Once Upon a Time 1. No Man is an Island

Disclaimer: I own a substandard understanding of correct grammar and composition, but not Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. As always, all mistakes are mine. And some might even be intentional... but not really.

A/N: This plot bunny wouldn't stop it's merciless onslaught against my productivity until I paused Rockland and gave it it's due attention. Plot bunnies are the worst.

Summary: This is an alternate ending to The Cricket Game, in which Regina doesn't escape Blue's magic. She's captured and locked away with only Henry willing to come to her defense. Hints of SQ in part 2.

* * *

_No man is an island,_

_Entire of itself._

_Each is a piece of the continent,_

_A part of the main._

_If a clod be washed away by the sea,_

_Europe is the less._

_As well as if a promontory were._

_As well as if a manor of thine own_

_Or thine friend's were._

_Each man's death diminishes me,_

_For I am involved in mankind._

_There fore, send not to know_

_For whom the bell tolls,_

_It tolls for thee._

_ -John Donne_

* * *

Regina followed the Sheriff down the lone step of her front porch, trailing the infuriating woman closely. The blonde's arrogance was incomprehensible. For her to be so assured of Regina's supposed guilt; to swear on it with such tenacity, relying on only the word of that manipulative little imp and whatever tricks he used to convince them that Emma had been the one in control of the necessary magic. The sheriff really was as dim as her parents.

And to use Henry against her. To threaten her relationship with her son.

She wanted to rage.

And she did.

"I want to see him. He deserves to hear my side of the story. HE'S MY SON!"

"HE'S NOT, HE'S MINE! And, after this, you're not getting anywhere near him."

Regina's eye's flashed with fury. How could Emma Swan claim ownership over Henry, after knowing him for less than a year? After throwing him away like a piece of trash because motherhood didn't suit her. This woman wasn't a mother. Henry deserved so much more.

She opened her mouth to tell the blonde as much, but the words died in her throat. The world around them shimmered a deep blue as an electric haze fell from the sky, closing around them. Paralyzing them.

No.

Not them.

Just her.

She felt magic on her skin, sending tiny pinprick shocks throughout her body. It was familiar... but at the same time it wasn't.

_Fairy magic._

She struggled against her invisible bindings, but the spell was powerful. Too powerful. It tightened around her like a vice, holding her in place.

She should have anticipated this; that Snow and her charming Prince would turn to the fairies once again to subdue her. But the diamond mine had been depleted when she and Gold had placed that barrier on the well. There was no way to know that the dwarves would unearth more diamonds so quickly. It was an understandable, yet truly regrettable oversight on her part.

Emma stepped forward, a satisfied smirk on her face. "So I guess that worked."

"How long will the enchantment bind her magic?" Charming asked from somewhere behind her.

"A few days," the blue pest-turned-nun answered, stepping into view from Regina's left. She was still wearing her ridiculous queen of the nun's attire; her pitiful attempt to fool the plebeians of Storybrooke that she was as pure of heart as she appeared. The fairy turned to the Savior. "We'll need to find a more permanent solution should the Queen be found guilty."

"You want to have a trial?" The blonde looked unsure. "How is that going to work? We can't exactly call Pongo to the witness stand."

_Pongo?_

Regina fought against the magic, attempting to speak. She stopped when she felt a sharp pain course through her frame.

That hadn't happen last time. This magic, it was definitely different. It felt wrong.

"We'll organize a tribunal," Snow suggested, stepping forward with her Prince in tow. Both of them eyed Regina with mirrored looks of revulsion. "All the evidence can be presented there."

Her inability to inform them of their stupidity was unbearable, far worse than watching the pair break their respective sleeping curses. She could not imagine loathing them any more than she did in that moment.

"We can't rely on the laws of this world Emma," Charming said, when he noticed his daughter's continued uncertainty. "And no jail cell will be able to hold her once the enchantment wears off."

"I know," the blonde replied. "But I've read Henry's book and I have a pretty good idea how you guys settled this kind of thing in your land."

"She killed Archie," Snow countered. "And we've given her so many chances already."

Emma sighed and then looked at Regina. "We just... we need to think about what's best for Henry."

At the mention of her son, Regina instinctively called forth her magic. Her power was sluggish from weeks of disuse, but she focused the energy has best she could, trying to punch through the fairies' spell. The blue electricity coating her skin cracked loudly sending sparks in all directions. It hurt a great deal, but she ignored the pain. She pushed forward even as she felt the skin on her fingers begin to blister and burn.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, your Majesty," advised the fairy. "Magic is different here and we've had to modify the enchantment. You're not strong enough to fight this."

"Blue, what do you mean you modified it?" Snow looked worried.

Regina didn't wait for the fairy to answer. They were all fools to doubt her power, a Queen's power. She didn't stop. The pain became excruciating but she pushed it aside, stretching her magic against the confines of the containment spell. She could feel it working. Tiny cracks were forming. She pushed even harder. She was winning.

But at the same time, the world around her was beginning to spin. The sun was slowly setting, casting a suffocating darkness over them. Magic sparked before her eyes and the pain retreated.

"Shit, what's happening to her." Emma said slowly, from far away.

No one answered her as the light faded to black.

* * *

Emma walked up and down the street, trying to get a handle on the torrent of emotions running through her. She hadn't yet had the time to sit down and process everything, and unfortunately she still didn't. Henry's bus was on the way and she would need to tell him that his friend and therapist was dead; killed by the woman who had raised him.

It was all so messed up.

"It's going to be okay, Emma." Mary Margaret said from her seat on a nearby bench. David had his arm wrapped around her shoulder looking as content as she'd ever seen him.

Emma ignored them and continued pacing.

At least they were no longer in immediate danger now that Regina was safely in custody. She didn't want to think about the kind of carnage the woman would be unleashing on Storybrooke had they not managed to contain her magic; a task which in and of itself had been pretty rough.

Emma didn't have a whole lot of experience with magic – certainly not with using it – so she didn't have a great frame of reference for how things like that were supposed to go. The vast majority of the magic she'd seen was made up of Regina's mother, Cora, throwing herself and Mary Margaret around like rag dolls. And what they'd done to Regina... that had been intense.

Their plan hadn't been particularly heroic, not that she really cared about that given what she knew about everything the former Queen had done. After leaving Gold's shop they had immediately contacted the Blue Fairy and organized the ambush. Having just watched Archie's murder, Emma had been all too happy to be the one to draw Regina out, using threats to her rights to see Henry as a way to distract the brunette while Blue took her unaware.

It had worked perfectly, right up until the part where Regina had fought back. Blue had said the binding spell wouldn't hurt her, but those blisters had looked painful. And when she kept fighting it, Emma had been sure that the blue shell was going to shatter and they'd all be dust.

But it didn't.

Thankfully, Regina had passed out before she could do any more damage to herself or anyone else. Which, while fantastic, meant now Emma was left to clean up the mess.

And what a mess it was.

How could Regina do this to Henry? To both of them? They had been working things out. Building a trust. Why would she throw it all away over something so petty as an argument with Archie. The more Emma thought about it, the less sense it made.

And then there was that first interrogation. Regina had seemed so genuinely surprised when David had reported Archie's murder. Her reaction had been a masterful performance that Emma had completely bought. At the time, her gut told her that the former Queen was telling the truth, and like a sap she had believed her. That's why she'd been so angry after watching the scene play out on the dream catcher. She'd gone out on a ledge to vouch for Regina and in return the brunette had given her a shove and then left her to fall. And she didn't even had the decency to cop to her crime, even after she'd been caught red handed. It was all so infuriating.

Emma paused her pacing.

She may not have been great friends with him, but she knew that Archie was a good man. He deserved better.

She looked up to see Henry's bus pulling around the corner.

_Here we go._

In what seemed like no time he was off the bus and racing across the street.

"Hey Emma," he called as he approached her. He smiled when he spotted Mary Margaret and David, who had just risen from the bench they'd been occupying. "Why's everyone picking me up today?" When Emma didn't reply, his expression changed to one of concern. "What's going on?"

Emma swallowed and exchanged a look with Mary Margaret. The brunette nodded at her. "Look kid, we need to talk." She guided him onto the sidewalk and toward the now vacant bench. "Something happened today." They sat down.

She paused, unsure how best to break the news.

"Emma?" he said, sounding so much younger than she'd ever heard him sound.

She swallowed and met his eye. "Henry, Archie was hurt last night."

The boy's eye's widened. "But he's okay?"

She felt moisture gathering along the edges of her eyes. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she continued, "He's not kid."

Henry shook his head, looking at Mary Margaret and David. When they didn't deny it, he turned back to Emma. "H-How did... what happened?"

Emma got off the bench and knelt down in front of him. "It was Regina." She tried to keep her voice soft and apologetic. "She's the one that hurt him Henry. I'm sorry."

He was off the bench before she could say another word. "No. She wouldn't do that."

Mary Margaret spoke up, her voice apologetic. "She did it Henry. We all saw."

"You're wrong." He was adamant. "She's changing. She saved you. Both of you."

David came over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Henry, I know this is hard, but it's the truth."

The boy brushed past David and moved back to Emma, who was still kneeling in front of the bench. "Emma, she wouldn't hurt him. She wouldn't do that to me."

She felt a bead of liquid roll down her cheek. She shook her head. "I wanted to believe in her too, kid. I really did. I wanted her to be better."

Henry stepped back shaking his head. "No, you're wrong. You don't understand." He sounded so frustrated. "When the curse broke, everyone was supposed to get their happy endings." He point at David and Mary Margaret. "Snow and Prince Charming found each other." He looked to Emma. "You found your parents." He paused. "And I found you."

The tears were flowing freely now as her son looked at her with nothing but love in his eyes. "I know kid." She looked back at her parents. "W-We're all each other happy endings." Facing him again, "But I don't see how-"

Henry cut her off. "Hansel and Gretel found their father. Cinderella married Prince Thomas. Even Mr. Gold found Belle. It's not just us. It's everyone. All of Storybrooke. Except mom." Pause. "But she needs her happy ending too."

"Oh Henry," Mary Margaret took a step forward. "I don't think that's possible. Not anymore."

"It is," he insisted. "I know that she lost her True Love, but..." Another pause. "She still loves me."

"No, Henry. That's not happening," Emma insisted, ending off that line of thinking. "We're not going to let her take you from us."

He sighed. "I don't mean it like that, Emma. She won't take me. She already let me go, even though she didn't want to." He turns to David. "You were there. You heard her. She told me to go with you. That she was going to try to be better for me." His gaze settled back on Emma. "She doesn't want to hurt anyone anymore. She just wants to see me. I'm her happy ending."

Emma heard Mary Margaret gasp.

Henry ignored her, plowing forward, "I want to see her too. I want to talk to her."

Mary Margaret stepped forward, shaking her head.. "Henry, she killed Archie."

He shook his head again. "No she didn't."

"That's what I thought at first too, kid, but I _saw_ her do it. We used magic to see a memory of the attack."

"You watched her memory?" he asked incredulously.

"Not hers, it was from... someone else." Emma couldn't tell him that the memory in question came from a dog. It was already proving extremely difficult to convince him of the truth of Regina's guilt.

"Then you don't know for sure," Henry went on. "The memory you saw could be a fake."

Emma realized that she would need to question David on what exactly happened while they'd been in the Enchanted Forrest. The boy's relationship with his adoptive mother had clearly changed. In all the months she had not him, he had never been this supportive of the woman.

"She didn't do this." He stated one final time, as though his words would put the matter to rest.

Emma looked into his eyes. He was so certain of Regina's innocence. Just as he had been so sure that the curse was real. And that Mary Margaret and David were her parents.

That thought gave Emma pause. Henry had been right about everything so far. Maybe it was time she started listening to him. Started trusting him.

But she had seen Regina kill Archie...

Emma rose slowly to her feet. She turned to face her parents. "We need to be sure about this."

"Emma," Mary Margaret warned.

"Regina's locked up," Emma said, cutting her off. "We can get the dream catcher from Gold and use it on her. We'll check to see if her memory matches up with the one we saw." She looked at Henry. "It's the only way to know for sure."

* * *

When Regina woke the first thing she felt was a terrible throbbing pain in her hands. She brought them up to her face and slowly opened her eyes, bracing herself for the carnage.

She frowned.

They looked... okay. Aside from a few angry red patches along her palms, her skin was intact. The worst of the damage was gone, healed. By who? The Blue Fairy perhaps?

_So, magic can be used against me but not by me. _

That was interesting. It meant that the charm that was blocking her magic was not the same dampening spell that had been used against her in the Enchanted Forest. That spell, which had been coupled with a simple immobilization enchantment, had rendered her magic completely inert. She had been turned into the magical equivalent of anti-matter, canceling out any magic directed at her or controlled by her. She had been unable to use her powers, but at the same time, no magic could have been used against her.

But this was different. It was as if she was being contained within a one-directional shell, designed to prevent only her magic from interacting with anything outside the confines of the bubble. And when she attempted to use her powers, the magic, having nowhere to escape to, recycled back on her causing the blistering of her skin.

Thinking back to the pain the fairy's magic has inflicted upon her, Regina had to give the little blue pest a small bit of credit. Her spell was equally effective and malicious. She would never have thought that the woman who had lived as a nun for twenty-nine years had it in her to be so cruel. Clearly she'd been mistaken.

Wincing slightly, Regina sat up and looked around. She was on a cot in the Sheriff's station, locked in the same cell that they'd kept her in after the curse had broken. Apparently they'd fixed the door after it had been ripped away by the wraith.

_How nice for them._

She glanced through the bars of her cell, but saw no one. No guards in sight. The idiots had left her alone.

Bringing her feet to the floor, she gazed back down at her hands. She could still feel the fairies' spell on her skin, but the blue glow was gone. Testing her magic, she attempted to conjure a small flame in her hand. A painful jolt shot through her arm, but no flames materialized. That was to be expected. She wagered it would be days before the spell faded away fully.

She stretched her shoulders and sighed, grateful that at least she could move again. Much like the previous time she'd found herself a guest in the Charming family dungeon, the immobilization charm had worn off after a short time.

Regina pushed off the cot and stood on wobbly legs, cursing her choice in footwear as she stumbled, landing against the bars of the cell. She tugged against them, testing their strength. They were solid and she was in no condition to stage a prison break. But she needed to do something. In the days it would take for her to regain access to her magic, there would be plenty of time for Emma and her parents to have their little tribunal.

The whole thing would be a farce. A kangaroo court, where all of Storybrooke would line up to weigh in on her fate. As if they had any right to judge her.

She closed her eyes and let her forehead rest against the bars. Henry would be there. Would he plead for her life? No. She doubted it. Not after Emma told him of the cricket's demise. He would believe her lies.

Tears pooled in her eyes, slowly tracking down her cheeks, as she thought of her son hating her all over again. And after they had come so far over the last few weeks. He had believed in her. But now, with his 'real' mother safe and home with him, he would probably cheer along with the mob.

A sob escaped her throat.

"Could that be remorse you're feeling, your Majesty?"

Regina's eyes shot open. She lifted her head off the bars and looked up to see the fairy seated primly on the sofa next to the deputies desk. She had a small leather bound book in her hand and a look of pure satisfaction on her face. How had she missed her?

"Would you care to make a confession?" the pest asked.

"To you? I don't think so." Regina's voice was low and – she hoped – menacing. She stepped back from the bars, not bothering to wipe the tears from her eyes. She didn't care what the fairy thought of her.

She sat back down on the cot and attempted to make some sense of all that had happened. She knew very little. Someone had killed the cricket – with magic, based on Sheriff Swan's assertions – and then framed her for the murder. The only real suspect was Gold, who was no doubt seeking a second chance at getting retribution for Belle's thirty-plus year imprisonment.

It would have been all too simple for him to have taken on her likeness, using his shape shifting spell he'd taught her a lifetime ago. Once he was disguised in her form, he would have allowed Ms. Lucas to observe him on his way to the Dr. Hopper's office. That would have been the easiest way to place her at the scene of the crime. And with no witnesses in her defense, no albeit, and no credibility... she was as good as guilty. There was little chance that she would be able to prove her innocence to them.

That left her with precious few options. She could do nothing, and await whatever fate her captors (or more likely Gold) had in store for her.

Or...

She could attempt to once again fight the fairies' magic. Her first effort had not been successful, but it had been educational. Before she'd lost consciousness, she'd felt minute cracks forming in the containment shell. The enchantment had definitely weakened beneath the onslaught of her magic. And now, with the immobilization component having faded, there was a good chance that she could focus her magic enough to do some real damage. She wouldn't necessarily be able to take down the entire shell, but perhaps she could create a crack large enough to dispel a portion of her magic. Enough to allow her to teleport to her mausoleum, or maybe just blast away the door of her cell.

There was really only one choice. She needed to act, but the question of when she should make her attempt still remained. It would be prudent to wait until well after nightfall, when most of Storybrooke would be asleep and, hopefully, she would be unguarded. That would allow her the best chance of a successful escape. However; waiting that long came with two very big risks: Gold could come for her, not wanting to waste time now that she was trapped and helpless, or Emma and her parents could decide not to wait to hold her trial.

And then there was Henry to think about. The longer she delayed, the greater the chance that Emma and the two idiots would succeed in poisoning him against her. The sooner she broke down the fairies' spell, the sooner she could talk to her son. Plead her case to him.

She could not afford to wait.

Regina leaned back on the cot, attempting to stay out of the fairies' eye line. It wouldn't do well to give herself away before she got going. She took a few calming breaths, preparing herself. This was really going to hurt.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, slowly building and focusing her magic. Unfortunately, the pain was not as slow to build as her magic, which immediately manifested as a throbbing at the base of her skull. She ignored it, focusing on her task. She could feel the cracks she'd made earlier, unsealed after her previous attack. That was good. That made her job easier. She pushed her magic against them, expanding them and choosing the largest to target.

Her work was laborious and the pain was becoming more intense. She heard a soft whimper, but could only guess as to whether it came from her or not.

"What are you doing?" the fairy asked.

Regina didn't answer, completely focused on her task.

"You're attempting to shatter the containment spell," continued the useless pest. "It won't work, your Majesty."

She pushed harder, forcing her magic against the largest crack, widening it as quickly has she could.

"I won't allow you to do this."

Regina felt her limbs stiffen. She couldn't move, couldn't breath. The blue bitch had used another immobilization charm.

_It doesn't matter._

Her power would not be contained. Magic surged through every pore of her body.

"Stop!"

The fairies' calls were only a distant buzzing now.

"You can't!"

The air smelled of magic, copper, and burning flesh.

"Please!"

She no longer felt any pain, just the warm, slow trickles flowing from her ears and nose.

"You don't know what you're doing!"

The crack was as wide as it was going to get. She gathered all of her remained strength and focusing on the small fissure. Then she waited, allowing the magic to build to a single massive collection of energy.

"You'll kill us both!"

Regina unleashed her magic.

And then the room exploded.

[TBC]

* * *

End Note: God it feels good writing a pro-Regina Henry. Totally cathartic after what's going on in my WIP. Part two of this one will be up after the next chapter of Rockland.


	2. Death Be Not Proud

Disclaimer: I own a box of Flutie Flakes (way past expiration), but not Once Upon a Time or any of these fine characters. All mistakes belong to me. Get your own! Or if anyone would like to beta...

A/N: So my original plan was to get out the next chapter of Rockland first, but the Henry chapter has been kicking my ass and this one has been just relentlessly attacking my mind grapes. Hopefully no one minds terribly.

* * *

_Death be not proud, though some have called thee_

_Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,_

_For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,_

_Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee._

_From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,_

_Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,_

_And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,_

_Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie._

_Thou art slave to Fate, Change, kings, and desperate men,_

_And sot with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,_

_And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,_

_And better then thy stroake, why swell'st thou then?_

_One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,_

_And death shall be no more, death, thou shalt die._

_ -John Donne_

* * *

A fully unpleasant sensation settled in the pit of Emma's stomach as she pulled the Bug into her designated parking space at the Sheriff's station. The trip to Gold's shop had been quick, and after only a few snide remarks from the proprietor, they had acquired the same dream catcher that had been used to reveal Pongo's memories. Henry had it now, clutched tightly in his small hands like it was some precious thing. Though to him, it really was. It was the item that would prove his mother's innocence.

_Regina's innocence._

Emma wanted to laugh at the thought. According to Mary Margaret's abridged version of 'Snow White: the Early Years (and P.S. The Evil Queen's a bitch)', the former Mayor was anything but innocent. And while the target of the Queen's rage probably wasn't the most objective source on the matter, the picture Mary Margaret had painted did fit nicely with Emma's own impression of the woman she had spent the better part of the last eight months antagonizing.

It wasn't hard to believe the horrible things Regina was apparently capable of and just how dangerous she was. So regardless of her supposed attempt at redemption, the former Mayor wasn't getting the benefit of the doubt. If she had powers that were anything like Cora's, then she could certainly take Henry and kill anyone who got in her way. And after Graham's death, Regina had proven how little she cared about collateral damage.

_Graham._

Emma tugged at the shoelace that circled her wrist.

Graham's death was still hard to think about. He had been a good man and he hadn't deserved what Regina had done to him. If Henry's book was right, then the Evil Queen had ripped his heart out and used it to control him for twenty-eight years until... until the Mayor had crushed it to dust. And for what? To preserve a curse that was fated to be broken? It was pointless. And she would never pay for it.

But she wouldanswer for Archie's death. He hadn't deserved it either, but that hadn't stopped her from choking the life out of him over some petty argument? What kind of person did that?

Emma gripped the steering wheel tightly as she felt a familiar anger building within her. She needed to calm down. She had made a promise to Henry that they would use the dream catcher again to find out the truth. So that's what they were going to do.

And if they ended up proving that Regina was innocent (and that was a big if), then Emma refused to feel bad for the actions that they had taken. The woman was a murderer and they couldn't have risked being wrong about her. Not again. The ambush had been the right call. And really what did Regina have to complain about? It was just a containment spell, a small precaution to bind her magic so she didn't go on a murderous rampage. It was completely reasonable. And it wasn't permanent. Or harmful.

Probably.

_Actually..._

Emma rested her head against the steering wheel and groaned.

_This is so fucked up._

She knew that she was doing a lot of rationalization, but her stomach was still in knots and it pissed her off that despite her refusal to do so, she actually _was_ feeling guilty about potentially falsely accusing someone who had a horrible temper and could launch fire balls from her palms. And Henry really wasn't helping, having spent the entire drive over from Gold's shop explaining in great detail how his adoptive mother was changing for the better. How the curse had made a hole in her heart that hadn't allowed her to properly love him, but now that it was broken she was free to do just that. To finally drop the 'Evil' from her name and find her happy ending.

While Emma appreciated his belief in Regina's potential for goodness, it was a really hard pill to swallow. His best argument for his adoptive mother's ability to change had been the fact that she hadn't killed anyone since the curse broke. But seriously, innocent or not, did Regina really deserve any credit for not killing someone? Emma didn't kill people on a daily basis, but she didn't go around expecting the key to the city.

She turned off the engine and sat back against the driver's seat, thinking about the coming confrontation. Even if the dream catcher showed that Regina had spent the night of Archie's murder locked in her mansion watching reruns of Maury off her TiVo, it wouldn't change the fact that she was probably completely pissed off and _definitely_ extremely dangerous. And after burning the last, dilapidated bridge that stood between them, Emma seriously doubted that Regina would be able to reign in her anger, righteous or otherwise.

If Henry was right, how the hell were they going to be able to let her go? She was the magical equivalent of a ticking time bomb.

"It's going to be okay Emma," Henry assured her from the passenger seat.

She glanced down at him. "I don't know about that kid. Even if your mom is innocent-"

"She is!"

"Even if she is, she's not going to be happy with us. And Regina, she doesn't exactly have the best track record with this kind of thing. There's a good chance that when that anti-magic spell wears off, she'll... well..." How to put this nicely? "...fall off the wagon."

"Then we'll help her," he replied.

"We may not be able to, Henry."

He shook his head. "We will. Everyone deserves a second chance."

Emma's mind flashed back to the conversation she'd had with Mary Margaret and David at the welcome back party; how she had said something very similar to her parents. And now here she was, less than forty-eight hours later, listening to her son as he tried to convince her of the exact same thing. It really was amazing how quickly everything had turned around.

She opened her mouth, ready to deny his claim and tell him that some people just couldn't be helped, when something stopped her.

It was the look in his eye. He was so hopeful. He wanted so badly for Regina to have changed.

For him.

To justify how much he still loved her.

And that, Emma suddenly realized, was the real reason that her stomach had been in knots since picking Henry up. She didn't feel guilty for potentially wrongfully imprisoning a murderer. She felt guilty because deep down, even thought it would hurt Henry immensely, she wanted Regina to have done it. She wanted the boy's other mother to have been the one who killed Archie, because...

Because that would make everything so much easier.

I would mean that they could imprison her, or take her magic, or do whatever it was you did to Evil Queen's. Then Emma would finally have her son after ten years without him. And she could begin to make amends for the choice – no, the mistake – she made when she told the doctor to take him away, refusing to even look at him.

It was selfish. She knew that. And it would hurt Henry so much, but a small part of her just didn't care. Deep down she hoped for the chance to step up and be the parent that eleven years ago she'd been too afraid to be.

She felt sick.

Hadn't Regina done exactly the same thing? Hadn't she pushed Henry's feelings aside as she positioned herself as the only parent in his life.

_And what does that fucking say about me?_

Emma knew she would have to follow Henry's lead on this one, because the moment you found yourself identifying with the Evil Queen... well, that was probably when you had to forfeit the title of 'Savior.'

"You're right Kid." She watched David's cruiser pull up along side them. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

Henry smiled at her and opened his car door to greet his grandparents.

Emma took a deep, calming breath before exiting the car. She slammed the door and hoped that she wasn't about to make a huge mistake.

"Ready?" David asked her, as he placed an arm on Henry's shoulder. From the look on his face, she could tell he was just as unsure about this as she was.

Emma nodded. "Yeah, let's get this over wi-"

A deafening boom sounded from behind her.

Emma was pushed forward against her car and reflexively fell to the ground, dropping her head as low as possible. She saw a bright flash of light against the pavement beneath her and heard the sound of windows shattering. She felt tiny pieces of shrapnel pelting her jacket, as glass rained down over the small parking lot.

It was over in a matter seconds, though to Emma, if felt like much longer. The world around her went absolutely silent and the only reason she knew that time had not frozen was the sight of swirling gray dust that was slowly drifting around her.

She stayed on the ground for a while before she really began to process what had happened.

There had been an explosion. In the Sheriff's station.

Charred dry wall and tiny shards of glass littered the pavement around her and the air smelled like burning plastic and something vaguely metallic. She heard the low wailing of sirens. Or maybe that was just her ear's ringing.

Emma stood up slowly and stumbled around the back of her car as quickly as possible, intent on reaching her son.

"Henry," she called before spotting her family, crouched low against her car with both David and Mary Margaret positioned protectively over her son. They had been further from the Sheriff's station and her car had caught most of the glass before it could reach them. Other than a small gash over Mary Margaret's left eye, they all looked relatively unscathed.

"Were fine, Emma," David said quietly even though it looked like he was yelling.

She reached them quickly and pulled Henry to her, checking him for injuries. He didn't appear to be bleeding. "Are you okay?"

He nodded still looking a little shell shocked.

A soft hand turned her face to the left. "Emma, you're bleeding."

Emma could barely hear Mary Margaret's words. She reached up and felt the right side of her face where a steady stream of blood was trickling down from her ear. She snapped her fingers twice but heard nothing.

"You should go to the hospital," David called.

Emma shock her head. "I'm fine." The fog was starting to clear and while she probably should get checked out at the hospital, that could wait until later.

Her eye's fell on the building. As she expected, the first floor windows were all shattered and she could see scorch marks along the gray concrete exterior.

"Mom's in there," Henry said, breaking out of his stupor. He took a step toward the building, but Emma pulled him back.

"No way, Henry. You're staying with Mary Margaret." She knew she was probably yelling, but she didn't care. Turning to her mother, "Get him checked out at the hospital. And call in the deputies and fire rescue. We need to get this area blocked off."

"What about you?"

Emma pointed at the smoking structure, causing Mary Margaret to frown.

"Emma, she could be hurt," Henry told her.

"I'll do everything I can, Henry," Emma said as Mary Margaret held him back.

She checked her belt and felt her service weapon. It was in still place and looked undamaged. With a nod to David, she moved toward the building.

When they pushed through the front entrance David took point, his gun raised at the level of his shoulders. "You think Regina did this?" He asked, directing the question to her good ear.

"I don't know," she replied, honestly hoping that Regina wasn't responsible.

The floor of the main lobby was covered in glass, but the walls looked intact with no visible burn marks. They picked up their pace, moving quickly to the holding area.

Ahead of her, David rounded the corner and stopped, his gun falling to his side. "Oh God."

When Emma reached him, her mouth fell open.

The Sheriff's office and holding area were completely destroyed. This had definitely been the sight where the explosion had originated. The desk's that normally occupied the center of the room had all been flipped and launched against the walls. Debris covered the floor, while scorch marks lined the walls and ceiling. And all the windows had been blown out.

"Blue?" David called, stepping into the wreckage. He waved his hand to clear away the lingering dust. "Regina?"

Emma shook off her initial shock at the sight of the room and moved forward. She spotted Blue's wand on the ground and stepped over it as she moved toward the cell that they'd left Regina in. The bars were a mangled mess of melted metal, completely warped by the force of whatever had exploded. The cot was still inside, it's frame twisted beyond repair, but no Regina.

She was gone.

Emma's stomach dropped at the sight of blood. There was a small pool of it in the center of the cell, the only evidence that Regina had been there at all. Wherever she was, she was injured.

"Blue!"

Emma turned at David's cry. She moved to him quickly and helped to slide one of the toppled desks out of the way

"I'm fine," The fairy said once they'd moved away enough debris to reach her. She stood up slowly, dusting off her blue cloak.

"What the hell happened?" Emma tried not to yell.

Blue looked at the mangled jail cells and then at David. "The Queen fought the containment spell." She shook her head. "I told her what would happen. She didn't listen to me."

Emma turned her head to the right, struggling to hear the fairy clearly. "What do you mean you told her what would happen? What happened?"

Blue faced her. "She broke the spell."

David looked confused. "If that's all she did, then why does it look like a bomb went off in here. Did she attack you?"

The fairy sighed. "The Queen attempted to fracture the shell I placed around her by directing her magic against a single small crack that she created."

"Okay..." Emma didn't understand how that led to the current state of her Sheriff's station.

"Having previously restrained the Queen in a similar manner, I knew the extent of her power," the fairy explained. "I designed this containment spell to match her strength precisely, so that she would not be able to build up enough magic to break it, even if she did focus her power in such a way."

"But you just said that she broke it," Emma pressed.

"She did." Blue nodded slowly. She was clearly unhappy at Regina's apparent success. "The Queen possessed more power than I had anticipated."

David looked around again, scratching his head. "So she did cause the damage."

"When the spell broke and the shell shattered," the fairy began slowly. "It caused her magic to be released very suddenly. It was too much for her to control. It... she..."

"She what? Exploded?" David asked incredulously.

Blue nodded slowly.

"Whoa! What?" Emma yelled.

How did a person just explode?

She took a step toward the fairy. "You said there would be no lasting damage, that this wouldn't hurt her."

"And it wouldn't have, had she not attempted to escape."

"Are you kidding me right now?!"

Emma felt her heart pounding in her chest. Her whole body was shaking from an excess of adrenaline.

"So she's dead?" David asked slowly. He actually looked a bit sad when the fairy nodded again. His eye's scanned the destroyed room. "Emma I don't-" He trailed off.

Emma felt the bile rising in her stomach. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth and then turned away from them, her eyes once more finding the puddle of blood in the destroyed jail cell.

_Oh God._

This was all her fault. The stupid spell may have belonged to the Blue Fairy, but Emma had been the one who backed Regina into a corner. She had been the one to threaten the woman's relationship with her Henry and make her desperate enough to risk her only life in order to escape. And now, guilty or not, Regina's blood was on her hands.

How the hell was she going to tell Henry?

"Why didn't you try to stop her?" Emma called out in frustration.

"I did," Blue replied, her voice annoyingly calm. "It's not my fault that the Queen was incapable of listening to reason." She paused. "Perhaps this is for the bes-"

"Don't!" Emma yelled, pointing at the red stained floor. "That was Henry's mother." She ran her fingers through her tangled hair. "Fuck!"

"Emma." David stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No, David," she said, stepping away from him. "Just let me process this."

"Emma, get back!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her next to him, away from the center of the room where purple smoke was swirling.

Emma's eye's widened as the mist dissipated, leaving behind the form of a woman in a flowing sapphire gown.

The very person Emma hoped she'd never see again.

_Cora._

Emma didn't hesitate. She reached for her gun, but had barely managed a grip on it when she was thrown to the ground. The impact caused her to drop the weapon. She attempted to stand, but something was holding her back. A blue shimming energy had settled over her chest, pinning her to the floor.

To her left, Emma could see that David was similarly restrained. She watched as he struggled against the magical bonds.

"Stay," Cora commanded, looking down at them. "Perhaps this will help you to remember where you belong." Her voice was colder – if that was possible – than Emma remembered.

"It was you," Emma soothed. "You murdered Archie."

Cora chose not to reply, instead stepping away from them toward the exit of the station. For a split second Emma convinced herself that the witch was going to leave them, but she didn't. Cora stopped and slowly knelt down to pick some piece of debris off the floor.

"No!" Blue shouted.

The fairy was still standing, Emma noticed, and her eyes were locked on the object that Cora now held in her dark, gloved hand.

It was a wand.

Blue's wand.

Cora turned to face them. "Rheul Ghorm. This is quite the unpleasant surprise." The witch wore a terrifying smile. "I came here looking my daughter. I could sense her magic." Her eye's scanned the debris. "But instead I find you in this... mess." Her eyes flashed to Emma and David on the floor. "And these two useless creatures." She looked up at the Blue Fairy. "Where is she?"

Emma's mouth went dry.

_She's going to kill us all._

The bile was rising in her stomach again.

Not far away, David was still struggling.

And Blue, she could only stare at her wand, completely mute.

Cora advanced on them slowly, her eye's still locked on the fairy. "Answer me," she commanded in a low voice. "Where is my Regina?"

"We don't know," Emma called, attempting to stall. "She left. Teleported."

"She's lying," Cora said slowly, not breaking eye contact. "But you can't." She held up the fairy's wand. "It's against the rules." Pause. "So speak Rheul Ghorm. Or I will kill them all."

That got Blue's attention. She slowly looked up and then turned her head to the mangled cell that had held Regina.

Cora followed her gaze and, at the sight of her daughter's blood, a cold look of understanding spread across her face.

"NO!"

The witch's left hand shot forward, squeezing the air in front of Blue's throat. The nun was immediately lifted off the floor, her hands clawing at her exposed neck.

Emma could see a purple magic swirling in the darkness of Cora's eyes. The witch's face was a mask of rage. She looked ready to burn the town to the ground.

"I-It was an acciden-ent," Blue gasped.

"How?" the witch demanded.

"C-Contain-ed her magi-"

Cora's hand closed suddenly causing Blue to drop to the ground. The fairy let out a small whimper on impact and looked up at the sorceress before her. The witch paid her no heed, intent on scanning the room as if she was hoping to find any trace of Regina, alive and whole, somewhere in the wreckage. A curious expression crossed her features, one that Emma could only associate with pride.

"You underestimated her," Cora said as she turned back to the fairy, her face now the picture of malice.

This was about to get out of hand.

Looking around, Emma caught sight of her gun. It was a few feet away on her right side, but she couldn't reach it. Her torso and arms were still locked tightly against the floor and the strength of Cora's magic had not weakened at all. She stared at the firearm, willing her arm to break through the spell and reach out for it. Willing the weapon into her hands.

Then something happened.

The sidearm started to slide toward her.

_Did I?_

It wasn't a lot; just an inch or two before it stopped. But the thing had definitely moved.

"I believe you know my first teacher." Cora was talking to Blue. "Rumpelstiltskin."

_Great a fucking monologue._

"He was never particularly enamored with your kind."

Emma didn't look at her. The blonde's focus was now solely on the gun and how she could get it closer. She had the magic necessary. The dream catcher had proved that. But how did she access it? How did she use it to get that gun into her hand?

"But these, delicate things, he was very fond of," the witch continued. After a beat, "A pity that I have no use for it."

"No!" cried Blue.

Emma turned her head in time to see a dark purple tendril of energy emerging from the tips of Cora's gloved fingers. The magic spiraled around Blue's wand, turning the painted wood black as coal.

"Please don't," the fairy begged. She was on her knees clutching at the hem of Cora's blue skirt.

The witch only smiled as the wand splintered in her hand. Then she pursed her lips and blew softly over the cracked wood, disintegrating it into a cloud of black ash that slowly drifted to the ground.

A sob escaped from Blue's throat at the sight of it. She sat back against the dirty linoleum floor.

Cora reached forward and lifted the fairy's chin to look her in the eye. "And now you truly are nothing." She leaned forward and brought her mouth to the broken woman's ear. Emma couldn't hear what was said, but she saw Blue stiffened and when Cora pulled back there was a crimson pulsing organ nestled firmly in her right hand.

"No!" David yelled before Cora silenced him with a wave of her hand.

"Trust me dear. This is for the best."

And then the heart was gone.

And Blue was falling backward with vacant eyes.

And Cora was brushing dust from her hand.

Emma closed her eyes and exhaled. The ringing was back. Loud and repetitive and in both ears, pounding without mercy or agenda. She needed to stop it. To slam her alarm clock against the wall and wake up from this nightmare, because she was in her bed, tired and overworked, but at the same time warm and safe. And with a little time she would find her happy ending and everything would b-

"Why they leave the source of their power just lying around, I'll never know." Cora's voice broke through the noise in Emma's head.

She opened her eyes to see the witch standing over her, smiling. "Hello dear. I'm so glad that we can have another chance to speak."

"Get away from her!" David commanded.

Cora turned her head slightly. "I should take care of that."

Then the woman was moving away and Emma knew that David's time had run out. Her eyes fell back to the gun that was just out of reach. She needed it. Yesterday.

Eyes focused, she willed sidearm to move, begging it to slide just one foot closer.

She could hear Cora speaking to David; playing with her food. But she wouldn't toy with him long. She would kill him. Then Emma. And then anyone else who stood in her way. Even Henry.

_No._

And then the gun was in her hand.

Emma didn't stop to consider how it happened. She rolled her body as best she could and aimed the weapon at Cora. The angle was bad but she fired anyway, managing three shots before magic pulled the gun from her hand.

Without warning the energy that held her to the floor vanished allowing Emma to roll to her feet. She immediately looked for Cora, who was only a few meters away with Emma's weapon clutched tightly in her right hand. The witch wasn't looking at her though. Her eyes were locked on the trickle of blood that was coming from her left shoulder, six inches above her heart.

"How crude."

The gun disappeared in a puff of smoke and Cora waved her hand over the wound, healing it instantly.

She looked at Emma as an orb of fire ignited in her palm. "Perhaps we should have that talk now."

BANG.

BANG.

BANG.

BANG.

BANG.

The flame extinguished as crimson life billowing from five tightly spaced holes that had appeared in the sorceress's chest.

Cora blinked twice, confused. Then she pitched forward, hitting the floor hard like a sack of flour.

Emma could see David crouched a few feet behind the spot Cora had been standing. His pistol was still smoking in his outstretched hands.

They both looked down at the bloody woman on the floor.

Her body was still.

[TBC]

* * *

End Note: I probably should have added a warning for character death... but what can I say. I like surprises. Also, I don't know why I thought I'd be able to wrap this thing up in just two chapters. More to follow.


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Suspense