broken bones at the bottom of that ravine" the brunette pointed out as she rolled onto her side to face Emma. Even though she had moved position the brunette didn't release Emma's hand and the blond was in no rush to break the contact.

"Once upon a time you'd have pushed me off the edge so you could have YOUR son all to yourself" Emma chuckled in response. The brunette pushed herself up onto her elbow so she was looking down at Emma and quirked an eyebrow.

"Why don't you just say thank you or I may still be tempted?" she threw back, slipping easily into the little game they seemed to have perfected since Emma's arrival in Storybrooke. The difference now though was that there was no malice. Once upon a time Emma would have taken the threat seriously, now she was too busy admiring the attractive smirk on the former Mayor's face to even worry about it.

"Thank you" Emma finally replied, deciding that a serious sign of gratitude was more required than more banter between them. Her voice betrayed a little of what she was feeling though and instead of it sounding like a simple thank you the words tumbled out deeper and raspier than she expected. She could probably claim that it was because she was breathless, dehydrated and her mouth was dry but then that wouldn't explain the tension that seemed to suddenly thicken the air around them. It didn't explain why they were frozen in place and looking deeply into each other's eyes. It didn't explain the emotion Emma saw in the chocolate eyes hovering above her.

"Are you both okay?" the lions voice suddenly broke them from their trance and Regina sat up, pulling Emma up with her and releasing the blonde's hand.

Emma nodded and ran her eyes over the beast as she stood up. She was relieved to see he looked unharmed and whatever he had done back in the forest had caused him no obvious injury. Whilst she had been giving the lion the once over Regina had opened up her back pack and handed Emma a water skin. The blond took several large mouthfuls of needed liquid before handing it back to the older woman who also drank from the same skin.

"There are steps cut into the rock and a bridge" the lion instructed as the brunette drank. "Once you are across the river keep walking west through the meadow. You should meet the road again in several hours."

"You're not coming with us?" Emma asked as his words sank in. It wasn't like the lion was great company, he barely spoke, but at least he knew where he was going and he had been kind to them.

"No, but you may meet my other friends along the way" the Lion assured her. "I am going to draw that Troll towards the army on the forest road…it may buy you more time."

"Thank you so much" Emma reached out and stroked the lion's mane. The beast leant its head into the contact like you'd expect a house cat too and it made Emma smile. She couldn't wait to tell Henry about this when they found him; he was going to be so excited to hear about them meeting the courageous talking lion.

"I wish you luck finding your son" the noble beast said before turning away and bounding back off into the forest.


	7. Bickering Some Sense

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 7: Bickering Some Sense**

The climb down the steps of the ravine had been torturous especially after the long sprint through the forest. Regina had grunted and groaned her way down the steps, the brunette's aching back clearly giving her some discomfort. Emma had managed the climb with less protest even though she had several and bruises and scrapes from her dice with death at the edge of the cliff. They had been walking for at least two hours since making the decent and crossing the river and the blond truly ached.

At least they were no longer walking in a permanent eerie darkness. They were now crossing what seemed to be continuous grasslands. Emma looked around and all she could see was an endless amount of green grass and blue sky. There wasn't a yellow brick in sight but the lion had said it was a long walk across country to meet the road again.

The long walk was taking place in searing heat. Even in the dark of the forest it had been quite warm but out in the exposed meadow it was roasting. Both women had stuffed their coats into their packs after the climb down the ravine and Emma was sweating even though she only wore jeans and a vest top. Even Regina was visibly sweating and her normally perfect hair was dishevelled. The brunette had rolled the sleeves of the white tunic shirt she was wearing up to her elbows and it was no longer neatly tucked into her leather pants.

"This is a little more pleasant than that forest" Emma decided to break the silence and chat to the brunette. Regina had been quiet and contemplative since they had briefly slept and Emma longed to know what she was thinking. The blond was usually quite good at reading people and their emotions but Regina was a bit of a mystery. Emma liked that about the older woman because it had always kept her on her toes. On the other hand it made her difficult to gauge and at times put Emma on edge.

"It's still a little quiet for my liking" Regina answered after a long pause in which Emma had presumed her comment had gone unheard. The brunette's tone was less cordial than it had been for the rest of the journey. Emma should have taken it as a warning sign to leave the older woman in peace but for some unknown reason she was feeling a little agitated.

"You could try talking to me" she pushed; her tone more exasperated than it really needed to be. All this silence was starting to grate on her…_wasn't the brunette capable of small talk?_

Regina stopped suddenly and swung to face Emma.

"I'm focussing on finding my son" she snapped back at the blond. Emma took a step towards the infuriating woman. She felt like grabbing the brunette's shoulders and shaking her for reverting back to her early Storybrooke form.

"Our son" Emma emphasised the two words by waving her right hand in front of Regina's face. The brunette pushed her hand out of the way and closed the gap between them so they were nose to nose. This meant confrontation. For some reason they spent a lot of their verbal sparring matches completely in each other's personal space.

"Yes I can hardly forget that you are his birth mother now can I" Regina's words bit hard, "and the ten years I spent with him therefore count for nothing."

"That is not true Regina" Emma tried to placate the brunette, she had honestly only wanted to chat. "I want us to work together to give him the kind of happiness we have never had."

The brunette tensed up even more and inched impossibly closer. There had been times back in Storybrooke when Emma had thought the brunette may actually push her against something solid and kiss her during some of their disagreements. It had never happened but they had floated on the edge of it. Back then Emma had expected it may one day happen as a sort of overflow of anger displaced into passion and a need for control. In theory the blond would have never given the mayor that kind of advantage over her but in practise refusal may not have been that easy. In the end it had never been an issue she'd had to deal with and if it was to happen now…well they were in a different place both figuratively and literally...making it a whole different issue.

"What do you know about my life other than those one sided tales in that stupid story book" Regina snipped. Even though the tone irked Emma there was desperation in the brunette's eyes that prevented Emma trying to fight back. They were both tired and worried about Henry and they were both bound to lose their temper at some point along the way.

"Regina I didn't mean to offend you…I just…" Emma started to try and explain but then her words failed her as she saw something over Regina's shoulder. "Wow…"

"Wow what?" Regina asked irritably.

Emma pointed over the brunette's shoulder at the approaching figure that had stolen her attention. She would probably never get used to meeting all these story tale characters after living for 28 years in a very boring and normal land.

"Isn't that the Tin man?" she asked as Regina turned around to look. The brunette turned back to her and rolled her eyes.

"Well it's a man made of metal so yes I would presume so Miss Swan."

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They had been walking for absolutely hours and that was not just Emma being dramatic. She had never walked this far continuously in her whole life and she never wanted to again. Both herself and Regina were running out of water and had barely been able to eat due to the scorching heat. They were both tired and agitated and it seemed that every time either of them tried to talk to the other it just started an argument. So in the end they had stopped talking to each other and just stuck their heads down and kept walking. Luckily for Emma the Tin man was chattier than their previous guide and given her some source of conversation.

There were two positive things Emma kept reminding herself of and that was the fact that they were drawing closer to Henry and they had cut a considerable amount of time of their walk as according to the Tin man the road went around the edge of the meadow and not through it. This was apparently because of old tales of the meadow being magical and dangerous but their guide said he had seen no signs of any danger in his two weeks of occupying the area. Whatever the reason for the road's detour Emma was grateful for it as it restored some of their time advantage over the advancing army.

She was broken from her thoughts when Regina, who had fallen back in step with her a short while ago after lagging behind for a good couple of hours, suddenly stumbled. Emma grasped out at the brunette and managed to grab her arm, preventing her from falling flat on her face. The blond noted how her travel companion swayed briefly once she had regained her footing; it looked like Regina was dizzy. In truth they were both near the point of exhaustion.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked as she kept her hand wrapped about the older woman's elbow. Regina stabilised herself quickly and pulled her arm away.

"Why do you care?" Regina muttered irritably as she swung her pack from her shoulder and found her nearly empty water skin. The words stung Emma but she tried to keep her tone even as she replied even though the other woman was really starting to frustrate her.

"Regina I would have hoped by now that even though you may not understand why, you'd at least know I do care" the blond replied as calmly as she could muster. The brunette took a sip of water and began to place the skin back in her bag, avoiding eye contact with Emma. The blond stood and waited for an answer, her eyes fixed on the older woman. After a few awkward moments the brunette looked up and their eyes met.

"I think you care because Henry does" she admitted, "so therefore you have to at least try."

There was a hint of accusation in the brunette's voice but mainly she just sound defeated. Emma knew that Regina thought the only person in the world who cared about her was Henry but that was not the case…or certainly not anymore. Emma did care. In fact Emma cared so much she was finding it hard to understand those feelings. She could hardly tell the other woman that little titbit though, certainly not in the middle of a meadow in Oz whilst trying to rescue her son…and during what appeared to be another argument no less.

"That's not true" Emma replied weakly, frustrating herself with her inability to think of anything more meaningful to say. She put it down to the fact she was too tired to think that clearly.

"Isn't it?" Regina sighed. That seemed to be the end of the conversation as the older woman turned and started walking away towards the Tin man who had lingered a safe distance ahead. However the brunette had only taken a few steps before she suddenly turned back with a very serious look on her face.

"I'm still angry that you believed it was me that killed Archie" Regina stated. Emma was gobsmacked that Regina would even still be thinking about events that happened well over a year ago or that she would want to have this kind of talk now. The blond couldn't decide if the older woman just wanted to pick a fight or if suddenly she felt the need to crash through some of the barriers that had been erected between them. The likelihood was that this conversation would do both.

"Regina I didn't believe it" Emma reasoned, "It was just that stupid dream catcher that convinced me. How was I meant to know your mother was in town and switching form to frame you?"

She knew it was a pretty rubbish answer. She was basically saying _I saw in your eyes that you were innocent and then I trusted magic over my own better judgement ruining any attempts you had made at being a better person for Henry…but hey it's not my fault you have such a shitty evil parent._

"It's just…" the brunette stumbled awkwardly over her words in a way that Emma had never seen the usually calm collected woman do. "It's just that for a moment you seemed to really see me. Me not….not who or what other people see. You believed me and you trusted me enough to let me go home….and then…then you came to my door and took that all back."

Emma watched a myriad of emotions play across Regina's face in a mixture of trepidation and awe. She had come accustomed the brunette's business face, the one that remained oddly devoid of any emotion except irritation. The few times Emma had seen that guard go down she had been able to truly appreciate how beautiful the former Mayor was. It was not the right time to stand and admire the other woman though, not when her expression was rapidly changing from hurt to irritation again.

"I sat in my car and watched helplessly as you ruined all the progress I had made with Henry since the curse had lifted" Regina spoke bitterly. "I watched you sit with him on the bench and tell him I murdered someone he cared about!"

The hurt and intensity in the brunette's eyes was too much and Emma snapped her own eyes shut to escape the penetrating gaze. It had never crossed her mind that Regina may have lingered around and watched after the events of that day and the amount of pain it must have caused made Emma's heart feel like it was burning inside of her chest. She felt guilty and she felt sad but she was also irritated that she seemed to be getting the blame from the brunette not the other woman's crazy evil mother.

"Well if you were so keen to clear your name you should have stayed and convinced me rather than throwing me down the drive and disappearing into a cloud of smoke!" Emma decided to defend herself. She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth because she was just stirring the situation up. She should have just been honest and apologised for her error of judgement but something inside her stopped her. She was abnormally irritated and that irritation was irritating her even further.

"I thought I'd get lynched if I stayed" Regina's voice softened suddenly and Emma felt her chest constrict again. She found herself looking deep into two pools of brown again and suddenly they were no longer metres apart but inches apart. Only this time Regina hadn't moved; Emma had done so without thinking.

"I wouldn't have let that happen Regina."

The words floated out of Emma's mouth easily but the significance was still felt by both women. Emma was sure that if the brunette had pleaded her innocence with her and stayed that even back then Emma would have felt the need to protect her. She would have hunted night and day for the evidence to prove her innocence because somehow she'd always felt inextricably linked to the brunette. It's why she had protected her against the Wraith. Her promise to Henry had been about the angry townsfolk not hell sent hell bent mystical creatures. Then she had touched the other woman's arm and Jefferson's hat had soared into life. Somehow, in ways that Emma and even Regina couldn't understand, they were linked my magic. When you considered that they already shared a strong albeit reluctant link through Henry…well that was a lot of linkage.

"Regina neither of us is above criticism, I know that, so let's just bear with each other's faults."

She nearly added the words 'for Henry' at the end of that sentence but caught herself just on time. This conversation wasn't about Henry, it was about them. It was about their 'relationship' such as it was. It was a strange time and place to be having that type of conversation but now they had spoken of it Emma felt relieved. If they were ever to truly become a family then more of these conversations were needed.

"I'm sorry" Regina broke the oddly comfortable silence that had fallen between them. "I don't know where any of that came from."

Emma was about to try and explain why no apology was actually necessary when the Tin man called to them. Emma had briefly forgotten his presence and she blushed suddenly. Dorothy's friends must be wondering what the hell was going on with the two women. They had been up and down for virtually the whole time they had been in the Land of Oz.

"My log cabin is a little further across the meadow" the Tin man informed them. "I suggest you rest there for a little while before continuing."

"We need to find our son" Regina answered instantly. Emma could see that the brunette was frustrated with herself for wasting time arguing rather than walking.

"You can't help him if you are exhausted to the point of collapsing or killing each other" the Tin man looked at Regina pointedly. "You must rest….and eat."

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**Hope you are enjoying it so far and thanks to those who have already reviewed. Remember people…reviews make writers smile! Feedback is always appreciated!**


	8. Guided by Heart

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 8: Guided by Heart**

Emma felt like zombie by the time they reached the Tin man's hut. The wooden shack consisted of two small rooms, the first of which was a very basic living room and the second was a bedroom. It was hardly luxury and the bedroom consisted of rusty old single bed with a straw mattress and a blanket that resembled a sack. The Tin man had told the two women they could sleep in the bedroom when they were finished eating and he would stay in the living room.

The living room furniture consisted of a table and chair so Emma and Regina sat on the floor against one of the walls whilst they ate the last pieces of meatloaf. All that was left in their packs now was a couple of chunks of bread and the water skins they had finally managed to refill in a stream just a few yards away from the hut. Emma had never been so grateful to see water in her life especially as she had been able to wash in it quickly too.

The Tin man sat on the chair and used a small oil tin to lubricate his joints whilst the women ate. Emma mused that he seemed different than she had expected. In the film he had been obsessed with hearts and love yet he had spent hours just letting them bicker without any intervention. Something just didn't seem right…he seemed sad. Then again that could be because he'd had to listen to them bicker for hours.

"How did you know me?" the Tin man asked after they had eaten most of their food. "Did the Lion tell you about me? Or Dorothy?"

It was easy to forget, thought Emma; that she had heard lots of stories about the people of the magical realms and they had heard nothing of the world she had grown up in.

"Where I am from virtually everyone knows your story" Emma replied between her final mouthful's of meatloaf. "They know how Dorothy had to defeat the Wicked Witch so the Wizard Oz would send her home to Kansas. They know about the Lion's quest for courage, the Scarecrow's quest for brains and your quest for a heart."

The Tin man looked thoughtful at her words. It was amazing the amount of facial expressions he could muster for someone made of such a rigid material.

"Dorothy saved us from ourselves" he murmured quietly. Emma had been right with her earlier surmise; the Tin man was indeed sad about something.

"She saved everyone" he continued after a brief pause. "She removed a tyrant from her throne…a Queen with a frozen heart is not fit to rule a country. It is just a pity it could not be forever. It just signalled the return of the old witch's daughter and now her granddaughter. "

Emma felt the brunette alongside her tense at his words. The Tin man wasn't even aware of whom Regina was…or once was; he had meant no malice to her but Emma could tell the other woman had felt in keenly. All the blond could think to do was shift her leg to the side slightly to press against Regina's. The brunette had been so agitated all day that Emma knew she would not appreciate any verbal words of comfort. She was relieved when Regina allowed the contact and didn't shift away from it.

"So how does it feel to have found your heart?" Emma changed the topic to what she considered safer territory only to catch a glimpse of Regina rolling her eyes from the corner of her eye. It probably sounded like such a 'Charming' family thing to say.

"It felt wonderful" the tin man replied honestly, "but then I lost it again."

"Pardon?" Regina asked, suddenly involving herself in the conversation. Emma managed to bite back any comments about Regina having an interest in people's hearts which considering the day they had was quite an achievement.

"I think it must have been down to being alone again whilst here" the Tin man surmised, shrugging sadly. Emma found this highly unlikely. She knew from her own life experience that long periods of loneliness could force up walls and make you feel emotionally frosty but the Tin man had said he had been alone for only a couple of weeks. Emma didn't think that sounded anywhere near long enough for a heart to become frozen. No something much darker was at play here.

"I thought absence makes the heart grow fonder?" Regina aimed her dry question at the blond, catching Emma's gaze and blushing lightly. Emma wondered if it was wishful thinking to hope that the brunette meant she really had been missed over the course of the previous year. They were thoughts for later consideration and Emma turned her attention back to the current problem.

"I don't think you've lost your heart Tin man" she assured him. "I think this place is just supressing it using magic."

"You think that's why we can't control our tempers?"

Regina had followed Emma's line of thought seamlessly, or perhaps they had just arrived at the same place at the same time. It seemed a logical to Emma that if the dark forest was designed to test and eradicate enemies then every environment they passed through on the way to the Wicked Witches Castle would be the same.

"The timing certainly works" Emma continued her thoughts out loud. "It would explain why they would build the road around a seemingly danger free bit of greenery not through it."

Regina let out a deep breath before standing up. Emma gazed up at the other woman, disappointed at the sudden loss of the brunette's warm body alongside her own. Regina seemed to gaze sadly back down at her in a way that made Emma's heart flutter even despite the troublesome environment they were in. Regina may look more exhausted and dishevelled than Emma had ever seen her before but it took nothing away from how breath taking the brunette was.

"It would explain it yes" Regina agreed, her voice as sad as their metal guides had been. "I'm going to try and sleep."

Emma watched the older woman retire into the bedroom. Once the door had shut her mind started to race because she was not sure what Regina was thinking. Emma couldn't think of anything that she had said that would hurt Regina's feelings but the brunette had certainly seemed hurt. Emma found herself getting up too. Perhaps it was time to take a risk.

"I'm going to go to bed too so good night Tin man."

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Emma slowly pushed the door open and followed the brunette into the bedroom. Regina was sat on the edge of the bed staring at her hands which were cradled in her lap. Emma couldn't claim to know exactly what was going on in the older woman's mind but she knew the brunette was struggling in the negative environment of the meadow. It would be easy for Emma to try and keep out of the brunette's way for another few hours until they had got out of this hellish place but the fact of the matter was that Emma cared. Even if it meant another awkward discussion Emma wanted to be there to support the other woman.

"We are nearly at the end of the meadow" she tried to comfort Regina as she sat next to her on the bed, keeping a respectful distance away. "We'll feel a lot better once we are out of here."

Regina turned her hands over in her lap so that her palms were facing upward and sighed. Emma could feel the urge to ask what was so fascinating about her hands but now she understood the issue she found it much easier to fight the urge to be an idiot.

"I've been a monster all day" Regina finally looked up as she spoke. Her eyes flashed up to Emma's and then dropped back down to her lap just as quickly. It appeared to Emma that the brunette was a little embarrassed by her behaviour although it made little sense to the blond. The way they were feeling couldn't be helped. It wasn't like Regina had tried to hurt her or anything, things had just been tense.

"We both have" Emma stated. Regina's eyes snapped back up to Emma's and the older woman snorted. The action and sound surprised Emma.

"No, you have been a little irritable…I have been a monster" the brunette corrected with a self-derogatory tone; "but then what can you expect right? Evil Queen."

_So that's what all this sulking was about_ Emma thought. Regina was upset that it was affecting her more than Emma and that somehow she would be judged poorly for it. It was almost laughable considering Emma had been so affected the Land of Oz this morning that she had nearly choked the other woman…and she was meant to be the saviour…a beacon of light.

"Regina different things effect different people in different ways" Emma tried to put her thoughts into words. "I would never have got through that forest without you…we just have…complementary strengths."

Emma was no wordsmith and her attempt at an explanation had only partly got her point across. She certainly hadn't made her point eloquently.

"I don't think our friend the Tin man would think of my frozen heart as strength dear" Regina chuckled bitterly as she began mapping her hands again with her eyes.

Emma hadn't realised the Tin man's words had hit quite that hard. The blond didn't think of Regina as being 'frozen hearted'. In fact she had always felt that the brunette's problem was that she felt too much and tried too hard to lock all those feelings inside. A frozen heart would never feel anger so passionately. Anger was an emotion after all.

"Your heart is not frozen" Emma informed the other woman; her voice firm and unwavering. "I see the way you love Henry Regina."

"A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others" the brunette snapped back instantly. "Henry was brought up by me; he's conditioned to love me."

"That's nonsense" Emma replied instantly, reaching out to grasp one of the brunette's hands in her own and squeezing it firmly.

_Is that what Regina really thought? That Henry only forgave her after the curse and gave her his love because he felt he had to?_

Their son wasn't a robot. He wasn't programmable. He'd proven that when he'd come to Boston to find Emma. He was his own intelligent person and he wanted to be family with Regina because he loved her. He wasn't the only one that wanted to be near the brunette. Emma wanted to be a family because she loved Regina too.

The last thought hit Emma like a truck. _Oh god did she love the brunette? Was that the conflicting swirl of emotions she had been feeling throughout their acquaintance? _

"Is it?" Regina's soft voice broke the silence that had suddenly fallen upon them. "It can be so easy to fall into darkness Emma but so hard to find your way back."

Emma had been staring at the wall opposite them, hand in hand with the brunette, until she heard the other woman's emotional confession. She turned her head to look at Regina even though she was a little taken back by her own silent revelations. The look in the brunette's eyes made Emma stopped breathing. It was the most open and emotional Emma had ever seen the former mayor. It reminded her of the way Regina had looked at her when Henry was stuck down the mine with Archie and they had come to a temporary peace to save his life…only it was even more intense. The older woman was tearing herself apart.

"I believe in you" Emma said breathlessly; her chest so tight it felt like she had ran a marathon. Her heart pounded in her chest and Emma felt the need to press her free hand above it to try and ease the feeling there. Instead she found herself doing something completely different.

Emma shifted from her position next to the brunette, keeping her grasp of the woman's hand as she sat in the woman's lap…effectively straddling her. The brunette looked up at her with a mixture of confusion and something else…something that softened the brunette's features.

Emma had no plan. She just needed to show Regina that everything was going to be okay. Emma needed to show Regina that she was cared for and even loved. She needed Regina to see that Emma understood the darkness in her but saw and believed in the good too. Emma had an idea…but she wasn't sure if it was a very good one. She reached her hand out and laid her palm flat against Regina's chest above her heart.

"Em?" the brunette chocked out, her voice barely above a whisper. "What are you doing?"

Emma was awash with emotions. The brunette's vulnerability which was being portrayed in her voice and eyes did something to Emma that she couldn't quite quantify or explain. It was a feeling like no other she had before. Then there was the racing of the other's woman's heart and ragged breathing that Emma could feel against her palm. They upper bodies were only inches apart and they were again virtually nose to nose. Emma could feel the heat radiating of the other woman and into her, seeping bone deep inside her. To top it all off the brunette had called her 'Em'. The shortened version of her name was like a term of endearment from the brunette's lips and it showed that Regina was not hostile to whatever Emma was doing to her or she'd have referred to her as Miss Swan. Or if she was really unimpressed she would have just catapulted her onto the floor and cursed her.

"I believe in you" the blond repeated gently. "Do you believe in me?"

Emma found her own conviction wavering as she hovered above the brunette. Perhaps what she was about to do was a really bad idea? Just as she was really starting to doubt herself Regina placed her free hand on Emma's shoulder and looked deep into the blondes eyes.

"Yes" the brunette rasped quietly as she covered Emma's hand with her own.

Emma closed her eyes as she allowed the brunette to guide her hand into the other woman's chest. It was an incredibly odd and intimate sensation. The beat of Regina's heart became stronger and stronger until Emma could quite literally feel the organ against her hand. She gently wrapped her hand around it and eased it towards herself and out of the brunette's body.

She heard the brunette gasp as Emma felt her hand and the heart pass from with Regina's body to the small space between them. Regina instantly slid her hand down from on top of Emma's and lightly grasped the blonde's wrist. Emma opened her eyes to find that the other woman's were closed tight shut.

Emma dropped her gaze from the brunette's face to their hands were the other woman's heart sat in Emma's palm. She hadn't been 100% sure what to expect but what she saw pleased her. Regina's heart was of course blackened, she had expected that. However the blackness only covered slightly less than half the surface of the brunette's heart and the rest was red. Obviously the brunette was further on the road to recovery than she realised.

"Open your eyes" she instructed the brunette, eager for the other woman to see what she was seeing. However the former Mayor did not follow the instruction, nor did she speak. Instead Emma felt the brunette shake lightly underneath her.

"Regina" she commanded the other woman more firmly. This time the older woman opened her eyes and gazed at Emma before gradually letting her eyes drift down to the heart in the blonde's grasp. When the brunette's gaze reached the organ she visibly startled and let out a loud gasp. Emma felt a smile spread across her own features at the contented look that suddenly passed across the brunette's features. Emma had made her point.

"I think you are doing pretty well at finding your way back."

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**Don't worry this continues straight on into the next chapter….**


	9. Resting the Soul

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 9: Resting the Soul**

"_I think you are doing pretty well at finding your way back." _

Emma couldn't move, couldn't breathe. All she could think and feel was the woman sat underneath her and the beating of the brunette's heart in her hand. Slowly she found herself tipping forward slightly and resting her forehead against Regina's. They sat like that for several seconds; hand in hand, breaths intermingling and the heart beating in-between their chests. The fingers of Regina's other hand played lightly against the back of Emma's neck. It was all incredibly intimate and the blond was reluctant to break the moment but she couldn't hold the brunette's heart forever.

"I'm going to put this back in your chest before I do something uncoordinated and accidently kill you" she said softly.

The brunette chuckled lightly and nodded ever so slightly so their foreheads rubbed together. Emma didn't want to break contact with the other woman so she continued to rest her head against Regina as she aligned the heart in the right place and pressed it gently back into Regina's chest, letting her senses guide her. The brunette gasped and tensed slightly as the heard passed back inside her but then relaxed instantly when Emma removed her hand and lifted it to entwine in the brunette's hair.

"Thank you Emma" Regina whispered, her breath playing across the blonde's cheek and the corner of her mouth.

Emma's heart hammered uncomfortably hard in her chest and she pressed in closer again so that the pair where now flush against each other. She dipped her head slightly and nuzzled the brunette's jaw and down her cheek. Regina's skin was as smooth and flawless as it looked and felt wonderful against her own skin.

"You're so beautiful" she whispered to the brunette as she nuzzled closer and closer towards the other woman's lips. Her words or her actions drew a light gasp from Regina and the older woman's fingers grasped more firmly at the base of her scalp.

It was all a sensory overload and Emma felt that if she didn't give in to it and kiss the brunette very soon her chest would explode. So she nuzzled closer still so that the tip of her nose ran over the corner of Regina's lips, seeking permission.

"Emma" the brunette gasped out her name; her voice thick with emotion, want and need. At the sound of Regina's voice the blond was powerless to do anything other than tilt her head that final couple of centre metres and press their lips together.

It felt like an explosion…and they were barely kissing.

Emma brushed her lips against the brunette's slowly and softly as she released her hand and brought hers up to rest against the other woman's flawless cheek. The kiss was incredibly slow and gentle at first, gradually deepening from the brushing of lips to soft open mouthed kisses. The brunette's other hand reached around Emma's back and grasped at the material of her vest top. The desperation behind the other woman's hold pressed Emma deeper into the kiss and she ran her tongue languidly across Regina's lower lip.

The brunette moaned into the kiss as Emma swept her tongue against her lower lip again before tracing it up and across Regina's top lip, stopping at her scar to trace it with her tongue. She made a mental note to herself to ask about its origins at some point as it was the only visible flaw on the brunette's skin. Regina moaned again at the intimate action and pressed Emma impossibly closer, finally taking the lead in the kiss as she slid her tongue into the blondes welcoming mouth.

The kiss remained slow and exploratory as they languidly explored each other's mouths. Tongues ran across each other, teeth nipped at lower lips, mouth's moved against each other and sucked on tongues and lips. Emma had no idea how long they had been kissing but it was long enough for her to feel totally breathless and light headed.

Emma finally had to break away for oxygen but the brunette continued her exploration by using the hand that was entwined in the blonde's hair to tilt Emma's neck back and trailing a line of hot wet kisses down her neck.

"Oh god" Emma groaned as Regina's lips grazed across her pulse point. She could feel the other woman smile against her neck at the sound and she focussed her attention on the sensitive spot. Regina kissed the pulse point again and again, and then nipped at it before soothing the spot again with her tongue.

Emma grasped at the back of the brunette's head, fingers digging into her scalp, as she tried not to moan too loudly. She was still vaguely aware that the Tin man was sat awake in the next door room and all that separated them was a thin wooden wall.

Regina's lips went on the move again and kissed lower over Emma's collarbone and down onto the top of her chest, tracing her tongue along the border between bare skin and that which was covered by her vest top. Emma gasped loudly again but the gasp was silenced by the brunette's lips crashing into her own again but this time with more passion.

Regina's hands dropped from Emma's neck, reaching lower to the base of Emma's back and creeping under the blondes vest top and stroking the soft skin there. Both women moaned at the contact and broke the kiss to look deep into each other's eyes. Emma could see the desire in the brunette's chocolate eyes and she knew her own eyes would be mirroring the look. However, no matter how much they desired to go further they were meant to be catching a couple of hours sleep before rescuing their son.

"We should sleep" Emma gasped out. Her words caused the brunette's brow to furrow in disappointment so Emma tried to explain. "Trust me I really want to do this but we need rest…we're both exhausted."

The brunette's expression relaxed again and she smiled. Emma loved it when the other woman genuinely smiled; it made her feel like she was soaring; especially now it was directed at her.

The brunette closed the distance between them again and kissed her. The kiss had lost none of its passion and Emma found herself slipping back into it without protest. It was brief but rather than pulling away completely again the brunette started dropping wet kisses around Emma's mouth and jaw. Emma had never thought Regina would be capable of such affection yet she could feel the other woman smile in each kiss.

"Mmmmmm…we…will…rest" the brunette moaned between kisses along her jaw. "Just not yet…let's just think of this…as rest for my soul."

Emma had exhausted all her resistance just trying to be sensible so she had no intention, nor was capable, of resisting the brunette when she was being so goddamn loving.

Releasing the brunette's head she slid her hands down to the hem of her vest top and began to creep it up her body. When Regina, who was still occupying herself with kissing the blonde's face, realised what she was doing the brunette's hands joined Emma's at the hem and helped pull the vest top of in one fluid movement.

The top was flung to the side somewhere and her bra removed hastily, joining the vest top on the floor somewhere. Regina sat back slightly on the bed using her hands for support, running an appreciative eye over Emma's now exposed top half.

"So beautiful," the brunette stated softly before sitting partially up again. Her mouth instantly sought out Emma's breasts and she kissed the soft pale skin that had been revealed to her before darting her tongue out and tracing it across the skin and over her nipple. Emma arched back at the intimate contact and she was grateful for the arm that Regina had snuck around her back to prevent her toppling backwards and off the brunette's lap.

Emma buried her hands in Regina's hair again as the other woman continued her ministrations; interchanging between kissing, sucking and nipping at Emma's right breast before swapping to the other and repeating the process. The blond couldn't remember ever feeling so turned on before and Regina hadn't ventured any lower than her chest yet. The build-up of fire at the pit of her stomach was nearly enough to be deemed uncomfortable and every single little thing the brunette did with her mouth seemed to cause another burst of heat.

Emma dropped her hands down to the woman's white tunic shirt and tugged, hoping the other woman would stop long enough for Emma to at least even the level of nakedness between them. Regina nipped one last time at the blonde's hard nipple before complying.

Once the shirt was removed Emma set about the task of removing the material strapping around the brunette's chest. Bras obviously didn't exist in the Enchanted Forest and Emma supposed that a corset wasn't the right attire for a hike through Oz. It made the task of getting the other woman's top half completely exposed quite awkward though and Emma fumbled helplessly for several seconds before finally removing the material and shoving it of the slim bed.

The second she finished she found herself being pulled straight back into a kiss that conveyed so much longing from the brunette. There naked chests pressed together and Emma hummed appreciatively into the kiss at the molten heat that seemed to radiate across their connected skin. They should have done this so much earlier instead of wasting months scrapping with each other and trying to get one over on the other.

"I need you" Regina rasped as they broke away for oxygen. Emma heard the words and felt them touch her very soul. It was like the words entered her chest and wrapped around her heart just as she had literally done to the brunette minutes before.

Regina tried to stand up but she was pinned under Emma's weight so the blond climbed of her lap and pulled the brunette to stand up with her. In unison they both reached for each other's pants and Regina started to unbutton Emma's jeans as she started to pull the other woman's fitted pants down and over her thighs. They were so lost in passion that it was an uncoordinated mess. Their hands got in each other's way and they found themselves kissing again but somehow they managed to make it work and remove each other's pants, underwear and shoes without falling in a heap on the floor.

Totally unclothed they broke the kiss again briefly to admire the other but it was for the briefest of moments before Regina guided Emma down onto the bed so she was lying on her back with the brunette completely on top of her. It was possibly the most uncomfortable bed Emma had ever lain in but she barely noticed it as the brunette began kissing her again and rolling her hips against the blonde's.

The full skin to skin contact and the movement of the brunette's body against her own was driving Emma utterly insane. If she had thought she was as turned on as she possibly could be before then she had been mistaken because her body had just found a new gear of desire. As that desire cursed through her she grasped at the brunettes shoulder, digging her nails in more than she had intended too. The sharp pain only seemed to fan the fires even more between them and Regina's right hand suddenly went on a torturous slow journey down her body, nails scraping as it went, over her breasts, down her sides, across her hip, over her clitoris, through the hot wetness that had pooled in her folds and finally inside Emma's core.

The blonde's hips rose of the bed and her head fell back, cradled against the single pillow, as the brunette stroked two fingers inside her. Emma could hear moans emanating from her own lips but had no control over them as the brunette began pumping her fingers at a slow but firm rhythm. The blond had to force her eyes open and when she did she found Regina gazing down at her, eyes glazed dark with desire. It occurred to Emma that this was meant to be soothing the brunette's soul not her own yet she seemed to be getting all the attention. It was something she needed to rectify.

The blond used her left arm to bury her hand in Regina's hair again and pulled her down into a kiss as the other woman maintained her fingers blissful rhythm inside of her. She snaked her other hand down between their bodies and circled the brunette's bundle of nerves with her finger causing Regina to buck against the thigh she was straddling and thrust a little harder into Emma. They both let out a guttural gasp and Emma repeated the movement, yielding the same reaction several times before she finally reached down and plunged two fingers inside Regina. The brunette's position over Emma's thigh was a fortuitous one as it gave Emma extra purchase to thrust up deep inside the other woman.

She matched the movements of the brunette thrust for thrust as they became harder and faster. The more desperate their thrusts became then the more insistent their mouths became as they kissed; lips and teeth clashing almost violently at the wave of pleasure they were both feeling until they were so close to the edge they could no longer keep the kiss up. The brunette buried her head into Emma's neck as her body tensed around the blonde's fingers and Emma felt herself slipping too. Somehow they managed to match rhythms right up until the end as they both roared over the edge of the abyss and into bliss.

They stayed collapsed against each other for a little while after their orgasms subsided, fingers still deep inside the other. Both women's chests heaved with the intensity of what they just felt Emma could feel Regina's heavy breaths against her neck.

Eventually, when her breathing had eased a little, the brunette pushed herself up slightly and kissed Emma softly on the lips. It was a sweet kiss and one that conveyed affection rather than the firey passion that had just gone before. During the soft kiss Regina gently slid her fingers from inside the blond and wiped them on the scratchy blanket that had been pushed aside and against the wall during their lovemaking.

Emma did the same and the older woman shifted on the small space available to them so that she was lying on her side next to the blond. She pulled the poor excuse of the blanket over them, coveting their modesty at least if the Tin man entered the room later to wake them.

"How does your soul feel now?" Emma asked a little tongue in cheek, as the brunette snuggled against her side and through her arm across the blonde's chest.

"My soul feels like it could go another ten rounds" the brunette chuckled as she traced patterns with her fingers across Emma's chest; "but unfortunately my body is far less willing."

Emma couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face. The moment was almost perfect and in fact would have been perfect if it wasn't for Henry currently being held prisoner. Once they had found Henry tomorrow though they could go home…well back to the Enchanted Forest anyway…and then this really could be perfect. They would be a family. A real happy and loving family.

"Good night 'Gina" she mumbled sleepily as her eyes started to drift closed of their own accord. She managed to find the energy to reach out and grasp the brunette's hand from her chest and entwine their fingers together. The brunette shifted slightly and cuddled even closer against her so that her legs were now wrapped with Emma's like vines. Emma mused that it was surprisingly comfortable considering she had never done this kind of bedtime cuddling before.

"Mmmmm goodnight" Regina mumbled sleepily; nuzzling her face against Emma's chest and placing an affectionate kiss just above the blonde's breast.

It was in that position, with hands and legs entwined that they both women dozed off almost instantly, their bodies greedily taking the limited chance to rest and plummeting them into a deep sleep.

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**I'm quite impressed that I wrote 5 pages of sexy times. Nothing like a bit of SwanQueen for inspiration right? I think I deserve reviews for my efforts! (pretty please) **


	10. The Morning After The Night Before

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 10: The Morning After The Night Before**

Emma was forced awake by an annoying knocking sound. It took her several seconds to break out of her warm cocooned state of sleep and remember she was in Oz and they needed to get up and rescue Henry. The warm, soft body that was pressed up against her shifted slightly and Regina groaned, burying her head further into Emma's neck. The blond was wondering if the brunette was regretting her decision to spend a quarter of the short time they had to sleep to 'rest her soul' instead.

"Getting up!" Emma shouted, hoping the Tin man would hear and desist with the racket. Her raised voice drew another groan from Regina before the brunette dragged herself up into a sitting position. Regina's hair was deliciously roused from sleep and their earlier activities. The brunette glanced sideways at the mess that was falling over her temple and cheek and tried to use her hands to comb through the bed hair and flatten it again. It was only partly successful but Emma appreciated the view it provided her of the other woman naked.

There was very little light pouring through the windows as it was only dawn but there was enough light for Emma to be able to see the curves and lines of Regina's body clearly. The brunette noticed Emma's eyes raking all over and smirked before dropping a quick kiss to the blonde's lips. Emma didn't get time to enjoy the kiss because as quick as Regina started it she had finished it and was climbing off the bed to retrieve her clothing. On any other day Emma would have moaned at the loss and drew the other woman back to bed but this day they needed to get moving and rescue their son so Emma rolled out of the bed and joined the brunette on her clothing search.

"Hey" Emma greeted softly as the brunette handed her jeans over. The blond felt the need to test the water between the two of them after such a momentous occasion. At least it was a momentous occasion for her and she hoped it was for Regina too.

"Hey" Regina replied, halting her attempts at getting dressed to place a reassuring soft kiss on Emma's lips. Two kisses in the space of a minute set Emma's mind at ease. They may both be emotionally dysfunctional when it came to others but apparently they were doing quite well at being emotionally dysfunctional together. Of course talking about it would be another matter no doubt but for now Emma was pleased that the brunette hadn't woke up and shut down again.

"So after we got through the portal you were unmoved by my kissing skills…what about now?" the blond couldn't resist asking as she clambered into her underwear and jeans. Regina chuckled at the blonde's cocky smile before pulling her in and kissing her briefly but deeply. It was the kind of kiss that left Emma in no doubt that the brunette enjoyed it.

Regina pulled away and smiled brightly before continuing to dress. The other woman's happy demeanour reminded Emma that they had ended up making love because of the bizarre 'couple's therapy' effect the meadow had had on them. Unlike the day and evening before Emma didn't feel irritable at all and Regina was practically skipping around the room. It had either been really REALLY great sex or something odd was going on.

"How do you feel?" Emma asked the brunette as they put their tops on and straightened their clothing out.

"Great actually" Regina admitted as they left the bed room and entered the living room.

The Tin man was stood in the open doorway of the hut looking out into the meadow. When he saw them enter he greeted them cheerfully.

"Good morning ladies" he waved his hand dramatically, causing the metal joints to creek loudly.

"You're…chipper" the blond mused. The metal man had been perfectly friendly the day before but had not been so bouncy. Perhaps he did much better on three hours of sleep than humans tended to do.

"I have my heart back" he declared, slamming his hand against his chest dramatically and making a loud clang. "I was a little perturbed by the fact you were in my bed but you activities seem to have broken whatever curse the Witch had over this land."

Regina coughed uncomfortably from behind her and Emma found herself blushing ferociously. They had forgotten to be quiet in all the excitement so it was obvious that he would have heard them. Emma just didn't expect him to come right out and say it.

"Oh….OH!" It suddenly dawned on her what the Tin man was also saying. _If they broke the curse through their actions then that meant something very significant didn't it? _

"Does that mean we shared true love's kiss?" she directed her question towards Regina.

She swung around to the brunette and smiled brightly. The feelings their night had released in her had made Emma giddy enough but the idea that they were somehow meant to be together was completely thrilling. She was obviously a true 'Charming' after all if the idea of true love made her so spectacularly happy.

"Who'd have thought?!" she continued to chuckle as she watched the brunette shift her weight awkwardly from foot to foot and her cheeks colour. Emma couldn't recall having ever seen the other woman blush and it was oddly endearing. She knew better than to comment though as Regina was obviously finding the situation overwhelming enough as it was. Emma decided to cut her some slack for now.

"We should probably get going" the Tin man broke the silence. "Those soldiers will be waking now too but they have to pack their camp up. So if we leave now it should keep you ahead for long enough to rescue your boy."

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The Tin man's cabin turned out to be only an hour's walk away from the yellow brick road and the edge of the meadow. After around thirty minutes of comfortable silence Emma had felt the brunette's hand slip into her own. They had remained side by side with hands entwined for the remainder of the walk, sharing occasional smiles and longing looks. Emma had been careful not to comment on Regina's affectionate behaviour for fear of scaring the brunette. She was just pleased that Regina was initiating the contact. Any serious conversations could be left until after they had found henry and returned to the Enchanted Forest safe and sound.

At the end of the meadow there was a thin area of woodland which the Tin man insisted on crossing. It was his opinion that they should remain off the road still as he suspected that this close the Witches castle they would be detected on the road. Emma and Regina had went along with his plan and after a few minutes they had picked their way through the woodland and were out the over side into an area of flat farmland.

"This land belongs to the Witch" the Tin man informed them, "the people of the village are her slaves so we'd be wise to stay well away from there."

Emma couldn't see a village but then she couldn't even see a castle yet either. She was sure they were not too far away though as the Tin man was becoming edgy and she could sense a blanket of magic. It wasn't like the dark forest of the cursed meadow were magic was obviously present but in a still form. This was active and vibrant magic and it made the air tingle around her. A sideways glance at the brunette who was still hand in hand with her suggested that the brunette could feel it too. Regina had her eyes closed and her brow was scrunched up with concern.

"I think the Scarecrow is just a mile along" the Tin man continued, oblivious to the magical vibes the two women were getting. "He has been watching the castle. If anyone knows how to get you in undetected it will be him…unless you plan to just go knock on the front door?"

Emma cringed at the man's words. She had no idea what they were going to do when they got to the castle…she had just been in a rush to get there. _How do you plan to gain entrance to a place you do not know anything about?_

"If that is what it takes" Regina admitted calmly, unfazed by the fact the Tin man had just called them out on their lack of foresight.

"We'd certainly be open for more subtle methods though" Emma added quickly.

They began to walk again and after about fifteen minutes the Tin man raised his hand to stop them and pointed to a figure just ahead of them. About a hundred yards away there was a Scarecrow on a pole with its back to them. The Tin man whistled loudly and suddenly the Scarecrow twitched into life. Even though she had already met a talking lion and a metal walking talking man she still had difficulty believing her eyes as the straw stuffed figure unhitched itself from the pole and gave itself a good shake out.

"This place really is unusual" Emma muttered as she released the brunette's hand finally so she could wipe the sweat of her face.

"Everything in life is unusual until you become accustomed to it" Regina pointed out. "Just think about how strange and foreign the idea of the curse was and now you know and accept the fact that you are the saviour, have fairy tale parents and are now sleeping with your evil step grandmother."

Emma rolled her eyes at the brunette. It wouldn't be Regina if she couldn't find something to say to get a rise out of her.

"I still don't really accept that I am the saviour…" Emma replied wearily as she watched the Scarecrow approach them out of the corner of her eye. "…And please never mention the grandmother thing ever ever again."

Regina let out a deep chuckle at the blonde's discomfort before wrapping her arm around Emma's jean clad waist and pressing them closer together so they were stood hip to hip. Emma tried to resist smiling at the brunette's antics but gradually she gave in and her grin became larger and larger. She had actually been quietly pleased that the brunette had used the plural 'sleeping' rather than just the singular 'slept'. It suggested that Regina thought there would be repeat performances.

"Scarecrow!" the Tin man brightly greeted his friend, bringing Emma guiltily out of her thoughts. "These are friends of Dorothy!"

The Scarecrow's gate was awkward and he virtually wobbled the last couple of metres before stopping in front of the trio.

"Is she safe?" the straw man asked, concern lacing his surprisingly high pitched voice.

"Yes she is in the enchanted forest with Emma's parents" Regina assured him as she released Emma and became utterly serious again. "We have come to get our son."

The Scarecrow observed them both briefly before taking a deep sigh. Emma felt her heart sink at the negativity in his reaction. _Please let Henry be okay_ her mind begged.

"If boy was the one she flew into here two days ago then we must move fast if you wish to rescue him" the Scarecrow explained the situation. "The witch hopes to use him in her magic to protect the castle from her enemies."

"The army" the Tin man stated. Suddenly Emma was even more aware of the proximity of Oz's men. They were surely only a couple of hours ahead of the force now and that meant that Henry was doubly in danger. Firstly there was the risk of being killed in the crossfire but more pressingly he was in danger of being used in some sort of magic before the soldiers even arrived.

"She is scared of the army and of Dorothy" the Scarecrow stated. When he saw that Emma and Regina looked a little surprised by his answer he tried to explain. "Four years ago a much younger Dorothy killed her grandmother. There was peace for a year but then the daughter and granddaughter returned to the castle. The daughter went to wreak havoc on new worlds but news reached us only days ago that she was dead…"

"Yes we know that" Regina cut into the story irritably. "Emma killed her."

Emma gave the brunette a disapproving sideways glance and the other woman raised her hand in apology. The Scarecrow seemed unperturbed by the brunette's ire but did cut the story short to explain the most significant part.

"Well the young witch is fearful of her fate" the raggedy straw man stated matter of factly; "and she plans to use the blood of the truest believer in a spell to ensure she becomes untouchable."

"How much blood?" the Tin man asked his friend before either woman got the chance. "Are we talking just a few drops or…?"

"It's dark magic" the Scarecrow replied nervously, "I would work on the assumption she requires a lot more than that."

_A lot more than that_. The words repeated in Emma's head and made it spin uncontrollably. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her sails at the news and for a second she felt lost and dizzy.

"Henry" she heard her son's name slip from her own mouth without even meaning to speak. Then the brunette's voice dragged her back to her senses.

"Can you help us get into that castle Scarecrow?" Regina asked the straw man, her voice full of regal authority and steely determination. Emma understood that tone well. The brunette was past the point of anger and was now totally mad. Angry Regina shouted and made brisk comments. Mad Regina became totally unreadable and deadly practical.

The Scarecrow looked to the Tin man for assurances and when the metal man nodded the straw man gestured for them to follow him.

"I do know a way in" he said as they began to walk. "I also know a way to defeat the witch once and for all."


	11. Who Is The Saviour?

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 11: Who is the Saviour?**

"I thought you said we shouldn't go near this village?!" Emma protested as they entered through the gate at the boundary fence of the medieval looking village.

She really thought this was a hair brained plan and had no idea why she had even let the Tin man and Scarecrow persuade her to come this far. All she wanted was to get Henry back, she didn't plan on filling prophesies and saving the Western lads of Oz in the process.

"I really don't think this a good idea" she continued to put up a verbal fight even though she was still following them into the village. "Who says I can even pull this silly sword from its magical stone?!"

The handful of village people who were spying on them with great suspicion from their shack like homes suddenly appeared very interested in what was going on. Men and women who had been lingering in windows and behind half closed doors suddenly poured out onto the dirt street to watch and listen more closely.

"She said you were the saviour" the Scarecrow reasoned, "if you really are then you should be able to remove the sword and use it to destroy the Witch and her power over these lands."

There was a couple of audible gasps around them as the towns folk followed them down the street, more people appearing into the open with every step Emma seemed to take.

"So no pressure then" the blond groaned. She couldn't believe she was going to try and do this and especially not in front of an audience. Sometimes she could really kill her parents for stuffing her in that tree trunk and making her the goddamn 'saviour'.

"We just want our son back" Regina finally spoke up from behind the blond.

The older woman had protested when the Scarecrow had suggested the plan but apparently the gift of a brain had worked wonders for him. He had managed to argue his point succinctly enough to sway both women into reluctantly following along. His main argument centred on the fact that the Witches of the West had held the land under their spell for so long that no matter how strong Regina's magic could potentially be it would not be strong enough to overpower them. The Scarecrow had used the phrase 'the cards are too stacked against you' which the blond had found odd. Who'd have known they played poker in Oz.

"You need something extra to ensure his safety" the Tin chimed in response to the brunette. "Well… this is it."

They reached an opening in the buildings. It was a square shaped square with what looked like a primitive market around it. The centre piece of this square was a large granite looking boulder which seemed to rise out of the earth in the shape of a roughly cut triangle. At the peak of this triangle was a few inches of shiny silver blade and glowing gold hilt protruding from the stone. Emma found herself halting at the very sight of it.

The Scarecrow had told them that the blade had been forced into the stone by a great Wizard, a forefather of Oz, over three hundred years ago. The blade was as polished and clean as a newly forged sword and it had an ethereal glow. Even a fool could see that the sword was magical. Emma glanced around the square to see that nearly fifty people had gathered to watch the proceedings. It made the blond feel like a goldfish in a bowl.

"This is ridiculous" the blond grumbled. "Everyone is looking at us."

She felt a warm hand press against her shoulder and she turned into the contact. Regina smiled at her fondly and brought her other hand to Emma's cheek, grazing her thumb lightly against the blondes jaw. Despite everything that was happening around them Emma felt a now all too familiar fluttering feeling in her chest.

"Em just try" the older woman encouraged. "If it works it works and if it doesn't I will resort to violence rather than magic. Either way we are getting our son back."

"Violence?" Emma asked quizzically. As far as Emma was aware they had two leather back packs, two water skins and a piece of bread between them. Unless Regina planned to beat the Witch to death with said packs there didn't seem to be many options. It was just going in on a wing and a prayer that their magic could overpower the Wicked Witch or the shiny magic sword.

"I have a good right hook as I'm sure you well remember. Now go do your saviour thing" Regina quipped, lightly guiding Emma towards the middle of the square with the hand still resting on the blondes shoulder.

Regina released her as they reached the stone and took a step back to give Emma space. As the brunette gave her room the other people in the square seemed to do the exact opposite and creep in a little further. Emma was reminded of Regina's words before they tried to access the portal. It was going to be embarrassing if it didn't work.

"Here goes nothing" Emma sighed. She dropped her pack onto the floor and rolled the sleeves of her leather jacket up. In reality it wasn't going to do anything to help her haul the sword out of its century's old holding place but it helped focus her mind ever so slightly.

She placed her right hand against the shaft of the golden hilt. It felt oddly warm to the touch which was nothing at all like she'd expected. She closed her hand around the lower part of the hilt, the part closest to the blade, and the weapon seemed to vibrate lightly in her hand. She increased the pressure and tugged lightly but nothing happened; the sword remained stuck. She placed her left hand above her right on the hilt and tried to pull it out again but this time with more force. The rock the sword was encased in shuddered slightly but the sword remained unmoved.

"It's not budging" she turned and stated to the older woman, her voice betraying her surprise. Emma had not really expected to be able to remove the sword before she had touched it but once she had done so she had felt like there was a connection between her and the weapon. The ethereal glow even seemed to encase her hands now and not just the sword yet it was firmly wedged in the rock still.

"Something is happening though" Regina commented, taking a step forward again so she was shoulder to shoulder with Emma. "Maybe you just need to really believe?"

"Regina you sound like my mother" the blond replied irritably as she removed her left hand from the sword and threw it up in the air in frustration. Her comment and childish behaviour drew and instant eye roll from the older woman.

"Wonderful" Regina muttered dryly as she reached across Emma and wrapped her own hand around the blonde's grasp of the sword. The action was obviously meant to be one of encouragement but it seemed to spark a different reaction entirely. The sword began to vibrate a lot more palpably in their hands, to the point where it was visibly shaking. The ethereal glow brightened into a full on bright yellow light that encompassed both of their hands and there was a loud cracking noise.

Emma watched in amazement as the rock below the swords hilt began to crack down from the apex of the triangle making the weapon much lighter in Emma's hand. She turned to look the brunette in the eye and could see her own surprise mirrored on the other woman's face. There was another loud crack as the seam in the rock opened up further and Emma turned her attention back to the sword. The brunette's hand remained still over the top of Emma's so the blond cautiously began to draw her hand upward. She, like everyone else in the square, watched in amazement as the sword slid easily up in her grasp and out of its magical encasement. Once it was fully out of the rock the light burned even brighter for the briefest of seconds before disappearing, leaving Emma and Regina holding what appeared to be a normal albeit decorative sword.

"Oh…" the brunette gasped, her voice raspy with shock, "…that's odd."

Regina instantly released her hold over Emma's right hand and dropped her own hands down to her sides shifting awkwardly under the intense looks the two were receiving. The onlookers seemed just as amazed as the two women and after several gasps they all fell to their knees and bowed.

"That's all you've got for me?!" Emma exclaimed at Regina as she tried to ignore the fifty or so peasants giving honour to them. "Odd?! WE just pulled the sword from the stone together!"

"We can analyse it to your heart's content later" Regina instructed as she grasped the blonde's shoulders and looked at her with a penetrating gaze. "First let's find our son."

Emma was reluctant to admit that she had been panicking but the brunette's actions certainly calmed whatever emotions she had been allowing to overwhelm her. The older woman seemed to sense her return to a more calm state of mind and released her. Emma glanced around the square again to find that everyone was still on their knees, even the Tin man and Scarecrow had joined in with the bowing.

"Oh no not you two as well?!" Emma groaned. "Please everyone stand up for god's sake you're making me uncomfortable."

Regina smirked at Emma before reaching down and picking up the blonde's back pack. It was no surprise that the brunette was more comfortable with all this devotion considering she had spent years as Queen in the Enchanted Forest. Emma on the other hand may technically be some sort of princess but it wasn't something foster care had prepped her for.

"You really are the saviour" the Scarecrow declared with a reverent voice as the two women approached their guides.

"So I keep being told" Emma conceded, her tone giving away her complete unease with the topic. "Now can you please take us to this secret way into the castle?"

She had no idea what all this magic and prophesy meant or even who out of her and Regina it was actually meant for. What she did know was that legend stated this decorative and beautifully balanced weapon she now carried was the key to defeating the line of Wicked Witches. It was time to go retrieve their son and kick some green ass.

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"Couldn't we just have knocked now I have this sword and all?" Emma whispered as she followed the Scarecrow and Tin man through a maze of dark and dirty underground caves. The Scarecrow had led them this way because they led straight into part of the basement of the Wicked Witches Castle.

Every few steps they took made muddy water drip from the roof of the cave and she was damp, cold and uncomfortable. There was barely any light to guide them with only the Tin man ahead of her and Regina behind her carrying flaming torches they had procured from the village. Emma had the sword so couldn't carry one and the Scarecrow was terrified of them which was hardly a surprise considering he consisted of straw. If she or Regina had wanted too they could have lit the place up like a Christmas tree with magic but they were both saving energy in case it was required later.

"I don't recall anything in the legend about the sword protecting you from a hundred flying monkeys" the Scarecrow chuckled.

"Right yeah" the blond muttered, casting her gaze downwards to hide any embarrassment at her own stupidity. Just as she started to look ahead again her shoulder crashed into part of the cave wall that jutted out slightly and caused a small peppering of stone to fall from above and clatter on the floor.

"Ouch" she hissed, rolling her shoulder to relive the small stabbing pain she felt there.

"Shhhhhh Emma" Regina lightly chastised her from behind. Emma dropped back a step or two so she was alongside the other woman. Regina hadn't said very much since they had left the village and although the brunette had said they could discuss the events surrounding the sword later the blond found that she couldn't shake them from her head.

"Why am I carrying this?" she asked, trying to find an avenue into the topic. "We both pulled it from the stone."

Regina turned her body slightly towards the blond and swept the torch between their faces, clearly illuminating the space between them. The brunette's brow was creased and her expression thoughtful. Emma noted that despite being deep in thought, dirty and wet the brunette looked rather stunning with the fire light playing across her features.

"I don't think so" Regina eventually replied, "I think I just gave you the strength of belief to make it happen."

"I think that's nonsense" the blond muttered flatly.

Regina grasping her hand hadn't suddenly convinced her she was the stupid Saviour. She had long since accepted that it was her destiny to constantly be running around trying to save anyone and everyone without really believing in it. No that wasn't right…she believed she was meant to be the Saviour, she just didn't believe she was up to the job.

"I'm the Evil Queen Em" the older woman answered dismissively but with a hint of sadness in her voice. "It doesn't make sense for it to have had anything physically to do with me."

Emma heard her own sigh of frustration bounce of the cave walls and she reached out and grasped the other woman's wrist. Regina, who had started ahead awkwardly after her self-depreciating comment, glanced back at her almost shyly before looking forward again.

"You WERE the Evil Queen" Emma turned the brunette's previous point around, "maybe it's you who needs to start believing in yourself?"

Regina's eyes darted back towards the blond and Emma could see the hope the older woman's expression held. The brunette was used to people trusting or believing her, Emma knew that. The only person who had done it with any consistency was Henry. Emma knew she had shown the brunette more faith and compassion than any of the other adults in their acquaintance but as they had discussed the day before with the help of the enchanted Meadow's 'couples therapy' like effect there had been quite a damaging blip in that trust. It would have been totally unrealistic for Emma to have expected the other woman to suddenly feel like the weight of the world had lifted just because they…. _They had sex? They were in a relationship? _Emma suddenly realised she had no idea what they were actually doing on a personal level any more. It was another thing that required talking about later.

"We are nearly there" the Scarecrow stopped them at a bend in the tunnel and looked at the blond pointedly. "If you want to stay undetected for at least a little while longer then you really need to be quiet now Saviour."

Emma felt quite offended when she processed his instruction. She had been deep in thought and therefore silent for at least a minute.

"Did he just tell me to shut up?" she whispered towards the brunette only to have all three sets of eyes focus on her suddenly.

"Shutting up!" she mumbled instantly, putting her free hand up in defeat. _Who would have thought the stuffed straw Scarecrow she read about as a child would be quite so bossy?_


	12. Finding Henry

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 12: Finding Henry **

Emma had expected a locked door or at least something substantial between the cave and the basement of the castle but in reality the cave just climbed upwards and then opened out into a dark and dank room. This first room was empty but behind a wooden unlocked door there was a corridor. This corridor had torches on the wall but they were not burning. The only light was still being admitted from the torches the Tin man and Regina held.

"So me and the Tin man are going left" the Scarecrow whispered as they entered the corridor.

The plan of action they had come up with sounded relatively simple. Scarecrow and Tin man would stay in the basement area and rescue any of the Witches other prisoners from their cells and take them back out through the caves. Emma and Regina would continue up into the castle and towards the North Tower where it was likely that Henry was being held. Regina and Emma had agreed to try sneak round and find their son first before dealing with the Witch out of fear that if they remained separate for long then one of the damn monkeys could fly away with him again.

"So we are in the North Wing now right?" Emma double checked their instructions.

"Right" the Scarecrow agreed. "You just need to keep going up and you should find him."

"Good luck" the Tin man said as he reached out for Emma and rested his heavy metal hand on her forearm. The Scarecrow was already beginning to walk away so the Tin man dropped his hand and turned to follow him. Emma watched the two head off down the dark corridor before turning her attention back to Regina and the route to the right of them.

They began to gingerly make their way down the dark corridor with Regina at the front with the burning torch. It took them a minute or so to reach the end of the passage way where they found an old fashioned wooden door with light from whatever corridor or room was on the other side creeping through the gaps and cracks. Regina placed the torch in one of the wall hangers next to an unlit torch. They clearly wouldn't need it once on the other side of the door.

Once Regina had freed her hands up Emma reached for the door handle. It was a large round loop of black metal and felt eerily cold to the touch. Emma was just about to twist it when she felt a hand land on her shoulder.

"Emma wait" the brunette whispered into her ear. She hadn't realised the other woman had moved so close to her because when she let go of the door handle and turned Emma found herself only a matter of millimetres away from Regina.

It was hard to make out her features at all in the low light that was being emitted from the single torch so Emma had no idea what the older woman was thinking. Hands began to slide up the blonde's neck and rest on her cheeks and before Emma knew what was happening the brunette leant forwards and soft lips pressed against Emma's own.

The contact surprised her for the briefest second before she reacted and returned the kiss. Her free hand automatically crept up and laced in the brunette's hair as the older woman deepened the kiss and traced her tongue across the top of Emma's lower lip. The blonde's body complied willingly and she opened her mouth to the brunette, allowing herself to enjoy the kiss even though it had come as a surprise. After a short while Regina broke the kiss and buried her head into Emma's neck.

"What was that for?" Emma asked softly; allowing herself a few more seconds of serenity to run her knuckles down the brunette's jaw and neck. Regina shivered slightly under the touch and raised her head from its nestling place in the crook of Emma's neck to look the blond in the eyes.

"Just in case…" she murmured before pecking Emma's lips with another light kiss and pulling away.

Emma found herself smiling broadly as she turned away from the brunette and slowly opened the door. It clicked open relatively quietly and she pushed it slowly open, cringing at the slight creek the door made as it moved. Once the gap was wide enough Emma leant her body around the door and into the brightly lit up corridor. No one seemed to be around so she stepped into the space fully, followed by the brunette who quietly closed the door behind them.

Emma looked from right to left down the corridor, trying to figure out which direction to go in. To her left seemed to take them deeper into the centre of the castle whereas the right felt like it led towards the outer wall. As the tower was on one corner of the castle then it seemed like right was the way to go. Emma began to move again and the former Mayor behind her followed on without protesting. The blond couldn't decide if it was because Regina had no idea either or if she had actually reasoned it out correctly. After walking a few yards down the corridor she was relieved to find what they were looking for.

"Up here I think" Emma whispered as they approached a curving spiral stone staircase. Emma stopped and wearily glanced up the staircase as they reached the first step. The shape of the steps meant that you could only see about a metre and a half ahead at all times.

Emma held the sword in front of her so she at least had some sort of insurance policy if someone jumped out on her. She went to take the first step but then there was a loud clattering above them and it was coming down towards them very quickly. Emma was ready to swing her new weapon at whatever appeared but found herself being pulled roughly backwards and into a recess behind the stairwell and Regina's hand clasped over her mouth to stop her crying out in shock.

"Shhhhh" Regina hissed into her ear.

The two of them only just about fit in the gap together and Emma's back was completely against the brunette's front. Regina's warm breath tickled the side of her neck and ear as the older woman rested her head on the blonde's shoulder. Despite the situation Emma's body seemed alert to the proximity of the brunette's and especially the arm encircling the blonde's waist with its hand resting on her hip.

Emma could just see the corridor around the corner of the recess and she watched with one eye open and one closed as four or five flying monkeys dressed in chainmail and metal plating clattered past them and away towards the west wing of the Witches castle. She was acutely aware that if any of the monkeys had happened to glance to the right the two women would have surely been seen.

"Did those monkeys just have armour on?!" she exclaimed in a whispered voice when the brunette finally removed her hand from her mouth.

"They must be preparing to fight the Wizards army" Regina surmised as she released her hold around the blonde's waist.

Emma took her release as a sign that the brunette thought it was safe to begin moving again and she quietly slipped out of the recess and into the corridor. It was quiet and empty again so Emma began to tip toe up the spiral stairs with the brunette on her heels. The stairs seemed to go on and on forever, round and round, constantly climbing. No matter how quiet Emma tried to be she could still hear her own foot falls. On the other hand Regina seemed to move with ease and grace in utter silence.

They reached the first floor of the tower and had to creep across the open entrance to continue up the stairs because there were several of the armoured monkeys fussing around in the corridor. They continued quietly up the stairs and Emma knew they were getting close to their destination when the stairway seemed to narrow and the roof became lower. They were now at the top of the tower.

Emma glanced around the edge of the opening to the second floor and instantly popped her head back again so she couldn't be seen. One of the flying beasts, this one un-armoured, was stood on watch outside of a heavy wooden doorway that looked decidedly like a holding cell. Regina looked at her in confusion so Emma tucked her sword less hand under her arm pit and made a monkey gesture.

Emma was trying to rack her brains for a plan when Regina just stepped around her and walked straight out into the small corridor. Emma stumbled out after the brunette just in time to see the older woman blast the monkey with a burst of purple light. It didn't even have time to react or make a sound before it went down to the ground with a heavy thud. The creature now lay motionless on the floor.

"Did you just kill the monkey?" Emma raised her right eyebrow, only half serious in her criticism. "Because you know in my world that's animal cruelty."

"It was a stunning spell dear" Regina replied dryly; prodding the horizontal creature sharply with her booted toe when they reached it, testing it was indeed unconscious.

Emma stepped over the horizontal guard monkey and pressed her hand against the doorway. The door was totally panelled and appeared to be locked. The only way to look inside was a small metal panel that looked remarkably like the ones they had in modern police cells. Emma should know she'd been arrested several times in her youth. She slid the panel slightly and glanced inside. She could just about make out a small human frame curled up on a thin bed. Their son appeared to be fast asleep.

"Henry" Emma whispered happily. They had found him.

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Emma knelt down to take a closer look at the keyhole of the holding cell's door. It was a pretty simple lock and Emma could find a couple of pieces of wire she could easily open it.

"I can probably pick the lock" she informed Regina who was lingering over her shoulder. When the older woman snorted in response Emma turned to glare at her.

"As much as I'd enjoy a demonstration of your hard earned life skills dear it would be quicker if I just used magic" the Brunette pointed out dryly. Emma wanted to bury her head in her hands. She wasn't sure she would ever get used to the whole magic thing even if she could use it herself.

The blond stood up and stepped to the side, gesturing for the brunette to continue with whatever she had planned. Emma expected the other woman to do something dramatic like blow the door of its hinges but instead Regina merely placed her hands on the door and closed her eyes. There was a clunk from the door as the lock released. Regina opened her eyes and smirked at the blond as she turned the handle and pushed the door open.

"Alright alright" Emma grumbled in protest at the smug looking brunette.

The sound of the door opening woke their sleeping son and he launched to his feet and pressed back against the cold stone wall. The look of terror on his face quickly faced away and turned to one of joy when he recognised the two figures in the doorway.

"Mom mom!" he shouted as he launched forward and into their awaiting arms. "I knew you'd come."

He had nestled between the two of them and they held him briefly before he broke away again and hurried back into the cell. Emma watched with amusement as he grabbed the thin blanket of the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders before scooping something else up of the bed. Emma hadn't considered the state of their son's undress when he had been kidnapped. He was only wearing pyjama's and had no coat, socks or shoes.

"Look" he bounced towards them again with something black in his arms, "I think it's Toto!"

Emma looked at the small, black and hairy curled up dog in his arms and broke out into laughter. She knew that wherever Henry would be Toto would be. Henry was going to be determined for them to get a dog now he'd been cuddled up to one for three days.

"It is Toto so don't get too attached because Dorothy wants him back" Regina instructed their son in a firm but not unkind tone.

"You met Dorothy?" Henry's eyes lit up in excitement and the little lack ball of fluff in his arms suddenly looked alert at the sound of his masters name. Emma couldn't wait to tell their son all about their adventures through Oz although she planned to leave a few details out here and there for his own sanity. She was sure he'd be pleased about her and Regina's new found closeness but it was something the two women needed to discuss and define between them first before informing their son.

"Kid you won't believe who we've been hanging with" she chuckled, rubbing his head playfully. "That is a story for later though."

Emma reached down to pick up the sword she had laid down on the floor to take a closer look at the lock. In her excitement at finding Henry she had briefly forgotten who else was in the castle. Somewhere there was a witch to slay.

"What is with the sword?" Henry asked, admiring the weapon now in Emma's hand. "That's not granddad's…it's too blingy."

The blond was about to call him out on his odd choice of phrasing. She would rather be seen dead than seen in or with something 'blingy', it made her think of tacky diamantes. The sword was ornate. That sounded so much better.

"Emma pulled it from a stone" Regina stated matter of factly before Emma had a chance to speak. The blond cringed at the other woman. They really had no idea if it had been Emma or both of them despite Regina's protests about the later.

"Well that's debatable…" Emma began to say but she was cut off by her excitable son.

"You did?! Like Arthur?!" Henry exclaimed. "That's really cool mom!"

Emma sighed and dropped the subject. Regina would only argue that it had been her and her alone that had pulled the damn thing from the stone and Henry would rattle on about her being the saviour. It was so predictable that she could have the conversation in her head; she didn't need to play it out for real.

"So have you got any idea where the Witch is kid?" she changed topics. Henry's face instantly fell at the mention of his captive's name.

"You haven't seen her yet?" he asked in confusion. Obviously he had already imagined an epic bad between good and evil in his head. To be fair he didn't know they had met the Scarecrow who had snuck them in through the back door so to speak. If it had been left to Emma and Regina they would have just come bursting in through the front door.

"No we needed to get to you first" Regina replied, her voice dropped an octave and her facial expression darkened. "But now…now I would really like to find her and give her a piece of my mind."


	13. An Elemental Battle

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 13: An Elemental Battle **

Regina had told the blond and their son to wait in the tower whilst she checked where the flying monkeys now were. Emma was a little worried that the brunette was about to do something hot headed like go after the Witch on her own but she didn't want to question the older woman and ruin any of the progress they had made. After Regina had been missing for a minute or so their son started quizzing the blond.

"What are you going to do when you find her?" Henry asked, referring to the Wicked Witch who had abducted him.

"I plan to impale her on the end of this beauty" Emma replied honestly, tapping the flat part of the blade with her free hand. "But your mom? I don't know. Chinese water torture? Slow spit roast? Death by acupuncture? Who knows?"

Regina had seemed pretty calm until they had actually found Henry but Emma had visibly seen the switch flick in the other woman's eyes. She wondered if the fact Henry was locked away in the cold and the dark in only his bedclothes had caused the sudden irritation or if the other woman had just been so focussed on finding him that up until this point her irritation had taken a backseat. Emma really could picture Regina verbally savaging the Witch about the risk of Henry getting pneumonia.

"She does look pretty pissed" Henry admitted, breaking Emma out of her thoughts. She was about to correct his language when a familiar voice chastised him first causing both mother and son to jump.

"Language Henry" Regina spoke from the top of the stairwell.

Emma was so relieved the older woman had returned and had not ran off to do something stupid that she wanted to throw her arms around her and hug her. For a couple of steps she planned to do just that but then she remembered that Henry had no idea what was going on between the two of them. The blond steadied herself and instead came to a halt a respectable distance in front of the former Mayor.

"Those monkeys are flying out so the castle is virtually empty" Regina informed them. The news was a relief to Emma as she had no idea how they were going to scrap with a ton of flying furry fiends and battle a Witch all in one go. Then she realised that the monkeys were flying off in armour for a reason and it wasn't just to get out of her, Regina and Henry's way.

"But that means that the army must be getting near?"

It wasn't really a question, more a statement of fact. They had no idea how long they had to destroy the Witch and get out of the Castle before the army tried to level the place to the ground. They didn't even know how the army intended to do so.

"Yes and that means that the Witch is likely to come looking for Henry very soon" Regina muttered darkly. "I'd like to be on a lower floor when she does."

"Agreed," Emma replied swiftly. "Let's get moving."

"What army?" Henry asked as they began to descend the stairs. Obviously he hadn't been privy to any of the Witches plans for him which was probably a good thing considering she wanted to bleed him to death.

"Oz's army" Emma tried to abate his curiosity with a simple answer but his eyes just lit up with even more curiosity than before. "Really kid; don't ask now, we haven't got time but l promise we will explain later."

They passed the now deserted first floor and carried on down the stairs. Regina moved down the steps swiftly elegantly and Emma and Henry had to leap down two steps at a time to keep up. Their son was wedged between the two of them with Toto still willingly scooped up in one of Henry's arms.

The stairwell was silent apart from their footfalls and the blond felt like they were very much alone. That notion was ruined as the stepped down the last of the stairs and into the corridor to find the Witch and two of her monkeys walking towards them. Luckily the three enemies seemed just as surprised to see them and the two women and their son was.

"Regina!" Emma called out in surprise. Worried that the other woman was not only first in line for whatever was about to happen.

The brunette reacted instantly and with a flick of her wrists she had stunned both of the flying monkey's that were accompanying the Witch. The green woman glanced at her now horizontal escorts and glowered at Regina. The woman was as green skinned as her mother and wore a long black flowing gown. Unlike her mother she wasn't wearing the corny stereotypical witches point hat but instead wore her wavy red hair long. The contrast between her flowing red hair and green skin was a sharp one and her features were hard and angular.

"How dare you enter my home!" she screeched at the brunette. The Witch sounded like a petulant child but then Emma mused that the woman was quite young; certainly younger than Emma. If the blond was to take a guess at her age then she'd say around the 25 mark.

"Ha!" Regina exclaimed in response to the Witch; "how dare you take my son you putrid power mad inebriate!"

That was the sort of verbal sparring Emma had become accustomed too. This was the 'Evil Queen' coming out to play and not the Regina that Emma had found herself falling in love with. Considering the circumstances she could live with that as long as the brunette switched back again afterwards.

The energy in the corridor seemed to soar and bubble around Emma to the extent that even Henry, who had no magic, seemed to notice the change in atmosphere. Then suddenly the Witch raised her hands towards the ceiling and flames burst from them. The flames did not look as controlled and compact as the fireballs Regina was so good at conjuring. It looked like a wild fire and it looked extremely dangerous.

"Mom!" Henry called out in panic towards Regina who was first in line for whatever the Witch had planned.

Emma knew that the brunette could hold her own in pretty much any fight and the blonde's first priority had to be to get their son to some sort of safety. Then Emma could figure out how she was going to get near enough the Wicked Witch to put the sword through her.

"Henry get down" Emma shouted as she grabbed her son and pulled him into the recess behind the stairs that the two women had hid in earlier. It put a thick layer of stone between them and whatever magic was about to be let fly. Surprisingly Toto didn't leap from Henry's arms and run in fear but sensibly chose to stay huddled in the recess with them.

There was a loud roaring noise in the corridor and Emma pressed Henry right into the corner of the recess before peering around the edge of their hiding place. The Witch was firing the flames down the corridor at Regina and the brunette was protecting herself with some kind of water shield. The flames could not penetrate the shield but flickered in front of and around the former mayor.

"Shit!" Emma exclaimed as she tucked back into the recess to escape the lick of flames that came her way. It was like that scene from the Harry Potter movie where Voldemort and Dumbledore face off in the Ministry of Magic. Right now Emma had a lot of sympathy for Harry's character in that moment because like the boy in the film she was just a passenger and was nowhere near powerful enough to deal with this. Or if she was powerful enough she had no idea how to tap into it yet.

"Ow" she gasped as the recess wall her back was pressed against heated up to the point it started to burn her. She managed to push herself just far enough of the wall to dispel the discomfort.

Finally the roaring sound stopped and Emma stuck her head around the recess again to find out what was happening. There appeared to be a Mexican stand-off between the two sparring women as they stood metres apart and glaring at each other. Regina, who had her back to Emma, seemed to be breathing heavily after their magical interchange but the green witch looked completely fresh.

"So this is the reformed Evil Queen" the Wicked Witch sneered. "You're out of practice your majesty…how long do you think you can keep this up?"

"Oh I'm just warming up" the brunette sniped back, flicking her wrist and sending a large vase that sat on a pedestal to the right of her hurtling in the Witch's direction. The Witch reacted just in time and the vase shattered magically just in front of her, dusting the green woman with broken porcelain. It made the Witch look even more livid which made Emma suspect Regina had just decimated a family air loom.

"When your energy runs out I'll let you watch whilst I take your son's life" the Witch hissed viciously before pausing dramatically. "But then again he's not really your son is he you majesty…"

Emma knew the words would hit Regina like a slap to the face and it was hardly a surprise when the brunette's magic exploded into life. The corridor shook and echoed with the sound of shattering glass and pottery. Shards of these items flew past Regina's head and towards the Witch and the green woman had to hold up a shimmering shield of light to protect herself. The shards disintegrated into sand like material around her and the fine material littered the floor of the corridor.

Emma had dodged back into the recess a little more as this was going on, afraid she might get caught in the crossfire, but she risked popping her head back out after no more sharp material seemed to by flying past her.

"Ah so you haven't quite finished the five steps programme yet Queen" the Witch chuckled as she dropped her shield. "There is still plenty of that dark rage left for me to play with."

Regina's shoulders now heaved dramatically and the blond could tell she was not 100% steady on her feet. It was time for Emma to do something…except she had no idea how to get near the Witch to run the sword through her without getting toasted. She really did need more magic lessons of the brunette because she had no idea how to tap into her magic on her own. She'd only ever used it to boost Regina's apart from the one time she lit the stupid coconut candle in Neverland. The ability to light a candle was hardly going to protect or save them from the green skinned monster throwing snarky comments and full on flame thrower style fire bolts their way.

"If I had wanted conversation I would have gone elsewhere I assure you," Regina spat; trying hard to not sound as breathless as she looked. "You claim you can go through me to get to my son. Why don't you just get on with it and save the small talk for someone stupid enough to actually find you witty and intelligent?"

Several emotions played across the Witches face in quick succession. There was surprise at the brunette's ability to stand her ground and snarl back at her, followed by irritation at the comment and finally amusement. Emma would have preferred a look of worry…amusement meant bad news.

"Very well then" the Witch replied, chuckling as she spoke.

In one swift movement the green woman raised her hand upwards and outwards towards Regina, her palm flat and facing the brunette. A bolt of green lightening erupted from her hand and ran towards Regina, sizzling and crackling dangerously across the air between them.

Regina's hand instantly followed the same action as the Witches and a purple bold shot from Regina's hand. The bolts met pretty much in the middle of the space between them, the two women now joined by a line of light. The point where green light met purple light stayed constant for a few seconds before it stated to move slowly but surely towards Regina.

The brunette was weakening and Emma could see the older woman's knees shake like they might buckle. If Emma didn't do something right now then the person she was in love with would probably die. In her moment of panic Emma found clarity. They were always stronger together.

Emma's natural instincts kicked in and she threw herself out of her and Henry's hiding place and towards the brunette. The green light was inches away from Regina's hand as Emma reached her and used her sword less left hand to press against the back of the hand Regina was casting the spell from. Their fingers interlocked slightly and Emma willed her magic to blend with the other woman's hoping that Regina could draw the strength required from her.

The surge of magical power that Emma felt suddenly course through her was intoxicating, far more so than any other time they had used magic together. It was like Emma could feel not only her own magic but the brunette's as well. Regina's purple bolt suddenly became two bolts intertwined, one purple and one blue and it instantly began to force the green light back and back. The look on the Witches face was one of pure fear as the entwined light of the two women moved rapidly towards her.

The green woman screamed out in anger, throwing all her concentration and magical strength into trying to stem the time. Emma knew that all the Witches defences were now down and the blond resorted to a move she had instinctively used to slay the Dragon in the library basement. She hurled the sword from the hilt towards the Witch and watched in slow motion as the sword turned on an axis again and again in the air before reaching its indented destination. As the blue and purple light hit the woman's hand the sword pierced through her chest, ripping through her body right up to the golden hilt.

There was a pained cry and then complete silence as the entwined magic dissipated and the Witch slowly fell to her knees. The green woman remained silent as her body seemed to harden like stone, emanating from where the sword ran through her and spreading with a horrible cracking sound all over until she was a statue. Then the statue fell away into dust, adding to the piles of sand caused by Regina's earlier magic. As the Witch fell away to dust the sword seemed to hang in mid-air briefly before falling and clattering on the floor.

As the sword hit the floor then so did Regina; her knees finally giving way and tipping her sideways. Emma just managed to react in time to grab her shoulders and guide her to the floor with a gentle thud.


	14. Not Over Yet

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 14: Not Over Yet**

_**There was a pained cry and then complete silence as the entwined magic dissipated and the Witch slowly fell to her knees. The green woman remained silent as her body seemed to harden like stone, emanating from where the sword ran through her and spreading with a horrible cracking sound all over until she was a statue. Then the statue fell away into dust, adding to the piles of sand caused by Regina's earlier magic. As the Witch fell away to dust the sword seemed to hand in mid-air briefly before falling and clattering on the floor. **_

_**As the sword hit the floor then so did Regina; her knees finally giving way and tipping her sideways. Emma just managed to react in time to grab her shoulders and guide her to the floor with a gentle thud.**_

"Regina!" Emma cried out as she scooped the older woman into her arms. She instantly began seeking out her wrist to check for a pulse.

"Mom" Henry cried out from behind her. Within seconds he was on his knees next to them with his head buried against the brunette's chest, his whole body shaking. He was there so fast that Emma knew he must have been stood out in the corridor behind them but she had no idea at what point he had followed her or how much the young boy had seen.

The blond finally managed to find the correct point on Regina's wrist and found that there was a steady albeit slow pulse. The brunette had obviously just passed out due to overexertion. It was hardly a surprise after the amount of Magic Emma hand just witnessed her use.

"She's gonna be okay kid" Emma assured their son, "she's just wore herself out I think."

Henry remained buried against the brunette but the shaking was slowly subsiding. Emma looked down at the woman in her arms and brushed the straying dark hair away from her face. No one could deny the woman's love for Henry and how fiercely she was willing to protect him. It was a quality Emma had admired in the brunette even when it had still been a thorn in her side. She had hated Regina in those early months, hated her with a passion. Yet she had grudgingly respected her as well for the very same ferocity that caused the bad feeling. Their 'relationship' had always been an enigma.

Emma understood her own feelings now. She understood that somewhere along the line she had fallen in love with her son's other mother and loved her with the same kind of intensity that she did her son. Now she was left to wonder if the brunette felt the same or even anywhere close to it. Emma knew there would be people back in the Enchanted Forest, her own parents included, who would probably claim Regina was incapable of that sort of intensity of feelings anymore. If there was one thing Emma was sure off though was that the brunette was capable and perhaps even more capable than most others.

It dawned on Emma that she was sat there stroking Regina's face rather tenderly whilst Henry, who was currently unaware of any changes to their relationship, was inches away. It wasn't like he was actually looking right now but she needed to stop regardless in case he suddenly did.

"Regina wake up" she turned the caress into a light tap on the cheek. It had no effect which left Emma in a predicament. Oz's army was bound to be here very soon and they really needed to leave even if it meant she'd have to pick the brunette up and try and carry her back out through the cave tunnels.

"Come on mom" Henry pleaded as he finally knelt up and untangled himself from the unconscious form of the brunette. He looked so lost and desperate that it made Emma feel nauseous. She wasn't very good at dealing with situations like this and never knew what to say. Regina was always better at calming Henry with words.

Just as Emma was about to stand and try to pick the unconscious woman up the little black fur ball Henry had obviously put down in his rush to get to Regina pottered over to them and sat right in front of Emma's thigh on which Regina's head rested. Emma was about to tell Henry to pick Toto up when the little dog pressed forward and licked the brunette's forehead repeatedly.

Emma went to shoo the dog away but Regina suddenly stirred, shifting her head to the side and away from Toto's sloppy tongue and groaning.

"What an earth?" the older woman protested and Emma watched with some amusement as the brunette opened her eyes to find herself face to face with the little dog who was now wagging its tail, clearly pleased with itself.

"Dog did you just lick me?" the Brunette complained half-heartedly, "because if you did that's disgusting."

Henry buried himself back into Regina's chest and hugged her fiercely. The brunette placed her hand on his shoulder to lightly reciprocate his hug and reassure him. Emma looked down to find the brunette gazing up at her with a soft and affectionate expression. They locked eyes and Regina interlocked her free hand with the hand Emma had rested on the brunette's cheek. After several seconds of eye contact the brunette actually blushed, much to Emma's surprise and glanced towards their son who was still holding her.

"What does it feel like to have been woken by true love's kiss?" Emma quipped, hoping to relax both mother and son.

Henry laughed and sat up. Regina glared before rolling her eyes and releasing the blonde's hand. The brunette reached out and patted Toto rather awkwardly on the head making the furry black ball wag its tail even more vigorously.

"I think he likes me but god knows why because I don't usually like animals" Regina mused. "He is rather sweet though."

Henry patted the dog too and sat up facing the two women. Their son was smiling broadly, obviously relieved that he had not lost his adoptive mother after only just getting back after their year apart. Emma also suspected that he was pleased Regina was apparently bonding with Toto and was plotting on how he could persuade his mothers to get a dog. Regina shifted in Emma's lap and Henry reached out for her.

"Mom I was so worried" their son fussed over the brunette as he helped her sit up. "It was so cool what you two did with your magic though! It kind of mixed together!"

Emma chuckled at Henry's excitable tone as he discussed their magic. When the curse broke Henry was incredibly anti-magic but his opinion had gradually changed as Regina had started to use her magic to save rather than destroy and as it had become apparent that 'the saviour' also had magic.

"It was rather cool" Regina agreed, throwing a sideways glace at Emma. The blond knew it was something else they would need to discuss and try to understand later. They were in for some deep conversations at some point and they were both notorious for their inability to communicate emotions. They had made great breakthroughs already though and it was becoming apparent that they not only worked well as a team but actually seemed destined to do so.

"Still think it was me and me alone that pulled the sword out of the stone?" Emma asked as she helped the still weakened brunette to her feet. As the blond continued to help support the other woman's weight by holding her by the elbows their son fussed over her and dusted her coat with his hands.

"You really are a smug son of a bitch on the few occasions you actually get something right you know?" Regina chided, side stepping the actual question with her snarky comment. Emma couldn't help but laugh, knowing that by avoiding answering her question that the brunette had silently admitted that the blond was right.

"Well I have to make the most of these rare opportunities when they come then don't I your royal highness" Emma couldn't resist giving a bit of banter back. Her comment drew a wide smile from the brunette; a smile the blond was sure she would never get bored of seeing on the usually stern woman's features.

Their happy family moment was ruined by a loud bang which coincided with the walls and floor around them shaking. It was very similar to the night when Henry had been abducted but the vibrations were slightly less violent.

"What was that?" Henry asked, grasping one of Regina and Emma's hands in his own.

"That was the sound of artillery smashing against castle rock" Regina replied remarkably calmly. "We are apparently now under siege."

As she spoke there was another bang and shake followed by another and another. When they came in quick succession like that it was hard to stay on their feet and not topple over. The castle would not be able to take that kind of hammering for very long before it was structurally compromised.

"And there was me thinking we were out of danger" Emma remarked dryly. "We need to get out of here."

As the next bang resounded Toto yapped and Henry reached down to scoop the terrified dog up in his arms again. The black fluff ball curled up into his grasp and buried its face in his armpit.

Emma grabbed her sword of the floor as there was no way she was leaving such a beautifully crafted weapon behind. Not after pulling the damn thing from a rock anyway. The blond looked to Regina for some sort of solution to their new problem but the brunette was oddly quiet. Emma racked her brain for a fast solution and there was only one that was obvious to her. However she had a horrible feeling it would currently not be possible due to their previous excursions.

"Can you poof us out of the castle?" she asked the brunette.

"I don't have the energy" Regina shook her head as she spoke. Emma didn't even bother suggesting that she could try to do it because she was well aware that her magical control was next to useless and would probably land them in even more danger or just accidently kill them outright.

"Then we need to get into the cave tunnels and fast" Emma reasoned. She didn't really want to be underneath the Castle if it fell down but the caves had seemed structurally very sound and it was very possible they wouldn't collapse if the castle did. It wasn't like they had a whole load of options.

"Can't we use the Witches carriage?" Henry asked. Emma waited for him to expand on his point as she had no idea what he was talking about. She doubted they had time to attach horses to a carriage and ride out before being flattened but their son was a clever boy and wouldn't have suggested anything so time consuming.

"Her carriage?" Regina replied, sounding every bit as confused as Emma felt.

"Yeah that's how she brought me here after the monkey flew me through the portal" Henry explained, "it's a magical flying carriage."

Emma really would never get used to hearing this stuff. It was like living in a really dark version of a Disney movie. She had to admit though that the flying carriage sounded good though.

"Kid you are amazing" she ran her hand through his hair in encouragement; "lead the way."

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They had followed Henry across the Castle to the West Wing and up into the Western Tower. It had taken them even closer to the wall of the Castle that was being shelled and climbing the stairs into the tower had been a ropey experience as the ground had been consistently moving underneath them.

Just as they reached the top of the tower there was a terrible bang followed by a crashing sound as some of the West Wing Wall to the left and below them finally caved in and crumbled away. The ground shook so much that all three plus Toto fell to the floor just in front of the carriage.

"I hope you can make this thing work!" Emma exclaimed towards the brunette as they all climbed to their feet again.

Henry ran to the wall and pulled a heavy looking lever down. There were several loud creaking sounds before the wooden roof panels above them began to slide apart and open up to reveal the blue sky. Another violent bang rocked the castle and knocked them of their feet again. For a second the sliding panels faltered and stilled but then they continued to move until fully open.

"Get in!" Regina instructed the blond and their son.

The carriage looked more like a wooden sleigh and was divided into two sections. There was a bench in both sections, the first one had a basic wooden bench with a thin strip of leather padding but the back bench was plusher. It had thick leather padding with a fur cushion and blanket. Emma threw her sword onto the floor of the second section and jumped in herself. Henry passed her Toto before climbing in the back with her and then taking the dog back.

Regina climbed into the front section and closed her eyes, seemingly centring herself for the task ahead. Suddenly the brunette raised both arms in the air; palms facing upwards and the carriage jolted and began to rise of the ground and towards the gap in the roof.

"It's working!" Emma exclaimed, the feeling of relief flooding her system.

The carriage continued to rise and soon they were completely free of the castle walls. Still the went higher until they were at least fifty feet above the castle. Henry peered out over the edge of the flying vehicle and looked down at the army.

"Mom look down!" Henry called out in sheer excitement. "It's the Tin man and the Scarecrow!"

Emma followed Henry's lead and looked down at the people below them. The Tin man and Scarecrow were indeed stood with the army and appeared to be looking up at them although it was hard to tell from this high up.

"Oh thank god for that they got out" the blond muttered to herself. She had no idea if they could see her but she tried waving to them so they would know it was her and Regina in the carriage and not the Witch and that they had also escaped safely. The two men waved back and a loud cheer erupted from the army. The soldiers all began to wave too and Emma waved back all the more vigorously. Regina leant over the side too and waved although far more elegantly than Emma could ever manage.

"You met them?!" Henry exclaimed as he too joined in the waving.

"Yes Henry we met them" Regina answered their son. "They helped us get into the castle to rescue you."

"That is so cool!" Henry declared.

The carriage began to move again but this time in a forward direction. It wasn't the quickest form of transport but it was going to be significantly faster than walking and significantly easier. As they flew over the army there was one final cheer from below and soon they were past the large number of men and over the farmland were they had met the Scarecrow. They were on their way home.

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_**Time for them to have some deep discussions in the next chapter! Hope you have enjoyed it so far **_


	15. Homeward Bound

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 15: Homeward Bound**

Henry had been hyperactive for the first half an hour of their journey but then came the crash. Emma had wrapped him up in the fleece blanket when he started yawning and he and Toto had curled up on three quarters of the bench and fallen asleep together. It hadn't left Emma with much room and she felt incredibly squished but she had sat with him for another half an hour to make sure he was sleeping steadily and nightmare free. Once she was indeed confident that this was the case she turned her attention to the woman sat in front of her in the front segment of the carriage.

Regina had been extremely still for the entirety of the hour flight and was sat slumped back against the back rest with her head being totally supported by the wooden frame. Emma had no idea of how the magic of the carriage worked or how much it was draining the brunette's already low reserves. The blond was sure though that Regina was exhausted and according to Henry there was around another four hours of flying left to go before they reached the portal.

Emma managed to slip out from between Henry's curled up legs and the side of the carriage without disturbing him and she climbed over the divide between the two segments of the carriage. Her face passed over the top of the brunette's as she scaled the divide and the other woman smiled sleepily at her. Emma bent down and placed a soft kiss on Regina's lips before sitting down next to her in the front segment.

The kiss drew a quiet groan from the tired brunette and she lifted her head away from the support of the back rest only to give up again and lean back against it. Emma had never seen Regina look so exhausted…in fact she wasn't sure if she had ever seen anyone look so exhausted full stop.

"Could I fly this thing?" she asked the brunette. "You look like you really need sleep."

Regina tilted her head to the side and looked at the blond thoughtfully. Emma had half expected the other woman to laugh and tell her she wouldn't ever dream of closing her eyes and trusting Emma to get them anywhere safely. However the brunette just regarded Emma fondly and reached out to grasp her hand.

"Are magic is so connected I think it would continue flying under my original instruction if you just held me as I slept" the brunette reasoned. "I am pretty sure my magic would just continue to channel through you."

It wasn't the answer that Emma had been expecting and it opened up a topic she really wanted to talk about and find answers too. Their magic and the way it seemed to connect and work in tandem had been becoming more apparent for some time now. The first time being during the Wraith attack when Emma's touch had helped ignite the magic in Jefferson's hat. They had never discussed it apart from Regina briefly waving her hands between them and describing it as 'our magic' when they had been in Neverland. So as that didn't really amount to a conversation they hadn't really talked about it at all.

"Yeah about that" Emma decided to use the opportunity to finally ask the question. "Is it unusual for that to happen?"

The brunette squeezed Emma's hand gently before shuffling in the seat so that her head was resting on the blonde's shoulder. Emma wondered if she'd even get a response or if the older woman was just going to curl up against her and fall asleep. There were a few moments of silence when Emma became convinced it was going to be the later but then brunette sighed and began to talk.

"Unusual? No…" Regina replied uneasily, "unheard of…Yes."

Emma startled slightly the reply, not just because the brunette had been quiet but also because of the content of the reply. Emma knew that whatever was going on between them was a big deal but 'unheard of' wasn't just a 'big deal'…it was huge.

"What does it mean?" the blond asked.

Regina shivered alongside her and Emma wrapped her arm around the brunette's shoulders and pulled her even closer. It wasn't cold in Oz, especially in the day, so the shiver wasn't indicative of temperature. It was a big deal for Regina to try and have this kind of conversation with her and the brunette was clearly feeling a little exposed and vulnerable. Emma wanted to comfort her in whatever way possible.

"I don't think it means any one thing" Regina reasoned. "I think it indicates several things that have come together to create this link between us."

The brunette seemed to melt into Emma's embrace as she tried to explain her line of thinking on the matter. Emma had never envisioned Regina as a cuddly person but she was quietly pleased to find out otherwise. She had never really enjoyed physical contact and hand holding before, or certainly not since Neal, but somehow it felt difficult with the brunette. It felt easy.

"You hit on some of it I think when we went through the portal. We share a bond…a family tie through Henry and as you pointed out the love of a mother and her child is very powerful. We are united in that powerful bond over our son. It also seems very likely that fate for whatever reason has thrown us together. The second I cast that curse I also cast your fate and role as the Saviour. I always presumed that your role would be to 'save' everyone else and therefore be my downfall. However either by design or by chance that has not been the case."

Emma listened carefully as the brunette tried to explain but she lost track of Regina's line of thought when the other woman started talking about Emma's role as the saviour. Well perhaps she hadn't exactly lost track she just wasn't sure if Regina could be saying what Emma thought she was trying to say.

"What do you mean?" Emma pushed, trying to find some clarity in the swirl of ideas the brunette had put forward.

"In lifting the curse you gave everyone else their memories back…which is something I am not trying to belittle…but they were not exactly in danger where they?" Regina tried to explain, stumbling through her words rather awkwardly for someone who was usually so articulate and calm. "I think the person you actually saved the most was me Emma. You saved me from myself. You gave me a chance to be a better person… and a reason to be a better person."

The conversation was getting deep. Emma hadn't expected Regina to start saying anything that delved quite so far into her psyche. As much as Emma wanted to clarify what was going on between them she found herself tensing as she silently panicked. She wasn't used to talking about feelings.

"You did it for Henry…" the words came tumbling out of Emma's mouth a little too quickly. The blond had to take a deep breath and relax again. The last thing she wanted to do was scare or stop Regina whilst the other woman was outside of her comfort zone too.

"Who if you recall was the fruit of you loins!" Regina quipped, making Emma chuckle and release some more of the nervous tension the blond was feeling. The brunette chuckled briefly too before continuing in a more serious tone again.

"It wasn't just for Henry. It was mainly for him I admit but when the curse lifted and you protected me from the mob and that wraith it made me want to prove myself to you too. I know I may have faltered a bit along the way but I really do thing that part of your fate was to save my soul too."

Silence descended as Emma processed the brunette's words and tried to make sense of them. She had always presumed that any attempt made by Regina to prove to her that the brunette was trying to change was all for Henry's benefit. Emma had control of when Regina had access to their son after all. She had never considered that it was important to Regina for her to see and believe it too. It gave Emma a deeper understanding of why the brunette was still disappointed about the 'Archie Incident'.

As for the stuff about Emma's role as the Saviour…well she wasn't so sure Regina was right about all that. As far as Emma understood her role as the Saviour was somehow woven into the curse and she couldn't see the creator of the curse having any great concern for the saving of Regina's soul.

"Why would Rumple write something like that into the curse?" she asked the other woman who had been sat quietly whilst Emma had been thinking.

The brunette shifted her body again but this time she moved away from Emma slightly. Regina was now sat more upright again and her head was no longer on the blonde's shoulder but they were still side by side with Emma's arm slung around the older woman's shoulder.

"I don't think he meant to" Regina admitted, turning her head to look the blond in the eyes. "I think that in making the saviour the product of true love then he in avertedly created a hero who would look to heal and not to destroy. It's just not in your nature dear."

Emma had become totally lost in the former Evil Queen's soulful brown eyes. The brunette was looking at her with such affection and reverence as she spoke that it gave every word an extra edge. She had no idea when Regina had decided that she was the brunette's hero and not her enemy. Perhaps she had realised Emma wished her no harm as early as the curse being lifted but knowing Regina's mind set at the time the blond was sure that the idea would have irritated her not pleased her.

Regina cleared her throat and Emma snapped back to the present, dipping her head to break what had been a long period of consistent eye contact. When she glanced back up again she found that the brunette was still watching her with a slight smile on her lips. Once it was apparent she had Emma's attention again the brunette continued.

"That brings us on to one of the other aspects I think may be important" Regina carried on with what was turning out to be a very long and complex explanation to Emma's original question. "Your magic is natural to you because you are the Saviour and the product of true love. Mine on the other hand was accumulated through learning it. Your magic is untainted and pure…white magic. My magic is black because it is accessed and created through fear and anger. In terms of magic we are on the opposite end of the scale but of course when you put two equals on each side of a scale…."

"The scale balances" Emma cut in, finishing the sentence for herself.

"Exactly" the brunette nodded.

It was a lot of theorising to take in. So far Regina had explained their connection as an accumulation of their maternal link through Henry, some crazy fate created by Mr Gold's use of true love in the curse that had created Storybrooke and some sort of light and dark magical balancing act. Emma knew they hadn't even really touched on the other development that had occurred over the past few days.

"That's a long list of ingredients…anything else?" she asked, curious to see if the brunette would want to press that far in this conversation. Regina had opened up far more that Emma had expected but she wasn't sure if an 'I have feelings for you' chat was a bit beyond them still.

The brunette glanced forward and chewed on her lower lip in response to the question. Emma was pretty sure that they had gone as far as Regina was willing for the night but then the brunette surprised her.

"I'm in love with you" Regina murmured so quietly it was barely louder than a whisper.

Emma felt her jaw slacken and eyes widen in surprise but she desperately tried to get a handle on her emotions. Luckily Regina was still looking forward and not to the side at Emma so probably hadn't seen her reaction. In fact the brunette looked utterly terrified now that she had admitted the extent of her feelings.

"I think you might have to repeat that just so I can be sure I heard it correctly" Emma admitted, hoping her words would diffuse the tension that was suddenly apparent in Regina's body language and shoulders. She gave the brunette's shoulder a slight squeeze to try and reassure her that everything was okay. More than okay.

"I'm in love with you" Regina repeated with a little more confidence this time, "and I think you are in love with me too."

The brunette gradually turned her gaze towards Emma as she spoke and as they locked eyes the blond felt her heart surge and her chest tighten. Regina's eyes shone with the emotion she was speaking of and it warmed Emma to the core. She felt happier than she had ever felt before.

"I think you might be right" Emma couldn't help but chuckle even though the topic was in fact quite serious. She had just admitted she was in love with Regina. They had both just admitted to being in love with the other.

Regina reached out and tucked a stray tendril of Emma's hair behind her ear with a jaw splitting smile splashed across her face.

"You know who I am…you've seen who I am and yet you love me still" Regina continued softly. "You turned my world upside down and you are the daughter of a woman I have spent a life time hating, yet I would sit through a hundred family dinners if it meant being with you."

Emma was again left surprised by the brunette's heartfelt words. It was comforting to hear that the brunette was obviously planning to make an effort to be accommodating to Emma's parents and she hoped her parents would be able to do the same back after recovering from the initial shock. It was obvious that the Regina wasn't just gushing but also trying to explain something about their connection and Emma waited patiently for her to continue.

"Em the fact that we have been able to move past all that and feel THIS" Regina gestured between the two of them, "If that isn't true love then I don't know what is."

Without even considering the fact that Henry was sat just a metre behind them Emma used the hand that had been draped around Regina's shoulder to pull the other woman in close and eagerly pressed their lips together.

The brunette responded just as eagerly and they heatedly kissed with flashes of teeth and tongue and hands buried in the other's hair. It was only a sudden soft snore from Toto that reminded them they were not alone and they pulled apart suddenly. They both glanced back to find that Henry was still curled up asleep.

"I think it's all those elements combined that has given us this unfathomable connection" Regina spoke a little quieter again now that they had been reminded of where they were and who they were with.

"Does all that help to answer your question?" Regina asked; chuckling lightly at the sheer mass of explanation she had given. Emma leant further into the brunette again so that their foreheads pressed together. Regina closed her eyes at the contact and sighed happily. The older woman's head felt heavy against Emma and it reminded her that Regina was completely exhausted.

"I think so" Emma replied quietly. "I have loads more questions 'Gina but they can wait. You need to rest even if it's only for a couple of hours."

The brunette nodded and Emma could see a little relief flash in the other woman's eyes. It was probably because she was tired but Emma certainly wouldn't begrudge Regina if the brunette was just glad she didn't have to answer any more deep and meaningful questions right now.

"Mmmmmkay" Regina agreed as she curled up into Emma's lap. "Wake me if we start plummeting towards the ground."

No matter how tired the brunette was Emma couldn't imagine Regina sleeping through such an event but she nodded her assent anyway. Regina closed her eyes and snuggled down against the blond. Emma couldn't resist reaching down and running her hand through the brunette's hair. The older woman sighed contentedly so Emma continued her ministrations.

"Love you" Regina sleepily mumbled. It caught Emma by surprise again and she briefly froze. She quickly recovered and continued to rake her fingers across the brunette's scalp.

"I love you too" the blond replied, smiling to herself. She hoped Regina had heard her reply because it appeared that the brunette was already asleep.

Emma closed one of her eyes nervously and waited to see if the enchanted carriage suddenly stopped being quite so enchanted. There wasn't even a shudder or a jerk and it continued to fly straight so Emma settled back against the back rest and relaxed.

It was going to be a long couple of hours especially as Emma was pretty wiped out herself. She knew there was a chance that Henry wouldn't sleep the entire flight so she may eventually have some company. However, little did the blond know that their son had actually been awake for most of the conversation between his two mothers and was now quietly processing what he had heard.


	16. Back Through the Portal

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 16: Back through the Portal**

Regina and Henry had remained asleep for nearly four hours but Emma hadn't had the heart to wake them. She had been sorely tempted when they were flying over the dark forest as even from the air it had really put the blond on edge. Regina had shifted a little in her sleep during that part of the journey which probably meant it was giving the other woman nightmares so Emma had just tried to ease the dreams by stroking the brunette's cheek.

They were flying over the ordinary bit of woodland they had passed through on their first day in Oz. Emma could see a faint glow in the distance as the carriage flew just over the top of the tree tops. It was a blue glow and she recognised it as the portal they had entered through. They would reach the portal in a matter of minutes and as much as Emma was loathed to wake the sleeping pair she wasn't sure if she could land the enchanted carriage without Regina's help.

"Regina, Henry" she called out softly as she didn't want to startle them too much. "Regina, Henry...wake up...we are nearly there."

She could see Henry stretching and sitting up out of the corner of her eye and Regina stirred in her lap. One of the brunette's eyes opened and then another as the brunette's eyes adjusted to the light. When she saw Emma gazing down at her the brunette smiled and pushed herself up into a sitting position next to the blond again.

"Hey" Regina greeted both Emma and their son and she rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck to one side and then the other.

"Is that the portal?" Henry asked as he stood up and leant over the dividing wall of the two sections of carriage. His head rested between his two mom's as he reached through and pointed at the blue glow of light.

"Yeah we're nearly home kid" Emma replied, her voice catching on the word 'home'. It was hard to think of the Enchanted Forest as their home but for the foreseeable future that would be the case. It wasn't really the blonde's ideal home as it lacked the comforts of Storybrooke. She missed running water, cell phones, the internet...her car.

"And is that a lion?" Henry's voice filled with disbelief as he pointed a lot more vigorously towards a figure stood by the portal. Emma squinted towards the clearing and a smile broke out on her face. Henry was right; the lion was waiting for them.

"I do believe it is" Regina agreed, flashing the blond a quick smile at their son's enthusiasm. "Now Henry sit down whilst I try and set us down safely."

Their son instantly sat back down and scooped Toto who had been sat wagging his tail safely into his arms. Emma allowed herself the luxury of watching Regina as the brunette focussed on the task ahead. The look of deep concentration on the older woman's face was adorable and Emma found herself smiling uncontrollably. This was the kind of loved up stuff she always whined at her parents for but now she understood that sometimes they probably couldn't help themselves. This love thing was intoxicating.

Regina seemed to catch the look out of the corner of her eye and the brunette smiled too but shook her head slightly. If Emma carried on distracting the brunette they were likely to land in the clearing upside down or something equally awkward so the blond forced herself to sit straight again and look straight out towards their destination.

They had cleared the trees now and were lowering slowly but steadily towards the flat patch of clearing. Finally Emma felt the carriage touch down on the moss and she leapt out the carriage to go greet the lion.

"You found them!" he exclaimed, pointing his paw towards Henry and Toto who were also climbing out the carriage.

"Yes and we cannot thank you enough" Emma declared, her earlier exhaustion at bay for now due to the sheer relief of reaching the portal. She buried her hands in the lion's mane, remembering how much he'd enjoyed it a couple of days before. Henry, who had put Toto down, joined Emma by the lion and looked at him in wonderment. Once her son saw that stroking the lion was safe he eagerly joined in much to the delight of the lion.

"You have the sword!" The lion suddenly exclaimed, making Henry jump a little. Emma glanced back to see Regina was now stood just behind her holding the weapon they had pulled from the stone.

"Then all the evil is over? She is dead?" he continued with a look of wonder and joy in his eyes. It hit Emma at that moment how much they had actually achieved on this impromptu trip to Oz. For the two women it had been about rescuing their son but in the process they had broken a curse and destroyed the last of a lineage of Witches that had brought the land to its knees. It was in moments like these she actually felt like the Saviour. It was in moments like this that she believed.

A faint flicker of light, a slight crackle and a loud yap from Toto drew her attention back to the present. Emma stopped stroking the lion and turned to look at the portal. It looked fine now but there had definitely been a surge or something. Dorothy's dog stood looking alert at the swirling mass of light.

"You must hurry through the portal" The lion spoke up again. "It has been weakening for some while now."

"But Dorothy..." Emma began to ask, concerned that the portal would close before they could get her back to Oz. The lion however did not look concerned at all.

"She doesn't belong here" he stated sadly. "She needs to go home or at least have a real family...a human family."

Emma could see that the lion truly did think it was for the best but he also looked incredibly sad. It reminded Emma a little of standing with Henry by the Storybrooke town line and looking at the people she would have to leave behind over a year ago. A quick glance at Regina and Emma knew that the brunette was reminiscing too.

"I'll make sure she is safe" Emma promised. It was an easy promise to make. Even if they couldn't find a way back to Emma and Dorothy's world then there would be someone willing to adopt he girl. Hell Emma was thinking about settling down and having a family with Regina so maybe they could adopt the girl. That way Henry would have a bit of company from someone his own age or near enough.

"I know" The lion cut into her thoughts, reminding the blond that it was something that needed discussing with Regina first. The lion continued; his voice emotional. "Tell her...tell her we all love her...and we will never forget her."

"We will" Regina was the one to promise this time and Emma felt the brunette pulling back on her shoulder lightly. It was time to go.

Emma turned, wrapping her arm around Henry's shoulders and guiding him along with them as they came to stand in front of the portal. Henry scooped up Toto again and held the dog in his arms. Regina and Emma stood on either side of their son, wrapping their nearest arm to the boy around him so he was pressed tightly between the two of them.

"Follow my lead" the brunette instructed.

Regina placed the hand that carried the sword as flat as she could get it against the portal and Emma reached out and pressed her palm against the blue light too. The blond stole a quick glance at the lion.

"Good bye" she said fondly.

She turned her attention back to Regina and their son. The brunette smiled tenderly at her before slowly leaning in to kiss Henry's temple. Emma copied and as soon as her lips pressed against his skin the blue light soared and the world started to spin.

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The spinning came to an abrupt stop and Emma managed to twist her body again so she would land on her back. As she hit the floor she felt Henry roll over her to the left with Toto held up in the air so the poor little dog didn't get squashed. Then a second later Regina landed completely on top of her and the sword that had been in the brunette's hand clattered a couple of feet away to the right of Emma's head. Regina must have tossed the sword the second they came through the portal to prevent any of them being impaled. Emma was grateful for that but the force of the other woman falling against her had taken the blondes breath away. It had clearly hurt Regina too because the brunette grunted on impact and remained on top of Emma, burying her head in the blondes neck. Emma wrapped her arms around the other woman out of instinct.

"Emma! Henry!" Snow called out from somewhere nearby. The blond tilted her head back to see that Henry had got to his feet and was partaking in a group hug with his grandma and grandpa. It irked Emma that they hadn't at least had the dignity to call out Regina's name too or even acknowledged she was home safe too.

There had been a cry of 'Toto' around the same time as Snow had shouted and the dog had bounded over to his young master and was now wrapped up in Dorothy's arms.

"You okay?" Emma asked the brunette who was still lying on top of her.

"Yeah" Regina groaned, trying to press herself up off the blond. She was obviously still a little dizzy from their trip through the portal so Henry gallantly bounded back over from his grandparents and helped her to her feet. Emma had no idea how he was able to bounce around so much after being spun like a washing machine. Perhaps it was an age thing.

"Thank you Henry" Regina gave their son a half hug before he reached down and helped Emma into a sitting position. As soon as she moved she felt he shoulders and back ache from her rough landing.

"Ouch" the blond grumbled, reaching up to grasp the pained muscles in her shoulder. She dug her nails into the tight flesh but it did little to ease the rock hard pressure there.

"Sorry" Regina looked guiltily at her for being the cause of any discomfort. "I had to try and get the sword away..."

"I know I know" Emma cut her off mid explanation. She was glad Regina had chose to land on her and not impale her; she didn't want the brunette to feel guilt for doing the right thing.

Charming and Snow had joined them by the stuttering portal now and her mother helped Emma onto her feet. The blond vaguely registered that Neil was lurking a couple of feet away with his hand on Henry's shoulder. He looked like he was thinking about coming over to try and hug her and she hoped if she paid no attention to him he would think better of it.

Emma glanced around. There was a whole campsite set up in the clearing so everyone must have been staying by the portal and waiting for their return. This family thing was still taking some getting used to as not very long ago no one would have noticed she was missing let alone care. The likes of Hook and Tink had even stuck around and were lingering a little back from the others.

"Here is your new toy saviour" Regina broke her from her thoughts. The blond turned to look at Henry's other mother to find that she was stood close by with the sword they had plucked from the stone lying flat across her hands. It looked like Regina was making an offering to her and it rattled Emma slightly that the other woman was still acting like only Emma had been the 'saviour' in Oz. It had been about them working together. THEY had saved Henry, THEY had killed the Witch and THEY had pulled the sword from the stone.

"Our toy" Emma reminded the brunette as evenly as she could muster. "We both pulled it from the goddamn stone and no matter what you say to try and deflect it you were just as much the hero as me."

Everyone had been looking at the glittering sword with awe until the words had came tumbling out of Emma's mouth but suddenly all eyes fell rather disbelievingly on Regina. It made the brunette shift awkwardly on the spot and inch ever closer to Emma.

"Look around Em, everyone else here still sees a villain" Regina murmured; quiet enough so that only those closest could hear. "Just take it please."

Emma reached out and grasped the sword immediately when she heard how uncomfortable the brunette sounded. She instantly regretted it though because her right shoulder went into spasm and all she could do to relieve it was to drop the sword on the floor next to her and slam her eyes shut. She let out a pitiful groan and instantly felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She didn't need to open her eyes to know it was Regina as she could sense it by the tenderness of the touch.

"Where does it hurt?" the brunette asked as she began to kneed Emma's shoulder. She had found the painful spot at the first attempt and Emma hummed appreciatively at the relief it was bringing. Regina was leaning in so close that her warm breath was hitting the side of Emma's neck and shoulder and was providing some sort of relief all on its own by heating the troublesome area.

"Right there" Emma encouraged breathlessly.

She still had her eyes closed but when she heard an uncomfortable coughing sound to her right she remembered they were not alone. She opened her eyes and peered at Regina whose hand had briefly stilled before continuing with its task. The brunette was stood directly in front of Emma and her focus was solely on the blonde's shoulder so to avoid anyone's gazes but Emma risked a glance towards her parents. They looked thoroughly unimpressed and very confused.

"What's going on?" Swan spoke up the second Emma made eye contact with her.

Emma had no idea whether she should answer her parents with the truth or a lie as her and Regina hadn't quite got round to discussing whether they wanted to go public yet. Emma took a sneaky glance at the brunette who was still focussed on massaging her shoulder. Regina looked a little nervous of the entire situation so Emma took that as a hint to avoid the topic for now and give them some breathing space before the Charming family storm hit.

"Erm...we saved Henry and Toto?" Emma finally replied; trying to look as oblivious to their question and its implications as she possibly could. It was quite difficult to remain nonchalant with Regina still virtually stood on top of her.

"Yes we can see that" Charming replied sarcastically. "I think your mother is referring to the fact Regina is massaging you."

Emma was about to try and justify it with the fact Regina had caused the pain and was just being pleasant when somebody piped up with a different and more cheerfully delivered explanation.

"It's because they are in love!" Henry suddenly supplied from behind his two grandparents. His words caused every person in the clearings mouth to fall open including Emma and Regina. They had been outed by their son...who wasn't even supposed to know yet. There was about to be drama.


	17. Outed

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 17: Outed**

"_**It's because they are in love!" Henry suddenly supplied from behind his two grandparents. His words caused every person in the clearings mouth to fall open including Emma and Regina. They had been outed by their son...who wasn't even supposed to know yet. There was about to be drama.**_

Emma looked from a bemused albeit nervous Regina (whose hand had stilled on the blonde's sore shoulder) to her two horrified looking parents and a gutted looking ex boyfriend. Finally she looked towards Henry who had a slow dawning look on his face that he may have said something he shouldn't. Behind him Dorothy looked nervously over his shoulder, still clinging to the oblivious little dog and completely aware that she was about to witness a crisis. Emma felt incredibly sorry for her.

"What?" Henry asked innocently. "It's a good thing isn't it?"

Emma was relieved to see and hear that their son was okay with the new development in her and Regina's relationship. She hadn't been too worried about him having a negative reaction but she would have expected a more neutral reaction that the joy he was expressing. She wasn't sure how he knew. _Maybe they had been really obvious?_

"This is crazy" Swan began to protest, creeping closer to Emma as she spoke. Her mother's expression and tone of voice was horribly superior and it made Emma's blood boil. "You cannot be in love with her Emma...she's..."

Emma had been about to tell her mother that if she called Regina 'evil' then she would never speak to her again. In the process of defeating the Wicked Witch senior Snow and Regina had managed to work together. It irked Emma that her mother would ignore all that goodwill and progress just because Snow didn't want her daughter and Regina to be together.

"They are!" Henry cut into Emma's mother's rant before got the chance to intercede herself. "It's true love, my mom said!"

Emma's first emotion was a sense of pride and pleasure that Henry was defending his mother's new found relationship. When his words sank in the second emotion was surprise; _how did Henry know about all this unless...?_

"You were awake!" Emma exclaimed at her son before turning her attention to jest at his other mother. "Didn't you teach him about not listening in?"

"Oh so he's not OUR son but MY son now that he has just landed you in a heap of trouble" Regina responded, chuckling as she spoke. The brunette's eyebrows rose flirtatiously and Emma briefly forgot the circumstances they found themselves in. It was easy to fall into some flirtatious banter with the brunette especially now they were no longer focussing on rescuing Henry.

"Well I do recall you having Sydney spy on me" the blond quipped as she placed her hands against the other woman's hips. Regina's hand which had been resting on the blonde's shoulder crept down the younger woman's arm before coming to rest over one of the hands pressed against her hip.

"That is true...but I distinctly remember you and the aforementioned Sydney breaking into my office" Regina fired back quickly; "have I ever mentioned how much of a rubbish liar you are?"

Emma let out a throaty chuckle that matched the brunette's but before she could protest and defend her questionable story telling skills the two women were interrupted by a furious sounding Snow White.

"Stop that...FLIRTING!" Emma's mother screeched, making everyone in the clearing jump except Regina. "Did you cast a spell on her?"

Emma couldn't help but roll her eyes as she released her grasp on the brunette and turned back towards her parents. _Did they seriously think she had been given a love potion or something? _She'd understand why it all may have seemed unbelievable at one time but there had been a gradual shift in the relationship and she couldn't believe that her parents hadn't seen that.

"Oh for god's sake" Regina snapped, pulling a similar unimpressed face to the blond and gesturing irritably with her hands. "Would you believe me if I said I was just my normal charming self?"

"No" David snarled, pulling his sword from its sheaf and pointing at the brunette threateningly. "Now tell me how to undo whatever you've done to my daughter."

If Emma thought her blood was boiling before she had been wrong because it truly was boiling now. _How dare her father draw his sword on his grandson's other mother and the person he had just been informed that his daughter loves?_ Family feud beside it was hot headed, irresponsible and just damn right rude.

Without even realising what she was doing Emma somehow magically summoned her own weapon from a few feet away and was now between Regina and her father mirroring his threatening pose. Regina's hand grasped at the blonde's upper arm to try and calm her down and prevent her actually lunging at Charming. The situation had become a Mexican stand of but with swords not guns and everyone had become very still and silent. That was...everyone except Emma.

"She didn't do anything" the blond shouted at both her parents, her sword still raised. "I'm not under a spell; I haven't gone mad...I am happy...or at least I was until you two opened your mouths."

Snow reached for Charming in the way that Regina had grasped Emma and pulled her husband back a couple of steps. Charming seemed to come to his senses and placed his sword back in its sheaf before raising his hand to placate his daughter. However Emma was not feeling very placated and although she lowered her weapon a little it still remained in her hand.

"Emma..." Snow tried to diffuse the situation but it was with such a disdainful tone that Emma halted her instantly. She was not in the mood to be treated like a child.

"Don't Emma me!" the blond snapped, determined to head whatever speech her mother was going to make before she was actually tempted to commit matricide. "I'm not 12 years old. I know what I want and who I want and Henry is right...It is true love...we even broke a curse when we had...when we kissed."

Emma was relieved she managed to catch herself but it was apparent by the looks on her parents and Neal's face that they had heard and understood the slip. Neal looked like a kicked puppy, but then that was his normal facial expression. Her parents on the other hand looked a cross between disgusted and shocked. At least it had stunned them into silence.

"True loves kiss!" Henry piped up again after remaining quiet whilst his had family faced off. Luckily he was still too young to understand his birth mother's near slip.

Dorothy seemed to understand exactly what was going on as she was a couple of years Henry's senior. The young girl had turned a shade of red and was trying to hide her giggling behind the little black dog she was holding. Suddenly the light around them dimmed and Dorothy's face fell.

"The portal" Neal gasped, causing Emma and Regina who had been facing away from the portal to turn around. The portal had vanished and all that was left was the gravestone like rock but it no longer had any carvings.

"How am I supposed to get back?" Dorothy asked her voice shaking slightly like she may cry.

Emma felt instantly guilty for letting her family dilemma get in the way of explaining the conversation they had just had in the Land of Oz with the young girl. She had known the portal would close any minute but it had slipped her mind in her irritation at her parents.

"Regina and I promised the lion we would try and find a way to get you back to Kansas as soon as possible" she explained to the young brunette.

Emma finally dropped the sword she was holding on the floor again and made her way over to where Dorothy and Henry were stood. Regina was hot on her heels and lingered to Emma's left with her hand on the base of Emma's back. The two women faced the two children and Emma reached out to put a reassuring hand on the young girls arm.

"It's going to be okay" Emma assured her. "You can stay with us at the castle. I promise we are usually a little friendlier than you have just witnessed...you just caught us on a bad day."

Dorothy nodded but it was a fairly half hearted attempt at looking reassured. Emma couldn't really blame the young girl for being weary of her surroundings though considering the family drama that had just evolved in front of her eyes plus the fact she was in a strange new world with Snow White, Prince Charming, Captain Hook and Tinkerbell. At least in Oz there was only one set of story book characters present not the entire cast of Walt Disney plus some very random guests.

"You can have my room that way you can be next to Henry" Emma offered. She was sure it would settle the young girl as her son was quite close in age to Dorothy and he had taken care of Toto during his stay in Oz. Both kids had been born in America which would probably make Henry feel less foreign to Dorothy than the cast of fairy tale characters in the Enchanted Forest. It seemed Emma was right as the young brunette smiled and nodded her head more positively this time.

"Thank you" the young girl replied politely.

"Your room...but where will you sleep?" Snow asked awkwardly from behind the blond. Emma gave Dorothy's arm another comforting rub before turning around to face her parents again. Both of them looked sheepish for now but Emma knew that didn't meant they wouldn't get agitated quickly again if they didn't like the answer.

"Down the corridor" she replied carefully. It was an honest answer albeit an evasive one as the room they had assigned to be Regina's for the couple of the nights after the feast was indeed down the other end of the corridor from Emma and Henry's rooms.

"But all the rooms are taken down the corridor" Snow's brow knitted together in confusion as she spoke and Emma couldn't help but role her eyes again. There were four rooms down the corridor and they contained Regina, Belle, Ruby and Granny so it was fairly obvious where Emma planned to sleep. Emma couldn't decide if Snow was being dense or she was doing it on purpose.

"Oh for god's sake woman she is going to stay in my room!" Regina snapped at Snow. Obviously the brunette had decided Emma's mother was just being downright annoying.

"I think I'll start walking Henry and Dorothy back" Neal suddenly offered before the situation had a chance to blow up again. Emma was grateful for his intervention as it would do neither kid any good to hear them all arguing again especially not over sleeping arrangements.

Snow went to start ranting but Emma raised her hand to silence her and surprisingly Snow complied. They all stood in silence waiting for Neal, Henry, Dorothy, Tink and Hook to leave the clearing but the second they were out of ear shot Emma's mother broke the silence.

"Don't you think you should take some time to think about this before you start sharing a bed with her?!" Snow exclaimed.

Emma rolled her eyes for what felt like the twentieth time since they had arrived back through the portal. Her mother really did have a skill for not only making everything sound very dramatic but also for treating the blond like she was incapable of making an adult decision unless it involved being the saviour.

"I'm twenty nine years old not a child and I have had plenty of time to think about this" Emma reasoned, trying to keep the situation light by gesturing her thumb towards the brunette who stood alongside her and using it to prod her in the stomach.

However the brunette just took the situation to her advantage and grasped the hand, drawing Emma in front of her and wrapping her arms around the blond so her front was pressed into Emma's back. Regina's chin rested on Emma's shoulder and her lips were so close to Emma's neck that the blond could feel the other woman's breath tickling her neck.

"Plus you're a little late as we've already shared a bed" Regina added, pressing even closer to Emma, "it was very thin bed and we had to snuggle up niiiiiiice and clo..."

"Play nice" Emma cut in, lightly elbowing her lover's side.

Regina sighed and began to shift away but Emma placed her hands on the brunette's and kept her in position. The cuddling part was fine but they all had to resist the urge to make snarky comments or the awkward conversation would go on all night or end with her parents not speaking to them.

"Sorry" the brunette directed towards Snow and Charming as she relaxed her body against Emma's again. It was a reluctant apology but it sounded sincere enough.

Emma's parents quietly observed the two women with resigned looks on their faces as Regina buried her face into the crook of the blonde's neck. The warmth and comfort their close proximity brought reminded Emma of exactly how exhausted she was. Unlike Henry and Regina she hadn't slept at all on the journey back and now with Regina's body pressed against her she felt like she could fall asleep standing up if it wasn't for the fact she was also incredibly hungry. It was time to bring an end to this discussion and follow the others back to the castle.

"Listen I am really really tired and I really really smell so all I want to do right now is go back to the castle, have Regina magic me a bath of hot water that actually stays hot and sink into it for at least an hour. Then I want some decent food and then I plan to sleep solidly for about twelve hours. Then after that you can throw as much crap as you like at me about the situation and I will be well rested enough to not feel homicidal. Is that too much to ask?"

As Emma spoke she could see any resolve that her parents had to try and persuade her from staying with Regina steadily slipping away. She had used guilt to make them give her a break for now and she hoped that after having some time to themselves to process the situation her parents would have a more mature approach to the conversation the next time they discussed it.

"No of course it isn't" Swan replied softly once Emma had finished. Emma's parents shared a brief glance and it seemed from the look that her father was in agreement that the topic should be dropped for now.

David reached down and scooped up the sword the two women had pulled from the stone in Oz and handed it to Emma.

"We should get back to the castle" he stated calmly, nodding his head to Emma and Regina in some sort of silent confirmation that although he was struggling he accepted what was happening. It was hard to believe from his calm demeanour now that father and daughter had drawn swords on each other only minutes before.

Charming and Swan began to walk back in the direction of the castle but Emma remained still, lingering a few moments longer in the clearing with Regina wrapped around her. The brunette dropped a couple of light kisses to Emma's pulse point on her neck before releasing their hold and stepping back. The older woman laughed lightly and Emma turned and raised a questioning brow, waiting for whatever comment the brunette was about to fire off about her parents.

"Mmmmm you were right" Regina chuckled as she spoke, "we really do need a bath."


	18. The Iron Bath Tub

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 18: The Iron Bath Tub**

The walk back to the castle hadn't taken too long and Regina and Emma instantly headed for the brunette's room, picking up stuff from Emma's on the way so Dorothy could take up residence. Henry, who had plenty of time to sleep in captivity, was wide awake so Charming had taken him and Dorothy down to the stables for a riding lesson. Because of the weird time difference between the two worlds it was early morning in the Enchanted Forest whereas it would have been nightfall in Oz. It meant that Emma's body clock was now totally skrewed up but there was no way she could stay awake for another ten hours.

"Just drop your things on the chair for now" Regina ordered as soon as they entered the room. "I'll magic you up the most amazing bath you have ever had."

Emma did as she was told and watched with interest as the brunette approached the large cast Iron bathtub in the corner of the room and raise her hands above it. There was a purple glow emanating from Regina's hands but nothing very dramatic seemed to be happening. Emma stripped off her jacket, vest top, jeans, shoes and socks whilst she watched. It left her in only her underwear. After a half a minute the brunette removed her hands and turned back to Emma. On seeing the blond in only her underwear Regina let out an audible gasp and her eyes darkened and roamed down and then back up Emma's figure. It took several seconds for them to stop their exploration and meet Emma's own eyes.

"Done" the brunette declared, her voice was raspy and betrayed her arousal as much as her eyes had. "It will stay warm for as long as you want."

Emma closed the distance between them and slipped of the brunette's fur coat, letting it fall to the ground next to them. The blond then started undoing the buttons on the other woman's shirt and Regina's eyebrows arched in a silent question.

"There is enough room for two" Emma stated as she pushed the shirt of the brunette's shoulders and it fell to the floor next to the coat.

"There is" Regina agreed as Emma removed the wrappings from her chest, "I just didn't want to presume..."

"Oh you can presume" Emma cut in before closing the distance between them and kissing the brunette firmly on the lips.

Regina responded immediately and wrapped her arms around the blond. The kiss was slow and sensual and Emma melted into the other woman. Once a lack of oxygen became an issue they broke apart and Emma was rewarded with a beautiful smile from the brunette.

The blond trailed her hands down Regina's chest and stomach, stopping when she reached the buttons on her leather trousers. She undid the button's one by one, keeping eye contact with the brunette until her task was complete. Then the blond dropped to her knees and drew the fitted trousers and underwear down the other woman's legs. Regina stepped out of them gracefully leaving the brunette completely naked.

"You really are stunning" Emma rasped as she rose to her feet and ran her eyes appreciatively over the brunette's form.

"So are you my dear" Regina responded silkily. The older woman reached out with both hands and used her forefingers to hook the straps of Emma's bra and draw them down off her shoulders, racing their path down the skin of the blonde's bicep until they could go no further.

Regina leant in and kissed her again, slipping one of her hands around the blonde's back and unhooking her bra from its clasps and allowing it to fall away to the floor. Emma deepened the kiss and pressed her body completely against the brunettes, revelling in the feel of their skin pressed together.

When they broke apart Regina pushed the blonde's underwear over her hips and down her legs until Emma could kick them off. Then the brunette grasped her hand and led her to the bath. It was three quarters full with water and was covered with bubbles. The scent of vanilla and cinnamon wafted pleasantly from the water.

The brunette stepped into the bath and sat down, pulling at Emma's hand and gesturing for the blond to climb in front of her.

"Who said you could be the big spoon?" Emma quipped as she put a tentative foot into the water. It was hot but not too hot, in fact it was perfect but then she didn't expect anything less of the brunette.

"The big what?" Regina asked as Emma climbed into the bath completely and sat down. The blond mused that 'spooning' must have been a pop culture reference the brunette hadn't heard before but then Regina didn't seem like the romantic comedy type.

"The person doing the cuddling from behind rather than the one being cuddled" Emma explained as she slid backwards so she was completely pressed against Regina's front with the brunette's thighs wrapped around her own. The older woman turned her head so that her mouth was a whisker away from Emma's ear.

"Maybe I like having you between my legs..." Regina rasped in a deep and sexy voice before tracing her tongue around the shell of the blonde's ear.

Emma couldn't control the moan that escaped her mouth and as the brunette wrapped her arms around the front of her Emma reached back with her right hand and tangled it in the other woman's hair. Regina's hands traced patters on the blonde's abs whilst her tongue continued on a slow tortuous path down her jaw line and neck until the brunette reached the soft skin where her neck and shoulder met. When her mouth reached this point the brunette nipped at the skin causing Emma to moan again.

"That feels amazing" the blond encouraged as Regina continued to nip and kiss at her neck. She was far more comfortable lying in the warm bath against the brunette than they had been in the Tin man's straw mattress bed. Everything had been rushed and desperate in the hut in Oz whereas this was slow and sensual. Emma felt fire in the pit of her stomach even though they had barely touched each other yet.

"Good" Regina rasped between assaults of open mouthed kisses on the blonde's neck, "I want you to feel amazing."

To extenuate her point the brunette slid her hands up from the patterns they had been drawing on Emma's abdomen and cupped the blonde's breasts. Emma's body instantly arched into the contact and she gasped as the brunette began to roll her nipples between forefingers and thumbs.

"I love feeling you pressed against me like this" Regina whispered into the blonde's ear as she continued with her ministrations. Emma tilted her head and body to the right just enough to capture the other woman's lips in a searing kiss. The hand that was still entwined in the brunette's hair providing the leverage Emma needed to hold their mouths together despite the awkward angle.

The brunette's hands on her breasts were driving Emma crazy and she longed to reciprocate in some way so she broke the kiss and went to turn in Regina's arms so she could face her. However, the other woman reacted quickly and held her in place, keeping Emma pressed back against her.

"Don't" Regina huskily instructed into the blonde's ear again, "just let me..."

The brunette's words trailed off as she raked one of her hands down the blonde's abs, fingers digging lightly into the soft flesh there. Her hand didn't stop until it was cupping Emma's sex.

"Oh god Regina" Emma gasped out as the brunette's fingers began stroking through her folds. The fire that was burning inside the blonde flared even more and she shut her eyes and just let herself feel every pattern of movement the other woman's skilled fingers made.

Normally she would not expect to be quite so undone by simple touches but her body was so hot for Regina that everything felt intensified tenfold. Her left hand grasped firmly at the side of the bathtub and her right one remained roughly grasping at the other woman's hair. Regina's soft lips remained against the sensitive shell of Emma's ears and the brunette's shaky and erratic breaths danced across her skin.

Emma couldn't control the moans that seemed to be pouring out of her own mouth and they seemed to be having an effect on the brunette who gasped and moaned softly in response and increased the speed of her strokes and circles.

After the blond released a particularly loud moan Regina's spare hand buried itself in blond curls and Emma found her head being pulled fairly roughly to towards the other woman and their lips met in a heated and deep kiss. Every stroke of the brunette's exploring tongue seemed to match that of her hand and Emma felt herself becoming more and more undone with every passing second.

She could barely breathe by the time her body started to shake and let go and she had to rip her mouth away from the brunette's and roll her head back onto the other woman's shoulder or she was sure she would pass out.

"I love you" Regina moaned into her ear again and again like a mantra as Emma's hands grasped even tighter at the iron tub and the brunette's hair as she tumbled over the edge far harder than just simply being stimulated by hand should warrant.

Her cry was loud enough to be heard in the corridor if anyone was passing. It was followed by a guttural moan from Regina which sounded like a mixture of the brunette enjoying Emma's own reaction and pain. Emma relaxed her grip on the soft brunette hair and slumped back against Regina, eyes slammed closed, enjoying the aftershocks that were still running through her body.

"I love you too" she spoke up after taking a few seconds to get her breath back.

Regina's hand softly landed on her cheek and turned her head again and Emma fluttered her eyes open to find the brunette gazing at her with a fire and intensity that it took the blonde's breath away all over again. Regina looked completely and utterly openly in love with her and the expression completely re-lit the flame inside of Emma.

This time the brunette was not quick enough or chose not to prevent Emma turning in the bath and straddling her. The earlier exhaustion had been pushed deep to the back of the blonde's mind for now as she eagerly crashed her mouth down into the brunette's again.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After the two of them had bathed they had been so exhausted that they had skipped breakfast and went straight to bed. They had fallen asleep instantly with Emma on her back and Regina curled into her side with her arm slung across the blonde's waist. At some point in the morning the brunette had shifted her weight onto Emma in her sleep.

As Emma drifted awake due to the light streaming in through the window and hitting her face she was momentarily confused to find herself pinned down until she was compos mentis enough to understand that Regina was now lying flat out on top of her, face buried in the crook of Emma's neck.

Emma managed to reach up and wiggle one of the pillows so it was blocking the offending light from her face without disturbing the older woman's sleep. If light was streaming in through this side of the building then Emma reasoned it must be around midday. She'd only had around three hours of sleep and she was still tired but she was reluctant to sleep too much. If they got up soon they would still sleep easily in the night and find themselves back on the same routine as everyone else.

Just because Emma didn't want to go back to sleep didn't mean she wanted to wake the brunette quite yet though. She was surprisingly comfortable under Regina's weight and was content to lie perfectly still for a little while and just enjoy the contact and the warmth of the other woman's body. It was amazing how natural she felt in Regina's embrace considering their troubled history. Their bodies seemed to mould perfectly against each other and their breathing; the rise and fall of their chests, was perfectly aligned.

After a few minutes Emma couldn't resist stroking her hands through the soft brunette hair that was tickling at her own cheek due to its owner's proximity. They had only been able to towel dry their hair before going to bed and therefore Regina's normally perfect hair had dried naturally and was now quite unruly. No doubt the brunette would be able to fix it for magic once she awoke but for now it was sticking up and out in several directions.

Regina's breath hitched slightly at the light contact but continued sleeping so Emma allowed her hands to slide even further into the brunette locks until her fingernails could lightly scrape across her lovers scalp. This action coaxed a small moan from the brunette so Emma repeated the action several times until Regina sleepily nuzzled into her neck.

"Mmmmawake" the older woman mumbled against the blonde's skin. "Mmmmmawake and I still love you even though you woke me."

Regina instantly followed her sleepy ramblings with several soft and lazy kisses against the crook of Emma's neck. The blond tilted her neck slightly to allow the other woman access to more skin and Regina obliged by nuzzling and kissing the new patches on offer.

"For an Evil Queen that's really rather cute" Emma commented. She wasn't about to complain at the amount of affection sleepy Regina seemed to be pouring on her but she was surprised by it.

"Don't tell anyone" the brunette quipped as she buried her face deep into the crook of Emma's neck again.

Emma wrapped her arms around the brunette's back and held her as close as she possibly could without causing her discomfort. All this cuddling, bath sharing and bed sharing should feel foreign to her but in fact it just felt right. She knew she could very willingly and happily get used to it. The only thing playing on her mind was that neither of them had anything to get up to. Yes they had their son but what were they meant to do all day long here in Fairytale Land? Emma found herself longing for a life where they woke up, put on the coffee machine, made breakfast, dropped Henry of at school, went to work and then came home to their family. Both of them were strong independent women with important jobs in Maine. Here Regina was a disgraced former Queen and Emma was a pandered Princess. It wasn't the life she wanted to live.

"We can go back to Storybrooke right? It still exists?" Emma asked. "If Henry wants to...and you want to?"

Regina placed her elbows on either side of Emma's head and lifted her weight slightly so she was hovering over Emma and looking down at her. Chocolate eyes locked onto green and Emma found herself lost in the intensity of the brunette's stare. The older woman looked relieved and happy that Emma should want to return to Maine.

"Yeah I'd like that" Regina admitted. "The Enchanted Forest feels more like a prison than a home to me."

Emma couldn't claim to know the entire story of Regina's past but she knew enough to know that Fairytale land would remind her of Daniel, her parents, marrying a man she didn't love and her slip into the darkest of magic. It was understandable that Storybrooke, a place the brunette had found relative happiness and of course lived with Henry would be her preferred choice. Plus Regina really rocked all those professional pants suits and dresses and the brunette knew it.

"I just think it sucks because I'm expected to wear a dress and act like a princess" Emma quipped, the topic of clothing still fresh in her mind.

Regina chuckled and relaxed her weight back down onto the blond again, using her hands on either side of the blonde's head to guide them into a slow and sloppy kiss. After they broke away from the kiss the brunette buried her head into Emma's neck again and chuckled.

"The dress was cute but I like you in jeans better" the brunette stated playfully, "they hug your..."

There was a loud rap on the door cutting Regina off before she finished her train of thought. It made both women jump slightly as interruptions had been completely unexpected. Emma had presumed everyone would just stay away until the two emerged of their own free will.

"Emma...Regina...wakey wakey!" the distinctive voice of Ruby called through the door. "Snow says its lunch time in ten and you two need to eat...So like...get up lovebirds!"

Emma didn't know whether to be grateful that Ruby seemed so at ease with their relationship or embarrassed that she was yelling about it for all to hear. In the end she just settled on being amused by it all especially when Regina groaned loudly enough for Ruby and her wolf senses to hear and buried her face impossible closer into Emma's shoulder.

"Thanks Ruby" Emma called; making sure her friend got the message that they had heard her. Otherwise Ruby would probably barge in to make sure they were awake and Emma was sure a naked Regina would probably hex her.

Once Ruby's footsteps had faded away Regina lifted her head up again and looked down at the blond with a hint of amusement in her features. Emma had expected the brunette to be completely embarrassed by Ruby's words but she hadn't considered that the cheerful delivery of the wakeup call meant that someone was on their side other than just Henry. It wasn't something Regina was used to so of course it would be pleasing for her to an extent.

"Are you ready for the first of those many family dinners you promised me you'd sit through?" Emma quipped, and was unsurprised when the brunette's smirk disappeared very suddenly.

"Not yet" Regina groaned as she rolled off Emma and onto her back. "I'm still naked."


	19. The Cricket Game

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Chapter 19: The Cricket Game**

Emma had borrowed a pair of Regina's leather trousers, deeming them more comfortable than a dress, and thrown on an oversized shirt her mother had given her. She had worn a dress on the day of the feast but it had been uncomfortable and foreign. At least in trousers she felt a bit more at home even if they were skin tight. Regina opted for leather trousers too and a thin purple button up top that was cut to her waist at the front and billowed down to knee length at the back.

On arriving in the dining room Emma could feel everyone's eyes on her and Regina. Every guest who was living in the castle seemed to be there so not only did Emma have to contend with her parents but there was also Hook, Tink, Neal, Ruby, Belle and Granny. Two seats had been left for them; one was at the head of the table from the opposite end to Snow White which was obviously Regina's seat due to her royal status. On either side of Regina were the two children, Henry and Dorothy, leaving Emma opposite Neal who was sat by Henry.

They took their seats and Neal smiled at her awkwardly across the table. It seemed that he was making an effort to be pleasant despite the surprising news. He was no fool and Emma was sure he realised that she no longer loved him and he had enough sense to stay on her and Regina's good side so he could continue to have a healthy relationship with his son.

"Good afternoon" Snow greeted politely once they had both taken their seats. "Did you sleep okay? We thought we should wake you for a late lunch so you didn't oversleep in the day and find yourselves awake all night."

"Yes thank you" Regina replied kindly before Emma had the chance, "I think I speak for us both when I say that we are also very hungry."

Snow nodded awkwardly, thrown by the complete lack of hostility in Regina's voice. Emma had heard the two speak to each other without snapping countless times over the last few weeks but she had expected Regina to be a little terse considering Snow and Charming's earlier behaviour. The brunette seemed to be on her best behaviour.

The room fell into silence and Emma glanced around the table. It was clear that no one in the group knew what to say or whether they should speak. As her eyes fell upon Regina the older woman smiled back and rolled her eyes.

"Did you have a good day Henry?" the brunette broke the silence by making small talk with their son.

"Yeah granddad gave us a riding lesson" Henry replied eagerly, twisting and turning his body from one mother to another as he spoke. "I rode this really cool pony called Conall and Dorothy rode Fergus. I don't think Toto was too sure about the horses though, he kept barking!"

On cue the little black dog who was sat in the corner on a make shift bed of a folded up blanket yapped making everyone jump. It cut through the atmosphere in the room and everyone, including Emma's parents, laughed.

"Did you enjoy yourself Dorothy?" Regina asked the teenage girl when the laughter died down. The young brunette looked surprise to have anyone show a real interest in her.

"Yeah" Dorothy replied. "I've never been on a pony before but it was fun."

"I used to ride a lot when I was younger" Regina continued to converse with the girl. "It was a great way of escaping everything and everyone else for a while."

Everyone on the table remained deadly quiet apart from Snow who gasped slightly. Regina looked down the table at her former nemesis and the brunette's brows knitted in confusion. Emma understood that people were surprised at the former evil queen being so open in conversation but she wished they would at least try to hide their surprise because now Regina looked uncomfortable.

"It must be strange being here even if you have been to Oz before?" Emma redirected the conversation back to Dorothy who nodded in agreement.

"Well the palace is really cool and everything but I miss having a TV and the Internet" the young girl stated. Emma got the distinct impression what Dorothy really wanted to say was _'the fairy tale castle is pretty and all but I hate the idea of living here in this uncivilised place'_. Or maybe that was just what Emma was thinking and she was projecting it onto the girl.

"Hell yes" Ruby chimed in from the other side of Emma. "I miss facebook so much...oh oh oh and Doritos...I love Doritos!"

"What are Doritos?" Hook asked as several people snorted in amusement at Ruby.

"Triangle shaped potato chips" Neal explained, "a bit like the ones you and Tink tried in Granny's after we returned from Neverland."

For two people who seemed determined to compete with each other Hook and Neal seemed to be perfectly capable of getting on together too.

"Out of all the things you could list...like plumbing or heating...you pick potato chips love?!" Hook looked at the wolf incredulously.

"I miss Storybrooke full stop" Ruby admitted, "It's still there right? We could go back to it?"

Ruby directed her question towards Regina who had been quietly listening to the playful conversation. Emma wondered if the irony of the fact she and Regina had had this conversation minutes before had crossed the brunette's mind. Obviously they were not the only people who would be happy to return to Storybrooke.

"I'd like to find a way to open a permanent link between the two worlds so everyone could pick their home but be able to easily visit the other" Regina explained casually.

"That would be cool" Henry chirped up. It didn't surprise Emma that the idea would appeal to their son as he had dreams of being a knight in shining armour but would find it hard to live without the luxuries he was used too. This way he would be able to have the best of both worlds.

"Where would you choose to live Regina?" Belle enquired.

It seemed that everyone sat around the table was interested in hearing the answer and all eyes focused in on the former Mayor and Evil Queen. Regina's glanced towards Emma so the blond smiled at her to reassure her it was okay to answer honestly.

"We were discussing it before actually..." Regina admitted. "Emma and I would prefer Storybrooke with all its mod cons but obviously it depends on what Henry wants too."

"Emma and I..." Snow repeated the words like each one was delivering a slap to her face.

Emma was fearful they were about to get another disapproving rant from her mother, especially as Emma was well aware that Snow and David were planning to stay in the Enchanted Forest and have another child or six.

"Oh look food is here" Charming cut in before Snow got a chance to gain any momentum.

Emma had never been so relieved to see servants delivering trays of dead animal in her entire life.

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After lunch they had all gone outside to enjoy the afternoon sun. Charming had made a wooden bat which looked very much like a crude English cricket bat and they had set up a game. The original intention had been for Dorothy and Henry to have something to play but in the end everyone, including Regina, had got involved. Charming and Neal had been taking turns at pitching the ball whilst everyone was taking a turn at batting. Once the person batting hit the ball they had to try and run to a post and back to their original position before the ball was thrown back to the pitcher.

Henry had gone first and had managed to score eighteen runs before Emma had herself caught him out. Dorothy had gone next and she had managed eight runs before the ball had hit Tink in the face and bounced into the hands of an unsuspecting Snow. Both Tink and Ruby had tried but been so useless they only managed about three runs between them and they had been followed by Belle who had proven to be extremely competitive and scored thirty four before Charming had resorted to diving to make the catch.

Hook had provided much hilarity as he had tried to wield the cumbersome bat with one hand. Charming had pitched several balls at him, all of which he'd missed. Then when Neal had stepped up to pitch the pirate suddenly started hitting it nearly thirty metres each time. Apparently it didn't matter that they were no longer competing over her, they were still having a battle of wills over who was the 'better man'. The pirate had been caught out by Charming after thirteen runs, Emma's father having produced another dramatic dive to catch the ball as it shot past him low and to the right.

Granny had passed the opportunity to bat as she was happy to sit and watch from the sidelines but the elderly lady did manage to catch Snow out after fifteen runs when the ball landed in her lap. Emma had followed her mother and been pretty competitive but she had fell two short of Belle's high score. The table had been turned on her when Henry had caught her out and ran around the field in celebration giving Dorothy and Regina a conspiring high five as he went.

"I think you'll find it's your turn Regina!" Charming called out to the high fiving Evil Queen. He gestured for Neal to throw him the ball and stood in the pitching position, waiting for Regina to take her place as the batter.

Regina sauntered across the large lawn, in no rush to get to the bat and winked at Emma as she passed. The blond couldn't help but admire her girlfriend as she moved with such confidence, especially when that confidence was wrapped in skin tight leather pants.

"No magic" Charming reminded the brunette as she picked up the bat and moved herself into position.

"I don't need magic to hit a ball with a stick" Regina quipped. There was a competitive edge to both Charming and Regina's voices but they were also clearly just having good natured fun. Apparently a simple ball game set up for amusement was actually all they needed to ease the tension over their new relationship. Or at least in Emma's fathers case that was all they needed.

"If you say so your majesty" Charming chuckled. He gestured with his free hand to make sure Regina was ready for him to pitch. Regina turned her body sideways, like Emma had seen the professionals do on the TV, and winked playfully.

"Bring it farm boy!" the brunette instructed.

Charming chuckled again before pitching the ball with a fair bit of force in the brunette's direction. Regina stepped forward into the pitch and absolutely clobbered the ball, sending it flying over all the fielders and at least ten metres behind Henry who was the furthest away.

"Go mom!" their son yelled at the same time as Dorothy shouted "Get in Regina!"

The brunette knew she had plenty of time so she walked to the post and back again, stopping to wave at Charming on route. Henry had chased the ball and it arrived back to Charming not long after Regina had arrived back at the batting area. The brunette was smirking uncontrollably at her success.

"I have good hand eye co-ordination" she explained when Charming turned back to face her, his ego severely bruised.

"Why do I have a feeling this could get embarrassing?" Emma's father asked before pitching the ball again. The result was exactly the same and the ball sailed above and beyond Henry again.

"I think we all might need to move back a bit" Hook chuckled as they all watched Henry sprint to get the ball. "I think your Queen means business Swan."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Regina had indeed meant business and had reached a grand total of forty before retiring. The only comfort Emma could take from their annihilation was that they had gotten close enough to the ball to make her actually run several times.

Charming and Neal had both batted afterwards and had reached competitive scores in their twenties but now the game had finished and everyone was either putting the equipment away or lounging around on the lawn.

Regina was with the two youngsters in the middle of the lawn. She was lying on her side making a daisy chain with Dorothy whilst Henry sat picking the Daisy's for them and playing with Toto who was happily rolling around on the grass.

Emma had gone with Ruby and Belle to get fresh fruit juice from the kitchen and the other two women were handing goblets of it out to everyone. The blond had wandered over to speak to her father who was putting the game away in an outbuilding at the edge of the lawn. She stood outside the doorway waiting for him to come back outside. Whilst waiting she couldn't help but let her mind and eyes wander over to Regina as she interacted with Henry and Dorothy. The brunette was all smiles and even thanked Belle for the drinks she handed them. As Regina took a sip from her own goblet she locked eyes with Emma from across the lawn and smiled widely. Emma knew she must be grinning like a Cheshire cat back.

Just then her father cleared his throat breaking Emma from her Regina induced trance. The blond turned her head to look at Charming who was now stood just to the side of her watching her watch Regina.

"You look happy" he commented. "It's going to be hard for us to process for a while...your mother and I...especially your mother...they have a lot of history."

Emma watched the emotion's play out on his face as he spoke. He was trying to be understanding and he did even muster a smile but she could see the nervous flicker across his features as he spoke of her mother and Regina's turbulent past.

"I don't want to lose you or mum or Regina...I lo...love you all...I don't want to have to choose" Emma admitted, her voice cracking with emotion as she spoke. Right now she was addressing her biggest fear; that her parents wouldn't accept her relationship with Regina and she would be forced to choose. She, Regina and Henry would return to Storybrooke and Snow and Charming would stay in the Enchanted Forest. It would take years to mend the relationship between daughter and parents if they were a world apart.

"I know you love us Emma, and I can see that you love her. I promise we will never make you choose...we would never do that to you" her father replied sincerely.

"She loves me too" Emma felt the need to continue to push the point. Regina would probably argue that she didn't need anyone else to defend her but the blond couldn't help but want to do so anyway. She needed her parents to see that what she and Regina had between them was so very real.

"I can see that" David agreed as he glanced towards the brunette. Emma followed his gaze and smiled at the sight before her.

Bella had joined them and was helping with the daisy chain and Regina was currently tickling Toto belly whilst surreptitiously trying to glance in Emma and Charming's direction without being seen. When she caught Emma's eye she smirked and ducked her head, realising she had been caught in the act.

"When you and Snow were here last time Dr Whale brought Daniel back from the dead" her father spoke up again.

"I know" Emma replied, confused as to why her father was telling her this when he had been the one who told them of Whale's actions in the first place.

"I know you know that it happened" Charming sighed deeply before continuing. "It's just...I was with her in the stable yard...before and then after she had to end his...well...zombie Daniels life. I know Regina is capable of deep love I saw it that day and I've seen it since with Henry and now you. I think she deserves a chance at a love that isn't ripped away from her and I know your mother thinks that too...she just never expected it to be you. I think that given time though your mother will see that the two of you are meant to be."

Emma had never been more pleased to listen to one of her father's speeches and by the time he had finished she had tears silently rolling down her face. She may have been willing to carry on without her parent's approval but being granted approval even by just one of them meant the world to her. She flung her arms around him and hugged him with all her might and he hugged back just as fervently. She knew they had probably just drawn the attention from everyone sat out on the lawn but she couldn't care less.


	20. To The Future

**Follow the Yellow Brick Road**

**Topic:** Once Upon a Time

**Pairing:** Swan Queen (Emma and Regina)

**Rating:** M (possibly maybe at some point)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the places or characters in it nor do I own anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. This is all just for fun blah blah blah…

**Summary:** Set after the fiasco that is about to happen with the Wicked Witch in Season 3. During a feast to celebrate the victory Henry is snatched and Emma and Regina must face the prospect of having to search for their son yet again. This time they must find their way through the strange and sometimes terrifying Land of Oz to rescue him before they lose him forever.

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**Chapter 20: To The Future**

Their evening meal had come and gone and now they were all resting in the living quarters of the Charming's Palace. Neal, Belle and Granny were sat around a large wooden table quietly reading. Charming and Hook were playing against Snow and Ruby at some sort of complicated Fairy Tale Land tactical board game on another table. Emma was sat on the rug in front of the blazing open fireplace getting her ass kicked by Henry at Chess. Dorothy and Toto were sat next to Henry and in front of Regina who was sat on one of the plush leather seats braiding the girl's hair. The blond longed for television because there were only so many evenings she could spend like this.

Emma mulled over her next move. She was probably only a couple of moves away from being beaten but she was determined not to go down without a fight. Whilst she tried to figure out a way to move her Queen to evade Henry's many pieces her son turned his attention to his other mother and Dorothy.

"Do you miss home?" he asked the young brunette.

Dorothy dropped her gaze down to her lap and shifted uncomfortably. Regina could obviously feel the shift in the girl's demeanour because the older woman tilted her head to the right and regarded her.

"I don't really have a home anymore" Dorothy finally replied before letting out a strangled sob. Emma could see that tears were now streaming down the girls face even though she was ducking her head to try and hide it.

"Hey what is up sweetheart?" Regina asked gently, continuing to braid the girl's hair as she spoke.

"My Uncle and Aunt died" the young girl admitted through her tears. "I have no one in Kansas anymore. I don't have anyone except Toto. I think that's how I got transported back to Oz."

Emma had briefly wondered how the girl had ended up returning to Oz but it had been overshadowed by the need to find her son and the adventure of it all. Then when she and Regina had returned through the portal she had been too wrapped up in her family drama to give it much thought. The blond couldn't believe how long the young girl had held the information and her feelings in.

"You could stay with us" Henry chirped up. He was still young enough for everything to seem so easy. If a solution made sense then it must be right and there was no need to over think it or discuss it. It was the same youthful naivety that had led him to out his two mom's in the clearing only hours before.

"St...st..stay with you?" Dorothy stuttered through her tears. It was clear from the tone of the question that the girl wasn't against the idea.

Emma had already considered the possibility and was more than willing to welcome the young girl into their family. She braved a glance at the brunette to see how she was reacting to the idea. Regina was contemplative but she was also smiling. When their eyes met Emma could tell that the brunette felt the same way. They shared a warm smile before turning their attention back to the tearful teenager.

"Henry is right Dorothy" Regina spoke up. "If you want you can stay with Henry, Emma and I. You would be more than welcome."

"I'd like that" Dorothy replied instantly.

"You'll love Storybrooke!" Henry declared excitedly. "It's only a small town but it's like one big family!"

Dorothy smiled at Henry's enthusiasm and Emma snuck another glace at Regina who smiled warmly back at her. Every time the brunette directed a look like that at her Emma felt her heart flutter and its rhythm increase. She couldn't recall having ever felt like that before from something as simple as a smile.

"Check mate" Henry declared gleefully before knocking over Emma's king. Emma looked down and realised that whilst she'd been distracted by their conversation she had made her move without noticing where Henry's bishop was situated.

"Oh for crying out loud" Emma protested at her son's smug grin. "Regina you play him before his head grows too big to sit on his shoulders."

Regina chuckled at her lover's frustration and finished the final braid before rising from the sofa and taking Emma's place on the floor opposite Henry.

"Do you want to play Dorothy?" Regina asked the girl who was watching the way Henry lined the chess pieces up intently.

"I don't know how" Dorothy admitted. Despite her hesitancy the young girl looked curious.

"Sit by me I'll teach you" Regina offered.

Dorothy shuffled across the floor so she was sat next to the older brunette and Regina began explaining what each piece was and how it moved with the occasional comment from Henry. Emma picked up her empty goblet and headed over to the side table for a refill of the sweet and fruity wine they had been drinking since dinner.

As she reached the large jug of drink she saw movement out the corner of her eye. She looked up and to her right to see that her mother was cautiously approaching, her own empty goblet in hand.

"Hey" Snow greeted her daughter as she came to a halt next to the blond.

"Hey" Emma replied wearily. She finished pouring her drink and passed the jug to her mother so she could do the same. She was tempted just to walk away and rejoin her little group of family by the sofa but she knew she couldn't avoid Snow and her questions forever.

"You're angry with me" Snow half stated and half asked as she poured herself a drink.

"No...yes" Emma had been tempted to shrug the question away but she changed her mind. They all needed to get over this as soon as possible so she was going to be honest. "I think if it was anyone but me you'd be happy for Regina and that makes me angry. Double standards and all that."

Snow sighed sadly but nodded. The brunette took a long sip of her drink before placing the goblet down on the counter.

"I'm sorry Emma it's just all a little strange and hard for me to take in...I mean putting all the Evil Queen stuff aside...she was married to my father and now she is dating my daughter."

Emma should have taken some satisfaction from the fact her mother seemed to be agreeing that she was being unreasonable but she was too coiled and ready to fight in her new lover's defence that she couldn't resist a barb at her mother's words.

"Yes well only one of those aforementioned relationships was her own choice wasn't it?" the blond reminded her mother.

As soon as she saw Snow's face fall Emma regretted opening her mouth. She knew that her mother felt guilty over what happened to Daniel and over taking the easy way out when dealing with Cora. It had been unfair to rub it in Snow's face and entirely unhelpful.

"I was just a child" Snow replied quietly. "I didn't know Cora or what she was capable of."

Emma watched Snow's guilty gaze fall upon Regina, luckily the brunette was too involved in her game of chess with Henry and Dorothy to notice. Emma released a sigh as she tried to think of something to say to backpedal and rescue the conversation.

"I know mom" she finally replied, causing Snow to tear her gaze away from Regina and back to her daughter. "Anyway, I don't care because it's all in the past. I wish you could just leave it there where it belongs."

Snow glanced down at the floor and fiddled with some of the material at the waist line of her dress. There was a long moment of awkward silence as Emma's mother pondered her words and the blond waited patiently for her to speak again.

"I'm trying" Snow finally muttered. After such a long pause the blond had hoped her mother would come up with a better reply that than.

"Try harder" Emma snapped irritably. Her voice was louder than she had intended and several people glanced over before trying to feign disinterest again.

"Emma..." Snow started to protest but then halted. She looked from Emma and Regina who was now watching them interact from across the room. When Emma's eyes met Regina's the brunette smiled sympathetically and Emma instantly lost most of the tension that had been building during the conversation with her mother. When she looked back at Snow her mother was now smiling at her oddly.

"You really do love her don't you?" the pixie cut brunette asked.

There were so many speeches and rants Emma could make about her relationship with Regina but in the end she decided that simplicity was best.

"Yes" she replied honestly. "I love her so much it makes my head pound just thinking about it."

As the last words left her mouth Emma found herself enveloped in what could only be described as a bear hug from her mother.

"Then I am happy for you" Snow whispered in her ear, her words shaky due to the fact she was now shedding tears. "I am happy for you both."

Emma let out a sob as relief flooded her system and for the second time that day Emma found herself in the arms of an accepting parent crying tears of joy.

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After Snow had finished bear hugging Emma she had scurried across the room and bear hugged a horrified Regina much to everyone (bar Regina's) amusement. Emma had watched intently as Regina looked to her for help over Snow's shoulder and patted her former enemies back awkwardly. Regina had not been the only victim and both Henry and Dorothy had been hugged. Dorothy had simply said _'okay crazy new grandma lady you can stop with the squishing now'._ It had convinced Emma more than ever that the young girl would be quite at home living with them.

Once Snow had bounded away and kissed David senseless for well over an embarrassing and uncomfortable minute the room had pretty much settled back down to its pre mother and daughter bonding state. Neal had sat with them for a bit and asked if it was okay if he could take Henry (and Dorothy if she wanted) for dinner one evening and spend time with them on a weekend day each week when they got back to Storybrooke. He even asked about taking the two kids to New York for a weekend at some point. Emma had expected some resistance from Regina but the brunette had agreed instantly to the weekly access and then suggested they all go to New York for a week at some point as she had never seen the city.

Encouraged that he was going to be treated as part of the family and not pushed out Neal had offered to take Henry and Dorothy up to the top of the tower to teach them a bit about astrology. Both of them seemed eager especially when Henry explained to Dorothy that Neal had found his way off Neverland using a star map. Emma had been grateful for his suggestion because she was seriously starting to wane and needed to go to bed even though it was only around 9pm. So the three of them had headed off on their adventure and Regina and Emma had said good night to everyone and headed off to their room.

Emma had finished cleaning her teeth and washing her face first and was sat on the bed, still clothed, waiting for the brunette to finish. Regina approached and placed her knees on either side of Emma on the bed, straddling the blond, and wrapped both arms around her neck.

"Thank you" Emma said earnestly, catching the brunette by surprise.

"For what?" Regina asked, lightly stroking the fingers of her right hand across cotton covered shoulders before reaching the first button of Emma's shirt. The brunette began to undo the buttons from the top downwards and Emma leant back slightly to allow her room to manoeuvre between them.

"For not flame grilling my mother when she mauled you" Emma quipped, "and for making it clear we wouldn't push Neal out of Henry's life."

Regina smiled at Emma's words as she continued to undo the buttons of the shirt until it was completely open. The brunette dropped a soft kiss against Emma's right collar bone before moving across and kissing the right one too.

"He needs contact with his father" Regina admitted as she pulled back and removed the shirt completely and tossed it over her shoulder towards one of the chairs. "Plus I really would like to see New York especially as you and Henry spent a year there."

Emma nodded in response and started to divest the brunette of her own long shirt. Regina aided her by undoing the lower buttons as Emma undid the top ones. Their hands met in the middle and Regina drew Emma's hands up to her mouth and kissed the knuckles on either hand.

"I love you" Emma gasped at the tender kisses. Regina smiled and leant into Emma's lips and the two lapsed into a slow and sensual kiss. Emma slipped the brunette's shirt off as they kissed and Regina released the clasp of Emma's bra and removed it without them breaking contact.

"I love you too" Regina replied after they broke the kiss and the brunette began kissing down Emma's neck and her shoulders. She slipped of the blonde's lap and stood just in front of her.

Emma watched as Regina removed the wrappings from her chest, enjoying the view as the brunette revealed her breasts to her. The evening air was quite cool but not cold enough to cause the hardening of the nipples that Emma could clearly see; that reaction was all for her. Without any hesitation Regina removed her own pants and underwear so she was stood entirely naked in front of the blond. It allowed Emma the chance to run her eyes unabashedly up and down the brunette's form in admiration.

"Like what you see saviour?" Regina chuckled as she watched Emma watch her.

"I think you already know the answer to that" the blond replied huskily. "You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen."

Regina reached forward and began to tug the blonde's leather trousers down her legs. Emma raised her hips of the bed to help and with a small struggle Regina managed to slip them off and throw them behind her with the rest of their clothes.

"The fairest in the land?" she asked the now equally naked blond as she straddled her hips again. Emma let out a strange sound which was a mixture of a chuckle at the tongue in cheek question and a gasp at the skin to skin contact.

"In any land" the blond replied, her voice even huskier through desire.

Regina's brown eyes darkened with desire at the tone of her lover's voice and crashed her lips into the blonde's. Emma eagerly matched the sudden intensity and moaned in appreciation when Regina's tongue slipped into her mouth and began stroking her own. As they kissed Regina pressed Emma's upper body back against the bed and raised the blonde's arms above her head as she continued to kiss her deeply.

When the kiss between them stopped the brunette did not. She trailed her lips down Emma's neck and sternum, kissing a fiery trail to the blonde's breasts where she kissed the right nipple before sucking it into her mouth with a loud pop. Emma writhed underneath the brunette's administrations as Regina continued to lavish attention on her breasts.

"Regina" she gasped out the brunette's name as the older woman swirled her tongue yet again around an almost painfully taught nipple. Emma felt like she might explode if Regina didn't focus her attention lower.

The brunette seemed to understand and she slipped off the bed and onto her knees in front of Emma. The blond sat up again, leaning her weight back onto her hands and watched Regina as her mouth moved lower still and soft exploratory kisses were placed all over her stomach and hips.

Emma's legs were spread further to accommodate the brunette and Regina turned her attention to kissing and nipping at her inner thighs, venturing her mouth close to Emma's centre but never quite reaching it.

The brunette's hands ran down the outside of her legs, seemingly mapping out every bit of skin. The first time they had made love in the Tin Man's hut it had been about need and understanding. The second time in the bath it had been an expression of their newly confessed love. This third time Emma felt like she was being worshipped.

"I'd have thought you'd be more accustomed to people getting down on their knees for you" Emma rasped as Regina's lips grazed her centre on their path across to the inside thigh of her other leg. It was almost becoming unbearable and soon she knew she would resort for to begging to gain her release.

"Well you are a Princess" Regina quipped between kisses, "...and it is your parent's palace..."

Emma wasn't given any time to formulate a response when Regina's mouth finally came into contact with the place Emma needed it most.

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**The End**

**I am going to leave this fic here. They are all safe, they are happy and they have their family so tick tick and tick. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, favourite etc this fic. Love you all x**


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Once Upon a Time, Adventure, Romance